SLO County Roundup

Three men were arrested Thursday in connection with alleged vandalism that caused several thousand dollars in damage to Morro Rock.

Police arrested Gustavo Alejandro Franco, 24, Mauricio Martinez, 19, and Eduardo Antonio Mata, 19, all of San Luis Obispo, on suspicion of felony vandalism in the form of graffiti sprayed on the Rock in late May.

The three vandals then posted video of themselves committing the crime on YouTube, which investigators then used to establish their identities, police said.

Volunteers and state and city employees worked for two days to remove the graffiti, which was not believed to be gang related, police said.

Franco, Martinez and Mata remained at County Jail on Friday.

— Stephen Curran Arroyo Grande

The Arroyo Grande City Council approved a plan Tuesday that reorganizes the city’s Recreation Division and allows the child care coordinator to keep her job.

However, council members indicated the city’s child care program, called Children in Motion, may be revisited again next year. The program was started 22 years ago.

“I do think ultimately we want to get out of the child care business,” Councilman Jim Guthrie said.

The Children in Motion program offers child care at two elementary schools — Branch and Ocean View — and at the Elm Street Community Center. It serves about 100 to 110 children in the South County, said Doug Perrin, director of recreation and maintenance services.

Program staff also work at city-offered seasonal playground programs, help staff special events and work as substitute pre-school teachers at an Elm Street Community Center program.

The council on Tuesday voted 5-0 to approve a “golden handshake” program for the department’s facilities coordinator, who agreed to retire if the deal was approved. Doing so means the city will pay about $37,900 over 20 years, but is expected to save $31,000 this fiscal year and $62,000 in fiscal year 2011-12.

The facilities coordinator’s job duties will be reassigned to the remaining staff. Doing so will reduce the city’s subsidy to the program to about $28,000 from an estimated $50,000, according to Perrin.

— Cynthia Lambert

Atascadero

Residents who display the American flag on Sept. 11 will receive certificates from a local service group to acknowledge their recognition of the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.

Officers and members of the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce and the Atascadero Elks Lodge “will be fanning out throughout Atascadero to find individuals and businesses flying the flag,” Elks member Cory Black said.

The groups also plan to release a list of the names of people and organizations that receive certificates.

In 2009, about 40 certificates were given to residents and businesses, “and we hope to do a lot more this year,” Black added.

— Tonya Strickland