PASO ROBLES PRESS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014
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SERVING PASO ROBLES, TEMPLETON, SAN MIGUEL AND SURROUNDING AREAS SINCE 1886
AVA SHINES BRIGHT IN NY
SPORTS
VOL. 130, ISSUE 10
County talks about water goals
SHANDON HOLDS ON FOR WIN B1
LOCAL
Update of management plan for basin given Luke Phillips FOR THE PASO ROBLES PRESS Photos courtesy of Wine Enthusiast Magazine
TOUR OF PASO LAUNCH PARTY A7
NEWS
Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Executive Director Jennifer Porter poses for a photo at the 2013 Wine Enthusiast Magazine Star Awards Gala held last week in New York.
months. As they read off their lists, there seemed to be a consensus that the top proposed priorities for restoration would be furlough days, a tech 1 position and full-time counseling staff. After mulling over this list for half a year, Griffin’s felt it was time to move forward, instead of tabling it as
SAN LUIS OBISPO — San Luis Obispo County Public Works Director Paavo Ogren gave the county board of supervisors an update on the implementation of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin management plan at a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 28. Ogren recapped 2013 efforts toward establishing the management plan and laid out recommended objectives for 2014, the first of which will be to continue efforts to better understand what’s happening with the basin through scientific modeling. “In 2014 we’re recommending that we better define the specific problems that we’re finding in different parts of the basin,” Ogren said. “The idea of being able to specifically define problem areas and what makes them problem areas can be resolved. That will be a big part of the work efforts in 2014.” Another big part of the county’s efforts in 2014 will be focused on initiating feasibility studies on how to bring supplemental water into the area and to begin with initial project development. Ogren says that work on the environmental aspects of the projects could begin as soon as they’re identified and found to be practical. “We want to steer away from the perception that this is just another study,” he said. “We could start working on the environmental factors as early project work.” Ogren says the feasibility studies will provide a foundation to building an “enhanced” groundwater management plan. “We can then address who is going to be the future decision makers on certain aspects and start addressing programs and project implementation,” he said. Other goals for 2014 will be to establish a successor agency to the Blue Ribbon Committee, which is a stakeholder group who has helped shape the management plan,
See PRJUSD, A3
See COUNTY, A3
Cheers to Paso Robles Local group accepts Wine Region of Year honor Hayley Thomas FOR THE PASO ROBLES PRESS
LEAGUE DONATES TO SCHOOLS A4 WEATHER
NEW YORK — Paso Robles AVA took center stage during Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 14th annual Wine Star Awards gala, winning the coveted Wine Region of the Year award and adding a touch of small-town charm to the swanky, black tie evening. Held on Jan. 27 at The New York Public Library, the event honored outstanding achieve-
ments in the wine and spirits realm. Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Executive Director Jennifer Porter accepted the award alongside association board chairman Austin Hope of Hope Family Wines. Also in attendance were PRWCA Director of Communications Chris Taranto, Eberle Winery’s Gary Eberle, JUSTIN Vineyards and Winery Winemaker Scott Shirley and Vice-Preseident of Marketing
David Bowman; Hearst Ranch Winery partner Jim Saunders and national sales manager James Budda; Steve, Cynthia and Lawrence Lohr and Jeff Meier of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; Hope Family Wines marketing manager Whitney Hrdlicka and winemaker JC Diefenderfer; Mike Mooney of Chateau Margene, Villa San Juliette General Manager Hillary Trout, Winemaker Matt Ortman and Linda Parker-Sanpei of Parker Sanpei Lifestyle
Public Relations. Nearly 500 hundred attendees gathered at the historic Fifth Avenue locale, including special guests like Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Antonin Scalia. Master of Ceremonies Adam Strum, Chairman of Wine Enthusiast Companies and editor and publisher of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, See CHEERS, A3
TODAY
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57 36 THURSDAY
57 34 FRIDAY
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Pictured at left is Casey Biggs, also known as ‘Paso Man,’ with Adam Strum, Chairman of Wine Enthusiast Companies and editor and publisher of Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
From left, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance representatives Jacki Strum, Hillary Trout, Gretchen Roddick and Celeste Hope attend the gala in New York.
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64 37 RAIN SEASON YTD — 1.47”
INDEX OPINION ................... A4 TV WEEK................. A5-6 SPORTS ....................B1-6 CLASSIFIEDS................ B4
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PRJUSD board meeting heats up Wording of motion becomes sticking point for trustees Allyson Oken OF THE PASO ROBLES PRESS
PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Jan.
28 started with some controversy. The topic, discussed for well over an hour, pertained to a request by Superintendent Kathleen McNamara to make a decision and approve a district priority restoration list for
the 2014-2015 school year. The controversy arose when the trustees questioned the wording of the motion made by board President Katy Griffin. The concern was that the language would legally bind them to restoring items on the list. All seven board members made individual lists based on a list compiled over the last six
Templeton solar farm nearly complete Vintner Solar Project has ability to power more than 250 homes Hayley Thomas FOR THE PASO ROBLES PRESS
TEMPLETON — With the ability to provide enough energy to power more than 250 Templeton homes, the Vintner Solar Project will soon come on-line. The community took part in a ribbon cutting for the project on Jan. 30 that is located just past 640 El Pomar Drive in Templeton. The Templeton Chamber of Commerce, as well
as project owners Bob and Pam Finley, hosted the event. The 20-acre project is a ground-mounted, 1.5 megawatt (ac) solar generating facility that has the ability to offset carbon emissions equal to that of nearly 880 automobiles, according to a press release. The project was made possible in large part to Ecos Energy’s power purchase agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric to sell power for a 20-year term with a “minimal physical im-
pact to adjacent properties.” According to the Finley Family, the project will begin a journey for “future generations to come.” Jayme Finley, Bob and Pam’s daughter in law, said the project utilizes family-owned land that wasn’t prime for agricultural or development purposes. “The soil properties weren’t good, and there are power lines See SOLAR, A3
TH E OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF E L P A SO D E R OB L ES
A ribbon cutting event for the Vintner Solar Project, located just past 640 El Pomar Drive in Templeton, was held Thursday, Jan. 30. Pictured, the 1.5 megawatt solar generating facility is currently in the final stages of completion. Courtesy of the Finley family