Atascadero Is A Wonderful City
By: 5th District Supervisor, Debbie Arnold
Atascadero is such a wonderful city. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Mayor’s Lunch, a regular event hosted in a different location each month. It is a chance for the County mayors to get together to talk about issues important to the cities, and usually includes representatives from other elected offices, including the County Supervisor from the district. When it is Atascadero’s turn to host, the other mayors are usually treated to something special like meeting in the top floor of city hall and enjoying the beautiful views of the Sunken Garden. However, this meeting was extra special. It was not a typical meeting since we enjoyed lunch at the zoo—surrounded by flamingos while listening to the sounds of the other zoo animals. During the meeting, the zookeepers brought out some of the animals for us to have a closer look and learn more about them. I think we all left that meeting smiling
Again yesterday, I was reminded of how special Atascadero is when I attended the annual Veterans Day event at the Faces of Freedom Veterans Memorial located near the zoo. It was a beautiful day, and hundreds of people turned out to recognize and honor our local Veterans. The Atascadero Veterans Memorial Foundation has done such a beautiful job and worked well over a decade to not only create a memorial to honor local veterans, but to give the community a place to gather and recognize those who have served our country. Each year, the Foundation bestows a Distinguished Veteran Award. This year there were two honorees, both World War II veterans. Bonnie Meyer and Max Bowery were recipients of this prestigious honor. It was a beautiful and touching ceremony held in an amazing setting. Thank you, Atascadero, for providing the County with such a special place to reflect and thank those who have sacrificed to protect our nation.
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I want to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season. We have much to be thankful for and celebrating the holiday with family and friends helps us enjoy it even more.
It is such an honor to represent you on the County Board of Supervisors. Please feel free to contact my office with any questions or concerns.
-Debbie Arnold
5th District Supervisor, Debbie Arnold
Debbie Arnold moved to San Luis Obispo County in 1973 to attend Cal Poly, she fell in love with both her husband, Steve, and the farming and ranching values that had been a part of the Arnold family way of life for more than 5 generations. While raising two children, she owned and operated a small business in Atascadero for more than 17 years. She then had the privilege of advocating for local families as a Legislative Aide at the County Supervisor’s office and as a San Luis Obispo District Representative for the State Senate. During these years, she worked with a broad range of community groups and interests, bringing people together to solve problems. Debbie Arnold now serves as the 5th District Supervisor for San Luis Obispo County.
