1. OAKDALE GRAPHIC ESTABLISHED 1882
• S E R V I N G O U R C O M M U N I T Y • www.oakdaleleader.com • 75¢Wednesday, July 17, 2013
The Oakdale Leader
Tee It Up... Sports, B1
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Bailey Dryden flies toward the end zone
after hauling in a pass downfield against
the Pitman secondary during recent
7-on-7 football action at The Corral. See
additional photos in Sports, Page B1.
IKE DODSON/THE LEADER
By DAWN M. HENLEY
dhenley@oakdaleleader.com
The Stanislaus County Fair is in
full swing and runs through Sun-
day, July 21.
On the final day of the fair, visi-
tors will be admitted for free from
12 p.m. to 3 p.m. The fairgrounds
and buildings are open Monday
through Friday at 5 p.m., and on
Saturdays and Sundays at noon.
The Farmer’s Market is also new
to the fair in the Imagine the Food
Exhibit Building. Sample and
purchase fresh, organic produce,
candies, almonds, and freshly cut
fruit. It’s open weekdays at 5 p.m.
and on the weekend at noon. The
buildings close every night at 11
p.m., and the Farmer’s Market
closes at 8 p.m.
BesuretocheckoutthenewToy
Train exhibit in its own building
offered by the San Joaquin Valley
Toy Train Operators, Inc. Various
sizes of model trains, tracks, and
village decorations are on display
and running.
The K9 Kings Flying Dog Show
is back this year with two shows
daily during the week at 5:30 p.m.
and 7:30 p.m., then on the week-
end with three shows at 12:30
p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. Watch
these canine athletes do high fly-
ing stunts and tricks.
Butler Amusements is operat-
ing the Midway this year with
32 attractions. A new ride at the
fair carnival is the Raptor, a rap-
idly spinning ride that will likely
bring out the screams. Plus there
are lots of game concessions to
try your hand at winning stuffed
animals and prizes. The carnival
hours are Monday through Fri-
day from 5 p.m. to midnight, and
Saturday and Sunday are noon to
midnight.
New food vendors at the fair in-
clude a deep fried 5-alarm burger
offered by Lucky 7 Concessions,
The Cupcake Lady and her truck
The colorful, spinning, speeding Raptor attraction gets an
enthusiastic response from riders at the Stanislaus County
Fair, a new ride brought in this year by Butler Amusements.
MARG JACKSON/THE LEADER
Stuffed animal prizes fill the carnival booths, hoping to lure Stanislaus CountyFair visitors into trying their luck. The fair runs through Sunday, July 21.DAWN M. HENLEY/THE LEADER
FunContinues
Daily
Through
Sunday,
July 21
FAIR, Page A12
Fair Offers Something
For EveryoneFair Offers Something
For Everyone
By DAWN M. HENLEY
dhenley@oakdaleleader.com
A redesign of the Oakdale Junior
High School after school program
called “Oasis” is ready for students
when school starts on Aug. 8.
Armida Colón, Director of Cat-
egorical Programs for the Oakdale
Joint Unified School District, said
that they have been planning and
restructuring Oasis since March
to debut it for this coming school
year. She said the program now
has clearly defined academic in-
tervention, homework support,
academies and clubs, and recre-
ation. It was previously run by a
teacher, a counselor, and other
school staff. Now there will be a
manager for the program who
will oversee the academic com-
ponent, the fiscal component, do
programmatic planning, as well
as content scheduling for aca-
demics.
Matt Dillon will step into the
role as the Oasis Program Man-
ager. He was previously the After
School Program Manager at Fair
Oaks Elementary School. He said
that he’s looking forward to the
change.
“I’ve been at the elementary
After School
Oasis
Program
Revamped
OASIS, Page A11
By MARG JACKSON
mjackson@oakdaleleader.com
A summer staple for more than
20 years, the popular Concerts in
the Park hosted by the Oakdale
Chamber of Commerce return to
the city’s Dorada Park this Friday.
The first of several summer con-
certs will feature the Highway 99
Party Band, starting at 6:30 p.m.
andrunninguntilroughly8:30p.m.
“They’re a Modesto band and
they play a mix of classic rhythm
and blues, rock, and they feature
a three-piece horn section,” said
Oakdale Chamber assistant event
coordinator Nicole Benbow.
She also outlined the rules for the
summer series that brings in a park
full of people.
“Bring your own lawn chair and
picnic baskets, but no glass bottles
in the park,” Benbow said.
The series is supported by a va-
riety of sponsors throughout the
summer, though there isn’t a spe-
cific one for the kickoff event, said
Benbow.
Future performances in the se-
Park
Concerts
Return
CONCERTS, Page A11
By RICHARD PALOMA
rpaloma@oakdaleleader.com
In a marathon three-plus hour
meeting on Monday night, July
15, members of the Oakdale City
Council attempted to resolve only
two issues, both of which would
have a financial impact to citizens.
An agenda item regarding the
levy and assessments to the land-
scape and lighting maintenance
districts (LLMD) saw a host of
speakers questioning the formulas
used and justification for many of
the expenses.
At its last meeting, the council
accepted a report from Special
District Services for the Vineyard,
Burchell Hill, and Bridle Ridge
development LLMDs raising the
property assessments for those
homeowners.
The city administers four LLMDs
on behalf of its residents.
According to Finance Director
Albert Avila, the increases pro-
posed were at or near the maxi-
mum allowed so that the districts
could build needed reserves and
funds for proposed capital proj-
ects.
Burchell Hill resident Linda Jo-
hansonledoffthepubliccomment
Lighting,
Sewer Fee
Increases?
FEE, Page A11
Candidates interested in running
for local office in the Nov. 5, 2013
Consolidated District Election can
apply now, with the filing period
starting this past Monday, July 15
and running through Friday, Aug. 9.
Candidates, including incumbents,
must file nomination documents
during this period in order to file for
office and appear on the ballot.
“We encourage citizens to learn
about this applicant process and
consider becoming a candidate for
office,” said Stanislaus County Clerk
RecorderandRegistrarofVotersLee
Lundrigan.
The updated Clerk Recorder and
Registrar of Voters website will post
a daily revision of the list of can-
didates who file their nomination
documents with the County Elec-
tions official during this period. This
unofficial list can be viewed at stan-
vote.com under “candidates.”
The following offices are up for
election but subject to change due
to unforeseen vacancies that might
occur affecting the current posi-
tions. The election will include mu-
nicipal elections for the cities of Ce-
Election
Filing
Begins
ELECTION, Page A11