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WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020
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CLASS OF 2020
Atascadero High School Honors Top 30 Zoom conference held in lieu of annual banquet to honor academic excellence
AHS’ top 30 seniors proudly wear their medals during Wednesday nights Zoom conference. Contributed photo
By CONNOR ALLEN creative in how they honor their connor@atascaderonews.com hardworking students. There are three main criteria ednesday night, via points in which the students ZOOM confer- are graded to earn a spot on the ence call, the Top 30, and each of the students Atascadero High School admin- selected exemplifies all three. The istration honored their Top 30 first of the three points is that he seniors from the class of 2020. or she must demonstrate dedicaDue to the concerns and strict tion to their community through social distancing orders from community service activities the COVID-19 pandemic, the and projects. The second criteschool was unable to hold its rion calls for students to show annual banquet to honor these commitment to their school by seniors and were forced to get actively participating in extra-
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REMEMBERING KRISTIN
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onday, May 25, Memorial Day, marked the 24 year, that local Cal Poly student Kristin Smart has been missing. Twenty-four years. Smart was 19-years old when she vanished, and despite the new developments, warrants served, and a viral podcast, we are still waiting in suspense to find out what will come of the newly found evidence. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the interest in CONTINUED ON PAGE A14
LOCAL NEWS
SPORTS
their unwavering commitments to their school, their community and their academics. They represent our school, their families and themselves as outstanding examples of young men and women, whom we are all very proud of.” The Atascadero High School Top 30 are: Anneline Breytenbach Autumn Burkey Bailey Doherty Brianna Jimenez Cael Cooper
Eleanor McCall Emily Heckman Emily Thompson Eric Fregoso Gabriel Sandoval Jaycee Haynes JayCee McEntire Johnathan Dolan Kacey Journey Katelyn McKinley Katherine Kershner Kyle Pericic Laura Hernandez-Arvizu Logan Jones Luke Olson
School Board Prepares For End of Year
Local Residents Adopt Graduating Seniors By HAYLEY MATTSON hayley@atascaderonews.com
By CONNOR ALLEN connor@atascaderonews.com
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hroughout the days of COVID, several Facebook groups have formed to offer support. Gathering individuals that are willing to be of service and assisting those in need. As the weeks went on and schools became closed indefinitely, there was a unified sense of loss for our youth that would be graduating High school. This loss ignited a fire within Regina Orosco, a parent and North County community member that lives in Atascadero. Orosco had stumbled upon a Facebook Group that was created in Southern California at her old alma AHS Senior Emily Heckman (left) and CONTINUED ON PAGE A14
RECORD
Mackenzie Bryson Mackenzie Wright Madison Hosford Mason McLain Marli Watt Mikenna Goldensmith Minako Nogi Nathan Hontz Olivia Benda Tara Prendeville Congratulations to all of these seniors and the Class of 2020 as a whole for their hard work and dedication throughout this academic year.
EDUCATION
CLASS OF 2020
Memorial Day Marks Kristin Smart Disappearance By HAYLEY MATTSON hayley@atascaderonews.com
curricular activities and the third states that students must have exhibited perseverance in their academic endeavors. “I can’t say enough about this year’s recipients of the TOP 30 award,” Atascadero High School Principal Bill Neely said Friday. “They are the 30 TOP 30 of 2020. They are members of the senior class who had their senior year abbreviated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But none of that diminishes any of their accomplishments and
adopter Regina Orosco, Group Creator. Contributed photo
TODAY’S SENIOR
ATASCADERO — On Tuesday morning, the Atascadero Unified School District held it’s board meeting via Zoom, simultaneously live streaming to YouTube.com to adhere to all standards social distancing standards set forth by California Governor Gavin Newsom. The meeting opened up with no news to report from the closed session that preceded the meeting. While many of the discussions recently have been surrounded by news of cuts, distance learning, and general gloom, Tuesday’s meeting opened with some CONTINUED ON PAGE A14
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GRADUATION CEREMONIES ATHLETES OF THE YEAR COVID UPDATE The latest Discover what and where for Cuesta Athletic nominees for happenings and what it Athlete of the Year | A4 the Class of 2020 | A3 means for you | A10
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Congratulations
to the 2020 graduating class!
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