Page 9 - Reedley Exponent 4-18-19 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent PB anorama
The latest news and events in the senior community
See B2
Section | Thursday, April 18, 2019 www.reedleyexponent.com
Raising money for a good cause
Reedley (Fresno County) CA 93654
The View From Here
I walked into the office April 15 and there was a woman at the counter talk- ing with our receptionist, Kate.
I was anx- ious to start
writing one Juanita Adame of my stories,
so I quickly
brushed past
them both. However, I could still hear some of their conversation.
After the woman left, Kate then approached my desk. She had a photo in her hand and said this woman and her husband have been married 70 years. My first response was, "how sweet!"
I was looking at the photo of the nice couple, and soon learned their names are Merlin and June Buller. I was pleasantly surprised when I read their story, Reedley residents who have been married since April 28, 1949. They have 4 children, 10 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren. Wow.
I began to think about what an ideal marriage partner is, what does that mean to people now days?
I've seen a variety of television shows like, "Married at First Sight" where couples marry on the first night they meet after they are paired by a "relationship expert."
Why would someone want to do that is my question? How do you know you'll like someone just because a relationship expert tells you to?
With the divorce rate in our country still between 40 to 50 percent, makes one wonder why they'd be willing to toss the dice on someone they just met.
Later that afternoon, Kate and I were talking about how sweet a couple Merlin and June seemed to be. We were wondering how they've managed to stay together after so many years.
Maybe one of the secrets to a long marriage is not just lov- ing the person you're with, but also "liking" that person. Mean- ing, if they were not your partner, would you still want to hang out with them on a daily basis? What kind of mood do you both create at home? Do you get along, or do you avoid each other?
I wanted to let both June and Merlin know that you're an inspi- ration to this community thank you so much for sharing your sto- ry with us. I wish you all the best and Happy 70th Anniversary!
Contributed
The Reedley High School chapter of the Family Career and Community Leaders of America or FCCLA conducted a commu- nity service project to benefit the American Cancer Society on April 13 in Dinuba.
Both FCCLA teams raised a total of $3,259 combined for the event. The American Cancer so- ciety is the largest private funder of cancer research in the United States.
"We would like to give a special thanks to Reedley High's Future Farmers of America, or FFA chap- ter as well as their advisor Ron Sa for their assistance with the campsite," said Lisa Bueno, chap- ter advisor. "We would also like to thank all the Reedley High School students, teachers, staff, adminis- trators, and the community who assisted and donated to this event."
Bueno said she will be taking members to Riverside, Ca on April 27 for the FCCLA State Leadership Conference. The conference runs through April 30 and while there, members will compete in a vari- ety of competitions to qualify for a spot in the National Leadership Conference that's held in Anaheim every summer.
Photo Contributed / The Exponent
ABOVE: Family Career and Community Leaders members, Leslie Lopez, Reedley High School Teacher and chapter advisor, Lisa Bueno, Ricci Matabang, Riverview school secretary and cancer survivor, Nelia Villasenor, and member, Ashley Polina
Pet parade coming to downtown
ABOVE: Participants posed for a photo during the 2017 Pet Parade.
Celebrating 70 years
Contributed
The Reedley YMCA will be host- ing their annual Pets and Storybook parade on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The parade will be open for all ages. There will be one week of community camp and one week of YMCA camp. Organizers are en- couraging participants to be cre- ative with their entries. The parade route will be on 13th and F Streets in Reedley.
There will be a total of 10 cat- egories. Entry categories will be as follows: First will be costumes for 6 years and younger, second for cos-
Exponent File Photo
tumes for 7 years and older; third for tricycles and small bicycles; fourth will be small animals, pup- pies, birds, hamsters.
Fifth will be dogs. Sixth will be the small floats and wagons catego- ry. Seventh will be stuffed animals and dolls. The eighth will be large bicycles, skateboards and scooters followed by comic book characters, and finally large animals (horses, goats, etc.)
There will be food vendors, and entry for the parade is free. Cash and prizes will be awarded, for more information contact the Reed- let YMCA at (559) 637-7191.
ABOVE: Merlin and June Buller of Reedley will celebrate 70 years of marriage on April 28. The couple has four children, 10 grandchildren and 15 great grand
children.
Photo Contributed
'Pirate Pillars' speak at school board meeting
ABOVE: Rhianen Callahan, one of this year's "Pirate Pillars," spoke during the April 9, Kings Canyon Unified School board meeting. Callahan talked about her future endeavors and how Reedley High School has helped her grow as a person. The Pillars are chosen based on a range of activities, such as academic distinction, athletic success, campus spirit and community service. Students submit an ap- plication, and a panel of RHS staff members study the applications and interview finalists.
Photos by Juanita Adame / The Exponent
ABOVE: Maddy Gates was also one of the recipients of Reedley High School's "Pirate Pillars." She also spoke during the meeting.
ABOVE: Senior Emily Booth ad- dressed the school board and talk- ed about her time at Reedley High School, as well as her future plans.
ABOVE: Justin Fonseca talked to board members and said he plans to attend Fresno State University in the fall.