Page 1 - Dinuba Sentinel 12-7-17 E-edition

Dinuba Sentinel Serving the communities of Dinuba, Cutler-Orosi and Monson-Sultana
Choir hosts winter concert
Dinuba High's choir department has concert fundraiser for New York trip
Community, Page A5
Established 1909, Dinuba, California Thursday, December 7, 2017 50 Cents
Lawsuit led against school district, teacher
By Keven J. Geaney
the family in the lawsuit, alleged.
The lawsuit filed in November stated that the
boy's teacher [Warkentin] got mad at him for talking, so
he smacked
him twice.
The incident
happened at
Kennedy on
December
2, 2016. A
classroom full
of students
allegedly
witnessed what
happened and will back up the boy's story.
Hitchcock stated that the boy suffered physical pain and mental difficulties afterward, including a
fear of male teachers.
The Sentinel tried contacting Warkentin about
the incident by email, but he didn't respond. “It's a new
lawsuit and we are working on it. No comment after that,” Daniel Wainwright, of McCormick Barstow, who is representing the school district in the lawsuit, said.
Last week more families came forward with stories of Warkentin allegedly being violent with their children.
“So far I have talked to two other families since the ABC 30 story aired,” Hitchcock said last Thursday. “We now have a history of him [Warkentin] being aggressive and violent for the past 17 years.”
A story about the lawsuit came out on ABC 30 last Wednesday night.
Hitchcock stated that one woman in her 20s reached out to her about being a victim of Warkentin. The woman had Warkentin as a teacher 17 years ago while she was in fourth grade.
“She told me that he [Warkentin] repeatedly grabbed her by the mouth and told her to stop talking,” Hitchcock said.
A complaint was alledgedly filed 17 years ago with the District regarding Warkentin. The family
See Lawsuit, Page A3
Sentinel staff
A lawsuit accuses former Kennedy Elementary School teacher and current Sierra Vista High School teacher of using physical violence against
Edward Warkentin
a fifth-grader last year.
Both Dinuba Unified School
District and the teacher, Edward Warkentin, are being sued by the student's parents. Warkentin has been teaching in the District since 1996.
“He [Warkentin] smacked the boy [a 10-year-old at the time] with a small stack of papers
and then he followed it up with a backhand to the face,” Kara Hitchcock, the attorney representing
Thusu supporters
speak up during
council meeting
interest that would be applied in this case.”
Council members cannot directly address concerns immediately during the public comment portion.
During the council reports portion of the meeting, Thusu addressed the situation by saying, “I wanted to thank all the people who are here. I want to assure you guys ... I’m very touched by your support, but no matter what my resolve will get stronger and stronger by anything that anybody does.
“Regarding the conflict of interest, I will come back to that in the next meeting that I had answers that the materiality [conflict] does not apply in any way.”
No other council members discussed the topic.
At the Nov. 14 meeting, Dinuba City Attorney Nancy A. Jenner addressed the questions of conflict of interest by saying, “I do not believe there is legal conflict of interest.
“The conflict is with the issue of the individual council member, not the council ... It would be up to the council to postpone a hearing if Mr. Thusu would like to get an FPPC (Fair Political Practices Commission) decision on whether he has a conflict.”
Instead the council voted on the item at the Nov. 14 meeting. Reynosa, Launer and Mayor Scott Harness voted yes. Thusu and Councilman Joey Morales remained silent during the vote, which is recorded as a “yes.”
The vote approved a purchase of 2.51 acres of land east of Westgate Way, south of Tractor Supply, at the cost of $437,342.20 to United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley. UHC
See Thusu, Page A2
Christmas in Toyland
By Jackson Moore
Sentinel staff
The Nov. 28 Dinuba city council meeting agenda was unusually brief, but was extended by several audience members who spoke during the public comments portion.
Those comments were made in response to the council’s previous Nov. 14 meeting when it was questioned if Vice Mayor Kuldip Thusu had a conflict of interest to participate and vote on an incoming health clinic, due to being the CEO of Alta Family Health Clinic.
Councilwoman Maribel Reynosa had asked if there was a conflict of interest on the matter. Councilwoman Linda Launer also expressed concern after Thusu inquired about delaying the vote to talk with other potential suitors.
At the Nov. 28 meeting, Five consecutive Dinuba residents approached the podium in support of Thusu. Phrases such as “shameful,” “disturbing,” and “horrified” were used as each of them expressed their discontent with certain council members questioning if Thusu had a conflict of interest. They pleaded with the council to put aside their differences and follow the city’s motto: “Together, a better community.”
Some speakers asked why Thusu would be silenced on a matter to do with his expertise.
Dinuba resident Maria McElroy responded, “You can have the best expert in the world, they can be an expert on whatever, but the law applies to them just the same if they were a non-expert. There is no exception to that ... There’s a smaller piece of the pie when new players come to town. That’s exactly the indirect conflict of
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
Connie Huerta was named grand marshal of the London Community Christmas Parade.
"He [Warkentin] smacked the boy [a 10-year-old at the time] with a small stack of papers and then he followed it up with a backhand to the face."
— Attorney Kara Hitchcock
Dinuba gets revenge Emperors win home basketball game over Tulare Union Sports, Page B1
Children dressed as elves march in the Dinuba Christmas Light Parade on Saturday. More photos of the parade are on the back page.
Send letters to Santa via the Sentinel
Sentinel staff report To allow time to get them to the North Pole on time, we need to receive the letters by Thursday, Dec. 14.
Christmas approaches, and that means millions of letters to Santa will begin making their way to the North Pole.
A Sentinel edition later this month will feature letters to Santa written by the children of Dinuba, Monson-Sultana and Cutler-Orosi. The letters will be published exactly as written.
Make sure the letters to Santa are legibly written and that the child includes his or her full name, age and school.
Mail the letters to Santa in care of the Dinuba Sentinel, 145 South L Street, Dinuba, CA 93618, or drop the letters off at our office in downtown Dinuba.
Keven J. Geaney | The Sentinel
Helping the youth in London succeed and improving the community are just a couple of the many things London
Christmas Parade Grand Marshal Connie Huerta does for the community she works in.
“I love this community and my job. I believe in the people in London,” Huerta said. “I have lots of parents tell me 'I don't know what we would do without you here.' But I don't know what I would do without the great parents and community members in London. The people here [London] are so giving and are grateful for what they have.”
Thirteen years ago Proteus was looking for a community resource liaison to head the Diane Hodges Community Center in London. Huerta applied for the job and got it.
“I love to work with youth and families so this was a perfect job for me,” Huerta said. “I am blessed
London names grand marshal of Christmas parade
London Community Christmas Parade Saturday at 1 p.m.
By Keven J. Geaney
to be working here and I feel at home. I am doing something I love to do and getting paid for it.”
Huerta said that her job is very rewarding. She not only helps the youth in the community, but also the parents by helping them with job resources.
Huerta has also been involved with the
Community Citizens of a Better London for the past 13 years. The last couple of years she has been a board member for the organization. This organization is responsible for the parade, which started in 1998. The parade is on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 1 p.m. at the London Community Center, 5770
avenue 378.
"The parade has grown over the years as we
started bringing in entries from other communities," Huerta said.
Community Citizens for a Better London were also responsible for bringing a library to the community
and are also working on bringing a clinic and sports park to London.
The community center in London has sports programs for youth, arts and crafts, homework tutoring, help with filling out college applications and creating job resumes, and job readiness training. Youth can also do research on the internet with the computers at the center. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and
sometimes on weekends.
“Many people in London don't have access to the
internet, so our community center is a big help for the youth and adults to do research or apply for a
See Parade, Page A10
Sentinel staff
"I love this community and my job."
— London Christmas Parade Grand Marshal Connie Huerta
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