GOOD NEWS REAL NEWS HOMETOWN NEWS
SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXII, NO. XXXIII
THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2022
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ANNIVERSARY
GOVERNMENT
Paso Robles ECHO Shelter Celebrates One Year
County Supervisors Pass Priority Projects for Planning Department County Health Director Dr. Penny Borenstein gives update on COVID-19 effects for county By MICHAEL CHALDU michael@pasoroblespress.com
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors met for their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 25. This meeting was a virtual meeting scheduled due to rising COVID-19 cases in the county. In fact, the first item of the meeting was the added Item 25, a resolution to have the supervisor’s meetings held remotely (via Zoom) for the next 30 days because of the COVID-19 spike. The resolution passed by a 5-0 vote. CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
SLO Motion Shoes gifted $3,000 worth of footwear to ECHO (left) and the Paso Robles facility celebrates one year. Contributed Photos.
Due to COVID restrictions, shelter turns away about 15 people a night By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — On Dec. 7, 2020, the El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) opened its first shelter in Paso Robles, located in the former Motel 6 at 1134 Black Oak Drive, and on Dec. 7, 2021, they celebrated their
one-year anniversary. ECHO was formed 20 years ago and operates three overnight shelters in Atascadero and Paso Robles. The Paso Robles facility is running as a full-service shelter with several emergency shelter rooms, a meal service program, and case management supportive services, the first for Paso Robles. This past year, over 15,000 nights of stay have been provided, and over 600 unduplicated men, women, and children have received support through ECHO.
While it is great to see numbers like this, ECHO President and CEO, Wendy Lewis, says, “We have to see that person and know them personally and know their story. Everyone’s story is different, but it’s pretty amazing for our staff and for myself to be a part of someone’s journey back into housing and to be able to support them along the way.” She continues, “It’s been really neat to see from an organization standpoint that the work we are providing is helping a community and
changing lives.” It’s no secret that people have been taking shelter in the Salinas Riverbed that runs through Paso Robles for years. But that is something Lewis and her team were fully aware of, “Going into this project, we knew there was a lot of population housed in the riverbed, and we were hoping to connect with them to reach them and give them their first access to these types of resources in Paso Robles.” She recounts that some of the residents the organization
ART & LITERATURE
has helped in its first year had been living in the riverbed for over ten years. COVID has inevitably played a role in a lot of their residents seeking support. Because of COVID in one way or the other, some have lost their homes or jobs. But whatever their reason for needing support, Lewis says, “We find for the most part it’s circumstantial, and something in their life has led them to where they are at and having the commuCONTINUED ON PAGE A15
EDUCATION
Group Provides Community for Local Writers PRJUSD Approves District Trustee Map
A study session meeting will be held on Feb. 5 from 9-12 pm By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
The group’s goal is to provide feedback on each other’s work and get their member’s words out to the public. Photo by Christianna Marks
The Write Group Meets in Atascadero Every 1st and 3rd Thursday By CHRISTIANNA MARKS christianna@pasoroblespress.com
ATASCADERO—In 2013, some creatives got together and created The Write Group. Though they had to take a break due to COVID, the group’s playwrights, poets, novelists, and screenwriters started gathering together again in July of 2021. The Write Group meets at the Cherent Ranch Theatre in Atascadero every first and third Thursday of the month to elevate
each other’s writing. The theatre is owned by current member, Brent Keast. “The theater’s been around for about eight to ten years. We do straight plays, small plays (which we call parlor theater), and then we do radio plays as if we are in a radio studio. The audience is treated like an audience in a radio play,” said Keast, who is a graduate of USC’s film school and has 23 screenplays under his belt. The group’s main goal is to get their member’s words out into the public. Whether that’s in the form of theater workshops, published novels, poetry slam nights, or film screenings, the main objective is to have an audience for the member’s works. “I am so fortunate to have found this
SPORTS
EVENTS
group because these guys are experienced, they know what they’re talking about, and their recommendations and the critiquing that they do is exceptional. I’ve gotten a lot of fantastic feedback. It’s great to have a sounding board. They’re more than a sounding board; these guys really care about the projects,” said Mark Landon, who’s working on a novel that’s steeped in his Judaic roots. The group critiques its member’s work at every meeting. The work is sent out ahead of time, and then each member has five minutes to give their constructive feedback while the writer takes down notes. The writer is not allowed to say anything CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
SENIOR LIVING
PASO ROBLES—After an extended closed session, the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District regular meeting came to order around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25. As requested during the Jan. 11 meeting, staff has been developing information about two options for consideration for the elementary attendance boundaries and dual immersion program location. Staff has been working with a demographic consultant and an architect to provide details within these two options. They are recommending a study session to review this information. The Board agreed to schedule a study session for Feb. 5, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. This study session will include an opportunity for
public comment. The Board held a public hearing regarding the redistricting process and proposed map boundary adjustments. The first hearing was held on Jan. 11. The Board motioned to adopt resolution No. 22-09 with Scenario 2 map (also known as Appendix A in the resolution) attached. Resolution No. 22-09 says, “The Board of Education of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Approving Adjustments to the Boundaries of the District’s Trustee Areas Pursuant to Education Code Section 5019.5” In the 2022 election, trustee areas 1 (now held by Chris Arend), 2 (no current trustee), and 4 (now held by Frank Triggs) will be up for re-election. Trustee Dorian Baker voted no on the resolution with the following statement: “I read the California Voting Rights Act of 2001, and I don’t see how it is constitutional to break people down into protected classes like this. The whole thing is absurd and junky laws like this get passed at the State and Federal levels with little or no pushCONTINUED ON PAGE A15
WEATHER
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