Location: 1901 E. Shields Ave., Fresno, Ca 93726
Date: February 11, 2012
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Cost: FREE
Tel: (559) 481-1498

Contact Info:
Steven Voon-Medical Team Director
Tzu Chi Foundation – Fresno
7421 N Maple Ave., Fresno, Ca 93720
Phone/Fax: (559) 481-1498

Email: fresnotima@gmail.com
Website: http://tzuchi.fresnomedicalteam.org
www.tzuchi.org
www.newdaai.tv

“Last year left a real bad taste in our mouths,” 24-year Rams coach Ron Scott said.

Fresno City struggled through a 19-18 season and tied for third in the Central Valley Conference, the lowest finish since 1996. This is a proud Rams program that has 16 championships in Scott’s tenure, and the goal, as it is every year, is to get back on top and reach the state Final Four.

The road to recovery begins at 6 p.m. today when Fresno City, ranked No. 11 in Northern California, hosts No. 9 Sacramento City at John Euless Ballpark.

The smile is back on Scott’s face, mainly because of the return of ex-Buchanan middle infielders Bryce Barger and Brett Bishop after both missed the majority of last season with injuries. Barger, an All-NorCal pick in 2010, and Bishop, who transferred from Cal, both have speed and will bat 3-4 in the lineup.

Things got so bad last year that Scott had two catchers at middle infield.

Another new face is sophomore second baseman Matt Telesco (Bullard), a transfer from Cal State Northridge who will bat second.

“That’s like having three shortstops now in the lineup,” Scott said.

Lead-off man is freshman outfielder Jackson Glines (Yosemite). Batting fifth is sophomore outfielder Connor Buss (Clovis West), followed by freshman infielder Michael Tittle (Clovis North), freshman infielder Jack Karraker (Buchanan) and freshman catcher Jeff Brown (Buchanan), the Bee’s 2011 Player of the Year and all-state selection who will be backed up by freshman Gabe Perez (Central).

Sophomore left-handers Drew Merlo (Buchanan), Sean Silva (Clovis West) and Bryce Vidmar (Clovis) will anchor the pitching staff, along with sophomore lefty and University of Pacific transfer Andrew Wild (Mt. Whitney), and lefty William Rosado (Clovis East). Newcomers are Bee All-Star right-hander Devin White from Fresno and right-handed reliever James Brager (Madera), the 2011 County/Metro Athletic Conference co-Player of the Year.

“I like our staff and we’re looking for an ace to emerge,” Scott said.

The Rams this preseason also will face No. 7 Feather River, No. 5 Chabot and, from Southern California, No. 1 Santa Ana and No. 9 Riverside before opening conference play at NorCal No. 15 College of the Sequoias on Feb. 21.

• Also today, No. 15 Sequoias opens against Los Angeles Pierce at the Bakersfield Tournament; Reedley plays Ohlone in Fremont; West Hills, under new coach Mike Curran, hosts Napa Valley in Coalinga; and Porterville hosts Cerro Coso.
• Bakersfield College hosts the state Final Four this year, then it returns to Fresno City in 2013 for a two-year run.

By Jeff Davis

SIGNINGS

• Additional Fresno-area athletes signing college letters of intent this week: Clovis High — Zach Nevills, wrestling, Stanford; Ryan Davies, wrestling, Stanford; Blake Lacey, baseball, USC; Michael Fain, baseball, Nevada; Alissa Gutierrez, softball, UC San Diego; Emma Rogers, soccer, Kansas Wesleyan

BOYS BASKETBALL

• Aaric Armstead’s 21 points led the way as Central Section No. 3-ranked Bullard stayed a game behind Memorial in the County/Metro Athletic Conference after a 74-15 win over Sanger.
• No. 5 Memorial received points from every player, led by Royshon Snowden’s 17, as the CMAC leaders beat Madera 64-27.
• Ahmad Jones’ 17 points powered North Yosemite League leader Hoover over second-place Madera South 75-47.
• Josue Salaam scored 23 points to lead Hanford West over Golden West 55-34 in the West Yosemite League and give coach Tim Caudillo his 150th win in nine seasons.

BOYS SOCCER

• Vadal McDonald and Enrique Rodriguez scored in overtime as Edison upset No. 4 Bullard 5-3 to create a three-way tie with No. 5 Sunnyside and No. 8 Madera for the CMAC lead with two games to play. The Wildcats pulled away from Memorial with two goals from Jose Lemus and one from Daniel Llamas over the final 25 minutes for a 4-2 win, while Luis Hernandez’s hat trick led the Coyotes past No. 10 Sanger 3-1.
• Lalo Guzman and Jose Herrera scored in the first half as NYL-leading and D-III No. 3 Madera South beat Roosevelt 2-1.

A criminal complaint charges Patrick Henry Foster, 43, of Fresno, with burglary, making a false report, fleeing police and armed criminal action.

Clovis police arrested Foster and three others Jan. 2 after a burglary at Kohl’s department store in Sierra Vista Mall.

Police said Kohl’s employees called police to report three people took merchandise and drove away in a Chevrolet SUV. Officers boxed in the SUV at Villa and Alamos avenues. Three people ran from the vehicle but were soon captured. Police said Foster stayed in the SUV and initially told officers he had been carjacked.

Foster is the brother of Fresno Deputy Police Chief Keith Foster and is on paid leave from his Madera County job, said defense attorney Eric Green, who is defending Patrick Foster.

Green said his client is innocent because he was just giving a ride to the three other people arrested in the case.

“He didn’t know what they were going to do,” said Green, who described the incident as a “shoplifting case” — not burglary.

Jeffrey Allen Wilson, 28, and Heather Marie Howard, 26, both of Fresno, have already pleaded no contest to burglary, court records show.

They are scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 7. Until then, they are being held without bail in the Fresno County Jail.

Henry James Canty, 30, of Fresno, pleaded not guilty Thursday to burglary and resisting arrest.

Canty and Foster, who was put on paid administrative leave following his arrest, have been released from the jail because of overcrowding. Their next court date is Feb. 21.

By Pablo Lopez

Neng Yang, the Clovis second-grade teacher who is facing a felony count of producing child pornography, was today denied release from the Fresno County Jail while his federal court case proceeds.

In a short hearing in federal court, U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Beck ordered Yang held both because he was a danger to the community and also because he might flee to avoid the criminal charges.

Yang, 43, is also facing 45 counts of child molestation in Fresno County Superior Court. His bail in Superior Court is $4.5 million, but Beck’s decision means no bail at the federal level.

Outside of court, Mike Prado, a supervisory special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, said federal and state charges will both likely be pursued to “maximize the amount of (prison time Yang) faces in the criminal justice system.”

Unlike his Superior Court appearance, where Yang was shackled, he had no restraints of any kind in his federal court appearance.

Yang, who taught at Freedom Elementary School in Clovis, is facing the state and federal charges in connection with the alleged molestation of one of his students in his classroom.

By John Ellis

PK in Fresno again

8 p.m. Feb. 3 / Kuppajoe, 3673 N. First St. / $8 / kuppajoe.com

San Luis Obispo rock band PK returns to Fresno tonight, where it has built a good-sized fan base.

This trip is a little special for the band. It’s using tonight’s show at all-ages music venue Kuppajoe to debut its new music video, “Seawolves.”

PK also will be riding high after opening two shows for Angels & Airwaves earlier in the week.

PK, you might remember, was recently part of a national contest put together by Rolling Stone magazine to earn a spot on the cover of the magazine and a recording deal.

Another tidbit: The band’s drummer, Rico Rodriguez, is a Fresno native.

Opening the show are Clovis band My Beautiful Surrender and Visalia’s The Roos.

By Mike Osegueda

Police have arrested a 38-year-old man on suspicion of robbing a Clovis bank Wednesday morning.

The Clovis man was taken into custody at an apartment complex on West Bullard Avenue about 11 p.m. Wednesday, police said.

Following up on a tip, detectives went to the apartment complex and detained a man who was tossing into a garbage bin a bag of clothing matching a description of what the robber was wearing.

Police arrested the man when he returned to his apartment. Some of the money taken from the bank was recovered.

The man is suspected of robbing Bank of the West at 200 Shaw Ave. shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday. The robber entered the bank, showed a note to a clerk, demanded cash and left with an undisclosed amount of money, police said.

By Eddie Jimenez

It’s like being a member of a once-a-year fraternity. Despite the unrelenting hype surrounding Super Bowl XLVI, there’s still a significant percentage of folks who simply couldn’t care less.

For them, Sunday is a football-free zone of wide-open proportions. For them, we’ve compiled 46 things to do Sunday other than watch the big game.

(Some events will even finish in time for you to catch some of the gridiron action, but how pure you want to be about this is entirely up to you.)

1. Catch a performance of “Hairspray” at Roger Rocka’s.

2. Check out the new Jason Wu fashion line at Target.

3. Rent “The Help” to get caught up on your Oscar picks.

4. Watch the “Bring It On a Thon” on ABC Family.

5. Stop by the Sun Maid Kennel Club Dog Show at The Big Fresno Fair.

6. Catch “The Artist” on the big screen.

7. Take a walk.

8. Trek to Yosemite National Park.

9. Read James Patterson’s “Private: #1 Suspect.”

10. Download “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson to your e-reader and start reading the popular series.

11. Go shopping. Hate crowds? Take a leisurely spin through the mall.

12. Check out “hearts,” the Gallery 25 members exhibit fundraiser.

13. Sit in a nearly deserted coffee house (one without a TV, of course) and read your back copies of The New Yorker.

14. Enjoy the “Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab” exhibition at the Fresno Art Museum.

15. Play with your dog. Dogs don’t care about football unless
you’re throwing one at them.

16. Challenge your neighbor to a Monopoly marathon.

17. Bake cookies.

18. Read the “Steve Jobs” biography by Walter Isaacson.

19. Listen to “Jim Franklin Live” on KMJ (AM 580).

20. Watch BBC America’s “Absolutely Fabulous” marathon.

21. Attend “Disney On Ice: Toy Story 3″ at Selland Arena.

22. See “Crimes of the Heart” at 2nd Space Theatre.

23. Join Tokyo Garden’s jazz jam session with the Craig VonBerg Trio.

24. Try a complicated recipe you’ve always wanted to make.

25. Download the new “Gorilla Gondola” game to your phone.

26. Tune in “The Costa Report” on KYNO (AM 940).

27. Grab the camera and take some photos. While everyone else is watching the halftime show, you can catch the sunset.

28. Take a trip to a local casino.

29. Go on a bike ride.

30. Watch the re-released “To Kill a Mockingbird” on DVD.

31. Catch up on “Being Human” with the Syfy marathon.

32. Go bowling.

33. Read the “Hunger Games” book so you’ll be ready for the new film.

34. Drive out to the Kearney Mansion Museum.

35. Take beginners salsa dancing lesson at Studio 65 Dance Fitness Center.

36. Go on five-mile hike to Shaver Lake Vista with the Sierra Club Beginner Snowshoe Outing.

37. See “Treading Mud,” an original play written by R.S. Scott, at Broken Leg Stage.

38. Test yourself with brain teasers at Fresno County’s Politi Branch Library.

39. Try “Dead Island: Ryder White” on your gaming system.

40. Shake a leg at a senior social dance at Clovis Senior Center.

41. Head to Porterville for production of “Fearless Dick” at The Barn Theatre.

42. Pick up copy of “Drive,” newly released on DVD.

43. Take the dive and go to “The Little Mermaid” presented by Visalia’s children’s theater at the Enchanted Playhouse.

44. Hunt for eagles along the San Joaquin River or take an eagle tour at Millerton Lake State Recreation Area.

45. Check out “How to Rock,” a new Nickelodeon show starring Master P’s daughter Cymphonique Miller.

46. Go skiing or snowboarding at China Peak.

After assuming the Chairmanship, Poochigian thanked her colleagues for the opportunity to lead the board in the year ahead. She stated, “Many of the decisions made in Sacramento have a profound effect on Fresno County. They have spent generations spending every dime and more and now when times get tough they find it difficult to ratchet back.”

She continued, “We can’t just pretend to fix our problems. We must have the courage to tackle them head on. In these tough budget times, we must continue to hold the line on spending and have the courage to make necessary cuts. We have made some hard choices – and the times require that we continue to do so. I believe even though it may be tough, even though it may be unpopular, we must have the courage to do what needs to be done.”

Poochigian concluded her remarks with the following resolutions for the coming year:

LET US RESOLVE… To not stand by as Sacramento politicians make us more vulnerable.

To develop goals that will build opportunities for success.

To show common sense and willingness to make tough choices, even if not popular, that will strengthen us over time.

To recognize the damage that can be done by kicking the proverbial can down the road.

To resist the temptation to accept illusive offers of assistance from Sacramento and Washington if they will lead to a deeper fiscal rut that weaken us fiscally.

To live within our means and not bet the farm on optimistic assessments of when and to what extent recovery will come.

To find ways of making local government more open and accountable. And, to thoughtfully, efficiently, and respectfully deliver public services and get the most value for the least expense to Fresno County taxpayers.

Poochigian is a lifelong resident of Fresno County and is currently serving her first term on the Board. Her family has been farming in Fresno County for four generations. She has been married to Justice Chuck Poochigian for 35 years. Supervisor Poochigian remains very active in the community, her church and has taught Sunday School for over 36 years. She and her husband have three children, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren.

District 5 is comprised of 3,200 square miles and includes portions of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains, a national park, thousands of acres of prime agricultural land, and a rich mix of urban and suburban areas – including parts of the Cities of Fresno and Clovis.

For more information, contact Supervisor Poochigian’s office at 559-600-5000.

Shannon Edwards, db, 5-11, 180, Ridgeview HS, Bakersfield, Calif.

Brandon Hughes, lb, 6-3, 215, Moorpark (Calif.) HS

Myles Carr, qb, 6-1, 190, Arcadia (Calif.) HS

Jamal Ellis, db, 5-11, 170, East Valley HS, Riverside, Calif.

Travis Harvey, ol, 6-5, 325, Loyola HS, Burbank, Calif.

Justin Johnson, wr, 6-1, 185, St. John Bosco HS, Gardena, Calif.

Dalen Jones, db, 6-1, 185, Woodland Senior HS, Woodland, Calif.

David Keller, ol, 6-4, 285, San Joaquin Memorial HS, Clovis, Calif.

Aaron Peck, wr, 6-3, 215, John W. North HS, Moreno Valley, Calif.

Mike Saenz, ol, 6-5, 295, Fullerton College, Whittier, Calif.

Jerry Smith, ath, 5-8, 165, Mayfair HS, Bellflower, Calif.

T.J. Thomas, rb, 6-0, 205, Dobson HS, Mesa, Ariz.

Tui Unga, lb, 6-3, 215, Rancho Cucamonga HS, Etiwanda, Calif.

Marteze Waller, rb, 6-0, 200, Putnam County HS, Eatonton, Ga.