Hometown News Since 1916 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CIV, NO. XXV
THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020
SUMMERTIME
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ATASCADERO POLICE DEPARTMENT
HEALING
Atascadero Police Chief Jerel Haley Retiring After 29 Years
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas Dreyfus’ wife pins his badge to his uniform. Dreyfus was wounded during the active-shooter incident in Paso Robles earlier this month. Contributed photo From your own front yard to socially distant safe events, there are things to do to brighten your summer days. File photo
Enjoying Summer Amidst a Pandemic
Wounded Deputy Dreyfus Receives a Warm Welcome Home Atascadero Police Department Police Chief Jerel Haley poses for a photo with his daughter next to a classic police car. Haley announced he will be retiring in the fall. Photo courtesy of Chief Jerel Haley
Fostered a culture of community involvement within department
By HAYLEY MATTSON hayley@atascaderonews.com
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By CONNOR ALLEN connor@atascaderonews.com
s we continue this journey through COVID-19 and we are now enjoying summer, we are reminded that once again, this year continues to be different. However, that does not stop all the incredible people in our community who host our annual events each year from getting creative. Here are a few events everyone can still enjoy! 4th of July – Colony Days Fundraiser BBQ The annual Atascadero Fourth of July Freedom Bluegrass Festival is the yearly fundraiser for Atascadero Colony Days. It was canceled this year due to state regulations in response to COVID-19. “For the past three years, we have seen thousands of people join us to celebrate at the Atascadero Lake Park,” festival founder and director Nic Mattson said. “It is disappointing to have to cancel, but we are working with the city of Atascadero to make the best decision we can for all involved.” In order to raise funds for this year’s parade, the Colony Days Committee has decided to host a Drive-Thru Barbecue on Saturday, July 4, from noon to 4 p.m. They will have chicken and tri-tip dinners for four available, with a limit to 200 dinners. You can take advantage and pre-buy your dinners now at ColonyDays.org. The event will return to the calendar in 2021 with a Sunday, July 4 date, and the authentic Bluegrass lineup that will accompany the family-friendly event, filled with vendors, food, and drinks. 4th of July Templeton Firefighter’s Association Traditional Pancake Breakfast Templeton’s Firefighters Association has decided to host their annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast to include additional measures to keep the community safe. The customary dine-in breakfast has been changed to a drive-thru in front of the Fire Station to keep the tradiCONTINUED ON PAGE A15
LOCAL NEWS
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fter 29 years in law enforcement, including the past nine as the Chief of Police in Atascadero, Jerel Haley is retiring. His last day will be Oct. 16. As a law enforcement officer, he worked in many roles, such as Street Crimes Detective, SWAT team member, Sexual Assault Investigator, and perhaps the most impactful — Community Services Officer. During his tenure in Atascadero, Chief Haley engaged with the community, participating in numerous fundraising events and working with many nonprofit organiza-
tions. It wasn’t by accident. It was part of his philosophy. It will also be part of his legacy as many of those in the force have also adopted a passion for community involvement. “The way that I say it is repeated from something I heard a long time ago but the need to make deposits in people’s emotional bank accounts,” Haley told The Atascadero News. “Community involvement is one of the ways to do that; we set about the process of trying to give access to community members to who we are. We call it partnershiping, we want to make a partnership with the community, and the one way to do that CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
COMMUNITY VIGIL
Hundreds Gather to Remeber Tre Perry Memorial held Monday evening in Downtown City Park By BRIAN WILLIAMS brian@atascaderonews.com PASO ROBLES — For an hour, the nearly 500 people standing in the Downtown City Park, regardless of their skin color, were Trevon Perry’s brothers and sisters. They laughed, sobbed and fondly remembered Perry on Monday, who was last seen alive heading to visit friends on March 15. Perry, 28, was known as someone who did the right thing, regardless of the consequences. In December of 2019, Perry testified for the prosecution in the preliminary hearing of his best friend’s murder — 23-year-old Cristopher Vento Wilson. Many believe Perry’s disappearance and death were related to the murder trial. “Christopher was like his brother, and Trevon made the brave choice to testify and pursue justice for his best friend,” said Porsche Bailey, reading part of a family statement. “Now Trevon, like Christopher, has been taken from us by another senseless act
LOCAL NEWS
People laughed and cried during the memorial for Trevon Perry on Monday in the Downtown City Park in Paso Robles. Photo by Brian Williams
of violence. Trevon is no longer here, and our hearts are shattered. “Like Trevon, our family will stand up for what is right until we have justice,” Bailey continued. “We are confident in the Paso Robles Police Department and the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s office and trust that they will hold those involved in Trevon’s death fully accountable.” Paso Robles Police Department detectives found what remained of Perry’s body at a home in Riverside on June 18. On Sunday, June 28, PRPD officers arrested the man they believed killed him — 23-year-old Nicholas Ron, of Paso Robles.
LOCAL NEWS
Monday evening’s memorial for Perry was organized by the San Luis Obispo County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The Rev. Stephen Vines, NAACP San Luis Obispo president, implored people to stop senseless violence by speaking up. “The real enemy, when I was growing up in our community, was violence. Violence is the real enemy that we have to look out for young people,” Vines said. “That is the true enemy because violence never solved CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
SPORTS
By HAYLEY MATTSON hayley@atascaderonews.com SAN LUIS OBISPO - On Sunday, the Welcome Home Military Hero’s organization announced on their Facebook page that San Luis Obispo County Deputy Nicholas Dreyfus would be released from the treatment center and returning home. Deputy Dreyfus was shot in the face during the Active Shooter incident that occurred in early June. Dreyfus was transported by air to a trauma treatment facility outside the area where he had undergone several procedures. The last update released from the San Luis County Sherriff was from Dreyfus’s wife, Tyler, stating that the Deputy remained in critical care. The doctors were providing very positive feedback regarding his current condition and prognosis remained optimistic for a positive outcome. Nearly nineteen days later, escorted by several law enforcement officers, Deputy Dreyfus was greeted by dozens of local residents who formed a “flag line” on the Vineyard Drive bridge in Templeton. Waving flags and posters along with two large banners, the crowd cheered as the sirens and parade of law enforcement vehicles drove by welcoming the wounded deputy home. Dreyfus was one of four law enforcement officers wounded in the two-day manhunt that left one local resident, James Harding Watson, dead at the hand of the shooter Mason Lira. Lira was shot and killed by law enforcement after a shootout as he attempted to evade capture. All the other officers are healing and on the road to recovery. On July 12, a drive-thru barbeque fundraiser is being held in support of Deputy Dreyfus. Hosted by Roosters Firearms and Benevedo’s Country Style BBQ & Catering in support with the San Luis County Sheriff ’s department. The fundraiser will be offering a tri-tip meal that you can pre-order and pick up in the parking lot of Roosters in Templeton. All proceeds will go directly to Deputy Dreyfus and his family. Deputy Dreyfus, 28, is assigned to the North County Sheriff ’s Station in Templeton and has worked for the Sheriff ’s Office for nearly two years. atascaderonews.com
WEATHER
twitter.com/ @AtascaderoNews facebook.com/ @AtascaderoNews
RIVER FIRE CAUSE linked to company doing weed abatement | A3
PRESS CONFERENCE held related to disappearance of Trevon Perry | A4
FATAL CRASH leaves four
dead in Templeton after spinning off the road | A5
NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR,
Joe Farley steps up to the plate | A13
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