Print
E-mail
Comment
Share
2011 Year in review
 |
| File photos - Kevin and Donna Harcourt, and Chris Newell are the driving force behind Project Love’s trailer to help the homeless. The trailer is outfitted with a shower, a food station and a haircut area, and can be towed to areas of need. |
By Bonnie Rodriguez, Dana Edlund and Paige Lampson - Staff Writers
A year of service Every year Galt citizens come together to bring relief and happiness to those in need, and 2011 was no different. Parent clubs in the surrounding area school districts continued to be a strong asset in assisting the needs of their schools as the state struggled with budget cuts.
Serving and fundraising didn’t stop with adults. Mandy Lindsey, a Galt area fifth grader, showed that kids can make a difference when she held a yard sale to benefit the Sacramento County Animal Shelter. Lindsey turned her love of animals into a passion for helping by collecting food, toys, beds and other equipment. “I’ve been to the animal shelter, and I think it is cool how they take in all kinds of strays,” said Lindsey.
The 2011 Galt Relay for Life went off without a hitch, raising over $63,000 for the American Cancer Society, despite a strange range of weather conditions. “Through the wind and rain in the early morning hours, it touched me and melted my heart that we still had walkers on the track,” said Survivor chair Jennifer Riley. “It just shows that, no matter what the weather, you cannot take away the reasons we all relay.”
Other types of survivors led by example, like Tondria Sanders, recently widowed after her husband, a CHP officer, was struck and killed. Sanders discovered the group Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. (C.O.P.S.) which helps provide resources and support to families of fallen officers. To help raise funds for the organization, “The Road to Hope” three-day, 250 mile bike ride was created. Sanders soon found herself in training. “Training for this ride has given me a focus. If I can push myself to do this physically, then not only can I do anything I set my mind to but I can push myself emotionally, too. This ride is a way to move forward in a positive way, to honor and remember Joe without giving in to a victim mentality.”
Through the efforts of Galt Joint Union Elementary School District (GJUESD), Superintendent Karen Schauer and a host of other volunteers, students of GJUESD who attend the extended-year special education program were able to participate in the Galt Horse Assisted Learning and Enrichment (GALEP) program once a week for four weeks this past summer.
Kevin Harcourt, Chris Newell and a group of dedicated volunteers took a beat-up trailer and transformed it into a mobile station that can travel to where the homeless are and provide basics, such as a hot shower and a nourishing meal. Completed toward the beginning of the year, the trailer could be seen throughout the city and surrounding areas teaming up with other service organizations, such as the girls in Galt Girl Scout Troop 311. They came together, along with other area volunteers and businesses, to help area students be prepared for returning to school after the summer break.
Harcourt summed up Galt’s willingness to serve by saying, “I think Galt is special. Look at what we can do when we all pull together. We have openness in this town; we bust down barriers. Already we have taken this worn out trailer and transformed it into something nice and pretty. It is symbolic of the work we want to do.”
Local Politics
For an off year without a major election, there were quite a few changes in our area. Arcohe Union School District Superintendent Mark Cornfield stepped down. Cornfield stated he “no longer felt (he) was given the support (he) needed.” The school board quickly appointed Jim Shock, Ed.D., as interim superintendent.
After just 11 months as a Galt Joint Union Elementary School board trustee, Jennifer Collier stepped down after submitting a letter of resignation at the Nov. 16 school board meeting. To replace Collier, five board members reviewed applications and unanimously selected a new board member, Grace Malson, but Malson’s appointment was questioned by fellow applicant Pat Maple. After a second special meeting of the board to re-do public comment and board comment procedures, Malson was once again unanimously selected to the board.
In May, Galt ended its search for a new chief of police. William Bowen, formerly of Rio Vista, took the helm to oversee day-to-day operation of the Galt police force.
The Galt City Council decided to cut costs in 2011 by eliminating positions across the board, including in administration. Eliminating the positions of community development director, held by Curt Campion, and park and recreation director, held by Boyce Jeffries, found the city in an uncomfortable position, which continues today. Jeffries has since filed a lawsuit against the city.
The council also found themselves at odds with members of the community when, after 52 years of planning Fourth of July celebrations in the city of Galt, the Galt Festival Committee felt forced to withdraw their application to hold the celebration. The 2011 celebration was the first sponsored by the city of Galt, limited to just one day of festivities.
100 years of
celebrations
Longtime Galt High School principal and superintendent Orvell Fletcher joined may GHS alumni and students at the Champion Tower when Galt High School opened its doors for the 100th first day of school this last August. Threatening to ring the bell 100 times for 100 years, Fletcher settled on one ring per decade. “It is a privilege and an honor to be part of the Centennial Celebration,” declared Fletcher as school started at GHS for the 100th time. GHS centennial celebrations continued through the rest of the 2011 calendar year.
The 31st Herald Day enjoyed record attendance as friends and neighbors celebrated the 100-year founding of Herald. Family, friends and neighbors, mud volleyball, parades, baking and canning contests, and even a wedding rounded off the 2011 Herald Day celebrations. “We have been coming since we moved here in 1981,” says Lana Young, a long time Herald resident. “I was Herald Day queen in 1986, and now my kids are here enjoying the day. So it’s generation after generation that keep enjoying this festival.”
Walmart, Walmart, Walmart
After months, make that years, of litigation, 2011 finally brought good news to Walmart supporters and frustration to others. After reaching a settlement with the Galt Citizens for Sensible Planning and other individual petitioners, the city council unanimously approved, once again, the Walmart project.
Law and order
In June, a city of Galt police officer shot and killed a suspect. The shooting is believed to be the first time a Galt police officer has killed a suspect in the line of duty. The family has since filed a $25 million wrongful death suit against the city.
Galt police got their own certified dirt bike officer. Extra enforcement in the Galt area wetlands began in May.
Other crime news: Galt police, as part of a joint taskforce, raided five market vendors at the Galt Market for selling counterfeit goods; and Carlos Benavidez Tejeda pled guilty to criminal copyright infringement for selling counterfeit music CDs and motion picture DVDs at the Galt Market and other flea markets in 2010. Speaking of the Galt Market, muggers beware, a shopper kept hold of her purse while screaming for help; it took police less than three hours to arrest the suspect.
Businesses
Slated as the first trendy, sit-down restaurant in town, Brewster’s Bar and Grill opened on Fourth Street in the old Brewster’s building; $1.6 million in redevelopment funds were granted and loaned to the developer to rehabilitate the 1800s’ building.
Galt Place opened its doors in November. The upper two stories are available as affordable senior housing; the ground floor has been built to accommodate commercial/retail stores and restaurants, Velvet Creamery being the first to reside.
Galt Roadpocalypse
With all the construction, 2011 found Galt surrounded by a dust cloud Pig-Pen would be proud of. The Central Galt Interchange project finally brought motorists a new overpass, although still not fully functional until the surface streets are finished. Unfortunately, this project was started as CalTrans decided to improve 99 through the Galt area, one by one, every single north and south bound ramp was closed and reopened with the center of town being the epicenter of chaos.
Galt Joint Union Elementary School District
For Galt Joint Union Elementary School District, 2011 has been called an “unprecedented” year as well as a rollercoaster ride. The only thing that was certain was the uncertainty of the fluid situation. The year started with preparations for a doomsday budget scenario as well as a second budget, in hopes that state funding would not be decreased. With a constant eye on what was happening at the state level, GJUESD began to prepare for cuts of up to $2.2 million. School closures, grade level reconfigurations and lay-offs were all a part of the worst-case budget and were opposed by teachers, staff, parents and students. Numerous times both the teacher and classified unions renegotiated their contracts, adding furlough days, freezing wages and preparing “what-if” clauses.
By June, the state had passed a budget with funding set as the previous year. For the time being, the crisis was averted. However, a mid-year budget cut was included if the state did not receive the income they expected. That situation came to be in December with the state announcing that cuts would be forthcoming, although at a much lower than expected amount. The biggest impacts will be in the future. Transportation funding was slashed and, though GJUESD will continue bussing through the end of the school year, transportation next school year may be eliminated or greatly reduced. The 2012-13 school year looks to be even worse, with this year’s budget already cut down to the bare necessities.
Galt Joint Union High School District
The Galt Joint Union High School District marked 2011 as the 100th year of its charter with lots of activities and celebrations for students, staff and community. The district consists of three schools, Galt High School, Estrelleta Continuation High School and Liberty Ranch High School. While Galt High School was ringing the bell in Champion Tower to commemorate “100 years of excellence,” Liberty Ranch was welcoming its first class of seniors on campus. Liberty Ranch also opened a new agriculture building to help facilitate students who chose to enter the Ag program. The district was pleased to report that test scores had skyrocketed at all three schools.
State funding for education is at a historic low, and the district has been hit hard by budget cuts. Classified staff, including the career counselor, two outreach consultants and the librarian, were laid off until well after the school year started, and all four plus one full time librarian for Liberty Ranch were brought back full time in November. Over 10 teachers were pink-slipped in May, and all but one were brought back by the start of the school year in August. Even with the new state budget cuts in December, layoffs will be off the table, as the California Teachers Association won a guarantee against that happening as part of the state’s budget negotiations.
The district has been focusing on staff development and giving more feedback to teachers on the quality of their teaching. Staff, teachers and community members came together and finalized a Strategic Plan for the next five years. The plan focuses on high expectations for all students to become all they can be and a high expectation for students to be college or tech school ready. The plan also fosters and advocates for strong relationships with students community and families.
Serving and fundraising didn’t stop with adults. Mandy Lindsey, a Galt area fifth grader, showed that kids can make a difference when she held a yard sale to benefit the Sacramento County Animal Shelter. Lindsey turned her love of animals into a passion for helping by collecting food, toys, beds and other equipment. “I’ve been to the animal shelter, and I think it is cool how they take in all kinds of strays,” said Lindsey.
The 2011 Galt Relay for Life went off without a hitch, raising over $63,000 for the American Cancer Society, despite a strange range of weather conditions. “Through the wind and rain in the early morning hours, it touched me and melted my heart that we still had walkers on the track,” said Survivor chair Jennifer Riley. “It just shows that, no matter what the weather, you cannot take away the reasons we all relay.”
Other types of survivors led by example, like Tondria Sanders, recently widowed after her husband, a CHP officer, was struck and killed. Sanders discovered the group Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. (C.O.P.S.) which helps provide resources and support to families of fallen officers. To help raise funds for the organization, “The Road to Hope” three-day, 250 mile bike ride was created. Sanders soon found herself in training. “Training for this ride has given me a focus. If I can push myself to do this physically, then not only can I do anything I set my mind to but I can push myself emotionally, too. This ride is a way to move forward in a positive way, to honor and remember Joe without giving in to a victim mentality.”
Through the efforts of Galt Joint Union Elementary School District (GJUESD), Superintendent Karen Schauer and a host of other volunteers, students of GJUESD who attend the extended-year special education program were able to participate in the Galt Horse Assisted Learning and Enrichment (GALEP) program once a week for four weeks this past summer.
Kevin Harcourt, Chris Newell and a group of dedicated volunteers took a beat-up trailer and transformed it into a mobile station that can travel to where the homeless are and provide basics, such as a hot shower and a nourishing meal. Completed toward the beginning of the year, the trailer could be seen throughout the city and surrounding areas teaming up with other service organizations, such as the girls in Galt Girl Scout Troop 311. They came together, along with other area volunteers and businesses, to help area students be prepared for returning to school after the summer break.
Harcourt summed up Galt’s willingness to serve by saying, “I think Galt is special. Look at what we can do when we all pull together. We have openness in this town; we bust down barriers. Already we have taken this worn out trailer and transformed it into something nice and pretty. It is symbolic of the work we want to do.”
Local Politics
For an off year without a major election, there were quite a few changes in our area. Arcohe Union School District Superintendent Mark Cornfield stepped down. Cornfield stated he “no longer felt (he) was given the support (he) needed.” The school board quickly appointed Jim Shock, Ed.D., as interim superintendent.
After just 11 months as a Galt Joint Union Elementary School board trustee, Jennifer Collier stepped down after submitting a letter of resignation at the Nov. 16 school board meeting. To replace Collier, five board members reviewed applications and unanimously selected a new board member, Grace Malson, but Malson’s appointment was questioned by fellow applicant Pat Maple. After a second special meeting of the board to re-do public comment and board comment procedures, Malson was once again unanimously selected to the board.
In May, Galt ended its search for a new chief of police. William Bowen, formerly of Rio Vista, took the helm to oversee day-to-day operation of the Galt police force.
The Galt City Council decided to cut costs in 2011 by eliminating positions across the board, including in administration. Eliminating the positions of community development director, held by Curt Campion, and park and recreation director, held by Boyce Jeffries, found the city in an uncomfortable position, which continues today. Jeffries has since filed a lawsuit against the city.
The council also found themselves at odds with members of the community when, after 52 years of planning Fourth of July celebrations in the city of Galt, the Galt Festival Committee felt forced to withdraw their application to hold the celebration. The 2011 celebration was the first sponsored by the city of Galt, limited to just one day of festivities.
100 years of
celebrations
Longtime Galt High School principal and superintendent Orvell Fletcher joined may GHS alumni and students at the Champion Tower when Galt High School opened its doors for the 100th first day of school this last August. Threatening to ring the bell 100 times for 100 years, Fletcher settled on one ring per decade. “It is a privilege and an honor to be part of the Centennial Celebration,” declared Fletcher as school started at GHS for the 100th time. GHS centennial celebrations continued through the rest of the 2011 calendar year.
The 31st Herald Day enjoyed record attendance as friends and neighbors celebrated the 100-year founding of Herald. Family, friends and neighbors, mud volleyball, parades, baking and canning contests, and even a wedding rounded off the 2011 Herald Day celebrations. “We have been coming since we moved here in 1981,” says Lana Young, a long time Herald resident. “I was Herald Day queen in 1986, and now my kids are here enjoying the day. So it’s generation after generation that keep enjoying this festival.”
Walmart, Walmart, Walmart
After months, make that years, of litigation, 2011 finally brought good news to Walmart supporters and frustration to others. After reaching a settlement with the Galt Citizens for Sensible Planning and other individual petitioners, the city council unanimously approved, once again, the Walmart project.
Law and order
In June, a city of Galt police officer shot and killed a suspect. The shooting is believed to be the first time a Galt police officer has killed a suspect in the line of duty. The family has since filed a $25 million wrongful death suit against the city.
Galt police got their own certified dirt bike officer. Extra enforcement in the Galt area wetlands began in May.
Other crime news: Galt police, as part of a joint taskforce, raided five market vendors at the Galt Market for selling counterfeit goods; and Carlos Benavidez Tejeda pled guilty to criminal copyright infringement for selling counterfeit music CDs and motion picture DVDs at the Galt Market and other flea markets in 2010. Speaking of the Galt Market, muggers beware, a shopper kept hold of her purse while screaming for help; it took police less than three hours to arrest the suspect.
Businesses
Slated as the first trendy, sit-down restaurant in town, Brewster’s Bar and Grill opened on Fourth Street in the old Brewster’s building; $1.6 million in redevelopment funds were granted and loaned to the developer to rehabilitate the 1800s’ building.
Galt Place opened its doors in November. The upper two stories are available as affordable senior housing; the ground floor has been built to accommodate commercial/retail stores and restaurants, Velvet Creamery being the first to reside.
Galt Roadpocalypse
With all the construction, 2011 found Galt surrounded by a dust cloud Pig-Pen would be proud of. The Central Galt Interchange project finally brought motorists a new overpass, although still not fully functional until the surface streets are finished. Unfortunately, this project was started as CalTrans decided to improve 99 through the Galt area, one by one, every single north and south bound ramp was closed and reopened with the center of town being the epicenter of chaos.
Galt Joint Union Elementary School District
For Galt Joint Union Elementary School District, 2011 has been called an “unprecedented” year as well as a rollercoaster ride. The only thing that was certain was the uncertainty of the fluid situation. The year started with preparations for a doomsday budget scenario as well as a second budget, in hopes that state funding would not be decreased. With a constant eye on what was happening at the state level, GJUESD began to prepare for cuts of up to $2.2 million. School closures, grade level reconfigurations and lay-offs were all a part of the worst-case budget and were opposed by teachers, staff, parents and students. Numerous times both the teacher and classified unions renegotiated their contracts, adding furlough days, freezing wages and preparing “what-if” clauses.
By June, the state had passed a budget with funding set as the previous year. For the time being, the crisis was averted. However, a mid-year budget cut was included if the state did not receive the income they expected. That situation came to be in December with the state announcing that cuts would be forthcoming, although at a much lower than expected amount. The biggest impacts will be in the future. Transportation funding was slashed and, though GJUESD will continue bussing through the end of the school year, transportation next school year may be eliminated or greatly reduced. The 2012-13 school year looks to be even worse, with this year’s budget already cut down to the bare necessities.
Galt Joint Union High School District
The Galt Joint Union High School District marked 2011 as the 100th year of its charter with lots of activities and celebrations for students, staff and community. The district consists of three schools, Galt High School, Estrelleta Continuation High School and Liberty Ranch High School. While Galt High School was ringing the bell in Champion Tower to commemorate “100 years of excellence,” Liberty Ranch was welcoming its first class of seniors on campus. Liberty Ranch also opened a new agriculture building to help facilitate students who chose to enter the Ag program. The district was pleased to report that test scores had skyrocketed at all three schools.
State funding for education is at a historic low, and the district has been hit hard by budget cuts. Classified staff, including the career counselor, two outreach consultants and the librarian, were laid off until well after the school year started, and all four plus one full time librarian for Liberty Ranch were brought back full time in November. Over 10 teachers were pink-slipped in May, and all but one were brought back by the start of the school year in August. Even with the new state budget cuts in December, layoffs will be off the table, as the California Teachers Association won a guarantee against that happening as part of the state’s budget negotiations.
The district has been focusing on staff development and giving more feedback to teachers on the quality of their teaching. Staff, teachers and community members came together and finalized a Strategic Plan for the next five years. The plan focuses on high expectations for all students to become all they can be and a high expectation for students to be college or tech school ready. The plan also fosters and advocates for strong relationships with students community and families.
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of galtheraldonline.com.
Richie Samkas wrote on Jan 4, 2012 4:04 PM: