DELANO — The City Council at a recent meeting approved a contract for the 2022 Albany-Stradley sump improvement project to Westberry Construction Inc., in the amount of $485 million.

A $168,805 project is the 2022 Lexington-Madison 11th to 12th avenues improvement project awarded to Burtch Construction.

The council also ratified the 2022 emergency Main-Jefferson 11th and Cecil alley sewer line replacement project. Work will be performed by JM Pipeline Construction with a budget not to exceed $325,000.

The council also approved three donations adding up to $1,100 for the Delano Senior Center and another $500 donation to the city recreation department.

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Harvest Holidays is proceeding on plans to renew its Grand Parade on Saturday, Oct. 8. The only parade in Delano since the start of the pandemic was the Christmas Parade in December 2021. The past two years Harvest has had a “caravan,” but not a parade.

Parade chair Annette Salim Wesir may be called or text at 661-333-4309.

The completed entry may be returned to the Delano Chamber of Commerce, 931 High St., or fax to 661-725-4743. Forms may also be mailed to Delano Harvest Holidays Association, Inc., 550 Woollomes Ave., Suite 103-117, Delano, CA 93215. Most past entries will receive copies by mail. Political entries will be charged $100 and other entries $40 except for schools, churches and nonprofits.

It was reported that future practices of Mr. and Miss candidates for the Saturday, Sept. 24, scholarship program pageant will take place at Pioneer School Saturday mornings. Organizers are especially seeking senior boys from high schools in Delano and McFarland.

Harvest requested use of a meeting room at the 11th Avenue Community Center at no charge from the City Council in July. The Harvest leaders were told by vice-mayor Veronica Vasquez that the city budget for use of the meeting room would not allow for free use.

Voted in as new Harvest directors were Veronica Sanchez, Amanda Garza and Jacqueline Cortez.

It was reported at the July 25 meeting that Tiny Tots would take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Heritage Park. Registration deadline is Aug. 30. Chairperson April (Gonzales) Rios may be reached at 447-0384. A donation will be collected at the Heritage Park gate.

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Title 1X equal participation for women has been in the news over the summer, and I saw a local item of interest while scanning the 1970s copies of the Delano Record.

While reviewing Records of the '70s to gain information on possible inductees into Delano High’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023, I found of interest an article reporting that Jane Randolph first brought up the subject to trustees of the Delano Joint Union High School District.

At Delano High, I was one of the teachers of her daughter Linda on the school newspaper staff and also knew her daughter Tricia and sons Jeff, Mike and Steve. All five were involved in sports as well as being strong academic students.

Jane, the city librarian and a main member contributing to Delano’s “Where the Railroad Ended” history book, was told by trustees that there was not much interest by girls in school athletics. That may have been the case then, but it is no longer true.

Another news item of interest to me was anger by the public that gas was approaching $2 per gallon. There must have been a shortage the year I researched because the CIF was cutting back 10 percent on away games except for football.

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Often driving on Garces Highway I will pass by the Adventist Health Community Garden, which offers locals an opportunity to plant gardens on the hospital’s unused property.

When Adventist Health first took over the local facility, I was curious if they would eliminate the gardens. Instead, they have done some clean-up and beautification of the area which has to some degree increased the use of that area. It appears to me that there are more people taking advantage of the gardens than ever before.

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The 38th annual dinner-dance fundraiser of the Mexican-American Pioneers of Delano will take place Saturday, Oct. 22, at Delano’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church hall at 1015 Clinton St.

The event’s honorees this year are Max Bacerra and Jay Tamsi. Both have contributed to the community and especially to the Philippine Weekend for many years.

Charge per person is $45 with checks for tickets to be mailed to Mexican-American Pioneers of Delano, P.O. Box 657, Delano, CA 93216.

Doors will open at 4:30 p.m.with a social and no-host bar from 5 to 6 p.m., dinner from 6 to 7, and dancing from 7 to 11. Music will be provided by DJ Linda.

More information is available by calling these 661 numbers: Pearl Rivera, 725-5750; Josie Gallardo, 725-0132; or Russell McNutt, 370-6351.

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Months ago I was contacted by Carlos Quintana, M.D., who graduated from Delano High School in 1990.

At the time he was asking me if there was a way to make copies of stories from the Delano Record about Delano High’s varsity basketball team on which Quintana was a key member. Years later and he is interested in making copies to keep for himself and his family.

I recall Carlos as he was an outstanding student at Delano High as well as taking part in basketball and tennis. He graduated from Stanford University and has become a neurologist. All this has made his high school varsity basketball coach, now retired in Bakersfield — Gerry Saunders — very proud.

Since I have many of the bound copies of the Delano Records, dating back to the 1930s, he asked if a relative of his could borrow specific years so that they could then be scanned.

Months later he sent me a copy of an email that he sent to the Delano library. He noted that the Delano Record no longer exists and the library does not have copies or records on-site for high school youth to research. Back in Quintana’s high school days there were Records microfilmed at the library.

Dr. Quintana in the email said he would like to “pitch in” to a project to scan the bound copies into a computer system that could be searched locally at the Delano library.

The DHS alumnus even said he would hire a supervisor to organize DHS students to truck the bound copies from 1980 to 1990 to the branch, to scan the bound copies, and then truck them to a new storage location.

Many have suggested that I give the bound copies to Delano Historical Society, but I don’t think they have the space that would be necessary. Delano High athletic director Albino Duran, who is to a degree a historian himself, has volunteered to have the copies placed somewhere at Delano High.

I have not heard from Dr. Quintana or the librarian. I know this does not seem to be an important project, but it is important to help preserve the history of Delano.

Gary Girard is a longtime resident of Delano. He can be reached at 661-725-8803.