GOOD NEWS. REAL NEWS. HOMETOWN NEWS.
SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXI, NO. XLIV
THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021
pasoroblespress.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
MISSING PERSON
Justice Begins for Kristin Smart After Almost 25 Years
A press conference was held on Tuesday, Apr. 13 where SLO County Sheriff Ian Parkinson announced the arrest of Paul Flores for the murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart who went missing in May of 1996 and his father Ruben Flores for accessory to murder. Photos by Camille DeVaul
Sheriff Parkinson holds a press conference after the arrest of Paul and Ruben Flores By HAYLEY MATTSON & CAMILLE DeVAUL SAN LUIS OBISPO — On Apr. 13, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson held a press conference on O’Neill Green in front of the Orfalea College of Business on the campus of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
EDUCATION
The press conference came just before the 25th Anniversary of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart who went missing on May 25, 1996. Before Sheriff Parkinson began, large photos of Kristin Smart, Paul, and Ruben Flores’s arrest, a chronological timeline of the case was unveiled. As Sheriff Parkinson and officials walked to the podium, the clock tower echoed deep chimes, and the crowd fell silent. Tony Cipolla, the Health Information Officer for the SLO County Sheriff, started the conference stat-
ing, “Today is a day that many have hoped for, wished for, and prayed for. We have major developments in the Kristin Smart investigation.” Before turning the conference over to Sheriff Parkinson, Cipolla acknowledged the President of Cal Poly, Jeff Armstrong, sign-language interpreter Robin Babb, Cal Poly Police Chief George Hughes, and Undersheriff Jim Vogue. Parkinson started by recognizing that Unsolved Cold-Case Detective Clint Cole was not introduced by Cipolla so that he could make a special introduction along with
acknowledging several members of his team in the audience. “We are beginning here today because this is where it all began, on the campus of Cal Poly University. On May 25, 1996, this is the last place that Kristin Smart was seen alive. It has been 24, almost 25 years since Kristin went missing. 24 years without a resolution, until today. I am here this afternoon to announce the arrest of Paul Flores for the murder of Kristin Smart. The Arrest of Ruben Flores as an accessory to the murder,” Sheriff Parkinson said as he started the press conference.
Paul Flores, now 44-years-old was the last person seen with Smart in 1996. Kristin Smart was a 19-year-old Cal Poly freshman who was in the last few months of her freshman year at Cal Poly. Smart was last seen on May 25, 1996, at approximately 2 a.m. near Perimeter and Grand Avenue’s intersection on the Cal Poly campus as she walked home to her dorm from an off-campus party. Smart was last seen with Paul Flores, who at the time was a 19-year-old male Cal Poly freshman who walked home
By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles Joint Unified School Board met on Apr. 13. Board trustees moved up agenda item I9: Approve Revised Reading List/Course Description for Ethnic Studies Course at PRHS: Multicultural America to item I4 due to a high amount of written comments on the subject. Item H4 Approve Revisions to BP 7310 and Rescission of BP 1331 was tabled from the consent agenda for the next scheduled meeting. Item I7 Approve Board of Trustees’ Meeting Minutes was moved to item J3 as it did not require any action and was an informational item. CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
EVENTS
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COMMUNITY
SPORTS
Boys and Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast Celebrates Ground-Breaking
PRJUSD Approves Ethnic Studies Course Under One-Year Trial Paso Robles Schools will finish the school year with four days hybrid learning
from a party with her. Parkinson stated that Smart was not reported missing to the Cal Poly Police Department until May 28, 1996. Parkinson then went through a timeline of the investigation. After Smart was reported missing, the Cal Poly Police handled the initial investigation into Smart’s disappearance with the assistance of investigators from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office. On Jun. 26, 1996, almost a month later, the
Bearcats and Eagles Set For Mountain League Matchup Board of Directors along with members of the community celebrate groundbreaking of the new site for the Boys and Girls Club of Mid Central Coast. Photos by Camille DeVaul
Construction of new club facility expected to be completed in early 2022 By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — On Apr. 12, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast (BGCMCC) broke ground for the new Tom Maas Clubhouse at 3301 Oak St., Paso Robles. From the organization’s press release, “The Clubhouse is a 3.5-million-dollar project named in honor of Tom Maas, a local philanthropist, business owner, and winemaker who passed in 2019. Tom and his wife Kathleen donated the property to BGCMCC in 2019.” The current Paso Robles BGCMCC is located at the Flamson Middle School on Spring Street. In 2016, it became evident to board members
SPORTS
that they needed a larger facility due to a growing waiting list for children to get into the club. The new boys and girls club will be located on Oak Street, closely situated to Flamson Middle School and Georgia Brown Middle School. The half-acre lot, formerly home to the North County Racquet Association, was donated by a long-time friend of the boys and girls club, Tom Maas. In 2019 Maas passed away unexpectedly. However, just before his passing, Maas and his wife Kathleen made a donation that allowed the club to purchase the new property. From the boys and girls club website: “Tom had planned not only to support the property purchase but also to be heavily involved in the construction of a new Club to serve the community’s most vulnerable youth. After his passing, the organization’s leadership chose to name the proposed Club site in Tom’s memory. We now seek public support
COVID-19 UPDATE
The two teams have not played each other in 97 years
for the vision Tom created. “Your gift enables Boys & Girls Clubs of the Central Coast to continue the support Tom consistently advocated for in addressing the needs of hundreds of children and teens that simply cannot afford the opportunity to learn life lessons and leadership skills. Please take comfort in knowing that Tom’s memory will be celebrated by delivering our mission to the children and teens of the Paso Robles community he loved.” The Maas Family–Kathleen, Dan, and Tammy Other major sponsors for the new facility include Sandy Viborg, Jay, and Ann Brown, Dan Maas and Tammy Roberts, Dale and Dennis Gomer, Berna Dallons, Wayne Hughes, Jr. Foundation, Odyssey Trust, Noreen Martin, and Dr. Chris Hulburd, George and Gail Freitas, Mike and Linda Cordero, Nadine Sullivan, Bob Beaulieu, and Linda Mosure, Randy
NORTH COUNTY — The Templeton Eagles and Paso Robles Bearcats are locked in for a huge Mountain League matchup this Friday night, and when the two teams finally hit the field together, it will be the first time the two schools have played each other in 97 years. The Bearcats and Eagles have played each other in football only twice, with both games coming in the same season in 1924. The Paso Robles Press went back through the archives to find the old box scores, and it turns out that the
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SOCIETY
By CONNOR ALLEN connor@pasoroblespress.com
pasoroblespress.com
WEATHER
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EAGLES BASEBALL split two games over the weekend to start season with a 5-2 record | A3
STATE UPDATES BLUEPRINT framework to help counties maintain current tier | A5
LABOR TRAFFICKING is often hidden and is very difficult to detect due to its covert nature | A13
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