GOOD NEWS REAL NEWS HOMETOWN NEWS
SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXVI, NO. XVIII
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2025
pasoroblespress.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
City Council approves $111K for ECHO, adopts shelter program shift Third amendment to city agreement phases out night-by-night beds, expands 90-day shelter model as business owners voice concerns over neighborhood impacts By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
Lorraine Jespersen Cagliero (left) is this year’s Queen for Pioneer Day, while Gary Davies Tucker will serve as the Pioneer Day Marshal. Photo by Derek Luff/PRP
Generations gather as Paso Robles introduces 95th Pioneer Day Royalty on Sunday
Attendees come to Estrella Warbirds Museum to celebrate 95th Pioneer Day Queen, Marshal, and Belle, carrying forward Paso Robles’ legacy of family, tradition, and history By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — The annual Pioneer Royalty Dinner brought together family, friends, and community members for an intimate evening at the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles on Sunday, Aug. 17. The dinner served as a
warm introduction to this year’s Pioneer Royalty and celebrated the long-standing traditions that lead up to the 95th annual Pioneer Day Parade. “This is a more in-depth introduction [to the Pioneer Day Royalty]. How long, where they come from, what they’ve done for the community that has led to them receiving this honor,” Pioneer Day Chair-
man Lori Woods told Paso Robles Press. The evening’s highlight came when Olivia Anderson of the York Mountain area was officially announced as this year’s Belle. She will represent her family and community alongside five attendants, each representing different regions across North County: Emma Marquart (Templeton), Jaklyn Woodland (Estrella),
Taylor Gignoux (Bradley), Amelia Peterson (Paso Robles), and Samantha Martinez (Union). Belles and their attendants, typically high school seniors, represent the next generation of pioneer families whose roots in the region date back before World War II. Pioneer Day Corresponding Secretary CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles City Council unanimously approved disbursing $111,000 to the El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) and adopted a Third Amendment to the city’s ongoing funding agreement during its Tuesday, Aug. 19 meeting. The latest amendment marks a significant shift in ECHO’s approach, formally discontinuing its night-by-night shelter beds and transitioning fully to its 90-Day Shelter Program. Since 2022, the City Council has supported El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) through a Supplemental Memorandum of CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
Hot El Camino Cruise Nite packs downtown for 32nd year Riley and Maxine Elkins share a kiss on their wedding day, Aug. 23, 1945, where they got married in Carson City, Nevada. Photo courtesy of the Elkins Family
Eighty Years of Love: Maxine and Riley Elkins Atascadero couple, married in 1945, reflects on a lifetime of faith, family, and perseverance as they celebrate eight decades together By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
NORTH COUNTY — On Aug. 23, Maxine and Riley Elkins will celebrate something few couples ever experience: 80 years of marriage. At 95 and 97, the longtime Atascadero and Morro Bay residents reflect on
People lined the streets up and down El Camino Real to see a multitude of classic cars 2025 Cruise Nite Weekend. Photos by Rick Evans/PRP
Mid State Cruizers’ 34th annual car show fuels Cruisin’ Weekend while raising thousands for local nonprofits By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
a lifetime of love and perseverATASCADERO — The engines roared ance that has spanned nearly a and the streets came alive as Atascadero’s century. 32nd Annual Hot El Camino Cruise Nite Their journey began in 1945, rolled through town on Friday, Aug. 15, offiin the uncertain years of World cially kicking off the city’s coveted Cruisin’ War II. Maxine was just 15, Ri- Weekend. With all 350 vehicle slots sellley only 17. The two met in high ing out nearly a week in advance, the tradischool in Placerville — he a se- tion once again drew crowds downtown to nior, she a freshman. After sev- admire the lineup of classic and custom cars. eral months of friendship, their This year’s festivities were highlighted by relationship blossomed into a refreshed, walkable downtown and culmisomething deeper. Like many nated with a lively Saturday, featuring the young couples of the time, they Mid-State Cruizers Car Show at Atascadero were acutely aware that the war Lake Park and the ever-growing Dancing cast shadows over the future. in the Streets, which saw record attendance “A great many of the young thanks in part to a special performance by people were getting married The Molly Ringwald Project. because they didn’t know “The entire weekend of events went off CONTINUED ON PAGE A2 even better than expected, from the weather
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to the attendance, and it’s always a highlight for many of us to see all of the families and children enjoying the event from the Cruise to dancing with the bands for Dancing in the Streets,” Director of Community Services & Promotions Terrie Banish shared with Paso Robles Press. Families lined the sidewalks, lawn chairs and blankets in tow, while children waved eagerly at passing hot rods and muscle cars, their chrome gleaming under the summer sun. The air buzzed with nostalgia as engines rumbled down El Camino Real, blending with laughter, live music, and the smell of food from local vendors. From longtime cruisers proudly showing off their rides to first-time spectators soaking in the sights, the weekend captured the spirit of community and celebration that has made Cruisin’ Weekend a treasured Atascadero tradition. The president of the Mid State Cruizers, Roy Barba, told PRP that Cruise Nite
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with the new El Camino Real updates went pretty smoothly. “For the first time out with that new configuration, I don’t think it was actually horrible,” said Barba. The history of Hot El Camino Cruise Nite is thanks to the Mid State Cruizers [Cruizers], a club founded in 1989 by local car enthusiasts dedicated to preserving classic vehicles. Originally called the Mid State Muscle Cars, the group hosted its first Atascadero Lake Car Show in 1990 with 80 participants before broadening its name and membership to welcome all types of vehicles — even a 1958 Crown Fire Engine. By 1993, the Cruizers launched the first Cruise Nite, which later grew under the City of Atascadero’s leadership into the tradition we know and love today. Beyond celebrating cars, the club has long supported the community — helping fund the Lake CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
WEATHER
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PARK GARDEN WORKSHOP | 3
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SCHEDULE North County | 13
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