New Times, March 7, 2024

The March 5 primary election is over, but that doesn’t mean we know who won. In closer races, like the one between Heather Moreno and Susan Funk for SLO County’s 5th District supervisorial seat, we need to wait for more votes to be counted before we know who wins. But in other races, such as the two congressional seats that touch SLO County, we have a pretty good idea of who’s heading to the general election in November. We’ve got a quick after-election day rundown for you this week, with more news expected in the future [4]

Also this week, read about how Cambria’s former fire chief also sued California City for wrongful termination [8], three affordable housing residents who sued People’s SelfHelp Housing over poorly maintained apartments [10], a transmasculine artist’s show at Cuesta College [24], and where to find red tacos in SLO County [30]

Camillia Lanham editor

Moreno emerges as supervisor race frontrunner in early vote count

Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno clinched the initial lead in the preliminary results for the San Luis Obispo County 5th District Supervisor race.

Fewer than 700 votes separated her from her opponent and Atascadero City Councilmember Susan Funk, according to the latest count on March 6. The county Clerk-Recorder’s Office tallied 8,510 eligible votes in the 5th District race, which is

Carbajal and Panetta lead in their congressional races

Incumbent Democrat U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal and Jimmy Panetta are again the leading candidates in their respective 24th District and 19th District congressional elections.

Preliminary vote tallies released after the March 5 election showed that Carbajal—whose district includes Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, and part of Ventura County—had 54.92 percent of the votes. About 24 percent of the votes from eligible voters in all three counties had been counted as of press time.

Carbajal will likely face Republican challenger Thomas Cole, who had 36.5 percent of preliminary votes, in the November election. Since only the top two candidates will move on to the November election, Democratic opponent Helena Pasquarella is likely out, according to preliminary results.

Carbajal told New Times after the election that he was feeling grateful for the residents of the Central Coast. The initial numbers were positive, he said, and it’s comforting to know that the people in his district trust him.

“It reaffirms that I’ve been a good listener and that I’ve been effective in delivering the Central Coast’s values and priorities,” Carbajal said. “I’ve been listening for a number of years, making sure that I’m

around 26 percent of votes counted. The county Clerk-Recorder’s Office will periodically update the vote count and will certify it by April 4. The winner of the primary will become the next 5th District supervisor, starting in 2025.

Republican Moreno received 53.9 percent of early votes while Funk, a Democrat, obtained 46 percent.

That gap appeared smaller on March 5 minutes after polls closed at 8 p.m. Moreno held a roughly 0.3 percent lead and celebrated with her supporters during the election night watch party at Mountain Mike’s in Atascadero.

“We’ve known all along that this race has been a marathon and not a sprint,” she told the small crowd. “We focused on issues and [proceeded] with integrity every step of the way.”

Moreno told New Times that if she wins the supervisor seat, she will spend the rest of the year familiarizing herself with local advisory bodies, focus on strategies around affordable housing and homelessness, and push for a performance audit for the county. If she loses, she said, she will work on tackling similar issues at the city level as Atascadero’s mayor.

“My door is always open whether you voted for us or not,” she told New Times

Roy Ashburn, a five-year resident of the SLO portion of the 5th District, said he voted for Moreno because she’s in touch with her constituents.

“Financial and budget problems are going to be pretty serious [for the county],” he said at the watch party. “I have confidence in her judgement in allocating the budget.”

Former Atascadero Planning Commission member Tom Jones added that he supported Moreno as a voter with no party preference. The way she addressed homelessness as mayor and promoted businesses during COVID-19 stood out to him, he said.

working on lowering costs for families in the district, addressing housing, child care, energy costs, health costs, and I think all the major legislation that we passed we are now implementing.”

The congressman said he will continue to work on addressing infrastructure improvements and investments, climate change, gun violence, and the fentanyl crisis.

Cole told New Times he will work on running a more aggressive campaign in the run-up to the general election, but he’s pleased to know he’s close to receiving 40 percent of the vote.

“We’re pretty much settled on the peace, parents, and borders issues because that’s what we care about, and we’re going to run on issues that people care about,” he said. “Certainly, in the next 235 days we’re going to bring up those issues and see if people really are concerned about their kids and if they’re concerned about war and death. These are issues which should concern people.”

In the 19th District, Panetta was leading the preliminary count by 64 percent compared to his Republican opponent, Jason Anderson, with 32.2 percent in parts of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo counties where 23.5 percent of the votes been counted as of press time. Green Party candidate Sean Dougherty was unlikely to move forward to November, according to preliminary results.

Panetta told New Times that he was humbled by the initial numbers coming in, and he is committed to continuing the work that he and his team have been

“She approaches homelessness passionately, but when there is a criminal element associated with it sometimes, that is not excused,” Jones said.

The same night, Funk also celebrated her campaign with her supporters nearby at Wild Fields Brewhouse.

“While I rather be on the upside, … that’s a rather close race,” she told the group on March 5. “Every provisional ballot coming out of Cal Poly at 7:55 p.m. … we got to count all those ballots too.”

Both Funk and Moreno visited Cal Poly in a final push for votes, hours before joining their watch parties and waiting for polls to close.

“I spoke with a lot of students who had voted and a lot of students who didn’t realize they had a right under California law to vote today,” Funk told New Times

She said that if she wins, she will spend the next nine months with more advisory boards, touring with other committees in the county, studying how to “create moments of readiness” for people to participate in the county’s medical detox program, and examine the 5th District’s controversial water issues.

Santa Margarita resident and Funk watch party attendee Ralph Nicovich told New Times that he hopes for “less fear” if she wins, criticizing the gathering of people holding “White Pride” signs in Templeton last year.

“I liked the way she connects with people and fixes problems,” Nicovich said. “I asked her, ‘How do you fix the gasoline problem for farmers way out in the county?’ She said, ‘We need to talk to them and fix their roads because they pay for them.’”

Former 5th District Supervisor Jim Patterson, who represented the area from 2005 to 2015, belonged to the throng of people supporting Funk. He said he was impressed with her work as an Atascadero City Council member.

“She’s issue-oriented, independent, and evaluates issues fairly,” he said. “I hope she wins … I like Heather, and I think Susan will be more objective.” ∆

—Bulbul Rajagopal

doing over the past year in the new 19th District.

“I want them to know that not only have they been redistricted, but that I am their member, and I’m here to make the federal government work for them,” he said. “I think we did a pretty good job when it came to the three legs of what I say this job is about. That includes continuing to work on federal legislation that impacts local projects.”

Panetta said that, overall, the results have been good, and he’ll continue doing his job by serving the people in the 19th District.

“Congress can be very frustrating, especially here in Washington, D.C., but it’s very fulfilling serving and working with the people in the 19th District,” he said.

Anderson told New Times that his top priority will be to tackle immigration and work on bringing new jobs to his district.

“We need to make sure there is the ability for people to have the life their parents and grandparents grew up with,” he said. “It’s just about getting people to vote and get out there and get people to hear your message.”

—Samantha Herrera

Paso Robles to bring back paid downtown parking in April

After a nearly month-long hiatus following internal city review, a revamped paid parking

EARLY LEAD Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno captured 53.9 percent of the votes while her opponent Susan Funk received 46 percent of votes, according to the March 6 preliminary results.

PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

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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. If

program will return to downtown Paso Robles starting April 5.

“I am in the silent majority of people that we need a parking program,” Councilmember Steve Gregory said at the March 5 City Council meeting. “We have too many visitors. We have to start somewhere, and this is better than what we had before. We need to give this a chance.”

The Paso Robles City Council voted 3-2— with Councilmembers Chris Bausch and Fred Strong voting no—to reestablish the paid parking program, establish the official enforcement zone, and set the strategy for a new parking payment app, kiosk, and sign rollout by April 5.

According to the staff report, the parking rate will be $1 per hour, subject to adjustments up to $5 per hour by the City Council. That rate will be enforced within the downtown parking zone, which includes a segment of 10th Street to 14th Street, Spring Street to Pine Street, and the 900 block of both 12th and 13th streets.

Paso Robles City Manager Ty Lewis said the staff’s goal was to ensure that each detail regarding where, when, and how the parking would be enforced was paramount to the city’s evaluation of the program after pausing it in February.

“We are focused on upgrading things like the parking app and upgrading the screens on the kiosks to make sure they are clear,” Lewis said at the meeting. “We want to make sure the bugs are worked out. We want to educate the community so we can reduce confusion.”

structure to better accommodate visitors’ needs.

Mayor John Hamon countered by saying that the city had neither the staff nor the funds to accommodate a timed parking program. He stressed that even though he didn’t personally like the idea of paid parking, the city had to find a way to generate revenue from the downtown public parking spaces.

“I believe we have finally done it correctly [even] if it’s a work in progress; it’s logical for me to proceed this way,” he said at the meeting, noting that the council would likely review the program in a year anyway. “As an administrator who has to make a hard decision to manage a city’s resources, I feel we need to put this in.”

—Adrian Vincent Rosas

Laird and Addis lead in state races

The incumbent state senator and the incumbent state Assembly member representing the northern part of SLO County secured the top number of votes in each of their primary races, according to initial vote counts.

A special education teacher, Addis told New Times on March 5 that she will continue her work in that field if she clinches victory. She added that there’s legislation in the works that aims to lower utility rates for Central Coast residents.

“I’m interested in creating more access to education, lowering the cost of education, creating more access for special education students, ensuring student data privacy, and working diligently on reducing the rising cost of living,” Addis said.

Monterey County resident Epperson said she is also focused on the welfare of children.

“Assembly definitely has my heart, that’s where the anti-parental rights legislation is coming from,” she said. “My opponent signs all of the anti-parental rights legislation for education.”

Epperson, who currently holds a district average of 31.6 percent of counted votes, criticized Addis’ approval of Assembly Bill 665 that authorizes a 12-year-old to consent to mental health treatment, counseling on an outpatient basis, or to residential shelter services if they’re mature enough to participate intelligently in those programs.

“AB 665 allows for a 12-year-old to be taken out of their home without parent notification and placed in a state-run organization, and at that point, ask for hormone treatment,” she said.

Lewis said city staff anticipates offering warnings more than actual citations in the first month of the new program to ensure that everyone understands how the program works.

Part of that clarity was the second item the council heard on March 5, which passed 4-1, with Bausch dissenting.

According to the staff report, it will allow senior citizens who purchased year-long passes through the old parking program to seek the same refunds offered to nonsenior residents at the Feb. 20 City Council meeting. That program launched in late February and offered refunds for any incorrect fees or charges between Feb. 4, 2022, and Feb. 6, 2023.

Some residents and council members didn’t want paid parking to come back to downtown in any form.

“The parking enforcement ‘pause’ we have been experiencing these past weeks has been wonderful. … It has pumped excitement into the downtown that I haven’t seen or felt in years,” resident Jeff Carr said via public comment. “This parking program, including its execution and management, has been a failure.”

Councilmember Strong told his fellow council members that he could not vote to adopt the revised program in any form as he found nobody in his district who supported it.

Strong and Bausch attempted to table adopting the parking program changes by motioning for a substitute motion, which failed 3-2.

“I think we should pause paid parking because of the acrimony it generates,” Bausch said at the meeting.

As an alternative, Bausch suggested that the city explore eliminating the paid parking program and replacing it with a timed program. He suggested it may be time for the city to explore finding a lot for a parking

By March 6, early results for the primary elections showed that Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) won 61.5 percent of the votes in the newly redrawn District 17. Now no longer including Santa Clara County, the fresh district encompasses Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties and the northern parts of San Luis Obispo County.

“What separates me is I’m in touch with the district on health care, education, and the environment, and that’s responsible for my lead,” Laird told New Times regarding the redistricting. “I’m losing the southern county voters in San Luis Obispo County, which is disappointing. I loved representing them.”

With more votes yet to be tabulated, Laird held 55.6 percent of the vote in SLO County, 64.5 percent in Monterey County, 77.2 percent in Santa Cruz County, and 46.9 percent in San Benito County in the preliminary tally.

The early count indicated that Laird and Republican Tony Virrueta—the candidate with the next highest number of preliminary votes in all four counties—could advance to the general election in November. Republican Eric Tao and Libertarian Michael Oxford stand to be knocked out, as of press time.

Laird told New Times that if he wins, he will focus on the new district’s most popular arenas: agriculture and education.

“We have two CSUs, one UC, and a whole number of community colleges,” he said. “I think there are only five districts in the state that have a CSU, a UC, and community colleges.”

Salinas-based “veterans advocate” Virrueta told New Times he would talk about the race once the election results were finalized.

At the Assembly level, Dawn Addis gained a head start for the 30th District seat by capturing 68.2 percent of the initial tally, as of press time. She earned 56.8 percent in parts of SLO County, 69.6 percent in parts of Monterey County, and 78.3 percent in parts of Santa Cruz County.

Addis is defending her seat against her only challenger, Republican Dalila Epperson. Both head to the general election, no matter the outcome of the primary.

The first-time contender for the Assembly seat told New Times that if she wins, she will repeal and write legislation that will stop “anti-parental rights legislation,” stop floating wind turbines from being placed along the coast, and repeal Proposition 47 that demotes some nonviolent property crimes to misdemeanors.

“I can see that I have a lot of work to do with the ‘no party preference’ voters,” she said. “I can say for now, if my opponent wins, I definitely will run for Assembly [again].”

—Bulbul Rajagopal

OCSD denies ex-legal counsel request to work with Central Coast Blue

The Central Coast Blue Regional Recycled Water Authority is still on the hunt for an attorney after the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) denied a conflictof-interest waiver request from the law firm that resigned from the district last year.

Law Firm Adamski, Moroski, Madden, Cumberland, Green LLC had represented the OCSD for 10 years when it gave written notice to the district on Oct. 13, 2023. That resignation was contingent upon the district appointing new legal counsel, according to an email the law firm sent to the OCSD.

The district appointed Robert Schultz as its interim district legal counsel on Dec. 20, 2023. Eight days later, on Dec. 28, the firm sent a letter confirming that it was no longer representing the OCSD.

That same month, Central Coast Blue notified the law firm that it was selected to represent the water authority.

“At the conclusion of our interview with [Adamski, Moroski, Madden, Cumberland, Green] on Dec. 4, 2023, the board directed me to move forward with a report and draft an agreement for consideration for appointment at a future meeting,” Central Coast Blue General Manager Geoff English told New Times. “Those appointments need to be made during a regular meeting, so it was agenized for Feb. 1.”

The law firm then asked the OCSD to sign off on a conflict advisement letter regarding

its upcoming move to represent Central Coast Blue on Feb. 2, 2024, which Schultz recommended that the OCSD board deny.

“Even though we are not aware of the existence of any actual conflicts, there may be an appearance of conflict which we would rather address than avoid,” the email from the law firm read.

Through the law firm’s own research, which is supported by consultation with State Bar ethics counsel and through consultations with attorneys practicing municipal law throughout California, it concluded that there was no current or possible future conflicts.

“Our firm is not asking you to waive any legal conflicts as there are no such conflicts currently. Our letter was only intended to advise you of our duties to you as a former client, including our obligation to protect your confidential client information, and what we would do if a conflict were on arise in the future,” the firm stated in a follow-up letter to the OCSD.

But in a staff report from Feb. 28, Schultz said that the law firm had provided the OCSD with substantial legal advice about existing water supplies and the risks associated with the Santa Maria groundwater adjudication and Central Coast Blue. While Oceano was initially going to be one of the areas served by Central Coast Blue, it pulled out of the deal.

“[The law firm] has researched and provided legal analysis for the OCSD on the advantages and disadvantages, the benefits and impacts, and the risks associated with

the CCB [Central Coast Blue],” the staff report stated.

After the OCSD’s board voted to deny the firm’s request, the firm sent an email to English saying it was no longer planning to work for Central Coast Blue.

“While we would enjoy working with you and your board, it is unwise for us to draw any unwanted and negative attention to the board. The cause you folks are working for is a good one, and we should not be a distraction for it,” the email stated. “We do not want to hamper [Central Coast Blue’s] ability to approach OCSD in the future. If our firm accepted this representation against the desire of OCSD, we are concerned that doing so could harden relations between your two boards.”

English said they are interviewing other law firms to represent Central Coast Blue.

—Samantha Herrera

Templeton school board to begin evaluating candidates for vacancy

The Templeton Unified School District has two positions to fill heading into the end of the 2023-24 school year, including its superintendent and a school board seat.

Starting March 8, the district will begin vetting candidates to replace that latter role.

“The board of trustees of the Templeton Unified School District is actively seeking applicants who reside within the boundaries of the district for appointment to fill a vacancy on the board,” a letter from Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Leslie Bogart said. Completed applications

must be returned to the district office by noon on March 8.

This vacancy comes after former trustee Mendi Swan announced in early February that she would resign from her role effective March 1.

The board hopes to avoid having as many meetings as possible with the vacant seat as it begins to hold special meetings—including one on March 6—to find a replacement for departing Superintendent Aaron Asplund.

He announced on Feb. 22 that he would be leaving following the end of the school year to pursue a position with the SLO County Office of Education.

The district didn’t respond to New Times’ request for comment. At least one board member applicant— Templeton resident Matt Allison, who has run for the school board before in 2022—announced on Facebook that he would be applying for the position.

“With a passion for education and commitment to our community, I aim to advocate for student success, reputable opportunities, and transparent governance,” Allison’s statement read.

The process is slightly different than the last time Allison vied for a seat on the district’s board,

“This is territory we are not super familiar with as this does not happen often, especially for us,” Asplund said at the Feb. 14 meeting, where he explained to the board the two options it had for replacing Swan, appointment or special election.

Asplund explained that the appointment option made more sense for the district, given that Swan was on an expiring term that would be up in November regardless. Through this process, the board would have around a month or so to conduct a call for applicants before reviewing, interviewing, and appointing someone—likely in April.

Asplund said that residents could file a petition and force the district to hold a special election if they did not like the choice. Atascadero resident Krista Stewart spoke during public comment at the meeting and encouraged the board to choose the special election option.

She explained that it would be easier for the board to avoid a situation similar to what happened in the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District with current school district board member Kenney Enney. Enney was appointed to fill a role on Paso’s school board, but was petitioned against by the public, which forced the school district to pay for a costly special election in early 2023.

Templeton board member Jennifer Grinager echoed this, adding that it was important to ensure people had their input heard before the board appointed someone.

“I love the idea of not having a vacancy that we need to deal with. I don’t think we should rush through this,” Grinager said. “We want to make sure it doesn’t feel to them that we made a quick decision.” ∆

—Adrian Vincent Rosas

Chief concerns

Cambria’s ex-fire chief was fired from at least one

previous job, which he also sued over

In a March 1 letter to the community, Cambria Community Services District (CSD) General Manager Matthew McElhenie preaches perseverance.

“Accusations, whether founded or unfounded, can cast a shadow over the reputation and integrity we’ve built as a community,” the letter read. “We’re addressing you now not to dwell on the accusations that have been levied against us but to emphasize our commitment to standing strong together.”

While the letter alludes to a lawsuit filed against the CSD on Jan. 26, it doesn’t mention it outright. Cambria’s ex-fire chief, Justin Vincent, was fired in October 2023. He responded with a wrongful termination suit, levying a slew of allegations against McElhenie and other district employees, including abuse of power and inappropriate behavior.

According to the lawsuit, Vincent had been Cambria fire chief for a year, received only positive performance reviews, and displayed no behaviors that would warrant his sudden firing.

“Plaintiff suffered and continues to suffer economic loss, loss of reputation, shame mortifications, hurt feelings, physical and emotional distress,” the January lawsuit reads. “In doing the acts herein alleged … defendants … acted with oppression, fraud, malice, and in conscious disregard of the rights of the plaintiff.”

It’s not the first time Vincent has filed a lawsuit after being fired or has dealt with internal conflicts on the job. Vincent clashed with at least one of his previous employers.

In 2017, he sued California City after his contract was terminated. In 2021, he parted ways with Suisun City for reasons that are still unclear.

According to SLO County court filings, Vincent claims that McElhenie, Cambria CSD Administrative Assistant Haley Dodson, and 10 unnamed CSD employees took targeted actions against him after he spoke up about Dodson’s alleged abuse of power and McElhenie’s response to those claims.

Vincent made similar accusations in a lawsuit against California City, citing an unfair termination resulting from retaliatory practices. According to a summary judgment issued in the case, the California City

lawsuit was dismissed by the judge due to contradictions in Vincent’s testimony and “indisputable facts” provided by the city.

Vincent alleged in his 2017 California City lawsuit that he was retaliated against for insisting that the fire department receive more funding to ramp up marijuana code enforcement and for rumors he spread about California City Mayor Jennifer Wood.

In court documents, Vincent claimed that as soon as he started his new role in California City, he was pressured to give handouts to marijuana businesses.

“City officials pressured [him] to be ‘business friendly’ to cannabis business and to allow them to obtain permits, sometimes, without meeting fire code requirements,” his lawsuit alleged.

Vincent then requested city funding to cover the cost of enacting a marijuana impact report’s recommendations, according to the suit. The report detailed several steps Vincent believed the fire department needed to take to enforce marijuana-growing fire codes.

Several city staff members, court documents said, expressed that it was too costly—with one department manager allegedly saying that Vincent’s request would “kill the town” financially.

The City Council did decide to fund part of his request, which Vincent’s contract with the city stipulated it had to pull from city general funds to support. In the lawsuit, Vincent alleged that he faced hostility from city staff and administrators over the request, including what he called “discriminatory” or “retaliatory” conduct from California City Mayor Wood and Financial Director Jeanie O’Laughlin.

O’Laughlin allegedly told Vincent on multiple occasions that he needed to lighten up on his enforcement of the marijuana industry or he would not pass probation, according to the court documents.

“She has made this very personal and continued nasty behavior after she threatened my probation and is making [me] ask why she is treating me so differently,” read an excerpt of an email Vincent sent to the city’s Human Resources Department. “Is it my age? Is it the color of my skin? Is it that she just hates the fire department?”

Vincent also clashed with Cambria CSD General Manager McElhenie over fire department funding—specifically his pay.

According to Vincent’s Cambria lawsuit, in July 2023, McElhenie met with the CSD board to discuss and later approve in a closed session meeting an increase in pay for all department heads except Vincent. This included reclassifying Dodson to a higher role, which paid $22,000 more per year.

His conflicts with McElhenie went beyond funding as well.

According to the Cambria lawsuit, Vincent said he’d openly “discussed” that there was some sort of relationship occurring between Dodson and McElhenie. He alleged that Dodson made sexually charged comments about McElhenie and threatened to resign if the CSD board of directors didn’t hire McElhenie as the new general manager.

Court documents from the California City case say that City Manager Tom Weil addressed similar concerns with Vincent, asking him to stop spreading rumors about an affair between the mayor and police lieutenant.

Despite Vincent’s assurance that he would stop, Weil’s replacement—California City interim General Manager Robert Stockwell— received a report that Vincent continued to discuss it.

“A city employee reported to Stockwell that [Vincent] had been in City Hall loudly speaking with other city staff managers about [his] belief that Wood was having an affair,” an excerpt from the California City lawsuit summary judgment read. “[The employee] also ‘explained to Stockwell that [Vincent] spent a significant amount of time in City Hall going from cubicle to cubicle gossiping with city staff members.’”

Based on the court documents, Stockwell didn’t decide to fire Vincent until the week of Dec. 13, 2016, when two additional incidents occurred.

Vincent and two citizens—Joshua and Jason Meister—got into an argument outside City Hall with the latter claiming that Vincent had accused them of offering bribes for cutbacks on regulations related to their marijuana business.

A few days later, Vincent allegedly bragged about his involvement with policy activity including going into a middle school and “dragging” two students out for an arson arrest. According to eyewitness testimony from the case’s summary judgment, Vincent did this after entering City Hall dressed in assault equipment and carrying a gun.

Stockwell fired Vincent immediately following this incident, citing his failure to maintain the terms of his probation period.

“He asked me how I think I can fix the problem of people now thinking he’s racist for firing me, and that that’s an issue that I created and that how would I be able to fix this issue,” Vincent testified in the case, according to the summary judgment, adding that Stockwell never told him why he was fired.

His lawsuit against the Cambria CSD claimed McElhenie had also fired him without due process. At the time, McElhenie said it was after “the general manager’s comprehensive review and careful consideration” and that he would not comment further due to employee termination laws.

The Cambria CSD has yet to elaborate on those reasons and has said it won’t comment on the current lawsuit.

According to his internal report, Stockwell fired Vincent on Dec. 18, 2016, for his conduct during his entire tenure. That conduct included gossiping about the alleged affair despite being told to stop, constant unrealistic requests for funding that would harm the city’s overall well-being, and bragging about his involvement in the arson arrest.

In the summary judgment, the court said it threw Vincent’s lawsuit out in 2019 due to his inability to produce evidence that he faced retaliation, was discriminated against, or was unfairly terminated.

KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON The Cambria Fire Department will continue to operate under the leadership of Fire Chief Michael Burkey, who served as interim fire chief before and after Justin Vincent’s tenure.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAMBRIA FIRE DEPARTMENT

CAMBRIA EX-CHIEF continued page

People’s Self-Help Housing is battling multiple civil complaints, as three residents filed separate lawsuits against the affordable housing nonprofit over general negligence.

The lawsuits, filed in November 2022, alleged a lack of proper maintenance at People’s SelfHelp Housing’s Sea Haven Apartments in Pismo Beach from 1997 to 2019.

People’s Self-Help Housing is a nonprofit housing organization that builds affordable housing for families, seniors, veterans, those living with disabilities, and those transitioning out of homelessness, according to its website.

Steven Duke, Rose Salitore, and Gregory Hood were all residents at the apartment complex who alleged a decline in their health due to that lack of maintenance. Failure of timely and proper inspections, maintenance, management, and repair caused an “unsafe level of mold spores, mycotoxins, endotoxins, bacteria, MVOCs, viral compounds, asbestos, lead, dust mites, and other toxic or allergenic contaminants, which caused his residence to become uninhabitable,” Duke’s lawsuit states.

Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) are a variety of compounds formed in the metabolism of fungi and bacteria.

According to Hood’s lawsuit, he began living in the Sea Haven Apartments in 1992, a few years before People’s Self-Help Housing purchased the building in 1997. During the time that People’s Self-Help Housing and the Duncan Group managed the property, Hood believed that they were aware that the apartment building

California City representatives declined New Times’ request for comment, saying that most of the City Council members and individuals mentioned in the lawsuit no longer work with the city. Vincent’s representatives did not reply to requests for comment about his time in California City.

After California City, Vincent moved to the Bay Area-based Suisun City, serving as fire

Richards said that People’s Self-Help Housing and the Duncan Group didn’t remediate water moisture properly and ended up leaving some of it behind in the property.

she’d known the truth, then she wouldn’t have moved herself and her child into the property.

had been plagued with water intrusion, bacteria, mold, lead, and asbestos and didn’t perform proper testing to ensure that they cleaned and removed the toxins.

Around a decade later, Hood’s daughter Anasuya Jasmine Hood was born on Dec. 2, 2014, and shortly after being taken home from the hospital began experiencing health complications.

“After moving into the property, plaintiff discovered water leaking thru the ceiling and subsequently discovered mold and began to suffer adverse health symptoms, including kidney failure,” Hood’s lawsuit reads.

Salitore and Duke reported similar property damage and health effects.

The separate lawsuits were eventually consolidated into one, and the residents’ lawyer, John Richards, told New Times that People’s Self-Help Housing and the Duncan Group didn’t remove all the water intrusion, which caused mold to grow and spread.

“They don’t really call the plumber, they call their maintenance people who we think aren’t properly trained and don’t have the requisite experience to be able to handle the water intrusion,” he said.

chief. Suisun City’s council agendas and staff reports indicate that by sometime between October 2021 and January 2022, Vincent no longer held his position with the city.

Suisun City officials and the fire department declined to comment on him, his tenure, and his departure. Vincent’s representatives also did not respond to New Times’ request for comment on his time and departure from Suisun City.

It is unclear whether the Cambria CSD was aware of or considered Vincent’s issues

Salitore, who moved into the apartment building in 2019, reported repeated flooding, mold, and asbestos, which left her with her respiratory problems, rashes, fatigue, cognitive impairment, and gastrointestinal problems, according to her lawsuit.

Duke reported experiencing similar health problems.

“Two things happen with water on building materials: It could be bacteria that forms and people can be allergic to the mold spores themselves and have allergic respiratory [symptoms] and begin coughing or wheezing. Then there are waste products called mycotoxins that are toxic,” Richards said. “They can have a toxic genetic effect on a person and their organs because they are breathing them in. So, with mold, you either have an allergic response to the spores or you have a toxic genetic response to the mycotoxin.”

Richards said the effects mold can have on the human body and the fact that his plaintiffs have been living in these conditions for years is concerning.

“This is causing long-term health problems,” he said.

According to Salitore’s lawsuit, People’s Self-Help Housing and the Duncan Group caused harm by concealing that the property wasn’t safe to live in. Salitore alleged that if

with California City when it hired him. In New Times reporting from 2022, then CSD General Manager John Wigold said that he couldn’t divulge information about Vincent’s past employment due to confidentiality laws.

McElhenie declined to comment on Vincent’s initial hiring in 2022 as he was not with the CSD.

The Cambria CSD has met once since the lawsuit was filed. The CSD board held a closed session meeting on Feb. 14 to discuss the lawsuit.

“In addition, plaintiffs contend that defendant’s statements that the property was safe/habitable to live in were reckless, unfounded, and intentionally fraudulent misrepresentations made with the intent to induce plaintiffs to rely on the misrepresentations and thereby enter into a lease agreement with the defendants,” the combined lawsuit states. “These statements were false.”

People’s Self-Help Housing’s Public Affairs Director Gillian Cole-Andrews told New Times that since this is an ongoing legal matter, the nonprofit is unable to provide a comment.

While Hood and Duke are still residents of the apartment complex, Richards said Salitore moved out after claiming she was being harassed over this lawsuit.

“My plaintiffs are members of a somewhat lower economic class, which is why they qualify for this type of housing, and they face a tough situation because they want their housing, and it’s not easy to get on the list,” he said. “You know, coming forward in a lawsuit, there’s always a concern that there could be some retaliation of some kind.”

Richards said that it’s difficult for people to have fewer economic resources and be at the mercy of an organization that caters to people in a lower economic class and coming forward with a lawsuit shows a certain amount of fortitude and courage.

“That retaliation could be getting kicked out or having a mark against my record so that they won’t lease to me in the future,” he said. “It just makes for some tough choices.”

While Richards said he’s expecting a mediation in May to see if they can find a resolution, a jury trial hearing is currently scheduled for Aug. 19. ∆

Reach Staff Writer Samantha Herrera at sherrera@newtimesslo.com.

“We understand that all of this can be disheartening, frustrating, and even infuriating,” McElhenie said in his letter. “However, in moments like these, we must remember our shared values, our common goals, and unwavering belief in the principles that bind us together.” ∆

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

Etched-out skills

Los Osos native Scot Lang began carving wood as a 11-year-old Boy Scout. He became mesmerized with the art during summer camp while watching his scout master chisel a piece of wood into a chain with a ball and cage.

“I carved the Boy Scout symbol, which is three fingers up,” he told New Times. “I enjoyed it and probably cut myself a couple of times on that project, but that didn’t deter me.”

For 54 years, Lang’s chipped away at hunks of mahogany, oak, walnut, and basswood, sculpting a lifelong hobby. Now, he serves as the president of the Central Coast Wood Carvers, which is the local chapter of the California Carver’s Guild.

Lang and other office bearers teach a group of community members how to carve wood. The wood carving classes used to be held at the Cayucos Vets Hall and moved to St. Timothy’s Catholic Church in Morro Bay after the Vets Hall was closed due to damage. They meet every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Community members living in and around North County can now learn from Lang too. The Paso Robles Pioneer Museum will host wood carving classes on the first and third of Saturday every month from 1 to 4 p.m.

Lang’s students are currently wrapping up relief carvings of marine life. Most of them—between the ages of 15 and 90 years old—chose to fashion sea turtles in “deep relief mode.” That means the sculpture is flat and designed to hang on walls.

“You can carve it in a way that looks 3D,” Lang said. “That’s what they’re learning: how to carve shadow and light.”

His students are also carving miniature duck decoys, and in March, they’ll create wooden automata—creations that move when you crank the attached handle.

The students will take inspiration from a galloping reindeer automata Lang carved over the holidays called Run, Run Rudolph Lang already has plans for a flute-making class later this year where carvers will each sculpt a Native American flute.

The Central Coast Wood Carvers has 50 members, and roughly 30 of them regularly attend the classes. Beginners are welcome to join and embark on elementary projects like carving a cowboy boot to get the hang of the tools. Call Lang at (408) 482-1951 to take part in a class.

Lang said that he’s noticed several students arrive to class equipped with tools from a brand called Flexcut, which offers starter tool kits for roughly $100. But Lang also brings his plethora of tools—some of which he’s even carved oak handles for—to loan to students. They’re often part of the equipment available to them, including the wood needed to carve sculptures.

“For a beginner carver, the wood of choice is basswood,” Lang said. “It’s a fairly fastgrowing hardwood tree, and it’s got a very forgiving grain for carving. There’s not much difference in its hardness between summer and winter. So it’s easier on their hands.”

The Central Coast Wood Carvers asks every new attendee if they want to become a member of the local group. If they agree, they must pay an annual membership fee of $20 and sign an application form and waiver.

“Wood carving can be a dangerous activity, but it’s fun and we also provide Band-Aids,” Lang said with a laugh.

Being a member also gives students the choice of enrolling in the statewide carving organization for an additional $25 a year. Other perks include being part of a mailing list that contains links to join online meetings every other Wednesday and interact with regular attendees and the chairman of the Oregon Carvers Guild.

The classes for the wood carving group produce creations that get shown off at its annual September fair. The fair serves as the fundraiser for the nonprofit group, and community members flock to the event to not only admire the sculptures but also try to win some of them at the raffle.

“The reason for our existence is to teach and promote wood carving,” Lang said.

Fast fact

• Laguna and Paulding middle schools and Arroyo Grande High School made the cut for the 2024 California Distinguished Schools list. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced that 293 middle and high schools received the honor for closing the achievement gap by enrolling more students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and for demonstrating exceptional student performance. The schools will be celebrated at a ceremony in the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim on May 3. ∆

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

CARVED TO RUN Central Coast Wood Carvers President Scot Lang sculpted this reindeer that runs when the attached handle is cranked, which will serve as the model for his wooden automata class.

BY DONA HARE PRICE

We need you

The other night, I heard an elected leader talk about her time as an activist and how the “inside-outside” approach has been a theme in her life. This local female leader is what I would label a “badass.”

Time and age have mellowed her but if you scratch the surface, the hard-core activist is still there. To paint a picture for you, at Columbia University during the time of the Students for Democratic Society’s occupation of campus buildings, she was in the thick of it. She spent her days as a teacher, climbing into a building to occupy it with others at night. It feels a little bit like a radical ’70s Superman, teacher by day in Harlem and activist at night, changing from a cape and suit to denim bell-bottoms.

I sat there marveling that many people would be unable to square her radical acts to fight for equity as they only hear her sometimes pedantic responses at government meetings. However, city council meetings require arcane comments and a low burning fire in one’s belly to effect change.

If you’re a badass who wants to effect change, run for local elected office Speak up!

In activism, there is a strategy of organizing called the inside-outside

Nuclear power, weapons, and war need to go

March has a way of coming in like a lion.

On March 1, 1954, the U.S. military conducted a test explosion, called Castle Bravo, of a hydrogen bomb in the Bikini Atoll. This robbed the Bikini people and other Marshallese of their homeland and way of life and left them with extremely high rates of cervical, breast, gastrointestinal, and lung cancer due to radioactive contamination.

March also brings us International Women’s Day and reflections on reproductive rights: the right of women to have full autonomy over their bodies, the right to have or not have children, and the right to raise those children with dignity in a safe and healthy environment. These rights were violated for families on Bikini Atoll and have been violated in other campaigns of oppression on our planet.

Now, women in Gaza, with no access to reproductive care, and tens of thousands of children in Gaza, terrorized and starved, are being denied these rights. Additionally, the war in Ukraine drains all the participants of resources and lives better spent on health, education, climate regeneration, and brings us ever closer to nuclear war.

March 11 is the anniversary of the 2011 maximum severity nuclear accident in Fukushima, which is the source of “treated” radioactive water now being released into the Pacific Ocean. This is not “us vs. them.” It is us and them.

War is a major contributor to climate change, and nuclear power and weapons pose extreme danger to all citizens of the planet. Call for a cease-fire in Gaza and Ukraine and reject

approach. Community organizing is the process of building power through involving a constituency in identifying problems they share and the solutions to those problems that they desire. It is mobilizing people to find solutions, meeting with those who have power to make change, and pushing policy and change that benefit the collective good. The reality of our society is inequity exists because groups that benefit from inequity hold power; organizing moves the power to those who are impacted by the imbalance of power.

The inside-outside strategy approach, as described by The Stanford Daily, “is the general philosophy or strategy of organizing that prioritizes both those activists/advocates embedded inside political structures, and those based outside of them.”

Any inside-outside strategy is that the inside work within the organization (transformation) synergizes with the outside work outside the organization (pressure) to change policy and make societal change that benefits the majority.

I am no stranger to organizing; however, it still left me starstruck to hear the local elected’s story and application of an organizing principle to her life and political career. I realized that the elected’s success and huge

the risks to human health and biodiversity that nuclear weapons and nuclear power pose. Let’s have March go out like a lamb, in peace, justice, and health for all beings.

Dolores Howard Paso Robles

There’s always an asterisk, a ‘but,’ and ‘context’

Nobody would deny New Times the legal right to publish a political comic accusing Israel of genocide, even though it’s an accusation that the International Court of Justice did not find plausible. Indeed, you have the legal right to publish a comic that weaponizes a minority group’s history of victimization against it, even if that will result in demonization and potential harm to members of that group right here in San Luis Obispo County.

This Week’s Online Poll

Do you have any weddings to go to this year?

44% I’m not invited to any, but I’ll be crashing a few for sure.

35% Only a few close friends and family members are getting married.

17% I’ll be attending a few and getting married myself!

4% Yes—my fridge is already covered with invitations!

accomplishments were a result of her organizing background and ability to work for policy on the inside and mobilization of folks and community organizations on the outside.

Understanding policy, the importance of relationships, and unifying people to fight for their self-interest and that of their neighbors is the very definition of an activist. Can it also be the definition of a good elected leader?

For the past four years, I have trained

The dogged determination for change, a touch of humor, theater, relational organizing, and hard work are Aftyn’s backbones; she also knocked on 8,000 doors to win the state House seat.

So, I’m sending a message to all activists, organizers, board members of community or faith-based organizations, PTA chairs, Girl Scout troop leaders, parents fighting for equity for our trans children, union leaders, student leaders, teachers, and neighbors who mobilized

Understanding policy, the importance of relationships, and unifying people to fight for their self-interest and that of their neighbors is the very definition of an activist. Can it also be the definition of a good elected leader?

with Aftyn Behn, an organizer with Rural Organizing. Aftyn Behn is now a representative for the Tennessee House. She, like our local elected, lives the “inside-outside” strategy. However Aftyn’s actions took on a more organizing and political theater approach.

Aftyn showed up to all of Diane Black’s events, an out-of-touch Republican who ran for Tennessee governor, as “Diantoinette,” wearing a 2-foot-tall white wig and a pale pink period dress with a lovely smile. Aftyn drew the parallel to Black and Marie Antoinette with a strategic media campaign, attending Black’s events and talking to voters at local eateries in costume. It paid off, Black lost.

You absolutely have the right to those opinions and to express them. It just seems that you do not do this with respect to other vulnerable minorities. You don’t publish comics like Stonetoss that do this, because, we thought, there’s little to be gained from expressing political views in hurtful ways like this.

a neighborhood to advocate for safe parking—please run for office. The time is now, and we need you.

Take Aftyn’s and our local elected’s cue: It can be fun, cheeky, and meaningful, and change our corner of the world.

Contact your local and national political party for assistance.

Let’s get some badass activists elected in 2024 and participate in the radical change that is possible with community organizing and political representation. ∆

Dona Hare Price is a local activist and a facilitator of Dismantling Racism From the Inside Out. Send a response for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com.

But there’s always an asterisk, always a “but,” and always “context” when it comes to the Jews. Double standards like this are the essence of anti-Semitism.

Jon-Erik Storm Los Osos

The usual suspects?

Did you vote on Super Tuesday? Voting is the hallmark of democracy, when citizens make their voices heard and choose who will represent them and, through the proposition process, how their tax dollars are spent. It should be an exciting and fulfilling civic exercise, so why are so many voters filled with ennui, and why do so few registered voters even bother to vote? And what about millions of Americans eligible to vote who aren’t even registered? Millions!

It’s almost as if people believe their votes don’t matter, and sadly, maybe they don’t. A Princeton University study proved that “the preferences of the average American appear to have only a miniscule, near zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.” And thanks to the Electoral College and most states being—like California—winner take all, Republican votes for president in predictably blue states are meaningless just as Democrat votes are in predictably red states. No wonder there’s so much self-disenfranchisement. Why bother?

In U.S. elections from 2000 through 2020, only 27 percent of registered voters voted in the primaries, and only 60.5 percent voted in the general election. Think about that: Nearly 2 in 5 Americans don’t even vote in the general election! Voters often lament their sad choices—voting for the proverbial “lesser of two evils”—but in the primaries, voters are offered a raft of choices, and yet most don’t vote, and those who do flock like lemmings to candidates they say they don’t really want.

According to unofficial election night

results for SLO County, though SLO County Democrats had eight candidates to choose from, 93.95 percent voted for Joseph R. Biden Jr You got this, Bumblin’ Joe!

Republicans had nine candidates to choose from and yet 75.09 percent voted for Donald J. Trump. I’m a little buoyed to note 21.48 percent of SLO County Republicans voted for Nikki Haley even though her chance of prevailing was thinner than Trumplethinskin’s wispy blond combover. She abandoned her campaign the following day.

So, come Nov. 5, what SLO County voters can look forward to is choosing between an 81-year-old incumbent who’s 15 days shy of his 82nd birthday with an approval rating currently at 38 percent, or a 78-year-old twice-impeached former president accused of multiple felonies including insurrection whose average approval rating during his presidential tenure was 41 percent.

Am I the only one who misses Barack Hussein Obama? At least he could get through a speech without speaking gibberish or confusing the names of world leaders, countries, and … “covfefe”?

Sigh.

Even though feeling despondent about our “democracy” is understandable, it’s still essential to vote, right? All politics is local, and voting for offices like city council persons,

county supervisors, senators, representatives, judges, sheriffs, and clerk-recorders matter. Sure, many races are uncompetitive. SLO County 1st District Supervisor John Peschong managed to lead with 99.65 percent of the preliminary votes counted in his race against … no one. Third District Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg managed to squeak out a 94.96 percent of those initial votes against write-in challenger Michelle Marie Morrow, who received a somewhat impressive 258 write-in votes, or 3.67 percent.

But then there’s the 5th District, which is marginally exciting. Running to replace reliably conservative current supervisor Debbie Arnold, who’s apparently had enough of politics, conservative Heather Moreno is leading with 53.9 percent of the unofficial early tally with liberal Susan Funk trailing with 46 percent. Sure, it would be a Christmas miracle if a liberal won the typically conservative 5th District, which is why Funk’s 46 percent is impressive.

Another tight competition is over Proposition 1, which feels more like a money shuffling game than serious legislation. A “yes” vote takes mental health money from counties and shifts it to the state to try its hand at helping mentally ill and homeless Californians, a “no” is a vote for the status quo. Seeing as how no government entity has made a dent in California’s homeless and mental health crises, this may feel like another expensive nothingburger, which is what’s for dinner at your local homeless shelter.

Speak up!

Another interesting race is to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died without permission at the ripe age of 90 in the middle of her term (who could have predicted?), leaving a vacancy currently sought by 30th District U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, who I might have to call Shifty Schiff from now on because his campaign was positively unctuous.

His main competition should have been progressive fellow U.S. Representative Katie Porter (47th District), whose ideology more closely aligns to California’s “coastal elites and libtard snowflakes,” but Schiff’s attack ads against Republican candidate and former Dodgers and Padres first baseman Steve Garvey elevated the profile of Garvey’s otherwise lackluster campaign. Garvey has zero political experience and barely bothered to campaign, but Schiff’s strategy suggested the race was between him and a dangerous MAGA Republican, essentially making Porter’s campaign a nonstarter.

Send us your views and opinion to letters@newtimesslo.com.

“Steve Garvey is never going to be California’s next senator, and everyone knows it,” Porter recently told The Washington Post. “Representative Schiff is giving the GOP a gift, and Steve Garvey is the bow on top of the package.” I like Porter. She’s a firebrand. But Schiff? He’s cutthroat. He’ll make a terrific smiling-through-his-fangs Machiavellian senator! ∆

The Shredder loves democracy and wishes the U.S. was one. Give ’em hell at shredder@ newtimesslo.com.

Hot Dates

10-DAY CALENDAR: MARCH 7 - MARCH 17, 2024

STRANGER THAN FICTION

The Grover Beach Community Library hosts its first giant book sale of 2024 on Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will include both hardback and paperback copies of fiction and nonfiction books of various kinds. Call (805) 4814131 or visit groverbeachlibrary.com for more details. The Grover Beach Community Library is located at 240 N. 9th St., Grover Beach.

—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. Through April 1 Free. ccwsart.com/ aquarius-2024-show. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay, 805-772-2504.

ARTISTS ATRIUM RECEPTION FOR SANDRA SANDERS, GRANT KREINBERG, AND JARI DE HAM Meet the gallery’s talented featured artists in person and get inspired by their incredible artworks. Support local artists by buying local art. March 9, 3-5 p.m. Free. 805-7721068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

BOOK SIGNING WITH NICK OLIVERI

With the writer of The Last Conjurer About the book: in today’s society, people scroll through a digital world that alienates them. As dangerous as it is compelling, this genre-defying journey crowns the critically acclaimed trilogy from novelist Nick Oliveri. March 9 1-3 p.m. 805-7722880. coalescebookstore.com. Coalesce Bookstore, 845 Main St., Morro Bay.

COASTAL WINE AND PAINT PARTY Listen to music while enjoying an afternoon of creativity, sipping, and mingling. The party includes a complimentary glass of wine and canvas with materials.

Saturdays, 12-2 p.m. $55. 805-394-5560. coastalwineandpaint.com. Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough, 824 Main St., Cambria.

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. 805772-9095. Forever Stoked, 1164 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.

FREE PHOTOGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION

PRESENTED BY CHUCK JENNINGS The Art Center Morro Bay is proud to present Chuck Jennings, M.A., M.F.A. Jennings is the sole proprietor of Giclée Print and will be showing his wide-ranging photos, explaining his technique, and discussing his journey to professional artist.

March 11, 3-5 p.m. Free. 805-772-2504. artcentermorrobay.org. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., 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. March 13, 10 a.m.-noon $145. 805927-8190. cambriaarts.org. Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St., Cambria.

PAINT YOUR PET Enjoy a fun and creative afternoon of painting your pet. With the uploaded photo of your furry friend, the host will provide a sketched canvas and all the painting supplies you need to create a beautiful portrait that you can take home and cherish. March 9 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. $60. 805-394-5560. coastalwineandpaint. com. Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough, 824 Main St., Cambria.

SIX-WEEK SKETCHBOOK WORKSHOP WITH ARTIST SARAH A. PLETTS Students will learn the art of filling a large sketchbook with images and writing. Dreams, photographs, ideas, and more will be part of the creative process. Work from prompts

Contact Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood

(optional) sent out beforehand. Mondays, 12:30-2:30 p.m. through April 8 $120. 805772-2504. artcentermorrobay.org. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

LIVE FIGURE DRAWING An uninstructed live figure drawing session. Participants must be 18 years old or older. All artist levels welcome; please bring your own materials. March 14 1-3 p.m. $20. 805238-9800. studiosonthepark.org. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.

MARCH MOSAICS AT THE ARTSOCIAL

805 CREATIVE CAMPUS Enjoy a fun night of mosaics. All your materials and instruction are included for you to design your own, original work of art. March 13 6-8 p.m. $60. 805-400-9107. artsocial805. com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

ONE FISH, TWO FISH ... FUSED GLASS FISH CLASS Create your own unique fused glass fish using a variety of colorful glass pieces. Add a sparkly accent with a dichroic stringer. All materials included. March 13 , 3-5 p.m. $50. 805-464-2633. glassheadstudio.com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero.

SMUCH 805 CUSTOM DESIGNER HATS

AT THE ARTSOCIAL 805 CREATIVE CAMPUS Collaborating with SMUCH for an evening dedicated to crafting your personalized headwear. Immerse yourself in a selection of materials including leather, fabric, ribbons, patches, and feathers, allowing your imagination to flourish. Reserve your place for $20, which will be credited towards your exquisite creation. March 8 , 6:30-8:30 p.m. $20-$60. 805-400-9107. artsocial805.com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY

JACKSON MUSICAL “The gods are real. Like, the Greek gods.” Based on the bestselling 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. through March 9 $25 general admission. 805-756-4849. theatredance.calpoly.edu/ lightning-thief-percy-jackson-musical. Spanos Theatre, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

UBU’S OTHER SHOE STAGED READING:

CONSTELLATIONS This spellbinding, romantic journey begins with a simple encounter between a man and a woman. What happens next defies the boundaries of the world we think we know—delving into the infinite possibilities of their relationship and raising questions about the difference between choice and destiny. March 15 -16, 7-8:30 p.m. and March 16, 2-3:30 p.m. $15-$25. 805-7862440. slorep.org/shows/constellations/. SLO Rep, 888 Morro St., 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.

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.

COBI MOULES: SHOWERING OF SPARKLY

BITS Cobi Moules’ paintings feature queer bodies at play, exuding agency and abandon. Symbolizing queer joy, they transcend boundaries, obscuring the landscape as a backdrop to their pleasures. Moules reimagines 19th century Hudson River School landscape painting as queer spaces of desire and belonging. MondaysFridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through March 15 Free. 805-546-3202. cuesta.edu/student/ campuslife/artgallery/index.html. Harold J. Miossi Gallery, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo. COMEDY NIGHT Professional comedy show featuring local and touring comics. Hosted by Aidan Candelario. First Thursday of every month, 7-9 p.m. $5. 805-540-8300. Bang the Drum Brewery, 1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, San Luis Obispo, bangthedrumbrewery.com.

ENSEMBLE IMPROV COMEDY SHOW

Guest Josh Heimendinger will play with the team. March 15, 6-8 p.m. my805tix.com. The Hub, 1701 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

HALF-DAY WRITING WORKSHOP SLO NightWriters presents a half-day workshop for writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir and poetry. Presentations include “Words and Music: Using Poetry and Music in Fiction,” “Writing Memoir,” “Building an Author Platform: Your Brand, Your Website, and Social Media.” Join in person or on Zoom. March 16 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $25 (members); $50 (non-members). SLONightWriters.org. Chandler Hall, UCC San Luis Obispo, 11245 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo, 805-544-1373.

IMPROV COMEDY SHOW Grab a bite to eat or a tasty drink from the market before heading upstairs to enjoy the show. March 8, 6-8 p.m. my805tix.com. SLO Public Market, 120 Tank Farm Road, San Luis Obispo.

IMPROV COMEDY STUDENT SHOWCASE Hosted by Central Coast Comedy Theater. March 16 6-8 p.m. my805tix.com.

Linnaea’s Cafe, 1110 Garden St., San Luis Obispo, 805-541-5888.

JOSH HEIMENDINGER: JTS BROWN IMPROV WORKSHOP A longform improv workshop. March 16 10 a.m.-5 p.m. my805tix.com. Central Coast Comedy Theater Training Center, 2078 Parker Street, suite 200, San Luis Obispo, 805-858-8255.

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.

THE MONDAY CLUB’S 63RD ANNUAL FINE ARTS AWARDS COMPETITION For those who enjoy live jazz and classical music as well as art exhibits. Talented SLO County high school finalists compete for cash awards. Free and open to the public, with refreshments and free parking. March 10, 1-4 p.m. TheMondayClubSLO. org. The Monday Club, 1815 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-541-0594.

PAINTING BISHOP PEAK WITH DREW DAVIS Visit site for tickets and more info on the workshop. March 10 my805tix. com. Drew Davis Fine Art, 393 Pacific St., San Luis Obispo.

PAINTING THE COASTAL LIGHT WITH PASTELS WITH JIM TYLER In this two-day workshop, attendees will complete a larger, more complex painting; start with a wet underpainting technique to provide a rich glow. This is an instructor-led class with iterative demonstrations each step of the way. All experience levels are welcome. March 15, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and March 16 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. $170. 805-7482220. artcentralslo.com. Art Central, 1329 Monterey 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.

PICKET PAINTING PARTY Decorative picket purchasing opportunities are available to show your support and

ARTS continued page 15

SAN LUIS OBISPO

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GROVER BEACH COMMUNITY LIBRARY

help fund maintenance and educational programs in the Children’s Garden. Second Saturday of every month, 1-4 p.m. $75 per picket or 2 for $100. 805-541-1400. slobg. org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

SLO NIGHTWRITERS: A COMMUNITY

OF WRITERS SLO NightWriters supports local writers with monthly presentations, critique groups, contests, and other events.

Second Tuesday of every month, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. 805-703-3132. slonightwriters. org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

TEEBEEDEE: SHORTFORM IMPROV

AND JAM A shortform show with scenespirations coming directly from your audience suggestions. March 7 6-8 p.m. my805tix.com. Bang the Drum Brewery, 1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, San Luis Obispo, 805 242-8372.

WALT WHITMAN GAY MEN’S BOOK CLUB

This club reads, studies and discusses books chosen by the group which relate to their lives as gay men. All are welcome.

Second Monday of every month, 7-9:30 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BIG GROVER BEACH LIBRARY BOOK

SALE The sale offers a wide selection of current fiction, non-fiction, research, and coffee table books. Rain cancels. Cash only. March 9, 9-3 a.m. Free to attend. 805-481-4131. GroverBeachLibrary.org. Grover Beach Community Library, 240 N 9th St., Grover Beach.

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.

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE A dazzling theatrical experience that captivates audiences with its wit, charm, and impeccable performances. March 8 , 7:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande, 805-489-9444.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BRAIN EDUCATION SERIES FOR ADULTS: UNDERSTANDING ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. You’ll learn the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia, disease stages, risk factors, current research, and treatments available.

March 12 5:30-7 p.m. 805-528-1862. Los Osos Library, 2075 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.

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, 5:306:30 p.m. $15 session. 415-516-5214. Omni Studio, 698 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay.

CENTRAL COAST SLIM DOWN Take control of food without suffering. Learn a step-by-step process to take control of overeating, cravings, and feel peace with food. Build the habits, mindset, and your unique path with results that stick. Hosted byTami Cruz (Certified Health/Life Coach) and Dana Charvet (Coach/Fitness Trainer). ongoing Call for pricing info. 805-235-7978. gratefulbodyhealthcoaching.com. Grateful Body, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

CENTRAL COAST WOOD CARVERS Learn the art of wood carving or wood burning. Join Central Coast Wood Carvers in Morro Bay at St. Timothy’s. Open for beginners, intermediate, or advance. Learn a wide range of techniques and skills. Mask Required. Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, 962 Piney Way, Morro Bay, 805-772-2840, sttimothymorrobay.org/index.html.

CO-DEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS

MEETING Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a Twelve Step recovery program for anyone who desires to have healthy and loving relationships with themselves and others. Meeting is hybrid (both in person and on Zoom). For information, call 805-900-5237. Saturdays, 1-2:15 p.m. Free. thecambriaconnection.org/. Cambria Connection, 1069 Main St., Cambria, (805) 927-1654.

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. March 16 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. 805-528-4880. baysidemartialarts.com. Bayside Martial Arts, 1200 2nd St., Los Osos.

ERGONOMIC GARDENING TIPS Learn best practices for keeping healthy while gardening. The Los Osos Valley Garden Club hosts Audrey Elliott, MPT, Sunnyside Physical Therapy, as she discusses injury prevention, warm up exercises, proper body mechanics, and adaptive equipment. A member talk on garden safety will precede Elliott’s presentation. March 17

2-4 p.m. Free. lovgardenclub.com. First Baptist Church of Los Osos, 1900 Los Osos Valley Road, Los Osos, 805-528-3066.

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. MondaysSaturdays, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Call for more info. 805-701-7397. charvetmartialarts.com. Morro Bay Martial Arts, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

SEED STARTING AND SEED COLLECTING EVENT AT LOS OSOS LIBRARY Hope Merkle from Los Osos Valley Nursery will show how to do some simple seed starting and collecting, and teach everyone how to make seed bombs. March 9, 10-11 a.m. 805-528-1862. Los Osos Library, 2075 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.

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/. S.O.S. (SAVE OUR SEAS) This is a benefit to raise funds and awareness to fight the federal and state agency permits for ocean surveys and near-shore dredging. March 9 12-5 p.m. my805tix.com. Morro Bay Veterans Memorial Building, 209 Surf St., Morro Bay.

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.

TAI CHI AND QI GONG: ZEN IN MOTION

Small group classes with 2019 Tai Chi Instructor of the Year. Call for time and days. Learn the Shaolin Water Style and 5 Animals Qi Gong. Beginners welcomed. Mondays, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Call for price details. 805-7017397. charvetmartialarts.com. Morro Bay

Martial Arts, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

TAI CHI BASICS Visit site for more details on this ongoing, weekly Tai Chi program. Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. $10-$12. 805-7727486. fitnessworksmb.com. FitnessWorks, 500 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.

HIP TO BE SQUARE

Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay is hosting an atrium party on Saturday, March 9, from 3 to 5 p.m., to celebrate the debut of three new art exhibitions, showcasing works by craft artist Jari De Ham (whose work is pictured), acrylic painter Sandra Sanders, and photographer Grant Kreinberg. Each show will remain on display through Friday, March 29. Call (805) 772-1068 or visit galleryatmarinasquare.com for more info. Gallery at Marina Square is located at 601 Embarcadero, suite 10, Morro Bay. —C.W.

TAI CHI CHUN CERTIFICATION With the 2019 Tai Chi Instructor of the year. Ongoing courses. ongoing Call for price. 805701-7397. charvetmartialarts. com. Grateful Body, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

TAI CHI CHUN/ QI GONG BASICS Learn the foundation of Qi Gong, the rooting of breathing, and Shaolin Tai Chi. Tuesdays-Thursdays Call for details. 805-701-7397. charvetmartialarts.com. Grateful Body, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

WEEKLY QIGONG PRACTICE

AT FITNESSWORKS MORRO

BAY Calm your mind and nourish your joints with a weekly Qigong practice led by Mike Raynor of Tai Chi Rejuvenation. The practice is rooted in Qigong fundamentals, and standing/ moving meditations. Forms include: Eight Brocades, Five Elements, Shibashi 18, and Tai chi 24. Saturdays, 10:4511:45 a.m. Members free; non-members $8-$10. 805772-7466. fitnessworksmb. com. FitnessWorks, 500 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.

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.

805-701-7397. charvetmartialarts.com. Grateful Body, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

THE ENNEAGRAM EXPERIENCE AT AWAKENING WAYS CSL Discover deeper insights into your personality and spiritual journey at The Enneagram Experience Workshop with Rev. Z and Rev. Melissa. Explore the nine personality types, uncovering motivations and growth opportunities. A transformative experience of self-discovery and community connection. March 9, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $59. 805-391-4465. awakeningways.org. Awakening Ways Center for Spiritual Living, 7350 El Camino Real, Ste. 101, Atascadero.

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.

SLO LIVING HOME AND OUTDOOR

EXPO Two days of all things home and outdoor. Find what you need to help get that project done plus more for inside and outside the home including local crafters market, local wine and olive oil tastings, boats, RVs, and more. Free admission and giveaways. March 16 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and March 17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. No entry fee. 805-239-0655. pasorobleseventcenter. com. Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles.

TAI CHI This course’s instructor has won many Tai Chi and other internal martial arts tournaments. Both experienced martial artists and new learners are welcome to the class. Tuesdays, Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $65. 805-237-3988. Centennial Park, 600 Nickerson Dr., Paso Robles.

TOPS SUPPORT GROUP: WEIGHT LOSS AND MAINTENANCE A self-help support group focusing on weight loss and maintenance. Thursdays, 1:30 p.m. 805242-2421. tops.org. Santa Margarita Senior Center, 2210 H St., Santa Margarita.

VINYASA YOGA FLOW Join every Sunday for a one-hour vinyasa yoga session followed by a 15 min. sound bath, presented by Serenity Secrets. Please call to register. Sundays, 12-1:15 p.m. $10 TTR members; $15 guests. 805-434-9605. ttrtennis.com/yoga.

Templeton Tennis Ranch, 345 Championship Lane, Templeton.

YANG STYLE TAI CHI The course’s instructor won many Tai Chi and other internal martial arts tournaments. Both experienced martial artists and new learners are welcome to the class.

Mondays, Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m. $62.

805-470-3360. Colony Park Community Center, 5599 Traffic Way, Atascadero.

YOGA STRETCH AND FLOW Grab your yoga mat and water and join Templeton Tennis Ranch every Monday and Friday for yoga stretch and flow, with instructors Janet Rhodes and Jena Baird. Please RSVP to reserve your spot today. Mondays, Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $10 members; $15 future members. 805-434-9605. ttrtennis.com/ fitness/yoga/. Templeton Tennis Ranch, 345 Championship Lane, Templeton.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

”WHAT HOLOCAUST?” WITH GOLDIE JACOBY Behind every Holocaust survivor is an incredible story of determination, struggle, and loss, and a journey of the triumph of survival. Hear Goldie Jacoby’s moving story and experiences during one of the darkest times in history. March 10, 7-9 p.m. $0-$25. 805-756-4849. pacslo. org. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., 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.

Mondays-Sundays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sliding scale. 559-905-9274. theartofsilence.net. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

CAL HOPE SLO GROUPS AT TMHA Visit website for full list of weekly Zoom groups available. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays calhopeconnect.org. Transitions Mental Health Warehouse, 784 High Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-270-3346.

CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH WITH A LIVING HISTORY TOUR When you enter the iconic doors of the Julia Morgan-designed Monday Club, docents will take you back to the 1920s and ‘30s. You’ll learn about the intersecting lives of early pioneer club members and their connection with Julia Morgan. March 11 1-4 p.m. TheMondayClubSLO.org. The Monday Club, 1815 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-541-0594.

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.

DAILY QIGONG PRACTICE For the early riser or commuter, every weekday morning. Maintain or improve concentration, balance, and flexibility. Includes weekly Friday 3 p.m. class with more practices. Led by certified Awareness Through Movement teacher. Mondays-Saturdays, 6:10 a.m. and Fridays, 3 p.m. $35/week or $125/month. 646-2805800. margotschaal.com/qigong. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

DOCENT TRAINING FOR OLD MISSION

SAN LUIS OBISPO Dan Krieger will present the origins and special history of Mission San Luis Obispo in the morning. Docents will conduct demonstration visitor tours of the church and grounds. Lunch provided. To register, contact Mission San Luis Obispo Docents. March 16 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. 805-

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 16

PHOTO COURTESY OF GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE

WIN TWO TICKETS TO A CAL POLY BASKETBALL HOME GAME

550-7713. Parish Hall (Mission San Luis Obispo), 751 Palm St., San Luis Obispo.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO ROUNDTABLE (FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS) In this roundtable, gather with Executive Directors and CEOs to share challenges, brainstorm solutions, gain facilitation skills, and build connection with each other. This roundtable will give you added support in your leadership role. March 7 12-1 p.m. $10; Free for Spokes members. spokesfornonprofits.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

FREE PUBLIC TALK: FINDING WHERE GOD IS SEEN AND FELT? WHAT’S CHURCH GOT TO DO WITH IT? A new kind of thinking reveals God’s goodness for yourself and those around you. Hear Christian Science practitioner and teacher Emra Farkas discuss these ideas and healings she has experienced. In-person and livestreamed. March 10, 1-2 p.m. Free. 805-543-5853.

ChristianScienceSLO.org. First Church of Christ, Scientist, 1326 Garden St., San Luis Obispo.

HEALING DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP

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.

SUNDAY EVENING RAP LGBTQ+ AA GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) Alcoholics Anonymous is a voluntary, worldwide fellowship of folks from all walks of life who together, attain and maintain sobriety. Requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. Email aarapgroup@ gmail.com for password access. Sundays, 7-8 p.m. No fee. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

IT’S CHILI OUTSIDE

FILE

BUELLTON WINE

Various Dates & Times Baggett Stadium, Cal Poly, SLO RUMOURS

A FLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE

Thursday, March 21 • 7:30pm

Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

CAL POLY ARTS PRESENTS: SMALL ISLAND BIG SONG

Friday, April 26 • 7:30pm

Performing Arts Center, SLO

Saturday, May 4 • 7:30pm

Performing Arts Center, SLO

A safe place to share life experiences with those who have depression or have had and recovered from the devastating effects of depression. Mondays, 6-7 p.m. through Dec. 30 Free. 805-528-3194. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo.

LEARN TO SOLDER WORKSHOP Learn how to use a soldering iron and the materials used in soldering, including types of solder, flux, and soldering iron tips. You will put together and take home two small refrigerator magnet kits with LEDs that blink. Adults only. March 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m. $5$20. alpenglowindustries.com/pages/workshops. Alpenglow Industries, 3485 Sacramento Drive, Ste. F, San Luis Obispo, 805-242-8158.

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION (ONLINE

MEETING) Zoom series hosted by TMHA.

Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon Transitions Mental Health Warehouse, 784 High Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-270-3346.

MISSION PLAZA MARKET At the Mission Plaza Market, you’ll have the chance to explore a wide variety of stalls offering unique products. Discover hidden gems and support local businesses while enjoying the company of fellow enthusiasts. The market will also feature live music. March 16 11 a.m.-5 p.m. No entry fee. 805-540-1768. eventbrite. com. Mission Plaza, Downtown, San Luis Obispo.

PUPPY SOCIAL HOUR Puppies (10 weeks to 5 months old) will learn appropriate play style with other pups, acceptable manners with people, tolerance for gentle restraints, confidence with the approach of friendly strangers, and more.

Saturdays, 9 a.m. and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. $25. 805-543-9316. woodshumanesociety.org/ training/. Woods Humane Society, 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo.

Q YOUTH GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM)

This is a social support group for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth between the ages of 11-18. Each week the group explores personal, cultural, and social identity. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. Free. galacc. org/events/. 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.

SLO LEZ B FRIENDS (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) A good core group of friends who gather to discuss topics we love/ care about from movies, outings, music, or being new to the area. We come from all walks of life and most importantly support each other. Transgender and Nonbinary folks welcome. Third Friday of every month, 6:30-9 p.m. Free. sloqueer.groups.io/g/lezbfriends. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

SLO NOONTIME TOASTMASTERS CLUB

MEETINGS Want to improve speaking and leadership skills in a supportive and positive environment? During COVID, we are meeting virtually. Contact us to get a meeting link for info. Tuesdays, 12-1 p.m. Free. slonoontime. toastmastersclubs.org. Zoom, Online, Inquire for Zoom ID.

TECH BREW MEETUP Tech Brew is a free networking event where people interested in technology can hang out in an informal environment with a small TEDtalk-like presentation from an interesting speaker. Learn more online. Second Monday of every month, 5-7 p.m. 805-3236706. meetup.com/softec/. StoryLabs, 102 Cross St, Suite 220, San Luis Obispo.

TEDX SAN LUIS OBISPO: DETERMINATION

Unlock your boundless potential. Embrace the power of determination and learn life-changing strategies for success. Determination means never giving up and always trying your best no matter how hard something is. March 14 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $34-$117. 805-756-4849. pacslo.org/ events/detail/tedxslo24. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., 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. Second Sunday of every month, 2-2:45 & 3-3:45 p.m. Tours are free; donations are appreciated. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096, octagonbarn.org.

TRANS* TUESDAY A safe space providing peer-to-peer support for trans, gender nonconforming, non-binary, and questioning people. In-person and Zoom meetings held. Contact tranzcentralcoast@gmail.com for more details. Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. GALA Pride and Diversity Center, 1060 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-541-4252.

TRANS* YOUTH PEER SUPPORT GROUP This group is a safe place for trans* and gender nonconforming 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. Second Tuesday of every month, 6-8 p.m. Free. GALA Pride and Diversity Center, 1060 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-541-4252.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY BEGINNER GROUP SURF LESSONS AND SURF CAMPS Lessons and camp packages available daily. All equipment included. ongoing Starts at $70. 805-835-7873. sandbarsurf.com/. Sandbar Surf School Meetup Spot, 110 Park Ave., Pismo Beach. BELLY DANCING BASICS Delve into fundamental techniques, including isolations, shimmies, and undulations, while emphasizing proper posture and body awareness. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to refine your skills, an experienced instructor will guide you through each step. Come once or every week. Mondays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. through March 25 $22 drop in; or $120 for all six weeks. 805-619-0989. empoweryoga805.com/ events. Empower Yoga Studio and Community Boutique, 775 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE Dare to experience the dangers and delights of Dinosaur World Live in this roarsome interactive show for the whole family. March 7, 6:30 p.m. my805tix. com/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande, 805-489-9444.

DONATION-BASED YOGA FOR FIRST

RESPONDERS, EMTS, AND CARETAKERS Class schedule varies. Contact empoweryoga805@ gmail for details and reservations. ongoing 805619-0989. empoweryoga805.com. Empower Yoga Studio and Community Boutique, 775 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

EMBROIDERER’S GUILD OF AMERICA The Bishop’s Peak Chapter of the Embroiderer’s Guild of America invites you to attend its meeting on the third Saturday of each month. For more information, follow on Facebook at Bishop’s Peak EGA or visit the EGA website. Third Saturday of every month, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. through Nov. 16 Free. egausa.com. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach, 805-773-4832.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WATCH AND CLOCK COLLECTORS, CHPT. 52 Come join a friendly meeting of watch and clock collectors. Members bring watches and clocks to show, plus there are discussions of all things horological. Second Sunday of every month, 1:30-3 p.m. 805-547-1715. new.nawcc.org/index. php/chapter-52-los-padres. Central Coast Senior Center, 1580 Railroad St., Oceano.

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.

SOCIAL GROUP FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS

Call for more details. Second Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. 805-904-6615. Oak Park Christian Church, 386 N Oak Park Blvd., Grover Beach. WEEKLY WATER SAFETY LESSONS Facility advertised as open and safe. Give the office a call to register over the phone. MondaysFridays $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

46 WEST WINE SAFARI WEEKEND Join the Wineries of the 46 West in raising funds to support Conservation Ambassadors, home of Zoo to You, a Central Coast nonprofit organization whose mission is to rescue and rehabilitate displaced wild and exotic animals. March 9 -10 my805tix.com. Paso Robles 46 West Wineries, Highway 46 West, Paso Robles.

5K WINE RUN Run the vineyard and winery and raise money for local non-profit Novy’s Ark Dog Rescue and Adoption. March 10, 9 a.m.-noon $40. 805-369-6100. toothandnailwine.com. Tooth and Nail Winery, 3090 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles.

BRUNCH IS BACK Celebrate the second Sunday of the month with brunch. Enjoy a twohour cruise on the waterfront. Features fresh coffee, pastries, and more. Second Sunday of every month, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $50. 805-772-2128. chabliscruises.com. Chablis Cruises, 1205 Embarcadero, Morro Bay.

CLUB CAR BAR TRIVIA WITH DR. RICKY Teams of 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.

I ONLY HAVE PIES FOR YOU ... Your ticket includes delicious savory and sweet pies expertly paired with MCV wines. March 14 , 6:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Bramble Pie Company, 5945 Entrada Ave., Atascadero.

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.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

AT HER TABLE At Her Table’s mission is to bring awareness, support, and the spirit of celebration to women-owned and co-owned businesses in the food, beverage, and lodging industry on the Central Coast. Visit site for more info on this year’s lineup of events. Through March 10 athertable.com/. SLO County, Various locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.

DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS MARKET

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

HEAD GAMES TRIVIA NIGHT Live multi-media trivia every Wednesday. Free to play. Win prizes. Teams up to six players. Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. headgamestrivia.com. Antigua Brewing, 1009 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-242-1167.

QUEER TRIVIA Sip some cider, test your LGBTQ trivia knowledge, and learn new fun facts. Topic themes and hosts rotate each week. Prizes for winners. BYO food. Third Friday of every month, 6-8 p.m. Free. 805-292-1500. Two Broads Ciderworks, 3427 Roberto Ct., suite 130, San Luis Obispo, twobroadscider.com.

SCIENCE ON TAP Join the Estuary Program and SLO Beaver Brigade for a night of science talks all about beavers, watershed health, floodplains, and more. March 12 , 6-7:30 p.m. Free. eventbrite.com.

FOOD & DRINK continued page 17

Oak and Otter Brewing, 181 Tank Farm Road, suite 110, San Luis Obispo, 805-439-2529.

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

WEDNESDAY NIGHT PUB TRIVIA Bring your thinking cap as questions vary from pop culture, geography, to sports. There is a little for everyone. Prizes for the winning teams. Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. 805-439-2529. Oak and Otter Brewing, 181 Tank Farm Road, suite 110, San Luis Obispo.

WEDNESDAY PUB TRIVIA Bring your thinking caps as questions vary from pop culture, geography, to sports. There is a little for everyone. Prizes for the winning teams. Trivia provided by Geeks Who Drink.

Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. 805439-2529. Oak and Otter Brewing, 181 Tank Farm Road, suite 110, San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE

50TH ANNIVERSARY A family-friendly celebration of the 50th anniversary of Little House on the Prairie with a special dinner and presentation by Wendy Lou Lee (who played the role of Baby Grace). Dinner will be served. Tickets required. Ages under 13 get in for free. March 16, 5:30-8 p.m. $25. 805-489-1259. saintjohnsag.com/dinner/. St. John’s Lutheran Church, 959 Valley Rd., Arroyo Grande.

MONTHLY FERMENTATION CLASSES New topics each month with a thorough demo and explanation of the process that creates non-alcoholic, probiotic, and nutrient-dense fermentations. Leave the class confident and prepared with recipes to make your own at home. Limited seating; reserve spot prior to class by phone/email. Second Sunday of every month, 3:30-5 p.m. $30. 805-801-6627. kulturhausbrewing.com/ classes/. Kulturhaus Brewing Company, 779 Price St., Pismo Beach.

TRIVIA NIGHT Join BrainStew Trivia for a

hilariously witty evening of trivia in Pismo. Teams of 1 to 4 people. Prizes awarded to the first and second place teams. Kitchen is open until 7:30 p.m. for brain fuel. Beer, cider, wine, and non-alcoholic options available. First Thursday of every month, 6:30-8 p.m. Free to play. 805-295-6171. kulturhausbrewing.com. Kulturhaus Brewing Company, 779 Price St., Pismo Beach.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

BUELLTON’S WINE AND CHILI FESTIVAL

Attendees are encouraged to bring their best green attire to celebrate this year’s festival taking place on St. Patrick’s Day. As part of the live entertainment, the Firedance Irish Dancers will be performing. March 17 Flying Flags RV Resort, 180 Ave. Of The Flags, Buellton, 805-688-3716.

SECOND SATURDAY OPEN AIR MARKET:

LOS ALAMOS A carefully curated open air artisan and farm market. Features great vintage finds, handwoven and hand dyed textiles, hand-spun yarn, organic body care products, and locally grown organic eats. Second Saturday of every month, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. 805-722-4338. Sisters Gifts and Home, 349 Bell Street, Los Alamos.

MUSIC

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY BLUES AGENDA JAM AND SHOWCASE

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

BRASS MASH AT OLDE ALEHOUSE: ST. PATTYS DAY SPECIAL Visit site for tickets and more info. March 16 6 p.m. my805tix. com. The Olde Alehouse, 945 Los Osos Valley Road, Los Osos, 805-439-1466.

Send event information to events@newtimesslo.com

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.

LIVE MUSIC WITH GUITAR WIZ AT LUNADA GARDEN BISTRO “Guitar Wizard”

Billy Foppiano plays a wide range of music, including blues, R&B, classic rock, and more. Second Sunday of every month, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 805-900-5444. Lunada Garden Bistro, 78 N. Ocean Ave., Cayucos.

OPEN MIC NIGHT Come join us each Wednesday for Open Mic Night in the downstairs dining area. Grab some friends and show off your talents. Food and drink service will be available. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Free. 805-995-3883. schoonerscayucos.com. Schooners, 171 North Ocean Ave, Cayucos.

PARTY FOR PADDY WITH THE WEEDS

Concert of authentic traditional Irish music and dance to help celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, with members of Molly’s Revenge.

March 10 3-5 p.m. $30 advance; $35 at the door. 805-215-0306. stuartmasonmusic. com. South Bay Community Center, 2180 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.

UP IN THE AIR AT MERRIMAKER BEER

GARDEN Up in the Air will play it’s unique blend of upbeat original music along with MUSIC continued page 22

Vote online (newtimesslo.com), drop your ballot by our office, or mail it to:

New Times - Best of SLO County

1010 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Name

Address

City/State/Zip _________________________________________

Phone # ____________________________________________

Email

Ballots must be in our office by Monday, March 18, at 5 p.m., to be eligible for inclusion in the poll results.

THE RULES: One ballot per person. No more than two ballots may be submitted per envelope or in person at one time. No photocopies can be accepted. To prevent ballot-box stuffing (also known as cheating), all ballots must have at least 30 categories completed and must include the name and address of the voter, for verification purposes only. Ballots without this information will be disqualified. All information is kept in complete confidence. Ballots must be in our office by Monday, March 18, at 5 p.m. Winners will be announced in our May 2 special publication. All entries become the property of New Times Remember, vote for your favorite local businesses!

It’s been a lovely year so far, and our annual Best Of issue is here to continue that trend! We’re asking you, community members, to take your time to pick out some cool cats and top dogs. Specifically, we need you to help us find the eateries, drinkeries, businesses, and people that make San Luis Obispo County so sweet—that make this a place a special sort of space.

1. Best North County Restaurant

2. Best North Coast Restaurant

3. Best San Luis Obispo Restaurant

4. Best South County Restaurant

5. Best South Coast Restaurant

6. Best Breakfast

7. Best Weekend Brunch

8. Best Family-Friendly Restaurant

9. Best Place to go on a First Date

10. Best Outdoor Dining

Now isn’t the time to hold back. It’s time to tag your partners in crime. So put on those goggles and that scarf, and hop into the hot seat. Fill out this ballot. Then talk to your family, friends, and neighbors—and even their pets—so you’re not the only one driving. We all hit the road at our own pace, so they need to fill out ballots of their own! You can even go online to vote at newtimesslo.

11. Best Chinese Food

12. Best Indian Food

13. Best Italian Food

14. Best Japanese Food

15. Best Mediterranean Food

16. Best Mexican Food

17. Best Thai Food

18. Best Seafood

19. Best Sushi

20. Best Poke

21. Best Barbecue

com. Just remember, you need to complete at least 25 categories to make it into the sidecar.

Return this ballot to the New Times office or go online by 5 p.m. on March 18. Then stay tuned to read all about the coolest, hottest winners around on May 2. Tell everyone!

—Camillia Lanham

22. Best Vegan Food

23. Best Vegetarian Food

24. Best Food Truck

25. Best Chef

26. Best Caterer

27. Best Butcher

28. Best Fish Market

29. Best Burrito

30. Best Breakfast Burrito

31. Best Taco

BALLOT continued on next page

44.

45.

46.

67.

68.

69.

70.

71.

72.

73.

75.

76.

Goods

Drinks

Arts & Entertainment

78.

79.

80.

81.

82. Best DJ

84.

85.

86.

87.

88.

166.

172. Best Hair Salon

173. Best Barber Shop

174. Best Nail Salon

175. Best Lash Bar

176. Best Medical Spa

177. Best Place to Get Waxed

178. Best Place to Get a Massage

179. Best Use of Taxpayer Money

180. Best Nonprofit Organization

181. Best Environmental Organization

182. Best Veteran’s Support Organization

183. Best Public Official

Services Recreation

RECREATION

184. Best Health Club/Gym

185. Best Yoga Studio

186. Best Martial Arts Studio

187. Best Bike Trail

188. Best Bike Shop

189. Best Hike

190. Best ADA Accessible Trail

191. Best Outdoor Store

192. Best Campground

193. Best Horseback Rides

194. Best Surf Lessons

195. Best Surf Shop

196. Best Skateboard Shop

197. Best Place to Get Swimwear

Surgery Center

169.

198. Best Dive Shop

199. Best Watersport Rental

200. Best Fishing Charter

201. Best Hotel

202. Best Golf Course

203. Best Dog Park

204. Best Thing About SLO County

Voted Best Eyewear 11+ years in a row!

Vote for Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic #169 BEST VETERINARY CLINIC!

Vote for Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic #169 Best Veterinary Clinic!

Hot Dates

a mix of familiar favorites. March 10, 3-5 p.m. Free. 805-5341077. niffysmerrimaker.com. The Merrimaker Tavern, 1301 2nd Street, Los Osos.

THE WEEDS AND STUART MASON Presented by Cambria Concerts Unplugged. March 9, 2:30-5 p.m. my805tix.com. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2700 Eton Road, Cambria.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

B AND THE HIVE Part of the Barrel Room Concert series. March 17, 5 p.m. my805tix.com. Cass Winery, 7350 Linne Road, Paso Robles.

BURLEY THISTLES Burley Thistles plays original guitar-woven music that has a tough beat and generates curiosity with songs that are in distinctive stylistic shapes outside the pop main stream. March 10 12:30-3:30 p.m. Free. eastoneverett.com/. Calcareous Vineyard, 3430 Peachy Canyon Road, Paso Robles, 805-239-0289.

COUCHDOG, SLAUGHTERHOUSE, AND MORE Presented by Good Medicine. March 7, 7 p.m. my805tix.com/. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

DISCO-LICOUS DINNER AND DANCE PARTY Enjoy a familystyle Greek dinner, catered by Jaffa Cafe, followed by a dessert auction, a performance by the Templeton High School Drama program, a silent auction, and a disco dance party with a live DJ, supporting THS’s Spring production of Mamma Mia! March 9, 5-9:30 p.m. $5-$60. 805-591-4770. templetondrama.org. Templeton American Legion Hall, 805 South Main St., Templeton.

FOREVER GREEN Forever Green will be providing live music that pairs perfectly with Bianchi’s world-class wines.A hip, modern, urban music duo consisting of multi-instrumentalist harmony singers and identical twin sisters Christi and Cara Brown. March 16 2-5 p.m. Free. Bianchi Winery and Tasting Room, 3380 Branch Road, Paso Robles, 805-226-9922, bianchiwine.com.

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.

HORN HIJINKS Presented by Symphony of the Vines. March 10, 5:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Adelaida Vineyards, 5805 Adelaida Rd., Paso Robles.

JOLON STATION BAND VARIETY SHOW Come join Jolon Station Band every Thursday night in downtown Atascadero for a night 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.

KELLYTOWN EVE OF ST PATRICK’S PARTY Enjoy music and mayhem from Kellytown and a barrel of green cider from Bristol’s on the eve of St. Patrick’s. March 16 6-9 p.m. No cover charge. WeAreKellytown.com. Bristol’s Cider House, 3220 El Camino Real, Atascadero, 400-5293.

LINE DANCING NIGHT Visit site for more info on beginner lessons, intermediate lessons, and open dancing, and tickets. March 10 4, 5 & 6 p.m. my805tix.com. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

SAM OUTLAW LIVE Presented by Good Medicine. March 14 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.

VICTORIA BAILEY With The Martins. March 16 7 p.m. my805tix.com. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS: THE SPARROW AND THE CROW (15TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR) Presented by Good Medicine. March 15 , 7 p.m. my805tix.com. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

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. 313-316-7097. Jan’s Place, 1817 Osos St., San Luis Obispo, jansplaceslo.com.

BOB AND WENDY WITH PAUL GRIFFITH Bob and Wendy, with Paul Griffith, return to The Bunker for a Sunday afternoon concert in the gallery. March 10, 3-5 p.m. $15. 805-235-5456. thebunkerslo. com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo. CAL POLY ARAB MUSIC ENSEMBLE WINTER CONCERT

Highlights of the concert will include a suite of instrumental and vocal pieces celebrated across Arab society, a Romanian folksong and Ottoman Turkish dance piece. Critically acclaimed guest artists will return to join the ensemble on stage. March 16 7:30 p.m. $20 general; $10 students. 805-756-4849. music.calpoly.edu/ calendar/ame/. Spanos Theatre, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. CAL POLY BAND AND ORCHESTRA FESTIVAL FINALE CONCERT The capstone for the festival, produced in collaboration with the San Luis Obispo County Band Directors Association, is the Cal Poly Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble’s concert of works for concert band. March 15, 7:30 p.m. $20 general; $10

MUSIC continued page 23

students. 805-756-4849. music.calpoly.edu/calendar/winds/. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

CAL POLY CHOIRS’ WINTER CONCERT: TRADITIONS 100 alumni of Cal Poly’s choral program from the last 40 years will be co-conducted by Professor Emeritus Thomas Davies and Scott Glysson, who will also conduct Cal Poly’s four choirs on the program: University Singers, PolyPhonics, Chamber Choir, and Cantabile. March 17, 3 p.m. $15 and $20 general; $10 students. 805-756-4849. music.calpoly.edu/calendar/choirs/. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

CAL POLY SYMPHONY WINTER CONCERT: STUDENT

SOLOIST SHOWCASE The symphony will showcase the talents of four student soloists and a composer, winners of the Cal Poly Symphony’s Solo Competition. In addition, the symphony will perform four movements from Sergei Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet.” March 9, 7:30 p.m. $15 and $20 general; $10 students. 805-756-4849. calpoly.edu. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

CANZONA PRESENTS: WEAVING WOMEN’S VOICES Join us for Canzona’s spring concert, Weaving Women’s Voices, which is a celebration of music composed (or arranged) exclusively by women. The concert promises an extraordinary musical journey spanning centuries and cultures and showcases a diverse repertoire. March 10, 3-5 p.m. $10-$35. 805-2426065. canzonawomen.org. San Luis Obispo United Methodist Church, 1515 Fredericks Street, San Luis Obispo.

CUESTA JAZZ FESTIVAL WITH DAVE TULL Don’t miss the chance to see Dave Tull perform with the Cuesta Jazz Ensemble and a specially formed rhythm section to showcase his fun music. March 9 8 p.m. $10-$15. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

HOSES LIVE Hoses formed in 2021 with guitarist Cole Warner, bassist Nathan Shipley, and drummer Nalia Santiago in SLO. March 9 6-9 p.m. my805tix.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

JOHN SALMON AND JANET JOICHI PIANO RECITAL: BACH, BRUBECK, AND BEYOND John Salmon, a music professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Cal Poly Music Department faculty member Janet Joichi will give a free piano recital featuring piano duet versions of works by J.S. Bach and Dave Brubeck, plus some of Salmon’s compositions March 7, 11:10 a.m.-noon Free. 805-756-2406. music.calpoly.edu/calendar/. Cal Poly Davidson Music Center, Room 218, Cal Poly, 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. 833576-2271. 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.

MELODIOUS FUNK AT LINNAEA’S CAFE Melodious Funk plays classic jazz and funky fusion. In the patio (weather permitting). March 15 , 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Linnaea’s Cafe, 1110 Garden St., San Luis Obispo, 805-541-5888, linnaeas.com/.

PROM RE-DO DANCE A timeless journey with a live band and food. Dress to impress. All styles of partner dance music represented. March 16 6-11:45 p.m. $45. 805-904-7428. nexusslo.com/eventdetails/nexus-prom-re-do. Nexus SLO Ballroom D.C. (Inside the SLO Public Market), 3845 S. Higuera St. #B-1, San Luis Obispo.

THE QUEEN’S CARTOONISTS The Queen’s Cartoonists bring cartoons to life with perfectly synchronized music from over 100 years of animation. Experience virtuosic musicianship, multi-instrumental mayhem, and comedy as they perform original soundtracks and fresh compositions alongside projections of classic and modern animated films. March 8 , 7:30-9 p.m. $28-$46. 805-756-2787. calpolyarts.org/20232024events/queenscartoonists. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

YOUNG JAZZ SCHOLARSHIP CONCERT The San Luis Obispo County Jazz Federation is privileged to showcase the 2024 winners of its “Young Jazz” music scholarships. March 17 4-5:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Mount Carmel Lutheran Church, 1701 Fredericks St., San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

JOSE FELICIANO LIVE Synonymous with an international presence that has influenced popular music for two generations. March 10, 7 p.m. my805tix.com. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande, 805-489-9444.

KARAOKE EVERY FRIDAY Enjoy some good food and karaoke. Fridays, 5-8 p.m. 805-723-5550. The Central Grill, 545 Orchard Road, Nipomo.

KARAOKE EVERY WEDNESDAY A weekly event with barbecue offerings and more. Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m. Rancho Nipomo BBQ, 108 Cuyama Ln., Nipomo, 805-925-3500.

RESINATION

CHAMBER

A preview of its May 25

“Sacred Sounds” concert in Mission San Luis Obispo. Including “Missa O quam gloriosum” by Tomás Luis de Victoria. MARCH

$15

Alberto Ginastera’s “The Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet,” Pawel Lukaszewski’s “Crucem tuam adoramus,” plus modern works.

UNIVERSITY

“How Lovely Are the Messengers” by Felix Mendelssohn, Byron J. Smith’s gospel work “Make a Way” and more. John Knutson, guest conductor.

Arts

What the Constitution Means to Me

blends historical anecdotes with sharp commentary at SLO Rep

The San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre is slated to open its latest production, What the Constitution Means to Me, on March 29.

Performances of the show will run through April 14.

Written by Heidi Schreck, this Tony- and Pulitzer-nominated play has received critical acclaim for its “insightful exploration of democracy, gender, and the promise of the United States Constitution,” according to press materials. It follows its playwright’s journey of revisiting her teenage years—specifically when she earned her college tuition by participating in constitutional debate competitions.

“We are thrilled to bring What the Constitution Means to Me to our stage,” SLO Rep’s Managing Artistic Director Kevin Harris said in press materials. “This play not only offers a compelling theatrical experience but also invites audiences to engage in important conversations about our rights, responsibilities, and the enduring relevance of the Constitution in our lives today.”

The show is described as a blend of personal narrative, historical anecdotes, and incisive commentary, and aims to serve as “a timely reminder of civic engagement and the importance of our shared history” while “the nation grapples with pressing questions about democracy, equality, and justice,” according to press materials.

The cast of SLO Rep’s What the Constitution Means to Me includes Suzy Newman as Heidi, Jamie Collins as a debater, and Mike Mesker as “the Legionnaire.”

Harris is the show’s director, and his creative crew includes scenic designer Dave Linfield and costume designer Barbara Harvey Abbott.

Performances will take place Thursday through Saturday, at 7 p.m. each evening. SLO Rep will also host matinee performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Call (805) 786-2440 or visit slorep.org for tickets and more info on What the Constitution Means to Me. SLO Rep is located at 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo.

Chuck Jennings leads free photo demo at Art Center Morro Bay Art Center Morro Bay hosts a photography demonstration with prolific photographer Chuck Jennings on March 11, from 3 to 5 p.m. Known locally for his portraits and event photography, Jennings will discuss his technique and personal journey as a professional photographer during the event.

Admission to the demo is free. Call (805) 772-2504 or visit artcentermorrobay.org for more info. Art Center Morro Bay is located at 835 Main St. ∆ —Caleb Wiseblood

BY ADRIAN VINCENT ROSAS

Shine on!

Showering of Sparkling Bits by Cobi Moules brings abstract wonder to Cuesta College

There’s a shiny glittery relationship between the 1980s cult-classic horror lm e Blob and 19th century landscape paintings.

Illustrating that connection is the goal of Cobi Moules’ latest art exhibit, e Showering of Sparkling Bits, currently up at the Harold J. Miossi Gallery at Cuesta Community College.

“It’s a re ection of the way I move through the world,” Moules said. “I wanted to combine that with this very foundational type of imagery.”

e exhibit—put on in collaboration with the GALA Pride and Diversity Center—will run at the gallery until March 15. e exhibit aims to o er insight into the transgender male artist’s unique worldview and re ect on what it means to be queer in America.

“It’s important to show that there is some shiny resonance between these two very di erent concepts,” Moules said. “I wanted to blend that pop-culture cult-classic lm with conservative paintings and views.”

e Pennsylvania-based artist said he took inspiration from historical landscape painting artists like Albert Bierstadt and omas Moran to showcase rolling hills and beautiful sunsets. From there, he combined amorphous glittery- lled sculptures on and around those paintings, taking direct inspiration from the practical e ects in the horror lms he grew up watching.

“ ose horror movies like e Blob were very impactful on me and the rest of society growing up in the ’80s because they represented not just our desire for something weird and abstract, but also a way to attach our anxiety to something that wasn’t in our day-to-day reality,” Moules said.

Moules said he intended to engage speci cally with the destructive tendencies of conservative ideology and its impact on LGBTQ-plus people or those outside the cisgender-white norm.

“ ere’s this idea that you—as an American—are obligated to view the world a certain way and be a certain way and t in,” he said. “ ere is this horror that a lot of people face daily.”

In that horror, however, Moules found an odd

sense of relatability to the titular blob-something he hopes other LGBTQ-plus people might see as well.

“After rewatching that movie a few years ago, I had this revelation that there was a lot of stu you could take away from the movie as a queer person,” he said. “ ere’s this interesting crossover of the sometimes unknown nature of one’s queer body and that journey to gure out who you are.”

One of the impactful parts for him was the idea that within an amorphous blob, there was beauty in its lack of shape and its push to become some kind of “true” form.

“I’ve chatted with some queer folk since it’s been up, and they seem to resonate with the exhibit,” Moules said. “I’ve even had some of them come up to me and say they went back and watched the movie after seeing the exhibit and started to notice some of the stu that inspired me to create the whole thing.”

e Showering of Sparkling Bits isn’t only for those who are queer or outside the cisgenderheterosexual norms of society.

Catch it while you can

See The Showering of Sparkling Bits at the Harold J. Miossi Gallery at Cuesta College, Room 7170, Romaldo Road. For more information, follow the gallery on Instagram @hjmiossiartgallery. For more works from Cobi Moules, follow him on Instagram @cobimoules.

for shows, I knew he would be perfect, especially in our current societal climate,” Stark said. “What he is speaking about is important, especially for people in SLO to hear.”

Stark said working with Moules gave the gallery the chance to represent someone outside the norms of who they had before.

Showtime!

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

“It’s not set in stone what it’s supposed to be— kind of like the movie itself, where now it’s viewed as this cheesy ’80s horror movie with bad e ects, but back then it was a big deal and scary to us,” Moules said. “It’s open-ended, make of it what you will but know that there is somewhat a reason I decided to combine the concepts.”

Harold J. Miossi Gallery Curator Timothy Stark said one of his goals in bringing Moules in was to o er queer representation in the local art scene—regardless of what people’s takeaways end up being.

“I’ve known Cobi for a long time, so when I had a chance to reach out for outside-the-box artists

“For an organization like ours, it’s really important to us and me to lead the way in o ering an experience like this,” he said. “For one group—the actual queer and transgender individuals out there—it’s important to see themselves represented in local art, and for the other group, cis people, it’s important to understand art from that perspective.”

Stark and Moules said they hope e Showering of Sparkling Bitswill get people thinking about their journeys through society—whether conventional or strange—and how that re ects in their day-to-day expression.

“How do you perceive yourself within that American ideal while also being outside of it?” Stark said. “It’s the bizarre oddity of American culture that I feel this exhibit explores extremely well.” ∆

Sta Writer Adrian Vincent Rosas is rewatching e Blob. Reach him at arosas@newtimesslo.com.

AWESOME EXHIBIT Combining aspects of the classic horror film The Blob and 19th-century landscape painting, artist Cobi Moules invites viewers to reflect on their identity in the current exhibit at the Harold J. Miossi Gallery at Cuesta College.

CREATIVE CROSSOVER Landscape paintings and schlocky sci-fi themes cross over in several pieces featured in Cobi Moules’ The Showering of Sparkling Bits exhibit.

IMAGE COURTESY OF COBI MOULES

PERSONAL PERCEPTION Transmasculine artist Cobi Moules said he is excited for other queer people to see his works in The Showering of Sparkling Bits exhibit.

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JLITTLE WOMEN(2019) (PG) Sat-Sun: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00 • Mon: 7:30

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (R) Sat Only! 9:30

STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (PG) Weds-Thurs: 7:00

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MONDAY MOVIE SPECIAL March 11 5:30pm

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ohan Renck (Chernobyl, Breaking Bad) directs this science ction drama based on Jaroslav Kalfar’s 2017 novel Spaceman in Bohemia about Jakub Procházka (Adam Sandler), an astronaut on a solo mission on the edge of the universe, who at the six-month mark of his assignment to collect ancient space dust begins to relentlessly ruminate on his earthly life and Lenka (Carey Mulligan), the pregnant wife he left behind. He begins hearing a voice that turns out to be a spiderlike creature named Hanus (voiced by Paul Dano), who’s been hidden in Jakup’s spaceship. (107 min.)

SPACEMAN

What’s it rated? R

What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee

What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee

Where’s it showing? Netflix

Glen is is a lm that deeply wants to be poignant, and indeed, it has its moments. Despite its sci- trappings, at its heart, it’s the story of an emotionally unavailable man who doesn’t come to terms with his self-in icted loneliness until he’s six months into a yearlong space mission. e profound isolation of being alone in space begins to eat at him, and rst a voice and then a terrifying space spider appear. Is he going mad? I don’t think it matters if Hanus is real or the product of Jakub’s imagination. e outcome is the same. As Jakub recalls his relationship with Lenka with Hanus’ help, it eventually dawns on him that the support, care, and love that she gave to him wasn’t reciprocated. He’s got regret. e question at the heart of the story is can he earn redemption?

Anna is is a very re ective movie, and Jakub is reluctantly exploring his past, present, and future, himself, and his relationship—not just with Lenka but with his father, his childhood, and all the things that brought him to where he is now. Lenka and he usually speak on a service called CzechConnect, but lately he can’t seem to

TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY

What’s it rated? TV-MA

When? 2024

Where’s it showing? Max

Anthology series True Detective is always trying to recapture the magic of its premiere season. While there is no replacement for Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, this fourth season, Night Country, brings the heat with legendary Jodi Foster as Police Chief Liz Danvers and badass Kali Reis as State Trooper Evangeline Navarro. Set in fictional Ennis, Alaska—a town that stays barren and cold always and dark for more than 30 days of night—a strange incident has occurred at a research station and eight men are missing, and soon a murder is mixed up in all of the bizarre happenings in this strange land.

reach her at all. His contacts on Earth try to protect him from the truth—that Lenka has decided that Jakub is either not willing or able to be the partner she needs, especially with a little one on the way. Hanus seems to come along just as Jakub truly sinks into his isolation, and the new, mysterious entity o ers him a probing look into his reality, which waits for him at home no matter how far he drifts o into space. Jakob is haunted, and the lm slowly peels back the layers to reveal how and why he ended up alone and in the stars.

Glen e story doesn’t quite succeed for me, but I think the lm’s worth seeing because the performances are terri c—including Sandler’s, whose dramatic work I admire more often than some of his comedic roles, which sometimes come o as sophomoric and broad. I’ll watch Punch Drunk Love or Uncut Gems over Little Nicky or Mr. Deeds any day. Mulligan is also deeply sympathetic

DUNE: PART TWO

What’s it rated? PG-13

When? 2024

In True Detective fashion, the series focuses not just on the mystery at hand but the relationships between characters. Liz is surly and rough, both as a colleague and a mother to her teen daughter who’s enraged by the disenfranchisement of native people in the area. Navarro’s haunted by a loss that has constantly been dismissed and angered by the unwillingness of the authorities to step in. Is there something supernatural going on in this arctic tundra? Luckily all episodes are now out, so you can binge away. It may not surpass season 1, but Night Country holds its own as a gripping mystery. (Six approximately 55-min. episodes)

—Anna

as Lenka, who deserves a real partner. Dano’s voice work is soulful and a ecting, and add in guest roles with heavy hitters such as Isabella Rossellini and Lena Olin, and Spaceman is worth your time.

Anna I like Sandler in these dramatic roles as well; he shines. is lm didn’t quite hit with me either, but I won’t deny that the performances are great. e lm is based on a book, and I’m curious to know if it sticks close to its source material in style. Maybe this sort of bigger-picture, self-actualization storyline plays out on the page a little better than on the screen. I still haven’t quite landed on how I feel about it. I do know that the performances are all-around worth a watch, so if you like heady art icks, this one may be worth exploring. ∆

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

Where’s it showing? Bay, Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10

Co-writer and director Denis Villeneuve returns to his epic screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s famed 1965 science fiction novel about a future feudal interstellar society of competing noble houses controlling planetary fiefs. The story centers on young Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), whose family house controls Arrakis, a desert planet whose export is “Spice,” a drug that extends life and enhances the mental abilities that make space navigation possible.

If you haven’t seen the first part, watch it first unless you’re familiar enough with the novel to

catch up. In part 1, House Atreides is targeted by power-hungry House Harkonnen, who conspired to control the planet and its wealth. After losing a battle, Paul and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) escaped and sought refuge with the Fremen, Arrakis’ indigenous people.

Paul unites with Fremen Chani (Zendaya) as he seeks revenge on the conspirators who destroyed his family. His problem is the Fremen believe he’s the prophesied one to free them and their planet. If you saw the first, you’re going to see this no matter what anyone says, but I’m happy to report this is visually stunning, with a pumping score, effective performances, spectacular special effects, and a satisfying reverence for its source material. Oh, and giant freaking worms! (166 min.) ∆

SPICY!

Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya) return for part 2 of the sci-fi epic Dune, screening in local theaters.

Timothee Chalamet & Zendaya

GROUND CONTROL Adam Sandler stars as astronaut Jakub Procházka, who during a solo space mission encounters an alien who seeks to help him through his anxiety and loneliness, in Spaceman, streaming on Netflix.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LARRY HORRICK/NETFLIX

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAX

COURTESY PHOTO BY NIKO TAVERNISE/WARNER BROS. RELUCTANT PARTNERS

Police Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster, left) joins forces with state trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) to solve possibly interconnected murders in Alaska, in True Detective: Night Country, streaming on Max.

Music

GLEN STARKEY

Get high low

The Brothers Comatose will take you for a ride

Whether they’re playing a barnburner like their original “Hole in My Pocket” or covering Neil Young’s soulful “Harvest Moon,” The Brothers Comatose are stellar musicians who can be contemplative mystics burrowing gently into your heart or fiery madman bent on melting their strings into their frets. And the harmony vocals? Amazing.

Mostly they deliver handmade, acoustic, rowdy, foot-stomping fun as they mix traditional bluegrass, country, and rock ’n’ roll into their own NorCal sound. Featuring Petaluma-born brothers Ben (guitar, vocals) and Alex Morrison (banjo, vocals) who began playing rock as 12-year-olds, they eventually branched out into Americana and added Steve Height (bass), Philip Brezina (violin), and Greg Fleischut (mandolin, vocals).

They. Always. Deliver.

This week, Numbskull and Good Medicine win the most concerts contest with four big shows coming your way, starting with high-energy favorites The Brothers Comatose playing BarrelHouse Brewing on Saturday, March 9 (6 p.m.; all ages; $25 at goodmedicinepresents.com), with The Carolyn Sills Combo opening.

Santa Cruz-based Sills makes awardwinning American roots music: “I love writing story-driven snapshots where every word counts,” she said in press materials.

Numbskull and Good Medicine also host Australian guitar slinger Taj Farrant at The Siren on Saturday, March 9 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $35 general and $85 VIP meetand-greet at 7 p.m. at goodmedicinepresents. com), with special guests Jazel Farrant and Nathan Bryce & Loaded Dice. Taj developed his guitar passion at 7 and has since been recognized worldwide, often referred to as the reincarnation of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Blues-rock icon Walter Trout plays The Siren on Sunday, March 10 (7 p.m.; 21-andolder; $23 presale at goodmedicinepresents. com or $25 day of show). “All of us are broken but no one is beyond repair” is

Trout’s philosophy, which he’s “lived by during seven volatile decades at the heart of America’s society and blues-rock scene,” his bio explains. “Even now, with the world more fractured than ever—by politics, economics, social media, and culture wars—the fabled U.S. bluesman’s latest album, Broken, chronicles the bitter schisms of modern life but refuses to succumb to them.”

Now living in Nashville, former SoCal country singer-songwriter Sam Outlaw returns to the best coast to play Club Car Bar next Thursday, March 14 (7 p.m.; all ages; $20 at goodmedicinepresents.com). He hit the scene as a 33-year-old in 2015, when Ry and Joachim Cooder co-produced his debut album, Angeleno. He’s currently touring in support of Popular Mechanics, his fourth studio album. Terrific country singersongwriter with West Coast sensibilities.

The Siren

In addition to the two killer Numbskull and Good Medicine shows this week, The Siren also hosts Painted Mandolin on Friday, March 8 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $18 at tixr.com) with Zen Mountain Poets opening.

Painted Mandolin features former Garcia/ Grisman Band and David Grisman Quintet member Joe Craven (mandolin, fiddle, vocals and percussion). The band also includes Larry Graff (guitar and vocals), founding member of the world-famous Banana Slug String Band; Matt Hartle (guitar, banjotar, and vocals), lead guitarist of the Grateful Dead tribute band China Cats; and Dan Robbins (upright and electric bass), who together take listeners through a dynamic, high energy acoustic journey of Jerry Garcia’s repertoire.

Fremont Theater

Bad Bunny obviously won’t be there, but if you want to celebrate the Bad Bunny Birthday Bash on Friday, March 8 (8 p.m.; all ages; $15 at prekindle.com), head to the Fremont to hear the hits and get down with other Bad Bunny fans.

Hip-hop artist and rapper Kalan.FrFr is up next on Saturday, March 9 (8 p.m.; all

ages; $30 to $150 at prekindle. com). Unlike a lot of rappers, the man can sing, and he blurs the lines between rap and song. An evening with Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group is always welcome. He’s got so many great hits, and whether he’s delivering them with his Large Band, as a duo or solo, or with this acoustic group, his iconic voice and sardonic cool remain. See the Texas-based country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel, and blues musician on Sunday, March 10 (8 p.m.; all ages; $79.50 to $115 at prekindle.com).

“And if I had a boat, I’d go out on the ocean, and if I had a pony, I’d ride him on my boat, and we could all together, go out on the ocean, I said me upon my pony on my boat.”

The Clark Center

Hello, darkness, my old friend. It’s time for The Graduates: The Sound of Simon & Garfunkel on Saturday, March 9 (7:30 p.m.; $49 to $69 at clarkcenter.com). Hear hits from their duo and solo careers such as “Scarborough Fair,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Sound of Silence, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Cecilia,” “I Am A Rock,” “The Boxer,” “Homeward Bound,” “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” and more. Puerto Rican powerhouse and

Sunday, March 10 (7 p.m.;

$85 at clarkcenter.com).

classic “Feliz Navidad,” and his cover of The Doors “Light My Fire” was a worldwide phenomenon. Feliciano has recorded more than 45 gold and platinum records, received 19 Grammy nominations, and won nine Grammy Awards. He’s also been called “the greatest living guitarist.” He’s still vital at 78, but see him while you can. He won’t tour forever.

international hitmaker José Feliciano plays on

$55 to

He wrote the

AMERICANA MASTERS Numbskull and Good Medicine present string quintet The Brothers Comatose, including guitarist-vocalist Ben Morrison and violinist Philip Brezina, at BarrelHouse Brewing on March 9

SO-CAL COUNTRY Born in South Dakota, raised in California, and now living in Nashville, Sam Outlaw brings his country sounds to Club Car Bar on March 14

COURTESY PHOTO BY ROBBY KLEIN

HIS BABY DON’T TOLERATE Enjoy an evening with Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group at the Fremont Theater on March 10

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOD VIBEZ

JERRY TRIBUTE All-star band Painted Mandolin will take listeners on a journey through Jerry Garcia’s repertoire, at The Siren, on March 8

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAINTED MANDOLIN

FELIZ FELICIANO International superstar José Feliciano plays the Clark Center on March 10

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLARK CENTER

STARKEY continued page 28

FULL SERVICE RECORDING STUDIO

BY THE BAY

Cal Poly Arts

If you dig cartoons and jazz, get ye to The Queen’s Cartoonists on Friday, March 8, in Cal Poly’s Performing Arts Center (7:30 p.m.; $28 to $46 at calpolyarts. org). The ensemble brings “cartoons to life with perfectly synchronized music from over 100 years of animation. Experience virtuosic musicianship, multi-instrumental mayhem, and comedy as they perform original soundtracks and fresh compositions alongside projections of classic and modern animated films,” press materials explain. Imagine a 16-foot-long truck converted into a mobile concert hall that can drive to a location, roll up its sides, and—voila!—a live concert free for anyone in earshot. The Concert Truck is coming to SLO County on Wednesday, March 13 through Sunday, March 17, at various locations (visit calpolyarts.org/20232024-events/ concerttruck for details). Performers include pianists Nick Luby and Susan Zhang, two gifted and seasoned classical artists.

pianist Simone Gabriel will play the first movement of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16. Soprano Melissa Scarpelli will sing Antonín Dvořák’s “Song to the Moon,” and soprano Helena Fuller will perform Lerner and Loewe’s “I Could Have Danced all Night” from My Fair Lady The orchestra will also perform “Falling from Sky” by student composer Wyatt Willard Congratulations to the winners.

In honor of International Women’s Weekend, Liquid Gravity will host a showcase of female musicians on Sunday, March 10. The daylong event begins with sets by singer-songwriters Melody Klemin (1 p.m.), Noach Tangeras (2 p.m.), Nataly Lola (3 p.m.), and Erin Montgomery (5 p.m.), followed by a set from all-female rock act Hot Tina (5 p.m.). The event ends with karaoke (6 to 9 p.m.). One dollar from every pint goes to the SLO Women’s Shelter.

SLO Brew Rock

Mark your calendar for Ariel Pink next Thursday, March 14 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $28 at ticketweb.com), with Period Bomb opening. LA-based Ariel Pink (née Ariel Marcus Rosenberg) is an eclectic singer-songwriter, multiinstrumentalist, and record producer influenced by 1970s and ’80s pop radio and cassette culture, who “has been recording his music on tape since 1996, but it wasn’t until after he passed a CD-R to the New York-based band Animal Collective that his commercial musical career took off,” his bio explains. “He attended Beverly Hills High, later attending the School of Art at the California Institute of the Arts.”

More music …

Sound out!

Get in the St. Paddy’s Day mood when Weeds presents a concert of authentic traditional Irish music and dance on Sunday, March 10, in Los Osos’ South Bay Community Center (3 p.m.; all ages; $30 adult and $20 for kids 13 and under presale at mollysrevenge.com; $35 at the door). “Watch the folk process unfold as John Weed and ‘Uncle’ Stuart Mason, two members of West Coast Celtic powerhouse Molly’s Revenge and Nordic band New World String Project, pass this musical lineage to next-gen banjo, mandolin, and fiddle wizard Tyler Weed,” organizers announced.

Canzona Women’s Ensemble presents Weaving Women’s Voices, which celebrates female composer and poets, on Sunday, March 10, in the SLO United Methodist Church (3 p.m.; all ages; $35 premium, $30 for general, and $10 for students at canzonawomen.org or my805tix.com). Don’t miss SLO County’s allwomen choral group in their spring concert.

The Cal Poly Symphony’s Winter Concert showcases the talents of four student soloists and a composer this Saturday, March 9, in the Performing Arts Center (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $15 and $20 general admission and $10 students at (805) 756-4849). Jayden Perez (violin) will perform the first movement of William Walton’s Viola Concerto, and

Symphony of the Vines presents Horn Hijinks this Sunday, March 10, at Adelaida Vineyards (5:30 p.m.; all ages; $35 adult, $30 senior, $15 student. K-12 free with paid adult at my805tix.com). Hear Mozart’s Quintet for horn and strings, Beethoven’s Sextet for two horns and strings, and Schubert’s string quartet “Death and the Maiden.” ∆

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

Rob Vermeulen of Robbo Music

STARKEY from page 27

DRAWING JAZZ Performing beneath projected animated cartoons, The Queen’s Cartoonists bring the cartoons to life with synchronized music, on March 8 , in Cal Poly’s Performing Arts Center.

COURTESY PHOTO BY MARK SHELDON

THURSDAY, MARCH

FRI-SUN, MARCH

SAT

THURSDAY,

SUNDAY, APRIL 7

Dallidet Adobe & Gardens, SLO

THURSDAY,

SATURDAY,

SUNDAY,

FRIDAY,

SATURDAY, MARCH 9

SUNDAY,

FRIDAY,

FRIDAY, MARCH

SATURDAY, MARCH 9 The Bunker

SUNDAY,

SATURDAY,

FRIDAY, MARCH

SATURDAY,

SUNDAY,

SATURDAY, MARCH

Improv Comedy Show: House Team TeeBeeDee

7

Bang The Drum Brewery, SLO

A Comedy of Tenors, written by Ken Ludwig

8-24

Santa Maria Civic Theatre

The Weeds and Stuart Mason

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Cambria

The Pirates of Penzance: New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players

8 Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

Live Music featuring Hoses

SLO

Weaving Women’s Voices Presented by Canzona Women’s Ensemble SUNDAY, MARCH 10 United Methodist Church, SLO

I Only Have PIES For You...

MARCH 14 Bramble Pie Company, Atascadero

Symphony of The Vines: Horn Hijinks

MARCH 10 Adelaida Vineyards, Paso Robles

Josh Heimendinger: JTS Brown Improv Workshop

MARCH 16 Central Coast Comedy Theater, SLO

Karaoke Y Banda with DJ Jow, La Banda Imponente, & more!

8 Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Zepp Heads: Led Zeppelin Tribute Band

MARCH 9 Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Live Music with Bob and Wendy with Special Guest Paul Griffith

MARCH 10 The Bunker SLO

Improv Comedy Show with Special Guest Josh Heimendinger

MARCH 15 The Hub, SLO

Clark Center & Martin Media Present: José Feliciano

MARCH 10 Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

Coastal Wine & Paint Party

16 Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough, Cambria

Line Dancing Night: Beginner and Intermediate Lessons

MARCH 10 Templeton Mercantile

Los De La Tuba Chicoteada & Groupo Eco de Santa Barbara

MARCH 15 Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Paint Your Pet: Includes wine, materials, & more!

MARCH 9 824 Main St, Cambria

46 West Wine: Safari Weekend

& SUN, MARCH 9-10 Wineries of Paso Robles, HW46 West

Dinosaur World Live: An Interactive Show

MARCH 7 Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

Family Day at the Dallidet

CALEB WISEBLOOD

T marks the spot

T’s Red Tacos is a tasty treasure trove in Pismo Beach

There’s a popular carnival treat at T’s Red Tacos in Pismo Beach with ties to owner Roger Sharp’s start in the food industry.

At age 17, the Paso Robles local began operating his own churro cart. Today, the iconic fried pastry rolled in cinnamon and sugar is available at T’s Red Tacos with two sweet, gooey center options—chocolate or caramel.

Sharp owns multiple restaurants along the Central Coast, but he’s no longer in possession of the concession haul that helped kick off his career, he said.

“I wish I had it, to be honest,” Sharp said of the churro cart, which he often took to the Mid-State Fair, the Santa Barbara County Fair, and other events during the 1980s. “I have no idea where it ended up.”

Sharp loves eating churros too, and he still has a sweet tooth for them. As for savory treats, including Sharp’s favorite fixtures at T’s Red Tacos, the prolific restaurateur’s motto is “the spicier the better,” at least to a certain extent.

“I don’t like it [spicy enough] to kill me, but I love it to be spicy,” said Sharp, who opened T’s Red Tacos during the fall of 2023.

Of the casual eatery’s salsa selection, Sharp recommends the habanero salsa to spice fans.

“The habanero can get kind of serious,” Sharp said. “It’s spicy, which is the goal.”

The star attraction of T’s Red Tacos is unsurprisingly its red queso tacos, assembled with handmade red corn tortillas. A special spice blend is responsible for the red color.

The red tacos are grilled with Mexican cheese and the customer’s meat choice.

Sharp’s protein pick when it comes to red tacos is the birria—a spicy beef stew—which he also named as the restaurant’s biggest seller, “by far.”

“It’s got a lot of flavor,” Sharp said, “and the ramen is really good too.”

The red birria ramen, made with noodles cooked in birria consommé, is one of two ramen options at T’s Red Tacos. The other is verde carnitas ramen, with noodles cooked in verde consommé. Both ramens come with onions, cilantro, and salsa.

For families and groups looking to share a dish at T’s, Sharp recommends the loco fries—platters of crispy french fries topped with a blend of melted cheese, cotija cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and the patron’s choice of either birria or carnitas.

Although one of Sharp’s goals in creating T’s was to offer something in Pismo that would stand out among the coastal town’s staple clam chowder and fish-and-chip joints, there’s more than a few options on the menu to please seafood die-hards.

Shrimp and pulpo, or octopus, are prevalent offerings and can be featured in red tacos, puffy rolled tacos, vampiros, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and fries (the

shrimp and octopus fries plate is nearly identical to the loco fries with shredded lettuce and other toppings).

The two oceanic proteins are highlighted in T’s cocktail selection as well. Sharp’s personal favorite of these libations is the pulpo cocktail, made with fresh octopus, clam juice, avocado, cucumber, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and “a dash of heat.”

“They’re all good, but I like the octopus, that’s my favorite,” Sharp said. “I like the texture it brings to your mouth.”

Sharp also loves the texture of T’s vampiros, which he described as similar to tostadas.

“They’re crispy, like a tostada, but not fried,” said Sharp, whose vampiros come with cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, and the customer’s choice of meat, all stacked within two baked corn tortillas.

Through T’s diverse menu and colorful setting, decorated with Day of the Dead sugar skull murals and other art, Sharp aimed for the eatery to feel like a fresh concept while maintaining a down-toearth approachability.

“The idea is it’s supposed to feel good and lighthearted,” Sharp said. “We know you’re probably going to the beach or just here for the day, and that’s [the feeling] we’re targeting; that lightheartedness.” ∆

Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood could use some churros and loco fries right about now. Send comments to cwiseblood@newtimesslo.com.

DILLA OR NO DILLA Alongside its taco selection, T’s Red Tacos also serves quesadillas, burritos, nachos, fries, cocktails, and desserts.

TACO ’BOUT IT Patrons of the red queso tacos at T’s Red Tacos can choose between six protein options: carne asada, birria, carnitas, pollo, shrimp, and pulpo

SEASIDE SPOT Located on Dolliver Street, T’s Real Tacos has both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as on-site complimentary parking, relatively rare compared to many businesses in Pismo Beach.

T-REX T’s Red Tacos in Pismo Beach offers a wide, sizzling selection of Mexican cuisine, including its famous red queso tacos, vampiros, and more.

March

2016

2007

an attorney and you wish to appear for the hearing, you must contact the court. The remote hearing will be confidential. You must not record the hearing, allow others to listen to the hearing, or disclose to others what occurs during the hearing. Participants who violate confidentiality may be subject to criminal and civil sanctions.

3. At the hearing the court will consider the recommendations of the social worker or probation officer.

4. The social worker or probation officer will recommend that your child be freed from your legal custody so that the child may be adopted. If the court follows the recommendation, all of your parental rights to the child will be terminated.

5. You have the right to be present at the hearing, to present evidence, and you have the right to be represented by an attorney. If you do not have an attorney and cannot afford to hire one, the court will appoint an attorney for you.

6. If the court terminates your parental rights, the order may be final.

7. The court will proceed with this hearing whether or not you are present.

Date: February 20, 2024 /s/ Myranda Morales, Deputy Clerk

CITATION FOR PUBLICATION UNDER WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE SECTION 294

ATTORNEY OR PARTY WITHOUT ATTORNEY

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm Street

San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 Juvenile Court

CASE NAME: Adanaliazye RiversRose Estrada

CASE NUMBER: 23JD00294001

1. To: Adan Chavarria Estrada and anyone claiming to be a parent of Adanaliazye Rivers-Rose Estrada born on 10/08/2023 at Salinas Riverbed, Paso Robles, California

2. A hearing will be held on April 24, 2024, at 1:00pm in Dept. 12 located at Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93408.

*This hearing will be held remotely. If you wish to appear by telephone, your attorney in this case must notify the Court on the day of the hearing, prior to the hearing calendar. If you wish to appear in person, notify your attorney in this case. If you do not have an attorney and you wish to appear for the hearing, you must contact the court.

The remote hearing will be confidential. You must not record the hearing, allow others to listen to the hearing, or disclose to others what occurs during the hearing. Participants who violate confidentiality may be subject to criminal and civil sanctions.

3. At the hearing the court will consider the recommendations of the social worker or probation officer.

4. The social worker or probation officer will recommend that your child be freed from your legal custody so that the child may be adopted. If the court follows the recommendation, all of your parental rights to the child will be terminated.

5. You have the right to be present at the hearing, to present evidence, and you have the right to be represented by an attorney. If you do not have an attorney and cannot afford to hire one, the court will appoint an attorney for you.

6. If the court terminates your parental rights, the order may be final.

7. The court will proceed with this hearing whether or not you are present.

Date: February 21, 2024 /s/ Myranda Morales, Deputy Clerk

February 29, March 7, 14, & 21, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT (FILE NO. 2024-0293 (N/A)

NOTICE OF ADOPTION AND SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE

LOS OSOS WATER OFFSET PROGRAM UPDATE (LRP2022-00004)

On February 27, 2024, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 3506, the Los Osos Water Offset Program Update (LRP2022-00004), amending 1) Title 8 of the San Luis Obispo County Code, the Health and Sanitation Ordinance, to change the plumbing retrofit fixture requirements for Los Osos; and 2) Title 19 of the County Code, the Building and Construction Ordinance, to change the plumbing fixture retrofit and water offset requirements for new structures in Los Osos. The amendments include the following sections of the County Code: 1) Section 8.91.020 Definitions, 2) Section 8.91.040 Exemptions, and 3) Section 19.07.042 Water conservation provisions. The Board of Supervisors also adopted a categorical exemption (Class Seven) from CEQA pursuant to Section 15067. The ordinance becomes effective March 29, 2024. The ordinance was adopted and the environmental determination certified by the following roll call to wit:

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

NOES: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAINING: None

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

DATED: March 5, 2024

REBECCA CAMPBELL, Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: /s/ Niki Martin Deputy Clerk

CITY OF GROVER BEACH

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

ASSET MANAGEMENT SERVICES

The City of Grover Beach (City) submits this RFP to solicit a Proposals from qualified firms or individuals (herein referred to as “consultants”) to provide Asset Management Services related to the City’s various utility, roadway, and facility assets.

Proposals will be received until 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, 2024, either in person or by mail to the following address: City of Grover Beach Public Works Department

Attn: Gabriel Munoz-Morris, Senior Engineer 154 South 8th Street Grover Beach, CA 93433

Responders shall provide two (2) complete copies of their proposal and an electronic version on a thumb drive in a sealed envelope or FTP site. Late proposals will not be considered. There will be no formal bid/proposal opening.

Proposers are required to certify non-discrimination in employment practices. Pre-qualification of proposers is not required. All proposers are required to comply with California Laws related to providing consulting services to California Public Agencies and the Grover Beach Municipal Code.

The City reserves the right to reject all submittals, cancel all or a part of this request, waive any minor irregularities and to request additional information from consultants. This RFP does not obligate the City to select a consultant or to award a contract.

Legal Ad Published:

The New Times: Thursdays February 29th & March 7th

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Este aviso contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable, por favor lea el aviso en español si va aquí incluido. Si el aviso en español no va incluido aquí, contacte al sistema de agua para pedir una copia.

City of Pismo Beach has levels of Haloacetic Acids Above Drinking Water Standards

Our water system exceeded the quarterly average MCL of the Haloacetic Acids drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what you should do, what happened, and what we are doing to correct this situation.

We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Testing results we received on February 14, 2024 show that while our system is currently within standards, the quarterly average exceeds the standard, or maximum level (MCL), for Haloacetic Acids. The MCL standard for Haloacetic Acids is 60 ug/L. The average level of Haloacetic Acids over the last year was 67 ug/L.

What should I do?

• You do not need to use an alternative (e.g., bottled) water supply. Water has met the requirement for two quarters.

• This is not a risk. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. However, some people who drink water containing Haloacetic Acids more than the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

• If you have other health issues concerning the consumption of this water, you may wish to consult your doctor.

What happened? What was done?

The City receives most of its water through the Lopez treatment plant and excessive biomass in the lake reacted with the disinfection process causing a high result in the 2nd Quarter of testing causing our annual average to exceed limits. Our water has met and continues to meet the Drinking Water Standards, since that time. We are flushing their water from our lines and turning over water in the reservoirs.

Our water is currently within the requirements set forth by the State Water Resources Control Board, however because the average level of Haloacetic Acid is measured over a fourquarter period we continue to have to notify residents until the unusually high reading is no longer within the four-quarter reporting period. We anticipate that to be within the next three months.

For more information, please contact William Haas (Utilities Manager) at (805) 773-7075 or at the following mailing address: 570 Frady Lane, Pismo Beach, Ca 93449.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

Secondary Notification Requirements

Upon receipt of notification from a person operating a public water system, the following notification must be given within 10 days [per Health and Safety Code Section 116450(g)]:

• SCHOOLS: Must notify school employees, students, and parents (if the students are minors).

• RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS OR MANAGERS (including nursing homes and care facilities): Must notify tenants.

• BUSINESS PROPERTY OWNERS, MANAGERS, OR OPERATORS: Must notify employees of businesses located on the property.

This notice is being sent to you by the City of Pismo Beach Public Works Department.

State Water System ID number: 4010008

Date distributed: March 7, 2024.

1st, direct to use 2023 Leg platform. Motion passes 4-1.

04. Energy update report including DCPP & Offshore Wind. Motion to agendize support 20 yr permitting process of DCPP & reinstate Unitary Tax. Motion passes 3-2.

05. Closed Session. Anticipated Litigation: Significant exposure to litigation - potential cases: 4. Initiation of litigation - potential cases: 3. Pending Litigation: Grant v. State of CA, Co. of SLO, SLO Superior Court, Case No. 19CV-0565; In Re the Matter of Springdale Kennel,

the Health & Sanitation Ordinance (Title 8 of Co. Code) to update the plumbing retrofit fixture requirements for Los Osos; & Building & Construction Ordinance (Title 19 of Co. Code) to update the plumbing fixture retrofit requirements & water offset requirements for new structures in Los Osos based on the new Los Osos Water offset study, approved as amended.

07. A request by A. & M. Joslin for a General Plan Amendment app. (LRP2022-00011) to change the land use category from OP to RMF on an approximately 0.13-acre parcel/site, located at 673 S. Ocean Avenue in Cayucos, in the Estero Planning Area, in the Coastal Zone, approved.

08. Res. 2024-041, upholding the planning commission’s decision to approve vesting parcel map & concurrent development/Coastal dev permit (C-Sub2022-00005 CO 22-0033), approved as amended.

09. Res. 2024-042, upholding the planning commission’s decision to approve vesting parcel map & concurrent development/Coastal dev permit (C-Sub2022-00006 CO 22-0032), approved as amended.

10. Presentation re: FY 2024-25 County & State budgets. Rec’d & filed w/ direction to staff.

11. Board Member Comments & Reports on Meetings: Motion: staff to return for discussion on March 26th with draft res. supporting cont. operation of Oceano Airport & recognize important role in Co. of SLO w/direction to staff. Motion passes 5-0.

MEETING ADJOURNED

For more details, view meeting videos at: https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/ Departments/Administrative-Office/Clerk-of-the-Board/Clerk-of-theBoard-Services/Board-of-Supervisors-Meetings-and-Agendas.aspx Rebecca Campbell, Acting County Administrative Officer & Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: Annette Ramirez, Deputy Clerk of the Board of Supervisors March 7, 2024

NOTICE OF ADOPTION AND SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE

On February 27, 2024, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 3505, establishing, or reaffirming the Planning and Building Cannabis Appeal County fee. The Schedule B Fee amendment becomes effective July 1, 2024. The ordinance was adopted by the following roll call to wit:

AYES: Supervisors Bruce S. Gibson, Dawn Ortiz-Legg and Jimmy Paulding

NOES: Supervisor John Peschong and Chairperson Debbie Arnold

ABSENT: None

ABSTAINING: None

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

DATED: March 5, 2024

REBECCA CAMPBELL, Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: /s/ Niki Martin Deputy Clerk

to allow for the

COUNTY

the County Clerk-Recorder at 3:15 p.m. on the bid opening date at a public meeting at 1055 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, California 93408.

Any bid received at the office of the County Clerk-Recorder of the County of San Luis Obispo at or after 3:00 p.m. on the date specified above will not be accepted and will be returned to the bidder unopened. A bid received one second after 3:00 p.m. (i.e., after 3:00:00 p.m.) shall not be considered.

Bids are required for the entire work described in the Contract Documents.

The Bid package (also referred to herein as the “Contract Documents”) are posted on the County’s Purchasing website: http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/GS/Purchasing/Current_Formal_Bids_ and_Proposals.htm

Any changes, additions, or deletions to these Contract Documents will be in the form of written addenda issued by the County. Any addenda will be posted on the website. Prospective bidders must check the website for addenda or other relevant new information at up to 5:00 p.m. the day before the prescribed date/time for submittal of bids. The County is not responsible for the failure of any prospective bidder to receive such addenda. All addenda so issued shall become a part of this Bid.

All bidders are required to acknowledge and confirm receipt of every addendum in their bid proposal.

All bidder Requests for Information must be submitted no later than 3:00 p.m., 5 business days prior to the bid opening date. Requests submitted after said date may not be considered. All questions pertaining to the content of this invitation to Bid must be made in writing through the Purchasing website. Questions and responses will be posted on the Purchasing website and can be viewed by accessing the Invitation to Bid located at the Purchasing website. The identity of the entity submitting the question will not be posted. The County reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of comments / questions that will be posted on the website.

The bidder must have either a Class A license or a combination of Class C licenses that make up a majority of the work at the time the Contract is awarded (Public Contract Code section 3300). When the bidder holds a combination of Class C

CITY OF ATASCADERO

WEED ABATEMENT & VEGETATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT

The City of Atascadero is accepting proposals from qualified companies to provide weed abatement and vegetation management within the municipal boundaries of Atascadero for two years, with three potential annual extensions for a total of five years.

The deadline to submit proposals is March 14, 2024 at 12:00 P.M.

Proposals received after said time will not be considered. Proposals, consisting of three (3) hard copies, shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “Proposal for Weed Abatement & Vegetation Management Services’, proposer’s business name, and address. A separate fee proposal must also be submitted in a separate sealed envelope plainly marked “Feel Proposal for Weed Abatement & Vegetation Management Services” with proposer’s business name.

Pursuant to Section 1773 of the Labor Code, the general prevailing wage rates in the county, or counties, in which the work is to 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. 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. Bid packages may be downloaded for a fee of $5.00 on the City website, www.atascadero. org or at www.QuestCDN.com using project number eBid #8997109.

Question may be directed to the City of Atascadero at (805) 470-3180 or email karebalo@atascadero.org.

Run

and

The

•

Free Will Astrology

by Rob Brezsny

Homework: What’s one way you wish you were different from who you are? Newsletter.freewillastrology.com

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): “Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow talent to the dark place where it leads.” So wrote Aries author Erica Jong. Is that true? Is it hard to access the fullness of our talents? Must we summon rare courage and explore dark places? Sometimes, yes. To overcome obstacles that interfere with ripening our talents, there may be tough work to do. I suspect the coming weeks and months will be one of those phases for you, Aries. But here’s the good news: I predict you will succeed.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20): In October 1879, Thomas Edison and his research team produced the first electric light bulb that was viable enough to be of practical use. In September 1882, Edison opened the first power plant on the planet, enabling people to light their homes with the new invention. That was a revolutionary advance in a very short time. Dear Taurus, the innovations you have been making and I hope will continue to make are not as monumental as Edison’s. But I suspect they rank high among the best and brightest in your personal life history. Don’t slack off now. There’s more work to be done—interesting, exciting work!

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20): I watched as the Thai snake charmer kissed a poisonous cobra, taming the beast’s danger with her dancing hands. I beheld the paramedic dangle precariously from a helicopter to snag the woman and child stranded on a rooftop during a flood. And in my dream, I witnessed three of my Gemini friends singing a dragon to sleep, enabling them to ramble freely across the bridge the creature had previously forbidden them to traverse.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): The horoscopes you are reading have been syndicated in publications all over the world: the U.S., Italy, France, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Netherlands, Russia, Cambodia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Venezuela, Ireland, and Finland. Yet it has never appeared in a publication in the U.K., where there are more than 52 million people whose first language is English—the same as mine. But I predict that will change in the coming months: I bet a British newspaper or website will finally print Free Will Astrology. I prophesy comparable expansions in your life, too, fellow Cancerian. What new audiences or influences or communities do you want to be part of? Make it happen!

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): Author Jean-Dominique Bauby wrote, “Today it seems to me that my whole life was nothing but a string of small near misses.” If you have endured anything resembling that frustration, Leo, I have good news: The coming months won’t bring you a string of small near misses. Indeed, the number of small near misses will be very few, maybe even zero. Instead, I predict you will gather an array of big, satisfying completions. Life will honor you with bull’s-eyes, direct hits, and master strokes. Here’s the best way you can respond to your good fortune and ensure the arrival of even more good fortune: Share your wealth!

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo advice expert Cheryl Strayed wrote some rather pushy directions I will borrow and use for your horoscope. She and I say, “You will never have my permission to close yourself off to love and give up. Never. You must do everything you can to get what you want and need, to find ‘that type of love.’ It’s there for you.” I especially want you to hear and meditate on this guidance right now, Virgo. Why? Because I believe you are in urgent need of re-dedicating yourself to your heart’s desire. You have a sacred duty to intensify your imagination and deepen your willpower as you define what kind of love and tenderness and togetherness you want most.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author Adam Alter writes, “Perfect success is boring and uninspiring, and abject failure is exhausting and demoralizing. Somewhere between these extremes is a sweet

spot that maximizes long-term progress.” And what is the magic formula? Alter says it’s when you make mistakes an average of 16 percent of the time and are successful 84 percent. Mistakes can be good because they help you learn and grow. Judging from your current astrological omens, Libra, I’m guessing you’re in a phase when your mistake rate is higher than usual—about 30 percent. (Though you’re still 70 percent successful!) That means you are experiencing expanded opportunities to learn all you can from studying what doesn’t work well. (Adam Alter’s book is Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most.)

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Sometimes you Scorpios are indeed secretive, as traditional astrologers assert. You understand that knowledge is power, and you build your potency by gathering information other people don’t have the savvy or resources to access. But it’s also true that you may appear to be secretive when in fact you have simply perceived and intuited more than everyone else wants to know. They might be overwhelmed by the deep, rich intelligence you have acquired—and would actually prefer to be ignorant of it. So you’re basically hiding stuff they want you to hide. Anyway, Scorpio, I suspect now is a time when you are loading up even more than usual with juicy gossip, inside scoops, tantalizing mysteries, taboo news, and practical wisdom that few others would be capable of managing. Please use your superpowers with kindness and wisdom.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Here’s a little-known fact about me: I am the priest, wizard, rabbi, and pope of Parish No. 31025 in the Universal Life Church. One of my privileges in this role is to perform legal marriages. It has been a few years since I presided over anyone’s wedding, but I am coming out of semi-retirement to consecrate an unprecedented union. It’s between two aspects of yourself that have not been blended but should be blended. Do you know what I’m referring to? Before you read further, please identify these two aspects. Ready? I now pronounce you husband and wife, or husband and husband, or wife and wife, or spouse and spouse—or whatever you want to be pronounced.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “You don’t have to suffer to be a poet,” said poet John Ciardi. “Adolescence is enough suffering for anyone.” I will add that adolescence is enough suffering for everyone even if they’re not a poet. For most of us, our teenage years brought us streams of angst, self-doubt, confusion, and fear—sufficient to last a lifetime. That’s the bad news, Capricorn. The good news is that the coming months will be one of the best times ever for you to heal the wounds left over from your adolescence. You may not be able to get a total cure, but 65 percent is very possible. Seventy-five percent isn’t out of the question. Get started!

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A psychic once predicted that I would win a Grammy award for my music. She said my dad and mom would be in the audience, smiling proudly. Well, my dad died four years ago, and I haven’t produced a new album of songs for over 10 years. So that Grammy prophecy is looking less and less likely. I should probably give up hope that it will come to pass. What about you, Aquarius? Is there any dream or fantasy you should consider abandoning? The coming weeks would be a good time to do so. It could open your mind and heart to a bright future possibility now hovering on the horizon.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20): I invite you to entertain the following theory: Certain environments, companions, and influences enhance your intelligence, health, and ability to love—while others either do the opposite or have a neutral effect. If that’s true, it makes good sense for you to put yourself in the presence of environments, companions, and influences that enhance you. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to test this theory. I hope you will do extensive research and then initiate changes that implement your findings. ∆