Reedley Exponent 9-20-18 E-edition

Reedley High girls tennis remains perfect in NYL play
Sports
Reedley (Fresno County) CA 93654 | 50 cents Reed Avenue detours near college begin Sept. 24
‘Taste of the Town’ to again light up downtown Reedley
Panorama
Vol. 129, No. 38 | Thursday, September 20, 2018
www.reedleyexponent.com
Busy roadway will undergo its final phase of resurfacing Staff Report
The final phase of the Reed Avenue road- work project is ready to begin on Monday, Sept. 24.
That day, the east side of Reed Avenue be- tween Manning and Parlier avenues — near Reedley College — will be closed to north- bound traffic, according to City Engineer John
Robertson. Traffic heading north on Reed will be detoured because that side of the road will be closed for up to 14 days. It’s the first part of repaving that’s anticipated to be done by the end of October, depending on weather or unex- pected delays.
Robertson said that many people will be significantly affected by the detour, including residents of the nearby neighborhood. North- bound Reed Avenue will be closed with no ac- cess to the street from Ponderosa Avenue, Kip Patrick Drive and Parlier Avenue.
Here are detours and temporary changes
for those who will be most affected:
• West Palm Avenue residents — Access to the street will remain open, but residents will have to get to their homes by using the detour and entering the street from southbound Reed
Avenue.
• Reed Avenue residents — All residents
with alley access are encouraged to park vehi- cles in alleyways except for on their trash and recycling pickup days. Homes and residences with access only from Reed Avenue are being contacted by the contractor to discuss access options to their homes. At a minimum, resi-
dents will have direct access available in the mornings and evenings.
• Residents on Ponderosa, Klein, Hope, Riv- erview and Kip Patrick — Access is available through detours on streets from the north and east while Reed is closed.
• Reedley College students and employees — Students and employees who use Manning Avenue or are coming from the south should use the detour east to Buttonwillow Avenue and then north to South Avenue if they wish to
See REED on page A2
Gerawan
workers
voted to
decertify
Release of 2013 election results came 6 days after state high court ruling
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
It’s become official — workers at Reedley-based Gerawan Farm- ing overwhelmingly voted to de- certify the United Farm Workers as their union representative in a November 2013 special election.
The official counting of votes from that election occurred Sept. 18 in Fresno, after the votes were delivered from the California Agri- cultural Labor Relations Board of- fices in Visalia. The ALRB released the votes — which had been stored in a safe for nearly five years — after the California Supreme Court on Sept. 12 upheld a 5th District Court of Appeals saying the board made mistakes in dismissing the election’s validity and impounding the results.
The Los Angeles Times report- ed that a preliminary tally showed 1,098 workers voted against the UFW and 197 voted in support of the union. Another 635 ballots were disputed but could not change the outcome of the election, according to Jesse Rojas, a spokesman for the worker group, Pick Justice, that fought for three years to have the ballots counted.
The employees held the 2013 election to determine whether to split from UFW, an action stem- ming from an ALRB decision forcing mandatory mediation and conciliation (MMC) and a board- ordered contract with the UFW.
Dan Gerawan, co-owner of Ger- awan Farming, said the legal fight to make the vote public was a long time in coming.
See GERAWAN on page A3
Reedley welcomes ‘Ribberto’
New mascot for Fiesta is subject of city proclamation
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
Reedley’s new Fiesta Mascot of- ficially is on the job.
“Ribberto,” the frog that cel- ebrates this year’s 50th anniversary of the Reedley Frog Jump contest, was formally introduced during a special gathering Sept. 13 in the City Hall’s Council Chambers.
Dozens of city, school and busi- ness officials along with members of the public celebrated with hearty applause as Ribberto entered the Council Chambers.
The event was being shot on vid- eo by Tony Cabrera, ABC 30 news anchor and a Reedley resident. Ca- brera recorded three six-minute videos chronicling the story of Rib- berto, who was selected as the name of the mascot in public voting sent to the Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce.
Here is the proclamation:
WHEREAS, Reedley is cel- ebrating the 50-year anniversary of the first Frog Jumping Contest held at the Reedley Fiesta in 1968; and
WHEREAS, the Greater Reed- ley Chamber of Commerce has es- tablished a new frog character to celebrate this long-standing Reed- ley tradition; and
WHEREAS, over 200 commu- nity members submitted names for this new frog character; and
WHEREAS, nearly 400 commu- nity members voted to name the new frog character “Ribberto”; and
WHEREAS, Ribberto symbol- izes the spirit of fun at the Reedley Fiesta; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Anita Betancourt, Mayor of the City of
See FIESTA on page A8
David’s will continue business under new name — The Nest
ABOVE: On Sept. 13, Reedley mayor Anita Betancourt read a proclamation officially recognizing “Ribberto” (cen- ter) as the new Reedley Fiesta mascot. Ribberto was joined by a number of mascots representing Reedley schools, agencies and businesses.
LEFT: Erik Valencia, right, executive di- rector of the Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce, and television person- ality Tony Cabrera from Reedley shot video of Ribberto receiving a “shave and trim” from Eddie Vazquez, local barber and one of the original found- ers of the Reedley Frog Jump contest.
Photos by Jon Earnest / The Exponent
New owner Shelli Darrah takes over the iconic downtown store operated by the late Pam Melville
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
The boutique founded and run for nearly four de- cades by the late Pam Melville will remain at its famil- iar downtown Reedley location at 1034 G St. — under a new name, The Nest.
David’s and Party Plus, which opened in 1980 and has been a downtown fixture ever since, was officially sold on Sept. 12 to Shelli Darrah of Fresno. Darrah recently has managed the hospital gift shop at Commu- nity Regional Medical Center and was a merchandise vendor who built a working relationship and friendship with Melville. The longtime downtown and community leader died June 23 at age 67 after a more than 12-year battle with cancer.
“I hadn’t really thought that I would have wanted to do a store again. But a seed got planted in my mind
and my heart,” Darrah said. “There’s a huge emotional attachment and I’ve really felt that from the custom- ers who have come in. I cannot begin to tell you how friendly and warm and welcoming everyone has been.”
Darrah said the loyal following of customers is an important asset for a store.
“For me, it almost was really more of the emotional attachment to Pam and wanting to see it continue in the community,” she said. “The store has been here for so long. All the wonderful things that David’s has done for the community, I want to try to continue that the best way that I can.”
Keeping the previous store name never was an op- tion. Dale Melville — who will continue to own the build- ing housing the store — said it was his wife’s wishes not to keep the same store name after she was gone.
“I was wanting something that sounded homey and comfortable,” Darrah said of The Nest name. “We’re working on getting new signage and all put up.”
The store will keep its familiar boutique theme, and Darrah said that any changes initially will be minor.
“I’ve got my own personality and quirks and Pam
See THE NEST on page A8
Jon Earnest / The Exponent
Shelli Darrah, right, the new owner of the iconic David’s boutique store in down- town Reedley, stood with employee Debbie Tingley on Sept. 17. Darrah is renaming the store The Nest, and will retain the present store staff and same store hours.
Classified - B6-7 Directory - B5
Legals - A6-7 Sports - B3-4 Lights & Sirens - A3 Obituaries - A2 Opinion - A4