Hometown News Since 1889
Good News Real News Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXX, NO. XXXIII
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020
CITY
pasoroblespress.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
LOCAL
A BITTERSWEET GOODBYE
Council OKs Jardine Road Upgrades City to collaborate with County on project
CONTINUED ON PAGE A10
Charting the Course Council moves cautiously back toward at-large elections
By LUKE PHILLIPS luke@pasoroblespress.com
By MARK DIAZ mark@pasoroblespress.com PASO ROBLES — On Jan. 21, the Paso Robles City Council unanimously decided to give Jardine Road a makeover. The Council voted 5-0 to fix the much-complained about road. Despite continual progress being made on the City’s roadways according to Ditas Esperanza— who gives by monthly updates on that progress — people still complain about them. One road stretch of road in dire need of repair is Jardine Road, which connects Highway 46 and Estrella Road and runs along the Links Golf Course. Because of its location, half of Jardine Road was built to meet County of San Luis Obispo standards and the other half by using City standards. “We have looked at this road a lot over the last couple of years,” Pubic Works Director Dick McKinley said. According to McKinley, a complete repair of Jardine would cost $1.3 million. He said the Jardine is not the worst road in the city, but it is definitely in “bad shape.” However, up to this point, public works had not been able to find the money to pay to dig up the road and rebuild it. The Council proposed a 2018 supplemental sales tax to provide funding for City projects. McKinley reminded the Council that Jardine Road was at the top of the list to be a
CITY
From left, General Manager Angelica McKee, retiree Mauricia Arrowsmith, and supervisor Ramona Hernandez. Photo by Mark Diaz
Housekeeper retires after more than 50 years of working at the same hotel By MARK DIAZ mark@pasoroblespress.com describing her as a dependable and gracious worker who PASO ROBLES — The always had a bright and posiBlack Oaks Best Western tive attitude. hosted a luncheon to bid a fond “It’s going to be an adjustfarewell to a retiring employee. ment not to see her working After 50-and-a-half years of in the rooms that she normally service at the same location, cleans,” Angela said. SpeakMauricia Arrowsmith stowed ing of the disappointment of her housekeeper cleaning cart seeing Mauricia go, she said, for the last time. “It’s bittersweet. I like to see Before the luncheon, hotel people be able to retire and General Manager Angela enjoy themselves… but it’s McKee spoke with the Paso going to be a big change for Robles Press about Maurcia, us not to see her every day and
her not to be here every day.” Born and raised in Mexico, Mauricia moved to California when she married at age 25. Mauricia spoke with tears in her eyes, saying it is tough to leave what she considers a second home. She started working at the hotel in 1967 and finally retired at the beginning of January 2020. “We have become friends, we do things together all the time,” said Maurica’s Supervisor Romona Hernandez.
“I [will] miss everything,” Mauricia said. “I [will] miss my rooms.” S h e wo rk e d t h ro u g h out the hotel but eventually was assigned to a specific set of rooms that she became attached to. She said that she would talk to her rooms when leaving for vacation, assuring them that she would be back. Of all her memories over the years, Mauricia said that birthday celebrations and CONTINUED ON PAGE A10
PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles City Council voted unanimously at its Jan. 7 meeting to take a baby step toward becoming a charter city and returning to at-large elections. The City changed its method for electing Cit y Council members to a district-based system for the 2019 election after receiving a “demand letter” from an attorney threatening legal action in 2018. The letter, which claimed that the city’s “at large” election method unfairly represented minority voters and did not comply with the California Voting Rights Act, left the City with little recourse but to switch to district voting or face pricey litigation. According to Mayor Steve Martin, Council members and voters alike were unhappy with the change and desired to see at-large elections return. In order for that to happen, the City would have to use an alternative method for at large elections rather than the “first past the post” method used previously. City staff suggested that the City might use the “rank choice” voting system, which has been shown to give minority candidates a better chance at winning an election. Even then, the city would still be open to litigation but might be able to better defend itself, according to City Manager Tom Frutchey. “It’s important that minorities understand that they can be represented by someone who has CONTINUED ON PAGE A10
TOURISM
Becoming A Destination
Travel Paso works to put the City on the journalistic map By MARK DIAZ mark@pasoroblespress.com PASO ROBLES — Travel Paso’s diligent work is showing fruition — Executive Director Danna Stroud recently reported on national recognition praising the City as a travel destination. At the Jan. 21 Council Meeting, Stroud presented a strong case for the money spent on Paso Travel. “If we take a moment to reflect on some of the other accolades that we pasoroblespress.com
have received towards the end of the year, you’ll start to see that Paso Robles as a community and as a destination was receiving some significant media and interest throughout the year,” Stroud said. Stroud informed the Council of the East Coast interest in the City. The New York Times feature, “52 Places to Go,” named Paso Robles at the top of the list in sixth place, beating out places like Sicily and Tokyo. “It’s quite a stunning feature to have
SPORTS
ing for places that were feeling fresh a 2018 FAM hosted by Paso Travel. and compelling places to visit.” Public relations firm Solterra StratPRTID works to bring money to egies coordinates FAMs on behalf of the City by presenting Paso as a tourist Travel Paso to establish and build reladestination. One strategy employed it tionships with freelance journalists. to host journalists to come and expe- “It’s all a very coordinated experirience the area and then write about it. ence,” Solterra’s Chief Strategist Stacie Held bi-annually, these Familiarization Jacobs said. “This is not just come and your hometown be featured in the New FOR Tours (FAMs)PRESENT target specific market- have fun in Paso. It is very focused on WARRIORS KRISTIN York Times in such a prestigious list able areas. Stroud said that a National the message that we want to portray as 52 places,” Stroud said. “One of the Geographic article in December call- in hopes that everybody will find their points that we learned about through ing Paso Robles “California’s next great CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR this designation is that they were look- wine destination” was a direct result of CONTINUED ON PAGE A10
BUTTERFLIES
SLO
KRISTIN SMART
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Please join your friends and neighbors in this peaceful demonstration to honor the legacy and the quest for justice for Kristin Smart!
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BEARCATS top Hounds in soccer to snap four-game losing streak | B1
IT’S NOT JUST BEES, Butterflies are Disappearing Too | A3
VIGIL for Kristin Smart to be held this Saturday, February 1st | A7
AMERICAN PICKERS are coming to a neighborSaturday, February 1 SANTA ROSA PARK 5:00you PM | B3 SAN LUIS hood near HighOBISPO 64º • Low 39º