New Times, Oct. 5, 2023

BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Editor’s note

The SLO County Board of Supervisors recently voted to pass a land use ordinance change at the behest of SLO County Office of Education Superintendent James Brescia. He said that county school districts are having a hard time recruiting and keeping educators because of a lack of affordable housing in the area. The Office of Education plans to build a handful of homes to house teachers as a pilot project, but it needed some help from supervisors to move forward. Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal speaks with Brescia and local districts about the teacher shortage and the future of housing educators [8]

This week, you can also read about the battle over Lake Nacimiento’s water [9], Nunsense at SLO Rep [24], and the pizzaiolo making the best focaccia around [30]

Camillia Lanham editor

EDITOR

Caleb Wiseblood

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Glen Starkey

STAFF WRITERS

Bulbul Rajagopal, Adrian Vincent Rosas, Samantha Herrera

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jayson Mellom

EDITORIAL DESIGNERS

Leni Litonjua, Taylor Saugstad

ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER

Eva Lipson

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Eva Lipson, Ellen Fukumoto, Mary Grace Flaus

SALES MANAGER

Katy Gray

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES

Kimberly Rosa, Lee Ann Vermeulen, Andrea McVay, Kamren Brown

LEGALS ADVERTISING

Patricia Horton

MARKETING & PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR

Michael Gould

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT

Cindy Rucker

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

Michael Antonette

OFFICE MANAGER

Stephanie West

CONTRIBUTORS

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

CIRCULATION

Jim Chaney

DISTRIBUTION

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County cannabis regulations begin to ease for operators

San Luis Obispo County’s liberal majority of supervisors is slowly relaxing the cannabis ordinance’s grip on operators.

In three separate motions during the Board of Supervisors Sept. 26 meeting, 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson, 3rd District Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg, and 4th District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding voted to ease certain regulations in the county’s cannabis ordinance.

“This ordinance is the most disastrous ordinance I think that anybody could possibly write in regard to trying to help a business thrive,” Ortiz-Legg said at the meeting. “There’s more than just a couple of cleanups, so this is a long conversation in regard to how we can go about really recovering the revenues we’re losing and we can actually recoup the investment the general fund has made.”

The ordinance was largely shaped by 1st District Supervisor John Peschong, 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold, and Paulding’s predecessor, Lynn Compton.

At the meeting, a slew of cannabis operators such as The Source owner Shawn Bean expressed the difficulty of running their businesses in SLO County due to exorbitant fees, restrictions on starting brick-and-mortar dispensaries, and covering the costs for enforcement on illegal operations. Bean also submitted written correspondence on the issue.

“Currently, the CBT [Cannabis Business Tax] for retail sales paid to the county is only for deliveries performed in the unincorporated areas of the county,” he wrote. “This means that the majority of CBT paid by county licensed businesses is paid to other jurisdictions. If brick-andmortar dispensaries are allowed, all of the CBT for those sales will go to the county.”

The Cannabis Business Tax took effect in unincorporated SLO County soon after voters approved Measure B-18 in 2018. The CBT rate last year was 8 percent, but the Board of Supervisors voted to decrease it to 6 percent for the 2023-24 fiscal year—a move Bean appreciated in his letter to the supervisors.

But the CBT hasn’t generated the funds it was expected to. According to county staff’s fiscal analysis, the tax only produced $597,747, which was part of the $1.1 million total revenue in the 2022-23 fiscal year. The county’s cannabis program cost $1.5 million to run, meaning the county used $400,942 from the general fund to fill the gap.

In a 3-2 vote with Peschong and Arnold opposed, the supervisors asked staff to plot the necessary resource requirements to accommodate for retail storefront dispensaries in the county’s land use regulations. The supervisors are scheduled to deliberate the issue in-depth on Oct. 17.

Endangered frogs halt $11 million construction project in Nipomo

The Nipomo Community Services District’s (NCSD) plans to consolidate its sewer system with Blacklake’s is on hold thanks to endangered California red-legged frogs found in a pond

Similarly, through another 3-2 vote along the same lines, the board agreed to begin trimming the fat. Gibson sparked the idea to “investigate a Lean 6 Sigma analysis of our entire cannabis regulatory framework” that would focus on the background check and inspection requirements. Background checks through the Sheriff’s Office can cost as much as $24,630 for a cultivation business license, and as little as $628 for a business employee investigation.

The Lean 6 Sigma process is designed to improve program performance by eliminating operation waste. County Administrative Officer John Nilon

the legalization of cannabis, and it was related to cannabis use in middle school,” Peschong said.

He also reported that the Denver County sheriff alleged that there was a 100 percent increase in traffic fatalities because of cannabis use.

In a third motion, supervisors directed staff to swiftly get the ball rolling on changing some of the regulations in the ordinance. One would allow the five-year cannabis permit to activate only when a business becomes operational as opposed to when the permit’s granted. Gibson even suggested an analysis on extending the permit lifespan to 10 years.

told the supervisors that the cannabis program could be put through that wringer to make it more streamlined and efficient.

“It asks on each step: ‘Is this required by law and is this providing quality?’” Nilon said. “[If not,] it should be eliminated.”

Peschong, however, dubbed it “Weed 6 Sigma” and elaborated on his reservations with establishing brick-and-mortar businesses. He detailed a trip he took with Arnold and the SLO Chamber of Commerce to Boulder and Denver in Colorado. In Boulder, they met with a judge who oversaw local cannabis policy.

“The one thing that judge said that she got from the school system was they did have a 17 percent increase in childhood schizophrenia over

adjacent to construction.

Mario Iglesias, NCSD’s general manager, said the project’s been waiting around a year to hear back from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for an incidental take permit so it can move forward with construction. That process usually takes 12 to 16 months, which Iglesias said will be exhausted by the end of this year.

As part of that motion, supervisors also asked staff to study cost estimates for allowing mobile dispensaries to operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., whereas those dispensaries currently close at 8 p.m. This motion passed in a 4-1 vote, with Arnold dissenting.

She expressed her disapproval of lengthening delivery times for mobile dispensaries in unincorporated areas, claiming that law enforcement would be “spread too thin late at night.”

“You’re not the only industry that has a really difficult time and a lengthy process to get through before you’re operational in this county,” Arnold said. “It isn’t just about cannabis.” ∆

—Bulbul Rajagopal

“During the environmental review of the project, biologists found red-legged frogs in a pond next to our wastewater plant, so they want to build within the envelope of their habitation, and therefore we have to go Fish and Wildlife so that we can go ahead and move forward with the construction of that lift station,” Iglesias said.

MELLOW OUT The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors asked staff to start working on extending hours for mobile cannabis dispensaries in unincorporated areas.

FILE PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

The $11 million Blacklake Sewer System Consolidation Project consists of three parts, and Iglesias said while waiting for the take permit might delay one part, the NCSD can still move forward with constructing the part of the project that’s farther away from the pond.

“One of the elements [in this project] is a pipe that carries materials from Blacklake to the town sewer system. Fish and Wildlife saw that we were outside of the [red-legged frog’s] habitat sphere, so they allowed us to go ahead and construct that pipeline,” he said. “We’re probably about 70 percent done finishing that pipeline [and will complete it] sometime in January.”

Although pricey, the project is important to help manage the cost of sewer services for the people who live around Blacklake and to help the district’s overall capability for managing wastewater on the mesa, Iglesias said.

“The state water resources board was reissuing permits for wastewater plants, and when they were reissuing the permit for Blacklake Wastewater Plant, there were improvements that exceeded $5 million that were going to have to be done to keep the plant up and running,” he said. “So we worked with the community over the last three years to come up with a solution that would help manage their wastewater fees in a more sustainable manner.”

The NCSD decided that decommissioning the current Blacklake Water Reclamation Facility and piping that wastewater from Blacklake to the district’s Southland Wastewater Treatment Facility would be the most cost-effective option, according to a Sept. 27 staff report.

“By combining these two wastewater plants, we can reduce the folks at Blacklake’s cost of sewer services in the magnitude of 40 to 30 percent,” Iglesias said. “They’re going to see a drop in their sewer bills.”

Blacklake residents are footing the costs through a bond, Iglesias said.

“We went to the community and proposed creating an assessment district, and the district came up with an $11 million bond,” he said. “We put that bond in front of the community for a vote, and 72 percent of the community voted to support the bond and we’ve been working on that consolidation project ever since.”

—Samantha Herrera

Paso Robles City Council appoints new member

For the first time in nearly two months, the Paso Robles City Council will have five members sitting on the dais since former Mayor Steve Martin passed away.

The council unanimously confirmed the appointment of Sharon Roden on Oct. 3 to take over the vacant council seat left by current Mayor John Hamon after he was appointed to become mayor on Sept. 7 and replace Martin.

“I’m honored to serve on this council; they are all great people and whether we cross swords in battle or raise our glasses together in victory, I know we all have a common goal—which is to make the town better,” Roden said in her post-appointment speech where she also thanked her family and wife of 25 years for supporting her through the process.

Roden—who has been a city resident for more than 40 years—brings with her

experience managing her family’s pistachio orchards, handling things like labor issues, innovative farming practices, and an optimization of farm processes.

The council chose her after conducting interviews on Sept. 26 where they interviewed eight candidates before deciding on Roden.

However, some parties—particularly fellow interviewee Linda George—took issue with the council’s appointment, accusing at least one council member of having potential bias.

“I am not the only candidate who was a little disturbed by the fact that in the interviews you revealed Miss Roden is [one of your] neighbors,” George said to the council without identifying a specific member. “I just wanted to make sure that everyone knows that in the future that if any decisions are being made they are being done openly, publicly, here in open.”

Roden will only serve until November 2024, and from there—according to City Attorney Elizabeth Hull—she would have to run again for the role if she wanted to continue out the normal four-year term.

“Basically whoever wins that election would only be serving two years,” Hull said at the Oct. 3 meeting. “Because we have elections by district, we are staggered every few years and due to the nature of this appointment, whoever wins that election would only serve two years until 2026 instead of the normal four-year term.”

Regardless of how long she serves, Roden said she is excited to continue to bring Paso Robles into the future with the rest of the council and staff to keep the spirit of evolving the city present.

“So I’ve never really been a wordsmith,” she said. “But it’s not really about words. It’s about action, so let’s get to work shall we?”

—Adrian Rosas

Election recount requester appeals debt to County Clerk-Recorder

A local resident responsible for the hand recount of two separate county supervisor races is now feeling financial and legal pinches for her decisions.

In May, San Luis Obispo County ClerkRecorder Elaina Cano sued San Miguel resident Darcia Stebbens in small claims court for unpaid expenses stemming from manually recounting votes cast in the 2nd District county supervisor election.

Stebbens requested the do-over on Dec. 12, 2022, five days after the final election count showed incumbent Bruce Gibson ahead of challenger Bruce Jones by 13 votes. According to an invoice provided to KSBY in May, recounting votes for the race cost the county Clerk-Recorder’s Office $52,325.74.

“Ms. Stebbens paid the required estimated daily deposits but there is still a balance due based on the actual costs directly related to the recount,” Cano wrote in her court claim.

Cano said that Stebbens owes her office $4,448.21 plus $90 of filing fees incurred in making the small courts claim. Superior Court Commissioner Leslie Kraut ruled in Cano’s favor in August. On Sept. 14, Stebbens retorted with an appeal. The small court case will return on Dec. 4 as a trial de novo hearing—an appellate court order where the facts and issues of the case will be discussed as if for the first time.

Stebbens didn’t respond to New Times’ requests for comment.

Court documents show that Stebbens’ outstanding debt is part of an exceeded

sum. In January, the county notified her that the actual cost of the recount overshot the estimated deposits by roughly $7,370.

That amount constituted elements like the hourly costs of every employee or recount board member involved with the recount, time spent by board members counting ballots, making copies, securing supplies, and time spent sorting ballot boxes to locate the 2nd District election ballots.

Stebbens challenged the county and said she was “contesting … the final true-up.” She added that she was entitled to additional reports requested during the recount and a list of labor costs detailing the activities of the employees. After County Counsel Rita Neal shot back with a demand to pay, Stebbens paid a little less than $3,000 in February. That left behind the still-unpaid balance close to $4,450.

At the subpoena hearing in July, Stebbens testified that she was suspicious about costs being imposed as part of the California Code of Regulations—the set of rules that require Cano to collect a deposit from the recount requester to cover daily estimates.

Stebbens also objected to “paying employee benefits/pension costs accrued during the hours worked on the recount, county counsel legal costs incurred during the recount, and the amount of time needed for preparation prior to commencement of the recount,” the ruling read.

—Bulbul Rajagopal

Pismo Beach police to relocate while department building gets makeover

The Pismo Beach Police Department is about to move into three temporary trailers as its current facility undergoes remodeling.

Jorge Garica, Pismo Beach’s city manager, said that the trailers will need to be configured to meet the city’s specifications.

“We anticipate that we will begin operating in early spring 2024,” Garcia told New Times in an email.

On Oct. 3, the Pismo City Council voted unanimously to support the move and the Public Safety Facility Project. Reconstruction of the department’s building will take around 36 months to complete. During that time the Police Department will be moved to 330 Main St. where the existing building was demolished to allow room for the trailers to fit.

Relocating the force will cost an estimated $318,000, which will come out of the public safety facility’s $1.1 million budget.

While most of the Police Department’s day-to-day activities will be the same, the temporary trailers won’t have booking cells. Garcia said those arrested in Pismo Beach will be placed in another facility.

“Individuals that are arrested for serious crimes are taken to the San Luis Obispo County Jail for bookings,” Garcia said.

have to temporarily relocate while the city incorporates bricks from the original schoolhouse into the new design plans.

“The Fire Department will be primarily responding out of Pismo Beach Veterans Hall on Bello Street. We will be making modifications to the parking areas to accommodate their needs during construction,” he said. “We anticipate construction to start May 2024 and be completed November 2025.”

—Samantha Herrera

Georgia Brown’s future hinges on whether district digs a trench

The ongoing limbo that’s clouded Georgia Brown Elementary School’s campus and enveloped the entire Paso Robles Joint Unified School District is here for the long haul.

What began as a response to an enrollment study that determined the campus should be closed due to its decreasing student population and unsafe structural conditions has evolved into a seemingly never-ending process thanks to a geologic anomaly recently discovered in the ground below campus, according to Superintendent Curt Dubost.

At the district’s Sept. 12 meeting, Assistant Superintendent Brad Pawlowski presented a letter from the California Geological Survey that outlined what the district would have to do if it chose to move forward with any largescale renovations on the campus.

“Brad [confirmed] their demand that we investigate the suspected trace seismic anomaly further by digging the proposed trench on campus,” Dubost said. “[He] added they have verbally clarified the proposed trench must be within 50 feet of the proposed construction.”

He noted that because of this new information, the board did not—and could not—decide or give direction to dig a trench as it can’t be done during the school year.

“This would mean the trench would have to be in the front driveway/parking lot, between the buildings, or on the paved lunch areas. This makes it impossible to do during the school year,” he said. “It also means all previous cost estimates to dig the trench on or near the playfield are no longer viable.”

In the continued search for clarity on the situation, the district also planned to hold its first-ever newly formed District Advisory Committee meeting on Oct. 4, after New Times went to press, to discuss the current enrollment numbers at the 36th Street campus that houses Georgia Brown.

Send

The Public Safety Facility Project aims to implement the city’s goal of reducing fire response times by more than one minute, updating the Police Station to meet current and future needs, and honoring the city’s history by incorporating the façade of the city’s original elementary school into the new design, according to a staff report from May 2, 2023.

Garcia said that the Police Department isn’t the only building receiving a makeover. The Fire Department will also

Over the summer, Dubost recommended that the district form the committee, arguing that this type of committee would be different from the 2021 committee that previously suggested the district close the school. He said it more closely follows state education proceedings and that it more clearly outlines what the committee can or cannot rule on—an issue that board members expressed confusion on regarding the 2021 committee.

“I created the erroneous impression excess capacity and possible [suggestion of] closure was not within their direction,” Dubost said. “The correct statement should have been they had not been tasked with identifying a specific school for closure.” ∆

—Adrian Rosas

Tuesday, October 10 • 7:30pm

Spanos

Kept out

The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District’s $148,000 salary to replace a high school principal was no match for San Luis Obispo County’s cutthroat housing market.

“We had several high-quality applicants report that for that maximum pay they just couldn’t afford to live here, having checked into available housing they thought would be appropriate,” Paso school district Superintendent Curt Dubost said. “It comes up with teachers as well on occasion. Most often from the teachers association demanding a pay raise.”

Dubost told New Times that the district got lucky when its problem fixed itself—a local applicant had already started a life in SLO County after moving from Massachusetts prior to this year’s hiring process.

Sunday, October 22 • 7pm Clark Center, Arroyo

But a lack of affordable housing and difficulty retaining local educators and essential workers are tied in an inscrutable knot for SLO County. The Paso school district is poised to work with the Paso Robles Housing Authority to convert surplus district-owned property into employee housing, and the SLO County Office of Education approached the county Board of Supervisors to spark something similar in other areas of the county.

On Sept. 26, supervisors unanimously approved amending some planning area standards in the county’s land use ordinance. That change will make way for school district housing in the future, with a proposed project site on the east side of Highway 1 at 2450 Pennington Creek Road in SLO.

According to Noozhawk reporting, that project aims to build up to 45 apartments for school district employees on district-owned land.

Late last year, the South San Francisco Unified School District partnered with Landed—a company that helps educators achieve financial security and secure homeownership—to provide home buying support for eligible district employees. Paso Robles’ Dubost attended the South San Francisco school district’s presentation at the California Special Districts Association conference last December.

a playground, and a common gathering area. One of these six residences will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Second District Supervisor Bruce Gibson, whose district contains the potential housing development, questioned how the project matches with the county’s growth policies.

“If you look at the location … this is not somewhere where we would normally be encouraging housing,” Gibson said at the meeting. “I think it’s problematic.”

He encouraged county Superintendent Brescia to find alternate ways to support housing for teachers. Brescia, however, disagreed with Gibson’s observations.

5pm Spanos Stadium,

Sat, Oct 1, 22, Nov 12, 19

Supervisors discussed the ordinance amendment at the behest of county Superintendent James Brescia. In a letter to the board, Brescia stated that in the second quarter of 2022, only 12 percent of people seeking to purchase homes in SLO County could do so at the state’s median price of $883,870. He also said that SLO County has only 1,000 affordable housing units with 6,000 households on waitlists for them.

“Individuals waiting on these lists include educators, directly impacting the ability for SLO County school districts to recruit and retain educators for the over 30,000 public schools’ students in San Luis Obispo County,” Brescia wrote.

Last September, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2295 into law, which considers housing development projects on properties owned by local educational agencies as an allowable use. AB 2295 becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2024.

“They took advantage of a vacant property, and they enthusiastically recommended it as an option,” Dubost said. “It not only made them able to recruit and retain employees but also grow a profit that they could use for other purposes.”

SLO County Senior Planner Shawn Monk said he recommended the land use ordinance amendment with AB 2295 in mind. The Assembly bill lists specific criteria that make housing developments eligible on properties owned by local educational agencies.

Those projects must consist of at least 10 housing units, the property must be adjacent to another parcel that permits residential housing as the main permitted use, and the property must be located on an infill site that’s entirely within the urban limit line set by local ordinance. Monk told supervisors that the County Office of Education’s proposed school district housing development doesn’t meet the requirements.

Act now!

Brescia told the supervisor that the preferred property adjacent to Highway 1 is centrally located, placing future residents less than 45 minutes away from all but three of the 85 educational facilities in the county. The County Office of Education also chose that area because it has control over water and road access there. Moreover, a large development exceeding six residences would be incompatible for that property if the county would like to build it without taking out loans.

In his letter to supervisors, Brescia said that the proposal wasn’t SLO County’s first brush with employee housing.

Between the 1950s and 1980s, the Office of Education used three caretaker units. The arrangement had stopped by the 1990s because of aging outdoor facilities that impacted caretaking duties.

Friday, November 3

Some school districts in the state are already seeing such housing plans become a reality.

On the same day that the SLO County Board of Supervisors authorized the land use ordinance change, the Santa Barbara Unified School District permitted its staff to work on a housing project with the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara.

“The Office of Education intends to develop smaller, more rural school district housing,” he said at the Sept. 26 meeting. “Because of this, land use ordinance amendment is required for the proposed project.”

Spanning a 217-acre parcel, the proposed district housing project will accommodate six, 960-square-foot single-family residences,

Calling the school district housing proposal an attempt to demonstrate a prototype, Brescia said at the meeting that it was his office’s way of answering a pivotal question.

“What can we do with public land with a reasonable amount of money to construct some housing?” he said. ∆

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

The SLO County Office of Education wants school district housing after struggling to recruit and retain educators

NO VACANCY School districts across San Luis Obispo County are dealing with educator and administrative worker shortages aggravated by dwindling affordable housing in the area.

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Lake lawsuit

Conflict between Lake Nacimiento locals and Monterey County enters new phase after year-long delay

For more than four years, Steve Blois has been waiting, debating, and fighting for something near and dear to him and his fellow Lake Nacimiento shoreside residents: Who determines how they use the lake in their backyards?

“We want to protect recreational use of [the lake],” Blois said. “The fact of the matter is that no one owns that water except the people of California—you can permit what it’s used for, sure, but in the end that water isn’t any one person or group’s thing to lord over.”

Blois serves as the vice president of the Nacimiento Regional Water Management Advisory Committee, a group embroiled in a lawsuit with the Monterey County Water Resources Agency over the latter’s regulation of recreational lake use.

“It’s a very complicated issue,” Blois said with a sigh. “At the risk of oversimplifying, the best way to describe it is that we take issue with the way water is being regulated for use by Monterey County.”

This is not the first time these two parties have crossed paths, according to Blois, although he did note that it’s the first time he has been majorly involved with a lawsuit as the vice president.

In 1993, the Nacimiento advisory committee—which ultimately lost the suit— sued the Monterey County water agency, alleging that the agency was required by law to conduct an environmental review of its 1991 schedule for allocating water released from its dam.

The current lawsuit—filed by the Nacimiento advisory committee in January 2019—has been twice delayed. First because of the COVID-19 pandemic, then due to a judge’s order to have the lawsuit looked at by the California State Water Resources Control Board for a thorough report on the management of the lake’s water.

“Some background information that might be important to know is that in the 1960s [Monterey County] farmers paid for the construction of the dam that is used to help

manage the water level at the lake,” Blois said.

Since then, farmers have paid a tax on their property that enables them to use Nacimiento’s water—all of this is permitted by the state water board, which determines how much water can be used for different purposes.

The water board compiled the report that led to a Sept. 26 lawsuit hearing in Paso Robles, where the judge who’s now presiding over the case did not accept the findings of the report.

“When the report was completed, there were some things we agreed with and some things we did not,” Blois said. “We believe that the county of Monterey wanted the judge to accept the report.”

The judge argued that the report’s data— which included stats on the water levels, water drainage and overall water content after winter storms—didn’t support the conclusion that Monterey County hasn’t ignored the recreational use of the lake as it has claimed.

New Times reached out to Monterey County for a comment on the ruling and received a statement from county Communications Director Nicholas Pasculli.

“I wish we could provide some details,” Pasculli said. “However, litigation is pending, and we do not have a comment at this time.”

San Luis Obispo County’s legal counsel clarified the county’s role in the following statement:

“The county of San Luis Obispo is not a party to that lawsuit, as the lake is owned by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency,” a spokesperson said. “But we are actively monitoring the case, as the lake is located within the county, and the county’s Nacimiento Pipeline Project uses water from the lake as well.”

As a result of the Sept. 26 hearing, the case is at a somewhat new starting point, according to Blois. Monterey’s water agency and the Nacimiento committee were ordered to

Stay in the know

Get updates on the status of the case, when the next hearing is, and how to get involved with the efforts of the Nacimiento Regional Water Management Advisory Committee by visiting nrwmac.org.

confer and determine what specific issues they wanted to bring to the table at the next hearing on Nov. 17.

“He effectively ordered both parties to come back and present evidence of our alleged issues,” Blois said. “The big thing with that is just how long it is going to take due to how complicated the issues at hand are.”

Part of the long process of determining those issues, according to Blois, is engaging in the discovery part of the lawsuit. Each side will have the chance to ask about the evidence the other side will present in the case, he said.

“This will happen for both sides, so, for example, if the county has a hydraulics expert they want to call as a witness, our attorneys will sit them down and ask them about their experience, what they might cover, etc., etc.,” Blois said.

As the November hearing approaches, Blois is hopeful that the Nacimiento Regional Water Management Advisory Committee will emerge victorious in a way that also ensures that Monterey County can still make use of the water it’s permitted to use.

“Ninety-eight percent of residents on the lakefront cannot use the lake right next to them, and if they do, they have to go on a boarding ramp on the other side of the lake,” he said.

Blois said that this is not the first time the two parties have conferred like this during the lawsuit process—and it’s unlikely to be the last—but he said he does hope that this time they will be able to reach new ground and move the whole case forward.

“We want them to have their other uses of water; we don’t want to take that away from them, and we do want them to recognize that [we locals] have a right to recreationally use water by our properties,” he said. “We want to work with them—we do—but it does take two to tango.” ∆

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

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THE BATTLE BEGINS The courts have recently begun the hearing process again for Nacimiento locals versus the county of Monterey, which will decide who gets proper use of the lake and its resources.

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BY SAMANTHA HERRERA

Year-round students

Six hundred students in Cal Poly’s fall 2024 freshman class will get the unique opportunity to start during the summer quarter—but not everyone is on board.

Jeffrey Armstrong, Cal Poly’s president, told New Times that the university surveyed prospective students on whether they would be interested in applying for a year-round operation initiative, and an overwhelming number said yes.

“We’ll bring in around 5,300 first-year students and only 600 of them would have to opt in for this program,” Armstrong said. “We know there’s many more that will want to do this, so we’re in a good position to meet demand for this [program].”

Students who opt in will agree to spend the summer quarter of their first and third years on campus while deciding to spend one of their fall, winter, or spring quarters off campus, according to a letter from the president’s office.

Currently, the program will only be extended to students in the College of Liberal Arts, College of Engineering, and Orfalea College of Business, Armstrong said.

“We selected these programs through the interaction and discussion with the provost and the deans, and they’re high-demand programs,” he said. “But we will see all majors from all colleges as we phase into future years.”

However, the program is facing backlash from Cal Poly’s California Faculty Association (CFA) chapter, which said it wasn’t aware of the plan prior to Armstrong announcing it on Sept. 18.

“I wanted to bring to your attention that, yesterday, the California Faculty Association sent a message to the Chancellor’s Office demanding that Cal Poly stop all planning and implementation work on the year-round operations idea of President Armstrong, and the CSU engage in a ‘meet and confer’ process to address all the issues in the idea that can impact the benefits, appointment, and any other conditions of employment that the program may cause,” CFA Chapter President Lisa Kawmura wrote in an email to Cal Poly faculty, coaches, counselors, and librarians.

Promote!

agreement and has protections under the state’s Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA).

“One of the objectives of HEERA is to protect faculty from unilateral changes to terms and conditions of employment. That is what President Armstrong’s approach does— it alters how and when we work regardless of him saying that no one will be forced to do anything they don’t want to do,” the email stated. “We are not a corporation but a community of learners and educators whose relationships are defined by transparent and binding agreements.”

While CFA isn’t against the year-round operations, the email stated that the association is sensitive to the imposition of changed working conditions without consultation.

When asked about CFA’s email, Matt Lazier, Cal Poly’s assistant vice president for communications and media relations, said university administration didn’t receive the email but Armstrong looks forward to these ongoing conversations.

“As President Armstrong mentioned during his fall convocation address, more conversations and work needs to be done according to shared governance and in collaboration with the campus community as details and plans are determined and pulled together,” Lazier said

Cal Poly also recently announced that in the fall of 2026, it will switch from quarters to a semester-based system.

Lazier said that the year-round operation is being launched with a manageable first phase and will be adjusted as the school brings on more students and majors, while at the same time, the university is in a years-long process of transitioning to a semester calendar.

For seniors in high school who are interested, Armstrong said summer quarter will be available during the admissions process, and students will be notified in the spring.

“We’ll start about a week after the spring quarter, so it’ll be sometime in June of 2024,” Armstrong said.

Fast fact

and

“There is a possibility that the way the idea was presented may be an unfair labor practice under the California Public Employee Relations Act,” Kawmura wrote.

She added that because there hadn’t been any meaningful conversations about the program, the union reminded the CSU management and Armstrong that the CFA operates under a collective bargaining

information to

• From Oct. 6 through 8, the SLO Botanical Garden will host its biannual Art in the Garden event. The Jill Knight Duo will be playing live music, craft activities will be provided for kids, and California native plants will be available for purchase. Learn more at slobg.org. ∆

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

CLASSES

START EARLY While some university officials are excited for Cal Poly’s yearround operation initiative, faculty members feel as though they were left in the dark during the decisionmaking process.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAL POLY

Something was missing from the SLO public art article

The “Creative culture” (Sept. 21) piece was a valuable contribution to an understanding of public art in our community. However, something is missing.

The true genesis of our public art culture is the more than 600 local artists who are now part of the Central Coast Artists Collective—former SLO Art Center members who thrived in a gallery space and held meetings, exhibits, and art classes for children and adults. Local artist groups were bowed out when the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art board and management took

The initiative process is important, but it can be hijacked

I agree wholeheartedly with Jeff Eckles’ letter on the initiative process (“The citizenled initiative process strengthens our democracy,” Sept. 21). At the same time, we need to be careful of the tyranny of the majority, which can pass initiatives that do harm.

In order for the initiative process to serve all Californians, voters must educate themselves on the issue and heed expert opinions rather than relying on popular myths. Also, nothing in the law prevents monied interests from influencing an election. Two cases in point:

1. Proposition 227 of 1998 eliminated true bilingual education programs. Voters who supported the proposition likely based their votes on myths—that children will have split identities if they are allowed to learn in their own language; that bilingual education will slow their educational progress; and that young children learn new languages effortlessly. Decades of research on bilingual education debunk these myths. Children learn English better in correctly designed bilingual programs, and they learn all subjects just as well as native English speakers.

2. Proposition 22, which allowed gig-job companies like Uber and Instacart to treat their workers as independent contractors rather than employees. Such companies contributed $205 million to the campaign, an amount ordinary citizens can hardly match. The proposition passed by 59 percent, and we will never know how much the corporate funding influenced voters—but it was likely significant.

Corporate funding of initiative elections could be curbed by appropriate laws. Perhaps we need an initiative limiting campaign contributions! As to the first issue, it can only be addressed by training Californians in critical thinking and by restoring the public’s respect for the expert researchers and scholars who spend their entire careers producing most of the world’s knowledge in fields ranging from art to medicine to engineering.

Johanna Rubba Grover Beach

a different direction with facility uses. While the collective strives to find space in the city, if you want to view local art group exhibits, the venues are now in Morro Bay or Paso Robles.

Leann Standish and Emma Saperstein do a fine job of running the museum and I appreciate inclusion of new artists, near and far. Yet, I bemoan loss of the museum’s formative purpose: a space for the expression of local artists in service to our community.

Gini Griffin San Luis Obispo

Delaney’s letter about the dunes economic impact was unreasonable

It may never happen that I win the lottery or that Putin leans toward Democracy, but I checked with my brother and his extended family to see if they never spent money locally at dining, grocery stores, hardware stores, and gas stations while camping at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. Each family spent an average of $100 per day while at the dunes. His children and grandchildren all learned to ride there; he and his friends and friends’ families have spent a week there for the last 40 years. It is a unique experience camping, riding, swimming. It is family time, a place where they have many family memories.

The park itself is smaller now; riders can no longer go as far down the beach or as deep into the dunes. Three to 4 miles of beach out of 840 miles of California coastline. It is a place for kids to learn to ride, to be outside, to play well with others in a unique environment; there is nowhere else like it. A receptacle for kids’ wild side, and I think they need that—to get away from the computers, phones, and TV.

What of the tourists who come to ride on the dunes for a few hours but don’t camp— surely they stay in town, eat in town. And how can you tell by looking that these people in the restaurants are from the dunes or not? I don’t know what the tourist contribution to the town is and I don’t think Evelyn Delaney knows either, and using words like never is unreasonable (“Oceano Dunes’ economic impact on SLO County is lower than some what us to believe,” Sept. 14). The real impact of closing the dunes is that our children lose another place where they can be free, learn to ride, interact, and enjoy a sport.

Joyce Bauerle Atascadero

Keep your loud noises out of downtown SLO

Sometimes, particularly in San Luis Obispo’s downtown district, the word “hello,” even if said, cannot be heard. For example, those who insist on continuously wearing noise-canceling ear buds might as well be saying they do not want contact with the

world outside their “bubble.” Worse yet, these ear buds might also suggest a clear rejection of those around them.

Then, there is the person who makes use of a different kind of technology—a technology which has the same antisocial or insensitive impact on others. The screaming sound (some might call it “music”) emanating from a radio through the open windows of a passing vehicle or the revving of motorcycles, trucks, or automobiles at stop signs inevitably annoys or shocks those who might have thought they were enjoying an otherwise peaceful shopping or dining excursion. If this unnecessary, deafening noise has nothing to do with expressing anger or rage but might rather be designed to impress, there remains a large contingent of people who find this deafening noise disturbing, if not hostile. Take a moment to reconsider your actions as you go about your daily routines—and by all means, keep your noise out of our downtown.

Some may wonder why SLO’s noise ordinance doesn’t apply here. Well it does: “All equipment and machinery powered by internal combustion engines shall be equipped with a proper muffler and air intake silencer in good working order.” As for loud noise emanating from the open window of a moving vehicle: “No person shall make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, or permit or allow to be made or continued, any noise disturbance in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from the noisemaker.” However, this is one of those laws where the SLO Police Department uses “discretion” before enforcing. In other words, it’s not enforced! Sensitivity, sympathy, peace, and love are precious commodities. In place of insensitivity or hostility, these traits could

be seen as gifts to a planet otherwise under siege.

Allan Cooper David Brodie San Luis Obispo

Raise your voice to protect the Salinas River

On Oct. 10, the Atascadero City Council will decide whether to continue the city’s tradition of allowing the Salinas River corridor and habitat to be degraded by illegal dumping, off-road vehicles, trash, and pollution.

At that meeting, it will be asked to reject that and comply with its general plan, which declares that the “watershed shall be protected”; degradation of “scenic areas, habitats, and wetlands” is prohibited; the Salinas River must be “left in its natural state”; and the city should provide more pedestrian and equestrian access to the river and De Anza trail.

It will be asked to consider the desires of the community expressed during the general plan update, including valuing the Salinas River as a “community asset” for enhancing our quality of life, regional recreation, ecotourism, education, and job creation.

The SLO Beaver Brigade, BioDiversity First!, and I have filed appeals to reverse the Atascadero Planning Commission’s approval of a permit to allow 262 RVs to be parked on 6 acres in the Salinas River floodplain.

Visit the SLO Beaver Brigade’s website (slobeaverbrigade.com) to learn about this plan, our opposition to it, and how you can raise your voice to join us.

David Broadwater Atascadero

BY JOHN ASHBAUGH

Lasting legacy

At the end of September, we learned that U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) died, but in many ways, we had already been saying goodbye to her. Earlier this year, the senator was absent from Washington for more than three months with a series of health issues. Many of her staunch friends and allies were calling on her to consider resigning.

I supported Feinstein through six elections, beginning in 1992 when Feinstein first campaigned for the Senate. That year, and again in 1994, I was the Democratic Party standard-bearer for state Assembly here, with Feinstein on those ballots. I lost. She won both times.

In 1994, Feinstein was nearly defeated by first-term Santa Barbara Congressman Michael Huffington. In each of the next four elections, though, she was handily reelected. Her legacy is secured as the longest-serving senator from California in our 173-year history, and the longest-serving female senator in our nation’s history.

However, Feinstein locked down her legacy very early in her career:

• Guns: Within her first two years in office, Feinstein led the campaign for the 1994 assault weapons ban. This measure may have saved many lives, but despite her efforts to extend it, Congress allowed it to lapse after only 10 years. She continued to advocate for “common sense” measures to reduce gun violence and improve firearms safety over her entire career.

• The California desert: In those very busy first two years, Feinstein also led an intense fight to secure passage of the California Desert Protection Act that established Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks and the Mojave National Preserve. This bill protected almost 8 million acres of delicate desert ecosystems. And Feinstein stayed the course. In 2016, she persuaded President Obama to designate three new national monuments in the California desert, expanding protection to another 1.8 million acres of the Mojave.

• Women’s rights: Feinstein often partnered with fellow U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California), also elected in 1992 following the rampant sexism on display as Anita Hill testified in the Senate against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Altogether, eight women were elected to the Senate in that “Year of the Woman” in politics. Feinstein, Boxer, and their cohort championed the rights of women to equal employment opportunity, protection from domestic violence and workplace harassment, and reproductive freedom.

Feinstein spent more than a half-century in public service, working well past her 90th birthday. The day before she died, Feinstein cast her final vote on the Senate floor: to extend funding for the government, which was ultimately successful.

In 2016, Boxer didn’t to run for reelection to a fifth term so she could enjoy more time with her grandchildren, her daughter, Nicole, and son-in-law, Tony Rodham.

Unfortunately, Feinstein never got the privilege of being a full-time grandmother to Eileen Feinstein Mariano, now a top advisor to San Francisco Mayor London Breed. She could have and probably should have chosen to leave her seat—especially as it became clear that she suffered from a series of conditions that included encephalitis, shingles, and memory issues.

So why did Feinstein stay in her seat? In 2017, Feinstein had earned a coveted seat on the Judiciary Committee—the same committee that had so casually scorned the sworn testimony of Anita Hill 25 years earlier.

Earlier this year, Feinstein was absent from the Senate for three months while recovering from an infection related to shingles. But she was determined to return to her position, and did so in May, although confined to a wheelchair and showing clear signs of fatigue. Still, she was able to use her seat on the Judiciary Committee to confirm dozens of President Biden’s nominees for the federal bench.

Feinstein was among the most articulate, passionate, and effective politicians who have ever represented California—or any other state in this country. She truly cared about her constituents, and she worked hard to advance their interests, even when that work required compromise with other members of Congress who didn’t share her values. She was highly respected by her Democratic colleagues and by most Republicans.

In his Capitol Journal column this week in the Los Angeles Times, George Skelton heaped praise on Feinstein as “the kind of dedicated, workaholic, straight-talking public servant we’d like all our elected officials to be.” Skelton went on to characterize her as the best California senator in history, no small praise, given Skelton’s six decades covering politics in Sacramento and Washington.

Our congressman, Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), also praised Feinstein as “our state’s foremost expert at shattering glass ceilings and an indefatigable champion for … the Golden State.” He noted her work on maritime safety and liability laws in the wake of the disastrous and fatal fire on the Conception dive boat, and her championing of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.

There’s widespread but not universal support for the sanctuary. A key sticking point is over its name. Making it all about the Chumash is unpopular among the other local tribe that has a legitimate claim to preEuropean maritime heritage on the Central Coast, the Salinan tribe.

Let’s consider naming this new sanctuary after Feinstein. She clearly deserves the honor, and as Feinstein biographer and former San Francisco Chronicle managing editor Jerry Roberts asserted, “she was in nobody’s tribe.” ∆

John Ashbaugh got acquainted with Dianne Feinstein in his two campaigns for state Assembly. Write a response for publication by emailing it to letters@newtimesslo.com.

This Week’s Online Poll

Are you satisfied with diversity representation in school textbooks?

65% Publishers need to amplify minority contributions.

23% Yes, textbooks are fine as is.

7% I don’t read.

5% School books with diverse representation should be optional. 57 Votes

The lefty majority on the SLO County Board of Supervisors is on a tear, reversing policies created by the onceconservative majority, righting wrongs, and sparking fear into the hearts of every rightytighty in the county.

The dreaded and much-maligned Patten redistricting map that screwed the county into the future whether it exists or not? Gone. Independent redistricting commission? On the table. Integrating the county back into the Integrated Waste Management Authority it left in such a huff? Back on the table. Correcting the mistakes made on the Paso Robles groundwater sustainability agency? Happening. The potential for reinstating some sort of inclusionary housing ordinance to stimulate affordable housing development? It’s a possibility!

Oh no! Uber conservatives everywhere are shaking in their well-worn boots.

Go, go, go!

Currently in the majority’s sights? The county’s conundrum of a cannabis ordinance. A piece of policy designed to strangle the cannabis industry’s chances of getting off the ground in SLO County and preventing the county from accruing any meaningful revenue to pay for its department of cannabis enforcers, judges, and tax collectors.

Dawn Ortiz-Legg—the county’s businessminded 3rd District supervisor—didn’t hold back in her summation of the cannabis ordinance’s current state.

“This ordinance is the most disastrous

ordinance I think that anybody could possibly write in regard to trying to help a business thrive,” Ortiz-Legg said at the supervisors’ Sept. 26 meeting.

“There’s more than just a couple of cleanups, so this is a long conversation in regard to how we can go about really recovering the revenues we’re losing and we can actually recoup the investment the general fund has made.”

Shots fired!

She was talking specifically to the conservative hangers-on sitting next to her:

1st District Supervisor John Peschong and 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold, who, together with former 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton, designed it.

Arnold said she wasn’t thinking about business when it came to cannabis. Because why would you regulate business? She was regulating a drug! Thinking of the children! Worried about local residents! Obviously.

“You’re not the only industry that has a really difficult time and a lengthy process to get through before you’re operational in this county,” she told cannabis business operators who complained about the county’s regulations on their industry. “It isn’t just about cannabis.”

But it is, Debbie. Your beef is with cannabis and all the hippies who partake in that particular paradise. Your other beefs include regulations placed on every other industry in the county, including

water restrictions on farmers using water from the quickly disappearing Paso Robles Groundwater Basin.

She’s worried about what law enforcement will do it the county allows mobile dispensaries to deliver for two more hours every day, until 10 p.m. Oh the humanity!

She’s not worried about the people who drive all the way out to her winery near the Pozo Saloon to taste their way through alcoholic beverages before getting on Highway 58 to speed back into civilization. The same goes for the 400-plus wineries in rural areas of this county. I don’t hear her concerns that law enforcement will be “spread too thin” about that, an industry that arguably has a chokehold on SLO County and a substance with arguably way more serious consequences than cannabis.

You know who else wants you to think of the children? Mike Brown from the Coalition of Labor Agriculture and Business. Bruce Jones, who lost his sure victory in the 2nd District to Bruce Gibson by 13 votes. Both mentioned “the children” in their rants against cannabis on Sept. 26.

When in doubt, obviously, lean on the children! Cough, cough, all you yay-hoos out there who can’t get past your biases about the LGBTQ-plus community and are heaping that bigotry and fear on local school districts and libraries. Get over yourselves!

Peschong is also thinking of the children. After a visit to Boulder and Denver in Colorado, and a chat with the local judge, he’s got his cards stacked against weed, man. Schizophrenia? According to the judge, it’s increased by 17 percent because of marijuana use in middle school students at one local

school district. How did they figure that? He didn’t give specifics.

You know what’s weird? I couldn’t find data that specific and significant in any studies of schizophrenia and marijuana.

The two are connected. Extremely heavy marijuana use is associated with early onset of schizophrenia in high school students, but the studies are ongoing.

Unsurprisingly, the county’s cannabis ordinance has choked the industry out to the point where it can’t pay for the county department that’s in charge of it. Revenues are less than expected, and the county’s general fund is helping with the shortfall. It costs the county $1.5 million to run that program. SLO County made a little more than $500,000 off industry taxes in the 202223 fiscal year.

Brick-and-mortar storefront dispensaries can help with that, The Source mobile dispensary owner Shawn Bean said in a letter he submitted to supervisors.

Grover Beach made enough off cannabis tax revenue to pay for the county’s program in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, bringing in $2.4 million and $1.5 million, respectively, from the city’s four brick-and-mortar dispensaries and other industry businesses operating in the city. It encapsulates 15 percent of the city’s revenue and is helping pay for road repairs, sidewalk improvements, and the Police Department.

I haven’t heard any groaning from the Grover Beach Police Department about being stretched too thin. ∆

The Shredder’s also on a tear. Send targets to shredder@newtimesslo.com.

Hot Dates

RAMBLE ON

Rambling Spirits Bar and Grill is celebrating the grand opening of its new location in San Luis Obispo with a ribbon cutting ceremony and shu eboard tournament on Saturday, Oct. 14, starting at noon. e event will also feature live music. Visit drinkramblingspirits.com for more info. e venue’s new site is located at 114 Tank Farm Road, San Luis Obispo.

—Caleb Wiseblood

ARTS

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR The Cambria Neighbors Club is hosting its annual Arts and Crafts Fair at the Cambria Pines Lodge. With more than 70 vendors registered, and food and music. Free admission. Oct. 14 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 818-809-7910. cambriapineslodge.com/ events/onsite. Cambria Pines Lodge, 2905 Burton Dr., Cambria.

BRUSHSTROKES 2023 The Painters

Group SLO presents its annual juried exhibition Brushstrokes, revived postpandemic, featuring a wide variety of painting mediums and styles. Through Nov. 6 Free. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay, 805-772-2504, artcentermorrobay.org.

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

GELLI PRINTING WORKSHOP In this hands-on class, Judy Knott will walk you through several gelli plate printing exercises to create beautiful papers that can be used in collages and abstract paintings. Oct. 7 12:30-4:30 p.m. Contact for price. 805-772-2504. artcentermorrobay. org. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay.

HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE Features unique handmade items from the Bear Valley Quilters. Oct. 8 10 a.m.-4 p.m. South Bay Community Center, 2180 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.

READ TOGETHER A group reading of a play/ script. No audition necessary. Come in, take

a script, and the group will read the play aloud together. This month will be The Man

Who Came to Dinner Oct. 12 , 5:30-6:45 p.m. 805-528-1862. slolibrary.org. Los Osos Library, 2075 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.

SLOFUNNY COMEDY JAMBOREE LOS

OSOS A monthly comedy show that takes place at various locations in SLO County. Oct. 12 8-9:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Central Coast Pizza, 1050 Los Osos Valley Road, Los Osos.

WAR OF THE WORLDS By the Sea Productions presents its production of the 1938 radio broadcast based on H.G. Well’s novel. Oct. 13-29 my805tix.com. By The Sea Productions, 545 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

APPETITE FOR ART A fundraiser, supporting the mission of Studios on the Park and celebrating art and food. Enjoy cocktails from Pappy McGregor’s, wines from Adelaida Vineyards, grazing boards from Cured and Cultivated, music from Eric Burgener, and a silent auction. Oct. 5 , 5:30-8 p.m. $100. 805-238-9800. studiosonthepark.org. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.

COMEDY NIGHT Headlining is Je “Big Daddy” Wayne, with Stephanie Blum, David Uhlfelder, and hosted by Justin Bournonville. Oct. 7 7-10 p.m. $25 in advance; $30 at the door. 805-221-7121. pasolounge.com/. Paso Lounge, 1144 Black Oak Drive, Paso Robles.

EVENING OF COMEDY FROM HEMINGWAY’S STEAKHOUSE GA tickets are theater seating. VIP tickets get preferred table seating and food and drink service at the table. First Saturday of every month, 8-10 p.m. through Dec. 6 $38-$55. 805-369-1017. Park Ballroom, 1232 Park St., Paso Robles, ehsteaks.com.

FIRST SATURDAY: WINE, ART, AND MUSIC Studios on the Park celebrates First Saturdays, a fun tradition of art, wine, and live music-filled evenings at the start of each

month. Enjoy meeting artists and seeing rotating exhibitions while enjoying live music and wine from one of the venue’s winery partners. First Saturday of every month, 6-9 p.m. Free; $10 for wine. 805-238-9800. studiosonthepark.org. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.

HALLOWEEN WELCOME MAT PAINTING

Please join ArtSocial 805 at the creative campus for a Halloween welcome mat making event. Oct. 12 6-8 p.m. $50. 805400-9107. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles, artsocial805.com.

OCTOBER’S FIRST SATURDAY: WINE, ART, AND MUSIC Enjoy art from the second month of our “A Cut Above” exhibit while sipping wines donated by Asuncion Ridge and hear music by Marco Patson. Oct. 7 6-9 p.m. Free; $10 wine. 805-2389800. studiosonthepark.org. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.

PETS AND PLATES: AN EVENING OF INSPIRATION, INTUITION, AND CREATIVITY A special evening with Sandy Rakowitz, owner of One Heart University. Connect with our beloved animals past and present. Sandy will o er a private, intuitive connection with your pet in the studio’s loft area. Bring a photo of your pet. Oct. 13, 5-7 p.m. $150. 805-464-2633. glassheadstudio. com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero.

PUMPKIN SCULPTING DEMONSTRATION

Jordan Hockett is back with his pumpkin sculpting demos. Instead of carving pumpkins in a traditional style, Jordan uses a sculpting technique to create complex three-dimensional characters. Stop by and see how he does it, and get a few pointers for yourself. Oct. 14 4-7 p.m. Free. 805-238-9800. studiosonthepark.org/events/pumpkinsculpting-demo/. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.

SLOFUNNY COMEDY AT TOOTH AND

NAIL WINERY Hosted by Sean Tweedly.

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

Special Guests Ron Swallow and Ed Greer. Featuring Roni Shanell. Headliner Shaun Latham. Oct. 13 8 p.m. my805tix.com. Tooth and Nail Winery, 3090 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles, 805-369-6100.

SPOOKTACULAR PAINTING EVENT Please join ArtSocial 805 at the Creative Campus for a fun family Halloween-themed painting event with treats included. Oct. 11, 5-6:30 p.m. $20$35. 805-400-9107. artsocial805.com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

28TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE

Features more than 40 vendors. Items include handmade jewelry, home decor, quilts, and more. Presented by the CA Poppy Decorative Artist Group. Oct. 13, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Oct. 15 10 a.m.-3 p.m. californiapoppydecorativeartists.org. SLO Elks Lodge, 222 Elks Lane, San Luis Obispo.

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

ART FOR TEENS A four-week, after-school art class: “All About Color,” for teens (ages 13-18). Students will create color wheels, learn about color theory and how to mix pigments, experiment with limited color palettes, and more. A perfect autumn class for young artists. All materials included. Tuesdays, 4-5:30 p.m. through Oct. 24 $120. Nesting Hawk Ranch, Call for address, San Luis Obispo, 702-335-0730.

ART IN THE GARDEN Enjoy fine art, food, and music during the three-day event, which includes a special opening night champagne reception on Oct. 6. Oct. 6, 5-7 p.m., Oct. 7 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Oct. 8 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. 805-541-1400. slobg.org.

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

CENART AFTER DARK: CENTURY 21

HOMETOWN REALTY An exhibit of pastel paintings by Bobbye West Thompson, member of the Central Coast Pastel Society (3CPS). Meet the artist during a free reception on July 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m. Free. 805-235-4877. slocountyarts.org.

Century 21 Hometown Realty, 599 Higuera St, Ste A, San Luis Obispo.

COMEDY NIGHT Professional comedy show featuring local and touring comics. Hosted by Aidan Candelario. First Thursday of every month, 7-9 p.m. $5. 805-5408300. Bang the Drum Brewery, 1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, San Luis Obispo, bangthedrumbrewery.com.

CUESTA COLLEGE CENTRAL COAST

WRITER’S CONFERENCE An annual one-day event at Cuesta College providing education, inspiration, and community to writers and creatives across genres. For 39 years, the conference has invited notable authors, speakers, and industry professionals to help writers improve their craft. Oct. 14 , 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. $249. cuesta.edu/communityprograms/writersconference/index.html. Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, 805-546-3132.

ENSEMBLE IMPROV COMEDY SHOW See the talented ensemble team perform live improv comedy on the second spookiest night of the month, Friday the 13th. Oct. 13 6-8 p.m. $10. SLO Public Market, 120 Tank Farm Road, San Luis Obispo.

FIRST FRIDAYS Visit SLOMA on the first Friday of each month for exhibition openings, music, and wines provided by regional winery partners. Admission is free and open to the public. First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma.org/events/firstfridays/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

IMPROV AND STAND-UP SHOW Join the talented cast of CCCT for a night of laughs with this live Improv comedy and stand-up show. Sit back and enjoy the show with a cool glass of beer or wine from the bar and a meal from Wicked Garden food truck. Oct. 5 , 6-8 p.m. $10. SLO Wine and Beer Company, 3536 S. Higuera St., suite 250, San Luis Obispo, 805-544-9463, slowineandbeerco.com.

IMPROV STUDENT SHOWCASE Join CCCT’s Improv 101 students at their Improv

Comedy debut. Features hilarious games generated on the spot from audience suggestions. Oct. 12 , 6-8 p.m. $10. SLO Wine and Beer Company, 3536 S. Higuera St., suite 250, San Luis Obispo, 805-5449463, slowineandbeerco.com.

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. 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.

JOHN BARRETT John Barrett was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1952 and grew up in Manhattan Beach, California. He began pursuing his career as an artist in the late 1960s influenced by his great-grandfather, a painter. Through Nov. 27, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma.org/exhibition/ john-barrett/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad 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.

LESLIE SUTCLIFFE This installation consists of 96 panels, any number of which can be assembled and reassembled in a multitude of ways. Initially, the individual panels were inspired by the rich visual imagery in Italo Calvino’s Six Memos for the Next Millennium. Oct. 6 -Jan. 29 Free. 805543-8562. sloma.org/exhibition/mementosof-six-millennia/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

NUNSENSE

The five nuns from Little Sisters

PHOTO COURTESY OF RAMBLING SPIRITS BAR AND GRILL

Smog Check

New Times Media Group is currently looking for a part-time advertising production designer

You must be an efficient, motivated individual that wants to help us create effective advertising for clients and readers of New Times and the Sun. If you are detailed-oriented, have a strong design sense, and a good work ethic, you may have what it takes to join the New Times Media Group team. Taking direction and working well with others is a must. We enjoy working in a casual, fun, and exciting deadline-driven environment in our downtown SLO office.

Applicants should be very comfortable with the Macintosh OS and Adobe’s Creative Suite with an emphasis on InDesign and Photoshop; and should be available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.

If you’re interested, please send your résumé and examples of your work to:

NTMG Advertising Designer Job New Times attn: Cindy Rucker 1010 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Or email your résumé and a link to your portfolio to: designerjob@newtimesslo.com

of Hoboken put on a fundraiser to bury sisters accidentally poisoned by the convent cook, Sister Julia, Child of God. Fortunately, the remaining sisters all have hidden talents that bring merriment to this show full of “nun” puns. Thursdays-Saturdays, 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays, 2-4 p.m. through Oct. 15 $20-$45. 805-786-2440. slorep.org/shows/nunsense-amusical-comedy/. SLO Rep, 888 Morro St., 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.

OPEN STUDIOS ART TOUR 2023 Fine artists and crafters open their studios to showcase their art and share their processes. Visitors create their own self-guided tours using the catalog (full catalog of participating artists available online). A program of the SLO County Arts Council. Oct. 14-15 slocountyarts.org/osat. SLO County, Various locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.

OPEN STUDIOS ART TOUR: KICKOFF

CELEBRATION Features a live DJ set to enjoy from Peaking Lights; food from Baguette About It and Big Wave Sushi Bowls available for purchase; and opportunities to network and mingle with local artists and art patrons. Oct. 13, 6-9 p.m. my805tix.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

OUTSIDE THE BOX Craftmakers presents

Outside the Box, an exhibition of fine craft, including clay masks, encaustics, collages, fabric, sculpture, and more. Craftmakers is an artist group of the Central Coast Artists Collective. Oct. 6 - Nov. 27 Free. 805-7474200. artcentralslo.com. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

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

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

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

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 countywide, 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.

SCAB PICKER: MOLLY SEGAL Los Angeles-based painter Molly Segal’s surreal largescale watercolors explore a world with finite resources, both natural and emotional, where we find ourselves grappling with insatiable needs and limited provisions. Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through Oct. 13 Free. 805-546-3202. cuesta.edu/student/ campuslife/artgallery/index.html. Harold J. Miossi Gallery, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

BEAR VALLEY NECESSITIES

The Bear Valley Quilters will hold its Holiday Boutique at the South Bay Community Center in Los Osos on Sunday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The boutique will feature a variety of unique handmade items. For more details, visit bearvalleyquilters.org or email bvqprograms@gmail.com. The South Bay Community Center is located at 2180 Palisades Ave., Los Osos. —C.W.

per session; or $60 for a month pass. 805-7474200. instagram.com/slodrawz/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

who have been perfecting their acts with instructor Danielle Durbin. Oct. 7, 6-8 p.m. $10. Linnaea’s Cafe, 1110 Garden St., San Luis Obispo, 805-541-5888, linnaeas.com/.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

AUTUMN MARKET Gifts Galore presents Autumn Market at Birchwood Garden. Join 35 local vendors, selling accessories, candles, clothes, cosmetics, food, jewelry, and more available to purchase. Oct. 7

Free admission. Birchwood Garden Barn & Home, 323 West Tefft Street, Nipomo.

BIG LIBRARY BOOK SALE The Grover Beach Community Library’s last sale of the year offers a wide selection of current fiction, non-fiction, research, and a beautiful selection of coffee table books.

It is a perfect time to pick up holiday gifts.

Cash only. Oct. 7, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free to attend. 805-481-4131. GroverBeachLibrary. org. Grover Beach Community Library, 240 N 9th St., Grover Beach.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SOUTH SLO’S

BIG NIGHT OUT AT THE MELODRAMA A charitable and fun-filled evening at the Great American Melodrama. Enjoy a sweet dessert silent auction and a special live performance of Trudy and The Beast all in support of the local youth. Oct. 11 $60. (805) 481-7339. bgcslo.org/ bignightout.html. Great American Melodrama, 1863 Front St., Oceano.

CENTRAL COAST ENTERTAINMENT

for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

NINTH ANNUAL FASHIONS FOR A PURPOSE: FASHION SHOW EVENT

Features live and online auctions. Proceeds of this fundraiser benefit domestic violence and safe dating awareness. Oct. 14, 9:30 a.m.-noon my805tix.com. DANA Adobe Cultural Center, 671 S. Oakglen Ave., Nipomo, 805-929-5679.

SILENT SKY In this play by Lauren Gunderson, travel back in time to the early 20th century and meet Henrietta Leavitt, an astronomer ahead of her time. This inspiring and moving play celebrates the remarkable achievements of women in science, and more. Presented by AGHS Theater Company. Oct. 13, 7-10 p.m. and Oct. 15, 2-5 p.m. $10-$15. 805-489-9444. clarkcenter.org/shows/aghs-theatre-fall/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

SLOFUNNY COMEDY GROVER BEACH A monthly comedy show that takes place at various locations in SLO County. Lineups are subject to change, but there are always three headliners and a special guest. Oct. 11 8-9:30 p.m. my805tix.com. Ribline by the Beach, 395 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

VIRGINIA MACK: BEGINNING

SEWING FOR KIDS

Four-week beginner sewing course for kids ages 8-11. Students will learn the fundamentals of hand sewing, and create multiple felt pictures that can be used in a variety of ways. This class is for children who can use a needle responsibly. Wednesdays, 10-11 a.m. through Oct. 25 $100. Nesting Hawk Ranch, Call for address, San Luis Obispo, 702-335-0730.

SLO DRAWZ: OPEN FIGURE DRAWING

GROUP Improve your drawing skills while also building a community of supportive creatives with live models. This is not a guided class, please bring your own materials. To sign up, email chantellegoldthwaite@gmail.com. Every other Thursday, 5-7 p.m. through Dec. 31 $20

SLO NIGHTWRITERS: A COMMUNITY OF WRITERS SLO NightWriters supports local writers with monthly presentations, critique groups, contests, and other events. Second Tuesday of every month, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. 805-703-3132. slonightwriters.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

SLODRAWZ FIGURE DRAWING GROUP

Doesn’t include guided instructions. Students are encouraged to bring whatever media they desire. Features a different nude model each session. All skill levels welcome. Second Monday of every month, 5-7 p.m. through Dec. 11 $20 ($3 tip recommended). 559-250-3081. spencerpoulterart.com. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

STAND-UP COMEDY SHOWCASE CCCT’s

Stand-Up Comedy class students will be performing their material at Linnaea’s. Get ready to laugh along with these comics

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.

WALT WHITMAN GAY MEN’S BOOK CLUB

This club reads, studies and discusses books chosen by the group which relate to their lives as gay men. All are welcome. Second Monday of every month, 7-9:30 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

EXPO The Central Coast Film Society hosts a full day of free workshops with local film industry professionals, and the Central Coast Screening of the documentary Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic. Following the daytime Expo is an evening event at 6:00PM. Tickets for evening event; $35-$45 Oct. 7 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Free; $35-$45 for evening event. 805-489-9444. clarkcenter. org/shows/central-coast-entertainmentexpo/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

THE LARAMIE PROJECT In this play by Moises Kaufman, follow the poignant and thought-provoking exploration of a community’s response to a tragic event. This gripping play delves into the aftermath of the true life 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, shedding light on themes of hate and acceptance. Oct. 12 and Oct. 14 7-10 p.m. $10-$15. 805-489-9444. clarkcenter. org/shows/aghs-theatre-fall/. Clark Center

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

5K WALK OR RUN THE CAMBRIA COAST TO HELP ERADICATE POLIO

Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Cambria. Proceeds go to Rotary’s PolioPlus, part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Oct. 14 9 a.m.-noon $25. 805-909-0780. cambriarotaryfundraiser.org/. Shamel Park, 5455 Windsor Blvd., Cambria. ADOPT A KITTEN EVENT Hosted by Feline Network of the Central Coast. Come see beautiful cats and kittens for adoption and bring home a forever pet. All cats are fully CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 20

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BEAR VALLEY QUILTERS

*must purchase a men’s game ticket to attend the women’s game get your tickets now!

2023 Harvest Festival Grape Stomp & Tacos

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 Cass Winery, Paso Robles

SLO County Jazz Federation: The Mimi Fox B3 Organ Trio

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14

Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, SLO

Avila Beach Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo Night

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 Avila Beach Community Center

Halloween Banda y Norteño

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

All Aboard! The KD Train (Knee Deep)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER

Lompoc

vetted. Oct. 7 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 805-549-9238. felinenetwork.org. Los Osos Valley Nusery, 301 Los Osos Valley Road, Los Osos.

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. 805528-4880. baysidemartialarts.com. Bayside Martial Arts, 1200 2nd St., Los Osos.

CAYUCOS HISTORY NIGHT The Cayucos

Historical Society is happy to announce the return of its entertaining history night program.

Featured Speaker: Jim Gregory, Arroyo Grande native, author, and historian. Admission is free and cookies will be provided. Oct. 6 7-8 p.m. Free. 805-235-2176. cayucoshistoricalsociety. com. Cayucos Elementary School, 301 Cayucos Dr., Cayucos.

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

CENTRAL COAST WOOD CARVERS

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

CO-DEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS MEETING

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

DINNER AND LIBATIONS FOR THE STATION

An intimate sunset event to benefit the Piedras Blancas Light Station. Enjoy pours of Harmony Cellars wine as you wander the grounds of this national treasure. With dinner and dessert by the The Pizza Trolley and live music by Kenny Taylor. Oct. 7, 4-6:30 p.m. $100 per person. 805-927-1625. piedrasblancas.org.

Piedras Blancas Light Station, 15950 Cabrillo Highway, San Simeon.

MORRO BAY MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Disciplines include advanced athletic performance fitness training, Thai kickboxing, and more. Beginners to advanced students welcome. Day and evening classes offered.

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

SHAMANIC MORNING RITUALS FOR VITALITY Visit site for tickets and more info on the event. Oct. 6 8:30-9:30 a.m. my805tix.com. Beach Access Parking Lot, 102 Atascadero Road, Morro Bay.

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/.

TAI CHI CHUN CERTIFICATION With the 2019 Tai Chi Instructor of the year. Ongoing courses. ongoing Call for price. 805-7017397. 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.

THIRD ANNUAL MORRO BAY ROTARY

DUCKY DERBY Visit morrobayrotary.org for more info on this annual event and how to participate. Oct. 14, 8-10:30 a.m. Each Ducky is $10; Free for all to watch. 805-441-3552. Tidelands Park, 339 Embarcadero, 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. 805701-7397. charvetmartialarts.com. Grateful Body, 850 Shasta, Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

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. 805-441-2164. 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.

THREE SPECKLED HENS ANTIQUES AND OLD STUFF SHOW A biannual event that specializes in selling one-of-a-kind antique and vintage items. More than 100 vendors will participate in the show, selling everything from antiques and vintage items to re-purposed treasures. Oct. 6 and Oct. 7 my805tix.com. Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Avenue, Paso Robles, 805-239-0655.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

ALL ELECTRIC HIGH EFFICIENCY HOME DEMONSTRATION Are you thinking

of building an ADU or a tiny home and want to go all-electric? Come to this free workshop to understand the benefits and challenges that go into home plans and home designs for an efficient ADU or tiny home. Oct. 10 5:30-7 p.m. Free. 805-215-5474. smartsharehousingsolutions.org. SLO Guild Hall, 2880 Broad St., 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. MondaysSundays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sliding scale. 559-9059274. theartofsilence.net. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

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

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. COFFEE CHAT SLO Today’s coffee chat will focus on the topic: Older Adults and Small Housing. Guests will discuss housing options for older adults in the county, including homesharing and living in small housing, individually or within a village of smaller housings. Oct. 11 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. 805-215-5474. smartsharehousingsolutions.org/ events/. SLO Guild Hall, 2880 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

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

FIRE PREVENTION NIGHT AT THE

FARMERS’ MARKET Celebrate National Fire Prevention Week at the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market. The event will feature firefighters from all over San Luis Obispo County showing off their latest fire safety equipment, giving tours of their vehicles, and more. Oct. 12 6-8 p.m. Free. downtownslo.com.

San Luis Obispo Farmers Market, Broad and Higuera, San Luis Obispo, 805-541-0286.

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.

INTRODUCTION TO PICKLEBALL For ages 18 and over. Come see what pickleball is all about. Participants will learn the basics of the game including the rules, basic skills and strategy, types of equipment, and game safety. Saturdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m. through Oct. 14 $35. slocity.org. Meadow Park, 2251 Meadow St., San Luis Obispo.

LECTURE: WHEN SAN LUIS OBISPO WAS COW HEAVEN Help Marilyn Darnell and the History Center keep the interest in SLO County’s dairy history alive by attending this lecture and heeding Darnell’s call to spread the word. Oct. 6 5:30 p.m. Free. 805-543-0638. historycenterslo.org/lecture. History Center of San Luis Obispo County, 696 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

LOTERÍA NIGHTS Enjoy a game of La Lotería Mexicana, a bingo-style game with colorful and beautifully-drawn cards. With drink specials and prizes for the winners.

RSVP encouraged. Thursdays, 6 p.m. Free. drinkramblingspirits.com. Rambling Spirits, 3845 S. Higuera St. (inside SLO Public Market), 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.

THE MONDAY CLUB SLO LIVING

HISTORY TOURS Enter the iconic doors of the historic, Julia Morgan-designed

clubhouse. Docents will take you back to the 1920s and ‘30s, while viewing the beautiful architecture, murals, and gardens. Oct. 9 1-4 p.m. TheMondayClubSLO.org. The Monday Club, 1815 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-541-0594.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED: TRAIN

THIS AUTUMN TO MEET CRUCIAL HOSPICE VOLUNTEER NEEDS Want to pay it forward? Want to see good in the world? Call Central Coast Hospice and ask to speak with the Volunteer Coordinator. Fridays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. through Oct. 27 Free. 805-540-6020. centralcoasthomehealth. com. Central Coast Home Health and Hospice, 253 Granada, San Luis Obispo. PUPPY SOCIAL HOUR Puppies (10 weeks to 5 months old) will learn appropriate play style with other pups, acceptable manners with people, tolerance for gentle restraints, confidence with the approach of friendly strangers, and more. Saturdays, 9 a.m. and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. $25. 805-543-9316. woodshumanesociety.org/training/. Woods Humane Society, 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo.

Q YOUTH GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM)

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

QI GONG FITNESS ONLINE Hosted by the San Luis Coastal Adult School. Gentle but powerful exercises for mind and body with instructor Gary West. Enhance your well being, improve your balance, and practice mindfulness. 19 weeks. Wednesdays, 9:3010:30 a.m. through Dec. 13 $95. 805-5491222. ae.slcusd.org/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

QI GONG FOR MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT Learn and practice qi gong, a Chinese system for physical, mental and spiritual development. This class is conducted outdoors in a beautiful setting, which is the best place to do qi gong, as its inspiration

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 22

is drawn from nature. Certified instructor: Devin Wallace. Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m. $10. 805709-2227. Crows End Retreat Center, 6340 Squire Ct., San Luis Obispo.

SLO NOONTIME TOASTMASTERS CLUB

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

SLO RETIRED ACTIVE MEN: WEEKLY

COFFEE MEETING SLO RAMs is a group or retirees that get together just for the fun, fellowship, and to enjoy programs which enhance the enjoyment, dignity, and independence of retirement. Thursdays, 8:309:30 a.m. through Nov. 25 $10 coffee meeting. retiredactivemen.org. Madonna Inn, 100 Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo, 877-468-3861.

STAY YOUNG WITH QI GONG Qi Gong boosts energy and vitality, reduces stress, improves balance and flexibility, and, best of all, is fun. Join instructor Devin Wallace for this outdoor class which is held in a beautiful setting. Call or email before attending. Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m. $10. 805709-2227. Crows End Retreat Center, 6340 Squire Ct., San Luis Obispo.

SUNDAY EVENING RAP LGBTQ+ AA

GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) Alcoholics

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

TECH BREW MEETUP Tech Brew is a free networking event where people interested in technology can hang out in an informal environment with a small TEDtalk-like presentation from an interesting speaker. Learn more online. Second Monday of every month, 5-7 p.m. 805-323-6706. meetup. com/softec/. StoryLabs, 102 Cross St, Suite

220, San Luis Obispo.

TEEN MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

GROUP Learn more about mental health and coping skills to help you through your journey towards wellness and recovery.

Thursdays, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. 805-540-6576.

t-mha.org. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo.

TOUR THE HISTORIC OCTAGON BARN

CENTER

The Octagon Barn, built in 1906, has a rich history that The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County looks forward to sharing with visitors.

Please RSVP. Second Sunday of every month, 2-2:45 & 3-3:45 p.m. Tours are free; donations are appreciated. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096, octagonbarn.org.

TRANS* 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. Second Tuesday of every month, 6-8 p.m. Free. GALA Pride and Diversity Center, 1060 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-541-4252.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

AVILA BEACH CHILDREN’S BUSINESS

FAIR Kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for customers at this one-day marketplace. Includes 50-plus booths. Oct. 14 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. childrensbusinessfair. org/avila-beach. Avila Beach Community Center, 191 San Miguel St., Avila Beach.

BEGINNER GROUP SURF LESSONS AND SURF CAMPS Lessons and camp packages available daily. All equipment included. ongoing Starts at $70. 805-835-7873. sandbarsurf.com/. Sandbar Surf School Meetup Spot, 110 Park Ave., Pismo Beach.

CAMP ARROYO GRANDE DINNER DANCE

Features an elegant tri-tip dinner. Enjoy dancing to the country sounds of Monte Mills and the Lucky Horseshoe Band. Oct. 7 6 p.m. my805tix.com. Camp Arroyo Grande, 250 Wesley St., Arroyo Grande, 805-249-9517.

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

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WATCH AND CLOCK COLLECTORS, CHPT. 52 Come join a friendly meeting of watch and clock collectors. Members bring watches and clocks to show, plus there are discussions of all things horological.

Second Sunday of every month, 1:30-3 p.m. 805-547-1715. new.nawcc.org/index.php/ chapter-52-los-padres. Central Coast Senior Center, 1580 Railroad St., Oceano.

POINT SAN LUIS LIGHTHOUSE TOURS

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

RISE & RALLY This October, Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Foundation is inviting community members to Rise & Rally against cancer by raising funds for more advanced medical technology and private patient rooms through the Excellence Campaign. Oct. 8 12-3 p.m. Contact for details. supportarroyogrande.rallybound.org/ rise-and-rally-2023. Matthew Will Memorial Medical Center, 850 Fair Oaks Ave, Arroyo Grande, 805-994-5482.

SOCIAL GROUP FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS Call for more details. Second Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. 805-9046615. Oak Park Christian Church, 386 N Oak Park Blvd., Grover Beach.

ST. PATRICK SCHOOL’S 61ST ANNUAL AUCTION Ticket includes dinner, drinks, and live music. A prize will be given to the best dressed cowboy and cowgirl. Money raised during the event will benefit St. Patrick School. Oct. 14 5-9 p.m. $100. 805-489-1210. stpatschoolag.com/. St. Patrick Catholic School, 900 W. Branch St., Arroyo Grande.

FOOD & DRINK

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

MORRO BAY MAIN STREET FARMERS

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

NORTH SLO COUNTY

CLUB CAR BAR TRIVIA WITH DR. RICKY

Teams of 1 to 6 people welcome. Visit site for more info. Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m. my805tix. com. Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main Street, Templeton, 805-400-4542.

DOWNTOWN VIBE WEEKEND Get ready to experience the ultimate downtown vibe at this upcoming wine weekend festival. Check out event page for a full list of weekend events. Oct. 13 Oct. 14 and Oct. 15 downtownpasowine.com/events. Paso Robles Downtown Wine District, 809 13th Street, Paso Robles, 8055917003.

HARVEST EXPERIENCE WEEKEND A wine-filled weekend with a welcome reception, wine tasting, hands on harvest experience, and continental brunch. Collect and stomp grapes in a new ONX field hat. Oct. 6 , 6-8 p.m. and Oct. 7, 9-11 a.m. $235; $205 for Collective Community. 805-4345607. onxwine.com. ONX Estate Vineyard, 1200 Paseo Excelsus, Templeton.

HARVEST WINE CLUB PICK-UP PARTY Visit site for more info on the two-day event as well as tickets. Oct. 7 and Oct. 8 my805tix.com. Volatus, 2985 Anderson Road, Paso Robles, 805-674-5300.

KILLER B’S OF ITALY: A PREMIUM WINE TASTING EXPERIENCE Described as an

unforgettable evening of indulgence. Immerse yourself in the world of Italian wines. Oct.

10 12-7 p.m. $40. 805-257-8047. killerbofitaly. eventbrite.com. Vin 13 Wine Bar of Paso Robles, 1244 Pine Street, Paso Robles.

PAINT AND SIP Tickets include all painting materials, plus your first glass of liquid inspiration. Oct. 13 , 6-8 p.m. $55. 805-4009107. Timshel Vineyards, 825 Riverside Ave., suite 1, Paso Robles.

STILSON CELLARS WINEMAKER DINNER

Described as an unforgettable evening of gourmet cuisine and exquisite wines. Chef Nick Holguin has curated a multi-course dinner to highlight wines of Stilson Cellars presented by winemaker, Cole Stilson. Oct. 13 6-9 p.m. $125. 805-591-7003. stilsoncellars. com. Junction Tapas & WineBar, 710 Pine Street, Paso Robles.

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

SAN LUIS OBISPO

DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS MARKET

Thursdays, 6-9 p.m. Downtown SLO, Multiple locations, San Luis Obispo. SLO FARMERS MARKET Hosts more than 60 vendors. Saturdays, 8-10:45 a.m. World Market Parking Lot, 325 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

TRIVIA NIGHT Join BrainStew Trivia for a hilariously witty evening of trivia in Pismo.

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

MUSIC

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

THE CLIFFNOTES LIVE Enjoy live music that pairs perfectly with wines, microbrews, and small plates at Savory Palette. Oct. 14 7-10 p.m. Free. 805-772-8388. savorypalette. com. The Savory Palette (formerly Morro Bay Wine Seller), 601 Embarcadero, Morro Bay.

FREE HUSTLE LESSON AND DANCE

Looking to get your heart rate up and have fun? Join this hustle lesson followed by an hour of open dance. Get ready to waltz, cha cha, swing, foxtrot, rumba, tango, and hustle to a variety of pre-recorded music. Oct. 13 6-8 p.m. Free. 805-709-2477. Morro Bay Community Center, 1001 Kennedy Way, Morro Bay, morro-bay.ca.us/345/ Community-Center.

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

LIVE MUSIC WITH GUITAR WIZ AT LUNADA GARDEN BISTRO “Guitar Wizard” Billy Foppiano plays a wide range of music, including blues, R&B, classic rock, and more. Second Sunday of every month, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

com. Dark Nectar Coffee Lounge, 5915 Entrada, Atascadero.

DEJA-VU AT BARRELHOUSE BEER

GARDENS Enjoy live music from Deja-Vu. Oct. 14, 5:35 p.m. 805-423-7632.

Barrelhouse Brewing Co. Brewery and Gardens, 3055 Limestone Way, Paso Robles, barrelhousebrewing.com/.

ELLIOT HAWE LIVE Visit site for tickets and more info on the concert. Oct. 5 6-9 p.m. my805tix.com. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

FOREVER GREEN AT BROKEN EARTH

WINERY Forever Green will be playing live music at the Broken Earth Winery tasting room in Paso Robles. This is a free event; no tickets required. Oct. 14 1-4 p.m. 805-5287296. Broken Earth Winery, 1650 Ramada Dr., Paso Robles.

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

FRIDAY THE 13TH WITH DEJA VU Ready to hear “the best rock, pop, and country music?” Come to the Paso Lounge for a great night out. Oct. 13 7-10 p.m. 805-4237632. Paso Lounge, 1144 Black Oak Drive, Paso Robles, pasolounge.com.

JOLON STATION BAND VARIETY SHOW

Come join Jolon Station Band every Thursday night in downtown Atascadero for a night of comedy, musical guests, prize wheels, and more. Thursdays, 8-10 p.m. $5 at the door. Raconteur Room, 5840 Traffic Way, Atascadero, 805-464-2584.

LIVE MUSIC: ADAM LEVINE & BAND

Celebrate Harvest Wine Month with live music and great wine and food. Reservations highly recommended. Oct. 7-3 p.m. 805-2864028. parrishfamilyvineyard.com. Parrish Family Vineyard, 3590 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles.

LIVE MUSIC: DULCIE TAYLOR BAND

Celebrate Harvest Wine Month with live music, great wine, and great food. Reservations highly recommended. Oct. 14 12-3 p.m. 805-286-4028. parrishfamilyvineyard.com. Parrish Family Vineyard, 3590 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles.

MALFET ALBUM RELEASE SHOW WITH COMPACTOR, SHIFTING HARBOR, FOOD

acts include dungeon synth, industrial performance art, sound travel, and avant noise. Oct. 13 8-11 p.m. $10. 805-296-2676. darknectarcoffee.com. Dark Nectar Coffee Lounge, 5915 Entrada, Atascadero.

RUMOURS OF FLEETWOOD MAC

A tribute to Fleetwood Mac. p.m. Vina Robles Amphitheatre, 3800 Mill Rd., Paso Robles, 805-286-3680, vinaroblesamphitheatre.com.

SINGING HANDS CHILDREN’S CHOIR

A unique performing arts group that performs across the state for deaf festivals, service organizations, churches, fairs, and other outlets. New members always welcome. Registration open weekly. Mondays, 5-6:30 p.m. $45 tuition per month. singinghandschildrenschoir.com/. Singing Hands Children’s Choir and Performing Arts, 1413 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles.

THANTIFAXATH WITH SUNLESS, AEVITERNE, AND PUS EMULSION from performing acts include Canadian black metal, progressive death metal, and death metal. Oct. 14, 8-11 p.m. $15. 805-296-2676. darknectarcoffee.com. Dark Nectar Coffee Lounge, 5915 Entrada, Atascadero.

ALL AGES OPEN MIC NIGHT

p.m. Liquid Gravity, 675 Clarion Court, San Luis Obispo.

AVATAR: CHIMP MOSH PIT TOUR special guests Orbit Culture and The Native Howl. All ages welcome. Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-546-8600, fremontslo.com.

CUESTA CHOIRS CONCERT: STRINGS

ATTACHED Features the Cuesta Chamber Singers performing works of Mozart, Eric Whitacre, and more, accompanied by the lush string sounds from some of the Central Coast’s best players. The vocal jazz ensemble, Voce, will close the concert with swinging music as usual. p.m. $10-$15. 805-546-3198. Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, cuesta.edu.

DIRTWIRE For ages 18 and over.

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

DREAMERS’ CIRCUS Become immersed in the innovative brilliance of Dreamer’s Circus, a Nordic world music sensation. This Danish trio skillfully reinvents traditional folk music, captivating audiences with their unique blend of violin, piano, and Nordic cittern while

Arts

Local libraries screen finalists in 26th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival

Various venues across the country are hosting film screenings in conjunction with the 26th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival, including some local libraries in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

Local screenings commenced in late September at libraries in Nipomo, San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, and Cambria. Upcoming screenings will take place at the Morro Bay Library on Friday, Oct. 6, at 1:30 p.m., and the Santa Maria Public Library on the same day at 5:30 p.m.

The Santa Maria Public Library will also host an outdoor screening event as part of the festival on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 6:30 p.m., in the Lavagnino Plaza, located in front of the library.

Attendees of any of the three screening events can look forward to viewing a selection of 10 short films, chosen as finalists in this year’s Manhattan Short Film Festival ranging from a total of 7 countries.

The 10 featured films in the 2023 lineup are Sunless (U.S.), Voice Activated (Australia), Yellow (Afghanistan), Tuulikki (Finland), The Family Circus (U.S.), Career Day (U.S.), Snail (Iran), The Record (Switzerland), The Stupid Boy (U.K.), and Soleil De Nuit (Canada).

Although the films are not rated, the selection is recommended for ages 14 and older. Each of the 10 films are linked by a common theme of facing adversity. Both dramas and comedies are among the featured films, which have narratives that depict adversity that is “imposed by others or arises from personal circumstances,” according to press materials.

In the 12-minute comedy short film, Voice Activated, for example, a florist with a stutter struggles to communicate with a voice-activated car during an important delivery. During the tense eight-minute drama, Sunless, two researchers on a submarine debate whether to continue their mission after they notice a growing crack in one of the submarine’s windows.

Ballots will be available at each of the three upcoming local screenings for attendees to cast their votes for their favorite films and favorite featured actors. Awards for Best Film and Best Actor will be determined by audience votes collected at screening locations across the country.

To find out more about the 26th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival, visit manhattanshort. com. For more details on the Santa Maria Public Library’s upcoming screenings, call (805) 925-0994. The Santa Maria Public Library is located at 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

For additional info on the Morro Bay Library’s screening event, call (805) 772-6394. The Morro Bay Library is located at 625 Harbor St., Morro Bay. ∆

—Caleb Wiseblood

BY ADRIAN VINCENT ROSAS

Meta musical

Nunsense brings musical laughs and fun for all ages to SLO Rep’s stage

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a—play within a play? at’s right. If you can believe it, the San Luis Obispo Repertory eatre’s (SLO Rep) latest production is a meta musical comedy that Artistic Director Kevin Harris helped bring to life.

“Everyone who knows about theater knows about this play,” Harris said. “It’s super interactive, very hands-on, and makes use of the space and audience interaction to create an extremely unique experience.”

e play began its current SLO Rep run on Sept. 15 and will continue until Oct. 15 with showings ursdays to Sundays.

“I’ve wanted to do this play since I came on board with SLO Rep in 2008,” Harris said. “I served as the person who chose the play and the actors in my role as artistic director, but for this play speci cally I also worked as the lighting and sound designer.”

e production is directed by John Keating alongside his brother, Musical Director Marshall Keating. e play also features veteran actors and actresses including Suzy Newman, Rachel Tietz, Katie Worley-Beck, Natalie Mara, and Billy Breed.

“It has been such a pleasure to work with the cast on this show,” Harris said. “ ese are people that have worked with SLO Rep or adjacent to our crew for over the past decade.”

Written by Dan Goggin in 1985, the play tells the story of a group of ve nuns tasked with the unfortunate job of raising money to help bury 50 of their fellow sisters who were the victims of food poisoning.

“ e audience gets to see the fundraiser—or, well, the attempt at a fundraiser—in action,” Harris said with a laugh. “Because of the urgent nature of burying their fellow nuns—in the play they have them all over these giant blocks of ice—they have no choice but to run their fundraiser on a middle school production of Grease.”

It’s that middle school production of Grease that Harris worked alongside scenic designer Dave Lin eld to help t inside SLO Rep’s unique performing area.

“It adds this cool layer to the entire production

Get your tickets

Catch a showing of Nunsense before its run ends on Oct. 15. Showings are Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. with an additional 2 p.m. showing Saturday and Sunday. Purchase your tickets at tix.slorep.org. SLO Rep is located at located at 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo.

since we are working with our performing space that used to be an old library building before it was converted,” he said. “It’s very tting since the nuns in the play have to use whatever space they can get their hands on to put the fundraiser together and in that same way we use the unique space we have at our disposal.”

Harris added that bringing the meta musical to life would not have been possible without the cast it has.

“It’s like coming home to family, I mean we push each other as far as we can go because everyone on the team is super critical of our work, so it magni es it even more for us to get things perfect when working together on this,” he said. “It helped us envision what exactly we thought a middle school’s production of Grease would look like.”

who said that Goggin originally had in mind very speci c skill sets for each of the actresses playing the nuns to t the distinct environment the play takes place in.

“He wrote this play and cast very exact actresses for the nuns because he wanted it to be driven by each of their unique personalities,” he said. “Some of them were really good opera-style singers, another was a pinpoint ballet dancer—it goes on and on, but we could not have done this show until we found these ve actors for this speci c production.”

Whether you’re looking for a fresh new stage experience or want to catch a well-known play, Harris said this production will appeal to any audience.

Showtime!

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

“Even if you don’t like musicals, it’s got something for everybody,” he said. “It’s got that humor, the meta acknowledgment, the audience interaction—an absolute blast that I know everyone in the family will laugh at from start to nish.” ∆

All of this is by design, according to Harris,

Sta Writer Adrian Vincent Rosas is experiencing play-ception. Reach him at arosas@newtimesslo.com.

DELIGHTFUL DANCING SLO Repertory Theatre’s Nunsense is a musical comedy adventure that features dance numbers and audience interaction.

PHOTOS BY RYAN LOYD, RYLO MEDIA DESIGN

CHARGE! Expect to laugh while watching Nunsense ’s five nuns put together a last-minute fundraiser to bury their fallen comrades.

FOR EVERYONE SLO Rep’s Nunsense offers a moment for every fan of theater, whether dramatic or hilarious.

Machine learning

Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) directs this sci- adventure he co-wrote with Chris Weitz (Pinocchio, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, About a Boy) about a war pitting humanity against robots guided by arti cial intelligence. It’s 2065, 10 years after LA has been destroyed by a nuclear bomb allegedly sent by the AI e U.S. has since banned AI use and is now working to rid the planet of it in an area called New Asia, where humans are harboring the machines. e U.S. is racing to destroy the AI army before it can unleash a new secret weapon, which turns out to be Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles), an android in the form of a child. (133 min.)

Glen One might argue e Creator is derivative. On the surface, you might be thinking e Terminator franchise or Blade Runner, for instance, but in this case, the protagonists you end up rooting for are the machines. As I was watching the U.S. Army tearing up the New Asian countryside, it was like the Vietnam War all over again. Apocalypse Now, Casualties of War, and Platoon came to mind. e U.S. also has a Death Star-like weapon called Nomad, which hovers over New Asia, hunting for and bombing robot strongholds. Star Wars, anyone? John David Washington stars as Joshua, and as the lm opens, he’s undercover with a group of robots and his pregnant wife, Maya (Gemma Chan). He’s supposed to call in a raid when he nds Nirmata, the secretive AI leader, but the U.S. comes early, leading to chaos and Joshua being separated from his wife. Hence, he’s eventually tapped to nd the new secret weapon, who has the power to control technology remotely. When we nally meet Alphie, I couldn’t help but think of e Golden Child. Derivative? Maybe, but more like a mashup of a bunch of other terri c lms.

Anna I think the most unbelievable part

REAR WINDOW

What’s it rated? PG

When? 1954

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

This

THE CREATOR

What’s it rated? PG-13

What’s it worth, Glen? Full price

What’s it worth, Anna? Full price

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

of this lm is Joshua thinking that Maya would want anything to do with him after nding out he was an agent for the enemy. He comes to us a lost soul who has no interest in correcting anything … until he hears that Maya may still be out there. In theory, it’s sweet; in practicality, it’s cuckoo. is is the journey, however, and it proves to be a compelling one. You’d be hard-pressed to not fall in love with Alphie as portrayed by Voyles. at kid’s a charmer. With the perfect innocent face and the ability to emote, she’s a force majeure. Even hardened and lost Joshua can’t help but fall for the

and “Miss Torso” for an attractive dancer. There’s also a newlywed couple, a pianist, a middle-aged couple whose little dog likes to dig in the garden, and Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), a traveling salesman with a bedridden wife.

One night during a storm, Jeff believes he may have witnessed Thorwald murdering his wife and later dismembering her and getting rid of her body via suitcases and a large trunk. Determined to learn the truth, Jeff enlists his visiting nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter), and his socialite girlfriend, Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly), eventually calling on his NYC Police Detective buddy Tom Doyle (Wendell Corey).

small thing he at rst doesn’t believe has feelings or thoughts, just programming. We also get to watch the incredible Allison Janney, who can’t help but be excellent in her role as the tough commander who needs Joshua to help her nish the job.

Glen e acting is roundly excellent, but the lm excels in part because it’s so visually arresting. e cinematography by Greig Fraser and Oren So er is stunning, and the sets are incredible. Add in the seamless special e ects, and this is a technical marvel. Anna All around well done. is sort of sciisn’t always my thing, but e Creator was smart in its storytelling and pulled me in from the beginning. It may break your heart a little, but it’s well worth the watch. ∆

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

THE FLY

What’s it rated? R

When? 1986

Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo on Friday, Oct. 6, at 9:15 p.m.

as “Miss Lonelyhearts” for a seemly lonely woman

I SPY Invalid photographer L.B. Jefferies (James Stewart) believes he’s witnessed a murder in a nearby apartment, and with the help of his girlfriend, Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly), he begins to investigate, in Alfred Hitchcock’s suspense masterpiece Rear Window, screening at The Palm Theater on Oct. 7 and 9.

It’s a masterful exercise in tension, and the film carries the meta effect of transforming its audience into voyeurs like Jeff himself—something Hitchcock was especially adept at in films such as Vertigo, Psycho and Dial M for Murder. (102 min.)

—Glen

David Cronenberg (Videodrome, The Dead Zone, Dead Ringers, eXistenZ ) directs this loosely based remake of writer George Langelaan’s 1957 short story and director Kurt Neumann’s 1958 film about a scientist whose invention leads to a horrible accident. In Cronenberg’s version, brilliant scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) meets science journalist Veronica “Ronnie” Quaife (Geena Davis), who takes an interest in his groundbreaking work in teleportation.

Things go awry after a drunk Brundle teleports himself, unaware that a housefly has joined him in his device. After he emerges, he realizes he has increased strength and stamina, not to mention sugar cravings and sexual potency. Soon, other side effects emerge, and thanks to makeup effects artists Chris Walas and Stephen Dupuis, who shared an Academy Award for Best Makeup for their collaboration, they’re super gross! At its center, it’s a love story between Seth and Ronnie, but it’s also about a man losing human reason and compassion as he slowly becomes a monster. Things get batshit crazy when Ronnie discovers she’s pregnant. Mix in Cronenberg’s talent for gore and his ability to construct fully realized characters, and you end up with a fascinating, horrifying human tragedy. The film’s tagline is classic: “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” (96 min.) ∆ —Glen

BRUNDLE

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh

classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller is an exercise in morbid curiosity. While professional photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies (James Stewart) is laid up with a broken leg in his Greenwich Village apartment, to combat the boredom, he begins to spy on his neighbors across the courtyard, giving them names such

SHIFTING ALLEGIANCE Joshua (John David Washington) is a soldier on the front lines in a war between humanity and an AI-guided robot army, but after setting out to find the enemy’s secret weapon, he begins to question if he’s on the right side, in The Creator, screening in local theaters.

PHOTO COURTESY OF

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALFRED J. HITCHCOCK PRODUCTIONS

PHOTO COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX

FLY Jeff Goldblum stars as eccentric scientist Seth Brundle, who creates a teleportation machine that accidentally transforms him into a man/fly hybrid, in David Cronenberg’s 1986 cult classic horror film The Fly, screening on Oct. 6, in The Palm Theatre.

BY GLEN STARKEY

Rock never dies

Vina Robles Amphitheatre rolls out 11 bands this week

Ionly have 10 fingers but I’m pretty sure I count 11 bands over six nights at Vina Robles Amphitheatre this week. Let’s jump ahead to Wednesday, Oct. 11, when altrock juggernauts The Used headline a threeband show with Sleeping with Sirens and Dead American. If you’re wracked with teen angst or you want to revisit your teen angst past, this is the show.

The Used are touring in support of their ninth album, 2023’s Toxic Positivity, which in press materials vocalist Bert McCracken described as a “day-in-the-life journey of a depressed, anxiety-ridden person.”

“This record is quite tough for me to listen to,” he added, “because it’s a reflection of times in my life that have been some of my lowest ever.”

Take the album’s first single, “Numb,” for instance, on which McCracken sings, “Wake up and I’m underground/ I can’t see no sign of life around/ I can’t seem to find a pulse/ The reality is I’m a ghost// Me and my head are enemies/ I’m tired of fighting everything/ Lately, I’ve found it tough to give a fuck about anything// I feel numb, numb/ Does anybody else feel numb?/ I feel numb, numb/ Does anybody else feel numb?”

Other tracks include “Worst I’ve Ever Been,” “I Hate Everybody,” “Headspace,” “Dopamine,” “Dancing with a Brick Wall,” “Giving Up” … you get the idea.

“I think we have no choice but to write and write and write,” McCracken said of him and his bandmates. “It has always just been in us, and we’ve had to get it out. I read a quote once that said you either work your entire lifetime on four great pieces, or you write thousands of pieces and become great that way. Everything that we feel, I think it always makes for a good song.”

Live the angst Wednesday, Oct. 11 (7:30 p.m.; $45 to $60 at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com).

Don’t forget, Nederlander Concerts also has Shakey Graves on his Movie of the Week Tour playing the Vina Robles Amphitheatre on Thursday, Oct. 5 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $39.50 to $69.50 at vinaroblesamphitheatre. com). Flipturn opens the show.

Fleetwood Mac fans can indulge their passion for the British-American rock act

when Rumours of Fleetwood Mac performs on Friday, Oct. 6 (8 p.m.; all ages; $35 to $155 at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com), delivering hits like “Big Love,” “Warm Ways,” “Dreams,” “Caroline,” “Hold Me,” “The Chain,” “Seven Wonders,” and “Say You Love Me.” The tribute band is personally endorsed by Fleetwood Mac founding member Mick Fleetwood.

Seminal grunge rock act Alice in Chains returns to Vina Robles on Saturday, Oct. 7 (8 p.m.; all ages; $59.50 to $75 at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com). Their most recent album, Rainier Fog (2018), reached No. 1 across Billboard’s Rock, Alternative, and Hard Music Charts and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. That was their 11th nomination, though they’ve never won. With more than 30 million albums sold worldwide, they seem to be doing just fine without a Grammy. Royal Thunder opens.

Banda MS plays on Sunday, Oct. 8 (8 p.m.; all ages; $75 to $160 at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com). Hailing from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, the band has won 18 Billboard Latin Music Awards, and took top honors at the 2020 Latin Billboard Music Awards in the Top Latin Album and Regional Mexican Artist of the Year awards. A recent single, “¿Cuáles Fronteras?” features rapper Ice Cube.

Next Thursday, Oct. 12, two post-punk icons share the bill: Psychedelic Furs and Squeeze (7 p.m.; all ages; $50 to $70 at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com). Both of these bands were a big part of the soundtrack of my life in the ’80s, with Psych Fur hits such as “Love My Way,” “Pretty In Pink,” “Heaven,” “The Ghost In You,” and “Heartbreak Beat”; and Squeeze hits such as “Cool for Cats,” “Up the Junction,” “Pulling Mussels From A Shell,” “Black Coffee in Bed,” and “Labeled With Love.” Classic!

Fremont Theater

SLO’s historic Fremont Theater kicks off its week with Australian psychedelic rock act Psychedelic Porn Crumpets on Thursday, Oct. 5 (8 p.m.; all ages; $23 at seetickets.us).

Fans of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Tame Impala will dig them. Orion’s Belte and Pancho & The Wizards open.

South Sacramento rapper DB.Boutabag takes the stage on Saturday, Oct. 7 (9 p.m.; all ages; $25 at prekindle.com) with opening acts Kai Bandz and Lou Deezi. If you know, you know.

Avatar: Chimp Mosh Pit Tour arrives on Sunday, Oct. 8 (9 p.m.; all ages; $34 at prekindle.com), so prepare to dance, devil, dance, with a band that bills itself as “the greatest metal circus on the planet.” Orbit Culture and The Native Howl open.

Finally, Morflo Records and Offbeat present EDM act Mersiv with Minnesota, Stooki Sound, and Molokai on Thursday, Oct. 12 (7 p.m.; all ages; $25 at prekindle.com). Get your dose of dance, electronica, and U.K. rap.

Numbskull and Good Medicine

Thanks to Good Medicine Presents and Numbskull, amazing string band AJ Lee & Blue Summit plays The Siren on Sunday, Oct. 8 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $18 at goodmedicinepresents. com). Great folk and bluegrass musicianship and arresting harmony singing is the earmark of this Santa Cruz band that first played in 2015 and now has two albums under its belt: the 2019 eclectic debut Like I Used To and the more traditional bluegrass 2021 follow-up I’ll Come Back

Singer-songwriter and mandolinist AJ Lee has some amazing pipes and writes arresting songs. On the new record, tracks like “Put Your Head Down” and “Faithful” are more classic bluegrass while others like “Lemons and Tangerines” and “I’ll Come Back” sound like Americana influenced by country, soul, swing, rock, and jam music. Mother Jones magazine asked of Lee, “Could this kid be the next Alison Krauss?” She very well might be.

The Siren

Also at The Siren, see country traditionalist Jesse Daniel on Friday, Oct. 6 (8 p.m.; 21-andolder; $18 at tixr.com). According to press materials, “It is no secret that Jesse Daniel puts on one hell of a live show. With his top-notch band, he’s been touring the country for years and earning fans the old-fashioned way: with honest songs played well. The California native is blazing the trail for a new wave of traditional artists, bringing his hard-core country music to stages all over the U.S.” Victoria Bailey opens.

Mellowdown Productions presents The Pink Spiders on

Tuesday, Oct. 10 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 at tixr.com). Rising out of Nashville, they fuse “power pop hooks with raucous punk spirit and a freewheeling attitude that earned them a reputation for chaos, especially on the road.” Sounds like a party.

Rock/rap act Rehab with special guests 2HK plays The Siren on Thursday, Oct. 12 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $22 at tixr.com).

Formed in the late 1990s in Georgia, Rehab has two albums and charted two singles on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts, one of which—“Bartender Song”—became a Hot 100 and country hit.

SLO Brew Rock

Don’t forget about Dirtwire, which brings its “blend of ethnomusicology and the psychedelic trance state, gut-bucket delta blues” to SLO Brew Rock on Thursday, Oct. 5 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $23 at ticketweb.com). Rebels & Renegades presents the always entertaining Mike and the Moonpies on Saturday, Oct. 7 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-andolder; $19 at ticketweb.com). The Austinbased neo-traditionalist and Americana act was formed in 2007 by singer-songwriter Mike Harmeier. They’re now touring in support of their eighth album, One to Grow On. Country singer Taylor Hunnicutt opens. SLO Brew Live and (((folkYEAH!))) present Jalen Ngonda on Wednesday, Oct. 11 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $20 at ticketweb.com). The soul singer cut his teeth playing organ and singing in church, and he now plays guitar and sings in a sweet old-school falsetto—think Smokey Robinson or Curtis Mayfield. He’s opened for Laura Mvula and Lauryn Hill at the Montreal Jazz Festival, as well as Thee Sacred Souls’ U.S. tour. Semi-local soul and R&B act The Charities opens.

More soul and funk await when Diggin Dirt with opener Mininova plays Thursday, Oct. 12 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $17 at ticketweb.com). The septet hails from the redwood curtain in Humboldt County and is known for an “intoxicating and infectious sound fueled by a blazing horn section, pulsating rhythms, and searing guitars,” according to their bio. They’ve “been known to entice even the shyest of wallflowers to start movin’ and groovin’.”

ANGST ROCK Alt-rock act The Used headlines a three-band show at Vina Robles Amphitheatre on Oct. 11

DOWN UNDER ROCK Australian psychedelic rock act Psychedelic Porn Crumpets plays the Fremont Theater on Oct. 5

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOD VIBEZ

The Clark Center

Prince fans, brace yourselves because Rock.It Boy Entertainment of America and James Elliott Entertainment present Prince Again: A Tribute to Prince on Friday, Oct. 6 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $40 to $50 at clarkcenter.org). They pay homage by delivering all his top hits with deft dance moves and stagecraft. Hear “Little Red Corvette,” “1999,” “Kiss,” “Cream,” “Diamonds & Pearls,” “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” “Purple Rain,” and more.

Cal Poly Arts

Nordic acoustic act Dreamers’ Circus plays Cal Poly’s Spanos Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 10 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; tickets start at $42 at calpolyarts.org). They formed more than 10 years ago, the result of a live jam session in Copenhagen.

The trio plays a range of instruments that includes fiddle, accordion, piano, and cittern,

mining their backgrounds in traditional and roots music and mixing in a “genre-bending amalgam of folk sensitivity, jazz improvisation, and classical complexity distilled through an openness to popular music influences,” according to press materials.

The trio—piano and accordion player Nikolaj Busk, violinist Rune Tonsgaard Sorensen, and cittern player Ale Carr—have won five Danish Music Awards and international acclaim. Amazing musicianship!

More music …

Don’t forget about the old-time country barn dance at the historic Octagon Barn Center this Thursday, Oct. 5 (6 p.m.; all ages; $25 presale at eventbrite.com or $30 at the door), hosted by the Seven Sisters Folklore Society. Enjoy an evening of square dancing and two-stepping during this fundraising concert for The SLO Land Conservancy with music by local string band the SLO County Stumblers and North Carolina country and honky-tonk band Hearts Gone South.

The SLO Symphony presents Rachmaninov Rocks this Saturday, Oct. 7 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $12 to $82 at pacslo.org), in Cal Poly’s Performing Arts Center. The concert features pianist Ilya Yakushev performing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and flanking this work, the symphony under the baton of Maestro Andrew Sewell will feature two American works— Fanfare for an Uncommon Man by John Stevens and Symphony No. 1 in e minor by Florence Price. ∆

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAL POLY ARTS

NORDIC VIBE Copenhagen’s stunning acoustic trio Dreamers’ Circus plays Cal Poly’s Spanos Theatre on Oct. 10

SLO pizzaiolo

Central Coast chef Antonio Maragliotti launches La Teglia, specializing in authentic Italian focaccia and pizza

You may recognize his name from Flour House in San Luis Obispo, where Antonio Maragliotti has been perfecting his craft for the past seven years.

As a lead pizza chef, Maragliotti has helped the restaurant and bar garner numerous awards, including 19th best U.S. pizzeria in 2022 and 21st best in 2023, according to Italy’s 50 Top Pizza Guide to the Best Pizzerias in the World.

It has also won Best Wood-Fired Pizza in New Times’ Best of SLO County readers’ poll every year since 2020.

Now Maragliotti is branching out on his own with his new venture, La Teglia, launched in July and focusing on “a Roman

Say ciao

To explore La Teglia’s full product lineup and inquire about availability for delivery, pop-ups, and catering, contact owner Antonio Maragliotti at (805) 294-8884, lategliapizza@gmail.com, or via Instagram @lategliafocaccia.

style of pizza and focaccia that involves a long fermentation process,” he said.

His delicately puffed products, served plain or topped with myriad fresh ingredients, are available at establishments throughout SLO and Santa Barbara counties, with a steady stream of prospective clients inquiring about his distribution network, pop-ups, and private catering services.

His current retail customers include Kona’s Deli and Saints Barrel Wine Bar in SLO, DePalo & Sons Deli and Sando’s Deli in Pismo Beach, Perfetto Caffe in Grover Beach, and Bello Forno Catering Services in Orcutt.

“I hope to sell to many other delis and restaurants in the area … as well as wineries that can offer [focaccia] on a charcuterie plate,” he added.

Maragliotti says the foundation of his business is “making the perfect dough,” a task he has been fine-tuning for a decade.

“I grew up in Arona, a small town in northern Italy near the Swiss Alps,” he said. “I studied and trained in Italy to become a pizzaiolo. I was working at a restaurant without any real plans for my future when I received an offer to go to the U.S. and work as a pizzaiolo in California.

“I decided to take the opportunity … with the intention of staying less than a year. I was 23 years old when I came here to San Luis Obispo.”

However, his stint at Flour House changed everything.

“When I first started experimenting with different styles of dough it was mostly a hobby that I was doing just for fun, but my passion for it really grew,” he said. “I decided to take the leap and make this passion my new career.

“In Rome they are famous for their pizza in teglia—pizza made on a sheet pan—and since that style inspired me to create my own unique recipe for focaccia, it felt like the perfect name for my business.”

Maragliotti’s dough consists of carefully selected ingredients, including fresh yeast,

imported Italian type zero flour that creates “the perfect fluffiness,” extra virgin olive oil, and pink Himalayan salt, he said.

What is most unique, he added, is its extended fermentation period of up to 18 hours.

“I think many people enjoy using instant yeast or other fast-track options to be able to produce focaccia and breads more quickly,” he explained. “I have chosen to slow things down and take a more classic approach to making focaccia that I believe produces the best outcomes.”

The recipe he created has less yeast and results in a lighter, less filling focaccia that’s easier to digest, he said.

“[It has] a golden and slightly crispy bottom, a fluffy and light center, and slightly golden top ... and can be used for sandwiches, pizza, or on its own with a variety of toppings,” he said. “The difference between focaccia and pizza is the addition of cheese and a sauce to the pizza as well as using less dough in the baking process. My pizza has a thinner crust than my focaccia does. To transform it I use the same light fluffy dough but add less to the baking sheet.”

One of Maragliotti’s clients, Kona’s Deli,

uses his focaccia for sandwiches.

“Antonio is a good friend, a hard worker, and a great baker-pizzaiolo,” said Mattia Tedeschi, co-owner of both Kona’s Deli and Norton’s Deli in Santa Barbara. “His focaccia is special because of the ingredients he uses. It stays soft and fresh, and the oil on top gives it that lightly salty taste and crunchiness if you toast it.”

It’s perfect for sandwiches, Tedeschi said.

Now a resident of Santa Maria, Tedeschi hails from Reggio Emilia, “the land of Parmigiano Reggiano,” he said.

“The focaccia we have in my hometown is thicker and dry,” he conceded. “They add little lard pieces on top of it instead of oil. Antonio’s is more like the focaccia Genovese from the Liguria region. We started carrying Antonio’s focaccia a couple of months ago. As of right now we offer it as a bread choice— our customers have to pick a type of bread for their sandwich, and focaccia is becoming really popular.”

He said he’s planning to have a little market corner in the future where he’ll carry the focaccia in a to-go package.

“We have a few regulars that cannot go

TANTALIZING TOPPINGS La Teglia proprietor Antonio Maragliotti whips up gourmet bruschetta with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Using his house-made focaccia as a base, one bruschetta creation spotlights sliced figs along with prosciutto crudo, rosemary, basil, goat cheese, a dash of salt, and an extra virgin olive oil drizzle.

SLOW RISE Following 12 hours of fermentation, chef Antonio Maragliotti tops his classic focaccia dough with olive oil to soften it and add more flavor and texture. Then the dough ferments for an additional five to six hours before it’s ready to bake.

These songs are the finalists in this year’s competition. Head over to NewTimesSLO.com to listen and vote for your favorite(s) for the Readers’ Choice Award. The winner will be announced at the event.

Awkward Silence “Just Jump”

Big Sierra “Night Walks”

Carbon City Lights “Wake Up”

clonose “Beach Towel”

Dave Tate “This Moment”

David Lynch “I Can See Sound”

Dead Magic “Leave It Alone”

Elbow Drop Sunday “Southern Belle”

Elbow Drop Sunday “Special K”

Joe Koenig “Lila Rose”

Josh Rosenblum “Closure (This Life)”

LOVR “Dopamine”

Max MacLaury “Deciduousness”

Mike Healy & The Canaries “Blood Clots”

MiniNova “Mambo Night”

Sadie Jasper “I Want”

Sadie Jasper “Love Gets Better With Age”

slObird “Synching My Heart”

Susan Ritchie “The Heart Has a Mind of Its Own”

Van Gordon “My Own Eyes”

Ynana Rose “Whiskey Lies”

The judges have made their decisions ...

NEW TIMES AND SUN ANNOUNCE: THE FIRST ANNUAL

PET PHOTO CONTEST

… and have graciously been allowed to utilize those kitchens to produce my product,” he said.

As his business expands, he hopes to rent his own space, he added, then follow up with the ultimate dream—“to one day open a restaurant.”

However, Flour House will always hold a special place in his heart.

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING YOUR PET PHOTOS!

We are so pleased with the turnout and we can’t wait to make large donations to our local animal rescue groups. The inaugural PET issues will be published on October 19 and they’ll include winners of the photo contest.

PRESENTED BY

SPONSORED BY BENEFITTING

back to bread after having had [the focaccia], and more and more people are trying it after seeing it on the menu,” Tedeschi said.

Maragliotti said he’s humbled and buoyed by the strong support of the Central Coast community. His current professional goals are to continue perfecting his Italian specialties from various locations throughout SLO County.

“I am fortunate to have many connections in the restaurant industry

“There, I had an opportunity to grow my culinary skills and develop my expertise as a pizzaiolo specializing in Napoletana-style pizza,” he said. “I am grateful for everything I learned and the friendships I cultivated while working there. I even met my wife working at Flour House, and now we have beautiful twin daughters who just turned 1.” ∆

Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte thinks Antonio’s dough is to die for. She’ll be first in line at his new restaurant. Until then, reach her at cwhyte@ newtimesslo.com.

FLAVOR from page 30

BEYOND BREAD Kona’s Deli in San Luis Obispo offers La Teglia focaccia as a bread option for its sandwiches. Co-owner Mattia Tedeschi says the product is light and airy but sturdy enough for sandwich ingredients, such as ham, cheddar cheese, avocado, shredded lettuce, red onion, tomato, and condiments.

Writers Insider: Promotion Tips from a Publishing Pro

Thursday, October 12, 2-3pm, South County Center (800 W. Branch, AG) Learn how to connect with publishers, literary agents, readers. Presented by editor Laurie Gibson. $20 (cash/check)

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RSVP required: (858) 635-1233 thesuperioreditor@gmail.com

LEGAL NOTICES

ADVERTISEMENT OF SALE

(Online Auction)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property pursuant to Sections 21700-21716 of the Business & Professions Code. The undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding on the 12th day of October 2023, at 10:00 AM, at www.storagetreasures. com. Property is stored at Rock Safe Self Storage, 2155 Willow Road, Arroyo Grande, CA County of San Luis Obispo, State of California, the contents of the following tenant’s storage space(s):

Debbie Mendez, Melissa Orloff, Damion Oseguera, & Billy Spahr

The contents of these storage spaces include furniture, air conditioner, motors, art, books, hair pieces, toys, guitar case, yard equipment, pet supplies, BBQ, sports equipment, appliances, misc. boxes, containers, & other items.

Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase in cash and credit card only. All purchased items sold as is where is and must be removed within 72 hours of the sale. Sale is subject to cancellation in the event of settlement between owner and obligated party.

Auctioneer: Plastino Interests, Inc., CA Bond#7901004996

Online Auction Platform: www. storagetreasures.com

Facility Phone: (805) 356-6066

September 28 & October 5, 2023

ADVERTISEMENT OF SALE

(Online Auction)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property pursuant to Sections 21700-21716 of the Business & Professions Code. The undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding on the 19th day of October 2023, at 9:00AM, at www.storagetreasures.com.

3.5 V6, 7spd, at, ac, ps, pw, pdl, cc, tw, am/fm/cd, pearl white, lthr,

Property is stored at Central Coast Self Storage, 725 Sheridan Road, Arroyo Grande, CA County of San Luis Obispo, State of California, the contents of the following tenant’s storage space(s): Bobbie Dowdy, Armando Medina, Cristina Wilson, Tracy Kipp, Matt Crouch, Gary Gersch, Gilbert Rea, Rebecca Soto, Cody White, & Brandy Eguiluz Ledesma.

The contents of these storage spaces include furniture, tool & tool boxes, appliances, motorcycle parts, sports equip, toys, baby equip, paint sprayer, art, surfboards, BB gun, stereo equip, guitar case, misc. boxes, containers, & other items.

Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase in cash and credit card only. All purchased items sold as is where is and must be removed within 72 hours of the sale. Sale is subject to cancellation in the event of settlement between owner and obligated party.

Auctioneer: Plastino Interests, Inc., CA Bond#7901004996

Online Auction Platform: www. storagetreasures.com

Facility Phone: (805) 481-1484 October 5 & 12, 2023

NOTICES

ADVERTISEMENT OF SALE (Online Auction)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property pursuant to Sections 21700-21716 of the Business & Professions Code. The undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding on the 19th day of October 2023, at 10:00 AM, at www.storagetreasures.com.

Property is stored at FortressSecure Mini-Storage, 2175 Willow Road, Arroyo Grande, CA County of San Luis Obispo, State of California, the contents of the following tenant’s storage space(s):

Andra Sejera, Nigel Dane Williams, Stormie Hull, Nicholas Banks, Michael Dinsmore, & Stephan Gorsuch.

The contents of these storage spaces include furniture, sports equip, workout equip, toys, appliances, stereo equip, clothes, safe, yard tools and equip, shed, power equip, guitar case, commercial refrigerator, Bucher Boy saw, electronics, decorations, tools, misc. boxes, containers, & other items.

Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase in cash and credit card only. All purchased items sold as is where is and must be removed within 72 hours of the sale. Sale is subject to cancellation in the event of settlement between owner and obligated party.

Auctioneer: Plastino Interests, Inc., CA Bond#7901004996

Online Auction Platform: www. storagetreasures.com

Facility Phone: (805) 489-0500

October 5 & 12, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 2023-1782 (N/A)

New Filing

The following person is doing business as LARIAT CONSTRUCTION, 2149 Lariat Drive, Los Osos, CA 93402. San Luis Obispo County. Evan Gregory Weisberg (2149 Lariat Drive, Los Osos, CA 93402). This business is conducted by An Individual /s/ Evan Gregory Weisberg. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Luis Obispo on 07-31-23. hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the statement on file in my office. (Seal) Elaina Cano, County Clerk G. Ugalde, Deputy. Exp. 07-31-28.

Advertise Here!

Contact us today!

805-546-8208

classifieds@ NewTimesSLO.com

SAN LUIS COASTAL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the San Luis Coastal Unified School District acting by and through its Board of Education will receive RFPQ #323:

Sealed Fee Proposals and Statements of Qualifications for LeaseLeaseback Construction Services (“RFPQs”) for the Measure C-22 Phase 1 Modernization Contract at Los Osos Middle School up to but no later than Monday, November 6, 2023 at 10:00:00 A.M.

Fully Approved Prequalification Due Date: Prequalification applications are available on the PQ Bids website located at pqbids. com A proposal submitted by a Contractor that is not fully approved as prequalified will not be accepted and will not be considered by the District. To be fully approved as prequalified for the Contract, prequalification must be completed no later than 10:00:00 A.M., October 23, 2023

The Sealed Fee Proposals and Statements of Qualifications shall be received in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District Facilities Office located at 937 Southwood Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Questions regarding RFPQ #323 Lease-Leaseback Construction Services for Los Osos Middle School Phase 1 Modernization may be directed in writing only to the Facilities Analyst II, Kelly Lee, at klee@slcusd.org, and must be submitted no later than October 18, 2023 at 10:00:00 A.M.

Project documents are available at the San Luis Coastal Online Planroom at www.asapreprographics.com.

Kelly Lee

Facilities Analyst II

San Luis Coastal Unified School District

September 28 & October 5, 2023

NOTICE OF ADOPTED ORDINANCE NO. 660 OF THE CITY OF MORRO BAY

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT, at the regular meeting of the City Council held on September 26, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. held in the Veterans Memorial Hall located at 209 Surf Street, Morro Bay, California, the City Council of the City of Morro Bay adopted Ordinance No. 660, amending section 3.24.100, and repealing and replacing section 3.24.110, of Chapter 3.24 of the Morro Bay Municipal Code updating the Transient Occupancy Tax Appeals Process.

A certified copy of the full text of the adopted ordinance is available on the City’s website at www.morrobayca.gov, and upon request by contacting the City Clerk’s office at (805) 772-6205.

Ayes: Wixom, Barton, Edwards, Ford, Landrum

Noes: None

Absent: None

Abstain: None

Recused: None /s/ Dana Swanson City Clerk

Dated: September 27, 2023

Publish: October 5, 2023

SAN LUIS COASTAL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the San Luis Coastal Unified School District acting by and through its Board of Education will receive RFPQ #324:

Sealed Fee Proposals and Statements of Qualifications for LeaseLeaseback Construction Services (“RFPQs”) for the Measure C-22 Phase 1 Modernization Contract at Laguna Middle School up to but no later than Monday, November 6, 2023 at 10:00:00 A.M

Fully Approved Prequalification Due Date: Prequalification applications are available on the PQ Bids website located at pqbids.com. A proposal submitted by a Contractor that is not fully approved as prequalified will not be accepted and will not be considered by the District. To be fully approved as prequalified for the Contract, prequalification must be completed no later than 10:00:00 A.M., October 23, 2023

The Sealed Fee Proposals and Statements of Qualifications shall be received in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District Facilities Office located at 937 Southwood Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Questions regarding RFPQ #324 Lease-Leaseback Construction Services for Laguna Middle School Phase 1 Modernization may be directed in writing only to the Facilities Analyst II, Kelly Lee, at klee@slcusd.org, and must be submitted no later than October 18, 2023 at 10:00:00 A.M

Project documents are available at the San Luis Coastal Online Planroom at www.asapreprographics.com.

Kelly Lee Facilities Analyst II San Luis Coastal Unified School District September 28 & October 5, 2023

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Department Hearing

WHEN Friday, October 20, 2023 at 09:00 AM. All items are advertised for 09:00 AM. To verify agenda placement, please call the Department of Planning & Building at (805) 781-5600.

WHAT Hearing to consider a request by Jeff Higgins for a Lot Line Adjustment COAL 22-0018 to adjust the lot lines between two parcels of 93.1 acres (Parcel A) and 11.0 acres (Parcel B). The adjustment will result in two parcels of 75.9 acres (Parcel A) and 28.4 acres (Parcel B). The project will not result in the creation of any additional parcels. The proposed project is within the Rural Lands (Parcel A) and Agriculture (Parcel B) land use category and is located at 1445 Parkhill Road, approximately three miles north of the Pozo Village Reserve Line, and 12 miles east of the community of Santa Margarita. The site is in the [Las Pilitas Sub Area] of the North County planning area. Also to be considered is the determination that this project is exempt from environmental review under CEQA (15061.b.3

General Rule Exemption).

County File Number: N-SUB2022-00030

Supervisorial District: District 5

Assessor Parcel Number(s): 071-052-004, -201-009

Date Accepted: 06/22/2023

WHERE Virtual meeting via Zoom platform.

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A copy of the staff report will be made available on the Planning Department website at www.sloplanning.org. You may also contact Lane Sutherland, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805-788-9470.

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.

Corla Wade, Secretary Planning Department Hearing

October 5, 2023

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING

NOTICE OF TENTATIVE ACTION / PUBLIC HEARING

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Department Hearing

WHEN Friday, October 20, 2023 at 09:00 AM All items are advertised for 09:00 AM. To verify agenda placement, please call the Department of Planning & Building at (805) 781-5600.

WHAT A request by Shelene Enerle for a Minor Use Permit / Coastal Development Permit (C-DRC2023-00026) to allow for a 1,995 square-foot addition and 72 square-foot permeable deck extension to an existing 1,362 square-foot single family residence and 85 square-foot deck. The project will result in the disturbance of approximately 2,500 square feet on an 18,592 square-foot parcel. This project is located within the Residential Single Family land use category at 363 Mitchell Drive in the community of Los Osos. The site is 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: C-DRC2023-00026

Supervisorial District: District 2

Assessor Parcel Number(s): 074-082-018

Date Accepted: 06/15/2023

WHERE Virtual meeting via Zoom platform.

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A copy of the staff report will be made available on the Planning Department website at www.sloplanning.org. You may also contact Andy Knighton, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805-781-4142.

TO REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING

This matter is tentatively scheduled to appear on the consent agenda, which means that it and any other items on the consent agenda can be acted upon by the hearing officer with a single motion. An applicant or interested party may request a public hearing on this matter. To do so, send a letter to this office at the address below or send an email to pdh@co.slo.ca.us by Friday, October 13, 2023 at 4:30 PM The letter or email must include the language “I would like to request a hearing on C-DRC2023-00026.”

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

COASTAL APPEALABLE

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

Corla Wade, Secretary Planning Department Hearing October 5, 2023

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Commission

WHEN Thursday, November 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 Denise Mueller for a Variance (C-DRC2023-00012) and Minor Use Permit / Coastal Development Permit (DRC2020-00078) to allow grading on slopes over 30%, a variance from Estero Planning Area Standard, and the construction of a two-story 1,970-square-foot residence with attached 461-square-foot garage and 880 square feet of exterior deck areas. The project would result in approximately 3,893 square feet of site disturbance on an approximately 0.61-acre parcel. The project is located at 2831 Alamo Drive, in the community of Los Osos, in the Estero Planning Area.

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

Therefore, a revised Mitigated Negative Declaration (pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq., and CA Code of Regulations Section 15000 et seq.) has been issued on July 27, 2023 for this project. Mitigation measures are proposed to address aesthetics, air quality and biological resources are included as conditions of approval. The Environmental Document is available for public review at the Department of Planning and Building, at the below address. A copy of the Environmental Document is also available on the Planning and Building Department website at www.sloplanning.org. Anyone interested in commenting on the proposed Environmental Document should submit a written statement and/or speak at the public hearing. Comments will be accepted up until completion of the public hearing(s).

County File Number: C-DRC2023-00012

Supervisorial District: District 2 Assessor Parcel Number(s): 074-457-030

Date Accepted: 05/18/2021

WHERE

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A copy of the staff report will be made available on the Planning Department website at www.sloplanning.org. You may also contact Schani Siong, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805-781-4374.

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

COASTAL APPEALABLE

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

Daniela Chavez, Secretary Planning Commission October 5, 2023

SAN LUIS OBISPO CITY COUNCIL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The San Luis Obispo City Council invites all interested persons to attend a public hearing on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. Meetings may be viewed remotely by joining the Zoom webinar via the details published on the cover of the agenda, 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 ITEM:

• The City Council will receive and file the San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) 2022-23 Annual Report, as recommended by the SLO TBID Board, and consider the adoption of a resolution of intent to levy and collect TBID assessments in fiscal year 2023-24 at the same rate (2%) as 2022-23.

For more information, contact Molly Cano, Tourism Manager for the City’s Administration Department at (805) 781-7165 or by email, mcano@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.

October 5, 2023

CIP 4391 WATER RESERVOIR TANK REHABILITATION DESIGN

Proposals must be submitted by Thursday, October 26, 2023, @ 12:00 p.m. (late proposals will not be considered) either in person, by mail, or by recognized carrier to the following address:

City of Grover Beach Public Works Department

Attn: Javier Garcia, Assistant Engineer 154 South 8th Street Grover Beach, CA 93433

One (1) printed copy and one (1) electronic version on a flash drive of the proposal must be submitted in an enclosed envelope, box, or similar container. No softcopy submitted by electronic means will be accepted in lieu of the specified hardcopies. Costs of preparation and submittal of a proposal will be wholly borne by the Consultant. This Request for Proposal (RFP) does not constitute an offer of contract for services. The City reserves the option to retain all proposals received. The City reserves the option to reject any or all proposals, wholly or in part.

All other proposal requirements are specified in the section titled “Proposal Format”, and the review and selection process of proposals are specified in the section titled “Method and Criteria for Selection”.

The entire Request for Proposal document may be obtained electronically on the City’s website at www.groverbeach.org, by email to publicworks@ groverbeach.org or by calling 805-473-4530.

# # #

Legal Ad Published:

New Times: Thursdays September October 5th & October 12th

SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE

NO. 23-03

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Monday, September 25, 2023, the City Council of the City of Grover Beach had the First Reading and Introduction of an Ordinance entitled:

ORDINANCE NO. 23-03 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GROVER BEACH, CALIFORNIA, REPEALING CHAPTER 3 OF ARTICLE III IN ITS ENTIRETY, AND ADDING A NEW CHAPTER 3, OF ARTICLE III OF THE GROVER BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE CITY TRAFFIC REGULATIONS

This Ordinance will repeal Chapter 3 of Article III (Traffic Regulations) and will adopt a new Chapter 3 of Article III of the Grover Beach Municipal Code (GBMC) regarding an update to the City Traffic Regulations.

The full text of the Ordinance is on file in the City Clerk’s Office, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, California, or a copy may be obtained from the office for a nominal charge.

The City Council will conduct a second reading and consider adoption of this Ordinance on Tuesday, October 10, 2023. If approved, the Ordinance shall not become effective and in full force and effect until 12:01 a.m. on the thirty first day after its final passage. Within fifteen (15) days after its adoption, the second summary shall be published, together with the names of the Council Members voting in favor, in a newspaper of general circulation within the City.

/s/ Wendi B. Sims, City Clerk

Dated: Thursday, October 5, 2023

CITY OF GROVER BEACH REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

An electronic copy in PDF format of all required submittals must be submitted to publicworks@groverbeach.org and received by no later than 2:00pm on Thursday, October 19, 2023. Submittals received after the specified time will not be accepted. PDF documents must have permissions enabled for comments and printing.

CITY WIDE LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE

The entire Request for Proposal document may be obtained electronically on the City’s website at www.groverbeach.org, by email to publicworks@groverbeach.org or by calling 805-473-4530.

# # #

September 28 & October 5, 2023

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, October 17, 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:

Address: Citywide

Applicant: City of Pismo Beach

Description: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach, California adopting new water and wastewater fees for fiscal years 2024 through 2028, effective as of January 1, 2024.

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 October 12, 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

October 5 & 12, 2023

CUSTOMERS

Notice is given that the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors (“Board”) will conduct a Public Hearing on October 31, 2023 at 9:00 A.M. in the County of San Luis Obispo (“County”), Board of Supervisors Chambers located at 1055 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 in conjunction with its regularly scheduled meeting.

The purpose of this Public Hearing is to consider an increase to the Solid Waste Management Fee charged to customers of garbage haulers in the County of San Luis Obispo’s solid waste jurisdiction. The Solid Waste Management Fee is designed to fund regulatory compliance with State solid waste and recycling laws and regulations (“State Mandates”).

The current Solid Waste Management Fee is 2% of the gross revenue collected from commercial customers, 2% of gross revenue collected from residential customers that are charged more than $50 per month, and $0.30 per month for residential customers that are charged less than $50 per month. MSW Consultants performed a Solid Waste Compliance Fee Study (“Fee Study”) on behalf of the County and determined that, in order to fully fund compliance with State Mandates, the Solid Waste Management Fee must be increased to 8.1% of the gross revenue collected from all customers. An electronic copy of the Fee Study is available online at https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Public-Works/FormsDocuments/Solid-Waste-Resources/Agency-Documents/SolidWaste-Compliance-Fee-Study.pdf to any member of the public, and a paper copy will be provided on request upon payment of the direct cost of duplication. Please contact the County of San Luis Obispo Public Works Department at (805) 781-5252 or via email at pwd@co.slo.ca.us to request a copy.

At the Public Hearing, the Board shall consider an increase to the Solid Waste Management Fee in an amount not to exceed the 8.1% rate identified in the Fee Study. In its discretion, the Board may consider a smaller increase to the Solid Waste Management Fee, including, but not limited to, the adoption of a rate equal to the solid waste management fee established by the San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority (“IWMA”). The IWMA has established a permanent solid waste management fee of 5.4% of the gross revenue collected from all customers. For fiscal year 2023-2024, the IWMA has temporarily reduced its solid waste management fee from 5.4% to 4.4% of the gross revenue collected from all customers.

Any interested person may address the Board of Supervisors at the Public Hearing. Written comments may be submitted at or before the Public Hearing by addressing them to the Board of Supervisors.

Mail comments to Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, 1055 Monterey Street, Room D430, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408.

DATED: September 28, 2023

JOHN NILON, INTERIM EX-OFFICIO CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

By /s/ Niki Martin

Deputy Clerk October 5, 2023

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING BRIEF

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 AT 9:00 AM 5 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT

01. Consent Agenda – Item Nos. 1-37 & Resolution (Res) Nos. 2023-230 thru 2023-244, approved as amended.

02. Public Comment Period – Items not on the agenda: G. Kirkland; A. Seastrand; E. Greening; H. Stettland; Marlea & M. Brown: speak. No action taken.

03. State Legislative activities update, rec’d & filed.

04. FY 2022-23 Year-End Financial Status Report, recommendations 1-13 approved & Res. 2023-245 & 2023-246 adopted.

05. Res. 2023-247, adopting final appropriations, reserves, designations, & contingencies for FY 2023-24 per direction in Res. 2023-159 & relative to the determination of the 06/30/23, final fund balances, adopted; & the FY 2024-25 initial look/partial preliminary forecast, rec’d & filed.

06. Hearing re: Temporary Commercial Outdoor Entertainment (Event) License Application from Spartan Race, Inc. for an event at Santa Margarita Ranch on Nov. 4 & 5 2023, findings made & Res. 2023-248, approving w/ conditions the Application from Spartan Race, Inc, adopted.

07. Closed Session. Anticipated Litigation: Significant exposure to litigation - potential cases: 3. Initiation of litigation - potential cases: 3. Pending Litigation: Existing Litigation re: Friends of Oceano Dunes, Inc. v. CA Coast Commission, SLO Superior Court, Case No. 21CV-0214 (Consolidated w/ 21CV-0219, 21CV-0246, 21CV0541). Conference w/ Labor Negotiator re: employee organizations: SLOPA; SLOCEA-T&C; DCCA; Sheriffs’ Mgmt; SLOCPPOA; DSA; DAIA; SLOCPMPOA; SLOCEA – PSSC; Unrepresented Mgmt & Confidential Employees; SDSA; UDWA. Open Session. Report out.

08. County’s Cannabis Program Presentation, rec’d w/ direction to staff.

09. Request by the SLO Co. Office of Education to amend §22.04.030 to allow for School District Housing in the Public Facilities Land Use Category at 2450 Pennington Creek Rd, HWY 1 near Gilardi Rd & Education Dr, request to authorize processing approved.

10. Appeal by M. Hannon of the Planning Dept. Hearing Officer’s approval of a request by Spanish Vineyards LLC for a Minor Use Permit to allow site disturbance & grading for 1-mile-long driveway of access for a single-family residence, on Highland Dr. adjacent to Pismo Beach, withdrawn.

11. Res, 2023-249, appeal by C. Knauer partially denied & upholds the Planning Commission’s decision to construct a mixed-use commercial/residential development project on a vacant 6,000 sq. ft. site, & the subdivision of two 3,000 sq. ft. parcels into 8 air-space condominium units at 490 & 498 Front St, Avila Beach, adopted as amended.

12. Board Member Comments & Reports on Meetings: motions passed on the following: 1) create an ad-hoc committee re: welcome home village grant; 2) special meeting re: amending the scope of the Bob Jones Pathway; 3) request by ECHO Homeless Shelter for 20 beds. Comments re: playground equipment replacements.

MEETING ADJOURNED

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

Agendas.aspx John Nilon, Interim County Administrative Officer & Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: Annette Ramirez, Deputy Clerk of the Board of Supervisors October 5, 2023

Free Will Astrology

by Rob Brezsny

Homework: What if you could heal a past trauma? How would you start?

Newsletter.freewillastrology.com

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): I’ve been doing interviews in support of my new book Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle Now and then, I’m asked this question: “Do you actually believe all that mystical woo-woo you write about?” I respond diplomatically, though inwardly I’m screaming, “How profoundly hypocritical I would be if I did not believe in the ‘mystical woo-woo’ I have spent my adult studying and teaching!” But here’s my polite answer: I love and revere the venerable spiritual philosophies that some demean as “mystical woo-woo.” I see it as my job to translate those subtle ideas into well-grounded, practical suggestions that my readers can use to enhance their lives. Everything I just said is the prelude for your assignment, Aries: Work with extra focus to actuate your high ideals and deep values in the ordinary events of your daily life. As the American idioms advise: Walk your talk and practice what you preach

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20): I’m happy to see the expanding use of service animals. Initially, there were guide dogs to assist humans with imperfect vision. Later, there came mobility animals for those who need aid in moving around and hearing animals for those who can’t detect ringing doorbells. In recent years, emotional support animals have provided comfort for people who benefit from mental health assistance. I foresee a future in which all of us feel free and eager to call on the nurturing of companion animals. You may already have such friends, Taurus. If so, I urge you to express extra appreciation for them in the coming weeks. Ripen your relationship. And if not, now is an excellent time to explore the boost you can get from loving animals.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20): Gemini author Chuck Klosterman jokes, “I eat sugared cereal almost exclusively. This is because I’m the opposite of a ‘no-nonsense’ guy. I’m an ‘all-nonsense’ guy.” The coming weeks will be a constructive and liberating time for you to experiment with being an all-nonsense person, dear Gemini. How? Start by temporarily suspending any deep attachment you have to being a serious, hyper-rational adult doing staid, weighty adult things. Be mischievously committed to playing a lot and having maximum fun. Dancing sex! Ice cream uproars! Renegade fantasies! Laughter orgies! Joke romps! Giddy brainstorms and euphoric heartstorms!

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): Cancerian comedian Gilda Radner said, “I base most of my fashion taste on what doesn’t itch.” Let’s use that as a prime metaphor for you in the coming weeks. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will be wise to opt for what feels good over what merely looks good. You will make the right choices if you are committed to loving yourself more than trying to figure out how to get others to love you. Celebrate highly functional beauty, dear Cancerian. Exult in the clear intuitions that arise as you circumvent self-consciousness and revel in festive self-love.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): The amazingly creative Leo singer-songwriter Tori Amos gives this testimony: “All creators go through a period where they’re dry and don’t know how to get back to the creative source. Where is that waterfall? At a certain point, you say, ‘I’ll take a rivulet.’” Her testimony is true for all of us in our quest to find what we want and need. Of course, we would prefer to have permanent, unwavering access to the waterfall. But that’s not realistic. Besides, sometimes the rivulet is sufficient. And if we follow the rivulet, it may eventually lead to the waterfall.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Do you perform experiments on yourself? I do on myself. I formulate hypotheses about what might be healthy for me, then carry out tests to gather evidence about whether they are. A recent one was: Do I feel my best if I eat five small meals per day or three bigger ones? Another: Is my sleep most rejuvenating if I go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake up at 7 a.m. or if I sleep from

midnight to 9 a.m.? I recommend you engage in such experiments in the coming weeks. Your body has many clues and revelations it wants to offer you.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take a few deep, slow breaths. Let your mind be a blue sky where a few high clouds float. Hum your favorite melody. Relax as if you have all the time in the world to be whoever you want to be. Fantasize that you have slipped into a phase of your cycle when you are free to act as calm and unhurried as you like. Imagine you have access to resources in your secret core that will make you stable and solid and secure. Now read this Mary Oliver poem aloud: “You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): An Oklahoma woman named Mary Clamswer used a wheelchair from age 19 to 42 because multiple sclerosis made it hard to use her legs. Then a miracle happened. During a thunderstorm, she was hit by lightning. The blast not only didn’t kill her; it cured the multiple sclerosis. Over the subsequent months, she recovered her ability to walk. Now I’m not saying I hope you will be hit by a literal bolt of healing lightning, Scorpio, nor do I predict any such thing. But I suspect a comparable event or situation that may initially seem unsettling could ultimately bring you blessings.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): What are your favorite mind-altering substances? Coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar, or tobacco? Alcohol, pot, cocaine, or opioids? Psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, or MDMA? Others? All of the above? Whatever they are, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to reevaluate your relationship with them. Consider whether they are sometimes more hurtful than helpful, or vice versa; and whether the original reasons that led you to them are still true; and how your connection with them affects your close relationships. Ask other questions, too! PS: I don’t know what the answers are. My goal is simply to inspire you to take an inventory.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In his book Meditations for Miserable People Who Want to Stay That Way Dan Goodman says, “It’s not that I have nothing to give, but rather that no one wants what I have.” If you have ever been tempted to entertain dour fantasies like that, I predict you will be purged of them in the coming weeks and months. Maybe more than ever before, your influence will be sought by others. Your viewpoints will be asked for. Your gifts will be desired, and your input will be invited. I trust you won’t feel overwhelmed!

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): William James (1842-1910) was a paragon of reason and logic. So influential were his books about philosophy and psychology that he is regarded as a leading thinker of the 19th and 20th centuries. On the other hand, he was eager to explore the possibilities of supernatural phenomena like telepathy. He even consulted a trance medium named Leonora Piper. James said, “If you wish to upset the law that all crows are black, it is enough if you prove that one crow is white. My white crow is Mrs. Piper.” I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I suspect you will soon discover a white crow of your own. As a result, long-standing beliefs may come into question; a certainty could become ambiguous; an incontrovertible truth may be shaken. This is a good thing!

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20): If we hope to cure our wounds, we must cultivate a focused desire to be healed. A second essential is to be ingenious in gathering the resources we need to get healed. Here’s the third requirement: We must be bold and brave enough to scramble up out of our sense of defeat as we claim our right to be vigorous and whole again. I wish all these powers for you in the coming weeks. ∆

NHC, Farmacy, and The Pottery are pleased to announce the launch of a new monthly event named “First Fridays”. This initiative aims to celebrate community, foster a sense of belonging, drive traffic, and provide an exceptional experience for our valued customers through a farmers’ market-style experience with food trucks or food carts, DJs or live music, special deals, store-wide discounts, brand activations or demos, parking lot takeovers, clone sales, giveaways, and more!

DOOR BUSTERS - GOODIE BAGS

Each of our store locations will have the opportunity to cultivate its own unique experience based on the specifics of their space, layout, and municipal regulations. Some times may vary depending on location. See website for more details.