Kerwest Newspapers - Covering Western Fresno County Since 1906

Locals Demonstrate For Water Bond in Sacramento

Contributed

On Thursday, Oct. 4, a delegation of Punjabi farmers and local officials went to Sacramento to support Senate Bill SB 3X. This bill is presented by Senator Codgill and is supported be Governor Schwasnegger. It calls for $9.1 billion in bonds to provide a comprehensive water infrastructure overhaul.

San Joaquin Mayor Rudy Dhaliwal said, "I along with Valley mayors, supervisors, and farmers and farming organizations support this effort becuase it assures surface storage. In light of scientific data indicating a global warming it is very important to have enhanced surface storage to stop the rapid flushing of water into the Pacific Ocean. It is very important to support our Governor in his effor to fix the water problems once and for all."

About 150 supporters held a press conference on the east side stairs of the Capital building. In this photo, from right to left, are: Mayor Ruby Dhaliwal of San Joaquin, Mario Santoyo, water authority manager, Mayor Alan Autry of Fresno, Supervisor Phil Larson, Fresno County, Inder S Bath a farmer from Lodi. In the second row, Charnjit S Bath, a raisin and almond grower, Bharpur S Dhaliwal, a farmer from Kerman, Daljit S Gill, a farmer from Caruthers, Dr. Mohnider S Basi of San Joaquin, Major S Sandhu of Hanford, Gurdip S Gagra of Cauthers and Mohan Singh Badesha of Kerman.

New Law Gives Farmworker Parents Help with Child Care

News Photo

Assemblyman Juan Arambula talks about the new bill at the Kerman Child Care Center on California Ave. Seated are (l to r) Alex Valdez and Trinidad Rodriguez, representing the Center, parent Sarah Carranza and Javier Guzman, California Lation Child Development Assn.

Farmworker parents looking for work under the most strenuous conditions will now be able to receive help with child care, thanks in part to a new law that extends the amount time parents can take part in subsidized child care programs.

AB 905, authored by Assemblymember Juan Arambula (D- Fresno), allows the eligibility period for subsidized child care through CalWORKs Child Care Programs to be extended for 60 days when the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) deems it necessary. This extension is crucial for farmworker parents who struggle to find good child care for their children while they toil in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley, as well as times they are out of work and searching for new employment.

"We are pleased Governor Schwarzenegger realized the importance of this bill," said Assmebly Arambula. "Because of this new law those parents working hard in the fields are able to extend their child care in times of disasters, no matter how small the disaster.

According to Arambula, current regulations allow parents to participate in subsidized child care programs for 60 days while they are looking for work. The SPI is currently authorized to extend this eligibility for an additional 60 days under declared state of emergencies for specific areas.

AB 905 would allow the SPI to extend the eligibility period by an additional 60 days if the SPI determines opportunities for employment have diminished in an area where one or both parents cannot fmd a job. According Arambula, there doesn’t have to be a state of emergency for the SPI to grant an extension, but rather an extension can be granted when a high number of agriculture workers are unemployed due to a special circumstance, such as unexpected weather changes affecting certain crops during the year.

"The recent fieeze put many families out of work and brought to light the need for more child care assistance when parents are out of work," said Assembly Arambula. "An additional 60 days will ease some of the burden of parents looking for wor~ especially in the agricultural industry where the work is seasonaL"

AB 905 will go into effect in January of 2008.

Flag Flies Over New Blending Facility

Carlos Diaz (above, left) and Rick Sturgeon of Kerman Ag Resources pose in front of the company’s new blending facility, which sports an American flag at the very top. The structure is used to make up fertilizer to match the needs of local growers.

KAR., located on the south side of town at Madera Ave. and Commerce way, handles the sale, warehousing and application of agricultural fertilizers. Extensive construction has been ongoing at the site for the last year or so, and the firm now employs about 30 people.