Mid Valley Times 10-14-21 E-edition

Thursday, October 14, 2021
Vol. 3, No. 15
Reedley Fiesta back in its glory
50 cents
Smoke,
rain and
dust hit
region
for a spell
MVT Staff Report
For one extremely un- comfortable day, the Central Valley suffered through haz- ardous air quality because of a high wind-blowing dust weather event.
On Oct. 13, a good portion of the Central Valley experi- enced very unhealthy to haz- ardous levels of air quality as a result of high wind gusts blowing dust particulates into the air that had been loosened by a light during of rain last week. Even though smoke from summer and fall wild- fires wasn't a direct factor, the dust high particulant mat- ter blown into the air raised AQI levels into the hazardous (300 and above) level in Dinu- ba, Reedley and Sanger.
The visual fallout was ha- zy skies, but most of the dust hazard was lower in the sky. There also was the actual fall- out of high winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour in some places, leading to toppled trash cans (some filled with refuse) along rural roads and some city streets.
By the next morning, Oct. 14, winds and dust had set- tled and air quality returned to good and moderate levels in much of the region. Cooler temperatures also have ar- rived, likely signaling the end of hot afternoon days for the remainder of 2021.
Event's first live parade since 2019 celebrated the theme of 'Taking Flight'
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
Crowds responded in the affirmative to the traditional return of the annual Reedley Fiesta on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 8-9.
A year after being forced to hold a unique "reverse" pa- rade with limited attendance in 2020, the Fiesta returned with its normal live parade along G Street through down- town Reedley. Once again, people lined both sides of the main thoroughfare in their chairs and sitting on blankets, cheering on the 41 parade en- trants on Saturday morning.
Crowds lined G Street from the parade's starting point on 8th Street, and the line of people watching was just as impressive at the end of the parade route near 13th Street.
The parade and Fiesta theme for 2021 was "Taking Flight in Reedley." Two local longtime aviation stalwarts, Don Enns and Don Becken- hauer, shared the grand mar- shal honors and took in the ap- plause from the crowd as they were driven along G Street in a classic blue Mustang.
Both prize-winning floats — St. La Salle School (Grand Marshal Trophy) and Reedley
See FIESTA on page A16
TOP PHOTO: It wouldn't be a Reedley Fiesta parade without the Reedley High School marching band. The Big Green Marching Machine passed the review- ing stand during its non-competing performance.
ABOVE LEFT: A large crowd came out to Pioneer Park after the parade Saturday to enjoy food, music and crafts booths. The park also was open on Friday night for food, crafts and music.
ABOVE RIGHT: The St. La Salle School Float was awarded the Grand Marshal Trophy for its design with the "Taking Flight in Reedley" theme.
LEFT: The Dinuba High School Emperor Marching Band won the Top Performing Band award for the 2021 Fiesta Parade.
Photos by Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
New Sanger West campus: 'Imagine the Possibilities'
Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
Sanger High School West school students and staff surrounded Deputy Principal Sam Polanco, partially obscured, on Oct. 14 as the group formally cut a ceremonial ribbon to dedicate the completiobn of Phase 1 of the new educational facility at Fowler and Jensen avenues.
facility to the north is built in Phase II.
Adela Jones, super- intendent for SUSD, re- called clearly remem- beringthegroundbreak- ing in October 2018 "when we stood in this
piece of dirt and stuck shovels in the ground, and having that vision of what this was going to be in the future.
"And what it is to-
See CAMPUS on page A16
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
The Sanger Unified School District finally was able to formally dedicate Phase I of its new high school educa- tion complex, located at the northeast corner of Fowler and Jensen av- enues in Fresno, at a morning ceremony on Oct. 12.
District officials, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, guests and media were on hand for the ceremony, which was culminated in a ribbon cutting in front of the main two-story Sanger High School West build- ing. The building even- tually will be house a new junior high once the three-story high school
Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Dyer said southeast Fresno, where the cam- pus is located, has a planned buildout of more than 40,000 homes/residences in the area in coming years.
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