Cover Story
Disaster responders: Red Cross volunteers give their time to help others caught up in the worst crisis of their lives
Get trained Find out what you can do to help respond to emergencies as a Red Cross volunteer by visiting redcross.org/local/california/central-california. About seven days after the Thomas Fire began, the Ventura Police Department gave Red Cross volunteers permission to go up to some of the neighborhoods that were reduced to rubble. “We went out to…
Right-wing hypocrisy on steroids
In the Dec. 21 issue of New Times, Al Fonzi wrote a commentary titled, “A grave threat to the Republic.” He proceeds to lay out, and push, all kinds of accusations against the FBI, Special Counsel Robert Mueller III, and pretty much the whole U.S. intelligence/security apparatus that have been spewed of late by Fox…
Coming soon: SLOMA displays Jeffrey Bacon’s iconic movie posters
Showtime The Jeffrey Bacon: Dreams for Sale exhibit will be on display at the SLO Museum of Art through Jan. 28. In conjunction with the show, on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m., the museum will host a screening of 24 x 36: A Movie About Movie Posters. The suggested donation is $5 for museum members…
Big wheel keep on turning
Talk about a public flogging! Did you tune in to the Jan. 9 SLO County Board of Supervisors meeting? Like a Greek Chorus from a Sophoclean Tragedy, members of the public—uniformly aligned with COLAB (the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, and Business), the local Republican party, or conservative causes—one by one sonorously rebuked 3rd District Supervisor…
Passion project: The founder of the Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre retires after a quarter of a century at the helm
“It was magical.” That might be Nancy Green’s favorite statement to make about the theater she helped give birth to. It was born—rather painlessly and passionately—about 25 years ago, three years after Green moved to the hilly hamlet of Cambria from the chaos and clamor of New York City. Green, who started her love affair…
Reserve your energy: Reservoir Canyon is pretty sweet all around, but it’s best if you make it to the top
Move, people! Head north of San Luis Obispo on Highway 101 to get to Reservoir Canyon. About a mile north of the city limits, hang a right on Reservoir Canyon Road and take it until you get to the parking lot. The trek up Reservoir Canyon is not for hiking newbies. Yes, there’s a little…
Volunteerslo.org connects community with opportunities to give back
Feel like doing more volunteer work in 2018 and haven’t in the past because you thought you needed a better “lay of the land”? A visit to one website can put an end to that excuse. Volunteerslo.org is the comprehensive online database of volunteer opportunities in San Luis Obispo County. Originally a partnership between Cal…
Social media sound off
Citing concerns about safety, the SLO City Council is thinking about installing retractable steel bollards to keep cars out of downtown during the city’s Farmers’ Market. New Times readers let us know how they felt about the plan on Facebook.
Los Osos artist paints with wine
Supporting local veterans Artist Kirby Banta’s work will be displayed as part of the Veterans’ Voices exhibit, on display at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles through Jan. 29. Banta’s coasters, prints, and originals will be for sale, ranging from $30 to $500. Visit studiosonthepark.org for more information. Sometimes an artist needs a glass…
Keep calm and cast iron on
Is anything in life really nonstick? Maybe it’s turning 30, but I’ve become intensely skeptical of any product labeled “easy clean!” I’ve gotten down to basics and cast off the childish gadgets, given away the George Foreman Grill and the onion dicer. Because life isn’t at all like an “As Seen on T.V. Red Copper…
Get your volunteer on: Find the organization that tugs at your heartstrings and give them a call
San Luis Obispo County has more volunteer opportunities than one little paper can possibly quantify. But if you’re new to this whole giving of yourself to benefit others thing, here’s a small fraction of the organizations that could use a little bit of your time (and probably your money, too). CASA of San Luis Obispo…
Latin-centric L.A. party band Ozomatli plays the Fremont Theater on Jan.11
When Ozomatli formed in 1995, they had a lofty goal in mind: to create a style of music that pays homage to eclectic Los Angeles street culture, from the Mexican songs that influenced their youth to reggae’s dancehall vibe and its socially conscious lyrics to the hip-hop tracks that explored their urban reality. They released…
Cluck yeah!
Once you live with chickens, you never really go back to “normal life.” It’s not that owning chickens is hard or impossibly draining (like raising human babies)—it’s not. These feathered friends just manage to take up a weird amount of space in your head and heart. It sneaks up on you. A morning cup of…
Take birding photography, editing workshop
From getting that perfect shot to editing it just right, learn it all at the Birding Photography Workshop—From Camera to Computer on Jan. 13. Students will meet instructor Brady Cabe at 6:45 a.m. at Art Center Morro Bay and then proceed to the outdoor shooting location. Cabe will share photo tips, local birding knowledge, and…
SLO Supervisors tweak marijuana policy and talk taxes
The SLO County Board of Supervisors resolved a hiccup in their county cannabis ordinance on Jan. 9 that had barred registered growers from receiving state licenses. Supervisors directed county staff to provide state cannabis regulators letters of good standing for local registered cultivators in the process of applying for county permits to grow marijuana. The…
Healthy boost
Not your average work party: SLO City Farm is hosting “work parties” on the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. Folks of all ages (kids too) are invited to volunteer on the 19-acre farm and learn about community supported agriculture! The next event is slated for Jan. 13 and will feature…
Paint your pet at Broken Earth Winery
Immortalize your fur baby at the Paint Your Pet event Jan. 19 with instruction from artist Karyn Blaney at Broken Earth Winery in Paso Robles. The class is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. After holding your spot with a credit card, you will need to email two to three headshots of your pet (using good…
Money is king
Remember that those financed by Big Tobacco said “smoking causing cancer is unproven and highly questionable.” That’s what big money can do to protect profits—hire people with degrees to sell out and protect those profits. Meanwhile, millions of Americans believed smoking was not harmful and ended up dead. Now Big Fossil Fuel is doing the…
Steins and vines
Beer boom: Since Silva Brewing’s inception, getting a taste meant trekking to a tasting room in Paso Robles, or heading out to neighboring bars and restaurants in SLO County. That will change this month, care of a partnership with California-based Stone Distributing Co., which will utilize its manpower and expertise to shuttle Silva’s beers to…
Five Cities Fire Authority may phase out reserve firefighter program
The Five Cities Fire Authority (FCFA) is looking to phase out the use of part-time reserve firefighters in the coming years, but the agency will have to sell its three participating communities on the expensive proposition. Five Cities Fire Chief Steve Lieberman presented a proposed plan to members of the Arroyo Grande City Council on…
Save those scraps!
Get picking: GleanSLO is celebrating a new year and a new harvest calendar full of citrus. Winter means plenty of orange, lemon, and grapefruit trees will be dropping their fruit, and the nonprofit needs your help catch it! You can sign up your own tree at gleanslo.com as well as learn about gleans happening all…
Relive the 80s with Orchesis’ 48th dance concert
In an homage to leg warmers, neon colors, and some rad music, Cal Poly’s Orchesis Dance Company presents its ’80s Mix Tape show, with performances from Jan. 19 to 27 at the Spanos Theatre. For the group’s 48th concert, audience members will be transported back in time while watching dances to music recorded between 1980…
Nuclear power could devastate
I am grateful that New Times published Ellie Ripley’s thoughts on Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant (“Safe, clean, and reliable,” Dec. 21). It is important to hear multiple sides to any issue. I am glad she has witnessed careful thought and management at the power plant. However, her comments seem to miss the greater concerns…
Volunteers 2018
Hundreds of trained Red Cross volunteers traveled south to help victims of the Thomas Fire, the largest fire in California history, in December. They served thousands of meals, connected people with services, comforted folks through the loss of a home, and handed out blankets and toiletries at shelters. For this year’s Volunteers issue, New Times…
Agreement brewing between Coast Unified, Cayucos, and San Luis Coastal on transfers
Cayucos families could soon have a dependable path for transferring their kids to San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD) schools. A draft agreement between the SLCUSD, Coast Unified School District, and Cayucos Elementary School District establishes a process for interdistrict transfers that would enable funding to follow students to their destination district—the sticking point…
A San Luis Obispo County building inspector builds his own distillery in Los Osos
Driving down the main road in Los Osos you wouldn’t be able to find Foggy Bottom Distillery at first or even know it was there to begin with. “You really have to want to come here to find this place,” said Todd Adams, owner and operator of the distillery. Foggy Bottom Distillery is tucked away…
‘I, Tonya’ shows another side of ice skating history
I, TONYA What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Ryah? Full Price What’s it worth, Karen? Full Price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre Editor’s note: Arts Editor Ryah Cooley and Staff Writer Karen Garcia stepped in for Glen and Anna Starkey this week. From director Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, The Finest Hours)…
Grover Beach hops on polystyrene ban bandwagon
Kiss those clamshell takeout boxes goodbye. The Grover Beach City Council moved forward with enacting a ban on expanded polystyrene food and drink containers, as well as other products made from the material, at its regular meeting Jan. 8, joining four other SLO County municipalities that have enacted similar ordinances over the last two years.…
A question of poor judgment
One of the qualities we expect in an elected official is for them to show good judgment in the selection of the people they appoint to boards and commissions. We have a reasonable expectation that those appointed will consider the health and safety of their constituents a priority. In this, Lynn Compton has a dismal…
Supervisor Hill denied board chairmanship again, slammed for ‘outrageous’ behavior
One after the other, 32 local residents in a crowded SLO County government building on Jan. 9 stepped to the microphone to deliver the same pointed message to 3rd District Supervisor Adam Hill and the Board of Supervisors: Hill, the vice chair, was not fit to serve as chair of the board in 2018, while 1st District Supervisor John…
Is this a great country … or what?
During the past few decades it is estimated our country has spent trillions (with a t and an s) of dollars fighting wars and terrorists in many countries throughout the world. Mathematically, 1 trillion dollars is equivalent to 1 million dollars spent 1 million times, and do not forget the “s” above. Wealthy individuals who…
Bingeable: Bright
When? 2017 What’s it rated? TV MA Where’s it available? Streaming on Netflix As 2017 came to a close, it’s not hard to argue that the year was a boon for excellent original streaming content, particularly on Netflix Without the aid of a Google search, I can easily fire off a slew of amazing original…
Those billboards on 101 need to go
We appreciate the recent attention from The Shredder (“Pass the kouchie,” Dec. 14) to the current efforts of Protect Scenic 101 (PS 101), for San Luis Obispo County to pursue obtaining a California Scenic Highway designation for a portion of Highway 101 in the county and for eliminating the billboards on that stretch of the…
Film Listings, 1/11/18 – 1/18/18
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? The Palm New It’s the summer of 1983 in the north of Italy, and Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a precocious 17-year-old American-Italian, spends his days in his family’s 17th century villa transcribing and playing classical music, reading, and flirting with his friend Marzia…
Shame on New Times!
I am deeply offended by the recent political cartoon (“A year in cartoons,” Dec. 28) depicting Supervisor John Peshong with Supervisors Lynn Compton and Debbie Arnold on their knees at his feet. The cartoon sets women’s equality back 50 years. While these supervisors represent a conservative constituency, none of these elected officials believe women are…
Re-elect Supervisor Compton, supporting all county citizens
If all you want is low-income housing without any regard to those who sacrificed to accomplish this on their own, then you are redistributing the hard-earned dollars of working families. You are supporting theft by the rude, arrogant, bullies, Supervisors Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson. If you want to talk about an ideology, they are…
Grover Beach mother deported to Mexico
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained a Grover Beach mother of three on Jan. 3 and deported her to Tijuana, Mexico, days later. Neofita Silva’s eldest daughter Susan Bernal, a 23-year-old medical assistant living in San Diego, must now step up and take care of her two siblings. Silva battled ICE for 12…
