Valley fall planting under way Behavioral

50 CENTS
Weekly Edition
September 21 – 27, 2016
Volume 3, Issue 2
www.thedesertreview.com
Valley fall planting under way
Behavioral
Health Director
Horn retires
with a bang
Michael Horn
By: Stella Jimenez
EL CENTRO — On the
occasion of his retirement
and in appreciation of 36
years of valuable leadership, achievements and
exceptional dedication to
the County of Imperial,
Behavioral Health Director
Michael W. Horn was presented with a plaque from
the Imperial County Board
of Supervisors during Tuesday’s board meeting where
dozens of Behavioral Health
employees attended to witness the emotional moment.
Horn began working in
Vegetable transplanting has begun in the Imperial Valley. Cauliflower transplants being irrigated by sprinkler northwest of Brawley. ApproxiImperial County in 1975 at
mately 4,000 acres of cauliflower are planted every year in the Imperial Valley via transplants or direct seed. Photo by: Lloyd Miller
the Department of Social
Services as an Eligibility
Worker, he was promoted to
Social Worker in 1978 and
eventually attained the posiBy: Stella Jimenez
tion of Supervisor.
“I’ve known Mike since
1977 and it has always been
CALEXICO — “Viva Mexico,”
a pleasure for all of these
“Viva la Independencia,” and “Viva
years working with him,”
Calexico” were chanted among
said Ray Castillo, District 5
the crowds throughout the eveSupervisor. “He has been a
ning while thousands celebrated
great leader, and we are defithe 206th anniversary of Mexican
Independence Day Saturday at
nitely going to miss him.”
Crummett Park in Calexico.
He began his career
Accompanied by his wife,
at B ehaviora l He a lt h
Esther, Carlos Flores Vizcarra,
a s C ont i nu i n g C a re
Consul Titular of the Mexican
Coordinator in 1987 and in
Consulate in Calexico, gave El
recognition of his leadership
Grito de Dolores while proudly
skills and professionalism;
waving the Mexican flag honoring
he was promoted to Adult
his country.
Services Manager in 1989,
Traditionally, Mexicans celeDeputy Director – Clinical
brate their country’s Independence
Services in 1996 and direcDay on September 16.
tor of Behavioral Services in
The festival was conducted by Consul Titular Carlos Flores Vizcarra waves the Mexican flag during the Mexican Independence Day cele1999, holding the position
Gerardo Venegas, a famous local bration at Crummett Park Saturday. Stella Jimenez
for 17 years.
television and radio personality,
As Imperial County
who was presented with a certifi- began my path. This is where my con Mariachi Mixteco, Ballet D’Karlo, and La Sucursal de la Behavioral Health Director,
cate of recognition for 25 years of father (Eugenio Venegas) gave Folklorico Municipal de la Casa de Cumbia all brought the attend- Horn oversaw a dramatic
me the first opportunity to enter la Cultura de Mexicali, IMACUM, ees to their feet and entertained
service to the community.
into
the world of conductor. I am Mariachi Mariachi Mexteco de the crowd with popular Mexican expansion of services to the
“I want to thank the beautiful
Imperial County commuCalexico, Calexico High School music.
city of Calexico for this recogni- honored.”
Local artist Edgar Valentin Mariachi Centinela, Immitator
See El Grito, A3 nity as well as increasing the
tion honoring my legacy,” said
number of employees from
Venegas. “This recognition means
100 to 500 and from 1,200
a lot to me because this is where I
patients to a record breaking
of
7,000 in 2016.
Proud Member of
Horn’s highlights in his
By: Katherine Ramos
career include collaborative
efforts with agency partners,
BRAWLEY — The top teachers of
regionalization to improve
Imperial Valley’s North End were
access to service, implemenhonored Thursday evening at the
tation of evidenced–based
fourth annual Brawley Chamber
best practices and integraof Commerce Teacher’s Welcome
tion
with primary care.
California Newspaper Back Dinner at the Stockmen’s
Under Horn’s leadership,
Publishers Association Club. The theme of the night was
Behavioral Health greatly
honoring those who educate the
expanded both the scope
children for the future.
of the care it offered and
The chamber sponsors this
the geographic reach of its
event to honor all teachers of the
services to the community,
Local News
A2
North End, including Brawley, Brawley teacher Francis Nuñez accepts the Teacher of the Year award
including
ensuring access
Calipatria, and Westmorland. The for Brawley Elementary School District. Photo by: Katherine Ramos
The BEAT
A3
in
even
the
county’s most
first 100 teachers were given a
Sports
B1
free dinner ticket and raffle prizes but three, teachers, one from support of my kinder team,” said remote areas. The departEditorial
B2
throughout the night, adding an each school district in Brawley. Nuñez. “Teachers, all of us, we ment now operates in 14
Religion
B3
community clinics and is
air of celebration and camara- Teachers recognized were Francis work very hard.”
Men’s Message
B3
“It’s challenging, but at the same co-located on 18 different
derie. The grand finale was the Nuñez from Brawley Elementary
school campuses throughObituaries
B3
announcement of the Teacher of School District, Jessica Aceves time I love it,” said Aceves.
from Brawley Union High School
Also, as a special surprise, out the county. Additionally,
Crossword Puzzle B4
the Year.
District,
and
Margaretta
Garcia
Valley
Medical Pharmacy donated four more community-based
Usually, only one is chosen
Calendar of Events B4
from
Sacred
Heart
School.
checks
for $101 to every teacher in clinics are in development.
for the North End, however,
Business Directory B4
See Horn, A2
“I couldn’t do it without the attendance.
the chamber honored not one,
Calexico celebrates 206th anniversary of Mexican Independence
Brawley Chamber honors top teachers of the North End
INDEX
|A-2| September 21, 2016
www.thedesertreview.com
LOCAL NEWS
America’s Farmers award Fremont
Primary School $10,000 check
Fremont Primary was awarded the American’s Farmers Grow Rural
Education grant to assist local students. Photo by: Katherine Ramos
By: Katherine Ramos
Firefighters and Brawley PD officers pose with a special flag, flown in Guantanamo Bay, donated by Officer
Wes Burns. Photo by: Katherine Ramos
CALIPATRIA — Thanks to local farmers, Fremont Primary has been
awarded the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grant for $10,000
from the Monsanto Fund to help students learn more about their surrounding community and the environment.
Fremont first through fourth grade students will be learning about the
weather and its effects on the surrounding areas in the “Eye on the Sky”
project to be taught by Tina Stiegemeyer, a special ed teacher at Fremont.
Students will be applying STEM type learning methods during the project
to learn how to read and predict the weather patterns, how to read and
interpret data from weather maps, and how to monitor weather. They will
also be giving weekly forecasts over the school’s intercom system.
“It’s our hope that this will help with the school’s math and science program,” said Bo Shropshire, a representative of Monsanto Company who
is employed by Helena Chemical in the Imperial Valley.
Principal Sue Casey stated that Fremont plans to use the money to buy
ten iPads to help with this hands-on project.
“It will give the kids a more hands-on and STEM opportunities that
they can use these skills when they get into the real work force,” said Casey.
This is the second time Fremont has applied for the grant according
to Casey.
Monsanto Company is a agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology
corporation headquartered in Missouri.
Monsanto started the educational fund in 2011 and since then it has
grown to include more schools around the Imperial Valley. In 2015, the
program funded $2.3 million to give to 164 rural school districts.
First responders relax with the Elks Club on Patriot Day
(L-R) Ryan Kelley, Michael Kelley, Michael Horn, Conchita Horn, Ray
Castillo, John Renison and Jack Terrazas. Photo by: Stella Jimenez
Horn
(Continued from A1)
The commitment is reflected
in the resources now dedicated
to Behavioral Health, which have
grown from $8 million annually
to more than $60 million under
Horn’s administration. The past
and continued efforts are the
embodiment of what has always
been Horn’s main objective:
ensuring all Imperial County residents have access to the best care
available.
“Horn’s integrity, responsibility
and humanitarian nature have
made an impact in our department, community and in all those
who have had the opportunity to
work with him,” said Jack Terrazas,
chairman. “Michael is a proven
change leader whose inspirational
vision and pursuit of excellence
has formed Imperial County
Behavioral Health Services into an
innovative and progressive department acknowledged throughout
the State.”
Showing their gratitude
under Horn’s direction, dozens of
employees wore t-shirts that said
“You’re the Man,” others waived
posters, flags and pictures with
Horn’s face and all together gave
him a standing ovation as one
employee crowned him with a big
red king’s crown.
“He has the attitude and the
personality” said Michael Kelley,
District 3 Supervisor. “It’s so pleasant for me to see a department
that is full of joy and appreciation. There is nothing more I can
say that hasn’t been said by your
(Behavioral Health employees)
presence and applause for Mr.
Horn. I wish him the best of luck
in the years to come.”
“It’s unbelievable – it looks like
one hundred percent support for
you and your factorship over the
years of the County’s Behavioral
Health Department,” said John
Renison, District 1 Supervisor.
“Any time I run into any BHS people they are always great at what
they do, dedicated and you are an
example to all of us.”
“I’ve never seen anyone go out
with such a big bang,” said Jack
Terrazas. “Not only in support by
his staff, but the expansion of the
department.”
Horn attributes the department’s success to his excellent staff
and the support of the county
Board of Supervisors, partnering agencies and the general
community.
“Behavioral Health is well positioned for the future and I think
with the kind of people that we
have, we can do it,” said Horn. “We
have an excellent organization
staffed by incredible people. We
have high productivity standards,
high outcome standards, and we
work very well as a team. I grew up
in Holtville and one of the things
I am most proud of in the department is all these people came from
here. There is nothing people from
Imperial County cannot do.”
Horn is a life-long resident of
Imperial Valley, graduating from
Holtville High, Imperial Valley
College and San Diego State
University. He has been married
to his wife, Conchita, for 38 years.
Mike and Conchita have three children, Lindsay Ortega, an associate
planner for the City of Anaheim,
Marissa Horn, a research biologist for Ely Lily Pharmaceuticals,
and Michael Horn, a supervisor
for Disability Insurance Services
Corporation.
hot dogs and provided a place to
relax for an hour. The food and
respite offered first responders
BRAWLEY — The Brawley Elks time to unwind and grab a bite
Club held its annual luncheon to eat before going right back
for all first responders in Braw- out onto the streets.
ley Sunday, September 11, as a
“It’s nice of them, and it’s a
thank you for all they do for the good club,” said Fire Captain
town.
Rodger Smith. The Brawley Elks
All first responders were Club has held this luncheon for
invited, including Brawley Police, years, according to Smith.
firefighters, and Emergency
“It’s good for us to be out
Medical Technicians (EMTs). in the public,” said firefighter
The Elks served hamburgers and Alberto Cosio, “We’re just ordiBy: Katherine Ramos
nary people.”
It was a special day in the fact
that it was Patriot Day, or rather
9/11, the day first responders’ lives in New York and
Washington D.C. were on the
line. They still are every day they
work in Brawley, and the Elks
wanted to show appreciation.
“They work so hard to keep
our community safe, and they
don’t always get a lot of kudos
for it,” said Chairman Ron
Stillman.
|A-3| September 21, 2016
www.thedesertreview.com
County seeks waiver from DOT to
Brawley’s Measure M
maintain air service in Imperial County set for November Ballot
By: Stella Jimenez
EL CENTRO — Subsequent to
receiving a “Final Order Terminating Eligibility” letter from the
U.S. Department of Transportation
advising on the possible termination of Imperial County’s Essential
Air Services, the Imperial County
Board of Supervisors held a special
meeting Tuesday afternoon and
voted unanimously to approve and
authorize the county’s CEO to submit a Petition for Waiver to DOT
seeking to retain flight services at
the Imperial County Airport.
On August 29, the U.S.
Department of Transportation
(DOT) issued a tentative order
to terminate Imperial County
Airport’s Essential Air Services
(EAS) eligibility, along with 22 other
communities, for failing to meet “an
average of ten enplanements per day,
during the most recent fiscal year”
and for exceeding “per passenger
subsidiary amount” of $200.
“Fortunately, communities
subject in the tentative order may
petition DOT for a waiver of the
enplanement requirement, if the
community can demonstrate that
the reason the location averages
fewer than ten enplanements per
day is due to a temporary decline in
enplanements,” said Ralph Cordova
Jr., Imperial County executive
director.
Ryan N. Hall, Southern
California Association of
Governments (SCAG) Regional
Aviation Planning specialist, agreed
to assist in preparing the petition for
the waiver. After reviewing the EAS
standards, he advised the board that
it was determined the requirements
were not met and was confident the
DOT would reconsider the county’s
petition.
Rob McKinney, Mokulele
Airlines president, was present
during Tuesday’s meeting and provided an overview of the airline’s
flight services to date and assured
the board the months DOT used
determined the Imperial County
Airport did not meet the average
enplanements, but included the
gap time from the closure of Seaport
Airlines to the day Mokulele commenced services. McKinney was
the president of Seaport Airlines
during its tenure in the Valley.
“We are well over the ten enplanements per day, which Seaport
was really never able to do,” said
McKinney. “The reason why we are
successful is LAX is a superior hub
than Burbank in meeting the needs
of the community.”
McKinney also pointed out
Mokulele has not cancelled any
flights since they began servicing the county and said they have
completed 99 percent of scheduled
flights with a 90 percent of on-time
flights.
“We have a compelling story to
tell,” said McKinney. “Let the next
chapter be a waiver.”
Furthermore, McKinney
expressed Mokulele’s interest in
expanding air service to Mexicali
claiming it is a big market they
would like to explore.
Mokulele Airlines began services
in Imperial County on May 23, subsequent to the unexpected closure
of Seaport Airlines on January 15.
By: Katherine Ramos
BRAWLEY — Measure M, a bond to fund construction of a new middle
school, was discussed at last Tuesday’s Brawley Elementary School District (BESD) board meeting to discuss the impact and what has been set
in motion. The measure is already on the November ballot, leaving the
community of Brawley wondering exactly what they will be voting on.
Measure M is a bond that will allow BESD to pay for the construction
of a new sixth, seventh, and eighth grade middle school along with several
infrastructure improvements and additions to the other schools.
These projects include constructing STEM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) labs at school sites, making health, safety,
and handicapped accessibility improvements, the construction of new
classrooms, restrooms, and school facilities, and increasing student access
to computers and modern technology.
However, one of the main focuses of the measure is the middle school
construction. In December, the BESD board approved the purchase of
land in the La Paloma property near Miguel Hidalgo School for the future
school. It is the district’s hope that a new school will reduce current student overcrowding.
If the bond is passed, the tax rate per property owner would rise to $30
per $100,000 of assessed valuation per year. The current tax rate is $58.90
per $100,000 from a bond passed in 1994, however, that bond will be paid
off this year, according to Superintendent Jaime Silva. As of June 30, BESD
owes $10 million in G.O. bonds.
According to Silva, the size of Brawley does not qualify the school district for full government assistance and the district must contribute at
least 50 percent of funds for the proposed projects. Therefore, the district
is seeking passage of Measure M bond.
Currently, BESD has over 4,000 students in attendance with a possibility of that number rising in the coming years with government housing scheduled for construction on Malan Street behind Myron D. Witter
School. According to Assistant Superintendent Luis Panduro, the BESD
that constitutes more than six percent of the city’s total
schools currently average about 800 students each.
general fund – that’s a lot of money,” said Cordova.The
A few community members were present at the board meeting, asking
objective of SB 1289 is to increase the accountability of questions about what to expect.
immigration detention facilities to adhere to national
“Let the community know more,” said Eric Reyes, a community memimmigration standards. The bill would force the clo- ber who is in favor of the bond, but said he wanted more information. “I
sure of many compliant detention facilities due to the am a community member who wants education to thrive, $2.50 is a small
inability to renew, modify, or enter into any contract amount to pay for the community.”
agreements after January 1, 2018, such as the Imperial
Silva has promised full transparency and communication with the
Regional Detention Facility.
whole Brawley community.
“Although 230 jobs may not appear to be a significant number, in an economically disadvantaged community with an unemployment rate of 24.2 percent,
any loss of jobs would substantially impact our economy and our community’s quality of life,” said Cordova.
The impact is not limited to those who are directly
affected by losing a job, Cordova added, but there are
OCOTILLO — On September 16, El Centro Sector Border Patrol
agents arrested two men suspected of smuggling more than 33
ancillary support services that will be affected if the
pounds of fentanyl, after conducting a vehicle stop near State
facility is forced to close.
Route 2 and Highway 78. Thirteen plastic bundles of narcotics
Holtville is expected to adopt a resolution on
stuffed inside of the vehicle’s seats were discovered by a K-9 officer
September 16, opposing the ratification of the legislawith a street value of $1.5 million.
tion, and urging Governor Brown to veto SB 1289 in
order to keep much-needed jobs in Imperial Valley and
SALTON CITY — On September 15, El Centro Sector Border
vital revenue to the City of Holtville.
Patrol agents assigned to the Highway 86 checkpoint, arrested
“The governor is already signing off on bills, so we
a 21-year-old woman suspected of smuggling 43.87 pounds of
are hoping to get this letter to him on time,” said Ray
methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $175,480.
Castillo, District 5 Supervisor.
Thirty-five packages wrapped in cellophane sere found under
Supervisors urge Governor Brown to veto Senate Bill 1289
By: Stella Jimenez
EL CENTRO — Placed as an emergency item during
Tuesday’s board meeting, the Imperial County Board
of Supervisors voted unanimously, 5-0, to approve a
letter to Gov. Jerry Brown requesting he veto Senate
Bill 1289.
“Imperial County is the home to the Imperial
Regional Detention Center, a privately-operated
immigration detention center,” said Ralph Cordova
Jr., county executive officer for Imperial County. “This
facility is less than two years old and currently employees about 230 Imperial County residents.”
Cordova said the facility is considered a model facility with excellent essential services, including medical
and educational, and said people from other areas have
visited the facility in an effort to learn how to build others outside of Imperial County.
Senate Bill 1289 (SB 1289) would prohibit local law
enforcement agencies and local governments from
contracting with for-profit-entities to detain immigrants on behalf of federal immigration authorities.
“We all know that the city of Holtville has a fiveyear contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement and receives more than $160,000 a year
for the operation of the immigration detention center
El Grito
(Continued from A1)
“It’s a good event for the entire
family to come out and have some
fun,” said Amaya Leyva, a Calexico
resident. “I have been coming here
for years to celebrate Mexican
Independence Day and it just
seems it keeps getting better and
better. Not only that, every year I
see an increase in people attending.
I especially enjoy the music.”
Independence Day is a national
public holiday in Mexico with
banks, schools, governmental
offices and many businesses closed.
Surrounding the park were various booths with traditional antojitos Mexicanos (Mexican snacks)
sold along with funnel cakes, aguas
frescas, churros, nachos, cold beer
and tacos.
“I love seeing how patriotic
everybody is and how they are so
proud to show their culture.” said
Mary Delgado, an El Centro resident. “People really go out of their
way, wearing such nice clothes.”
The Mexican Independence
Day commemorates the day
Miguel Hidalgo is believed to have
made the “cry of independence” (El
Grito de la Independencia) in the
town of Dolores, in the north-cen-
The BEAT
tral part of the Mexican state of
Guanajuato. Hidalgo was one of
the nation’s leaders during the War
of Independence in Mexico.
There is no scholarly agreement on what was exactly said
by Hidalgo, but his speech, also
known as the cry of Dolores (el
Grito de Dolores), was made
on September 16, 1810 to motivate people to revolt against the
Spanish regime. Hidalgo’s army
fought against the Spanish soldiers
in the fight for independence, but
he was captured and executed July
30, 1811. Mexico’s independence
was not declared until September
28, 1821.
the front and rear floor mats of the vehicle during a secondary
inspection.
EL CENTRO — On September 15, U.S. Border Patrol agents
assigned to the El Centro station arrested a previously deported
sex offender eight miles west of the Calexico Port of Entry after
agents observed a man running north from the International Border fence. Border Patrol agents conducted records checks which
revealed the man, a 41-year-old national of Guatemala, was convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct-First Degree, sentenced to
eight years in prison in California, and was subsequently deported
in 2011. The man will be criminally prosecuted for re-entry after
removal as a convicted sex offender.
|A-4| September 21, 2016
www.thedesertreview.com
Ramon Ayala is main attraction at Grito De Independencia celebration at Gran Plaza
By: Stella Jimenez
CALEXICO — A full house of
cheering Norteño and Tejano fans
from both sides of the border sang
along with Grammy-winning
Norteño artist Ramon Ayala Friday
evening at Gran Plaza Outlets as he
delighted the crowd with his most
popular songs.
Ayala, known as “El Rey del
Acordion,” and playing his traditional green, white and red accordion, was the main attraction for
the Grito de Independencia celebration where over 3,000 people
attended.
“We are fans of Ramon Ayala and
have been for numerous years. He’s
my idol,” said Adriana Barriga, who
travelled from Indio along with her
son Dennis Barriga. “His music is
extraordinary and I love it.”
Recognized throughout the
United States and Mexico, the
Grammy-winning bandleader led
the six-man band (Los Bravos del
Ramon Ayala entertained over 3,000 people at the Gran Plaza Outlets Saturday evening in celebration of
the Mexican Independence Day celebration. Photo by: Stella Jimenez
Norte) through its paces of hits
such as, “Tragos de Amargo Licor,”
“Bonita Finca de Adobe,” “Besos y
Caricas,” and “Tengo Miedo.”
Calexico resident Lilly Muñoz
Atrian, along with daughter Connie
Atrian and numerous family members, said she was excited to hear
Ayala.
Calexico City Mayor Luis Castro
presented Ayala with a certificate of
recognition for his musical contri-
butions and thanked the artist for
his performance.
“We have been planning this
event since March,” said Cesar
Casillas, general manager of the
Gran Plaza Outlets. “These types of
events are not common in Calexico.
We wanted to bring something new
to the city and we definitely accomplished it.”
According to Casillas, the
amount spent on the event, including the artist, stage, lighting, and
sound system, was approximately
$80,000.
“We want people know Gran
Plaza Outlets, and not only that, we
want to give back to the community,”
said Casillas. “This is one way to
show our gratitude. Our events are
not intended to make profit. They
are a way to promote our facility.”
With minimum equipment, a
drum kit and congas, accordion,
and bajo sexto, Ayala brought the
audience to their feet with soaring
high notes as they sang along to
“Un Puño de Tierra.”
Dressed in matching outfits and
cowboy hats, Ramon Ayala y Sus
Bravos del Norte delivered what
some called one of the most rousing concerts of the year in Calexico.
North End third graders receive new dictionaries
tionaries to the schools, with
publications that also double as
encyclopedias with information
BRAWLEY — Today, people
on U.S. Presidents, multiplication
might be quick to tell an inquistables, countries, and even some
itive child to “look it up on the
sections on sign language. All Elks
Internet.” However, what hapclub
members asked in return is
pens when that child does not
that
the
dictionaries are used by
have access to the Internet, and
is unable to find the information the students.
“Computers aren’t everything,”
needed for school?.
said
Sam Couchman, one of the
The local chapter of the Brawley
Elks Club wanted to help with that Elks members who delivered the
possible scenario by donating 650 books. “Sometimes it’s good to
dictionaries Wednesday to all have a book to read.”
Both students and teachers
of the third graders in Imperial
were excited to have the new
Valley North End schools.
This is the fifth year that the books.
Elks Lodge has donated dic“I like it because it’s going to
By: Katherine Ramos
help with writing sentences,” said them forever, through high school
student Michael Delreal.
and into college,” said Marquez.
“I’m going to look up all the
“The third grade is the time
Presidents’ names,” said Gabriella when students transition from
Slali, who is one of many with
older siblings who benefited from
past dictionary giveaways.
“It’s a wonderful idea and it
inspires the children to have
greater knowledge at home,” said
Susan Castillo, a teacher at Phil
Swing School. “Some children just
don’t have access to a computer,
and this can help.”
Teacher Nidia Marquez was
thrilled that her students now have
a physical reference tool. “A dictionary is something that will last
learning to read, to reading to
learn,” said Ron Stillman of the
Brawley Elks. “And we want them
to learn.”
|B-1| September 21, 2016
SPORTS
www.thedesertreview.com
Valley Center Squeaks by Tigers in Another Nail Biter
By: Gus Garcia
IMPERIAL — Imperial's Tigers
were in search of their first victory of the season Friday night,
hosting San Diego multi-time
CIF Champions Valley Center
High School's Jaguars. In a back
and forth... and back and forth
affair, it was the Valley Center
Jaguars who walked off the field
with a hard-earned 34-31 victory, cinching head coach Rob
Gilsters' 200th win as his team's
head coach.
Valley Center opened the
scoring on their first possession of the night, marching
50 yards on ten plays behind
tough yards on the ground by
Jaguar running back Daniel
Belcher. The drive was capped
with a 6-yard touchdown by
quarterback Rikki Mazetti to
Keith Vazquez. With the extra
point missed, Valley Center
took the lead 6-0 with a little
under seven minutes left in the
first quarter.
After a Tiger possession
that saw Imperial reach the
Jaguar's five yard line, a bad
Valley Center running back Daniel Belcher (#18) attempts to evade the incoming Tiger defense.
Photo by: Brett Miller
snap would be pounced on by
Valley Center, saving six points
and giving them possession at
their own 21-yard line.
From there, Mazetti would
again find Vasquez deep for a
51-yard gain on the first play
of the possession and give the
Jaguars possession inside Tiger
territory. Just five plays later,
Daniel Belcher would find
his way into the end zone on
a four-yard touchdown rush.
The two point conversion
failed, leaving the score 12-0
in favor of Valley Center.
After Imperial took over
at their own 20 yard line, all
it took was three plays and
Brandon Hueso's 74-yard dart
to the end zone on third down
to put the Tigers on the board
and cut the lead to 12-7 after
a converted extra point late in
the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the
Tiger defense would come
alive, forcing Jaguar turnovers
and punts, something the
Imperial team was unable to
accomplish in the first quarter.
First an interception by
Justin Denault and then a
fumble recovery by the Tigers
gave them some momentum,
but neither turnover would
lead to points on the board for
Imperial, and the teams would
go into the half with the score
12-7 in favor of Valley Center.
Imperial's field goal by
David Heredia halfway through
the third quarter got the Tigers
within two points at 12-10 and
set the stage for a wild last 18
minutes of football.
See Tigers, B2
Bulldogs Take Down Eagles In Home Match 3-0
By: Kalin Tuner
CALEXICO — The Calexico lady Bulldogs hosted
the Southwest Eagles September 15 for a shut out
volleyball match, with the Bulldogs winning 3-0,
giving Calexico its first league win after losing to
Brawley early in the week.
The first set started off quickly for the Bulldogs
as they took the lead over the Eagles. With the
momentum well in the Bulldogs’ favor, Claudia
Garcia (#13) scored nine points. Garcia also walked
away with two aces and 38 kills.
Although the lady Eagles fought hard throughout the first set, they only scored 11 points, falling
short of the Bulldogs’ 25.
At the start of the second set, Southwest came
back strong, scoring quickly, and keeping the scores
closer than the earlier set. Audra Carter (#2), captain
of the Southwest team, helped garnered majority of
her team’s digs, keeping the Bulldogs from scoring.
With Calexico eager to keep the lead over
Southwest, the Bulldogs persevered and pulled
ahead late in the match. Calexico’s Kayla Rubio
(#20) flipped on the switch by getting a whopping
13 kills helping her team regain control of the game.
Rubio also scored two aces of her own to add to the
Bulldogs’ victory in claiming the second set 25-16.
The third set saw both teams fighting back and
forth trying to gain the lead without much success.
For most of the first half of the set, neither team
lead by more than one point until Southwest found
its groove and took an eight-point lead.
Southwest’s Kamila Salazar (#1) was one of the
Eagles to score, giving the team a possibility for taking the lead.
See Volleyball, B2
The Calexico girls volleyball shut down the Southwest Eagles’ offense
to win the match Thursday, Sept. 15. Photo by: Kalin Turner
Cibola turns close game into big win over Brawley
Cibola's Mark Walton (#11) leaps to reach the pass over the defense.
Photo by: Lloyd Miller
By: Ernest Ramos
BRAWLEY — The Brawley
Union High School varsity
football team hosted the Cibola
High School Raiders on Warne
Field Friday evening. Hoping to
avenge a close 16-10 loss to the
Raiders last year in Yuma, the
Wildcats fell behind quickly to a
high potency offense that racked
up over 450 yards of total offense
in the game. Brawley fell behind
but managed to tie the game in
the first quarter and kept the
score close through most of the
first three quarters, but turnovers and 21 points in the final
stanza guided the Raiders to an
impressive 59-35 win over the
Brawley Wildcats.
This was the first game in
which the Wildcats didn’t score
first and the Raiders used only
57 seconds on a four plays covering 58 yards. Cibola quarterback, Curtis Wolfe, (24-33 for
335 yards and six touchdowns)
threw his first strike of 42 yards to
Gabriel Claudio (7 receptions for
113 and three touchdowns). At
11:03, the Raiders lead was 7-0.
A quick three-and-out found
the Wildcats punting the ball
to Cibola for their second drive
of the game, starting at their
30-yard line. Four plays and a
22-yard pass to Mark Walton
(six receptions for 105 yards
and three touchdowns) built a
14-point lead with 8:37 left in the
first quarter.
The Wildcat offense began to
click with success on their second possession. Beginning at
their 23-yard line, Brawley used
ten straight run plays, then a fiveyard touchdown pass from quarterback, AJ Grijalva, (6-11 for 46
yards and three touchdowns two
passing and one rushing) to Blake
Zeleny to cut the lead in half.
With 4:12 left in the first quarter
it was 14-7.
A play reminiscent of last week
on special teams found Brawley
with the possession of the football when the Wildcats recovered
another of their pooched kicks.
This gave the offense a short field
of 34 yards where seven plays
later Austyn Gutierrez (28 carries for 265 yards rushing and
two touchdowns) would tie the
game at 14-14 on a four-yard run.
Rolling into the second quarter, the Wildcat defense tightened up and forced a turnover
on downs when Cibola chose to
attempt a fourth and four. A rare
incomplete pass in the evening
for the Raiders gave possession
to the Wildcats where they had a
chance to take the lead. Brawley
gambled on the first play and
tried to catch the defense off
guard with a pitch to George
Mickle, then Mickle’s pass was
intercepted by the Raiders. The
had the ball now on Brawley’s
45-yard line.
The visitors exchanged the
gift for more points on their side
of the scoreboard five plays later
on a 31-yard touchdown pass to
Gabriel Claudio to make it 21-14
with 8:48 until halftime. But the
lead didn’t last too long as Austyn
Gutierrez, who for the fourth
straight game has led all rushers,
electrified the home fans with
another long touchdown run.
This one was 67 yards that knotted the score at 21 points each.
The Wildcat defense once
again did their job and forced
the only punt of the evening by
the Raiders. This gave Brawley
offense another opportunity to
take the lead before the end of the
second quarter. Cibola’s defense
had other intentions though, as
the forced one of three fumbles
on the Wildcat drive on the second play. The Raiders had a short
field of 13 yards and they took
advantage and went ahead on a
30-yard field goal. With 4:55 left
until halftime, the score was 24-2
in favor of the visiting team.
Fumble number two came
two plays later and allowed the
Raiders to increase their lead
with great field position at the
Brawley 29-yard line. Five plays
later Cibola went up 31-21 on a
third touchdown pass of 11 yards
to Gabriel Claudio with 1:34 left
until halftime.
The final scoring of the first
half brought the Wildcats to
within three points at 31-28.
Johnny Marquez (four receptions and 47 yards) led Brawley
in receiving yards with a 17-yard
reception on this drive. Grijalva
threw his second touchdown pass
to Mickle and the shootout would
go into the halftime break,
The second half found the
Wildcats with another opportunity to take the lead as they
received the kickoff. Turnovers
would make the difference on
this night as Brawley once again
gave the Raiders the ball in good
field position at the Wildcats’
40-yard line on an interception.
Five plays later a Wolfe to Walton
touchdown pass of 23 yards put
Ciibola ahead, 38-28.
Redeeming themselves, the
Brawley offense found 74 yards
of Gutierrez’s rushing total on
seven carries and Grijalva would
score from one yard out to make
it 38-35 with 5:25 left in the third
quarter.
Down by only three points
the Wildcats had the ball and
a chance to take the lead when
Brawley’s Michael Moreno recovered a fumble at the Wildcat
30-yard line late in the third
quarter. It was met with a tough
defensive stance by Cibola who
forced a punt in three plays.
Cibola would take control of
the game with three touchdowns
in the final period. Two one-yard
runs and one touchdown pass of
18 yards gave the Cibola Raiders
their first ever win on Warne
Field in Brawley with the final
score showing 59-35.
The Wildcats are now 1-3 and
will host the Gila Ridge High
School Hawks next week. The
Hawks enter the game also with
a 1-3 record and their lone win
was against the Central Spartans
21-6 in week two. It will be the
last game the Wildcats will have
to prepare for the IVL title quest.
|B-2| September 21, 2016
www.thedesertreview.com
Yuma High Criminals Clawed Up by Southwest
battering.
At the eight minute mark in
an action-packed first quarter,
Southwest struck first taking a
7-0 lead with a 40-yard touchdown trek on a successful pitch
to running back Tyler Saikhon
(#3).
On the ensuing kickoff, the
Eagles attempted a squib kick
that back-fired and resulted in
a 79-yard touchdown return by
the Criminals' Isaiah Joya (#26),
knotting up the game at 7-7.
In more first quarter
action, with 6:47 remaining,
Eagles quarter back Cameron
Jungers (#5) hurled a floater
down the middle to full back
Gio Camarena (#7), scoring
a 45-yard touchdown to pull
ahead 13-7 after a failed extra
point.
Another miscue on special
teams by Southwest occurred
on a punt return when the ball
deflected off an Eagles player
at the 14 yard-line, which was
recovered by Yuma. On the next
play, with 41 seconds left in the
first period, Criminals' tight end
Tyler Hamilton (#8) snatched
down a 14-yard touchdown pass,
tying up the game once again at
13-13 after an unsuccessful extra
point.
With 4:25 left late in the second quarter, Jungers, the Eagles'
quarter back, linked up with
Saikhon for the second time in
the half, for a 41-yard touchdown strike taking back the lead
at 20-13.
On the following kick-off,
the Eagles' Saikhon recovered
an onside attempt at Yuma's
45-yard line. With this play,
Southwest tore down the rearview mirror and never looked
back, scoring again two plays
later on a 20-yard touchdown
toss to wide receiver Jesus
Macias (#12), pushing the score
to 27-13 at the end of the second
quarter.
“We saw how they were lined
up, which gave us the break to
of downs, giving the Jaguars the
ball at Imperial's 31-yard line.
A quick strike from Mazetti
to senior receiver Brad Moffitt
gave the Jaguars a 27-17 lead
early in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers and Jaguars
would exchange punts on their
next possessions, but Imperial
would find a quick response
with eight minutes left in the
game on a 60-yard touchdown pass from Rodriguez to
Beamon to cut into the Jaguar
lead, bringing the score to a
close 27-24.
Once again, the Tiger
defense clamped down and
forced a punt and with field
position beginning at the
Jaguar 45-yard line, tiger runningback Brandon Hueso
would go thirty-seven yards on
his first carry and Rodriguez
would keep the ball for an eight
yard quarterback scamper to
give the Tigers their first lead
of the game,31-27 with 6:54 left
in the game.
But the Jaguars would not
leave without a fight, and after
beginning the next possession
at their 26-yard line, they captured the big play they needed
as Mazetti found Belcher for a
screen pass. Belcher was able to
take 53 yards for the go ahead
touchdown, bringing the score
to its 34-31 final.
The Tigers had a shot at a
last second comeback, but a
fumble recovered by the Jaguar
defense ended the game and
handed the Tigers another
close loss on the season -- its
second nail biter at home.
"The mental mistakes are
killing us. We have got to start
taking care of that," said Tiger
Head Coach Kerry Legarra.
"I really believe we could be
three and one if we could just
get rid of the mental mistakes,
because we play with so much
heart, character and pride, we
could easily be there," Legarra
said.
For the night, running back
Brandon Hueso rushed for 222
yards on 24 carries and one
touchdown. Raymond Beamon
had four receptions for 145
yards and two touchdowns,
and sophomore quarterback
Wyatt Rodriguez threw for 220
yards on 14 completions in 22
attempts and two touchdowns.
Up next, the Tigers will host
Christian High of El Cajon next
week with kickoff scheduled for
7 p.m. Friday night.
Southwest's offense lines up for the play. Photo by: Javier Guerrero
By: Javier Guerrero
EL CENTRO — The Southwest Eagles football team put
its undefeated 3-0 record on the
line Friday night sentencing the
Yuma High Criminals to a 50-13
Tigers
(Continued from B1)
First, Valley Center would
respond with a 75-yard, seven
play drive spearheaded by
rushes from senior running
back Daniel Belcher, and finish with a two-yard QB sneak
touchdown from Mazzetti to
put the Jaguars up 19-10.
The Tigers took only two
plays and 30 seconds for their
response, going 80 yards,
beginning with a 30-yard
Hueso rush and finishing with
a 50-yard touchdown pass from
Tiger sophomore quarterback
Wyatt Rodriguez to senior wide
receiver Raymond Beamon.
Going into the fourth quarter with the score 19-17, a
strong Valley Center defensive
stand would end in a Tiger loss
Letters to
the Editor
Proposition 57: What You
Should Know Before You Vote
In an effort to create public awareness on matters that
adversely affect public safety,
the Imperial County District
Attorney’s Office takes this
opportunity to inform the public about a damaging potential
change in our criminal justice
system. Governor Brown wants
California voters to approve
Proposition 57, an initiative
that would allow tens of thousands of dangerous criminals to be released early from
prison. While Proposition 57
is creatively titled “The Public
Safety and Rehabilitation Act
of 2016”, it has little to do with
public safety or rehabilitation.
In fact, the initiative does the
exact opposite—it is an attempt
at prison reform designed to
reduce the prison population
and save money at the expense
of our safety.
If this ballot measure is
approved, it will overturn
four decades of laws passed by
the voters and the California
Legislature that have lowered
crimes rates and protected the
public by keeping serious criminals behind bars. At its core, the
initiative is a throwback to past
failed policies that allowed correction officials to release felons
after they had served very short
periods of incarceration. These
policies produced record levels
of violent crime and are strikingly similar to the policies the
governor is proposing.
The governor argues the
initiative only applies to “nonviolent” prisoners but it is
important for us to realize that
the legal definition of “nonviolent” is much different from the
common sense meaning.
Crimes such as domestic violence, terrorist threats,
assault with a deadly weapon,
residential burglary, rape of an
unconscious person, human
trafficking, battery with serious
bodily injury, involuntary or
vehicular manslaughter, exploding of a destructive device with
intent to injure and active participation in a street gang are all
nonviolent under the law and
would qualify for early release
under the initiative.
The initiative also would
make the following changes:
*Grant criminals a constitutional right to be considered for
parole after serving just a portion
of their sentences no matter how
serious the crime was or how
many offenses were committed.
*Make criminals eligible for
early parole consideration by
disregarding consecutive sentences imposed by a judge for
additional crimes, prior offenses
and enhancements. This effectively treats the worst offenders
the same as first time offenders.
*Nullify provisions of the
Victim’s Bill of Rights enacted by
voters in 1982, which requires
enhancement of sentences for
prior serious felony convictions.
*Undermine the protections of Marcy’s Law, a second
Victim’s Bill of Rights enacted by
voters in 2008, which requires
that sentences be carried out as
ordered by the court and mandates that sentences “shall not be
substantially diminished by early
release policies intended to alleviate overcrowding in custodial
facilities.”
*Abolish much of the Gang
Violence and Juvenile Crime
Prevention Act, passed by 62
percent of voters in 2000, by
restricting the prosecution in
adult court of juveniles charged
with murder and other serious
offenses.
*Disregard the will of 81
percent of voters who enacted
the Californians Against Sexual
Exploitation Act, by allowing
prison officials to reduce prison
sentences for human traffickers.
The governor’s initiative is an
experiment. He tells us he wants
to make prisons more humane.
That is an admirable goal.
However, this is an ill-conceived
plan that compromises our public safety by giving the benefits
to thousands of the worst criminals and ignores the innocent
members of the community
who have been victimized. As
public prosecutors in Imperial
County, we cannot support the
Public Safety and Rehabilitation
Act of 2016 because it does not
protect the public and it does
not rehabilitate offenders. The
governor is risking the safety of
the public in an attempt to save
money. This is a risk we cannot
afford to take.
Respectfully,
Gilbert G. Otero
District Attorney
Deborah D. Owen
Assistant District Attorney
make that happen,” Southwest
Head Coach John Mitosinka
noted about the pivotal onside
kick. “They were hanging
around, and we wanted to put
them away,” he added.
Midway through the third
quarter after a physical sequence
of short gains, a worn-out Yuma
defense surrendered a 4-yard
touchdown run to the Eagles'
Saikhon, making it a 35-13
game.
Then the Eagles' Jungers and
Saikhon would hook up again
with 5:36 in the third quarter on
a 4-yard touchdown pass, giving
Southwest a 43-13 lead.
With one minute left in
the third quarter, Southwest's
Jungers sealed the deal with an
82-yard quarterback keeper,
closing out the third and the
game at 50-13 after a scoreless
fourth quarter.
Volleyball
(Continued from B1)
With the home crowd cheering them on, the Bulldogs buckled down to fight back from
the eight point deficit. With the
Eagles leading in the third set
22-14, Calexico came through
and evened the score to 24-24.
The Bulldogs’ Iran Alvarez (#22)
scored seven points for her team
and had a total of ten kills and
two aces for the night.
The Bulldogs finished the set
with the “W” with a final score of
26-24.
“I am very proud how my
team played throughout the
game,” said Bulldogs’ Head
Coach Claudia Maeda. “They
played with good intensity which
help us beat the Eagles late in the
third set.”
Padilla’s Statement On
Letters From Voter
Participation Center
Imperial County elections
officials and the office of the
California Secretary of State have
received over 100 complaints
from voters who have received
letters from a group called the
Voter Participation Center.
The organization’s letters claim
that the voter is not registered
to vote and offers a pre-filled
voter registration form that has
incorrect or outdated information or information for persons
who don’t live at the address. In
many instances, the voter is in
fact properly registered to vote.
It is important that organizations conducting voter registration drives through the
mail ensure that their voter
data is up-to-date and accurate.
Causing confusion right before
an election is wrong.
“If you have questions about
your voter registration status,
check directly with your county
elections office,” Secretary of
State Padilla said. “Many counties have online tools that allow
voters to verify their voter registration information. Also,
contact information for county
elections officials and links to
county online voter registration
status tools is available on the
Secretary of State’s website at:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/
registration-status/.”
New voters or persons who
want to update their voter registration information can visit the
Secretary of State’s official voter
registration website: http://registertovote.ca.gov/. If you need
to update your voter registration information, the deadline is
October 24.
Sincerely,
Susan A. Bonilla
Assemblymember,
14th District
www.thedesertreview.com
RELIGION
|B-3| September 21, 2016
MEN’S MESSAGE
Preseason
By: Jim Shinn
Columnist
W
hen some men hear the
word “preseason” they
begin to dance, salivate, their ears
perk up or they start planning
their fantasy football team. I love
football but I don’t have a fantasy
team. Chargers have been my fantasy team. I always have fantasies
about them being better than they
turn out to be!
Preseason means many things:
The end of summer; kids back in
school; vacation is almost over; but
most importantly for me, football
has returned. Hallelujah!!
Preseason is about what happens before the season. Ecclesiastes (3:1) talks about “a season for
every activity under heaven.” So
what about preseason? In football,
it is an opportunity to look at your
team, the new talent, the old dogs,
what happened last season, and an
effort to make things better. In a
man’s life, we should do the same.
Actually, any given time, is the
preseason for what’s to come. I am
in the post season of my work life
since I retired, but it is preseason
to the decades of geriatrics to follow. I am in a different place, but
it is still preseason to something.
This preseason I am planning to
be a CASA volunteer. How about
you?
If a team won the Super Bowl
last year, the main thing is to hold
on to as many of your players and
coaches as you can, and do it again.
How was your last year as a father,
employee, boss or Christian? Did
you have more wins than losses?
Was your season like the Chargers
or the Broncos? I am not a Bronco
fan, but two things they did last
year lead them to success. They
had veteran leadership and a great
defense.
Men need veteran leadership.
If you are a “Timothy” then you
need a Paul. Men need to seek
wisdom at all ages, lest we become
prideful and we know that pride
precedes destruction. For the
church, men need to hang with
their pastor, organize or join a
men’s Bible study, attend conferences, read Christian literature
written by veterans and spend
time in the Word.
When was the last time you
read a book by a wise Christian
leader? Tony Dungy, an outstanding Christian African-American
coach and football player, was
inducted into the Pro Football’s
Hall of Fame. If you are a football
fan and a Christian, have you
read any of his books? Just a few
of his titles are Uncommon, The
Mentor Leader, and Quiet Strength.
I haven’t read them all, but I have
read one of his. I have read books
by John Wooden, Reggie White,
and Pat Riley. These are all wise,
successful men of sports.
If you are a man, surrounded
by other men who don’t help
you in your Christian walk, then
trade some of the players in your
life. Last year I led Bible studies
at my church for men in Brawley.
This year, I want to be in a men’s
Bible study in El Centro. I live in
El Centro and I want to be fed
rather than lead. If you have never
led a Bible study, there are many
good ones out there. Your pastor’s
library is full of them and if you
are literate and love God, it will
be OK and appreciated by the
brethren. Remember, did you do
any leadership for God last year?
Maybe this is the year you get off
the bench and into the game.
If you have issues with your
pastor, I don’t encourage you
to change churches, but have a
conversation with the coach, both
God and your pastor. Pastors are
not perfect. If you get upset, don’t
ask for a trade, but work through
the problem. Actually, if you don’t
get upset with your pastor every
once in a while, chances are you
are not paying attention. Good
Bible teaching or Godly leadership
will often bother us. We have our
sin and our pride, and we don’t
like it when anyone, even one of
God’s assistant coaches, messes
with either of them. I say suck it
up, talk to him about it according
to Matthew, and toughen up a
bit. Now if there is a problem, in
season and out, well you are a free
agent, but just remember, you take
your sin nature with you, and if the
same problem occurs elsewhere, it
may be the player, not the coach.
Have a great year! If you haven’t
led anyone to the Lord during the
past year, well according to His
Word, it was a losing season. OK,
you have been coached up, but
like in sports, it is what you do
with the coaching that counts. So
remember the other coach, James
(1:23,24) “Anyone who listens to
the Word but does not do what it
says is like a man who looks at his
face in a mirror and, after looking
at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he look like.”
That my friend is called a rookie
mistake! Remember the Coach is
watching!
OBITUARIES
Rudy Ferrel
Mary Butler
August 15, 1950 — September 4, 2016
May 4, 1919 — September 9, 2016
Rudy was born August
15, 1950 in El Centro,and
resided in Brawley. He was
married to Martha Ferrel.
Rudy died on September 4,
2016.
Rudy is preceded in death
by his stepson, Robert Varela.
Rudy is survived by his
wife, Martha Ferrel, sons,
Rudy Ferrel Jr., Stephen
(Mercy) Ferrel, and daughter,
Jessica (Tony) Cisneros. He is
also survived by his grandchildren, Rebbecca and Abby
Cisneros, Stephanie, Mia,
and Stephen Ferrel Jr., and
numerous nieces and nephews.
Rudy Ferrel was remembered with a visitation and
Chapel services on September 17, at Frye Chapel and
Mortuary in Brawley.
Mary Butler, 97, of Brawley,
passed away on, September
9, 2016 at Pioneers Memorial
Hospital, surrounded by her
loving family. She was the last
living member of the Estrada
family of 14 children!
Mary Butler (Estrada),
was born in Tucson, Arizona
in 1919, to Bartolo and Rita
Estrada.
In her early age she and her
family moved to Calipatria,
where she grew up helping her
Mom with her younger siblings.
She graduated from high school
and later owned an ice cream
shop, where she met William,
the love of her life, as he was
delivering ice to her business.
They were blessed to have been
married for 70 years. Mary
decided to go to work after
her daughters were in school.
She worked as a nurse’s aide at
Pioneers Memorial Hospital
newborn nursery until she
retired after working there for
20 years. She retired to help
take care of her 5 grandchildren
until they were old enough
for school. Mary and William
always enjoyed sharing all of
their vacation times traveling,
camping and fishing with their
children and grandchildren.
Their families were always #1
to both of them. Mom (Nana)
was so loved and cherished by
her family.
Mary is preceded in death by
father Bartolo Estrada, mother
Rita Estrada, husband William
Butler, grandson Christopher
Valadez, 13 brothers and sisters,
numerous cousins, nephews
and nieces.
She is survived by daughters
Linda A. Valadez and Barbara
J. O’Brien (Paul), 5 grandchildren, David O’Brien (Monica),
Kelly O’Brien, Kristina Valadez-Gloria (David), Kimberly
Valadez-Gomez (Art), Allison
O’Brien, 4 great-grandchildren,
Greysen Valadez-Gloria, Jacob
Gloria, Annabella Gomez, Gabi
Scott (Trey), 1 great-greatgrandchild, Lala Scott, numerous nieces and nephews.
We love you Momma (Nana)
and always will!
Visitation services and a
Rosary prayer were held on
September 16, at Frye Chapel
and Mortuary in Brawley. Mass
services were held on September 17, at Sacred Heart Catholic
Church followed by burial services at Riverview Cemetery.
Rosa Elena Marmolejo
January 8, 1950 — September 10, 2016
Rosa Elena Marmolejo
passed away on September 10,
2016 in San Diego, California at
the age of 66.
Rosa was born on January 8,
1950 in Mexicali to Lydia and
Francisco Robles. She married
Chuy Marmolejo on August
30, 1972. The couple welcomed
three children Brenda (1973),
Juny (1976) and Alberto (1985).
For over 25 years, Rosa
successfully ran her own
home-based daycare center, a
profession that she loved with
her whole heart. She was a
hard-working individual who
found joy in caring for others,
especially her family.
Rosa is survived by her
husband Chuy, daughter Brenda
(Steve) Laizure, sons Juny
(Kelley) Marmolejo and Alberto
(Hajana) Marmolejo, grandchildren Steven Laizure, Natalie
Laizure, Lucas Marmolejo, Gabriella Marmolejo, mother Lydia
Robles, sister Mary (Richard)
Ransdell, and brothers Francisco
(Azucena) Robles and Carlos
Robles.
Rosa is preceded in death
by her father Francisco Robles
and brothers Alfredo, Roberto,
Rodolfo, and Jesse.
Visitation services and Rosary
prayer were held on September
18, at Frye Chapel and Mortuary
in Brawley. Memorial services
were held on September 19,
at Frye Chapel and Mortuary
followed by burial services at the
Riverview Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family
asked donations be made to the
One Breath Foundation (P.O.
Box 59238 Norwalk, CA 90652)
on behalf of Rosa.
|B-4| September 21, 2016
LIFESTYLE
United Way holds 7th annual kick-off breakfast and fundariser
Community Foundation, who
also presented UWOIC with a
$7,000 check.
“For the past six years United
Way of Imperial County has
been engaged in helping local
youth succeed with a Homework
Health Center,” explained
Wuytens. “The $7,000 grant
presented today by the Imperial
Valley Community Foundation
supplies educators who provide
extra assistance to youth experiencing educational challenges,
Bobby Brock (right), Imperial Valley Community Foundation presand we are all aware that educaident/CEO, and Treasurer Fidel Gonzalez presented United Way of
tion is the key to success.”
Imperial County a contribution check in the amount of $7,000 during
the annual kick-off breakfast Wednesday. Photo by: Stella Jimenez
Elsa Gonzalez, a volunteer
with the Sister Evelyn Mourey
ties, and for that we (UWOIC)
By: Stella Jimenez
Center, said she has been attendthank them.”
ing the annual breakfast for the
Wuytens presented a series
past three years.
EL CENTRO — Joined by close
of awards for various categories
“This foundation opens many
to 100 donors, volunteers, and
during Wednesday’s breakfast doors for people who are in
staff, the United Way of Imperial
event.
need of assistance, and I am glad
County kicked off its 7th annual
The Above and Beyond award to see the community coming
campaign and award recognition
was presented to United Parcel together for this great cause,” said
of past donors with a hot buffet
Service, Inc. for staging the Gonzalez.
breakfast at the El Centro Police
Cornhole
Tournament for the
UWOIC provides funding to
Athletic League Center Wednespast
three
years
with
all
proceeds
19
nonprofit social service agenday, September 14.
benefiting
UWOIC.
cies
($200,000+). The organiFor 36 years, United Way of
United
Way’s
Community
zation also assists those in need
Imperial County (UWOIC) has
raised funds to support health Service award went to Macy’s to find sustainable solutions to
and human care services in with the department store hav- their problems. In cooperation
Imperial County with the help of ing almost 100 percent employee with local agencies and corpoparticipation in payroll deduc- rate partners, UWOIC conducts
over 65 local businesses.
tion
contribution and gifts a free annual Diabetes Screening
“The goal of every United Way
donated
during Christmas time Clinic, distributes hams and
of Imperial County campaign is
for
families
and back to school other food goods to over 500
to increase the monetary confamilies area wide at Easter time,
tribution that we then pass on supplies donations.
The Top Contributor award and chairs the Emergency Food
to our member agencies,” said
Ken Wuytens, executive director was presented to the employees of and Shelter Program. Members
for the United Way of Imperial United Parcel Service for its high of United Way also sit on the
board of the Imperial County
County. “Our last campaign saw payroll deduction contribution.
Meanwhile, the Educational Continuum of Care and take an
very generous support from a
wide plus section of businesses, Enhancement award was pre- active part in its efforts to reduce
non-profit and public sector enti- sented to the Imperial Valley homelessness.
Calendar of Events
Youth for Christ Pre-Pole
Rally
September 21 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Christ Community Church
590 W Orange Ave., El Centro
Lactation Program Presents:
Breastfeeding A Great Start
September 22 @ 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Education Building 1
415 Ross Ave., El Centro
Introducing Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. All moms will
receive a World Health Organization
(WHO) Breastfeeding Bag!
Volleyball: Calexico v Central
DRAIN TILE MAINTENANCE
1619 River Drive • Brawley, CA
(760) 344-2183
Cell: (760) 554-7270
INSPECTION • CLEANING • REPAIRING
NoCCA Goes Platinum:
Celebrating 20 Years
September 24 @ 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Stockmen’s Club
275 South Marjorie Ave., Brawley
Dinner, live show; showcasing NoCCA through the years!
Cancer Resource Center
Dinner for Families with
Kids with Cancer
September 24 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Fairfield Inn, El Centro
FREE. Families with children diagnosed with cancer are welcomed.
September 22 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Calexico High School Gym
El Centro Celebrated El Grito
de Independencia
Football: BUHS v Gila Ridge
Food and fun for the entire family.
September 23 @ 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Brawley High School Warne Field
Football: Imperial v Christian
September 23 @ 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Imperial High School Football Field
Carrot Festival Logo Contest
September 23 @ 4:00 PM
Holtville Chamber of Commerce
101 West 5th Street, Holtville
rtwork must be turned in by 4:00 pm
Spartan Band Alumni Night
September 23 @ 7:00 PM
Central Football Field, El Centro
Great Spartan Band Alumnis will
have the opportunity to perform pregame and play flip folder music with
current band students in the stands.
Doesn’t matter if you graduated last
year, or 20 years ago, all welcomed.
Savanna Dance Presents
“Fairy Day Camp”
September 24 @ 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Southwest Gym
2001 Ocotillo Drive, El Centro
For children 4-13. Registration at 8
am, show at 3 pm. $40 registration.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Clayton’s Inc.
www.thedesertreview.com
September 24 @ 7:00 PM - 11:55 PM
Stark Field, 30 S 4th Street, El Centro
Annual Fundraising Golf
Tournament Imperial FFA
September 25 @ 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Del Rio Country Club,
102 Del Rio Rd., Brawley
3-man tournament scramble. A, B, &
C player, 2 teams per hole. Entry fee
$75/person, include green fees, cart
& a tri-tip luncheon.
Sheriff BBQ Fundraiser
September 25 @ 11:15 AM - 5:00 PM
IV Expo Fairgrounds
Casa de Manana Bldg., Imperial
Deep pit BBQ. Tickets $9.00 each,
and with each ticket, you have a
chance to win a 32” flat screen TV.
There will be Great Food, raffle prizes, Music and a Good time for all.
Brawley Floral 50th Anniversary
September 25 @ 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Brawley Floral
157 N. Plaza, Brawley
IC Supervisors D-2 Debate
September 27 @ 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
IID Condit Auditorium
1285 Broadway Ave, El Centro