Page 7 - Reedley Exponent 1-31-19 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent PB anorama
Section | Thursday, January 31, 2019 www.reedleyexponent.com
St. La Salle auction just a few days away
Students at St. La Salle School show off their auction items
More Photos, See B2
Reedley (Fresno County) CA 93654
The View From Here
Last week I had the op- portunity to sit through the Orange Cove City Council meeting.
I was there
to cover a sto-
ry in regards
to the city and
the Friends of
the Orange Cove Animal Shelter, (FOCAS) members of a non prof- it group who were not permitted onto the premises of the shelter after they had some tax issues.
The tax issue has since been resolved. However, it seems that the members of FOCAS and the city staff can't seem to work out a contract from the point they're allowed back in town.
I spoke to FOCAS representa- tive, Adriana Figueroa, she was visibly upset after the meeting.
It was understood that they would be at the meeting to final- ize an agreement which, at the last minute, didn't happen.
I have seen how frustrated the FOCAS members were; their main priority was the dogs. They just wanted to make sure all the dogs at the shelter were being cared for properly. The city also has a legitimate concern as Rudy Hernandez, who is the acting city manager told the council they are worried about workers be- ing on the premises not covered by workers compensation insur- ance.
As I sat through the meeting I began to understand truly how difficult it can be to have a shel- ter and operate it. My family and I are all huge animal lovers and my daughter has sometimes men- tioned how she'd like to one day have a rescue shelter for dogs. I commend the people who take this task on, its not an easy one, that's for sure.
A couple of years ago, I cov- ered a story in regards to the Fresno Bully Rescue and the Fres- no County Board of Supervisors.
The bully rescue, a wonderful organization in Fresno, wanted to have their shelter based in a cer- tain area of town, residents in the area feared the dogs would cause lots of noise. It was also, in many ways the same type of battle I saw in Orange Cove.
I can tell you that whether you're a dog lover or not, the peo- ple who care for these animals put in a great deal of work.
We have a total of three dogs at home. All of our dogs are res- cues and we love them all the same. We also have a cat. She's a rescue as well.
My dogs can be a little de- manding, and, okay maybe a little spoiled. I try to keep them on a strict routine of feeding time and play time. We have a big dog who needs to be exercised daily or else, and my husband and I joke about this, he develops his thou- sand yard stare.
What we mean by that is, he loves to move and run, other- wise he becomes extremely rest- less. He starts to chew on things around the house, we feel the ex- ercise lets him release all his built up energy.
I make sure to throw the ball with him in the morning and af- ternoon. He loves it and looks for- ward to it. At times if we're in the backyard he'll bring the ball over and set it at my feet.
Dogs are a huge part of my life. I've had dogs since I can re- member. Not too long ago I ex- perienced a loss with one of our senior dogs her name was Candy.
Candy was a dog I had for over 12 years, she had been sick and was living with my mom. I de- cided to care for her during her final days. We all knew Candy was not going to last much longer, our only goal was to keep her comfort- able.
What I was not prepared for though, was how difficult it was when she finally did go. Up until then, I had never experienced the loss of a pet. I feel that sometimes people who don't love dogs, can't understand us who do.
See COLUMN page B2
Juanita Adame / The Exponent
ABOVE: From left, Jaylee McGill, Na- talya Mendez, Karyme Serrano, and Alonzo Diaz.
BELOW: From left, Kayla Serrano, Alicia Guerrero, John Paul Rooney, Giovanni Cuevas.
Juanita Adame
Students have worked hard on quilts, furniture and much more
JuanitaAdame /TheExponent
ABOVE: Wayce McGill sits with his project, the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.
BELOW: From left, Evelyn Medina, Perla Ramos, Katelynn Molina.
Contributed
Last minute preparations are underway for the 28th Annual Ben- efit Auction at St. La Salle Catholic School.
The auction will be held on Sat- urday Feb. 2; doors will open at 5 p.m. The activities for the evening will include a buffet, a live auction, raffle and more.
Each year, student's at St. La Salle work on items that will be auc- tioned during the benefit.
A variety of items will be up for bit this year and students are excited to showcase their work.
Several quilts from the pre- school classes all the way up to the third grade classes will have quilts to auction.
Maria Santoyo and her preschool class worked on a cross stitched theme quilt titled "Our Lady of Gua- dalupe."
The kindergarten class worked on a denim style blue and white quilt with a red border. The quilt features individual squares with student's handprints displayed on the front.
First-grade students will al- so submit a quilt, their theme is "Blessed are the pure in heart," their quilt will feature handprints in the shape of a heart, those handprints will surround the handprint of St. La Salle's principal, Sister Lucy Cas- sarino.
Second grade students quilt has a country theme. Their western style quilt has horses, a lasso, as well as matching pillows.
The third grade class quilt will feature butterflies. All students are excited to have their quilts repre- sented and sold at the auction.
A solid oak bench will be pre- sented by the fifth grade classroom, the bench is the first of two projects presented by students. The first bench measures 48 inches in length, 13" in width, and 17 inches high. The second is a 11 inches by 14 inches collage of the Class of 2022 in an acrylic frame. The sixth grade proj- ect is a statue of the Blessed Mother with a terracotta rosary draped on the front. Painted on each bead of the rosary is a rose and a sixth grade student’s initials. Hand painted on the back of the statue are the words, “Hail Mary Full of Grace” and the signatures of all the students.
Seventh graders auction project is a hand made rustic bench that can be used for gardening, a barbecue table, or as an added work bench. The Auction project has an added bonus of a large clay pot that was decorated for use inside or outdoors.
Eighth grade students also worked on a bench for the benefit auction. Their wooden bench dis- plays a scripture, "I am the vine you are the branches," along with the bi- ble verse, the bench has been hand painted with grape bunches. Each grape was created from the finger- prints of students.
For more information on items that will be up for auction during this years event, call 638-2621.
Juanita Adame / The Exponent
ABOVE: First grade students displayed their quilt that will be auctioned off during the 28th annual Benefit Auction at St. La Salle Catholic School.
RIGHT: From left, Diego Avalos, Aaliyah Gonzalez, and Landon Almendarez showed off their solar system projects on the afternoon of Jan. 22.
RMCHS young leaders speak at school board meeting
ABOVE: Mauricio Ruelas, Reedley Middle College High School ASB president addressed the KCUSD board on Jan. 22. Ruelas talked about various campus outreach programs the school is offering, including Inter- Club Council, Transfer Day, and Read Across America.
Photos Juanita Adame / The Exponent
ABOVE: Students from Reedley Middle College High School Spoke to board mem- bers during the Jan. 22 Kings Canyon Unified School District board meeting. Students highlighted recent accomplishments and upcoming events that will be taking place on campus. From left, Alfonso Bucio; ASB secretary; Sunny Jimenez ASB Vice President, and Mauricio Ruelas; ASB President.
ABOVE: Sunny Jimenez, Reedley Middle College High School ASB vice president, spoke to board members and mentioned several topics includ- ing campus growth through their academic awards, Red Ribbon Week, their various dances, their drama club and yearbook club.