Cover Story
Battles, scandals, and #MeToo: The riveting and riotous news that made headlines in 2019
From fights over cannabis, groundwater, and wastewater to tackling homelessness, politics upped the ante on all sides of the debates that raged in San Luis Obispo County this year. The SLO Police Department, Chief Deanna Cantrell, and the city dealt with some scandals that will continue into 2020, and the long-ranging battle over dust at…
‘The Time Is Now’: Fourth annual Women’s March SLO slated for Jan. 18
Three years after an estimated 7,000 descended on downtown San Luis Obispo for a protest following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Women’s March SLO is still marching on, now gearing up for its fourth annual event on Jan. 18. This year, the march has a “The Time is Now” theme, picked to reflect the urgency of…
K+M Extra Virgin Winter Spice Milk Chocolate
I ended my year with a bar of Thomas Keller Chocolate. It belonged to my brother-in-law Rudy, but I took a small square, because who in their right mind wouldn’t try dark chocolate crafted by the famous French Laundry chef? I let it melt on my tongue and coat my entire mouth, slowly savoring the…
Ongoing events
Food truck nights are happening all the time, but this Monday, Jan. 6, it’s the city of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation Department’s turn amid kickflips and ollies. From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., the latest family-friendly 805 Food Truck Night is going off at Santa Rosa Skate Park, SLO. It’s open to all community…
Don’t rush to judgement
I am writing in response to Kasey Bubnash’s article titled “Homeless woman claims she was unjustly suspended from Prado” in Dec. 26 New Times. My first admission is that I do not know the facts of this case and will not delve into supposition or guessing. My interactions with the Prado Shelter are limited. I…
Eat and learn
Award-winning Baker Mark Stambler (Father Bread) is leading Pagnol’s first Master Class in bread baking. The hands-on class will cover all aspects of baking bread with wild yeast. The small class of 12 students is Jan. 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Jan. 5 from 9 a.m. to noon at Pagnol at 3rd…
Be a Santa to a Senior brings holiday joy
We at Home Instead Senior Care in San Luis Obispo County would like to sincerely thank everyone who participated in and contributed to the Be a Santa to a Senior campaign this holiday season. It means so much to our local seniors and helps make their holiday season special. Be a Santa to a Senior…
For a cause
Anything to raise some dough for One Cool Earth is worth digging into your pockets. The nonprofit is responsible for all the fantastic, fun farming and gardening programs in SLO County public schools. Please invite your family and friends, Jan. 5, from 8 to 11 a.m., for a Pancake Breakfast benefitting One Cool Earth at…
A response to the city of SLO’s climate goals
As far as achieving carbon-neutrality goals, there is a solution to the projected 104,160 metric ton shortfall for the city of SLO (“SLO lays out long-term path to get 70 percent of the way to its net-zero goal,” Dec. 26), and it is simple and easy: Keep Diablo Canyon open. That alone would keep 6.9…
From CBD-infused Weetos to pegan diets, this year’s top 10 food trends have something to say about SLO County
This past year was all about alternative milks and nut butters. Cannabis and/or CBD-infused food and beverages. Flower flavors and bitter plant fronds in your cocktails. Salads, collagen-pumped foods, prebiotics, avocado toast, açai bowls, and antioxidants. Real butter is back and we all seem to be comfortable cooking with ghee and coconut oil. That’s 2019.…
More distorted facts
In a previous edition, a letter writer labeled my humble submissions as “grim harangues of distorted facts” (“A message to the Boomers,” Dec. 26). I admit to being grim. As an official “old white guy” with a lifetime in uniform, concluding the world is mostly a grim place was long a foregone conclusion but I…
Sorry not sorry?
Aren’t fake apologies the best? They tell us so much about the “apologizer,” like for instance the fact that they’re not really sorry at all and if you think you warrant an apology, it’s because you’re a thin-skinned little baby-whiner. “There was a post on my Face Book (sic) that offended some people (sic) I…
Uncut Gems is a wild and manic ride through the life of a man addicted to risk
Editor’s note: While his wife was out of town, Glen Starkey teamed up with stand-up comedian Cori Ramsay for this week’s Split Screen. Co-directors Josh and Benny Safdie (Good Time) helm this crime-dramedy that follows charismatic jeweler Howard “Howie” Ratner (Adam Sandler), who finds himself balancing family, business, and increasingly threatening adversaries after making a…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Dec. 26 news story, “Voters support a sales tax increase in SLO, city survey says.”
Blast from the Past: The Prestige
When? 2006 What’s it rated? PG-13 Where? Blu-ray, DVD, Amazon Prime, iTunes Reading Zac Ezzone’s column on Magic For Humans last week inspired me to keep up the illusionist thread and revisit one of my all-time favorite psychological thrillers, 2006’s The Prestige, aka “Magic For Humans Who Like Christopher Nolan Movies.” Like many of his…
Cambria native S.J. Main-Muñoz to direct March 25 episode of Chicago Med
How many female directors can you name off the top of your head? Maybe Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), or Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), or Jane Campion (The Piano), or Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird). Or maybe you couldn’t think of a single one. As of 2018, only 28 percent of Academy of Motion Pictures…
Film Listings, 1/2/20 – 1/9/20
All theater listings are as of Friday, Jan. 3. Editor’s note: Due to the holiday and early deadlines, many theaters have incomplete or missing listings as of press time. Call the following theaters or visit their websites to confirm what films are playing: Fair Oaks Theater ((805) 489-2364 or facebook.com/fairoakstheatre); Galaxy Theatres ((805) 460-0123 or…
Local artist makes and repairs books in an effort to preserve ‘the feel of a book in your hand’
Fixing books Meryl Perloff accepts commission requests for book repairs via her website, meryl-perloff-book-arts.business.site. Having spent the last 44 years living on the Central Coast, artist Meryl Perloff has found a strong and supportive arts community to call home. And it didn’t take her long to find it. “When we moved to California, I became…
Nipomo ‘Citizen of the Year’ facing scrutiny over offensive Facebook posts
Several local organizations are calling for a SLO County planning commissioner to be axed from the position and stripped of his Nipomo “Citizen of the Year” award after he reposted several controversial memes to his personal Facebook page. Jim Harrison, who 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton appointed to the Planning Commission in 2015, is under…
Park Street Gallery showcases artist Carol Timson Ball
An exhibition of works by award-winning artist Carol Timson Ball opens at Park Street Gallery on Thursday, Jan. 2. An opening reception for the exhibit takes place on Saturday, Jan. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m., and the show will run through Jan. 31. Known for her impressionistic pastel paintings, Ball’s expressive style is characterized…
Two SLO cannabis retailers cleared to open
Two cannabis retailers have been approved to do business in the city of San Luis Obispo—while a third lost its chance after failing a background check. Natural Healing Center and Megan’s Organic Market—both local brands—received conditional-use permits for their respective projects from the city Planning Commission on Nov. 13, clearing their final hurdles to open…
CCAT holds auditions and concert fundraiser
The Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre (CCAT) hosts a benefit concert with the Jukebox Heroes, a Foreigner tribute band, on Sunday, Jan. 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. Proceeds of this performance will benefit CCAT, with the funds set to support an update of the theater group’s lighting system. The group’s next production is…
LuLu and the Cowtippers release a new EP on Jan. 3 at The Siren
Was it the mid-’90s when LuLu and the Cowtippers were the hottest local band? It’s all such a blur that it’s hard to remember the dates and times, but it’s easy to remember LuLu (Donna Lu Meazell) and her crystalline voice. Meazell has been in a number of local bands over the years, from Clearbell…
SLO Rep presents The Tragedy of Macbeth
William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth opens at the SLO Repertory Theatre on Friday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. The show will run through Sunday, Jan. 19, with performances Wednesday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission ranges from $17 to $25. To find out more about the…
Federal court complaint alleges animal welfare law could affect pork industry in CA
In a complaint filed December 2019, a national trade association claims Proposition 12, a voter-approved law, will affect the sale of whole pork meat from out-of-state producers to California. The law that went into effect on Jan. 1 creates new minimum requirements for farmers to provide more space for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and calves…
Reflection: Fiscalini Preserve in Cambria can settle the worried mind
Meander there For more information on the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, visit the Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve website at ffrpcambria.org. It’s hard not to look back at the end of the year. Not to get too nostalgic, too wistful, too analytical. Not to reflect too much on the things that have passed, those rare…
Owner of SLO Tribune faces uncertain future
The McClatchy Company, a newspaper publisher that owns and operates 29 papers, including the San Luis Obispo Tribune, recently announced major financial challenges stemming from significant pension obligations and debt. In a November 2019 press release, McClatchy detailed the results of its third quarter of 2019: a net loss of $304.7 million and debt of…
SLO Marathon cancelled for 2020; organizers begin search for new host city
The San Luis Obispo Marathon is taking a hiatus this year, as organizers recently announced the end of the popular race’s eight-year run in the city of SLO. Race SLO, which puts on the annual event, listed several issues that prevented the weekend-long fitness festival from staying in its home city. The race venue, the…
