35 minute read
What’s Up, Clovis?
CHECK OUT THE BUZZ AROUND TOWN
ANTHONY DE LEON
@IJustDoNews
Clovis Community College spent the past week honoring former student Molly Griffin by encouraging and delivering random acts of kindness throughout campus.
On February 21, 2015, Molly Griffin, a nursing student at Clovis Community, was killed by a drunk driver at only 23 years old.
In dedication to Griffin, Clovis Community named this week ##LiveLikeMolly Week, the week of her birthday.
Griffin was described as “an incredible young woman who had a passion for doing random acts of kindness.”
“Molly was born on August 26, which is why we have selected that day to spread kindness. It is a kindness movement...kindness...pass it on! #LiveLikeMolly,” a news release stated.
On what would have been her 28th birthday, Clovis Community provided its enrolled students with food and passed out 50 $50 Save Mart grocery gift cards.
The day was also filled with students sharing their random acts of kindness on social media, as students “lived like Molly.”
Clovis Community held a book drive throughout the week where people donated new or gently used children’s and teen’s books.
A blood drive was held on Tuesday, and Friday was a phone a friend day.
“We are excited to participate in the #LiveLikeMolly movement and share kindness with our students. Molly is an inspiration to us all,” said Stephanie Babb, a director of marketing and communications at Clovis Community. “We encourage everyone to participate not only today but continue to perform random acts of kindness all year long.”
Clovis PD and Midas Offering Catalytic Converter Protection
ANTHONY DE LEON
@IJustDoNews
As catalytic converter thefts continue to be an issue in Clovis, the Clovis Police Department and Midas Clovis are collaborating on theft prevention.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, recyclers will pay between $50 to $250 for a catalytic converter. And in a CBS News report in May, metals scrapped from newer hybrid cars can value between $800 to $1,500.
Protective parking habits can be vital to preventing catalytic converter theft. Residents should park in well-lit areas, surveillance areas, or a garage.
Extra measures can also be taken, including attaching anti-theft devices to the converter.
License plate numbers or vehicle identification numbers (VIN) can also be engraved on the catalytic converter.
Engraving is a service that Midas Clovis
twenty20photos
Clovis PD and Midas of Clovis is partnering up to help prevent catalytic converter thefts.
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will offer by appointment at the Old Town Clovis location.
This service is part of a complimentary vehicle inspection. However, the store says some fees may apply depending on the accessibility of the converter.
Those interested can schedule an appointment by calling (559) 324-2800. Midas Clovis is located at 704 Clovis ave.
Sierra Vista Mall Holds First Career Fair since COVID-19
SYDNEY MORGAN
sydneyamorgan19@gmail.com
The first career fair since COVID-19 was organized by Cumulus Broadcasting on August 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sierra Vista Mall.
“It’s a place to bring businesses together from all over the valley,” said Chris Miller, Marketing Director for Cumulus Broadcasting.
As that rate of unemployment is still an issue in the community, and the world, Cumulus Broadcasting wanted to make it easier for the people of Clovis to find a job or career both quickly and efficiently.
“It’s a one stop shop for people who are interested in either getting a job, or maybe want to switch careers, or look and see what other opportunities are out there,” said Miller.
According to the Employment Development Department, “the unemployment rate in Fresno County was 9.3 percent in July 2021.”
The benefits of unemployment make it hard for individuals to want to go out and look for a job, but at the end of the day it’s all about the long term goal instead of short term relief.
The Sierra Vista Mall had 55 booths lined up inside, all full of eager employers waiting to tell the job seekers about their businesses.
The first booth you see when you walk through the entry doors is the PHE, otherwise known as Pacific Health Education. They are seeking people who are caring of elderly people, at least 18 years of age, and who have a clean background.
PHE offers a 30 day program that guarantees job placement in hospice care, whether that be in nursing homes or at home health.
“You don’t need a high school diploma or GED, you just need to be able to read, write and converse in English,” said Nancy Hackett, a registered nurse at the booth.
Another booth, Spherion, was hiring for occupations classified under warehouse general labor. These include jobs like forklift operators, welders, bookkeepers, and handling shipments or products.
The job with the highest demand in this business was the forklift
Sydney Morgan/Clovis Roundup
As you walk through the Sierra Vista Mall this is the first sight you see, booths full of employers and Human Resource Managers waiting to tell people about their business.
driver. For this particular job, Spherion requires 6 month prior work experience and a certification to occupy a forklift.
“We have nearly 100 openings we are looking to fill today, and we’ll make the best match for the position you’re looking for,” said Rose Marie Ardire, the Regional Sales Manager for Spherion.
Another booth that took part in the career fair was Tomas Cuisine. They were hiring for all nutrition and dining positions within community medical center properties.
Some specific jobs within Thomas Cuisine include cooks, baristas, dishwashers, dietitians, and everything in between. The only requirement is to have a high school diploma.
“It’s a great job for someone out of high school, a professional chef, or a registered dietitian,” said Ashley Voorneveld, the California Human Resource Manager for Thomas Cuisine.
With the ability to gather so many different businesses under one roof it allows people who are looking for work to talk to multiple businesses at one specific time, and see which ones are the best fit for them.
“We’re anxious to get people back to work,” said Miller, “some of them will land a job right on the spot.”
Career fairs are important and useful because they allow individuals to network with people and businesses within their community. They also teach people professionalism, how to ‘dress to impress’, how to utilize their experience to create resumes, and the importance of first impressions.
With the threat of COVID-19 decreasing due to vaccinations and mask mandates, the businesses that make up our city and surrounding communities are able to open back up. However, they can’t reopen successfully if there are no workers. That is why a career fair in a time like this is so influential for the people, the city, and the economy overall.
“We’re just hopeful that things get better and hopefully the job fair is part of that,” said Miller.
Clovis Roundup
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ALEXIS VICTORIA GOVEA
@LexGovea
Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder recently made a visit to the Central Valley. The campaign rally was held at Clovis North High School.
He began by joking with the crowd stating that he’s only been a politician for five weeks and asked everyone how’s he doing as people in the audience cheered for him.
Elder is running in the election to recall California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.
During his time in the Central Valley, he brought up stories pertaining to his family upbringings, systemic racism, housing, water shortages as well as the vaccinations & mask mandates.
“I don’t drink coffee -- I drink tea and when I become governor, assuming there are still mandates for vaccines and mandates for face masks, they will be repealed before my first cup of tea,” said Elder followed by a standing ovation.
Elder also talked about his stance on school choice. Clovis resident, Amber Castro is in support of Elder and believes he will make a change.
“We are really interested in school choice. We are tired of having our children masked, and we don’t want the vaccine mandates. We want to be able to choose,” said Castro. “We believe that everybody should have a right to choose for themselves. It’s OK if you want it and it’s OK if you don’t -- you should have the right to choose.”
Another Clovis resident who attended the rally, Karina Palmore who works in the medical field, said what she likes about Elder is that he’s not a politician.
“He’s a well known person who knows about the problems of California. He’s a resident of California,” said Palmore. “And I participate in the recall because we don’t agree with what Gavin Newsom is doing to our state.”
Palmore went on to say that there’s no more freedom.
At the campaign rally, Elder also talked about family values and how both his father and mother have had an impact on his life.
“I’m out here to support Larry and the message that he’s bringing about bringing family back -- bringing back the rights of Americans to have the right to choose whether they’re gonna get vaccinated, have the right to choose whether they’re gonna wear a mask,” said Longtime Clovis resident, Cary Weigant. “Bringing back the family values is especially why I’m out here. I support Larry’s family values, and that’s why I came out.”
Weigant’s thoughts on the message he gave at the campaign rally: I thought it was fantastic. I thought he did a good job in setting his platform. I definitely support him. I see where we failed as Californians to see what’s going on, and to hold our governor accountable for what has happened. Larry is going to bring that to the forefront and I came out here to support that.
Elder stated in his campaign rally that Governor Newsom is gonna be recalled on September 14th. Followed by a big round of applause and a standing ovation with a little over one thousand people in attendance.
Alexis Victoria Govea/Clovis Roundup
California Republican candidate Larry Elder stopped in Clovis to hold a rally in which nearly 1,000 people came to support.
PEG BOS
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having an influence on the kids, the annual bank robbery reenactment, and her articles in the Roundup.
She went on to thank Bos for her positive influence that she’s had on her life along with everyone else in the crowd and her legacy that she’s built.
Bos was presented with a proclamation recognizing her service to the Clovis community along with a bench that states “IN HONOR OF PEG BOS” and includes the date of when she was the Mayor of Clovis and President of the Clovis-Big Dry Creek Historical Society.
The celebration continued followed with some refreshments with lots of laughter, gathering to show the appreciation of Bos.
Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Clovis, Lynne Ashbeck has known Bos for over 30 years. Ashbeck said she was one of the reasons why she ran for city council in 2001.
“She is the role model, the mentor, sort of the model of what civic leadership should look like. She never lead for herself -- she always led for the best of Clovis,” said Ashbeck. “She always worked to find solutions...grateful for all the things that she taught me.”
Ashbeck went on to say that she would describe Bos as devoted -- devoted to the city, to the community, her family, her faith life, personal life, and her civic life.
“She is determined, she is focused, she is kind-hearted,” said Ashbeck.
Bos’ granddaughter Erica Pennington also shared some words on how she’s been a female inspiration in her life and how she’s always looked up to her .
“She had a picture in her house -- it said: No guts, no glory. And that is Peg Bos. You have to go out and go for it or you’re not gonna get anything, and she did that all the time,” said Pennington. “She’s a role model. I’m a coach, I’m a teacher, I’m a mother now. She inspired me just to be a leader and a role model as well in what I do, and so I always brag on her.”
Bos’ granddaughter went on to say she always looked up to her grandma as she describes her as fierce, a loving grandparent who always speaks the truth.
Bos gave a huge thank you to the Clovis Roundup for allowing her to write.
Although the celebration was for her, she was still thanking all of her family and friends around her as she made people laugh and continued to spread her positivity.
“It’s hard to believe it’s 20 years, but they’re filled with good memories of good people, donating things, information -- board members that were just terrific, so I’ve been blessed,” said Bos. “A husband that supported me...thank you for coming, good friends. You’re a blessing in my life.”
CUSD
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one by one, the board was subject to a slew of insults and comparisons ranging from kings to slaves to Nazis. Additionally, board members were told they are not above God or the U.S. Constitution.
CUSD Board President Dr. Steven Fogg was the target of most of the insults, with one attendee, Sean Soares, accusing Dr. Fogg of pushing a “vaccine agenda.”
“By the fact that you’re pushing vaccines, Dr. Fogg, that scares me because we’re on a path to ankle monitors like they’re doing in Oregon,” Soares said. “We’re on a crazy path right now. And you’re helping push that agenda, and it’s scary.”
Soares, who has risen to the forefront as the voice of some parents in CUSD, said he and other parents would be filing paperwork to the California Department of Public Health claiming the state mandates are unconstitutional.
Dr. Fogg disputed pushing a “vaccine agenda,” clarifying that he is not trying to persuade others to get vaccinated but has the right to express what he believes.
“I am never going to come here and try to persuade anyone to do something they don’t want to do or shouldn’t do,” Dr. Fogg said. “But I have a right to give you what I feel. I felt the way out of this [pandemic] is by vaccinations.”
Joey Myers, a father of two students in CUSD, compared the board to an ostrich sticking its head in the sand regarding masks and vaccinations.
Myers started a petition for mask choice, and as of Aug. 26, it has 555 signatures.
He also stated that parents decide when mandates end, fearing that the board won’t fight for the parents regarding other issues.
Nazi Germany
Several parents at the board meeting described CUSD following state mandates comparable to Germans following orders given by the Nazis under the Third Reich.
Justin Teso referenced Gies, Klieman, Kugler, and Voskuijl, all of the families who provided help to Anne Frank, her family, and the Van Pelts during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II.
Teso said it is becoming more apparent who would protect the Franks (turning toward the parents in the crowd) and who would obey and sign their death wish (addressing the board).
Kyle Valenzuela referenced a quote from Nazi Dictator Adolf Hitler’s Feb. 24, 1920 speech “The Nazi 25-point Programme” where Hitler said, “The common good before the individual good.”
“Another quote I think you all might agree with, from the way you’re acting, is ‘The common good, before the individual,’ Valenzuela said. “That’s what we’re preaching to the kids. Again, the common good before the individual. This is from Hitler.”
He continued, “You got to look back in time and know what you’re saying. We know what you’re saying, and that’s not the right path. And you need to give that back to the parents where it belongs. Because this is America, not Nazi Germany.”
Board Members Respond
Dr. Fogg responded to those in attendance following public comments and said he appreciates the parents attending even if it means they berate him and the board.
“I know berating school boards is the thing across the nation right now,” Dr. Fogg said. “I do work with these other six members as a board, and I just tell you from my experience that they do have the best interests of our children at heart.”
Board member Susan Hatmaker was also appreciative of those sharing their concerns but denounced insults thrown at the board during public comment.
“I personally don’t appreciate the insults to any individual board member or the entire board. You can say what you want to say. That’s fine,” said Hatmaker. “But I think it’s incredibly rude for you to come in, yell at us, make threats, and be disrespectful.”
Hatmaker pointed out that when parents discussed the push for mask choice, the board unanimously voted to provide parents with mask exemptions without doctor verifications.
However, that option was short-lived as the state mandated that all mask exemptions must have a doctor’s verification.
Hatmaker said she agreed with the parents’ concerns to the board, but many of the insults were inaccurate and outrageous.
Board member David DeFrank seconded Hatmaker’s feelings toward the insults hurled at the board.
“A lot of things said tonight were pretty outrageous,” DeFrank said. “And it’s pretty frustrating when this board has done quite a bit to try to afford parents as many choices permitted under the law and then to be compared to Nazis.”
DeFrank hopes that the level of discussion would improve in the future but said he is not confident that will happen.
“This was an emotion-filled meeting once again. We feel the emotion like you do,” Dr. Fogg said. “And I hope that we can all give each other a little bit of grace.”
September 11: We Will Never Forget
SYDNEY MORGAN
sydneyamorgan19@gmail.com
The day that followed the 9-11 terrorist attacks was the most tragic, yet one the greatest days our country has ever been through.
“We weren’t Democrats, we weren’t Republicans, we weren’t black, we weren’t white, we weren’t men, we weren’t women...we were Americans,” said Todd Cook, partner in the Cook Land Company who helped expand the 9-11 memorial in 2019.
People just wanted to help people.
The first responders were rushing to the attack sites, the construction workers conducting search and rescue missions, clean up crews, and the people who wanted to give a helping hand to the civilians that were in turmoil after the attacks.
Everyone came together to pick the country back up again and assisted in any way they could and that is why 9-12 is so remarkable.
“We lost that unity we had on 9/12,” said Cook, “I would sure like to go back to those ways.”
On September 12, 2001 thousands of people took part in a candlelight vigil on the Mall, in Washington D.C. These people lit candles and crowded around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C.
The empathy from American citizens on that day set the reminder of how even in the face of the uncontrollable, the one thing we can control is our response.
When it comes to the country’s efforts to make the United States safer for its people, they made some extreme changes to air travel.
According to History.com, before the 9-11 terrorist attack, people could wander the halls of airports without a ticket and could board planes without having their IDs checked.
“Most airports didn’t bother running background checks on their employees, and checked baggage was never scanned,” said Jeffrey Price, a noted aviation security expert.
U.S. airports made some new emergency safety measures after the attacks, including the banning of selling or using knives, even plastic ones, at airports, the process of evacuating and sweeping all terminals with K-9 teams units, and discontinuing curbside check-ins.
September 12, 2001 also marked the start of the United States’ military campaign, War on Terror.
The United States vowed to strike back for the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It was the largest attack on U.S. soil by any foreign entity since Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
According to CNN, The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, which was an intergovernmental military alliance between 28 European countries and 2 North American countries, said that “an armed attack against one of the organization’s members is considered an attack against all of them.”
With that permission from NATO, the United States was able to invoke a section of the charter and count on the support of its allies in mounting military operations. This moment was significant because It was the first time in the 52-year history of alliance that the NATO self-defense charter was summoned.
With the present and sudden threat of terrorism that resulted fromn the U.S. military being taken out of Afghanistan, it is important to remember that there is strength in numbers. No matter what happens, American citizens will always have a right to unite under the stars and stripes of our country and fight for freedom and peace.
“Today, more than ever we need to remember the unity and the resilience of the ‘American Spirit’” said Anna Borgeas, Executive Director of California 9-11 Memorial.
Courtesy of SeanPavonePhoto
Lights shine where the twin towers once stood at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City.
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In 2009, eight years after the attacks, Congress named September 11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
The Clovis 9-11 memorial site, also known as the “California 9-11 Memorial,” was established in 2002 by David McDonald who was the CEO of Pelco, a security and surveillance company.
David McDonald had a vision for the memorial because he felt it was the “appropriate thing to do,” after the attacks.
In December 2001, David McDonald invited many survivors of the 9-11 attacks to the memorial site to pay tribute to the sacrifices they made for the country.
“1,100 New York police officers and firefighters got on a plane and landed in Fresno to be treated like rockstars,” said Andy Isolano, a retired fire prevention officer and 9/11 survivor.
The event they experienced on September 11, 2002 included a dance, medals, and parades.
“There’s nothing this community couldn’t do for us,” said Isolano.
Even through the selling of McDonald’s business Pelco to the French company Schneider Electric in 2007, the people of Clovis vowed to protect and maintain the California 9-11 Memorial and helped it blossom into what it is today.
It is successful as a non-profit because of the California 9-11 Board of Directors that was established in 2019, as well as having assistance from the businesses and people in Clovis, volunteers and donors, and support from surrounding communities.
“The purpose of the Board is to facilitate and complement the efforts of the 9-11 memorial and the team that has been assembled,” said Lorenzo Rios, Chief Executive Officer for the Clovis Veterans Memorial District.
The City of Clovis teamed up with Cook Land Development and extended the memorial site in 2019.
The memorial is “absolutely incredible for the community, and it was time to take it to the next level,” said Todd Cook, partner in the Cook Land Company.
This expansion plan included replicas of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon at a 1/100th scale, with names of military and first responders etched in the stone, as well as limited edition bronze statues of first responders, and storyboards that are set around the memorial that are full of facts and information about the attacks.
Every part of the memorial holds its own symbolic reference to the attacks.
The bronze statues signify the five members of Ladder Company five. They were the first firefighter responders who arrived at the scene, as they were located right across from the Twin Towers, and all perished during the attacks.
Another symbolic aspect created by civil engineers who developed a design that casts a shadow on the Pentagon where the plane impacted. This shadow is a result from light being cast on the bronze statues at the time of the first attack, 8:46 a.m.
This year’s 20th anniversary ceremony will include some never before seen events such as the unveiling of a couple new statues, a Flight 93 memorial, and the planting of the Survivor Tree.
The new statue is a replica of police officer Mariah Smith who was a member of NYPD and had lost her life assisting and rescuing victims stuck in the Twin Towers. Her family has accepted the invitation and will be attending to witness the unveiling.
Another statue is the Wounded Warrior statue which symbolizes the veterans wounded in the attack.
As for the Flight 93 memorial, The Cook Land Company had to spend a lot of time working out the details on how to create a replica of the plane in a respectful way. They chose to create a statue made up of aircraft materials.
The organizers went as far as to install sleeves in the concrete sidewalks and plan to line the sidewalks leading to the memorial with hundreds of American flags.
“[The ceremony] will be a sight to behold,” said Cook.
From 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. the ceremony gives appreciation to first responders who were injured or gave their life to help save others during the terrorist attacks.
At the beginning of the memorial ceremony, at 8:46 a.m, the first 911 call plays on the speaker.
“The first 911 call, [at 8:46 a.m.] is incredibly moving and very powerful,” said Anna Borgeas, who is the Executive Director of California 9-11 memorial, “it takes somebody back to that day.”
From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. the ceremony announces the winner of One Voice ‘Spirit of 9/12.’
One Voice is an educational component of the ceremony where the organizers partnered with the Fresno County office of Education and the superintendent of schools to bring forward a competition for students to submit arts and/or poetry that discusses how America came together on 9-12.
There are about 120 submissions and only two are chosen; One for art and one for poetry. The winners, who are announced at the event, will go with chaperones and selected family members to New York City in September to visit the Ground Zero Memorial.
Outside of Ground Zero, this memorial is one, if not the biggest, memorial site for 9-11.
“It’s not a small thing, it’s one of the biggest in the country,” said Cook.
The reason they built this memorial in Clovis was because of the close relationships the city has with New York and the terrorist attacks.
One specific example is Todd Beamer. He was a standout baseball player for Fresno State.
However, many people know him as the man who said “are you ready, okay, let’s roll” on a voicemail to his wife before a small group of civilians stormed into the cockpit on Flight 93.
There was also a man named Otis Tolbert who played football for Fresno State. He lost his life during the pentagon attack. His family still resides here in Fresno county.
Another connection Clovis has to 9-11 is with Pelco who had offices in the Trade Center during the attack.
According to multiple sources like Todd Cook and Anna Borgeas, the memorial and ceremony’s purpose is to ‘Never Forget’ and to ‘Honor, Educate, and Remember.’
To honor those who gave and lost their life, to educate younger generations with first hand experience and teach them the magnitude of how savage these attacks were, and to remember the shock and sorrow of the outright unexpected attacks.
“Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America,” said President George W. Bush in his televised address from the Oval Office in 2001.
This foundation Bush speaks about is patriotism and unity within the country. As a result of the attacks, something remarkable happened. The American people chose to come together, setting aside their differences, and instead choosing to provide comfort and support.
The California 9-11 Memorial Ceremony is held at 3500 Never Forget Lane in Clovis, and officially begins at 8:46 a.m. to signify the start of the attacks.
“It’s very powerful and somber, yet an honor filled ceremony” said Cook.
The ceremony and memorial itself is so influential today with everything happening in Afghanistan.
“Right after 9-11 the United States embarked on a mission, ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’, to deny any safe haven to terrorists, that’s what started the war in Afghanistan” said Rios, who is also a U.S. Army Veteran.
With the kind of actions that have been occurring in Afghanistan recently, it is important to remember why we sent our American people to that place and what it meant for our country.
“I think we must remember that a threat can always come back to strike our country and the peace we enjoy is a fragile peace that we can’t assume and take for granted,” said Rios.
Hot Air Balloon Fun Fly Returns, So Does the Magic
ANTHONY DE LEON
@IJustDoNews
As ClovisFest makes its return, so too does the Hot Air Balloon Fun Fly, where multicolored nylon, like a kaleidoscope of color, and wicker baskets adorn the sky.
And in a RE/MAX balloon, a familiar face can be seen, that of Bob Locklin — referred to as Magic Bob because of his work as a magician.
Currently an instructor at the Clovis Institute of Technology, Magic Bob has worn several hats, hot air balloon pilot at the forefront.
Magic Bob began piloting in the early ‘70s, then moved to balloons on May 9, 1997, a day he still remembers vividly.
“I went up to Tracy to crew on a balloon for a guy… I had my first flight with him,” Magic Bob said. “I said, ‘Wow, I like this.’ So I went out to crew the next day up in the Sacramento area and got on another flight … by then, I was hooked.”
Since then, with 24 years as a pilot and 20 years instructing younger, Magic Bob has flown all over the southwest and even Mexico.
Magic Bob has years of history as a pilot — and with Clovis — playing an integral part of the fun fly’s inception.
The fun fly origin dates back to 1997 when the California Balloon Festival was in its last year, which had a history dating back to the 1980s.
With it being the festival’s final year, the Clovis Chamber of Commerce worked with Magic Bob to keep an annual hot air balloon event afloat in Clovis.
Photo contributed by Magic Bob
Magic Bob has been a hot-air balloon pilot since 1997.
“We came up with the idea of doing a fun fly, where it was not competitive,” Magic Bob said. “So, in ‘98, we just invited a bunch of people to come out to the fun fly.”
Magic Bob and the Chamber of Commerce decided to schedule the fun fly alongside ClovisFest weekend.
At the time, ClovisFest was held in September, like this year’s event and will be for the next four years.
Hot Air Balloon Fun Fly’s Return
Like countless other events in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and guidelines enacted by the state forced the 46th annual ClovisFest and fun fly to cancel.
“It was not a surprise. I knew it was happening,” Magic Bob said. “We knew it was inevitable.”
Magic Bob knew the event would be canceled when the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta — the world’s largest hot air balloon festival and a multimillion-dollar generating event — announced it would be postponing its 2020 festivities.
Fortunately, as of early August, the event is making its return despite a smaller number of participants.
Magic Bob invites experienced pilots from all over to participate, with as many as 20 pilots in years past.
However, Magic Bob says the numbers are starting to dwindle due to pilots moving or retiring.
“[In the] last several years, because a lot of people moved or retired, we’ve been down to eight to 10 balloons,” Magic Bob said.
Magic Bob says pilots moving on has been a trend in the local hot air balloon community,
“Up until a year or two ago, we had like five or six active pilots here,” Magic Bob said. “But, we’re all getting older.”
For this year’s event, Magic Bob says he has nine balloons signed up, with a possibility of additional balloons as the fun fly draws closer.
The Day of the Flight
When floating thousands of feet in the sky, Magic Bob says only one word describes the feeling.
Peaceful.
“To me, it’s very peaceful,” Magic Bob said.
On the day of the fun fly, pilots and festival-goers get to experience peacefulness.
For pilots, they begin setting up their balloons at 6 a.m., just before the sunrise starts to peak out. And as the sun rises, the balloons take flight from the Clovis Rodeo Grounds.
Once in flight, balloons head toward Valley Children’s Hospital, which has been a landing spot in the past.
Festival-goers who will not be participating in the voyage can still take a flight in a tethered balloon for a fee. “People can pay to get in the balloon and go up and down for a couple of minutes,” Magic Bob said. “It’s to get a feel for what it’s like to be in a balloon, and we take them up easily 50 to 100 feet.”
In the past, Magic Bob has taken between 300 to 400 passengers into the air of the ClovisFest weekend.
ClovisFest is held in Old Town Clovis over two days, Saturday, Sept. 25, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 26, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For the fun fly, balloon inflation starts on both days at 6:15 a.m.
Courtesy of Clovis PD
29-year-old Keith Fisher was arrested earlier this year for heroin sales and has been re-arrested on Thursday, Aug. 26 for the sales of Fentanyl.
Clovis Drug Dealer Rearrested for Fentanyl
Thieves with Thousands of Stolen Mail Arrested
Courtesy of Clovis PD
Clovis PD has arrested two suspects in possession of thousands of stolen mail on August 17, 2021.
CLOVIS ROUNDUP STAFF
@ClovisRoundup
Clovis Police Department has re-arrested 29-year-old Keith Fisher, a known Clovis drug dealer, for felony drug sales.
In early 2021, an investigation of heroin sales led Clovis Police’s Special Enforcement Team (SET) to Fisher’s home in east Clovis where he was arrested.
In the morning of Thursday, Aug. 26, while investigating the sales of Fentanyl SET officers was back at Fisher’s home. The suspect was re-arrested and charged with felony drug sales and felony child endangerment due to a young child being in a residence where unsecured Fentanyl was accessible.
A woman in the residence was also arrested and charged with felony child endangerment. The child was turned over to Fresno County Child Protective Services.
During the investigation, officers recovered 2.5 ounces of Fentanyl as well as additional evidence. Fisher is currently being held at the Fresno County Jail.
Fentanyl-related deaths has been on the rise. It is 50-100 times more deadly than Morphine.
The Clovis Police Department is encouraging parents to educate and talk to their children about the dangers of Fentanyl as well as legal and illegal substances.
If anyone has information about the sales of narcotics or other illegal substances, please call (559) 324-2800 or Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP.
CLOVIS ROUNDUP STAFF
@ClovisRoundup
On August 17, Clovis Police detectives served a search warrant at an apartment complex in Fresno. During the search, detectives found thousands of stolen mail from over 100 addresses across the Central Valley including Clovis and some as far as San Diego.
Clovis PD arrested two suspects, 32-year-old Randall McKinney and 34-year-old Bobbi Heiss, both of Fresno.
Both have been booked into Fresno County Jail with a number of charges that include identity theft with prior convictions, possession of forged checks and card making equipment, and mail theft.
Heiss was also charged with a felony for committing a crime while on bail.
The list of charges are expected to increase as additional victims of the mail theft are currently being contacted.
The Clovis Police Department encourages residents to avoid being victims of mail theft by checking your mail often and if possible, go “paperless” for bills and bank statements.
With stolen mail, criminals can get access to personal information and documents that can be used to steal your identity. They can open accounts in your name and commit fraud.
Report any suspicious activity or thefts in progress to Clovis PD by calling 911 or (559) 324-2800.
Prize-Winning Local Author Debuts Memoir
CAROLE GROSCH
cgg266@comcast.net
In July 1968, a local news story made national headlines: “Madera Couple, Parents of 10 Children, Killed”. The tragic accident was the result of a five-car collision caused by a 61-year-old habitual drunk driver. The parents, Robert and Joyce Morris were the only fatalities.
The orphaned children aged 3 to 17 desperately wanted to stay together. A trust fund was set up by the Madera Tribune and managed by the Bank of America.
The story went nationwide and internationally, including coverage by Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News and the Stars and Stripes in Vietnam. The Madera Tribune alone carried almost continuous follow-up stories.
“I was 17 years old when we became national news,” remembers Kathi Morris, the oldest of the ten.”For seven years, it didn’t matter where I went. If I told people my name, they would ask if I was one of those Morris orphans.
“It took two months to decide what to do with us because there was no will. We were orphans of the court,” said Morris. “As far as the world knew, they sent us to live in the Bay Area happily ever after, right? That’s not what happened. We did not ride off into the sunset with a pile of money.”
In fact, the trust fund had problems that allowed abusive and nefarious fostering of the children.
“This good Catholic straight arrow does a whole 180, and it’s all about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, the hippies, Vietnam era, Fillmore, all of that,” says Morris.
After sharing her story with people, they suggested Morris should write a book. After a revelation at Mass, she put her gift of writing into action. Years of research, interviews, and heartfelt emotion followed.
“It wouldn’t leave me alone,” says Mor-
ris.
By writing We Were the Morris Orphans 4 Brothers, 5 Sisters & Me, Morris gives a moving account of the true story that picked up when the news coverage ended.
“In her long-awaited memoir, Kathi Morris tells the rest of the story of the ten Morris orphans—through raw emotions, heartbreaking recollections, and unexpected moments of humor. Her book will touch your heart and give you faith in the resiliency of the human spirit. Ultimately, it is a message of hope that you are stronger than you think,” wrote Linda Gannaway, Ed.D., Speaker, Coach, and Author of The Power of Life Lessons.
Morris won Grand Prize at the Sardine Factory in Monterey, California (where the movie Play Misty for Me was filmed) for her written tribute on their fiftieth-anniversary commemoration.
In addition, the memoir was a finalist in the 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference.
After reading We Were the Morris Orphans, CJ Collins, editor, and writer, commented, “You take the reader on a journey that at first seems safe, and then you gradually pull out the stops with emotional events that slay the reader. You put me on an emotional roller coaster that both thrills me and pulls me apart - thrills me because the writing is so good and pulls me apart because the writing is so good.”
Photo contributed by Kathi Morris
Kathi Morris will debut her memoir on Nov. 30,
Cathi Morris currently lives in Clovis and is retired from a thirty-five-year career with the IRS. Her greatest joys are her children and grandchildren.
We Were the Morris Orphans is available for paperback preorder at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Post Hill Press, or kathimorris.com. The release date is November 30, 2021.
