Page 10 - Sanger Herald 7-5-18 E-edition

Lifestyles
SANGER HERALD • 2B • THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018
Towering sunflowers draw crowds
Sanger
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
At the start of the growing season, Mike Strambi came up with a plan.
It was an idea really, and he bounced it off his sister Vicky Herkel. She gave her blessing — or something like that.
Strambi wanted to try something different. He’d tried a corn maze about the year they opened the Historic Centerville Fruit Station back in 2010. But while it proved a hit with customers, the corn maze was a bear to manage. This time, Strambi decided to switch corn for sunflowers.
Yes, sunflowers. Make that 9,000 seeds and 24 varieties. And some have grown taller than 20 feet. And they are apparently much easier to tend than corn.
“Today, I counted 43 cars,” said Michelle Korman, who manages the fruit stand. It sits about 100 feet away at the intersection of Kings Canyon Road (Highway 180) and South Oliver Avenue.
Korman said interested parties started lining up early that morning. She mentioned it opens at 9 a.m. That might have been a hint.
After she said that, maybe 5:15 p.m. June 29, another 20 or so cars showed up. And people delighted in traveling through the maze. Several Fresno TV stations did small segments
To get an item into the calendar, email details to nemethfeatures@gmail. com or call Mike or Sharon at 559-875-2511.
Junior Giants Jamboree is planned again this year at 9 a.m. July 14 at Rotary Ball Park, Cherry and Bethel avenues. The event is free for Junior Giants players, there will be snacks, drinks, prizes and games. Details, Rhiannon Aragon 559-419- 0132.
The Sanger branch of the Fresno County Library has a lot going on despite not being open. The Sanger Library Outdoor Fun shows are planned at 10 and 11:30 a.m. directly outside the library in the park. On July
A Word About Forgiveness — Admit It Part 5
We are in a series about forgiveness. So far, we have discovered that burying, blaming and beating ourselves up are not successful ways of dealing with guilt.
The next steps are simple, but not easy. The first step is, admit it. I don’t bury it, deny it or ignore it. Just own up to it.
Sometimes we even try to run from our guilt. The primary way we try to do it is by keeping busy. Busyness and workaholism are often a coping devises
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Mike Strambi says he plans to bring back his Multi Colored Sunflower Maze next season. It's been a big hit.
from the Midwest arrive toward fall.
“Very impressive,” said Josh Washburn, who traveled from Fresno with wife, Becky, and their children. “We saw it on the news. Had to bring the kids.”
One of those kids, Kiya, 12, was impressed. “Very big and beautiful,” she said of the flowers.
Strambi said the sunflowers will last maybe another week or so. He said he plans to reseed the area and bring the sunflowers back again next year.
This is Strambi’s side job. He works as director of farming for Sun World International LLC, in Bakersfield, and oversees about 6,000 acres of table grapes. He talked a little about what he does and explained the complexity of the grape growth cycle and just how big the operation is.
Herkel said he put something like 140,000 miles on his truck last year traveling around the Valley.
“I’m a very good delegator,” Strambi said.
And about that haunted former patch of weeds. Strambi said an old fellow told him that when that old fellow was young, an old man burned to death in one of the small cabins that used to dot that field.
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Church plans its Vacation Bible School every day from 9 a.m. to noon July 9 to 13 at the church, 1610 Jensen Ave. The camp is for those 4 years to sixth grade. The theme this year is “Shipwrecked! Jesus Saves Us.” Details, 559-875- 2553.
Kyle Kupiec, an assistant football coach at Immanuel in Reedley, has partnered with the NFL Flag, part of USA Football, to create the County Line Football League for boys and girls 7 to 12 years old. It starts in September and the kids play Saturdays for six weeks at Immanuel’s sports complex. Details, clflagfootball.com.
The Sanger Family Resource Center plans a Kinder Camp to July 27. Details, 559-524-6310.
that person, if I gossiped about that person.”
Whatever it is. You just start letting God make the list in your life. It may take you an hour. Just sit there and wait for a while and write it down. Nobody’s going to see this. You’re going to burn it eventually. You make that list. Writing this down helps you be more specific.
Next Week: Part 6 — Accept Responsibility.
Pastor Sam Estes is city advance director and facilitates the Sanger Community Task Force that meets the first and third Tuesdays every month. He can be reached at pastorsam51@gmail.com.
on the maze, and that may have contributed to the popularity.
It’s less maze and more a twisty trail. But the flowers are magnificent and the greenery surrounds each visitor during the walk- through. Flowers abound. And they don’t face the moving sun. They turn to the east.
True story.
“Never in a million years would I have thought it would be this popular,” Strambi said. He had just returned from his regular job. “This was nothing but
13 Magician Tim Mannix will perform a family- friendly magic show that combines comedy with mindboggling magic. On July 20 the Discovery Center explores the worlds of different kinds of animals by looking at skeletons and skulls in this hands-on class. The Polynesian Dance Workshop at 3 p.m. July 17 will be held at the Sanger Community Center, 730 Recreation Drive. And Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. the mobile or pop-up library services will be available. The library is at 1812 Seventh St. Details, 559-305-7130.
Sanger’s Movie Night in the Park continues this
for dealing with guilt. When you finally slow down and you put your head down on the pillow at night, all those feelings come crashing back in again. God doesn’t want you to live that way. The Bible says you can’t run from
yourself.
Listen to Proverbs 20:27,
“The Lord gave us a mind and a conscience. We cannot hide from ourselves.” You may be able to hide your guilt from everybody else, but you can’t hide it from you. That’s why it starts with personal honesty, admitting to yourself and admitting to God you were wrong.
1 John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and
a weed patch.”
But it has a haunted past.
More on that later. Strambi said he tilled the
soil, plotted out the layout and installed drip lines. The rest took care of itself. Sort of.
Herkel said her brother is a master farmer. “He can grow anything,” she said. She took my call even though she was vacationing on the Central Coast. “He’s got a green thumb.”
It’s not actually green. I checked.
But he sure can grow stuff. He started young.
summer. Show times are 8:45 p.m. Here’s the lineup: July 7 “Paddington 2” at Community Pool, July 14 “The Legend of Tarzan” at City Annex, July 21 “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” at City Annex, July 28 “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” at City Annex, and Aug. 4 “Coco” at Community Pool.
The Sanger Woman’s Club plans its Annual Rummage Sale from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 11 and 12 at the club, 1602 Seventh St. There will be clothing, household goods, books and treasures. Proceeds go to community service projects. Details, Doris 559-875-7563.
The City of Sanger Parks & Recreation Division is offering reduced cost swim lessons to children 5 to 17 thanks to a Wonderful Community Grant. Space
At 3, he started growing tomatoes. He’s allergic to the plants, it turned out.
Herkel said people “from all over” stop by the stand. A big fan is Nathan Magsig,
is extremely limited and registration must be made at city offices. Cost is $15. Classes will be held at the Washington Academic Middle School pool and will be held Tuesday to Friday starting July 10 and ending Aug. 3. Class times are 8:30, 9:15 10:05 and 10:50 a.m. Details, 559-876-6300 option 2 or recinfo@ci.sanger. ca.us.
Summer Fun at the Community Center continues again this year. For children 5 to 12, it includes two-week sessions 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday in sessions: July 9 to July 20 and July 23 to Aug. 3. One session is $40 or $140 for all. Older youth 13 to 15 can enroll in a junior recreation leader program that provides fun, leadership training and a T-shirt. Cost is $100 for all
but he’s a Fresno County supervisor from Clovis. Others come from more distant lands like countries in Europe and Asia. And she said a bunch of people
eight weeks. Field trips are included. Details, 559-876- 6300, option 2 or recinfo@ ci.sanger.ca.us.
AMVETS will have a fish fry at 5 p.m. Åug. 3. Its chili dogs will take a hiatus until Aug. 15 when they return from 5 to 8 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Everybody who’s anybody will be there. Come early. It’s popular. There will also be kraut dogs, mustard dogs and Frito boats. Details, George 559-286-5667.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Community Breakfast is from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. July 7 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.
Sanger Community
(help me to remember) everything I feel guilty about either consciously or unconsciously? What’s wrong? Where I have blown it? Where have I sinned? What mistakes?”
What do I feel guilty about, either consciously or unconsciously. Start writing. If you can’t think of anything, you’re not trying. If you’re honest to God and you’re authentic, God’s spirit will start bringing these things to mind. And you start writing them down.
“Lord, there was that time I exaggerated ... I was envious ... my feelings were hurt and I attacked back.” Whatever it is. If it’s lust, or fear. If it’s “I stole from that person, I cheated
Sanger News & Community Calendar
PASTOR’S CORNER
the truth is not in us.” We have the amazing ability to lie to ourselves. You say it’s not bad, when it really is bad. And it’s OK, when it’s not OK.
The Bible
says the heart
is deceitful. I want you to think about this: To stop defeating yourself, you must stop deceiving yourself. You must tell yourself the truth.
What are the things that defeats us? All kinds of things. Worry, envy, bitterness, jealousy, guilt, fear, anxiety and insecurity defeat us. To stop defeating yourself, you must stop lying to yourself.
May I suggest you do
a little spiritual cleaning, a personal spiritual inventory of your life. How do you do that? First, you take a couple hours and you set them aside. Get off by yourself with a yellow pad and
pencil. If you’re serious about being guilt free, you do this on a regular basis.
If you just leave all the garbage in your house it piles up. In your life, you have to take out the garbage periodically. The stuff wrong in your life piles up. Otherwise, your life starts stinking like garbage.
Take your pencil and paper and say, “God, I want you to bring to mind
Pastor Sam Estes