GOOD NEWS REAL NEWS HOMETOWN NEWS
SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXVI, NO. XVII
THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2025
pasoroblespress.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
District embraces new academic year with plethora of reasons for celebration — 6,262 reasons, to be exact! By JENNIFER LOFTUS Superintendent, Paso Robles Joint Unified School District
The Eberle Winery team celebrates winning third place in the Peoples Choice Award at the 26th Annual Winemakers’ Cookoff, held Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Paso Robles Event Center. Photo by Derek Luff/PRP
Paso Robles Rotary Club hosts 26th annual Winemakers’ Cookoff at Event Center
Event blends gourmet food, fine wine, and competition while honoring artist Ken Gouff and supporting local student scholarships By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles Rotary Club once again delivered an evening of food, wine, and competitive fun at
its 26th Annual Winemakers’ Cookoff, held Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Paso Robles Event Center. Guests enjoyed an array of gourmet dishes paired with local wines and craft beers while helping raise funds for the Rotary’s
Harlow Ford Scholarship Fund. The long-standing event, launched nearly three decades ago by Vikki Silva and Gary Eberle, has grown into one of Paso Robles’ most beloved summer fundraisers. Over the
years, it has combined culinary competition with charitable giving, helping the Rotary Club reach an impressive milestone: more than $1 million raised for local youth scholarships. This year alone, $100,000 was
awarded to graduating seniors from Paso Robles High School and Liberty High School. The Cookoff ’s lively atmosphere was filled with the sounds of clinking glasses, friendly CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
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s the new superintendent, I am thrilled to join a community where there is a passion for ensuring each of our 6,262 students have the best possible learning experience. As I begin my tenure here, I carry forward the work started at the culmination of the 2023-24 academic term, when the district made pivotal decisions that have heralded a metamorphosis across numerous learning landscapes. Steering away from the conventional middle school paradigm, we elected to retain our sixth-graders within the CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
Trustees approve MultiJurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Paso Robles school board reviews $180,000 plan, raising questions about its practical impact and coordination with city emergency services By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
Winners of the Atascadero Printery Foundation’s “North County Has Talent” event (from left) Wanda Kennard, Diana and Wally Greenaway, Morgan McEntire, and Jacy Miller are shown with the show’s co-director Julz Muya after the show on Aug. 8. Photo by Rick Evans/PRP
‘North County Has Talent’ shines for a cause
Fourth annual showcase ers, and a shared passion for preserv- cash prizes awarded to the top acts in draws crowd, awards top local ing one of Atascadero’s most treasured each. performers, and raises over $2,500 historic buildings. In the youth division, Wanda Kennard for Atascadero Printery restoration Under the warm summer sky, more took home first place and the $200 prize, By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
ATASCADERO — On Friday, Aug. 8, the Atascadero Printery Foundation hosted the fourth annual “North County Has Talent” showcase, bringing together an enthusiastic audience, gifted perform-
NEWS
than 120 people filled the Printery Outdoor Stage area to cheer on nine diverse acts. From singers and dancers to unique variety performances, the evening was a lively celebration of creativity. The all-ages event featured two categories — youth (15 and under) and adults — with
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impressing both the audience and the judges with her standout performance. In the adult category, Jacy Miller earned first place and $400, while Morgan McEntire captured second place and $200. Dianne and Wally Greenaway rounded out the CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
SPORTS
PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles Joint Unified S chool District board reviewed the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) at its Tuesday, Aug. 12, meeting. Developed through a county-led grant initiative, the plan evaluates the district’s vulnerability to natural and human-caused hazards and outlines strategies to reduce related risks. While already approved by the California Office of Emergency Services and FEMA, the plan requires final adoption by the board to maintain eligibility for federal disaster mitigation funding. Some board
members questioned its practical impact, noting that it primarily serves as a federally encouraged assessment rather than providing new directives for the district. The Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) was created to meet the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requirements, which mandate that local, county, and tribal governments develop hazard mitigation plans to qualify for federal disaster relief and mitigation grants. In 2020, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education (SLOCOE) obtained a grant to prepare a MJHMP for 10 of the county’s 11 school districts, excluding San Luis Coastal Unified School District, which already had a FEMA-approved plan. The MJHMP evaluates each district’s vulnerability to natural and human-caused hazards and outlines strategies to reduce related risks. It has been approved by the CaliforCONTINUED ON PAGE A2
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