Clovis Roundup - March 30, 2023

Clovis R undup The

Clovis Unified School District selects new Superintendent

A message from Councilmember Matt Basgall

education Sikh students ask for representation at school board meeting

J.T.

gomez jt21gomez@gmail.com

March 20, 2023 - After a twelve minute deliberation in closed session, and a two month long statewide search, the CUSD Governing School Board approved their choice of new Superintendent of Schools for Clovis Unified.

Dr. Corrine Folmer will serve as the Superintendent of Schools for Clovis Unified effective July 1st, 2023.

This comes on the heels of current District Superintendent Dr. Eimear O’Brien’s retirement, announced in January.

Dr. Corrine Folmer has served as

Associate Superintendent of School Leadership in Clovis Unified since 2019.

Folmer also served as Teacher, Guidance Instructional Specialist, Learning Director, Elementary Principal, and Assistant Superintendent of Clovis East over a 20-year career

As a newly elected council member I am honored at this opportunity to continue serving Clovis. My family moved to Clovis when I was 5 years old. I attended Sierra Vista and Weldon Elementary Schools, Clark Intermediate and graduated from Clovis High School in 1985.

I am proud of the fact my wife and I raised our children in Clovis. Safe neighborhoods and great schools have always been the foundation of See basgall, Pg. 15

The Valley Community SBDC honors Clovis leaders

jt21gomez@gmail.com

March 22, 2023 - The Valley Community Small Business Development Center (SBDC) , a program of Clovis Community College, held their first annual National SBDC Day Luncheon Wednesday, March 15th.

The luncheon was to honor Small Businesses of the Valley, as well as bring awareness to the Small Business community.

In celebrating small business, Valley Community SBDC honored two members of Clovis leadership that have helped in supporting both Clovis and small business as a whole.

Dr. Lori Bennett, longtime Clovis Community College President was honored in a very specific way.

An award named after Dr. Bennett, the Dr. Lori Bennett Leadership Award, will be awarded to those who best exemplify the leadership

Photos courtesy of City of Clovis left, Andy haussler, Assistant City manager. right, Clovis Community College President lori Bennett served for a total six years and is the second president of CCC.

Photo by J.T. Gomez, Clovis Roundup dr. Corrine folmer has been selected as new superintendent for Clovis unified school district.

8,403

what’s up, Clovis?

CheCk out the Buzz Around town

flag retirement Ceremony

dogs of the week

Maddy and McScruff owned by Tom Wright, Veterans board of directors.

festus Celebrates st. Paddy's day fundraising for a good cause

the Vintage market

Craft Beer Crawl 2023

Top

Bottom,

Photos by ron sundquist

U.S. Flags were retired on Mar. 25 spearheaded by Air Force Veteran Jim Powroznik, VFW 3225 Commander. The public was invited to the ceremony to properly retire their worn, tattered or damaged flags by Clovis Memorial Veterans District. The retirement included Boy Scout Troop 354, the Young Marines, Junior Air Force R.O.T.C., VFW Auxiliiary, DAR, Blue Star Moms, American Legion, American Vets, and 147 Riders. Photos courtesy of Fred Smith.

Top left, Mike, Sue and Gene can be seen making a toast to The Clovis Roundup. Cheers!

right, longtime volunteer Cora Shipley helped to sell tickets.

Riley and Krystal sold Girl Scout Cookies in Old Town Clovis during the event.

Lea and Marvin Raven enjoying the Old Town Clovis Antique Street Fair on Sunday, Mar. 26.

The Vintage Market is an open-air antique and vintage fair held on the streets of Old Town Clovis once a year. It brings hundreds of treasure hunters!

The British Car Club at the Vintage Market.

Treasure hunters bundled up to brave the chilly morning this year.

This is "How the cow ate the cabbage" courtesy of Councilmember Drew Bessinger. Festus was decked out in his St. Paddy's outfit. Photo courtesy of Drew Bessinger.

Central Baptist Church has a Yard Sale to raise money to send boys to camp.

Get your tickets ready for the 109th Clovis Rodeo taking place April 26 - 30

The PBR Touring Pro Division Bull Riding will open the five-day Clovis Rodeo on Wednesday, April 26 followed by LOCASH in concert.

Four days of thunder pounding rodeo action will follow with concerts by California Cowboy Nate Smith on Thursday, April 27 and rising star Michael Ray on Friday, April 28.

The fan favorite Rodeo Parade is free of charge and will take place on Saturday, April 29 through the streets of Old Town Clovis.

Rodeo ticket prices range from $20.00 to $35.00. There is no additional charge for concerts.

Ticket buyers are encouraged to take advantage of a Clovis Rodeo and KISS Country, Chuckchansi Gold Resort and Casino concert series ticket package; with the purchase of any two-concert night tickets you receive $5.00 off or buy all three concert night tickets and receive $10.00 off.

The Rodeo Ticket Office at the rodeo grounds located in the heart of Old Town Clovis off of Clovis Avenue is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday thru Friday.

Office hours will expand in April. The rodeo grounds are located on Clovis Avenue between Bullard and Shaw in the heart of downtown Clovis.

Parking at the rodeo grounds is free of charge.

There are several non-ticketed events such as the Ranch Rodeo, Jackpot Roping and Clovis Rodeo Parade.

Visit clovisrodeo.com for all event details, additional information and a calendar of rodeo activities in Clovis.

109th Clovis Rodeo Commemorative Clovis Rodeo Poster now available

Contributed

March 20, 2023: Some of the best moments in rodeo are depicted annually by artist Claudia Fletcher for the event's commemorative poster.

This year the scene is of longtime bullfighters Eric Layton (Red Bluff) and Tim O'Conner (Springville) doing one of the toughest jobs in the sport of rodeo.

These friends to the Clovis Rodeo, both inside and outside the arena have retired, and the poster is an opportunity to honor them for their friendship, and a job well done.

As bullfighters Eric and Tim are responsible for protecting the bull rider, and making sure he gets safely out of the arena after his ride. These California cowboys retired last year after working with the Clovis Rodeo for more than 15 years.

Considered a couple of the best bullfighters in the business, Eric and Tim could be found working at most rodeos throughout the California Circuit.

The posters are available at the Clovis Rodeo ticket office, now open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The 26x32 inch posters are $15 each, or $25 for prints signed by the artist.

Artist and muralist Claudia Fletcher designed the commemorative Clovis Rodeo

Poster.

Fletcher has been the official artist for the poster since 1992. Raised on a farm in Madera with a love of horses, she is happiest when painting the western way of life.

Fletcher's career began as an artist for a local advertising agency. In 1972 she went out on her own and began doing custom artwork on motorcycle tanks, boats, and cars.

Now an award-winning artist who specializes in western themes, her work can be found on public murals and in galleries of private homes not only in the Central Valley but throughout the United States.

The original poster art by Fletcher will be on display at the Clovis Art Guilds Old West and Rodeo Art Show held at the

Center.

Clovis Veteran's Memorial Building April 22-30.

The show is free of charge. The Clovis Rodeo also adapts the poster art for the Clovis Unified Schools Rodeo Coloring

Contest giving all elementary students the chance to participate for an opportunity to win tickets to the 109th Clovis Rodeo. Winners of the student art competition will be announced the week of April 17.

qualities that Dr. Bennett herself showed during her time at Clovis Community. In a list of accolades, it was mentioned that Dr. Bennett was responsible for Clovis Community becoming host of the Valley Community Small Business Development

“An educational leader for 26 years, Dr. Bennett served as the president, responsible for leading one of the newest and fastest growing community colleges in the state.”

The first actual awardee of the Dr. Lori Bennett Leadership Award was none other than the City of Clovis Assistant City Manager, Andy Haussler.

“For well over a decade, Andy has been stepping up to help create a better quality of life for the City of Clovis and neighboring communities…Often sought out for his wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience, his willingness to serve, assist and provide support without expectations or fanfare made him the obvious choice to be the first recipient of this award.” Haussler was also awarded the Dr. Lori

Bennett Leadership Award for his efforts towards small business during the pandemic and beyond.

Nine other awardees from four different counties were honored as well.

As for the Valley Community SBDC, next year’s SBDC Day will seemingly commence on March 20th, as they look forward to awarding more on the front lines of small business.

Cusd Elementary schools Visit Clovis East farm

J.T. gomez jt21gomez@gmail.com

March 29, 2023 - Over the course of two days, ag students at Clovis East High School will have hosted over 900 kindergarten to second grade students at their McFarlane-Coffman Agriculture Center.

These students, from eight different elementary students, made the trip to the farm for the Spring Agriculture Fair, as they have annually for about the last eight years. Before this large scale Agriculture Fair, only one school at a time could visit the Clovis East farm, says Jennifer Knight, Agriculture Department Chair of Clovis East.

“This is where we can offer these ag educational tours to kids coming to the farm, kindergarten and first grade…[Schools in our district] reach out wanting to do a field trip because they usually study a farm unit during this time of year.”

Knight explained that Clovis East facilitates sign ups for the incoming year’s event at the end of the school year because spots tend to fill up extremely quickly.

Knight also discussed the fact that the tours themselves are not only beneficial for the students who visit the farm, but for Clovis

East students as well, allowing them opportunities to teach and practice their work.

“It’s a good opportunity for our kids too.

Our 7th through 12th graders in our program design the curriculum and design the activities at the booths.

They can take what they learn in class and turn it into a student activity where they get to provide some education to the younger students on plants, animals, and mechanics.”

These examples given by Knight were a few of the examples that were present at the Ag Fair as sections of the fair included plant and soil science, animal care, as well as labor mechanics such as demos on operation of machinery.

Around sixty different booths were manned by high school students allowing for education on all sectors of agriculture.

Jennifer Knight also stated that there is importance with the event in that younger students get to see the production on the farm allowing to get them to understand that not “everything comes from the grocery store.”

“It may be the first time for some to see a farm or farm animal in person. We want them to know their food is grown by a

school district, and to serve our incredible community of employees, students and their families.”

human and that food doesn’t just come from a store or a factory.”

Schools attending the event held over the course of two days include Mickey Cox,

in Clovis Unified.

“I am humbly honored to become Superintendent of our unique and high performing

The decision to choose Dr. Folmer came after an accelerated, yet “long”, as some school board members mentioned, two month statewide search.

This search was for an individual that would “..value and hear our employees, value their input and can utilize that input to make effective decisions for our district,” according to Board President David DeFrank.

Newly selected Superintendent Dr. Corrine Folmer also stated, “Finally I commit to you that I will continue to put my heart and my

soul into Clovis Unified, our employees, our community, and most importantly, our students.”

Dr. Folmer will begin her new role as Superintendent of Clovis Unified School District on July 1st of this year, a day after current Superintendent Dr. Eimear O’Brien’s last day on June 30th.

Pinedale, Young, Clovis, Garfield, Reagan, Maple Creek, Fancher Creek, and Oraze elementary schools.

Photo by J.T. Gomez, Clovis Roundup top, elementary students look upon a machinery demonstration, completed by a Clovis East high school student during the spring Ag fair held at the mcfarlane-Coffman Agriculture Center. Bottom, a Cusd Elementary student has a staring contest with a new friend — A cow housed at the Clovis East mcfarlane-Coffman Agriculture Center.

issues discussed in anger at clovis Town hall meeting on ‘assisted living’ Facility

J.T. gomez jt21gomez@gmail.com

March 22, 2023 - Tempers flared at what began as a town hall meeting in the Clovis City Council quarters Wednesday evening.

Clovis residents filled the chambers to standing room only participation as details were discussed on a local issue involving a recovery residence inside Clovis boundaries. Ceaselessly referred to as a “halfway house”, the recovery residence is located just off of Locan Avenue and within an eight minute walk of Freedom Elementary.

Specific residents inside the house became an issue that was first addressed at Monday’s City Council meeting, when a Clovis resident brought their concerns of a tenant from the recovery residence, knocking at their door and peering inside windows of their home at 1 AM of a specific night. It was later discovered that this specific tenant was a registered sex offender living inside the recovery residence.

After management, Praise Transitional Housing LLC, current leaseholder of the residence, discovered that the tenant was indeed a sex offender, the decision was made to release the tenant from their custody into the hands of Exodus Recovery Inc, a psychiatric and chemical dependency treatment service.

It was also revealed at the town hall meeting that Praise Transitional Housing does not screen their residents before accepting them into their homes, so as not to “judge people on their past offenses”.

Praise Transitional Housing does not receive federal or state grant money for their

services, and stated at the town hall meeting that most of the money that pays for the six houses that they operate comes from out of their own pocket. “Recovery is a community [ideal], not on the individual.”

Praise Transitional Housing also made it known that they usually take in what they call “elderly” patients, of the age of forty and above.

Local residents from the neighborhood surrounding the recovery residence were upset at a number of issues.

Among those issues were the less than half mile walk from the house to the local Freedom Elementary school, unruly times of night that residents of the house were outside past curfew, in addition to the aggravated incident from the previously mentioned and excommunicated tenant of the residence.

However, as City staff declared, calls to the house have not yet reached specific “nuisance level” priority which would warrant police intervention.

According to city staff, only two of the fourteen calls to police in reference to the residence have come from outside the house, one being the incident that involved the released tenant.

The other twelve calls to the residence have come from inside the house, for instance mental health calls for residents of the assisted living quarters.

One crime has been reported in the area of the recovery residence and that crime was the theft of a catalytic converter, not directly linked to the house itself.

Despite this, Clovis residents still voiced their concerns over the residents and their past lives and crimes as well as the fact that

Juvenile arrested for arson

Contributed by Clovis Police @ClovisPolice_CA

March 18, 2023 - Late this afternoon, Clovis Police & Clovis Fire Department responded to Music Park for report of a fire on the playground.

Music Park is next to the Clovis Rodeo grounds. Officers & fire fighters arrived on scene within minutes and saw the playground fully engulfed by flames.

Fire fighters quickly put the fire out but the playground had already been destroyed.

An 11-year-old juvenile was detained at the park and has been arrested for felony arson.

Due to the juvenile’s age, they were turned over to a guardian following their arrest.

This park and playground served an entire neighborhood and now, children will be without a playground until it is replaced.

an overwhelming majority “do not feel safe” in their own front or backyards, nor allowing children outside without direct supervision.

To this, Praise Transitional Housing claimed that they have been looking to move out of their residence in Clovis, within 30-60 days, stating that Clovis residents “aren’t used” to having recovery residences in their surroundings.

“I’ve noticed moving the homes to Clovis have been very difficult. We have no problems in Fresno, cause they’re used to the boarding care homes. But in Clovis, you guys are not used to this. We are gonna try to make you guys more comfortable by moving it out of the neighborhood.”

To this, one Clovis resident responded, “I appreciate the fact that you guys are gonna do something about it, and you’re gonna be moving out in 30-60 days, thank you.”

Photo courtesy of Clovis Police Department firefighters working to extinguish all the flames.

Clovis fire hosts statewide training symposium

J.T. gomez jt21gomez@gmail.com

March 21, 2023 - To state that the Clovis Fire Department only hosted a statewide training symposium would be making light of how far some have actually traveled.

For this year’s Clovis Fire Department Training Symposium, according to Deputy Fire Chief Chris Ekk, firefighters have traveled from several locations even from outside of California, including Hawaii all the way up to Canada.

These firefighters come to the Training Symposium at the Clovis Public Safety Training Center in order to sharpen their skills through eight different scenarios and multiple other classes provided at the training center.

Live fire training also gives firefighters the opportunity to understand how a fire burns, how it's affected by water, and how they can control a fire through what Don Banta, Captain of Training calls “flow path”.

“It’s [the symposium] basically live fire training and advanced rescue–using ladders, going through windows, going through roofs, just kind of covering everything.”

Captain of Training Eric Connors added, “They also simulate a firefighter going through and how to rescue somebody out of a building”

In addition to this, fire instructors work on the ventilation process, in which they try to “create a chimney” allowing hot gasses to travel up and out of a burning building.

This in turn makes it easier to find the source of a fire in order to put it out. To do this, Clovis Fire has to buy and cut lumber placing it in the correct spots for simulation.

“Usually you only get one good year out of a prop before some of the main structure supports have to be repaired. The reason we use wood is because it’s easier to train on.” Banta emphasized that after one use, a

prop used at the training facility has to be repaired annually, spiking costs of events like the symposium.

This specific Training Symposium held in March, according to the group of training captains, can get expensive when buying wood that’s needed for training. “Lumber costs have gone up…but that gives us the most realistic scenario.”

The reason that March is the selected month for the symposium comes due to the Covid19 outbreak, when before, it used to take place in November.

Besides the training in March, the Clovis Public Safety Training Center hosts a number of other events such as Police Department K9 Training, PG&E training, FBI, Sheriff’s Office training, as well as trainings the Fresno City Firefighting program and Clovis Unified’s ROP program.

According to Brad Richter, Logistics Officer, and Eric Connors, Clovis Unified uses the prop three-story building for high school students engaged in the ROP and fire technology program.

Clovis Fire of course also uses the site for their own training throughout the year.

Last year, the Fire Department held two new hire academies at the site in addition to promotional exams, and joint wildland training. “There’s someone here almost everyday from the city of Clovis training,” says Brad Richter.

Don Banta reiterated, “I think what’s awesome about the City of Clovis is how open we are to training with other people. We share our stuff with them, they share their stuff with ours…We train very closely with Fresno, Fresno County, and it’s all motivated just to provide the best service to the city.”

The symposium lasts for about five days each March, and looks to continue annually as they have for a number of years.

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The Clovis Roundup is a custom publication. Reproduction by any means of the entire contents or any portion of this publication without written permission is prohibited. The appearance of any advertisements in this publication does not constitute support or endorsement for any product, person, cause, business or organization named therein, unless specifically noted otherwise in the advertisement. All costs associated with producing, printing and mailing Clovis Roundup are entirely funded by our advertisers. To show your appreciation of their support, we ask you to consider patronizing these businesses and services as the need arise.

Photo by J.T. Gomez, Clovis Roundup firefighters from across California gathered at the Clovis Public safety training Center for a training symposium held annually each march.

American Legion Post 147 Centennial Plaza

Clovis Chamber of Commerce

Clovis Civic Center

Clovis Elks

Clovis Fire & Police Station

Clovis Fire Station No. 1

Clovis Library

Clovis Museum

Clovis Rodeo Grounds

Clovis Senior Activity Center

Clovis Veterans Memorial District

Community Heritage Center

Mercedes Theater/Clark Intermediate

Old Town Trail

Old Town Water Tower

San Joaquin College of Law

Tarpey Depot - Visitor’s Center

old Town service district

1. A1 Lock & Key 2. ABC Pack & Print 3. All American Smog

4. B and H Tire Automotive Shop

5. Boice Funeral, 308 Pollasky Ave, (559) 299-4372

6. Central Valley Community Bank

7. Classic Catering 8.

Boot & Shoe

BiG hAt dAys

April 1 - 2, 2023 - BIG Hat Days is the largest two-day 140,000 visitors fill the streets of Old Town to enjoy CloVis rodEo

April 26 - 30, 2023 - Tickets are on sale now for clovisrodeo.com for more details!

CloVis rodEo PArAdE

April 29, 2023 - Traditionally held the Saturday of different categories wind through the streets of

two-day festival in Central California. Over enjoy hundreds of craft and food booths. the 109th Clovis Rodeo. Check out of rodeo week, more than 120 entries in 27 “Old Town Clovis”.

boutique, Clothing, accessories 1.

7.

food and drink

1. 559 Brewery

2. 500 Club

3. Blast & Brew

4. Bobby Salazar’s

5. Kuppa Joy

6. DiCicco’s Italian, 408 Clovis Ave, 299-3711, www.DiCiccosClovis.com

7. Full O Bull

8. House of Juju

9. Le Parisien Cafe

10. Luna Pizzeria, 349 Pollasky Ave, 299-4141, lunaclovis.com

11. Michaelangelo’s Pizzeria

12. Old Town Saloon

13. On the Edge Coffee Shop

14. Outlaw Tavern

15. Rodeo Coffee Shop, 535 Fifth St, 299-3750, rodeocoffeeshop.com

16. Roll Me Some - Handcrafted Roll Ice Cream, 530 Pollasky, 825-7204, rollmesomeice.com

17. Salsa’s Cantina

18. Soups and Scoops, 433 Pollasky, 299-9606

19. The Local, 401 Clovis Ave #102, 900-4253

20. Two Cities Coffee Roasters Organic coffee and tea - Rolled Ice Creamery, 608 4th St., 765-4652

hair salon and spas

Recipe

Easter Dip Goodness

(Culinary.net)

Easter is about coming together with loved ones, enjoying beautiful spring weather and eating your family’s favorite foods. The kids will be playing, adults will be chatting and all will be patiently waiting for the table to be set. If you’re visiting and making memories with family and friends you haven’t seen in a while, there are few things better than diving into a marvelous Easter spread.

While eyeing the table, you notice all the colors popping off the dishes. Fruits and veggies make the feast come to life, but a warm Easter dip paired with rolls for dipping is a perfect way to start the festivities.

These Easter Bunny Rolls with Spinach Dip are as eye-catching as they are delicious. Not only will the kids love its shape, but the layers of taste will wow your Easter crowd.

To make this recipe, start by combining a 16-ounce package of frozen spinach, cream cheese and garlic in a skillet. Once heated, add mayonnaise, salt, onion powder, chili powder and Italian seasoning.

Add in Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses then stir until combined.

Next, roll out crescent rolls. Stretch the dough then cut into 24 rolls.

Form the bunny shape and scoop your spinach dip mixture into the center of the bunny and its ears. Sprinkle the spinach dip with mozzarella cheese before baking at 375 F for 18 minutes.

This dish is made for a crowd, served warm and full of cheesy goodness. You can watch as your family dips into the spinach and oneby-one, before you know it, the rolls will have disappeared and the dip will be devoured. Find more Easter recipes at Culinary.net.

Easter Bunny Rolls with Spinach Dip

Serves: 24

16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed

8 ounces cream cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Heat oven to 375 F.

In skillet, over medium heat, cook spinach, cream cheese and garlic 3-4 minutes until cream cheese is melted. Stir in mayonnaise, salt, onion powder, chili powder, pepper and Italian seasoning. Stir in Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Cook until cheese is melted. Keep skillet on burner over low heat.

Brighten Your Brunch Spread Brighten Your Brunch Spread

(Family Features)

A staple of warm weekend days, brunch combines the best flavors of the first two meals of the day. Every great brunch spread complements its savory items with something sweet, something refreshing and a signature beverage, and there’s one ingredient that can help cover all of those bases - 100% orange juice.

An option like Florida Orange Juice is not only delicious but delivers a powerful combination of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that have associated health benefits. One of nature’s nutrient dense foods, one 8-ounce glass of orange juice provides 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and is also a good source of potassium, folate and thiamin, making it a great substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages.

When combined with a healthy lifestyle, 100% orange juice may also help support a healthy immune system. Orange juice contains beneficial plant compounds, flavonoids and colorful carotenoids to aid in fighting inflammation and cell communication. It is also rich in vitamin C, which helps strengthen immune systems by

protecting cells and promoting the production and function of immune cells. Vitamin D, which can be found in fortified juices, also plays an important role in regulating immune response and helps immune cells fight off bacteria and viruses that get into the body.

Since 100% orange juice is naturally almost 90% water, it can help support hydration as it includes several electrolytes like potassium, magnesium and, in fortified juices, calcium, to aid in fluid balance. Combining Florida Orange Juice, watermelon juice and grapefruit juice, this Citrus Watermelonade is a bright, seasonal thirst quencher that is the perfect addition to your drink selection at brunch.

“Maintaining overall wellness and hydration is important as we ease into the warmer months of the year and more time is spent outdoors,” said Dr. Rosa Walsh, director of scientific research at the Florida Department of Citrus. “Florida Orange Juice includes many essential vitamins and minerals that aid in hydration, and it is a great complement to water in helping to provide nourishment before, during or after any activity.”

For more information and sweet, nutritious brunch recipes, visit FloridaJuice.com.

Remove dough from tubes. Leaving dough intact, roll and stretch into 18-inch ropes. Cut each rope into 12 pieces for 24 total.

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

2 crescent roll tubes (8 ounces each)

On baking sheet with parchment paper, form bunny head by placing one piece of dough in middle then surrounding it with six more pieces. Use 13 pieces to form round body. Use remaining pieces to form ears on top of head.

Scoop hot spinach dip into center. Spoon small portions on each ear. Sprinkle ears and belly with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake 18 minutes, or until crescent dough is golden brown and thoroughly cooked.

Citrus Watermelonade

1 cup hot water

2 cups sugar

6 cups watermelon, seeded, rind removed and cut into 1-inch pieces, divided

2 cups Florida Orange Juice

1 cup Florida Grapefruit Juice

3/4 cup lemon juice

In small saucepan over low heat, combine hot water and sugar; heat until sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until chilled.

In blender, puree 4 cups watermelon until smooth.

In large pitcher, stir watermelon juice, chilled sugar syrup, orange juice,

3/4 cup lime juice

2 cups Florida Oranges, cut into 1-inch pieces, peeled 1/2 cup mint leaves

Ice, for serving

Optional: Florida Orange Slices and watermelon chunks, for garnish

grapefruit juice, lemon juice and lime juice until combined.

Add remaining watermelon pieces, orange pieces and mint leaves; refrigerate 2-3 hours until well chilled. Serve over ice in glasses. Garnish with orange slices and watermelon chunks, if desired.

Let’S taLk CLoviS: 1949 Annual Clovis Horse Show and Festival Association Annual Rodeo Program

facing north): Mounted group Clovis City Council, riders Mart and Mike Mouliot, Parlier High band, Sanger High band and riders Carl and Eva Osterberg.

Peg bos

Historian/Clovis Museum Contributed

Clovis is still identified as a “cowboy” town. That reputation is sustained by the successful annual Clovis Rodeo 105 years. We are sharing information that was provided by their 1949 program regarding the Rodeo parade held in “Old Town”. Our City population, 2,700.

The program greeting was by Clovis Mayor Wayne Rall (owner of Ford Sales and Service at 611 Clovis Ave.), Joe T. Moore, President, Howard Pennington, Secretary and Lew Fortune, Treasurer. Harvey Moore chaired the Program Committee, Frank Heath (Principal of Clovis High) chaired the Parade Committee and Walt Knight chaired the Race Committee.

The program identified the Clovis Rodeo parade entries. We are sharing portions of the eight division entries. Notice the number of bands (12) and entries from surrounding cities and that the Clovis City Council was a “mounted entry”.

Division 1 (formed at 3rd & Hughes): Grand Marshall “Pop” Riley and Honorary Grand Marshall, Frank Drury (1852-1953, “Grand Old Man of Clovis), Clovis High band, Tranquility High band, and Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

Division II (formed Baron south of Third

Division III (formed Baron south of 4th facing north): Division leaders Suzanne MacLaglen (wife of movie star Victor who owned the Balfe ranch) and Travis Pendergrass (owner of the Clovis Drug Store), Selma High band, Reedley Elementary band, riders Virginia and Charleen Imperatrice and Scout Troop 88, Orange Cove.

Division IV (formed Baron north of 3rd facing south): Clovis Woman’s Club (founded 1914), Hanford High band, Pinedale Chamber of Commerce, Clovis Y.M.A. and Sons of Italy.

Division V (formed Osmun south of 3rd facing north): Division leaders Mr. and Mrs. Rae Crabtree, Sierra High band, U.S. Army (decorated car), Auberry Elementary band and Easterby Rancho riders.

Division VI (formed along tracks north of 3rd facing south on road to Superior-Academy Granite Co. (future site of Clovis Senior Center and Clovis Library): Coalinga High band, Friant Teen-Age Club, Fresno Bit and Spur Club, Chowchilla High band, Selma Roller Rink and Temperance 4-H Club.

Division VII (formed Osmun north of 3rd facing south): Merced High band, Fowler-Selma Saddle Club, Willis F. Ball (commercial/novelty entries), Centennial Float, Joe Malio, Jefferson 4-H, Madera

Frontier and Fresno County Library.

Division VIII (formed Hughes south of 3rd facing north): Caruthers High band, mounted groups and late entries.

The Clovis Rodeo Association thanked the following donors: The City of Clovis, Mrs. Glenn Riggs, Andy’s restaurant, White Front Café, Uncle Primo’s Café and Clovis Rendezvous.

They also thanked the following solicitors of advertisements: Gordon Baird, Ernie Beier, Earl Cate, Ollie Davis, Alvie Maze (Constable 1946-1967), Harvey Moore, Bill Rhode, Pete Siramarco and Johnnie Weldon (Clovis Mayor, 1956-1959).

Advertisements: Carmel Saddlery, Carl Melikian, Prop., 748 Broadway, Fresno: “Carmel saddles are a cowboy’s comfort and pleasure to ride, all guaranteed not to hurt the horse’s back nor the riders”. Clovis supporters of the saddle: Clyde Houk, Fred Biglione and Claude Biglione.

Tup’s Dress Shop, 518 5th; Riley’s Insurance Agency, 519 5th; Clovis Food Lockers, 524 5th; Penny Pennington, 530 5th; Clovis Ambulance, 602 5th; The Casino, 612 5th; Trailer Diner, 624 5th ; Whiton’s Cyclery 639 5th; and Dean & Dave’s Malt Shop, taxi, SE 5th and Pollasky.

Smitty’s Café, 442 Clovis Ave.; Gage Drug store, 492 Clovis Ave.; Butane Propane Supply Co., 474 Clovis Ave.; General Machine Shop, 518 Clovis Ave.; Hallowell Chevrolet Co., 330 Clovis Ave,; Buy-Rite Market, 604 Clovis Ave.; C & M Liquor,

610 Clovis Ave.; Wayne Rall Ford Sales, 611 Clovis Ave.

A.T. “Ollie” Davis Realtor, 346 Pollasky; Colony Clothing Dept. Store & Beauty Shop, 414 Pollasky; Clovis Independent, 435 Pollasky; Mart’s General Merchandise, NW 5th & Pollasky; Clovis Park Inn, SW Clovis & 5th and Thelma’s Beauty Shop, 530 Pollasky.

The Clovis Rodeo Association, the 1949 merchants of “Old Town” and the parade entries are part of our rich heritage.

Photo courtesy of Clovis Museum “1949 Annual Clovis horse show and festival Asso. Annual rodeo” program.

dui driver stopped by neighbors is arrested

March 17, 2023 - On St. Patrick’s Day evening, a suspected DUI driver was arrested after hitting multiple cars and being stopped by neighbors.

Just after 7:00 P.M., 9-1-1 calls came into our communications center about the driver of a truck that had just hit a parked car in a neighborhood near Ashlan/Fowler.

A neighbor followed the suspect as he drove away, hitting another parked car. The suspect then drove over the hood of the neighbor’s car before being blocked in.

Officers arrived on scene moments later and took the suspect into custody.

The suspect has been identified as 64-yearold Ricky Mabry of Clovis.

Prolific criminal arrested for 10th time in a month

Mabry has been booked into Fresno County Jail for DUI, and two counts of hit and run. During his required evidentiary breath test, his results showed that he was intoxicated more than 3 times the legal limit.

Thankfully, no one was injured during any of his 3 collisions.

Please, be responsible while behind the wheel of a vehicle. If you plan on drinking alcohol, either designate a sober driver or use a ride share service.

Be aware of any medications or substances that you take that can also cause you to drive impaired.

An average DUI conviction will cost you $13,500, but more importantly, you do not risk killing someone or yourself.

Contributed by Clovis

Police @ClovisPolice_CA

March 21, 2023 - Keith Chastain is a 38-year-old Fresno resident who local law enforcement agencies are very familiar with, because today marks the tenth time that he has been booked into Fresno County Jail since February 19, 2023. Just about 9:30 A.M. this morning, Clovis Police received a call about a stolen truck that Chastain was suspected of driving.

An observant officer located the stolen truck driving in Old Town Clovis and followed it until additional officers were in the area. Officers initiated a high-risk

traffic stop in front of the Clovis Police Department and arrested Chastain without incident.

He was the only person in the stolen truck and was actually on his way to pick up his personal property from our department when he was arrested.

During these 10 arrests within 31 days, he was arrested by Clovis Police 6 times, and other agencies 4 times.

Chastain is facing 18 felonies and 15 misdemeanors from those arrests and charges include stealing 6 vehicles, DUI, vandalism, fraud, possession of a controlled substance, and more. He was booked into Fresno County Jail once again today.

after crashing into canal DUi driver arrested by Clovis Police

water.

March 24, 2023 - The driver of a truck has been arrested for suspicion of DUI after crashing into a canal just before 3:00 AM this morning.

Officers responded to a call of a truck that had crashed and landed upside down in a canal on Barstow near Peach. As officers were arriving, they noticed a good samaritan who had jumped into the canal and was assisting the driver to get out.

Officers used a safety rope to help the driver and good samaritan out of the cold

The driver has been identified as 31-yearold Bryan Lopez of Clovis. Lopez was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, and then booked into Fresno County Jail for suspicion of DUI. He was the only person in the truck, and thankfully no one else was injured. Please, designate a sober driver or use a ride share instead of getting behind the wheel if you plan on being intoxicated or under the influence of any drugs or alcohol.

If you see a suspected DUI driver, call 911.

Contributed by Clovis Police @ClovisPolice_CA

Photo courtesy of Clovis PD Facebook left top/bottom, damage to two victim's vehicles; middle, mabry's car; right, mabry's booking photo.

Photo courtesy of Clovis PD Facebook Crashed truck being lifted out of the canal.

Contributed by Clovis Police @ClovisPolice_CA

It's time to rodeo in clovis

saturday, Apr. 8

fossIL sATurdAy WITH sTeVe HAmmond A Book Barn 640 Clovis Ave., Clovis, CA 11 a.m.

APril 9

eAsTer sundAy

sunday, Apr. 9

eAsTer LunCHeon Clovis Senior Activity Center 850 4th St., Clovis, CA 11 a.m.

tuesday, Apr. 11

sTrATeGIC HIrInG eVenT

LoCAL VeTerAns serVICe

orGAnIZATIons Clovis Veterans Memorial District 808 4th St., Clovis, CA Register online at http://ow.ly/kK2k50noit7

8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

wednesday, Apr. 12

Herndon Campus, Room 108 390 Fir Ave., Clovis, CA

8 a.m. – 9 a.m.

sunday, April 16

CLoVIs CommunITy CHoIr

sPrInG ConCerT

Paul Shaghoian Memorial

Concert Hall

2770 e. International Ave., Fresno, CA

2:30 p.m.

sunday, April 17

eAsTer CeLeBrATIon AT

CLoVIs CHurCH

2080 Tollhouse Road, Clovis, CA

Free Philz Coffee & Gifts, egg Hunt for Kids

2 p.m.

thursday, April 20

JoLLy TImes

Clovis Senior Activity Center

850 4th St., Clovis, CA 8:45 a.m.

friday, Apr. 21

CLoVIs sTreeT fAIr

Dry Creek Park

567 Park Creek Dr., Clovis, CA

5 p.m. – 10 p.m.

wednesday, Apr. 25 thru sunday, Apr. 30

CLoVIs rodeo

Clovis Rodeo Grounds

748 Rodeo Dr., Clovis, CA Schedule and location of events online at clovisrodeo.com

saturday, Apr. 29

CLoVIs rodeo PArAde

sunday, Apr. 30

WInd symPHony of CLoVIs ConCerT

Paul Shaghoian Memorial Concert Hall

2770 e. International Ave., Fresno, CA

3 p.m.

mAy

friday, may 5

frIdAy nIGHT

fArmers mArKeT (FRIDAY nIGHTS THRU OCT. 27)

Old Town Clovis Pollasky & 5th

5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

saturday, may 6

TrAILfesT Old Town Trail/Dry Creek Trail

8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

saturday, may 6

sPrInG WIne WALK Old Town Clovis 5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

sunday, may 7

CLoVIs CommunITy BAnd ConCerT

Paul Shaghoian Memorial Concert Hall 2770 e. International Ave., Fresno, CA 3:30 p.m.

thursday, may 11

sPrInG rummAGe sALe Clovis Senior Activity Center 850 4th St., Clovis, CA 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

PlACEs to Visit

CAliforniA 911

mEmoriAl

3485 never Forget Ln., Clovis, CA

Open 365 days a year

Community hEritAGE

CEntEr

3rd and Veterans Parkway

OPen Tuesday thru Saturday

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

CloVis musEum

4th & Pollasky, Clovis, CA

Open Tuesday thru Saturday

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

CloVis fArmErs’ mArKEts

CloVis old town fArmErs’ mArKEt Polasky Ave., Clovis, CA every Saturday

Year-Round

9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (weather permitting)

hArlAn rAnCh fArmErs’ mArKEt HARLAn RAnCH COMMUnITY CenTeR 1620 n. Leonard Ave., Clovis, CA every Wednesday

Year-Round

5 p.m. – 9 p.m. (weather permitting)

CA Free Food & Gifts, Fun

Birthday activities for Kids

2 p.m.

WAKe uP CLoVIs THe BAsICs of sTArTInG A smALL BusIness Clovis Community College

Old Town Clovis

9:30 a.m.

(559) 252-5000 175 n Clovis Ave www.noblecu.com

Bitwise industries, inc., seeks a web Application developer, in fresno, CA: Dsgn & dev web apps, recommend syst solutions, integrate apps, complete apps dev, & support users. Sal $120-150k/yr. email res to Liz e negrete at lnegrete@ bitwiseindustries.com

Clovis Funeral

Chapel family owned and operated 1302 Clovis Ave. (559) 298-7536 www.ClovisChapel.com

hElP wAntEd hospitalist (H.M. Providers, Inc. dba Community Hospitalist Physician Group; Clovis, CA) (multiple positions): Provide hospital-based inpatient medical services.

Salary: $5,817 - $6,321 per week ($302,484$328,982 per year).

Send resume to: Community Health Partners, Attn: network Development, 45 River Park Place West, Ste. 507, Fresno, CA 93720.

hElP wAntEd hospitalist (H.M. Providers, Inc. dba Community Hospitalist Physician Group; Fresno, CA) (multiple positions): Provide hospital-based inpatient medical services.

Salary: $5,817 - $6,321 per week ($302,484$328,982 per year).

Send resume to: Community Health Partners, Attn: network Development, 45 River Park Place West, Ste. 507, Fresno, CA 93720.

hElP wAntEd neurologist (Community Physicians Group, Inc.; Fresno, CA): Provide care for patients. Salary: $375,000 - $425,000 per year.

Send resume to: Community Health Partners, Attn: network Development, 45 River Park Place West, Ste. 507, Fresno, CA 93720.

miss winkles adoption center hosts 2nd annual donut dog walk Fundraiser

J.T. gomez jt21gomez@gmail.com

March 20, 2023 - After the effective and beneficial fundraising event that was the first ever Donut Dog Walk Fundraiser last year, Miss Winkles Adoption Center made the decision to bring the event back to Clovis for a second year.

Inviting dog owners as well as dog lovers in the community, Miss Winkles hosted a “donut-themed” 2K walking course, complete with fun stops, photo-ops, and local vendors.

Each registered walker received a Donut Dog Walk medal and t-shirt in addition to local donuts.

Saturday March 18th, at the David McDonald Park next to the Miss Winkles Adoption Center, walkers, with or without dog in hand

as dogs were not required to attend, began the trek through the 2K between 10 and 11 am. Hundreds of families were given the opportunity to enjoy games and interactive activities offered throughout the course.

Pre-registration for this event saw over 300 walkers and their pets sign up, a sold-out crowd according to Miss Winkles.

Last year, the inaugural Donut Dog Walk saw up to 400 walkers, enticing the adoption center to host the walk again.

Miss Winkles hopes to continue the walk annually from this point forward as they call it a “...wonderful opportunity for local pet owners to participate in a fun and delicious outdoor activity with their dogs while also supporting local animals in need.”

All proceeds from the Donut Dog Walk go back into supporting homeless animals in the community.

new phishing scam is disguised as a camp lejeune class action notice

J.T. gomez jt21gomez@gmail.com

March 24, 2023 - You’ve likely heard ads on the TV or radio about the Camp Lejeune class action lawsuit for U.S. military veterans and their families exposed to tainted water at the camp.

Marketing agencies and law firms spent more than $40 million advertising the lawsuit.

Now, scammers are jumping on board too, hoping all the media attention makes it easier to trick people, especially military personnel, into falling for common scam tactics.

How this scam works:

You receive an email or phone call telling you that you qualify for compensation for the Camp Lejeune class action lawsuit. The email may claim you are entitled to tens of thousands of dollars. You need to click a link or call a number to get your compensation.

From here, the scam takes several different forms.

Clicking the link could download malware onto your computer or mobile device, putting you at risk for identity theft. In other versions, scammers direct you to a website with a form that asks for personal information.

In yet another variation, the scammers are after your money and personal details. They claim you need to pay an upfront fee, so they can file your case and receive your money.

If you pay them, they’ll continue to ask for more “filing fees” until you become suspicious.

As soon as you realize the con, the scammer will disappear with your information and money.

How to avoid similar scams:

• Don't believe in promises of quick cash with minimal effort. Scammers love to promise that fast cash is in your immediate future. The reality is even well-deserved compensation will take time to receive. It’s worth noting, too, that veterans who served at Camp Lejeune can apply for VA disability compensation and health care benefits without filing a lawsuit or getting help from a lawyer.

• If you think you deserve compensation, apply through official channels. Visit VA.gov/CampLejeune for official information on how to apply for compensation.

You can file for disability compensation online and learn what steps to take to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit.

• See the full article on BBB.org for more tips.

For More Information

For more ways to avoid email scams, see the BBB Tip: How to recognize a phony emailand the BBB Tip on phishing scams. For more information about how to receive compensation related to a stay at Camp Lejeune, visit VA.gov/CampLejeune.

If you've been the victim of a scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker. By reporting your experience, you can help others avoid falling for the same scam.

Satoshi “Fibber” Hirayama to be name of new CUSD school

J.T. gomez jt21gomez@gmail.com

March 16, 2023 - The newest of elementary schools for CUSD that will be located on Fowler and McKinley Avenues will be named after a Clovis Unified legend in Satoshi “Fibber” Hirayama.

Hirayama was a long time Clovis Unified teacher and administrator after his career in Major League Baseball, and the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan, in addition to being drafted by the U.S. Army and serving in the Korean War.

“Fibber” was named Nisei Player of the Year in 1951 while playing for Fresno State and was the eleventh player to have his number, #3, retired by the Fresno State Baseball program.

Hirayama was interned during WWII at the Poston War Relocation Center after the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. That order would intern over 127,000 Japanese-Americans during the war. Hirayama’s internment came to be a testament of his perseverance and fortitude according to board member Dr. Stephen Fogg.

“This young man who has everything

against him, went through great learning loss, yet somehow he rose above it.”

Fogg explained that Hirayama is the type of person he believes should be exemplified throughout Clovis Unified.

“He got drafted back into the Army to serve for three years in Korea after being a professional, again trying to stop him from progressing. But his persistence-that’s what I like about this man.”

The school to be named after “Fibber” also had a site engineering plan approved at the school board meeting. This engineering plan, conducted by QK engineering, will be a design with plans to build CUSD’s own water and septic site on location. These plan will be enforced if CUSD cannot connect to water and sewage leading from either the City of Clovis or the City of Fresno.

The school plans to open in 2025. The name “Fibber” came from his father’s inability to pronounce Hirayama’s birth month of February, and stuck as a nickname for the Exeter native. In addition to his other accomplishments, Hirayama taught at Clovis High School and was the first principal of Gateway High School. He retired in 1991 and passed away at the age of 91 in September of 2021.

Board member Clint Olivier, and strong advocate for the naming of the new elementary school after Hirayama stated, “It would be an outstanding legacy for our Valley to acknowledge this person's contributions to our district and to our Valley in athletics and academics.”

According to CUSD, the naming of the school after Hirayama also celebrates the

role the Japanese community has played in the Central Valley. The board voted unanimously to name the school after Hirayama. More information can be learned about Satoshi “Fibber” Hirayama through this link on CUSD’s Hall of fame archives.

https://vimeopro.com/clovisunified/ halloffame/video/297777574

Photo by J.T. Gomez, Clovis Roundup Clovis west Girls Basketball Coach Craig Campbell vocalizes to his team after winning the Valley Championship on saturday.

Photo courtesy of CUSD hirayama during his career in major league Baseball.

sikh students ask for representation at school board meeting

J.T. gomez jt21gomez@gmail.com

March 16, 2023 - At the March 15th CUSD School Board meeting, a group of high school students came in front of the school board to speak for positive reinforcement of their religious beliefs.

During the public presentation portion of the meeting, four students from Clovis East and Clovis North High Schools stood in front of the board and asked that they be allowed to wear specific stoles that would be visible at their high school graduations.

These stoles are awarded to the students of the Sikh Honors and Service Society, a statewide club and organization throughout high school campuses across California, who best exemplify the importance of leadership both inside and outside of the classroom.

Each student must also complete a yearly checklist of civic engagement, volunteering and community service.

The students also asked that the school board assist them in providing more Sikh awareness throughout CUSD as they claim there has not been enough done throughout the school district to “combat bullying

against Sikh students.”

“Today I wish to shed light on the critical issue of Sikh awareness in each of Clovis Unified schools. While I commend some of the district’s school administrators and teachers for visible efforts towards creating a more inclusive campus, it is my belief that we still have a long way to go in recognizing Sikh students on campus.”

A Sikh Honors and Service Society (SHSS) officer from Clovis East claims that CUSD is the only school district throughout California that does not allow the wearing of the SHSS stoles.

“Every year our application to wear the

stole has been denied and the reasoning is that we are a school club. However, this club and stole also allows us to have representation of our community as we graduate across the stage...Clubs like CSF and NHS can wear their cords because they are state and national organizations. Because we are a statewide organization, we would like to kindly ask the board to allow us to wear our NHSS stoles at graduation.”

After claiming that students from the past have asked for the authorization from CUSD to wear the stoles, one student speaker stated, “Today we are here in hopes of allowing students and future seniors to be granted this opportunity to represent the

Sikh student body as we walk across the graduating stage, honoring the foundation of all our beliefs and commitments.”

Superintendent Dr. Eimear O’Brien commented saying, “We have parameters around what can be worn-really in the interest of promoting unity during our graduation ceremonies. There are many different requests that we get over the years for different adornments. I do know that our principals will be happy to sit down with you if they haven’t already, to talk to you about the process of discussing the requests that one of our students made.”

The Sikh population throughout Clovis Unified and the Valley continues to grow as the ever increasing equity of demographics across Central California has a mounting significance on generations to come.

Dr. O'Brien also mentioned that CUSD is in the beginning stages of offering an ethnic studies class to students throughout the school district.

“We love listening to our students and building that culture of inclusion on our campuses.”

Clovis North Orchestra performs for CUSD Board meeting

J.T. gomez jt21gomez@gmail.com

March 16, 2023 - At the latest CUSD Board meeting, the Clovis North Orchestra Band played two selections to open the Special Presentation portion of the meeting.

The first selection paid tribute to all five sections of the armed forces with the playing of their respective anthem, properly titled “Armed Forces”.

The second selection was a hymn that had personal value to Clovis North Band Director Michael Chang, as he explained the hymn used to be sung to him by his grandmother.

“Hopefully this music, will create peace in your heart,” said Chang as he and the band began to play.

Mr. Geoffrey Dean, Coordinator of the Visual and Performing Arts program in Clovis Unified took a moment to introduce the band.

“This group of students on average have a

weighted GPA of about 4.12. They regularly perform at festivals and community events and recently received superior ratings.”

Dean explained that this weekend of March 17th-19th, the Orchestra Band will be participating in the Anaheim Heritage Festival, competing against fifty schools nationwide.

“Recently, seventeen of these students were accepted into the California Directors Association Honor Orchestra in San Diego. This was the second highest number of students from any one school in the state of California and the most from the Valley.” Those students mentioned were apart of the “All-State Concert” that performed last December.

Board member Tiffany Stoker-Madsen ended the presentation, praising the orchestra by saying, “Thank you for your time and your effort in preparing for tonight and preparing for competition. Thank you for coming out and sharing with us your talents.”

Clovis.

A cornerstone of success to the City of Clovis has been public safety. I was fortunate to work for the Clovis Police Department for nearly 29 years and be Chief of Police for six of those years.

The men and women of the Clovis Police Department are truly extraordinary in what they do every day to keep us safe.

However, the cornerstone of safety in Clovis is currently at a crossroads and is facing the most critical challenges our city has ever seen.

Current state laws have made keeping criminals in jail an overwhelming challenge. The one—size—fits--all approach simply does not work.

Our biggest challenge is this: The Clovis Police Department has the lowest police officer staffing numbers in the valley per capita. We average less than one officer per 1000 residents.

Since the great recession of 2007, the Clovis Police Department has been struggling to increase staffing numbers. At one point in 2006, the police department had 116 officers.

During the last major recession in 2007 and 2008 it was reduced to 91 officers.

Currently, the Clovis Police Department is authorized for 112 officers.

A recent study completed showed the Clovis Police Department should have a minimum of 133 officers. Yet, Clovis PD remains a full-service department.

It’s this full-service department that has made and continues to make, Clovis PD

special and different.

When you call your police department, they come. It is evident that this full level of service is becoming harder and harder to maintain. This cornerstone of safety is truly at a crossroads.

There are several factors as to why staffing numbers remain lower than they should. The main one is simply everything costs more than it used to.

Over the years, everyone has worked on more affordable solutions to help with a staffing shortage. This included the use of volunteers and citizens on patrol. However, with the COVID shutdown many of the volunteers have not been able to return for various reasons.

Maintaining a level of high service is due to the community’s willingness to call and work with the police as well as

the commitment and dedication of every employee and volunteer working with or for the Clovis Police Department.

We acknowledge and thank them for their continuing service.

So, the question we face is what do we do? Reduce service levels that include no longer responding to certain calls or find a funding a solution to ensure the Clovis Police Department always has the adequate staffing to meet the needs of our growing community.

There will have to be tough discussions with the Clovis Community on what we want and how we get there.

The time is now for us as a community to decide how we remain the “Safest City in the Valley”.

Photo by J.T. Gomez, Clovis Roundup the Clovis north orchestra Band has 17 members who were selected for All-state honors last december, and performs this saturday at the Anaheim heritage festival.

BAsGAll

COnTInUeD FROM FROnT PAGe

Ongoing commitment to service earns Diann Savage, CENTURY 21 Select Real Estate, Inc., 2022 Quality Service Pinnacle Award

Clovis, CA (Grassroots Newswire) March

14, 2023 - Daniel Jacuzzi, broker/owner of CENTURY 21 Select Real Estate, Inc. announced today that Century 21 Real Estate LLC recently recognized sales affiliate Diann Savage with the CENTURY 21 2022 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award.

"The Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award is an integral part of our brand's commitment to excellence and recognizes Diann Savage's dedication to making each and every client interaction memorable and worth celebrating," said Michael Miedler, president and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate.

The annual award is based on results from the CENTURY 21 Quality Service Survey (QSS) which is e-mailed to consumers immediately after the purchase or sale of a home. To earn the CENTURY 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award, an agent must receive completed customer surveys for at least 80 percent of their transactions surveyed from January 1 - December 31, with an average survey score of at least 95 percent or better for two consecutive years.

"Diann Savage provides their clients with the expertise and local market knowledge to help guide them along their individual real estate journey and provides confidence during what is often the most significant purchase of their lifetime," said Daniel Jacuzzi, broker/owner of CENTURY 21 Select Real Estate, Inc..

"The power of the CENTURY 21 brand rests on the shoulders of the relentless sales professionals like Diann Savage who always strives to deliver 121% for each and every client they serve," said Miedler. "We are thrilled to recognize them for their amazing work and commitment to delivering the extraordinary experience that homebuyers, sellers and property investors deserve in their real estate journey."

Diann Savage will receive a customized glass trophy, in addition to being recognized at the CENTURY 21 Global Conference.

CENTURY 21 Select Real Estate, Inc. is a full-service brokerage located at 619 Woodworth Avenue. For more information, please contact Daniel Jacuzzi at (530) 671-3118 or djacuzzi@selectgroupre.com.

community tree planting to be held at the dry creek Trailhead

Contributed City of Clovis

On Saturday April 22, 2023 at 10 am, the City of Clovis and the Clovis Community Foundation will host a community tree planting at the Dry Creek Trailhead located at the southwest corner of Sunnyside and Shepherd Avenues.

This event was rescheduled from early March, when rain forced the tree planting to be postponed.

The community is invited to participate

as 51 trees will be planted throughout the trailhead.

Please come and bring your family and a shovel to this event.

The award winning Dry Creek Trailhead connects five trails in the northern portion of Clovis.

Built in 2014 it provides trail users amenities including bike repair stations, picnic shelters, restrooms and open space.

The trailhead design represents the relationship of historic farms with the Sierra

Foothill environment.

The original “orchard” trees had difficulty assimilating to the site and needed to be removed.

Thanks to a grant by the non-profit Clovis Community Foundation a new set of trees have been purchased which will flower red in spring and summer and present fall colors later.

The tree planting will take about an hour to complete and some shovels will be available at the site. We hope you can join us!

L O V I S C I T Y W ID E YA R D S A L E A P R I L 8 &

9

Clovis resident s have the oppor tunit y to par ticipate in the annual Cit y wide Yard Sale the weekend of A pril 8 - 9.

Seller s c an regis ter their yard s ale at the website prov ided by Republic Ser v ices and lis t items they have for s ale Regis tration begins at www.republicservices.com/municipality/clovis-ca March 6th and continues through A pril 9th, the las t day of the s ale .

If you li ve in a multifamil y residence or a home governed by an HOA , please consult with your proper t y manager or HOA prior to regis tering to sell.

F or more information, please cont ac t a Republic Ser v ices rec ycling coordinator at 559. 2 31.1826 or v isit Republicser vices.com

©2022 Republic Services, Inc.

Photo courtesy of Diann Savage, CENTURY 21 diann savage

Photo courtesy of City of Clovis dry Creek trailhead.