2015 July PASO Magazine

By Heather Young
Karl and Laurie Gage first volunteered for the
California Mid-State Fair in 1995 when their friend
Sharon Mansker was the volunteer coordinator.
“She saw a need that needed doing and asked
us to do it,” Karl said. “Basically, we started doing
marketing surveys of the attendees.”
After doing the surveys for a few years, they then
worked in the laundry building managing the lockers,
until the lockers moved to the Main Quad, then
to the information booth. Now the Gages volunteer
in the information booth in the Main Quad about
eight days of the fair for a two-hour shift.
“Our favorite shift is the 8 to 10 in the evening,”
Karl said. “Great people watching and we can hear
the music.”
Laurie told a story of when Justin Bieber performed
at the fair a few years ago. She said they noticed large
groups of young girls entering the fair with a single
adult, the girls very excited for the concert.
“They were so electric, so excited,” she said. “We
didn’t hear the music. From the time he started all
we could hear was screaming. It was supersonic.
They never stopped the whole time.”
Laurie said that they saw parents emerging from
the Grandstand, looking shell shocked.
“It was so fun to watch,” she said.
The couple said they enjoy volunteering at the
fair each year because “it’s an amazing cross-section
of people,” Laurie said.
“We get to catch up with people we haven’t seen
[for a while],” Karl added. “We get our fair food fix.”
In addition to working in the information
booth, Laurie also helps with administrative
work. Karl judges the home wine competition
and is a steward with the Central Coast Wine
Competition.
“It keeps us connected to the community,” Karl
said.
“I love coming here year after year, seeing all the
creative things they do [at the fair],” Laurie added.
Outside of the fair, Karl is a licensed general
contractor and works with the home energy upgrade
program. He’s also a member of SLO Green
Build. Both Karl and Laurie are members of the
Estrella Warbirds Museum. Laurie runs a board
and care facility for horses at their property outside
Paso Robles. Karl said he also does composting
and is taking compost facility training through Cal
Poly Pomona.
“I love coming here year
after year, seeing all the
creative things they do
[at the fair]…”
“I think that’s what I want to do when I grew up,” Karl
said with a laugh, adding that he’s currently working
with San Luis Obispo County Worms.
Laurie said she would volunteer with the fair
more, but her time has been taken up over the last
couple of years because she was part of the water
formation district, is vice president of Pro Water Equity
and is an alternate for the basin advisory committee
for the SLO County Board of Supervisors.
Karl was born in Seattle and went to high school
in Albuquerque. In 1977, he moved to Santa Monica.
Laurie grew up on the west side of Los Angeles
in Pacific Palisades, where the couple lived until
they moved to Paso Robles in 1988.
“I thought it was the best place I ever lived until
we moved to Paso Robles. We moved here to do
horses,” Karl said, though he added that what they
do with horses has changed over time.
“We moved here to do breeding, but it didn’t
work for me,” Laurie said. So they moved into
boarding and caring for horses rather than
breeding them. The Gages own six horses and
have a total of 13 horses on their farm east of Paso
Robles. Laurie started riding horses when she
was 11 years old and was involved in professional
grooming and care when she was 16 years old
in Malibu.
Karl said the name of their farm, Full Sail Farm,
came because of how much he loves to sail. When
they lived in Southern California he was able to
leave his front porch and be on the water within
20 minutes.
“I think I’ve been on my sailboat five times since
we’ve moved here,” Karl said.
“You’ve got the tractor now,” Laurie joked.
The Gages said they can’t imagine living anywhere
else.
“There are plenty of things pulling us, but
nothing pushing us [out of Paso Robles],” Laurie
said.
The Gages will work in the information booth
again this year, usually the 8 to 10 p.m. shift.
“Remember, lockers are $2 all day -- in and out,”
Karl said.
“It’s a great deal,” Laurie added, saying the
lockers are available noon to 10 p.m. She said the
proceeds from the locker rentals go to fund the
Friends of the Fair dinner each year.
July 2015, Paso Robles Magazine 15