Sanger Herald 7-19-18 E-edition

Robert Jackson will be missed
Looking for a home
Second time is a charm
page 8A
Lifestyles 2B
Sports 1B
Weekly Newspaper
Sanger (Fresno County) CA 93657
50¢ (tax included) Responding to
the grand jury
City council will consider public and city staff suggestions for an official response to the grand jury
New owners
The husband and wife team of Ramona Llamas and Manuel Prieto are the soon to be owners of Sanger's last remaining new car dealership, Sequoia Chevrolet Buick GMC. "Soon to be" because, while the deal is supposed to close today, Marty Dority - the present owner - and Prieto cautioned that the final agreement has to be approved by GMC. That shouldn't be a problem because Prieto and Llamas already own a couple of successful dealerships and Prieto is past president of the Fresno/Clovis New Car Dealers Association.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Sanger's only auto dealer- ship is changing hands today and will likely soon have a little bit different name.
Sequoia Chevrolet Buick GMC, which has been selling new and used cars and trucks since 1982, is being sold, and new owners Ramona Llamas and her husband Manuel Prieto say one of the changes in store for the dealership is a very slight name change, Sanger Sequoia Chevrolet Buick GMC.
The deal is supposed to close today but both buyer and seller caution that the final approval has to come from GMC.
That shouldn't be a problem because Prieto and Llamas already own a couple of successful dealerships and Prieto is past president of the Fresno/Clovis New Car Deal- ers Association.
"It feels like homecoming,"
said Llamas, who was raised in Fowler. "We used to attend St. Mary's Catholic Church and we know a lot of people here in Sanger."
In addition to their deal- erships, Sonora Ford and Subaru of Sonora, Llamas and Prieto also own sev- eral acres of almonds in the Kerman area.
They know Alfred Sanchez, director of Sanger's very successful Hallmark Charter School, and have visited the Kerman ranch Sanchez uses each year for a major fundraising event for the charter school.
Prieto, who has been selling cars since he was
18 years old, was a general manager of a dealership in Fresno before he and Llamas decided to buy their own dealerships.
What do they have in mind for their new Sanger opera- tion?
"We just want to enhance what the Doritys have been
doing here for so many years," said Llamas. "Our first focus will be on provid- ing more service and a larger inventory to give our custom- ers more choices."
The dealership was start- ed by Lee Dority in August of 1982 and turned over to his sons Marty and Chad in 2008.
"Our employees, our cus- tomers and our community are important to us," said Llamas.
"We want to be involved in the community," said Prieto.
"They already know where Chuck Wagon is," said Marty.
"We can't leave without thanking some of the people who have been so loyal to us," said Marty.
"Our customers have been so good to us - the ADCOs, Ensenada Body and H&L. And also our employees, they have just been wonderful. We had a company party at my house last weekend and thanked everyone."
There's a place to cool off in Sanger when the you need a place to escape from the heat.
"Thanks to a grant from PG&E the City of Sanger an- nex building at 1789 Jensen Avenue will be opened from noon to 6 p.m. as a cooling center every time the tem- perature reaches or tops 105 degrees," said parks and rec- reation supervisor Joaquin Zamora.
Marty Dority
Why sell now?
"It was just time to move on," said Marty. "The car business has been tough the past few years. It's time for someone with a fresh outlook and new ideas to see what they can do here in Sanger."
Marty paused before adding, "I think the new own- ers will do well and I hope Sanger treats them as well as it treated the Doritys."
The reporter can be con- tacted by email at sangerher- ald@gmail.com.
You can visit the cooling center by entering through the annex building's west doors on Hoag Avenue.
"The cooling center needs volunteers and will accept do- nations of bottled water and other items to help beat the heat," said Zamora.
If you're interested in vol- unteering or donating, call 876-6300 option 2 for more information.
FINDINGS
Finding 1: Public safety has greatly benefitted from Measure S revenues in the City of Sanger.
Response 1: The City agrees with Finding 1. Public safety
in the City has significantly improved and the community has benefitted from the passage of Measure S. Our public safety departments have also benefitted. The Police and Fire Departments are able to provide better public safety services to City residents because of Measure S. A review of Measure S expenditures from its inception through 2017 shows that close to $13M has been expended for salaries and benefits, supplies, and equipment for the Police Department and Fire Department public safety activities.
In addition to being able to hire six additional officers and four fire personnel because of Measure S, both departments have been able to utilize the Measure S resources for a broad range of expenditures in every facet of operations. Examples of purchases for department-wide benefit include:
• 2 Fire Engines
• 4 Ambulances
• 25 new handheld radios
• 4 new fixed radio communication systems
• 4 patient gurneys
• 4 new cardiac monitor/defibrillators
• 20 new self-contained breathing apparatus with new
masks
• 25 new sets of personal protective equipment (helmets,
jackets, hoods, pants and boots)
• 25 sets of wildland personal protective equipment (hel-
mets, jackets and pants)
• 2 thermal imaging cameras
• 27 Mobile Digital Computers for Officers to use in police
cars
• 1 Drug detection Police K-9 / approved purchase of 2nd. • 2 Police specially equipped K-9 vehicles
• 67 Glock handguns to replace the firearms In use by De-
partment Officers.
• 26 Tasers for Officers, replacing older version of Tasers
in use.
• 20 Ford Explorer Police Vehicles and 3 unmarked police
cars
• 18 more updated MDC computers for police vehicles
• 20 ballistic resistant vests for newly hired police officers • Bulk quantities of ammunition for firearms training for
all Officers during the year
It is noted that all public safety employees have benefitted
and are benefitting from these expenditures, not just those public safety employees solely hired under Measure S.
Finding 2. Resolution No. 4122 helped define "Supplement" versus "Supplant" by stating percentages and base dollar amounts that need to be spent out of the General Fund before Measure S dollars can be spent.
Response 2: The City agrees partially with Finding 2. Resolu- tion No. 4122 was duly authorized by City Council action in
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
In a report issued on June 15, the Fresno County Grand Jury was critical of the way theCityofSangerhandled its Measure S public safety funds.
The city has 90 days from the date the report was issued to respond to seven "Findings" and eight "Recom- mendations."
The public part of the pro- cess of putting that official response together begins this evening during the 6 p.m. city council meeting at city hall, 1700 7th Street.
The city staff has pre- pared suggested responses to each of the findings and recommendations.
The usual process is for
the city council to consider staff's recommendations along with public sugges- tions before agreeing on and sending its official response tothepresidingjudge of the Fresno County Superior Court, Alan M. Simpson.
You may want to take to- day's Herald with you if you attend the meeting because a complete list of the findings, recommendations and sug- gested responses is not likely going to be available at the meeting.
Keep in mind when read- ing the staff's recommen- dations below that "City" is used to refer collectively to the mayor, city council and city manager and "CoC" is an acronym for the Measure S Citizens Oversight Commit- tee.
Sanger
THURSDAY
JULY 19, 2018
VOL 129 NO. 29
2 sections, 14 pages
CLASSIFIED 3B LEGALS 4,5B BUSINESS DIRECTORY 6B LIFE STYLES 2B OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 8A
Sanger man killed in single car crash
A Sanger man, 72 year old Stanley Heinz, was killed in a single car crash near Peach and Butler in Fresno on Monday, July 16.
The Fresno County coroner's office released the name of the victim Monday afternoon.
No other details were available at press time.
• July 19 - City council meeting, 6 p.m., city hall, 1700 7th Street.
• July 24 - School board meeting, 7 p.m., school district office, 1905 7th Street.
See PROPOSED GRAND JURY RESPONSES, page 6A SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thesangerherald.com