New Times, March 28, 2024

The California State University System’s chancellor takes home almost $1 million per year—a 27 percent increase over her predecessor. The lowest paid faculty on CSU campuses recently received a 5 percent raise after striking in an attempt to receive the requested 15 percent.

Although the California Faculty Association’s members approved the new contract with 75 percent support, many faculty are unhappy with both the CSU and the union and are advocating for change. For this week’s cover story, Staff Writer Samantha Herrera speaks with the CSU, the CFA, and faculty from a handful of the system’s 23 campuses [8].

Also this week, read about what’s going on with the Oceano Airport [4], SLO REP’s upcoming production, What the Constitution Means to Me [20], and the beauty and health benefits of microgreens [26]

Camillia

Spring/Summer

Fall/Winter

Board of Supervisors opts to keep Oceano’s airport operating, improve it

Although Oceano community members have been at odds over whether to close or renovate the Oceano Airport, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to continue operating the county-run airport and make improvements to it in the future.

During the March 26 Board of Supervisors meeting, county Director of Airports Courtney Johnson said that the airport is self-sustaining, but the county is not content with that.

“We aim for so much more; our vision for Oceano Airport extends far beyond its runways and hangars. We envision an airport that serves as a beacon of economic growth and prosperity for our community,” she said. “We see opportunities abound, not just for ourselves, but for future generations.”

Johnson said the county envisions a future where the airport is not just a place for transit, but a catalyst for greater economic output, a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship that drives job creation and economic vitality through the region. To help the county realize that future, it needs to take care of some priorities.

During a Dec. 15, 2023, California Coastal Commission meeting, commission staff said that the county’s proposed improvements and

repairs were necessary for the airport to continue operating.

“The project will repair or replace and upgrade several airport components including renovating the existing pilots’ campground area, replacing the pilots’ lounge, repaving and adding ADA improvements to the parking lot, replacing damaged airport hangars, and upgrading various utilities,” California Coastal Commission staffer Devin Jackson said during the December meeting.

Fourth District county Supervisor Jimmy Paulding said in addition to those repairs, during the recent winter storms that battered SLO County, an additional four hangars got knocked down.

Some Oceano residents who spoke during public comment at the March 26 meeting agreed with the county’s vision for the future.

Oceano Community Services District board member Linda Austin said she supported the continued operation of the airport and the proposed repairs and needed infrastructure upgrades.

“The improvements slated for the airport are long overdue and are very much needed. The benefits to the community are immense, and I regularly attend and participate in events held by the Friends of the Oceano Airport and I see firsthand the benefits our community receives by having an active group that supports aviation and community,” she said. “With enhanced improvements, I visualize projects and programs that our local schoolchildren in the Boys and Girls Club can participate and benefit from these improvements.”

CAPSLO earmarks nearby Prado Road property for family services

Marred by years of code violation issues, the troubled property at 46 Prado Road that once belonged to San Luis Obispo resident William Sievers, will be rejuvenated as a space that helps the homeless community.

The Community Action Partnership of SLO

However, other residents like Oceano Community Services District board member Allene Villa feel differently. During public comment, Villa said that she’s against continuing airport operations because it offers very little socioeconomic benefit to the community.

“Oceano is a disadvantaged community in need of recreational space, small businesses, and basic infrastructure. We also are a very land poor community. We don’t have any large open spaces; we have one small community park and an unsafe beach for recreation,” she said. “These 60 acres could provide the residents of Oceano a decent size recreational park and an opportunity for development of nature-based outside businesses.”

Paulding said the Coastal Commission gave strong deference to community members’ concerns regarding environmental injustice in Oceano.

closed escrow on 46 Prado Road—the neighbor of its 40 Prado Road facility. The nonprofit wants to expand its campus and use the new land as a resource site for families battling homelessness.

CAPSLO CEO Elizabeth Steinberg told New Times that even though the group hasn’t received data from the latest Point-in-Time count yet, it’s witnessed a rise in the number of families who are unhoused.

During the December Coastal Commission meeting, staff recommended that SLO County put community needs and environmental justice front and center.

“The community of Oceano is a lower income community of color where about a third of its population has an income less than two times the federal poverty rate,” Jackson said. “The airport itself, which occupies 60 acres in the middle of the community, has its own set of direct and indirect impacts. In many respects, the Oceano community is a classic example of the historically disenfranchised lower income communities of color disproportionately suffering from a series of land use decisions.”

During the Board of Supervisors meeting, Paulding said that while the Coastal Commission is right that environmental injustice exists in Oceano, he doesn’t think it’s related to the airport.

“Environmental injustice … occurs when poor or marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit,” he said. “I think this particular case centers on whether or not the airport represents the highest and best use for the community of Oceano, and we heard that from members of the public today.”

Paulding said he was interested in exploring what other options there could be for the airport’s land and how feasible those options are. However, according to staff, the only other use for airport land would be to turn it back into a wetland.

“So now we’re looking at what’s the benefit to Oceano of a wetland. Perhaps it could have coastal access trails and things like that, but then we start looking at it from a lens of parks and recreation and policymaking and how much of a priority that is,” he said. “So when I go back to that question on how much benefit does the airport currently provide and how much it could provide, juxtaposed to the idea of how much benefit it would provide as a wetland, I’m really just not convinced it’s a worthwhile investment at this time for our board.”

Paulding added that he doesn’t think the county has the ability to convert the airport to another use or even the financial feasibility to do it.

“It would cost so much to do it that it just doesn’t make sense in the context of the board’s other priorities,” he said. “Further, I’m led to the conclusion that there’s a lot more opportunity that this community asset can generate for the community if we’re willing to work together as a community to capitalize on it.”

The OCSD airport also plays an important role in serving in air operations, Paulding said. For the past three years, 117 emergency flights—from the U.S. Air Force and medical services—have flown into and out of Oceano.

“This is a really vital public safety function that this airport is serving, and we have to take that into account as policymakers,” he said. ∆

—Samantha Herrera

“Over time and since COVID, the number of families losing their job or housing has just increased,” she said. “But just from how many families we were seeing and serving, we were beginning to see our family dorm section just fill up. During COVID, we had some additional dollars to have some families stay in hotels with our case management services.”

Since 2018, the 2.2-acre lot that Sievers owned at 46 Prado Road received a notice of violation and a flurry of inspections from SLO Code Enforcement. The city found many vehicles, debris, and garbage with high fuel loads crowding the area, blocking emergency access. Officials noticed several unpermitted and unsafe structures used for housing on the site. Two fires broke out on the property in December 2020 and June 2021.

In December 2022, a SLO County judge signed off on an emergency order filed by the city of SLO to appoint a receiver who could take over 46 Prado Road and bring it up to code. The California Receivership Group undertook the task. A receiver’s report detailed that in mid-December 2023, heightened trespassing issues added to the difficulties. The receivership group found people living in abandoned water containers on the property and using gas stoves for cooking.

Mark Adams, the president of the receivership group, confirmed to New Times that they sold the property to CAPSLO for $1.3 million. He added that 46 Prado Road is the “perfect place” for CAPSLO’s expansion plan because it’s right next door and secluded from other residences. The nonprofit beat out two other potential buyers not only because its proposed offer was the highest but also because it had other funding streams lined up.

“They were eligible for the state grant, which could only go to nonprofits,” Adams said. “We wanted to maximize the [net] proceeds for Mr. Sievers.”

Adams is referring to a $709,514 grant CAPSLO received from the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control that will be used for site preparation, demolition, regulatory fees, and environmental remediation of the soil.

CAPSLO Chief Operating Officer

Suzanne Leedale said that the nonprofit will understand the extent of the remaining cleanup process once it completes investigating the site using that grant. She added that the receivership group cleaned 46 Prado Road to the current zoning standards and performed a phase 1 environmentally sensitive area investigation to document it.

“The property is currently zoned as office. The soils test performed was not so contaminated that the site could not be used for that purpose,” Leedale said. “However, the level of metals and petroleum were too high for medical, child care, or residential use.”

Along with the state grant, CAPSLO received $5 million from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund helmed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. CAPSLO spent $1.3 million of it to purchase the 46 Prado Road property.

“Our focus meshed with their request for service for families who are unhoused,” CEO Steinberg said.

She said she envisions CAPSLO’s proposed expanded “family dorm” to include smaller privacy-centered units with bathrooms, kitchenettes, play yards for kids, a communal room, and a case management office. But CAPSLO can only spend up to $2.5 million from the Bezos fund to develop the new site, prompting it to look for other funding sources to supplement the grant.

“It is a big gift and we’re grateful,” she said. “That is their regulation. They don’t want money just going into a building, they want to build the support services around families.”

—Bulbul Rajagopal

Atascadero considers local sales tax measure for November ballot

Since 2014, Atascadero has spent more than $17 million to maintain and upgrade 52 miles of roads in the city. But that funding could run dry in 2027 if the city doesn’t pass a new sales tax measure.

“It’s not an additional tax measure; this one is essentially a continuation of what’s already being paid,” Deputy City Manager Lara Christensen said during the March 26 Atascadero City Council meeting. “This one will supplant F-14 when F-14 sunsets.”

Atascadero voters passed Measure F-14 in 2014. The half-cent sales tax is earmarked specifically for maintenance and upgrades for neighborhood roads, and it sunsets on March 31, 2027. Christensen said without a new, similar measure to take over F-14, Atascadero would lose out on approximately $3 million annually without a way to replace those funds.

“We have a significant number of road miles—140 miles or 150 miles—that we’re responsible for. … We’re a rather large city that way,” she said. “Funding was a concern for this type of infrastructure before the city incorporated.”

A nine-member committee currently oversees the F-14 revenues, expenditures, and an annual road report. The same committee also provides oversight for the funds, expenses, and projects of Measure D-20, a 1 percent sales tax voters passed in 2020 to fund public safety, infrastructure, city staffing, and other priorities. Atascadero’s sales tax is currently 8.75 percent, which wouldn’t change.

Christensen called F-14 “tremendously successful,” highlighting the 13 projects completed with the funds, including 80 neighborhood road segments. Currently, the city has about 26 more roadway miles that are slated for projects, she said, but those won’t have the funding to move forward if Atascadero doesn’t pass a replacement tax.

The city does receive gas tax and SB 1 funding as well as federal and state grants for other roadway projects that amount to about $1.7 million per year.

“That’s outside of Measure F-14,” she said. “This is what we are looking at being available … without a measure like F-14.”

Geoff Auslen, who serves on the oversight committee, spoke during public comment, saying that the measure included a sunset

date because the public didn’t trust the government in 2014. However, he added that the funds from both measures have been used in the way they were intended, which has built that trust back up.

“There is no downside to what we are doing. We 100 percent have a city that is fiscally responsible, and we do count pennies,” he said. “There’s been no downside to this half-cent sales tax other than it’s a half-cent sales tax.”

City staff recommended that a new sales tax measure not include a sunset date, so Atascadero doesn’t find itself in this situation again in the future, “because we run the risk then of not having the measure pass,” Christensen said. The new measure would begin on April 1, 2027, the day after F-14 sunsets. Staff also recommended that the city embark on an education and outreach program so residents would understand that the measure doesn’t increase Atascadero’s sales tax.

Councilmember Charles Bourbeau said educating city voters would also be good because it might not be the only tax measure on the ballot, referring to the San Luis Obispo Council of Government’s proposed half-cent transportation tax.

The City Council voted 5-0 for city staff to draft a measure and ordinance that will come back before the council on June 11 and require a 4/5 vote to pass. That would give staff enough time to submit paperwork to the county for the measure to appear on the November election ballot. General sales tax measures require 50 percent plus one of voters to pass.

Mayor Heather Moreno said it’s taken time for the city to rebuild trust with the public.

“There was a time, like 15, almost 20 years ago now where there was not a lot of public trust with our government, council, staff,” she said. “We’re making incredible strides in our city with infrastructure, with public safety, with staffing, every single bit of that.”

—Camillia Lanham

Heather Moreno wins 5th District Supervisor race

Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno will shed her current title for a greater one: the next 5th District Supervisor in January 2025.

According to election results certified on

March 27, Moreno clinched 56.4 percent of final votes while her opponent, Atascadero City Councilmember Susan Funk, grabbed 43.6 percent of the total.

Moreno will replace current 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold who chose not to run for a fourth term.

“I’m honored by the trust and confidence the voters have placed in me,” Moreno told New Times on March 27.

She added she’ll spend the next nine months building relationships with county staff, researching county issues, and meeting with groups like the mental health advisory committee and housing advocate Generation Build.

Moreno is mayor until the second Tuesday in December. In her final months as Atascadero’s top city official, she said she’s pleased to see the general plan update close to completion after being involved with it since the beginning.

“We’re toward the latter part of the general plan update, which is a big undertaking,” she said. “I’m glad to continue as mayor throughout this process.”

The final results showed that 17,820 of 33,224 registered voters in District 5—the region that spans Atascadero, the California Valley, Garden Farms, Pozo, Santa Margarita, and parts of Templeton, SLO, and Cal Poly— cast ballots for the supervisor race. That’s an almost 54 percent voter turnout.

County-Clerk Recorder Elaina Cano said in a March 27 press release that her office counted 92,526 ballots across all the primary races. It put SLO County’s voter participation in the primaries at 52.3 percent—higher than the statewide average of below 34 percent, and more than the turnout in both the neighboring counties of Monterey and Santa Barbara. Cano added in the press release that 94 percent of voters chose the vote-by-mail method and the rest opted to submit their ballots on the March 5 election day.

Funk told New Times that she called Moreno on March 21 to concede the race. In a campaign email released the following day, Funk acknowledged that though the results at that point didn’t include many provisional ballots from Cal Poly, there weren’t enough ballots to bridge the 13-percentage point gap between her and Moreno at the time.

“The beauty and pain of democracy is that you don’t get to win every election you run in,”

Funk told New Times on March 26. “It’s the ongoing mark of how we shape our community together.”

She will continue her term as an Atascadero City Councilmember, which runs through 2026. She said she hasn’t made a decision about what comes next or whether she’ll run for mayor. In February, fellow City Councilmember Charles Bourbeau announced his intention to run for Atascadero Mayor in the November election.

Funk said she is busy preparing for the general plan update and will work with Bourbeau, Moreno, and the rest of the City Council on the process.

“I did share my appreciation to the mayor and she to me about keeping our county campaigns out of our work on City Council,” she said. “We need to build a stronger tax base in Atascadero and a stronger jobs base.” ∆

—Bulbul Rajagopal

ROAD TAX Atascadero is considering a half-cent sales tax measure—earmarked to pay for maintenance and upgrades of neighborhood roads—to replace an existing measure that sunsets in 2027.

Levels of doubt

California Faculty Association members question whether the union and the California State University system are there for them

CSU San Marcos literature and writing studies lecturer Jennifer Kady Stanton has been teaching for more than 10 years. She currently lives in a 350-squarefoot studio apartment with her daughter and makes $3,780 per month from the San Diego County university before taxes.

“I would love to put roots down in San Marcos, I would love to start committees, serve on committees, and start clubs. I would love to be there for my students every semester, and I can’t,” she told New Times. “It’s very difficult when you’re just constantly in survival mode, you know. I’m not saving for retirement; I’m not saving for emergencies.”

Stanton’s not alone in her situation. Faculty across the 23 schools in the CSU System are struggling, oftentimes needing to work side gigs or get second jobs in addition to the work they do for their respective universities just to make ends meet.

When Stanton heard that her union—the California Faculty Association (CFA), which represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors, and coaches who teach and provide services to the CSU system’s 485,000 students—was going to negotiate their contract with CSU management, she was ecstatic. But that slowly morphed into a feeling of betrayal as she watched the negotiating process. What she said she saw was a CFA that wasn’t fighting for her.

Prior to working at CSU San Marcos, Stanton was a professor at San Diego State University and a member of the CFA. During negotiations between the CSU and the CFA for the 2014 to 2021 contract, Stanton said she felt like the union did nothing to enhance working conditions for lecturers. This ultimately led her to quit the union.

“When I started at San Marcos, I thought let’s give this another try, and I was really happy to see that they were really pushing hard this time [on negotiations],” she said. “Then I find out once again, I’m not

parties to meet and bargain in good faith, and if a solution can’t be found, one or both sides can declare an impasse,” he said. “The public employees relations board will make a determination if impasse is reached, which they did in our case, then we can move forward to a neutral third party for mediation.”

Following mediation in the fall of 2023, the CFA held its first round of one-day strikes at Cal Poly Pomona, San Francisco State, CSU Los Angeles, and Sacramento State between Dec. 4 and Dec. 7, 2023. Following those strikes, Wehr said he reached out to CSU negotiators, gave them his cellphone number, and told them he was always available. No one ever called.

“We met with them in the second week of December, the 12th, just to check in and see if anything changed,” he said. “Nothing really changed. They still didn’t want to talk about any of our issues other than money and parking, but we had several other issues to talk about, like workload, parental leave, health, and safety. They just wouldn’t make any movement on these issues.”

BY SAMANTHA HERRERA

getting the floor increase that they’re telling everybody lecturers are.”

Since May 2023, the CFA had been bargaining with the CSU system over better working conditions related to workload, health, safety, parental leave, and salary for their 2022 to 2024 contract. Negotiations included a demand of a 12 percent pay raise, pay equity, and raising the floor for the CSU’s lowest-paid faculty, as well as more manageable workloads that allow for more support and engagement with students; more counselors to improve student access to mental health services; expanding paid parental leave; accessible lactation and milk storage spaces for lactating faculty; safe gender-inclusive restrooms and changing rooms; and provisions for faculty interacting with university police on campus, according to previous New Times reporting.

Following the threat of a weeklong strike from Jan. 22 to 26, the CFA and CSU came to a tentative agreement on the first day—a 5 percent general salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2023, as well as another 5 percent increase beginning on July 1, 2024, (contingent on the system’s budget); increased paid parental leave from six to 10 weeks; increased protection for faculty members who have dealings with police by ensuring a union rep is present during those interactions; and extending their contract one more year until 2025, according to the tentative agreement.

While this tentative agreement will raise the salary floor for the lowest-paid faculty, Stanton said the language is misleading, and many faculty members like herself won’t receive the promised increase.

“The new people are going to get this huge raise, but the people who have been around for a while are not, and it’s wildly unfair,” she said.

“So, when they say if you’re a lecturer A or B and you’re getting the floor increase, that’s true for some, and it’s not true for most.”

Stanton isn’t alone in feeling upset over the conditions that the CFA agreed to, and many faculty members believe that the CFA left the bargaining table too soon.

At the table

Negotiations with the CSU weren’t easy, according to CSU Sacramento sociology professor and CFA Bargaining Chair Kevin Wehr He said it felt as if the CSU representatives treated him and his colleagues in a condescending manner.

“Before the strike, it was really quite frustrating. We made ourselves available starting May 1 of last year. We asked management when they would like to meet and they didn’t respond for weeks and weeks, and finally we said we’re available on these days over summer,” he said. “Forty-four days we gave them, and, of those, they said they will only be available for four meetings.”

Wehr said it became apparent that CSU management wasn’t interested in negotiating salary with the CFA and that the CSU administration was trying to draw out the process for as long as possible. Frustrated, the CFA decided to declare an impasse.

“Declaring impasse is a point in the statutory process which requires both

CSU representatives returned to the bargaining table in January and offered the CFA a 15 percent raise over three years (a 5 percent raise each year), an additional two weeks of paid parental leave, and acceptance of 13 of an independent factfinder’s 15 recommendations, including gender-inclusive restrooms and increasing department chair pay. This offer prompted CFA threats of a weeklong strike from Jan. 22 to 26.

“We did meet with management again and scheduled four days the second week of January to see if they wanted to make any movement and avert the strike. We actually passed proposals that were intended to show that we were willing to move, and we weren’t just sticking to our initial proposals,” he said. “They walked out 30 minutes into the second day, so that pretty much guaranteed our strike.”

CSU Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Amy Bentley-Smith told New Times that she can’t speak about what occurred in the December meeting, but she wanted to stress that the parties did end up reaching an agreement.

“The California State University respects the principles of collective bargaining and commits to bargaining in good faith with our union leaders,” she said. “While we did not reach agreement in December, the CSU remained open to returning to the bargaining table and was pleased to do so in January.”

BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS On Jan. 22, faculty at Cal Poly and across all 23 CSU campuses took to the picket lines to strike for better working conditions on their new contract with the CSU.

FILE PHOTO BY SAMANTHA HERRERA

Split decisions

CFA members across all 23 CSU campuses took to the picket lines on Jan. 22 for what was expected to be a weeklong strike; however, CFA leadership and CSU management reached a tentative agreement that day.

Stanton said she found out the strike was over on Jan. 22 at 9 p.m. and had only a few hours to gather material for her 8 a.m. class—a class she wasn’t expecting to teach that week.

“The first thing a student said to me when they walked in was, ‘Wow, you guys only made it one day,’” she said.

While CFA and CSU management reached a tentative agreement, it was up to CFA members to vote in favor of and ratify it.

“If we vote this down and strike again, I don’t know that we’re going to have the support we had the first time,” Stanton said. “I think CFA dropped the ball on this; there shouldn’t have been an end date to the strike.”

Faculty across the CSU system agreed with Stanton, claiming they felt hoodwinked by false promises of better working conditions from the CFA.

A CSU Los Angeles computer science lecturer (New Times agreed not to use her name due to retaliation concerns) said she felt heartbroken, betrayed, and confused by the union.

“I attended meetings with members of the bargaining team, and then I would go to my department meetings and relay the information I got at the union meetings,” she said. “I was convincing people to sign their strike cards, and I was convincing people and telling them that I talked to members of the bargaining team, and they said they will not settle for less than what we wanted.”

The computer science professor said when she heard that the union agreed to the tentative agreement on Jan. 22, she and her fellow colleagues who were on the picket line in LA were confused about why the union decided to end the strike. They were left in the dark.

Cal Poly SLO assistant professor and English advisor Shanae Aurora Martinez told New Times that CFA members had complained in the past about deals being made behind closed doors. This time around, though, Martinez said, it seemed like leadership was doing a great job at increasing transparency throughout the bargaining process. They had representatives from each campus attending the bargaining meetings and participating directly in the negotiation process, something that was missing during previous negotiations. But that didn’t last.

“After the first day of the strike, that line of communication was closed off, and people who

had been involved in open bargaining from our campus and across the CSU were not consulted before this deal was taken,” she said. “It was a huge exercise of abuse of member power.”

CFA Bargaining Chair Wehr said that everything happened fast. Around 4 p.m. on Jan. 22, CSU negotiators called him and said they were ready to talk. CSU’s proposals made him feel as if the CFA had made progress on previous issues.

“It was a good enough offer that I took it through our consultation process with the elected officers, with the bargaining team, with an important committee to contract development, and bargaining strategy committee, and all of those groups came to consensus that, in fact, we should take this to the board of directors,” he said. “The board of directors are the elected group that is empowered to call the strike and to call off the strike.”

San Francisco State broadcast and electronic communication arts professor Marie Drennan told New Times that faculty members were robbed of their chance to help the bargaining team make a decision of this caliber.

“There was just a strong sense among a lot of faculty that the bargaining team had kind of abandoned the open bargaining model that we had recently started using,” she said. “We voted to go on strike, but we never had the chance to vote to end the strike.”

The CFA board of directors agreed to the tentative agreement. On Feb. 19, 76 percent of CFA members voted to pass the tentative agreement.

“We thank members for their solidarity, debate, and courage to press CSU management for better faculty working and student learning conditions, especially everyone who worked tirelessly organizing the successful strikes and joining the picket lines,” CFA President Charles Toombs said in a press release.

Although the tentative agreement passed, some CFA union members are still unsatisfied with what they’re going to receive.

“You know, [CSU executives] get these huge top 1 percent salaries when lecturers are at the bottom of the line and hold the university up by working five different jobs,” Stanton from CSU San Marcos said. “We’re running all over the state just to try and stay out of living out of their car, and some of them aren’t even succeeding with that.”

The pay scale

In 2023, the CSU system hired its 11th chancellor, Mildred Garcia. She receives an annual salary of $795,000, annual deferred compensation of $80,000, an annual housing allowance of $96,000, and an auto allowance of $1,000 per month. In total, her yearly salary is almost $1 million, the highest that any CSU chancellor has ever had.

President Joe Biden makes an annual salary of $400,000 plus an extra expense allowance of $50,000 a year, a $100,000 nontaxable account, and $19,000 for entertainment. Garcia is making almost double that.

Manager of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs for the CSU Chancellor’s Office Hazel Kelly said that being the leader of the largest four-year public university system in the nation is a unique role with no comparison, so pay should match.

“That said, the chancellor’s salary is still well below what several other public university system leaders make,” she said.

Stanton said she understands that the CSU is trying to ensure that the chancellor’s pay is equal to that of similar positions. What these systems are failing to realize, she said, is that none of them should be making that much.

“They are all wrong. Just because everyone else is doing it too doesn’t make it right,” she said.

“This is taxpayer money, and they’re all wrong. They’re operating like CEOs for taxpayer-funded public universities that are required to operate as close to free as possible by law, and instead they’re acting like CEOs are.”

In 2022, all 23 campus presidents received a 7 percent raise. CSU presidents make between $250,000 and $550,000 annually.

Kelly said presidents received a 7 percent raise after a two-year freeze on compensation between 2020 and 2022, which addressed budget uncertainties and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The CSU board also approved equity increases based on market factors for 14 campus presidents who had three-year reviews between 2019 and 2022. This equity adjustment, which is done periodically, is a policy designed to ensure that salaries paid to campus presidents align with the median salaries of presidents paid by peer universities,” she said. “Even with those equity pay adjustments, many presidents remain below their peer group median salary.”

Kelly said one of the CSU’s goals is to attract and retain the most highly qualified individuals to serve as faculty, staff, and executives, whose knowledge, experience, and contributions can advance the university system’s mission.

San Francisco State professor Drennan said it’s appalling how CSU executives have abandoned their mission of ensuring the universities are accessible for working-class families.

“It’s now a money-making machine, and … it exists to extract money from the working class in the form of tuition and funnel it upwards into the salaries of very overpaid campus presidents and the chancellor and upper executive management and admin,” she said.

Chancellor Garcia received a 27 percent pay raise over previous Chancellor Joseph Castro, who served from 2021 to 2022; CSU presidents received a 7 percent raise in 2022; and faculty have received regular raises over the last five years.

“With the agreement now ratified with the faculty union for a 10 percent salary increase over two years, the CSU has provided faculty with salary increases every year, with the exception of 2020-21 when the state reduced the CSU budget as a result of the global COVID pandemic,” Kelly said.

In the 2018-19 school year, faculty received a 3.5 percent general salary increase; 201920, faculty received a 2.5 percent increase; 2021-22, faculty received a 4 percent increase; 2022-23, faculty received a 3 percent increase; and 2023-24, faculty received a 5 percent salary increase retroactive to July 2023 and a 5 percent salary increase for 2024-25 that goes into effect in July 2024, Kelly said.

CFA Bargaining Chair Wehr said while it’s easy for faculty to blame the union for inadequate bargaining, they should shift those feelings to CSU management.

“It’s very difficult to get to the chancellor. She hides behind closed doors, she’s not available, she’s not public, and in the very limited public forum at the CSU board of trustees, you’re limited to a one-minute public comment,” he said. “So, of course, folks are expressing their dissent, and I think it’s better placed at management rather than the union.

“I try to tell people that all the time when they complain about the union. Look, we’re trying our best, the problem is management, and if you think that we can do better, then you should get involved and help us do better.”

Fighting for democracy

Stanton, Drennan, Martinez, and the CSU LA computer science lecturer all believe that unions are good but that the CFA needs change.

“There’s just questions about whether or not our union is really functioning democratically, and many of us feel that it is not,” Drennan said.

Since Jan. 22, faculty across the campuses have questioned how the CFA is run. Voteitdown.org aims to provide faculty with the opportunity to fight for democratization of the CFA.

“We are a broad coalition of CFA rankand-file members and chapter officers. Our goal is to make our union stronger by empowering members in bargaining and decision-making. Here you will find information, resources, action items, and community. Join us,” the website reads.

Drennan said faculty are working on a petition to start changing various CFA bylaws to allow for an elected bargaining team rather than an appointed one.

“It was shocking to many of us and really demoralizing to have the strike end so fast, but it did shed a lot of light on some things that we need to change. Bigger, deeper changes than just this particular strike end,” she said. “So, we’re looking at getting a petition going right now, that we can bring to the spring assembly and try to get the bargaining team elected.”

Over the past decade, Wehr said, the CFA has really made an effort to be more transparent and democratic. This most recent bargaining session was the most open one yet.

“With any large, complex organization, there’s a lot of people who are just fine with things as they are and felt like there was a good resolution. Obviously with more than 75 percent voting in favor of accepting the [tentative agreement], you know a huge super majority of folks are happy with it,” he said. “But there’s some people who wish there was more transparency, that there was more democracy.”

Wehr said the CFA has heard the complaints and is actively trying to improve its leadership system.

“The officers of the union have heard it, and they’re processing it,” he said.

“They’re thinking about what alternatives or changes are out there that we should look at for models and see if there’s some change for us to increase and keep moving on this process.” ∆

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

UNDER $1 MILLION Mildred Garcia is the 11th chancellor of the CSU system and makes a yearly salary of almost $1 million, the most any CSU chancellor has ever made.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HAZEL KELLY

BARGAINING TABLE Kevin Wehr is a CSU Sacramento sociology professor and California Faculty Association bargaining chair who said negotiating with CSU management isn’t easy.

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Spring clean redux

After sprucing up parks in Arroyo Grande and Nipomo, organizer Kendra Paulding’s community beautification project will make its way to Oceano.

We Heart Oceano is the latest South County addition to the original We Heart AG events where eager volunteers carry out small but significant improvements to public areas. Months after the We Heart Nipomo gathering drew in roughly 80 helpers, We Heart Oceano hopes for similar popularity on April 13.

Paulding told New Times on March 21 that she consulted with San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation Ranger Matt Mohle about rounding up volunteers.

“I reached out to a bunch of community groups in Oceano like the Elks, the Eagles, OBCA [Oceano Beach Community Association], VACO [Vitality Advisory Council of Oceano], Eco SLO [Environmental Center of SLO], the Oceano Library,” she said. “They’re putting the word out there, and we’re just getting started.”

We Heart Oceano is looking for 35 people to volunteer at Oceano Park on April 13 from 9 a.m. until noon. They will fill holes and plant grass seeds; mulch, trim, and weed around the park sign; pick up trash around the pond and park; and repaint the picnic tables. Interested participants can sign up at signup.com/go/GfnXdnj.

Email weheartoceano@gmail.com with additional questions.

“There are so many nice tables out there, and they’re starting to peel and crack,” Paulding said. “It would be nice if we could get someone who’s confident, and a skilled carpenter would be great who can help us replace some of the boards and drill some holes.”

Promote!

Like the other iterations of the cleanup project, We Heart Oceano will split volunteers into groups for each activity. Paulding will lead mulching efforts; her husband, 4th District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding, will oversee painting the picnic tables; Oceano Community Services District President Charles Varni is the trash pickup team leader; and Mohle from County Parks will direct filling gopher holes and planting seeds.

“There’s just so much to be done, especially with the storms. County Parks is doing a lot of extra work, and we’re trying to help maintain things that volunteers can do like

painting picnic tables while they’re going out with their chainsaws and chopping down [tree] limbs and things that are unsafe,” Paulding said with a laugh. “We’re just supplementing some of County Parks’ role.”

Paulding and her team are also working on the 2024 round of We Heart AG scheduled for May 4 at 9 a.m. The growth of the beautification efforts around South County saw requests to conduct a similar event in Grover Beach, too. Community members from other parts of the county also tapped Paulding for advice.

“I had someone else up in Morro Bay just complete a We Heart Morro Bay. They reached out and asked what I did for We Heart AG, and I told them basically the setup, and volunteers got together and did an event in Morro Bay,” she said. “Why not go out an beautify your towns and cities?”

Fast facts

• The Arroyo Grande Recreation Services Department will host its 35th annual egg hunt festival on March 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The all-ages event will be held at Elm Street Park complete with carnival games, free hot dogs, local food trucks, and more.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County organized a tour of City Farm SLO for at-risk children and their mentors. The tour will take place at 10 a.m. on April 6 at the City Farm SLO facility on 1221 Calle Joaquin. The group will get to plant seeds, transplant seedlings, and taste the vegetables grown on the farm. For more information, contact Interim Executive Director Caity McCardell at caity@slobigs.org.

• SLO High recently held a grand opening of its wellness center for students. The supportive resource offers individual counseling, group counseling, educational initiatives, and outreach programs for students seeking immediate assistance. The San Luis Coastal Unified School District and a $30,000 grant from the SLO County Friday Night Live Partnership helped fund the wellness center. ∆

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

BUSYBODIES Similar to the previous cleanup project in Nipomo (pictured here), We Heart Oceano volunteers will help mulch, weed, plant seeds, and paint picnic tables around Oceano Park. COURTESY

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We want better representation

In 2023, the county revised the Advisory Council Handbook to promote consistency for all advisory council boards and procedures and set the expectation that all community councils would move toward elected membership. Accordingly, Oceano’s county supervisor, Jimmy Paulding, asked VACO to transition to an elected council by the end of March 2024. To make the transition, last month VACO drafted bylaws that fail miserably in equitable representation of the Oceano community. Instead, it re-proposes entrenched members and business representation, despite the fact that Oceano is primarily a small residential community.

VACO plans to establish an election committee run by a VACO member, an exVACO member, and an out-of-town person with not even one lay person from Oceano.

We believe the election committee should be completely independent from VACO and staffed with Oceano residents.

VACO plans to elect only five members out of nine. The rest would be appointed by various chambers of commerce and organizations that have no right to represent Oceano. Members would not have a residency requirement.

We believe all members of a community advisory council should be residents of that community.

VACO plans to elect the first three members of the new council in July 2025. The other two would be elected in July 2027.

We believe an independent election committee should be established immediately and elections held as soon as possible.

Finally, here is VACO’s bylaws’ most appalling, discriminant, and undemocratic Article IV 2:

“Persons previously rejected or removed from membership in a community advisory council (CAC) or who served on a CAC that was unrecognized in San Luis Obispo

County by the county Board of Supervisors shall not be eligible for election in the VACO.”

We believe it is unconstitutional to ban anybody from running for a public office unless convicted of a felony. This ban blatantly targets former members of the original Oceano advisory council (before VACO) which was unrecognized and disbanded by former 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton.

Finally, we believe that if VACO doesn’t immediately comply with the county’s guidelines to hold fair and unbiased elections free of partisan influence and discriminatory policies, then VACO should be “unrecognized” by the Board of Supervisors.

Our district’s supervisor should then appoint an independent election committee to oversee elections for Oceano. The new council’s board will then draft its own new bylaws.

Bonita Ernst, Allene Villa, and Lucia Casalinuovo Oceano Beach Community Association

Nuclear power’s dirty legacy

Now that the red carpet from the Oscars has been rolled up and disposed of, likely in a landfill somewhere, one wonders if the gold statues dare to whisper among themselves in their respective cabinets of why the film Oppenheimer left out so much. Oppenheimer fails to depict the experience of the Tewa people with the Trinity test.

Using First Peoples and the land and water they protected as sacrifice for atomic testing, just weeks before the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the U.S. government poisoned the air, water, and sacred land of the Tewa—communities that for more than 10,000 years held peace as a way of life.

The genocide of Native Americans committed since the arrival of Europeans took on a new form on Pajarito Plateau, and in the uranium mining that took place for decades in New Mexico, leaving a legacy

of cancer for generations to come and abandoned uranium mines—practically uncountable and nearly impossible to clean up. A land-based people, the Tewa have much greater health risks due to greater exposure to toxins from Los Alamos over longer periods of time in their practices of collecting rainwater and growing their own food, practices seen now as sustainable in other communities. Yet not even Native American maids, who unknowingly brought home contaminated lunchboxes and contaminated clothing discarded by their bosses, appear in Oppenheimer, nor was there any mention made by any of the film’s Oscar recipients of the destruction of water, land, culture, and health wrought by the activities at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Peace, as the Tewa have always known, is the true deterrent to war. Nuclear weapons do not bring peace and nuclear energy is not safe, starting from the exploration of uranium, which leads to contaminated waste rock, to uranium mills, which produce contaminated tailings, processing plants with toxic waste, enrichment plants that produce depleted uranium, and nuclear power plants with spent fuel rods for which no safe storage exists.

Of course, statues can’t whisper, but people can speak up and reject nuclear energy and weapons.

Dolores Howard Paso Robles

What about conservatives?

Having read John Donegan’s recent epic “Do the right thing” (March 14), I do have to admit that I agree with a lot of what he has to say, which, as a recovering progressive, is a bit painful for me. It does seem that it takes American liberals, especially progressives, an inordinate amount of time to face up to inevitable realities. This, along with their inability to even consider compromise (a bond shared with their right-wing counterparts) has made our road considerably rockier than it needs to be.

It is interesting to note that the author’s focus was on social issues, which is not the traditional bailiwick of conservatives, whose traditional attitude toward them is to not give a shit except, of course, to expend any and all efforts to avoid paying for them. For this reason, one can only view the author’s effort as a “told ya so” moment. Nevertheless, progressives would do well to learn from this experience, but past experience has shown that they are not any better at learning than they are at compromising.

So, what about the conservatives? Take income inequality for example. Is it not at the root of many pressing social problems and much of the ongoing conflict in the world? And market deregulation, which has given us the savings and loan debacle, the dot-com bust, Enron, the sub-prime mortgage collapse, and the fairly recent banking ballyhoo, along with disgustingly overpaid and psychotic corporate executives, recidivist felonious corporations like Chase and Wells Fargo, and a blathering, suppurating media embodied in the likes of Fox News and MSNBC. Who knows what ill winds are trailing Bitcoin and AI. When is somebody going to do the right thing about all that?

Mark Henry San Luis Obispo

How can SLO County reduce noise violations?

42% Impose larger fines.

33% Prohibit excessive noise after 10 p.m. without permits.

16% No changes needed.

9% Invest in equipment and training to measure decibels.

43 Votes

HODIN

Russell Hodin

California State University presidents received a 7 percent raise in 2022.

If you’re Cal Poly President Jeff Armstrong (aka one of the highest paid campus administrators in the entire CSU system), that means you’re now making about $38,000 more per year than you were before.

That raise is almost equal to what CSU San Marcos lecturer Jennifer Kady Stanton makes per year—and it’s certainly more than what she actually takes home after taxes. The 3 percent raise she and other faculty members received in 2022—which meant a little more than $1,000 extra per year—doesn’t really compare to Armstrong’s windfall, even though the CSU Chancellor’s Office Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Manager Hazel Kelly might try to lead you to believe otherwise.

Comparing the highest paid person on a university campus to some of the lowest is like comparing apples and oranges. Meanwhile, CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia is bringing home almost $1 million a year—a 27 percent raise over the last chancellor. I guess that’s like comparing steaks to cauliflowers. Kelly assured New Times, it’s “still well below what several other public university system leaders make.” Oh, good.

According to CalMatters, from 2010 to 2019, compensation for college presidents across 49 states increased 56 percent. An analysis by two professors at George Mason University found that the average college president’s salary increased from $543,000 in 2010 to $715,000 in 2019.

One of the reasons: Campuses are looking for candidates with corporate leadership experience and those people are used to larger salaries. Oh, OK! I guess our taxpayerand tuition-funded public institutions better give it to them then.

It’s definitely working in the corporate world—which likes to keep low-wage workers low and the top brass high—so let’s do the same with a government-funded system. That makes the most sense.

Stanton said she understands that the CSU is trying to ensure that the chancellor’s pay is equal to that of similar positions, but nobody in a public education system should make that much.

“They are all wrong. Just because everyone else is doing it too doesn’t make it right,” she said. “This is taxpayer money, and they’re all wrong. They’re operating like CEOs for taxpayer-funded public universities that are required to operate as close to free as possible by law, and instead they’re acting like CEOs are.”

They are all wrong! Stanton’s been lecturing in the CSU system for 10 years. She takes home less than $4,000 a month, she lives in a tiny studio apartment with her daughter in one of the most expensive

housing markets in the country, and she’s struggling to get by. She’s not saving any money. She can’t put down roots. She’s barely making ends meet.

“You know, [CSU executives] get these huge top 1 percent salaries when lecturers are at the bottom of the line and hold the university up by working five different jobs,” Stanton said. “We’re running all over the state just to try and stay out of living out of their car, and some of them aren’t even succeeding with that.”

The chancellor gets an annual housing allowance of $96,000, and a monthly car allowance that’s equal to that 3 percent raise Stanton got in 2022.

Sweet. I bet CSU lecturers feel super valued— especially based on what the CSU “gave up” to them after January’s system-wide strike.

The California Faculty Association (CFA) and the CSU came to an agreement after one day of a planned weeklong strike. That 12 percent raise faculty was holding out for? They got 5 percent retroactive to mid-2023 and another 5 percent starting in mid-2024 (if the CSU budget allows it). That’s not the same as a 10 percent raise. And it’s definitely not 12 percent.

So the lecturers who provide the main service that students pay to go to college for—getting educated—have a much lower value to the CSU system than campus administrators. That’s clear. And those administrators are paid so much because they’re supposed to develop more financial opportunities for the CSU system and keep costs down for students so

that public universities are accessible to all Why, then, is tuition going to increase by more than $1,000 per student in the next five years—bringing in another at least $485 million in revenue for the CSU system?

It seems to me like this system is absolutely not working. Not for the faculty—51 percent of CSU instructional faculty are part-time (meaning, they don’t make much)—and not for the students. It seems to be working for the top administrators though, who are making out like bandits.

While faculty like Stanton place blame for their predicament squarely on the shoulders of both CSU administration and their union, CFA Bargaining Chair Kevin Wehr believes faculty should take their angst out on administrators, who were “condescending” during contract negotiations and didn’t really give the CFA the time of day.

“The problem is management,” he said. “If you think that we can do better, then you should get involved and help us do better.”

I think that might be exactly what’s happening.

Even though three-quarters of the CFA’s members ratified the agreement it reached with the CSU system on day one of a planned five-day strike, it doesn’t mean the “overwhelming majority” were happy with it, as Wehr insinuated. Systems must always change from within. ∆

The Shredder hates the system. Send picket signs to shredder@newtimesslo.com.

Hot Dates

HOP ON OVER

The Cliffs Hotel and Spa in Pismo Beach hosts its Easter Brunch on Sunday, March 31, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Attendees of the celebration can look forward to a brunch buffet, live music, and the opportunity to meet a special bunny guest. Tickets to the event are available in advance at my805tix.com. Call (805) 773-5000 or visit cliffshotelandspa. com for more details. The Cliffs Hotel and Spa is located at 2757 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach.

—Caleb Wiseblood

10-DAY CALENDAR:

ARTS

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

AQUARIUS 2024 Central Coast

Watercolor Society’s annual juried exhibit features a wide array of watermedia art from experimental to traditional. Through April 1 Free. ccwsart. com/aquarius-2024-show. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay, 805-772-2504.

COASTAL WINE AND PAINT PARTY

Listen to music while enjoying an afternoon of creativity, sipping, and mingling. 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.

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

JEWELRY, SMALL WORKS, AND ART BY HOPE MYERS Myers is an award-winning watercolorist, collage artist, and jewelry crafts person. She has been creating her artwork on the Central Coast for more than 30 years. Hope’s jewelry features vintage beads and crystals and is assembled in Los Osos. Gallery open daily. Mondays, Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. through April 29 Free. 805-772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

across more than 40 years. They are a historical archive of the changes through those years. Odell’s frequently seen with his plein air easel and paints. His original oils are on canvas and wood. Gallery open daily. Mondays, Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. through April 29 Free. 805-772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare. com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

PROCREATE MONTHLY ARTIST

GROUP Learn the basic tools for using the iPad app, Procreate. Every month, group focuses on a different way to use Procreate, sometimes starting with a “how-to” video. Join a supportive community and navigate the digital world together. First Wednesday of every month, 1-3 p.m. through March 6 $10. 805-927-8190. cambriaarts.org. Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St., Cambria.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

COMEDY NIGHT First Saturday of every month. April lineup: headliner Chicago Steve Barkley, feature Eric Wielo, opener David Uhlfelder, and host Bob Fernandez. April 6 7-10 p.m. $25 in advance; $30 at the door. 805-635-5919. pasolounge. com. Paso Lounge, 1144 Black Oak Drive, Paso Robles.

DESIGNER EASTER EGGS AT THE ARTSOCIAL 805 CREATIVE CAMPUS

Bring the family to the ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus with some eggs and “we’ll provide the fun.” You’ll get a chance to try different techniques and fun ways to design Easter eggs. March 30, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $15. 805-400-9107. artsocial805.com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

FEATURED ARTIST: DENNIS CURRY

“While much of the art of the past has dealt with the glories and follies of humankind, I feel a need to portray nature for it’s own sake ...” Through March 31 Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles, 805-238-9800, studiosonthepark.org.

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.

I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY Features a collection of artworks about political, environmental, and social issues by local middle school and high school students. Through April 28 Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles, 805-238-9800, studiosonthepark.org.

THE POCKET’S GRAND OPENING OF ITS “BACK POCKET” Showing the latest artwork created by printmakers Susan Lyon, Kathy Madonna, and Maryanne Nucci. Saturday, April 6, from 2 to 5 p.m., swing by for grand opening. Also open by appointment. First Saturday of every month, 2-5 p.m. Pocket Gallery on Pine, 8491/2 13th Street, Paso Robles, 805-440-7152.

PRIVATE HOME SCHOOL ART

SESSIONS Use clay sculpting, ceramic tiles, textile art, paper crafts, watercolors, and more. You’ll be amazed as we unravel the secrets of color theory, famous artists, time periods, and techniques. Every other Monday, 2:30-4

p.m. through May 27 $25. 805-400-9107. artsocial805.com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

SLOFUNNY COMEDY SHOW (PASO ROBLES) Lineups are subject to change, but always include 5 headliners. March 29, 7-8:30 p.m. my805tix.com/. JUSTIN Downtown Tasting Room, 811 12th St., Paso Robles, 805-238-6932. With five headliners. Lineups are subject to change. March 29, 7-8:30 p.m. my805tix. com/. The Park Place, 1216 Park St., Paso Robles.

SPRING BREAK ART CAMP Spring break won’t be complete without some creative fun. April 1 , 1-4 p.m., April 2 , 1-4 p.m., April 3 , 1-4 p.m., April 4 , 1-4 p.m. and April 5 , 1-4 p.m. $160. 805-400-9107. artsocial805.com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

SPRING BREAK ART CAMP AT THE ARTSOCIAL 805 CREATIVE CAMPUS Spring break won’t be complete without some creative fun. Enjoy a fun week at art camp catering to ages 7 and up. Drawing, painting, clay, mosaics, weaving, and more. March 28 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and March 29 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $160. 805-4009107. artsocial805.com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

STOP-MOTION CREATOR CAMP

Please join ArtSocial 805 at the Creative Campus. Get crafty and learn the secret art of stop motion animation. Every creator will need to bring their own device such as a cell phone or iPad. April 1 -5, 10 a.m.-noon $160. 805-400-9107. artsocial805.com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 3340 Ramada Drive, suite 2C, Paso Robles.

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

SAN LUIS OBISPO

ACTOR’S EDGE: ACTING CLASSES

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

ADAM PARKER SMITH: FOR THE TIME

BEING This exhibition will feature several works made throughout the artist’s career as sort of a mid-career retrospective. Adam Parker Smith has a unique ability to address complex themes in a whimsical, light-hearted way that makes his work incredibly accessible. Through July 7, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma. org/exhibition/adam-parker-smith/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

ALEX HISCHIER: ART AFTER DARK

Join The Bunker SLO for Art After Dark featuring original artwork by Alex Hischier. April 5 , 5-8 p.m. my805tix.com/. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

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

ART IN THE GARDEN/SPRING PLANT

Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

ARTIST RIKI SCHUMACHER AT ART

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

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

CREATE A ONE-OF-A KIND SILK SCARF

Dive into the creative process of botanical dyeing. Venture into the garden and forage for a variety of plants that you will then use to create a physical memory imprinted onto a silk scarf. March 30, 1-4 p.m. $125 non-members. 805-541-1400. slobg.org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., 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. 805-5438562. sloma.org/events/first-fridays/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood

SALE Features more than 25 local artists, plus a huge selection of drought-tolerant plants perfect for the Central Coast. Enjoy food and live music with the Jill Knight duo all weekend. March 30 and March 31 Free. 805-541-1400. slobg.org/ upcoming-events/aigplantsale/. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy

FORAGE AND DYE A BANDANA: A CLASS FOR KIDS Forage for local flora and imprint treasures onto a cotton bandana for you to take home. This program is for children 8 years old and above. Kids under 7 can sign up with an adult to help the with the project. March 30, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $42 non-members. 805-541-1400. slobg.org/event/foragedye-a-bandana-a-class-for-kids/. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

FREE DOCENT TOURS Gain a deeper understanding of the artwork on view with SLOMA’s new docent tours.

OIL PAINTINGS BY JEFF ODELL Odell’s paintings of Morro Bay span

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CLIFFS HOTEL AND SPA

Marine Science Spring Camp: Sea Explorers

THURS-FRI, MARCH 28-29 Central Coast Aquarium, Avila Beach

FRIDAY, MARCH

SATURDAY, MARCH

SATUDAY,

Viva La Cerveza: SLO Beer & Taco Festival

SATURDAY, MAY 25

Madonna Expo, SLO

Shamanic

Coastal

SATURDAY, MARCH 30

Harmony

The

SATURDAY,

SATURDAY, APRIL 6

SLOFunny

JUSTIN

FRIDAY, MARCH 29

SATURDAY,

SUNDAY,

The

FRI-SUN, JUNE 14-16

El Chorro Regional Park, SLO

FRIDAY, MARCH 29

SATURDAY, MARCH

SLO

FRIDAY, APRIL

SATURDAY,

FRIDAY,

Knee Deep: Back at the Castle

SATURDAY, MARCH 30 Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

FRIDAY, APRIL 5

“Chicago” Steve Barkley

SATURDAY, APRIL 6 Paso Lounge, Paso Robles

FRIDAY, MARCH

SATURDAY, MARCH

Eleemosynary : A Reader’s Theatre Event

FRI-SUN, APRIL 5-7 Private Residence, Atascadero

A 35th Anniversary Tribute Honoring Roy Orbison

SATURDAY, APRIL 6

Wine & Paint Party

Cafe at the Pewter Plough, Cambria

Green Jelly: Greatest Hit Tour

APRIL 6 Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Morning Rituals for Vitality FRIDAY, MARCH 29

Only Ocean, Zampkamp, & more!

MARCH 30 Humdinger Brewery, Arroyo Grande

Comedy Show, Hosted by Mateen Stewart

Downtown Tasting Room, PR

Easter Brunch at The Cliffs 2024

MARCH 31

Cliffs Hotel & Spa, Pismo Beach

Improv Comedy Show: House Teams & Ensemble

MARCH 30 The Bunker SLO

The Ragged Jubilee, Nightjacket, & Watashi Wa

APRIL 6 Templeton Mercantile

TaikoProject: Benzaiten

MARCH 29 Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

Banda Toro with La Chaparrita de Oro y Su Groupo Norteño

Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

SLOFunny Comedy Show, Hosted by Mateen Stewart

30 Dairy Creek Golf Course, SLO

Mestizo: Live Latin Music

29 Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Wine & Dine: MCV Pairs with Chef Candice

MCV Wines, Atascadero

Shawn Clark Family Band, Fistful of Nickels, & more!

Templeton Mercantile

Brass Mash First Friday in April 2024

5 Liquid Gravity Brewing Company, SLO

Sugaray Rayford with Blues Asylum

30

Veteran’s Hall

Comedy Night headlining

Bone Crown, Gouged, No Warning Shots, & more!

29 Dark Nectar Coffee, Atascadero

Musical Improv Comedy Show

APRIL 6 The Bunker SLO

Best of the San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition

30 Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

Hot Dates

6:30 p.m. $15 session. 415-516-5214. Omni Studio, 698 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay.

CENTRAL COAST WOOD CARVERS

Every Saturday, join trained guides for interactive and engaging tours of SLOMA’s current exhibitions. Saturdays, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma. org/visit/tours/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

every Sunday at 789 Valley Road, Arroyo Grande, or on Zoom.

Details and class schedule at www.unity5cities.org or by calling 805.440.9461

GO FISH! BEGINNER ACRYLIC WITH LINDA CUNNINGHAM In this workshop, you’ll receive step-by-step instruction for creating a beautiful koi fish acrylic painting. Beginners are welcome and no experience is necessary. Relax and have fun. April 7 12:30-3:30 p.m. $40 per person. 805-478-2158. artcentralslo.com. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

IMPROV COMEDY SHOW A great group of improvisers will be creating scenes on the spot from audience suggestions. March 30 6-8 p.m. my805tix.com/. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY AND ART

Owen and Kyoko Hunt from Kyoto, Japan offer classes for Japanese calligraphy (Fridays, 5:30-6:30 p.m.), a Japanese art called “haiga” (Fridays, 10-11:30 a.m.) and more at Nesting Hawk Ranch. Fridays $45. 702-335-0730. Nesting Hawk Ranch, Call for address, San Luis Obispo.

LEARN MODERN SQUARE DANCING

A new square dance class, with Rick Hampton teaching. Exercise your body and brain while making new friends. Casual dress. Singles and couples welcome. Light refreshments will be served. Thursdays, 7-9 p.m. through April 18 $70 for all 12 weeks. 805-781-7300. squaredancecentralcoast. com/classes. San Luis Obispo Grange Hall, 2880 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.

MEAN GIRLS A ferociously funny new musical from an award-winning creative team. The show tells the story of a naïve newbie who falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies. April 1 7:30-9 p.m. $94-$119. 805-756-2787. calpolyarts.org/20232024events/meangirls. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

MUSICAL IMPROV COMEDY SHOW A great group of sing-songy improvisers will be creating musical scenes on the spot from your audience suggestions April 6 6-8 p.m. my805tix.com/. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, 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.

PAINTING MORRO ROCK WITH DREW

DAVIS Visit site for more info and tickets to this painting class. March 28 , 1-3 p.m. my805tix.com/. Drew Davis Fine Art, 393 Pacific St., San Luis Obispo.

PAINTING SHELL CREEK WILDFLOWERS

WITH DREW DAVIS Calling all art enthusiasts and aspiring artists. April 7, 1-3 p.m. my805tix.com/. Drew Davis Fine Art, 393 Pacific St., San Luis Obispo.

POTTERY: BEGINNING WHEEL CLASS

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

SCULPTURE CLASS WITH ROD PEREZ

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

Send event information to events@newtimesslo.com or submit online.

change). March 30 8-9:30 p.m. my805tix. com/. Dairy Creek Golf Course, 2990 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo, 805-782-8060. UPCYCLING COMPETITION Sign up for this Upcycling Competition open to all ages. April 7 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. San Luis Obispo Library Community Room, 995 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-781-5991.

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME Fifteen-year-old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful play she resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives. Thursdays-Saturdays, 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays, 2-4 p.m. through April 14 $20-$40. 805-786-2440. slorep. org/shows/what-the-constitutionmeans-to-me/. SLO Rep, 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

THE BABY DANCE Coastal Performing Arts Foundation introduces The Baby Dance by Jane Anderson. Richard and Rachel, a well-off California couple, have everything except a child. They locate Wanda and Al, a desperate poor couple in Louisiana, who agree to let them adopt their baby. Viewer discretion advised.

March 28 7-9:30 p.m., March 29, 7-9:30 p.m. and March 30, 2-4:30 & 7-9:30 p.m. $25-$30. 805-489-9444. clarkcenter.org/ shows/players-west-the-baby-dance/.

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

BEST OF THE SAN FRANCISCO STANDUP COMEDY COMPETITION Established in 1976, this competition brings together the finest comedic talent from all corners of the country, with notable alumni that include Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, and Ellen Degeneres. March 30 7:30-10 p.m. $35-$55. 805-489-9444. clarkcenter.org/ shows/san-francisco-comedy-spring/.

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

THE FISH WHISPERER A mysterious outsider plots to fix a small fishing town’s sudden bad luck when it comes to fishing. Through May 11 Great American Melodrama, 1863 Front St., Oceano.

PAINT PARTY Paint at your own pace. Choose from six paint-by-number canvasses. Spend an evening relaxing and laughing with your friends. 100 percent of your donation supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of South SLO County. Limited space available. March 28, 6-8 p.m. $25. 805481-7339 ext. 410. bgcslo.org/events. Boys and Girls Clubs of South San Luis Obispo County Clubhouse, 1830 19th St., Oceano.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BREATHE AND STRETCH: BAYSIDE

MARTIAL ARTS This class for ages 18 and over is a hybrid of yoga, active isolated, resistance stretching, and more. Breath work is incorporated throughout. You must be able to get down onto the floor and back up again. Please bring a mat and some water to stay hydrated. Sundays, 9-10 a.m. $15 session. 415-516-5214. Bayside Martial Arts, 1200 2nd St., Los Osos.

BREATHE AND STRETCH: OMNI STUDIO

SLOFUNNY COMEDY SHOW AT DAIRY

CREEK With five headliners (subject to

Learn the art of wood carving or wood burning. Join Central Coast Wood Carvers in Morro Bay at St. Timothy’s. Open for beginners, intermediate, or advance. Learn a wide range of techniques and skills. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, 962 Piney Way, Morro Bay, 805-772-2840, sttimothymorrobay.org/index.html.

CITIZENS FOR ESTERO BAY

PRESERVATION: MONTHLY FACE-TO-

FACE MEET-UPS Representatives from “Citizens for Estero Bay Preservation” will be on hand to discuss current news and events surrounding efforts to stop the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Morro Bay and the industrialization of the Embarcadero and waterfront. “No Batteries by the Bay” yard signs available. Email preserveesterobay@ gmail for more info. First Tuesday of every month, 10-11 a.m. Free. Buttercup Bakery and Cafe, 430 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay.

CLIMATE SOLUTIONS COMMUNITY

FORUM Learn from community members how to be part of the solution for climate change. See first-hand report from Antarctica. Learn about low-impact, low-cost housing opportunities. Discover regenerative agriculture that’s good for the planet. Gain free resources to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and save money. April 6 2-4 p.m. Free. 805-772-4667. stbenslososos.org/events. St. Benedict’s Church, 2220 Snowy Egret Ln., Los Osos.

ELECTRIFY YOUR LIFE: AT HOME AND

ON THE ROAD A free, informative and electrifying event. Learn how to save money while converting your home and car to be safer, more affordable and eco-friendly. Learn about local, state, and national rebates and credits starting this year. April 6 , 10 a.m.-noon Free. eventbrite.com. Morro Bay Library, 625 Harbor St., Morro Bay, 1-805-772-6394.

KIWANIS EASTER EGG HUNT Free to the community. Egg hunt is for kids aged 0-10. Games and prizes will be there. Come and meet the Easter Bunny. Story time by the Los Osos Library. March 30 10 a.m. Free. 805-801-4444. South Bay Community Center, 2180 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.

LIONESS CLUB ANNUAL DOG PARADE

The Lioness Club of Cayucos will be hosting its Easter Dog Parade, starting at the Cayucos pier. This free, fun-filled event benefits the Cayucos Lioness Club who supply Mutt Mitt bags to the community. March 30, 12-1 p.m. Free. cayucoslioness.org. Cayucos Pier, Ocean Front Ave., Cayucos.

LOS OSOS VALLEY GARDEN CLUB

SPRING PLANT SALE Tomato, landscape, and flowering plants will be for sale, along with mosaic, driftwood, and teacup gardens. Tomato plants can be preordered online through March 30 at 10 a.m. Pickup at the plant sale, which is a fundraiser to benefit the club. April 6 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free entry. lovgardenclub.com. First Baptist Church of Los Osos, 1900 Los Osos Valley Road, Los Osos, 805-528-3066.

SHAMANIC MORNING RITUALS FOR

VITALITY Hosted by Aurora Meditations & Rituals. March 29, 8:30-9:30 a.m. my805tix.com/. Beach Access Parking Lot, 102 Atascadero Road, Morro Bay.

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

TAI CHI BASICS Visit site for more details on this ongoing, weekly Tai Chi program. Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. $10-$12. 805-7727486. fitnessworksmb.com. FitnessWorks, 500 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.

This class for ages 18 and over is a hybrid of yoga, active isolated, resistance stretching, and more. Breath work is incorporated throughout. You must be able to get down onto the floor and back up again. Please bring a mat and some water to stay hydrated. Tuesdays, 5:30-

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.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 17

NORTH SLO COUNTY

BALANCE FLOW Suitable for all levels.

This class is meant to benefit the mindbody connection while emphasizing safe and effective alignment as well as breath awareness and relaxation. Please call to register in advance. Tuesdays, Thursdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. $16-$22; $50 membership. 805-434-9605. ttrtennis.com/fitness/ yoga/. Templeton Tennis Ranch, 345 Championship Lane, Templeton.

GODDESS GROUP Please join Oracle Owner/Intuitive Medium, Tiffany Klemz, for this twice monthly, Goddess Group. The intention of this group is to curate connection, inspiration, unity, and empowerment. Every other Tuesday, 6:30-8 p.m. $11. 805-464-2838. oracleatascaderoca. com. Oracle, 6280 Palma Ave., Atascadero.

SHAKTI: EMBODYING THE GODDESSES

OF YOGA Visit site for more details and tickets. April 7 4 p.m. my805tix.com/. Dharma Yoga Loft, 1329 Spring Street, Paso Robles, 805-434-1924.

VINYASA YOGA FLOW The class prioritizes increasing mental acuity and improving body and muscle flexibility. A restorative and gentle yoga focusing on breathing and targeting specific areas of the body. Please call to register in advance. Sundays, 12-1 p.m. and Saturdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. $16-$22; $50 membership. 805-434-9605. ttrtennis. com/yoga. Templeton Tennis Ranch, 345 Championship Lane, Templeton.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

BUNNY TRAIL AT THE DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS’ MARKET Enjoy some free, familyfriendly springtime fun. Bring the kiddos downtown to collect treats from downtown businesses and meet Downtown Bunny. Bunny Trail coincides with the normallyscheduled Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market. March 28 6-8 p.m. Free. downtownslo. com/events/bunnytrail. Downtown San Luis Obispo, Corner of Santa Rosa and Pacific St., San Luis Obispo, 805-549-0355.

CENTRAL COAST DIALYSIS ORGAN

TRANSPLANT SUPPORT GROUP Not faith based. All are welcome. Please wear a mask. First Saturday of every month, 9:3011:30 a.m. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church SLO, 650 Pismo St., San Luis Obispo.

CITY FARM SLO’S YOUTH

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

COMPLIMENTARY SHOWERS WITH

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

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO ROUNDTABLE

“Serving as Executive Director or CEO is hard work. At times, it can be lonely work.” In this roundtable, you’ll gather with other Executive Directors and CEOs to share challenges, brainstorm solutions, gain facilitation skills, and build connection with each other. April 4, 12-1 p.m. Free for Spokes members; $10 for non members. spokesfornonprofits.org.

Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

FAMILY DAY AT THE DALLIDET Visit site for more info on this family event. April 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. my805tix.com/. Dallidet Adobe and Gardens, 1185 Pacific St., San Luis Obispo, 805-543-0638.

FREE HEALTH EXPO: PREVENTION, HEALING, DETOXING VACCINES

Speakers and exhibitors will share important information and strategies to help our community navigate and/or heal health challenges that are on the rise.

April 7, 2:30 p.m. my805tix.com/. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096.

GARDEN FOUNDER WALK AND TALK

Walk and talk with Eve Vigil in the Botanical Garden each month on the first Wednesday. Free garden tour with paid admission to the Garden. Free for members. No need to RSVP, just show up and enjoy. First Wednesday of every

BREADY OR NOT

In collaboration with San Luis Obispo County Friends of Italy, House of Bread in San Luis Obispo is holding a hands-on bread making class—focused on focaccia bread and pizza dough—at its Farmhouse Lane location on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission to the workshop is $70. Visit houseofbread.com to find out more. The bakery is located at 1025 Farmhouse Lane, San Luis Obispo. —C.W.

month, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free with $5 Garden Entry. 805-541-1400. slobg.org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

HEALING DEPRESSION SUPPORT

GROUP A safe place to share life experiences with those who have depression or have had and recovered from the devastating effects of depression.

Mondays, 6-7 p.m. through Dec. 30 Free. 805-528-3194. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo.

LEARN TO SOLDER WORKSHOP Learn how to use a soldering iron and the materials used in soldering, including types of solder, flux, and soldering iron tips. You will put together and take home two small refrigerator magnet kits with LEDs that blink. Adults only. March 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m. and April 6, 10 a.m.-noon $5-$20. alpenglowindustries.com/pages/ workshops. Alpenglow Industries, 3485 Sacramento Drive, Ste. F, San Luis Obispo, 805-242-8158.

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

Online, See website, San Luis Obispo. MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION

(ONLINE MEETING) Zoom series hosted by TMHA. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon

Transitions Mental Health Warehouse, 784 High Street, San Luis Obispo, 805-270-3346.

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

SLO RETIRED ACTIVE MEN: WEEKLY COFFEE MEETING SLO RAMs is a group or retirees that get together just for the fun, fellowship, and to enjoy programs which enhance the enjoyment, dignity, and independence of retirement.

Thursdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. $10 coffee meeting. retiredactivemen.org. Madonna Inn, 100 Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo.

SLO SKIERS MONTHLY MEETING SLO

Skiers, a local nonprofit sports and social club for adults, meets monthly. Food and drink at 5:30 p.m. social hour. Meeting follows. Activities all year. First Tuesday of every month, 6:30-7:30 p.m. through Dec. 2 free; $65 annual membership. 805-528-3194. sloskiers.org. Dairy Creek Golf Course, 2990 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

STAY YOUNG WITH QI GONG Qi Gong

boosts energy and vitality, reduces stress, improves balance and flexibility, and, best of all, is fun. Join instructor Devin Wallace for this outdoor class which is held in a beautiful setting. Call or email before attending. Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m. $10. 805-709-2227. Crows End Retreat, 6430 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.

WOMEN VISIONARIES SYMPOSIUM

Join accomplished women visionaries for a powerful evening of spiritual and business alignment, with inspiring speeches and soulful connection. April 7 4 p.m. my805tix.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

35TH ANNUAL EGG HUNT AND FESTIVAL For all ages. Free egg hunts. With carnival games, contests, food trucks, balloon art, pony rides and petting zoo, face painting, photo opportunities, free hot dogs by Elks 2504, and more. March 30 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $0-$15. 805-4735472. arroyogrande.org. Elm St. Park, 380 S Elm St., Arroyo Grande.

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.

CITY OF PISMO BEACH EGGSTRAVAGANZA Hop on over to Dinosaur Caves Park for this family-friendly event which includes egg hunts, bounce houses, games, crafts, a magic show, and more. March 30, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. 805-773-7063. pismobeach.org/73/Recreation. Dinosaur Caves Park, 2701 Price St, Pismo Beach.

DONATION-BASED YOGA FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, EMTS, AND CARETAKERS

Class schedule varies. Contact empoweryoga805@gmail for details and reservations. ongoing 805-619-0989. empoweryoga805.com. Empower Yoga Studio and Community Boutique, 775 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

POINT SAN LUIS LIGHTHOUSE

TOURS A docent-led tour of the buildings and grounds of the historic Point San Luis Light Station. Check website for more details. Wednesdays, Saturdays pointsanluislighthouse.org/.

COURTESY PHOTO BY ADAM

WIN TWO TICKETS TO A CAL POLY BASKETBALL HOME GAME

Various Dates & Times

Baggett Stadium, Cal Poly, SLO

CAL POLY ARTS PRESENTS:

SMALL ISLAND BIG SONG

Friday, April 26 • 7:30pm

Performing Arts Center, SLO

SLO SYMPHONY CLASSICS V TCHAIKOVSKY, SAINT SAENS, BRAMMEIER

Saturday, May 4 • 7:30pm

Performing Arts Center, SLO

REMEMBER WHEN ROCK WAS YOUNG

Friday, June 7 • 7:30pm Clark Center, Arroyo Grande

Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach.

WEEKLY WATER SAFETY LESSONS Facility advertised as open and safe. Give the office a call to register over the phone. MondaysFridays $160-$190. 805-481-6399. 5 Cities Swim School, 425 Traffic Way, Arroyo Grande, 5citiesswimschool.com.

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.

FINAL FOUR PARTY The NCAA basketball championship season is upon us. Celebrate with wine specials and small bites. Space is limited, so call and reserve your spot. April 6 , 3-9 p.m. Free. 805-270-3327. dracaenawines. com/event/final-four-party/. Dracaena Wines, 1244 Pine Street, suite 101 B, Paso Robles.

INTERACTIVE COOKING CLASS: MAKE

SUSHI WITH CHEF RACHEL A fun and interactive sushi-making class with Chef Rachel at Briarwood Cottage at the ONX Estate. Rachel will help you create your very own sushi masterpieces all while sipping through a flight of ONX Wines. April 3 6-9 p.m. $99. 805-400-4693. onxwines.com. ONX Estate Vineyard, 1200 Paseo Excelsus, Templeton.

MAGIC AND WINE: AN INTIMATE EVENING OF WINE AND WONDER WITH LA’S DAVID

MINKIN A mesmerizing evening of wine and magic featuring LA’s Magic Castle David Minkin. For ages 21 and over. Prepare to be amazed as the renowned magician takes the stage with his mind-bending illusions and captivating tricks. March 30 6-7:30 p.m. $50. 805-369-6100. toothandnailwine.com. Tooth and Nail Winery, 3090 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles.

MAKERS MARKETPLACE A Sip and Shop event with live music and more. April 6, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. my805tix.com/. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

MCV WINES PAIRS WITH ITALIAN STREET

FOODS Sip newly released spring wines while enjoying Italian street food by Trattoria di LUCA. April 7, 1 p.m. my805tix.com/. MCV Wines, 3773 Ruth Way, suite A, Paso Robles, 805-712-4647.

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.

WINE AND DINE: MCV PAIRS WITH CHEF

CANDICE Visit site for more details and tickets. April 6, 6:30 p.m. my805tix.com/. MCV Wines, 3773 Ruth Way, suite A, Paso Robles, 805-712-4647.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

BOUNTIFUL FARM-FRESH EASTER BRUNCH

BUFFET Hotel SLO’s Piadina will host a bountiful, farm-fresh Easter Brunch Buffet curated by renowned Executive Chef Ryan Fancher. March 31 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $69 for adults; $34.50 for children 12 and younger. Piadina, 877 Palm St., San Luis Obispo, 805-592-1510.

DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS MARKET

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

HANDS-ON BREAD MAKING CLASS: FOCACCIA

BREAD AND PIZZA DOUGH If you love focaccia bread and you’d like to be guided through making it, this is the class for you. You’ll take your own hand-kneaded dough home baked to enjoy. San Luis Obispo County Friends of Italy hosts the event. April 6, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $70. 619-537-9082. House of Bread, 1025 Farmhouse Lane, San Luis Obispo, houseofbread.com.

PIÑATAS ON THE PATIO What is more festive than a piñata? Join for some brunch drinks and a couple of good hits to a piñata (or two). Good times and goofy prices promised. Turns will be determined on a first come, first served basis. First Sunday of every month Free. Rambling Spirits, 3845 S. Higuera St. (inside SLO Public Market), San Luis Obispo, drinkramblingspirits.com.

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

STILL TAKEOVER: GIN WORKSHOP

FEATURING CALWISE SPIRITS CO. Part of the Distillers Education Series, a unique craft spirit workshop presented by the Paso Robles Distillery Trail. April 3 6-8 p.m. $50. Hotel Cerro, 1125 Garden St., San Luis Obispo, 805-548-1000.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

EASTER BRUNCH AT THE CLIFFS 2024

Indulge in an alfresco brunch buffet, vibe to live music, and meet a special bunny guest. Usher in the spirit of Easter with the beautiful oceanfront view as your backdrop. March 31 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. my805tix.com/. The Cliffs Hotel and Spa, 2757 Shell Beach Rd, Pismo Beach, 805-773-5000.

FLOUR POWER

The Cuyama Buckhorn’s Wild Flour Celebration runs April 5 through 7. The upcoming three-day event includes culinary offerings, education programs, and other festivities to celebrate the Cuyama Valley’s super bloom of wildflowers. Call (661) 766-2825 or visit cuyamabuckhorn.com for more info. The Cuyama Buckhorn is located at 4923 Primero St., New Cuyama. —C.W.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

SIPPIN’ SUNDAYS Every Sunday, come cozy up inside the tasting room and listen to great artists. Sundays, 1-4 p.m. Free. 805-937-8463. cottonwoodcanyon.com. Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard And Winery, 3940 Dominion Rd, Santa Maria.

WILD FLOUR CELEBRATION AT CUYAMA

BUCKHORN Celebrate the stunning superbloom of wildflowers that graces the Cuyama Valley. Enjoy a weekend of culinary delights, education, and reveling in splendor. April 5 , 3-9 p.m., April 6 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and April 7 9-11 a.m. Check site or call for details.

661-766-2825. cuyamabuckhorn.com. Cuyama Buckhorn, 4923 Primero St., New Cuyama.

MUSIC

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BLUES AGENDA JAM AND SHOWCASE A rockin’ blues dance party at Niffy’s Merrimaker every first, third, and now fifth Wednesdays. The Blues Asylum house band welcomes local, visiting, and newcomers to the blues groove. Spirits, beer, and wine, with outside food welcome. Every other Wednesday, 7-10 p.m. Free. 805-235-5223. The Merrimaker Tavern, 1301 2nd Street, Los Osos.

EASTON EVERETT LIVE AT KICKERS Everett is a singer-songwriter known for acoustic guitar music with an independent and adventurous sound, with a performing background in folk, country, jazz, and rock. March 29 5-8 p.m. eastoneverett.com/. Kickers, 885 Embarcadero, Morro Bay, 805-225-1769.

SURF ROCK SATURDAY AT THE SIREN Rock, funk, and soul with locally renowned musicians Steven J. Eddy (bass), Mikie Antonette (drums), Debi Red (vocals), and legendary guitar man Steve Conrad. April 6 2-5 p.m. Free show. 805210-9698. debiredmusic.com. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

BONE CROWN AND GOUGED All ages welcome. Enjoy live death metal, hardcore, and deathcore. March 29, 8 p.m. my805tix. com/. Dark Nectar Coffee Lounge, 5915 Entrada, Atascadero, 805-835-1988.

BURLEY THISTLES Plays guitar-woven music that has an indie attitude and a tough beat and generates curiosity with original songs that are in distinctive stylistic shapes outside the pop mainstream. April 6, 3-5 p.m. eastoneverett. com/. Bianchi Winery and Tasting Room, 3380 Branch Road, Paso Robles, 805-226-9922.

EASTON EVERETT AT OUTLAWS A singersongwriter known for acoustic guitar music with an independent and adventurous sound. April 5 5-7 p.m. eastoneverett.com/. Outlaws Bar, Grill, & Casino, 9850 E Front St, Atascadero, 805-466-2000.

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.

KARAOKE NIGHT Food and drink available for purchase. Last Saturday of every month, 8 p.m. Free admission. my805tix.com. Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main Street, Templeton, 805-400-4542. Last Saturday of every month, 8 p.m. my805tix.com. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

MARK ADAMS BAND All ages welcome. March 28 7-9 p.m. my805tix.com/. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

MELODIOUS FUNK: CLASSIC JAZZ AND FUNKY

FUSION Melodious Funk plays classic jazz and funky fusion. Enjoy an evening of live music at Club Car Bar. April 5, 7-10 p.m. Free. Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main Street, Templeton, 805-400-4542.

NOELLE AND THE DESERTERS With the Mark Adams Band. March 28 , 7-9 p.m. my805tix. com/. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

RAGGED JUBILEE, NIGHTJACKET, WATASHI

WA This is an all ages show. ID required for bar purchases. Under 18 must be accompanied by adult. April 6 7 p.m. my805tix.com/. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

SHAWN CLARK FAMIY BAND With Michael Peters and The Monsters and Fistful of Nickels. March 29, 7 p.m. my805tix.com/. Templeton Mercantile Club Car Bar, 508 S. Main St., Templeton.

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.

SUNNY WRIGHT, JACOB ODELL, AND DYLAN

JOHNSON AT SENSORIO Enjoy an evening of jazz, blues, and R&B with vocalist Sunny Wright, guitarist Jacob Odell, and bassist Dylan Johnson. March 29 7-10 p.m. $45. 805-2264287. sensoriopaso.com. Sensorio, 4380 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

ALL AGES OPEN MIC NIGHT Tuesdays, 6-9 p.m. Liquid Gravity, 675 Clarion Court, San Luis Obispo.

BEN ROSENBLUM NEBULA PROJECT SEXTET

Presented by the San Luis Obispo County Jazz Federation. April 6 7:30 p.m. my805tix. com/. Mount Carmel Lutheran Church, 1701 Fredericks St., San Luis Obispo.

BLUES WEDNESDAYS Spinning blues records all night. Chicago, Memphis, Delta, Detroit, and more. Visit this new vinyl bar in the Railroad District. Acoustically treated room, old-school sound system, big speakers, but always at a polite volume. Plenty of free parking. Wednesdays, 2-8 p.m. Free. 313-316-7097. Jan’s Place, 1817 Osos St., San Luis Obispo, jansplaceslo.com.

BRASS MASH: PROM-ISH (FIRST FRIDAY) Enjoy live rock and pop during this adult prom. Dress up as you please.:1998, 1978, 2016, or “remake that duct tape dress that your mom refused you wear.” April 5 6-10 p.m. my805tix.com/. Liquid Gravity, 675 Clarion Court, San Luis Obispo.

AN EVENING OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC WITH

BRUCE MOLSKY In the Milking Parlor at Octagon Barn Center, with an old-time jam at 6 p.m. before the show. Grammy-nominated and described as “an absolute master,” Bruce Molsky transports audiences to another time and place. April 5, 7-9 p.m. $25 advance; $30 door. 805235-2874. eventbrite.com. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo.

JEWEL: LIVE AT THE PAC Four-time Grammynominated singer-songwriter, actress, author, and mental health pioneer Jewel is coming to the PAC for a concert benefitting the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center. Any net proceeds from the concert will go to support the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center. April 6, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $77-$297. 805-756-4849. pacslo.org. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

LIVE MUSIC FROM GUITAR WIZ BILLY

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

SHABANG BATTLE OF THE BANDS LIVE AT THE FREMONT THEATER All ages welcome. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. April 4 $15. fremontslo.com/events/shabang-battle-ofthe-bands-tour-san-luis-obispo/. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-546-8600.

SLO BLUES SOCIETY PRESENTS SUGARAY

RAYFORD SLO Blues Society presents Sugaray Rayford. Blues Asylum will open the show. For ages 21 and over. March 30 7-10 p.m. Advance tickets $32; $40 at door. 805-541-7930. sloblues.org. San Luis Obispo Vets’ Hall, 801 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

THE ONLY OCEAN AND MORE Part of Anomaly House’s Alt-Space concert series. March 30, 8 p.m. my805tix.com/. Humdinger Brewing, 116 W Branch St., Arroyo Grande.

TAIKOPROJECT: BENZAITEN

The only American group to win the prestigious Tokyo International Taiko Contest, TAIKOPROJECT produces music rooted in the rich traditions of Japanese drumming, but expressed through the lens of its members’ American experiences. Benzaiten is the Japanese goddess of wisdom, beauty, and dance. March 29 7:30-10 p.m. $25-$65. 805-4899444. clarkcenter.org/shows/taikoproject/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande. ∆

Arts

ARTIFACTS

Songwriters at Play

hosts contest finales in Cambria and Solvang

Mid-April will mark the conclusion of two local music competitions, both organized by Songwriters at Play.

The featured musicians slated to perform at the two finale events—scheduled for Saturday, April 13, at Solvang’s High Roller Tiki Lounge and Sunday, April 14, at the Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre—were juried finalists from monthly Songwriters at Play contests held in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties over the course of a year.

Like the monthly contests, each finale event will include a panel of judges who will determine the competitions’ grand prize winners. Each contestant at either event will have the chance to perform two original songs.

The April 13 lineup includes musicians Jess Bush, June Clivas, Ricky Berger, Tina Tara, Julie Lee, Jayden Secor, Peter Claydon, Michael Wilds, Paddy Marsh, and Jean Mann. Marsh and Mann will compete at the April 14 finale as well, alongside featured contestants Karyn Ann, Chris Mariscal, Ted Nunes, Cate Armstrong, Bev Praver, Miss Leo, Wildflower, and additional acts to be announced.

Admission to the April 13 showcase is $20 in advance at my805tix.com. Tickets to the April 14 event range between $23 and $28 at cambriaarts.org. Both finales are scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

Check songwritersatplay.com for updates on the two upcoming shows and info on other programs hosted by Songwriters at Play, led by husband-and-wife team Steve Key and Bonnie Nelson-Key. The prolific music duo organizes several concerts at various venues along the Central Coast. Visit highrollertiki.com for more info on the High Roller Tiki Lounge, located at 433 Alisal Road, Solvang, and cambriaarts.org to find out more about the Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre, located at 1350 Main St., Cambria.

Upcoming reception showcases local artist Alex Hischier

The Bunker in San Luis Obispo is hosting an Art After Dark reception on Friday, April 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. The free event will highlight art by Central Coastbased artist Alex Hischier. According to press materials, Hischier is a local painter, sculptor, and writer whose works are influenced by abstract expressionists, such as Joan Mitchell, Willem de Kooning, and Joe Bradley. Hischier’s art explores themes of disaster, redemption, psychic unrest, and the intrinsic value of failure.

Admission to the upcoming reception is free. Attendees can RSVP at my805tix.com. The Bunker is located at 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo. ∆

—Caleb Wiseblood

BY SAMANTHA HERRERA

‘We,’ the people

SLO REP takes on emotions and deep thinking in What the Constitution Means To Me

With the nation smack-dab in the middle of an election year following some historic U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the San Luis Obispo Repertory eatre (SLO REP) picked an opportune moment to put on What the Constitution Means To Me.

Hilarious and emotional, yet serious and interactive, What the Constitution Means To Me follows playwright Heidi Schreck’s journey as a 15-years-old girl who toured the U.S. debating the Constitution so she could earn her college tuition while weighing the complexities of being a U.S. citizen and woman in the 21st century.

“She just kind of wanted to explore why she was so obsessed with the Constitution at 15 years old, and it kind of shows how when you age and you go through life and you see things in a di erent perspective, how it relates to your life, in di erent ways and guring out what the Constitution really means for di erent people in this country,” said Suzy Newman, who plays Schreck “It sounds like a really dry subject, but it’s actually really funny.”

Playing at SLO REP from March 29 through April 14, this play is about storytelling, Newman said. Being able to connect to Schreck through this role is special to her, she added.

“I love the language and direct address to the audience the entire time,” Newman said. “I get to stand up there and talk to them and tell them stories and relate to them and react to them, and it’s just so fun. ere’s also something about speaking her words and having that connection that just feels very personal.”

Schreck was brought up with feminist ideologies by a mother who taught her about her rights as an American citizen and how to protect herself, Newman said. She learned what the Constitution

Go see it

What the Constitution Means To Me will run from March 29 through April 14, Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. SLO REP is located at 888 Morro St. in San Luis Obispo. For more information, visit slorep.org.

could do for her and what it couldn’t do for her as a woman who was left out of the original document signed in 1787.

“It’s certainly not like a male-bashing or malehating play,” SLO REP Managing Artistic Director Kevin Harris said “It’s really about the questions and taking the e ort to be empathetic toward someone who might not be your sex or might not be your race or sexual orientation and gure out how the Constitution does or does not protect them on a day-to-day basis.”

In the second half of the play, Newman debates her 15-year-old self, played by SLO High School senior Jamie Collins. e two go back and forth in an amusing, quick-witted debate over abolishing the Constitution and creating a new one or sticking to what we have.

“ at really is the ultimate question, and you can take both sides of that as they both have very good points to them,” Harris said. “ is is a document that really de nes our lives and de nes everything that we do every single day.”

Following the debate comes an interactive segment where the audience gets to vote on which debater can take home the cake.

“We’re going to gure out who’s going to take which side of the debate, and we’ll change it every night, and then the audience will vote and hopefully we’ll get some lively discussion out of it,” Harris said. “One person from the audience will be the representative for the whole audience.”

Harris said they decided to do it that way because oftentimes in voting, it’s not necessarily equal representation—often, one person gets to speak for everybody.

Accompanying Newman and Collins onstage is Mike Mesker, who will play e Legionnaire. e legionnaire, or head of the debate, is an important moral gure for Schreck as he would travel around the country with her as she questioned what the Constitution meant to her. “He was a very sweet man, very supportive of Heidi, but he was obviously from a di erent generation as

well,” Harris said. “He fought in World War II and as this 15-year-old, Heidi looks back on him, even though he was very supportive and a huge in uence in her life, she sees how things have changed in the last 50 years.”

With Schreck giving limited theaters the rights to put on the play, Harris said he’s extremely honored that SLO REP was chosen to be one of them.

“ is play is so important to Heidi that she wants to make sure we’re doing it for the right reasons. She wants to make sure that you know the tone of the piece and the overall message of the piece is going to be handled appropriately and delicately,” he said.

While SLO REP is in the process of moving to a new space in downtown SLO in 2027, Harris said it’s important for the cast to showcase What the Constitution Means To Me in their current building because it’s a smaller space and allows for a more intimate moment with the audience.

“You can really have a conversation with the audience, and it also used to be a library, so we’re where knowledge resides and it’s a building that was built in order to ask these questions,” he said. “We’re super happy that we can present something that hopefully gets people asking some questions.” ∆

Sta Writer Samantha Herrera loves asking questions. Send answers to sherrera@newtimesslo.com.

LEAD ROLE Suzy Newman plays Heidi Schreck in What the Constitution Means To Me, which follows her journey from being a teenager to weighing the complexities of being a U.S. citizen and a woman in the 21st century.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN HARRIS

THE SET During the second half of the show, a now adult Heidi, played by Suzy Newman (center), will take the stage and debate the 15-year-old version of herself, played by SLO High senior Jamie Collins (seated, left), before the audience gets to vote on who should win. The only other character in What the Constitution Means to Me is The Legionnaire, played by Mike Mesker (right).

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN HARRIS

SWAPMEET - SUNDAYS opens 6AM

SAN LUIS OBISPO

255 ELKS LANE 805-544-4475

GATES OPEN

Friday thru Thursday: 7:15pm

Adults & Children 12+ $12

Children 5-11 $5 • 4 & Under FREE

Jack Black

Friday thru Thursday: 7:45pm

Friday thru Thursday: 9:40pm PG

FRI, MAR 29 thru THURS, APR 4

ARROYO GRANDE

1007 GRAND AVE · (805)489-2364 Stadium Seating

Adults $11 • Children & Seniors $9

Mark Wahlberg

Fri & Sat: 2:00, 4:30, & 7:00pm

Sun, Mon, Wed, Thur: 2:00 & 4:30pm CLOSED TUESDAY PG-13

FRI, MAR 29 thru THURS, APR 4

SHOWTIMES: MAR 29-APR 4, 2024 • CLOSED TUESDAYS

THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER (PG-13)

Fri- Sun: 4:15 • Mon, Weds-Thurs: 4:15, 7:00

THE BOY AND THE HERON (PG-13)

Fri., Mon., Weds-Thurs: 7:00

Sat: 1:30, 7:00, 9:30 • Sun: 1:30, 7:00

ONE LIFE (PG)

Fri: 7:00 • Sat-Sun: 1:30, 7:00 • Mon., Weds-Thurs: 4:15

PERFECT DAYS (PG)

Fri., Sun-Mon., Weds-Thurs: 4:15 • Sat: 4:15, 9:30

UN FLIC (PG) Fri. Only! 4:15, 7:00

HARVEY (NR) Sat-Sun: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00 • Mon: 7:00

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (NR) Sat. Only! 9:30

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (R) Weds-Thurs: 7:00

541-5161 • 817 PALM, SLO

WWW.THEPALMTHEATRE.COM

EARLY BARGAIN SHOWS DAILY

SHOWTIMES:

Mad love

Rose Glass (Saint Maud) directs a screenplay she wrote with Weronika

To lska about Lou (Kristen Stewart), a gym manager who falls for Jackie (Katy O’Brian), an indigent and itinerant bodybuilder hitchhiking and picking up odd jobs on her way to a competition in Las Vegas. e two move in together, but soon they’re embroiled in family drama involving Lou’s criminal father, Lou Sr. (Ed Harris); Lou’s sister, Beth (Jena Malone); and Beth’s abusive husband, JJ (Dave Franco). (104 min.)

LOVE LIES BLEEDING

What’s it rated? R

What’s it worth, Glen? Full price

What’s it worth, Anna? Full price

Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Regal Arroyo Grande

Glen File this one under the “weird but fascinating” category. Set in 1989, it depicts a world where neon-clad gym rats smoke and drink after workouts and where gun fanatics blast away at a barely supervised gun range. Both businesses are owned by Lou Sr., a gunrunner, with a local cop, o cer Mike (David DeLao), in his pocket and a penchant for dispatching “business” rivals with a bullet to the head and dumping them in a remote chasm. Lou Sr.’s daughter, Lou, hates her father, hates her sister’s abusive husband, JJ, and barely tolerates Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov), a needy and jealous lesbian with the hots for Lou. ese characters coalesce into a hornet’s nest of crime and corruption as Lou and Jackie become lovers, and as Jackie takes a job waitressing at the shooting range bar. Dysfunction junction, what’s your function? It’s violence, baby. Violence.

Anna Are these two better o for meeting one another? I guess for Jackie it meant having a warm bed and for Lou it meant a break from loneliness, but things just seem to spell disaster for these two, no matter what. Lou has never left her small town in Nowheresville, USA, and Jackie ed the house of her adoptive family who didn’t want to accept her being anything but a God-loving farm girl. Instead, she’s a

THE PROGRAM: CONS, CULTS, AND KIDNAPPING

What’s it rated? TV-MA

When? 2024

Where’s it showing? Netflix

Masked as schools with a focus on “healing troubled teens,” Ivy Ridge and its sister schools run by the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (known as WWASP) aren’t out to help teenagers become better people, they’re out to manipulate parents into spending incredible amounts of money and suppressing their captives until they break.

Filmmaker Katherine Kubler is herself a survivor of Ivy Ridge, and this three-part

TEEN TORTURE

Netlfix’s new docuseries,

bu ed-out tness junkie with her eye on the prize and her head in the clouds, it seems. When Lou o ers up some leftover steroids, Jackie’s world unfortunately opens up to a whole new level of muscle mass—but the consequences of her heightened rage and strength soon spell trouble for the pair. ere was a group in our theater that seemed to nd this lm to be either lighter or funnier than I did—I thought it was a dark dive and a pretty sad story. I will say this, the lm is superbly acted. Glen I think the laughter may have been discomfort and disbelief. ere are a few particularly violent and grisly scenes as well as a couple fantastical moments I think are representative of Jackie’s ’roidedout agitation. It all borders on the absurd. Despite everyone being compromised in some way, Glass guides viewers to sympathize with Lou and Jackie. ere’s something primal about their attraction, and both characters identify as underdogs, victims, and outsiders who want to rise above their station. Harris and Franco are both terri c villains, and Malone is infuriating as the beaten wife who refuses

docuseries seems to be a tool for her in her journey not just toward healing herself, but in also making her family understand the horror of what she went through under the guise of their helping her. Kubler brings together a group of survivors who venture back to Ivy Ridge—now defunct and abandoned.

The series explores the cult-like mentality that parents are manipulated into, the horror of the students’ everyday lives, the people who’ve gotten rich off the “troubled teen” industry, and the origin behind how it became such a lucrative and unregulated business that preys on desperate families. (Thanks a lot, Nancy Reagan!) As someone who knows people who have been locked into these systems, I found it hit on authentic survivor trauma. (three 61- to 66-min. episodes)

—Anna

THE GENTLEMEN

What’s it rated? TV-MA

When? 2024

to leave her unbearable husband. Likewise, you just want to strangle the simpering Daisy. Props to Baryshnikov for making her so believably awful. Nearly a horror lm, Love Lies Bleeding has a vibe like Men (2022), Mandy (2018), and Only God Forgives (2013). It’s an uncomfortable watch, but Stewart and O’Brian are magnetic. Anna ey de nitely have an undeniable dynamic, a hunger for each other. ere are a few moments that felt less heavy—without giving too much away, I’ll just say the end scene has some pretty great physical work by Stewart, and some of the more fantastical moments give an out-of-this-world vibe to the characters. All in all, this is a story about two lost souls nding each other. Now, I can’t say I endorse this relationship—they seem pretty codependent, and everything is kind of a mess right from the start, but Lou and Jackie can’t help but be watched. ey are two sparrows in a hurricane. I hope they make it out alive. ∆

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

Where’s it showing? Netflix

Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes, The Covenant ) created this action comedy TV series, which is a spinoff of his 2019 film of the same name, about newly minted 10th Duke of Halstead Eddie Horniman (Theo James), who inherits his father’s 15,000-acre estate only to discover it houses a sprawling underground marijuana cultivation enterprise run by imprisoned crime boss Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone) and managed by his daughter, Susie (Kaya Scodelario).

Eddie, a former United Nations peacekeeping officer, ended up with the title and estate after his ne’er-do-well elder brother, Freddy (Daniel Ings), was passed over due to his cocaine addiction and general inability to manage his life. Eddie discovers he needs to bail his brother out of debts while also trying to extract his family from involvement with the Glass crime family, which has no intention of leaving and has similar operations under other cash-strapped royal estates.

Naturally, there are all manner of eccentric criminal characters about, as well as dangerous and violent situations, and much of the fun is watching assured and capable Eddie navigate this unfamiliar criminal world while juggling his buffoonish brother. (eight 45- to 60-min. episodes) ∆

—Glen

MONDAY MOVIE SPECIAL

April 1 5:30pm

Tues-Sat: 4:15 & 7:00pm • Sun: 1:30 & 4:15pm PG-13 NR

464 MORRO BAY BLVD

805-772-2444 · morrobaymovie.com

The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping, examines the mistreatment of students at The Academy at Ivy Ridge, purportedly a therapeutic school for troubled teens.

DUKE IT OUT

Theo James stars as Eddie Horniman, the new Duke of Halstead, who discovered his inherited estate houses a criminal weed growing enterprise, in Guy Ritchie’s TV series The Gentlemen, streaming on Netflix.

Paul Rudd, Dan Aykroyd

LOVE BURN Bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian, left) and gym owner Lou (Kristen Stewart) fall for each other and into a world of violence in Love Lies Bleeding, screening in local theaters.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

BY GLEN STARKEY

Old-school blues

Sugaray Rayford brings deep blues and soul to the SLO Vets Hall

If you’re ready to take a one-two knockout punch of soul and blues, Sugaray Rayford will belt it out for you. Born Caron Nimoy Rayford in Smith County, Texas, Sugaray started singing and playing drums in church at age 7, and to this day, there’s an undeniable gospel influence permeating his sound.

He eventually moved to California and started performing contemporary music, singing with the Urban Gypsys and later Aunt Kizzy’s Boyz, whose two albums, Trunk Full of Blues (2004) and It’s Tight Like That (2007), were the pathway to an Urban Artist of the Year title and a record deal with RBC Records.

Sugaray’s current path really began with his fifth solo album, Somebody Save Me (2019), on Forty Below Records, where he teamed with producer and songwriter Eric Corne. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category. The following year, Rayford was presented with two Blues Music Awards for B.B. King Entertainer of the Year and Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year.

He’s touring in support of his second goround with Corne on Forty Below, In Too Deep (2022), which won the Blues Music Awards Best Soul Blues Album of the Year.

The San Luis Obispo Blues Society presents Sugaray Rayford on Saturday, March 30 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $32 at my805tix.com or $40 at the door), in the SLO County Vets Hall (801 Grand Ave., SLO), where he’ll perform with a septet that includes a killer horn section. Los Ososbased R&B act Blues Asylum opens the show. If you’re a blues fan, don’t miss it!

Live Oak!

Get your camping gear out of the garage and dust off those dancing shoes, the Live Oak Music Festival is coming in hot! Seriously, this fundraiser for local NPR affiliate KCBX 90.1FM is my favorite festival of the year. Organizers just announced this year’s Saturday headliner: The English Beat! The late-’70s and ’80s New Wave, two-tone ska act is still fronted by Dave Wakeling and will hit the outdoor stage with a seven-piece band featuring toaster Antonee First Class. They sound as good as ever, and their catalog of hits runs deep—“Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Save it for Later,” and “I Confess,” to name a few. The weekend’s lineup could fill another column, so stay tuned, get your tickets now at liveoakfest. org, and get ye and ye family to El Chorro Regional Park Friday, June 14, through Sunday, June 16! I’ve been going to Live Oak for more than a decade, so take my word for it.

Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX

Teamwork makes the dream work, and this week promoters Good Medicine and Numbskull have partnered with KCBX to bring you Tyler Ramsey (formerly of Band of Horses) to Morro Bay’s The Siren on Friday, March 29, at The Siren (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 at goodmedicinepresents.com).

The singer-songwriter pens penetrating narrative songs like “Where Were You”: “I need to hide away/ Whenever I start feeling the way I do/ I don’t want to bring all of this around you/ And I need to hide/ Wish I could drive away/ Find a place to have a breakdown/ Fall apart where there’s nobody around/ I could drop you off before I hit the ground/ Where were you/ When I wanted you around/ Where were you/ When I was

hoping to be found.”

“Writing is simply a release for me,” Ramsey said in press materials. “It’s a way for me to process my own path through this life. Some of the time I get it right—my aim is always honesty in writing.”

His new album, New Lost Ages, was produced by Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty, The Shins, Built to Spill) and released in February. Its 10 tracks mix indie and folk-rock sounds with his spellbinding lyrics.

“What I’m after is still trying to make myself a better guitarist, a better writer, and a better human,” he added. “I feel secure in what I do musically, and I believe in what I’m writing. I try to write songs that I believe every word of. I don’t want to ever dance around something or have to sing lyrics that don’t feel like truth to me.”

Also at The Siren …

In addition to the aforementioned Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX show, The Siren also brings you Americana, folk, jam, and bluegrass act Fistful of Nickels on Saturday, March 30 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free), delivering “toe-tapping, soul-stirring sounds,” according to the club. They play “original songs with influences from the likes of Lost Dog Street Band, Devil Makes

Three, and bluegrass staples from the legend himself, Jerry Garcia.”

Seattle-based Racoma brings their indie sensibilities and folk influences to Morro Bay’s best night club on Wednesday, April 3 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). The band is lyricist and lead vocalist Glenn Haider, drummer Spencer Templeman, guitarist Sean Collopy, and bass guitarist Garrett Gue.

SLO Brew Live presents at Rod & Hammer Rock

Oxnard-based soul band Los So-Lows plays Saturday, March 30 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $25 at ticketweb.com) with XL Middleton and Moniquea, and DJ sets by Vinylistics. Los So-Lows are super chill septet with an old-school vibe that plays originals and rare soul covers. Pasadena modern funk duo XL Middleton & Moniquea have an ’80s sound. Finally, local record collective, Vinylistics, will present “A Night of Soul, Oldies & Funk.”

Psychedelic rock act Meatbodies play on Tuesday, April 2 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-andolder; $12 at ticketweb.com), with Pancho & The Wizards and Repeater. Should be a great night of indie rock.

OUTTA SIGHT The San Luis Obispo Blues Society presents killer blues vocalist Sugaray Rayford at the SLO Vets Hall on March 30

COURTESY PHOTO BY ALLISON MORGAN

BETTER HUMAN Good Medicine, Numbskull, & KCBX present singer-songwriter Tyler Ramsey at The Siren on March 29

PSYCHEDELIC, BABY SLO Brew Live presents rock act Meatbodies at Rod & Hammer Rock on April 2

COURTESY PHOTO BY DENEE PETRACEK

SHOWDOWN Five bands, including Suburban Dropout, face off at Shabang Battle of the Bands Tour: San Luis Obispo on April 4 , at the historic Fremont Theater.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUBURBAN DROPOUT

Fremont Theater

Stand-up comedian Felipe Esparza on his The Bigfoot Tour returns to the Fremont on Friday, March 29 (doors at 6:30 p.m.; all ages; $37.50 to $84.50 at prekindle.com). The Mexican born funnyman won the 2011 Last Comic Standing competition.

Are you ready for a battle royale? Shabang Battle of the Bands Tour: San Luis Obispo happens next Thursday, April 4 (doors at 6:30 p.m.; all ages; $15 at prekindle.com).

Squaring off is Plywood Love, Margot Sinclair, Juniper Honey, Suburban Dropout, and Krooks competing for $1,000 and a spot at the Shabang Music Festival on Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4, at Dairy Creek Golf Course.

The Clark Center

Formed in Los Angeles in 2000 by emerging taiko drummers led by Bryan Tamami and Masato Baba, the TaikoProject is the only American group to win the prestigious Tokyo International Taiko Contest. Their new fulllength concert program “Benzaiten” is inspired by the Japanese goddess of wisdom, beauty, and dance. See TaikoProject: Benzaiten on Friday, March 29 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $45 to $65 with $25 student/child at clarkcenter.org).

More music …

Twisted Gypsy, a tribute to Fleetwood Mac, plays this Friday, March 29, in Cal Poly’s Spanos Theatre (7:30 p.m.; $40 at pacslo.org) According to press materials, this show is “more than just a tribute” and “takes you back to the early days of Hollywood’s Sunset Strip and the heyday of ’70s rock ’n’ roll. They will transport you back in time to memories you forgot you had with their passion, ultra-high energy, stellar all-live harmonies, fun stage banter, and raw, trackfree performances!” ∆

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

Flavor

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Mini but mighty

Good Witch Farm in Lompoc delivers microgreens around SLO County and makes them more than a final flourish

Often forgotten about until it’s time to make a plate of food look pretty, microgreens and edible garnishes are at the forefront of Lompoc cultivator Jane Darrah’s mind.

“I found microgreens because I was looking for longevity foods. So, this was five-plus years ago before microgreens were cool and a thing … on the mainstream level, anyway,” Darrah told New Times on March 22. “I started growing them for myself, and then I was growing other vegetables that had produced some flowers.”

The founder of Good Witch Farm—a cheeky reference to her Halloween birthday—Darrah dug into the world of highquality microgreens and flowers to boost her failing immune system. She had burned herself out after spending years as a social worker on an assertive community treatment team and as a Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer.

“I saw basically how food impacted these people directly on the front line, that they didn’t have proper nutrition,” she said. “I really came to understand how important healthy fruits and vegetables and just a connection with actual ground became in one’s healing and one’s recovery journey.”

Darrah eventually dusted off her skill set as a former Future Farmers of America member, tapped YouTube for research, and flexed her natural gift of having a green thumb to create her microgreen-exclusive business Good Witch Farm. Since 2019— first out of a hoop house in her mom’s backyard and eventually out of one on her own property in Lompoc—she’s grown more than 20 varieties of microgreens like broccoli, kale, sunflower, radish, pea, basil, dill, parsley, nasturtium, arugula, and onion. Her 40-foot-long and 12-foot-wide hoop house hosts a cornucopia of edible flowers, too, like fennel flowers, mustard flowers, pansies, violas, hollyhocks, calendula, borage, yarrow, carnations, and dianthus.

Growing microgreens is a delicate, laborintensive process. They must be grown inside the hoop house, protected from outdoor exposure, and constantly touched up to deal with fluctuating weather patterns. Darrah grows her microgreens and flowers without the help of fluorescent lighting for the most part and makes sure to use nutrient-rich soils and top-grade seeds.

She doesn’t depend on herbicides and pesticides either, which means she fights off pests like aphids, moths, and snails by herself. How does she do that? Darrah just picks them up and moves them.

“They’re my worst enemy!” she joked. “I never thought I’d hate an animal ever, but I do not enjoy snails.”

Darrah likens the growing process to babysitting because microgreens are, essentially, baby vegetable and herb plants.

Micro-education

Keep up with Good Witch Farm’s organic microgreens and edible flowers on Instagram @good_witch_farm. For queries, contact owner Jane Darrah at (805) 757-4120.

To be considered microgreens, these plants must be collected before they reach the cotyledon stage, which is typically between zero and 12 days or up to 17 days with some varieties. Once harvested at such a young age, they—with the exception of pea plants and sometimes nasturtium—immediately die, prompting replacement.

“True microgreens do not have a center leaf, they just have two of the first baby leaves,” Darrah said. “The reason you want to eat microgreens at this stage is because … the science is telling us right now … that one of those tiny little baby stems has anywhere between four and 40 times the nutritional value of the plant at maturity.”

She credited the nutrient-dense food as helping to improving her immune system, and now Darrah delivers her microgreens and flowers to restaurants throughout San Luis Obispo County. The bulk of her clients are in Paso Robles, and she’s hoping to gain more clients in Santa Barbara County too. A couple of times a week, she loops through the Santa Ynez Valley, all the way to Paso Robles and back, making stops at caterers and restaurants like In Bloom, Pair with Chef Rachel, Les Petite Canailles, Parrish Family Vineyard, First & Oak, and Pony Espresso.

“One of the things I love about that the most is they utilize their microgreens as food instead of just a garnish. That’s kind of what I was always about,” Darrah said. “So, now it’s really cool to see how the market has shifted … and Pony Espresso’s always been on that page.”

Good Witch Farm is coming out of the usual sluggish demand period from November to March. Spring orders are climbing while harvest season is around the corner. During peak busy seasons, Darrah said she’s dropped between 16 and 25 deliveries a day, and 90 ounces of microgreens twice a week to some clients.

“Borage is always a hit, and all the chefs love cilantro microgreens, I swear to God,” she said with a laugh. “The onion microgreens are really a favorite.”

Currently, Good Witch Farm’s products are only available to purchase wholesale, which is why restaurants are its major buyers. Darrah originally had plans to connect with a distributor to get her microgreens out in stores.

“But the truth is that you’re seeing the quality of food programs because the way that they are packaged, you have to meet certain weight marks, and because of the logistics of distribution, they just sit and they go through different temperature fluctuations,” she said. “It’s really not a product, in my opinion, that handles that

super, super well and for that extended period of time.”

That distribution reality made her change her goal, compelling her to stick with restaurants and pursue direct-to-consumer avenues like working with the Community Supported Agriculture network and local farm stands.

Though Good Witch Farm’s client base includes Michelin-rated restaurants, accessibility across the socio-economic scale is important to Darrah. She sells her microgreens to a Lompoc-based mobile farmers market truck called Route One. The truck then sells it to customers at fair

prices and also accepts electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards issued by programs like CalFresh, formerly known as Food Stamps.

“My goal is to work with other organizations that get food to people that struggle with food insecurity and people that are on food stamps,” Darrah said. “I really think that impacts people’s recovery and wellness, and of course, that just changes the whole dynamic of our community as a whole.” ∆

Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal is waiting to eat edible flowers in Lompoc. Send more mileage to brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.

FLOWER WHEEL Good Witch Farm grows a plethora of edible flowers like pansies, violas, hollyhocks, calendula, borage, yarrow, carnations, and dianthus.

GREEN BUNDLES Good Witch Farm founder Jane Darrah credits microgreens for boosting her immunity and offers varieties like broccoli, kale, sunflower, radish, pea, basil, dill, parsley, nasturtium, arugula, and onion.

WHOLE FOOD Good Witch Farm’s founder Jane Darrah encourages microgreens to be used as more than just scant garnish—just like these radish microgreens paired with mashed sweet potatoes on sourdough.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JANE DARRAH

Join Us For

Sunday, March 31st

Serving brunch from 8am-3pm and then our regular Dinner Menu with Easter Specials in the evening.

A long stemmed rose for all the mothers, with reservations and dine at the restaurant.

Enjoy our “ Million Dollar View” overlooking the Pacific Coastline of the gateway to Big Sur.

Call for Reservations (805) 927-5708 www.raggedpointinn.com

Lunch

Monday

Sunday

2015

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

CASE NUMBER: 24CVP0062

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Eutimio Campoverde

Toral filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT

NAME: Eutimio Campoverde

Toral, to PROPOSED NAME: Eutimio Campoverde.

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

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: April 24, 2024, Time: 9:30 am, Dept. P2, in person or by Zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 901 Park, St, Paso Robles, CA 93446 . A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times

Date: March 7, 2024.

/s/: Michael C. Kelley, Judge of the Superior Court March 14, 21, 28, April 4, 2024.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE

NUMBER:24CV-0164

To all interested persons:

Petitioner: Marie E. Beltrandeesparza filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT

NAME: Marie E. Beltrandeesparza, to PROPOSED NAME: Esther Beltran.

THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons

CITY OF GROVER BEACH

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Grover Beach will conduct a Public Hearing at 6:00 p.m. or soon thereafter, on MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2024 in City Hall, Council Chamber, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA to consider the following item:

SUBJECT:

CLOSEOUT OF STATE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK

GRANT (CDBG) AGREEMENT – The City Council will review the accomplishments under State CDBG Agreement 2020-CDBG12014 and will solicit citizen input regarding expenditures and accomplishments of the funding received under the contract.

A brief overview of the contract will be presented, along with key accomplishments that will be reported to the State.

Where You Come In:

The purpose of this public hearing is to give citizens an opportunity to make their comments known regarding the activities and funds that were utilized in the contract listed above. Any member of the public may appear at the meeting and be heard on the item described in this notice or submit written comments to the City Clerk prior to the meeting by personal delivery or by mail to: City Clerk’s Office, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433. If you require special accommodations to participate in the public hearing, please contact the City Clerk’s office at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting by calling (805) 473-4567.

The City promotes fair housing and makes all its programs available to low- and moderate-income families regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual preference, marital status or handicap.

For More Information:

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

The City Council may also discuss other hearings or items of business at this meeting. The complete meeting agenda and copies of the staff report on the above item will be available at the customer service counter at Grover Beach City Hall, as well as posted on the City website at www.groverbeach.org at least 72 hours before the meeting. Live broadcasts of City Council meetings may be seen on cable television Channel 20, as well as over the Internet at www.groverbeach.org. (Click on the icon “Government Access Local Channel 20” and then “Channel 20”.)

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

/s/ Wendi Sims, City Clerk

Dated: March 28, 2024

CIUDAD DE GROVER BEACH AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA

SE NOTIFICA POR EL PRESENTE que el Consejo Municipal de la Ciudad de Grover Beach llevará a cabo una Audiencia Pública a las 6:00 p.m., o poco después, el LUNES 8 DE ABRIL DE 2024 en el Ayuntamiento, Sala del Consejo, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA para considerar el siguiente asunto:

ASUNTO: CIERRE DE ACUERDO DE SUBVENCIÓN BLOQUE DE DESARROLLO COMUNITARIO DEL ESTADO (CDBG) – El Consejo Municipal revisará los logros bajo el Acuerdo CDBG del Estado 2020-CDBG-12014 y solicitará la opinión de los ciudadanos con respecto a los gastos y logros de los fondos recibidos bajo el contrato. Se presentará un breve resumen del contrato, junto con los logros que se informarán al Estado.

Su Participación: El propósito de esta audiencia pública es dar a los ciudadanos la oportunidad de proporcionar comentarios con respecto a las actividades y fondos que se utilizaron en el contrato mencionado anteriormente. Cualquier miembro del público puede aparecer en la reunión y proporcionar comentatios sobre el tema descrito en este aviso o enviar comentarios por escrito al Secretario de la Ciudad antes de la reunión por entrega personal o por correo a: City Clerk’s Office, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433. Si necesita adaptaciones especiales para participar en la audiencia pública, comuníquese con la oficina del Secretario de la Ciudad al menos 48 horas antes de la reunión llamando al (805) 473-4567.

La Ciudad promueve la vivienda justa y hace todos sus programas disponibles para familias de ingresos bajos y moderados, independientemente de la edad, raza, color, religión, sexo, origen nacional, preferencia sexual, estado civil o discapacidad.

Para Más Información:

Si tiene alguna pregunta o desea más información sobre el asunto descrito en este aviso, llame al Departamento de Desarrollo Comunitario al (805) 473-4520 o envíe un correo electrónico a comdev@groverbeach.org

El Consejo Municipal también puede discutir otras audiencias o asuntos de negocios en esta reunión. La agenda completa de la reunión y copias del informe del personal sobre el asunto anterior estarán disponibles en el mostrador de servicio al cliente en el Ayuntamiento de Grover Beach, así como publicadas en el sitio web de la Ciudad en www.groverbeach. org al menos 72 horas antes de la reunión. Las transmisiones en vivo de las reuniones del Consejo Municipal se pueden ver en el canal de televisión por cable 20, así como en Internet en www.groverbeach.org. (Haga clic en el icono “ Government Access Local Channel 20” y luego en “Channel 20”.)

Si impugna la naturaleza de la acción propuesta en el tribunal, puede estar limitado a plantear solo aquellos problemas que usted o alguien más haya planteado en la(s) Audiencia(s) Pública(s) descrita(s) en este aviso, o en correspondencia escrita entregada a la Ciudad en, o antes de, la Audiencia Pública (Código de Gobierno Sección 65009).

/s/ Wendi Sims, secretaria de la ciudad

Fecha: 28 de marzo de 2024

Publish: 1x – SLO Tribune and The New Times on Thurs., March 28, 2024

Post: Grover Beach City Hall on Thurs., March 28, 2024

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible, the Pismo Beach Planning Commission will hold a public hearing in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, for the following purpose:

PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA:

A. Address: 728 Ocean Boulevard (APN: 010-351-019)

Applicant: WER Family Trust

Project No.: P23-000084

Description: Coastal Development Permit and Architectural Review Permit for the demolition of an existing residence and construction of a new 3,833 square foot single-family residence, and Categorical Exemption No. 2024-003. The project is located inside the Coastal Zone and is appealable to the Coastal Commission.

Environmental Review

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

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 April 4, 2024.

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 planningcommission@pismobeach.org; staff cannot guarantee that emailed comments submitted after the start of the meeting will be given full consideration before action is taken. Written comments may be delivered or mailed to the Community Development Department / Planning Division Office at 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, CA 93449, prior to the meeting, or 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 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 Planning Division Office, by emailing Administrative Secretary Brianna Whisenhunt at bwhisenhunt@ pismobeach.org. The meeting agenda and staff report will be available no later than the Friday before the meeting and may be obtained upon request by mail or by visiting www.pismobeach.org/agenda. The Planning Commission meeting will be televised live on Charter Spectrum 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 Administrative Secretary Brianna Whisenhunt at bwhisenhunt@pismobeach. org or 805-773-4658.

Brianna Whisenhunt

Administrative Secretary March 28, 2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OF TEMPLETON COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT REGARDING AMENDING THE MASTER SCHEDULE OF FEES AND CHARGES

The Templeton Community Services District will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, beginning at 7:00 p.m. to consider amending the Master Fee Schedule to include fees associated with state mandated annual inspections. These fees will be collected at the initial and annual renewal of a Fire Life Safety Certification that is generated by the District.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: THE BOARD ROOM WILL NOW BE OPEN TO PUBLIC THAT WISH TO ATTEND MEETINGS IN-PERSON; HOWEVER, MEETINGS WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE BY TELECONFERENCE OR BY VISITING THE LINK BELOW.

All interested parties are invited to join the meeting inperson, or call in via Zoom to participate in the hearing, provide comments, or be heard:

Public Call in # to Participate is as follows:

ZOOM Phone #: 1-669-900-6833

Meeting ID: 889 1393 7823

Passcode: 075808

Or Join the Zoom Meeting at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88913937823?pwd=MkdLdH ZjYzZ2T0wzZ2pwbWVpUGNGUT09

At the public hearing on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, the District will consider any and all comments and objections to the amendment to the Master Schedule of Fees. Any questions regarding the information in this notice may be directed to the District Office District, at (805) 434-4900.

OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT OPTIONS: The public may also provide comment via e-mail or letters that will be distributed to the Board of Directors. E-mails may be sent to the Board Clerk at boardclerk@templetoncsd.org

Letters may be mailed to the District Office at P.O. Box 780, Templeton, CA 93465. Letters may also be droppedoff at the District’s Drop-Box located outside the District Office at 420 Crocker Street, Templeton. People may also call the District Office at (805) 434-4900 to leave a message concerning items on the agenda. Public input using one of these methods must be received by Tuesday, April 2, 2024 by 3:00 p.m.

March 21 & 28, 2024

ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS

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

1. 1925 Santa Barbara Ave. ARCH-0448-2022; Architectural Review of a new mixed-use development of three buildings, with four residential units and street-fronting nonresidential, in the Railroad Historic District (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); C-S-H Zone; Obispo Investments, Inc. , applicant. (Walter Oetzell)

2. 1540 Froom Ranch Way. ARCH-0676-2022; Development review of a fueling station expansion, parking lot addition, and associated site improvements, including the removal of and compensatory planting for seven (7) trees. The project includes the addition of ten (10) fuel dispensers under a 9,257 square foot canopy extension and an expanded parking area for 129 spaces. This application accompanies a Modification (MOD-0675-2022) to operate the additional dispensers for the fueling station. The project is categorically exempt from environmental review (CEQA); C-R Zone; Costco Wholesale Corporation, applicant. (Hannah Hanh)

3. 1615 Phillips Lane. DIR-0540-2023; Review of a conforming addition to an existing single-family residence that is nonconforming due to a 17foot front setback, where the minimum is 20 feet. The project is categorically exempt from environmental review (CEQA); R-1 Zone; Tracey Carr, applicant. (Hannah Hanh)

The Community Development Director will either approve or deny these applications no sooner than April 8, 2024

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

March 28, 2024

ACQUIRE REAL PROPERTY

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to California Government Code Section 6063, that the County of San Luis Obispo intends to acquire approximately 17.36 acres of real property from Cayucos Sanitary District, a political subdivision of the State of California, located within the unincorporated portion of the County between Morro Bay and Cayucos described as APN 073-075-019, The purchase price of the Subject Property is One Million

Two Hundred Twenty- One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($1,221,850). Funding of the purchase price includes funds from the local fundraising efforts as well as mitigation funding from the California Department of Transportation (Cal Trans) as approved by the State Water Board.

The County Board of Supervisors will consider the proposed acquisition of the property at a regular meeting of the Board occurring in the Board Chambers, County Government Center, 1055 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at 9:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter as possible.

DATED: March 14, 2024

REBECCA CAMPBELL,

Acting County Administrative Officer & Ex-Officio Clerk of The Board of Supervisors

By: /s/ Niki Martin

Deputy Clerk

March 21, 28, & April 4, 2024

WHO County of San Luis Obispo Planning Commission

WHEN Thursday, April 11, 2024 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 the Cambria CSD for a Development Plan / Coastal Development Permit (C-DRC2024-00007) to allow for a new skatepark that includes the construction of 1 all-gender restroom, a paved parking lot with 7 spaces, and improvements to the public right of way on Main Street. The project would result in the disturbance of approximately 0.47 acres on an approximately 1.4-acre parcel. The proposed project is within the Commercial Retail land use category and is located on Main Street, in the community of Cambria (APN: 013-101-072).

The project is in the North Coast Planning Area. Also to be considered is that this project is categorically exempt from CEQA.

County File Number: C-DRC2024-00007

Supervisorial District: District 2

Assessor Parcel Number(s): 013-101-072

Date Accepted: 02/05/2024

WHERE The hearing will be held in the Katcho Achadjian Government Center, Board of Supervisors Chambers, 1055 Monterey Street, Room D170, 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 Andy Knighton, Project Manager, in the Department of Planning and Building at the address below or by telephone at 805-781-4142.

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 on 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).

_/s/ WENDI B. SIMS, CITY CLERK

Code Sec 65009).

Dated: Thursday, March 28, 2024

PUBLISH 1x’s: (on Thurs., March 28, 2024)

POSTED on Thursday, March 28, 2024

NEW TIMES GROVER BEACH CITY HALL

Ysabel Eighmy, Secretary Planning Commission March 28, 2024 NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

WHO

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & BUILDING PLANNING COMMISSION

County of San Luis Obispo Planning Commission

WHEN

Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 9:00 AM: All items are advertised for 9:00 AM. To verify agenda placement, please call the Department of Planning & Building at (805) 781-5600

WHAT Hearing to consider a request by Remi Arnaud for a Minor Use Permit (N-DRC2023-00058) to disturb over an acre of land and Variance (N-DRC2023-00063) to allow grading on slopes exceeding 30 percent for the purpose of constructing a 1,200’ driveway with access from the City of Pismo to three proposed structures that will include a residence, detached garage, and a shop. Site improvements will include an all-weather access road with hammerhead turnaround, retaining walls, utilities, and a septic system. The project includes an adjustment request pursuant to Section 22.10.140.E.1.b to allow reduced side setbacks for the proposed shop from 30’ to 15’ and 10’. The project will result in 4,000 cubic yards of cut and 1,200 cubic yards of fill and 1.25 acres of site disturbance on a 17.3-acre parcel. The project site is within the Rural Lands (RL) land use category and is located at 1019 Longview Avenue, adjacent to the City of Pismo Beach. The site is in the San Luis Bay Inland Sub Area of the South County Planning Area. Also to be considered is the determination that this project is exempt from environmental review under CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3), General Rule Exemption.

County File Number: N-DRC2023-00063

Supervisorial District: District 3

Assessor Parcel Number(s): 079-271-001

Date Accepted: 1/29/2024

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

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

Daniela Chavez, Secretary Planning Commission March 28, 2024

WHO:

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

County of San Luis Obispo Department of Planning & Building

WHAT:

A Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Phillips 66 Santa Maria Refinery Demolition and Remediation Project is now available for public review and comment (State Clearinghouse #2023050020, Development Plan/ Coastal Development Permit (DP/CDP) #C-DRC2022-00048/ ED23-054). The Draft EIR addresses the environmental impacts associated with demolition and remediation of the Phillips 66 Santa Maria Refinery. The Project is located in the Coastal Zone at 2555 Willow Road (SR-1) in Arroyo Grande, east of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, west of the Monarch Dunes community, and south of the Callender-Garrett Village Reserve. The Proposed Project involves demolition of aboveground refinery facilities (buildings, equipment and associated infrastructure), remediation of contaminated soils, and removal of belowground infrastructure in areas requiring soil remediation. After demolition and remediation, some plant features, including surface hardscape (concrete slabs, asphalt slurry, paving and roads), and certain infrastructure (e.g., perimeter fencing, guardhouses, electrical substation, water wells, rail spurs, truck scale, and groundwater monitoring wells) are proposed to remain for security, potential future use, or based on remediation regulatory requirements. The Project site is approximately 218 acres within nearly 1,650 acres under Phillips 66 ownership.

Aboveground demolition is anticipated to take approximately eight months, with soil remediation activities beginning as areas are cleared and soil tested. The bulk of the remediation work would be completed within the first three years; however, it would likely continue at a reduced level for up to 10 years, depending on site conditions and work plans. The majority of demolition and remediation debris is expected to be hauled offsite by rail, supplemented by trucks.

After demolition and remediation within each area, hardscape would be replaced where removed, and exposed soil areas would be revegetated. Following final site characterization to verify requirements have been met, activities would be limited to restoration monitoring and general maintenance of the property and remaining facilities. Phillips 66 would continue to manage the ongoing remediation and associated monitoring wells on site as required by previous regulatory action. Potential future uses of the SMR site are unknown and are speculative at this time; therefore, future uses of the site are not considered in this Project.

WHERE:

The Draft EIR is available for review or downloading on the County’s Planning Department website at: www.slocounty.ca.gov/Phillips66.

Hard copies of the Draft EIR, and all Draft EIR Appendices, are available for review at the County Department of Planning & Building, 976 Osos Street, Rm 200, San Luis Obispo at the permit center from 8:30 a.m. – noon or 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. Hard copies and digital thumb drive copies of the Draft EIR are also available for review at the San Luis Obispo County Public Library Main Branch in San Luis Obispo, and at the branch libraries in Arroyo Grande and Nipomo (for hours and locations see SLOLIBRARY.org).

HOW TO COMMENT OR GET MORE INFORMATION:

Anyone interested in commenting on the Draft EIR should email their comments or questions to: p66refinery@co.slo. ca.us or submit written comments to Susan Strachan, San Luis Obispo County Department of Planning & Building at 976 Osos St., Rm 300, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408. Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m., Monday May 6, 2024

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS:

The Draft EIR focuses on the following issues: Aesthetics; Agricultural Resources; Air Quality; Biological Resources; Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise; Cultural and Tribal Resources; Energy; Geology and Soils; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Hazards and Hazardous Materials; Hydrology and Water Quality; Land Use and Planning; Noise; Public Services, Utilities, and Service Systems; Recreation and Coastal Access; Transportation; and Wildfire.

PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION:

A study session before the San Luis Obispo Planning Commission is scheduled for April 25, 2024 in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, Katcho Achadjian Government Center, 1055 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo. The Planning Commission meeting will begin at 9:00. Please refer to the Planning Commission agenda to determine the agenda item placement for the Santa Maria Refinery Demolition and Remediation Project study session. The meeting agenda will be available approximately 10 days before the meeting and can be accessed from this link: www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/planning-building/ grid-items/meetings,-hearings,-agendas,-and-minutes. aspx. Items on the agenda generally proceed in the order listed. However, the public is advised to arrive early.

**If you challenge this matter in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised in written correspondence delivered to the addresses above by the May 6, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. comment period deadline.**

DATED: March 22, 2024

Susan Strachan, Project Manager March 28, 2024

Do you need to publish a legal

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): In the coming days, your hunger will be so inexhaustible that you may feel driven to devour extravagant amounts of food and drink. It’s possible you will gain 10 pounds in a very short time. Who knows? You might even enter an extreme eating contest and devour 46 dozen oysters in 10 minutes! April fool! Although what I just said is remotely plausible, I foresee that you will sublimate your exorbitant hunger. You will realize it is spiritual in nature and can’t be gratified by eating food. As you explore your voracious longings, you will hopefully discover a halfhidden psychological need you have been suppressing. And then you will liberate that need and feed it what it craves!

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20): Taurus novelist Lionel Shriver writes, “There’s a freedom in apathy, a wild, dizzying liberation on which you can almost get drunk.” In accordance with astrological omens, I recommend you experiment with Shriver’s strategy in the coming weeks. April fool! I lied. In fact, Lionel Shriver’s comment is one of the dumbest thoughts I have ever heard. Why would anyone want the cheap, damaged liberation that comes from feeling indifferent, numb, and passionless? Please do all you can to disrupt and dissolve any attraction you may have to that state, Taurus. In my opinion, you now have a sacred duty to cultivate extra helpings of enthusiasm, zeal, liveliness, and ambition.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20): At enormous cost and after years of study, I have finally figured out the meaning of life, at least as it applies to you Geminis. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to reveal it to you unless you send me $1,000 and a case of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. I’ve got to recoup my investment, right?! April fool! Most of what I just said was a dirty lie. It’s true that I have worked hard to uncover the meaning of life for you Geminis. But I haven’t found it yet. And even if I did, I would of course provide it to you free. Luckily, you are now in a prime position to make dramatic progress in deciphering the meaning of life for yourself.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): For a limited time only, you have permission from the cosmos to be a wildly charismatic egomaniac who brags incessantly and insists on getting your selfish needs met at all times and in all places. Please feel free to have maximum amounts of narcissistic fun, Cancerian! April fool! I was exaggerating a bit, hoping to offer you medicinal encouragement so you will stop being so damn humble and self-effacing all the time. But the truth is, now is indeed an excellent time to assert your authority, expand your clout, and flaunt your potency and sovereignty.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): Michael Scott was a character in the TV sitcom The Office He was the boss of a paper company. Played by Leo actor Steve Carell, he was notoriously self-centered and obnoxious. However, there was one famous scene I will urge you to emulate. He was asked if he would rather be feared or loved. He replied, “Um, easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” Be like Michael Scott, Leo! April fool! I was half-kidding. It’s true I’m quite excited by the likelihood that you will receive floods of love in the coming weeks. It’s also true that I think you should do everything possible to boost this likelihood. But I would rather that people be amazed and pleased at how much they love you, not afraid.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Now would be an excellent time for you to snag a Sugar Daddy or Sugar Momma or Sugar NonBinary Nurturer. The astrological omens are telling me that life is expanding its willingness and capacity to provide you with help, support, and maybe even extra cash. I dare you to dangle yourself as bait and sell your soul to the highest bidder. April fool! I was half-kidding. While I do believe it’s prime time to ask for and receive more help, support, and extra cash, I don’t believe you will have to sell your soul to get any of it. Just be yourself!

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Happy Unbirthday, Libra! It’s that time halfway between your last birthday and your next. Here are the presents I plan to give you: a boost in your receptivity to be loved and needed; a constructive relationship with obsession; more power to accomplish the half-right thing when it’s hard to do the totally right thing; the disposal of 85 percent of the psychic trash left over from the time between 2018 and 2023; and a provocative new invitation to transcend an outworn old taboo. April fool! The truth is, I can’t possibly supply every one of you with these fine offerings, so please bestow them on yourself. Luckily, the cosmic currents will conspire with you to make these things happen.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Now would be an excellent time to seek liposuction, a facelift, Botox, buttocks augmentation, or hair transplants. Cosmic rhythms will be on your side if you change how you look. April fool! Everything I just said was a lie. I’ve got nothing against cosmetic surgery, but now is not the right time to alter your appearance. Here’s the correct oracle: Shed your disguises, stop hiding anything about who you really are, and show how proud you are of your idiosyncrasies.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I command you to love Jesus and Buddha! If you don’t, you will burn in Hell! April fool! I was just kidding. I was being sensationalistic to grab your attention. Here’s my real, true oracle for you: Love everybody, including Jesus and Buddha. And I mean love them all twice as strong and wild and tender. The cosmic powers ask it of you! The health of your immortal soul depends on it! Yes, Sagittarius, for your own selfish sake, you need to pour out more adoration and care and compassion than you ever have before. I’m not exaggerating! Be a lavish Fountain of Love!

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): If you gave me permission, I would cast a spell to arouse in you a case of ergophobia, i.e., an aversion to work. I think you need to take a sweet sabbatical from doing business as usual. April fool! I was just joking about casting a spell on you. But I do wish you would indulge in a lazy, do-nothing retreat. If you want your ambitions to thrive later, you will be wise to enjoy a brief period of delightful emptiness and relaxing dormancy. As Buddhist teacher Sylvia Boorstein recommends, “Don’t just do something! Sit there!”

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In accordance with current astrological omens, I suggest you get the book Brain Surgery for Beginners by Steven Parker and David West. You now have the power to learn and even master complex new skills, and this would be an excellent place to start. April fool! I was half-kidding. I don’t really think you should take a scalpel to the gray matter of your friends and family members—or yourself, for that matter. But I am quite certain that you currently have an enhanced power to learn and even master new skills. It’s time to raise your educational ambitions to a higher octave. Find out what lessons and training you need most, then make plans to get them.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20): In the religious beliefs of Louisiana Voodoo, one God presides over the universe but never meddles in the details of life. There are also many spirits who are always intervening and tinkering, intimately involved in the daily rhythm. They might do nice things for people or play tricks on them—and everything in between. In alignment with current astrological omens, I urge you to convert to the Louisiana Voodoo religion and try ingenious strategies to get the spirits to do your bidding. April fool! I don’t really think you should convert. However, I believe it would be fun and righteous for you to proceed as if spirits are everywhere—and assume that you have the power to harness them to work on your behalf. ∆