2018 July PASO Magazine

PASOMAGAZINE.COM

2 | pasomagazine.com PASO Magazine, July 2018


FEATURES 

contents 

JULY 2018, Issue 207 

25 

THE MID-STATE FAIR 

OLÉ!12 DAYS OF FIESTA! 

28 

HOTELS! HOTELS! HOTELS! 

LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF PASO ROBLES HOSPITALITY ECOSYSTEM 

22 

CMSF HERITAGE FOUNDATION 

MEMBERS EXHIBIT DEDICATION, DETERMINATION, 

AND A DEEP COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY 

By Meagan Friberg 

DEPARTMENTS 

32 

CHAMBER HOSTS BUSINESS SUMMIT 

LEADERSHIP SUMMIT ASKS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF 

PASO ROBLES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 

By Nicholas Mattson 

10 21 37 

SOMETHING WORTH READING 

8 Publisher’s Letter 

ROUND TOWN 

9 City of Paso Robles Rec Activities 

10 Main Street & Downtown Daydreaming 

12 Through the Grapevine: 

Morro Bay Art in the Park 

14 Hoofbeat: Changing Saddles 

16 San Miguel Reflections, by Lynne Schmitz 

17 Borrowed & Bleu, by Azurae Shults 

18 County Perspective: A Bird’s-Eye View 

of our County News 

PASO PEOPLE 

20 Michael Bradley: Mid-State Fair CEO 

Previews His Second Year 

21 Mid-State Fair Pageant: 

More Than Just a Pretty Face 

BUSINESS 

34 Chamber of Commerce Business 

Leadership Summit 

36 Business Spotlight: Paradise Grill 

37 Local Goods Report: Life Elements 

OAK LEAF 

38 Mid-State Fair: Junior Livestock Auction 

39 Mid-State Fair: Industrial Arts Display 

& Auction 

40 Education: Community Building, 

by County Superintendent James Brescia 

41 Health & Wellness: 

Natural Alternative Explains CBD 

TASTE OF PASO 

42 entrée: A PASO Dining Experience 

with Red Scooter Deli 

43 Sip & Savor: Pinot & Paella, by Mira Honeycutt 

EVENTS 

44 All-New No. SLO County Activities 

and Events Guide: Everything You Want 

to Know in One Place 

LAST WORD 

50 Maribeth Bonomi: Friend of the Fair 

of the Year 

ON THE COVER 

“America’s Favorite Fair Carnival” 

Photo by Brandon Stier, Oak & Barrel Wine Photography 


Something Worth Reading 

(805) 239-1533 

PASOMAGAZINE.COM 

publisher@pasomagazine.com 

MAIL: P.O. Box 3996 

Paso Robles, CA 93447 

OFFICE: 1244 Pine St. Suite 204 


EDITOR & PUBLISHER 

Nicholas Mattson 

publisher@pasomagazine.com 

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGN 

Denise McLean, Mode 

Communications 

LEAD DESIGN 

Travis Ruppe 

GRAPHIC DESIGN 

Kris Fininen 

GRAPHIC DESIGN 

Kevin Kaub 

ART PRODUCTION 

Sue Dill 

ONLINE EDITOR & WRITER 

Meagan Friberg 

COPY EDITOR & WRITER 

Melissa Chavez 

WRITER 

Heather Young 

COLUMNIST 

Tonya Strickland 

WINE EDITOR 

Mira Honeycutt 

VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 3 

AD CONSULTANT & WRITER 

Millie Drum 

AD CONSULTANT 

Pam Osborn 

AD CONSULTANT 

Jamie Self 

AD CONSULTANT 

Karli Twisselman 

PASO Magazine ©2018 

is owned and published by 

Nicholas & Hayley Mattson 

Co-Founder & Publisher Emeritus: Bob Chute 

Co-Founder: Karen Chute (1949-2004) 

*No part of this periodical may be reproduced in 

any form by any means without written consent 

from PASO Magazine. 

Find and Share 

‘The Story Of Us’ Online at 

PASOmagazine.com 

Like and Follow us: 

Facebook: @PASOmagazine 

Instagram: @PASOmagazine 

Twitter: @ThePASOmagazine 

EDITORIAL DEADLINE 

7 th of each month preceding publication 

AD ORDER DEADLINE 

10 th of each month preceding publication 

30,000 Printed | 26,200 Mailed 

PASO Magazine is published monthly and distributed FREE to every residence and 

business in Paso Robles 93446, Templeton 93465, Shandon 93461, Bradley 93426, 

and San Miguel 93451 zip codes. Postage paid at Paso Robles, CA 93446. 

3,800 Dropped at High Traffic Locations 

PASO Magazine is also available for our visitors at wineries, Chamber of Commerce, 

North County Transportation Center, local motels, hotels, vacation homes, B&Bs, the 

airport, doctor’s offices, restaurants, and other high-traffic hotspots. 

Subscriptions 

Share PASO Magazine with your loved ones! Annual subscriptions to PASO Magazine, 

mailed to areas beyond the described distribution areas, are available for $26.99 per 

year (no international mailing). Subscribe online at PASOmagazine.com. 

“Whatever your mind 

can conceive and believe 

the mind can achieve 

regardless of how many 

times you may have 

failed in the past” 

— Napoleon Hill 

As summer is upon 

us and the kiddos 

are out of school 

and the joys of being outdoors 

bring us all together, 

we were able to take some 

time and really appreciate 

the hardest working team 

in the North County by 

getting together for a picnic in the park to reflect and share in the joys 

that we have gone through over the last 10 months. As we look back 

we are immensely grateful and honored for all the love and support we 

have received from our wonderful community here in Paso Robles, so 

much so we have decided to launch a “sister” publication in Atascadero 

called Colony Magazine. 

We are thrilled to be able to bring Colony Magazine to Atascadero, 

Santa Margarita and Creston starting this July! A piece of history 

in the making. A legacy that we can pass on to our children that 

teaches them the importance of being involved in the community and 

showing up for one another. From an advertising perspective we are 

extremely excited about this new addition to be able to share all your 

businesses and events direct to every home and business now in the 

North County — 40,000 businesses and residences!! 

Now we would not be able to do this without all your support and 

our incredible team of professionals. Their shared desire to tell your 

story and the love they have for our wonderful community we all call 

home, is what allowed us to make this leap. It is with their faith, dedication 

and passion that the magazines come together. It is with the 

trust and confidence from all our advertisers that the magazine is able 

to be printed and the stories told. And it is because of the incredible 

vision, love and energy that Nicholas has along with our shared desire 

to provide our communities with a one of a kind, exceptional product 

that pulls it all together. 

Our family is incredibly humbled to be able to call the North County 

our home and together with our team we will continue to do everything 

we can to help tell your story, share and promote your business 

and provide a valuable tool when you have loved ones come to town to 

help them experience the heart of community in which we live. 

We truly thank you all with our whole hearts… 

Please enjoy this issue of PASO Magazine. 

Hayley Mattson 

805-239-1533 

hayley@pasomagazine.com 

If thou wouldest win Immortality 

of Name, either do things worth 

the writing, or write things 

worth the reading. 

For advertising inquiries and rates, story ideas and submission of photos, letters, 

press releases, etc., email publisher@PASOmagazine.com. 

— Thomas Fuller, 1727 


ROUND TOWN 

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON MAIN STREET ? 

It’s Where Everyone Comes Together! 

By Millie Drum 

PANCAKE ALERT! FREE Breakfast on July 26 

Another downtown tradition 

is the FREE Pancake 

Breakfast on Thursday, 

July 26 from 7:30 to 10:30 in the 

City Park. The breakfast of pancakes, 

eggs, sausage, OJ and coffee 

is FREE, but there is a catch! You 

must have a ticket! Tickets will be 

available at downtown businesses 

from July 5 to July 25. Look 

for the sign in the windows. This 

26th annual event for our community 

is presented by major 

sponsors, our Main Street Association 

and the Mid-State Fair 

along with the El Paso de Robles 

Grange #555, Paso Robles Waste 

Disposal and the Gomer family, 

Ranchita Canyon 4-H, Paso 

Robles 4-H, Chaparral 4-H, Suburban 

Propane, Cahoots Catering, 

Steve Cichorsky (sound)…. 

and Chester Rougeot. 

Attractions for family fun include 

Harris Stage Lines hayrides, 

the Rawhide Express Train, 

and Pacific Animal Productions. 

Bookmark pasorobledown 

town.org for the happening all 

year long! 

July 4 th - Happy 242 nd Birthday America 

By Main Street 

Ambassador 

Karyl Lammers 

Everything is changing with time. 

“They say I am old fashioned, and 

live in the past, but sometimes progress 

progresses too fast.” Downtown 

Paso Robles is the place to be these 

days. If you are one of those people 

who haven’t taken the time to stroll 

around town, you are missing out. 

Slow down and join the people here 

for the first time. They are delighted 

with their new discovery. We have 

frequent visitors who enjoy shopping, 

eating and just being here. In surveying 

the downtown businesses, I 

have learned that business is divided 

between loyal residents and visitors 

from all over. Visitors make up the 

majority of week-end business, while 

locals are in and out all week long. 

That means there are a lot of locals 

helping keep our downtown alive. 

Remember when we had to come 

downtown? We still have the nicest 

shops around. All the wonderful 

people I meet downtown cannot be 

wrong. The shops are owned and 

staffed by your friends and neighbors, 

so it feels like home. If you 

haven’t been downtown lately you 

are unaware of everything available 

to you. We even have a hometown 

pharmacy. Remember when you 

got personalized service, where you 

are known by your name? It’s back 

and called Brooklin Oaks Pharmacy 

at 597 12th Street; owned by 

Brooks Balaris. She’s at the pharmacy 

every weekday, ready to help you 

with your prescription and pharmaceutical 

needs. It’s easy to have prescriptions 

transferred, stop in and ask 

Brooks. You can even park out back 

and use the back door. “You have 

brains in your head. You have feet in 

your shoes. You can steer yourself in 

any direction you choose. You’re on 

your own and you know what you 

know. And you are the one who’ll 

decide where to go.” I recommend 

downtown Paso Robles for the best 

of everything. You owe it to yourself! 


July 2018, PASO Magazine pasomagazine.com | 11

ROUND TOWN 

| THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE 

Artists and craftspeople from 

throughout the Western States 

are preparing for one of the most 

popular art shows in the country. 

The 63 rd Annual Morro Bay 

Art in the Park 

July 7 and 8 

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

As the second oldest continuous 

art show in California, independent 

artists and craftspeople 

come from throughout the 

Western States are joined by over 

50% of the exhibitors from San 

Luis Obispo County. Under 

the direction of show organizer 

and promoter Steve Powers, 

Morro Bay Art in the Park has 


earned the stature of being the 

best art and craft show in the 

county. Every year, over 16,000 

visitors attend the 3 holiday 

weekend events on Memorial 

Day, 4 th of July and Labor Day. 

Bookmark the dates of September 

1, 2 and 3 for the fall show. 

Along with novice and serious 

art collectors, shoppers for all things 

handcrafted and unique will enjoy 

the selection at this outdoor gallery 

and marketplace. Along with fine 

art and sculpture, craft categories include 

jewelry, pottery leather, woodwork, 

fiber, glass, toys, weaving and 

some unexpected treasures. 

Gourmet food will be prepared 

at the new Food Court by Mi Casa 

Restaurant. There’s plenty of free 

parking close to the show at the City 

Park on the corner of Morro Bay 

Blvd. and Harbor Drive. Click 

morrobayartinthepark.com for 

more information and a roster of 

the artists, their art/craft specialty 

and contact information. 

In April of this year, Powers 

re-invented Paso Artsfest, naming 

it Paso Robles Art in the Park; 

patterned after the highly successful 

Morro Bay show. For the 

first year of many to come, Steve 

said “it went very well!” Artists 

interested is displaying their work 

at any of the shows can contact 

Steve at 805-440-8318, steve 

@pasoroblesartinthepark.com. 



ROUND TOWN 

Get ready for some serious good times! 

20th Annual Winemakers’ Cookoff 

Get ready for one of the biggest wine 

and food events on the Central Coast of 

California! The 20th annual Winemakers’ 

Cookoff is set to take place on Saturday, 

August 11th from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. 

at the Paso Robles Event Center. 

The event, sponsored by the Paso Robles 

Rotary Club and presented by Stifel 

Financial Corp., brings visitors from all 

over the country to this community to 

showcase the quality of life we all share 

here in Paso Robles. While guests enjoy 

food and wine from 30 different local 

wineries and specialty breweries, local 

high school students benefit in the form 

of college scholarships awarded by Rotary 

from the proceeds of this event. 

To date, the Paso Robles Rotary 

Club District 5240 has raised nearly 

$750,000 toward this effort. Rotary is 

now the largest scholarship donor at 

the Paso Robles High School. This year, 

Paso Robles Rotary expects to award 

$70,000 in scholarships for high school 

seniors. 

With wineries vying for the Judges’ 

Choice and People’s Choice 

Awards, those who attend will sample 

award-winning wines, beer and incredible 

food pairings. They’ll also enjoy live 

music by Julie Beaver and the Bad Dogs 

and experience some of the best Paso 

has to offer in a single 3-hour event at 

the fairgrounds. Each year, an estimated 

2,000 people attend this exciting affair. 

Nestled between Monterey and Santa 

Barbara, and just inland from Hearst 

Castle, Paso Robles is home to the third 

largest wine region in California and is 

one of the fastest growing wine regions 

in the state. Close to the mountains and 

the beach, the area provides something 

special for everyone who visits. 

Tickets are $85/pp ($45 designated 

driver) and include a commemorative 

wine glass. Must be 21 years old to 

attend. For more information on the 

Winemakers’ Cook Off, or to volunteer 

as a winery or brewery to participate, 

please visit our website at winemakerscookoff.com 

or check out our Facebook 

page at facebook.com/winemakerscookoff. 

For visitor information, visit 

travelpaso.com. 

Welcome Bec Braitling, 

our new Hoofbeat writer 

By Bec Braitling 

I am thrilled to have been offered the opportunity to continue 

on the Hoofbeat tradition. I’m looking forward to keeping 

the Paso Robles community involved and up to date in all 

things Equestrian. I think a little introduction is in order! 

In 2008 I relocated to the United States from my home in 

Sydney, Australia. I briefly spent some time on the east coast, 

before settling on California’s Central Coast. America has an 

alluring equestrian culture like none other in the world. That 

diversity is ever present here on the Central Coast, mixing international 

level equestrian competition with western shows, 

prestigious hunter/jumper shows and a vast trail network that 

spans the stunning coast to rugged mountains. It is the home 

to world class breeders in all disciplines, aspiring equestrians 

furthering their education in local colleges and numerous 

world class trainers and horse enthusiasts. I feel very blessed 

to be a part of this amazing community. 

Horses have always been a huge part of my life, I’ve represented 

Australia in the sport of Three Day Eventing, competed 

at International competitions all the way through to the 

prestigious Adelaide International 4*. I am currently based 

out of Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles and Templeton 

Farms, Templeton, training and competing eventing horses 

throughout the US and the world. 

I look forward to showcasing the best of what we have to 

offer here on the Central Coast in the coming months. 

Bec Braitling can be contacted at bec@pasomagazine.com 

Industrial • Commercial • Residential • Automotive 

A full Service Shop and Showroom • Available 24/7 • Mobile Trucks 


Cerro Alto trails 

Type: Horseback or hiking 

View: Morro Bay Coast Line 

Access: CA 41 to Morro Bay, approx. 8 miles from Atascadero. Slow 

down at “Campground Ahead” sign, take left to Cerro Alto. Park at 

entrace or drive paved road to lot at end. Caution: narrow 2-lane road. 

Small lot may require backing in. 

Fees: Check dues required at kiosk; bring cash or check. 

Rated: Moderate to difficult. Horses and riders must be fit. 

Feet: Boots, athletic or hiking shoes recommended. 

Dogs: Allowed 

Trails: 3 trails; 2 from kiosk (Canyon & Bridge trails), 1 near entrance (Boy 

Scout trail; water crossing). All single track & rocky, long climbs. Trail 

to Cerro Alto top NOT suggested for horses (worth the walk; beautiful 

360-degree view include Morro Rock and Paso Robles; great sunset, 

bring flashlight if staying late). Popular loop is Bridge Trail, AT&T Trail, 

Canyon Trail. 

Other: No horse camping. Water hose bibs available in parking lot. 

Day users can fill up the parking 

lot. Morning is suggested. Trail 

used by hikers, mountain bikers 

& equestrians. Be courteous. Critters 

include snakes. 

Additional info: alltrails.com/ 

trail/us/california/cerro-alto 

Trail Tales brought to you by 

Whitehorse Tack 

2805 Black Oak Drive 


whitehorsetack.com 


ROUND TOWN 

by 

Lynne Schmitz 

San Miguel reflections 

In 

my collection 

of old 

newspapers I have quite a few 

copies of the San Miguel Banner 

which was published by Herb 

Comfort throughout the 1960s. 

His printing business was in the 

building on 14th Street which now 

houses Taco Mafia. It was a typical 

small-town newspaper filled with 

the minutiae in the lives of people 

who were neighbors, friends 

and relatives – who had visitors, 

birthdays, anniversaries, parties 

and who might be ill or have died. 

Everyone knew everyone else and 

kids couldn’t get away with much 

but felt safe and secure in the town 

‘family’. We’ll look at the January 

3, 1963 issue. On the front 

page, readers learned ‘Mail Rates 

Go Higher Monday’. Postmaster 

Kenneth Fee announced the raise, 

saying the new nickel letter rate 

was the same as when stamps were 

first issued in 1848. The new stamp 

was blue and featured a picture of 

George Washington. Mr. Fee reminded 

writers to add a one cent 

stamp if needed. Air Mail was going 

up to eight cents. Judge Ray B. 

Lyon was retiring from the SLO 

County Superior Court bench after 

serving since 1938. A lengthy 

article listed his accomplishments. 

Inside was a listing of church services. 

The pastor of Mission San 

Miguel was Fr. Donald Gander 

O.F.M., Rev. Gertrude Parker was 

pastor of the Community Methodist 

Church at 8th and L Streets, 

and Rev. Ernest Vaughn was pastor 

of the Assembly of God Church at 

13th and L Streets. Thomas Whaley 

was principal at Lillian Larsen 

Elementary School. Several businesses 

advertised in the paper, 

including Mission Trail Café on 

south Mission Street across from 

the Mission; Hugo’s Douglas 

Service, owned by Hugo Lichti 

just north of the restaurant (now 

Awalt & Son); San Miguel Variety 

Store, owned by Vivian Witcosky 

on 14th and Mission Street (now 

CHC), Casa Blanca Motel on east 

12th Street (now a trailer court), 

the San Miguel Telephone Company 

on the corner of the alley on 

12th Street and Turner’s Tavern & 

Restaurant at 1215 Mission Street. 

Witcosky’s Grocery, owned by Joe 

and Vivian Witcosky, advertised 

fresh ground beef and pork spare 

ribs at 45 cents per pound. Joe was 

an expert meat-cutter. Also advertising 

was Mission Restaurant and 

Truck Store owned by Angelis J. 

Karascos at 1315 Mission Street. 

Next door, Chames Fountain and 

Chames Barber Shop were owned 

by the Chames family. The San 

Miguel Flouring Mill, incorporated 

in 1903 and owned by the Van 

Horn family, offered grain cleaning, 

rolling and storage and stock 

feeds. Ken’s garage, owned by 

Kenny Sanchez was located in the 

old building on 14th and Mission 

Street that is currently abandoned. 

Before he owned the business, 

he was in partnership with Louis 

Larsen, husband of the teacher for 

whom our school is named. Camp 

Roberts was active under the command 

of Colonel Henry Settle. 

Fifty-five years ago, San Miguel 

was a very different place. 

San Miguel story ideas? 

Lynne Schmitz can be contacted 

at lynne@pasomagazine.com 

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‘TIS THE SEASON 

TO BE MARRIED 

Wedding season is upon us 

this time of year! As you plan your 

wedding, ‘tis the season to let your 

By Azurae Shults creative juices flow! After the Big 

3 – Build Your Guest List, List Your 

Must-Have Amenities, Determine a 

Budget – have been decided, you have to take a minute to decide what kind 

of wedding you want to have. Will it be a casual backyard party, a garden party 

with champagne and exquisite appetizers or perhaps a church ceremony followed 

by an indoor 3-course meal? There are so many details to consider- so 

it’s best to begin by doing a little social media research…aka cyberstalking! 

We have some incredible resources at our fingertips these days that can 

really make your life so much easier! 

INSTAGRAM: Instagram is the perfect resource for local inspiration. By 

setting up an account and choosing to follow some of your favorite vendors 

you will see photos and videos of décor and design elements that 

may catch your eye and inspire you! Local vendors to follow should be 

coordinators, caterers, photographers, florists and hair/makeup artists. 

A few locals I recommend checking out: @TrumpetVineCatering, 

@sidecarcocktailco, @allysonmagdaphoto, @fluidbloom, @thequeensbees, 

@allaboutevents and @scout_rental_co 

Take screenshots of ideas you love and then you can upload them to your 

Pinterest account or send them directly to your vendor team. 

PINTEREST: I have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest. It is truly the “Library 

of Congress” of ideas and creative concepts. It can be overwhelming if 

not used properly and brides can truly fall down the rabbit hole when they 

don’t use this resource properly. I recommend creating a few very specific 

boards such as florals, hair & make-up, the dress & cake to help organize all 

of the ideas you love. Once you’ve maxed out your Pinterest screen time then 

you should make a “must have” design board. Pick and choose 2-3 favorite 

images from each board and hand this off to your vendors. This will help you 

have one consistent design message for everyone to work from and discuss. 

Trust me this will make your life so much easier! 

Social media isn’t the only place you can get inspiration from! Celebrity 

weddings, current styles and trending colors are also major influencers. 

In 2018, we are seeing a ton of new and refreshing design trends, much 

different than the past couple of years. Rustic barn weddings adorned 

with burlap and mason jars are becoming less popular and are being replaced 

with bohemian themes and richer color profiles; fewer pastels and 

more jewel tones, fewer wine barrels and more vintage furniture, fewer 

buffet dinners and more family style service. 

Weddings are a celebration of two families coming together. It’s an 

opportunity to give your guests a glimpse into your world, so let your 

personality shine! You should always be a little bit selfish when planning 

your wedding so that it reflects a few of your favorite things. 

We are all influenced by popular culture and things we see on television and 

online. Designing a wedding is the perfect opportunity to gather a few of your 

favorite ideas and flavors to share with your nearest and dearest. This part of the 

planning should be fun and should give you that anxious, excited feeling. If it 

doesn’t then you should definitely seek the help and guidance of a professional 

event designer. Local businesses like The Wedding Standard (theweddingstandard.com) 

and SLO Wedding Planners (sloweddingplanners.com) will 

offer you several resources if you just can’t take this all on yourself! 

HAVE A WEDDING QUESTION ? 

Email me at hello@cielbleuevents.com 

Azurae Shults | Ciel Bleu Event Design 

www.cielbleuevents.com 


ROUND TOWN 

| COUNTY PERSPECTIVE 

A Bird’s Eye View 

on County News 

Unhealthy: Okay, to be blunt, I’m 

not a fan of the way Las Vegas airport 

runs its air traffic control (ATC) 

system. I think they do it a lot better 

in Norcal and Socal. 

As a corporate pilot, I get out to 

sin city fairly often but last time the 

faux pas defied belief: one controller 

got completely overwhelmed: Pilots 

were interrupting other pilots, 

late clearances, forgotten clearances,(me), 

had turned a normal arrival 

into chaos. One anonymous pilot 

had had it. He keyed his microphone 

and bellowed, “This is the worst 

ATC work I’ve ever seen!” That matters, 

because like health care, air traffic 

mistakes can be deadly. 

Speaking of health care, SLO 

County’s behavioral health services 

have come under heat for failing to 

admit mental health patients who 

ended up dying in custody at the 

county jail. The point that they 

should have been at the county’s 

mental health facility instead, largely 

drove the June political campaign for 

sheriff. 

Despite having a director who 

makes more than almost anyone 

else in county government, inmate 

health care looks to improve, with a 

new jail’s medical clinic contract in 

place. 

The county’s chief medical officer 

still has to sign off on the new 

$400,000 deal with Maxim Healthcare 

Services, but that part seems 

pretty perfunctory. 

Questions remain however; does 

the deal address the county’s mental 

health services’ previous failures, and 

By Bruce M. Curtis 

will the price of that contract – nearly 

as much as the salary paid to our 

chief of behavioral health – prevent 

future deaths? 

Slide Away: Caltrans and contractors 

have been making rapid 

progress toward reopening Hwy1at 

the site of the Mud Creek slide ten 

miles north of Ragged Point. 

The $54 million project launched 

after millions of tons of rocks and 

soil pushed the pacific coast outward 

by about fifty yards, following 2016’s 

torrential winter rains. 

The reason for delaying the rebuild 

had nothing to do with Caltrans’ 

alleged slothfulness, despite 

shovel-leaning jokes and cynical 

sayings, ‘the road to hell is paved by 

Caltrans’, but in fact due to the fact 

the project had to wait until the 

mountain stopped moving. When 

the slide finally settled, crews hit the 

ground running, shaving the hillside, 

installing drainage and piling huge 

boulders along the surf line to stabilize 

the mountain. Here is an update: 

• More than 5 million cubic yards 

of material, reportedly the largest 

landslide in California highway history. 

• Reopening is estimated for 

mid-September, although, according 

to agency spokesperson Susana 

Cruz, “It’s expected that even after 

the highway is reopened, intermittent 

lane closures and roadwork may 

continue.” 

• 50 trucks a day travel Highway 

1 daily to and from the slide area, 

with 25 haul trucks and grading 

equipment working on site 

• A construction crew of 35 is 

working the project, working 12-14 

hour day 

Massive Mortgage: California’s 

realtors weighed in on housing 

affordability here in SLO County in 

May, and the picture will split your 

walled down the seams. 

Only one in four county residents 

pull down enough money to get 

a mortgage on the median-priced 

home, currently closing in on six 

tenths of a stick, (almost $600,000 

in non-realtor-speak). And yes, I 

When the slide finally settled, crews hit the ground running, 

shaving the hillside, installing drainage and piling huge 

boulders along the surf line to stabilize the mountain. 

know; that’s no laughing matter, because 

only 26% of us make the nearly 

$124,000 annual salary it takes to 

buy a home. If big numbers like that 

make your eyes water, think of it as 

only $3,100 per month and cheer 

up; that number includes your taxes 

and insurance. Besides, you could be 

living in either counties north and 

south of us where house prices are 

even higher. 

Gnawing Psyllids: My son, an 

engineering student who works 

tech support, has a wicked sense of 

humor. For his job he’s writing a 

phonetic alphabet, you know, like 

the military uses… alpha, bravo, 

charlie, etc, but his uses words with 

silent letters. When someone calls, 

he’ll say, check the power; that’s “p” 

as in pterodactyl, or, type in your 

password, “K”, as in, “knead”, “H” as 

in “honest”… He thinks the idea is 

hysterical. 

One silent-lettered pest is gnawing 

its way into your food and local 

farmers’ ire; the Asian Citrus Psyllid. 

Agriculture officials are asking you 

to buy local fruit and produce and 

not bring citrus or other fruit from 

outside the county. They’ve already 

identified 100 individual insects 

found here since January. 

The official count of nests is at 40, 

and given the way insects procreate, 

that’s…ahh, let’s see…well, it’s potentially 

an invasion army of bugs. 

So far the damage has been mostly 

limited to Nipomo, and psyllid 

numbers have tapered down from a 

spike early in March. 

Why have the tree-damaging 

psyllids invaded? Possibly warm 

weather, nobody is quite sure, but 33 

adults have been found this year in 

the 2,000 traps that have been set. 

The potential loss to farmers is incalculable. 

Not Gonna Burn, No… Last 

year’s blazes were brought back to 

mind when Cal Fire got ahead of a 

100 acre blaze in late May along Bitterwater 

road, about 11 miles east of 

Cholame. 

The small fire was a timely reminder 

that we live where things 

like to burn, so being prepared 

should be a done deal. Clear 30 – 

100’ of defensible space around your 

rural home; if you burn leaves and 

brush, follow safety procedures in 

your permit: burn in cooler morning 

conditions or wait for higher humidity. 

Use spark producing equipment 

like mowers early in the day because 

blazing trees produce the saddest 

kind of second-hand smoke. 

Cal Fire even has a mobile app 

for iPhones and Android for more 

fire safe ideas, because knowledge - 

a word with two silent letters – can 

save lives. 




Mid-State Fair CEO 

Mike Bradley 

Gets Excited for “America’s Favorite Fair” 

CEO Mike Bradley 

By Melissa Chavez 

“America’s Favorite Fair” 

just got bigger, savvier, 

and even more fun. CEO 

Mike Bradley and his staff 

are gearing up to bring 

attendees more bang for 

their buck for this year’s 

event, dubbed, “Ole’, it’s 

Fiesta Time.” Among the 

annually successful live entertainment 

lineup are two Hispanic 

acts featuring new and regionally 

nostalgic music artists. 

“The strategic plan,” said Bradley, 

“has been to bring the public a spectacular 

venue with multiple uses – 

not only during Mid-State Fair, but 

year-round, and we’re seeing more 

of that this year.” 

One tangible improvement last 

year, funded by the Fair’s nonprofit 

Heritage Foundation, was construction 

of a state-of-the-art, 

65,000-square-foot multiuse 

pavilion with RV 

hookups. Attached to the 

Livestock Pavilion, the facility 

now provides 95,000 

square feet of covered 

space, and complements 

the Hearst Equestrian 

Center, used throughout 

the year for competitive events. 

“We’re increasing shade elements 

this year in a new Midway 

Food Court with seating north of 

our newly enhanced Grandstand,” 

said Bradley. Along with funnel 

cakes, rice bowls and blooming 

onions, a Hurricane Kitchen 

Southern Cuisine, Baja Lobster, a 

Hawaiian food booth, Jimmy’s Tacos 

and Marcus’ Chicago Dogs are 

among the new offerings. 

Bradley is especially motivated 

about placing emphasis on the Fair’s 

mainstay of Agriculture. 

“It’s a critical element for us. We 

want people to experience agriculture 

through taste and touch,” said 

Bradley. “At the south gate, Rancho 

Frontier will be dedicated to children 

and families. We’re bringing back 

the petting zoo, we’ll have a Turkey 

Stampede, pony rides, ag equipment 

on display, activities, contests, a milk 

shed by Cal Poly students, and an 

exhibit that demonstrates strawberry, 

olive, grape and olive production.” 

Among the activities added is an educational 

exhibit featuring birds of 

prey and how they help control the 

rodent population. 

Farm Supply will sponsor “Farm 

Alley” between the Fine Arts and 

Horticulture buildings with a 

“Quiz Jam” series of hands-on activities 

typically found on a farm, 

such as changing tractor tires, irrigation, 

farm equipment identification, 

irrigation systems and livestock 

nutrition. The marketplace 

at Estrella Hall will also showcase 

locally-sourced products with an 

accent on tech, food, history and 

agricultural heritage. 

Another important agricultural 

aspect is the Job Fair. Representatives 

and demos by a series of trade 

unions – carpenters, masons, engineers 

and more – will offer leads for 

employment, and educational and 

vocational training information by 

JB Dewar and Cuesta College. 

New this year at the Frontier 

Building is an illuminated, animated, 

ten-window display of San Luis 

Obispo County communities. “It 

was Mayor Steve Martin’s idea,” said 

Bradley, and will highlight the attributes 

of Paso Robles, Atascadero, 

Templeton, San Luis Obispo, Arroyo 

Grande, Nipomo, Oceano, Pismo 

Beach, San Simeon and Morro Bay. 

Hispanic Culture Day (Sunday) 

will feature bull rides. Motorcycle 

racing, along with a truck and 

tractor pull, is also hoped to attract 

the gearheads. 

“After all these years, I’ve still got 

the Fair bug,” said Bradley. “The 

rush, emotion, satisfaction… It 

pumps your heart and makes you 

want to live! George M. Cohan and 

Walt Disney knew theater, and they 

both got it done.” 



California Mid-State Fair Scholarship 

Pageant to expand focus on education 


Pageant contestants. Photo courtesy CMSF 

Physical appearance has long been a recurring 

theme in any beauty pageant. But in 

2018, California Mid-State Fair (CMSF) in 

Paso Robles has refocused its program to place 

greater emphasis on an imperishable beauty 

cultivated through education. 

What originated in 1969 as the Maid of San 

Luis Obispo County has just received a subtle, 

yet distinct update. Newly renamed as the 

Miss California Mid-State Fair Scholarship 

Pageant, the “scholarship” aspect will emphasize 

the Fair’s mission of empowering young 

women, ages 17 to 24, toward achievement of 

their academic goals. The contest takes place 

every year the evening before the Fair and will 

begin at 6:30 p.m. on the Frontier Stage. 

Nine contestants from throughout San Luis 

Obispo County will compete this year for 

the Queen title. They are Lorin Tapp (18) of 

San Luis Obispo, Alexa Pinter (18) San Luis 

Obispo, Sophia Riddering (19) of Morro 

Bay, Kimberly White (18) of Oceano, Jamie- 

Lynn Stapf (21) of San Luis Obispo, Codie 

“It’s a fun event, and it really does involve 

a sisterhood who supports one another.” 

Auditor Courtney Lucas 

Whilhusen (19) of San Miguel, Brooke Lynn 

(20) of Atascadero, Ashley Davis (20) of 

Paso Robles, and Yvette Fiorentino (18) of San 

Luis Obispo. 

Contestants are evaluated in five categories, 

including Interview, Community Outreach 

Platform, Health and Fitness, Evening Gown, 

and Talent. Fifty percent of their points earned 

is based upon participation, with Interview 

weighted most of the five categories, or 25 

percent of the total score. 

“Since 2002, the winners have always received 

scholarship money. The Queen receives 

$500, the first runner up receives $300, 

and second runner up receives $200,” said 

Director Patti Lucas of the prize money 

allotted at the end of their reign. “All my 

sponsors are very special and have participated 

for several years. This year, we’ve planned to 

give more scholarship money along with some 

of the categories.” 

Sponsors for 2018 include Cattaneo Brothers, 

Boot Barn, Kaliforna Tanz, Bahama Bay 

Tanning Salon, The Wearhouse, Body Glove, 

Oak and Barrel Photography, Yogurt-A-Fair, 

Pink Champagne Celebrations, Albertson’s 

and Alice Bertram. 

See PAGEANT, Page 22 


Checking in with the CMSF Heritage Foundation 

Members exhibit dedication, determination, 

and a deep commitment to the COMMUNITY 


As plans were underway for the 2018 California 

Mid-State Fair, I had a chance to 

catch up with a dedicated member of our 

local community – Heritage Foundation 

Chairman Dave Belmont. 

If you don’t know about the CMSF 

Heritage Foundation, take a moment to 

read its Mission Statement: To preserve 

and enrich the heritage of the 16 th District 

Agricultural Association and showcase agricultural 

industries to the community; to offer support to the 4-H and 

FFA projects and create agricultural education opportunities; maintain a 

standard of excellence in the facilities and create capital improvement 

opportunities and to serve as an arm of the California Mid-State Fair 

that can accept charitable donations. 

Currently, the Foundation boasts more than 350 members. Serving 

on the Heritage Foundation Board of Directors alongside Belmont are: 

Daren Friedle, vice chairman; Debbie Dusi, secretary; Deana Nelson, 

financial officer, along with Susan Beebe, Mike Coon, Joanne 

Cummings, Brenda Fletcher, Tim Hartzell, Patricia Lawrence, John 

Peschong, Hugh Pitts, Michael Torgerson and Denise Stornetta. 

“Our members are people who want to give back to our community,” 

said Belmont. “There are generations of families involved in the 

Mid-State Fair and the Heritage Foundation. We enjoy giving back 

and seeing how the fairgoers appreciate the projects and improvements 

we have made over the years.” 

Since its inception in 1999, the Heritage Foundation has donated more 

than $8,000,000 worth of capital improvements to the fair grounds. 

Donations and projects have included: hog panels, shade cloths, scales, 

covered equestrian arena, sales ring building, modified arena grandstands, 

the Heritage Building and Commercial Building 3. 

The most recent and perhaps the most amazing project completed to 

date was dedicated just before the start of the 2017 fair – the 100,000 

square foot Paso Robles Pavilion, located on the northeast side of the 

fairgrounds. To say the 4-H and FFA kids and 

their animal projects benefited from this new 

addition to the fair is an understatement. 

The original building was from the 1950’s 

and had become inadequate, according to 

Heritage Foundation Board Member Brenda 

Fletcher. “We’d wanted to do a project like 

this since 2008, and we were finally able to 

take on the financial aspects and make it a 

reality,” she said. “The kids deserve this and 

that is always our goal.” 

The Pavilion also built a resurgence in interest about the Heritage 

Foundation, according to Belmont. “A lot of people saw the building, 

went inside it, noticed what we had accomplished and wanted to 

know more about what we do so they became members and are 

working alongside us now.” 

Thank you to all of the CMSF Heritage Foundation members 

for your dedication, determination, and deep commitment to our 

local community! 

CMSF HERITAGE FOUNDATION 

One hundred percent of all monies received through 

membership and fundraising events for the 

CMSF Heritage Foundation go back into the 

Mid-State Fair and Paso Robles Events Center. 

During the fair, July 18-29, they have five popular 

concessions on the fairgrounds that help raise 

funds including the Island Bar & Grill. 

For more information, call 805-238-3745 

or see thecmsfheritagefoundation.org; 

be sure to give them a “like” on Facebook 

at California Mid-State Fair Heritage Foundation. 

PAGEANT, From Page21 

Previous winners have also returned 

to help with the pageant in 

various ways in practical help and 

through sponsorship, said Patti. 

To name a few, Katlyn Kaney 

(2002), who entered her competition 

on a dare by friends and 

family, is now CEO of Cattaneo 

Brothers. Destini Cavaletto (2004) 

now General Manager of Santa 

Margarita Ranch, will serve as a 

judge this year. Savannah Hoagland 

Romero (2012), currently the 

CMSF 2017 Pageant Queen with 

1 st and 2 nd runner ups 

Wine Club Manager at La Vigne 

Winery, serves as one of Patti’s 

assistants. Riley Shannon (2015) is 

helping contestants with interview 

skills this year. 

“We have had some women that 

competed in the California Mid- 

State Fair Pageant also compete in 

in other systems,” said Courtney 

Lucas, Auditor for the pageant, 

who assists her mother, Patti, 

throughout the pageant season. 

“Tommy Lynn Calhoun, who was 

our Queen in 2010, competed 

for Miss California USA, as well 

as Miss Arizona USA.” Calhoun 

was crowned Miss Arizona USA 

in 2017. 

“If anyone would like to be a 

contestant, they only need to fill 

out an application and turn it in 

by the due date, usually in April,” 

said Courtney. “It’s a fun event, and 

it really does involve a sisterhood 

who supports one another.” 

Admission and parking are free. 

For more information, call 

California Mid-State Fair 

Pageant Coordinator 

Patti Lucas at 805-239-0555 

or visit midstatefair.com. 




COMMUNITY LEADERS WEIGH IN ON PASO ROBLES 

HOTEL CONSTRUCTION AND EXPANSION 


The City of Paso Robles Community 

Development Department 

recently confirmed the status of the 

next seven hotel projects that have 

been approved for expansion and 

construction, including two Downtown 

structures and an RV resort. 

“The City has seen a dramatic 

increase in hotels and lodging. 

Within the next 12 months, 

we expect to see 200 more hotel 

rooms and another 600 rooms 

within the next two to three years,” 

said Community Development 

Director Warren Frace, who is responsible 

for overseeing the City’s 

Planning, Engineering and Building 

Divisions. 

HERE’S A LOOK AT WHAT’S 

IN THE PIPELINE AT CITY 

OF PASO ROBLES. 

Frace reported that four new 

lodging accommodations are expected 

to open by Fiscal Year 

2018-19, including 187 rooms and 

332 RV spaces. They include: 

Oxford Suites Hotel, a five-story, 

69,209-square-foot project with 

127 rooms at 4th and Pine Street 

The Piccolo at Paso Robles Inn, a 

four-story, 17,946-square-foot brick 

façade structure with 23 rooms. 

Cava Robles RV Resort, a 

12,000-square-foot RV park with 

332 spaces on Golden Hill Road 

Lone Oak Hotel conversion of 37 

rooms located at 715 24th Street 

By Fiscal Year 2019-20, the City 

foresees completion of another 418 

rooms: 

Hotel Cheval (Phase 2), a new 

two-story, 20-room structure across 

from the existing Hotel Cheval on 

the northeast corner of Pine and 

10th Street 

Marriott Residence Inn, a fourstory 

project with 128 rooms 

Fairfield Inn, a 119-room development 

Hotel Ava, a four-story, 155-room 

hotel with restaurant and retail at 

944 Pine Street (previous Hayward 

Lumber 2.42-acre parcel) 

TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY 

TAX FUNDS 

On August 2, 2017, the City of 

Paso Robles hosted an Emergency 

Services Community Workshop 

aimed at assessing the current level 

of fire and emergency first-response 

services in the city and to 

consider strategic, long-term planning. 

At the well-attended gathering, 

questions were raised about 

the effects of fire services relative 

to hotel construction. 

Implemented at the rate of 10 

percent, the City’s Transient Occupancy 

Tax (TOT) yields $4 

million annually for an existing 

Within the next 12 months, 

we expect to see 200 more 

hotel rooms and another 

600 rooms within the next 

two to three years 

1,413 rooms. Deposited into the 

General Fund, these monies help 

support the City’s annual operating 

budget, including emergency 

services funding, which benefit 

both new and existing structures 

throughout the community. 

Mayor Steve Martin also pointed 

out that TOT’s help to subsidize 

emergency services, albeit 

with some limitation. The average 

property tax the City receives from 

single-family residences is $1,100 

annually. For hotels, the cost is 

$450 per room. 

As for the strain on emergency 

services, City consultant Stu 

Gary explained that modern 

building codes and materials, 

such as sprinklers and fire walls, 

help to effectively mitigate danger, 

but underscored that state 

law requires certificated testing 

every five years. He added that, 

by nature, new hotel structures 

have more safeguards in place than 

older residences. 

IMPACT ON WATER 

A common worry for many Paso 

Robles property owners is water 

scarcity and California’s ongoing 

battle with chronic drought. 

“The City has a long-term Urban 

Water Management plan that 

was adopted in 2015 that covers 

all existing and proposed future 

development, including hotels,” 

confirmed Warren Frace. 

To help address the issue, the City 

established conservation measures, 

including seasonal water restrictions, 

graywater harvesting guidelines, a 

Landscape and Irrigation Guide, and 

a Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance 

with a “Landscape Documentation 

Package must be presented 

with or prior to the submittal of construction 

drawings for building plan 

check. A Conservation Element is 

part of the General Plan with action 

items for water sourcing, supply and 

distribution, including provisions 

and conservation programs for 

residents and business. 

In addition, the City began offering 

rebates to homeowners or 

businesses who replace irrigated 

lawns with drought-tolerant plants 

on drip irrigation, artificial turf, 

or permeable paving, provided 

that specific landscaping requirements 

are met. High-efficiency toilet 

rebates of up to $125 for residents 

and businesses are also available. 

What is important to note 

New hotel construction 

and expansion projects are 

required to use low-flow 

fixtures, water-efficient 

appliances, droughttolerant 

landscaping 

and other water 

conservation practices. 

Marriott Residence Inn 


On average, year-round, 

our hotels are about 74 

percent full. The taxes 

generated are revenue for 

road building that comes 

largely through tourism. 

Hotel AVA 

with new hotel construction and 

expansion projects is that they 

are required to use low-flow fixtures, 

water-efficient appliances, 

drought-tolerant landscaping and 

other water conservation practices. 

In related construction news, on 

May 15, Paso Robles City Council 

reviewed the EIR consultant contract 

for the Beechwood Specific 

Plan, located on Creston Road, just 

north of Franklin Hot Springs. The 

conceptual neighborhood was presented 

before the Planning Commission 

for 915 single- and multifamily 

residences (since decreased 

from 1,011), mixed use commercial 

development, open-space areas, 

parks, and multipurpose trails 

within a 236-acre parcel bordered 

by Meadowlark Road, Creston 

Road and Beechwood Drive in the 

southeast section of the city. 

Matt McLish, Executive Committee 

Chairman of Paso Robles 

Chamber of Commerce, who attended 

the Open House for the 

Beechwood Specific Plan on April 

11 concluded, “The feedback was 

good, and the project seems to be 

intelligently thought out with a 

good plan for water.” 

GROWTH: PAST, PRESENT 

AND FUTURE 

In 2010, the population of 

Paso Robles was 29,785. Slow, 

steady growth increased that number 

by 2,122 by 2016, when the 

population was recorded at 31,907. 

But those who have watched the 

city’s population expand in recent 

years may be surprised to learn 

that the most significant growth 

in Paso Robles actually occurred 

decades ago. 

Not only did Paso Robles 

weather the early recession of 

the 1980-1982, when nationwide 

bankruptcies rose 50 percent and 

agricultural exports declined, but 

the City saw its population more 

than double from 9,200 to 18,600 

between 1980-1990, according to 

the U.S. Census and State Department 

of Finance. By Y2K, 

the community’s population began 

to reflect a strong, steady 

decrease in population growth. 

However, by the end of the first 

decade, during the nation’s Great 

Recession, the population dropped 

to zero growth. Then, through 

2014, the population alternately 

decreased and increased annually 

within one percent. 

Despite these economic ups and 

downs, the Downtown core has 

Despite these economic ups 

and downs, the Downtown 

core has flourished with 

restaurants, wine tasting 

rooms, shops and offices. 

Hotel Cheval (Phase 2) 

flourished with restaurants, wine 

tasting rooms, shops and offices. 

Courtesy of local support, business 

is brisk, in large part by tourist 

dollar support. 

Matt Masia, whose family has 

been in the hotel business since 

1961, operates the Adelaide Inn 

and the neighboring Best Western 

Plus Black Oak property in 

the 24th Street corridor across 

from the Paso Robles Event Center. 

Still in process at the Planning 

Department is Black Oak 

Lodge, a four-story, 96-room, 

59,229-square-foot hotel on a 

1.8-acre lot at 2717 Black Oak 

Drive, adjacent to the 24th Street 

McDonald’s restaurant. Masia 

confirmed that when he breaks 

ground, local contractors will be 

hired to launch the project. 

“Everyone is looking toward 

the future, but I think each one 

will depend upon the process of 

approval, financing and time,” 

Masia said matter-of-factly. “It 

takes years to get hotels built and 

economic forces have a lot to do 

with that in the business of supply 

and demand.” He also observed 

that other hotel properties with 

room rates in the high tier tend to 

drive down prices of more moderately 

priced hotels, including his 

own, to remain competitive. 

“In the summer, we’re easily 

100 percent full,” said Masia, “and 

we average around 50 percent in 

the winter. But what often gets 

overlooked is business lodging 

throughout the week. We have 4H 

and FFA families who stay, military 

personnel, wine-related sales professionals 

and others, oil rig workers, 

and truckers. “We easily get 10 

truckers a night needing lodging. 

Monday through Thursday we’re 

75 percent full on average.” 

Chamber Chairman Matt Mc- 

Lish, who also serves as a Paso Robles 

School District Board Trustee, 

pointed out that when visitors 

come to Paso, it takes two days to 

generate the type of revenue from 

food, lodging and sales tax that 

a resident typically generates in 

a month. “We also have military 

bases nearby that depend upon 

Paso Robles hotels when they 

arrive for exercises in our area – 

Vandenberg AFB, Camp Roberts, 

Fort Hunter Liggett, plus travelers 

from Lemoore, who prefer Paso 

Robles over King City,” he said. 

“On average, year-round, our 

hotels are about 74 percent full. 

The taxes generated are revenue 

for road building that comes largely 

through tourism. I’d be scared to 

think of what we’d be looking at 

without it,” said McLish. He added 

that in addition to the service 

jobs that hotels provide, he hopes 

to see a more diverse mix of industry, 

including “ag tech, which is 

our strength.” 

Executive Director Norma Moye 

at Paso Robles Main Street Association 

has observed changes in Paso 

Robles for decades. A Paso Robles 

High alumnus, Norma is considered 

among the core contingent 

of Paso Robles historians who are 

deeply involved in hands-and-feet 

service to the community. Norma 

shared her perspective about the 

renewed building and expansion 

efforts throughout the city. 

“I think it’s wonderful; it’s progress,” 

said Norma. “We’re (Paso 

Robles) a destination. It’s a great 

Downtown now. It’s walkable and 

that’s neat. We’ve got good people 

who work here and make it a great 

place to live. We’re a can-do people 

who all work together.” 

When asked about the concerns 

some people express about 


the town increasing the number 

of hotel rooms, Norma said, “We 

can’t stop growth, for Pete’s sake. 

We can’t just shut the door, and 

we didn’t when people moved 

here who are now saying they 

don’t want any more to come in. 

TOT brings events and helps our 

quality of life here. We draw 

tourism, which is great, and they 

visit and leave. We could use 

more parking lots. Maybe we 

can build a (mixed use) parking 

garage and put retail on the bottom 

floor,” she theorized. “But 

think about it. Have those dollars 

ruined the Downtown? Nope. 

Look at it now!” 

A 10-year resident of Paso Robles, 

Chamber chairman McLish 

grew up in Orange County, and 

shared his perspective about biginfluence 

into North County. In 

his Chamber capacity, McLish said 

that, like anyone who has adopted 

Paso Robles as their town, he foresees 

more transplants arriving to 

do business that share a common 

mindset with Paso natives to keep 

everything in balance. People who 

have moved into Paso Robles to get 

“Tourism generates a 

tremendous amount 

of tax revenue ... two nights 

in a hotel pays more tax than 

a resident pays in a month.” 

— Mayor Steve Martin 

Oxford Suites 

away from the sprawl of large-city 

populations, he said, share the same 

concerns of those who grew up in 

North County. 

“I feel pretty confident that 

these folks know what positive 

growth is,” said McLish. 

“In Orange County, sometimes 

I didn’t know what community 

I was in because there was no 

delineation from one community 

to another. My parents live in 

Orcutt now and they visit. We 

enjoy the seasonal activities here, 

like Halloween and the tree 

lighting at the park, and I enjoy 

watching them with Eli, our 

four-year-old. We had wall-towall 

commerce and residential in 

Orange County with a disregard 

for aesthetics. They lost that 

at some point,” said McLish. 

“Everyone I’ve been involved 

with here at the City is very concerned 

for retaining Paso history 

and the quality of life with a 

small-town feel.” 

Mayor Steve Martin reported 

recently that in Fiscal Year 2017- 

18, the top revenue generators 

for the City were property taxes, 

sales taxes and TOT revenue, 

which only underscores the need 

for tourist dollars, essential funds 

that keep the wheels turning on 

the City’s economic bus. The 

view from that bus isn’t bad, 

either, according to a recent City 

survey conducted amongst residents. 

Mayor Martin reported 

that of 466 people who replied, 

92 percent reported quality of 

life in Paso Robles as “good” or 

“excellent.” 

“Tourism generates a tremendous 

amount of tax revenue and 

it’s a trade-off,” Community Development 

Director Frace said of 

the ebb and flow of people that 

tourism brings into the community. 

“The more that tourists come 

to spend money here, the more 

they help pay for our city’s infrastructure.” 

Melissa Chavez can be reached 

at melissa@pasomagazine.com 


LOCAL BUSINESS 

Dozens of Paso Robles business 

leaders gathered at Adelaida 

Vineyards and Winery for 

the Paso Robles Chamber of 

Commerce Business Leader Summit on 

May 31. It was a sign of the Chamber’s 

direction as a true stakeholder in the future 

of commerce in Paso Robles, bringing 

elected officials, city managers, business 

owners, school board members, and other 

community leaders together to talk about 

what is next for El Paso de Robles. 

The Chamber’s new Director of Economic 

Development Josh Cross emceed 

the event, and Paso Robles Mayor Steve 

Martin gave the keynote speech — unpacking 

a trunkful of optimism and pointed 

obligation to the citizens — to both 

business and residential communities — 

about the future of Paso Robles. 

He summed up the current cycle of 

Paso Robles concisely, “We are at the 

beginning of Paso Robles,” before 

Business Leaders Gather 

for Summit 

PASO CHAMBER FOCUSES ON ECON-DEV 

“We are going to be the 

next big thing.” 

taking a quick look back at the past 30 years. 

“We were leaking millions of dollars in 

sales tax because we had a retail base in tatters,” 

Martin said. “People had to leave town 

if they had to do any significant shopping 

… that was Paso in 1986.” 

In 1991, a time when Martin also presided 

as Mayor, Paso Robles completed a 

“massive” economic analysis of the retail 

base, and identified the niches where retailers 

were missing, and “we started filling 

them in,” according to Martin. 

“Paso Robles was going to be the retail 

hub of the North County,” Martin said of 

the attitude of the leaders at that time, but 

it was not an easy sell. 

By Nicholas Mattson 

“In 1991, there was great consternation 

about what would happen to Paso Robles 

as it grew, would we lose our quality of life?” 

Martin said, “but we all had different ideas 

of what quality of life was.” 

Martin and the council penned a definition 

that carried into his keynote speech 

three decades away. 

“Quality of life is defined as a place 

where a great majority of people can live, 

work, and shop,” Martin said. “If we do 

those three things, we will always have our 

quality of life in Paso Robles.” 

Much is said about the power of intention, 

and Martin’s testimony adds to the 

metaphysical lore. 

“We look around today, and see that Paso 

Robles is the retail hub of the North County,” 

Martin informed. “We have multiple 

See SUMMIT on Page 34 

EVENT AHEAD? 

TRAFFIC. 

HANDLED. 



LOCAL BUSINESS 

SUMMIT from Page 32 

levels of shopping, opportunities 

for people to buy goods and services 

that we never had before. We 

see a community whose quality of 

life has not diminished, but has improved.” 

Nearly 30 years later, and Martin 

has a new vision to offer Paso Robles, 

but the same mantra. 

“We are at a crossroads in Paso 

Robles,” Martin said. “Are we going 

to become … gentrified — with 

very expensive housing, very expensive 

shopping, and we become 

a retirement community where everyone 

else needs to go find a place 

to live in the hills. Or are we going 

to continue that philosophy of being 

a balanced community where 

a great majority of the people can 

live, work, and shop?” 

Martin advocated for tourism, 

but warned against putting all Paso 

Robles’ eggs in one basket. 

“During the great recession, but 

for tourism, we would have suffered 

mightily,” Martin said. “Tourism 

accounts for roughly 50 percent of 

City revenue, when you take into 

account transient occupancy tax 

and sales tax generated by visitors. 

We are blessed by that fact, but the 

problem is, it is a monolithic industry. 

So goes tourism, so goes Paso 

Robles. Diversify … that is what we 

need in Paso Robles if we are going 

to proceed with the vision of being 

a place where people can live, work, 

and shop. We need employment 

opportunities in sectors other than 

tourism so that over the years, Paso 

Robles will have a resilient economic 

base — to provide head of 

household jobs, goods and services, 

and things that cities are expected 

to provide for citizens and maintain 

a high quality of life. That is why 

this meeting is so important, and 

why all of you are so important.” 

Martin expressed the importance 

of the Chamber of Commerce’s 

role in economic development. 

“It is so important to Paso Robles, 

and we are relying on the 

Chamber of Commerce to spread 

the word about Paso Robles — to 

spread the story that we are the retail 

hub of the North County, and 

we will be the economic development 

hub of this county — not just 

for tourism, but other industrial 

sectors: light manufacturing, tech, 

things that come in and provide 

diversity of jobs and a bigger employment 

base so people can afford 

to buy new homes in Paso Robles.” 

Likely recalling the consternation 

of the community 30 years ago, 

Martin recognized the possibility 

of fear in pioneering a new direction 

for the community. 

“Being at the beginning of Paso 

Robles can be a little scary,” Martin 

said. “It can be fun, but it can 

be scary. Now is the time to be very 

careful how we plan our residential 

development, our roads, our infrastructure, 

our sewer and water, to 

maintain that quality of life and 

give those who live here the confidence 

that the quality of life will 

not be compromised.” 

Steadying the ship, Martin readied 

the leadership crew for the next 

phase of the summit to answer 

questions about the future of Paso. 

“This is our time,” Martin said. 

“The city of Paso Robles has always 

been a wonderful place to live, but 

it has been a community that is 

catching up, technologically, economically, 

but we are now primed 

like no time in the past to proceed 

forward down this trail. Never have 

we been so prepared to take advantage 

of the change.” 

With a fire in his belly, an excitement 

shared verbally to PASO 

Magazine by other members of the 

City Council, Martin urged the 


summit to pay attention to the big 

picture … and get ready. 

“We are going to be the next big 

thing,” Martin said. “If we don’t 

look 10 to 20 years down the road 

and declare what we are going to 

be, we are going to be swept away 

by change. Surf the wave or get run 

over by the wave.” 

Martin was not only inviting the 

members of the summit, but to the 

entire community of Paso Robles to 

join in the vision of what Paso Robles 

will become. 

“As the Chamber comes together 

with different committees, work 

projects, and opportunities,” Martin 

said, “get involved with your expertise, 

your excitement, and your passion 

about the ‘beginning of Paso 

Robles’ to the table, because without 

that, we will fail. We are depending 

on you for that.” 

This is the first in a series of 

articles following the progress 

of the Paso Robles Chamber 

of Commerce Economic 

Development Committee’s 

work as the Lead Agency in 

Economic Development. 


LOCAL BUSINESS | BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 

Let’s Welcome 

PARADISE GRILL 

Steak and Seafood Restaurant 

P 

aradise Grill is now open in the iconic 

location occupied by Wilson’s Restaurant 

for decades. Based on a long-term friendship 

between Hector Jimenez and Ampelio Rangel, 

and help from their families, Paradise Grill is 

truly a dream come true. The men, now business 

partners, met at church where they are 

both very involved. After getting to know 

each other and their families, Hector spoke to 

Ampelio about his dream to open a family, 

steakhouse-style restaurant that would become 

their customers “favorite place to eat.” 

With plenty of faith, hard work and Hector’s 

many years of experience as a chef, the two men 

created Paradise Grill that is carrying on Wilson’s 

legacy as a popular restaurant for families, large 

groups and everyone who enjoys good food and 

attentive service. For those of us who remember 

Wilson’s tradition, the new owners have preserved 

the same décor and excellent service with 

comfortable booth, table and counter seating. 


Hector’s daughter Esmeralda says, “Nothing 

satisfies my father more than seeing 

people enjoy his food that is prepared just the 

way they like it. At Paradise Grill, there is no 

such thing as a tricky order or picky eater.” 

Meals are prepared with attention to dietary 

needs and personal preferences. The menu 

was created by the Jimenez family; making it 

unique by adding its own original flavors to 

many popular American dishes. Since the recent 

opening, comments from customers on 

the good food and attentive service have been 

very complimentary. 

Refer to the ad in this issue for breakfast, lunch 

and dinner specials. Enjoy Happy Hour on 

Monday through Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. 

Paradise Grill is open every day; located at 

635 28th Street in Paso Robles. For menu, visit 

steakseafoodparadise.wixsite.com /paradisegrill. 

Hector and Ampelio 

The Paradise Grill Family 


LOCAL GOODS REPORT 

from General Store Paso Robles 

LIFE ELEMENTS MIXES KNOWLEDGE, 

HEART, AND THE BEST NATURAL INGREDIENTS 

Martha Van Inwege, the CEO of Life Elements, is 

one of the most industrious producers we work 

with. We’ve been loyal fans of her Healing Honey 

Stick for years. She’s now supercharged the 

Honey Stick idea with Hemp derived CBD. The 

General Store team has been using these locally-made 

handcrafted, organic CBD ointments 

for months to nourish and help heal everything 

from sore muscles to achy joints, skin rashes to 

bites and burns. THEY WORK. But there’s been 

a lot of confusion about CBD... we thought we’d 

ask the guru to explain what’s so great about it. 

People get nervous that anything made 

with any kind of cannabis is illegal to use. 

Martha Van Inwege 

Can you set the record straight? 

Yes. The first thing to remember is that there are many varieties in the 

cannabis family. There is marijuana, which has both CBD and THC oils. THC 

is what makes marijuana psychoactive and gives you a ‘high’ and therefore 

can only be purchased in a dispensary. Then there is hemp, which is from 

the cannabis family, as are the hops in beer, believe it or not. Hemp is full 

of CBD, but has less than .3% THC, so there are no psychoactive effects and 

it’s thereby legal to sell in stores in the United States. 

What’s the most fantastic result 

you’ve seen from people using 

your products? 

This is a tough one because 

we get a lot of great 

testimonials and so many that 

just bring us to (happy) tears. 

One of most impressive results 

we’ve seen is from a man 

who has an auto-immune 

disease and could not use 

his hands due to the severe 

cracking. His doctors had 

prescribed several medications, 

including steroids, but 

nothing helped. I asked him 

to try our Healing Honey Stick Working Bees for her Healing Honey Stick 

and see if it would at least 

ease the pain a bit. Three weeks later, his daughter sent us a picture of his 

hands. They were completely healed. He is now off the medications and 

using just the CBD Healing Honey Stick. 

General Store carries both the Everyday Skin Repair and the Ache and 

Pain Relief sticks that are all natural, local, and incredibly effective. Sure 

worth a try after a long day at the beach! And stay tuned for our late summer 

opening of our second downtown location - General Store Notable 

Goods! It will be just around the corner, and will be filled with books, cards, 

and things that make us happy. 

Enjoy Summer! Come see us! 

The General Store Team 


OAK LEAF 

2018 CMSF Junior Livestock 

Auction, 4-H, and FFA 

After months of hard work, it’s show time for student exhibitors 


Preparations are underway for 

the 2018 California Mid-State Fair 

and it’s almost go-time for the many 

4-H and FFA members and student 

exhibitors throughout the county. 

Thanks to the efforts of CMSF Heritage 

Foundation volunteers, the 

100,000-foot Paso Robles Pavilion 

is ready to welcome visitors for the 

second year. 

“The new pavilion and arena area 

is fabulous,” CMSF Livestock Superintendent 

Jo Ann Switzer said. 

“The animals, the students and people 

who stop by to visit are much 

more comfortable now.” 

Switzer encourages everyone to 

come by to see the animals, talk 

with the students, and ask questions. 

A vast array of animals – poultry, 

rabbits, swine, sheep, cattle, goats, 

| Agriculture 

and more – will be on display. The 

barn area is open daily to the public 

during the fair from noon to 8 p.m. 

For decades, Switzer has dedicated 

countless hours helping young 

people in our community participate 

in livestock activities at the fair. “I 

just love these kids and I believe in 

this program,” she said. “And I can’t 

say enough about the leaders and 

instructors who teach these children; 

it’s a great undertaking and a lot of 

responsibility – they do a great job 

year after year.” 

On Tuesday, July 18, stop by and 

support 4-H and FFA kids during the 

Poultry Show and Turkey Show and 

stick around for Dairy Goat Showmanship. 

New this year, the California 

Junior Livestock Association (CJLA) 

brings attention to the Wether Dam 

Doe Goat Breeding Show. 

The always popular Cattlemen 

Photo courtesy of CMSF 

Photo courtesy of CMSF 

and Farmer’s Day happens on 

Thursday, July 19. The day’s activities 

include a barbeque luncheon, 

the Cattlemen and Farmer’s Social 

Hour, a steak dinner and the presentation 

of awards in the evening. 

The first weekend is filled with 

events including the new Specialty 

Sheep, Rabbit, and CJLA Wether 

Dam Ewe shows on Friday, the 

4-H Dog Show on Saturday and 

the Farm Supply Junior Livestock 

Quiz Jam on Sunday. 

As the week unfolds, things pick 

up with the brand-new Dairy Cattle 

Show and the Breeding Sheep 

Show on Monday. Tuesday brings 

the Market Hog, Market Lamb, and 

Meat Goat shows. Wednesday is 

packed with the Breeding Beef and 

Market Steer shows, the Ladies and 

Lads Lead/Costume Show, and the 

Supreme Champion Selection featuring 

Meat Goats, Market Sheep, 

Market Swine and Market Beef. 

On Thursday, July 26, the morning 

brings 4-H and FFA showmanship 

in the Swine, Meat Goat and 

Sheep categories followed by the 

Replacement Heifer Show in the 

evening. On Friday, Beef Showmanship 

happens in the morning 

with the Replacement Heifer Show 

starting at 6 p.m. 

The much-anticipated Junior 

Livestock Auction begins at 8 a.m. 

on Saturday, July 28. Potential bidders 

should purchase buyer numbers 

ahead of time or arrive early to obtain 

a number at the gate. 

“The auction is a life-learning experience 

for the kids,” said Switzer. 

“It teaches business sense, responsibility, 

and money management 

skills. Most put away the money 

they earn for college or to purchase 

their next fair animal.” 

This year’s primary Livestock 

Judges are: Swine - Brian Anderson; 

Cattle - Dr. Scott Schaake; Market 

Lamb, Market Goat, and Breeding 

Sheep - Charles Seidensticker. 

Sunday events include Round 

Robin and Pee Wee Showmanship, 

the Livestock Judging Contest and, 

new this year, the Stock Show Mom 

and Stock Show Dad Showmanship 

Contest. Finishing up the 

2018 CMSF season, the Livestock 

Judging Contest and Round Robin 

Showmanship Awards Ceremony is 

scheduled for 3:30 p.m. 

Follow daily updates in the livestock 

area at: facebook.com/Midstatefairlivestock. 

The Replacement Heifer Sale 

and the Junior Livestock Auction will 

livestream on Facebook as well. The 

CMSF Livestock Office will be open 

daily during the fair from 6:30 a.m. to 

8 p.m. or call 805-238-3272 for more 

info. *Be sure to check midstatefair.com/ 

fair/livestock.php for any last-minute 

schedule updates 

Meagan Friberg can be reached at 

meagan@pasomagazine.com 


Industrial Arts | OAK LEAF 

Industrial Arts 

Display & Auction 

showcases talents of local youth 

Bid on and take home handcrafted, unique, 

award-winning designs 


Looking for a one-of-a-kind, 

handcrafted barbecue grill, water 

fountain, outdoor bench, or wine 

rack? Find a wide variety of projects 

designed and fabricated by SLO 

County youth at the 2018 California 

Mid-State Fair Industrial Arts 

Display and Auction. 

Check out 50+ projects on display 

in The Barn on Equestrian Lane. 

You’re sure to find one or two musthave 

items, so plan to grab a bidding 

card and head over to the Industrial 

Arts Auction in the Livestock 

Pavilion on Thursday, July 19. The 

auction takes place on Cattlemen 

and Farmer’s Day, following the 

awards ceremony at 1:30 p.m. 

The popular annual event is sponsored 

by Airgas, along with contributing 

sponsor Cuesta College. 

Designed to showcase the many 

talents of local student fabricators, 

the Industrial Education Program 

involves SLO County high school 

industrial and technology education 

instructors overseeing the students 

as they design and create projects. 

Basic and advanced techniques are 

used – projects must have been completed 

in the past year – with results 

including trailers, utility racks, shop 

benches, porch swings, coffee tables, 

and more. 

“We have wonderful vocational 

and technical programs at our local 

high schools and Cuesta College,” 

Event Organizer Blake Wallis said. 

“All of the schools have outstanding 

facilities and they have been able 

to get these facilities through the 

tenacity and dedication of the instructors. 

The instructors are great 

about staying up on the learning 

curve, and these students are being 

immersed into a field of technology 

that is current and state-of-the-art.” 

Entries are eligible for prizes and 

awards, and will remain on exhibit 

through the duration of the fair; 

first and second place projects may 

enter the auction. The Airgas Industrial 

Education Program was 

started nearly 25 years ago, and the 

amount raised for the students at 

the annual project auction increases 

yearly. Wallis and Debbie and Joel 

Twisselman have been involved 

with the Industrial Arts Display 

and Auction for many years – Wallis 

for about 25, and the Twisselmans 

for about 20. 

Awards are given in numerous 

categories including: Best of Show, 

Industrial Arts Sweepstakes, Best 

Fair Theme, Junk-A-New, and Basic 

Welding. Sponsors include: Airgas, 

Bow Valley Agri-Land Services, 

Central Coast Barns & Buildings, 

BHE Renewables, Coast Pipe, La 

Panza Ranch, JMR Manufacturing, 

Lowe’s, Advancement for Youth in 

the Industrial Arts, Madalene Farris, 

and R. Franklin Farming Co. 

And what does it do for the student 

when someone purchases his 

or her project? 

“If you buy an item at the auction, 

there is nothing else like it,” Wallis 

said. “The item is built by a local 

individual, and it’s going to last for 

years. When you see the expression 

on some of these fabricators’ 

faces when people start bidding on 

their handcrafted work, it’s really 

something else. They see someone 

is buying the item, and they realize 

they might be able to make a living 

doing this.” 

Meagan Friberg can be reached at 

meagan@pasomagazine.com 


OAK LEAF | Education 

BUILDING COMMUNITY SUMMIT 

“The greatness of a community 

is most accurately measured 

by the compassionate actions 

of its members.” 

– Coretta Scott King – 

By Jim Brescia, SLO County Superintendent 

North County 

is a wonderful 

place to work, 

live, play, and 

raise a family. 

Our schools 

and society 

have many linguistic, 

cultural, 

religious, ethnic, and racial issues. 

Small rural communities like ours 

are experiencing changing demographics 

just like large cities, and our 

leaders must confront these needs, 

perspectives, and challenges. How do 

we collectively address everyone and 

build up our community? Violence 

across the United States was the 

topic of my March Superintendent’s 

Council which included Atascadero 

school leadership, law enforcement, 

mental health professionals and social 

services. Multi-agency discussions 

from my March meeting served 

as a springboard for the May summit. 

The goal of our summit was to 

facilitate multi-agency communication 

and collaboration, present 

positive strategies for engagement, 

and to build community. Summit 

participants included students, parents, 

non-profit agencies, religious 

leaders, city & county officials, school 

leaders, elected officials, and law enforcement. 

Over 120 participants 

joined the afternoon summit held 

at the Vina Robles Signature Room. 

Twelve table workgroups of 

8-10 were formed consisting of 

multi-agency representation. Participants 

left with both short-term 

and long-term actions to proactively 

address community and school tragedies. 

Sheriff Ian Parkinson stated in 

his comments that “We can address 

our issues proactively, one relationship 

at a time.” 

I opened the “Building Community 

Summit” reflecting on my 

initial student teaching experiences 

in San Diego just after the 1984 

San Ysidro Massacre. Our Sheriff 

explained current practices in place 

to ensure student and community 

safety. He highlighted the high 

levels of collaboration between law 

enforcement and our schools, the 

digital mapping of every campus, 

and plans for testing of a mobile 

school safety App. Our county is one 

of the first in the state to digitally 

map every campus and to collectively 

prepare for disasters. Student 

speakers from North County, San 

Luis Obispo, and Nipomo stressed 

the importance of working together. 

Tony Milano, a local graduate, and 

owner of RadHuman, was joined 

by representatives from Atascadero 

detailing Bank of America’s “Rachel’s 

Challenge” resources. 

Participants focused on examples 

of disconnect that have preceded 

conflict, concern, or crisis. Each 

workgroup presented at least one 

proactive suggestion that might mitigate 

disconnect. My office is now 

planning with the Children’s Services 

Network, the Sheriff, the Chief 

of Probation, and the Family Care 

Network to host a fall summit. I 

believe that together we can invest in 

our future by facilitating multi-agency 

communications, working collectively, 

and acknowledging that 

we are all part of a community. It 

is an honor to serve as your County 

Superintendent of Schools. 


THE NATURAL ALTERNATIVE 

NUTRITION CENTER 

What is CBD?? 

CBD (canabidiol) is one of the 100 

or so phytocannabinoids from the 

hemp plant and is one of the most 

well-known and studied for its amazing 

healing properties. Virtually free of 

psychoactive THC, these compounds, 

including CBD, have shown to affect 

the brain and body in very positive 

ways without any mind-altering effects. 

We must be clear--we are NOT 

talking about marijuana. Although 

CBD (derived from industrial hemp) 

and marijuana originate from Cannabis 

sativa, the plants are very different. 

Hemp oil is from industrial hemp 

plants selected to be low in THC 

(0.3 % or less), while medical and 

recreational marijuana is from plants 

selected for increased THC content, 

the compound that causes a “high.” 

By law, hemp oil cannot contain any 

significant amounts of THC. 

In 1992, scientists discovered the 

Endocannabinoid System (ECS) that 

contains receptors for cannabinoids 

that basically affect every organ and 

system in the body. The ECS system 

modulates our mood, appetite, energy, 

immune system, hormones, brain 

chemistry, sleep, metabolism, and overall 

well-being. According to a study in 

the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 

CBD is an anti-inflammatory, 

antioxidant, anti-seizure, anti-nausea, 

and anti-psychotic compound. 

The Natural Alternative carries only 

the highest quality “whole plant hemp 

oil” containing all beneficial cannabinoids 

utilizing CO2 extraction (no 

solvents). 

Industry leaders such as Charlotte’s 

Web, Lidtke, hempSmart, Terry Naturally, 

Earthly Body, and Nature’s Plus 

have earned spots on our shelves and 

the customer feedback is amazing! 

Our hemp “phytocannabinoids” contain 

CBD as well as botanicals for 

stress, sleep, pain relief and overall 

better health. Don’t forget our local 

bacaea cannabis confections! These 

are not only decadent dark chocolate 

confections, but customers are reporting 

better sleep and pain relief! 

In addition to phytocannabinoid 

drops and capsules, we carry Daily 

Intensive Cream, Soothing Serum, 

and Active Spray. “I’ve had back pain, 

my husband arthritis in his knee & we 

LOVE the results of the CBD Cream. 

My 82-year-old mother with rheumatoid 

arthritis uses it on her lower back 

and has shown a huge difference in her 

pain. I recommend this for everyone!” 

- Denise. 

Join us on Join us on Saturday, 

July 7 & 14 from 1 until 4 p.m. for 

a “Meet & Greet” with Paula Vetter, 

board certified Holistic Family Nurse 

Practitioner. Paula is excited about 

introducing hempSMART, a line of 

quality full spectrum CBD. She’ll 

be here to answer questions and have 

samples available! 

See You Soon! 

Bobbi & Team 

at the Natural Alternative 


TASTE OF PASO 

Featuring a Picnic in the Park with Red Scooter Deli 

:: GUEST LIST :: 

(Almost) the entire PASO & 

COLONY Magazine Team! 

:: SPECIAL GUESTS :: 

The PASO & COLONY 

Magazine Production Team: 

Denise McLean, Travis Ruppe 

Sue Dill, Kevin Kaub 

(Kris Fininen was missed!) 

After a short break from 

writing the entrée column 

in June, I am thrilled to be 

back sharing the local flavors 

of Paso! For July, I am diving 

head first into summer by joining 

my friends and fellow writers, 

designers, ad consultants 

at PASO Magazine…and the 

brand-new COLONY Magazine…for 

a family picnic in 

the beautiful Downtown Paso 

Robles City Park hosted by 

our publishers, Nic and Hayley 

Mattson. 

While planning the day, we 

knew just the person to contact to 

ensure a picnic spread to please the 

entire group – Stephanie Johnston 

at Red Scooter Deli. Wow – this 

was the perfect choice! Stephanie 

and her team put together a 

bountiful selection of sandwiches, 

wraps, salads, and desserts. 

“Having all of this delicious 

food prepared by the Red Scooter 

team made planning our gathering 

a breeze!” Hayley said. “It was 

so nice to order everything online; 

very convenient. Stephanie followed 

up with a phone call to confirm 

and made some suggestions. 

She really is all about personal 

service.” 

I sat down with our production 

team – Denise McLean, Lead 

Graphic Designer; Travis Ruppe, 

Design, Composition, and Photo 

Editor; Sue Dill, Lead Art 

Producer, and our newest team 

member, Kevin Kaub, Graphic 

Designer (Kris Finenen, Graphic 

by Meagan Friberg 

Designer, was unable to join us) – 

to get their take on the meal. 

Here’s what they had to say… 

“The Red Scooter Deli team has 

outdone themselves!” Denise said. 

“Each and every item I tried today 

was fresh and absolutely delicious. 

There was an abundance of flavor 

in this spread all the way around.” 

Everyone agreed! It was almost 

as if the Red Scooter Deli team 

was right there at the park preparing 

the food for us! And it was so 

nice to have vegetarian, vegan, and 

gluten free options – they really do 

have something for every dietary 

need. 

Denise’s favorite: Pasta Salad 

Bowl – with fresh basil, sun-dried 

tomatoes, red and green bell pepper, 

olives, red onion, pepperoncinis, 

Italian vinaigrette, sweet 

tomatoes. “The pasta salad was 

lovingly flavorful; it had great seasoning 

and a lot of texture. The 

bell peppers were fresh and crisp, 

and I liked the combination of all 

of the ingredients – great mixture 

and really tasty!” 

Kevin’s favorite: Chicken 

Curry Sandwich – fresh roasted 

chicken, curry, dried cranberries, 

celery, green onions, mayo, and 

spices. “This is delicious! Served 

on a soft butter croissant, it wasn’t 

too spicy and it had just enough 

flavor to make it interesting. I’ve 

tried something similar elsewhere 

and found this type of sandwich to 

sometimes be on the dry side, but 

Some of 

The PASO & COLONY Magazine Team! Photo by Nicholas Mattson 

this was amazing! I would definitely 

order it in the future and 

recommend it to others.” 

Sue’s favorite: Veggie Wrap 

– a vegetarian/vegan option with 

roasted red pepper hummus, avocado, 

cucumber, tomato, red onion, 

mixed greens, shredded carrots, 

and red bell pepper served 

with a side of balsamic vinaigrette. 

“There is all kind of veggies in 

this and it is so good! It’s light yet 

filling and something I would eat 

again. Honestly, everything I tasted 

today was great. And to have 

the option to order online and 

have take-out and delivery…well, 

anytime I don’t have to cook it’s 

really wonderful!” 

Travis’s favorite: Fruit Salad 

Bowl – pineapple, strawberries, 

seasonal melon, grapes, seasonal 

berries, citrus (varies on seasonal 

availability). “This offered a great 

selection of seasonal sweetness 

that was perfect for a warm summer 

day. I never pass up a chance 

to eat fresh blueberries, so I zeroed 

in on those immediately, and then 

filled my plate with grapes, melons, 

pineapple, and more berries. 

The only downside was knowing I 

had to leave some fruit at the bottom 

of the bowl so others could 

have some too!” 

Meagan’s favorite: I liked 

EVERYTHING! The egg salad 

sandwich is amazing, and I could 

eat the salads every day for lunch. 

Yet, here I am again commenting 

on the desserts! Those brownies, 

those cookies – wow! Fresh, soft, 

house-made goodness! The perfect 

ending to a delightful summer 

picnic in the park with friends and 

family. 

Produce from Berry Man, and 

breads from Hush Harbor, Brian’s 

Bread, and Edna’s Bakery are delivered 

daily to Red Scooter Deli. 

Soups, salads, baked goods, and 

special orders are prepared fresh 

in-house daily; vegetarian, vegan, 

gluten-free, and other dietary options 

always available. 

And don’t forget breakfast 

– start your day with breakfast 

sandwiches, wraps, eggs benedict 

scrambles, and more. Great any 

time of the day, the smoothies are 

simply the best in town! Made 

with fresh fruit and a choice of 

coconut, soy, or almond milk – 

healthy and delicious! For the 

summer series of Concerts in the 

Park, have your order ready to go 

by calling or filling out the online 

form ahead of time then enjoy a 

picnic in the Downtown Paso Robles 

City Park while listening to 

local bands. 

“We are all about making 

and serving good, wholesome, 

homemade, fresh food,” 

Stephanie said. “We maintain 

a family-friendly atmosphere 

and environment, and we are 

situated in a beautiful location 

overlooking the park. Plus, we 

have a nice, dog-friendly outdoor 

patio area.” 

Meagan Friberg can be contacted 

at meagan@pasomagazine.com 

Stop by and see 

Stephanie and her team 

at Red Scooter Deli 

Tell them you saw their 

story in PASO Magazine! 

1102 Pine St., Paso Robles 

805-237-1780 

— Open Daily — 

See website and Facebook 

for hours, delivery and 

catering options 

redscooterdeli.com 


Paso Pinot Producers celebrate 

Pinot & Paella Festival 

Heady aromas of saffron 

and spice mixed 

with smoky meats 

wafted through 

the tree-shaded Templeton 

Community Park as 

pinot-philes and paella 

fans gathered together 

at the 15th Annual Pinot 

and Paella Festival. 

Presented by the Paso Pinot 

Producers, the popular event 

showcased 20 local pinot producers 

offering their artisanal pinot 

noirs paired with paella cooked 

up by 15 local chefs. Each culinary 

expert added his/her spin on 

this one-pan Spanish dish, with 

one ingredient common being the 

use of Spanish Bomba rice. 

The park offered a picnic ambiance 

as attendees spread blankets 

and chairs, enjoying upbeat music 

of the Paso Wine Man Band led 

by singer Casey Biggs who also 

served as the festival’s emcee. 

There were some purists such 

as chefs Andre Averseng and 

Elaine Rivera Glenn dishing out 

a traditional seafood paella and 

chef Johnny Jantz of Boccabella 

Farms layering his dish with mussels. 

Others opted to do the paella 

sans seafood, using chicken, pork 

and sausage: chef Dallas Holt garnished 

his dish with coconut and 

pineapple, Gabriel Diaz of Sabor 

de Gabriel tossed vegetables 

and chef Charles Palladin-Wayne 

roasted a whole pig for his paella. 

Neeta Mittal (owner of LXV 

Wine) did a non-traditional vegan 

take with vegetables and berries. 

It was chef Jeffry Wiesinger’s 

wine country paella “made with 

love” and Portuguese sausage that 

nabbed the top People’s 

Choice award though. 

His secret? 

“Homemade 

stock 

and sauces 

extracted from 

shrimp shells and 

chicken bones,” he revealed. 

This is the fourth win 

for the chef and his wife Kathleen 

who will soon open their eatery, 

Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ, in 

downtown Paso. 

The runner-up kudos in the People 

Choice Awards went to Mittal, 

Averseng and Rivera Glenn. 

The paella flavors were further 

heightened when paired with 

silky, seductive pinot noirs crafted 

by Paso producers, some using 

local fruit while others sourced 

from cooler regions such as Monterey 

and Santa Barbara Counties. 

The festival was started in 2004 

by Marc Goldberg and Maggie 

D’Ambrosia (owners of Windward 

Vineyard) as a community 

grass roots gathering by pinot-fanatics. 

The criteria at the time was 

that winery participants use only 

local Paso fruit in their pinot noir 

wines. “We have just allowed pinot 

producers who use fruit from 

other areas,” Goldberg commented 

on the recent changes. 

Indeed, rules have relaxed over 

the years since Paso is not a region 

known for pinot noir and many 

local winemakers use fruit from 

other Central Coast regions. 

Among the wineries offering 

pinots crafted from local Paso 

fruit were Windward, Jack Creek 

Cellars, Carmody McKnight, 

Asuncion Ridge and Sculpterra. 

Then there was the special 2016 

Full Circle pinot noir from Tablas 

Creek Vineyard, a winery known 

for its Rhône style wines. The pinot 

from the Templeton Gap District 

is made from Haas Vineyard, 

a small patch that was planted by 

the late Robert Haas in front of his 

house in Templeton. 

Both RN Estate and TH Estate 

poured pinots crafted from prestigious 

Santa Barbara County vineyards. 

Derby Estates and Bodega 

de Edgar pinots were produced 

from the cool wind-swept regions 

of San Simeon and Cambria. 

There were several refreshing 

pinot noir rosès: Hoyt Family 

Vineyards’ from the Willow 

Creek district and Lazarre 

Wines Vin Gris made in a lighter 

Provençal style were welcome sips 

on a warm afternoon. 

Calcareous Vineyard, Castoro 

Cellars, Dunning Vineyards, Opolo, 

Pomar Junction and Rocky 

Creek Cellars rounded out wineries 

pouring exceptional pinots. An 

elaborate cheese display was set by 

cheese artist Maliysa Lou representing 

15 Degrees C Wine Bar. 

Funds raised from the event 

benefit Paso Robles Youth Arts 

Foundation (PRYAF) and other 

local charities. Each year approximately 

$40,000 is donated 

to PRYAF, Goldberg noted. 

Over the 14 years, Goldberg 

assessed that the event 

has raised over $425,000. 

“We hope to hit half a million 

in the next couple of years,” he 

said with confidence. 


EVENTS 

Special Events 

July 4 — Paso Pops 4th of July Celebration and Concert hosted 

at Paso Robles Event Center. The gates open at 4 p.m. with familyfriendly 

activities until the concert begins at 8 p.m. For more 

information or to purchase tickets, visit paderewskifest.com. 

July 4 — 2nd Annual Bluegrass Freedom Festival at the 

Atascadero Lake Park from 4 to 8 p.m. Admission and music are 

free, with the option to purchase BBQ by the Atascadero Moose 

Lodge, beer, wine, cider and more. 

atascaderofourthofjuly.com for BBQ tickets or info. 

July 4 — Templeton 4th of July Celebration begins with the 

Templeton Fire Department’s Pancake Breakfast at 7 a.m., parade 

at 10 a.m. on Main Street, and family fun, food trucks, live music and 

more until 3p.m. Breakfast Tickets are available to purchase from 

the Templeton FD. Visit templetonchamber.com. 

July 4 — 4th of July Parade and Day in the Park in Santa 

Margarita kicks off with the parade at 10 a.m. followed by fun for 

the whole family in the park at 11 a.m. The events are sponsored by 

the Community Church and community leaders. 

July 7 — 10th Annual Lavender Festival in Paso Robles in the 

Downtown City Park. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is 

free to the public. Meet with the lavender producers from across 

the region; enjoy food, refreshments, displays, and activities. Visit 

nosloco.com for info. 

July 7 & 8 — Morro Bay Art in the Park runs both days from 10 

a.m. to 5 p.m. Located at the Morro Bay City Park, this 62nd event 

offers handmade arts and crafts by over 100 local vendors. Sign up 

at morrobayartinthepark.com for more information. 

July 14 — Ice Cream Zoofari at the Atascadero Charles Paddock 

Zoo is a great time with the whole family. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., 

come enjoy lots of ice cream along with the animals! For questions 

call 805-461-5080 or visit charlespaddockzoo.org. 

July 18-29 — California Mid State Fair is back at Paso Robles 

Event Center. Carnival rides, exhibits, concerts, rodeo, food, games, 

agriculture, entertainment, art shows and auctions. Special event 

information and more is available from by visiting midstatefair.com. 

July 21 — Vina Robles invites you to join their Summer Grill & 

Chill. Relax on the Petite Terrace with cool wine, rockin’ music and 

delicious food crafted by Executive Chef Randal Torres. The event 

menu and tickets are available from vinarobles.com 

July 21 & 22 — Central Coast Renaissance Festival at Laguna Lake 

Park in SLO is an old-world experience in the modern age. Open from 

10 a.m. to 6 p.m., two days are filled with food, entertainment, jousting 

and family-centered activities. More info & tickets at ccrenfaire.com 

July 26 — Annual FREE Pancake Breakfast sponsored by Main 

Street and the Mid-State Fair is held 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the 

Paso Robles City Park. Enjoy pancakes, entertainment and rides 

with either Cowboy Ken and his train or Harris Stage Lines. Visit 

downtown merchants. 

Aug. 2 — The Beauty of Wine Math – Increase Your Understanding 

of Winemaking Numbers and Calculations — Seminar reviews and 

discusses the most important numbers and calculations in winemaking 

- impacting decisions from harvest to bottling. Whether you grow 

grapes, make wine, or love learning about wine, you will find this 

seminar enriching. 8am-12pm; La Bellasera, Paso Robles; $175 ($150 

before June 29); meristemlearning.com/the-beauty-of-wine-math 

Submit listings to events@nosloco.com, and visit nosloco.com for more information on events. 

Fundraisers 

July 28 — S.O.U. L. Kitchen Fundraiser for the Wellness Kitchen at Peachy Canyon Winery, thewkrc.org 

Concerts & Entertainment — Visit NoSLOCo.com for More Info 

Concerts in the Park 

Paso Robles Downtown, every Thursday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. 

Concerts in the Park 

Templeton Park, every Wednesday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 

Saturday in the Park 

Atascadero Lake Park, every Saturday, 8:30 p.m. 

Festival Mozaic Summer Festival — July 17-29 

Music Without Borders. festivalmozaic.com, 805-781-3009 

Live Music Wednesdays on the Veranda — 5:30 to 8 p.m., Paso Robles 

Golf Club. See ad in this issue for local musicians. Reservations 805-238- 

4722, PasoRoblesGolfClub.com. 

Saturday Live — Every Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m., slowdown from your week, 

sit back and enjoy live music - all while savoring award-winning Vina 

Robles wines. 

Whale Rock Music Festival — Sept. 15 & 16 

Castoro Cellars, whalerockmusicfestival.com. 

Culture & The Arts 

Winery Partners Wine Bar — Wine tasting at Studios on the Park every 

Friday and Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m. benefits the free arts education program 

for local kids. Studiosonthepark.org 

Art After Dark Paso — first Saturday, wine tasting, 5 to 9 p.m., Downtown 

Paso. Hosted by Studios on the Park. 



EVENTS | North Slo County activity & Event guide 

Business 

Atascadero Chamber of Commerce 

Atascaderochamber.org • 805-466-2044 

6904 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA 93422 

July 11 — 4 Chamber Mixer See Paso and 

Templeton Chamber of Commerce events for 

more details below. 

July 13 — Women in Business Luncheon, 

more details online 

Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce 

pasorobleschamber.com • 805-238-0506 

1225 Park St, Paso Robles, CA 93446 

Office Hours with Supervisor John Peschong 

Third Thursday, 9 to 11 a.m., Paso Robles 

Chamber of Commerce Conference Room. 

Taking Care of Business 

North County Toast ‘N Talk Toastmasters 

— Mondays, 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. Keller Williams 

Real Estate, Paso, 805-464-9229. 

BNI— Early But Worth It Chapter — Business 

Networking International — Tuesdays, 7 to 8:30 

a.m., Culinary Arts Academy, Paso, Visitors welcome, 

bniccc.com 

Workshops & Classes 

Free Improvisation Workshop — July 25 for 

ages 12 to18, 1 to 2 p.m., PR Youth Arts Foundation. 

Writing Support Group with award-winning 

author/editor Patricia Alexander. Every other 

Monday, July 9 & 23, 6:30 to 9 p.m. $25 per 

Contact Vicki Janssen for appointment, 

vjanssen@co.clo.ca.us, 805-781-4491. 

Office Hours with Field Representative for 

Senator Bill Monning — Third Thursday, 2 to 

4 p.m., Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce 

Conference Room. Contact Hunter Snider for 

appointment, 805-549-3784. 

July 11 — Membership Mixer — 4 Chambers 

of Commerce, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Rava Wines, 

6785 Creston Road, Paso Robles. Produced 

jointly by the Chambers of Commerce in 

Atascadero, Templeton, Paso Robles and San 

Miguel. 

or $20 for 4 meetings paid in advance. Call for 

location 805-479-7778. BookOfComforts.com. 

Line Dancing, Tuesdays, 6 to 7 p.m., Centennial 

Park Banquet Room. $50 for 10 Punch Pass 

or $5 per class drop in. Beginning and intermediate 

taught by Tina Scarsella, prcity.com/ 

Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce 

Restaurant of the Month Appreciation, first 

Tuesday, pasorobleschamber.com for info. 

Templeton Chamber of Commerce 

templetonchamber.com • 805- 434-1789 

321 S. Main Street #C, Templeton, CA 93465 

Templeton Women in Business — July 10 

5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Changala Winery, 805-434- 

1789, info and RSVP, info@templetonchamber. 

com 

Chamber Board of Directors Meeting — July 

11 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., every 2nd Wednesday of 

the month. Pacific Premier Bank Conference 

Room on Las Tablas Blvd. 

Business Networking International — 

Wednesdays, 7 to 8:30 a.m., Cricket’s, 9700 El 

Camino Real, #104, Atascadero. Visitors welcome, 

bniccc.com. 

Above the Grade Advanced Toastmasters 

— first Thursday, 7 to 9 p.m. Kennedy Club Fitness, 

Paso. 805-238-0524, 930206.toastmastersclubs.org. 

BNI — Partners in $uccess —Thursday, 7 to 

8:30 a.m. Paso Robles Assn. of Realtors, 1101 

Riverside Ave. Visitors welcome, bniccc.com. 

Speak Easy Toastmasters — Friday, 12:10 to 

1:15 p.m. Founders Pavilion, Twin Cities Community 

Hospital. 9797.toastmastersclubs.org. 

recreation-online, 805-835-2076. 

Community Quilting — third Saturday, assists 

children and senior organizations, 10 

a.m. to 2 p.m., Bethel Lutheran Church, Old 

Country Road, Templeton. Cynthia Bradshaw, 

clbrad1313@hotmail.com. 


John’s Video Palace 

Celebrating 30 years in Atascadero! 

Join us on Saturday, July 21st. 

8120 El Camino Real, Atascadero 

805-466-5525 

LOTS OF FREE PRIZES! 

Stop by for your chance to win! 

Coupon Valid Now 

Rent 1, Get 1 Free! 

(with this coupon) 


EVENTS | North Slo County activity & Event guide 

Service Organizations 

American Legion Post 50 — fourth Tuesday, 

6:30 p.m. 270 Scott Street, Paso Robles. Info: 

Commander John Irwin, 805-286-6187. 

Hamburger Lunch — American Legion Post 50, 

- $5, Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 240 Scott St., 

Paso. 

Pancake Breakfast — third Saturday 8 to 11 

a.m., $6, American Legion Post 50, 240 Scott 

St., Paso Robles 

Exchange Club — second Tuesday, 12:15 

— 1:30 p.m. McPhee’s, Templeton. 805-610- 

Clubs & Meetings 

Health & Wellness 

The Wellness Kitchen and Resource Center 

thewkrc.org • 805-434-1800 

Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wed. until 6 p.m. 

1255 Las Tablas Rd., Templeton 

• Healing and Wellness Foods meal programs, 

volunteer opportunities, and classes 

(RSVP, register and pay online.) 

July 19 — Healthy Cooking Classes — Cool 

Summer Foods! Instructor Evan Vossler. 5:30 

to 7:30, FREE for those facing illness, otherwise 

$20. No one will be turned away. 

July 20 — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Idler’s Home, 122 

Cross St., San Luis Obispo. RSVP required to 

805-434-1800 or nancy@TheWKRC.org. 

July 25 — Intro to Wellness — A Taste of Change 

with Registered Dietitian Hayley Garelli. 10 

simple ways to begin your clean eating journey 

5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Please RSVP. Class is FREE. 

8096, exchangeclubofnorthslocounty.org. 

Daughters of the American Revolution — first 

Sunday. For time and place, email dmcpatriotdaughter@gmail.com. 

Lions Club Meetings 

Atascadero — second & fourth Wednesdays, 7 

p.m., Atascadero Agriculture Hall, 5035 Palma 

Ave. 

Paso Robles — second & fourth Tuesdays. 7 

p.m., PR Elks Lodge, 1420 Park St. 

San Miguel — first & third Thursdays, 7:00 p.m., 

Almond Country Quilters Guild Meeting, 

July 6 at 6:30 p.m., lecture by Patsy Carpenter. 

Trinity Lutheran Church, 940 Creston Road, 

Paso. Contact kajquilter@ gmail.com. General 

info: lisajguerrero@msn.com, acqguild.com. 

Coffee with a CHP — second Tuesday, 8:30 

a.m., Nature’s Touch Nursery & Harvest, 225 

Main St., Templeton. 

Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) 

Chapter 465 — second Wednesday, 7 p.m. at 

Paso Airport Terminal. Getting youth involved 

with aviation. EAA465.org. 

North County Multiflora Garden Club — second 

Wednesday, Noon to 3 p.m. Public is welcome, 

no charge. PR Community Church, 2706 

Spring St., 805-712-7820, guests welcome, 

multifloragardenclub.org. 

Monthly Dinner at Estrella Warbirds Museum 

— first Wednesday, 6 p.m., guest speakers. 805- 

296-1935 for dinner reservations. ewarbirds.org. 

North County Newcomers — July 24 deadline 

for August 1 luncheon at Estrella Warbirds Museum, 

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gatherings held first 

Wednesday for residents living here less than 

3 years. RSVP at northcountynewcomers.org. 

Active Senior Club of Templeton — first Friday, 

10:30 a.m., Templeton Community Center, 

601 S. Main St, Templeton 

Cancer Support Community 

cscslo.org • 805-238-4411 

1051 Las Tablas Road, Templeton 

• Support, education and hope. Cancer Support 

Helpline, 888-793-9355, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

SPECIAL PROGRAMS: 

7/10 • 6 p.m. Education: Immunotherapy. 7 p.m. 

Young Survivors Peer Gathering in Templeton 

7/18 • 11:30 a.m. Pot Luck Social 

7/12 • 11 a.m. Advanced Cancer Group 

7/19 • 11 a.m. Advanced Cancer Group 

7/25 • 11:30 a.m. Mindfulness Hour, RSVP 

required 

7/26 • 6 p.m. Young Survivors Peer Gathering 

at Sierra Vista Hospital, 2nd floor, San Luis 

Obispo 

8/1 • Life Beyond Cancer 

Community Hall, 256 13th St. 

Santa Margarita — second & fourth Mondays, 

7:30 p.m., Community Hall, 9610 Murphy St. 

Shandon Valley — Please call 630-571-5466 

for more information. 

Templeton — first & third Thursdays, 7:00 pm, 

Templeton Community Building, 601 Main 

Street 

PR Grange Pancake Breakfast — second Sunday, 

7:30 to 11 a.m., 627 Creston Road, Paso 

North County Women’s Connection Luncheon 

— July 13, featuring classical pianist 

Marion Walker. 11 a.m., Templeton Community 

Center. $12.00. Reservations by July 10 to 

JoAnn Pickering, 805-239-1096. 

Central Coast Violet Society — second Saturday, 

10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Brookdale Activity 

Room, 1919 Creston Road, Paso. Znailady1@ 

aol.com. 

Classic Car Cruise Night — second Saturday 

(weather permitting), 5 to 7 p.m., King Oil 

Tools, 2235 Spring St., Paso. Tony Ororato, 805- 

712-0551. 

WEEKLY SCHEDULE: 

MONDAY: 11:30 a.m. Therapeutic Yoga at 

Dharma Yoga 

TUESDAY: 1 p.m. Educational Radio Show 

WEDNESDAY: 10 a.m. Living with Cancer Support 

Group — Newly Diagnosed/Active Treatment. 

THURSDAY: 10 a.m. Coffee Chat 

FRIDAY: 7/13, 7/27, 6 p.m., Grupo Fuerza y 

Esperanza. Special Programs — Navigate with 

Niki Thursdays by appointment. Cancer Well- 

Fit® at Paso Robles Sports Club, Mondays and 

Thursdays 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. pre-registration 

is required with Kathy Thomas, kathythomas10@hotmail.com 

or 805-610-6486. Beautification 

Boutique offers products for hair loss 

and resources for mastectomy patients (knittedknockers.org). 


LAST WORD 

MARIBETH BONOMI honored as 

Friend of the Fair of the Year 2017 


Stroll along the 

grounds of the 

Paso Robles 

Event Center during 

the annual California 

Mid-State Fair, peruse 

the exhibits, enjoy the 

concerts and rides, and 

then step back and take 

a moment or two to appreciate 

all that goes into 

making it the “Biggest 

Little Fair Anywhere!” Chances 

are, some of the people responsible 

for landscaping, decorations, crowd 

control, and monitoring the exhibits 

are volunteers – Friends of the 

Fair – that give freely of their time 

year after year. 

One such volunteer was recently 

recognized for her work in 2017 

and over the past several years – 

Maribeth Bonomi. When her name 

was announced as the Friend of the 

Fair of the Year 2017 at the annual 

volunteer dinner, Maribeth said she 

was “shocked!” 

“When I heard my name, I could 

not believe it,” she said. “I see people 

helping out and doing amazing 

things around the fairground; they 

work for hours upon hours, spend 

days out here, maybe even the entire 

length of the fair. So, for me to be 

singled out – wow! I am truly humbled 

and I appreciate this show of 

kindness a great deal. This is such a 

nice honor.” 

One unexpected but much-coveted 

bonus? Maribeth now has her 

very own parking spot during this 

year’s Fair! “I am used to walking 

from blocks away 

and so this will be 

quite a treat to not 

have to look for 

parking this year!” 

Helper Bee 

A retired local 

elementary school 

teacher, Maribeth 

became involved 

with the Fair 

when she offered to help her friend, 

Patti Lucas, with the Miss CMSF 

Pageant She refers to herself as being 

Patti’s “helper bee.” 

“I ask the girls questions, help 

them get what they need, and go to 

events as a chaperone,” she said. “I 

help get notices out to the local high 

schools and colleges to get more 

girls involved, and work behind the 

stage with the girls. I enjoy getting to 

know the girls and establishing close 

relationships with each of them. I try 

to help boost their confidence, keep 

them moving forward, and remind 

them of what they need to do.” 

As part of the pageant requirements, 

the contestants help in various 

aspects of volunteer work with 

Friends of the Fair, so it was natural 

for Maribeth to become involved 

with helping in that area as well. 

Tisha Tucker of the CMSF said, 

“Maribeth has been a fantastic volunteer 

for the Friends of the Fair 

program. She also helps a lot with 

the pageant and helps Patti before 

and during the fair. She has also 

helped with the parade; whenever 

she is [at the parade] with the pageant 

girls she’s willing to jump in 

and help push one of the floats. She 

is willing to take extra shifts that 

may need to be filled; she always 

does her best to try and help [including] 

in the information booth. 

Maribeth has gone above and beyond 

and she truly deserves the title 

of Friend of the Fair of the Year!” 

Maribeth said one thing she 

learned the first year she volunteered 

was how much work is involved. “I’d 

gone to the Fair for probably 38 

years and I somehow never realized 

this. You go there, and it’s all done – 

the flowers are blooming, the signs 

are up, and everything looks pretty. 

When I started volunteering, I realized 

people work really hard to get 

the grounds to look so beautiful and 

to get things organized and moving; 

that shocked me that I never took 

the time to think about all the work 

involved to get ready for Fair time.” 

Many Hands Make Light Work 

CMSF Board Member 

David Baldwin and Maribeth 

Bonomi. Contributed photo 

When asked why she volunteers, 

Maribeth’s answer was simple: “I 

work on the theory of…if we all work 

together and help each other we can 

accomplish more. I tell my kids all 

the time, MANY HANDS MAKE 

LIGHT WORK! During one of 

the work days in June, everyone was 

working together, asking one another 

what we could do to help someone 

else, and we got a lot done a lot faster…it 

just makes more sense!” 

Part of the fun with being a 

Friends of the Fair volunteer, Maribeth 

shared, is the opportunity to 

work with and get to know others 

in the local community. “I have met 

lots of people through the Fair; it’s 

a fun adventure and I enjoy it. I am 

involved with other volunteer work 

in the community as well, but I don’t 

do it for any kind of recognition. I 

do it because I want to be involved 

and I don’t expect anything in return. 

I just like to help.” 

Many people will recognize Maribeth 

from her years of teaching 

at local schools. After working in 

Lockwood for four years and San 

Lucas for two, Maribeth taught for 

nine years in Shandon and, most 

recently, 17 years at Winifred Pifer 

Elementary School. Maribeth and 

her husband, Jim, are parents to 

three adult children – Kyle, Cherish, 

and Lindsy – and have a five-yearold 

grandson, Zander. 

Find information on becoming 

involved with Friends of 

the Fair at midstatefair.com. 

Meagan Friberg can be 

reached at meagan@paso 

magazine.com 

ACC, Inc. 47 

Adelaide Inn 

Worship Directory 49 

Adrienne Hagan 32 

AM Sun Solar 23 

Amdal Transport 31 

American Riviera Bank 04 

Associated Traffic Safety 32 

Awakening Ways 35 

Blake’s True Value 35 

Blenders 33 

Bob Sprain’s Draperies 46 

Body Basics 13 

Bridge Sportsmen Center 15 

Brooklin Oaks Pharmacy 38 

Cal Sun Electric & Solar 16 

California Mid-State Fair 25-28 

CASA 48 

Central Coast 

Renaissance Festival 46 

Chandra Corley 34 

Cider Creek Bakery 46 

City of Paso Robles 

Concerts in the park 17 

City of Paso Robles-REC 09 

Connect Home Loans 19 

Cotton and Rust 11 

Dale Gustin 43 

Di Raimondo’s Italian Mkt 32 

Diversified Landscaping 20 

Dr. Chalekson, Charles 33 

Dr. Stanislaus, Maureeni 20 

Dutch Maytag 45 

Edwards Barber Shop 31 

Equine Experience 15 

Estrella Warbirds 02 

Fox Hill Pools 23 

Full Service Power Equipment 48 

Gallagher Video Services 40 

General Store Paso Robles 36 

DIRECTORY TO OUR ADVERTISERS 

Glenn’s Repair 47 

Golden Collar 33 

Golden Hills Farm 15 

Golden Oaks Grill 45 

H.M. Holloway 11 

Hamon OHD 11 

HDH Construction 15 

Hearing Aid Specialists 

of the CC 03 

Hearing Solutions 35 

Heart to Heart RE 24 

Heather Desmond Real Estate 07 

HFG Coastal Insurance Service 33 

Kaitilin Riley DDS 33 

Koker’s Tree & Demo Service 38 

Lansford Dental 05 

Law Office of Patricia Scoles 41 

Lera Butterfield Platinum 

Properties 23 

Lube N Go 34 

Main Street Small Animal 

Hospital 19 

Mary Ann Austin 41 

Morro Bay Art in Park 23 

Natural Alternative 41 

New with Tags 24 

Nose to Tail 19 

Odyssey World Cafe 33 

Pacific Trust Mortgage 36 

Painted Oaks Salon 43 

Paradigm Advisors 21 

Paradise Grill 37 

Paso PetCare 10 

Patterson Realty - Paso Robles 51 

Perfect Air 34 

Photo Stop 35 

PR Casino 45 

PR Chamber of Commerce 10 

PR Golf Club 31 

PR Handyman 32 

PR Insurance 47 

PR Rotary 

Winemakers Cookoff 52 

PR Safe & Lock 14 

Ranch Wifi 04 

Red Scooter Deli 34 

Reneau, J Scott - Ins 08 

San Joaquin Valley College 12 

SESLOC Fed Credit Union 13 

Solarponics 21 

Spice of Life 40 

Stove & Spa Center 18 

Susie’s Dog Grooming 47 

Ted Hamm Ins. 47 

Templeton Door & Trim 20 

Teresa Rhyne Law Group 40 

The Art Works 31 

The Auto Bahn 37 

The Harley Group 13 

The Loft 39 

Vic’s Cafe 39 

Voice of Paso 43 

Western Janitor Supply 19 

Whit’s Turn Tree Service 

24Whitehorse 15 

Wighton’s 02 

Wink Lash & Brow Bar 47 


20th 

AUGUST 11, 2018 • 6-9PM 

PASO ROBLES EVENT CENTER 

FOOD, WINE, LIVE MUSIC AND FUN! 

Don’t miss Paso Robles Wine Country’s most popular event! 

30 wineries serving gourmet food straight off the grill 

and paired with each winery’s most outstanding wines! 

Sponsors 

Founding Sponsor 

Regular tickets are $85, sales are limited. Designated driver tickets are $45. 

• Must be 21 to attend 

• Blankets & beach chairs are welcomed 

• No children or pets are allowed 

• No ice chests are allowed 

Order online: www.winemakersCookoff.com 

All proceeds benefit the Harlow Ford Scholarship fund for local high school seniors.

2018 July PASO Magazine

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