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Outlook Gloomy - City Budget Talks Start
| Escalon City Council members will get a look at the budget picture in a special workshop set for Tuesday, May 22.
And the picture isn't very pretty.
"I'm sending out information to the council this week," said interim City Manager Henry Hesling. "Revenues are still flat and we've been trying to maintain that 33 percent in reserve but I don't see any way we can maintain that."
Ideally, the council likes to have that much in reserve but as revenues fall, costs rise and the state continues to take more local money, Hesling said it's unrealistic to think they can keep that high of a reserve in place.
Too much pressure on the general fund will likely see that number drop for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, which starts on July 1.
"We have to worry about what other kind of money the state is going to take," Hesling added, whether it is funding previously allocated for police services or perhaps some tax grabs.
The Tuesday night budget workshop, open to the public, is set for 5:30 p.m. at the council chambers at 2060 McHenry. Hesling said he will present an overall view of the finances and council members and city residents will have the opportunity to look at a variety of options.
"I have to give the council some options to stop the hemorrhaging," said Hesling.
The general fund is the one that will take the biggest hit this year, he added, while the sewer and water funds are "not in the best of shape" but are holding their own.
From the general fund, one of the biggest costs will be in debt service, paying for city buildings, with an estimated $450,000 layout for those costs.
With the workshop on Tuesday night, Hesling and Finance Director Tammy Alcantor will offer some recommendations to have a balanced budget in place, with tentative adoption set for the Monday, June 4 council meeting.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 |
News at-a-glance 05/16/12 to 05/23/12
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| Opinion
| | Community Corner - standing head
Focus On Women's Health | Curves women's gyms in the Oakdale-Riverbank-Escalon area will give a free 30-day membership to any non-member who visits a club during regular operating hours throughout National Women's Health Week, May 13-19. This annual awareness week, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Women's Health (OWH), begins each year on Mother's Day and brings together communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups in an effort to promote women's health. Curves International has partnered with the OWH to help promote National Women's Health Week and to provide health and wellness programs and materials to women throughout the country.
In further support of this partnership, Curves announces the inaugural National Curves Day celebration, which will occur annually on the Thursday of National Women's Health Week. Curves International aims to give away one million free 30-day memberships at participating Curves gyms throughout the United States and Canada during the week-long event. Any non-member who visits a participating Curves club during National Women's Health Week will be eligible for this free membership offer.
Curves gyms in the area will hold week-long Open House events during National Women's Health Week to encourage interested women to check out their local club, pick up free health information from Curves and the OWH, ask questions, get a free fitness assessment and take advantage of the "one million free 30-day memberships" offer. Visitors may also sign up to attend a special program on National Curves Day, Thursday, May 17, featuring messages from health experts and fun activities designed to raise awareness of small, practical steps women can take to get healthy.
The theme for the 13th annual National Women's Health Week is "It's Your Time." National Women's Health Week empowers women to make their health a top priority. It also encourages women to take the following steps to improve their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain diseases:
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 |  |
| Sports
| | Perfect Run - Trans-Valley League Crown For Varsity Baseball Cougars |  |
After putting a 10-0 win on the board against Gregori in a make-up game on Monday, the Escalon varsity baseball Cougars got down to business wrapping up a perfect Tans-Valley League campaign.
They were winners at home against Modesto Christian on Tuesday, May 8 and closed out the regular season with a win on the road at MC on Thursday.
They won 12-2 in six innings on Tuesday.
"We had a great first inning, scored five runs," explained coach Greg Largent. "Our first four batters reached safely, on a couple of hits, a couple of walks, and then Trey Balber had a three-run homer to right center field."
The Cougars made it 7-0 in the second with two walks, an error and a fielder's choice and it looked like they might 10-run the visiting Crusaders to go just five innings, adding three more in the fourth.
"Patrick Mulry doubled and after an out, Robbie Steves walked, Balber had a double for an RBI and then Jake Hood had an RBI single," said Largent.
A fielder's choice brought in the third run to make it 10-0 Escalon.
But MC did not go quietly, getting a run in the fifth on a walk, sacrifice bunt and a single to make it 10-1. The Crusaders also got one more in the sixth, on an error, a wild pitch and a single.
That made it 10-2 but the Cougars got the 10-run win in the bottom of the sixth.
Steves walked, Balber singled and after a passed ball, Steves scored on a fielder's choice. Balber, who made it to third on the passed ball, scored on a wild pitch to "deliver the knockout blow," said Largent.
Escalon had 12 runs on nine hits with two errors. Modesto Christian had two runs on five hits and two errors.
Matt Valencia went four innings for the win, allowing one hit and striking out eight. Matt Roberson pitched two innings in relief.
"It was our Senior Day, the last game at home and all the seniors came through," Largent said. "Trey had three hits and four RBIs, Jake Hood was 2-for-2, Josh Vandagriff had an RBI, Josh Miguel, Gino Franceschetti and Patrick Mulry all had hits."
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | | | Varsity Girls Take Final Win For Coach |  |
Wrapping up the season with a win, it was also the last game on the diamond for head coach Dianne Teixeira for the varsity girls softball team.
The longtime coach has turned in her resignation, closing out 16 years with Escalon High, including the last seven with the varsity as head coach. Assistant Missy Vieira, now expecting her second child, is also stepping down, opening the door for a new staff at the varsity level next year.
"Missy and I took it in 2006," said Teixeira. "I have been head coach for four Trans-Valley League titles, two Section titles, it has been a lot of excitement and this was the hardest decision I've ever made."
Heading into the final week, the varsity girls needed to put both games in the win column to have a shot at playoffs but they ended with a split, falling to Riverbank in a make up of a previously postponed game and then winning on the road at Modesto Christian.
Knowing they were out of the playoff picture following the May 7 loss at Riverbank, the girls regrouped and played a solid game on Wednesday, ending the season on a high note.
"We lost 10-4 to Riverbank and we just had errors again, one of those days," admitted Teixeira. "They were a totally beatable team."
But five errors were the Lady Cougars' undoing, as Riverbank touched them up for two runs in the first, one in the third, four in the fourth and three more to put it away in the fifth. Escalon had one run in four different innings, the second, third, fourth and fifth. The Lady Cougars had nine hits while Riverbank had 11 and the host Lady Bruins committed just one error.
Kristin Beckman was 2-for-3 for Escalon with an RBI, Anastasia Rodriguez knocked in a run, Lexi Prim had a solo homer and Ashley Schuurman also knocked in a run. Schurrman went four innings in the game, with Marissa Dominguez coming on in relief to pitch the final two.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | |
| Obituaries
| | Virginia Deegan | Virginia Deegan, 98, passed away on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 in Ripon.
She was born on July 13, 1913 in West Virginia.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | | | Thomas Gonzales | Thomas Gonzales, 70, passed away on Monday, April 30, 2012.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | | | Robert Hagemann | Robert William Hagemann, 73, passed away on Monday, May 7, 2012 at Bethany Home in Ripon.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | |
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