Page 2 - MidValleyTimes 7-4-19 E-edition

Thursday, July 4, 2019
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Mid Valley TiMes
Obituaries
Rebecca Crowell
Rebecca Jane Crowell of Olympia, Wash., died June 14. She was 79.
Mrs. Crowell was a busi- ness owner.
She is survived by her husband, Richard Crowell, two sons and two daughters.
A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednes- day, July 10, at Sanger Cem- etery.
Paula V. Duran
Paula V. Duran of Sanger died June 27. She was 94.
Mrs. Duran worked as a fruit packer for Garry Pack- ing Co.
She is survived by one son, two daughters, a brother, 12 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
A funeral mass was cel- ebrated July 1 at St. Mary's Catholic Church on O Street in Sanger.
Estefana Gomez
Estefana Gomez of Cut- ler died June 25. She was 58. Ms. Gomez is survived by two brothers and five
sisters.
Services were held Ju-
ly 1 under the direction of Dopkins Funeral Chapel.
Betty Isaak
Betty Roberta Isaak of Reedley died June 26 at Palm Village Retirement Community. She was 96.
Mrs. Isaak was a home- maker.
She is survived by two sons, one daughter, 13 sib- lings, 14 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
A private graveside ser- vice was held July 3 at the memorial area at Reedley Cemetery.
Beverly J. Marshall
Beverly J. Marshall of Orosi died June 20 in Orosi.
She was 61.
Mrs. Marshall was a
farm homemaker.
She is survived by one
daughter and two brothers. No services were sched-
uled.
Eloisa Robledo
Eloisa Robledo of Reed- ley died June 25 at her resi- dence. She was 92.
Mrs. Robledo was a homemaker.
She is survived by two sons, six daughters, two brothers, five sisters, 18 grandchildren, 19 great- grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
A rosary will be at 9:30 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at 10 a.m. Friday, Ju- ly 5 at the old St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Reed- ley Cemetery.
Paula Rubio
Paula Rubio of Orosi died June 25. She was 81.
Mrs. Rubio was a home- maker.
She is survived by her spouse, Jesus, one son, five daughters, 12 grandchildren and many great-grandchil- dren.
Dopkins Funeral Chapel was handling the arrange- ments.
Francisco Salinas III
Francisco Salinas III of Parlier died June 26. He was 56.
Mr. Salinas worked as a self-employed house paint-
er.
He is survived by his
mother, one brother and two sisters.
A rosary was held July 2 at Wallin's Parlier Funeral Home. A funeral mass was held July 3 at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Parlier.
Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
This July 1 view from the closed Reedley Beach recreation area, looking south toward the Olson Avenue Bridge, showed lower water flow levels. But the Fresno County Sheriff's Office kept the river closed to recreational activities through the Fourth of July holiday and beyond, saying that upcoming water releases from Pine Flat Reservoir again will lead to high currents.
Kings River to stay closed through Fourth of July week and beyond
Contributed
As the Fourth of July holiday arrives, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office has been receiving several in- quiries from the public on the status of the Kings River.
Tony Botti, public in- formation officer with the FCSO-coroner's office, said July 1 that the Kings River from Pine Flat Dam to the Tulare and Kings County lines remains closed indefi- nitely. The sheriff's office put the order in place nearly a month earlier, on June 4. Botti said the closure is per- mitted under the authority of Penal Code 409.5(a) and Fresno County Ordinance 13.32.080.
In Loving Memory
Carolyn Preheim
June 8, 1950 – July 3, 2017
Woogie, two years have passed but it feels like yesterday,
a lifetime ago.
My love forever, Boogie
"There are no immedi- ate plans to reopen the river based upon the latest infor- mation from the Army Corps of Engineers, which controls water releases at Pine Flat Dam," Botti said in a news release. "Pine Flat [Reser- voir] is currently close to 95 percent capacity. With in- creasing temperatures fore- cast for later this week, more snow melt is expected to fill the lake. Therefore, more water will likely be released downstream into the Kings River, increasing the Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS) flow.
"Our office does not want to open the river and then have to close it again. Once we reopen it, we plan to keep it open for the rest of the sea- son."
Botti reiterated that public access to the river is denied until further notice. This includes all recreational activity such as boating, ca- noeing, kayaking, swimming, floating, etc. During the clo- sure, the Sheriff’s Boating Enforcement Unit (BEU) will continue to patrol the Kings River. Deputies will strictly enforce this closure and vio- lators will be subject to cita- tions. This infraction comes
with a minimum fine of $225. According to Botti, the river's water temperature is currently registering be-
tween 54 and 57 degrees. "Exposure to the cold wa- ter can cause hypothermia, which can quickly lead to ex- haustion or unconsciousness. Increased water releases can result in numerous public safety hazards and areas of serious concern for floaters and swimmers. Riverbanks can erode and lead to many more trees falling into the
river."
Botti said that these
downed trees create "strain- ers," which is where turbu- lent water flows through the tree. A person caught in a strainer can quickly find themselves pinned against the tree or even swept un- derneath it. He said it is ex- tremely difficult for a person to rescue themselves from a strainer, and typically re- quires emergency help from trained rescue personnel.
"As you recreate in all natural waterways this sum- mer, the Sheriff ’s Office would like to remind you to be safe while doing your activities," Botti said. "Take simple precautions such as wear a life jacket, stay out of the water if you’re not an experienced swimmer and do not mix alcohol and swimming. Alcohol causes swimmers to fatigue faster than normal and can create dangerous situations.
Botti also cautioned par- ents to keep an eye on their children at all times.
"In less than a minute, they can slip into the water and be put at risk of injury or death," he said.
Botti said the sheriff’s office will be reassessing water levels and river condi- tions throughout the summer. Once deemed safe, access to the river will be reopened to the public. He said FCSO will notify the community online and via the media.
Published every Thursday by Mid Valley Publishing 1130 “G” Street, Reedley, CA. 93654
(559) 638-2244
•••••••
Mid Valley Times Staff
Fred Hall
Jon Earnest
Dick Sheppard Rick Curiel
Mike Nemeth George Villagrana Juanita Adame Duby Treviño Clinton Antonio Tom Montijo Susie House
Janie Lucio Paulette Garcia Debra Leak
Publisher Reedley Editor Sanger Editor Dinuba Editor Sanger Reporter Dinuba Reporter Reedley Reporter Graphic Artist Graphic Artist Graphic Artist Graphic Artist Advertising Advertising Marketing
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Richard Joseph Leahy Jr.
Richard Joseph Leahy Jr. passed away unexpectedly May 21st from complications following surgery at Palo Alto VA.
Richard was born Sept. 28, 1950 to parents Richard and Jeanne Leahy in Worcester, Massachu- setts. He was one of 5 children.
Richard proudly served his
country as a sergeant in the army
during the Viet Nam War as a 17
year old. In 1992, Richard met his lifelong friend, Kathy Engel in Las Vegas and 6 months later he moved to Cali- fornia. They had a long, deep and lasting friendship. He lived in Sanger for 15 years and was an active member of this small community.
Richard was a skilled painter and carpenter, taking pride in the projects he undertook. Richards’s passion was saving animals, especially dogs and he worked tire- lessly in this endeavor. Over the years he fostered hun- dreds of dogs. He also rescued horses and feral cats. He was most proud of Jeanne’s Soup Kitchen, which he named after his mom which provided meals to the homeless. He spent copious hours preparing and serv- ing meals for the homeless of Sanger for 3 years, until his money ran out. This brought him much joy in the last years of his life.
Even though Richard had no family in close proxim- ity, Kathy’s entire family embraced him as their own and gave many years of love and support. He will be missed dearly for his humility, sense of humor and his generous spirit. He is survived by his sister Kathleen, two broth- ers, Timothy and James and his lifelong companion and friend, Kathy Engel.
Remembrances may be made to Homeless Services or the SPCA. Please join us for a celebration of his life July 16 at Clovis Veterans Memorial Hall, 808 Fourth St. Clovis, from 5-8.
The June 27 final issue of The Exponent incorrect- ly stated in a cutline that Squaw Valley artist Laurie Schoelen, had previously painted electric utility pow- er boxes in the city.
That artwork was done by local artist Kalyn Fran- zen in 2015. Franzen paint-
ed a number of utility boxes along Manning Avenue.
Schoelen has painted mu- rals at Kings Canyon Unified School District campuses in Orange Cove. Her latest work, the north wall of the Bank of America building on G Street, is her first mural in Reedley.
For the Record
Rebecca J. Crowell
Rebecca J. Crowell, 79, of Olympia, Washington passed away on Friday, June 14, 2019 succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease. She was surrounded by family and was able to peacefully pass at home.
Becky was, first and foremost, a loving wife and moth- er, always placing her family’s needs first. In addition to the passion for her family, Becky loved owning and op- erating Jo-Janes Dress Shop of Sanger, California. Dur- ing her 22 year career, she received numerous awards and accolades from the Chamber of Commerce, service organizations, and other business professionals in the community.
After retiring, Becky told her husband Richard, “It’s time to go golfing.” The pair subsequently spent the next 21 years golfing throughout the Western states, even- tually purchasing a home on the first hole of the Del Norte County Golf Course in Northern California. One of Becky’s favorite memories is sinking a “hole in one” during the Northern California Women’s Championship. This occurred on the ninth hole near the clubhouse, resulting in the other golfers switching from coffee to mixed drinks.
Becky is survived by her husband, Richard E. Crow- ell of Olympia, Washington; her eldest daughter, Jai C. West of Augusta, Georgia; her eldest son, Keven L. Lowery of Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho; daughter, Debbie M. Lowery of Sanger, California; and son, Thomas E. Crowell of Olympia, Washington.
A Graveside Service will be held at Sanger Cemetery on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 10:00 am.
Services are under the direction of Wallin’s Sanger Funeral Home, 1524 9th Street, Sanger, CA 93657.
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