Page 1 - Sanger Herald 5-24-18 E-edition

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Weekly Newspaper
Memorial Day
Sanger (Fresno County) CA 93657
2018
50¢ (tax included)
Former Navy chaplain Niemeyer is Memorial Day speaker
Emotional farewell to LCDR Kinyoun
The Memorial Day ceremony, hosted by AMVETS Post 98, at Sanger Cemetery will begin at 11 a.m. on
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Patrick Niemeyer had an impressive 14 year career as a Navy chaplain. He retired as a highly decorated com- mander.
Among the many notewor- thy items on his extensive resume is his involvement with Seal Team Six, the "U.S. Naval Special Warfare De- velopment Group" that took out Osama bin Laden.
In addition to his Masters of Divinity he has degrees in nursing, psychology and ac- counting. Before he enlisted in the Navy he worked as a registered nurse, manage- ment engineer and chief of finance and budget. Yet, out- side his own Calvary Fellow- ship Church this remarkably accomplished and versatile Sanger native is not well known in the town where he was born and now pastors a church.
The only time he received citywide recognition was last November when his church dedicated a unique memorial featuring a flagpole and an anchor and buoy from the military base at Treasure Island.
"It's in the shape of a pen- tagon so each branch of the service has its own memorial plaque. We will take names and inscribe the names on
a brass plate and then will affix them to the memorial," said Niemeyer at the dedica- tion ceremony.
Niemeyer will do triple duty at the Memorial Day
U.S. Navy CDR (retired) Pat- rick Niemeyer is lead pastor at Sanger's Calvary Fellowship Church.
ceremony - invocation, guest speaker and benediction - said AMVETS Post 98 com- mander George Willhoite.
Sanger military organiza- tions take turns organizing the annual event and this year it's AMVETS turn, said Willhoite.
Others participating in the ceremony:
• colors will be posted by the Sanger High School NJROTC;
• David Flores will lead the Pledge of Allegiance;
• Jackie Komush will sing the National Anthem;
• John and Anita Bart will place the memorial wreath;
• the AMVETS Post 98 honor guard will fire the 21 gun salute;
• Taps will be played by Gilbert Sanchez; and,
• mayor Frank Gonzalez and mayor pro tem Eli Onti- veros will greet attendees on behalf of the city.
Miniature U.S. Flags will be placed on the graves of all military personnel in the cemetery.
"Everyone's invited," said Willhoite."This is a special event on a very special day and I hope a lot of people will show up to help us honor all those who gave their lives
in the service of our great country."
The event starts at 11 a.m. at Sanger Cemetery.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sang- erherald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Bryan Kinyoun's second in command of the Sanger High School Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) program, Brett Johnson, called the ca- dets to order. Then he slowly guided the wheelchair bound Kinyoun through the rows
of cadets, standing at rigid attention, so Kinyoun could review the troops for one final time.
The Sanger High School NJROTC Awards and Gradu- ation Ceremony on May 16 in the high school multipurpose room provided bittersweet moments for graduating cadets. Coupled with the joy of graduation and the praise that accompanied award pre- sentations was the sadness of losing a leader.
In a farewell speech writ-
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
Superintendent Matt Navo called LCDR Bryan Kinyoun "one of the most courageous men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." Kinyoun is retiring after six years as the Sanger NJROTC senior naval science instructor to pursue a course of alternative therapy for multiple sclerosis.
ten by Kinyoun and read by his son, Kinyoun said, "It is very unfortunate that I have to leave Sanger NJROTC af-
ter only 6 years. I am not leaving because I want to, but because I have to. My MS (multiple sclerosis) has got- ten the best of me and physi-
cally it is becoming tough. I don't want the unit to suffer any more."
See KINYOUN, page 6A Council moves Veterans Memorial
THURSDAY
MAY 24, 2018
VOL 129 NO. 21
2 sections, 16 pages
CLASSIFIED 4B LEGALS 5, 6, 7B BUSINESS DIRECTORY 8B LIFE STYLES 3B OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 8A
Plaza a little closer to reality
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
City council approval on May 17 of a design and phasing plan for a proposed veterans park (Veterans Memorial Plaza) at the intersection of Jensen
and Indianola avenues moved the long awaited project a little closer to becom- ing a reality.
There is money available to cover the $837,168 construction cost of the first, northern phase, shown in the con-
ceptual drawing. Funding for the entire park has been a challenge and requires the park to built in phases, public works director John Mulligan told the council.
Staff will tweak the design and proposed budget and come back to the council for permission to send out bids to start construction on the first phase by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30, said Mulligan.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerherald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Photo courtesy of Jaime Garza
Smoky grass fire covers 11 acres and threatens homes
That smoke in the air on May 19 came from an 11 acre grass fire east of town, just north of the Newmark/Rainbow intersection. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Fresno County Fire battalion chief Jeremiah Wittwer. Several homes were threatened, but the only damage was to a storage shed and a utility pole, said Wittwer.
• May 25 - Fruit Trail opening ceremony, 10 a.m., Si- monian Farms, intersection of Jensen and Clovis avenues.
• May 28 - Memorial Day service, 11 a.m., Sanger Cem- etery, 568 S. Rainbow Avenue.
• May 29 - Measure S Citizens Oversight Committee special meeting, 6 p.m., city hall, 1700 7th Street.
• May 31 - Adult School graduation, 7 p.m., high school MPR, 1045 Bethel Avenue.
• June 2 - Veterans of Foreign Wars Community break- fast, 8-10:30 a.m., American Legion Hall, 1502 O Street.
SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thesangerherald.com