Sanger Herald 12-27-18 E-edition

Bringing Xmas to hospitalized kids
Looking for a home
Alyssa is a champ now
page 8A
Lifestyles 2B Sports 1B
WeeklyNewspaper Sanger(FresnoCounty)CA93657 50¢ (taxincluded) AMVETS Post 98 made Christmas brighter
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
George Willhoite, who looks a little like Santa, is the commander of AMVETS Post 98 in Sanger. But on the morning of Dec. 22, Beverly Grabel, judge advocate with the California Department of AMVETS, a member of Post 98, was clearly in charge.
Grabel, with clipboard in hand, barked orders like a drill Sgt. "Move that pickup and bring up
January
1923-2018
Ninety-five year old Wilbur Plaugher, Sanger's rodeo legend, a member of every cowboy and rodeo hall of fame in the world and cofounder of the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys died Jan. 2.
Feud continues
The first Measure S Citizens Oversight Committee meeting of 2018 made it clear a difference of opinion that erupted into the public spotlight in 2016, between the commit- tee and city manager Tim Chapa, was going to continue well into the new year. The com- mittee accused Chapa of intentionally misap- propriating public safety dollars and making attempts to cover it up by doctoring minutes of committee meetings and sabotaging the committee's attempt to have a compliance audit done.
She's thinking about it
Councilmember Melissa Hurtado confirmed that she's thinking about challenging incum- bent Andy Vidak for the 14th district state sen- ate seat. " I will continue to keep our commu- nity in mind during the consideration process," Hurtado told the Herald.
United Health Center opened
The long awaited opening of the United Health Centers building in downtown Sanger finally took place.
“Now we can put all our services inside this building,” said Colleen Curtis, health center president and chief executive.
The idea is to expand operations to enable patients to access all medical services at the same place whether it be lab work, X-rays, doctor visit, dental appointments or other ser- viceslikebehavioralhealth,Curtissaid. The operation specializes in helping low income cli- ents, but everybody is encouraged to use the services.
February
Optimistic state or the city
the next one." Without pausing for breath, pointing her pencil emphati- cally, "We need five more pies over here and a couple more turkeys in that car over there."
Pickup after pickup backed up, dropped its tailgate and was quickly loaded with dozens of boxes - com- plete holiday meals - for families in need, 250 of them, twice as many as last year.
More than a couple of dozen vet- erans, helped by family members and other volunteers put the boxes
together in the post's meeting hall and moved them in assembly line fashion onto the beds of pickups and the back seats of cars.
Willhoite, coffee cup in hand, watched in the early morning fog from the sidelines, occasionally stepping in for a word with Grabel. There was no need to be more involved. The project, as always, was moving with military precision. Grabel made sure of that.
The AMVETS have had a lot of practice. They've been doing this
for 36 years, not making a big deal about it. There have been no self- ies, no social media posts praising themselves during all those years. Most people don't even know about the project.
"It started with delivering meals to fewer than 40 families. Now it's more than 200 families and growing every year," said Willhoite.
"We deliver to families - quite a few are veterans - mostly in Sanger - but some in Del Rey, Centerville and even in Fresno," said Willhoite.
When everyone else had pulled out of the post's parking lot on K Street, Grabel headed out herself to deliver food boxes to 16 veterans.
The morning's good work, to make Christmas a little brighter, started in the fog, before sun up, and was completed - with military precision - by noon.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerherald@gmail.com or by phone during business hours at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
2018
JANUARY-JUNE IN REVIEW
Coach Angelique Duvet-Tovar's Apache Academic decathletes made being smart look cool by racking up the team's best score ever at the Fresno County Academic Decathlon in February.
Sanger residents showed up to hear it.
The whole event, presentation and questions and answers, was over in about 40 minutes and everyone was in the lobby enjoying conversa-
tion and cookies.
Jones confirmed as superintendent
The school board stays with its tradition and promotes from within the district by naming associate superintendent Adela Jones to re- place Matt Navo as superintendent of schools at the end of this school year.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the deci- sion of the school board,” said Navo. “Adela has been in the district for more than 30 years. No- body knows the district better. I have no doubt that she will continue to move the district for- ward.”
Navo announced late last year that he was leaving the district at the end of the school year.
She made up her mind
In January she said was thinking about it.
In February councilmember Melissa Hurta- do told the Herald she will begin campaigning for the 14th district state senate seat held by Andy Vidak.
Spending down the reserves
The city is budgeted to spend more Measure S money in 2018 than is projected to come in.
year 2017 was more than $3 million, according to a City of Sanger revenue and expenditure report. "We cut back on spending before the recent renewal of Measure S," said Tarascou. "Now that the measure has been renewed for another 10 years we're playing catch up."
Watahira acknowledged that some of the ad- ditional spending has to do with the overall sal- ary increase given public safety employees out of Measure S funds. In addition to wages and health benefits, Measure S money is now being used to pay into CalPERS for pension benefits for all public safety employees who received the raise.
Understanding Measure S
A resolution approved by the city council in 2009 and apparently forgotten until city staff
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
discovered it while preparing material for a special Measure S Citizens Oversight Commit- tee meeting, may be important when it comes to understanding the "supplement versus sup- plant" language and intent of city ordinance 1094 which defines the public safety tax mea- sure. The 2009 resolution No. 4122, is seen as an attempt by the city council at that time to clarify the 2008 ordinance 1094 language that has confused a succession of oversight com- mittee and city council members.
Two new police officers sworn in
In early February, Xochitl Sanchez was sworn in as a Sanger police officer. She attend- ed Merced College and Fresno Police Academy before joining the Sanger police department.
In late February, Joshua Johnson, who had been a field training officer with Selma PD, was sworn in as a Sanger police sergeant.
"He's filling the position left vacant by the recent retirement of Sgt. Steve Gaucin," said Sanger police chief Silver Rodriguez.
"Proactive city position created
Greg Dupuis became Sanger's new risk re- duction officer. Dupuis will be tasked with the responsibility of figuring out how to anticipate public safety problems and how to prevent them, explained fire chief Greg Tarascou.
"It's a proactive approach to public safety," said Tarascou at the ceremony where veteran firefighter/paramedic Dupuis was promoted to a captain with the title and responsibilities of Sanger's very first risk reduction officer.
See 2018 IN REVIEW on page 7A
Mayor Frank Gonzalez packed a lot into his 25 minute "State of the City" pep talk at city hall. The only downside to his optimistic review of what the city accomplished in 2017 and what's on the agenda for 2018 was how few
"Spending down the reserves," was the ex- planation from both finance director Gary Watahira and fire chief Greg Tarascou. The remaining fund balance at the end of calendar
• Dec. 27 - Deadline is 5 p.m. for turning in your application at city hall, 1700 7th St., to be considered for the vacant City Council District 1 position.
• Dec. 27 - Planning Commission meeting, 6 p.m. at city hall, 1700 7th St. SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thesangerherald.com
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 27, 2018
VOL 129 NO. 52
2 sections, 14 pages
CLASSIFIED 5B LEGALS 6,7B BUSINESS DIRECTORY 8B LIFE STYLES 2B OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 8A