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VOL. CIII, NO. XLV
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019
atascaderonews.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
Council Ponders Taxing Questions
The Himle Family volunteers at the Atascadero Warming Center. Contributed photo
Poll to measure support for new sales tax
Warming Center Opens for Season
By MARK DIAZ mark@atascaderonews.com
By MARK DIAZ mark@atascaderonews.com ATASCADERO — The Atascadero Warming Center, the only warming shelter in the North County, started its humanitarian operations on Nov. 1 and will run until April 15. This year the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer located at 4500 El Camino Real opened its doors to accommodate AWC’s operations for the full five months. The church has the ability to take in 46 people, almost doubling what the shelter could handle in previous years. AWC is not affiliated with the El Camino Homeless Organization though the two work together to help the displaced. Operating under the umbrella of the Transitional Food and Shelter nonprofit, AWC feeds and houses people on nights that reach 40 degrees or below or if there is a 50 percent chance of rain. “We are the step before ECHO,” AWC Operations Manager Susan Macari said, “to get into ECHO you have to be clean and sober.” Macari said that many of these people battle addiction, PTSD, mental illness and trauma and behind anyone’s challenge there is a story. “It’s so easy to CONTINUED ON PAGE A11
Stan and Mary Sherwin have owned and operated K.Jons Diamonds & Gems in Atascadero for the past 40 years. The couple recently announced that they would be retiring and liquidating the store’s merchandise. Photo by Patrick Pemberton
Saying Goodbye K.Jons liquidates as owners announce retirement By PATRICK PEMBERTON FOR THE ATASCADERO NEWS
W
hen a woman brought a badly damaged ring into K.Jons Diamonds & Gems, founder Stan Sherwin gave it a look, then sympathetically shook his head. “At first, I told her no — we can’t do it,” Sherwin recalled. “But then she told me the story behind it, and I said, ‘We’ll do it.’” The 1930s-era ring had belonged to the customer’s grandmother, who was wearing it during a fatal house fire. While the repair was a daunting task, the platinum heirloom was salvaged, leading to an emotional scene when the customer returned for it.
“When she came in, she burst out crying,” Sherwin said. “I was in tears. It was such an emotional deal.” That moment is one of the best memories he has from his 40 years in business. And, of course, he and his wife, Mary, are thinking about those memories a lot now that they’re retiring. “It’s a wonderful hobby and business,” Mary said. “For 40 years, we have loved what we do.” K.Jon’s roots date back to the 1940s when Stan’s parents, John and Kay, took up rock hunting as a hobby. “Mom and Dad were rock hounds,” Stan said. “They were just the most active hobbyists you’ve ever met.” Growing up in Indio, Stan and his three siblings accompanied their parents on rock-hunting trips to the desert, with CONTINUED ON PAGE A11
ATASCADERO — The City of Atascadero took its first steps Tuesday at examining a new tax initiative for the November 2020 ballot. The council voted 4-1, Councilmember Roberta Fonzi dissenting, to contract a polling company to examine possible tax options for the City. In May 2019, the Council adopted a 2019/2021 Action Plan. One of the main focuses of the plan is to “foster financial stability” by considering a new tax measure for next year’s ballot. As part of the process, the City voted to allocate $25,000 from the general fund reserve to True North Research to conduct a voter opinion survey on the possibility of a new tax. “What I really want to be clear about tonight is this is the first step of looking at the feasibility of even moving forward with some type of a tax measure and that means we reach out to all of you to find out what are your priorities, what are you concerned about?” Mayor Heather Moreno told the public. City Manager Rachelle Rickard presented the need for additional funds to the Council. Per Rickard’s report, Atascadero draws in the least amount of money per capita of all San Luis Obispo County cities. The report stated that the City draws $657 per capita (for each person) while Paso Robles makes $1,250, San Luis Obispo receives $1,443 and Pismo Beach gets a whopping $2,893. CONTINUED ON PAGE A11
Downtown BID Hosts 5th Annual Taco Day on Traffic Way By MARK DIAZ mark@atascaderonews.com ATASCADERO — Last weekend, the Atascadero’s downtown business improvement district (BID) held the fifth annual Taco Day. Over a thousand people filled Traffic Way, listened to live Latino Music and chomped on authentically crafted tacos and enjoyed a signature Central Coast California day. The musical backdrop blended perfectly with the relaxed atmosphere as people meandered throughout the small business strip occasionally drifting into the local shops to see what they had to offer. Returning for the second time, Umo played Chicano/Latino rock
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covers and their original songs. Their album, De Mi, Pa’ Ti, can be sampled on Spotify or purchased on their website, UmoMusic.com. The event hosted a beer garden to raise proceeds for the Atascadero Historical Society. People also had the opportunity to sip spirits at the Central Coast Distillery or slip into the Raconteur Room to grab a pint. The three judges; Executive Chef at the Fig Cafe at Courtney’s House, Taryn Bauer; Owner and Winemaker at Nelle Cordant Winery, Tyler Russel and City Council Member Susan Funk did their best to From left; Virginia and Vanesa Rodriquez of Taqueria Don Jose, BID Organizer Manuel Bardetermine the winners from the variety of ba, Judge Taryn Bauer from Fig, Marcela Barrientos of La Reyna Market, Carlos Garcia of excellent taco crafters. Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant, Pepe Fonseca of La Parrilla, Council Member Susan Funk, BID CONTINUED ON PAGE A11 Co-organizer Zoe Arkfeld pose for a photo during the Taco Day event. Photo by Mark Diaz
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Holiday Gift Guide The 2019 Special Holiday Section & Holiday Shopping Tree specials are coming
FORECAST | A6
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