Page 9 - Reedley Exponent 3-29-18 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent BPanorama
Section | Thursday, March 29, 2018 www.reedleyexponent.com
Park and Recreation Society recognizes Reedley pair
See Below
Reedley (Fresno County) CA 93654
Annual free Plant Give and Take set for April 7
Staff Report
If the recent run of invigorat- ing spring weather doesn’t inspire you to spruce up your yard with plants and flowers, perhaps the annual Plant Give and Take event will do so.
The event will be held on Saturday, April 7, from 9 a.m. to noon at the First United Method- ist Church, 1461 11th St. (That's across from the U.S. Post Office.)
And, it’s all free, happening rain or shine.
Event organizers welcome do- nated plants and flowers to share with those who will be coming to look for botanical additions for their yards and gardens.
At 8 a.m., people who want to donate and drop off plants and flowers should come at this time. They can enter the alley of the church and drive through to leave their donations with organizers.
At 9 a.m., plant distribution will begin.
Easter Camp
continues for
youngsters
Contributed
An Easter Camp continues this week through the Reedley Community Services Department,
See CAMP page B8
Airtime with Jayden
Reedley's Jayden Ortiz and family film spot for Valley Children's
By Felicia Cousart Matlosz
felicia@midvalleypublishing.com
For Jayden Ortiz and his fam- ily, taping a Valley Children’s Hos- pital commercial was just part of a recent rollicking schedule that in- cluded a visit to Universal Studios and an onstage appearance with Oakland Raiders star quarterback Derek Carr.
The fun-filled days stem from 8-year-old Jayden’s medical care at Valley Children’s and what he wished for when he was younger. Through it all, his tight-knit family has been by his side and thankful for Valley Children’s treatment and expertise.
And Jayden isn’t just any other patient. Just before his third birth- day, he became horribly ill. He was diagnosed with early onset scoliosis and had to wage a battle against pa- ralysis.
At 5 years old, he was the first Valley Children’s patient to receive an innovative treatment – MAG- netic Expansion Control (known as MAGEC). After the initial surgery to insert adjustable rods along the spine, surgeons can use the painless MAGEC device to straighten and lengthen the spine gradually with- out invasive follow-up surgeries.
Jayden’s parents – Jesse and Synthia Ortiz, 35 and 34 respectively – have known each other since fifth grade and moved from Monterey County to Reedley about 14 years ago. They then had one son, Joshua, who’s now 14. He would be followed by Jesiah, 10, and Jayden.
That decision to move to Reed- ley – and, unknowingly at the time, close proximity to a heralded chil- dren’s hospital – isn’t lost on the Or- tizes.
“We were meant to be here,” Jesse said, “to live here and to be
close to Valley Children’s.”
The family’s spirited experi- ence in recent weeks sprang from a wish that Jayden had when he was younger – he wanted to go on Juras- sic Park: The Ride at Universal Stu- dios Hollywood. When the Ortizes first visited the popular theme park several years ago, Jayden couldn’t go on the thrill ride because of its mini- mum height requirement.
“I’ve always wanted to ride this one ride at Universal Studios because I like dinosaurs ... but I couldn’t because I was too short,” Jayden said. “I missed it by like an inch.”
After the surgery and MAGEC procedures, the family returned to Universal Studios and Jayden got his ride.
Jesiah said of that moment: “It was actually cool when I saw his face the first time he went on the Jurassic Park ride. He was really happy. I felt that everyone was happy.”
Jayden Ortiz, 8, (in front) and his fam- ily recently filmed a commercial for Valley Children's Hospital, where he receives medical care.
Picturedwith him are his father, Jesse, his mother, Synthia, and his brother, Jesiah, who's 10.
Not pictured is older brother, Joshua, who's 14.
Felicia Cousart Matlosz / The Exponent
The Ortizes have always done what they can to give back to Valley Children’s, whether it’s been media appearances or interviews.
But the folks at Valley Children’s Hospital recently had something else in mind.
Synthia said hospital officials called to interview them for a pos- sible appearance in the next cam- paign. When requests of any kind come up, Synthia asks Jayden if it would be something he’d like to do.
See JAYDEN page B7
Community Services employees honored by CPRS
Staff Report
Jasmine Funes and Michael Schlingloff of the Reedley Community Services Department were honored as the Out- standing Part-time Employees at the California Park and Recreation Society District 7 Awards Banquet.
The event was held March 2 at the City of Kerman Com- munity Center. District 7 includes Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Madera and Mono counties.
Funes and Schlingloff were among the people and agen- cies honored in different categories.
Funes has worked for the Reedley Community Services Department for four and half years, according to the ban- quet program. She started volunteering while she was a student in high school. “Once graduating high school, her hard work earned her a position at one of our afterschool programs,” the banquet program cited from Reedley Com- munity Services officials.
Funes’ responsibilities have included being a score- keeper, office assistant, day camp supervisor, and reading coordinator for the department’s Junior Giants program. “Jasmine’s hard work is above standard,” according to the banquet program, adding that she “always triple checks to make sure it is done correctly.”
Schlingloff has worked for the community services de- partment for two and a half years. He works with youth sports and special programs. He also works in the depart-
Pictured here are (from left) Ruben Castaneda Jr., rec- reation coordina- tor for the Reedley Community Services Depart- ment; CPRS award winners Michael Schlingloff and Jasmine Funes; and Sarah Reid, su- perintendent and interim director
of the city's Com- munity Services Department.
Photo Contributed
The View From Here
This week’s
column shines
a spotlight on
a few students;
pays a quick
visit with Sarah
Wiebe (who now
oversees the
drama program
at Reedley High
School); includes
additional infor-
mation about my
main story in this edition about Jayden Ortiz and his family; and ends with a final note about the upcoming Reedley Relay for Life.
See CPRS page B8
Sam Gipson, one of the direc- tors of Reedley High School’s Pi- rate marching band, also oversees the music program at Grant Mid- dle School. He proudly told Kings Canyon Unified School District trustees at their March 13 board meeting that three Grant students had been selected to the Fresno- Madera Counties Music Educa- tors Association Honor Band.
And, he said, the three young musicians – Amanda Alcala on flute, Azael Hernandez on tuba, and Edward Rodriguez on tenor sax – were the only middle school students from KCUSD to audition for the ensemble.
Gipson said after the meeting that the three eighth-graders pre- pared for about a month for the auditions, which were held Dec. 9 at Clovis East High School. Gipson
said they competed against hun- dreds of middle school students from Fresno and Madera counties.
See COLUMN page B7
ABOVE: Sandra Juarez of Orange Cove High. She's advanced to the regional Lions Club Student Speaker Contest.
Frankie Leal for KCUSD / Photo Contributed LEFT: (Fromleft)GrantMiddleSchool students and CMEA Honor Band mu- sicians Edward Rodriguez, Amanda
Alcala and Azael Hernandez.
Photo Contributed
Felicia Cousart Matlosz