Sanger Herald 3-21-19 E-edition

One final ride
Looking for a home
page 8A
Apaches rock and roll
Lifestyles 2B
Sports 1B
WeeklyNewspaper Sanger(FresnoCounty)CA93657 50¢ (taxincluded)
Spring makeover
Sometimes it takes a village, a helicopter and 123 gallons of paint ... page 8A
SUSD and police ask for
help identifying man who
tried to pick up students
More than 200 attended the planning commission workshop and more than 40 commented on the state ordered affordable housing rezoning in Sanger
By Dick Sheppard
sangerherald@gmail.com
Sanger police and school district officials are asking for help identifying a man who allegedly tried to pick up two female students walk- ing home from WAMS at approximately 3:10 p.m. on March 19.
The students said they were approached by a Hispanic male in a gray four- door car, possibly a Nissan, and asked if they needed a ride, said associate superin-
tendent Eduardo Martinez. "The girls said 'no' and
continued walking to a relative who was waiting for them," said Martinez. The girls told their father about the incident and he reported it to the school.
In a letter to Sanger Uni- fied parents Martinez wrote, "We are working closely with the Sanger Police Depart- ment ... Sanger Unified School Distirct leaders have been instructed to raise awareness among staff."
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
"The state is making us do this," said Senior Planner David Bre- letic, above. Cathy Montoya, left, was one of many who asked the planning commission not to do it, not to rezone 63 acres for high density (affordable) housing. "It will bring down property values," was the recurrent theme.
Scoring glitch amends
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
County superintendent of schools Jim Yovino ceremoniously presents Sanger High's Jennifer Gonzalez with two silver med- als and a bronze medal she would have received at the Feb. 2 Academic Decathlon except for a scoring glitch. Jennifer Quinn-Yovino, decathlon event coordinator looks on approv- ingly.
By Dick Sheppard
sangerherald@gmail.com
The State of California has told the City of Sanger that it must be able to accommodate 956 affordable housing units.
"They’re saying that our obligation is to ensure that those units can get built," Sanger's senior planner David Breletic told approximately200peopleinthe community center for a March 14 plan- ning commission workshop.
To accommodate that many housing units Sanger is being required by the state to rezone almost 63 acres inside the city limits for high density housing.
That obviously created the image of Section 8 apartments in the minds of the majority of the more than 40 people who pleaded with the commission not to carry out the state's zoning mandate.
A few of the speakers agreed with the concept that more affordable housing is needed. However, most emphasized they didn't want it in their neighborhood.
"Itwill bringdownhousingvalues," was the overarching theme of those
who spoke to the commission.
Cathy Montoya seemed to sum up
the mood of the majority when she said, "I grew up in a low income area. I went to college and got a career so I could move up, live in a better area. This [rezoning] would take that away from me by reducing my home's value and changing the nature of my neighbor- hood."
"There will be no action by the plan- ning commission this evening," city attorney Hilda Cantu Montoy told the crowd.
"Tonight is a workshop. Later there will be a public hearing – at that time there be another public notice. Once the planning commission makes a decision - after the public hearing - they will make a recommendation to the city council and it is the council who will make a final decision," said Montoy.
She emphasized that the zoning is required by state law and all cities in California are dealing with the same issues.
" The consequences unfortunately are pretty severe if the city does not
meet the requirements," said Montoy. "Many cities, as well as Sanger, are behind because there was no enforce-
ment [under Gov. Brown] and they just put it off into the future. But now there is enforcement and that brings a seri- ousness to this matter ... the governor's office sent a message to the city of Clo- vis that gas tax [payments to the city] wouldbehaltediftheydidnotcomply with these requirements ... and housing development could be stopped ... " said Montoy.
" To prevent these things [from hap- pening in Sanger] we hope that with your help the planning commission and the city council will be able to make some positive decisions."
Breletic and development director Tom Navarro tried to make it clear there are currently no developers stand- ing by waiting to build high density complexes. They emphasized that the city is dealing only with a demand by the state to get the rezoning done.
The next regular meeting of the plan- ning commission is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 28 at city hall, 1700 7th St.
By Dick Sheppard
sangerherald@gmail.com
A scoring glitch at the 2019 Academic Decathlon prevented the Sanger High School team from receiving a trophy and team members Jennifer Gonzalez and Melo- dy Martinez from receiving
medals.
On Monday county su-
perintendent of schools Jim Yovino and decathlon event coordinator Jennifer Quinn- Yovino came to Sanger High School with a trophy, medals and gifts for the medalists
See AMENDS, page 7A
The tradition continues
Sanger students dominate the county science fair - 26 move on to state
Overwhelming public sentiment: 'Don't do this'
Spring arrived yesterday Will we have another springlike weekend? Probably not. See the forecast on page 6A
• March 21 - City council meeting, 6 p.m., city hall, 1700 7th St.
By Dick Sheppard
sangerherald@gmail.com
Fifty-two percent of the Fresno County students who will compete in the state science fair are from Sanger schools.
It's not a record, said Sanger's science fair advisor Carl Gong. But it continues the tradition of Sanger students dominating the Fresno County Science Fair.
Once upon a time, said Gong, Sanger sent 42 students on to state competition.
"Sanger has been sending stu- dents to the California State Science Fairforthepast40years. Many past students are now parents and have their own children participat- ing in the science fair. I was very fortunate to be involved in all those science fairs," said Gong.
les Science Center.
Sanger students who have
earned the right to go are:
Sanger Academy Charter School
Alyssa Torres, Selena Macias and Malia Chheng
John Wash School
Jagjot Grewal
WAMS
Isabelle Luna, Ayden Mulligan, Cameron Steagall, Nathan Tran, Mackenzie Scott and Krista Sheaf- fer
Quail Lake Charter School
Madison Bigham, Gavin Gon- salves, Gianna Manfredo, Colin Manfredo, Michael Bedrosian, Simone Kilby, Isabella Worley, Bethany Ray, Graham Luckin, Mardi Barnard, Maylene Barnard and Matthew Bedrosian
Fairmont School
Sam Heinrichs
Sanger High School
• March 22 - District Lip Sync contest, 5:30 p.m., WAMS auditorium, 1705 10th St.
• April 2 - Measure S Oversight meeting, 6 p.m. at city hall, 1700 7th St.
The 68th annual California Sci- ence & Engineering Fair will be held on April 29-30 in the Los Ange-
Photo courtesy of Sarah Luna
Quail Lake's Matthew Bedrosian, 6th grade Fresno County science fair sweepstake winner, is con- gratulated by Meagan Jamieson of the Fresno County Office of Education.
See SCIENCE FAIR, page 7A
SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thsangerherald.com
THURSDAY
MARCH 21, 2019
VOL 130 NO. 12
2 sections, 14 pages
CLASSIFIED 5B LEGALS 6,7B BUSINESS DIRECTORY 8B LIFE STYLES 2B OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 6A