Page 8 - Reedley Exponent 2-8-18 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent A8 Thursday, February 8, 2018
SUMMIT Continued from page A1
need. He said when he was studying at Stanford in a doctorate program a facul- ty member offered to men- tor him in the university’s doctorate program.
“One faculty member said ‘I want to mentor you. I believe in you,’” Castro said. “And that was how I was able to get into that program. I am here be- cause I believe in you, and I believe that your potential is very strong.”
Garza’s speech en- compassed the summit’s theme.
“The common say- ing ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ has a very profound truth to it,” he said. “What you over- come in life makes you stronger in every way. When you are in that dark place looking for a way out of your hardship, you are faced with two choic- es: give up or tap into the inner resources that you didn’t even know you had and come through it stron- ger and humbler than you were before.”
Garza told students not to assume the victim role and feel sorry for them- selves, but instead “reach into the essence of who you are and find your inner strength.” He quoted the biblical verse of light shin- ing into the darkness.
At the summit, stu- dents had the opportunity to participate in a variety of self-selected workshops focused on youth develop- ment topics. Parents also had the opportunity to at- tend a “Parents as Part- ners” conference. They also could attend similar workshops and received advice they could use to keep their child healthy and achieve academic suc- cess.
Youth organizations, government agencies, medical providers and oth- er community partners as- sisted the California Health Collaborative in presenting the event.
Graeme Gerster / Photo Contributed
Reedley firefighters work to put out flames Jan. 31 at an abandoned home in 100 block of North Justine Avenue in east Reedley. The late-night blaze destroyed an attached garage.
Late night fire on Jan. 31 damages abandoned home
RMCHS Continued from page A1
charter school’s reserve. In addition, Quinto said that district officials are work- ing with Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. — a firm that has a consulting services agreement with KCUSD — to pursue grants to help pay for the building.
If all goes according to plan, the Phase I structure will be completed in about a year.
Starting construction took longer than anticipat- ed, but the process required working with different pub- lic entities to finalize plans. Quinto said KCUSD has ben- efited by collaborating with “great people,” such as Reed- ley College President Sandra Caldwell; Diane Berry, the college’s vice president of administrative services; and Ed Eng, vice chancellor of fi- nance and administration for the State Center Community College District that includes Reedley College.
KCUSD Superintendent John Campbell said after the meeting that the the district worked closely with Reed- ley College to clear through many issues involved with building a high school struc- ture on a college campus.
“The result of everyone’s dedication to this project will be another unique and high level opportunity for the stu- dents of our area,” Campbell said.
RMCHS is one of 13 middle college high schools in California and provides “pathways” through two ar- eas of study: Agricultural Business or Business Ad- ministration with an Entre- preneurship option.
BUDGET Continued from page A2
When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to a city, a Cer- tificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as be- ing primarily responsible for having achieved the award. This year’s award was pre- sented to the city’s Adminis-
Campbell said that, more than any of the district’s traditional high schools, RMCHS depends on a lo- cal advisory board as well as business partnerships. For example, the Wonder- ful Company – with brands that include POM Wonderful pomegranate juice — plays a large part in the agricul- ture business pathway at RMCHS.
A groundbreaking cer- emony is planned for mid- February at the permanent RMCHS location, which will be on a northwest site of Reedley College.
“It can’t happen soon enough,” said Quinto, add- ing that he was grateful for the wisdom of the district trustees and superintendent in supporting the project.
“I love the fact we are supporting students getting a head start on their higher education,” he said.
In a separate matter at the Jan. 23 governing board meeting, the trustees ap- proved an agreement with Integrated Designs by SO- MAM to develop designs for the north side space at Reedley High School that will revert back to the cam- pus. In the past 18 months, KCUSD administrative of- fices have moved from the site to the new Educational Support Center in down- town Reedley. Also, trans- portation operations have shifted from there to the Central Valley Transporta- tion Center, a joint project with the city of Reedley that’s south of the Reedley Sports Park. The design phase is part of the process before any final decisions are made.
trative Services Department. With its award, the city and its budget documents will be posted on the Gov- ernment Finance Officer’s Association website. The as- sociation recognizes winners that it says “have pioneered efforts to improve the qual- ity of budgeting and provide an excellent example for oth- er governments throughout
North America.
Staff Report
A late-night fire Jan. 31 damaged the main structure and destroyed an attached ga- rage at an abandoned home in east Reedley. The fire caused about $20,000 in damage.
A news release from the Reedley Fire Department stated that the blaze broke out shortly before 11 p.m. in the 100 block of North Justine Avenue. The 1,000-square-foot structure was about 75 per- cent involved when the first firefighters arrived. Power lines north of the buildings were down, according to the release.
Crews aggressively bat- tled to suppress the flames and fully contained the fire within 20 minutes, the release said. The residence appar- ently has been abandoned for several years.
There were no injuries. About 14 Reedley firefighters responded to the blaze.
Graeme Gerster / Photo Contributed
Reedley firefighters check damage to an abandoned house Jan. 31 after extinguishing the late-night blaze. Fire officials as of Feb. 6 were still investigating the cause of the fire.
Fire department officials said that it’s unknown what
started the fire. The investi- gation is ongoing.
IT HAPPENED.
LET’S FIX IT.
We need to talk.
We both know you went a little cuckoo during the holidays.
APR* 5.99%
ON PURCHASES & BALANCES TRANSFERRED THRU MARCH 31ST 2018
• Balance transfer fee waived thru March 31ST, 2018.
• The promo balance stays at 5.99% APR until April 2019!
It’s time to consolidate with 5.99% APR, no transfer fees and a locked-in rate for one year.*
WITH A LOW RATE OF
Membership is open to school employees, students, members of school organizations, and their families.
Federally Insured by NCUA
1-800-538-3328 | myEECU.org
*5.99% promotional APR will apply through April 2019 billing cycle to all EECU Visa Platinum credit card purchases and balance transfers from other institutions that post 1/1/18 - 3/31/18. Balance transfer fee waived on transfers posted from 1/1/18 – 3/31/18. After the April 2019 billing cycle, unpaid promotional rate balances will convert to the standard rate of 10.99% APR - 12.99% APR based on creditworthiness. Visa charges: Minimum interest – $0.50 monthly; cash advance & balance transfer fee – greater of $5 or 2% of transaction amount. EECU membership required; eligibility and $5 savings deposit required to join. Subject to credit approval. Promotional APR and fee waiver not available on transfers of existing EECU obligations. Additional terms and conditions apply.
215774