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SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXI, NO. LIII
THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021
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CLASS OF 2021
Paso Robles Moves Forward with Plans for the Former Boys’ School on Airport Caleb Davis provided an update for the PRPD shooting range By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — Paso Robles City Council met on Jun. 15 for their regularly scheduled meeting. The first topic of discussion was the State of California retired its Blueprint for a Safer Economy on Jun. 15, with various restrictions still in place on large events and non-vaccinated people. The California Department of Health will still be making recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID, but those recommendations are not mandatory. Council members received the last scheduled COVID-19 Community Update. SLO County is still working towards herd immunity or an 80 percent vaccinated rate. In Paso Robles, 50 percent of the population is vaccinated and 42.2 percent in SLO County. City staff has already begun taking down COVID-related signage in the City Park. California will keep a close eye on COVID-19 vaccination and infection rates over the summer and review these guidelines by Sep. 1. Paso Robles Police Department (PRPD) Caleb Davis provided an update for the PRPD shooting range. Four Cal Poly seniors completed the Paso Robles Police Department (PRPD) Outdoor Training Facility Remodel for their senior project. Funds for the facilities remodel came from the newly passed Measure J-20 funds. Measure J-20 was passed during the 2020 election as a one-cent sales tax. Funds from the tax prioritize funding towards maintaining essential City services, such as fire and public safety/police services, emergency response and preparedness, road safety, and other city services. CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
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Paso Robles High Celebrates their 125th Graduation 402 students graduated on Friday and Saturday
Cheryl Parks (Left) and Laurie Ion (right) both retire at the end of June after 57 years of service collectively to the Templeton community. Photo by Melissa Mattson
By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — On Friday, Jun. 11, and Saturday, Jun. 12, the Paso Robles High School (PRHS) Class of 2021 officially graduated. The Bearcats graduated in person at War Memorial Stadium in three groups. The senior class asked Geoffrey Land and Jenny Martinez, both PRHS social science teachers, to be the MCs for their graduation. After introducing PRHS faculty members, Land and Martinez introduced the Superintendent Curt Dubost, Deputy
Retirement of Two Noteworthy Women in the Templeton Community Paso Robles High School Seniors turned their tassels to start their next adventure in a two night celebration for the graduating class of 2021. Photos by Sandra Stratman
Superintendent Jennifer Gaviola, Assistant Superintendent Brad Pawlowski, and the Board of Trustees: Chris Arend, Chris Bausch, Jim Reed, Lance Gannon,
Tim Gearhart, Dorian Baker, and of Allegiance led by Senior Class Nathan Williams. President Kasey Nguyen. The PRHS Advanced Choir Student speeches were pre-resang the National Anthem and was then followed by the Pledge CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
CLASS OF 2021
Templeton High Graduates 161 Seniors
By MELISSA MATTSON melissa@pasoroblespress.com
TEMPLETON — Templeton High School held their Senior Graduation on Thursday, Jun. 10 at 7 p.m. to see the graduation of 161 students. The graduation was held in-person at Volunteer Stadium, with limited guests per student, and also available live-streamed on YouTube. The ceremony began with Josh Aston, the Templeton High School Principal, recognizing all the staff who have helped these students get to this day. He also recognized the family of the seniors and then the seniors themselves. He read a poem by Douglas Malloch, entitled
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Good Timber, and summed it up by saying, “this graduation class has had to endure tough winds…The challenges you have endured have made you strong,” speaking about the tough year that this class has gone through these past fifteen months. Next, Ashley Pascual led the pledge of allegiance, followed by the Star-Spangled Banner sung by Abby Brady. Aston returned to the stage, announcing the Salutatorian, Thomas Choboter, who graduated with a 4.57 GPA and will be attending Cal Poly, majoring in Computer Engineering. Choboter gave a speech, focusing on the word why, “questions are our superpower, and a question that begins with why is the greatest superpower of them all.” Then before moving on to an acoustic guitar performance reminiscing on the pandemic, he paused as the Estrella WarBirds had a flyover in honor of the graduates.
COVID-19 UPDATE
By MELISSA MATTSON melissa@pasoroblespress.com
Next, the Valedictorian Juliana Jarboe took the mic. Juliana has attended Templeton since kindergarten and graduated with a 4.61 GPA, and will be attending Columbia University, majoring in Computer Science. “The Class of 2021 taught me how to make friends. The next few years may feel like kindergarten all over again, with new people, new concepts to learn. This time we’ll have a blueprint to follow, and our past experiences will lead us to success.” Aston then moved on, exchanging flags with the foreign exchange student who has attended Templeton High School for the last year, albeit an unconventional one. Tyler Werner, the Senior Class President, spoke next. “This year has been anything but normal,” and then continued to thank the teachers and athletic staff for their dedication to the students and all they’ve done for
TEMPLETON — At the end of June, Templeton will see the retirement of two dedicated employees who have served Templeton for 57 years collectively. Cheryl Parks and Laurie Ion have been behind the scenes keeping Templeton rolling and soaring over the past 25+ years. Parks has worked for the Templeton Unified School District (TUSD) for 25 years, and Ion has worked for Templeton Community Services District (TCSD) for 32. Both have served in their same, albeit evolving, roles within their respective organizations, wearing all necessary hats to keep things operating without issue. In Templeton’s small community, the two have worked together many times, coming through for each other in a pinch. Ion recounts a time when a band for Concerts in the Park showed up without music stands, and she reached out to Cheryl Parks to see about borrowing some from the school for the evening, just in time for the event. Parks, not a native to the area, moved to the Central Coast with her husband from Southern California in 1981, looking for the serenity that comes with the pace of life in the area. At the time, her son was one, and she valued being able to have her son in the same school district in which she worked. She began working with the San Luis Coastal School District before switching to Templeton, working as
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Templeton High Schools Graduating Class of 2021 celebrated the end of their High School career last Thursday night after a challenging year due to the pandemic. Photos by Templeton High School
After a challenging 15 months, the Class of 2021 is ready for their next stage of life
Laurie Ion of TCSD and Cheryl Parks of TUSD both will hang up their hats at the end of June
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A SEASON LIKE NO OTHER continues with Baseball, Softball and Basketball | A3
PASO ROBLES CHILDREN’S Museum announces re-opening after 15 months | A4
CALIFORNIA OFFICIALLY retires Blueprint for a Safer Economy as Gov. establishes a timeline | A5
JUNETEENTH National Freedom Day: A Day of Observance | A14
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