

Cover Story
Winning Images 2023
It’s hard for a photograph to capture a place exactly as it looks to the human eye, and even more difficult for that image to encapsulate the emotion of a particular moment. Sometimes, we get lucky. Most of the time, it takes skill. Photographers who are successful rely on light, shutter speed, depth of field,…
Bags containing anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ-plus leaflets found in Paso neighborhood
When Michael Seden-Hansen stepped out onto his front lawn to put a letter in the mailbox, he made a jarring discovery. “I saw this bag on my lawn with a paper in it that had these bizarre anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ-plus messages in it,” Seden-Hansen said. “I immediately looked around to see if I could find…
Atascadero City Council recognizes LGBTQ-plus citizens in Pride Month proclamation
The Atascadero City Council issued a proclamation formally recognizing and encouraging the honor of LGBTQ-plus members of the community at the June 13 City Council meeting. The proclamation was received by a variety of pro-LGBTQ-plus faith leaders, including Reverend Heather Branton, an openly gay pastor at the Community Church of Atascadero. “Some of you don’t…
Paso Robles school board to host Aug. 7 town hall on future of Georgia Brown
To dig a trench, or not to dig a trench. That’s the question the Paso Robles community faces on Georgia Brown Elementary School, with its future at stake. A geologic “anomaly” found under the campus in May has delayed a campus renovation and is now forcing the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) to…
Failure to communicate
I try to be amusing while shredding the shortcomings of the powers that be, but there’s absolutely nothing funny about the recently released police bodycam video that captured the tragic May 10, 2021, events when SLO Police Detective Luca Benedetti was killed in the line of duty by mentally ill alleged burglar Edward Giron as…
Iconic SLO winery Claiborne & Churchill turns 40
Alsace in Edna Valley Alsatian wine specialist Claiborne & Churchill is open daily from noon to 5 p.m. at 2649 Carpenter Canyon Road in San Luis Obispo. For reservations, events, and wine club information, visit claibornechurchill.com or call (805) 544-4066. Follow the winery on Facebook and Instagram @claiborneandchurchillwinery. They call him a renegade. In 1981,…
Dalíland is explores the famed surrealist painter’s inevitable decline
DALÍLAND What’s it rated? Not rated What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Chuck? Full price Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo Editor’s note: Anna Starkey is taking the week off from Split Screen, so Glen tapped his friend Chuck Maxie to pen Split Screen this week. Mary Harron…
Smartless: On The Road
What’s it rated? TV-PG When? 2023 Where’s it showing? HBO Max Ranked as one of the top comedy podcasts of 2023, Smartless brings together Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes along with a mystery guest for an hour or so of fun each week. This new HBO Max series follows the three hosts as…
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Redbox and Paramount Plus I didn’t bother with this when it came to the theater because it looked dumb and the Dungeons & Dragons game seems like it’s for nerdy LARPer types, but I kept hearing how fun it was, so I used my $1.25-off promo…
The Live Oak Music Festival is just a week away
I resisted Live Oak Music Festival for years, but 13 years ago, I finally broke down and went for the first time. I’ve never looked back. It’s my favorite festival of the year, which is why for the last couple of weeks, I told you what’s in store on Friday and Saturday at El Chorro…
NAACP president previews local Juneteenth events on June 17 and 19
Celebrate this year’s Juneteenth holiday with public events planned for both June 17 and 19 in San Luis Obispo. Tobin Johnson, president of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) San Luis Obispo County, told New Times that the theme for this year’s festivities is “human liberation.” “Celebrating Juneteenth was definitely a…
SLOMA receives grant funding for April Banks collaboration and Second Saturday events
Be in the know Find out more about April Banks and the Braiding Water project by following her on Instagram @aprilbanks_art. For more about future SLOMA events or how to sign up for the next Second Saturdays event, visit sloma.org or follow them on Instagram @slomuseumofart. Leann Standish and Emma Saperstein got the notification at…
New solo exhibit in Nipomo highlights seascapes by Rich Brimer
Mystic Nature in Nipomo will hold an artist reception for painter Rich Brimer, the gallery’s new featured artist, on Friday, June 16, from 2 to 6 p.m. The new exhibition debuted in early June and highlights a collection of Brimer’s scenic paintings. Brimer was born and raised in Long Beach, the city that would inspire…
Central Coast’s space age is booming
Vandenberg Space Force Base just outside Lompoc has been in the missile launching business for more than six decades. Initially there were scores of launch attempts before a successful mission was completed. Why? Because in the early days several test attempts were required to prove that the design would work. It’s no different with commercial…
Local artist Larry Le Brane hosts creativity talk in Morro Bay
The Morro Bay Art Association presents The Spark to Creativity, an artist talk with Los Osos-based artist Larry Le Brane, at Art Center Morro Bay on Monday, June 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. Le Brane will share stories, photographs, videos, and more during the free presentation, while he describes his approach to transforming or…
The dark soul of James G. Watt
The Beach Boys are coming to Vina Robles on July 5! The amphitheater there will be filled with aging hippies like me. But really, is there anyone, anywhere who isn’t a Beach Boys fan? Until a few days ago, there was: James G. Watt died the other day at the age of 86. Beach Boys…
County parking site plagued by poor management, ‘safety, security, and sanitation’ issues, grand jury says
A recently released grand jury report looking at San Luis Obispo County’s “safe parking village” on Oklahoma Avenue found a haphazardly set up operation that lacked order and leadership and continues to pose health and safety risks to its residents, especially children. The report—titled “Safe parking? Oklahoma is not OK!”—explored the origins of the county’s…






