Page 8 - Reedley Exponent 4-18-19 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent A8 Thursday, April 18, 2019
Valerie Pieroni / Photo Contributed
Reedley College art students attended the April 10 reveal ceremony at the college. The event was held at the north end of campus where the new facility will be built.
CARJACKING Continued from page A1
ger with the Reedley Police Department. “Thepassenger window is down and the vic- tim then jumps in through the passenger window.”
The victim, a Me-N-Ed’s delivery driver, jumped into his car through the open win- dow of the passengers seat to try and stop the thief before he drove away. But the sus- pect continued to drive away, leaving the man dangling from the car.
“He’s telling the guy ‘stop, you’re not taking my car’,” Ediger continued. “The sus- pect then put the car in drive and began driving away.”
Ediger said the suspect headed east on Manning to- ward Crawford Avenue with the victim clinging onto the side. Half his body was hold- ing onto the passenger seat while his legs were dangling outside.
“He [the victim] fell out of the vehicle at Manning and Englehart, we don’t know how fast they were going but they were going pretty fast,” said Ediger. “We don’t have an exact speed but the victim was not able to hold on any further, fell out of the window and had some pretty severe head injuries.”
Dana Boss, the Crime An- alyst with the Reedley Police Department, said the victim was dragged more than a mile before letting go.
“He did talk today, he is talking and he is conscious,” said Boss on April 16. “What I was told is that he’ll be at the hospital for a couple weeks followed by an extensive re- covery period.”
A vehicle matching the description of the victim’s car was found in an orchard near Orange Cove on April 16.
“CHP located the vehicle in the area of Manning and Hills Valley Road,” said Boss. “We do have officers and our CSI team processing the ve- hicle.”
Ediger said it’s important for those who have been vic- tims of crimes such as these to understand the property is not worth losing a life over.
“You never know the in- tent or the capacity of the person stealing the car,” he
PERFORMING ARTS Continued from page A1
ing operations that began in 1884.
Finally, there’s the progress of the project.
Initially slated to be about $10 million in cost, financial support flowed in to meet a vision of a much grander facility. The latest update shows $22 million has been raised, covering most of the estimated $27-$30 million costume for the Center planning to seat more than 500 people for performances. The facility will fea- ture a secreted art gallery, concessions and a gathering space for events.
“What is so great about this, quite blunt- ly, is the community and the people who are what really makes this happen,” said Mc- Clarty, whose family’s $1 million donation set the wheels in motion. Another large contri- bution is a $500,000 donation from the Peters Foundation. Also, there’s generosity from Reedley College faculty, staff and employ- ees who have given out of their own pockets along with numerous community support.
McClarty — owner of HMC Farms and Reedley resident who grew up in Parlier and Selma — quipped about how he started classes at Reedley College 50 years ago and thought he could “change the world” before growing up and becoming cynical.
“Then we got older, and we realized we really can change the world,” he said as he thanked everyone who gave to the cause. “Our world is now our family, our commu- nity and our friends. That’s the world that we want to succeed. The real thanks go to the people who are going to make this happen.”
Paul Parnell, chancellor with the State Center Community College District, said he was looking forward to the future potential that the Center brings.
“There is so much talent in our schools,” he said. “We know that we have that talent. We just don’t have a place to showcase it af-
ter they get out of high school. And this is going to be a place that they can do that. This is going to be a gathering place.”
Parnell said that the Center – along with other construction projects at the college and in the SCCCD — is going to attract more people to the area for higher education.
“When we talked, Harold said ‘People are going to move here if they have the educa- tion.’ He’s right,” he said. “We are going to change this Valley and take people out of poverty.”
Donna Berry, Reedley College’s interim president, said the generosity of the college’s staff and employees has brought a dream stretching back to 1975 closer to becoming reality.
“We are on the site where one day we will see this premier facility, which will include an event center, a theatre and an art gallery,” she said. “It’s [going to be] a source of com- munity pride, and will help students learn and develop.”
The increased vision moved the Center north from the initial planned location on a small lawn area near the music buildings. The new, historic, location is very visible and the Center will become a “focal” point as visitors arrive into the community and the college. The facility will be easily accessible and near ample parking for students, staff and visitors from the Central Valley and around California.
As fundraising efforts continue, the plan is to develop conceptual drawings into ac- tual construction documents for review by the California Division of the State Architect for agency approval. Once those goals are reached, the plan is to work toward a ground- breaking and start of construction by late summer of fall 2020.
At the unveiling, Reedley College art stu- dents and musical performers were on hand to display their handiwork.
Photos by Juanita Adame / The Exponent
TOP: A tow truck driver secured the victim’s car onto his flat bed be- fore taking it from the scene after the car was found on April 16 near Orange Cove.
ABOVE: The area where the pizza delivery driver’s car was found was near a canal on Manning and Hills Valley Road south of Orange Cove.
Your life is always more important than a vehicle, and not knowing if someone is armed, there are a lot of criminals who have guns, knives, weapons.
— Reedley police operations Lt. Marc Ediger
said. “Your life is always more important than a vehi- cle, and not knowing if some- one is armed, there are a lot of criminals who have guns, knives, weapons.
“It didn’t result in that for this victim, but the serious- ness of his injury, due to him trying to hang onto that car, he has a long road to recovery ahead.”
Ediger added, “Unfortu- nately, if you are the victim of a robbery, a carjacking or any type of theft, it’s just better to give them the prop- erty.”
The suspect remained at large as of April 16.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Reedley Police Department at (559) 637-4250.
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