Sanger Herald 5-3-18 E-edition

Special Olympics comes to Sanger
Looking for a home
Softball team trounces Edison
page 8A
Lifestyles 3B
Sports 1B
Weekly Newspaper Sanger (Fresno County) CA 93657 50¢ (tax included) Sanger's Ashley Schletewitz strikes gold
at the State Science and Engineering Fair
Photo contributed
Sanger's more than 20 state science fair participants, wishing they had sunglasses, stared into the bright southern California sun last week while their picture was taken during a break in com- petition. Sanger students came away with a first place, a couple of fourth places and two honorable mentions, competing against almost 1,000 other students from 33 counties in California. Ashley Schletewitz, a student at Quail Lake Environmental Charter School took first place in the microbiology category with a project titled "Determining the Effects of Equisetum hyemale on the Growth Rate of Penicillium italicum." See the story on page 6A. Squinting into the sun in the photo are, in the back row, L-R, Michael Bedrosian, Derek Nasalroad, Luis Luperico, Jaden Luna, Atticus Humphrey, Shania Navarro and Isabella Worley. In the middle row, Liliana Torres, Aria Delgado, Nate Cantu, Zachary Patton, Ashley Schletewitz, Ryann Flach and Haidyn Washburn. In the front row, Samantha Salazar, Gursimar Virk, Trent Navo, Tristan Conway, Mason Dougherty, Graham Luckin, Cameron Steagall, Kristen Schiavon and Addison Williams. Colin Manfredo, another Sanger student, is not in the photo.
Mayor Gonzalez goes to Washington, D.C.
First Hall of Fame Dinner
Tickets available at the high school
Photo contributed
Mayor Frank Gonzalez was in Washington, D.C. last week with a "One Voice" Fresno County COG delegation. This photo with Congressman David Valadao was taken as the congressman and mayor were on their way to welcome French President Emmanuel Macron at a joint meeting of Congress. See a photo of Gonzalez with the entire One Voice delegation on page 8A.
wasn't rude. He was just blunt. He said 'No' when I asked him if there wasn't some way to help rural towns like Sanger with fund match- ing requirements."
When it comes to federal transportation infrastructure funding, the government puts up 20 percent and the city
or county that gets the grant has to put up the other 80 percent, Gonzalez explained.
"I told the guy we [COG representatives] were meet- ing with it just didn't seem fair to rural communities. He told me he didn't even know how to define 'rural commu- nities.'"
The biggest win for Sanger in Washington, said Gonzalez, "Was getting every legislator I talked with to agree to write a letter sup- porting grant proposals our grant writer submits."
Gonzalez attended one series of meetings that were set up by COG to talk about Fresno County.
He had another series of meetings to talk about Sanger.
"I was pretty busy," said a jet-lagged Gonzalez, looking a little like maybe his body and his biorhythms were in different time zones when he talked with the Herald last Friday.
Those Sanger meetings were arranged by Townsend Public Affairs. "That's the
company we hired to write grants and do public rela- tions for the city," said Gon- zalez.
Townsend has an office in Washington, D.C. and one of its representatives, usually Sharon Gonzalvez, accompa- nied Gonzalez as he met with the Department of Justice
to talk about grants for the police department, Congress- man David Valadao to talk about Community Develop- ment Block Grant funding, a representative of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program
to find out what kind of financing might be available if a current effort by Self Help Enterprises to bring water to Tombstone, south of Sanger, doesn't work out and representatives of senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein. "Sometimes it was just to say hello and talk about Sanger," said Gonzalez.
"I think I made a good impression for Sanger. They hadn't seen anybody from our little town for quite awhile."
Gonzalez didn't hesitate when asked if it was a worth- while trip. "Absolutely," he said. "Absolutely."
The reporter can be contacted by email at sang- erherald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger High School
An NFL player and
coach with four Super Bowl rings, along with college
All Americans and NCAA record holders will be among the homegrown heroes welcomed into the inaugural class of the Sanger High School Athletic Hall of Fame at a red carpet event on May 5, this Saturday.
“We are honoring 10 posthumous and 10 living inductees,” said Hall of Fame chairman Brian Penner.
“Football legend Tom
Flores will be there, along with other former NFL play- ers Bruce Barnes and Jim Merlo, college All Americans Brian Wallin and Brent Web- ber and high school and col- lege record holders Herman Cooks, David Naranjo, Bill Powell and Lynette Wilke.
“Six of our inductees, Pete Beiden, JR Boone, Huntley Dayton, Gene Green, Clare Slaughter and Jim Merlo are already in the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame,” said Penner.
The event at the Sanger
See HOF, 6A
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Mayor Frank Gonzalez came away from Washington, D.C. with a very differ-
ent impression of congress members than the one Mr. Smith had of the legislators he tangled with in the 1939 movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."
Gonzalez said he was mostly pleased with what he saw and heard in Washington and he believes last week's trip as part of Fresno COG's (Council of Governments) One Voice Program will be
beneficial for the county and for the City of Sanger.
Mr. Smith, in case you don't remember or are
too young to have seen
the movie, was played by Jimmy Stewart. Smith was appointed to fill a vacancy
in the United States Senate and as soon as he got to Washington he found himself single-handedly battling ruth- less politicians out to destroy him.
"Most of the people I met with seemed like they wanted to be of help," said Gonzalez.
"Well, there was one. He
• May 3 - Comcast's Kings River Tech Park ceremonial ribbon cutting celebration, noon to 1 p.m. at city hall, 1700 7th Street.
• May 3 - City council meeting, 6 p.m. at city hall, 1700 7th Street.
• May 3 - Show of Unity by Sanger pastors on National Prayer Day, 7 p.m. at Sanger Park, 5th and Academy.
• May 5 - Sanger High School Hall of Fame dinner, so- cial hour at 5:30 p.m., program starts at 6:30 p.m., community center, 730 Recreation Avenue.
• May 12 - Battle of the Badges Blood Drive, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., fire department, 601 West Avenue.
Show of Unity, 7 p.m. today at Sanger Park
SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thesangerherald.com
THURSDAY
MAY 3, 2018
VOL 129 NO. 18
2 sections, 16 pages
CLASSIFIED 4B LEGALS 5, 6, 7B BUSINESS DIRECTORY 8B LIFE STYLES 3B OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 8A