New Times, Feb. 23, 2023

VISIT US ONLINE

@ newtimesslo.com.

SIGN UP for E-Newsletter(s)

LIKE US on Facebook

FOLLOW US on Instagram

FOLLOW US on Twitter

IT’S TIME TO VOTE FOR THE BEST! [25]

We talk bachelor party fun [13]; get into the wedding favors debate [14]; highlight a cottage cake baker [18]; dig into annulments [20]; and hop on a school bus [22]

BY NEW TIMES STAFF

Editor’s note

It’s always a beautiful day in one of the state’s most iconic destinations, and a wedding set in a vineyard or on the coast will never disappoint. While the location is a large part of planning a wedding, there are a lot of little things that can make or break the big day. For this year’s annual Wedding Issue, we talk about some of those details. Assistant Editor Peter Johnson covers where to go to celebrate before the wedding [13]; Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal speaks with professionals about wedding favors [14]; Staff Writer Shwetha Sundarrajan writes about a dedicated cake baker [18]; Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey researches what it takes to annul a marriage [20]; and Sun Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor found a local transportation company that can get your guests to the wedding on a school bus [22]

This week, you can also read about the ongoing search for 5-year-old Kyle Doan [4], Ring of Fire at SLO Rep [36], and the new café at the SLO County Government Center [42] Camillia Lanham editor

WWW.NEWTIMESSLO.COM

Website powered by Foundation www.publishwithfoundation.com

FOUNDER

Steve Moss 1948-2005

PUBLISHERS

Bob Rucker, Alex Zuniga

EDITOR

Camillia Lanham

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Peter Johnson

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Andrea Rooks

CALENDAR EDITOR

Caleb Wiseblood

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Glen Starkey

STAFF WRITERS

Bulbul Rajagopal, Shwetha Sundarrajan

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jayson Mellom

EDITORIAL DESIGNERS

Leni Litonjua, Taylor Saugstad

ASSISTANT

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Eva Lipson

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Eva Lipson, Ellen Fukumoto, Ikey Ipekjian, Mary Grace Flaus

SALES MANAGER

Katy Gray

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES

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

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT

Cindy Rucker

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

Michael Antonette

OFFICE MANAGER

Patricia Horton

OFFICE ASSISTANTS

Michael Gould, Taylor Gonzales

CONTRIBUTORS

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

CIRCULATION

Jim Chaney

DISTRIBUTION

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

New Times is published every Thursday for your enjoyment and distributed to more than 100,000 readers in San Luis Obispo County. New Times is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. The contents of New Times are copyrighted by New Times, and may not be reproduced without specific written permission from the publishers.

We welcome contributions and suggestions. Accompany any submissions with a self-addressed stamped envelope.

We cannot assume responsibility for unsolicited submissions. All letters received become the property of the publishers. Opinions expressed in byline material are not necessarily those of New Times

New Times is available on microfilm at the SLO City-County Library, and through Proquest Company, 789 E Eisenhower Pkwy., Ann Arbor, MI 48106, as part of the Alternative Press Project. Subscriptions to New Times are $156 per year.

Because a product or service is advertised in New Times does not necessarily mean we endorse its use.

We hope readers will use their own good judgment in choosing products most beneficial to their well-being.

Our purpose: to present news and issues of importance to our readers; to reflect honestly the unique spirit of the region; and to be a complete, current, and accurate guide to arts and entertainment on the Central Coast, leading the community in a positive direction consistent with its past.

©2023 New Times

SLO County’s search for missing boy calls for volunteers with heavy machinery

Community volunteer-operated heavy machinery is now part of the long-running and widespread search for 5-year-old Kyle Doan of San Miguel.

“We finally got a letter from the governor’s office allowing us to bring heavy machinery into the [Salinas] riverbed, and we did have a property owner who also allowed us to bring the machinery down,” said Doan’s aunt Chantel Paschal.

Paschal lives in Tennessee and is coordinating a part of San Luis Obispo County’s search efforts. Attempts to recover Doan began Jan. 9 after floodwaters from San Marcos Creek carried him away from his mother as passersby helped them try to exit their stuck truck. The communityled search for him is a continuation of the ongoing weeks-long search of both the creek and adjacent Salinas River conducted by the local Sheriff’s Office and police departments and law enforcement from around the state.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office issued the Doan family the permission letter on Feb. 11, according to Paschal. Days later, she and the Doans organized searches around the private land along the creek and river. Paschal told New Times that roughly 50 people arrived to help the weekends of Feb. 11, and 30 community members assisted with a machineoperated search on the weekend of Feb. 18.

“We’re desperately in need of heavy equipment,” she said. “We probably have more operators than we do machines itself. With rentals, they’re so backlogged because of the devastation across the state.”

Paschal added that the family is personally looking for private companies who own machinery and tree removal services that have woodchippers and chainsaws.

“We’re hoping to chip away some of the logs that are down there in the riverbed, so that dogs can get in there and smell,” Paschal said. “We’re working closely with San Miguel Fire and hoping to get a canine team through them.”

Doan’s disappearance has left SLO County worried, even prompting a response from President Joe Biden during his tour of California’s storm damage.

“That little boy, we’re still trying to find,” Biden announced in a press conference in Santa Cruz County on Jan. 26. “Everybody I’ve talked to today spontaneously brings that up. Jill and I have him and his family in our prayers.”

Now, Paschal is coordinating another recovery operation over the weekend of Feb. 25. Some of the secured machinery came from the Rental Depot,

North County water district seeks seat on Paso Robles Basin Cooperative Committee

Five years after it was “sidelined” from discussions about the future of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, the Estrella-El Pomar-Creston (EPC) Water District is taking a second crack at joining the committee that’s implementing the policies and projects to balance the basin.

On Feb. 8, the EPC Water District’s board of directors sent a formal letter to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors asking it to transfer a portion of its basin representative duties to the district—which would allow the EPC to take a seat on the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee.

“We want to be able to sit there,” EPC Water District President Dana Merrill told New Times “I don’t see why we should have any less of an opportunity.”

which donated it free of charge for two weekends. Those interested in participating can meet at Soka Way in San Miguel at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 25 and 26. Make donations at gofundme.com/f/gse23h-bringkyle-home.

“We truly could not do this without public support and funding. Eventually, funds are going to run out, making it impossible to find Kyle,” Paschal said. “We realize that we have always been under a time crunch … and every day, we pray, is the day Kyle is brought back to us.”

While the SLO County Sheriff’s Office had initially discouraged residents from conducting their own explorations in the days after the storm, a Feb. 16 press release from the Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) cautioned volunteers to help responsibly.

“Since the land along the San Marcos Creek and Salinas River is private property, you are strongly encouraged to seek permission from the individual property owners before searching in those areas,” the statement read. “Please put your safety first and follow all guidance set forth by local officials.”

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla told New Times that the department is aware of searches conducted by Doan’s family and other community members. He didn’t comment on whether past self-conducted pursuits conflicted with law enforcement’s efforts.

“The statement was simply to remind the community about the Sheriff’s Office and the state’s commitment to the search for Kyle, and for those conducting self-initiated searches to be mindful and responsible while searching,” Cipolla said. ∆

—Bulbul Rajagopal

Established in 2017, the EPC district has 199 landowner members, mostly on the west side of the sprawling basin. It formed some months after the Shandon-San Juan Water District, which represents about 70 landowners on the basin’s east side.

Because the Shandon district formed ahead of a 2017 state deadline, it was able to join the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee and have a vote in the state-mandated groundwater sustainability planning process. The EPC district, though, missed that deadline and needed the county’s approval to join.

County supervisors denied that request in 2018, citing concerns about giving commercial agriculture too much influence on the committee. Merrill said he’s hopeful that a newly constituted Board of Supervisors majority will be more receptive to their pitch.

“We hope the new board will be supportive,” Merrill said. “They’re missing a major component.

We represent 35 percent of the pumping and 44 percent of the wells in the basin. We’re a significant player and we believe that agriculture is underrepresented on that [committee]. There’s no question about it. And I don’t think that it is logical.”

If the county were to approve the EPC’s request, it would create a fifth seat on the committee tasked with balancing the basin, alongside SLO County, the Shandon-San Juan Water District, the city of Paso Robles, and the San Miguel CSD.

Debate over Paso Robles basin management has been fierce in recent years, with critics of the water districts calling their leaders “pirates” with sinister motives to bank and sell water out of the basin.

Supervisors John Peschong and Debbie Arnold, who represent the 1st and 5th Districts, respectively, alluded to those theories in 2018 when they denied the EPC district a seat on the committee.

“I think it’s disproportionate,” Peschong said

GROUP EFFORT Community members used heavy machinery temporarily provided by the Rental Depot and an excavator funded by locals to search for Kyle Doan on the weekend of Feb. 18, according to his aunt Chantel Paschal.

PHOTO TAKEN FROM CHANTEL PASCHAL’S FACEBOOK

then about allowing two water districts on the committee. “That is what I think is the scariest part about this.”

Merrill, who owns Mesa Vineyard Management in Templeton, called the water banking allegations “a bunch of bullshit” not grounded in reality.

“I’m disappointed with all the acrimony we have to have,” he said. “Somehow, we have to roll up our sleeves and work together to find a solution.”

In Merrill’s letter to the Board of Supervisors, he argued that the EPC district has made important contributions of its own accord to the basin sustainability process— adding more than two dozen wells to the basin’s monitoring network, commissioning feasibility studies about basin recharge and supplemental water projects, and creating a 3D model of the basin, among other items.

“We’re not a bunch of hayseeds,” he told New Times. “You’ve got very technical people. You have people who run wineries, vineyards, farm other crops, who can make some serious contributions if you don’t just push them away.”

While the county has not officially responded to the EPC’s letter, SLO County 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson said that he’s “looking forward to getting [the EPC’s request] on the agenda in the next month or two.”

Gibson recently took over for Arnold as the county’s representative on the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee. Long critical of Arnold’s and Peschong’s leadership over the basin, Gibson dissented in the 2018 vote to block the EPC district from joining the committee.

In his reelection campaign last year, Gibson promised a course change on Paso basin governance, and took in donations from members of both water districts.

“First, I’d like to be sure there’s discussion of their request with the other stakeholders in the Paso basin,” Gibson told New Times “Pending those conversations, we’ll get it to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.”

—Peter Johnson

Paso’s downtown parking rates are about to increase

People visiting downtown Paso Robles will soon pay $1 more an hour to park there, and some business owners are not happy about it. “These proposed changes are going to drive away our everyday customers, [and] lead to competition being built elsewhere— either outside the city, outside downtown, or in other cities, and our customers are going to go there,” Parks Cinema President John Roush said during a Feb. 21 Paso City Council meeting. “Eventually this will lead to the deterioration of our prosperous downtown.”

The Paso Robles City Council voted 3-1 at that meeting to implement a pilot program that will change its existing parking payment structure. Currently, visitors must use parking pay stations to pay $1 per hour to park after the first two hours, which are free.

During the Feb. 21 meeting, council members debated whether to remove the two free hours of parking, or to increase the hourly rate from $1 an hour to $2 an hour.

After hours of deliberation, the City Council approved a motion made by Councilmember Chris Bausch to pilot a 90day program starting March 1 that sets the hourly rate at $2 after the first two free hours.

The council would then reconvene back in 90 days for further discussion regarding the parking program.

During the meeting, Ryan Cornell, director of administrative services, said that based on data from the Dec. 20 revenue projections, maintaining the current rate of $1 per hour would not be sustainable for the city. Council members, however, were divided on whether increasing the hourly parking rate would make the city’s parking program financially sustainable.

“We really don’t know how this is going to change human behavior. And so that’s kind of the biggest factor. That’s kind of the unknown,” Cornell said. “But if we were to assume that the same number of transactions happened last year, is this going to happen again this year and the average session is right around 90 minutes. We think that $2 an hour, the parking revenue will be statistically self-sustaining.”

Bausch and Councilmember Fred Strong initially voted against raising the hourly rate to $2, with Bausch saying that the increase in parking rate would negatively impact citizens.

“We need to pause and we need to stop and think [about] what we’re doing here,” Bausch said. “I think we’re going to alienate a significant part of our population, that’s not going to benefit the council at all.”

Strong reminded the City Council that the original purpose of the downtown parking program, which started in 2019, was to free up parking spaces that were being occupied by downtown employees.

“It seems that now the intent is to make money, which was not [the] original intent, and that concerns me,” Strong said. “Isn’t there one method that isn’t so involved with revenue that still accomplishes the purpose of getting the employees to not carve [up] and take up the customers’ parking spaces?”

Katelyn Smith, who owns the AMSTRDM Coffee House, urged council members to keep the first two hours of parking free.

“If the two hours free is eliminated and the price increases to $2, that would absolutely eliminate any convenience of any customer to come to our business,” Smith said. “Pricing is already at an all-time high for consumers with the cost increase of supplies in every way.”

General Store Paso Robles Manager Bella Yaguda urged council members to approve a new replacement parking app, in the wake of the city discontinuing the use of the WaytoPark app on Feb. 10.

Donna King, the city’s parking coordinator, explained at the Jan. 31 meeting that the city was planning to replace it with Flowbird, an updated version of the WaytoPark app. On Feb. 21, the City Council also approved a contract with Flowbird, which will launch on March 1. The app will feature new details such as a built-in map that shows free and long-term parking options.

—Shwetha Sundarrajan

OCSD changes bylaw for placing items on meeting agendas

A major change to the Oceano Community Services District’s bylaws had its district counsel concerned about a fate similar to the Ottoman Empire’s.

“The reason we have five of you is for you to build a consensus, not to have one or two members put whatever on the agenda,” said OCSD District Counsel Chase Martin.

“Instead of balkanizing the board, you

actually act as a body.”

Balkanization—the fragmentation of a larger state or region into smaller territories that are mutually hostile to one another— became a hotly debated issue during the Feb. 8 meeting where they discussed bylaw changes.

In a 3-2 vote, the board decided to allow two directors to approve placing an item on the agenda for discussion, as opposed to the current bylaw requiring a majority of three directors to do the same. OCSD directors Linda Austin and Shirley Gibson dissented, claiming that the ease of putting items on the agenda would create lengthy meetings and waste CSD money, resources, and time.

Martin told the board that he had researched other boards and public agencies in the county to find precedent for such a change.

“It’s not anomalous but rare,” he said.

Of the 12 special districts that Martin studied, the Cambria Community Healthcare District is the only one where any board member can agendize an item while the chair and the general manager prepare it. All the other boards put items on the agenda based on different combinations of chair, general manager, and majority member approvals.

The OCSD’s move to stray from the typical format stemmed from board member Charles Varni’s opposition to the chair or board president having special powers.

One of the bylaws said that the president or a board majority can direct CSD staff to place items on the agenda. In the absence of the president at OCSD meetings, the vice president assumes the top role. Varni, who previously expressed ambitions to be vice president, told New Times on Feb. 21 that he doesn’t support the privileges awarded to the president.

“I don’t know why the president should have any more power than any of the other directors, especially when it’s considered a service position,” he told New Times Varni countered Martin’s apprehension that an agenda item placed by two members could divide the board internally. At the meeting, he said that in the past, under the majority rule, some important issues for the Oceano community never made the agenda. Varni elaborated to New Times via email.

“Two specific items I recall are they refused to agendize the Phillips 66 Crude oil train project in Nipomo, and also refused to put [former] Director Cynthia Replogle’s motion to protect her from sexual, emotional, and physical harassment from citizens stalking her,” he said. “I also recall her being unable to get the votes to do a performance review for the general manager [Will Clemens].”

Though the board approved the bylaw change, it hasn’t taken effect yet. Varni told New Times that Clemens told the board he would agendize the finalization for the Feb. 22 meeting.

In spite of majority approval, including from board President Allene Villa, the item is absent from that meeting’s agenda.

“[Clemens] didn’t tell me why it wasn’t on the agenda,” Villa said. “I assume it’s because he wants to be present.”

An automated email from Clemens stated that he will be out of office until March 2. Carey Casciola, the CSD’s business and accounting manager, told New Times that a resolution will be brought back before the board in March so the bylaw update can get settled.

—Bulbul Rajagopal

Investigation into collision that killed SLO couple ‘nearing completion,’ police say

A prolonged police investigation into a caron-pedestrian collision that killed a San Luis Obispo couple and their dog last November could finally be close to a resolution.

SLO Police said that its investigation into the fatal Nov. 21 accident was “nearing completion” and to expect an update on “the charges being requested for filing on the suspect” in the coming few weeks.

SLO Police Capt. Brian Amoroso told New Times that the case involves “a very complex accident reconstruction,” which required “significant time” to properly conduct.

“The quality of this work is paramount to a successful prosecution,” Amoroso said by email. “This case is extremely important to us, which is why we are being diligent in our investigation.”

Matthew Chachere, 39, and Jennifer Besser, 36, were walking their dog near the 3400 block of Sacramento Drive at 5:47 p.m. when 24-yearold Daniel Angel Saligan Patricio allegedly lost control of his car and fatally struck them.

Officers responded to the incident but were reportedly unaware that Patricio had hit anyone. The car slammed into the abutment of a creek bridge, police said, and it was towed. Excessive speed—but not alcohol or drugs—was ruled a factor.

Authorities later found Chachere and Besser’s bodies, more than a day after the crash, under “heavy brush” near the accident site.

According to Amoroso, the police’s subsequent three-month-long investigation involved consulting the California Highway Patrol’s Major Accident Investigation Team, which has helped with “extracting technical data from the vehicle.” Investigators also relied on the Sheriff’s Office’s coroner reports, he said.

“All of these activities take time, and this is one of many active cases our agencies are working on,” Amoroso said.

When asked what exactly the police believe happened during the incident, Amoroso only noted that Patricio “did not move the victims after the collision.”

“I am [hopeful] we will have an update in the coming weeks,” he said.

—Peter Johnson

Fish and Wildlife plans to capture and relocate SLO mountain lion

Neighborhood groups on Nextdoor and Facebook are abuzz with warnings, photos, and testimonials of mountain lion sightings around the Irish Hills, Laguna Lake, and the Prefumo Creek and Los Osos Valley Road areas.

Sightings of the mountain lion started late last year, with one Laguna Lake resident witnessing a mountain lion chase her dog in her backyard in November. On Feb. 11, a mountain lion attacked a woman’s dog while she was walking it on a leash near the Laguna Lake Mobile Estates.

Resident Beverly Lu posted on Nextdoor about the incident, telling area residents how they should be taking care of their pets.

“These animals are learning to come here and hunt because of the easy pickings from people letting their pets out to roam. Please keep your animals indoors; we live on a preserve with wild animals including foxes, bobcats, and many other creatures that would like to dine on your pet,” Lu wrote. “Now this cat is in jeopardy because of his aggressive behavior because he sees this as a positive capture hunting ground.”

Ken Paglia, a spokesperson for the Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), said that the department began to set traps on Feb. 13 in order to trap and relocate the mountain lion to a more remote area of SLO County, approximately 60 miles from its current location.

“It’s not easy to trap mountain lions. And if we can trap it, then we’ll get it medically assessed, and that’s just our usual protocol to make sure it’s healthy enough to be out in the wild,” Paglia said. “Then we’ll put a GPS collar on it, and then we’ll take it to [a] suitable habitat in a more remote area in San Luis Obispo County.”

Act now!

Paglia told New Times that the CDFW was made aware of the mountain lion’s presence in the area through home security footage and cellphone footage. But it wasn’t until the department put up cameras in the local trails that they saw the mountain lion for themselves.

“We kind of want to basically strike a balance between giving the mountain lion the best shot at living a life in the wild. And so that’s … the trapping, collaring it so we can kind of keep tabs on it,” Paglia said. “And then releasing it in a more remote location, while at the same time trying to minimize the possibility that this sort of thing happens again.”

According to CDFW, there’s an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions in the state of California. Bob Hill, SLO city’s sustainability and natural resources official, said that while

the city has received calls and emails from residents in the past couple of months, it’s unclear whether these sightings could mean there are multiple mountain lions in the area.

“I think that [the] frequency of sightings is episodic,” Hill said. “Over the years, sometimes there are times when we hear about sightings occurring, and then periods of time go by when we don’t.”

Until the mountain lion is trapped, collared, and relocated, Paglia advises residents to have caution when walking pets around dawn and dusk, which is when mountain lions are usually most active.

“Just on its face, I wouldn’t consider this a public safety issue. But you know, we don’t want to minimize it either, right? Because it is concerning behavior. We don’t want it to happen again,” Paglia said. “We recommend that people be careful, be mindful, don’t hesitate to make small adjustments to your daily routine, to account for the fact that … there could be a mountain lion in the area.”

—Shwetha Sundarrajan

Correction

• In the Feb. 16 story, “Community partners propose conservation plan for Diablo Canyon,” New Times misattributed a direct quote about the potential for a portion of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant property to be used to create a tech hub for clean energy. REACH President and CEO Melissa James spoke about the issue during a media briefing on Feb. 9. New Times regrets this error. ∆

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Sporting visibility

San Luis Obispo’s historic Chinatown district is almost a misnomer now. A concrete strip of road between Chorro and Morro streets on Palm Street, it houses the Ah Louis Store, the Palm Theater, Mee Heng Low Noodle House, parking lots, and garages.

“Chinatown in SLO is so small. We want to create a safe space and a sense of togetherness,” said Kaela Lee of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) SLO “We’re hoping to create more awareness and de-stigmatize notions about the AAPI community.”

Lee belongs to the 4.1 percent of AAPI residents in SLO County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest population estimate as of July 2022. It’s a small demographic, but she’s no stranger to microaggressions. A Bay Area native, Lee moved to SLO in 2017 to attend Cal Poly. She had brushes with ignorance during her first year living on the Central Coast.

“I was riding an Uber with a friend who’s also AAPI. The Uber driver was making casual conversation and said, ‘You speak such good English.’ I’m from San Francisco!” Lee

other AAPI community members and their allies sparked a discussion about proactively supporting the group. That’s where a partnership with the SLO Food Co-Op, Mee Heng Low, and Rock Front Ranch came in. The four groups collaborated to create limited edition T-shirts, and 100 percent of the sale profits will go to AAPI SLO.

“We’re going to use [the proceeds] to not only fund our annual AAPI SLO festival but also small events to make our presence known,” Lee said. “The majority of the funds are going to be given back to the community. We want to educate others and humanize the AAPI community.”

Kasey Main, an AAPI ally and communications coordinator at the Co-Op, spearheaded the T-shirt project. He told New Times he felt compelled to do something locally especially in the face of state and nationwide incidents of hate crimes toward Asian Americans.

“We would get a lot of micro-aggressive calls [at the Co-Op] where people would ask if a supplement or food was in stock,” Main said. “They’d ask where an ingredient was from. If I said there was a Chinese

toward even using the words “Asian” or “Chinese.”

“Some people in SLO are really averse to it, and we really need to combat that and get out of that discomfort,” he said.

Main’s way to combat it: reaching out to Alisha Taff of Rock Front Ranch and Mee Heng Low’s Russell Kwong to design and sell special T-shirts. Main and Lee also worked with a San Francisco-based designer who once lived in SLO, Natalie Rockhold.

The result is a colorful gallery of images, including the iconic Mee Heng Low sign, Chinese lanterns, and jujubes from Rock Front Ranch surrounding the word “rabbit” written in Hanzi script to honor the Chinese zodiac calendar. The shirts can be preordered online atslofood.coop/preorder.

“While having conversations with both Russell and Alisha, I was getting a theme,” Main said. “Downtown SLO is increasingly corporate, and I was hearing that they feel the pressure that corporate entities are imposing on SLO’s Chinatown.”

Main said he started the discussion for an awareness project out of his own personal interest. His supervisor at the Co-Op was on board when he pitched the idea.

“Alisha is a farmer who is working really hard. Same with Russell at the noodle house. The least I can do is coordinate donations on their behalf,” Main said. “Support them and donate what you can, when you can, not just when there’s violence. Fight AAPI hate every day.”

Fast fact

• Pismo Beach’s Splash Café is joining the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease (ALS). They will donate 10 percent of in-store sales the weekend of Feb. 25, which is National Clam Chowder Day. Donations will be sent to the SLO-based Martha OlsonFernandez Foundation that researches cures and provides patient care for ALS. ∆

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

CREATIVE HUB Designed by San Francisco resident Natalie Rockhold, the limited edition T-shirt worth $25 bears motifs of Mee Heng Low, Rock Front Ranch, and the Year of the Rabbit.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KASEY MAIN

DEATH NOTICES

BARNUM, JOHN F, 63, of Santa Maria, passed away 2/7/2023 arrangements with Lori Family Mortuary

BOUSE, ROBIN MARIE, 64, of San Luis Obispo passed away 2/9/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

CHASE, ROBERT A., 62, of Santa Maria passed away 2/13/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

DEAN, KELLY, 64, of Cayucos, passed away 2/13/2023 arrangements with Blue Sky Cremation Service

DIAX MICHAEL L., 58, of Santa Maria passed away 2/16/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

DIAZ, KARINA MARIE, 36, of Santa Maria passed away 2/5/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

DUBOIS, JO ANN, 88, of Grover Beach passed away 1/31/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

ELLIOTT, BRADLEY ROBERT, 27, of Bradley passed away 2/10/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

FAUBUS, DALTON T., 23, of Santa Maria passed away 2/15/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

FIERMAN, LAREY ALAN, 73, of Oceano passed away 2/9/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

GONZALEZ, NELLIE J., 90, of Santa Maria passed away 2/20/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

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

HADSELL, JEAN P., 94, of Santa Maria passed away 2/17/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

HARDCASTLE, MARCIA EMELIA, 77, of Pismo Beach passed away 2/14/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

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

HOOVER, PATRICK, 79, of Solvang passed away 2/8/2023 arrangements with DudleyHoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

HUSTON, JOSHUA RICHARD, 42, of Santa Maria, passed away 2/13/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

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

KRISELL, MARY JANE, 72, of Grover Beach passed away 2/6/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

Nancy & Mary

KURTZE, CAROL ANN, 72, of Santa Maria passed away 2/6/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

LENZ, ETHEL, 88, of Arroyo Grande passed away 2/8/2023 arrangements with MarshallSpoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

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

MARTINEZ, CARLITO “LITO” SR., 70, of Santa Maria passed away 2/8/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

MCBRIDE, JOANN, 93, of Santa Maria passed away 2/15/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

MCCALLUM, RITA M., 88, of Nipomo passed away 2/16/2023 arrangements with DudleyHoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

MENDOZA, HORTENSE, 78, of San Miguel passed away 2/8/2023 arrangements with Blue Sky Cremation Service

MONTEZ, RUDOLPH, 73, of Santa Maria, passed away 2/15/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

MORENO, ALVINO YRACHETA, 67, of Arroyo Grande passed away 2/5/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

MOSS, HAROLD C., 92, of Santa Maria passed away 2/10/2023 arrangements with Magner-Maloney Funeral Home & Crematory

NIETMAN, JYTTE “JUNE”, 80, of Santa Maria passed away 2/13/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

RANDOLPH, TERRY LEE, 67, of Orcutt passed away 2/11/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

ROWLEY, RICHARD “DICK” , 78, of Arroyo Grande passed away 2/8/2023 arrangements with Marshall-Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel

RUPERT, CLIVE, 61, of Templeton passed away 2/10/2023 arrangements with Blue Sky Cremation Service

SHIROMA, YOSHIKO, 93, of Santa Maria passed away 2/13/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

TEACKER, CODY TYLER, 29, of Santa Maria passed away 2/3/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

THOMPSON, JOAN A., 83, of Santa Maria passed away 2/16/2023 arrangements with Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory & Memory Gardens

DECEASED 2023, OCEANO, CA

Nancy Jean MacNeil, 72, of Oceano passed peacefully in her sleep at home, February 11. Her cherished wife, Mary Lucey, 67, followed a short time after.

Nancy is the beloved sister of Cynthia and Kenneth; aunt of Kenneth, Karina, Tyler; grandaunt of Quinten MacNeil; mother to Melissa; grandmother to all children.

Mary is the beloved mother of Melissa and Holly; grandmother of Alicia, Preston, Maddie, Damien; sister of Shelley Dishman, Andy Osenbrock; auntie to Karina & Quinten.

Nancy and Mary were a devoted, loving couple. Their lives were defined by commitment to justice, commitment to family, and commitment to love. Always providing a safe, happy haven for those in need. They leave behind numerous friends and cousins near and far. All are broken-hearted.

Memorial TBA

Old, broken, and unwanted jewelry is perfect to recycle. Gold and silver are the new GREEN. Turn it in for $$ and help the environment, too!

BY FREDDY OTTE

How to coexist

San Luis Obispo is mountain lion country

Any report of wild animals attacking vulnerable pets in San Luis Obispo is understandably concerning.

Recently, a woman walking her dog in San Luis Obispo had a scary up-close-andpersonal encounter with a mountain lion. While mountain lion attacks on humans are uncommon, we can encounter these wild animals in San Luis Obispo from time to time, especially at dawn, dusk, and night. In this case, a mountain lion reportedly grabbed a leashed dog and took off with it, dragging the owner in the process.

Currently, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is leading an effort to trap the mountain lion. When captured, the lion will be collared, evaluated, and relocated to a more remote setting. The city works collaboratively with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to monitor mountain lions and other wildlife, and we

Be very careful what you wish for when it comes to Diablo

Mark Henry (“Be careful what you wish for when it comes to Diablo,” Feb. 16,) urges New Times readers to consider the consequences of the closure of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant reactors by 2025, the date PG&E committed to in 2016. In his opinion those consequences would include an energy shortage and increased use of fossil fuels. On the contrary, closure would lead to an increase in renewable energy.

Nuclear plants cannot lower their output when demand is lower, but must run at full capacity 24/7. The closure of Diablo Canyon would free up grid capacity to accept more renewable energy. One example is offshore wind generation that has the potential to supply 4.6 gigawatts of energy, while Diablo Canyon has a capacity of 2.2 gigawatts.

PG&E should keep its promise of 2016 and close Diablo at the end of current licenses, thus enabling the state of California to have access to more renewable energy and to cease the generation of any additional radioactive waste.

Debbie Highfill Morro Bay

Local governments should approve the Regional Compact on Homelessness

The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County urges the county and incorporated cities to address housing and homelessness as a priority goal as they develop their work plans for the coming budget cycle. As part of this goal, we ask that they take part in developing and approving the Regional Compact on Homelessness as a basis for coordinating the work countywide.

In August 2022 the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors adopted

sincerely appreciate their staff’s attention to our environment and community.

In the meantime, as residents and visitors of San Luis Obispo, it’s important to remember that we live in a region that is home to a variety of wildlife, including mountain lions. These majestic creatures have been roaming these hills and valleys for centuries, and while they are a natural part of our environment, it’s understandable that the recent sightings and attack on a pet may be causing some concern.

First and foremost, it’s important to know that mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare, and it’s even rarer for them to occur in urban areas. In fact, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, there have been only 16 verified mountain lion attacks on humans in California since 1890. However, we should all still take precautions. Mountain lions are most active

the San Luis Obispo Countywide Plan to Address Homelessness: 2022-2027. The goal of this five-year plan is to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness by 50 percent. To achieve this goal, it is essential that the provision of housing and services be coordinated. Lack of coordination in the current system has caused duplication of efforts, competition for resources, service gaps, and an inability to manage efforts effectively across the county.

A Regional Compact for Homelessness will enable the county and cities to allocate responsibilities and resources efficiently. Each jurisdiction will have input on this process to ensure that the burdens and benefits are fairly shared.

Right now, as jurisdictions in SLO County are going through goal setting and adopting work plans for the current budget cycle, each jurisdiction should adopt plans on housing and homelessness, including a plan to join the Regional Compact on Homelessness, as a priority goal. Homelessness is the critical social issue of our day and one that the county and cities must address together.

We urge all residents to ask their city councils to include the Regional Compact in their plans.

Cindy Marie Absey president League of Women Voters San Luis Obispo County

California’s end-of-life care options include legal assisted suicide

I second John Donegan’s belief that assisted suicide shouldn’t be prohibited by the spiritual concerns of others, or the state, for that matter (“Government intervention in end-of-life care is not a good thing,” Feb. 16). Fortunately, there are several legal ways in California to hasten one’s death. The California Legislature enacted the End of

at night, dawn, and dusk, so it’s important to avoid recreating near open space areas during those times. If you do venture out during those hours, make sure to stay on established trails or well-lit areas, and be sure to hike, bike, jog, or walk in groups. If you’re in a group, make sure everyone stays alert, keeps a close watch on small children and pets, and makes some noise to alert nearby mountain lions of your presence.

inside at night, as mountain lions are known to prey on small animals like rabbits, cats, and dogs. Secure your garbage cans, bird feeders, and compost bins at night to prevent attracting wildlife to your home or neighborhood.

While it can be frightening to encounter a mountain lion, it is important to remember that they are typically shy and will often avoid humans if given the chance. If you happen to encounter one, remain calm, maintain eye contact, and back away slowly while making yourself as big and loud as possible.

Additionally, it is important to not feed any wildlife, to avoid attracting predators to populated areas. Remember to keep your pets

Life Option Act, which authorizes doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to their terminally ill patients. There are strict qualifications, including that a patient has a diagnosis of death within six months. Search for “compassion and choices” for more details. Search for “end of life doula” or “death doula,” and you will find a number of practitioners in SLO County. Search for finalexitnetwork.org for details.

Michael Klingler Arroyo Grande

Thanks, New Times and Sun, for keeping us informed!

I appreciate your continuing to deliver the

It is important to report any sightings or encounters with mountain lions to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife team to help track and manage their population. If you feel threatened by a mountain lion, please call 911 immediately. By being aware of our surroundings and, as a community, taking the necessary precautions, we can coexist peacefully with these majestic cats in their natural habitat. ∆ Freddy Otte has served as the city of San Luis Obispo’s biologist for 17 years. Respond with a letter to the editor by sending it to letters@ newtimesslo.com.

New Times as well as the Santa Maria Sun and the Santa Ynez paper to the Village Market in Vandenberg Village. It is good to keep up with southern San Luis Obispo County activities. Once the new Village Inn reopens, please consider including them as well.

I particularly like the “This Modern World” cartoon, which isn’t in the online edition. I get a kick out of The Shredder and The Canary commentaries.

Several years ago, you included some material on my KCPR efforts (“Support real local radio,” May 18, 2011). At 70-plus, I was probably the oldest working college DJ (aka musical host).

Keep up the great work!

Charles “Charlie

B” Blair Lompoc

While it can be frightening to encounter a mountain lion, it is important to remember that they are typically shy and will often avoid humans if given the chance.

Call me ‘wide awake’

As the 2024 election madness accelerates, it seems that the primary campaign tactic by rightwing Republican candidates is to smear Democrats as hopelessly “woke.” That word is now one of the most-searched terms in the English language: “ … historic use as a pasttense to ‘wake,’ but now a general pejorative for anyone appearing left-leaning.”

Last week, far-right Newsmax reporter James Rosen used his time in a presidential press briefing to try to smear Joe Biden as “woke.” After a prolonged setup, Rosen opined, “We hear so much talk about woke capitalism, a woke military, and so on. … By way of trying to clarify this for the American people, I wonder … is President Biden ‘woke’?”

The question drew audible groans from Rosen’s fellow journalists in the Briefing Room. In response, Presidential Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre changed the narrative: “The president doesn’t concern himself about what Republicans are trying to do in creating political stunts, in making an issue out of the things that they feel benefits them politically—not what matters to the American people, but what benefits them politically. … You heard him say that at the State of the Union.”

It was high political drama, seeing these hypocritical Republicans as they visibly abandoned one of the core tenets of their ‘fiscal responsibility’ mantra.

And in that address just a week earlier, President Biden had succeeded in demonstrating that whether or not he is “woke,” he’s certainly wide awake to the threats posed by the new razor-thin GOP majority in the House of Representatives. Biden provoked a rowdy outburst by the entire Republican caucus when he accurately accused some Republicans of trying to cut Social Security and Medicare. As a chorus of “boos” and catcalls erupted, Biden called their bluff by trapping them with a call to “stand up for seniors” and join him in protecting those programs.

It was high political drama, seeing these hypocritical Republicans as they visibly abandoned one of the core tenets of their “fiscal responsibility” mantra. It reminded me of nothing so much as seeing a horde of cockroaches scurrying madly for cover when you shine a flashlight on them in the middle of the night.

This is the same group that coughed up 119 votes to deny the results of the 2020 election in the dead of night on Jan. 6, 2021— only hours after the entire Congress had been attacked by a violent mob. I’d like to think that now, two years later, they would be running for their dark corners again as they are exposed to the bright light of the Justice Department and the report of the January 6th Committee.

But they’re not: Just look at the antics of Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), George Santos (R-New York) and their acolytes who hold sway in the lower

house of Congress. Far-right members of Congress are brazenly and openly attacking the very foundation of American democracy by stoking fear of the “woke”—those who are different, those who engage in critical thinking (and, yes, critical race theory), those who are trying to stop the rampant spread of high-powered firearms, and those who despise the poisonous conspiracy theories of the QAnon cult.

We don’t have to be woke, but it’s vital for all patriotic Americans to be wide awake to the threats to our democracy that daily manifests itself in the GOP caucus in Congress. Maybe we could take our cues from the Wide Awake Clubs of the late 1850s.

This network of young Republican men marched in huge torchlit evening rallies throughout Northern cities to oppose slavery and the threat of Southern secession. By 1860, they boasted as many as 500,000 members and were a key part of the coalition supporting Abraham Lincoln. With multiracial chapters in every county in the free Northern states, the “Wide Awakes” were a model of quasi-military organization, complete with a command structure, gaudy uniforms, blaring bands, fireworks, and torches. In the weeks and months after Fort Sumter, many Wide Awakes were among the first men to march into the recruiting office when President Lincoln called for volunteers to enlist in the Union Army.

The threats we face today are just as sinister as those facing the Wide Awakes in 1860: Denying democracy and the peaceful transfer of power as set forth in our Constitution. The attack dogs of the modern Republican Party are motivated by racism and xenophobia. Their “America First” foreign policy is designed to isolate America. Their domestic policy is a mashup of “cultural issues” to counter their ludicrous version of “woke-ism,” whatever that is.

Maybe I am “woke”: I’m committed to human rights and justice for all people; I believe in the reality of multi-culturalism; I hold a deep respect for the rights of women, children, and gender non-conforming individuals. I believe that there are far too many guns in America and that too many of us are victims of gun violence—even if we’ve never been shot. Call me “woke” if you want. I’ll accept it. But also know that I’m “wide awake” and that every day and every night, I have one eye open, watching out for our democracy. Δ

John Ashbaugh is an inveterate insomniac, and accordingly he has no trouble being “wide awake.” Respond by emailing a letter for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com

HELP INFORM THE FUTURE DECOMMISSIONING OF DIABLO CANYON.

HELP INFORM THE FUTURE DECOMMISSIONING OF DIABLO CANYON.

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?

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?

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.

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.

Learn more at https://diablocanyonpanel.org or www.pge.com/engagementpanel or scan the QR code:

Learn more at https://diablocanyonpanel.org or www.pge.com/engagementpanel or scan the QR code:

For more details:

A brief story, fifty-five words or less, with a headline no longer than seven words.

Drama-rama-ding-dong

Ever notice some people crave drama?

Psychologists suggest the need may be a desired distraction from one’s own life, a familiar and hence weirdly comforting feeling, or an addictive release of anger chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol.

It’s also perhaps the car accident/train wreck looky-loo macabre entertainment factor. I mean, that’s why you’re reading this, right? “Let’s see what stupid shit people are up to this week! Ha ha!”

Well, you’ve come to the right place, drama kings, queens, trans, questioning, and curious because SLO County never disappoints! Let’s direct our attention to the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD), the five-member governing body that provides Oceano and Halcyon with fire protection, sewer and water services, and street lighting. Easy, right?

Yet, somehow, they can’t seem to stop bickering like tweens fighting over a TV remote control. The kerfuffle du jour is about who’s allowed to place items on the board’s agenda, which has traditionally been by consensus of at least three of the five members or the board president. The board recently voted in a bylaw change stating any two members can agendize an issue.

“The reason we have five of you is for you to build a consensus, not to have one or two members put whatever on the agenda,”

OCSD District Counsel Chase Martin explained as if he were speaking to arguing tweenagers. “Instead of balkanizing the

board, you actually act as a body.”

Oh, “balkanizing!” That’s a big word to use on 12-year-olds! The idea, children, is you need to work together and democratically decide what issues must be raised and solved, not allow minority rule by fiat.

OCSD Directors Linda Austin and Shirley Gibson (the current vice president) noted that allowing any and everything onto the agenda will waste resources and result in longer meetings. That didn’t stop good ol’ OCSD Director Charles Varni from claiming the change is necessary because it combats special privileges held by the OCSD president, who’s allowed to agendize issues.

“I don’t know why the president should have any more power than any of the other directors, especially when it’s considered a service position,” Varni complained to New Times. I wonder if he’d change his mind if he were president? “Give me that remote!”

Speaking of bickering, are you on Nextdoor, the supposed kinder, gentler social media app for neighbors helping neighbors? You are? Then you know it’s just as chockfull of vitriol, rancor, and judgment as every other social media app. You might also know it’s been accused of fostering racial profiling and trafficking in conspiracy theories and misinformation. Howdy, neighbor!

Two much-debated local issues are the pugeating mountain lion (“How dare you walk your little dog at dawn! Do you want it eaten!”) and the botched police investigation into the

apparent hit-and-run deaths of Matthew Chachere, Jennifer Besser, and their dog.

“Botched” seems fair. After all, when the police responded to the Nov. 21 crash by Daniel Angel Saligan Patricio, 24—who totaled his Tesla after striking a curb, street sign, and bridge in the 3400 block of Sacramento Drive in SLO—they didn’t notice the dead bodies in the creek below the bridge. Oops!

They took a collision report, towed the car, and decided drugs and alcohol weren’t factors, though excessive speed probably was. Good police work?

In a letter to SLO Police Chief Rick Scott on Dec. 16, Chachere’s parents asked, “Why was there no breath or blood analysis conducted by the officers? It is inconceivable.”

Were there no breath or blood tests? Who knows? The po-po ain’t talking. It’s three months later and no charges? Huh?

Daniel Jackson of Santa Rosa Park pondered, “Why do I have the sinking feeling the driver of the Tesla is going to be the next Paul Flores, where we’re sitting here for 25 years waiting for him to be brought to justice?”

inept law enforcement agencies that fumbled that investigation after the Cal Poly Police Department and before the SLO County Sheriff’s Office … and then the FBI, too, I guess. Spread the blame. This is not Law and Order

Look, the SLOPD clearly blew it at the crash scene. The bodies weren’t found for 28 hours—after a citizen reported seeing a dead dog in the creek. People—even the perpetually upset ones on Nextdoor—have a reason to be frustrated.

“This case is extremely important to us, which is why we are being diligent in our investigation and ensuring that we are conducting the most thorough investigation possible to achieve justice for the victims and their respective families,” SLOPD Capt. Brian Amoroso told New Times. “A thorough investigation of this magnitude takes significant time, and the quality of this work is paramount to a successful prosecution.”

Let’s hope it’s “quality.” Faith in local law enforcement isn’t exactly at an all-time high. Amoroso revealed one interesting detail: “The driver did not move the victims after the collision.”

Speak up!

Ouch! Technically speaking, in the tragic Kristin Smart murder by Flores, recently convicted for the 1996 slaying, the SLOPD was only second in the long line of

So, if Patricio is the culprit, he didn’t conceal the crime and apparently wasn’t drunk or high. Does that mean he was sober and didn’t realize he struck two pedestrians and a dog? Hard to believe. ∆

The Shredder brakes for dogs. Send your drama to shredder@newtimesslo.com.

The Wall That Heals is a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located in Washington, D.C. bearing the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam. The VVM Wall is dedicated to all Vietnam Veterans.

Before the I dos

Best known for bachelorettes, SLO and Santa Barbara counties can also host memorable bachelor parties

The Central Coast is pretty wellestablished as a top destination for soon-to-be-brides to hold their bachelorette parties and enjoy some quality wine tasting.

But what about bachelors? San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties o er plenty to make for an equally great bachelor party.

Note: ese activities by no means have to be gender speci c!

Sport fish in Morro Bay

Launch o the coast for a day (or multiple days) of sport shing in the open ocean. ere are several local out tters that will take your group out to catch rock sh, lingcod, albacore, halibut, and more, but Virg’s Landing and Black Pearl Sport shing are two trusted choices out of Morro Bay. ey o er expeditions ranging from half-day trips to two-day overnight runs.

Camp at Lopez Lake

Enjoy SLO County’s outdoors without breaking the bank at Lopez Lake. With more than 350 sites to choose from, this county

campground is easy to book and doesn’t lack for activities. Rent boats or Jet Skis at the marina and spend the day out on the water. Or go zip-lining at the lakeside Vista Lago Adventure Park. e lake is also just a short drive from the Village of Arroyo Grande with a variety of restaurants and bars.

Have a casino night

Test your luck with a night out at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez. With 115,000 square feet of casino space, this is the premier location to gamble on the Central Coast. Use your winnings to buy concert or comedy show tickets and enjoy some delicious food and drinks. If you spend the night, check out the renowned Alisal Ranch the next day near Solvang.

Fun at the shooting range

Find out which of your friends has the best shot and spend an afternoon at the SLO Sportsmen’s Association public gun range. Located in the heart of the Chorro Valley between SLO and Morro Bay, this local range welcomes beginners and large private groups. It will provide loaner guns, shooting instructions, and even barbecue pits to make it a party.

Go beer, wine, and spirit tasting

Take the group to Paso Robles for a day of beer, wine, and spirit tasting. From cabs, to IPAs, to gins, the North County has something of world-class quality for everybody to enjoy. Take a tour of Firestone Walker Brewery. Or, if you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, up the ante with a scenic helicopter ride around the region starting at Cass Winery. You can also sign up at Cass for motorcycle sidecar tours, horseback rides, archery, and more fun activities.

Ride on the Oceano Dunes

Enjoy a day carving it up in an ATV on the Oceano Dunes, the

BY PETER JOHNSON

only beach in California you can still legally drive on. Rent your ATVs in town, buy a day pass at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, and enjoy the more than 1,000 acres of curvy dunes. If this activity is on your bachelor bucket list, get it done soon: e state plans to ban riding on the dunes in the next few years.

Take a hunting trip

Venture out into the remote ranchland of the Central Coast for a guided hunting trip. Buckle in for as many as ve days or as few as one and hunt for quail, turkey, deer, elk, wild pigs, and more. Oak Stone Out tters in Bradley is one local company with a suite of options to meet your group’s needs. It also o ers taxidermy services so you and your friends can take your trophies home. ♥

Assistant Editor Peter Johnson can be reached at pjohnson@newtimesslo.com.

WILD GAME Guided hunting trips in northern SLO County also make for epic bachelor parties.

BIG CATCH Sport fishing in Morro Bay is a popular adventure for bachelor parties. Several local outfitters, like Virg’s Landing, take private groups out on the ocean to catch rockfish, lingcod, albacore, halibut, and more.

DUNE DRIVING A classic activity for a Central Coast-based bachelor party is to go ATV riding on the Oceano Dunes.

FILE PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

FILE PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

Do yourself a favor

Keep your cash— skip the wedding favors

Wedding favors are something I’ve thought maybe a little too much about as someone who’s never been married and isn’t going to get married anytime soon.

For years, my friends and I had a running joke for a take-home gift. I’d have a tattoo artist stationed next to the open bar at my hypothetical wedding reception. ey’d only ink one design: a cheesy heart with “Bulbul + Insert Groom’s Name” and the wedding date below. It’d make for a horrifying hangover but the best story.

“ ey still have the choice to go ahead with it!” said Alexandra Wallace, my friend and professional photographer. “I hate wedding favors. ey either get left at the table, are useless, or forgotten about.”

Wallace has been shooting weddings for a little more than 10 years. She captures pivotal memories for lovebirds around San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties. Over the course of a decade, she’s seen the evolution of the wedding favor.

“It used to be the Jordan almond,” she explained one February evening. “You have to suck on it for 20 minutes, and it doesn’t taste good.”

According to Wallace, wedding favors bloat the already-mammoth cost of a wedding, which can run upwards of $20,000 or $30,000 including the venue and food

costs. People underestimate how expensive a wedding on the Central Coast really is, she told New Times

“I think it’s insane the amount people pay for things. You shouldn’t get into it if you aren’t in a place in life where it’s not painful to do so,” Wallace said. “But you do get what you pay for.”

She recalled a wedding she photographed last year. e bride’s dad and brother owned a memory foam pillow company. Wallace

Weddings at Ragged Point

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

being gifted socks with the bride and groom’s names on them.

“Useful, but pretty ugly,” she said. en came another celebration with 60 people. e couple arranged to have shelves packed with olive oil and wine for guests.

“You took whatever you want o it, like a grocery store,” Wallace recalled.

Overall, Wallace said, the average wedding favor is environmentally destructive. Paring down a wedding celebration to the essentials is key. For her own future wedding, she wants to focus on the food and make it a fun experience that’s not swayed by Pinterest optics or appearing cool online for the nowstrangers that she went to high school with. Unsurprisingly, her guests will be returning home sans wedding favors but with a full belly and a unique memory.

and the guests each went home with a giant pillow worth more than $200. She whipped out her phone to show me the pillow on the website. Originally $219.99, the pillow price was now slashed to $129.99. Lucky future memory foam pillow owners!

“It felt like leaving the Oprah show. ‘You get a pillow! Memory foam pillows for everybody!’ We sleep with it every night now,” she admitted.

At another wedding, Wallace saw guests

“ ere’s a place called Pioneer Town near Joshua Tree. It was built solely for lming old Westerns,” she said, noting that she and her boyfriend have their eye on it as a wedding locale. “Chris and I love it, and we want to take everyone to the middle of the desert!”

For Arroyo Grande-based wedding planner Janet Tacy, if wedding favors are a must-have, she recommends going down the sustainable route. Tacy founded Sandcastle Celebrations 10 years ago and has noticed that wedding favors are falling to the wayside.

“If they’re going to have wedding favors, make it something that showcases a local product and that it’s consumable,” she said.

ANOTHER OPTION Can’t avoid wedding favors? Sandcastle Celebrations founder and wedding planner Janet Tacy recommends highlighting a local, consumable product like hot sauce, honey, or cookies.

COURTESY PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA WALLACE

“It’s not anything anybody really needs. e guest experience is actually the most important component of a wedding versus having a little takeaway.”

Tacy recalled planning a Lego-themed wedding where the bride and groom sent everyone home with little boxes of themselves as Lego gurines.

“I guess it’s a cute idea, but I don’t know the practicality of what that’s ever going to be used for,” she said with a laugh.

Tacy told New Times that her primary job is expectation management and making clients understand what they can truly a ord. e venue, oral arrangements, and rentals—silverware, glassware, tables, and chairs—eat up most of the wedding budget. Tacking on wedding favors could add $1,000 or more, depending on what the object is.

“If somebody does want to do a wedding favor, have it be something that tells the story of the couple,” she said. “I had a bride who was marrying someone who took care of bees, so they had honey as little favors.”

For her own wedding, Tacy and her husband featured a jazz band. She made her own invitations and grew her own owers for centerpieces. She also handed out native wild ower seeds as favors.

In Tacy’s eyes, an air of nervousness now blankets the 2023 wedding scene. With the economy worse for wear, people are a little skittish about spending more. A budget, especially with hundreds of individual wedding favors in the mix, can make or break partners.

“Wedding planning is a great rst exercise for a couple,” Tacy said. “You can see how a relationship is going to play out. If you’re not able to come to an agreement and compromise, it doesn’t bode well.” ♥

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

FAVORS from page 14

‘GROCERY STORE’ Professional Central Coast photographer Alexandra Wallace once shot a wedding where the favors were items like wine and olive oil on a shelf that guests could grab as they pleased.

COURTESY PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA WALLACE

AT HER TABLE

7 DAY FOOD FESTIVAL | MARCH 6-12

MONDAY - MARCH 6

Wine & Dine Around (5-7p): Chef Rachel Ponce & Edible SLO Magazine celebrate five female winemakers with a special sneak peak of The Frunchroom in Paso Robles.

TUESDAY - MARCH 7

TUESDAY - MARCH 7

At Her Table x CONSUMED Podcast: Apron Strings (6-8p): Join Jaime Lewis of the Consumed Podcast for a conversation about motherhood and the hospitality industry with 4 rrestaurateurs at There Does Not Exist.

Orange Wine & Chakra Pairing (5-7p): Visit Timshel Vineyards for an evening of wine & cheese and connecting with your Solar Chakra.

Beyond Basic: Breaking Doors & Ceilings (various times): Experience 6 wines made by Symbiosis Wines, Arianna Wines, & Ulloa Cellars.

In the Spirit of Women (5-7p): Visit Nightcap in Granada Hotel for a night with Root Elixirs and Re: Find Distillery for curated cocktails.

Soured Breads from Many Cultures - Fermentation Class: (5:30-7:30p): Join Kulturhaus Brewing and Colony Culture for a workshop on traditional sourdough techniques as well as gluten-free fermented flatbreads.

WEDNESDAY - MARCH 8

"UNTAMED" Dinner (5:30-9:30p): At Her Table will be hosting its headlining event at Barton Family Wines. Five chefs and five wineries will be coming together under one roof to create an unforgettable dining experience.

The Feast & Fair (10a-3:30p): Join Kindred Oak Farm for a day of farm-fresh fare, crafting, & community! Chef Candice Custodio and a collection of local craftswomen and female artisans will be selling oneof-a-kind creations.

Uncorking History Tour (11a-4p): Uncork the history with Uncorked Wine Tours and enjoy a special tour, tasting, and lunch with J Dusi and 15 Degrees C Wine Bar.

Women Winemaker Event (5-7p): Meet Riley Roddick & Molly Lonborg at Paso Robles Wine Merchant. Enjoy a flight, glass, or bottle of Hubba and Little Soul Wines.

THURSDAY - MARCH 9

Epicurean Vegan Cheese & Charcuterie

Experience (4p): Visit The Vreamery at Paso Market Walk, for a vegan tasting of vegan cheese & charcuterie produced throughout the country.

FRIDAY - MARCH 10

3 Babes' Brunch & Vineyard Tour w/Chef Candice (11a & 1p): Enjoy a vineyard estate tour of Stay On The Vineyard along with a multicourse brunch by Chef Candice paired with wine from Stilson Cellars.

Art & Wine Night (3-7p): Enjoy works of art by abstract artist, Jeanne Tierno, and experience Pelletiere Estate's Italian wines with cheese from LouLou Cheese Girl.

Sunset Dinner & Wine Pairing (4:30-6:30p): Enjoy a 5 coursed plated dinner by Sunsets at Pismo with wine pairing by Arianna Wines.

SATURDAY - MARCH 11

Taste At Her Table: Tin City's Leading Ladies Tour (10:45a-4p): Join Toast Tours for a walking tour highlighting & supporting 5 local businesses. At each stop your group will be hosted by the owners & creators, who will share their stories, passion, and delicacies.

Blooms, Bites & Wine! (11a-1p): Enjoy a floral arranging class featuring the freshest in season blooms by Colline Flowers. There will be delicious bites by In Bloom & wine by Fulldraw Vineyard.

Crafty Women Tastings & Tour (11a-4p): Hop on the Be Hoppy Bus and meet the women behind the best craft beverages in the San Luis Obispo with this all-inclusive tour.

Wine Aroma Workshop (2p, 4p & 6p): Join Glenna of Symbiosis Wines for a training and practice session in “olfaction” – the act of detecting smells.

Blue Moon Over Epoch (5-8p): One wine, one dish, one great opportunity! Blue Moon Over Avila is partnering up with Epoch Winery for this special pairing.

SUNDAY - MARCH 12

At Her Table Street Festival (10a-4p): Support 40+ local women-owned businesses while enjoying food, live music & shopping in downtown Atascadero.

Uncorking History Tour (11a-4p): Uncork the history with Uncorked Wine Tours and enjoy a special tour, tasting, and lunch with J Dusi and 15 Degrees C Wine Bar.

Cool Cats” of SLO Coast AVA Wine Tour (10:45a3:45p): Join Breakaway Tours on a VIP Wine Tour through SLO Coast Wine. Meet Louisa Lindquist of Verdad, Paula Dooley of Stephen Ross, plus a tasty lunch at TASTE!

3 Babes' Brunch & Vineyard Tour w/ Chef Alma Ayón (12:30p): Enjoy a vineyard estate tour of Stay On The Vineyard along with a multiple course brunch by Chef Candice paired with Stilson Cellars.

Boozy High Tea Party (12p & 2p): Indulge in a sparkling wine flight, gourmet chocolates, high tea towers, tea , coffee, & special brunch bites at Saints Barrel Wine Bar.

Feast of Flavors (5:30p): Enjoy a multi course plated dinner by Shekamoo Grill at Saucelito Canyon.

An Exploration of Vermouth (3-5p): Explore the world of vermouth at The Haven. Riley Roddick of Hubba Wines & Brooke Town of The Spoon Trade will guide you through the history, origins & production of vermouth.

Brewer's Dinner (6p): Colony Culture will take you on a culinary journey through her family history. Each dish will be crafted and paired with beer & hard seltzer from Colony Mash Brewing

FOOD SPECIALS

Kulturhaus Brewing - Specialty Ferments

The Spoon Trade - Vermouth Craft Cocktails

Club Bubbly - Champagne Flight

Granada Hotel & Bistro - Glass Ceiling Cocktail

Luna Red - Prix Fixe Menu

Next Door - Women Winemaker Wines

The Alchemists' Garden - Juliette Wall & Special Cocktail (Green Note)

Amy & Jaime's Place - Cajun Chicken Pasta

Barton Family Wines - Braised Duck & Sweet Potato Tostada with Wine Pairing

Jeffry's Wine Country BBQ - Crispy Fried

Smoked Organic Half Chicken, with White Cheddar Mac & Cheese,Seasonal Vegetable Medley, paired with local wine selection.

Les Petites Canailles - “Trust Her” Chefs

Tasting Menu - Sous Chef Betsy Villagomez will create a 6 course tasting menu paired with local female winemakers .

Momotaro Ramen - Chawanmushi

Paso Robles Wine Merchant - ETTO James

Berry Vineyard Meyer Lemon Ravioli with Giornata 2022 'OrangoTango' wine.

Órale Taqueria - Chilaquiles

Robin's Restaurant - Prix Fixe Menu

SOLD OUT

Flour House - Preparty :Serata Delle Donne

Rambling Spirits - Mezcal Tasting Experience

Thomas Hill Haven - Afternoon Tea

VISIT WWW.ATHERTABLE.COM

Let them eat art

BY SHWETHA SUNDARRAJAN

Cake Cathedral is a one-woman operation that helps wedding dreams come true

Editor’s note: Cake Cathedral owner Jenny Perello and Sta Writer Shwetha Sundarrajan are roommates.

Cake Cathedral owner Jenny Perello puts countless hours into the cakes that take center stage at weddings up and down the Central Coast, ensuring that they’re a beautifully decorated feast for both the eyes and the tastebuds.

Formerly a SkyWest Airlines ight attendant, Perello wanted to try her hand at baking cakes so she began taking classes at Michaels for fun, which eventually turned into a part-time side hustle.

“[I] started easing my way into doing cakes, and because I had to practice and practice and practice, I was taking cakes to the airport and making my poor ight crews and the ground crews eat lots of my mistakes,” Perello said, chuckling.

As she began receiving more and more orders, it was time for Cake Cathedral to nally take o . She founded her cottage operation in 2012 and still remembers the rst cake she made for one of her coworkers’ weddings.

“I made them what I thought was a really beautiful cake,” Perello said with a laugh. “And I look back now, and I’m sort of horri ed when I look at the pictures and I think, ‘Oh dear God.’”

In the early years of Cake Cathedral’s existence, Perello honed her craft by doing photoshoots to practice di erent cake decorating techniques. She explained that creating a cake design for a photoshoot allowed her to try her hand at underused decorating techniques such as rice paper

Dream it, order it Visit cakecathedral.com, contact Cake Cathedral at (805) 459-9572, or email cakecathedral@gmail.com to make those sweet wedding dreams come true.

sails, gelatin ru es, and wafer paper owers.

As her skills sharpened, her business grew.

As a young adult, Perello moved to Japan, where she learned oil painting, Japanese oral design, and Japanese charcoal drawing techniques. Using that artistic background, Perello draws inspiration from a variety of sources, like fabrics, orals, and even the clients themselves when designing her cakes.

“When I rst started Cake Cathedral, I used to have dreams, like these color dreams,” Perello said. “But I would just see colors and I would see textures and di erent forms and they didn’t necessarily create anything in my mind, but it was just something that I was really drawn to.”

Perello’s artistry comes in handy when catering to whatever wedding trend is in season, from pastels to burlap and lace. In 2023, people are leaning away from soft pastels and are turning to bolder colors, Perello said.

“One of my favorite things to do is do a black cake and bring out the intensity of the colors through the use of orals, either real owers or handmade owers, which I love to do,” Perello said.

Floral patterns were quite prominent in the wedding cake Janelle Isaak commissioned from Cake Cathedral. In an email to New Times, Isaak said that she wanted a cake that was classic and timeless with a “wow” factor. Perello delivered a six-tiered white cake adorned with edible owers that Perello painstakingly created by hand.

“Working with Jenny, you can tell she is so passionate about what she does. She made us the wedding cake of our dreams and I cannot thank her enough,” Isaak wrote.

Not only does Perello bake, assemble, and decorate these cakes, she also hand delivers them to events. While a majority of her deliveries are within SLO and Santa Barbara counties, Perello said that she’s driven all the way to San Francisco or Los Angeles to deliver a cake.

“I’m just really careful when I deliver, and I’ll deliver multiple cakes on the same day. Just stack them up in the back and have the air conditioning full blast,” Perello said.

From June to October, business really peaks for Perello, who said that she delivered cakes to 70 to 80 weddings during that time last year. Weddings are stressful for both parties involved, and while Perello understands that, the best clients are ones who trust her with free creative rein.

“One thing that really bothers me is, you know, when I put the price tag on the cake, people will say, but it’s just cake. It’s like no, it’s actually edible art,” Perello said, adding that she works with clients to make sure that their dream cake ts within their budget. at due diligence has earned Perello some devoted customers, such as wedding planner Amanda Holder. After seven years of working with Perello, Holder was nally able to commission her own wedding cake from Cake Cathedral. In a phone conversation with the New Times, Holder said that she wanted a statement cake, which would make people exclaim, “Oh my God!”

“She’s one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. Aside from all of that, she’s really creative and inventive; she can do something traditional but also wild and over the top,” Holder said. “Whatever you have in mind, she’ll bring it to life!”

Despite professionally baking for more than a decade, Perello has no plans of expanding beyond her existing cottagelicensed workspace at home.

“I used to watch Ace of Cakes and all these di erent shows and thought, ‘Oh, God, that’d be kind of fun,’ you know? To have this big bakery and all these people working and you know, that dynamic, but it’s also probably a really big headache to have that,” Perello said.

“So, even though I’ll never become rich doing what I do, keeping it small, I just enjoy it.” ♥

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

CAKE DREAMS Thanks to Cake Cathedral, Janelle Isaak was able to get the cake of her dreams for her April 2, 2022, wedding.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JANELLE ISAAK

FLOUR POWER Perello’s training in Japanese floral design helped her hand craft each stem, leaf, and flower placed on the cake.

COURTESY PHOTO BY KELLY WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

Oops! My mistake!

How do I annul my marriage?

First, it should be patently obvious that nothing in this article should be considered legal advice. You already blew it by marrying the wrong person. Don’t compound it by taking as gospel something you read in a wedding issue of an alternative news weekly. Sheesh!

OK, now that we’ve covered the obvious, here’s the bad news. ere are only eight legal reasons to annul a marriage in California, and deciding you made a big mistake isn’t one of them (see selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/divorcecalifornia/annulment). However, if you and your wish-we-weren’t-betrothed are willing to work together and maybe fudge the truth, you might be able to dissolve your marriage without the expense and acrimony of a messy divorce. Probably not … but read on.

First, what exactly is an annulment?

It’s when a judge says in court that your union—whether it be a marriage or domestic partnership—is not legally valid. In other words, right from the get-go, there was something legally wrong with your union. An annulment is like the marriage never happened because it was never legal in the rst place.

So, what are the eight reasons? Well, the rst two are the easiest to grasp because these two situations are never legal. Want to guess before I tell you? Go ahead. If you

BY GLEN STARKEY

said incest and bigamy, ding-ding! You’re the big winner. You can’t legally marry a close blood relative, such as a parent and child (ew!), siblings (also ew!), aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew (ew! ew! ew! ew!).

I don’t know how they’re doing things in Utah these days, but in California you can’t legally marry someone who’s already married to someone else. Sorry swingers, but you’re going to have to get jiggy without the legal protections of marriage.

Now for the real down and dirty: Here are the remaining six reasons you can legally annul your marriage.

1. If you were under 18 when you married and didn’t have a judge’s permission, you can request an annulment within four years of your 18th birthday. If you were of

legal age and are just trying to get out of mistake marriage, this one’s not going to help you unless you want to forge some legal documents like a birth certi cate, which is a felony punishable by up to three years in prison and substantial nes. Just get a divorce.

2. If you were tricked into marriage or were the victim of some sort of fraud, you can get an annulment within four years of discovering the fraud. For instance, maybe your partner lied about something that had you known the truth would have kept you from marrying them.

OK, according to e Law O ces of Andy I. Chen in Palo Alto in one of his informative YouTube videos, being disappointed in your spouse’s behavior—even behavior that had

you known might have stopped you from marrying—isn’t enough.

“Let’s say you’re saying, ‘Oh well, you know, she didn’t tell me she was a shopaholic,’ ‘He didn’t tell me he was a slob,’ ‘He didn’t tell me he would never go to work.’ Is that su cient to constitute fraud? In general, unfortunately, the answer is no,” Chen explained.

Here’s the rub. e fraud must be “serious,” and it must clearly a ect the “substance, the essence” of the marriage. Maybe your spouse lied about his or her ability to have children, or refused to live with you after you were wed, or maybe the only reason they married you was to get a green card.

Just for the record, adultery is not considered fraud and isn’t even against the law in

TRASHED AND BURNED Annulling a marriage mistake is easier said than done.

PHOTOS BY GLEN STARKEY

California, which is a no-fault divorce state. If you cheated on your spouse in Idaho, on the other hand, you could face three years in prison. In Maryland, you can be ned 10 measly bucks. In California, you’re just an asshole. However, if someone falsely impersonates another to maintain a marriage, that’s a felony, which means a hefty ne and prison time. Again, instead of ginning up a fraud case, it’s probably safer to just get a divorce if you want out of a mistake marriage.

3. Can you argue you didn’t have the mental capacity to marry? If you were of unsound mind, or maybe you didn’t understand what was happening during the ceremony, you can ask for an annulment. is may be your best bet because it turns out that being blackout drunk can be a reason that you didn’t understand the magnitude of your decision. You might need to supply statements of witnesses who can attest to your incapacitating intoxication. Be warned, however, that this won’t work if you sobered up and freely lived with your spouse after the ceremony. In other words, keep that bender going until you’re ready to call it quits on your sham marriage, Drunky McDrunkenpants.

4. is one’s sort of tragic, but if it turns out one of you is physically unable to consummate your marriage—and by that I mean you’re physically unable to have intercourse, and it can’t be xed—you can annul within four years. By the way, this doesn’t mean an inability to produce children.

5. You can annul if it turns out one of you is married to someone thought dead but— surprise!—is still alive. Ain’t that a pisser! If

the supposedly deceased was absent for ve years or generally thought to be dead but shows up again, you can annul your current marriage and go back to your notso-dead former spouse. I guess it depends on the circumstances, but would you want to? “Where’ve you been, honey?” Too bad you can’t annul your rst marriage instead.

6. Finally, you can request an annulment within four years if you can demonstrate you were forced into the marriage. Again, if you’re looking to get out of a mistake marriage, this reason to annul is rife with pitfalls, most importantly California Penal Code 265, which carries a maximum 10-year prison term. Frankly, 10 years seems pretty light for what amounts to kidnapping and rape.

Bottom line, even if you and your spouse agree to the annulment, you’ll have to go in front of a judge to explain why your marriage was never legal to begin with, which means o ering one of the aforementioned reasons. Your best bet is to prove you were both trashed, shithoused, hammered, plastered, three sheets to the wind, pie-eyed, and when you nally sobered up within four years, you immediately ran to the judge for an annulment. Will it work?

Mmm … probably not.

Annulments are rare in California. If you’re not willing to lie, just get a divorce like everybody else. For $139, check out californiaonlinedivorce.com. Or better yet, maybe try marriage counseling. You never know! You may be able to work it out.

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

FREE

Whether you envision a formal black-tie affair or a casual barefoot ceremony on the beach, our carefully selected experts are here to offer that one on one experience to explain their services.

WE'VE GOT SOME EXCITING GIVEAWAYS!

You could go home with a FREE Photo Booth or even a DJ service for your big day! We'll have an array of food and drink samples, as well as live music performances throughout the event from a col

Sunday Sunday March March 26th 26th 12-4pm 12-4pm

Bus it to the wedding

Santa Barbara Countybased Jump On The School Bus offers a fleet of school buses for wedding transportation

Darin Fiechter and Sierra Falso were crushed when the couple lost their Santa Barbara restaurant in 2011, Fiechter said.

“It was like losing a child; not that I’d ever had kids, but I could equate it to losing your favorite dog. is was our baby,” Fiechter said. “We were the faces of it, we were there every night. When you lose that, you don’t know what to do.”

After working other jobs to make ends meet, Falso pitched a new business idea out of the blue for the couple to embark on: wine tours in a black school bus, he said.

“We laughed it o , [but] we went home that night, and we’re talking the next day and I’m like, ‘You know it wasn’t that bad of an idea. We could do something like that,” Fiechter said. “School buses are relatively cheap to buy because [companies] just unload them after they get old, but they run and run. ey run forever and are relatively low maintenance.”

e couple bought their rst school bus with the $4,000 they got when Falso sold a Rolex she’d received as a gift from an exboyfriend. ey painted the bus black and got all the licensing and quali cations to drive

the bus, he said. e couple used the bus to transport people for their own wedding on Nov. 11, 2011. Six months later, they booked their rst wedding party.

Now, Jump On e School Bus has more than 20 black buses, books 200 to 300 weddings a year (making about 3,000 trips), and provides its services across the Central Coast—ranging from Ventura to San Luis Obispo counties, Fiechter said. e majority of the buses are renovated with limo-style seating so guests can face each other, and the

BY TAYLOR O’CONNOR

couple can create a customized message for the outside of the bus.

“It’s a privilege to be a part of people’s wedding day. It’s a lot of pressure though because if you screw up, you ruin someone’s day,” he said. “So we’re riding the line every day that nothing’s going to break down, which luckily they normally don’t.”

During the o -season, Jump On e School Bus also provides transportation for other events, like wine tastings and birthday parties, and they recently partnered with the Santa Maria-Bonita and Santa Barbara Uni ed school districts to help with transportation needs during the school year, Fiechter added.

Although the pandemic set the company back slightly and they had to sell 10 buses from their eet, the company managed since people leaned toward postponing their weddings rather than canceling, Fiechter said.

“We did lose some because some people just eloped and did something smaller,” he said. “So we lost about a quarter of them, but three quarters we got back, so we survived.”

Normally, wedding parties with 100 to 150 people will take two to three buses on an eight-hour contract. Fiechter estimated that it costs about $2,200 for each bus, which includes transportation for everyone to and from the wedding and a deposit that acts as a gratuity. All the pickup and drop-o logistics are worked out between Jump On e School

Bus and the wedding planner so there are no hiccups on the big day.

“ ey’re supporting a mom-and-pop business, local people that a ord to pay the top rate, hourly pay to their sta . at’s what they’re allowing us to do,” Fiechter said.

Many venues on the Central Coast are now requiring wedding parties to book transportation for their guests for safety reasons, he added.

“ ey don’t want any liability of people driving in and out. I’m surprised that there’s a few venues that allow people to drive; it doesn’t make sense to me,” he said. “People are drawn toward buses because it’s e cient and it’s fun.”

Fiechter and Falso used their own buses again when they celebrated their 11th wedding and company anniversary on Nov. 11, 2022—recalling all of the work they put in to create Jump On e School Bus, Fiechter said.

“If you’re into numerology, which I wasn’t until [later], 11-11 is like a rebirth and a cleansing, and we had just lost everything at the restaurant,” he said. “It saved our lives, the bus business.”

Visit jumpontheschoolbus.com to learn more about the company or to request a quote. ♥

Reach Sun Sta Writer Taylor O’Connor, from New Times’ sister paper, at toconnor@ santamariasun.com.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN Every couple can customize the white lettering to display any message they’d like on the outside of a Jump On The School Bus vehicle for their wedding day.

GETTING TO THE VENUE Jump On The School Bus founders and owners Darin Fiechter and Sierra Falso launched their transportation company in 2011, and it now serves 200 to 300 weddings a year.

Vote online (newtimesslo.com), drop your ballot by our office, or mail it to: New Times - Best of SLO County

1010 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Name

Address

City/State/Zip _______________________________________________

Phone # Email

Ballots must be in our office by Monday, March 13, at 5 p.m. to be eligible for inclusion in the poll results.

THE RULES: One ballot per person. No more than two ballots may be submitted per envelope or in person at one time. No photocopies can be accepted. To prevent ballot-box stuffing (also known as cheating), all ballots must have at least 30 categories completed and must include the name and address of the voter, for verification purposes only. Ballots without this information will be disqualified. All information is kept in complete confidence. Ballots must be in our office by Monday, March 13, at 5 p.m. Winners will be announced in our May 4 special publication. All entries become the property of New Times Remember, vote for your favorite local businesses!

Vote for your local favorites

Surf’s up SLO County! It’s time to get stoked to vote. Grab a seat on a beach towel, dig those toes into a little bit of Central Coast sand, and maybe crack a beer (in a can, not glass, people) as you figure out who’s going to win everyone’s favorite annual contest. We’re asking you, dear readers, to pick your favorite local businesses, leaders, restaurants, bars, and community members who can charge it, make the drop, and ride. But we don’t want any junk yard dogs, bennies, or barnies. We only want the raddest professionals, because our annual readers’ poll ain’t no ankle slapper. New Times’ Best of San Luis Obispo County contest is a heavy party wave, waiting for you to take off. You must fill out at least 30 categories for your ballot to be counted. Ballots are due Monday, March 13, by 5 p.m., and we will announce the winners on May 4!

EATS

1. Best North County Restaurant

2. Best North Coast Restaurant

3. Best San Luis Obispo Restaurant

4. Best South County Restaurant

5. Best South Coast Restaurant

6. Best Breakfast

7. Best Weekend Brunch

8. Best Family-Friendly Restaurant

9. Best Outdoor Dining

10. Best Chinese Food

11. Best Indian Food

12. Best Italian Food

13. Best Japanese Food

14. Best Mediterranean Food

15. Best Mexican Food

16. Best Thai Food

17. Best Seafood

18. Best Sushi

19. Best Poke

20. Best Barbecue

21. Best Vegan Food

Camillia Lanham

22. Best Vegetarian Food

23. Best Deli

24. Best Food Truck

25. Best Chef

26. Best Caterer

27. Best Butcher

28. Best Fish Market

29. Best Burrito

30. Best Breakfast Burrito

31. Best Taco

BALLOT continued on next page

DRINKS

GOODS

RECREATION

Hot Dates

BETWEEN THE STRINGS

Festival Mozaic hosts its next Notable Dinner event on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., at the DANA Adobe and Cultural Center in Nipomo. Music director and violinist Scott Yoo (pictured) will give a music talk during the event, which will also feature wine and a three-course dinner. Call (805) 781-3009 or visit festivalmozaic.org for more info on the program. The DANA Adobe and Cultural Center is located at 671 S. Oakglen Ave., Nipomo.

—Caleb Wiseblood

ARTS

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.

com. Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough, 824 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.

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.

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.

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.

|2 and Search Highlight|COASTAL

WINE AND PAINT PARTY Listen to music while enjoying an afternoon of creativity, sipping, and mingling. Event lasts up to 2 hours. The party includes a complimentary glass of wine and canvas with materials. Saturdays, 12:30-2:30 p.m. $50. 805-394-5560. coastalwineandpaint.

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.

FINDING THE LIGHT FEATURING LIZ

HAMPTON-DERIVAN Cambria Center for the Arts features artist Liz HamptonDerivan, an accomplished photographer and internationally shown artist. Liz has begun experimenting with mixed media, hot and cold wax, paints, and pastels to create an exhibit of unexpected and delightful imagery. Fridays-Sundays, 12-4 p.m. through April 30 Free. cambriaarts. org. Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St., Cambria.

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

FRANK EBER WATERCOLOR DEMO

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.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

ART AND ABOUT PASO Join us for Art

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

ART GALLERY OPENING Showcasing artwork of Susan Lyon, Kathy Madonna, and Maryanne Nucci. First Saturday of every month, 4-7 p.m. Free. Pocket Gallery on Pine, 849 13th Street, Paso Robles, 805-440-7152.

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.

AN EVENING OF COMEDY Bob Zany headlines this evening of hilarious entertainment, signature cocktails, and appetizers from Hemingway’s Steakhouse. Two showtimes available. March 4, 6-7:30 & 8:30-10 p.m. $38.50-$55.00. Park Ballroom, 1232 Park St., Paso Robles.

MOSAIC MIRROR WORKSHOP Create a unique mosaic mirror in this two-day workshop. All materials included. March 4 10 a.m.-noon and March 5, 12-1 p.m. $75. 805464-2633. glassheadstudio.com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero.

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

TRACE YOUR FAVORITE IMAGE FUSED GLASS PLATE OR BOWL CLASS Learn how to use glass line paints to trace your favorite image, and preserve your child’s or your own sketches in glass. March 1 6-8 p.m. $100. 805-464-2633. glassheadstudio.com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero.

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.

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. 805-747-4200. artcentralslo.com/galleryartists/. 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.

BEACON ART SHOW A juried show held annually. The community is invited to enter up to five pieces of art. The show’s opening night will be March 3. This year’s theme is Artistic Spectrum. Fridays-Sundays. through April 2 Free. 805-544-4608. San Luis Obispo United Methodist Church, 1515 Fredericks Street, San Luis Obispo.

ART AND ABOUT SLO

Join us for Art and About SLO, a self-guided art walk that gives the community an opportunity to experience visual, literary, and performing art in galleries and other venues. Visit site for an updated map of locations. Events will not occur on major holidays. First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m. Free. 805544-9251. artsobispo.org/art-and-about.

San Luis Obispo, Citywide, SLO.

ART EXHIBIT: NEEDLING Featuring the Cutting Edge Fiber Art Group. Reception on March 4. Through April 3, 10 a.m.-5

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.

COLORS OF CONSERVATION: SPRING

2023 ART EXHIBIT San Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment (SLOPE) and The Land Conservancy of SLO County announce this annual exhibit of original landscape paintings from artist members of SLOPE. March 3 4-7 p.m. and March 4 10

a.m.-4 p.m. Free admission. 805-544-9096. slope-painters.com. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo.

COMEDY HOUSE Comedy House features live comedy from improvisers and standup 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. First Thursday of every month, 7-9 p.m. $5. 805-540-8300. Bang the Drum Brewery, 1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, San Luis Obispo, bangthedrumbrewery.com.

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 101 This class is designed for beginners to explore the fundamentals of collaborative improvisation in a fun, positive setting. Enjoy playing theater games and meeting new people. March 2 6-8 p.m. $225. centralcoastcomedytheater. com. Central Coast Comedy Theater Training Center, 2078 Parker Street, Suite 200, San Luis Obispo, 803-487-4401.

INTERMEDIATE OIL PAINTING: ADULT

ART CLASS This class is for students who may have tried oil painting in the past but are looking to advance their skill levels. Color theory and proportion study will be a focus in the class. Mondays, 2-5 p.m. $30 per student or $75 for 3 classes. 805-747-4200.

artcentralslo.com/workshops-events/. Art

Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

INTRO TO OIL PAINTING WITH SPENCER

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

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

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

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

LIZ MARUSKA’S ART: ENJOYING

BIG SUR Wander through Maruska’s spellbinding impressions of this iconic seashore in a euphoric and inspiring display of art rendered in a luminous palette of colors that glows with vitality. March 3 -31 Free. 805-550-3308.

SLOProvisons.com. SLO Provisions, 1255 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

|2 |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.

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 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

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

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 (ADULTS) Each week, attendees will combine two or more media in several pieces, while working with watercolor, acrylic, ink, pastels, charcoal as well as various printmaking techniques in the course of a month. Enjoy discovering new ways to work with traditional and nontraditional materials. Mondays, 1-3 p.m. $35. 805-668-2125. lila. community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

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

in mind, or find their way as they play, this class offers a chance for independent learning in a supportive environment.

Thursdays, 3:45-4:45 p.m. $25. 805-6682125. lila.community/all-workshops/openstudio. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

OPEN STUDIO FOR ADULTS Guests can come in and decide what materials they would like to work with and create freely. Share your creative process with others and see how your work will flourish.

Tuesdays, 6-9 p.m. and Wednesdays, 12:30-3:30 p.m. $40. 805-668-2125. Lila. community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

PLAY, EXPLORE, CREATE (AGES 5-7) Young artists will play at various stations, exploring games, and mixed media. There will be a new activity each week. Wonderful opportunities for drawing, painting, and sculpture. Tuesdays, 9-10 a.m. $25. 805-668-2125. lila.community. LilA Creative Community, 1147 East Grand Ave. suite 101, Arroyo Grande.

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

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. Through March 5 $49. 805-922-8313. pcpa.org/events/the-river-bride. PCPA: The Pacific Conservatory Theatre, 800 S. College, Santa Maria.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

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. 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

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. 805-5411400. 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.

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

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

MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOP (AGES

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

OPEN STUDIO (AGES 7-12) Guests can explore a variety of media and techniques while focusing on their own subject matter. Whether they come with a project

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.

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

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

DAYS Join Pale Kai for a fun intro to outrigger canoe paddling. 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.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 32

mature homeowners and their families with information needed to make “knowledge-driven” as opposed to crisis-driven decisions as they grow older. Join us for a series of candid discussions with local area experts at one of our FREE seminars. The

Thursday March 2nd 10:00am - 11:30am Hilton Garden Inn, 601 James Way, Pismo Beach RSVP to (805) 710-2415 to save your seat! SeaCoastSeniors.org

Smog Check

Hosted by:

Nancy Puder & Associates #00677873 There is never a sales pitch!

SOCRATES: DISCUSSION GROUP Group members present interesting and thought provoking topics of all sorts. Topics are selected in advance and moderated by volunteers. Vaccinations are necessary.

Enter through wooden gate to garden area. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. 805-528-7111.

Coalesce Bookstore, 845 Main St., Morro Bay, coalescebookstore.com/.

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

TAI CHI AND QI GONG: ZEN IN MOTION

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

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

ACCESSIBILITY TRAINING Training is presented by John Caprarelli. An extensive training manual with hundreds of photos,

illustrations, and examples is included. Feb. 28 8 a.m.-4 p.m. my805tix.com. Pavilion on the Lake, 9315 Pismo Ave., Atascadero.

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.

CRONE COVEN Welcoming all elder women identifying with the Crone archetype and phase of life. Begins with a short quiet meditation and then opens into discussion of a variety of topics age aligned. Every other Tuesday, 10-11:30 a.m. $11. 805-464-2838. oracleatascaderoca. com. Oracle, 6280 Palma Ave., Atascadero.

DHARMA YOGA LOFT OPEN HOUSE

Come check out Dharma Yoga Loft and the expansion of its Wellness Lounge and Shop. Half-off deals on class packs and memberships available. Enjoy raffles and more during the event. Feb. 25 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. pasoyoga.com. Dharma Yoga Loft, 1329 Spring Street, Paso Robles, 805-434-1924.

DISABLED ACCESS AND CODE CHANGES

FORUM A free forum for business owners, contractors, designers, and architects. Walk-ins welcome (seating is limited, so registrations recommended). March 1 my805tix.com. Pavilion on the Lake, 9315 Pismo Ave., Atascadero.

LIGHT, LOVE, INTUITION 101 The intention of these classes is to provide a beginning; a starting place on your path of connecting, listening, and trusting your own intuitive knowing, allowing you to become “a clearer channel for your own soul’s highest good.” Wednesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. through March 30 $33-$111. 805-4642838. 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.

SHERECOVERS SHARING CIRCLE

SheRecovers Foundation is a non-profit organization with a community of more than 325,000 women in or seeking recovery from substance use disorders, other mental health issues, and/or life challenges. It’s mission is to inspire hope and reduce stigma. Facilitated by Monica Galli, Certified Recovery Coach. First Thursday of every month, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. sherecovers.org/ sharing-circles/. Dharma Yoga Loft, 1329 Spring Street, Paso Robles, 805-434-1924.

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.

THE WAYS OF WATER

Pale Kai hosts its next Outrigger Canoe Demo Days event on Saturday, Feb. 25, with demos at Coleman Park in Morro Bay between 8 and 10 a.m. and 10 a.m. and noon. The program is intended for beginners as a fun intro to outrigger canoe paddling. Admission to the demos is free. To find out more about the event and other programs hosted by Pale Kai, visit palekai.org.

—C.W.

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

THE 54TH COAST ARTILLERY REGIMENT: BLACK TROOPS SERVING ON THE CENTRAL COAST DURING WWII Part of the 2023 Speaker Series with authors, historians and veterans. Guest historian Erik Brun shares the story of the Black troops who served on the Central Coast of California during WWII in celebration of Black History Month. Feb. 28, 2-3 p.m. Free admission. 805-543-1762. vetmuseum.org/ events. Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum, 801 Grand Ave., suite 102, 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

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.

GARDEN FOUNDER WALK AND TALK

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

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. 714273-9014. griefrecoverymethod.com. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

HEALING DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP

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

LGBTQ+ FED THERAPIST LEAD

SUPPORT GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA

be 18+ years of age. Virtually meets via Zoom. Fourth Friday of every month, 6-8 p.m. No admission. galacc.org/events/.

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

Online, See website, San Luis Obispo. BIRDS AND BOTANY MONTHLY WALK

AT SLO BOTANICAL GARDEN The Garden is excited to present a monthly bird walk series on the fourth Thursday of every month which explores the intersection of birds and botany. Fourth Thursday of every month, 8-11 a.m. $10 for Garden Members; $40 for general public. 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. 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

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 NOONTIME TOASTMASTERS CLUB

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

SLO RAM RETIRED ACTIVE MEN COFFEE

CABINET Weekly Coffee Cabinet meeting of the SLO RAM Active Retired Men, a local men’s social club. Click ‘Contact’ on website for invite. Thursdays, 8-9:30 a.m. $10. retiredactivemen.org. Madonna Inn Garden Room, 100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo.

SLO SKIERS MONTHLY MEETING SLO

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

LOW STRESS LIVESTOCK HANDLING

Discover how humanely handling your livestock can contribute safety and security for animals and handlers. The class will emphasize the importance of understanding livestock behavior based on a few techniques and designs. March 4 , 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $50. 628-888-4012. cuesta.edu. Cuesta College Community Programs, Building 4100 Cuesta College Road, 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.

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

SOCIAL BRIDGE PLAYERS: FREE

LESSONS Reservations required, at BridgeSLO@gmail.com. Proof of vaccination required. No partner needed. Feb. 27 10 a.m.-noon Free. slobridge. com/. San Luis Obispo Senior Center, 1445 Santa Rosa St., San Luis Obispo.

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

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

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY FREE SEMINAR: THE TRUTH ABOUT DOWNSIZING AND DECLUTTERING Leave with a simple plan to downsize, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 33

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHERINE NILBRINK

Hot Dates

organize, and declutter your life. Be prepared for a future move. March 2 , 10-11:30 a.m. Free. 805-710-2415. Hilton Garden Inn, 601 James Way, Pismo Beach.

PILATES AND KAYAK TO THE LIGHTHOUSE Paddle a kayak out to the Point San Luis Lighthouse for a one of a kind Pilates session led by Vanessa Dominguez of Tabula Rasa Pilates. March 5 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach.

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. 805927-1625. 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.

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. 805-9274200. cambriapineslodge.com. Cambria Pines Lodge, 2905 Burton Dr., Cambria.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

46 WEST WINE SAFARI WEEKEND This year’s annual Wine Safari benefits Zoo to You Conservation Ambassadors. March 4 and March 5 my805tix.com. Paso Robles 46 West Wineries, Highway 46 West, Paso Robles.

PAINT AND SIP

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

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

SERATA DELLE DONNE AT FLOUR HOUSE A night dedicated to celebrating women “the Italian way.” This private event is at Flour House and will have food, a bar, and a DJ. Visit site for more info and tickets. Feb. 28 6-9:30 p.m. $35. eventbrite. com. Flour House Pizza Bar & Pastaria, 690 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, 805-544-5282.

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

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

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. 805-7813009. festivalmozaic.org/faure-dinner. DANA Adobe Cultural Center, 671 S. Oakglen Ave., Nipomo.

MUSIC

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BACK PAGES BAND LIVE Feb. 25 2:30-5:30 p.m. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, 805-225-1312, thesirenmorrobay.com/.

BIG ELK BAND LIVE Feb. 25 7:30-10:30 p.m. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, 805-225-1312, thesirenmorrobay.com/.

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.

MENUS

IMAGE

BOOK FEATURE STORIES BY: March 9

BOOK ADS BY: March 16

Central Coast guide to all things food and drink

SPRING ARTS

BOOK ADS BY: March 9

The

BEST OF SLO COUNTY

BOOK ADS BY: April 27

PUBLICATION DATE: May 4

SUMMER GUIDE May 25

WINNING IMAGES June 8

PRIDE June 22

FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 5, 2023

GRATEFUL DEAD TRIBUTE

Feb. 24 7 p.m.

SLO Brew Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, 805-543-1843, slobrew.com.

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.

MO JAZZ LIVE An evening celebrating jazz history with a plethora of jazz and R&B. Feb. 28 7:30 p.m. my805tix.com.

Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

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.

SHABANG BATTLE OF THE BANDS

All ages welcome. March 2 8 p.m.

The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-546-8600, fremontslo.com.

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER: NOLA LIVE

MUSIC from page 33

FESTIVAL MOZAIC NOTABLE INSIGHT

Find

THE HENHOUSE PROWLERS WITH BREMEN TOWN March 2 , 7 p.m. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, 805-2251312, thesirenmorrobay.com/.

JOSH WARD LIVE Feb. 24 , 7:30 p.m. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, 805-2251312, thesirenmorrobay.com/.

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

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

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

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

NORTH SLO COUNTY

ATASCADERO COMMUNITY BAND

CONCERT: THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Explore the great outdoors through music. Tunes will include campfire favorites and popular songs. Open to all ages. Donations benefit the PRHS Band Backers. March 5 3-5 p.m. Free. atascaderoband.org. Atascadero Bible Church, Atascadero Mall, Atascadero, 805-466-2051.

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.

CELTIC ROCK AND SOUL WITH THE

ANAM CARA QUARTET Join the Anam Cara Quartet for an evening of eclectic fun with a diverse range of music to groove to. March 3 , 7-10 p.m. Tips accepted. 805-710-3309. Bristols Cider House, 3220 El Camino Real, Atascadero.

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

Ancient Owl Beer Garden, 6090 El Camino Real, suite C, Atascadero.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

BRAVE NEW WORLD Opens with LA-based composer and Grammy winner, Patrice Rushen’s “Sinfonia.” Keeping with the LA connection, soloist in Schumann’s Cello Concerto transcription for violin, is LA Philharmonic first violin, and recent Nipomo resident, Mischa Lefkowitz. March 4 7:30 p.m. $21-$89. 805-356-1438. slosymphony. org/2022-2023-season/. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

CAL POLY WIND BANDS:

BANDEMONIUM The Cal Poly Bands welcome Jennifer Martin and the Cuesta Wind Ensemble for a program that will feature three collegiate ensembles — separate and combined — in works inspired by theatrical stage and screen.

March 5 3 p.m. $15 and $20 general; $10 students. 805-756-4849. music.calpoly. edu/calendar/. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

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.

CHAMBER MUSIC WITH SCOTT

YOO Presented by Festival Mozaic.

Feb. 26 , 2 p.m.

Featuring George Porter Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners and Jon Cleary and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen. March 5 , 8 p.m. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-546-8600, fremontslo.com.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

”OLD SONGS FOR YOUNG VOICES” Two retired elementary teachers present songs, share instruments, and a themed library book each month. “Mr. G” shares his mandolin, viola, and various hand percussion instruments that kids get to try out. “Mr. Roullard” brings along his songbooks with traditional folk songs for kids. Last Tuesday of every month, 3:304:30 p.m. through March 28 Free. Arroyo Grande Library, 800 W. Branch, Arroyo Grande, 473-7164, slolibrary.org.

ANAM CARA AT BIG VARIETY NIGHT

Part of Ted Waterhouse’s Big Variety Night, the premier local music gathering for more than 30 years. Musicians from all over come to play a short set of their best stuff. March 5 6-9:30 p.m. Tips accepted. 805-710-3309. Puffers of Pismo, 781 Price St., Pismo Beach, puffersofpismo.com.

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.

Spread the word! Send event information to events@newtimesslo.com or submit online.

$35. festivalmozaic.org. Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

EMILY FRANKLIN LIVE Come over to the tasting room for a jazz show from Emily Franklin and delicious ciders on tap.

March 3 6-8 p.m. Free. 805-721-6878.

SLO Cider, 3419 Roberto Ct., Suite C, San Luis Obispo.

RETURN OF ANAM CARA QUARTET TO BIG VARIETY NIGHT AT BROAD STREET 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. 805-7103309. anamcara4. godaddysites. com/. Broad Street Public House, 3590 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo.

THE CELL BLOCK SEVEN JAZZ BAND AND CUESTA COLLEGE JAZZ BAND Cell Block

Seven Jazz band plays a weird collection of antique instruments and the Cuesta College Jazz Band will be playing “Hot Swingin’ Jazz.” Feb. 26 1-4 p.m. my805tix.com. Pismo Beach Veterans Memorial Hall, 780 Bello St., Pismo Beach. ∆

Hot Dates

South Bay Seniors: Diggin’ Deep Los Osos Disaster Relief

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26

South Bay Community Center, Los Osos

Basin Street Regulars: The Cell Block Seven & Cuesta College Jazz Band

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Pismo Beach Veterans’ Hall

Tours

SATURDAYS & WEDNESDAYS

Virtual Tours Available On Demand Avila Beach

SELL TICKETS WITH US!

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

Orcutt Children’s Arts Foundation Gala

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Radisson Hotel, Santa Maria

Freedom Heartsong, CatOk, The Band Carter, Petunia Swoon

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Flannel 101 (’90s Tribute Band)

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

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

Anomaly House: Mélange de Funk Deep Funky House Music on Vinyl

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

City of Atascadero: Accessibility Training

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Pavilion on the Lake, Atascadero

City of Atascadero: Disabled Access & Code Changes Forum

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 Pavilion on the Lake, Atascadero

Justin Rivera

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

Hemingway’s Park Ballroom, Paso Robles

The Gearworx: Goth, Industrial, Darkwave, & More w/

Arts

ARTIFACTS

Gallery at Marina Square highlights three artists in new solo shows

Starting on Wednesday, March 1, Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay will showcase diverse artworks in three new solo exhibitions.

The trio of featured artists for the month of March at the venue will be oil painter Lubov Pavluk, acrylic painter Sandra Sanders, and jeweler Marjorie Zlotowitz. A joint reception will be held on Saturday, March 11, from 3 to 5 p.m. All three showcases are scheduled to remain on display at the gallery through Wednesday, March 29.

Born and raised in Ukraine, Pavluk mostly paints landscapes, seascapes, and other paintings that celebrate “precious moments,” in nature, according to press materials from Gallery at Marina Square. Pavluk’s oil paintings will be on display in the venue’s upper gallery.

Sanders was born and raised on a farm in the San Joaquin Valley and became entranced with coastal locales—which became the subjects of many of her paintings—during vacations and weekend getaways around California’s southern coast.

Today, Sanders is a retiree who enjoys painting as a stress reliever. Like Pavluk, Sanders frequently paints scenes from nature.

“I have always been interested in sketching and painting but never got serious until I retired. I can paint for hours and not even know what time it is,” Sanders said in press materials. “The stress of life just seems to go away while I’m painting a beautiful seascape or snowy mountain scene. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed painting them.”

Zlotowitz is the featured craft artist for the month of March at the gallery and creates jewelry works of various shapes and colors from metals, beads, natural stones, and other resources. Proceeds from purchases of Zlotowitz’s pieces in the show will help support Alzheimer’s and cancer research organizations, according to the artist.

“Ever since we humans figured out how to string stones and bones, we’ve adorned ourselves with things we find aesthetically pleasing,” Zlotowitz said in press materials. “I view jewelry-making as three-dimensional painting. … If you share my obsession with shiny, sparkly, and natural things, please have a look.”

To find out more about the three upcoming solo exhibitions and other programs hosted by Gallery at Marina Square, call the venue at (805) 772-1068 or visit galleryatmarinasquare.com. The gallery is open daily, except Tuesdays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is located at 601 Embarcadero, suite 10, Morro Bay. ∆

—Caleb Wiseblood

BY ADRIAN VINCENT ROSAS

Redemption song

Ring of Fire celebrates the love, life, and legacy of one of America’s most iconic artists

Telling the tale of Johnny Cash’s life—from the iconic early years when he rose up from being dirt-poor in the heartland of America to the eeting late moments of his life when a surprise cover thrust him into the limelight one last time—is something many have attempted. But describing the legacy of one of America’s most iconic artists might best be left to the man himself.

In the case of Ring of Fire, the latest production being put on by the San Luis Obispo Repertory eatre, Cash’s iconic library of tunes narrates the story of his struggles—a life ttingly described by SLO Rep Artistic Director Kevin Harris.

“His life is this beautiful story of redemption, nding religion, and turning his back on all the problematic parts of his life, and ultimately doing what he did for the love of his life, his wife, June Carter Cash,” Harris said.

Originally performed on Broadway, this smallcast version of the two-hour jukebox play features reimagined combinations of 33 iconic Cash songs from across his career.

“It’s been thrilling seeing how many people I see from all walks of life relating and feeling his music in ways I have never really seen before,” Harris said. “I think a lot of it came from the fact that we have an extremely talented cast that is showcasing music they also have a deep personal connection with.”

e cast includes Jennifer Barnaba, Mike Fiore, Steven Lasiter, Matthew Staley, and Rachel Tietz, who sing and play multi-part musical medleys with swift choreography, which makes Ring of Fire a dyanamic telling of the sometimes overlooked and complicated aspects of Cash’s tumultuous life.

into the music that takes the viewer to that exact moment in time.”

Songs range from the emotional intensity of “Cry Cry Cry, “Ring of Fire,” and “I walk the Line,” to the more loose and fun “Daddy Sang Bass,” “Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart,” and “Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog”—all of which narrate pivotal moments in Cash’s life.

at cover of “Hurt” revitalized Cash’s career and connected him with an entirely new generation of listers, including the play’s director, Kelly Fidopiastis.

Showtime!

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

Experience the celebration

“ ere will always have to be an acknowledgment of the, well, less fun aspects of Cash’s career, particularly his drug addiction and rampant partying in the ’60s and ’70s,” Harris said. “But I think what [Ring of Fire] succeeds in doing is showcasing the joy in his life alongside that struggle, especially in how it highlights moments like him meeting the love of his life, June Carter, at a performance at the Grand Ole Opry.”

Enjoy a performance of Ring of Fire at SLO Repertory Theatre (located at 888 Morro St. San Luis Obispo) through March 12 with shows Wednesday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and additional shows on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. For more info, visit SLO Rep at slorep.org or on Instagram @sloreptheatre.

“Most plays like this are a really unique experience because, while 60 percent of the play might be performances of these songs, the actors are moving around and interacting with each other throughout,” Harris said. “It breathes this life

From the outset, the play seamlessly blends Cash’s cover of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt” with a joyful iteration of “A Boy Named Sue,” juxtaposing the two ends of the emotional spectrum found in Cash’s music.

“It’s such a tting combination of songs about looking back on your life and being happy, but also acknowledging the bad you have done and the regret that comes with being human,” Harris said.

“Growing up, my family never really listened to country music, and to my naive teenage self, he was just ‘some old dude that used to be a country singer,’” Fidopiastis said. “I was more into jazz, pop, and musicals and didn’t really care about this ‘washed-up country music guy.’ at was my feelings on Cash … until the early 2000s when that cover came out.”

Both Fidopiastis and Harris feel that ultimately the goals of putting together a show like Ring of Fire include recapturing emotions tied to Cash’s music for older audience members and creating new feelings and connections for rst-time listeners. “What really struck me on opening night, and every subsequent show, was seeing that people are leaning forward, stomping their feet, clapping, cheering, and even yeehawing along to the music,” said Harris. “Being able to see that 33 times throughout the show with di erent songs producing that e ect for di erent people in the audience has been really magical, and it’s more than we ever could have asked for.” ∆

Freelancer Adrian Vincent Rosas is stomping his foot to the beat of Johnny Cash. Reach him at arosas@newtimesslo.com.

SILLY SERENADE In SLO Rep’s production of Ring of Fire, Actress Rachel Tietz sings a humorous but soulful rendition of “Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart.”

TERRIFIC TALENT Led by Musical Director and actor Steven Lasiter, the cast of Ring of Fire pays tribute to Johnny Cash’s most iconic songs, telling the story of his life and legacy along the way.

VARIED VOICES Mike Fiore, Jennifer Barnaba, Steven Lasiter, Matthew J. Staley, and Rachel Tietz (left to right) each play different instruments in SLO Rep’s latest production about Johnny Cash, including guitar, bass, piano, and cajón.

PHOTOS

Surface tension

Peyton Reed (Yes Man, e Mandalorian) directs this next superhero installment about Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne/Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), a sequel to Reed’s Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). Scott, Hope, Hope’s parents Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfei er), and Scott’s daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), are inadvertently sucked into the Quantum Realm, where they discover strange new creatures and a new nemesis, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). (125 min.)

Glen ere’s a lot of eye candy in this third Ant-Man go-around—the Quantum Realm is lled with visual wonders. Rudd is as likable as ever as the reluctant and somewhat insecure superhero. Majors turns in a very forceful performance as Kang. Yet despite all that, the lm is a bit of a disappointment, in part because the central plot—an antagonist out to destroy everything—is such standardissue, boilerplate comic book fare. ere was never a sense of real danger, and the story’s outcome was never in doubt. Go for the sights and sounds, the performances, and the humor, but don’t expect to be wowed by the story. It’s a bit of a snooze.

Anna As someone who really doesn’t get into superhero movies all that much, this was just ne. It looked cool; there was some much-needed comedy; I was given characters to care about, etc. I get that those things don’t make it great, but I nd most of these Marvel spin-o s to be pretty boring. I like Rudd—that much is evident by the fact I’ve seen all three of the Ant-Man lms. I liked that the atmosphere and the creatures in the quantum realm were blobby sea creature-esque things. If I squinted hard

POKER FACE

What’s it rated? TV-MA

When? 2023

Where’s it showing? Peacock

The concept is no stranger—a human lie detector uses her powers to right wrongs. I think of the show Lie to Me from 2009 about the guy who read and analyzed micro expressions. We don’t know where Charlie’s (Natasha Lyonne) gift comes from exactly—she just knows when people are lying, and it has gotten her in and out of heaps of trouble. She’s on the run, and every episode follows a new plot point as she moves around. She’s like a white trash Columbo bumbling her way through another mystery.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

What’s it rated? PG-13

What’s it worth, Glen? Streaming

What’s it worth, Anna? Streaming

Where’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In

enough, I could just pretend I was looking at a new display at the aquarium. All in all, I’ll take an Ant-Man ick over most other Avengers any day.

Glen I’m pretty sure you’ll get yet another Ant-Man lm in the future—this franchise clearly has legs (pun, sadly, intended). I’m more interested, however, in seeing what Marvel does with Kang the Conqueror. Majors was amazing, and the post credits teaser suggests the Marvel Universe isn’t done with him yet. I just wish his lm debut (he showed up at the end of the Loki TV series) was in a better lm. is third AntMan is a slog. We also saw the trailer for e

She’s a merch girl for a punk band whose drummer mysteriously dies on stage, a casino cocktail waitress whose coworker turns up dead, a dinner theater waitress who winds up with a dead actor onstage—Charlie has seen it all. Much like Angela Lansbury’s Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote Charlie just can’t seem to keep away from death for too long.

Lyonne is always stellar, and this role is no exception. Charlie is sarcastic and funny and clever like a fox, but also vaguely low-rent trashy with zero ambition. This series deals with the heavy topic of death a lot, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I’m going all-in on season two! (10 58-min. episodes)

THE LAST OF US

What’s it rated? TV-MA

When? 2023

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is coming out on May 5. I loved the rst two, so here’s hoping it doesn’t su er from what ailed this lm: all gloss and no substance. Anna At some point these lms run out of steam, and sadly, this may be where AntMan did just that. I also really liked Majors as bad guy Kang. He’s a wonderful actor and brings a lot to the role. ere are cute/ weird/interesting creatures, one of which produces goo that works as a babel sh to translate all the quantum level languages into one we can understand. ere is actually a little bit of charm here and there throughout the lm, but it doesn’t feel very out of the box. ey’re going to keep making these lms as long as they can sell them, so I have no doubt we’ll see more of the whole crew on the big screen. ∆

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

Where’s it showing? HBO Max

We’re now halfway through the first season of this video game-based zombie TV series, and if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, what are you waiting for? This very compelling drama has continued to improve exponentially after the first two so-so episodes. By the third, I was hooked, and now I find myself anticipating the next episode every week.

The story follows Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor who agrees to transport a feisty young woman—Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey)—across the zombie- and marauderinfested country to a team of scientists. Ellie is somehow immune to the virus that turns others into zombies, so she just might hold the key to preventing the spread of the disease.

There are heart-pounding moments of zombie action, but what makes the show sing are the small human moments between characters. There’s nothing like a zombie apocalypse to separate the good humans from the bad ones, and the antagonist comes in the form of Kathleen (a terrific Melanie Lynskey), who leads an army of bad guys trying to horde all the remaining resources. The stakes feel dire, and we want Joel to succeed. Very compelling stuff! (10 50-min. episodes) ∆ —Glen

—Anna

Tom Hanks, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Mariana Trevino, Rachel Keller

FAMILY AFFAIR Scott Lang (Paul Rudd, right) and his daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), are sucked into the Quantum Realm, in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, screening in local theaters.

SIXTH SENSE? Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) has a very special power—she can tell when people are lying, which makes her a heck of a detective—in Poker Face, streaming on Peacock.

WILL TO LIVE In the midst of a worldwide zombie apocalypse, Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) must get an uninfectable young woman to a team of scientists in the hopes of finding a cure, in The Last of Us , streaming on HBO Max.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEACOCK

PHOTO COURTESY OF HBO

Music

Road to recovery

Five bands raise money for disaster relief in Los Osos

If you weathered the January storms with minimal damage and disruption, consider yourself lucky. Many in hard-hit communities such as Los Osos are still trying to put their lives back together, which is why

Los Osos residents Gary J. Freiberg and Paul Irving have put together Diggin’ Deep—Los Osos Benefit Relief Concert, scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 26 (noon to 6 p.m.; all ages; free but donations welcome at my805tix.com/e/ diggin-deep-los-osos-disaster-relief-concert), in the South Bay Community Center. There will also be a live auction at the event.

“To assist the approximately 30 families whose homes were severely damaged from the rain bomb cyclone in January, I, along with Paul Irving, have organized the concert, which is really a music extravaganza,” Freiberg explained. “The story is multi-fold, and much more than when Paul and I started out. The purpose is to help the affected families, but it has been such a lesson in the meaning of community. To see every service organization, individual, musicians, the community center, everything be donated, or volunteers joining with the same purpose, has been a privilege to see.”

All five bands—Zongo All-Stars, Strange Cake, B & The Hive, Carbon City Lights, and Mini Nova—are donating their time, including Mini Nova with players from the Steve Miller Band and WAR.

“Cliché as it sounds, the benevolence has truly been awe-inspiring,” Freiberg added. “Other stories have reported how strangers immediately responded to help the victims to dig out of their homes, and this experience is another application of the kindness we are still capable of. It’s time to figuratively and literally roll up the sleeves and pitch in, and to see a community come together to do that is not corny. It’s beautiful.”

Every cent raised will go to those affected by the storms.

“Not only are all five bands playing for free, but Rich Rolson is running

Sound out!

sound all day for free,” Irving noted. “The venue, food, and drink are all donated. I can’t think of anything not donated, so we’re running the event at zero cost with 100 percent of funds going to the residents in need.”

Help your neighbors, have some fun, and be reminded of the power of community.

Numbskull and Good Medicine

Pull on your Wranglers and boots and head to The Siren this week when Numbskull and Good Medicine present two country acts for your boot-scooting (or listening) pleasure. They kick off this Thursday, Feb. 23, when Texas troubadour Casey Donahew on his Bars & Beer Joints Acoustic Tour plays the Morro Bay night club (7 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $25 at goodmedicinepresents. com). After charting 21 No. 1 singles on the Texas music scene, he’s now a national touring artist with several albums reaching the Billboard Country Music charts.

Next, Josh Ward returns to The Siren on Friday, Feb. 24 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $22 at goodmedicinepresents. com). Jake Jacobson opens. Also hailing from the great state of Texas, Ward’s motto is “All grit and no quit,” epitomized by his relentless touring scheduled and

penchant for giving every show all he has.

“Words can’t describe the emotion that gets put into these runs and the work that we do,” he explained in press materials. “And these people pay their hard-earned money to see it every night. Thank you. Every time I step onstage, you guys remind me that I have more than I deserve.”

Also at The Siren

Get your free music this Saturday, Feb. 25, starting with the classic rock, blues, and country cover act (’60s to the present) Back Pages Band (2:30 to 5:30 p.m.; 21-and-older), a quintet that’s been winning over Central Coast fans for eight years.

Later that night, the Big Elk Band takes the stage (7:30 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free), playing high energy original rock from their new full-length album, Damaged Like Me, available on all streaming platforms. You’ll probably also hear a few select cover songs and cover remixes from ’90s grunge to today’s hits.

Then on Thursday, March 2, check out The Henhouse Prowlers, who bill themselves as “bluegrass ambassadors,” and who for 18 years have brought music to the masses. Their ninth album, The Departure, was released in 2021 and “explores their collective life experiences through songwriting and intricate instrumentation,” the band explained. “While bluegrass is the undeniable foundation of the Prowlers’

music, [we] bend and squeeze the traditional form into a sound all [our] own.”

Central Coast Americana band, Bremen Town, will open the show (7 p.m.; 21-andolder; $15 presale plus fees at eventbrite.com).

Festival Mozaic

This Friday, Feb. 24 (5:30 p.m.; $25 at ovationtix.com), at Trinity United Methodist Church in Los Osos, Festival Mozaic pianist John Novacek leads a Notable Encounter with cellist Bion Tsang and clarinetist Burt Hara, where Novacek will discuss his own work for piano, cello, and clarinet called “Trio Marlenita,” as well as some of his signature piano rags. This informal event “will take you on a tour behind the music—teaching you what to listen for, discussing the musical elements of the piece, and performing some selections,” according to organizers.

A couple of days later, enjoy some chamber music with Festival Mozaic’s music director and violinist Scott Yoo, pianist John Novacek, cellist Bion Tsang, and clarinetist Burt Hara this Sunday, Feb. 26, at Cuesta’s Harold J. Miossi Cultural & Performing Arts Center (2 p.m.; $35 and up at ovationtix. com). The program includes Florence Price’s song “Adoration” arranged for violin and piano by Yoo, another performance of “Trio Marlenita” by Novacek, and trios by Brahms and Fauré.

SWEET RELIEF Zongo All-Stars with flautist Andrew Wise is one of five acts performing at Diggin’ Deep, a Los Osos Benefit Relief Concert in the South Bay Community Center on Feb. 26

COURTESY PHOTO BY DAVID HAMMOND BROWN

STARKEY continued page 40

COUNTRY BOY Josh Ward returns to The Siren for a Numbskull and Good Medicine concert on Feb. 24 .

BLUEGRASS AMBASSADORS The Henhouse Prowlers play The Siren on March 2

GRATEFUL Deadheads unite at SLO Brew Rock on Feb. 24 , when Cubensis pays homage to the Grateful Dead.

COURTESY PHOTO BY HENRY HUNGERLAND

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SIREN

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOD MEDICINE PRESENTS

More music …

SLO Brew Rock brings you an evening with Cubensis: The Grateful Dead Tribute this Friday, Feb. 24 (7 pm.; 18-and-older; $15 plus fees at ticketweb.com). The group formed in 1987 “when a group of Deadhead musicians became frustrated with the Dead’s all-too-infrequent visits to Southern California,” according to their bio. “Soon, word got around about this outfit, who used the Dead’s music as a skeletal framework for their own improvisational explorations.”

After a hiatus, gritty, moody, downtempo alt-rockers Four Day Beard is back with their first show of the year this Saturday, Feb. 25, at The Raconteur Room in Atascadero (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $5 at the door). The band has a new bass player—Robert Lindsey, formerly of the San Francisco-based alternative band Gratitude—and will play new music from their upcoming album. Local indie-rockers, Rewild, will open the

show. Expect original, complexly themed music and pop-sensible melodies.

“We’re thrilled to be back playing new music,” Four Day Beard frontman Joe Schwab said. “The Raconteur Room is a great venue, and we’re looking forward to performing with Rewild. This show is going to be a night to remember.”

Cell Block 7 from Lodi and the Cuesta College Jazz Band play the Basin Street Regulars’ next “Hot Swingin’ Jazz” on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Pismo Vets Hall (11 a.m. jam session, with the concert from 1 to 4 p.m.; $10 general admission at my805tix. com). “Best watch out, … the boys have escaped again,” organizers said of Cell Block 7. “Disguised as musicians and armed with a weird collection of antique musical instruments, our favorite cons are on the loose again!”

A Mo Betta Jazz Production presents Mo Jazz with vocalist Deborah Gilmore backed by local professional, Cal Poly, and Cuesta musicians on Sunday, March 5 (7:30 p.m.; $23 general and $18 student tickets at my805tix.com). The show will “take the audience through the history of some of the greatest contributors to the world of jazz,” Gilmore explained. “This also ties into celebrating these artists for Black History Month. I’ll also share how Cuesta started its program 40 years ago. The program brings all three worlds together. The goal behind this project was to continue to bring musicians together causing a stronger bond between us.” ∆

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

THE RETURN After a hiatus, Four Day Beard will return to the stage on Feb. 25 , at The Raconteur Room.

Steampunk Adventures

Sundays March 5th and 12th

Audience members are invited to wear any Steampunk attire!

ENJOY INTERMISSION CHOICES:

- Come to the lobby and watch while judges award a $100 prize for “Best Full Outfit” and you can mix and mingle with the cast in the lobby or

- Enjoy the Cuesta Musical Theater Workshop singers in the theater - or enjoy both!

More information: clarkcenter.org/events

SPRING ARTS

Andrew Sewell, conductor

Mischa Lefkowitz, violin

PATRICE RUSHEN – Sinfonia

Meals with a mission

The Bridge Café in SLO offers tasty fare and culinary training for formerly incarcerated individuals

If you’re in the mood for handcrafted, delicate pastries or savory burgers, sandwiches, and salads loaded with gourmet, locally sourced ingredients, The Bridge Café on Higuera Street in downtown San Luis Obispo is calling your name.

The beautifully decorated space—with murals from local artists displayed inside and adjacent to its sun-drenched patio—is the city’s latest hotspot for daytime dining, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.

The eatery, fresh off its Feb. 1 launch, already boasts a packed lunchtime crowd as well as a swelling list of potential catering clients, keeping General Manager Eric Blanco, head chef Jason Hunter, and head baker Steven Cartwright busy and elated.

For Hunter and Cartwright, who were formerly incarcerated, the restaurant isn’t just about dishing up tasty cuisine. It’s about paying it forward, helping individuals like themselves reintegrate into mainstream society by learning a trade and securing living-wage employment, which is one of the goals of the eatery’s parent organization, Restorative Partners.

“I’ve been part of Restorative Partners since 2012, almost since the beginning,” said Cartwright of Grover Beach. “I’ve been in custody previously, and Sister Theresa [Harpin]—who founded the organization in 2011—has been a huge part of my life.

“As head baker at Bridge Café, I’m expanding my culinary knowledge, and I’m also part of something bigger than me. I’m giving back, and I can’t think of a better person to give back to than Sister Theresa.”

Blanco, of Arroyo Grande—who serves as the nonprofit organization’s interim director of social enterprises—jumped at the chance to helm The Bridge Café, a novel enterprise that “builds on the continuum

of care provided by Restorative Partners from incarceration through incorporation by offering on-the-job training and a culinary certification through a partnership with Cuesta College,” he explained.

“The culinary program is offered every semester at Cuesta, with North County offerings coming soon,” Blanco said. “No previous restaurant experience is required, just a willingness to learn and challenge themselves for the culinary program.”

The core group’s collective hospitality experience, however, runs deep.

Blanco’s 15-plus years in the restaurant industry include positions as food production manager at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, and catering supervisor for Cal Poly Campus Dining.

Hunter, meanwhile—who met Harpin in 2013 while incarcerated at San Luis Obispo County Jail—completed two years of training at the San Diego Culinary Institute in La Mesa prior to launching his restaurant career, and he now adeptly supervises The Bridge Café’s kitchen crew.

Blanco calls the menu “all-inclusive,” a nod to the

Grab a bite, change a life

Check out The Bridge Café at 1074 Higuera St. in downtown SLO. Hours are Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Follow the restaurant on Instagram and Facebook @thebridgecafeslo. For more information on the Culinary Arts Foundation Certificate of Specialization offered by Cuesta College and Restorative Partners, contact Jazlyn Corral Botello at (805) 234-9073 or jazlyn@thebridgecafe.org.

diverse staff—not all of whom have criminal backgrounds—and their unique culinary styles.

The cuisine is primarily Central Coastfocused, “but we hope to serve up more flavors of the world,” he said.

Locally sourced products include Taco Works chips, Bautista Family Farms produce, Sunshine Bottle Works yerba mate, Whalebird Kombucha beverages, Honey Bee SLO desserts, Bliss River Organics elderberry syrup, assorted flours from Bread Bike Bakery, Deltina Coffee Roasters, and more.

“We proudly make our baked goods in-house,” Blanco added. “The quiche is made with love and takes two days to … perfect. The croissants from Back Porch Bakery come raw, then we proof and bake them here every morning.”

Cartwright experiments with different pastries and breads, though his specialty is sourdough. His current lineup includes Irish

Steven Cartwright’s Irish Soda Bread

Yields 1 loaf

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

Mix the dry ingredients together, followed by the buttermilk, egg, raisins, and pecans. Add cold cubed butter and break up in the flour mixture until about the size of peas. Shape into a tight ball.

Place onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut criss-cross markings into the shape of an X about a quarter-inch deep into the ball.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes and check the internal temperature. You’re looking for a temperature of 205 to 210 degrees in the center. If not done, continue cooking in five-minute intervals till the desired temperature is reached. It should be golden brown on the outside.

Chef’s tip: Substitute raisins for whatever you like: currants, craisins, even chocolate chips! Serve while warm, preferably with butter.

soda bread, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Pick up a loaf at the café or try his recipe at home.

Guests are invited to order at the counter or online, dine in or takeout, and savor the knowledge that all proceeds from the café are funneled back into Restorative Partners’ programs and services, which aim to provide skills training and care to people from the time they’re incarcerated through transitioning into community life, all to reduce their chances of returning to crime.

Hunter is a huge cheerleader and poster child for the organization, which “gives people like him, who were employmentchallenged due to their past, a second chance at life, as well as a good-paying job,” Blanco said. “[Hunter] was someone in the system and, because of [Restorative Partners], he is now the head chef of the café, and now felony-free—meaning his whole record has been expunged thanks to [Restorative Partners] and Sister Theresa, his ‘angel,’ as he calls her.”

Hunter said his long-term goals are to continue with Restorative Partners and The Bridge Café and help as many people as he can who are struggling like he used to.

Blanco wholeheartedly agrees: “It has been such a blessing to work here at the café and for Restorative Partners. This café is addressing the need of providing employment for an underserved community, and the reward of providing peace of mind for these individuals is worth it all.” ∆

Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte has a new favorite lunch spot. Reach her at cwhyte@ newtimesslo.com.

FEEL-GOOD FOOD The Bridge Café in SLO General Manager Eric Blanco and cashier-barista Heidi Hendrix welcome guests for breakfast and lunch, and to help give a second chance for justice-involved employees such as Hendrix.

PHOTO BY CHERISH WHYTE

COURTESY PHOTOS BY STEPHEN HERALDO/HERALDO CREATIVE STUDIO

MEET THE CHEFS Head chef Jason Hunter, left, of San Luis Obispo and lead cook Jonathan Coronel of Santa Maria crank out juicy burgers and sandwiches at SLO’s The Bridge Café.

THE OLD WESTERN BURGER At only $13, The Bridge Café’s most expensive lunch item—along with the vegan burger—features a fluffy brioche bun, beef patty, bacon, smoked cheddar, onion rings, and chef Jeff Hunter’s proprietary Bridge Sauce.

HELP WANTED

New Times Media Group is looking for someone spectacular to join our Sales and Marketing Team!

Do you enjoy ...

• Interacting with local businesses in SLO and SB Counties?

• Learning about effective advertising and marketing?

• Making a positive difference in a local economy?

• Supporting local, independent journalism?

• Working for the biggest media group on the Central Coast?

• Working with helpful people in a fun and positive environment?

• Receiving crucial, entry-level sales training and experience?

If you answered “yes,” please contact Cindy Rucker! crucker@newtimesslo.com or (805) 546-8208 ext 218

Well-Being

clock made in Germany. $200. Leave phone number (805) 202-8944

WANTED TO BUY

Wanted buy Motorhome or Travel trailer run/not free appraisal free tow 1800 613 5410 PETER HOME SERVICES

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-424-7581 (cal-SCAN)

Autos & Boats

LAWN & GARDEN

JT’s Maintenance Mow and Go with rates so

2012 VW BEETLE 20T HB

$11,988

2018 NISSAN VERSA SV

1.6 4cyl, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/fm/cd, red, gray cloth, 88k miles #809638 $11,988

1998 CHEVROLET CORVETTE COUPE 2D

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

2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO

3.6 V6, at, ac ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/fm/cd, alloys, 76k low miles, black #409962 $16,988

2012 HONDA CR-V AWD LX

2.4 4cyl, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/fm/cd, alloys, green, lt gray cloth #603671

2018 GMC SIERRA 1500 LONGBED

5.3 Ecotec V8, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/fm/cd, pseat, prem whls, white, black cloth, 66k low miles #900411 $23,988

2019 NISSAN PATHFINDER SV

3.5 V6, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/ fm/cd, pseat, 3rd row, rack, alloys, 51k low miles, white, gray cloth #596357

$24,988

2015 CHEVY TAHOE LT 4WD

5.3 Ecotec3 V8, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/fm, CD, white, black lthr, nav, 3rd row, tow #223576

$25,988

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE

NUMBER: 23CV-0044

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Franklin, Gregory Scott filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT

NAME: GREGORY SCOTT

FRANKLIN to PROPOSED

NAME: Gregory Scott Franklin

THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date:

March 9, 2023, Time: 9:00 am, Dept. 2, in person or by zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 1035 Palm St. Rm. 385, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: January 24, 2023

/s/: Rita C. Federman, Judge of the Superior Court February 9, 16, 23, & March 2, 2023

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: 23CV-0087

To all interested persons: Petitioner: Conrad Mendoza filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME: Cody Dakotah Jesse Mendoza to PROPOSED NAME: Cody Inocencio Mendoza

THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: March 29, 2023, Time: 9:00 am, Dept. 4, in person or by zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 1035 Palm St. Rm. 385, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: February 8, 2023

/s/: Tana L. Coates, Judge of the Superior Court

February 23, March 2, 9, & 16, 2023

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE

NUMBER: 23CV-0678

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Victoria Rainbolt Anton filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT

NAME: Victoria Rainbolt Anton to PROPOSED NAME: Victoria Lona Rainbolt Anton

THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: March 1, 2023, Time: 9:00 am, Dept. 4, in person at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 1050 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo, CA 93408. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: December 15, 2022

/s/: Tana L. Coates, Judge of the Superior Court February 2, 9, 16, 23, 2023

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE

NUMBER: 23CVP-0029

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Scott Daniel wiener filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT

NAME: Scott Daniel wiener to PROPOSED NAME: Scottie Daniels

THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: April 5, 2023, Time: 9:30 am, Dept. P2, in person or by zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 901 Park Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: January 27, 2023

/s/: Craig V. Rooyen, Judge of the Superior Court February 23, March 2, 9, & 16, 2023

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE

NUMBER: 23CVP-0039

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Joshua Wayne Lindeman-Dodge filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

PRESENT NAME: Joshua Wayne Lindeman-Dodge to PROPOSED NAME: Joshua Dodge

THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: March 22, 2023, Time: 9:30 am, Dept. P2, in person or by zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 901 Park Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: February 3, 2023

/s/: Tana L. Coates, Judge of the Superior Court February 16, 23, March 2, & 9, 2023

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE

NUMBER: 23CVP-0062

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Robert Francis Maston, Kimberly Marie Maston filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT

NAME: Robert Francis Maston, Kimberly Marie Maston to PROPOSED

NAME: Robert Francis Mastrantonio, Kimberly Marie Mastrantonio

THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: April 5, 2023, Time: 9:30 am, Dept. P2, in person or by zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 901 Park Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: February 16, 2023

/s/: Douglas Umhofer, Judge of the Superior Court February 23, March 2, 9, & 16, 2023

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO CONFORM TO GENDER IDENTITY CASE

NUMBER: 22CVP-0035

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Ning Zhang filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME: Ning Zhang to PROPOSED NAME: Helene Shanruo Ning Zhang

THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: March 29, 2023, Time: 9:30 am, Dept. P2, in person or by zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 1035 Palm St. Rm. 385, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: January 26, 2023

/s/: Tana L. Coates, Judge of the Superior Court February 9, 16, 23, & March 2, 2023

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL)

NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: (AVISO AL DEMANDADO)

1. The testate and intestate successors of Frederick Bracht, deceased, and all persons claiming by, through, or under such decedent; 2. The testate and intestate successors of Vern Kalshan, deceased, and all persons claiming by, through, or under such decedent;

3. The testate and intestate successors of James W. Kelley, deceased, and all persons claiming by, through, or under such decedent;

4. The testate and intestate successors of Willa Killion, deceased, and all persons claiming by, through, or under such decedent;

5. The testate and intestate successors of Walter W. Korbin, deceased, and all persons claiming by, through, or under such decedent;

6. The testate and intestate successors of Lothar Stephan, deceased, and all persons claiming by, through, or under such decedent; and 7. ALL OTHER PERSONS UNKNOWN, CLAIMING ANY LEGAL OR EQUITABLE RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE, LIEN, OR INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT ADVERSE TO PLAINTIFF’S OWNERSHIP OR TITLE, OR ANY CLOUD UPON PLAINTIFF’S TITLE THERETO.

YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): BRADLEY D. LIGGETT, and individual; KYRA R. LIGGETT, and individual

CASE NUMBER (Número de caso): 22CV-0229

Notice! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www. courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal require-

ments. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia. org), the California Courts online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 dias, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su version. Lea la informacion a continuacion.

Tiene 30 DIAS CALENDARIOS despues de que le entreguen esta citacion y papeles legales para presentar una repuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefonica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted puede usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formuleriors de la corte y mas informacion en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp/espanol), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede mas cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentacion, pida al secretario de la corte que le de un formulario de exencion de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su repuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte la podra quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin mas advertencia. Hay otros requistas legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remision a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniendose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar ias cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperacion de $10,000 o mas de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo ao una consesion de artitraje en un caso dce derecho civll. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

CASE NUMBER: (Número de caso): 22CV-0229

The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y dirección de la corte son)

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO 1035 Palm Street – Room 385 San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la dirección y número de telefono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es):

Bradley D. Liggett 1933 Partridge Drive San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Date: (Fecha) 02/14/2023

By: /s/ Karen McCormick, Clerk (Secretario); Michael Powell, Deputy (Adjunto)

The property that is the subject of this action is 2761 Richard Avenue, Cayucos, CA 93430, San Luis Obispo County Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) 064-211-036, and legally described as follows: Lot 58 in Block 84, Morro Strand Unit #5, in the un-incorporated area of the County of San Luis Obispo, State of California, according to map recorded March 5, 1930 in Book 5, Page 11 of Recorder of said County.

February 23, March 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 landdisturbing 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-milelong headrace tunnel, 0.19-milelong 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 right-of-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 Ser-

vice 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.

February 2, 9, 16, & 23, 2023

Adult Services

MARKETPLACE

Awesome Exotic Dancers Girls, Guys, Fantastic Parties or Just For You. Now Hiring 966-0161

SAN LUIS OBISPO CITY COUNCIL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

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

PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS:

• The City Council will receive the annual Cannabis Business Program update and introduce an Ordinance amending Municipal Code Chapter 17.86 and Chapter 9.10 modifying specific retail storefront operational rules.(CODE-0046-2023)

For more information, you are invited to contact Alex Fuchs of the City’s Community Development Department at (805) 783-7877 or afuchs@slocity.org

• The City Council will introduce an Ordinance amending the following sections of the Municipal Code to explicitly authorize designated civilian employees to enforce infractions and misdemeanor violations of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code through the issuance of citations:

o Title 1 “General Provisions”, Chapter 16 “Citation Procedure”, Section 1.16.060 “Code Enforcement Officer Designation Authority”

o Title 10 “Vehicles and Traffic”, Chapter 10.08 “Administration”, Section 10.08.070, and Chapter 10.68 “Inoperative Vehicles”, Section 10.68.020

o Title 9 “Public Pease, Morals and Welfare” to add Chapter 9.60 “Enforcement”

For more information, you are invited to contact Brian Amoroso of the City’s Police Department at (805) 781-7317 or bamoroso@slocity.org

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

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

February 23, 2023

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible, the Pismo Beach City Council will hold a public hearing in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, for the following purpose:

PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA:

Consideration of Declaration of Non-Responsible

Bidder: V. Lopez Jr. & Sons, Inc.

Description: Staff recommendation to declare V. Lopez Jr. and Sons as a non-responsible bidder thereby disqualifying them from performing future work for the City of Pismo Beach for a period of five years.

Details about ways to participate in this hearing will be provided on the agenda posted for the meeting online at pismobeach.org/agenda, and on the bulletin board at City Hall. The agenda will be posted in the afternoon of March 2, 2023.

You have a right to comment on these projects and their effect on our community. Interested persons are invited to participate in the hearing or otherwise express their views and opinions regarding the proposed projects. Emailed comments may be submitted to citycouncil@pismobeach.org; staff cannot guarantee that emailed comments submitted after the start of the meeting will be given full consideration before action is taken. Written comments may be delivered or mailed to the City Clerk’s Office at 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, CA 93449, prior to the meeting, or hand-delivered during the meeting no later than the comment period for this item. Oral comment may be provided prior to the meeting by calling 805-773-7005 and leaving a voice message. Please state and spell your name, and identify your item of interest. Oral comment may also be made during the meeting, either by joining the virtual meeting using the link provided on the agenda document, or by attending the meeting in person in the Council Chamber at City Hall. Please refer to the agenda for this meeting for specific instructions for participation.

Staff reports, plans and other information related to these projects are available for public review from the City Clerk’s Office, by emailing City Clerk Erica Inderlied at einderlied@pismobeach.org. The meeting agenda and staff report will be available no later than the Thursday before the meeting and may be obtained upon request by mail or by visiting www.pismobeach.org/agenda.

The Council meeting will be televised live on Charter Cable Channel 20 and streamed on the City’s website.

PLEASE NOTE: If you challenge the action taken on this item in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Pismo Beach at, or prior to, the public hearing.  For further information, please contact Erica Inderlied, City Clerk, at einderlied@pismobeach.org or 805-773-7003.

Erica Inderlied, City Clerk February 23, 2023

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

PUBLIC HEARING ITEM:

·       Request to establish a hotel use, consisting of three (3) guest suites in the commercial building of a mixed-use development, that would operate daily for twenty-four hours a day. The project is categorically exempt from environmental review (CEQA); Project Address: 830 Orcutt Rd.; Case #: USE-06802022; Zoning: C-S; 830 Orcutt, LLC, owner/ applicant.

Contact Information: Hannah Hanh (805) 781-7432 – hhanh@slocity.org

The Planning Commission may also discuss other hearing or business items before or after the item(s) listed above. If you challenge the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing.

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

February 23, 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 9, 2023 at 09:00 AM. All items are advertised for 09:00 AM. To verify agenda placement, please call the  Department of Planning & Building at (805) 781-5600.

WHAT: Hearing to consider a request by Arris Studio Architects for an amendment (AMEND2022-00004) to revise Condition of Approval No.    4 and subsection D.3, D.5 and E.3 of Uniform Sign Program for the Los Osos Shopping Center approved under DRC2005-00090. Proposed revision to Condition No. 4 would allow for both fascia and/or roof mounted signage, and revisions to subsection D.3, D.5, and E.3 would allow major tenants larger sign area, consolidation of total sign area for tenants occupying multiple units and allow flexible tenant configurations to be reflected on the monument sign, respectively. The proposed project will result in no site disturbance.   The project is located at 1050-1130 Los Osos Valley Road, within the Commercial Retail land use category 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: AMEND2022-00004

Supervisorial District: District 2

Assessor Parcel Number(s): 074-301-024

Date Accepted: 01/19/2023

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 Kip Morais, 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 23, 2023

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

Development Application 22-41

Applicant – Cabrillo Court Construction Company

The Planning Commission will consider a Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map and Development Permit to demolish an existing residential structure, subdivide and construct six (6) detached, multi-family units on a 0.24-acre site located at 738 Rockaway Avenue (APN 060-226-017). The site is zoned High Density Residential (R3). CEQA Determination – The proposed project qualifies for a Class 32 Infill exception.

Development Application 23-02

Applicant – Douglas & Deborah Johnson

The Planning Commission will consider a one-year Time Extension for Development Application 20-51, Coastal Development Permit and Tentative Parcel Map to subdivide and construct two (2) new single-family residences at 275 North 4th Street (APN 060142-028). The site is zoned Coastal Medium Density Residential (CR2). CEQA Determination – The project received a Class 3 and Class 15 exemption for New Construction and Subdivision of four properties or less. Approved project plans may be viewed at the following url: https://www.groverbeach.org/DocumentCenter/ View/13615/PC-Approved-Plans-DA-20-51

Where You Come In:

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

For More Information:

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

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

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

/s/ Nicole Retana, Deputy City Clerk Secretary to Planning Commission

Publish: on Thursday, February 23, 2023

Post: on Thursday, February 23, 2023

New Times Grover Beach City Hall Project Site

February 23, 2023

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE AND NOTICE OF CEQA ADDENDUM

The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) will hold a Public Hearing on April 5, 2023, to receive public testimony on the Draft 2023 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS), Corresponding Draft Conformity Analysis and Determination, and Draft Addendum to the 2019 Program Environmental Impact Review (PEIR)

The 2023 RTP is SLOCOG’s long range regional transportation plan for each mode of transportation. The plan identifies financial projections through 2045 and the SLOCOG Board of Directors’ priorities on specific projects expected to be accomplished. The plan contains the documentation to support a finding that the 2023 RTP- SCS meets the air quality conformity requirements for ozone. This long-range plan can be amended at any time by the SLOCOG Board. The RTP serves as a foundation for the development of the shorter action plans called the Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP), which satisfies California transportation planning requirements, and the federal counterpart referred to as the Federal Transportation Improvement Program or (FTIP) for all transportation projects that require federal approval or are regionally significant.

A recent addition to the RTP is the SCS, first fully included as an element of the 2014 RTP-SCS in response to Senate Bill 375 - the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008. The SCS is intended to reduce the passenger vehicle greenhouse gas emissions associated with the plan. The 55-day, minimum, public review and comment period opened January 31, 2023, and ends April 6, 2023 for the RTP-SCS and Conformity Analysis. All information pertaining to these documents will be posted for the duration of the review period on the SLOCOG website at: slocog.org/2023RTP.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15164, SLOCOG has made a preliminary determination that an Addendum to the 2019 Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) is the appropriate CEQA action for the 2023 RTP-SCS. The draft Addendum to the 2019 PEIR provides an analysis of potential environmental impacts related to the implementation of the 2023 RTP-SCS as required by CEQA. SLOCOG is making this available beginning on February 23, 2023 for public review and comment through the end of the RTP comment period which ends on April 6, 2023. All information pertaining to this document will be posted for the duration of the review period on the SLOCOG website at: slocog.org/2023RTP. Comments on the 2023 RTP-SCS and draft Addendum may be provided at the April 5, 2023, public hearing described below, and/or in writing before close of business on April 6, 2023.

Individuals wishing accessibility accommodations at this meeting, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), may request such accommodations to aid hearing, visual, or mobility impairment (including Limited English Proficiency [LEP]) by contacting SLOCOG offices at (805) 781-4219. Please note that 48 hours advance notice is needed to honor your request. Please refer to slocog.org for the meeting agenda and further information. The first hearing was held on February 8, 2023 and the second hearing will be held at 9 AM on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at the Arroyo Grande City Council Chambers, 215 E. Branch Street. The SLOCOG Board will consider the adoption of the 2023 RTP-SCS with consideration of the draft Addendum to the 2019 PEIR and Conformity Analysis on June 7, 2023. For more information, write to SLOCOG, 1114 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 or contact James Worthley at jworthley@slocog.org. February 23, 2023

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: MAINO CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED

PROJECT NAME: CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY SAN LUIS OBISPO

AG HOUSING PROJECT AT VIA CARTA

PROJECT LOCATION: VIA CARTA ROAD - CAL POLY STATE UNIVERSITY, SLO, CA 93407

PROJECT OWNER: TRUSTEES OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY

ARCHITECT: HARRIS ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

BID DATE & TIME: THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023@ 12:00 P.M.

PRE-BID SITE REVIEW: N/A

ESTIMATE/BUDGET: $2,200,000

ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE: 7 MONTHS

START DATE: MAY 1, 2023 COMPLETION: DECEMBER 1, 2023 (CONTRACTOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERTIME AND WEEKEND WORK ANTICIPATED TO MEET PROJECT SCHEDULE)

SCOPE OF WORK:

Work consists of earthwork, underground utilities, and foundations for (2) 2,454 SF dormitory style housing units for the College of Agriculture. Additional scopes of work include: wood rough framing, insulation, drywall and finish, HVAC, plumbing, casework and countertops, ceramic tile, LVT flooring and top set base, toilet partitions and accessories, roofing, fire alarm (conduit and pathways provided by the University).

The University will be performing the following trades: Painting, Electrical, Data and Communications

BIDS SHALL BE EMAILED TO: tomm@mainoslo.com and edk@mainslo.com

BID REQUIREMENTS:

1. Subcontractors must be bondable and may be required to provide Payment and Performance Bonds.

2. Bid Bond is not required.

3. Safety Record is of the utmost importance. Subcontractors with aggregate EMR Rate of 1.5 over the past three years may be disqualified.

4. Prevailing Wage

TO VIEW PLANS/SPEC:

Plans and specs may be downloaded from ASAP Reprographics at www.asapplanroom.com

Plans and specs may also be viewed at the following Builders

Exchanges:

- SLO County Builders Exchange – www.slocbe.com

- Santa Maria Valley Contractors Association – www.smvca.org

- Central California Builders Exchange – www.cencalbx.com Maino Construction Company, Incorporated is an equal opportunity Contractor.  It is the responsibility of each Subcontractor to view all pertinent information and documents prior to submitting a proposal. February 23, 2023

It’s time to vote in the 37th annual New

Free Will Astrology

by Rob Brezsny

Homework: What’s something you would love to do but were told never to do by someone you loved? Newsletter.freewillastrology.com

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): Philosopher John O’Donohue wrote a prayer not so much to God as to Life. It’s perfect for your needs right now. He said, “May my mind come alive today to the invisible geography that invites me to new frontiers, to break the dead shell of yesterdays, to risk being disturbed and changed.” I think you will generate an interesting onrush of healing, Aries, if you break the dead shell of yesterdays and risk being disturbed and changed. The new frontier is calling to you. To respond with alacrity, you must shed some baggage.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20): Right-wing religious influencers are rambling amuck in the United States. In recent months, their repressive pressures have forced over 1,600 books to be banned in 138 school districts in 38 states. The forbidden books include some about heroes Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez, and Rosa Parks. With this appalling trend as a motivational force, I encourage you Tauruses to take inventory of any tendencies you might have to censor the information you expose yourself to. According to my reading of the astrological omens, now is an excellent time to pry open your mind to consider ideas and facts you have shut out. Be eager to get educated and inspired by stimuli outside your usual scope.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20): I think we can all agree that it’s really fun to fall in love. Those times when we feel a thrilling infatuation welling up within us are among the most pleasurable of all human experiences. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do it over and over again as the years go by? Just keep getting bowled over by fresh immersions in swooning adoration? Maybe we could drum up two or three bouts of mad love explosions every year. But alas, giving in to such a temptation might make it hard to build intimacy and trust with a committed, long-term partner. Here’s a possible alternative: Instead of getting smitten with an endless series of new paramours, we could get swept away by novel teachings, revelatory meditations, lovable animals, sublime art or music, amazing landscapes or sanctuaries, and exhilarating adventures. I hope you will be doing that in the coming weeks, Gemini.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): The scientific method is an excellent approach for understanding reality. It’s not the only one, and should not be used to the exclusion of other ways of knowing. But even if you’re allergic to physics or never step into a chemistry lab, you are wise to use the scientific method in your daily life. The coming weeks will be an especially good time to enjoy its benefits. What would that mean, practically speaking? Set aside your subjective opinions and habitual responses. Instead, simply gather evidence. Treasure actual facts. Try to be as objective as you can in evaluating everything that happens. Be highly attuned to your feelings, but also be aware that they may not provide all facets of the truth.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): Is there anything in your psychological makeup that would help you do some detective work? How are your skills as a researcher? Are you willing to be cagey and strategic as you investigate what’s going on behind the scenes? If so, I invite you to carry out any or all of these four tasks in the coming weeks: 1. Try to become aware of shrouded half-truths. 2. Be alert for shadowy stuff lurking in bright, shiny environments. 3. Uncover secret agendas and unacknowledged evidence. 4. Explore stories and situations that no one else seems curious about.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The country of Nepal, which has strong Virgo qualities, is divided into seven provinces. One is simply called “Province No. 1,” while the others are Sudurpashchim, Karnali, Gandaki, Lumbini, Bagmati, and Janakpur. I advise Nepal to give Province No. 1 a decent name very soon. I also recommend that you Virgos extend a similar outreach to some of the unnamed beauty in your sphere. Have fun with it. Give names to your phone,

your computer, your bed, your hairdryer, and your lamps, as well as your favorite trees, houseplants, and clouds. You may find that the gift of naming helps make the world a more welcoming place with which you have a more intimate relationship. And that would be an artful response to current cosmic rhythms.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Are you aimless, impassive, and stuck, floundering as you try to preserve and maintain? Or are you fiercely and joyfully in quest of vigorous and dynamic success? What you do in the coming weeks will determine which of these two forks in your destiny will be your path for the rest of 2023. I’ll be rooting for the second option. Here is a tip to help you be strong and bold. Learn the distinctions between your own soulful definition of success and the superficial, irrelevant, meaningless definitions of success that our culture celebrates. Then swear an oath to love, honor, and serve your soulful definition.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The next four weeks will be a time of germination, metaphorically analogous to the beginning of a pregnancy. The attitudes and feelings that predominate during this time will put a strong imprint on the seeds that will mature into full ripeness by late 2023. What do you want to give birth to in 40 weeks or so, Scorpio? Choose wisely! And make sure that in this early, impressionable part of the process, you provide your growing creations with positive, nurturing influences.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I recommend you set up Designated Arguing Summits (DAS). These will be short periods when you and your allies get disputes out in the open. Disagreements must be confined to these intervals. You are not allowed to squabble at any other time. Why do I make this recommendation? I believe that many positive accomplishments are possible for you in the coming weeks, and it would be counterproductive to expend more than the minimal necessary amount on sparring. Your glorious assignment: Be emotionally available and eager to embrace the budding opportunities.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Actor Judi Dench won an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the film Shakespeare in Love—even though she was onscreen for just eight minutes. Beatrice Straight got an Oscar for her role in the movie Network, though she appeared for less than six minutes. I expect a similar phenomenon in your world, Capricorn. A seemingly small pivot will lead to a vivid turning point. A modest seed will sprout into a prismatic bloom. A cameo performance will generate long-term ripples. Be alert for the signs.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Most of us are constantly skirmishing with time, doing our best to coax it or compel it to give us more slack. But lately, you Aquarians have slipped into a more intense conflict. And from what I’ve been able to determine, time is kicking your ass. What can you do to relieve the pressure? Maybe you could edit your priority list—eliminate two mildly interesting pursuits to make more room for a fascinating one. You might also consider reading a book to help you with time management and organizational strategies, like these: 1. Getting Things Done by David Allen. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. 3. 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management by Kevin Kruse.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20): “What is originality?” asked philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Here’s how he answered: “to see something that has no name as yet, and hence cannot be mentioned though it stares us all in the face.” Got that, Pisces? I hope so, because your fun assignments in the coming days include the following: 1. to make a shimmering dream coalesce into a concrete reality; 2. to cause a figment of the imagination to materialize into a useful accessory; 3. to coax an unborn truth to sprout into a galvanizing insight. ∆