Page 7 - Mid Valley Times 10-31-19 E-edition

Happy Halloween
Taking a stand against domestic violence
from
The View From Here
I recog- nized a few familiar faces when I showed up to the do- mestic vio- lence aware- ness event in downtown Reedley on Oct. 24.
One of those was Silvia Rios. I interviewed Silvia close to a year ago. At the time I was working on a sto- ry about the Mennonite Quilt Center. They had a display of victims quilts. ——
Silvia told me that each square on the quilt had the name and photo of a person killed by a violent crime or domestic dispute.
I remember walking up- stairs into the gallery por- tion of the Mennonite Quilt Center and I was immedi- ately taken aback.
There were more than ten quilts, each one repre- sented a year, and on each square of the quilts were the names and faces of victims.
I remember going through each one, reading up on how these people had been taken much too soon.
One name that stood out to me that day was Joanna Aparicio.
I saw Joanna’s picture on the quilt. A beautiful girl. I took note of her birthday and realized she was just 19-years-old at the time of her death. I did some re- search and found that Jo- anna was a Reedley College student who had gone out with friends to a bowling al- ley. She met a man named Carlos Rocha that night. Ro- cha killed Joanna and then torched her vehicle.
The details of the case are disturbing and sad. This young girl had her whole life ahead of her, it was taken too soon. Rocha was eventually convicted of first degree murder and is currently serving life in prison with- out the possibility of parole.
As I stood at the Do- mestic Violence awareness event, I listened to the vari- ety of speakers talking about their experiences with do- mestic violence.
A point that hadn't oc- curred to me was how first responders, are also affect- ed by the cases when they respond to these types of calls.
I also had the chance to interview Joe Garza, police chief for Reedley.
Garza told me they ob- serve domestic violence awareness month but this
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Juanita Adame
Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times
A group photo was taken of those who attended the Domestic Vioence Awareness event on Oct.24 in downtown Reedley.
Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times
Horacio Aleman Sr., a pastor from Reedley, was just one of the many local religious leaders who spoke at the Domestic Violence aware- ness event.
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
Motorists who drove near G and 10th Streets on the morning of Oct. 24 stopped to, not only catch a glimpse, but also to try to figure out what the group of people wearing purple and standing in the street were doing there.
“This event was a time to come together as a communi- ty, to stand in agreement and stand against domestic vio- lence,” said Silvia Rios.
“We took 24 minutes to come together to remember those who are living in it and those who have gone through
the experience of domestic violence.”
Rios was among those in attendance and said it is sig- nificant for the community to know that domestic violence will not be tolerated in Reed- ley.
She also said its important to let victims of domestic vio- lence know that they area not alone. “Normally this would have been just a day where people wear purple without any context, without any back- ground on why they’re wear- ing purple,” said Joe Garza, police chief for the city of Reedley.
“We decided to do this event, this very short, simple event to bring prayer to our community because this is the only way that we as a commu- nity can come together is in prayer.” In all, more than 50 people attended to show their support.
“I am thankful that in 2019, laws have changed to pro- tect survivors,” said Nicole DiBuduo Linder, Executive Director of Marjaree Mason Center, and I’m thankful that today, our community is will- ing to stop traffic for 24 min- utes to say that domestic vio- lence is not okay.”
Parlier Police raising money for new K9
Staff Report
The Parlier Police Depart- ment has launched a GoFund- Me campaign to raise money for a new police dog.
"Our beloved Police K9 Indy was killed in a tragic accident in January of 2017," said Jose Garza, police chief. "Since the tragedy, we have lost a vital resource to the Parlier Police Department and the community.
The department is hoping to raise $80,000 for the new police dog. According to infor- mation on the GoFundMe site donations are tax deductible under the Department’s non-
Indy
profit organi- zation called Cops Build- ing Bridges.
News reports in- dicate that
Indy had been with the depart- ment for nine years.
Indy was reported missing by his then handler, Adolfo Jimenez after he arrived home and realized Indy was not in the back seat of his patrol car.
It was never determined if Indy escaped or was let out. Fresno County Sheriff's Of- fice found no criminal intent behind the disappearance.
Photo by George Villagrana / Mid Valley Times
Dinuba Police Officer Arias worked the drive thru during the Coffee with a Cop event on Oct. 23.
'Coffee with a Cop' held in Dinuba
'Pink Out' at Sanger High
PhotosRickCuriel /MidValleyTimes
ABOVE: Students at Sanger High School couldn’t help but get fully immersed in their annual ‘Pink Out’ event at the Oct. 25 football game against Edison High. With countless students dressed for the event, the student section became a sea of pink. At halftime the sec- tion became a pink blur as students took part in their annual pink powder puff, dusting the entire section with a plume of pink powder. The ‘Pink Out’ event is done annually to raise awareness for breast cancer.
Students weren’t the only ones dressed for Friday night’s event, as faculty and staff could also be seen wearing pink during the game.
By George Villagrana
Mid Valley Times
An opportunity to engage with the community on a more personal level, officers from the Dinuba Police Department teamed up with Starbucks in Dinuba to hold Coffee with a Cop on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Manager Jessica Ramirez said it was time to host one after seeing what other managers were doing.
“It’s a way for me to help build a relationship with them and the community,” said Ramirez.
Officer Cordell was hands- on making drinks for custom- ers under the close eye of
Ramirez and officer Cardenas was the cashier while handing out hot and cold beverages.
Arias along with Cordell also took samples out to cars waiting in the drive thru. Of- ficer Arias said it was a great opportunity to connect with the community.
“It’s all about building bridges and having contact with the community,” he said. “This is a busy spot with foot traffic. It shows peo- ple, we’re normal everyday people.”Arias said there will be more Coffee with a Cop events in the future.
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