GOOD NEWS REAL NEWS HOMETOWN NEWS
SINCE 1916 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CIX, NO. XLII
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024
atascaderonews.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
Owner Nicole Lucier at her Grand Opening in September of her new shop Craft Crop Create Studios in Atascadero. Photo by Hayley Mattson
Craft Crop Create Studios
at home, glued to Netflix or A new home for creativity in Atascadero social media, and less time By CAMILLE DEVAUL and HAYLEY MATTSON
A competitor in the Oct. 19 Templeton FFA Tractor Pull literally attempts to pull its weight at Santa Margarita Ranch. Photos by Rick Evans
Templeton FFA Tractor Pull draws crowd for 7th annual fundraiser Two Templeton FFA members heading to Nationals for tractor restoration program By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@atascaderonews.com
NORTH COUNTY — Engines roared on Saturday, Oct. 19, for the 7th annual Templeton FFA Tractor Pull. With an attendance of about
800, the event raised funds to support the chapter’s endeavors in and outside of the classroom. The event was held at the Santa Margarita Ranch, where it has been located for the last three years. The tractor pull event is run by the Valley Tractor Pullers Association, which puts on tractor pulls throughout the state. Templeton FFA students help set up the event and run a
snack bar throughout the day to earn hours and credits for FFA requirements. Tractor pulling, known as “the world’s heaviest motorsport,” tests the strength of machines and skill of drivers, focusing on distance rather than speed. Competitors use modified farm tractors, trucks, or semis to pull a metal sled containing a weight box that increases the load as it’s winched forward. The goal is to
pull the sled the farthest, with a “full pull” marking the track’s end. If multiple participants reach this, a pull-off decides the winner. Tractors are heavily modified for maximum horsepower and torque, and competition classes are based on engine types and weight limits. Templeton High School juniors Chris Delisle and Sage Hurst told Atascadero News they
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raft Crop Create S tudios, a ne w creative space in Atascadero, opened its doors in September, offering a welcoming environment for art, craft, and shared experiences. With its wide range of classes and workshops, the studio aims to bring people together and help them rediscover the joy of creating with their hands. Owner Nicole Lucier’s vision is simple yet powerful: to foster connection, creativity, and a sense of community. “We’ve all seen the effects of social isolation,” Lucier explains. “Since COVID, people are spending more time
gathering in person. I wanted to create a space where people could reconnect — not just with others, but with their own creativity, away from the digital world.” Craft Crop Create Studios offers a variety of opportunities to engage in creativity, from beginner scrapbooking to expert-level crafting. With open studio nights, journaling groups, cardmaking kits, and creativity coaching events, there’s something for everyone, regardless of experience level. The studio’s upcoming event, a Halloween Haunted House Craft, will take place on Friday, Oct. 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It’s a perfect chance to dive into the festive season while connecting with fellow crafters. CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
City Council discusses short term rental ordinance
hotels and motels. There are 139 Council approves short-term rentals in Atascadero Chamber of as of September 2024. Commerce contract “In fiscal year 2024, the city for 2025 through 2027 did receive about $331,500 in By CHRISTIANNA MARKS christianna@atascaderonews.com
ATASCADERO — The Atascadero City Council met for its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m. The hybrid meeting was held in the City Council Chambers. During the meeting, Community Development Director Phil Dunsmore addressed the council on a new framework for a short-term rental ordinance in Atascadero. “First of all, I’m going to give you a little background. What are we talking about? We’re talking about any residential unit or even a room for that matter that’s rented for less than 30 days,” said Dunsmore. “When they’re rented more than that, that’s a normal rental.” He also stated that short-term rentals are also subject to TOT (transient occupancy tax), like
CRIME
TOT just from these types of rentals alone,” stated Dunsmore. Currently, Atascadero issues a business license over the counter called a Home Occupation Business License and only one license is allowed per property. In addition, only 40 percent of units in a commercial mixed-use project can be short-term rentals unless it becomes a hotel. “We don’t allow them [shortterm rentals] in ADUs that are built after Jan. 1, 2020, not allowed within a structure that’s unpermitted like a shed or a seatrain,” added Dunsmore. The council went over potential zoning standards, applications for short-term rentals, annual reviews of the property, vendor tax collection and monitoring, and what to do with existing vacation rentals. Councilmember Heather Newsom stressed that she wants CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
Dasha (right) performs “Talk of the Town” with a friend and SLO city firefighter (right) during a pop-up concert at Boo Boo Records. Photo by Christianna Marks
Country music star Dasha returns home to San Luis Obispo
Singer known for ‘Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)’ performs surprise pop-up show at meet and greet at her hometown record store, Boo Boo Records
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — The small stage at Boo Boo Records was taken over by country music star and San Luis Obispo native Dasha
on Thursday, Oct. 17. The “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” singer was originally slated to do a meet and greet mixed with a signing the day before her sold-out show at SLO Brew Rock Event Center the next night. Instead, she also decided to grace her family,
friends, and fans with a small acoustic concert that started at 4 p.m. “Today was, I mean, so cool,” Dasha told Atascadero News at the pop-up. “I love playing my songs acoustic like this because it’s how I wrote them. It’s fun
NORTH COUNTY NEWS
SPORTS
WEATHER
By CHRISTIANNA MARKS camille@atascaderonews.com
COUNTY
having my brother up there on stage with me; even though we didn’t really know what we were doing, it didn’t matter; we were just having fun.” Dasha pulled her brother, Bardo, up on stage to perform CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
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