Sanger Herald 5-30-19 E-edition

Redhawks wrestle for fun
Hoping for a home
page 7A
Students commit to service
Sports 1B
Lifestyles 2B
WeeklyNewspaper Sanger(FresnoCounty)CA93657 50¢ (taxincluded) Remembrance and thanks
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
In jacket-wearing weather, with a cold gentle breeze stir- ring the hundreds of small U.S. flags marking graves of military men and women, more than 100 gathered at Sanger Cemetery for a sol- emn Memorial Day ceremony that included guest speakers, a 21 gun salute, flag raising and placement of a memorial wreath in front of a plaque honoring the unknown dead from all wars.
Many of those in atten- dance were former service men and women with military unit patches on hats, shirts and sweatshirts.
Before the service started many like Carmen and Joe Reyna of Sanger came to the cemetery to decorate graves of loved ones. For Carmen it was the grave of her brother USMC LCpl Joseph Escobar who gave his life for his coun- try on June 2, 1967 in Vietnam. There was also a marker to commemorate Carmen's cous- in U.S. Army Sgt. Frank S. Hernandez who was declared missing in action in Vietnam
in 1970. His body was never found.
The ceremony organized by Sanger's VFW Post 7168 focused on remembering and thanking men and women who had paid the ultimate price and remembering sacrifices on D-Day almost 75 years ago.
There were greetings from congressman T.J. Cox, Sanger mayor Frank Gonzalez and councilmember Eli Ontiveros before the ceremony emceed by Jim Anderson of VFW Post 7168.
Members of the Sanger High School NJROTC posted colors, Paige Benavides sang the National Anthem, AM- VET Post 98's honor guard
fired a 21 gun salute, USMC SSgt Esteban Aguirre played Taps and incoming VFW Post 7168 Commander Clint Vance and Blue Star Mother Maria Flores, with sons Edward and David in the Marine Corps, placed the memorial wreath.
Small U.S. flags were put on military graves by mem- bers of Scout Troop 322, Sanger High School Interact, Sanger Rotary, Hope Sanger and American Legion Post 23. Featured speakers were West Point graduate USAF Lt. Colo- nel Katharine Corliss and re- tired US Navy Commander Pat Neimeyer who is now pastor at Sanger's Calvary Fellowship Church.
USMC SSgt Esteban Aguirre played a haunting version of Taps with the AMVET Post 98 honor guard standing at attention be- hind him.
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
Joe and Carmen Reyna of Sanger at Sanger Cemetery decorating the grave of her brother USMC Lance Corporal Joseph Escobar who gave his life for his country on June 2, 1967 in Vietnam. There is a nearby marker commemorating Carmen's cousin, U.S. Army Sgt. Frank S. Hernandez who was declared missing in action in Vietnam in 1970. His body was never found.
Voting snafu adds to rezoning confusion
City council will have final say at June 6 meeting
Sanger seniors awarded more than $130,000 in scholarships
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
These high school seniors have good reasons to smile. The Foundation for Sanger Schools awarded them a total of $21,000 in scholarship money. Foundation representatives Cary Cata- lano and Margaret Tejerian presented scholarships to Sanger High students Sarah Herring, Michael Vangsycha, Rachelle Rodriquez, Daniel Ornelas, Cristian Hernandez, Parmeet Kaur, Susannah Ellis, Marissa Castillo, Ashley Zarasua, Jude Groft and Jennifer Zarate and Hallmark's Dylan Reimer.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
A voting snafu at a May 15 planning commission meeting negated a 3-1 vote for a plan to rezone 54 acres within the city limits to comply with an affordable housing mandate from the state.
Commissioners who have been dealing with the complex and controversial issue since last year were voting for a recommendation to send to the city council for final ap- proval at a special meeting on June 6 at the community cen- ter.
Commissioners who prob- ably heaved a collective sigh of relief when they thought they had finally put the is- sue to bed were surprised a couple of days later when city attorney Hilda Cantu Montoy, after reviewing the meeting, explained that four votes, a majority of the seven person commission, were necessary
First look
at proposed
budgets
Staff report
After dealing with Mea- sure S budgets and grants the city council will get its first look at the city staff's proposed budgets for the next two fiscal years at this evening's 6 p.m. meeting at city hall.
Read more about the coun- cil's agenda on page 6A and see commentary on page 3A.
for approval.
Two commission members
had recused themselves, one was absent and the remaining four didn't agree - so, there is no official planning commis- sion recommendation to the council.
The voting discrepency was not caught at the meeting in time to correct it even though city manager Tim Chapa, as- sistant city attorney Shannon Chaffin, development director Tom Navarro and senior plan- ner David Brletic were at the meeting.
Sanger had originally been directed by the state to find 63 acres within the city limits that could be rezoned to ac- commodate affordable hous- ing - or face consequences that could include a state im- posed building moratorium or a cutoff of funds the city uses to maintain its streets.
However, Brletic told the commission at the May
Shannon Chaffin Assistant City Attorney
15 meeting that the state had, just a day before the meeting, revised the number downward from 63.8 acres to 54 acres.
The city council on June 6 will hear more comments from the public before at- tempting to come up with a rezoning solution that will satisfy the state.
The reporter can be con- tacted by email at sangerher- ald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
More than $130,000 in scholarships was awarded during Sanger High School's 2019 Senior Scholarship Night on May 22 in the high school's packed multipurpose room.
"There were 91 different groups and individuals pre- senting scholarships this year," said Sanger High School's Ro- sa Gonzalez who is in charge of the event. "More than 150 different students received scholarships," said Gonzalez.
In spite of the number of presenters and scholarship re- cipients and the proud parents who wanted to take photos of their students, the event went off with military precision.
A list of all the recipients will be posted on the Sanger Herald website www.thesang- erherald.com. There are more photos on page 7A.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sang- erherald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Sahildeep Dhillon and Emma Rose Pena who received $1,000 Nicholson scholarships, named after the late Dean Nicholson, stand with Nicholson's son Robert and wife Jean
• May 30 - City council meeting, 6 p.m. at city hall, 1700 7th St.
• June 6 - City council meeting, 6 p.m. at the community center, 730 Recreation Ave.
SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thsangerherald.com
THURSDAY
May 30, 2019
VOL 130 NO. 22
2 sections, 14 pages
CLASSIFIED 5B LEGALS 6, 7B BUSINESS DIRECTORY 8B LIFE STYLES 3B OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 6A