Hometown News Since 1916 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CV, NO. II
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
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INAUGURATION
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Sworn in as the 46th U.S. President Kamala Harris takes the oath of office as the first female Vice President By HAYLEY MATTSON hayley@atascaderonews.com WASHINGTON, D.C. — For a new president, Inauguration Day finalizes the transition of executive powers to a new administration for the presidency of the United States. On Wednesday, Jan. 20, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor swore in America’s first female Vice President, Kamala Harris, and Chief Justice John Roberts swore in Joseph Biden as the 46th President of the United States. In the days leading up to the event, a few significant notable differences started being put in place from years past. Roughly 25,000 National Guards were deployed to the Capitol to set up gated perimeters in Washington D.C. due to the inauguration had been designated as a “national special security event,” according to the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief. Another notable difference was the size of the event due to the coronavirus pandemic — a relatively small group of people were invited. Biden’s predecessor President Donald Trump departed Washington ahead of the inauguration rather than attending along with the first lady and his family. In attendance, however, was Vice President Mike Pence and his wife along with three other former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Trump, now awaiting his second impeachment trial, opted to fly home to Florida after a very brief farewell speech at Joint Base Andrews.
WINNER
state that one belonged to the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, while the other belonged to Regina Shelton, a close family friend she thought of as a “second mother.” According to the Constitution, it does not require politicians to swear the oath of office on any specific book. Public officials have used the Quran and the Hebrew Bible in years prior. President Biden brings with him to office a depth of experience from more than four decades in Washington. At age 78, he is the oldest President inaugurated. In President Biden’s inauguration speech, he stated, “I know the forces that divide us are deep, and they are real. But I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all are created equal and the harsh, ugly reality of racism, nativism, fear, demonization that have long torn us apart. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward, and we must meet this moment as the United States of America.” Biden continued, “We have much to do in this winter of peril, and significant possibilities: much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain. Few people in our nation’s history have more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we’re in now.” President Joseph Biden used his inaugural speech to send a message to the rest of the world about the US, “The will of the people has been heard, and the pledging to “repair our alliances and engage with the world once again.” will of the people has been heeded. We’ve learned Photo courtesy of Joesph Biden’s official Facebook page. again that democracy is precious and democracy Biden, the longtime senator from Delaware, the cover, a book that has reportedly been in the is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has is the 15th former Vice President and second Biden family since 1893. prevailed,” Biden said. “This is America’s day. This Catholic after John F. Kennedy to become the Vice President Kamala Harris, a reported is democracy’s day. A day in history and hope, of commander-in-chief. Baptist who has family members who are Hindu renewal and resolve.” While swearing-in, now First Lady Jill Biden and Jewish, took her oath of office using two Bibles CONTINUED ON PAGE A15 held a 5-inch-thick Bible with a Celtic cross on held by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. Reports
Daughters of American Revolution Good Citizen Awarded to THS Senior Brooksley Pruitt
AUSD Presents Pool Renderings, New Professional Development To Board
Rebecca Berg celebrates after correctly answering a puzzle on Wheel of Fortune. © 2021Quadra Productions, Inc., photographer Carol Kaelson. All rights reserved.
Atascadero Local Rebecca Berg Wins Big on Wheel of Fortune
By CONNOR ALLEN connor@atascaderonews.com
By CONNOR ALLEN connor@atascaderonews.com ATASCADERO — Wednesday night, January 13, Atascadero resident Rebecca Berg made an appearance on the popular national game show Wheel Of Fortune and proceeded to decimate her competition, winning the game and bringing home more than $67k in the process. Berg, who works as a bookkeeper, developed her love of word games at a young age while playing with her grandparents. “My grandparents used to watch it a lot, and I used to go over to their house all the time and watch it with them,” Berg told the Atascadero News. “My grandfather passed away when I was 17, so it is kind of a bittersweet memory of the good times I had with my grandparents.” After decades of following along at home, Berg finally decided it was time to put her knowledge to the test and submit an application. With her husband Troy’s help, she created a 20-second CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
SOCIETY
EDUCATION
RECOGNITION
BROOKSLEY PRUITT
KATELYN HURL
KATHERINE REID
By CAMILLE DeVAUL camille@atascaderonews.com
Katherine Reid Paso Robles High School Pruitt was awarded $500 from the El Paso de Robles NSDAR Chapter. Hurl and Reid was awarded $150 each. Each entry must submit their high school activities, including how they serve the community, their future plans, extracurricular activities, and how they have exhibited the Good Citizen qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism. They must also submit their grade transcripts and two letters of recommendation. Once a student is chosen, they are asked to write a timed and proctored essay. This year’s essay topic was “Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility to Protect It.”
A panel of three community members who do not belong to NSDAR review all entries and select a winner. All panel members have backgrounds as teachers, newspaper writers, and public service. After Pruitt was chosen as the El Paso de Robles chapter Good Citizen, her entry was forwarded to the district level. Although Pruitt was close, she did not make it past the district level. El Paso de Robles NSDAR regent, Lisa Wood said, “All our Good Citizen entries were outstanding, and the judges said they were all very close. I am proud of all our students. I also commend the schools who took the time to choose the Good Citizen representatives from their
ATASCADERO — The AUSD Board of Trustees came together Tuesday night for a long and informative meeting where they were presented with the new pool facility’s first digital renderings and the new professional development that the District staff will start undertaking this year. The meeting first opened with a moment of recognition of the Core Value of Excellence for Paloma Creek bilingual interpreter Robert Gaona. Chris Balogh, Principal of alternative education, presented the award to Gaona, who also received a certificate and a nice insulated coffee mug for his outstanding work. Mr. Gaona is the most helpful bilingual interpreter with whom I
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TEMPLETON — Templeton High School Senior Brooksley Pruitt received the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Good Citizen Award. The Good Citizen award is open to all accredited North County High School students. Schools are asked to nominate one student who exemplifies a Good Citizen’s qualities. This year, the El Paso de Robles NSDAR Chapter received entries from the following students: Brooksley Pruitt Templeton High School Katelyn Hurl Shandon High School
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COVID-19 UPDATE
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MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ASTRONAUT VICTOR GLOVER Is honored during the 36th celebration of Provides Inspiration to Black Cal Poly his Federal Holiday | A3 Students from space | A4
SLO COUNTY TO PAUSE DID YOU KNOW? administering specific Moderna vaccines Charles Paddock was a compassionate due to possible allergic reactions | A5 man who helped where he could | A13
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