Page 9 - Reedley Exponent 9-13-18 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent PB anorama
Section | Thursday, September 13, 2018 www.reedleyexponent.com
KCUSD safety: 563 days and counting
Author Gary Soto to visit Reedley College for book signing
See B2
The View From Here
Juanita Adame
Photos by Juanita Adame / The Exponent
ABOVE: Joseph Gonzalez, director of maintenance and grounds for Kings Canyon Unified School District, showed off the number of days his department has had without any accidents on Sept. 10. That number grew to 563 as of Sept. 11.
Reedley (Fresno County) CA 93654
I would like to thank Lori Wolters at Riverview K-8 School for the great interview she gave me last week. I enjoyed com- ing out, tak- ing photos,
and talking to
students who
were at the
carnival on the afternoon of Sept. 6.
The carnival is a fundraiser put on solely by teachers and stu- dents. Lori said they always have a good turnout, and hope to con- tinue the tradition for many years to come. While at the carnival I met a pair of twin boys named Luke and Matthew Hernandez.
Well, I first met Luke not knowing he had a twin brother.
Luke caught my attention because of the intense focus he demonstrated while playing a ring toss game. As a photogra- pher I think it's important to cap- ture genuine moments. Working with still photos is a very differ- ent process than working with video and typically it can be more challenging.
When I worked in television, capturing moments was a little easier. Along with video, there was sound, there was movement, so viewers had a general idea of what was happening.
Photographs, however, are different. A photograph is noth- ing more than a snapshot, a sec- ond, maybe even a millisecond of a moment in time. I feel the best way to convey a message throughout a photograph is to capture it as it's happening. This takes quite a bit of skill because once a subject knows the camera is on them, in most cases, all bets are off, especially if the subject is camera-shy.
Kids are great at being genu- ine in photos, as long as they don't know the camera (whether video or photograph) is on them either. Luke had no idea.
What struck me about Luke, though, was the laser sharp focus onthegamehewasplaying. He was so concentrated, zeroed in, that he hardly noticed I had been taking pictures of him the entire time. Once he noticed me taking pictures, he still maintained his focus.
Afterward I went up to Luke to interview him. I asked him how he liked the game, he seemed a little disappointed by the fact that he was unable to make the ring onto the bottle.
As I was interviewing Luke, his brother came up and stood next to him, I immediately did a double take. "Hey, wait," I said to the boys, "This looks like anoth- er Luke, what's going on here?" The boys' friend, Gage Rhodes, laughed and intervened, "They are twins!" He said this as he wrapped his arms around each one.
Luke's brother, named Mat- thew, and Gage gave Luke a little pep talk. "Hey listen, it's ok there are plenty of other games here," said Gage. "Let's go find another one." Luke smiled, the boys posed for a photo and then left.
Across campus, I found Con- ner Kelly who is in kindergarten at Riverview, and Lilliana San- chez. They had been swinging on a nearby swing set. Conner did this trick, where he'd wait until the swing was at the top of its mo- mentum and then he'd jump off. I laughed because I remember doing the same trick when I was his age. I guess some playground stunts never get old.
I also would like to thank Joseph Gonzalez. Joseph is the Director of Maintenance and Grounds over at Kings Canyon Unified School District. If you know Joseph and his team make sure to congratulate them. They have been accident free for more than 500 days.
Gonzalez told me the goal was not met overnight, it took several years of reminding employees about the importance of staying safe on the job. I interviewed Gonzalez and Frank Carillo
By Juanita Adame
Juanita@midvalleypublishing.com
Teamwork plus safety equals success. These are some of the words of encouragement on a blue sign inside Kings Canyon Unified's Maintenance and Grounds building in Reedley.
The sign, complete with a digi- tal counter, serves as a reminder of what initially began as "just an idea" said the Director of Mainte- nance and Grounds, Joseph Gon- zalez on the afternoon of Sept. 10.
Gonzalez has been with the dis- trict for 11 years. When he started in the position, he noticed the de- partment was holding onto some bad habits such as calling in sick too often and on the job injuries.
He wanted to better the depart- ment and had no idea back then that his idea would one day take on a life of its own.
Gonzalez initially set small goals for his team members. He first focused on employees calling in sick too often. "I got the look like yea right that's not going hap-
"I got the look like, yea right, that's not going to happen, no one believed it could happen."
– Joseph Gonzalez Director of Maintenance KCUSD
pen, no one believed it could hap- pen," said Gonzalez. "There would
SeeSAFETY pageB8
Riverview carnival draws large crowds
By Juanita Adame
Juanita@midvalleypublishing.com
Third grader Luke Hernandez closed one eye to better direct his focus. With a firm stance, one foot in front of the other, he tossed a plastic green ring at a wooden box filled with brightly colored bottles and missed his target, "Aw man," Luke said. "This game is hard, I couldn't make it in, I just don't know why."
After the disappointment, Luke's twin brother Matthew and friend Gage Rhodes came to console him. "They're twins!," said third-grader Gage. "Come on Luke, let's go play another game."
The boys were among 300 stu-
"The carnival is put on solely by teachers, we ask that parents just come and enjoy it with their kids."
– Lori Wolters Riverview School
dents and parents who attended the third annual Riverview K-8 School carnival on the afternoon of Sept. 6.
"This carnival is a fundraiser put on solely by the teachers of Riverview schools," said Lori Wolt- er. "So we ask parents not to help, we ask parents to come and enjoy."
Wolter, who was in charge of the carnival said each year has become more successful, with a variety of food vendors and games for students.
"Each grade level promotes a game, Wolters said. "With the
See CARNIVAL page B5
Photos by Juanita Adame / The Exponent
ABOVE LEFT: Conner Kelly, who is in kindergarten at Riverview K-8 School, enjoyed some time on the swings on Sept. 6. ABOVE RIGHT: Luke Hernandez played a ring toss game during the carnival.
LEFT: Briella Moralez, a first grader at Riverview had her face painted during the third annual carnival fundraiser put on by teachers and students. The carnival had games, food, prizes, more than 300 people were in attendance.
Photo by Juanita Adame / The Exponent
See CARNIVAL page B2
It's almost time for Taste of the Town in Reedley
LEFT: Reedley's 'Taste of the Town' is just around the corner. This year, the event will be held Thursday, Sept. 27 on 11th and G Streets in downtown Reedley. More than 30 vendors will be on site inviting people to sample all the delicious food, desserts and wines from all over the Central Val- ley, don't miss out.
For more information on ticket prices, visit Reedleydowntown.com or call 559-856-1222. Hope to see you there!
File Photo / The Exponent