The crew at Gar Bennett, in the former Boat Country location on Main Street in Escalon, welcomed the community, the Chamber of Commerce, city officials and some legislative representatives in on Saturday, Jan. 11 for a special ribbon cutting, open house and barbecue lunch event. Top photo, Chamber representative Pat Brown, left, Mayor Robert Swift, Heath Flora field representative Jason Laughlin and owner Tyler Bennett take time to pose for a photo. Below, attendees make their way over to enjoy the barbecue served up by the Redneck Barbecue out of Porterville. The water systems business has been in operation for 90 years and is a fourth generation family business geared to helping farmers and growers solve their water issues to “keep as many acres in production” as possible, said Bennett.

Marg Jackson/The Times