2018 September COLONY Magazine

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Greyhound For Life Photo by Rick Evans Service For a Lifetime Wayne Cooper Leaves Behind Big Shoes to Fill By Nic Mattson He was a mountain of a man with a deep and gentle soul. Hundreds of friends and family gathered together on Aug. 7 to celebrate the life of Wayne Everett Cooper (1944-2018) at Colony Park Community Center in Atascadero. The gymnasium was filled with orange and grey shirts on folks walking around sharing memories, laughter, tears, and hugs. Outside, many of those closest to Wayne cooked the meal to be served. Wayne spent many years cooking as a part of the Bones BBQ crew, and was given the day off in honor and respect. Wayne was born a Greyhound, and his final breath was taken on the all-weather track he helped build at Atascadero High School’s Memorial Stadium. On Wednesday, Aug. 1, after pulling a regular volunteer shift at the final All Comers Track and Field meet of the season, Wayne helped his friend Donn Clickard carry supplies in their little red wagon back to the truck. When they reached the edge of the track, he and Donn went to pick the wagon up over the curb, as they had done so many times before, but something moved to make certain Wayne never stepped foot off that track again. “He was there, and then he wasn’t,” Donn said about witnessing his best friend pass away just a couple feet away. The noise of hundreds of attendees was gone from the meet, and now the belly laugh of one of Atascadero’s most notable characters was to be just an echo in the minds and hearts of those fortunate enough to have heard it. Luckily, Wayne spent a lot of time helping others, so he shared his laughter quite often. Undoubtedly incomplete, the list of Wayne’s service positions include AHS sophomore class president, student body vice president, student body president, school district board trustee, SLO County Planning Commissioner, an active member of the Atascadero Elks Club, supporter of FFA and 4-H programs, Atascadero Chamber of Commerce board, president of Atascadero Greyhound Foundation and co-founder of LIGHTHOUSE Atascadero. Wayne was also the patriarch of a large local family of Coopers that includes three sons, a daughter, and 16 grandchildren. During Wayne’s service in August, three of his grandsons spoke to the friends and family gathered. Everett spoke about his grandfather going to any length to help, with a story about Wayne and his wife Diana driving 12 hours to help Everett move out of his dorm at Arizona State University — a 20-minute endeavor — and then driving 12 hours home. Alex spoke to his grandfather’s unconditional support, win or lose. Creston related the tale of the boy throwing starfish into the ocean … because making a difference to even one life is significant. Donn took the podium and spoke to the friendship and support Wayne gave him. “Wayne was one of the finest people [we] had the opportunity to have known and loved,” Donn said. “His commitment to his family cannot be overstated. Wayne’s work has been to the benefit of the youth of Atascadero.” Wayne Cooper Contributed Photo Donn followed with quotes by others, including Wayne’s granddaughter Charlotte, who said “Papa swings me just the right height on the spiderweb swing.” At 73 years old, Wayne gave more than his share and the community response to his passing proved it was a life well-lived. He was called a “One-of-a-kind treasure of a human being” and “a rock and very essence of integrity” who left behind “hard shoes to fill” and was an “example for all.” Donn summed up his oration with the encouragement to all present to “try to swing each other just the right height on the spiderweb swing.” “For me, Wayne was the model of dependability, a steady influence in my life,” Donn said. “He epitomized the meaning of friendship, loyalty, intelligence and common sense.” Donn served the community alongside Wayne for more than 25 years and out of all Donn’s confidants, Wayne was most influential. “Wayne was my go-to guy,” Donn said. “He was always so clear in his answers. He responded specifically to my question succinctly, and it was not necessarily what I wanted to hear. It is trite to say, but he was always thinking about what was best for the kids. I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t do exactly what he said.” Like his laugh, the quiet and thoughtful depths of Wayne Cooper will always echo in the hearts and minds of those familiar with him. The family of Wayne Cooper has asked those who wish to give in Wayne’s honor, to give to the Atascadero Greyhound Foundation at atascaderogreyhoundfoundation.org, or P.O. Box 3120, Atascadero, CA 93423. 20 | colonymagazine.com COLONY Magazine, September 2018
Saturday, Oct. 13 at Chalk Mtn. Golf Course LIGHTHOUSE Golf Tournament Raises Money, Awareness LIGHTHOUSE Atascadero began in 2012 in hopes of making a difference to high school students in need regarding substance abuse and addiction. The mission was to provide awareness, prevention, and intervention to students at the continuation high school and financial assistance for a licensed therapist for student access. In order to fulfill that financing, the Atascadero Greyhound Foundation produced the LIGHT- HOUSE Atascadero Golf Tournament to raise money. Each year, the event provides monetary assistance for the provision of professional therapy to high school students at Paloma Creek Continuation High School and the fifth annual tournament is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. Special to Colony Magazine 13 at Chalk Mountain Golf Course. Registration for the tournament is open to the public, and is a shotgun-start fourplayer scramble. Entry to the tournament is $40 per player and includes the green fee, cart and lunch. Entry is limited to the first 30 teams. Funds are raised through hole sponsorships, which are available from $100-500 per hole. The funds help support the prevention and intervention part of the LIGHT- HOUSE mission, but the entire golf tournament is a means of providing for the awareness part of the mission. Like the story of the kid walking down the beach throwing sea stars back into the ocean, and the naysayer explaining that there are so many sea stars that the kid will never make a difference to all of them. The kid picks up a sea star, throws it back into the ocean and says “I made a difference for that one.” The Greyhound Foundation is working to provide real help for high school students struggling with addiction and mental health issues during important years of life. The golf tournament is an opportunity to learn more about the program. Since 2012, LIGHTHOUSE has come a long way and is the main focus for the Greyhound Foundation. In just the past year, multiple programs have been established to fill needs for high school students, including peer mentoring, resources and an after-school program. LIGHTHOUSE After School provides classes for kids who want to fill their afternoons with productive and educational experiences. “Everything is about good decision-making and problem solving,” AGF executive director Donn Clickard said. “The program will teach ceramics, how to build a computer or bicycle and gardening — filling leisure time with productive activity.” With respect to the LIGHT- HOUSE mission, measuring the impact these classes will have on the lives of students is difficult, even for an experienced educator like Donn Clickard. “How do you measure the funeral you didn’t go to?” Donn said. “How do you measure a kid who does not do drugs, or the impact Reality Tour has on them?” The bottom line is whether or not the programs are making a difference in the lives they reach. For more information on the Atascadero Greyhound Foundation or LIGHTHOUSE, go to atascaderogreyhoundfoundation. org, or lighthouseatascadero.org. 5th Annual Saturday, Oct. 13 LIGHTHOUSE Atascadero Benefit Golf Tournament At Chalk Mountain Golf Course • 805-466-8848 10000 Bordo Avenue, Atascadero $100 Hole Sponsorships • 4-player Scramble • Shotgun Start • $40 entry includes green fee, cart and lunch • Sponsor a hole to support LIGHTHOUSE Atascadero in the battle against addiction For More Information, Visit AtascaderoGreyhoundFoundation.org, or call Donn Clickard, 805-712-6356 September 2018, COLONY Magazine colonymagazine.com | 21
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Page 6 and 7: Something Worth Reading ATASCADERO
Page 8 and 9: Plop a Spot for Cow Pie Bingo The A
Page 10 and 11: ROUND TOWN Santa Margarita SMALL TO
Page 12 and 13: ROUND TOWN Taking the backroads WIT
Page 14 and 15: COLONY PEOPLE KAREN MCNAMARA Realto
Page 16 and 17: COLONY PEOPLE Welcome back, Conrad
Page 18 and 19: COLONY DAYS Brings the Mudhole Foll
Page 22 and 23: LOCAL BUSINESS JOHN’S VIDEO PALAC
Page 24 and 25: TENT CITY TENT CITY Recreates Atasc
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