Sun, May 9, 2024

Residents raise traffic concerns after county rezones several Orcutt sites [6]

BY TAYLOR O’CONNOR

Fall Guy is actioncomedy gold [20]

Zeroing in

DreamHome

Orcutt’s on the verge of growth, and residents are concerned about traffic, a lack of infrastructure, and other limitations in their small community. During a May 3 special meeting to finalize the county’s Housing Element, the Board of Supervisors not only met but exceeded the state’s housing requirements for North County, which entailed rezoning seven sites in Orcutt. Key Site 11 is among those areas prepped to accommodate a mix of commercial and residential buildings—a designation one Orcutt family has fought for more than 15 years. Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor speaks with the county and local residents on the issue [6]. You can also read about the SLO County supervisors’ approval of Nipomo’s Dana Reserve development [4]; soulful artwork at Gallery Los Olivos [18]; and Purposeful olive oil’s partnership with the Righetti High FFA program [21]

SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS TO THOUSANDS, REPRESENTING THE CENTRAL COAST REGION

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Alzheimer’s Association

Astound Business Solutions powered by

West

Avila Bay Athletic Club & Spa

Better Business Bureau of the Tri-Counties

Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast

Butlerz Event Rentals

Caribbean Love LLC

Central Coast Brewing

Central Coast Veteran’s Memorial Museum

CIO Solutions

City of San Luis Obispo

City Wide Facility Solutions

Coastal Communities Physician Network

CoastHills Federal Credit Union

Community Action Partnership

Community Home Health

Costco

County of San Luis Obispo

Cuesta College Damsel in Defense

Diversity Coalition SLO County

Drop Water

ECHO sponsored by Photon Brothers Eckerd Connects

Educational Employees Credit Union

Eighty20 Group

Elite Virtual Assistant

Epic Entertainment Foundation for the Performing Arts Center

Genoa Visual Group

Glenn Burdette

Goodwill Central Coast

Greenpoint Psychotherapy Hellahot

Home Matters Caregiving

Hospice of San Luis Obispo County

HOTWORX SLO

House of Bread at Farmhouse

Housing Authority San Luis Obispo (HASLO)

Insperity

Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards

Launch and Ladder Pub

Libertine Brewing Company

Lumina Alliance (formerly RISE & Stand Strong)

Luttrell Staffing Group

KSBY-TV

Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates

Mechanics Bank - Broad Street

Mercedes-Benz of San Luis Obispo

MGP Coatings

Miller Event Management

Monarch Primary Care

Monde Public Relations

Murphy Bank

NAACP San Luis Obispo County

New Life K9s

New Times

Obispo Hyperbarics

ONX Wines & Vineyards

Orangetheory Fitness San Luis Obispo

Pacific Hotels

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Party Scene

Paso Robles Safe & Lock

PathPoint

Photon Brothers

Poor Richard’s Press

Popolo Catering

Promotional Concepts

RKM Real Estate Group

Roof Maxx

San Luis Obispo Legal

Assistance Foundation

Senior Care Authority

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SLO4Home

SLO Blues Baseball

SLO Council of Governments/SLO Regional Rideshare

SLO Food Co-op

SLO Piercing

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Spectrum Reach (Charter Media)

St. Andrew The Apostle Greek

Orthodox Church

Starphyre Digital Security Services

Tachi Palace Casino Resort

Templeton Glass

The Law Offices of Daniel J. Knight, APLC

The Management Trust – Goetz Manderley

The Monday Club

The Tribune and sanluisobispo.com

The Villages of San Luis Obispo

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company

Tri-County Office Furniture, Inc.

Truly Gifted

UCLA Health

United Staffing Associates

United Way of SLO

Exhibitors as of April 26, 2024

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse joined Santa Barbara Harbor officials to survey the semiannual dredging at Santa Barbara Harbor and discuss how more than $3 million secured in the 2024 federal funding deal will help ensure safe navigation for Santa Barbara’s maritime industry, recreational boaters, and maintain its public beaches, according to an April 24 statement from Carbajal’s office. The funding signed into law in March by President Joe Biden contained more than $26 million specifically for upkeep of Central Coast harbors and ports. “Santa Barbara Harbor is a cornerstone of not only our slice of paradise but also the economy that sustains our community. Whether it’s families enjoying a weekend on the water or local fishermen bringing in their catches, maintaining navigable channels and a functioning waterfront is vital for our region,” Carbajal said in the statement. “I’m proud to have secured these critical funds for the Central Coast during this year’s budget negotiations, and I remain committed to working closely with Santa Barbara and Army Corps officials to address challenges posed by climate change and other threats, ensuring our harbors and ports thrive despite evolving conditions.”

• U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-California) introduced the Next Step Home Act, a piece of legislation aimed at restoring voting rights for individuals with felony convictions who have been released under the First Step Act and successfully reentered society, according to an April 30 statement from Butler’s office. “The Next Step Home Act will complete the process of returning home by restoring the right most fundamental to our citizenry—the right to vote,” Butler said. “With this bill, I seek to stop perpetuating destructive cycles of exclusion and marginalization and instead embrace justice and the belief that every person is worth redemption.” Under the First Step Act, recidivism rates among its beneficiaries is 12.4 percent, and the legislation has helped reduce the population in overcrowded prisons by at least 30,000 people, the statement said, adding that more needs to be done to enact humane reforms to the nation’s criminal justice system. Currently, 4.6 million Americans don’t get to vote in federal elections due to felony convictions. By extending the power of the vote to individuals who have demonstrated a genuine commitment to reentry and including them in our political process, Laphonza said, we advance our nation’s democratic principles of a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

• Two national monument expansions announced by President Joe Biden on May 2 are supporting California’s work to conserve more lands and coastal waters, according to a May 2 statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument near Napa and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in Los Angeles will both increase in size, protecting more of California’s unique biodiversity and culturally significant Native American tribal lands, Newsom said. The expansions also help provide greater access to the outdoors to underserved communities. Biden’s announcement expands protected lands in California by 130,000 acres. This federal expansion gets California closer to its 30-by30 goal—conserving 30 percent of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. The state now stands at 24.5 percent of lands conserved. m

MOVING FORWARD: In late April, the SLO County Board of Supervisors approved the Dana Reserve development in Nipomo—despite continued protest over its environmental impact—which would create more than 1,300 homes with parks, trails, open space, a grocery store, day care center, and more.

SLO County supervisors approve contested Dana Reserve development in Nipomo

The Dana Reserve is one of the bigger controversial development issues San Luis Obispo County’s seen in recent years, with a divided community waiting anxiously for months to hear whether the SLO County Board of Supervisors would approve it. In late April, it did with a 3-2 vote.

During a two-day meeting on April 23 and 24, the supervisors heard specifics about the county’s biggest housing development in 25 years, including from project developer Nick Tompkins.

“Everyone talks about a housing crisis, but it’s not just here in the Central Coast in the state of California but across the country, and although that housing crisis exists all over and it may be especially acute here, creating meaningful, tangible, and deliverable solutions to that is really tough,” Tompkins said.

“In 2020, when we first submitted the Dana Reserve to the county, People’s Self-Help had approximately 12,000 people in the waiting list for housing families, not people. Now that number has grown to 14,555 and spread over three counties,” he continued, “but as of this morning, 9,434 of those families are in San Luis Obispo County alone.”

The project plans to build 1,370 residential units, with 156 being deed restricted to very lowand low-income affordable housing, according to the staff report.

Tompkins’ declaration to house those in need on the Central Coast hit 3rd District Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg hard as she said she’ll be voting in favor of the Dana Reserve.

“We don’t have houses for a lot of people, and I’m really just flabbergasted,” she said.

“The Central Coast is facing an enormous housing demand and built relatively little, even accounting for public lands, lands subjected to conservation easement, and lands at risk for wildfires. So, no matter what, we’re in the category for some of the worst counties in regard to building homes.”

Longtime Nipomo resident Janine Ariey said she agrees with Ortiz-Legg and wholeheartedly supports this project.

“We have a developer finding ways to make it work for all income levels, while still providing a down payment assistance fund donating multiple sites for community benefits including a fire station, a day care center, and a college campus,” she said during public comment. “The Dana Reserve is a win-win.”

The Dana Reserve, which would take roughly a decade to build out, plans to use 22 acres for commercial development, including retail stores, a grocery store, and other services, such as a South County Cuesta College campus.

First District Supervisor John Peschong and 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold also voted in favor of the Dana Reserve while 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson and 4th District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding voted against it.

“I’d like to see a review of the feasibility of a project that’s modified in the following way,” Gibson said. “That has to do with the significant strip of oak woodland or oak forest, I suppose it’s called because of its canopy. That has been the topic of so much conversation. I’m not talking about reevaluating the community; I think that I’m willing to look at something in between what the community plan has to offer and the proposed project.”

To develop the Dana Reserve, Tompkins plans to cut down 3,094 oak trees, Burton Mesa chaparral habitat, and other nonnative grasslands. Many SLO County community members have expressed that this housing project is not worth the environmental impact.

Forty-three-year Nipomo resident Susan Duram said the loss of native environment and the increase of traffic along U.S. 101 will be detrimental for South County.

“Our traffic is already very heavy at times with two cars per home, and adding 2,800 more cars with just the Dana Reserve and 1,000 cars from the homes that will be built on the west side of Nipomo will be adding more than 4,000 cars driving into a town that doesn’t have the infrastructure or room for them,” she said during public comment. “This means additional freeway congestion, backed up traffic on the on and off ramps, and an increase in possible traffic accidents.”

—Samantha Herrera

County Planning Commission expresses concern about moving climate goals

The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission unanimously approved new greenhouse gas emissions thresholds in the county’s Energy Element to meet its Climate Action Plan goals. However, several commissioners shared concerns about frequently changing the metrics.

The 2030 Climate Action Plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent below 2018 levels by 2030—a change from the county’s previous goal of a 50 percent emissions reduction from 2007 levels. The changes also modify the county’s 2015 Energy and Climate Plan.

According to the county, the plan exists to help the community reduce its emissions and become more resilient in the face of the effects of climate change.

“The Thomas Fire and the debris flow event in Montecito brought into sharp focus that climate change—once a distant and abstract concept—

has local impacts,” the Climate Action Plan reads.

“The Thomas Fire was considered the largest wildfire in California’s history at the time. Six years later, it now ranks only as the eighth largest. That fact underlines the need to take aggressive action to reduce GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions while increasing community resilience and preparedness, sooner rather than later.”

The changes before the Planning Commission during its May 3 meeting included two parts: a change in the greenhouse gas emissions thresholds for projects going through the planning process and adding a checklist to make a more streamlined environmental review and approval process, Long Range Planner Ben Singer told the commissioners.

“CEQA [California Environmental Quality Act] allows and encourages jurisdictions to adopt thresholds because they make the analysis much easier,” Singer said.

The interim greenhouse gas emissions threshold sits at 3.8 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per employee or resident of a project. The new thresholds now vary between project types and lower the levels overall—with 2.68 metric tons per resident in residential projects, 2.63 metric tons per employee in a commercial project, and 2.67 metric tons per service population in a mixed-use project that includes residential and commercial.

“If emissions are less than the thresholds, it’s assumed to have less than a significant impact and we don’t need to do analysis. We need to apply mitigation measures if a project exceeds the thresholds,” Singer said.

While the adjusted thresholds are lower than the interim 3.8 metric-ton threshold, Santa Barbara County still has a stricter, more challenging goal than the state—which mandates that jurisdictions adopt greenhouse gas reduction strategies, he said.

“The state was the catalyst, but the board [of supervisors] has taken it above and beyond as part of our county One Climate Initiative,” 4th District Commissioner Roy Reed said.

Several members of the public have “felt puzzlement” regarding the changing baseline of the county’s emissions goals, Reed said, comparing the changes to playing in a football game while the scrimmage line, goal posts, and field’s length repeatedly changes.

County staff responded to Reed’s concerns by saying that the Board of Supervisors had already approved the greenhouse gas emissions goal—it was up to the Planning Commission to adopt the language changes.

“This is perhaps an imperfect but necessary action to approve this,” Reed said. “Since it does influence all people in the county, it would benefit [from] more public education and outreach. The website materials, when you know where the website is, I think is excellent, but I think most of the public is … unaware of the resources and reasoning behind these actions.”

Both 1st District Commissioner C. Michael Cooney and 5th District Commissioner Vincent Martinez agreed with Reed, adding that more public engagement would be beneficial since it impacts their lives.

“I am not a big fan of moving the goal,” Martinez said, “and I’m concerned about the feasibility of when you move the goal or any effort to address that.”

—Taylor O’Connor

Solvang planners scrutinize ‘ancient’ land use definitions, propose new zoning district

When it comes to land use, Solvang’s timehonored rules are full of “head-scratchers,” Planning Manager Rafael Castillo told the Planning Commission at its May 6 meeting.

“The adopted zoning ordinance has remained

virtually the same since its adoption in 1990,” Castillo said. “It’s ancient. I hate to say that. … The farm has not been tended when it comes to this stuff.”

To illustrate the need for a revamp of Solvang’s land use definitions, Castillo pulled examples from the city’s existing laws at the meeting.

“If you want to put up a hospital in a residential zone, our code—as it stands today— lets you do it with a CUP [conditional use permit],” Castillo said. “So, what that tells us, [as] city staff, is I can come in with an application and … pay the piper $4,000 for a CUP. … ‘Here’s your check. Have at it. Go process it.’”

Castillo added that heliports, zoos, and other anomalies for residential areas are equally feasible on paper.

“We don’t want these types of uses in our primarily residential zones. I don’t think that’s ever been envisioned,” Castillo said. “Sometimes it’s OK to say no. It’s OK to say a residential zone needs to be residential and should not host a polo ground, or a worm farm … or a sanitorium, or a cemetery, or a mausoleum.”

In preparation for Solvang’s next general plan update, expected to be adopted in July, planning staff reviewed the city’s existing code and identified areas for potential amendments to land use definitions and zoning designations.

Among staff’s recommendations are ways to consolidate some zones that are similar in nature and the proposal to create a new zone, referred to as “ag tourist,” to account for areas suitable for both agricultural and hospitality features.

Staff recommended that the city’s current “guest ranch” designation be consolidated into the ag tourist zone, if implemented.

During public comment at the Planning Commission’s May 6 meeting, Steve Fort, senior planner at Suzanne Elledge Planning and

Permitting, spoke about one of the firm’s clients, Alisal Ranch, which is currently designated as “guest ranch.”

“We just want to make sure on behalf of Alisal that it definitely does indeed capture not only the hospitality aspect of the land use but also the various agricultural related aspects of the land use—the equestrian uses, husbandryrelated, and ag structures that go along with that,” Fort said.

Castillo said the new ag tourist zone, if established, will be formatted with Alisal Ranch’s existing operations in mind. Staff will return to the Planning Commission sometime within the next six months with a formal proposal on the discussed zoning and land use amendments.

“There’s a ‘guest ranch’ definition in our zoning code today, but it’s not defined,” Castillo said. “So we figured we’d define it. [Ag tourist] will capture the things on there as well as allow for the continuation of grazing, ag culture operations, and understand that there is a hotel component … a lodging component.

“These are just potential amendments,” Castillo added. “Nothing’s been set in stone.”

—Caleb Wiseblood

Clarification

Santa Maria Speedway General Manager and Event Director David Castaneda told the Sun after the paper went to press (“Off to the races,” May 2) that races have been postponed due to logistical issues, and the speedway is holding an open practice on May 11 from 4 to 9 p.m. instead. Residents can come and watch people practice, but no concessions will be available, and it’s $40 per person for a pit pass. The speedway’s first race will be the two-day gokart race over Memorial Day Weekend, and the regular schedule will resume on June 15. m

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Housing headway

County supervisors approve rezoned sites in largest Housing Element in history, with several sites identified in Orcutt

BY TAYLOR O’CONNOR

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors closed the yearslong Housing Element process by rezoning several sites to make way for the needed units.

“This wasn’t something that happened overnight; this was two, three years in the making,” 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson told the Sun on May 2 . “I want to make sure that our community has a balanced approach to this, and that’s what I’m going to be advocating for.”

Summer Guide

The California Department of Housing and Community Development requires local jurisdictions to look at housing needs every eight years to identify space to develop new housing units. This cycle, which ranges from 2023 until 2031, requires Santa Barbara County to build 5,664 units in its unincorporated areas by the end of the cycle to meet the county’s housing needs—a requirement that’s nearly 10 times larger than the previous cycle’s 661-unit allocation.

North County must develop 1,522 new units, with 807 low- and very-low income units, 229 moderate income units, and 486 abovemoderate units, according to previous Sun reporting. To ensure there’s ample space for housing development, the Board of Supervisors rezoned 10 out of 18 identified sites in North County, with Orcutt seeing seven of the rezones alongside one site in Santa Ynez, one in Cuyama, and a pending project Vandenberg Village.

The board’s unanimous decision during the May 3 special meeting—following a preliminary meeting on April 30—exceeded the state requirements for the North County plus a 15 percent buffer by nearly 200 units, according to Santa Barbara County. While several Orcutt residents shared their thoughts and support for more affordable housing, they also highlighted concerns of increased traffic, losing open space, and a lack of infrastructure that could negatively impact the unincorporated community, as more than 1,000 units are scheduled to come online in the Union Valley Parkway corridor.

Nelson, whose district includes Orcutt, told the Sun that he understands his constituents’ concerns, but he believes that it’s important to act now and develop under current requirements and support projects that include commercial, retail, or other elements that could further support the community.

“If you want to see that density lower, you might want to do it now,” he said. “When we first did this, we thought 20 units per acre was crazy. Now we’re at 40 units per acre. At least it gets developed and there’s not the risk of it being a denser property in the future.”

Having more options on the table allows the county to use a “scalpel” rather than a “sledgehammer” with its selection process and approve projects that brought forth better benefits like commercial development or open spaces alongside housing, Nelson said during the April 30 meeting. However, he said he felt disappointed as more rezones got approved with projects he thought needed a greater vetting process.

“I’m ready to do those, but the projects need to fit,” Nelson told his colleagues during the April 30 meeting. “We don’t want to overwhelm the system by just doing it because we’re cramming it in. We no longer need to do it to satisfy the state.”

Ryan Schwab, an Orcutt resident and president of local nonprofit the Tree Amigos of Orcutt, told the Sun that he was disappointed in seeing the sweeping changes to his hometown, particularly for Key Site 11—one of the approved Orcutt sites. Key Site 11 sits south of Clark Avenue and east of Orcutt Road and was proposed for 100 residential units and 57 mixeduse units, according to the staff report.

“We were quite shocked when … Key Site 11 was introduced in being a part of the Housing Element,” Schwab said.

The Tree Amigos began in 2007 when Schwab’s two daughters advocated to protect the site as an open space when there were plans to make it a multi-use parcel, Schwab said. His daughters later formed a nonprofit and attempted to purchase the land to make a commemorative tree grove. While the owner declined their offers twice, they received letters of support from 1st District Supervisor Das Williams, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Ventura and Santa Barbara Sierra Club chapters, and the Environmental Defense Center to keep Key Site 11 an open space.

“The girls essentially protected the open space for the community for the last 17 years,” he said.

Key Site 11 is still an open space, but it’s zoned for commercial use along Clark Avenue and is owned by the Splash n’ Dash Carwash owners.

Adding the mixed-use commercial and

residential project to the community could be dangerous because of the increased congestion, Schwab said.

“We’ve not only seen traffic back up from Clark to Bethany [Lane], we’ve seen it at times back up past the borders of Key Site 11,” he said. In 2007, Schwab’s daughters proved that a 33unit mixed-use development could not be built on Key Site 11, which was before the car wash was added and additional neighborhoods like Rice Ranch were built, he said. The Tree Amigos’ concern this time around is the exemptions that the Housing Element makes for traffic and environmental concerns in order to pave the way for the needed housing.

Jacob Weintraub, who represented the Key Site 11 owners at the April 30 meeting, told the supervisors that this site is the prime example of what the county is looking for when it comes to rezones. Located on the Highway 135 corridor 2 miles away from the 101, it’s near two bus stops on two separate lines and is close to grocery stores and parks. The planned Orcutt Creek Trail will act as a buffer to the adjacent residential area.

“We don’t want to develop an apartment island effect where residents are forced to drive for every out-of-home need. Incorporating a small retail hub into the multifamily project affords residents a walkable public space to conveniently grab essentials and allow neighbors to enjoy food and services without concern about parking immediately in front of businesses,” he said. “Placemakeing offers community engagement, social interaction, … a sense of place, accessibility, and inclusivity.”

The developers worked with an all-local team that lives and works in the Orcutt area to make sure that the project meets the community’s needs. Weintraub added that his team is working with the city of Santa Maria to ensure that the site receives water for its commercial use.

“We plan to involve residents, businesses, and other stakeholders in the placemaking process to ensure the streets and public spaces reflect the needs and preferences of the community,” he said.

Chris Sneddon, Santa Barbara County’s public works director, told the supervisors during the May 3 meeting that the transportation team’s mission is to “provide a smooth ride and level of transit,” but also understand the challenges of what needs to be put in the Housing Element.

The county will analyze traffic and transit further in its upcoming Circulation Element, where the board can better understand the impacts of increased housing. m

ORCUTT CONCERNS: With several rezone sites identified in Orcutt for the county’s 2023-31 Housing Element, many residents are concerned about increased the traffic and congestion that would come with additional residential units in the area.

Planting seeds

Residents can check out seeds through Lompoc Village Library’s new seed library program

BY TAYLOR O’CONNOR

Lompoc Village Library Manager Sierra Foster started a seed library at her branch after noticing several residents checking out gardening and landscaping books.

“Since we are in a small town, there isn’t a lot of things to do, so I wanted to give people some hobbies to do,” Foster said. “I wanted to support those interests and help people start a new hobby like gardening.”

Seed libraries allow residents to “check out” seeds they can take home and plant in their own garden beds, she said. Once the plants have grown, residents are asked to harvest and preserve the seeds and bring them to the library to keep the program going. The Village branch will also accept store-bought seeds as donations.

“Right now, we have tons—herbs, lettuce, peppers, beans, tomatoes, flowers. Pretty much anything you think would go into a garden,” Foster said. “The goal is to have this run yearround. Since we’re in California, you can plant seeds most times of the year and have success unless it’s freezing outside.”

Foster began researching seed libraries by looking into costs and what it would take to establish this program, she said. The Village Branch Library received seed donations from the Lompoc Botanical Society, the Rotary Club, and the High Mowing Seeds Club—a nonprofit that offers seed donations to nonprofits and schools. Foster added that she harvested additional seeds from the Lompoc Community Garden.

“There’s been a lot of interest lately to grow your own food since food prices have gone up so much and ingredient lists have gotten longer. I’ve just noticed more people getting interested in gardening because of those things,” Foster said. “I’ve noticed people I know personally garden and control what food they are consuming, and I thought the library would be a great place to support that.”

While the library is only providing the seeds at this time, Foster said that she hopes to provide workshops to teach people how to harvest seeds that they can bring back to the library.

“We also run a book club, and I run a story time. We are always looking to support other hobbies and interests—usually with books but in this case it’s with seeds,” she said. “The library is so important; it provides access to everyone. It doesn’t matter what class you’re in.” Foster used to grow her own vegetables but now tends to a flower garden, she said, adding that she enjoys being able to watch something sprout “as you nurture it.”

“I just want people to get outside. I hope it will inspire them to learn something new while learning about nature, health, and nutrition,” she said. “I feel like so many of us are cooped up inside these days and if I can inspire somebody to start something at no cost, I think that’s really great and important.”

Highlights:

• Pacific Pride Foundation announced a new series of seven free informational webinar sessions designed to raise awareness about issues and topics surrounding the LGBTQ-plus community. Topics include understanding gender identity and pronoun usage, understanding sexual orientation (sexuality), and learning how to support and be an ally to the LGBTQ-plus community. Residents can register for the May 13 webinar: Understanding Gender and Pronouns, which is a one-hour training session that will allow attendees to understand the differences between sexual orientation, assigned sex at birth, gender identity, and gender expression. It will also give an overview of what pronouns are, how to use them, and how to be an ally to the transgender and nonbinary community. Visit pacificpridefoundation.org for more information.

• The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department invites residents 50 or older to attend the Boots and Bling Social on May 31 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Elwin Mussell Senior Center (510 East Park Ave.). During the event, a special Western dance performance will be presented by Line Dancing is Fun class members and will feature a guest singer. After the performance, guests will be invited to “dust off their boots” and join in the fun. No experience is necessary, both new and experienced dancers are welcome, no partners are required for line dances, and Western attire is encouraged. The Line Dancing is Fun class is offered in partnership with the People for Leisure and Youth Inc. (PLAY Inc.). The drop-in class is held each Monday and Wednesday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Mussell Center. The event is free, but a $5 donation for Play Inc. is suggested at the door. Complete the required advanced registration at www.cityofsantamaria.org/ register. m

Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at toconnor@ santamariasun.com.

SEEDS AND BOOKS: The Lompoc Village Library launched a new seed library where residents can pick out up to five packets of seeds a day and plant flowers, fruits or vegetables at home.

How do you feel about the Santa Maria Speedway reopening?

66% It’s great that local racers will return to the Central Coast track.

17% I’m so excited and can’t wait to go this summer!

17% Ugh. I can already hear the noise and see the traffic.

0% I’ll feel better once I see it last a few more years.

The right to assemble

Peaceful student demonstrations shouldn’t be disrupted by the university or police

BY GALE MCNEELEY

American college students should not be forced to give up their constitutional rights to free speech, to peacefully assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

That is what is happening today on college campuses across the country.

4 Votes

Vote online at www.santamariasun.com.

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It began when protesters set up tents on the South Lawn of Columbia University and flew Palestinian flags. They held demonstrations in which they denounced the “genocide” in Gaza. Now students at dozens of universities have joined the protest.

In response to this demonstration of free speech, America’s universities have called local police onto their campuses to arrest all who will not shut up and leave. Law enforcement has used tear gas, rubber bullets, and physical force to remove peaceful demonstrators.

Watch demonstration footage, and you will see students drumming and chanting. Then you will see police in riot gear hell-bent on removing every protester from the campus. The police are violent, not the protesters. The police put students in danger. They do not protect anyone from harm.

These videos show police mistreating students and representatives of the press by throwing them to the ground and pinning them to trees.

We need reliable voting

To save our United States, we must vote in the 2024 elections at all levels, from city council to president. There was the primary election on March 5 and the general election on Nov. 5. But how will we vote? The last election in 2020 was a crazy-quilt example of irregularities.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, to keep voters safe at home, voting was done by mail-in ballots. Hundreds of thousands of ballots were mailed and millions

At Emory University in Georgia, you see an older female professor thrown brutally to the ground for asking the police, “What are you doing?” In Bloomington, Indiana, you can see snipers on the roofs overlooking the demonstrators. And now our speaker of the house has suggested we send in the National Guard.

This takes me back to 1970 at Kent State University in Ohio, where I was a graduate student. There were snipers on the roofs of buildings the day that the Ohio National Guard fired on unarmed protesters and killed four innocent students. Kent State students were protesting America’s bombings in Cambodia. Today’s students are protesting Israel’s indiscriminate bombings of civilians in Gaza.

The Constitution gives students the right to protest and petition the university to disinvest in companies that profit from the war in Gaza. The Constitution does not give universities the right to silence that protest. Today’s students have the right to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. This does not make them anti-Semitic.

Now, Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed America to crack down on the “anti-Semitic mobs that are taking over leading universities.”

There are no anti-Semitic mobs on American university campuses. At Columbia, students of all

of dollars were spent to open them and check the signatures, and weeks were taken to read them and report the vote.

To keep ballots safe from being stolen from postal boxes, new steel, armored boxes were built and placed for deposit of the mail-in ballots. Thirty boxes were placed around Santa Barbara County, costing millions of dollars and were still in place for the next election. The number of traditional polling places were reduced, and the qualification to get a ballot at the polls was minimal.

WRITE NOW! We want to know what you think about everything. Send your 250-word letter to Sun Letters, 801 S Broadway Suite 3, Santa Maria, CA 93454. You can also fax it (1-805-546-8641) or e-mail it (letters@santamariasun.com). All letters must include a name, address, and phone number for verification purposes; may be edited for space or clarity; and will be posted to santamariasun.com.

races and religions camped out on the college lawn to get the school’s leaders to take them seriously.

In an interview with Glen Greenwald, two of the group’s leaders, Jon Ben-Menachem and Mohammad Hemeida, stated clearly that there is no anti-Semitism exhibited at their camp. Hemeida said he had never felt so connected with Jews, Muslim, Blacks, and Latinos as he does today. Ben-Menachem states that Jewish students are an important part of protests on each campus. They both agree that claims that protesters are pro-Hamas and anti-Semitic are perpetrated by pro-Israel groups to discredit them.

These brave men maintain that their protest is less about free speech and more about Columbia’s investments in Israel. They want Columbia to disclose all of its investments, divest from Israel, and offer amnesty to the students and teachers who are being punished for speaking out for the Palestinians.

We must not let free speech die on college campuses. It’s time for us to speak up, too. m

Gale McNeeley writes to the Sun from Santa Maria. Send a response for publication to letters@santamariasun.com.

Now the pandemic is over and things look a lot better, but the state government liked this arrangement and has decided to keep it by incorporating mail-in ballots into state law, i.e., the Voters Choice Act, 3000.5 in the state code. Now all elections will be held using mail-in ballots.

The state has also set up a special fund to pay for all this added expense needed for mail-in ballots called “the voting system replacement grant.” Our tax dollars. The county must mail 238,661 mail-in ballots for each election, plus the county information guide and sample ballot booklet, or 715,983 pieces of mail for each election.

Vote by mail is more expensive and takes longer to report results—and is subject to ballot harvesting and theft—than are the venerable local polling precincts. A large number of mail ballots are out of date due to delays in reviewing county voter registration lists. So millions are wasted on dead ballots. Voting by mail does not increase voter turnout as shown by the last election on March 5 where 100,160 votes were cast or 41.56 percent of the 238,661 registered voters.

And there are fewer precincts now to make it more difficult to vote in person. What happened to the 138,500 mail-in ballots not used? At the precinct polls you sign next to your name in the book and your ballot is ready to be counted when you drop it in the box. No 30 remote drop boxes are needed.

The voting system has been watered down. Reliable voting is what voting is all about. Voters have doubts, so low turnouts.

For better results: 1. You Must ID yourself and show that you are the one voting, your real ID. 2. You must appear at the precinct to vote unless you have requested an absentee ballot before vote day. 3. You must sign your name on the voter logbook, not on a wobbly computer screen, so your signature can be verified if necessary. 4. There must be voting only on vote day, between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. 5. Require update of registration files every two years.

Justin M. Ruhge Lompoc

Orcutt, don’t act so surprised. The county’s had its eye on your lovely open spaces for a while now, and all the Board of Supervisors did on May 3 was to approve what’s already been in the works.

That’s part of the message from 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson as the supes were about to approve the county Housing Element, which will satisfy the state till 2031.

“This wasn’t something that happened overnight; this was two, three years in the making,” Nelson told the Sun. “I want to make sure that our community has a balanced approach to this.”

The county approved the rezoning of 10 sites in North County, out of a proposed 18. Seven of those sites are in Orcutt, including Key Site 11, one is in Santa Ynez, one in Cuyama, and the final one is a pending project in Vandenberg Village. This process is something the state makes counties do every eight years—Santa Barbara County’s newly approved Housing Element spans 2023-31— to accommodate the growing population.

While these changes are solely on paper for now, the Orcutt community is already envisioning the inevitable impacts of seven residential and mixed-use development sites throughout the area. Especially as more than 1,000 units are slated for along the Union Valley Parkway corridor alone.

And the aforementioned Key Site 11, which sits south of Clark Avenue and east of Orcutt Road, is zoned to accommodate 100 residential units and 57 mixed-use units. Resident Ryan Schwab, the current president of the Tree Amigos of Orcutt, said that he was “shocked” when he learned that Key Site 11 was part of the Housing Element.

“We’ve not only seen traffic back up from Clark to Bethany [Lane], we’ve seen it at times back up past the borders of Key Site 11,” he said. His family has been fighting to keep that site free from development since 2007, when his daughters advocated to protect it. Despite getting support from various organizations, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Environmental Defense Center, and twice offering to buy the lot, it remains designated for development.

It’s not a total loss—the Schwab family has brought awareness and protection for a long season.

“The girls essentially protected the open space for the last 17 years,” Schwab said.

News Wire

Besides, the development still may not actually see the light of day.

In the meantime, the county’s got to comply with the state. And in the pragmatic words of your supervisor, Orcutt, if you want a bit of control over the situation, you’ll want to actually act now.

“If you want to see that density lower, you might want to do it now. When we first did this, we thought 20 units per acre was crazy. Now we’re at 40 units per acre,” Nelson said. “At least it gets developed and there’s not the risk of it being a denser property in the future.”

Seven years from now, when the state’s got even more people to find housing for, any of those undeveloped spaces might be forced to hold even more units. Sixty units per acre? Eighty?

Take a page from our neighbors to the north and plan now while the planning’s good.

In Nipomo, the housing/environment giveand-take has been on full display with the Dana Reserve development, which the SLO County Board of Supervisors approved at the end of April. As communities, we want to see our open space preserved, sure, but how do we accommodate housing needs? That sweet spot must be found. m

Hot Stuff

ARTS

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

BALLROOM, LATIN, AND SWING DANCE

CLASSES Social ballroom, Latin, and swing lessons for all ages. Beginner and advance classes. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. $45-$55. 805-928-7799. Kleindancesarts.com. KleinDance Arts, 3558 Skyway Drive, suite A, Santa Maria.

DANCE CLASSES: EVERYBODY CAN

DANCE Classes available for all skill levels. Class sizes limited. ongoing Everybody Can Dance, 628 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria, 805-937-6753, everybodycandance.webs.com/.

FEATURED ARTIST: LINDA NELSON

Showcasing artwork by artist Linda Nelson. Through May. Free. Santa Maria Airport, 3249 Terminal Dr., Santa Maria.

HOPE FUNDRAISER (MUSICAL

BUYOUT) House of Pride and Equality (HOPE) in conjunction with the Santa Maria Civic Theatre (SMCT) proudly hosts this buyout performance of The Prom May 11 1:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Santa Maria Civic Theatre, 1660 N. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

LEARN CALIFORNIA’S OFFICIAL DANCE:

WEST COAST SWING Learn west coast swing in a casual, friendly environment, taught by Texas state swing champion, Gina Sigman. Free intro from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Beyond the Basics ($10) is 7 to 7:45 p.m. $10 entry includes social dance (7:45 to 8:15 p.m.). Tuesdays, 6:30-8:15 p.m. 832-884-8114. Cubanissimo Cuban Coffee House, 4869 S. Bradley Rd., #118, Orcutt. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Menken and Ashman’s hit dark comedy musical adapted from the cult classic film by Roger Corman. Whatever you do, don’t

feed the plant. Through May 12 pcpa.org/ shows/. Marian Theatre, 800 S. College Dr., Santa Maria.

THE PROM: THE MUSICAL Presented by SMCT. Through May 19 my805tix. com/. Santa Maria Civic Theatre, 1660 N. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

VALLEY READS BOOK CLUB The Valley Reads is a monthly book club for adults featuring coffee, snacks, and lively discussion. May 11 2 p.m. Free. 805-9250994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

CALIFORNIA’S CHANGING LANDSCAPE: THE WAY OF WATER Featuring more than 20 large-format documentary photographs of the Golden State, this timely exhibition showcases George Rose’s recent expansive documentation of California’s dramatic water story. Through July 8 California Nature Art Museum, 1511-B Mission Dr., Solvang, calnatureartmuseum.org.

PAINTING IN THE VINEYARD AT BRANDER WINERY Are you looking for something unique to do for Mother’s Day this year? Why not join us at the picturesque Brander Vineyard in Santa Ynez. You’ll spend the afternoon sipping delicious wine and capturing the beauty of the landscape on canvas. May 12 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. $89. 805-325-8092. artspotonwheels.com/events/mothersday-painting-in-the-vineyard-at-branderwinery/. The Brander Vineyard, 2401 N Refugio Rd., Los Olivos.

TODDLER TIME ART PLAY GROUP Calling all walkers to four-year-olds. join Art Spot Wednesday mornings for some discovery play in the art studio. Each week you and your toddler(s) will be met with water play, painting, and more sensory discovery

stations of fun. Wednesdays, 10-11 a.m. through May 29 $35. 805-325-8092. artspotonwheels.com/events/toddler-timeart-play-group-2/. Art Spot on Wheels, 320 Alisal Road, unit 306B, Solvang.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG

POURING MY HEART OUT Featured

Artist Christine Jeszeck shares her art in a variety of mediums and genres at the Cypress Gallery. Artist Reception will be held Thursday, May 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through May 26 805-737-1129. Cypress Gallery, 119 E Cypress Ave., Lompoc, lompocart.org.

SILK PAINTING WITH RESIST Create a one of a kind decorative scarf for a gift, or yourself. No experience is necessary. You’ll be guided step-by-step while exploring this fun art form. All materials are provided. Bring a 17″ square design. May 19, 1-3 p.m. 805-736-6528. sunburst.org/art/. Sunburst Retreat Center, 7200 CA-1, Lompoc.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

FINDING NEMO JR. The charming 60-minute musical, designed for middle school-aged performers, is based on the beloved 2003 Pixar film. This show is a collaboration between Mesa and Judkins Middle School students and directed by Marcia Geyer. May 10 7-9:30 p.m. and May 11 2-4:30 & 7-9:30 p.m. $10-$15. 805489-9444. clarkcenter.org/shows/mesajudkins-finding-nemo-jr/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

THE FISH WHISPERER A mysterious outsider plots to fix a small fishing town’s sudden bad luck when it comes to fishing. Through May 11 Great American Melodrama, 1863 Front St., Oceano. PAINT NIGHT Paint at your own pace. Join our Paint Party benefitting the Boys

& Girls Clubs of South SLO County. All skill levels welcome for this fun night. For ages 21 and over; identification will be checked at the door. Limited space available, sign up today. 100 percent of donations support the Clubs’ mission. May 16, 6-8 p.m. $25. 805-481-7339. bgcslo.org/events. Boys and Girls Clubs of South San Luis Obispo County Clubhouse, 1830 19th St., Oceano. SCULPTURAL LAMP STACK WORKSHOP

Build your own beautiful piece of garden art. Your sculptural lamp stack may include lamps, ceramic pots, found objects, driftwood, and ready-to-mosaic polystyrene/concrete forms. You’ll also have time to add mosaic to your stack. Each lamp stack will be completely portable for re-assembling at home.

May 16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., May 17 9 a.m.-4 p.m., May 18 , 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and May 19 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $695. 805-440-3054. passifloramosaics.com. Passiflora Mosaics, 330 N. 10th St., Grover Beach.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

2024 STUDENT ANNUAL ART

EXHIBITION Juried by Cal Poly instructor Makia Sharp, this exhibit showcases the work of Cuesta students, featuring drawings, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and digital art. Proceeds of sales go directly to students, less 10 percent which goes to Fine Arts Access scholarships. Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through May 17. 805-546-3201. cuesta. edu/student/campuslife/artgallery/202324-exhibitions/2024StudentAnnual.html. Harold J. Miossi Gallery, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

ADAM PARKER SMITH: FOR THE TIME

BEING This exhibition will feature several works made throughout the artist’s career as sort of a mid-career retrospective. Adam Parker Smith has a unique ability to address complex themes in a whimsical,

VROOMING AND GROOVING

The inaugural Mother’s Day Spring Classic takes place at Pioneer Park in Orcutt on Sunday, May 12, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. This festive car show features more than 100 vehicles, live music from Mariachi Voces Tapatias (pictured) and additional entertainment, food, drinks, and more. Visit my805tix.com for tickets and more info. Pioneer Park is located at 1150 W. Foster Road, Orcutt.

light-hearted way that makes his work incredibly accessible. Through July 7, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma.org/ exhibition/adam-parker-smith/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

ALL AGES SCULPTING WITH JOHN ROULLARD John a retired school teacher who patiently guides potters of all ages to sculpt and work on details and design. Saturdays, 1:30-3 p.m. $40. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

APRIL BANKS: OUTLANDISH Los Angeles-based artist April Banks is a creative strategist working across visual art, social engagement, and exhibition design. Her practice sits intentionally between image, space, and experience. Through July 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma.org/exhibition/aprilbanks/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

BARRY GOYETTE: MULBERRY For his exhibition at SLOMA, San Luis Obispobased artist Barry Goyette shows a series of portraits taken by a very specific mulberry tree as a site for portrait photography guided by the models, of varying stages of life. Through June 3, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma.org/ exhibition/barry-goyette-mulberry/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

CLAY BABY HANDPRINTS Offers a unique experience of pressing your baby’s hand/ foot into clay so parents can cherish this time forever. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays $55. anamcre.com/babyhandprints. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

COMIX FAIR 2024 With local comic book artists, a vendor showcase, photo booth, board games, and more, all inside the library. This mini-comics convention is free and family-friendly. Wear your favorite costume. May 11 , 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. 805781-5991. slolibrary.org. San Luis Obispo Library Community Room, 995 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.

DATE NIGHT POTTERY Bring your date and throw a cup on the pottery wheel. Next, texture a clay slab and press into

a form creating a personalized piece. Guest are welcome to bring drinks; venue provides aprons. Pieces are fired, glazed, and ready in two weeks. Saturdays, 6-6:30 p.m. $140. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo. IMPROV COMEDY SHOW Presented by Central Coast Comedy Theater. May 10 6-8 p.m. my805tix.com/. SLO Public Market, 120 Tank Farm Road, San Luis Obispo. Hosted by Central Coast Comedy Theater. May 18, 6-8 p.m. my805tix.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo. MR. BURNS A group of strangers come together and reconstruct a storyline of an episode from The Simpsons , entirely from memory. Over 75 years, this simple act evolves into new traditions of storytelling and performance that attempt to preserve the things we remember. ThursdaysSaturdays, 8-10 p.m. and May 12 2-4 p.m. through May 18 $15 students; $25 general admission. 805-756-1465. theatredance. calpoly.edu/mr-burns-post-electric-play. Spanos Theatre, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. OPERASLO: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Celebrate Mother’s Day Weekend with the entire family in a production “you’ll remember for the rest of your lives.” Described as perfect for all ages, OperaSLO’s production promises to thrill and wow patrons moment-to-moment with expansive sets and costumes, ballet, chorus, and a nationally acclaimed leading cast. May 11 2-4 p.m. and May 12 2-4 p.m. $30-$87. 805-782-7342. operaslo.org. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., 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.

SHAKESPERIENCE: A CUESTA DRAMA IMMERSIVE PRODUCT This new, cuttingedge interactive event allows guests to experience different Shakespeare plays in different locations in one night. This interactive experience has pairs of audience members moving from location to location to experience the best of Shakespeare. May

—Caleb Wiseblood

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIACHI VOCES TAPATIAS

Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, 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. 805-7033132. slonightwriters.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo. SOULHEAL: FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION Join us in the Library Community Room for a free presentation of the short film “Soulheal” by local filmmaker, José Enrique Pardo, who will lead a discussion of the film’s topics afterward. For more information and trailer, visit soulhealfilm.com. May 10, 4-5 p.m. Free. 805-7815994. slolibrary.org. San Luis Obispo Library Community Room, 995 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.

TELLUS READING AND RECEPTION A reception and poetry reading by students selected to be in Cuesta’s Literary and Fine Arts journal. The gallery will also be open with works from Cuesta’s Student Annual Art Exhibition and Tellus award winners on display. May 9, 5-7:30 p.m. Free. 805-546-3201. cuesta. edu. Harold J. Miossi Gallery, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo. THE THANKSGIVING PLAY Good intentions collide with absurd assumptions in this wickedly funny satire, as a troupe of well-meaning, but hilariously misguided teaching artists scramble to create a school pageant that can somehow celebrate both Turkey Day and Native American Heritage Month. Thursdays-Saturdays, 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays, 2-4 p.m. through May 19 $20-$40. 805-786-2440. slorep.org/shows/the-thanksgiving-play/. SLO Rep, 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo.

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL Art Central is excited to present “Too Cool for School”, an exhibition showcasing Cuesta College students’ remarkable artwork. It celebrates the passion and creativity found within our local student community. Artist reception will be held Friday, May 3, from 5-7 p.m. during Art After Dark. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. through May 17 Free. 805-747-4200. artcentralslo.com/portfolio/ too-cool-for-school/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

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.

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

COSTA GALLERY SHOWCASES Features works by Ellen Jewett as well as 20 other local artists, and artists from southern and northern California. Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. 559799-9632. costagallery.com. Costa Gallery, 2087 10th St., Los Osos.

EMERITUS COLLEGE SENIOR SHOW

The Cuesta College Emeritus College art students are showcasing their watercolors and drawings at Buttercup Bakery through the end of May. Come by and enjoy a croissant and some wonderful artwork by older artists from classes hosted by the Morro Bay Senior Center. Mondays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. through June 1 Varies. morrobayseniors.org. Buttercup Bakery and Cafe, 430 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay. FINE ART ACRYLIC PAINTINGS BY HEMA SUKUMAR “The world is full of vibrant colors and hues. As a person and artist, I am drawn to color.” Features work on canvas, paper, and metal. Mondays, Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

THE SPOT TO BE

Art Spot on Wheels hosts its next Painting in the Vineyard event at The Brander Vineyard in Santa Ynez on Sunday, May 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants of the event will enjoy painting a landscape while sipping wine. Admission is $89. Call (805) 325-8092 or visit artspotonwheels.com for more info. The Brander Vineyard is located at 2401 N. Refugio Road, Santa Ynez.

through May 29 Free. 805-772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

FOREVER STOKED PAINT PARTY Join us at the gallery, for a few hours to travel on a creative paint journey. You will receive as much or as little instruction as you prefer. No experience is necessary. Saturdays, 7-9 p.m. $45. 805-772-9095. Forever Stoked, 1164 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.

FOREVER STOKED SPRING ART SHOW

Come join the Forever Stoked crew and guests to celebrate the release of their latest works of art. Featuring new paintings from Charlie Clingman, Peter Pierce, Chris Pedersen, Ken Christensen, Carey Lynch, Cooper Willson, and more. We will also have fun tunes and tasty snacks. May 11 12-8 p.m. Free. 805-7729095. foreverstoked.com/. Forever Stoked, 1164 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.

LUNNENBURG A comedy/drama directed by Lisa Woske. A widow inherits a house she didn’t know her husband owned and other surprises along with it. Through May 19 By The Sea Productions, 545 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay, bytheseaproductions.org.

MAY ARTISTS RECEPTION AND ATRIUM

PARTY Featuring artists Brian Johnson, Hema Sukumar, and Thomas Brown with mixed media, paintings, and jewelry, respectively. May 11 3-5 p.m. Free. 805-772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare. com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

MIXED MEDIA ART BY BRIAN JOHNSON Johnson is a passionate artist, known for abstracting reality. His work all starts from photos and embodying “The Sublime.” Mondays, Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. through May 29 Free. 805-772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

THE PLEIN AIR TEAM Acrylic artist, Nancy Lynn, and husband, watercolorist, Robert Fleming, have an ongoing show of originals and giclee prints of Morro Bay and local birds. ongoing 805-772-9955. Seven

Sisters Gallery, 601 Embarcadero Ste. 8, Morro Bay, sevensistersgalleryca.com.

SEEING STARS BY STEVE BUDD A heartfelt and hilarious exploration of family dysfunction, mental illness, and a man’s desire to connect with his dad. May 10 and May 11 my805tix.com. Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St., Cambria. STROMSOE OPEN STUDIOS (SECOND SUNDAY) A rare opportunity to visit our historical silversmithing shop and design studio. Learn about the various techniques involved in hand forging, spinning and fabricating a variety of handcrafted art objects. Serve ware, vessels and, hand fabricated fine jewelry will be available for purchase. Reservations encouraged. Features a complimentary gift for visitors celebrating Mom. May 12 , 12-4 p.m. Free with reservation. 805-237-8632. Randy Stromsoe Metalsmith, Highway 46 West, SLO County, randystromsoe.com.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS ADVENTURE WITH SEA OTTERS OF MORRO BAY STATE PARK Join Park Interpreter Libbie on a virtual exploration of the Morro Bay State Park’s estuary habitat. In this interactive program, participants will learn how Southern Sea Otters, an endangered species, have adapted to their environment and how humans can help them. May 11 10-11 a.m. Free. 805-925-0994. cityofsantamaria. org/services/departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

CRAFTWORKS: FELT FLOWER OIL DIFFUSER Registration is required. May 12 , 2-3:30 p.m. 805-925-0994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 14

CELTIC

Hot Stuff

A JAR IS BORN

Kulturhaus Brewing Company in Pismo Beach hosts its Hands-on Sauerkraut Class on Sunday, May 12, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Each participant of the workshop will learn the basics of probiotic fermentation and take home a jar of sauerkraut—made with locally grown, organic cabbage— and a recipe packet. Admission is $50. Visit kulturhausbrewing.com for more details. Kulturhaus Brewing Company is located at 779 Price St., Pismo Beach.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE from page 12

FRIDAY MAY 17 | 7 PM

ISLA VISTA SCHOOL | 6875 EL COLEGIO RD, GOLETA

GUADALUPE CITY HALL | 918 OBISPO ST, GUADALUPE

MAY 19 | 6 PM THE MARJORIE LUKE THEATRE | 721 E COTA ST, SANTA BARBARA

DE MAYO

Las puertas abren a las 6:30pm el viernes y el sábado, y a las 5:30pm el domingo. Habra recepcion des del espectaculo. Doors open 6:30pm on Friday and Saturday, 5:30pm on Sunday. Reception follows the performance.

FEEL GOOD YOGA Tuesdays, Thursdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. 805-937-9750. oasisorcutt. org. Oasis Center, 420 Soares Ave., Orcutt.

GROUP WALKS AND HIKES Check website for the remainder of this year’s group hike dates and private hike offerings. ongoing 805-343-2455. dunescenter.org. Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, 1065 Guadalupe St., Guadalupe.

MOTHER’S DAY AT PACIFIC CHRISTIAN CENTER Mother’s Day is approaching fast. Bring the whole family to celebrate Mother’s Day at Pacific Christian. Come and be a part of a great service at 10 a.m. Features special giveaways and family photos. May 12 10-11:30 a.m. 805-9343491. pacificchristian.net. Pacific Christian Center, 3435 Santa Maria Way, Santa Maria.

MOTHER’S DAY SPRING CLASSIC Features live music, food, drinks, and 100 to 150 classic cars. May 12 11 a.m.-6 p.m. my805tix.com. Pioneer Park, 1150 W. Foster Rd., Orcutt.

MOUNTED STAGHORN WORKSHOP

In this class, students will learn how to properly mount and care for a stunning stag horn fern. Throughout the class, students will learn about the specific care requirements for stag horn ferns, including light, water, and humidity needs. May 14 6 p.m. my805tix.com. Naughty Oak Brewing Co., 165 S Broadway St. suite 102, Orcutt, 805-287-9663.

ORCUTT MINERAL SOCIETY Second Tuesday of every month Oasis Center, 420 Soares Ave., Orcutt, 805-937-9750.

PARENT-CHILD DANCE: DIAMONDS AND DENIM Find out more about the event as it approaches. Contact Santa Maria Parks and Rec for more info. May 18 , 5-8 p.m. cityofsantamaria.org. Santa Maria Veterans Memorial Center, 313 W. Tunnell St., Santa Maria.

PRESENTATION: PAST AND PRESENT

SMV Historical Society Museum presents Pioneer Association: Past and Present. Learn about the beginning of the organization, first four presidents, and the Pioneer Park, along with pioneer exhibits. May 18 , 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. 805-9223130. Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum, 616 S. Broadway, Santa Maria.

SANTA MARIA COIN AND COLLECTABLE SHOW Features sports cards, beanies, and casino chips too. Free admission and appraisals. Children welcome. Hosted by SM Coin Club. May 11 , 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 805937-1250. Elwin Mussell Senior Center, 510 Park Ave., Santa Maria.

SANTA MARIA COIN CLUB: MONTHLY MEETING Coin collectors of all ages invited. Bring coins for free appraisals.

Third Wednesday of every month, 7 p.m. Yearly membership: $20-$25. 805-9373158. Elwin Mussell Senior Center, 510 Park Ave., Santa Maria.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

2024 PEACE OF MIND: 10,000 STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FUNDRAISING WALK To support mental health community services, research, and treatment for anxiety and depression. May 18 9 a.m.-noon $55. 707-227-8503. almarosawinery.com. Alma Rosa Estate, 7250 Santa Rosa Road, Buellton.

MOMS 4 MUTTS This Mother’s Day weekend, Arrowsmith’s will be donating 20 percent of all takings to the Santa Ynez Humane Society for the duration of the event and there will be cats and dogs outside on the front patio looking for their fur-ever home. May 11 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. 805-686-9126. arrowsmithwine.com/ events. Arrowsmith’s, 1539 Mission Drive, Solvang.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

ADVENTURES WITH NATURE: OCEANO’S BEAVERS Join State Park Docent Dan to learn about the beavers’ physical adaptations, their role in our country’s westward expansion, and their local history. Enjoy an easy paced walk around the Oceano lagoon as we search for evidence and signs of beaver. RSVP by calling. May 11 , 10 a.m.-noon Free. 805474-2664. Oceano Dunes Visitor Center, 555 Pier Ave., Oceano.

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

BEGINNING BALLET FOR ADULTS Enjoy the grace and flow of ballet. No previous experience needed. Wednesdays, 5:15-6:15 p.m. $12 drop-in; $40 for four classes. 510-362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach.

DONATION-BASED YOGA FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, EMTS, AND CARETAKERS Class schedule varies. Contact empoweryoga805@gmail for details and reservations. ongoing 805-619-0989. empoweryoga805.com. Empower Yoga Studio and Community Boutique, 775 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

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.

MULTICULTURAL DANCE CLASS FOR ADULTS Experience dance from continents around the earth, including from Africa, Europe, and more. Described as “a wonderful in-depth look at the context and history of cultures of the world.” Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $10 drop-in; $30 for four classes. 510-3623739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach. 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. SOCIAL GROUP FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS Call for more details. Second Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. 805-9046615. Oak Park Christian Church, 386 N Oak Park Blvd., Grover Beach. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Looking for a fun and educational opportunity this summer? Join the aquarium’s Volunteer Team. No marine science experience is necessary. There are lots of ways to get involved. Check out website for more details. Tuesdays. through Sept. 30 centralcoastaquarium.org. Central Coast Aquarium, 50 San Juan St., Avila Beach, 805-595-7280.

WEEKLY WATER SAFETY LESSONS Facility advertised as open and safe. Give the office a call to register over the phone. Mondays-Fridays $160-$190. 805-4816399. 5 Cities Swim School, 425 Traffic Way, Arroyo Grande, 5citiesswimschool.com.

SAN LUIS OBISPO AGING GRACEFULLY WITH PREVENTATIVE CARE “We can’t stop getting older, but we can shift our thinking about it.” Moving from “I can’t do anything about it” to “I have some control over how my mind and body ages.” Series sponsored by Unity Five Cities. Details from chris@peacefulpoint.com. Over Zoom. Wednesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. through Nov. 20 Love offering. (805) 489-7359. unity5cities.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

BEYOND MINDFULNESS Realize your potential through individualized meditation instruction with an

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 16

—C.W.

Festival

THURS-SUN, MAY 9-12

Festival,

Ralph Moore

FRIDAY,

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. 559-9059274. 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.

CENTRAL COAST POLYAMORY Hosting a discussion group featuring different topics relating to ethical non-monogamy every month. Third Wednesday of every month, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

ESL TUTOR TRAINING (SLO COUNTY)

Local non-profit “Literacy for Life” is looking for volunteer tutors (based in SLO County). Our program welcomes adults aged 18 and older, providing support to both native English speakers and those for whom English is a second language. Work one-on-one with adults learning to read, write, speak English. May 13 , 3-6 p.m. 805-541-4219. literacyforlifeslo.org/. First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo, 981 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo.

HANDSTANDS AND AERIALS CLINIC

Build your flipping finesse. We’ll check out what you know, and give you tips for safe, successful improvement. The Target Skills are intermediate level, but even beginners can start working on the fundamentals. All levels welcome. Ages 5-17. May 11, 1-3 p.m. $25 for first child, plus $10 per additional sibling. 805-547-1496. performanceathleticsslo.com/saturdayevent-clinics. Performance Athletics Gymnastics, 4484 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

HEALING DEPRESSION SUPPORT

GROUP 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.

KCBX PARKING LOT MUSIC SALE Selling loads of vinyl and CDs from the KCBX archives and from the private collection of “Morning Cup” host Neal Losey. All proceeds support KCBX and Cal Poly’s radio station, KCPR. May 11 , 9 a.m.-1 p.m. No admission fee. 1-800-549-8855. kcbx. org/parking-lot-music-sale. KCBX Public Radio, 4100 Vachell Ln., San Luis Obispo.

MINDFUL TRAVEL IN AN UNEQUAL WORLD WITH DR. ANU TARANATH Cal Poly International Center welcomes Dr. Anu Taranath, award-winning author of Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World (2019). Join us for an illuminating conversation as Dr. Taranath examines the intersections of equity and global travel. A book signing will follow the event. May 15 5:30-7 p.m.; parking permits required. 805-756-1477. international.calpoly. edu/event/2024-internationalizationsymposium/. Cal Poly Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo. MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION (ONLINE) Zoom series hosted by TMHA. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon Transitions Mental Health Warehouse, 784 High Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-270-3346.

PLUG-IN TO LOCAL CLIMATE ACTION

THE SAN LUIS OBISPO OUT OF THE DARKNESS WALK Check-in and event activities begin at 10 a.m.; walk starts at 11 a.m. This event raises awareness and funds for suicide prevention. May 11 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. afsp.org/SLO. CalPoly University Union, 1 Grand Avenue, 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.

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.

SLO WOMEN PILOTS FUNDRAISER

The SLO 99s are holding a scholarship fundraiser to promote women in aviation. Professor Paulo Iscold will be talking about a “black box” that he has made that will allow aerobatic pilots to record their maneuvers and play them back on a computer. May 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. 805-544-0775. ACI Jet, 4751 Aviadores Way, San Luis Obispo, acijet.com.

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.

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. 805-323-6706. meetup.com/softec/. StoryLabs, 102 Cross St, Suite 220, 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. 805-5406576. t-mha.org. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo.

VOLUNTEER SOLAR INSTALLER TRAINING WEBINAR WITH SUNWORK

Learn the basics of installing solar energy systems and water heater electrification by volunteering with SunWork. May 11 9 a.m.-noon Free. 805-229-1250. sunwork. org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

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. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, 962 Piney Way, Morro Bay, 805772-2840, sttimothymorrobay.org.

Costa De Oro Winery, 1331 S. Nicholson Ave., Santa Maria.

SATURDAY, MAY 11 Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, SLO Lavender Farm Experience & Charcuterie Board Workshop

SUNDAY, MAY 12

SAT

VIRTUAL TOURS: ON DEMAND Point San Luis Lighthouse, Avila Beach

Get inspired by local action, connect with others, and discover more ways to get involved with the SLO Climate Coalition. Attend virtually or in-person. Sustainable snacks and childcare will be provided. Third Thursday of every month, 6-8 p.m. sloclimatecoalition.org/events/. Ludwick Community Center, 864 Santa Rosa, San Luis Obispo.

CO-DEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS MEETING (CoDA) is a Twelve Step recovery program for anyone who desires to have healthy and loving relationships with themselves and others. Meeting is hybrid (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.

FOOD & DRINK

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS AT WINE STONE INN Fridays, 5-8 p.m. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, 805-332-3532, winestoneinn.com/.

FRIDAY NIGHT FUN Karaoke with DJ Nasty. With Beer Bucket specials. Kitchen stays open late. Come out and sing your favorite song. Fridays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, 805-623-8866.

PRESQU’ILE WINERY: WINE CLUB Call or go online to make a reservation to taste at the winery or find more info on the winery’s Wine Club offerings. ongoing presquilewine.com/club/. Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, 805-937-8110.

SIPPIN’ SUNDAYS Every Sunday, come cozy up inside the tasting room and listen to great artists. Sundays, 1-4 p.m. Free. 805-937-8463. cottonwoodcanyon.com. Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard And Winery, 3940 Dominion Rd, Santa Maria. TACO TUESDAY Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, 805332-3532, winestoneinn.com/.

THURSDAY EVENING BAR TAKEOVER Call venue or visit website to find out about featured vintners. Thursdays stellerscellar.com. Steller’s Cellar, 405 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt. WINE AND DESIGN CLASSES Check Wine and Design’s Orcutt website for the complete list of classes, for various ages. ongoing Varies. wineanddesign.com/ orcutt. Wine and Design, 3420 Orcutt Road, suite 105, Orcutt.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

AUSTRALIAN WINE WITH MARK DAVIDSON Taste and learn about classic and contemporary Australian wine. Mark will be talking through the presented wines whilst showing media and answering questions. This relaxed introduction to one of the world’s greatest wine-producing areas is a unique event in the SYV. May 9 7-8:30 p.m. $30. 805-6869126. arrowsmithwine.com. Arrowsmith’s, 1539 Mission Drive, Solvang.

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.

WINE SCHOOL: LEARN TO TASTE LIKE A WINE CRITIC An interactive event where sommelier and wine educator Sam Schmitt presents a curated selection of wines, whilst you relax and taste them and vote for your favorite. A single ticket is $45 and a ticket for two people is $75. May 19, 7-8:30 p.m. $45-$75. 805-686-9126. arrowsmithwine.com. Arrowsmith’s, 1539 Mission Drive, Solvang.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG

HEAD GAMES TRIVIA AND TACO

TUESDAYS CLASH Don’t miss Head

Games Trivia at COLD Coast Brewing Company every Tuesday night. Teams can be up to 6 members. Earn prizes and bragging rights. Kekas will be serving their delicious local fare. Fun for all ages. Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. 805-819-0723. coldcoastbrewing.com. COLD Coast Brewing Company, 118 W Ocean Ave, Lompoc.

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.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS AT COSTA DE ORO Featured vendors in the series include Cali Coast Tacos, Cubanissimo, Danny’s Pizza Co., Chef Ricks, and more. Call venue for monthly schedules. Fridays 805-922-1468. costadeorowines.com.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY 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. 805-8016627. kulturhausbrewing.com/classes/. Kulturhaus Brewing Company, 779 Price St., Pismo Beach.

FOOD & DRINK continued page 17 CULTURE & LIFESTYLE from page 14

SAN LUIS OBISPO

FOREVER STOKED: PAINT PARTY Enjoy a very special Paint Party. May 15, 7 p.m. my805tix.com. Liquid Gravity, 675 Clarion Court, San Luis Obispo.

MOTHER’S DAY TEA AT THE DALLIDET

Here’s your chance to celebrate daughters, mothers, and grandmothers by experiencing this great British tradition. May 12 , 11 a.m. my805tix.com. Dallidet Adobe and Gardens, 1185 Pacific St., San Luis Obispo.

MUSIC

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

GARDEN PARTY Featuring the Dave Becker Quartet. Benefits the Santa Maria Philharmonic. May 19 2-5 p.m. $100. 805-925 0412. givebutter. com/2024GardenParty. Santa Maria Inn, 801 S. Broadway, Santa Maria.

HAPPY HOUR MUSIC SERIES With Kenny Taylor on May 10, Bear Erickson on May 17, and Jineanne Coderre on May 31. May 10 and May 17 Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, 805-937-8110, presquilewine.com.

LADIES NIGHT OUT Music by DJ Van Gloryious and DJ Panda. Features delicious daiquiri specials. Thursdays, 8 p.m.-midnight Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, 805-623-8866. THE MIGHTY CASH CATS JOHNNY CASH SHOW AND LINDA RONSTADT

EXPERIENCE Enjoy live music from this lineup of prolific tribute acts. May 18 6 p.m. my805tix.com. Blast 825 Brewery, 241 S Broadway St., Ste. 101, Orcutt, 805934-3777.

MOTHER’S DAY REGGAE FESTIVAL Enjoy live music, shopping, wine, food, and more. Featured reggae artists include Ras Danny and Soul Fyah. May 12 , 1-5 p.m. $15.

805-806-0287. my805tix.com/e/mothersday-reggae-fest. Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard And Winery, 3940 Dominion Rd, Santa Maria.

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

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

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

LIVE MUSIC SUNDAYS Sundays, 2-6 p.m. Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W. Hwy 246, Buellton, 805-686-1208, brickbarnwineestate.com.

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W. Hwy 246, Buellton, 805-686-1208, brickbarnwineestate.com.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG

BANDA TIERRA NUEVA AND CDR Visit site for tickets and more info. May 17 9 p.m. my805tix.com. FCB, 110 W. Ocean Ave., Lompoc, 805-810-0714.

A NIGHT OF FLAMENCO Visit site for tickets and more info. May 18 , 7-10 p.m. $10. my805tix.com. FCB, 110 W. Ocean Ave., Lompoc, 805-810-0714.

ROCK MUST GO ON! Opening will be local Lompoc hometown rockers SPANGE (strange name, great band). May 11 7 p.m. my805tix.com. FCB, 110 W. Ocean Ave., Lompoc, 805-810-0714.

LORI’S LORE

In early May, the Cambria Library debuted its showcase of artworks by local painter Lori Slater, whose exhibit will remain on display through the end of the month. Admission to view the showcase is free. Slater’s works include watercolor, oil, and acrylic pieces. Call (805) 927-4336 for more details. To find out more about Slater, visit lorislater.com. The Cambria Library is located at 1043 Main St., Cambria.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

COME PLAY IN MAY AT PUFFERS OF PISMO WITH THE CLIFFNOTES The Cliffnotes Band springs into Puffers of Pismo, with their New Orleans-style boogie blues. Featuring former Janis Joplin stand-in for Big Brother and The Holding Co., Valerie Johnson. May 11 7-10 p.m. Free. 805-773-6563. puffersofpismo.com. Puffers of Pismo, 781 Price St., Pismo Beach.

KARAOKE EVERY FRIDAY Enjoy some good food and karaoke. Fridays, 5-8

2406. music.calpoly.edu/calendar/free/. Cal Poly Davidson Music Center, Room 218, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

CAL POLY’S AN EVENING OF WOODWIND CHAMBER MUSIC Several Cal Poly music ensembles will perform a variety of traditional and contemporary repertoire featuring woodwind instruments. May 9 7:30 p.m. Free. 805-756-2406. music. calpoly.edu/calendar/free/. San Luis Obispo United Methodist Church, 1515 Fredericks Street, San Luis Obispo.

COMBOPALOOZA! The end of the year combo festival, with all nine combos playing at their best. The Cuesta Combo program has often been recognized for its excellence and creativity. May 14 7:30 p.m. $10-$15. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

CUESTA CHOIRS CONCERT: BEGINNING

TO SEE THE LIGHT “How do we bring together our audience, with its incredible diversity of thought and experience?” The Cuesta Chamber Singers and Voce will attempt this important task through “our love and hard work, using the tools given to us in this inspiring set of music.” May 10, 7:30 p.m. $10-$15. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

CUESTA JAZZ ENSEMBLES CONCERT

p.m. 805-723-5550. The Central Grill, 545 Orchard Road, Nipomo.

TRUE ZION Enjoy a night of reggae music and good vibes. May 11 7:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Ribline by the Beach, 395 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

CAL POLY INSTRUMENTAL STUDENT

RECITAL Cal Poly Music Department student instrumentalists present this free recital. May 14 7:30 p.m. Free. 805-756-

A evening of sophistication and swing in this end of the (school) year jazz show. Featuring the Cuesta big band and the best of the school’s jazz combos, this concert is “the best at featuring our best.” May 11 7:30 p.m. $10-$15. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

HYINK STRINGS CONCERT The Hyink Strings are a talented family of stringed instrumentalists whose repertoire includes classical and contemporary music. May 9

6-7:30 p.m. Free will offering. 805-543-8327. zionslo.com. Zion Lutheran Church, 1010 E Foothill Blvd., San Luis Obispo.

LOST TO THE VOID, IMPALEMENT, AND 805 PROOF Presented by GS3events

and PinUp. May 10 7 p.m. my805tix.com. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, 805-781-9974.

SAM HIRSH QUARTET FEATURING

RALPH MOORE Presented by the San Luis Obispo County Jazz Federation. May 11 , 7:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Mount Carmel Lutheran Church, 1701 Fredericks St., San Luis Obispo.

SARAH SAVIET VIOLIN RECITAL Berlinbased violinist Sarah Saviet performs new music for solo violin. The program features work by Iannis Xenakis, Lisa Streich, Timothy McCormack, and original work by Saviet. These works complement Sarah’s debut solo album SPUN May 16 5:30 p.m. Free. 805-756-2406. music.calpoly.edu/ calendar/. Cal Poly Davidson Music Center, Room 218, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

SARAH SAVIET: CHAMBER MUSIC MASTER CLASS Violinist Sarah Saviet will coach students active in the Music Department’s string chamber music program. She is based in Berlin and is dedicated to the performance of contemporary music. She is a member of the Saviet/Houston Duo and Ensemble Mosaik. May 16, 11:10 a.m. Free. 805-7562406. music.calpoly.edu/calendar/free/. Cal Poly Davidson Music Center, Room 218, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. SLO COUNTY TRUMPET ALLIANCE

MOTHER’S DAY CONCERT The San Luis Obispo County Trumpet Alliance presents a special Mother’s Day concert this year. May 12 , 2 p.m. $10-$15. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

W. TERRENCE SPILLER: BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATA CYCLE VIII Pianist and Cal Poly Professor Emeritus W. Terrence Spiller will conclude his survey of Beethoven piano sonatas in this eighth and final recital. May 10, 7:30 p.m. $20 general; $10 students. 805-756-4849. music.calpoly.edu/calendar/. PAC Pavilion, Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo. m

Arts

ARTS BRIEFS

Chumash Casino Resort presents Celtic Woman, live in concert

As part of its 20th anniversary tour, Celtic Woman will perform at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez on Saturday, May 18, at 8 p.m. Admission to the upcoming concert, held in the resort’s Samala Showroom, ranges between $59 and $89.

Known for its captivating vocal harmonies, Celtic Woman has achieved multi-platinum success in the realms of world music and classical crossover, according to press materials. The Irish group rose to fame in the U.S. after its American television debut in 2005 during a concert special on PBS.

The band has produced 20 albums over the course of two decades and has sold more than 10 million records worldwide. Attendees of the group’s upcoming concert at the Chumash Casino Resort can expect to hear new arrangements of fan favorites and original compositions.

For more info on the event and other upcoming programs hosted at the Chumash Casino Resort, call (805) 686-0855 or visit chumashcasino.com. The resort is located at 3400 Highway 246, Santa Ynez.

Cal-NAM announces honorees of 18th annual Wilderness Spirit Award Brunch

Each year, the California Nature Art Museum (Cal-NAM)— formerly the Wildling Museum—in Solvang presents its Wilderness Spirit Award to a person or group who strives to bring awareness to natural places through various platforms.

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) was selected to receive this year’s award, while the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians will receive the Sustainability Award, a new award recently announced by the museum.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for our efforts to reduce our impact on the environment,” Tribal Chairman Kenneth Kahn said in press materials. “As the original stewards of this land, our tribe understands the importance of prioritizing sustainability measures and conserving resources at our local businesses.”

Both honorees will be celebrated at the 18th annual Wilderness Spirit Award Brunch, which will be held at the Marriott Hotel’s Figueroa Ballroom in Buellton on Sunday, May 19, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The event will include an auction, a raffle, food, drinks, and live artist demonstrations from Jeremy Harper, Clare Carey, and David and Nansi Gallup. The artist group will present a sneak preview of its upcoming show, A Deeper Love: New Paintings Inspired by Coral Reefs, set to debut at Cal-NAM this fall. Call (805) 688-1082 or visit calnatureartmuseum.org for additional details. m

Kindred spirits

Two artists present soulful abstracts and mosaics in Gallery Los Olivos’ current exhibition, Unity

BY CALEB WISEBLOOD

There’s a special place in local artist Wendy Brewer’s heart—and home—for shells, driftwood, and other objects she finds washed ashore.

“I love the ocean and I love collecting things on the beach,” said Brewer, an avid beach walker who’s accumulated “an enormous amount of treasure” over the years.

She often incorporates her findings into her mixed-media projects. One of her recent pieces, playfully titled Beach Muse-ic, was a violin before she repurposed it into a sea-themed mosaic collage, currently on display at Gallery Los Olivos.

The venue’s latest duo show, Unity, is a pairing of Brewer’s mosaics and abstract paintings by local expressionist Christine Marie.

United we stand

Gallery Los Olivos presents Unity, a duo exhibition showcasing abstract paintings by Christine Marie and mixed media mosaics by Wendy Brewer, through the end of May. The gallery will host a reception to celebrate the new exhibit on Saturday, May 18, from 2 to 5 p.m. Call (805) 688-7517 or visit gallerylosolivos. com for more info. Gallery Los Olivos is located at 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. Visit cmariestudio.com and divinebitsofbeauty. com to find out more about Marie and Brewer, respectively.

Brewer said that Marie’s colorful works complement her own, and vice versa, in numerous ways. Some are less measurable, in an earthly sense, than others.

“Both our works have sort of spiritual qualities,” said Brewer, an ordained minister with a graduate degree in spiritual psychology.

While Brewer finds inspiration in poetry, meditation, and officiating weddings (a gig she said helps instill “a love-infused energy” in her artwork), the catalysts behind Marie’s abstract creations are often moments of observation, introspection, or stillness.

“We both have work that’s based on a celebration of the spiritual and human experience, and the manifestation and projection of love and unity in the world,” Marie said. “That’s how the name [Unity] came about, because we wanted to unite to help project more love and acceptance and kindness into the world.”

Similar to the way Brewer’s role as a wedding officiant inspires her art, Marie said her consulting work with SLO County’s Women’s Business Center often impacts her painting projects.

The Awakening, one of Marie’s pieces displayed in Unity, was inspired by her desire “to change and innovate my work within my art as well as how I help support small businesses and people in realizing their potential,” the painter explained.

“I’ve been on a personal journey for the last year, taking a really deep dive into kind of what’s next … what paths of exploration do I want to go on, what personal learning do I want to approach, and how do I want to grow as a person and with my small business consulting,”

Marie said. “That story has been kind of coming to fruition, and that path of … transcending and awakening to that new journey is kind of what inspired this piece.”

Marie values abstract art as a way to express aspects of her personal journeys, while leaving ample room for viewers to bring their journeys to the table when interpreting her work.

“One of the most amazing things to me is just to stand back at a reception and hear people talk about the work and what it means to them,” Marie said. “Just hearing how they connect and engage and have these moments where their own journey and experiences

inform the story of the work. … It’s deeply meaningful.

“As far as the abstract goes, it’s just always been kind of my natural language … the language that comes from within my soul somehow,” Marie added. “It seems to be what

comes from deep in my soul. I don’t have another way to explain it. It’s just how everything comes out.” m

The journey toward Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood’s inbox starts with an email to cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHUMASH CASINO RESORT

TRANSCENDING SPACE: Local artist Wendy Brewer’s Transcendence is one of her mixed-media pieces currently on display at Gallery Los Olivos as part of the venue’s latest duo show.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WENDY BREWER

PHOTO COURTESY OF JONI KELLY

PHOTO COURTESY OF WENDY BREWER

STRING THEORY: Mixed-media artist Wendy Brewer repurposed a violin to create her ocean-themed piece, Beach Muse-ic

COURTESY IMAGE BY CHRISTINE MARIE

WAKING LIFE: The Awakening is among prolific painter Christine Marie’s abstract works featured in Unity, a duo exhibition of art by Marie and Wendy Brewer at Gallery Los Olivos.

Winning Images LAST WEEK TO ENTER!

THE RULES

Entry divisions are either ADULT or YOUTH (photographers who are under 18)

ADULT

• Categories are: Animals , Flora Land/Seascapes , People , Travel , Open and In Motion which can include any interpretation of action or motion.

• All images must be submitted digitally via our online entry form. The link below will take you to the entry form and invite you to open a free account. You’ll need an account to enter images.

• A completed online entry form MUST be submitted for EACH photo entered.

• Entrants are asked to submit a high-quality digital file of their image (jpeg format, at least 300 dpi) on the submission form.

• Photos submitted in previous years are ineligible.

• All photos must be the original, creative work of the submitting photographer.

• All photographs must be taken within the boundaries of San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara counties – except submissions to the Travel and Open categories – for which photos may be taken anywhere.

• Entries are $10 per photo.

• You may also mail a check (made payable to New Times) to: Winning Images, c/o New Times, 1010 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Be sure to include your name, address, email, and a brief description of the photo(s) entered online. Photos and fees must be received by 5 P.M. ON MONDAY, MAY 13, 2024 , to be considered o icially entered.

• Entry in the contest constitutes permission to use the photo in the paper, online, and for display.

• Judges have the right to reassign categories for mislabeled or misfiled photos at their discretion.

YOUTH

(PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO ARE UNDER 18 YEARS OLD)

• This is an OPEN category. Photographs can be of any subject of the entrant’s choosing, but must have been taken within the boundaries of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

• Entrants must be younger than 18 years old as of June 15, 2024, and must be enrolled in any school (including a home school) that’s not a college. A winner’s legal guardian will be required to sign a release form.

• All other rules from the adult categories apply.

Winning photos will be published in the Thursday, June 20, 2024, issues of New Times and the Sun.

Dan Baum, 2023

J.J. Baker, 2023

Michael V Messina, 2023

Lance Wilson, 2023

Jonathan Shapiro, 2023

Dylan Kyle, 2023

Achy breaky hearts

Former stuntman-turned-director David Leitch (Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde) helms this action comedy loosely based on Lee Majors TV series of the same name (1981-1986), about Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a Hollywood stuntman who’s drawn into a complicated conspiracy involving his exgirlfriend, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), a former camerawoman shooting her directorial debut in Sydney, Australia. (104 min.)

Glen: Before the film began, the theater rolled a brief tape of David Leitch and Ryan Gosling thanking audiences for coming to the cinema and explaining that their new film is a “love letter” to stuntmen, the unsung and usually unrecognized daredevils who make an action film come alive. A lot of films these days rely on CGI to create gravitydefying stunts, but this film is about good old-fashioned stunt performers taking the hits, the falls, the punches, and the flames. Colt Seavers is an old-school stuntman, the guy who makes action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) look good. The story brings viewers into this largely unseen world where we get to see how the effects are created. Ryder is an egotistical and vindictive prick, and Colt is badly injured redoing a stunt because Ryder thinks the first take showed too much of Colt’s face. It’s the set-up for the rest of this implausible but highly entertaining love story about how after an 18-month absence, Colt

FREAKY FRIDAY

What’s it rated? PG

When? 2003

Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo on May 11 (1:30, 4:15, 7, and 9:30 p.m.), May 12 (1:30, 4:15, and 7 p.m.), and May 13 (7:30 p.m.)

Freaky Friday features teenaged Lindsey Lohan in her heyday and Jamie Lee Curtis as a put-upon mom whose lives get turned upside down when an argument in a Chinese restaurant turns into a body-switching snafu. The two simply couldn’t understand each other before, but this Disney classic from 2003 (a remake of the 1976 original) attempts to bring some humor and levity to Tess and Anna’s sticky situation. I was a teen when this flick came out, and subsequent rewatches in the many years between now and then still bring joy. Lohan and Curtis are quite the pair—each with a real pizzazz for taking on their counterpart’s character. Between the nightmare of watching your mom talk to your crush while wearing your face to realizing that you may just have to marry your soon-to-be stepdad the next day, Freaky Friday is full of situations that Tess and Anna have to tackle as they race to get back to being themselves.

and Jody rekindle their romance. Gosling and Blunt are both incredibly likeable with some believable chemistry between them. The film’s a hoot from beginning to end. Anna: This film does one of my favorite things—it has a running gag poking fun at itself. There’s all this buildup to the third act, which coincides with Jody’s inability to resolve the third act of her space cowboy love story directorial debut. Blunt and Gosling each have the uncanny ability to be both ridiculously gorgeous and funny, so getting these two onscreen together is a total treat. After Colt’s accident, he shut Jody out, but when producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham in an increasingly chaotic brunette wig) calls him up and insists that Jody is asking for him on her first film, Colt can’t help but hop on a plane to Sydney. It soon becomes clear that Jody had no intention to see Colt again and that Gail’s motives aren’t to reunite two star-crossed lovers. Jody is still reeling from Colt’s disappearance from her life, and no new project or new haircut is going to erase the painful memory—so she’s going to make Colt work for her attention. Watching Blunt as Jody torture Colt time and time again proves entertaining, and Colt seems willing to take the punches if it means getting his girl back. This film is pure popcorn fun!

Glen: The story eventually becomes completely inane, but by then I no longer cared. I just wanted Colt to win back Jody, and I wanted the

myriad villains to get their comeuppance. This is a film that’s better on the big screen, so don’t wait for streaming. Get thee to the theater. This is pure cinematic joy on par with Everything Everywhere All at Once

Anna: Yep, this is one that’s meant to be enjoyed, not analyzed. If this is what summer movies of 2024 are shaping up to be, I’m here for it! Go enjoy the glitz of Hollywood and the action packed, stunt filled flick that gives us all permission to laugh at the over-the-top silliness of it all. I loved it! m

New Times Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.

STREETS OF FIRE

What’s it rated? PG When? 1984

Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo on May 10 (4:15 and 7 p.m.)

Director and co-writer Walter Hill (The Warriors 48 Hrs. Johnny Handsome) helms this neo-noir “rock & roll fable,” a furious motorcycle musical set in a dystopian ’50s-esque retro future that exists in a gritty nighttime city populated by leather-clad street gangs, corrupt cops, and rock music fans bedecked in ’80s attire.

This film’s sure to be a family favorite, so the opportunity to see it on the big screen is a treat! Freaky Friday reminds us that we’re a lot more alike than we are different, even when your parent or teen seems like a total alien to you. (107 min.)

—Anna

At the top of the musical mountain is rock singer Ellen Aim (Diane Lane), who becomes the kidnapping target for Raven Shaddock (Willem Defoe) and his gang of motorcycle thugs, The Bombers. Ellen’s old flame, ex-soldier Tom Cody (Michael Paré), just happens to be cruising through town, so Ellen’s manager, Billy Fish (Rick Moranis), hires Cody to rescue her. With his tough female accomplice, McCoy (Amy Madigan), Cody sets about this classic good vs. evil battle. With some atmospheric background music by Ry Cooder, a musical performance by The Blasters, and Ellen’s singing voice created by combining Laurie Sargent of Face to Face and Holly Sherwood, the film boasts a terrific

REIGNITED: Estranged paramours—Hollywood stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) and budding director Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt)—are reunited and discover their flame still burns bright, in the action comedy, The Fall Guy, screening in local theaters.

soundtrack. Upon its release, it got mixed reviews and bombed at the box office, earning just $8 million on a $14.5 million budget, but it went on to rightfully gain cult classic status. This film drips with cool. (93 min.)

THE OLD SWITCHEROO: Overworked mom Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her rebellious teenage daughter, Anna (Lindsay Lohan), switch bodies and lives in the 2003 Disney film Freaky Friday, screening at the Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo.

THE BOMBERS: A motorcycle gang led by Raven Shaddock (Willem Defoe, center) kidnaps a rock singer, setting off a citywide battle, in the 1984 flick Streets of Fire, screening at the Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo.

Keep up with events and its list of FFA chapter recipients on its website free-4494545.webadorsite.com.

processing, and pressing olives, all with students in mind.

beat the branches with them. They gathered the tarp with the olives that rained down and stored them in bins ready for milling.

Purposeful Edna Valley’s freshly bottled olive oil helps Central Coast FFA students achieve agricultural goals

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Purposeful Edna Valley founder Laurie Sances scanned her husband’s 20-year-old olive trees and thought of the children.

“I proposed that I could do a harvest and use it to try to create scholarship funds for agricultural students,” she said. “It’s a profession which is not maybe attracting as many students as it once had.”

Sances’ vision allowed the olive trees that shaded the assortment of crops

on her husband’s 10-acre Edna Valley farm to be plucked for the first time in January. It was a cool weather-induced late harvest compared to the usual picking time in October.

Sances told the Sun that she was driven by the concept of ikigai—meaning “a reason to live” or “purposeful”— encountered on a month-long stay in Japan. Paired with clinical dietician and part-time agricultural educator Wendy Minarik, the retired physical therapist began learning the art of harvesting,

The duo approached Kiler Ridge Olive Farm in Paso Robles for help.

“[Kiler Ridge Founders] Gregg Bone and Audrey [Burnam] came out to the farm and gave us an assessment of our crop harvest,” Sances said. “We had the oil milled within hours of the harvesting and bottled at their food-grade facility.”

Sances and Minarik gauged the supply and demand for Purposeful’s olive oil through an eight-hour harvest of the Spanish Arbequina and the Tuscan Pendolino, Leccino, and Frantoio olives. It proved to be a labor of love. They spread tarps beneath the trees, grabbed long-handled rakes, and

Over the course of one day in January, Sances, Minarik, and a dozen workers harvested 30 percent of the fruit from 450 olive trees. It produced 740 bottles of Purposeful’s custom Bella’s Blend of the Tuscan varietals and 70 bottles of the Spanish Arbequina olive oil called Mattie’s Arbequina—both named after two of Sances’ dogs. Purposeful has already sold out the latter.

“To get a quality oil, you can’t collect them from the ground if they’ve just fallen and [were] lying on the ground for days,” Sances said. “You need to harvest them and collect them and get them pressed very quickly to produce an olive oil that has a healthy fruity flavor and body.”

While the majority of Purposeful’s 375 milliliter bottles can be purchased at SLO’s Bishop’s Market, Wolff Vineyards, Saucelito Canyon Tasting Room, Baileyana Winery, and from Top Dog Coffee Bar in Morro Bay, Future

Farmers of America (FFA) chapters around the Central Coast enjoyed 40 percent of the total bottled olive oil as donations to supervised agricultural experience projects. Purposeful olive oils found themselves not only at Shandon High School, SLO High School, and Paso Robles High School in SLO County, but also at Everett Alvarez High School in Salinas and Ernest Righetti High School in Santa Maria. For Righetti freshman Mia Saucedo and junior Samantha McDonald, Purposeful olive oil flew off the shelves when their FFA chapter sold bottles on campus and from its booth at the Santa Maria Strawberry Festival in April.

“They donated four cases of 12 bottles of olive oil, which is a total of 48 bottles,” McDonald said. “We helped them sell them and we brought just over $500. The money is going to be used to help us with our awards banquet, which is coming up this May 15.”

McDonald, Saucedo, and the other FFA students sold Purposeful olive oil for $10 per bottle. They shared the

MINDFUL LABOR: Purposeful Edna Valley owner Laurie Sances participated in the debut harvest of her husband’s olive trees because she wanted to provide avenues of opportunity for local agricultural students.

PHOTOS

CANINE COMPANION: A dog lover, Purposeful Edna Valley owner Laurie Sances honored her pets Mattie and Bella on the inaugural bottles of olive oil, and she found Top Dog Café in Morro Bay to be a supplier of the product.

MOTHER’S DAY

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profits with the founders who, in turn, gave them a cut of the surplus.

Righetti’s FFA chapter is familiar with highquality olive oil. The campus houses young olive trees, according to FFA Advisor Miguel Guerra. A mobile press company comes and processes Righetti’s olives for free, and the FFA chapter sells the bottled oil to faculty and students to raise money for events and travels.

Though it sold out its share of Purposeful olive oil, the chapter looks forward to continuing working with Sances and Minarik. Guerra and his students said they enjoyed the taste of the olive oils, with the advisor even sampling the grassy and buttery notes in an offbeat way.

“Other people will cook with it but if you really appreciate the flavor, some bread to dip it in,” Guerra said. “But to me, two drops on vanilla ice cream make it taste really refreshing.”

FFA chapters looking to work with Purposeful can find the application for olive oil donation at the company’s website. It asks students about their business plans, career goals, and higher education plans. Sances told the Sun that she’s anticipating more chapters to contact her since Purposeful is now an established FFA donor.

But donating bottles to a higher volume of recipients means Purposeful must expand its rate of harvest. New to olive processing, Sances and Minarik are taking advantage of the educational resources around them, such as the classes offered by the Olive Oil Source in Santa Maria and at Paso Robles’ Kiler Ridge. They’re also tapping into the UC Davis olive program’s online courses.

“People in the community, the olive farmers who have been doing this for 35 years, have been willing to impart their knowledge and share and help us to learn and grow as well,” Sances said.

Eventually, she’d like to transform Purposeful into a nonprofit with a 501(c)(3) classification. Sances added that Purposeful’s early commitment

to serve as an FFA donor aimed to fill a gap in the opportunities available to students of agriculture.

“Whether it was conferences or competitions, a lot of these students will raise a farm animal and go to the fair and go through these processes, and many of them don’t have the land or the economic opportunity to raise a farm animal,” she said. “So this gives some of those students also a different agricultural opportunity and to actively participate in their FFA chapter.” m

New Times Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal, from the Sun’s sister paper, keeps her ears wide open for word of Purposeful olive oil sales. Notify her at brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.

MORE THAN OIL: Purposeful Olive Oil handed out recipe cards (available on its website) and free peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats to those who bought bottles of olive oil at the SLO Public Market grand opening of Bishop’s Market.

Obispo, CA 93401.

The public is hereby notified that the City of San Luis Obispo has received an application to demolish the building. If you have an interest in moving these buildings, please contact Nicole Monroe nmonroe@slocity.org

The