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Kayaks and oysters. Sounds like the perfect pairing if you’ve got a tooth for the sweet, briny bivalve. Well, now you can do just that with the help of Central Coast Outdoors, Grassy Bar Oyster Co., and Flying Colors Co., which—with their powers combined—are offering up a new adventure for foodies who also happen to be outdoor enthusiasts. It’s not the only way to venture into the oyster land farmed in Morro Bay’s estuary; there are others too. Flavor writer Cherish Whyte elaborates in this week’s column [29]. Also in this issue, read about the long-running attempt to conserve Wild Cherry Canyon and another hiccup in the plan [8]; a Pismo Beach resident questioning the District Attorney’s Office’s decisions about a Pride flag incident [9]; and an original play penned by a local at the Shakespeare Fest [22].

Camillia Lanham editor

Cover photo courtesy of Margot Kandarian cover design by Alex Zuniga

TIDE TO TABLE Margot

Kandarian’s

District Attorney Dan Dow speaks at Cal Poly Charlie Kirk memorial

More than a thousand people stood with fists in the air chanting “I am Charlie Kirk!” at a memorial for the right-wing political activist at Cal Poly on Monday night.

Hoots erupted after San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow took the podium at the event, held at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center on Sept. 29.

“If you’ve got life and breath left, you still have an opportunity to be obedient and use every moment of your life to serve God and to serve our country,” Dow said. “We’ve got to turn America back and rebuild our foundations.”

Nearly 1,200 people showed up that evening, some of whom had waited three hours in line for a seat.

Another 3,000 people watched the event’s speakers, sermons, and songs of worship online.

Ryan Rundle—president of Cal Poly’s Turning Point USA, a chapter of Kirk’s national organization—told New Times that the group felt it was important to hold the memorial to allow the community to mourn together.

“It’s sad. You hear on the news, ‘You never met them in person.’ But one of the things that Charlie did is he went to a lot of these college campuses, and he talked to these people. Personally, I shook his hand, took a picture with him,” he said. “It feels a lot more close to home because it feels like you’re losing a friend instead of just someone you kind of hear about.”

According to Turning Point’s website, the organization is dedicated to a movement built in “faith, freedom, and love of country.”

Kirk hosted debates on college campuses—like at Cal Poly in March 2024—and spoke on podcasts about political ideologies

He was shot and killed on Sept. 10 at the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah. The suspect, 22-yearold Tyler Robinson, was charged with seven counts, including aggravated murder. Robinson also faces charges of illegally discharging a firearm, obstructing justice, witness tampering, and committing violence in the presence of children, and could be subject to the death penalty, according to Salt Lake Tribune reporting.

be a part of this movement—this turning point—to turn America back towards God and restore the foundations of this country,’” he said.

Kirk’s movement hasn’t gone without opposition, though, with him often being called racist or sexist, among other terms.

For example, in 2024 Kirk spoke against United Airlines’ new diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices after it committed to hire 40 percent of new pilots based on race and ethnicity.

On a podcast episode of ThoughtCrime, Kirk said, “I’m sorry, if I see a Black pilot I’m going to be like,

“I saw him with transgender individuals, with people of every race, and they would challenge him, and they basically accuse him of being a racist and bigot. And he would say, ‘What did I say that’s racist?’ and they couldn’t think of anything … He would just talk to them, and he’d ask them questions.”

Dow said he also agreed with Kirk’s views on Pride and transgender issues. He said Kirk had “rather controversially, but truthfully” debated in June that transgender men were “cowards” for not respecting women in all shapes and forms.

‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified.’”

Kirk later debated his comment at a campus event in June 2025 when a man asked if Kirk thought his previous statement was “irresponsible.”

At Cal Poly’s memorial, District Attorney Dow told the crowd it’s up to them to continue Kirk’s legacy.

“Say, ‘I’m willing to go and stand up for truth; I’m willing to get into my college class and challenge the professor; … I’m willing to stand up at a city council meeting; I’m willing to write a letter to the editor; I’m willing to challenge the status quo of 2025 in the United States of America, and I want to

Family of Arroyo Grande stabbing victims calls for legislation to improve notification

The fatal stabbing of an elderly Arroyo Grande resident by a man with a criminal past sparked

“We find that we have relaxed standards anytime we try to reach racial quotas,” Kirk responded. “Therefore, when it comes to pilots and surgeons, I see they are Black, I am going to hope that that person is qualified, … which of course is legitimate because they are begging the question, we aren’t hiring based on merit anymore.”

District Attorney Dow told the crowd on Sept. 29 that Kirk treated these debates with kindness.

calls for legislation that would create mandatory requirements to notify survivors when their perpetrators are released or when protective orders expire.

Cheers erupted from the audience.

With thousands in attendance, Cal Poly Turning Point President Rundle said these types of events are important for Gen Z, who Kirk named “the lonely generation.”

“I think in our generation, especially with social media and everything, you kind of feel like you’re separated from everyone,” Rundle said. “But those moments where everyone comes together and they’re just able to unite for some reason, whether it’s a cause or to see someone, it’s just a really awesome thing to see.” ∆

—Libbey Hanson

“The system failed my parents,” victim Cindy Giambalvos’ stepdaughter, Laura Giambalvos, said. “They should have been told that Fritz had gotten out three days before all this.”

On Sept. 18, 35-year-old Fritz Schnoor of Oceano allegedly broke into the Arroyo Grande home of Cindy and Joseph Giambalvos and stabbed them with a knife. Cindy was stabbed once in the back and succumbed to her wound in the hospital a few

REBUILD THE FOUNDATION SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow spoke at the Charlie Kirk memorial held at Cal Poly’s Performing Arts Center on Sept. 29, encouraging the audience to continue Kirk’s mission of restoring Christian faith into society after Kirk was killed on Sept. 10.

PHOTO BY LIBBEY HANSON

MAKE SLO FAST!

hours later. Joseph survived 10 stab wounds and is recovering at home.

With the help of Grover Beach police, Pismo Beach police, and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, the Arroyo Grande Police Department located and arrested Schnoor. He remains in custody without bail.

On Sept. 22, the District Attorney’s Office charged Schnoor with eight felony charges, including ones for murder, attempted murder, inflicting grave bodily injury on a person older than 70, and first-degree burglary. A mental competency hearing for Schnoor took place on Sept. 23.

This wasn’t Schnoor’s first run-in with the law.

In 2011, he was charged with trespassing and taking and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent. A treatment review hearing took place during that case.

In 2014, a woman in Santa Margarita successfully filed a restraining order against Schnoor for herself and her family.

“Fritz visited our business and acted strange,” she wrote in the restraining order request. “He told a friend of ours that he was planning on raping and killing [the applicant] and now is out of jail and is trying to contact [the applicant’s sister] on her computer.”

In 2017, the Giambalvoses also successfully filed a restraining order against him after Schnoor climbed onto their roof at 5:30 a.m. and threw a brick through their sliding glass door. After entering their home, he took their laptop. Police intervened and removed him from the house.

Their restraining order request said that police also found a knife outside and that Schnoor’s case worker confirmed to them after evaluating him that he intended to harm the couple. The judge granted the restraining order request to last less than a month.

Since then, Schnoor’s faced a series of misdemeanor charges, a mental competency trial, and was in LPS conservatorship. Many of those court documents are sealed. An LPS conservatorship gives legal authority to an adult to make serious decisions for a seriously mentally unwell person. The conservator also has the authority to place them in a state hospital or psychiatric treatment facility involuntarily.

Now, the Giambalvoses want accountability from officials. Laura started a GoFundMe campaign for $20,000 to help with the creation of Cindy’s Law. With the donations, she hopes to pay for attorneys who can assist with her proposal to set up mandatory notification requirements. As of Oct. 1, her GoFundMe campaign had $19,801.

She told New Times that Schnoor was released from Atascadero State Hospital three days before he attacked her parents, but the county and other officials never informed them about his release.

“I know there is a mental health crisis across the U.S., across the world, probably. But when things like this happen, it’s a big sign that something needs to change,” Laura said. “They should have been warned. They vacation a lot. My dad said, ‘If we felt that he threatened our lives, we would have left.’”

The DA’s Office, the county, Arroyo Grande city officials, and Schnoor’s former attorney told New Times they couldn’t

confirm whether he was admitted to Atascadero State Hospital.

Fourth District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding said notification should have taken place, adding that he couldn’t comment further “without all the facts” because he didn’t know whose custody Schnoor was in.

Paulding told New Times that state Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) was in talks with the Giambalvoses about the creation of Cindy’s Law.

“We don’t need the money, but if there’s not a consequence, it’s going to happen again,” Laura said. “When we find out who failed my parents, we’re going to sue them. Any money from that will go to Cal Poly scholarships in Cindy’s name because she worked there.”

—Bulbul Rajagopal

Central Coast Zoo addresses common concerns about its tiger

Connie Jansen couldn’t help but notice the tiger at Atascadero’s Central Coast Zoo.

For 45 minutes this past summer, she said she watched him pace in his enclosure and cry out. She questioned whether he was severely depressed.

“I just don’t know that he was getting the care he needed,” Jansen said.

Jansen wasn’t the only zoo visitor who expressed concern over the Malayan tiger named Menderu at the Central Coast Zoo. Formerly known as the Charles Paddock Zoo, the facility spent 16 years caring for the tiger before he passed in July.

Social media posts dating back to 2022 expressed concern for the animal’s wellbeing. For instance, on the Everything Atascadero Facebook page, someone asked why their child might have said the zoo was depressing.

Another replied, “I’m guessing the tiger in the 8-by-10 cell ... there’s very little space for the animals.”

Central Coast Zoo Director Dr. Cynthia Stringfield said it was a sad day when Menderu died of cancer at the age of 17.

“He was only sick for about two weeks. He did not give us much notice that he was not doing well because before that, everybody would just rave, including myself, as a veterinarian, about how amazing he looked for his age. He did not look his age. He did not act his age,” she said. “But he did live a really long, wonderful life at our zoo.”

Stringfield’s aware of concerns about the tiger’s well-being but said they are misinterpretations.

She received questions about him being alone in his enclosure.

“Tigers are solitary in the wild. They don’t live in a group. A lot of times people get them mixed up with lions, I think, which are social,” Stringfield said. “[Tigers] are extremely dangerous and aggressive, not only to other males, but sometimes to the females even. … He would probably have killed them because they are super territorial.”

And being territorial was why Menderu would seemingly cry, Stringfield said.

“That crying was actually calling, and that is very normal. In fact, his name in the Malaysian language referred to that. He was a very vocal tiger. He’s the most vocal tiger I’ve ever known,” she said. “But he was calling about his territory so any other male tiger in

Atascadero that could hear that would know that, ‘Oh, that’s Menderu’s territory.’”

The Central Coast Zoo is one of 251 zoos in the world that are part of a tiger “species survival program,” which accredits it to care for species like Malayan tigers that are critically endangered.

With this designation, the zoo is held to strict regulations, and while the Central Coast Zoo’s tiger enclosure does meet these requirements, Stringfield said the zoo is now working on expanding the enclosure for its next tiger.

“We wanted the next tiger to be able to have more room, because they most likely are going to be a lot younger,” she said. “More space is always good. It might [currently] meet minimum requirements, but the goal is for them to even have more room and have more things to do and a more complex environment.”

Stringfield said that more information about the expansion will be announced in the next couple of months.

—Libbey Hanson

SLO County poised to receive new incentive program to boost affordable multi-family homes

A new incentive program to boost affordable housing is coming to San Luis Obispo County, and it models itself on the state’s density bonus scheme.

Called the Regional Housing Incentive Program, builders can choose to participate by offering on-site guaranteed affordable housing for multi-family developments or by paying into the proposed regional housing fund through in-lieu fees—all in exchange for favorable local development requirements.

The SLO County Board of Supervisors tentatively approved the program on Sept. 23 in a 4-1 vote with 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson dissenting.

“My main criticism of the incentive program is that it lacks the ambition necessary to make any real progress on getting affordable housing built,” he told New Times via email. “The revenue goals it sets are weak—less than half of the money raised by the IHF [Inclusionary Housing Fund]. I would note that Supervisor [John] Peschong declared the IHF a ‘failure’ when it was raising $800,000 per year—so what are we to expect from the incentives program?”

A similar vote outcome took place in 2022 when the Gibson was the only supervisor who rejected nixing the Title 29 Affordable Housing Fund, which consequently voted out the county’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.

The ordinance was the only source of local revenue to support affordable housing in unincorporated areas of the county. It required developers, in certain instances, to incorporate a small number of affordable units into their projects or pay in-lieu fees starting at $8 per square foot to support future affordable housing production.

The overarching reservation from supervisors was that the contributions to the affordable housing fund weren’t large enough

to make a dent and subsequently were an unfair burden on the housing industry.

Only available for inland multi-family developments, the new Regional Housing Incentive Program is based on builders accruing between one and six incentive points.

Providing on-site guaranteed affordable housing accrues two incentive points for every “very low-income” housing unit. Paying in-lieu fees to the Regional Housing Fund also gains points. Incentives include increasing maximum allowed dwelling units per acre, increasing maximum floor area, reducing minimum off-street parking, and reducing minimum setbacks, among others.

Developers can earn one incentive point for every $30,000 paid as in-lieu fees.

According to the county staff report, nonprofit housing builders identified between $4 million and $5 million annually countywide as the local funding gap for affordable housing.

Contributions to the regional housing fund are expected to close that gap. Currently, there are 750 approved guaranteed affordable units in the county, of which 300 are in unincorporated areas. The target annual funding amount for collected in-lieu fees is $450,000.

But Gibson said that staff’s market analysis was ignored, and the program focuses more on satisfying developers.

He told New Times that, originally, staff recommended that incentive points be priced at $50,000 each. But a negotiation with the Housing Element Implementation Steering Committee changed that.

“The builders apparently thought that too much and convinced the ad hoc committee to recommend $30,000 per point,” he said via email. “Similarly, there is no rationale for what one incentive point purchases in terms of exceptions to standards. For instance, all guest parking in a project can be eliminated—no matter how big the project (three units or 300!).”

At the supervisors’ meeting, representatives from groups like People’s SelfHelp Housing, REACH Central Coast, the SLO Chamber of Commerce, the Housing Authority of SLO, and even the Dana Reserve project expressed support for the incentive program.

Third District Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg said the county has a lot of “catching up” to do because its land use regulations remained unchanged for 40 years. The new incentive program, she said, gives more flexibility to builders.

“It’s demonstrating that we’re trying to increase multi-family housing,” she told New Times. “The inclusionary housing fund doesn’t do anything like that at all. This responsibility of building more housing should be everybody’s responsibility. It shouldn’t just be the home builders’ responsibility.”

The tentative green light of the incentive program comes on the heels of a unanimous Aug. 19 action by the board to encourage multi-family dwelling developments. The final hearing on the program is slated for Oct. 21. ∆

Rajagopal

Senior Health Expo 2025

Friday, October 17, 2025

9 a.m. to Noon

South County Regional Center 800 W Branch St, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

9

Flu Shots and Health Screenings

Senior Resources, Vendors

Raffle Prizes

Pancake Breakfast and Refreshments

Representatives from CCPN contracted HMO Medicare Advantage plans, including Alignment, Blue Shield of California, Humana, and Imperial, will be available to share information about 2026 health plan benefits and enrollment.

Locked in litigation

Dreams to conserve Wild Cherry Canyon remain paused while Eureka Energy requests another appeals court hearing

Community hopes of conserving 2,400 acres of coastal open space known as Wild Cherry Canyon must stay on the back burner for longer while two stakeholders battle over land rights in court.

“We were very close but there was always one or more issues that came up,” Kara Woodruff, the district director for Senate District 17, said. “So, for the deal to work, we needed the state to be on board, we needed Eureka Energy … and we needed the entity, which is now known as HomeFed. At one time or another, one of those three parties dropped out.”

The money for conservation exists thanks to 17th District Sen. John Laird’s (D-Santa Cruz) and state Assemblymember Dawn Addis’ (D-Morro Bay) advocacy, but the legal tussle stands in the way.

Wild Cherry Canyon lies southeast of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. It’s the southern-most parcel of Diablo Canyon land that stretches along 14 miles of coastline. The land is owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Company and its affiliates.

While PG&E subsidiary Eureka Energy owns the underlying fee title for Wild Cherry Canyon, a legal dispute emerged between the group and real estate development company HomeFed Corporation, which holds two long-term leases on the property.

On Sept. 25, Eureka Energy petitioned the 2nd Appellate District of the state’s Court of Appeal for a rehearing after the court ruled earlier in the month that HomeFed owns the rights to a 99-year lease on Wild Cherry Canyon.

The upper court’s ruling potentially allowed HomeFed to build despite only allowing cattle grazing on the land for decades.

“The essence of the opinion’s holding is that the grazing of 111 cattle on 2,400 acres (or one cow per 21 acres) is not an ‘agricultural’ purpose as a matter of law,” Eureka Energy said in its rehearing request. “Appellants neither briefed nor argued that 111 cows grazing on Wild Cherry Canyon was insufficient as a matter of law to qualify as an agricultural use; rather, they argued that the lower court’s conclusion was not

supported by substantial evidence.”

The focus of HomeFed and Eureka Energy’s fight is a 1968 lease of Wild Cherry Canyon that was written for 99 years with an additional 99-year renewal option.

According to a 2019 lawsuit, plaintiff Pacho Limited Partnership—of which HomeFed is a major player—tried to renew the lease in 2018, which would have extended it to 2166. But Eureka Energy refused, insisting that cattle grazing made the lease agricultural. California Civil Code 717 limits agricultural leases to 51 years.

In 2023, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Rita Federman ruled in favor of Eureka Energy. She determined that cattle grazing constitutes agricultural use and that the primary purpose of the 1968 lease was to continue grazing.

Further, she said evidence showed that the undeveloped property had been grazed for more than 100 years, with no rezoning or development ever pursued. The judge added that the lease provides for base rent plus additional payment of a percentage of net profits from nonagricultural activities conducted on Wild Cherry Canyon. Federman confirmed that under the California Civil Code, the lease expired 51 years later in December 2019.

HomeFed’s appeal resulted in the higher court opining that Federman’s ruling wasn’t “fair.”

“While the law abhors a forfeiture, the trial court’s ruling results in a $39 million forfeiture for a lessee and a corresponding windfall profit to the lessor. This valuable oceanfront property can be used for a variety of purposes,” the appeal court’s ruling said. “The lease did not specify the purpose for which the property could be used.”

PG&E told New Times that it can’t comment on active litigation. HomeFed didn’t respond to requests for comment by press time.

While the two groups are locked in dispute, the state money set aside for Wild Cherry Canyon conservation has a time limit.

Following the 2023-24 legislative session, Sen. Laird announced in partnership with

Assemblymember Addis that $40 million was secured to conserve Wild Cherry Canyon.

Conservation advocate Woodruff, who’s championed Wild Cherry Canyon preservation since 1999, said the sum is part of $110 million set aside by SB 846 that authorizes the extension of Diablo Canyon operations.

Along with that, the 202324 state budget for the 17th Senate District included an allocation of $5 million to the California State Coastal Conservancy for the development of a conservation easement across Diablo Canyon Lands. The fund would also be used to map future coastal and interior public trail locations and conduct public and tribal outreach.

“Per the state budget language … the money has to be spent by June 30, 2029,” Woodruff told New Times via email. “It’s possible that it could be extended after that, but let’s hope that won’t be necessary!”

Woodruff remembers the first public acknowledgment that the land held potential as a public recreation and conservation area—the result of an advisory ballot measure in 2000.

Called the Diablo Resources Advisory Measure, the DREAM Initiative asked county leaders to set aside Diablo Canyon lands for habitat preservation, public use, and agriculture once the power plant shuts down. Almost 75 percent of SLO County voters

supported the measure.

Over the years, both the Nature Conservancy and the Land Conservancy of SLO County stepped up to purchase Wild Cherry Canyon. But by 2013, those plans came to a screeching halt when delays to state funding made the Land Conservancy and partnering groups unable to close a $21 million deal.

“If you’re in Avila Beach, you could walk to Wild Cherry Canyon and hike 20 miles and eventually end up in Montaña de Oro without crossing the public roadways,” Woodruff said. “I think it would be a trail that would be as significant as the Inca Trail in Peru.”

Conservation proponents like Woodruff have to wait out the legal process between Eureka Energy and HomeFed, and they also must figure out which would be willing to sell their property interests at fair market value.

In the meantime, the rolling stretch of Wild Cherry Canyon keeps Woodruff optimistic.

“It’s been 26 years since I started working on this, but it’s not developed yet; it’s not fragmented” she said. “That gives me hope. … As long as our hope is alive, I’ll continue to pursue it until we actually get this right once and for all.” ∆

Reach Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal at brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.

UNBROKEN OPTIMISM The 2,400-acre Wild Cherry Canyon property is a site of hope for longtime conservation advocate Kara Woodruff, partly for its still-undeveloped nature.

BY LIBBEY HANSON

Flag fumble?

A Pismo Beach resident has accused the DA’s Office of mishandling an LGBTQ-plus hate crime

One summer afternoon, a Pismo Beach resident noticed their Pride flag was mysteriously missing from the front of their home.

Security footage revealed that a young man had come onto their property, grabbed the rainbow flag that hung near their kitchen window, tore it, and threw it in a trash can just off the side of their house.

“I was really upset by this for a couple reasons. Firstly, it just felt like my personal space had been invaded. It made me feel unsafe that somebody had been right up next to the house doing this,” said the Pismo Beach resident, who requested to remain anonymous. “Then it was even more distressing to me because I was flying that flag as an ally of the LGBTQ-plus community because they’re under so much attack and experiencing so much hatred at this point in America. I wanted to show my support for them, and then somebody took it upon themselves to actually say the opposite.”

Initially investigated as a hate crime, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s (DA) Office eventually dropped the charge and ordered the subject to participate in a misdemeanor diversion program instead. And while that Pismo Beach resident said they didn’t want to see the man go to jail, they did believe that the DA had mishandled the case, which they view as an LGBTQ-plus targeted offense.

According to District Attorney Dan Dow, the resident contacted the Pismo Beach Police Department about the incident on July 4, and it was investigated as a hate crime. But after police determined that the man had a cognitive disability and didn’t show any animosity toward the LGBTQplus community, the act did not meet the elements of a hate crime, he said via email.

According to the police report, when questioned by police, the suspect said that the Pride flag was a symbol of love and that he had no hate toward the community.

“When asked which community he was referring to, he said he has gay aunts and that he loves people,” the report read.

“We agreed with their conclusion based on all of the available evidence. We do not minimize the intrusion to the victim and how offensive the conduct was,” Dow told New Times via email. “However, we can only pursue what the applicable law and evidence supports.”

Instead of being charged with a hate crime, Dow said the office admitted the subject to the state’s misdemeanor diversion program that includes learning courses like “victim impact,” and “theft/property violation.”

“Bottom line: We believe that the facts of this case warranted our decision to offer our pre-filing misdemeanor diversion program because it will have a more significant impact on the offender and is more likely to lead to a better outcome (less likely to recidivate),” he said.

The Pismo Beach resident told New Times that they didn’t understand how the flag

vandalism wasn’t considered a targeted offense.

“It’s not like he came on the property and trampled in my garden or broke one of my garden gnomes or something like that. It was specifically targeted at the Pride flag, and only the Pride flag,” they said. “And during the interview, the officer or the detective asked him if he had any animosity towards the LGBTQ community, and he just said, ‘No, I’ve got gay aunts,’ which the fact that they exist doesn’t mean that he loves them or supports them, … and [police] moved on without even trying to probe it.”

The resident also alleged that the DA violated their rights as a victim under Marsy’s Law, a law that promises victims be informed of case proceedings.

“I learned of Marsy’s Law independently through ChatGPT,” they said.

They weren’t upset about the subject going into misdemeanor diversion, but they did at least want the opportunity to have a say in what type of training the vandal would receive.

“I think it’s very important that he gets some kind of bias training or diversity education so that he understands why this was so hurtful,” they said. “I don’t want them to go to jail or anything like that, but it’s important to me that this not happen to anyone else in the future, or maybe some more violent crimes against people in the LGBTQ community.”

Act now!

Manager Linnea Valdivia said she’s also been following the case and doesn’t believe that the DA’s Office is treating the case as it should.

“I am deeply troubled by the fact that it does not seem to be being treated with the seriousness it deserves in terms of how bias is playing out, especially in the context of what is happening in our country right now and in our county, with all that’s happening with Pride flags,” she said. “If you let things like this—somebody coming onto somebody’s property and destroying a symbol of inclusion—and just letting that go, if it’s just another misdemeanor, that’s deeply troubling to me, that is deeply troubling as an individual that’s representing an organization that’s serving the LGBTQ community here in this county.”

Valdivia said it’s not only this specific case that concerns her—it’s the numerous, and seemingly escalating, instances of removal and destruction of the Pride flag.

Send any news or story tips to news@newtimesslo.com.

Dow said that the DA’s Office is making changes based on this resident’s complaint.

“We have implemented a new internal process change based on this victim’s experience to ensure that we notify future victims of our ‘intent’ to provide misdemeanor diversion prior to actually offering the diversion to the individual,” he said. “This will provide victims the opportunity to weigh in and be heard before we make our decision instead of only being informed after the decision was made without their input being considered.”

Gala Pride and Diversity Center Program

In June, the city of Morro Bay decided it’d be the last year the Pride flag would fly over City Hall after Councilmember Jeff Eckles suggested the American flag should fly for all groups of people. The June before that, Atascadero decided it wouldn’t fly the Pride flag or declare June as Pride Month. In 2021, Paso Robles High School students had defecated on a flag and attempted to flush it down the toilet.

“In our county, a lot of conservative voices are openly arguing that people should be allowed to burn or remove Pride flags and have pushed for leniency for people that do target Pride symbols, like flags. And that rhetoric, I think, can really easily normalize attacks on LGBTQ people and visibility in general,” Valdivia said. “I think that really easily starts to slip into normalizing hate, discrimination, and violence against LGBTQ people in our community.” ∆

Reach Staff Writer Libbey Hanson at lhanson@newtimesslo.com.

NORMALIZING RHETORIC After their Pride flag was vandalized in July, a Pismo Beach resident is accusing the SLO District Attorney’s Office of mishandling the case by not acknowledging it as a hate crime against the LGBTQ-plus community.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANONYMOUS PISMO BEACH RESIDENT

COMPLETE TESTING & REPAIR

Solar church

St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church in Los Osos joined more than 500 nonprofit organizations on SunDay, Sept. 21, to celebrate recently installed solar panels and the power of clean energy.

As part of the day of action, St. Benedict’s priest, Linzi Stahlecker, blessed the solar panels as community members gathered at the church to take photos and praise the sun, while 450 other events took place simultaneously across the United States.

The church decided to install solar panels to demonstrate their good stewardship, according to Don Maruska, longtime member of St. Benedict’s and member of the church’s EarthCare group. Also part of the Interfaith Power and Light (IPL) organization, St. Benedict’s strives to address climate change within.

“Good stewardship involves walking lightly on the earth, if you will, having our impact be as appropriate as possible,” Maruska said. “As bleak as circumstances may be, to take these actions and like with Sunday, last Sunday a national and international event, it was really highlighting that the reality is that solar energy now is not only cleaner, but it is less expensive than other ways of generating electricity.”

St. Benedict’s panels were installed last December. The church will save $137,000 on electrical bills over the lifetime of the project and avoid pumping 449,000 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere, according to RE-volv, a clean energy access organization that helped St. Benedict’s bring solar energy to the church.

The installation took about a year because PG&E didn’t initially approve the project as the church needed a new roof before applying the solar panels, according to Michael Lucas, a longtime church member and Cal Poly architecture professor.

Lucas volunteered his architecture services to consult on the project and said the new roof should last more than 20 years.

While the solar project was underway, St.

Benedict’s found other ways to be mindful of the environment, Maruska said, by no longer using disposable items during their events, using their water heater only when necessary, planting trees around the church, and more.

The church has a collective attitude about trying to be conscious about how its members are existing as entities in the environment, according to Lucas. However, financially, the church couldn’t support the project until it found out about tax credits offered for solar projects under the Biden administration.

The church didn’t qualify for the credits because it is a religious organization, so RE-volv stepped in to help. RE-volv helps nonprofits—with an initiative specifically for churches—form companies so they can qualify for the tax credits, Lucas said.

“I think it’s critically important that community groups of all types, and I think faith-based groups in particular, have a role and a responsibility to demonstrate good stewardship at a time when the federal government is creating all kinds of resistance to addressing the reality of climate change and to efforts to take action,” Maruska said. “It really is incumbent on us to do what we can, where we are and how we can.”

Fast fact

• Cancer Support Community California Central Coast will host its fourth annual walk for cancer which will take place on Oct. 26 to raise money for breast cancer awareness. The money will go directly to those impacted by cancer in SLO County. Participants will walk for about 2 miles through Santa Margarita Ranch, and at the finish, they will find an assortment of food trucks, music and wine from Ancient Peaks Winery. The walk begins at 10 a.m. with food trucks opening around 11. To find more information, visit classy.org/ event/2025-walk-for-cancer/e712352. ∆

Reach Intern Bella Cox at ntintern@ newtimesslo.com.

RENEWABLE CHEER Church Members pose in front of St. Benedict’s solar panels at its SunDay celebration, a nationwide renewable energy event on Sept. 21 with more than 500 organizations participating.

COURTESY PHOTO BY DON MARUSKA

BY PEG PINARD

Stop drones hovering over nuclear facilities

This is not an opinion piece on the pros/cons of nuclear power. What I am concerned about and have been speaking out for decades is the safety of the plants. While the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) points to the fact that the reactor is “hardened” (meaning that the reactor has a concrete shield that can withstand attacks), the reactor itself is not the most vulnerable part of the facility.

Most people are unaware that sophisticated, unidentified drones have been hovering over all of our nuclear power plants

BY GEORGE HANSEN

for decades, some as long as 80 minutes. There have been approximately a hundred such incidences documented by the NRC. What bothers me is that the agencies that are supposed to protect us seem to be doing nothing.

Besides being “hardened,” we were assured that our nuclear facilities were safe because of the protected space around them. Well, that “security” didn’t stop the drones, some of which were the size of small airplanes. We now know that these drones can not only do sophisticated mapping but also be able to launch artillery strikes.

These surveillance drones have been in so-called “protected” air space with no consequences. The NRC simply requires that they be reported.

I fail to understand why agencies weren’t prepared to shoot down such direct intrusions into the airspace and allow them to hover over our nuclear plants and military

bases, even after so many incidences of security breaches. Apparently, the agencies aren’t authorized to do so. Why not?

Furthermore, the most vulnerable part of the nuclear plant isn’t the reactor, it’s the spent fuel pools. This is where the highly radioactive rods are placed before they are put into the safer dry casks.

That building is not hardened. There is no reinforced concrete covering. It has a simple roof that any projectile could easily penetrate. An employee once described it as being like the “roof over Walmart.”

Any intrusion into that facility’s pools would set off a cesium fire, which, according to PG&E’s own environmental impact report, such a fire would render the entire county of San Luis Obispo as “uninhabitable.” The words “cesium fire” are misleading as it wouldn’t be what we usually know as a “fire.” It would actually form a colorless cloud that would drift wherever the wind happens to be blowing. Can you imagine the impact if such

Not enough Rates, wildfires and climate change

Cost of fighting wildfires raises our utility bills

What do the Gifford Fire and our exorbitant electricity rates have in common?

It’s hotter and drier now, exacerbating both wildfires and the cost of electricity. Global warming, better known as global heating, has raised the frequency, size, and price tag of wildfires. In the early 1980s, the annual cost to Cal Fire to suppress wildfires was $14 million. That’s increased to $3.7 billion for fire protection, resource management, and fire prevention as of 2021-22.

The cost to fight fires seriously impacts our electricity rates. Electrical equipment causes less than 10 percent of wildfires, but those fires tend to happen during and because of heavy winds, so they end up accounting for roughly half of California’s most destructive fires. PG&E went into bankruptcy in part over its roughly $30 billion liability for wildfires in 2019.

The cost to produce the energy itself is just

Why we must fight back

If ever the maxim of fighting fire with fire presented a fitting action, it’s in these desperate times.

Texas mid-decade and against rules reshaped the state district map, a move intended to add more Republicans to Congress when Trump asked for five more seats. A move that suppresses the votes of brown and Black residents.

For a nation to function, its citizens must abide by agreed upon rules.

The United States, though born imperfect, has strived to improve. Over the past 250 years, we’ve progressed slowly through hard-fought battles for our constitutional rights, but no situation has been as crucial as the one we now face.

The Republican Party under the tyrannical leadership of Trump turns the clock back. He has control of all three branches of government. He’s whipped a large segment of the media, courts, and universities

a small fraction of the utility bill.

From 2019 through 2023, the California Public Utilities Commission authorized PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric to charge $27 billion to ratepayers for wildfire prevention and insurance costs. More than half of the rate increase went for vegetation management and hardening the grid to prevent wildfires. Between 2021 and 2024, PG&E buried 800 miles of power lines, at a cost of between $3 million and $4 million for each mile, with approval for $3.7 billion to bury another 1,230 miles of lines through 2026.

PG&E and the other utilities pass those costs to ratepayers. PG&E raised electricity rates 41 percent in the last three years and 101 percent in the last 10 years. The other utilities have also had similar expenses. The result is that California has the second highest electricity rates in the country, and one third of those utilities’ low-income customers fell behind in paying their power bills.

A large part of those wildfires is caused by climate change. The trillions of tons of

LETTERS

into submission, closing down avenues of information and redress. He himself charges, convicts, and disappears people. He upends regulations, which destroy our health care system, our environment, and our justice system. Crucially it denies us free speech and isolates us.

We stand in the path of a maelstrom with few ways to fight back. We can play fair and stand by as democracy burns to ashes or start a defensive fire to contain the turbulence.

Passing Proposition 50—a temporary measure—gives us a chance of gaining some control in Congress.

When the Republicans change the rules, we must fight back. An unchecked authoritarian government closes all avenues of dissent. Once in power, it’s very difficult to restore democracy.

Shirley Schaffer Arroyo Grande

Sarah Newfeld-Green and Kathy Bond Grover Beach

a poisonous cloud drifted southward toward Los Angeles. Or, if we should be experiencing Santa Ana winds, northward toward the Bay Area?

The description of our entire county being “uninhabitable” should warrant more action than simply reporting yet another intrusion into our nuclear facilities’ airspace. What are we waiting for? When I was a San Luis Obispo County supervisor, I presented these questions to the NRC and they did not deny any of these concerns. The only semi-answer I got was that “it would be too dangerous.”

The current administration is weakening the already feeble enforcement by the NRC. It’s time to let Congress know that reactor host communities deserve better protections from these new and emerging threats. ∆

Peg Pinard is the former chair of the SLO County Board of Supervisors. Send a response for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com.

CO2 we’ve emitted into our atmosphere have trapped massive amounts of heat. This extra heat, in turn, has changed our weather patterns, making it generally hotter and dryer where we live. Each year, California now has 78 more hot, dry days primed for wildfires than we did 50 years ago. In order to halt the rising costs and destructiveness of wildfires, we need to stop global heating. That requires switching from gasoline and natural gas to electricity. EVs are already cheaper to own and operate in the long run, and heat pumps for home and water heating are on a par with natural gas, without the toxic emissions that pollute our homes. However, up-front costs are prohibitive for some. We need to lower the cost of electricity so it becomes the obvious and accessible choice for more people.

We can reduce our electricity rates by 10 percent by using more cap-and-trade revenue to increase the “climate credit” on our utility bills. Assembly Bill 745, currently in committee, aims to do that. We can effect a much larger rate reduction by taking the huge costs of wildfire prevention out of our utility bills. To do that, we may need to create a fee for developers who want to build at the wildland urban interface.

Ultimately, it’s not electricity itself that’s so expensive in California. It’s living in a state that is prone to wildfires, and we have been putting those wildfire costs into our electricity bills.

Let’s put the blame where it belongs— wildfires made worse by climate change. Then, we can address the root of the problem. ∆

George Hansen writes to New Times from Arroyo Grande. Send a response for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com.

There—I’ve said it. The president can now add me to that list of “radical left group of lunatics.” Speaking from the grounds of the White House on Sept. 11, Trump called for his allies to “beat the hell out of those lunatics”—even before Utah police had arrested Tyler James Robinson for the murder of Charles Kirk.

We should note that even now, three weeks after the assassination, Robinson’s political ideology is still a matter of fierce political debate. I won’t venture an opinion on that volatile subject. I only want to denounce violence of all types, to point out how close we all are to falling within the crosshairs of political violence and to highlight the abusive rhetoric that puts us all at risk.

Trump officially named “antifa” as a “domestic terrorist organization.” That’s interesting, because antifa is not an organization, in spite of Trump’s executive order naming it so. antifa is best described as a loose affiliation of individuals united only by opposition to an ideology: fascism.

Right now, every American should fight the ideology of fascism, the common enemy of all democratic nations. Yet signs of “homegrown” fascism are all around us: contempt for electoral rights; hostility to political and cultural pluralism; adherence to racial and religious hierarchy; corrupt rule favoring elite, wealthy oligarchs; and the demand that our proud military submit to a “warrior ethos.” Federal troops and masked

ICE agents are now openly stalking people of color through the streets of American cities.

This is the textbook definition of fascism, the heinous ideology that we thought we had defeated in 1945. Our victory in that war halted the fearsome, jack-booted storm troopers in Berlin. We took the divine wind of fanatical kamikaze pilots, turned it around and vaporized Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Yet now, 80 years after it had consumed 60 million lives, the zombie ideology of fascism is alive, and it’s coming for us.

Next on Trump’s list of “domestic terrorist organizations” is billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundation—which is indeed an organization, but has nothing to do with terrorism. Its stated mission is “to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable to their people.”

The White House is even targeting the Democratic Party as a “domestic extremist organization.” Of course, that party is only theoretically an “organization.” Remember Will Rogers’ famous quip: “I’m not a member of any organized political party—I’m a Democrat.”

So maybe Democrats are off the list? Don’t count on it. On Sept. 30, Trump told hundreds of America’s top generals in Virginia that now they are to target American cities as “training grounds” to combat a “war from within.”

“Of course, I still love you.”

I do (gulp) love fascists, including Donald Trump, and JD Vance, Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon … all those cruel and spiteful individuals who are leading us down the iron road to fascism.

I love them not because I strive to be

worthy of my Christian faith. Jesus calls us to “love your enemy—(and) pray for those who persecute you.”

At the memorial service for Charlie Kirk on Sept. 21, his widow Erika Kirk offered these remarkable lines: “On the cross, our savior said: ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That man—that young man—I forgive him. I forgive him because it’s what Christ did. And it’s what Charlie would do.”

Tragically, Donald Trump then took to the lectern and trashed everything she had just said. Foolishly, he admitted that Charlie Kirk “did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry. I am sorry, Erika.”

But it was too late for an apology. The moment for a president to find the right words had passed, as they do every time this hatefilled man is placed before a microphone.

Must I love this misguided man? Yes, if only because he is a fellow human being. I would not wish him to lead my nation for a single instant, but I want the best for him. I want him to realize that his behavior is loathsome, that he’s leading us into an abyss of authoritarianism, that every day he makes a mockery of our Constitution. I want him to know that his pure, unadulterated hatred made a travesty of that solemn memorial service in Arizona. Charlie Kirk deserved better from a president whom he so worshipped.

So let my “beloved” president send down those compliant generals that he enlisted this week in combatting a “war from within.” Let him loose the dogs of the “Department of

War” and the “Department formerly known as Justice.” Arrest me, prosecute and imprison me, I’ll show them nothing but love. Beat me; I’ll turn the other cheek, asking God to forgive them, just as Jesus did at Calvary, just as Erika Kirk did for her husband’s assassin.

Erika Kirk was channeling Martin Luther King Jr. with this simple observation: “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer—we know from the gospel—is love. Always love. Love for our enemies. Love for those who persecute us.”

As hard as it is to say, I love my enemies. I love those who persecute me, but I am antifa, and I abhor violence. I am as anti-fascist as they come. Isn’t everyone? ∆

John Ashbaugh is also a recovering politician who devotes his hours to writing nonsensical articles like this one. Send a response for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com.

What’s your favorite fall activity

Political paradox

All I can think about is national politics. It’s depressing. And cringey. Like a dystopian novel no one wants to read because the author sucks.

Every time the Great Orange Man or one of his administration minions speaks, my gears beg for oil. They’ve been working in overdrive. And I’m over it.

Our esteemed “political” parties—which are only throwing pity parties at the moment (no one likes a pity party)—are launching flaming balls of blame at each other over the federal government shutdown. And everyone is trying to frame it to score political points. Trump and the GOP are blaming “leftists.” Democrats are blaming the administration. And the administration is using your hardearned tax dollars to politicize the issue via what are supposed to be nonpartisan federal agencies, which is the icing on the fucking cake.

I’m blaming all of the politicians. The bloviating, simpering fools. And you should, too!

But then you should look in the mirror, because it’s our fault too. Your fault. My fault. Democrats. Republicans. Independents. Social media. The dark web. Talking heads. Right-wing nuts. Left-wing nuts. Everybody’s nuts!

Everyone’s culpable for the current state of affairs.

The real question is: What are we going to do about it? The blame game, which is

everyone’s favorite game to play, isn’t working. The escalating game of one-upmanship isn’t working either—how are we redrawing election districts in the middle of a census cycle in multiple states? And everyone’s OK with their side doing it but not the other side. What in the actual fuck is that?

All of it is driving us deeper into our ideological trenches, and it seems like nobody is willing to come out of their foxhole. Shoot first and last. Ask questions never.

It’s ridiculous. I’m so disgusted that I can’t even bring myself to satirize SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow, who spoke at the recent Cal Poly Turning Point USA memorial for assassinated conservative lighting rod Charlie Kirk.

I’m lying. I can totally do that.

Dow—the elected district attorney in charge of prosecuting crimes, including hate crimes against the LGBTQ-plus community—leaned into both Christianity and Kirk’s call to action against members of that community (not very Christian, if you ask me) after Dow’s office declined to file hate crime charges against someone who went onto someone’s property, pulled down their Pride flag, ripped it, and threw it in the trash. Dow told the crowd that Kirk had “controversially, but truthfully” called

transgender women “cowards,” and then received a loud, raucous round of applause for the comment. It really tells you where we’re at today when the rallying cry at a vigil for someone who was tragically assassinated is to put down a community that makes up less than half a percent of our entire country.

Just to reiterate: That’s less than 0.5 percent of Americans. And the hatred against them has galvanized one party in the two-party system. And it’s the party that’s historically been adamantly opposed to the government butting into their lives. They seem to be fine if the government tries to tell everyone else what to do. It’s wild.

I’m dumbfounded, honestly. We have so many issues. The economy has not improved at all. The housing crisis is not getting better. The job market is stagnating. Our immigration system is in shambles and getting worse. We are deploying troops in Democratic cities! Our social safety nets are also in shambles. Our medical and property insurance markets are so expensive no one can afford any of it. Mental health issues are increasing. Mass shootings are constant. The list is so much longer, too.

And all one party can do is bitch about a tiny minority of the American population that they don’t understand. Why? Is everything else too complex for a rallying cry?

And the other party literally hasn’t fixed any of it either. All it can do is blame the Republicans for being fascist, racist, sexist, and spineless.

Get it together, America. We have real problems that aren’t being solved while we lean into a culture war that does nothing but drive us a part. Slow clap, people. Anyway! The man in charge of prosecuting hate crimes in SLO County engaged in what I would argue is hate speech against a minority community. And hate speech is completely legal in the United States, so way to practice your First Amendment right, Dan Dow! I’m practicing mine right now by criticizing the speech of an elected official and wondering out loud how it might impact his tax-paid job. Isn’t it great how that amendment has given us so much? We can discuss things like this out in the open. Rather than trying to brush it all under the rug, cancel it, or censor it.

No one should be threatening to censor speech they don’t like (Trump and company, I’m looking at you. Progressives, I’m looking at you, too.). Speech is allowed until it gets ripped away from us. It is fundamental to our understanding of democracy, of this democracy. It’s not political. It’s our right. If we’re just shouting obscenities into the abyss, name-calling, and abusing each other, we’re wasting the right we were given to speak, to criticize, to compromise, and to govern ourselves. Without it, we are worthless. ∆

The Shredder practices what it preaches. Send speech to shredder@ newtimesslo.com.

Hot Dates

ARTS

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BAD NEWS BEARS Watch the screening of Bad News Bears the 1976 sports comedy film, starring Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal. Oct. 6 5-8 p.m. $17.91. my805tix.com. Bay Theatre, 464 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay.

COASTAL WINE AND PAINT PARTY Listen to music while enjoying an afternoon of creativity, sipping, and mingling. The party includes a complimentary glass of wine and canvas with materials. Saturdays, 12-2 p.m. $55. (805) 394-5560. coastalwineandpaint.com. Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough, 824 Main St., Cambria.

COSTA GALLERY SHOWCASES Features works by Ellen Jewett as well as 20 other local artists, and artists from southern and northern California. Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. (559) 799-9632. costagallery.com. Costa Gallery, 2087 10th St., Los Osos.

CREATIVE FLOW WORKSHOP IN

RHYTHM, SONG, & ART Join for a joyful and grounding Creative Flow Workshop that blends art, rhythm, and song to reconnect you with your inner voice and the power of community. Led by Dee and Chenda, this experience invites you to explore creativity through guided movement, expressive arts, and a collaborative song circle filled with rhythm, voice, and heart. Oct. 4 1-5 p.m. $63. my805tix.com. Lor Coaching Studio & Gallery, 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. FREE DEMO: EXPLORING DIGITAL ART WITH FRED VENTURA Join as digital artist Fred Ventura givew a free demonstration at Art Center Morro Bay. Oct. 4 3-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-2504. ARTCenterMorroBay.org. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay. FREE DIGITAL PAINTING

DEMONSTRATION A painting demonstration with digital artist Fred Ventura will be held at Art Center Morro Bay. For more details, see artcentermorrobay.org. Oct. 4 , 3-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-2504. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay, artcentermorrobay.org.

GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE PRESENTS 40 YEARS OF WATERCOLORS BY HOPE MYERS Award-winning watercolorist Hope Myers will showcase her Central Coast-inspired paintings, created over four decades of artistic efforts on the Central Coast. Gallery is open daily. Through Oct. 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 ATUL PANDE’S ACRYLIC PAINTINGS, WHERE COLOR AND FORM COLLIDE. Atul Pande creates intuitive abstract paintings in acrylics, layering colors and forms inspired by his Indian heritage and scientific background. Gallery is open daily. Through Oct. 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 CENTRAL COAST INSPIRATIONS: JAY STIELER’S WATERCOLOR LANDSCAPES Jay Stieler captures the Central Coast’s unspoiled beauty in marvelous watercolors, embracing the medium’s unpredictable nature resulting in beautiful works. Gallery is open daily. Through Oct. 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 SMALL WORKS IN ACRYLIC BY CAROLE MCDONALD Carole

McDonald creates vibrant, small-scale acrylic paintings of magical landscapes, birds and Central Coast life. Bring home a bookshelf treasure. Gallery is open daily. Through Oct. 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

OIL PAINTING WITH ANITA HAMPTON

Students will paint still life set-ups while learning color theory, value, perspective, lighting, design, composition, and more with well-respected teacher Anita Hampton. Thursdays, 6-8:30 p.m. through Nov. 20 (805) 772-2504. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay, artcentermorrobay.org.

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.

SELF HELP See Self-Help by Norm Foster, directed by Lisa Woske at By The Sea Productions. Tickets and more details are available at the link. Oct. 3 7 p.m., Oct. 4

7 p.m., Oct. 5 3 p.m., Oct. 10 7 p.m., Oct. 11 , 7 p.m. and Oct. 12 3 p.m. $28.62. my805tix.com. By The Sea Productions, 545 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

3 ARTISTS RETROSPECTIVE REVEAL Susan Lyon, Maryanne Nucci, and Kathy Madonna invite you to visit their Retrospective Show including original photographs, charcoals, watercolors, etchings, linocuts, and mono prints. Saturdays, 2-5 p.m. (805) 440-7152. cottontailcreek.com/susanart. Pocket Gallery on Pine, 8491/2 13th Street, Paso Robles.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS FUSED GLASS

DISH Join this fun, festive class for the beginning fuser. Create your own unique skull dish using a variety of pre-cut glass. Oct. 9, 5-7 p.m. $60. (805) 464-2633. glassheadstudio.com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero.

IT’S HARVEST TIME! It’s Harvest Time! We’re delighted to feature a 3-month exhibit showcasing the colors and abundance of the Fall Harvest season! There will be paintings, ceramics, glassware, and charcuterie boards. Through Nov. 30, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Oct. 4 , 6-9 p.m. Free. (805) 286-4430. Park Street Gallery, 1320 Park Street, Paso Robles, parkstreetgallery.com.

MONTHLY BIRTHDAY PLATE PAINTING

AT ARTSOCIAL 805

Please join ArtSocial805 on the first Saturday of each month to paint a personalized “Birthday Plate,” for someone special or for yourself. The workshop is $35, which covers the plate, glaze, and firing. First Saturday of every month, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $35. (805) 400-9107. artsocial805.com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 631 Spring St., Paso Robles.

WATERCOLOR WITH JAN

Practice painting watercolors at your own pace with guidance from Jan French during her Watercolor Workshop at Art Center Morro Bay. The first session runs in October with classes starting on Oct. 6 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. They will run every Monday until Oct. 27. This class can act as both an introduction to the basics for watercolor beginners and a refresher for more advanced students. Emphasis will be placed on your own direction, color choices, subject matter, and style preferences. One session, which is four classes, is $135 for members, and $145 for nonmembers. To reserve a spot and get more info, visit artcentermorrobay.org.

—Angie Stevens

PUMPKIN AND SUCCULENT EVENT

Experience a hands-on workshop where you’ll create a stunning succulent pumpkin. Oct. 4 12-2 p.m. (805) 226-2600. Riboli Family of San Antonio Winery, 2610 Buena Vista Drive, Paso Robles.

PUMPKIN SUCCULENT CENTERPIECE

CLASS This class, hosted by Peaceful Plants, includes a pumpkin, a choice of succulents and decorations, use of tools, and instruction. Oct. 5 2-4 p.m. $55.40. my805tix.com. The Pottery, 5800 El Camino Real, Atascadero, (805) 460-6803.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

ALL LEVELS POTTERY CLASSES Anam

Cre is a pottery studio in SLO that offers a variety of classes. This specific class is open to any level. Teachers are present for questions, but the class feels more like an open studio time. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. $40. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, anamcre.com.

ART AFTER DARK Art After Dark features an art opening of world-class artists. Refreshments will be served. First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m. through March 7 Free. slocountyarts.org/art-afterdark. SLO County, Various locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.

AS THE CROW FLIES WITH LINDA

CUNNINGHAM In this 4-hour mixed media workshop, you’ll receive step-by-step instruction for creating a beautiful detailed collage of crows or ravens. Oct. 4, 12-4 p.m. $45. (805) 478-2158. i0.wp.com/ artcentralslo.com/wp-content/ uploads/2025/08/As-The-Crow-FliesCunningham.jpg Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

BUEN DIA MILONGA Nexus’s premier Argentine Tango social: Buen Dia Milonga is hosted by Rich Howe this October. Oct. 12 5-8 p.m. $10. nexusslo.com. Nexus SLO, 3845 S Higuera St.( Lower Level), San Luis Obispo, (805) 904-7428.

CERAMIC LESSONS AND MORE Now offering private one-on-one and group lessons in the ceramic arts. Both hand building and wheel throwing options. Beginners welcomed. ongoing (805) 8355893. hmcruceceramics.com/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

CLAY CLASS: PUMPKINS & GHOSTS! Choose one of the following to create: pumpkins (2), ghosts (3) or any fall themed item. No experience necessary! Book on our website Mondays, 2-3:30 p.m. through Oct. 20 45.00. app.acuityscheduling.com/ schedule.php?owner=22676824&appoin tmentType=80951081. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo. CUESTA DRAMA PRESENTS: JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH Join us in the Experimental Theater for this stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s famous children’s novel. Oct. 9 7:30 p.m., Oct. 10 7:30 p.m., Oct. 11, 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 12 2 p.m. $25 General, $20 Student w/ID. (805) 546-3198. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo. FIRST FRIDAYS Visit SLOMA on the first Friday of each month for exhibition openings, music, and wines provided by regional winery partners. First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m. Free. (805) 5438562. sloma.org/events/first-fridays/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

IMPRESSIONISTIC REALISM OIL PAINTING WITH FRANK EBER Learn how to paint lively, expressive paintings with a focus on color accuracy, mark making, and the interconnection of each element. Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. through Oct. 28 $295 for 6 classes. (805) 747-4200. i0.wp.com/artcentralslo.com/wpcontent/uploads/2025/08/Frank-EberAdvanced-Oil-Sept-Oct25.jpg Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo. IMPROV WITH BENEFITS Join a dynamic cast of improvisers for a one-of-a-kind comedy show at Bioneers. Every laugh helps create positive change. Oct. 3 , 5:30-6:30 p.m. $10. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096, octagonbarn.org.

JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY AND ART Owen and Kyoko Hunt from Kyoto, Japan offer classes for Japanese calligraphy (Fridays, 5:30-6:30 p.m.), a Japanese art called “haiga” (Fridays, 10-11:30 a.m.) and more at Nesting Hawk Ranch. Fridays $45. (702) 335-0730. Nesting Hawk Ranch, Call for address, San Luis Obispo.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAN FRENCH

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· Click on SUBMIT AN EVENT

· Enter your Event info! Upload a photo for a chance to be featured as a Hot Date. Questions? calendar@newtimesslo.com

Hot Dates

SET SAIL

The 16th annual Zongo Yachting Cup from Morro to Avila will be held at the Morro Bay Yacht Club on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a launch party at Tidelands Park from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10, and a reception party at the Point San Luis Lighthouse beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday. This is the Central Coast’s biggest offshore sailing race, and custom glass trophies will be up for grabs. It’s $50 to enter a vessel. To purchase a ticket and get more info, head to my805tix.com.

ARTS from page 14

MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FEST You be the judge! Watch short films screen simultaneously around the world. See and vote on films from up-and-coming filmmakers. See link for locations. Oct. 2 1:30-4:30 p.m. and Oct. 3 1-4 p.m. Free. sanluisobispo.librarycalendar.com/events/ list?program_types%5B368%5D=368. Various SLO County Libraries, (805) 781-5785.

MOBILE CLAY CLASSES Offering handbuilding, throwing, and ceramic decorative arts. All ages and abilities are welcome. Call for more info. ongoing (805) 835-5893. hmcruceceramics.com/ book-online. SLO County, Various locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.

NARRATIVE ECHOES: RECENT ACQUISITIONS TO THE PRINT COLLECTION Highlighting newly acquired prints in conversation with artist books, this exhibition reflects stories that reverberate within our Cal Poly and SLO community. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. through Dec. 12 Free. library.calpoly. edu/events/narrative-echoes. Cal Poly Special Collections and Archives, Robert E. Kennedy Library, 1 Grand Ave., Building 35, Room 409, San Luis Obispo, (805) 756-2305.

OBJECT LESSONS IN OBSOLESCENCE (2005–2025) An installation of film and video works spanning two decades by collaborating artists Gibson + Recoder will be on display. Through Oct. 24 gibsonrecoder.com/2018/9/3/ r614ugvkhod6xtur8xi88dg7xbg0b6. Cal Poly University Art Gallery, Cal Poly Art & Design, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, 93407-0321, San Luis Obispo, (805) 756-1571.

OIL PAINTING: EXPRESSIONISTIC REALISM WITH FRANK EBER Learn how to paint lively, expressive paintings with a focus on color accuracy, mark-making, and the interconnection of each element. This class is for intermediate and advanced painters. Tuesdays, 1:30-4:30 p.m. through Oct. 28 $295. (805) 747-4200. i0.wp.com/ artcentralslo.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2025/08/Frank-Eber-Advanced-Oil-SeptOct25-1.jpg Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

PAINT A FALL WREATH WITH TISHA

SMITH Instructor Tisha Smith will guide you step by step in painting a work of art which you can use to make cards, prints, etc. Oct. 9 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $25. (805) 440-9048. i0.wp.com/artcentralslo.com/wp-content/ uploads/2025/09/Fall-Wreath-Oct.jpg Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

PICKET PAINTING PARTY Decorative picket purchasing opportunities are

available to show your support and help fund maintenance and educational programs in the Children’s Garden.

Second Saturday of every month, 1-4 p.m. $75 per picket or 2 for $100. (805) 5411400. slobg.org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

YOUTH POTTERY CLASS Teens love this class. Learn handbuilding techniques and throwing on the potter’s wheel. Held every Friday after school. Fridays, 3:30-5 p.m. $40. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

Discover your inner film critic by casting your vote for Best Film and Best Actor in the 28th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. Oct. 2 , 1-4 p.m. and Oct. 3 1-3 p.m. Free. (805) 773-2263. slolibrary.org/. Shell Beach Library, 230 Leeward Ave, Shell Beach.

SLO COUNTY OPEN STUDIOS TOURDESIGNS BY TINA LOUISE, STUDIO # 24

Join the SLO Open Studios Tour with jewelry artist and designer Tina Doherty of Designs by Tina Louise. Oct. 11 10 a.m.5 p.m. and Oct. 12 , 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 720-0582. Designs by Tina Louise, 2342 Brant Street, Arroyo Grande.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS EVERY BRILLIANT THING See Every Brilliant Thing at the PCPA, by Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe. Based on true and fictional stories, MacMillan’s play celebrates the power of resilience, the intricacy of mental health, and the extraordinary impact of ordinary joys. Oct. 9-26 $25. (805) 922-8313. pcpa.org.

Severson Theatre, 800 S. College Dr., Santa Maria.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

END OF SEASON EVENT: WATERFRONT

MARKET This is the last market for the 2025 season. If you haven’t come out yet, do it before we say goodbye until 2026. Oct. 4 , 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Oct. 5 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (805) 402-9437. Giovanni’s Fish Market, 1001 Front St., Morro Bay.

END POLIO NOW: 5K WALK OR RUN The Cambria Rotary Club is asking you to help us raise vital funds that will eradicate and prepare us for a Polio free world. The

event is a 5K walk or run, and will traverse Fiscalini Ranch from Shamel Park. Outstanding ocean views as you walk with family and friends. Oct. 11 9 a.m. $25. my805tix.com. Shamel Park, 5455 Windsor Blvd., Cambria.

MAIDEN TO CRONE SISTER CIRCLE Connect deeply with other women. Sharing the things that are close to our hearts creates a space of shared vulnerability that leads to deep connection. First Sunday of every month, 9-11 a.m. my805tix.com. From the Roots Up Healing Studio, 2055 9th St., Los Osos. POKÉMON CARD TRADING Meet, compete, and trade with other collectors your age! All attendees will receive one card of their choosing from the librarian, while supplies last. Oct. 4 1-2:30 p.m. Free. (805) 528-1862. sanluisobispo. librarycalendar.com/event/pokemoncard-trading-20294. Los Osos Library, 2075 Palisades Ave., Los Osos. PUMPKIN PATCH Our Pumpkin Patch is officially open for the season! All of our pumpkins are thoughtfully grown by 46 Ranch and come in various sizes. Mondays-Sundays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 927-4747. cambrianursery.com/ events/. Cambria Nursery and Florist, 2801 Eton Rd., Cambria.

SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA SOUND JOURNEY / LOS OSOS This class will focus on the Solar Plexus Chakra, which in Sanskrit is known as Manipura, which translates to “place of shining gem.” Located in the upper abdomen, this chakra is tied to confidence, self-esteem, and personal power. Balancing this chakra helps you make decisions from a place of personal truth, rather than being swayed by external factors, leading to a more fulfilling and authentic life. When balanced, it helps you feel capable, make clear decisions, and take empowered action in your life. Oct. 7 6:30-8 p.m. $25.41-$28.62. my805tix.com. Central Coast Body Therapy Center, 2005 9th St., Los Osos, (805) 709-2227.

STEPPING INTO TRANSFORMATION: ENERGY RETREAT HOSTED BY TERRA ALTHA A three-day energy grounding retreat. With sound healing, meditation, and yoga, Includes yurt lodging, meals, and all tools needed to attend. Limited registration. Earlybird registration available. Oct. 3 3-9 p.m., Oct. 4 , 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and Oct. 5 8 a.m.-9 p.m. $2,900. (805) 286-8380. terraaltha.com. Well Spring Ranch Private Retreat, 9150 Santa Rita Road, Cayucos. ZONGO YACHTING CUP - 2025 Join for the Zongo Yachting Cup, where racers and

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 19

—A.S.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MY805TIX

Dates

BAR TAKEOVER

The next bar takeover is set for Thursday, Oct. 2, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at Steller’s Cellar in Orcutt. Each week, a participating winery offers a flight and “takes over” the bar to pour their wine and answer any questions. To sample various wines, mark your calendar and visit stellerscellar.com for additional details.

cruisers will be making their way down to San Diego for the start of the Baja Haha. Your race entry includes complimentary dockage and mooring at Morro Bay Yacht Club, the Zongo Cup Launch Party, water taxi service in Port San Luis a post-race party at the Point San Luis Lighthouse, and trophies. Oct. 10-11 $50. my805tix.com. Morro Bay Yacht Club, 541 Embarcadero, Morro Bay, (805) 772-3981.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

5TH ANNUAL “STRIKE OUT” STARSTUDDED CELEBRITY GALA World Series MVP, Bret Saberhagen, and Wife Kandace Saberhagen, co-founders of SABESWINGS.ORG will host the 5th annual Star-Studded gala to raise funds for cancer victims. Oct. 4 , 5-10 p.m. (805) 674-9627. sabeswings.org/annual-events. Rava Wines + Events, 6785 Creston Rd., Paso Robles.

BOOK BUDDIES Bookworms, assemble!

Woods is welcoming animal lovers age 7-17 to join us in reading to our furry friends. Oct. 7 3:30-4:30 p.m. $5.00. (805) 543-9316. woodshumanesociety.org/ youth-programs/. Bookworms, assemble!

Woods is welcoming animal lovers age 7 to 17 to join us in reading to our furry friends. Tuesdays, 3:30-4:30 p.m. $5. (805) 543-9316. woodshumanesociety.org/ youth-programs/. Woods Humane Society (North County), 2300 Ramona Road, Atascadero.

COLOR ME WINE BOOK SIGNING Meet

Debbie Thomas, restaurateur, author, and creator of wine-themed coloring books!

Enjoy some coloring while you sip wine and unwind. Oct. 4 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Books and wine available for purchase. (805) 467-2046. foursistersranch.com/ event-calendar/color-me-wine-booksigning. Four Sisters Ranch Vineyard and Winery, 2995 Pleasant Rd., San Miguel. FLEA/MAKER’S MARKET Flea/Maker’s Market on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. New this month: comics, Western tack, collectibles, jewelry, furniture, lamps, clothing! First Saturday of every month, 8-1 a.m. through Nov. 1 Free to the public. (805) 221-5372. Templeton Library, 1173 S. Main St., Templeton, templetonlibrary.org.

SKILLS FOR TOUGH CONVERSATIONS

This workshop is based on the E-Course, “Skills for Bridging the Divide.” Oct. 7 12-1:30 p.m. Free. (805) 595-2211. braverangels.org/ event/slo-alliance-workshop-skills-fortough-conversations/. Atascadero Library, 6555 Capistrano, Atascadero.

THREE SPECKLED HENS VINTAGE

MARKET Head to this biannual event and browse one-of-a-kind antique and vintage items from over 75 vendors. Get details for each day and tickets at the link. Oct. 3-4 $12.56. my805tix.com. Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Avenue, Paso Robles, (805) 239-0655.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

1ST ANNUAL HEARTS & HOOVES

FUNDRAISING GALA AT RANCHO BURRO DONKEY SANCTUARY Join our “Hearts and Hooves” Gala for an evening of dinner and auctions to support the lifelong care of rescued donkeys. Oct. 11, 4:30-8:45 p.m. $150. (805) 710-8445. app.betterunite.com. Rancho Burro Donkey Sanctuary, 4855 Righetti Road, San Luis Obispo.

2025 CENTRAL COAST BIONEERS CONFERENCE Visit the link to get details regarding each day’s activities. There will be a pre-conference field trip, a beaver dam analog tour, a cocktail mixer, and conferences regarding the environment, climate change, and social justice. Oct. 2-4 $12.56-$119.68. my805tix.com. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096.

2025 FALL FOLK-N-SOAK MUSIC/HOT SPRINGS/YOGA/CAMPING REUNION

Soak in 100 degree mineral water and camp out under the stars, enjoying the music from the pool at the hot springs, beginning at 4pm Friday until midnight, noon on Saturday until midnight, and resuming Sunday until 6. A Qi Gong class will be held Saturday morning and yoga on Sunday morning! Oct. 3-5 $35-$90. my805tix.com. Franklin Hot Springs, 3015 Creston Rd., Paso Robles.

AI SEMINAR FOR SENIORS A senior will present the fundamentals of this daunting technology for those needing answers. Come learn, lament, and laugh about the limits of the limitless AI. Oct. 9 1-2:30 p.m. Free. (805) 709-6234. Marty Mimmack, 1255 Orcutt Rd., SLO.

BOOK BUDDIES Bookworms, assemble! Woods Humane Society is welcoming animal lovers age 7-17 to join us in reading to our furry friends. Oct. 8 3:30-4:30 p.m. $5.00. (805) 543-9316. woodshumanesociety.org/youthprograms/. Bookworms, assemble! Woods Humane Society is welcoming animal lovers age 7 to 17 to join us in reading to our furry friends. Wednesdays, 3:30-4:30 p.m. $5. (805) 543-9316. woodshumanesociety.org/youthprograms. Woods Humane Society, 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo.

CARE CREW Calling all crafty, caring, petloving kids! Care Crew members will join us in filling Kongs for our canines, crafting pet toys, and creating art. Oct. 5 2-3:30 p.m. and Oct. 12 2-3:30 p.m. $5. (805) 543-9316. woodshumanesociety.org/ youth-programs/. Woods Humane Society, 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo.

CENTRAL COAST DIALYSIS ORGAN

TRANSPLANT SUPPORT GROUP Not faith based. All are welcome. Please wear a mask. First Saturday of every month, 9:3011:30 a.m. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church SLO, 650 Pismo St., San Luis Obispo. COMMUNITY FARM TOUR Join at the farm on the first Saturday of each month and

get a public tour of the regenerative farm! First Saturday of every month, 9:30-11 a.m. through Dec. 6 (805) 769-8344. cityfarmslo. org/community-tours. City Farm SLO, 1221 Calle Joaquin, San Luis Obispo.

FIVE CITIES REPAIR CAFE Get free help fixing household appliances, computers, tablets, smart phones, outdoor gear, toys, clothing, bikes, and more. Bring your garden abundance to share with neighbors. Oct. 4 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. (650) 367-6780. repaircafe5cities.org. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo.

PLAYOFFS 2025 FINALE After two nights at The Bunker SLO, Central Coast Comedy Theater’s Improv Playoffs is reaching the epic conclusion. Don’t miss this 9th Annual Improv Playoff event. Tickets are available at the link. Oct. 10, 6:15-8 p.m. $12.56. my805tix.com. SLO Public Market, 120 Tank Farm Road, San Luis Obispo.

SLO LIBRARY COMIX FAIR Come to our free, family friendly Comic Book Fair. Meet artists, buy comics, and enjoy fun kids activities, an artist lecture, costume contests, and Magic the Gathering games. Oct. 11 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. (805) 781-5991. sanluisobispo.librarycalendar.com/event/ comix-fair-slo-library-2025-22543. San Luis Obispo Library Community Room, 995 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.

SLO PHILATELIC SOCIETY The SLO Philatelic Society (SLOPS) meets at the SLO Senior Center on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Visitors are welcome. First Tuesday of every month, 1-3 p.m. SLO Senior Center, 1445 Santa Rosa St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 540-9484, slocity.org/seniors.

SLO PICKLE FESTIVAL Meals that Connect is hosing their second annual 21+ SLO Pickle Festival! All proceeds benefit Meals that Connect, supporting over 200,000 seniors in SLO county. Oct. 4 , 1-4 p.m. $65 for GA $80 for VIP. (805) 541-3312 ext. 116. slopicklefestival.org. Laguna Lake Park, 504 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo. SLO PUB TRIVIA MEETUP GROUP Trivia lovers wanted! Join for Study Hall trivia with Mr. Perez, every second Wednesday. All ages over 21 are welcome. RSVP with the link. Second Wednesday of every month Free. meetup.com/slo-bartriviagroup. Oak and Otter Brewing, 181 Tank Farm Road, suite 110, San Luis Obispo, (805) 439-2529.

TOUR THE HISTORIC OCTAGON BARN CENTER The Octagon Barn, built in 1906, has a rich history that The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County looks forward to sharing with visitors. Please RSVP. Second Sunday of every month, 2-2:45 & 3-3:45 p.m. Tours are free; donations are appreciated. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096, octagonbarn.org.

Ramblin’ Boys: Concerts at The Printery

WEEKEND ON THE HILLTOP: A 1935

FASHION EXPERIENCE

Step into the golden age of California glamour featuring a 1930s private collection and pieces on loan from California State Parks at Hearst Castle. Oct. 4 , 11 a.m.-1 p.m. & 4-6 p.m. $100. themondayclubslo.org. The Monday Club, 1815 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 541-0594.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

ADVENTURES WITH NATURE- OCEANO’S

BEAVERS Join State Park Docent Dan to learn about Oceano’s beavers and enjoy a walk around Oceano Lagoon. Space is limited. RSVP by calling the number provided. Oct. 11, 10 a.m.-noon. (805) 4742664. centralcoastparks.org/awn/. Oceano

Dunes Visitor Center, 555 Pier Ave., Oceano.

CAT ADOPTION DAY Drop by to meet some fluffy cats available for adoption through the Cal Poly Cat Program. Say hello to your next fur-ever friend. Oct. 11 10 a.m.-2 p.m. monarchbooks805.com/ events. Monarch Books, 201 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande.

COMMUNITY NATIVE GARDEN

MONTHLY VOLUNTEER WORKDAY

Volunteers accomplish a variety of tasks including pathways maintenance, litter patrol of the garden perimeter, weeding, irrigation system expansion/repairs, pruning, and plantings. Volunteers should bring work gloves, a hat, drinking water, and tools related to the above activities.

First Saturday of every month, 9 a.m.-noon Free. (805) 710-3073. Nipomo Native Garden, Camino Caballo at Osage, Nipomo.

GPDC X CENTRAL COAST PRIDE: YOUTH

PRIDE PROM Dance the night away at this year’s Pride Prom, where the theme is Goth Fantasy. Grades 9 through 12 are invited to embrace their inner goth, dressing in your best dark or dreamy looks. Tickets and more details can be found at the link. Oct. 4 7 p.m. $14.70. my805tix.com. The Center, 1152 E Grand Ave, Arroyo Grande.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WATCH AND CLOCK COLLECTORS, CHPT. 52

Come join a friendly meeting of watch and clock collectors. Members bring watches and clocks to show, plus there are discussions of all things horological.

Second Sunday of every month, 1:30-3 p.m. (805) 547-1715. new.nawcc.org/index.php/chapter-52los-padres. Central Coast Senior Center, 1580 Railroad St., Oceano.

SOCIAL GROUP FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS Call for more details. Second Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. (805) 904-6615. Oak Park Christian Church, 386 N Oak Park Blvd., Grover Beach.

TALEBLAZERS: AUDIOBOOK WALKING CLUB Bring an audiobook of your choosing and join us on a leisurely stroll through the Village of Arroyo Grande. Don’t forget your headphones and water! Oct. 4 8-9 a.m. Free. monarchbooks805.com/ events. Monarch Books, 201 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS CENTRAL COAST CORVETTE CLUB Open to Corvette owners and enthusiasts. First Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. Free. (805) 934-3948. Home Motors, 1313 E. Main St., Santa Maria.

FIRST FRIDAY First Friday of every month facebook.com/firstfridayoldtownorcutt/. Historic Old Town Orcutt, S. Broadway and Union Ave., Orcutt.

GROW NATIVE PLANTS EVENT Fall is the best time of the year to grow native plants! Transform your garden into a stunning oasis by planting and growing native plants. Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.3 p.m. through Oct. 31 Free. (805) 934-2182. growing-grounds-farm-santa-maria. square.site/. Growing Grounds Farm, 820 W. Foster Rd., Santa Maria.

“OUR LITERARY VOICES BUILD COMMUNITY “ A FREE HALF DAY

LITERARY EVENT Head to the Santa Maria Public Library to meet, listen

to, learn from, dialogue, and connect with five acclaimed regional authors. Oct. 4 1-5 p.m. Free. (805) 994-9536. coastaldunescwc.com. Shepard Hall Art Gallery (Santa Maria Public Library), 421 South McClelland St., Santa Maria.

FOOD & DRINK

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

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.

PARR COLLECTIVE WINEMAKER’S

DINNER Celebrate the season with Parr

Collective! Enjoy a delicious five-course dinner curated, prepared, and paired with the finest wines from the winery. One can expect some wine pairing education from the winemakers, a chance to meet and greet, live music to set the mood, delicious food, and opportunities to make new connections. Oct. 11 6 p.m.

$140. my805tix.com. Cavalier Oceanfront Resort, Cove Room, Cavalier Plaza, 250 San Simeon Ave., San Simeon.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

OCTOBER 2025 CENTRAL COAST

COOKING SHOW Join for the October Cooking Show with Special Guest Chefs to be announced! Oct. 7 4:30-6:30 p.m. $104.59. my805tix.com. Idler’s Home Paso Robles, 2361 Theatre Drive, Paso Robles.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS MARKET Thursdays, 6-9 p.m. Downtown SLO, Multiple locations, San Luis Obispo.

STAGE BRILLIANCE

Showtimes for the new production Every Brilliant Thing will begin on Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Severson Theatre in Santa Maria, and continue through Sunday, Oct. 26. Based on true and fictional stories, the play by Duncan MacMillan, with Jonny Donahoe, celebrates the power of resilience, the intricacy of mental health, and the extraordinary impact of ordinary joys. For tickets and more details, visit pcpa.org.

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.

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.

SAN LUIS OBISPO VEGAN CHEF

CHALLENGE Businesses across the region will showcase exciting special vegan menu items. This event is open

to everyone, not just vegans! Through Oct. 31 veganchefchallenge.org/slo/. At participating businesses, All over the region, San Luis Obispo, (480) 954-1257.

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.

SLO OKTOBERFEST Join the festivities at the annual SLO Oktoberfest, with a variety of German beer, food, games, contests and music. Oct. 4 1-5 p.m. $55. my805tix.com.

Madonna Expo Center, 100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

MONTHLY FERMENTATION CLASSES

Join to expand your knowledge of the fermentation process and get started fermenting at home. We alternate between demonstration and hands-on classes. Second Sunday of every month, 3:30-5 p.m. $30-$50. (805) 801-6627. kulturhausbrewing.com/classes/. New topics each month with a thorough demo and explanation of the process that creates non-alcoholic, probiotic, and nutrient-dense fermentations. Leave the class confident and prepared with recipes to make your own at home. Limited seating; reserve spot prior to class by phone/email. Second Sunday of every month, 3:30-5 p.m. $30. (805) 8016627. kulturhausbrewing.com/classes/. Kulturhaus Brewing Company, 779 Price St., Pismo Beach.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS BAR TAKEOVER THURSDAYS Join us Thursdays to meet and chat with the winemaker of the flight we’re featuring that week. Thursdays, 4-7:30 p.m. $15-$30. (805) 623-5129. Steller’s Cellar, 400 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt, stellerscellar.com.

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.

TAP THURSDAY Head to Tap Thursdays at the Wine Stone Inn every week, featuring $5 draft beers and $5 Cava’s. Thursdays, 3-9 p.m. through April 16 Free. (805) 3323532. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, winestoneinn.com/. m

Arts

The voice

Have you seen Disney’s animated Tarzan (1999)? How about Dexter’s Laboratory (19962003)? Barbie: A Touch of Magic (2023-2024)? Maybe you’re a video gamer. Have you played The Thing: Remastered (2024)? Scavengers (2021)? Minecraft: Walt Disney World of Magic Kingdom Adventure DLC (2021)? World of Warcraft: Legion (2016)? If so, you’ve heard Kat Cressida’s voice. Her IMDb page lists more than 100 TV, film, and videogame credits, and you can meet her live and in person this Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4 and 5, during Ohana Comic Con in the SLO Elks Lodge (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 222 Elks Lane).

She’ll not only sign guests’ own items of her various characters, she’ll also have a variety of 8-by-10s of her most famous characters for signing, as well as many of her Vaulted Funko POP! figures. Bring your Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney collectibles and have them autographed by the voice that has brought characters like Princess Leia of Star Wars Sarah Connor of Terminator and Ripley of Alien to life.

As a three-time cancer survivor, the Disney voiceover actress will be donating 50 percent of the proceeds from this event to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Nurturing nature

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County and Art Center Morro Bay are proud to present Colors of Conservation, an annual showcase of original landscape paintings of protected Central Coast lands by the artists of SLOPE (San Luis Obispo Painters for the Environment) hanging through Monday, Nov. 3. Featured artists include Dennis Curry, Jan French, Hilda Freyre, Dotty Hawthorne, Sandi Heller, Daniel Jones, Joe McFadden, Laurel Sherrie, Gisele Thompson, and Jim Tyler.

The original landscape paintings depict “protected open spaces, historic ranch lands, waterways, and coastal areas,” organizers announced. “The event is organized by SLOPE in partnership with The Land Conservancy of SLO County. The exhibition represents the largest annual collection of original landscape art depicting the county’s preserved natural areas. A portion of all artwork sales will benefit The Land Conservancy’s ongoing conservation efforts. Last year’s Colors of Conservation exhibition generated more than $10,000 in donations to support the organization’s mission.”

Art Center Morro Bay is located at 835 Main St. and is open daily from noon to 4 p.m. Visit artcentermorrobay.org for more information, or call (805) 772-2504.

The Land Conservancy is a community-supported local nonprofit land trust working to protect and restore local landscapes for the benefit of people and wildlife. Visit lcslo.org for more info. Δ Glen Starkey

BY GLEN STARKEY

Spoiler alert!

See the original play Odysseus Dies at the End this month

Good old Odysseus, legendary Greek king of Ithaca, the center of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the cunning dude who dreamed up the Trojan Horse. What a hero!

Not perfect, of course. Hubristic, selfish—he’s a complex guy.

He’s also the subject of a new play written by Central Coast playwright Weston Scott called Odysseus Dies at the End, which is being staged by the Central Coast Shakespeare Festival at Filipponi Ranch.

“Odysseus Dies at the End is adapted from one of Sophocles’ lost plays, Odysseus Acanthoplex,” Scott explained via email. “All that’s left of the play are nine frankly disappointing fragments. It took some work to uncover those, but once I did, I weaved them together into a world where all these secondary characters try to find meaning either in harmony with Odysseus or by trying to end him entirely.”

Scott’s official blurb for his play goes like this: “Odysseus has traveled over the waters, flirted with disaster, and bested every foe. And his friends and

been lucky enough to work on several original plays in collaboration with the directors and playwrights, and Odysseus Dies at the End is the fourth original play I’ve directed.

“For Central Coast Shakespeare, it’s a first. After the pandemic, we devised a one act piece (The Riot of the Tipsy Bacchanal or A Tedious Brief Assembly of Wondrous Hot Ice and Strange Snow: A Love Letter to Shakespeare) with veteran company members, which was an incredibly rewarding process and very successful, but this is the first time we’ve produced a fulllength original script.

Scott has effectively reworked his script.

“Scott’s play has sharp wit, an open heart, and an unflinching search for meaning in what can feel like a meaningless world,” Saba added. “It’s also the company’s first fall production, so we’re embracing the unknowns, the challenges, and so many delights in these new experiences.”

family hate him for it. As Odysseus tries to escape a fateful prophecy, he’ll face a murderous son, a semi-devoted wife, a scorned sea-witch, a boy with a cow, the cow itself, and a Greek chorus all trying to make sense of their lives when everything has always revolved around Odysseus. Adapted from the fragments of a lost Sophocles play, Odysseus Dies at the End examines the life of a legend from the perspective of the people clinging to his coattails. Spoiler alert: He dies at the end.”

The play was first stage in April 2024, where it ran for one weekend at The Lavra in Arroyo Grande. Scott wrote it when he was the resident playwright at Exit Pursued by a Bear, what he describes as “a found-space free theater company” that performs plays in various locations.

“In the last two years, I’ve written nine shows for them, and this play was one of the most immediately well-received,” Scott explained.

“[Central Coast Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director] Zoe [Saba] has been such an incredible friend and advocate since seeing our first show, and she saw this and loved it and later approached me about doing it with Central Coast Shakespeare Festival.”

“Directing—and getting to see—an original play is a relatively rare opportunity, and one I really value,” Saba said via email. “As an actor, I’ve

If you’ve ever been to one of these shows at Filipponi Ranch, they’re an absolute joy, but you must bring a chair or blanket, a picnic if you want, and dress warmly. It can be cold outside. It’s also a bit of a walk from parking to the venue. Wine is available for purchase

“The show is a really fun comedy, and one that’s thoughtful and soulful as well,” Saba said. “The cast is stellar. Several actors are returning to roles they created in the first production at The Lavra with Exit Pursued by a Bear, many who just closed our production of The Merry Wives of Windsor, and they’re joined by other terrific local performers. It’s been a privilege to work with them all.

“And in the rehearsal room, we’ve had Weston refining the script in real time as we explore it on its feet, alongside our dramaturg Diane Mayfield, whose insights enhance our understanding of the work and help us dive deeper into the script by connecting the play’s ancient and modern threads,” Saba continued. “And you don’t want to miss seeing the incredible work our set designer Al Schnupp created, transporting us to the world of Odysseus.”

“I had to give the language a haircut!” Scott said. “So much trimming. Writers love words, and I’d be the first to admit that I occasionally put too many on the page. But when wonderful actors get in the room and start working through the text, they can convey whole speeches with just a look. That’s when a writer steps in and ensures the words don’t get in the way. I also did a comedy comb-through to punch up all of the jokes and one-liners. All of this was work I didn’t get to do during the first production, because I was acting in the show! My energy was spent on memorizing lines and staging. When Zoe asked if I wanted to reprise my role, I told her I would relish the chance to just be the writer in the room.”

The play takes up years after the end of The Odyssey. Odysseus, played by Todd Long, has come home to Ithaca, and Scott has created an interesting setting that “straddles both the classic and the contemporary, which means it takes place in ancient Greece, but the characters know about modern things like Hamilton or piña coladas.” “I hope audiences take the chance to bundle up, pack a picnic, and enjoy a beautiful evening outdoors with us,” Saba said. “All shows are ‘pay what you can’ donations taken online or at the door. And I hope they take advantage of this rare opportunity to see original work performed, produced, and written by artists who live right here on the Central Coast.” ∆

Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@ newtimesslo.com.

Support original theater!

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival is mounting a production of playwright Weston Scott’s new original play Odysseus Dies at the End, running for two weekends only, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4 and 5, and 11 and 12, on the outdoor stage at Filipponi Ranch. Tickets are pay what you can with $6.50 to $33 suggested, available through centralcoastshakespeare.org.

AUTHOR, AUTHOR Local playwright Weston Scott penned Odysseus Dies at the End based on fragments of a lost Sophocles play.

TROJAN WARSHIPS Mounted at the Central Coast Shakespeare Festival on the outdoor stage at Filipponi Ranch, Odysseus Dies at the End takes up after the events of Homer’s The Odyssey

COURTESY PHOTOS BY HEATHER MACLEOD

CHORUS Tyler Lopez, Mark Klassen, and Ashley Moses play the Greek Chorus, traditionally used to comment on the action, offer moral guidance, or express emotion.

COURTESY PHOTO BY WESTON SCOTT

Hold tight!

Inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, The Master) weaves this story about Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), a former revolutionary now living a paranoid existence off the grid with his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). When Bob’s old nemesis, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), resurfaces after 16 years and Willa goes missing, Bob springs into action to find her while facing the consequences of his past. (108 min.)

Glen Penn is the real star of this show. He thoroughly embodies Steve Lockjaw, a military leader whose assignments always seem to be running immigration detention facilities. Penn sticks his jaw out and struts around like he’s got a steel rod shoved up his ass that’s fused to his spine. His performance is riveting. As the film opens, members of the revolutionary group French 75 are preparing to liberate his concentration camp and free his prisoners. That sets up the ongoing tension between Lockjaw, Bob, and Bob’s love interest and the mother of his future child, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), another French 75 revolutionary. Along the way, ultra right-wing nationalists get involved, and when Lockjaw shows up, Willa’s karate sensei, Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio del Toro), becomes instrumental to Bob’s mission to find Willa. It’s a helluva ride, with a wry sense of humor—very much a commentary on today’s America.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

What’s it rated? R

What’s it worth, Anna? Full price

What’s it worth, Glen? Full price

Where’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, Palm, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In

Anna Perfidia is a natural leader—resolute, constant, and steely. Bob is the guy to go to when something needs blowing up—softer but still a resolute revolutionary. When Perfidia becomes a mother, her focus doesn’t shift to her new life the same way that Bob’s

THE

THURSDAY MURDER CLUB

What’s it rated? PG-13

When? 2025

Where’s it showing? Netflix

Based on Richard Osmen’s novel, this slice-of-life film follows three retirees who welcome in a new recruit to their whodunit club, The Thursday Murder Club. Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley star as the founding members of the crew with Celia Imrie as their new recruit, Joyce. Joyce is a retired nurse, so her medical knowledge is a real get for the curious crew. The group is bound and determined to solve every cold case that crosses their path, but it

does. Baby or no baby, Perfidia won’t stop or slow her participation in revolutionary acts the French 75 are inciting. The film’s first 30 minutes are frenetic dialogue and carefully crafted chaos, but when we pull back into the larger scope of the story, it all swirls back into a much more complicated madness at hand. You are spot on about Penn’s performance as Lockjaw; he was so lost in the role there were times that I questioned who I was watching onscreen. You have to be committed for this one at almost 2.75-hours, but Anderson does amazing work, and this is no exception. Poignant and relevant, it speaks to the atrocities we see happening all around at this very moment. Glen It’s also a story about the families we choose. These revolutionaries believe in something greater than themselves … until they’re caught and trapped. Willa loves her dad, Bob, but also recognizes he’s broken. We all wish the world was right and just, but who’s willing to risk everything to change

BLACK RABBIT

What’s it rated? TV-MA

When? 2025

turns out they have a hot one on their hands when one of the owners of their retirement community turns up dead. The crew’s cozy lifestyle is threatened when the remaining owner, Ian (David Tennant), makes moves to turn the property into luxury rentals—ousting all the residents who call Coopers Chase home.

Cheesy as can be and light as air-popped popcorn, this straight-to-streaming flick boasts an impressive cast with a little too little to do, but these pros manage to keep the fun coming anyway. Anyone out there with a bit of armchair detective in them and an affection for these older stars will have fun watching them piece together this puzzle. (118 min.)

—Anna

(Pierce Brosnan),

(Ben Kingsley), Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), and

(Celia

it? It’s a deeply complicated set of ideas Anderson is juggling, but that’s his M.O. as a filmmaker. He’s always ready to examine the complicated. He also embraces Pynchon’s sense of the absurd. Characters named Lockjaw, Junglepussy, and Sergio St. Carlos? A white nationalist organization called the Christmas Adventurers Club? It’s brilliant and ridiculous, and I loved it. Anna I definitely felt some self-examination going on throughout. Where we land and what we say we stand for and what we are willing to do can feel worlds apart. That’s how the masses get pushed down and stay down. This film doesn’t sugar coat or come with a bright light. Instead, I think Anderson hopes to leave us with both some resolve but also maybe a state of lostness. History is happening, and complacency spells death for many, even if it isn’t you. All that said, I laughed so much. Anderson has a knack for getting the balance just right. See it! ∆

Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.

Where’s it showing? Netflix

Created by Zach Baylin (King Richard, Creed III, The Order) and Kate Susman, this crime thriller miniseries focuses on the Friedken brothers, Jake (Jude Law), proprietor of NYC hotspot Black Rabbit, and his chaotic brother, Vince (Jason Batemen), who after a period of estrangement comes back into Jake’s life, bringing with him a whole litany of problems and debt. Jake seems like he has it all. His restaurant is pumping, and his apartment is enviable, but he’s also bleeding money to pay for his son’s private school and alimony to his ex. He’s also

sick of the grind of running a popular nightspot and being the one left standing every night to clean up after the party. Then there’s Vince, who’s an absolute hot mess of a human being. A degenerate gambler, he returns to New York owning loan shark Joe Mancuso (Troy Kotsur) $140K in past debt. The series busies itself with Jake and Vince trying to figure out how to make things right while juggling the issues of the many side players. All eight episodes are out now, making it very

HAUNTED Leonardo DiCaprio stars as ex-revolutionary, Bob, who’s forced to confront his past when his daughter goes missing, in One Battle After Another, screening in local theaters.

TROUBLE IN MIND Brothers Jake (Jude Law) and Vince (Jason Bateman) navigate a dangerous criminal underworld as they operate a trendy NYC eatery, in Black Rabbit, streaming on Netflix.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

MURDERINOS Ron

Ibrahim

Joyce

Imrie) are retirees and amateur sleuths, in The Thursday Murder Club, streaming on Netflix.

COURTESY PHOTO BY GILES KEYTE/NETFLIX

Music

BY GLEN STARKEY

Irie in Avila

Rebelution headlines a massive two-day reggae show

It’s been more than 20 years since a quintet of UCSB students joined forces in Isla Vista to become Rebelution. Throughout 2004 and 2005, they grew their fanbase playing local shows and releasing an independent EP. By 2007, they released Courage to Grow, their full-length debut, which almost immediately got radio traction on stations like San Diego’s 91X, LA’s KROQ, and SF’s Live 105.

Since that collegiate beginning, they’ve been on an upward trajectory, releasing seven more albums, the next five peaking at No. 1 on the U.S. reggae charts. Falling into Place (2016) also garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album.

In 2021, their seventh album, In the Moment, peaked at No. 2. Their newest, Reflections (2023), is now available on all streaming platforms.

Grab your last gasp of summer fun when Good Vibes and Otter Productions host the Rebelution Good Vibes Cali Tour over two nights at Avila Beach Golf Resort on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 8 and 10 (doors at 4 p.m., show at 5; all ages; general admission starting at $76.85 at tixr.com). The event also features Pepper, The Elovaters, Aurorawave, and DJ Mackle

All cool acts, but keep your eye on genre-

Live Music

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BLUES AGENDA JAM AND SHOWCASE

A rockin’ blues dance party at Niffy’s Merrimaker every first, third, and now fifth Wednesdays. The Blues Asylum house band welcomes local, visiting, and newcomers to the blues groove. Spirits, beer, and wine, with outside food welcome. Every other Wednesday, 7-10 p.m. Free. (805) 235-5223. The Merrimaker Tavern, 1301 2nd Street, Los Osos.

DIRTY CELLO LIVE The world traveling band Dirty Cello will perform live at the Bay Theatre, having played everywhere from an Icelandic cowboy festival, to a monastery in Italy. Don’t miss them bringing their high energy Americana, blues, and rock. Oct. 5 2 p.m. DirtyCello.com. Bay Theatre, 464 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay.

FROM THE FOUR DIRECTIONS -- A

CELEBRATION OF WORLD MUSIC & CULTURES! Flamenco dancer “La Gitane”

bending SoCal act Aurorawave, which mixes reggae, rock, and metal into a sound they call reggaecore.

Also from Good Vibez over at the Fremont Theater, see The Growlers frontman Brooks Nielsen on Saturday, Oct. 4 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $60.74 at prekindle.com). Nielsen helped define and popularize the Beach Goth movement—“a genre-blurring, countercultural wave that left an indelible mark on modern rock,” according to his bio.

The Grammy Award-winning New Orleans act The Rebirth Brass Band comes to the venue on Thursday, Oct. 9 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $46.32 at prekindle. com). Founded by brothers Phil and Keith Frazier more than 35 years ago, the band began playing on the sidewalks of the French Quarter. Now they’re world famous.

Bedouin desert rock

Ready for something different? Then check out Takaat when they play Atascadero’s Dark Nectar Coffee (5915 Entrada Ave.) on Saturday, Oct. 4 (8 p.m.; all ages; $10).

The trio is the rhythm section for Nigerien guitarist and singer-songwriter Mdou Moctar, and like Mdou’s songs, the band’s chantlike lyrics are in Tamashek. As a solo act, they deliver multicultural punk and experimental jazz sounds. Their debut EP is called Is Noise, Vol.1. But that’s not all. Plus Minus, a local experimental band, and LA’s punk act Parade of Horribles will open the show. So. Underground.

(the Gypsy) is set to perform with renowned Bay Area guitarist Ricardo Diaz. Also hear composer, multi-instrumentalist, and Cal Poly professor Ken Habib, performing Arab music. Oct. 12 , 2-4 p.m. $20, $15 for students. (805) 709-2227. Red Barn at Los Osos Community Park, 2180 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.

LISTENING AS RITUAL Group listening sessions with musician/musicologist Ben Gerstein. Explore remarkable recordings of world music, nature field recording, western classical and contemporary, and jazz, sharing and discussing inspiration and perspectives on the expressive power of peoples, cultures, animals and habitats through sonic experience. Every other Monday, 7-8:15 p.m. $10-$15 donation. (805) 305-1229. leftcoastartstudio.com/. Left Coast Art Studio, 1188 Los Osos Valley Rd., Los Osos.

OPEN MIC NIGHT Each Wednesday, enjoy

Fifteen acts

Oh, Numbskull and Good Medicine, are you trying to kill live music lovers with all your shows this week? Visit goodmedicinepresents.com for the details, but here’s the quick lowdown. Southern rockers Sister Hazel plays The Siren on Friday, Oct. 3 (7 p.m.; 21-andolder; $40.89 at goodmedicinepresents.com).

Maybe you remember the Florida band’s 1997 breakout hit, “All for You.” Willy Tea Taylor & The Fellership (which includes the two members of The Turkey

this Open Mic Night in the downstairs dining area. Grab some friends and show off your talents. Food and drink service will be available. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Free. (805) 995-3883. schoonerscayucos.com. Schooners, 171 North Ocean Ave, Cayucos. TRIBUTE TO EMMYLOU HARRIS AND STEVE EARLE Emmylou Harris is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana genre in the 1990s. Steve Earle is a protege of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, and became a master storyteller in his own right, with his songs being recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, and yes, Emmylou Harris. Oct. 5, 2-4 p.m. $25. my805tix.com. Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre, 1350 Main St., Cambria.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

BURLEY THISTLES Burley Thistles is

an alternative rock band known for their authentic guitar-driven sound, lyrics, and memorable songs. Oct. 3 5-7 p.m. Sun Outdoors Central Coast Wine Country, 2500 Airport Rd, Paso Robles, (805) 238-4560. Hear Burley Thistles, an alternative rock band known for their authentic guitar-driven sound, lyrics, and memorable songs. Oct. 11 1-4 p.m. Bethel Road Distillery, 1266 N. Bethel Road, Templeton, (805) 434-0319.

EASTON EVERETT Easton Everett is a singer-songwriter who blends indie folk, neo-folk, and world beat with intricate fingerstyle guitar. Oct. 4 4-7 p.m. McPrice Myers Wine Company, 3525 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles, (805) 237-1245, mcpricemyers. com. Easton Everett is a singer-songwriter who blends indie folk, neo-folk, and world beat with intricate fingerstyle guitar. Oct. 11, 6-9 p.m. Paso Robles Inn Cattleman’s Lounge, 103 Spring Street, Paso Robles, (805) 238-2660.

Buzzards) plays Club Car Bar on Friday, Oct. 3 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $16.17 at goodmedicinepresents. com) with folk duo The Montvales opening. Taylor’s songwriting is inspired from “living the life of a cattleman’s kid and experiencing true visionaries’ music like Greg Brown, John Hartford, and Guy Clark,” his bio explains. Country rocker Stephen Styles plays on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Club Car Bar (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $16.17 at goodmedicinepresents. com). His dad’s Wayne Moore, bassist for the ’60s musical group, Nashville West. Punk act SWMRS plays SLO’s The Libertine on Saturday, Oct. 4 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $24.41 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Pronounced “swimmers,” they’re inspired by groups from the Beach Boys to the Ramones. Pancho & The Wizards opens.

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter David Nail plays BarrelHouse Brewing on Sunday, Oct. 5 (6 p.m.; all ages; $36.77 or $88.27 meet-and-greet experience at goodmedicinepresents.com) with Truxton Mile opening. “My philosophy has always been, I just hope to have a good enough year that I can have a next year while staying as true to myself as I possibly can,”

FRIDAY NIGHT DJ Weekly DJ series, with a different DJ every Friday. Presented by friends at Traffic Record store in Atascadero. Come listen, dance, drink, and unwind every Friday. All ages event; no cover charge. Fridays, 7-10 p.m. (805) 460-6042. ancientowlbeergarden.com. Ancient Owl Beer Garden, 6090 El Camino Real, suite C, Atascadero.

LEGEND ZEPPELIN Experience the unbridled energy and raw intensity of Led Zeppelin’s live performances like never before with Legend Zeppelin, the world’s first and only “Bootleg Band.” Oct. 9 7 p.m. $35. my805tix.com. Templeton Performing Arts Center, 1200 S. Main St., Templeton, (805) 225-7087.

LILA FORDE WITH TWO PAPER SQUARES LIVE AT CLUB CAR BAR Hear Seattle-born singer/songwriter Lila Forde perform live, blending old-school jazz, R&B, and folk. Tickets are now available to

this all-ages show. Oct. 9 7-10 p.m. $10.41. my805tix.com. Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

PADEREWSKI FESTIVAL YOUTH PIANO COMPETITION - APPLICATION FEE The Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles annual Youth Piano Competition will be live and held in person in Downtown Paso Robles. The Youth Piano Competition fee is required when completing your application. Oct. 12 $50. (805) 801-6784. my805tix.com. Park Ballroom, 1232 Park St., 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. Oct. 12 , 6:30-10:30 p.m. $55 - $140. (805) 226-4287. sensoriopaso. com/sensorio-celebrations. Sensorio, 4380 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles.

LIVE MUSIC continued page 27

STILL IN THE MOMENT Rebelution headlines two nights of reggae at the Avila Beach Golf Resort on Oct. 9 and 10.

WELCOME TO THE UNDERGROUND Takaat brings their multicultural, punk, experimental, jazz to Atascadero’s Dark Nectar Coffee on Oct. 4.

COURTESY PHOTO BY AMGHY CHACON AND CEM MISIRLIOGLU

WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN’ GOING ON Madman pianist Jason D. Williams brings his wall-shaking show to The Siren on Oct. 9 .

PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON D. WILLIAMS

¡ARRIBA! Cal Poly Arts presents Mexican singer Camila Fernández at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo on Oct. 8.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAL POLY ARTS

Nail said in press materials.

Nashville’s tattooed, rural, and blue-collar country duo Lakeview (Jesse Denaro and Luke Healy) plays The Siren on Tuesday, Oct. 7 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $18 or $68 VIP at goodmedicinepresents.com) with Brandon Wisham opening.

Rip-roaring pianist Jason D. Williams headlines the Honky Tonk Honkies show at The Siren on Thursday, Oct. 9 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $32.65 at goodmedicinepresents. com) with Supersuckers and Wayne The Train Hancock. Seattle-born singer-songwriter Lila Forde plays Club Car Bar on Thursday, Oct. 9 (7 p.m.; all ages; $12.56 at goodmedicinepresents.com) with Two Paper Squares opening. Forde cut her teeth “singing in choirs, studying jazz in college, and steeping herself in the classics—including

SINGING HANDS CHILDREN’S CHOIR A unique performing arts group that performs across the state for deaf festivals, service organizations, churches, fairs, and other outlets. New members always welcome. Registration open weekly. Mondays, 5-6:30 p.m. $45 tuition per month. singinghandschildrenschoir.com/. Singing Hands Children’s Choir and Performing Arts, 1413 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Fresh off its latest art and music installation, Sensorio Paso Robles announces its Summer Concert Series, running from the beginning of June until October, featuring exciting live acts. Oct. 12 $55 - $140. (805) 226-4287. sensoriopaso.com/sensorio-celebrations. Sensorio, 4380 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

BEACH FOSSILS, LAUNDER, AND GIRLPUPPY LIVE Get tickets and more details to this 18+ show at the link. Oct. 2 7 p.m. $36.46. slobrew.com. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843.

BROOKS NIELSEN (OF THE GROWLERS) LIVE Brooks Nielsen, celebrated frontman of The Growlers and now a critically acclaimed solo artist, has firmly established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in independent music. Hear his solo work live at the Fremont. Oct. 4 8 p.m. $60.74. fremontslo.com. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 546-8600.

CAMILA FERNÁNDEZ Camila Fernández, rising star of the Fernández family, blends mariachi tradition with modern flair, shaping Mexican regional music with authenticity, elegance, and a powerful voice. Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m. (805) 756-4849. calpolyarts. org/20252026-season/camila-fernandez. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

CUESTA WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT Join the Cuesta Wind Ensemble for an evening of wind music classics by great American and international composers. Jennifer Martin is set to conduct. Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m. $17 General, $10 Students w/ID. (805) 546-3198. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo. THE EMO NIGHT TOUR The Emo Night Tour Band will play some of the biggest emo songs in existence with the ENT DJ’s spinning all the angst your teenage dirtbag heart desires all night long. Oct. 11 8 p.m. $27.78. fremontslo.com. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 546-8600.

LUCÍA Winner of the 2022 Sarah Vaughan Jazz Vocal Competition, blends jazz and Latin influences. Her debut showcases stunning vocals and a style redefining global jazz. Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m. (805) 756-4849. calpolyarts.org/20252026-season/lucia. Spanos Theatre, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

MANNEQUIN PUSSY LIVE Oct. 5, 8 p.m. $39.11. fremontslo.com. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 546-8600.

to John

Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nancy Wilson,” her bio explains.

Two more in MB

In addition to the Numbskull and Good Medicine shows, The Siren hosts two of its own this week. Americana and rock singersongwriter Cole Gallagher and the Lesser Saints play on Saturday, Oct. 4 (2 to 5 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). To get a taste, check out his borderland drama video for “Chatting Through Steel,” featuring David Hidalgo of Los Lobos.

Escape (The Ultimate Journey Tribute) comes to the club on Saturday, Oct. 4 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $26.42 at tixr.com), with Frampton Comes Alive opening. Classic rock!

Norteño, corrido, y banda Vina Robles Amphitheatre hosts

STARKEY continued page 28

PLAY IT FORWARD AT THE ROCK Experience Play it Forward at The Rock, an exciting public celebration featuring local artists in celebration of our wonderful donors and community here on the Central Coast. Proceeds will directly support CAPSLO’s local programs, including the 40 Prado Homeless Services Center—a year-round facility offering shelter, meals, medical care, case management, and more for those experiencing homelessness. Your support helps sustain vital services that move individuals and families toward health, stability, and long-term self-sufficiency. Oct. 11 7-10 p.m. $10$30. my805tix.com. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843.

WHIP IT! A WEST COAST SWING PARTY Westies, groove with Nexus’ West Coast Swing jam! An intermediate WCS lesson will be held at 7 p.m., followed by social dancing at 8! Oct. 4, 7-11 p.m. $10. nexusslo.com. Nexus SLO, 3845 S Higuera St.( Lower Level), San Luis Obispo, (805) 904-7428.

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.

ABBA LA: THE ABBA CONCERT EXPERIENCE Experience ABBAmania with ABBA LA, a dazzling 8-piece tribute packed with iconic hits, costumes, lights, and nonstop sing-along, clap-along, dancefloor joy for all ages! Oct. 4 7:30-9:30 p.m. $45-$60, Premium $65. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

BLANK SPACE - THE UNOFFICIAL TAYLOR SWIFT TRIBUTE STARRING OLIVIA MORETTI Clark Center Presents: BLANK SPACE - The Unofficial Taylor Swift Tribute, starring Olivia Moretti. Oct. 11, 2-3:30 & 7:30-9 p.m. $49-$69, Platinum $79; Senior & Student Discounts. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande. CENTRAL COAST HARMONY CHORUS INVITES SINGERS TO JOIN FOR HOLIDAY PERFORMANCES Men and women are invited! No prior experience is necessary - just a love of music. Call or email for more information. Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. through Dec. 18 $20. (805) 736-7572. ccharmony.org. Nipomo Senior Center, 200 E. Dana St., Nipomo.

KARAOKE AT SLO COUNTY’S ONLY FILIPINO CAFE Join for all day, all ages karaoke hosted at SLO County’s only brick and mortar Filipino cafe, Lumpia Bros Cafe. Enjoy karaoke, filipino dishes, acai, and coffee. Tuesdays-Saturdays-6 p.m. through Dec. 31 Free. (805) 202-8473. Lumpia Bros Cafe, 1187 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

KARAOKE EVERY WEDNESDAY A weekly event with barbecue

page 26

LIVE MUSIC from page 26

ILLEGAL SMILE Longstraw and Jody Mulgrew pay tribute

Prine at Sweet Springs Saloon on Oct. 3.

PHOTO

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trailblazing regional Mexican band Eslabon Armado on Saturday, Oct. 11 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $54 to $104 at ticketmaster.com). This is rescheduled from its original concert date on June 20, and previously purchased tickets will be honored.

México otra vez

Cal Poly Arts has two amazing Mexican vocalists coming this week, starting with Camila Fernández on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Performing Arts Center in SLO (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $32 to $55 at calpolyarts.org). Born in Guadalajara, Fernández is the only female voice of the Fernández dynasty. Next, Lucía plays on Thursday, Oct. 9 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $45 at calpolyarts.org), in the Spanos Theatre. “Three years ago, the 23-year-old became the first Mexican finalist—and winner—at the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition,” Cal Poly Arts announced. “Her performance of ‘What a Difference a Day Makes,’ blending English jazz ballad, Spanish bolero, and zapateado dance, marked her unique style.”

Also at the PAC in SLO

Southern rock icons The Marshall Tucker Band play the Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Oct. 7 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $70 to $92 at pacslo.org). Formed in 1972, they’ve had hits with songs like “Heard It in a Love Song,” “Can’t You See,” “Fire on the Mountain,” “Long Hard Ride,” and “Ramblin.”

Prine time

“In spite of ourselves/ We’ll end up a-sittin’ on

offerings and more. Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m. Rancho Nipomo BBQ, 108 Cuyama Ln., Nipomo, (805) 925-3500.

THE LOUNGE AT BESO An upscale after-hours nightclub experience. With limited capacity and a dress code. For ages 21 and over. Fridays, 10 p.m. my805tix.com. Beso Cocina, 1050 Willow Road, Nipomo.

MARIACHI DIVAS DE CINDY SHEA Clark Center Presents: The Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea. Oct. 5, 7-9 p.m. $45-$65; Senior & Student Discounts. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

MUSIC WITH A VIEW - OPEN GATES AT THE CHAPMAN

ESTATE GARDEN Enjoy Open Gates at the seaside Chapman Estate in Shell Beach. Bring a picnic dinner and music, tables, chairs, and views will be supplied. Docent-led garden tours are available. Fridays, 5-7:30 p.m. through Oct. 24 $5/person + $5 for Docent tours (optional). chapmanestatefoundation.org/. Chapman Estate, Private residence, Shell Beach.

REELIN’ IN THE YEARS - CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF STEELY DAN Minerva Presents: Reelin’ in the Years - Celebrating the Music of Steely Dan. Oct. 9, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $39-$65. (805) 4899444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

SOLEDAD BARRIO & NOCHE FLAMENCA - SEARCHING FOR GOYA Noche Flamenca’s latest creation is an evocative flamenco performance inspired by the powerful imagery of Francisco de Goya. Hear them live at Clark Center for the Performing Arts! Oct. 3 7:30-9:30 p.m. $49-$79, Platinum $85; Senior & Student Discounts. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

a rainbow/ Against all odds/ Honey, we’re the big door prize/ We’re gonna spite our noses/ Right off of our faces/ There won’t be nothin’ but big old hearts/ Dancin’ in our eyes.”

Nobody wrote songs like John Prine, who passed in 2020 at the age of 73, but Morro Bay crooner, Jody Mulgrew, and local Americana journeymen, Longstraw, are teaming up to present Illegal Smile, “the Central Coast’s newest and only John Prine tribute act,” they said. On Friday, Oct. 3, Illegal Smile will present “a celebration of the music, wisdom, and humor of the late great John Prine” at Sweet Springs Saloon (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $10 at the door).

The night will also feature sets from Mulgrew and Longstraw performing their original tunes.

Whisper it …

If you dig The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles, go see Rosebud, playing Friday, Oct. 3, at the Olde Alehouse’s outdoor stage in Los Osos (6 to 9 p.m.; all ages; free), and again on Saturday, Oct. 4, in Paso’s Dark Star Cellars (1 to 4 p.m.; all ages; free).

“Rosebud is firing on all cylinders these days with new material, vocal harmonies, and a band that stretches out while maintaining in sync,” Rosebud member Scott Cooper (also of China Cats) said. “Rosebud includes Fred Rodriguez and Andy Birchett (formerly of SLO’s Three-Legged Dawg) and drummer Jerry Saracini (formerly of Chuck Rainey’s touring band). Keyboard player and band namesake Lachlann ‘Citizen’ Kane is unable to make these performances due to scheduling conflicts.” ∆

Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.

Senior Center, 510 Park Ave., Santa Maria. LADIES NIGHT OUT Music by DJ Van Gloryious and DJ Panda. Features delicious daiquiri specials. Thursdays, 8 p.m.-midnight Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866. LIVE MUSIC AND FOOD BY LOBO BUTCHER SHOP Check out live music every Friday night from a variety of artists at Steller’s Cellar in Old Orcutt. Dinner served by Lobo Butcher Shop between 5 and 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 5-9 p.m. Varies according to food options. (805) 623-5129. stellerscellar.com. Steller’s Cellar, 405 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt.

LIVE MUSIC AT STELLER’S CELLAR Various local musicians rotate each Friday. Fridays, 6-8:30 p.m. Free. Steller’s Cellar, 400 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 623-5129, stellerscellar.com.

MUSIC AT ROSCOE’S KITCHEN Live DJ and karaoke every Friday and Saturday night. Featured acts include Soul Fyah Band, DJ Nasty, DJ Jovas, and more. Fridays, Saturdays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.

MUSIC LESSONS AT COELHO ACADEMY Learn to play piano, drums, guitar, base, ukulele, or violin, or take vocal lessons. ongoing (805) 925-0464. coelhomusic.com/Lessons/lessons.html. Coelho Academy of Music, 325 E. Betteravia Rd., Santa Maria. SUNDAY NIGHT FUN End the weekend with some good vibes. Music by DJ Van Gloryious. Sundays, 8 p.m.-midnight Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG

COLIN HAY Colin Hay will perform live at Lobero Theatre. Oct.

A TASTE OF IRELAND - THE IRISH MUSIC & DANCE

SENSATION Pace Live Presents: A Taste of Ireland - The Irish Music & Dance Sensation. Oct. 7 7:30-9:30 p.m. $45-$75. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

HAPPY HOUR MUSIC SERIES Enjoy live music at the winery most Friday evenings. Check site for concert schedule. Fridays presquilewine.com. Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, (805) 937-8110.

HAWAII IN OCTOBER Santa Maria Valley Senior Citizens presents a “Hawaii in October” dance with Riptide Big Band. Oct. 12 , 1:30-4 p.m. Free. (775) 813-5186. RiptideBB.com. Elwin Mussell

8 7:30-9:30 p.m. $60 - $122. (805) 963-0761. lobero.org/. Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido, Santa Barbara. KARAOKE AT COLD COAST BREWING CO. Pick out a song, bring your friends, and get ready to perform. Wednesdays, 6-9 p.m. COLD Coast Brewing Company, 118 W Ocean Ave., Lompoc, (805) 819-0723, coldcoastbrewing.com.

THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND Graystone Productions presents The Marshall Tucker Band. Hear them live at Lobero Theatre. Oct. 5 7:30-9:30 p.m. $92 - $97. (805) 963-0761. lobero.org/. Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido, Santa Barbara.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

LIVE MUSIC SUNDAYS Sundays, 2-6 p.m. Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W. Hwy 246, Buellton, (805) 686-1208, brickbarnwineestate.com. WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W. Hwy 246, Buellton, (805) 686-1208, brickbarnwineestate.com. ∆

Oyster outings

Culinary adventures highlight Morro Bay’s famed

For oyster aficionados, multiple experiences beckon in Morro Bay, one of only six production sites in the Golden State.

Kayak the calm waters of the bay for an immersive adventure with Central Coast Outdoors or enjoy wine pairings with the tasty mollusks ashore at Absolution Cellars.

The common ingredient for the oyster outings is seasoned oyster farmer and Los Osos native Margot Kandarian, store manager at Grassy Bar Oyster Co. and owner of Flying Colors Co., a mobile oyster bar.

“This new tour visits Grassy Bar Oyster Co.’s farm location in the middle of beautiful Morro Bay National Estuary by kayak,” said John Flaherty, co-owner of Central Coast Outdoors. “Once there, trained Central Coast Outdoors guides explain in detail how the oyster farm works and answer questions about the operation.”

Back at the kayak docks, Kandarian further dives into oystering and leads the culinary portion of the adventure.

The intimate two-and-a-half-hour tours are

limited to 16 guests and cost $95 per person, with all kayak gear, a waterproof fleece blanket, water, snacks, and six oysters included.

The next outing on Oct. 11 is sold out, but there is still space on Nov. 13, the final tour of the season. Private experiences may be arranged, and public tours will resume in the spring.

“The Grassy Bar Oyster Co. farm is located about halfway between the state park marina and the shore in Los Osos,” Kandarian said. “I would say it probably takes 20 to 30 minutes to kayak out there, depending on the tide and wind.”

Grassy Bar, founded by George Trevelyan in 2009 and now co-owned by local Nathan Reiss and San Pedro-based Holdfast Aquaculture, actively farms seven of its 150 state-leased acres.

After about one and a half hours on the water, kayakers return to the dock, “where I give a short talk about oyster farming in Morro Bay, answer any questions, give a shucking demonstration, and then assist guests in shucking their own oysters,” Kandarian said.

“It’s been super fun so far,” she added, noting that the inaugural tour launched in August.

“On the tour we typically shuck extra small oysters—our smallest size,” she explained. “They are Pacific oysters—the most common variety

farmed on the West Coast, with seed originally from Japan. I would describe the oysters as briny with a sweet, melon-y finish. Sauces offered on the tour include our house-made mignonette— Grassy Splash—which is a cilantro-jalapeñobased mignonette. Cocktail sauce, horseradish, and citrus are offered too.”

For the pop-ups, Kandarian often features two different mignonettes based on farmers market produce.

Meet the mermmelier

For oyster enthusiasts who would prefer to skip the kayaking and leave the shucking to the expert, Kandarian offers a seaside popup experience in downtown Morro Bay in partnership with Absolution Cellars on the first Tuesday of every month.

Book kayak and oyster-tasting tours with Central Coast Outdoors at centralcoastoutdoors.com, oyster and wine pairings with Absolution Cellars at absolutioncellars.com, and mobile oyster bar services with mermmelier Margot Kandarian on Instagram @flyingcolorsco. Learn more about Morro Bay oysters at grassybaroyster.com and morrobayoysters.com.

For $30 per guest and $20 for wine-club members, Kandarian shucks six oysters to pair with Absolution wines.

“We love our collaboration with Margot and Flying Colors,” said Dirk Neumann, winemaker and owner of Absolution. “We did our first one in June of 2024 and have been doing it monthly since then and will continue to do so. Customers love it. We have a great mix of regulars and new folks each month.

“The oysters are always super fresh, and her mignonettes are amazing. People have so much fun mixing and matching because not only can they try different mignonettes, but also three different wines, and because we make so many different wines, there is always a new flight each month—typically a white, a rosé, and a lighter-style red. Yes, you can drink red wine with oysters!”

“They change seasonally depending on what’s growing and depending on what wines the hosting venue is wanting to pair with the oysters,” Kandarian said. “Right now I have been doing a lot of stone fruit mignonettes like peach or plum, red fruit mignonettes like raspberry or strawberry, sometimes an Asianinspired cucumber mignonette. It’s almost time for a couple of my favorites—pear and pomegranate.”

Kandarian sources oysters for the popups from throughout the country, though “oysters farmed in Morro Bay are some of my favorites,” she said.

“Another of my favorites is Glidden Point Oyster Farms in Maine,” she continued. “When I do shucking workshops, I usually will try to do both a West Coast and an East Coast oyster to do a little side-by-side tasting.”

Morro Bay is farmed by two primary producers, Grassy Bar and Morro Bay Oyster Company, and Kandarian has worked at both establishments.

The former preschool teacher-turned-oyster farmer wanted a job that would get her outdoors.

“My dad is a farmer, so I felt like I somewhat knew what to expect from farming,” she said,

SHE SELLS SEASHELLS Margot Kandarian—store manager at Grassy Bar Oyster Co. and owner of Flying Colors Co., a mobile oyster bar—transports oyster bags from Grassy Bar’s tumble lines in Morro Bay to a barge to be hand-sorted.

SHUCKING 101 Central Coast Outdoors’ kayak and oyster-tasting tour in Morro Bay includes learning how to shuck the mollusks, which instructor Margot Kandarian of Grassy Bar Oyster Co. says boils down to a good knife and a lot of practice.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CENTRAL COAST OUTDOORS

COURTESY OF MARGOT KANDARIAN

California. This is part of why oyster farming is more prevalent in Oregon and Washington.”

“but the added element of working on the water was totally new to me.”

She started oyster farming in 2020 and rose to the ranks of farm manager for Morro Bay Oyster, then launched Flying Colors in 2023. In 2024, she left Morro Bay Oyster for Grassy Bar and became store manager in 2025.

Local oysters—Pacific from Grassy Bar and Pacific Gold from Morro Bay Oyster—benefit from their unique aquatic environment.

Grassy bar uses tumble lines—a type of growing system where the oysters are enclosed in mesh bags that have a float on one end. The bags are attached to a high-tension wire that is horizontal and suspended about 3 feet off the bay floor with vertical PVC poles.

“So each time the tide rises and falls, the bags are tipping back and forth, which puts a little bit more stress on the oysters and causes them to grow a deeper, and more desirable, cup-shaped shell,” Kandarian explained. Δ

“In general, oyster farming requires a bay where at low tide the lines and gear are accessible or on the mud to do maintenance, but also where it is submerged in deep enough water … for the oysters to grow,” Kandarian said. “There are not a lot of bays like that in

Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte admires Margot’s passion for her profession. She’ll be savoring mouth-watering mollusks at cwhyte@ newtimesslo.com.

PLUMP PICKS Grassy Bar’s Pacific oysters are hand-raised in Southern-Central California. The seeds are hatched at Holdfast Aquaculture in San Pedro, then cultivated in Morro Bay.

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NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE

(The above statement is made pursuant to CA Civil Code Section 2923.3(d)(1). The Summary will be provided to Trustor(s) and/or vested owner(s) only, pursuant to CA Civil Code Section 2923.3(d) (2).) YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED July 21, 2015. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER.

On December 2, 2025 at 11:00 AM, in the breezeway adjacent to the County General Services Building, 1087 Santa Rosa Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408, MTC Financial Inc. dba Trustee Corps, as the duly Appointed Trustee, under and pursuant to the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust recorded on July 29, 2015 as Instrument No. 2015038344, of official records in the Office of the Recorder of San Luis Obispo County, California, executed by YANCEY SUE VAN BAVEL, A SINGLE WOMAN, as Trustor(s), in favor of MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., as Beneficiary, as nominee for AMERICAN ADVISORS GROUP as Beneficiary, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, in lawful money of the United States, all payable at the time of sale, that certain property situated in said County, California describing the land therein as: SEE EXHIBIT “A” ATTACHED HERETO AND MADE A PART HEREOF EXHIBIT “A” THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED REAL PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF GROVER BEACH, COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: THE NORTHERLY 50 FEET OF LOTS 5 AND 6 IN THE BLOCK 77 OF THE TOWN OF GROVER, ACCORDING TO MAP RECORDED NOVEMBER 23, 1982, BOOK A, PAGE 6 OF MAPS, PER OFFICIAL RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY RECORDER OF SAID COUNTY, BOOK 1384-PAGE 439. The property heretofore described is being sold “as is”. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 186 N 12TH STREET, GROVER BEACH, CA 93433 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 without covenant or warranty, express 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. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligations secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of this Notice of Trustee’s Sale is estimated to be $384,224.30 (Estimated). However, prepayment premiums, accrued interest and advances will increase this figure prior to sale. Beneficiary’s bid at said sale may include all or part of said amount. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept a cashier’s check drawn on 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 California Financial Code and authorized to do business in California, or other such funds as may be acceptable to the Trustee. In the event tender other than cash is accepted, the Trustee may withhold the issuance of the Trustee’s Deed Upon Sale until funds become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right. The property offered for sale excludes all funds held on account by the property receiver, if applicable. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and ex-

clusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. 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 visit the Internet Website address www.nationwideposting.com or call Nationwide Posting & Publication at 916.939.0772 for information regarding the Trustee’s Sale for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case, CA07001552-22-2. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be 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 NOTICE TO TENANT FOR FORECLOSURES AFTER JANUARY 1, 2021 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 auction. If you are an “eligible bidder,” you may be able to purchase the property if you exceed the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. There are three steps to exercising this right of purchase. First, 48 hours after the date of the trustee sale, you can call 916.939.0772, or visit this internet website www. nationwideposting.com, using the file number assigned to this case CA07001552-22-2 to find the date on which the trustee’s sale was held, the amount of the last and highest bid, and the address of the trustee. Second, you must send a written notice of intent

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL)

NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: (AVISO AL DEMANDADO)

RAYMOND C. CATTANEO aka RAYMOND CATTANEO, an individual dba RAY’S OWN BRAND; NINAMARIE

PICCARDO CATTANEO, an individual; DOES 1-100, inclusive,

YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): TBF FINANCIAL I, LLC, CASE NUMBER (Número de caso):

30-2025-01497860-CLBC-CJC

(805) 922-0660

(www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniendose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar ias cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperacion de $10,000 o mas de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo ao una consesion de artitraje en un caso dce derecho civll. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

CASE NUMBER: (Número de caso): 30-2025-01497860-CL-BC-CJC

The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y dirección de la corte son)

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF ORANGE 700 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701

SUMMONS Cross-Complaint

(CITACION JUDICIAL-CONTRADEMANDA)

NOTICE TO DEFENDANT:

(AVISO AL CONTRA-DEMANDADO)

web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), o oniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso. SHORT

NEW

NAME OF CASE (from complaint): (Nombre de Caso): Alex Pananides v. Hamish Marshall CASE NUMBER: (Número del caso): 23CV02089

Employment

Notice! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www. courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia. org), the California Courts online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la dirección y número de telefono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): HEMAR ROUSSO & HEALD, LLP 15910 Ventura Blvd., 12th Floor Encino, CA 91436 818-501-3800

Date: (Fecha) 07/17/2025

By: /s/ David H. Yamasaki, Clerk (Secretario); C. Leon, Deputy (Adjunto)

HELP WANTED

October 2, 9, 16, & 23, 2025 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: 25CVP0302

CHARLES BRAFF, AND INDIVIDUAL; CHARLES BRAFF, AS TRUSTEE OF THE BRAFF FAMILY TRUST DATED APRIL 26, 2016; ANNIE BRAFF, AS TRUSTEE OF THE BRAFF FAMILY TRUST DATED APRIL 26, 2016 ; ALEX PANANIDES, AN INDIVIDUAL; ALEX PANANIDES, AS TRUSTEE OF THE ALEXANDER NICHOLAS PANANIDES TRUST DATED OCTOBER 31, 1979; PFH HOLDINGS, LLC; PATRICK N. SMITH, AN INDIVIDUAL; PATRICK N. SMITH, AS TRUSTEE OF THE PATRICK N. SMITH REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST DATED JANUARY 30, 1995; PATRICK N. SMITH, AS TRUSTEE OF THE PATRICK N. SMITH 2004 LIVING TRUST U/T/D OCTOBER 7, 2004, RESTATED OCTOBER 6, 2009; SLO HOLDINGS, LLC; SFH 2000 TRUST, LLC; AND ROES 1-30, YOU ARE BEING SUED BY CROSSCOMPLAINANT: (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL CONTRADEMANDANTE): HAMISH MARSHALL, AN INDIVIDUAL, AND HAMISH S. MARSHALL, AS TRUSTEE OF THE HAMISH S. MARSHALL AND JULIA A. MARSHALL 2003 TRUST DATED JULY 31, 2003

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CASE NUMBER (Número del caso): 23CV02089

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The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y dirección de la corte es) Santa Barbara County Superior Court 1100 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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The name, address, and telephone number of cross-complainant’s attorney, or cross-complainant without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la dirección y el número de telefono del abogado del contrademandante, o del contrademandante que no tiene abogado, es): Michael J. Kuzmich Boutin Jones, Inc. 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 1500 Sacramento, CA 95814 916-321-4444

Date: (Fecha) 02/10/2025

3886 Crestmont, Santa Maria, CA 93455

Beautifully updated home has so much to offer including newer stucco and interior paint. As you enter the front door

¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 dias, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su version. Lea la informacion a continuacion.

Tiene 30 DIAS CALENDARIOS despues de que le entreguen esta citacion y papeles legales para presentar una repuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefonica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted puede usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formuleriors de la corte y mas informacion en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp/espanol), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede mas cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentacion, pida al secretario de la corte que le de un formulario de exencion de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su repuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte la podra quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin mas advertencia. Hay otros requistas legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remision a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services,

To all interested persons: Petitioner: Elizabeth Bromby filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME: Jaxon Scott Gomez to PROPOSED NAME: Jaxon Scott Wilson THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: November 5, 2025, Time: 9:30 am, Dept. P2, in person or via zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 901 Park Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446. A copy of this Order to Show Cause must be published at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in a newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times Date: August 13, 2025 /s/: MC Kelly, Judge of the Superior Court October 2, 9, 16, & 23, 2025

JOBS WANTED

By: /s/ Terri Chavez, Deputy (Adjunto)

The Sun, Santa Maria’s premier community newspaper is expanding its sales department. The Sun is owned by the New Times Media Group which includes its sister paper New Times in SLO. The Sun is a proud, active member of the Santa Maria community contributing comprehensive local news, and entertainment coverage for northern Santa Barbara County. We are seeking energetic and self-motivated individuals looking for a career in advertising sales. As part of The Sun team, you can build a career in an exciting industry, enjoy a small office atmosphere, a wonderful work environment and be a part of a company that makes a difference in our community. These are full time positions. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license and reliable automobile. Sales experience preferred. Competitive compensation base on your sales experience and health benefits included. Please send cover letter and resume to crucker@newtimesslo.com

September 11, 18, 25, & October 2, 2025

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HELP WANTED

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: 25CVP0338

To all interested persons: Petitioner: Brian Christopher Owens filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME: Brian Christopher Owens to PROPOSED NAME: Brian Christopher Demars-Owens

THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING:

Date: November 12, 2025, Time: 9:30 am, Dept. P2, in person or via zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 901 Park Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446. A copy of this Order to Show Cause must be published at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in a newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: September 18, 2025

/s/: MC Kelly, Judge of the Superior Court October 2, 9, 16, & 23, 2025

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the crosscomplainant. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia. org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por esqrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al contrademandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio

30 years experience. Call Julio (805)369-4308

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The Sun, Santa Maria’s premier community newspaper is expanding its sales department. The Sun is owned by the New Times Media Group which includes its sister paper New Times in SLO. The Sun is a proud, active member of the Santa Maria community contributing comprehensive local news, and entertainment coverage for northern Santa Barbara County. We are seeking energetic and self-motivated individuals looking for a career in advertising sales. As part of The Sun team, you can build a career in an exciting industry, enjoy a small office atmosphere, a wonderful work environment and be a part of a company that makes a difference in our community. These are full time positions. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license and reliable automobile. Sales experience preferred. Competitive compensation base on your sales experience and health benefits included. Please send cover letter and resume to crucker@newtimesslo.com

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE ADDING SECTION 16.52.280 TO TITLE 16 OF THE ARROYO GRANDE MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, AND LOW BARRIER NAVIGATION CENTERS

This Ordinance Summary is published in accordance with the provisions of Government Code Section 36933. On September 23, 2025, the City Council voted 3-0 to introduce an Ordinance adding Section 16.52.280 to Title 16 of the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code (AGMC) relating to supportive housing, transitional housing, and low barrier navigation centers pursuant to Assembly Bills 2162 and 101.

The City Council must vote again to adopt the Ordinance. That action is scheduled to take place at a Regular Meeting of the City Council on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the City Council Chamber, 215 E Branch Street, Arroyo Grande, CA.

A certified copy of the full text of the Ordinance is available for review by contacting the City Clerk at 805-473-5400.

Jessica Matson, City Clerk

Publish one time, The New Times, October 2, 2025 Post: City Hall, 300 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande CITY

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, October 14, 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: 542 Five Cities Drive

Applicant: Central Coast Distributors

Project No.: P24-000071

Description: Coastal Development Permit and Architectural Review Permit for a 1,600 square-foot convenience store addtion, exterior remodel of existing buildings, and addition of small accessory structures at an existing service station, and adoption of Categorical Exemption No. 2025-022. The project is located within the Coastal Zone and is not appealable to the Coastal Commission. APN 005-242-049.

Environmental Review

In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that the project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15301(e)(2) of the CEQA Guidelines regarding minor additions to 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 October 9, 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

October 2, 2025

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING

NOTICE OF TENTATIVE ACTION / PUBLIC HEARING

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Department Hearing

WHEN Friday, October 17, 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 Paul Bischoff to approve Ronald Way as the official name of a new road created by Tract 3130. (DTM2025-00026) The road provides access to the 14 lots created by TR 3130 with homes in various stages of construction. The new road is approximately 430 feet in length and takes access from Wilmar Avenue in the community of Oceano within the San Luis Bay Sub Area of the South County Planning Area. If approved, all addressable structures with access along this road will be assigned new permanent situs addresses to Ronald Way.

County File Number: DTM2025-00026

Assessor Parcel Number(s):

062-073-035

062-073-036

062-073-037

062-073-038

062-073-039

062-073-040

062-073-041

062-073-042

062-073-043

062-073-044

062-073-045

062-073-046

062-073-047

062-073-048

Supervisorial District: District 4 Date Accepted: 9/9/2025

WHERE Virtual meeting via Zoom platform. Instructions on how to view and participate in the meeting remotely and provide public comment will be included in the published meeting Agenda and are posted on the Department’s webpage at:

Planning Department Hearing - County of San Luis Obispo (ca.gov)

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 Cheryl Ku, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805- 781-5600.

TO REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING

This matter is tentatively scheduled to appear on the consent agenda, which means that it and any other items on the consent agenda can be acted upon by the hearing officer with a single motion. An applicant or interested party may request a public hearing on this matter. To do so, send a letter to this office at the address below or send an email to pdh@co.slo.ca.us by 10/10/2025 at 4:30 PM. The letter or email must include the language “I would like to request a hearing on DTM202500026.”

If you challenge this matter in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this public notice or in written correspondence delivered to the appropriate authority at or before the public hearing.

Ysabel Eighmy, Secretary Planning Department Hearing October 2, 2025

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING

NOTICE OF TENTATIVE ACTION / PUBLIC HEARING

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Department Hearing

WHEN Friday, October 17, 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 A request by Leslie Hellewell for a Minor Use Permit

(N-DRC2024-00032) to allow the construction of a new 3,600 square foot garage/workshop. The project will result in the disturbance of approximately 8,330 square feet of the approximately 3.2-acre parcel.

The proposed project is located within the Residential Suburban land use category and is located at 3873 Sequoia Drive, 700 feet east of the City of San Luis Obispo. The site is in the San Luis Obispo Sub-area (north) of the San Luis Obispo Planning Area.

Also to be considered is the determination that this project is categorically exempt from environmental review under CEQA.

County File Number: N-DRC2024-00032

Supervisorial District: District 3

Assessor Parcel Number(s): 076-532-072

Date Accepted: 7/14/2025

WHERE Virtual meeting via Zoom platform. Instructions on how to view and participate in the meeting remotely and provide public comment will be included in the published meeting Agenda and are posted on the Department’s webpage at: Planning Department Hearing - County of San Luis Obispo (ca.gov)

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 Kerry Brown, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805-781-5713.

TO REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING

This matter is tentatively scheduled to appear on the consent agenda, which means that it and any other items on the consent agenda can be acted upon by the hearing officer with a single motion. An applicant or interested party may request a public hearing on this matter. To do so, send a letter to this office at the address below or send an email to pdh@co.slo.ca.us by 10/10/2025 at 4:30 PM. The letter or email must include the language “I would like to request a hearing on N-DRC2024-00032.”

If you challenge this matter in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this public notice or in written correspondence delivered to the appropriate authority at or before the public hearing.

Ysabel Eighmy, Secretary Planning Department Hearing October 2, 2025

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING

NOTICE OF TENTATIVE ACTION / PUBLIC HEARING

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Department Hearing

WHEN Friday, October 17, 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 A request by Steve Horvath for a Minor Use Permit / Coastal Development Permit (N-DRC2025-00019) to allow for the demolition of an approximately 960 square-foot, one-story residence, and construction of an approximately 1,969 square-foot, two-story residence, containing a roof deck, and an approximately 219 squarefoot attached garage. The project will result in the disturbance of the entire approximately 4,000 square-foot parcel. The proposed project is in the Residential Single Family land use category and is located at 31 13th Street, in the community of Cayucos within the Small-Scale Design Neighborhood. The project is in the Coastal Zone and Estero Planning Area.

Also to be considered is the determination that this project is categorically exempt from environmental review under CEQA.

County File Number: N-DRC2025-00019

Supervisorial District: District 2

Assessor Parcel Number(s): 064-222-021 Date Accepted: 6/26/2025

WHERE Virtual meeting via Zoom platform. Instructions on how to view and participate in the meeting remotely and provide public comment will be included in the published meeting Agenda and are posted on the Department’s webpage at: Planning Department Hearing - County of San Luis Obispo (ca.gov)

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 Monserath Casillas-Rios, Project Manager in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805781-5600.

TO REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING

This matter is tentatively scheduled to appear on the consent agenda, which means that it and any other items on the consent agenda can be acted upon by the hearing officer with a single motion. An applicant or interested party may request a public hearing on this matter. To do so, send a letter to this office at the address below or send an email to pdh@co.slo.ca.us by 10/10/2025 at 4:30 PM. The letter or email must include the language “I would like to request a hearing on N-DRC2025-00019.”

If you challenge this matter in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this public notice or in written correspondence delivered to the appropriate authority at or before the public hearing.

Ysabel Eighmy, Secretary Planning Department Hearing

October 2, 2025

Friday,

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING NOTICE OF TENTATIVE ACTION / PUBLIC HEARING

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Department Hearing WHEN Friday, October 17, 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 A request by Kyle Mason for a Minor Use Permit / Coastal Development Permit (C-DRC2024-00052) to allow for the demolition of an existing 666 square-foot attached garage, and reconstruction of an approximately 1,186 square-foot attached garage. The project will result in no changes to the existing approximately 2,427 square-foot single-family residence. This project requires the purchase of up to 530 square feet of Transfer of Development Credits (TDC). The project would result in approximately 2,700 square-feet of disturbance on a 6,950 square-foot parcel. The proposed project is in the Residential Single Family land use category and is located at 371 Wedgewood Street, within the community of Cambria. The project is in the Coastal Zone and North Coast Planning Area.

Also to be considered is the determination that this project is categorically exempt from environmental review under CEQA.

County File Number: C-DRC2024-00052

Supervisorial District: District 2 Assessor Parcel Number(s): 023-015-016

Date Accepted: 7/28/2025

WHERE Virtual meeting via Zoom platform. Instructions on how to view and participate in the meeting remotely and provide public comment will be included in the published meeting Agenda and are posted on the Department’s webpage at: Planning Department Hearing- County of San Luis Obispo (ca.gov)

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 Monserath Casillas-Rios, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805- 7815600.

TO REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING

This matter is tentatively scheduled to appear on the consent agenda, which means that it and any other items on the consent agenda can be acted upon by the hearing officer with a single motion. An applicant or interested party may request a public hearing on this matter. To do so, send a letter to this office at the address below or send an email to pdh@ co.slo.ca.us by 10/10/2025 at 4:30 PM. The letter or email must include the language “I would like to request a hearing on C-DRC2024-00052.”

If you challenge this matter in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this public notice or in written correspondence delivered to the appropriate authority at or before the public hearing.

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).

Also to be considered is the determination that this project is categorically exempt from environmental review under CEQA. County File Number: C-DRC2024-00020

Supervisorial District: District 2 Assessor Parcel Number(s): 024-243-048 Date Accepted: 6/20/2025 WHERE Virtual meeting via Zoom platform. Instructions on how to view and participate in the meeting remotely and provide public comment will be included in the published meeting Agenda and are posted on the Department’s webpage at: Planning Department Hearing - County of San Luis Obispo (ca.gov)

ADDITIONAL

R-3, R-3-H, R-4, and R-4-H Zones; Downtown SLO Association, applicant. (Mallory Patino) 3. 1998 and 2006 San Luis Dr. SBDV-0760-2024; Request for a lot line adjustment to establish a new boundary line between the 1998 and 2006 San Luis Dr in conjunction with the abandonment of 10’ ROW (STAB-07592024). This project is categorically exempt from environmental review (CEQA); C/OS-5 and R-1 Zones; Ben Kulick, applicant. (Ivana Gomez) 4. 1220 Mill St. MOD-0590-2025; Request for a Modification to Minor Development Review application ARCH-0613-2022. The modified proposal includes an addition to the existing Contributing Resource to create an attached dwelling unit (duplex). The project involves the demolition of non-historic structures, site improvements, and tree plantings. This project is categorically exempt from environmental review (CEQA); R-2-H zone; Preston Jones, applicant. (Eva Wynn)

5. 1144 Chorro St. MOD-0788-2025; Request to modify DIR-0519-2025 to add a maximum of eight (8) nights of work from October 13 to October 25, 2025 between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. to pothole, wye cast, and place vault in sidewalk for continuity in City conduits. This project is categorically exempt from environmental review (CEQA); C-D-H-PD Zone; Astound, applicant. (Mallory Patino and Naomi Wilber)

6. Santa Rosa

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Arroyo Grande City Council will conduct a public hearing in the Arroyo Grande City Council Chambers located at 215 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., or soon thereafter, to consider the following item:

Consideration of Amendments to Title 16 of the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code Regarding Urban Lot Splits and Two-Unit Developments in Accordance with Senate Bill 9 and Finding That This Action Is Exempt From Review Under the California Environmental Quality Act. The City Council will discuss the proposed amendments to the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code (AGMC) regarding urban lot splits and eligible two-unit developments, bringing the AGMC into conformance with state law.

In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Community Development Department has determined that the proposed AGMC amendments are exempt from CEQA because they do not qualify as a “project” under CEQA and because they will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(2),(3)) and 15061(b)(3).

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 City Council 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 October 2, 2025 CITY

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, in City Hall, on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2025 in City Hall, Council Chamber, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA to consider the following item: Subject

Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance to amend Municipal Code Article XV, Chapter 150Building Regulations, and adopt by reference the 2025 California Building Standards Codes (California Code of Regulations, Title 24) with local amendments, and the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code with local amendments.

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).

/s/ Wendi Sims, City Clerk

Dated: Thursday, October 2, 2025

CITY OF ATASCADERO

NOTICE OF CITY COUNCIL

PUBLIC HEARING

DATE: Tuesday, October 14, 2025

TIME: 6:00 p.m.

PLACE: City of Atascadero Council Chambers 6500 Palma Avenue Atascadero, CA 93422

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Atascadero will hold a PUBLIC HEARING in conjunction with its regular meeting in-person at the time and place above for the purpose of receiving public comment regarding draft resolution setting Sewer Capacity Charges for the Wastewater Division. Sewer Capacity Charges are one-time charges applied to new customers connecting to the wastewater system and existing customers that require increased capacity due to changes from development, use or occupancy. Proposed Sewer Capacity Charges are based on an April 2025 Wastewater Rate Study. If approved by the City Council, the Sewer Capacity charges will be effective on December 14, 2025, and adjusted annually on July 1 based on the ENR-CCI.

The Wastewater Rate Study can be viewed by appointment in the offices of City Hall, 6500 Palma Avenue, Atascadero, or by contacting the Department of Public Works at (805) 470-3456 or publicworks@atascadero.org.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that if a challenge to the above action is made in court, persons may be limited to raising only those issues they or someone else raised at the public hearing described in the notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Council at, or prior to, the public hearing.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS are invited to attend in-person and will be given an opportunity to speak in favor of, or opposition to, the above-proposed item. Written comments are also accepted by the City Clerk, prior to the hearing at 6500 Palma Ave., Atascadero, CA 93422 or cityclerk@ atascadero.org and will be distributed to the City Council. Written public comments must be received by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Email comments must identify the Agenda Item Number in the subject line of the email. Written comments will not be read into the record.

Information regarding the hearing is filed in the Public Works Department. If you have any questions, please call the Public Works Department or visit the office at 6500 Palma Ave., by appointment only, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. All documents related to the item will be available for review on the City’s website 72 hours prior to the public hearing at www.atascadero.org/agendas.

DATED: September 29, 2025 S/ D Price, Administrative Assistant PUBLISH: 10/02/25 and 10/09/25

CITY OF PISMO BEACH STATE OF CALIFORNIA

NOTICE

TO PROPOSERS

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, October 30, 2025 for performing work as follows:

CLIFF AVENUE PARKING PROJECT

The City of Pismo Beach is interested in acquiring the services of a qualified firm to provide design services for the Cliff Avenue Parking Project. The project scope includes design services for paving, striping, ADA-compliant parking, drought-tolerant landscaping, and stormwater improvements to support new 90-degree parking stalls along Cliff Avenue at Dinosaur Caves Park. The design effort will be coordinated with the City’s adjacent seawall project as well as planned overhead utility undergrounding and new street lighting improvements.

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

October 2, 2025

NOTICE: SEIZURE OF PROPERTY AND INITIATION OF JUDICIAL FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS PER HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 11488.4(J) TO: ALL PERSONS CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST IN PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

$7,231.00 & $40,000.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY San Luis Obispo Superior Court, Case No. 25CV-0551

Notice is hereby given that on July 31, 2025, $7,231 was seized at 231 W. Tefft Street, Nipomo CA at the Head Liner’s Barbershop, and $40,000 was seized at 104 W. Chestnut, Nipomo CA by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, in connection with controlled substances, to wit, violations of sections 11351 and 11352 of the California Health and Safety Code. The estimated/appraised value of the property is $7,231.00 and $40,000.00.

Pursuant to section 11488.4(j) of the California Health and Safety Code, you must file a verified claim stating your interest in the property with the Superior Court’s Civil Division, Room 385, County Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California 93408. Claim forms are available from the Clerk of the above court and also online at https://www. courts.ca.gov/documents/mc200.pdf.

Furthermore, an endorsed copy of the verified claim must also be served on the District Attorney, Asset Forfeiture Unit, County Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm Street, 4th Floor, San Luis Obispo, California 93408, within 30 days of filing the claim with the Superior Court’s Civil Division.

Both the District Attorney’s Office and the Interested Party filing the claim are entitled to conduct reciprocal requests for discovery in preparation for a hearing. The provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure shall apply to the proceedings unless inconsistent with the provisions or procedures set forth in the Health and Safety Code (Section 11488.5(c)(3)). The Interested Party in entitled to legal representation at a hearing, although not one appointed at public expense, and has the right to present evidence and witnesses, and to cross-examine plaintiff’s witnesses, but there is no right to avoid testifying at a civil hearing.

The failure to timely file and secure a verified claim stating an interest in the property in the Superior Court will result in the property being declared or ordered forfeited to the State of California and distributed pursuant to the provisions of Health and Safety Code section 11489 without further notice or hearing.

DATED: September 15, 2025

DAN DOW

District Attorney

Kenneth Jorgensen

Deputy District Attorney September 18, 25, & October 2, 2025

NOTICE: SEIZURE OF PROPERTY AND INITIATION OF JUDICIAL FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS PER HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 11488.4(J)

TO: ALL PERSONS CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST IN PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

$28,965.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY

San Luis Obispo Superior Court, Case No. 25CVP-0178

Notice is hereby given that on March 5, 2025, the above-described property was seized at or near 5580 Traffic Way, in the City of Atascadero, California, by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, in connection with violation of section 11351 of the California Health and Safety Code. The estimated/appraised value of the property is $28,965.00.

Pursuant to section 11488.4(j) of the California Health and Safety Code, you must file a verified claim stating your interest in the property with the Superior Court’s Civil Division, Room 385, County Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California 93408. Claim forms are available from the Clerk of the above court and also online at https://www. courts.ca.gov/documents/mc200.pdf.

Furthermore, an endorsed copy of the verified claim must also be served on the District Attorney, Asset Forfeiture Unit, County Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm Street, 4th Floor, San Luis Obispo, California 93408, within 30 days of filing the claim with the Superior Court’s Civil Division.

Both the District Attorney’s Office and the Interested Party filing the claim are entitled to conduct reciprocal requests for discovery in preparation for a hearing. The provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure shall apply to the proceedings unless inconsistent with the provisions or procedures set forth in the Health and Safety Code (Section 11488.5(c)(3)). The Interested Party in entitled to legal representation at a hearing, although not one appointed at public expense, and has the right to present evidence and witnesses, and to cross-examine plaintiff’s witnesses, but there is no right to avoid testifying at a civil hearing.

The failure to timely file and secure a verified claim stating an interest in the property in the Superior Court will result in the property being declared or ordered forfeited to the State of California and distributed pursuant to the provisions of Health and Safety Code section 11489 without further notice or hearing.

DATED: September 23, 2025

DAN DOW

District Attorney

Kenneth Jorgensen

Deputy District Attorney

September 25, October 2, & 9, 2025

BRIEF

Items 1-25 & 32-35: Consent Agenda & Resolution (Res) Nos. 2025193 thru 2025-205 – Approved as amended Item 26: Public Comment Period – Items not on the agenda: E. Greening; T. & C. Maughmer;

Coastkeeper, et. al. v. Co. of SLO, U.S. District Court, Central District of CA, Western Division, Case No. 2:24-CV-06854-SPG-ASx; Co. of SLO v. Purdue Pharma et al., Fed. Case No. 1:17-md-2804. Conference w/ Labor Negotiator re: employee organizations: SLOPA; SLOCEA-T&C; DCCA; Sheriffs’ Mgmt; SLOCPPOA; DSA; DAIA; SLOCPMPOA; SLOCEA – PSSC; Unrepresented Mgmt & Confidential Employees; SDSA; UDWA; Unrepresented Employee: County Administrative Officer. Open Session: Report out - None Item 32: Ordinances 3547 and 3548, amending the Land Use & Circulation Element of the General Plan, Land Use Ordinances for the inland areas & Coastal Zone & Local Coastal Program to update policies/regulations re: multi-family dwelling development (Co. File # LRP2024-00015) – Adopted Proposed amendments to the County Code to establish Regional Housing Incentives in the Land Use Ordinance for the inland areas, establish the Regional Housing Fund under Title 31, update affordable housing standards in the Land Use Ordinances for the inland areas & Coastal Zone (Co. File # LRP202400016 and -00017), exempt from CEQA, w/ final action on 10/21/25 –Tentatively Adopted Item 33: Board Member comments and reports on meetings. Announcements: Indigenous Peoples Day 9/269. Comments: Supervisor Moreno’s 9 nine months in office; thanked the “Templeton Stronger” committee for its fundraising efforts benefiting the German family & Templeton Feed & Grain, & thanks participation at a street festival & recognized the Airport Dept for hosting “Girls in Aviation Day” at Oceano Airport. Directives: staff to evaluate Proposition 4 for potential habitat conservation planning opportunities at Lopez Lake.

Meeting adjourned.

For more details, view meeting videos at: https://www.slocounty. ca.gov/Departments/Administrative-Office/Clerk-of-the-Board/ Clerk-of-the-Board-Services/Board-of-Supervisors-Meetings-andAgendas.aspx

Matthew P. Pontes, County Administrative Officer & Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: Annette Ramirez, Deputy Clerk of the Board of SupervisorsOctober 2, 2025

NOTICE: SEIZURE OF PROPERTY AND INITIATION OF NONJUDICIAL FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS PER HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 11488.4(J) TO: ALL PERSONS CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST IN PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

$4,990.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY Notice is hereby given that on September 4, 2025, the above-described property was seized at or near 781 ½ California Blvd, San Luis Obispo, CA, by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, in connection with cannabis violations, to wit, section(s) 11351 and 11379 of the California Health and Safety Code. The estimated/ appraised value of the property is $4,990.00. Pursuant to section 11488.4(j) of the California Health and Safety Code, you must file a verified claim stating your interest in the property with the Superior Court’s Civil Division, Room 385, County Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California 93408. Claim forms are available from the Clerk of the above court and also online at https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/mc200.pdf Furthermore, an endorsed copy of the verified claim must also be served on the District Attorney, Asset Forfeiture Unit, County Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm Street, 4th Floor, San Luis Obispo, California 93408, within 30 days of filing the claim with the Superior Court’s Civil Division. Both the District Attorney’s Office and the Interested Party filing the claim are entitled to conduct reciprocal requests for discovery in preparation for a hearing. The provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure shall apply to the proceedings unless inconsistent with the provisions or procedures set forth in the Health and Safety Code (Section 11488.5(c)(3)). The Interested Party in entitled to legal representation at a hearing, although not one appointed at public expense, and has the right to present evidence and witnesses, and to cross-examine plaintiff’s witnesses, but there is no right to avoid testifying at a civil hearing.

The failure to timely file and secure a verified claim stating an interest in the property in the Superior Court will result in the property being declared or ordered forfeited to the State of California and distributed pursuant to the provisions of Health and Safety Code section 11489 without further notice or hearing.

DATED: September 24, 2025

DAN DOW

District Attorney

Kenneth Jorgensen

Deputy District Attorney

September 25, October 2, & 9, 2025

(COUNTY FILE NUMBERS: LRP2024-00015)

On September 23, 2025, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 3547 and Ordinance No. 3548 amending the Land Use Ordinances for the Inland Areas and Coastal Zone, respectively, to update regulations relating to multi-family dwelling development, including:

1. Allowing multi-family dwelling development in the Office and Professional (OP), Commercial Retail (CR), and Commercial Service (CS) land use categories;

2. Increasing the maximum number of dwelling units allowed per acre;

3. Increasing the maximum floor area allowed;

4. Reducing the minimum parking spaces required;

5. Increasing the maximum building height allowed;

6. Reducing the minimum setbacks required.

7. Reducing the minimum open area required;

8. Reducing the land use permit requirements for new development; and

9. Reducing the land use permit requirement for approved landscape plan

This project qualifies for the General Rule Exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), because the recommended land use regulation updates would better allow builders of multi-family dwellings to more likely achieve the number of dwelling units per acre as envisioned in the General Plan, while still protecting the use and enjoyment of neighboring properties. Increasing the maximum allowable number of dwelling units per acre by 10% and allowing multifamily dwellings in the Commercial Service land use category are minor changes that would not result in greater impact than that is allowable in the current regulatory framework and would be consistent with the County’s vision for efficient use of land, which promotes concentrating residential development within urban reserve lines to protect environmental and agricultural resources in rural areas. Individual development projects would still be subject to environmental determinations under CEQA, as needed. A Notice of Exemption has been prepared pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15062 (ED24-194).

Ordinance No. 3547 amending the Inland Land Use Ordinance takes effect October 23, 2025. Ordinance No. 3548 amending the Coastal Zone Land Use Ordinance and Local Coastal Program will be submitted to the California Coastal Commission for approval and certification. If the Coastal Commission approves and certifies the ordinance, it would take effect immediately. If the Coastal Commission approves the ordinance with suggested modifications, the Board would need to consider and adopt the Coastal Commission’s suggested modifications.

The ordinances were adopted by the following roll call to wit:

AYES: Supervisors Heather Moreno, John Peschong, Bruce S. Gibson, Jimmy Paulding and Chairperson Dawn Ortiz-Legg

NOES: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAINING: None

Certified copies of the full text of the ordinance may be purchased at reproduction cost or reviewed without charge in the San Luis Obispo County Administrative Office, 1055 Monterey St., Room #D430, County Government Center, San Luis Obispo, California 93408, or on the County’s website at slocounty.ca.gov

DATED: September 30, 2025

Matthew P. Pontes, Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: Niki Martin Deputy Clerk

October 2, 2025

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

WHO: San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors

WHEN: Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. All items are advertised for 9:00 a.m. To find out placement of this item on the Board of Supervisors Agenda, go to the County’s website at www.slocounty. ca.gov on the Wednesday before the scheduled hearing date.

WHAT: Hearing to consider the adoption of amendments to the County Code to establish Regional Housing Incentives in the Land Use Ordinance for the inland areas, establish the Regional Housing Fund under County Code Title 31, and update affordable housing standards in the Land Use Ordinances for the inland areas and Coastal Zone.

County File Number: LRP2024-00016 and -00017

Assessor Parcel Numbers: Countywide

Supervisorial District: All Districts

Date Accepted: N/A

WHERE: The hearing will be held in the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors Chambers, 1055 Monterey St., Room #D170, County Government Center, San Luis Obispo, CA. The Board of Supervisors Chambers are located on the corner of Santa Rosa and Monterey Streets. At the hearing all interested persons may express their views for or against, or to change the proposal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: You may contact Schani Siong, Supervising Planner, in the San Luis Obispo County Department of Planning and Building, 976 Osos Street, Room 200, San Luis Obispo, California 93408, ssiong@co.slo.ca.us, (805) 781-4374. The staff report will be available for review the Wednesday before the scheduled hearing date on the County’s website at http://www. slocounty.ca.gov

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION: This project qualifies for the General Rule Exemption under CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b) (3), because the amended land use regulations would allow limited development incentives for builders of multi-family dwellings within inland urban areas that significantly contribute to affordable housing production in a manner consistent with current State Density Bonus Program allowance. The recommended amendment is consistent with [A] the County’s vision for efficient use of land, which promotes concentrating residential development within urban areas to protect environmental and agricultural resources in rural areas and [B] the County priority to establish a regional approach to support guaranteed affordable housing production in areas closer to job and service hubs. Individual development projects would still be subject to project-specific CEQA review through applicable discretionary land use permit application processes.

A Notice of Exemption has been prepared pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15062 (ED24-195)

COASTAL APPEALABLE: No

**If you challenge this matter in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this public notice or in written correspondence delivered to the appropriate authority at or before the public hearing**

DATED: September 30, 2025

MATTHEW P. PONTES, EX-OFFICIO CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

By Niki Martin Deputy Clerk

October 2, 2025

Free Will Astrology by Rob Brezsny

Homework: Make sweet amends to yourself for an error you made. Newsletter.freewillastrology.com

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): In Zen Buddhism, satoris are sudden flashes of illumination that are fun and clarifying. I’m happy to tell you that you’re in a phase when these sweet breakthroughs are extra likely to visit you. They may barge in while you’re washing dishes, in the grocery store check-out line, or during your fantasies before sleep. Be on high alert for intimations from the Great Mystery. PS: Some satoris could be gems you already half-knew.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20): You are eligible to be named “The Most Brilliant and Effective Complainer” for October. If you want to secure this prestigious award, spend time organizing plans for changing what’s amiss or awry. Decide which irritating offkilter situations are most worthy of your thoughtful attention. Figure out how to express your critiques in ways that will engage the constructive help of others. And then implement a detailed strategy to compassionately achieve the intriguing transformations.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20): On certain medieval maps, an island paradise known as Hy-Brasil had a fuzzy presence west of Ireland. Did it truly exist? If so, it was said to be a blessed land that could restore lost youth and offer extravagant happiness. The place was thought to be rarely visible, and only under certain magical or auspicious conditions. I suspect you Geminis are within range of an experience like this. It won’t appear in a specific location but as a state of mind that settles over you. Don’t chase it. Allow it to find you.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): A stalactite is a stony formation that hangs like an icicle from the ceiling of a cave. It forms over long periods as mineral-rich water drips down and incrementally deposits hard calcium carbonate through precipitation. This marvel is an example of earth’s creativity at its most leisurely. A 4-inch-long stalactite might take a thousand years to make. With that as your seed thought, Cancerian, I invite you to attune yourself to the slowest, deepest, most ancient parts of your soul. Important developments are unfolding there. A wound that’s ripening into wisdom? A mysterious yearning that’s finally speaking in your native tongue? Be patient and vigilant with it. Don’t demand clarity all at once. Your transformation is tectonic, not flashy. Your assignment is to listen and be receptive.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): When bilingual speakers engage in the behavior known as “code-switching,” they may begin a sentence in one language and finish it in another. Or they may move back and forth between two different languages as they deliver a discourse. Why do they do it? To enrich their meaning, to dazzle their audience, to play and experiment. In a larger sense, we could say that code-switching happens anytime we swivel between different styles of presenting ourselves: from formal to casual, serious to humorous, cheerful to skeptical. I bring this up, Leo, because you are in the heart of the codeswitching season. Have fun!

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the Arctic, polar bears move through the world not by sight alone, but through scent trails that stretch miles across the ice. Their sense of direction is olfactory, intuitive, and primal. If I’m reading the omens correctly, Virgo, your navigation system will also be more animal than logical in the coming weeks. I advise you to trust subtle cues—like goosebumps, a sweet or sour taste in your mouth, or an uncanny pull toward or away from things. Your rational mind might not be fully helpful, but your body will know the way. Sniff the trail. Access your instincts.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In ancient Egyptian myth, the goddess Maat ruled truth, divine law, harmony, and moral order. After death, each person’s heart was weighed against Maat’s feather of truth on a scale in the Hall of Judgment. If the heart, which embodied the essence of a person’s actions in life, was equal in weight to the feather, the deceased was assessed as virtuous and cleared to continue to the glorious afterlife. If it was heavier . . well, I’ll spare you the details. Maat’s scales were not symbols of punishment, but of fairness and justice. That’s also your special power right now, Libra. You have subtle insight into every choice. You understand that your wisdom is best used to bless, not censure. My hope is that you will foster gentle clarity and offer forgiveness to all, including yourself. Lay down the old guilt! Let grace be the law!

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The I Ching is an ancient divinatory book compiled in China more than 2,500 years ago, Amazingly, it’s still quite useful. In accordance with astrological omens, I call your attention to one of its oracles: “Work on What Has Been Spoiled.” It tenderly counsels us to be brave as we repair what’s broken. But it’s crucial that we make the correction with patient grace, not blame and anger. The good news, Scorpio, is that you now have an uncanny ability to discern what’s out of tune, what’s crooked, what has been wrongfully abandoned. I hope you will offer your genius for re-weaving. A frayed friendship? A neglected dream? A forgotten promise? You can play the role of restorer: not to make things as they were, but to render them better than they’ve ever been.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In ancient Egypt, the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet wielded both intense heat and nourishing warmth. She had the power to destroy and heal. When outbreaks of chaos threatened, she incinerated them. Once order and balance returned, she served as a physician. I dare you to summon your inner Sekhmet, Sagittarius. Give your bold attention to an obstacle that needs to be crushed or an injustice that needs to be erased. If necessary, invoke sacred rage on behalf of sacred order. But remember that the goal is not merely combustion. It’s transmutation. Once the fire has cleared the way, unleash your gorgeous cure.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In Nepal, there’s a tradition among Sherpa mountaineers. Before ascending Mt. Everest, they perform a ceremony led by a Buddhist monk or Lama. It’s a way to honor the sacredness of the mountain, ask for grace during their climb, and return from the journey in good health. As you eye the peak ahead of you, Capricorn, consider making similar preparation. Ritualize your intention. Direct it with clarity and care. Bless your journey before you surge forward.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When people call something “glamorous,” they usually mean it has an elegant, captivating style. Its beauty is sophisticated and luxurious. But the original meaning of “glamour” was different. It referred to a deceptive magical enchantment designed to disguise the truth, whipped up by a conjurer or supernatural being. That’s the sense I want to invoke now, Aquarius. You have been seeing through the glamour lately—of the media, of consensus reality, of false stories. Now it’s time to go even further: to actively tear down illusions and dismantle pretense, preferably with tact. When you see through the spell, don’t just call it out—transmute it into clarity.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20): Pisces-born Nina Simone (1933-2003) started playing piano when she was 3 years old. At age 12, her debut concert was a classical recital. She developed a yearning to become the first Black female classical concert pianist. But her dream collapsed when the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music refused to let her study there. Then came the plot twist. She redirected her disappointment ingeniously, launching a brilliant career as a singer, composer, and pianist that won her global fame. The rebuff from the Curtis Institute was ultimately a stroke of good luck! It became a catalyst for her greatness. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to designate a frustration that you will use to fuel future success. ∆