DELANO — Cesar E. Chavez High School has selected its representatives to California Boys State and Girls State.
Harshan Sunner, 17, a son of Sukhdeep and Harjinder Sunner, will represent the junior boys and Hannah Diaz, 17, daughter of Gabriel and Alicia Diaz, will represent junior girls.
Sunner, sponsored by the Merle Reed American Legion Post, will take part in the government training program June 17-24 at Sacramento State.
Sunner is president of the Chavez Future Business Leaders of America and member of the Sikh Honors and Service Society. He said he expects to learn more about the government, leadership positions and “my role in America’s future.”
Diaz, who will be sponsored by American Legion Auxiliary Unit 124 from June 16 to July 1 in Sacramento, takes part in varsity basketball and track at Chavez.
She is a youth leader for her church, alternate Saturdays visiting the convalescent home with others from her church. “I help with food distributions and the paperwork that comes with it. I babysit people my dad has meetings with because they don’t have anyone. I expect to learn more about how this country looks, but I’m really looking forward to meeting so many other like-minded girls.”
Evelyn Garcia is Girls State first alternate.
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The city of Delano is inviting sealed proposals for the 2023 Delano antenna towers demolition project. Bids will be accepted until 2 p.m. May 11 for the project.
The work involves demolition of various radio towers at the old Voice of America property at 11015 Melcher Road, Delano. Non-mandatory pre-jobs walks will take place Tuesday and April 25 at 10 a.m.
Public hearings before the Delano Planning Commission will take place 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the commission meeting in the City Council chambers.
One hearing is on a conditional use permit application requesting approval for a zone variance to allow a 1,159 square foot accessory dwelling unit at 1808 Dover St.
For another hearing, a conditional use permit is being applied for which requests a resolution of the commission and the city of Delano to allow drive-in/thru businesses including restaurants (food trucks) at 2241 Girard St.
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Winter sports special awards at Delano High School have been announced.
For varsity boys basketball, junior Mark Ragasa has been named most valuable player. Roberto (RG) Garcia was chosen “board basher” and George (JJ) Inguito the recipient of the Mojo award.
Robert Garcia Jr., is winner of the JV basketball boys MVP award with Carlos Contreras earning the “Big Man” award. Hugo Rivas is Player of the Year for the freshman team with Raul Quezada named the most improved.
For varsity girls basketball, the outstanding contributor is senior Gladys Alejo, who was also named to the all-league second team. Junior Delilah Carino has received the Tiger award. Mary Jane Alvarez has earned the most dedicated award and Kayla Otanez the most improved for frosh-soph girls basketball.
For the section champion varsity boys soccer team, Orlando Reyes is the MVP, Fredy Villanueva the defensive player of the year and Eric Camargo the goalkeeper of the year.
Jesus Uriartes is offensive player of the year and Jose Cardenas defensive player of the year for boys JV soccer
Sophomore Mayra Gonzalez, the all-time leading scorer for soccer girls, is MVP for varsity girls with Maria Rosiles gaining the Tiger award and Melisa Cabrera named the rookie of the year.
Jennifer Cocolan is MVP for JV girls soccer. Ashley Cemeno is the Tiger award winner..
Eric Lopez is the varsity wrestling team MVP with Izaiah Garcia gaining the most improved athlete award and Mark Taloza the most dedicated award. Adrian Casas is MVP for JV wrestling and Allyson Roque the most improved.
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Delano Kiwanis Club, which had day-before Easter goodie bag giveaways during the pandemic, will return to its Easter egg hunt format for the 44th annual event. The hunt will take place today at the Delano High School stadium, which will also offer a variety of booths for the public.
Preschool youth will begin their hunt at 10 a.m., with kindergarten youth on the hunt starting at 10:30, followed by first- and second-graders at 11, and third- and fourth-graders at 11:30.
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Babe Ruth League baseball sign-ups in Delano will continue each Sunday afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tony’s Firehouse Grill on County Line Road through May 7.
Youth must be at least age 12 and not 18 as of May 1. Parents are required to be present and to show birth certificates and pay a $100 fee.
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Staff at Delano High School gathered in the school library after school March 21 to honor retiring 40-year district employee Glenda Muldrow.
A video was shown on a screen in the library as staff were treated to refreshments, tributes were voiced about Glenda’s contributions, and more than 50 people offered her congratulations on her contributions to her alma mater, Delano High.
She remains busy in the city, especially as a leader in the April 22 Delano Relay for Life.
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At the March Delano Relays for track and field, I had three former students of mine whom I enjoyed speaking to.
Linda Hernandez, once in my freshman English class, has been an active mother in activities at Chavez High. I recall I once practically pushed her into taking part in the Delano Elions speech contest — with just a couple of days to ready her entry!
Monique Fortson, former school newspaper student and sister of another former student of mine, basketball star Michelle (Shelly) Wallace who was a three-sport star, led Delano High to its first-ever section girls basketball title and later starred on the University of Arkansas basketball team.
Monique was quite an athlete as well in three sports and later played volleyball at Cal State Bakersfield and has officiated all over the county in basketball and I believe in volleyball as well. Her children have been standouts in sports, including one who is a freshman at Independence I think.
The third was Martin Vasquez, who said he was there to see a relative, but I am not sure if it was his daughter or not.
Delano coach Jerry Angkahan and I reminisced how the past Delano Kiwanis Relays was an outstanding event, and now Jerry is trying to build up the Delano Relays but said it was hard when there were eight relays events in the valley the same weekend.
Jerry does a great job organizing the meet and always enlists his wife, son, two daughters and son-in-law to help him with various jobs because he knows they will do a good job because he has taught them their jobs.
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I just received an email from marketing director Jenn Hesley of Greg’s Petroleum in the Bakersfield office. Greg’s signed up to again advertise in the cheerleaders’ sports posters for Delano High for the next school year.
The business started with the late Harold Gregory, who was a star baseball pitcher for Delano High in the late 1940s. He went on to open the petroleum business in Delano, one of about eight to 10 gas delivery companies in the old days in Delano. Only Greg’s has survived.
For years he volunteered his time as Little League home plate umpire, a daunting task in itself, and for years was a high school board member and I remember also he was board president.
His daughter, Lori, once a cheerleader at Delano High, was in a summer school journalism class that I taught. She married Ron Mariani (brother to Frank, who played on my Rotary Little League team).
Ron has really built up the firm and has a large facility in Bakersfield and I know even runs ads on Fresno radio and in the Bakersfield area. I never had Ron or Frank in classes at Delano High, but I did have their sister, Donna, a very beautiful and smart young lady in my freshman English class. Ron and Lori also had some boys who were standout athletes at Garces High and at least one is active in the family business.
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