Page 1 - Dinuba Sentinel 4-18-19 E-edition

D nuba Sent nel
Serving the communities of Dinuba, Cutler-Orosi and Monson-Sultana Serving the communities of Dinuba, Cutler-Orosi and Monson-Sultana
Established 1909, Dinuba, California
Community, A5
Thursday, April 18, 2019
50 Cents
New signage
Orosi High grads awarded for new Cutler welcome signs
Emps slide into ties
Dinuba wins one, ties two at Fowler Easter Classic Sports, Page B1
Welcomed back with honor
signs of
West Nile
Contributed
Contrary to a recent post on social media, sparking concern among Dinuba citizens, local ponds have not tested positive for West Nile Virus, this according to the city of Dinuba.
According to a recent press release by the city of Dinuba, Delta Vector Control District (DVCD) has been conducting routine surveillance for mosquito- borne disease and nuisance mosquitoes throughout the district, including regions where ponding basins are located. To date, no mosquito sample from 2019 has tested positive for West Nile Virus.
West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne disease that is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Once infected, mosquitoes can then transmit the disease to humans and other animals. WNV is not spread through water or skin contact. WNV transmission to people occurs most often in summer and early fall when mosquitoes are most active.
DVCD routinely monitors mosquito abundance and disease status through surveillance traps, source inspections, and laboratory testing for disease. Every week, over two-hundred and sixty traps are placed throughout the district. Mosquito samples are identified, counted, and tested for West Nile Virus, St. Louis Encephalitis Virus (SLEV), and Western Equine Encephalitis Virus (WEEV). Known sources of standing water, where mosquitoes might breed, including ponding basins, are inspected regularly by DVCD staff and treated. This surveillance information is available to the public and is used to prioritize DVCD mosquito control efforts.
Current areas with elevated mosquito populations and areas where mosquito samples have tested positive for disease are mapped as trap results are processed. This map is available to the public at www.deltavcd.com by clicking on the tab “Current Mosquito Collections”. Areas with disease positive mosquito samples can be found by opening the map legend and selecting “Positive mosquito samples”. Maps and data from prior years do not represent current or ongoing disease risk.
Residents are always encouraged
See Ponds, Page A8
East Orosi to
City ponds
show no
soon have
One of the first faces Dinuba's World War II and Korean War Veteran Ron Roushall recognized after being welcomed home from the Central Valley Honor Flight's 18th trip was that of his wife, Linda. She, along with family, friends and members of the Dinuba Lions Club, of which Roushall is a longtime member, were on hand to welcome him back on Thursday at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
By Rick Curiel
He wore a World War II hat, one of few represented in the group.
Roushall joined the Navy straight out of high school during World War II. As a Naval Reserve, he travelled as a Seaman First Class on two different ships. During his time in World War II, he journeyed to places like Pearl Harbor and the Kwajalein Islands, where his ship reportedly delivered some ‘secret goods’. After
returning home to San Francisco, and subsequently San Diego, the war ended and Roushall was discharged after the military decommissioned the Naval Reserves.
The time he would serve in the military, however, did not end there. After returning home and graduating from University of California, Davis,
See Honor, Page A6
Editor@thedinubasentinel.com
When 70 United States Veterans returned home from the 18th Central Valley Honor Flight on Apr. 11 they were greeted with a long-overdue hero’s welcome.
Thursday’s crowd was said to be one of the biggest yet, as hundreds gathered to greet the honorees - waving American flags while singing patriotic songs.
Among the 70 Veterans returning from Washington D.C. was Dinuba’s Ron Roushall, who made the flight with his son Randy as his guardian.
“The trip was wonderful,” said Roushall. “The people that took care of us, they did a wonderful job.”
Like all the others, Roushall wore a commemorative red Central Valley Honor Flight jacket while walking through the Veterans’ procession. And, like the others, he wore a black hat indicating which war he served in.
Roushall, however, settled for the hat he wore after discovering the coordinators did not have a hat that truly represented his service to the country. At 91-years-old, Roushall is a unique Veteran, having served in both World War II and the Korean War. To boot, the Dinuba Veteran also served in two branches of the military, serving in the Navy during World War II and then the Army during the Korean War.
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
A welcome home sign for Dinuba's Ron Roushall graced a sea of warm- wishers at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport on Thursday. Roushall was one of 70 Valley Veterans to make the 18th Central Valley Honor Flight.
Dinuba Relay for Life continues to o er hope
Fundraiser surpasses last year's number, pulls in over $77K
The community came together again on Apr. 13 on the campus of Dinuba High School. Once lasting 24 hours, Saturday’s Relay for Life of Dinuba was, for a third year, a 15-hour event.
It began with a pancake and sausage breakfast at 6:30 a.m., hosted by the Dinuba Lions Club. The morning followed with opening ceremonies at 9 a.m., with Greg Olson and Delia Hernandez serving as the Masters of
Ceremony.
The opening speaker
was Andrea Andrade, who is the current Miss Regional West Coast
U.S.A. Andrade shared her story of finding out she had cancer and dealing with the aftermath. The former Miss California contestant explained how she
See Relay, Page A7
Miss Regional West Coast U.S.A., Andrea Andrade, leads a procession of cancer survivors for the ceremonial first lap of Dinuba's Relay for Life, held Saturday at Dinuba High School. The lap, for Andrade, was one filled with emotion as she recently discovered she too is a cancer survivor, having been declared cancer-free only a few weeks ago.
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
The 15th Annual Relay for Life of Dinuba was another victory for those affected by cancer. To date, this year’s fundraiser has pulled in 20 percent more than it did last year,
$77,269.
Over the years the
Dinuba chapter has continued to be one of the biggest contributors to the organization, having raised nearly $1.5 million since it began.
According to chapter
President Luisa Sanchez,
Dinuba’s Relay for Life has pulled in as much as $120,000 and reached the $1 million mark at its 10th annual event.
“It really is a community event,” said Sanchez, herself a 20-year cancer survivor.
thedinubasentinel.com Inside | Lights and SirensA2 | ObituariesA2 | OpinionA4 | SportsB1 | Classi edsB6
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
State Water Board
moves forward with
mandatory water
system consolidation
Sentinel staff report
For over a decade now, over 700 residents in the community of East Orosi have been without a reliable access to safe drinking water. The problem has only gotten worse over recent years, with residents having to rely on bottled water most, if not all, their water needs.
Now, one way or another, the residents of East Orosi may be closer to a solution to their problem. The solution, it seems, may come by way of a mandatory consolidation issued by the State Water Board after a meeting last Wednesday revealed that the East Orosi Community Services District and the Orosi Public Utilities District have failed to reach an agreement for annexation.
The meeting was attended by about 60 individuals, with more than half of that number providing comments either verbally or in written form regarding the water situation in East Orosi. Some shared their frustrations regarding the delay in addressing their water issues and the length of time it has taken to implement a consolidation. Others voiced their concern over the health impact it has on the community and criticized both districts for their lack of productive dialogue.
Over the years, the East Orosi Community Services District has struggled to confront a nitrate contamination problem, leading to a further degradation of the community’s water supply. Given the community’s limited capacity to resolve the problem, many have drawn the conclusion that the most cost-effective and sustainable solution for access to safe drinking water would be to connect to the neighboring Orosi Public Utilities District.
That proposal, however, has been left stalled for years, as both sides have failed to negotiate an agreement. This caused the State Water Board to get involved, and in July they notified both districts of their intent to pursue a mandatory water system consolidation if the two parties are unable to come to
See Water, Page A6
By Rick Curiel
Editor@thedinubasentinel.com
solution to
sustainable
water supply