GOOD NEWS REAL NEWS HOMETOWN NEWS
SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXII, NO. XXXII
THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022
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HONOR
GOVERNMENT
Paso Robles Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with Unity Walk
Paso Robles City Approves Agreement with Paso Waste & Recycle Golden Hill and Union Road roundabout is expected to start construction Summer 2022 By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
lation in 1963. Unfortunately, the legislation was not passed by Congress. However, through the process, Strong spoke with MLK over the phone, “He was always polite, he was never angry, but he was always firm, and he was also
PASO ROBLES — Paso Robles City Council met for a regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 18. The City has returned to hybrid public meetings allowing the public to attend the meeting in person or participate remotely. A Capital Projects Update report was presented to Council. New LED scoreboards were installed at the Barney Swartz softball fields. Additionally, the softball fields were regrated, irrigation was fixed, among other maintenance repairs. The Uptown Family Park restroom roof has also been repaired. In progress projects out to bid included Fire Station 3 on Union Road. Council will award the bid during the Feb. 15 City Council meeting. The project is estimated to take 350 days to
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Over 100 people gathered in the Paso Robles City Park on Monday, Jan. 18 to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a Unity Walk around the downtown area. Photos by Camille DeVaul
Despite rain, close to 100 people participated in the downtown walk
on Monday, Jan. 18 at Noon to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a Unity Walk around the downtown area. This year’s theme was ‘To By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com Bridge That Which Divides Us—The Power of KindPASO ROBLES — Close ness.’ The event was hosted to 100 people gathered in by the City of Paso Robles, the Paso Robles City Park Paso Robles Diversity, and
the Paso DEI Education Committee. Students from local schools created artwork celebrating the late MLK and were hung around the gazebo. Despite a few surprising rain showers, the community gathered around the park gazebo and began the celebration by reciting the
Pledge of Allegiance “to represent his faith that things could change in the system in which he was living in,” said PRHS graduate and Paso Robles Diversity Panel member, Niya Williams. Paso Robles City Councilman Fred Strong spoke about his work with MLK to pass an equal housing rights legis-
CULINARY
SERVE & PROTECT
Paso Robles Police Department Introduces New Police Chief
Odyssey World Cafe Welcomes New Owners
Chief of Police Damian Nord officially welcomed on Jan. 18 By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
From left to right, Steve and Dawn Gregory, Carmelo and Anna Rodriguez, John and Hawley. Photo by Camille DeVaul
Dawn Gregory and John Hawley opened the cafe 25 years ago in Paso Robles By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES—Named for the Greek King, Odysseyous’s adventures through the Mediterranean Sea, Odyssey World Cafe was one of the first to bring international comfort food to Paso Robles 25 years ago. Now, after a quarter-century, the cafe’s owners are embarking on a new Odyssey in their lives, turning the restaurant over to long-time Odyssey chef Carmelo and his wife, Anna Rodriguez. In 1997, Dawn Gregory and John Hawley opened the Odys-
sey World Cafe on Pine Street in downtown Paso Robles. Originally, the two envisioned Odyssey as a market-style shop, bringing the community worldly ingredients that Odysseus, from the epic poem by Greek author Homer, may have found throughout the Mediterranean during his Odyssey. But slowly, Dawn realized their customers wanted to stay at the shop and eat. They wanted John to create sandwiches with these new ingredients. Soon enough, Odyssey became a cafe, offering comfort food with an international twist. While they were owners, the cafe survived the San Simeon earthquake of 2003, a recession, and now the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. But due to the overwhelm-
SPORTS
ing support from the community, Odyssey continues to survive and thrive. And now it is time for Dawn and John to pass the torch to Carmelo and Anna. “I knew in my heart that it was a yes,”says Anna.“This is our time to take on this adventure. Carmelo has been in the restaurant industry for his entire life—I felt like this was the opportunity for me to raise him up and honor the work and the commitment he has made to his career, and if I got to be a part of it while also including our children, I knew, yes it is a yes.” Chef Carmelo was born in Mexico raised by his father, a butcher, and his mother, a phenomenal cook. Growing up on a farm, he learned husbandry from his father and how to take CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
COMMUNITY
PASO ROBLES—Almost four months after losing Ty Lewis as Chief of Police to his new position as City Manager, Paso Robles Police Department (PRPD) has a new Chief in town— Damian Nord. Chief Nord was officially sworn in as Paso Robles Chief of Police on Tuesday, Jan. 18. His predecessor, Lewis, led Chief Nord in the oath. The two worked together during the year Chief Nord was a police officer in Paso Robles. When the Chief of Police position became open, Chief Nord was one of the officers Lewis called and asked to apply for the job. Chief Nord comes to Paso Robles from Kern County. Growing up in Bakersfield (back when Bakersfield was a small town), he listened to stories from his grandfather, who was a Bakersfield police office, and his uncle, a sergeant for Kern County. One could say the two men inspired him to begin his law enforcement career when he was just 22 years old. By 2001 Chief Nord was promoted to Deputy Sheriff for Kern County. He worked his way through the ranks serving as a Detective, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Commander, and most recently as a Chief Deputy in charge of the Investigations and Detentions Bureaus. Despite his deep-rooted history in Bakersfield,
SOCIETY
Paso Robles City Manager and former PRPD Chief of Police Ty Lewis (left) swore in new PRPD Chief of Police Damian Nord (right). Photo by Camille DeVaul
Chief Nord isn’t a stranger to Paso Robles. In 2007, he worked as a Police Officer for the City of Paso Robles. His time in Paso made an impression on him, but unfortunately, he had to return to Bakersfield due to family matters. “I can honestly say that Paso and some of the influences upon me at the department in Paso kind of created the future for my law enforcement career. It truly was a springboard for me to truly understand what law enforcement should be like and how we should handle things and deal with people,” says Chief Nord. So it wasn’t the right time for Chief Nord to make Paso Robles his home. But he kept in touch with friends he made during his time here. It was CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
WEATHER
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