Page 1 - Sanger Herald 11-29-18 E-edition

Christmas Tree City gets real lights
Looking for a home
Boys start soccer season
page 8A
Lifestyles 3B
Sports 1B
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Royalty crowned
Banner ceremony honors Sanger's military veterans
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
Sanger police Cpl. Manuel Duran, a U.S. Army 1st Sgt., left, who has recently been deployed to world trouble spots, was presented with his banner by mayor pro tem Eli Ontiveros. Harold W. Bernthold, a U.S. Army Sgt.1st class, in the Korean War, received his banner from councilmember Daniel Martinez. Mayor Frank Gonzalez read the names of the veterans who were honored with banners that had lined Academy Avenue. Some banners were received by veterans, some by family members. (More photos and names of all the veterans who were honored on page 7A.)
Recent deployments
Not so recent
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
It was a quiet crowd.
Respectful.
There were a few tears.
Mostly though, there was an aura of pride
emanating from the more than 100 relatives and friends of military personnel honored on the 71 banners that had been displayed along Academy Avenue.
They were there, in the community center on Monday evening, to receive the banner that had honored their loved one.
Sometimes it was a mother, sister or brother, sometimes a child or grandchild who went on stage to receive the rolled up banner and a single red carnation from mayor pro tem Eli Ontiveros or councilmember Daniel Martinez.
Mayor Frank Martinez slowly and respec- tually read the names of the veterans who were pictured on the banners.
Sometimes the face on the banner was the same one, maybe a little, maybe a lot older,
that smiled while receiving the banner. Corina Tamez, who oversees the city's
military banner program, put together the Monday ceremony.
"It was intended to celebrate, remember and honor the service men and women," she said.
U.S. NavyCommander(retired)Patrick Niemeyer, opened the ceremony with an ivocation and comments about the valor and courage of the personnel featured on the banners. Niemeyer is now lead pastor at the Calvary Fellowship Church in Sanger.
The Sanger NJROTC presented colors and assisted with the banner presentation.
One prominent banner donated by Tony and Kathryn Pacheco listed all the names on the memorial monument in front of the police station, Sanger veterans who gave thier lives in Vietnam: Danny Appleton, Manuel Avila, Joe Ballin, John Pedro Delgado, Joseph Escobar, William Boyd Ferguson, Frank Her- nandez, John Bernard Hurtado, Jose Angel
See BANNERS, page 7A
Mike Nemeth/Sanger Herald
Adrian Mercado and Rachel Pimentel were crowned Mister and Miss Sanger at a chamber of commerce business mixer on Nov. 20. See the story in today's Lifestyles section on page 3B.
Christmas parade gets a few changes
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Chamber of commerce boss Tammy Wolfe and her sidekick Karen Pearson continue to kick things up a notch or two when it comes to chamber events.
The annual Nation's Christmas Tree City Toyland Parade, I think that's the of- ficial name, has been around for 71 years without much change. This year it will get new staging and participant parking and drop off areas, a new route and a second public address announcing location.
The parade has, for years, been organized on 10th Street and its side streets. This year the parade will be organized a couple of blocks south, on 12th Street and its side streets, and will step off at 11 a.m. on the parade route on Academy Avenue from 12th Street near the Chuck Wagon.
There will be a new an- nouncing location, just up Academy at Sanger Chev- rolet, staffed by Mike and Justin Webber. Rick Bubenik, with Mark Johnson, will continue their announcing chores on 7th Avenue near the judges stand.
The parade will go north on Academy Avenue from 12 Street to 7th Street where it will turn east and go to P Street before turning back south to 10th Street, by WAMS, where it will end.
"We're encouraging parade participants to park on An- nadale Avenue and Q and 14th streets," said Pearson. "We'll have an informa-
tion table on the northwest corner of 12th and P Streets where volunteers can check in and participants can ask last minute questions. "We're asking participants to show up and begin getting ready by 9:15 a.m. "We're counting once again on members of
the Sanger Rotary club to help organize each of the di- visions," said Pearson. Seven divisions will follow the 17 dignitaries who will lead the parade.
A camera will be mounted on one of the parade entries to record the crowd along the route and a drone will video the parade from the air, cour- tesy of Sanger Chevrolet. "We'll finally have a great promotional video to help attract future participants," said Pearson.
And, yes, "The parade will go on rain or shine," said Wolfe.
Someone will be available at the chamber office, 1789 Jensen Ave # B, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by phone at 875-4575 to answer questions about the parade and other chamber events until Friday afternoon, said Wolfe.
The reporter can be con- tacted by email at sangerher- ald@gmail.com.
How much more rain?
See the forecast for Apache Country on page 8A
• Nov. 29 - Planning Commission, 6 p.m. at city hall, 1700 7th St.
• Dec. 1 - Sanger Womans Club Holiday Boutique 8 a.m. at 1602 7th St. • Dec. 1 - Christmas Tree City Toyland Parade, 11 a.m., downtown Sanger • Dec. 6 - City Council, 6 p.m. at city hall, 1700 7th St.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
The agenda for the planning commission meeting at 6 p.m. in city hall makes it look like a lot of time is going to be spent trying to catch up on things that probably should have been taken care of a long time ago.
Like minutes of its meetings.
Then they have a public hearing where they'll see a map of a housing element rezone update which won't look exactly like the map they probably thought they approved a few meetings ago.
Then, they could spend a lot of time look- ing at copies of policies and procedures from other agencies, submitted for review many meetings ago by commissioner Vincent Wall.
Then, if it's not too late, they will reorga-
Planning commission will play catch up
Commissioners will have to sort through, make desired changes and approve minutes of seven meetings, going back to March 22.
See COMMISSION, page 6A SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thesangerherald.com
THURSDAY
NOVEMBER 29, 2018
VOL 129 NO. 48
2 sections, 12 pages
CLASSIFIED 3B LEGALS 4,5B BUSINESS DIRECTORY 6B LIFE STYLES 3B OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 8A