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Friends & Family
of Correctional Officers

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COMMUNITY NEWS
July 2,
2009
Ken Riggs
Passes Away
The flags over City offices will be lowered
to half staff in memory of former Councilman Ken Riggs
who died Wednesday morning at the age of 92.
Mr. Riggs served on the City Council from July 9, 1984
until Aug. 12, 1990.
The flags will remain at half staff until after funeral
services have been conducted for Mr. Riggs. |

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July 1, 2009
“Flying 4 Food”
Great Lakes Airlines’ Food Drive to Benefit
the Merced County Food Bank
CHEYENNE, Wyo., June 29, 2009 –
Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. (OTC Bulletin Board: GLUX.OB
– news) is helping in the battle to fight hunger
with their “Flying 4 Food” campaign to benefit
the Merced County Food Bank.
Did you know that 1 in 8 Americans are at risk for hunger?
From children and seniors to the working poor, millions
of Americans are either hungry or nearing hunger. Today
many public food-assistance programs and private organizations
strive to meet the nutritional needs of these vulnerable
Americans. Great Lakes Airlines and the Merced County
Food Bank are asking for your help.
Throughout the month of July, bring a non-perishable food
item to the Great Lakes counter and you will be eligible
to win one of 4 round trip tickets between Merced and
Ontario. Donate as much as you like, however only one
entry per person / per week is permitted. Donations will
be accepted Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. –
6 p.m. at the Merced Regional Airport, 12 Mcready Drive.
Weekend hours are limited. Please contact Great Lakes
Regional Sales Manager, Kassi Mohlenkamp at 307-432-7018
with any questions. |

Great Lakes is providing scheduled
passenger service at 66 airports in seventeen states
with a fleet of Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias and Raytheon/Beech
1900D regional airliners. A current route map may be
viewed at http://www.flygreatlakes.com/route_map/route_map.htm.
All scheduled flights are operated under the Great Lakes
Airlines marketing identity in conjunction with code-share
agreements with United Airlines and Frontier Airlines
at their Denver, Phoenix, and Billings hubs. Code-share
agreement with only United at their Kansas City and
Ontario hubs; and only Frontier at their Albuquerque
hub. The company also operates hubs in Milwaukee and
St. Louis.
Additional information about Great Lakes Airlines is
available at www.flygreatlakes.com
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July 1,
2009
Independence Day weekend
The City of Merced offices will be closed
Friday, July 3, 2009, to celebrate the Independence Day
weekend. Trash collection will not be affected by the
closure. We wish everyone a safe and sane Fourth of July
weekend. |

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June 30, 2009
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARDS
HANDED OUT AT MERCED SUCCESS BREAKFAST
Raley's, Merced School Employees Federal
Credit Union and Fernando's Bistro were honored Tuesday
as businesses of the year at the 10th Annual Merced
Success Breakfast. More than 220 people were at the
Merced Senior Center as the City of Merced Economic
Development Advisory Committee honored the winners.
The breakfast was hosted by the City of Merced and the
Merced Boosters.
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2009 Small Business
of the Year
The 2009 Small Business of the Year tends
to leave a really good taste in your mouth. And he knows
about food from the ground up.
When the owner of the small business of the year came
to the United States, he spent the first 5 years here
working in the fields. He spent nearly 40 years working
for another company learning the ins and outs of the business.
While he was working, he attended college and earned a
bachelor’s degree in corporate law, with a minor
in business administration. (Need to check if he got a
master’s from CSUS.)
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He
has 16 employees, and they always seem to great you with
a smile. He empowers his employees so they grow as people
and as professionals.
This company also helps students in the local jobs programs
earn money, and find out if the field is a career they
want to stay in. The company has participated in and hired
students and graduates from ROP and Merced Adult School.
This is one of the companies that reaches out in so many
ways. While you can find its products at its Downtown
Merced location, they often show up at weddings, dinners
and fundraisers around Merced County and beyond. Creating
a sense of place in Downtown Merced, one can enjoy dinner
while listening to smooth jazz in the evening.
They are active in numerous organizations including the
Merced County Chamber of Commerce, OLM School, and CPBC.
The 2009 Small Business of the Year Award goes to
Fernando’s Bistro. Fernando Palomino please
come down to get your award. It’s not as tasty as
one of your dinners, but we hope you will still savor
it.
2008 Mid-Sized Business of the
Year
The 2008 Mid-Sized Business of the Year
is a locally grown product, that is probably organic,
too. When it started up, the first manager stored the
money in a shoe box in his apartment, and took loan applications
in his bedroom.
The company has always had a focus on schools and continues
it today with the kiddie play area in each of its branches.
The firm has 84 employees in four locations, with 69 of
them working within the city limits. Two of its employees
have worked there for more than 35 years, and 8 of the
employees have been there for a quarter of a century.
There is a philosophy of promoting from within, and almost
everybody starts at the bottom and works their way up.
The CFO started as a file clerk while still in high school
and the CEO started as a part-time file clerk while attending
Merced College.
This firm pays for on-going educational opportunities
for job-related advancement, employees can sell unused
sick days for cash and there are a variety of training
programs available to staff.
The roots in the community stretch beyond its employees.
It is a sponsor of the METV program offered through the
Merced County Office of Education. It also is a major
sponsor of the Merced County Academic Decathlon, an event
that showcases the educational talents of our youth. It
also sponsors all of the sober graduations, and the Educator
of the Year program.
It supports numerous school athletic teams, FFA, 4H, and
school bands.
Beyond schools, it is involved in sponsorships or fundraising
for the Merced Zoological Association, the Merced Symphony,
the Merced multicultural Arts Center, Castle Air Museum,
Playhouse Merced, the Mariposa Museum and many more.
The organization has a philosophy of “people helping
people.”
So, people, please help me in recognizing the 2009 Mid-Size
Business of the Year, the Merced School Employees
Federal Credit Union. Nancy Deavours, please
come up here.
2009 Large business of the year
The 2009 Large Business of the Year can
trace its roots back to 1935 and the California Gold Rush
Country. It is a place where you can get just about anything
that you really need, and you will get it with a helpful
smile.
In 1990, it started its operations in Merced, and has
found it to be a golden opportunity. It has 105 colleagues
on the payroll and the majority of them live in the community.
Those folks are incredibly civic minded, devoting countless
hours of volunteer time to their local schools, churches
and community organizations.
The company pays top wages in the industry and also has
an outstanding benefit package for employees. It hired
ROP students, it hired YOP students, it hired UC Merced
students, it givens lots of our young people an opportunity
for a job.
It operates a non-profit organization to provide food
for the needy, absorbing all of the overhead costs. It
sponsors a Relay for Life team, and assists the American
Cancer Society in other ways. It is a proud supporter
of the Merced County Fair Junior Livestock Auction, helping
to further the agricultural education of the youth in
our region.
Nationally, this company was named No. 1 in its field
for three consecutive years by Consumer Reports. Locally,
it received the “Readers Choice Award” from
the Merced Sun-Star, along with other awards selected
by readers. It has been named “Business of the Year
by the Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce.
That’s not surprising because this company has been
a pioneer in the industry. It was the first company to
have a pre-packaged meat department. And it was the first
to blend groceries and a drug store to create a superstore.
The store’s philosophy is “Celebrate food.
Celebrate life.” Please celebrate with us as the
Large Business of the Year Award goes to Raley’s.
Henry Chow, please come down and accept the award.
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There
were other success stories in Merced that also were recognized
and they included:
Allen Huddleston, Sports Illustrated
Janet Ramsey, Business and Professional Women's Association
Bishop's on the Square, Bon Appétit
Merced College Swim Team
Merced ArtHop
Playhouse Merced
Merced Mall, 40 years
Merced Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete, 30 years
Merced is filled with success stories,
they just don’t seem to get the constant media attention
that some of our bad news receives. But it is the good
news, the accomplishments and achievements, that make
our community the wonderful place it is today to live,
to work, to raise a family.
ALLEN HUDDLESTON, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Lately when a national magazine pays attention to Merced
it is for the wrong thing. Sports Illustrated got it right.
The magazine profiled a young man at Merced High School
by the name of Allen Huddleston. Allen was the Central
California Conference MVP in basketball this year after
averaging 31.5 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 steals.
He broke the school record of 1,707 points with a career
2,117 points. Allen is heading to the University of the
Pacific on a scholarship.
JANET RAMSEY, BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL
WOMAN’S ASSOCIATION
Speaking of magazines, Janet Ramsey is an account executive
at Quebecor World where she serves as a liaison between
magazine publishers and the company. She just became the
California Business and Professional Woman's President.
Janet has been active in the organization for the past
35 years in California and also in Illinois. She also
is the captain of the Quebecor American Cancer Society
Relay for Life team, an active with the American Heart
Walk.
BISHOP’S ON THE SQUARE,
BON APPÉTIT
In France and other parts of Europe, getting listed in
the Michelin Guide is the highest of honors. Here in the
United States, getting the nod from Bon Appétit
magazine is much the same. So when Bishop’s Café
in Bob Hart Square in Downtown Merced received a write-up
in Bon Appétit, Marshall Bishop was ecstatic and
foodies in the Merced County were thrilled.
MERCED COLLEGE SWIM TEAM
With temperatures in the triple digits, most of us think
of a pool as someplace to cool off. At Merced College,
it’s the opposite. The Merced College Swim Team
is hot when they hit the pool, and they proved it over
and over this season. And they finished their hot streak
by winning the Central California Conference Title. Everybody
agrees that is pretty cool.
MERCED ARTHOP
It started as an idea to bring art to the people. Put
some art works in Downtown Merced stores, let people mingle
around the works and the artists, and see what happens.
What happened is ArtHop and the enthusiasm and heart from
the creators have turned it into a major Downtown Merced
event. In partnership with the Merced County Arts Council,
the ArtHop just received a $40,000 grant from the James
Irvine Foundation.
PLAYHOUSE MERCED
One of the top tests for performers is whether they can
take their work on the road to different audiences. Playhouse
Merced will be hitting the road this winter as it presents
“A Christmas Carol” at the Gallo Center in
Modesto. The highly acclaimed and extremely entertaining
company has two other performances scheduled for the center.
It’s off, off Broadway, but moving closer.
MERCED MALL
When it first opened, it was a lot like UC Merced –
lots of cows. But the Merced Mall had a vision, and it
has the foresight to understand what direction Merced
was going to grow. As the City grew, so did Merced Mall,
and now it is the shopping destination for the City and
the region. After 40 years in business, the Mall keeps
on changing, just like its customers, to make sure it
is offering what you want.
MERCED KIKI RAINA TAHITI FETE 30 YEARS
Kiki Raina Fete is celebrating 30 years of drawing people
to Merced from throughout the state and across the nation.
It even has international visitors. This event fills up
our hotel rooms, packs our restaurants and creates lines
at our gas stations. And not only does it showcase the
talents of our local dancers, it has carved a little island
of Polynesia in Merced. Aloha!
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June 30, 2009

From left,
Jorge Aguilar, with the Fresno Unified School District,
Sharon Twitty, with the Merced County Office of Education,
Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction,
Kandy Woerz and Linda Erikson, both with the Stanislaus
County Office of Education, attended the ARCHES (Alliance
for Regional Collaboration to Heighten Educational Success)
luncheon in Sacramento on June 24. O’Connell, and
key staff from the California Department of Education,
met with about 20 leaders from regional P-16 (preschool
through higher education) councils across the state to
discuss how the groups might increase collaboration between
institutions, and the CDE, to solve common educational
problems — especially the academic achievement gap.
“As resources for education continue to shrink in
the state, collaboration is imperative in order to make
ends meet across all sectors of public education,”
said Twitty who works as an assistant superintendent at
MCOE.
PHOTO COURTESY THE MERCED COUNTY OFFICE
OF EDUCATION
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June 30, 2009
There will be no Downtown Merced
SummerFest this week, as the community celebrates
the long Fourth of July weekend.
SummerFest will return to Downtown Merced on Thursday,
July 9, with farm-fresh produce, entertainment, arts,
hand-made crafts and lots of fun..
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| June
26, 2009
Cardoza
provisions assist agriculture in new Clean Energy Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Cardoza
announced several key legislative provisions today that
will aid Valley agricultural interests. The provisions
were included in the American Clean Energy and Security
Act, which the House of Representatives passed today with
Congressman Cardoza's support.
The legislation establishes a national comprehensive program
to reduce greenhouse gasses by investing in clean energy
technology, providing incentives for industry to reduce
carbon emissions and establishing a pollution cap-and-offset
system. It would be similar to the one currently in use
by San Joaquin Valley air regulators. Agriculture operators
would receive credits, which could be sold or traded,
based on their ability to reduce air pollution.
There are no mandatory requirements for agriculture operators.
However, the program provides financial incentives for
them to take voluntary steps to reduce pollution.
After Cardoza raised concerns about the role of the Environmental
Protection Agency in the program, House negotiators rewrote
the bill to establish the U.S. Department of Agriculture
as the sole agency in charge of implementing and operating
the agriculture and forestry emissions offset program.
USDA will be able to capitalize on its nationwide network
of field offices, research capabilities, scientific experts
and conservation partners to establish and operate the
agriculture and forestry offset program.
"This is a significant win for the agriculture community,"
said Congressman Cardoza. "In addressing climate
change, the USDA has a staff with a long history of working
with agriculture and understanding its unique needs." |

Congressman Cardoza also negotiated language
directed toward farmers who grow crops with undetermined
potential to capture and remove carbon emissions from
the atmosphere, a process referred to as sequestration.
The language would direct USDA to conduct research into
new and innovative carbon sequestration techniques so
that all farm operations can participate in the offset
program.
"It's important that our policy decisions in Washington
translate into real benefits to our farmers and producers
at home," said Congressman Cardoza. "This bill
only works because we took the extra time to develop a
role for agriculture and the country will be better for
it."
Under the provisions:
* Participating producers who carry out practices that
sequester or avoid greenhouse gas emissions through non-till
farming and avoid deforestation will be available to earn
offset credits. Producers who have previously participated
in voluntary offset programs, such as the C-CAR program
in California, will also be eligible to participate and
earn offset credits for activities with continuing benefits.
* Producers who have chosen to participate in USDA existing
conservation programs, such as EQIP, will not be penalized
or barred from the incentive program.
* The agriculture and forestry sectors will be exempt
from the bill's greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements. |
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| June
25, 2009
Representing
San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings
and Kern Counties of California
Reps. Cardoza And Costa Announce U.S. Interior Secretary
Salazar Will
Visit Valley This Sunday
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Congressmen
Dennis Cardoza (D-Merced) and Jim Costa (D-Fresno) announced
that Department of the Interior Secretary Ken
Salazar will arrive in the San Joaquin Valley on Sunday,
June 28th, 2009. Salazar will be joined by Deputy Secretary
David Hayes and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike
Connor.
The San Joaquin Valley has been especially hard hit by
drought in the past few years. Additionally, water deliveries
to Valley farmers from the San Joaquin Delta have been
curtailed by regulators who have placed an undue amount
of blame on famers for declines in fish populations to
the north.
Since President Obama took office in January, Congressmen
Cardoza and Costa have requested that the incoming Interior
Secretary come to the San Joaquin Valley.
"I am grateful for Secretary Salazar's visit to the
Valley," said Congressman Dennis Cardoza. "The
Central Valley simply cannot continue down its current
path. This regulatory drought is destroying our farmers,
our families and our local economy. Further, we are facing
a genuine risk of having to import additional food to
supply our nation. |

I look forward to providing Secretary
Salazar with as much insight as possible about the extreme
hardship in our agricultural community and look forward
to the assistance that he is capable of providing."
"This trip by Secretary Salazar is a result of weekly
talks with our offices and the Department of Interior
regarding the drought and the impact on our Valley. The
Secretary knows about the hundreds thousands of acres
of fallowed fields, the high unemployment and the possibility
of a fourth year of drought," said Costa. "The
lack of water has rippled into every facet of our economy.
We now have those who normally sow and reap our nation's
food, standing in food lines to feed their own families.
As part of this important visit, I will be explaining
to the Secretary the need for both short and long term
water solutions in California, which include repairing
the Delta, improving water supply and quality, and environmental
restoration."
Further details of the Secretary's visit will be announced
in the coming days. |
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June 25, 2009
SummerFest
keeps growing in food, fun and festivities
The word on the streets of Downtown Merced
is “More”: more food, more art, more fashions
at the Downtown Merced SummerFest. The SummerFest runs
from 5 to 8 p.m. (and maybe later) on Thursday, June 25.
Tri-tip sandwiches, pastries and desserts and chili cheese
fries have been added to the munching options at the SummerFest,
along with the Asian cuisine and kettlecorn already available.
Handmade jewelry will be on display and come down to watch
a henna “tattoo” artist at work.
There will be plenty of farm-fresh produce available,
along with a variety of honey and nut products. And this
week there will be a fashion show of summer wear and June
bridal gowns from Downtown merchants starting at 6:30
p.m.
The surf sounds of Gidget and the Moon Doggies will be
echoing through the downtown from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Bob
Hart Square, followed by the cool jazz of Rudy Moreno
from 7 to 9 p.m. |

The ever-popular Guitar Hero competitions and Wii games
will continue to be held during the festival, and younger
kids will enjoy the bounce houses, face painting and bubble-blowing.
SummerFest will take place on Main and Canal streets,
and Bob Hart Square from 5 to 8 p.m. Sponsored by The
City of Merced and the Downtown Improvement District,
the event will run through Aug. 20th, skipping July 2
(Independence Day) and July 23 (Fair Week).
For information, go to the Summer
Fest MyPage at MyMerced.com or call Maria
Mendoza at 385-6827.
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| June
25, 2009
Valley
foreclosure workshop will be held in Atwater on Friday
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The No Homeowner
Left Behind network will conduct a workshop Friday June,
26th at the Atwater Community Center, 760 East Bellevue
Road. The event is planned from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. A similar
event planned for Modesto on Saturday has been combined
with the Friday event in Atwater.
The workshops are open to the public and provide an opportunity
to receive information about home preservation, as well
as opportunities to work with lenders.
The events are being offered through a joint partnership
of No Home Owner Left Behind. The group consists of government
and nonprofit partners with a shared goal of helping individual
homeowners prevent foreclosure. |

Members of the partnership have been
conducting the workshops throughout the San Joaquin Valley
since June of 2007.
In addition to HUD approved counselors, representatives
from Fannie Mae and Chase have committed to attend. |
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| June 24,
2009
Students Host a Very Special
Performance at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center
Students from the Merced County Office
of Education and the Merced Multicultural Arts Center’s
Enrichment Center will host a very special performance
for family, friends and the community.
The performance is the culmination of the summer arts
program, which includes MCOE’s Orthopedically Handicapped
and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Programs and the Enrichment
Center.
The Enrichment Center is an arts-based adult day program
for people with developmental disabilities (a program
of the Merced County Arts Council). The Enrichment Center
provides instruction in and a forum for the exploration
of visual arts, theater, music and dance.
“This year our theme is essence. … we’re
focusing on smell, taste, touch and sound,” said
Amber Kirby, creative writing instructor for the summer
youth program with orthopedically handicapped students
at the arts center.

Merced County Arts Council
Enrichment Center student Jose Miguel Castaneda, of Planada,
performs at the 2008 VSA Showcase at the Multicultural
Arts Center in Merced.
Photo by Nathan Quevedo Courtesy Merced
County Office of Education |

Kirby feels it’s important to help
students see the achievements made by people with disabilities
over time, so she has posted a timeline of the Disability
Rights Movement from 1817 to 2008.
“One of the things that I’m focusing on is
making the kids understand that they’re not as limited
by obstacles as the might feel,” Kirby said.
Dance instructor and choreographer, Pattee Russell-Curry
(who is a registered dance/movement therapist), has taken
the theme of “essence” in other directions.
In particular, one dance deals specifically on the transitions
and “deaths” of life, which make up the essence
of us all. Other dances express the essence of being included
in a society of variety and uniqueness. Some of these
movement experiences come directly from the ideas of the
students themselves as they have grown and have learned
to take more and more risks expressing themselves in movement.
The program is sponsored in part by VSA arts of California,
which helps make art accessible to people of all abilities.
The performance will be held at 10 a.m., June 30 in the
main theater on the first floor at the Merced Multicultural
Arts Center, 645 W. Main St., and is free to all.
On the third floor of the arts center, there will be activities
for younger attendees beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The students will also have self-portraits in the lobby
at the arts center.
For more information about the event, call (209) 388-1090.
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| June
24, 2009
Reserve Now for Free Fair
Tours for Kids
MERCED – It’s a very cool
field trip that gives kids an exclusive behind-the-scenes
tour of the 2009 Merced County Fair and it’s free.
Hands-on ag education is the goal of the one-day only
event. The fair is offering special tours of exhibit buildings
and the Old MacDonald’s Farm for children’s
groups from area schools, Scouting organizations and summer
recreation programs.
The fair is July 21-26 and reservations for the free one-hour
tours are available now for Thursday, July 23 from 9 a.m.
to noon. Junior Fair Board members greet youngsters when
they arrive and assist with tours. Tours are offered before
the fairgrounds open to the general public, so kids get
a chance to experience the farm and exhibit buildings
when there’s more elbowroom.
The fair's theme is “Catch The Buzz,” and
many of the exhibits at Old MacDonald’s Farm and
Petting Barn and the Merced Animal Medical Center Ag Exhibits
Building will feature bees, one of the county’s
top agricultural products.
At Old MacDonald’s Farm, kids can get up close to
live bees at work in an observation beehive. There also
will be lots of displays about insects and everything
from killer bees to colony collapse disorder, the mysterious
disease that’s killing bees.
4-H youth are putting together the educational displays
again this year at Old MacDonald’s Farm and Petting
Barn. They’ll also be conducting experiments and
giving kids a chance to look at the world through a microscope.
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Stephanie Clendenin, the 4-H coordinator,
and Russ Hill, the 4-H Program Representative at UC
Extension are overseeing 4-H members’ work on
the 16,000-square-foot hands-on Ag literacy display
that has won state and national awards from both educational
institutions and the fair industry.
Just a few steps away from Old MacDonald’s Farm
and Petting Barn, where there will be lots of baby animals
to check out, kids can find out more about bees in the
Ag Exhibits building. Children will get a chance to
walk through a giant version of a bee box – designed
to look like the boxes that bee colonies call home.
The display will include an observation hive of live
bees, beekeeping and honey extraction equipment, honey
and honey by-products. There also will be an “orchard”
of “bees” made by local school children
on display.
Teachers, Scouting and recreation leaders supervising
the children's groups on the tours will receive educational
packets that will help reinforce what the children see
and learn about at the fair, Clendenin said.
Reservations are recommended because the tours are very
popular. To schedule a tour or for more information,
call 722-1507 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com
or fax at 722-3773. Visit the Merced County Fair’s
web site, www.MercedCountyFair.com
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| June
22, 2009
New bill encourages solar
energy use
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Cardoza
has introduced legislation that seeks to encourage the
use of solar power by homeowners and ensure an economic
incentive for users. The Solar Opportunity and Local Access
Rights Act (SOLAR Act) seeks to cut through the bureaucratic
and financial red tape that prevents many potential solar
energy consumers from participating in this clean, proven,
renewably energy source.
"As our nation seeks to address energy and climate-change
issues, many of us are seeking individual ways to participate
in the solutions," said Congressman Cardoza. "This
is an environmentally responsible and economically-feasible
way to do so."
The SOLAR Act would remove legal and monetary barriers
to net metering, paving the way for residential and commercial
solar energy installations. Net metering allows homeowners
the opportunity to use solar panels to produce their own
power and then sell any excess electricity back to the
utility grid. Under this legislation, a homeowner can
also purchase power from the grid when needed. Net metering
tracks the production and purchase and calculates the
difference for the homeowner and the utility company. |

The SOLAR Act also prohibits practices
that discourage or prevent the use of solar technology.
The bill also prohibits unreasonable permit fees and prevents
homeowners associations from denying residential access
to solar energy systems.
Currently, 42 states and many local governments have adopted
varying net metering policies. The SOLAR Act would provide
a national standard for the use of this clean technology
and allow more Americans to harness the sun's natural
power. |
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| June
20, 2009
Financial Services Committee
commits to assist with Valley economic devastation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Financial
Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank and several other
Committee members pledged their support to work with Congressman
Cardoza to address the economic devastation facing the
San Joaquin Valley.
"I could not be more appreciative of Chairman Frank's
support. We have overcome a significant hurdle,"
said Congressman Cardoza.
Congressman Cardoza has proposed legislation that would
establish Economic Disaster Areas as a means of directing
federal aid to areas that have been hardest hit by the
recession.
On Friday, the Financial Services Committee heard testimony
from Congressman Cardoza, as well as Los Banos Mayor Tommy
Jones, about the cumulative impact of record-high foreclosure
and unemployment rates, drought, and crashing dairy prices.
Following the testimony, several members of the committee
acknowledged the extreme difficulties faced by San Joaquin
Valley residents. |

Chairman Frank expressed his commitment
to working with Congressman Cardoza to find a means of
directing funding to the region.
"We are going to make a serious effort to do this,"
Chairman Frank announced.
Congressman Cardoza hopes to submit formal legislation
within the coming weeks.
"We have much work to do," said Congressman
Cardoza. "However, today we made significant progress
in educating Congress about our Valley, and our unique
challenges." |
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| June
19, 2009
Rep. Cardoza pushes bipartisan
protection of San Joaquin Valley water supply to House
floor
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the
June 4, 2009 National Marine Fisheries Service biological
opinion on the Central Valley Water Project and California
State Water Project, Congressman Cardoza threw his full
support behind an amendment to prevent the opinion from
taking effect.
Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA) introduced an amendment
to the Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations
bill to prohibit funds from being used to implement the
recently-released biological opinion. Cardoza, a member
of the influential Rules Committee, persuaded his colleagues
to protect the Valley's interests and ensure that the
Nunes amendment would receive a vote on the House floor
today.
"The Central Valley is at jeopardy with the flawed
biological opinion," said Congressman Cardoza. "I
totally support the amendment and feel very strongly it
should have its day in court as the short-sighted solution
of continuing to curtail pumping is only worsening a man-made
drought and imperiling the lifeblood of the San Joaquin
Valley."
The opinion stated that the current pumping operations
in the Central Valley Water Project and California State
Water Project should be changed to increase the long-term
survival of winter and spring-run Chinook salmon, steelhead,
the North American green sturgeon and Southern Resident
killer whales. The whales rely on Chinook salmon runs
for food. |

Recommended changes in water operations
will impact an estimated 5 to 7 percent of the available
annual water moved by the federal and state pumps, or
an estimated 330,000 acre feet per year. These changes
come on top of water cuts to Valley farmers and cities
already this year, which have had major negative impacts
on the San Joaquin Valley's economy.
"I am grateful for the support of so many of my colleagues
on this, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer."
The amendment ultimately did not pass, with a margin of
208 to 218.
Congressman Cardoza added, "ESA's regulations have
had crippling effects on the water supply throughout the
San Joaquin Valley. I am extremely disappointed by the
outcome of today's vote, but the highly charged debate
proved this is a critical issue worthy of consideration
on the floor. This is far from the end. I will continue
to do everything I can - including working with my colleagues
in a bipartisan manner - to ensure that water is flowing
throughout the San Joaquin Valley once again." |
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June 18, 2009
Measure C Citizens’
Oversight Committee
The City of Merced is accepting applications
for the Measure C Citizens’ Oversight Committee.
The Committee reviews projected revenues from Measure
C, a one-half cent sales tax approved by voters, and recommends
proposed expenditures to City Council.
The Committee consists of three voting members from each
of the three existing Policing Districts of the City,
for a total of nine voting members. There are also ex-officio
members representing the various recognized municipal
employee bargaining units. |

Applicants must be registered to vote
in the City of Merced and reside in the Central Police
District, an area located between Bear Creek and Highway
99. A map is available at the City Clerk’s Office
or at www.cityofmerced.org.
Applications are available at the City Clerk’s Office,
678 W. 18th Street, Merced, www.cityofmerced.org
or by calling 388-7100. The deadline for applications
is 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 3. |
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June 16,
2009
The G Street/BNSF Railroad
Undercrossing
The G Street/BNSF Railroad Undercrossing
Citizens' Advisory Committee for the City of Merced will
meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18 in the Senior Center
Conference Room, 755 W. 15th St. The meeting is open to
the public. |

The committee will review project design
elements such as fencing, landscaping, railings, lighting
and walls for the planned undercrossing.
The agenda and background material for the meeting is
online at www.cityofmerced.org. Look under Public Information.
|
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June 15, 2009
David Gonzalves
named Development Services Director
Acting Director of Development Services
David Gonzalves has been appointed permanently to the
position by City Manager John Bramble. Gonzalves, 43,
has been serving as the acting director since July 2008.
The position had been previously held by Jack Lesch, who
retired from the City last year.
As the Director of Development Services, Gonzalves will
oversee the operations of the Planning Department, Inspection
Services, Engineering Department, Housing Department and
Code Enforcement. The position pays $113,181 a year.
“Dave has the experience, education and talent to
lead the Development Services Department through these
challenging times,” said City Manager John Bramble.
“Dave will work well with his staff, the public
and the building community to make sure Merced continues
to be an excellent place to live, work and raise a family.”
Gonzalves’ appointment comes as the City is updating
its General Plan, bringing the Wal-Mart Environmental
Impact Report through the public hearing process and distributing
federal stimulus funds that are going to housing and homeless
programs.
Gonzalves was hired in December 2007 to serve as the City’s
Chief Building Official after 17 years of working for
Merced County. As the City’s chief building official
he supervised the staff handling building, zoning, plan
checking and Code Enforcement. |

When he left the County, Gonzalves was
the assistant director of the Planning Department. He
started at the County as a fire prevention technician
in January 1991. He became a building inspector and then
served as the supervising building inspector for a decade.
A Merced High graduate, Gonzalves holds an associate’s
degree in computer science from Merced College and a bachelor’s
of science degree in Applied Studies from California State
University, Stanislaus.
Gonzalves is married to Jacqueline Laura. A Merced native,
he enjoys water and snow skiing, golf, fishing, hunting
and NASCAR races.
|
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| June
15, 2009
Valley foreclosure and
economic crisis receive Financial Services Committee hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Cardoza
said today that his economic disaster legislation, and
issues related to the dire economic situation of the Central
Valley, will receive a hearing in the House Financial
Services Committee. Cardoza said Chairman Barney Frank
has scheduled his legislation for a hearing at 1 p.m.
on Friday, June 19. Chairman Frank made the announcement
following a recent meeting between top Democratic leaders
and U.S. Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan.
The meeting was conducted specifically at the request
of Congressman Cardoza. Among those present from the leadership
were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader
Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip James Clyburn and several representatives
of the U.S. Treasury Department.
"I have continued to fight for the San Joaquin Valley,"
said Congressman Cardoza. "The meeting was productive.
I thank Chairman Frank's assurance that the legislation
will receive a hearing, which is among the most crucial
steps in advancing legislation in Congress."
Cities in the central part of the San Joaquin Valley have
had the highest rates in the nation for foreclosures and
unemployment since the recession began. |

Congressman Cardoza has introduced legislation
that would reduce mortgage payments to below-market rates,
for fixed terms, for all qualified homeowners. He has
also proposed legislation that would establish economic
disaster areas, a means of directing federal resources
to communities hardest hit by the recession.
"We are one step closer to seeing the relief we deserve
in the Valley," said Congressman Cardoza.
Other California Representatives present for the Thursday
leadership meeting were Maxine Waters, Chairwoman of the
Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community
Opportunity; George Miller, Chairman of the House Democratic
Policy Committee and Xavier Becerra, who serves as Vice
Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. |
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June 15, 2009
Atwater FFA Leadership
Prepares For “Amazing” 2009-2010
“Atwater FFA – Where Amazing
Happens” is geared as the 2009-2010 Atwater FFA
theme as advisors and chapter officers gathered this past
weekend at Lake McClure for the annual Chapter Officer
Leadership Retreat. The primary goals of this three day
retreat are to plan the calendar, identify goals to help
strengthen and continue the growth of its members and
program, and strengthen team building skills.
“Our officer team starts the school
year with focus, vision, and enthusiasm in leading their
organization and our students,” said FFA advisor
Beth Knapp. This year’s officer team hopes to encourage
leadership, expand personal success, increase participation
from current members, and strengthen recruitment of new
members. This year’s chapter theme of “Atwater
FFA – Where Amazing Happens” reflects the
continued growth, expansion, and productivity of the Atwater
High School Agriculture program, FFA, and the agriculture
students. The officer team is focused on generating enthusiasm
and encouragement in students taking advantage of the
numerous opportunities agriculture and agricultural education
has to offer students in pursuing their personal, educational,
and career goals. “The skills you learn in FFA go
beyond agriculture,” said FFA Chapter President
JD Brownwood, “We have an exciting school year ahead
of us and we’re looking forward to getting our chapter
members enthused and involved.”
Some of the highlighted goals for the
2009-20010 FFA school year include the completion, expansion
and renovation of the agriculture shops and classrooms.
“We have numerous opportunities and resources thanks
in part to the continued support of our school administration,
school district, and our community in strengthening and
developing student skills in our agriculture pathways.”
said agriculture mechanics instructor Sam Meredith.
The new officer team is very excited
and ready for the challenges that the 2009-2010 school
year holds for them. This year’s officer team includes,
JD Brownwood, President; Lilly Reyes , Vice President;
Laura Gonzalez , Secretary, Collette Wilcox, Treasurer;
Mekayla Coughran, Reporter; Jackie Vasquez , Sentinel,
and Stefani Dias , Historian. Atwater FFA also has students
representing the Merced-Mariposa FFA Section as sectional
FFA officers with Terilyn Bettencourt serving as sectional
President and Nikki Schiber as sectional Secretary.
For more information on the Atwater High
School Agriculture Department and highlights of this event,
please log onto the Atwater FFA website at www.AtwaterFFA.org.
Written by: Mekayla Coughran, Atwater
FFA Reporter
Photo by: Dave Gossman, Instructor / FFA Advisor |

The 2009-2010 Atwater FFA Chapter and
Sectional Officer Team of (bottom) Lilly Reyes, Collette
Wilcox, Stefani Dias, JD Brownwood, (middle) Terilyn
Bettencourt, Laura Gonzalez, Nikki Schiber, (top) Jackie
Vasquez, and Mekayla Coughran.
The 2009-2010 Atwater FFA Chapter and
Sectional Officer Team of Laura Gonzalez, Lilly Reyes,
Collette Wilcox, JD Brownwood, Nikki Schiber, Stefani
Dias, Mekayla Coughran, Jackie Vasquez, and Terilyn
Bettencourt.
Jackie Vasquez, Mekayla Coughran, Collette
Wilcox, and JD Brownwood work together in a leadership
team building activity.
Laura Gonzalez and Stefani Dias take
a break from the retreat with an afternoon inner tube
run on Lake McClure.
|
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June 13,
2009
Public
Hearing on the 2009-10 Budget
The Merced City Council will conduct
a public hearing on the 2009-10 budget Monday, June 15.
The City's general fund budget has declined by $12 percent
this year. reflecting changes in the national and local
economy. To make up the difference, more than 75 jobs
have been eliminated or frozen, and 14 staff members are
scheduled to be laid off. Departments have cut their budgets
by 12 to 15 percent to deal with the decline in revenues.
A public hearing also will be held on the budgets for
City maintenance district. |

Also on the agenda are reports on an
appeal of interest and penalties by owners of the Ramada
Inn, an update on the G Street and Bellevue Road landscaping
and awarding a $1.8 million bid for resurfacing Olive
Avenue from Highway 59 to G Street.
The Council meets at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers
on the second floor of the Merced Civic Center, 678 W.
18th St.
The complete agenda and support material is on the City's
web site at www.cityofmerced.org and a copy is available
for review outside the Council chambers prior to the meeting. |
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| June
12, 2009
USDA announces first exports
under dairy incentive program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Cardoza
announced today that the US Department of Agriculture
has accepted the first bid for the recently activated
Dairy Export Incentive Program.
The DEIP program was activated in May with the Congressman's
strong support and following several conversations with
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. It removes surplus
dairy products from the national supply by subsidizing
dairy exports. The program is expected to help dairy operators
who have struggled with increased operating costs in recent
months.
The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation today accepted
four nonfat dry milk bids for export to Asia and the former
Soviet Union. The award totaled 6,550 metric tons of nonfat
dry milk. |

"I am pleased to see this program
is now beginning to be implemented," said Congressman
Cardoza, who chairs the subcommittee on Horticulture and
Organic Agriculture. "I will continue to provide
all the support I can to our Valley agriculture interests."
In the past year, dairy operators in the San Joaquin Valley
have been hard hit by falling milk prices and escalating
operating costs. Many had specifically requested that
the USDA activate the far-reaching DEIP. |
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| June
11, 2009
Deadline For Most Fair
Entries is June 18
MERCED – Time is running out if
you want to be a part of the 2009 Merced County Fair,
the county’s biggest annual event.
Don’t miss out on the fun of searching the exhibits
for your entries on display and counting up those red,
white and blue ribbons. The deadline for most entries
is Thursday, June 18.
This year’s theme, “Catch The Buzz,”
puts the spotlight on bees, one of the county’s
top ag products. Many of the entry divisions from fine
arts to special “day of” cooking contests
include a class for exhibitors to create an entry inspired
by the fair’s bee theme. The 118th Fair, sponsored
by the 35th District Agricultural Association, is July
21-26.
The 2009 Merced County Fair Exhibitors’ handbooks
include all entry forms and are available online at www.MercedCountyFair.com
or can be picked up at the fair office, 900 Martin Luther
King. Jr. Way. Office hours are weekdays from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m.
The free 79-page handbook contains everything you need
to know with easy-to-follow instructions on how to submit
entries in all the fair’s divisions and categories
including fruit and nut crops, holiday decorations, wind
chimes, hanging plants, tricks with a mix recipe contest,
fabric painting, dehydrated foods, jewelry, collections,
paper airplanes and woodworking.
|

Fair organizers are especially interested
in increasing the number of ceramics, photography and
painting entries in both the senior and junior categories
to exhibit at the fair.
From arts and crafts created with recycled materials
like light bulbs to a commodities mural competition
with a $150 first prize, the Exhibitors’ Handbook
is buzzing with something for everyone.
Take a look around your home and yard and you’ll
find plenty of possible entries such as color photos,
Lego models, sports card collections and handmade Christmas
decorations to homemade jam and homegrown fruits and
veggies. Don’t forget to go through the kids’
school arts and crafts projects and select the best
ones to show at the fair.
It doesn’t take much time to submit a few entries
in the fair but the rewards are sweet. Whether you’re
a long-time exhibitor or you’ve never experienced
the buzz you’ll get from exhibiting at the fair,
it’s time to get busy like a bee. Remember, you
can’t win if you don’t enter.
For information, call the fair office at 722-1507, fax
at 722-3773 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com
or go to the 2009 Merced County Fair’s website,
www.MercedCountyFair.com
|
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June 11,
2009
Merced Theatre listed on
National Register
The Merced Theatre has been listed on
the National Register of Historic Places by the National
Park Service. The Theatre has been a Downtown landmark
since it opened October 31, 1931 with Joe E. Brown starring
in “Local Boy Makes Good.”
Being listed on the National Register highlights the historic
significance of the Merced Theatre, helps preservation
efforts and also makes it eligible for grants to refurbish
the building.
The Theatre was designed by James and Merritt Reid, two
San Francisco-based architects who built a number of theaters
in the Bay Area, including the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland
and the Balboa Theatre in San Francisco. The brothers
also designed the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego and
the Fairmont Hotel and the Cliff House in San Francisco.
The Merced Theatre could have been the last designed by
the Reid Brothers because Merritt died three months after
the theater opened and James retired. The Merced Theatre
was their only theater project in the Central Valley.
Inside the Theatre, patrons were transported to a Spanish
castle courtyard, with blue skies and a cloud machine.
There were elegant box seats overlooking the stage, and
turrets and spires adding to the motif.
When the Theatre opened it was the first air conditioned
building in Merced County and could hold 1,645 people,
about a quarter of the City’s population.
|

For decades it served as a movie theater,
graduation auditorium and concert hall for the community.
In 1978 it was purchased by United Artists, who gutted
the interior of its handcrafted embellishments and turned
the stately structure into a four-plex.
The Theatre closed in 2002 and was purchased by the City
of Merced Redevelopment Agency. It is currently being
restored to its original glory through grants, RDA funds
and fundraising efforts by the Merced Theatre Foundation.
The Theatre was listed on the Register on May 1, and it
was announced by the National Park Service on June 5.
The Merced Theatre joins a number of other buildings in
Merced on the Register: The Merced County Courthouse,
the Bell Station Post Office, the Greenbrier House, the
Queen Anne Inn, the Tioga Hotel, the Merced County High
School and the Bank of Italy (Mondo) Building.
The Theatre Foundation hopes to reopen the Merced Theatre
Oct. 30, 2010, the day before the building’s 79th
anniversary.
For more information on the Merced Theatre go to www.mercedtheatre.org. |
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| June
10, 2009
Whiskey Dawn to Play Merced
Fair
MERCED – Whiskey Dawn, one of California’s
hottest country bands, is opening for American Idol finalist
and country music star, Bucky Covington, at the 2009 Merced
County Fair.
Whiskey Dawn will perform a 20-minute set Saturday, July
25 at 8p.m. before Covington’s 8:30 p.m. concert
in the fairgrounds’ CVC/CVT Outdoor Theatre. Whiskey
Dawn is regularly featured on 101.9 The Wolf, in Sacramento,
and their music can be heard on country radio stations
all over the Golden State. The band released its first
album, “Dear Nashville,” has performed with
Nashville acts including Eric Church and Luke Bryan and
has a full concert schedule.

|

Each night of the fair, July 21-26,
a headline entertainment act will perform at 8:30 p.m.
in the Outdoor Theatre. All concerts are free with the
price of admission. Sawyer Brown, the legendary country
music band, opens the fair Tuesday, July 21; The Beatles
Project, a band that performs The Beatles’ tunes
the way they’d sound today, plays Wednesday, July
22; WAR, the platinum-selling band that combines soul,
Latin rhythms, jazz blues, reggae and rock, entertains
Thursday, July 23. KANSAS With Native Window, will rock
the fairgrounds on Friday, July 24. The 70s band has
claimed a new generation of fans since their classic
mega-hit “Carry On Wayward Son,” is on the
Guitar Hero II XBOX 360/PlayStation 2 game playlist.
Jose Feliciano, the Grammy-winning Latin artist known
for mega-hits including “Light My Fire”
and “Feliz Navidad,” will perform Sunday,
July 26. For information, call the fair office at 722-1507,
fax at 722-3773 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com
or go to the 2009 Merced County Fair’s website,
www.MercedCountyFair.com
|
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| June
10, 2009
More than $15 million in
economic recovery funding flows to the San Joaquin Valley
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Cardoza
announced today that nearly $15.5 million will be spent
on three transportation-related projects for the San Joaquin
Valley and the 18th Congressional District.
"This is yet another step forward in helping to right
our local economy, while also addressing important transportation
projects for our community," said Congressman Cardoza.
* The San Joaquin Regional Transit District will receive
$6.9 million for bus improvements.
* The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission will receive
$2.9 million to rebuild diesel locomotives for the Altamont
Commuter Express train. Additionally, the Commission will
receive $3.1 million to make rail improvements. |

* The Merced County Transit Joint Powers
Authority will receive nearly $2.5 million for bus replacement.
"I have been fighting to ensure the hardest-hit economic
areas, such as the Central Valley, receive the immediate
attention they deserve. I will continue to do all I can
to make sure the Valley's many pressing needs are addressed,"
said Congressman Cardoza. |
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| June
9, 2009
Cardoza, Blue Dogs praise
President Obama's call for return to fiscal health and
PAYGO
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman
Cardoza joined President Obama and fellow fiscally conservative
Blue Dog Democrats at the White House to praise the President
for his commitment to return to PAYGO, a policy during
the 1990s that is credited with reigning in reckless federal
spending and reinstating the first federal budget surplus
since 1969.
"The Blue Dogs have been fighting for many years
to reinstate the proven fiscal tools that were allowed
to expire in 2002," said Congressman Cardoza. "It
is more important than ever that we take action to address
our nation's spiraling deficit and ensure the nation is
on a track toward fiscal health. I could not be more pleased
to hear the President's remarks today and his commitment
to restoring the fiscal discipline that is sorely needed."
PAYGO, or "pay-as-you-go," requires that any
new spending increases or tax cuts are fully paid for.
The United States currently has a deficit of almost $11.4
trillion. Much of the new debt being accumulated is held
by foreign countries, such as China.
Although the House of Representatives
has a rule requiring PAYGO, President Obama today called
on both the House and Senate to pass legislation ensuring
this fiscal tool is a statutory requirement. Under the
President's proposal, in order to spend a dollar, Congress
must offset the cost. |

If at the end of a particular year Congress
has not paid for all the legislation it has enacted, cuts
are automatically triggered from certain mandatory programs.
This is the first piece of legislation that the Obama
Administration has officially transmitted to
Congress, signaling the President's commitment to ending
years of irresponsible fiscal policies.
Congressman Cardoza has long championed the issue of cutting
deficit spending. Along with fellow Blue Dog Democrats,
he has especially called for PAYGO.
"This is a great step toward bringing the country
out of the abyss and putting it back on the road to fiscal
responsibility and recovery," said Congressman Cardoza.
In a meeting following the President's announcement today,
Congressman Cardoza again raised his concerns with senior
White House staff over the economic situation that currently
exists in the San Joaquin Valley, one of the hardest hit
regions in the country. |
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June 8, 2009
Top FFA
Point Winners Go Down River
Twenty-seven Atwater FFA students earned
a trip rafting down the Stanislaus River on June 7th in
recognition of being 2008-2009 Atwater FFA Point Award
winners. The FFA Point Awards system was developed in
order to recognize and award those members who are most
active in various FFA activities throughout the year.
These year’s recipients visited
Knights Ferry and the Sunshine Rafting Adventure Company.
“The river and scenery was awesome!” said
FFA member JD Brownwood, “My favorite part of the
trip was squirting and splashing water on my classmates.”
The trip represented an opportunity for staff and students
to enjoy the year’s end and enjoy each other’s
company on a fun-filled summer day.
“These students represent the ‘cream
of the crop’ within our chapter and it was nice
to reward their efforts and contributions to our program
with this trip,” said FFA advisor Beth Knapp.
Atwater High School students who attended
the 2008-2009 Atwater FFA Point Award trip included Joslyn
Apodaca , Hector Ayala , Terilyn Bettencourt , James Bray
, John Brownwood , Ali Copeland , Mekayla Coughran , Sasha
Delmuro , Stefani Dias , Gilberto Garcia , Laura Gonzalez
, Lauren Navarro , Richard Ornelas , Paul Ortiz , Stephanie
Quintana, Lillana Reyes , Mason Rose , Grant Rose , Nicolette
Schiber , Vannessa Sevilla , Amanda Solis , Mary Thao
, Mai Kia Vang , Jose Vargas , Jackelyn Vasquez , Kia
Vue , and Christina Willman.
For more information on the Atwater High
School Agriculture Department and Atwater FFA, please
log on the website www.AtwaterFFA.org .
Written by: Mekayla Coughran, Atwater
FFA Reporter
Photo by: Dave Gossman, Instructor / FFA Advisor |

Nikki Schiber, Terilyn Bettencourt, Paul
Ortiz, JD Brownwood, Lilly Reyes, and Grant Rose paddle
their way down river.
Nikki Schiber, Jackie Vasquez, Ms. Knapp,
and Sasha Del Muro pause during a shoreline break to
dry off.
Kia Vue, Mai Kia Vang, Mekayla Coughran,
Jackie Vasquez, and Ms. Ioimo get themselves into a
tight situation the river current takes them into a
tree along the shore.
Staff and students of
the Atwater FFA prepare for their raft journey down
the Stanislaus River.
|
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| June
8, 2009
Carnival Rides, Admission
Savings are Sweet
MERCED – Saving money is sweet
and fairgoers can get a honey of a deal by buying 2009
Merced County Fair Carnival ride discount coupons now.
Fairgoers can save big bucks on the fun at the fair’s
Carnival and Kiddieland and on general admission tickets!
Advance sale carnival discount coupons and advance sale
discount general admission tickets are on sale now at
the Merced County Fairgrounds Office and online at the
fair's website, www.MercedCountyFair.com through 5 p.m.
Monday, July 20.

Advance sale carnival discount coupons
and advance sale discount general admission tickets also
are available at the Merced Mall Customer Service Desk
and the tickets will be sold at the Merced Flea Market
on four Saturdays in June and July. The fair is July 21-26.
The 2009 Fair theme is "Catch The Buzz," a celebration
of bees, one of the county's top ag products.
This offer takes a big sting out of the cost of carnival
rides with incredible savings on advance sale carnival
discount coupons. Pay-one-price coupons that can be exchanged
for an unlimited ride wrist wrap any one day of the fair
are available in advance for $23. That’s a giant
savings of $7 per person compared to the cost of pay-one-price
wrist wraps bought after July 20.
Discount general admission tickets (13 years and over)
are just $8, a $2 savings compared to passes purchased
during the fair. There are no discount tickets available
for child admission. Child admission (6 to 12 years) is
$3 and children aged 5 and under get in free to the fair
daily. But buying child admission tickets ahead of time
will save time waiting at the gate.
During the fair, pay-one-price wrist wraps will cost $30
each. The bracelets are good for one day of unlimited
rides, all day, any day of the fair. At fairtime, general
admission tickets (13 years and over) are $10.
Butler Amusements, Inc., the largest carnival company
in the Western United States, will return to the Merced
County Fair again this year. There will be all kinds of
Carnival and Kiddieland fun for fairgoers with more than
30 family and kiddie rides as well as cutting edge attractions.
|

Among the rides scheduled to be at
the fair is the “Wind Surfer.” This cool
ride is the very first of its kind and Butler Amusements
is the first to get one! The Wind Surfer has eight cars,
each with a sail and a two-person capacity seat. Each
wing is controlled by the riders so the seat flies up
and down.
The center of the Wind Surfer tips and lifts to simulate
the swooping action of wind surfing on ocean waves.
“The Viper,” which debuted at the Merced
County Fair in 2008, is back by popular demand. It’s
a colossal ride with a brilliant, green snake theme
that takes up to 24 riders on a whirlwind journey. The
large arm across the top of the ride tilts and spins
and at each end of the giant arm are two clusters holding
two-part seating which spins independently as well.
The open air design allows riders to experience spectacular
twirling views.
Kiddieland -- the new family ride -- one of the rides
that parents and kids may ride together -- is the Balloon
Samba. Manufactured in Italy, this kids’ ride
features brightly lit hot air balloon carriages. The
new ride seats 32 children in 6 air balloons. Fluffy
white cloud cutouts and bright, smiling suns give kids
the illusion of floating in the sky.
The advance sale carnival discount coupons and advance
sale discount general admission tickets are available
at the fair office, 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way,
weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday, July 18
through Monday, July 20, tickets will be sold at the
Fair Office Parking Lot Ticket Booth from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Advance sale carnival discount coupons and advance sale
discount general admission tickets will be sold at The
Merced Flea Market, G Street and Childs Avenue, from
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on four Saturdays: June 27, July 4
and July 11 and July 18. The advance sale carnival discount
coupons and advance sale discount general admission
tickets also are available at Merced Mall, Customer
Service Desk, on Olive Avenue between M and R streets,
daily through July 20. Customer Service Desk hours are
Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday,
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sales at the Merced Flea Market, Fair
Office Parking Lot Ticket Booth and Merced Mall are
cash only. Online sales are credit only. For information,
call the fair office at 722-1507, fax at 722-3773 or
email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com.
Visit the Merced County Fair’s web site, www.MercedCountyFair.com
|
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| June 8,
2009
Business-Education Alliance
of Merced County has Final School Year Meeting at AT&T
The Business-Education Alliance of Merced
County (BEAM) will have its final meeting of the school
year on Thursday, June 11, to plan the next steps in the
partnership that is dedicated to education, workforce
development, and economic growth in Merced County.
BEAM is a long-term effort to help make Merced County
students more competitive in the global economy by being
better qualified for higher paying jobs in industries
the county hopes to attract by starting with a quality
preschool experience.
In October, 2007, BEAM began to build awareness of the
long-term impact of investing in quality early care and
education programs, and has continued to grow community
awareness of the issue. The June 11 meeting will begin
planning BEAM’s goals and direction for the 2009-2010
school year and beyond. BEAM members, which include business
and education leaders from throughout Merced County, are
asked to bring their thinking caps to brainstorm what
they want BEAM to achieve? |

Sheilon King-Brock, director of customer
care at AT&T in Atwater, and BEAM’s new business
co-chair, will host the event at the AT&T Call Center,
1920 Customer Care Way, at Castle Airport, Aviation and
Development Center.
The meeting begins with a hosted lunch at 11:45 a.m. There
will also be a tour of the AT&T Call Center after
the meeting.
For more information on how you can adopt a preschool,
or about BEAM, call Carol Greenberg at (209) 201-2590.
|
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| June
8, 2009
Community banks receive
additional support under new Cardoza legislation
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Cardoza
introduced legislation today that aims to assist the nation's
community banks, ensuring they continue to play a role
in the nation's economic recovery. Specifically, the legislation
would establish the position of Assistant Secretary for
Community Financial Institutions at the U.S. Treasury.
More than 7,500 community banks across the nation account
for more than $2 trillion in Americans' bank accounts.
Recent reports by the FDIC indicate that even when the
biggest banks have stopped lending, community banks have
seen an increase in their loans.
"Community banks provide a critical service in our
nation's cities and towns. Despite their importance, smaller
banking institutions have been subjected to the same far-reaching
provisions that larger banks have been subjected to,"
said Congressman Cardoza.
|

"We must provide these banks with
equal support and afford them special consideration for
their unique role when devising national policies and
programs."
Congressman Cardoza's legislation was introduced as the
Administrative Support and Oversight for Community Financial
Institutions Act of 2009.The legislation would also establish
an Ombudsman Office for Community Financial Institutions
at the Treasury, helping smaller institutions navigate
complicated federal programs. |
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June 8, 2009
Message
from Jeff
The latest state budget
deficit figure is $24.3 billion. We are now at a dead
end and there is no more road to kick the budget-deficit
can down.
For years, I and others have warned that you can't keep
passing unbalanced budgets. This fiscal crisis was predictable.
It was also preventable.
We need to balance this budget without another tax hike
– that's the clear message from the voters.
This disaster should ignite massive action to immediately
implement real structural budget reform and significantly
streamline government.
The state needs to shed billions of dollars of underutilized
and mismanaged properties and dump wasteful boards and
commissions before considering cutting education or other
vital state services.
In the Regular Legislative Session, I introduced Senate
Bill 44, which would have abolished the Integrated Waste
Management Board (IWMB). That bill was killed in Senate
Environmental Quality Committee, so in May, I began the
process to introduce legislation in the 3rd Extraordinary
Legislative Session to eliminate the IWMB.
Outdated and unneeded state properties that need to be
sold include San Quentin Prison, the Los Angeles Coliseum
and properties such as the UC's vacation villas in Hawaii
and Tahiti.
And we also need to evaluate the over 10 million acres
of property and the 22,000-plus structures the state owns
and sell those the state can't justify. If it doesn't
benefit the state, then the state shouldn't own it.
In addition, we need to prove the worth of government
departments and programs – not only their existence,
but the number of employees they have as well as the salaries
that they are paid. Do we need to have a UC president
making $800,000 a year and chancellors who are making
$400,000-plus per year?
These are just a few of the reforms that we need to enact
right now to get California out of this vicious deficit
cycle.
In Case You Missed Jeff in the News
Denham on Fox Business Network
If you missed Fox Business Network's interview May 13th
with Jeff on his legislation to sell San Quentin State
Prison, you can watch it online by clicking here.
Los Angeles Times Editorial: "Sell San Quentin"
To read the LA Times editorial in favor of Jeff legislation
to selling San Quentin, click here.
Denham Addresses Water Rally
In May, Jeff attended the Association of California Water
Agencies (ACWA) Rally in Sacramento. He spoke to hundreds
of local water leaders and stakeholders gathered on the
steps of the State Capitol who were calling for action
on long-term solutions to the state's water crisis.
As California faces its third consecutive dry year, Jeff
stressed the need for the state to invest in water storage
and to make water for families, farmers and workers a
priority.
Crime Victims Honor Denham as Legislator of the
Year
The Crime Victims Assistance Network (iCAN) Foundation
honored Senator Jeff Denham as its "2009 Legislator
of the Year" at iCAN's annual fundraiser and awards
ceremony in Old Sacramento on May 27.
"We are honoring Senator Denham as our 'Legislator
of the Year' for taking on a cause that is very important
to us; the California Board of Parole Hearings,"
said Christine Ward, director of the iCAN Foundation and
the Crime Victims Action Alliance. "Senator Denham
recognizes the importance of having competent Board of
Parole Hearings commissioners that are able to identify
those inmates suitable for release, as well as those who
were simply saying what they want to hear – talking
the talk, but not walking the walk."
"I am very proud to receive this award," said
Denham. "I will continue to carefully review the
record of every Board of Parole Hearings commissioner
up for confirmation to help ensure criminals who are a
threat to public safety are not released from prison.
"
Denham is also carrying legislation this year (Senate
Bill 440) that the Crime Victims Action Alliance is sponsoring.
SB 440 would upgrade several felonies to serious or violent
status or both, including, stalking, human trafficking
and child abuse likely to produce great bodily harm or
death. |

Disabled Veterans
Honor Denham with the 'Freedom Fighter' Award
In May, the California Disabled Veteran Business Alliance
(CADVBE) honored Jeff with its Freedom Fighter Award
at the 17th Annual Keeping the Promise (KTP2009) Conference
and Exposition in Anaheim, CA.
"Senator Denham served as a patriot and recognizes
the tough issues that we face and understands entrepreneurship
is a method to rehabilitate and integrate disabled veterans
back into their local communities," said CADVBE
Executive Director Rich Dryden. "He is fighting
to ensure the State of California is keeping its promise
to disabled veteran business enterprises. That is why
we are very proud to present our Freedom Fighter Award
to Senator Denham this year."
Every year, the CADVBE recognizes a proponent of veterans'
and disabled veterans' issues.
"I am extremely proud to be honored by California's
disabled veterans," said Jeff, who chairs the Senate
Veterans Affairs Committee and is a 16-year U.S. Air
Force veteran. "The men and women who served this
country to protect our freedom deserve access to education,
training, jobs and business opportunities."
Denham Honors
Wilkey Sheet Metal as 'Small Business of the Year'
Jeff presents a resolution to (right to left) Jack and
Pat Wilkey (with their son Donald) of Wilkey Sheet Metal
honoring their company as the 'Small Business of the
Year' for the 12th Senate District.
Jeff Denham (R-Merced) honored Wilkey Sheet Metal, Incorporated
of Turlock as the 12th Senate District Small Business
of the Year during California Small Business Day May
26 on the Senate Floor at the State Capitol.
"Wilkey Sheet Metal's unrelenting commitment to
the City of Turlock and Stanislaus County, and generous
support and community involvement, make this company
the perfect choice for the 12th District Small Business
of the Year award," said Denham.
Jack and Pat Wilkey founded Wilkey Sheet Metal in 1993.
The family owned-and operated business has 45 employees
and serves the agricultural and industrial industries.
"This is a very unexpected honor," said Pat
Wilkey.
California Small Business Day celebrates the contribution
small business provides through creation of jobs and
growth for the California economy.
June Schedule Highlights
June 8, Noon - Senate Floor Session
June 8, 4:00 p.m. - Senate Climate Change Committee
Hearing, State Capitol, Room 112
June 9, 9:30 a.m. - Senate Governmental Organization
Committee State Capitol, Room 4203
June 9, 1:30 p.m. - Senate Veterans Affairs Committee,
Informational Hearing on Health Care Assistance for
Returning Veterans, State Capitol, Room 2040
June 11, 9:00 a.m. - Senate Floor Session
June 15, Noon - Senate Floor Session
June 18, 9:00 a.m. - Senate Floor Session
June 22, Noon - Senate Floor Session
June 23, 9:30 a.m. - Senate Governmental Organization
Committee, State Capitol, Room 4203
June 24, 9:00 a.m. - SB 644 (Preference Points for State
Testing Vets), Hearing in Assembly PERS Committee, State
Capitol, Room 444
June 25, 9:00 a.m. - Senate Floor Session
June 29, Noon - Senate Floor Session
|
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| June 6,
2009
Head Start Participates
in USDA’s Free and Reduced Lunch Program
Merced County’s Head Start participates
in the United States Department of Agriculture’s
Child Care Food Program. The program is available, without
charge, to all eligible Head Start participants.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all of its programs and activities on
the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion,
age, disability or political beliefs. Persons with disabilities
who require alternate means for USDA communications or
program information (Braille, audio tapes, etc.) should
contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600.
|

To file a complaint of discrimination,
write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)
795-3272 or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity
provider and employer.
For more information on the program, contact Merced County
Head Start, 2926 G Street, Suite 201, Merced, CA 95340
or call (209) 723-4771.
|
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| June 5,
2009
Merced High School FHA-HERO
Students Win Awards
Merced High School students took home
several awards for the California Association FHA-HERO.
The competition was held at Buhach Colony High School
on February 7, 2009.
FHA-HERO is a career-technical student organization for
Home Economics Careers and Technology students in junior
and senior high schools or regional occupational centers
or programs (ROCP). The state association is also affiliated
at the national level with Family, Career and Community
Leaders of America (FCCLA).
The goal of FHA-HERO is to help youth assume their roles
in society through home economics careers and technology
education in the areas of personal growth, family life,
career preparation and community involvement.
|

WINNERS:
Fashion Design
1st place — May Saeturn – 12th grade
2nd place —Youa Moua – 12th grade
Child Development
2nd place — Margaret Xiong – 12th grade
Environmental Conservation
1st place — Stacy Saeturn – 11th grade and
Crystal Martinez – 12th grade
Apparel Construction
4th place — Lee Vang – 12th grade |
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| June
4, 2009
Reps. Cardoza
and Costa Shoot Down Biological Opinion on The Central
Valley Water Project And State Water Project
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the National
Marine Fisheries Service finalized a biological opinion
on the Central Valley Water Project and State Water Project.
The opinion stated fish populations are in jeopardy without
swift modifications to the Central Valley and State Water
Projects. Following this release, Congressmen Dennis Cardoza
(D-Merced) and Jim Costa (D-Fresno) released the following
statements.
"Today we are one significant step closer to importing
foreign produce to feed the United States," said
Congressman Cardoza. "We cannot solve the challenges
of the Delta ecosystem by continuing to curtail pumping.
This biological opinion is significantly skewed because
it only examines the pumps as a single factor in the issues
surrounding the Delta ecosystem. We are long overdue for
a study that examines all of the various issues affecting
the Delta, such as non-native fish that are predators
of endangered species, climate change, and pollution such
as discharged wastewater. It is imperative we undertake
a complete study that identifies all of these factors
and then set policy according to a complete set of data.
To continue to curtail pumping prevents a true solution."
Congressman Cardoza also added, "At the same time,
we cannot overlook the economic implications to the Valley.
We have an average unemployment rate hovering near 20
percent. This is one more strike in what is an economic
disaster for my constituents."
"This decision is unwise, and will
have very serious implications for Valley farmers and
communities," said Costa. "Factors leading to
the decline of the Delta can be attributed to a variety
of factors, including tertiary treatment from sewage facilities
in the Sacramento and Stockton area which cause ammonia
to drain into the Delta, over 1,600 private pumps in the
Delta diverting water without screens, non-point source
pollution from the surrounding urban areas, striped bass
and other invasive species. |

Our state's agricultural community cannot
bear the entire brunt of this multifaceted problem. They
are always the first to suffer when environmental opinions
are released or implemented. I believe that the Delta
does need restoration, but not at the expense of agriculture,
and especially my constituents."
The opinion stated that the current pumping operations
in the Central Valley Project and the California State
Water Project should be changed to increase the long-term
survival of winter and spring-run Chinook salmon, steelhead,
the North American green sturgeon and Southern Resident
killer whales. The whales rely on Chinook salmon runs
for food.
Recommended changes in water operations will impact an
estimated five to seven percent of the available annual
water moved by the federal and state pumps, or an estimated
330,000 acre feet per year. These changes
come on top of water cuts to Valley farmers and cities
this year, which have had major negative impacts on the
San Joaquin Valley's economy.
Dr. Ian Fleming stated in a peer review of the biological
opinion that some of the analyses would "benefit
from more explicit attention" which includes "the
additive nature of stressors and non-linear responses."
Cardoza and Costa believe this includes the major other
factors that are contributing to the decline of Delta
health. |
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June 3, 2009
Joshua Pedrozo
announces his candidacy
for the Merced City Council
Joshua Pedrozo today announced his
candidacy for the Merced City Council.
"When I look at the state of our city I am excited
as to the possiblities that we as a community have in
front of us.Being born and raised in Merced I always
knew that this is where I wanted to start a family and
make a difference in the community by going into public
service, and giving back to a community that gave me
so much."
|

Joshua Pedrozo and his wife Heidi |
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| June
3, 2009
FREE SUMMER
LUNCHES AVAILABLE TO ALL KIDS 2 – 18 YEARS OF AGE
Winton- The Winton School District is
pleased to announce that they will again be participating
in the Summer Food Service Program from June 15 –
July 16, 2009 (with the exception of July 3). The Summer
Food Service Program is a federally funded program of
the United States Department of Agriculture. This Program
provides all children 18 years of age and under with the
same free meal in accordance with a menu approved by the
state agency regardless of race, color, national origin,
sex, disability or age. Location and hours listed below.
For further information please contact Cynthia Stanford,
Food Service Director- Winton School District at 357-6585.
Feeding sites are:
Winfield Elementary School
6981 Chestnut Lane
Winton, CA 95388
Lunch Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. |
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June 2, 2009
Mariposa County Chamber
of Commerce Golf Scramble fundraiser wrap up...
The 2nd Annual Gold Rush Golf Scramble,
sponsored by Greeley Hill Market, was played the afternoon
of May the fifteenth at the Lake Don Pedro Golf and Country
Club. The course, nestled in the foothills of Gold Country,
provided the 16 teams a challenging and fun-filled day
of golf under beautiful blue skies while raising funds
for local non-profit organizations. One such organization
is Mariposa County Fire stations 24, 26, and 31.
Upon arrival to the splendor that is the Lake Don Pedro
Golf and Country Club, players, supporters, families and
friends were greeted in the cavernous main lobby where
pleasantries and golfers handicaps were exchanged with
Chamber President Maryann Huff, Chamber Executive Director
Peter Schimmelfennig, Golf Committee Chair Debbie Cook
and a bevy of other chamber supporters.
Mulligan's (a golfer's do over of flubbed shots) and other
extra games were available for a modest fee, all in the
name of fun and fundraising. The Gold Rush Scramble used
a shotgun style where each team is sent to a different
hole to tee off. Players received the green light to begin
play promptly at 1:00 pm by club pro Bill Cloud and the
festivities began.
Coldwell Banker agents Berit Brown and Kim Medeiros officiated
the Vegas hole game where a balls proximity to the hole
resulted in a cash prize. Hole #14 paid $15,000 to the
first person to hit a hole-in -one during the tournament.
A Hole-in-one on the Huff Electric sponsored hole nine
would garner a $250 pro shop gift certificate. And nothing
happens in Don Pedro without a coyote of some kind, so
yes, the Coyote Howl Committee sponsored the Coyote Howl
hole on tee #9 before the tournament offering golfers
a chance for dinner tickets to the Coyote Howl Dinner
Dance.
After the tournament, golfers gathered for dinner in the
windowed dining area overlooking the course The award's
banquet dinner sponsor, A1 Concrete's Frank Shannon, welcomed
Executive Chef Brian Krediet who prepared Barbequed Tri-Tip
with a honey mustard sauce, and a citrus marinated chicken
breast for the 90 plus guests.
During dinner, guests were encouraged to browse the many
raffle and live auction items and were given the opportunity
to purchase raffle and 50/50 drawing tickets. Peter Schimmelfennig
, the evening auctioneer, caused a moment of bidding frenzy,
as he and firefighter Debbie Cook unraveled a roll of
raffle tickets as they pranced around the room goading
bidders to ever-higher levels. The excitement peaked with
a bidding war between Greeley Hill Markets' Jesse Figueroa
and Bill Bailey from Allied Auto & AC Delco "This
is all about raising funds" Huff shouted excitedly
as she accepted a personal commitment from Bill Bailey
for his $500.00 winning bid. Bailey is a constant supporter
of our area and can be found at many community events.
Maryann Huff awarded Bill the prestigious chamber trophy
topped with a Santa Clause. "Bill is our Santa Clause
for all seasons" Bill graciously accepted his trophy
and to the laughing crowd stated simply, "Thank you,
but I couldn't let Jesse beat me." |

The evening ended with guest casting
a vote for this year's recipients of a portion of the
funds raised. While Mariposa County Fire was the major
recipient, the chamber invited North side clubs and organizations
to submit a short essay explaining why their group should
benefit from this fundraiser. The guests read these essays
during dinner and Schimmelfennig, with his official clap
meter, lead the room in a clap off to identify a
winner. The Shindig Committee won 1st place, leaving the
Community Connection and the Northern Mariposa County
History Center tied for 2nd place.
The Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce would like to
invite these groups to attend the Coulterville Fire Brigade
40th Annual Deep Pit BBQ on July 4th, in Coulterville
Park, noon to 6 p.m. In the afternoon, around 4 p.m. the
Chamber will present the checks from the golf tournament
to the individual organizations. Until then the amounts
shall remain veiled in secrecy. So plan on attending to
find out firsthand how much the Mariposa County Chamber
of Commerce's 2nd Annual Gold Rush Scramble will give
to these community-based organizations.
Congratulations to this year's trophy winners: First Place
went to Harrison Rector, Mitchel Domingos, Troy Trigo,
Paul Stone. Second Place was won by Greg Crane, Bob Perez,
Marta Hetz, Marilyn Bestion. Third Place to Matt Foraker,
Roger Brunelle, Marc Fossum, Paul Peiretti.
Special thanks to Debbie Cook as Golf Committee chairman
for her tireless all out effort to make this event a true
success. Thanks to our sponsors Greeley Hill Market, A1
Concrete, Huff Electric, Tri-County Realty, Yosemite Bank,
Coldwell Banker Premier Real Estate, Kellogs Supply, Mercy
Medical Transportation, Lyle & Suzanne Turpin, JL
Bustos, DDS, Inter-County Title, Granite Dell Gardens,
Coldwell Banker Mountain Leisure Properties, Lyon Towing,
San Joaquin Drug, Merced Ranch Supply, Coulterville Community
Club, Richesin Iron works, Napa Auto Parts, Black Oak
Casino, Guaranty Bank, Del Taco, Don Epps Concrete, Historic
Hotel Jeffery, Pioneer Market, Foothill Express, Merced
Elks Lodge #1240, River Rock Inn, Fosters True Value,
Northside Signs, Kautz Family Vineyards, Pitco Foods,
Chocolate Soup, Mariposa Brewing Company and Steve Cook.
Special thanks also go out to our volunteers Michelle
Turpin, Michele Sliker, Sandra Richesin, Joy Kitchel,
Mylynda Morey, Caprice Epps, Mary Ann Avalos, Kathleen
Love, Berit Brown and her daughter Hanna.
Thanks to Lake Don Pedro Golf and Country Club General
Manager CoralainePorter, Pro- Shop Manager Martha Hetz,
Course Pro Bill Cloud and the extraordinary staff members
whose contributions made this a first rate event. Thanks
again from the Chamber. |
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June 1,
2009
Merced Police Chief Russ
Thomas is retiring from the force
City Manager John Bramble has announced
that Merced Police Chief Russ Thomas is retiring from
the force. Chief Thomas was hired on March 31, 2006.
“It is with deep regret that I
announce the retirement of Police Chief Russ Thomas. In
his 3 ½ years in Merced he has done an exceptional
job guiding, molding and shaping his department into a
law enforcement agency that is well-suited to deal with
the public safety issues of the 21st Century.
“Russ Thomas worked hard to increase the educational
and management skills of the Department staff. The chief
helped the Department focus on Community Oriented Policing
and become customer service oriented. As staffing levels
rose, Chief Thomas made sure that the new members of the
Department had the training and equipment necessary to
safely patrol our streets. |

“The Chief will take advantage
of the City’s “Golden Handshake” early
retirement program that will save additional police positions
and allow for some restructuring of the management staff.
He has agreed to be available to the City after his July
17 retirement to assist us while we recruit a new chief.
A decision on the recruitment process has not been made
at this time.
“While we are sorry the Chief is leaving, he leaves
behind a legacy of positive policing, excellent morale
and thorough training. The Chief’s fingerprints
will remain on the Department for decades,” Bramble
said. |
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| May
29, 2009
Student of Stockton's Webber
Institute named winner of Congressional art competition
WASHINGTON, DC - Liliana Nunez, a junior
at the Webber Institute of Stockton, has been named as
the winner of the 18th Congressional District's Annual
Art Competition.
Her acrylic painting, titled "Purple Mist,"
depicts Stockton's famed waterfront and recreation area.
It was selected as the winner by a panel of judges convened
by Congressman Cardoza that included professional artists
and gallery curators.
The painting will be displayed for one year in the frequently
used tunnel space between the U.S. Capitol and the Cannon
House Office Building in Washington, D.C. The impressive
annual exhibit represents the combined efforts of Members
of Congress, students, and teachers who encourage their
students to enter the competition.
|

The winner from each Congressional District
is invited to a Capitol Hill reception in July that highlights
their accomplishments in conjunction with the hanging
of their artwork.
"I am pleased to congratulate Liliana and recognize
all of her hard work," said Congressman Cardoza.
"My office received a significant number of entries.
I know that the judges had a difficult time selecting
a winner from such quality work. I appreciate all of the
participation from our community's young artists."
|
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| May
28, 2009
Congressman Cardoza urges
VA Secretary to address GI Bill benefits for California
veterans
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Cardoza
has joined several of his colleagues in requesting that
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs personally intervene
in a matter that is keeping some California veterans from
using their GI Bill college tuition benefits at private
colleges. At issue is a dispute over the meaning of the
words “tuition” and “fees.”
In 2008, Congress passed the GI Bill for the 21st Century.
Under the expanded GI bill, private colleges within a
state are to be reimbursed at the highest in-state rate
of tuition charged at public colleges.
However, the State of California does not charge “tuition”
for public colleges; it instead charges “fees.”
The VA has made a narrow, literal interpretation and determined
that “tuition” and “fees” are
different. As a result, and because of its narrow definitions,
the VA has determined that California public colleges
do not charge “tuition.” As such the VA will
not reimburse private colleges through the GI Bill, meaning
California veterans are having to forgo their GI Bill
benefits at private institutions.
Congressman Cardoza raised the issue with 15 other California
Congressional members in the letter to VA Secretary Eric
Shinseki. The letter requests that the Secretary immediately
resolve the matter, noting that veterans are already being
denied their benefits.
“When I and other members of Congress passed the
new GI Bill, our intent was to increase the assistance
to veterans and service members seeking to further their
education, not to have these new benefits stuck in a morass
of bureaucratic red tape,” said Congressman Cardoza.
“The fact that veterans attending private colleges
are not able to use the tuition benefit they are entitled
to flies directly in the face of the expanded GI Bill’s
intent and is an insult to the service they provided for
our country. Frankly, this is government at its worst.”
Congressman Cardoza has also co-sponsored a bill seeking
a legislative fix, and is working with Democratic leadership
and the California congressional delegation on ways to
resolve this matter as quickly as possible.
The text of the letter is as follows:
The Honorable Eric Shinseki Secretary U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20420
Dear Secretary Shinseki:
It has come to our attention that California veterans
seeking reimbursement from the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) for tuition at private universities as part
of the Post-9/11 GI Bill will not be reimbursed at all
and are in effect denied for such benefits. However these
benefits will be afforded to all other eligible veterans
in every state but California.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill requires the VA to pay each veteran's
private university tuition based on the highest in-state
undergraduate tuition rate at a state operated school
in the state of enrollment. The State of California is
constitutionally barred from using the word “tuition”
and instead uses the word “fees” to describe
the cost of matriculation at public universities. It is
reasonable to assume that these two words are interchangeable.
Unfortunately, based on this simple semantic difference,
the VA has determined that since California does not use
the literal term “tuition,” the state has
a $0.00 level of reimbursement for tuition claims at private
universities. As such, our veterans will be denied these
critical benefits, and put at a great disadvantage in
comparison to veterans in other states. |

Please understand that the denial of
such benefits to California veterans was most certainly
not the intent of Congress when passing this landmark
legislation. As you know, more veterans reside in California
than any other state in the country; the denial of benefits
to them due to word choice is unacceptable and will have
real consequence on the effectiveness and success of the
overall program.
We ask that you personally intervene to ensure the VA
resolves this issue as soon as possible, since veterans
in California seeking reimbursement for these critical
benefits are already being denied. We look forward to
your quick response and the speedy resolution of this
issue.
Sincerely,
MIKE THOMPSON
Member of Congress
HOWARD BERMAN
Member of Congress
MARY BONO MACK
Member of Congress
LOIS CAPPS
Member of Congress
DENNIS CARDOZA
Member of Congress
SUSAN DAVIS
Member of Congress
DARRELL ISSA
Member of Congress
DORIS MATSUI
Member of Congress
HOWARD “BUCK” McKEON
Member of Congress
GARY MILLER
Member of Congress
GEORGE MILLER
Member of Congress
DEVIN NUNES
Member of Congress
DANA ROHRBACHER
Member of Congress
LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD
Member of Congress
HENRY WAXMAN
Member of Congress
LYNN WOOLSEY
Member of Congress |
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| May
27, 2009
Jose Feliciano to Perform
at Merced Fair
MERCED -- Jose Feliciano, the Grammy-winning
Latin artist known for mega-hits including “Light
My Fire” and “Feliz Navidad,” will perform
Sunday, July 26, wrapping up six nights of headline entertainment
at the 2009 Merced County Fair.

The first Latin artist to cross over
into the English music market, Feliciano is a gifted guitarist
with an impressive list of accomplishments including 45
gold and platinum records, 16 Grammy nominations and six
Grammy Awards.
Each night of the fair, July 21-26, a headline entertainment
act will perform in the CVC/CVT Outdoor Theatre. All Outdoor
Theatre concerts are at 8:30 p.m. and are free with the
price of admission.
Sawyer Brown, the legendary country music band, opens
the fair Tuesday, July 21; The Beatles Project, a band
that plays The Beatles’ music the way it would sound
today, performs Wednesday, July 22; WAR, the multi-platinum-selling
band that combines soul, Latin rhythms, jazz blues, reggae
and rock, entertains on Thursday, July 23.
On Friday, July 24, KANSAS With Native Window, will rock
the fairgrounds. The 70s band continues to win over a
new generation of fans since their classic mega-hit “Carry
On Wayward Son,” is included in the Guitar Hero
II XBOX 360/PlayStation 2 game playlist. Bucky Covington,
the country music star and American Idol finalist, performs
on Saturday, July 25.
The 2009 Fair theme is "Catch The Buzz," a celebration
of bees, one of the county's top ag products.
Feliciano was born blind, to humble beginnings in Lares,
Puerto Rico. One of 11 boys,
his family immigrated to New York City when he was 5 years
old. He taught himself to play the accordion when he was
6 and went on to teach himself to play guitar by listening
to records. |

At 17, he quit school to help support
his family, playing in Greenwich Village coffeehouses.
His first big break came after an amazing performance
in Buenos Aires, Argentina that resulted in his first
recording contract. He took long-time standards –
boleros-- such as “Poquite Fe” and “Usted”
and re-worked them with his own style of acoustic guitar.
He quickly became the “teen idol” of the
times. Feliciano continued to record and became a huge
star in South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Then he recorded his version of the Door’s song,
“Light My Fire,” catapulting him to stardom
in the United States.
By the time he was 23, he earned 5 Grammy nominations
and won two Grammy Awards for “Feliciano!”
He toured the world performing in four languages and
made guest appearances on several popular TV shows including
“Chico and the Man” and “Kung Fu.”
“Light My Fire” hit No. 1 on the music charts
in 1968 and is now a standard because of Feliciano’s
interpretation. “Che Sara” was a huge success
in Europe, Asia and South America and “Feliz Navidad,”
the Christmas song, has now become a tradition worldwide
during the holiday season. It’s a top iTunes download
and ASCAP has placed it among the 25 Greatest Holiday
Songs of the Century.
The artist’s recent album, “Senor Bachata!”
achieved double platinum status in the U.S. and marked
a return to his musical roots. In 2008, the album won
2 Grammys -- for “Best Contemporary Tropical Album”
and “Best Tropical Album.”
Now 63, Feliciano has recorded almost 70 albums and
traveled to more than 80 countries, headlining concerts
and serving as a goodwill ambassador. He has performed
with some of the most talented musicians in the world,
playing with top international orchestras including
the London Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and
the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
He has appeared on numerous major television shows worldwide,
he’s starred in several of his own specials and
his music has been featured on television, the stage
and in films. He made a cameo appearance in the Academy
Award-winning movie, “Fargo,” in 1995, performing
a song he wrote, “Let’s Find Each Other
Tonight.”
For information, call the fair office at 722-1507, fax
at 722-3773 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com
or go to the 2009 Merced County Fair’s website,
www.MercedCountyFair.com
|
back to top
| May
27, 2009
Merced County Fair Names
New CEO
MERCED – Thomas D. “Tom”
Musser put himself through college working at his hometown
fair, he booked events at San Francisco’s Cow Palace
during its heyday and he’s served as the manager
of several fairs, rescuing each one from debt and boosting
attendance.
Musser, 57, was recently hired by the Merced County Fair
Board of Directors following a search that began in March.
He will replace Robin Hauck, who served as the Merced
County Fair’s CEO for more than three years. She
was hired in October 2005 and resigned March 31 to take
the position of Deputy Manager at the Nevada County Fair
in Grass Valley. She moved back to the area where she
grew up to be closer to family and an ill relative. Pat
Kress of Santa Maria is currently serving as the fair’s
Interim CEO.
Musser will be paid $79,342 a year and will join the fair
staff by July 1 as the Designee CEO and assume full responsibility
Aug. 1. He currently lives in Vancouver, WA where he was
the Executive Director and Fair Manager of the Clark County
Fair in Ridgefield since 1994. Under his 14 years of leadership,
the fair eliminated its $4 million debt and increased
attendance. Last year’s 10-day event had 265,000
attendance. Despite its deep ag roots, he said the fair,
which built an 18,000 seat amphitheater and a 114,000
square foot exhibit hall, shifted its focus from the fair
to non-fair events. “The fair was going in a direction
that wasn’t working for me,” he said.
Musser served as the Manager of the Madera District Fair
in Madera from 1989 to 1993 and became familiar with the
Merced County Fair and its excellent reputation. “It’s
a great fair, the community still cares about the fair
and it’s a well-maintained fairgrounds,” Musser
said, adding, “That means a lot to me. This is an
opportunity for me to help the fair grow even further
and take it to the next level. I am excited about coming
to a fair that honors fair traditions while creating new
memories.”
Born and raised in Ukiah, Musser worked at the Redwood
Empire Fair from the age of 12, starting out cleaning
stalls and picking up litter. He continued to work there
most summers saving money for college. He graduated from
Cal Poly in 1974 with a degree in Industrial Arts. He
planned to teach, but after taking a fair management class
he decided to pursue a career in the fair industry. He
was hired by the San Mateo County Fair as an assistant
manager before receiving his college diploma. |

His 34 years of experience also includes
Operations Officer at the Cow Palace, booking big name
concerts and other events and overseeing the Grand National
Rodeo, Horse and Livestock Show; Manager of the Gold
Country Fair in Auburn, CA. and Interim Manager of the
Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, CA. During his four
years managing the Madera District Fair, he eliminated
the fair’s substantial debt, increased attendance,
improved public relations and turned around a troubled
auto racing program by increasing profitability, implementing
a safety program that became a model for other tracks
and won two national safety awards.
Jim Cunningham, president of the Merced County Fair
Board of Directors, said of the new CEO, "Tom rose
to the top from a pool of very strong applicants and
the fair board is pleased he has decided to join our
team. The Merced County Fair is fortunate to have an
exceptional office and maintenance staff and Tom will
certainly add to that group. Tom has a strong economic
background and a thorough knowledge of buildings and
grounds, all of which will be very helpful in this position.
Tom wants to get involved in our community and I know
he and his wife, Debbi, will make wonderful additions
to our area."
Since the fair is July 21-26, shortly after Musser’s
July 1 start date, his role will be watching from the
sidelines. “My job will be to help where it’s
needed and to take a lot of notes and learn a lot. There
are a number of people who have their heart in the Merced
fair and I am looking forward to working with them to
make a strong fair even stronger.
“I will be calling Merced home,” he said
adding, “Merced is changing and growing, with
the UC there are new people coming to this community
and we want to make the Merced County Fair part of their
lifestyle.”
The Mussers will soon be moving to Merced. They have
two grown children, Melinda and Jeff.
For information, call the fair office at 722-1507, fax
at 722-3773 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com
or go to the 2009 Merced County Fair’s website,
www.MercedCountyFair.com
|
back to top
| May 27,
2009
Wheeling to Wellness Bike
Rodeo Lets Students Check-in, Receive Bikes
Special Education students will return
to the Merced County Office of Education on Saturday,
May 30, for a Wheeling to Wellness Bike Rodeo and to check
in on their health goals since the inception of the program
last November.
Catholic Healthcare West, the parent company of Mercy
Medical Center Merced, awarded MCOE’s Special Education
department $13,300 last year to help students with physical
fitness.
From that grant came Wheeling to Wellness: a recreational
bicycling club with physical fitness as its primary goal.
The target population is special education students who
are 16- to 22-years old. The goal of the program is to
reduce excessive body weight for special education students
in that age range.
Funds from the grant were used to purchase two- and three-wheeled
bicycles and related safety equipment for 30 students
in the program.
Additional students will be given bicycles on Saturday.
Physical fitness is monitored by periodic weigh-ins and
personal records showing the number of hours the students
have ridden with their designated adult “bike buddies.”
To enhance bicycling safety, students will be required
to participate in a bicycle rodeo organized by Merced
Police Department Lt. Andre Matthews. |

Students will also be expected to attend
a bicycle maintenance workshop. The workshop will teach
students to perform basic bicycle maintenance such as
airing the tires, oiling the chain, and adjusting the
seat or handle bars.
The program has collaborated with the Challenged Family
Resource Center, Kevin’s Bikes of Merced, where
the bikes were purchased, and the Merced Police Department.
The event will take place on Saturday, May 30, at noon
in the MCOE parking lot, M and 13th streets in Merced.
For more information on the program, contact Pamela Parrott
at (209) 385-8383.
|
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May
26, 2009
The City of Merced has
posted the draft of its annual budget
The City of Merced has posted the draft
of its annual budget on the City’s website. The
budget is used as a blueprint for the City’s operations
in the 2009/10 fiscal year beginning July 1.
The budget can be found by using the Draft Budget 2009/10
link under Public Information found on the City’s
home page at www.cityofmerced.org. |

The City Council will hold a budget workshop
at 5 p.m. Monday, June 1, to review the budget. A public
hearing on the budget will be held at the June 15 meeting,
which begins at 7 p.m.
The City Council meets on the second floor of the Merced
Civic Center, 678 W. 18th St. |
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May 24, 2009
Atwater High First School
To Receive State Horticulture Program Certification
The Atwater High School Agriculture Department’s
Horticulture program became the California Association
of Nurseries and Garden Centers’ first state certified
high school horticulture program. “This is quite
a thrill”, said horticulture instructor Diane Prescott,
“This is the compilation of the strong support and
efforts of our students, staff, community, and horticulture
industry representatives working together to build and
create an opportunity for students to explore and get
hands on knowledge and experience in a multi-billion dollar
horticulture industry at the high school level.”
The CANGC application process has been
ongoing at Atwater High School for the past five years.
“The application requirements are extremely thorough
and extensive,” said Atwater High School Agriculture
Department Chair Dave Gossman, “Each year we have
been chipping away at implementing, renovating, and upgrading
the specific requirements.” With over 350 high school
agriculture programs, Atwater High School is currently
the only high school in the state to accomplish this recognition.
The application requirements include
having a functional, operational, and productive greenhouse,
shade house, soil bins, storage facilities, mother stock,
rose and tree pruning labs, vegetable plots, turf plots,
landscape plots, cut flower growing area, and a variety
of tools and equipment. The school must have at least
two horticulture related courses (AHS has Floral Design
and Horticulture). The school must attend at least one
yearly horticulture trade show, have at least one state
competitive horticulture or floriculture judging team,
and hold at least one plant sale that generates at least
$1000 profit. A scholarship foundation must be established
to support students furthering their education in the
horticulture field and must have students currently employed
in the horticulture field while in high school.
At least 20% of the agriculture students
must have a horticulture related (SAE) project and a variety
of horticulture resources must be made available for students/staff.
|

Cal Poly Horticulture professor and CANGC
representative Dan Lassanske presents Atwater High School
Agriculture Department instructor Diane Prescott the CANGC
High School Horticulture Certification plaque.
“Much of the application process
had to do with upgrading and expanding the facilities,”
said Prescott, “We’ve had numerous community
and industry support that made this opportunity possible.”
The Atwater High School Agriculture program
has doubled in size from 300+ individual agriculture students
in 2006-2007 to a record 725+ individual agriculture students
for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year. “With the
support of our district and community, we’ve been
able to expand opportunities for students to gain personal,
educational, and career skills to enhance their successes.
In turn, the students have bought into our program and
are taking advantage of it’, said Gossman.
The Atwater High School Agriculture Department
will be experiencing a complete classroom, facility and
equipment renovation this summer totaling over a million
dollars. This opportunity was made possible through a
combination of state grants, state modernization, and
the recent school bond measure. “We’re excited
for our students and the opportunity to have a state-of-the-art
educational facility to strengthen and expand hands-on
learning and skills,” said Gossman.
Written by: Lilly Reyes, Atwater FFA Reporter
Photo by: Dave Gossman, Instructor / FFA Advisor |
back to top
| May
22, 2009
Congressmen Cardoza and
Costa Hail Implementation of the Dairy Export Incentive
Program
WASHINGTON, DC - Following months of
work by Congressmen Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa, the
USDA announced today that it will activate a far-reaching
subsidy program that has been sought by Valley dairy operators
since last year when the industry was hit with significant
economic challenges. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
made the announcement this morning in Washington, D.C.
"This is a tremendous win for San
Joaquin Valley dairies. There is still much work to be
done for our agriculture community and our economy but
this is an enormous victory. This will significantly reduce
the stark gap between revenue and expenditures for our
struggling dairy operators," said Congressman Cardoza.
"Dairy families in our Valley are
struggling to stay in business. They've endured high feed
prices, surging fuel costs and declining markets due to
the economic downturn. This announcement could not have
come at a more important time," said Costa.
The Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP)
helps U.S. dairy exporters compete with prevailing world
prices. It also encourages the development of international
export markets in areas where U.S. dairy products cannot
compete due to subsidized dairy products from other countries.
|

In the past year, dairy operators in
the San Joaquin Valley have been hard hit by falling milk
prices and increased operating costs. They have specifically
requested that the Department of Agriculture activate
the far-reaching DEIP, which had not been in effect since
2004 because market conditions were relatively strong
until last year.
"This is going to go a long way
in returning the health of the industry," said Ray
Souza, President of Western United Dairymen. "Congressmen
Cardoza and Costa have been working on this issue for
some time and have been champions for us. Without their
work we wouldn't be where we are today."
Congressmen Cardoza and Costa first raised
the concerns over dairy prices and DEIP with Agriculture
Secretary Vilsack in February, shortly after his appointment
by President Obama.
|
back to top
| May
21, 2009
Congressman
Cardoza aims to increase business opportunities for Valley
veterans
This week, with Congressman Cardoza's
support, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved
the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act of 2009.
The bill represents a major effort to provide established
small businesses and entrepreneurial start-ups the needed
tools and resources to grow and create jobs.
An important piece of the bill calls
for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish
a Veterans Business Centers program. This will provide
entrepreneurial training and counseling specifically targeted
at veterans wishing to start a small business.
Congressman Cardoza successfully included
an amendment in the legislation that would waive a local
matching-fund requirement to establish veterans business
centers in the areas hit hardest by the recession. This
will make it easier to establish centers in areas such
as the Valley and gives veterans faster access to start-up
assistance.
|

"Small businesses are the engine
of our economy. This bill is another big step forward
in helping drive small business growth and economy recovery
in the Central Valley. Further, our nation's veterans
have earned all of the assistance we can provide them.
This is a win-win all around," said Congressman Cardoza.
"I will continue to fight to bring economic recovery
efforts to the Valley and to support those who have sacrificed
on behalf of our great nation."
|
back to top
| May
21, 2009
Congressman
Cardoza encouraged by FDA's pistachio safety announcement
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S Food and Drug
Administration announced today that it has updated its
advice to consumers on pistachios, stating that consumers
should return to enjoying the nuts unless they are from
Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc.
In March, the FDA issued a warning that
consumers should avoid pistachios due to fears of Salmonella
contamination. Following that announcement, Congressman
Cardoza, Chairman of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture
and Organic Agriculture, conducted hearings about the
FDA's response to the warning and the subsequent recall
of products.
"The FDA has a responsibility to
protect the health of our nation's consumers. However,
in their fervor to protect public health, they ruined
the health of our hometown agricultural economy,"
said Congressman Cardoza.
No illnesses have been confirmed as a
result of contaminated pistachios. Setton has stopped
all distribution of processed pistachios and issued a
voluntary recall.
|

"The FDA's initial response appears
to have been based more on panic than on science and appropriate
data," said Congressman Cardoza. "The bureaucratic
wheels must move more efficiently within the departments
tasked with monitoring our food. Although the FDA has
taken a significant step to right this wrong, it has come
much later than it should have."
The FDA has provided a searchable database
of affected products at http://www.fda.gov/pistachios/
and will continue to update the public.
|
back to top
| May
19, 2009
Congressman
Cardoza announces selection of San Joaquin County as site
of new VA health care center
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Cardoza
announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs has
selected San Joaquin County as the preferred location
to build a new, multi-specialty Ambulatory Care Center.
"Throughout the selection process I supported both
San Joaquin County and Stanislaus County to house the
clinic. I offer my sincere congratulations to San Joaquin
County. This will ensure new and improved services for
veterans throughout the Valley."
Designating the county to build the new facilities is
part of a process that began more than five years ago
to evaluate VA health care and ensure that services are
located near veterans. Today, more than 80,000 veterans
reside in the Central Valley.
The new Ambulatory Care Clinic in San Joaquin County will
provide new services such as radiology, pharmacy, dental,
optometry, audiology and physical therapy. |

The VA intends to have these facilities
open in 2015. The facility will be co-located with a new
120-bed Community Living Center.
"As I have said so many times, we owe our veterans
an enormous debt of gratitude for the sacrifices they
have made," said Congressman Cardoza. "I will
continue to work with the VA and veterans groups to do
all I can to ensure they have what they have rightfully
earned." |
back to top
| May 19,
2009
Regional Occupational Program
Students Place at Annual Skills USA Competition
Three Merced County Regional Occupational
Program students took home honors at the regional level
for their work in TV production, interview skills and
advertising design.
Through SkillsUSA, an organization designed for students
in industrial, technical and health trades, students took
home golds at a competition at Ceres High School.
SkillsUSA activities are integrated into classroom instructional
programs and provide leadership and personal development
as well as competency-based knowledge, skills, and attitudes
for entry and advancement in graphic arts occupations.
SkillsUSA has proven to be very successful when it is
accompanied by classroom instruction and on-the-job training.
Every year, ROP students compete in a variety of leadership
and skill areas, including advertising design, desktop
publishing, media production and job interview, among
others.
|

This year, three students took gold medals
at their regional competition held at Ceres High School.
Adrian Hernandez: Gold - Video (TV) Production;
Job Interview Alyssa Ybarra: Gold - Advertising Design;
Job Interview Raquel Purganan: Gold - Advertising Design
For more information on the SkillsUSA, contact Marty Rose
at (209) 381-4569 or visit www.skillsusa.org.
|
back to top
| May
19, 2009
Congressman Cardoza hearing
reviews federal food safety standards
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Dennis
Cardoza, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's
Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture,
held a hearing this week to review the current strategies
and standards used by the horticulture and organic sectors
to prevent, monitor and control potential food safety
hazards.
"In general, we have the safest, highest quality
food supply in the world. However, there are times when
the system fails," said Congressman Cardoza "Part
of the problem may be that there are currently 15 different
federal agencies tasked with monitoring the safety and
security of our food supply. It is imperative that we
bring our food safety requirements up to date for the
benefit of producers and consumers alike."
|

Among the witnesses to provide testimony
before the committee were producers, growers, third-party
auditors and representatives of the USDA and the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration.
|
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| May
18, 2009
Livestock Exhibitor Deadline
is Friday
MERCED – Friday, May 22 is the
date to remember for independent junior exhibitors to
qualify to enter their sheep, swine or goats at the 2009
Merced County Fair.
That qualification deadline is 60 days before the fair,
which is July 21-26. The 2009 Fair theme is "Catch
The Buzz,” a celebration of bees, one of the county's
top agricultural products.
Independent junior exhibitors entering market animals
in the fair must give fair management a copy of their
birth certificate or driver's license as proof of age.
This is a local requirement.
According to state requirements, independent junior exhibitors
entering market animals must provide fair management with
a photo of their animal, appropriate proof of ownership,
permanent tag, tattoo and/or hog ear notch information.
State rules for California fairs require independent juniors
who want to exhibit market sheep, goats, or swine at the
fair must be at least nine years old or in the fourth
grade by January 1, 2009. |

Exhibitors are eligible to compete
through December 31 of the year in which they turn 19
years of age.
All required information must be submitted to the fair
office at 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Merced. For
information, call the fair office at 722-1507, fax at
722-3773 or email to info@MercedCountyFair.com. Visit
the 2009 Merced County Fair’s website, www.MercedCountyFair.com.
|
back to top
| May 17,
2009
Tenaya Teacher Wins CaliforniaStreaming
Photo Contest with Picture of Newborn Son
Tenaya Middle School teacher Michael
Vasquez has won the CaliforniaStreaming Digital Photography
Contest in Merced County for a photograph of his newborn
child.
Merced County Office of Education Coordinator of Media
& Technology John Magneson delivered the good news
to Vasquez, along with his prize: a brand new Apple iPod.

Tenaya Middle School teacher Michael
Vasquez, who won the CaliforniaStreaming Digital Photography
Contest, submitted this photograph taken at Clovis
The 2009 contest theme is “Life,”
and guidance from CaliforniaStreaming Web site suggested
that contestants “Be guided by your imagination.”
Vasquez submitted a photograph taken at Clovis Community
Hospital in Clovis, at the moment his third son was born.
Vasquez said of his submission: “By some miracle
of circumstances, this photo was 1 out of 12 taken during
the birth process, and it is the only photo with the light
and dark contrast.” |

Winners will have their photographs incorporated
into a collectable CaliforniaStreaming art poster to be
distributed to California classrooms. Many of the submitted
photographs will be integrated into a common database
to be shared with other California students.
For more information on CaliforniaStreaming, visit www.californiastreaming.org.

Right, Merced County Office of Education
Coordinator of Media & Technology John Magneson gives
Tenaya Middle School teacher Michael Vasquez, who won
the CaliforniaStreaming Digital Photography Contest in
Merced County, an Apple iPod and print of the picture
Vasquez submitted. (Photo by Nathan Quevedo Courtesy Merced
County Office of Education)
|
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May
15, 2009
Downtown readies for Cap&Town
’09 Festival
The JumboTron goes up tomorrow afternoon,
along with the booths and canopies. And even before the
5 o’clock hour, the aroma of food being barbecued
and grilled will be wafting through Downtown Merced.
All of this is for the Cap&Town Festival that runs
from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.
The two-day event is a salute to all of the graduates
in the area, plus a welcome to First Lady Michelle Obama.
She will be speaking to the graduates at UC Merced Saturday.
The First Lady’s speech will be broadcast live at
1:30 p.m. Saturday on the JumboTron in Downtown for all
of the people who can’t be accommodated on the University
campus. Additional viewing is available at the Merced
Civic Center, 678 W. 18th St. and also at the Boys and
Girls Club, 615 W. 15th St.
Billed as “The Ultimate Block Party”, the
festival is open to everyone and will include locally
grown products such as nuts and honey, live music, kids’
activities, a 3-on-3 hoop tournament, art vendors, artisans
and craftsmen. All activities are free except for the
tournament entry fees.
|

A section of Main Street has been temporarily
renamed, “Green Street,” to highlight the
new technologies that are revolutionizing America. The
Segway personal vehicles will be demonstrated there, along
with solar power display, hybrid vehicles and members
of the City’s Bicycle Commission.
Food from established downtown restaurants will be available
at the event, along with succulent treats sold by area
non-profit groups. Local students and churches will be
cooking up egg rolls and tacos, cotton candy and other
refreshments offering visitors a taste of Merced.
Activities for the two days range from kids jumping in
bounces houses to adults playing Human Bowling. (Seeing
is believing it.)
Kids activities include tykester favorites, the Ball Pit,
a Velcro Wall (no, you can’t leave them attached),
a toddler obstacle course and an NBA Slam Dunk Challenge.
There also will be showings of “Finding Nemo”
and “Aladdin” during the festival on screens
in Downtown.
|
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May 14,
2009
Watching
First Lady Michelle Obama’s commencement address
People have the choice of watching First
Lady Michelle Obama’s commencement address at the
UC Merced campus on their TV or computer at home, or share
the moment with a crowd in Downtown Merced.

|

The speech also will be broadcast live
on a JumboTron in Bob Hart Square in Downtown Merced during
the Cap&Town Festival. Other big screens in the square
will also show the address. The address also will be available
to the public at the Merced Civic Center, 678 W. 18th
St. and the Boys and Girls Club of Merced, 615 W. 15th.
The Cap&Town Festival runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday
and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday on Main Street, from
M Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
The Merced County Office of Education and METV plans to
carry the live feed from the UC Merced campus Saturday,
beginning at 1:30 p.m. It will be televised on the Public,
Educational and Government channels on the Comcast cable
network, Channels 95, 96 and 97.
The entire Saturday commencement will be webcast by the
University and available for the public at two sites,
ucmerced.edu and commencement.ucmerced.edu. |
back to top
| May 13,
2009
Golden Valley DECA students
win 2009 DECA National Marketing Education Honor
Three Golden Valley High School seniors
earned national honors for marketing in April at the DECA
International Career Development Conference in Anaheim.
Kang Moua, Yer Moua and Derek Vang, all part of Golden
Valley DECA, are the recipients of the 2009 DECA National
Marketing Education Honor Award. The three seniors proved
they were top in the nation by demonstrating leadership,
participation in community service, local chapter involvement,
and outstanding academic achievement. Only six awards
were given in California.
This award, given annually by DECA, a national association
of marketing students, recognizes achievement in academic
excellence, leadership skills, DECA involvement and school
and community service. |

Award recipients must be a DECA member
in their senior year of high school with a cumulative
grade point average of 3.2 or better for each of the high
school semesters.
For more information on DECA, contact Mary Whited at (209)
385-8371. |
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May 13,
2009
Get Dad some Sikaflex sealant
Start shopping for Father’s Day
this month at the City of Merced’s semi-annual Surplus
Property Sale. There are all sorts of items available
for bid that will send that “I Love You” message
to that special Dad.
There are TVs to bid on, DVD players, and lots of comfy
chairs. And for that handy Dad, there are several pallets
of “small engine parts,” “wastewater
treatment goods” or “police car goods.”
If you really want to impress Dad, bid on the nine cans
of Sikaflex sealant. You know he will give you a warm
“thank you” even if he doesn’t know
what to do with it.
Or you can go the traditional Dad route and bid on the
pool table, the hoops game or air compressor that ever
father needs.
There are also a variety of cars and pickups available.
Before the vehicles can be registered, the winning bidders
must get smog certificates.
There are lots of computers and laptops, but all of them
are missing hard drives for security reasons. Scanners,
printers and monitors also are available. |

A bid packet listing the 198 lots up
for sale is available at the City Purchasing Office. It
is also on the City’s website, www.CityofMerced.org,
listed under the Public Information.
Most of the property may be inspected at the Purchasing
Office, 2525 O St, between 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
All items are sold “as is” and there is no
warranty or guarantee on the items. Bidders are expected
to inspect the items before submitting a bid. Proposals
will be accepted until 10 a.m. Thursday, May 28 at the
Purchasing Office. In most case winners must pick up their
equipment within 14 days. Payment must be made in cash,
cashier’s check or money order. No personal checks.
Additional details are available at the Purchasing Office.
For additional information on the sale contact Pam Whala
at 385-6833. |
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| May 8,
2009
Merced County Board of
Education honors Classified School Employees
The Merced County Board of Education
and the Merced County Superintendent of Schools, Lee Andersen,
honored Merced County classified school employees who
were selected as candidates in the California Department
of Education’s Classified School Employees of the
Year program.

From left, Merced County Office of Education
classified employees James Wilson and Josephine Whitaker,
and Merced River School District classified employee Lorrie
McDowell. Not pictured is Merced County Office of Education
classified employee Victoria Ferreira. The group was honored
by the Merced County Board of Education and Merced County
Superintendent of Schools, Lee Andersen, for being candidates
for the California Department of Education's Classified
Employee of the Year program.
|

The candidates were honored at the May
4 board meeting at the Merced County Office of Education.
Honorees are: Josephine Whitaker, Merced
County Office of Education, for Support Services and Security;
James Wilson, Merced County Office of Education, for Maintenance
and Operations; Victoria Ferreira, Merced County Office
of Education, for Para-Educator and Instructional Assistance;
and Lorrie McDowell, Merced River School District, for
Office and Technical.
Whitaker was honored as the top state
school classified employee for Support Services and Security.
State Superintendent Jack O’Connell will formally
honor Whitaker and other award recipients May 19 at a
recognition luncheon in Sacramento. The luncheon coincides
with California’s observation of the Classified
School Employee Week, which is May 18-24.
For more information on the awards, visit www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/cl/index.asp |
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| May
7, 2009
Get Your Fair Exhibitor
Handbooks Now
MERCED – From arts and crafts created
with recycled materials like light bulbs to a commodities
mural competition with a $150 first prize, the 2009 Merced
County Fair’s Exhibitors’ Handbook is buzzing
with something for everyone.
The handbooks are online at www.MercedCountyFair.com
and can be picked up at the fair office, 900 Martin Luther
King. Jr. Way. Office hours are weekdays from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. Entry forms are included in the handbooks and the
forms are no longer color-coded, so you can make copies
to share with family and friends.
The free 79-page handbook contains everything you need
to know with easy instructions on how to submit entries
in all the fair’s divisions and categories including
vine crops, amateur gardens, wind chimes, tricks with
a mix recipe contest, weaving, dehydrated foods, ceramics,
jewelry, oil painting, alternative art photography and
woodworking.
The booklet is mailed to everyone who exhibited at the
2008 and 2007 fairs and 4-H and FFA members receive handbooks
from club and chapter leaders. The handbook provides all
the details on livestock rules and judging.
The 118th annual fair, sponsored by the 35th District
Agricultural Association, is July 21-26. The deadline
to submit most entry forms is Thursday, June 18.
“Catch The Buzz” is this year’s theme
and the spotlight is on bees, one of the county’s
top ag products. Many of the entry divisions, including
the fine arts and special “day of” cooking
contests, invite exhibitors to create an entry inspired
by the fair’s theme. There’s also a new honey
and bee products category with classes including comb
honey, beeswax and toiletries made
with beeswax or honey.
Also new to this year’s handbook is the Commodity
Murals category under Junior Agriculture-Horticulture,
sponsored by California Women for Agriculture’s
Merced Chapter and the Merced County Farm Bureau. The
mural must depict bees, the annual theme commodity of
the Merced County Fair.
|

The competition is open to any youth
organizations in Merced County. There is a limit of
one entry per organization/class. Only the first 10
entries received at the fairgrounds will qualify for
the contest. The entry fee is $10 and premiums of $150,
$100 and $50 will be awarded to the first through third
place winners. The mural judged best of show will receive
$50. See the handbook for the mural contest rules.
There also is a new division for high school/vocational
education woodworking where students enter exhibits
that were made as a regular part of their woodworking
instruction during the past year.
Another new addition to this year’s handbook is
the Recycled Arts & Crafts division. The classes
are art, functional items, garden or lawn art and any
other. All items must be made from 75% or more clean,
recycled materials. Light Bulb Art also is a new division
inviting exhibitors to use one or more energy efficient
incandescent light bulbs to dream up a work of art.
There are no restrictions on decoration materials.
It’s time to start planning because the fair is
looking for lots of creative entries to showcase Merced
County’s largest event. Fair organizers are especially
interested in boosting the number of ceramics, photography
and painting entries in both the senior and junior categories
to exhibit at the fair.
For information, call the fair office at 722-1507, fax
at 722-3773 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com or
go to the 2009 Merced County Fair’s website, www.MercedCountyFair.com
|
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May 6, 2009
Local Horticulture
Team Wins State Championship

The 2009 California FFA State Champion
Nursery and Landscape judging team composed of Atwater
FFA members Stefani Dias, Christina Willman, Lilly Reyes,
Terilyn Bettencourt, and (coach) Diane Prescott.
The Atwater FFA Nursery and Landscape
judging team won the 2009 state championship during the
FFA State Career Development Event (CDE) finals at Cal
Poly, San Luis Obispo on Saturday, May 2th. This is the
first FFA championship in the area of horticulture in
the school’s history and earns the team the right
to represent the state of California at the National FFA
Finals in Indianapolis, Indiana this upcoming October.
“This was not only a championship
earned by the students, but also the community as we have
had tremendous support in providing the students resources
to succeed!” shared FFA Advisor/Coach Diane Prescott.
The Nursery and Landscape team has been competing all
season at various college and university FFA Field Days.
They remained undefeated throughout the year. Last year
the team Placed 4th in the state and decide to take to
the next level. “With last year’s finish,
our goal this year was to win the championship,”
said team member Stefani Dias, “It shows that effort,
commitment and determination pay off.”
The Nursery and Landscape contest is
composed of five categories including identification on
100 plants, transplanting, oral reasons, judging and general
knowledge about the horticulture industry. The four team
members all placed within the top five of the state with
Stefani Dias earning 1st, Terilyn Bettencourt earning
2nd, Christina Willman earning 3rd and Lilly Reyes earning
5th overall.
The remaining Atwater FFA judging teams
provided the school’s strongest finish at the state
level with five judging teams placing in the top four
of the state. The Milk Quality and Dairy Foods team placed
2nd in the state overall with Lauren Navarro placing 3rd
high overall and her teammates Mai Kia Vang, Mary Thao,
and Collette Wilcox placing 5th, 6th, and 7th individually
in the state overall. The Light Horse judging team placed
3rd overall in the state with Nikki Schiber earning 4th
place overall individually. The Land judging and Ag Mechanics
teams placed 4th high overall and the Floriculture team
in it’s first year as a team placed in the middle
of the pack of a very competitive contest. “There
are over 350 high school agriculture programs that are
capable of bringing their team(s) to the state finals
each year. Only the best show up to compete,” said
FFA advisor Sam Meredith, “Our student’s dedication,
commitment, and efforts have put Atwater FFA on the map
as one of the top high school agriculture programs in
the state.”
Written by: Lilly Reyes, Atwater FFA Reporter
Photo by: Dave Gossman, Instructor / FFA Advisor |
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| April
29, 2009
KANSAS is Coming
to the Merced Fair
MERCED – Their mega-hit, “Carry
On Wayward Son,” helped KANSAS sell millions of
albums and the band that got its start in the ’70s
has won over a new generation of fans since the classic
song is included in the Guitar Hero II XBOX 360/PlayStation
2 game playlist.
Fans can hear “Carry On Wayward Son” and other
hits live at the 2009 Merced County Fair when KANSAS With
Native Window performs Friday, July 24 at the fairgrounds’
Outdoor Theatre. All fair headline acts are free with
the price of admission.

KANSAS
Each night of the fair, July 21-26,
a headline entertainment act will perform in the fairgrounds’
Outdoor Theatre. Sawyer Brown, the legendary country music
band, opens the fair on Tuesday, July 21; The Beatle’s
Project, a band that plays The Beatles’ music the
way it would sound today, will perform Wednesday, July
22; WAR, the multi-platinum-selling band that combines
soul, Latin rhythms, jazz blues, reggae and rock, entertains
on Thursday, July 23 and Bucky Covington, the country
music star and American Idol finalist, performs on Saturday,
July 25. Jose Feliciano, the Grammy-winning Latin artist
known for hits including “Light My Fire,”
and “Feliz Navidad” will wrap up the fair
on Sunday, July 26. All Outdoor Theatre concerts are at
8:30 p.m.
The 2009 Fair theme is "Catch The Buzz," a celebration
of bees, one of the county's top ag products.
KANSAS’ “Carry on Wayward Son” is one
of several songs on the Guitar Hero II game for XBOX 360
and PlayStation 2’s “Amp Warmer” songlist
along with songs by legendary bands KISS, Nirvana, The
Police and Van Halen. Several million copies of the hugely
popular game have been sold.
During their career, which was launched in 1976, with
“Carry on Wayward Son,” KANSAS has sold more
than 20 million albums and continues to tour worldwide.
The song is one of the band’s signature tracks on
“Two for the Show: 30th Anniversary Edition,”
which restores the full-length, original 1978 two-LP concert
album for the first time in the digital era. It also includes
a second CD that contains 10 previously unreleased live
cuts from the 1977-78 tour.
|

The band that started out as six Midwesterners
playing in local bars and went on to sell out Madison
Square Garden and establish arena rock, is celebrating
its 35th anniversary. The band’s other hits include
the quintuple platinum “Leftoverture,” quadruple
platinum “Point of Know Return” and “Dust
In The Wind.”
KANSAS’ original lineup was lead singer and keyboardist
Steve Walsh, guitarist Kerry Livgren, guitarist Rich
Williams, violinist and singer Robby Steinhardt, bassist
Dave Hope and drummer Phil Ehart.
After a sabbatical and a few lineup changes, the current
tour stars Ehart, Walsh and Williams, along with bassist
Billy Greer, and violinist David Ragsdale.
Opening for KANSAS at the fair will be Native Window.
The band consists of Ehart and his KANSAS bandmates,
Williams, Greer and Ragsdale. The band was formed soon
after Walsh and Livgren, KANSAS’ main songwriters,
said they would no longer be writing album length songs
for the band. “The four of us decided that we
weren’t done yet and Native Window was born to
scratch that ‘new material itch’,”
Ehart said.

Native Window
In June, Native Window will release
their self-titled debut album. The band will be formally
introduced to fans by pulling “double duty”
opening a summer’s worth of tour dates for KANSAS.
For more information, call 722-1507 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com
or fax at 722-3773. Visit the 2009 Merced County Fair’s
website, www.MercedCountyFair.com
|
back to top
| April
21, 2009
Beatles
Project Will Play Merced Fair

MERCED – From “She Loves
You” to “Come Together,” The Beatles
Project is devoted to playing the music of The Beatles
and they’re coming to the 2009 Merced County Fair.
The five-man band is scheduled to perform on Wednesday,
July 22 with an 8:30 p.m. concert in the fairgrounds’
Outdoor Theatre.
All fair headline acts are free with the price of admission.
The 2009 Fair theme is "Catch The Buzz," a celebration
of bees, one of the county's top ag products. The fair
recently announced Sawyer Brown, the legendary country
music band, opens the fair on Tuesday, July 21 and Bucky
Covington, the country music star and American Idol finalist,
performs on Saturday, July 25. The fair’s remaining
headline entertainment acts will be announced soon. The
fair is July 21-26.
The Beatles Project members are Tom Clarkson, on guitar,
vocals and harmonica; Anthony Parber, plays bass, guitar,
harmonica and does vocals; Tom Salles performs vocals
and plays guitar and keyboard; Jim Sanders plays guitar
and sings and Greg Spearance plays drums.
All five are veteran musicians who have played in a variety
of bands. They all live in the Merced area, with the exception
of Parber, who calls the Bay Area home. When the band
isn’t practicing or performing, Clarkson sells real
estate; Salles is a music teacher for the Dos Palos/Oro
Loma Joint Unified School District; Sanders is a Merced
City Councilman and heads up the Tagbusters, graffiti
abatement program; Spearance works for Merced Union High
School District’s vehicle maintenance department
and Parber is a U.S. government statistician in San Francisco.
The Beatles Project started performing two years ago.
“We’re not a tribute band or a stage show
and we don’t dress like The Beatles,” said
Tom Salles. “It’s all about the music. We
just want to celebrate their music and have a good time
doing it.”
The Beatles Project works hard at performing the Beatles’
music the way it would sound if they were touring today
but with the technological advances that weren’t
around in the 60s and 70s. “When they performed
at the big venues like Shea Stadium and Candlestick Park
they had a couple of speakers, one on either side of the
stage, aimed at the audience and the fans got to hear
the Beatles through a couple of speakers. The Beatles
didn’t have speakers coming back at them, so they
would play and sing, but they couldn’t hear themselves,”
Salles said.
“While you may be missing all of the screaming of
the original fans, you hear what would have been played
if they had the technology to pull it off then.”
The Beatles Project show features selections from the
Beatles early period such as “I Should Have Known
Better,” “She Loves You” and “We
Can Work it Out,” through their later songs including
“Come Together,” “Get Back,” “Magical
Mystery Tour,” and “Abbey Road.”
The group’s shows feature a video production that’s
used as a backdrop and includes film clips of the Beatles
and light show effects mixed with live concert shots.
“We’ve had a great response from the community.
Wherever we go we’re drawing a crowd,” Salles
said, adding, “People of all ages come to our shows
– we get people who grew up listening to the Beatles
music when they were still together and young people who’ve
discovered their songs.”
“The Beatles Project is the Lads from Liverpool's
twin brothers,” said Dave Luna, Program Director
for Oldies 97.5 KABX in Merced. “Our radio station
has sponsored many Beatles Tribute bands that work on
looking like the fab four, but not many have worked on
the live sound of the Beatles. The Beatles Project has
the "sound of the Beatles" as if they were performing
today. When they perform at a KABX event you can find
folks singing along. The Beatles Project is like a new
pair of Beatle boots,” Luna said.
The Beatles Project has played at several Merced venues
including the Merced Multicultural Arts Center and they
put on a sold out fundraiser show for the Merced Theatre
Foundation at the Merced Theatre. They’ve also done
concerts at the Fox Theater in Visalia and at Fresno’s
Tower Theater. This will be the band’s first appearance
at the Merced County Fair. “We’re very excited
about playing at the fairgrounds’ Outdoor Theatre,”
said Salles.
For information, call the fair office at 722-1507 or email
to Info@MercedCountyFair.com
or fax at 722-3773. Visit the 2009 Merced County Fair’s
website, www.MercedCountyFair.com |
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April 20, 2009
WAR Coming
to Merced County Fair

MERCED – WAR is returning to the
2009 Merced County Fair.
The multi-platinum-selling band is scheduled to perform
on Thursday, July 23 with an 8:30 p.m. concert in the
fairgrounds’ Outdoor Theatre. WAR’s last appearance
at the fair was in 2004 and they packed the house.
All fair headline acts are free with the price of admission.
The 2009 Fair theme is "Catch The Buzz," a celebration
of bees, one of the county's top ag products. The fair
recently announced Sawyer Brown, the legendary country
music band, opens the fair on Tuesday, July 21; The Beatle’s
Project, a band that plays The Beatles’ music the
way it would sound if they were touring today, will perform
Wednesday, July 22 and Bucky Covington, the country music
star and American Idol finalist, performs on Saturday,
July 25. The fair’s remaining headline entertainment
acts will be announced soon. The fair is July 21-26.
WAR has been making its original brand of music for more
than 30 years. One of the most popular funk groups of
the ’70s, WAR combines soul, Latin rhythms, jazz
blues, reggae and rock all wrapped up in package that’s
laid back and upbeat. The Los Angeles-based band’s
sound continues to capture the heart and soul of America’s
streets.
Lonnie Jordan, the founding member of WAR, sings lead
vocals and plays keyboards for the seven-man band. The
other band members are: Salvador Rodriguez, vocals and
drums; Marcos Reyes, percussion; Francisco “Pancho”
Tomaselli, bass guitar and vocals; Fernando Harkless,
saxophone and vocals; Stuart Ziff, lead guitar and vocals
and Mitch Kasmar, harmonica and vocals.
WAR recently released “The Very Best of War,”
their 24th album. The two-CD set features 34 of their
best songs that sound as fresh as the day they were recorded.
The collection includes, “Why Can’t We Be
Friends?” “All Day Music,” “The
Cisco Kid,” “The World Is A Ghetto”
“Spill The Wine,” and “Slippin’
Into Darkness.”
Although WAR’s song lyrics are sometimes political
in nature, the racially mixed lineup’s music has
got a sunny, laid back vibe. Lots of other musicians and
other folks in the music world have been inspired by the
band’s unique Afro-Cuban, jazz-funk character.
WAR continues to be “rediscovered” as contemporary
recording artists sample their music including Janet Jackson’s
“You” (Cisco Kid) TLC’s “I’m
Good At Being Bad,” (“Slippin’ Into
Darkness”), Macy Gray’s “Do Something”
(“Heartbeat”), Smash Mouth’s take on
“Why Can’t We Be Friends,” Korn’s
version of “Low Rider” and Redman/Method Man’s
“Cisco Kid.” WAR’s timeless melodies
continue to be heard on a variety of radio stations around
the country.
WAR was created in the late 1960s by producer/songwriter
Jerry Goldstein and British singer Eric Burdon, who was
living in Los Angeles and looking for a new group after
several years with The Animals. Together with WAR they
recorded the albums “Eric Burdon Declares WAR”
and “The Black-Man’s Burdon,” which
became cultural touchstones of the ’60s.
After Burdon left the group, WAR’s career skyrocketed
as their unique sound and message about the troubled times
of Vietnam and racial strife, spoke to millions of Americans.
“We tried to be entertaining while also spreading
the word of peace, harmony and brotherhood,” said
Jordan, who has been with the band since it was founded.
“Our instruments and voices became our weapons of
choice and the songs our ammunition. We spoke out against
racism, hunger, gangs, crimes and turf wars, as we embraced
all people with hope and the spirit of brotherhood.”
For information, call the fair office at 722-1507 or email
to Info@MercedCountyFair.com
or fax at 722-3773. Visit the 2009 Merced County Fair’s
website, www.MercedCountyFair.com |
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March 26, 2009
JLM
Alumni, Community Leaders Celebrate Class 5 Graduation
MERCED – Junior Leadership Merced Class 5 celebrated
its graduation this last Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at
the Merced Senior Center at 6:00pm. Junior Leadership
Merced (JLM) began 5 years ago and is based on the adult
Leadership Merced class, which is currently in its 24th
year. Both leadership programs are affiliated with The
Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce.
JLM Class 5 had 18 graduating students – the most
since the program began. The students are juniors and
seniors from Merced, Atwater, and Livingston high schools.
Also for the first time, this year’s graduation
ceremony will include alumni from Classes 1-4, as well
as community and school leaders from Merced, Atwater and
Livingston.
Unlike the Leadership Merced program, JLM students do
not pay a fee to participate in the program. It is funded
almost entirely by a generous donation from Farmer’s
Insurance Group Federal Credit Union.
|


Alumni from Classes 1-4
Lisa Chow, Nou Her, Adam Cox, and Marissa Brooks
pictured with Jonae Pistoresi of Merced College
|
Junior Leadership Merced Class
V
|
Leo Alamillo,Jr
Haidar Ali Anwar
Olivia Bake
rMandeep Bath
Elizabeth Brown
Angela Garcia |
Ila Maria Janz
Christopher Jordan
Mariah Kasper
Tyler Maxwell
Jose Nava, III
April Portillo
|
Ramon Rai
Jami Ries
Josh Rivard
Mayte Ruiz
Meghan Woodall
Ken Xiong
|
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February 9, 2009
Fallen
Atwater correctional Officer Jose Rivera honored at national
memorial in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, DC - Fallen Atwater Correctional
Officer Jose Rivera was honored today at a candlelight vigil
in Washington, D.C. The ceremony was held at the National
Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and was attended by law
enforcement, correctional officers and Congressman Dennis
Cardoza.
"As a community and a nation, we will forever owe Mr.
Rivera and his family a debt of gratitude," Congressman
Cardoza said after the vigil. "This is among the most
honorable ways of recognizing the ultimate sacrifice that
a young man made while serving to keep our prisons and communities
safe."
Rivera was killed on June 20, 2008 at Atwater Federal Penitentiary
when he was stabbed by two inmates using weapons made with
materials from inside the prison. Rivera had been employed
as a correctional officer for less than a year when he was
killed. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he had served two tours
of duty in Iraq. |

As part of today's ceremony, Congressman Cardoza was invited
to lay a wreath in honor of the fallen correctional officer.
"The passing of this fine young man should serve as
a reminder to all of us of the sacrifice, commitment and
dedication that our law enforcement and correctional officers
make each and every day," said Congressman Cardoza.
"It was an honor to have been invited to this vigil
and to join his fellow officers in recognizing the sacrifice
Mr. Rivera made. My thoughts and prayers will continue to
be with his family."
|
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January 22, 2009
Sawyer
Brown to Headline Merced Fair

|
|
MERCED – Sawyer Brown, the band that
has been making their own brand of country music for more
than two decades, performs at the 2009 Merced County Fair
on Opening Day.
The five-man band that takes pride in giving America a license
to let their hair down, is scheduled to perform on Tuesday,
July 21 with an 8:30 p.m. concert in the fairgrounds’
Outdoor Theatre. Sawyer Brown last played at the Merced
County Fair in 2003.
As always, all fair headline acts are free with the price
of admission. The 2009 Fair theme is "Catch The Buzz,"
a celebration of bees, one of the county's top agricultural
products. The fair recently announced Bucky Covington, the
country music star and American Idol finalist, will perform
at the fair on Saturday, July 25. The fair’s remaining
headline entertainment acts will be announced soon. The
fair is July 21-26.
Sawyer Brown has enjoyed the longest uninterrupted run in
country music of any band. They didn’t do it with
flash or sizzle, just a commitment to solid music and always
remembering to give fans their best.
Their catalogue of songs include dozens of hits including,
“Some Girls Do,” “The Café On The
Corner,” “The Dirt Road,” “This
Thing Called Wanting (And Having It All),” “The
Boys & Me,” “This Night Won’t Last
Forever,” “Thank God For You,” “The
Walk,” and the cover of George Jones’ song,
“The Race Is On.”
The band started out with five high school friends in the
small Florida town of Apopka. They auditioned for the first-ever
“Star Search” just to get a videotape to send
to record companies and they ended up the champions and
becoming the original “American Idols.” Sawyer
Brown has continued to produce hit singles and top-selling
albums.

|

The band consists of four of the original
members: Greg “Hobie” Hubbard on keys, bassist
Jim Scholten, drummer Joe Smyth and Mark Miller, the front
man, vocalist, principal songwriter and producer. Shayne
Hill is the band’s new guitarist, replacing Duncan
Cameron, who moved on to pursue another dream as an airline
pilot.
“There is a real closeness within this band,”
said Miller. “We truly feel like when we strap those
instruments on we can hang in with anyone. There may be
20 acts on a festival show, but we’re going to be
the one the crowd walks away talking about.”
The key to their longevity is the ability to speak meaningfully
to their audiences while showing them a real good time.
That’s the case with their newest release, “Mission
Temple.” Four years in the making, the band didn’t
want to rush this album until it was ready. The unbridled
exuberance of their concerts is captured on tracks including,
“Tarzan and Jane,” “Ole Kentuck,”
“Ladies Man,” and a cover of the Georgia Satellites’,
“Keep Your Hands to Yourself,” that’s
a show favorite.
“When it’s time to rock, nobody rocks harder
than we do, but we also want to make sure you feel something
and have to think a little bit when you listen to this
album,” Miller said. The CD includes songs that
are a little more thoughtful such as “With Your
Daddy,” “One Little Heartbeat” and “They
Don’t Understand.”
Miller hopes the band’s new collection of songs
will strike a chord with fans. “I hope they see
a band that’s still searching, still fresh, still
wants it, still gets excited about the music, and that
still has something to say… We give America a license
to let their hair down, scream a little and dance if they
want to.”
For information, call the fair office at 722-1507 or email
to Info@MercedCountyFair.com
or fax at 722-3773. Visit the 2009 Merced County Fair’s
website, www.MercedCountyFair.com
|
back to top
| January
22, 2009
American
Idol Finalist to Play at Fair
MERCED – Bucky Covington adds a new
twist to the notion that winning is everything.
The eighth place finalist on the 2006 season of the hit
TV show, “American Idol,” Covington is enjoying
success in a growing country music career and he’s
scheduled to perform at the 2009 Merced County Fair.
Covington will headline the Saturday, July 25 concert at
8:30 p.m. in the fairgrounds’ Outdoor Theatre.
As always, all fair headline acts are free with the price
of admission. The 2009 Fair theme is "Catch The Buzz,"
a celebration of bees, one of the county's top agricultural
products. The fair’s other headline entertainment
acts will be announced soon. The fair is July 21-26.

Winning an “Idol” finalist slot was exactly
what Covington hoped to accomplish. “The main reason
I wanted to get on the show was to get enough recognition
to start a career,” he said. The 29-year-old Rockingham,
N.C. native had sung with local bands for 10 years and wanted
to land a Nashville record deal.
The day after his final appearance on “Idol,”
the phones starting ringing and he talked to a lot of people
in the music business. But it was the first call that made
things happen for Covington. He ended up speaking with Mark
Miller of Sawyer Brown and everything clicked. Miller and
the Sawyer Brown members had a lot of valuable advice for
Covington because they had all been where he was –
they launched their careers by winning Star Search.
After completing the 60-date American Idols Live tour, Covington
started working on his album and then he joined the GAC
Country Music Christmas Tour.
|

His debut CD, “Bucky Covington,”
was produced by Miller and now Covington’s on his
way to seeing his dreams come true. The album continues
to produce Top 10 singles. His latest single, “I’ll
Walk,” was recently in the Mediabase Country Chart’s
Top 10 songs. Covington is only one of three male country
artists since 2005 including Josh Gracin and Jason Aldean,
to have three consecutive Top 10 singles from his debut
album. Covington’s previous Top 10 singles are “A
Different World” and “It’s Good To Be
Us.”
After graduating from high school Covington
taught himself to play guitar. By day, he worked at his
father’s auto body shop and on the weekends he sang
vocals in the band, “Southern Thunder,” performing
country and Southern rock in clubs throughout the Carolinas.
His fans kept encouraging the talented vocalist to go
to Nashville and he finally decided they were right. He
was planning to make the 12-hour drive to Nashville for
the “Idol” tryouts but the event was cancelled
when Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005. Covington kept
playing local clubs and that October, the wife of his
identical twin brother, Rocky, who is also a musician,
suggested the brothers go to the show’s auditions
in nearby Greensboro, N.C. “I thought, ‘Now
I have to do it,’ ” he said, adding, “That’s
just karma.” Bucky made it through the initial three
rounds and was selected to go to Los Angeles to compete
for a slot on the highly competitive talent search show.
He headed out to the West Coast, riding on a commercial
airliner for the first time. Competing on the show in
front of millions of viewers was a big learning experience
for Covington. “I was thrilled to reach number eight,”
he said, adding, “I thought that it was one of the
best moves I could have made.”
For information, call the fair office at 722-1507 or email
to Info@MercedCountyFair.com
or fax at 722-3773. Visit the 2009 Merced County Fair’s
website, www.MercedCountyFair.com

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| The
Friends & Family of Correctional Officers Holds Rally
August 12, 2008 ATWATER, CALIFORNIA –
The Friends & Family of Correctional Officers organization,
formed around the issue of safety for correctional officers
at US
Penitentiary in Atwater, held a rally in Atwater at noon,
Tuesday, in the parking lot across the street from Gonella
Realty in the 2500 block of First Street in Atwater. Speakers
included organization members Andy Krotik, Flip Hassett
and Dennis Anderson. The purpose was to raise awareness
of correctional officer safety at the Atwater prison, following
the recent murder of a correctional officer by inmates. |
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Andy Krotik and Dennis Anderson of The Friends &
Family of Correctional Officers |
This is a
three prong approach, our group, people like you, the community,
being the catalyst for the the other two prongs of the approach.
The second prong of the approach is the legislative actions
being taken in Congress. Your Congressman, Dennis Cardoza,
has introduced HR 6462, the Jose Rivera Correctional Officer
Safety Act. This act provides funding for vests, for Federal
Correctional Officers. We need to back this legislation,
write letters of support to the various members of the House
of Representatives, and ask them to co-sponsor the bill.
The third prong approach is the union that represents the
correctional officers. They are working hard, at trying
to get the protective equipment our officers need and deserve.
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| We need leadership NOW! And,
we are not getting it. Action is what we desire – My
question is: Why isn’t the warden standing with us right
now (yelling at the top of his lungs) demanding the equipment
and policy changes that will keep our friends and family members
safe?
As people:
We love life,
We love this community,
We love our friends, and
We love our family……
We certainly want to be there whenever they need us….and
this is that time!
This is that time to demand change in the Bureau of Prisons!
This is about our community…and we deserve better!
We should have an active partnership – yet all we
are receiving is the arrogant sound of silence and “no
comment”! …and that’s unacceptable!
Our mission is one of the oldest and most basic principles
that founded this country: to right wrong, to do justice,
and to serve man. We ARE our brothers’ keepers –
we DO have a moral responsibility to each other.
Today ….
Shall we demand change at the Bureau of Prisons?
Today….
Shall we decide to support our friends and family?
Today….
Shall we decide to create the community we want?
The answers YES – then we must have the courage
to do what is right and not politically expedient. …support
the Correctional Officers in the Atwater penitentiary and
ask for nothing less than the demands we’ve made to
insure their safety as they work.
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Flip Hassett of The Friends & Family of Correctional
Officers
Please go on record - expressing
your concern with the practices at the
Atwater Federal Penitentiary and
the impact they have on our city’s residents.

Friends &
Family of Correctional Officers
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back to top
| Merced
Fish & Game, Inc
proposes plans to develope a
Merced Public Range & Sporting Complex Olympic Training
Center with City Council. To see proposal, go to Merced Fish
& Game, Inc's website:
mfginc.org

Collyn Roper
|

Click picture to enlarge
The undertaking the Merced Fish
& Game,Inc is proposing will be a professionally designed
project consisting of:
• 40 Trap fields, 12 of which will be overlaid with
Skeet fields,
• A sporting clays course in future plans,
• A meeting house,
• A registration building,
• Several bathroom facilities,
• The California Waterfowl Association Museum,
• RV parking with full hook-ups,
• Additional RV parking,
• Several storage facilities,
• One workshop,
• One pre-manufactured home for the resident manager,
• General parking for additional vehicles.
For Information or Questions:
Contact MERCED FISH & GAME, INC
by email:mercedfishandgame@yahoo.com
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