County planners approve San Miguel mixed-use project
Posted: Thursday, Jul 2nd, 2009
For decades, land on the undeveloped eastside of downtown San Miguel on Mission Street, formerly owned by Union Pacific Railroad Company, sat vacant and without any plans in the works for future development.
About nine years ago, landowner Brett Butterfield changed that prospect when he and investors purchased some property from the railroad company and began the process of seeking ...more

North County communities ready for the Fourth of July
Posted: Thursday, Jul 2nd, 2009
Those in search of family entertainment this Fourth of July might find just what they are looking for in the North County, where parades, barbecues, displays of fireworks and fun are on the schedule as the nation celebrates its independence.
Fourth of July is a time reserved for family, friends, food and festivities and despite an economically harrowing year that ...more

Strong joins race for Assembly seat
Posted: Thursday, Jul 2nd, 2009
Paso Robles Mayor Pro Tem Fred Strong announced this week his intent to seek and obtain the Republican nomination for California’s 33rd Assembly District seat.
The 33rd Assembly District encompasses all of San Luis Obispo County and portions of northern Santa Barbara County, including Santa Maria and Lompoc. A primary election will be held on Tuesday, June 8, 2010 with ...more

City files termination notices for Weyrich’s airport leases
Posted: Monday, Jun 29th, 2009
The city of Paso Robles has taken preliminary steps to terminate two leases with North American Jet Charter, Inc./Paso Robles Jet Center owner David Weyrich to operate out of the Paso Robles Municipal Airport.
City officials now expect to continue discussion over the next couple of weeks to determine a business, or possibly legal remedy.
The notices were filed following ...more

Thrift store to benefit Paso Robles schools
Posted: Monday, Jun 29th, 2009
The current state budget shortfall has ravaged local schools and government, causing the loss of jobs and programs. But at least one Paso Robles resident is trying to do something about it.
Fabiola Magnuson is planning to open La Tiendita Thrift Store in early August. The store, located at 825 Riverside Ave., will run entirely on donations from the public ...more

Crowd gathers to discuss event ordinance
Posted: Monday, Jun 29th, 2009
Vineyard, winery and land owners, decision-makers and others interested in hearing more about a new events ordinance in the county filled a conference room at the Hampton Inn & Suites last week during a workshop convened by First District Supervisor Frank Mecham.
The quantified economic impact on the county, agricultural land and the wine industries were some of the questions ...more

Winemakers to be featured in ‘Twitter Movie’
Posted: Thursday, Jun 25th, 2009
Los-Angeles based filmmaker Dina Mande-Gould is showcasing Paso Robles as one of 140 filmmakers who shot 140 simultaneous seconds at 140 different locations for the upcoming documentary feature film “140,” also known as “The Twitter Movie.”
Mande-Gould, who is residing in Paso Robles for the summer, said she wanted to use her contribution to the film to showcase the beauty ...more

SMAC holds its election Wednesday
Posted: Thursday, Jun 25th, 2009
Voters in San Miguel headed to the polls at San Miguel Resource Center on Wednesday night to elect three new sitting members and one alternate member on the San Miguel Advisory Council.
Five seats were up for election on the council — three board positions for two-year terms and two alternate positions. There were four nominations. The top three highest ...more

Two arrested in connection with commercial burglaries
Posted: Thursday, Jun 25th, 2009
Paso Robles Police Department investigators arrested county resident Brenton Farrens and Paso Robles resident Brianna Feyo, both 21, on Wednesday in connection with a series of commercial burglaries that occurred earlier this week.
According to PRPD, Farrens was arrested at approximately 10 a.m. in the 2300 block of Oak Street and booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion ...more

Vina Robles hosts summer concert series
Posted: Monday, Jun 22nd, 2009
Vina Robles Winery & Vineyards is offering the public the perfect pairing of wine and music this summer with the return of the Vina Robles Concert Series.
Now in its second year, the 2009 Vina Robles Concert Series boasts a line-up of six diverse musical groups throughout the summer months, each one set against the picturesque backdrop of Paso Robles ...more

Red Head Ranch stays true to its roots
Posted: Monday, Jun 22nd, 2009
Pedigreed grape vines on three Paso Robles estate vineyards coupled with latitude to experiment with the fruit they produce is a comfortable fit for Red Head Ranch’s lead winemaker, Adam Bauman.
Bauman, formerly a winemaker at Adelaida Cellars and consultant to Halter Ranch, is helping to continue Red Head Ranch’s tradition following the passing of its co-owner and founder Marilyn ...more

Earthquake rattles North County Saturday
Modified: Monday, Jun 22nd, 2009
Many North County residents were shaken from their sleep early Saturday morning when a mild earthquake rumbled the Central Coast for several seconds.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the magnitude-4.4 trembler struck at 5:32 a.m. with a depth of 3.8 miles.
The earthquake’s epicenter was marked by the USGS at 15 miles west of Paso Robles and eight ...more

City Council approves budget/finance plan
Posted: Monday, Jun 22nd, 2009
In the face of a projected four-year deficit for its general fund and estimated risk of more than $10 million, a policy to maintain at least 15 percent reserves was temporarily suspended under a new two-year budget and four-year financial plan for fiscal years 2010-13 as just one measure the city is taking to avoid significant service reductions.
The plan, ...more

Local nonprofit seeks to provide clean water to those in need around the world
Posted: Thursday, Jun 18th, 2009
More than a continent away in Jantegena, Ethiopia, hope springs eternal in the form of a well, which provides the village’s population of 400 men, women and children with clean and safe drinking water, a basic human need that far too often goes unmet.
That well, installed in March of 2009, was funded by Wine for Water, a local nonprofit ...more

County planners continue groundwater basin study
Posted: Thursday, Jun 18th, 2009
Amid continuing groundwater level declines, in the future the agricultural industry in San Luis Obispo County may be encouraged to collect pumping data, increase conservation and report on the outcome of such conservation, an example of just one recommendation included in the disputed Paso Robles Groundwater Basin Resource Conservation Study.
The study was unanimously delayed by the San Luis Obispo ...more

Police bust suspected North County drug ring
Posted: Thursday, Jun 18th, 2009
Twenty-one suspects were arrested in connection with an alleged drug trafficking ring at the California Men’s Colony including three of its own employees, a Los Angeles teacher and members of a North County gang.
Law enforcement officials served simultaneous search warrants at 11 different locations in San Luis Obispo County on Monday and Tuesday in what was dubbed Operation Broken ...more

Paso Robles bids farewell to its class of 2009
Posted: Monday, Jun 15th, 2009
More than 400 Paso Robles High School seniors, gathered with their families, friends and school officials at War Memorial Stadium last week as part of the 113th commencement ceremony for the class of 2009.
Amid unseasonably cool and windy weather, thousands of spectators lined the field on Friday to celebrate the 442 graduating students, representing the largest graduation attendance in ...more

Shandon holds its graduation ceremony
Posted: Monday, Jun 15th, 2009
Clad in the school’s colors of blue and white, Shandon High School’s class of 2009 marked the end of an era and the dawn of a bright, new future on Friday evening during the SHS graduation ceremony.
Twenty-four SHS seniors accepted diplomas from Shandon Joint Unified School District’s Board of Trustees during a heartfelt ceremony befitting the school’s close-knit nature. ...more

Liberty grads celebrate their accomplishments
Posted: Monday, Jun 15th, 2009
Some blowing horns and others waving homemade signs, a celebratory crowd of friends and family packed War Memorial Stadium on Thursday evening as 87 seniors at Liberty High School marched onto the football field as students and left as graduates.
Unified around their motto of “Transforming Lives,” Liberty High School functions as an alternative school to Paso Robles High School. ...more

Caltrans proposes changing Paso’s medians
Posted: Thursday, Jun 11th, 2009
A $6 million Caltrans safety project to add barriers in the median through Paso Robles along Highway 101 raised concerns last week over visual impacts on the city’s semi-rural feel.
Caltrans is proposing to place concrete median barriers along Highway 101 from the south Spring Street off-ramp north to Highway 46 East to improve worker safety, prevent cross median traffic ...more

Watkins predicts Paso will bounce back quickly
Posted: Thursday, Jun 11th, 2009
Despite a bleak economic outlook for both the nation and state, the city of Paso Robles will recover more quickly from the current economic recession than other California cities, according to Dr. Bill Watkins, keynote speaker at this year’s Economic Forecast 2009 for Paso Robles.
On Wednesday, members of the local business community and officials convened at the Paso Robles ...more

Vandals strike Class Act Dance Studio
Posted: Thursday, Jun 11th, 2009
Class Act Dance & Performing Arts Studio in Paso Robles, which serves youth throughout North County, was the target of graffiti vandalism earlier this week.
Sometime Monday night, vandals spray painted the studio’s floors, windows, marquees and walls, said Nancy Beckett, one of the studio owners.
Paso Robles Police Department Lt. Ty Lewis said there were no confirmed leads as ...more

Council sets date for water rate vote
Posted: Monday, Jun 8th, 2009
Paso Robles voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to accept or reject a water rates increase approved by the City Council on a special election scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Last week, the Paso Robles City Council set a date for a special election to consider a recently certified water rate referendum petition initiated by the group Concerned ...more

Council passes water ordinance
Posted: Monday, Jun 8th, 2009
Paso Robles water customers who do not abide by certain mandatory water conservation measures will face penalties as outlined in a water shortage contingency plan ordinance unanimously passed by the City Council last week.
The newly unrolled Water Conservation and Shortage Contingency Plan Urgency Ordinance requires residents to comply with certain water-saving requirements during the city’s Mandatory Conservation Program. Paso ...more

City’s fireworks show to continue
Posted: Monday, Jun 8th, 2009
The city of Paso Robles’ tourism and promotions officials announced last week that the annual Fourth of July Fireworks at Barney Schwartz Park would continue in 2009.
The fireworks show, touted by many as the largest on the Central Coast, is being made possible through community donations secured during a fundraising pledge drive spearheaded by Mayor Duane Picanco to secure ...more