Page 10 - Sanger Herald 3-7-19 E-edition

Lifestyles
SANGER HERALD • 2B • THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019
St. Patrick's Dinner on March 17 started as a fund-raiser by Italian Catholics
Sanger
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Enis Merlo-Giovacchini was 10 when she went to her first meeting of the Italian Catholic Federation.
It was 1938.
“There were a lot of Italian people in Sanger, and they were starting to fall away from the church,” Merlo-Giovacchini said. “The club was formed to prevent that.”
The group formulated a fund-raising plan, one that would elevate their congregation at the old St. Mary’s Catholic Church eventually into a new facility. That building no longer exists. The newer Old St. Mary’s at O and Eighth streets replaced it.
Merlo-Giovacchini, 90, said the ICF began the fund-raising dinner — the ICF Dinner — as one of its first projects. “It started in the basement,” she said. “It was a small church, real small. And our dinners were at that time turkey and spaghetti. The women
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Enis Merlo-Giovacchini has participated since the start.
to feed about 900 people. Spaghetti remains on the menu as do the famous Italian-style peas and salad. There is also desert.
Gonzalez has been barbecuing for the past 20 years and has been involved with the dinner for the past 35. He said this year’s meal is the 76th. “The intent was to have a community-type event,” he said. “We stress that we invite the public to be part of it.”
He declared the spaghetti sauce “out of this world.”
“We have a great time,” Gonzalez said. Especially on the barbecue crew. He said he has a surprise for the crew this year, which reportedly includes his son, Frank, the current mayor of Sanger.
“I have green aprons (for the crew) with their names and their roles,” he said. “The first one is the Salt and Pepper Man. That’s all he does. Actually two guys do that. Another is the Probe Man. His job is to check the temperature of the chicken. When it
reaches 180 degrees (the rack is removed).”
Work begins at 6 a.m. with a rallying breakfast at Denny’s, then barbecuing starts about 8 a.m. the morning of March 17. The ritual includes a round of Jameson Irish Whiskey and the lighting of the charcoal, which is done by either the new member of the barbecue crew or the youngest.
Gonzalez said the lighting “is an event in itself.”
Merlo-Giovacchini said the event “grew a little bit every year, and the (original) hall got too small.” About 1960, the hall at the North and Bethel property had been built and the operation moved. “At that time, the menu kind of got changed to chicken and spaghetti,” she said.
And the barbecuing was taken care of by the men.
And Merlo-Giovacchini and her crew had to make more sauce as the audience grew. “One Saturday they didn’t have enough sauce. So they called me and my
two sisters Nancy and Florence, and we made 15 gallons of sauce,” she said. “They didn’t get as many volunteers as they thought. It took most of the day. My sisters were great.”
And she made a couple gallons of salad dressing. It was Italian. Of course.
Merlo-Giovacchini said about then Rene Gonzalez and his family came in and took over the barbecuing. She said her time with the event is about over. “I think I’m going to retire this year,” she said. “Not that I want to. My health is deteriorating. They say it’s my age, but I don’t want to believe it.”
The ICF still has two or three members working in the kitchen. And Ralph Esquer said about 70 to 80 volunteers help out throughout the day. “The food is excellent,” he said. “It’s all good stuff.”
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.com or at (559) 875-2511.
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Ken Beasley was looking for a truck to help on his and his wife, Margie’s, hobby farm just east of Sanger.
Then he stumbled upon an old 1948 Chevy three- quarter ton flatbed, or “stakebed,” bought new from a Chevy dealer in Clovis. He had to have it, presenting the truck to Margie on her birthday.
“She loves trucks,” he said.
The couple used it to haul hay and do some other jobs. Then Ken got into the fixing up the bed and kept going.
“One thing led to another,” he said. “It’s been a labor of love.”
The original split rims were kept and painstakingly refinished. All chrome was sent to New Age Metal Finishing in Fresno to be made shiny and better than new. The body was straightened, its rust rehabilitated and subsequently coated with green paint by a legend in the business — Finis Fortney.
“It was one of his last jobs,” Ken Beasley said. Fortney operated an auto body and paint shop for years before he died last year.
The ‘48 drew a lot of interest March 2 at the Blossom Festival Car Show
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Sanger Chevrolet got Ken Beasley to appear in its #ChevyLife promotion at the Blossom Festival. His 1948 won best of show. Gregg Hernandez, right, wowed folks with his 1956 Buick Special.
in downtown Sanger. “This your truck?” a man asked of Beasley. When Beasley said yes, the man added, “Beautiful.”
The Beasley farm truck won Best of Show.
“I love the old cars,” Beasley said. “Always have. Kids love it. It’s quite the deal.
“Pretty rare for a truck like this to be fixed up. You don’t see too many original flatbeds.”
And he’s right. Few people mess with big trucks. Cars get the nod for original restoration more often. Trucks, if they’re chosen, usually get a full customization and upgrades
to the suspension, wheels and running gear.
Another rare vehicle also proved to be a crowd favorite. Gregg Hernandez of Fresno said he was always a big fan of
“Highway Patrol,” which aired from 1955 to 1959. The television drama starred Broderick Crawford, Art Gilmore and William Boyett and included the catch phrase, “Powerful patrol cars, fast motorcycles and superheterodyne two- way radios combine to fight crime on the rural highways of America’s wide open spaces.”
Hernandez said he bought his 1955 Buick Special for $250. It came with an original 322 cubic inch “Nailhead” engine, so named for the unusual vertical alignment of its small-sized valves. The powerplant enabled it to develop high torque, which was considered exceptional for the time.
“It was sitting in a carport with four flat tires,” he said. “I bought it in 1989 from an ad in the classic car section of the Fresno Bee classifieds. Ever since I was in grammar school, I liked the ‘56 Buick. My sister’s boyfriend had a yellow and white one, and I just fell in love with it.”
Kids from the neighboring foot races kept coming over to Hernandez’s classic car and remarking about how cool it looked with its Highway Patrol logo on the doors and black and white paint job. Their moms took pictures.
“Want to sit in the driver’s seat?” Hernandez asked one family.
“Sure,” they said.
He opened the door. It didn’t creak or groan like an old car. It was more than willing to allow a younger generation behind the wheel.
Hernandez said he can only drive it in parades or in very limited use like the day of the car show because it looks so much like a police car. Of course, it looks nothing like the Ford Explorers and various SUVs used by today’s highway patrol.
“It’s a big hit wherever it goes,” he said.
The carnival nearby drew squeals of happiness from children. The little train hauled people up and down the closed off streets and vendors offered everything from food (the sweet rolls were heavenly) to services.
Newly elected congressman T.J. Cox made an appearance, and the Apachapella choir performed at least three songs.
“Blue skies,” Tammy Wolfe, president and chief executive of the Sanger Chamber of Commerce, said. “I’m so happy.
Those skies lasted until that afternoon.
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
would make all the sauce. Then they’d cook all the turkeys.”
The kids would decorate the tables. “All us young children had to,” she said. “They (the adults) made sure it was done right.”
And the men didn’t just get to eat. They made all the pasta and helped with everything else. That first year, they served about 100 people. “We had a couple of shifts,” Merlo-Giovacchini said.
The ICF Dinner evolved
into the St. Patrick’s Dinner near the turn of the century, she said. “Because it was close to St. Patrick’s Day. It was good because we didn’t have many members in the ICF (anymore).”
This year’s dinner is planned from noon to 5 p.m. March 17 at the St. Mary’s hall on the corner of North and Bethel avenues.
Rene Gonzalez, who heads up the 13-member barbecue crew, said his team has purchased about 450 chickens and plans
Best of show goes to Beasley's Chevy stakebed
Sanger News & Community Calendar
To get an item into the calendar, email details to nemethfeatures@gmail.com or call Mike or Sharon at 559-875-2511.
St. Mary’s Annual St. Patrick’s Dinner is planned from noon to 5 p.m. March 17 at the main church hall at North and Bethel avenues. Cost is $18. Dinner includes spaghetti, chicken, salad, peas, rolls, beverage and dessert. Details, 559-876-3936.
AMVETS is placing its chili dogs on hiatus until the group gets settled at the Sanger Eagles hall. The fish fry will return from 5 to 8 p.m. March 8, 15, 22 and 29 and April 5 and 12 at the Eagles hall, 225 J St. The membership thanks all who showed up over the past months. Details, George 559-286-5667.
The Sanger Eagles’ taco nights are 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. the first and third Mondays of the month. Breakfasts will be from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. every second Saturday of the month. The location is 225 J St. Details, Jim Batten 559-
875-6820 or Denny Noller 559-392-1936.
Eckankar, which defines itself as “the path to spiritual freedom,” provides a workshop about what inner experiences really mean and techniques about exploring past lives from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 9 at the Sanger Library, 1812 Seventh St. Details, 877-504-6364.
Sanger High’s theater department stages the musical “Singin’ In the Rain” at 7:30 p.m. March 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 at the school’s multipurpose room, 1045 N. Bethel Ave. Cost is $10 for adults $8 for students.
Sanger Chamber Business After Hours Mixer schedule.
Events begin at 5:30 p.m. March 19 at Valley Oak Winery, 11809 E Belmont Ave.; April 16 at Sanger Library, 1812 Seventh St.; May 21 at Mid Valley Disposal; June 18 Kings River Winery, 4276 S Greenwood Ave.; Aug. 20 Zataris, 1441 Seventh St. Details, 559-875-4575.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Community Breakfast is from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. April 6 at the American Legion Hall, 1502 O St. Cost is $6. Cub Scout Pack 322 and Boy Scout Pack 322 will assist. The VFW breakfast is usually the first Saturday of the month.
Abundant Life Ranch, which provides camps and events that give children an up-close experience with horses to
boost their confidence and self esteem, plans an Open House County Fair from 4 to 7:30 p.m. April 12 at 21415 E. Weldon Ave. just east of Sanger. Details, 559-787-2752.
HOPE Sanger has a pancake fundraiser from 8 to 10 a.m. March 23 at 502 L St. in Sanger. Cost is $8. Details, 559-875-7677.
Going Beyond Simulcast with Priscilla Shirer is planned from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 13 at the Annadale Baptist Church, 1511 14th St. Cost is $15. Details, 559-875-3212.
Girls softball, a program by Sanger’s Recreation Division, starts March 16 for a six-week season. It’s open to girls 5 to 14 years old. The program is looking for volunteer coaches. Registration is $55 but goes up after Feb. 8. Details, recinfo@ci.sanger.ca.us or 559-876-6300, ext. 1430.
Sanger Academy Charter’s drama department stages the production of “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” at 5 p.m. April 4 and 5 at 2207 Ninth Ave. The first show includes dinner. Tickets for the dinner show are $20 and can be pre- purchased starting March 23 at the school office. Tickets for the second show don’t have to be repurchased and are $3 per person. Details, 559-524-6840.