Mid Valley Times 2-20-20 E-edition

Thursday, February 20, 2020
Vol. 1, No. 34
Longtime business
leaders are 2020
Hall of Fame picks,
Reedley Chamber
reveals winners
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
Two of Reedley's most prominent business names — Greg and Karen Musson — along with local pastor Ken Baker were announced last week as the principal award recipients for the this year's upcoming Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce Busi- ness & Community Awards on Saturday, Feb. 29.
The Mussons, longtime managing partners for Gar Tootelian Inc. which merged this year into GAR Bennett, LLC, were announced as 2020 Reedley Hall of Fame recipi- ents. Baker, pastor of Heri-
Photo Contributed
Karen Musson, left, spoke while her husband Greg stood behind her during the Tulare County Farm Bureau's 102nd meeting in May 2019. The Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce announced on Feb. 14 that the Mussons are Hall of Fame inductees for the 2020 Business & Community Awards.
tage Church in Reedley and director of Hope Now Min- istries who helped establish the Faith House emergency family shelter in 2018, was
selected as the city's Citizen of the Year.
Other awards winners an- nounced by the Chamber for 2020 are:
• Matthew Casarez, Junior Citizen of the Year
• Les Schwab Tires, Large
See CHAMBER on page A2
50 cents
Dinuba
to apply
for $3.5M
in CDBG
funding
By George M. Villagrana
Mid Valley Times
The Dinuba City Council adopted a resolution autho- rizing submittal of a Com- munity Development Block Grant application in the amount of $3,500,000 for funding of the North Dinuba Improvements Project in a meeting on Feb. 11.
The city wishes to make much needed public improve- ments in North Dinuba, in- cluding the Griggs Avenue Improvement Project. The neighborhood is in need of significant infrastructure im- provements including sewer, storm drain, street, curb and gutter, sidewalk and street lights. The city will also pro- vide funding to purchase property at 42752 Road 80 that will be an ideal location for a combination ponding ba- sin/community park.
Last month, the California Department of Housing and Community Development an- nounced the availability of approximately $60 million in CDBG Program funds. The funding can be used for a va- riety of purposes including the construction of public fa- cilities, infrastructure, public services, housing and econom- ic development.
In this year’s Notice of Funding Availability, the CD- HCD will be accepting infra- structure projects through an “Over the Counter” pro-
See FUNDING on page A2
Reedley to honor Mussons
Shooting in north Sanger leaves man injured
Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times
Six bullet holes are shown on the passenger side doors of a four- door sedan that was parked alongside a curb in the area of Dalton and Fourth streets in north Sanger on Feb. 15.
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
A car-to-car shooting on Feb. 15 that began on a busy Sanger street and led into a residential area, left a man with a gunshot wound to the shoulder and neighbors shaken up after the injured man began banging on doors pleading for help while try- ing to escape the shooter.
The grey four door sedan that the victim had been rid- ing in was riddled with bullet holes and was parked along- side a curb in the areas of Dalton and Fourth streets in Sanger as police detectives surrounded the car to gather evidence.
“What we know so far is that the victims came through the neighborhood to try and get away from the suspects.” said Brandon Coles, a sergeant with the Sanger Police Department.
Coles said the victim, an unidentified male in his 20s, was in the grey sedan while the car drove in the area of Bethel Avenue near Jenny Avenue. Another car then pulled up beside the grey sedan and began firing into the car.
"This is when they [the victims] drove through this neighborhood to ask for help.”
SeeSHOOTINGonpage A5
Sanger proceeds with plans to annex north Academy
Creation of financial district will help provide for infrastructure on corridor
By Rick Curiel
Mid Valley Times
The city of Sanger is moving for- ward with plans to annex the north portion of Academy Avenue, up to State Route 180, after the Sanger City Council unanimously approved a budget amendment at their Feb. 6 meeting to appropriate $30,000 from the city’s general fund for a feasibil- ity study that will allow the city to fi- nance infrastructure on the corridor.
“This is one way to do it,” said City Manager Tim Chapa. “We currently don’t have any funds budgeted for this purpose.”
The Enhanced Infrastructure Finance District (EIFD) feasibility study will allow for the creation of
a district by the city of Sanger and consider the impact of road improve- ments as well as adding utilities and other public projects. Currently, the only utility available in the proposed annexed portion is water.
The idea of annexing the northern portion of Academy Avenue was first introduced in 2014, when it was added to the city’s general plan. In 2017, the annexation was added to the city’s master plan.
The annexation is expected to be complete by this summer and would require the city to develop a utility master plan as well as construct the infrastructure in the North Academy corridor.
See ANNEXATION on page A12
Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
The city of Sanger welcome signs near the intersection of Academy and Church avenues may soon need to be pushed north as the city moves forward with annexation plans for the north corridor of Academy Avenue. The annexation will add about a mile of North Academy Avenue, all the way to State Route 180, and provide opportunity for commercial growth. With the creation of a financial district, the city will soon be able to add much need infrastructure vital to attracting builders.
Classifieds - B3 Directory - B4
Legals - B5-9 Sports - B1-2, B10
Lifestyle - A7-9 Lights & Sirens - A3 Obituaries - A2 Opinion - A4