Mid Valley Times 2-11-21 E-edition

Thursday, February 11, 2021
Vol. 2, No. 32
Canton calls at last
50 cents
Coronavirus Update — Is The Tide Turning?
Numbers
continue
to decline
in Valley
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
Numbers of active posi- tive COVID-19 cases continue to decline, particularly in Tu- lare County, as the amount of vaccines finally are working into the region at an increas- ing rate.
The reports for Feb. 9 were encouraging when it came to active cases and hospitaliza- tions. In Tulare County, active cases dropped by more than 800, from 2,868 on Feb. 2 to 2,059 this past Tuesday. The recovery rate climbed back above 94 percent, and hospi- talization dipped from 142 to 121.
The sad news is the con- tinuing increase in deaths, as 55 more people died in Tulare County during the week to bring the total count to 661. In Fresno County, deaths in- creased by 73, to 1,258, during that same period.
But the active effects in Fresno County were showing signs of waning during the week, with the positivity rate (health equity metric) drop- ping from 13.2 percent to 11.2 percent. New COVID positive cases per 100,000 people also sharply declined from 76 on Jan. 12 to 30.3 early this week.
There was more good
See COVIDonpageA6
Sanger native Tom Flores is finally voted in to Pro Football Hall of Fame
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
The news all Sanger resi- dents, Oakland-Los Angeles- Las Vegas Raiders fans and longtime professional football fans in the area
have waited for finally became official late af- ternoon on Feb. 6 — Tom Flores is going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Sanger
native, who was
the first Latino
quarterback in
professional football and the first Latino to coach a Super Bowl champion when he led the Raiders to NFL titles in the 1980 and '83 seasons, fi- nally made the Hall of Fame cut on his third time as a
Tom Flores in Sanger in 2019
Jeyda Leonardo / Mid Valley Times
A large mural of Tom Flores, painted last week by Omar "Super" Huerta, is now on display at the south- west corner of 7th and N Streets in downtown Sanger. Flores, who coached the (then) Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders to Super Bowl championships in the 1980 and '83 seasons, was announced as a Class of 2021 inductee to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Feb. 6.
finalist. After falling short in heartbreaking fashion in 2020, he again received nom- ination as the lone coaching finalist for 2021.
As it turns out, Flores ac-
tually knew he made the Hall of Fame the week before the Feb. 6 announcement. That's when David Baker, the presi- dent/CEO of the Pro Foot- ball Hall in Canton, Ohio,
showed up at the front door of Flores' Coachella Valley home in Southern Califor- nia. So Sanger's favorite son
See FLORES on page A9
North Dinuba Infrastructure contract gets OK
MVT Staff Report
The Dinuba City Council unanimously approved awarding a construction con- tract with Agee Construction Corporation to work on the North Dinuba Infrastruc- ture Improvements Project.
The 5-0 vote came at the council's regu- lar online meeting on Jan. 26.
The contract is in the amount of $3,613,169.50 for the Clovis company to do the work. The resolution also authorizes City Manager Luis Patlan to execute the contract documents.
During discussion on the item, Mayor Linda Launer asked if a left turn lane
could be included in the project. Jason Watts, city engineer, said there should be enough room to provide that, but said he would come back at a later date to confirm the work.
Also at the Jan. 26 meeting, the coun- cil approved the adoption of the 2020 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which would include "pocket parks" in estab- lished areas.
Rachel Nerio-Guerrero, the council's newest member, said she would like to see the pocket parks added. Patlan said he would encourage the council to include that as a goal in the master plan.
In addition, the council voted to gather
public testimony and feedback to poten- tial projects and programs for inclusion to 2020 Community Development Block Grant and Coronavirus Response funding rounds two and three.
Discussion on COVID-19 funding included rental assistance and com- munication with Self-Help in how fund- ing will be dispersed. Council member Kuldip Thusu said that many city busi- nesses believe that the money already has been distributed and spent, and also believe that other cities have received funds and spent it He felt that some type of education for the public is a good idea to prepare them to receive funds.
Blossom Trail season opens in Reedley
MVT offices will close Feb. 15 in observance of Presidents' Day
The Mid Valley Times' business offices in Reed- ley and Sanger will be closed on Monday, Feb. 15, in observance of Presi- dents' Day.
There will be early deadlines this week be- cause of the office clo- sures. Classified liner ads and legal notices are due by noon on Thursday, Feb. 12. Regular and clas- sified display ads also are due by noon on Thursday, Feb. 12.
The Times' two offices will reopen for business at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
Classifieds - A11
Directory - A10 Legals - A12-15 Sports - A9 Lifestyle - A7-8 Lights & Sirens - A3, A5 Obituaries - A2-3 Opinion - A4
Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times
Tamsen Taves, who designed this year's Blossom Trail poster, signed a copy of the poster during the 2021 Blossom Trail Opening Ceremony event on Feb. 5 at Reedley College.
MVT Staff Report
It was Reedley's turn to host the Opening Cere- mony for the Fresno County Blossom Trail this year. Like all live events in these COVID-19 times, the ceremony was on a socially-distanced and outdoor scale this year.
Blossom Trail officials and local dignitaries, masked up and ready for the season, gathered out- side of the Clyde statue in front of the Reedley Col- lege administration building off Reed Avenue on Feb. 5. This year's event was hosted by the Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce.
Officials have said that traditional Blossom Trail community events have not been confirmed be- cause off the uncertainty of the virus. Information on those events will be posted on the Blossom Trail website when it becomes available.
One thing not changed by COVID is the annual blooms in the Central Valley. Colorful buds began popping up last week, and should be in full bloom as the month progresses.
More information and photos on the opening cer- emony are in Lifestyle on Page A7.