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San Luis Obispo City Councilmember Jan Marx submitted a censure complaint against Mayor Erica Stewart over her handling of a confidential grand jury report. Stewart weathered the attempt thanks to a 2-1 vote by the SLO Personnel Board denying the complaint, but some residents question whether they can trust her as she runs for reelection. Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal writes about the Personnel Board hearing, the controversy, and what residents are saying about the mayor’s race [8]
In addition, read about why Templeton is asking for some of its county tax dollars back [6]; The Screwtape Letters, for one night only [20]; and a new ramen spot in Atascadero [26]
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Templeton Area Advisory Group chair pleads guilty to felony
For nearly three years, families living along a quiet dirt road in Templeton stopped feeling at home.
They installed surveillance cameras. They learned to recognize the sound of an approaching engine before it rounded the bend. They woke to bright lights outside bedroom windows and spent countless evenings wondering what might happen next.
Recently, the years-long ordeal culminated in a felony conviction.
David Allen Leader, chair of the Templeton Area Advisory Group (TAAG), pleaded guilty July on 22 to felony vandalism and seven misdemeanor counts of violating court orders, resolving two criminal cases in which he had faced 32 charges tied to what the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office described as an escalating pattern of harassment against eight neighbors living along a private road in the Templeton area.
For the families who obtained restraining orders against Leader, the guilty plea brought relief but not necessarily peace of mind.
New Times interviewed members of the three households protected by those restraining orders. They wished to remain anonymous.
“It was custom tailored harassment,” one neighbor told New Times. “Whatever bothers you is what he does. It’s been two and a half years of hell here.”
The conflict traces back to disagreements over a private road easement, but according to court filings and interviews with residents, the situation devolved.
Neighbors described Leader repeatedly revving engines, speeding down the narrow dirt road, stopping outside homes to stare toward windows and surveillance cameras, shining bright lights into bedrooms after midnight, unlawfully firing a gun, driving onto private property, and making repeated gestures toward residents despite the multiple restraining orders.
One family estimated that they amassed roughly 2,000 surveillance videos documenting the encounters over nearly three years.
Among the incidents the neighbors said they will never forget was a surveillance image captured around 1 a.m. in 2024 showing a figure lurking on private property dressed in what was eventually identified as a ghillie suit—camouflage commonly associated with snipers. Prosecutors later alleged Leader vandalized signs and stole a surveillance camera during the incident.
“Everybody in the neighborhood has a visceral emotional reaction to that photo,” one neighbor recalled.
State
letter warns Grover Beach that building measure could be illegal
Grover Beach and its citizen-led measure to lower building heights—anticipated to break several California housing laws if it passes—caught the eye of state agencies.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) weighed in on the ballot measure through a “letter of technical assistance,” submitted roughly two hours before the July 27 Grover Beach City Council meeting.
“Should Measure F-26 pass without the required compensatory zoning action to accommodate
In another incident, recorded in a court filing accessed by New Times in February, Leader allegedly drove his employer’s truck toward a neighbor operating a tractor on the private road while honking, backed up, and then drove toward the neighbor again before he “slammed on his breaks and stopped just shy of … [the] tractor.”
Court records show the criminal cases continued to grow as prosecutors alleged that Leader repeatedly violated restraining orders even after judicial warnings and escalating bail amounts.
“This defendant will simply not stop and control his rage and deranged need for revenge against his neighbors,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
On April 3, Leader was booked in the SLO County Jail for violating multiple restraining orders and released that evening on $270,000 bail. He had previously lost bail amounts of $35,000, $50,000, and $85,000 in related cases, which prosecutors previously described as “unheard of in a misdemeanor case.”
When New Times first reported on the case in February, Leader faced 24 misdemeanor charges. By the time the cases were consolidated this July, prosecutors had filed 32 criminal charges before reaching a negotiated plea agreement.
Leader consistently denied many of the allegations before entering a plea deal. Earlier this year, he told New Times that neighbors’ claims were “simply not true.”
“Neighbors don’t have to like one another, but they do have to respect the law and one another’s right to live in peace,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a July 23 statement. “It is never OK to terrorize the people who live around you.”
would stop him.
“He’ll do it again,” a neighbor said. “It’s highly likely. He never stopped.”
Leader was appointed chair of the Templeton Area Advisory Group in January, while the criminal cases were pending. TAAG advises San Luis Obispo County on land use and planning issues affecting Templeton.
On April 16, the advisory group amended its bylaws. Among several revisions was the removal of a provision stating that a “conviction of a felony” constituted grounds for removing a board member. Under the revised language, members may instead be removed for misconduct involving violations of TAAG bylaws or policy guidelines.
Following Leader’s felony conviction, the neighbors said that timing deserves scrutiny.
Leader was sentenced to two years of felony probation, ordered to serve 30 days in county jail, and accepted a suspended two-year county jail sentence that could be imposed if he violates probation. He also agreed not to seek early termination of probation and cannot operate an ATV, quad, or motorcycle on the neighborhood road during that period.
The three households said they felt relief about the guilty plea but said they weren’t confident it
potential reduction in residential capacity in violation of the HCA [Housing Crisis Act], the action shall be deemed void,” the letter read. “If HCD finds that a city’s actions do not comply with state law, HCD may notify the California Office of the Attorney General that the local government is in violation of state law.”
Measure F-26 proposes to limit building heights in Grover Beach to 40 feet in commercially zoned districts and to 33 feet in industrial zones, while developers must set aside 33 percent of mixed-use buildings for commercial use.
A community group called Save Grover Beach is behind the ballot measure effort and came together after growing dissatisfaction with a number of
New Times asked TAAG whether Leader intends to remain chair following his conviction, whether the board plans to reconsider his leadership, and why it removed felony convictions from its bylaws before his case concluded. The advisory group did not respond before publication.
Leader’s sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19. ∆
—Chloë Hodge
towering new developments approved at the western end of downtown.
City officials were concerned that if voters passed the measure in November, it could lead to Grover Beach falling out of compliance with the state’s Housing Crisis Act, Housing Accountability Act, Density Bonus Law, and Housing Element Law.
Proponents, convinced that the city didn’t want to honor the will of the public, ultimately declined to meet with a City Council-appointed ad hoc committee formed to discuss how Grover Beach could follow the housing laws while still letting the ballot
CONVICTED Templeton Area Advisory Group Chair David Leader, 71, pleaded guilty to felony vandalism and seven misdemeanor counts of violating court orders.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SLO DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
measure play out in November.
According to the HCD’s letter, to comply with state law, the city must update its Housing Element to simultaneously upzone alternative parcels to offset the possible reduction in housing capacity if the measure is successful. That ensures no net loss in residential development potential.
The HCD added that information about the upzoning process should have been included in the initiative’s language so residents could vote on both items.
HCD’s warnings to Grover Beach— ineligibility and delays in receiving certain state funds, $10,000-per-month penalties for action brought by the attorney general, loss of local land-use authority, and application of builder’s remedy—come at a time when other California cities are facing litigation for noncompliance with state housing laws.
On July 16, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California sued Calexico, Costa Mesa, Half Moon Bay, Ridgecrest, and Turlock for refusing to comply with state housing laws.
There isn’t enough time to update Grover Beach’s Housing Element before the November election since the process would take at least a year.
“An update of this scale requires a comprehensive analysis of the measure’s impacts on residential land capacity and zoning, preparation of technical studies, environmental review as required, and extensive public outreach,” City Manager Matthew Bronson told New Times
Amending the Housing Element would also include public hearings before the Planning Commission and the City Council and multiple rounds of review and certification by the HCD. The California Coastal Commission must also approve consequent amendments to the local coastal program and the development code.
Bronson confirmed that the city was aware of the potential need to change the Housing Element concurrently, adding that it was discussed publicly during City Council and Planning Commission meetings before the HCD letter arrived.
“City staff also met with HCD in June at HCD’s request and pursuant to council direction requested a letter outlining the actions needed by the city for updating the Housing Element if Measure F-26 passed,” he said. “The ad hock committee was intending to discuss the topic of updating the Housing Element concurrently with the measure proponents had they agreed to meet with the committee.”
Measure proponent Donna De La Rosa told
New Times that she doesn’t regret turning down the private meeting with the ad hoc committee. She said that the city didn’t respond to her request of holding a town hall meeting about the measure, though City Council wants one along with community workshops as part of the next Housing Element update.
Measure supporter Kelvin Coveduck suggested that City Council could request that staff evaluate returning to 2022’s building height code standards, which don’t include percentage requirements divvying up commercial and housing in mixed-use developments.
“Unfortunately, a refined version of F-26 in two years [2028 election] will be too far in the future,” he said. “The tall building projects will make Grover Beach unrecognizable in this short time span. If the Grover Beach City Council fails to take action soon, then the only alternative is to elect new representatives in November.”
—Bulbul Rajagopal
Gaea Powell sues former employer and landlord
Gaea Powell, the former Arroyo Grande mayoral candidate set to stand jury trial for alleged voter fraud, is suing her employer and one-time landlord for breach of contract. Her June 2 civil complaint against Pismo Beach functional medical practice Pathways to Health and Dr. David Marquis centers on an intellectual property dispute and allegations of misrepresentation underscored by the criminal case against Powell.
“This case concerns the transfer of valuable intellectual property and business rights after a 15-year professional relationship built largely on trust and handshake agreements,” she told New Times. “This breakdown was not caused by the criminal investigation. However, I believe certain actions Dave took following our dispute may have influenced the charges.”
After the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office’s filed felony charges against her for election fraud in Arroyo Grande for her actions during the 2022 and 2024 elections, Powell sued the city and City Clerk Jessica Matson for allegedly refusing to disclose public records she requested and not identifying a reported court order for sealing. The case has been dismissed without prejudice.
Powell has an active federal lawsuit worth $1.5 million against SLO County and County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano, with the complaint accusing Cano of “misusing her influence” to confirm the existence of the preliminary criminal investigation to the media.
Now, her lawsuit against Marquis claims that he breached a settlement agreement between them that controlled a $41,000
payment from Marquis to Powell. Marquis and Pathways to Health didn’t respond to New Times by press time.
“My position is that the $41,000 represented consideration for a comprehensive settlement, release of claims, transfer of intellectual-property rights, and continuing contractual obligations—not simply compensation for writing or editing a book,” Powell said.
The book, Marquis Method, mentions Powell as editor and thanks her in the acknowledgements. While her litigation argued that the acknowledgement was altered, the complaint also delves into the claim that Marquis continuously misrepresented to Powell that he would permanently move to SLO County to grow his business while actively searching for a home in Southern California.
Powell told New Times that Marquis purchased a James Way condominium in 2022 and rented out a room to her that year.
“I had already been looking for housing within Arroyo Grande so I could qualify to run for mayor,” she said. “Knowing Dave had rented rooms for years while commuting from San Clemente, I asked whether he knew of anything available. Instead, he offered to rent me a room in his condominium.”
The criminal case against Powell centers on the allegation that she registered to vote at an Arroyo Grande address where she didn’t reside as required by law. Instead, she lived in a rural part outside city limits.
Powell said she didn’t pay Marquis rent, and that her working for him satisfied the financial arrangement. That agreement mutually ended in early 2025 “with a handshake.”
“In his recorded interviews with the district attorney’s investigator, Dave acknowledged our long-term rental arrangement, my room at the condominium, my personal belongings, my access to the garage and home, and important aspects of our long-standing business relationship,” she said. “Although he confirmed many of those same facts during a second interview, my allegation is that other descriptions of our relationship evolved over time and became materially different in ways that affected both my civil and criminal matters.”
—Bulbul Rajagopal
Paso plans $767K upgrade to dispatch center
Paso Robles’ emergency dispatch center is poised for its first major renovation in more than a decade as the city considers
an approximately $767,000 project aimed at expanding dispatch capacity and modernizing the technology behind the city’s emergency response system.
“The communication center is a critical component of the city’s first responders’ ability to effectively communicate during incidents affecting the life, health, and safety of the public,” Deputy Police Chief Caleb Davis wrote in a July 21 report to the City Council.
The Public Safety Answering Point, located inside the Public Safety Center, answers approximately 80,000 incoming calls each year across three 911 lines and eight nonemergency business lines while coordinating radio communications for police, fire, public works, and other emergency responders.
The existing dispatch center has not received a significant technology or facility upgrade in 13 years. It currently operates with three dispatch consoles, two of which are staffed around the clock.
“As the city continues to grow, and public safety demands increase, additional dispatch capacity is necessary to ensure efficient call processing, reduce wait times, and maintain operational resiliency during major incidents, natural disasters, and large-scale events,” Davis wrote.
The project would expand the communications center to four dispatch consoles while replacing aging equipment with a new 911 system that includes improved voice recording, transcription, and translation services.
The upgrade also includes Motorola’s Hyper non-emergency call agent, an artificial intelligence-assisted system designed to answer routine non-emergency calls and provide information to callers.
According to the staff report, the technology is intended to “reduce dispatcher workload, allowing communications personnel to focus on emergency response and higher-priority public safety activities.”
City staff noted that the first year of the AI-assisted service will be provided at no cost and includes an early termination clause if it fails to meet expectations. Officials said they will return to the council with an evaluation before requesting any long-term funding.
The project carries a total cost of $767,531, including $452,000 in California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services grant funding and local Measure J-20 revenues. The city’s final share is expected to total $315,531 from Measure J-20 budget savings. ∆
—Chloë Hodge
Who pays?
Templeton built its own library, and now residents want their county tax dollars back
For decades, Templeton residents waited for San Luis Obispo County to restore the public library they lost.
When that didn’t happened, they built one themselves.
Residents raised money, secured grants, accepted donations, recruited volunteers, and eventually opened a new library across from Templeton’s schools in 2023. Today, children browse the stacks after school, families gather for story time, and volunteers keep more than 15,000 books and other materials circulating through a community that has gone nearly half a century without a countyoperated library.
Now, the Templeton Community Library Association is saying it can no longer keep things running on volunteer labor alone.
“We’re asking for some operational funds because otherwise we are on the weekends fundraising and doing ... multitasking,” Templeton Community Library Association President Melinda Reed told New Times
The nonprofit library is asking San Luis Obispo County to redirect roughly $318,000 in annual library tax revenue generated within the Templeton Community Services District to help cover staffing, utilities, maintenance, and other operating expenses. The nonprofit argues that the request represents less than 3 percent of the county’s approximately $13.5 million library budget and would simply return tax dollars that Templeton residents already pay.
County officials said they can’t.
A report by the county’s Library Ad Hoc Committee concludes that California law prohibits transferring dedicated county library tax revenue to a private nonprofit library and recommends maintaining the county’s existing funding structure. The Board of Supervisors received the report on July 28.
The report states that redirecting the funding “would create a net harm to the county library system, including the potential for longer wait times for requested materials, fewer available books and digital resources, and reduced library hours of operation.”
The dispute stretches back more than four decades.
According to Reed, Templeton’s first library was built in 1915 by the Women’s Club before becoming part of SLO County’s library system. The county closed the branch in 1979 following Proposition 13 budget cuts and never reopened it.
In 2000, then Supervisor Harry Ovitt proposed a partnership in which the community would raise half the money for a new library while the county would provide the other half.
Residents spent nearly two decades fundraising until a donation from a longtime supporter put the campaign over its goal.
“We received a bequest from one of our longtime patrons ... that gave us enough money that put us over the top for our 50 percent,” Reed said. “We had our money in 2019.”
But the county was unable to provide its share at that time and said there was no written documentation of that promise.
“When our community was ready, they couldn’t match the funds,” Reed said. “We were told to build the library ourselves.”
Instead of waiting, the association partnered with Templeton Unified School District to construct a modular library on district property across from Templeton schools. It opened in January 2023.
“We have been operating the library because once you build it, you need to operate it,” Reed said. “We’re very happy that we have built it, ... our volunteers love the library. Our citizens seem to love the library.”
The library now operates on an annual budget of less than $80,000, supported largely through donations, fundraising, one paid employee, and volunteers. Reed said that model is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain because costs including insurance and maintenance require stable public funding.
“The donors and volunteers have built a thriving library,” the library wrote on its website. “What we cannot sustain without public funding are the basics: utilities, staffing, and long-term operational costs. These are not extras—they are the foundation of any public library.”
In a recent letter to New Times, Templeton Library Vice President Nancy Whitt said residents are effectively paying twice for library service.
“While Templeton residents continue to pay into the county’s library tax system, the
Templeton Library receives no operational funding from the County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries,” Whitt wrote. “The result is that tax dollars generated in Templeton flow elsewhere while local volunteers and donors shoulder the responsibility of keeping their library open.”
The county contends that Templeton residents are already receiving library service through the county system.
According to the Library Ad Hoc Committee report, county library cardholders with Templeton ZIP codes borrowed 21,444 physical items, placed 2,889 holds, and checked out 5,082 digital materials during the most recent reporting period. County officials have also maintained that nearby Atascadero Library, together with the county’s digital collection, adequately serves Templeton residents.
Templeton Library leaders disagree.
Reed said Templeton has grown to nearly 10,000 residents, includes a large student population, has no public transportation to Atascadero and no walkable route between the two communities. Meanwhile, Templeton Library sits across from four of Templeton Unified School District’s five schools, allowing students to visit on foot before and after class.
She also disputes the county’s circulation statistics, arguing they overstate county library use by combining first-time checkouts with renewals.
“The report states: ‘Cardholders with a Templeton ZIP code borrowed 21,444 physical items from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026,’” she wrote in comments submitted before supervisors received the report. “This statistic is misleading because it combines initial checkouts with renewals without distinguishing between them.”
According to county data, Templeton residents made 9,823 initial checkouts and 11,621 renewals from county libraries during that period. Templeton Library, by comparison, recorded 12,835 initial checkouts and 1,357 renewals.
“Our dispute is that that’s a single book by a single user, and it’s just been renewed,” Reed said. “They’re two different categories.”
Reed said separating renewals from firsttime checkouts paints a different picture of how residents use the two library systems.
“What it means is that our local library is accessible,” she said. “It’s across from the school so they can return books. They bring their books back, they check out more books, and it is what you want—a vibrant, flowing ... collection that is being used by the community.”
Templeton Community Services District President Navid Fardanesh told New Times the district has discussed the proposal with county officials but is not prepared to assume responsibility for operating the library without a reliable funding source.
Even if redirecting the funding were possible, he said, the proposal would likely require review through the Local Agency Formation Commission to determine whether the estimated $318,000 would be sufficient to operate the library.
Until that question is answered, Fardanesh said, the district is reluctant to commit staff resources that are already stretched thin.
“We’re not asking for a handout,” Reed said in a change.org petition. “We’re asking for the library tax dollars that Templeton residents already pay to support the library that Templeton residents built.” ∆
Reach Staff Writer Chloë Hodge at chodge@ newtimesslo.com.
OPEN BOOKS Templeton Library is asking San Luis Obispo County to redirect about $318,000 in local library tax revenue to support its volunteer-built library.
an Luis Obispo Mayor Erica Stewart avoided an official slap on the wrist as the SLO Personnel Board rejected City Councilmember Jan Marx’s censure complaint against her for sharing a confidential SLO County grand jury report with Cal Poly.
“She’s doing what she feels is her due diligence, and I don’t have a feeling about the due diligence aspect of it,” Stewart said. “I mean, I feel terrible that I made a mistake. … I just wish I had done it differently.”
The Ralph M. Brown Act guarantees the public’s right to attend and participate in local legislative body meetings and prevents the City Council from discussing the mayor’s conduct except in an agendized open hearing.
Marx said she submitted the censure request to facilitate that discussion.
Censuring the mayor or a City Council member is a lengthy process in SLO.
The verdict? Even though the mayor improperly shared confidential materials, city policy states that censuring doesn’t apply to an occasional error in judgement.
The Personnel Board voted 2-1 on July 27, with board member Patricia Ponce dissenting. Board members Sharon Seitz and Chintan Desai were absent.
“I will say the whole narrative reads to me like every good intent was made in order to try to get an accurate report together,” board member Calvin Stevens said. “I don’t know what’s being covered up other than it was wrong because [the report was shared] 10 days early.”
The Personnel Board gathered after Marx announced during the July 21 City Council meeting that she filed the censure request and complaint.
Once a council member files the censure request, the Personnel Board—an appointed five-person body made up of residents and registered voters—must meet within 72 hours.
Within 30 days, the board must either issue an advisory opinion or investigate further via an ad hoc committee. Based on those findings, the board reports to the City Council the specific law or policy that was allegedly violated and whether a censure hearing is warranted.
If warranted, the council would take up the issue within two weeks to a month of receiving the board’s recommendation, and the accused would have an opportunity to defend themselves. An official censure needs to be approved by at least three council members.
“The issue of the grand jury’s confidential draft report ‘Round & Round with Town and Gown’ being leaked prematurely to Cal Poly has been widely discussed in the community, the press, the radio, television, letters to the editor, and social media,” Marx told New Times. “The only group that has kept silent about this troubling issue is the San Luis Obispo City Council. Keeping confidentiality and not breaching it is the high ethical and legal duty of all members of the San Luis Obispo City Council. So, why hasn’t council discussed this issue?”
Public records obtained by SLO resident Kathie Walker in June revealed that Stewart had disclosed an unofficial copy of the grand jury’s 2025 report, about the city’s alleged mismanagement of fraternity parties, with Cal Poly Senior Director of Economic Development Courtney Kienow. The city subsequently denied all the grand jury’s findings.
In Stewart’s case, the board recommended against censure, so city staff will present a draft advisory opinion to the Personnel Board at its next meeting on Aug. 14.
In 2014, the SLO City Council criticized former Councilmember John Ashbaugh for an outburst that revealed closed session proceedings—allegedly violating the Brown Act—but ultimately chose not to censure him.
According to former SLO City Councilmember Christine Mulholland, a censure has little legal impact.
“It’s a harsh criticism,” she said. “It can lead to a resolution of disapproval and permanent historical record, and then damage to one’s reputation. It can lead to, according to my understanding, should council decide upon that, loss of privileges such as committee memberships.”
Mulholland, who served as a City Council member from 2000 to 2008, suggested in a letter to New Times that Stewart should be held accountable through a censure. She clarified that her sentiment isn’t personal.
“I have talked to a lot of people, and there’s no one I have spoken with in town who is not upset and concerned about this,” she said. “I think, at the very least, council should be talking about this. … I’m grateful to Jan that she’s keeping this in the public eye, at least for a little longer, that this isn’t just swept under the rug.”
Stewart apologized in a July 22 letter to the Personnel Board. She wrote that her “goodfaith understanding” was that she could share the report with Cal Poly because the university, like herself, was entitled to confirm if the grand jury’s findings were accurate.
Text messages between Stewart and Kienow showed that the mayor sent Kienow the report the same day she received an advance copy from the grand jury, which was accompanied by specific instruction that the draft shouldn’t be shared with anyone before the public release of the final report.
The revelation sparked outrage among many SLO residents—with some stressing her allegiance is with Cal Poly and not the city and others claiming they wouldn’t vote for her again.
Stewart apologized at the most recent City Council meeting.
“I’m sorry that I did that, and I take full responsibility for my actions,” she said at the meeting. “I sincerely apologize to the members of the grand jury who worked on this report. I sincerely apologize to my city colleagues for the discomfort that this has caused, and I apologize to the San Luis Obispo greater community.”
Marx declared her censure request filing after Stewart’s apology. The mayor told New Times that Marx told her about it prior to the announcement.
“The letter did not identify who else was receiving the report; it named its recipients only by those general terms and, unlike many transmittals, listed no copied parties,” Stewart wrote. “Cal Poly is a central subject of this report; its own pages record the grand jury’s appreciation for Cal Poly’s cooperation, and I understood Cal Poly to fall within that class.”
The pushback has made her reevaluate how she’d ask questions in the future, possibly even updating council procedures with more clarity regarding grand jury issues.
“I’ve … had a lot of conversations with people, and with the intent of rebuilding trust again with people,” she told New Times. “Some are willing to rebuild trust, and some are not.”
SLO voters will pick their next mayor in November, and Stewart is working on her reelection campaign. So far, her only challenger is perennial mayoral candidate and artisan welder Donald Hedrick.
Marx didn’t respond when New Times asked whether she plans to run for mayor again. The candidate filing deadline is Aug. 7.
“From what I’m hearing, the public has lost their support for Erica. But if nobody else runs, then what?” Mulholland said. “Don always runs, he ran for council back when I was running for council.” ∆
Reach Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal at brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.
HEAVY PRICE Though the SLO Personnel Board voted against recommending a censure for Mayor Erica Stewart, her handling of a confidential SLO County grand jury report was criticized by the public in the midst of her reelection campaign.
FILE PHOTO BY PIETER SAAYMAN
OPEN DISCUSSION SLO City Councilmember Jan Marx said she filed the censure complaint against the mayor to facilitate a public City Council discussion about Stewart’s allegedly improper sharing of the confidential grand jury report.
FILE PHOTO BY PIETER SAAYMAN
Personal plants
In a climate as unpredictable and geographically diverse as San Luis Obispo County, many residents who garden end up with wilted tomato vines and a confusing irrigation system.
While the Central Coast is praised for its beautiful climate, dry summers and changing weather can turn gardening hobbies into frustration. Laura Gaither, founder of Silver Sage Garden Coaching, believes individualized education for gardeners can make the hobby more successful.
“I’d really like more people to feel like this is something they can do,” Gaither said. “I think a lot of people will say, ‘I don’t have a green thumb. I kill everything I try.’”
Launched last year, Silver Sage is one of the only garden coaching businesses in SLO
is written for the East Coast or Europe and simply doesn’t apply to the unique challenges of SLO County, where irrigation is a necessity for half the year.
“Irrigation systems can be really fussy,” she said.
Gaither explained that, while a landscape crew follows a set schedule, a garden coach teaches you to be in tune with the weather.
“[Arroyo Grande] is different than Pismo, which is different from San Luis, which is different from Atascadero,” Gaither said.
She noted these microclimates heavily impact which plants will thrive.
Gaither, who also runs the vintage furniture business Planet Vintage Girl in Cambria, found that many locals were being ignored by large landscape companies because their projects were on a smaller scale. Silver Sage specializes in these smaller projects, offering personalized advice for people who want to “push their garden game a little bit more.”
County, filling a niche between do-it-yourself guesswork and expensive landscaping. Unlike traditional landscapers who focus on installation and maintenance, Gaither acts as an educator, or what she affectionately calls a “marriage counselor between you and your plant.”
Gaither said her approach is similar to Cal Poly’s “learn by doing” philosophy. She learned to garden from her mother and grandmother, eventually bringing those skills across eight states and two continents. Her experience includes 15 years in northern England, where she managed a community allotment and became an advocate for neighborhood tree planting.
“There was one guy, he was 87. He remembered when the Germans bombed the neighborhood, and he could tell you everything you wanted to know about potatoes and sprouts,” Gaither said. “It was a very interesting mix of working-class northern English guys who historically would garden in these community plots, and young moms who are trying to have organic food for their children.”
Transitioning from the rainy climate of England to the arid Central Coast provided a steep learning curve that Gaither now helps her clients navigate. She noted that much of the available gardening literature
COMPLETE TESTING & REPAIR
A major point of emphasis for Gaither is the use of native plants. She points out that most residential neighborhoods are filled with exotic species that local insects and birds don’t recognize as food. By planting native species, Gaither believes homeowners can collectively create something significant.
“If enough of us plant native plants, we’ll actually create the largest national park in America because all these backyards or front yards will add up,” she said.
Sessions with Silver Sage start at $150 per hour, providing a flexible alternative for those who want to do the work themselves but need expert support to navigate seasonal pests and tricky soil. Whether it’s managing persistent weeds without harsh chemicals or finally understanding how to grow in containers, Gaither is there to provide the one-on-one support that nurseries often cannot.
“You don’t really need a green thumb,” she said. “You really need a garden coach to help you figure out [and] grow something that’s meaningful to you.”
For more information or to schedule a session, visit silversagegrowing.com or follow @silversagegrowing on Instagram.
Fast fact
• National Farmers Market Week is Aug. 2 through 8, and the iconic Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market is celebrating on Thursday, Aug. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. National Farmers Market Week was established by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1999 to promote local food systems and highlight farmers across the country. The tradition expanded to collaborate with the Farmers Market Coalition each first full week of August. Along with the usual food vendors and fresh produce, previous celebrations included regional farm stands, interactive art projects, and chances to enter a raffle and win prizes. ∆
Reach Intern Sam Fickett at intern@newtimesslo.com.
GARDEN COUNSELOR Silver Sage Garden Coaching founder Laura Gaither comes from generations of gardeners and offers her expertise to local aspiring green thumbs.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA GAITHER
‘Ambulance
Down in the Valley’
Poem reflects the attitude about pesticide use in SLO County
On June 30, concerned citizens from the Oceano, Grover Beach, and Arroyo Grande communities sat down with the local ag commissioner and a representative from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). This meeting was months in the making, and although one of the key representatives of the citizen group, Karl Kempton, had requested it in the past, it was only with the prompting of 4th District San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Jimmy Paulding that this meeting was granted. The meeting focused on the issue of the pesticides currently permitted in the state of California, pesticide drift, and their impact on health.
California—although more progressive than most states in the country—still allows eight pesticides that are currently banned throughout Europe due to their adverse effects on health and safety for humans and the environment in general. One of the more egregious of these pesticides, chloropicrin, is commonly used in our county as a fumigant. This “pesticide” was called tear gas in World War I. Often, such substances created in warfare remain as stockpiles that chemical companies want to find uses for. Thus, we have tear gas being sprayed on our local crops, along with several other substances that are banned elsewhere.
Our ag commissioner and DPR rep reported to us that state requirements for usage levels and the distances they are allowed to drift are within safe bounds, as defined by DPR regulations. So, they are well aware of the fact that what they are regulating is poison. And they have instituted a program whereby citizens who live near fields can sign up to be noticed when spraying is to happen. Strangely enough, the attending DPR representative said that his
family only eats organic produce. Thus, the person regulating the poisons does not trust the food that is being poisoned.
In the late ’80s and early ’90s, community health advocate Karl Kempton was instrumental with other neighbors in getting the Halcyon strawberry fields that used methyl bromide banned. He and his wife along with many other neighbors experienced many physical reactions— headaches, skin disruptions, pesticide cough and other respiratory issues, fatigue, emotional sensitivity, and other unexplained aches and pains—none of which could be explained. Yet all of them lived within close proximity to the strawberry fields. Once those fields turned into an organic farm, virtually all 21 recorded symptoms disappeared within three months.
Kempton tried to explain that to the ag commissioner at the time but was rebuffed.
Kempton lives near the now organic farm. But there are several non-organic, regularly chemically sprayed fields surrounding the area where he lives. Being down this road 40 years ago, seeing signs and symptoms in himself and his neighbors, he collected the data and presented it to the current commissioner. The commissioner tried to reassure Kempton that the rules and regulations regarding pesticides were being strictly adhered to—which of course would seem worth celebrating for the community. Our local authorities are doing their job! However, people’s health is still being affected. Officials are not blind to how toxic and dangerous the pesticides being used are,
but rather than challenge their use, they have elected to stay within guidelines that are proving ineffective.
At this meeting, I told the DPR representative and the commissioner a story mentioned in a poem called “Ambulance Down in the Valley.” The story talks about a cliff overlooking a village where many young lovers would go to park. And unfortunately, they sometimes parked too close to the cliff and their cars fell over and crashed to the bottom, resulting in serious injuries, even death. Local authorities decided that what they needed to do was to create an ambulance system. As people crashed over the cliff, the ambulance came by and picked them up and took them to the local hospitals. Many people survived as a result, and it was considered a great success—even
Officials are not blind to how toxic and dangerous the pesticides being used are, but rather than challenge their use, they have elected to stay within guidelines that are proving ineffective.
though people were still driving over the cliff. Then, at one of the town meetings someone suggested that perhaps it would be wise to put a fence at the top of the cliff to prevent people from going over the cliff in the first place. The town’s people were outraged. Why should they incur the expense of putting up a fence when there was such a great ambulance system down in the valley.
I told the commissioner and the DPR rep that the rules, regulations, and announcements of “drift days” were nothing more than “ambulances down in the valley.”
Our fields are being poisoned. The
residential areas are encroaching upon the fields more and more. There’s a widening number of people who are suffering.
One need not wonder why these poisons are used so readily in our area. Our local agencies and educational establishments receive funds from and sometimes have close relationships with some of the chemical companies that create these products. Despite what is going on for the workers and the community as a result of poisoned food and contaminated water and air, someone is making money.
A representative from a state pesticide watch group attended the meeting with us. She told us that there are other county ag commissioners who understand the problem and are aware of and have acted upon the power they have to change the regulations around pesticides and pesticide drift. And yet, locally, there is little impetus to make the changes necessary to protect us, despite having the power to do so. But, if the people, our local state Assembly person, and county supervisors exert some political and morally conscious backbone to mandate change, it can happen.
We need to be vigilant and speak out and say that we want a fence at the top of the cliff. No more ambulances. Start by being proactive about your own health and wellbeing. Observe what you are experiencing and do some research. If you want some help and want to join in with those who are now standing up for you in addressing an issue that affects everyone in SLO County, contact the local citizens who have begun this fight for you so that we can compile more irrefutable proof that a sensible preventive approach to protect ourselves from being poisoned is what we want. ∆
Robert Sachs is a member of the San Luis Obispo Coalition for Pesticide Reform. Respond to his opinion by writing a letter and emailing it to letters@newtimesslo.com.
HODIN
Russell Hodin
Opinion
BY JOHN DONEGAN
Empathy?
Even in this era of widespread “catch and release” justice, sometimes a court decision seems so outrageous as to attract attention. I am referring to the recent sentencing of two young men, aged 21 and 18, for the brutal attack on an elderly homeless man in Arroyo Grande that resulted in permanent brain damage.
The attack was unprovoked, cruel, and unrestrained. The 68-year-old victim was sleeping in a park when the defendants came across him. Apparently bored and seeking amusement, one chose to urinate on him, and after he awakened to the deluge, began to punch and kick him. Soon, the other defendant joined in, and they together punched and kicked him, including kicks to the head. The enthusiasm with which they delivered this attack resulted in the victim’s blood splattering their shoes and hands, as they laughed and congratulated each other with “high fives” for their brave exploits against the helpless victim, according to the SLO County District Attorney’s Office.
In a Gen Z twist, they recorded the attack and posted it to Snapchat so that their friends could admire their exploits.
The conduct of the defendants was vicious, callous, and devoid of any real excuse. There was no offense given by the victim, nor was it any sort of recognizable act of emotion, rage, or passion, but was merely the infliction of grave injury to obtain personal amusement and to impress others.
•
Repeatedly kicking anyone in the head can easily cause death or grave injury. Anyone who is capable of severely beating and possibly killing a helpless person merely for the fun of it is clearly a dangerously damaged and unsalvageable individual. Like a person who tortures animals for entertainment, their “core” instincts will not change, and they will remain a threat to others, even if seemingly remorseful and apprehensive about punishment for any future crimes.
The sentencing of the defendants shocked even a cynical and hardened public long used to the leniency of our legal system toward violent criminals, as they were sentenced to 364 days in county jail and four years of probation. The maximum term for the crime was seven years in prison, which the district attorney sought. In sentencing, the judge cited youth, a lack of criminal history, and the defendants’ willingness to accept responsibility, according to a press release from the District Attorney’s Office.
In light of the defendants’ video of their crime and their apparent glee in beating a helpless old man possibly to death, and the blood found on their hands and shoes, I suspect that this “acceptance of responsibility” reflects more the wise advice of their attorneys than any true remorse.
After reading about the inexplicably light sentence for such a serious crime, and the fact that the judge was an appointee of Gavin Newsom, I initially visualized the judge as likely a former criminal defense attorney or someone otherwise favorably disposed toward criminal defendants. I was surprised to learn that the judge had
previously been a longtime prosecutor, and someone who is presumably inclined to impose meaningful punishment.
So, what explains this ridiculously light sentence?
Admittedly, I am not familiar with the facts of this case beyond the media reporting. and I realize that the judge is prohibited from publicly responding to criticism. And, having myself served in a judicial role, I realize that sometimes you can be forced to render decisions which offend your own personal views. Still, the incontrovertible guilt and the demonstrated depravity of the defendants’ conduct speaks for itself.
Empathy for the defendants? Imagine yourself in their position. Is there any way that you could ever deliberately inflict such injuries on a helpless, unknown person just for the thrill of it?
Concern for the futures of the defendants? Put yourself in the position of the homeless victim who finds that his permanent brain damage is merely of secondary concern relative to the negative impact of a long prison sentence on the futures of the thugs who attacked him.
You do not have to sentimentalize the homeless as blameless “victims” of the high cost of housing to recognize their humanity and their right to the same protections as anyone. I am at a loss to understand such a light sentence. Is it having the personal responsibility for directly imposing a harsh punishment? Confronted with a young, frightened defendant whose future is under your control, the temptation to be empathetic and show mercy must be strong.
But empathy should also extend to the victim, and to the likely future victims. The victim has permanent brain injuries. And the defendants, having shown the level of spontaneous cruelty against the helpless that they are capable of, remain dangerous. The role of a judge is not to be kind and forgiving. It is to impose the often harsh justice that is required to protect the public from dangerous predators and to show victims that their suffering is recognized. Sentencing should be a dispassionate choice considering the law, the crime committed, and the continuing danger of the criminal. The defendants are solely to blame for their situation. ∆
John Donegan is a retired attorney in Pismo Beach who is glad he avoided criminal law. Send a response for publication to letters@ newtimesslo.com.
What’s your favorite 55 Fiction genre?
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25% Point of view twists—pets, babies, otherworldly entities.
0% Romance and relationships—anything happily ever after.
0% Murder and mayhem. Chaos reigns! 4 votes
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He’s a creep
There’s been some creepy shenanigans happening in Templeton and the instigator is also a local decision-maker.
That guy, David Allen “I’m a Creep” Leader, recently pleaded guilty to felony vandalism and seven counts of violating court orders—restraining orders filed against him by his neighbors.
After facing, at the highest total count, 32 criminal charges tied to harassment of his neighbors living along a private road in Templeton, he finally admitted: “I’m a weirdo.” He didn’t belong there—in his neighbors’ yards in the middle of the night, slinking around in head-to-toe camouflage that’s meant for snipers.
Yes, the chair of the Templeton Area Advisory Group (TAAG) was trespassing on his neighbor’s property at 1 a.m. in a ghillie suit, looking like an out-of-place Big Foot on security camera footage.
“Everybody in the neighborhood has a visceral emotional reaction to that photo,” one neighbor said.
Neighbors have compiled 2,000 images of Leader on their properties over the last three years. There are only about 1,000 days in that span of time. What was he doing?
Shining lights in windows while people are sleeping? Check.
Playing chicken while the neighbor is working on their property? Check.
Creeping where he doesn’t belong? Check. Check. Check.
“It was custom tailored harassment,” one neighbor said.
“Whatever bothers you is what he does.”
Leader could be featured on Netflix as part of the Worst Neighbor Ever documentary series.
Why did he do all of this? A dispute over the private road’s easement that resulted in what prosecutors called a “deranged need for revenge against his neighbors.” After telling New Times that his neighbors weren’t telling the truth earlier this year, Leader was arrested.
He somehow convinced TAAG to change its bylaws so that someone convicted of a felony could still serve on the board, got arrested, and then pleaded guilty to a felony. Suspicious, amirite?
Leader repeatedly violated restraining orders in the three years that culminated with his plea. TAAG makes recommendations to the county Board of Supervisors about development projects in the area. Is this the guy that should be weighing in on those?
Here’s what District Attorney Dan Dow said of the case: “It’s never OK to terrorize the people who live around you.” Duh! You can dislike them, you can disagree with them, but you can’t dress up like Sasquatch the sniper and creep around on their property in the middle of the night!
Leader’s getting 30 days in jail and two years of felony probation for his admitted misdeeds.
But there’s a caveat. If he reoffends, a judge could instigate a two-year county jail sentence.
“He’ll do it again,” a neighbor said. “It’s highly likely. He never stopped.”
You know who else never stops? Gaea Powell.
That woman filed another lawsuit that stems from the district attorney’s case against her for voter fraud. This time she filed a defamation lawsuit against someone who she called a former business parter and landlord.
And guess what? She’s representing herself. Powell’s newfound job is providing free attorney services to herself. Do we think she will try to claim inadequate representation after the criminal case goes to trial?
She sued Arroyo Grande and its city clerk for not complying with public records she requested as part of the criminal case. That lawsuit was thrown out. She sued the county and County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano for “misusing her influence” by confirming to the media that an investigation against Powell existed.
Powell ran against Cano in the primary and lost alongside fellow whack-a-doodle Vanessa Rozo. Neither Rozo nor Powell could give a straight answer to the question about whether they thought SLO County’s elections were conducted on the up-andup (or really any of the questions for that matter). We dodged a bullet!
Powell is alleging a lot against her former landlord/business partner, but between the lines, the lawsuit is very connected to the fraud case and the question of whether she actually lived in Arroyo Grande when she ran for
mayor in 2022 and 2024.
The fraud trial is supposed to start soon, and I will be watching!
I’ll also be watching what happens next in Grover Beach. The state weighed in on Save Grover Beach ’s building heights ballot measure—and things aren’t looking good over there.
“Should Measure F-26 pass … the action shall be deemed void,” a letter from the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) said. “If the HCD finds that a city’s actions do not comply with state law, HCD may notify the California Office of the Attorney General that the local government is in violation of state law.”
The state recently sued five cities for being noncompliant with state housing laws! What’s the remedy? Well, it really depends on what voters think. If they vote in favor of the measure, Grover Beach is supposed to concurrently update its zoning laws to allow for more housing in other areas of the city— something that usually takes a long-ass time— or face the potential of $10,000-a-month fines.
How are the measure’s proponents responding? Shrug.
Supporter Kelvin Coveduck is adamant that the measure needs to be on the ballot now: “A refined version of F-26 in two years will be too far in the future,” he said. “The tall building projects will make Grover Beach unrecognizable in this short time span.” ∆
The Shredder shrugs a lot. Send your shrugs to shredder@newtimesslo.com.
CULTURE & LIFESTYLE
NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY
AN AFTERNOON OF GREATNESS In this 4four-hour workshop, Beth will guide the group through exercises, reflections, discussions, journal writing, and guided meditations designed to help you release what no longer serves you, align with your soul, and step into your courageous, confident, authentic self. Aug. 2 , 1-5 p.m. $99. my805tix.com. Goddess Temple Central Coast, 550 Morro Bay Boulevard, Morro Bay.
ALL-AGES SUNSET BAT WALK IN
THE ELFIN FOREST Come learn about bats and other nocturnal creatures of the Elfin Forest! All ages are welcome. July 30 8-9 p.m. Free. (805) 772-3834. eventbrite.com/e/family-field-trip-sunsetbat-walk-in-the-elfin-forest-tickets1989346579170?aff=oddtdtcreator&ke
ep_tld=true. El Moro Elfin Forest Natural Area, 1100 15th St., Los Osos.
CENTRAL COAST UECHI-RYU KARATE-
DO 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.
CO-DEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS
MEETING Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a Twelve Step recovery program for anyone who desires to have healthy and loving relationships with themselves and others. Meeting is hybrid (both in person and on Zoom). For information, call 805-900-5237. Saturdays, 1-2:15 p.m. Free. thecambriaconnection.org/. Cambria Connection, 1069 Main St., Cambria, (805) 927-1654.
NATURE RHYTHMS IN TOWN OF HARMONY: MINDFUL DRUMMING AND NATURE CONNECTION Nature Rhythms offers a unique experience to slow down and reconnect with oneself, with one another, and with nature—finding balance, joy, and inner
peace as we attune to the grounding rhythms, the breath of the wind, and the sweet harmony inside and out. Aug. 9, 2-3:30 p.m. $17.91-$28.62. my805tix. com. Harmony, 2177 Old Creamery Road, Harmony, (805) 927-1625.
“THE REALITY OF MORTALITY” FREE SESSION ONE: BODY DISPOSITION OPTIONS IN CALIFORNIA Learn about the many options available for your body upon death that offer a “greener”, more eco-friendly approach than that of traditional burial or cremation. Aug. 8 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. my805tix.com. Morro Bay Public Library - Community Room, 625 Harbor Street, Morro Bay.
SOCRATES DISCUSSION GROUP Have a topic, book, or article you wish to discuss with interested and interesting people? Join this weekly meeting to discuss it, or simply contribute your experiences and knowledge. Contact Mark Plater for instructions on entering the Chapel area. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-noon (805) 528-7111. Coalesce Garden Chapel, 845 Main St., Morro Bay.
YOGA’SSAGE We are honored to share this union of gentle restorative yoga and massage with you as we set the intention for rest and nervous system relaxation. Aug. 8 , 7:30-9 p.m. $54.33. my805tix.com. Let’s Get Tuned Sound & Yoga Studio, 781 Market Ave, 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.
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.
LAVENDER DISTILLATION WORKSHOP
Enjoy this Lavender Distillation Workshop, From Field to Oil, at Hambly Lavender Farm. Aug. 2 , 9 a.m. $95. (805) 975-0056. hamblyfarms.com. Hambly Lavender Farm, 1390 GRANA PL, San Miguel CA, San Miguel, CA 93451.
SUMMER FUN SPORTS CAMP A sports
WATERCOLOR WORK
See the work of watercolorist Virginia Mack on display from Thursday, July 30, to Saturday, Aug. 29, at Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay. From decades of kayaking the bay and teaching studio art in the region, Mack paints the lights and colors of the Central Coast. Visit galleryatmarinasquare.com for additional information.
—A.S.
camp for ages five to 14 years old. Through July 31, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and Through Aug. 7, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $300-$495. (805) 434-9605. ttrtennis.com. Templeton Tennis Ranch, 345 Championship Lane, Templeton. YOGA AND BUBBLES Flow, stretch, and unwind at our hilltop winery, then celebrate with bubbles. An hour yoga session includes glass of sparkling wine. Aug. 2 1011 a.m. $25. (805) 467-2046. foursistersranch. com. Four Sisters Ranch Vineyard and Winery, 2995 Pleasant Rd., San Miguel.
SAN LUIS OBISPO
30-DAY BREATH AND RESET JOURNEY FOR WOMEN Wired at night, drained all day? Reset your body in 30 days. Focus on breath practices to calm stress, sleep deeply, and restore lasting energy. Registration is required. Tuesdays, 6:307:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 10-11 a.m. (805) 235-7978. charvetgratefulbody.com. Live Webinar, online, SLO County.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL EXTRAVAGANZA WITH SLO COUNTY LIBRARIES Enjoy free entertainment, carnival games, character meet-and-greets, photo booth,
food trucks, and other fun activities. Aug. 1 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. sanluisobispo. librarycalendar.com. Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.
FAMILY FREE DAY: SCALY SAFARI
Admission to the garden is free for the day! Enjoy crafts, activities, and exploring the garden. Aug. 9 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. (805) 541-1400. slobg.org. SLO Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd, SLO.
FREE TOURS OF THE MISSION Tour San Luis Obispo’s Spanish Mission, founded in 1772. Come learn its history and importance to the development of this area. Tours are led by docents and meet in front of the church Sundays, 2:30 p.m. and Mondays-Saturdays, 1:15 p.m. Free. (805) 550-7713. missionslodocents.org. Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, 751 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.
GARDEN FOUNDER WALK AND TALK
Walk and talk with Eve Vigil in the Botanical Garden each month on the first Wednesday. Free garden tour with paid admission to the Garden. Free for members. No need to RSVP, just show
up and enjoy. First Wednesday of every month, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free with $5 Garden Entry. (805) 541-1400. slobg.org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.
GLOBAL KIDS SUMMER PROGRAM This nature experience includes scavenger hunting, singing, storytelling, hands-on gardening, art, games, visiting farm animals, mini-lessons, harvesting, and being immersed in a Permaculture Food Forest. Aug. 7, 10 a.m.-noon $40. (626) 476-7584. permacultureslocounty.com/. City Farm SLO, 1221 Calle Joaquin, San Luis Obispo.
REDEFINING WOMEN’S HEALTH - A COTTAGE VIRTUAL EVENT Physicians will share the vision behind the Cottage Center for Women’s Health and how it unifies primary and specialty care in a coordinated, patient-centered model. July 30 4-5 p.m. Free. cottagehealth.org/ womenshealth. Live Webinar, online, SLO County, (805) 489-1488.
ROCKEROS CONTRA ICE: CENTERPOINT
Rockeros Contra ICE is a benefit concert series that fundraises for Colectivo Mariposa. Colectivo Mariposa is a local mutual aid group based in Santa Maria that serves over 200 families by providing food, diapers, and miscellaneous small items to families who have had a family member kidnapped by ICE. Proceeds from this event go to purchasing these items. For this particular show, we are also conducting a back-to-school drive in which attendees who bring school supplies (i.e. backpacks, binders) will be entered into a raffle to win Colectivo Mariposa merch. July 31 7 p.m. $10. my805tix.com. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, (805) 781-9974.
SERENITY SOUND JOURNEY AT LA LOMITA RANCH Your journey begins with gentle, integrative practices—mindful breathing, soft vocal toning, subtle movement—designed to soothe the nervous system and invite presence. As you settle, an exquisite and immersive soundscape unfolds around you. Aug. 4 6-7:15 p.m. $23.27-$33.98. my805tix.com. La Lomita Ranch, 1985 La Lomita Way, San Luis Obispo.
THE SLO FLOWER COLLECTIVE WEEKLY FLOWER MARKET Enjoy an amazing weekly fresh flower market, open to the public. Enjoy the historic gardens with local blooms from nine local flower farmers. Thursdays, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. through Nov. 5 Free. sloflowercollective. com. Dallidet Adobe and Gardens, 1185
Pacific St., San Luis Obispo. SLO NATURE RHYTHMS AT CROW’S END: MINDFUL DRUMMING AND NATURE CONNECTION Nature Rhythms is a welcoming circle where we gather to slow down, drum, sing, and reconnect with ourselves, with nature, and with one another. Join us at Crow’s End Retreat Center, a quiet and serene rural setting nestled in Squire Canyon. Aug. 5 11 a.m.12:30 p.m. $13.63-$25.41. my805tix.com. Crows End Retreat, 6430 Squire Ct., San Luis Obispo.
SUMMER SCIENCE CAMP Join for a week of robotics, science, engineering, physics, education, and more! The camp is taught by real aerospace and mechanical engineers. Aug. 3-8 $697. (805) 242-8257. roboticsmastery.com. San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd, San Luis Obispo.
TRANSFORMING AN UNEXPECTED DIAGNOSIS INTO A DREAM: THE GARDEN AT DINOSAUR CAVES PARK PRESENTED BY MAGGIE WAGNER This presentation will guide participants through the journey of creating a public garden, beginning with the initial inspiration and continuing to the ongoing plantings at Dinosaur Caves Park in Pismo Beach. Aug. 4 , 1-3 p.m. $12. my805tix.com. Odd Fellows Hall, 520 Dana St., San Luis Obispo. UNITED WAY’S STUFF THE BUS RETURNS FOR 18TH YEAR TO SUPPORT THOUSANDS OF SLO COUNTY
STUDENTS Join United Way’s 18th annual “Stuff the Bus” back-to-school drive, benefitting 1,000’s SLO County students. Aug. 7, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Aug. 8 9 a.m.-noon and Aug. 9 10 a.m.-noon (805) 541-1234. unitedwayslo.org/stuffthebus. Target, Los Osos Valley Rd., San Luis Obispo.
SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY BAKE SALE FUNDRAISER WITH NIPOMO’S BEST BAKERS! Join us for a delightful bake sale, we are amazing bakers! The Community Wide Yard Sale is also happening at our Center. Aug. 8 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. (805) 929-1615. nipomoseniorcenter.org/. Nipomo Senior Center, 200 E. Dana St., Nipomo. 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. CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 17
IMAGE COURTESY OF VIRGINIA MACK
5 Crow’s End, Squire Canyon, SLO
Pour House, Paso Robles
Ted Z & The Wranglers
AUGUST 1 Club Car Bar, Templeton
Rockin’ the Ranch: Critical Mass
SOLVANG SUMMER
Enjoy an End of Summer Family Day with the California Nature Art Museum in Solvang on Sunday, Aug. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event will allow participants to browse local nature-inspired booths, see animals from the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society, marvel at a live beehive, and get their faces painted. More details can be found at calnatureartmuseum.org.
qigong. Online, See website, Arroyo Grande.
BEGINNING BALLET FOR ADULTS Enjoy the grace and flow of ballet. No previous experience needed. Wednesdays, 5:156:15 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.
COMMUNITY NATIVE GARDEN
MONTHLY VOLUNTEER WORKDAY
Volunteers accomplish a variety of tasks including pathways maintenance, litter patrol of the garden perimeter, weeding, irrigation system expansion/repairs, pruning, and plantings. Volunteers should bring work gloves, a hat, drinking water, and tools related to the above activities. First Saturday of every month, 9 a.m.-noon Free. (805) 710-3073. Nipomo Native Garden, Camino Caballo at Osage, Nipomo.
DAILY QIGONG PRACTICE For the early riser or commuter, every weekday morning. Maintain or improve concentration, balance, and flexibility. Includes weekly Friday 3 p.m. class with more practices. Led by certified Awareness Through Movement teacher. Mondays-Saturdays, 6:10 a.m. and Fridays, 3 p.m. $35/week or $125/month. (646) 280-5800. margotschaal.com/
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.
EPIC DJ TRIVIA Don’t miss DJ Trivia. It’s free to play, and prizes for the top three teams will be awarded. Bring your family and friends! Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. Free. Grover Station Grill, 170 W Grand Ave #101, Grover Beach, (805) 489-3030, EpicDJTrivia.com.
HEALING HEROES FOURTH ANNUAL GALA Join us for an evening of fine dining, auctions, and entertainment supporting local Veterans and horses through programs that foster healing, connection, and second chances. Aug. 8 3:30-10 p.m. $150. (805) 868-7634. heroeshorses.org/events/. Thousand Hills Ranch, 550 Thousand Hills Rd., Pismo Beach.
LA CONVERSACIÓN La Conversación is a group for practicing Spanish. There’s no homework or lessons, just conversation. Beginners to native speakers, all levels are welcome! Thursdays, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. (805) 748-9123. Coffee Bean, 354 Five Cities Dr., Pismo Beach. Join La Conversación, a group for practicing spoken Spanish. There is no homework or lessons, just conversation. Thursdays, 9-11:30 a.m. Free. Greenhouse Coffee Company, 1064 E Grand Av, Arroyo
Grande, (805) 825-1345.
LGBTQ+ FED THERAPIST LEAD SUPPORT GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM)
A pro-recovery group offering space to those seeking peer support, all stages of ED recovery. We understand recovery isn’t linear and judgmentfree support is crucial. Share, listen, and be part of a community building up each other.
First Wednesday of every month, 7-8 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, Arroyo Grande.
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) 362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WATCH AND CLOCK COLLECTORS, CHPT. 52
Come join a friendly meeting of watch and clock collectors. Members bring watches and clocks to show, plus there are discussions of all things horological.
Second Sunday of every month, 1:30-3 p.m. (805) 547-1715. new.nawcc.org/index. php/chapter-52-los-padres. Central Coast Senior Center, 1580 Railroad St., Oceano. PICTURE PERFECT GENEALOGY Turn your boxes of old family photos into stories, not mysteries. Learn to identify, organize, digitize, and preserve them practical tips you can use immediately. Aug. 1 , 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. (805) 215-0750. slocgs.org. Online, See website, Arroyo Grande.
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.
Q YOUTH GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) This is a social support group for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth between the ages of 11-18. Each week the group explores personal, cultural, and social identity. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. Free. galacc. org/events/. Online, See website, Arroyo Grande.
SOCIAL GROUP FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS Call for more details. Second
Featured Events
CULTURE
PHOTO COURTESY OF CALNAM
What’s Your Take?
Arts
Feast your eyes, feed your neighbors
The Estero Bay Kindness Coalition has mission: to ensure no one in the Morro Bay and Los Osos community goes hungry. What began in 2017 when founder Bobby deLancellotti provided 10 families in need with gifts including $100 gift cards to a local supermarket has expanded to three programs, 130 volunteers, and two food pantries. It works with eight schools, 25 nonprofits, and 11 churches, and it’s time for its annual fundraiser.
On Sunday, Aug. 2, from 1 to 5 p.m., Casa Ramos Art Gallery will host a reception and fundraising sale to benefit the Kindness Coalition. See details at esterobaykindnesscoalition.org.
“It’s going to be amazing,” gallery proprietor Elena RamosPeffly said. “An art show and live art demonstrations, live music by Shane Stoneman and Miss Leo, food, beverages, and a raffle fundraiser. We’re donating 40 percent of gallery proceeds from the event to help the food insecure.”
Special guest artist Art Carrillo of Homeboy Art Academy will also be on hand with amazing small-scale highly detailed acrylic paintings.
“I’m giving him wall space and a month of display at the gallery,” Ramos-Peffly said.
If you can’t make the event, be sure to stop by another time and see Carillo’s work. It’s remarkable! Visit losososart.com for more info.
Ten-year-old wunderkind
Ready for a little magic? Get your tickets now for Wine Country Theatre’s upcoming production of Matilda the Musical at the Templeton Performing Arts Center running Fridays through Sundays, July 31 through Aug. 9. Tickets are $44.69 general and $17.91 student at my805tix.com.
Based on Roald Dahl’s 1988 novella, the story follows Matilda Wormwood, a precocious little girl with the gift of telekinesis who uses her power to overcome challenges, including dealing with her neglectful parents and her tyrannical headmistress.
Paso-based child actor Quinn Newman, 10, has been cast in the title role, and what’s incredible is she’s been coached by Gabriella Pizzolo, who portrayed Matilda on Broadway and stars as Suzie on Netflix’s Stranger Things
“Working with Quinn on the material for Matilda has been such a wonderful process,” Pizzolo said in a press release.
“It’s a difficult role to prepare, but Quinn is very talented, and I’m so excited to see what she brings to it. I’ve loved following along the same journey I remember beginning over 13 years ago.”
“What I love most about Matilda is that she never stops believing she can make a difference,” Newman added.
“She’s brave, creative, and always stands up for what’s right. Getting the opportunity to bring one of my dream roles to life is very exciting.” Δ Glen Starkey
BY GLEN STARKEY
The devil made me do it!
The Screwtape Letters comes to the PAC in SLO for one show
In C.S. Lewis’ satirical Christian apologetic novel, The Screwtape Letters, a senior devil, Screwtape, writes a series of letters to his nephew, Wormwood, a junior tempter tasked with leading a British man known as “the Patient” to damnation. Screwtape offers all manner of advice on how to undermine God’s word, God being referred to as “the Enemy” and Satan “Our Father Below.”
Aside from The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters is perhaps Lewis’ best-known work, and it was adapted for the stage in 2006 by Max McLean and Jeffrey Fiske. McLean first starred in the titular role with Fiske directing but has since directed several other actors in the role as the show played to sold-out audiences in major cities across the U.S. and beyond, including London, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.
All told, more than 600,000 people have seen the production, and now you can see it on Sunday, Aug. 2, at 3 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center in SLO. McLean is founder of the Fellowship for Performing Arts, a nonprofit specializing in productions from a faith-based worldview for a diverse audience.
“I’m an adult convert to Christianity, and [The Screwtape Letters] was one of the first books I read following my conversion [in the 1970s],” McLean explained from his Long Beach office during a Zoom call. “It hit me kind of like a ton of bricks. I think all of us are interested in the devil from an archetypal place, right? You know, what is the substance of evil? What is the source of evil? And Lewis personified it in a very clear way, so it gave me a sense of temptation and how the devil works from a psychological perspective that I found quite insightful. I learned later that as he wrote it, Lewis was actually working out his own battles with temptation.”
tour, and Jackson starred in the touring cast of Aaron Sorkin’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Both are very accomplished, and whoever plays Screwtape— never fear—he will get his comeuppance.
Meet the devil
The Fellowship for the Performing Arts presents The Screwtape Letters at the Performing Arts Center in SLO for one show only, Sunday, Aug. 2 (doors at 2 p.m., show at 3; 13 and older recommended, 4 and under not allowed; $70 to $116 at pacslo.org). See the stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ classic 1942 novel brought to life.
“Like the book, when our play begins, he’s a ‘master of the universe’ character who loves the way he looks, the way he talks. He’s the smartest guy in the room, pure pride,” McLean explained. “And he ends the story as a defeated devil. Well, that’s one story. The other story is ‘the Patient.’ The unsuspecting human on Earth who’s been the object of Screwtape’s attacks begins the story as rather indifferent to Christianity, and by the end of the story, he dies in a state of grace, in spite of all the efforts by Screwtape to try to ruin him and bring him to damnation.”
and first published in February 1942.
At the time, Lewis wrote, “I don’t know if I’m weaker than other people, but it is a positive revelation to me how, while the speech lasts, it is impossible not to waver just a little. Statements which I know to be untrue all but convince me, if only the man says them unflinchingly.”
Hitler’s dark charisma and ability to sell lies are reflected in Screwtape, and McLean said embellishing on Lewis’ text was entirely unnecessary.
“The language is so good. The constellation of huge archetypal ideas is so profound, and you can tell them in a very entertaining way. When I was imagining him, I had in my mind a little bit of Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, a little of Iago in Othello, and a little bit of Lewis Black, the comedian. Everything is so over the top. Everything bothers him.”
The two-person show also features Screwtape’s secretary, Toadpipe, played by Shiloh Goodin.
It wasn’t until years later that McLean thought to adapt the book for the stage.
“I never thought of [the book] as the theatrical literature,” he said.
But that all changed after then Drew University theater professor Fiske approached him after he did a show in a small New Jersey theater.
“He planted the idea like Screwtape plants ideas,” McLean laughed. “He said, ‘I think you’d make a really good Screwtape.’ I didn’t know if that was a compliment or not, but he had an idea of how to do it.”
McLean said if he could get the rights from the C.S. Lewis estate, he’d “have a go,” and he did.
“We saw it could be theatricalized because there is a story arc within the book that’s not obvious, but if you’re thinking dramaturgically, it does emerge. Because it essentially is a predator/prey story. Screwtape is a predator, and ‘the Patient’ is the prey.”
When the play comes to the PAC, either Brent Harris or Gregory Allen Jackson will play Screwtape. Harris played Scar in The Lion King national
Send gallery, stage, and cultrual festivities to arts@newtimesslo.com.
The audio version of Lewis’ book is about six hours, and the book itself comprises 31 letters, so obviously McLean and Fiske had to make some cuts while still staying true to Lewis’ message.
“We have 85 or 90 minutes, but within those 90 minutes, we touch on 24 of the 31 letters,” McLean explained. “And that’s important because we are following the throughline and the arc of the story Screwtape is telling. And of course, it all takes place during the Blitz, so the sense of mortality was significant, and that’s what got people’s attention.”
Lewis developed the idea for The Screwtape Letters after listening to Hitler’s Reichstag speech on July 19, 1940. The Blitz started on Sept. 7, 1940, and ran until May 16, 1941, relentlessly bombing London and eventually killing about 43,000 civilians. The book was written during the Blitz
“Toadpipe is the amanuensis, the secretary who visually interprets a lot of what Screwtape says, and occasionally, she turns into other characters to help tell the story,” McLean explained. “She’s a very physical, acrobatic actor who really does a good job.
“The stage is a replica of what we think of Screwtape’s office. There’re all kinds of skulls and bones, which reinforces the eating theme. Human souls are nourishment for demons, so the object is food. A predator needs prey.”
Whether you’re a Christian or not, this is a hugely entertaining show. The Associated Press called it “devilishly funny!” Newsweek named it among the best productions of the year (in 2018) in New York City. The Chicago Sun-Times called it “Smart! ... Sizzling entertainment!” ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@ newtimesslo.com.
TAKE A LETTER Senior devil, Screwtape (Brent Harris, seated), dictates letters to his secretary, Toadpipe (Shiloh Goodin), destined for his nephew, a junior tempter, full of advice on how to damn a human soul.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FELLOWSHIP FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
THE DIRECTOR Actor, writer, director, and founder of the nonprofit Fellowship for the Performing Arts Max McLean brings C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters to the Performing Arts Center on Aug. 2.
COURTESY PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS
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Cinderella story
reated by Will Ferrell, Harper Steele, and Chris Henchy, The Hawk follows Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins (Ferrell), a former No. 1 ranked golfer who years ago exited the pro ranks in disgrace, as he attempts a return to pro golf by working his way up to play the U.S. Open. If he wins, he’ll complete the career Grand Slam that eluded him in his heyday. (10 28-to-37-min. episodes)
THE HAWK
What’s it rated? TV-MA
What’s it worth, Anna? Full price
What’s it worth, Glen? Full price
Where’s it showing? Netflix
5:30pm
Glen If you’re a fan of Will Ferrell, he’s bringing his Ricky Bobby, Ron Burgundy, Chazz Michael Michaels machismo to the part of Lonnie Hawkins. Lonnie is full of exaggerated swagger, but somehow Ferrell always manages to imbue these characters with heart, making them sympathetic despite their boorish insufferableness. Molly Shannon stars as Stacy, Lonnie’s exwife, and their son, Lance (Jimmy Tatro), is an ascending PGA golfer who ends up competing against his father. Keith David is Old Henry, Lonnie’s former caddy and longtime best friend. Fortune Feimster is Sam, Lonnie’s new and completely inexperienced caddy. Luke Wilson stars as Golden Fisk, Lonnie’s longtime rival. This is a great cast delivering a funny underdog story that’s very bingeable.
Anna I find Ferrell to be very funny and watchable, and whether he’s in his wheelhouse of comedy or stretching his dramatic muscles in films like Stranger Than Fiction and Everything Must Go—I love both films and have watched them countless times—he’s got charm and charisma. It’s a tough cast to beat in The Hawk. Lance is a spoiled nepo baby in the world of golf, Sam is bumbling and desperate in a way the Feimster has perfected, and Shannon is comedy royalty in whatever project she touches, including this portrayal of the putupon ex. It’s hard not to compare this to Stick, Jason Keller’s show from last year that features Owen Wilson as an aging golfer as
72 HOURS
What’s it rated? R When? 2026
Where’s it showing? Netflix
Take a bro-cation with Kevin Hart as Joe and a bunch of young punks who jokingly invite him to their Florida bachelor weekend after an accidental addition to their group chat.
Joe is a career-driven marketing exec, but he’s quickly aging out of his job, and despite hitting his 40s, he’s reticent to commit to his hot doctor girlfriend, Jennifer (Teyana Taylor). In a desperate swing to understand the younger demographic, Joe offers to fund the trip if he can come along. The younger dudes (Marcello Hernandez, Mason
well. While Stick had a bit more sentiment and deeper storylines, The Hawk plays into Ferrell’s whimsical, over-the-top character portrayals but still manages to have a lot of heart.
Glen When we first meet Lance, he and his fiancée, Natalie (Katelyn Tarver), have their eyes on the prize. She’s a “wellness influencer,” and Lance supposedly treats his body like a temple. Training is tantamount. Wouldn’t it be funny to discover the musclebound cocksure jerk has a bunch of bad habits just itching to get out? Ferrell and Shannon are great together as always. Stacy loathes Lonnie, and his mere presence usually unleashes a profane diatribe. This series also marks the first return of Ferrell and Wilson working together since Old School (2003). The whole thing is a breezy, silly, goofy romp that revels in making fun of male bravado. I don’t know what it is about the game, but golf seems ripe for comedy, from Caddyshack (1980) to Happy Gilmore (1996) to Tin Cup (1996), there’s something funny about men (it’s always men, right?) in
Gooding, Kam Patterson, Ben Marshall) are suspicious of Joe’s motives, but also broke and willing to play along. This film has four writers, and it sure feels like it—it’s so buck wild in premise, the physical gags border on groan-worthy, and the jokes may produce a chuckle here or there but fall far from hilarity. That said, Hart knows what he is doing, and he knows how to find the funny. He holds this film together as watchable. Filmmaker Tim Story put all his chips on Hart, and without the blustering short-tempered star, this film would have been a true waste of time. (105 min.)
—Anna
5
HAVE A LITTLE HART
Ad exec Joe (Kevin Hart, second from left) joins a 20-something bachelor party in a bid to learn about the younger generation, in 72 hours, streaming on Netflix.
BOTTLE SHOCK
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2008
ridiculous pants trying to hit a tiny ball into a tiny hole in the ground. If you don’t mind lowbrow, it’s watchable.
Anna Good point. Golf seems to be a wellused sport when it comes to comedy—long games and big egos tease out pretty well. There was also Dink that came out this year about a washed-up tennis star who goes into the competitive world of pickleball. I’ve not seen that one yet, but it’s next on my list when I’m itching for a low-stakes comedy about a sport I know virtually nothing about. There’s no lack of content out there, as we all know, but if shutting your brain down for a bit and watching some of the best well-seasoned comics out there, The Hawk is worth a binge. If Ferrell isn’t your thing, I don’t think you’ll make it through this one, but personally I find his over-thetop characters to be quite charming. It was worth the watch to me. ∆
Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
Where’s it showing? Le Vigne Winery, 5115 Buena Vista Drive, Paso Robles, Saturday, Aug. 8 (doors at 6:30, film at 8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $22.84 at pasopictureshow.com)
Randall Miller (Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing & Charm School, Nobel Son, CBGB) directs this quirky comedy-drama he co-wrote with Jody Savin and Ross Schwartz about the early days of California winemaking and the now-famous 1976 blind winetasting known as the “Judgment of Paris,” in which a Napa Valley chardonnay won, proving French wines can be
beaten and ushering in the celebrated California wine industry. The ensemble comedy boasts an all-star cast including Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez, Eliza
Dennis Farina, and Bradley
It also includes a bumping ’70s soundtrack. The story, a fictionalized version of real events, is centered on a struggling vineyard called Chateau Montelena deeply in debt and run by fictional Jim Barrett (Pullman) who worries about his lazy son, Bo (Pine). In Paris, wine shop owner Steven Spurrier (Rickman)—based on a real person—comes up with the blind tasting idea to hopefully introduce wines from other parts of the world. That the French accepted tells you everything about their hubris at the time. Fun vineyard flick! (110 min.) ∆ —Glen
Dushku,
Whitford.
PREENING Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins, a washed-up formerly No. 1 pro golfer, makes a comeback bid, in The Hawk, streaming on Netflix.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX
NICE LEGS Alan Rickman stars in the 2008 dramedy Bottle Shock, screening at Le Vigne Winery on Aug. 8, as part of the Paso Picture Show summer pop-up series.
Music
BY GLEN STARKEY
Alt-country heroes
Old 97’s plays the historic Fremont Theater
We’re in prime summer concert season, and the Central Coast is delivering with a ton of great shows. For starters, Good Vibez presents Old 97’s at the Fremont Theater on Thursday, Aug. 6 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $33.96 at prekindle.com).
This killer alt-country act started as a Dallas bar band in 1992 and now—32 years later—has 13 studio albums, two EPs, and a live album to their credit, not to mention a few collaborations. Singles include the relentlessly infectious “Timebomb”: “I got a timebomb, in my mind Mom/ I hear it ticking but I don’t know why/ I call the police, but they don’t like me/ I hear ’em whispering when I walk by.”
Super cool band, and North Carolina singer-songwriter River Shook opens.
Also from Good Vibez at the Fremont, see Rocky Mountain High Experience—A John Denver Tribute on Friday, July 31 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $25.72 to $60.74 at prekindle.com). Rick Schuler is a shoo-in for Denver in both looks and sound. He was 13 “when a pair of round glasses revealed a striking resemblance to Denver— and sparked a lifelong passion,” his bio explained.
Hear “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Thank God
I’m a Country Boy,” “Rocky Mountain High,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and more.
Massive attack
Numbskull and Good Medicine have bunch of shows all over the Central Coast this week staring with LA club band Starcrawler at Club Car Bar on Friday, July 31 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $24.41 at goodmedicinepresents.com). They’re known for their explosive live shows and their swaggering frontwoman Arrow De Wilde. They live their own version of Hollywood Babylon and list X, The Go-Go’s, The Distillers “and some Rolling Stones sleaze” as inspiration. Sluttony opens.
New Zealand indie rock quartet The Beths and Chicago indie-pop trio Beach Bunny share the bill at the Alex Madonna Expo Center on Tuesday, Aug. 4 (doors at 6 p.m.; all ages; $49.13 at goodmedicinepresents. com). The Beths’ 2025 release Straight Line Was a Lie made year-end “Best Of” lists in Rolling Stone, Consequence of Sound, Slate, and more. Wishy opens.
Sound out! Send music and club information to gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
Singer-songwriter McKinley James plays Club Car Bar on Thursday, Aug. 6 (8 p.m.; all ages; $15.66 at goodmedicinepresents. com). He’s touring in support of his debut album, Working Class Blues, that mixes rock, soul, and raw R&B sounds.
Live Music
NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY
BLUES AGENDA JAM AND SHOWCASE
A rockin’ blues dance party at Niffy’s Merrimaker every first, third, and now fifth Wednesdays. The Blues Asylum house band welcomes local, visiting, and newcomers to the blues groove. Spirits, beer, and wine, with outside food welcome. Every other Wednesday, 7-10 p.m. Free. (805) 235-5223. The Merrimaker Tavern, 1301 2nd Street, Los Osos.
MUSIC AT THE ROCK The White Caps Community Band presents pops, jazz, and family favorites with guest vocalist Mitch Latting, led by conductor Brenda Hascall. Aug. 1 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. (805) 459-9543. morrobaywhitecaps.com.
Morro Bay White Caps Community Band, 1185 Embarcadero, Morro Bay.
OPEN MIC NIGHT Each Wednesday, enjoy this Open Mic Night in the downstairs dining area. Grab some
Meanwhile down in Santa Maria, Thee Sinseers and The Altons play Presqu’ile Winery on Thursday, Aug. 6 (8 p.m.; all ages; $47.07 at goodmedicinepresents.com). The LA bands share some members and deliver “souldies,” soul, R&B, and more. Introverted Funk opens.
The great outdoors
This week at Concerts in the Plaza, hear the coastal folk of Graybill at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 31, in Mission Plaza. If you dig Jack Johnson’s sound, Graybill delivers a similar vibe with the hooky, melody-driven songs. He’s followed by ’80s pop, rock,
friends and show off your talents. Food and drink service will be available. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Free. (805) 995-3883. schoonerscayucos.com. Schooners, 171 North Ocean Ave, Cayucos.
SEA SHANTIES AT THE DOCKSIDE The Morro Bay Shanty Project will perform historical (and hysterical) songs of the sea. Enjoy lunch and sing along. Tips benefit the Morro Bay Maritime Museum. Aug. 2 , 3 p.m. Dockside Restaurant, 1245 Embarcadero bay front, Morro Bay, (805) 772-8100.
NORTH SLO COUNTY ANNIVERSARY PARTY: LIVE MUSIC WITH DAMON CASTILLO BAND Celebrate our Anniversary evening with special wines, delicious bbq, and live music with the amazing Damon Castillo Band! Aug. 1, 6-9 p.m. $70. (805) 286-4028. parrishfamilyvineyard.com. Parrish Family Vineyard, 3590 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles.
BRASS MASH AT CASTORO CELLARS
Get ready for one of the most wildly fun evenings in the vineyard — Brass Mash is coming to Castoro Cellars, and nothing will ever sound the same again. Aug. 1 6-9 p.m. $23.27. my805tix.com. Castoro Cellars, 1315 N. Bethel Rd., Templeton, (805) 238-0725.
DARK STAR HAPPY HOUR, OPEN MIC AND KARAOKE NIGHT Chill out at Dark Star’s happy hour, and enjoy burgers, karaoke, and open mic nigh. Wine by the glass will be available for $8. Fridays, 4-8 p.m. Free. (805) 237-2389. darkstarcellars.com/. Dark Star Cellars, 2985 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles. FIRST THURSDAYS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES This event features Little Tyme Band with food by Buenos Diaz Mexican Grill. Wine by the glass or bottle will also be available. Aug. 6 4-7 p.m. Free. (805) 226-2034. jdusiwines.com. J Dusi Wines, 1401 Hwy. 46 West, Paso Robles.
FLANNEL 101 LIVE AT THE POUR HOUSE
Bust out the converse, torn jeans and of course the flannel for an epic and wild ride back into the ‘90’s with the popular grunge-rock band, Flannel 101! This band is known for their amazing range of songs with not one, but two great singers that can cover a wide range of tunes from the decade made famous by Nirvana, Green Day, Pearl Jam, and so many more! Aug. 8, 7:30-10:30 p.m. $12.56. my805tix.com. The Pour House, 525 Pine St., Paso Robles.
FRIDAY NIGHT DJ Weekly DJ series, with a different DJ every Friday. Presented by friends at Traffic Record store in Atascadero. Come listen, dance, drink, and unwind every Friday. All ages event; no cover charge. Fridays, 7-10 p.m. (805) 460-6042. ancientowlbeergarden.com. Ancient Owl Beer Garden, 6090 El Camino Real, suite C, Atascadero.
FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC SERIES Join us
and dance cover act The Molly Ringwald Project at 6 p.m. Expect a lot of familiar hits. It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s a party
Reap the whirlwind
Populated by a trio of veteran Central Coast musicians, Froglicker is a band “that believes that polar bears have a right to exist on Earth and that humans should not dominate or harm them. Left-wing wackos? Maybe. A power trio looking to dare the fun-licking gods into action, jumping from town to town and garage to garage to try to entertain the folks on the Central Coast? Absolutely!” said the band.
weekly for the Friday Night Music Series, complete with rotating food trucks! Wine and food will be available for purchase. Fridays, 6-9 p.m. through Aug. 28 Free. (805) 238-6300. derbywineestates. com/events/. Derby Wine Estates, 525 Riverside Ave, Paso Robles.
LIVE AT DARK STAR BRIAN BLACK Brian returns to the always lovely, chill vibe that is Dark Star Cellars. Come and enjoy the top-shelf wines and all of Brian’s acoustic fireworks. Aug. 1 , 1-4 p.m. Free. (805) 237-2389. darkstarcellars.com. Dark Star Cellars, 2985 Anderson Rd., Paso Robles.
LIVE MUSIC SATURDAY AND PIZZA
Enjoy live music with the Seashore Trio and pizza from PPK On the Way. Order your pizza and savor the views. Family and dog-friendly. Aug. 8 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (805) 467-2046. foursistersranch. com. Four Sisters Ranch Vineyard and Winery, 2995 Pleasant Rd., San Miguel.
THE MOLLY RINGWALD PROJECT LIVE AT THE POUR HOUSE This is one of the most popular 80’s bands in the whole state and for great reason! They always bring the best energy and amazing vocals by Roxy and Gio! If you love the 80’s, you will love dancing all night long with The Molly Ringwald Project. Aug. 7 7-10 p.m. $17.91. my805tix.com. The Pour House, 525 Pine St., Paso Robles.
RESONANCE PRESENTS: ALL THINGS NEW: MUSIC OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS Resonance, SLO County’s premier a cappella choral ensemble, presents All Things New, a powerful choral experience featuring music with themes of endings and beginnings. Aug. 7 7:30-9 p.m. $20-$30. resonanceslo.com/. Trinity Lutheran Church, 940 Creston Road, Paso Robles, 805- 238-3702. ROCK LORD AT THE POUR HOUSE! Some
LIVE MUSIC continued page 24
ALT-COUNTRY KINGPINS Good Vibez presents Dallas act Old 97’s at the Fremont Theater on Aug. 6
COURTESY PHOTO BY JASON QUIGLEY/ATO RECORDS
SO LA Good Medicine and Numbskull present LA club band Starcrawler at Club Car Bar on July 31
PHOTO COURTESY OF STARCRAWLER
KIWIS Numbskull and Good Medicine present New Zealand band The Beths at the Alex Madonna Expo Center on Aug. 4
COURTESY PHOTO BY FRANCES CARTER
HAPPY BOYS The Siren presents epic cowpunk bar band The Beat Farmers on Aug. 5
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BEAT FARMERS
STARKEY continued page 24
BY MADISON WHITE
Slurp slurp
Teleport to Tokyo in a new Atascadero ramen spot
Neon signs and lanterns electrify Momotaro Ramen and Izakaya. Visually, it feels different than most Japanese restaurants, which are usually filled with bright white lights and clean, modern edges.
“It’s definitely darker. It’s a little more moody,” co-owner and chef Mateo Rogers told New Times. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Dimming the restaurant is one way Rogers and his partner of more than a decade, Brittney Yracheta, offer a sense of escapism to Central Coast diners. An invitation awaits to transport guests from downtown Atascadero to the alleyways of Japan, lined with food stalls and raw, urban flare.
In early July, the couple debuted Momotaro’s larger location in Atascadero and will celebrate with the community during a grand opening event on Aug. 8. Their old lease in Paso Robles was up, and after five years there, they felt they’d outgrown the space.
“We only had limited refrigeration, so we couldn’t really expand the menu more than
what we had there,” Rogers said. “Whereas in our new location, obviously we have more refrigeration, so we’re able to really focus a lot on multiple types of Japanese dishes.”
With ramen in the name, Momotaro’s specialty is no secret. Rogers said there are five crucial elements to the dish: broth, aromatic oil, noodles, tare (flavoring), and toppings.
Unlike sushi, which requires extreme precision, ramen presents a playful opportunity. Chefs can do whatever they want with ramen, and because of this, Rogers refers to it as the “punk rock of Japan.”
His most popular is tonkotsu ramen, followed by the more traditional shoyu and shio Surprisingly, the real “flavor bomb” is technically vegetarian, but guests can add meat if they choose.
“That broth in there is so packed with umami. It’s ridiculous,” Rogers said of the yasai ramen. “We were originally going to call it the vegetarian ramen, but we want to make sure that people have the ability to try and not be afraid to try something.”
Momotaro’s broths are all made in-house, and if they had the space, Rogers said they’d be making noodles, too.
For starter plates, Kogeta Cabbage is a top choice. A cabbage wedge is caramelized and served in brown butter with a side of miso mustard sauce. It melts in guests’ mouths.
“They never knew cabbage could taste so good,” Rogers described.
Another unskippable dish is crispy rice and spicy tuna. It’s a recipe inspired by Rogers’ time in LA studying under master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi, creator of the popular crispy rice, who passed away recently.
“We have that on the menu here, exactly the way he made it, and it’s kind of like our homage to him, of all the stuff I learned,” Rogers said.
Momotaro feels like an easy atmosphere to breathe in. Yracheta said the environment has a lived-in vibe, even though it’s only about 1 month old.
She’s excited to bring a dedicated ramen restaurant to Atascadero. Japanese food had always been on Yracheta’s radar, dating back to childhood memories of sushi with her family on Friday nights, but her connection with the cuisine grew as she got closer to Rogers.
“Our link is definitely through food,” Yracheta said.
At any given time, visitors will likely find one of them behind the line and the other at the front of house. Rogers and Yracheta work well as a pair despite spending 24/7 together. Even after inevitable tiffs, they find ways to build each other up again.
A similar philosophy drives the feeling they cultivate at Momotaro: Sitting together at the table to eat should be about building connection.
“Our weather temperature right now has been pretty hot, and they’re definitely something that’s easy to drink,” Yracheta said. “It cools you down, and it’s very satisfying.” Drinking or not, she wants Momotaro to become a community hub for a diverse customer base. The couple put their blood, sweat, and tears into reopening their business and want the aesthetics to look as enticing as the dishes they plate up. Yracheta and Rogers constructed much of the interior themselves. If the stools ever break, they joked, they’ll know how to repair them.
Japanese comfort food
Momotaro Ramen and Izakaya is open Tuesday to Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. Find the restaurant at 6405 El Camino Real Suite A in Atascadero. Follow on Instagram @momotaroramen or visit eatmomotaroramen.com for more information.
The beauty is that their izakaya, or pub, welcomes individuals who want a bowl of ramen, families looking for shareable plates, and friends grabbing a drink after the workday.
Momotaro also pays homage to Rogers’ grandmother, who was originally from the Japanese island of Okinawa. She read him the story of Momotaro when he was a child. The tale about a young boy on a quest to fight demons always stuck with him and became the name of the ramen shop.
As the co-owners decorated their new space, they knew photos of Rogers’ family would be prominent. Right when guests walk in, they’re greeted by a bamboo fountain, koi pond, and a family photo wall.
The expression of family heritage is one of the reasons why
“A big thing for us is we are serving our community at the end of the day, and it obviously feels really good to us to do so,” Yracheta said. “We eat with our eyes, we eat with our heart, but everything with food a lot of the time can invoke some type of emotion, and so in turn, we are creating those connections. We’re happy to be here, to be open.”
Celebrate the grand opening at an open house on Aug. 8 from noon to 7 p.m.
Momotaro stocks a variety of Japanese craft beer and selections from a knowledgeable “sake somm” that pair well with the food. She said she wants the sake list to be unlike any other Japanese restaurant in the county.
“We go along with him throughout our menu to see what he thinks would be really fun to have. We have some really unique sakes,” Yracheta said. “We have one that’s actually a dry hop sake, so it’s a perfect bridge for people that maybe want to explore more sake but generally only drink beer.”
Also on the beverages list is what’s known as chūhai, a shōchū highball cocktail. The Momotaro team makes syrups for refreshing flavor combos including yuzu, strawberry, and lime.
When they aren’t too busy running the restaurant, there’s a good chance Rogers and Yracheta are spending time with their two English bulldogs in their Paso Robles home or taking their classic 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air out for a spin.
Odds are, they’re planning a trip to Japan, too. ∆
Reach Sun Staff Writer Madison White, from New Times’ sister paper, at mwhite@ santamariasun.com.
AROUND THE BLOCK Chefs and co-owners Brittney Yracheta (left) and Mateo Rogers (right) opened Momotaro Ramen and Izakaya in Atascadero this summer. The move came after outgrowing their previous location in Paso Robles, which closed last July.
COURTESY PHOTOS BY RANDY DE LA PEÑA
GOOD LOOKIN’ NOODS Tantanmen mazesoba is a flavor-packed brothless ramen with udon noodles, spicy pork, miso soy tare, onsen egg, sesame seeds, and scallions.
SET IN TOKYO Diners at Momotaro Ramen and Izakaya will hear a variety of music, ranging from English songs covered in Japanese to Japan’s finest heavy metal.
ALL KINDS OF RAMEN Yasai ramen at Momotaro Ramen and Izakaya is a vegetarian umami flavor bomb, according to co-owner Mateo Rogers. The menu also features traditional shoyu and shio varieties, as well as tonkotsu ramen.
18th Annual Back-to-School Drive
NOTICE
a lien imposed on said property pursuant to Sec tions 21700-21716 of the Business & Professions Code. The under signed will sell at public sale by competitive bidding on the 13th day of August 2026, at 10:00AM, at www.storagetreasures.com.
Property is stored at Fortress-Se cure Mini-Storage, 1281 Furukawa Way, Santa Maria, CA County of Santa Barbara, State of California, the contents of the following ten ant’s storage space(s): Adrienne Yolanda Villamor, Chris tina Ortiz, Michael Larson, Sal vador Gonzalez, Bonnie Olsen, Benjur Gomez, Kecia Williams, Rochelle Martinez, Edwina Reyes, Gabriel Guzman, Lucia Diaz, Mar cus E. Dickson, Veronica Corona, Rosario Perez Lara, Dallas Pelle tier, Tashi Amido, Jessika Zepeda, Pablo Monsivaiz Mendoza, Timo thy Dean, Cydney Marlett, Carlos Herrera, Terry Williams, & Maria Maldonado.
Storage space contents can be viewed at www.storagetreasures.
com
Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase in cash and credit cards only. All purchased items sold as is where is and must be removed within 72 hours of the sale. Sale is subject to cancellation in the event of settlement between owner and obligated party.
Auctioneer: Paul Rosa, CA Bond# 3112562 Online Auction Platform: www.stor agetreasures.com Facility Phone: (805) 922-7000
July 30, 2026
CITATION FOR PUBLICA TION UNDER WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE SEC TION 294
ATTORNEY OR PARTY WITHOUT ATTORNEY Department of Social Services PO Box 8119 San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8119
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 Juvenile Court CASE NAME: Damien Tyler Montgomery CASE NUMBER: 25JD00322-001
1. To: Jenifer Nicole Striffler and anyone claiming to be a parent of Damien Tyler Montgom ery born on 11/23/2025 at French Hospital, San Luis Obispo, California
2. A hearing will be held on September 16, 2026, at 1:15 pm in Dept. 12 located at Courthouse Annex, 1035 Palm St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93408.
3. At the hearing the court will consider the recommendations of the social worker or probation officer.
4. The social worker or probation officer will recommend that your child be freed from your legal custody so that the child may be adopted. If the court follows the recommendation, all of your parental rights to the child will be terminated.
5. You have the right to be present at the hearing, to present evidence, and you have the right to be represented by an attorney. If you do not have an attorney and cannot afford to hire one, the court will appoint an attorney for you.
6. If the court terminates your parental rights, the order may be final.
7. The court will proceed with this hearing whether or not you are present.
Date: July 23, 2026 /s/ Marisa Salazar, Deputy Clerk July 30, August 6, 13, & 20, 2026
EXTERIORS, 278 Pinecrest Pl, Nipomo, CA 93444. San Luis Obispo County. Troia Enterprises LLC (110 South Mary Avenue, Ste 2 #212). This business is conducted by A CA Limited Liability Company / Troia Enterprises LLC, Adam Troia, Manager. This statement was
The Title 29 Affordable Housing Fund Report for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on August 18, 2026. The annual report includes details regarding the uses of the Title 29 Affordable Housing Fund including the number of housing units constructed or to be constructed, the types of units, income level, location of the housing units and the status of each affordable housing project.
A Draft Copy of the Title 29 Affordable Housing Fund Report for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 is available online at slohomeless.com for a 15-day public review and comment. The last day to submit public comments by email is August 16, 2026. Public comments may be presented at the Board of Supervisor hearing on August 18, 2026.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Please submit any questions or comments related to the report to SS_HSDInfo@co.slo.ca.us. July 30, 2026 NOTICE OF 15-DAY PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT FOR THE TITLE 29 AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 FOR THE COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible, the Pismo Beach Planning Commission will hold a public hearing in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, for the following purpose: PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA:
A. Address: 811 Bakersfield Street
Applicant: Edward Evensen
Project No.: P26-000065
Description: Modification of Conditional Use Permit, Coastal Development Permit, and Architectural Review Permit P18000007 to revise the previously approved building height for a single family home, add minor deck area, and adopt Categorical Exemption 2026-014. The project is located within the Coastal Zone and is not appealable to the Coastal Commission. APN 005015-019
Environmental Review
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that the project is exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines regarding minor alteration to an existing structure.
B. Address: 206 Ebb Tide Lane
Applicant: Stefanie Brand-Sirota
Project No.: P26-000017
Description: Coastal Development Permit and Architectural Review Permit for a new two-story single-family residence on a vacant lot and adopt Categorical Exemption 2026-015. The project is located within the Coastal Zone and is appealable to the Coastal Commission. APN 010-143-062
Environmental Review
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that the project is exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to Section 15303 of the CEQA Guidelines regarding new construction of a single family residence.
Details about ways to participate in this hearing will be provided on the agenda posted for the meeting online at pismobeach.org/ agenda, and on the bulletin board at City Hall. The agenda will be posted in the afternoon of August 6, 2026.
You have a right to comment on these projects and their effect on our community. Interested persons are invited to participate in the hearing or otherwise express their views and opinions regarding the proposed projects. Emailed comments may be submitted to planningcommission@pismobeach.org; staff cannot guarantee that emailed comments submitted after the start of the meeting will be given full consideration before action is taken. Written comments may be delivered or mailed to the Community Development Department / Planning Division Office at 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, CA 93449, prior to the meeting, or hand-delivered during the meeting no later than the comment period for this item. Oral comment may be provided prior to the meeting by calling 805-773-7005 and leaving a voice message. Please state and spell your name, and identify your item of interest. Oral comment may also be made by attending the meeting in person in the Council Chamber at City Hall. Please refer to the agenda for this meeting for specific instructions for participation.
Staff reports, plans and other information related to these projects are available for public review from the Planning Division Office, by emailing Commission Clerk Brianna Whisenhunt at bwhisenhunt@pismobeach.org. The meeting agenda and staff report will be available no later than the Friday before the meeting and may be obtained upon request by mail or by visiting www.pismobeach.org/agenda. The Planning Commission meeting will be televised live on Charter Spectrum Cable Channel 20 and streamed on the City’s website.
PLEASE NOTE:
If you challenge the action taken on this item in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Pismo Beach at, or prior to, the public hearing.
For further information, please contact Commission Clerk Brianna Whisenhunt at bwhisenhunt@pismobeach.org or 805773-4658.
Brianna Whisenhunt Commission Clerk July 30, 2026
CITY OF PISMO BEACH
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
SEALED BIDS will be received electronically by the City of Pismo Beach via the City’s e-Procurement Portal PlanetBids, until 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, August 20, 2026 for performing work as follows: PIER AVENUE STORM DRAIN REPAIR PROJECT
Project Plans and Specifications are available online by accessing the electronic bidding platform. In order to download project documents, you must register as a vendor, at no cost, through the City’s e-Procurement Portal. Potential bidders, subcontractors and suppliers are responsible for reviewing the complete bidding documents, including all addenda, prior to submitting their bid via PlanetBids. They are also advised to check the City’s e-Procurement Portal periodically and prior to submitting their bid.
An optional Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on July 30, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Please meet promptly at the intersection of Pier Avenue and Ocean Boulevard.
Before submitting bids, Contractors shall be licensed in accordance with the Laws of the State of California. Accordingly, the successful Bidder shall possess a Class A, General Engineering, Contractor’s License at the time this contract is awarded.
All questions must be submitted in writing through the PlanetBids Procurement Question/Answer Tab via the City’s e-Procurement portal, on or before the Question & Answer Submission Date and Time. All questions submitted and answers provided shall be electronically distributed to all proposers who have selected to “follow” this Bid on the City’s e-Procurement Portal.
Bids must be submitted online using the City’s electronic bidding platform which can be accessed at www.pismobeach.org/bids.
ERICA INDERLIED
CITY CLERK
July 23 & 30, 2026
CITY OF PISMO BEACH
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
SEALED BIDS will be received electronically by the City of Pismo Beach via the City’s e-Procurement Portal PlanetBids, until 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, August 20, 2026 for performing work as follows:
ELDWAYEN PARK POINT WALKWAY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT
Project Plans and Specifications are available online by accessing the electronic bidding platform. In order to download project documents, you must register as a vendor, at no cost, through the City’s e-Procurement Portal. Potential bidders, subcontractors and suppliers are responsible for reviewing the complete bidding documents, including all addenda, prior to submitting their bid via PlanetBids. They are also advised to check the City’s e-Procurement Portal periodically and prior to submitting their bid.
Before submitting bids, Contractors shall be licensed in accordance with the Laws of the State of California. Accordingly, the successful Bidder shall possess a C-27 or C-12, Contractor’s License at the time this contract is awarded.
All questions must be submitted in writing through the PlanetBids Procurement Question/Answer Tab via the City’s e-Procurement portal, on or before the Question & Answer Submission Date and Time. All questions submitted and answers provided shall be electronically distributed to all proposers who have selected to “follow” this Bid on the City’s e-Procurement Portal. Bids must be submitted online using the City’s electronic bidding platform which can be accessed at www.pismobeach.org/bids
ERICA INDERLIED CITY CLERK
July 23 & 30, 2026
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:
$1,342.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY
Notice is hereby given that on July 2, 2026, the abovedescribed property was seized at or near 900 Park St., Paso Robles CA, 93446 by Paso Robles Police Department, in connection with, to wit, violations of sections 11351 and 11379.6 of the California Health and Safety Code. The estimated/appraised value of the property is $1,342.00.
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: July 13, 2026
DAN DOW
District Attorney
Kenneth Jorgensen Deputy District Attorney July 16, 23, & 30, 2026
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:
$2,520.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY
Notice is hereby given that on June 4, 2026, the abovedescribed property was seized at or near 1585 Kansas Ave., San Luis Obispo CA , by San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, in connection with, to wit, violations of sections 11370 & 11378 of the California Health and Safety Code. The estimated/appraised value of the property is $2,520.00.
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: July 13, 2026
DAN DOW
District Attorney
Kenneth Jorgensen
Deputy District Attorney
July 16, 23, & 30, 2026
2025 Measure F-14 and Assessment District Pavement Resurfacing Project Project No. C2025R02
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT The City of Atascadero will receive bids for the “2025 Measure F-14 Pavement Resurfacing Project” at the Atascadero City Hall, 6500 Palma Avenue, Atascadero, CA until August 20, 2026 at 1:30 P.M., when they will be publicly opened.
Proposals received after said time will not be considered. Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked with the project title, bidder’s name, and address.
The Contractor must possess a valid CLASS A CONTRACTOR’S LICENSE at the time of award. This project is subject to the payment of Prevailing Wages, therefore the Contractor shall pay all wages and penalties as required by applicable law. Per SB 854 (Stat. 2014, Chapter 28), no contractor or subcontractor may work or be listed on a bid proposal unless registered with the DIR. Every bid must be accompanied by a certified check/cashier’s check or bidder’s bond for 10% of the bid amount, payable to the City of Atascadero.
Bid packages will be available by July 29, 2026 to download for a fee of $22.00 on the City website, www.atascadero.org or at www.QuestCDN.com using project number eBid #10269624
Question may be directed to the City of Atascadero at 805-470-3180 or dprice@atascadero.org
Run Dates: July 30, 2026 and August 6, 2026
CITY OF GROVER BEACH NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Grover Beach will conduct a Public Hearing at 6:00 p.m. or soon thereafter, on Monday, August 24, 2026 in City Hall, Council Chambers, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA to consider the following item:
SUBJECT:
First Reading and Introduction of an Ordinance to Amend the Grover Beach Municipal Code Article IX (Development Code, Chapter 4, and Local Coastal Program to revise certain sections of the City’s Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance (Section 4.10.015) and incorporate clarifying changes requested by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
Environmental Determination: In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it has been determined that this action is not a project within the meaning of CEQA (California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., “CEQA”) and CEQA Guidelines (Title 14 California Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq.) Section 15378(b)(5), and is therefore exempt from CEQA because the revisions will not result in any direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Where You Come In:
Any member of the public may be heard on the item described in this notice by calling (805) 321-6639 during the meeting or submit written comments to the City Clerk prior to the meeting by mail to: City Clerk’s Office, 154 South Eighth Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433 or by email to gbadmin@groverbeach.org, or by appearing in person at the City Council meeting. If you require special accommodations to participate in the public hearing, please contact the City Clerk’s office at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting by calling (805) 473-4567.
For More Information:
If you have any questions or would like more information regarding the item(s) described in this notice, please contact: Community Development Director Megan Martin by telephone at (805) 473-4520 or send an e-mail to mmartin@groverbeach.org. The City Council may also discuss other hearings or items of business at this meeting. The complete meeting agenda and copy of the staff report on the above item will be posted on the City website at www.groverbeach.org. Live broadcasts of City Council meetings may be seen on cable television Channel 20, as well as over the Internet at www.groverbeach.org (click on the icon “Government Access Local Channel 20” and then “Channel 20”).
If you challenge the nature of the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the Public Hearing(s) described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City at, or prior to, the Public Hearing (Govt. Code Sec 65009).
WENDI B. SIMS, CITY CLERK
Dated: Thursday, July 30, 2026
Free Will Astrology by Rob Brezsny
Homework:
ARIES
(March 21-April 19): Aries artist Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles, France, for 15 months in 1888 and 1889. It was the most prolific time of his career. His buoyant genius overflowed, pouring out over 200 paintings, including the lavish Sunflowers series. I suspect you will enjoy your own surge of splashy productivity in the coming months. It may not be as manically generative as van Gogh, though. I think your creativity will be rather relaxed and deeply healing. Start planning now for how you want to channel all this imaginative exuberance.
TAURUS
(April 20-May 20): I invite you to clear out every fixed idea your mind carries about where you are “supposed” to be. Once you have made that inner space wide and uncluttered, begin a fresh inquiry into the nature of your real home. Use questions like these to navigate: 1. What’s the first place you think of when you come across the word “sanctuary”? 2. Which environments reliably bring out your brightest, truest qualities? 3. Do you have what you would call power spots? If so, how do they make you feel in your body and psyche? 4. Which locations on Earth fascinate you, even if you have never visited them? 5. Could there be a future dwelling that offers a more peak-level experience of home than the familiar place where tradition now soothes you?
GEMINI
(May 21-June 20): The brain doesn’t literally multitask. It rapidly shifts attention between tasks, creating the illusion of simultaneity. For many people, each interchange costs mental energy and reduces efficiency. But some brains can switch faster with a lower energy cost, making them better at sustained task-switching. I’m sure you can guess the identity of the zodiac’s No. 1 task-switcher: you, of course! And the good news is that in the coming weeks, you will be even more adept than usual in wielding your superpower. One implication is that you will know when not to overdo it and when not to use it trivially. You will be a master of seamless, effective, and meaningful transitions.
CANCER
(June 21-July 22): Astronomers know that many stars don’t travel alone. Binary stars orbit each other for eons, their mutual gravity shaping each partner’s destiny. I propose we make this your featured metaphor in the coming months. It will be a favorable time to de-emphasize the notion that strength and creative power require complete autonomy. I suspect that flexible, spirited interdependence will generate far better results than lonely selfsufficiency. Which alliances and relationships will expand your orbit rather than shrink it? Invest in them.
LEO
(July 23-Aug. 22): Neurologists say that when you vividly imagine performing an action like shooting a basketball or playing piano, your brain activates many of the same networks it uses in real practice. In other words, mental rehearsal can measurably improve your actual performance. Many athletes use this trick. But here’s an interesting twist: Such visualizations work for emotional and social skills too. We can enhance our resilience and better regulate our moods if we practice doing so in the privacy of our imaginations. I bring this to your attention, Leo, because you’re in a period when your fantasy life has extra-robust practical power. I invite you to rehearse being who you want to be in the theater of your mind.
VIRGO
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your assignment: Compose a vigorous prayer in which you ask life for something you fear you don’t deserve or are not supposed to want. What is the blessing, healing, or freedom that feels “too much,” “too selfish,” “too late,” or “too impossible” for you to yearn for? Name this prize and how you imagine it might allow you to give more, love more, or live more honestly. You could begin your appeal with these words: “Dear Great Mystery, I’m nervous about asking for this, but I will ask anyway,” and then let your heart speak without editing. Do this at least once every day for 10 days.
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LIBRA
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1848, a Libra-born carpenter named James Marshall discovered a few glittering flakes of gold floating on the American River in California. His find ignited the Gold Rush, drawing hundreds of thousands of people westward. Alas, Marshall himself never became rich from the discovery, though many other people did. I’m hoping and predicting a different outcome when you locate treasure in the coming weeks, Libra. In this instance, you will share in the spoils.
SCORPIO
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The lyrebird can imitate almost any sound, including chainsaws, car alarms, camera shutters, and other birds’ songs. But they don’t just mimic sounds randomly. They compose elaborate performances, weaving a variety of imitations into complex acoustic tapestries. In a sense, they are remix artists. During the coming weeks, Scorpio, I hope you give yourself permission to resemble a lyrebird. Sample freely from everything you’ve absorbed. Weave your influences into new configurations. Express your imaginative concoctions of repurposed ideas and enchantments. The voice isn’t less yours because it borrows from other voices. Originality is in part about arrangement, not just source material.
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Astronauts who have orbited Earth describe the “overview effect.” Viewing the entire globe from high above triggers rich epiphanies and cognitive shifts, providing a visceral sense of the planet’s fragility and unity. Borders dissolve. Conflicts seem absurd. I surmise you are ripe for a similar blessing, Sagittarius. You’ll be able to see your current dramas from expansive vantage points that make their true scale and significance obvious. Armed with these perspectives, you will naturally clarify your priorities and allow petty concerns to fade away.
CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are the result of an ancestral crowd: two parents, four grandparents, and eight great-grandparents. Without these 14 lives weaving together in the precise ways they did, your unique destiny would never have taken shape. Their choices and challenges helped sculpt your gifts and your rough edges, your cravings and your turn-offs. The coming weeks will be a ripe astrological moment to get more intimate with this lineage. As you delve into your family’s stories, you may uncover vital clues for refreshing your views on dilemmas that have dragged on for a while. Are you daring enough to let your sense of “where I come from” evolve—and, with it, your sense of what kind of future you want to create?
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to my investigations, there’s a place you need to go, but fear or timidity is holding you back. Where is it? Is it a physical location, a creative risk, a complicated conversation, or a spiritual threshold? Visualize it. Who would you be if you appeared there in your full glory? What do you worry might happen if you do? What interesting future might never bloom if you don’t? I hope you formulate a feisty plan. To begin, write these words: “If I decide to go there anyway, acknowledging my fear but not being controlled by it, what first step will I take and what help will I seek?”
PISCES
(Feb. 19-March 20): Professional athletes sometimes talk about “winning ugly.” That’s when they achieve a victory even though they haven’t played their very best. I foresee you using that phrase for yourself soon, after you notch a less-than-pretty but undeniably real success. There’s another expression you might also exemplify, too: “ugly ripe.” Officially, it’s the name of luscious heirloom tomatoes whose lumpy, offbeat forms contrast with the smooth, bland specimens stacked in most supermarket bins. In the coming weeks, it will describe the nonstandard yet succulent flavor of your life. ∆
