Children and Families Commission seeks at-large representative

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• Local Montessori school owner appointed to First 5 Commission for SLO County

  Local Montessori school owner appointed to First 5 Commission for SLO County

  Mary Kern, who has owned and operated a local Montessori school for 28 years, has been appointed by the Board of Supervisors to the First 5 Commission for San Luis Obispo County.

  Kern, a part-time instructor in psychology and human development at Cal Poly, also has been active in Edna 4-H and is a board member of the Montessori World Education Institute.

  She was one of 10 people to apply for the position. The term ends in 2015. Others who applied included parents, pediatric dentists , former educators and counselors.

• SLO County 5th District debate explores familiar themes

  SLO County 5th District debate explores familiar themes

  San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Jim Patterson explained to a political forum how he and his colleagues pulled the county government through a crippling recession, while Patterson’s challenger in the June primary, Debbie Arnold, said county regulations and overspending have damaged business and it is time for a change.

  The rivals squared off Thursday night in front of an overflow crowd of more than 100 people at the Carlton Hotel in Atascadero. The Latino Outreach Council sponsored the forum, one of the few held this campaign season, and moderators Jim Brescia, Biz Steinberg and Heather Young filtered the questions, reframing some of them to keep the discussion civil.

  Moderators kept the debate focused on the issues, and the same general themes that have dominated the race emerged once more.

• A toast to SLO County wine festivals

  A toast to SLO County wine festivals

  This weekend, the Zinfandel Festival turns 20, while the Paso Robles Wine Festival, the city’s largest, completes 30 years in May. Both are operated by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.

• Blake Irving, Yahoo executive who lives in SLO County, resigns

  Blake Irving, Yahoo executive who lives in SLO County, resigns

  Blake Irving, Yahoo's chief product officer , has resigned from the Sunnyvale Internet giant, raising new questions about the future of the embattled company’s applications and services.

  Irving, who joined Yahoo in 2010 after a long career at Microsoft, leaves amid a major restructuring effort that led 2,000 employees to be laid off. Through a spokeswoman, Irving declined to comment on his departure. He lives in San Luis Obispo County.

  Irving's departure, which was first reported by technology website All Things D , represents another significant loss to a company that has seen top executives leave in droves. Last week’s layoffs are said to have disproportionately affected the products division that Irving oversaw.

• For SLO County families dealing with autism, there is help

  For SLO County families dealing with autism, there is help

  I have relatives who thought their toddler was an absolute marvel in how ordered he kept his belongings. Toys, shoes, and really anything that could be lined up or stacked was fair game for his neatness bent.

  Of course, they were somewhat concerned that he really didn’t respond to others in a meaningful way, but, man, he could rearrange a closet into spiffy shape at the age of 2.

  As time passed, the little boy was diagnosed with what’s now called the autism spectrum disorder. Their little boy was bright, testing with an above-average IQ, which is often the case. Yet autistic children’s behavior is ruled by a certain rigidity and rote.