Page 14 - Mid Valley Times 12-17-20 E-edition

Thursday, December 17, 2020
Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
Linda Launer and Maribel Reynosa sat at their seats in the Dinuba City Council Cham- bers on Dec. 11. Launer was appointed as the city's mayor and Reynosa vice mayor during the Dec. 8 council meeting, held in the council chambers for the first time in months. The council has been conducting its meetings by video on Zoom since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out back in March.
| A14 | Mid Valley TiMes FLIGHT SCIENCE
Continued from page A1
Reedley College has had a Fed- eral Aviation Administration-certi- fied aircraft mechanics-maintenance program dating back to 1948, and has off and on offered pilot ground school instruction. But Johnson said that this program that began in Au- gust 2018 is the first to offer actual flying instruction on campus. All ground school took place on campus along with flight simulator training. Test flying was done out of Fresno- Yosemite International airport.
In his brief message to the gradu- ates, RC President Jerry Buckley pointed out the value and contribu- tions of the first class.
"Now, they not only will enter the flight and aviation industry, but they will continue to work in many re- spects with our program as we grow our own instructors," he said "So I con- gratulate you, and also offer you this wonderful opportunity to celebrate today this historic occasion."
During his graduation message, Rios thanked Johnson, chief instruc- tor Emilio Rosales and Reedley Col- lege staff for all their support during the program.
"They truly made this a very memorable experience for each and every one of us,"he said. "Each of the instructors have taken the time out of their day to make sure that if we had
any questions whatsoever that they would take care of us. And that means so much to us, because you don't find that very often in college programs."
Rios also thanked Jim Brannan, owner of JB Aeronautics who also provided on-site training in Fresno and will be hiring on some of the graduates.
"I don't think we would be the pi- lots that we are without [him and Ro- sales]," Rios said.
Rios also thanked Jim Brannan, owner of JB Aeronautics who also provided on-site training in Fresno and will be hiring on some of the graduates.
"I don't think we would be the pi- lots that we are without [him and Ro- sales]," he said.
Rios pointed out how his father advised him to find a career where it would feel like he wasn't working a single day in his life.
"I can safely say that I've found that, and it's thanks to the Reedley College program. I hope my peers have found that as well," he said.
The four new graduates and fu- ture pilots at the ceremony then were presented with new flight jackets. George Takata, the college's director of marketing and communications, did the honors putting on the new jackets to each graduate. On video, Clayton also donned his new jacket, and thanked his fellow graduates and instructors.
Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
LAUNER Continued from page A1
vote, to secure a second term. She said the coun- cil's mission is to do all it can to help Dinuba recover
Tuttle sworn in to Reedley Council, Fast is new mayor
MVT Staff Report
Matthew Tuttle was sworn in as Reedley City Council member for District 1 during a special year-end meet- ing of the council on Dec. 15.
Tuttle, who defeated Ken Baker in the Nov. 3 election while collecting 58 percent of the vote, succeeds Frank Pinon, who has been mayor the past two years and opted not to run for an- other four-year term on the council.
Also at the Dec. 15 meeting, veteran Coun- cil Member Mary Fast assumed the mayor's post for the third time in her 14 years on coun- cil. Fast previously was selected to two two- year terms by her fel- low council members; serving from 2008 to 2012. She returns as mayor in the rotation process now instituted by the city.
More information on the Dec. 15 meeting will publish in the Dec. 24 issue of The Times.
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home orders have put on cities and small towns in California.
"Our goal is to re- main fiscally solvent for the next term, to bring us out of COVID and getting the city back to its vibrant self," Launer said. "So that our stu- dents can go back to school, and our people can go back to their businesses, and people can get back to their lives."
Rachel
Reynosa echoed the concerns about COVID. "As Linda said, COV- ID is our biggest hurdle at this point," she said. "And, of course, the wa- ter situation is always something that anyone in the Central Valley is going to have to face.
Those two things are our biggest hurdles."
During the Dec. 8 meeting, the city paid recognition to longtime council member Emilio Morales, who opted not to run for another term serving District 1.
Lorenzo Rios, one of five members of Reedley College's first-ever Flight Sciences graduating class, represented the class in delivering a message during a class com- mencement ceremony on Dec. 10.
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