Page 1 - Mid Valley Times 12-26-19 E-edition

Thursday, December 26, 2019
Vol. 1, No. 26
Speed
limits to
go up in
Sanger
By Rick Cuyriel
Mid Valley Times
After two council mem- bers were unable to make the Dec. 19 Sanger City Council meeting, two action items were taken off the agenda and will now have to wait un- til next year to move forward.
Absent from the meeting was Mayor Frank Gonzalez and council member Eli On- tiveros.
One of the two items was a request by city staff to enter into a contract with an execu- tive recruitment firm, an ef- fort to find a replacement for outgoing Sanger Police Chief Silver Rodriguez. That move comes only weeks after local citizens voiced their concerns over a proposed reorganiza- tion of the Sanger Police De- partment.
One citizen voiced his con- cerns again at Thursday’s meeting.
“It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me,” said Sanger’s Kevin Carter. “It seems funny to me to reorganize the department, hire a new chief, and maybe this isn’t the way he wants to take the department. To me, it should be the chief’s responsibility to reorganize the department as he things is best.”
Carter went on to question the timing of the reorganiza- tion and why, if necessary, it was not done years ago.
The other item taken off the agenda, an ordinance giving the Sanger City Man- ager Tim Chapa and depart- ment heads more purchasing power, was stricken down by a three-member quorum last month. The ordinance,
See COUNCILonpageA12
Fire destroys Reedley home
50 cents
A fast moving fire on Dec. 22 de- stroyed a home in the 900 block of Kings Drive Circle in west Reedley. Fire crews from Reedley and surrounding communities battled the blaze, which caused $300,000 in damage. A Reedley firefighter suffered a foot injury while battling the blaze.
ABOVE: A firefighter made his way to protect a neighbor's yard as flames approached the nearby home during the fire.
LEFT: Reedley Fire Chief, Jerry Isaak (center) stood nearby as his crew worked to control the fire.
Photos by Juanita Adame /MidValleyTimes
Firefighter hurt during Dec. 22 structure blaze that displaced 2
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
The neatly placed Christ- mas decorations on the front lawn of Charlene Huebert’s home were a stark contrast to the black smoke and enormous flames that both engulfed and destroyed her neighbor's home in the 900 block of Kings Drive Circle.
The flames prompted a huge response from several fire crews, as well as wide- spread panic from nearby residents as their homes were also threatened on the evening of Dec. 22.
“We heard crackling and then we came outside, and I mean the house was in flames, just huge flames,” Huebert said. “We became immediately concerned for him, his daughter, and their animals.”
The neighbor, who was dressed only in a t shirt and pajama pants, and whose face was covered in soot and ash, was too distraught to talk but said through tears that he only had enough time to run out of the house with his daughter.
“He told us his mother was driving to Los Angeles
See FIREonpageA12
Reedley Council OKs additional stop signs
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
The city of Reedley will be placing a pair of four-way stop signs at two in- tersections along Del Altair Avenue in south Reedley.
At the Dec. 10 Reedley City Council meeting, the council voted 4-1 to place four-way controlled stop signs along Del Altair at the intersections of Beech
and Huntsman avenues. Council mem- ber Ray Soleno had voiced concerns for public safety along the north-south arterial.
Council member Mary Fast voted "no" on the resolution, repeating her vote from a first draft reading on Oct. 22. She had argued during the Oct. 22 council meeting and discussion on the issue that there wouldn't be traffic concerns in the area until a new school complex was
built nearby in future years.
During the Oct. 22 discussion on the
matter, council members weighed the possibilities of two-way stop and stop signs at the intersection with Shoemake Avenue. The council ultimately voted on Dec. 10 for the four-way stops at the Beech and Huntsman intersections.
Earlier this year, stop signs were in- stalled along G Street at 9th and 13th streets.
MVT offices will be closed on Jan. 1
The Mid Valley Times' busi- ness offices in Dinuba, Reedley and Sanger will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 1, in observance of New Year's Day.
There will be early deadlines this week because of the office closure. Classified liner ads and legal notices are due by noon on Thursday, Dec. 26. Regular and classified display ads also are due by noon on Thursday, Dec. 26.
The Times' three offices will close at noon on New Year's Eve Dec. 31, and will reopen for business at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2.
Dinuba toy giveaway spreads holiday cheer
By George M. Villagrana
Mid Valley Times
The collaborative ef- fort between the Dinuba Unified School District’s Learning, Guidance and Student Support Center along with A-Plus Auto- motive brought joy and excitement to many chil- dren and families during a toy drive held at A-Plus on Dec. 19.
The drive was for school age children in the city of Dinuba. In addition, families were also given a
seven-gallon recycling bin that contained food, fruits and vegetables.
Each school site in the district identified at least 100 students from 2 years to elementary age, who could benefit from the toy drive. Unwrapped toys were dropped off at vari- ous locations throughout the community the past few weeks.
Santa was in attendance as children also enjoyed a bounce house, pizza, and
SeeTOYSonpage A6
Children select their toys from a bin full of toys during a toy giveaway held at A-Plus Automotive in Dinuba on
Dec. 19. The drive was for school age children in the city of Dinuba. Each child was presented with an unwrapped toy.
George M. Villagrana / Mid Valley Times
Classifieds - B4 Directory - B3 Legals - B8-11
Sports - B1-2, B12
Lifestyle - A7-10
Lights & Sirens - A3
Obituaries - A2-3
Opinion - A4