Cover Story
Winning Images 2021: Check out our annual photography contest’s winners
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then we’ve got 32,000 beautiful, captivating, intimate, and skillfully wrought “words” for you this week. We’re pleased to present the top photos from this year’s Winning Images annual photography contest, which was again run all digitally thanks to COVID-19. But despite pandemic shutdowns, these intrepid photographers of…
Porter sentenced to 285 years for child sex crimes
Convicted child abuser Jason Porter of Paso Robles received a 285-year prison sentence in court on June 28, concluding a five-year criminal case with many child victims. SLO County Superior Court Judge Barry LaBarbera handed down the sentence, agreeing with prosecutors that Porter, 49, should face separate sentences for each of his 16 felony sex…
With state rental assistance slow to arrive, tenants and service groups look anxiously to the end of eviction protections
Adam Schooley, of Los Osos, owes more than $4,000 in back rent to his landlord after he lost his job in December for the second time during the pandemic. So in March, when the state announced a new rent relief program that would assist the estimated 900,000 California households also behind on rent due to…
![Live, in-person theater makes a Central Coast comeback with SLO Rep’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged]](https://i0.wp.com/www.newtimesslo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/musicartsculture_arts1-1-2f31e94da11c735a-1-scaled.webp?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
Live, in-person theater makes a Central Coast comeback with SLO Rep’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged]
Hamlet du fromage The San Luis Repertory Theatre presents its production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged] through Aug. 8, with performances every Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Call (805) 786-2440 or visit slorep.org for more info. The venue is located at 888 Morro…
Paso school board debates critical race theory
A recent discussion regarding a potential ban on the teaching of “critical race theory” in Paso Robles schools ended on a cliffhanger after board of education members failed to come to a consensus on whether they should look into the issue or how to define critical race theory. After dozens of public comments at a…
Amo Amo brings their dream pop to SLO Brew Rock on June 24
Amo Amo members Love Femme (Not a stage name!), Omar Velasco, Justin Flint, Shane Mckillop, and Alex Siegel were musician friends who happened to get together with My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James for an impromptu LA hipster jam session, and voila! Amo Amo was born in 2017. They found almost immediate success by creating…
County will discuss clerk-recorder position in July
Exactly how San Luis Obispo County will go about replacing its outgoing elected clerk-recorder will be a topic of public discussion on July 14. The SLO County Board of Supervisors directed its staff at a June 22 meeting to come back next month with options for appointing an interim clerk-recorder. “It’ll at least start the…
Avila resort set to host events again
The Avila Beach Golf Resort is planning to host several large in-person events and concerts in the coming months as the pandemic winds down locally, but the controversy over what events it’s really allowed to host still hasn’t been resolved. Although the resort has been hosting small weekly concerts for some time now, co-owner Rob…
One woman is bringing frozen treats to the events scene with her Paleta & Co. pushcart
Brittany Gonsalves was looking to get her creative juices flowing last year after the pandemic halted her business operations. “I was trying to find something to keep occupied, be creative, and have an outlet to stay hopeful and keep going,” she said. She and her husband, Rigoberto Guzman, started the Central Coast Tacos Catering Company…
SLO’s Academy of Dance holds summer dance camps for ages 6 to 13
Registration is now open to join the Academy of Dance’s upcoming summer dance camps for children and teens in San Luis Obispo. There are two different camps to choose from, both occurring between Monday, July 12, and Friday, July 16. Offered to ages 6 through 9, Disney Dancers camp is themed around a variety of…
San Luis Obispo NightWriters hosts virtual discussion with Kurdish novelist Ava Homa, author of Daughters of Smoke and Fire
Ava Homa will be discussing her debut novel, Daughters of Smoke and Fire (2020), during the San Luis Obispo NightWriters’ next virtual meeting, scheduled to be held on Tuesday, July 13, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., via Zoom. Admission to join the event is free. Call (805) 703-3132 or visit slonightwriters.org for the Zoom link…
Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre announces reopening and hosts upcoming Flamenco performance
The Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre is opening its doors to the public for the first time since its closure last March, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The venue will host a special performance from Flamenco artist Savannah Fuentes, accompanied by guitarist Diego Amador Jr., on Saturday, July 17, from 7 to 9 p.m.…
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is a middling sequel good for a few laughs
THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD What’s it rated? R When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee Tom O’Connor directs this sequel to the 2017 film The Hitman’s Bodyguard, about formerly AAA-rated bodyguard, Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), who was tasked with protecting hitman Darius Kincaid…
Another Round
What’s it rated? Not rated When? 2020 Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre Co-writer/director Thomas Vinterberg (The Hunt) helms this story about four friends, all high school teachers, suffering various levels of midlife crises. They decide to test a theory that human beings are born with an alcohol deficiency, and that they’re at their optimum…
The Last Cruise
What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2021 Where’s it showing? HBO Max Now that vaccination numbers are up and death tolls are down, I felt OK to watch a documentary highlighting the scary beginning of the pandemic and the ill-fated cruise ship Diamond Princess. Featuring interviews with both cruise ship guests and workers, this short HBO…
Central Coast boondoggle
In response to the New Times shredding (“Say something,” June 10) of “Arroyo Grande opts out of Central Coast Blue, barring new agreement” (June 10). It’s about time someone stood up to Pismo Beach on what I call, “Central Coast boondoggle.” Thank goodness the Arroyo Grande City Council, which under the current agreement is charged…
Why do you care now?
My name is Jeffrey S. Richard, and I have resided on the Central Coast for more than 15 years. I am homeless living in a tent. Recently I was given a notice from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office CAT team to move everything I own by June 20, 2021. The notice was posted…
Cambria vs. reality
When addressing formal comments to local jurisdictions, state agencies usually adopt a certain tone. It is formal, courteous, and rife with helpful suggestions and supportive statements of hopeful collaboration. When it comes to development proposals in Cambria and the question of how water will be found to serve those developments, there was once a time…
SLO County grapples with a $3.2 million loss on cannabis
San Luis Obispo County supervisors discussed the county’s struggling cannabis program on June 22, with staff highlighting a $3.2 million net loss since 2018 and a dearth of operational businesses. After nearly four years, SLO County has 20 permitted and licensed cannabis operators with their doors open, including just 15 total acres of cultivation. The…
New food truck BaguetteAbout.it specializes in ‘sophisticated’ share plates designed for wineries and private events
On the move To track upcoming events, or to book catering services, visit baguetteabout.it. You can also follow the food truck on Facebook and Instagram @baguetteabout.it. The city of San Luis Obispo’s inaugural Monday Meet-Up is planned for Monday, June 28, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., at Emerson Park in San Luis Obispo. The weekly…
This summer is the first opportunity to recover learning lost in pandemic
Laura Wade has been teaching in the Lucia Mar Unified School District for more than 40 years, and until this year, she’d never seen students excited to attend summer school. “They’re on time, they’re engaged,” Wade said. “It’s great.” Wade, a ninth grade English teacher at Arroyo Grande High School, said her summer school classes…
Mighty white of you, Paso!
What do Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Paso Robles have in common? They all share a misunderstanding and irrational fear of critical race theory (CRT). The four states passed legislation to outlaw CRT in K-12 public schools even though CRT isn’t taught in K-12 public schools. Now the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District has…
