Page 2 - Mid Valley Times 11-21-19 E-edition

Thursday, November 21, 2019 | A2 | Mid Valley TiMes
Karen Musson recipient of 2020 Leon S. Peters Award
Contributed
Karen Musson of GAR Tootelian, Inc. of Reedley has been an- nounced as the 2020 re- cipient of the Leon S. Pe- ters Award by the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
Musson was chosen as the 2020 recipient of the award based on outstanding leadership through devotion of her time and talents to bet- ter the community. Her selection was announced on Nov. 18.
The selection of this prestigious honor is based upon the recipi- ent’s accomplishments, personal and public service, which must ex- emplify the spirit of an enlightened, responsible free enterprise system.
“Karen Musson truly exemplifies what the Le- on S. Peters Award is all about,” said Narthan Ah- le, Fresno Chamber Pres- ident and CEO. “GAR Tootelian has been a lead- er in our ag community for decades, and Karen has been at the forefront of that leadership. She and her family also give tirelessly of their time, talent and treasure to ensure Fresno is a better place to live, particularly for the youth of our com-
Obituaries
Anita Loya
Anita Loya of Fres- no died Nov. 12. She was 90.
Ms. Loya worked as a self-employed house- keeper.
She is survived by one son, three daugh- ters, one brother, two sisters, 15 grandchil- dren, 25 great grand- children and four great- great-grandchildren. She also was preceded in death by three sons.
Services were held Nov. 19 and Nov. 20, at Wallin’s Sanger Funeral Home.
Jon Earnest / Reedley Exponent File Photo
Karen Musson, right, applauded after a plaque recognizing the Gar & Esther Tootelian Charitable Foundation was unveiled during a May 2018 ceremony at Immanuel Elementary School in Reedley. On Nov. 18, Musson was announced as the 2020 recipient of the Leon S. Peters Award by the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
in the name of a variety of causes. He was re- vered as a businessman, a civic leader, and a phi- lanthropist who devoted his life to the community while living and working according to the highest ethical standards.
The award will be of- ficially presented to Mus- son at the Valley Busi- ness Awards Luncheon held on Feb. 12, 2020, at the Fresno Convention Center.
Past recipients of the Leon S. Peters award include: Matty Ma- toian, Jim Pardini, Bill Smittcamp, Stan Oken, Ray Steele Jr., Richard “Dick” Caglia, John E. Horstmann, Dr. Peter Mehas, Dr. Peter P. Pe- ters, Joe Williams, Lou Herwaldt, Bill Jones, Sid Cox, Bud Richter, O. James Woodward III, Samuel Reeves, Oc- tavia Diener, Robert Oliver, Frederick Ruiz, Anne Speake, Larry A. Shehadey, Claude Laval III, Robert Carter, Rich- ard Johanson, James Hallowell, Lou Gentile, Earl Smittcamp, Helen Smades, William Lyles, Martin Nelson, Joe Levy, Frank Caglia, B. Franklin Knapp, James B. Mayer, Robert Duncan, and Lew- is B. Eaton.
munity. She is greatly de- serving of this honor.”
Musson's parents, Gar and Esther Tootelian, started Gar Tootelian Inc. in 1949 as a fertilizer business. Since then, the business has grown to a major agricultural chem- ical distributor. Just last week, the company an-
Donald Seeks
Donald Austin Seeks of Reedley died Nov. 12 in Reedley. He was 90.
Mr. Seeks was an Anglican priest.
He is survived by one son, two daughters, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
A memorial ser- vice will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at First Presbyterian Church in Visalia. Dop- kins Funeral Chapel in Reedley is handling the arrangements.
nounced plans to merge with Bennett Water Sys- tems of Lemoore.
Musson is partner in the family business, and also a board member with the Fresno Coun- ty Farm Bureau. She spends the majority of her time overseeing the Gar and Esther Tootelian
MERGER Continued from page A1
combined with GAR’s 70-year his- tory makes them the valley’s old- est agricultural company, span- ning more than five generations.
“We are excited about the op- portunity to be a leader in grow- ing solutions for valley grow- ers. Our combined activities make growing easier with an expanded offering of services and experts in the field,” said Tyler Bennett, Bennett Water Systems CEO at the meeting. “The merger allows
of the Valley’s top busi- ness leaders. From a simple beginning, Pe- ters worked to become a great success while also using his creativity and vision to give back to our community through service on numerous boards and donations to- taling millions of dollars
Charitable Foundation's philanthropy and repre- senting GAR's interests on many agricultural and non-profit organizations.
The Leon S. Peters Award honors those who share the characteristics of its namesake, a man who overcame great hardship to become one
us to bring together the most technologically qualified team of experts to maximize crop yields with less water.
"We will be armed with re- sources to exceed grower expec- tations, differentiate ourselves from the competition and keep as many acres in production as possible in a post-SGMA world.”
Once the merger becomes of- ficial, Tyler Bennett and Greg Musson will act as co-CEO’s of the newly formed GAR Bennett, LLC. The merger will provide Central Valley growers with full service solutions in: crop protec-
tion, nutrition, regulatory compli- ance, food safety, agronomy, inte- grated water systems, automated and remote monitoring irrigation systems, wastewater manage- ment, large-scale water systems and service programs for alfalfa, silage and gopher management.
The merger announcement was the first of two big news sto- ries of the week for the Reedley company. On Nov. 18, Gar co-own- er Karen Musson, wife of Greg Musson and daughter of company founders Gar and Esther Toote-
See MERGER on page A6
Entries still accepted for Reedley Electrical Parade
MVT Staff Report
The early entry dead- line has passed, but you can still enter a float in the 2019 Electrical Farm Equipment Parade to be held Thursday, Dec. 5 at
7 p.m.
This year's parade
theme is "Holiday Mov- ies." The parade is an annual late fall tradition where farm machinery, implements and equip- ment are decorated with
a Christmas holiday theme featuring flashing lights and other decora- tions.
The entry fee is $40 per float. Parade entry categories are flat, auto/ farm vehicle, equestri- an, walking/bikes and band/guard. Marching bands and color guards can enter without a charge.
Entry forms are avail- able at the Greater Reed- ley Chamber of Com- merce office, 1633 11th St. in downtown Reedley. Completed entry forms and entry fees can be dropped off at the cham- ber office.
For more informa- tion, call (559) 638-3548 or email to info@reed- leychamber.com.
Published every Thursday by Mid Valley Publishing 1130 “G” Street, Reedley, CA. 93654
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Mid Valley Times Staff
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