The Paso Robles Press • February 18, 2021

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GOOD NEWS. REAL NEWS. HOMETOWN NEWS.

SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXI, NO. XXXVI

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

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SWEET COMPETITION

Libby Ryan ‘Just Baked’ Her Way to National Competition Ryan had no idea that after filming last February, her life and business would change dramatically due to COVID-19 By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com PASO ROBLES — Local baker, Libby Ryan, competed on Food Network’s Chopped Sweets which aired this past week. Ryan, Just Baked Cake Studio and Bakery owner, competed on the show’s ‘Bejeweled and Bedazzled’ episode and took home second place! Chopped Sweets is hosted by Scott Conant, an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and frequent host and judge of many Food Network competition shows. During Chopped Sweets, Conant challenges four pastry chefs to create desserts using random ingredients with an extremely tight time limit. Chefs competed in three rounds showcasing a different technique in each one: candied, baked, and frosted. After each round of competition, one pastry chef is eliminated from the competition. The last chef standing gets to claim the $10,000 prize! About three years ago, Ryan was on another Food Network competition to make Cat Cora and Nichole Ehrlich’s

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Libby Ryan (third from the left) owner of Just Baked Cake Studio located in the Paso Robles Market Walk with her team, talks National Competition and pivoting her business. Contributed photo

wedding cake. Cora made history in 2005 by becoming the first woman Iron Chef. While Ryan did not win the competition to make Cora’s wedding cake, she was hired to cater Cora’s rehearsal dinner. Food Network invited Ryan back to compete on another Food Network show. After several Zoom interviews, Ryan was asked to compete on Chopped Sweets ‘Bejeweled and Bedazzled’ episode, filmed in February 2020, right before California went into lockdown due to the pandemic. Judges for the episode were Natalie Sideserf

and Maneet Chauhan. “It was a ton of fun, and it is very much like what you see--it is really only 30 minutes, you are using foreign equipment that you don’t know how to use. You are trying not to trip over hundreds of camera wires and people because they are at every angle of you,” Ryan said. For round one, Ryan used the required ingredients honeydew melon, giant ring candy, silver leaf, and mosaic jello mold to create churros with a gelatin mold chantilly and pistachio brittle!

“The judges were amazing but really tough,” said Ryan, but she moved on through the competition with many praises from the judges. After the first round, host Conant asked Ryan why she wanted to become a pastry chef. Ryan went on to share her story. For Ryan’s son’s ninth birthday, he wanted a skateboard cake. Ryan explained as a single mother working in retail; she couldn’t afford CONTINUED ON PAGE A15

Wild Fields Brewhouse Adapting and Shifting Throughout the Pandemic

PASO ROBLES — California Mid-State Fair (CMSF) board members are “cautiously optimistic” the show will go on for a 2021 fair. CMSF board members are developing two plans for this summer’s fair scheduled set for Jul. 21 - Aug. 1. Either way, the fair will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary. Tom Keffury, the CMSF spokesperson, explains the public’s safety is their top priority. Plan A for CMSF is to have a fair, with all California’s safety measures in place. However, Plan A can only happen if the county moves into the yellow tier. If San Luis Obispo County makes it to the Yellow Tier with enough time, the fair will go on with safety protocols in place. CONTINUED ON PAGE A15

BUSINESS

operating just on creative beer sales, Wild Fields Brewhouse was once again allowed to open its doors for some indoor dining. Hearing the news, the owners sprang into action, hiring and training new staff but once again, the rug was pulled out from underneath them just a few weeks later. “We got to the end of May when they said we could reopen with some indoor dining,” Jacque said. “So, we rehired a team and got people back in place. A lot of our team members didn’t come back due to concerns with COVID or family members they had to take care of or those sorts of things.” For a few weeks, it seemed as operations might go back to as normal as can be during a pandemic but come July, they were once again forced to close their doors and began searching for a new way to get business. “In July, we decided to focus strictly on distribution,” Jacque said. “It was always our Plan C, but it was forced to become

PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles City Council met on Tuesday, Feb. 17, for their regularly scheduled meeting. Prior to the meeting, the Board met in closed session to discuss three items, one public employment regarding the City Manager position and conference with Real Property Negotiators regarding 1345 Park Street and 1955 Theater Drive. According to interim City Attorney Kimberly Hood, council gave direction, but there is no reportable action. Batalon Cheif Randy Harris presented the COVID-19 Community update, which included information regarding vaccinations and SLO County remaining in the Purple Tier of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy (info at emergencyslo.org at this time. Following Harris, Shonna Howenstine, Civic Engagement Coordinator, gave an update on the Multi-lingual COVID Outreach program. The meeting continued by the Council unanimously approving the development of a 79 unit, low-income senior housing. The new senior housing will be located on a 4.21-acre parcel in the Woodland Plaza II shopping center south of Niblick and west of River Road (next to the former JCPenny). The housing development will be dedicated to low-income, active seniors aged 62 years and older. From the agenda report: “The project is a single building proposed to be designed with varying heights ranging from 1-story to 3-stories tall. Project amenities include a residents’ center, laundry facilities, central courtyard, community garden, barbecue area, and pedestrian pathways throughout with connectivity to the commercial shopping center. Additionally, the project includes a revised parking area and a new ADA pathway for access to the Salinas River trail.” Councilman John Hamon raised questions on the site’s security in its location. The development owner assured Council there would be two key entrances and security cameras throughout the building and parking lot.

BUSINESS

By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com

Paso Robles City Council Approves Development of Low-income Senior Housing By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com

2021 FAIR

California Mid-State Fair Board are ‘Cautiously Optimistic’

CITY COUNCIL

After implementing “Plan C,” Wild Fields beer can now be purchased throughout California By CONNOR ALLEN connor@pasoroblespress.com ATASCADERO — There are few things more challenging to do in a normal year than open up a new successful business. Make that business a restaurant and brewery, and the odds become even a little tougher, toss in a global pandemic. It seems nearly impossible, but that is exactly what Wild Field Brewhouse in Atascadero accomplished in 2020. Wild Fields Brewhouse opened its doors for its grand opening in 2019, on Dec. 6, but it wasn’t long before they were forced to shut their doors and get very creative with their business plan. They have been forced to continually adapt to the ever-changing rules and regulations that have come with COVID-19 but have rolled with punches hoping to come

SPORTS

Ryan and Jacque Fields owners of Wild Fields Brewery faced the challenges of 2020 by remaining focused and dedicated to their dream. Photo courtesy of Wild Fields

out stronger on the other side. “February felt pretty promising. We felt pretty good, and then by Mar. 10, we saw our sales drastically fall,” Co-owner Jacque Fields said. “We closed on Mar. 16. Literally three months into being open. Then we moved strictly into beer, we tried having the kitchen open for two weeks, but it was just too hard with my husband and I doing all of it.”

COVID-19 UPDATE

Faced with no ability to serve food and no end in sight, Wild Fields moved to curbside pick-up, creating fun deals and ways for residents to still get a hold of their fantastic beer. With their numbers dropping drastically, Jacque and Ryan Fields reached out to their landlord, the Madonna Group, who graciously offered their help in such a difficult time. In May, after a few months

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REMAINING IN THE PURPLE TIER COUNTER HUMAN TRAFFICKING due to high rate of positive tests strives to rescue victims and hold within SLO County | A5 violators accountable | A13

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