GOOD NEWS REAL NEWS HOMETOWN NEWS
SINCE 1916 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CV, NO. XVII
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022
EDUCATION
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COMMUNITY
High School Students Ask for Survey on Daily Schedule Group advocates for block schedule over seven-period day; district recognizes Teacher Appreciation Week By CHRISTIANNA MARKS christianna@atascaderonews.com
ATA S C A D E R O — Atascadero Unified School District (AUSD) met for their regularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday, May 3, at 7 p.m. following their 6 p.m. Closed Session. Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Kurt Eichperger gave out recognitions for both Classified Employee of the Year 2021-22 and Teacher of the Year 2021-22. Brittaney Miller was recognized as the Classified Employee of the Year for the 2021-22 school year. “In terms of the COVID years, if you will, because it was not just one year, it was two that our technology staff supported our school sites and helped everything from online integration of new programs to making sure student participation was being documented appropriately in area,” Eichperger said. “So even though we weren’t taking attendance, we were still making sure the students were engaged. The Technology Department played a huge part in that. Brittaney was instrumental in supporting school sites and making sure that those processes went as smoothly as they could possibly go.” Dorothy Wagster was then recognized as the Teacher of the Year for the 2021-22 school year. “So speaking to those COVID years, we did have, not just the need for technology, but we had this huge growth in need for support of alternative programs,” Eichperger continued. “Our teacher [Wagster] became a teacher of teachers, CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
SPORTS
Celebrity servers at Empty Bowls included (from left) SLO Sheriff’s Commander Chad Nicholson, Atascadero Fire Chief Casey Bryson, Atascadero Police Chief Robert Masterson, Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno, SLO County Supervisor Debbie Arnold, Don Idler, Barbie Butz, and SLO County Supervisor Bruce Gibson. Contributed photo
Empty Bowls Raises Over $83,000 for Unhoused in North County
Over 1,000 artisan bowls were available to choose from By CHRISTIANNA MARKS christianna@atascaderonews.com
ATASCADERO — On Thursday, April 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., community members headed out to
Atascadero Bible Church to participate in the 11th Annual Empty Bowls luncheon, which benefits the El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) and all they do for the North County. “This is great,” said President and CEO of ECHO Wendy Lewis. “Empty Bowls 2022 has been amazing. The community supports ECHO,
and today they really came out to support.” This year’s Empty Bowls sold out the morning of the event, bringing community members out from all over the North County. Participants picked up their meal that served four people, including their choice of soup, bread, dessert, and two artisan bowls, for $75. “We’re just so excited,” Lewis
added. “We can’t thank the artist who made the bowls, the delicious soup restaurants that donated, and the deserts. It’s just a really special day.” There were over 1,000 beautiful artisan bowls for people to choose from provided by local artists, including Ariane Leiter, Barbara Schubert, Betsy Carter, David Pope, Heather Cruce, and Pamela Cavaliere. Students
District 2 Supervisors Forum Held in Atascadero There are four candidates running for county’s District 2 supervisor, which now includes Atascadero By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@atascaderonews.com
The Spirit of Benovia is on display at the Estrella Warbird Museum following its flyover for the SLO Film Festival. Photo by Camille DeVaul/ATN
WWII Plane Flies Over SLO for Film Premiere Luis Obispo last month to commemorate the premiere of “Into Flight Once More” at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. Atascadero News was invited to participate in the flyover on Wednesday, April 27, to celeBy CAMILLE DEVAUL brate the premiere. camille@atascaderonews.com The film, narrated by Gary Sinise, recreates a historic day in PASO ROBLES — World history — D-Day, June 6, 1944. War II DC-3 plane “Spirit It takes viewers through the of Benovia” flew over San original film of the day to “the
COMMUNITY
COUNTY
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POLITICS
FILM FESTIVAL
‘Into Flight Once More’ documents the recreation of D-Day on its 75th anniversary
from Morro Bay, Atascadero, and Paso Robles high schools, as well as Los Osos Middle School and Cuesta College, also participated in making the bowls. The meals, including seven specialty soups, were provided by: Street Side Ale House, Odyssey World Café, McPhee’s Grill, Caliwala, Wild Fields,
present through the lens of one squadron and their epic recreation journey across the North Atlantic to Normandy for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.” The flyover started at the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles. Then, following the timeline of narration at the film’s premiere, the Spirit of Benovia flew over downtown SLO with a plane wave to the crowd below. CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
CALENDAR
ATASCADERO — On June 7, the community in San Luis Obispo County’s District 2 will vote in the primary election for the district’s county supervisor seat. Following redistricting, District 2 now includes Atascadero, Cambria, Cayucos, Lake Nacimiento, San Miguel and West Templeton. Prior to redistricting, the district included the unincorporated communities of San Simeon, Harmony, Los Osos, Cayucos, and Cambria along with the City of Morro Bay and portions of the City of San Luis Obispo. Bruce Gibson currently represents District 2 as supervisor.
Candidates challenging Gibson include Geoff Auslen, Bruce Jones, and John Whitworth. The forum was hosted by the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce and held at the Atascadero High School (AHS) Gymnasium on April 28. Stacie Jacob, Solterra Strategies founder and chief strategist, moderated the event. Candidates were asked 10 questions chosen in advance by the Chamber. In the weeks leading up to the forum, the Chamber collected questions from the public, including history students from AHS. Some popular topics of the night involved how to bring more jobs to the area, water usage, homelessness, housing costs, and the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. The sixth question of the night asked candidates how they would ensure democracy would be upheld in the local election. Aulsen, Jones, and CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
WEATHER
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