Page 1 - Sanger Herald 6-13-19 E-edition

Harrell gets the call
Hoping for a home
Rescue Animals 8A
More promotions, graduation
Sports 1B
Lifestyles 2B
WeeklyNewspaper Sanger(FresnoCounty)CA93657
Graduation 2019
50¢ (taxincluded) Before graduation, all the seniors
gathered in the lower reaches of the arena, lining up in various zones. Alys- sa and Marissa Hansen looked decid- edly different than their many months over the years playing basketball as Apaches. Marissa wasn't pressuring the other team under the basket, and Alyssa wasn't driving into enemy terri- tory looking for an outside shot or open teammate.
In fact, Alyssa wore a pair of ruby red heels that definitely updated the look made famous in Oz. She said they had special significance in that they were "donated" by grandma. And her decision to wear them was simple. "Be- cause they're awesome," she said. They gave her a slight height advantage over her twin. But not much.
Alyssa admitted to a little nervous- ness. But it wasn't shared. "Naw," Ma- rissa said. She was chill, ready for any- thing.
Once the NJROTC crew brought in the flags and Vivian Andrade and An- nika Klassen sang the National Anthem, homecoming queen, Miss Sanger and soccer standout Rachel Pimentel gave her student body president's welcome. She spoke about becoming difference makers, no longer having to wait 15 minutes before and after class for the
See GRADUATION, page 7A
Longtime principal Dan Chacon moves to a new job in the district
Mike Nemeth/Sanger Herald
HannahLucerogivesoutgoingprincipalDanChaconahugaftermostoftheotherstudentshavefiledoutof the Save Mart Center. More than 700 students graduated, the biggest class of Apaches to date, June 7.
Public hearing on zoning
is continued to July 2 at
the community center
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Ebony Catano was decked out.
Friends and relatives slipped a dol- lar bill crown around the base of her bright red mortar board cap, filled her arms with bouquets and bedecked her with handmade necklaces, most more traditional with the numbers 2-0-1-9 and artfully folded money.
But one was more unusual, at least to somebody who didn't know Catano. The relative army of supporters surround- ing her assured that the string of flam- ing hot Cheetos was totally appropriate.
Catano laughed when asked if she would eat them that night. "All of them," she said. "With lemon."
Sanger residents swarmed the grounds outside the Save Mart Center at the conclusion of Sanger High's class of 2019 graduation ceremony June 7. The crowd filled Fresno's biggest pub- lic venue, leaving only some seats in the higher reaches empty. A record more than 700 graduates walked to the stage to get diplomas. And despite all that, the event went off without a hitch.
At least one organizer said the pro- gram chugged along about 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Navigating the grid- lock traffic before and after the affair wasanotherstoryaltogether,givingGo Apaches! a whole new dimension.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
The city council decided to hear comments from resi- dents who attended a special meeting at the community center and then, without making a decision, continue the public hearing about rezoning until July 2.
The council was hoping
to reach a decision on state ordered rezoning for afford- able housing at the June 6 meeting. However, after a low turnout - only about 60 residents showed up - the council decided to hear more public comment before mak- ing a decision.
Sanger had originally been ordered by the state to find
63 acres within the city limits that could be rezoned to ac- commodate affordable hous- ing - or face consequences that could include a state im- posed building moratorium or a cutoff of funds the city uses to maintain its streets.
However, the state has since revised the number downward from 63.8 acres to 54 acres.
Development director Tom Navarro reviewed the eight sites the planning staff has recommended to be re- zoned before public comment was heard.
The reporter can be con- tacted by email at sangerher- ald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
Derek Nasalroad and Isabella Worley were named 'Falcons of the Year' at the June 5 Quail Lake Environmental Charter School 8th grade promotion ceremony.
WAMS promotion moved 741 students 'One step closer to success.'
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
Class speaker Arpanjot Dosanjh assured more than 700 class- mates that WAMS had prepared them well to take one more step closer to success.
THURSDAY
June 13, 2019
VOL 130 NO. 24
2 sections, 14 pages
CLASSIFIED 5B LEGALS 6, 7B BUSINESS DIRECTORY 8B LIFE STYLES 3B OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 6A
Falcons of the Year
• June 13 - City council budget meeting, 6 p.m. at city hall, 1700 7th St.
• June 19 - Community planning meeting, 6 p.m. at Sanger High School band room, 1045 N. Bethel Ave.
• June 26 - City council budget meeting (If need- ed) at6p.m.atcityhall,17007thSt.
• June 26 - School board meeting at 7 p.m. at the district office, 1905 7th St.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
The Quail Lake Environ- mental Charter School 8th grade promotion ceremony was a night for champions, 47 well dressed and well groomed champions, step- ping on stage to receive awards and promotion cer- tificates.
Sixty-six percent of the promoting class had been attending Quail Lake since kindergarten. Each of the
11 valedictorians shared thoughts about champions. Derek Nasalroad said it's ".. how they recover when they fall." Isabella Worley seemed to think teachers and staff at Quail Lake were champi- ons. They should know. Der- ek and Isabella were named the male and female Falcons of the Year, " ... the pin-
nacle of all around student achievement," said teacher Shane Mason who introduced
them. The other valedictori- ans, with 4.0 GPAs through the 7th and 8th grades were EmmyWeber, GavinGon- zalves, Victoria Ruiz, Colin Manfredo, Madison Bigham, Michael Bedrosian, Katelyn Callahan, Jayden Ponce and Lauren McQuay.
The well organized cer- emony moved with military precision, starting with a video featuring students talking about their dreams, the Pledge of Allegiance by Simone Kilby and the Star Spangled Banner played by the Quail Lake Advanced Band, student welcome by Eli Borsch and Madison Webb, principal's welcome by Kim Labosky, awards and recognitions and ending with a slide show of memories.
The reporter can be con- tacted by email at sangerher- ald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
The 741 member WAMS promoting class of 2019 covered the floor of Tom Flores Stadium and families and friends overflowed the stands and a special seating area behind the scoreboard.
Luckily it was a cool eve- ning on June 6 with a gentle breeze billowing the U.S. flag on the stage for dignitaries at the south end of the stadium.
After Nicole Gomez
sang the National Anthem principal Leo Castillo told the students that each of them was unique, "I truly believe that each of you has some- thing to offer society and this world we live in, you just have to find what it is. You must challenge yourselves and those around you to do better, be better because you are better, and that’s just the Sanger Way."
Class speaker Arpanjot Dosanjh assured classmates they were ready to take one more step closer to success, "As you take your next steps to success, remember to
be brave, be determined,
be ready to break a sweat
in order to climb over the boulders that block the path to your future and above all, remember 'once a Warrior, always a Warrior.'"
Castillo called the promot- ing class "a class of competi- tors."
To emphasize his point
he cited 13 league champi- onships won by the class's sports teams, seven awards won by the robotics team and the Bonner Award for Char- acter and Civic Education won by the school.
The reporter can be con- tacted by email at sangerher- ald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thsangerherald.com