New Times, Jan. 26, 2023

BY NEW TIMES STAFF

For our annual Health and Wellness issue, we decided to look for nontraditional ways of exercising. Adults don’t necessarily have to be relegated to the gym or a standard sports league to get that blood moving. Turns out, nontraditional recreational opportunities abound in SLO County, including sword fighting [8] and dodgeball [12]. We also looked into college students’ sexual health awareness for the issue, and it turns out California’s sex ed programs don’t necessarily teach students what they need to know [10]. This week, you can also read about how SLO County’s new Board of Supervisors majority is already changing things [4], Art and Soul SLO [24], and purchasing wines that help local nonprofits [30]

Camillia

Kimberly Rosa, Jennifer Herbaugh, Lee Ann Vermeulen, Drew Gilmore, Eva Ryan

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT

Cindy Rucker

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Michael Antonette

OFFICE MANAGER Patricia Horton

OFFICE ASSISTANTS

Michael Gould, Taylor Gonzales

CONTRIBUTORS

Russell Hodin, Rob Brezsny, Anna Starkey, Andrew Christie, John Donegan, Cherish Whyte, John Ashbaugh, Adrian Vincent Rosas

CIRCULATION

Jim Chaney

DISTRIBUTION

Tom Falconer, Dennis Flately, Edward Barnett, John Jiminenz, Bernadette Miller

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SLO County supervisors change priorities, policy directions

San Luis Obispo County’s new Board of Supervisors majority wasted no time on Jan. 24 making its imprint on the future of county policies and priorities.

In a series of 3-2 votes made during its first regular business meeting of 2023, the Board of Supervisors set in motion a new agenda that seeks to undo several of the prior board’s most impactful decisions.

Included in that direction: discarding the Patten redistricting map; repealing the new Paso Robles planting ordinance; evaluating the potential for joining Central Coast Community Energy and rejoining the Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA); and reforming the county’s campaign finance regulations.

Fourth District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding characterized the proposed changes—discussed as part of an agenda item on next year’s budget priorities—as “correcting course on misguided past partisan board decisions.”

“I’m just going to lay it out there,” Paulding said at the meeting, as he ran through a list.

Paulding found common ground on his proposals with 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson and 3rd District Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg.

Gibson said he felt a sense of urgency around the Paso planting ordinance, which takes effect in March. The ordinance—crafted by the prior board and opposed by organized agriculture—overhauled Paso’s groundwater regulations. He made a motion to schedule a special meeting on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m., to notice a repeal hearing that will be held on Feb. 7.

Discussing the possibility of becoming a member of Central Coast Community Energy and rejoining the IWMA, Paulding said his aim is to make regional collaboration a priority for the county.

“It will not only result in lower garbage rates,” Paulding claimed about rejoining the IWMA, “but signal to the cities and CSDs that we as a county pride ourselves on regionalism and good governance and we want to work with partner agencies.”

Paulding also spoke about redistricting— announcing that he would like to see a new map

County, federal services help agricultural community affected by floods

Tom Ikeda, a produce grower for the Pismo Oceano Vegetable Exchange (POVE) cooperative, is ready to wade through wet croplands and assess the damage caused when the Arroyo Grande Creek levee gave out.

“We got so much rain in a short amount of time with very little drying time,” he said. “A lot of the damage is from not being able to get into the fields to feed crops with our nutrient program.”

The levee—ruptured by record rainfall in San Luis Obispo County that started on Jan. 8—sent a deluge of water into farmland, washing away the possibilities of healthy produce and a decent fiscal year for much of the agricultural community. For POVE, that meant several hundred acres of soaked cropland and wrecked baby bok choy, parsley, and cover crops. Ikeda said that their soil is still wet and thinks that the monetary damage could reach more than $100,000 at a minimum.

“The big issue for us is the food safety factor,” Ikeda said. “We have to do things to mitigate [contamination]. That means holding off on planting and possibly testing to see if flood waters brought in anything that is a food safety risk like bacteria.”

replace the county’s 2021-adopted Patten map.

A few hours later, after a closed session meeting, County Counsel Rita Neal reported out that she received board direction by 3-2 vote to enter into settlement negotiations in the litigation challenging the Patten map.

In each of the 3-2 votes on Jan. 24, it was 1st District Supervisor John Peschong and 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold who dissented.

hard on and spent money on.”

In addition to changing course on various prior policies, the new board majority also set new budget priorities.

Led by Gibson, the board voted 3-2 to have two tiers of top priorities. The first tier included homelessness, behavioral health, and housing; and the second tier included water resiliency, storm recovery, and economic development.

Arnold, who dissented, expressed dismay that the board removed “road maintenance” from the priority list.

“It took me five years to get roads as a priority put on this chart,” Arnold said. “I’ve run for supervisor in

“I just don’t think all of this … any of it I don’t want to see happen,” Arnold said during the roll call vote on the Paso basin ordinance repeal, “to deconstruct something that our past board worked

Ikeda and his POVE peers are a few of the growers across the county who are feeling the financial pinch. Marc Lea, the county’s assistant agricultural commissioner, told New Times that the floods affected North County areas like Adelaida and Creston, the Edna Valley, and South County fields in Oceano and Nipomo.

“It’s interesting because typically we have freezes and droughts, and only certain crop types are impacted,” Lea said. “[Now,] there are flooded crops but there is a lot more damaged infrastructure like broken fencing. The damage has more to do with the geographic location.”

Lea said that his office doesn’t directly assist with financial compensation to the county’s farmers. But the SLO County agricultural commissioner’s department compares crop losses to the annual crop report to get an idea of what percentage of crops were lost in the county, and then figures out what state and federal programs affected individuals are eligible for. Through the Office of Emergency Services, the county’s gathering damage reports from growers via Twitter, where the office put out a call for information. So far, the county has received 30 entries.

“This is very unusual,” Lea said. “We’ve never been involved in a [crop damage] situation where FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] and a disaster declaration are also involved.”

this county four times and always the public, it’s all about potholes. It’s half the time a joke, but it’s not a joke. … I’m so sad and sorry we’re doing this.” ∆

—Peter Johnson

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is participating in farm relief too. Its spokesperson, Brooke Raffaele, advised growers to contact the local USDA service center for financial help. Find those centers online at farmers.gov/working-withus/service-center-locator.

“To expedite FSA [Farm Service Agency] disaster assistance, you will likely need to provide documents, such as farm records, herd inventory, receipts, and pictures of damages or losses,” she said.

Other resources are available, too. Landowners facing losses can visit farmers.gov and make use of the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool. Crop insurance agents can also help with claims. Raffaele added that people can learn more about FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs at the USDA service center on 65 Main St., suite 106, in Templeton or call (805) 4340396. South County farmers who are closer to Santa Barbara County can also visit the Santa Maria service center at 920 E. Stowell Road or call (805) 928-9269.

Ikeda and POVE are also looking into NRCS programs. But with the recents rains, Ikeda is optimistic.

NEW AGENDA The new SLO County Board of Supervisors majority of Bruce Gibson, Jimmy Paulding, and Dawn Ortiz-Legg (left to right) set a new direction for county priorities on Jan. 24.

FILE PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

“All the farmers understand that we need rain, maybe not that quickly and at that rate. But they understand that it’s better to get a lot than not enough,” he said. “It’s more inconvenient than unwelcome.”

—Bulbul Rajagopal

FEMA opens disaster recovery center at SLO

Vets’ Hall

San Luis Obispo County residents impacted by the recent floods can now meet in-person with federal, state, and local officials about getting recovery assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened a disaster recovery center on Jan. 24 at the SLO Veterans Hall—a move triggered by President Joe Biden’s declaration of a major disaster in SLO County.

Open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., the disaster recovery center has a plethora of government agencies and nonprofits on-site, whose staff can walk flood victims through the process of applying for relief.

“It gives you a place to go to meet faceto-face with someone,” said Renee Bafalis, a FEMA media relations specialist. “Our centers are set up as a kind of a one-stop shop where survivors can get information. FEMA’s role really is to jumpstart people’s recovery process.”

Bafalis explained that FEMA and its partner agencies can help flood victims in many ways. By going in-person to the disaster center, locals can navigate the system much more efficiently than by phone or the web. She recommended residents bring in their receipts, insurance letters, and other important documents related to storm impacts.

“Our individual assistance programs offer quite a few different options,” she said. “We can help with personal property losses, minor repairs, child care expenses. … Some of it has to do with rental assistance. … There are quite a few different options you may have.”

As of Jan. 25, a total of 790 residents in SLO County registered for FEMA assistance, with $311,000 in relief already approved.

The maximum amount of individual assistance that FEMA can provide is about $40,000 per person—but that’s in rare circumstances, Bafalis said.

“It’s usually a few thousand dollars here and there. Every situation is different,” she said. “It’s hard to say you’re going to get ‘x’

amount. That’s going to be determined on an individual basis.”

Bafalis added that FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) work hand in hand during disaster recoveries, and it’s common for flood victims to be required to fill out forms for both agencies. She said doing so is often mandatory in order to receive assistance.

“They have to go through the process. If they don’t, it stops their application right there,” she said.

If the floods caused property damage, FEMA will reach out to schedule a time to send an inspector to look at the property. That inspection is a critical step for securing assistance.

“Once you go through the process of registering, we’ll have an inspector reach out to you to come to your location to document all the damages,” she said. “They become your advocate. They know your situation.”

The local disaster center will remain open as long as the need is there, Bafalis said.

“We don’t have an end date,” she said. “We’ll be here until the needs of the community are met.”

—Peter Johnson

Local organizations provide aid to displaced renters

SLO County renter and resident Julie Whitlow is between a rock and a hard place.

The flooding that hit SLO County on Jan. 9 left her residence uninhabitable, forcing Whitlow and her 19-year-old autistic son to find more hospitable accommodations.

“It was scary because he didn’t want to leave the house. He didn’t want to walk through the water,” Whitlow said. “Eventually, the water receded and we got out, and all the suggestions were to go to a Red Cross, but it’s not really a compatible environment for him. So we went to a hotel and we’ve been in a hotel ever since.”

Many SLO County renters are in a similar predicament after the storms and ensuing flood damage, with more questions than answers.

“I’ve been in a hotel since the 9th, paying out of pocket $150 a night plus taxes and fees,” she said. “It’s all going on a credit card, but [I’m] hoping down the road, I get some relief from FEMA or somehow state, local [agencies].

Organizations such as the SLO Legal Assistance Foundation (SLOLAF) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can play a part in providing resources and answering any questions that

displaced renters might have. Francisco Ramirez, SLOLAF’s outreach coordinator, said that while most people typically ask about rent increases, recently displaced tenants have a different question in mind— do they still have to pay rent?

“If they [the landlord] are helping you [by] putting you up in the place and they’re helping you find a hotel and they’re paying for it. Yes, because that’s how they’re paying for that,” Ramirez said. “If you are not getting any help from them, then you need to either speak up or talk to them or consult, so one of my lawyers can direct you to the right direction.”

FEMA can help with a variety of things, says Renee Bafalis, the organization’s media relations specialist. The federal agency can assist displaced tenants by providing rental assistance, temporary housing assistance, and monetary assistance for personal property losses.

“Our role is just to help you get back on your feet. Start the recovery process, not to get you back to where you were before the flood,” Bafalis said. “Our role is limited in what we can provide.”

Surviving a natural disaster can be terrifying and overwhelming, and Whitlow can attest to that.

“I’m a little still overwhelmed by all of it. To kind of lose a lifetime of stuff, real quick. I know it’s just stuff but it’s still kind of shocking,” Whitlow said.

Ramirez said that renters are at more of a disadvantage than homeowners due to lack of resources, or that some renter families may fall into a lower income bracket, making it more difficult to replace their belongings or find new housing. But not all hope is lost. Ramirez urges tenants to ask for help as soon as possible.

“Ask around. Ask your neighbors. Ask your friends. Ask people around you, don’t just not do anything, because somebody will give you at least some kind of help, or direction or a phone number,” Ramirez said.

These resources and any additional questions displaced tenants may have can be addressed at the Disaster Recovery Center, located at the Veterans Memorial Building. The center is staffed with representatives from aid organizations like FEMA, SLOLAF, and various county agencies. It’s not the end of the road if FEMA initially denies a claim for assistance, Bafalis said.

“Folks in those centers will be able to help you find out what the [FEMA] letter was referring to and what kind of materials you need in response,” Bafalis said. “They can actually help you write that appeal. So

those are the kinds of things that we really are working with folks to make sure that they’re receiving information and the proper response that they need.”

—Shwetha Sundarrajan

SLO County DA charges Nathan Abate for sexual abuse

Close to a year after an influx of sexual assault allegations poured out against them, two San Luis Obispo County men are confronted by the law.

On Jan. 19, Sheriff’s detectives arrested 34-year-old Nathan Abate—the owner of a barbershop in Atascadero—on charges of oral copulation with a minor and rape by use of drugs against another person.

The criminal complaint filed by the District Attorney’s Office referred to both survivors as Jane Does. The first felony allegedly took place on or between Aug. 16, 2008, and June 30, 2009. The second reportedly occurred on or between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2010.

“Said person [Doe #2] was prevented from resisting by an intoxicating, anesthetic, and controlled substance, and this condition was known, and reasonably should have been known by the defendant,” the complaint states.

Abate’s bail was posted at $500,000 on Jan. 19. Bail conditions will be set at the prepreliminary hearing on Feb. 9 at the SLO Superior Court. It will be presided over by Judge Barry LaBarbera.

As of Jan. 25, Sheriff’s detectives were still searching for Julian Contreras, who is also accused of sexual assault charges stemming from the same investigation. Contreras used to own the SLO-based Kin Coffee, which continues to be steeped in controversy.

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla said that they were unable to comment on the locations of the search. He added that the arrest warrant for Contreras doesn’t expire.

For Ashley Riddell, Abate’s arrest was more than she had hoped for. Last April, Riddell was the whistleblower who publicly accused Abate and Contreras of assaulting her roughly a decade ago. Her statements prompted approximately 30 other women to reveal their alleged experiences of abuse from the pair.

“It’s kind of the biggest feeling ever, seeing this result. Nate’s charges are bigger results than I ever thought,” Riddell said.

Riddell no longer lives in SLO County but told New Times that she’s prepared to

cooperate with local court proceedings if officials need her to. She added that she welcomes the change in SLO’s social climate.

“For 10 years, it used to be incredibly frustrating. When I would tell people what happened, they’d be all, ‘Yeah, I’ve heard this before.’ I was new in town when I met them,” she said. “Now, it’s finally happening. There’s a collective feeling, and I’m happy it will change. At least in the San Luis community, I don’t think they [Abate and Contreras] can continue operating the way they have been.”

—Bulbul Rajagopal

Atascadero Barrel Creek project gets pushback from residents

A proposed mixed-use development in Atascadero is getting some mixed reviews from residents.

The project, commonly known as Barrel Creek, has been in the works for the past two to three years, city Community Development Director Phil Dunsmore said. Introduced by developer Eric Tienken and RRM Design Group as a way to introduce a “destination entertainment venue” to the area, the development is located in the northwest corner of Highway 101 and Del Rio Road.

Barrel Creek would include 20 single family residential lots, 40 apartment units, a 120-room hotel, and 53,500 square feet of commercial space.

“In a little bit of a way [it’s] a horizontal mixed-use project with tourist-serving uses, some retail, and some residential to kind

of give it a buffering and blending to the neighborhood as we get away from Highway 101,” Dunsmore told New Times

Described as a “northern gateway to Atascadero” by RRM architect Scott Martin at the Jan. 17 city Planning Commission meeting, Barrel Creek has been met with some opposition. Resident Anne Gallagher asked why the city couldn’t develop unused retail properties like the old Kmart plaza located at El Camino and San Anselmo instead of erecting the project in a “peaceful residential area.”

Dunsmore told New Times that the city can’t control what property owners do with their properties, adding that the project still has to jump through multiple hoops, such as gaining approval from the Planning Commission and the City Council and having a completed environmental analysis.

“If the city had our choice, we would look at developing the center of the city first and looking at all of the underutilized properties closest to the downtown core, before we go out further and further and further and look at vacant properties,” he said.

Resident Madeline Rothman was concerned about the project’s potential environmental impacts on Graves Creek.

“The serious and deleterious environmental impacts would include noise pollution, light pollution, air and water pollution caused by increased traffic on San Ramon and Del Rio Road, with toxic laden runoff impairing the water quality of Graves Creek,” Rothman wrote in

an email to the Planning Commission.

While the Barrel Creek project will change the area if it’s approved, Dunsmore told New Times that the impacts won’t be too damaging.

“It certainly changes the area. It will create minor additional air quality changes, it will create minor additional traffic changes, and upgrade minor additional noise changes. But none of those are changes that cannot be mitigated,” Dunsmore explained. “The proposed environmental analysis does propose mitigation and reduces all those impacts to less than significant. So that’s a really important factor.”

Rothman isn’t alone in her concerns about Barrel Creek. Other residents have voiced concerns regarding increased traffic on San Ramon Road.

“I fear that life’s simple pleasures will disappear, never to return if this project comes to fruition in its current proposal,” resident Dave Watson wrote to the commission. “Some neighbors have or have had horses and 4-H/FFA animals. Are we just collateral damage? For a developer?!? ... 62 years, I’ve lived here … on San Ramon Road. Please consider the ramifications.”

Dunsmore told New Times that residents’ concerns about increased traffic, increased noise levels, and street lighting will be taken into consideration and discussed at the next Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 7. “Anytime you change anything in a community or neighborhood, there’s always

Continuing the legacy at French Hospital

French Hospital Medical Center is pleased to welcome our new President and CEO, Patrick Caster, who is proud to lead the team with 25 years of progressive health care leadership experience.

Patrick remains committed to being at the forefront of care and continuing the legacy of quality that French Hospital is known for, such as the recent recognition by Leapfrog for patient safety. French is one of only 22

hospitals in the country to be awarded an “A” in every Hospital Safety Grade cycle since the cycle began in 2012.

The success of the hospital and Patrick’s vision of superior care for all will serve the community well into the future.

We welcome Patrick to French Hospital and the community of San Luis Obispo!

concern about the end result and is that change going to be positive or negative? And I think that’s the concern,” Dunsmore said. “Our staff can offer our thoughts on it and our thoughts on the environment [but] at the end of the day, it’s really up to the community. ... We want to hear what the community wants to see there, and if they don’t want it, that’s OK.”

—Shwetha Sundarrajan

Clarification

In a Jan. 12 story, “The volunteers of Meade Canine Rescue & Sanctuary chip away at an insurmountable problem” (Jan. 12), New Times reported that “dogs in kill shelters, like the county’s San Luis Obispo Animal Services, typically have about a 72-hour window to be adopted before they’re put down,” which may be construed to suggest SLO County’s Animal Services euthanizes dogs after 72 hours. This is not the case. Animal Services holds stray dogs for at least five business days to give owners an opportunity to come forward and reclaim their pet before offering them for adoption. SLO County Animal Services rehoming rate is about 94 percent.

Correction

In the Jan. 12 Strokes & Plugs, “SLO-based designer redefines smaller living spaces with Room,” New Times misidentified Timon Phillips’ occupation—he’s a residential designer—and incorrectly referred to Nick Miller’s last name. New Times regrets the errors. ∆

PATRICK CASTER President and CEO

French Hospital Medical Center

Baseball, football, soccer, volleyball, tennis—the list is long when it comes to commonplace recreational sports. But when your body doesn’t move like it used to, set your sights upon a unique, sharper form of exercise: sword ghting.

At Central Coast Aikido Kendo, head instructor Jason Carter breaks down the intricacies of the Japanese sport.

“It’s beating other people with sticks—it’s awesome. And, it’s totally legal,” Carter said with a laugh. “By participant count, it’s the most popular martial art in Japan, more people do Kendo than all other martial arts combined.”

Carter explained that Japanese samurai developed Kendo as a way to practice sword ghting without using real steel swords, which in turn evolved into its own martial art by the 1800s. Today, participants wield bamboo swords while decked out in armor that Carter jokingly described as “Darth Vader, but without the cape.”

Although Carter fenced in college, he discovered Kendo in his early 20s while he was living in Japan.

“I did a lot of Western sports, like mountain biking, road biking, fencing, cross country in college and high school. A lot of the athletes in what I was doing were hitting their peak in their [early 20s],” Carter said. “But a lot of the greatest guys in Kendo were in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. So it had a much longer participant life expectancy.”

When Carter moved to the Central Coast, he realized that there were no other Kendo dojos in the area, prompting him to open up his own dojo, Central Coast Aikido Kendo. “ ere’s a long history of Kendo on the Central Coast because it was introduced by the rst generation of Japanese farmers that lived in SLO all the way down to Lompoc,” Carter explained. “ ey had Kendo dojos in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but most of those were wiped out with the internment of Japanese people during WWII. Most of those Kendo dojos never rebooted.”

He began teaching Kendo in Paso Robles in 2004 before eventually expanding to SLO, Lompoc, Santa Maria, and Vandenberg. Before rushing to sign up for a class, people should think about what they want out of the sport, Carter said. Unlike Western forms of swordplay like fencing, Carter says that Kendo

goes beyond just competition—it’s a way of life.

“You have to come at it with a patient attitude because it’s something you’re set to do for the whole length of your life, and mastery does not come quickly,” Carter said.

“If it’s something you want to have fun at and do it quickly and be very casual at, then that’s a di erent sport.”

Class prices vary depending on the location—in Lompoc and Santa Maria, classes can cost anywhere from $30 to $35 a month. Advanced Kendo classes take place for free at the San Luis Obispo Buddhist Temple, although Carter recommends donating money to the temple.

For more sword than stick, at Blackfriar’s School of Fence history bu s and selfproclaimed nerds like Jenna Johnson can put their historical fantasy knowledge to the test.

“We’re really just a group of friends that just get together,” Johnson said. “We’re all a bunch of nerds who like fantasy, historical stu , that sort of thing, and we enjoy the sport of sword ghting and learning the history of it.”

Blackfriar’s exclusively specializes in European martial arts, learning how to ght with weapons like the longsword, saber, dagger, and more. ese ghting techniques are derived from ancient manuscripts, which can now be readily accessed online, namely through the Historical European Martial Arts, aka HEMA.

“We’re going back in time, in a sense, and we’re learning from the original manuscripts and trying to reinvent the wheel,” Johnson said. “ e original people who started out getting into this sport had to kind of gure things out. People are still looking at stu and trying to gure out exactly how to move for these di erent guards.”

However, don’t expect to start sparring with steel swords right o the bat. Wooden swords hurt plenty if you push hard enough, Johnson explained. Once you get the fundamentals down, students graduate to using a more solid, synthetic sword—one that has a metal grip with what Johnson calls a “nylon plastic” blade.

“And those are good because they have a little bit of ex. Once you become good at that, you graduate to steel,” Johnson said. “ e only way you can really let people start picking up steel is if they’re fully kitted out. ey have all the gear because we don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

And it takes quite a bit of strength to wield these swords. Johnson describes sword ghting as akin to a full-body workout.

“But you have to kind of think ahead so you’ve got your mind engaged. You have to be fast, you have to react. So your arms are being used a lot,” Johnson said. “Your legs, the power comes from your legs. e fact that we’re moving in a circular motion, so there’s kind of pivoting.”

For partakers of the sport like Veronica Heilman, the satisfaction of being able defend herself against an opponent makes ghting with a longsword appealing.

“ ere’s a lot of adrenaline in it. When somebody has [what’s] not a real sword but it’s still a stick coming out real fast, it gets the adrenaline pumping, and it feels really good to be able to defend yourself from something like that,” Heilman said.

Johnson said that sword ghting is perfect for those who feel nervous about high performance sports.

“ e nice thing about HEMA is that, in my experience, it has been a wonderful environment to be in if you want to do something athletic but you’re worried about being judged or worried about not being good enough or worried about being able to t in and do it,” Johnson said.

But those with a competitive streak can opt to participate in competitions, such as the upcoming tournament, SoCal Sword ght 2023.

“A handful of us are competitors,” Johnson said. “But there are quite a few of us who are brand new, who are just learning, or just there to hang out and to have fun. So kind of a mix.”

If you need more convincing to take a class at Blackfriar’s School of Fence, allow Heilman to provide a compelling reason to sign up.

“Why sword ghting? Because if you say you’re a basketball player, yeah, that’s pretty cool,” Heilman said. “You go to a bar and you tell a guy or a gal that, ‘I know how to sword ght. I’m a swordswoman. I have a sword at home.’ at’s a good thing on your dating résumé.” ∆ Contact Sta Writer Shwetha Sundarrajan at shwetha@newtimesslo.com.

EN GARDE Jenna Johnson (left) of SLO’s Blackfriar School of Fence faces an opponent at the Salt Lake Open tournament that took place Oct. 14 and 15, 2022.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAYTONA SANDS

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Starkly similar H HEALTH & WELLNESS

2023

Dr. Joni Roberts moved to California from Mississippi believing that sexual wellness awareness among young people on the West Coast would be higher.

“If you’re familiar with sexual health in Mississippi, or in the South, in general, it is night and day, from Southern U.S. to the Western U.S.,” she said. “In Mississippi, it is state law that any sexual education courses that are taught in K-12 cannot be comprehensive; it has to be abstinence, or abstinence-plus. In fact, teachers could get arrested if they even attempted to talk about safe sex with condoms, and so forth.”

Other surprising discoveries came as a result of Roberts moving from a racially diverse student population in Mississippi to Cal Poly—statistically the whitest campus in the California State University (CSU) system.

“Something I thought that was unique here within the white population—and I haven’t been able to test this in other predominantly white spaces—is there is a complete level of trust that students seem to have,” she said.

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An assistant professor in Cal Poly’s Department of Kinesiology and Public Health, Roberts runs a sexual and reproductive health lab. After moving to San Luis Obispo County in 2019, she spearheaded a 2020 assessment that studied knowledge and beliefs around sexual health held by Cal Poly students.

Unlike Mississippi, California school districts must teach comprehensive sex education courses at least one time each in middle school and high school. ese schools are bound by the state’s Healthy Youth Act of 2016, which promotes unbiased and accurate sexual health and HIV prevention education. Roberts had high expectations for the results of such a progressive program.

“It was surprising to me, because I sort of had this bias going in,” she said. “What we found is that there’s still a lot of misconceptions as far as what students knew. en there was practice that was di erent.”

Roberts said that while Cal Poly students participating in the study knew theoretically what safe sex entailed, that knowledge didn’t necessarily translate to practice. e assessment revealed that students didn’t use protection methods—such as dental dams during oral sex—and there was a lack of safe sex conversations between partners. In fact, 43 percent of participating students said that they wouldn’t refuse to have sex if their partner refused to use a condom.

Roberts added that the two main themes that cropped up during the study were “cleanliness”—a term participants used to describe STI (sexually-transmitted infection) status—and gender-based di erences.

e results of the study prompted Roberts to introduce sex education modules in her lab. On Feb. 9, she’ll be joined by kinesiology and public health major Gabriella Snow and biology major Alexa Asson to host a campus sex education seminar as part of the seventh annual Social Justice Teach In workshops.

Roberts described sexual health as everything regarding an individual’s body and what they choose to do with it. She’s interested in learning more about young people’s mindset about it.

“So, whether that is engaging in sexual intercourse—whether that’s oral, anal, or vaginal-penile,” she said. “What are the thought processes that they sort of go through before they get to a decision? How do they go from being in their home at 2 o’clock on an afternoon, to having sex at 10 p.m. on the same day?”

Roberts—a Jamaican raised in the Caribbean—found herself using the phrase “blind trust” often, especially after her lab followed up with the white students who participated in the quantitative section of the survey.

“It didn’t matter how long they were in a relationship with their partner, whether it was a few months or several years,” Roberts said. “But there was this assumption that they could not get an STI from their partner because their partner was faithful to them.

ey believed that wholeheartedly. at’s something that I did not experience before, especially among communities of color.”

White students, too, seem more con dent in their sex lives, Roberts said. Con dence didn’t necessarily begin at home either. Roberts said that outside support systems like clubs and organizations, which students could access based on their economic privilege, played a big role in sexual wellness. While she acknowledged that the present generation of young people is more vocal about sex than their predecessors, race and economic issues still exist.

“Especially here at Cal Poly, where we are known as the whitest CSU, it is not uncommon then to have more students of color have more negative experiences,” Roberts said. “ at’s something that was

reported: Students felt fetishized by their white counterparts, or they weren’t taken as seriously in relationships. ose are their reported experiences compared to their white counterparts.”

In Roberts’ experience, many students’ misconceptions about sexual health centered around the de nition of virginity, queer relationships, and lax attitudes toward STIs. Her lab team is also focusing on including the voices of queer and cisgender male students. One of those team members is Anoushka Samuel, a second-year Cal Poly student.

“I think there are so many gaps in our sexual health education right now,” said the born-and-raised Californian. “ e only time I remember learning about it was a mandatory video we had to watch in the fth grade, and then again in one of my biology classes in high school but barely touching on STIs.”

Samuel specializes in research around menstrual products and their use. She said it’s an integral part of understanding sexual wellness, and she advocates for Cal Poly to stock menstrual products in all campus restrooms.

“ e use of menstrual products is a good way to gauge cultural di erences,” she said.

“Like the whole thing about whether using tampons means losing your virginity or not.”

Roberts attributed the lower-thanexpected sexual wellness awareness in California to some loopholes in the Healthy Youth Act. Every school district can choose a di erent curriculum for sex education. When the time rolls around for a middle or high school to provide that one-time discourse, parents can write in and deny permission for their kid to participate.

en, there’s the matter of when the student received sex education.

“Say, maybe I received it in seventh grade, and then I didn’t receive it again until 12th grade. Well, by the time it comes back around in 12th, grade, I likely forgot what I learned in seventh grade,” Roberts said. e length of time between each sex education course might also be long enough that students learn from other sources of information.

“I likely may have been experimenting between that time. By the time I get the o cial education from the school system, I would have already been learning from my peers,” she hypothesized.

“ ere’ll be people around me who would be engaging in things or telling me things; they would be my primary source of education—not to mention social media, which is very common in this age range.” ∆

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

A Cal Poly professor from Mississippi reveals that young people’s sexual health awareness isn’t so different in California

NEW FINDINGS Dr. Joni Roberts and her Cal Poly research lab conducted a campus sexual health awareness survey in 2020, which sparked the need to host more sex ed programs among young people.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. JONI ROBERTS

Joyous chaos

Achorus of thuds reverberates o the walls at San Luis Obispo Ludwick Community Center on Jan. 23 as a few dozen people trickle in, set their phones and keys down, and take practice throws.

Colorful, foam- lled balls bounce around the gym. Returning participants at this weekly community game greet each other and chat. First-timers, like me, take in the scene and think back to the last time they played dodgeball (for me, it was middle school P.E.).

Around 6:15 p.m., organizers chipperly ask us to line up. e thuds stop. Standing shoulder to shoulder along the baseline, we are tonight’s dodgeball players—college students and young professionals, moms and dads, the super-athletic and not-so-athletic.

After getting a quick rundown of the rules of dodgeball, we split into two teams. Lining up on opposite sides of the court, the countdown begins.

“3 … 2 … 1 … Dodgeball!”

e next 90 minutes are a continuous blur of sprinting, shu ing, jumping, throwing, catching, laughing, cheering, and chatting. We play one game after another, after another, after another until most of our shirts are drenched in sweat.

“Dodgeball is a great athletic sport, actually,” remarks Stephen Saunders, a regular player at Ludwick for the past ve years or so. “You have to throw and catch.

ere are quick 10-yard sprints you have to do. It’s athletic.”

He’s not joking. Dodgeball games are constant motion and action—to the point where it’s almost comical. Twenty to 30 people are running around scrambling for

balls, dodging throws (or not dodging them), catching balls, batting balls to teammates, jumping in the air, all until one team has no players left. en, the teams switch sides of the court, and it starts all over again.

“3 … 2 … 1 … Dodgeball!”

“Dodgeball is the highlight of my week,” says Owen Hughes, who’s one of the best athletes in the group. “It’s very intense. It’s constant sprinting. You’re hu ng and pu ng. I feel like I’m a gladiator in an arena. It’s exhilarating!”

e beauty of dodgeball, I found, is it can showcase the athleticism of its best players without alienating those who maybe can’t pull o the same stunts. For example, a less con dent player, even by lurking behind the action, can still make a key catch that brings back an eliminated player. Everyone is

involved and can play their own way.

“You can still make a di erence on your team even if you’re the last person in,” says Michael Doremus, another regular. “A catch at the end of the game could totally change the whole dynamic.”

ese free, weekly games of community dodgeball in SLO started years ago, thanks to a guy from Los Angeles named Neal Jacobson. Jacobson has since moved back to LA, but a group of dedicated players, like Josh Cohen, the owner of Foothill Cyclery in SLO, have helped keep them going.

“It’s just a great way to blow o steam,” Cohen says. “It’s fun. ere’s not a lot of risk. You can get out a lot of energy. And it’s a real nice environment, as opposed to being something so insanely competitive.”

Inclusion and lightheartedness are at the core of this activity. Each week’s game draws a di erent group—there are the regulars, the every-so-oftens, and the newcomers— and e orts are made to avoid dividing into cliques. It’s all about building a common community and breaking a sweat, according to the regulars.

“ e vibes are great,” Saunders says. “ ere’s good camaraderie. It’s a good community. You get to know the people— they’re really positive, uplifting people.” e dodgeball organizers have talked over the years about forming a competitive league someday. But attendance is inconsistent and that type of formal competition brings about its own headaches, anyway. For now, they say they’re content with what they have: a fun, weekly outlet for the community to come together, get some exercise, and play a kids’ game.

“It is just so fun,” Doremus says. “ ere’s a reason that kids play it in grade school.”

Δ

Contact Assistant Editor Peter Johnson at pjohnson@newtimesslo.com.

12 • New Times • January 26 - February 2, 2023 • www.newtimesslo.com

SLO Dodgeball delivers childlike fun, great exercise, and an inclusive community

PHOTOS

BY PETER JOHNSON

DEATH NOTICES

BANKER, PATRICIA “PATSY”, 92, of Oceano passed away 1/14/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

BLAKE, NELDA BEATRICE, 88, of Morro Bay passed away 1/3/2023 arrangements with Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park

BOYLES, PATRICIA L., 81, of San Luis Obispo passed away 12/18/2022 arrangements with Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park

CARAMELLI, ELAINE F., 96, of Tucson, AZ passed away 12/5/2022 arrangements with Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park

CHANG, BEVERLY, 67, of Atascadero passed away 1/11/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

CRIBBS, CAROL GRACE, 73, of Los Osos passed away 12/15/2022 arrangements with Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park

CURIEL, SALVADOR “SAL” B., 59, of Santa Maria passed away 1/17/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

DIAMOND, GEORGE K., 79, of Santa Maria passed away 1/12/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

GARDNER, EDDIE, 75, of Arroyo Grande passed away 1/13/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

GIBSON, LAURIE, 96, of Paso Robles passed away 1/18/2023 arrangements with Blue Sky Cremation Service

GUPTON, RONALD FRANK JR., 55, of San Luis Obispo passed away 12/5/2022 arrangements with Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park

HENDREN, SUZAN, 81, of Grover Beach passed away 1/10/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

HERSH, BERNICE “BOOTS”, 91, of Santa Maria passed away 1/22/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

ISHAM, ROBIN, 68, of Templeton passed away 1/10/2023 arrangements with Blue Sky Cremation Service

JOHANKNECHT, GEORGE “PHIL”, 89, of Arroyo Grande passed away 1/19/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

JORGENSEN, JOYCE, 65, of Santa Maria passed away 1/10/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory KELLER, ROBERT JR., 86, of Morro Bay passed away 1/15/2023 arrangements with Blue Sky Cremation Service

KIRKPATRICK, MICHELLE RENE-E, 63, of Los Osos passed away 1/5/2023 arrangements with Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park

LARSON, MAMIE LOUISE, 98, of Bakersfield passed away 12/26/2022 arrangements with Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park

LEON, HENRY L., 74, of Santa Maria passed away 1/17/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

MARTIN, EMERY EUGENE, 85, of Nipomo passed away 1/18/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

MILLS, THOMAS NEWTON, 78, of Los Osos passed away 12/21/2022 arrangements with Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park

MOFFATT, JUDY ANN, 83, of Santa Maria passed away 1/19/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

MONTGOMERY, RUTH ARDELLA, 99, of Los Osos passed away 12/10/2022 arrangements with Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park

MULLINS, GLADYS A., 87, of Santa Maria passed away 1/19/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

MUNOZ, WILLIAM “BILL”, 98, of Santa Maria passed away 1/19/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

PARDO, TERESA “TERRY”, 87, of Santa Maria passed away 1/20/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

PARK, KEUM SEON, 86, of Nipomo passed away 12/9/2022 arrangements with Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park

PAZ, ROSEMARY LARA, 77, of Santa Maria passed away 1/15/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

RIGGS, GREGORY, 78, of Santa Maria passed away 1/22/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

ROMO, BONNIE, 65, of Atascadero passed away 1/10/2023 arrangements with Blue Sky Cremation Service

SCHILLING, DARCUS “PAT”, 96, of Pismo Beach passed away 1/15/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

SCHLIGHT, FERN, 99, of Arroyo Grande passed away 1/13/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

SMITH, LEO “LEE”, 87, of Nipomo passed away 1/9/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

WAJDA, WALTER L., 83, of Santa Maria passed away 1/13/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

ZEPEDA, MICKEY SR, 65, of Santa Maria passed away 1/9/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

BY PETER JOHNSON

Young responders

Isaac Vigil, 21, joined the California Conservation Corps last year to jumpstart a future career in wildland firefighting.

But like most young Conservation Corps members in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria, Vigil put all that on hold in mid January when historic floods hit the Central Coast.

Vigil and dozens of his peers were among the first to respond to local areas hardest hit by the storms.

Local Corps teams were dispatched across the county during the week of Jan. 9. Their assignments—handed out by county and state Offices of Emergency Services—ranged from filling sandbags at Cal Poly to working alongside inmate crews at the Arroyo Grande Creek levee.

As a second storm approached SLO County on Jan. 16, Corps members worked long days to clear debris from the creek— helping South County avoid another round of levee flooding.

“We were doing chainsaw work, removing trees and debris and whatever was needed to create better water flow for the next rains,” Anderson explained.

As recently as Jan. 22, the Corps had another team dispatched to the Salinas River to assist Cal Fire with the search for Kyle Doan, the missing 5-year-old swept away by Jan. 9 floodwaters. Another Corps team had just traveled to Stockton to help with flood damage there.

“We just got notice that they’re going to keep us [in Stockton] for another week and a half,” Anderson said.

While the Conservation Corps as a group generally flies under the radar, Anderson said he was happy to see his teams get some local recognition and appreciation in the wake of the storms.

Teams of 15 to 20 members cleared mud out of homes in Los Osos, removed debris from the Arroyo Grande Creek levee, and aided with the search for a missing 5-year-old boy in San Miguel.

“That was my first emergency,” said Vigil, who spent two long days in Los Osos after Jan. 9 cleaning up homes on Vista Court hit by mudslides. “I definitely want to say I was trained for it. We were just clearing out a lot of mud and debris on the street and in the backyards and inside the homes.

“It was truly a horrific sight to see,” he added. “I wouldn’t really say I got tired because I was really excited to help out. It felt good to be part of the few that got to go out and do something.”

More than 90 young adults like Vigil are enrolled in SLO’s and Santa Maria’s Conservation Corps programs, and each one has played some role helping with the storm response.

Throughout the year, Corps members locally and across the state spend their days training in a chosen area of focus, like firefighting, taking classes, and assisting with a variety of regional projects related to natural resource management.

But one critical role of the Conservation Corps since its founding in the 1970s is disaster response. When the floods hit all of California this month, Corps members across the state mobilized to help, according to Mike Anderson, district director of the Conservation Corps in SLO and Santa Maria.

“We are very proud to be boots on the ground and usually one of the first teams to respond,” Anderson told New Times. “Every one of our 18- to 25-year-olds had flood training in November.”

“I would definitely say people learned who we are and can appreciate our young adults and the value of them, how awesome and courteous they are,” Anderson said. “Our Corps members are out in the community constantly.”

A veteran leader of the local Corps programs for the past 30 years, Anderson said what he most appreciates about the job is the diversity of young people he gets to work with.

“We get people who are struggling and can’t find work, are from broken homes with drug and alcohol addiction—everything that comes from living—and we give people a safe place to gain skills and experience,” he said.

Vigil, who moved to SLO from Northridge last year to pursue his dream of becoming a firefighter, said his experience responding to the floods this month only deepened that desire.

“I hope I made an impact on them [the Los Osos residents] and did something to brighten their day,” Vigil said. “It makes me want to just keep doing it and help out. This is the right kind of occupation for me.”

Fast fact

• Two local moving and storage companies are offering free and discounted services to residents displaced by storms. Broad Street Storage in SLO and Central Coast Moving & Storage Company in Paso Robles are guaranteeing a month of free storage for flood victims. To learn more, visit broadststorage. com or centralcoastmoving.com. ∆

Assistant Editor Peter Johnson wrote this week’s Strokes. Reach him at pjohnson@ newtimesslo.com.

ALL HANDS ON DECK A California Conservation Corps member shovels mud out of an impacted home in Los Osos.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS

We see a problem here

The truth about SLO County Animal Services

As a longtime volunteer at San Luis Obispo County Animal Services, I was very disappointed to read the completely erroneous statement by Glen Starkey that dogs at Animal Services “typically have about a 72-hour window to be adopted before they’re put down” (Jan. 12, “The volunteers of Meade Canine Rescue & Sanctuary chip away at an insurmountable problem”). Did Mr. Starkey confirm his comment with staff at Animal Services before print? Does he realize how many readers will take his words as truth? The truth: There is no 72-hour window before a dog is euthanized. The truth is, there are numerous dogs that have been at the shelter for weeks and months before adoption. There is no simple answer to why a dog needs to be “put down” at Animal Services. If Mr. Starkey was/is interested in those reasons I’m sure staff or knowledgeable volunteers would be willing to explain, and maybe he could then write an article to enlighten the public to the truth.

Grier Eubanks San Luis Obispo

Thank you for your generosity, SLO

I am writing to thank San Luis Obispo area residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season.

Their generosity contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at

drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected more than 9.3 million shoebox gifts in 2022. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2022, the ministry is now sending nearly 10.6 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide.

Through shoeboxes—packed with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items—San Luis Obispo area volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each giftfilled shoebox is a tangible expression of love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 209 million giftfilled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. This year, Samaritan’s Purse delivered its milestone 200 millionth shoebox, which was packed on a country-wide tour and then hand-delivered to a young girl in Ukraine.

Across California, shoebox packers often shop for deals on shoebox items throughout the year, and many serve at a deeper level by becoming a year-round volunteer.

Information about ways area participants can get involved year-round can also be found at samaritanspurse.org/occ or by calling (714) 432-7030.

Although local drop-off locations for gifts are closed until November 2023, anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks.

These simple gifts, packed with love, send a message to children worldwide that they are loved and not forgotten.

Lizette Miller Samaritan’s Purse

Don’t let SLO become the next San Francisco

Donegan’s argument that San Luis Obispo should heed the example of San Francisco’s homeless and vacancies situation is not without considerable merit (Jan. 19, “San Luis Obispo should heed San Francisco’s demise as a warning”).

I, too, used to live in San Francisco. I worked as a reporter and producer at KRONTV 4. I lived above a pizzaria at 33rd and Taraval, and when I drove to the TV station downtown, I had to go through Golden Gate Park. You would not believe what I witnessed in that wooded area—legions of homeless were living in the bushes there, and many were obviously crazed and on drugs, fighting among themselves, threatening pedestrians and motorists alike.

I was always relieved when I finally got through that park, as I felt threatened the entire time, and this was an everyday occurrence!

The tent encampments, the drug use, the filth, and the crime in San Francisco is now worse than ever, and I no longer think about even visiting there. To do so is lifethreatening: Who needs it?

Tony Bennett’s iconic song is now just a pipe dream, because San Francisco is no longer that golden city on a hill, and never will be again. Donegan’s warning should not go unheeded here in San Luis Obispo, because if we’re not careful, it could happen here too.

To the city fathers: Please, don’t let that happen!

John Winthrop Cayucos

New Times story reported misleading info about SLO County Animal Services

I’m an active six-year volunteer at SLO County Animal Services.

In the New Times dated Jan. 12, an article titled “The volunteers of Meade Canine Rescue & Sanctuary chip away at an insurmountable problem” stated that “dogs in kill shelters, like the county’s San Luis Obispo Animal Services, typically have a 72-hour window to be adopted before they’re put down.” That is total misleading and false information.

Not only does our Animal Services facility have a high 94 percent live outcome rate per year, there is never a time limit or expiration date put on any of the animals that come into the facility. Volunteers and staff work hard together as a team to ensure that any adoptable animal finds the right home, even the difficult/undesirable ones. We have had animals for many multiple months that are difficult to place and remain in our care until they find the perfect home.

We have a very positive working relationship with Woods Humane Society right next door and other animal rescue organizations in and around our county. I’m not sure where the New Times writer for this article got their information, but I want to assure everyone we are nowhere near being a 72-hour kill facility or I would not be part of the team.

We have an amazing new facility at 865 Oklahoma Ave. right off Highway 1, and it’s open to the public Monday through Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. Come see the new facility and maybe even find your next family member: a dog, cat, bunny, guinea pig, reptile, bird, etc.! Thank you.

John Zweemer Los Osos

Raymond and Linda Diepenbrock Arroyo Grande

COURTESY PHOTO BY RAYMOND AND LINDA DIEPENBROCK

BY JOHN ASHBAUGH

It’s tempting to vent my spleen in New Times about the newly elected GOP Congressman from Long Island, “George Santos.” He’s the inveterate liar who somehow won in a newly drawn district in November based on a campaign résumé that we now know to be a complete fabrication. He lied about virtually everything: his ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, academic and work history—his very identity.

The even greater tragedy is that his victory was one of the four New York congressional seats that the GOP flipped from the Democrats in the 2022 election. These take-aways resulted from a court-ordered, nonpartisan redistricting plan imposed on New York state after its Democratic Legislature failed repeatedly to convince a judge that they had done the job properly. Republicans now have only a nine-seat majority in this, the 118th Congress. If New York Democrats had just held on to their 19 seats from 2022, Republicans would only have a one-vote majority now, 218-217.

As tempting as it may be to join virtually every pundit and late-night comedian in ridiculing this character who’s calling himself “George Santos,” I’m going to take a cue from our Scripture reading on Sunday: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

In its first weeks, this 118th Congress is promising almost nothing that is worthy of praise. Let’s consider instead one very young, newly elected member of this Congress: Maxwell Alejandro Frost. At 26, he’s the youngest member of Congress and the first “Gen Z” to be elected. He’s a mixed-race Latino from Orlando, Florida, with a strong background in real work for voting rights and civil liberties. His progressive politics stand in stark contrast to that of “George Santos”— who by now has become little more than a running joke.

Oops, I forgot. I intended to think on things that are true, honorable, just, worthy of praise. “George Santos” is none of those things.

Congressmember Frost has already made waves in the District of Columbia by calling attention to a problem that plagues millions of young people in America: He can’t find a one-bedroom apartment in D.C. because of “bad credit”: He went into debt and maxed out his credit cards in order to win Florida’s 10th Congressional District.

In that respect, Frost shares a dilemma that afflicts about one-third of Americans 18 to 25 years of age: They’re forced to live in deteriorating and unsafe apartments, or with their parents—unable to qualify for better accommodations.

And speaking of high rents—in Washington, D.C., the average rent that Maxwell Frost must pay is “only” $2,580, according to Zillow. In SLO County, it’s $3,575—nearly 40 percent higher.

What can Congress do to address the increasingly distorted housing market that

forces so many young families to live in meager circumstances, so many tenants to be evicted, so many people of all ages to live in the streets?

We can be certain of one thing: This Congress is unlikely to do much of anything to resolve any of the nation’s problems, with Republican members like George Santos, or the far-right team of Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Jim Jordan—and Speaker-By-A-Squeaker Kevin McCarthy. Their main priorities appear to be to haul President Joe Biden over the coals for any number of imaginary offenses and continue to promote the “Big Lie” that his victory in the 2020 election was stolen. They’re already moving to impeach the president and at least one of his cabinet secretaries. If they have their way, they’ll dismantle the excellent work of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the Capitol and defund the FBI.

What can we do locally, here in San Luis Obispo, if we want to think on things that are true, honorable, just, worthy of praise? We can engage with our county Board of Supervisors, with Supervisor Jimmy Paulding of Arroyo Grande replacing Lynn Compton of Nipomo in the 4th District. In his two years on the Arroyo Grande City Council, Paulding distinguished himself as a moderate problem-solver who listens carefully to his constituents and does his homework.

And on Jan. 26: Plan to attend the goalsetting session of the San Luis Obispo City Council at 6 p.m. at the Ludwick Community Center. Let Mayor Erica Stewart and her colleagues know what you want the city to identify as a major city goal. Even if you can’t go, send a message to the council with your preferred goals, and “cc” City Manager Derek Johnson. Maybe your priorities include housing the homeless, improved bicycle facilities, or my personal favorite, historic preservation. Specifically, I’m asking them to help preserve the 1830s La Loma Adobe on Lizzie Street near SLO High School.

And as you advocate for your priorities before the council, or the county, or Congress, remember to think those things that are true, honorable, just, worthy of praise. You might find out that they’re more likely to listen to you if you do. Δ

John Ashbaugh has been involved in local politics since 1977. Respond by emailing letters@newtimesslo.com.

The big flex

Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men.

The former SLO County Board of Supervisors’ conservative majority thought they were so smart using their power to vote in the so-called Patten map, a radical redistricting that partisan-gerrymandered our county to favor conservatives by guaranteeing them three of the five districts for the next decade.

But along came Jimmy “The Kid” Paulding, who blasted former 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton right out of her dais seat. The new map also failed to account for 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson’s slender 13-vote popularity over Bruce Jones. Oops! Lucky 13!

Now there’s a new sheriff in town with a three-seat liberal majority, and one of their first orders of business is to undo the redrawn district map that gave them the majority. Is this a good idea? We’ll see! The other possibility is exercising good governance for your new constituents so they vote you back in office, amirite? I know!

Crazy talk!

Paulding, Gibson, and fellow liberal Dawn Ortiz-Legg of the 3rd District exercised their first power flex over minority members John Peschong of the 1st District and Debbie Arnold of the 5th District by voting to direct SLO County Counsel Rita Neal to engage in settlement talks with SLO Citizens for Good Government, who filed a lawsuit after

the Patten map was voted in.

Whiplash much?

Election codes say you can only redraw elections maps after a census … except when there’s a legal claim, so here we are. What will the new map do? Revert to the old map? Will some communities have to go another two years without representation as is currently happening in Los Osos, Oceano, Morro Bay, and parts of SLO Town? Will it impact the new board majority? More uncertainty is on tap for the county, and probably a new map for the 2024 elections. Will it be gerrymandered all to heck? Probably! Will a new group called Conservative Citizens for Really Great Government sue? Probably!

Ah, democrazy!

And that’s not all! Paulding took some time to outline his priorities as the newest member of the board at their Jan. 24 meeting, taking a page out of Compton’s book to speak ad nauseum during the board meeting. Sometimes new sheriffs should let their actions, not their words, do the talking, but he had some important suggestions, such as lowering the county’s campaign donation maximum from $25,000 to $4,900. Guess who voted for the 25K max back in 2020? Yes, the former conservative majority, who likes rich people to lavish their campaigns with loads of cash. In fact, Paulding and

the new majority outlined a whole list of reversals, including taking one of Arnold’s top budget priorities—road maintenance from discretionary spending—off the list.

“I’m so sad and sorry we’re doing this,” Arnold lamented. Oh, Debbie is sad. Frowny face.

The new board’s list was so long, it agreed to have a special meeting on Sunday, Jan. 29. Peschong, whose head pretty much spun 360 degrees during Paulding’s dissertation, promised to come after church. Bless his heart. Out, demons! Out!

And speaking of demons, it’s time to contact the next of kin, Kin Coffee Bar that is. After years of rape and sexual assault allegations, former Kin owner Julian Contreras appears to be on the run. Hmm. That doesn’t seem like the actions of an innocent man. If you know of his whereabouts, contact the SLO County Sheriff’s Office

His alleged partner in crime, Nathan Daniel Abate of Atascadero’s Nate’s Barber Shop, was arrested on Jan. 19 on charges of drugging and raping an intoxicated person and in another case of oral copulation with a minor. Sheesh, these two seem ripe for justice.

One of the women who accused the pair was Ashley Riddell, who told New Times, “For 10 years, it used to be incredibly frustrating. When I would tell people what happened, they’d be all, ‘Yeah, I’ve heard this before.’ I was new in town when I met them. Now, it’s finally

happening. There’s a collective feeling, and I’m happy it will change. At least in the San Luis community, I don’t think they [Abate and Contreras] can continue operating the way they have been.”

Riddell’s case may be too stale for the Sheriff and SLO County District Attorney to pursue. She believes, “They’re focused on crimes against minors because the statute of limitations hasn’t expired yet, I think. If anything comes up [in the court case] and they need me in court, I’m fully prepared to come through now that I’m an adult, and I’ve gone to therapy. I’d like to be there for the sentencing if it comes to that.”

I admire her strength.

Meanwhile, Contreras is the in the wind, but a Sheriff’s Office press release made clear, “Detectives also obtained an arrest warrant for Julian Contreras who is also accused of sexual assault charges stemming from the same investigation [as Abate’s]. Detectives are actively attempting to locate Contreras.”

When contacted by New Times regarding where they were searching and whether the warrant can expire, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla said,

“We aren’t able to comment at this time since that information is part of the investigative process. As far as the warrant itself, there is no expiration date.”

You can’t run forever. ∆

The Shredder is watching! Sends tips to shredder@newtimesslo.com.

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PUPS AT THE PROMENADE

The Avila Beach Cupid Paws Parade will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 11 a.m. to noon, at the Avila Beach Promenade. All dog participants must be registered and check in between 10 and 10:45 a.m., and will receive goodie bags donated by Petco’s Arroyo Grande location. Attendees can also register their dogs in advance at my805tix.com for $5. Call (805) 627-1997 for more details.

—Caleb Wiseblood

ARTS

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

ART AND ABOUT MORRO BAY Join us for Art and About Morro Bay, a self-guided art walk that gives the community an opportunity to experience visual, literary, and performing art in galleries and other venues. Visit site for a map of locations. (Events will not occur on major holidays). Fourth Saturday of every month, 1-4 p.m. Free. 805-544-9251. artsobispo.org/ art-and-about. Morro Bay (participating artists), Townwide, Morro Bay.

COLLAGES AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF LOS OSOS Collages and photographs featuring Sweet Springs Nature Preserve and the Elfin Forest by Los Osos photographer Kelly Hayes are for sale online and on display at Los Osos Pop-up Gallery (1056 Los Osos Valley Road). Photo prints on metal, paper, acrylic, and greeting cards. ongoing Free. centralcoasty.com. Los Osos, Townwide, Los Osos.

COSTA GALLERY: ELLEN JEWETT Gallery hours are expected to be extended beginning in October or November for the holidays. ThursdaysSaturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. Costa Gallery, 2087 10th St., Los Osos, 559-799-9632.

FINE ART CRAFTS BY JARI DE HAM: GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE Jarien de Ham began Chinese brush painting in 2002. The Central Coast inspires her paintings and sculptures. Through Jan. 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

FINE ART MIXED MEDIA PAINTINGS BY

Through Jan. 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

FOR THE BIRDS Art Center Morro Bay presents its annual For the Birds exhibit. This exciting exhibition celebrates Morro Bay’s vast array of indigenous species of birds and all things bird-related. Through Feb. 20, 12-4 p.m. Free. 805-772-2504. artcentermorrobay.org. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay.

FOREVER STOKED PAINT PARTY Join us at the gallery, for a few hours to travel on a creative paint journey. You will receive as much or as little instruction as you prefer. No artistic experience is necessary. Saturdays, 7-9 p.m. $45. 805772-9095. Forever Stoked, 1164 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.

HEARTS ALL A FLUTTER MOSAICS Learn mosaic basics to create a one-ofa-kind heart project. Many projects to choose from including non-heart related shapes. Preregistration required. Jan. 29, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Various. 805-286-5993. CreativeMeTime.com. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay.

METAL ART BY TRUDI GILLIAM Gilliam creates her sculptures using copper, brass, nickel/silver, and found objects. This new series of whales and birds uses copper and sea glass. ongoing 805-772-9955. Seven Sisters Gallery, 601 Embarcadero Ste. 8, Morro Bay, sevensistersgalleryca.com.

MOSAIC TRIVET WORKSHOP During

this workshop, you will learn how to design and create a mosaic trivet. You will learn how to select materials, lay out a pleasing pattern, and adhere the tiles to the trivet base. You will learn how to properly grout and seal your project. ongoing, 1-4 p.m. $60. 805-772-2504. artcentermorrobay.org/index.php/ workshops/. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay.

NEW BEGINNINGS MEMBER’S ONLY SHOW Fine arts and crafts for sale at Cambria Center for the Arts Gallery. Fridays-Sundays, 12-4 p.m. through Feb. 26 Free. cambriaarts.org. Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St., Cambria.

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.

SLOFUNNY COMEDY GYM The SLOFunny Comedy Showcase is a monthly showcase for local SLO County comedians. Come see how comedy is born. Take a look at the amazing local talent that began right in our back yard. Hosted by Steph Clark and a surprise headliner. Jan. 29 5:30-7:30 p.m. $10. 805-534-3129. my805tix.com. The Merrimaker Tavern, 1301 2nd Street, Los Osos.

SLOFUNNY COMEDY SHOW Features headliner Mary Gallagher. Hosted by Tom Clark with Steph Clark. Other comedians include James Uloth and Robert Omotto. Jan. 28 , 6:30-8 & 9-11:30 p.m. $30. 805534-3129. facebook.com/slofunny. Morro Bay Vet’s Hall, 209 Surf St., Morro Bay.

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE: A GROUP PHOTO SHOW Featuring

photographers: Alice Cahill, Cathy Russ, Gregory Siragusa, Karen Peterson, Dominic Hartman, Jessica Weiss, and Michael Johnston. Through Jan. 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

ART AND ABOUT PASO Join us for Art and About Paso, a self-guided art walk that gives the community an opportunity to experience visual, literary, and performing art in galleries and other venues. Visit site for an updated map of locations. Events will not occur on major holidays. First Saturday of every month, 5-9 p.m. Free. 805-544-9251. artsobispo. org/art-and-about. Participating locations, Paso Robles, City-wide.

BABY RAG FLANNEL BLANKET SEWING CLASS Students will bring their own sewing machines, fabric, and tools. Machines must be in good working order. Student must know how to sew. Beginners welcomed. Call for supply list. Jan. 28 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $46. 805-704-1036. atascadero.org. Sew Fun Fabric Shop, 8775 El Camino Real, Atascadero.

BURNING LOVE CANDLE WORKSHOP

A romantic candle making workshop. Leave with a beautiful candle to light up at home on Valentine’s Day! Each ticket comes with one glass of wine and light bites. Limited spots available. Feb. 2 , 5:30-8:30 p.m. $55. 805-246-1431. fableistwine.com. Fableist Winery, 5036 S. El Pomar Road, Templeton.

DEPRISE BRESCIA ART GALLERY: OPEN DAILY Features a large selection of encaustic art, sculpted paintings, art installations, acrylic palette knife paintings, digital art, glass, jewelry,

stones, fossils, and a butterfly sculpture garden. ongoing DepriseBrescia.com. Deprise Brescia Art Gallery, 829 10th St., Paso Robles, 310-621-7543.

ENCHANTED EVENING Enjoy a special evening creating a fused glass plate, while drinking a bubbly beverage and awaiting your turn for a personal intuitive card reading. Jan. 27 5-7:30 p.m. $150. 805-464-2633. glassheadstudio.com. Oracle, 6280 Palma Ave., Atascadero.

NANCY HILL FABRIC ART EXHIBITION AT THE DOSTER GALLERY Doster Gift Gallery in Atascadero will be hosting an exciting exhibition of Nancy Hill’s extraordinary fabric sculptures. Opens on Dec. 16 and runs through the end of January. Through Jan. 31 Free. 805 4629309. Doster Gift Gallery, 5970 Entrada Ave., Atascadero.

STUDIOS ON THE PARK: CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS Check site for a variety of classes and workshops offered. ongoing studiosonthepark.org. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles, 805-238-9800.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

ACTOR’S EDGE: ACTING CLASSES

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

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

ART AND ABOUT SLO Join us for Art and About SLO, a self-guided art walk that gives the community an opportunity to experience visual, literary, and performing art in galleries and other venues. Visit site for an updated map of locations. Events will not occur on major

holidays. First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m. Free. 805-544-9251. artsobispo.org/ art-and-about. San Luis Obispo, Citywide, SLO.

ART CENTRAL’S 12TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT Gift bags, raffle prizes, sales, demonstrations, try stations, and more. be one of the first 100 guests to get a great gift bag. Feb. 4 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-747-4200. artcentralslo.com/blog/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

ART EXHIBIT: NEEDLING Featuring the Cutting Edge Fiber Art Group. Reception on March 4. Feb. 3 - April 3 , 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-747-4200. artcentralslo.com/ gallery/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

ARTIST RIKI SCHUMACHER AT ART CENTRAL GALLERY Schumacher’s work is pensive and introspective, inspiring one to take a solitary walk on a cloudy day. Wander in to reflect on her “delicious, wistful landscapes.” Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. Free. 805-747-4200. artcentralslo.com/gallery-artists/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

CATAPULT An “America’s Got Talent” finalist, Catapult features incredible dancers who work behind a screen to create magical shadow silhouettes of shapes from the world around us. Jan. 28 3-4:30 p.m. $22-$39. 805-756-6556. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, pacslo.org.

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

COMEDY NIGHT Professional comedy show featuring local and touring comics. Hosted by Aidan Candelario. First Thursday of every month, 7-9 p.m. $5. 805-540-8300. Bang the Drum Brewery, 1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, San Luis Obispo, bangthedrumbrewery.com.

STEVIE CHUN: GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE Stevie Chun is passionate about shape and color in her paintings and crafts and uses minimal outlined shapes to create larger formats on canvas, paper, ceramics and other surfaces.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AVILA BEACH COMMUNITY CENTER

CRITICAL ENCOUNTERS Beginning with monoprints and photography from the 1980s, this exhibition follows the lineage of Nixson Borah’s practice towards his recent digital composites. Through April 3, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma.org/exhibits/current/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

DATE NIGHT POTTERY Looking for a fun date night? Head to Anam Cre Pottery Studio and play with clay. Couples will learn how to throw a pot on the wheel and make a cheeseboard. Fridays, Saturdays, 6-8 p.m. $140. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, anamcre.com.

ESCAPED ALONE Caryl Churchill’s convention-defying play juxtaposes backyard tea with environmental disaster, exploring themes of politics, crisis, communication, and female endurance. A staged reading. Jan. 27, 7 p.m. and Jan. 28 , 2 & 7 p.m. San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre, 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo, 805-786-2440, slorep.org/.

FREE DOCENT TOURS Gain a deeper understanding of the artwork on view with SLOMA’s new docent tours. Every Saturday, join trained guides for interactive and engaging tours of SLOMA’s current exhibitions. ongoing, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma. org/visit/tours/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

HILDA KILPATRICK-FREYRE: ART

SHOW Hilda is influenced by California paintings, as well as impressionists. Her work is vibrant and she paints local nature scenes. Through Feb. 14 805-5455401. bigskycafe.com. Big Sky Cafe, 1121 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo.

HOME/WORK Features the work of 14 contemporary artists whose work questions our collective experiences of home: Brandy Eve Allen, Zalika Azim, Kate Barbee, Phoebe Boswell, Andrea Bowers, Allana Clarke, Geoffrey Chadsey, Judy Chicago, Mary Kelly, Emmett Moore, Sophia Narrett, Woody de Othello, Greg Scott, and Chiffon Thomas. Through March 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-5438562. sloma.org/exhibition/home-work/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

INTERMEDIATE OIL PAINTING: ADULT

ART CLASS This class is for students who may have tried oil painting in the past but are looking to advance their skill levels. Color theory and proportion study will be a focus in the class. Mondays, 2-5 p.m. $30 per student or $75 for 3 classes. 805747-4200. artcentralslo.com/workshopsevents/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

INTRO TO OIL PAINTING WITH

SPENCER COLLINS The perfect class for those wanting to try oil painting for the first time. Discuss color theory, layering paint, and how to use various media. Each student will create a dynamic landscape using a reference image provided by the teacher. Thursdays, 10:30

a.m.-1:30 p.m. through March 30 $35 per class. 559-250-3081. The perfect class for those wanting to try oil painting for the first time. Guests discuss color theory, layering paint, and how to use various media. For ages 16 and over. Thursdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $30 per class or $100 for 4 classes. 805-747-4200. artcentralslo. com/workshops-events/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

KIDS POTTERY CLASSES Enjoy making animal sculptures, bowls, plates, etc. Please arrive on time, not early, as venue uses the transition time between classes to sanitize. Designed to sign up on a weekly basis. Thursdays, 1:30-2:30 p.m. $40. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

LEARN TO WEAVE MONDAYS An opportunity to learn how a four-shaft loom works. You will get acquainted as a new weaver or as a refresher with lots of tips and tricks. This class includes getting to know a loom, how to prepare/dress a loom, and much much more. Mondays, 1-4 p.m. $75 monthly. 805-441-8257.

Patricia Martin: Whispering Vista Studios, 224 Squire Canyon Rd, San Luis Obispo, patriciamartinartist.com.

LITTLE TREASURES HOLIDAY EXHIBIT

Artwork in this exhibit is priced $100 or less. Everything is handcrafted and made with love by local artists. Find that oneof-a-kind gift for that special someone. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. through Jan. 30 Free. 805-7474200. artcentralslo.com. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

THE MONDAY CLUBHOUSE CONSERVANCY FINE ARTS AWARDS

APPLICATIONS Open to high school juniors and seniors. Categories: classical music, jazz music, and visual art. Submit online application. Finalists in all categories compete in a live competition at The Monday Club on Feb. 26. Through Jan. 30 Free. 805-242-1076. themondayclubslo.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

OPEN MIC COMEDY Sign-ups at 6:30 p.m. Hosted by Aidan Candelario. Mondays, 7-9 p.m. Free. 805-540-8300. saintsbarrel. com/event-calendar. Saints Barrel Wine Bar, 1021 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo.

PLEIN AIR PAINTERS OF THE CENTRAL COAST A self-directed fun group of dynamic artists who enjoy painting and sketching outdoors. Artists meet on site at various locations. Weekly plein air destinations are provided by Kirsti Wothe via email (mrswothe@yahoo.com). Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-noon SLO County, Various locations, San Luis Obispo.

POTTERY: BEGINNING WHEEL CLASS

This series is a great intro to the pottery wheel. Students learn to throw various shapes, surface decorate, and glaze. Clay and firing included with admission. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $180. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

SCULPTURE CLASS WITH ROD PEREZ

This weekly sculpture drop-in class gives an opportunity for potters to take on new projects and learn new techniques relating to sculptural work. Additionally, every first Friday of the month, a new project will be taught by Rod Perez for beginners. Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon $40. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

SENIOR CLAY CLASS Offered to the senior community as an outlet to explore the beauty of clay. For ages 60 and over. Caretakers welcome for an additional $20. Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon $40. anamcre. com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

VIRGINIA MACK: BEGINNING

WATERCOLOR This is a watercolor class designed to let you jump in and try out this engaging medium through experimentation. It’s designed for beginners and those with watercolor experience who wish to expand their knowledge of painting in watercolors. To enroll please contact Mack via email: vbmack@charter.net Wednesdays, 1:303:30 p.m. $35. 805-747-4200. artcentralslo. com/workshops-events/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BE PART OF ART There will be a different art activity each month. Bring the whole family to see the beauty in creating together and how easy it can be to bring art into your home. Last Saturday of every month, 1:30-3 p.m. Free. 805-668-2125. lila. community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

MIXED MEDIA (ADULTS) Each week, attendees will combine two or more media in several pieces, while working with watercolor, acrylic, ink, pastels, charcoal as well as various printmaking techniques in the course of a month. Enjoy discovering new ways to work with traditional and nontraditional materials.

Mondays, 1-3 p.m. $35. 805-668-2125. lila. community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

MIXED MEDIA FOR AGES 5-6 AND 7-12 For ages 5-6 (Mondays) and 7-12 (Tuesdays). Mondays, Tuesdays, 3:15-4:15 p.m. 805-668-2125. lila.community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

MIXED MEDIA FOR AGES 5-7 Each week students will have the opportunity to explore and combine various mediums like pastels with tempera, watercolors and collage, or clay and wood and so much more. Mondays, 3:30-4:45 p.m. $25. 805-668-2125. lila.community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOP (AGES 7-12) Come explore mixed media with an emphasis on the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design. Each week, students will have the opportunity to use various media. Tuesdays, 3:30-4:45 p.m. $25. 805668-2125. lila.community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

OPEN STUDIO (AGES 7-12) Guests can explore a variety of media and techniques while focusing on their own subject matter. Whether they come with a project in mind, or find their way as they play, this class offers a chance for independent learning in a supportive environment. Thursdays, 3:45-4:45 p.m. $25. 805-6682125. lila.community/all-workshops/openstudio. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

OPEN STUDIO FOR ADULTS Guests can come in and decide what materials they would like to work with and create freely. Share your creative process with others and see how your work will flourish. Tuesdays, 6-9 p.m. and Wednesdays, 12:30-3:30 p.m. $40. 805-668-2125. Lila. community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

PLAY, EXPLORE, CREATE (AGES 5-7)

Young artists will play at various stations, exploring games, and mixed media. There will be a new activity each week. Wonderful opportunities for drawing, painting, and sculpture. Tuesdays, 9-10 a.m. $25. 805-668-2125. lila.community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

PLAY, EXPLORE, CREATE 1 (AGES 3 AND 4) Enjoy the opportunity to explore drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, and mixed media. Each week a new adventure awaits. Thursdays, 2-3 p.m. and Fridays, 9-10 a.m. $25. 805-668-2125. lila. community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

SANTA

Maria Civic Theatre, 1660 N. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

TEEN ANIME CLUB: SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY Hang out with other fans, eat Japanese snacks, and do fun activities. New members are always welcome. Jan. 27 Free. 805-925-0994. engagedpatrons.org. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

UKULELE LESSONS For individuals 50 years and up, at no charge. Participants will learn to play chords, melodies, and familiar songs. Five baritone ukuleles are available to borrow, or class members may bring one of their own. Mondays, Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. cityofsantamaria.org/register. Elwin Mussell Senior Center, 510 Park Ave., Santa Maria.

WINE AND DESIGN CLASSES Check Wine and Design’s Orcutt website for the complete list of classes, for various ages. ongoing Varies. wineanddesign. com/orcutt. Wine and Design, 3420 Orcutt Road, suite 105, Orcutt.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG CHRISTMAS LIGHT EXCHANGE

PROGRAM Exchange your old Christmas lights for new, energy-saving LED lights. Participants entered in a raffle for a chance to win LED Christmas yard decorations and other items. MondaysFridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Jan. 27 cityoflompoc.com. Lompoc City Hall, 100 City Hall Dr., Lompoc.

and light to her work. Mondays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Feb. 28 Free. 805688-7517. gallerylosolivos.com. Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos.

WILDLIFE ON THE EDGE: HILARY BAKER New and recent acrylic paintings from Baker’s Predators series alongside a new series of animal portraits on birch wood. From a group of common pigeons to an elusive cougar, Baker’s subjects make themselves at home in urban locales. Through March 6 Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, 1511-B Mission Dr., Solvang, 805-688-1082, wildlingmuseum.org.

WINTER SALON In honor of the holiday season and celebration of the gallery’s 30th anniversary All fine art media hung “salon style”, floor to ceiling. Mondays, Thursdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. through Jan. 30 805-688-7517. GalleryLosOlivos.com. Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

AXE THROWING Enjoy the art of axe throwing in a safe and fun environment. Kids ages 10 and older are welcome with an adult. No personal axes please. Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and Saturdays, 12-6 p.m. $20. 805-528-4880. baysidemartialarts.com. Bayside Martial Arts, 1200 2nd St., Los Osos.

BALLROOM, LATIN,

AND SWING

DANCE CLASSES Social ballroom, Latin, and swing lessons for all ages on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 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.

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. No partner needed. Tuesdays, 6:30-8:15 p.m. Beginning class is free; $10 for advanced. 805-344-1630. Cubanissimo Cuban Coffee House, 4869 S. Bradley Rd., #118, Orcutt.

MUSIC LESSONS AT COELHO ACADEMY Learn to play piano, drums, guitar, base, ukulele, or violin, or take vocal lessons. ongoing 805-925-0464. coelhomusic. com. Coelho Academy of Music, 325 E. Betteravia Rd., Santa Maria.

THE RED VELVET CAKE WAR The three Verdeen cousins—Gaynelle, Peaches, and Jimmie Wyvette—could not have picked a worse time to throw their family reunion. Presented by SMCT. Fridays, Saturdays. through Jan. 29 smct.org/ show/the-red-velvet-cake-war/. Santa

LOMPOC 10 “WATER” RECEPTION AT GROSSMAN GALLERY Show runs Feb.2 through 28 at the Grossman Gallery in the Lompoc Library. Feb. 4 2-4 p.m. Lompoc Public Library, 501 E. North Ave., Lompoc, 805-875-8786.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT BY SUSANNE SCHENCK “The Quest for Hidden Gems in California” at Cypress Gallery by Susanne Schenck. Thursdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through Feb. 26 Free. 805-737-1129. Cypress Gallery, 119 E Cypress Ave., Lompoc, lompocart.org.

DUNES: VISIONS OF SAND, LIGHT, AND SHADOW Traverse the sand dunes with Central Coast photographer Bob Canepa in the Wildling Museum’s new Valley Oak Gallery exhibition. Receptions: Sept. 11 and Oct. 9. Through March 23, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, 1511-B Mission Dr., Solvang, 805-688-1082, wildlingmuseum.org.

LEARN CALIFORNIA’S OFFICIAL

DANCE: WEST COAST SWING Learn to dance west coast swing in a casual, friendly environment. No partner needed. Taught by Gina Sigman. Thursdays, 6:308:15 p.m. Beginning class is free; $10 for advanced. 805-344-1630. High Roller Tiki Lounge, 433 Alisal Road, Solvang.

SEEING OURSELVES IN COLOR The exhibition, Seeing Ourselves in Colour, showcases Annie Hoffman’s innate ability to capture the feelings and emotions of those she paints and brings a whimsy

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

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

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

LIFESTYLE

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

CULTURE

SHAMANIC WATER RITUAL

The cleansing power of water will be the element of focus in this gathering. Learn about a water ritual that can be done daily to increase your vitality, awareness and intuitive knowing. Feb. 5 5-7 p.m. 805-540-1762. my805tix.com. 9th Limb Yoga, 845 Napa Ave., Morro Bay.

MORRO BAY MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Disciplines include advanced athletic performance fitness training, Thai kickboxing, and more. Beginners to advanced students welcome. Day and evening classes offered. MondaysSaturdays, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Call for more info. 805-701-7397. charvetmartialarts. com. Morro Bay Martial Arts, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

PALE KAI OUTRIGGER CANOE DEMO

DAYS Join Pale Kai for a fun intro to outrigger canoe paddling. Jan. 28 8-10 & 10 a.m.-noon Free. palekai.org/ recruitment-program/. Coleman Park, Morro Bay, 101 Coleman Drive, Morro Bay, (805) 772-6278.

PROMOTING YOUR BRAIN HEALTH

Growing evidence suggests that you can keep your brain healthy by adopting key lifestyle habits. Learn how you can take care of your brain through diet, exercise, social engagement, and cognitive activities. Jan. 27 10:30 a.m.-noon No cost. 805-342-0956. Morro Bay Library, 625 Harbor St., Morro Bay.

REACH YOUR 2023 GOALS CACAO

CEREMONY AND WORKSHOP Attendees will gain a better understanding of how to set your goals, create actionable bite-size tasks, and creating a present moment and awareness practice that will help you reach their goals to make them a reality. Jan. 28 10-11:30 a.m. Free. 805-395-9323. plantaeandfungi.com. Plantae and Fungi, 750 Sheffield St., Cambria.

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

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

TAI CHI AND QI GONG: ZEN IN MOTION Small group classes with 2019 Tai Chi Instructor of the Year. Call for time and days. Learn the Shaolin Water Style and 5 Animals Qi Gong. Beginners welcomed. Mondays, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Call for price details. 805-701-7397. charvetmartialarts. com. Morro Bay Martial Arts, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

TAI CHI CHUN CERTIFICATION With the 2019 Tai Chi Instructor of the year. Ongoing courses. ongoing Call for price. 805-701-7397. charvetmartialarts.com. Grateful Body, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

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

TEN WARNING SIGNS OF DEMENTIA AT THE CAYUCOS LIBRARY A free, interactive and educational session on the differences between normal brain changes due to aging and abnormal brain changes that could point to Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Feb. 2 , 10:30 a.m.noon Free. 805-995-3312. slolibrary.org. Cayucos Library, 310 B. St., Cayucos.

WEEKLY QIGONG PRACTICE AT FITNESSWORKS MORRO BAY Calm your mind and nourish your joints with a weekly Qigong practice led by Mike Raynor of Tai Chi Rejuvenation. The practice is rooted in Qigong fundamentals, and standing/moving meditations. Forms include: Eight Brocades, Five Elements, Shibashi 18, and Tai chi 24. Saturdays, 10:45-11:45 a.m. Members free; non-members $8-$10. 805-772-7466. fitnessworksmb. com. FitnessWorks, 500 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.

ZEN IN MOTION Learn the Shaolin Water Style and other deep breathing and moving meditation techniques with the 2019 Taijiquan Instructor of the Year. Beginners Welcome.Instructor Certification Courses available. Mondays, Wednesdays Call for details. 805-701-7397. charvetmartialarts.com. Grateful Body, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY ASTROLOGY 101: 5-PART SERIES

Have you always been curious about astrology and your horoscope but don’t know where to start? If yes, than this is the offering for you. Thursdays, 6-7:30 p.m. through Feb. 17 $125. 805-464-2838. oracleatascaderoca.com. Oracle, 6280 Palma Ave., Atascadero.

EARTH SHINE IN SAN MIGUEL Join the Earth Shine Volunteers and work to pick up litter in communities across the Central Coast. Jan. 28 10 a.m.-noon Free. 805-591-4691. EarthShineOrg.com. San Miguel Park, 1325 K St., San Miguel.

NAR-ANON:

FRIDAY MEETINGS

A meeting for those who know or have known a feeling of desperation concerning the addiction of a loved one. Fridays, 12-1 p.m. Free. 805-4412164. North County Connection, 8600 Atascadero Ave., Atascadero.

TAI CHI This course’s instructor has won many Tai Chi and other internal martial arts tournaments. Both experienced martial artists and new learners are welcome to the class. Tuesdays, Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $65. 805-2373988. Centennial Park, 600 Nickerson Dr., Paso Robles.

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

YANG STYLE TAI CHI The course’s instructor won many Tai Chi and other internal martial arts tournaments. Both experienced martial artists and new learners are welcome to the class. Mondays, Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m. $62. 805-470-3360. Colony Park Community Center, 5599 Traffic Way, Atascadero.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

BDSM 101 This monthly class from the Central Coast Kink Community provides a basic overview of kink, consent, rules, and information to help practitioners be successful and safe. Attendees must be 18+ years of age. Virtually meets via Zoom. Fourth Friday of every month, 6-8 p.m. No admission. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

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

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

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.

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

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

FREE GUIDED MEDITATION GROUP A free guided meditation group held every Friday morning. Call for more info. Fridays, 10-10:45 a.m. through Jan. 27 Free. 805439-2757. RuthCherryPhD.com. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

GARDEN FOUNDER WALK AND TALK Walk and talk with Eve Vigil in the Botanical Garden each month on the first Wednesday. Free garden tour with paid admission to the Garden. Free for members. No need to RSVP, just show up and enjoy. First Wednesday of every month, 11 a.m.-noon Free with $5 Garden Entry. 805-541-1400. slobg.org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

GYM JAM CLINIC Two hours of progressive gymnastics skill training on bars, beam, floor, trampoline, obstacle courses, and more. Jan. 28 $25; $10 per additional sibling. 805-547-1496. performanceathleticsslo.com/events. Performance Athletics Gymnastics, 4484 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

HEALING DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP A safe place for anyone suffering from the pain of depression. We do not criticize but do share our journey, feelings, and what works for us. We can meet in person or use Zoom if needed. Mondays, 6-7 p.m. Free. 805-528-3194. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo.

LGBTQ+ FED THERAPIST LEAD SUPPORT GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) A pro-recovery group offering space to those seeking peer support, all stages of ED recovery. We understand recovery isn’t linear and judgment-free support is crucial. Share, listen, and be part of a community building up each other. First Wednesday of every month, 7-8 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION (ONLINE MEETING) Zoom series hosted by TMHA. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon Transitions Mental Health Warehouse, 784 High Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-2703346.

OPEN MIC COMEDY NIGHT Come on over to the tasting room for some laugh out loud fun at Open Mic Comedy Night with many delicious ciders on tap. Fourth Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. Free show. SLO Cider, 3419 Roberto Ct., Suite C, San Luis Obispo.

Q YOUTH GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) This is a social support group for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth between the ages of 11-18. Each week the group explores personal, cultural, and social identity. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. Free. galacc. org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

QI GONG FOR MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT Learn and practice qi gong, a Chinese system for physical, mental and spiritual development. This class is conducted outdoors in a beautiful setting, which is the best place to do qi gong, as its inspiration is drawn from nature. Certified instructor: Devin Wallace. Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m. $10. 805-709-2227. Crows End Retreat Center, 6340 Squire Ct., San Luis Obispo.

SLO BOTANICAL GARDEN PRESENTS YOGA ON THE TERRACE WITH CHERYL WAKEFIELD An immersive yoga experience led by Cheryl Wakefield, a

LET’S RAISE A TOASTER

Repair Café Five Cities hosts its next Repair Café event at the Oceano Community Services District on Sunday, Feb. 5, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to bring in small appliances, bikes, toys, computers, and other devices that need fixing for free repairs. Tool and knife sharpening will also be offered for free at the event. Visit repaircafe5cities.org for more info. The Oceano Community Services District is located at 1655 Front St., Oceano.

—C.W.

yoga instructor of 15 years. The event will take place on the terrace in a serene outdoor setting that promotes a relaxed and tranquil mind. Saturdays. through Jan. 29 San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo, 8055411400.

SLO CHESS CLUB All skill levels welcome. Feel free to come by and check it out. Tuesdays, 6-9 p.m. through Feb. 28 Free. 805-540-0470. Whole Foods Market, 1531 Froom, 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 RAM RETIRED ACTIVE MEN COFFEE CABINET Weekly Coffee Cabinet meeting of the SLO RAM Active Retired Men, a local men’s social club. Click ‘Contact’ on website for invite. Thursdays, 8-9:30 a.m. $10. retiredactivemen.org. Madonna Inn Garden Room, 100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo.

SLO SKIERS MONTHLY MEETING SLO Skiers is a non-profit sports and social club for adults ages 21 and older. First Wednesday of every month, 6:30-8 p.m. through Dec. 6 Meetings free; yearly membership $65. 805-528-3194. sloskiers.org. Dairy Creek Golf Course, 2990 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

SLO TABLE TENNIS The club is open to all skill levels. There are many tables available to play casual and competitive games. Sundays, 4-7 p.m. and Tuesdays, Thursdays, 7-10 p.m. through Jan. 31 Free. 805-540-0470. Ludwick Community Center, 864 Santa Rosa, San Luis Obispo.

STAY YOUNG WITH QI GONG Qi Gong boosts energy and vitality, reduces stress, improves balance and flexibility, and, best of all, is fun. Join instructor Devin Wallace for this outdoor class which is held in a beautiful setting. Call or email before attending. Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m. $10. 805-709-2227. Crows End Retreat Center, 6340 Squire Ct., San Luis Obispo.

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

TAI CHI AND QIGONG FITNESS ONLINE Gentle but powerful physical exercises to improve balance, posture, and overall well being. Wednesdays, 8:25-10:35 a.m. through May 24 $77. 805-549-1222. ae.slcusd.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 21

FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDA BUSEK

TAICHI AND QIGONG ONLINE With Gary

West through SLO Adult School. Held Wednesdays, at 8:25 a.m. (TaiChi) and 9:35 a.m. (QiGong). Wednesdays. through May 25 $77 for semester. 805-549-1222. ae.slcusd.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

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

YOUR NEW VIBE: INTENTION, MANIFESTATION, ACTION Two hours of relaxation, co-creation, and journaling with a community of uplifting women. Jan. 27 my805tix.com. Vibe Health Lounge, 1238 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY BEGINNER GROUP SURF LESSONS

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

CUPID PAWS PARADE The Cupid Paws Doggie Parade will be held on the Avila Promenade. Participants will receive goodie bags donated by Petco Arroyo Grande. All dogs must be registered and check-in between 10 and 10:45 a.m. Feb. 4 , 11 a.m.-noon $5. 805-627-1997. my805tix.com. Avila Beach Promenade, 404 Front St., Avila Beach.

FIVE CITIES REPAIR CAFE Volunteers make free repairs on toys, clothes, bikes, small appliances, smart phones, computers, tablets, etc. Bring in what needs fixing. Feb. 5 , 1-4:30 p.m. repaircafe5cities.org. Oceano CSD, 1655 Front St., Oceano.

FREE YOGA FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, EMS, AND COMMUNITY CARETAKERS Join for some well-deserved self-care. Anyone including fire, EMS, police, hospital workers, medical sta assisted

living caretakers, etc. is welcome. All yoga abilities are encouraged to attend. Please email empoweryoga805@gmail.com in advance to enroll. Thursdays, 6-7 p.m. 805-619-0989. Empower Yoga Studio and Community Boutique, 775 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach, empoweryoga805.com.

PILATES AND HIKE TO THE LIGHTHOUSE Hike to the Point San Luis Lighthouse for a one of a kind Pilates session led by Vanessa Dominguez of Tabula Rasa Pilates. Jan. 29 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach.

POINT SAN LUIS LIGHTHOUSE TOURS Tours will give you a glimpse into the lives of Lighthouse Keepers and their families, while helping keep our jewel of the Central Coast preserved and protected. Check website for more details. Wednesdays, Saturdays pointsanluislighthouse.org/. Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach.

WEEKLY WATER SAFETY LESSONS

Facility advertised as open and safe. Give the o ice a call to register over the phone. Mondays-Fridays $160-$190. 805-4816399. 5 Cities Swim School, 425 Tra ic Way, Arroyo Grande, 5citiesswimschool.com.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS 30 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN SANTA MARIA/ORCUTT Community Partners in Caring is seeking volunteers to help support dependent older adults and seniors. ongoing partnersincaring.org. Santa Maria, Citywide, Santa Maria.

ADULTING 101: LIFE SKILLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Hancock College’s Culinary Arts program will share tips and tricks for grocery shopping, digital couponing, menu planning, and meal prep. EMT Scott Hunter will demonstrate basic first aid skills. Library sta will present information on mental health resources and personal care. For ages 16-21. Jan. 26 3:30 p.m. Free. 805-9250994. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

ANDROID PHONE CLASS First Thursday of every month Oasis Center, 420 Soares Ave., Orcutt, 805-937-9750.

BILINGUAL STORY TIME: HORA DE CUENTOS Enjoy songs, activities, and stories in English and Spanish. Story time is designed to build literacy skills and school readiness, all while having a great time. Jan. 30 Free. 805-925-0994. engagedpatrons.org. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

CAMINO A CASA IOP OPEN HOUSE

Learn about the Intensive Outpatient Program at this Open House, and how this structured treatment program can help patients on their healing journey. Please RSVP. Jan. 27, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. 805-3664139. casapacifica.org. Camino a Casa, 2615 S. Miller St., suite 106, Santa Maria.

CELEBRATE LUNAR NEW YEAR Celebrate and recognize Lunar New Year with craft and activities. Jan. 26 and Jan. 27 Free. 805-925-0994. engagedpatrons. org. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

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

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

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

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

PAWS TO READ: SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY Reading to dogs is a wonderful way for children to gain confidence while reading aloud. These dogs absolutely love all kinds of books and are excellent listeners. Tuesdays. through Jan. 31 Free. 805-925-0994. engagedpatrons. org. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY Story time is designed to build literacy skills and school readiness, all while having a great time. This fun story time will have songs, fingerplays, and stories. For ages 3 to 6. Mondays. through Feb. 20 Free. 805925-0994. engagedpatrons.org. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

TODDLER TIME: SANTA MARIA

PUBLIC LIBRARY High-energy learning experience for toddlers and caregivers. Grow through stories, movement, and music. Tuesdays, Thursdays. through Feb. 23 Free. 805-925-0994. engagedpatrons. org. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS OVER ZOOM

Visit site or call to learn about various virtual workshop o erings. ongoing Varies. Unwind Studio, 130 N. Broadway, suite B, Santa Maria, 805-748-2539, unwindsantamaria.com.

YOUTH CODING AND CULTURE: SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY Learn how to code and make a di erence through coding, STEM careers, and more. Ages 9-14. Registration required. Thursdays. through Feb. 23 Free. 805-925-0994. engagedpatrons.org. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

FOOD & DRINK

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

CAMBRIA ART AND WINE FESTIVAL

Enjoy shopping, ra le ticket opportunities, wine tasting, and demonstrating artists throughout town. There will be an art show at the Cambria Center for the Arts. Jan. 27-29 $45-$150. 805-927-3624. cambriachamber.org/cambria-art-winefestival/. Cambria (various venues), Citywide, Cambria.

COASTAL WINE AND PAINT PARTY

Local artists inspire and instruct customers step-by-step to create their masterpieces. Saturdays, 12-2 p.m. and Jan. 27 1-3 p.m. $50. 805-394-5560. coastalwineandpaint.com. Madeline’s Wine Tasting Room, 788 Main St., Cambria.

MORRO BAY MAIN STREET FARMERS

pastor tacos, as well as shrimp ceviche tostadas. Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m. 805-4606042. ancientowlbeergarden.com. Ancient Owl Beer Garden, 6090 El Camino Real, suite C, Atascadero.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS MARKET

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

PAINT AND PINTS Please join Art Social 805 at the Barrelhouse in San Luis Obispo, where you will paint a Valentinethemed picture, while sipping on your favorite Barrelhouse pint. Jan. 29 2-4 p.m. $50. 805-400-9107. artsocial805.com. Barrelhouse Brewing Co. Speakeasy, 1033 Chorro St., San Luis Obispo.

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

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

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

PISMO BEACH FARMERS MARKET Features various vendors selling their goods. Wednesdays, 4-7 p.m. Pismo Beach Farmers Market, Pismo Pier, Pismo Beach, 805. 773.4382.

—C.W.

BOUNCING BABY STORYTIME: SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY Explore pre-literacy skills through music, movement, and visual stimulation and promote a healthy bond between baby and caregiver. Learn, connect, and grow with other babies and their caregivers. For ages 0-12 months. Wednesdays. through Feb. 22 Free. 805-925-0994. engagedpatrons.org. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

PRESCHOOL YOGA STORY TIME: SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY A morning of yoga with stories and breathing exercises. Children are introduced to mindfulness and will learn exercises to help regulate emotions. Space and supplies are limited. Yoga mats will be provided (or bring one from home). Jan. 27 Free. 805-925-0994. engagedpatrons. org. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY RAILWAY HISTORICAL MUSEUM TOURS The collection includes late 1800’s-early 1900’s Engine used by the Betteravia Union Sugar Company, a 1930’s Sacramento Northern box car, and more. Fourth Saturday of every month, 12-4 p.m. smvrhm.com. Santa Maria Transit Center, Miller and Boone Streets, Santa Maria.

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

NORTH SLO COUNTY

PAINT AND SIP Join ArtSocial805 at Penman Springs Winery, where you will paint a Valentine-themed picture, while enjoying your favorite Penman wine. Jan. 29 1-3 p.m. $47. 805-4009107. artsocial805.com. Penman Springs Vineyard, 1985 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles.

TACO TUESDAYS La Parilla Taqueria will be in the courtyard serving up their delicious tacos and tostadas. Menu typically includes barbacoa, chicken, and

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

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

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

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/.

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 o erings. ongoing presquilewine.com/club/. Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, 805-937-8110.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GLASSHEAD STUDIO

Laurence Juber Laurence Juber

Hot Dates

SIMPLY SOURDOUGH First Thursday of every month Oasis Center, 420 Soares Ave., Orcutt, 805-937-9750.

TACO TUESDAY Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, 805332-3532, winestoneinn.com/.

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.

MUSIC

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY BACKYARD SHOW FEATURES JESSE LOREN STRICKMAN Jesse Loren Strickman will energize us with his “emotionally charged vocals and jaunty chords in songs about heartache, healing and peace.” Personal stories of intimacy and heartbreak color a lot of his repertoire. Steve Key opens the show. Jan. 29, 2-4:30 p.m. $20. 805-204-6821. songwritersatplay.com/events. Backyard Show, Private home, Cayucos.

BLUES AGENDA JAM AND SHOWCASE

Held at the renovated Niffy’s Merrimaker every first and third Wednesday. Local, visiting, and newcomers are welcome to the blues jam, which showcases musicians from the vibrant Central Coast blues jam scene. Liquid refreshments only. Outside food welcome. First Wednesday of every month, 7-10 p.m. through Feb. 28 Free. 805-235-5223. The Merrimaker Tavern, 1301 2nd Street, Los Osos.

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

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

SONGWRITERS AT PLAY HOSTS SONG CONTEST AT SCHOONERS Three judges award three prizes. Up to 10 contestants play 2 original songs each. $5 entry fee. Advance signups only, apply at stevekey57@gmail.com. Note: December event moved to Dec. 20. Last Tuesday of every month, 6:30-9 p.m. through Feb. 28 Free. 805-204-6821. stevekey.com/events. Schooners, 171 North Ocean Ave, Cayucos.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

FRIDAY NIGHT DJ Weekly DJ series, with a different DJ every Friday. Presented by friends at Traffic Record store in Atascadero. Come listen, dance, drink, and unwind every Friday. All ages event; no cover charge. Fridays, 7-10 p.m. 805460-6042. ancientowlbeergarden.com. Ancient Owl Beer Garden, 6090 El Camino Real, suite C, Atascadero.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

CELLO ON FIRE Cello on Fire features the artistry of Amit Peled and Douglas Lilburn. Feb. 4 7:30 p.m. $21-$89. 805356-1438. slosymphony.org/2022-2023season/. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

DJ B.TRU An evening DJ set featuring Mushroom Jazz and Roots Reggae and delicious ciders on tap. Held in the tasting room and patio. Saturdays, 5-8 p.m. 805-721-6878. SLO Cider, 3419 Roberto Ct., Suite C, San Luis Obispo.

EASTON EVERETT LIVE AT THE MARK Easton Everett plays guitar-woven Indie music that generates curiosity, and has a distinctive sound and a sweeping groove. Feb. 4 , 7-10 p.m. Free. eastoneverett. com/. The Mark Bar and Grill, 673 Higuera St., Sal Luis Obispo, 805-439-4400.

EASTON EVERETT SOLO Enjoy some indie-acoustic, live music. Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. eastoneverett.com. Big Sky Cafe, 1121 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo, (805)545-5401.

FRANKIE AND THE WITCH FINGERS Over the course of five years and five LP’s, LA veterans Frankie and the Witch Fingers have been mutating and perfecting their high-powered rock n’ roll sound. Feb. 5 7 p.m. $15. slobrew.com. SLO Brew Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, 805-543-1843.

LIVE MUSIC AT RAGTAG WINE CO. Enjoy live music by local favorites. Wine available by the flight, glass, or bottle. Thursdays-Saturdays, 6-9 p.m. Ragtag Wine Co., 779 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, 805-439-0774, ragtagwineco.com.

LIVE MUSIC FROM GUITAR WIZ BILLY FOPPIANO AND MAD DOG Join “Guitar Wiz” Billy Foppiano and his trusty side kick Mad Dog for a mix of blues, R&B, and more. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 805-544-2100. Bon Temps Creole Cafe, 1819 Osos Street, San Luis Obispo, bontempscreolecafe.com/index.htm.

THE OKLAHOMA SMOKE SHOW: CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF ZACH BRYAN Jan. 27, 9 p.m. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-546-8600, fremontslo.com.

SUNDAY MUSIC AT RAGTAG WINE CO. Enjoy live music by local favorites. Wine available by the flight, glass, or bottle. Sundays, 4-7 p.m. Ragtag Wine Co., 779 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, 805-4390774, ragtagwineco.com.

TROPICAL F*** STORM LIVE “Entering into a Tropical F*** Storm song is like arriving late to a live show where everybody’s grooving and too far gone to notice you.” Feb. 1 , 7 p.m. $18. slobrew. com. SLO Brew Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, 805-543-1843.

VOICES OF MISSISSIPPI An immersive multimedia experience and concert event that celebrates the people and art of the southern blues, gospel, and storytelling traditions. The program features musical performances by notable Mississippi artists, including Bobby Rush, Shardé Thomas, Luther, and Cody Dickinson. Feb. 1 7:30-9 p.m. $40-$60. 805-756-6556. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, pacslo.org.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

“OLD SONGS FOR YOUNG VOICES” Two retired elementary teachers present songs, share instruments, and a themed library book each month. “Mr. G” shares his mandolin, viola, and various hand percussion instruments that kids get to try out. “Mr. Roullard” brings along his songbooks with traditional folk songs for kids. Last Tuesday of every month, 3:30-4:30 p.m. through March 28 Free.

Arroyo Grande Library, 800 W. Branch, Arroyo Grande, 473-7164, slolibrary.org.

CALL FOR AUDITIONS FOR THE SAN LUIS OBISPO MASTER CHORALE The SLO Master Chorale is holding auditions for new members. Choral experience is preferred but not required. Individuals should plan to sing a prepared piece up to three minutes in length and provide a copy of the music for the accompanist.

Jan. 30 7-10 p.m. Free. 805-538-3311. slomasterchorale.org/. Saint Paul The Apostle Catholic Church, 800 Bello Street, Pismo Beach.

CELTIC BASH WITH ANAM CARA The Anam Cara Quartet, (Angela Wood, Tracy Morgan, Taj Williams, and David Foster Evans), hit Puffer’s of Pismo with dynamic originals, soaring vocals, and sparkling musicianship. Feb. 3 7-10 p.m. $5 at the door. 805-710-3309. anamcara4. godaddysites.com/. Puffers of Pismo, 781 Price St., Pismo Beach.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS CELTIC CABARET OPEN MIC If you are a local musician or love live folk music and fun, come to Celtic Cabaret Open Mic. Feb. 5 , 12-5 p.m. Free. 805-710-3309. Celtic Cabaret, 1311 Smallwood Ct., Santa Maria.

THE HOMESTEAD: LIVE MUSIC ON THE PATIO Check the Homestead’s Facebook page for details on live music events. Fridays, Saturdays The Homestead, 105 W. Clark Ave, Old Orcutt, 805-287-9891, thehomesteadoldorcutt.com.

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

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG AMERICANA NIGHT All ages are welcome. Food, drink, beer, wine, and cocktails will be available for purchase. Feb. 3 8 p.m. my805tix.com. Flower City Ballroom, 110 W. Ocean Ave., Lompoc.

ANOMALY HOUSE PRESENTS STUDIO 110 “An Evening of Disco-Infused House Music on Vinyl.” Jan. 27, 8 p.m. my805tix. com. Flower City Ballroom, 110 W. Ocean Ave., Lompoc.

GROUP CONCERT Hexenghul, Disrupted Euphoria, Sinsation, and Pentacaustic take the stage at the Flower City Ballroom. Jan. 28 , 7 p.m. my805tix.com. Flower City Ballroom, 110 W. Ocean Ave., Lompoc.

LOMPOC CONCERT ASSOCIATION: 2022-23 SEASON Visit website for full list of the Lompoc Concert Association’s 2022-23 programming. Through March 18 lompocconcert.org. First United Methodist Church, 925 North F St., Lompoc.

SPACED OUT BEATS With DJs Frank the Tank and Joe Rock. Feb. 4 8 p.m. my805tix.com. Flower City Ballroom, 110 W. Ocean Ave., Lompoc.

YOUTH OPEN MIC NIGHT A fun, welcoming environment for first time performers and an opportunity for kids and teens to showcase their talent. Prizes awarded every month for Outstanding Performer. Last Friday of every month, 6-8 p.m. certainsparks.com/. Certain Sparks Music, 107 S. H St., Lompoc.

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

2022-23 season includes five upcoming concerts, between October and May. Through May 13 smitv.org/ syv-concert-series.html. St. Mark’s in the Valley Episcopal Church, 2901 Nojoqui Ave., Los Olivos.

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

Former lead guitarist of Paul McCartney's band Wings

headlines the Cuesta College

Multiple Grammy winner featured in movies & TV, Juber is joined by SLOcal favorites Dorian Michael, Sam Shalhoub, and Jennifer Martin. You'll hear jazz, folk, classical, The Beatles, and more! This production

sponsored by Joan G. Sargen & New Times SLO

Harold J. Miossi CPAC Mainstage Theater Cuesta College SLO

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

SANTA YNEZ

VALLEY CONCERT SERIES: 42ND SEASON The SYV Concert Series’

LA comedian Steph Clark hosts Los Osos

comedy showcase

The inaugural SLOFunny Comedy Gym event, part of a new showcase series hosted by SLOFunny Comedy, will take place at Niffy’s Merrimaker in Los Osos on Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m.

Each event in the series will feature a handful of local comedians and be hosted by a professional, touring comedian.

Steph Clark, a Los Angeles-based comedian, actor, and writer, will host the first showcase, which will include sets from Stormy Silva, David Uhlfelder, Aidan Candelario, and other participating comedians.

Clark’s comedy style is described as centered on “everyday life with a twist of absurdity,” according to press materials. Tickets to the first SLOFunny Comedy Gym event are available in advance at my805tix. com. The program is open to ages 21 and over.

To find out more, visit facebook. com/slofunny. Niffy’s Merrimaker is located at 1301 2nd St., Los Osos.

Guadalupe-Nipomo

Dunes Center holds annual walk dedicated to California’s Gold host

On Feb. 11, the GuadalupeNipomo Dunes Center is inviting the public to join a docent-led walk at Oso Flaco Lake that will retrace the steps of California’s Gold host Huell Howser, who explored the site during an episode of his show in 2003. The walk is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.

Attendees will journey along Oso Flaco Lake’s boardwalk to the coast during the event, led by Dunes Center docent Ray Segovia. According to press materials, Howser (1945-2013) visited the Dunes Center on multiple occasions while striving to help highlight and conserve many offthe-beaten-path sites throughout California.

Howser originated California’s Gold in 1991 and hosted the show until 2012. The series spans more than 400 episodes, totaling more than 200 hours’ worth of Howser’s exploration of small towns and landmarks across the state.

Howser’s knack for impromptu interviews with locals and bystanders became a recurring subject of parody in pop culture. The character Howell Huser, for example, in The Simpsons is based on Howser, who voiced the character himself.

Participants of the memorial walk are encouraged to dress in layers, wear closed-toe shoes, and bring water. Guests can register for the event in advance at my805tix.com. A donation of $10 is suggested.

Call (805) 343-2455 or visit dunescenter.org to find out more about the walk and other programs hosted by the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center.

The Oso Flaco Lake trailhead is located at 3098 Oso Flaco Road, Arroyo Grande. ∆

ArtsBY ADRIAN VINCENT ROSAS

Communal art

As San Luis Obispo Creek trickles through Mission Plaza and the chatter of birds echos across the walls of Bliss Cafe’s back patio, queer artists from across San Luis Obispo led in to set up their respective tables.

For Art and Soul SLO founders Faith LeGrande and Mia Lew, every aspect of the September 2022 event was coordinated and organized to provide artists and attendees with a safe avenue for expression and connection to their own marginalized communities.

“ ese events are all about building a community of artists who can truly be themselves,” Lew said. “ is gives them a safe space to put their guard down and just experience the art and expressions on display.”

From 1 to 5 p.m. on Feb 4, Art and Soul will again take over Bliss Cafe’s back patio, o ering a platform for unrepresented LGBTQ-plus, Latino, and Black artists to showcase their work, while guests enjoy music from local bands and communal art tables encourage discussion and camaraderie.

e craft fair is just one of many events in store for the organization that blossomed out of LeGrande’s passion for planning and building accepting avenues for marginalized and queer artists.

“Originally I had become part of the art scene here [in SLO] when I took part in a local craft fair that was run by Mia,” LeGrande said. “But eventually because I battle with a lot of mental and physical illnesses that kept me at home, I eventually had to stop attending outside events— but even then I knew I still wanted to be part of the community.”

LeGrande took that desire for expression through art and her need for a continued connection to the community and began planning and hosting artists in her own backyard.

“I had this massive backyard that I knew I could do something with,” she said. “By October 2021, the events grew to such an extent that I realized

Express yourself

Head over to Bliss Cafe, 778 Higuera St. in SLO, on Feb. 4 from 1 to 5 p.m. to experience an Art and Soul Fair featuring local businesses, artists, musicians, and more. For more information on the event and any future Art and Soulhosted events, follow @artandsoulslo on Instagram or visit artandsoulslo.org.

I needed to get a business license and establish Art and Soul events outside just my backyard.”

Around that time, Lew, who had been running her own DIY art events, joined LeGrande to help bring the full vision of Art and Soul SLO to life.

“Working together with Faith has really allowed the organization to thrive in ways that past event coordination groups I have been part of haven’t been able to,” Lew said. “Without the fear of burnout, we have been able to build something that focuses on community, empathy towards others, and bringing people together in a safe space.”

While LeGrande handles person-toperson communication and overall event brainstorming and planning, Lew ensures that each event reaches its potential.

“I walk through each event we host and make sure we are building a space that gives vendors and artists the space to sell their stu while also showcasing their work to people that might not have found them otherwise,” Lew said.

said. “It’s something that helped me a lot when hosting events like this—I want people from inside and outside our community to be able to do something with their hands and talk to the people around them.”

e group, which o cially became a nonpro t in November 2022, is aiming to expand its reach and impact the community through events beyond just craft fairs.

Showtime!

Art and Soul has hosted events at Bliss Cafe and Bang e Drum Brewery, and the organizers want to expand the organization’s impact by inviting those outside the art scene to enjoy the work of local artists in a safe and enjoyable environment.

“A big focus of the events we put on is having some form of communal art, whether that be in the form of coloring pages or painting tables,” LeGrande

“One of our biggest events is the Queer Prom, which is an annual culmination of every aspect of every event we put on, all combined into one night,” LeGrande said. “From featured artists to craft sales to live music and drag shows all together in one giant celebration of being proud of who we are and appreciating those around us.”

LeGrande said she sees planning events for Art and Soul SLO as her form of artistic expression and a way to give local queer and marginalized individuals the opportunity to be themselves and share that joy with the city around them.

“It’s artistic expression mixed with pride,” she said. “Not just for a day, not just for a month, but a celebration of who we are throughout the year.” ∆

Freelancer Adrian Vincent Rosas is saving up to support local artists. Reach him through the editor at clanham@newtimesslo.com.

GATHERING SPACE Local band Ner Du El performed for Art and Soul SLO craft fair visitors and vendors in September 2022 while visitors painted and colored.

FRIENDLY FOUNDERS Art and Soul SLO founders Mia Lew (left) and Faith LeGrande (right) enjoy their holiday market in November 2022 under the looming mushroom sculptures currently featured in the Under the Cap exhibit at the Cuesta Student Art Gallery.

COURTESY PHOTO BY LANE

PRIDE ALL THE TIME Cal Poly band Earthship plays for a crowd of dancing artists, vendors, and community members as part of Art and Soul SLO’s Queer Prom held at the SLO Botanical Garden in May 2022.

Art and Soul SLO organizes events that allow marginalized communities to fully express themselves

Digital detective

Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick (Searching) co-direct this cyber mystery about June (Storm Reid), whose mother, Grace (Nia Long), goes missing during a trip with new boyfriend, Kevin (Ken Leung), during a Colombian vacation. Desperate to nd her mother, June turns to online sleuthing, but her search reveals a mother with secrets. (111 min.)

Glen I saw Johnson and Merrick’s Searching when it came out and thought it was a pretty good, albeit gimmicky, cyber mystery. Now the writers of that lm are writing and directing this new cyber thriller/mystery, and once again much of the lm plays out on a computer screen. When it began, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to enjoy it, but as it moved along, I found myself engrossed in this story that digs deep into what a tech savvy-person can accomplish from behind a keyboard. Some of it is predictable, but overall, I was surprised as one layer after another was peeled back, revealing new revelations about June’s mom, Grace, and her past. As mysteries go, I thought it was pretty e ective at keeping audiences guessing. Anna I will say I didn’t predict the big reveal, and there were some moments where I thought, “Huh? Didn’t see that coming!” But overall, I felt about four steps ahead of June the whole time. ere’s some pretty clunky writing, and what feels to me like some pretty lazy lmmaking. Watching someone else’s computer screen just isn’t my jam. It does manage to entertain, and I will give the lmmakers some credit—I didn’t see what was ultimately coming. I still found the fundamentals pretty problematic and felt like the writers found their twist too far into the plotline. I had forgotten that I watched Searching until I recognized the format. Maybe I’m just too familiar with missing person stories from my waist-deep knowledge of true crime, but June is not an

MISSING

What’s

What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee

What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee

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

amazing sleuth.

Glen Your murderino-ism is showing, Anna! Unless you’re as obsessive as my wife, who loves all things crime, Missing probably won’t telegraph its plotline as much she thinks it does. Sure, there were times where you could see the setup. For instance, when Kevin buys a lock at the hardware store, I had a theory about it that turned out to be correct, but there were enough red herrings and misleading tangents to keep nonmurderinos surprised. It also had a pretty good emotional payo . It’s not going to win an Oscar, but if you like a mystery and don’t mind it wrapped in a gimmick, this is worth a matinee ticket.

Anna I mean, I’ll take it. At least there was some semblance of a plot twist and

RUGGED INDIVIDUALISTS

Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren) work together to eke out a living ranching an unforgiving expanse of Montana, where encroaching sheepherders, inclement weather, and starving livestock are everyday worries, in 1923 , on Paramount Plus.

claim in the Wild West.

In 1923 , Dutton patriarch Jacob (Harrison Ford), matriarch Cara (Helen Mirren), and their sons Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) and Jack (Darren Mann) must deal with their own challenges such as sheepherders encroaching on their pastures, politics, Prohibition, and the Great Depression, which came early to Montana. So far, four of the first season’s eight episodes have been released, with the next four coming weekly in February.

Sheridan has a knack for creating effective melodrama mixed with gripping action, and he’s not afraid to explore thorny areas of American history such as the treatment of Native Americans, Manifest Destiny, and greed. If you haven’t jumped on the Dutton bandwagon, you should. This is great serial television. (eight 60-min. episodes)

—Glen

their

TULSA KING

What’s

enough going on to keep the pace up. My favorite part was probably Javi (Joaquim de Almeida)—the Colombian equivalent of a Taskrabbit—who June hires for $8 an hour to do investigative dirty work in her mother’s last known locale. June is also having a meltdown over how terribly she treated her mom and how little appreciation she had for her. Funds dwindling, desperation rising—it all feels pretty intense. Her mom’s friend Heather (Amy Landecker) also seems to be oddly unhelpful and pretty cagey around the whole thing, and June’s friend Veena, while supportive, also doesn’t know how to sort out the truth when it’s revealed that Grace has a murky past. I’m not saying it’s a terrible movie, but anyone who has gone down the rabbit hole into the Instagram of an ex’s new ame could suss out the information that June found over days. Appreciate your parents, kids! And keep those grades up! ∆

Like 1883, 1923 and Yellowstone, Tulsa King is created by Taylor Sheridan. It stars Sylvester Stallone as Dwight Manfredi, a mafia capo who did a 25-year prison sentence to protect his boss, Pete Invernizzi (A.C. Peterson). When he’s finally released, instead of the hero’s welcome he expected, he’s exiled by his boss to Tulsa,

where he’s told to find some revenue streams and start earning for the family again.

Stallone is terrific as the aging but angry mobster, whose sense of honor has been seriously aggrieved. He reluctantly goes to Tulsa, where he’s an obvious fish out of water, but Dwight is clever and soon insinuates himself into a cannabis dispensary run by Bodhi (Martin Starr), not to mention a bar on a Native American reservation run by Mitch (Garrett Hedlund).

Dwight hits a lot of rough patches, including a competing motorcycle gang; trouble from his boss’s son, Chickie Invernizzi (Domenick Lombardozzi); and a romance with Stacy Beale (Andrea Savage), who turns out to be more than a simple bar pickup. After hiring Tyson (Jay Will) to be his driver, Dwight methodically builds his own crew of characters to run Tulsa, with law enforcement on the hunt. (10 approximately 49-min. episodes) ∆ —Glen

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

Creator Taylor Sheridan ( Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River ) has struck television gold again with this new entry into the Dutton family that started in contemporary times with Yellowstone (2018-present) as John Dutton (Kevin Costner) struggles to hang onto both his Montana ranch and an endangered way of life, which was prequeled by the TV miniseries 1883 (2021-2022) that followed James Dutton (Tim McGraw) as he moved west with his family on a perilous journey to stake

DIGITAL SLEUTHS June (Storm Reid, left) and her best friend, Veena (Megan Suri), use their cyber skills to search for June’s missing mother, in Missing, screening in local theaters.

PHOTO COURTESY OF 101 STUDIO, BALBOA PRODUCTIONS, AND BOSQUE RANCH PRODUCTIONS

MANFREDI’S CREW In Tulsa King streaming on Paramount Plus, former East Coast mobster Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) relocates to Oklahoma, where he puts a new crew together, including his driver, Tyson (Jay Will, left); and his pot dispensary partner, Bodhi (Martin Starr).

PHOTO COURTESY OF 101 STUDIOS, BOSQUE RANCH PRODUCTIONS, AND MTV ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS

SAN LUIS COASTAL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SEEKING APPLICANTS TO FILL BOARD OF TRUSTEES VACANCY

January 13, 2023

The San Luis Coastal Unified School District is looking to fill a vacancy on its seven-member Board of Trustees. Following former Trustee Kathryn EisendrathRogers’ mid-term resignation, a vacancy has opened up on the Board in Trustee Area 7. On January 12, 2022 the Board announced its intention to begin the process of provisionally appointing an interested candidate to fill Dr. Eisendrath-Rogers’s vacated seat.

Interested candidates are invited to complete an application packet which can be found on the District’s website at www.slcusd.org, and submit it to the District Office at 1500 Lizzie Street, B-1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 or via email to Superintendent Dr. Eric Prater at boardapplication@slcusd.org by 4:30 p.m. on February 3, 2023.

On February 6, 2023, a screening committee will post the names of candidates who will be invited to participate in an interview. On February 22, 2023, the Board will interview candidates for the vacant position in open session. The Board will, at that time, consider making a provisional appointment. California law requires that candidates meet the following minimum eligibility requirements to be considered for provisional appointment to the Board:

• The candidate must be at least 18 years of age.

• The candidate must be a citizen of California.

• The candidate must be a registered voter.

• The candidate must not be disqualified from holding a civil office.

• Must be a resident of San Luis Obispo and environs

• Preference will be given to candidates who are residents of Trustee Area 7.

The Board is responsible for ensuring the District operates effectively and efficiently. Trustees commit a significant amount of time, energy, effort and dedication to ensure that the District can appropriately serve our community. For more information regarding the provisional appointment process, residency requirements, or the duties of a school board member, please contact the Superintendent’s Office at 805-549-1202.

January 19, 26, 2023

Music

BY GLEN STARKEY

Almost Dead

Dark Star Orchestra builds on the Grateful Dead sound

I’ve never been much of a Grateful Dead fan, but I often feel like I’m in the minority. Has there ever been another band with a more rabid and devoted cult following?

Deadheads are the most loyal fans in rock ’n’ roll history, willing to follow their band from one show to another, often subsisting on sales of Grateful Dead items such as tie-dyed T-shirts, stickers, and bootleg recordings of past concerts, which the band eventually turned a blind eye to. It’s estimated that 2,000 of the band’s 2,300 concerts in their 1965 to 1995 span have been preserved by bootleggers. All this stuff was on sale in the parking lot before a concert … and yes, maybe some drug sales also funded Deadheads’ endless tour.

It was a culture of kindness and community, and when the Dead finally came to an end with the death of co-founder, principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and vocalist Jerry Garcia, fans were left with an unfulfilled desire to get their groove back. Enter the stream of Grateful Dead tribute bands. There are about 300 of them out there.

One of the best is The Dark Star Orchestra, which plays the Fremont Theater this Tuesday, Jan. 31 (8 p.m.; all ages; $48.46 with fees at seetickets.us). Formed in Chicago in 1997, the band has about 3,000 shows to their credit—more than the Dead themselves.

According to their bio, “Their shows are built off the Dead’s extensive catalog and the talent of these seven fine musicians. On any given night, the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead’s 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show. This allows fans both young and old to share in the experience. By re-creating set lists from the past, and by developing their own sets of Dead songs, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within this musical canon. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra’s members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering

their own informed improvisations.”

If you dig the Dead or if you want to see what you missed, Dark Star delivers the goods.

“For us, it’s a chance to re-create some of the magic that was created for us over the years,” keyboardist and vocalist Rob Barraco explained. “We offer a sort of a historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978, or whenever. Even for Deadheads who can say they’ve been to a hundred shows in the ’90s, we offer something they never got to see live.”

While we’re on the topic of the Dead, one of their former associates, Big Steve Parish, who became a roadie in 1969 and who’s identified as “a primary member of The Grateful Dead’s organization for over 30 years, a philosopher, radio host, Jerry’s personal equipment/stage manager, and an absolute staple in the Grateful Dead scene,” plays SLO Brew Rock on Friday, Jan. 27 (7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $10 at ticketweb.com). Skull & Roses presents Big Steve & The Assbites, The Alligators, and Shaky Feelin’ “We’re honored to have the legendary Big Steve Parish and his band kick off the opening night of the tour into high gear,” the venue announced. “It’s guaranteed to be a full throttle, triple Header, Grateful Dead celebration!”

Reggae legends at The Siren

In 1966, Winston “Pipe” Matthews and Llyod “Bread” McDonald formed a Jamaican band they called The Renegades. By 1968, they’d renamed themselves The Wailing Souls, and over their long and storied career, they’ve been nominated for three Grammy Awards. Despite many lineup changes over the year, Pipe and Bread have remained constant.

This Friday, Jan. 27, The Siren hosts these roots reggae legends (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 presale at eventibrite.com or $25 day of show), with opening act Man Like Devin.

Devin Morrison is “a songwriter, guitarist, and collector of Jamaican music born and raised in Los Angeles,” his bio explains. “In 1999, he co-founded Los Angeles roots-reggae group The Expanders. They spent the next decade playing

in and around the LA area as part of the city’s then-thriving ska, rocksteady, and early reggae scene.”

Should be a great night of stellar reggae.

Goin’ down South

Cal Poly Arts presents Voices of Mississippi on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Performing Arts Center (7:30 to 9 p.m.; $40 to $60 at calpolyarts.org with $15 student tickets available in person, with ID, at the Cal Poly Ticket Office.)

This immersive multimedia experience and concert event “celebrates the people and art of the Southern blues, gospel, and storytelling traditions,” press materials reveal. “Based on and inspired by the acclaimed 2019 double Grammy winning four-disc box set of the same name, Voices of Mississippi, the program features musical performances by notable Mississippi artists, including Grammy-award winner and Blues Hall of Famer Bobby Rush, fife master Shardé Thomas, and Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars, plus archival film and images. The show includes fascinating personal narratives and accounts from Dr. William Ferris, founding director of The University of Mississippi Center for The Study of Southern Culture and former Chairman of The National Endowment for the Humanities.”

‘Here You Come Again’

Is it just me or is Dolly Parton experiencing a renaissance? The 77-year-old country icon has been famous as long as I can remember. She was just 10 when she began singing on local radio and television programs in East Tennessee. By 21, she was a rising star on Porter Wagoner’s syndicated weekly TV show. By 1974 she was releasing one No. 1 hit after another. By 1980, she starred in the hit film 9 to 5

The thing about Parton is there’s something inherently campy about her. The platinum wigs, enormous breasts, and form-fitting outfits are all easy to parody, but Parton has always been classy and kind, which is why she’s one of the most beloved entertainers in America. If the Golden Girls had room for one more member, it would be Dolly.

This Saturday, Jan. 28, Numbskull and Good Medicine bring The Dolly Disco: A Dolly Parton Inspired Country Dance Party to the Madonna Inn Expo Center on Saturday, Jan. 28 (7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $25 plus fees at goodmedicinepresents.com).

“This is for the 9 to 5 workin’ girls with a calling from another era who just want something a little classic,” organizers explain. “Join us in Rainbowland where you’ll dance with somebody, hand in hand to the music of Dolly Parton, Kacey Musgraves, Orville Peck, Shania Twain, Miley Cyrus, Cher, Whitney Houston, The Chicks, Madonna, Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow, and more. So, wrangle your country-disco dancing queens and come party!”

Yeehaw!

More music …

Ready for some white punks on Müeslix? Then head to Liquid Gravity this Friday, Jan. 27 for Dad Religion, a quartet of SLOcals whose time on the music scene goes back decades. Guitarist Matt Cross (Guitar Circus), bassist Stormy T (Bingo Nite), drummer Brian Monzel (Hot Tina, The Probes, Shantastics), and world-class brewer and lead singer Brendan Gough deliver classic punk sounds of the ’80s through the aughts, covering the Misfits, Operation Ivy, Bad Religion, NOFX, Face to Face, and more. As the band quips, “This Dad Bod is here to stay!”

∆

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

TRIBUTE Grateful Dead tribute band The Dark Star Orchestra plays the Fremont Theater on Jan. 31

30 YEARS DEAD Skull & Roses presents longtime Grateful Dead associate Big Steve Parish and his band The Assbites at SLO Brew Rock

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAY BLAKESBERG

STILL WAILING The Siren hosts roots reggae legends The Wailing Souls on Jan. 27

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WAILING SOULS

Imbibing

Humanity Wine Project of Paso Robles aims to bring partaking in delicious California wine to the next level—by targeting customers’ heartstrings as well as their palates.

The company, which debuted its first vintage in April 2022, has been garnering attention at fundraisers throughout the Central Coast. It’s now poised to sponsor its own slate of events in 2023, kicking off with a Hearts for Humanity Valentine’s Dinner benefitting the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center.

“We conducted research which showed that wine lovers tend to also be very philanthropic,” said Steven Jones, co-owner of Humanity Wine Project along with his wife, Kelly. “We thought the idea of combining two passions of one demographic would be a win, win, win for the consumer, charities, and the small producers we source from.”

The company procures wines from premier American Viticultural Areas statewide, affixes custom labels to the bottles, then sells them online, with 50 percent of the profits benefiting partner charities.

The couple, both certified sommeliers who met while attending College of the Canyon’s Institute for Culinary Education in Santa Clarita, spent six years refining their business model, then relocated to Paso Robles in 2021 in anticipation of their launch.

“We have wanted to move to wine country for some time,” Steven said. “The opportunity presented itself, so we jumped at the chance. It just made sense to be a part of the wine community as we grow.”

Their fledgling company reflects insight gleaned from Steven’s primary position as a wine consultant and co-founder of Wine Resources, a custom crush facility in Lancaster.

Steven has worked with wineries on the Central Coast, as well as in Walla Walla, Washington, he said. His services include business and product development, financial analysis, operations management, and assistance with mergers and acquisitions.

For Humanity Wine Project, the couple employs “a negociant model, similar to Cameron Hughes wines,” Steven said.

“In my years of consulting I have found that boutique wineries are often in need of a cash infusion. They agree to sell to us, and we agree to keep them anonymous so as not to impact their brands,” he explained. “Kelly and I taste through different lots of wine and select those we feel would be the highest quality, as well as most appreciated by the consumer.”

The current vintage was sourced from the Lodi, Sonoma Coast, Rutherford (Napa Valley), Santa Lucia Highlands (Monterey), and Adelaida District (Paso Robles) AVAs, Steven said. The company’s flagship label is Faithful, designated for animal charities.

“We selected a photo of our dog Otis, sent

FROM ATASCADERO LAKE WITH LOVE Humanity Wine Project donated bottles from its inaugural vintage at the Atascadero Lakeside Wine Fest in June, which benefited the city’s Charles Paddock Zoo.

PASSIONATE ABOUT PHILANTHROPY Humanity Wine Project proprietors Steven and Kelly Jones of Paso Robles are living their dream—immersed in California wine production while simultaneously raising funds for partner nonprofit organizations.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUMANITY WINE PROJECT

SWEET ON YOU Chef Rachel Ponce’s decadent, layered raspberry cheesecake mousse will cap the upcoming four-course Valentine’s dinner hosted by Humanity Wine Project at Libretto in Paso Robles.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAIR WITH CHEF RACHEL

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it to a graphic artist, and he came up with the current design,” Steven said. “We loved the style so much that we decided to carry that same feel through the rest of our labels, creating pieces of art.”

The company currently offers five wines— sparkling, chardonnay, pinot noir, a Rhone red blend, and cabernet sauvignon. The latter two recently won silver medals at the 2023 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Each label carries all five varieties.

For the Hearts for Humanity dinner, for instance, featured wines will carry the Innocence label, which is earmarked for children’s charities.

Other labels include Fortitude, for health organizations, and Compassion, for senior and homeless groups.

Being a virtual winery with no brick-andmortar overhead “allows us to give back more to our partnering charities,” Steven added. “We rely on our nonprofit partnerships to help market for us through their social media, emails to donors, etc.”

While the couple’s commitment to funnel 50 percent of their profits from online sales to charity is impressive, their goal for the upcoming Hearts for Humanity dinner is off-the-charts generous.

In addition to donating all wine poured at the event, the Joneses will contribute 100 percent of the profits from ticket sales to the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center. The final tally will receive a huge assist from Humanity Wine Project’s event partners.

Morgen Hoffman reduced her management fee, chef Rachel Ponce reduced her catering costs, All About Events gave a percentage off the rentals, Libretto donated the venue, musical performer Dawn Lambeth donated her time, and Hugo Martinez of HM Imagery reduced his fees, Kelly said.

“We couldn’t pull this off without all of them,” she said. “Everyone partnering with us for this event has been more than gracious with their time and resources in helping us raise much-needed funding for the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center.”

Humanity Wine Project selected the youth-focused organization because of its long history in the community and

everything they provide to the youth of the Central Coast at no cost to families.

Hearts for Humanity event attendees will be treated to a special Valentine’s dinner by chef Ponce paired with Humanity wines.

“Rachel was so supportive of what we are trying to accomplish as a business in our community,” Kelly said.

“She is creative, talented, and very knowledgeable in her pairings. It will be the most special evening.”

Ponce said her menu will showcase “Valentine’s feels” by turning prosciutto into roses, starting the seated dinner with flames, using chocolate and Champagne in the short rib dish, and finishing with fresh raspberries.”

“I met with Morgen, Steven, and Kelly to taste the wines, and from there I developed the menu [and] pairings,” she said. “With pairings, I have the wine be part of the dish— the missing ingredient in the dish that the wine will take care of. I want the guests to take a sip, a bite, and then crave another sip, and, of course, show me that happy dance as they are eating.”

Ponce said she loves Humanity Wine Project wines and what the company is all about.

“What a perfect way to show awareness of these different foundations,” she said. “I choose two fundraisers a year to be involved in, and when this was presented to me, I couldn’t say no.”

According to the Joneses, Humanity Wine Project donated roughly $22,000 in wine and profits to charitable organizations in 2022.

“We’re hoping to build on this first year’s success,” Kelly added, “but we can only donate so much wine. Ultimately, our main goal is to sell wine so that we can continue to give 50 percent of our profits back to our partnering charities. The more wine we sell, the more we can give back.” ∆

Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte is down for savoring great wine for goodwill. Reach her at cwhyte@newtimesslo.com.

FAITHFUL FRIEND Steven and Kelly Jones’ Faithful label is designated for animal charities. The model, 14-year-old Otis, is the couple’s pug-terrier mix rescue.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUMANITY WINE PROJECT

PAIRING WITH PONCE Chef Rachel Ponce of Paso Robles will be curating Humanity Wine Project’s Hearts for Humanity Valentine’s Dinner for up to 60 guests. Ponce is a private chef, food and wine pairing instructor, and resident chef and recipe developer for Edible San Luis Obispo magazine.

HEALING

HANDY PERSON

WANTED

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2022-2728

TRANSACTION BUSINESS DATE (Not Applicable)

New Filing

The following person is doing business as, NIPOMO FEED AND RANCH SUPPLY, 125 Thompson Ave. Nipomo, CA 93444. San Luis Obispo County. Collins, Inc (2420 Brady Lane, Arroyo Grande, Ca 93420). State of CA. This business is conducted by a CA Corporation /s/ Hunter Collins, Chief Financial Officer. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 11-30-22. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk, A.Webster, Deputy. Exp. 11-30-27.

December 29, 2022, January 5, 12, 19, 26, 2023.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2022-2765 (N/A)

New Filing

The following person is doing business MORRO BAY MERCANTILE, 1290 Scott St. Apt. 3, Morro Bay, CA 93442. San Luis Obispo County. Andrew David Hamstra, (1290 Scott St. Apt. 3, Morro Bay, CA 93442). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Andrew Hamstra. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-05-22. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Bautista, Deputy. Exp. 12-05-27.

December 22, 29, 2022, & January 5, 12, 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2022-2828 (12/13/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business CALI PET, 1140 Quintana Road, Morro Bay, CA 93442. San Luis Obispo County. General Distributing & Sales CO. Inc., (PO Box 1143, Morro Bay, CA 93443). This business is conducted by A CA Corporation, General Distributing & Sales CO. Inc., /s/ Mike Gerson, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-13-22. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Trujilo, Deputy. Exp. 12-13-27. December 22, 29, January 5, & 12, 26, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2022-2847 (12/09/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business LA COSTA GRILL, 168 Station Way, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420. San Luis Obispo County. German Rodriguez Espino, (1790 Tonini Dr #41, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ German Rodriguez Espino. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-14-22. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office.

(Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk S. King, Deputy. Exp. 12-14-27. January 12, 19, 26, & February 2, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2022-2871 (04/14/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business MOONRISE PARLOUR, 933 Mesa St, Morro Bay, CA 93442. San Luis Obispo County. Mallerie Niemann, (933 Mesa St, Morro Bay, CA 93442). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Mallerie Niemann. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-16-22. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Bautista, Deputy. Exp. 12-16-27.

December 22, 29, 2022, & January 5, 12, 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2022-2878 (12/15/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business 101 PENSION SOLUTIONS, 486 Fresno Ave., Morro Bay, CA 93442. San Luis Obispo County. Susan V Flynn, (486 Fresno Ave., Morro Bay, CA 93442). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Susan V Flynn. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-16-22. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk M. Katz, Deputy. Exp. 12-16-27.

January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2022-2886 (12/08/2017)

New Filing

The following person is doing business QUALITY INN SAN SIMEON, 9260 Castillo Drive, San Simeon, CA 93452. San Luis Obispo County. Kevin Thornton, (340 James Way, #160, Pismo Beach, CA 93449), Coker Ellsworth, (129 Bridge Street, Suite B, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420), Ray Bunnell, (141 Suburban Road, A-5, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405). This business is conducted by A General Partnership, /s/ Kevin Thornton. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-19-22. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office.

(Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Trujilo, Deputy. Exp. 12-19-27. January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2022-2919 (12/12/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business CALI CUSTOM TEES SLO, 1448 Garcia Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. San Luis Obispo County. Mir Adnan, (1448 Garcia Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405), Deysi Yannette Perez, (1448 Garcia Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405). This business is conducted by A Married Couple, /s/ Deysi Yannette Perez. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-22-22. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office.

(Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Trujilo, Deputy. Exp. 12-22-27. January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2022-2928 (11/03/2017)

New Filing

The following person is doing business BE PRESENT, 141 Leeward Ave, Pismo Beach, CA 93449. San Luis Obispo County. Lisa Marie Dietz, (141 Leeward Ave, Pismo Beach, CA 93449). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Lisa Marie Dietz. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-23-22. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office.

(Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk S. King, Deputy. Exp. 12-23-27. January 19, 26, February 2, & 9, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2022-2929 (N/A)

New Filing

The following person is doing business OPEN AIR FLOWERS, 1055 Osos St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. San Luis Obispo County. Open Air Flowers LLC, (2575 Helena St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401). This business is conducted by A CA Limited Liability Company, Open Air Flowers LLC, /s/ Lisa Marie Dietz, Managing Member. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-23-22.

I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk S. King, Deputy. Exp. 12-23-27.

January 19, 26, February 2, & 9, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2022-2936 (12/27/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business SUENO ALEGRE CATERING GROUP, 3563 Sueldo St. Suite H, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. San Luis Obispo County. Irvyng Zamudio Ramos, (1820 Santa Barbara Ave Apt 208, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401).

This business is conducted by an individual, /s/ Irvyng Zamudio Ramos. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-27-22. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Trujilo, Deputy. Exp. 12-27-27.

January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2022-2937 (08/04/2004)

New Filing

The following person is doing business FILL AND SAVE, 2120 Heritage Loop Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446. San Luis Obispo County. Eva Marie, Inc., (12 Via Verona Court, Henderson, NV 89011-2214). This business is conducted by A NV Corporation, Eva Marie, Inc., /s/ Milt Souza, Jr., President. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-27-22. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Trujilo, Deputy. Exp. 12-27-27. January 12, 19, 26, & February 2, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2022-2938 (08/04/2004)

New Filing

The following person is doing business FILL AND SAVE, 1493 Creston Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446. San Luis Obispo County. Eva Marie, Inc., (12 Via Verona Court, Henderson, NV 890112214). This business is conducted by A NV Corporation, Eva Marie, Inc., /s/ Milt Souza, Jr., President. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-27-22. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Trujilo, Deputy. Exp. 12-27-27. January 12, 19, 26, & February 2, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2022-2944 (12/28/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business TRIFECTA TRAINING AND CONSULTING, 553 S 12th Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433. San Luis Obispo County. Jeremy Alan Visconti, (553 S 12th Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Jeremy Alan Visconti. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-28-22. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Bautista, Deputy. Exp. 12-28-27. January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2022-2957 (04/27/2019)

New Filing

The following person is doing business LUMINARI DRESSES, 7335 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA 93422. San Luis Obispo County. M. J. GO. LLC, (7335 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA 93422). This business is conducted by A CA Limited Liability Company, M. J. GO. LLC, /s/ Mayra Godinez, Managing Member. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-29-22. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Webster, Deputy. Exp. 12-29-27. January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2022-2958 (02/10/2017)

New Filing

The following person is doing business CUESTA SLO GRANITE, 648 Felton Way #D7, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. San Luis Obispo County. Julio Cesar Galindo Maciel, (648 Felton Way #D7, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Julio Galindo. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 12-29-22. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Bautista, Deputy. Exp. 12-29-27.

January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2023-0002 (02/01/2018)

New Filing

The following person is doing business PAUL’S PRECISION PAINITNG CENTRAL COAST, 199 Butte Dr., Los Osos, CA 93402. San Luis Obispo County. Paul’s Precision Painting Central Coast, (199 Butte Dr., Los Osos, CA 93402). This business is conducted by A CA Corporation, Paul’s Precision Painting Central Coast, /s/ Paul Latorella, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-03-23. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk M. Stiletto, Deputy. Exp. 01-03-28.

January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2023-0003 (01/24/1943)

New Filing

The following person is doing business SUZY’S PLACE, 2790 S Halcyon Rd Unit B, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420. San Luis Obispo County. Gwendolyn Sue Mitchell, (2790 S Halcyon Rd Unit B, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ German Rodriguez Espino. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-03-23. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk M. Stiletto, Deputy. Exp. 01-03-23.

January 12, 19, 26, & February 2, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2023-0005 TRANSACTION BUSINESS DATE (06/01/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business as, PERISCOPE WEALTH ADVISORS, 1250 Peach Street Ste C, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. San Luis Obispo County. Campbell Financial Inc., (1250 Peach Street Ste C, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401). This business is conducted by A CA Corporation, Campbell Financial Inc., /s/ Kevin Campbell, President. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-03-23. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk M. Katz, Deputy. Exp. 01-03-28.

January 26, February 2, 9, & 16, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2023-0008 (12/27/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business KRISTIANA’S COORDINATIONS, 6340 Northstar Lane, Paso Robles, CA 93446. San Luis Obispo County. Kristiana Rae Daly, (6340 Northstar Lane, Paso Robles, CA 93446). This business is conducted by an individual, /s/ Kristiana Rae Daly. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-03-23. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Webster, Deputy. Exp. 01-03-28.

January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2023-0010 (01/03/2023)

New Filing

The following person is doing business FISHER REAL ESTATE BROKERS, 1758 Grand Ave, Grover Beach, CA 93433. San Luis Obispo County. Robert Lee Fisher Jr., (332 Sandpiper Lane, Oceano, CA 93445). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Robert Lee Fisher Jr. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-03-23. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk M. Stiletto, Deputy. Exp. 01-03-28.

January 19, 26, February 2, & 9, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2023-0013 (01/01/2023)

New Filing

The following person is doing business HALPIN LEADERSHIP INDUSTRIES, 5465 Mira Estrella Ct., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. San Luis Obispo County.

Edward D. Halpin, (5465 Mira Estrella Ct., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401). This business is conducted by an individual, /s/ Edward D. Halpin. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-03-23.

I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk M. Stiletto, Deputy. Exp. 01-03-28.

January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2023-0014 (N/A)

New Filing

The following person is doing business D.LEA JEWELRY DESIGN, 6175 Kestrel Lane, Avila Beach, CA 93424. San Luis Obispo County. Dara Lea Rosenwasser, (6175 Kestrel Lane, Avila Beach, CA 93424). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Dara Lea Rosenwasser. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-03-23.

I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Webster, Deputy. Exp. 01-03-28.

January 19, 26, February 2, & 9, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023-0017 (01/03/2023)

New Filing

The following person is doing business PERFETTO CAFE, 1750 El Camino Real Suite B, Grover Beach, CA 93433. San Luis Obispo County. Brian Thomas Fisher, (1360 Crest St., Oceano, CA 93445). This business is conducted by an individual, /s/ Brian Thomas Fisher. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-04-23. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Webster, Deputy. Exp. 01-04-28.

January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023-0020

(N/A)

New Filing

The following person is doing business HERMANA COFFEE COMPANY, 1920 24th Street, Oceano, CA 93445. San Luis Obispo County. Kristin Hogan Rank, (1920 24th Street, Oceano, CA 93445). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Kristin Hogan Rank. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-04-23. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Trujillo, Deputy. Exp. 01-04-28.

January 12, 19, 26, & February 2, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023-0021 (01/01/2012)

New Filing

The following person is doing business PINON PAINTING, 3834 Ivan Rd, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420. San Luis Obispo County. Augustus E Pinon, (3834 Ivan Rd, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420). This business is conducted by an individual, /s/ Augustus E Pinon. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-04-23. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk M. Katz, Deputy. Exp. 01-04-28. January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023-0022 (01/01/2018)

New Filing

The following person is doing business BIG COAST SKYLIGHTS, 1335 Solomon Rd, Santa Maria, CA 93455. Santa Barbara County. Brian D Conn, (1335 Solomon Rd, Orcutt, CA 93455). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Brian D Conn. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-04-23. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk M. Katz, Deputy. Exp. 01-04-28. January 12, 19, 26, & February 2, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023-0023 (12/23/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business PENNY’S ALL AMERICAN CAFE, 1053 Price St, Pismo Beach, CA 93449. San Luis Obispo County. Penny’s All American Cafe, (1053 Price St, Pismo Beach, CA 93449). This business is conducted by a CA corporation, Penny’s All American Cafe, /s/ Penny Rodriguez, President. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-04-23. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Trujilo, Deputy. Exp. 01-04-28. January 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023-0024 (09/17/2022)

New Filing

The following person is doing business CALI BLAZE, 1492 Railroad St, Oceano, CA 93445. San Luis Obispo County. 420 Strains Inc, (1492 Railroad St, Oceano, CA 93445). This business is conducted by A CA Corporation, 420 Strains Inc, /s/ Wilhemus Cramer, CEO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-0423. I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk M. Stiletto, Deputy. Exp. 01-04-28.

January 19, 26, February 2, & 9, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023-0029 (01/01/2023)

New Filing

The following person is doing business BUDGET INN, 1001 Olive St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. San Luis Obispo County. GVS 2 LLC, (1001 Olive St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405). This business is conducted by A CA Limited Liability Company, GVS 2 LLC, /s/ Alpeshkumar G Patel, Manager. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-04-23. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk A. Trujilo, Deputy. Exp. 0104-28.

January 12, 19, 26, & February 2, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2023-0031 (11/21/2018)

New Filing

The following person is doing business HANALEI REALTY, 567 Camino Mercado, Ste D, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420. San Luis Obispo County. Linda L Moser, (205 W Bennett St., Nipomo, CA 93444). This business is conducted by An Individual, /s/ Linda L Moser. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 01-05-23. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk M. Katz, Deputy. Exp. 01-0528.

January 12, 19, 26, & February 2, 2023

LEGAL NOTICES

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

Premium Energy Holdings, LLC Project No. 15272-000

NOTICE OF PRELIMINARY PERMIT APPLICATION ACCEPTED FOR FILING AND SOLICITING COMMENTS, MOTIONS TO INTERVENE, AND COMPETING APPLICATIONS

(January 19, 2023)

On March 31, 2022, Premium Energy Holdings, LLC filed an application for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the feasibility of the Whale Rock Pumped Storage Hydro Project to be located approximately 0.5 miles east of Cayucos, California in San Luis Obispo County. The sole purpose of a preliminary permit, if issued, is to grant the permit holder priority to file a license application during the permit term. A preliminary permit does not authorize the permit holder to perform any land-disturbing activities or otherwise enter upon lands or waters owned by others without the owners’ express permission.

The proposed closed-loop project would consist of the following: (1) a new upper reservoir with a normal maximum operating elevation of 1,788 feet average mean sea level, a surface area of 87 acres, and a total storage capacity of 4,780 acre-feet; (2) an existing lower reservoir (Whale Rock Reservoir completed in 1961); (3) a 0.68-mile-long headrace tunnel, 0.16-mile-long vertical shaft, 4.76-mile-long horizontal tunnel, 0.07-mile-long penstock, and 0.99-mile-long tailrace tunnel with a maximum head of 1,558 feet connecting the reservoirs to the powerhouse; (4) a new powerhouse located on land owned by the State of California that would house 4 new pumpturbines rated at 150 megawatts each; (5) a new substation constructed on the southern shore of Lake Nacimiento near the powerhouse connected to the regional electrical utility with either, (6) 7 miles of existing line (upgraded), interconnecting the Morro – Solar 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, or 7 miles of existing line (upgraded), interconnecting the Morro – Diablo 230-kV transmission line and 0.5 miles of new right-of-way south of the Baywood substation for the new tap interconnection; and (7) appurtenant facilities. The estimated annual power generation at the Whale Rock Pumped Storage Project would be 1,200,000 megawatthours.

Applicant Contact: Victor M. Rojas, Managing Director, Premium Energy Holdings, LLC. 355 South Lemon Ave., Suite A Walnut, California, 91789; phone: (909) 595-5314; victor. rojas@pehllc.net.

FERC Contact: Benjamin Mann; email: benjamin.mann@ferc. gov; phone: (202) 502-8127.

Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file competing applications: 60 days from the issuance of this notice. Competing applications and notices of intent must meet the requirements of 18 C.F.R. § 4.36.

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments, motions to intervene, notices of intent, and competing applications using the Commission’s eFiling system at https://ferconline. ferc.gov/eFiling.aspx. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/ QuickComment.aspx. You must include your name and contact information at the end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support. In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should include docket number P-15272.

More information about this project, including a copy of the application, can be viewed or printed on the “eLibrary” link of Commission’s website at http:// www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ elibrary.asp. Enter the docket number (P-15272) in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary.

January 26, February 2, 9, & 16, 2023

SAN LUIS OBISPO CITY COUNCIL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The San Luis Obispo City Council invites all interested persons to attend a public hearing on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. Meetings can be viewed remotely on Government Access Channel 20 or streamed live from the City’s YouTube channel at http://youtube.slo.city Public comment, prior to the start of the meeting, may be submitted in writing via U.S. Mail delivered to the City Clerk’s office at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 or by email to emailcouncil@slocity.org.

COUNCIL CONSENT ITEM:

· The City Council will consider approving the San Luis Obispo Creek Bank Repair Project (Specification No. 10000183) and adoption of the associated Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND).

The City of San Luis Obispo proposes to repair drainage control infrastructure along the banks of an approximately 180-linear foot stretch of San Luis Obispo Creek. Existing bank protection would be removed on the south side of the creek, and the bank would be re-graded to increase flow capacity on the south bank. The project is located at the intersection of Johnson Avenue and Pismo Street (APNs 002-341-007 and 002-341-016; EID-04812022)

For more information, you are invited to contact Wyatt Banker-Hix of the City’s Public Works Department at (805) 783-7859 or wbanker@slocity.org

The City Council may also discuss other hearings or business items before or after the items listed above. If you challenge the proposed project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing.

Council Agenda Reports for this meeting will be available for review one week in advance of the meeting date on the City’s website, under the Public Meeting Agendas web page: https://www.slocity. org/government/mayor-and-city-council/agendasand-minutes. Please call the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 781-7114 for more information. The City Council meeting will be televised live on Charter Cable Channel 20 and live streaming on the City’s YouTube channel http://youtube.slo.city.

January 26, 2023

CITY OF GROVER BEACH NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Grover Beach will conduct a Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 6:00 p.m., or soon thereafter.

Development Application 22-24

Applicants – Coastal Community Builders, Inc

The Planning Commission will consider a Use Permit, Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map, and Coastal Development Permit for a 39,160 square foot, four-story mixed-use development consisting of 4,700 square feet of retail commercial uses, 37 residential units that are mix of studio and 2-bedroom units, and 3,200 square foot rooftop area for use by residential and potential future commercial use on a 0.69 acre site located at 402 West Grand Avenue (APNs 060-215-001,002,003,006,007).

The site is zoned Coastal Visitor Serving (CVS). CEQA Determination –The proposed project qualifies for a Class 32 Infill exception.

Development Application 22-26

Applicant – Mark Olson

The Planning Commission will consider a Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map, Development Permit, and Density Bonus request to demolish an existing residential structure, subdivide and construct eight (8) attached multi-unit residences on a 0.30 acre site located at 1211 Baden Avenue (APN 060-357-016). The site is zoned High Density Residential (R3). CEQA Determination – The proposed project qualifies for a Class 32 Infill exception.

Development Application 23-01

Applicant – Alan and Joanne Cable

NOTICE TO ARCHITECTS

Notice is hereby given that the San Luis Coastal Unified School District (hereinafter referred to as “Owner”) will receive proposals prior to the date and time stated below for the award of contracts to multiple architects for design and construction administration services on various projects, with each particular project to be assigned to one of the contracted architects via amendment to its contract. San Luis Coastal Unified passed a $349 million dollar bond measure in November, 2022. The focus of this measure is the modernization of the district’s 10 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and a continuation high school. Prior to the bond measures success, the district developed a Facility Master Plan. The master plan along with the district’s deferred maintenance plan will make up the projects associated with this RFQ and architectural services needed. The board of education is currently prioritizing the projects and establishing the schedule for projects district wide.

The Request for Proposals is available from the San Luis Coastal Online Planroom @ www.asapreprographics.com.

Proposals must be sealed and filed in the Facilities Office of the Owner at:

Building, Grounds, & Transportation Department 937 Southwood Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 on February 22, 2023 before 4:00:00 p.m.  No proposal will be accepted by the Owner after this time.  Facsimile (FAX) copies of the proposal will not be accepted.   January 26 & February 2, 2023

The Planning Commission will consider a one-year Time Extension for Development Application 20-46, Development Permit to construct a 341 square foot addition to an existing single-family residence and a new garage/shop with an attached accessory dwelling unit that exceeds 16 feet in height located at 615 North 5th Street (APN 060-087-002).  The site is zoned Low Density Residential (R1).  CEQA Determination – The proposed project received a Class 3 exemption for New Construction.

Where You Come In: Any member of the public may appear at the meeting or call (805) 321-6639 during the meeting and be heard on the item(s) described in this notice or submit written comments prior to the meeting by personal delivery or mail to: Community Development Department, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433 or by email to commdev@groverbeach.org If you require special accommodations to participate in the public hearing, please contact the City Clerk’s office at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting by calling (805) 473-4567.

For More Information: If you have questions or would like more information regarding the item(s) described in this notice, please contact the Community Development Department by telephone at (805) 473-4520 or send an e-mail to commdev@ groverbeach.org

The Planning Commission may also discuss other items of business at this meeting. The complete meeting agenda and staff reports will be posted on the City’s website at www.groverbeach.org.

If you challenge the nature of the proposed actions in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the Public Hearing(s) described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City at, or prior to, the Public Hearing. (Govt. Code Sec. 65009).

/s/ Nicole Retana, Deputy City Clerk

Secretary to Planning Commission

Publish: on Thursday, January 26, 2023 Post: on Thursday, January 26, 2023

New Times             Grover Beach City Hall Project Site January 26, 2023

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING NOTICE OF TENTATIVE ACTION / PUBLIC HEARING

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Commission

WHEN Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 09:00 AM. All items are advertised for 09:00 AM. To verify agenda placement, please call the Department of Planning & Building at (805) 781-5600.

WHAT Hearing to consider a request by Jeff Garris for a Vesting Tentative Tract Map (SUB2020-00067/Tract 3162) and a Development Plan / Coastal Development Plan for a ten-unit planned development (including 1 attached studio unit) and the subdivision of an approximately 39,204 square foot site into 10 lots ranging in size from 2,776 square feet to 4,225 square feet net. The two-story residences range in size from 1,800 square feet to 2,434 square feet of habitable area with attached 2-car garages. The project will be served by an 18-foot-wide one-way private access road and will include 4 guest parking spaces. Also requested is an adjustment to Title 21 design standards and partial abandonment of fronting road right-of-way. The project will include site grading of the entire site and removal/ demolition of existing residences. Public road and infrastructure improvements will be required. The proposed project is within the Residential Multi-Family land use category and is located at 236 1st street, within the community of Avila Beach. The site is in the Coastal Zone and San Luis Bay Coastal planning area.

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

County File Number: SUB2020-00067

Supervisorial District: District 3 Assessor Parcel Number(s): 076-221-006 Date Accepted: 10/21/2021

WHERE

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A copy of the staff report will be made available on the Planning Department website at www.sloplanning.org You may also contact Terry Wahler, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805-781-5621.

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

Ysabel Eighmy, Secretary Planning Commission January 26, 2023

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND SUMMARY OF TEMPLETON COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT PROPOSED FIRE CODE ORDINANCE NO. 2022-2

The Board of Directors of the Templeton Community Services District (“District”) will hold a public hearing on proposed District Fire Code Ordinance No. 2022-2 during its meeting on February 7, 2023.

The following is a summary of proposed Ordinance No. 2022-2: Pursuant to the proposed ordinance, the District would adopt by reference the California Fire Code, 2022 Edition, and adopt amendments to the California Fire and Building Standards Codes for the Templeton Community Services District service area which are more stringent than the requirements in those codes because of the climatic, geological and topographical conditions in the Templeton area. The following is a list which summarizes key amendments:

1) Board of appeals: Defines the Templeton Board of Directors makes up the board of appeals.

2) New addition of Chapter 12 of the Uniform Fire Code pertaining to Energy Systems (Solar): Includes Templeton Community Services District Solar Installation Guidelines as a reference document.

3) Automatic sprinkler systems: Added a note which will require all automatic sprinkler systems to include a flow switch that is connected to a local bell and shall have an inspector test valve at the most hydraulically remote location. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13 D which regulates the installation of residential sprinkler systems, removed the requirement of the above-mentioned equipment. The opinion and position of Templeton Fire and Emergency Services will be this equipment is important as an audible detection of a sprinkler system activation. Without said equipment, the chances of a sprinkler activation going unnoticed could cause excessive water damage.

4) Appendixes: Continue with all previously adopted appendixes. Appendix D has modifications specifically defined to enhance Fire Apparatus Access Roads by adopting Templeton local standards which include access road widths, dead end roads, one-and-two family residential developments and parking.

The District Board of Directors meeting on February 7, 2023, will commence at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held both at the District Board Meeting Room located at 206 Fifth Street, Templeton, California as well as remotely via Zoom.

Public Call in Number to Participate is as follows: ZOOM Phone #: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 832 7831 3593 Passcode: 926703

A copy of the entire proposed ordinance, along with copies of the California Fire Code and California Building Standards Code, are available for review at the District office located at 420 Crocker St., Templeton, CA. A copy of the proposed ordinance can be found here https://templetoncsd.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/ Item/5106?fileID=3675.

Summary prepared by: Thomas Peterson, Fire Chief January 19 & 26, 2023

WHO: San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors

WHEN: Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. All items are advertised for 9:00 a.m. To find out placement of this item on the Board of Supervisors Agenda, go to the County’s website at www.slocounty.ca.gov on the Wednesday before the scheduled hearing date.

WHAT: Hearing to consider a request by the County of San Luis Obispo to rescind Ordinance No. 3483, decertify the associated Final Program Environmental Impact Report (FPEIR), and to restore the regulatory framework of Sections 8.40.030, 8.40.040 of Title 8 and 22.06.030, 22.06.040, 22.30.200, 22.30.204, 22.30.310, 22.62.030, and 22.80.030 of Title 22 of the County Code and the Goals and Policies in the Agriculture and Conservation and Open Space Elements of the County General Plan related to new or expanded irrigated crop production within the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin.

County File Number: LRP2021-0000

Assessor Parcel Number: Various Supervisorial District: 1, 2, & 4

Date Authorized: January 24, 2023

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: You may contact Kylie Hensley, Planner, at khensley@co.slo.ca.us or in the San Luis Obispo County Department of Planning and Building, 976 Osos Street, Room 200, San Luis Obispo, California 93408, (805) 781-5600. The staff report will be available for review the Wednesday before the scheduled hearing date on the County’s website at www.slocounty.ca.gov

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION: Also to be considered is a determination that the action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) and Sections 15307 and 15308 (actions to protect natural resources and the environment).

COASTAL APPEALABLE: No

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

DATED: January 25, 2023

WADE HORTON, EX-OFFICIO CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS By Annette Ramirez, Deputy Clerk January 26, 2023

APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

SAN LUIS COASTAL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

NOTICE is hereby given that the San Luis Coastal Unified School District intends to establish a citizens’ oversight committee to oversee expenditures of Measure C-22 bond funds, which is the bond measure approved by District voters on November 8, 2022.

The District is presently accepting applications from interested citizens to serve on the committee. The committee will consist of seven members who meet, review, and report on expenditures of bond funds to ensure bond money is used only for voter-approved purposes.

Interested persons may obtain an application from the Superintendent’s office, located at 1500 Lizzie St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, or download the application from the District’s website at: https://www.slcusd.org/about/measure-c

Applications are due by February 28, 2023.

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING NOTICE

OF TENTATIVE ACTION / PUBLIC HEARING

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Commission

WHEN Thursday, February 9,2023 at 9:00 a.m. All items are advertised for 9:00 a.m.  To verify agenda placement, please call the Department of Planning and Building at 781-5600.

WHAT Hearing to consider a request (LRP2021-00003) by Monarch Dunes LLC to amend the Monarch Dunes Specific Plan to modify the allowable land uses of four sites within the Monarch Dunes Specific Plan area: Site #1 (Village Center) is proposed to be redesignated from Commercial Retail land use to Recreation-Resort land use, to support up to 65 hotel rooms (a reduction and reallocation from the 400-room hotel allowable on Site #3); Site #2 (Village Center) is proposed to retain the Commercial Retail land use designation, but would be modified to support up to 40 condominium residential dwelling units on the second floor (above commercial retail spaces) and to decrease the maximum allowable floor area for commercial uses from 140,000 square feet to 38,500 square feet; Site #3 (Resort Area) is proposed to be redesignated from Recreation-Resort land use to Residential Single-Family land use, to support up to 76 residential dwelling units in the form of 38 common wall developments; and Site #4 (Public Park Area) is proposed to be redesignated from Public Park land use to Residential Single-Family land use, to support 46 residential dwelling units in the form of 23 common wall developments. The Monarch Dunes Specific Plan area is located on the Nipomo Mesa, approximately two miles west of the community of Nipomo, east of State Route 1, and approximately half a mile south of Willow Road.

The previously certified 1998 Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) and previously certified 2001 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (FSEIR) are adequate for the purpose of compliance with CEQA. Pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15164, an Addendum to the FEIR and FSEIR was prepared.

County File Number: LRP2021-00003 Assessor Parcel Number: Various Supervisorial District: 4 Date Authorized: August 10, 2021

Project Manager: Cory Hanh

Recommendation: Recommend to the Board of Supervisors to approve LRP2021-00003 for amendments to the Monarch Dunes Specific Plan

WHERE

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A copy of the staff report will be made available on the Planning Department website at www.sloplanning.org. You may also contact Cory Hanh, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at (805) 781-5600.

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

Free Will Astrology by Rob Brezsny

Homework: What is the best, most healing lie you could tell? Newsletter.freewillastrology.com

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): Noah Webster (1758-1843) worked for years to create the first definitive American dictionary. It became a cornucopia of revelation for poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886). She said that for many years it was her “only companion.” One biographer wrote, “The dictionary was no mere reference book to her; she read it as a priest his breviary—over and over, page by page, with utter absorption.” Now would be a favorable time for you to get intimate with a comparable mother lode, Aries. I would love to see you find or identify a resource that will continually inspire you for the rest of 2023.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20): “The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity.” So declared Taurus philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein in his book Philosophical Investigations Luckily for you Tauruses, you have a natural knack for making sure that important things don’t get buried or neglected, no matter how simple and familiar they are. And you’ll be exceptionally skilled at this superpower during the next four weeks. I hope you will be gracious as you wield it to enhance the lives of everyone you care about. All of us non-Bulls will benefit from the nudges you offer as we make our course corrections.

GEMINI

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran musician Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a prolific and influential genius who created and played music with deep feeling. He was also physically attractive and charismatic. When he performed, some people in the audience swooned and sighed loudly as they threw their clothes and jewelry on stage. But there was another side of Liszt. He was a generous and attentive teacher for hundreds of piano students, and always offered his lessons free of charge. He also served as a mentor and benefactor for many renowned composers, including Wagner, Chopin, and Berlioz. I propose we make Liszt your inspirational role model for the next 11 months. May he rouse you to express yourself with flair and excellence, even as you shower your blessings on worthy recipients.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This may risk being controversial, but in the coming weeks, I’m giving you cosmic authorization to engage in what might appear to be cultural appropriation. Blame it on the planets! They are telling me that to expand your mind and heart in just the right ways, you should seek inspiration and teaching from an array of cultures and traditions. So I encourage you to listen to West African music and read Chinese poetry in translation and gaze at the art of Indigenous Australians. Sing Kabbalistic songs and say Lakota prayers and intone Buddhist chants. These are just suggestions. I will leave it to your imagination as you absorb a host of fascinating influences that amaze and delight and educate you.

Ysabel

Eighmy, Secretary Planning Commission

January 26, 2023

NOTICE OF PREPARATION

PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING

The San Luis Obispo Planning Commission will hold a Regular Meeting on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. Meetings can be viewed on Government Access Channel 20 or streamed live from the City’s YouTube channel at http://youtube.slo.city Public comment, prior to the start of the meeting, may be submitted in writing via U.S. Mail delivered to the City Clerk’s Office at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 or by email to advisorybodies@slocity.org.

PUBLIC HEARING ITEM:

· Review of Municipal Code and Zoning amendments for the City’s Cannabis Business Program including expansion of the Cannabis Business Overlay Zones (CBZ) to include the recently annexed services and manufacturing areas in areas east of Broad Street in the Airport Area Specific Plan (AASP), and modification of code requirements for cannabis business retail storefront operations (expanding hours of operation, allowing medical cannabis users aged 18-20 to access storefronts, and allowing retail storefronts to deliver). The proposed changes are exempt from Environmental Review under the General Rule (CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3)); Project Address: Citywide; Case #: CODE-0046-2023; Zoning: C-R, C-S, & C-S-SP

Contact Information: Alex Fuchs – (805) 783-7877 –afuchs@slocity.org

The Planning Commission may also discuss other hearing or business items before or after the item(s) listed above.

If you challenge the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing.

Report(s) are typically available six days in advance of the meeting and can be viewed on the City’s website, under the Public Meeting Agendas web page: https://www. slocity.org/government/mayor-and-city-council/agendasand-minutes. Please call The Community Development Department at (805) 781-7170 for more information, or to request an agenda report. The Planning Commission meeting will be televised live on Charter Cable Channel 20 and live streaming on the City’s YouTube channel http:// youtube.slo.city.

26, 2023

Initial Study/Notice of Preparation

For French Hospital Expansion Project (City File No. EID-0742-2021)

An Initial Study (IS) was prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the French Hospital Expansion Project. A Draft MND was prepared and circulated for public review and comment from March 10 to April 11, 2022 (State Clearinghouse [SCH] Number 2022030277). Several comment letters were received during the public review period.

This Initial Study/Notice of Preparation (IS/NOP) has been prepared in accordance with CEQA Section 15082(a) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the project.  In accordance with State CEQA Guidelines 15063(c)(3), this IS/NOP is intended to:

A. Focus the EIR on the effects determined to be significant, B Identify the effects determined not to be significant, C. Explain the reasons for determining that potentially significant effects would not be significant, and D. Identify whether a program EIR, tiering, or another appropriate process can be used for analysis of the project’s environmental effects.

The applicant, Dignity Health Corporation, is proposing a phased expansion of the French Hospital Medical Center campus, including the construction of a two-level, 234-space parking structure with 5,800 square feet of future lab and storage space and a 2,000-squarefoot helistop (Phase 1) and a four-story 89,775-square-foot patient tower, an 1,800-square-foot generator yard, and various related site improvements. The proposed patient tower would include, but not be limited to, 82 patient rooms, dining and kitchen facilities, staff break rooms, waiting rooms, and medical imaging rooms. The project would result in an increase of approximately 45 additional employees on-site distributed between two 12-hour shifts. The project includes the reconfiguration of surface parking, addition of bicycle parking spaces, realignment of an existing bicycle path and associated open space easement, on- and off-site tree removal and trimming, landscaping, and exterior lighting. The project also includes the merging of APN 003-568-004 (Parcel 2), APN 003-578026 (Parcel 3), and a portion of APN 003-578-063 (Parcel 6) to form one 14-acre parcel. The proposed 14-acre parcel would constitute the project site. Project construction would result in approximately 3,260 cubic yards of cut/export material and would require approximately 2,370 cubic yards of imported material. All proposed earthwork would be balanced on-site to the extent feasible. Project construction is anticipated to last approximately 3 years. The project also includes a request for the conditional use permit and variance to have a three-year permit term, with the opportunity for three separate 1-year extensions thereafter.

Reference copies of the IS/NOP are available on the City’s website at http://www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/ community-development/documents-online/environmental-reviewdocuments. If you are unable to access the internet, please contact Rachel Cohen at rcohen@slocity.org or (805) 781-7574 to arrange for an alternative means to view the IS/NOP.

January 26, 2023

(May 21-June 20): Poet Carolyn Kizer said the main subject of her work was this: “You cannot meet someone for a moment, or even cast eyes on someone in the street, without changing.” I agree with her. The people we encounter and the influences they exert make it hard to stay fixed in our attitudes and behavior. And the people we know well have even more profound transformative effects. I encourage you to celebrate this truth in the coming weeks. Thrive on it. Be extra hungry for and appreciative of all the prods you get to transcend who you used to be and become who you need to be.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): If you have any interest in temporarily impersonating a Scorpio, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to play around. Encounters with good, spooky magic will be available. More easily than usual, you could enjoy altered states that tickle your soul with provocative insights. Are you curious about the mysteries of intense, almost obsessive passion? Have you wondered if there might be ways to deal creatively and constructively with your personal darkness? All these perks could be yours—and more. Here’s another exotic pleasure you may want to explore: that half-forbidden zone where dazzling heights overlap with the churning depths. You are hereby invited to tap into the erotic pleasures of spiritual experiments and the spiritual pleasures of erotic experiments.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): The circle can and will be complete—if you’re willing to let it find its own way of completing itself. But I’m a bit worried that an outdated part of you may cling to the hope of a perfection that’s neither desirable nor possible. To that outdated part of you, I say this: Trust that the Future You will thrive on the seeming imperfections that arise. Trust that the imperfections will be like the lead that the Future You will alchemically transmute into gold. The completed circle can’t be and shouldn’t be immaculate and flawless.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Shakespeare’s work has been translated from his native English into many languages. But the books of Virgo detective novelist Agatha Christie have been translated far more than the Bard’s. (More info: tinyurl.com/ChristieTranslations.) Let’s make Christie your inspirational role model for the next four weeks. In my astrological estimation, you will have an extraordinary capacity to communicate with a wide variety of people. Your ability to serve as a mediator and go-between and translator will be at a peak. Use your superpower wisely and with glee!

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “All the world’s a stage,” Shakespeare wrote, “and all the men and women merely players.” That’s always true, but it will be even more intensely accurate for you in the coming weeks. High-level pretending and performing will be happening. The plot twists may revolve around clandestine machinations and secret agendas. It will be vital for you to listen for what people are NOT saying as well as the hidden and symbolic meanings behind what they are saying. But beyond all those cautionary reminders, I predict the stories you witness and are part of will often be interesting and fun.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In this horoscope, I offer you wisdom from Capricorn storyteller Michael Meade. It’s a rousing meditation for you in the coming months. Here’s Meade: “The genius inside a person wants activity. It’s connected to the stars; it wants to burn and it wants to create and it has gifts to give. That is the nature of inner genius.” For your homework, Capricorn, write a page of ideas about what your genius consists of. Throughout 2023, I believe you will express your unique talents and blessings and gifts more than you ever have before.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957) was nominated nine times for the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature, but never won. He almost broke through in the last year of his life, but French author Albert Camus beat him by one vote. Camus said Kazantzakis was “a hundred times more” deserving of the award than himself. I will make a wild prediction about you in the coming months, Aquarius. If there has been anything about your destiny that resembles Kazantzakis’, chances are good that it will finally shift. Are you ready to embrace the gratification and responsibility of prime appreciation?

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean educator Parker Palmer has a crucial message for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. Read it tenderly, please. Make it your homing signal. He said, “Solitude does not necessarily mean living apart from others; rather, it means never living apart from one’s self. It is not about the absence of other people—it is about being fully present to ourselves, whether or not we are with others. Community does not necessarily mean living face-to-face with others; rather, it means never losing the awareness that we are connected to each other.” ∆

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny's expanded weekly horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 (fees apply). ©Copyright 2023 Rob Brezsny