Page 1 - Dinuba Sentinel 9-20-18 E-edition
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Dinuba Sentinel Serving the communities of Dinuba, Cutler-Orosi and Monson-Sultana
Switching to sun power
Cutler-Orosi Joint Uni ed School District's solar project nears completion
Established 1909, Dinuba, California
Opening for new Orosi High School stadium pushed back
Grand opening scheduled for October 18, with Cardinals' rst and only home game to be played on October 19
Back Page, A8
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Night at the movies
50 Cents
Dinuba Uni ed to extend lease agreement on Vocational Center
By George M. Villagrana
Trustees for the Dinuba Unified School District approved a first reading of a lease agreement between the district and the city of Dinuba for the Dinuba Vocational Center in downtown Dinuba.
Upon final approval, the city and the district will enter into a 42-month agreement in which the city will retain ownership of the building and agree to maintain it. In exchange, DUSD will be paying a high premium to be the tenants of the building.
According to the lease agreement, the district will be paying 74 cents per square foot for the 40,000 square foot building. That works out to nearly $30,000 per month for the building. That figure does not include other costs in operating the building, such as utilities, janitorial, security and general maintenance.
The city will maintain responsibility of the roof, HVAC, elevator, mechanical and electrical systems necessary for the operation of the building. They will also maintain the surrounding area of the building, include the parking lot.
The district will be using the Vocational Center for its original purpose, as a vocational center. In fact, the agreement specifies that the building will be used “solely for adult educational purposes.”
The district will be using the center for programs such as Certified Nursing Assistant and Pharmacy Technician programs. Other programs and training to be offered at the Dinuba Vocational Center include Security Guard, ESL, Computer Life Skills, Auto and Welding Theory classes, Administrative Assistant and Clerical Skills, and HVAC Technician, to name a few.
“This is a pretty tight lease,” said DUSD School Board President Bev Keel-Worrell at Thursday’s board meeting. “This is a good thing.”
In addition to the high monthly premium for the building, as part of the agreement the district will also pay a security deposit of $600,000. The agreement also provides a purchase option, whereby the district may choose to buy the building property from the cityatapriceof$2,700,000. According to the agreement, if the district choses to purchase the building, it would need to do so prior to the termination of the lease but no sooner than January 1, 2022.
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
The highly anticipated opening date for the new stadium at Orosi High is scheduled for October 18, according to Cutler-Orosi Head of Maintenance and Operations Raffi Soghomonian.
“The stadium is on schedule for October 5 with the grand opening on Thursday, October. 18,” said Soghomonian during the Cutler-Orosi Joint School Board of Trustees meeting held on Thursday, September 13.
Soghomonian stated that the Cardinals’ first and only home football game will be on October 19. On that day, Orosi will play against Parlier High School before their last game of the season the week after at Orange Cove.
“We’re going to give it a couple of weeks before the grand opening,” Soghomonian said.
Work on the stadium got underway earlier this year. There was hope of having the first game played on October 5 against Fowler which would’ve been Homecoming for Orosi. Instead that game will be played in Fowler, according to OHS athletic director Ken Sawatzky.
Work on the stadium began earlier this year soon after the state playoff game victory by the girls soccer team.
The stadium has lights in place to compliment a synthetic track, new sod on the Ed Coates Field, a press box and new bleachers.
In addition, there will be a new ticket booth, concession stand as well as new bathrooms on the visitor’s side.
Orosi High School principal Roberto Vaca says the facility brings out school pride.
“The new stadium brings hope, optimism and school pride as we continue to move Orosi High School to new heights,” Vaca stated. “Cutler-Orosi kids and the community deserve the best and in return, they are answering the call do and be better.”
Originally, the district planned to renovate the older stadium to make it ADA compliant. However, an inability to provide the Department of the State Architecture with blueprints showing the stadium berm meet California codes eleminated that option.
The district chose to start anew, opting to tear down the old stadium berm to make way for a completely new stadium.
Members of the Tulare County Fire Department secure the scene at Cutler Elementary School after construction workers accidently broke a main gas line near the school. The gas leak caused the evacuation of nearly 800 students and staff members from the area.
Contributed
Pictured with 2017 Miss Dinuba Alyssa Leal (front-center) are this year's Miss Dinuba contestants. They are: (Top Row) Isabella Gonzalez, Carly Hulsey, Samantha Huerta, Sierra Gonzalez, Viclaire Lozoya (Second Row) Lily Moos, Audrey Menard and Karen Romo. The eight young ladies will be competing in the 2018 Miss Dinuba Pageant on Saturday at the Dinuba High School Auditorium. The pageant is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Eight vie for 2018 Miss Dinuba crown this Saturday at DHS Auditorium
By Rick Curiel
Editor@thedinubasentinel.com
Sentinel staff report
This Saturday, eight young ladies will be competing for the crown of Miss Dinuba 2018. The theme for this year’s pageant will be “Night at the Movies.”
“This week is always crazy,” said pageant director Cristy Meyers.
According Meyers, who is now in her 13th year as the Miss Dinuba Pageant director, the girls have been practicing every day this week, sometimes until midnight.
Masters of Ceremony this year will be Robert Martin and 2012 Miss Dinuba Kristyn Carrion. Missing this year for the first time in 18 years will be Greg Olson. He will be attending his wife’s 50th class reunion.
The pageant’s opening number will be based on the
movie “Annie.” The pageant will then take you on a ride through the ages of movie magic, even taking a page out of the recent blockbuster movie “La La Land.”
After the opening number, the talent portion of the show will begin. This year’s talent portion will feature two monologues, three singers, two dancers and a speed painter.
The talent portion will be followed by the evening gown platform and then go into the impromptu questions. Shorty after, this year’s Miss Dinuba will be crowned.
“This is a really good tight-knit group of girls,” said Meyers. “It’s been a good year. These girls have put in a lot of hard work.”
Saturday’s pageant will be held at the Dinuba High School Auditorium and will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for students or children.
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
Hundreds of students and staff members from Cutler Elementary School were evacuated on Monday after construction workers accidentally struck a gas pipeline near the school.
According to Lieutenant Steve Sanchez of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department Orosi Substation, the department was dispatched to the southeast corner of the school’s property after crewmembers reported hitting the gas line just after 11 a.m.
“We got a call of a natural gas leak that occurred while they were doing some construction here at Cutler Elementary School,” said Sanchez.
thedinubasentinel.com Inside | Lights and SirensA2 | ObituariesA2 | OpinionA4 | SportsB1 | Classi edsB4
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Dinuba makes win over Div. I Edison look easy
Sports, Page B1
Cutler Elementary
School evacuated
after gas leak
“Once they (construction workers) realized that they hit that gas line they notified us and Tulare County Fire.”
After responding to the scene, they began isolating the leak and officers determined the best course of action was to evacuate the school. Shortly before noon, nearly 800 people, including the school’s student enrollment of 680, were evacuated to the small park across the street from the school on Road 128 in Cutler.
From there a caravan of district school buses began the process of moving those students and staff to El Monte Middle School, where they finished the school day. A preschool just north of the
See Evacuation, Page A2
By Rick Curiel
Editor@thedinubasentinel.com
