New Times, Oct. 3, 2024

Avoid Unneeded

Strokes ............................................10

opinion Commentaries 11 Modern World 11

Rhetoric & Reason 12

Shredder 13

Editor’s note

EArtifacts .........................................22 Split Screen...............................24

music

Strictly Starkey 26 the rest Classifieds 31

Brezsny’s Astrology ........ 39

ven before the COVID-19 shutdown, theaters were struggling. The pandemic took a challenging situation and made it worse. Theater owners blame a variety of things, including streaming platforms and downtown SLO’s paid parking situation. To survive, local theaters are switching up their programming to get resident butts back in seats—including counting on nostalgia. Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey spoke to local theater owners and operators about how the business has changed and what they’re doing to keep the doors open [8]

Also this week, read about Gala Pride and Diversity Center’s financial struggle to stay alive [4]; the local chapter of the California Writers Club [22]; and North SLO County’s wine stars [28].

Camillia Lanham editor

cover photo by Jayson Mellom cover design by Alex Zuniga

Gala Pride and Diversity Center announces risk of closure

The Gala Pride and Diversity Center recently announced that it is facing financial hardship after years of dwindling donations, potentially forcing the LGBTQ-plus nonprofit to close its doors.

Board President Julia Thompson posted a letter on Instagram on Sept. 30 that said the Gala Pride and Diversity Center was facing “a critical financial situation that threatens our ability to continue the essential work we do.”

“We are at a crossroads,” the letter said, “and without immediate support, we risk losing the lifeline that this center provides to so many.”

Thompson started on Gala’s board in 2023 and

told New Times that the organization hasn’t had a surplus of funds since she started. After Executive Director Dusty Colyer-Worth stepped down in June, the organization realized something needed to be done.

“Everything that comes in is going out, and we’ve been functioning like that for as long as I’ve been on the board,” she said. “And we just kind of realized we were in a much tighter spot than we had known previously. It’s kind of all came to a head, like, ‘Oh, this is just a lot more dire than any of us realized.’”

Thompson said it wasn’t easy to decide to create the post asking for help because Gala has historically operated with an “individual approach,”

SLO County, Paso Robles housing groups named in wrongful death lawsuit

A Riverside County man is holding San Luis Obispo County, the city of Paso Robles, the Housing Authority of SLO, Paso Robles Nonprofit Housing Corporation, and Affordable Housing Paso Robles accountable for allegedly causing the death of his aging mother.

Chet Dotter Senior Apartment Community resident Carolyn Jane Roach-Hendershot, the 80-year-old mother of plaintiff Daniel Bacon, reportedly died because of elder abuse and neglect, according to Bacon’s complaint for damages filed on July 25. The lawsuit alleged that Roach-Hendershot fell sick in January and needed emergency help.

“In her distress, she reached for an emergency pull cord, a measure meant to swiftly alert defendants and their agents, employees, managers, personnel, and/or staff to her urgent need for assistance,” the complaint read. “However,

despite her efforts, decedent’s distress signal went unnoticed; the response time was slow; and/or the emergency cord was not functioning as intended.”

Affordable Housing Online shows that the pull cord feature is publicly advertised as a part of living in the Chet Dotter Senior Apartment Community, which has 40 rent-subsidized apartments for people 62 years and older.

The complaint added that the apartments were also advertised to come with an on-site person who would be available to help around the clock.

“Medical personnel eventually arrived at decedent’s unit but were unable to gain entry despite multiple attempts to reach a senior community property manager of defendants or their agents, employees, managers, personnel, and/or staff,” the complaint said. “With no alternative, medical personnel had to forcibly enter decedent’s unit. Their efforts came too late, and decedent tragically passed away on Jan. 15, 2024, from the injuries she sustained on Jan. 12, 2024.”

shouldered its own hardships.

“And we had a real, kind of dawning moment with our board. We sat down and we talked, and we realized this is an incredible resource for the community. I think if the community knew what a tough situation we’re in, they would—a large majority of them—would not want us to fail,” she said. “We have to do the hard thing, which is just reach out and ask because we’ve been trying to do it on our own and figure it out and find new streams of income by ourselves.

“Instead, we need to really lean on our community, and the LGBTQ community as a whole that is so connected and caring.”

Since posting, Thompson said Gala has received about 50 individual donations from community members and is also hoping to form connections with larger donors who could provide monthly contributions for more long-standing financial security.

Thompson said the number of consistent monthly donations has decreased over the past five to 10 years as the organization expanded its services for various groups in the LGBTQ-plus community. According to Gala’s tax filings, the organization saw contributions and grants drop from $213,234 in 2021 to $65,850 in 2022. In 2023, Thompson said, Gala lost a $60,000 annual donation.

“There’s been a little bit of pushback from just folks who have maybe a more antiquated perspective on who we should be serving, and we’ve lost some major donors along the years due to that,” Thompson said. “I think it’s catching up to us, and we are just kind of in a place now where we need to replace those donors with people who are more aligned with a more inclusive approach to our work.”

Currently, Gala employs two staff members and hosts support groups almost every day of the week for questioning youth, trans adults and teens, and LGBTQ-plus members struggling with addiction, among others.

“There’s a lot of volunteers who are going to go to the moon and back before they give up on creating this weekly safe space for queer youth who have this one space once a week where they have their space to express themselves, feel like themselves, be accepted,” Thompson said. ∆

—Libbey Hanson

Roach-Hendershot’s son is seeking damages for negligence, premises liability, elder abuse, wrongful death, and survival. Bacon legal representative Los Angeles-based Wilshire Law Firm declined to speak with New Times on the record.

In these early stages of the lawsuit, it remains unclear which body is responsible for the senior apartment community. HASLO didn’t respond to New Times’ request for comment by press time, but SLO County did.

“We believe the county is not a proper party to this lawsuit and will be making every effort to extricate ourselves,” SLO County Counsel Rita Neal said. —Bulbul Rajagopal

Fishermen file second offshore wind lawsuit

Offshore wind farm resistance is ramping up along the Central Coast as protesters plead with SLO County’s local governments to join them

PRIDE FEST Gala Pride and Diversity Center, which hosts the annual Central Coast Pride Festival, is at risk of closing its doors after announcing financial hardship.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GALA PRIDE AND DIVERSITY CENTER

Luxury Condos

in opposition and file lawsuits to slow the planning process.

The Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization and the Port San Luis Commercial Fishermen’s Association filed an initial lawsuit against offshore wind developers and the federal agency responsible for managing the farms in February. On Sept. 6, the groups filed a second lawsuit against developers and the California Coastal Commission to stop wind farm site evolution.

“Fishermen don’t want offshore wind, especially now that it’s grown to this monstrosity. It’s not going to be good for our fisheries,” group spokesperson Sheri Hafer previously told New Times. “This would just harm our whole culture.”

In May 2022, the U.S. The Department of Interior auctioned off wind energy leasing areas in California with one roughly 20 miles off the coast of Morro Bay.

One of the companies awarded part of the leasing area was Atlas Wind, also known as Equinor, an international energy company present in 30 countries. Equinor is also the main defendant in both lawsuits.

Both fishermen organizations claim that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) requires companies that bought leasing areas to have “an independent fisheries liaison” who’s responsible for coordinating and communicating about wind farm site activities.

“The fishing liaison will work with fishing communities and the harbor districts to coordinate survey and other activities and to develop a process for reporting and remediating conflicts between mariners and survey vessels/equipment,” the lawsuit reads.

The fishermen groups are claiming that both the California Coastal Commission and Equinor failed to inform them about the status of permits and other approvals issued by the Coastal Commission.

According to BOEM’s website, Equinor is required to submit progress reports every six months until approval of a “construction and operations plan” with the intent of improving communication and transparency between local tribes and other interested parties, such as various fishing organizations.

“The intent of the progress report is to encourage lessees to identify and engage with underserved communities, including environmental justice communities that may be disproportionately impacted by the project’s offshore activities, to avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential adverse effects,” the website states.

Equinor has not yet submitted a construction and operations plan to BOEM but submitted its first and only progress report on Feb. 11. Hafer and other activists attended the Oct. 1 Pismo Beach City Council meeting to express their concerns.

“This is going to be the most expensive form of energy that we can produce,” Hafer said during public comment.

REACT Alliance President Mandy Davis agreed and told council members that the group’s mission is to protect California’s Central Coast from the destructive impacts of offshore wind energy development.

“We seek to educate the public, advocate for informing, mobilize the community, collaborate with governing officials, and pursue legal action, when necessary,” she said. “This is something that every single person in our county should be interested in because if that offshore wind development were to go in, it would impact our entire county.”

—Samantha Herrera

Supervisors deny appeal of permit for project near Pismo Preserve

A Pismo Beach community’s hope to preserve part of the rural landscape bordering the Pismo Preserve was dashed when the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors denied its appeal of a construction project in the area.

Longview Avenue neighborhood group Save the Canyon said the project would impact thousands of people’s enjoyment of the area.

“Not only are the backyards of these homes affected but it creates a huge visual impact from a much larger area creating a blight on this unspoiled land forever destroying the rural landscape; all for the enjoyment of one couple, not the thousands that enjoy the Pismo Preserve or the residents of Pismo Beach,” according to the group’s GoFundMe page. “This project entails 4,000 cubic yards of steep hillside grading, destroying the face of the canyon, and the hauling damaging our city streets.”

On Sept. 24, county supervisors unanimously rejected former Pismo Beach City Councilmember Sheila Blake’s appeal of the county Planning Commission’s approval of a minor use permit for the home construction project. The permit grants prospective residents Rémi Arnaud and Rita Turkowski to disturb more than an acre of land and allows grading on slopes exceeding 30 percent so that a 1,200-linear-foot driveway could be built to connect the city to the 1019 Longview Ave. lot.

Since the project sits on land that exceeds a 30 percent grade, it needs a platform called a hammerhead that will support the foundation of the proposed single-family residence and enable Cal Fire emergency vehicles to fully turn around.

Opponents cite the hammerhead as an eyesore.

“The MND [mitigated negative declaration] concluded that the visual and aesthetical impacts of the project were ultimately less than significant due to its scope compared to the existing residential development located immediately adjacent to the subject parcel,” the staff report said.

Other stated concerns about the project included inadequate environmental analysis; impacts on potential archaeological resources; detriment to oak trees; and increased noise, dust, and vibration during construction.

County staff ruled out each of Save the Canyon’s objections, defending the project by referencing a 1999 certificate of compliance that legalized the lot at 1019 Longview Ave. and established two residential building envelopes and a building restriction zone. An environmental analysis was conducted at that time, which resulted in a mitigated negative declaration.

The parcel has remained undeveloped. Staff said that all the neighbors’ concerns were already analyzed in 1999 and the impacts were found to be minimal.

Arnaud and Turkowski attorney Thomas Green of Adamski Moroski Madden Cumberland and Green wrote a letter to 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold, calling opposition to the project “a classic case of NIMBYism.”

“It is readily apparent that the opposition is simply an effort to impose de facto open space requirements over the project site,” Green wrote.

Save the Canyon leader Elizabeth Burkhead, who spearheads the group with

her husband, Roger Emmons, told New Times that they will be figuring out next steps. The appeal rejection can’t be brought before the California Coastal Commission since the project site is outside of the coastal zone.

“We’re not giving up,” Burkhead said. —Bulbul Rajagopal

AG Planning Commission rejects staff’s proposed cell tower ordinance

After Verizon Wireless proposed to install a new 5G cellphone tower 100 feet away from the Sunrise Terrace retirement community, towers became a hot topic at Arroyo Grande City Council meetings, prompting the city to do some policy updating

Arroyo Grande Planning Manager Andrew Perez informed the Planning Commission during a Sept. 16 meeting that since the city’s last update to telecommunication facility policies and procedures in 2017, new federal and state laws have taken effect which restrict local control over the permitting and placement of cell towers.

In 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created shorter timelines for local governments to act on wireless facility applications, with a 60- to 90-day deadline.

To stay in accordance with this new timeline, Perez said there will no longer be public hearings for those who might be affected by future structures.

“The public hearing process was eliminated with those more minor applications … because getting on a certain agenda can be difficult and we don’t want to be pushing to the end and then it’s ‘oh man we needed a public hearing, didn’t get one, and now an application is deemed approved without any conditions, and it could just have any kind of visual impacts,” Perez said.

Commissioners spent a little less than an hour asking Perez questions about the new policy change, and community members addressed their own concerns during public comment.

Commissioners voted unanimously to have staff do more research to answer the questions that both they and the community had.

“Look at more protections for residents based on visual impacts, ensure consistency, and try to limit ambiguities and terms such as ‘reasonable period,’ and reconsider and look at feasible opportunities for public hearings,” Planning Commission Chair Jamie Maraviglia said.

Staff will present the new policy change to the Planning Commission before it goes before the City Council.

—Samantha Herrera

Atascadero school board hopefuls discuss teacher retention, banned books

Finding qualified special education teachers is becoming more difficult, according to the candidates for the Atascadero Unified School District board.

“Within our district, we have a high number of students that have [accommodation plans], and it is a massive challenge to make sure that we are meeting all of their needs,” candidate and incumbent Matthew Pennon said at a forum on Sept. 30.

Special education, among other topics ranging from book banning to school bonds, were discussed at the Sept. 30 forum, hosted

by the American Association of University Women. With three open seats and five candidates, incumbents Pennon and Corinne Kuhnle, as well as newcomers Veronica DeCoster and Joey Arnold participated in the event, while Jodi M. Taylor was absent.

Kuhnle said that special education has been a challenge in Atascadero and other districts throughout the state.

“Special education teachers, speech therapists—they are in demand, and we are trying to fulfill those seats,” she said.

Arnold said he was not aware of this issue but related it to potential issues with funding allocations.

“It’s one of those things that maybe comes down to competitive salaries, and something that we would need to take a serious look at the budget,” he said. “If we can’t keep anybody here, then that certainly is alarming.”

DeCoster said she wants to see more supportive policies for the educators than what the district already has.

“I think the district can do a better job of supporting staff and putting policies in place to be followed when there’s a problem in one of the classrooms,” she said.

As a current school board member, Pennon said he has seen the number of these educators dwindle.

“We have become a district that is a training ground for teachers and for staff that go throughout the state, and that’s something that we definitely need to address,” he said. Other discussion topics included banning books in school libraries.

DeCoster said she trusts the district librarian’s discretion.

“Our district librarian has a master’s degree in library science, she has years of training and experience that make her qualified to determine if a book is age and content appropriate for school,” she said. However, Arnold said he believes school literature has crossed lines.

“I believe some of the literature that is being approved has gotten a little outside what is appropriate,” he said. “I am absolutely in favor of not allowing something in our school districts that goes too far one way, as far as you know, maybe pornographic.”

Pennon disagreed.

“There’s this new lie that is being spread throughout our nation—that there is pornography, that there are inappropriate books on our school campuses,” he said. “And that is not true, and we need to call out these lies when they are being told to us, plain and simple.”

Regarding Measure B, the district’s school bond on the upcoming ballot, three of the candidates said they support the $110 million measure, while Arnold said he is neither for nor against it.

“As we approve and change and accept more students, we just need to make changes to stay up with their needs,” Kuhnle said. “Plus, our vocational and career classes that we want to progress with.”

Arnold wasn’t so sure and said the district spends too much of taxpayers’ dollars.

“In my opinion, we have a spending problem. We can’t just spend money on frivolous things and then go ask the community to bail us out the things that we need,” he said. “I do think we need to take a serious look at how we’re moving forward.”

—Libbey Hanson

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Intent to Adopt a NEGATIVE DECLARATION and OPPROTUNITY FOR a PUBLIC HEARING

(Study Results Available)

Antelope Grade Vertical Curve Correction and Truck Climbing Lane Exten sion

Do you want a public hearing on changes proposed for State Route 46 in San Luis Obispo and Kern counties?

Comments will be accepted from October 3 to November 1, 2024.

If there are no major comments or requests for a hearing, Caltrans will proceed with the project’s design.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) proposes to extend the existing westbound truck climbing lane and correct a vertical curve along State Route 46 from post miles 59.8 to 60.9 in San Luis Obispo County and post miles 0.0 to 0.9 in Kern County.

Caltrans has studied the effects this project may have on the environment. Our studies show the project will not significantly affect the quality of the environment. The report that explains why is called an Initial Study with Proposed Negative Declaration. This notice is to inform you of the preparation of the Initial Study with Proposed Negative Declaration and of its availability for you to read and comment on. This notice also offers you an opportunity to request a public hearing.

The Initial Study with Proposed Negative Declaration and other project information are available for review and copying at the following locations:

• Caltrans District 5 Office, 50 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, Ca 93401, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Caltrans District 6 Office, 1352 West Olive Avenue, Fresno, Ca 93728, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• The San Luis Obispo Library, 995 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, Ca 93403, during business hours.

• Baker Branch Library, 1400 Baker Street, Bakersfield, Ca 93305, during business hours.

• The document can be downloaded at the following website: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5/district-5-current-projects/05-1q03u

Do you have any comments about processing the project with an Initial Study with Proposed Negative Declaration? Do you disagree with the findings of our study as set forth in the Proposed Negative Declaration? Would you care to make any other comments on the project? Would you like a public hearing? Please submit your comments or requests for a public hearing in writing by U.S. Mail or email no later than November 1, 2024, to Caltrans, Attention: Shane Gunn, District 6 Environmental Division, California Department of Transportation, 2015 East Shields Avenue, Suite 100, Fresno, California 93726, or by email to shane.gunn@dot.ca.gov. The date Caltrans will begin accepting comments is October 3, 2024. If there are no major comments or requests for a public hearing, Caltrans will proceed with the project’s design.

For more information about this project, please contact Shane Gunn, Senior Environmental Scientist (Supervisor), by email at shane.gunn@dot.ca.gov or by phone at 559-832-0051. For all other state highway matters in the area, please contact the District 5 Public Information Office at info-d5@dot.ca.gov or by phone at 805-549-3237, or contact the District 6 Public Information Office at d6.public.info@dot.ca.gov or by phone at 559-444-2409.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, individuals who require accommodation (American Sign Language Interpreter, accessible seating, documents in alternative formats, etc.) are requested to contact the Caltrans District 6 Public Information Office at d6.public.info@dot.ca.gov or by phone at 559-444-2409 or contact the District 5 Public Information Office at info-d5@dot.ca.gov or by phone at 805-549-3237. Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD) users may contact the California Relay Service line at 1-800-735-2929, Voice Line at 1-800-735-2922, or contact the California Relay Service Teletype Voice Line by dialing 711.

Aviso Público

Aviso de intención de adoptar una declaración negativa y oportunidad de una audiencia pública

(Los resultados del estudio están disponibles)

Corrección de la curva vertical en el segmento de la pendiente Antelope Grade y ampliación del carril de subida para camiones

¿Quisiera que se realice una audiencia pública sobre los cambios propuestos en la Ruta Estatal 46 en los condados de San Luis Obispo y Kern?

El público podrá presentar comentarios entre el 3 de octubre de 2024 y el 1 de noviembre de 2024.

Si los comentarios no revelan circunstancias críticas o solicitudes de realizar una audiencia pública, Caltrans procederá con el dise ño del proyecto.

El Departamento de Transporte de California (Caltrans, California Department of Transportation) propone ampliar el carril existente para los camiones que suben en dirección oeste y corregir una curva vertical a lo largo de la Ruta Estatal 46 desde los postes de las millas 59.8 a 60.9 en el condado de San Luis Obispo y los postes de las millas 0.0 a 0.9 en el condado de Kern.

Caltrans ha estudiado los efectos que este proyecto puede tener en el medio ambiente. Nuestros estudios muestran que el proyecto no afectará significativamente la calidad del medio ambiente. El informe explica por qué se llama Estudio Inicial con Propuesta de Declaración Negativa. Este aviso es para informar al público de la elaboración del Estudio Inicial con Propuesta de Declaración Negativa y de su disponibilidad para su lectura y comentario. Este aviso también le ofrece la oportunidad de solicitar una audiencia pública.

El Estudio Inicial con Propuesta de Declaración Negativa y otra información del proyecto estarán disponibles para revisión y comentarios en los siguientes lugares:

• Oficina del Distrito 5 de Caltrans, 50 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, Ca 93401, de lunes a viernes, de 8:00 a. m. a 5:00 p. m.

• Oficina del Distrito 6 de Caltrans, 1352 West Olive Avenue, Fresno, Ca 93728, de lunes a viernes, de 8:00 a. m. a 5:00 p. m.

• San Luis Obispo Library (biblioteca), 995 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, Ca 93403, en horas de atención al público.

• Baker Branch Library (biblioteca), 1400 Baker Street, Bakersfield, Ca 93305, en horas de atención al público.

• El documento también puede descargarse del siguiente sitio web: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5/district-5-current-projects/05-1q03u

¿Tiene algún comentario sobre el procesamiento del proyecto con un Estudio Inicial con Propuesta de Declaración Negativa? ¿No está de acuerdo con los hallazgos de nuestro estudio tal como se establecen en la Declaración Negativa Propuesta? ¿Le gustaría hacer algún otro comentario sobre el proyecto? ¿Quisiera que se realice una audiencia pública? Envíe sus comentarios o su solicitud para que se realice una audiencia pública por correo postal de los EE. UU. o por correo electrónico a más tardar el viernes, 1 de noviembre de 2024 a Caltrans, Atención: Shane Gunn, District 6 Environmental Division, California Department of Transportation, 2015 East Shields Avenue, Suite 100, Fresno, California 93726, o por correo electrónico a: shane.gunn@dot.ca.gov. Caltrans comenzará a aceptar comentarios desde el 3 de octubre de 2024. Si los comentarios no revelan circunstancias críticas o solicitudes de realizar una audiencia pública, Caltrans procederá con el diseño del proyecto.

Para obtener más información sobre este proyecto, comuníquese con Shane Gunn, Senior Environmental Scientist (Supervisor), por correo electrónico a shane.gunn@dot.ca.gov o por teléfono al 559-832-0051. Para hablar de cualquier otro asunto sobre las carreteras estatales del área, comuníquese con la Oficina de Información Pública del Distrito 5 escribiendo al correo electrónico info-d5@dot.ca.gov o por teléfono llamando al 805-549-3237, o comuníquese con la Oficina de Información Pública del Distrito 6 escribiendo al correo electrónico d6.public.info@dot.ca.gov o por teléfono llamando al 559-444-2409.

De conformidad con la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades de 1990, las personas que requieren adaptaciones (intérpretes de lenguaje de señas estadounidense, asientos accesibles, documentos en formatos alternativos, etc.) pueden comunicarse con la Oficina de Información Pública del Distrito 6 de Caltrans escribiendo al correo electrónco d6.public.info@dot. ca.gov o por teléfono llamando al 559-444-2409, o comunicarse con la Oficina de Información Pública del Distrito 5 escribiendo al correo electrónico info-d5@dot.ca.gov o por teléfono llamando al 805-549-3237. Los usuarios de dispositivos de telecomunicaciones para sordos (TDD) pueden comunicarse con la línea del Servicio de retransmisión de California marcando el 1-800-735-2929, llamando a la línea de voz al 1-800-735-2922 o comunicándose con la línea de voz de teletipo del servicio de retransmisión de California marcando 711.

BY

Movies matter

How local theater operators are finding new ways to remain profitable

When’s the last time you were in a movie theater? Pre-pandemic? Longer?

Even before COVID-19 temporarily closed theaters, the industry was struggling, forced to compete with VHS and later DVD rentals, then dealing with rental distribution innovators like Redbox. And then came the most ubiquitous way we consume film media, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney Plus, which ushered in the demise of Blockbuster and other film rental businesses.

The pandemic merely took a challenging business situation and made it worse.

“The only reason the Palm Theatre is running right now is I was able to get a grant coming out of the pandemic,” venue owner Jim Dee explained. “It was called the SVOG—the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant—and if you were a movie theater or live theater, you were able to get this grant. I applied and I got it, and if I didn’t have that I probably would have closed. To be thoroughly honest, for those two years, the bank account was just going down. It was scary.”

That’s the thing about movie theaters. It’s not like streaming a movie at home on your TV with a million little distractions surrounding you. Going to a movie theater is a shared experience. ... You’re in a room full of strangers, but you’re all about to take a ride together.

movie theaters,” Dee emphasized. “And that’s not just my theater, that’s across the board. On top of that, I think we’re still getting the repercussions of the writers’ and actors’ strikes. During the pandemic, people learned how to stream more quickly. It was coming, but I think it sped it up.

“With streaming, I think we lost our older audience. I could show a Judi Dench film or Maggie Smith, and we’d have seniors. Now? They’re not gone, but it’s not like it was.”

Coming out of the pandemic, Dee’s situation bordered on desperate. People were slow to come back, annoyed by mask mandates, and still fearful of infection. The seasoned theater businessman felt like he’d tried everything. Then he began cultivating a younger audience.

“Lo and behold, from my young staff, they were saying, ‘Hey, bring in some old films.’

This was something I did back in the ’80s.”

Dee’s been in the movie screening business for more than five decades. He opened San Luis Obispo’s first art house theater, The Rainbow, in 1979. But even before then as a Cal Poly student, he and fellow student Paul Karlen had a film club called Cinema Zoo that they started in 1973, where they used a 16mm projector to show films such as Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 masterpiece The Seventh Seal. They’d rent a venue for $15 a night and charge filmgoers 75 cents to get in.

“It was fun. Those were the early days,” he recalled.

He and his wife, Patty, opened the Palm Theatre in 1988, after renting and renovating a building on Palm Street into three screens with a combined 268-seat capacity. They eventually bought the building outright in 1991. In 2004, the Dees installed solar panels on the theater’s roof, making it the U.S.’s first solar-powered theater.

“That’s what was and is happening around the landscape of theaters across the United States,” McLennan noted.

Many of these small, independent theaters have turned nonprofit.

“I went to a large conference called IND/ EX, which had a little over 700 people there, all working in these indie theaters or film festivals. This kind of model is happening everywhere to save these institutions or theaters in their communities, so nonprofits or film festivals are taking over venues,” she added. “We’re emphasizing the idea that we want the Palm to stay here forever and be in our community.”

McLennan and the SLOIFF have continued Dee’s model of screening some first-run films, even though they’re much more expensive, and they’ve continued expanding their offering of older classic, art house, and cult films. Operating the Palm as a nonprofit also opens up grant opportunities.

“We’re definitely trying to amp up the rental side of things too,” McLennan added, “which we’re seeing is really helping keep things afloat by partnering with other nonprofits and letting them use the space. But also, what we’re finding is we’re bringing the energy of what we do at the festival, like having special guests and screenings, making it feel—as someone said in the IND/ EX conference—‘like an experience you can’t download.’ So adding that element is helping bring people through the doors. I think the key is diversifying revenue streams.”

One of the theater’s successful innovations was a special screening of George Miller’s 1981 sequel Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, attended by one of the film’s actors.

Cinemas used to be big business. In 2002, the average annual number of tickets sold per person in the U.S was 4.2, which had dropped to 3.5 by 2019 … before the pandemic decimated theaters. Today, sales are slowly climbing again but remain low by historical standards. How can theater operators lure customers back to the big screen?

“Certainly it’s been a struggle since the unfortunate COVID lockdowns and closure of our theater for over a year with the landlord demanding full rent,” said Bruce Sanborn, who owns The Movie Experience that includes Atascadero Colony Cinemas and Downtown Centre 7.

“Then when things started getting better— Barbie and Oppenheimer—along comes the actors’ strike,” Sanborn said via email. He noted that fewer films being released, shorter windows between theatrical and streaming releases, and tighter profit margins were added aggravations.

“And the theaters in downtown SLO were hit very, very hard by the city of SLO,” he added. “Our business since last July 1, when the parking fees went sky high, has really dropped off.”

Parking rates were also a real point of contention for the Palm’s Dee, but the city has since lowered parking costs.

“Post pandemic, there was a quantum shift of people not wanting to come back to

When he was finally able to reopen after the pandemic, he often couldn’t get more than 10 people for a screening. Then, he booked Charlie Kaufman’s 2004 sci-fi romance Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and was getting 70 people to a screening.

“I showed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid [1969]—80! And the other movies I’m showing, new movies, 10, 12 people. There’s sort of this idea, ‘Oh, if it’s new, I’ll stream it.’

“It’s wild.”

A new era

Since adopting this new model and getting the Palm back on better but still tenuous financial footing, the Dees officially retired and now lease the Palm Theatre to the SLO International Film Festival (SLOIFF), which has continued innovative programing and now operates the theater as a nonprofit.

“Jim came to us in 2019, even before the pandemic, just trying to figure out what the next phase of the theater would be, and also for him to retire and what that would look like,” SLOIFF Executive Director Skye McLennan explained. “Then the pandemic happened.”

Dee decided to ride it out a little longer, but it was challenging to rebuild the business, so then about a year ago, plans started to come together to transfer operation of the theater to the film festival.

“My dad [Stewart Finlay-McLennan] was actually in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, and we screened the film, and I asked him to do a Q-and-A,” McLennan noted. “We had a full theater, and people were laughing and screaming and just interacting with the film. He did the Q-and-A, and after, people came out of theater—people who hadn’t been to a theater in years—and came up to me and were, like, ‘That was so cool. I haven’t had that kind of experience with other people in a movie theater in so long!’

“I think it just takes one time to remind people what that’s like.”

That’s the thing about movie theaters. It’s not like streaming a movie at home on your TV with a million little distractions surrounding you. Going to a movie theater is a shared experience. You get your ticket and commit, buy some popcorn, settle into your seat, and the lights go down. You’re in a room full of strangers, but you’re all about to take a ride together.

“The theater is one of those places where you’re fully immersed in the experience, and you experience the film in such a different way. It transports you, right?” McLennan said. “We just need to remind people of that.”

Creating a draw

Theaters have tried everything from installing electric recliners to offering beer and wine and serving upscale concessions to create an experience you can’t have at

GLEN STARKEY | PHOTOS BY JAYSON MELLOM

home, even with your 80-inch flat screen and surround sound system. What many theaters are discovering and capitalizing on is exactly what Dee and the SLO Film Fest are doing: drawing on nostalgia and banking on audiences coming out to revisit and share the films they love. We’ve probably all seen Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on TV, but it’s not like seeing it on the big screen with an audience.

Sanborn also learned years ago that expanding audiences is key. Yes, Downtown Centre 7 and Atascadero Colony Cinemas mostly screen first-run films, but Downtown Centre also has the SLO Rewind and Screening Room Classics series, and Colony has Flashback Cinema—series that bring in older, audience-pleasing titles. Did you love The Goonies as a kid and now want to share that experience with your own children? That’s who these special screenings are meant to attract.

Downtown Centre 7 is showing the 2004 teen comedy Mean Girls at the beginning of October. In the run-up to Halloween, the Bay Theatre of Morro Bay is screening Coraline (2009), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1957), and Psycho (1960).

Cameron Wilson, whose family bought the 315-seat Bay Theatre earlier this year, is definitely the new kid on the block. His theater was constructed in the early 1940s as a single-screen motion picture theater, and since 1975, it had been operated by the Jannopoulos family until the Wilsons took over.

“Definitely a big risk and learning experience,” Wilson admitted. “I went to film school at UCSD, and I have such a love of classics and more independent stuff, so I knew I wanted to expand the programing when the timing seemed right. I didn’t want to just step in on the scene and say, ‘Hey, we’re doing movies I like and old movies, so everybody buckle up.’ I didn’t want to impose a lot of new programming because I wanted to get a feel for how the locals patronized the theater and what they’re looking for.”

The Bay Theatre mostly relies on the traditional firstrun movie model, but Wilson will sometimes wait until a film has been out a couple of weeks and is less expensive before bringing it to the Bay. This week, however, he’s screening Joker: Folie à Deux on its opening day, Oct. 4, an expensive gamble.

“As new owners, we are paying advances on everything we play because the film companies don’t know us,” he explained.

“You know, the Jannopoulos family had a legacy of all these [connections] and relationships, but we’re definitely having to prove we can turn the numbers around.”

The Monday night Salty Cinema Series is their way of expanding beyond first-run films while still meeting the demands of film distributors.

“That’s why I like Mondays,” Wilson noted, “because The Wizard of Oz, tried and true. Casablanca, tried and true. For Oz, I think we had almost 150 people.”

Most of those profits remained with the theater.

The cost of doing business

“We actually have to pay out a bigger percentage the better a film does globally,” Wilson continued. “So, if a film is not really ticking the pulse on a global scale, it’s going to stay cheap. However, if it’s a box office smash, the percentage we pay out increases, and not just for our theater but across the board.”

What makes it tough is this increased percentage has nothing to do with the Bay Theatre’s numbers. If they have a global smash hit that nonetheless is tanking in Morro Bay, they still have to pay the higher rate.

In essence, the film distributers are rewarding themselves for an effective publicity campaign and global success.

“That’s a weird, flexible part of the business,” Wilson admitted.

Playing a first-run film comes with other requirements, too.

“Two weeks is the minimum run on a brand-new title on the day that it releases,” he noted. Often, distributors require as many as three weeks.

“Screening old films is much less expensive,” Dee agreed.

“Anything new you’re going to be paying something like 50 percent [of the gross box office receipts], and a lot of time things tank, and you’re still going to pay this high percentage.”

If a theater operator guaranteed a twoweek run and no one’s coming, they’re still required to play it for all the showtimes, three or four times a day, for the full two weeks.

The business in general used to be less

cutthroat too. It used to be that if the Palm Theatre had a film, Downtown Centre 7, which is only a few blocks away, couldn’t touch it, and vice versa. The closest the same film would play was Atascadero or Arroyo Grande, but that business agreement is now long gone.

Dee had the Brendan Fraser film The Whale, which was getting Oscar buzz, so the distributor decided to also book it in the Downtown Centre.

“I tell them, ‘This theater is two blocks away from me.’ They don’t care. They do not care. I had The Holdovers booked, we had terms, and I asked, ‘Is this going to play the Downtown Centre?’ They said, ‘Yeah,’ so I canceled.”

Now McLennan is navigating these sharkinfested waters.

“We’d love to still do first-run films, but it’s been hard figuring out how to do it,” she admitted. “The distributors really haven’t been playing nice. In the past, they would really have huge marketing budgets and put a lot into promoting these films and getting awareness out about the films. That has all kind of ceased to exist.

“There are still a lot of indie films out there that we want to showcase, and there’s nowhere else that’s showing them. I think we’re just going to have to be a little more selective.”

Where the profits come from

Not long ago on the Nextdoor app, a thread was discussing what a gem the Sunset Drive-In was. The post lamented that tickets were a little expensive, but you could bring your own food in, which made the experience cheaper. The idea lost on those discussing the Sunset Drive-In is that it and all theaters make their money on concessions.

Independent venues the Fair Oaks Theatre in Arroyo Grande and the Sunset Drive-In in San Luis Obispo have long been owned by the Rodkey family.

“My parents purchased the Fair Oaks in 1966 and has been in the family ever since,” proprietor Larry Rodkey explained via email. “I’ve had the Sunset since 1984, where we made a deal with the owner to lease it. I also have the Skyline Drive-In in Barstow, which I purchased in 1995.”

Unlike most theaters, drive-ins were better designed to weather the pandemic.

“It was the only way people were able to watch movies during COVID since

everything was shut down,” Rodkey noted. “It was the drive-in theater industry’s best year in decades.”

One way Rodkey created a new revenue stream is his popular weekly Sunday swap meet at the Sunset Drive-In, which he said “helps keep us alive. Without the swap meet, it would be difficult to stay open.”

In case you’ve heard rumors the drive-in is closing, not true, said Rodkey. “The only thing we have had to do is raise the prices to compensate for the rise in labor cost.”

“Where you make your money in the theater industry is at concessions,” McLennan agreed, “because that’s yours to keep. You don’t share that with the distributor.”

“Yep, we keep the popcorn money, but yeah, it’s cutthroat,” Wilson also noted. “But we’re here for [the struggle to succeed]. We grew up loving big movie houses, and even if you’re the only person in the theater, it’s still kind of magical. The Bay Theatre used to have a policy that if there were fewer than five people, someone would come in and say, ‘Sorry, folks, here’s a refund.’ But I’ve done away with that policy. I want to stay open for those who do show up. That experience, it’s special, so we’re definitely in it for the love.”

Go to the movies, buy the popcorn!

“We’re still struggling, and we need all the support that we can get,” McLennan said. “I think there’s this misunderstanding. People assume these places—and not just the Palm but all theaters—are going to be around forever. We’re definitely trying to help, but it’s still a critical time for all theaters. Even if you don’t have a lot of money to support independent theaters, just coming to a film or spreading awareness about it is critically important.”

Wilson, too, hopes people start returning to theaters in earnest: “I’ve got a big heart for movies, so I get excited about every title I see on the horizon.”

And you can no doubt expect theaters to continue trying new ways to bring in patrons. “Doing these older films that cost a little bit less is working, and people are coming to see them, which is much to my surprise,” Dee admitted. “I mean, I said this was not going to work, and I was wrong.” ∆

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

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK Bay Theatre proprietor Cameron Wilson started a Monday night series, Salty Cinema, to bring in patrons eager for classics and nostalgia.

THE VETERAN Palm Theatre owner Jim Dee has been screening movies since 1973 and now leases his theater to the SLO International Film Festival, which operates it as a nonprofit.

Smog Check

COMPLETE TESTING & REPAIR

A day’s work

Rebrand an entire organization—but do it in 24 hours.

Verdin Marketing asked community members to vote on their favorite organizations to receive this year’s 24-Hour Give, which offers one local nonprofit a total revamp of its logo, website, and even its name.

Mary Verdin, president of Verdin Marketing, said the project pulls together a team of approximately 21 media, business, and creative local partners that combine their talents to make the daylong project a reality. But before that magic happens, the recipient must first be selected through nomination and votes.

According to Verdin, the process starts with public nominations of local nonprofits. The 24-Hour Give staff reviews these and decides on two finalists. The winner is up to voters over a 10-day period.

“[The voting] is really about getting the nonprofit to kind of rally their supporters and get the word out and what they’re trying to do,” Verdin said. “Raising awareness about who they are, what they’re doing, and getting people to vote at the end of the voting period.”

While nominations have ended for this year’s round, Verdin Marketing will announce this year’s two finalists and open voting on Oct. 11. Residents can vote through Oct. 21, and voters can cast a vote once per day, totaling 10 votes. The actual 24-hour project will start at 7 a.m. on Nov. 7 and end at the same time on Nov. 8.

Verdin Marketing is a SLO marketing firm that specializes in business improvement districts, and its mission is to support tourism, economic growth, and a strong sense of community. Its 24Hour Give project has been a way to make a difference in the community since 2014, and, according to Verdin, it’s donated more than $1 million in services through its work and partner contributions to date.

Verdin said she’s excited about this year’s 24-hour project because it hasn’t happened since 2020, when the pandemic shut down the group’s ability to work collaboratively in the same room for an entire day.

what they’re trying to accomplish, what their biggest pain points are.”

From there, the 24-hour team creates a new logo, revamps the nonprofit’s website, takes fresh photos, and even brainstorms new names.

Literacy for Life was the recipient of the 24-Hour Give in 2016 and is still reaping the benefits.

The organization was founded in 1982 to help address illiteracy among immigrants and provide local literacy tutoring, and Chief Executive Officer Bernadette Bernardi said the 24-hour project gave the organization the energy it needed, including a new name and website.

Once called the Literacy Council, Bernardi said its change to Literacy for Life modernized its image and added more meaning behind the organization’s mission.

“[Literary Council] sounded a little dated, and it sounded like a bunch of people sitting around making decisions,” she said. “What [24-Hour Give] did for us is it revived us, rejuvenated us, gave us a lift—a splash, if you will—and got us going. You just kind of get in the old routine and you don’t think about new things. And so this was a really great vehicle to get reenergized in many ways.”

Bernardi said Literacy for Life is still using the same website that 24-Hour Give created for them in 2016, too.

“My team was really excited to do it again. A lot of my team wasn’t here in 2019, so they’ve never done it and were very curious to do it,” she said. “So, we thought earlier this year, maybe let’s go back and do the 24-hour version of that again.”

Since 2020, the group has assisted with various local campaigns, including one for Transitions-Mental Health Association, but not in 24-hour periods.

The values of the selected organization are important to the 24-hour team, Verdin said. Before the actual transformation starts, they meet with nonprofit staff beforehand to ensure the enhancements reflect the mission.

“So, any [staff that] want to come and be part of what we call an immersion session, we go through a discovery session,” she said. “We just get as much information as we can about who they are, why they’re important,

“I think it’s still hip and it’s still vibrant today, and that’s already been several years,” she said. “Just a fresh coat of paint on an old house.” For more information about the 24-Hour Give and to vote for this year’s recipient starting Oct. 11, visit 24hourgive.verdinmarketing.com.

Fast fact

• The Woods Humane Society is hosting its largest pet celebration of the year, the Wiggle Waggle Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 12 to 3 p.m. at Woods Humane Society SLO, located at 875 Oklahoma Ave. The free, fall-themed festival will offer kids and pets costume competitions, training challenges, and local vendors and food. New this year, the Humane Society and SLO County Animal Services will also offer half-off dog and cat adoption at the event. For more information, visit woodshumane.org/fallfestival. ∆

Reach Staff Writer Libbey Hanson at lhanson@newtimesslo.com.

’ROUND THE CLOCK Local creative partners brainstorm new logos and website designs for a past recipient of the 24-Hour Give project.

PHOTO COURTESY OF 24-HOUR GIVE

BY CHARLES VARNI

Why is Varni good for Oceano?

Ijoined the Oceano Community Services District’s (OCSD) board of directors in 2022 because I am committed to enhancing the community’s quality of life. I put personal commitment, time, and energy into community service. These are core reasons why champions for Oceano like SLO County 4th District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding, OCSD Director Allene Villa, and OCSD Director Beverly Joyce-Suneson have endorsed me for 5th District OCSD director. They know that I walk my talk, and my commitment is to the community as a whole. I ran for OCSD director because I thought my five years of experience in regional water management as a director on the Santa Maria Valley Water Conservation District board could possibly be of benefit to Oceano. I was also eager to activate the district’s parks and recreation authority (Oceano Parks and Recreation Committee, OPARC) in order to write grants for new programs and projects that benefit our citizens’ quality of life. Grant monies are out there, but OCSD was not qualified to apply for them. Under

BY DAVID BROADWATER

Community-focused Inhumane attacks

Israel’s pager bombs were a ‘form of terrorism’

The glee that Mr. Donegan indulges in about the remote detonations of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon requires a certain amount of ignorance or negligence, if not arrogance and sadism (“In fight against terrorists, pagers are more targeted than bombs and bullets,” Sept, 26). It’s not funny.

Leon Panetta, former head of the CIA and Pentagon, on Sept. 22, told CBS regarding the pager attack, “I don’t think there’s any question that it’s a form of terrorism.”

Additionally, Article 7(2) of the Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons prohibits the use of booby traps. That treaty, to which Israel is a signatory, prohibits the use of booby-traps or other devices in the form of apparently harmless portable objects that are specifically designed and constructed to contain explosive material.

Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said, that “the fear and terror unleashed” was “profound” and that “simultaneous targeting of thousands of individuals, whether civilians or members of armed groups, without knowledge as to who was in possession of the targeted devices, their location, and their surroundings at the time of the attack, violates international human rights law and, to the extent applicable, international humanitarian law.”

In addition to the few Hezbollah operatives killed, at least 3,000 innocent civilians, including women, children, health workers, storekeepers, diplomats, and politicians were killed or injured, causing blindness, loss of limbs, and organ damage in the attacks on supermarkets, cars, and apartments, and hospitals were overwhelmed. The

the authority of the Parks and Recreation Committee, we can tap into resources otherwise unavailable.

For example, in 2023 I wrote a $16,000 grant to fund educational enrichment field trips to state parks for Oceano school students. As a result, in 2024, hundreds of students, parent chaperones, and teachers visited places like Oso Flaco Lake, Oceano Lagoon, Central Coast Aquarium in Avila Beach, Morro Bay Natural History Museum, La Purisima Mission, and other parks. This grant has been so successful that we were encouraged to reapply to fund expanded trips in 2025.

Another example is when OPARC proposed that OCSD move forward with a collaborative project to help fundraise for a new community track and soccer field at Oceano School. I wrote a project grant for design, engineering, and permitting that was awarded $25,000 from county Preventative Health Grant Program funds. I am also helping to lead additional community fundraising efforts for this legacy project, in partnership with Lucia Mar Unified School District and Habitat for Humanity. These new recreational facilities will serve our community’s physical, mental, and social health for decades to come. Without OPARC’s

authority, neither of these successful grants could have been written by OCSD.

For five years I have been organizing and advocating for more sidewalks, complete streets, and safe routes to schools. In creating these collaborative efforts, I worked with many local government agencies, including Oceano School PTA and their Safe Routes to School Committee. In 2024 the county dedicated almost $1 million for new sidewalks and intersection improvements around Oceano School. The SLO Council of Governments has written a $5 million grant application to begin building a network of complete streets, flood control, and bike corridors in Oceano. This effort is based on the new 2024 Oceano Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, which I helped create.

Grants and low-interest loans are very important to Oceano as we repair and improve our aging water and sewer pipes. I worked hard gaining support and advocating for federal money to repair our water system.

In 2024 Congressman Salud Carbajal helped get OCSD a $1 million grant for this work.

As president of OCSD’s board, I gained more insight into the problem of Oceano not being able to afford the escalating costs of emergency medical and fire services. Five Cities Fire Authority (FCFA) formed in 2010 with the promise of lowering costs, but it ultimately failed in this regard as expenses

escalated. The decision to divest from FCFA was a difficult but necessary one. In months of negotiations, I helped to forge a fair and just agreement. All parties concurred on the future goal of quickly reopening the Oceano fire station with full-time staffing, which will reduce response times for service.

Protecting the community from flooding, especially in the mobile home parks next to the creek levee along Highway 1, is a high priority. OCSD has been an advocate for this work and county Public Works is very busy with levee improvements, which will also help protect the sewage treatment plant. In the town of Oceano, more sidewalks, gutters, and water recharge basins will reduce flooding of homes and streets.

I think that most Oceano residents would agree this advocacy is good for our community. As a board member and an active citizen, it is the kind of community service I thoroughly enjoy doing. This election will have a significant impact on the future of OCSD and the community. When the mail-in ballots arrive soon in your mailbox, there is one clear choice in the 5th District that is truly good for Oceano. Thank you for your vote! ∆

Charles Varni is running to keep his OCSD seat in Oceano. Send your opinion for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com.

explosions caused widespread panic among the Lebanese public, the precise objective of terrorist attacks and the definition of a war crime. This has opened a new phase of warfare and terrorism in which the weapons include computers, smartphones, cars, and all electronic devices.

This is no accident, no “surgical strike,” and the civilians are not “collateral damage.” The Dahiya Doctrine is fundamental to Israel’s war-making strategy, named after the suburb of Beirut it destroyed in its disastrous and unsuccessful war against Hezbollah in 2006.

The goal is to inflict collective and long-lasting punishment to cripple the economy and the ability to recover and rebuild, while humiliating and terrorizing the whole population, regardless of the civilian consequences.

Tactically, the Dahiya Doctrine calls for disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks on government and civilian infrastructure, schools, and religious institutions. The doctrine defines them as military bases and civilians as enemies. It’s been enacted in Gaza for a year, and now in Lebanon. While some extolled the remote explosions as technically sophisticated and ingenious, they were definitely not “precisely targeted,” nor were they intended to be.

Donegan’s claims that the bombs, “exclusively targeted enemy combatants and minimized the threat to noncombatants,” that only a “small number of civilians [were] reportedly hurt,” that the “vast majority of casualties were Hezbollah personnel,” that they were deployed “under all recognized international conventions,” and that these attacks were “moral” and “ethical” are all false.

Donegan asserts those who support and advocate for adherence to the laws of war, international treaties, and humanitarian laws are “supposed [fake] ‘humanitarians’” who are motivated by “tribalism.” Slanderously,

he smears them as, “just upset that ‘their side’ suffered a big setback,” as if anyone who opposes war crimes sides with terrorists. He accuses those who object to these attacks based on principles and laws as being identical to Hamas because, “they view the civilian population of Gaza just as Hamas does—as expendable public relations tools to be exploited in conducting the war.” Such reprehensible and repulsive personal attacks, all too common in the current atmosphere, have no place in

rational dialogue and deserve to be condemned. Perhaps, Mr. Donegan would benefit from paying less attention to the Three Stooges and the Roadrunner’s Wiley Coyote, and more to the global consequences of this new method of killing and accurate news about the escalating regional war in the Middle East. ∆

Speak up!

Send us your views and opinion to letters@newtimesslo.com.

David Broadwater writes to New Times from Atascadero. Send an opinion of your own for publication to letters@ newtimesslo.com.

The MAGA Circus

The November election is now center stage, and there’s no shortage of far-right candidates and pundits shouting “Make America Great Again” and whizzing around like clown cars in a circus. And of course, Donald Trump is the MAGA Circus ringmaster.

Seriously, folks—why does anyone listen to the MAGA refrain, which is little more than a rehash of the failed 2020 campaign, trying to reelect an aging former president who’s showing increasing signs of senility and dementia?

I’m not amused. Let’s get serious for a change. It’s hard, but it is imperative that we do so. Kamala Harris, in her speech accepting the Democratic nomination for president in Chicago, put it clearly: “In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.”

By now, we all know the deeply flawed character of the convicted felon at the top of the GOP ticket. Trump regularly spouts the most egregious nonsense, using rhetoric that demeans and diminishes our national civic culture. He thrives on chaos and conflict. He completely ignores the constitutional limits that have assured a stable democracy for almost 250 years. For evidence, look no further than his role in fomenting the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021.

With his running mate, J.D. Vance, they have alienated women by their strident denial of a fundamental right to reproductive health care. Vance is a voice from the 19th century—or even earlier, Medieval times:

He paints a nightmarish vision of a malecentered family, rejecting the notion that non-traditional families contribute anything of value to society. Vance even advocates limiting the voting rights of those who do not, for whatever reason, have children.

We don’t have to go far down-ballot to find pernicious MAGA performers like Mark Robinson, the self-admitted “Black Nazi” who now serves as North Carolina’s lieutenant governor. With tacit support from Trump and Vance, Robinson might still win the governor’s post—even after revelations from CNN of his alleged obscene comments on a pornography website that include support for slavery (“I would certainly buy a few”) and anti-Semitic, homophobic, racist, and misogynistic views.

One wonders how the GOP produces representatives like Q-Anon conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Georgia). Even MAGA House Speaker Mike Johnson can’t stand her.

But don’t assume that our local MAGA GOP is missing from the clown-car show.

Michelle Marie Morrow made a quixotic run as a write-in candidate for 3rd District supervisor against incumbent Dawn OrtizLegg in the March 5 primary. Nobody had filed on time to oppose Ortiz-Legg, so Morrow put herself out there. That’s her right, of course, except that she lied in her declaration of candidacy, stating that she lived in the district (she didn’t). Making matters worse, she apparently voted using that fraudulent address.

Now, the SLO County District Attorney has filed charges of felony voter fraud and perjury against Morrow, also accusing her of threatening witnesses, suborning perjury, and illegally interfering with the judicial process. She could face a $1,000 fine and several years in prison, and she ended up with only 6.6 percent of the vote!

Then there’s the ongoing psychodrama presented by Arroyo Grande resident Gaea Powell. In April, Powell tried to stop the AG City Council from flying the Pride flag during June, spouting anti-gay and anti-trans rhetoric typical of far-right culture-war clowns. Her determination to exceed the three minute time limit prompted the City Council to throttle it down to one minute.

In July, Powell forced the SLO County Board of Supervisors and everyone else in their chambers to sit through a similar diatribe opposing Pride Month—but she added some “color” to her homophobic remarks by showing images of full-frontal nudity and graphic sex. Some complained that her presentation was pornographic. Supervisors have since prohibited the public from using any county equipment except a microphone during public comment.

And now Powell is running for mayor against incumbent Caren Ray Russom.

Finally, there’s Darcia Stebbens, a mainstay of the gerrymandering fiasco in 2021 that led the former GOP-dominated Board of Supervisors to adopt a flawed redistricting map to extend their control over the board through this decade. That effort faced a bipartisan campaign and a successful lawsuit by a SLO County citizens group to overturn the map for violating the State Voting Rights Act. Stebbens and her ilk were stung badly in 2022 by Supervisor “Landslide

Bruce” Gibson’s reelection, winning by 13 votes in the re-drawn 2nd District under their map! Stebbens continues to whine about Dominion voting machines, claiming—with neither evidence nor any sense of irony— “rampant voter fraud.”

Darcia, meet your friend Michelle Morrow, a real-life practitioner of voter fraud, now facing trial for her false declaration of candidacy and voter registration.

It’s hard to listen to these yahoos that continue to rise up from the MAGA/GOP swamp to spill their toxic tears in the halls of our local government. I applaud all those who have to put up with it—those well-meaning supervisors, council members, planning commissioners, and special district board members, and the candidates who want to fill those seats.

John Ashbaugh is only asking to send the clowns to the circus instead of City Hall. Send your comments by writing to editor@ newtimesslo.com

Little lies and liaisons

At least one school board candidate in North County seems pretty convinced about one thing: Porn has no place in school libraries.

“I believe some of the literature that is being approved has gotten a little outside what is appropriate,” Joey Arnold said during a recent Atascadero Unified School District board candidate forum. “I am absolutely in favor of not allowing something in our school districts that goes too far one way, as far as you know, maybe pornographic.”

Curiously, though, he didn’t know that teacher retention has been a challenge for the district, and he didn’t take a stance on the $110 million bond the district is asking voters to approve this year.

“I’d have to look into this deeper,” he said of the teachers. “It’s one of those things that maybe comes down to competitive salaries.”

Maybe? But you’re sure there’s porn in the high school library? Can we talk about specific books, for instance? I love specifics! Arnold wants to ensure that “parents have a strong voice in shaping school policy,” his website states.

Did Moms for Liberty put you up to this?

Other candidates at the forum seemed to be firmly on the side of the school librarians, with candidate Veronica DeCoster saying she trusted librarians to choose ageappropriate books for the district’s students.

“Our district librarian has a master’s degree in library science, she has years of training and experience that make her

qualified,” she said.

Incumbent Matthew Pennon called the insinuation about porn on campus a “new lie.”

“That is not true, and we need to call out these lies when they are being told to us, plain and simple,” he said.

This little Shredder would love to hear about the books that are actually in our local school libraries. What are the book titles on a campus near you that ruffle your conservative feathers? My gears would love to know. I’m looking at you Arroyo Grande mayoral candidate Gaea Powell on your soapbox against the City Council for not doing more about porn in the local schools— even going so far as to call them “pedophiles” in a recent meeting!

It’s no wonder they cut public comment down. Sheesh.

Meanwhile in Grover Beach, after a boatload of drama, the City Council is moving public comment on items not on the agenda back to the beginning of meetings. Whew! That was a lot of soap opera for nothing. Seems to be the way the world turns in Grover Beach.

The City Council makes a decision, certain members of the public have a conniption fit, then the council reverses its decision. And isn’t that the way local government is supposed to work?

But Mayor Karen Bright is still having the

final say, kind of. She’s limiting those comments to 15 minutes (Atascadero gets 30 minutes).

“Public comment has always been very important to me,” she said. “It’s one of the reasons I got involved in local politics in the first place.”

It just took a few months to show it?

Meanwhile the anti-offshore wind people are making the public comment rounds at local government meetings, visiting the Port San Luis Harbor District earlier this summer and Pismo Beach at the beginning of October. Don’t worry, Karen, I’m sure they’ll be in Grover soon to make comments at the beginning of the meeting!

With two lawsuits filed against the companies that won the leasing rights for offshore wind off the coast of Morro Bay, local fishermen are hoping to stop things before they can start. The first one filed in February wasn’t good enough, I guess, so they filed another one for good measure in September!

“It’s not going to be good for our fisheries,” group spokesperson Sheri Hafer told New Times earlier this year.

Speak up!

The problem this time? The fishing liaison isn’t liaisoning with the fishermen. Get to liaisoning, Equinor!

You know who’s got the liaisoning down? State Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz). In another slap in the face to the previous iteration of the SLO County Board of Supervisors and sitting but soonto-be-gone 5th District Supervisor Debbie

Arnold, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law at the end of September that will create an independent redistricting commission in this county!

No more gerrymandered conservative maps here!

Well, not if the 11 person Citizens Redistricting Commission established by Laird’s Senate Bill 977 does things right.

“Fair impartial voting districts established independently are a crucial aspect of our democracy,” Laird said. “With Gov. Newsom’s signature … the voters of San Luis Obispo can have confidence in the integrity of their elections.”

Well, most of the voters, anyway. Don’t ask Darcia Stebbins what she thinks of integrity—or Richard Patten of Patten redistricting map fame. Their voices count but don’t count, if you know what I mean. I almost forgot that Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) was also in on the deal! Helping Laird get the bill through the Legislature and into fruition. I can’t wait until the next census! Counting people is exciting. While most normal people aren’t excited to count people but are looking forward to a new way of redistricting in the county, Arnold is definitely not. Not that it matters. If the county can’t take care of itself, the state will. ∆

The Shredder will always be your liaison. Send locations to shredder@newtimesslo.com.

Hot Dates

ARTS

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

ATUL PANDE, CAROL ROULLARD, AND CAROLE MCDONALD: ARTISTS

RECEPTION AND ATRIUM PARTY Come meet the artists, be inspired, and enjoy food, refreshments, a tree-filled atrium and all the businesses in Marina Square. Featuring Atul Pande, Carol Roullard, and Carole McDonald. Oct. 12 3-5 p.m. Free. 805-772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare. com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

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.

GETTING HIGH ON NATURE: FEATURING

KARL DEMPWOLF The Cambria Center for the Arts Gallery presents “Getting High on Nature,” featuring Karl Dempwolf. Opening night includes a reception with music by Tom Bethke, treats, and more. Tuesdays-Sundays, 12-4 p.m. through Oct. 27 805-927-8190. cambriaarts.org. Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St., Cambria.

MANHATTAN

SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

(MORRO BAY)

Film lovers will unite in more than 500 venues worldwide to view and judge the work of the next generation of filmmakers from around the world. The final selections screen simultaneously around the world during a one-week period. Oct. 5 1:30-4 p.m. Free. 805-7726394. slolibrary.org. Morro Bay Library, 625 Harbor St., Morro Bay.

THE OUTSIDER A timely and hilarious comedy that skewers politics and celebrates democracy. Oct. 11-27 my805tix.com/. By The Sea Productions, 545 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay.

ROD BAKER’S GLASS ART Visit Baker’s fascinating glass studio as part of the Open Studios Art Tour, at Central Coast Glass Blowing and Fusing. See new glass masterpieces, home-garden décor, and glass jewelry. Saturdays, Sundays, 10 a.m.5 p.m. through Oct. 20 Free admission. 805-551-6836. Central Coast Glass Blowing and Fusing, 1279 2nd Street, Los Osos, RodBakerGlass.com.

ROSEY AND BARBARA ROSENTHAL’S BAYSIDE STUDIO AND GARDEN GALLERY Printmakers Rosey and Barbara Rosenthal invite you to their bayside studio and outdoor gallery as part of the Open Studios Art Tour. Explore their inspiring comic book art, original paintings, prints, jewelry, art books, and cards. Oct. 12 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Oct. 13 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free admission. 805-5284946. rosenthalart.com. Rosenthal Art Studio, 743 Santa Lucia Ave., Los Osos. NORTH SLO COUNTY

2024 RESTORING THE ARTS TO ATASCADERO CAMPAIGN This fundraising campaign, which kicks off with the Brick by Brick Wine Festival on Nov. 9 at the Atascadero Printery, is seeking sponsors. Followed by a Gala event on Nov. 10 at Allegretto Vineyard Resort. Through Nov. 10 atascaderoprintery.org. Allegretto Vineyard Resort, 2700 Buena Vista Drive, Paso Robles.

20X20X20: THE PAINTINGS OF WB ECKERT

Explore the transformation of unplanned sketches into full-scale paintings. This exhibition showcases works that began as casual, absentminded doodles on an iPad.

These initial lines, shapes, and colors, born from an “absentminded” mental state, have been transformed into full-size paintings. Through Oct. 27 Free. 805-238-9800. studiosonthepark.org/events/20x20x20by-way-of-some-absentminded-doodles/. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.

CHAKRA BALANCING AND FUSED GLASS MOBILE WORKSHOP With Annette Jones, a local intuitive reader and healer. Each participant will receive a brief chakra clearing and set of custom blended oils, and create a fused glass mobile based on their individual chakra reading. All materials included. Oct. 9, 4-6 p.m. $225. 805-464-2633. glassheadstudio.com. Glasshead Studio, 8793 Plata Lane, Suite H, Atascadero.

COMEDY NIGHT Misfit Live Comedy Returns to the Paso Roles Elks Lodge with “The World’s Funniest Cop,” Michael Mancini. Oct. 5 6 p.m. my805tix.com/. Paso Robles Elks Lodge, 1420 Park St., Paso Robles, 805-239-1410.

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. 805-2389800. studiosonthepark.org. Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine St., Paso Robles.

MONTHLY BIRTHDAY PLATE PAINTING AT ARTSOCIAL 805 Please join ArtSocial805 on the first Saturday of each month to paint a personalized “Birthday Plate,” for someone special or for yourself. The workshop is $35, which covers the plate, glaze, and firing. First Saturday of every month, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $35. 805-400-9107. artsocial805.com. ArtSocial 805 Creative Campus, 631 Spring St., Paso Robles.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

”WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?” ART SHOW Just in time for possibly the most crucial Presidential election of our lifetime, the Bunker will present a group art exhibit, “What Could Possibly Go Wrong?” curated by political artist Robbie Conal. Oct. 4 , 5-8 p.m. 805-203-6301. thebunkerslo.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

A-TOWN ART HOP: DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (CALL TO ARTISTS) Interested in participating in the next A-Town Art Hop? Register online. The art walk will be held on Nov. 1. Through Oct. 13 Free. 831291-8329. atownarthop.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

THE ARTIST’S WAY: UNBLOCKING CREATIVITY 12 week program (13 meetings) for creatives and anyone who is seeking to “unblock” their creativity, following Julia Cameron’s famous workbook “The Artist’s Way.” Weekly group discussions and check-ins. Opportunities to share creativity and create community. Email for more info. Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. through Nov. 26 $195. cuesta.edu. Cuesta College Community Programs, Building 4100 Cuesta College Road, San luis obispo, 805-540-8282.

CENTRAL COAST WRITERS’ CONFERENCE The premier event for creatives of all types. This is your time to connect with your other creatives, learn new skills, and get inspired to take your craft to the next level. Oct. 5 8:30 a.m.5:30 p.m. $299. 805-546-3132. cuesta.edu/ communityprograms/writers-conference/ index.html. Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

CHARM BOTTLE MAGIC Learn how to make a charm bottle to focus your intentions or manifest your desires. Identify ingredients that work for you,

BREAKING NEWS

Five Cities Free Repair Café volunteers will be fixing broken items for the public at the historic Octagon Barn’s Milking Parlor in San Luis Obispo on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The group repairs small appliances, clothing, outdoor gear, laptops, phones, bikes, and more. For more info on the local nonprofit, visit repaircafe5cities.org.

—Caleb Wiseblood

and create a charm bottle that can be made into earrings, a necklace, or decor item. Oct. 4 6-7 p.m. $30. 805-439-1022. slolifestudio.com/collections/classesand-worksops/products/charm-bottlemagic. SLOLife Studio & Mercantile, 1337 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

COLLAGING THE COAST: LIGHTHOUSE WITH LINDA CUNNINGHAM In this workshop, you’ll receive step-by-step instructions for creating a beautiful lighthouse collage using a variety of handpainted papers. Oct. 5, 12-4 p.m. $40. 805478-2158. artcentralslo.com. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

COLLEEN GNOS’ OCEAN SCENES AND MORE Colleen Gnos invites you to go behind the scenes in her SLO studio as part of the Open Studios Art Tour. Explore her various works, including painted surfboards, hula dancers, tiki art, landscapes, ocean scenes, mermaids, murals, and more. Saturdays, Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Oct. 20 Free admission. 805-441-8277. colleengnos. com. Gnos Art Studio, 141 Suburban Road, Unit C4, San Luis Obsipo.

CUESTA DRAMA PRESENTS A MIDSEMESTER NIGHT’S MASHUP (A WORLD PREMIERE) An exciting, limited run of A Midsemester Night’s Mashup a world premiere written and directed by Ben Abbott, produced by award-winning and internationally recognized Cuesta Drama. Limited seats available. Oct. 3

7:30 p.m., Oct. 4 7:30 p.m., Oct. 5 7:30 p.m., Oct. 6 2 p.m., Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 11 7:30 p.m., Oct. 12 , 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 13 2 p.m. $15. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

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

GINI GRIFFIN: SOLO SHOW OF POTS AND PAINTINGS Showing during the month of October at SLO Provisions. Opening reception: Oct 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. Email ginizart@aol.com for more info. Oct. 4-31 SLO Provisions, 1255 Monterey St.,

San Luis Obispo, (805) 439-4298. GRAND OPENING WEEKEND: SLOLIFE STUDIO & MERCANTILE Welcome to SLO’s newest creative spot. Creative hands-on classes available for all skill levels taught by local artists and makers, plus DIY kits and craft supplies. With free pumpkin painting for kids on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to noon, while supplies last. Oct. 4, 3-8 p.m., Oct. 5 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Oct. 6, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. 805-439-1022. slolifestudio.com/. SLOLife Studio & Mercantile, 1337 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

ILLUSTRATING WITH WATERCOLOR MARKERS AND INK PENS WITH JASON KNOX In this interactive workshop, Knox will demonstrate simple techniques such as color blending, pointillism, etching, shading, light perspective, character development, concept, and design. Be a part of this rare learning opportunity and discover what great potential your creative mind can reveal. Oct. 12 , 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $25. 840-206-8223. artcentralslo. com. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

IMPROV SHOWS Hosted by Central Coast Comedy Theater. Second Friday of every month my805tix.com/. SLO Public Market, 120 Tank Farm Road, San Luis Obispo. LEARN MODERN SQUARE DANCING Sign up now for this new square dance class. Singles and couples welcome. Two hours of square dancing equals about three miles of walking. Learn a new skill now while having fun and meeting new friends. Thursdays, 7-9 p.m. through Nov. 21 $75 (one time fee per person for all 12 classes). 805-781-7300. squaredancecentralcoast. com/classes. San Luis Obispo Grange Hall, 2880 Broad St., San Luis Obispo. MAKE A PAMPHLET STITCH JOURNAL Learn the most basic sewn bookbinding technique: the pamphlet stitch. Make your own journals, field notes, sketchbooks, and more out of different papers. Personalize your writing experience and make a journal that’s right for you. Oct. 6 1-2 p.m. $30. 805-439-1022. slolifestudio. com/collections/classes-and-worksops/ products/pamphlet-stitch-journals. SLOLife Studio & Mercantile, 1337 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

Avila Beach Children’s Business Fair

Tribute to John Prine at Humdinger in SLO

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 Humdinger Brewing, SLO

The Killer Dueling Pianos

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 Libertine Brewing Company, SLO

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17

y Mimosas Drag Brunch

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

Mi Manera Mexican Cuisine, Santa Maria

Ball: Dancing, Silent Auction, Dinner, & Art Showcase

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

to Nirvana & Pearl Jam

The Faithfull & Nearvana SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 The Stockyard, Orcutt

The Surface Walkers: A Science Fiction Rock Musical

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 Flower City Ballroom, Lompoc

Full Moon & Day of the Dead Ceremony

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 9th Limb Yoga, Morro Bay

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18

SAMO Fund Presents: Katelyn Tarver

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 Peter Strauss Ranch, Agoura Hills

The Relative Minimum, Death of the Party, Bandwidth, & Throw Away

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 Linnaea’s Cafe, SLO

DI, Cigar, Mad Tab, Bunker 805

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17

A Pre Halloween Ball w/Elysian Moon & Jungle Haus

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

MISERY This Stephen King adaptation follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home. Thursdays-Saturdays, 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays, 2-4 p.m. through Oct. 27 $20-$34. SLO Rep, 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo, 805-786-2440, slorep.org/. MOMIX: ALICE Seamlessly blending illusion, acrobatics, magic, and whimsy, MOMIX sends audiences flying down the rabbit hole in Moses Pendleton’s newest creation, ALICE, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic, presented by Cal Poly Arts. Oct. 9 7:30 p.m. $47-$79. 805-756-4849. calpolyarts.org/20242025-season/momixalice. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

THE OUTSIDERS FROM THE OTHER SIDE

Featuring “outsider” artists from Tijuana, Mexico. Offering a glimpse into Tijuana’s rich artistic landscape and focusing on the cross-border experiences that shape the artists’ life and work. Discover unique perspectives on identity, culture, and belonging. Sculpture, painting, collage, photography, stencil murals, and graffiti are among the featured media. MondaysFridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through Oct. 11 Free. 805-546-3202. cuesta.edu/student/ campuslife/artgallery/2024-2025-exhibits/ the-outsiders.html. Harold J. Miossi Gallery, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY OPEN

STUDIOS ART TOUR Free to the public, fine artists and crafters open their studios to showcase their art and share their processes. Visitors create their own selfguided tours using the catalog. See website for full list of participating artists and locations. Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 slocountyarts. org/osat. SLO County, Various locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.

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

WHOSE WATERS? This Gray Wing exhibition will build upon the photojournalistic work of Southern California artist Gabriella Angotti-Jones whose I Just Wanna Surf book highlights Black female and non-binary surfers and other unseen or outright ignored communities that ride the waves off the Golden State. Through Oct. 20, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 805-543-8562. sloma.org/exhibition/ surf-show/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

DANCE FITNESS ART AND CULTURE FOR ADULTS Discover dance as a form of artistic expression and exercise, using a wide range of styles and genres of music (including modern, jazz, Broadway, ethnic). Tuesdays, 4-5 p.m. $10 drop-in; $30 for four classes. 510-362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach.

FASHIONS FOR A PURPOSE Upon arrival, you will be seated along the runway, with a complimentary glass of Opolo Sparkling Wine, during this fundraiser that showcases high-end fashions and swagger. Oct. 5 9:30 a.m. my805tix. com/. DANA Adobe Cultural Center, 671 S. Oakglen Ave., Nipomo, 805-929-5679.

FINAL BOOK SALE OF 2024 The sale offers a wide selection of current fiction, non-fiction, research, children’s books, and a selection of coffee table books. Cash only. Rain cancels. Oct. 12 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 805-481-4131. GroverBeachLibrary.org. Grover Beach Community Library, 240 N 9th St., Grover Beach.

GARY GULMAN: MISFIT STAND UP

TOUR Boston native Gary Gulman’s diverse background includes being a college football scholarship athlete, an accountant, and a high school teacher. Today, Gulman is a leading touring comic, selling out venues like Carnegie Hall in New York City. His Misfit: Stand Up Tour showcases new material. Oct. 3 , 7:3010:30 p.m. $45.50-$59.50. 805-489-9444. clarkcenter.org/shows/gary-gulman/.

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

SECOND SATURDAY IMPROV MEETUP Meets the second Saturday of every month in the Community Room at the Nipomo Library. Ever wanted to try improv? Are you an experienced player looking to stretch, or a curious newbie? Come play short form games and share smiles. Oct. 12 2-4 p.m. Free. 805-556-8495. improvforgood.fun/. Nipomo Library, 918 W. Tefft, Nipomo.

TRANSCENDING THE PHOTO REFERENCE IN PAINT WITH ALYSSA MONKS A four-day workshop designed to guide the student toward creating a painting from a photo reference, using both indirect and direct traditional oil painting techniques. Find out more and register at willowpondslo.com. Oct. 11 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Oct. 12 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Oct. 13 8 a.m.-5 p.m. $1447 includes lunch daily. 805-550-6399. willowpondslo.com/. Willow Pond SLO, 1250 Judith Lane, Arroyo Grande. WEREWOLF OF ARROYO GRANDE Enjoy the Melodrama’s Halloweenspirited show. Through Nov. 9 Great American Melodrama, 1863 Front St., Oceano.

SHOW AND SHELL

Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay will host its opening reception for the venue’s three featured October artists on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 3 to 5 p.m. Featured artworks by Carole McDonald, Carol Roullard, and Atul Pande will remain on display through Wednesday, Oct. 30. For more info, visit galleryatmarinasquare.com.

—C.W.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY A hilarious journey of friendship, laughter, and sweet tea sipping Oct. 11-27 my805tix. com/. Santa Maria Civic Theatre, 1660 N. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

ANNUAL CAMBRIA SCARECROW

FESTIVAL 200 scarecrows will line the streets of Cambria and San Simeon. The festival is full of photo opportunities and happy discoveries at every turn. Perfect for all ages. Through Oct. 31 Free. cambriascarecrows.com. Cambria (various venues), Citywide, Cambria.

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church is offering a special “Blessing of the Animals” celebrating the Feast of St. Francis, lover of all creation. Look for Rev. Linzi Stahlecker at the “Blessing of the Animals” banner on the lawn. Everyone is invited, regardless of religious affiliation. Oct. 6 , 2:30-4 p.m. 805-528-0654. stbenslososos. org. South Bay Community Center, 2180 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.

CENTRAL COAST UECHI-RYU KARATEDO Uechi-Ryu Karate-do is a traditional form of karate originating from Okinawa, Japan. Focus is on fitness, flexibility, and self-defense with emphasis on self -growth, humility, and respect. Open to ages 13 to adult. Beginners and experienced welcome. Instructor with 50 years experience. For info, call 805-215-8806. Tuesdays, Thursdays, 6-7:30 p.m. Morro Bay Community Center, 1001 Kennedy Way, Morro Bay, 772-6278, morro-bay.ca.us.

CHAKRA MEDITATION AND BREATHWORK FOR VITALITY Hosted by Aurora Adventures. Oct. 3 10-11:15 a.m. my805tix. com. Cayucos Beach, 21 24th St., Cayucos.

THE HAUNTED MANOR A thrilling experience designed to send shivers down your spine. Hosted by The Benedict, this event promises an unforgettable blend of horror, suspense, and immersive storytelling. Oct. 11-30 my805tix.com/. The Benedict, 1401 Quintana Road, Morro Bay.

LOS OSOS TOWN HALL MEETING After decades of uncertainty over the future of Los Osos, SLO County has updated a blueprint for community development and potential growth in Los Osos. Oct. 5 1:304:30 p.m. sloplanning.org. Los Osos Middle School, 1555 El Moro St., Los Osos. MAIDEN TO CRONE SISTER CIRCLE Connect deeply with other women. Sharing the things that are close to our hearts creates a space of shared vulnerability that leads to deep connection. First Sunday of every month, 9-11 a.m. my805tix.com. From the Roots Up Healing Studio, 2055 9th St., Los Osos.

SHAKTI: EMBODYING GODDESS DURGA Hosted by Aurora Adventures. Oct. 3 , 5:307:15 p.m. my805tix.com/. 9th Limb Yoga, 845 Napa Ave., Morro Bay, 415-852-1787. SHAMANIC YOGA AND RITUALS FOR VITALITY Hosted by Aurora Adventures. Oct. 4 , 8-9:15 a.m. Beach Access Parking Lot, 102 Atascadero Road, Morro Bay.

WATERFRONT MARKET MORRO BAY Come show your favorite local vendor some love one last time with two full days of shopping. Features crocheted items, andles, clothing and accessories, jewelry, and much more. Oct. 5 , 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Oct. 6 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. 805-402-9437. slovendorsassociation.com. Giovanni’s Fish Market, 1001 Front St., Morro Bay. ZONGO YACHTING CUP The Central Coast’s biggest offshore sailing race, bookended with two outrageous parties on both ends. Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 my805tix.com/. Tidelands Park, South end of Embarcadero, Morro Bay.

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. FORUM FOR CANDIDATES: ATASCADERO CITY COUNCIL The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County is partnering with the Atascadero AAUW to moderate a forum for candidates for Atascadero City Council. Oct. 7, 6:30-8 p.m. slovote.com. Atascadero United Methodist

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 18

Benedict, Morro Bay

Benedict, Morro Bay

Kilokilo Brewing Company, Paso Robles

Full Moon Yoga, Meditation, and Sound Bath

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, SLO

Improv Comedy Show

SLO Public Market

Kreuzberg California, SLO

COURTESY IMAGE BY CAROLE MCDONALD

SATURDAY,

#2364 A Goth and Horror Variety Extravaganza

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 Humdinger Brewing, SLO

Balancing & Craft Workshop

Succulent Centerpiece Class

SAT-THURS, OCTOBER 5-10

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 Craft Crop Create Studios, Atascadero Cancerslug and Plot

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11 Dark Nectar Coffee, Atascadero

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6

Libertine Presents: The Vibe Setters

TUESDAY, OCTOBER

WEDNESDAYS, OCTOBER 9 & 16

& SAT, OCTOBER 11 & 12

Bay Yacht Club, Point San Luis Lighthouse

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11 Libertine Brewing Company, SLO Zongo Yachting Cup 2024

Robles

6th 5:30-8:30pm

Church, 11605 El Camino Real, Atascadero, 805-466-2566.

HAMBLY LAVENDER FARM GUIDED

EXPERIENCE This one-hour walk about the farm immerses you in the processes of growing, harvesting, and drying this fragrant herb. Saturdays, Sundays, 10 a.m. my805tix.com. Hambly Farms, 1390 Grana Place, San Miguel.

MORRO BAY MARITIME FESTIVAL

Experience five days of maritime events in Morro Bay beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 9, and through Sunday, Oct. 13. Oct. 9 Oct. 10 Oct. 11 Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 805-2257411. morrobay.org. Morro Bay (Multiple Venues), Citywide, Morro Bay.

PUMPKIN SUCCULENT CENTERPIECE

CLASS The class includes a pumpkin, choice of succulents and decorations, use of tools, instruction, and a glass of rosé. Oct. 5 , 5 p.m. and Oct. 10 6:30 p.m. $50. my805tix.com/. Golden State Goods, 5880 Traffic Way, Atascadero.

THREE SPECKLED HENS ANTIQUE AND VINTAGE MARKET More than 75 vendors will participate in the show, selling everything from antiques and vintage items to re-purposed treasures. Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 my805tix.com/. Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

CALIFORNIA RETIRED TEACHERS

ASSOC. DIVISION 23 LUNCHEON AND GENERAL MEETING CalRTA bimonthly luncheon will feature guest speaker Ed Cabrera from the League of Women Voters. Cabrera will present facts, and pros and cons on each of the propositions on the fall ballot, along with a Q-and-A. RSVP required. Oct. 10 9:45 a.m.-1 p.m. $25. 805-748-6853. Madonna Inn, 100 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo.

CENTRAL COAST BIONEERS

CONFERENCE Conference highlights include topics like Climate Change from Space, Empowering Latino Voices, Harnessing the Power of Regenerative Business to Heal the World, and Rematriation with a panel of Indigenous speakers. Oct. 4-5 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $33.68$71.17 (student/general). ecologistics.org. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096.

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. CURIOUS ABOUT FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND IN CALIFORNIA: THREE

EDUCATIONAL EVENTS SLO Climate Coalition and California Sea Grant are sponsoring three on-line lunchtime webinars during September and October for the San Luis Obispo County public to learn more about floating offshore wind. The first event features national climate expert Dr. Michael Mann. Oct. 9, 12-1 p.m. Free. sloclimatecoalition.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

FELINE NETWORK ADOPT A KITTEN EVENT Come see some beautiful kittens for adoption and bring home a forever pet. All are fixed, vaccinated, and microchipped. $100 for one, or $150 for a pair. Oct. 5 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 805-540-0006. felinenetwork.org. PetSmart, 1530 Froom Ranch Way, San Luis Obispo.

FIFTH ANNUAL BUTTERFLY BALL: CRYSTALS AND CHRYSALISES An evening filled with music, food and drink, inspiring presentations, and a silent auction to support western monarch butterfly conservation. Oct. 12 4-8 p.m. my805tix. com/. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096.

FIVE CITIES REPAIR CAFÉ Five Cities Free Repair Café volunteers will be fixing broken stuff at the Octagon Barn Milking Parlor. They repair small appliances, clothing, outdoor gear and apparel, laptops, phones, and bikes for free. Bring your garden abundance to share. Oct. 5, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. 650-367-6780. repaircafe5cities.org. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo.

FREE TOURS OF THE MISSION Tour San Luis Obispo’s Spanish Mission,

founded in 1772. Come learn its history and about the development of this area. Tours, led by docents, are free at 1:15 p.m Monday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Sundays, 2-3 p.m. and Mondays-Saturdays, 1:15-2:15 p.m. Free. 657-465-9182. missionsanluisobispo.org.

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, 751 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.

GREEN BUILDING TOUR (CC BIONEERS

CONFERENCE) Get an inside look at all-electric green buildings that are energy efficient and powered completely or in part with renewable energy, reducing their carbon footprints. The tour will cover one commercial building and three residential projects in San Luis Obispo. Oct. 3 2-4:30 p.m. $35. 805-548-0597. ecologistics.org. People’s Self-Help Housing, 1060 Kendall Road, San Luis Obispo.

HISTORY PODCAST: DOOR KEY’S 2024

SPOOKTACULAR To celebrate Halloween, all episodes of the history podcast Door Key will have a spooky theme to the history. You can find Door Key anywhere you stream podcasts. Through Oct. 31 Free. doorkey.buzzsprout.com. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

LA LOMA ADOBE OPEN HOUSE Includes tours inside the unrestored home, some of which was built in 1782. Enjoy light refreshments, displays of history, hearing historians discussing people who lived there and culture of the times, all in the beautiful La Loma Adobe garden. Oct. 6 , 2-4 p.m. Free. 805-528-1066. La Loma Adobe, 1590 Lizzie St., San Luis Obispo, LaLomaAdobe.org.

LIFESAVERS GET HALLOWEEN READY

BY DONATING BLOOD Blood donors who participate in Vitalant’s upcoming blood drives through Oct. 5 will be rewarded with a free Halloween-themed T-shirt. The shirts can be redeemed by registering in advance for a blood drive through the Vitalant app. Through Oct. 5 Vitalant, 4119 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

PLAY GROVE, AN OUTDOOR PRESCHOOL

PROGRAM A nature-based and placebased enrichment program. This means we use the environment as our guide as we play, grow, create art, garden, and learn together. Play Grove will allow young children to access this experience alongside enthusiastic playworkers. Through June 7, 2025, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Options: 2 day, 3 day, or 5 day. 805-2426301. onecoolearth.org/play-grove.html. Jewish Community Center, 875 Laureate Lane, San Luis Obispo.

VOLUNTEER SOLAR INSTALLER

TRAINING WEBINAR WITH SUNWORK

Learn about solar energy and water heater electrification by volunteering with SunWork. This webinar teaches the basics of installing solar PV systems. Once you’ve completed this training, you’re eligible to join the group’s solar installations locally. Signup online. Oct. 5 9 a.m.-noon Free. 805-229-1250. sunwork.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

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

BEGINNING BALLET FOR ADULTS Enjoy the grace and flow of ballet. No previous experience needed. Wednesdays, 5:15-6:15 p.m. $12 drop-in; $40 for four classes. 510-362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach.

BODY FUSION/EXERCISE AND FITNESS

CLASS Do something good for yourself and stay fit for outdoor sports, while enhancing flexibility, strengthening your core to prevent lower back issues, improving your posture through yoga, and more. Tuesdays, Thursdays, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. 970-710-1412. Avila Beach Community Center, 191 San Miguel St., Avila Beach, avilabeachcc.com.

FALL FEST: A LATINX AND HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION A free festival open to the public. Enjoy beautiful cultural performances, delicious food, a vendor maker market, games, and activities. The event’s organizers

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

encourage local Latinx and Hispanic businesses to participate in this vibrant festival. Oct. 13 , 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. 805-481-7339. bgcslo.org/events. Boys and Girls Clubs of South San Luis Obispo County Clubhouse, 1830 19th St., Oceano. FREEDOM FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER AND SILENT AUCTION Freedom Calling is a nonprofit organization, dedicated to fighting human trafficking. The upcoming fundraiser Freedom Festival promises an evening of live music by Critical Mass, gourmet food, fine wine and beer, delectable desserts, inspiring guest speakers, a silent auction, and dancing. Oct. 12 4-8 p.m. $75. freedomcalling.org. The Bower Barn, 1095 Meadowood Place, Nipomo. MODEL RAIL DAYS AT THE OCEANO DEPOT Marvel at the amazing and detailed operating model railroads and displays of all sizes. Fun for the whole family. Free admission, and lots of free parking. Oct. 4-6 , 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Oct. 12-13 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. slomra.org. Oceano Train Depot, 1650 Front St., Oceano, 805-489-5446.

MULTICULTURAL DANCE CLASS FOR ADULTS Experience dance from continents around the earth, including from Africa, Europe, and more. Described as “a wonderful in-depth look at the context and history of cultures of the world.” Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $10 drop-in; $30 for four classes. 510-3623739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville 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/. Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach. SOCIAL GROUP FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS Call for more details. Second Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. 805-9046615. Oak Park Christian Church, 386 N Oak Park Blvd., Grover Beach. TECH SAVVY SENIOR Unlock the power of technology and stay connected in today’s digital world. Whether you’re curious about smartphones, social media, online safety, or simply want to learn how to video chat with family and friends, this seminar is for you. Oct. 9, 10-11:30 a.m. my805tix.com. Hilton Garden Inn, 601 James Way, Pismo Beach. WEALTH, WOMEN, AND WOO Release your money fears and blocks to achieve a prosperous mindset and live an abundant life with ease and flow. With Beth McGill, speaker, teacher, author, hypnotherapist, and energy healer. Oct. 6 4-6 p.m. my805tix.com. Jill Doherty Portrait Studio, 1877 Front St., Oceano.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS TIBETAN BUDDHIST MONKS: CREATING A MANDALA Hancock College is honored to host the Tibetan Monks on campus daily from Sept. 30 through Oct. 4, creating a sand mandala over the week time, culminating in a closing ceremony on Oct. 4. All are welcome to drop in during the week to visit. Through Oct. 4 Free. 805694-8894. hancockcollege.edu/gallery/ index.php. Allan Hancock College, 800 S. College Drive, Santa Maria.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY THE LOVES OF THE BEATLES: TALK BY DENNIS MITCHELL Breakfast With The Beatles radio host Dennis Mitchell will explore the romances of the members of the biggest band ever, from their early days in Liverpool and Hamburg to the present day. A presentation of interesting discoveries including rare audio and unreleased music and soundbites. Oct. 6 , 5-7 p.m. Free. 805-686-9126. arrowsmithwine.com. Arrowsmith’s, 1539 Mission Drive, Solvang.

HOT DATES continued page 20

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. 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.

FLAVORS OF TUSCANY WINEMAKER’S

HARVEST DINNER Indulge in a culinary journey inspired by the heart of Tuscany, where talented Chef Alma Ayón will craft a multi-course feast using the freshest local ingredient. Each is thoughtfully paired with exquisite wines from two winemakers, Cole Stilson and Elizabeth Stilson. Oct. 11 , 6-9 p.m. 805-591-7003. stilsoncellars.com/events/. Stay on the Vineyards, 7110 Drake Road, Paso Robles.

HARVEST EXPERIENCE An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at harvest from the production side. Head over to the ONX Estate Vineyard for a hands-on harvest experience. Oct. 4 $140. 805-4345607. onxwines.com/events/harvestexperience-2024/. ONX Estate Vineyard, 1200 Paseo Excelsus, Templeton.

OCTOBER 2024 CENTRAL COAST

COOKING SHOW Presented by Central Coast Party Helpers. Watch local pro chefs cook delicious seasonal dishes along with wine pairings from local wineries and delectable desserts. Oct. 8 4:30-6:30 p.m. my805tix.com/. Idler’s Home Paso Robles, 2361 Theatre Drive, Paso Robles.

TACO TUESDAYS La Parilla Taqueria will be in the courtyard serving up their delicious tacos and tostadas. Menu typically includes barbacoa, chicken, and pastor tacos, as well as shrimp ceviche tostadas. Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m. 805-4606042. ancientowlbeergarden.com. Ancient Owl Beer Garden, 6090 El Camino Real, suite C, Atascadero.

THACHER AND CARHARTT WINERIES

TEAM UP FOR COLLABORATIVE

DINNER Dust off your boots for this special night in Paso’s historic Kentucky Barn. Winemakers Sherman Thacher and Chase Carhartt will share a taste of old California alongside ten elegant wines and five courses prepared by Justin Monson of Oak & Vine. Oct. 5 , 6-9 p.m. $250-$300. 805-237-0087. thacherwinery.com. Thacher Winery, 8355 Vineyard Dr, Paso Robles.

SAN LUIS OBISPO DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS MARKET

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

DRIVE-THRU BARBECUE Open to the public. Includes a whole Tri-Tip, beans, bread, and salad. Bring your online receipt to the San Luis Obispo Lodge #322 to pick up your meal. All proceeds benefit the Elks National Foundation. Oct. 5 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 60. 805-543-0322. shop.elks322.org/ Drive-Thru-BBQ. SLO Elks Lodge, 222 Elks Lane, San Luis Obispo.

AN EVENING WITH YOTAM OTTOLENGHI

Spend a delicious evening with celebrated chef and bestselling author, Yotam Ottolenghi in conversation with Aja Goare, Managing Editor of Edible San Luis Obispo Magazine, as he talks about his new book, COMFORT in this fun and participatory event, presented by Cal Poly Arts. Oct. 12 7:30 p.m. 805-756-4849. calpolyarts.org/20242025-season/ottolenghi.

Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

IMPROV COMEDY SHOWS All the improv you see will be on the spot from your audience suggestions. First Thursday of every month, 6 p.m. 805-540-8300. my805tix.com. Bang the Drum Brewery, 1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, San Luis Obispo.

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.

SLO GRANGE HALL PANCAKE BREAKFAST Join the SLO Grange Hall for a good oldfashioned pancake breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, juice and coffee; all for a low suggested donation price of $10, with proceeds to benefit SLO Grange Hall 639. Second Sunday of every month, 8-11 a.m. $10. 805-543-0639. San Luis Obispo Grange Hall, 2880 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

SLO OKTOBERFEST A variety of food and beer vendors will be here for your Oktoberfesting pleasure. Featuring German beer, food, music, contests, games, and more. Oct. 5, 1-6 p.m. my805tix.com. Madonna Expo Center, 100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo.

SLO PICKLE FESTIVAL This dill-ightful event will celebrate all things pickles with a variety of pickle vendors, pickle-inspired bites, beer, wine, and live music. Oct. 5 1-4 p.m. $45. 805541-3312. slopicklefestival.org. Laguna Lake Park, 504 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo. SUNSET WINE/RAIL EXCURSION: SANTA BARBARA These fully-hosted, docent-led excursions will depart from the SLO Railroad Museum at 11 a.m. taking a motor coach to Municipal Winemakers in Santa Barbara. Oct. 5, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. my805tix.com/. San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum, 1940 Santa Barbara Ave., San Luis Obispo, 805-548-1894.

TRIVIA NIGHT Reservations are no longer required to play. Reservations are now for teams who want to guarantee a table to play. Tables available first come, first serve. Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. my805tix.com. Bang

A HARD DAY’S WINE

Arrowsmith’s Wine Bar in Solvang will host The Loves of the Beatles, a talk by Dennis Mitchell, on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. Mitchell’s presentation will center on each Beatles’ respective dating history with rare audio clips and other resources. Admission to attend the talk is free. Visit arrowsmithwine.com to find out more about the event.

—C.W.

the Drum Brewery, 1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, San Luis Obispo.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

AVILA BEACH SPAGHETTI DINNER/ BINGO NIGHT Enjoy a spaghetti dinner with salad, garlic bread, and dessert, followed by Bingo. Oct. 4 6-8 p.m. my805tix.com/. Avila Beach Community Center, 191 San Miguel St., Avila Beach.

EMPTY BOWLS 2024 When you purchase a ticket to this fundraiser, you receive a hand-crafted bowl generously donated by a local artists, and as much soup as you can eat donated by local restaurants. Oct. 10, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. my805tix.com/. St. Patrick’s Church, 501 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande. MONTHLY FERMENTATION CLASSES New topics each month with a thorough demo and explanation of the process that creates non-alcoholic, probiotic, and nutrient-dense fermentations. Leave the class confident and prepared with recipes to make your own at home. Limited seating; reserve spot prior to class by phone/email. Second Sunday of every month, 3:30-5 p.m. $30. 805-801-6627. kulturhausbrewing.com/ classes/. Kulturhaus Brewing Company, 779 Price St., Pismo Beach.

MUSIC

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BEACHSIDE LIVE SUMMER CONCERT

SERIES Enjoy free live music by the beach in Cayucos. Showtimes are Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Also featuring live music on holiday weekends, and on select Fridays and Saturdays in the summer. Check out @schoonerscayucos on Instagram for band updates. Sundays, 1-8 p.m. Free. 805-995-3883. schoonerscayucos.com/live. Schooners, 171 North Ocean Ave, Cayucos. MISS LEO & THE HANDSOME FELLERS

AT THE MERRIMAKER Come party with this local favorite. Oct. 5 9-11 p.m. Free. The Merrimaker Tavern, 1301 2nd Street, Los Osos, 805-534-1007.

NORTH SLO COUNTY

CANCERSLUG LIVE AT DARK NECTAR

Cancerslug is a horror punk band featuring front man Alex Story. The act will perform with support from local bands Plot and Bunker Club. Oct. 11 8 p.m.-midnight $15. 805-296-2676. darknectarcoffee.com. Dark Nectar Coffee Lounge, 5915 Entrada, Atascadero.

FLOGGING MOLLY LIVE With special guest The Rumjacks. Oct. 12 Vina Robles Amphitheatre, 3800 Mill Rd., Paso Robles, 805-286-3670, vinaroblesamphitheatre.com.

SINGING HANDS CHILDREN’S CHOIR

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

SOUND BATH EXPERIENCE AT SENSORIO

Enjoy a tranquil evening and one-of-a-kind Sound Bath experience, featuring the soothing sounds of @livi.love.xo. Immerse yourself in a sensory journey of relaxation and harmony. Don’t miss this chance to unwind and rejuvenate under the stars. Oct. 6 6:30-9:30 p.m. Passes start at $30. 805-226-4287. sensoriopaso.com/sensoriocelebrations. Sensorio, 4380 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles.

TWILIGHT CONCERTS Come and stay awhile after hours and listen to live music by your favorite local bands. Genres range from country music to reggae; bring the whole family for a rockin’ good time. Sundays, 5-8 p.m. through Oct. 27 $5. 805239-8904. midnightcellars.com. Midnight Cellars, 2925 Anderson Road, Paso Robles.

UP

IN THE AIR AT BETHEL ROAD

DISTILLERY Enjoy the act’s unique blend of upbeat original music along with some familiar favorites. Oct. 5 , 1-4 p.m. Free. 805-434-0319. Bethel Road Distillery, 1266 N. Bethel Road, Templeton.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

2024 FALL FOLK-N-SOAK MUSIC, HOT SPRINGS, YOGA, AND CAMPING

REUNION Enjoy music from Christopher Hawley each day, as well as many other artists, while you soak in hot springs. Oct. 4-6 my805tix.com/. Franklin Hot Springs, 3015 Creston Rd., Paso Robles.

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

BRASS MASH: FIRST FRIDAY First Fridays are magical nights filled with the vibrant energy of our all-horn band. Join the festivities at Liquid Gravity and immerse yourself in the unique fusion of your favorite rock and pop songs. First Friday of every month, 6-10 p.m. my805tix.com. Liquid Gravity, 675 Clarion Court, San Luis Obispo.

CUESTA WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT

Join the Cuesta Wind Ensemble for an evening of wind band classics by Ticheli, Sousa, Grainger, and more. Included is the epic “Twilight of the Gods” by American composer Andrew Boysen, which includes an animated video that accompanies the performance. Conducted by Jennifer Martin. Oct. 9 7:30 p.m. $10-$17. 805-546-3198. tickets.cuesta.edu/. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

EASTON EVERETT Everett is a singersongwriter who blends folk, blues, and world beat styles with intricate fingerstyle guitar playing. Easy to listen to yet full of surprises, his music offers a fresh acoustic experience. Oct. 4 , 7:30-9:30 p.m. Free. eastoneverett.com/. Benny’s Pizza Palace and Social Club, 1601 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-439-3838.

FREQUENT WEAVER PRESENTS BILL

MACKAY MacKay is a guitarist, composer, singer, and improviser based in Chicago. Oct. 3 6-9 p.m. my805tix.com/. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

HOT 45 AND RAY DUNCAN Duncan will be in town from Nashville with some new music to share. Oct. 4 7 p.m. my805tix.

com/. Bang the Drum Brewery, 1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, San Luis Obispo.

JAZZ WEDNESDAYS Spinning jazz records all night. Bebop, jazz funk, acid jazz, hard bop, nu jazz, jazz house, crossover, Latin jazz, and more. Featuring guest selectors. Music at a polite volume in an acoustically treated space. Vintage sound system, big warm speakers. Plenty of free parking. Wednesdays, 3-8 p.m. through Oct. 30 Free. 805-439-1544. jansplaceslo.com. Jan’s Place, 1817 Osos St., San Luis Obispo. THE KILLER DUELING PIANOS Presented by the Libertine. Oct. 13 , 11 a.m. my805tix. com/. Libertine Brewing Company, 1234 Broad St., San Luis Obispo, 805-548-2337.

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.

MECHANICAL GHOST’S HAUNTED FLOOR SHOW Described as a goth and horror variety extravaganza. Oct. 5 8 p.m. my805tix.com/. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, 805-781-9974.

ORGAN SPECTACULAR Walk the red carpet with the SLO Symphony on opening night. The 2024-25 Classics season kicks off with a celebration of the mighty Forbes Organ at the PAC, with guest soloist Felix Hell. Oct. 5 7:30 p.m. 805-543-3533. slosymphony.org/ calendar/. Cal Poly Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo.

QUEER MAGIC: A SPOOKY BOO BASH Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month with DJ Cryptid spinning beats, spooky costumes, and a night full of magic, community, and fun. Oct. 4 7 p.m. my805tix.com/. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, 805-781-9974. RANDALL KING LIVE All ages welcome. Oct. 11 8 p.m. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, 805-5468600, fremontslo.com.

THE RELATIVE MINIMUM, DEATH OF THE PARTY, BANDWIDTH, AND THROW AWAY: LIVE IN CONCERT See site for tickets and details. Oct. 12 8 p.m. my805tix.com/. Linnaea’s Cafe, 1110 Garden St., San Luis Obispo, 805-541-5888. TRIBUTE TO JOHN PRINE Presented by Songwriters at Play. Oct. 12 7 p.m. my805tix. com/. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, 805-781-9974. SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY 2024 LIVE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE CONCERT SERIES These Saturday afternoon concerts are limited and will sell out, so make your purchase early to secure your spot. Saturdays, 2:30-5 p.m. through Oct. 12 my805tix.com. Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach. LIVE ON THE ROCKS FT. BRASS MASH Live on the Rocks is a highly anticipated outdoor concert series with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Dance to a fabulous live band, enjoy fantastic food, grab a drink at the oceanside bar, and more. Oct. 6 1-5 p.m. Free. 805-773-5000. cliffshotelandspa.com. The Cliffs Hotel and Spa, 2757 Shell Beach Rd, Pismo Beach. MOTOWN MANIA! THE GOLDEN HITS OF THE TEMPTATIONS AND THE SUPERSTARS OF MOTOWN Revisit the classic songs and stars of the Motown era. Complete with heart-stopping harmonies, dazzling choreography, and the memorable hits you love most from Motown’s golden age. Oct. 12 , 7:30-10:30 p.m. $53.50-$74.50. 805-489-9444. clarkcenter.org/shows/wcpa-motownmania/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande. SWEET DREAMS: MANDY BARNETT SINGS PATSY CLINE An unforgettable evening where classic country and timeless standards come alive as Mandy Barnett interprets the music of Patsy Cline. Once dubbed as “the Judy Garland of our time.” Oct. 11 7:30-10:30 p.m. $34-$54. 805-489-9444. clarkcenter.org/shows/ sweet-dreams-mandy-barnett/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande. ∆

COURTESY PHOTO BY HEATHER DAENITZ

BE READY TO VOTE!

Find all of our recent SLO County election coverage; how to locate ballot measures and candidates, reader’s survey about issues that matter to you, and more.

Diablo Canyon

New Times wants to make sure you’re ready to vote on Nov. 5, so we put all of the important information in one place for you. Find all of our recent SLO County election coverage, how to locate local ballot measures and candidates, a reader’s survey about issues that matter to you, and more.

INDEPENDENT SAFETY COMMITTEE (DCISC)

Public Meeting:

When: Wednesday Morning, October 9th 9:00 a.m.

Introduction of Committee Member Dr. Najmedin

Meshkati, the appointee of the Chair of the California Energy Commission to the DCISC; presentations by PG&E relating to plant safety and operations, including an update of State of the Plant including organizational changes, significant past and future plant activities, power history, significant equipment issues, the Intake Cove Dredging Project, and other station activities since the DCISC’s June 2024 public meeting, an update on the status of NRC Performance Indicators, regulatory Issues/requests, and PG&E’s evaluations of technical concerns on the seismic safety of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant (Diablo Canyon) provided by Dr. Peter Bird in a letter to the DCISC dated May 16, 2024, and in Dr. Bird’s presentation to the DCISC on June 21, 2024.

Wednesday Afternoon, October 9th 1: 15 p.m.

Informational presentation by the Independent Peer Review Panel for Seismic Hazard Studies of Diablo Canyon on the Panel’s Report on PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Updated Seismic Assessment; and DCISC Technical Consultants’ presentations on, and approval of reports on the August 27-September 24-25, July 31-August 1, and August 21-22, 2024, fact finding visits to Diablo Canyon.

Wednesday Evening, October 9th 5:00 p.m.

Informational presentation by the Committee on the Report on Evaluation on the Status of Diablo Canyon Unit 1 With Respect to Reactor Pressure Vessel Condition Monitoring and Prediction, Parts 1 and 2, by Dr. Mark T. Kirk evaluating Unit 1 reactor pressure vessel integrity, Committee consideration of the Kirk Studies and including the Conclusions and Recommendations in the DCISC’s 34th Annual Report.

Thursday Morning, October 10th 9:00 a.m.

DCISC business session including acceptance of the Minutes of the June 20-21, 2024, public meeting, review of the Open Items List, reports by Committee Members on their activities and scheduling of future public meetings and fact-findings; and a presentation by the NRC’s Senior Resident Inspector for DCPP on the NRC’s Annual Assessment of DCPP’s Endof Cycle Performance during Calendar Year 2023.

Thursday Afternoon, October 10th 1:30 p.m.

Receive further informational presentations by PG&E, including the Quality Verification Organization’s perspective on plant performance, top issues, and recent Quality Performance Assessment Reports, an update on the recent campaign to move spent fuel assemblies from the Spent Fuel Pool to the Independent Spent

Fuel Storage Installation; informational presentation by the Committee on the status of governmental agency interactions, responses to SB846 directives, discussion of regulatory matters including R.23-01-007 Phase 2 issues concerning DCISC’s funding for extended operations and consideration of term limits for DCISC members, administrative matters, consideration of approval of new and revised Committee Policies, financial matters, and other Committee business; approval of the DCISC 34th Annual Report on Safety of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Operations, July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024; and wrapup discussion by Committee members and confirmation of future site visits, study sessions and public meetings.

You may also participate in this public meeting in real-time by accessing a Zoom webinar meeting via a weblink or a meeting ID or by calling telephone numbers provided for that purpose. Instructions on how to access, view and participate in remote meetings are provided on the meeting agenda, available by visiting the Committee’s home page at http://www.dcisc.org. Please plan to attend! For further information call 1-800-439-4688 or visit the Committee’s website at www.dcisc.org

A copy of the meeting agenda packet may be reviewed at the Cal Poly Library’s Special Collections and Archives Department and the agenda packet and informational presentations are available on the DCISC’s website. Each session of a public meeting of the DCISC is livestreamed and on the internet during the meeting by visiting www.slo-span.org.

WATCH THE SESSIONS LIVE, OR SUBSEQUENTLY IN ARCHIVE, INDEXED TO THE MEETING’S AGENDA, BY FOLLOWING THE LINK ON THE COMMITTEE’S WEBSITE TO WWW.SLO-SPAN.ORG, OR AFTER THE MEETING ON GOVERNMENT ACCESS TELEVISION, CHANNEL 21.

BY SAMANTHA HERRERA

Celebrate and appreciate Arts

Cal Poly professor leads music lecture ahead of Festival Mozaic recital

Festival Mozaic’s 2024 Artist in Residence John Novacek will present a solo piano recital at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m. The performance will follow a free pre-concert lecture with Cal Poly music professor Alyson McLamore at 1 p.m.

Both events will take place at Hancock’s Patty Boyd Concert Hall, located at 800 S. College Drive, building F, Santa Maria. While tickets to Novacek’s concert start at $5 for students and $40 for adults, there is no entry fee to attend McLamore’s lecture.

A specialist in the music of the early classic period, McLamore is a professor of music history and music education at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. McLamore’s past printed publications include a musical theater textbook and program notes for both Festival Mozaic and the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale.

After McLamore’s upcoming lecture at Hancock, Novacek will play selections by Bach, Liszt, Schumann, and Bartok on Hancock’s Steinway D concert piano, a recent addition to the Patty Boyd Concert Hall. The college acquired the piano, valued at $175,000, during the summer with funds from the estate of late piano instructor Patricia “Patty” Boyd.

In July, Festival Mozaic collaborated with Hancock on a special recital to celebrate the piano’s debut at the school, where it remains accessible to students, faculty, and others in conjunction with the college’s music programs and classes.

For more info on Festival Mozaic’s Oct. 19 recital and lecture, visit festivalmozaic.org.

Oceano Train Depot

offers free exhibits with October’s

Model Rail Days

The SLO Model Railroad Association will host its next Model Rail Days program at the Oceano Train Depot with about two weekends’ worth of activities (Oct. 4 through 6, and Oct. 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day).

The free series will include exhibits of working model railroads of various scales and sizes, kid-friendly activities, a swap meet with deals on model railroad equipment, and more. There’s no admission fee to attend the program’s events.

To find out more about Model Rail Days, visit slomra.org. The SLO Model Railroad Association celebrates model railroading in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

The collective holds public meetings at the Oceano Depot on every third Monday, at 7 p.m. The Oceano Depot is located at 1650 Front St., Oceano. ∆

—Caleb Wiseblood

The local chapter of the California Writers Club hosts upcoming author lectures

Based in Nipomo, the Coastal Dunes chapter of the California Writers Club (CWC) will be celebrating its fth annual Anthology of Prose and Poetry, a free event meant to expose locals to the vast world of creative writing.

e CWC prides itself on being the oldest writing club in the country, and the Coastal Dunes chapter was founded in 2014 by Catherine Kitcho. She focused on discovering new authors from around SLO and Santa Barbara counties, assisting them in developing their talent, and sponsoring free educational meetings to promote professional growth, said current CWC President Viviana Hall.

“Each branch is a hub for writers to meet and cultivate the craft of writing,” she said. “Our events are held on the rst Saturday of each month at the Nipomo Library from 10 a.m. to noon, and admissions are free.”

Get writing

Residents are invited to attend a free writing workshop and lecture hosted by the California Writers Club at the Santa Maria Public Library on Oct. 13 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit coastaldunescwc.com.

“Whether you dream of traditional publishing or want to explore self-publishing, our events cover it all.”

is month, members are in for a special treat as the CWC will launch its fth annual Splash event. Held at the Santa Maria Public Library on Oct. 13 from 1 to 5 p.m., this event will host lectures from California authors as well as o er a sneak peek at the chapter’s new Anthology of Prose and Poetry book.

Local artists who are featured in the book will have ve minutes to give readings of their poetry and stories.

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

Hall said professional writers, including professors and authors, hold lectures and workshops and answer questions for attendees.

“ e workshops are on various themes and genres, whether crafting compelling mysteries, penning heartfelt memoirs, writing poetry, or mastering the art of speculative ction,” she said.

e rst round of presentations will include talks from Mary Firestone, who wrote a memoir about surviving the Montecito mudslide in 2018; Lida Sideris, a Southern California author who writes mysteries based loosely on when she was working as an entertainment attorney for a well-known movie studio; and Mara Purl, a former actor from Days of Our Lives turned author who writes the MilfordHaven novels.

‘Each branch is a hub for writers to meet and cultivate the craft of writing. … The workshops are on various themes and genres, whether crafting compelling mysteries, penning heartfelt memoirs, writing poetry, or mastering the art of speculative fiction.’

—Viviana

Hall, president, California Writers Club Coastal Dunes chapter

TALE Mary Firestone, who wrote about her experience surviving the 2018 mudslide in Montecito, will speak as part of the fifth annual Splash at the Santa Maria Public Library.

September 2024.

e second round of lectures will host Gerald Di Pego, a screenwriter who helped create movies such as e Forgotten, Angel Eyes, and Message in a Bottle before he bacame a novelist and wrote the book Laketown; club founder and SLO County local Kitcho, who’s written nine books and is currently working on her book series Dark Side Redemption; and Lee Herrick, a Fresno City College professor and California poet laureate who’s published four poetry books.

“At the end of the presentations by our speakers, we will be introducing our fth Anthology of Prose and Poetry and bring our community and club closer to the craft of writing,” Hall said. “ is is an event that is for everyone, and we will provide free snacks and refreshments.”

Hall said CWC’s roots date back to 1872 after a group of San Francisco Journal journalists founded e Bohemian Club in San Francisco, which provided an environment for young male artists such as Jack London and Mark Twain to meet.

Similar clubs that allowed women to join started to pop up in di erent Bay Area cities, and in 1909, Jack London and a few of his friends from e Bohemian Club decided to break o and start their own group, the CWC. ere are now 22 branches across the state, from Orange County to Mendocino.

“ is period prioritized moral equity and fundamental human rights where the California Writers Club emerged,” Hall said. e club was formed to celebrate writers’ impacts on society, as their words help shape societal values, cultural narratives, and community engagement, she said, and that mission is still true of the CWC today. ∆

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

TO TELL THE

POET LAUREATE A Professor at Fresno City College, Lee Herrick has two poetry books published, with his most recent book published in

BELOVED FOUNDER Catherine Kitcho, who created the Coastal Dunes chapter of the California Writers Club in 2014, has written books in fiction, business, marketing, humor, cooking, and wine and spirits.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VIVIANA HALL

Awakening Ways Center for Spiritual Living

We are a diverse, welcoming community that accepts and supports everyone’s spiritual journey.

We teach the Science of Mind and Spirit, an a irmative philosophy free of dogma, and encourage personal development through questioning, contemplation, and direct personal spiritual experience.

We o er Sunday services, meditation, classes, events, concerts, spiritual coaching, and more.

If you are ready to live your best life, come check us out!

Elizabeth Rowley Hogue, Spiritual Leader Sunday services are held at 10 AM at the Pavilion on the Lake

Pismo Avenue · Atascadero · CA · 93422 805-391-4465 · info@awakeningways.org www.awakeningways.org

Death by boredom

Director Philippe Lacôte expands upon a short story by crime novelist Jo Nesbø in Killer Heat, which follows a troubled private detective (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is own in to Greece from the U.S. to investigate a potential murder. He quickly targets the victim’s twin brother (Richard Madden) as the primary suspect. (97 min.)

KILLER HEAT

What’s it rated? R

What’s it worth, Bulbul? Skip it

What’s it worth, Caleb? Stream it

Where’s it showing? Prime

Caleb Dismissed as an accident by local police, a rock climber’s death in a small coastal village prompts the arrival of an outsider private eye in Killer Heat, a new noir mystery that quickly nosedives into snooze-button territory despite its strong opening and promising premise. After her brother-in-law’s body is found at the bottom of a rock face in Greece, Penelope Vardakis (Shailene Woodley) senses foul play with one suspect in mind: her own husband, Elias Vardakis (Richard Madden). He and the deceased, Leo (also Madden), were identical twins who’d been entangled in a love triangle years prior, Penelope reveals to Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an American private detective she dispatches from New York in secret. Bali is known as “ e Jealousy Man” (the title of Jo Nesbø’s short story that Killer Heat is adapted from) because of his penchant for getting into the heads of murderers who kill out of envy. Often sporting sunglasses and a Chinatown fedora, Gordon-Levitt seems to have a lot of fun with the role, and I can easily imagine being won over by a future lm centered on Bali’s seedy exploits, as long as it’s got more oomph than Killer Heat. It’s a mostly bland mixed bag. Even its luxurious island setting and yacht core appeal can’t save it from missing the boat.

Bulbul I’m still recovering from the hourand-a-half-long eye-roll fest that was Killer Heat. You’re relentlessly hit on the head with ham- sted dialogue of a ton of Icarus references, warnings not to mess with Greek gods, and stray Greek phrases to underscore

FIND ME FALLING

What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2024

Where’s it showing? Netflix

Harry Connick Jr. stars as John Allman, a grumpy, failing rock star looking for solace on the beautiful island of Cyprus, in this witty and charming second-chance romance. Allman escapes to a quaint house at the top of a cliff after a disappointing comeback album. Little does he know, the cliff his house sits on has become a suicide hotspot in recent years. Frustrated by the inconvenience this revelation poses, he starts building a fence around his property.

Bali’s Greek heritage. Did I mention the movie takes place on a remote Greek island? Well, it does, and Killer Heat never lets you forget it. Bali’s jaded persona tries to be humorous, but his punchlines don’t hit. e movie doesn’t dedicate enough time to his background to make me want to care about or root for him. e New York private eye isn’t eye-catching enough, as Daniel Craig’s enigmatic detective is in Knives Out, nor is his dark past as captivating as butt-kicking Brad Pitt’s role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. If I were to watch more of Bali on the big screen through more short story adaptations, I’m hoping for an exposition doover. But my hopes might be ying too close to the sun. Caleb I just wish he got to do more, other than mope around the island and meditate on some harsh memories that lled him with the same kind of jealousy he now detects for a living. I never tire of a hardy, brooding protagonist, but I ended up gravitating toward Killer Heat ’s playful moments of humor far more than its angsty bits. I enjoyed watching Bali take on a couple of di erent guises, including that of an insurance

The fence seems to serve as a symbol of his emotionally barricaded self. Slowly, the barriers start coming down after he unexpectedly reunites with the muse of one of his greatest hits, “Girl on the Beach.” The muse, Sia (Agni Scott), seems a bit guarded at first herself, but the reason for this is revealed quickly after their reunion.

The film offers exactly what’s expected of a Netflix original rom-com. For lovers of cheesy, lighthearted, and somewhat predictable films, this is one to add to your watchlist. (94 min)

KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE

What’s it rated? G When? 1989

EWhere’s it showing? Max

veryone knows October is the start of the spooky season, so why not start the month off with a bang and watch a movie about a young witch, her mother’s broomstick, and her black cat that happens to also be her best friend.

claim o cial, in order to get some info on Leo’s death. During his investigation, Bali eventually butts heads with a rival detective, Georges Mensah, played by Babou Ceesay, who has an adorable canine sidekick. ere’s a scene where the three of them (including the dog) collaborate on a late-night stakeout, and it made me wish Killer Heat was a lighthearted buddy comedy instead. Bulbul Killer Heat is a good choice for a weeknight stream when you don’t know what to watch with dinner. If you must watch it with friends, I think it would be fun to guess how the killer did it even though it’s pretty predictable. It’s an extremely straightforward plot that the lmmakers try to unnecessarily complicate by interspersing ashbacks of Bali’s past with the present. It’s a light and easy watch for a movie that aims to be dark. It’s shorter than two hours, which means Killer Heat zzles out before you know it. ∆

Sta Writer Bulbul Rajagopal and Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood lled in for regular reviewers Glen and Anna Starkey this week. Email your thoughts to gstarkey@ newtimesslo.com.

BL AST BL AST FROM THE FROM THE

Kiki’s Delivery Service is directed by Hayao Miyazaki, a Japanese animator and filmmaker most notably known for his movies Spirited Away and Ponyo The story follows a 13-year-old witch named Kiki from the countryside. As tradition has it, when witches turn 13, they leave home and travel to a new city to enhance their skills, and Kiki’s excited to follow suit. Finding herself alone in the big city, Kiki decides her most prominent skill is flying on her broomstick, and she opens a delivery service.

—Emma Montalbano

Herrera

HOT WHEELS Socialite Penelope Vardakis (Shailene Woodley) enlists private investigator Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to tackle a suspicious death in her family, in the new Prime thriller, Killer Heat

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK REDMOND/PRIME

GUITAR HERO Find Me Falling, now streaming on Netflix, follows a washed-up musician (Harry Connick Jr.) with some emotional baggage that needs sorting.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Music

BY GLEN STARKEY

It takes guts to rebrand an already popular product—all that name recognition can disappear in a puff of smoke—but for Mike Harmeier, the time was right as he and his band recorded their ninth album, Silverada, adopting the album name for the band itself.

“Back in the day, all we wanted to do was play [famed Austin honky-tonk] the Broken Spoke,” Harmeier said in press materials. “We had different aspirations back then. We were still figuring out what kind of band we were gonna be, and that took a lot of time and a lot of records.”

They went from playing five-hour sets on Austin’s dancehall circuit to recording with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios to playing the Grand Ole Opry. On this new album, the band has concentrated on “sharp, detailed songwriting that bounces between autobiographical sketches and character studies.”

“Going into the studio, everybody in the band felt inspired to do something bigger than what they’d done before,” Harmeier explained. “We all knew we were at a precipice, and we wanted to jump. I brought in some songs that were metaphorical and not always straightforward, and that showed the guys that I wanted to take this music somewhere new ... so they threw their own rulebooks out the window, too.”

See Silverada courtesy of Numbskull and Good Medicine on Friday, Oct. 4, in The Siren (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $28.02 at goodmedicinepresents.com).

“We spent the first part of our career figuring out who we are and what we’re good at,” Harmeier added. “Now we want to evolve not only the sound of the band, but the dynamic of the live show, too. We’re all lifers here. We’re in this for the long haul. Silverada is us setting the stage for the next leg of the journey.”

The Lowdown Drifters open.

Hot to Go: Chappell Roan Party comes to the Madonna Inn Expo Center on Thursday, Oct. 3 (7 p.m.; all ages; $21.32 at goodmedicinepresents.com), to create

“simply the best Chappell Roan party at the best hotel on the planet,” said organizers. Blade Trip & Lovely Iris host the event. The town Goodnight in the state of Texas is midway between San Francisco and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, home to the two frontmen of the storytelling folk rock band Goodnight, Texas. The quintet emphasizes their two songwriters’ contrasting styles with one playing a 1913 Gibson A mandolin and the other a 2015 Danelectro Baritone Guitar, “at the crossroads of folk and blues and rock ’n’ roll, in a place where dry wit and dark truths meet hope and utmost sincerity,” according to the band. They play on Saturday, Oct. 5, in The Siren (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $22.35 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Singersongwriters Madeline Hawthorne and Caleb Nichols open.

Singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey has an amazing backstory: “Raised workingclass Catholic on the Northwest side of Milwaukee, he took a semester in Ireland, and immediately began cutting classes to busk on Grafton Street in Dublin and hitchhike through the country, finding whatever gigs he could,” his bio explains. “Back stateside, he spent a couple years gigging in the Midwest before lighting out for Boston, where he returned to busking (this time in the subway) and coffeehouses. Small shows led to larger shows, which eventually led to regional and then national and international touring. The wheels have not stopped since.” See the self-described “songwriter, road-dog, raconteur, and almost-poet” on Thursday, Oct. 10, in Club Car Bar (7 p.m.; all ages; $21.84 presale or $25.96 day of show at goodmedicinepresents.com).

The Siren

Head to Morro Bay this Saturday, Oct. 5, for a free show at The Siren when local ballad and anthem rockers Kerosene Kings perform (2 to 5 p.m.; 21-and-older). “Our special guest singer songwriter Matt Suarez will be bringing his soul-filled brand of guitar mastery to this show for you all to enjoy as well!” the club announced.

Vina Robles Amphitheatre

Last I checked, there are still tickets for country star Walker Hayes playing on Thursday, Oct. 3 (8 p.m.; all ages; $70 to $161.95 at ticketmaster.com). He’s best known for his Grammy Award-nominated hit “Fancy Like.” Joe & Martina opens. KJUG 98.1FM DJ Pepper Daniels spins. Hailing from Apodaca, Nuevo León, comes two-time Latin Grammy Award-winner Bronco, known for their modern spin on 1980s and ’90s norteño music. They’re also known for incorporating modern instruments like synthesizer and keyboards into their pop sound. See them on Friday, Oct. 4 (8 p.m.; all ages; $25 to $200.60 at ticketmaster.com).

Fremont Theater

Calling all Swifties! The Taylor Party: The TS Dance Party returns to downtown SLO on Friday, Oct. 4 (9 p.m.; 18-and-older; $26.75 at prekindle.com). Dance to your favorite “it” girl. The producer, singer-songwriter, and DJ known as Alleycvt brings her signature sounds to the Fremont on Wednesday, Oct. 9 (8 p.m.; all ages; $35.76 at prekindle.com). She burst onto the scene in 2021 and has since gathered more than 7 million streams on Spotify. According to press materials, “Her alluring pop adjacent vocals blend seamlessly with her heavy bass-filled drops, cementing her as a force to be reckoned with as she continues her meteoric rise.”

SLO Brew Live at Rod & Hammer Rock Beach rocker Surfer Girl opens the week at R&H on Thursday, Oct. 3 (doors at 8 p.m.; 18-and-older; $24.91 at ticketweb.com), with special guests Claire Wright and Backset opening. Expect breezy, melodic earworms. Originating from deep in the Seattle funk scene comes the Polyrhythmics playing Wednesday, Oct. 9 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $27.21 at ticketweb.com) with Spacehall Sound Machine opening. Expect “impossibly tight grooves with bold brass and hypnotic percussion that showcased elements of R&B, progressive jazz, and Afrobeat, which defined the instrumental group’s early era sound,” their bio explains.

Formed more than three decades ago at Chico State, The Mother Hips started as the quintessential college party band. While they were still in college, legendary producer Rick Rubin signed the band to his American Recordings label. Since then, they’ve grown into a preternatural force of sunny California rock and soul. Think Laurel Canyon’s heyday. Their most recent record, 2023’s When We Disappear, is their lucky 13th album. They return to SLO Town on Thursday, Oct. 10 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $32.36 at ticketweb.com) with Sam Blasucci opening.

More music …

Reminder that Chicago-based guitarist, composer, singer, and improviser Bill MacKay returns to San Luis Obispo with a show at The Bunker on Thursday, Oct. 3 (8 p.m.; all ages; $20 presale at my805tix.com). “MacKay is also a poet, visual artist, and polyglot, and is a member of both the avant-garde rock outfit Black Duck (with Douglas McCombs) and the experimental groove-drone project BCMC (with Cooper Crain),” according to his bio. The Succulent Marrow opens. The SLO Symphony and German organist Felix Hell present Organ Spectacular on Saturday, Oct. 5, in the Performing Arts Center (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $12 to $92 at pacslo.org). They’ll perform Belgian composer Joseph Jongen’s Sinfonia Concertante for Organ and Orchestra from 1926, as well as Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E minor op. 98 from 1883 and other works. ∆

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

EVOLUTION Austin country act Silverada, formerly Mike and the Moonpies, are renamed and ready to deliver some neo-traditional Texas twang on Oct. 4 , in The Siren.

Flavor

Viticultural visionaries

SLO County locals nominated for Wine Enthusiast’s premier industry awards program

Jason Haas, partner and general manager of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, and Joel Peterson, executive director of the nonprofit Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, are collaborators helping to elevate the prestige of the region’s wineries.

They’re also on the radar of Wine Enthusiast magazine, which in September nominated the duo for Person of the Year and Wine Executive of the Year, respectively, in its 25th annual Wine Star Awards.

The international awards program—with winners from 11 categories announced in November—honors individuals and companies that make outstanding contributions to the wine and beverage industry.

Haas is competing against viticultural standouts from Germany and Northern California, while Peterson’s category includes industry heavyweights from Italy, Chile, and Napa Valley.

“It’s a huge honor to be nominated alongside industry titans from around the world,” said Haas, of Templeton. “I think of this as recognition for the amazing work that my team here at Tablas Creek has done over the last three decades.”

Haas said he’s also excited for “the focus that it brings to Paso Robles, both through my nomination and [that of] my friend Joel Peterson.”

“It’s a great sign that a national, New York-based publication recognizes the region of Paso Robles in these, its most prestigious awards,” he continued.

“For all the growth the region has enjoyed, outside of California, Napa and Sonoma still have a big head start in consumer awareness.”

Peterson, of Paso, echoed Haas’ sentiments, adding that the nomination is “a tremendous honor” and is accepted on behalf

of the entire Wine Country Alliance staff.

“We work hard for the region, our wineries, members, and community without expectation,” said Peterson, a communications and marketing specialist with 20-plus years supporting Paso’s beverage industry.

“To be recognized is humbling and certainly not expected.”

However, in reflecting on the alliance’s growing esteem, he attributed it to several notable successes over the past few years.

“The Wine Country Alliance is only as strong as our members and the support they offer,” he said. “We are so lucky in Paso to have the backing of so many wineries that continue to craft incredible wines, offer special experiences, and make memorable impressions to wine consumers around the state, nation, and globe.

“Paso Robles was the featured wine region this spring by the Wine Institute’s California Alive program in Japan and South Korea, we were named the Best Wine Region in USA Today’s 2023 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest, and our annual Paso Wine Fest saw record attendance in May.”

Meet Jason and Joel

Connect with Jason Haas, second-generation proprietor of Tablas Creek Vineyard, at tablascreek.com. The winery is located at 9339 Adelaida Road in Paso Robles. Tasting appointments are available daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To reach Joel Peterson, executive director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, with a new location at 1314 Spring St. in Paso, visit pasowine.com.

He added that the alliance’s website, Paso Wine App, and Where Wine Takes You podcast have continued to draw attention, listeners, and fans.

One of the alliance’s biggest fans is Haas himself, who joined Peterson on the trek to Asia to promote Paso wines.

Peterson said Haas “works tirelessly for the Tablas Creek brand, but he does so in a way that always promotes Paso Robles.”

“He has raised the bar with Tablas Creek’s initiatives in sustainability, regenerative organic farming, and packaging,” he continued. “Jason—and Tablas Creek—is a shining representative of our wine region.”

Standing out in a sea of notable Paso vintners—encompassing more than 200 wineries, 40,000 vineyard acres, and 60 grape varieties—Haas sits on multiple boards, several of which he has helmed, and has garnered a slew of awards, including the 2015 Paso Robles Wine

Country Wine Industry Person of the Year and 2017 San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Person of the Year.

The son of the late Robert Haas, cofounder of Tablas Creek along with JeanPierre and Francois Perrin of Rhone Valley winery Chateau de Beaucastel, Haas is most known for his passionate advocacy of sustainable vineyard practices.

In nominating him for Wine Enthusiast ’s Person of the Year, the magazine wrote: “Jason Haas is determined to lead by example when it comes to planning for the future of wine, from looking at how to combat inequality in the industry to implementing sustainable agriculture.

“Through his work at Tablas Creek, Haas has had a hand in projects to help reduce shipping emissions through lighter bottles and many other initiatives in and out of the vineyard.”

PASSIONATE ABOUT PASO Joel Peterson serves as executive director of the nonprofit Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, promoting and supporting the region’s 200-plus wineries and hundreds of associated businesses.

PARTNERS IN WINE Tablas Creek proprietor Jason Haas is flanked by Francois Perrin, right, co-founder of the Paso Robles winery, and Cesar Perrin, Francois’ son. The Perrin family’s Chateau de Beaucastel in France is Tablas Creek’s sister winery.

COURTESY PHOTO BY BRITTANY APP

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Haas was previously nominated for the magazine’s Innovator of the Year award in 2022, on the heels of becoming the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) vineyard in 2020 and the first Regenerative Organic Certified Gold vineyard in 2022.

“That was for Tablas Creek as a business,” he said. “This is my first time being nominated personally.”

The winery’s environmental initiatives go deeper and further back than the ROC program, “which we were the first winery to join in 2019,” Haas said. But they align with ROC’s overall mission.

“One thing we love about ROC is that it’s about more than farming,” he explained. “It’s about humane treatment of your working animals. It’s about how you use your resources. And, most importantly, it’s about your people, making sure they have a living wage, making sure that you’re continuing to invest in their skills.

“And we’ve tried to incorporate this same spirit into all aspects of our business, from sourcing to packaging to our supply chain.

“Dipping our toes into 3-liter wine boxes was one of these initiatives. We figured that given the 84-percent reduction in carbon footprint that boxes have vs. the same volume of wine in glass bottles, and the package’s benefits to consumers in terms of preservation, weight, and storage space, it was worth us doing what we could to help destigmatize it. And the response has been amazing,” Haas said.

“I would hope that what sets Tablas Creek apart is our commitment to innovation across all aspects of what we do, all in the service of

making great wine, being the best steward of the land we can be, and supporting our community as they navigate their own paths.

“We’re not afraid to be the first to try something, and we’ve always operated under the belief that it’s worth the effort to inspire others to follow in our footsteps,” he said. “We’re always excited to help other vineyards and wineries travel along this path toward greater sustainability. And we feel like we’re just getting started.”

Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte salutes Jason and Joel—pivotal players in Paso’s rising star. Reach her at cwhyte@newtimesslo.com.

Wrongful Termination • Disability Discrimination

Sexual Harassment • Working “Off the Clock” • Denied Meal and Rest Breaks

Reimbursement forWork-Related Expenses

ROSÉ A NEW WAY Tablas Creek’s Patelin de Tablas Rosé—a blend of grenache, mourvèdre, counoise, and vermentino—can be purchased in a 3-liter, eco-friendly format that offers advantages in preservation, storage, and portability.

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NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER

ESTATE OF:

MARTHA J. HARRINGTON, aka MARTHA J. DAVIS DECEDENT

CASE NUMBER: 24PR-0316

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: MARTHA J. HARRINGTON, aka MARTHA J. DAVIS

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by WENDY K. GREEN in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN LUIS OBISPO.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that WENDY K. GREEN be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: November 5, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in Dept.: 4 in at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, located at 1035 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408.

Civil and Family Law Branch

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a formal Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner: Martha B. Spalding, Attorney at Law

215 South Main Street Templeton, CA 93465

805-434-2138

October 3, 10, 17, 2024

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER

ESTATE OF: KENNETH NOAH CHAPMAN DECEDENT

CASE NUMBER: 24PR-0301

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: Kenneth Noah Chapman A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Terry Chapman in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN LUIS OBISPO.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that by Terry Chapman be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the Amended petition will be held in this court as follows: October 29, 2024, at 9:01 a.m. in Dept.: 4 in person at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, located at 1050 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408. Superior Court - Probate

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a formal Request for Special Notice (form DE154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner: Douglas M. Buchanan (SBN 147241)

P.O. Box 234

Arroyo Grande, CA 93421 (805) 541-6440 October 3, 10, 17, 2024

SALDIVAR

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF NAZARIO

CASE NUMBER 24PR0085

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of:

NAZARIO SALDIVAR

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by JULIO SALDIVAR in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN LUIS OBISPO.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that by JULIO SALDIVAR be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: December 17, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in Dept.: 4 in person at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, located at 1035 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a formal Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner: Brian Craig Kreowski, Esq 1435 Shell Beach Road Shell Beach, CA 93449 (805) 773-5661 September 26, October 3, 10, 2024

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE

OF WILLIAM H. MCNAMARA

CASE NUMBER: 24PR0289

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: William H. McNamara

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Doona Jean McNamara in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN LUIS OBISPO.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that by Donna Jean McNamara be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the Amended petition will be held in this court as follows: October 22, 2024, at 9:01 a.m. in Dept.: 4 in person at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, located at 1050 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a formal Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner: Benjamin Bourgault, Esq. 424 S. Main Street Templeton, CA 93465

805-392-3302 September 26, October 3, 10, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

CASE NUMBER: 24CVP0260

To all interested persons: Petitioner: Phillip Hirzel Cao filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME: Phillip Hirzel Cao, to PROPOSED NAME: Phillip Cao Hirzel.

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: October 16, 2024, 9:30 am Dept. Paso Room 2, in person or by Zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 901 Park Street Paso Robles, CA 93446. Civil Court Operations. 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:August 30, 2024.. /s/: Michael C. Kelley, Judge of the Superior Court. September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

CASE NUMBER: 24CV0558

To all interested persons: Petitioner: Brian E Saylor filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME: Brian Eldon Saylor, to PROPOSED NAME: Peter North Dior.

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: November 07, 2024, 9:00 am Dept. Paso Room 2, in person or by Zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, 1050 Monterey Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93408. Civil Court Operations. 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: November 7, 2024. /s/: Craig van Royen, Judge of the Superior Court. September 19, 26, October 3, 10, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

CASE NUMBER: 24CV0583

To all interested persons: Petitioner: Kinson Her filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME: Kinson Her, to PROPOSED NAME: Kaden Her.

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: October 30, 2024, 9:00 am Dept. Paso Room 4, in person or by Zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo,1035 Palm Street, Room 385, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408. Civil Court Operations. 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: November 7, 2024. /s/: Tana L Coates, Judge of the Superior Court. September 19, 26, October 3, 10, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: 24CV0587

To all interested persons: Petitioner: Glenn Ernest Sparks filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME: Glenn Ernest Sparks to PROPOSED NAME: Glen Ernest Sparks.

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: November 27, 2024, Time: 9:00 am, Department 4, in person or by Zoom at the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo Superior Court, 1035 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: New Times Date: September 20, 2024.

/s/: Judge Coates, Tana L., Judge of the Superior Court. Publication dates October 3, 10, 17, 24, 2024

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF BULK SALE

(SECS. 6104, 6105 U.C.C.)

ESCROW NO. P-643242-2

Notice is hereby given to creditors of the within named seller that a bulk sale is about to be made of the assets described below. The names and business addresses of the Seller are: Nicolas A Mendoza and Becky R Garske Mendoza and Eddie Mendoza and Marie Mendoza and Lolo's Mexican Food 2848 Main Street, Morro Bay, CA 93442

The location in California of the chief executive office of the seller is: (If “same as above”, so state.) same as above

As listed by the seller, all other business names and addresses used by the seller within three years before the date such list was sent or delivered to the buyer are: (if “none”, so state.)

NONE

The names and addresses of the Buyer are: MI CASA, INC., a California Corporation 650 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay, CA 93442

The assets to be sold are described in general as: All of the stock in trade, merchandise, supplies, fixtures, equipment, goodwill and trade and are located at: 2848 Main Street , Morro Bay, CA 93442

The business name used by the seller at that location is: LOLO'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT aka LOLO'S OF MORRO BAY

The anticipated date of the bulk sale is October 22, 2024 at the office of Placer Title Company, located at 1446 Tollhouse Road, Suite 103 Clovis, CA 93611. This bulk sale is subject to California Uniform Commercial Code Section 6106.2. The name and address of the person with who claims may be filed is Erica Osborne. Placer Title Company, 1446 Tollhouse Road, Suite 103 Clovis, CA 93611, Escrow # P643242-2 and the last date for filing claims shall be October 21, 2024, which is the business day before the sale date specified above.

Dated: September 17, 2024 BUYER: MI CASA, INC. /S/ By: Maria De Jesus Antonio, CEO/CFO/Secretary 10/3/24 CNS-3856314# NEW TIMES

Notice to Creditors of Gilbert Starkenburg, Jr., Decedent Superior Court of California County of San Luis Obispo [California Probate Code § 19003] In the Matter of Gilbert Starkenburg, Jr., Decedent. Notice is hereby given to the creditors and contingent creditors of the above-named decedent, that all persons having claims against the decedent are required to file them with the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo, at 1050 Monterey Street Room 220, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408, and deliver pursuant to Section 1215 of the California Probate Code a copy to Innette Starkenburg, as trustee of the trust dated March 14, 1991 wherein decedent was a settlor, at the following address: c/o Talley Law Group, LLP Attn: Karen A. Shiffman, Esq., 1100 Town & Country Road, Suite 1111, Orange, CA 92868, within the later of four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or, if notice is mailed or personally delivered to you, 60 days after the date this Notice is mailed or personally delivered to you, or you must petition the court to file a late claim as provided in Section 19103 of the Probate Code. A claim form may be obtained from the court clerk. For your protection, you are encouraged to file your claim by certified mail, with return receipt requested.

9/26, 10/3, 10/10/24 CNS-3855192# NEW TIMES

ADMINISTRATIVE PERMIT PUBLIC HEARING Place your Legal Notice with New Times–we will take care of your legal needs.

The City of San Luis Obispo’s Zoning Hearing Officer will hold a public hearing at 2:30 p.m. or later on Monday, October 14th, 2024, in Conference Room 1, at 919 Palm Street, to consider the following:

1. 1134 and 1144 Chorro. USE-0455-2024; Review of a Minor Use Permit to establish an office use on the ground floor in the Downtown Commercial (C-D) Zone. The project is categorically exempt from environmental review (CEQA); C-DH-PD Zone; Cal Poly Partners, applicant. (Hannah Hanh)

2. 1827 Broad. USE-0519-2024; Review of a Minor Use Permit to establish a single-family residence in the Neighborhood Commercial (C-N) Zone. The project is categorically exempt from environmental review (CEQA); C-N Zone; Gerald and Toni Detz, applicants. (Hannah Hanh)

PLEASE NOTE: Any court challenge to the actions taken on these public hearing items may be limited to considering only those issues raised at the public hearing described in this notice or in written correspondence delivered to the City of San Luis Obispo at, or prior to, the public hearing. October 3, 2024

Deadlines for all legal notices are Mondays before 3pm, for publication in the following Thursday’s edition. Call our legal coordinator today: 805-546-8208 ext. 208 legals@newtimesslo.com

NewTimes isonly 2blocksfromthe Courthouse

Adult Services

rec’d & filed.

08. Item 38: Closed Session. Anticipated Litigation: Significant exposure to litigation - potential cases: 4. Initiation of litigation - potential cases: 3. Conference w/ Labor Negotiator re: employee organizations: SLOPA; SLOCEA-T&C; DCCA; Sheriffs’ Mgmt; SLOCPPOA; DSA; DAIA; SLOCPMPOA; SLOCEA – PSSC; Unrepresented Mgmt & Confidential Employees; SDSA; UDWA. Open Session. Report out.

09. Item 39: The conversion of the Co. Bikeways Plan into a comprehensive Active Transportation Plan (ATP) for Co. maintained roads in coordination w/ SLOCOG’s Regional Active Transportation Plan; pursue grant funding opportunities to fund the conversion effort & a recommendation for restructuring the Bicycle Advisory Committee to advise on the conversion to an ATP, approved.

10. Item 40: Hearing to consider a request by Mittry Farms Trust at 301 North Main St, Templeton for a Land Use Ordinance Amendment (LRP2021-00006) to amend §22.104.090.C.5 to include Residential SingleFamily as an allowable principal use on a 10.02-acre Commercial Retail parcel (Ordinance 3517), adopted; Vesting Tentative Tract Map (N-SUB2023-00013) & Conditional Use Permit (N-DRC2023-00057) to subdivide the parcel into 26 lots & facilitate the construction of 22 single-family residential units, ADUs & site improvements & adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), approved as amended.

11. Item 41: Res. 2024-230, denying appeal of S. Blake, upholding the decision of the Planning Commission to approve the Minor Use Permit (N-DRC2023-00058) & Variance (N-DRC2023-00063) at 1019 Longview Ave, adjacent to the Pismo Preserve & City of Pismo Beach neighborhood of Pismo Heights & adopts the Mitigated Negative Declaration, approved as amended.

12. Item 42: Board Member Comments & Reports on Meetings: Supervisor Peschong: recognizes the efforts Supervisor Gibson on SB 977. Motion by Supervisors Peschong & Arnold to bring back a consent agenda item on 10/8/24 to formally endorse Proposition 36 (5-0 vote). Supervisor Peschong thanks P. Wilmore for coming today to talk about wine grapes & vegetables & announces Harvest Weekend in Paso Robles, October 1820. Chairperson Arnold announces a Colony Celebration on October 5th in Atascadero. Supervisor Ortiz-Legg comments on the 3CE annual meeting.

MEETING ADJOURNED

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

Matthew P. Pontes, County Administrative Officer & Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: Annette Ramirez, Deputy Clerk of the Board of Supervisors October 3, 2024

PLANNING COMMISSION CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2024, at 6:00 p.m, or soon thereafter, to consider the following item:

Consideration Of Conditional Use Permit 24-001 And Finding That This Action Is Exempt From Review Under The California Environmental Quality Act Pursuant To State Guidelines Section 15303; New 68 Foot Wireless Cell Telecommunication Facility; Location – 959 Valley Road; Applicant – Verizon Wireless. The Planning Commission will consider an application to construct, operate, and maintain a new 68-foot wireless cell telecommunication facility within a 900 square foot lease area.

The construction of a sixty-eight foot wireless telecommunication facility is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) under the Class 3 exemption, which applies to the construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures; installation of small new equipment and facilities in small structures; and the conversion of existing small structures from one use to another where only minor modifications are made in the exterior of the structure. (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15303.)

This Planning Commission meeting will be held at 215 E. Branch Street and conducted in a hybrid in-person/ virtual format. During the public hearing, public comment will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker, pursuant to current meeting procedure.

The Planning Commission may also discuss other hearings or business items before or after the item listed above. If you challenge the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing. Failure of any person to receive the notice shall not constitute grounds for any court to invalidate the action of the legislative body for which the notice was given.

Documents related to the project are available in the Community Development Department located at 300 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande. The Agenda and reports are posted online at www.arroyogrande.org 72 hours prior to the meeting. Please call (805) 473-5420 for more information. The Planning Commission meeting will be televised live on Charter Cable Channel 20 and streamed live on the City’s YouTube Channel.

/s/Jessica Matson, City Clerk October 3, 2024

ORDINANCE NO. 3517

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 22 OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CODE TO ADD A NEW ALLOWED LAND USE TO SECTION 22.104.090.C.5 OF THE TEMPLETON COMMUNITY PLANNING STANDARDS

The Board of Supervisors of the County of San Luis Obispo ordains as follows:

SECTION 1: Section 22.104.090.C.5 of the Land Use Ordinance, Title 22 of the San Luis Obispo County Code, is hereby amended to add the following: Chapter 22.104.090.C.5 – Highway 101/North Main Street Interchange

The following standards apply to the area located south of and adjacent to the Highway 101/North Main Street interchange on the east side of Highway 101 corresponding to Figure 104-31.

Figure 104-31: CR - Highway 101/North Main Street – Templeton

a. Limitation on use. Land uses shall be limited to: bars and nightclubs, restaurants; gas stations; offices; hotels and motels, in compliance with the land use permit requirements of Section 22.06.030. In addition to these uses, residential single-family uses are allowed on the southernmost parcel shown in Figure 104-31.

b. Site planning. Proposed development shall provide a minimum of 25-foot landscaped setback from the Highway 101 right-of-way and any adjacent residential category for buffering and screening foreground views from the Highway 101 corridor and residential areas, while retaining background views. Other provisions for minimizing the visual impacts of grading and development as seen from Highway 101 and North Main Street shall integrate site development with the public facilities category and the grade elevation of North Main Street.

SECTION 2. That the Board of Supervisors has considered the Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared and conducted with respect to the matter described above. The Board of Supervisors has, as a result of its consideration, and the evidence presented at the hearings on said matter, determined that the proposed declaration notices as heretofore prepared and filed, are appropriate, and have been prepared and are hereby approved in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act and the County’s regulations implementing said Act. The Board of Supervisors, in adopting this ordinance, has taken into account and reviewed and considered the information contained in the declaration notices approved for this project and all comments that were received during the public hearing process. On the basis of the project review and any comments received, there is no substantial evidence that the adoption of this ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment.

SECTION 3. If any section, subsection, clause, phrase or portion of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portion of this ordinance. The Board of Supervisors hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each section, subsection, clause, phrase or portion thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases or portions be declared invalid or unconstitutional.

SECTION 4: Before the expiration of 15 days after the adoption of this ordinance by the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, it shall be published once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the County of San Luis Obispo, State of California, together with the names of the members of the Board of Supervisors voting for and against the ordinance.

SECTION 6: This Ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days after its enactment by the Board of Supervisors.

SECTION 7: In accordance with Government Code Section 25131, after reading the title of this Ordinance, further reading of the Ordinance in full is waived.

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Luis Obispo, State of California, on the 24th day of September, 2024, by the following roll call vote, to wit:

AYES: Supervisor John Peschong, Chairperson Debbie Arnold, Supervisors Dawn Ortiz-Legg and Jimmy Paulding

NOES: Supervisor Bruce S. Gibson

ABSENT: None

ABSTAINING: None

DATED: October 2, 2024

Matthew P. Pontes, Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

By: /s/ Niki Martin

Deputy Clerk

October 3, 2024

SAN LUIS OBISPO CITY COUNCIL

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The San Luis Obispo City Council invites all interested persons to attend a public hearing on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. Meetings may be viewed remotely on Government Access Channel 20 or streamed live from the City’s YouTube channel at www.youtube. com/CityofSanLuisObispo. Public comment, prior to the start of the meeting, may be submitted in writing via U.S. Mail delivered to the City Clerk’s office at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 or by email to emailcouncil@slocity.org.

PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS:

• The City Council will review an appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision on June 12, 2024 to approve a Conditional Use Permit to establish a fraternity for up to 24 residents at 1264 and 1264 ½ East Foothill Boulevard and 1241, 1243, 1249, and 1251 Monte Vista Place. The project includes a request to provide two (2) parking spaces in tandem on an existing driveway along East Foothill Boulevard. The project is exempt from environmental review under Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. Project Address: 1264 and 1264 1/2 East Foothill Boulevard; 1241, 1243, 1249, and 1251 Monte Vista Place; APPL-0365-2024, USE-0331-2023

For more information, contact Hannah Hanh, Associate Planner, for the City’s Community Development Department at (805) 781-7432 or by email, hhanh@slocity.org.

• The City Council will hold a Public Hearing to consider any protests against the continuance of the San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID). If a legally sufficient protest is not made, Council will consider adoption of a Resolution affirming the continuation of the TBID, setting forth the basis for the assessment, and levying the assessment with no changes upon hotels in the district for fiscal year 2024-25, at the same rate (2%) as all prior years.

For more information, contact Jacqui ClarkCharlesworth, Tourism & Community Promotions Manager, for the City’s Administration Department at (805) 781-7216 or by email, jclark@slocity.org.

• The City Council will consider a Resolution of Intention to abandon portions of the City right-ofway on Slack Street and to set a public hearing for November 12, 2024 to consider a Resolution of Abandonment and Detachment. The applications are proposed to accommodate a Cal Poly faculty and staff housing development at the corner of Grand and Slack, as well as right-of-way and City limit adjustments to correct historical boundaries. Pedestrian access and utility easements shall be preserved. The project is consistent with the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Cal Poly 2035 Master Plan and the EIR Addendum for the Slack and Grand Faculty/Staff Housing Project. Project Address: 1 Grand Avenue, Slack Street right-ofway (approximately from Longview to Henderson), and APN 052-082-028; Case #: ANNX-0219-2024, STAB-0038-2024; Zone: Right-of-way, Public Facility (PF), and Low-Density Residential (R-1); Cal Poly San Luis Obispo University, applicant.

For more information, contact Callie Taylor, Senior Planner, for the City’s Community Development Department at (805) 781-7016 or by email, cltaylor@slocity.org.

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

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

October 3, 2024

CITY OF GROVER BEACH NOTICE TO BIDDERS

An electronic copy in PDF format of all required submittals must be submitted to publicworks@groverbeach.org and received by no later than 2:00pm on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Submittals received after the specified time will not be accepted. PDF documents must have permissions enabled for comments and printing.

CITY OF GROVER BEACH 2024 ANNUAL STORM DRIAN INLET CLEANING

BACKGROUND & SCOPE OF WORK

The City of Grover Beach is requesting bids from qualified Contractors to furnish all labor, materials, tools and equipment necessary to complete the cleaning, inspection and reporting of the City’s stormwater drain inlets, stormwater structures, and appurtenances. The project includes the cleaning and removal of accumulated sediment, debris, then inspecting and reporting of 253 of 278 City owned drain inlet locations. Work is required to commence by October 28th, 2024 and shall be completed in Fifteen (15) working days.

The full scope of work is listed in the bid documents on the City’s website.

OPTIONAL PRE-BID JOB SITE WALK AT CONTRACTOR’S REQUEST

Bidders interested in submitting a bid for this project may request an optional site walk. Bidders must coordinate with Javier Garcia by email at jgarcia@groverbeach.org or (805) 724-5504 to request a site walk before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 3rd, 2024.

Bidder inquiries shall be submitted in writing via email to the City of Grover Beach, Public Works Department, at: publicworks@groverbeach.org. The cut off time that the City will accept bidder’s inquiries is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 7th, 2024. The City will respond to bidder’s inquiries via bidding addenda. Any such inquiries, submitted after the cutoff time of receiving bidder’s inquiries, will not be considered.

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

# # #

Legal Ad Published: New Times: Thursdays September 26th & October 3rd

CITY OF ATASCADERO NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING

DATE: Tuesday, October 15, 2024

TIME: 6:00 p.m. PLACE: City of Atascadero 6500 Palma Avenue, 4th Floor Atascadero, CA 93422

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Atascadero will hold a Public Hearing at the time and place indicated above to consider the following project and proposed environmental determination: 1. City of Atascadero CEQA Streamlining. The project includes amendments to Title 9, Planning and Zoning, of the Atascadero Municipal Code to establish objective standards for hillsides, watercourse adjacent areas, archeologically sensitive areas, and historic resources to provide a ministerial review process for permit streamlining. (ZCH23-0061)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Public resources Code Section 21000 et seq., because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the enactment of this Ordinance would have a significant effect on the environment (Pub. Resources Code § 21065; CEQA Guidelines §15061(b)(3).)

INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS are invited to participate and will be given an opportunity to speak in favor or opposition to the above-proposed project. To provide written public comment, please email comments to: pc-comments@atascadero.org by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Email comments must identify the Agenda Item Number in the subject line of the email. Comments will be forwarded to the Planning Commission and made part of the administrative record of the meeting. If a comment is received after the deadline for submission but before the close of the meeting, the comment will still be included as a part of the record of the meeting. Please note, email comments will not be read into the record. All comments received on this item may become part of the public record and are subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act. Information regarding the hearing is filed in the Community Development Department. If you have any questions, please call Planning Services or visit the office at 6500 Palma Ave., by appointment only, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. All documents related to the projects will be available for review on the City’s website 72 hours prior to the public hearing at http://www.atascadero.org.

DATED: Sept. 30, 2024

S/ P. Dunsmore, Community Development Director

PUBLISH: October 3, 2024

Date of Notice: October 3, 2024

Name of Responsible Entity: County of San Luis Obispo, Department of Social Services (DSS)

Address: P.O. Box 8119

City, State, Zip Code: San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8119

Telephone Number: Attn: Marge Castle, Program Manager, (805) 788-9491, mrcastle@co.slo.ca.us

These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the County of San Luis Obispo. REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS

On or about October 19, 2024, the County of San Luis Obispo, as the Responsible Entity, will submit a request to the Los Angeles Field Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the release of Project-Based Section 8 Voucher funds under Section 8(o)(13) of the Housing Action of 1937, (42 U.S.C. 1437f), as amended, to undertake a project known as the Monterey Senior Apartments Project (Project) for the purpose of providing affordable housing that will include 55 residential units dedicated to low-income households, estimated funding of $9,780,840 and located at 1480 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, California (APN: 001137-015 and APN: 001-137-013). A parcel merger has been approved and recorded. As of the date of this notice, the merger has not been completed by the County of San Luis Obispo Assessor’s Office. The completed project will be located at 1424 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, California.

• The total amount of funds requested is $9,780,840 / HUD Section 8 Project-Based Voucher Rental Subsidy. San Luis Obispo Housing Authority is reserving funds at 1424 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, County of San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Project at approximately $652,056 annually for fifteen (15) years.

• The Grant Recipient – San Luis Obispo Housing Authority has committed a total of (30) vouchers. (13) studios and (17) 1-bedrooms HUD Section 8 PBV, Project-Basing Voucher Rental Subsidy Vouchers allocated to the project. The (11) studios are at 30% AMI, (2) studios are at 40% AMI, (11) 1-bedrooms are at 30% AMI, and (6) 1-bedroom is at 40% AMI. On or about October 19, 2024, the County of San Luis Obispo, as the Responsible Entity and designated administrator of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program for the Urban County of San Luis Obispo, will submit a request to the Los Angeles Field Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the release of CDBG funds under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), to undertake a project known as the Monterey Senior Apartments for the purpose of the acquisition of the Project site to construct new affordable housing estimated funding of $309,884 at 1422 and 1480 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, California (APN: 001-137-015 and APN: 001-137-013). A parcel merger has been approved and recorded. As of the date of this notice, the merger has not been completed by the County of San Luis Obispo Assessor’s Office. The completed project will be located at 1424 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, California. Project Description: The proposed Monterey Senior Apartments Affordable Housing Project is the first phase consisting of a new 34,490 square foot, five-story, residential structure that includes 55 residential dwelling units dedicated to low-income households which include 372-square foot studio units and 550-square foot one-bedroom units. Additional phases of the project will include

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TEMPLETON COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Directors of the Templeton Community Services District will hold a public hearing beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, to consider proposed annual adjustments to the water, wastewater, fire and parks and recreation development impact fees (DIFs) for the Templeton Community Services District (TCSD or District). Development impact fees are one-time fees paid by new development connecting to public facilities. The proposed annual adjustments to the DIFs are based on annual change in the Engineering News Record Construction Cost Index, 20 Cities Average.

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

Public Call in Number to Participate is as follows:

ZOOM Phone #: 1-669-900-6833

Meeting ID: 898 2067 5009

Passcode: 147401

Or Join the Zoom Meeting at: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/89820675009?pwd=Guy4b6STyYnmoCS BkxVqyVmRrqBQXE.1

At the public hearing on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, the District will consider any and all comments and objections to the proposed amendment.

If approved, the proposed increases are anticipated to become effective as of January 1, 2025. Any person interested in this matter is invited to attend the public hearing. If there are any questions concerning the proposed adjustments or the public hearing, please contact the District office at (805) 434-4900.

September 26, October 3, 2024

Stay connected – www.templetoncsd.org – Go to “Notify Me”

NOTICE OF

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

ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS

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

1. 649 Church. DIR-0463-2024; Request for approval of two required parking spaces to be arranged in tandem (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); R-2 Zone; Bruce Parkins, applicant. (Mallory Patino)

2. 771 Islay. MOD-0503-2024; Request to modify an existing approval of a Tiny Home, DIR-0583-2019, by removing the existing tiny home and replacing with a new tiny home in the same location within the backyard of a singlefamily residence (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); R-2-H Zone; Mark DiMaggio, applicant. (Mallory Patino)

3. 3750 Bullock. ARCH-0423-2024; Review of a public art sculpture to be installed within the Tiburon Place Apartments project (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); R-3-SP Zone; People’s SelfHelp Housing Corp, Diana Feldtkeller, applicant. (Mallory Patino)

4. 1650 Palm. HOME-0524-2024; Review of a homestay rental application to allow short-term rental (such as Airbnb) of two bedrooms within an owner-occupied residence (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review; R-2 Zone; Kelsey Erbstoesser, applicant. (Mallory Patino)

5. 1854 Huasna. DIR-0420-2024; Request for an exception to rear and side setback standards to allow placement of two accessory structures, each a small storage shed about 120 sq. ft. in area. One shed will be located fourteen inches from the side property line and seventeen inches from the rear property line, and the other shed will be located three feet from the rear property line, where the standard minimum setbacks are five feet (categorically exempt from CEQA environmental review); R-1 Zone; Michael Townsend, applicant. (Walter Oetzell)

The Community Development Director will either approve or deny these applications no sooner than October 14, 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.

October 3, 2024

Total Funds: $ 10,090,724 FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The County of San Luis Obispo has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on file at County of San Luis Obispo, Department of Social Services, 3433 S. Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, CA and may be examined or copied weekdays 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Electronic copies of the document are also available for review. Please contact Marge Castle, Program Manager (805) 788-9491, mrcastle@co.slo.ca.us between the hours as noted above.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the County of San Luis Obispo, Department of Social Services, PO Box 8119, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8119, Attn.: Marge Castle, Program Manager. All comments received by October 18, 2024, will be considered by the County of San Luis Obispo prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION

The County of San Luis Obispo certifies to The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that Mark LaRue in his capacity as the Deputy Director of the Department of Planning & Building consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. The HUD/Los Angeles Field Office’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the County of San Luis Obispo to use Program funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

The HUD/Los Angeles Field Office will accept objections to its release of funds and the County of San Luis Obispo’s certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the County of San Luis Obispo; (b) the County of San Luis Obispo has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD/Los Angeles Field Office; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections under Section 8 PBV

The Templeton Community Services District will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, beginning at 7:00 p.m. to consider making several amendments to the Master Fee Schedule. The first amendment is the addition of the Administrative Fee that is charged when property owners are billed for weed abatement services performed by the District’s contractor. This fee was previously approved but is not reflected in the Master Fee Schedule. The second amendment is to adjust fees related to backflow prevention devices. District code established a backflow prevention device service inspection fee when a connector is required to install a backflow prevention device, as well as a monthly service charge which contributes to the District’s costs for monitoring the program. The amendment would include the addition of this one-time service inspection fee and an adjustment to the amount of the monthly monitoring fee.

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: 898 2067 5009 Passcode: 147401

Or Join the Zoom Meeting at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89820675009?pwd=Guy4b6STyY nmoCSBkxVqyVmRrqBQXE.1

At the public hearing on Tuesday, October 15, 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 dropped-off 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, October 15, 2024 by 3:00 p.m.

September 26, October 3, 2024

Stay connected – www.templetoncsd.org – Go to “Notify Me”

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING City of Atascadero

DATE: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 TIME: 6:00 p.m.

PLACE: City of Atascadero Council Chambers 6500 Palma Avenue Atascadero, CA 93422

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Atascadero will hold a PUBLIC HEARING at the time and place indicated above to consider the proposed project:

1. Adoption of a Development Agreement, Planned Development Overlay Zone Change, and creek realignment concept to allow for and facilitate a future multi-family development with up to 42 residential units on a 4.2-acre site at 11450 Viejo Camino (APN 045-342-009) and 11505 El Camino Real (APN 045-342010). A Mitigated Negative Declaration was prepared for the project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., (CEQA). (DEV24-0075)

INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS are invited to participate and will be given an opportunity to speak in favor or opposition to the above-proposed project. To provide written public comment, please email comments to pc-comments@atascadero.org by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Comments will be forwarded to the Planning Commission and made part of the administrative record. If a comment is received after the deadline for submission but before the close of the meeting, the comment will still be included as part of the record of the meeting. Please note, email comments will not be read into the record. Information regarding the hearing is filed in the Community Development Department. If you have any questions, please call Planning Services or visit the office at 6500 Palma Ave., by appointment only, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. All documents related to the project will be available for review on the City’s website 72 hours prior to the public hearing at http://www.atascadero.org/agendas.

DATED: Sept. 30, 2024

S/ P Dunsmore, Community Development Director PUBLISH: October 3, 2024

NOTICE: SEIZURE OF PROPERTY AND INITIATION OF

NONJUDICIAL FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS PER HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 11488.4(J)

TO: ALL PERSONS CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST IN PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

$3,996.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY

Notice is hereby given that on April 25, 2024, the abovedescribed property was seized at or near 204 Moore Lane, Arroyo Grande, CA, by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, in connection with cannabis violations, to wit, section(s) 11351 and 11352 of the California Health and Safety Code. The estimated/appraised value of the property is $3,996.00.

Pursuant to section 11488.4(j) of the California Health and Safety Code, you must file a verified claim stating your interest in the property with the Superior Court’s Civil Division, Room 385, County Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California 93408. Claim forms are available from the Clerk of the above court and also online at https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/mc200.pdf.

Furthermore, an endorsed copy of the verified claim must also be served on the District Attorney, Asset Forfeiture Unit, County Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm Street, 4th Floor, San Luis Obispo, California 93408, within 30 days of filing the claim with the Superior Court’s Civil Division. Both the District Attorney’s Office and the Interested Party filing the claim are entitled to conduct reciprocal requests for discovery in preparation for a hearing. The provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure shall apply to the proceedings unless inconsistent with the provisions or procedures set forth in the Health and Safety Code (Section 11488.5(c)(3)). The Interested Party in entitled to legal representation at a hearing, although not one appointed at public expense, and has the right to present evidence and witnesses, and to cross-examine plaintiff’s witnesses, but there is no right to avoid testifying at a civil hearing.

The failure to timely file and secure a verified claim stating an interest in the property in the Superior Court will result in the property being declared or ordered forfeited to the State of California and distributed pursuant to the provisions of Health and Safety Code section 11489 without further notice or hearing.

DATED: September 16, 2024

DAN DOW

District Attorney

Kenneth Jorgensen

Deputy District Attorney

September 19, 26, October 3, 2024

CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2024, at 6:00 p.m, or soon thereafter, to consider the following item:

Continued Consideration Of Tentative Parcel Map 23-001

And Finding That This Action Is Exempt From Review Under The California Environmental Quality Act Pursuant To State Guidelines Section 15315; Subdivision of One (1) Existing Parcel into Four (4) with One (1) Remainder Parcel; Location – 444 Lierly Lane; Applicant – Bruce Vanderveen and Jeanne Helphenstine; Representative – Kerry Margason, MBS Land Surveys. The Planning Commission will continue its consideration of an application from the May 7, 2024, meeting to subdivide an existing parcel into four (4) new parcels with one (1) remainder parcel.

The proposed subdivision is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under the Class 15 exemption, which applies to minor land divisions. This exemption applies because the proposal creates four (4) or fewer parcels, is in compliance with the General Plan and all applicable zoning regulations, all services and access are available to the subject parcels, the parcel was not involved in a subdivision in the past two (2) years and the average slope of the parcel does not exceed twenty percent (20%).

This Planning Commission meeting will be held at 215 E. Branch Street and conducted in a hybrid in-person/ virtual format. During the public hearing, public comment will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker, pursuant to current meeting procedure.

The Planning Commission may also discuss other hearings or business items before or after the item listed above. If you challenge the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing. Failure of any person to receive the notice shall not constitute grounds for any court to invalidate the action of the legislative body for which the notice was given.

Documents related to the project are available in the Community Development Department located at 300 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande. The Agenda and reports are posted online at www.arroyogrande.org 72 hours prior to the meeting. Please call (805) 473-5420 for more information. The Planning Commission meeting will be televised live on Charter Cable Channel 20 and streamed live on the City’s YouTube Channel.

/s/Jessica Matson, City Clerk October 3, 2024

CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE PLANNING COMMISSION

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2024, at 6:00 p.m., or soon thereafter, to consider the following item:

Continued Consideration Of Development Code Amendment 24-002; Amendments to Title 16 of the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code Regarding Wireless Telecommunication Facilities and Finding That This Action Is Exempt From Review Under The California Environmental Quality Act. The Planning Commission will discuss the proposed amendments to the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code (AGMC) to regarding wireless communication facilities, including general development procedures and standards, design standards, and conditions of approval.

In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Community Development Department has determined that the proposed AGMC amendments are exempt from CEQA because it is known with certainty that there is no possibility that the adoption of the ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).

This Planning Commission meeting will be held at 215 E. Branch Street and conducted in a hybrid in-person/ virtual format. During the public hearing, public comment will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker, pursuant to current meeting procedures.

The Planning Commission may also discuss other hearings or business items before or after the item listed above. If you challenge the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing. Failure of any person to receive the notice shall not constitute grounds for any court to invalidate the action of the legislative body for which the notice was given.

Documents related to the project are available in the Community Development Department located at 300 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande. The Agenda and reports are posted online at www.arroyogrande.org 72 hours prior to the meeting. Please call (805) 473-5420 for more information. The Planning Commission meeting will be televised live on Charter Cable Channel 20 and streamed live on the City’s YouTube Channel /s/ Jessica Matson, City Clerk October 3, 2024

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, RESIDENT ENGINEER, INSPECTION, MATERIALS TESTING, AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SERVICES for the

Traffic Way Bridge Replacement Project Bridge No. 49C-0318

Federal Project No. BRLS-5199 (030)

The City of Arroyo Grande is inviting qualified firms to submit proposals to provide Construction Management, Resident Engineer, Inspection, Material Testing, and Environmental Monitoring Services for the Traffic Way Bridge Replacement Project.

This project is subject to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 26 (49 CFR 26) entitled “Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Department of Transportation Financial Assistance Programs.” Consultants shall take necessary and reasonable steps to ensure that Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) subconsultants have an opportunity to augment their team. The City has established a DBE Goal of 22%. Consultants responding to the RFP will be required to meet this goal or document that a good faith effort was made to meet the goal prior to award of the contract.

The Request for Qualifications and Proposals is posted on the City’s website at http://www. arroyogrande.org/Bids.aspx

Proposals are due to the Arroyo Grande Community Development Department by 4:00 PM on November 1, 2024. Any changes, additions, or deletions to this Request for Qualifications and Proposal will be in the form of written addenda issued by the City. Any addenda will be posted on the website. Prospective proposers must check the website for addenda or other relevant new information during the response period.

/s/ Jessica Matson, City Clerk October 3 & 10, 2024

CITY OF PISMO BEACH STATE OF CALIFORNIA

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

PROPOSALS will be received at the office of the City Clerk, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, California, until 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, October 17, 2024 as determined by www.time.gov for performing work as follows:

SHELL BEACH ROAD SHARED USE PATH –SPYGLASS DRIVE TO AVILA BEACH DRIVE

The City of Pismo Beach is requesting proposals for professional engineering design services. The City is interested in acquiring the services of a qualified firm or a joint venture of firms to prepare preliminary and final design plans and all necessary construction documents for the construction of improvements for the Shell Beach Road Shared Use Path - Spyglass Drive to Avila Beach Drive. This process requires that the consultant work with City staff to design the improvements consistent with the City Council approved schematic plans in the Project Report Equivalent.

The selected consultant will work closely with the City of Pismo Beach Public Works Department, Caltrans, and the County of San Luis Obispo. The selected consultant shall have relevant experience with design of bicycle, pedestrian and streetscape improvements, including but not limited to, creation of a multi-use path, landscaping, fencing, signs, lighting, irrigation, drainage, retaining walls, opportunities for public art, and coordination with utilities.

Proposal packages may be obtained from the Public Works Department, Engineering Division, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, CA 93449 or by calling (805) 773-4656. Specific questions will be accepted in writing up to 72 hours before the proposal due date and time by emailing Nate Stong, at nstong@pismobeach.org. For non-technical questions contact Erin Olsen at eolsen@pismobeach.org.

ERICA INDERLIED CITY CLERK

September 26, October 3, 2024

NOTICE OF NOMINEES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE AND MEASURE TO BE VOTED UPON CA EC §12110—§12111

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the following persons have been nominated for the offices designated to be filled at the General Municipal Election to be held in the City of Pismo Beach on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, to appear on the ballot in the following order:

For Mayor: Vote for one (1)

• Kevin Kreowski

• Ed Waage

For Member of the City Council: Vote for no more than two (2)

• Marcia Guthrie

• Scott A. Newton

• Gianni Scangarello

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the following measure is to be voted on at the General Municipal Election to be held in the City of Pismo Beach on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

CITY OF PISMO BEACH MEASURE F-24

The Pismo Beach Essential Services Measure. To maintain the City of Pismo Beach’s long term financial stability and services such as fixing potholes; keeping streets, sidewalks, infrastructure, parks, and public facilities safe, clean, and wellmaintained; providing police/fire protection, 9-1-1 emergency services; addressing homelessness; and for general government use, shall the City extend its Measure I sales tax and set the rate at 1¢ per dollar, providing approximately $4,000,000 annually for 12 years; requiring independent audits, with all funds used locally?

For more information, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 805-773-7003 or cityclerk@pismobeach.org, or visit www.pismobeach.org/elections.

Erica Inderlied, City Clerk

Dated: October 3, 2024

WHO County

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

TO REQUEST

a letter to this office at the address below or send an email to pdh@co.sIo.ca.us by 10/11/2024 at 4:30 PM. The letter or email must include the language ”I wouId like to request a hearing on N-DRC2023-00047.”

CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE BID SUBMISSION

Sealed bids will be received by the City of Arroyo Grande at the Public Works Administration Office located at 1375 Ash Street, Arroyo Grande California 93420, until

2:00 p.m. on October 24, 2024 at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud. Submit bid in a sealed envelope plainly marked:

THE REPLACEMENT OF ARROYO GRANDE CREEK BRIDGE AT TRAFFIC WAY SPECIFICATION NO. PW 2023-02

Any bid received after the time and date specified will not be considered and will be returned to the bidder unopened. Bids received by Fax or Email will not be considered.

By submission of bid you agree to comply with all instructions and requirements in this notice and the contract documents.

All bids must be submitted on the Bid Item List form(s) provided and submitted with all other Bid Forms included in these Special Provisions. Each bid must be accompanied by either a:

1. certified check

2. cashier’s check

3. bidder’s bond made payable to the City of Arroyo Grande for an amount equal to ten percent of the bid amount as a guaranty. Guaranty will be forfeited to the City Arroyo Grande if the bidder, to whom the contract is awarded, fails to enter into the contract.

The City of Arroyo Grande reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids or waive any informality in a bid.

All bids are to be compared on the basis of the Public Works Director’s estimate of the quantities of work to be done, as shown on the Bid Item List.

Bids will only be accepted from bidders that are licensed in compliance with the provisions of Chapter 9, Division III of Business and Professions Code.

The award of the contract, if awarded, will be to the lowest responsive bid submitted by a responsible contractor whose bid complies with the requirements prescribed herein. If the contract is awarded, the contract will be awarded within 60 calendar days after the opening of the bids.

Failure to raise defects in the notice to bidders or bid forms prior to bid opening constitute a waiver of those defects.

BID DOCUMENTS

A copy of the plans and specifications may be downloaded, free of charge, from the City’s website at: http://www.arroyogrande.org/Bids. aspx. Plans and specifications are available for viewing at the following plan rooms:

1. Central California Builders Exchange

2. Santa Maria Valley Contractors Association

3. Central Coast Builders Association

4. San Luis Obispo County Builders Exchange

A printed copy of the plans and specifications may be obtained by contacting:

Blueprint Express

618 East Grand Avenue Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 (805) 481-1655 for a non-refundable fee of the cost of duplication.

Standard Specifications and Engineering Standards referenced in the Special Provisions may be downloaded, free of charge, from the City’s website at: http://www.arroyogrande.org/DocumentCenter/Home/ View/3151

A printed copy of the Standard Specifications and Engineering Standards may be obtained by contacting: Blueprint Express 618 East Grand Avenue Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 (805) 481-1655 for a non-refundable fee of the cost of duplication.

The Caltrans Standard Specifications, Standard Plans, and Revised Standard Plans may be viewed at the Caltrans’ Office of Construction Contract Awards website and may be purchased at the Publication Distribution Unit.

You are responsible to obtain all issued addenda prior to bid opening. Addenda will be available to download at the City’s website listed above or at the office of the Public Works Director. Contact the City Engineer, Shannon Sweeney at (805) 473-5444 or the Public Works Department at (805) 473-5485 prior to bid opening to verify the number of addenda issued.

You are responsible to verify your contact information is correct on the plan holders list located on the City’s website at: http://www.arroyogrande.org/Bids.aspx

PROJECT INFORMATION

In general the project consists of replacing the existing Arroyo Grande Creek Bridge at Traffic Way by replacing the existing Cast-In-Place Reinforced Concrete Tee-Beam bridge with a 3-span post-tensioned concrete box girder bridge. Project elements include HMA paving, rock slope protection, sidewalks, driveways, drainage, and stormwater treatment.

The project estimated construction cost for the bid is $11,600,000. Contract time is established as 140 working days.

There will be a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting on Thursday, October 3, 2024 at 2:00 P.M., at the bridge site. Contact Shannon Sweeney at ssweeney@arroyogrande.org with any questions.

Written questions will be received until 4:00 P.M. on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at the above email address.

PREVAILING WAGES

In accordance with the provisions of California Labor Code Sections 1770,1773, 1773.1, 1773.6 and 1773.7 as amended, the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations has determined the general prevailing rate of per diem wages in accordance with the standards set forth in Section 1773 for the locality in which the work is to be performed. A copy of said wage rates is on file at the office of the Owner. It shall be mandatory upon the contractor to whom the work is awarded and upon any subcontractor under the contractor to pay not less than said specified rates to all workmen employed by them in the execution of the work.

Contractor Registration with Department of Industrial Relations

In accordance with California Labor Code Section 1725.5, Contractors and Subcontractors (as defined by California Labor Code Section 1722.1) bidding on Public Works contracts in California shall be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations prior to bidding. Failure to provide proof of Contractor’s registration as part of the Bid shall deem the Bid as non-responsive and will therefore be rejected by Owner.

Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement

In accordance with the requirements of Labor Code Section 1771.4(a)(1), Bidders are hereby notified that this project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relation.

QUALIFICATIONS

In accordance with the provisions of California Public Contract Code Section 3300, the City has determined that the contractor shall possess a valid Class A license from the time of contract award through Contract acceptance. Failure to possess the specified license shall render the Bid as non-responsive and shall act as a bar to award of the Contract to any bidder not possessing said license at the time of award. In the event of dispute over classification of the license required, the opinion of the Contractor’s State License Board shall prevail.

It is the City of Arroyo Grande’s intent to award the contract to the lowest responsive bid submitted by a responsible bidder. If in the bidder’s opinion the contract has been or may be improperly awarded, the bidder may protest the contract award.

Protests must be filed no later than seven working days after either:

1. bid opening date

2. notification of rejected bid.

Protest must be in writing and received by the project manager located at: 1375 Ash Street Arroyo Grande, CA 93420.

Valid protests must contain the following information:

1. the reasons for the protest

2. any supporting documentation

3. the ruling expected by the City to remedy the protest.

Any protest not containing all required information will be deemed invalid and rejected.

The City will consider additional documentation or other supporting information regarding the protest if submitted in compliance with the specified time limits. Anything submitted after the specified time limit will be rejected and not be considered.

The Director of Public Works or Designee may request additional information to be submitted within three days of the request, unless otherwise specified, and will notify the protester of ruling within ten days of determination.

Pursuant to the Public Records Act (Government Code, §6250, et seq.), the City will make public records available upon request.

AWARD

The lowest bidder will be determined using the BID TOTAL.

The City intends to award a contract to the responsive and responsible bidder with the lowest bid price. All bids submitted shall be in accordance with the provisions of the contract documents. The City specifically reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any or all bids, to re-bid, or to waive inconsequential defects in bidding not involving time, price or quality of the work. City may waive any minor irregularities in the bids. Any bid may be withdrawn prior to bid opening but not afterward.

As a condition to executing a contract with the City, two bonds each equal to one hundred percent of the total awarded contract price are required in compliance with Section 3-1.05 of the Standard Specifications.

DEPOSIT OF SECURITIES IN LIEU OF RETAINAGE.

The Contractor may elect to receive 100 percent of payment due under the Contract Documents from time to time, without retention of any portion of the payment by the City, by depositing securities of equivalent value with the City in accordance with the provisions of Section 22300 of the California Public Contract Code. Such securities, if deposited by the Contractor, shall be valued by the City, whose decision on valuation of the securities shall be final. Securities eligible for investment under this provision shall be limited to those listed in Section 16430 of the California Government Code or bank or savings and loan certificates of deposit.

AGREEMENT TO ASSIGN.

In accordance with Section 4552 of the California Government Code, the bidder shall conform to the following requirements: In submitting a bid to a public purchasing body, the bidder offers and agrees that if the bid is accepted, it will assign to the purchasing body all rights, title, and interest in and to all causes of action it may have under Section 4 of the Clayton Act 15 U.S.C. 15, or under the Cartwright Act, Chapter 2. ACCOMMODATION

If any accommodations are needed to participate in the bid process, please contact the Public Works Department at (805) 473-5485. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow time for accommodation.

DISADVANTAGE BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (DBE)

This project is subject to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 26 (49 CFR 26) entitled “Participation by Disadvantage Business Enterprises in Department of Transportation Finance Assistance Programs”.

Contractors shall take necessary and reasonable steps to ensure that Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) subcontractors have an opportunity to augment their team. The City has established a DBE goal of 22%. Contractors responding to the Notice to Bidders will be required to meet this goal or document that a good faith effort was made to meet the goal prior to award of contract.

FEDERAL TRAINEE PROGRAM

As part of the Contractor’s equal employment affirmative action program, the Contractor is to provide on-the-job training to develop full journeyman in types of trades or job classifications involved in the Contract. The number of trainees or apprentices is 4.

/s/ Jessica Matson, City Clerk

Publish 2T, The New Times, Thursday, September 26, 2024, and Thursday, October 3, 2024

Free Will Astrology by Rob Brezsny

Homework: Interested in my inside thoughts about astrology? Read my book Astrology Is Real. Free excerpts: tinyurl.com/BraveBliss

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): During some Wiccan rituals, participants are asked, “What binds you? And what will you do to free yourself from what binds you?” I recommend this exercise to you right now, Aries. Here’s a third question: Will you replace your shackles with a weaving that inspires and empowers you? In other words, will you shed what binds you and, in its stead, create a bond that links you to an influence you treasure?

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20): If I had to name the zodiac sign that other signs are most likely to underestimate, I would say Taurus. Why? Well, many of you Bulls are rather modest and humble. You prefer to let your practical actions speak louder than fine words. Your wellgrounded strength is diligent and poised, not flashy. People may misread your resilience and dependability as signs of passivity. But here’s good news, dear Taurus: In the coming weeks, you will be less likely to be undervalued and overlooked. Even those who have been ignorant of your appeal may tune in to the fullness of your tender power and earthy wisdom.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20): In the coming days, I invite you to work on writing an essay called “People and Things I Never Knew I Liked and Loved Until Now.” To get the project started, visit places that have previously been off your radar. Wander around in uncharted territory, inviting life to surprise you. Call on every trick you know to stimulate your imagination and break out of habitual ruts of thinking. A key practice will be to experiment and improvise as you open your heart and your eyes wide. Here’s my prophecy: In the frontiers, you will encounter unruly delights that inspire you to grow wiser.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): Now is an excellent time to search for new teachers, mentors, and role models. Please cooperate with life’s intention to connect you with people and animals who can inspire your journey for the months and years ahead. A good way to prepare yourself for this onslaught of grace is to contemplate the history of your educational experiences. Who are the heroes, helpers, and villains who have taught you crucial lessons? Another strategy to get ready is to think about what’s most vital for you to learn right now. What are the gaps in your understanding that need to be filled?

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): The English language has more synonyms than any other language. That’s in part because it’s like a magpie. It steals words from many tongues, including German, French, Old Norse, Latin, and Greek, as well as from Algonquin, Chinese, Hindi, Basque, and Tagalog. Japanese may be the next most magpielike language. It borrows from English, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and German. In accordance with astrological possibilities, I invite you to adopt the spirit of the English and Japanese languages in the coming weeks. Freely borrow and steal influences. Be a collector of sundry inspirations, a scavenger of fun ideas, a gatherer of rich cultural diversity.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here are my bold decrees: You are entitled to extra bonuses and special privileges in the coming weeks. The biggest piece of every cake and pie should go to you, as should the freshest wonders, the most provocative revelations, and the wildest breakthroughs. I invite you to give and take extravagant amounts of everything you regard as sweet, rich, and nourishing. I hope you will begin cultivating a skill you are destined to master. I trust you will receive clear and direct answers to at least two nagging questions.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): On those infrequent occasions when I buy a new gadget, I never read the instructions. I drop the booklet in the recycling bin immediately, despite the fact that I may not know

all the fine points of using my new vacuum cleaner, air purifier, or hairdryer. Research reveals that I am typical. Ninety-two percent of all instructions get thrown away. I don’t recommend this approach to you in the coming weeks, however, whether you’re dealing with gadgets or more intangible things. You really should call on guidance to help you navigate your way through introductory phases and new experiences.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I knew a Scorpio performance artist who did a splashy public show about private matters. She stationed herself on the rooftop of an apartment building and for 12 hours loudly described everything she felt guilty about. (She was an ex-Catholic who had been raised to regard some normal behavior as sinful.) If you, dear Scorpio, have ever felt an urge to engage in a purge of remorse, now would be an excellent time. I suggest an alternate approach, though. Spend a half hour writing your regrets on paper, then burn the paper in the kitchen sink as you chant something like the following: “With love and compassion for myself, I apologize for my shortcomings and frailties. I declare myself free of shame and guilt. I forgive myself forever.”

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be HEARTY, POTENT, and DYNAMIC, Sagittarius. Don’t worry about decorum and propriety. Be in quest of lively twists that excite the adventurer in you. Avoid anyone who seems to like you best when you are anxious or tightly controlled. Don’t proceed as if you have nothing to lose; instead, act as if you have everything to win. Finally, my dear, ask life to bring you a steady stream of marvels that make you overjoyed to be alive. If you’re feeling extra bold (and I believe you will), request the delivery of a miracle or two.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Nineteenth-century Capricorn author Anne Brontë wrote The Tenant of Wildfell Hall which many critics regard as the first feminist novel. It challenged contemporary social customs. The main character, Helen, leaves her husband because he’s a bad influence on their son. She goes into hiding, becoming a single mother who supports her family by creating art. Unfortunately, after the author’s death at a young age, her older sister Charlotte suppressed the publication of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall It’s not well-known today. I bring this to your attention, Capricorn, so as to inspire you to action. I believe the coming months will be a favorable time to get the attention and recognition you’ve been denied but thoroughly deserve. Start now! Liberate, express, and disseminate whatever has been suppressed.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What is the most important question you want to find an answer for during the next year? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to formulate that inquiry clearly and concisely. I urge you to write it out in longhand and place it in a prominent place in your home. Ponder it lightly and lovingly for two minutes every morning upon awakening and each night before sleep. (Key descriptors: “lightly and lovingly.”) As new insights float into your awareness, jot them down. One further suggestion: Create or acquire a symbolic representation of the primal question.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20): Scientific research suggests that some foods are more addictive than cocaine. They include pizza, chocolate, potato chips, and ice cream. The good news is that they are not as problematic for long-term health as cocaine. The bad news is that they are not exactly healthy. (The sugar in chocolate neutralizes its modest health benefits.) With these facts in mind, Pisces, I invite you to re-order your priorities about addictive things. Now is a favorable time to figure out what substances and activities might be tonifying, invigorating addictions—and then retrain yourself to focus your addictive energy on them. Maybe you could encourage an addiction to juices that blend spinach, cucumber, kale, celery, and apple. Perhaps you could cultivate an addiction to doing a pleasurable form of exercise or reading books that thrill your imagination. ∆