New Times, Feb. 22, 2024

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District in disarray

The San Simeon CSD discusses divesting water and wastewater services due to millions in capital project costs [8]

BY ADRIAN VINCENT ROSAS

San Simeon Community Services District’s interim general manager believes the district is in trouble.

Pointing to the $12 million to $15 million financial obligation the district has to move its wastewater treatment plant, among other capital project needs, he’s advocating for the district’s board to consider applying to divest its water and wastewater responsibilities. For this week’s cover story, Staff Writer Adrian Vincent Rosas spoke with district and SLO County officials about what led to this point, what it would take to divest, and what the future could hold [8]

Also this week, read about the political flyers hitting mailboxes in SLO county’s 5th District [4], why Arroyo Grande High School’s theater program is raising money to travel to Indiana [22], and the legislation that aims to protect California-grown mushrooms [28]

Camillia Lanham editor

SLO County’s 5th District race heats up with fiery mailers

Candidates in the San Luis Obispo County 5th District supervisor race leveled accusations against each other through flyers paid for by their respective political actions committees (PACs).

“Tries to hide her true colors, but won’t stand up to her extreme right-wing allies, the Trump and MAGA-style Republicans who have made our Board of Supervisors a partisan battleground instead of solving real problems,” a mailer from Atascadero City Councilmember Susan Funk declared about her opponent, Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno.

Funk’s flyer landed in some residents’ mailboxes in early February. She told New Times on Feb. 9 that the mailer was tailored toward Democrats living in the area.

“We specifically look at the partisan issues in part because that’s one of the things that voters ask of us,” she said. “In every election that I’ve run in, it’s just a really common question at people’s doors, ‘Is she Republican or a Democrat?’ People want to know the perspective that we’re coming from.”

Headlined “True colors,” the flyer also lists Funk’s support for reproductive rights, belief in climate change, and promise to protect local open spaces while spotlighting Moreno’s alleged denial of climate change, her lack of support from the Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund, and that her allies reportedly include Trump supporters and large real estate developers.

“Her position also is that redistricting should be left in the hands of the supervisors themselves,” Funk said.

Funk stressed the need to ensure access to reproductive health care, citing Planned Parenthood California Central Coast’s 2018 closure of a satellite clinic in Paso Robles. Prior New Times reporting found that the closure happened after its partner, Peoples’ Self-Help Housing of SLO County, received “hostile communications” from anti-Planned Parenthood activists.

Moreno told New Times on Feb. 9 that the repeated mention of protecting reproductive freedom is a scare tactic.

“She keeps bringing up reproductive freedom, and what really bothers me about that is she’s scaring women ... to think that their reproductive choices

Cal Poly abruptly postpones its annual Social Justice Teach In

After Cal Poly announced a last-minute postponement of the eighth annual Social Justice Teach In, some faculty members decided to host a similar event anyway.

On Feb. 20—the original teach-in was slated for Feb. 15—a coalition of Cal Poly’s faculty and staff hosted a Justice for Palestine-themed series of discussions, film screenings, and art events in the Berg Gallery.

Assistant Vice President of Communications and Media Relations Matt Lazier told New Times that the annual teach-in event is a university-sponsored program aimed at featuring a variety of talks and workshops highlighting social justice and equity.

are going to be taken away from them,” Moreno said. “You and I know that abortion is enshrined in the California Constitution.”

Moreno added that the flyer’s allegation about her removing all references to climate science from Atascadero’s climate action plan is a “complete lie.”

“What we needed to do was remove some of the very burdensome commitments that had been in the initial [plan] like to build 25 miles of sidewalk and virtually eliminate our downtown parking spaces,” she said.

According to past New Times reporting, in 2014 Moreno and then City Councilmember Roberta Fonzi leafed through the 261-page plan with an intention to remove language discussing human impacts on climate change and the benefits that decreased greenhouse gas emissions would bring to the community.

Funk was also on the receiving end of critical flyers. Most recently, Moreno’s PAC funded a pamphlet that alerted voters to a national grassroots movement named Indivisible endorsing Funk.

“Susan Funk is endorsed by extremists that want to defund the police,” it read.

The flyer quoted commentary from Indivisible’s website to stand in solidarity with Black lives: “We believe it is critical to defund the police … .”

Indivisible’s website labels electing “progressive leaders” and defeating the “Trump agenda” as its mission. Funk told New Times on Feb. 20 that it’s the local autonomous chapter of Indivisible that supports her, and the national one cannot because it doesn’t endorse local candidates. Her

website notes an endorsement from Indivisible: Rapid Response Team SLO. Its spokesperson John Lamb donated $200 to her campaign in 2023, according to campaign filing documents.

While Moreno said that it’s disingenuous to separate the local and national arms of the group, Lamb told New Times that local Indivisible groups are autonomous. Though it uses information from the national group, he said, the SLO County chapter has no financial or obligatory ties to it.

“Indivisible National does not take a position on local elections, which makes the Moreno radio ads and mailers a total lie,” he said. “At the local level, our group has never supported the 2020 Indivisible campaign to defund our police because police violence has not been a problem in our community.”

Funk said she opposes defunding the police. She referenced working with Moreno in 2020 to put Measure D-20 on the ballot for Atascadero. Passed by nearly 59 percent of voters, the 1 percent sales tax funds emergency services and some general city services.

“That money has enabled us to add positions to our police, pay our police a competitive wage for the first time, be able to add mental health support into our Police Department,” Funk said. “We were at risk of attracting officers who would choose our community for their career for the wrong reasons … who, frankly, would be attracted to our community because it’s so white, and that none of that would be healthy for our community or police force.” ∆

—Bulbul Rajagopal

“The university chose to move the date of this year’s event back a bit in order to give organizers more time to bring in additional speakers and perspectives to the overall programming,” he said.

The original event was supposed to hold 50 panels and workshops with topics on reproductive justice, science and technology, and Palestine.

Plant Science Professor Ashraf Tubeileh told New Times that with the current state of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, some faculty members thought Feb. 20 would be a good time to spread awareness about what’s happening in Gaza.

On Oct. 7, 2023, the political and military organization Hamas, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization and has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, bombed and attacked Israel, kidnapping 250 and killing at least 1,200 Israelis,

according to the Associated Press. Israel responded to the attack with a bombing campaign and ground invasion, and as of Feb. 19, the Associated Press reported that more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed.

“Given the situation in Gaza and given the genocide that is happening over there and mixed with the lack of reaction from the U.S. with the genocide, we thought this would be a golden opportunity to raise awareness when we can get the attention of the students and the campus community to what’s going on in Gaza,” he said.

The event was open to the public and those who attended had the option to craft paper birds, have a Middle Eastern lunch, speak with faculty, and watch a screening of 1948: Creation & Catastrophe,

POINTED FINGERS The political action committees of 5th District supervisor race candidates Susan Funk and Heather Moreno funded flyers rife with accusations—that Funk is in favor of defunding the police (pictured) and that Moreno is a denier of climate change.

PHOTO BY CAMILLIA LANHAM

a documentary that includes personal recollections from Palestinians and Israelis who lived during that time.

“The Birds of Gaza has been an initiative across different places in different campuses,” Tubeileh said. “In the U.S. and the U.K. and other places. Each bird basically documents every child that is killed in Gaza. With student participation, we had over 100 birds drawn yesterday.”

While the initial teach-in was finalized and posted in early January, faculty received a joint email on Feb. 8 from Interim Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Denise Isom and College of Liberal Arts Dean Phillip J. Williams announcing that they were rescheduling the eighth annual teach-in to May 9.

“We have chosen to postpone the teachin, in an effort to think critically about how to best provide educational, dialectic, and processing spaces surrounding the many complex issues of the day and ensuring this year’s teach-in exemplifies the strength of higher education as a ‘marketplace of ideas,’” the email states. “Our responsibility as an institution of higher ed is to lead with education and scholarly discourse, but we also strive to center care and endeavor for our academic pursuits to address the needs for restorative engagement, community gathering, and transformational dialogue as individuals, communities, and our institution

“Given that the university didn’t sponsor this event and made it really hard for us to find a better location that would be more central for students to come, I think we did great with attendance,” he said.

Tubeileh said he and other faculty members feel that the university postponed the event to limit the backlash from proIsrael community members. Tubeileh also said that everyone had an opportunity to put in a teaching request, including those who are pro-Israel, but they didn’t take the opportunity to do so.

“I think the university was just bowing down to that pressure and they didn’t want too much exposure and maybe didn’t want to have lots of attendance for this event so they can avoid backlash,” he said. “That way the university can say that they did what they could to prevent this from happening and minimize, limit attendance.”

—Samantha Herrera

Paso offers up potential parking ticket refunds

Residents in one North County city will soon be able to request refunds for parking fees and citations incurred over the last year.

“This will give residents an opportunity to communicate directly with the city on obtaining a refund on past parking fee charges while also complying with state law,” Paso Robles City Attorney Elizabeth Hull said during the Feb. 20 City Council meeting.

set of amendments to the city’s parking municipal code that reflect changes made in November 2023.

The Feb. 20 vote comes after the city suspended its parking program and reviewed a downtown parking ordinance passed in 2018. Hull was concerned that November’s City Council action may have conflicted with the rules set in place five years prior. While Hull didn’t find any explicit conflicts, she found that the City Council passed a resolution in 2019 to adjust the parking program to its modern-day boundaries.

“What should have happened is a resolution to make sure that it aligned with the 2018 ordinance and state law,” she said at the meeting. “I think when we do things by resolution it’s a little harder for the public to find, whereas if we do it by ordinance it’s by municipal code and a little bit more transparent.”

As a result, the City Council voted on the first reading of amendments to the original 2018 parking ordinance that include clarification on the 2019 and November 2023 resolutions. In addition, the downtown parking program will remain suspended at least until the next City Council Meeting on March 5, when the amendments will receive a second reading and can be officially adopted.

refund program nor the new amendments resulted from resident Gary Lehrer’s recent cease and desist letter. In the letter, Lehrer requested the city halt all parking programrelated enforcement actions, alleging that the council’s November 2023 vote violated the Brown Act.

“The direction was in line with the 2018 ordinances, which itself complies with the state vehicle code,” Hull said at the meeting, noting the effort she made to ensure the November actions also aligned with Brown Act procedures.

However, she said it would be best to allow residents to seek refunds for charges they deemed unfair over the last year, as the changes made to the parking program weren’t clear.

Residents who feel they have been unfairly charged from Feb. 6, 2023, to Feb. 4, 2024, will have 120 days once the program launches to fill out a form requesting a refund from the city. Residents must also sign a waiver agreeing not to bring a claim or lawsuit against the city for the “improper fees” before Feb. 7 of this year.

Some residents urged the City Council to continue with free parking, as it eliminates any future confusion or discontent.

The City Council voted 3-2 to direct staff to introduce the refund program— with Councilmembers Fred Strong and Chris Bausch voting no—alongside a

They establish the downtown parking zone’s boundaries, establish a base cost of $1 to $5 an hour subject to adjustment by the city manager, and select specific 30-minute free parking spots, and clarify signage, rollout options, and payment methods, subject to a study conducted by the city manager.

Hull told the council that neither the

“I’ve been downtown four or five times since parking enforcement has been taken away, and everyone is happy with it,” one public commenter said at the meeting. “The amount of cognitive dissonance that will happen if you put this into place will be astounding.”

—Adrian Vincent Rosas

More parking meters are coming to downtown

Pismo Beach

Free weekend parking on Price Street could soon be a thing of the past with Pismo Beach’s recent purchase of more than 200 new parking meters.

On Feb. 20, Pismo Beach City Council unanimously approved installing 210 new parking meters on the downtown street, although the city won’t be charging every day just yet.

“Right now, the recommendation would be to start Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and then Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” City Manager Jorge Garcia said during the meeting. “The police chief can adjust those hours to be consistent with our ordinance and our parking management plan.”

Concerned over public outcry in other SLO County cities such as Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo, Councilmember Stacy Inman said that parking fee times should remain a City Council decision and not left to the police chief’s discretion.

“Mr. Garcia said that our police chief can change them based upon his discretion, and I just haven’t been certain about that since there’s been such a backlash in other cities in our county about parking, the length of parking, and the cost of parking,” she said. “I would just prefer the discretion to be at the council, and if I’m outvoted then that’s fine.”

Adding parking meters to Price Street isn’t a new Pismo Beach City Council discussion. First brought up during a June

15, 2021, council meeting, city staff said that Price Street was a prime piece of downtown parking for visitors. With no paid parking, city staff said, vehicles stay parked for hours, and the city can’t turn over the parking spots.

Paid parking would increase the number of cars coming and going downtown and enable more foot traffic for local businesses, the June 2021 staff report states.

The plan was initially supposed to move forward in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted planning, and City Council voted to delay installing meters until 2024 to help businesses and residents recover from economic difficulties.

Garcia told New Times that parking meters will be primarily on Price Street and on the stub streets between Price Street and Highway 101 and should be ready for use later this year, after the city completes some infrastructure upgrades.

“The parking meters will be installed after the median is constructed and the roadway improvements are made, anticipated to be late spring,” he said. “We will communicate to the public via social media, our website, and press release when the meters are activated.”

According to the Feb. 20 staff report, the city will spend $286,646 to construct a new center median, new curbside parking spaces, and diagonal spaces.

Currently, Pismo Beach has paid meters and lots on Cypress Street that cost between $3 and $4 an hour and on Dolliver Street for $2 to $4 an hour.

The city hasn’t said what the rates would be for the new parking meters.

—Samantha Herrera

Cayucos Pier closed indefinitely following storm damage

The Cayucos pier will be closed until further notice after it was battered by another intense storm.

“I could just cry. … The end of Cayucos Pier is drooping this morning,” Cayucos resident Danna Dysktra-Coy said via Instagram on Feb. 20.

That same day, the San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation Department— which manages the pier—announced that the pier’s deck and support pilings sustained significant damage and it was no longer safe for people to be on.

“Public access to the pier was closed as a precautionary measure due to high surf warnings and the presence of significant debris in both the water and on Cayucos Beach,” SLO County told New Times in an emailed statement. “The safety of residents and visitors is our top priority, and the closure will remain in effect until further notice.”

Cayucos resident Phil Kiesewetter said he returned from a trip up north to San Simeon and saw pier pilings and bits of wood strewn across the beach as he drove into town.

“Storm’s been real big, I mean anyone can go down to the beach and see how it has been rearranged all over the place,” he told New Times. “I mean, heck, people are down there right now after the storm cleared up witnessing Mother Nature’s work.”

It is not the first time the pier has suffered

damage during this storm season. The county’s closed the pier periodically since December when high tides slammed against it, making it unsafe for people to stand on.

Most recently, county officials closed the pier on Feb. 9 after noticing damage to a guardrail on the north side of the pier. At the time, officials found that as long as they were able to monitor the guardrail and the pier was closed during storms, it could remain open at other times.

But now, the pier is expected to be closed indefinitely. The county is unsure of exactly what led to the failure—whether it was the tides, rain, or lack of maintenance—and likely won’t know for some time.

“Preliminary observations suggest potential damage to the pier as the result of adverse weather conditions. … An experienced engineer will [have to] conduct a comprehensive evaluation after storm season,” the county’s statement said. “This evaluation will provide valuable insights into the condition of the pier and inform the necessary steps for repair and restoration.”

—Adrian Vincent Rosas

Correction

• In the article, “County officials say if Proposition 1 passes, it could mean less funding, fewer programs for SLO County Behavioral Health” (Feb. 15), New Times incorrectly stated the bond measure amount. It’s a $6.4 billion bond. New Times regrets the error. ∆

Divest, decide, delay

After years of strife, the San Simeon Community Services District questions whether it can maintain all of its responsibilities

BY ADRIAN VINCENT ROSAS PHOTOS BY JAYSON MELLOM

Since early 2023, the San Simeon Community Services District (CSD) has been in a tailspin.

“We are in the middle of a crisis, and there is no way for this to work unless we get help,” interim General Manager Patrick Faverty told the board at the last meeting on Feb. 1. “I am urging the board to pass an urgency resolution to begin the efforts of divestment.”

Residents of the small coastal town just south of Hearst Castle have witnessed their special district struggle to provide water, wastewater treatment, road repair, and consistent leadership. The resolution Faverty was advocating for would mean the San Simeon CSD would remove one or more of its responsibilities to transfer to another entity—in this case, San Luis Obispo County.

“[The county] has never seen anything like this happen before in SLO,” Faverty told the board.

He explained that the CSD doesn’t have the funds to pay for its wastewater treatment plant relocation and fix a crumbling stairwell and a broken pipe bridge. He added that the district told the California Coastal Commission it would begin work on some of those projects almost five years ago.

Divesting water and wastewater responsibilities is the only way for the district to continue functioning, the interim general manager said. However, the district board members felt the financial information that fueled Faverty’s concern was not enough to warrant immediate action.

“I want to see the financial reports we are citing,” CSD board member Jacqueline Diamond told Faverty at the meeting. “I think we need more information before we are ready to make a vote.”

The board delayed its decision to the March 7 meeting, despite Faverty urging the district to begin the divestment application process immediately.

“We have $1.4 million in our reserves, [and] we have been able to run things with what little we are bringing in,” he said on Feb. 1. “Unless you believe there is some way for us to finish the around $20 million worth of work we need to do, … we can’t handle any of it right now.”

In June 2023, the district attorney formally announced that it had found that Grace and GES violated state conflict of interest laws by participating in creating the contract that made his company the district service provider and made him the district’s acting general manager.

“Public officials such as city council members, county supervisors, appointed officials including general managers must exercise their authority in a way that upholds the public’s trust,” SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow said in a June 2023 statement. “For this reason, California law forbids even the perception of self-dealing in contracts between these officials and the government.”

The DA’s Office said this was not the first time Grace had been accused of violating conflict of interest laws. In 2021, Grace paid the FPPC $4,500 over conflict of interest complaints from a local resident. San Simeon’s district board also granted Grace $125,000 in reimbursements for legal expenses over the costs related to the court dealings, the DA’s Office added.

As a final part of the settlement, the DA’s Office and Grace agreed that he and his company, GES, would no longer be allowed to work with the district.

Divesting is a nine-to-12-month process through the San Luis Obispo Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) that requires studies from the CSD, SLO County, and LAFCO.

The San Simeon CSD cannot wait that long, Faverty said. It needs to find a way to slough off some of the district’s responsibilities and costs soon. If LAFCO doesn’t approve the application, he said that funding those commitments could come out of residents’ pockets.

“If there is a way to cover the cost without raising rates, we need to speed this process up,” Faverty told the board. “Otherwise, we are stuck.”

Services scramble

The San Simeon CSD was created in 1961. Residents on the strip of land along Highway 1 south of Hearst Castle voted for a special district to take care of street lighting, water, wastewater treatment, and street maintenance.

“I don’t think some people realize, but the district has been around for an extremely long time, and some of the problems we are facing are not new,” Faverty told New Times, noting that most of these current issues started nearly a decade ago.

Since 2020, the CSD has been unable to hold board meetings in a consistent location—with two of the most recent meetings being held outside of the town altogether, in Cambria.

Faverty spent most of December 2023 and January 2024 compiling a comprehensive history of the district and its woes in his effort to convince the CSD board and LAFCO that divestment was the only way for the district to continue functioning.

According to his report, the district faced a potential complete collapse in 2014—a shutdown of operations, administration, and management—when the provider of its services, APTwater Services LLC’s parent company, went bankrupt. It left the district without any means to maintain operations unless it covered the cost up front from its reserves.

At the time, an individual stepped in to help prevent the loss of services: APTwater Services General Manager Charles Grace.

According to the report, Grace stepped in and personally paid for the CSD’s operator salaries to ensure residents did not lose access to water or wastewater treatment services.

When the time came to consider a longterm service provider replacement, the CSD and Grace agreed that his company, Grace Environmental Services (GES), would take on that role. Grace also served as the CSD’s acting general manager to ensure GES could transition into its new role properly.

After two years of administering services, the CSD granted an eight-year contract extension to Grace and his company in 2016. Faverty’s report said Grace was never formally appointed as the CSD’s general manager since he also ran GES.

Grace’s dual role garnered the attention of the SLO County District Attorney’s Office and the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). They announced a joint investigation into Grace and his company in 2021.

At the time, the CSD board was already reeling from the sudden resignation of two of its long-serving board members, Gwen Kallas and Daniel De la Rosa in April. While the board replaced Kallas with Holly Le that summer, De la Rosa’s spot remains vacant. Grace Environmental Services did not reply to New Times’ request for comment.

Picking up the pieces

There was “an abrupt and hostile transition of operations, administration, and general management” when Grace’s and GES’s contracts were terminated in September 2023, according to Faverty’s report.

“Grace left the district with nothing. He and the previous operators walked out the door after the settlement without offering any support,” Faverty told New Times. “Sure, there are systems in place, but to be frank, they are antique and should have been replaced years ago.”

The interim general manager has worked since he was appointed in late June 2023 to fill in the gaps left by GES.

Faverty has lived in San Simeon for years, teaching leadership classes at UC Santa Barbara.

“It’s not a new thing to me; I lived in the town while I taught at the school,” Faverty said with a laugh. “When it came time to change the people involved, I realized I

WASTEWATER WOES The California Coastal Commission wants the San Simeon Community Services District to move its wastewater treatment plant (pictured here next to the CSD office), but the district lacks the funds to do so.

ROOTED IN THE LAND The San Simeon Community Services District was founded in 1961 after residents living along the strip of land off Highway 1 and south of Hearst Castle desired a governing body to provide them with basic amenities.

wanted to be the one to step up and try to sort things out.”

His work was cut out for him, he said, first having to replace GES.

“The first thing we did was hire Fluid Resource Management from Arroyo Grande,” Faverty said. “They do a lot of wastewater service in California so we knew they would be good to bring in and try to right the ship, but even then, they still need help.”

Faverty lauds Fluid Resource Management in his report for providing six qualified operators to handle the wastewater treatment plant compared to the two operators GES had employed during its time.

However, even with a group providing stability at the wastewater plant, issues remain. Faverty said during the Grace years, the CSD had agreed to several costly commitments.

Some of those include repairing the district’s crumbling roads, fixing a broken pipe bridge costing around $150,000 to $200,000, restoring a defunct stairwell hanging over the bluffs by the ocean, and acquiring new water tanks to fit modern standards for fire mitigation.

According to Faverty, the most pressing issue is sorting out the relocation of the district’s wastewater treatment plant.

“The California Coastal Commission wants us to move the wastewater plant,” he told New Times. “That alone will cost us around $12 million to $15 million.”

The district settled with the Coastal Commission in 2019 after being cited for violations related to its wastewater treatment facility’s proximity to the ocean and flood risk. The CSD agreed to move the plant by 2038, which included submitting a relocation plan to the commission this year.

Faverty wrote to the Coastal Commission on Jan. 2 requesting a one-year extension due to the CSD’s current financial and time constraint concerns.

On Jan. 3, Coastal Commission Central Coast District Director Dan Carl replied saying that if the CSD ended up divesting its water and wastewater responsibilities, the current agreement would have to be amended anyway.

The CSD continues to run a barebones operation, Faverty said, with only a few people outside of Fluid Resource Management helping him figure out how the district is going to pay for its capital commitments.

“The real challenge with the wastewater treatment project—alongside all of the other commitments we have—is the fact that right now we only have an office manager, myself, and a bookkeeper,” he said. “That, coupled with

the fact that we only have around $1.4 million in reserves to spend on extraneous projects like this, means we have our hands tied.”

The interim general manager said he is wary of even dipping into those reserves, as most of those funds should be set aside in case of an emergency like a flood or fire.

A plea, a plan, and a process

Faverty factored this entire history in when he made his plea to the CSD’s board on Feb. 1.

“We do not have the time to delay this choice any further,” he told New Times “That’s why I have pushed the board to make a decision and pass this urgency ordinance so we can get the ball rolling.”

However, according to LAFCO Executive Officer Rob Fitzroy, what Faverty is requesting is not how the divestment process works. Fitzroy said there is no way for SLO County or LAFCO to grant San Simeon any special treatment or expedite the process.

“The reality that most people don’t realize—and honestly I don’t blame them, as this is a rare occurrence in general—but the process of divestiture is complicated,” he told New Times. “And most importantly, the process cannot be moved forward quickly.”

According to LAFCO policy, divestiture can only occur once the party that wishes to move on from its responsibilities first applies to LAFCO.

“What problem are you trying to solve? What are the respective parties taking over? Why should those parties take over those responsibilities?” he asked, describing what LAFCO typically expects in the application. “Things like that, so LAFCO can then go and look it over and figure out early on what exactly is going on.”

From there, the party taking over those operations—SLO County in this case— would then have to conduct a feasibility study. Once that study’s complete and the county determines whether it has sufficient means to take over water and wastewater operations, county staff would take the feasibility report to the Board of Supervisors, which would vote to approve taking over those responsibilities.

“The process was made very clear [to the CSD] when I first was brought in to discuss divestiture as a potential option,” Fitzroy said.

After the county reviews and approves it, the application goes to the LAFCO board. Then LAFCO will review the county’s and San Simeon’s reports before opening up the topic to public comment.

That public comment period lasts around a month, according to Fitzroy. If anywhere

“They have a fundamental responsibility to their residents and community— they need to act, not us.”

—Bruce Gibson, SLO County 2nd District supervisor

between 25 and 50 percent of the population of San Simeon were to submit written objections against it, the proposed divestiture would then go to a special election. If the number of objections is more than 50 percent of the population, LAFCO would terminate the entire action.

“One important thing LAFCO wants to stress in any scenario where a district is considering something like this is that there is ample time for the public to give input on the whole ordeal,” Fitzroy said.

Only after all of this would the LAFCO board vote on whether to grant the divestiture request. But nothing can happen until the CSD acts.

“They need to pass a resolution saying, ‘Yes, we need to apply to LAFCO,’ and until they do, the rubber is not going to meet the road,” he said. “It can take anywhere from nine to 12 months or more, depending on when they submit the application.”

‘They need to act’

Fitzroy acknowledged that San Simeon’s situation is complicated, especially given the district’s current obligations to move the wastewater treatment plant. However, from LAFCO’s perspective, he said, it appears that the district doesn’t need to divest from anything.

“What we are talking about in any context regarding divestiture is the district’s ability to provide day-to-day operations for the things they are responsible for,” he told New Times “Are people getting clean water? From what we have been presented with, it appears that they are, which means they are able to function.”

The CSD could also choose to dissolve— effectively ceasing to exist altogether while an entity such as SLO County takes over its functions. However, Fitzroy said that the process would involve a different application method that would also take a long time. Faverty said that dissolution is one of the options being considered alongside all the others.

Fitzroy understands that from Faverty’s and the district’s perspective, divesting wastewater and water treatment responsibilities and transferring them to the county might help when it comes to moving the treatment plant. But that assumes the county would have better pathways to finding grants or funding sources to spend on the endeavor.

“There are a lot of assumptions being made on everyone’s end right now, and because a formal application has not been filed, we have not been able to do a proper study to verify this,” Fitzroy said. “Even then, I need to stress that based on what we know right now, the district has confirmed it can maintain day-to-day operations autonomously without help.”

Act now!

If San Simeon’s CSD does apply for divestiture, it wouldn’t be the only active case in the county. In January 2023, the Oceano Community Services District applied to divest itself from its firefighting responsibilities and hand them over to the county while retaining its water and wastewater responsibilities. Fitzroy said the process is still ongoing while the proper information is being acquired.

SLO County 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson—whose district includes San Simeon—said that while he is sympathetic to the CSD’s situation, he doesn’t want to get involved until that LAFCO application is sent in.

“I want to respect that local control they have had established for years,” Gibson told New Times. “If this entire [CSD] wasn’t set up by residents, I wouldn’t feel as opposed to taking that control away from them.”

Over the years, Gibson said, he has witnessed the alarming state of the district and attempted to maintain contact with board members and administrators like Faverty.

In recent conversations, Gibson said, he’s told Faverty that even if the current leadership of the district wasn’t the one that made these commitments, the San Simeon CSD still needs to be held responsible for the things it agreed to do.

“I’d be happy to advise the board and general manager as I have in the past until they can for sure decide what they want to do,” he said. “But they have a fundamental responsibility to their residents and community—they need to act, not us.”

‘It’s personal’

Faverty isn’t giving up hope just yet.

“We still need to fix our roads, which are crumbling beneath our feet. Thankfully, we have been able to get that process started during all of this,” he said. “Despite how dire some of this is, that—alongside potentially bringing on more staff to assist my current group—has me hopeful for the future if LAFCO can grant us this.”

He said he understands why LAFCO and the county, despite wanting to help, have been hesitant to offer the district any special treatment.

“It has far less to do with them than it does with the uniqueness of our situation,” he told New Times. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for both LAFCO and the county for doing what they can to work with us.”

But he worries that the delay and length of the normal process will inevitably end up hurting the people who matter most—the residents.

“It’s personal the way we are doing this right now,” Faverty said. “Every board member, myself included, all of our staff, we are all residents and this will affect us one way or another.”

Faverty said he’s fearful that if LAFCO denies them, residents like himself may find themselves with a nonfunctional government and lack of services—something most of them should not bear the responsibility for.

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

“I know everyone here; they all have so much to offer—this town has much to offer, but it’s been mismanaged for too long,” he said. “My biggest concern is that nobody understands any of this … they don’t live here, and they assume, ‘Oh, they can figure it out without any help!’ But we can’t.

“We are so small we don’t stand a chance.” ∆

Reach Staff Writer Adrian Vincent Rosas at arosas@newtimesslo.com.

CROSSTOWN CAMBRIA Despite being the governing body of San Simeon, the Community Services District regularly meets outside its area, including at the veterans hall in nearby Cambria.

DECOMMISSIONING ENGAGEMENT PANEL.

While PG&E is pursuing the steps to continue operating Diablo Canyon Power Plant until 2030 as directed by the state, PG&E will continue to provide opportunities for community input regarding future decommissioning plans and potential future uses of the Diablo Canyon site.

PG&E is currently in regulatory proceedings for both extended operations and decommissioning.

The Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel (Panel) was created to foster open and frequent dialogue between members of the local community and PG&E on topics regarding the site’s eventual decommissioning, originally planned to begin in 2025 but now slated to begin in 2030 or later. The panel will focus on decommissioning related issues not ongoing continued operations. The Panel will focus on decommissioning related issues and not ongoing continued operations.

There are currently open positions on the Engagement Panel subject for appointment or reappointment consistent with the Panel's Charter. The application period runs until March 5, 2024.

Visit pge.com/diablocanyon and scroll down to the Engagement Panel section or diablocanyonpanel.org to apply.

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Home-based dog rescue Novy’s Ark and its affiliated foster families are looking for forever homes for the nine dogs in their care.

Started in April 2022 by Woods Humane Society employee Anouk Novy, the Atascadero nonprofit looks after dogs from shelters in Bakersfield and Fresno who are facing imminent euthanasia.

“I’ve seen the amount of dogs, especially after COVID, that are in the shelters and the sheer amount of dogs that are being euthanized,” Novy told New Times on Feb. 13. “I wanted to do something until I just decided I would start small.”

True to the rescue’s name, Novy’s Ark began by taking in two dogs at a time. Novy said that her initial goal was to rehome 10 dogs that year.

“A little over a year and a half later, and we’ve done 113,” she said.

Novy equates her calling to “trying to empty an ocean with a teaspoon.” As a dog rescue, Novy’s Ark receives many shelters’ 24-hour lists—a catalog of all the dogs who are going to be put to sleep within 24 hours.

“People are not spaying and neutering,” Novy said. “There are just litter after litter after litter of puppies right now.”

As soon as a spot opens up in her Atascadero facility, Novy journeys to the Central Valley to place one of the dogs on that list in her care.

“What’s really cool about our facility that’s very different is that it looks like somebody’s living room,” she said. “So, there are couches and a flat screen TV and artwork on the walls and rugs, … so it’s like they’re in a home. They learn not to go to the bathroom in the house and not to tear things up.”

If any of the dogs are injured when they arrive at Novy’s Ark, the founder takes them to a vet or an animal

facility to receive medical care. Those visits are funded by sponsors and donations from community members. The bulk of those wellwishers interact with Novy’s Ark through Facebook and fundraising events.

Once the dogs get fixed up, Novy’s Ark looks for foster families who’d be willing to support them until others eventually want to adopt them. Currently, seven of the rescue’s dogs are in foster care while a bonded pair, Chance and Chelsea, live at the Novy’s Ark facility.

Chance, a Dogo Argentino, came to Novy’s Ark from Reedley in Fresno County. He endured trauma because he was chained up for long periods of time and underwent surgery after Novy found him with metal wires embedded deep into his neck. Chance is now recovering at the Atascadero site and found a connection with a border collie mix named Chelsea. They do everything together, Novy said, from playing to hiking Bishop Peak and getting pup cups at coffee shops with volunteers.

“It’s the first time we’re trying to adopt out a bonded pair,” she said. “It’s difficult. A lot of people want a perfect dog, you know?”

On March 10, Novy’s Ark dogs will be beneficiaries of a 5K run organized by Tooth and Nail Winery. People can also interact with the dogs at Benny’s Pizzeria on April 27. At both events, people can meet the dogs and decide if they want to start the adoption process.

Until then, Novy’s Ark is looking for more volunteers and foster households. Visit novysark.org, email novysark@gmail.com, or call (805) 574-0320 to learn more.

“To be a foster, your commitment is a minimum of one week, a maximum of one month,” Novy said. “If they have dogs at home, or kids at home, or cats, or whatever, we choose dogs that will specifically work in their home. It’s really pretty open.”

Fast fact

• R.A.C.E. Matters San Luis Obispo County won a $21,250 grant from the California Arts Council as part of its Impact Project program. The award will help R.A.C.E. Matters host classes on caring for textured hair, especially compensating practitioners of hair braiding and other rituals for natural Black hair. Hosted at SLO hair salon Texture, the handson classes will include practical lessons on hair care as well as the cultural and historical significance of Black hair. ∆

Reach

FRIEND IN NEED Novy’s Ark is searching for someone to adopt Chance—a gentle Dogo Argentino—and his bonded dog partner, Chelsea.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NOVY’S ARK

BY NEIL HAVLIK

Road to conserve

The California Valley needs county support to help with local land conservation efforts

The Carrizo Plain Conservancy (CPC) was established in 2013 as an organization dedicated to continued conservation efforts in the Carrizo Plain area. It started as part of the establishment of two large solar power generating facilities there. These facilities created a fund held by San Luis Obispo County that can be used to purchase lots in the California Valley area for conservation purposes. CPC has been seeking access to that fund to support such purchases. This Board of Supervisors agreed to it in 2022; however, efforts to seek road fee waivers for conserved lots have been unsuccessful. This situation calls for continued county involvement and some new support for the conservation effort.

First, some background: In the late 1980s, the SLO County Board of Supervisors recognized that several areas of the county had allowed land subdivisions that were inappropriate for a variety of reasons, including environmental concerns, flood or fire hazards, or the lack of basic resources such as water. This difficulty is illustrated by the large number of properties that went into tax default, where the owners simply

Affordability, dignity, and a shorter commute

In making the argument that exclusive neighborhoods ought to remain socioeconomically segregated to preserve elite class bragging rights, John Donegan somehow manages to be both breathlessly condescending toward the less fortunate and also woefully ignorant of the types of housing policies that produce thriving communities (“Beverly hillbillies,” Feb. 15).

Donegan ignores a mountain of sociological evidence pointing to the benefits of well-designed mixed-income neighborhoods for social solidarity, economic mobility, and shared prosperity. Evidence shows that neighborhoods segregated by social class tend to mirror hierarchies that develop in other facets of American civic life, exacerbating inequalities and contributing to accelerating rates of distrust and suspicion among citizens.

Beyond this, Donegan never pauses to consider the low-income individuals who serve these wealthy communities— workers whose labor is taken for granted even while their livelihoods and financial stability become increasingly precarious and uncertain. These low-income workers are not asking for mansions in Beverly Hills, they’re merely asking for a reasonable commute, an affordable place to live, and the prospect of living a dignified life.

Vince Meserko Cal Poly

A space for discussion

The fact that you offer residents the opportunity to discuss various points of view (not too outlandish) is one of the things I respect and enjoy the most about your publication. The Feb. 1 opinion pieces from Kathy Riedemann (“Trump and the

walked away from the properties and stopped paying taxes on them. Supervisors established a policy that sought to place many of these properties into conservation, by allowing conservation organizations such as land trusts to purchase the properties for permanent conservation purposes.

Parts of three areas in the county were the main focus of this policy: Cambria, where many lots were too small, too steep, or too heavily forested to be feasibly built on, and the local water supply was (and still is) stretched to its limits; Cayucos, where steep slopes and a lack of water and sewer access made development infeasible; and the California Valley, where flood hazard, poor drainage, a lack of water, and general remoteness made the area challenging for development.

Cambria and Cayucos, being close to the coast, found sources of funding support at the state level, where agencies such as the State Coastal Conservancy provide funds to purchase undevelopable lots from willing sellers or to purchase lots in tax default through a process permitted under state law.

California Valley, however, does not have this advantage, and efforts to conserve areas

insurrection”) and Kathi Mendes Gulley (“Lost faith”) presented entirely different viewpoints on two subjects that were in the previous week’s publication.

How great it would be if we could all just sit down around the table and calmly discuss these differing views, looking for common ground and actual solutions to problems we are dealing with every single day. This is what Congress has forgotten, how to respectfully listen to a different point of view, find common ground, and move forward with at least partial solutions to problems that are not going away.

We are paying the members of Congress to do nothing, while the people of Ukraine are fighting their hearts out to save their country and their freedom. Why does one problem need to be tied to another? Solving our immigration and border problems have nothing to do with allowing Putin and Russia to destroy Ukraine. How do we light a fire under Congress to do their jobs?

Sharon Roberts

San Luis Obispo

Moreno is the best choice

After reading the New Times article on 5th District supervisor candidates Susan Funk and Heather Moreno (“Funk vs. Moreno,” Feb. 15), researching their websites, and seeing them in person at two well-done forums, it is clear that Moreno is the best choice for the job. The balanced article identified several conservatives who donated to the Moreno campaign as well as the liberals donating to Funk.

Moreno is thoughtful, articulate, and knowledgeable on the many issues facing the county. She does her own thorough research and makes up her own mind on what is the best course of action for the community, whether party leaders or donors agree or not.

with higher environmental value have not progressed like those in Cambria and Cayucos. In California Valley, a road fee of approximately $30 per year is also levied on each lot in the subdivision. State law allows properties placed into conservation to be exempt from general property taxes but not from local fees: That is up to the local governing body.

The California Valley Community Services District, which provides the road maintenance services, has been understandably reluctant to waive fees that it collects for those services. This has had a negative effect on the ability to acquire lots that are of high environmental value for permanent conservation.

In order to break this impasse, the county needs to provide some ongoing support for the Community Services District’s services. We believe that the simplest and most direct way to do this is for the county to provide funding support to the district’s road maintenance program. The county maintains the roads in Cambria. It maintains the roads in Cayucos. Why not at least help maintain those in the California Valley? A assistance program for road maintenance of the more important roads within California Valley could alleviate this issue and allow land conservation to proceed there.

The three main roads crossing the valley— Soda Lake Road, Elkhorn Road, and Seven

Funk would be just another vote aligned with Gibson.

Madalyn McDaniel Atascadero

Clarification

A representative from the State Water Resources Control Board requested that New Times clarify information included in Jean’ne Blackwell’s Feb. 8 commentary, “A

Mile Road—are currently county-maintained. However, there are several other roads that serve as more than simple local accesses. In addition, many roads there have suffered from the heavy rains of the past storm seasons, and some need significant maintenance support. This helps to explain the Community Services District’s predicament and its reluctance to waive road fees for conserved lots that won’t place any demands on road maintenance requirements. The district just needs help. CPC has spoken with the two fine ladies competing for the honor of serving as the new supervisor for District 5, which includes California Valley. Both appear supportive of the idea of assisting the California Valley Community Services District’s road programs as a means of supporting land conservation. We hope that, whichever one becomes the new supervisor, she will be a champion for California Valley and will press for the support needed to help the Community Services District and conservation efforts succeed. ∆

Neil Havlik is the president of the Carrizo Plain Conservancy. Reach him through the editor at clanham@newtimesslo.com or write a letter in response for publication by emailing it to letters@newtimesslo.com.

right to clean air, water, soil.” According to the state water board, the piece incorrectly characterized the entity that extended operation of the Diablo Canyon power generating station. It was the Legislature, via SB 846, that extended the once-through cooling policy compliance dates to 2030. In 2023, the state water board approved an amendment to its once-through cooling policy to ensure that it is in accordance with SB 846.

The spirit of Bob Jones

Last week, my wife and I took our infant grandson on a leisurely stroll over the Bob Jones Trail. Starting at the trailhead on Ontario Road, we spent twoplus hours on the trail, joined by hundreds of folks—some with strollers like us, and others on bikes, scooters, skates. It’s the most popular trail on the Central Coast: More than 47,000 people used the trail during June 2020, according to the Friends of the Bob Jones Trail.

I met Bob Jones 40 years ago; I was lucky to recruit him for the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obipso County board in its formative years, soon after launching the organization in early 1984. Bob served as a consultant to the California Legislature in 1970 and is credited with helping draft the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Bob was a consensus builder, a friend to everyone.

In 1986, together with many others including the late Bill Roalman, we wrote a SLO Creek restoration plan for the Land Conservancy. That plan called for restoring the creek throughout its entire watershed and helped build momentum for a trail in the Avila Valley using Pacific Coast Railway right of way.

The Avila Valley segment of the Bob Jones Trail represents less than half the ultimate vision for the facility that bears Bob’s name: A new trail segment would link the Ontario Road trailhead with the Octagon Barn 4 miles north. This segment improves emergency access for the Baron Canyon neighborhood, and commuters will love it.

The county has $18 million in grant funding for this project, and originally hoped to complete the trail by April 2025. With strong support from 3rd District Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg and two other supervisors, the county has worked diligently to move this project forward.

Sadly, however, our vision for the Bob Jones trail also requires something that’s been missing for several years: A fourth vote on the Board of Supervisors. One property owner has denied the county permission even to survey his property and filed a lawsuit against the county to further stall negotiations. Thus, the county must adopt a “resolution of necessity” to purchase that critical segment of the trail right of way, and it requires four votes. John Peschong (1st District) has recused himself, and incumbent Debbie Arnold (5th District) consistently opposes the steps needed to complete the trail.

The county’s grant expires if the project isn’t launched by early next year, which threatens the entire project. The soonest we can get that fourth vote is after Debbie Arnold finally retires in December.

If Atascadero City Councilmember Susan Funk wins the March 5 election for the 5th District, she’ll support the trail’s planned completion.

Supervisorial hopeful Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno has thrown shade on the trail, saying “if … the government’s coming to me for my property, … it would need to be for a very important purpose.” If Moreno is

elected, the trail will probably have to move to the north side of Highway 101 or even worse, be left incomplete.

Only my worst nightmare could conjure up the bleak image of walking with my grandson in a stroller with massive semitrailer trucks barreling along only a few feet away. I simply would not use it, especially knowing that we might have had use of a quiet trail along the creek.

We must not lose the possibility of completing the Bob Jones Trail in this generation. Voters in the 5th District can choose to end the complicity of a single politician with a single out-of-state property owner to frustrate the will of county residents.

We know that these candidates differ on completing the trail named for our late friend Bob Jones. There’s an even wider gap between them on the leading issue of our time: climate change.

In January 2014, Atascadero received a draft Climate Action Plan endorsed by its Planning Commission, community members, city staff, and their professional consultants. Then Councilmember Moreno voted to delete entire sections of this plan, objecting to any mention of the scientific consensus linking global climate change to human activity. In a four-hour filibuster, she turned the plan into a meaningless word salad to appease a handful of far-right climate deniers lurking behind a wall of disinformation built by fossil fuel-funded purveyors of junk science.

Fortunately for the voters in the 5th District, Funk is ready to tackle the grim and undeniable realities of our climate crisis. In doing so, we can move beyond the divisive politics of the past that stifled intelligent discussion of climate action. And in the spirit of Bob Jones, we can create that fourvote consensus to overcome the stalemate needlessly delaying the completion of the most important sustainable infrastructure project before us: our Bob Jones Trail.

I can visualize Bob now—he’s counting on you, voters. And so is my grandson. ∆

John Ashbaugh hopes to use the complete Bob Jones Trail sometime in his lifetime, even if he has to use a wheelchair. Contact him through the editor at clanham@newtimesslo.com.

The Discseel

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•

•

•

•

•

Plan B?

If you’re ruminating on the state of your personal affairs—your bills, commitments, and future—and you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider the San Simeon Community Services District (SSCSD), and I’m guessing you’ll feel much better about your situation, because holy Toledo, what a shitshow! The little hamlet of 462 permanent residents located along Highway 1 between Cambria and Hearst Castle is facing an existential crisis, at least according to its interim General Manager Patrick “Chicken Little” Faverty, who assures residents the sky is falling

It’s a long, complicated tale of woe, years in the making, but in short, the SSCSD promised the California Coastal Commission it would relocate its wastewater treatment facility by 2038. The current facility is in a flood-risk area too close to the ocean. Faverty estimates the move along with a couple of other required projects will cost between $15 million and $20 million, and according to my calculations, even the low-end number pencils out to $32,468 per resident.

Faverty’s Plan A is to abdicate the community’s responsibilities and pass them off to SLO County. In other words, the SSCSD wants to divest itself of its most expensive responsibilities, and if that doesn’t work, dissolve itself altogether, giving up control of the town. I think residents might be forgiven for asking if Faverty is the right person for this job. Usually for big projects

like this, leadership investigates state and federal grants, bonds, and economic development programs to help fund them, but so far Faverty’s best solution is to bail.

The SSCSD was created in 1961 and has a long history of providing street lighting and maintenance, water, and wastewater treatment. Yes, it’s faced with perhaps its biggest challenge to date, in part because of past desperate and misguided decisions. Gather ’round the fire and listen to this horror story that started a decade ago when the parent company of its former water provider, APTwater Services LLC, went bankrupt. The community faced a total shutdown of services in 2014 until knight in shining armor Charles Grace, who happened to be APTwater Services’ general manager, stepped up and personally paid for the SSCSD’s operator salaries to ensure residents didn’t lose access to water or wastewater treatment services.

Hm. So while Grace was manager, his company’s parent company went broke, which probably impacted his salary—but he had enough pocket change to keep San Simeon’s water flowing out and wastewater flowing in, eh? Interesting. Then Grace’s own company, Grace Environmental Services (GES), was named the new provider (nothing to see here, move along), and after two years of providing service, GES won an eight-year contract good through … the current debacle.

Oh, did I mention Grace was acting as

BORN 1938, DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEASED JANUARY 24, 2024

Donna Rose Hennick

Donna Rose Hennick, beloved wife mother, grandmother, and friend peacefully passed away on January 24, 2024 at the age of 85.

Donna was born on March 29, 1938 in Detroit, Michigan to Bruce and Rose Schutz. She grew up in Dearborn, Michigan and moved to California in 1966 with husband Bob and son Bobby where she was a frequent bingo player and bowler and cultivated a deep love for family and friends.

Donna worked for General Telephone company in the 1960’s. She was an avid bowler for many years, worked at Oak Knoll Bowl and eventually became general manager. Donna spent her last working years at Allstate Insurance.

Donna dedicated her life to her family, cherishing every moment spent with her husband, her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren, sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews. Her love knew no bounds and she leaves behind a wonderful and everlasting legacy of love, compassion and strength. Her love of animals was enduring. She loved Care4Paws and her little dog Poppy she inherited from the shelter. Wanted to save them all.

Donna is preceded in death by her loving parents Bruce and Rose Schutz and son Dave. Donna leaves behind her loving husband of 67 years, Robert Lee Hennick and son Bob

Hennick (wife Kriste), daughters Tanya Gouin (husband Joey), Tassie Hennick, and Tammy Hennick, and numerous loving grandchildren. Her sisters Judy Killian, Mary Lou Koonter, Laura Lambert and Rita Willhite and wonderful nieces and nephews and friends that were family to her.

Donna’s spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew her and her memory will be cherished forever. A “Celebration of life” to be held March 12, 2024 at 10:00am at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 298 South Thompson Ave, Nipomo, California. Reception to follow at the Dana Adobe Cultural Center, 671 South Oakglen Ave, Nipomo, California.

the de facto SSCSD general manager even though he was never officially appointed?

Grace’s dual role eventually came to the attention the SLO County District Attorney’s Office and the Fair Political Practices Commission in 2021, beginning a joint investigation into Grace and his company that found a conflict of interest, forcing Grace and his company out.

Guess how Grace, whose name now suddenly drips with irony, handled his ouster? Yes, he took his marbles and left, and now Faverty and his skeleton crew are scratching their heads, wondering how to proceed. Good grief!

“Grace left the district with nothing. He and the previous operators walked out the door after the settlement without offering any support,” Faverty told New Times. “Sure, there are systems in place, but to be frank, they are antique and should have been replaced years ago.”

There’s no question Faverty and the SSCSD are in a hard place, but dude, you taught leadership classes at UC Santa Barbara, so how about trying a little, I don’t know, leadership before you dissolve an organization that has given San Simeon residents a measure of autonomy for the past 63 years?

On March 7, the SSCSD board of directors will vote on whether to divest their water and wastewater responsibilities, a process that if granted would take nine to 12 months … if it goes quickly! Think Oceano trying to divest of its fire protection,

which has dragged on longer than a year. I get that the length of this process is exactly Faverty’s argument for rushing divestment, but how about in the near term the SSCSD starts a plan to relocate the water treatment facility and explores grants and funding?

“This town has much to offer, but it’s been mismanaged for too long,” Faverty said.

Um, OK, but now you’re the manager, so manage it better.

Speaking of wastewater, the March 5 election is coming up, and that means it’s time for Flyer Wars, when your mailboxes are flooded with political ads full of red meat talking points.

Fifth District Supervisor candidates Susan Funk and Heather Moreno are already on the receiving ends of flung poo. Funk accuses Moreno of silently endorsing MAGA extremism: “won’t stand up to … MAGA-style Republicans.” Moreno claims Funk is “endorsed by extremists that want to DEFUND the POLICE.” Um, has Moreno claimed to be a MAGA Trumpian? Has Funk campaigned on defunding the po-po? No-no? Then who cares? This bottom-of-the-barrel politics is unworthy of our attention.

But hey, before you relegate these glossy cardstock flyers to the blue bins of destiny, remember they’re thick enough to fold into durable paper airplanes. Fun for the kids! Wee! ∆

The Shredder is showered, rested, and ready. Dish the political dirt at shredder@newtimesslo.com.

DECEASED 2024, MORRO BAY, CA - BORN 1949, RACINE, WISCONSIN

David J. Cole

David J. Cole peacefully passed away in Morro Bay, California on February 9, 2024, at the age of 75 after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer. Born on January 1, 1949, David grew up in Racine, Wisconsin where he met his loving wife, Marie Hartwig, at Racine Lutheran High School. They raised their only child, Jen, in Glencoe, Illinois where David served as Village Manager from 1983-1991. David, Marie, and Jen have all enjoyed living in California since 1995, where David served as City Manager of Morro Bay from 1997-1999.

David was preceded in death by his loving wife (Marie, 2020) and his parents (Pearl & Harold Cole). He leaves behind his daughter (Jen Weck), two grandchildren (Paige & Ryan), his brother (Harold) and nephews (Doug, Randy, Tim) as well as the Hartwig relatives, Marie’s brothers (John & Helen, Joe, Evan, Maria) and (David & Barbara, Joshua).

DECEASED FEBRUARY 12, 2024, MORRO BAY, CA

Jim Wilbur Twentyman

Jim Wilbur Twentyman, 79, of Morro Bay, CA died unexpectedly on Feb 12, 2024. Jim loved his investment work, watching falcons soar over Morro Bay, cycling with the San Luis Obispo Bike Club where he was a member since 1995.

He was the eldest son of the late Gerald and Esther Twentyman of Homer, NY. He is survived by his close companion, Susane Rotalo, siblings Lee, Mark (Linda), and Jane (Scott MacDonald), sister-in-law Sylvia, nieces and nephews, Michael (Evelyn), Oliver, Kate (Matt) Dagianis,

Alice MacDonald (Ross Gallagher), great nieces and nephews, Azuree, William, Theo Twentyman, Athena and Kallista Dagianis. We will always remember his tenacious curiosity for life, love for his family and friends, and charming wit. Soar with the falcons, Jim.

In memory of Jim, gifts may be given to the HomerPhillipsFreeLibrary.org and the San Luis Obispo Bike Club, slobc.org.

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FashionShowatTheAlchemists'Garden (5pto7p): VisitTheAlchemists’Gardenfora fashionshowcelebratingthecreativityandvision oflocalwomen-ownedboutiques.

WEDNESDAY-MARCH6

BehindtheVines(11ato1p): ExplorePelletiere EstateWineryonaguidedtourthroughthe vineyards,thenenjoyanItalianpicniclunch. WomenWinemakerEvent(5pto7p): PasoRoblesWineMerchantwillbefeaturinga flightoffourdifferentwinesfromfourlocal womenwinemakers.

AnExplorationofVermouth2.0(5:30pto 7:30p): JoinBrookefromTheSpoonTradefora specialseminaronthehistoryandproductionof Vermouthincludingatastingflight.

WinetastingwiththeWinemakers!(5:30pto 7:30p): TheSavoryPaletteandtheGoddessof Wineinviteyoutoenjoyaguidedwinetasting with4localwomenwinemakers!

THURSDAY-MARCH7

Artisan'sTourofPaso(3:30pto9p): JoinCopia Winery,BlackMarketCheeseCo,StayontheVineyard andfriendsforaneveningofgreatfoodanddrink. Dreams&Suenos(6pto8p): Enjoyacreative eveningwithCorazonCafeandUlloaCellars.They willleadyouthroughacollageartprojectwhile manifestingyourdreams.

WomeninWine&CulinaryCraft(6:30pto 9:30p): Enjoyanexclusivecollaborationfeaturing Hubba,AltaColina,LittleSoul,Haliotide,InBloom,& NixCellars.InBloom’sExecutive,ChefRonFrazier andAlmaAyónpresenta5-coursetastingmenu.

VACATIONPACKAGES

3NightStayattheDresserWineryLuxury

VacationRentalVillaforupto10guests-includes aDresserwinepaireddinnerfor10preparedbyChef RachelPonceANDTour&TasteExperiencewiththe Owner&Winemaker

PrivateSuiteatStayontheVineyard- with exclusiveArtisan’sTourofPasoRoblesonMarch7th

FRIDAY-MARCH8

InternationalWomen'sDayCelebration(5-8p): CelebrateInternationalWomen’sDayinAtascadero! Therewillbefreetoursofcityhallhighlightingthe influentialrolewomenplayedonthecentralcoast. Weatherpermitting,wewillalsoenjoyafireworks showintheSunkenGardens,andarooftopmixerat Cielotocelebratethewomeninourlives.

SATURDAY-MARCH9

SidebySidebySide:(1p&3p): JoinArianna Wines,PianettaWinery,&SymbiosisWinesfora SidebySidecomparativetastingofthreevarietals madebythreedifferentwomen.

Wine,Blooms&Bites(3:30pto5:30p): CollineFlowerFarmwillleadyouthroughafloral workshop,complementedbyFulldrawWines anddelectablebitesfromInBloom.

Oyster&SparklingWinePairingandShucking Workshop(4pto 6p): Learnhowtoshuckoystersat SaintsBarrelwhiletastingandpairingsparkling wines.You’llleavewithnewskills,recipes,&tools!

SUNDAY-MARCH10

FamilyFiestaWorkshop(10:30ato1:30p): This familyeventincludesawineflight,sodatastings, tortillaandquesadillaworkshop,andexclusive discountsforMCVwines.PCHShaveIcewillalsobe onsitesellingHorchataBoba&otherspecialflavors. AtHerTableStreetFestival(11ato5p): We’re excitedtoinviteyoutoourstreetfairfeaturingover 50vendors.Noticketsneeded!

TabletoFarmBrunch(11ato2p): VisitTiberCanyon Ranchwhiletastinglocalseasonalproducefromthe FARMsteadEdandtheSLOCountyFarmTrailwith menubyShekamooGrill.

FOODSPECIALS

GranadaHotel&Bistro- TheGlassCeilingCocktail.Don’t missoutonthisinteractivecelebratorydrink!

AriannaWines- VintageWineRelease-Includesa3 yearveritcalofownerArianna’sTorrontes BartonFamilyEstate- BraisedMapleLeafFarms Duck&SweetPotatoTostada.OwnerJennyBarton’s favoritedish!

PasoRoblesWineMerchant- ETTOJamesBerry

VineyardMeyerLemonRavioli.Pairitwithaglassof ‘OrangoTango’byGiornata.Availableallmonth!

Jeffry’sWineCountryBBQ- SmokedBeef BologneseLasagna.Oneofowner,Kathleen’s favoritedishesmadebyJeffry!

ÓraleTaqueria- Abuela’sTamales,thisspecial recipehasbeenpasseddowngenerations. Beerwood- ChefJess’sClassicComfortFoods. Payingtributetothewomenwhocamebeforeus! Plantae+Fungi- TastesofKagoshimaJapan-Enjoy aspecialBentoBoxmadebyownerMihoWatanabe. Robin’sRestaurant- OwnerShannyCoveypresents her“HeritagePrixFixeMenu”ftJDusiWine Grain+Vine- SpecialBasilGimletbyChefSharon BlueMoonOverAvila- “Bib’sApron”Dinnerinspired byowner.NancyBell.Includescookbook!

Hot Dates

CHORAL CONFERENCE

Cal Poly Cantabile will present a special preview concert at the First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo on Friday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. The ensemble will preview its planned performance for the upcoming American Choral Directors Association Western Regional Conference, with highlights of works by Cal Poly professor Meredith Brammeier and others. Admission ranges between $10 and $20. Visit pacslo.org for more info. The church is located at 981 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo. —Caleb Wiseblood

ARTS

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

AQUARIUS 2024 Central Coast Watercolor Society’s annual juried exhibit features a wide array of watermedia art from experimental to traditional. Meet the artists at the opening reception on Feb. 25, 2 to 4 p.m. when awards will be presented. Feb. 22-April 1 Free. ccwsart.com/aquarius-2024-show. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay, 805-772-2504.

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. 559-7999632. costagallery.com. Costa Gallery, 2087 10th St., Los Osos.

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. Forever Stoked, 1164 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.

IT TAKES TWO This upbeat musical celebrates the risky business of falling in love with 19 original songs and spoken bits that are both funny and touching. Feb. 23 - March 3 my805tix.com. By The Sea Productions, 545 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay.

MINDFUL MARKS: AN INTRODUCTION TO OBSERVATIONAL DRAWING FOR ALL WITH LYNDA MONICK-ISENBERG

Participants in this four-week course will be guided through traditional and nontraditional drawing exercises to develop personal drawing skills, techniques, and strategies in support of their own creative practice. Feb. 28, 10 a.m.-noon $145. 805-927-8190. cambriaarts.org. Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St., Cambria.

POP-UP EXHIBITION FEATURING

ATUL PANDE AND HEMA SUKUMAR If you’re looking for some artistic inspiration, don’t miss the pop-up gallery exhibition in Gallery at Marina Square featuring the colorful acrylic paintings of Atul Pande and Hema Sukumar. Come explore dreamy landscapes and magical abstract paintings. Mondays, Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. through Feb. 28 Free. 805-772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

COMEDY NIGHT Comedy Night is back at the Paso Lounge. This month’s lineup includes headliner Ahmed Ahmed, Blake Bartee, David Uhlfelder, and host Bob Fernandez. March 2 7-10 p.m. $25 in advance; $30 at the door. 805-635-5919. pasolounge.com. Paso Lounge, 1144 Black Oak Drive, Paso Robles.

DEPRISE BRESCIA ART GALLERY: OPEN

DAILY Features a large selection of encaustic art, sculpted paintings, art installations, acrylic palette knife paintings, digital art, glass, jewelry, stones, fossils, and a butterfly sculpture garden. ongoing DepriseBrescia. com. Deprise Brescia Art Gallery, 829 10th St., Paso Robles, 310-621-7543.

FOSSIL VITRA Special class with local guest teacher, Starr Lee. Create two 5” square fused glass garden sun catchers using the Fossil Vitra technique with real flowers, leaves, powdered glass, and more. Masks will be required when using powdered glass. Six spaces available. March 2 1-3 p.m. $125. 805464-2633. glassheadstudio.com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero.

FUSED GLASS FLOWER STAKE Create your own unique fused glass flower using a variety of colorful pieces of glass. Flowers can be hung or glued to a metal stake after firing. All materials included. Feb. 28 2-4 & 5-7 p.m. $45. 805-464-2633. glassheadstudio. com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero.

SEED BEAD LOOM ART Join ArtSocial805 at the Creative Campus where you can unleash the jewelry designer in you and weave your dream bracelet with the help of our expert instructor. Includes loom to take home. Feb. 25 2-5 p.m. $35. 805-400-9107. artsocial805. com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

TEXTURED PAINTING Join ArtSocial805 at the Creative Campus for this workshop, where you wiIl learn how to mix, shape, and design a textured painting and about different tools, techniques, and practice before diving into your canvas. Feb. 22 4-6 p.m. $90. 805-400-9107. artsocial805. com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

WEEKLY TEEN NIGHT Join ArtSocial805 at the Creative Campus for a weekly Teen Night. It’s an open studio night where teens can unleash their inner Picasso. Reserve your spot. Feb. 22 6-8 p.m. $15. 805-400-9107. artsocial805.com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY

JACKSON MUSICAL “The gods are real. Like, the Greek gods.” Based on the best-selling book series by Rick Riordan. This musical is a pop rock-fueled adventure brought to life through song, dance, shadow play, and all kinds of theater magic. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8-10 p.m. and March 3, 2-4 p.m. through March 9 $25 general admission. 805-7564849. theatredance.calpoly.edu/lightningthief-percy-jackson-musical. Spanos Theatre,

New Times and the Sun now share their community listings for a complete Central Coast calendar running from SLO County through northern Santa Barbara County. Submit events online by logging in with your Google, Facebook, or Twitter account at newtimesslo.com. You may also email calendar@newtimesslo. com. Deadline is one week before the issue date on Thursdays. Submissions are subject to editing and approval. Contact Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood directly at cwiseblood@newtimesslo.com.

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

ACTOR’S EDGE: ACTING CLASSES Actor’s Edge offers film and television acting training in San Luis Obispo, plus exposure to Los Angeles talent agents. All ages and skill levels welcome. Classes available in SLO, LA, and on zoom. ongoing $210 per month. actorsedge. com. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

ALISA SIKELIANOS-CARTER The Alisa Sikelianos-Carter exhibition at SLOMA will promote an emerging female artist of color whose works are inspired by the stories of her Black ancestors and traditionally Black hairstyles, centered on ancestral power and mythology. Through March 10, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma.org/exhibition/ alisa-sikelianos-carter/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., 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 for potters. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. $40. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, anamcre.com.

ART AFTER DARK: LENA RUSHING Featuring creations by Lena Rushing. Visit site for more info. March 1 5 p.m. my805tix.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

ARTIST RIKI SCHUMACHER AT ART

CENTRAL GALLERY Schumacher’s work is pensive and introspective, inspiring one to take a solitary walk on a cloudy day. Wander in to reflect on her “delicious, wistful landscapes.” Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. Free. 805-7474200. artcentralslo.com/gallery-artists/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL Join the SLO outdoor community for two nights of acclaimed outdoor adventure, cultural, and environmental films. Find more info on website. Purchase tickets at REI or Mountain Air with no extra fees. Feb. 23-24, 7-10

p.m. $25 for one night; $45 for both shows. 509-951-6793. livetoplay.com. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

BARRY GOYETTE: MULBERRY For his exhibition at SLOMA, San Luis Obispo-based artist Barry Goyette shows a series of portraits taken by a very specific mulberry tree as a site for portrait photography guided by the models, of varying stages of life. Through June 3, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-5438562. sloma.org/exhibition/barry-goyettemulberry/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

BEEHIVE: THE ‘60S MUSICAL Take a trip down memory lane with this musical celebration featuring iconic female voices of the 1960s. Told from the perspective of six young women who came of age in this enigmatic decade and unforgettable time, this new show will have you “dancing in the aisles.” Wednesdays-Saturdays, 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays, 2-4 p.m. through March 10 $40-$60. 805-786-2440. slorep.org/shows/ beehive-the-60s-musical/. SLO Rep, 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo.

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 805-835-5893. hmcruceceramics.com/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

CHICAGO A universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one showstopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing. Feb. 22 7:30-9 p.m. $78-$119. 805756-2787. calpolyarts.org. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

COMEDIAN EXHIBIT Every comedian in this collection is one the host has reviewed, marveled at, and savored. Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 24 7:30 p.m. my805tix.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

IMPROV COMEDY SHOW Come join the talented Ensemble Team. They will be building hilarious worlds in longform, and playing witty shortform games, all with suggestions from you, the audience. Feb. 23 , 6-8 p.m. my805tix.com. The Hub, 1701 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

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.

LEARN MODERN SQUARE DANCING A new square dance class, with Rick Hampton teaching. Exercise your body and brain while making new friends. Casual dress. Singles and couples welcome. Light refreshments will be served. Thursdays, 7-9 p.m. through April 18 $70 for all 12 weeks. 805-781-7300. squaredancecentralcoast.com/classes. San Luis Obispo Grange Hall, 2880 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

LIGHTWIRE THEATER: DINO-LIGHT

Join Lightwire Theater for their electrifying production, Dino-Light. Recipient of the prestigious Jim Henson Foundation Grant, this glow-in- the-dark adventure weaves a heartwarming story with a cutting-edge blend of puppetry and technology. Feb. 25 3-4:30 p.m. $36-$40. 805-756-2787. calpolyarts.org. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

MOVIE SCREENING IN THE GALLERY A special screening of the cult classic film The Blob (1988) in the gallery, surrounded by the artwork that it inspired. Followed by panel discussion on queer culture, horror films and Cobi Moules’ artworks from local scholars and community members. Feb. 29 5:30 p.m. Free. 805-546-3202. Harold J. Miossi Gallery, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, cuesta.edu/ student/campuslife/artgallery/.

OPEN MIC COMEDY Sign-ups at 6:30 p.m.

Hosted by Aidan Candelario. Mondays, 7-9 p.m. Free. 805-540-8300. saintsbarrel.com/ event-calendar. Saints Barrel Wine Bar, 1021 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo.

PARENT-CHILD POTTERY CLASS Make lasting memories with clay together as a family. For ages 6 and over. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon $70. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, anamcre.com.

ROCKIN’ MOSAICS IN THE GARDEN

Learn mosaic basics and create a one-ofa-kind mosaic rock for your garden. Tools to cut, glue, and grout will be provided. For more information about registering for this program, email jen@slobg.org. Feb. 25, 1-3 p.m. $50. 805-541-1400. slobg.org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CAL POLY MUSIC DEPARTMENT

SLO COMEDY FESTIVAL Visit website for the full lineup of featured comedians and event happenings, as well as tickets. The fest takes place at various venues across San Luis Obispo County and showcases various talented comedians. Feb. 22-25 slocomedyfestival.com. SLO County, Various locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.

STOMP Witness STOMP, an explosive, inventive, and utterly unique percussion sensation for all ages. This award-winning eight-member troupe captivates audiences with unconventional instruments, from matchboxes to garbage cans, creating magnificent rhythms. With rave reviews and repeat performances worldwide, STOMP delivers a pulse-pounding, electrifying experience. March 3 7-8:30 p.m. $59-$92. 805756-2787. calpolyarts.org/20232024-events/ stomp. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

GRAVE MISTAKES Book editor Ray’s chances of courting writer and housemate Molly get pushed to the backburner when the duo’s landlord teams up with a ghost hunter and plots to kick his two tenants out in order to transform their home into a horror-themed tourist destination. Through March 16 Great American Melodrama, 1863 Front St., Oceano.

NEW WORKS BY STEVE ANDREWS Andrews’

artwork will be on display during January and February at The Clark Center. Through Feb. 29 805-489-9444. clarkcenter.org/about/visualarts-exhibit/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP WITH JOE

CIBERE Central Coast Watercolor Society sponsors artist Joe Cibere, Aquarius 2024 Juror, for a three-day workshop, “Design, Backlight, and Water.” His abstract realism features strong design with a sense of illusion. Fee includes morning snacks and lunch. Go to CCWS website to register. Feb. 26 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Feb. 27 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Feb. 28 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $390. ccwsart.com/joe-cibere-workshop. Nipomo Community Presbyterian Church, 1235 N Thompson Rd., Arroyo Grande, 805-219-0133.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BREATHE AND STRETCH: BAYSIDE

MARTIAL ARTS

This class for ages 18 and over is a hybrid of yoga, active isolated, resistance stretching, and more. Breath work is incorporated throughout. You must be able to get down onto the floor and back up again. Please bring a mat and some water to stay hydrated. Sundays, 9-10 a.m. $15 session. 415-516-5214. Bayside Martial Arts, 1200 2nd St., Los Osos.

BREATHE AND STRETCH: OMNI STUDIO

This class for ages 18 and over is a hybrid of yoga, active isolated, resistance stretching, and more. Breath work is incorporated throughout. You must be able to get down onto the floor and back up again. Please bring a mat and some water to stay hydrated. Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $15 session. 415-516-5214. Omni Studio, 698 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay.

EDUCATOR WORKSHOP SERIES A series of three educator training workshops focused on coastal ocean literacy, climate resilience, and environmental stewardship. Designed for classroom teachers, naturalists, and outdoor educators. Feb. 24, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $30. eventbrite.com. Morro Bay Museum of Natural History, 20 State Park Rd., Morro Bay, 805-772-2694.

ENJOY AXE THROWING Enjoy the art of axe throwing in a safe and fun environment. Kids ages 10 and older are welcome with an adult. No personal axes please. Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and Saturdays, 12-6 p.m. $20. 805-5284880. baysidemartialarts.com. Bayside Martial Arts, 1200 2nd St., Los Osos.

FREE OUTRIGGER CANOE DEMO DAYS

Athletes wanted. Pale Kai Outrigger is a nonprofit outrigger canoe club. The club offers competitive Hawaiian-style outrigger canoe racing for men and women and are opening up club registration for 2024. All levels and

abilities welcome. Space is limited. Signup online now. Every other Saturday, 8-10 & 10 a.m.-noon through Feb. 25 Free. palekai.org/ joinus/. Coleman Park, Morro Bay, 101 Coleman Drive, Morro Bay, (805) 772-6278.

MORRO BAY MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Disciplines include advanced athletic performance fitness training, Thai kickboxing, and more. Beginners to advanced students welcome. Day and evening classes offered. Mondays-Saturdays, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Call for more info. 805-701-7397. charvetmartialarts.com.

Morro Bay Martial Arts, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

PLANT SWAP Calling all plant enthusiasts, newbies, and everyone in between. Bring along any plants, cuttings, starts, and pots you’d like to share; then take home a new plant for yourself. Don’t have a plant to share? There’ll be extras, so come anyway. Feb. 24 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 805-528-1862. Los Osos Library, 2075 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.

SHAMELESS A day of sex and body positivity workshops followed by an erotic arts night and dance party. Feb. 24 11 a.m.-11 p.m. my805tix.com. The Benedict, 1401 Quintana Road, Morro Bay.

SOCRATES: DISCUSSION GROUP Group members present interesting and thought provoking topics of all sorts. Topics are selected in advance and moderated by volunteers. Vaccinations are necessary. Enter through wooden gate to garden area. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. 805-528-7111. Coalesce Bookstore, 845 Main St., Morro Bay, coalescebookstore.com/.

STAY YOUNG WITH QI GONG Qi gong offers great anti-aging benefits, providing a comprehensive system for improving physical, mental and emotional health. Its roots date back thousands of years in China. Learn with certified instructor Devin Wallace. Call first. Thursdays, 10-11 a.m. $10. 805-709-2227. Hardie Park, Ash Ave. and B St., Cayucos.

ZEN IN MOTION Learn the Shaolin Water Style and other deep breathing and moving meditation techniques with the 2019 Taijiquan Instructor of the Year. Beginners Welcome. Instructor Certification Courses available.

Mondays, Wednesdays Call for details. 805701-7397. charvetmartialarts.com. Grateful Body, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

THE MID-STATE WEDDING AND EVENT

EXPO An evening of event planning fun, networking, prizes, giveaways, and more. Feb. 25, 12-4 p.m. my805tix.com. Hunter Ranch Golf Course, 4041 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles, 805-237-7444.

NAR-ANON: FRIDAY MEETINGS A meeting for those who know or have known a feeling of desperation concerning the addiction of a loved one. Fridays, 12-1 p.m. Free. 805441-2164. North County Connection, 8600 Atascadero Ave., Atascadero.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

BEYOND MINDFULNESS Realize your potential through individualized meditation instruction with an experienced teacher via Zoom. This class is for those who wish to begin a practice or seek to deepen an existing one. Flexible days and times. Certified with IMTA. Email or text for information. MondaysSundays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sliding scale. 559-905-9274. theartofsilence.net. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

BIRDS AND BOTANY MONTHLY WALK AT SLO BOTANICAL GARDEN The Garden is excited to present a monthly bird walk series on the fourth Thursday of every month which explores the intersection of birds and botany. Fourth Thursday of every month, 8-11 a.m. $10 for Garden Members; $40 for general public. 805541-1400. slobg.org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

CENTRAL COAST CONJURERS (SLO COUNTY MAGIC CLUB) Monthly meeting of magicians of all levels. Please call or email for more info. Meet like-minded folks with an interest in magic, from close-up to stage performances. Last Wednesday of every month, 6:30-9 p.m. Free. 805-440-0116. IHOP, 212 Madonna Rd., 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, 9:30-11:30 a.m. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church SLO, 650 Pismo St., San Luis Obispo.

CITY FARM SLO’S YOUTH

EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM Check site for more info on programming and summer camps. ongoing cityfarmslo.org. San Luis Obispo, Citywide, SLO.

COMPLIMENTARY SHOWERS WITH SHOWER THE PEOPLE After a short hiatus, the San Luis Obispo Library will once again be partnering with local non-profit organization, Shower the People. The shower trailer will be located between the library and parking structure. Toiletries provided. Sundays, 1-3 p.m. Free. San Luis Obispo Library, 995 Palm St., San Luis Obispo.

FOOD FOREST WORKSHOP An exciting hands-on workshop on Food Forest Designing, as part of the host’s Permaculture Gardening Series. Discover the art of creating sustainable and productive food forests in your own backyard. Learn how to create you own food forest paradise. Register online on EventBrite. Feb. 24 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $40. 626-476-7584. slopermaculture.weebly.com/ upcoming-events.html. City Farm SLO, 1221 Calle Joaquin, San Luis Obispo.

FOSTERING COMMON PURPOSE WITHIN

THE HOUSING SECTOR ROUNDTABLE (FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS)

For this roundtable, host is seeking representatives from local nonprofits that serve the housing sector. This is an opportunity to gather and accomplish the following: build relationships and collaborations; share challenges, successes, and opportunities; and seek and receive feedback and moral support from peers. Feb. 28, 10-11 a.m. Free. spokesfornonprofits.org.

Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

FREE SCREENING AND CONVERSATION: PRESENTED BY THE NAACP The Environmental Justice Committee NAACP SLO County Branch presents a free screening of The Smell of Money. A North Carolina community fights one of the world’s largest port corporations for the right to have fresh air, clean water, and a life without smelling manure. Feb.

25 2-4:30 p.m. Free. 805-619-5354. Unitarian Universalists Church, 2201 Lawton Ave., San Luis Obispo, naacpslocty.org/.

NONPROFIT BOARD OFFICER TRAINING

: ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD SECRETARY This class will give you the basics to perform the role of board secretary effectively. Join to learn a mastery of minutes; the critical documents your organization should have on hand; how to use technology to lighten your load; and more. Feb. 22 , 12-1:30 p.m. $60; $35 for Spokes Members. spokesfornonprofits.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

NONPROFIT BOARD OFFICER TRAINING:

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOARD TREASURER This class provides the basics to perform the role of board treasurer effectively. Join to learn: the required financial reports and how they’re related; role of treasurer versus bookkeeper; annual state and federal reporting requirements; how technology can lighten your load; and more. Feb. 27 2-3:30 p.m. spokesfornonprofits.org.

Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

QI GONG FITNESS ONLINE Qi Gong is a gentle but powerful way to strengthen body, mind, and spirit. Great for balance. Instructor: Gary West, through Adult School, San Luis Coastal Unified School District. An online class. Wednesdays, 9:35-10:35 a.m. through May 22 $90. 805-549-1222. ae.slcusd.org/.

Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

QI GONG FOR MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT

Learn and practice qi gong, a Chinese system for physical, mental and spiritual development. This class is conducted outdoors in a beautiful setting, which is the best place to do qi gong, as its inspiration is drawn from nature. Certified instructor: Devin Wallace. Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m. $10. 805-709-2227. Crows End Retreat, 6430 Squire Ct., San Luis Obispo.

QUILTING AND SEWING SUPPLIES SALE

Supplies donated from a quilter’s estate. Wide range of materials, notions, and storage cabinets at bargain prices. Two sewing machines will also be offered for sale. Feb. 24

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 19

10 a.m.-2 p.m. 1700 Block, San Luis Drive, San Luis Obispo.

SLO FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK

SALE A large book sale of around 40,000 books, CDs, and DVDs for adults, teens, and children. FOL Member get early access on Feb. 29 (can join at door); public sales held March 1 through 3. Come out to support the SLO Library. Feb. 29 3-9 p.m. and March 1 -3, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. 916-847-8987. slofol.org/booksale/. San Luis Obispo Vets’ Hall, 801 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

SLO RETIRED ACTIVE MEN: WEEKLY

COFFEE MEETING SLO RAMs is a group or retirees that get together just for the fun, fellowship, and to enjoy programs which enhance the enjoyment, dignity, and independence of retirement. Thursdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. $10 coffee meeting. retiredactivemen.org. Madonna Inn, 100 Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo.

STAY YOUNG WITH QI GONG Qi Gong boosts energy and vitality, reduces stress, improves balance and flexibility, and, best of all, is fun. Join instructor Devin Wallace for this outdoor class which is held in a beautiful setting. Call or email before attending.

Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m. $10. 805-709-2227. Crows

End Retreat, 6430 Squire Ct., San Luis Obispo.

TEEN MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP

Learn more about mental health and coping skills to help you through your journey towards wellness and recovery. Thursdays, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. 805-540-6576. t-mha.org.

Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo.

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. Fourth 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.

TRANS* YOUTH PEER SUPPORT GROUP

This group is a safe place for trans* and

gender non-conforming people, as well as those questioning, from ages of 11 to 18. A facilitated emotional support group to be heard, share your story, and hear stories that may sound surprisingly like your own. Fourth Tuesday of every month, 6-8 p.m. Free. GALA Pride and Diversity Center, 1060 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-541-4252.

VISION BOARD MAKING PARTY Get clear on your vision for the future and call in what you are manifesting in a fun, welcoming atmosphere March 3 4:30 p.m. my805tix. com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

ASTROLOGY 101 Have you always been curious about astrology and your horoscope but don’t know where to start? Local professional astrologer Lori Waters, KPDA, will be teaching a five-week Astrology 101 course that will lead you through the basics of astrology. Feb. 22 6-7:30 p.m. $20. 805773-7063. Shell Beach Veterans Memorial Building, 230 Leeward Ave., Pismo Beach, pismobeach.org.

BEGINNER GROUP SURF LESSONS

AND SURF CAMPS Lessons and camp packages available daily. All equipment included. ongoing Starts at $70. 805-8357873. sandbarsurf.com/. Sandbar Surf School Meetup Spot, 110 Park Ave., Pismo Beach.

CALLING ALL NATURE-LOVING

WHEELCHAIR USERS: EXPLORE AND EXPERIENCE FREEDOM TRAX AT PISMO

STATE BEACH NatureTrack will be at Pismo State Beach to introduce those who use wheelchairs to the Freedom Trax devices at no cost. These devices enable users to get up close to the waters’ edge and navigate the beach. Feb. 25 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 805-886-2047. naturetrack.org/. Pismo Beach Pier, West end of Pomeroy, Pismo Beach.

DONATION-BASED YOGA FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, EMTS, AND CARETAKERS Class schedule varies. Contact empoweryoga805@gmail for details and reservations. ongoing 805-619-0989. empoweryoga805.com. Empower Yoga Studio

and Community Boutique, 775 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

POINT SAN LUIS LIGHTHOUSE TOURS A docent-led tour of the buildings and grounds of the historic Point San Luis Light Station. Check website for more details. Wednesdays, Saturdays pointsanluislighthouse.org/. Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach.

SCIENCE AFTER DARK A monthly lecture series at the Central Coast Aquarium. An evening for those ages 21 and older. Last Tuesday of every month, 6-8 p.m. through May 28 my805tix.com. Central Coast Aquarium, 50 San Juan St., Avila Beach, 805-595-7280.

WEEKLY WATER SAFETY LESSONS

Facility advertised as open and safe. Give the office a call to register over the phone.

Mondays-Fridays $160-$190. 805-481-6399. 5 Cities Swim School, 425 Traffic Way, Arroyo Grande, 5citiesswimschool.com.

FOOD & DRINK

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

MORRO BAY MAIN STREET FARMERS

MARKET Get fresh and veggies, fruit, baked goods, sweets, and handmade artisan crafts. Come have some fun with your local farmers and artisans and enjoy delicious eats while enjoying the fresh breeze of Morro Bay. Saturdays, 2:30-5:30 p.m. through May 31 Varies. 805-824-7383. morrobayfarmersmarket.com. Morro Bay Main Street Farmers Market, Main Street and Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

BIRRIA WORKSHOP Guests will make pineapple salsa, guacamole, and their own take-home birria spice kits. Feb. 25 4:30-7 p.m. my805tix.com. MCV Wines, 3773 Ruth Way, suite A, Paso Robles, 805-712-4647.

BOOK LAUNCH AND BRUNCH (AT HER

TABLE) The book launch of Chef Candice’s The Versatile Chef. Indulge in small bites

inspired by the book’s recipes, enjoy a meet and greet, and captivating stories about the recipes. Tickets include welcome drink, brunch bites, presentation, and signed copy of the book. March 3, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $20-$50. my805tix.com/e/chef-candice-booklaunch. Carbon 6 Wine Bar, 5940 El Camino Real, Atascadero, 805-464-2131.

CLUB CAR BAR TRIVIA WITH DR. RICKY

Teams of 1 to 6 people welcome. Visit site for more info. Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m. my805tix. com. Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main Street, Templeton, 805-400-4542.

CLUB SUPSUP: THE AQUARIAN DECK DINNER Menu will showcase the delicious herbal mocktail creations from The Green Omen Apothecary. Feb. 28, 6-9 p.m. my805tix. com. The Green Omen Apothecary and Tea Lounge, 6280 Palma Ave., Atascadero, 805464-2175.

EL LENGUAJE DE COMIDA: THE LANGUAGE OF FOOD (AT HER TABLE) Embark on an enchanting evening with Chef Benavidez of Agridulce, Jules Marsh of Kelpful, Glenna Thompson of Symbiosis Wines, and singer Jazlynn Thompson where the art of food becomes a universal language that transcends barriers.Enjoy a five-course meal, wine pairing, and the harmonious blend of song. March 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $165. my805tix. com/e/language-of-food. Farm Blanc et Rouge Farmhouse Guest Rentals, 3000 Live Oak Road, Paso Robles, 310-594-2199.

FRIENDS OF JAMES BEARD DINNER (AT HER TABLE) An enchanting evening as At Her Table hosts the Friends of James Beard Dinner, celebrating culinary excellence and women’s achievements amidst Bruce Munro’s mesmerizing light installations, featuring top chefs and prestigious Central Coast wineries.

March 1 5-10 p.m. $390. my805tix.com/e/ sensorio-james-beard-foundation-dinner. Sensorio, 4380 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles, 805-226-4287.

MAKERS MARKETPLACE: SIP AND SHOP Limited spaces available for vendors ( must get approved first). Contact if interested. March 2 10 a.m.-2 p.m. my805tix.com.

Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S.

BEHIND THE BEEHIVE

The San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre (SLO Rep) presents its production of Beehive through Sunday, March 10. Local trio The Heavy Cats (left to right: Steve Philip, Chuck Neely, and Bill Starling) is the backing band for the show, which celebrates the powerful female voices of the 1960s, including Tina Turner, Janis Joplin,

Main St., Templeton. OFFICE-THEMED TRIVIA NIGHT Calling all The Office fanatics. Enjoy a trivia night like no other, filled with wine, snacks, and epic prizes. Test your knowledge of all things Dunder Mifflin, and gather your squad for a night of laughter and friendly competition. Feb.

28 6-8 p.m. 805-270-3327. dracaenawines. com/event/trivia-night-the-office/. Dracaena Wines, 1244 Pine Street, suite 101 B, Paso Robles.

TACO TUESDAYS La Parilla Taqueria will be in the courtyard serving up their delicious tacos and tostadas. Menu typically includes barbacoa, chicken, and pastor tacos, as well as shrimp ceviche tostadas. Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m. 805-460-6042. ancientowlbeergarden. com. Ancient Owl Beer Garden, 6090 El Camino Real, suite C, Atascadero.

TASTE OF TIN CITY WALKING TOUR Enjoy

the first ever walking tour of Tin City – an industrial area just outside of downtown Paso Robles – that is home to a community of innovative and passionate producers of high-quality wines, spirits, beer, and more. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $125. 805-400-3141. toasttours.com/tour/tin-city-walking-tour/. Toast Tours, 1722 Stillwater Ct, Paso Robles. WINE BLENDING WITH THE BLENDING LAB, HIGH CAMP WINES, AND TIMSHEL VINEYARDS (AT HER TABLE) Become a winemaker for the day by joining The Blending Lab, High Camp Wines, and Timshel Vineyards in this special wine blending seminar led by women winemakers and owners. March 1 4-6 p.m. $126. my805tix.com/e/blend-lab-pasorobles. The Blending Lab Winery, 618 12th St., Paso Robles, 805-369-2026.

WOMEN OF UNION ROAD COLLECTIVE FOOD & DRINK continued page 20

Hot Dates

PAIRED DINNER (AT HER TABLE) Lauren of Yes Cocktail Co, Nancy of Ulloa Cellars, and Monika of Colony Culture join forces to showcase the incredible food and drink featured at Paso’s Union Road Collective. This paired dinner will feature delicious alcoholic and non-alcoholic options alongside a one-of-a-kind menu. March 2 , 5:30-8 p.m. $165. my805tix.com/e/union-road-dinner. Yes Cocktail Company, 2915 Union Road, Paso Robles, 805-591-4735.

YOGA AND WINE BLENDING CLASS Bend

then sip and learn more about the wine that you are tasting. This event will include a wine blending class after the practice. Feb. 25, 10 a.m.-noon my805tix.com. Timshel Vineyards, 825 Riverside Ave., suite 1, Paso Robles.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

BEDA’S BIERGARTEN LEAP BIER FEST

The second-ever Beda’s Biergarten Leap Bier Fest (only comes around every four years). Celebrate Leap Year with Beda’s authentic German food and beer (available a la carte), music by The Tipsy Gypsies, games, prizes, and more. For ages 21 and over. March 2 3-8 p.m. $25. Odd Fellows Hall, 520 Dana St., San Luis Obispo.

DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS MARKET

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

GRAND OPENING! DANCE, EAT, AND DRINK! (AT HER TABLE) A fun afternoon filled with dance, food, and wine pairings. With dance gurus Jason Sumabat and Christiana Sunderland. March 2 , 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $40. my805tix.com/e/black-sheep-studioworkshop. Studio de Myriam, 3563 Sueldo St., suite N, San Luis Obispo, 805-544-7433.

PIÑATAS ON THE PATIO What is more festive than a piñata? Join for some brunch drinks and a couple of good hits to a piñata (or two). Good times and goofy prices promised. Turns will be determined on a first come, first served basis. First Sunday of every month Free. Rambling Spirits, 3845 S. Higuera St. (inside SLO Public Market), San Luis Obispo, drinkramblingspirits.com.

SERATA DELLE DONNE (AT HER TABLE) A night dedicated to celebrating women, while being served by men. Aperitivo style food, DJ, and full bar service. Join Gessica and Alberto from Flour House in downtown San Luis Obispo as they kick off the At Her Table festival in true Italian style. Feb. 27 6-11 p.m. $75. my805tix.com/e/serata-delle-donne-flourhouse. Flour House Pizza Bar & Pastaria, 690 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, 805-544-5282.

SLO CRAFT BEER FEST Visit site for more info on this craft beer-centric festival as well as tickets. Feb. 24, 1 p.m. my805tix.com.

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

SLO FARMERS MARKET Hosts more than 60 vendors. Saturdays, 8-10:45 a.m. World Market Parking Lot, 325 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo.

SLO WOMEN OF WINE AND FOOD URBAN TOUR (AT HER TABLE) A wine and culinary journey through SLO’s Urban Wine Trail. March 3 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Duncan Alley, 3183 Duncan Road, San Luis Obispo.

my805tix.com/e/dunes-dining-wine-hike-aht. Meadow Creek Trail, 25 W Grand Ave., Grover Beach, 805-489-1869.

TOLOSA’S OCEANFRONT WINEMAKERS

DINNER Tolosa Winemaker Frederic Delivert and Executive Chef Eddie Ruiz welcome the public to this exclusive and intimate evening featuring a five-course dinner and wine pairings set to a stunning oceanfront Pismo Beach sunset. Waitlist open. Feb. 28, 5:30-9 p.m. my805tix.com. SeaVenture Restaurant, 100 Oceanview Ave., Pismo Beach, 805-779-1779.

MUSIC

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

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.

REPRISE FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

HOLDS FREE BENEFIT CONCERT Free benefit concert featuring soprano Katherine Arthur and pianist Susan Azaret Davies performing music by Brahms. Silent auction and reception. All proceeds support Reprise Foundation for the Arts scholarship program. Reprise offers support to local students to ease the financial burden of arts education. March 3, 3-5 p.m. Free with donations; accepted at event. 805-540-1738. Trinity United Methodist Church, 490 Los Osos Valley Rd., Los Osos, trinitylososos.org.

SEA SHANTY PERFORMANCE AND SINGALONG The Morro Bay Shanty Project will perform sea shanties and other songs of the sea. Audience members will be encouraged to sing along, and share favorites. Feb. 24, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. 805-225-6571. Morro Bay Maritime Museum, 1154 Front St., Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY ATASCADERO COMMUNITY BAND FREE CONCERT: FROM PAINTBRUSH TO PIXELS (THE MUSIC OF ANIMATION)

Experience the magic of timeless melodies from classic hand-drawn animations to modern-day digital video games. This is a free concert, with all donations benefitting the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center. Refreshments provided at intermission. ACB is a nonprofit community band open to all musicians. March 3, 3-5 p.m. Free. atascaderoband.org.

Atascadero Bible Church, Atascadero Mall, Atascadero, 805-466-2051.

B-SIDE PLAYERS Presented by Good Medicine. Feb. 25 7 p.m. my805tix.com.

Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

BARREL ROOM CONCERT: BACK PAGES

BAND Located at the Hilltop Barrel Room

Event Center. Feb. 25, 5-7 p.m. my805tix.com.

Cass Winery, 7350 Linne Road, Paso Robles.

of comedy, musical guests, prize wheels, and more. Thursdays, 8-10 p.m. $5 at the door. Raconteur Room, 5840 Traffic Way, Atascadero, 805-464-2584.

KARAOKE NIGHT Last Saturday of every month, 8 p.m. my805tix.com. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton. Food and drink available for purchase. Last Saturday of every month, 8 p.m. Free admission. my805tix.com. Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main Street, Templeton, 805400-4542.

KELLYTOWN Enjoy some Irish pub songs, fiddle tunes, and more. Feb. 24 6-8 p.m. No cover charge. WeAreKellytown.com. Bristol’s Cider House, 3220 El Camino Real, Atascadero, 400-5293.

MICHAEL RAY PETERS Free admission. Get a drink and a bite to eat and enjoy some live music. Feb. 22 , 6-9 p.m. my805tix.com. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

OLIVIA RODRIGO PARTY WITH DJ BLADE

TRIP Presented by Good Medicine. Feb. 23 7 p.m. my805tix.com. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

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.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

ALL AGES OPEN MIC NIGHT Tuesdays, 6-9 p.m. Liquid Gravity, 675 Clarion Court, San Luis Obispo.

BLUES WEDNESDAYS Spinning blues records all night. Chicago, Memphis, Delta, Detroit, and more. Visit this new vinyl bar in the Railroad District. Acoustically treated room, old-school sound system, big speakers, but always at a polite volume. Plenty of free parking. Wednesdays, 2-8 p.m. Free. 313316-7097. Jan’s Place, 1817 Osos St., San Luis Obispo, jansplaceslo.com.

CAL POLY CANTABILE ACDA SEND-OFF

CONCERT

Cal Poly Cantabile will present a preview concert of its American Choral Directors Association Western Region Conference performance. Highlights will include works by Hildegard von Bingen, Dale Trumbore, Caroline Shaw, and Cal Poly professor Meredith Brammeier. March 1 7:30 p.m. $20 general; $10 students. 805-7564849. music.calpoly.edu/calendar/. First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo, 981 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo.

CAL POLY WINTER JAZZ CONCERT Cal Poly’s University Jazz Ensembles will present the annual Winter Jazz Concert. Known to the world as America’s original art form, jazz has several subgenres which will be showcased at this concert, performed by student musicians from a variety of majors on campus. Feb. 23 7:30 p.m. $15 and $20 general; $10 students. 805-756-4849. music. calpoly.edu/calendar/. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

SOBER CURIOUS SUNDAY (AT HER TABLE) Dive into the world of sober curiosity with Jaime Lewis of the CONSUMED Podcast and industry leaders. Enjoy insightful discussions, light bites from Trumpet & Vine Catering, charcuterie by Wren Foods, and refreshing mocktails. Connect, explore, and celebrate a healthier lifestyle. March 3, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $65. my805tix.com/e/sobercurious-sunday. Region Wine Bar, 979 Morro Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-329-3855.

WOMEN OF COLOR SYMPOSIUM This pivotal event is dedicated to empowering women of color through insightful panels, personal storytelling, and meaningful networking opportunities. The symposium will focus on developing skills, learning strategies, and more. March 1, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $100. betterunite.com/diversitycoalition-woc. The Monday Club, 1815 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-541-0594.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY DUNES AND DINING (AT HER TABLE)

Experience a guided hike through the dunes, learning about the Dunites, a group of free thinkers and artists and poets who once called these sandy landscapes home. Then make your way to the Spoon Trade for a luncheon with Dunites wine. March 3 $45.

BEARS, ASYLUM OF ASHES, SLAUGHTERHOUSE EFFECT Enjoy live metal, deathcore, and more. Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Raconteur Room, 5840 Traffic Way, Atascadero, 805-464-2584.

DUSTBOWL REVIVAL Presented by Good Medicine. Feb. 29 7 p.m. my805tix.com.

Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

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.

JOHN NOVACEK AND LEILA JOSEFOWICZ

Before they embark on a tour of California venues, 2023-2024 Artist-in-Residence

John Novacek and world-renowned violinist

Leila Josefowicz perform an evening recital of unique works for violin and piano. Feb. 23 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tickets start at $32. 805-781-3009. festivalmozaic.org. Templeton Performing Arts Center, 1200 S Main St., Templeton.

JOLON STATION BAND VARIETY SHOW

Come join Jolon Station Band every Thursday night in downtown Atascadero for a night

CUESTA MUSIC FACULTY CONCERT The Cuesta Music Faculty Concert is a treasured San Luis Obispo tradition. The talented Music Faculty perform to raise money for the music scholarship fund, and this year marks 20 years of dedication to student opportunity and success. March 3 3 p.m. $10-$50. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

ENGLISHMEN ABROAD: A

CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT FRIPP AND DAVID SINGLETON An evening of questions, answers, and conversation with Robert Fripp and David Singleton of King Crimson. Feb. 27 7:30-9:30 p.m. $65. pciconcerts.com. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

GARDEN GROOVE DRUM CIRCLE Enjoy exploring rhythms in a playful way. Garden Groove is a community-building drum circle, focused on fun, friendship, and good vibrations through guided activities. Bring a drum (please no pans, hang drums, etc.). Feb. 24 12-1:30 p.m. $17 members; $22 nonmembers. 805-541-1400. slobg.org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

LIVE MUSIC AT KROBAR Enjoy live music at Krobar, which showcases local, talented

artists of all music genres. Kick-off your weekend right, grab your favorite seasonal craft cocktail, and vibe to the sounds of the night. Follow on Instagram to find out who is playing. Every other Friday, 6-9 p.m. and Every other Saturday, 6-9 p.m. through March 30 Free entry. 833-576-2271. krobardistillery.com/ events. Krobar Craft Distillery, 1701 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

LIVE MUSIC AT LIQUID GRAVITY Check social media and calendar for weekly updates. Fridays, 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays, 2-5 p.m. Liquid Gravity, 675 Clarion Court, San Luis Obispo.

LIVE MUSIC FROM GUITAR WIZ BILLY

FOPPIANO AND MAD DOG Join “Guitar

Wiz” Billy Foppiano and his trusty side kick Mad Dog for a mix of blues, R&B, and more. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 805-544-2100. Bon Temps Creole Cafe, 1819 Osos Street, San Luis Obispo, bontempscreolecafe.com/index.htm.

MO BETTA JAZZ, R&B, AND BLUES With seven featured musicians, including Walt Johnson (former trumpet player for Frank Sinatra). Feb. 22 , 7-9 p.m. my805tix.com. Bang the Drum Brewery, 1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, San Luis Obispo, 805 242-8372.

NOTABLE INSIGHT: SHOSTAKOVICH

STRING QUARTET In this informal, one-hour event, you will learn about Shostakovich and his compositional style, the context surrounding this work, and gain a deeper understanding of the piece. Feb. 22 , 5:30 a.m.7:30 p.m. $30. 805-781-3009. festivalmozaic. org. Congregation Beth David, 10180 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo.

PLYWOOD LOVE AND MORE A night of punk rock music, featuring Plywood Love, Dire, Throw Away, Tiny Plastic Everything. All ages welcome. Presented by Noise Bloc. Tickets are limited. March 2 , 6 p.m. $10. my805tix.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

SCOTT YOO AND GUESTS CHAMBER

CONCERT Scott Yoo and the visiting artists perform a culminating concert of the works featured on the Notable Encounters throughout the week. Feb. 25 2-4 p.m. Tickets

start at $32. 805-781-3009. festivalmozaic.org. Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

SLO SYMPHONY 2023-2024 SEASON

Enjoy the SLO Symphony’s 2023-24 season, featuring classic works by Brahms, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky, local composers Stefan Podell and Meredith Brammeier, with the Forbes Pipe Organ, SLO Youth Symphony, and guest soloists Gilles Apap, Andrew Balio, and Salome Jordania. March 2 7:30-9:30 p.m. $12-$82. 805-543-3533. slosymphony. org. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

SLO SYMPHONY: BARTOK AND BEETHOVEN Violin virtuoso and Arroyo Grande resident Gilles Apap returns to perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, and Bartok’s Violin Rhapsody No.1. The Hungarian spirit continues with Leo Weiner’s Hungarian Folk Dance Suite, a symphony in four movements based on Hungarian folk melodies and in a late romantic style. March 2 7:309:30 p.m. $12-$82. 805-756-4849. pacslo.org/ events/detail/bartokbeethoven24. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

TAJ MAHAL QUARTET AND SONA

JOBARTEH With a 50-plus year career, three Grammy wins, 14 nominations, Blues Hall of Fame membership, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association, Taj Mahal’s impact on the blues is undeniable. In addition, this performance will include widely acclaimed Gambian musician Sona Jobarteh. Feb. 24, 7:30-9 p.m. $45-$69. 805-756-2787. calpolyarts.org. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA LIVE See this world famous orchestra live in concert. March 2 2 & 7 p.m. my805tix.com. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande, 805-489-9444.

KIKI EBSEN: HOUSE CONCERT Ticket holders will receive address to this special house show, in the Avila Beach area. Presented by Songwriters at Play. Feb. 24 2

Spread the word!

Send event information to events@newtimesslo.com or submit online.

p.m. my805tix.com. Avila Beach Promenade, 404 Front St., Avila Beach.

NOTABLE DINNER: MOZART AND DOHNANYI Scott Yoo hosts an evening of culinary and musical adventures. Join Scott and the artists for a tour behind Mozart’s Piano Trio and Dohnanyi’s Piano Quintet. Then after the presentation, enjoy a three-course dinner complete with Central Coast wines. Feb. 24 5:30-9 p.m. Tickets start at $200. 805-781-3009. festivalmozaic.org. Cypress Ridge Pavilion, 1050 Cypress Ridge Parkway, Arroyo Grande.

ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN: PERFORMED BY GARY MULLEN AND THE WORKS

Gary Mullen & The Works will be performing their world-renowned One Night of Queen live at the Clark Center. Get your tickets today for an evening that captures all the stage theatrics, showmanship, and music of Queen. Feb. 24 7:30-10:30 p.m. $45-$65. 805-489-9444. clarkcenter.org. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

PROUD TINA Described as the ultimate tribute to Tina Turner. March 1 7:30 p.m.

my805tix.com. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande, 805-489-9444.

THE STARLIGHT DREAMBAND:

PRESENTED BY BASIN STREET

REGULARS Presenting top quality dance music with a more than casual nod to the great American standards, The Starlight Dreamband performs various styles of highly popular music. Feb. 25 1-5 p.m. $10 for members; $15 for non-members. 805-9378402. my805tix.com. Pismo Beach Veterans Memorial Hall, 780 Bello St., Pismo Beach. ∆

SEND-OFF CONCERT for

Cantabile will give a send-off concert in advance of its ACDA conference performance in Pasadena! It will perform Michael Engelhardt’s arrangement of Hildegard von Bingen’s “O Antiqui Sancti,” “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” Lily Boulanger’s setting of “Les Sirènes,” and two pieces it commissioned for the conference:

“She Weeps” by celebrated choral composer David N. Childs of Dallas, and “Charity Begins Today” by Cal Poly Professor Meredith Brammeier.

7:30 P.M. FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2024

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

$20 general $10 students pacslo.org 805-756-4849

More info: music.calpoly.edu 805-756-2406

the American Choral Directors Western Region Conference

SCOTT GLYSSON conductor

PAUL WOODRING accompanist

Arts

ARTIFACTS

Nipomo artist

Fred Ventura leads two-day digital art workshop in Morro Bay

Local art enthusiasts and artists of all skill levels can reserve their space at an upcoming digital art workshop led by Nipomo-based painter and digital artist Fred Ventura. Hosted by the Morro Bay Art Association, the two-day workshop includes sessions on Saturday, March 9, and Saturday, March 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. both days, at Art Center Morro Bay.

Ventura will cover various digital art topics—including basic tools, working with layers, symmetry, simulated artistic effects, special brushes, and more. The event is held in conjunction with Art Center Morro Bay’s new exhibition, Chasing Light, on display through Monday, April 1.

Creating art on an iPad is “essentially painting with light,” Ventura said in press materials. Attendees of Venutra’s workshop will gain experience creating digital art with an iPad, Apple Pencil, and the Procreate app. To fully participate, visitors are asked to bring their own iPads and Apple Pencils to the class.

Ventura will guide students with step-by-step demonstrations, while offering one-on-one individual guidance when needed and “fostering real-time interactions between the teacher and participants,” according to press materials.

The workshop is open to both beginners and intermediate artists, whether attendees have no prior experience or are looking to enhance their skills. For more info on the event or to reserve a seat, contact Ventura at fred@ venturaes.com or (805) 709-2281.

Ventura said he has been passionate about digital art since 1982, when he co-founded a software company. He’s also an avid watercolor and acrylic painter. With a doctorate in education from UCSB, Ventura has taught at California Lutheran University and other organizations over the years.

For more info on the local artist and teacher, visit venturaes.com.

Great American Melodrama seeks short-term rentals for guest artists

As part of its goal in showcasing performing artists from around the country, the Great American Melodrama in Oceano is looking for local residents with an extra bedroom, ADU, or other spot to spare for short-term rentals.

If “hosting artists while earning extra income sounds like a fantastic opportunity,” email stacy@americanmelodrama.com to be added to the Melodrama’s list of potential local hosts.

Locals interested in hosting can also schedule a meeting with a representative to answer any questions. The Melodrama is looking to house guest artists between April 22, and May 13. ∆ —Caleb Wiseblood

BY ADRIAN VINCENT ROSAS

Starlight surprise

Arroyo Grande High School Theatre Company’s performance of Silent Sky nets international recognition

The moment was almost four years in the making for one Arroyo Grande High School (AGHS) eatre Company member.

“I thought he was joking when the director rst told us,” Quinlin Gallagher said.

e 17-year-old Arroyo Grande High School senior is part of a team of students whose performance of the play Silent Sky earned them an invitation to the International espian Festival in Indiana this summer.

“I get goosebumps just talking about that moment right now,” said Gallagher, who performed as the play’s lead. “ e same thing happens to me whenever I think about it because it is that amazing.”

e International espian Festival happens every year and is put on by the International espian Society, which invites the best of youth theater groups like the one in Arroyo Grande to perform alongside their peers.

Directed by longtime AGHS eatre Company leader Sean Blauvelt, Silent Sky is based on a Lauren Gunderson book of the same name about Henrietta Leavitt’s life and scienti c contributions.

“It’s very similar to the lm Hidden Figures where you have this woman lead who is trying to and succeeds in pushing her way past the gender roles of the era,” Blauvelt said. “And thanks to her contributions, things like the Hubble Telescope were able to advance and take us into our modern era of space knowledge.”

Alongside the story of resistance in the face of struggles against stereotypes, the play also shows excellent insight into early space exploration, Blauvelt said.

“I am a little biased as to why I like this performance so much, as I used to teach science at Arroyo Grande High School,” he said with a laugh. “But for anyone unfamiliar with just how much was explored in the world of space exploration, it is a fascinating play.”

Gallagher said portraying someone like Leavitt—whose struggles and eventual triumph

as a female scientist at the Harvard Observatory in the early 20th century—was a perfect role to land the crew the chance to perform alongside the world’s best in Indiana.

“It’s this uplifting story about a woman and her resilience,” she said. “To be accepted into such a prestigious festival because I contributed to a play like that is something I feel incredibly lucky about.”

According to Blauvelt, there were a few unique challenges and experiences in bringing Levitt’s story to life.

“I usually work with a much larger cast but this time around, just due to the nature of the entire play, we had a much smaller crew,” he said. “But what makes that cool is that we were able to develop a very strong chemistry as a result.”

He also employed projectors and lighting setups to ensure the mood in each scene matched the caliber of the actors’ performances.

Showtime!

Send gallery, stage, and cultrual festivities to arts@newtimesslo.com.

“ at’s going to be the fun or, well, challenging part of bringing this play to be performed in Indiana,” he said. “We are going to have to put our noggins together to gure out how to make the best use of the performing space even if it’s not the same size as where we have been performing.”

Next stop, Indiana

Follow Arroyo Grande High School Theatre Company on Facebook or Instagram @aghstheatrecompany to find out how you can help the group get to its summer performance at the International Thespian Festival.

According to Blauvelt, the biggest hurdle now is getting the performers to the festival in Indiana.

“We are guring it out, but it will cost a good amount of money to get each student involved with the play out to Indiana for the week the festival takes place,” he said. “We are not necessarily worried we won’t be able to do it, but it will take some time.”

One way they aim to raise some money? Blauvelt said they plan on having a special one-time performance of Silent Sky at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande in the coming months.

“Most of the proceeds from that show will help give us the boost we need to get the crew out there,” he said. “Beyond that show, we also plan on doing the standard candy-, cookie-, pizza-drive type fundraisers.”

For students like Gallagher, this is the moment when everything they have spent years working on nally comes to be recognized for what it is—art. “ is was so important to me because it was my last year in school,” she said. “I’ve been doing stu like this since my freshman year, and now having this honor given to us is the perfect way to end things before I graduate.”

Even with the festival trip not guaranteed, Blauvelt sees the chance to attend as a great recognition for his crew of excited theater students.

“I’ve worked with a ton of students over the years, but this group has shined brighter than most, especially for a high school theatre program,” he said. “ ey deserve every single bit of honor they are getting and more.” ∆

Sta Writer Adrian Vincent Rosas is reading up on the story of Henrietta Leavitt. Reach him at arosas@newtimesslo.com.

IMPORTANT IMPACT Silent Sky highlights the contributions of female scientist Henrietta Leavitt to modern space exploration with help from a cast including (from left to right) Olivia McDonald, Quinlin Gallagher, and Joy Avant.

COURTESY PHOTO BY LONDON RAFTERY

COURTESY PHOTOS BY LISA BARTLE SUPERSTAR SISTERS Arroyo Grande High School Theatre Company members Quinlin (left) and Carly Gallagher (right) shine as sisters on stage and in life.

TEAM TRIUMPH Arroyo Grande High School’s theater company—(top left to right) Carly Gallagher, Olivia McDonald, Quinlin Gallagher, Joy Avant, and Dylan Long; (bottom left to right) Emily Vickrey, Corbin White, Aurian Oliphant, Rio Vogler, Selmah Palomar, Mia Beck, Hannah Hay, Rin Leonard, Conor Reed (kneeling), and Maverick Chaney—is raising money to attend the International Thespian Festival.

SAN LUIS

SWAPMEET - SUNDAYS opens 6AM 255 ELKS LANE 805-544-4475

GATES OPENS AT 6:30 PM

Adults & Children 12+ $12 Children 5-11 $5 4 & Under FREE

Dakota Johnson, Emma Roberts PG-13

7:00pm

FRI, FEB 23 thru THURS, FEB 29

ARROYO GRANDE

1007 GRAND AVE · (805)489-2364 Stadium Seating

Adults $11 • Children & Seniors $9

Hilary Swank

Fri & Sat: 2:00, 4:30 & 7:00pm Sun, Mon, Wed, Thur: 2:00 & 4:30pm CLOSED TUESDAY

FRI, FEB 23 thru THURS, FEB 29

Death and life

Writer Laura Chinn (Grandfathered, Florida Girls) makes her directorial debut with this semiautobiographical coming-of-age story about Doris (Nico Parker), a teenager helping her inty mother, Kristine (Laura Linney), care for her seriously ill brother, Max (Cree Kawa). When Max can no longer speak or move on his own, he’s sent to hospice care at the Florida facility called Suncoast, where Doris forms an unusual friendship with Paul Warren (Woody Harrelson), an eccentric activist protesting the removal of the feeding tube in the landmark Terri Schiavo case. (109 min.)

SUNCOAST

What’s it rated? R

What’s it worth, Glen? Full price

What’s it worth, Anna? Full price

Where’s it showing? Hulu

Glen Being a teenager is di cult enough, but try to imagine also being burdened by an unresponsive wheelchair-bound brother you have to push around and a mother who pours on the guilt anytime you try to carve out a little normalcy for yourself. Doris is a nonentity at her Catholic school. She’s so busy caring for her brother that she has no friends, that is until she overhears some popular kids from her ethics class lament not having a place to party, so she invites them to her house while her mother spends nights sleeping on a cot at Suncoast to be near Max as his life draws to an end. Doris has a complicated relationship with her mother, who ercely loves her kids but is so preoccupied with Max that Doris feels used and neglected. is soulful, heartfelt story is about familial love, loss, and trying to nd closure. It’s a weeper.

Anna It de nitely pulls at the heartstrings, especially when you know that Chinn is basing the nuts and bolts of this lm on her own life. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—Laura Linney is an absolute treasure, and she shows her chops in this role as the exasperated, exhausted Kristine who’s trying

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT: A TWIN EXPERIMENT

What’s it rated? Not rated

When? 2024

Where’s it showing? Netflix

EARLY BARGAIN SHOWS DAILY

& 3:30pm

What happens when you take two genetically identical people and track changes to their body on different diets? This new Netflix series follows several sets of twins as they navigate their health journey. One twin sticks to an omnivore diet while the other goes plant-based (aka vegan) over the course of a few months while working with experts and trainers. What effect does this type of lifestyle change really have on the human body and how realistic is it to stick to a plant-based routine?

This four-part series delves into the ever-

to navigate her own grief around losing her rstborn. Her kids’ dad died when Doris was just a little girl, and Doris has been pushed into the role of caretaker as her brother has gone through his illness. She’s torn between a desperate need to feel normalcy and a feeling of obligation to her mom and brother. e relationship with Paul is an interesting one— he’s a man who’s lived his own grief after losing his wife, and he seems a bit lost. We aren’t privy to why the Schiavo case became his cause, but he o ers Doris kindness and escape when she needs it most. It really is a touching lm from start to nish.

Glen I can’t say enough good things about Linney’s performance. She makes Kristine both cruel and sympathetic, which is a neat trick. Harrelson is also predictably great. He knows how to communicate a sort of hangdog sadness while also demonstrating a deep moral core. Parker’s also sympathetic, and her performance is very sweet as Doris begins to take more control of her life.

ere were so many surprising, resonant moments. Kristine nds fault everywhere

expanding world of meat alternatives and the people behind some of the biggest brands such as Impossible Foods and Miyoko’s Creamery as well as farmers in the heart of the country who are trading their poultry operations for plant-based alternatives, such as mushrooms.

Sometimes media touting plant-based eating can feel out of touch and preachy; A Twin Experiment is a softer look at how small shifts can lead to big health changes. If you’re toying with eating more plant-based, this series may be inspire you to kick-start the process. (four approximately 50-min. episodes)

—Anna

FOOD MATTERS

Identical twins adopt different diets in an eightweek scientific experiment that examines how diet and lifestyle impact health, in the Netflix documentary miniseries You Are What You Eat

KUNG FU HUSTLE

What’s it rated? R

When? 2004

she looks, even in smiling, upbeat Nurse Mia (an amazing Keyla Monterroso Mejia), who helps care for Max in hospice. is shouldn’t be a spoiler, he’s in hospice after all, but when Max passes, Nurse Mia has a line that destroyed me. It’s a lovely lm about grieving.

Anna e ending of this lm is rough and raw, and even though losing Max was inevitable, Doris didn’t realize what a profound e ect saying goodbye can have. When her mom pushes her too far, she tries to escape into her new, close-knit friend group—but the looming reality of her soonto-be loss is never far from the surface. Doris is asked to live in a suspended youth while also asked to grow up far too quickly, both courtesy of her mother. Chinn kept these characters feeling very real, and the unfortunate reality is that everyone must navigate loss and grief on their own terms. ∆

Senior Sta Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.

BL AST BL AST FROM THE FROM THE

Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre on Feb. 24 and 25 (1:30 and 7 p.m.), and Feb. 26 (7 p.m.)

Director Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer) helms this outrageously funny, action-packed, fantasy martial arts epic set in Shanghai, China, in the 1940s, where wannabe gangster Sing (also Chow, who co-wrote the script) hopes to join the notorious Axe Gang along with his friend Bone (Tze-Chung Lam). To prove their worthiness, Sing and Bone pose as Axe Gang members and try to shake down the residents of a rundown slum called Pigsty Alley, which in turn attracts the actual Axe Gang, leading to a fight. The film is really about Sing’s journey from a good kid into a cynical villain, and in flashback, we

learn how Sing was humiliated and came to the realization that nice guys finish last. Sing must go further into darkness before he realizes he’s been misguided. It’s a familiar trope in Chinese wuxia films that examine martial arts and chivalry. What makes the film so entertaining is its Looney Tunes cartoon approach to martial arts action. The laws of physics are completely suspended, gang members break out into choreographed dance sequences, and harmlessappearing characters such as Landlady (Qiu Yuen) and Landlord (Wah Yuen) turn out to be gifted martial arts experts. As both satire and homage, the film shines. (In Cantonese and Mandarin; 99 min.) ∆ —Glen

Dua Lipa, Henry Cavill

Timothy

SHARED GRIEF Doris (Nico Parker) and Paul (Woody Harrelson) strike up a friendship as she watches over her dying brother and he protests the feeding tube removal in the Terri Schiavo case, in Suncoast, streaming in Hulu.

COURTESY PHOTO BY ERIC ZACHANOWICH/SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

PHOTO COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES FILM PRODUCTION ASIA

KUNG FU …

NNY! Director, co-writer, and star Stephen Chow (center in white) is Sing, a petty crook turned kung fu master, in Kung Fu Hustle, screening at the Palm Theatre.

Mo

THURSDAY,

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25

SATURDAY, MARCH

Bears, Asylum of Ashes, Slaughterhouse Effect, & No Warning Shots

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23 Raconteur Room, Atascadero

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY

SATURDAY, MARCH

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY

SATURDAY, MARCH 2

FRI, SAT, & SUN, FEBRUARY 23-25 Klein

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Timshel

Club SupSup: The Aquarian Deck Dinner

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Green Omen Apothecary, Atascadero

SUNDAY, MARCH 3 The Bunker

By The Sea Productions: It Takes Two, An Original Musical Revue

FRI, SAT, & SUN, FEB 23-25 & MAR 1-3 545 Shasta Ave, Morro Bay

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Laugh Therapy: Stand Up Comedy 2024

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Maverick Saloon, Santa Ynez

TUESDAY, MARCH 5 Templeton Mercantile

Shameless: Sex and Body Positivity Workshops

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24 The Benedict, Morro Bay

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY

FRIDAY,

Interactive Show

THURSDAY, MARCH 7 Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

Songwriters at Play presents Kiki Ebsen House Concert

Intimate House Concert, Avila Beach

PROUD Tina: The Ultimate Tribute to Tina Turner

MARCH 1 Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

Orcutt Community Theater: Bed and Breakfast and Murder

Dance Arts Studio, Santa Maria

Science After Dark: Featuring Dr. Ashley Sobchuk-Hudson

27 Central Coast Aquarium, Avila Beach

Vision Board Making Party

SLO

Bootleg Comedy Presents: Jasmine Ellis

Dinosaur World Live: An

SLO Craft Beer Festival

Alex Madonna Expo Center, SLO

Mexican Culinary Workshop: Birria by Chef Candice Custodio

MCV Wines, Paso Robles

The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra

2 Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

Noise Bloc Presents: Plywood Love, Throw Away, & more!

2 The Bunker SLO

It’s a Punky Reggae Party with Soul Fyah in Da Mix & DJ Lee with The PHd

Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Robert Fripp & David Singleton: Englishmen Abroad

27 Harold J. Miossi CPAC, Cuesta College

The Mid-State Wedding & Event Expo

Hunter Ranch Golf Course & Restaurant, PR

Starlight Dreamband, brought to you by Basin Street Regulars

25 Pismo Beach Veterans’ Hall

Yoga & Wine Blending Class with Saunter Yoga

Vineyards, Paso Robles

Music

BY GLEN STARKEY

Texas spitfire

Americana singersongwriter Sunny Sweeney plays The Siren

Texas-bred singer-songwriter Sunny Sweeney’s fth album, Married Alone, developed like many of her albums— with a trip back into her vault of unreleased songs. Her career exploded in 2006 with her debut, Heartbreaker’s Hall of Fame, and the proli c songwriter has always written more songs than she could release.

“I have a lot of older songs that still make the cut of like, ‘Am I gonna put this on a record?’ And I always start with those songs, songs that have been important to me for whatever reason. And then I try to build around that. It doesn’t necessarily have to be around a theme, but sometimes it turns out to be that there is one,” Sweeney explained in press materials.

e result is a collection of “confessional songwriting, image-rich narratives” from an album about “loss and healing.” Despite its theme, it’s not as dark as one might suppose. It opens with “Tie Me Up,” on which Sweeney sings to a would-be suitor, “You can tie me up, but baby you can’t tie me down.”

On the title track, she’s joined by country legend Vince Gill, and they sing, “ ere may be rings on our ngers, but we’re married alone.”

“My jaw hit the oor when I heard that song, because I had just gone through my second divorce, which is also cliché of a country singer,” Sweeney said. “I was still pretty raw about my divorce, but also very candid and trying to nd levity in the situation. You have to be able to laugh at yourself at some point and not let it just totally get you down.”

See Sunny Sweeney with special guest Erin Enderlin in e Siren on Tuesday, Feb. 27 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $25 at goodmedicinepresents.com).

Numbskull and Good Medicine has a slew of shows this week, starting with Déjà vu: Olivia Rodrigo with DJ Blade Trip on Friday, Feb. 23, at Club Car Bar (8 p.m.; all ages; $12 presale at goodmedicinepresents. com or $15 day of show). Rodrigo, a singer and actress, is best known for starring on the Disney television programs Bizaardvark and the mockumentary High School Musical: e Musical: e Series

e White Bu alo with special guest Dave Hause plays on Saturday, Feb. 24, at BarrelHouse Brewing (6 p.m.; all ages; $25 at goodmedicinepresents.com). I’ve written many times about singer-songwriter Jake Smith. e tall, deep-voiced performer always puts on a great show, and his newest album, Year of the Dark Horse, is exceptional. Hear the music of Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, and Brazil when B-Side Players perform on Sunday, Feb. 25, in Club Car Bar (7 p.m.; all ages; $15 at goodmedicinepresents.com). You might recognize funk, jazz, rock, and hip-hop with dashes of Cumbia, Samba, and more. Always entertaining e Dustbowl Revival plays Club Car Bar on ursday, Feb. 29 (8 p.m.; all ages; $23 at goodmedicinepresents.com), with Abby Posner opening. DR is known for pushing the boundaries of roots music. e brass

and strings band started 13 years ago when Z. Lupetin, “a Chicago native who attended college in Michigan came to LA to be a screenwriter, grew disillusioned with his job in advertising, and placed a hopeful ad on Craigslist,” the band’s bio explains. Members have come and gone, but each incarnation has brought new layers to this complex musical collective.

“Maybe we don’t know where this journey will take us or how long it will last,” Lupetin acknowledged. “Music elevates us, lifts us up, makes us change our minds, takes us out of our comfort zones. If just one person can be moved by just one song, that’s enough.”

Fremont Theater

Don’t forget that Bermudian reggae star Collie Buddz plays this ursday, Dec. 22 (8 p.m.; all ages; $13.50 to 27 at prekindle.com). Kash’d Out and DMP open.

Also at the Fremont, see NYC funk metal band Living Colour on Tuesday, Feb. 27 (8 p.m.; all ages; $28.50 at prekindle.com). Formed in 1984, they’re known for their varied in uences from heavy metal to funk to jazz to hip-hop to punk and beyond. ey rose to fame with their 1988 album Vivid, and they’ve scored hits with tracks such as “Cult of Personality,” “Love Rears Its Ugly Head,” and “Time’s Up.”

The Siren

In addition to the Good Medicine and Numbskull shows, this week e Siren also presents the PinkHouse Band on Friday, Feb. 23 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). is alt-rock act plays originals “sprinkled with complementary customized covers within the set list.”

On Saturday, Feb. 24, Rage Against the Machine tribute band Babes Against the Machine performs (8 p.m. 21-and-older; $22 at tixr.com), with Pearl Jam tribute band e Faithfull. According to the club, “Babes brings crunching metal ri s and machinegun rapping to e ectively recreate RATM’s familiar massive all-out sonic assault,” and e Faithfull said, “Our goal is … re-creating the music, the energy, and the emotional intensity of a Pearl Jam show.” at’s a whole lot of ’90s rock coming your way.

SLO Brew Rock

Folk & Barrels Fest will bring a bunch of great music to the club when e Tens (10 p.m.), the Shawn Clark Family Band (9 p.m.), Chris Beland (8 p.m.), and Max MacLaury (7 p.m.) on the main stage on Friday, Feb. 23 (doors at 6 p.m.; all ages; $15 presale at ticketweb.com or $20 day of show), with folk artist Azere Wilson on the Stills Stage (5 to 7 p.m.; free). “Come on out for a night of local folk music with some of our favorite bands in all the land,” the club announced. “We will be celebrating all things Americana with drink specials, delicious barbecue, and a bunch of epic music!”

The Clark Center

If you love Queen but never saw them before Freddie Mercury passed in 1991, Gary Mullen & e Works might be the closest you’ll ever come. ey present One Night of Queen at the Clark Center on Saturday,

Feb. 24 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $45 to $75 at clarkcenter.org). Mercury imitator Gary Mullen won the talent show Stars in eir Eyes with his vocal and visual imitation.

Cal Poly Arts

e Taj Mahal Quintet and opener Sona Jobarteh play on Saturday, Feb. 24, in Cal Poly’s Performing Arts Center (7:30 p.m.; $45 to $69 at calpolyarts.org). ree-time Grammy winner Taj Mahal is an iconic bluesman with a 50-plus-years career. Gambian musician Sona Jobarteh, one of the rst female Kora virtuosos, opens the show. She’s a living archive of the Gambian people.

More music …

Indie rock lovers, fasten your seatbelts because four bands are coming your way this Friday, Feb. 23, when Nor-Cal dream pop act Rainbow City Park plays Bang the Drum with Couch Dog, Sandspits, and Universe (6:30 p.m.; all ages; $10). Rainbow City Park “draws inspiration from ’90s alt-rock acts such as ird Eye Blind and e Smashing Pumpkins, infusing their music with a modern twist akin to the sounds of Boy Genius and Snail Mail.”

Garage rockers Couch Dog is a quartet of Cal Poly students and winner of SLO Battle of the Bands. e Sandspits are a local surf and indie rock band.

e Basin Street Regulars present

another hot jazz concert with e Starlight Dreamband and the SLO High School Honors Band this Sunday, Feb. 25, in the Pismo Beach Vets Hall (jam at 11 a.m., concert at 1 p.m.; $15 general, $10 for members at my805tix.com). e Starlight Dreamband features the Central Coast’s nest musicians playing dance music “with a more than casual nod to the great American standards.” Opener the SLO High Honors Band is a 17-piece group featuring the school’s best.

Conversation with …

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and the band’s co-producer and manager David Singleton present Englishmen Abroad, a conversation with Robert Fripp and David Singleton, on Tuesday, Feb. 27, in the Cuesta College Performing Arts Center (7:30 p.m.; $65 to $75 at my805tix.com). According to press materials, the event “is an opportunity to ask the questions that get us out of bed in the morning.

“Where does music come from? What does it take to survive the music business? When does the impossible become possible? Can music change the world? Why did Fripp put on a tutu and dance to Swan Lake at the end of his garden?” ∆

Contact Senior Sta Writer Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.

HEARTBREAKER Numbskull and Good Medicine present Americana singer-songwriter Sunny Sweeney at The Siren on Feb. 27

COURTESY PHOTO BY DERREK KUPISH

GENRE BENDERS NYC funk metal band Living Colour plays the Fremont Theater on Feb. 27

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIVING COLOUR

Flavor

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

The name game

California mushroom growers are backing a bill that would only allow mushrooms that are fully cultivated in the state to bear ‘California Grown’ stickers

Mushroom growers across California are fighting to keep the fungi bearing the state’s name 100 percent local.

Introduced by Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) on Jan. 12, Assembly Bill 1833 aims to make the production and sale of mushrooms bearing “California Grown” or “California Mushroom” stickers unlawful unless they were developed from scratch in the state. California is the secondlargest producer of mushrooms in the country following Pennsylvania.

“So many people have no idea how much of the mushroom industry is imported from overseas, specifically from China, Australia, Canada,” Mighty Cap Mushrooms founder Chris Batlle told New Times. “My own

research has found that roughly about 80 percent of the mushrooms globally grown are overseas for the United States.”

Along with being growers, Batlle and his team at Mighty Cap in Paso Robles educate their visitors about the dedicated, timeconsuming process of growing mushrooms. It involves a series of precise steps that many large commercial companies cut corners on.

Typically, growers inoculate substrate blocks—bricks made from sawdust, grains, and organic matter that boost the properties of soil and compost—with mycelium strains from which the fungi eventually develop.

According to Batlle, growers outside the U.S. refrigerate those blocks, put them in sea train containers, and ship them overseas. Industrialized commercial mushroom farms buy these premade blocks and put them in fruiting chambers, he said. The blocks sprout mushrooms within five to 10 days, which help the large farms churn out thousands of pounds of mushrooms a week.

“But because they buy the blocks and then actually grow the mushroom part here in the States, they’ve been calling it a domestically grown mushroom,” Batlle said. “Mind you, … a small part of that’s only been done in the states.”

Curating the blocks from scratch is expensive, especially on a small scale. It’s reflected in the price points for customers. Batlle told New Times that foreign-grown mushrooms available in grocery stores cost $3 or $4 a pound, whereas Mighty Cap mushrooms cost $15 a pound. While truly locally grown mushrooms cost more, they’re higher-quality products with longer shelf lives, he said.

It’s a point of frustration for Batlle that no

regulation currently exists to monitor how mushrooms are labeled.

“They’re still filling a huge market … so it’s kind of hard to blame the big mushroom farms that are doing it,” he said. “But we think that it should be separated. … We spend a lot of money here because it’s not cheap to live in California by any means.”

Batlle isn’t alone in advocating for AB 1833. At the end of 2023, Moss Landing-based gourmet mushroom provider Far West Fungi focused its attention to the labeling problem. Far West Fungi is one of the sponsors of the bill along with California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). They’ve gathered several California mushroom growers to increase awareness about the labeling practice and garner support.

Erin Raser, the director of operations and advocacy at Far West Fungi, said that the labeling issue has been on the company’s mind since at least 2019. But she got inspired to challenge it while attending the 2023 EcoFarm Conference.

“I was in a policy discussion, and it was brought up that maybe we could make some headway here at the state level,” she said. “For just about one year, we’ve been talking to different policymakers and also working with the policy director at CCOF who’s been super helpful with

navigating us through the legislative process.”

If lawmakers pass and enact the bill, Raser and her husband, Product Manager Kyle Garrone, hope the changed labeling system will offer consumers a way to tell the difference between fully locally grown mushrooms and imported ones.

“I think the immediate action also for the mushroom growers is that it’s a marketing tool that we can use to show that we stand out in the marketplace,” Raser said.

Assemblymember Addis told New Times that the bill could be enacted as early as next January. From then on, the California Department of Food and Agriculture will fine people flouting the labeling rules $5,000, $10,000, and $20,000 for the first, second, and third and subsequent violations, respectively.

Fostering transparency through a revamped mushroom labeling system holds benefits for both growers and consumers, according to Addis.

“There’s starting to be more and more evidence that local food systems have lower rates of foodborne illnesses and higher nutritional contents,” she said. “Just from a community building standpoint: think about going from farm to table, going to farmers markets.

Knowing your food

GROW YOUR OWN For

Community interest in the mushroom bill underscores California’s leadership in an arena called “truth in labeling,” according to Addis. It mirrors concerns about labeling practices for other products like wine, olive oil, and cannabis.

“There’s a huge demand for mushrooms, and it’s a growing demand that’s become more and more popular both medicinally and as food,” Addis said.

The escalating interest in mushrooms also means there are gaps in people’s knowledge about the crop that they’re looking to fill. That’s where groups like Far West Fungi and Mighty Cap step in with educational tours.

producers has real positive benefits on social health or community health.”

Addis added that she envisions bipartisan support for the mushroom bill because it supports small farmers and businesses across the state. Following review from the Fiscal Committee, the bill will undergo hearings in the Assembly and Senate.

“Mushroom farming is somewhat relatively new to the U.S. in many ways. It’s gotten a lot of publicity over the last several years, and it’s what we call ‘shroom boom,’” Batlle said. “It comes down to supporting local. … Mushroom farming is harder than regular traditional farming because it never stops. We grow all indoor rain or shine. So, when you get to a certain scale, there’s no turning off the faucet.” ∆

Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal is pumped for mushroom school. Send notes to brajagopal@ newtimesslo.com.

We are a diverse, welcoming community that accepts and supports everyone’s spiritual journey.

We teach the Science of Mind and Spirit, an a irmative philosophy free of dogma, and encourage personal development through questioning, contemplation, and direct personal spiritual experience.

We o er Sunday services, meditation, classes, events, concerts, spiritual coaching, and more.

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CITY OF

GROVER

BEACH NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids will be received by the City Clerk of the City of Grover Beach at the City Clerk’s Office at 154

be done have been determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations. These wages are set forth in the General Prevailing Wage Rates for this project available from the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Internet web site at http://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/PWD/. Future effective general prevailing wage rates, which have been predetermined and are on file with the California Department of Industrial Relations are referenced but not printed in the general prevailing wage rates.

This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations. Pursuant to Labor Code section 1725.5, no contractor or subcontractor may be listed on a bid proposal or be awarded a contract for public work on public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations.

Notice is also hereby given that any or all bidders may be required to furnish a sworn statement of their financial responsibility, technical ability and experience before award is made to any particular bidder.

Bidders shall contact the City of Grover Beach Department of Public Works office at publicworks@groverbeach.org the day prior to bid opening to obtain any bidding addenda information. Submittal of a signed bid shall be evidence that the Bidder has obtained this information and that the bid is based on any changes contained therein.

Submittal of Bidder’s Inquiries: Inquiries or questions based on alleged patent ambiguity of the plans, specifications or estimate must be communicated as a bidder inquiry prior to bid opening.

Bidder’s inquiries shall be submitted in writing via e-mail to the City of Grover Beach, Public Works Department, at: publicworks@groverbeach.org. The cutoff time that the City will accept bidder’s inquiries is 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday March 5th, 2024. The City will respond to bidder’s inquires via bidding addenda. Any such inquiries, submitted after the cutoff time of receiving bidder’s inquiries, will not be

as a bid protest.

Bid

The

No

Dated this 15th day of February 2024, at the City of Grover Beach, California.

City of Grover Beach

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Steve Kahn Interim Public Works Director/City Engineer

Legal Ad Published: New Times: Thursdays February 15th & 22nd

SAN LUIS COASTAL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the San Luis Coastal Unified School District acting by and through its Board of Education will receive bids up to, but not later than 10:00:00 a.m.

Friday, March 1, 2024, for Bid #325 Measure C-22 Pacheco Elementary Interim Portable Housing Project

A mandatory pre-bid informational meeting will be held on Friday, February 23, 2024, at 10:00:00 a.m. The meeting will begin in the parking lot at 1981 Vicente Drive, San Luis Obispo, California and will continue with site visits to the San Luis High School and Pacheco Elementary School. Failure to attend will render the bid non-responsive and subject to rejection by the District.

Proposals shall be received in the Facilities Office, San Luis Coastal Unified, 937 Southwood Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Questions regarding Bid #325 may be directed in writing only to the Facilities Analyst II, Kelly Lee, at klee@slcusd.org, and must be submitted no later than 9:00 a.m. Monday, February 26, 2024.

Project documents are available at the San Luis Coastal Online Planroom at www.asapreprographics.com.

The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or accept or reject any one or more items of a proposal, or to waive any irregularities or informalities in the proposals.

Kelly Lee

Facilities Analyst II

San Luis Coastal Unified School District February 22, 2024

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible, the Pismo Beach City Council will hold a public hearing in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, for the following

purpose:

PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA:

Address: Citywide

Applicant: City of Pismo Beach

Description: Hearing to receive community input on funding recommendations Countywide for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The 2024 Action Plan, a component of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, includes approximately $5,009 of CDBG funds for use by the 5 Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC) for Rapid Re-Housing / Homeless Prevention and $21,707 of CDBG funds for use by the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, for Minor Home Repair program. City Council final recommendations will be forwarded to the County Board of Supervisors for Board action on the 2024 Annual Action Plan.

A copy of the Draft 2024 Action Plan can be obtained from the County’s website on the Community Development Department webpage at https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/ communitydevelopment.aspx.

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 February 29, 2024.

Environmental Review

In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the grant application is not considered a project and is therefore exempt from environmental review. Specific projects that may have environmental impacts will be reviewed under CEQA and NEPA prior to implementation.

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 citycouncil@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 City Clerk’s 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 City Clerk’s Office, by emailing City Clerk Erica Inderlied at einderlied@pismobeach.org. The meeting agenda and staff report will be available no later than the Thursday before the meeting and may be obtained upon request by mail or by visiting www.pismobeach.org/agenda. The Council meeting will be televised live on Charter 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 Erica Inderlied, City Clerk, at einderlied@pismobeach.org or 805-773-7003.

Erica Inderlied City Clerk

February 22, 2024

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

MEETING BRIEF

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

01. Closed Session. PERSONNEL (Government Code section 54957.) the Board met in closed session to: (1) Consider Public Employee Appointment for the Position of County Administrative Officer. Open Session. Report out.

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/Boardof-Supervisors-Meetings-and-Agendas.aspx

Rebecca Campbell, Acting County Administrative Officer

& Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: Tessa Cornejo, Deputy Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

February 22, 2024

WASTEWATER PRETREATMENT STANDARDS VIOLATIONS

A federally mandated industrial wastewater monitoring program is in effect in the City of San Luis Obispo. The City of San Luis Obispo’s Pretreatment Program was established to provide protection to the Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) and wastewater collection system by controlling the introduction of nondomestic wastes to its facility and system. This program is required by law and uses the Federal General Pretreatment Regulations (40 CFR 403) and the City’s Sewer Use Ordinance to enforce the general discharge prohibitions and specific Categorical Pretreatment Standards. To fulfill public participation requirements of the Pretreatment Program, significant violators of the wastewater discharge regulations must be published in the local newspaper at least once a year. Therefore, those industrial users of the City sewer system who have significantly violated discharge regulations will be published with a brief summary of the nature of the violation(s).

The City of San Luis Obispo has found the following industrial/business facilities to have had significant violations during 2023:

California Polytechnic State University Discharge violation of Ammonia, Municipal Code Chapter 13.08.040

Kairos Manufacturing, Inc. Discharge violation of Zinc, Municipal Code Chapter 13.08.040

Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center Discharge violation of Copper, Municipal Code Chapter 13.08.040

A “significant violation” or “significant noncompliance” has been defined as any of the following: chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits (66% or more of all measurements taken during a six-month period exceed the daily maximum limit or the average limit for the same pollutant parameter); technical review criteria violations (33% or more of all measurements for each pollutant parameter taken during a sixmonth period equal or exceed the product of the daily average maximum limit or the average limit multiplied by the applicable technical review criteria); any other violation of a pretreatment effluent limit that has caused interference with or pass through; any discharge that has caused imminent endangerment to human health, welfare or the environment, or that has resulted in the POTW’s exercise of its emergency authority; failure to meet within 90 days after the scheduled date a compliance milestone contained in a local control mechanism or enforcement order for starting construction or attaining final compliance; failure to provide within 30 days after the due date required reports; failure to report accurately noncompliance; or any other violation which will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the local pretreatment program.

Additional information regarding the Pretreatment Program is available by contacting Christina Claxton, Environmental Programs Manager at (805) 781-7425.

February 22, 2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

WHO: San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors

WHEN: Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 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 an appeal by Parick McGibney of the Los Osos Sustainability Group (APPL2023-00009) of the Planning Department Hearing Officer’s approval of a request by Steven I. Brawer and Leanne E. Watt for a Minor Use Permit/Coastal Development Permit (C-DRC2022-00009) to allow for the construction of an approximately 2,019 square-foot single-family residence with an attached 541-square-foot garage, an 870-square-foot deck, a 1,095-square-foot patio, and associated site improvements. The project would result in approximately 0.13 acre (5,730 square feet) of ground disturbance on a 0.52-acre (22,651 square foot) vacant parcel. The project is in the Residential Single-Family land use category, located at 208 Madera Street within the community of Los Osos. The site is in the Estero Area Plan.

County File Number: APPL2023-00009

Assessor Parcel Number: 074-483-011

Supervisorial District: 2

Date Accepted: October 6, 2023

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 Nicole Ellis, Project Manager, in the San Luis Obispo County Department of Planning and Building, 976 Osos Street, Room 200, San Luis Obispo, California 93408, nellis@co.slo.ca.us (805) 781-5600. 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: Also to be considered at the hearing will be adoption of the Environmental Document prepared for the item. The Environmental Coordinator, after completion of the initial study, finds that there is no substantial evidence that the project may have a significant effect on the environment, and the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report is not necessary. Therefore, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq., and CA Code of Regulations Section 15000 et seq.) has been issued on August 22, 2023, for this project. Mitigation measures are proposed to address Air Quality and Biological Resources and are included as conditions of approval.

COASTAL APPEALABLE: County action may be eligible for appeal to the California Coastal Commission. Appeals must be filed in writing as provided by Coastal Zone Land Use Ordinance Section 23.01.043. **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: February 20, 2024 REBECCA CAMPBELL, ACTING COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AND EX-OFFICIO CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

By /s/Sandy Currens, Deputy Clerk February 22, 2024

CITY OF GROVER BEACH NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Grover Beach will conduct a Public Hearing on TUESDAY, March 5, 2024, at 6:00 p.m., or soon thereafter.

Development Application 24-03

Applicant – Alan and Joanne Cable

The Planning Commission will consider a one-year Time Extension for Development Application 20-46, a Development Permit to construct an addition to an existing single-family residence and a new garage/ shop with an attached accessory dwelling unit located at 615 North 5th Street (APN 060-087-002).

The site is zoned Low-Density Residential (R1). CEQA Determination – The proposed project received a Class 3 exemption for New Construction.

Where You Come In:

Any member of the public may appear at the meeting or call (805) 321-6639 during the meeting and be heard on the item(s) described in this notice or submit written comments prior to the meeting by personal delivery or mail to: Community Development Department, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433 or by email to comdev@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 Planning Commission may also discuss other items of business at this meeting. The complete meeting agenda and staff reports will be posted on the City’s website at www.groverbeach.org

If you challenge the nature of the proposed actions 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/ Nicole Retana, Deputy City Clerk

Secretary to Planning Commission

Publish: on Thursday, February 22, 2024

New Times

Post: on Thursday, February 22, 2024

Grover Beach City Hall

Project Site

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

CASE NUMBER: 24CV0058

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Tracey Dawn Elliott

AKA Tracey D. Elliott AKA Traci

Dawn Joyner AKA Tracey Dawn Joyner AKA Tracey Joyner Scuri filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME:

Tracey Dawn Elliott AKA Tracey D. Elliott AKA Traci Dawn Joyner

AKA Tracey Dawn Joyner AKA Tracey Joyner Scuri, to PRO-

POSED NAME: Tracey Joyner Scuri.

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 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:

03/14/2024, Time: 9:00 am, Dept. D4, in person or by Zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 1050 Monterey Street, Room 220, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: January 22, 2024

/s/: Craig B. van Rooyen, Judge of the Superior Court February 1 ,8, 15, 22, 2024.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

CASE NUMBER: 24CV0062

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Tafara Jose Pfende filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME: Tafara Jose Pfende, to PROPOSED NAME: Casey Tafara Higgins.

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 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:

March 14, 2024, Time: 9:00 am, Dept. D2, in person or by Zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 1050 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408.

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: January 23, 2024.

/s/: Craig B. van Rooyen, Judge of the Superior Court February 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2024.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

CASE NUMBER: 24CV0084

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Francisco Thomas Jay Canizares filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME: Francisco Thomas Jay Canizares, to PROPOSED NAME: Frankenstein H.H. Hellfire dé Rothschild.

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 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: March 20, 2024, Time: 9:00 am, Dept. D4, in person or by Zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 1035 Palm Street, Room 385. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: February 1, 2024.

/s/: Tana L. Coates, Judge of the Superior Court February 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2024.

ORDER TO SHOW

CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

CASE NUMBER: 24CVP0018

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Aimee Rochelle Neff filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME: Aimee Rochelle Neff, to PRO-

POSED NAME: Aimee Rochelle Hicks.

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 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: March 13, 2024, Time: 9:30 am, Dept. P2, in person or by 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 shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: January 2, 2024.

/s/: Michael C. Kelley, Judge of the Superior Court February 15, 22, 29, March 7, 2024.

SUMMONS NOTICE TO DEFENDANT:

Merle H. Jenkins, an individual; Karen Miller, an individual; and All other persons unknown, claiming any right, title, estate, lien or interest in the real property described in the complaint adverse to plaintiffs’ interest or any cloud on plaintiffs’ right thereto; and Does 1 through 50, inclusive

YOU ARE BEING SUED

BY PLAINTIFF: STEPHANIE GRISSOM, an individual, and ADAM STEWART, an individual

CASE NUMBER: BCV-23103146

Notice! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond in 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.

CASE NUMBER: BCV-23103146

The name and address of the court is: Kern County Superior Court Metropolitan Division Justice Building 1215 Truxtun Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93301; T: 661610-6000

The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: Charles I. Karlin, First American Law Group 5 First American Way Santa Ana, CA 92707 714-250-3500

Date: 09/20/2023

By: /s/ Tamarah HarberPickens, Clerk, Julia Barrera, Deputy Clerk February 22, 29, March 7, & 14, 2024

by Rob Brezsny

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): Aries filmmaker Akira Kurosawa was one of the greats. In his 30 films, he crafted a reputation as a masterful storyteller. A key moment in his development as an emotionally intelligent artist came when he was 13 years old. His older brother, Heigo, took him to view the aftermath of the Great Kantō earthquake. Akira wanted to avert his gaze from the devastation, but Heigo compelled him to look. Why? He wished for Akira to learn to deal with fear by facing it directly. I think you Aries people are more skilled at this challenging exercise than all the other signs. I hope you will call on it with aplomb in the coming weeks. You may be amazed at the courage it arouses in you.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20): “When a mountain doesn’t listen, say a prayer to the sea,” said Taurus painter Cy Twombly. “If God doesn’t respond, direct your entreaties to Goddess,” I tell my Taurus friend Audrey. “If your mind doesn’t provide you with useful solutions, make an appeal to your heart instead,” my Taurus mentor advises me. This counsel should be useful for you in the coming weeks, Taurus. It’s time to be diligent, relentless, ingenious, and indefatigable in going after what you want. Keep asking until you find a source that will provide it.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20): Gemini philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson offered advice that’s perfect for you right now. He said, “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.” Here’s what I will add. First, you very much need to commune with extra doses of beauty in the coming weeks. Doing so will expedite your healing and further your education—two activities that are especially important. Second, one way to accomplish your assignment is to put yourself in the presence of all the beautiful people, places, and things you can find. Third, be imaginative as you cultivate beauty within yourself. How? That’s your homework.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): I bet that sometime soon, you will dream of flying through the sky on a magic carpet. In fact, this may be a recurring dream for you in the coming months. By June, you may have soared along on a floating rug over 10 times. Why? What’s this all about? I suspect it’s one aspect of a project that life is encouraging you to undertake. It’s an invitation to indulge in more flights of the imagination; to open your soul to mysterious potencies; to give your fantasy life permission to be wilder and freer. You know that old platitude “shit happens”? You’re ready to experiment with a variation on that: “Magic happens.”

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): On Feb. 22, ancient Romans celebrated the holiday of Caristia. It was a time for reconciliation. People strove to heal estrangements and settle long-standing disagreements. Apologies were offered, and truces were negotiated. In alignment with current astrological omens, Leo, I recommend you revive this tradition. Now is an excellent time to embark on a crusade to unify, harmonize, restore, mend, and assuage. I dare you to put a higher priority on love than on ego!

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): My poet friend Jafna likes to say that only two types of love are available to us: too little and too much. We are either deprived of the precise amount and quality of the love we want, or else we have to deal with an excess of love that doesn’t match the kind we want. But I predict that this will at most be a mild problem for you in the coming weeks—and perhaps not a problem at all. You will have a knack for giving and receiving just the right amount of love, neither too little nor too much. And the love flowing toward you and from you will be gracefully appropriate.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If the devil card comes up for me in a divinatory Tarot reading, I don’t get worried or scared that something bad might happen. On the contrary, I interpret it favorably. It means that an interesting problem or riddle has arrived or will soon arrive in my life—and that this twist can potentially make me wiser, kinder, and wilder. The appearance of the devil card suggests that I need to be challenged so as to grow a new capacity or understanding. It’s a good omen, telling me that life is conspiring to give me what I need to outgrow my limitations and ignorance. Now apply these principles, Libra, as you respond to the devil card I just drew for you.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A taproot is a thick, central, and primary root from which a plant’s many roots branch out laterally. Typically, a taproot grows downward and is pretty straight. It may extend to a depth greater than the height of the plant sprouting above ground. Now let’s imagine that we humans have metaphorical taproots. They connect us with our sources of inner nourishment. They are lifelines to secret or hidden treasures we may be only partly conscious of. Let’s further imagine that in the coming months, Scorpio, your taproot will flourish, burgeon, and spread deeper to draw in new nutrients. Got all that? Now I invite you to infuse this beautiful vision with an outpouring of love for yourself and for the wondrous vitality you will be absorbing.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Behavioral ecologist professor Dan Charbonneau has observed the habits of ants, bees, and other social insects. He says that a lot of the time, many of them just lounge around doing nothing. In fact, most animals do the same. The creatures of the natural world are just not very busy. Psychologist Dr. Sandi Mann urges us to learn from their lassitude. “We’ve created a society where we fear boredom, and we’re afraid of doing nothing,” she says. But that addiction to frenzy may limit our inclination to daydream, which in turn inhibits our creativity. I bring these facts to your attention, Sagittarius, because I suspect you’re in a phase when lolling around doing nothing much will be extra healthy for you. Liberate and nurture your daydreams, please!

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Education is an admirable thing,” wrote Oscar Wilde, “but it is well to remember that nothing worth knowing can be taught.” As I ponder your future in the coming weeks, I vociferously disagree with him. I am sure you can learn many things worth knowing from teachers of all kinds. It’s true that some of the lessons may be accidental or unofficial—and not delivered by traditional teachers. But that won’t diminish their value. I invite you to act as if you will in effect be enrolled in school 24/7 until the equinox.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The planets Mars and Venus are both cruising through Aquarius. Do they signify that synchronicities will weave magic into your destiny? Yes! Here are a few possibilities I foresee: 1. smoldering flirtations that finally ignite; 2. arguments assuaged by love-making; 3. mix-ups about the interplay between love and lust or else wonderful synergies between love and lust; 4. lots of labyrinthine love talk, romantic sparring, and intricate exchange about the nature of desire; 5. adventures in the sexual frontiers; 6. opportunities to cultivate interesting new varieties of intimacy.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20): Unlike the pope’s decrees, my proclamations are not infallible. As opposed to Nostradamus and many modern soothsayers, I never imagine I have the power to definitely decipher what’s ahead. One of my main mottoes is: “The future is undecided. Our destinies are always mutable.” Please keep these caveats in mind whenever you commune with my horoscopes. Furthermore, consider adopting my approach as you navigate through the world—especially in the coming weeks, when your course will be extra responsive to your creative acts of willpower. Decide right now what you want the next chapter of your life story to be about. You can make it what you want. ∆