Retiring Delano High employee reflects on four-decade stint
DELANO — Glenda Muldrow, a Delano High employee even before she was a graduate of the school, has set March 21 as her target date for retirement.
To a questionnaire from me she responded with, “I started working at Delano High the fall of 1980 in the student store before school, during lunch, and an hour after school. Mr. Bartleson, then the associated student body director, had me walk his daughter down the street to Terrace School. At lunch and after school, I sold T-shirts, pencils and other school supplies.
“After I graduated in 1981, the ASB secretary, Mrs. Brinkman, and her husband, a business ed teacher, decided to move and I was called back to work as a substitute until they found a suitable replacement. That did not happen and I stayed until October 1982, when I was hired as a permanent employee. I worked another year in the ASB office before transferring to the position of a community aide in which I made phone calls and home visits on students who were habitually truant.
“After a year or so, I moved to the attendance office and worked there until 1994 when I went into Special Projects as a secretary in testing and assessment. In 1996, Mary Fernandez, attendance secretary, retired and I took over her position until 2020 when I became librarian.”
Because many student groups did not have advisers, Glenda stepped in for BSU (Black Student Union) as that group was “famous” for baked potatoes sold at football games and other functions and fundraisers organized by Glenda.
Glenda said she took over BSU after teacher/ adviser Linda Jones left in 2012. No one else wanted to be the adviser, and she got a nudge from her niece Denise Barnes to help out.
“Little did I know how much time and dedication that would take. BSU would take me and students to state conferences in San Jose, Sacramento, Los Angeles and other areas, winning several BSU of the year awards. One of my philosophies to students was: Know what is in your community, how you can make it better and find what you can do to help. That resulted in my BSU kids spending several hours each month volunteering at different events. Highlights of my time advising
BSU were taking students on our end-of-the-year trip to the beach and hiking down to the tide pools and putting starfish in their hands and seeing their reactions to the ocean — always priceless — I loved sharing new things with them. Another time we had served community hours for the Farmworker Appreciation Day, and one of the business owners called me a few months after with 40 tickets to a Niners game for me and my kids. They could not believe that we were going to a professional football game in Santa Clara! Smiles on their faces will always be a memory I will hold dear.”
For 12 years, from 1999 to 2013, outside of school time, she worked for the recreation department as a recreation supervisor, also as a basketball official and adult co-ed volleyball director.
“These years were fun and busy, and I got to meet a lot of great people from the community. I hope the recreation department can return to its glory days where kids could go and develop sports skills early and be able to compete at high levels like other cities around us. The co-ed volleyball gave a lot of us middle-aged people something to do in the summer evenings while keeping us active. It was always fun meeting new people and keeping a friendly competitive edge.
“I plan to stay busy in retirement with Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society Road to Recovery Program. I will be driving cancer patients to treatments and appointments. Also, I plan to reactivate my status as a CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocate, for kids in foster care. I also have two great-nieces, one who is 2 and the other 4 months old that I hope to spend a lot of time with. I also like driving to the Central Coast for day trips. I hope to stay in touch with everyone. I think the hardest part will be breaking a 40-year routine of getting up early and going to the gym.”
Glenda has been asked by many of her friends to run for office.
“That might be in the future, either city or school board. I will wait and see how things go. Just going to try and take it one day at a time.”
I posed to Glenda the question of how school has changed and if it’s better or worse. Her response: “Unfortunately, cellphones have ruined our educational system as a whole. Students can’t even go to the restroom without their phones and EarPods. I think teachers have an uphill battle just trying to get students on task every day. Other than that, I believe Delano High School has some of the best students anywhere. I will definitely miss my regulars in the library who greet me with ‘Good morning, Miss’ or ‘Have a good weekend, Miss.’
“I feel blessed to have worked with some of the best people and the friendships I’ve made in 40 years I hope will continue to grow. My last workdays are with a mix of emotions of happiness and sadness, but I am excited for the next chapter.”
Two organizations at Cesar E. Chavez High School
recently took part in competitions at Matilde Torres High School in Madera on separate Saturdays.
The FCCLA group attended the Region 8 spring meeting and STAR events. Qualifying for state competition in April were Imelda Meza, Monica Jeronimo Ruiz, Ed Carino, Alyssa Acosta, Clarissa Molina and Dion Reyez. Meza was first and Ruiz second in culinary display breads and Acosta first and Molina third in menu planning and table display.
The Chavez FBLA attended the central section leadership conference. Qualifying to compete at the state level in April in Sacramento were Harshan Sunner, fifth in computer problem solving and ninth in business communication; Renz Mangohig, fifth in business calculations; Navjot Sahota, sixth in computer problem solving; and Jose Sanchez, seventh in business calculations.
The 57th Delano Sports Dinner is tonight, but ticket
sales closed last weekend. Latecomers may try a Youth Foundation director to see if extra tickets are available.
The evening will start with a steak dinner. To be revealed are the Youth Foundation’s Person of the Year awards for 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Guaranteeing funds for the more than $18,000 budgeted for youth and youth projects are dinner sponsors who have chipped in $200 or more each.
They include Berchtold Equipment Inc.; Christopher Caratan; Robert Hernandez; Jasmine Vineyards; Pandol Bros. Inc.; the Saunders family; John P. Zaninovich; Lionel and Linda Beyer; DADD; the Garland, Munson and Winn families; Delano Kiwanis Club; Matt Pandol; Sevier’s Auto Supply; Stuart and Joan Collins; C&H Fence and Patio; Delano City Employees Association; the Millan, Reed, Sevier and Hochschild families; American Ag Inc.; Serrano’s Furniture; Twiford Farms Inc.; Delano Elks Lodge No. 1761; Trophies Etc.; Ideal Club of Delano; Greg’s Petroleum; Delano Union School District Educational Foundation; and Tony’s Pizza and Tony’s Firehouse Grill.
A “gathering,” not a reunion, of Delano High
School members of the Class of 1969 is planned March 18 at the El Rey Restaurant from 2 to 6 p.m.
Mike Young, who heads planning, said people may call him at 661-370-1111, but that he needs a quick response to arrange for the event.
He reported that gatherings began to take place after the class’s 50th reunion. The March gathering is at El Rey and a September gathering is at Tony’s Firehouse Grill, always taking place the third Saturday of the month.
An obituary in a recent Californian drew my atten
tion, as it was Alex Gil. He and wife Pearl, a longtime employee of the Delano Joint Union High School District, and the family lived at the corner of 8th Avenue and Washington Street, just a block away from my home.
Daughter Elaine and son Gary were both in my freshman English class at Delano High.
Elaine was also business manager for the school newspaper that I advised and a few times babysat for my children.
Alex was a barber if I recall and also developed the Cecil Avenue Plaza, which is now next to Carroll’s Tires.