Page 1 - Sanger Herald 2-8-18 E-edition

Boys soccer battles Madera
Looking for a home
page 8A
Young scientists unveil projects
Sports 1B
Lifestyles 3B
Weekly Newspaper Sanger (Fresno County) CA 93657
Jones will lead the school district
Board stays with its tradition and promotes from within the district
50¢ (tax included)
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Associate superintendent Adela Jones will replace Matt Navo as super- intendent of schools at the end of this school year.
That decision was made Monday evening during a special meeting of the school board.
“The board unanimously voted to ap- point Adela Jones as the district’s next superintendent, effective July 1, subject to board approval of a superintendent agreement,” said board president Pete Filippi.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the decision of the school board,” said Navo. “Adela has been in the district for more than 30 years. Nobody knows the dis- trict better. I have no doubt that she will continue to move the district forward.”
Navo announced late last year that
he was leaving the district at the end of this school year.
The board continued its tradition of appointing administrators from within thedistrict. Joneshasbeenanassoci- ate superintendent of curriculum and instruction in the Sanger district since July of 2015. She began her teaching career in 1984. Three years later she began teaching at elementary schools in Sanger. She has been a vice-principal at Washington Academic Middle School and a principal at Jackson Elementary School.
"Adela's commitment to our com- munity, our students and their future is unmatched and we are thrilled she was willing to serve in this capacity, plus
it helps that she brings a strong track record of collaborative efforts among parents, community and youth coali- tions to strengthen and build the schools that Sanger Unified students deserve,”
said Filippi.
“Sanger Unified School District has
been my home since 1987 and I am so excited to become the next superinten- dent of a district I am incredibly proud of,” said Jones. “My early experience as a classroom teacher left a lasting impression on me that I still carry today - that nothing matters more than providing our students with the best educational opportunities. Every parent wants only the best for their children and I want only the best for all the children of Sanger Unified. Our culture is all about our future and our students and I am eager to get to work.”
The school board will discuss Jones' new employment contract at its next meeting on Feb. 13.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerherald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Adela Jones
More outgo than
income this year
for Measure S
Spending down the reserve
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
It seems like discussions at a Measure S Citizens Oversight Committee meeting are pretty much the same as discussions that took place at the previous meeting and the one before that. They usually don't deviate much from a theme of trying to decide how to know that spending is in compliance with the mandate in city ordinance 1094 which attempts to define how the designated pub- lic safety dollars can and cannot be spent.
However, a revelation at the Tuesday evening meeting this week sparked enough interest to believe it may provide a new topic for future meetings; the city is bud- geted to spend more Measure S money this year than is projected to come in.
"Spending down the reserves," was the explanation from both finance director Gary Watahira and fire chief Greg Tar- ascou. The remaining fund balance at the end of calendar year 2017 was more than $3 million, according to a City of Sanger revenue and expenditure report for De- cember.
"We cut back on spending before the re- cent renewal of Measure S," said Tarascou. "Now that the measure has been renewed for another 10 years we're playing catch up."
Watahira acknowledged that some of
See MEASURE S, page 6A
Apache Academic Decathletes make being smart look cool
Sanger team racks up best score ever at Fresno County Academic Decathlon
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
Front row, coach Angelique Duvet-Tovar, Simran Dhaliwal, Anurit Pahal, Deylon Klose, Ryan Alvarado, Dominick Vega and Jasnoor Shergill. Middle row, Rashel Cazares, Emily Tran, Katie Nunthatee, Gabriella Ceja, Grace Garcia, Citlali Hernandez, Von Balanon and assistant coach Simran Atwal. Back row, Jesus Castro, Edgar Aguirre, Jujhardip Pahal, Rogelio Moreno and Yicherpe Vang.
Assistant coach Simran At- wal applies warpaint to Katie Nunthatee
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Coach Angelique Duvet-Tovar is proud of her Academic Decath- lon Apaches.
In addition to medals won by in- dividuals, the team scored 37,652 points, the most ever, was second in division No. 2 and 7th overall among 24 teams and was named the 2nd most improved because
of its 14 percent increase over its previous best score.
The awards were announced on Feb.3afterthe"SuperQuiz" com- petition in the Central East High School gym.
The top seven scoring high school teams were University, Edi- son, Bullard, Firebaugh, Fowler, Clovis West and Sanger.
Academic Decathlon teams are
comprised of up to 12 competitive students with GPAs ranging from 1.0 to over 4.0, who compete in 10 examinations:art,music,language and literature, mathematics, eco- nomics, speech, interview, essay, science and social science.
Fresno County’s winning team from University High School will compete in the state decathlon
See DECATHLON, page 7A
Students reaching for the stars
Awards dinner honors Kings River High and Taft Independent Study scholars
By Juanita Adame
Sanger Herald
Jeb Owens shifted nervously in his seat as he waited inside the multipur- pose room at Reagan Elementary for the annual Kings River High and Taft Inde- pendent Study Academic Awards dinner, "Reaching for the Stars," to begin.
Owens, a senior at Taft, was among the more than 60 students being honored at the Feb. 1 event.
“I’m in the 3.0 to 3.9 category,” he said. “IknewIcouldbeinthiscategory, I just also knew that at Sanger High this was not going to be possible for me."
Owens became part of Taft’s Indepen- dent Study program during the second semester of his junior year at Sanger High School.
ing how he felt about going through the public-school system full time. “Miser- able,” he said. “It really was, I didn’t like Sanger High all too much.”
Owens said for him, the public school environment was overwhelming, and he knew it would not end well.
“Specifically, at Taft, I get to work at my own pace and I don’t have to be there everysingleday,”hesaid. “Sothat’sre- ally nice for me.”
Kings River and Taft principal Rick Church said they see students with simi- lar stories to Jeb's come through their programs all the time.
“We see a huge change once they get here,” said Church. “A lot of our students arecomingoverbecausethey’renotdo- ing well at Sanger High School, and we see an immediate change as soon as they arrive.”
Kings River High School is designed as an alternative education program for students between 16 and 18 years of age. Students attend classes on campus sev- eral times a week while working closely with their instructors.
The Taft Independent Study program uses independent study as a method of instruction and students are required to beoncampusonceaweekfortwohours.
“One of the biggest changes I’ve also seen is from our student Crystal Carillo- Arzola,” said guidance learning specialist Phillip Ronallo. “Like night and day, she’s overcome so many obstacles in her life.”
Carillo-Arzola, a senior at Kings River High, never attended Sanger High but didattendWashingtonAcademicMiddle School during her 7th grade year.
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Feb 16 - Ceremony in the fire department training roomfrom4-4:30p.m.asGregDuPuisispromotedfrom firefighter/paramedic to community risk reduction of- f•icer.
Feb. 27 - Councilmember Daniel Martinez will hold a council district No. 3 townhall meeting from 6-7 p.m. in t•he Reagan Elementary School multipurpose room.
March3- 30thannualBlossomFestivalindowntown Sanger. It starts at 7 a.m. with runs and walks and winds up with a car show in the afternoon. If you'd like to get involved call the chamber at (559) 875-4575.
He didn’t mince words when describ-
See STARS, page 6A
SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thesangerherald.com
Feb. 15 - Ribbon cutting ceremony in Sanger Park at 11 a.m. celebrating the completion of the upgrades to the b•athrooms, pavilion and stage.
THURSDAY
FEBRUARY 8, 2018
VOL 129 NO. 6
2 sections, 16 pages
CLASSIFIED 5B LEGALS 6-7B BUSINESS DIRECTORY 8B LIFE STYLES 3B OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 8A