Page 1 - Dunuba Sentinel 8-23-18 E-edition

Dinuba Sentinel Serving the communities of Dinuba, Cutler-Orosi and Monson-Sultana
Established 1909, Dinuba, California
Raison named next County Counsel
Former Dinuban will serve Kern County Board of Supervisors
Sentinel staff report
Margo Raison, daughter of former publishers of the Dinuba Sentinel, Bob and Diane Raison, was recently selected as the new County Counsel for the Kern County Board of Supervisors.
Raison will take over for Mark Nations, who is retiring in December.
She will assume her duties Oct. 27, before Nations’ official retirement.
Raison has worked for the County Counsel
department for 31 years.
She has served as the chief deputy
of the employment section of the department for the past 13 years, guiding the board through employment law.
Prior to leading the employment section of the office, Raison worked in the general government section, where she handled juvenile dependency cases.
Raison has served on many boards, including Kern Federal Credit Union, American Association of University Women and Junior League of Bakersfield.
She graduated from Stanford University before receiving her law degree from Loyola Law School at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
She is married to Geoffrey Hill and has two adult stepchildren and one granddaughter.
Raison grew up in Dinuba and attended Dinuba schools. She graduated from Dinuba High School in 1978.
Miss Dinuba Contestants See pro les of this year's Miss Dinuba Contestants Back Page, A6
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Rescuing Mac
50 Cents
Improvements
coming soon
Margo Raison
By Rick Curiel
Editor@thedinubasentinel.com
Last Tuesday the Dinuba City Council approved a resolution authorizing the city of Dinuba to tap into as much as $200,000 in grant money for improvements to the downtown entertainment plaza.
The approval gives city staff authority to tap into Community Development Block Grant Income, made available through repaid housing loans. Though the current CDBG loan portfolio is approximately $13 million, much of that money is not seen until the loans are paid or homes are sold.
According to City of Dinuba Business Manager George Avila, who presented the resolution at last week’s city council meeting, the city currently has about $155,000 available in CDGB funds, of which $80,000 has been set apart for the entertainment plaza improvements.
The Entertainment Plaza has been used extensively in recent years. It has been the gathering place for many events throughout the years, and most notably in recent months, from cruise nights to the city’s Summer Night Lights and Farmers Markets.
The city now plans to remove and replace existing electrical boxes in planters, install new bed lighting as well as new plants. The planter island caps will also get a face-lift as those will be replaced. The existing in ground spray fountain will also be resurfaced.
Preliminary estimates put the improvement project at about $71,000, but more improvements could be added to the project.
Last year the city of Dinuba received about $230,000 in CDGB grant money and had previously authorized $75,000 of the program’s funds to the Randle Avenue Improvements Project. That project is currently in full swing.
Mac looks into his rescuers eyes as he enjoys his new home in Dinuba. After living on the streets and gaining the attention of thousands of local citizens, Mac has found refuge in the home of Maribel Reynosa, and also has a new best friend in a poodle named Gainer.
Stray dog becomes social media sensation before being rescued
By Rick Curiel Editor@thedinubasentinel.com
Renyosa. She saw the post after getting back into town from work two weeks ago and was moved to do something.
“I saw the photo and there was just something that was tugging on my heart strings,” said Reynosa. “Something kept telling me that I just needed to go out there.”
And so she did.
She said that when she first went out there the dog would not get close to her and kept his distance from her, and anyone else who would try to approach him.
“I had to throw the food at first,” said Reynosa. “I would then throw the food closer and closer, until eventually he ate from my hand. And then he let me touch him.”
Though Reynosa made progress with the stray dog, she was still unable to get him to go along with her. “He would get his fill, and then he would leave,” she explained.
See Mac, Page A5
I
The stray dog had been seen countless times wandering the intersection of El Monte Way and Crawford Avenue, spending much of his time on the lawn in front of McDonald’s.
f you’ve been following social media and what’s been going on in Dinuba lately, you’re probably familiar with a dog by the name of Mac by now.
That’s how he got his name – Mac, short for McDonald’s.
Just over two weeks ago, people in town started noticing a medium-sized brown dog that would make himself comfortable in the lawn on the northeast corner of the intersection. Thinking it might be someone’s lost dog, some of those people turned to social media to get the word out.
One person who saw the post was Dinuba’s Maribel
Cross Country
Dinuba Invitational will be held this Saturday
Sports, Page B1
to Downtown
Entertainment
Plaza
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
Caregiver support
group comes to
Senior Center
By Rick Curiel Editor@thedinubasentinel.com
A new support group at the Dinuba Senior Center is meeting the needs of so many who often feel alone in one of life’s biggest challenges – aging.
Mary Callison of Dinuba is the 24-hour caregiver for her husband Howard. He has dementia and her day consists of round-the-clock care that has left her searching for answers. After all, there aren’t many classes that prepare you for caring for a loved one who is slowly loosing their mental faculties.
One day she addressed her concerns to Dinuba Police Officer Mark Wilder, who was assisting the center while on light duty. Wilder, in cooperation with Dinuba Senior Center Manager Cece Bobst, made some calls and so initiated what would become the Caregivers Support Group.
“This is really needed,” said Callison. “I’ve been going through this for so long. And we need other people that we can talk to.”
Howard voluntarily gave up driving recently when he realized his health was
deteriorating, but, said Mary, he keeps himself busy with yard work.
“I have to keep him busy,” she said.
Marie Espinola, Director of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of Central California, said she is happy to assist communities throughout the Valley with these needs.
“We identified that families need support,” said Espinola. “They need education, not only about the disease, but also where to go for help.”
Espinola said the foundation does not take government subsidies and has been completely dependant on private contributions for almost 20 years now. This allows the foundation to help all who need assistance without the red tape of needless questionnaires.
When Espinola was asked how many people were required to start a support group, her answer was simple – one.
“There’s no charge for any of our services,” Espinola explained. “I meet with families privately in their home. I meet with support groups.”
Espinola stated the demand for such services has only grown over the years. With people living longer, she explained more and more people are being
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
Marie Espinola, Director of the Alzheimer's Foundation of Central California, speaks to a group at the Dinuba Senior Citizen Center. She and Kimberly Jensen, a community liaison from Quail Park, will be visiting the Dinuba will be visiting the center on a monthly basis for a new Caregiver Support Group.
exposed to such ailments as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
But she also said there is hope.
A new drug is currently in the human trial stage that shows great potential for Alzheimer’s, said Espinola. In lab tests the drug has shown the ability to dissolve the plaques and tangles that disrupt the neurons in the brain.
Espinola said she is currently working with four people in Fresno who are currently in the trail phase.
“We may be just around the corner,” said Espinola.
But in the meantime, the demand for care has transitioned over to the children and spouses of those affected.
“Most of the time, when a spouse
develops Alzheimer’s, the partner doesn’t turn 24,” said Espinola. “They’re old and tired too. So where do they go for help?”
Here in Dinuba, that place is the Dinuba Senior Center. The group will meet every third Wednesday of each month, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Social Hall.
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