Walking with history

The Salinan Tribe sifts through its past and present to gain federal recognition [6]
BY EMMA MONTALBANO

The Salinan Tribe sifts through its past and present to gain federal recognition [6]
BY EMMA MONTALBANO
Sovereignty, according to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, gives a tribe the ability to take care of its culture and people. When the federal government formally recognizes a tribe, it gives members visibility and dignity, according to Michael Erin Woody. The Salinan Tribe of Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties tribal council member is working on his tribe’s petition to get just that. Contributor Emma Montalbano writes about why it’s important and what the process takes in this week’s story [6]. Also in this issue, read about the Templeton Feed and Grain fire [4]; comedian Gabriel Rutledge [32]; and Paso’s End of the Day wines [38]
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Fourth-generation Templeton resident Teresa Dellaganna sat on the Pig Iron patio on July 7 looking at what remained of Templeton Feed and Grain after it caught fire over the past holiday weekend.
“I brought my computer down and just wanted to—I don’t know, it’s a weird feeling. I’m not sure what is holding me here, that I want to be here as opposed to anywhere else,” she said.
Dellaganna said she witnessed the building burn the evening of July 4, just as firefighters were responding to the call at 405 Main St.
“We stood there and watched it. We saw the first, visible flames up high,” she said. “You know, it’s a piece of the soul of Templeton, and we just sat and watched it burn. It was awful.”
According to Templeton Community Services District (CSD) General Manager Jeff Briltz, the structure caught fire around 11 p.m. that night and required the help of San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, Paso Robles, and Cal Fire firefighters in addition to Templeton’s own Fire Department. No one was hurt.
It came at a costly price too, Briltz said. The CSD board held an emergency meeting on July 6 to add $150,000 to its existing stash of $50,000 in emergency funds, which was being used to help put the fire out, to pay for mutual aid that exceeded 12 hours, and to hire a structural engineer to determine needs for the building’s demolition.
“We think that’s more than more than we need. But we’re still incurring costs,” he said.
On July 9, Briltz said the building was still smoldering. Residents posted videos on the Templeton Proud Facebook group of flames reemerging from the structure days after it caught fire.
According to a statement from the SLO County Sheriff’s Office, surveillance footage from close to 11 p.m. on July 4 revealed four to six individuals who might be involved with the fire, but detectives are still working to identify the suspects.
It took less than a day for a wildfire near New Cuyama to grow into California’s largest of the year by acreage so far.
While the cause of the Madre Fire remains under investigation, fire officials traced back its point of origin to the early afternoon of July 2, along Highway 166 in the Cuyama Valley. Before the next morning, the wildfire had scorched 52,000 acres, fire behavior analyst Lee Helgeson said during a July 7 virtual community forum.
Helgeson is a member of the California Interagency Incident Management Teams (CIIMT), one of a handful of regional firefighting divisions working to contain the Madre Fire—which had grown to approximately 80,600 acres by July 9.
Ongoing evacuation warnings applied to some areas adjacent to Highway 166 in San Luis Obispo County, with several areas in the Los Padres National Forest also under evacuation orders.
“About 50 percent of this fire is on the Carrizo Plain,” Gabe Garcia, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) agency administrator, said at the July 7 forum.
As of July 9, all BLM lands in the Carrizo Plain National Monument—known for its yearly wildflower blooms—were closed to the public.
“There’s lots of very sensitive sites; lots of sites that are very special to our tribal partners. There’s lots of
Briltz told New Times that the Templeton Feed and Grain was a “majestic structure that loomed over main street” and its absence would serve as a “grim reminder” of the fire.
“It’s such an iconic image—our district’s logo includes the Feed and Grain,” he said. “It’s just part of the community.”
Since 1946, the Feed and Grain building has been a staple of Templeton’s downtown, resident Dellaganna said. Owned and operated by the Jermin family, the business manufactures and sells animal feed at wholesale.
But Dellaganna said it’s not just a building and business that has supported local farmers for decades. The iconic landmark also instilled a sense of connection among the residents, past and present.
“It’s been the backdrop of my life. It was the backdrop of my dad’s life,” she said. “I just learned recently that my great-grandfather was one of the first customers. I think he was customer number three.”
“It’s more than a building. It holds so much more,” she added.
Dellaganna said that the Jermin family was a pillar of the community. As a kid, she remembered
recreation sites as well,” said Garcia, who described the roles BLM’s resource advisors are taking on in collaboration with CIIMT, Cal Fire, and other agencies.
“These are folks who go out with the fire crews, … making sure to check on these sensitive sites,” Garcia said at the forum, “actively going out there, checking to see if there’s any damage to these sites.”
Resource advisors worked near the Painted Rock area on July 7 and reported no damage to the rock formation, Garcia said. He added that minimal damage was recently reported at the KCL Campground, managed by BLM.
While firefighting crews continue working on Highway 166, the route reopened to the public. As of July 9, the Madre Fire was 62 percent contained.
“There’s areas where lines have been built, but we don’t call it contained until those lines have been proven that they’re going to hold,” CIIMT Public Information Officer Kimberly Kaschalk told New Times
Proving a fire line will hold “is where the process of mopping up comes in,” Kaschalk explained.
“That term is used when we literally send people into the fire area to … do grid patterns and make sure that there’s no burning embers, or a smoldering log, or anything that could potentially put a spark into this dried grass and make that fire spread—or, God forbid, start a new fire,” Kaschalk said. “It’s a very, very slow meticulous process that we need to do to ensure that those [fire] lines are going to hold. It’s not enough just to put them there. We’ve got to
“Mr. Jermin” teaching her about accounting by keeping a tab each year for her fair animals.
“We’d come in at the end of the season and we’d talk through our bills. … We’d settle up, and we always got our jelly candies. And they just did that for so many people in the community,” she said. “That’s the type of people they were. They bought animals at the fair; they sponsored sports teams. They are fixtures in our community, and they’ll continue to be. I know that they will.” ∆
—Libbey Hanson
make sure they’re going to hold.”
—Caleb
San Luis Obispo County’s 4th District supervisor race has a contender in Old Juan’s Cantina owner Adam Verdin.
The Arroyo Grande resident announced his campaign on July 7. So far, voters in the 4th District—spanning Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Huasna, Oceano, Halcyon, Edna Valley, California Valley, and unincorporated parts of SLO—will choose between Verdin and incumbent Jimmy Paulding in the 2026 election.
“Owning and operating our small business, and the work we’ve done with the South County Chambers of Commerce, I think it’s just a natural extension of community service,” Verdin said of his decision to run.
He also serves on the boards of 5Cities Homeless Coalition, Jack’s Helping Hand, and Parks California. The chief pilot of an aircraft charter company called MarcAir SLO, Verdin said he stepped away from serving on the SLO County Airport Land Use Commission to make more time for his supervisor campaign.
He’s faced public scrutiny, too. Verdin and his fellow Vitality Advisory Council of Oceano
members were often at odds with the opposing and now-defunct Oceano Advisory Council over how they tackled community issues, and last year over allegedly discriminatory bylaws.
In May, Verdin and Paulding championed a new aviation career and technical education pathway at Arroyo Grande High School, made possible by a partnership between the county Department of Airports and the Lucia Mar Unified School District. In a letter to New Times, the Oceano Beach Community Association criticized the claim that the program depends on the Oceano airport and that it benefits the locals.
Going forward, Verdin said the focus of his campaign would be on the issue of affordability.
“We need to be able to build a home so our kids can stay here and thrive here,” he said. “The affordability issue is a macro and a micro issue. As a supervisor, you’re one in five. … As a county supervisor and as a county entity, are we doing all we can to help that?”
He added that he’s in talks with tradespeople, teachers, and health care workers who commute to SLO County for work. A strong workforce can be sustained within the county if housing is treated as an essential economic infrastructure, he said. Verdin is also in favor of open space preservation.
“Roughly two-thirds of San Luis Obispo County is preserved through agricultural easements, the Williamson Act, state parks, and other protections. And that’s a good thing,” he said. “It’s part of what makes our county beautiful, rural, and unique.”
According to Verdin’s campaign announcement, he’s received endorsements from former 35th District Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-SLO) and former Five Cities Fire Authority Chief Steve Lieberman.
In response to Verdin’s campaign announcement, Paulding told New Times via email that he believes it’s healthy for democracy when voters have a choice in who represents them, adding that he’s proud of his record on both affordability and fiscal responsibility.
“Through our housing task force I’ve worked to make it easier to build housing that working families and seniors can afford—while ensuring housing projects are balanced and thoughtfully planned out,” he said. “Since I was elected, we’ve reduced unsheltered homelessness by 31 percent, helped residents save on their garbage bills by rejoining the Integrated Waste Management Authority, and expanded access to lower electric rates through 3CE.”
—Bulbul Rajagopal
A delayed Cayucos motel received the green light from the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, but residents who appealed the project claim they never supported its revised design.
“We’ve encountered one obstacle [after] another throughout this process,” Cayucos resident Vicki Tamoush told supervisors at the July 8 meeting. “The most recent example of which is the staff report [county planner Andy] Knighton submitted that leads the reader to believe that we appellants and Mr. Donaldson came to an agreement.”
Tamoush along with 22 other residents
appealed the proposed motel, nicknamed Nene’s Place, in April. They worried that the 4,900-square-foot project was too big for the seven parking spaces included in the plan and would consequently overflow into parking spots in neighboring areas of the coastal town.
In April, the board agreed to postpone the appeal to July 8 and asked the applicant to return with a plan for more parking spaces. By then, the project proposal changed and now includes seven standard parking spaces instead of parking split between motel and residential uses. It also restructured a proposed caretaker’s residence and three motel units into a common room, a residential unit, and two motel units. Overall, the entire project’s floor plan was reduced to 4,210 square-feet.
“The revised project design was provided to the appellants and their representative, Mr. [Dan] Borradori,” the staff report said.
“The appellants and Mr. Borradori were supportive of the revised design.”
Tamoush and fellow Cayucos resident John Carsel alerted supervisors of the disagreement via letters before the board meeting.
“I have spoken directly with the appellants and Mr. Borradori and been told that their discussions did NOT result in an agreement,” Carsel wrote. “Granted, the phrase ‘are supportive’ does not necessarily mean ‘agree,’ but the context clearly implies ‘agreement’ and the lack of other comments from the appellants in the staff report strengthens this conclusion.”
Carsel pointed out that the staff report doesn’t mention that the common room would come with a golf simulator room and a bathroom. He alleged that there are rumors the common area will have a game room holding vending machines with food and drinks.
Thom Jess of Arris Studio Architects, who’s working with motel developer Uriah Donaldson, told supervisors that the game room wouldn’t be open to the public and is reserved for residents and guests only.
“It’s not going to increase the number of parking spaces required,” Jess said. “Uriah is a big golfer, and he thought other people would like golfing, so he wanted to put in a golf simulator and a pool table.”
The supervisors unanimously approved the project permit after 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson and 5th District Supervisor Heather Moreno directed staff to edit the resolution to specify that the common area can only be used by motel guests, people living in the residential unit, and their visitors. The common area also cannot be used for sleeping or be rented separately for public access.
“If you look at the parking in the revised project, it’s good,” Gibson said. “That is two for each of the motel units, two for the residence as it should be, plus one. One of the seven is an ADA-accessible space and one of them will have an electric charger.”
—Bulbul Rajagopal
• The July 3 SLO Scene, “Candidates emerge for SLO County’s 2nd and 4th District supervisor races,” accidentally published an incorrect word in one of SLO County 4th District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding’s direct quotes. “On the other hand, dealing with issues like Lopez Lake and the litigation against the county with regard to water release impact and trout—that’s a really top concern for South County, because it’s jeopardizing our water supply potentially,” he said. New Times regrets the error. ∆
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BY EMMA MONTALBANO
Century-old photographs, handwritten letters, baptism records, and other primary documents confirmed what Michael Erin Woody and the rest of the Salinan Tribe of Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties already knew.
“This is a continuous group of Indians that have been here since before European contact, and we’re still here,” the tribal council member said.
Without formal recognition from the United States government, though, the tribe struggles to make this known to the broader community, Woody said. Native Americans are invisible unless they are part of a federally recognized tribe, he emphasized.
“It’s a dignity issue,” Woody explained. “When you don’t have that federal recognition, the federal government doesn’t have a lot to offer you in terms of assistance when it comes to education, health care, housing, or anything else. We’re basically
just out there continuing to hold on by a shoestring and deteriorate, and it does make things pretty difficult for all of us.”
Despite this, the tribe hangs onto the histories and lived experiences of its ancestors. Woody recalled sitting with his grandfather before he passed, listening to stories about the tribe’s life in the early 1900s, some of which included navigating disputes over land rights that eventually led to the loss of tribal land.
Hearing these accounts as an adult reminded Woody that the history of what happened to tribes, especially those in California, is still fresh.
There are more than 570 federally acknowledged tribes in the United States, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and more than 100 of those come from the state of California. This acknowledgment recognizes a tribe’s right of self-governance, or tribal sovereignty, and affords it certain federal benefits and protections.
The Salinan Tribe of Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties remains one of the approximately 60 unrecognized tribes in California, but in September 2024, the local tribe submitted a petition for federal acknowledgment to the BIA. Recently, its petition moved into the first phase of technical assistance, meaning that people from the Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) are reviewing parts of it to see if changes or additions need to happen.
Created in 1978 by the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) and revised in 1994 and 2015, the federal acknowledgment process requires tribes to meet seven mandatory criteria to be federally recognized. These criteria, according to an email from the Office of Public Affairs for Indian Affairs, are: Indian entity identification, community, political influence or authority, governing
exactly the federal government was looking for from each requirement.
“Ken and I got on the phone with the DOI, who have been painfully helpful every step of the way, and then started doing our own reading and research on federal regulations and how this works, reading through applications that have worked and applications that have failed, specifically out of California,” Woody said.
Pierce and Woody both said that the tribe originally misunderstood what was being asked of it for many of the requirements. After working with the OFA directly and asking questions, the pair felt confident enough to move forward with the petition.
The process of federal acknowledgement can be summed up in one word, “continuity,” Woody said.
“What the government is actually asking for is to identify a tribal group of Indians that were in existence before 1900,” he said, “and then identify how that very specific group of Indians has stayed together as a tribal group throughout the 20th century and through today.”
Demonstrating this continuity includes putting together a genealogy report for every active member of the tribe. With 248 active members, Woody and Pierce felt fortunate enough to have already had much of this information gathered from the tribe’s earlier attempt at a petition.
document, descent, unique membership, and congressional termination.
Being approved for federal recognition would help the Salinan Tribe of Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties preserve its culture for future generations and reaffirm to outsiders that tribal members are who they say they are, Woody said.
“It won’t change how we see ourselves, but it will give us the ability to help people understand our history, who we are as a family, who we are to this area, who we are as a group,” he said.
Records for Salinan Tribal Law Lead Kenneth Pierce’s grandmother stated that she was born in Livermore, but that didn’t add up with everything else he knew about her.
For three months, Pierce searched for clues about his grandmother’s birthplace. He called records offices in Livermore, Sacramento, and Monterey, but none had documents for Katherine McCormack.
From his knowledge, she grew up in Pleyto near Lake San Antonio, and according to a letter they had found many years ago, she went to school at the San Juan Bautista Mission. With the help of his wife, Pierce reached out to the mission. Weeks later, they received word that a journal had been found in the mission’s museum that contained what they had been searching for.
“It had a page where it showed where my grandmother and her sister were enrolled and enlisted, ... and both of the girls were born in Pleyto,” Pierce recalled. “It said right on the thing, so that was a big find for us.”
This breakthrough came after Pierce and Woody took over the tribe’s petition for federal acknowledgement. Together, it took them two and a half years to complete all of the requirements.
The tribe’s initial attempt at the petition in 2018, before Woody and Pierce took it over, wasn’t accepted for consideration because it didn’t meet “any of the requirements.” The pair agreed to tackle the process one step at time, but first they had to understand what
They looked over the previously gathered files to verify the information and noticed that some records needed to be looked into further, including that of Pierce’s grandmother.
Documenting genealogy became particularly hard when records came from before 1900.
“Those can be difficult to obtain,” Woody explained. “And then, you get back to before 1834 for the missions and now all of the records are in Spanish so they needed to be translated.”
As they gathered evidence, Woody’s late-night reading became collections of documents and history books detailing the stories of California tribes. For him, this meant learning more about his ancestors and what they went through.
“I’m not reading history,” he said. “I’m reading about my family, so it becomes a little more relatable. It really is a fascinating story what happened here in California, a story that’s not told all the time.”
The state’s unique tribal history, according to Woody, includes the displacement and secularization of Native Americans as a result of the founding of 21 Spanish missions across California. Being from a tribe of “Mission Indians” influenced the way in which Woody and Pierce compiled evidence, as it required them to work with local dioceses and missions to gather information like baptism records.
Woody also highlighted the 18 unratified treaties of 1851 to 1852, which were negotiated and signed so that about one third of Native Americans could live in peace on their reservations in the state. However, political pressure meant that the treaties were never ratified, leaving California natives impoverished without land or protection.
Sifting through this history was daunting at times, but both Woody and Pierce said they enjoyed discovering more about the history of their tribe and families.
“Some of the stuff I didn’t even know,” Pierce said. “I knew I was Native American, but I was young, and they never discussed who was the Native American, where we got our lineage from.”
In the past, Native Americans sometimes
felt the need to hide their true identities as a result of the historical violence against them, Pierce said. Though his grandmother taught him how to make arrowheads, which he definitely thought was “cool” at a young age, he now wishes she had taught him more or that he had asked more questions about their culture.
“Had I known that she could speak the language real fluently, I would have learned it,” he said.
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has been federally recognized since 1901, and according to Tribal Chairman Kenneth Kahn, the tribe essentially has a direct relationship with the federal government that allows it to take care of its culture and its people.
“I think the primary element of a federally recognized tribe is the inherent authority that Native American tribes have to govern themselves within the United States,” he said.
As the only federally recognized Chumash tribe in the state, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash exercises its right to tribal sovereignty on its land by upholding a constitution and maintaining a government
government,” he explained. “Business is an important component, but equally important for us is protection of the environment, protection of our culture, of our traditional ways, etc., and so we’re always trying to find the balance of how we can work with different administrations.”
A recent example of the tribe exercising its sovereignty, Kahn explained, was the establishment of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The tribe helped make this designation possible by being part of an intergovernmental policy group with the federal government, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), state government, and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
“Tribes are great partners in their communities,” Kahn said. “When we can work from a government-to-government perspective, we can move mountains. We can partner and not only improve the opportunities for the tribal reservation footprints, but also the communities that surround the reservation.”
There are several changes happening with the federal government under the Trump administration, he said, which means it’s especially important for them to ensure that
made up of elected officials. In doing so, the tribes created government-to-government relationships with both federal entities and local municipalities like Santa Barbara County.
Having sovereignty enabled the tribe to protect its community and persist, Khan said. It’s more than just the right to form a government, he said. It’s also a platform that enables the tribe to continue to build upon itself for generations to come.
For instance, the tribe recently opened the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center on reservation land that was placed into trust with the federal government in 2014. The cultural center allows the tribe to tell its story—a story that isn’t taught in schools—“so visitors will come away with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities Chumash ancestors faced living in the Santa Ynez Valley for more than 8,000 years,” Kahn said in 2021.
Despite retaining tribal sovereignty, Kahn told New Times that tribal relationships with the federal government have been rocky since “time immemorial,” adding that with changes in presidential administrations, the tribe’s always looking for opportunities to collaborate.
“Our tribe is dependent on economic development ventures to be able to fund our
“If we do not get federally recognized— let’s say they come back and say, ‘Well, we just can’t do it,’ I don’t see how any tribe in California can get federally recognized,” Pierce said. “We got everything exactly right, exactly.”
Woody, on the other hand, said he has realistic optimism, given the history of the federal acknowledgement process. Since its inception, nearly 50 years ago, 18 petitions have been approved and 34 denied.
Woody, who recently announced his candidacy for the 2nd District SLO County Board of Supervisors seat, called attention to changes happening at the federal level, mentioning in particular the recent creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). With this new development, sizable cuts have been made to several federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Education, and Department of Health and Human Services.
the new 2015 regulations.
“I call it a moonshot, and we’re realistic about our chances,” Woody said. “But, we feel we have a good presentation to make and a good argument for it, but, like anything, we’ll see what happens on it.”
Before February of this year, tribes that were denied acknowledgement could not submit for re-petition. Now, according to a final ruling from the BIA, “unsuccessful petitioners” can seek reconsideration if they can show that new evidence and/or changes in the regulations address all of the specific criteria they initially failed to meet.
Woody acknowledges that the whole process is extremely complex and time consuming, highlighting that it might be helpful for the DOI to host seminars across the country so that tribes can learn more about the requirements and have the opportunity to ask questions.
they have tribal representation at some level.
“With this much change, we’re certainly having a challenge keeping up,” Kahn said.
“But tribes are bipartisan, so we have a lot of voices on both sides of the aisle, and even with the current administration, we have some partnerships that we’re really focused on to try and make sure that tribes have a voice in D.C.”
The Salinan Tribe’s petition could take two months, two years, or longer to go through the OFA’s process, Woody said.
“This is just a function of staff time,” he said. “There is no timeframe requirement at this point; it literally becomes an issue of when their staff has the time to do this, because they’re so overburdened, overworked back there right now.”
Though Woody and Pierce don’t know when they will find out whether the Salinan Tribe of San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties has been approved for federal acknowledgement, they’re optimistic, given how much time and effort they put into the petition. Pierce is especially confident about the tribe’s improved petition because they worked so closely with the OFA to gain a deeper understanding of the requirements.
“I mean, you have the OFA, which is already understaffed,” Woody explained. “If you have the federal government that comes in and says, ‘You don’t need all these staff people, and we hate this whole federal acknowledgement process,’ for all I know we’re gonna wake up tomorrow and find out that half their staff got cut. That’s another wild card in all of this at this point.”
According to the BIA website, which shows the status of every petition that’s being processed or has been processed, only one approved petition is for a California tribe. And no tribe has been acknowledged under
“The misunderstanding of the federal process has created the real problem here,” he said. “You’re trying to take a public perception of what an Indian tribe is, and then you’re trying to shove it into a federal acknowledgement process that is completely different than that.
“Therein lies why so many groups are so frustrated with this because they walk into it with a certain perception just to find out when it’s too late that that’s not exactly how this works.” ∆
Reach contributor Emma Montalbano at emontalbano@newtimesslo.com.
BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL
Elisabeth Galloway Abrahams, MA, MFT, LLB of San Luis Obispo passed away at Sierra Vista Hospital on June 22, 2025. At 93, she succumbed to pneumonia, surrounded by a few of the many good friends she cultivated since moving here in the early ‘90s.
Elisabeth was born in Beckenham, Kent, England as one of the two daughters of Lawrence and Myra Galloway. She and her sister, Margaret, were temporarily re-located to the English countryside as part of Operation Pied Piper during the London Blitz of World War II. Elisabeth earned a teaching degree in England and taught mentally challenged children, as well as dance and yoga. As a young woman, she visited Canada through a connection with a cousin and was impressed. She always had a fondness for Canada and visited there often.
A lifelong lover of dance and a ercely devoted follower of yoga master, BKS Iyengar, Elisabeth received a grant from the American Association of University Women to study dance therapy at UCLA. She moved to California in the early 1970s. At UCLA, in addition to dance therapy, she also studied the law and later worked as an assistant to one of the directors of the African Studies Department there. In the 1980s, she met and married Dr. Joseph Abrahams, a ground-breaking forensic psychiatrist. ey made their home in La Jolla, CA, and later moved to San Luis Obispo to take positions at Atascadero State Hospital -- he as a psychiatrist, she as a dance and movement therapist.
Upon her retirement, Elisabeth took up playwriting. Her rst e ort, “Against the Tide,” is a portrait of Melanie Hahnemann, wife of the famed founder of homeopathy, Dr. Samual Hahnemann.
A strong advocate for the practice of homeopathic medicine, Elisabeth not only wrote but starred in this one-woman show, which ran for ve nights at e Edinburgh Festival in 2009.
She and her husband, Joe, travelled extensively, visiting countries in Europe, Asia, and South America – all organized and chronicled by the ever-adventurous Elisabeth.
Restored by Ink founder Monica Hollenbeck rediscovered herself after her breast cancer diagnosis through paramedical tattoos.
“Before the tattoos, I used to look in the mirror and see cancer every day, because all I saw was scars,” she said. “After the tattoos, I realized that my eyes weren’t even looking for anything anymore.”
Hollenbeck has been a paramedical tattoo artist in San Luis Obispo County for three years. Her business, Restored by Ink, offers 3D nipple and areola tattooing, scalp micropigmentation, and stretch mark and scar camouflaging in Templeton and downtown SLO.
Paramedical tattooing emerged as a specialized field in the 1980s. Initially, it
color, and its location, Hollenbeck said that a session takes around an hour and a half. Follow-up sessions to touch up the tattoos are common.
Hollenbeck now works with a general surgeon and a plastic surgeon. 3D nipple and areola tattoos are Restored by Ink’s most popular service, and her 41 clients include both men and women.
One of them is Paso Robles resident Courtney Mullikin. She first heard about Restored by Ink from her general surgeon who performed a lumpectomy and a mastectomy on her as part of breast cancer treatment.
Mullikin told New Times that choosing to get a paramedical tattoo felt like she gave back something to herself that she had lost.
“When you have a mastectomy, you lose a part of your body. When I sat up after she did the tattoo, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I did not have a nipple 20 minutes ago, and now I have one,’” she said. “It completely changes the way that you look at yourself, because for however long until you do this, you just see cancer, whether you’re in remission or not.”
Hollenbeck herself got introduced 3D nipple tattoos through a fellow participant at the Cancer Support Community in Templeton. Now, she leads a group for young survivors at the same community. They meet on the first Tuesday of every month at 1051 Las Tablas Road.
According to Hollenbeck, though 1 in 8 people in America will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetimes, the choice of getting these tattoos isn’t always clear to patients. There are some obstacles that prevent this field of work from being widely known. Paramedical tattoo artists must grapple with the inability to run ads that show the breadth of their work because of the graphic nature of the pictures.
A passionate community organizer, Elisabeth hosted numerous gatherings at her home for members of the local Democratic Party. She was also a co-founder of Save Our Downtown, a group of local citizens dedicated to preserving the history, character, and productive activity in the city’s core.
Dancer, teacher, community activist, playwright, wife and friend to many, Elisabeth led a full and richly rewarding life. Allan Cooper, a colleague and longtime friend of Elisabeth’s, put it best when he said, “Elisabeth was full of re, elegance, and jaunty humor; she will be sorely missed by all those who had the privilege of knowing her.”
focused on helping people with alopeciarelated hair loss by creating the appearance of eyebrows.
“Over time it evolved to include a broader range of applications such as camouflaging scars, burns, stretch marks, restoration of nipples after breast surgery, alopecia, hyperpigmentation, and other skin conditions,” Hollenbeck said.
Being a paramedical tattoo artist is a specialized process that required Hollenbeck to get trained and certified in Texas. She followed that with using her own body— marked by dark scars from feet surgery and white sunspots—as a canvas for practice.
“I went to Florida then got trained on scar camouflaging, specifically Brazilian scar camouflaging,” she said. “In training, the first client that was supposed to show up to be my model did not show up. So, I said, ‘Hey, I have a lot of scars, so let’s work on them.’”
Unlike regular tattoo artistry, paramedical tattooing requires its practitioners to learn how to tattoo scar tissue, not skin. Depending on the time it takes to map the area of tattooing, the size of the tattoo, its
“Unfortunately, in America, you cannot talk about nipples, show nipples, even though we all have them, and when we don’t have them, it’s a problem,” Hollenbeck said with a laugh. Still, the demand for paramedical tattoos has been growing thanks to social media. Call (805) 801-9993 for a free consultation. Visit restoredbyink.com for more information or email monica@restoredbyink. com for appointments.
“I get more excited than the patient because I know what a difference it’s going to make afterwards,” Hollenbeck said. “But there’s no better feeling of watching a woman go to the mirror and see herself complete again.” ∆
Pismo Beach icon Bob Pringle, also known as “Pismo Bob” is marking his retirement with an everything-must-go sale at Pismo Garden Art on 940 Price St. The retirement sale will kick off on July 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pringle will provide free popcorn, take photos, and sign autographs to the first 100 customers on each day of the sale. For more information, call (805) 773-6245. ∆
What the loss of Wilshire Health means for families, caregivers, and the future of care on the Central Coast
It’s been a year since my mother passed away. I think about her every day—the laughs we shared, the small comforts, and the battles we fought together to serve our community during her final years. But alongside those good memories come recollections of the difficult, soul-wearing challenges our family faced as her health declined. And during those challenges, one beacon of hope helped carry us forward: Wilshire Health and Community Services.
Wilshire’s team wasn’t just professional; they were deeply human. Their nurses and staff worked with my mother longer than expected not because they had to, but because they wanted to. They saw past the frustration of her dementia, past her combative resistance to care. They saw her, a person worth fighting for. They showed up with persistence and compassion, offering dignity when her mind could no longer ask for it. Their care wasn’t just for her, but for all of us in her orbit, gently guiding us through the most harrowing moments of anticipatory grief. Now, Wilshire is gone. After more than
four decades serving the Central Coast, they’re closing their doors—not because of scandal, or mismanagement, or some disastrous policy shift. Simply put, the cost of providing care finally outpaced the reimbursement for it. This was a nonprofit fighting uphill every year, stretching every dollar, and still delivering life-changing services to thousands of residents across San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties. And they just couldn’t stretch any further.
Let that settle in: A trusted, awardwinning health provider couldn’t afford to keep helping people. Not because the need went away, but because the money didn’t show up.
Nearly 100 employees are being laid off. Countless patients are being transitioned to providers who may not be able—or willing—to fill the gap. Wilshire was one of the only organizations offering mental health programs to seniors in their homes. Their closure isn’t just the end of a beloved institution, it’s a loss of critical care infrastructure for our most vulnerable: seniors, the terminally ill, people with
limited mobility, low-income households that can’t navigate a broken health care system without help.
And now the stakes are even higher. President Trump’s newly passed and signed “Big, Beautiful Bill” threatens to slash at least $22 billion in federal Medicaid funding for California. If passed, this legislation could jeopardize health coverage for up to 3.4 million Californians, particularly those covered under the ACA expansion. These are not abstract numbers.
These are real people—many of them right here in San Luis Obispo County. Many are seniors, disabled, chronically ill, or simply trying to age in place without being institutionalized. These cuts won’t just leave people uninsured, they’ll also put further strain on the already thin network of care providers, pushing more clinics and nonprofits to the brink.
We’ve already lost Wilshire. What happens when others follow?
In a county already underserved by medical infrastructure, this isn’t a slow erosion. It’s an imminent collapse. The ripple effects will be profound: increased emergency room visits, longer wait times, a rise in preventable deaths, and
a tragic reversal of California’s progress in achieving a historically low uninsured rate of 6.4 percent.
It’s not enough to eulogize Wilshire with heartfelt tributes. We must confront the reality that this community, like so many across rural America, is being abandoned by a system that claims to value life while underfunding its care. In the wake of this closure, it’s not enough to say thank you. It’s not enough to mourn. We need to act—urgently. What is the county’s plan to replace these services? What safety net exists for the people who relied on Wilshire? And how will we protect what remains, as federal support teeters on the edge?
Wilshire may be ending its chapter, but we—the people it touched—are still here. And we must ask hard questions. We must demand more. We owe it to the caregivers. We owe it to the patients. We owe it to our future.
The loss of Wilshire Health and Community Services is not just a news story. It’s a warning and a call to action. One we cannot afford to ignore. ∆
Aaron Ochs writes to New Times from Morro Bay. Send a response for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com.
California’s federal lawmakers have a chance to uphold the promise of disability inclusion
June 22 marked the 26th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Olmstead v. LC, a 1999 case that gave power to the Americans with Disabilities Act by ruling that disabled Americans have the right to live in the most community-integrated setting possible. The landmark ruling was handed down after more than a century of institutionalizing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in large, state-run facilities, even when living in the community was both possible and more appropriate.
Today, Californians with I/DD are watching nervously for the possibility that years of progress could be lost, thanks to ongoing efforts in Congress to slash funding for Medicaid. In California, Medicaid funds essential services that make community inclusion and support possible more than 500,000 people with I/DD to live, work, and thrive in their communities.
At my organization, PathPoint, we’ve already seen the challenges that come with a failure to invest in I/DD services. Cuts undermine service providers’ ability to offer fair, competitive wages and hire and retain the quality staff who offer these essential supports. Inability to retain staff leads to long wait lists and oftentimes forces people back into institution-like settings or other restrictive options where they face lack of choice.
It doesn’t have to be this way: Our federal
lawmakers can reject congressional proposals to cut federal Medicaid funding. On behalf of the thousands of Californians with I/DD and their families, we urge our lawmakers to turn the tide on underinvestment in Medicaid-funded disability services to ensure the promise of Olmstead can be upheld for future generations.
April Lewallen PathPoint North Central Coast vice president San Luis Obispo
Sometimes when I’m really feeling down about how our world is changing, your opinion and letters to the editor pages will lift my spirits, and that was certainly the case with this last issue. A Republican, David Ekbom, advises that “The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ will destroy us” (July 3). I hope that isn’t the case, but right along with Elon Musk and three other brave Republican members of Congress, I believe it is the worst thing for our country right now, it sends us backward, not forward; it takes insurance and food away from those who need it most, and it lets the world know that we only value those with money in our society. It gives tax breaks to people who don’t need them while pushing our deficit ever higher with no control and does absolutely nothing to help with global warming.
I also found strength in Brent Jorgensen’s letter, “The majority of us aren’t in the American Dream club” (July 3). It felt good to have someone else
express my thoughts, listing many of the egregious things Trump has been able to do. I truly feel he is out to bankrupt the country, making each and every one of us pay for not electing him instead of Biden. It frightens me that he treated Mike Pence and Elon Musk so very poorly when they were extremely loyal, and that doesn’t
seem to scare his colleagues in Congress or the Supreme Court. If no one reins him in, there is no telling where this could all end. It is the stuff of nightmares, and since the bombing raid on Iran, every country in the world knows they cannot trust him. Sharon Roberts San Luis Obispo
On July 3, all three generations of my family—including all four grandchildren—started the long Independence Day weekend with a perfect way to celebrate America’s birthday. We joined 2,000 fans at Sinsheimer Stadium to cheer on the San Luis Blues as they defeated the Arroyo Seco Saints.
This, however, would be a July 4 that will “live in infamy.” That morning, Texas was reeling from a torrential flood in the Hill Country northwest of Austin. Up to 15 inches of rain poured down on the drought-baked soil; one estimate put the figure at 20 inches. In less than an hour, the Guadalupe River surged almost 30 feet over its banks, wiping out campgrounds, mobile home parks, and a series of popular summer camps. More than 150 people are still missing and more than 110 people have died, including dozens of girls from Camp Mystic, most of them 8 to 9 years old.
The Camp Mystic victims included the twin granddaughters of the former publisher of the Miami Herald, David Lawrence Jr. Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt lost a 9-year-old girl from his extended family. As a grandfather, I can imagine the immense grief enveloping these families.
In 1985, Texas introduced its anti-littering campaign “Don’t Mess With Texas” starring Stevie Ray Vaughan—a slogan still in use 40 years later with a Texas-sized marketing success. The flash-flood warnings issued by the
beleaguered and short-staffed National Weather Service (NWS) weren’t so successful. Rosie O’Donnell might have said it best in a TikTok video posted that Sunday: “ What a horror story in Texas. When the president guts all the early warning systems and the weather forecast abilities of the government, these are the results. … He’s put this country in so much danger.”
The survivors of this devastating tragedy are asking a lot of questions: Why weren’t they warned to evacuate the riversides before the flood? Who dropped the ball? In short, who’s been “messing with Texas”?
State and local officials clearly messed up; their emergency planning and preparedness systems were an abject failure. They can’t explain why they failed to convey NWS flashflooding alerts, nor to evacuate people along the constrained course of that river, a region known for a long history of flash flooding. They’re scrambling to justify a 2016 decision to reject installing a “more robust” warning system, citing the cost and an aversion to the sound of sirens.
Federal officials share plenty of blame, too: The Trump administration and the GOP Congress have been systematically kneecapping key federal agencies responsible for preparing for and responding to such catastrophes. Their impunity is nothing short of staggering:
• On the same day that heroic rescue crews were plucking survivors from trees
and rooftops along the Guadalupe River, the president ceremonially signed into law his “big, beautiful” budget bill that slashes 30 percent of funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the NWS. (He failed even to mention the unfolding Texas tragedy).
• As usual, U.S. Sen. Ted “Cancun” Cruz of Texas was elsewhere, visiting Greece, as the deadly flooding slammed Kerr County.
• The GOP congressman who represents the flood zone, Chip Roy, said simply, “I can’t say enough about the local officials’ response to this disaster, … extraordinary job.”
The facts, however, reveal enormous gaps at all levels in the government’s response to this tragedy. There’s been a massive exodus of more than 600 experienced staff from the NWS, including a key Texas meteorologist with responsibility for coordinating with local officials to disseminate severe weather alerts. The agency has cut back 20 percent of high-altitude weather balloon launches, crippling its ability to monitor threats such as the storm in Texas last weekend.
The entire Federal Emergency Management Agency is on the chopping block in Congress; it has already lost 20 percent of its permanent staff. FEMA can’t simply replace them nor hire new talent due to hiring freezes. Contracts for essential services in evacuation and flood response have expired. For months, FEMA closed
emergency preparedness training on mass casualty response, hazardous materials, and catastrophic natural disasters.
San Luis Obispo County is no less vulnerable to extreme weather events driven by climate change, but we are better prepared. We’ve got a state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center here, ready 24/7 to direct our response to natural or human-caused disasters. Because we host a nuclear power plant, we have a siren system that can alert most of our population in SLO, South County, and the North Coast to imminent danger. That’s the same type of system that local officials in Texas’ Kerr County refused to fund as recently as 2023.
All too often, Texans brag about their state’s low taxes and anti-government ethic—but it’s also the state with the highest death rate from natural disasters. Among all 50 states, Texas ranks 31st in life expectancy (75.4 years); California comes in at No. 10 (78.3).
Dozens of young girls in Texas won’t make it even to age 10. Their families should know that we’re grieving their loss right alongside them. We can all do better in planning for the next natural disaster: It can happen anywhere and anytime. Even here. ∆
John Ashbaugh tries to be prepared for any disaster, including a presidential election. Send a response for publication to letters@ newtimesslo.com.
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that common sense had left there. O’ say does that fireworks policy still make sense, Templeton?
Amid a night of celebratory explosions on July 4, just after 11 p.m. the historic Templeton Feed and Grain building caught fire, gutting the building.
Hey, I thought fireworks were illegal in SLO County! Punishable with a $1,000 fine! Sort of, but not quite.
In unincorporated areas of SLO County, all fireworks—even the so-called “safe and sane” variety—are illegal, but if communities have a fire department, as Templeton does, they can set their own rules. That’s why Oceano used to allow fireworks. They had a fire department, but fire departments are expensive, and they decided they couldn’t afford it, so now they don’t, having given over fire protection to the county via the Five Cities Fire Authority, meaning that South County town now falls under the aegis of SLO County’s no fireworks ordinance.
Uptight city of San Luis Obispo has a fire department but chooses to say no-no to fireworks, because city leaders hate fun.
“We want our community to have a joyful
our neighborhoods and open spaces by celebrating responsibly.”
Of course, that policy obviously doesn’t stop some chowder-headed pyros from firing off explosives and terrorizing people’s pets, but there would obviously be more fireworks chaos and pandemonium if the city said, “Light ’em up!” Considering the Templeton fire, maybe SLO’s policy is more wise than uptight.
Templeton’s fireworks policy says only safe and sane fireworks purchased from a permitted booth in Templeton are allowed, but who’s policing that and how?
According to reporting by KCBX, Templeton Fire Chief Tom Peterson said there’s evidence someone threw an incendiary device on the building’s roof WTF? Other rumors say kids shot fireworks up there? Also, WTF? The question is, do legal fireworks create a cover for illegal ones?
A group of what appear to be four to six young people were caught on video near the building around the time of the blaze and may be involved, so the fire may not have been an errant firework but straight-up arson. Either way, I wonder what Templeton’s policy will be on the next Fourth of July.
Speaking of Oceano (and Nipomo, Arroyo
and rhythm guitarist Jimmy “Jimmy Jam” Paulding for the seat. Man, people are going to have to choose between awesome Mexican food and original Cali reggae music. That’s going to split some votes.
My question is how Verdin will run. He serves on the boards of 5Cities Homeless Coalition, Jack’s Helping Hand, and Parks California, which seem like liberal causes, but he was also criticized for his work with the Vitality Advisory Council of Oceano, an organization often opposed to the nowdefunct Oceano Advisory Council over community issues. Verdin says affordable housing and open space reservation are important. Is he liberalish? Either way, things could get spicy. Imma get my popcorn. Speaking of illiberalism, is it just me, or does it seem particularly ironic that at a time when the federal government under Herr Drumpf is rounding up brown people, sending them to concentration camps like Alligator Auschwitz or renditioning them to foreign prisons like El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, that an indigenous group like the Salinan Tribe of Monterey and SLO Counties—a tribe that can trace its ancestry to before European contact—has to jump through copious bureaucratic hoops to gain formal recognition from the federal government as an indigenous people?
This tribe’s ancestors have lived here long before Donald J. Trump’s grandfather Friedrich Drumpf, then a 16-year-old German barber, boarded a ship on Oct. 7, 1885, with a one-way ticket to America to escape three years of compulsory military service. I guess playing the bone spurs card wasn’t a thing then.
After having a 2018 petition for recognition rejected, Salinan tribal council members Communication Lead Michael Erin Woody and Tribal Law Lead Kenneth Pierce Sr. helped the tribe reapply to the Office of Federal Acknowledgment after working closely with the Department of the Interior to make sure the application has met the seven specific requirements for recognition.
“It’s a dignity issue,” Woody told New Times. “When you don’t have that federal recognition, the federal government doesn’t have a lot to offer you in terms of assistance when it comes to education, health care, housing, or anything else. We’re basically just out there continuing to hold on by a shoestring and deteriorate, and it does make things pretty difficult for all of us.”
Meanwhile, heavily armed and masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are making things horrifyingly difficult by raiding workplaces, city parks, and immigration hearings to snatch up people and deport them. Strange days. ∆
The Shredder was manufactured in the USA, so don’t deport it, ICE. Offer your two cents at shredder@ newtimesslo.com.
Don’t miss the 39th annual Central Coast Renaissance Festival on Saturday, July 19, and Sunday, July 20, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Stroll the grounds of San Luis Obispo’s Laguna Lake Park while shopping at vibrant marketplaces, and step into the bygone Elizabethan era as battles and performances take place around you. Tickets are $39 through my805tix.com. —Angie Stevens
NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY
2 ACROSS A man and a woman, the only passengers on a late night BART commuter train, are both working on the New York Times crossword puzzle. They exchange a few word clues and eventually a few personal stories, leading to a potential romance. Watch the ensuing scenes play out at By The Sea Productions. July 11 -12, 7 p.m. and July 13 3 p.m. $28. my805tix.com. By The Sea Productions, 545 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay.
ART LIFE COACHING:CREATIVE
EXPRESSIONS: ART JOURNALING
Blending expressive art with gentle life coaching principles, this class invites seniors to explore their stories, values, and dreams through mixed media art journaling. Get tickets and more info at the link. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-noon through July 15 $20. my805tix.com. Lor Coaching Studios, 525 Harbor St., Morro Bay.
COSTA GALLERY SHOWCASES Features works by Ellen Jewett as well as 20 other local artists, and artists from southern and northern California. ThursdaysSaturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. (559) 799-9632. costagallery. com. Costa Gallery, 2087 10th St., Los Osos.
DRAWING ABSTRACT AND PATTERN PLAY: FOCUS ON ZENTANGLE® AND CREATIVE FLOW Unleash your creativity and experience the joy of drawing in this 6-week course designed especially for seniors. Drawing for Joy and Discovery invites participants into a world of abstract art, expressive mark-making, and meditative pattern play rooted in the Zentangle® method. Each week, you’ll explore drawing techniques that promote relaxation, focus, and personal expression. No prior drawing experience is needed. Tuesdays, 1-4 p.m. through July 15 $20. my805tix.com. Lor Coaching Studios, 525 Harbor St., Morro Bay. FOREVER STOKED PAINT PARTY Join us at the gallery, for a few hours to travel on a creative paint journey. You will receive as much or as little instruction as you prefer. No artistic experience is necessary. Saturdays, 7-9 p.m. $45. (805) 772-9095. foreverstoked.com. Forever Stoked, 1164 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.
GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE PRESENTS JEWELRY & ART BY HOPE MYERS Award-winning artist Hope Myers blends her love of watercolor and jewelry. Her work recently has been focused on more elegant, refined pieces. See it in the gallery, open daily. Through July 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.
GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE
PRESENTS OIL PAINTINGS BY
PATRICIA NEWTON Oil Painter Patricia Newton’s current body of work has been inspired by the powerful movement of the sea and its magnificent coastline. See Newton’s work at the gallery, which is open daily. Through July 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Patricia Newton loves the Central Coast; its green rolling hills and endlessly crashing waves always provide inspiration for her oil paintings. Her work will be displayed daily at the Gallery at Marina Square. Through July 30, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare. com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.
GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE
PRESENTS PHOTOGRAPHY BY
GREGORY SIRAGUSA Photographer
Greg Siragusa captures scenes from around Morro Bay and beyond. Discover his photography of otters, birds, landscapes, and seascapes at the gallery, which is open daily. Through July 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.
JEWELRY, SMALL WORKS, AND ART BY HOPE MYERS Hope Myers has been creating art, jewelry ,and more on the Central Coast for a long time. Rediscover her great many artworks at the Gallery Gallery at Marina Square. Through July
30, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.
JULY ARTISTS RECEPTION AND ATRIUM PARTY FOR GREG SIRAGUSA, PATRICIA NEWTON AND HOPE MYERS
Head to the Gallery at Marina Square to meet the month’s featured artists, discover new art, and be amazed. July 12 , 3-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.
PAINT YOUR PET With the uploaded photo of your furry friend, we’ll provide a sketched canvas and all the painting supplies you need to create a beautiful portrait July 12 , 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. $65. (805) 395-0386. coastalwineandpaint. com. Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough, 824 Main St., Cambria.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREGORY
SIRAGUSA Greg Siragusa is eternally searching for the sublime, and his photography represents life as he sees it –– colorful, dynamic, interesting, and mindful. See his work at Gallery at Marina Square. Through July 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.
THE PLEIN AIR TEAM Acrylic artist, Nancy Lynn, and husband, watercolorist, Robert
Fleming, have an ongoing show of originals and giclee prints of Morro Bay and local birds. ongoing (805) 772-9955. Seven Sisters Gallery, 601 Embarcadero Ste. 8, Morro Bay, sevensistersgalleryca.com.
THE REBOOT: STORYTELLING REIMAGINED PRESENTS UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS Enjoy this curated story show, featuring renowned local tellers and new voices sharing true personal stories about taking risks and going rogue. Also, there will be audience 99-second stories! July 11 7-9:15 p.m. Free. facebook.com/ the.reboot4u. Red Barn at Los Osos Community Park, 2180 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.
NORTH SLO COUNTY
ART HISTORY PLATE SERIES: 3RD CLASS SURREALISM Create an 8” x 8” fused glass plate inspired by the artists of the Surrealism movement. A brief overview and examples will be provided. July 12 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $125. (805) 464-2633. glassheadstudio.com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero.
BLUE BARN SUMMER SILVERSMITHING SERIES Work alongside three other students in the historical silversmithing studio with master silversmith, Randy Stromsöe. July 12 , 1-5 p.m. and July 13 1-5 p.m. $295 plus silver cost. (805)704-6298. RAISING I -– Copper Bowl, using various hammers and stakes from a 6-7” circle. Enjoy learning with three other students from master silversmith Randy Stromsöe
July 19 1-5 p.m. and July 20, 1-5 p.m. $295 plus $30 materials fee. (805)7046298. Stromsöe Studios, 3775 Old Creek Road, Templeton. FUN WITH FLORALS PASTEL CLASS Join artists Anne Laddon and Terez Tyni for a vibrant workshop where you’ll create your own pastel floral masterpiece. July 13 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $45. (805) 238-9800. studiosonthepark.org. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.
MUSHROOM STAKE Create a fused glass mushroom stake using a variety of colorful glass. Fired pieces can be hung or glued to a metal stake. July 16 10 a.m.-noon $50. (805) 464-2633. glassheadstudio.com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero. SUMMER SUNFLOWER PLATE Create a 6” x 6” single layer glass plate using glass paint, frit, and shards. There will be a template to use as a guide. July 18 10 a.m.-noon $60. (805) 464-2633. glassheadstudio.com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero. WHIMSICAL MYSTICAL FELT BROOCHES Combine scraps of felt and fabric, learn a few simple embroidery stitches, add a button or beads. A glass of wine and materials are included. July 19 6-7 p.m. $20. (805) 238-9800. studiosonthepark.org/events/whimsicalmystical-felt-brooches/. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.
6-WEEK
FRIDAY,
FRIDAY,
SHEILA E
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 / 8PM TICKETS
Differences, Wither/Bloom & More
THURSDAY, JULY 10 Dark Nectar Coffee, Atascadero
FRIDAY, JULY 11
SATURDAY,
PI LIVE
Spend happy hour at Presqu’ile Winery in Santa Maria with Americana singer-songwriter Pi Jacobs on Friday, July 11, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., as she performs live music. The event is free. Find more details at presquilewine.com.
—A.S.
ARTS from page 14
A great intro to the pottery wheel! Students learn to throw various shapes, surface decorate and glaze. Book on our website to save spot. Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. through Aug. 19 $275. app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.
php?owner=22676824&appointmentTy
pe=77943567. A great intro to the pottery wheel! Students learn to throw various shapes, surface decorate and glaze. Book through the link to save a spot. Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. through Aug. 19 $275. app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.
php?owner=22676824&appointmentTy
pe=77943668. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
FREE MOVIE NIGHT IN THE SECRET
GARDEN: THE FAST & THE FURIOUS
(2001) Bring a blanket, grab your favorite Secret Garden snacks, and settle in for this feel-good road trip full of fierce fashion, big laughs, and even bigger heart. It’s the perfect way to kick off a summer evening, bold, joyful, and totally fabulous. July 18 8-10 p.m. Free. my805tix.com. Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort and Spa, 1215 Avila Beach Drive, San Luis Obispo.
FRIDAY NIGHT IMPROV AT SLO PUBLIC
MARKET Join the Central Coast Comedy Theater each second Friday of every month at SLO Public Market. They will hit the stage with a wild mix of short form
games (think “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” but with less network oversight) and long form improv (like a play, if no one had memorized anything or made a plan).
July 11 , 6:15-8 p.m. $13. my805tix.com. San Luis Obispo Public Market, 3845 S. Higuera St, San Luis Obispo.
SOMETHING’S FISHY FLORAL WITH LINDA CUNNINGHAM In this workshop, you will receive step-by-step instruction for creating a beautifully detailed collage. Beginners are welcome and no experience is necessary. July 12 , 12-4 p.m. $45. (805) 478-2158. i0.wp. com/artcentralslo.com/wp-content/ uploads/2025/05/Somethings-FishyFloral-July.jpg?fit=1275%2C1650&ssl=1. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
CENTRAL COAST SHAKESPEARE
FESTIVAL Enjoy The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare’s tale of trickery, and revenge on an overconfident swindler. July 18 - Aug. 10 centralcoastshakespeare.org/ themerrywivesofwindsor. Filipponi Ranch, 1850 Calle Joaquin, San Luis Obispo.
SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY
HOW THE WEST WAS REALLY WON
Complete with a saloon setting, card games, duels, and more. Through Aug. 12 Great American Melodrama, 1863 Front
St., Oceano.
SHREK THE MUSICAL Join for Shrek the Musical — a hilarious, heartwarming adventure with catchy songs, lively choreography, and a talented cast. Fun, friendship, and fairy tale magic await! July 10, 7-9 p.m., July 11 , 7-9 p.m. and July 12 , 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. $17-$28.50. (805) 4899444. clarkcenter.org. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.
SHREK: THE MUSICAL PRESENTED BY CENTRAL COAST THEATRE COMPANY
This is our biggest show yet! Featuring Jon Estes from SLO Opera as Shrek, and Alexx Asencio as Fiona. Let your freak flag fly! Every other day, 7-10 p.m. and July 12 , 2-5 p.m. $28.50. (805)710-8750. broadwayworld.com/santa-barbara/ regional/Shrek-The-Musical-4324795. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.
NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY
MINDFUL MARKET Join for a day of connection, inspiration, and high vibes
CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 18
at the Mindful Market in Los Osos. This family-friendly gathering will feature conscious vendors and healing practitioners, and foster a space for a celebration of wellness, creativity, and heart-centered living. Get more info and RSVP at the link. July 12 , 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. my805tix.com. 2050 9th St, 2050 9th St, Los Osos.
WATERFRONT MARKET MORRO BAY:
MID-SUMMER EVENT
We hope you are enjoying your summer. Don’t roast in the heat! Come to the Central Coast this weekend, and stop by the mid-summer market, open all weekend. July 19 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and July 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (805) 402-9437. Giovanni’s Fish Market, 1001 Front St., Morro Bay.
NORTH SLO COUNTY
CREATION OF THE MANJUSHRI (WISDOM) BUDDHA SAND MANDALA
Experience the sacred creation of a Manjushri Buddha Sand Mandala by Tibetan monks, with daily chanting, art, and a beautiful closing ceremony and procession. July 13 , 1-4 p.m., July 14 , 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m., July 15 , 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and July 16 10:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Free. (805) 391-4465. awakeningways. org. Awakening Ways Center for Spiritual Living, 7350 El Camino Real, Ste. 101, Atascadero.
TRAFFIC JAM VINTAGE & HANDMADE
MARKET Traffic Jam Vintage & Handmade Pop-up market will be located in the lot behind the shops on Traffic Way in Downtown Atascadero. There will be vendors, baked goods, and a DJ. July 19, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. (805) 464-2564. trafficjamvintagemarket.com. Golden State Goods, 5880 Traffic Way, Atascadero.
VINYASA YOGA FLOW The class prioritizes increasing mental acuity and improving body and muscle flexibility. A restorative and gentle yoga focusing on breathing and targeting specific areas of the body. Please call to register in advance. Sundays, 12-1 p.m. and Saturdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. $16-$22; $50 membership. (805) 434-9605. ttrtennis. com/yoga. Templeton Tennis Ranch, 345 Championship Lane, Templeton.
YANG STYLE TAI CHI The course’s instructor won many Tai Chi and other internal martial arts tournaments. Both
The Central Coast Cactus & Succulent Society will host its 17th annual Cactus and Succulent Show and Sale at Nipomo High School on Saturday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, July 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free with dozens of vendors, hundreds of specimen plants, and handmade pottery. For more information, visit centralcoastcactus.org.
—A.S.
(805) 470-3360. Colony Park Community Center, 5599 Traffic Way, Atascadero. SAN LUIS OBISPO
AERIAL SILKS CLINIC Silks is a great way to learn flipping safely. Build memory, strength, coordination, confidence, and endurance at the aerial silks clinic, for ages 7 to 17years old. July 19 1-3 p.m. $25/ 1st child, +$10 per additional sibling.. (805) 547-1496. performanceathleticsslo. com/saturday-event-clinics. Performance Athletics Gymnastics, 4484 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.
Circus Vargas’ “Hollywood Dreams!” an homage to Tinseltown’s Golden Age! This circus celebration is inspired by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s hay day. Experience the magic and get tickets and more info at the link. Mondays, Wednesdays-Sundays. through July 14 $25 - $85. circusvargas.com. Madonna Inn, 100 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo. CITY FARM SLO’S YOUTH FAMILY
CLIMB TIME Family Climb is a parentchild structured silks class for ages 5 and over! Together you’ll build strong muscles & memories. No experience necessary,
(805) 547-1496. performanceathleticsslo. com/family-fun-play. Performance Athletics Gymnastics, 4484 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.
FELINE NETWORK ADOPT A KITTEN EVENT Bring home a forever pet at this Adopt A Kitten Event. All cats and kittens are fixed, vaccinated and microchipped. July 13 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $125/ one and $175/ a pair. (805) 540-0006. felinenetwork.org. PetSmart, 1530 Froom Ranch Way, San Luis Obispo.
GROWING AVOCADOS AND CONTAINER
CITRUS Register today for the July Advice to Grow By workshop hosted by the UC Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo County. For more information or to register, visit the website. July 19, 10 a.m.noon ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/. Garden of the Seven Sisters Demonstration Garden, 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 781-5939.
PARKOUR CLINIC Parkour offers a path to social confidence. Come flip with flair in a safe, nurturing environment at our Parkour Clinic. The clinic is geared towards children 7 to 17 years, and all levels are welcome. July 12 1-3 p.m. $25/ 1st child, +$10 per additional sibling.. (805) 547-1496. performanceathleticsslo. com/saturday-event-clinics. Performance Athletics Gymnastics, 4484 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.
A PRACTICAL WORKSHOP ON WAYS TO SEEK SANITY IN A CRAZY WORLDNISA KING This course builds on the techniques of the Silva Ultramind System, developed by Jose Silva in the 1960s. It offers step-by-step guidance in achieving and harnessing mental states of enhanced creativity, powerful intuition, and relief. Participants will explore, through thinking and guided movement, ways to better align their thoughts and emotions in order to achieve their desired goals, in this case, seeking sanity. July 16 , 10:30 a.m.-noon $12. my805tix.com. Oddfellows Hall, 520 Dana Street, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-0876.
SLO SPEED NETWORKING Speed Networking is a fast-paced and fun way to make a lot of initial contacts, and it’s strictly for the Business to Business crowd! You talk for a minute, listen for a minute, exchange cards, and then move on to the next person. If you feel like you made a good contact, reconnect with the person later and schedule a coffee, lunch,
JUNE 20 - AUGUST 2
Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.
SLOCA ADVENTURE CAMP AND FUN IN THE SUN Join these off-site adventures to explore nature and the various geographical landscapes. This is for 1st6th graders. July 14 , 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $475. (805) 458-8700. sloclassical.org. SLO Classical Academy, 165 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.
SLOCA PRESCHOOL AND KINDER SUMMER CAMPS This is a six-week summer camp for those going into preschool and kindergarten. Get tickets and more info at the link. July 14 9 a.m.-1 p.m. $270-450. (805) 548-8700. sloclassical.org. SLO Classical Academy, 165 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.
SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY 17TH ANNUAL CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SHOW AND SALE The Central Coast Cactus & Succulent Society is hosting its 17th Annual Succulent Show and Sale, featuring a dozen vendors and hundreds of specimen plants. More info is available at the link. July 19, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and July 20 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. centralcoastcactus.org. Nipomo High School, 525 N Thompson Ave, Nipomo. FRIENDS OF THE NIPOMO LIBRARY BOOK SALE Arrive early in the morning for the best selection of adult fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books, along with jigsaw puzzles and CDs/DVDs. Cash only. July 12 , 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (805) 929-3994. friendsofnipomolibrary.org/. Nipomo Library, 918 W. Tefft, Nipomo.
NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY
BREAKFAST ON THE BAY A monthly occasion that brings together the passionate citizens and business owners of the greater Estero Bay region in one place to deepen connections and share information. Breakfast is included with ticket price. Third Wednesday of every month, 7:30-9 a.m. $20 per member; $25 per non-member. (805) 772-4467.
Cuevas. Each course is paired with signature Cutruzzola wines. More info is available at the link. July 12 6-9 p.m. $135. my805tix.com. Cavalier Oceanfront Resort, Cove Room, Cavalier Plaza, 250 San Simeon Ave., San Simeon. MORRO BAY MAIN STREET FARMERS
MARKET Get fresh and veggies, fruit, baked goods, sweets, and handmade artisan crafts. Come have some fun with your local farmers and artisans and enjoy delicious eats while enjoying the fresh breeze of Morro Bay. Saturdays, 2:30-5:30 p.m. Varies. (805) 824-7383. morrobayfarmersmarket.com. Morro Bay Main Street Farmers Market, Main Street and Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay.
NORTH SLO COUNTY
50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AT CALERA We can’t wait to share this unforgettable celebration with you—an opportunity to honor the past, toast to the future, and experience the magic of Calera. July 18 1-4 p.m. $175/person - $225/person + tax. (831) 637-9170. calerawine.com. Calera, 11300 Cienega Rd, Hollister.
BRUNCH IS BACK Celebrate the second Sunday of the month with brunch. Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the waterfront. Features fresh coffee, pastries, and more. Second Sunday of every month, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $50. (805) 772-2128. chabliscruises. com. Chablis Cruises, 1205 Embarcadero, Morro Bay.
CLUB CAR BAR TRIVIA WITH DR. RICKY
Teams of one to six people welcome. Visit site for more info. Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m. my805tix.com. Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.
LOW COUNTRY SEAFOOD BOIL Join Chef Emilie Goldstein and MCV Wines for a “claw-crackin’ low country seafood boil.” Taste local wines, and enjoy a succulent seafood feast! July 13 4 p.m. $125. my805tix.com. JonnyBoy’s Bagelry, 5935 Entrada Ave, Atascadero.
SIP HAPPENS BY THE POND Enjoy a walkaround tasting from nine wineries, along with a BBQ and live music. July 12 , 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $100. (805) 468-7877. exploretock.com. TRUSS Wines, 870 Arbor Road, Paso Robles.
The Wild West era features thrilling stories, particularly those of Sheriff "Snake" Willoughby in Arizona. Expect epic card games, high-noon duels, and humorous saloon antics with a colorful cast of characters. Gather your friends for a hilarious adventure!
Free
9:00
3:45
4:00
4:00
4:00
Kid’s Day on the Farm Exhibit (until 7:00 PM), sponsored by Rosemary Farm The Barn 4:00
Pacific Animal Productions Exhibit (until 8:00 PM) Davies Park 4:00
Fire Safe Corner (until 9:00 PM) Fire Safe House 4:30 PM Barnyard Racers South Gate
Pinkbow Sugar
Saturday, July 19
8:00
AM Market Hog Show (FFA followed by 4-H) Paso Robles Pavilion, East Ring
8:30 AM Market Goat Show (4-H followed by FFA) followed by Market Lamb Show (4-H followed by FFA) Livestock Pavilion
9:00 AM Market Steer Show (4-H followed by FFA) Paso Robles Pavilion
12:00
PM Fair, Carnival, Exhibits, Food, Drinks & Shopping OPEN Fairgrounds
12:00 PM Embroidery Guild, Bishops Peak Guild (until 4:00 PM) Ponderosa Pavilion
12:00 PM Free Train Rides - Stops at Fire Safe House & near the CHP booth near Mulbeary Park (until 7:00 PM) Fairgrounds
12:00 PM The Wilder Show (until 7:00 PM) Fairgrounds
12:00
12:00
12:00
PM Kid’s Day on the Farm Exhibit (until 7:00 PM), sponsored by Rosemary Farm
PM Pacific Animal Productions Exhibit (until 8:00 PM)
Fire Safe Education Corner (until 9:00 PM) Fire Safe House 12:30
1:00 PM Kim Wakatsuki Judges Critique
3:30
3:30
4:00
Get Crafty Mixology & Tasting (ticketed)
Quiz Jam Check-in Open
4:00 PM PM Creations Paper Crafts with Patty Mongolo (until 8:00 PM)
4:00 PM California Rare Fruit Growers (until 8:00 PM)
4:00
Eventscapes, Tablesettings and More (until 8:00 PM)
5:00 PM Pacific Animal Productions Show
5:00
Quiz
6:00
6:00 PM Joel y Su Halcon Dorado (until 7:30 PM) La Cantina
7:00 PM Karaoke presented by Liquid Trends The Silo
7:00 PM Way Out West Mission Square Stage
7:30 PM Juntos (Josi Cuen y Jorge Medina) Chumash Grandstand Arena
8:00
8:30
PM Mason Ramsey
805 Beer Frontier Stage
PM Fiesta de Baile with DJ Sey La Cantina
9:00 PM KJUG Barn Dance
Jimmy’s Watering Hole
9:30 PM Groovin’ in Boots presented by Liquid Trends and DJ Glen Coco The Silo
1:30 PM Breeding Sheep Show followed by Wether Dam Doe Show Livestock Pavilion
1:30 PM Breeding Sheep Show followed by Wether Dam Doe Show Livestock Pavilion
4:00 PM Fair, Carnival, Exhibits, Food, Drinks & Shopping OPEN Fairgrounds
4:00 PM Ras Danny & The Reggae All Stars (until 6:00 PM) Island Bar Stage
4:00 PM Free Train Rides - Stops at Fire Safe House & near the CHP booth near Mulbeary Park (until 7:00 PM) Fairgrounds
4:00
PM The Wilder Show (until 7:00 PM) Fairgrounds
4:00 PM Kid’s Day on the Farm Exhibit (until 7:00 PM), sponsored by Rosemary Farm The Barn
4:00 PM Pacific Animal Productions Exhibit (until 8:00 PM) Davies Park
4:00 PM Eventscapes, Tablesettings and More with Almi Events (until 8:00 PM) Farm Alley
4:00
Fire Safe Education Corner (until 9:00 PM) Fire Safe House 4:30 PM Barnyard Racers South Gate 5:00 PM Master Gardeners Class Flower Building
5:00 PM Pacific Animal Productions Show Headliner Stage 6:00 PM Draft Horse Demo w/ Harris Stage Lines Equestrian Lane 6:00 PM Cheesecake Contest Headliner Stage
6:00 PM Barnyard Racers South Gate
6:00 PM Joel y Su Halcon Dorado (until 7:30 PM) La Cantina
Gardeners
Karaoke presented by Liquid Trends The Silo
and
Red Clay Strays
Grandstand Arena 8:00
Waylon Wyatt 805 Beer Frontier Stage 8:30
Fiesta de Baile with DJ Sey La Cantina
21, 2025 Song Entry July 24-Aug. 11, 2025 scan for the latest details
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CODY JOHNSON
JULY 19 FLO RIDA JULY 16
DAVID LEE ROTH JULY 22
DON FELDER
JULY 25
JULY 18
JUNTOS JULY 20
BAILEY ZIMMERMAN JULY 23
JULY 26
JULY 21 KEITH URBAN
JULY 24
JULY 27
July 16 @ 6PM
July 19
July 22
July 17
July 20
July 25
July 23
HERMAN’S HERMITS W/PETER NOONE
July 18
July 21
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July 26
July
FFA) followed by Dairy Goat Show Livestock Pavilion 10:00 AM Beef Lead followed by Cattle Costume Contest followed by Ladies and Lads Lead followed by Sheep Costume Contest followed by Market Goat Costume Contest Paso Robles Pavilion
4:00 PM Replacement Heifer Show (4-H followed by FFA)
4:00 PM Fair, Carnival, Exhibits, Food, Drinks & Shopping OPEN Fairgrounds 4:00 PM Kevin Larkin Judges Critique Flower Building 4:00 PM Replacement Heifer Show (4-H followed by FFA) Paso Robles Pavilion 4:00 PM Ras Danny & The Reggae All Stars (until 6:00 PM) Island Bar Stage
4:00 PM Meet the Farmers of SLO County Farm Trail (until 7:00 PM) Farm Alley
4:00 PM Free Train Rides - Stops at Fire Safe House & near the CHP booth near Mulbeary Park (until 7:00 PM) Fairgrounds
4:00 PM The Wilder Show (until 7:00 PM) Fairgrounds
4:00 PM Kid’s Day on the Farm Exhibit (until 7:00 PM), sponsored by Rosemary Farm The Barn
4:00 PM Pacific Animal Productions
7:30
8:00
8:30 AM
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Subscribe by SUNDAY, JULY 20 for priority seating. Single tickets on sale MONDAY, JULY 28.
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Spanish Night with Pablo Sainz-Villegas & Friends
National Geographic Live: Rise of T. rex with Dr. Lindsay Zanno
CHICAGO
GOOD THINGS: A Conversation with Samin Nosrat
Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience
Kinky Boots
DEC 6 DEC 11 DEC 15 DEC 17
Ben Folds
Christian Sands Trio Kings Return
The Choir of Man Dog Man: The Musical Compagnie Hervé KOUBI: Sol Invictus
National Geographic Live: Wild Cats Revealed! with Sandesh Kadur Keyon Harrold
Patti LuPone: Matters of the Heart
Kal Penn: From White Castle to The White House
Chris Thile
The Book of Mormon Giordano Dance Chicago: Ignite the Soul!
Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque
Amelie Held
Ravi Shankar Ensemble
Habib Koité, Aly Keïta, Lamine Cissokho: Mandé Sila
Paul Jacobs
Kishi Bashi Live at Sensorio
Film Screening: Omoiyari with Kishi Bashi
Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in Mexico! with Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar & Ballet Folklórico del Rio Grande MAR 34 JAN 910
5 DEC 12
Artful Painting of Roosters and Hens with Madeline Simonaro (until 4:00 PM) Flower Building
12:00 PM PM Creations Paper Crafts w/ Patty Mongolo (until 4:00 PM) Ponderosa Pavilion
12:00 PM Free Train Rides - Stops at Fire Safe House & near the CHP booth near Mulbeary Park (until 7:00 PM) Fairgrounds 12:00 PM The Wilder Show (until 7:00 PM) Fairgrounds 12:00 PM Kid’s Day on the Farm Exhibit (until 7:00 PM), sponsored by Rosemary Farm The Barn
8:30 PM Fiesta de Baile with DJ Sey La Cantina
9:00 PM KJUG Barn Dance Jimmy’s Watering Hole
9:30 PM Groovin’ in Boots presented by Liquid Trends and DJ Glen Coco The Silo
home to a community of innovative and passionate producers of high-quality wines, spirits, beer, and more. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $125. (805) 400-3141.
toasttours.com/tour/tin-city-walkingtour/. Toast Tours, 1722 Stillwater Ct, Paso Robles.
SAN LUIS OBISPO
CHAMISAL VINEYARDS Travel and Leisure named our Lobsterfest as a must-see event with music, beautiful scenery, and delicious food and wine. See for yourself and purchase tickets now. July 11 6-8:30 p.m. and July 12 6-8:30 p.m. $295. chamisalvineyards.com/ events/lobsterfest-july-2025/. Chamisal Vineyards, 7767 Orcutt Rd, San Luis Obispo, (805) 541-9463.
DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS MARKET
Thursdays, 6-9 p.m. Downtown SLO, Multiple locations, San Luis Obispo.
HEAD GAMES TRIVIA NIGHT Live multi-media trivia every Wednesday. Free to play. Win prizes. Teams up to six players. Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. headgamestrivia.com. Antigua Brewing, 1009 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 242-1167.
INTRODUCING WINEFULNESS:
A GUIDED WINE MEDITATION
EXPERIENCE Experience Winefulness:
a guided wine meditation exploring the visual, aromatic, and emotional qualities of three Spanish-style wines, each paired with a thoughtfully chosen bite. July 16 5-6 p.m. $25 members, $35 public. (805) 946-1685. cromavera.com. Croma Vera Wines, 3183 Duncan Road, Suite D, San Luis Obispo.
NAME THAT NOISE: MUSIC TRIVIA
A monthly special music-only trivia at Oak and Otter Brewing Co. Call ahead to reserve a table. Second Thursday of every month, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oak and Otter Brewing, 181 Tank Farm Road, suite 110,
San Luis Obispo, (805) 439-2529.
QUEER TRIVIA Sip some cider, test your LGBTQ trivia knowledge, and learn new fun facts. Topic themes and hosts rotate each week. Prizes for winners. BYO food. Third Friday of every month, 6-8 p.m. Free. (805) 292-1500. Two Broads Ciderworks, 3427 Roberto Ct., suite 130, San Luis Obispo, twobroadscider.com.
SLO FARMERS MARKET Hosts more than 60 vendors. Saturdays, 8-10:45 a.m. World Market Parking Lot, 325 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo.
SLO GRANGE PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Join the SLO Grange Hall for a good oldfashioned pancake breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, juice, and coffee will be served, and proceeds will benefit local non-profits. Second Sunday of every month, 8-11 a.m. through April 13 $10. (805) 543-0639. slogrange.org. San Luis Obispo Grange Hall, 2880 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT PUB TRIVIA Bring your thinking cap as questions vary from pop culture, geography, to sports. There is a little for everyone. Prizes for the winning teams. Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. (805) 439-2529. Oak and Otter Brewing, 181 Tank Farm Road, suite 110, San Luis Obispo.
SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS
BEER YOGA AT NAUGHTY OAK Start your Sunday with Jenn’s Beer Yoga. She will lead you through the most fun you’ll ever have at yoga. Bring a mat and be ready to sip on your favorite N/O brew while you stretch and find some zen. Your $20 ticket includes your first beverage. July 13 11 a.m.-noon $22. my805tix.com. Naughty Oak Brewing Company, 165 South Broadway, Orcutt.
FRIDAY NIGHT FUN Karaoke with DJ Nasty. With Beer Bucket specials. Kitchen stays open late. Come out and sing your favorite song. Fridays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
Robles’ Studios on the Park. Artists Anne Laddon and Terez Tyni will lead the vibrant workshop and guide participants in creating their personal pastel floral masterpiece. Tickets are $45 each. Visit studiosonthepark.org for tickets and more info.
Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.
GIAVANNI’S COMEDY NIGHT Experience this feature-length comedy show, hosted by Ezra’s Rockin’ Entertainment, at Giavanni’s Pizza in Orcutt. Featuring co-headliners Daniel Eachus and Patrick Riley, with support by Vic Pulido and
to taste at the winery or find more info on the winery’s Wine Club offerings. ongoing presquilewine.com/club/. Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, (805) 937-8110.
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SECOND SATURDAY OPEN AIR
MARKET: LOS ALAMOS A carefully curated open air artisan and farm market. Features great vintage finds, handwoven and hand dyed textiles, hand-spun yarn, organic body care products, and locally grown organic eats. Second Saturday of every month, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. (805) 722-4338. Sisters Gifts and Home, 349 Bell Street, Los Alamos.
SIPPIN’ SUNDAYS Every Sunday, come cozy up inside the tasting room and listen to great artists. Sundays, 1-4 p.m. Free. (805) 937-8463. cottonwoodcanyon.com. Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard And Winery, 3940 Dominion Rd, Santa Maria.
TACO TUESDAY Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 332-3532, winestoneinn.com/. THURSDAY EVENING BAR TAKEOVER Call venue or visit website to find out about featured vintners. Thursdays stellerscellar.com. Steller’s Cellar, 405 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt.
WINE AND DESIGN CLASSES Check Wine and Design’s Orcutt website for the complete list of classes, for various ages. ongoing Varies. wineanddesign. com/orcutt. Wine and Design, 3420 Orcutt Road, suite 105, Orcutt.
LOMPOC/VANDENBERG
HEAD GAMES TRIVIA AND TACO
Sarah Samaniego. July 12 , 8 p.m. $24. my805tix.com. Giavanni’s Pizza, 1108 E Clark Ave, Orcutt, (805) 934-8555.
OLD TOWN ORCUTT SUMMER
FARMER’S MARKET Get fresh produce and locally made goods, while enjoying entertainment and more in Old Town Orcutt. More info is available at the
link. Third Wednesday of every month, 4:30-7:30 p.m. through Sept. 18 Free. oldtownorcutt.org/otora-farmersmarket. Old Town Orcutt Farmers Market, Marcum Street, Orcutt, (805) 471-5384.
PRESQU’ILE WINERY: WINE CLUB Call or go online to make a reservation
TUESDAYS CLASH Don’t miss Head
Games Trivia at COLD Coast Brewing Company every Tuesday night. Teams can be up to 6 members. Earn prizes and bragging rights. Kekas will be serving their delicious local fare. Fun for all ages. Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. (805) 819-0723. coldcoastbrewing.com. COLD Coast
Step right up to Circus Vargas
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and children of all ages, welcome to the greatest show on Earth. Are you ready to see the most dazzling feats of daring do ever performed before a live audience? Join Ring Master Jonathan Lee Iverson as he introduces acts such as Liina the aerialist, a team of motorcyclists riding inside The Globe of Death, high wire act Meza Troupe, the incredible unicyclists and jugglers of The Faltyny Family, clown act The Steve & Jones Caveagna Family, thrilling and dangerous archery tricks by Martii and Liina, the hula hoop skills of Vlastia Faltyny, and quickchange artists Emelin and Dasha. California-based Circus Vargas was founded by Clifford E. Vargas in 1969, and at its peak, it operated under a circus tent the size of a football field that required 30 men and seven hours to raise. These days, the circus is a more intimate one-ring European-style affair. They discontinued animal acts in 2010, but the circus appeared in the 2011 film Water for Elephants Circus Vargas ends its San Luis Obispo run on Monday, July 14. You can find tickets online at tickets. circusvargas.com/events/26.
An elemental homage to Gaia
Studios on the Park in Paso Robles is celebrating nature with Earth Gowns: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, a new exhibition exploring the traditional Earth elements.
Artists include Jennifer Blue, Laurel Carlisle, Liz Cordoba, Melinda Forbes, Julie Frankel, Kathleen Friend, Leticia Perez Grover, Meg Johnson, Susan Lara, Marylu Weaver Meagher, Carolyn Smith, Janice Strakbein, Stacy Williams, and Mary Wood, who’ve constructed garments through hand-stitching and eco-dyeing, using recycled materials and natural elements like sticks, seed pods, and feathers.
“The gowns honor earth as home to all life, as well as the challenges we have made for ourselves in the 21st century,” the gallery announced.
“Come experience this unique installation!”
Studios on the Park is located at 1130 Pine St. and is open Sunday through Thursday from noon to 4 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m.
The nonprofit organization is “dedicated to providing a creative, educational, and transformational experience to enhance understanding and appreciation of the visual arts,” according to Studios’ mission statement. It serves more than 100,000 students and visitors every year. Learn more at studiosonthepark.org. The show will hang through Sunday, Aug. 31. Δ Glen Starkey
BY GLEN STARKEY
Gabriel Rutledge finds humor in all the right places
Ever wonder what drives a person to stand onstage in front of a room full of strangers and try to tell jokes for an hour? Because it sounds positively paralyzing and deeply frightening.
“I don’t want to feed into the ‘all comedians are crazy, damaged people,’ [theory] because I think there’re just as many sad receptionists as there are sad clowns,” stand-up comic Gabriel Rutledge explained during a recent phone interview. “But there is a weird thing where negative feedback wasn’t enough to make me quit. Something in you compels you that you had to have people listen to you. I think—and this might just be my therapy talking—a lot of comedians have a sibling who took up more attention in the house than they did, and for me, I have a Down Syndrome brother, and no shade on him or my parents, but you know, he took a lot of effort.
“And so, subconsciously, I think, ‘Someday I’m gonna make this about me.’ I’m telling you, dozens and dozens of comedians I’ve had this conversation with have had similar circumstances. But also, I just like doing it. It doesn’t necessarily come from darkness.”
Rutledge will be “doing it” at the Fremont Theater on Friday, July 18, and “it” is a very astute brand of observational comedy. One video that went viral was his Coinstar bit, which you can find on YouTube.
“Almost everything I say is the truth, perhaps the truth exaggerated, but it at least comes from the truth,” Rutledge said. “I was using a Coinstar machine one time. Are you familiar with the Coinstar? Where you cash in your change? I had a change thing at home, it was full, so time to cash it in. I’m dumping it loudly into the machine, as you do, and someone I know came by and was like, ‘Hey, how’s comedy going?’ As I’m dumping change in to get a voucher.”
Ouch!
What started as a one-liner developed over time into a longer bit as Rutledge leaned into the discomfort of being spotted cashing in his change. Soon he was adding how the Coinstar machine is always in the front of the store when it should be “in the back of the store behind a beaded curtain for my privacy, but no, it’s in the front next to the lotto tickets. They’ve done their research.”
He takes a grain of an idea “and over time, I just keep adding to it onstage.”
He’s clearly a quick thinker. I read he was born in Bay Center, Washington, current population 253, and asked about it.
“Yes. I’m probably one of the last human beings born in Bay Center because it doesn’t even have a hospital. I had hippie parents at the time. My dad delivered me out in the woods,” he chuckled.
Wikipedia lists two “notable residents” of Bay Center: Lum You (1861-1902), a Chinese laborer and convicted murderer, and the only person legally executed in Pacific County; and Colin Murray Cowherd, sports media personality. I hoped Rutledge would have made the list.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t really live there. We moved to South Bend, Washington, which isn’t much bigger, shortly after I was born. My parents decided they needed electricity.”
These days he lives in Olympia with his wife, with whom he has three kids. Olympia isn’t exactly known as a comedy hotbed.
“I’m not here for show business reasons; I’ll tell you that much. You know, my wife is from here. I’m from here. I stayed after high school because the punk rock music scene in Olympia was really happening. And when I graduated in 1992, I was pretty sure my band was going to be pretty big.”
Rutledge was a drummer, and his long-haired “look” draws obvious comparison to Dave Grohl, former Nirvana drummer and current frontman (guitar and voice) for the Foo Fighters. Comically, he gets a lot of milage from the comparison.
“I don’t want to, but I do.”
He also has a bit where talks about people telling him he looks like “Chubby Jesus.”
After his band didn’t become “pretty big,” he decided to try stand-up, which he called “terrifying.”
Good Vibez presents stand-up comic Gabriel Rutledge, who’ll brings his witty brand of comedy to the historic Fremont Theater on Friday, July 18 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $32.93 to $63.32 at prekindle.com).
“I was already with my wife, and I made her go to the first open mic. And it went well. You know, I’d be horrified if I saw a video of it now, but it went well. I felt good about it. But I remember my wife saying on the way home, ‘That was pretty good. I was afraid it was going to be like the time you sang Garth Brooks at karaoke.’”
Rutledge tends to work pretty clean, but he’s not Nate Bargatze or Jim Gaffigan clean.
“Look, when I write a joke, and it’s very clean, I do give myself a little extra pat on the back. Like, ‘Hey, you did it. Good for you, potty mouth. You did it.’”
He’s written a couple of books, most recently 2021’s There’s No F@!*ing Way You’re Getting a Pony.
“It’s silly. It’s profane. It’s not dirty. It’s a book I wrote and had illustrated about conversations with my young daughter, about how, you know, ‘When you were born, I said, I’d do anything for you, but I was wrong because there’s no fucking way you’re getting a pony.’ That kind of thing.”
In 2014, he released Happiness Isn’t Funny: True Stories of a Road Comic
“I wrote it 10 years in [to my career]. A lot of people write memoirs, but with the hindsight of success. ‘Here’s what I went through before I became famous’ or whatever. You can read musicians, actors, comedians—every biography has a section about ‘paying their dues.’ The concept of my book was, ‘Is it paying your dues if you’re not going anywhere?’ You know? ‘Is this as good as it gets? Is that good enough?’ It has ended up being a little more honest than I wanted it to, and certainly, now that it’s been so many years ago, if I ever read it, I do cringe at a few of the things.” The real test is, did his kids find him funny when they were growing up?
“I think sometimes people think having a comedian dad is just constantly me running bits. Like I just wake up in the morning, ‘What’s the deal with eggs?’ You know, it’s not like that. No one could handle that.” Rutledge won the Seattle International Comedy Competition and The Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in Atlanta. He’s made numerous TV appearances including Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, Nickelodeon’s Nickmom Night Out, Laughs on FOX, and Inside Joke streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Millions have streamed his Dry Bar Comedy special, A Third of the Room, as well as his YouTube special, Nectarine. He’s released five albums, including his most recent, Good Luck in Court, which debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes comedy charts.
He’s clearly on the rise, but the Fremont is a pretty big room. Can he fill it?
“We’ll see,” he laughed. “I certainly don’t always do that size venue, but I’m starting to do some bigger venues. I’m excited to check it out. I don’t think I’ve ever done a show in San Luis Obispo, ever.” ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@ newtimesslo.com.
areth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) directs this new installment in the Jurassic Park franchise. Written by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, SpiderMan), the story involves de-extinct dinosaurs living on a remote island once used by InGen as a research facility. Pharmaceutical company ParkerGenix sends covert operator Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) and paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) on a secret mission to retrieve biomaterials from the three largest prehistoric creatures living on the island. (134 min.)
Glen Judging by the theater full of excited kids, this is the best film ever made! Of course, it helps if you’re too young to have seen all the films that came before it. I, on the other hand, have watched all eight of the films in the franchise, including the 10-minute short, Battle at Big Rock (2019). As a seasoned Jurassic Parker, I found this newest installation to be predictably derivative. Got to have imperiled children, right? Cue the Delgado family making a transatlantic journey in a sailboat that gets capsized by a Mosasaurus, which—hey!—is one of the three creatures Bennett and her team must track and get blood samples from. Need an evil company man who puts profits ahead of people. Meet ParkerGenix stooge Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend).
Gotta have a bigger and badder dino, right? May I present Distortus rex, a mutant Tyrannosaurus rex with six limbs? Will dinos stalk humans in confined spaces? Of course! Will there be a scene of music-swelling wonderment in the presence of gigantic but gentle herbivores?
JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH
What’s it rated? PG-13
What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee
What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee
Where’s it showing? Bay (starts July 25), Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In
mutations—it truly creates something much less dinosaur and much more monster in appearance. These films can’t help themselves from getting increasingly ridiculous, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t still fun. I was a kid when the first came out, and a dino-loving kid at that. It holds a special place in my heart. Even the second and third films will always have a spot on my DVD shelf. Then the franchise took a big break, and when it returned, I couldn’t help but feel the sequels had lost the plot.
Glen Mahershala Ali as Duncan Kincaid, the boat captain who brings the team into dangerous waters, is always terrific, imbuing Duncan with warmth. He and Zora have a long history together. ScarJo came across as a credible covert operator, and Audrina Miranda as Isabella, the youngest of the Delgado family, was appropriately scared to death. Look, none of the sequels have topped the original, but for sheer spectacle, they’re usually worth watching.
Duh! If you think the eighth film in the franchise will reinvent the wheel, think again. That said, this is a classic summer blockbuster.
Anna Thank God that Distortus Rex got to keep his little tiny T-rex arms and also grow big ol’ steroid bro arms through his
SIRENS
What’s it rated? TV-MA
When? 2025
Where’s it showing? Netflix
Based on show creator Molly Smith Metzler’s 2011 play Elemento Pea Sirens is set over the course of a long weekend in one of those beach communities whose only non-millionaire visitors are the workers who drive in to serve the uber rich homeowners and guests. Devon (Meghann Fahy) is freshly out of a night in jail and desperate for some help with her father (Bill Camp), who’s slipping further into dementia. She’s also trying to figure out what’s going on with her sister, Simone (Milly Alcock), who seems to be increasingly obsessed with her boss, one of those uber rich homeowners named
With Jurassic World in 2015, there was some excitement for brand reinvigoration, and it was decent. Since then, the plotlines have spiraled in ridiculous ways, but hey—am I going to see every one of these films in the theater? You bet. It may not be the comfort food for me that the original is, but Jurassic World: Rebirth is the epitome of a summer blockbuster, and there’s no better way to see those than on the big screen in air conditioning.
Michaela “Kiki” Kell (Julianne Moore).
Devon tracks down her sister to the fictional town of Port Haven, and in a bid to garner help caring for her dad she attempts to bring Simone home. Once surrounded by the strange world of riches and manipulation, Devon herself is drawn into Kiki’s orbit. This dark comedy has star power with Moore as well as Kevin Bacon as her husband, Peter, plus the great character actor Camp, and both Alcock and Fahy, whose bickering has sister vibes written all over it. This one is a fun binge for the right audience. (five approximately onehour episodes.)
—Anna
PICTURE PERFECT
Simone (Milly Alcock, left) thinks she’s found the perfect job as personal assistant to uber-rich Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore, right) and her curated life, in Sirens , streaming on Netflix.
ITHE OLD GUARD 2
What’s it rated? R
When? 2025
Anna They have the formula and characters down, and the brand has enough money behind it to pack the screen with stars. Spectacle is a key word here, and this experience doesn’t fall short. I’d rather pay matinee prices for this overblown type of film, but it’s worth an afternoon in the theater. If you’ve liked what they’ve given you before, put this on your list to see this summer. ∆
Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
Where’s it showing? Netflix
f you want to see Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde) and Uma Thurman (Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 ) square off in epic hand-tohand combat, step right up to this sequel to The Old Guard (2020), based on Greg Rucka’s graphic novel series. Like the Gina Prince-Bythewooddirected original, this one’s helmed by female director Victoria Mahoney.
The story focuses on Andromache “Andy” of Scythia (Theron), who leads a group of immortals on dangerous missions to safeguard humanity.
If you haven’t seen the original, start there. The backstory is essential.
The original cast is back, including Quynh (Veronica Ngo), which we learned in the first was Andy’s centuries-long companion who was accused of witchcraft, sealed in a metal coffin, and cast into the sea to drown, reanimate, and drown again. She’s found and recused from her watery torture by Discord (Thurman), the original immortal, who apparently is no longer interested in safeguarding humanity. It’s an entertaining supernatural action flick with fight sequences that are better than the original. Brutal ballet. Hey, it’s no award-winner, but it’s not trying to be, and the ending tees up another sequel. (105 min.) —Glen
THERON V. THURMAN!
Andromache “Andy” of Scythia (Charlize Theron) returns to lead her cadre of immortals on a mission to safeguard humanity, in The Old Guard 2, streaming on Netflix.
BY GLEN STARKEY
The very idea of Brass Mash seems cockamamie. A nine-piece horn band that mashes songs and genres together? Huh? A jazz arrangement that starts with Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” but suddenly shifts into Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer”? Mashing up The Temptation’s “My Girl” with Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”? How could this possibly work?
“Ten years ago, when I moved here, I just decided I wanted to start this band, and would just talk with people constantly, and everyone thought I was insane 10 years ago,” recalled bandleader and trombonist Colin Dean. “It didn’t make sense. You know, because it doesn’t make sense on paper. It’s something you have to experience. I would just like run into people, ‘Oh, oh, you play trumpet? Oh, you should be part of my group. Yeah, and we’re going to play mashups, and we’re going to mix Van Halen with Nicki Minaj.’”
Somehow, Dean’s crazy idea has soared. The band’s monthly first Fridays gig at Liquid Gravity sells out every month. They now play big festivals and big venues. This Saturday, July 12, they play Castoro Cellars (doors at 6, show at 7 p.m.; all ages; $20 at castorocellars.com).
“Brass Mash is a jazz band,” Dean
explained. “It’s a misbehaving jazz band. I just run it how a jazz band should be run. We have proper charts and very few rehearsals. If you want good players, there’re always busy, so booking rehearsals is a nightmare. We do two rehearsals a year, approximately.”
Yes, you read that correctly. Every band member must sight-read music charts onstage. The nine piece has one drummer and one bassist, and the rest are all horn players. Who are these musicians?
“It’s always changing,” Dean explained. “We probably have like 30, 40 people in the corral.”
The one thing they all have in common is solid music training.
“Everyone kind of has their own story,” Dean said. “Sean Sullivan has been drumming with all sorts of groups. He’s the drummer for Damon Castillo, longtime drummer for Zongo All-Stars, and the original drummer for Tipsy Gypsies.
“A lot of us are music educators. Anthony Yi, who’s our lead alto player, teaches band in Santa Maria. One of his coworkers is Stephanie Douglass, who’s now one of our trumpet players. Kai Easley [trombone] was recruited. He was a Cal Poly student. He just graduated.”
Some members have day jobs that are not related to music.
“Our tenor sax player, Tim Crooks, works as Vandenberg Space Force Base. Sam
NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY
BURLEY THISTLES Burley Thistles is an alternative rock band known for their guitar-driven sound and memorable songs. Hear them blend heartland rock with classic rock influence at Ragged Point Inn. July 20 12-1 p.m. Ragged Point Inn, 19019 Highway 1, Ragged Point, (805) 927-5708, raggedpointinn.com.
CAMBRIA TRIBUTE TO MERLE HAGGARD & IRIS DEMENT Performers include Zoe FitzGerald Carter, Jonathan Low-Fi, Bradly Coats, Maurice Tani, Jubal Jake, James Combs, and the duo called Familiar Strangers. Hosted by Steve Key. July 13 2-5 p.m. $25, $20 wine club members. (805) 204-6821. songwritersatplay.com/ events. Moonstone Cellars, 812 Cornwall St, Cambria.
FULL CIRCLE DRUMMING
CELEBRATION
We’ll gather in the golden hills for a joyful mix of facilitated drumming and free-flowing
Franklin, our baritone saxophone player, has been in and out of groups for years. I think he’s at Cuesta College doing internet security stuff. But he’s been semi full-time music for a while, a vagabond like the rest of us.”
Dean used to teach high school band. He, Yi, Douglass, and Brett Malta, the band’s original tuba player who’s now their soundman, write the charts.
“Everyone’s sub-able, including me, apparently,” Dean laughed. “There was one month I had COVID. There was no way around it. We had a show and the tickets were sold.”
music-making under the summer sky—celebrating life, friendship, rhythm, and a beautiful mandala of people from all walks of life. July 19 6-9 p.m. Free. my805tix.com. Swallow Creek Ranch, 6030 Highway 1, Cayucos.
MASON JENNINGS LIVE American folkpop singer-songwriter Mason Jennings will hit The Siren’s stage. Hear him live and purchase tickets at the link. July 12 7:30 p.m. $23-$25. thesirenmorrobay. com. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, (805) 225-1312.
THE MEDITATIONS LIVE Hailing from Jamaica, the Grammy award-winning reggae legends, The Meditations, will be in town playing live roots harmonies for The Siren’s audience. Hear them live and purchase a ticket at the link. July 17, 7-10 p.m. $24. thesirenmorrobay.com. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, (805) 225-1312. NOT.GREENDAY (A TRIBUTE TO 35 YEARS OF GREEN DAY MUSIC!) Out
of love for Greenday, four Washingtonbased friends formed the tribute band, NOT.GREENDAY. Jump back in time and hear the four decades worth of Greenday music live at The Siren. Tickets are available now. July 11 , 7:30-10:30 p.m. $18. thesirenmorrobay.com. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, (805) 225-1312.
NORTH SLO COUNTY
BAROQUE IN THE VINES Scott Yoo leads this annual Baroque concert at the picturesque hilltop setting of Serra Chapel. Presented by Festival Mozaic. July 19 7:30 p.m. festivalmozaic.org/ show-details/baroque-in-the-vines. Serra Chapel, McMillan Canyon Road, Shandon.
CELLAR SESSIONS AT MIDNIGHT
CELLARS Come have a rocking good time with Midnight Wine and Midnight Ride, an exceptional cover band spanning decades in their songlist. July 12 , 4-7 p.m. Free. (805) 239-8904. midnightcellars.
Like many jazz bands, there is room for improvisation.
“When I write charts, a lot of charts are just top to bottom, everything’s pre-planned,” Dean explained. “But players want to blow. They want to play. They want a solo. Easily half the charts we do have solo sections involved.”
I’ll tell you a little secret for how this band seems to be so impossibly tight. They wear earbuds
com/events/Deja-Vu-Copy. Midnight Cellars, 2925 Anderson Road, Paso Robles.
CODY JOHNSON LIVE Part of the California Mid-State Fair’s live music lineup. July 19 midstatefair.com/fair/. Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles.
EASTON EVERETT Singer-songwriter Easton Everett blends indie folk, neo-folk, and world beat with intricate fingerstyle guitar. Hear him live at Shale Oak Winery. July 12 1-4 p.m. Shale Oak Winery, 3235 Oakdale Rd., Paso Robles, (805) 239-4800.
FLO RIDA LIVE Part of the California Mid-State Fair’s lineup of live concerts. July 16 midstatefair.com/fair/. Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles.
JAZZ ON THE PATIO WITH SUNNY WRIGHT AND JACOB ODELL Hang on the beautiful patio with Sunny Wright and Jake Odell for live jazz, blues, and soul
with a click track. They can hear when each song is supposed to begin and end. It’s like metronome only they can hear.
“It allows us, from the audience’s perspective, to do a magic trick of just starting a song, like pow! Like no one has counted us, there’re no drumstick clicks. We just start the show immediately because in our ears we hear, ‘We’re playing the first song, and one, two, three go.’ It was a COVID project. I had the time to do it. We use a program called Ableton Live, which is the industry standard.”
Because of the wide variety of popular songs from so many genres, Brass Mash is enjoying wide appeal.
“We have incredibly broad demographics,” Dean agreed. “Grandparents bring their grandkids, and they know that everyone’s going to have fun, and parents can bring their kids to show them what these instruments are. And teenagers and college students force their parents to get reservations to have all of their friends come. It’s like kind of that thing. There’s this whole cross-generational thing.”
I think the show I’m most excited about this week is Shinyribs at The Siren presented by Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX on Wednesday, July 16 (7 p.m.; all ages; $30.59 at goodmedicinepresents.com), with
music. July 12 6-9 p.m. Free. (805) 2269995. hotelcheval.com/pony-club-barlounge. Pony Club Bar and Lounge at The Hotel Cheval, 1021 Pine St, Paso Robles.
JEFF LIVINGSTONE BAND WITH EMILEE MORRISON AT CLUB CAR
BAR Hear soulful singer-songwriter Jeff Livingstone hit the stage with a full band, joined by local favorite Emilee Morrison. Tickets and more info about this all-ages show can be found at the link. July 11 , 7:30-10:45 p.m. $13. my805tix.com. Club
Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.
LIVE MUSIC AT MCPRICE MYERS
WINES WITH LYNDA TYMCHECK Lynda
Tymcheck is a Paso Roblan and performs acoustic covers. Sip stunning wines in the warm summer night at our vineyard estate and listen to her perform. July 12 , 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $25 tasting fee waived with $75 purchase. (805) 237-1245. mcpricemyers.com/events/july122025. McPrice Myers Wine Company, 3525
Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles. NOAH COLTON LIVE AT HUBBA WINES Head to Tin City’s Hubba Wines for live music by Noah Colton. July 11 , 5-9 p.m. $5.00 Donation. (805) 550-8190. hubbawines.com/Events. Hubba Wines, 2929 Limestone Way, Paso Robles. SENSORIO SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Fresh off launching a new art installation, Sensorio Paso Robles unveils its Summer Concert Series lineup, running Sundays from June 1 to October 12. Get tickets and more info at the link. July 13 6:30-10:30 p.m. $55$140. (805) 226-4287. sensoriopaso.com/ sensorio-celebrations. Sensorio, 4380 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles. SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Fresh off its latest art and music installation, Sensorio Paso Robles announces its Summer Concert Series, running from
Honeyson opening. Fronted by Kevin Russell of the Austin band The Gourds, the swamp funk and Southern soul band was a side project formed in 2007 that became Russell’s main project when The Gourds went on hiatus in 2013. The band’s debut album, Well After Awhile (2020), is one of the best debuts ever, and my wife and I listen to it regularly. The band’s most recent, Transit Damage (2023), is their ninth.
In press materials, Russell called it “the record I’ve been trying to make for most of my career. This is a collection of songs that relate to each other in a myriad of ways: musically, lyrically, emotionally. It’s a real throwback to the era of complete albums and draws from songs I’ve written throughout my life. I hope listeners can take the time to fully immerse themselves in the whole thing.”
The road goes on …
In 2022, when Houston-based Americana singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen played the Live Oak Music Festival, he was billing it as part of his farewell tour, so when I interviewed him, I asked him point-blank if it was true: Was he done touring?
“Yes, I am,” he told me. “On Jan. 14, [2022] I made the announcement that after 41 years of being out on the road, I was going to retire
the beginning of June until October, featuring exciting live acts. July 13 $55$140. (805) 226-4287. sensoriopaso.com/ sensorio-celebrations. Sensorio, 4380 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles.
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES AT HUBBA WINES WITH THE BOILED STEAK
BROTHERS The Boiled Steak Brothers are set to play live at Hubba Wines in Tin City. Wine and food will be available for purchase. July 18 5-9 p.m. $5.00 Donation. (805) 550-8190. hubbawines. com/Events. Hubba Wines, 2929 Limestone Way, Paso Robles.
SAN LUIS OBISPO
39TH ANNUAL CENTRAL COAST
RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL Laguna Lake Park will turn into a bustling 16th-century English village when the Central Coast Renaissance Festival returns. July 19, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and July 20 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $30 - $35. (805) 550-9177. ccrenfaire. com/. Central Coast Renaissance Festival, 504 Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo.
BOBBY JOE EBOLA AND THE CHILDREN MACNUGGITS, MUGSLUG, BANDWIDTH, AND NT4DB LIVE Anomaly House is proud to present a “noisy afternoon of punk rock strangeness” with various punk and hardcore bands. Get tickets and more info to this all-ages
from the road life but continue in the music business and do a whole variety of things.”
Well, that announcement turns out to be the equivalent of the “Going Out of Business” sign in a furniture store, because he’s on the road again, including a stop in SLO when Good Vibez presents Robert Earl Keen at the Fremont Theater on Monday, July 14 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $50.96 to $81.86 at prekindle.com).
Hey, I’m not mad about it. He puts on a helluva show, and tickets are going fast for the artist behind classic songs such as “The Road Goes On Forever,” “I Gotta Go,” “Gringo Honeymoon,” and “Merry Christmas from the Family.”
Rock ’n’ roll is on the menu at Rod & Hammer Rock this week when the club presents two tribute acts. See Son of a Gun: A Guns N’ Roses Tribute on Friday, July 11 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $27.21 at ticketweb.com). The band’s lead singer is Ari Kamin, who also sings with Guns N’ Roses’ drummer Steven Adler’s band.
(((folkYEAH!))) presents Led Zeppelin tribute act Legend Zeppelin in Rod & Hammer Rock on Saturday, July 12 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $27.21 at ticketweb.com).
“Time travel with us back to the early
show at the link. July 13 3 p.m. $11. my805tix.com. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, (805) 781-9974.
THE BUNKER SLO PRESENTS: ROB MAGILL & ABE GIBSON Ojai based saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Rob Magill will play with Morro Bay based percussionist Abe Gibson. July 19 8-10 p.m. $13. my805tix.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo. CONCERTS IN THE PLAZA: AFTER PARTY SERIES Enjoy free live music in downtown SLO every Friday, immediately following the Concerts in the Plaza. The concerts are 21+. July 11 , 8:30 p.m. and July 18 8:30 p.m. Free. my805tix.com. Libertine Brewing Company, 1234 Broad St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 548-2337.
DUANE BETTS & PALMETTO MOTEL
Backed by his band, Palmetto Motel, Betts delivers a “dynamic live show filled with searing guitar solos, heartfelt storytelling, and a mix of classic influences with fresh energy.” Hear them live at SLO Brew! July 20 6 p.m. $32. slobrew.com. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843.
AN EVENING WITH LEGEND ZEPPELIN Travel back in time to the ‘70s with Legend Zeppelin. Have a one-of-a-kind night and see them live. Tickets are available at the link. July 12 , 7 p.m. $27.
slobrew.com. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843.
FLIPTURN LIVE Jacksonville-based band flipturn will hit the stage with support from Sunroom. Get tickets now, at the link. July 15 , 7 p.m. $48. fremontslo.com. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 546-8600.
HOT 45 & RAS DANNY AT CONCERTS IN THE PLAZA Ras Danny and Hot 45 are set to play live sets at Mission Plaza. Hear them live, along with The Funk Junket during Libertine’s after party. July 11 5 p.m. Mission Plaza, Downtown, San Luis Obispo.
JACUZZI BOYS, SNACKS, AND JOONE’S LIVE Jacuzzi Boys are an American rock band based out of Miami, Florida, composed of Gabriel Alcala on vocals and guitar, Diego Monasterios on drums and Danny Gonzales on bass. Hear them live as they perform on the SLO Brew stage! July 19, 7 p.m. $21. slobrew.com. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843.
LISTENING PARTY WITH CRAIG NUTTYCOMBE & DAMON CASTILLO Join for an intimate and interactive afternoon at The Bunker, celebrating the release of Craig Nuttycomb’s newest album, “Limestone Wizard”. Craig will be joined by his friend and producer Damon Castillo as they take you on a behind-the-scenes
club days of 1969/1970 for a one-of-a-kind experience of inspired and improvised contemporary blues and psychedelic rock,” the club announced.
The Happy Together tour returns to Vina Robles Amphitheatre on Sunday, July 13 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $65 to $100 at
journey through the making of the album. Experience the music, hear the stories, and engage in a unique live listening session with the creators themselves. July 20 3-5 p.m. $24. my805tix.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.
LIVERPOOL LEGENDS This tribute is described as “the complete Beatles experience.” All ages welcome. July 19 8 p.m. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 546-8600, fremontslo.com.
MIKAELA DAVIS WITH LILY SEABIRD American musician, songwriter, and harpist, Mikaela Davis will take to the stage. Hear her live, along with Lily Seabird’s set. July 10, 7 p.m. $27. slobrew. com. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843.
ROBERT EARL KEEN Robert Earl Keen, a renowned singer-songwriter from Houston, Texas, is set to perform live at The Fremont Theater. With over 21 released albums and a three-decade career, Keen is set to deliver a night to remember. Tickets are available at the link. July 14 7 p.m. $50-$80. fremontslo. com. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 546-8600.
SLO TRIBUTE TO MERLE HAGGARD & IRIS DEMENT Performers will include Will Breman, Zoe FitzGerald Carter,
ticketmaster.com), with an amazing lineup of 1960s and ’70s hitmakers who racked up an impressive 55 Billboard top 40 smashes. The Turtles will serve as the evening’s musical hosts, joined by Jay and the Americans, Little Anthony, The Vogues, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, and The Cowsills. ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
Jonathan Low-Fi, Bradly Coats, Maurice Tani, Jubal Jake, James Combs, and Familiar Strangers. Hosted by Steve Key. July 12 , 7-10 p.m. $20. (805) 2046821. songwritersatplay.com/events. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo.
SON OF A GUN: A GUNS N’ ROSES
TRIBUTE Guns N’ Roses tribute band
Son Of A Gun is fronted by Ari Kamin, lead singer of Steven Adler of Guns N’ Roses. This five-piece band, based in Los Angeles, is set to rock the seats of their Slo Brew Rock audience. July 11 7 p.m.
$28. slobrew.com. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843.
THE VIBE SETTERS & SADIE JASPER
LIVE Sadie Jasper and The Vibe Setters will perform live sets at the Mission Plaza, followed by The Groove Collective at the Libertine Brewing after party. July 18, 5 p.m. Mission Plaza, Downtown, San Luis Obispo.
WORDS OF CONCRETE (GERMANY HC)
Head to Humdinger for live sets from Words of Concrete, Hang Tough, and The Relative Minimum. July 16 , 6 p.m.
$20. my805tix.com. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, (805) 781-9974.
SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY
2025 LIVE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE
CONCERT SERIES Head to the Point San Luis Lighthouse in Avila Beach for Saturday afternoon concerts. Get tickets and more info at the link. Through Oct. 11 $28. my805tix.com. Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach. ARROYO GRANDE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES These free concerts will begin on July 4 and run every Sunday until September 21. Sundays, 1-3 p.m. through Sept. 21 Free. (805) 473-5472. arroyogrande.org/events. Heritage Square Park, 201 Nelson St., Arroyo Grande. CARBON CITY LIGHTS - LIVE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE July 12 , 2:30-5 p.m. my805tix.com. Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach. EASTON EVERETT Easton Everett is a singer-songwriter who blends indie folk, neo-folk, and world beat with intricate fingerstyle guitar. His unique sound stands out from the mainstream. Hear him live. July 18 5-8 p.m. Cape Cod Eatery and Taphouse, 1127 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach, (805) 295-6919. PACIFIC BREEZE CONCERTS The City of Pismo Beach Recreation Division proudly presents the Pacific Breeze Concerts at Dinosaur Caves Park. Family activities and food will be for purchase. July 13 , 1-4 p.m. Free. (805) 773-7063. pismobeach. org/73/Recreation. Dinosaur Caves Park, 2701 Price St, Pismo Beach. ∆
Paso’s End of the Day wines strike repeated gold at prestigious industry competitions
Caliza’s 20th harvest this year was a dual celebration of longevity for the Paso Robles winery, owned by founding winemaker Carl Bowker and his wife, Pam, as well as excitement for the growing esteem of its End of the Day brand.
End of the Day—which debuted a new tasting room in Paso’s Tin City in February and was founded in 2020—raked in a slew of gold medals in 2025.
At the ninth annual Sunset International Wine Competition in June, the brand achieved double gold for its 2023 ZM Cuvée, a zinfandel-mourvèdre blend, and gold for its 2023 grenache. Earlier in the year, at the fourth annual Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge, End of the Day scored double gold and “best in class” for its 2022 Red Cuvée, a mourvèdre-leading blend, and double gold for its 2023 albariño.
These same two wines took home double gold and gold, respectively, at the 25th annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in January.
“The [winning wines], along with all EOTD wines, are true expressions of the Paso Robles appellation, and with our exceptional climate, soils, and coastal cooling effects, among many other attributes, we are able to craft these wines to be approachable and with great balance showcasing fruit, structure, and acidity seamlessly upon release of the wine,” Bowker said. “I think judges at these competitions and even wine critics appreciate a complete package and enjoyable wine just as we all do.”
While Caliza’s primarily Rhônecentric varietals and blends regularly
score as high as 98 points with industry publications, its lower-priced End of the Day wines are racking up equally impressive numbers, including a 98-point score for the 2022 Red Cuvée from the LA Invitational.
The accolades are especially notable given that Caliza specializes in estate fruit from the Willow Creek District while its more modest counterpart sources grapes from a variety of vineyards throughout the broader Paso Robles American Viticultural Area.
“If you were to look at our price points and missions for the Caliza and End of the Day brands, you would think our goals for each couldn’t be more different,” said Joshua Harp, who took over as head winemaker from Bowker in January of last year.
“However, we are very much focused on offering great value with both brands. Caliza wines are a little more structured, ageable, and intense, while End of the Day is made to be softer, earlier to release, and easily paired with food,” he said. “For both brands, we use the same high-quality winemaking standards to produce wines we think respect the vineyards and terroir we work with, and we want our customers to become excited about the varieties they find in each wine.”
The winemaking team at Caliza and End of the Day is a tight-knit trio including Bowker, Harp, and assistant winemaker Allie Donegan.
End of the Day’s tasting room is located at 2915
Limestone Way in Paso Robles’ Tin City. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday and by appointment only Monday to Thursday. For more information, visit calizawinery.com/end-of-the-day and follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook @endofthedaywines.
Caliza’s tasting room, at 1525 Peachy Canyon Road in Paso, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To book an experience, contact calizawinery.com, and connect via Instagram and Facebook @calizawinery.
“Winemaking at Caliza is ultimately collaborative, a full team effort, and opinions from our tasting room and hospitality staff are also considered when making key decisions,” Harp said. “Much of my experience over the years has been derived from helping the wineries I’ve worked for transition to new winemaking teams, styles, and quality goals. I believe my first job is to understand the history of the brand I work for, get to know our customers, and then use my experience to continue making highquality and high-value wines.”
Harp, of Morro Bay, brings to the table a wealth of industry
experience, with stints as cellar master at Sextant in Paso, and most recently as winemaker at Jada Vineyard & Winery, also in Paso.
Raised in Northern California and a graduate of Shasta College, Harp moved to the Central Coast in 2010 to pursue his winemaking career.
Donegan, meanwhile, a South County native now residing in Paso Robles, joined the team in 2022 and became assistant winemaker the following year.
for End of the Day, “but growing,” he said. As far as wines to look forward to in the future?
She boasts a wine and viticulture degree from Cal Poly and has held positions at Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande, Deovlet Wines in San Luis Obispo, and Archery Summit in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Both winemakers look forward to following in Bowker’s footsteps and “contributing to the legacy that Caliza has developed over the years,” Harp said.
Hawaiian-born and raised and a graduate of the University of Hawaii, Bowker moved to California in 1980. Following a 20 plus-year horticulturist career, he completed a twoyear program in viticulture and oenology at Napa Valley College, then relocated to Paso Robles to establish Caliza, meaning limestone in Spanish.
His original tasting room opened in 2008, replaced by a new facility off Peachy Canyon Road in 2024.
Bowker’s current 75-acre property will ultimately be planted to 25 acres of vines, gradually replacing his former 28acre estate vineyard off Anderson Road.
His limited-production brands remain at 2,500 to 3,000 cases annually for Caliza, and 1,500 to 1,800
“The 2023 vintage was a cool, long vintage that offered exceptional quality for nearly every variety, and I am really looking forward to the release of those wines for both brands in the near future,” Harp said.
“Our End of the Day customers will be excited to discover wines we haven’t made before such as our 2023 End of the Day graciano,” he added. “Caliza will also be planning to release its first sparkling wine, potentially by the end of this year, and we just finished blending our first Caliza cabernet sauvignon for the 2024 vintage.”
For guests hoping to sample End of the Day’s best in class, double gold Red Cuvée, the 2022 vintage is still available. However, the brand’s Sunset International medalists— the 2023 ZM Cuvée and grenache—won’t likely hit the Tin City tasting room until fall. Unfortunately, Bowker added, the multiaward-winning 2023 albariño already sold out, but its equally delicious 2024 successor is on the tasting menu. Δ
Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte toasts Carl and company’s impressive lineup. Reach her at cwhyte@newtimesslo.com.
2017 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LTD 4WD
3.6
2012 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED 4WD
3.6 V6, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/fm/cd, red, blk cloth, winch, rboards. #218752
$15,988
2016 RAM 1500 QUAD CAB BIG HORN 4WD
5.7 Hemi V8, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/fm w/ Sirius, pseat, SRW, 20” rims, silver, gray cloth, liner. #258210
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2019 JEEP CHEROKEE TRAILHAWK 4WD
3.6 V6, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/fm/sat, nav, white, blk lthr, tow, 2pseats, prem whls, 63k. #226986
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3.6 V6, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/ fm/cd, sat
reflected in the telephone information or on the internet website. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. NOTICE TO TENANT: You may have a right to purchase this property after the trustee auction pursuant to Section 2924m of the California Civil Code. If you are an “eligible tenant buyer,” you can purchase the property if you match the last and highest bid placed at the trustee
by a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified in section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state). All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said deed of trust in the property situated in said county and state, and as more fully described in the above referenced deed of trust. Sale Date: July 29, 2025 Sale Time: 11:00 AM Sale Location: In the breezeway adjacent to the County General Services Building, 1087 Santa Rosa Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 2 File No.:24-08705CA The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 777 Sierra Road, Nipomo, CA 93444. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made in an “AS IS” condition, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, estimated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust, to-wit: $402,204.41 (Estimated). Accrued interest and additional advances, if any, will increase this figure prior to sale. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the total indebtedness due. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call, (916) 939-0772 for information regarding the trustee’s sale or visit this internet website, www.nationwideposting.com, for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case, T.S.# 24-08705CA. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be
SEALED BIDS will be received by the Public Works Administration, or designee, of the City of El Paso de Robles until August 21, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. for the West Side Fiberized Slurry, DPW Project No. 24-24. Please be certain that any bid submitted is sealed and addressed and noted as follows:
City of El Paso de Robles
Public Works Administration
4305 Second Wind Way Paso Robles, CA 93446
Sealed Bid for West Side Fiberized Slurry, DPW Project No. 24-24
Following the closure of the bid submittal period, bids will be publicly opened and read for performing work as follows: Furnishing all labor, materials, equipment, and performing all work necessary and incidental to the construction of the project known as West Side Fiberized Slurry, DPW Project No. 24-24 according to drawings and specifications prepared by the City of El Paso de Robles and according to the Contract Documents. The work shall include, but is not limited to, pavement rehabilitation, concrete surface improvements, striping improvements, and placement of fiberized slurry seal material. Contractor to provide all necessary work plans, permits, and inspections necessary, all as shown on the plans and/or as specified herein.
Project is to be completed within Seventy (70) WORKING days from the date specified in the Notice to Proceed. The Contractor shall pay to the City of El Paso de Robles the sum of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), for each and every calendar day’s delay in finishing the work in excess of the calendar day completion time.
The California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) implemented amendments to the In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulations (“Regulation”) which went into effect on January 1, 2024, and apply broadly to all self-propelled off road diesel vehicles 25 horsepower or greater and other forms of equipment used in California. A copy of the Regulation is available at https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/barcu/regact/2022/offroaddiesel/appa-1.pdf Bidders are required to comply with all CARB and Regulation requirements, including, without limitation, all applicable sections of the Regulation, as codified in Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations section 2449 et seq. throughout the duration of the Project. Bidders must provide, with their Bid, copies of Bidder’s and all listed subcontractors’ most recent, valid Certificate of Reported Compliance (“CRC”) issued by CARB. Failure to provide valid CRCs as required herein may render the Bid non-responsive.
Copies of the Bid Documents are now on file and available for public inspection at Public Works Department at 4305 Second Wind Way, El Paso de Robles, California. Interested bidders must obtain copies of the documents electronically.
The Contract Documents will be available electronically, at no cost, at DemandStar Paso Robles, CA. Use the link DemandStar Paso Robles, CA to navigate to the website for out to bid projects. To download the Bid Documents, the user must register as a user on the site. It is the responsibility of each prospective bidder to download and print all Bid Documents for review and to verify the completeness of Bid Documents before submitting a bid. Any Addenda will be posted at DemandStar Paso Robles, CA.
It is the responsibility of each prospective bidder to check DemandStar Paso Robles, CA on a daily basis through the close of bids for any applicable addenda or updates. DemandStar Paso Robles, CA sends email notifications to ONLY those registered on their website. The City does not assume any liability or responsibility based on any defective or incomplete copying, excerpting, scanning, faxing, downloading or printing of the Bid Documents. Information on DemandStar Paso Robles, CA may change without notice to prospective bidders. The Contract Documents shall supersede any information posted or transmitted by any other vendor besides the City.
Bidding procedures are prescribed in the Contract Documents. Each bidder must submit bid security in one of the following forms: cash, cashier’s check payable to City, a certified check payable to City, or a bid bond in the form included with the bid documents, executed by an admitted surety insurer, made payable to City in an amount equal to at least 10% of the total amount of the bid or proposal.
Pursuant to Section 1770, et seq. of the California Labor Code, the successful bidder and all subcontractors shall pay not less than the prevailing rate of per diem wages as determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations.
Pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5, for bids due on or after March 1, 2015, all contractors and subcontractors that wish to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal for, or enter into a contract to perform work on the Project must be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code sections 1725.5 and 1771.1. No bid will be accepted, nor any contract entered into if the bidder is not registered as required by law.
Pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 22300, for monies earned by the Contractor and withheld by City of El Paso de Robles to ensure the performance of the Contract, the Contractor may, at its option, choose to substitute securities meeting the requirements of Public Contract Code Section 22300.
All bidders shall be licensed under the provisions of the Business and Professions Code to do the type of work contemplated in the project. In accordance with provisions of California Public Contract Code Section 3300, City has determined that the Contractor shall possess a valid Class A (General Engineering) License at the time that the bid is submitted. Failure to possess the specified license shall render the bid non-responsive.
The successful bidder will be required to furnish a payment bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, as well as a faithful performance bond, in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price. The bonds shall be on the forms included in the Contract Documents.
City reserves the right to reject any or all bids; to make any awards or any rejections in what it alone considers to be in the best interest of City and waive any informalities or irregularities in the bids. The contract will be awarded, if at all, to the responsible bidder that submits the lowest responsive bid. City will determine the low bid.
PROJECT NO. 23-02
SEALED BIDS will be received by the Public Works Administration, or designee, of the City of El Paso de Robles until August 21, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. for the Panorama and Fairview Neighborhood Road Repairs, DPW Project No. 23-02. Please be certain that any bid submitted is sealed and addressed and noted as follows: City of El Paso de Robles Public Works Administration 4305 Second Wind Way Paso Robles, CA 93446 Sealed Bid for Panorama and Fairview Neighborhood Road Repairs, DPW Project No. 23-02
Following the closure of the bid submittal period, bids will be publicly opened and read for performing work as follows: Furnishing all labor, materials, equipment, and performing all work necessary and incidental to the construction of the project known as Panorama and Fairview Neighborhood Road Repairs, DPW Project No. 23-02, according to drawings and specifications prepared by the City of El Paso de Robles and according to the Contract Documents. The work shall include, but is not limited to, pavement rehabilitation, concrete improvements, and striping improvements. Contractor to provide all necessary work plans, permits, and inspections necessary, all as shown on the plans and/ or as specified herein.
Project is to be completed within Eighty (80) WORKING days from the date specified in the Notice to Proceed. The Contractor shall pay to the City of El Paso de Robles the sum of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), for each and every calendar day’s delay in finishing the work in excess of the calendar day completion time.
The California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) implemented amendments to the In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulations (“Regulation”) which went into effect on January 1, 2024, and apply broadly to all self-propelled off road diesel vehicles 25 horsepower or greater and other forms of equipment used in California. A copy of the Regulation is available at https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/barcu/regact/2022/offroaddiesel/appa-1.pdf Bidders are required to comply with all CARB and Regulation requirements, including, without limitation, all applicable sections of the Regulation, as codified in Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations section 2449 et seq. throughout the duration of the Project. Bidders must provide, with their Bid, copies of Bidder’s and all listed subcontractors’ most recent, valid Certificate of Reported Compliance (“CRC”) issued by CARB. Failure to provide valid CRCs as required herein may render the Bid non-responsive.
Copies of the Bid Documents are now on file and available for public inspection at Public Works Department at 4305 Second Wind Way, El Paso de Robles, California. Interested bidders must obtain copies of the documents electronically.
The Contract Documents will be available electronically, at no cost, at DemandStar Paso Robles, CA. Use the link DemandStar Paso Robles, CA to navigate to the website for out to bid projects. To download the Bid Documents, the user must register as a user on the site. It is the responsibility of each prospective bidder to download and print all Bid Documents for review and to verify the completeness of Bid Documents before submitting a bid. Any Addenda will be posted at DemandStar Paso Robles, CA.
It is the responsibility of each prospective bidder to check DemandStar Paso Robles, CA on a daily basis through the close of bids for any applicable addenda or updates. DemandStar Paso Robles, CA sends email notifications to ONLY those registered on their website. The City does not assume any liability or responsibility based on any defective or incomplete copying, excerpting, scanning, faxing, downloading or printing of the Bid Documents. Information on DemandStar Paso Robles, CA may change without notice to prospective bidders. The Contract Documents shall supersede any information posted or transmitted by any other vendor besides the City.
Bidding procedures are prescribed in the Contract Documents.
Each bidder must submit bid security in one of the following forms: cash, cashier’s check payable to City, a certified check payable to City, or a bid bond in the form included with the bid documents, executed by an admitted surety insurer, made payable to City in an amount equal to at least 10% of the total amount of the bid or proposal.
Pursuant to Section 1770, et seq. of the California Labor Code, the successful bidder and all subcontractors shall pay not less than the prevailing rate of per diem wages as determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations.
Pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5, for bids due on or after March 1, 2015, all contractors and subcontractors that wish to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal for, or enter into a contract to perform work on the Project must be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code sections 1725.5 and 1771.1. No bid will be accepted, nor any contract entered into if the bidder is not registered as required by law.
Pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 22300, for monies earned by the Contractor and withheld by City of El Paso de Robles to ensure the performance of the Contract, the Contractor may, at its option, choose to substitute securities meeting the requirements of Public Contract Code Section 22300.
All bidders shall be licensed under the provisions of the Business and Professions Code to do the type of work contemplated in the project. In accordance with provisions of California Public Contract Code Section 3300, City has determined that the Contractor shall possess a valid Class A (General Engineering) License at the time that the bid is submitted. Failure to possess the specified license shall render the bid non-responsive.
The successful bidder will be required to furnish a payment bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, as well as a faithful performance bond, in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price. The bonds shall be on the forms included in the Contract Documents.
City reserves the right to reject any or all bids; to make any awards or any rejections in what it alone considers to be in the best interest of City and waive any informalities or irregularities in the bids. The contract will be awarded, if at all, to the responsible bidder that submits the lowest responsive bid. City will determine the low bid.
Date: July 10, 2025 By: Ditas Esperanza P.E.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible, the Pismo Beach Planning Commission will hold a public hearing in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, for the following purpose:
PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA:
A. Address: 2665 Shell Beach Road, Ste J (APN 010-042-058,-060)
Applicants: Johanna and Michael Moore
Project No.: P25-000019
Description: Conditional Use Permit to allow a massage school location within the Spyglass Village Shopping Center and Categorical Exemption No. 2025-014. The project is located within the Coastal Zone and is not appealable to the Coastal Commission.
Environmental Review
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that the project is exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b) (3) of the CEQA Guidelines regarding activities that have no possibility of having a significant effect on the environment.
B. Address: 2121 Costa Brava (APN 010-045-063)
Applicants: Kevin & Tuesdy Small
Project No.: P25-000055
Description: Coastal Development Permit and Architectural Review Permit for the construction of a new 4,187 square-foot single-family residence and 1,369 squarefoot garage and 2,150 square foot basement on a vacant lot and Categorical Exemption No. 2025-015. The project is located within the Coastal Zone and is not appealable to the Coastal Commission.
Environmental Review
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that the project is exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to Section 15303 of the CEQA Guidelines regarding construction of a new singlefamily residence.
C. Address: 121 Indio Drive (APN 010-205-002)
Applicants: Gary Grossman
Project No.: P25-000055
Description: Coastal Development Permit for further sea cave reinforced infill and bluff stabilization development located landward of the Mean High Tide Line at an existing single-family residence, including two drilled tiebacks, steel reinforced bluff shotcrete facing with replacement of incompetent shotcrete, bluff drainage system, filling of a small sea cave, and overhanging native vegetation restoration, and Categorical Exemption No. 2025-016. The work was performed pursuant to City Emergency Coastal Development Permit P23000093. The project is located within the Coastal Zone and is appealable to the Coastal Commission.
Environmental Review
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that the project is exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines regarding small additions to and rehabilitation of an existing structure.
Details about ways to participate in this hearing will be provided on the agenda posted for the meeting online at pismobeach.org/agenda, and on the bulletin board at City Hall. The agenda will be posted in the afternoon of July 17, 2025.
You have a right to comment on these projects and their effect on our community. Interested persons are invited to participate in the hearing or otherwise express their views and opinions regarding the proposed projects. Emailed comments may be submitted to planningcommission@pismobeach.org; staff cannot guarantee that emailed comments submitted after the start of the meeting will be given full consideration before action is taken. Written comments may be delivered or mailed to the Community Development Department / Planning Division Office at 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, CA 93449, prior to the meeting, or hand-delivered during the meeting no later than the comment period for this item. Oral comment may be provided prior to the meeting by calling 805-773-7005 and leaving a voice message. Please state and spell your name, and identify your item of interest. Oral comment may also be made during the meeting, either by joining the virtual meeting using the link provided on the agenda document, or by attending the meeting in person in the Council Chamber at City Hall. Please refer to the agenda for this meeting for specific instructions for participation
Staff reports, plans and other information related to these projects are available for public review from the Planning Division Office, by emailing Administrative Secretary Brianna Whisenhunt at bwhisenhunt@pismobeach.org. The meeting agenda and staff report will be available no later than the Friday before the meeting and may be obtained upon request by mail or by visiting www.pismobeach.org/agenda. The Planning Commission meeting will be televised live on Charter Spectrum Cable Channel 20 and streamed on the City’s website.
PLEASE NOTE:
If you challenge the action taken on this item in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Pismo Beach at, or prior to, the public hearing.
For further information, please contact Administrative Secretary Brianna Whisenhunt at bwhisenhunt@pismobeach. org or 805-773-4658.
Brianna Whisenhunt Administrative Secretary July 10, 2025
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 16.30 – SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY HAZARD ABATEMENT ORDINANCE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on August 19, 2025, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will conduct a public hearing at 9:00 A.M. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 1055 Monterey Street, Room #D170, County Government Center, San Luis Obispo, CA, to consider the following item:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AMENDING CHAPTER 16.30 OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CODE TO EXPAND FIRE HAZARD ABATEMENT AUTHORITY WITHIN LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY AREAS SERVICED BY THE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
At the August 19, 2025, hearing, the Board of Supervisors will consider adoption of an ordinance amending Chapter 16.30 of the County Code to expand the scope of fire hazard abatement authority of the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department. The amendment clarifies that the County’s Hazard Abatement Ordinance applies throughout the Local Responsibility Area (LRA) serviced by the County Fire Authority, not just in previously specified areas. If adopted, the ordinance will authorize the County to identify and abate fire hazards such as weeds, grass, combustible vegetation, and other prohibited materials within the Local Responsibility Area (LRA) of the County Fire response area. The Board of Supervisors may also consider other items of business before or after the item listed above.
If you challenge the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Board of Supervisors at or prior to the public hearing. Failure of any person to receive this notice shall not constitute grounds for any court to invalidate the actions of the legislative body for which the notice was given.
SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE
The proposed ordinance will amend the title and nine sections of Chapter 16.30 of the San Luis Obispo County Code to clarify and expand the County’s authority to abate fire hazardous conditions in all Local Responsibility Areas under the jurisdiction of San Luis Obispo County Fire Department.
DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW
The complete text of the proposed ordinance can be found online at:
https://agenda.slocounty.ca.gov/iip/sanluisobispo/ agendaitem/details/19167
Copies of the proposed ordinance and maps are also available for public inspection at the CAL FIRE/San Luis Obispo County Fire Office between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Individuals wishing to inspect the proposed ordinance or any referenced codes should ask for the Fire Marshal’s Office.
CAL FIRE/San Luis Obispo County Fire 100 Cross Street, Suite 204 San Luis Obispo, CA Phone: (805) 543-4244
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
DATED: July 8, 2025
Matthew P. Pontes
Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: /s/ Niki Martin
Deputy Clerk July 10, 2025
Mitigated Negative Declaration (ED05039 / SCH No. 2008121100) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sec. 15162 and 15164. County File Number: C-DRC2021-00028 Supervisorial District: District 3 Assessor Parcel Number(s): 076-221-016
Date Accepted: 11/14/2023
WHERE The hearing will be held in Katcho Achadjian Government Center, Board of Supervisors Chambers,1055 Monterey Street, Room #D170, San Luis Obispo, CA. The Board of Supervisors Chambers are located on the corner of Santa Rosa and Monterey Streets. At the meeting all interested persons may express their views for or against, or to change the proposal.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A copy of the staff report will be made available on the Planning Department website at www.sloplanning.org. You may also contact Mason Denning, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805-781-1298.
COASTAL APPEALABLE
If the County approves this project, that action may be eligible for appeal to the California Coastal Commission. An applicant or aggrieved party may appeal to the Coastal Commission only after all possible local appeals have been exhausted pursuant to Coastal Zone Land Use Ordinance Section 23.01.043(b). Local appeals must be filed using the required Planning Department form as provided by Coastal Zone Land Use Ordinance Section 23.01.042(a)(1).
Ysabel Eighmy
WHO: County of San Luis Obispo Planning Commission
WHEN: Thursday, July 24, 2025 at 9:00 AM: All items are advertised for 9:00 AM. To verify agenda placement, please call the Department of Planning & Building at (805) 781-5600.
WHAT: Hearing to consider a request by the San Miguel Community Services District to amend (AMEND2024-00001)
Conditional Use Permit (D980186D) to allow an expansion of the Machado Wastewater Treatment Facility onto undeveloped parcels north of the existing boundaries for the purposes of meeting existing and future wastewater disposal needs by allowing the authorized treatment capacity to increase from 200,000 GPD to 500,000 GPD. Expansion will create space for the development of three additional percolation beds, new effluent and influent holding ponds, a maintenance and operations building, storage yard, and improved supporting infrastructure. The project will involve disturbance of approximately 8.5 acres, including approximately 43,595 cumulative cubic yards of cut and fill across four parcels totaling approximately 39 acres. The project is located at 1765 Bonita Place, within the community of San Miguel. The site is within primarily in the Public Facilities and Residential Suburban land use categories, within the Salinas River Sub-Area of the North County Planning Area.
Also to be considered is the determination that this project is consistent with the previously adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration and Subsequent Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH No. 2022060357 and 2024040218, respectively) (ED25-0127).
County File Number: AMEND2024-00001
Supervisorial District: District 1
Assessor Parcel Number(s): 021-051-015 (+ 3 more)
Date Accepted: 6/20/2025
WHERE
The hearing will be held in Katcho Achadjian Government Center, Board of Supervisors Chambers,1055 Monterey Street, Room #D170, San Luis Obispo, CA. The Board of Supervisors Chambers are located on the corner of Santa Rosa and Monterey Streets. At the meeting all interested persons may express their views for or against, or to change the proposal.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A copy of the staff report will be made available on the Planning Department website at www.sloplanning.org. You may also contact Mason Denning, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805-781-1298.
Ysabel Eighmy
Secretary Planning Commission
July 10, 2025
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OF TEMPLETON COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGARDING COLLECTION OF STREET LIGHT ASSESSMENTS, COMMUNITY FACILITIES
DISTRICT 2017-1 ASSESSMENTS, MEASURE A PARCEL TAX, DELINQUENT WEED ABATEMENT FEES, AND DELINQUENT WATER AND SEWER CHARGES/ADMINISTRATIVE ORDERS
The Templeton Community Services District will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, beginning at 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of affording any individual who has street light assessments, delinquent weed abatement fees, Community Facilities District (CFD) 2017-1 assessments, Measure A Parcel Tax, or delinquent water and/or sewer charges/administrative orders, together with penalties thereon, as shown on the report filed with the District Board of Directors, to be heard by the Board regarding such assessments, delinquent fees and/ or charges, and their collection on the County tax roll.
All interested parties are invited to join the meeting in-person, or call in via Zoom to participate in the hearing, provide comments, or be heard:
Public Call in # to Participate is as follows:
ZOOM Phone #: 1-669-900-6833
Meeting ID: 843 9960 8527
Passcode: 607204
Or Join the Zoom Meeting at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84399608527?pwd=e7Kj1miXEhCYx HmL6AlSKTt4EnxyTl.1
At the public hearing on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, the District will consider any and all comments and objections to the authorization of collection of street light assessments, CFD 2017-1 assessments, and delinquent fees and charges, together with penalties thereon, on the tax roll pursuant to Government Code Section 61115(b). Any questions regarding the information in this notice may be directed to Natalie Klock, Finance Officer of the District, at (805) 434-4900. All information and documents regarding the assessments, and delinquent fees and charges are available for inspection at the Templeton Community Services District office located at 420 Crocker Street, Templeton.
OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT OPTIONS: The public may also provide comment via e-mail or letters that will be distributed to the Board of Directors. E-mails may be sent to the Board Clerk at boardclerk@templetoncsd.org. Letters may be mailed to the District Office at P.O. Box 780, Templeton, CA 93465. Letters may also be dropped-off at the District’s DropBox located outside the District Office at 420 Crocker Street, Templeton. People may also call the District Office at (805) 434-4900 to leave a message concerning items on the agenda. Public input using one of these methods must be received by Tuesday, July 15, 2025 by 3:00 p.m.
July 3 & 10, 2025
COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING PLANNING COMMISSION
WHO: County of San Luis Obispo Planning Commission WHEN: Thursday, August 14, 2025 at 8:00 AM: All items are advertised for 8:00 AM. To verify agenda placement, please call the Department of Planning & Building at (805) 781-5600.
WHAT: Hearing to consider a request by HR Holdings, LLC for a vesting tentative tract map (Tract 2879) to subdivide an existing 2.17 acre parcel into eight (8) residential parcels ranging in size from 8,385 square feet to 13,647 square feet each, and one (1) lot for a private street. The project will include site improvements for vehicular access, and the extension of utilities over an area of disturbance of about 2.1 acres including 11,280 cubic yards (cy) of cut and 4,780 cy of fill (including trenching for utilities). The project includes a request for an adjustment to the design standards set forth in Section 21.03 of the County’s Real Property Division regulations to allow a 47 foot right of way where 50 feet is required, and a waiver for the installation of curbs, gutters and sidewalks along the private streets serving the project. The proposed project is within the Residential Single Family land use category and is located on Gateway Drive at the entrance to Heritage Ranch, directly adjacent and south of the main gate house. The project site is located within the Heritage Ranch Village Reserve Area approximately 13 miles west of the city of Paso Robles. The site is in the Nacimiento sub area of the North County planning area. Also, to be considered at the hearing will be the adoption of the Environmental document prepared for this item. The Environmental Coordinator, after completion of the initial study, finds that there is no substantial evidence the project will have a significant effect on the environment, and the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report is not necessary. Therefore, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq., and CA Code of Regulations Section 15000 et seq.) has been issued on May 19, 2025 (SCH# 2025050960), for this project. Mitigation measures are proposed to address Biological Resources, Air Quality, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Land Use & Planning, and Mandatory Findings of Significance are included as conditions of approval. A copy of the Environmental Document is also available by visiting the Planning and Building Department website at https://energov. sloplanning.org/EnerGov_Prod/SelfService#/home then searching the file number and viewing the attachments. Anyone interested in commenting on the proposed Environmental Document should submit a written statement and/or speak at the public hearing. Comments will be accepted up until completion of the public hearing(s).
County File Number: SUB2020-00024
Supervisorial District: District 1 Assessor Parcel Number(s): 012-352-058
Date Accepted: 01/06/2025
WHERE The hearing will be held in the Katcho Achadjian Government Center, Board of Supervisors Chambers 1055 Monterey Street, Room #D170, San Luis Obispo, CA. The Board of Supervisors Chambers are located on the corner of Santa Rosa and Monterey Streets. At the meeting all interested persons may express their views for or against, or to change the proposal.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A copy of the staff report will be made available on the Planning Department website at www.sloplanning.org. You may also contact Lane Sutherland, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805-781-5600.
Ysabel Eighmy
PROPOSALS will be received electronically by the City of Pismo Beach via the City’s e-Procurement Portal PlanetBids, until 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, July 31, 2025 for performing work as follows:
The City of Pismo Beach is interested in acquiring the services of a qualified restauranteur to equip, operate, and maintain a City-owned Airstream Food Truck and provide related services which will include food preparation, beer and wine sales on the Pismo Beach Pier, 100 Pier Way, Pismo Beach, CA 93449.
All proposals will be compared based on the proposer’s background, experience, ability, and capacity to responsibly service the public that visit the pier; proposed business plan including concept, menu, operating plan and financial plan; quality of references; and key personnel assignments.
Only those proposals submitted per the requirements of the Request for Proposals and certified by an authorized company officer will be considered. Proposals received by fax, email, or hardcopy will be rejected.
All questions must be submitted in writing through the PlanetBids Procurement Question/Answer Tab via the City’s e-Procurement portal, on or before the Question & Answer Submission Date and Time. All questions submitted and answers provided shall be electronically distributed to all proposers who have selected to “follow” this RFP on the City’s e-Procurement Portal.
Proposals must be submitted online using the City’s electronic bidding platform which can be accessed at www.pismobeach.org/bids.
ERICA INDERLIED CITY CLERK
July 3 & 10, 2025
PROPOSALS will be received electronically by the City of Pismo Beach via the City’s e-Procurement Portal PlanetBids, until 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, July 31, 2025 for performing work as follows: ON-CALL ENGINEERING
The City of Pismo Beach (City) is seeking proposals from qualified Engineering firms (Consultant) to provide OnCall Engineering Services including but not limited to various disciplines including inspection services, project management, construction management, development review plan checking, traffic and transportation, stormwater compliance, and surveying mapping services. The City is interested in generating a list of qualified consultants to draw from as needed. Firms interested in one or more services are encouraged to submit a proposal. The City reserves the right to enter into an agreement with a single consultant or with multiple consultants in order to provide the complete range of professional services. It is the intent of the City to enter into a Professional Services Agreement with the Consultant(s) for some services, on a not-to-exceed basis. The term of the agreement will be for three (3) years and the option to extend for an additional two (2) one (1) year periods. Other agreements will be on an individual task order basis as need arises and will be at the discretion of the City.
All questions must be submitted in writing through the PlanetBids Procurement Question/Answer Tab via the City’s e-Procurement portal, on or before the Question & Answer Submission Date and Time. All questions submitted and answers provided shall be electronically distributed to all proposers who have selected to “follow” this RFP on the City’s e-Procurement Portal.
Proposals must be submitted online using the City’s electronic bidding platform which can be accessed at www.pismobeach. org/bids.
ERICA INDERLIED
CITY CLERK
July 10 & 17, 2025
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Grover Beach will conduct a Public Hearing at 6:00 p.m., or soon thereafter, on MONDAY, JULY 28, 2025, City Hall Council Chamber, 154 South 8th Street, Grover Beach for the following:
SUBJECT:
First Reading and Introduction of an Ordinance to Amend the Grover Beach Municipal Code Article IX Development Code Chapter 4, and Local Coastal Program by revising Section 4.10.015 (Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU)) to align with recent changes in State ADU Law requirements.
Environmental Determination: In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that this action is not a project within the meaning of CEQA (California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., “CEQA”) and CEQA Guidelines (Title 14 California Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq.) Section 15378(b)(5) and is therefore exempt from CEQA because the revisions will not result in any direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
Where You Come In:
Any member of the public may appear at the meeting and be heard on the item described in this notice or submit written comments to the City Clerk prior to the meeting by mail to: City Clerk’s Office, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433 or by email to gbadmin@groverbeach.org. If you require special accommodations to participate in the public hearing, please contact the City Clerk’s office at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting by calling (805) 473-4567.
For More Information:
If you have questions or would like more information regarding the item(s) described in this notice, please contact the Community Development Department by telephone at (805) 473-4520 or send an e-mail to comdev@groverbeach.org. The City Council may also discuss other hearings or items of business at this meeting. The complete meeting agenda and copy of the staff report(s) on the above item(s) will be posted on the City website at www.groverbeach.org. Live broadcasts of City Council meetings may be seen on cable television Channel 20, as well as over the Internet at www.groverbeach. org/160/Agendas-Staff-Reports-Minutes (click on the link “City Council and Planning Commission Meetings Live”).
If you challenge the nature of the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the Public Hearing(s) described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City at, or prior to, the Public Hearing (Govt. Code Sec 65009).
WENDI B. SIMS, CITY CLERK
Dated: Thursday, July 10, 2025
CITY OF GROVER BEACH NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Grover Beach will conduct a Public Hearing at 6:00 p.m., or soon thereafter, on MONDAY, JULY 28, 2025, City Hall Council Chamber, 154 South 8th Street, Grover Beach for the following:
SUBJECT
First Reading and Introduction to Amend the Grover Beach Municipal Code Article IX Development Code, and Local Coastal Program by revising Chapter 2 (Zones and Allowable Land Uses), Section 3.10.020 (Fences and Walls), Section 3.10.030 (Height Limits and Exceptions), new Section 3.10.062 (Edge Conditions), amend Sections 3.10.065 (Screening), 3.10.080 (Upper Story Open Spaces), 4.10.030 (Accessory Structures), 5.10.030 (General Provisions), Chapter 6 (Procedures), 8.20.060 (Review Authority for Subdivision Decisions), new Section 8.170 (Urban Lot Subdivisions), and amend Chapter 9 (Definitions) Environmental Determination: IIn accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that this action is not a project within the meaning of the CEQA (California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., “CEQA”) and CEQA Guidelines (Title 14 California Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq.) Section 15378(b)(5) and is therefore exempt from CEQA because the revisions will not result in any direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
Where You Come In:
Any member of the public may appear at the meeting and be heard on the item described in this notice or submit written comments to the City Clerk prior to the meeting by mail to: City Clerk’s Office, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433 or by email to gbadmin@groverbeach.org. If you require special accommodations to participate in the public hearing, please contact the City Clerk’s office at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting by calling (805) 473-4567.
For More Information: If you have questions or would like more information regarding the item(s) described in this notice, please contact the Community Development Department by telephone at (805) 473-4520 or send an e-mail to comdev@groverbeach.org.
The City Council may also discuss other hearings or items of business at this meeting. The complete meeting agenda and copy of the staff report(s) on the above item(s) will be posted on the City website at www.groverbeach.org. Live broadcasts of City Council meetings may be seen on cable television Channel 20, as well as over the Internet at www.groverbeach.org/160/Agendas-StaffReports-Minutes (click on the link “City Council and Planning Commission Meetings Live”).
If you challenge the nature of the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the Public Hearing(s) described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City at, or prior to, the Public Hearing (Govt. Code Sec 65009).
WENDI B. SIMS, CITY CLERK
Dated: Thursday, July 10, 2025
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a general election is scheduled to be held in SHANDON-SAN JUAN WATER DISTRICT (“District”) on November 4, 2025 for the office of Director. There are 3 seats to be filled. To be qualified, a candidate must be over the age of 18 years and either a holder of title to land within the District or the legal representative of a holder of title to land within the District.
Official declaration of candidacy forms for eligible candidates desiring to file for these offices may be obtained from the District Secretary by emailing admin@ssjwd.org and can also be found at https://www.ssjwd.org/election. The forms are available beginning July 14, 2025 and must be filed with the District Secretary at 930A Nysted Drive, Solvang, CA 93463 via certified mail no later than August 8, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. This election shall be at large. Appointment to each elective office will be made as prescribed by Section 10515 of the Elections Code in the event there are no candidates or an insufficient number of candidates for such office and a petition for an election is not filed within the time prescribed by Section 10515 of the Elections Code.
Anyone desiring further information regarding filing for these elective district offices should contact the District at admin@ssjwd. org or by calling (805) 451-0841.
SHANDON-SAN JUAN WATER DISTRICT
July 10, 2025
Notice of Sheriff’s Sale of Real Property (CCP 701.540)
ATTORNEY FOR JEFFREY CHASE AND DEBORA CHASE, AS TRUSTEES
Wallin & Russell LLP
26000 Towne Centre Drive Suite 130
Foothill Ranch, CA 92610
949-652-2202
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO 901 PARK STREET PASO ROBLES, CA 93446
PLAINTIFF/PETITIONER: Jeffrey Chase and Debora Chase, as Trustees
DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT: John Belsher, et al
COURT CASE NUMBER: 18CVP-0325
LEVYING OFFICER FILE NUMBER: 2024001203
DATE: 06/05/2025
Under a Writ of Execution Issued out of the above court on 07/19/2024, on the Judgment rendered on 07/02/2024. For the sum of 4,003,149.58 (estimated); I have levied upon all the rights, title, and interest of the judgment debtor(s), John Belsher
In the real property, in the county of San Luis Obispo, described as follows: 2606 El Cerrito Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, SEE EXHIBIT “A” LEGAL DESCRIPTION. APN:003-761-035 EXHIBIT “A”
THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED REAL PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
PARCEL 1 OF PARCEL MAP SL-86-074, IN THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, ACCORDING TO THE MAP RECORDED ON MAY 31, 1988 IN BOOK 43, AT PAGE 43 OF PARCEL MAPS.
APN:003-761-035
Common Street Address: 2606 El Cerrito Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Minimum Bid Amount (if applicable): PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS SHOULD REFER TO SECTIONS 701.510 to 701.680, INCLUSIVE, OF THE CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE FOR PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND EFFECT OF THE SALE AND THE LIABILITY OF DEFAULTING BIDDERS.
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that I will proceed to sell at public auction to the highest bidder, for cash in lawful money of the United States, all the rights, title, and interest of said judgment debtor(s) in the above described property, or so much thereof as may be necessary to satisfy said execution, with accrued interest and costs on: 07/16/2025 at 11:00am in the San Luis Obispo Courthouse, located at 1050 Monterey Street, Room 236, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Directions to the property location can be obtained from the levying officer upon oral or written request.
Ian S. Parkinson, Sheriff-Coroner /s/ M. Neufeld, Deputy, Sheriff’s Authorized Agent LIENS MAY BE PRESENT WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT SURVIVE THIS LEVY.
June 26, July 3 & 10, 2025
The City of San Luis Obispo is requesting sealed proposals from qualified certified public accountants (CPA) or audit firms to provide cannabis tax audit services in support of the City’s cannabis business tax compliance and enforcement efforts. The proposed contract shall not exceed $69,000 over a two-year period.
All firms interested in receiving further correspondence regarding this Request for Proposals (RFP) will be required to complete a free registration using BidNet. ( https://www.bidsync.com/bidsync-app-web/vendor/ register/Login.xhtml). All proposals must be received via BidNet by the Department of Finance at or before July 25, 2025, when they will be opened electronically via BidNet on the proposal end date and time.
The preferred method for bid submission is electronic via BidNet Direct. However, if you wish to submit
a paper copy, please submit it in a sealed envelope plainly marked “Proposal for Food and Beverage Vendor Company,” to the Department of Finance, at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401, at or before 3 pm on July 7, 2025.
Questions should be submitted electronically in BidNet, and the City will answer in BidNet.
Project packages and additional information may be obtained at the City’s BidNet Direct website at www.BidNetDirect.com
For technical help with BidNet contact BidNet tech support at 800-835-4603.
Ivana Gomez
Cannabis Business Coordinator City of San Luis Obispo Igomez@slocity.org (805)781-7147
Erin Keller
Senior Business Analyst City of San Luis Obispo EKeller@slocity.org (805)781-7296
July 10, 2025
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Arroyo Grande City Council will conduct a public hearing on TUESDAY, JULY 22, 2025 at 6:00 p.m., or soon thereafter, to consider the following item:
APPEAL TO CITY COUNCIL CASE 24-002; APPEAL OF PLANNING COMMISSION DENIAL OF TENTATIVE PARCEL MAP 23-001 FOR THE SUBDIVISION OF ONE (1) PARCEL INTO FOUR (4) WITH ONE REMAINDER PARCEL; LOCATION; 444 LIERLY LANE; APPELLANT – BRUCE VANDERVEEN AND JEANNE HELPHENSTINE; REPRESENTATIVE – KERRY MARGASON, MBS LAND SURVEYS
The City Council will consider an appeal of the Planning Commission’s denial of Tentative Parcel Map 23-001, which denied a proposed subdivision located in the Single Family zoning district.
In compliance with CEQA, it has been determined that if the appeal is denied, the item does not qualify as a “project’ under CEQA, because CEQA does not apply to the disapproval or rejection of projects. (Pub Resources Code, § 21080, subd. (b) (5); State CEQA Guidelines, § 15270, subd. (a).). There will be no subdivision or construction as a result of the denial of this application for a subdivision, and therefore the denial has no potential to result in either a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment (State CEQA Guidelines, §§ 15060, subd. (c)(2)-(3); 15378.).
This City Council meeting is being conducted in a hybrid in-person/virtual format. During the public hearing, public comment will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker, pursuant to current meeting procedure.
The City Council may also discuss other hearings or business items before or after the item listed above. If you challenge the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing. Failure of any person to receive the notice shall not constitute grounds for any court to invalidate the action of the legislative body for which the notice was given.
Documents related to the project are available in the Community Development Department located at 300 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande. The Agenda and reports are posted online at www.arroyogrande.org 72 hours prior to the meeting. Please call (805) 473-5420 for more information. The City Council meeting will be televised live on Charter Cable Channel 20 and streamed live on the City’s Website.
Jessica Matson, City Clerk July 10, 2025
(March 21-April 19): In the days before lighthouses, some coastal communities used “fire beacons”—elevated structures where people tended open flames to guide sailors. In the coming weeks, Aries, I invite you to be like both the keeper and the flame. People will be drawn to your brightness, warmth, and persistence as they navigate through their haze and fog. And surprise! You may find your own way more clearly as you tend to others’ wayfinding. Don’t underestimate the value of your steady, luminous signal. For some travelers, your presence could be the difference between drifting and docking. So burn with purpose, please. Keep your gleam strong and visible.
(April 20-May 20): The ancestors of my American friend Arisa lived in Ukraine, Indonesia, the Choctaw nation, and the Great Lakes region. Her new husband Anselme is of Japanese, Italian, and French descent. Their wedding was a celebration of multi-cultural influences. Guests delivered toasts in five languages. Their marriage vows borrowed texts from three religious traditions. The music included a gamelan ensemble, a band that played Ukrainian folk music, and a DJ spinning Choctaw and Navajo prayers set to Indian ragas. I bring this to your attention in the hope you will seek comparable crossfertilization in the coming weeks. It’s an excellent time to weave richly diverse textures into your life.
(May 21-June 20): I predict a future when women will hold half of the leadership roles, when their income and time devoted to child care will match men’s, when women’s orgasms are as common as men’s, and when most guys know that misogyny is perilous to their health. Until the bloom of that wonderful era, I invite Geminis of all genders to invoke your tender ingenuity as you strengthen female opportunities and power. In my view, this work is always crucial to your maximum spiritual and psychological health—but even more so than usual in the coming weeks. Boost the feminine in every way you can imagine.
(June 21-July 22): In Yoruba cosmology, ase is the sacred life force that animates the universe. It’s divine energy that can be harnessed by humans to make things happen, to speak and act with ardent intention so that words and deeds shape reality. I am pleased to report that you Cancerians are extra aligned with ase these days. Your words are not casual. Your actions are not mild or minor. You have the power to speak what you mean so robustly that it has an enhanced possibility to come into being. What you command with love and clarity will carry enduring potency.
(July 23-Aug. 22): In medieval bestiaries, unicorns were said to be fierce, wild creatures. They were very real but also hidden. Only people with pure hearts could see or commune with them. I suspect you now have the chance to glide into a potent “pure heart” phase, Leo. My fervent hope is that you will take this opportunity to cleanse yourself of irrelevancies and rededicate yourself to your deepest yearnings and most authentic selfexpressions. If you do, you just may encounter the equivalent of a unicorn.
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some Buddhist monks create mandalas on floors from colored sand. They work meticulously for days or weeks to build intricate, symmetrical masterpieces. Once their beautiful work is done, however, it typically doesn’t last long. The creators sweep it away either immediately or soon. The sand may be disposed of, perhaps poured into a river or stream. What’s the purpose of this strange practice? Most importantly, it displays a reverence for the impermanence of all things—an appreciation for beauty but not an attachment to it. I recommend you consider taking a cue from the sand mandalas in the coming weeks. Is there anything you love that you should let go of? A creation you can allow to transform into a new shape? An act of sacred relinquishing?
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Glassblowers shape molten sand with breath and fire, knowing the material can only be formed while it’s hot and glowing. If they wait too long, the stuff stiffens, turns brittle, and resists change. But if they push too soon, it collapses into a misshapen blob. In this spirit, Libra, I urge you to recognize which parts of your life are now just the right temperature to be reshaped. Your timing must be impeccable. Where and when will you direct the flame of your willpower? Don’t wait until the opportunity cools. Art and magic will happen with just the right amount of heat applied at just the right moment.
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I have often been racked by obsessive urges that plague me until I act them out.” So says my Scorpio friend Fatima, a conceptual artist. “Fortunately,” she continues, “I have finally retrained myself to focus on creative obsessions that fuel my art rather than on anxious, trivial obsessions that disorder my life. I’d be an offensive maniac if I couldn’t use my work as an outlet for my vehement fantasy life.” I recommend Fatima’s strategy to Scorpios most of the time, but especially so in the coming days. Your imagination is even more cornucopian than usual. To harness its beautiful but unruly power, you must channel it into noble goals.
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The Igbo people of Nigeria have a term: ogwugwu na-adị n’ulo. It means “the medicine is in the house.” It’s the belief that healing doesn’t necessarily come from afar. It may already be here, hidden among the familiar, waiting to be acknowledged or discovered. Dear Sagittarius, your natural instinct is to look outward and afar for answers and help. But in the coming weeks, you should look close to home. What unnoticed or underestimated thing might be a cure or inspiration you’ve been overlooking? How can you find new uses for what you already have?
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I invite you to celebrate the holiday known as Be Your Own Best Helper. How should you observe this potentially pivotal transformation in your relationship with yourself? Divest yourself of yearnings to have someone clean up after you and service your baseline necessities. Renounce any wishes you harbor for some special person to telepathically guess and attend to your every need. Vow that from now on, you will be an expert at taking excellent care of yourself. Do you dare to imagine what it might feel like to be your own best helper?
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the ancient practice of astronomy, the stars were considered “incorruptible.” Unlike the planets, their movements were unchanging, their lights stationary, their destinies steady and stable. We human beings are the opposite of all those descriptors, of course. There’s no use in hoping otherwise, because constancy just isn’t an option for us. The good news, Aquarius, is that you are now poised to thrive on these truths. The inevitability of change can and should be a treasured gift for you. You’re being offered chances to revise plans that do indeed need to be revised. You are being invited to let go of roles that don’t serve you. But what initially feels like a loss or sacrifice may actually be permission. Evolution is a tremendous privilege!
(Feb. 19-March 20): The axolotl is an amphibian that never outgrows its larval form. Unlike most creatures, it retains its youthful traits into adulthood. Amazingly, it can regenerate its limbs, its spinal cord, and parts of its brain. Let’s make the axolotl your inspirational animal, Pisces. What part of your “youth” is worth keeping—not as immaturity, but as righteous design? Where are you being asked not to evolve past a stage, but to deepen within it? And what might be regenerated in you that seemed to have been lost? Your magic will come from being like an axolotl. Be strange. Be playful. Be ageless and original and irrepressible. ∆