Page 7 - Mid Valley Times 4-30-20 E-edition

The View From Here
Juanita Adame
affected all of us,” said Ron Pack, principal at RMCHS.
“So, we’re trying to boost moral as much as we can, and keep our spirits high as we end the year.”
Pack said faculty and staff are still working hard each day, but the adjustments they’ve had to make have been challenging.
“Our entire team, not just at this high school but at our other schools, Reedley High, Orange Cove High School, all our programs, we are dedi- cated to doing what we can to make it as special as possible given the circumstances,” he said.
The state of California went into a mandatory shel- ter in place order on March 19. Events like graduations, proms, and other year ending
KCUSD teachers and staff show support for seniors
I walked towards the bright blue Reedley Middle Col- lege High
S c h o o l
tent at the
Kings Can-
yon Unified
School District office park- ing lot on the afternoon of April 27.
Music was playing while teachers, administra- tors and other school staff cheered on graduating se- niors.
The event was a drive- thru style celebration held to hand out caps and gowns and other items students need for graduation. The energy was good, everyone was cheerful and excited to be outside, practicing so- cial distancing measures of course.
If there was one thing that stood out to me though, it was the weather. It was almost uncomfortably hot.
The sun was beaming down on all of us and every- one seemed to notice.
In between interviews, photos, and Facebook video’s, I’d walk back to- ward the shade and take to break.
I then realized the quar- antine had caused a kind of "time gap."
The last time anything seemingly normal had taken place was before March 19. Here we were, more than a month later and it was as though the last month was non existent.
Because of the pandem- ic and the quarantine, we’d missed St. Patrick’s Day, Spring Break, Easter, and now Cinco De Mayo.
I never realized how these holidays act almost like a map in time. The milestones help our brains understand the movement and flow of time. At least for me they do. I realize everyone sees time differ- ently.
For those familiar with the online platform Reddit, there is a sub category on the site where people can go and ask questions. Some of the topics discussed are pretty interesting.
One question I remem- ber is, "How do you picture a year in your mind?"
People answered the question in different ways. Some see a year, not so much through the months, but through the tempera- ture outside. Other people said they see a year as a large calendar.
Interesting stuff.
I hadn't put much thought into it until I was at the cap and gown event.
SEE COLUMN on page A8
PhotoContributed/ DannyJimenez
ABOVE:Teachersandadministratorscheeredforgraduatingse- niorsandtheirfamiliesastheydrovebyduringthecapandgown pickup.
Photo by Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times
ABOVE: Reedley Middle College High School principal Ron Pack showed Dylan Jackson a poster with the graduating senior's pho- tograph during the cap and gown pick up on April 27.
celebrations were placed on hold because of the pandemic “This quarantine has been boring, I miss my friends, I miss my school the teachers, and everyone,” said Fran- cisco Hernandez, a senior at Reedley Middle College High
School.
“This was suppose to be
a fun year and we were sup- pose to finish strong with grad night, prom, but we’re not having any of that, so it’s been kind of sad.”
According to the Fres- no County Department of Health, as of April 28, there were 17 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Reedley.
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
As Pamela Domenici drove up to the Kings Canyon Unified School District office with her daughter Savanah Barker on the afternoon of April 27, she couldn’t hold back tears.
“She has done so amazing this year at Reedley Middle College High School,” Do- menici said through her face
mask. “And Savanah waited until her senior year to go to prom and now it won’t hap- pen.”
District faculty and staff took a break from quarantine to [safely] hand out caps and gowns to seniors, as well as other graduation essentials via a makeshift drive-thru.
“The fact that we can’t recognize our seniors and their achievements at school like we typically would has
More photos are on Page A10
Honoring the life of former Parlier Unified School District secretary
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
The family of Gracie Sanchez, a former Parlier Unified School District em- ployee who lost her life to Amyotrophic Lateral Scle- rosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease, will be honoring her memory during this year's Central Valley Walk in Fres- no.
“During her 21 years of service to Parlier Unified School District she made a difference in the lives of ma- ny students, co workers and friends.” said daughter Maria Hernandez.
“I remember the late nights she would spend in the office when she worked at the school resource center working on the final touches for events like; health fairs, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the community.”
According to ALS.org, the disease affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal chord, and is most often, always fa- tal.
“As far as we can remem- ber my mom had symptoms for three years,” Hernandez said. “But it wasn’t until 2017 when her health declined rap- idly after 2 surgeries on her back, we thought it would cure the weakness she was having.”
Hernandez said her moth- er died from the disease just two months after the initial diagnosis.
“In February 2018 after convincing my mother to go into the ER, with stroke like symptoms and after a month inthehospital”shesaid. “We were given the devastating news my mom was diagnosed with ALS March 2, 2018.”
She said that although their mother is no longer
Photo Contributed
Gracie Sanchez died in 2018 following an ALS diagnosis.
here, they want to keep her memory alive by raising awareness for ALS.
“We need to take steps toward finding answers.” she
SEE WALK on page A8
Apache poster drive on May 1
Sanger High seniors can pick up yard signs and window post- ersonFriday, May1from10a.m.to12:30p.m.infrontofthe guidance office.
Photo of the week
A photo of grapevines in front of Campbell Mountain on Reed AvenuewassentbyKalebGarnier.Haveaphotoyou'dlikefea- tured? Email juanita@midvalleypublishing.com.
Contributed