Hometown News Since 1916 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CIV, NO. XIII
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2020
atascaderonews.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
FARM TRAIL
COMMUNITY
Virtual Easter Egg Hunt Event to paint and display large eggs has gone international By NICHOLAS MATTSON nic@atascaderonews.com
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got to be smart about it and take care of people, and that is what we are all about. I know that I wouldn’t have what I have without this community continually supporting me, and it’s time for us to help support them.” SLO County Farm Trail’s partners bring a wide variety of locally grown products ranging from olive oils, meat producers, life and self-care product companies, gelato & craft beverage makers, to farms, ranches, and nurseries. Over 15 have committed to the event to date, and more will be added throughout the month.
ike much of life in the time of COVID-19, or what might be later classified as the Zoom Era, otherwise normal activities find themselves in peril as physical distancing orders and prohibition of in-person gatherings put a cramp on seasonal plans. One of those seasonal activities, Easter egg hunts, has been reborn online. Atascadero resident Shauna Soltero organized a Facebook page called Virtual Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt to fill the gap, and the community joined in on the fun to share. “Times are so hard and uncertain,” Soltero said. “I wanted to help spread positivity and give people light and hope. People are hurt and scared.” The premise is to create a large cutout, about three or four feet tall, in the shape of an egg, and to decorate it. The materials of the egg are anything from paper, to cardboard, to plywood, so far, and the way it is going, creativity could produce a greater variety in the near future. As the group grew from a few members to a few hundred, to now a few thousand, the event — collecting photos of the eggs and posting them with the hashtag #virtualegg-
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FARMstead ED and other participating vendors set up booths inside Nature’s Touch Harvest and Nursery. Contributed photo
FARMSTEAD ED, SLO COUNTY FOOD TRAIL PARTNER UP Vendors set up booths in Nature’s Touch during month-long fundraiser By CONNOR ALLEN connor@atascaderonews.com
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eginning this Wednesday, FARMstead ED and the SLO County Farm Trail partners have organized a month-long event aimed at supporting local businesses, local growers, and local farmers, all while raising
funds for county medical teams during the COVID-19 crisis. For the entire month of April, 15 businesses partnered with FARMstead Ed, with the potential for more, to set up small booths inside Nature’s Touch Nursery and Harvest in Templeton, with 25 percent of the proceeds being donated locally to help our medical workers who are working hard to save lives. “There is a lot of stuff going on, but we have all got to do our part, we have to step up, and when the dust settles, we are all still going to be here taking care of each other still,” Nature’s Touch owner Melanie Blankenship said of the partnership. “No matter what, we can’t fear it, we’ve
ATASCADERO LAKE
Lakeside Signage Installed The Friends of Atascadero Lake post a new sign with more to come
COVID-19 UPDATE
SLO County COVID-19 Update Recovery leads the way for local cases, one death COVID-19 BY THE NUMBERS* *As of Tuesday, April 7
SLO County Cases Total: 99 Recovered: 71
Active: 27
Hospitalized: 3 (3 in ICU)
By MARK DIAZ mark@atascaderonews.com
Deaths: 1
ATASCADERO — On March 31, the Friends of Atascadero Lake announced the completion of the first sign to be positioned around the lake. The nonprofit hopes to place up to 10 more signs for the public property. Located near the bridge and playground at the Atascadero Lake Park, the sign gives some history, photos, and environmental information about the lake with a request to help keep the area clean. Wife and husband team, Michelle and Jon Harms spearheaded the project. Members of FoAL since 2018, the team worked with the City of atascaderonews.com
By NICHOLAS MATTSON nic@atascaderonews.com New Atascadero Lake information signage offers park-goers a look into the history of the area. Photo by Nicholas Mattson
Atascadero, the Atascadero Historical Society, and residents to create the informative lake decoration. The Harms joined the organization shortly after moving to Central Coast from Las Vegas and bring a unique set of skills to the team. Jon works in the development of themed entertainment, and Michelle is a limnologist —
FUR BABIES
a scientist who studies inland bodies of water. “Our main interest was to make sure that anyone who had a stake hold in the information or the location of the sign or a stake hold in the lake itself felt involved,” Michelle said. CONTINUED ON PAGE A8
LOCAL NEWS
SPORTS
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n the effort to “flatten the curve,” the residents of San Luis Obispo County participated in a voluntary lockdown called “shelter-at-home” for three weeks. The lockdown is ordered by San Luis Obispo County, but enforcement of an uncooperative community would strain law enforcement resources and a public health and safety system already in dire straits. The lockdown impacts resident and businesses working to keep their wits
about them, hopes high, businesses going, and their households and homes intact. The internal and external pressures have spawned a few light-hearted activities (like a virtual egg hunt and sky-writing happy faces), and test the limits of patience for many. The Paso Robles Press and The Atascadero News together recognize the tremendous effort by the residents of SLO County, and the residents of North SLO County, for taking decisive and deliberate action
COVID-19 NEWS
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WEATHER
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PETS AND COVID-19 Protecting yourself and your furry ones | A6
LOOKUP AND SMILE Local skywriter leaves a reminder to smile | A7
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE STAY UP-TO-DATE HONORS CIF Central Section With local happenings choose local stars | B1 surrounding COVID-19 | B3
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