Hometown News Since 1916 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CIV, NO. XXXIV
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
EVENT
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EDUCATION
AUSD In-Person Instruction For Students With Disabilities
Committee: 47th Annual Colony Days is Still Happening Hometown celebration Oct. 1-4 will be different By CONNOR ALLEN connor@atascaderonews.com ATASCADERO — The 47th Annual Atascadero Colony Days, a hometown celebration, is still happening Thursday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 4. The multiple-day event showcases Atascadero’s community and is hosted each year by a committee of local volunteers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers had to come up with creative ways to celebrate safely together. After many months of uncertainty for all, the committee wanted to hold an upbeat event, something enjoyable for the community. In doing so, the committee is hoping to create a more cohesive environment, strengthen local businesses, and be a stronger, positive and unified community. For the first time, they are promoting a sub-theme, “We are Atascadero,” in addition to the original theme, “Look how Far We Have Come, 100 years of Women’s Rights, Arts and Literacy,” celebrating 100 years of the right to vote for women, 100 years of the Atascadero Library and 100 years of art in Atascadero. “Those who started Colony Days designed the annual event to bring everyone together to celebrate being a community,” said Karen McNamara, Committee Chair. “My focus is to continue that purpose, hosting a celebration of who we are, together. We are not perfect, nor were those who came before us. Setting aside this time, we have a chance to see our strengths and open discussion and craft plans to make a better community for the future”. The event will feature Atascadero’s businesses, families, and non-profit organizations, showcasing each in different ways. Anyone who desires to enter the CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
COMMUNITY
People wave flags on Highway 101 overpasses from Paso Robles to Santa Maria on Saturday, Aug. 29, during the ‘Back the Blue’ Freedom Rally. photo by Rick Evans
Central Coast Overpasses Along Highway 101 Filled with ‘Back the Blue’ Freedom Rally on Saturday By HAYLEY MATTSON American flags and signage hayley@pasoroblespress.com to show their support for the local law enforcement. ack the Blue” Cars that passed the “Back groups along the the Blue Freedom Rally” filled Central Coast the air with honking horns, from Santa Maria to Paso waves, and whistles showing Robles gathered Saturday their support. morning from 10 a.m. to 12 Attendees shared that they p.m. along Highway 101, were there supporting law decorating the overpasses with enforcement in opposition to
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what one attendee called “the dehumanization of police officers.” The attendee identified herself as Marie explained, “local law enforcement is not the enemy, but instead, they are our family, friends, and neighbors.” Attendee Valoree Fredendall explained that the “Back
the Blue” groups in San Luis Obispo and Atascadero discussed how they could show their continued support. They decided to hold the “Back the Blue Freedom Rally” along Highway 101 overpasses to positively and peacefully show unity and CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
TEMPLETON FIRE DEPARTMENT
Templeton’s New Fire Chief Putting Pieces into Place Peterson laying the foundation for the department’s success By BRIAN WILLIAMS brian@atascaderonews.com TEMPLETON — Templeton Fire Department’s new full-time fire chief is not wasting any time. Thomas “Tom” Peterson has been on the job for two weeks and every day, the department gets closer to adequate 24-7 station coverage with full-time staff. He’s rounding out the full-time staff with the next big piece, a third captain, who will start in October. “This will allow the department to shift to a 48-96 work schedule, two days on four days off, with an A, B and C shift. That will give us 24-7 coverage with three captains,” Peterson said. The next crucial hire will be the addition of a full-time engineer who will work when the department is busiest. “We’ll at least have full-time captains, a full-time engineer and then really step up our training program and augment with our part-time folks,” Peterson said. “We will probably be bringing on several more part-time folks.” This is made possible in part due to the community’s passing of Measure A, a parcel tax increase of $15 per month in 2019 to provide additional funding for the District’s Fire and Emergency Services Department.
LOCAL NEWS
Templeton’s new Fire Chief Tom Peterson, left, takes over for outgoing interim Fire Chief Bill White, right. Photo courtesy of Templeton Fire Department
“The community has entrusted us with Measure A and we have to be able to serve the community because they have bestowed upon us that trust,” Peterson said. “I’m not wasting any time.” Peterson is a decorated 30-year veteran of the fire services and relies on his many years to build a department that will meet the community’s needs now and in the future. He spent the past 16 years with the Atascadero Fire Department, most recently as a battalion chief. In 2014, he was named Firefighter of the Year by the Atascadero Elks. “It’s awesome. I’m enjoying the excitement with all of the new folks and the
COVID UPDATE
energy level,” Peterson said. “Kind of makes me feel young again.” Peterson is the first full-time chief since 2012, taking over for interim Chief Bill White, who was instrumental in getting Measure A passed. White and Peterson were battalion chiefs in AFD. “I thought my counterpart in Atascadero, Chief White was going to take it, but he said nope, too close to retirement, not going to do it. Peterson is no stranger to Templeton. He and his wife put Southern California in the rearview mirror in 1987 and moved to
District reaches tentative agreement with teachers association By CONNOR ALLEN connor@atascaderonews.com ATA S C A D E R O — Atascadero Unified School District moved closer to having in-person instruction for its special needs students after a tentative agreement between the District and the Atascadero District Teachers Association was reached. The announcement was made during the Atascadero Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night. Students with disabilities and special needs can participate in in-person instruction per the statement made Aug. 14 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Board meeting opened with ADTA President Christine Williams addressing the Board and the public on the work they have done in collaboration with the District to make this possible. She also noted the difficulties and concerns that have come with the COVID-19 pandemic for teachers. “We now have two COVID19 2020-2021 MOU’s [Memorandum of Understanding],” Williams said. “One passed, and one pending that each took tons of work and countless hours of collaboration. It is never easy to find a solution that works for everyone. In fact, it’s impossible. But we are all trying to do what is best for all students right now, and it will take time to get this right.” Safety is a significant concern, Williams reiterated, and is something they need to get right. “We need to make sure that our students and staff have the safest learning and working environment,” she said. “We have been working to make sure that happens even if it isn’t happening fast enough or in the manner that everyone prefers. Since the spring, the association [ADTA] has been working with the District to develop plans, redeveloping plans, and re-redeveloping plans.” Following Williams, Butler
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SOCIETY
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WEATHER
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EMILY REANAU REFLECTS on short tenure with Atascadero Chamber | A4
ECONOMIC VITALITY CORP. Continues its work in SLO County with growing staff | A3
GOV. NEWSOM INTRODUCES new 4-tier, color-coded reopening plan for state | A5
NEW MONTHLY FEATURE from Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Board | A13
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