New Times, Feb. 16, 2023

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Editor’s note

It takes a lot of denials to get approved for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) help: Your insurance needs to tell you no; FEMA needs to tell you no; and even the Small Business Administration might need to tell you no. And if you do eventually get approved for federal help, there’s no guarantee that you will get enough money to start repairs on your house. Staff Writer

Bulbul Rajagopal speaks with FEMA, the Small Business Administration, and residents who are having trouble getting the help they need [8].

This week, you can also read about how the city of SLO is trying to increase its cannabis tax revenue [4], the “shroom boom” and how it’s impacting natural resources [9], SLOMA’s mural artist for 2023 [20], and how a bakery in Grover Beach is sharing the love [26]

Camillia Lanham editor

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SLO city to add new areas to cannabis zone, allow longer dispensary hours

Amid lagging tax revenue, the city of San Luis Obispo wants to add new areas to its cannabis zone—the parts of town where cannabis businesses are allowed to operate—while also relaxing some of its rules for dispensaries.

At a Feb. 8 meeting, the SLO Planning Commission unanimously endorsed adding the “east airport area” to the city’s cannabis overlay zone. The 58 acres adjacent to the airport and Broad Street, which were annexed into city limits in 2020, include Farmhouse Lane, Kendall Road, and Allene Way.

“It includes essentially the types of uses that are similar to what was looked at when the [cannabis] program was adopted initially … all service commercial zoning,” city planner Brian LaVelle said.

If finalized by the SLO City Council on March 7, the east airport area would be the eighth added to the cannabis zone since 2018—all in the southern part of the city. LaVelle said that a ninth area will be introduced soon that’s also near the airport on Fiero Lane and Clarion Court.

Community Development Director Michael Codron noted at the meeting that downtown is not on the docket to join the zone. Even though it’s the “natural place where one would want to locate” a dispensary, the idea still lacks public support.

“[Downtown] is not something we’re looking at right now,” Codron said. “We heard from downtown business owners and property owners who said they weren’t interested and didn’t think it was appropriate for one of those stores to be downtown.”

SLO is maintaining its cap on the number of storefronts allowed to operate at one time in the city at three, though only two have opened in four years: Megan’s Organic Market and SLOCal Roots. Two non-storefront cannabis delivery services are also in the city.

Natural Healing Center (NHC) had rights to the third dispensary permit before the city rescinded it in 2021 after company founder Helios Dayspring pleaded guilty to felony bribery charges.

Litigation between NHC and the city over that decision recently wrapped up, with a judge siding with the city. SLO officials say they plan to open

Community partners propose conservation plan for Diablo Canyon

While the passage of Senate Bill 846 might enable Diablo Canyon Power Plant to continue operating past its original closure date, it hasn’t stopped local organizations from envisioning a future of conservation for Diablo Canyon lands.

The Land Conservancy of SLO County, Cal Poly, Regional Economic Action Coalition (REACH) and the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe (ytt) presented a proposal to the California Natural Resources Agency on Feb. 10, where state leaders listened to public input regarding $160 million the legislation allocated toward local land conservation and economic development. During a media briefing on Feb. 9, authors of the proposal expanded upon key points of the plan, which included placing the ownership and management of North Ranch and South Ranch in the hands of the ytt Tribe.

Tribal Chair Mona Tucker described the opportunity to retake ownership of that land as once in several generations, several lifetimes beginning in the 1700s.

a new application period for the third dispensary, but the timing is up in the air.

“We’re going to ask the City Council,” Codron said. “A lot of things factor into it, including staff capacity. It can be very contentious and you have to be very detailed in terms of how you do that. Litigation is very common in that environment.”

Due in part to the lack of a third dispensary, SLO is coming up short on cannabis tax revenue. The city recently had to adjust down its revenue projections this year by $300,000, or 21 percent, due to slow progress.

In the same package of cannabis tweaks, the city is also proposing to revise its operating rules for dispensaries. It intends to extend allowable dispensary hours from the currently permitted 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Dispensaries will also be allowed to sell medicinal cannabis to customers aged 18 and older and operate a delivery business in conjunction with a storefront. Those reforms are set to go before the City Council on March 7.

“That’s how long we’ve been waiting for the opportunity to become the rightful owners and also appropriate stewards, so that this land will look the way it looks 500 years from now, the way it looks today,” Tucker said.

The conservation proposal seeks to balance cultural and environmental resource protection of the land in Wild Cherry Canyon while also providing the public with access to a continuous trail from Avila Beach to Montaña de Oro, according to Land Conservancy Executive Director Kaila Dettman, who spoke at the media briefing.

“It’s been a priority of conservation groups for decades, as well as in the state’s priorities,” she said, noting that both groups want to protect wildlife habitat, water quality, and the biodiversity of this region of the county.

“So of course protection of the Diablo Canyon lands fits in well with that overall vision,” Dettman said.

In addition to land conservation, the proposal also touches upon transforming the Cal Poly pier into an offshore renewable energy research and demonstration facility, as well as co-using Parcel P land to create a Cal Poly tech park.

“We really took a step back and pulled out the

According to city planner LaVelle, the rule changes are allowable by state law and in line with what comparable cities have on their books.

“San Luis Obispo currently has the most restrictive hours; it’s the only city not allowing 18- to 21-year-old medical cannabis users access to storefronts; [and it’s] the only city that does not allow storefronts to also deliver,” he said. ∆

—Peter Johnson

aperture of focusing just on Parcel P for clean tech innovation and we took this more ecosystem approach,” Dettman said. “How can we begin to incubate and accelerate clean tech innovation on the Central Coast … and across the region with continuing to still invest in Cal Poly’s leadership in that role?”

On Feb. 10, the Natural Resources Agency assured community members that their priorities for Diablo Canyon lands would be taken into account, adding that the public could still send written comments until March 3.

“We don’t want to be re-creating the wheel,” said State Lands Commission Executive Officer Jennifer Lucchesi, who was present at the Feb. 10 meeting. “You as your community know what the needs are, what the opportunities are, and I think we want to really reflect all of that hard work.”

—Shwetha Sundarrajan

Prices soar for SLO County wine grapes

California’s winegrape crushers squished less and charged more in 2022 compared to the year before.

GREEN ZONE The city of San Luis Obispo wants to introduce new areas to its cannabis zone where dispensaries are allowed to operate. Its current zones are in green.

Above:

According to the 2022 preliminary Winegrape Crush Report issued by the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture, 3.3 million tons of grapes were crushed for wine last year across the 17 districts in California. That’s a 7.8 percent decrease from the 3.6 million tons crushed in 2021.

There was a price hike too: 2020 and 2021 saw the average price per ton at $677 and $900, respectively. In 2022, the cost jumped to $930. While inflation is impacting wineries, Ciatti Global Wine and Grape Brokers spokesperson Todd Azevedo said it hasn’t necessarily impacted the price of grapes, which takes a few years to adjust.

San Luis Obispo County falls in District 8 with Santa Barbara County, and they mirrored state trends. The volume of crushed grapes fell by 20 percent in 2022 compared to 2021, while the average price per ton soared to $1,833—an almost 8 percent increase.

“The last three harvests [2020, 2021, and 2022] have all been short,” Azevedo said.

A “short” harvest refers to a yield of grapes that was lower than expected, he added.

“It’s hard to say what the average crop would be, but the growth was underwhelming through the seasons the past three years,” he said.

Changes to the environment and climate impacted wine grape yields in 2022, something SLO County’s cabernet sauvignon experienced firsthand.

“The Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon and Monterey County pinot noir yields per acre were, overall, the lowest the regions have experienced since 2015 with tons crushed down 17 percent and down 23 percent from 2021, respectively,” Audra Cooper, the Central Coast grape broker for Turrentine Brokerage, said in a press release. “While the Central Coast varieties were negatively impacted by excessive heat, Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon and Monterey pinot noir were more impacted than most.”

Still, Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon is anticipating success. Azevedo said that

specific market is one of the strongest ones on the Central Coast, and called it a “hot ticket item” in early 2023 along with Sonoma County chardonnay and Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon.

Cooper attributed the Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon’s rise to strong demand from local and outside grape buyers coupled with the increased price.

“This is the largest jump in district average price since 2012,” Cooper said in the press release. “However, it is important to note the district average is a weighted average. District 8 Cabernet Sauvignon crop was down 17 percent, which has further influenced the market.”

—Bulbul Rajagopal

SLO County mulls changes to Monarch Dunes buildout

More housing and a smaller hotel could be in store for the Trilogy at Monarch Dunes development in Nipomo—part of a slate of proposed revisions to the next phase of the project’s buildout.

Trilogy residents filled the SLO County government chambers on Feb. 9 as the county Planning Commission deliberated the changes proposed by builder Shea Homes.

Shea Homes agent Jamie Jones explained that the project’s original specific plan, approved by the county in 1998, envisioned a 400-room hotel, a large commercial/retail center, and a public park or school.

But the circumstances today are different, she said. The company instead wants to amend the specific plan to downsize the hotel to 65 rooms, relocate it to the “village center” with reduced commercial/retail space, and build 162 more housing units—40 condos and 112 twin homes. Some of those units would be built on the former park site.

“A lot has changed since 1998,” Jones said. “The market was different. Retail was different. Housing needs were different. Talking with county planners, [the question was] what should we do with these sites? It was really focused on housing.”

The added housing, relocation of the hotel to the village center, and the loss of park and open space emerged as the most controversial aspects of the revisions.

In the months leading up to the meeting, Shea Homes and the Trilogy homeowners’ association (HOA) struck an agreement that involved Shea and its contractor contributing $4.2 million to the HOA to help it improve its recreational amenities in conjunction with the buildout. That money would help build a new pool as well as new pickleball, tennis, and bocce ball courts.

That proposal garnered 61 percent support from Trilogy homeowners in an HOA survey, and the HOA gave its official endorsement to the county for the plan amendments. But some Trilogy residents told

the commission that they objected to the changes as well as the process behind them.

“I think it is a false choice that they’ve set up—that unfortunately our [HOA] board has bought into—that there’s only two things we can do: one is to live with the 400-room hotel and the big village center as it was planned 20 to 30 years ago, or adopt this very plan,” resident Rosemary Remacle said. “I think there’s also a little bit of misrepresentation about all the communication within the community. … We were told Shea would take back the money they have offered to the community for amenities if we did not vote yes, which I consider some kind of blackmail or bullying.”

After an extensive discussion, planning commissioners voted 4-1 to recommend the specific plan amendments to the Board of Supervisors—with some stipulations. The commission recommended that Shea Homes be required to incorporate 31 accessory dwelling units (ADUs) into the 112 twin homes—an effort to add affordable housing into the project.

Jones, the developer’s agent, supported the ADU idea and said that Trilogy is “not a good fit for deed-restricted affordable housing” due to its “high HOA fees and lack of public transit.” She noted that if even 5 percent of the twin homes were deed restricted as affordable to moderate-income buyers, Shea Homes would lose $2.6 million.

“We think this is the most cost-effective proposal for all,” Jones said of the plan for 31 ADUs.

The Planning Commission also supported a proposal to ask the county to dedicate $1.2 million in developer fees—paid by Shea Homes as an in-lieu fee for the loss of park space—to help pave 3 miles of pedestrian trails around Trilogy.

“A lot of the people who are in this development bought with the idea there was going to be a park there. So they’re losing something relatively large,” 1st District Commissioner Alex Villicana said. “I really feel that if we have any ability to direct where those funds go in this community to mitigate the loss of the park, we should do that.”

Mike Multari, the 2nd District commissioner, dissented in the vote and spoke the most critically of the amendments. He challenged Shea Homes and the county to reexamine whether a hotel made sense for the development at all. He also said he’s “uncomfortable that there isn’t more support from the community generally” for the changes.

“Is this specific plan a good improvement over the old specific plan? Why are we locked into this notion that we need a resort in this location in Nipomo?” he said. “It’s kind of dumb, in my opinion.”

—Peter Johnson

Paso school board adopts science curriculum, despite skepticism

A new K-5 science curriculum drew skepticism from Paso Robles Joint Unified School District board and community members who claimed that it presented false information and promoted social emotional learning.

Initially introduced at the Jan. 24 board meeting, trustees Laurene McCoy and Dorian Baker expressed hesitation over adopting the curriculum created by TWIG Science.

During the meeting, McCoy asked whether the curriculum promoted social emotional learning under the guise of

science. In response, district Director of Curriculum Maggie Tatman explained that the social emotional aspect plays a part in facilitating teamwork and would help kids “connect” with scientific topics such as determining what an animal’s needs may be.

As someone who owns chickens, Baker said she took issue with a section of the TWIG curriculum stating that it takes about 50 gallons of water to produce one egg.

“It almost seems as if there is an agenda that meat based protein sources are inefficient, take too much water, and should be avoided,” Baker said at the Jan. 24 meeting. “I consider this to be political, and we should be guarding against the politicalization of the curriculum, and we should be advocating for curricula that is well-sourced and scientifically accurate and transparent.”

Amid concerns regarding false information in the curriculum, board members asked to table the discussion until the Feb. 14 meeting, something board member Joel Peterson disagreed with. He urged the board to listen to teachers and approve the curriculum.

“There might be a discrepancy of one person raising chickens in Paso Robles versus commercially farmed eggs across the country, there’s easily going to be some discrepancy there,” Peterson said. “I’m not going to discredit an entire TWIG curriculum that I’ve been researching before this meeting and during this meeting about the work that they do, because of one egg-to-egg study of someone who lives in Paso Robles, California, versus the giant commercial egg population of the world.”

The parent group Moms for Liberty voiced opposition to the curriculum, stating in a press release that parents were not given the opportunity to weigh in.

“One email from the district during the busiest season of [the] year during work hours is not enough to show a good faith effort,” the press release from group stated.

According to Tatman, the program was piloted by 26 district teachers and unanimously approved. She said that an email had been sent to families notifying them that the curriculum was available to view at the district office between November and December 2022. Tatman added that no parent had filled out the forms requesting to review it.

On Feb. 14, some trustees had a change of heart about the curriculum.

While trustee McCoy did vote to approve the curriculum, she still had some questions about false information in the curriculum.

“How do you go about correcting false information? Because kids don’t always go home and talk to their parents about stuff,” McCoy said. “And they just take it because they trust their teacher, which they should. But if their teacher didn’t look into it, then how does that get corrected?”

The board voted to approve the curriculum 5-1, with Dorian Baker being the lone voice of opposition. During the meeting, Baker stated that her role as a trustee was to push back against an “increasingly bureaucratic education establishment.”

“Aside from the obvious absurd assumptions about the water footprint of an egg, a chicken, and a pound of beef was the fact that under the guise of science, the publishers are persuading children to conclude that feeding human beings animal protein is inefficient and costly,” Baker said.

CRUSH CONTROL A lower crop yield contributed to higher wine prices for grapes in northern SLO County and across the state, said Ciatti Global Wine and Grape Brokers spokesperson Todd Azevedo.

FILE PHOTO BY KAORI FUNAHASHI

Superintendent Curt Dubost applauded the board’s due diligence in vetting the curriculum to ensure that community members and parents with questions felt heard.

“If we aren’t more receptive to constituents speaking through their board members, asking questions like this and getting answers fully vetted, then I fear that there will be an impetus to have even more charter schools and more people desert us if they don’t think that you’re doing your job and we’re not doing our job,” Dubost said.

Act now!

—Shwetha Sundarrajan

Grover Beach reaches tax evasion settlement with former short-term rental owner

The punishment for evading bed taxes in Grover Beach just got heavier for one former short-term rental operator.

On Feb. 14, the beach city reached a settlement with resident Allen Thompson who skipped paying transient occupancy taxes (TOT) for two years while he ran a vacation rental. The agreement concluded a months-long deliberation between Thompson and city officials, which was marked by a heated City Council hearing and a lawsuit.

However, Thompson is now required to pay a penalty that’s higher than estimated

in previous discussions. According to the settlement agreement, he owes Grover Beach $39,043.75. City Attorney David Hale told New Times that the City Council approved the settlement in a closed session meeting on Feb. 14. City staff handed the signed agreement to Thompson on the morning of Feb. 15.

“He has seven days to send a check to the city,” Hale said. “[The settlement amount] is inclusive of interest and penalties.”

Grover Beach filed a lawsuit against Thompson on Jan. 20, which estimated his unpaid TOT amount to be $10,000 less than the settlement number. The new agreement said that the lawsuit will be dismissed with prejudice once Thompson pays the settlement sum that spans TOT he missed since at least January 2020. The city revoked his rental operator license last August after Thompson attempted to defend his decision to not pay taxes.

At that defense hearing, city staff gauged that his missed taxes totaled up to a little more than $16,000. Grover Beach officials found it tough to nail down an accurate number because Thompson refused to have his books audited. Hale told New Times that his books still haven’t been investigated.

“It was not part of the settlement negotiation,” he said. “We based the [settlement amount] on the number of times he booked people [into the rental]. We hired a consultant from Southern California, and he based it on computer-assisted data.” ∆

—Bulbul Rajagopal

the middle

For San Luis Obispo resident Beth Wagner, shock stifled any other emotion while she watched helplessly from Los Angeles as rising water wrecked the interiors of both her house and rental property near San Luis Creek on Jan. 9.

“Our neighbor called us in a panic. We looked at our cameras and watched as our houses were inundated,” she said. “In the back house, it was about 3 feet of water at one point … everything we’ve worked for just obliterated in seconds.”

Like many residents in SLO County, Wagner attempted to get help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) soon after President Joe Biden’s emergency major disaster declaration. She visited the FEMA booth at the disaster relief center set up at the local Vets Hall, but quickly hit stumbling blocks.

“If you have flood insurance, which we did, and you have good credit, you’re screwed. You fall in the cracks,” Wagner said. “In the middle of the FEMA fair, when I realized there’s no help to be had here, I just broke down crying.”

She added that FEMA won’t help if someone facing damage has flood insurance. If they have good credit, Wagner said, FEMA recommends a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan. These loans have interest rates as low as 2.3 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years.

But not everyone wants to take on a loan. Wagner is one of them. Her insurance paid the base amount for damage, which doesn’t cover all the loss, but knocks her out of FEMA eligibility. Wagner then got approved for an SBA loan, but only for her primary residence. The government agency rejected her application for the back house she uses as a rental because they thought she wouldn’t be able to pay it off.

“We absolutely could repay it,” she said. “I’ll appeal that because we do need help. What’s annoying me is that people’s perspective around us in San Luis Obispo is, ‘Oh, you just need to go to the Vets Hall, you’ll get help.’”

Over the weekend of Feb. 11, Wagner finally got the second SBA loan approved. They told her they made a mistake, she said. But getting there took too long for Wagner. The loan amount wasn’t enough, and by then, she had already applied for credit card plans to pay for damage recovery.

The disaster recovery center at the SLO Veterans Hall closed on Feb. 14. Now, SLO County residents in need can visit the sites at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria and the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

A series of rejections must take place before FEMA and the SBA can offer financial assistance. Renee Bafalis, the spokesperson for FEMA, told New Times that a person’s insurance coverage should be the priority before they seek additional aid. FEMA enters the picture only if insurance can’t cover the cost of damage, she said.

Bafalis also confirmed that FEMA doesn’t cover secondary property—like Wagner’s back house rental—and refers those owners to the SBA. If the SBA also rejects them for a loan, that opens the possibility of FEMA returning to take a second look.

“Our role is not to get you back to where you were prior to the storm happening. It’s only to jumpstart your recovery process,” Bafalis said. “We can help you with child care expenses during the time that you maybe didn’t have in the past because you have to do repairs to your home; if you have transportation issues; if you have medical and dental expenses, or even funeral expenses.”

As of Feb. 12, 1,828 people in SLO County had registered with FEMA for help. The federal agency committed roughly $2.8 million for housing assistance, and $103,729 for other needs. By Feb. 13, the SBA received 303 loan applications from county residents, and greenlit 106 of those. The SBA approved more than $4.7 million in loans for them— almost double the amount authorized for residents in neighboring Santa Barbara and Monterey counties combined.

That total is a testament to SLO County being classified as a “primary or designated county” under the presidential emergency declaration.

“What that means when I say a primary or designated county is that our federal program provides low-interest federal disaster loans to assist businesses and residents that may not be insured or may be under-insured as a result of the severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that began Dec. 27, 2022,” SBA spokesperson George Kostyrko told New Times

The $4.7 million in loans includes aid to

individuals and families that can total up to $200,000 to repair or replace real estate. Eligible homeowners and renters can receive loans up to $40,000 to replace personal property.

“We encourage people to complete the SBA application even if they are not sure if they need it yet. If approved, the loan becomes an option,” Kostyrko said.

But people like Wagner were left in the lurch. After receiving the initial SBA rejection for her rental, she called FEMA again hoping it would reconsider her case.

“There was just silence on the phone,” Wagner said of the FEMA staffer she was speaking with. “She said, ‘I don’t know, we can appeal your primary residence.’ But we already got a loan on our primary residence.”

Creston resident Stephanie Laird felt

“What I was told over the phone was completely contradicted by my case worker at the Vets Hall,” Laird said. “My caseworker said I was not flagged to fill out an SBA loan application. I was told over the phone that everybody has to have an SBA loan application for anything for FEMA. My caseworker said that wasn’t true.”

In a second phone call to FEMA, Laird’s caseworker asked if the agency had sent an inspector over to the property. But Laird hadn’t even been able to report any damage yet.

“When you fill out the application, they didn’t let me report any damage,” she said. “It asked if I had any damage to my home or personal property. I said no because my home didn’t, and I don’t know if fencing is considered personal property. I don’t know

burned out by the application process. Parts of Laird’s 96-acre property were damaged and filled with debris after the Huer Huero Creek overflowed during the storm. While her raised house was unscathed, the debris and flooding blocked her from getting to the back of her property. She hired a backhoe operator on Jan. 11 who cleared 40 yards of debris, and she was still waiting to be billed for it as of Feb. 1.

Laird then sent an assistance application for debris clearance to FEMA but was rejected within an hour because her residence wasn’t damaged. The back-andforth between her and the representatives tired her out.

what the definition of that is.”

FEMA is encouraging people to seek help elsewhere, too. At the Vets Hall, a representative who requested anonymity told New Times that people like Laird who were facing dead ends could speak with the California Department of Insurance to contest their insurance coverage. Laird received additional advise from FEMA.

“They said they can’t help us and said to get ahold of possibly building and planning, and possibly the USDA [Department of Agriculture],” she said. ∆

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

in the funding system for flood relief are causing some SLO County residents to slip through

LONG ROAD Alliance Team Heat Treatment Service injects San Luis Obispo resident Beth Wagner’s house with heated air to help dry it out after San Luis Creek jumped its banks on Jan. 9, flooding it.

PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

BY SHWETHA SUNDARRAJAN

Mushroom mania

Illegal mushroom foraging on the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve sparks a conversation about sustainability

On a crisp February morning, members of Cal Poly’s mycology club gather for their weekly mushroom foray.

The morning starts with a brisk hike. Club President Kevin Perez-Norwood leads the pack, and everyone’s eyes are peeled for concealed fungi. Perez-Norwood explains the differences between edible mushrooms and their poisonous counterparts, while also demonstrating proper, sustainable techniques for foraging mushrooms.

The group stumbles upon one hidden among tufts of grass, crouching to get a better look at the specimen. Perez-Norwood parts the strands, gently prodding his knife around the fungi to loosen the dirt. The mushroom is the right size, prime for picking.

“We don’t really harvest the really young mushrooms, unless we’re desperate to find something,” says Toshiro Wada, a second year Cal Poly student.

With that, Perez-Norwood gingerly pulls out the mushroom, head and stem intact. “Leave no trace,” Perez-Norwood intones, as he covers up the hole he created by harvesting.

After getting their fill of fungi, the group moves on to their next destination on their foraging journey. The goal is to collect a few species of mushrooms—both edible and poisonous—to display at the SLO Museum of Art’s event, The Possibilities of Mushrooms. One of the group’s stops is the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, where they observe what’s growing because it’s illegal to pick mushrooms on the property.

Signs placed along the preserve’s trails warn pedestrians that foraging is prohibited, but that hasn’t stopped people from hauling away wild oyster mushrooms, morels, and porcinis. Posts on the Cambria Currents Facebook group call out the mushroom poachers, who often take “bags and bags of mushrooms.”

But the damage doesn’t stop with what poachers take with them—it’s also what they leave behind. Kitty Connolly, executive director of Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, explained over the phone that when foragers stray away from established trails to search for mushrooms, they can damage newly emerged seedlings and the part of fungi that grows below the surface.

“That’s part of the reason that picking is illegal, collecting is illegal on the ranch,” Connolly said. “It’s because we’re trying to support the ecosystem, local ecosystem, and you do that by not removing the resources.”

Foraging has burst into the limelight in the past three years, a phenomenon that Perez-Norwood calls the “shroom boom.” Increased public interest means that the existing natural resources on the preserve can’t continue to sustain the growing number of amateur foragers.

Connolly explained that even if each forager only takes 10 percent of the mushroom population, it eventually depletes the resources.

“Pretty soon you have 0.005 percent left of what that resource was, because there was a time before Europeans came to California when the whole state had a million people, and you could survive on foraging. But now your high school has a million people,” Connolly said.

Just because a mushroom has been picked doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. Fourth year Cal Poly student Joey Hammond explained to New Times via phone that mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of mycelium, an underground network of fungal threads that typically sprout mushrooms after a bout of rain.

“You won’t kill a species by picking mushrooms. You will cause ecosystem damage if you’re going around in areas that are, like, let’s say off trails and pushing through a lot of wilderness and things like that,” Hammond said. “But taking a lot of mushrooms, at least for an individual person, to my knowledge doesn’t cause ecosystem damage.”

Connolly explained that enforcing the “no foraging” rule has been especially difficult, due to it being a nonviolent crime, and the lack of a Cambria law enforcement agency. Instead, the ranch relies on visitors to “watch out for the ranch and its resources.”

“Irresponsible foragers don’t care about the rules. And they just take things if they want them, so it’s a real challenge to get people to want to behave ethically,” Connolly said.

But not all foragers are irresponsible. One way Hammond practices sustainable foraging is by avoiding smaller, underdeveloped mushrooms.

Act now!

“Foraging is a very etiquette-based hobby because it’s very easy for someone to run through and destroy stuff or just kind of ruin the conditions for other people,” Hammond said.

And California isn’t necessarily set up to be forager friendly. Foraging is prohibited on most state-owned public lands, with the exception of Salt Point State Park. The same goes for foraging on private land, which is why Hammond uses an app called OnX Hunt, which shows land ownership.

“I really like finding new areas. I like looking at a map, looking at where the different forests of SLO are, looking at public access land, it’s almost like a treasure hunt. You get out there, and half the time you’re entirely wrong about something,” Hammond said. “Maybe you’re looking out for an hour and worst case scenario

is you’re somewhere you haven’t been before; best case scenario, you find something.”

It can take up to a week for mushrooms to sprout after a storm, but overzealous foragers can quickly decimate that fresh crop, leaving none for hungry animals or other foragers. If practiced correctly, Perez-Norwood believes foraging can be more sustainable than getting groceries from the store.

“I think the main problem with foraging and a lot of these unsustainable practices are because people just aren’t informed of what’s right,” Perez-Norwood says. “They don’t think that they’re doing anything wrong for the most part.”

That’s why Perez-Norwood takes members of the mycology club on foraging trips, where he teaches beginners how to forage without damaging the environment.

On another stop of their foraging journey, club members gather around a large cluster of bright orange mushrooms as they watch Perez-Norwood carefully inspect the fungi’s characteristics.

To the untrained eye, a poisonous mushroom could look identical to its edible counterpart. There are a variety of litmus tests that mushroom hunters can perform to identify a poisonous mushroom.

One method of identification is using potassium hydroxide, which can prompt color change in a mushroom. Hammond, who is colorblind, uses other methods of identification to distinguish between fungi.

“Color is only part of the equation,” Hammond said. “With the mushrooms there’s more minute details and emotions, like the way that the caps are shaped, the way that the gills are shaped, attached to the stipe.”

While foragers have different philosophies on the hobby, Perez-Norwood believes that commercialization of the hobby contributes to the problems ailing the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve.

“Foraging at its very core is connecting back to nature. I think if you’re a mindful, intentional forger, I think you’re more likely to protect nature,” Perez-Norwood says. “I think when you go into foraging just for the money, that isn’t a question to get spend as much as possible. Like damn anything else. It’s just kind of like you’re missing the point of it.” ∆

Reach Staff Writer Shwetha Sundarrajan at shwetha@newtimesslo.com.

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FUNGI FUN Kevin PerezNorwood shows second year Cal Poly student Anna Delmas the different parts of a freshly foraged mushroom.

PHOTO BY SHWETHA SUNDARRAJAN

BY PETER JOHNSON

Bigger stage

The San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre’s dream to build one three-story theater, academy, and headquarters in downtown SLO might not have panned out, but the nonprofit is wasting no time making the most out of its backup plan.

Since moving its offices and youth classes to a building on Empleo Street last year, while continuing to fundraise for a new main theater downtown, the SLO Rep’s Academy of Creative Theatre has exploded with activity.

“When we were at the old space, we served about 250 to 300 students annually. Since moving to the new building, we’ve already seen 265 students come through our doors, so we’re on track to double our enrollment this season,” Education Director Kerry

on right now is massive compared to what we’ve been doing in the past.”

told New

Times

DiMaggio

Growing its academy, founded in 1997, is something SLO Rep has always wanted to do. But until the recent move, that was difficult: Classes had to share limited space with its main theater downtown.

“We were competing with the shows that were running on the stage, rehearsals that happened, set constructions,” DiMaggio said. “We had one other small room over there that would sometimes double as storage.”

SLO Rep’s former vision to build one central facility big enough to accommodate professional productions and a beefed-up academy hit the dust when COVID-19 came and project costs skyrocketed. But the decision to pull the plug and relocate the academy to Empleo Street turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“When that project was delayed, we kind of switched gears and found this new building we were able to purchase. It’s funny how it has worked out in a way that’s best,” DiMaggio said. “We thought we weren’t going to be able to have any additional programming until that building was constructed in 2027. Suddenly, we’ve got all this new space that we didn’t have before. We’ve suddenly been able to offer way more than we’ve ever been able to offer.”

Promote!

A boost in grant funding is also giving SLO Rep the ability to offer more student scholarships than ever. Recent donations from the Community Foundation of SLO County and Central Coast Funds for Children enabled SLO Rep to hand out 30 scholarships since last June.

In general, the larger space and enhanced programming (which includes more staff and teachers) is allowing SLO Rep to enrich the lives of more SLO County families.

“Since about 2013, we’ve had just sold-out classes and a long waiting list,” DiMaggio said. “It’s very clear that the need is there and the desire for this program is there and we’re just so, so excited to have been able to grow so quickly.”

The growth is especially exciting for the SLO Rep team after enduring the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s nothing like the experience of a group of young people coming together to learn about theater and acting, DiMaggio said.

Send business and nonprofit information to strokes@newtimesslo.com.

“I could list the many, many reasons why theater is important: It allows students to think creatively. It gives them a sense of community, of teamwork. It builds selfconfidence. It gives them the ability to think open-mindedly and be active listeners and to be flexible,” she said.

The Academy of Creative Theatre’s yearround programming ranges from afterschool drama classes in the fall, winter, and spring, to summer camps, to specialized instruction, and much more.

DiMaggio said that the added space and classrooms have allowed the academy to improve and expand its existing programs as well as introduce new ones. There’s now a pre-K (ages 3 to 5) drama program on Saturdays, theater tech and design classes, and more niche classes, like stage combat and voice.

“For the first time, we’ll be offering spring break camps for several school districts and winter break camp this year,” she added. “And the summer camp lineup I’m working

“I’ve seen students who come in the doors on the first day very, very shy, unable to let go of their parents’ hands, and by the end of the class, they’re thriving onstage. They’re beaming, and they’re funny and alive. That’s what this program does.”

Fast fact

• The SLO County Public Health Department is asking residents to complete its Community Health Survey, an assessment done every five years to help inform community health improvement planning. Go to slohealthcounts.org/survey to complete the survey and enter a drawing to win one of four $100 gift cards. ∆

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

LEARNING ON STAGE The San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre’s Academy of Creative Theatre is poised to double its student enrollment this year after moving buildings and expanding its programming.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SLO REPERTORY

APODACA, PATRICK DWAINE, 57, of Santa Maria passed away 2/07/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

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GUERRERO, RALPH, 96, of Santa Marira passed away 2/10/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

HOERIG, BARRY, 65, of Santa Maria passed away 1/25/2023 arrangements with MagnerMaloney Funeral Home & Crematory

JOHNSON, LARRY, 81, of Santa Maria passed away 2/11/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

KURTZE, CAROL ANN, 72, of Santa Maria passed away 2/06/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

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LEON, ESTHER, 83, of Guadalupe passed away 2/12/2023 arrangements with DudleyHoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

MANESS, PAUL M., 71, of Santa Maria passed away 2/05/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

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BY AARON OCHS

Los Osos matters

Local government’s response to the tragic mudslide highlights a lack of representation

Los Osos is a beautiful place, but it’s woefully underappreciated and underrepresented. It’s time to change that.

In January, I had the opportunity to observe the devastation at Vista de Oro Estates, an area ravaged by floods and a mudslide that occurred on Jan. 9. Residents showed me photos and videos including several feet of water and mud rushing down their streets and into their homes. Then they showed me the extensive damage to their now-uninhabitable homes, some of which had water up to 3 feet inside.

How could this have happened? The Los Osos Community Services District (CSD) is responsible for maintenance and upkeep of a retention basin, which was supposed to protect lower-elevation properties in the area. Homeowners informed me that the CSD had taken no responsibility for the lack of upkeep with the retention basin. The district has shown a willingness to battle residents in court over clear damages as a result of their negligence. The district had years to plan for

LETTERS

Be careful what you wish for when it comes to Diablo

It has been said that the simple believe anything, but the wise think about what they do. This is clearly evident in a recent opinion letter about Diablo Canyon, which the author believes poses a viable existential threat to our community and the world, despite that fact that for nearly three-quarters of a century nuclear power has proven to be among the safest forms of power production

natural disasters like this, but didn’t.

On Vista Court, a makeshift bulletin board held pertinent information for residents and volunteers. Who would’ve thought an inanimate bulletin board would be more impactful and present than a CSD or a county supervisor?

Though the radically gerrymandered Patten map disenfranchised Los Osos residents from having county representation, the lack of representation has been problem for years— and the proof is literally in the water.

For decades, Los Osos struggled to assert control over its water and wastewater. Even after the long-awaited sewer was finally built, the community continues to suffer from a critical shortage of water as a result of having a seawater-compromised, overdrafted aquifer. Last year, the community association Los Osans for Good Governance (LOGG) filed a lawsuit against the county over illegally permitted builds that advanced the depletion of Los Osos’ already-dwindling water supply. The county had already expressed plans to build 30 percent more housing. In April 2022, the California Coastal Commission eventually stepped in, demanding the county halt any permit applications for any new waterconsuming developments in Los Osos.

As of December 2022, the LOGG lawsuit is moving forward.

(“Speak out against Diablo Canyon Power Plant operations,” Feb. 9).

In their ill-considered zeal, anti-nuclear activists rarely pause to consider the consequences of their endeavors. For one thing, the closure of Diablo Canyon would deprive California of a valuable source of reliable clean energy. Current production data indicates that less than a quarter of its production could be replaced by unreliable renewables on an annual basis. The majority of that lost production would default to fossil fuels, exacerbating the clear and present existential threat posed by global warming.

In the absence of good government, resilient Los Osos residents banded together to make a difference, working hand-in-hand with our amazing first responders and volunteers to overcome various challenges. Prior to this year’s catastrophic storms, many kind Los Osos residents provided invaluable resources for others in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some have braved inhospitable conditions at the now-defunct safe parking area for unhoused individuals in Los Osos and took it upon themselves to clean up. Sadly, it took the county several months and countless emails to Supervisor Bruce Gibson’s office to realize their parking program on Palisades Avenue was completely unsustainable with 30 to 50 vehicles parked there at any given time and the unhoused living in demonstrable squalor without proper sanitation. Though the county passed an ordinance in late 2021 to prohibit overnight camping in the area, Los Osos residents continue to complain about homeless activity in the area.

It’s no wonder a group of residents thought it would be a good idea to incorporate Los Osos as a city. This proved to be an unpopular idea. The community overwhelmingly rejected that proposal because the community does not have a decided tax base nor the tax revenue required to have an operational city. Los Osos would need an additional $1.7 million in annual tax revenue to provide adequate public services

They fail to consider that continued Diablo Canyon operation has been extended out of necessity because it became clear, even to legislative simpletons, that a power mix overly dependent on inconsistent and unreliable renewable sources will never be able to substantially meet California’s energy demand, and that the closure of Diablo would contribute to an increase in blackouts and a growing dependence on out-of-state resources. They give no thought to the severe economic and social consequences that the closure of Diablo Canyon will impose upon our community: the loss of many millions of

and facilities. Los Osos doesn’t even have the water required to develop enough housing and commercial projects to raise that kind of revenue. So why incorporate? Proponents pointed to a lack of representation. Whether one is for or against incorporation, Los Osos residents agree that’s a huge a problem.

But now that it appears the Patten map is on its way to being dismantled and replaced with a more fair and equitable map, will that resolve the lack of representation in Los Osos? I doubt it.

For far too long, Los Osos has been perceived as the red-headed stepchild of the county, with residents being typecast as unruly and cantankerous. Decades of controversy surrounding their wastewater woes have fed into that perception. The fact is that residents have squarely put that matter to bed and are focused on their future. However, that perception sadly remains, and it’s hard-coded into the way the county and the CSD respond to community concerns—as evidenced by the lackadaisical and snobbish responses the government has given to residents in the wake of the mudslide tragedy. Heck, they’re not even given a boilerplate “thoughts and prayers.” Los Osos residents need and deserve love, respect, and dignity.

The people of Los Osos matter. ∆

Aaron Ochs wrote to New Times from Morro Bay. Send a response for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com.

dollars in local sales and property tax revenue; the loss of some 1,500 high-paying permanent jobs; and the fact that more a thousand of our neighbors and their families will be compelled to leave in search of other opportunities. The lesson here is simple. If you truly care about your community, the future of humanity, and the welfare of the environment, you would do well to search out the facts first and carefully consider the consequences of your action before mouthing off the usual threadbare fearmongering.

Mark Henry

HODIN Russell Hodin

San Luis Obispo

A drug ‘problem’

o, this isn’t a confessional in which I disclose that I am under the influence of drugs, something that my liberal detractors figure must surely explain all of my wrong-headed views. But it does address the issue of social and political influences in regulating drugs.

I was paging through the January 2023 AARP Bulletin, a publication targeted at geezers like myself, and between ads for Jitterbug large print phones, adult mobility scooters, and easy access bathtubs, I came upon a piece bemoaning the use of psychotropic drugs in nursing home settings that mentioned a lawsuit filed by the AARP Foundation against nursing homes for the overuse of such drugs. These drugs, which AARP describes as “chemical straight jackets” used to control agitated patients include anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants.

The thought of further governmental intervention in this area scares the hell out of me.

My concern is this: If I ever find myself a resident of a nursing home, spending 12 hours a day slumped over in a wheelchair parked in front of daytime TV, watching channels selected by indifferent aides and afflicted with the various painful infirmities of old age, I am likely to be depressed and agitated. It would

not the ones suffering.

A personal anecdote: As an estate planning attorney, I prepared many hundreds of advance health dare directives. These allow you to select your desired end-of-life care. Out of all the directives I prepared, not one client ever chose the “keep me going” option, and most selected “pull the plug.” People tend to focus a lot more clearly when their own life is involved.

The same goes with medically prescribed drugs. If politicians, under the goading of the 22-year-old interns who seem to write much of the content of today’s media, decide that “something needs to be done” about these drugs that supposedly turn Grandma into a zombie, it is likely to make things worse by further restricting access to those who need them.

HELP INFORM THE FUTURE DECOMMISSIONING OF DIABLO CANYON.

… politics and government are blunt instruments poorly suited for addressing complicated, nuanced problems …

be greatly appreciated if the staff kept me pumped up on whatever drugs it took to make me feel better. In other words, if I am forced to watch MSNBC all day, I will probably be frustrated and agitated by my failed attempts to telepathically explode Rachel Maddow’s head, and it would be merciful to keep me high enough to forget my predicament. Singalongs, crafts, or an extra pudding cup at dinner won’t be of much help.

Of course abuses occur, and I have seen them. But as many of us recognize, politics and government are blunt instruments poorly suited for addressing complicated, nuanced problems, especially where there is an emotional “hot button” issue. And, in the case of both drugs and end-of-life care, there are sensitive issues involved in which emotion and belief may overwhelm reason and distort the process. If government decides to inject itself further, it can only make my preferred care less accessible and hasten my death by cerebral aneurism after being forced to binge watch CNN unmedicated.

I am always wary of those who would volunteer others to “tough it out” for “their own good.” For example, those who would prohibit assisted suicide, and force those with a painful terminal illness to endure the full course of their disease. Now, I sympathize with the religious and recognize that they might be right, but the effect on the patient is very real and tangible, not just conjectural. The decision should be made by them if competent. While assisted suicide has very real issues, primarily related to coercion and voluntariness, it shouldn’t be prohibited for just the spiritual concerns of others. They’re

These public panics over prescription drugs are nothing new. Recall the earlier days of the “opioid crisis,” which was then blamed on overprescribing by doctors. After massive lawsuits and new regulations, many patients who are suffering serious pain are now unable to obtain sufficiently strong pain relievers because their doctors are afraid of discipline for overprescribing them, and pharmacies are wary of liability for filling the prescriptions. The pharmaceutical companies’ role in creating the epidemic, and the role of legal prescriptions in creating the crisis, turned out to be overstated. While undeniably some doctors ran “pill mills,” and some manufacturers appear to have concealed or misrepresented the addictiveness of their products, the current crisis of smuggled fentanyl shows that the main problem is that a lot of people just like to get high. Remember, we previously had the “meth crisis,” the “crack crisis,” and the “cocaine crisis.” The drugs change from time to time, while addiction and the desire to get high endure.

For my sake, and for your own sake in the future, please resist the exhortations that you must call upon the government to immediately “do something” about the “problem” of psychotropic drugs in nursing homes. If there is excess, it should be handled with a defter, more sensitive and informed touch than politicians have. ∆

John Donegan is a retired attorney in Pismo Beach, who is too cranky to do arts and crafts or sing alongs. Send a letter to the editor in response by emailing letters@newtimesslo.com.

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Are you willing to serve on the volunteer Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel that fosters open dialogue between members of the local community and PG&E on topics regarding the future decommissioning of Diablo Canyon Power Plant near Avila Beach?

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Join the Engagement Panel. There are several positions subject to appointment or reappointment consistent with the Panel’s Charter and the application period runs until March 7, 2023.

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Critical thinkers

Chicken or egg?

In the case of my favorite Grover Beach renegade, Allen Thompson, he thought he could keep both the chicken and the egg when it came to the short-term rental property he owned. Turns out, the city wasn’t down with that. Grover Beach wanted a portion of the eggs that Thompson’s rental property was laying, and it looks like he’s going to be handing over more eggs than previously thought.

A settlement reached between the two parties in a recent lawsuit means that Thompson needs to pay the city almost $40,000 in back-owed transient occupancy taxes before the end of February. That’s gotta hurt!

In the case of San Luis Obispo, the city counted its chickens before they hatched! After a very slow start to its nascent cannabis industry, SLO has come to the conclusion that it needs to make more space for cannabis businesses to exist. Cannabis tax revenues are lower than anticipated—no surprises there.

I guess we can thank Helios Dayspring for that! The city is still going to limit the number of dispensaries in town to three, but it suddenly has an opening that needs to be filled because of Dayspring’s criminal conviction, which prevented the Natural Healing Center from opening.

In the case of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District, eggs are the reason for the science curriculum discussion season.

Board trustee Dorian Baker is simply convinced that the recently approved K through fifth grade curriculum has an anti-animal protein

“agenda” and is full of misinformation.

Her experience with chickens is all the proof she needs, according to the comments she made at recent board meetings. Apparently, the curriculum states that it takes about 50 gallons of water to produce one egg—a widely accepted data point fed by scientific studies of global commercial egg production and shared by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Water Activity Center. Baker, though, is not a sheeple! She treads her own path without believing any government “agenda” backed by real science. She’s a scientific critical thinker, an at-home chicken hobbyist with a small brood of chickens that produce many, many eggs! So obvs, she knows what she’s talking about— those chickens don’t even come close to drinking that much water!

“Altogether,” her chickens consume “less than 10 gallons per week,” she stated at the Jan. 24 meeting. “There’s no way that this information is reliable in this instance, even in figuring the amount of water that’s used to produce the food that the chickens eat.”

Yes, there’s just no way that all the chicken producers in the world, who are trying to squeeze all the eggs they can out of their little

cluckers as efficiently as possible, operate differently than the chicken or egg queen of Paso Robles.

And the things the curriculum said about the how much water it takes to produce beef? Baker was simply appalled!

She’s convinced that the majority of water used to produce cattle falls from the sky—it rains on rangeland grasses and then the cows eat that, so how can it even be included in the calculations? I’m going to go out on a critical thinking limb and guess that the majority of the water used to produce cattle comes from the commercial feedlots and the copious amounts of corn and grain that we finish cows off with before they head to the slaughterhouse! That’s where those fat, juicy steaks really pack on the pounds, baby.

Also, they have to rinse all that shit off those cows at some point. Has Baker ever been on Highway 5 just north of Kettlemen City or is she basing her bovine conclusions on Paso Robles bucolic, idyllic ranchitas?

I’m very confused as to how this retired teacher of 40 years is suddenly an expert on the scientific discussion surrounding how much water it takes to produce our food and why she’s so opposed to children learning about that process. And she’s very concerned that the curriculum isn’t going to teach critical thinking—although I’m positive she’s not an expert on that.

Sounds like the only politicization that’s happening is on the Paso school board dais—something board newcomer Sondra Williams essentially said in the nicest, most opaque way possible.

Three members of the board wanted to delay adoption of the curriculum until the egg situation was addressed. But Williams questioned whether a delay and deeper dive into the curriculum would allay concerns. She said the concerns that were brought up during the meeting—which also involved social emotional learning (No surprises there, but what is the big deal with that, by the way?)—seemed to indicate a broader political agenda.

“No manner of digging or more time to digest it is ever going to give us a better picture than what was presented here,” Williams said. “I think this is a bigger question about a lack of trust and the barrier that we [want to] put between teachers and curriculum.”

Speak up!

In other words: She gets it. Ya’ll parents who believe that teachers are indoctrinating your children with left-wing socialist fantasies want more control over the curriculum than you have. And, while that must be hard for you, there’s a reason that it’s teachers piloting new curriculum and not parents. ∆

“We should be guarding against the politicization of our curriculum,” she opined.

The shredder is a chicken and egg advocate. Send water to shredder@newtimesslo.com.

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NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

AQUARIUS 2023 CALIFORNIA OPEN

WATERMEDIA EXHIBITION Annual juried exhibition presented by Central Coast Watercolor Society, featuring varied watermedia styles and techniques by California artists. Winners and prizes will be awarded at the Feb. 26 reception. Feb. 23 - April 3 , 12-4 p.m. Free. 805-7722504. ccwsart.com. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay.

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.

CALL FOR ARTISTS: CAMBRIA

CENTER FOR THE ARTS Seeking art to accompany the gallery’s March-April exhibit, Finding the Light, featuring artist Liz Hampton-Derivan. Artists are invited to exhibit in our member’s wings. Visit site for online submittals. Feb. 24 -noon Members: $5 per submittal. cambriaarts. org/call-artists/. Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St., Cambria.

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.

New

COSTA GALLERY SHOWCASES Features

works by Ellen Jewett as well as 20 other local artists, and artists from southern and northern California. Jewett’s work is also on display at Nautical Bean in Laguna shopping center during February. Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. 559-799-9632. costagallery.com. Costa Gallery, 2087 10th St., Los Osos.

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.

FRANK EBER WATERCOLOR DEMO AND LECTURE Frank Eber will present a lecture and watercolor demonstration on finding your style and creativity in your art. Pique your interest for his upcoming workshop in June. Space is limited. Feb. 25 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $25 members; $30 non-members. cambriaarts.org. Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St., Cambria.

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 A local artists’ exhibit of fine arts and crafts featuring oil paintings, watercolors, collage, pottery, and more. 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.

THE PSYCHIC Written by Sam Bobrick. Directed by Sheridan Cole. A failed mystery writer hangs up a sign offering psychic readings in his window and becomes embroiled in a string of bizarre and hilarious circumstances. Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 my805tix.com. By The Sea Productions, 545 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

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.

MOTIF An exhibition of a variety of local artists’ works that feature a repeated motif, pattern, or rhythmic elements. Through Feb. 26 Free. 805-238-9800. studiosonthepark.

ROCK SOLID

The Granite Ridge Christian Camp in Creston holds its Youth Winter Camp Friday, Feb. 24, through Sunday, Feb. 26. Attendees stay in bunk bed-style dorms during the three-day event, which includes camp games, sports, and other activities. Admission is $175 for campers, and $100 for camp counselors. Visit outsidercampsyouth. com to find out more about the program. The Granite Ridge Christian Camp is located at 4850 Coyote Creek Lane, Creston.

—Caleb Wiseblood

org/events/motif/. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.

SALSA SERIES AT SERIAL WINES WITH SABRINA Hosts provide multiple levels of lessons teaching salsa and more. Included in ticket price is a glass of rosé or sauvignon. Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. through March 29 $30. 805-296-3377. serialwines.com. Serial Wines, 1226 Park St., Paso Robles.

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.

SWEET ART SILENT AUCTION This auction features 50 original artworks that have been donated by local artists. All of the money raised by this fundraiser is given right back to the community though the Kids Art Smart Program and Community Arts Access Programs. Through Feb. 19 805-238-9800. studiosonthepark.org. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.

SWEETHART ART SALE Need more art in your life? HART will have a great selection of pre-owned art, at incredibly low prices, ranging from $5 to $20. All proceeds go to help feline friends. The Kitty Ditty HART Band performs from 2 to 3 p.m. Feb. 18 1-4 p.m. 805-927-7377. hartcambria.org. HART (Homeless Animal Rescue Team) Cambria, 2638 Main St., Cambria.

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

ART EXPLORATION FOR KIDS For ages 5-11. Students learn about drawing and acrylic painting. In each class, students will recreate a famous piece of art from history. Every other Sunday, 2-3 p.m. through Feb. 26 $100 for four classes; $30 for one class. 559-250-3081. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, artcentralslo.wordpress.com.

ARTIST RIKI SCHUMACHER AT ART

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

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL

Bringing “the World’s Best Mountain Film Festival” to San Luis Obispo. Features two movie screening nights. Feb. 24, 7-10 p.m. and Feb. 25, 7-10 p.m. $25-$45. 509-9516793. livetoplay.com. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

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

COMEDY HOUSE Comedy House features live comedy from improvisers and stand-up comedians followed by a house music after party. These popular events fill up and sell out fast. Feb. 25 , 7-9 p.m. $20. centralcoastcomedytheater.

com. The Siren at El Chorro, 2990 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo, 805-541-1149. COMEDY NIGHT Professional comedy show featuring local and touring comics. Hosted by Aidan Candelario. Third 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.

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.

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.

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.

IMPROV FOR ACTORS: DRAMATIC

IMPROV WORKSHOP This class is for improvisers and actors of different skill levels and will focus on the more dramatic side of improv. This is a great fit

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAY M. STEWART

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

for actors looking to improve their acting choices, stage presence, and improvised reactions. Feb. 18 1-4 p.m. $65. 805712-1046. eventbrite.com. Central Coast Comedy Theater Training Center, 2078 Parker Street, Suite 200, San Luis Obispo.

INTRO TO OIL PAINTING WITH SPENCER

CASH From the songbook of Johnny Cash comes this unique, original musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and the healing power of home and family. Through March 12 slorep.org. San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre, 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo, 805-786-2440.

ROCK SCISSORS PAPER, SLUG FROG

2125. 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.

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.

oracleatascaderoca.com. Oracle, 6280 Palma Ave., Atascadero.

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.

THE MONDAY CLUBHOUSE

CONSERVANCY: 62ND FINE ARTS

AWARDS Enjoy an afternoon of music and visual art at the historic Monday Club. Family-friendly entertainment includes performances by talented high school students in jazz and classical music, and visual arts. Features light refreshments. Feb. 26 1:30-4 p.m. Free at the door. 805-441-8572. themondayclubslo.org.

The Monday Club, 1815 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

NATURE NIGHTS An immersive exhibition for the entire family featuring Bryn Forbes’ large format projections, Michael Reddell’s wire sculpture, and Kody Cava’s colorfully creative illumination of the garden areas. Food, wine, and beer available for purchase.

Fridays, Saturdays, 6-8 p.m. through March 18 $14.75-$24.75. 805-541-1400. slobg.org.

San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., 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.

PAINT AND PINTS Join Art Social 805 at Barrelhouse in SLO, where you will have the opportunity to paint the featured image while enjoying your favorite brew. Feb. 26 2-4 p.m. $50. 805-439-4600. Barrelhouse Brewing Co. Speakeasy, 1033 Chorro St., San Luis Obispo, barrelhousebrewing.com.

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

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.

RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY

SNAKE: ARTWORK BY JOOLEE KANG

Pen and ink drawings, paper sculptures, and digital animations by Korean artist JooLee Kang focus on the complicated interactions between humans and nature, and the symbiotic relationship between the two. Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through March 10 Free. 805-546-3201. cuesta.edu. Harold J. Miossi Gallery, Highway 1, 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.

SLO COMEDY FESTIVAL The festival will host 20 different shows across 10 different venues in SLO. Visit website for more info. Feb. 23-26 slocomedyfestival. com. San Luis Obispo, Citywide, SLO. SLO COMEDY UNDERGROUND OPEN MIC NIGHT Enjoy a night of laughs provided by the local SLO Comedy Community. It’s open mic night, so anyone can perform and “you never know what you’ll see.”

Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Free. Libertine Brewing Company, 1234 Broad St., San Luis Obispo, 805-548-2337, libertinebrewing.com.

TINY POTTERS: WISE ONES AND WEE

ONES PAINT For ages 4 to 6. Kids have the option to paint animals and other subjects. Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. $30. anamcre.com/booking. 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, 1:30-3:30 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 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.

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. 805-668-

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.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

THE RIVER BRIDE BY MARISELA TREVIÑO ORTA Marisela Treviño Orta describes her lyrical play as a “grim latino fairy tale” swimming with mystery, family, true-love, and unexpected visitors. Feb. 16 -March 5 $49. 805-922-8313. pcpa.org/events/theriver-bride. PCPA: The Pacific Conservatory Theatre, 800 S. College, Santa Maria.

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.

ASHES TO GO @ THE ABUNDANCE

SHOP On Ash Wednesday, drive-by ashes and prayers will be available outside the Abundance Shop on 9th Street. You can receive imposition of ashes (the sign of the cross on your forehead) from Pastor Caro Hall. Feb. 22 7:30-11 a.m. Free. 805-5280654. stbenslososos.org. Abundance Shop, 2025 9th Street, Los Osos.

BREATHE BALANCE AND STRETCH Be prepared to get down to the floor and up again. Breath practice is sustained throughout the session, which is filled with accessible movements that will create and enhance flexibility and balance. Shoe-less environment. Please bring a mat. Every other Monday, 9-9:45 a.m. $10. 415-516-5214. Bayside Martial Arts, 1200 2nd St., Los Osos.

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 SPEED FRIENDING

Central Coast Speed Friending is an exciting way to meet new people and make meaningful connections, without the pressures of initiation and small-talk. This event is open and welcoming of all persons and is intended to cultivate community and connections. Feb. 25, 5-7 p.m. $30. 805395-9323. plantaeandfungi.com. Plantae and Fungi, 750 Sheffield St., Cambria.

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.

TRIOS AND TRINITIES

Korean artist JooLee Kang’s solo exhibit—Rock Scissors Paper, Slug Frog Snake—debuted at the Harold J. Miossi Gallery in San Luis Obispo in early February and will remain on display through Friday, March 10. The show features a collection of Kang’s pen and ink drawings and other media. Visit the Harold J. Miossi Gallery’s tab on cuesta.edu for more info. The gallery is located at Cuesta College.

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.

FRIENDS OF THE ELEPHANT SEAL

PRESENT PIEDRAS BLANCAS: SEASONS OF THE YEAR Join the Friends of the Elephant Seal for a dynamic slide and video presentation of the seasons of our Central Coast elephant seals. All ages welcome. Feb. 24 , 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. 805-995-3312. slolibrary.org. Cayucos Library, 310 B. St., Cayucos.

GENTLE YOGA AT ST. BEN’S Instructor: Seanna. Must RSVP to Maureen by phone or emailing naseema6@sbcglobal.net to determine space available. Must bring a yoga mat, water, blanket, or any other props you may need. Fridays, 9-10 a.m. through May 26 $10-$15 donation per person. 805441-7262. stbenslososos.org. St. Benedict’s Church, 2220 Snowy Egret Ln., Los Osos.

MORRO BAY MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

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

PALE KAI OUTRIGGER CANOE DEMO

DAYS Join Pale Kai for a fun intro to outrigger canoe paddling. Feb. 25 10 a.m.-noon and Feb. 25 8-10 a.m. Free. palekai.org/recruitment-program/.

Coleman Park, Morro Bay, 101 Coleman Drive, Morro Bay, (805) 772-6278.

SHAKTI: EMBODYING THE GODDESS

This four-class series will explore the iconography, mythology, and devotional practices of 4 goddesses: Durga, Kali, Saraswati, and Laksmi. Guided by Dawn Feuerberg, certified classical ashtanga yoga teacher and tantra meditation instructor. Feb. 23 5:15-6:45 p.m. $44; $148 for series. 805-540-1762. my805tix.com. 9th Limb Yoga, 845 Napa Ave., Morro Bay.

SOCRATES: DISCUSSION GROUP

Group members present interesting and

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.

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.

WHERE ARE MY KEYS VS. WHAT ARE MY KEYS Slowing down is normal as we age, but when do those changes become a concern? Learn the ten warning signs of dementia and techniques to approach a loved one with your concerns about their cognition Feb. 24 10:30 a.m.-noon No cost. 805-342-0956. alz.org. Morro Bay Library, 625 Harbor St., Morro Bay.

YOUTH WINTER CAMP Outsiders Youth

Camp is “a place for teenage students to experience God’s creation, play crazy camp-games, make life-long memories and connections, and to be encouraged in their faith through a camp experience.” Feb. 17, 4 p.m. and Feb. 20 , 4-10 a.m. Check site for price details. 805-238-3582. graniteridgecamp.com.

Granite Ridge Christian Camp, 4850 Coyote Creek Lane, Creston.

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.

CENTRAL COAST FORWARDIST MEET AND GREET The Forward Party supports electoral reforms that will allow more than just two political parties to succeed. Here’s an informal meet and greet event to learn how to get involved. Feb. 25 , 1-3 p.m. Free. forwardparty.com/ heatherrr805/central_coast_forwardist_ meet_and_greet. Wild Fields Brewhouse, 6907 El Camino Real, Atascadero.

EARTH SHINE AT THE RIVER WALK Join the Earth Shine Volunteers every third Saturday of the month at the River Walk in Paso Robles. Grabbers, bags, safety vests, and gloves provided. Free pizza after the event. All ages welcome. Third Saturday of every month, 10 a.m.-noon through March 18 Free. 805-591-4691. EarthShineOrg.com. Paso Robles River Walk, 141 Niblick Road, #417, Paso Robles. GODDESS GROUP Please join Oracle Owner/Intuitive Medium, Tiffany Klemz, for this twice monthly, Goddess Group. The intention of this group is to curate connection, inspiration, unity, and empowerment. Every other Tuesday, 6:30-8 p.m. $11. 805-464-2838. oracleatascaderoca. com. Oracle, 6280 Palma Ave., Atascadero. HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY JOB FAIR

Guided by their core brand promise, “We Care About People,” the Allegretto Vineyard Resort strives to cultivate an environment that always places team members first. Feb. 22 , 10 a.m.-noon & 4-6 p.m. Allegretto Vineyard Resort, 2700 Buena Vista Drive, Paso Robles, (805) 369-2500.

JOURNEY INTO OUR ORIGIN: SOUND

HEALING SERIES February’s theme: Sacred Union. Tap into the healing of transforming the energy of duality into the sacred unity. Feb. 22 6-7:30 p.m. $25. 805-464-2838. oracleatascaderoca.com. Oracle, 6280 Palma Ave., Atascadero.

NAR-ANON: FRIDAY MEETINGS

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

SANTA LUCIA ROCKHOUNDS MEETING

Bring your favorite rock, gem, crystal, fossil, etc., to show the rest of the club. Third Monday of every month, 7 p.m. slrockhounds.org/. Templeton Community Center, 601 S. Main St., Templeton. TAI CHI This course’s instructor has won many Tai Chi and other internal martial arts tournaments. Both experienced martial artists and new learners are welcome to the class. Tuesdays, Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $65. 805-237-3988. Centennial Park, 600 Nickerson Dr., Paso Robles.

THREAD THURSDAY Intended to weave a variety of people together, by gathering with “our diverse energies to create a beautiful tapestry of community.” Feb. 23 , 6-7:30 p.m. Free. 805-464-2838. oracleatascaderoca.com. Oracle, 6280 Palma Ave., Atascadero.

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

& LIFESTYLE continued page 17

FILE COURTESY IMAGE BY JOOLEE KANG

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. 805-541-1400. 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.

CENTRAL COAST CONJURERS (SLO COUNTY MAGIC CLUB)

Monthly meeting of magicians of all levels. Please call or email for more info. Meet like-minded folks with an interest in magic, from close-up to stage performances. Last Wednesday of every month, 6:30-9 p.m. Free. 805-440-0116. IHOP, 212 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo.

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.

ELECTRIFY YOUR LIFE: TOP WAYS TO DITCH FOSSIL FUELS

Join the Community Environmental Council’s webinar to learn how one family kicked their daily fossil fuel habit, and how you and your family can too. Feb. 16 , 12-1:15 p.m. Free. cecsb.org/.

Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

GALA PRIDE AND DIVERSITY CENTER BOARD MEETING

(VIA ZOOM) Monthly meeting of the Gala Pride and Diversity Center Board of Directors. Meets virtually via Zoom and is open to members of the public. Visit galacc.org/events to fill out the form to request meeting access. Third Tuesday of every month, 6-8 p.m. No admission fee. galacc.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

THE GRIEF RECOVERY METHOD (ZOOM) Part of the Cuesta College Community Educational Series. Call or go online for more details. Tuesdays, 6 a.m.-8 p.m. through March 21 $150 includes book. 714-273-9014. griefrecoverymethod.com.

Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

GYM JAM CLINIC Enjoy two hours of progressive gymnastics skill training on bars, beam, floor, vault, and trampoline, plus obstacle courses, and more. All levels welcome, no experience necessary. For ages 5-17. Feb. 18 , 1:15-3:15 p.m.

$25 for first child; $10 per additional sibling. 805-547-1496. performanceathleticsslo.com. 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.

JR. ROLLER DERBY: MEET THE SKATERS Meet the skaters of SLOCO Junior Roller Derby, open to ages 4-17. This event is open to the entire community. There will be roller derby demonstrations, open skate with skate rentals available, bake sale, games, and more. Feb. 18 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $10 suggested donation. Santa Rosa Park, Santa Rosa St., 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, 805-270-3346.

PUPPY SOCIAL HOUR Puppies (10 weeks to 5 months old) will learn appropriate play style with other pups, acceptable manners with people, tolerance for gentle restraints, confidence with the approach of friendly strangers, and more. Saturdays, 9 a.m. and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. $25. 805-543-9316. woodshumanesociety.org/training/. Woods Humane Society, 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo.

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

QI GONG 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 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 LEZ B FRIENDS (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) A good core group of friends who gather to discuss topics we love/ care about from

movies, outings, music, or being new to the area. We come from all walks of life and most importantly support each other. Transgender and Nonbinary folks welcome. Third Friday of every month, 6:30-9 p.m. Free. sloqueer.groups.io/g/lezbfriends.

Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

SLO NOONTIME TOASTMASTERS CLUB

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

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 RETIRED ACTIVE MEN MONTHLY

LUNCHEON San Luis Obispo Retired Active Men (SLO RAM) is a group of retirees that get together just for fun, fellowship, and to enjoy programs which enhance the enjoyment, dignity, and independence of retirement. Third Tuesday of every month, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $28. retiredactivemen.org/.

Madonna Inn Garden Room, 100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo.

SLOCA HIGH SCHOOL’S SNEAK PEEK

SLOCAHS is a university-model liberal arts school. Meet teachers/staff, tour the campus, and learn about the school’s unique style of education. Feb. 16 , 4:30-6:30 p.m. Free. 805-548-8700. sloclassical.org. SLOCA High School, 1111 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo. SNEAK PEEK Interested in what goes on at SLOCA? SLOCA welcomes curious prospective parents and their pre-8th students to meet teachers and staff. Feb. 16 , 4:30-6:30 p.m. Free.

805-548-8700. sloclassical.org. SLO Classical Academy, 165 Grand Ave., 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.

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 nonconforming, non-binary, and questioning people. In-person and Zoom meetings held. Contact tranzcentralcoast@gmail.com for more details. Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. GALA Pride and Diversity Center, 1060 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-541-4252.

VERTEBRATE AND INSECT PESTS OF THE HOME GARDEN The Los Osos Valley Garden Club hosts guest speaker Kim Wilson, Master Gardener. Kim will explain the basics of identifying vertebrate pests and how to control them safely, as well as the most common insect pests and how to control them safely. Zoom event. Feb. 16 , 6:45-7:45 p.m. Free. lovgardenclub.org.

will be guiding attendees through a series of postures and breathwork. For all levels; all ages. Saturdays, 8-9 a.m. through March 18 $12; $10 Members. 805-541-1400. slobg. org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., 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. 805-835-7873. sandbarsurf.com/. Sandbar Surf School Meetup Spot, 110 Park Ave., Pismo Beach.

DANA PRESENTS JIM BECKWOURTH AN AMERICAN LEGEND Join for this month’s Sunday Speaker: DANA docent Helen Daurio-Dubois, who will be presenting on Jim Beckwourth, “a Legend of the American West.” Feb. 19, 1 p.m. $3-$8; Free for DANA Members. 805-929-5679. danaadobe.org. DANA Adobe Cultural Center, 671 S. Oakglen Ave., Nipomo. FREE YOGA FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, EMS, AND COMMUNITY CARETAKERS

Join for some well-deserved self-care. Anyone including fire, EMS, police, hospital workers, medical staff, 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 SHUTTLE TO THE LIGHTHOUSE Shuttle and enjoy the world class views on your way to the Point San Luis Lighthouse for a one of a kind Pilates session led by Vanessa Dominguez of Tabula Rasa Pilates. Check website link for dates and times. Through Feb. 18 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 office a call to register over the phone.

Mondays-Fridays $160-$190. 805-4816399. 5 Cities Swim School, 425 Traffic Way, Arroyo Grande, 5citiesswimschool.com.

FOOD & DRINK

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BIRDING AND WINE TASTING WITH HARMONY CELLARS Walk scenic Harmony

Headlands for a coastal birding excursion hosted by the Morro Coast Audubon Society. After your trek, head to Harmony Cellars (just minutes away) for more bird watching and wine and cheese tasting. This event is coordinated and ticketed through PasoWine BlendFest. Feb. 23 9:30 a.m.-noon $50. 805-927-1625. harmonycellars.com.

Harmony Cellars, 3255 Harmony Valley Rd., P.O. Box 2502, Harmony.

BLENDFEST ON THE COAST Experience a taste of Paso Robles Wine Country on the beautiful California coast. Paso Robles BlendFest on the Coast will take place in San Simeon and Cambria with a selection of exciting events. Feb. 23 , Feb. 24 Feb. 25 and Feb. 26 $50-$145.

805-239-8463. pasowine.com. 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. $50. 805-394-5560. coastalwineandpaint.com. Madeline’s Wine Tasting Room, 788 Main St., Cambria.

EVENING OF CHARDONNAY AT

com. Harmony Cellars, 3255 Harmony Valley Rd., P.O. Box 2502, Harmony.

MORRO BAY MAIN STREET FARMERS

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

WINEMAKER’S DINNER FEAT. L. LOHR

VINEYARDS Enjoy a delicious 5-course meal prepared by Executive Chef Fernando and expertly paired with J. Lohr wines. Sit back and relax in the tranquil Pavilion garden while a J. Lohr expert guides you through each food and wine pairing. Tickets and overnight packages are available.

Feb. 26, 6:30-10 p.m. $75. 805-927-4200. cambriapineslodge.com. Cambria Pines Lodge, 2905 Burton Dr., Cambria.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

PAINT AND SIP The entry fee includes your first glass of liquid courage and all painting materials. Feb. 19, 1-3 p.m. and Feb. 25 4-6 p.m. $50. Allegretto Vineyard Resort, 2700 Buena Vista Drive, Paso Robles, (805) 369-2500.

the Mistura Restaurant. Feb. 20, 5:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Mistura, 570 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, 805-439-3292.

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

MARDI GRAS FISH FRY The St. Patrick’s Italian Catholic Federation (ICF) will be hosting a Mardi Gras Fish Fry. Enjoy fish and chips with coleslaw, plus desserts, and beer and wine available for purchase. Everyone welcome.Take-out option available. Feb. 17 4-7 p.m. $10-$20. St. Patrick’s Church, 501 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande, stpatsag.org.

NOTABLE DINNER: FAURE TRIO Music director and violinist Scott Yoo takes you behind the music of Fauré’s Piano Trio in the Dana Adobe Cultural Center in Nipomo. The evening includes a three-course dinner by Chef Michael Zimmerle of Knife + Fork Catering, and features wines from Ancient Peaks winery. Feb. 25 5:30-9:30 p.m. Tickets start at $200. 805-781-3009. festivalmozaic. org/faure-dinner. DANA Adobe Cultural Center, 671 S. Oakglen Ave., Nipomo.

viola, Titus Shanks, cello, and Ken Hustad, bass. Feb. 19, 3 p.m. my805tix.com. Trinity United Methodist Church, 490 Los Osos Valley Rd., Los Osos, 805-528-1649.

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 FEATURES WALK

THE WHALE Walk the Whale is a new band based out of San Luis Obispo whose music combines alt pop, folk rock, and more with searing melodies and evocative lyrics.

Special guests include Kevin Williams and DM Salsberg. Feb. 21 6:30-9 p.m. Free. 805204-6821. songwritersatplay.com/events. Schooners, 171 North Ocean Ave, Cayucos.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

EASTON EVERETT LIVE AT 15 DEGREES

C Easton Everett plays guitar-woven Indie music that generates curiosity, has a distinctive sound, and a sweeping groove.

Feb. 23, 6-8 p.m. Free. eastoneverett.com/.

15 Degrees C Wine Shop and Bar, 624 S Main St., unit 101, Templeton, 805-434-1554.

BARREL ROOM CONCERT: MONTEREY COUNTY LINE Enjoy the views of the hilltop vineyard while we rock out with Monterey County Line. Feb. 19 4-6 p.m. my805tix.com.

Cass Winery, 7350 Linne Road, Paso Robles.

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

KELLYTOWN LIVE Enjoy some lively, fiddle tunes and rocking pub songs from Ireland, the British Isles, and beyond. Feb. 18 7-10 p.m. Free entry. Bristols Cider House, 3220 El Camino Real, Atascadero, 805-400-5293.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

JOY TO THE WORLD

As part of Gallery Los Olivos’ current solo exhibition, Seeing Ourselves in Color, oil paintings by Santa Barbara-based artist Annie Hoffman are on display at the venue through Tuesday, Feb. 28. Hoffman’s pieces in the showcase include Pure Joy (pictured), Dance Poetry, and other works. Call (805) 688-7517 or visit gallerylosolivos.com for more details. Gallery Los Olivos is located at 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. —C.W.

THE RHONE RANGERS EXPERIENCE Join the Rhone Rangers for a day filled with Rhone. Grand tasting of 200 plus wines from throughout the USA in one perfect setting.

Feb. 19 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. $75-$165. 800-4670163. rhonerangers.org. Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles. SIP N’ SKETCH Bring your own art supplies and sketch a live model while sipping wine selected from a library collection donated by the venue’s Winery Partners. Professional artists will be there to coach and offer advice. Please RSVP. Feb. 18 6-9 p.m. $15 for the drawing and wine experience. 805-2389800. studiosonthepark.org. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.

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

SAN LUIS OBISPO

DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS MARKET

MUSIC

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

DIGGIN’ DEEP: LOS OSOS DISASTER

RELIEF CONCERT An afternoon of music, fun, and community, as we raise funds to help our neighbors affected by the January storm. Feb. 26 my805tix. com. South Bay Community Center, 2180 Palisades Ave, Los Osos, 805 528 2626.

FAN HALEN: TRIBUTE BAND Known as “The World’s Most Authentic Tribute to Van Halen.” Feb. 17 7:30 p.m. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, 805-225-1312, thesirenmorrobay.com/.

FESTIVAL MOZAIC NOTABLE INSIGHT WITH JOHN NOVACEK Pianist John Novacek leads a Notable Insight focusing on his own work for piano, cello, and clarinet called Trio Marlenita In this informal event, the musicians will take you on a tour behind the music, “teaching the audience what to listen for.” Feb. 24 5:30-7 p.m. Tickets start at $25. 805-781-3009. festivalmozaic.org/ novacek-insight. Trinity United Methodist Church, 490 Los Osos Valley Rd., Los Osos.

the historic sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church of SLO with Grammy-winning pianist Bill Cunliffe in a special afternoon of solo piano artistry. Feb. 19 4-5:15 p.m. Free; donations appreciated with a reception to follow. 805-543-3070. FPCSLO. org. First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo, 981 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo.

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.

OPEN MIC NIGHT IN THE TASTING ROOM

Kelsey Rae hosts this open mic event for music and comedy in the tasting room. Fourth Thursday of every month, 7-9 p.m. Free show. 805-721-6878. SLO Cider, 3419 Roberto Ct., Suite C, San Luis Obispo. SLO BREW LIVE AND NUMBSKULL

PRESENTS: THE FRIGHTS The Frights are an American surf punk band formed in Poway, California, in 2012. Since 2017, the band has consisted of Mikey Carnevale (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Richard Dotson (bass guitar, backing vocals), Marc Finn (drums), and Jordan Clark (lead guitar, backing vocals). Feb. 16 7 p.m. $25. slobrew.com. SLO Brew Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, 805-543-1843.

SONGWRITERS AT PLAY FEATURES

JOLON STATION Songwriters at Play host Steve Key will share the stage with Bradly Coats and Christopher Mariscal of the rock country band, Jolon Station. They will swap songs in-the-round, Nashville-style. Special guests include Loren Radis and Kyle Huskey. Feb. 22 6-8 p.m. Free. 805204-6821. songwritersatplay.com/events.

SLO Wine and Beer Company, 3536 S. Higuera Street, Suite 250, San Luis Obispo.

STEPHEN MARLEY: OLD SOUL

CAL POLY WINTER JAZZ CONCERT

Cal Poly’s Jazz Ensemble and Vocal Jazz Ensemble continue sharing the stage with Cuesta College ensembles at the Winter Jazz Concert. This year, Cuesta Vocé, led by John Knutson, will be featured. Feb. 24 7:30 p.m. $15 and $20 general; $10 for students and Jazz Federation members. 805-756-4849. music.calpoly.edu/calendar. Performing Arts

Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

CASS MCCOMBS AND BAND LIVE Since 2002, McCombs has released ten albums, an EP, and a B-sides compilation under his own name. McCombs’ music blends elements of many styles including American roots music, underground music, and country. Feb. 18 7 p.m. $26. slobrew.com. SLO Brew Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, 805-543-1843.

CHAMBER MUSIC WITH SCOTT YOO

Presented by Festival Mozaic. Feb. 26 , 2 p.m. $35. festivalmozaic.org. Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center, Highway 1, 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 SOLO Enjoy some indieacoustic, live music. Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. eastoneverett.com. Big Sky Cafe, 1121 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo, (805)545-5401.

ERNIE WATTS AND BILL CUNLIFFE The SLO County Jazz Federation is excited to present Grammy-winning saxophonist Ernie Watts in a rare duo outing with pianist Bill Cunliffe. Feb. 18 7:30 p.m. my805tix. com. Mount Carmel Lutheran Church, 1701 Fredericks St., San Luis Obispo.

UNPLUGGED 2023 All ages welcome. Feb. 18 , 8 p.m. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-5468600, fremontslo.com.

THE STONE FOXES After 2 years, the San Francisco rock and roll band is back on the road, bringing their fans a first listen to some of the songs from their latest album. Feb. 17 7 p.m. $17. slobrew.com. SLO Brew Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, 805-543-1843.

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.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

DIRTY CELLO: HOME CONCERT Dirty Cello brings a high energy and unique spin on blues and bluegrass. Led by cellist Rebecca Roudman, Dirty Cello is cello like you’ve never heard before. Feb. 26, 7-9 p.m. Suggested donation: $25 and up. Tunes On Mentone, 1901 Mentone Ave., Grover Beach, 805-441-5868.

JULIE KELLY QUARTET Vocalist/guitarist

Julie Kelly is joined by a first rate jazz trio: Rich Severson on guitar, Dylan Johnson bass, and drummer Darrell Voss. Charlie Puffer offers a deep wine list and fresh California cuisine. Feb. 26 5-8 p.m. No cover. Puffers of Pismo, 781 Price St., Pismo Beach, puffersofpismo.com.

RETURN OF ANAM CARA QUARTET TO

BIG VARIETY NIGHT AT BROAD STREET

Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

YOGA ON THE TERRACE

Held every Saturday morning through winter. Cheryl

HARMONY CELLARS An evening celebrating chardonnay in all its varieties, complemented by French-inspired hors d’oeuvres from Baguette About It. Hosted by the winemaking team. Feb. 18 6-7:30 p.m. $45 club members; $52 nonmembers. 805-927-1625. harmonycellars.

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

TREAT YO’ SELF: A DECADENT

CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCE A chocolate culinary escape; a way to savor new flavors and let your imagination and palate explore. Hosted by Breda SLO at

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

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

MICHAEL NOWAK AND FRIENDS PRESENT SCHUBERT’S “TROUT”

QUINTET With William Spiller, piano Brynn Albanese, violin, Michael Nowak,

FORBES ORGAN SERIES: FELIX HELL (TO HELL AND BACH) A native of Germany, Felix Hell is one of the most respected concert organists in the world. He has been featured as a recitalist and concerto soloist in more than 1,000 concerts throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Feb. 18, 7:30-9 p.m. $32.

805-756-6556. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, pacslo.org.

JAZZ VESPERS CONCERT Event returns to

PUBLIC HOUSE The Anam Cara Quartet returns to Big Variety Night,hosted by Ted Waterhouse, at Broad Street Public House. Angela, David, Eru, and Taj will hit the scene like a rhythm machine for guests to dance to. Feb. 24 6-9:30 p.m. Check with venue for details. 805-710-3309. anamcara4. godaddysites.com/. Broad Street Public House, 3590 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG

MINDSCAPE: AN EVENING OF TRANCE, PSYTRANCE, AND GOA TRANCE

Presented by Anomaly House. All ages welcome. Groove to some hypnotic beats. Feb. 22 , 7 p.m. Free. my805tix.com. Flower City Ballroom, 110 W. Ocean Ave., Lompoc. ∆

FILE COURTESY IMAGE BY ANNIE HOFFMAN

Be Hoppy Tours: Sip of SLO Brewery/Cidery Tours

The Only Ocean with guests

FEBRUARY 18 Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Treat Yo’ Self with Breda SLO: A Decadent Chocolate Experience

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Mistura, SLO

Orcutt Children’s Arts Foundation Gala

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Radisson Hotel, Santa Maria

County Jazz:

Watts - Bill Cunliffe Duo

FEBRUARY 18

Carmel Lutheran Church, SLO

SELL TICKETS WITH US!

Anomaly House presents: Mindscape, An Evening of Trance

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22

Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Freedom Heartsong, CatOk, The Band Carter, Petunia Swoon

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

It’s free! Contact us for more info: 805-546-8208 info@My805Tix.com

South Bay Seniors: Diggin’ Deep Los Osos Disaster Relief

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26

South Bay Community Center, Los Osos

Michael Nowak and Friends present Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Trinity United Methodist, Los Osos

Barrel Room Concert: Monterey County Line

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Cass Winery, Paso Robles

Mo Jazz

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Harold J. Miossi CPAC, Cuesta College, SLO

City of Atascadero: Disabled Access & Code Changes Forum

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1

Pavilion on the Lake, Atascadero

Flannel 101: ’90s Tribute Band

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

SLO Comedy Festival (17 Events)

THURS, FRI, SAT, FEBRUARY 23–25

Multiple venues: SLO, Avila, Paso

Musica Latina en Vivo: La Marcha Sound

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Basin Street Regulars: The Cell Block

Seven & Cuesta College Jazz Band

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Pismo Beach Veterans’ Hall

City of Atascadero: Accessibility Training

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Pavilion on the Lake, Atascadero

46 West Wine Safari Weekend

SAT & SUN, MARCH 4 & 5

Hwy 46 Wineries, Paso Robles

AT HER TABLE: Celebrating Women

Owned Food & Beverage Businesses

MON–SUN, MARCH 6–12

Multiple venues across SLO County

Monday Clubhouse Conservancy holds annual Fine Arts Awards Competition

For the first time since 2020, the Monday Clubhouse Conservancy is holding an in-person event for its annual Fine Arts Awards Competition. The program was held virtually in 2021 and 2022, and this year’s event is scheduled to take place at the Historic Monday Club in San Luis Obispo on Sunday, Feb. 26, from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

Held annually for the past 62 years, the Monday Clubhouse Conservancy’s Fine Arts Awards Competition is designed to recognize excellence in music and visual arts, and is open to high school juniors and seniors who attend schools in San Luis Obispo County.

The competition includes three categories—classical music, jazz, and visual arts—for participants to enter. Finalists in all three categories will compete at the Feb. 26 reception (musicians will perform during the program, while visual arts entries will be available at the Monday Club for viewing throughout the event).

The top three winners in each category will be awarded with special prizes.

The reception is open to the public and free to attend. To find out more about Monday Clubhouse Conservancy’s 62nd annual Fine Arts Awards Competition, visit themondayclubslo.org. The Historic Monday Club is located at 1815 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

Wildling Museum seeks environmental art proposals for upcoming 10-month installation

Over the past two years, the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature in Solvang has periodically commissioned artists to develop environmentally themed art installations in the venue’s Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery.

The museum is currently seeking proposals for its next tower installation, and artists who reside in the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles are invited to apply. The deadline for proposal submissions is Wednesday, March 1.

In accordance with this year’s theme, applicants for the 2023 installation are asked to submit proposals that focus on ocean and underwater motifs, and “explore an environmental topic—whether climate change, plastic pollution, overfishing, or similar environmental issues,” according to press materials from the Wildling Museum.

The selected finalist’s installation will be on view in the Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery from May through March 2024. Details on proposal submissions and required materials are available online at wildlingmuseum.org.

Past installations in the tower gallery have included artist Holli Harmon’s The Nature of Clouds. For additional info, call the Wildling Museum at (805) 6881082. The museum is located at 1511 Mission Drive, unit B, Solvang. ∆

—Caleb Wiseblood

BY ADRIAN VINCENT ROSAS

Vibrant exploration

Leah Rosenberg showcases colors and her personal evolution in a new mural at SLOMA

For artist Leah Rosenberg, picking the hues for her latest work is akin to a jungle expedition where, as an intrepid explorer, she searches for the map that will guide her to greater treasures. It’s part of her endless quest to nd meaning in the colors of everyday life, using them to craft a story that is both relevant to her and those who view her art, often in ways that are completely di erent from each other.

“Color is a universal language; it gives anyone from anywhere access to use art to enhance their lives,” she said. “ ey connect us to places both familiar and unfamiliar, and for an artist like myself, allow me to pay homage to the local area without relying solely on my intuition.”

e San Francisco-based artist was recruited by San Luis Obispo Museum of Art Chief Curator Emma Saperstein to paint the museum’s yearly mural project due to Rosenberg’s color-focused art in the Bay Area. In 2022, artist Erin LeAnn Mitchell’s Cala a was Here mural graced the outside of the museum .

“It felt like a good time for something lighthearted, and Leah’s work is really emblematic of that,” Saperstein said. “From the moment we began looking for someone to do the mural, people from across our networking circles suggested Leah, so it just made sense to go with someone who con dently captured that nature we were looking for.”

Rosenberg is scheduled to nish her mural, SLO(W) Rainbow, on Feb. 25. Encompassing the museum’s outside walls, each side is dedicated to a di erent abstract rendition of iconic SLO locations, including the Nine Sisters peaks and local ora found in SLO Creek.

e mural is also Rosenberg’s attempt to evolve her style by using a less vibrant palette, consisting of shades like gray, to mitigate the impact that changing light will have on the mural’s colors. Her goal is to make SLO(W) Rainbow an ever-evolving piece that evokes di erent feelings based on the time of day and time of year, and it’s meant to be experienced as a full walk-around.

“I don’t want the colors to be too poppy, to a point where they don’t adjust well with changing light, so I wanted to utilize these grayer colors,” she

Exciting evolution

Stop by 1010 Broad St. in San Luis Obispo until Feb. 25 to watch Leah Rosenberg bring her mural, SLO(W) Rainbow to life at SLOMA. For more information, follow her on Instagram @leahmartharosenberg. Find SLOMA online at sloma.org.

said. “ ey really lighten and darken as the day changes around them.”

Over the last ve years, Rosenberg has traveled across America showcasing her work through residencies in places such as Charlotte, South Carolina, and Omaha, Nebraska, picking up inspiration for future work along the way while color remained her constant guide.

“Most of these art projects, whether they be residencies or galleries, are based on a short time frame so it’s all about going somewhere, establishing a routine, and connecting with the community,” she said. “Even if I know nothing about the area I nd myself in, I can use colors to map where I am and where I want to be going.” is form of color mapping has allowed the normally reserved Rosenberg to open new avenues of expression while also creating genuine connections with the communities she works in, even as she nds herself questioning the reliance she has had on the method in recent years.

Showtime!

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

“When I am out in an unfamiliar place like SLO and I ask someone from here, ‘What color do you associate with this place?’ it gives me a way to open a conversation with them I normally wouldn’t have,” she said.“ ere is de nitely a fear that I’m over-relying on it at times, but it really has allowed me to open up as I tend to be a little shy.”

Rosenberg sees SLO(W) Rainbow as her opportunity to inspire viewers to appreciate the importance of color in their everyday lives.

“Because it’s up for the whole year, I wanted to capture the colors that, while I might not be able to see in the time I’m visiting, would still inspire based on the things in SLO where people nd their peace,” she said. “Colors of places, like where people go hiking and see the sunset, or visiting Serenity Swing or the lemon grove—those places are places for everybody.”

From the apricot-colored sunset skies casting shadows over the Nine Sisters to the green grass polka-dotted with pink owers that line the creekside, she hopes that her mural will inspire and remind visitors and locals of the peace they nd in the simple colors found around them.

“In the same way a writer uses a pen and paper to craft a legend, I’m using colors and this painting surface to craft my own story,” she said. “Except this story has no beginning or end, it’s a story of seasons and color—a gradual and ever-present rainbow.” ∆

Freelancer Adrian Vincent Rosas is appreciating the colors of San Luis Obispo in a new light. Reach at arosas@newtimesslo.com.

NEW YEAR, NEW MURAL Designed by artist Erin LeAnn Mitchell, Calafia was Here covered SLOMA’s exterior walls in 2022.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERALDO CREATIVE STUDIO

VIBRANT Using her color-centric art to showcase the impact of recycling, Leah Rosenberg’s piece, What Goes Around (featured here at the Recology in San Francisco in 2019), uses pieces of her older work to tell its story.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEAH ROSENBERG

IN PROGRESS In the early stages of painting, artist Leah Rosenberg focuses on picking the right colors for the year-long story her mural, SLO(W) Rainbow, will tell.

Take flight

Shaunak Sen directs this 2023 Best Documentary Feature Academy Award nominee about brothers Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who have taken it upon themselves to rescue and rehabilitate the injured black kites of New Delhi. Part of New Delhi’s Muslim minority, the brothers are acting on the Muslim belief that feeding the birds of prey will expel troubles, which is why many Muslims throw the kites bits of meat. (In Hindi; 97 min.)

ALL THAT BREATHES

What’s it rated? Not rated

What’s it worth, Glen? Full price

What’s it worth, Anna? Full price

Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre in SLO and HBO Max

Glen Visually arresting, this lm depicts one of the world’s most populous cities as overrun with life: rats, monkeys, cows, hogs, frogs, insects, and kites live among the teeming human population. e brothers began their rescue as children and have nursed their underfunded mission as they have their birds—through love and tenacity, saving approximately 20,000 kites in 20 years. People bring them injured birds or tip them to places where injured birds have been spotted, and o they go to rescue another. Meanwhile, the city is experiencing social unrest between the Hindi majority and Muslim minority, and the environmental conditions continue to degrade, with mounds of trash choking the city and the poor air quality choking the residents and the birds, which sometimes fall from the sky, overcome by pollution. Sen’s documentary on the brothers and the city they call home is poetic, tender, and tragic, but the brothers and their friend Salik Rehman continue their mission against all odds.

Anna Films like this are so moving. ese brothers work in the conditions they are given—regular power outages, trash- lled streets and waterways, and air quality indicators always on red. ey get donations from local business owners in town who provide them with meat for the birds, and

CUNK ON EARTH

What’s it rated? TV-MA

When? 2022

Where’s it showing? Netflix

My world has been opened to Philomena Cunk and the glorious hilarity that Diane Morgan brings to the character. didn’t know of Diane until I watched Ricky Gervais’ After Life and saw her performance as his gloriously obtuse coworker. Little did know that there was comedy gold all over this actress. Apparently, there’s Cunk on Britain , Cunk on Shakespeare and Cunk & Other Humans on 2019 all waiting for me to binge.

Woohoo!

Cunk on Earth takes us through the ages,

THEIR CALLING Muslim brothers living in New Delhi, India, have made it their life’s work to care for the city’s black kite population, nursing injured birds back to health, in All That Breathes , an Academy Award nominee screening at The Palm Theatre in SLO and on HBO Max.

they continue to apply for funding despite being rejected over and over. eir mother loved the kites, and they in turn take care of the birds in her memory. I’ve never been to India. Delhi has always seemed like a world away from the life I’m accustomed to, and this movie makes that even more evident. Cramped and eternally humming, the urban city has taken over the land, and the number of residents continues to rise. e strife between the Hindi population and the minority Muslim population is a stressor for the brothers as well. We watch along with them as news reports plainly say they will have nowhere to go in a refugee situation. It’s all a bit heartbreaking, but also so endearing and hopeful. ere’s no doubt you will fall in love with this family whose mission it is to make life a little bit more beautiful, one bird at a time.

Glen New Delhi really comes alive in a visceral way. I could sense the heat, stench, and oppressive conditions that the brothers endure. Sen got amazing access to their lives, home, and makeshift bird hospital. Watching these men persevere through

from our greatest inventions to the periods and people behind them. She interviews experts, who do a wonderfully patient job of walking what seems to be the World’s Biggest Idiot award-winner through history. No matter how insipid her question, her interviewees play it straight, adding to the humor. I recommend watching this series one episode at a time—avoid the binge! It can feel too repetitive one after the other, and it isn’t worth losing what really is comedy genius to the dreaded binge brain. There are only five episodes, so be sure to savor them! They’re all brilliant! (five 29-min. episodes) —Anna

MOCKUMENTARY

MAGIC Diane Morgan plays Philomena Cunk, a deeply ill-informed investigative reporter who interviews reallife experts about historical events, in Cunk on Earth, streaming on Netflix.

all manner of hardship, watching them sacri ce for something they believe is a higher calling—it’s all very inspiring without drifting into saccharine or sanctimony. e ending is very open, as it should be. ere’s no knowing what will happen in the future. All at Breathes does exactly what a good documentary should—exposes us to something we’d otherwise never see or experience.

Anna I de nitely felt dropped into an unknown world in this lm in a totally wonderful way. It isn’t easy, this life they’ve taken on. It’s a really beautiful thing to watch them so delicately x their winged friends. ey’re all so sweet, so steadfast in their need to help, to create, to preserve what it is that they nd beautiful about where they are. It’s not an action-packed thrill ride, but you’re right: It does exactly what a documentary should do—brings that slice of life to a screen. ∆

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

BONES AND ALL

What’s it rated? R

When? 2022

Where’s it showing? Redbox

Luca Guadagino (Call Me by Your Name, A Bigger Splash) directs David Kajganich’s screenplay based on Camille DeAngelis’s 2015 novel about Maren

(Taylor Russell), a young woman who’s beginning to confront her penchant for cannibalism. Part road trip, part horror, part romance, the story follows Maren as she meets another “eater,” Sully (Mark Rylance), who hopes to make her his companion, and later a young man, Lee (Timothée Chalamet), who also shares her appetite. unfortunately missed this one in the theater. Arseni Khachaturan’s cinematography is amazing, and the story itself is such an inventive mash-up. Maren’s journey begins after she turns 18 and her father abandons her, leaving her birth certificate, some cash, and a cassette tape upon which he’s recorded everything he knows about her history of cannibalism, which apparently began when she was only 3 years old, and info about her missing mother.

FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS Maren (Taylor Russell, left) and Lee (Timothée Chalamet), who share a hunger for human flesh, set out on a romantic road trip as they come to terms with their grisly predilection, in Bones and All, now available at Redbox.

At its heart, this is a love story between two misfits trying to find a place in a world that doesn’t understand them. The film is both grisly and gorgeous, with a soulful, elegiac vibe. It feels weird to root for cannibals to succeed, but you can’t help but sympathize with their plight.

(131 min.) ∆ —Glen

PHOTO COURTESY OF BROKE AND BONES, THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION (UNITED KINGDOM), AND NETFLIX

PHOTO COURTESY OF FRENESY FILM COMPANY, PER CAPITA PRODUCTIONS, AND THE APARTMENT

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Classic Central Coast Mardi Gras band Fat

Tuesday plays a reunion show at The Siren

Mardi Gras used to be the biggest party in the county, so big that it blew itself up in 2004 with a quasiriot in downtown SLO that probably could have been avoided with more thoughtful policing and better event planning. Underground pockets of that formerly glorious tradition continue in the county, often with small private events.

While our Mardi Gras heyday may have come and gone, The Siren’s annual Mardi Gras party featuring Fat Tuesday will get you in the mood to rip your top off and get pelted with cheap plastic beads this Tuesday, Feb. 21 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). This promises to be a hoot because the night’s band is a true old-school Central Coast favorite.

They first formed in Santa Barbara in 1980 after “Big Chief” Mark Comstock (guitar and vocals) returned from a six-month stint living in the Big Easy and was so excited about the New Orleans music he’d experienced that he quickly gathered four friends to form his own NOLA funk act.

“Mark and I go back to the ninth grade,” explained David Feldman (guitar, keyboard, vocals). “Our first band was a jug band in 1966. In the ’70s, we did a reggae band together.”

Along with “Drummie” Casey Jones (percussion and vocals), Scotty K. Kaufman (keyboards, harp, and vocals), and Gary Sangenitto (bass), Fat Tuesday gigged regularly all over the area for about three years before life slowly peeled the members apart.

“I got married and moved to San Francisco,” Feldman explained. “About 30 years go by and in about 2011, I was talking to our old sound man, Guy Tokunaga, and learned he had stage 4 lung cancer. It was devastating news, and the guys agreed to do a reunion show to raise money for cancer

research. That one night got things percolating again.”

They’ve gotten together every two or three years ever since, joining forces a few days ahead of time to rehearse and prepare for another epic concert. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” the day before Ash Wednesday, and this Fat Tuesday concert will also include saxophonist Jeff Delisanti. Get ready to party as these guys cover songs by the Meters, The Neville Brothers, Allen Toussaint, Little Feat, Dr. John, and others.

Also this week at The Siren, enjoy some free music

Saturday, Feb. 19 when the Cab Street Band performs its “casual blend of original music, remade covers of old as well as new, all with a unique style of bluesy jazzy funk”

(2:30 to 5:30 p.m.; 21-andolder), and later that night see The Mark Adams Band

(7:30 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). Adams writes terrific originals and recently released Loaded with Lefty: A Tribute to Lefty Frizzell, which was produced and recorded with his friend Tim Bluhm (Mother Hips, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers).

Numbskull and Good Medicine also present three more shows this week at The Siren. On Friday, Feb. 17, get hot for teacher and ready to jump with Fan Halen, “the world’s most authentic tribute to Van Halen” (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 at goodmedicinepresents.com).

On Wednesday, Feb. 22, Sicilian reggae artist Alborosie returns (7 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $25 at goodmedicinepresents. com). Now living in Kingston, Jamaica, the multi-instrumentalist moved to immerse

himself in the Rastafari culture.

And finally, next Thursday, Feb. 23, see Texas troubadour Casey Donahew on his Bars & Beer Joints Acoustic Tour (7 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $25 at goodmedicinepresents.com).

At the Fremont Theater …

Stephen Marley makes a stop on his Old Soul Unplugged 2023 tour on Saturday, Feb. 18 (8 p.m.; all ages; $49.49 fees included at seeticket.us). The singer, songwriter, and producer has earned eight Grammy Awards between his solo works, family collaborations, and production credits. The son of legend Bob Marley, Stephen got his professional start at age 7 as a member of The Melody Makers with his older siblings.

Fidlar plays on Tuesday, Feb. 21 (9 p.m.; all ages; $34.61 fees included at seeticket.us). According to their bio, they started out “as a group of drunken punks playing gnarly house shows around Los Angeles,” with songs such as “Cheap Beer” and “Wake Bake Skate.” They say they’re “armed with three chords, the truth, and some jazz cabbage.”

Twiddle brings their jamming rock, jazz, bluegrass, reggae, and funk sounds on Wednesday, Feb. 22 (8 p.m.; all ages; $38.20 fees included general admission or $144.87 fees included VIP at seetickets.us). Special guest Eggy will open the show.

Twiddle is touring in support of their new album Every Last Leaf, about which frontman Mihali Savoulidis said, “Every Last Leaf is a metaphor for life. When a leaf falls to the ground, something will grow from it. Everything is part of this grand circle. In the music, we’re exploring all of life’s sides—from the sad and angry to the proud and happy.”

And at SLO Brew Rock …

Bay Area rockers The Stone Foxes play on Friday, Feb. 17 (7 p.m.; 18 and older; $17 plus fees at ticketweb.com), touring in support of their new album On The Other Side. “Born out of both global and personal hardships, On The Other Side is an album of the heart,” press materials explain. “As the world was forced to look inward, so were the Foxes.”

SLO Brew Live and (((folkYEAH!))) present Cass McCombs and band with support by Weak Signal on Saturday, Feb. 18 (7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $26 plus fees at ticketweb.com). McCombs, whose new album is Heartmind, blends American roots, underground music, country, psychedelia, and international music into his signature sound. According to his bio, “His satirical lyrics, often the focal point, touch on the ambiguities between the personal, the political, mortality, and nature.”

More music …

Local born and raised musician Ethan

STILL ROLLING Formed more than 40 years ago, local Mardi Gras band Fat Tuesday reunites to play The Siren on Feb. 21

STARKEY continued page 25

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FAT TUESDAY

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOD MEDICINE PRESENTS

ITALIAN REGGAE Numbskull and Good Medicine bring Alborosie back to The Siren on Feb. 22

OLD SOUL Stephen Marley on his Old Soul Unplugged 2023 tour plays the Fremont Theater on Feb. 18

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOD VIBEZ

COURTESY PHOTO BY LAUREN HARTTMAN

HEARTMIND SLO Brew Live and (((folkYEAH!))) present singer-songwriter Cass McCombs and band on Feb. 18 ,

Almeida, who performs under the name Spun Mellow, plays Bristols Cider this Friday, Feb. 17 (7 p.m.), opening for Kiwi Cannibal (8 to 10 p.m.). “I have an upcoming release on Feb. 24 for my first single of the year, ‘Lonely People,’” Almeida said. The indie rocker and multiinstrumentalist makes his recordings in his bedroom, and you can find a video for his new track on YouTube.

Father-and-son duo The Journals 805 play their first show of the year this Friday, Feb. 17, at The Paso Robles Casino (8 p.m.)

“We’ll showcase a new country style original called ‘Bad For My Health.’ We also released our first music video on YouTube! A cautionary song entitled ‘Stuck on the Couch,’” they said.

Combining Western music and wry humor, Riders in the Sky rides into the Clark Center this Saturday, Feb. 18 (7:30 p.m.; $48 to $58 at clarkcenter.org), to continue to preserve this very American form of music for a new generation. “They create original Western music to continue the tradition, not just seal it in amber as a museum piece,” organizers explain.

The Forbes Organ Series presents Felix Hell in “To Hell and Bach” on Saturday, Feb. 18 (7:30 p.m.; $32 at calpolyarts.org), in the Performing Arts Center. The German musician is one of the world’s most respected concert organists, having delivered more than 1,000 concerts throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

The SLO Jazz Federation hosts two Grammy-winning jazz artists this weekend when saxophonist Ernie Watts and pianist Bill Cunliffe play a rare duo outing on Saturday, Feb. 18, at Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church in SLO (7:30 p.m.; $30 general, $20 Jazz Fed members, and $10 students at my805tix.com). Watts, a former Johnny Carson band member, has recorded with Cannonball Adderley, Marvin Gaye, Frank Zappa, Charlie Haden, and many others. Cunliffe is winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and has played with Frank Sinatra, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, James Moody, and others. Cunliffe will also play the Jazz Vespers Concert at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, Feb. 19 (4 p.m.; donations appreciated).

The 7 Sisters Folklore Society presents Molsky’s Mountain Drifters at the Historic Octagon Barn Center with Grammy nominee Bruce Molsky at the helm this Sunday, Feb. 19 ($30 presale at eventbrite.com or $35 at the door). The trio plays oldtime mountain music as well as Southern tunes and songs. Molsky’s best known for his fiddle work, but he’s also a banjo and guitar master, and the trio’s singing is first rate.

John Wessel strikes again

Local singer-songwriter and multiinstrumentalist John Wessel can be depended upon to release a new album every year, and the prolific songwriter has delivered again with She Said, a new eight-song collection on Rhombus Records. It’s another fun group of tunes with a real homespun feel. Wessel records himself and often plays all the instruments.

In addition to his originals, Wessel has covered The Lettermen classic “Hurt so Bad,” a very charming version of “Sukiyaki” by Japanese actor and singer Kyu Sakamoto, and Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden’s “Everlasting Love,” as well as a track by William Starling called “I’m Allergic to You.”

Wessel has been a stalwart of the local music scene for decades, playing solo or with various band incarnations. You can see him with classic rock band Shameless on Thursday, Feb. 16, at Fin’s Bar & Grill (5 to 7:30 p.m.) and Friday, Feb. 24, at Mulligan’s Bar & Grill, and with the duo Sweet Leaf on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Dockside (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Sunday, Feb. 26, at Black Lake Golf Course (1 to 4 p.m.).

Want to play the Mid-State Fair?

Online applications are being accepted for singers and bands to perform at the MidState Fair this summer. “The fair features multiple stages and is looking to book music acts in any genre, but primarily country, rock, pop, and soul,” organizers announced. Visit the “Applications” page at midstatefair. com through March 31. The 2023 California Mid-State Fair runs July 19 through 30, and this year’s theme is “Shake, Rattle & Roll!” ∆

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

WESTERN SWINGERS Riders in the Sky bring their music and comedy to the Clark Center on Feb. 18

GOOD FOLKS Molsky’s Mountain Drifters (left to right, Bruce Molsky, Allison de Groot, and Reed Stutz) play the Historic Octagon Barn Center on Feb. 19

COURTESY PHOTO BY KATE ORNE

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Sweet relief

Twenty days after a string of destructive storms slammed San Luis Obispo County, Grover Beach-based Pardon My French Bakery decided to add more to its already-brimming plate for the greater good.

“If you donate $20, we’re taking a box of pastries and putting in at least $30 worth of pastries in it,” co-owner Jamie Tejeda said. “Then we’re delivering it to first responders, hospitals, doctors, nurses, educators, the post office, and the city workers that have all been working in overdrive with the flooding and getting our city back to normal.”

Jamie runs Pardon My French with her husband and baker Lalo. They’re a twoperson business that has been open since 2016. Depending on the number of custom orders he has slotted for the day, Lalo usually comes into the bakery between 3 and 4 a.m. to prepare all the pastries from scratch. The sole baker, he mans the kitchen and front of house until 10 a.m. That’s when Jamie arrives to take over customer orders and logistics. Lalo leaves for home soon after to take care of the couple’s two toddlers, and Jamie stays until 3 p.m. or whenever their baked goods sell out. They deliver the aforementioned goodie boxes in their free time.

“We don’t have any staff. Usually, I will go deliver [the boxes], or on our days off, we’ll come in to make the boxes and he’ll go take them over,” Jamie said.

Called Spread Love boxes, they can contain some of the store’s ever-changing desserts, like the seasonal peach cobbler cupcakes, apple caramel scones, and lemon poppy seed muffins, along with breakfast pastries. As of Feb. 9, the Tejedas delivered 10 boxes, and have donations for 40 boxes total so far.

Even without the boxes, the treats fly off the shelves quickly. By the afternoon of Feb. 9, the display contained a few thick slabs of

Treats for all

Indulge your sweet tooth at Pardon My French Bakery, 1544 W. Grand Ave. in Grover Beach. Want to donate a Spread Love box?

Email the bakery at info@pardonmyfrenchslo.com, or call (805) 481-3255. Keep up with their events on Instagram @pardonmyfrenchslo.

cheesecake topped with lemon curd, a handful of rich slices of flourless chocolate torte, and a couple of croissants and financiers, among other treats. Most of the goods have French roots—an ode to Lalo’s culinary training at Minnesota’s Cordon Bleu and work experience at Michelin star restaurants.

Care packages like the Spread Love boxes aren’t the first of their kind at Pardon My French. The Tejedas have tried to look out for their neighbors since they opened shop.

“We started it during COVID and it took off,” Jamie said. “We saw the slump people were in and felt like we needed to do our part in trying to hold the spirits around here.”

Jamie was seven months pregnant when the pandemic hit, and her doctor advised her to not interact with the public. In 2020, she didn’t work from March to November, and

Lalo took over completely. He juggled regular customers with daily baking preparation and orders for custom wedding cakes.

“The community came in and stepped up,” Jamie recalled.

“A lot of our regulars knew our story, and they didn’t want anything to happen to us.”

So, Pardon My French kept going during the thick of the pandemic. They shut down indoor dining and allowed customers in one at a time. The line snaked out the door and threaded through the shopping center. Back then, the bakery was open until 5 p.m. and sold out every day by 1 p.m. The Tejedas also distributed 450 boxes to first responders during COVID-19.

“By donating a box, you helped a small business, and you helped the first responders. You could sit at home, make a phone call to us, pay over the phone and you’ve helped two people,” Jamie said. “That’s why we’re doing it again.”

Pardon My French, like many other businesses, is dealing with the high cost of inflation. Eggs, a bakery staple, ballooned in price. Jamie said that Lalo goes through 200 to 250 eggs every week. They’ve switched over to a local farm in Los Osos for eggs to offset the cost. Some patrons help, too.

“We have a couple of local people who have Meyer lemon trees, and they bring in their lemons for us,” she said.

As of Feb. 9, the Tejedas were preparing for Valentine’s Day, their busiest day of the year. Lalo triples his bakes, doling out individual cakes, cupcakes, macarons, and dessert boxes for two. Rose, chocolate, and strawberry flavors are heavy hitters that day. Jamie hopes that the Valentine’s Day crowd contributes to more Spread Love boxes and said she’s looking forward to revamping the bakery’s menu soon.

“The boxes are true to my heart, I’m a giver,” she said with a laugh. “We have some exciting plans for the end of the year and want to add more to our French flair.” ∆

Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal will take two chocolate tortes to go. Try to grab one at brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.

COMMUNITY CARE Donating $20 to Pardon My French Bakery for a Spread Love box ensures that a package filled with at least $30 worth of baked goods will be given to community members working in flood relief.

Pardon My French in Grover Beach continues its long-running mission of giving back to community members in need

FAMILY AFFAIR Co-owners Jamie and Lalo Tejeda are the sole staff at Pardon My French Bakery, juggling logistics and custom bakes with family life.

SPREAD LOVE Valentine’s Day is Pardon My French Bakery’s busiest time of the year, with baker Lalo Tejeda dishing out rose-, chocolate-, and strawberry-flavored treats like macarons.

Classies

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Private parties may run FREE classified ads in the FOR SALE (items under $200) and GARAGE SALE sections for two weeks

Contact us today! (805) 546-8208 or classifieds@newtimesslo.com

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LOOKING TO RENT

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LOTS & LAND FOR SALE

Your own private wooded acre in northern California. Modoc County. $5500. (805) 369-1557

WANTED TO BUY

FINANCIAL SERVICES

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Free guidance and answers to your questions. Visit rrevloan.com or call Greg at 805-238-2019 MLS #318060 CRE #00702057

HOME SERVICES

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HAULING & CLEAN-UP

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1987 BMW 325I CONVERTIBLE

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2013 CHEVY 1500 SUBURBAN LT 4WD

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Low mileage. Asking $1500 each. High MPG. No cycle license required. (805) 441-4166

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5.7 V8, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl cc, tw, am/fm/cd, prem snd, leather, alloys, black #110107 $14,988

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ANTIQUES / COLLECTIBLES

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ELECTRONICS

Sony Bravia 32 in. flat screen TV. Older model in excellent condition, great picture. $50. 805-539-0459.

HOUSEHOLD

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KIDS STUFF

Old wood crib/playpen. Adjustable. Excellent condition. $125. (805) 709-1181.

WANTED TO BUY

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE

On The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, to consider an ordinance amending Chapter 8.70.20 to change the length of the term of Children and Families Commission members and to institute term limits. If adopted, the ordinance will become effective thirty (30) days after passage.

Any person interested in expressing their views regarding the proposed ordinance may do so during the hearing. To determine specific placement of this item on the Board of Supervisors Agenda and to review the proposed ordinance, go to the County’s website at www.slocounty.ca.gov on the Wednesday before the scheduled hearing date. Meeting procedures available at the following link and published with each meeting agenda: https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/ Departments/Board-of-Supervisors/Board-Meetings,-Agendas-andMinutes.aspx.

The proposed ordinance may also be reviewed at the:

County Government Center Administrative Office, Room D430

1055 Monterey Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 (805) 781-5011

DATED: February 8, 2023

WADE HORTON, Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: /s/ Sandy Currens, Deputy Clerk

February 16, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

The San Luis Obispo Police Department is currently in possession Bicycle & Parts, GRY 21-spd REI CO-OP DRT 1.1 BIKE.

If the bike is not claimed by the rightful owner seven days after the date of this advertisement, it is proposed that the bike will become the property of the individual that located it.

If anyone believes this bike is their property, they are asked to notify the San Luis Obispo Police Department at 805-781-7360. Anyone attempting to claim this bike will be asked to show verification of ownership. SLOPD Case #221027032, Evidence Item #198808

February 16, 2023

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible, the Pismo Beach Planning Commission will hold a public hearing in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, for the following purpose:

PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA:

A. Address: 2611 Spyglass Drive

Applicant: Wendy Watson

Project No.: P21-000051

Description: Coastal Development Permit and Architectural Review Permit for an addition to an existing two-story single-family residence, and Categorical Exemption No. 2023-006. Location – 2611 Spyglass Drive. The project is located within the Coastal Zone and is appealable to the Coastal Commission. APN 010-042-008.

Environmental Review

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

B. Address: 1094 Longview

Applicant: Ben Black and Sande Harris

Project No.: P22-000105

Description: Development Permit and Architectural Review Permit to allow the construction of a new 4,056 square-foot single-family residence and 740 square-foot garage on a vacant lot and Categorical Exemption No. 2023-004. Location –1094 Longview. The project is located outside the Coastal Zone and is not appealable to the Coastal Commission. APN 005-222-015.

Environmental Review

In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that the project is exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to Section 15303 of the CEQA Guidelines regarding construction of a new singlefamily residence.

C.   Address: 2121 Costa Brava

Applicant: Kevin and Tuesdy Small

Project No.: P22-000062

Description: Coastal Development Permit and Architectural Review Permit to allow the construction of a new 4,255 square-foot single-family residence and 1,338 square-foot garage and 2,272 square foot basement and Categorical Exemption No. 2023-005. Location – 2121 Costa Brava. The project is located within the Coastal Zone and is not appealable to the Coastal Commission. APN 010-045-063.

Environmental Review

In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that the project is exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to Section 15303 of the CEQA Guidelines regarding construction of a new singlefamily residence.

D.   Address: 1160 & 1170 Shaffer Lane

Applicant: JG King

Project No.: P23-000011

Description: Variance request to allow for five-foot (5’) rear yard setback, and Categorical Exemption No. 2023-007. Location – 1160 & 1170 Shaffer Lane. The project is located within the Coastal Zone and is not appealable to the Coastal Commission. APNs 005-031-048 and 005-031-049.

Environmental Review

In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that the project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15305(a) of the CEQA Guidelines regarding minor alterations in land use limitations. Details about ways to participate in this hearing will be provided on the agenda posted for the meeting online at pismobeach. org/agenda, and on the bulletin board at City Hall. The agenda will be posted no later than Friday, February 24, 2023. You have a right to comment on this project and its effect on our community. Interested persons are invited to participate in the hearing or otherwise express their views and opinions regarding the proposed project. Emailed comments may be submitted to planningcommission@pismobeach.org; staff cannot guarantee that emailed comments submitted after the start of the meeting will be given full consideration before action is taken. Written comments may be delivered or mailed to the Community Development Department / Planning Division Office at 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, CA 93449, prior to the meeting, or handdelivered during the meeting no later than the comment period for this item. Oral comment may be provided prior to the meeting by calling 805-773-7005 and leaving a voice message. Please state and spell your name and identify your item of interest. Oral comment may also be made during the meeting, either by joining the virtual meeting using the link provided on the agenda document, or by attending the meeting in person in the Council Chamber at City Hall. Please refer to the agenda for this meeting for specific instructions for participation.

Staff reports, plans and other information related to this project are available for public review from the Planning Division Office, by emailing the Planning Division at planning@pismobeach.org. The meeting agenda and staff report will be available no later than the Friday before the meeting and may be obtained upon request by mail or by visiting www.pismobeach.org/agenda. The Planning Commission meeting will be televised live on Charter Cable Channel 20 and streamed on the City’s website.

PLEASE NOTE:

If you challenge the action taken on this item in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Pismo Beach at, or prior to, the public hearing.

For further information, please contact Lindsay Christiansen, Community Development Department Administrative Secretary, at lchristiansen@pismobeach.org or 805-773-4756.

Lindsay Christiansen Administrative Secretary

NOTICE OF RESCINDING ORDINANCE, GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS, AND CEQA FINDINGS AND DECERTIFICATION OF FINAL PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE PBLUMA PLANTING ORDINANCE (LRP2021-00001) AND RE-ENACTING AND EXTENDING THE AGRICULTURAL OFFSET REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PASO ROBLES GROUNDWATER BASIN

On February 7, 2023, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors (Board) adopted Ordinance No. 3484 and Resolutions No. 2023-013 and 2023-014 to: 1) rescind Ordinance No. 3483, the Paso Basin Land Use Management Area (PBLUMA) Planting Ordinance (LRP2021-00001) and associated amendments to the Agriculture and Conservation and Open Space Elements of the San Luis Obispo County General Plan; 2) decertify the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (FPEIR) for the PBLUMA Planting Ordinance (SCH#2021080222); and 3) re-enact and extend until January 1, 2028 the agricultural offset requirements for new and expanded irrigated crop production using water from the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin. The Board also approved a Categorical Exemption per CEQA for this action. This motion was approved by the following roll call to wit:

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

NOES: Supervisors Debbie Arnold and Chairperson John Peschong

ABSENT: None

ABSTAINING: None

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

DATED: February 8, 2023

WADE HORTON, Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: /s/Sandy Currens Deputy Clerk

February 16, 2023

ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS

Applications to make minor changes to the properties at the addresses listed below have been received by the City.

1. 469 Dana St.  DIR-0075-2021; Request for an exception to setback standards to accommodate construction of a new two-story garage and Accessory Dwelling Unit building, in replacement of a single-story garage, and for approval of a tandem parking arrangement. The exception would reduce the side setback by up to two feet, allowing a three-foot setback at the building’s lower level, and a five-foot setback for the upper level, where the setback standard ranges between five and seven feet (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); R-3-H Zone; Larry Pearson, applicant.  (Walter Oetzell)

2.  889 Buchon St.  DIR-0555-2022; Request for exceptions to setback standards to accommodate construction of a new Accessory Dwelling Unit above a reconstructed garage. The exceptions would reduce the interior side and rear setbacks by up to five feet, allowing a three-foot setback where the setback standard ranges between five and eight feet (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); R-2-H Zone; Jessica Lehrbaum, Architect, applicant.  (Walter Oetzell)

3. 472 Broad St.  DIR-0629-2022; Request for an exception to setback standards to accommodate expansion of an Accessory Dwelling Unit created by conversion of an existing singlestory garage. The exception would reduce the interior side setback by three feet, allowing a one-foot setback (following the nonconforming setback of the former garage building) where the setback standard is four feet (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); R-1 Zone; Mike McNamara, applicant.  (Walter Oetzell)

4. 1050 Southwood Dr. DIR-0035-2023; Request for an exception from maximum cumulative sign area standards set out in Sign Regulations. The exception would allow 60 cumulative square feet of signage on the site (two signs total), where the standard maximum cumulative area is 50 square feet (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); O Zone; James Cooley, Dana Street, LLC, applicant.  (Walter Oetzell)

5.    1789 Santa Barbara St. HOME-0048-2023; Review of a homestay rental application to allow short-term rental (such as AirBNB) of an owner-occupied single-family residence. This project is categorically exempt from environmental review; R-3 Zone; Michael Hughes, applicant.  (Graham Bultema)

6.     92 Los Verdes Dr. FNCE-0642-2022; Review of a fence height exception request to allow a seven-foot tall wall for noise attenuation along the street frontage of Los Osos Valley Road, where a three-foot tall fence is normally allowed. This project is categorically exempt from environmental review; R-1 Zone; Los Verdes Park I HOA, applicant. (Graham Bultema)

The Community Development Director will either approve or deny these applications no sooner than February 27, 2023.

The Director’s decision may be appealed, and must be filed with the appropriate appeal fee within 10 days of the Director’s action.   For more information, contact the City of San Luis Obispo Community Development Department, 919 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, stop by Monday and Wednesday between 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday between 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., or call (805) 781-7170, weekdays, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

February 16, 2023

CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARING

The San Luis Obispo Cultural Heritage Committee will hold a Regular Meeting on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. Public comment, prior to the start of the meeting, may be submitted in writing via U.S. Mail to the City Clerk’s Office at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 or by email to advisorybodies@slocity.org.

PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS:

• Review of a proposed new two-story accessory structure for use as a garage and Accessory Dwelling Unit, on a property designated as a Contributing List structure in the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources and located in the Downtown Historic District. The application includes requests for a reduction of the side setback by up to two feet, and for a tandem parking arrangement (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); Project Address: 469 Dana St.; Case #: DIR-0075-2021; Zone: R-3-H; Larry Pearson, owner and applicant

Contact Information: Walter Oetzell – (805) 781-7593 –woetzell@slocity.org

• Review of a proposed new Accessory Dwelling Unit above a reconstructed garage, on a property designated as a Contributing List structure in the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources and located in the Old Town Historic District. The application includes requests for exceptions to side and rear setback standards reducing the setbacks by between two and five feet (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); Project Address: 889 Buchon St.; Case #: DIR-0555-2022; Zone: R-2-H; Jessica Lehrbaum, Architect, applicant

Contact Information: Walter Oetzell – (805) 781-7593 –woetzell@slocity.org

The Cultural Heritage Committee 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 Cultural Heritage Committee during, 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.

February 16, 2023

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

JACK HOUSE ROOF AND WIDOW’S WALK REPAIRS

SPEC. NO. 1000075-24

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT the City of San Luis Obispo will receive proposals for the “REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, JACK HOUSE ROOF AND WIDOW’S WALK REPAIRS, SPECIFICATION NO. 1000075-24” at the Public Works Administration Office located at 919 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 until, Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 11:00 A.M.

Proposals received after said time will not be considered. Two (2) submittals are required: one (1) technical proposal shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked with the RFP title, specification number, consultant name, time and date of the proposal opening. One (1) separate envelope with fees and schedule shall also be submitted. This will not be opened until a consultant is chosen.

Proposal information can be viewed on Bid Sync. Printed copies of the RFP will not be available. Questions may be addressed to Samuel Gauna, Project Manager, at 805-7817094 or sgauna@slocity.org

February 16, 2023

TEMPLETON COMMUNITY SERVICES

DISTRICT SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TEMPLETON COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT

ADDING CHAPTER 6.16 TO TITLE 6 OF THE TEMPLETON COMMUNITY SERVICES

DISTRICT CODE ADOPTING AND AMENDING THE 2022 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE

This Ordinance Summary is published in accordance with the provisions of Government Code Section 25124. On December 20, 2022, the Board of Directors of the Templeton Community Services District introduced Ordinance No. 2022-2 and on February 7, 2023 it was adopted adding Chapter 6.16 to Title 6 of the Templeton Community Services District Code Adopting and Amending the 2022 Edition of the California Fire Code. Every three years, the California Fire Code is updated and adopted by the State of California. Each local jurisdiction then may review and adopt amendments to reflect local conditions. Government Code Sections 50022.2 et. seq. set forth the procedures for adopting codes by reference. The District has adopted by reference the California Fire Code, 2022 Edition, and 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 abovementioned 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.

Board Members Logan, Petersen, Fardanesh, Jardini and Pearson voted to adopt the Ordinance.

In accordance with Government Code Section 25124, a certified copy of the full text of the Ordinance is available for public review and inspection electronically on the District’s website at www.templetoncsd.org and at the following location:

Templeton Community Services District

420 Crocker St. Templeton, CA 93465

For questions, please call the Templeton Community Services District at (805) 434-4900.

February 16, 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, March 23, 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 A hearing to consider a request by Beau Bianchi (Bianchi Winery) for a Conditional Use Permit (N-DRC2021-00012) to allow phased expansion and remodel of the 14,023-square foot winery facility and a 2,123-square-foot tasting room that will include at buildout: a 445-square-foot distillery and 295 square-foot second tasting room for distilled spirit tasting within the existing winery building, as well as a 1,647-square-foot limited food serving facility (restaurant) located within the existing hospitality building, consisting of a 426 square-foot kitchen, and an existing 63-square-foot storage area, a 384-square-foot indoor seating area and a 774-square-foot outdoor seating area. The project includes the construction of a new 2,800-square-foot eight-modular unit Bed & Breakfast Inn with 832-squarefeet of individual decks plus a 900-square-foot Innkeeper Unit with a 322-squarefoot deck. Finally, the construction of a 9,280 square-foot winery production building previously approved under DRC2005-00180 (that was never built) for future storage. The applicant is a modification to the Section 22.30.070.D.2.h.(3) standard that limits a winery to  one tasting  room to  allow for  second tasting room for distilled spirits, a modification to Section 22.30.070.D.2.d.1 standard to allow a 200-foot tasting room setback from each property line to allow a setback of 164 feet from the western property line, a modification to Section 22.30.570.E standard that limits a restaurant to utilize 800-square-feet to allow a 1,647-squarefoot restaurant, a modification to section 22.30.260.A.1.a. that requires Bed and Breakfast Inn buildings to be within 100 feet of an existing visitor use to allow 377 feet, a modification that requires bed and breakfast buildings to be established in one single structure to allow 9 detached, modular structures. County Code, Section 22.30.020.D allows standards to be modified through a Conditional Use Permit if it can be proven to be unnecessary and the project meets all other development standards. The project will result in approximately 0.83 acres of site disturbance on a 42.17-acre parcel, including 850 cubic yards of cut and 300 cubic yards of fill. The proposed project located is within the Agriculture land use category, located at 3380 Branch Road, approximately 0.5 miles south of Highway 46 and approximately 2.3 miles from the city limits of Paso Robles. The project site is in the El PomarEstrella Sub Area of the North County planning Area.

Also to be considered at the hearing will be the adoption of the Environmental Determination prepared for this item. The Environmental Coordinator, after completion of the initial study, finds that there is no substantial evidence that the project may have a significant effect on the environment, and the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report is not necessary. Therefore, a Mitigated Negative

Declaration (pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq., and CA Code of Regulations Section 15000 et seq.) has been issued on February 7, 2023 for this project. Mitigation measures are proposed to address Air Quality and Biological Resources and are included as conditions of approval. County File

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 Holly Phipps, 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.

Ysabel Eighmy, Secretary Planning Commission

February 16, 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, March 23, 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 George and Catharine Miller for a

Conditional Use Permit to authorize the construction of a 5,395 square foot (sf) single-family residence, a 1,262 sf attached garage, a 1,145 sf secondary dwelling, a 4,510 sf horse barn as well as other site improvements that will include access driveways, stables, two detention basins, retaining walls, new well and water tank, and three septic leach fields. The project will result in an area of disturbance of approximately 4.22 acres and will include  7,250 cubic yards (cy) of cut, 4,000 cy of fill and 3,250 cy of export that will be spread on site. The project site consists of 14.44 acres within the Residential Rural land use category located at 4455 Almond Drive about five miles east of the community of Templeton. The site is within the North County Planning Area and the El Pomar/Estrella Sub-Area.

The Environmental Coordinator, after completion of the Initial Study, finds that there is no substantial evidence that the project may have a significant effect on the environment, and the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report is not necessary. Therefore, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq., and CA Code of Regulations Section  15000 et seq.) has been issued on February 10, 2023 for this project. Mitigation measures are proposed to address Air Quality, Biological Resources, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Land Use & Planning, and Mandatory Findings of Significance, and are included as conditions of approval.

A copy of the Environmental Document is also available on the Planning and Building Department website at https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/ Departments/Planning-Building.aspx. Anyone interested  in  commenting  on  the  proposed Environmental Document should submit a written statement and/or speak at the public hearing. Comments will be accepted up until completion of the public hearing(s).

County File Number: N-DRC2021-00004

Supervisorial District: District 5 Assessor Parcel Number(s): 033-281-041

Date Accepted: 08/06/2021

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 Blake Maule, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at +1-805-781-1298. 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 February 16, 2023

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING

NOTICE OF TENTATIVE ACTION / PUBLIC HEARING

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Department Hearing

WHEN Friday, March 3, 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 A request by Kathleen Marquart for a Minor Use Permit/Coastal Development Permit (C-DRC2022-00045) to allow for the demolition of a 400 square-foot one-car garage. The project will result in approximately 1,300 square-feet of disturbance on the 6,09 squarefoot parcel. The proposed project is in the Residential Single-Family land use category and is located at 560 Pacific Avenue in the community of Cayucos. The site is located in the Coastal Zone and Estero Planning Area.

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

County File Number: C-DRC2022-00045

Supervisorial District: District 2 Assessor Parcel Number(s): 064-148-008

Date Accepted: 12/07/2022

WHERE Virtual meeting via Zoom platform. Instructions on how to view and participate in the meeting remotely and provide public comment will be included in the published meeting Agenda and are posted on the Department’s webpage at: https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/ Departments/Planning-Building/Grid-Items/Meetings,-Hearings,Agendas,-and-Minutes/Planning-Department-Hearing-(PDH)Virtual-Meeting-.aspx

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

TO REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING

This matter is tentatively scheduled to appear on the consent agenda, which means that it and any other items on the consent agenda can be acted upon by the hearing officer with a single motion. An applicant or interested party may request a public hearing on this matter. To do so, send a letter to this office at the address below or send an email to pdh@co.slo.ca.us by Friday, February 24, 2023 at 4:30 PM. The letter or email must include the language “I would like to request a hearing on C-DRC2022-00045.”

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

COASTAL APPEALABLE

If the County approves this project, that action may be eligible for appeal to the California Coastal Commission. An applicant or aggrieved party may appeal to the Coastal Commission only after all possible local appeals have been exhausted pursuant to Coastal Zone Land Use Ordinance Section 23.01.043(b). Local appeals must be filed using the required Planning Department form as provided by Coastal Zone Land Use Ordinance Section 23.01.042(a)(1).

Ysabel Eighmy, Secretary Planning Department Hearing

February 16, 2023

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

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Department Hearing

WHEN Friday, March 3, 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 A request by Amy Hall for a Minor Use Permit/Coastal Development Permit (N-DRC2021-00026) to allow for the construction of a new three-story approximately 3,615 square-foot single-family residence attached 445 square-foot garage and approximately 515 squarefeet of deck area. The project will result in the disturbance of the entire 3,500 square-foot parcel. The proposed project is within the Residential Single-Family land use category and located at 2790 Richard Avenue, in the community of Cayucos. The site is located in the Coastal Zone and in the Estero Planning Area.

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

County File Number: N-DRC2021-00026

Supervisorial District: District 2

Assessor Parcel Number(s): 064-204-063

Date Accepted: 11/18/2022

WHERE Virtual meeting via Zoom platform. Instructions on how to view and participate in the meeting remotely and provide public comment will be included in the published meeting Agenda and are posted on the Department’s webpage at: https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/ Departments/Planning-Building/Grid-Items/Meetings,-Hearings,Agendas,-and-Minutes/Planning-Department-Hearing-(PDH)Virtual-Meeting-.aspx

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

TO REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING

This matter is tentatively scheduled to appear on the consent agenda, which means that it and any other items on the consent agenda can be acted upon by the hearing officer with a single motion. An applicant or interested party may request a public hearing on this matter. To do so, send a letter to this office at the address below or send an email to pdh@co.slo.ca.us by Friday, February 24, 2023 at 4:30 PM. The letter or email must include the language “I would like to request a hearing on N-DRC2021-00026.”

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

Ysabel Eighmy, Secretary Planning Department Hearing February 16, 2023

• Ordinance No. 3484, amending Title 8 & Title 22 of the Co. Code & the Ag & Conservation & Open Space Elements of the Co. General Plan to rescind Ordinance No. 3483, the Paso Basin Land Use Mgmt Area Planting Ordinance; Res. 2023-013, to reenact & extend until 1/1/2028 the previously adopted Ag Offset Requirements for New or Expanded Irrigated Crop Production Using Water; Res. 2023-014 to decertify the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR), adopted & rescinding the CEQA Findings, w/ direction provided to staff.

Consent Agenda – Item Nos. 1 thru 28 Resolution (Res) Nos. 2023-015 thru 2023-028, approved.

• Public Comment Period – Items not on the agenda: Y. Korin; M. Brown; L. Quinlan; M. Kirkland; L. Dunn; E. Greening; D. Stebbens; L. Owen & R. Patten: speak. No action taken. • County’s 2023 State Legislative Platform, approved as amended w/ direction provided to staff. Closed Session – Anticipated Litigation. (1) Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (d) of section 54956.9. Number of potential cases: Two; and (2) Initiation of litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of section 54956.9. Number of potential cases: Three. Conference with Legal Counsel – Pending Litigation: Existing Litigation (Formally initiated.): SLO Co. Citizens for Good Government, Inc., Gomez, Maruska, Villa v. Co. of Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors, SLO Co. Superior Court, Case No. 22CVP-0007; Application filed by PG&E in the 2021 Nuclear Cost Triennial Proceeding (U39E A.21-12-007); SLO Co. FC&WCD v. Teichert & Son, Inc., et al, Santa Clara County Superior Court, Case No. 21CV380615; Co. of SLO v. Purdue Pharma et al., Fed. Case No. 1:17-md-2804. Conference with Labor Negotiator, concerning the following employee organizations: SLOPA; SLOCEA-T&C; DCCA; Sheriffs’ Mgmt; SLOCPPOA; DSA; DAIA; SLOCPMPOA; SLOCEA – PSSC; Unrepresented Mgmt & Confidential Employees; SDSA; UDWA. Report Out. Open Session.

• January Storm response & recovery efforts update, approved continuance of current emergency proclamation.

• Res. 2023-029, rendering a final determination & interpretation on Rural Recreation & Camping pursuant to §22.30.520 of the Land Use Ordinance (LUO) - Title 22 of the Co. Code & §23.08.072 of the Coastal Zone LUO - Title 23 of the Co. Code, adopted as amended.

• Res. 2023-030, denying appeal (APPL2022-00011) by J. E. Lounsbury of the Planning Commission’s denial on 9/22/22, of a Lot Line Adjustment (N-SUB2022-00003 / COAL 21-0053) to adjust the lot lines of a single legal parcel (lots 4 & 5) that would result in 2 parcels of 3,508 & 3,522 sq. ft, at 2012 Ocean St, Oceano, adopted.

• Hearing to consider an ordinance amending §2.48.095 of the Co. Code re: compensation increases for the Board of Supervisors & a resolution increasing the Co. contribution for Post-Employment Health benefits to Elected Dept. Heads and members of the Board of Supervisors, not approved.

MEETING ADJOURNED

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

Wade Horton, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: Annette Ramirez, Deputy Clerk February 16, 2023

TEMPLETON COMMUNITY SERVICES

DISTRICT SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TEMPLETON COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT

AMENDING DISTRICT CODE TO CHANGE PROCESS FOR RELINQUISHING WATER UNITS OF USE

This Ordinance Summary is published in accordance with the provisions of Government Code Section 25124. On January 17, 2023, the Board of Directors of the Templeton Community Services District introduced Ordinance No. 2023-1 and on February 7, 2023 it was adopted Amending the District Code to Change Process for Relinquishing Water Units of Use.

The purpose of this ordinance is to ensure that the water supplies available to the District are put to their maximum beneficial use by ensuring that previously committed, but unused water units of use are relinquished and made available to landowners who are able to promptly put to beneficial use those water units in order to enhance the District’s water service revenues and permit continuing development within the District.

As a measure to encourage increased utilization of water units of use, the District has changed the process for relinquishing. The following is a list of some key amendments:

1) Property owners will not be charged a $500 processing fee per unit relinquished

2) Property owners will receive a refund of monthly fees paid under virtual water meter agreements through the date of application to relinquish, if applicable

3) Property owners will be paid interest at the Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF) rate earned by the District from the date of the holder’s payment of the water hookup fees, calculated on a quarterly basis

4) The District will pay refunds promptly upon relinquishment

Board Members Fardanesh, Pearson, Jardini, Logan and Petersen voted to adopt the Ordinance.

In accordance with Government Code Section 25124, a certified copy of the full text of the Ordinance is available for public review and inspection electronically on the District’s website at www.templetoncsd.org and at the following location:

Templeton Community Services District 420 Crocker St. Templeton, CA 93465

For questions, please call the Templeton Community Services District at (805) 434-4900.

February 16, 2023

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

Premium Energy Holdings, LLC

Project No. 15271-000

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 Twitchell Pumped Storage Hydro Project to be located approximately 6 miles northeast of Santa Maria, California in the limits between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. 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 project would consist of the following: (1) a new upper reservoir located either, on the western side of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Santa Barbara County, California, with a maximum elevation of 1,788 feet average mean sea level, with a surface area of 72 acres and a storage capacity of 7,150 acre-feet (alternative 1), or a new reservoir 0.5 mile west of Twitchell Lake with a maximum elevation of 1,296 feet average mean sea level, with a surface area of 83 acres and a storage capacity of 11,400 acre-feet (alternative 2); (2) an existing lower reservoir (Twitchell Reservoir), with an elevation of 592 feet average mean sea level, a surface area of approximately 400 acres and a storage capacity of 197,756 acre-feet; (3) either a 0.32-mile-long headrace tunnel, 0.07-mile-long vertical shaft, 2.20-milelong horizontal tunnel, 0.03-mile-long penstock, and 0.46-mile-long tailrace tunnel (alternative A), or a 0.16-milelong headrace tunnel, 0.04-mile-long vertical shaft, 1.10-mile-long horizontal tunnel, 0.02-mile-long penstock, and 0.23-mile long tailrace tunnel (alternative B) connecting the reservoirs to the powerhouse, with a maximum head of 704 or 1,196 feet depending on the selected upper reservoir; (4) either a new 9-mile-long 230-kilovolt (kV) line and 2.5 miles of SCE’s existing right of way that will interconnect the project with the existing PG&E transmission system at the Mesa Substation (alternative 1), or a 230-kV line that would be installed that would interconnect at a future substation that would be a part of the Central California Power Connect project (alternative 2); (5) a new powerhouse that would house 4 new pump-turbines rated at 150 megawatts each; (6) a new substation installed on the northern or southern side of the Twitchell Reservoir depending on the upper reservoir alternatives, close to the powerhouse; and (7) appurtenant facilities. The estimated annual power generation at the Twitchell Pumped Storage Project would be 1,200,000 megawatt-hours.

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-15271.

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-15271) 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

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 acrefeet; (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 pump-turbines 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 megawatt-hours.

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

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

Premium Energy Holdings, LLC

Project No. 15270-000

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

(January 26, 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 Santa Margarita Pumped Storage Hydro Project to be located approximately 10 miles southeast of Lan Luis Obispo, 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 project would consist of the following: (1) an existing upper reservoir (Santa Margarita Lake) at an elevation of 1,300 feet above average mean sea level, with a surface area of 1,100 acres and a total storage capacity of 23,840 acre-feet; (2) an existing lower reservoir (Lopez Lake) at an elevation of 560 feet above average mean sea level, with a surface area of 950 acres and a storage capacity of 49,900 acre-feet; (3) 0.84-mile-long headrace tunnel, 0.19-mile-long vertical shaft, 5.86-mile-long horizontal tunnel, 0.09-mile-long penstock, and 1.22-mile-long tailrace tunnel to connect the powerhouse to the reservoirs; (4) a new powerhouse that would house 4 new pump-turbines rated at 150 megawatts each; (5) a new substation constructed in the western shore of Lake Lopez near the powerhouse, interconnected to the regional electrical utility network with either; (6) a new 2.5-mile-long 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from the powerhouse to a new switchyard located 1.3 miles south of the Lopez dam that will connect with PG&E’s 500-kV line, or a new 4.5-mile-long 500-kV line that will connect the powerhouse to PG&E’s 500-kV line at a new switchyard located 0.5 miles from Talley Vineyard using Lopez road as an existing rightof-way; and (7) appurtenant facilities. The estimated annual power generation at the Santa Margarita Pumped Storage Project would be 1,200,000 megawatt-hours.

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-15270.

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-15270) in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary.

Free Will Astrology by

Rob Brezsny

Homework:

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): Aries director Francis Ford Coppola was asked to name the year’s worst movie. The question didn’t interest him, he said. He listed his favorite films, then declared, “Movies are hard to make, so I’d say, all the other ones were fine!” Coppola’s comments remind me of author Dave Eggers’: “Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them.” In accordance with astrological omens, Aries, your assignment is to explore and embody these perspectives. Refrain from judging efforts about which you have no personal knowledge. Be as open-minded and generous as you can. Doing so will give you fuller access to half-dormant aspects of your own potentials.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20): Artist Andy Warhol said, only half in jest, “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art, and working is art, and good business is the best art.” More than any other sign, Tauruses embody this attitude with flair. When you are at your best, you’re not a greedy materialist who places a higher value on money than everything else. Instead, you approach the gathering of necessary resources, including money, as a fun art project that you perform with love and creativity. I invite you to ascend to an even higher octave of this talent.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20): You are gliding into the Season of Maximum Volition, Autonomy, and Liberty. Now is a favorable time to explore and expand the pleasures of personal sovereignty. You will be at the peak of your power to declare your independence from influences that hinder and limit you. To prepare, try two experiments. 1. Act as if free will is an illusion. It doesn’t exist. There’s no such thing. Then visualize what your destiny would be like. 2. Act as if free will is real. Imagine that in the coming months you can have more of it at your disposal than ever before. What will your destiny be like?

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): The ethereal, dreamy side of your nature must continually find ways to express itself beautifully and playfully. And I do mean “continually.” If you’re not always allowing your imagination to roam and romp around in Wonderland, your imagination may lapse into spinning out crabby delusions. Luckily, I don’t think you will have any problems attending to this necessary luxury in the coming weeks. From what I can tell, you will be highly motivated to generate fluidic fun by rambling through fantasy realms. Bonus! I suspect this will generate practical benefits.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t treat your allies or yourself with neglect and insensitivity. For the sake of your mental and physical health, you need to do the exact opposite. I’m not exaggerating! To enhance your well-being, be almost ridiculously positive. Be vigorously nice and rigorously kind. Bestow blessings and dole out compliments, both to others and yourself. See the best and expect the best in both others and yourself.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Is there a bug in the sanctuary of love? A parasite or saboteur? If so, banish it. Is there a cranky monster grumbling in the basement or attic or closet? Feed that creature chunks of raw cookie dough imbued with a crushed-up valium pill. Do you have a stuffed animal or holy statue to whom you can spill your deep, dark, delicious secrets? If not, get one. Have you been spending quality time rumbling around in your fantasy world in quest of spectacular healings? If not, get busy. Those healings are ready for you to pluck them.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): There’s a weird magic operating in your vicinity these days—a curious, uncanny kind of luck. So while my counsel here might sound counter-intuitive, I think it’s true. Here are four

affirmations to chant regularly: 1. “I will attract and acquire what I want by acting as if I don’t care if I get what I want.” 2. “I will become grounded and relaxed with the help of beautiful messes and rowdy fun.” 3. “My worries and fears will subside as I make fun of them and joke about them.” 4. “I will activate my deeper ambition by giving myself permission to be lazy.”

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): How many people would fight for their country? Below I list the countries where my horoscopes are published and the percentage of their populations ready and willing to take up arms against their nations’ enemies: 11 percent in Japan; Netherlands, 15 percent; Italy, 20 percent; France, 29 percent; Canada, 30 percent; US, 44 percent. So I surmise that Japanese readers are most likely to welcome my advice here, which is threefold: 1. The coming months will be a good time to cultivate your love for your country’s land, people, and culture, but not for your country’s government and armed forces. 2. Minimize your aggressiveness unless you invoke it to improve your personal life—in which case, pump it up and harness them. 3. Don’t get riled up about vague abstractions and fear-based fantasies. But do wield your constructive militancy in behalf of intimate, practical improvements.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): By the time she was 33, Sagittarian actor Jane Fonda was famous and popular. She had already won many awards, including an Oscar. Then she became an outspoken opponent of America’s war in Vietnam. Some of her less-liberal fans were outraged. For a few years, her success in films waned. Offers didn’t come easily to her. She later explained that while the industry had not completely “blacklisted” her, she had been “greylisted.” Despite the setback, she kept working—and never diluted her political activism. By the time she was in her 40s, her career and reputation had fully recovered. Today, at age 84, she is busy with creative projects. In accordance with astrological rhythms, I propose we make her your role model in the coming months. May she inspire you to be true to your principles even if some people disapprove. Be loyal to what you know is right.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Charles V (1500-1558) had more than 20 titles, including Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, and Lord of the Netherlands. He was also a patron of the arts and architecture. Once, while visiting the renowned Italian painter Titian to have his portrait done, he did something no monarch had ever done. When Titian dropped his paintbrush on the floor, Charles humbly picked it up and gave it to him. I foresee a different but equally interesting switcheroo in your vicinity during the coming weeks. Maybe you will be aided by a big shot or get a blessing from someone you consider out of your league. Perhaps you will earn a status boost or will benefit from a shift in a hierarchy.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Some people I respect regard the Bible as a great work of literature. I don’t share that view. Like psychologist Valerie Tarico, I believe the so-called good book is filled with “repetition, awkward constructions, inconsistent voice, weak character development, boring tangents, and passages where nobody can tell what the writer meant to convey.” I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I believe now is a good time to rebel against conventional wisdom, escape from experts’ opinions, and formulate your own unique perspectives about pretty much everything. Be like Valerie Tarico and me.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20): I suspect that arrivederci and au revoir and sayōnara will overlap with birth cries and welcomes and initiations in the coming days. Are you beginning or ending? Leaving or arriving? Letting go or hanging on? Here’s what I think: You will be beginning and ending; leaving and arriving; letting go and hanging on. That could be confusing, but it could also be fun. The mix of emotions will be rich and soulful. ∆