2015 February PASO Magazine

ROUND TOWN
On February 15th, the 15th annual
BUZZ Marathon will be run on the
familiar scenic Camp Roberts course,
continuing the partnership between
San Miguel School District and the
US Army National Guard.
Although this is not a relay race,
the baton of leadership passed this
year from founder, retired teacher and
Hornet Queen Eileen Rogers, to Col.
Loren Weeks at Camp Roberts. It has
become a well-known and respected
event which qualifies entrants for other
marathons, including the prestigious
Boston Marathon.
The USA Track and Field-certified
course is run on paved roads with dirt
and packed gravel shoulders. It weaves
over gently rising terrain studded with
trees and glimpses of wildlife and comfort
stations are situated approximately
every 2 – 2 ½ miles. All finishers in the
marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K
and the run for children under 12 will
receive tee shirts and beautiful newly-designed
medals which reflect the
school, the military and the town. They
can be seen on the web site at www.
15 th Annual BUZZ Marathon set for Feb. 15
buzzmarathon.org. (and on this page)
along with all information about the
event.
Also this year, proceeds will be
shared between school athletics programs
and the Wounded Warriors. As
Camp Roberts is being improved and
upgraded, the personnel are dedicated
to ensuring the future of the
marathon and the good it does for
the children and the military.
Winners of the 2014 event and
their times are: Marathon: Jason
Bui from Ayer, MA, 2:54:32
(Male); Carmella Cuva from
Monterey, 3:55:47 (Female).
Half-Marathon: Ben Walker from
Templeton, 1:22:32 (Male); Micaela
Pepple from Atascadero, 1:32:48
(Female) who set a new course record.
5K: Bernis Nichols from Paso Robles,
22:06 (Male); Yusrina Bennett from
Bakersfield, 25:03. Mile for children
under 12: Emma Delfin, age 10 from
San Miguel, 9:28 (Female); Nicolas
Reed age 9 from Oceano, 9:38 (Male).
The oldest finisher in the marathon
was Charles Sayles, age 77 from Glendale
with a time of 6:52:14. Two competitors
were from Canada.
Meanwhile back at the school,
changes are benefitting both students
and teachers. In grades 6-8, class sizes
have been reduced to 14-18 students
to allow teachers more time to interact
with individual students and personalize
their instruction. Daily intervention
classes give extra instruction to
those who need it. Each Wednesday
learning and accomplishment are celebrated.
In grades K-5 class sizes are
18 to 28 students. A full-time reading
specialist is a great asset to all. Students
above grade average are encouraged
with enrichment studies.
Every student in 4th through 6th
Grade is given an iPad to use at school
and taught its many useful functions
that enhance learning. When 8th
Grade is completed, they may take the
iPad with them to high school.
Currently, enrollment is open for
students for the 2015-16 school year.
This half-day program prepares students
with fall birthdays for Kindergarten.
Students turning 5 years old
between September 2 and December
2, 2015 are eligible for this high-quality
proven program. Each Tuesday, a
parents group meets to prepare teaching
materials for teachers which allows
more actual classroom time. Teachers
greatly appreciate their help, parents
know more about the curriculum
and coffee and donuts keep them
going at these sessions.
The “8 a.m. to 5 p.m. teaching job
with weekends and summers to
relax” is just a myth. A dedicated
teacher starts the day early in the
morning, finishes late at night every
day and has ‘homework’ on
weekends. In summer they go
back to school for further classes and
workshops. Staying up on education
and ahead of the students is a full-time
endeavor.
The San Miguel School District just
received a five-year Teacher Quality
Partnership Grant from Cal Poly and
CSU Monterey Bay. Lillian Larsen will
be hosting professional development
events for teachers from both counties
and will be a host site for teachers newly
entering the profession. Lillian Larsen
School continues to provide a healthy
and enriching all-around learning environment
that encourages students to
excel. Go, Hornets!
County Perspective
By Bruce Curtis
Norwegian Wharf Rats…
Or not: Great.
I thought we’d finally banished
these ubiquitous beggars years ago,
but there on the kitchen counter was
the unmistakable spoor of a fresh
visitation. I snapped into action and
bought two snap traps, low-tech,
but effective. “Brook no quarter,” I
cry, I am Captain Ahab, these furry
invaders are Moby Dick, I the Ancient
Mariner, they the Albatross.
Them or me, I blustered, now out of
literary metaphors.
My wife asks what I was muttering
about, as she often does. She
munched from a bowl filled with
exactly what I’d seen on the counter.
Wide-eyed, I stared at the cereal
bowl, then at her. She looked warily
at me, then the door. She broke into
a smile of recognition, producing a
box of dollar store cocoa-rice cereal.
No wonder the product flopped at
the supermarket; any breakfast food
that is indistinguishable from rodent
feculence is bound to bomb with
consumers.
Barely two weeks ago on a dreary,
valley-fogged day, Governor Jerry
Brown stood amongst officials to
break ground on another bomb,
California’s $ 68 billion high-speed
train from Los Angeles to San
Francisco. Of course $68 billion in
federal stimulus only goes so far, so
the train will run between Fresno
and Bakersfield. But being from the
Central Coast, I think sour grapes
is just as valid a reason to hate on a
project that some of us think should
have been routed through San Luis
Obispo County. I mean, why can’t
we get the benefits of riding quickly
and quietly between here and L.A.
or Bay Area, whizzing past grid
locked traffic?
Realistically, there will be few-riders
on the train to nowhere, as some
have called it. One thing is certain,
California’s high speed rail line will
be three times more expensive per
mile than Europe and Asia’s high
speed trains, making it the biggest
political boondoggle in state history.
But if we’re honest, San Luis
“Why is an expensive, 5-year old pipeline
suddenly springing leaks? That sounds like
a good question to ask of Teichert Construction,
the original contractor. We understand
San Luis Obispo County has already forwarded
Teichert a repair bill.”
Obispo County has its own
boondoggles, starting with the
Nacimiento pipeline. The 45-mile
project was supposed to take Lake
Nacimiento water to San Luis
Obispo, and at $176 million, the
project was not only the biggest
public works project in decades,
it over-promised the lake’s output
because Monterey and San Luis
Obispo counties appear to have
signed up for more water than Lake
Nacimiento can actually produce –
and that was before the drought.
The other shoe fell when the 45-
mile pipeline began to leak where it
passes through Camp Roberts. The
cheap – if cheap is the right word –
fix is a slip lining inside the original
pipe. The lining is far from an ideal
solution because it will reduce water
flow. More bad news last August
came when additional leaks were
found, shutting down the pipeline.
In a twist of irony, the shutdown
shut off San Luis Obispo’s demand,
but the drought-depleted Lake
Nacimiento is only 23% of capacity
and the savings weren’t much comfort
to the water-rationed, brown
lawn folks south of Cuesta Grade.
On January 6th, the county board
of supervisors voted to set aside
$1 million to repair the pipeline,
$84,000 of which will go into a contingency
fund to deal with future
fixes.
Why is an expensive, 5-year old
pipeline suddenly springing leaks?
That sounds like a good question
to ask of Teichert Construction, the
original contractor. We understand
San Luis Obispo County has already
forwarded Teichert a repair bill.
Drought Drop: A year-end
water study says the Paso Robles
aquifer may drop another 70 feet
by 2040 if nothing changes. County
supervisors agree better basin management
is needed.
Please see PERSPECTIVE page 40
38 Paso Robles Magazine, February 2015