Page 11 - Sanger Herald 5-10-18 E-edition

Lifestyles
SANGER HERALD • 3B • THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018
Comcast brings high-speed data delivery to technology park
Sanger
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
The Kings River Technology Park off Academy Avenue in south Sanger finally lives up to its name.
“The infrastructure is into the park,” said Adam Hughes, Comcast Business senior account executive.
The park has been without high-capacity Internet sought by business and industrial customers since its inception more than a dozen years ago. But on May 3 Comcast staged a celebration, catered by Pardini’s in Fresno, to
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Mayor Frank Gonzalez and city manager Tim Chapa met with representatives of Comcast for the unveiling.
mark the completion of installation of coaxial and fiber-optic cable into the area.
“It is a very big deal,” said Tammy Wolfe, chief executive and president of the Sanger Chamber of Commerce. “Businesses will definitely profit from this. This is a marketable product. We can now tell large companies we’re on top of things.”
Wolfe said business comes looking for connectivity.
Councilman Eli Ontiveros said he plans not to waste any time getting the word out to prospective
employers looking for a potential site for their new business operation.
Hughes said Comcast’s participation in the partnership began about two years ago. He said Comcast offers voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, services, analog voice, TV and trunk lines as well as other services.
“We’re giving businesses the same conductivity they have in Silicon Valley,” said Joe Novotny, Comcast’s director of sales for Northern California. “We can scale up to 10 gigs. It will definitely take care of today’s needs and
tomorrow’s needs.” Comcast is expanding
such services across the region and state.
Sanger mayor Frank Gonzalez said the idea of high-speed Internet came up when he was first elected a couple years ago. He said he sat down with representatives of the company and “came up with a plan to move forward.”
“It creates a great partnership,” he said.
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Inland surf venue generates buzz
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
The World Surf League’s Founders Cup drew an estimated 5,000 people this weekend to the dusty outskirts of Lemoore to see a sport only previously associated with ocean shores.
CBS broadcast the event, and multiple media outfits ran stories, photos and footage.
Kelly Slater, an 11-time WSL champion, built the longest man-made wave generator next to a golf course down Highway 41 in a region better know for farm fields, signs about the value of water and dairies. But now, with the first event in the rear view mirror and more to come, the business community is looking ahead.
“It’s the biggest deal we’ve seen in a long time,” said Amy Ward, chief executive of the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce. “Lemoore is now a surf town.”
It’s a big deal amongst surfers, too. Competitor Leonardo Fioravanti, 20, has been surfing 14 years. He’s from Rome.
“Crazy,” he said. “You hardly get something this perfect in the ocean. I can only imagine what the future will be, same wave but twice the size. Standing up in the barrel.”
“Oh man, my first wave 20 minutes ago,” said Bianca Buitendag, 24, of Victoria Bay, South Africa. “It’s like surfing a Playstation game. You can do it all day long.”
Both professional surfers said that of course there’s nothing like the ocean, but the bi-directional wave-making machine,
What To Do When You Feel You Are Sinking — Part 1
We all go through storms in life. Over the next few weeks in these articles we will discover what you can do when you feel you are sinking in finances, relationships, health, whatever. Read Matthew 14:22-36, this is the familiar account of Jesus walking on the water and Peter jumping out of the boat.
We will discover five ways in the next few articles about how you can respond when you are in over your head.
Here’s the first one: Have
Miike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
The WSL Founders Cup is expected to be just the first event at the Lemoore wave pool.
the vintage red Farmall tractor at the entrance of the facility.
Problem was the city didn’t have a flag, Ward said.
But Lemoore’s leaders didn’t let that stop them. They created a flag using the city seal that now flutters confidently for all visitors to see.
Even nearby Hanford sees potential.
“This is amazing,” said Joey Joslin, chief executive and executive director of the Hanford Chamber of Commerce. “The shear shock of saying, ‘Surfing in Lemoore.’ That’s an incredible thing to say.
“An entertainment venue like this in the Central Valley is exactly what we need. It’s really important for people to realize that the Central Valley is more than just farmland.
“I’m thoroughly impressed.”
Will Dove left Santa Monica to come work for the WSL Surf Ranch. “It creates jobs,” he said, explaining he used to work in restaurants. “This whole pool was created from someone’s passion.”
Sam Ramirez, WSL Surf Ranch general manager, said the facility underwent a number of firsts for the competition. Previously, the facility, other than a soft opening last year, had been closed to the public, behind awoodfencealongJackson Avenue.
“It started out, ‘Can we make a wave?’” he asked. “Then, it was, ‘Let’s train surfers.’ Then it was, ‘Let’s put on events.’ We were never built or designed to accommodate 5,000 people.”
But the WSL made it work, and the venue has a
jumping out, Peter asks, “Lord, if it’s you, can I join you?”
Too often we get an idea and then we ask God to bless it. Don’t ask God to bless what you’re doing. Do what God is blessing. Ask, “God what do you want me to do?” Peter is learning a valuable lesson we all need to learn: When you’re in a storm, when you’re going through a crisis, it is safer to be out of the boat with Jesus than it is to be back in the boat without Jesus.
The Bible says, “without faith it’s impossible to please God.” If you’re not taking any risks, you can’t possibly please God. If nothing in your life
sophisticated viewing area, festival site and ample room to welcome crowds. Days before the competition, crews built infrastructure to handle the fans and the first day’s tickets had sold out. The second day was close behind.
Ramirez said he’s had quarterback Drew Brees throwing a football from a surf board and Thor’s Chris Helmsworth checking out the facility.
Laura Muma, a WSL representative coordinating press tours, said the event is the first time her organization has sold tickets to such a competition. The chief sponsor is Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold with fellow sponsors Jeep, T-Mobile, Lifeproof, Quiksilver and Barefoot wines. “We want to create this as more than a surfing event,” she said. “Ultimately it’s a testing, prototype facility. This is global.”
Lemoore mayor Ray Madrigal rode the support personal watercraft that delivered the surfers to the wave. He didn’t even take off his shoes. Or get very wet.
“It’s an absolute gem to have out here,” he said. “They’ve really gone out of their way to promote Lemoore. How can we go wrong? Their success will be our success.”
Many of the spectators came from outside the region, and the hotels were booked into Clovis, Madrigal said.
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
requires faith, then you’re not living by faith. So you need to take a risk and as John Ortberg’s famous book says, “If you want to walk on water — you’ve got to get out of the boat.”
Next Week: Stay Focused on Jesus
Pastor Sam Estes is city advance director and facilitates the Sanger Community Task Force that meets the first and third Tuesdays every month. He can be reached at pastorsam51@gmail.com.
manufactured and perfected by Slater, does appear to have a future in their sport.
Lemoore has about a thousand fewer people than Sanger, but now it’s got a world-class surf venue that its new owner, the World Surf League, plans to use for future competition and festivals. Sanger’s got better water, and the Apaches beat the Tigers in double overtime on the football field. So it offers up an example of what completely unique
COURAGE because Jesus is with you! In Matthew 14:27 Jesus said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Remember, courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is when you move ahead despite your fears. If you’re not afraid, you don’t need courage. Courage is saying and doing the right thing even though you’re scared to death to do it.
That’s courage, doing the right thing despite your fear. Not the absence of fear. More things are caught than taught. Courage is something that needs to be modeled. We need parents who will not wimp out. Modeling to their
investment can bring to the region.
A post to the Sanger Herald’s Facebook page elicited this response to that question from Jennifer Determan-Lewis: “Let’s find the need and fill it,” she said. “Our community deserves it.”
On a smaller scale, Sanger’s venue-creating entrepreneurs have developed a micro-brewery and wineries, with the latest one being Mike Ubick’s Valley Oak Winery. And other projects remain
in the works. Development continues, and growth projections remain robust.
Ward said this inaugural event gives Lemoore a better idea of what to expect. “This will give us anideaofwhattoplanfor,” she said.
Already, Lemoore conquered one rather significant hurdle associated with having a big venue and surf neighbor. WSL management requested the city’s flag for its flagpole alongside the stars and stripes and near
PASTOR’S CORNER
children to say and do the right thing even if it is unpopular.
you. Secondly, Take a Risk in Faith. When you are most afraid, scared or going under for the third time, you take a risk in faith.
That’s what Peter did. In Matthew 14:29, Jesus comes
walking along on the water and Peter sees him and says, “‘Lord, if it’s you, tell metocometoyouonthe water.’ ‘Come,’ Jesus said.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water and came to Jesus.
You model this
in the middle of
the storm. Rather
than hiding the
storms from PastorSamEstes your kids, you let
them know, “We are going through this storm right
now and this is how you
have courage. This is how
you put your faith in God.
Jesus is with us. He knows
what we are going through,
and he is God.”
Fear is contagious from parents, and courage is even more contagious. So, you have courage because you know that Jesus is with
Imagine the rush — an experience of a lifetime. Notice he says “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Before