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SINCE 1916 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CIV, NO. VII
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2024
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School board recognizes Atascadero Middle School staff for being a ‘School to Watch’
Trustee board will allow Cuesta College ETHN 230 course at Atascadero High School
District 3 County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg addresses the NRC staff during the recent public meeting on Diablo Canyon Power Plant. Photo by Neil Farrell
NRC engages public on Diablo Canyon’s future
By CHRISTIANNA MARKS christianna@atascaderonews.com
Federal commission holds meeting to assess environmental impacts and renewal concerns By NEIL FARRELL
(From left) Mayor Pro Tem Susan Funk, SLO Beaver Brigade founder Audrey Taub, Mayor Heather Moreno, Councilmember Charles Bourbeau, and Councilmember Heath-
SAN LUIS OBISPO er Newsom at the interpretive beaver panel ribbon cutting. Photo provided by the City of Atascadero. COUNTY — Should Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant be granted a new operating license? That’s the ultimate question being asked of the Federal The Salinas River hosts Luis Obispo Beaver Brigade, talking about beaver habitats sense to put the panels here. Nuclear Regulatory Commis- three families of beavers, the City of Atascadero, and the and the benefits they provide “Initially, we just weren’t sure sion (NRC), and the lengthy Amigos de Anza group, along our area. We were super excited if we wanted to put beavers on and their dams process for answering it has with the California Coastal about that.” the panels,” she said. “We weren’t gotten started in earnest. Commission WHALE TAIL The SLO Beaver Brigade sure. We didn’t want unwanted By CHRISTIANNA MARKS A panel of top NRC staff- christianna@atascaderonews.com grants program, made the panels offers the public two free negative attention. So we spoke guided educational tours a to a number of other organizaers working on the re-licensing possible. application that Pacific Gas ATASCADERO — Nature “It was so exciting for us,” month. Most often, because tions.” & Electric submitted last year lovers of all kinds headed out to said Audrey Taub, the founder there are beavers throughout After chatting with those held a public meeting Feb. 8 the Juan Bautista De Anza Trail- of SLO Beaver Brigade. “We the Salinas watershed, they organizations, it was clear that at the Embassy Suites in San head on Feb. 10 at 9 a.m. for the received the WHALE TAIL take people out on De Anza education with something like Luis Obispo. ribbon cutting and unveiling of grant from the California Trail to the Salinas River. South the panels is the best way to help The point was to gather two interpretive panels high- Coastal Commission last year County also hosts quite a few protect the beavers. The SLO comments from the public on lighting Atascadero’s beaver for these two interpretive panels beaver habitats, but Taub said Beaver Brigade was encourwhat issues the NRC should population and the benefits they at the trailheads of the De Anza that Atascadero has the best in aged to get the word out to explore during its environmen- bring to our community. The San Trail in two separate spots for the county, so it made the most CONTINUED ON PAGE A7 tal review of the application under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Liliana Vance was the federal government’s version of only student from AMS the California Environmental to make this year’s AllQuality Act (CEQA). And while the ballroom at State Honor Choir Embassy Suites was set up By CHRISTIANNA MARKS for a crowd of 300, roughly christianna@atascaderonews.com 100 people turned out for the meeting. ATASCADERO — On As might be expected in Saturday, Feb. 3, the All-State such a divisive issue, the room Choir Concert, presented was pretty equally divided at the California All-State between staunch anti-Diablo Music Education ConferCanyon activists and support- ence (CASMEC), took place ers — mainly people who work at Memorial Auditorium for PG&E or garner work in Sacramento. Atascadero Midd le School (AMS) from PG&E. Several politicians also eighth-grader Liliana Vance turned out, including a Santa not only auditioned for the Maria City Councilman, a All-State Honor Choir but SLO County supervisor and landed a spot and represented the mayor of San Luis Obispo, the Atascadero at the confer- The All-State Honor Choir, including Atascadero eighth-grader Liliana Vance, performs at the All-State Choir Concert in with each of them supporting ence. All-State Honor Choirs Sacramento. Photo provided by the Vance Family keeping the plant going for the are put together by the Calieconomic benefits its roughly fornia Choral Director’s Asso- in February and had landed a a really big deal.’ I was really (AHS). She was the one who spot in Honor Choir. 1,000 full-time employees and ciation (CCDA). excited,” said Liliana. encouraged Liliana to audition millions in contracts for goods Auditions took place online “When I made it, I was Liliana has been in the and helped her pick a selecand services — plus the tax and ended on Oct. 20, 2023, kind of flabbergasted because AMS choir for the last two tion to audition for a soprano base — add to the area. and it didn’t take long for I did not think I’d make State years under the teaching of role, and when all was said and And while the NRC’s lead Liliana after she submitted Honor Choir, and I remember Carrie Jones. Jones not only done, it paid off. man on the safety concerns of her vocal material to find out telling my sister, and she was teaches choir at AMS but also “Liliana is probably the CONTINUED ON PAGE A7 that she would be performing like, ‘that’s a big deal. That’s at Atascadero High School CONTINUED ON PAGE A7
Atascadero unveils interpretive panels celebrating local beaver population
Atascadero Middle School student performs at All-State Choir Concert
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ATASCADERO — The Atascadero Unified School District (AUSD) Board of Trustees met for its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. At the beginning of the meeting, the board recognized Atascadero Middle School (AMS) staff members for the CORE value of teamwork, earning AMS designation as a “School to Watch.” “Our middle school recently applied and was recertified as a ‘School to Watch,’ that’s one of the most prestigious awards a middle school can earn in the State of California,” said AUSD Superintendant Tom Butler. “What’s neat about this, in this case about the school, is this is really a collaborative effort, and you’re going to hear about how the teachers and classified staff participate and all the efforts that they have to support the students at the school site alongside the administrators. It’s important to note that this award requires a visitation from an outside person who’s usually an educator from another middle school or middle school-type setting across the state. We’re here to celebrate the success of Atascadero Middle School.” AMS Principal Brent Vander Weide addressed the board and stated that it was about the daily work that the staff at the middle school puts into the institution that made things possible, in addition to Kara Farrell, Megan Kok, Julie Davis, Heidi Cooper, Tim Schamp, and Joy Taylor, who were recognized at the meeting. “In order to achieve this designation, schools must participate in an extensive application process followed by a validation visit from qualified representatives, like Mr. Butler talked about,” said Farrell at the meeting. “It is not an easy or a quick process. The application itself is over 30 pages long and must include specific information about how each school is meeting the ‘Schools to Watch’ rubric. Domains in the rubric include academic excellence, CONTINUED ON PAGE A7
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