‘Royalty’ honored at Harvest Holidays barbecue; KCFD costs to rise

Delano’s Harvest Holidays organization honored Grand Marshals Stuart and Joan Collins, Queen Gurnoor Bhatti, King Morrison Dobere, and its Tiny Tots court at the takeout barbecue of its 76th annual festival on Saturday, Oct. 9, as the festival wound down.

The community’s other two major celebrations, Cinco de

Mayo and Philippine Weekend, did not take place this calendar year due to the pandemic.

Due to COVID restraints, a parade could not take place, though the Harvest organization did have a “drive around caravan” through some city streets to end the fete.

Harvest president Claribel Gutierrez said she hoped that by next year at this time that a full celebration could take place.

Under a new contract, Kern County approved a plan this week that required the city of Delano (and other communities served by Kern County Fire Department) to pay $1.1 million more each year by 2027 than it was previously charged for fire department services.

It was not announced how the city would come up with the additional funding.

A legal notice posted in The Californian invited bids on a 2021 Cecil Avenue sewer trunk line replacement project.

Bids are scheduled to be opened on Nov. 4 for the project.

I can still recall being present in a crowded room at the current Wells Fargo Bank site in Delano when leaders of the Kern Community College District heard a presentation from the Delano Chamber of Commerce and other local leaders seeking a college center in Delano.

College district officials sat stoically in the bank meeting room, and viewing the faces of the college officials who were somewhat stone-faced, I was of the belief that they were totally against such an idea.

After the local presentation, college district leaders said yes to the plan, a great surprise to me!!

The first Delano College Center building was in the northeast corner of Delano High School’s campus, just outside the football stadium. The first college classes in Delano came when doors opened Sept. 5, 1972.

Offices and classes were later moved to a site at the corner of Randolph Street and 20th Avenue.

Now an expanding campus offers classes just to the west of the Robert F. Kennedy High School auditorium.

A new learning center has been approved for the Delano campus at a cost of $14.41 million allocated by the state.

In The Californian recently I

noted a column by Delano City Council member Salvador Solorio-Ruiz regarding the effects of climate change and criticizing Congressman David Valadao for continuing to “ignore the facts.”

It should be noted that not long ago Valadao introduced to a committee of the House of Representatives a plan to address the needs for water for this area.

The committee Democrats turned down the request.

Solorio-Ruz closed the column with a statement that Valadao had chosen to “deny climate change and leave his constituents to fend for themselves.”

Recognizing the need for water must be considered in the overall climate change picture. Without water for Delano-area agriculture, there would be no farms, no farmworkers, no Delano!

At least in the sense that Valadao fought for water for the area, he has made an effort to deal with the problem.

Recently I attended the wedding of Erica Espitia, a Delano High School graduate, at the Delano Public Golf Course.

I knew Erica as a four-year cheerleader at Delano High, including her senior year when she was head cheerleader. How time passes!!

Her dad, Eddie, had set up everything beautifully for the wedding and reception at the Delano Public Golf Course, the first such event of its type to ever take place at the course.

I have known Eddie chiefly as the head coach of the Delano Stallion football team for many years and still actively involved, and as an active member of Delano Youth Foundation.

One day I learned the family was “moving” from Delano, and I was fearful that the Youth Foundation would be losing another hardworking member. But it won’t be for at least the three years he has until retirement, Eddie reported.

Eddie has worked numerous years for the city and wife Mary Mendoza-Espitia has been a child education administrator for 25 years.

Through the Youth Foundation I have learned of Eddie’s contributions to the community. He always leads the raffle for the annual Delano Sports Dinner, doing everything by himself in collecting items for that part of the foundation’s fundraising.

Daughters Erica and Amanda were both Delano High cheerleaders.

Erica and husband Elbert Denina will be moving to Dallas, Texas. He is a trainer for professional sports and is expected to be a trainer for the Dallas Mavericks.

At the wedding I was able to renew friendship with Paul Espitia, Erica’s grandfather. He was a slugger on Delano’s championship baseball team of 1954 when he was a junior, and I had a prime seat as a senior on the bench. Outfielder Sam Anderson and manager Jerva Winn, the latter a close friend and still residing in Delano, are the only ones from that team who I believe are still living.

“Night of Golden Memories”

is planned tonight for Delano High School’s classes of 1970 and 1971 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Bakersfield.

I have been invited and will be curious to see many past Delano High students, including golf event coordinator John Atwood, whose parents and sisters I knew well years back, attend.

John was the catcher for the Little League Rotary team that the late Monte Marshall and I coached. Monte dubbed him “Foghorn” for his booming voice as he spoke loud and clear to set up the defense for the team.

Recently I turned out to be around the Harvest Holidays booth at the National Night Out event at Cesar Chavez park.

It was a pleasant evening, weather-wise, and I saw people who I knew.

President Claribel Gutierrez keeps the Harvest board active in the community, but new members are always needed — and WELCOMED — for the board.

King and queen at homecoming at Robert F. Kennedy High School were Hugo Mora and Marisol Avalos.

Delano High’s Class of 1980 reunion is planned for today at the Bakersfield Country Club.

Andrea Turnipseed, a former student of mine, is heading the planning AGAIN, but says this year will be her last as chairperson.