GOOD NEWS REAL NEWS HOMETOWN NEWS
SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXIV, NO. XXVII
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023
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pasoroblespress.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
COMMUNITY
Vine Street Victorian Showcase returns
North County Rotary club members pitched in at the Coats for Kids area during the Day of Giving event in Paso Robles. Founder Barbie Butz said that this was one of the best years the nonprofit has seen, from quality of coats received to volunteers. Photo by Camille DeVaul
Grizzly Academy cadets volunteer at ‘Day of Giving’ ahead of graduation Over 1,000 children were signed up to receive coats and toys this year By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — Over 1,000 children received toys and coats on Saturday, Dec. 9, during the 29th annual Day of Giving at the Paso Robles Event Center. Chair and Day of Giving Coordinator Amanda Bean told Paso Robles Press that this year called more families
into needing their services at the Toy Bank of Greater Paso Robles. The Day of Giving is a free event organized each year by the Toy Bank of Greater Paso Robles and joined by Coats for Kids with additional help from the community. Over 1,000 children and about 500 families were signed up for the event this year. Bean noted that many families signed up for Day of Giving for the first time this year. “We have a lot of families that have never come here CONTINUED ON PAGE A7
Athena (no last name given) sings in front of one of the houses during the Vine Street Victorian Showcase on Dec. 9. Photo by Camille DeVaul/PRP
After a hiatus, the 37th annual event transformed streets into a Christmas Wonderland, drawing crowds from across Central Coast By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — The streets were filled again for the 37th annual Vine Street Victorian Showcase after three years of modified or canceled events.
On Saturday, Dec. 9, Vine Street was closed to vehicles and opened itself to families from all over the Central Coast. The event possessed much anticipation from the community this year as last year’s showcase — which was the
first walk-through since the drive-through COVID-modified version — was canceled due to the torrential downpour of rain received last December. For the past 37 years, crowds draw from all over the Central
MUSIC
Neil Young shows up at local record store to sign his new album ‘Before and After’ Fans from all over California drove to Traffic Records to meet the music legend
AGRICULTURE
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EDUCATION
District addresses concerns over student behavior and enrollment trends Trustees receive administrators are using different means of correction updates on suspensions, behavior for misbehaving students as required by the state. They are interventions, and resorting to using other interattendance patterns ventions like online classes and
By CHRISTIANNA MARKS christianna@pasoroblespress.com
NORTH COUNTY — A line of Neil Young’s fans started forming in front of Atascadero’s local record store, Traffic Records, as early as 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7. It was announced via Traffic Record’s social media platforms on Wednesday, Dec. 6, that Young would be holding a signing for the release of his new album, “Before and After” at the record store from 12 to 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8. “I showed up this morning at 6:45 with my 9-year-old, and I didn’t think we’d have to get here earlier than that, but there was probably already 100-plus people in line to buy the LP and CD, so we waited
Coast to witness the community’s most looked forward to Christmas event of the year — the Vine Street Victorian Showcase. For one night only, the streets between 8th and 21st transform into a
By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
Fans hold up their new records as they wait in line to meet Neil Young in Atascadero. Photo by Rick Evans.
to purchase, and then I had some obligations, came back about 10:30,” said local resident Kirstin Andrews. Andrews was raised on Young’s music and saw him live
in 2016 in Indio, California, at the music festival dubbed “Oldchella.” Like everyone else in line, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on Young’s newest release, which set her
up to have her album signed by the legend. The line was huge by 11:30 on Friday morning, which had hundreds of people, 300 of
NEWS
NORTH COUNTY LIFE
SPORTS
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PASO ROBLES — Trustees received an update on enrollment and suspensions within the district during the Tuesday night Paso Robles Joint Unified School District meeting on Dec. 12. While suspensions are down compared to last year, there are still concerns over student behavior in the classroom. “Just because we are seeing a reduction in suspensions does not mean we are seeing a reduction in those behaviors,” explained Director of Student Services Tom Harrington, who presented the new data. He further explained that
group counseling for anger management and substance abuse at the middle schools and more counselors at every site. Harrington adds that they have more mental health therapists than the district has ever had. The majority of violations that occur land in the following categories: • inappropriate behavior • electronic devices • fighting • possession of controlled substances • defiance, disruption, and disrespect Fighting, including suspension and nonsuspended incidents, was 235 last year and 196 this year. Harrington
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