• Illegal immigration the issue
I just wanted to call and let Jeff know that I agreed with his column from May 5 about the need to have similar legislation that Arizona has. There needs to be some common sense in immigration. Certainly immigrants have been able to contribute greatly to America but it's always been an organized fashion. We need to get back to that. Illegal immigration hurts everyone.
• Opening day of market was horrible
My neighbor and I attended the Ceres Farmers' Market today (May 5). Although there were many, many booths for education, it was very nice, there were very few vendors selling foods. If you really want to go, don't be surprised if you'll be chased out by the entertainment that they had. The music was not only loud but the people didn't know how to play the music and the gal that sang was off-key. It was enough to run anybody off. No wonder our attendance was so terribly, terribly poor.
• No more property tax increases for him
As for the parcel school tax on homeowners, forget it. I've paid 20 years' home tax for my boy while in school, now retired and 35 years of home tax. No, I do not wish to give another $100 to $200 more. When my boy attended college, government would not help me. I scrimped and worked my butt off. My son also helped by flipping hamburgers. Here's an idea, it's about time you start charging the renters and English learners $50 per child per year. Better idea, since you teachers have a shortage of pupils (or product) start laying off teachers. It seems like the school administrators are as dirty as are California politicians.
• Daughter's car stolen
In your paper last week you included a photo of my daughter Jessica Aguiar singing our National Anthem for the Relay For Life. Well Jessica is being treated for a problem with her lungs and so singing is a passion that she might lose. On early Wednsday morning Jessica car was stolen from in front of our house. We were at UCSF so she could have more test ran. It took all of her savings and help from her grandparents to buy that car and now it's gone. So if anyone has seen a white 1989 Honda Accord that they didn't see before please call the Ceres Police Department.
• Ag advisers putting in little time
A teacher from Central Valley High School is being funded to teach a class on landscape. There was a broken pipe at the student farm and this teacher couldn't even take 15 minutes of his time to do the repair. The teacher had to call out a district professional. Meanwhile the farm was being flooded. This is not only a waste of time and money, but also water. We, the concerned parents of the Central Valley FFA, are disturbed by the lack of time the ag advisors are spending at the farm training our students what they need to know about feeding, grooming, and showing their animals. We spend a lot of money on these projects and expect to have a knowledgeable advisor available to ask questions too. One day per week does not cut it. When there is a problem and we call them they can't give us an answer or tell us that they need to look into it and get back to us. This is unacceptable and meanwhile the animals are suffering. The parents are the ones who are funding these projects and they still want to dictate to us with none of their own money invested.
Because of budget cutbacks parents now have to provide their own equipment. I spoke to one parent who has a kid doing a steer project and is also helping another kid with their steer project who showed me receipts that will total over $6,000 by the time these animals get to fair. The Central Valley ag advisors tell these students that they need to market their animals in order to recoup some of the cost. In this economy who is going to be able to pay $2 to $3 per pound for these animals?
I just wanted to call and let Jeff know that I agreed with his column from May 5 about the need to have similar legislation that Arizona has. There needs to be some common sense in immigration. Certainly immigrants have been able to contribute greatly to America but it's always been an organized fashion. We need to get back to that. Illegal immigration hurts everyone.
• Opening day of market was horrible
My neighbor and I attended the Ceres Farmers' Market today (May 5). Although there were many, many booths for education, it was very nice, there were very few vendors selling foods. If you really want to go, don't be surprised if you'll be chased out by the entertainment that they had. The music was not only loud but the people didn't know how to play the music and the gal that sang was off-key. It was enough to run anybody off. No wonder our attendance was so terribly, terribly poor.
• No more property tax increases for him
As for the parcel school tax on homeowners, forget it. I've paid 20 years' home tax for my boy while in school, now retired and 35 years of home tax. No, I do not wish to give another $100 to $200 more. When my boy attended college, government would not help me. I scrimped and worked my butt off. My son also helped by flipping hamburgers. Here's an idea, it's about time you start charging the renters and English learners $50 per child per year. Better idea, since you teachers have a shortage of pupils (or product) start laying off teachers. It seems like the school administrators are as dirty as are California politicians.
• Daughter's car stolen
In your paper last week you included a photo of my daughter Jessica Aguiar singing our National Anthem for the Relay For Life. Well Jessica is being treated for a problem with her lungs and so singing is a passion that she might lose. On early Wednsday morning Jessica car was stolen from in front of our house. We were at UCSF so she could have more test ran. It took all of her savings and help from her grandparents to buy that car and now it's gone. So if anyone has seen a white 1989 Honda Accord that they didn't see before please call the Ceres Police Department.
• Ag advisers putting in little time
A teacher from Central Valley High School is being funded to teach a class on landscape. There was a broken pipe at the student farm and this teacher couldn't even take 15 minutes of his time to do the repair. The teacher had to call out a district professional. Meanwhile the farm was being flooded. This is not only a waste of time and money, but also water. We, the concerned parents of the Central Valley FFA, are disturbed by the lack of time the ag advisors are spending at the farm training our students what they need to know about feeding, grooming, and showing their animals. We spend a lot of money on these projects and expect to have a knowledgeable advisor available to ask questions too. One day per week does not cut it. When there is a problem and we call them they can't give us an answer or tell us that they need to look into it and get back to us. This is unacceptable and meanwhile the animals are suffering. The parents are the ones who are funding these projects and they still want to dictate to us with none of their own money invested.
Because of budget cutbacks parents now have to provide their own equipment. I spoke to one parent who has a kid doing a steer project and is also helping another kid with their steer project who showed me receipts that will total over $6,000 by the time these animals get to fair. The Central Valley ag advisors tell these students that they need to market their animals in order to recoup some of the cost. In this economy who is going to be able to pay $2 to $3 per pound for these animals?
