North County Life - March 2012

MARCH 2012

Life NORTH

Dance!

Main Street Dance expands to Atascadero (pg. 6 )

COUNTY

Happy lambs Come from Paso Robles (pg.13)

TALKING A LITTLE ‘BULL’

WINE

The rough art of raising bucking bulls Jandy Jones

lint Hayes, Scott Silveira and Steve Neitzke look like an unlikely group to be business partners, but when the subject of bucking bulls is brought up, one can see exactly how the trio meshes. While each has his niche in the business that they “oversee,” all agree that the objective is bulls that buck.

“Our goal is to have some of the best bulls on the West Coast or at least the Central Coast,” Silveira said. “Hopefully, we can get them into Professional Bull Riding (PBR) and the touring professionals.”

Between the jesting and the jokes, the three are able to still get business done. Raising bucking bulls is considered more of an “expensive hobby” than a profitable business in the beginning, but the trio is willing to wait it out. Their

C

BULLS pg. 5

Photo by Josh Petray

SYLVIE B. – computer analyst-turned-realtor Sylvie Beauregard, pictured.

HEARTHSTONE Spring pairing (pg. 12)

FEATURE

Photo by Jandy Jones

UNLEASH THE FURY – Raising bucking bulls is a long process that includes loading the bulls into chutes and letting them simmer for some time. Raising the animals right is “like catching lightning in a bottle,” according to those who know best.

Lay down roots with Sylvie B.

WHAT LUCK! Community events for the family (pg. 10)

By Josh Petray

f you're thinking about relocating to the Paso Robles area and need a chic, suave and aggressive realtor to represent your interests, perhaps Sylvie Beauregard is the person to seek out.

With so many realtors to choose from – many of which will aggressively seek your business with the current state of the real estate market – one may wonder, “Where to begin?”

Beauregard perhaps makes the decision an easy one.

If you're looking for energy and efficiency, Beauregard of Keller Williams Realty North County is your friend in Paso Robles, as her marketing collateral can attest.

The former computer analyst entered the real estate market after moving to the United States in 1992 and later becoming an American citizen in 2007. Roughly 20 years ago, Beauregard left her native country of Canada

I

SYLVIE pg. 7

SPORTS

SHAWN VARNER Road-ruling pastor (pg. 15)

Paso Robles Press P.O. Box 427 Paso Robles, CA 93447

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March 2012 North County Life

page 2

Life NORTH

COUNTY

March couldn’t have come quickly enough! It’s time to get outside, smell the roses and check out the newborn animals roaming these fragrant hills. If that sounds too syrupy-sweet for your buds, you just haven’t spent enough time outdoors lately. If you’re looking for a fresh start, check out our calendar and get involved. There’s always something new to taste and try!

Hayley Thomas, Editor

NEWS: 3

COMMUNITY: 4 LOCAL BUZ Z: 8

SPORTS: 15 CALENDAR: 10

PUZZLE: 11 GOOD EATS : 12

NORTH COUNTY

Life

Published monthly by Paso Robles Press & Atascadero News Paso Robles Press P.O. Box 427 Paso Robles, CA 93447 Ph: (805) 237-6060 Fx: (805) 237-6066 www.PasoRoblesPress.com

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PUBLISHER Jason Cross jasonc@pasoroblespress.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Hayley Thomas community@pasoroblespress.com STAFF WRITERS Jandy Jones Creig P. Sherburne Nena Benson Heather Young Lisa Pretty Josh Petray Judy Bedell

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NEWS COMMUNITY SPORTS

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North County Life March 2012

page 3

Ohana Bodywork & Massage welcomes all creatures into extended family Better health, better balance through somatic massage therapy Hayley Thomas

“O

hana” is the Hawaiian word for “extended family,” and when you step through the door at Ohana Bodywork & Massage Therapies you’re part of that tradition – whether you’re two or fourlegged.

Ohana Bodywork & Massage Therapies, located at 212 Main St. in downtown Templeton, is clean, bright and tranquil with a large open space for workshops, two rooms for human massage and one very special room for animals in need of a little TLC. After eight years in Atascadero, Elise and Thomas McMasters recently relocated their business to Templeton.

They’re longtime locals who love the small-town feel and friendly atmosphere.

Both are accomplished massage therapists and the couple and business partners also work together on a competitive rowing team.

“We’re both athletes, and we’re both good at studying body movement, which is key to therapeutic massage,” Thomas said. “The type of work I love is unraveling the puzzle of the body.”

That investigation begins with somatic massage, what the McMasters believe leads to a more self-aware and encompassing road to health. The couple praise the work of Thomas Hanna, a pioneer in the field.

According to Hanna, somatic therapy is a holistic experience that combines the mental, spiritual and physical aspects of being. The therapy teaches participants to become aware of their bodies and how they experience sensations. Soma has been defined as “the body experienced from within.”

As we all know, when people bottle up stress inside or are injured, there are physical manifestations in the body. The couple said many times the issue is a contracted muscle or group of muscles that have been tensed so long that they can no longer release. At this point, the sufferer generally learns to move his or her body in a different way, avoiding the problem.

That’s where Ohana comes in.

Instead of simply physically working the muscle until it releases, the professi-

“

nals aim to also give their patients mental tools that will help them understand and change the way they move. This can unlock what Thomas calls “the myth if aging.”

“Whether you’re 17 or 80 on the table, the only difference is that the 80year-old has been contracting [the problem muscles] longer,” said Elise. “They don’t realize they can take control.”

Thomas echoed that idea.

“Your muscles are involuntarily contracting, and [through somatic therapy] you’re voluntarily elongating them,” he said. “It’s brain work – not just muscle work. For about the last 15 years, we have worked on muscle to brain. This work is from brain to muscle. It opens your world.”

Thomas said this work can also be performed on animals, whether they be dogs used for agility, horses used for pleasure riding or competition and beyond. Elise takes the helm in this department with 13 years of animal massage training under her belt and a real rapport with animals.

Noted Thomas, “Animals are instantly honest and communicative.”

Elise said that before doing surgery on an animal, one may want to figure out what’s really going on. A whopping 60 percent of in-office visits are from dogs (and the occasional feline).

“It’s a continuum. The anatomy is different, but over years, I’ve adapted all moves for humans to work on dogs and that translates to horses,” said Elise. “To me, equine somatics and human somatics became a missing link, taking people and animals further and helping them go from a place of restriction and pain to a place where that doesn’t exist for them anymore.”

Whether you’re a person or a pooch, the couple said you’ll notice results in the first session. However, it takes MORE INFO work. The couple aims at guiding patients back to the road of Ohana Bodywork & health by working with their Massage Therapies is located at hands and communicating 212 Main St. in Templeton. different ways of movement Call 674-2202 for more and awareness with their information. minds.

Elise quoted Hanna eloquently: “When there’s nothing wrong with the structure – a bone isn’t broken – then there’s something wrong with the function.”

Your muscles are involuntarily contracting, and [through somatic therapy] you’re voluntarily elongating them.

It’s brain work – not just muscle work.

Thomas McMasters

Ohana Bodywork & Massage

”

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March 2012 North County Life

Looking West: George Westlund’s view

Creig P. Sherburne

G

eorge Westlund is one of those Atascadero ancients: His family moved to the city on April 1, 1956, when he was 4 years old. He graduated from Atascadero High School in 1971 and then from Cal Poly with degrees in architecture and computer science. And with the exception of a brief stint in Los Angeles, he’s lived his whole life here.

“Just one summer,” Westlund said.

“That was it.”

He’s now a systems analyst at Cal Poly and has been for the past 34 years.

He said his job is to plan software patches and upgrades, working with the school’s many computer users and it suits him just fine.

“I’m more of a people-person than some of the others [in my department],” he said.

What Westlund has done for most of his life is blend people with technology.

In his youth, he was part of a band — Blackberry Ridge — as the sound and light guy and photographer. The group had some success playing on the Frontier Stage at the California Mid-State Fair once or twice.

“You know how if a band has a fight, someone leaves?” Westlund asked.

“Well, we could have knock-down, drag-out fights and be practicing next week. It was a family.”

Westlund is still very close friends with Rick Evans, the band’s guitar player. They play Jeep Jamboree together. (More on that later.)

Westlund bought his first camera, a 35mm, from Lon Allan, who would later be the editor of the Atascadero News. He spent the next two years heavily involved in the yearbook and ended his high school career as the yearbook’s editor. And his first job out of high school was working for KSBY as a gopher, but he quickly learned how to develop cytochrome plates and slides.

“That second summer, they sent me out to shoot government buildings and mayors … I got to drive old beat-up vehicles,” Westlund said. “It was a fun job.”

He never stopped taking pictures.

Photography has taken him as far as the Philippines, where he shot for Philippine Medical Society of Northern California at the invitation of a few doctors at St. William’s Catholic Church, which he’s attended since his family first moved to Atascadero.

The first time he went to the Philippines it was just after the big typhoons in 2006. He said that 300 medical pro-

fessionals treated 9,700 patients in 4 1/2 days. Many cleft palates were fixed alongside hundreds of other ailments both large and small and of every type.

Full-blown surgeries were performed and Westlund has the photos to prove it.

What he said might have been the most surprising part of the trip was the attitude of the people.

“People were still cleaning up [from the typhoon],” Westlund said. “Buildings were buried in mud, but the people would see the tourists and smile. …

It made me appreciate how much we waste here [in the U.S.]” Another place he now shoots professionally is at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, an enormous religious event held annually in Anaheim.

Westlund’s first time there, he took photos because, well, he takes photos.

“I wanted to make a slideshow and thought I should get rights to the music,” he said.

So he called up one of the event’s organizers with the hope of bartering photos for music.

“I got an email back asking if I would be the official photographer,” Westlund said.

He’s been shooting the show ever since. That was five years ago.

Westlund told a story wherein a friend asked what his secret to good photography was. His answer: “I guess I have a very good muse.”

His friend’s daughter, a high-school student, piped up with “your muse was the Holy Spirit,” a statement that Westlund said has stayed with him ever since.

Westlund bought his first digital camera in 2000, and his first DSLR in 2004.

He now uses two camera bodies: a 2004 Canon 20D and a 2009 Canon 50D. The 20D’s shutter is rated for 40,000 releases and he’s over that by about 10,000.

And he recently bought two L-series lenses with f2.8 through their entire zoom range. He also has three flashes, but prefers to shoot with available light.

It’s why he got the f2.8 aperture lenses: they let more light in in a dark situation.

And he’s justifiably protective of it.

A new L-series lens will put a buyer back between $1,000 and as much as the buyer wants to spend. Yet he brings it all with him on his off-road expeditions. In fact, about the only thing he really doesn’t like to photograph is weddings.

“It’s a one-shot deal,” he said. “You can’t fix it. I haven’t blown it yet, but I’m afraid I could.”

So Westlund focuses his attention on events, landscapes and loves shooting little kids who simply don’t care that there’s a camera around.

Putting it all together is the Jeep Jamboree, a nationwide organization for all-wheel-drivers that puts together gatherings wherein groups of off-roaders drive difficult roads from Point A to Point B. Westlund said he generally takes the trip from Luna Lake to Lake Tahoe over the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

PHOTO pg. 8

Photo by George Westlund

A BEAUTIFUL WORLD – Westlund captures the natural beauty of San Luis Obispo County. The Atascadero resident can be found snapping photos of just about anything with his trusty Canon EOS 50D, pictured at left.

North County Life March 2012

page 5

BULLS Continued from pg. 1

long-term goal is to have a herd that not only bucks, but has a unique genetic line as well.

“We are not trying to replicate someone else’s program,” Neitzke said. “We are trying to create our own formula.”

It isn’t just about breeding an animal that bucks; the trio is also looking for critters that are big and athletic. They recently introduced heifers from Hawaii to help expand the genetic lines.

“We want to have something that nobody else has,” Hayes said in reference to the genetic lines.

The Hawaiian heifers have bloodlines that go back to some great bulls, such as Hawaiian Ivory and Black Ivory and much more, Silveira said. The group is hoping to build size and agility by integrating the Hawaiian genetics with bulls from Texas, Hayes added. Larger bulls allow the competition to be evenly spread between the bull and the cowboy. Some breeders have bred the size out of the bulls.

The trio relies on natural breeding as well as artificial insemination. Hayes is a certified artificial insemination

Jandy Jones

A DAY’S WORK – Bulls are let into the arena to move around and get a little exercise. Like all athletes, the bulls need to stay in good shape. Warm sunshine and an almost-full belly make a perfect combination for this cow, pictured bottom right.

technician.

“People don’t realize that one doesn’t just raise a bull, haul them to a rodeo or PBR and expect them to perform,” Silveira said. There is intense training involved. The bulls have to be able to live together and be sorted and loaded in a trailer. Bulls need to be trained to look for gates and stay calm in most situations.

Training starts when they’re calves. The young bulls are acclimated to horses, chutes and many other elements. The trio wants to be known for their bulls’ bucking abilities as much as for good temperament.

“We would like to have (bulls) that know their job and do it well,” Neitzke said.

It is a common misconception that bulls are antagonized or forced to buck, but in reality, some of the animals just want to. The trio has come across some bulls that just don’t want to, even if their bloodlines boast strong buckers.

“We can help enhance their athletic abilities as babies, but you are not going to teach a bull to buck,” Silveira said. “They’ve got to want to do it.”

Not all bulls are mean, either. The group has one named “Desperado” that can be approached in the pasture

and scratched on the head.

It all changes when it comes time to perform. It is the heifers and cows you have to watch out for, Silveira said. That point was proven when the trio loaded several into the trailer and one took a shot at Silveira.

The trio has a long but fun road ahead of them. Trying to find the right genetic combination for good bucking bulls and then waiting for the bulls to prove themselves is just part of the game.

“It is like catching lighting in a bottle,” Silveira said. “You have got to go through so many to find that good one.”

ROUGH RIDE – Top: Scott Silveira loads cows into a trailer so that they can be relocated to another pasture. Sometimes the cows have more attitude than the bulls.

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page 6

March 2012 North County Life

Templeton dance studio twirls into Atascadero Main Street Dance expands to historic building

Above: Teen ballet students pose in Main Street Dance’s new studio in downtown Atascadero.

From left are Templeton High School ninth-grader Courtney Truhitte, Templeton Middle School eighthgrader Reilly Blair, Atascadero Junior High School eighth-grader Madison Nix, THS 10th-grader Rebecca Sligh and THS ninth-grader Anna Weinberg.

Photos by Heather Young

Heather Young

S

ix months after opening a dance studio in downtown Templeton, Yvette Del Monte-Madrigal and Joe Madrigal expanded their business to Atascadero.

“She’s the operator, I’m the janitor,” Madrigal said.

“I’m her backup, unnderstudy.”

Del Monte-Madrigal owned Academy of Arts and Ballet in the Bay Area before moving to Templeton five years ago. After moving here she worked for the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District as the district dance teacher for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. Due to budget cuts, her position was cut.

Without a job, she looked at providing dance classes for area children and adults, but at a more affordable price.

“We know what we are worth, but we want to make it where everyone can dance,” Del Monte-Madrigal said. “We’re striving to

be very family friendly. I realize a small percentage of them want to dance professionally.”

Currently, Del MonteMadrigal has 100 students at her Templeton location at 105 South Main St. and has added more than 20 classes at her Atascadero location at 5930 El Camino Real.

Del Monte-Madrigal said she and her husband decided to open the dance studio because they are passionate about working with youth. With the studio, she said they offer rehearsal space for free to the God Squad, a missionary team dedicated to reaching youth in the community by sharing the gospel through dance, music and testimonies that was founded by Matthew and Jocelyn Willis.

Del Monte-Madrigal said she works with ages starting at age 3 through adults, as well as special needs children.

She said that after teaching the general population of children dance,

TOP: Atascadero Junior High School eighthgrader Madison Nix practices a leap.

she realized that she wants to reach all children because it teaches them self-esteem, confidence and poise.

She said that for some children, if they weren’t dancing, they’d be in front of the computer or TV. “They need healthy things with their bodies and minds,” Del MonteMadrigal said and added that care is taken to choose age-appropriate music. “We’re really conscious about the costuming too.”

The new location for Del Monte-Madrigal’s business is in the Old Pat Jackson Studio.

“The studio in Atascadero feels like the studio I trained in in San Francisco,” Del MonteMadrigal said. “It’s totally old-school.”

The studio was most recently used for a karate school, which closed during the summer of 2011.

Templeton High School ninth-grader Courtney Truhitte practices on pointe in Main Street Dance’s new location in Atascadero.

Del Monte-Madrigal said the studio was movein ready and so far the entrance is the only part to get a fresh paint job.

“Little by little we’ll fix it up,” Del MonteMadrigal said.

The studio opened

Feb. 1 and offers a variety of classes for all ages.

“I like it a lot because it’s very close to where I live,” Atascadero Junior High School eighth grader Madison Nix said.

“It’s very convenient.”

Want to know more?

Visit www.mainstreet danceatascadero.com for more information.

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North County Life March 2012

page 7

SYLVIE Continued from pg. 1

and traveled to Boputhaswana, South Africa, living there until 1992.

International travel has given her a unique perspective and appreciation for the world's cultural diversity.

Now an American citizen, the real estate aficionado truly values her freedom. But more potently, she values the community of Paso Robles and the wonderful people who make it her home.

Since relocating to the United States, Beauregard has taken her citizenship and stewardship seriously, joining the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, Paso Robles Main Street Association and North County Newcomers Club, among other professional groups and affiliations.

Born in Quebec, Canada, Beauregard discovered Paso Robles for the first time in 2005 while attending the Paso Robles Wine Festival, moving permanently in 2009. With her came roughly 10 years of real estate experience in the

Courtesy photos

VINE TIME – Sylvie Beauregard works the vines during a recent video shoot for Juice Marketing's promotional video for Paso Robles, "Come Discover Paso Robles." Inset, the hard-working local cleans up nicely.

Los Angeles area, representing buyers and sellers alike.

"I immediately caught the magic," Beauregard said of her first experience at the festival.

"Since then, Paso Robles and the Central Coast continue to impress me with their strong sense of community and constant stream of activities.

"I fell in love with the wine country, the rolling hills, native oak trees and

its European flair; so I decided to 'put down my roots' here in this beautiful place.”

In retrospect, Beauregard said that at one time it was a strangely foreign dream that's blossomed into reality – the thought that she, once living in South Africa, would relocate to California's bucolic Central Coast.

The dream is now reality. American citizenship is a proud

accomplishment for Bureaugard, and she takes nothing for granted.

"I take it very seriously," she said. "I'm really proud of it."

Being a relative newcomer to the area, it's no wonder that Beauregard finds herself catering to prospective homebuyers from big cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

She can relate.

"I try to focus my business on people like me who are newcomers, people who are coming to Paso to fall in love with Paso," Beauregard said. "I know it happened to me, and I know that the population is growing. It's growing from the outsidein, not the inside-out."

Her expertise in the local real estate market lends credibility for prospects looking to take the big leap from metropolitan life to the oak-studded wine country lifestyle of Paso Robles.

The magic that enchanted her upon visiting Paso Robles was enough to spark her permanent residency here. Her background in the computer sciences, meanwhile, has enabled her to take the latest tools of the trade and put them into practice.

She's no newcomer to the ins-and-outs of the real estate market.

She's witnessed the frenzy of the real estate boom where paperwork was signed on the hood of the car. She's also no stranger to the labors of marketing homes and properties in a distressed

real estate market.

Outside of real estate, one can find Beauregard volunteering at the Paso Robles Festival of the Arts, Olive Festival and other

"I fell in love with the wine country, the rolling hills, native oak trees and its European flair; so I decided to 'put down my roots' here in this beautiful place."

-Slyvie B., Realtor

local events including those of the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society such as Relay for Life. The experience has proven not only beneficial to her immersion into Paso Robles society, but an integral tool in the networking involved in client-building.

"I love to volunteer," Beauregard said. "Whatever is happening, I want to be there – it's so fun. I just love that about Paso,’it has a strong sense of community. People come here and they love it here, and I want more people to come here because they love it."

A cameo experience in a video produced by Juice Marketing, entitled "Come Discover Paso Robles," lends credence to her affinity for the area, where one can see her amongst the healthy vines, picking grapes.

Combine that dedica-

tion with her vivacious personality and genuine love for meeting new people and one gets a blend of outside experience with the integrity woven into local community.

Beauregard, a residential real estate specialist, utilizes the latest social media and tools of the trade to communicate with her clients, lending a modern flair to her marketing approach.

"I embrace technology as it comes along," Beauregard said. "Keeping information fresh, relevant and current with a consistent presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, Yelp and YouTube."

She also subscribes to DocuSign, an electronic signature service designed to facilitate long- distance transfers.

According to her marketing collateral, when it comes to your real estate transaction, you can count on her personal integrity, dependability, responsiveness and exceptional service you can trust.

"They can certainly come to me because I can put them in touch with the right product, and I have the energy and the ability," Beauregard said. "I have a lot of time and energy to devote to my clients."

There's no reason to sugar-coat it – Paso Robles is fantastic, according to Beauregard.

"This area sells itself in a way," Beauregard, "It's a matter of finding the right product for them."

DROP A LINE – Visit www.SylvieB.com for unlimited access to property search and more valuable information or call her at 369-7777 or 7124278. You can also e-mail info@sylvieb.com or visit her office at 1314 Spring St. in downtown Paso Robles.

page 8

March 2012 North County Life

Creston sawmill is a‘One man, one forklift, one dog’ operation Cam Berlogar offers both logging and milling services, as well as providing a variety of custom sawmill products such as fireplace mantels, siding, interior paneling, furniture and more

Judy Bedell

n a crisp day last month, members of the Central Coast Woodworkers’ Association and the Central Coast Woodturners’ Association met with Cam Berlogar, owner of the Creston Sawmill.

The group was given a unique behind the scenes tour of his one-of-a-kind operation.

The Creston Sawmill is a one-man, one-forklift and one-dog business.

Berlogar takes pride in his work, and whether he is logging local timber, milling lumber for a highend Hollywood shoe store or carefully selecting and milling Old Growth Redwood for interior siding, customer service and satisfaction is of prime importance.

“I get a lot of calls where someone has some property and have a tree that they want to fell and mill to use to build an outbuilding or for a project,” said Berlogar. “I offer logging with minimal impact to your land, not an old fashioned ‘hack and slash”‘operation. Using a bulldozer with a winch and logging arch I can mini-

O

PHOTO Continued from pg. 4

“You bring everything but food,” he said. “You have to bring all your water, camping stuff, fuel, everything.”

Westlund’s vehicle is a 2004 Wrangler TJ Rubicon with quite a bit of custom work. In addition to being significantly lifted, Westlund said that on each Jeep Jamboree, something breaks and he replaces it with “something bigger.”

He also drives the Jeep to church every week and spent one weekend day with his fiancee, Theresa Robertson, driving back roads and taking pictures all around San Luis Obispo County.

The pair met more than 30 years ago at Robertson’s 21st birthday. But

mize the ‘equipment footprint’ on your property.”

He has all the heavy equipment to do the job from start to finished lumber. And, being a wellknown collector of antique Kenworth trucks and parts, you will get to see a bit of history when he drives up in one of his many refurbished Kenworth big trucks.

So how did Berlogar get into this unique business venture?

"When I bought this piece of land, there were three giant Digger Pines dead standing where all the trucks are parked now. I couldn't see just pushing them into a pile with the Cat D6 and burning all that wood. I had chainsaw milled with my best friend’s brother up north near Covelo a few years prior. I figured I could turn those trees into benches and picnic tables. I bought my first chainsaw mill and that's just what I did. The rest is history," said Berlogar.

Berlogar offers both logging and milling services as well as providing a variety of custom sawmill products such as fireplace

time and distance came between them, and it wasn’t until 2007 that they began dating.

“One of our favorite things to do was go for a drive,” Westlund said.

“We drove all the back roads. We took sandwiches and puttered along enjoying the scenery.”

Westlund popped the question on Saturday, Nov. 5 2011, under a “beautiful sky. I got the question out without cracking my voice,” he said.

Robertson said yes.

She died a week later, the result of a brain aneurysm.

Westlund said he doesn’t know what his plan for the future is. He is of an age to retire from Cal Poly, but he’d planned on staying long enough

mantels, siding, interior paneling, furniture and cabinet lumber, picnic benches and tabletops and closet cedar. If you need custom lumber for a gun stock, cabinet, table, or other need, he probably has it.

“The other day I was milling some incense cedar for a customer and this whole ranch smelled like cedar,” said Berlogar.

Berlogar keeps a good selection of logs and lumber on site including redwood, black walnut, cypress, red oak and white oak. Meticulously dried out of the direct sun and rain, the lumber is top quality.

“Customers can come out and either choose from rough cut planks or start with a log and go from there,” said Berlogar.

In addition to offering Old Growth Redwood lumber, Creston Sawmill also offers old-fashioned hand split Old Growth Redwood in four inch by five-inch posts and two-inch by twoinch pickets.

The posts have been used by high-end wineries as end posts in order to enhance the entrance road to the facility.

for his health benefits to carry over to Robertson.

Now he’s not so sure what’s in store for him.

“My old pastor told me not to sign anything until I felt like myself again,” he said.

And so he busies himself with photography and with administering the audio-video system at St. William’s. And his faith helps quite a bit, too. Between that and a lesson taught by his parents, Westlund’s future seems pretty solid.

“When [my] mom died, she left too much behind,” Westlund said.

“She should have done more fun stuff. She and my dad always had these dreams but never realized them. My philosophy is to try to enjoy it.”

Berlogar loves what he does and enjoys working with customers to make their plans and dreams reality.

“The way I look at it, once you really get into something you enjoy

doing, work isn’t work, it’s your life,” Berlogar said.

To learn more, call Cam Berlogar at 438-5005 or e-mail cberlogar@wildblue.net.

- Crestonsawmill.com -

Photo by Judy Bedell

Cam Berlogar and his partner, the forklift, work to position a log on the mill. It’s a small-time, Creston operation that’s big on hard work.

Courtesy photo

George Westlund shares a fun moment with his late fiancée Theresa Robertson. This is the last photo taken of the couple. Westlund’s philosophy is to live life to the fullest.

North County Life March 2012

page 9

Wine Lips & Beauty Tips

by Nena Benson

Brought to you by Vino +Therapy Studio.

The skin and body wine experience is located at 5990 Entrada Ave. in downtown Atascadero.

No-Down Time Safe Chemical Peels. Limited spots, so RSVP. Call 466-8466. This event will fill up fast, so if you’re interested don’t hesitate.

FEATURED WINE STANGER VINEYARDS

S

tranger Vineyards is located on the Westside of Paso Robles in the Templeton Gap. Its fossil-enriched, calcareous/shale soils sit above the valley floor at 1,500 feet. above sea level. The steep hillsides face the southern skies and pick up full sunlight and cool ocean breezes daily. The winery honors the environment; therefore farming standards are strict. Stanger farms by using sustainable practices and does everything by hand. Irrigation is very minimal and productions are low. All of Stanger’s grapes are hand harvested. Their estate wines are fermented in open-top fermenters with punch downs three-to-four times a day. Once dry, the wine goes through extended maceration for 10 to 14 days. The wine is pressed off in a state-of-the-art basket press and aged in 60-80% new French, American, and Hungarian oak barrels for 22 to 28 months.

For the whole month of March, come into Vino+Therapy Studio and taste some of these artistic and unique wines.

SIP NOW MAY 4TH @ CLAYHOUSE WINES 5-9PM Join Clayhouse on the first Saturday of every month in Downtown Paso Robles.

Visit other tasting rooms and galleries while walking. The winery will feature fine art photographer Georganna Dean and live music by Canadian singer/songwriter, Michael LeClerc. Enjoy cheese & wine by the glass/taste. Price: $5/Tasting fee waived with purchase.

CHAMPAGNE, CUPCAKES & BOTOX EVENT March 10 @ Vino+Therapy Studio noon 5 p.m. RSVP required.

Rebekah DeMoss has been a registered nurse for over 16 years, beginning her career in the Emergency Department then expanding into the surgery department. She maintains national certifications in both these areas. However, her nursing passion is in aesthetics. She obtained her certification in Botox, dermal fillers and lasers in 2007 and has been working in aesthetics ever since. She resides in the San Joaquin Valley with her three children, one dog, two cats, and three turtles. Come to VINO+THERAPY Studio on March 10 and receive discounts on Botox, Fillers and

MARCH 10 @ STILL WATERS VINEYARDS 6PM Still Waters Vineyards loves their home winemakers and each year are blown away at the quality wine they produce. This is the winery’s sixth home winemaker dinner and organizers are looking forward to enjoying a bottle of homemade wine with the community. Also enjoy dinner and a blind tasting competition. Invite only. Contact: 237-923.

MARCH 16 FIRST CRUSH WINEMAKING EXPERIENCE @ SILVER HORSE WINERY 11AM-5PM Check out Three for All with First Crush, Silver Horse and Tassajara Cellars. Enjoy a wide selection of estate and award-winning wines in one beautiful location.

Gourmet artisan cheese pairings and gourmet treats all weekend. Bring a picnic and enjoy panoramic vineyard views.

Price: $10/person; Free for club members.

MARCH 17 ANNUAL ZIN FEST @ PASO ROBLES FAIR GROUNDS March 16 – 18, Paso Robles Wine Country celebrates the historical and continued significance of Zinfandel in Paso Robles Wine Country during the 20th Annual Zinfandel Festival. This 20 year milestone is brought to life on Saturday, March 17 through the vibrant Zin Tasting & Wine Country Auction, showcasing Zinfandel wines, complimentary gourmet bites, and Wine Country Auction lots.

Taste the wines, enjoy the cuisine, and bid on Wine Country Auction items - a complete Zin experience to commemorate two decades of Zin Fest.

VISIT THE WINERIES Continue the Zinfandel celebration by exploring the wineries and vineyards of Paso Robles Wine Country. Join more than 150 wineries for a selection of barrel tastings, winemaker dinners, vineyard tours, laidback barbecues, live music, and more.

Many wineries offer a special treat to Zin Tasting ticketholders, so keep your ticket at hand throughout the weekend to take advantage of these special offers. Use the online tour booklet or search by day, winery, and activity to help plan your memorable Zin-filled weekend in Paso Robles Wine Country.

VINO pg. 11

page 10

March 2012 North County Life

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Get involved, see, taste and play FRIDAY, MARCH 2 PRHS DINNER THEATRE The Paso High Theater Company and Kiwanis Club of Paso Robles present the return of the dinner theater Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3 with a 5:30 p.m. seating at the Culinary Arts Academy, 1900 Golden Hills Road. Visit www.tick etleap.com or wwwprh drama.com for more info.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3

4 at 7 p.m. at Bethel Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 295 Old Country Road (3rd and Crocker) in Templeton. $10 suggested donation at the door, For more information on Bethel Lutheran Church, please contact Pastor Amy Beveridge at 434-1329.

WEDDING EXPO The Paso Robles Downtown Main Street Association is holding its Wedding & Special Event Expo on Sunday, March 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Paso Robles Inn Grand Ballroom. For more information, visit www.pa soroblesdowntown.org.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7

STARS FUNDRAISER STARS Infant Preschool Center is gearing up for its Seventh annual fundraiser on Saturday, March 3 at the Pavilion on the Lake in Atascadero from 5 to 11 p.m. The Mardi Gras themed dinner "A Night of Laughs Behind the Masks" will be followed by a professional comedy show. Call 238-0200.

ATASCADERO COMMUNITY BAND The Atascadero Community Band will have its winter concert, “Invitation to the Dance” on March 3 at 1 p.m. at Atascadero Bible Church, 6225 Atascadero Mall.

SUNDAY, MARCH 4 WOMEN'S SHELTER BENEFIT A benefit concert for the North County Women's Shelter & Resource Center featuring Delaney Gibson with special guest Steve Kay will take place on Sunday, March

CCWES SHOW The Third Annual Central Coast Winery Equipment Show at the Paso Robles Fair and Event Center will take place on March 7 and 8. This is an event which showcases suppliers of equipment, services and accessories to the wine industry. Visit our web site at www.ccwes.com for additional details.

NORTH COUNTY NEWCOMERS North County Newcomers Club is open to all residents who have lived in the North County for two years or less.

Monthly general meetings are held the first Wednesday of the month from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information, go to www.northcoun tynewcomers.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 9 AHS CHOIRS The Atascadero High School choirs will present their

spring concert on March 9 at the Atascadero Bible Church at 7 p.m. The concert will include contemporary and classical choral pieces presented by the award-winning Show Choir, Men’s Choir, both Women’s and Advanced Women’s Choirs and the combined 100-plus-voicestrong Concert Choir. Some of the pieces will be taken by a select Festival Choir to the annual Heritage Music Festival in Anaheim later in March.

SATURDAY, MARCH 10 ST. LUKE'S EVENT St. Luke's annual event with a St. Patrick's dinner, auction and entertainment will take place on March 10 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Robert Hall Winery, 3443 Mill Road. Cost is $25 per person, $15 for children under 12.

DANCING WITH STARS Atascadero: Dancing with our Stars will take place on March 10. While the event is sold out, dancers are collecting votes until the end of the event. Each vote is $5 and can be made through the dancers, at the Martin Polin Regional Library or online at www.atascaderofriendsof thelibrary.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 11 CRESTON DINNER BUFFET The Creston Women's Club will be hosting their 12th Annual International allyou-can-eat dinner buffet on Sunday, March 11 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Creston Elementary School Cafeteria/ Multi-Purpose Room, located on Adams Street. All pro-

ceeds used for a scholarship fund, benefiting all Creston area residents. Tickets are $12 adults, $5 children, and must be pre-purchased.

Please call Ann at 438-3543, or Sheila at 239-0917 or visit www.CrestonNews.org f or more details.

TUESDAY, MARCH 13

DOG JOG! CHAMBER SEMINAR On Tuesday, March 13,the North County Business Resource Center and the North County Tech Alliance will host a special seminar featuring Dan Baum, founder of Shutterfly, the number one online service for sharing photos and videos beginning at 6 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott. Tickets are $10 and should be purchased in advance at the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce office at 1225 Park Street or by calling Tiffany at the Chamber of Commerce office, 2380506. Seating is limited..

SATURDAY, MARCH 17 LUCKY LEPRECHAUN EVENT Follow the Rainbow to the Paso Robles Children’s Museum, 623 13th St. and be there when Lucky the Leprechaun gives away his pot of gold. Enter a free drawing to win a birthday party at the museum. Children who wear green will receive a $1 discount on the price of regular admission. Cookies, punch and St. Patrick’s Day crafts.

Adult regular admission fees apply. Call Sarah Davis at 238-7432 for more info.

FRIDAY MARCH 23 A-TOWN ART & WINE The next Atascadero Art & Wine Tour will be held on March 23 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in downtown Atas-

FIVE STAR RAIN GUTTERS, INC. Over 60 Designer Colors — 5 Year Work Warranty Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed! — Service & Maintenance Available One Piece Seamless Returns — Seamless Copper & Aluminum 7 Distinctive Styles of Gutters — In-House Fabrication of Gutters & Downspouts

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www.FiveStarRainGutters.com Lic.#876930 • Bonded & Insured

A Dog Jog to benefit the Sherwood Dog Park of Paso Robles will take place on Saturday, March 24 with check in at 8 a.m. at Paso Kennedy Club Fitness, with a 4K and 2K starting at 9 a.m.

cadero. Local stores will host local wineries and artists for an evening of wine, art and food. Typically more than a dozen wineries are involved.

Wine tasting bracelets will be available at the event for $10.

For more information, call 462-0177 or go to www.atascaderomainstreet.org.

SATURDAY, MARCH 24 DOG JOG A Dog Jog to benefit the Sherwood Dog Park of Paso Robles will take place on Saturday, March 24 with check in at 8 a.m. at Paso Kennedy Club Fitness, 4K and 2K starting at 9 a.m. and contests for Best Dog-Owner look alike, Best dressed, Tallest and Shortest dog and most unusual tail at 10 a.m. Prizes for winners and raffle drawings.

Bandanas, medals and goodie bags for all racers. Registration is $15 until March 20 and $20 until race day. To register, visit Paso Kennedy Club Fitness at 500 South River Road or www.parks4pups.org or call 239-8488 ext. 33. Race is open to runners and walkers on any route.

NORTH COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY LUNCHEON Come celebrate with the North County Humane Society at the 2012 Annual Mem-

ber Appreciation Luncheon and Silent Auction on Saturday, March 24 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Culinary Institute of Paso Robles, 1900 Golden Hill Road. Enjoy lunch, a silent auction and meet the 2012 Board of Directors and NCHS Staff.

Tickets are only $20 for NCHS members and $25 for non-members. To donate items and/or purchase a ticket call 466-5403. Please RSVP

by March 13.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 CATALYST SOCCER Catalyst Soccer is proud to announce its Spring 2012 youth development programs taking place at locations throughout the Central Coast. In the North County, mentoring starts Wednesday, March 28 in Templeton at Ady's Field. For more information, visit www.catalystsoccer.com or call 541-3031.

SATURDAY, MARCH 31 EASTER BUNNY TRACKS The Easter Bunny will be the guest of the Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association on Saturday, March 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Everyone is invited to come downtown and follow the Easter Bunny’s tracks – find him and he’ll give you candy. He’ll be in and out of downtown shops leaving his Easter Bunny tracks for you to follow. Bring your camera and if you find him, you may also take your picture with him. Start in the City Park at the gazebo to get a list of stores where the Easter Bunny will be visiting. For more information, call 2384103.

North County Life March 2012 VINO BEAUTY TIPS

Continued from pg. 9

MARCH 18 VINO+THERAPY STUDIO @ CASS WINERY 11AM-2PM Enjoy a mimosa & waffle bar. You can also enjoy a relaxing massage. Library tasting with Ted from 2 to 4 p.m. $10; waived if you join the wine club (reservations required). Price: $18/Brunch; $10/Library Tasting Contact: 239-1730

MARCH 23 ATASCADERO DOWN TOWN ART & WINE TOUR Taste 20 plus wines, shop local boutiques & view some amazing art. Price: $10.

N

othing cheers people up more than the turning weather warm. The coming of spring can be noticed all around, from ever shrinking piles of snow, to small green buds popping out on tree tips. The change in weather and environment also means it is time to re-evaluate your skin care regimen. Changes made in preparation for winter's harsh reality will not be suitable for the freshness of spring. Here is how you can make sure you put your best face forward as the world outside begins transforming from gray to green.

The foremost characteristic of spring is the transformation. Early months of spring will have weather conditions similar in style to winter, and the later months

FARMER’S Markets Atascadero Farmer’s Market WEDNESDAYS 3PM - 6PM Albertsons parking lot Atascadero (805) 239-6535

Paso Country Farm & Craft Market SATURDAYS 9AM - 1PM 11th and Spring Streets Downtown City Park Paso Robles (805) 238-4029

Paso Robles Farmer’s Market TUESDAYS 3PM - 6PM 11th and Spring Streets Downtown City Park Paso Robles (805) 237-9254

Paso 101 Open Aire Farmer’s Market THURSDAYS 3PM - 6PM San Paso Truck Stop (off HWY 101) Paso Robles (805) 286-1436

Paso Robles Farmer’s Market FRIDAYS 4PM - 7PM Golden Hills Plaza at Lowe’s Paso Robles (805) 610-5023

Templeton Farmer’s Market SATURDAYS 9AM - 12:30PM City Park at 5th and Crocker Streets, Templeton (805) 239-6535

page 11 will make you wonder if it isn't summer already. When you start to notice more of an oily feeling throughout the day, it is time to begin working in a lighter weight moisturizer instead of the heavy one needed to fight the cold weather dry conditions.

It is also a good idea to swap out any other product you use on a regular basis if it hasn't been replaced since before winter. The shelf life on skin care products is not infinite, and you will receive better results with fresh products than ones where the formula inside has been subject to light and varying temperatures. Nothing is better than spring cleaning your toiletries and cosmetic holders.

If your skin is looking dull and lackluster after the long winter, or you want to eliminate those fine lines and wrinkles that seemingly appeared overnight, it’s time

for a mini-skin-makeover with a skin rejuvenation treatment. Some of the latest skin rejuvenation procedures only require a single treatment, and you can see progressive results within a few weeks after your first session. Come in for a free skin Evaluation today to see how VINO+THERAPY Studio can help you with all your beauty and skincare needs.

Call us at 466-8466.

Bring this article in or mention it when booking, and receive a free gift.

GIRLS NIGHT OUT BACHELORETTE & PRIVATE EVENTS (4-8 people) $30 per person: A glass of wine, wine foot soak & champagne sugar scrub foot treatment, port infused truffles, 10 min. chair massage

WINE TASTING & SPA TOURS $55 per Person: A Glass Of Wine, Wine Foot Soak & Champagne Sugar Scrub Foot Treatment, Port Infused Truffles, 30 Min Vino Massage or Coco-Cab Facial. $75 Per person: A glass of wine, wine foot soak & champagne sugar scrub foot treatment, port infused truffles, an array of appetizers, vino massage or facial. Then you head next door for more wine tasting at the Barrel Room (A multi-winery tasting room).

$150 per person: Your starts off at day VINO+THERAPY Studio with a glass of wine, wine foot soak & champagne sugar scrub foot treatment, port infused truffles, an array of appetizers, vino massage or facial. Then you head out on a three hour wine tasting tour of Paso Robles award winning wineries.

All tasting fees are included. We also provide a gourmet lunch on one of the vineyards (This package includes local pickup and drop off).

page 12

March 2012 North County Life

Life

FOOD & WINE

Photo by Lisa Pretty

ALL DRESSED UP – Lamb ascends to new levels of grandeur when rubbed down with fragrant spices and herbs.

Pop open a bottle of Hearthstone wine to finish off a decadent feast.

Local Delicacy Quality Southdown Lamb “After spending a little time with Kevin and Josslyn Wagster, owners of Quality Southdown Lamb, I have a much better appreciation for what makes a tasty lamb.” – Lisa Pretty Lisa Pretty

L

amb is such a tasty meat and is my favorite to make on special occasions. I have to confess to not knowing very much about the different breeds or what makes some lamb taste better than others. After spending a little time with Kevin and Josslyn Wagster, owners of Quality Southdown Lamb, I have a much better appreciation for what makes a tasty lamb.

Kevin and Josslyn purchased their first sheep so they could train their dogs. Working with cattle can be difficult, so they decided to purchase sheep knowing the smaller animals would be easier for the dogs as they learned to control the herd. Kevin grew up in production farming and Josslyn majored in animal science at Cal Poly. It wasn’t long before they decided that if they were going to have sheep, they may as well increase the flock size and produce quality lamb.

KNOW YOUR CHOPS There are more than 40 different breeds of sheep in the USA. Some are known to have high quality meat, and others high quality wool. After a great deal of research, the Wagsters decided to go with the Southdown breed. The animals are moderate in size, do not require as much grass, mature earlier, are docile/easy to move and produce the best tasting lamb.

They are currently building their flock. At this

point, they have 50 ewes and three rams. Those rams are very busy since it is their job to naturally impregnate the ewes. A ewe is bred once a year and can produce lambs for seven-to-eight years. The ewes are selected for breeding based on detailed records of growth rates and breeding history. Rams will be busy breeding in both the fall of 2012 and the Spring of 2013 – delivering 100 lambs next year. Eventually, based on their 10 year plan, Quality Southdown Lamb will have between 700 to 900 lambs to sell each year.

Here are a few fun facts I gathered during our conversation. A lamb is no longer considered a lamb when the front teeth are lost (that happens at around 1 year of age). Rams that are going to be raised for food are neutered at 30 days old. The lambs are slaughtered at between 5-8 months. The fat in the lamb is what gives the meat the gamey flavor, so the Wagsners feed only grass for a lean lamb. What they eat determines how they will taste and grass is considered the best feed for producing tasty lamb.

Quality Southdown Lamb sells whole animals but works with the butcher to have the meat prepared the way the purchasers like it. For small families, the legs can be cut in half, chops can be packaged into smaller sets, the amount of ground meat can be predetermined, etc. A lamb will weigh approximately 120 pounds when it is slaughtered and that will result in 50 pounds of meat. The Wagsters will often find people who do not want a full lamb and are willing to

work with people to share an animal. The animal is sold at $2 per pound based on live weight, and then the butcher is paid as well. On average, the cost of having the custom meat will be $6.50 per pound – a great deal for quality meat that has been raised without hormones or antibotics and only fed grass.

PAIR IT Josslyn shared her Herb Rubbed Lamb Loin Chops recipe with me so I could try the lamb. It was absolutely delicious. I served the chops with the 2007 Hearthstone Lodestone blend. The blend is 50% Syrah, 33% Grenache and 17% Mourvedre. Only 298 cases of this estate-grown wine were produced. The wine was the perfect pairing with the lamb.

For additional information about the Hearthstone wines, visit www.heartstonevine yards.com or visit the tasting room on Vineyard Drive in Paso Robles.

For additional information about Quality Southdown Lamb, or to order a lamb, visit www.qualitysouthdownlamb.com.

North County Life March 2012

page 13

Happy lambs come from Paso A romp through the ranch at Quality Southdown Lamb

Herb Rubbed Lamb Loin Chops GATHER

re ci p e

1/3 + one cup olive oil (save some for the pan) 1 tablespoon basil, fresh chopped ½ tablespoon ground coriander ½ tablespoon fennel seed 2 teaspoons rosemary, fresh chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin Dash of cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

GET COOKIN’

Courtesy photos

Lambs graze on fresh, green grass at Quality Southdown Lamb, located in Paso Robles. From the hillside to the table, quality livestock means the best flavors for your family.

Patio Dining!

SLO Home Show BBQ Contest People’s Choice Winner 1st Place Tri-Tip • 1st Place Ribs • 2nd Place Chicken Family owned and operated, we offer a world of BBQ under one roof. You Delivery will find slow cooked classics in a range of styles from Texas, Kansas City Now and the Carolinas. We take great pride in our Angus Beef Brisket, meaty Available! and tender dry-rubbed baby back ribs, premium quality pork butts, tender young smoked chickens, and all the great side dishes including fried pickles and fried green beans. Our meats are smoked low and slow with our signature dry rub.

Relax on our covered patio and choose from 8 premium draft beers, a couple of dozen bottled beers and several local wines.

NEW MENU ITEMS: TRI-TIP • FISH & CHIPS • SALADS • VEGETABLES FRESH RB GROUND BEEF BURGERS

Happy Hour Monday thru Friday – 11am to 6pm $2 PINTS - BUD LITE & SMOKIN’ BLONDE DRAFT $2 DOMESTIC BOTTLED BEER

Visit us on line at www.rbsmokinbbq.com where you can even place an order for pick-up!

1467 Creston Road, Paso Robles • 805-221-5863 Located in the Food-4-Less Shopping Center

Combine olive oil, basil, coriander, fennel seed, rosemary, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in a bowl. Dip the chops into the mixture to coat, leave in bowl, cover and refrigerate for an hour or more.

Heat a skillet on the stovetop, add olive oil, make sure this is sizzling hot. Sear on one side for 4 minutes on medium high, then flip chops and cook for another 6 minutes on medium, cover for the last 2 to 4 minutes.

page 14

March 2012 North County Life

North County Life March 2012

Life

page 15

SPORTS North County pastor and all-around bike man

Creig P. Sherburne

hawn Varner has done and fixed just about everything that can be done or fixed on a bike.

Raced road bikes?

Check. Done jumps on BMX bikes? Check.

Worked in a bike shop?

Check. Owned a bike shop? Check. Mountain biked with his son?

Check.

While Varner’s life may be filled with change, evolution and uncertainty, bikes remain a constant for him.

They have been since he was 10 and he says they will be until the day he dies.

“Biking is low-impact,” he said. “You can do it forever.”

Now a resident of Templeton, Varner rode through his youth, but things really began to get interesting in 1996. That was when, just before the birth of his son, he got sober. He’s still sober to this day, a fact he took zero credit for.

Instead, he thanks God, his family and cycling for keeping him on the wagon.

Varner worked at Bike Masters in Paso Robles from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, the owner of the shop offered to sell it to Varner, who said he and his wife, Becky, were really torn: buy the bike shop or send Varner back to school with the goal of going into ministry?

In the end, they split the difference and bought the shop which was used as a ministry.

“I remember hanging out in bike shops when I was a kid,” Varner said.

“We thought, ‘why not turn hanging out in a bike shop into a ministry?’ So that’s what we did. … It was a really good time in our lives.”

Four years later — to the day — Varner sold the shop to K-Man Cycle & Run’s Keith Schmidt.

The shop moved and was sold again and is now Best Bike Zone on Paso Robles Street in Paso. In the intervening years, K-Man also moved to a larger location near El Camino

S

Real and Santa Rosa Road, but Schmidt still owns and runs it.

Varner sold the shop to take up a position as a youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Paso Robles. Varner eventually left the church because it wanted something else from its youth pastor, and rather than turn it into a struggle, he vacated the position so a more appropriate pastor could come in.

He immediately went back into the bike business, working for Schmidt at K-Man in Atascadero where he stayed for two years, doing itinerant preaching on the side.

But, he said, going back to a bike shop was like dropping a duck back on the lake.

Though he no longer works there, he still drops by on the occasional early morning before the staff has arrived, and, like the shoemaker’s elves, will fix bikes under the cloak of night.

“I love Keith,” Varner said, and added that he liked both working for and selling his shop to him.

Though never a professional, Varner raced quite a lot from the early ‘90s to the early 2000s.

During that time, his biggest achievement was winning the Santa Barbara criterion in 1997.

“I wasn’t a prolific racer,” he said. “I was never a pro, but I loved it.”

Varner doesn’t race any more, but he still rides frequently — four times a week most of the time — and rarely does rides less than 20 miles long.

“If I’m going to put all my gear on and fill my water bottle, I want to be out an hour, hour and a half,” Varner said. “Fifteen miles is only 45 minutes.”

But don’t let that apparent intensity paint a picture of an elitist biker.

Varner said one of his favorite things in the whole world is mountain biking with his almost10-year-old son, Christian. Christian rides a

Courtesy photos

ABOVE: Shawn Varner won the 1997 Santa Barbara Criterion, his biggest racing accomplishment to date.

RIGHT: The Varner family poses for a photo after church recently. From left, Smith, 15, Shawn, Becky and Christian, 9.

24-inch Specialized Hotrock hardtail mountain bike alongside his dad’s 29-inch version.

The duo spend most of their time riding around their hometown of Templeton, but will head out to Montaña de Oro as well.

Varner’s other son, 14-year-old Smith, isn’t much of a cyclist, spending his time on his skateboard or playing basketball instead.

“He gets out there and comes home sweaty,” Varner said.

“We kick our kids out of the house a lot.”

And he kicks himself out a lot, too. Varner rarely says no to a casual ride with friends on his road bike. The problem is he doesn’t get as many invites as he’d like.

“People are intimidated because I’ve ridden all my life,” Varner said sadly. “They think they’ll slow me down.

But I like riding slow. If I want to ride hard and beat myself up, I’ll go alone.”

In fact, Varner said the last really great ride he went on was with an out-of-shape friend.

What made it so great, he said self-depreciatingly, was that the friend was huffing and puffing, so Varner had a captive audience to talk about whatever he wanted and the friend just grunted and nodded the miles away.

Varner now has decades and tens of thousands of miles behind him. With all that experience, he said the

best thing a cyclist can get if he or she wants to ride faster is proper cycling shoes and clipless pedals.

“Shorts are important, but it’s crazy not to have shoes and pedals,” he said.

He said it’s also crazy to not wear a helmet.

“I’m a helmet freak,” he said. “Get a helmet if you don’t have one.

Decorate it. Ride with a helmet always. Always.”

Now a youth pastor at Refuge Church in Atascadero, Varner said he’s

working on getting a dirt area of the church paved so the skateboard ramps the church owns can be put to use. In the meantime, he keeps on riding and doing what he can to get others involved in riding.

“I’m going slower now,” he said. “But I push myself. I go as fast as I can. Sometimes I get to the top of a hill, and I thank God for making this place and that I get to enjoy it.”

page 16

March 2012 North County Life

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