Page 5 - Mid Valley Times 3-26-20 E-edition

The View From Here
I browsed
the athletic
department
at Walmart
last week
only to find
a scarce se-
lection of
some small
weights, a
yoga mat and
some other at home gym ac- cessories.
I couldn’t believe it had come to this, yet here I was like the rest of Fresno Coun- ty, the state of California, the country and even the world facing a new normal.
For me, the change would be my gym routine. Not a big deal of course, but one that affected my life nonetheless.
A few days prior, my gym had closed its doors for the safety concerns of the COVID-19 virus .
Anytime I’d feel over- whelmed my go-to stress relief was the gym. I enjoy working out and afterward sitting in a sauna, sweat- ing out some toxins, then my usual trip to buy a poke bowl.
This had all changed for me. The COVID-19 virus has affected us all personally in some way.
On Facebook the stories of change were everywhere. Locals looking for bread, milk, eggs.
As I looked inside my fridge I realized our egg count was down to about four. I knew buying eggs was out of the question. For now, the thought of going into a grocery store and pur- chasing an 18 pack of eggs would be next to impossible.
"Think outside the box," I told myself. Where could I buy some eggs.
Immediately I thought back to one year ago. I was working on the 2019 Spring Growers Tab story and de- cided to write about “back- yard chickens.” My friend Julie Torres immediately came to mind.
Last year after I inter- viewed Julie and her daugh- ter Meredith, I purchased a few cartons of eggs from them.
“Julie probably has eggs,” I thought.
I text her and asked if she had any eggs available. “I have more than 30 dozen right now, we have tons!”
A lifesaver. I rushed over to Julies house later that evening, purchased a few cartons of eggs, and made my way home.
The next day Julie men- tioned to me she had not on- ly sold out of eggs that eve- ning, but eight dozen were already accounted for.
The fear again waved
SEE COLUMN on page A6
By George M. Villagrana
Mid Valley Times
With high anticipation, members of the Dinuba High Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps waited for in- spection by Commanding Of- ficer and Area Manager Mat- thew Bodine on the morning of March 11.
Over 115 DHS cadets stood in perfect formation dressed in their crisp uniforms while waiting their turn.
Included in inspection requirements were proper grooming and personal ap- pearances.
Bodine said he asked each cadet general orders, basic uniform information and mili- tary chain command.
“We prepare them to mem- orize things,” Bodine said. “We want them to be success- ful in whatever they want to do.”
Dinuba High NJROTC in- structor, Lt. Kenneth Brandon
said the inspection is the big- gest of the year for the ca- dets and they have prepared by having inspection once a week all year long.
“Everything he’s doing right now, we do it every week,” Brandon said. “They just have to master it.”
While some of the cadets did exceedingly well, others were nervous and Bodine was more than willing to calm their nerves.
“I’m cognizant of some of these kids,” he said. “They are nervous, some have other challenges. I don’t want them to freak out. There is a lot of life going on.”
Bodine said he encoun- tered a language barrier and that was a first.
“This was my first inspec- tion where someone spoke no English, only Spanish. I was pretty happy to answer and listen to them in Spanish. She doesn’t know English, and that’s okay because I don’t speak Spanish, we’re even.”
Juanita Adame
Emperors NJROTC holds annual inspection
Reedley Drama Club welcomes Jon Koobation
Contributed
The Reedley Drama Club welcomed Jon Koobation, the former executive chef and proprietor of Jon’s Bear Club as their speaker for the club’s March meeting.
Koobation talked to the Drama Club about his experi- ences growing up in Dinuba and how he discovered his passion for cooking and race car driving.
Koobation is also the author of an autobiographi- cal book called “Cooking with Jon.”
A native of Dinuba, Koo- bation is the oldest of four siblings. He told drama club members that he believes his path to cooking began with family dinners at home as well as cooking breakfast for his family on Saturday morn- ings.
Following his graduation from Dinuba High School, Koobation moved to the North Shore of Lake Tahoe to work in the food industry before and after attending Reedley
College.
Koobation missed the ap-
plication deadline for the Cu- linary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and said it was that change of plans that led him to work in several restaurants in the Central Valley before taking a job at the Bear Club in 1985.
After the original Bear Club owners retired, Jon bought the restaurant and changed the name to Jon’s Bear Club.
Jon's other passion is racing. In 1976 he bought a race-prepared E Production Porsche Speedster which he drove in the Sports Car Club of America Driver's School at Sears Point Raceway in So- noma.
This began a twenty year successful racing career which included Laguna Seca, a win at the 1982 Pacific Coast Road Racing Championship, and many other noteworthy
races and accomplish- ments. Jon feels blessed to have been able to pursue this dream while still working as a chef.
After forty years at the Bear Club Jon celebrated by hosting a black tie, guest chefs' dinner in the spring of 2013. The event generated $15,000 which was granted to Kings Canyon Unified School District as a scholarship
fund for vocational training. The scholarship of $1000 is awarded annually to a de- serving student. Jon sold the restaurant later that year and although he misses the em- ployees and customers from his restaurant days, he is still enjoying cooking.
Photo by George M. Villagrana
The second half of the inspection was the pass and review ceremony. The 1st Platoon was under the command of Cadet Lieutenant Mi- chael Gomez.
The second phase was the pass and review ceremony held at the stadium. Cadets listened to several guest speakers that included Di-
nuba Unified District Super- intendent, Dr. Joe Hernandez, and DHS principal, Andrew Popp.
Contributed
Dinuba Veterans #643 meet on March 11
Photo George M. Villagrana / Mid Valley Times
From left. Romelia Castillo, chapter ambassador, Col. David Meals, assistant district director, Ricky Brown, chapter director, David Meals, assistant district representative, George Madrid, secretary treasurer, Jesus Villanueva, vice- president and Jacob Huerta, president. Not pictured, Ray Quintana, enter- tainment chairman. The Dinuba Veterans of America Chapter #643 had heir meeting March 11 and introduced their VVA officers and board members. The officers are pictured This year’s board members are Manuel Madrid and Sal Espino. Not pictured are Frank Villanueva, Sandy Richardson-Watson and Domingo Sustaita.
Jon Koobation, former owner of Jon's Bear Club, spoke about his love for cooking, racec cars and his Dinuba roots at the drama club meeting.
Sanger Unified introduces 'Grab and Go' program during closures
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
Several schools within the Sanger Unified School District participated in the district’s "Grab and Go” program during the recent closures.
“We ask that our com- munity continues to follow the directives of local and state departments of health and the Governor’s Office,” wrote Adela Jones, Superin- tendent in a statement.
“Please do your part by continuing the practice of
good hygiene, covering your coughs and distancing, to- gether we can help slow the spread of the virus.”
Participating schools in- cluded, Del Rey Elementary, Wilson Elementary, Sanger High School, Washington Academic Middle School, and Sequoia Elementary.
The district was one of many schools in the area and across the country to close its doors following the glob- al COVID-19 pandemic that
See SCHOOL on Page A6