Sanger Herald 12-7-17 E-edition

K-9 Mikey back on the job
Girls basketball back on the court
Looking for a home
page 7A
Lifestyles 3B
Sports 1B
Weekly Newspaper
Sanger (Fresno County) CA 93657 50¢ (tax included) Parade marks official
start of holiday season
Mike Nemeth/Sanger Herald
Trucha Camp was one of the 100 entries in this year's Christmas parade. That's 22 entries more than last year. The police estimate that more than 5,000 spectators lined the streets to watch this year's parade. That's the biggest crowd in years. The sweepstakes winner was Sanger M & E Flowers General Grant Gallery. Judges' choice winner was "Its time to SEA – lebrate with your Lone Star Eagles." Peoples' choice winner was Wilson Elementary PTA. Band award went to: Sanger High School, 1st place; WAMS, 2nd place; and Sounds of Sanger, 3rd place. Float award winners were: Chuck Wagon, division 1; Apache Closet, division 2; Centerville Elementary, division 3; Quail Lake Environmental Charter School, division 4; Sequoia Elementary School, division 5; and Lincoln Elementary School, division 6. See more about the Trucha Camp entry on page 7A and see many more photos of the parade on the Sanger Herald's Facebook page.
There was no festive holiday spirit apparent at the Measure S Citizens Oversight Committee meeting
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
City finance director Gary Watahira, right, talks with the Measure S Citizens Oversight Committee at its Tuesday evening meet- ing. Committee members, L-R, Tony Gonzalez, JoAnn Mares, Sue Simpson, Melissa Griggs and James Miser.
Sanger firefighters in Ventura County
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Three Sanger firefight- ers on Engine 121 arrived in Ventura County late Tuesday night as part of a task force from Fresno County to help fight the Thomas Fire, said fire chief Greg Tarascou. They have been assigned structure protection respon- sibility in a residential area.
The wildfire swept
into the city of Ventura
early Tuesday, burning 50,000
acres, destroying homes and forcing more than 27,000 people to evacuate.
About 3,000 homes were evacuated, a firefighter
was injured and Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Ventura County as some 1,000 person- nel battle the blaze.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sang- erherald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Photo courtesy Ventura County Fire Department
Trek to the Tree shuttle bus tickets still available
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
It'smaybeSanger's mostspecialandcertainlyitslongest running Christmas season tradition, the "Trek to the Tree."
This Sunday will mark the 92nd time people from Sanger, and all over the world, have made the trip to the Nation's Christmas Tree in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
If you hurry you may be able to reserve one of the few re- maining seats on shuttle buses to the event. Seats on a regular bus (no food option) are now $30 each for military, active or retired, all seniors, 55 and over and for SUSD and city person- nel. There are still a few seats available on the lunch and din- ner buses, with a $10 discount for military, active or retired and for seniors, said chamber president/CEO Tammy Wolfe. Call the chamber at (559) 875-4575 to make your reservation.
The annual event will feature the Sanger High School choir and NJROTC honor guard, the Jubilation Singers and a non-denominational holiday message from Chaplain (Capt.) Clayton B. Diltz, Wing Chaplain of the 144th Fighter Wing.
The General Grant Tree was designated as the Nation’s Christmas Tree by President Calvin Coolidge in 1925. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the tree a memo- rial, calling it a “National Shrine” to the men and women of the Armed Forces who served, fought and gave their lives to keep America free. Each year a memorial wreath is laid at the base of the General Grant Tree.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerherald@ gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
A green holiday bough was draped in front of the dais in the council chamber at city hall on Tuesday evening during
a meeting of the Measure S Citizens Oversight Committee.
The bough was a symbol of the holi- day spirit so evident at Sanger's Christ- mas parade just a few days earlier.
Green also means "balance, calm and harmony," according to colorpsychology. org.
But there was no evidence of any of those things - holiday spirit, balance, calm or harmony - at the rancorous meeting.
Committee members made it clear they didn't like or didn't trust any of the recommendations from city staff.
They ignored a request from city manager Tim Chapa, passed on by com-
mittee chair Sue Simpson, to finally ap- prove minutes of several meetings. The committee has repeatedly requested changes to the minutes to reflect what the committee says actually happened at those meetings.
Committee member James Miser contended relevant negative comments he made about Brown Armstrong, the audit firm selected by the city to do a "compliance audit" and comments by Chapa in regard to the selection of the firm have intentionally been left out
of minutes. The committee once again sent the minutes back for the requested changes.
A recommendation by finance direc- tor Gary Watahira that the committee agree to approve another contract with Brown Armstrong for additional audit work sparked heated controversy.
The recommendation passed on a
split vote with Tony Gonzalez opposed. Gonzalez was adamant that another firm should be selected. He said other
firms requested by the committee weren't in the running to produce the compliance audit because they didn't receive a request for submitting a pro- posal. Watahira insisted they had.
A recommendation by Chapa that the committee meet with the city attor-
ney to provide input to changes in the Measure S language was tabled until the January meeting, "When we have more details about the meeting," said Simpson.
By the end of the marathon meeting even grand jury members huddled in the back of the room were looking per- plexed and puzzled.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerherald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thesangerherald.com
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 7, 2017
VOL 128 NO. 49
2 sections, 14 pages CLASSIFIED 4-6B LIFE STYLES 3B
OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 7A