Reedley Exponent 1-25-18 E-edition

Reedley High soccer keeps pace in NYL title chase
Sports
Reedley (Fresno County) CA 93654 | 50 cents Commission OKs permit for emergency housing
RHS’ NJROTC program has its annual inspection
Panorama
Vol. 129, No. 4 | Thursday, January 25, 2018
www.reedleyexponent.com
Commissioners approve combined resolution 3-1, matter goes to City Council
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
The Reedley Planning Commission on Jan. 18 approved a conditional use permit and environmental assessment for a proposed emergency housing facil- ity in southwest Reedley. It’s a project that has drawn vocal opposition from neighboring residents and been the source of a recall petition against Reed- ley City Council Member Ray Soleno.
By a 3-1 vote — Commissioner Ron Hudson voted “no” and Commission
Glick no
longer
with city
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
Joel Glick, Reedley’s Community Services director and longtime di- rector with the Parks and Recreation Department, has
Dawn Barcellos was an excused ab- sence —commissioners approved the conditional use permit and environ- mental assessment for the facility called Faith House by proposed operators Hope Now Ministries and the Heritage Church of God in Reedley. The house at 1697 W. Huntsman Ave. was formerly the Marjaree Mason Center shelter for women and family members victimized by domestic violence.
Proponents say Faith House’s in- tended would be as an emergency shel- ter for people needing temporary hous- ing due to an emergency, tragedy, job loss or other unforeseen reason. The facility would provide housing, clothing, life skills training, coaching and spiri- tual guidance.
After the meeting ended, Hudson
explained his “no” vote.
“I think the amount of resources
that are needed to handle a program like that are far more than are available,” he said. “In order to address the needs of whoever comes – and they will have pretty substantial needs – you need to have the resources to handle it.”
About 40 people attended the meet- ing, and there was public comment from opponents and supporters of the house, which would have funding provided by the California Department of Finance through the Community-based Transi- tional Housing Program. The city ap- plied for funding from the state in 2017, receiving a grant of $560,000. Sixty per- cent of that money has to be spent on
See PERMIT on page A5
Jon Earnest / The Exponent
Rob Terry, left, community development director for the city of Reedley, makesapresentationontheproposed emergencyhousingfacilityat1697 W. Huntsman Ave. at the Jan. 18 Reedley Planning Commission meeting. The commission approved a conditional use permit for the facility by a 3-1 vote. At right is Commissioner Alberto Custodio.
been terminated by the city.
Nicole Zieba, Reedley city man- ager, confirmed that Glick’s last day on the job was Jan. 12. He had been with the city for 22 years.
Joel Glick
Workout tribute
District
buys land
for OC
school site
By Felicia Cousart Matlosz
felicia@midvalleypublishing
To prepare for future growth, the Kings Canyon Unified School District trustees on Jan. 9 approved the purchase of a 15 acre-plus site in Orange Cove for a future school.
The price was $1.525 million, according to the resolution approv- ing the purchase agreement. The KCUSD governing board members voted 7-0 to acquire the property owned by Mark Alan Hoffman. The site is near the northeast corner of East South Avenue and South Mon- son Avenue.
After the vote was taken, Board President Noel Remick said that “it’s a big day for KCUSD and Orange Cove.”
At this point, there have been no discussions to pursue another school bond measure to pay for new campuses. But purchasing sites in advance is crucial to the planning process.
So, while the need to build a new campus isn’t imminent, school dis- tricts such as Kings Canyon Unified have to plan for what’s coming. Dis- tricts regularly monitor demograph- ics and study city master plans to determine where future campuses will be needed.
In Orange Cove, for example, the city’s master plan indicates there will be 400 to 425 more children in the community, specifically toward the west side of the city within the next decade.
That may be years away, but “we’re putting into place the things that are necessary for the growth of our district,” John Quinto said after the meeting. He is KCUSD’s assis- tant superintendent for business services.
Superintendent John Campbell said after the meeting that “the pur-
See KCUSD on page A5
“This was my
decision. It’s probably the hardest decision I’ve yet had to make as the city manager. I do wish him well,” Zieba said. She wouldn’t go into more detail about Glick’s termination, call- ing it a personnel matter.
“I do wish him well. I figure if it
See GLICK on page A3
Reedley men
arrested after
6-mile pursuit
Staff Report
California Highway Patrol of- ficers on Jan. 17 arrested three Reedley men suspected in a hot prowl burglary that same day east of Kingsburg following a six-mile vehicle pursuit that ended between Reedley and Parlier.
Lorenzo Herrera, 19, Morgan Bray, 19, and 20-year-old Baldemar Ambriz were booked into the Fres- no County jail on felony burglary charges. Herrera faced an additional charge of assault on a police officer with a semi-automatic weapon after allegedly pointing a .22 caliber rifle
See ARRESTS on page A5
Jon Earnest / The Exponent
Christine Buller, a former Reedley High School classmate of Joe F. Lusk II who now lives in Hanford, lets go of the barbell after executing a power snatch lift during the Jan. 20 Joe Lusk II Memorial Foundation fundraiser at Gnardog CrossFit in downtown Reedley. A series of workouts were held to raise money for the nonprofit organization.
Gnardog CrossFit puts on
fundraiser for Joe Lusk II
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
Friends and loved ones of Joe Lusk II — and ma- ny people who never met him — worked out Jan. 20 to raise money and honor the Reedley resident who gave his life serving his country.
More than 120 people lifted weights, jumped rope and worked up a sweat during the Joe Lusk II Memorial Foundation fundraiser at Gnardog Cross- Fit in downtown Reedley. Participants and donors paid $10 each to raise money for the foundation. The nonprofit organization helps veterans in need with finances and other social services.
“This isn’t about hitting your workout of lift goals. It’s about working out with us for the cause,” Gnardog co-owner Matthew Tuttle told one of the
groups as they prepared their 25-minute workouts. All numbers of lifts in the workout were related to Lusk’s death in Kuwait from a helicopter crash on Jan. 21, 2005.
There was the one “muscle up” symbolizing Jan- uary, the first month of the year. Then there were the 21 “double unders” symbolizing the day of the month. Finally, there were the five power snatches of up to 135 pounds to symbolize the year of Lusk’s death.
The third of four “workouts of the day” drew participants from fitness gyms in Hanford and Lemoore. Before they started, they received work- out instructions from Tuttle. Susan Lusk, Joe Lusk’s mother and foundation representative, then deliv- ered words of encouragement and appreciation to the participants.
“We can’t tell you how much it means to the fam- ily what you’re doing to support veterans,” she said. Lusk gave an example of the foundation’s efforts. Cur-
See FUNDRAISER on page A2
RC food pantry open three days a week for students
The Reedley College food pantry — located next to the gyminthesouthwesternpartofthecampus— isopenfor the spring semester for students to use if they run short of food at their residence. The food pantry is open Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and is open to all students on campus.
LEFT: Worker Laura Ramirez, behind counter, collects some food items for a student on Jan. 22.
RIGHT: Studentscanpickfromcannedgoodsandother non-perishable items at the food pantry.
Reedley College / Photos Contributed
Classified - A6-7
Directory - B5
Legals - B6 Sports - B3-4 Lights & Sirens - A3 Obituaries - A2 Opinion - A4