Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of Local Turlock Podcast for the week of September 10th. I am here to give you some of Turlock’s latest scoops, news & stories, with 2 business highlights for the week. Sit back and relax as we open with our first story! It’s time to have some fun on the weekend as Farm & Family Festival returns to Denair this weekend. As the threat of the the Delta variant continues, Mask mandate returns for Stanislaus County. Sports fans, The Hilmar High varsity football team continued an undefeated start to the season. Exciting news, The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors gave the go-ahead for another car dealership to be built on the outskirts of Turlock. Give your love and support to our local businesses especially during this pandemic as I highlight 2 businesses this week. Also sharing the latest updates about COVID 19 in Stanislaus County. All that and more today for this week's Local Turlock podcast.
Farm & Family Festival returns to Denair this weekend
After the coronavirus pandemic cancelled last year’s event, the community is invited to once again take part in the 11th Denair Farm & Family Festival this Saturday.
Since 2010, the (usually) annual festival has celebrated the town’s agricultural roots with a full day of fun — and education. The street fair and parade typically draws over 5,000 people to the small town of Denair and on average raises $3,000 in high school scholarship funds annually.
This year, the festival’s Farm Equipment Show in the Community Center parking lot will be expanded to feature new tractors and more. There will be milk chugging and watermelon eating contests for the kids, and pedal tractor races where participants can test their need for speed. In addition to opportunities for fun, there will be plenty of chances for youth to learn about the agriculture industry.
On Thursday, the festival committee will be beautifying the streets of Denair and will meet outside of Grandma’s Treasures at 6 p.m. The group is still searching for local veterans who would like to walk or ride in the parade. Those interested can contact Dona Casale at 209-678-7016.
The Denair Farm & Family Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, starting with the parade at 9 a.m. Shehan encourages community members from Denair, Turlock and beyond to come out for a day of live entertainment, food, shopping and fun.
Mask mandate returns for Stanislaus County
People will again have to wear masks indoors in Stanislaus County as COVID-19 cases surge and the local healthcare systems strain under increased hospitalizations.
The order requires all people to wear face coverings when indoors in workplaces and public settings, with limited exemptions, and recommends that businesses make face coverings available to individuals entering their businesses. This order will take effect Saturday.
Since restrictions were lifted on June 15, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased ninefold and the testing positivity rate has risen fourfold, according to the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency.
The Delta variant, which is more transmissible, is the predominant strain in Stanislaus. Hospitalizations from COVID-19 in Stanislaus have risen from 38 patients as of July 16 to 299 patients on Sept. 1.
Public Health will continue to assess the situation as it evolves and may modify this order or issue additional orders related to COVID-19 as changing circumstances dictate.
Those who are not vaccinated or only partially vaccinated remain highly vulnerable to the infectious Delta variant. Vaccinations have proven to be effective against the Delta variant and all variants of COVID-19 – slowing the rate of spread and mitigating severe symptoms. All residents 12 and older are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible. For a list of vaccination clinics, visit the Stanislaus County Public Health website (http://schsa.org/coronavirus/vaccine/).
Hilmar football continues hot start with blowout victory
The Hilmar High varsity football team continued an undefeated start to the season with something they do best on Saturday evening: a victory over a much larger school. Meanwhile, Turlock High’s first win of the season was just out of reach on Friday while Denair High was missing players due to COVID exposure once again.
The Hilmar ‘Jackets steamrolled Modesto High 40-6 from their home stadium, improving to 3-0 on the year. Their first two victories came against Patterson and Los Banos high schools, which boast enrollment numbers of 1,700 and 1,400, respectively. With just over 700 students on campus, Hilmar came into their latest matchup with Modesto, where over 2,500 kids go to school, knowing they could stack up to the competition.
Hilmar put on a defensive show Saturday, holding the Panthers to just one score late in the game when the first string had already been pulled. The defensive line did an outstanding job stifling Modesto’s run game, Marques said, while the secondary kept passing to a minimum and collected two interceptions on the night. The offense was led by the dual rushing attack of running backs Broc Perry and Luis Vargas.
Kicker Andre Alves also contributed greatly, repeatedly giving the ‘Jackets defense an advantage by keeping the Panthers on the opposite end of the field.
Turlock traveled to Bullard High in Fresno on Friday, where they fell to the Knights 14-12 in a showdown that could have been anyone’s game; they are now 0-3 on the season.
The Bulldogs pulled ahead with a 6-0 lead in the second quarter thanks to a one-yard run by running back JT Foreman followed by a missed PAT. Bullard made it 6-6 one minute later via a 74-yard touchdown pass and a missed kick of their own, but Turlock went into the locker room at halftime leading 12-6 after a 28-yard touchdown from quarterback Cole Gilbert to wide receiver Logan Hart and a missed two-point conversion attempt.
In Denair, the Coyotes welcomed Franklin High to their home field and put up a fight against the Stockton school before ultimately losing 34-28. The team has experienced setback after setback, with COVID exposures impacting their first game and wildfire smoke cancelling their second.
This week, Denair was missing players once again due to quarantine requirements for students exposed to COVID at school and those who were returning from quarantine were playing in their first game of the year.
Denair will travel to San Francisco this Saturday to take on Washington High at 4 p.m. On Friday, Turlock will play against Manteca High at 7 p.m. from Joe Debely Stadium and Hilmar will play at home against Sonora High at 7 p.m.
Turlock’s Price Ford to expand next door with Price Honda
The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors this week gave the go-ahead for another car dealership to be built on the outskirts of Turlock, with construction set to begin in the spring.
Fans of Price Ford on Golden State Boulevard will be pleased to hear its owners are expanding into the vacant lot next door with the addition of Price Honda, which was approved by Supervisors on Tuesday with a few caveats. The five-acre parcel will be developed in two phases, with the completion of Phase 1 anticipated within 12 to 14 months of construction’s start in the spring and Phase 2 within the next 10 years.
Despite a development restriction easement on the property which has been in place since 1966 and was supposed to last until 2033, the City of Turlock terminated the restriction and also entered into a tax sharing agreement with the County which will see the City collect 50% of the new dealership’s sales tax revenue and provide both Price Ford and Price Honda’s public sewer and water services. Portions of the sales tax revenue collected from the new Price Honda will be dedicated to future planning, design and construction of the Taylor Road interchange at Highway 99.
Owners James Figurell and David Price purchased their original Ford dealership, formerly known as Patchett’s Ford, in June 2015 and have since become a philanthropic staple in the community, hosting fundraisers for local schools and even donating a car to Turlock High School’s auto shop in 2018.
During review of the new Price Honda project, the County planning department discovered two other issues in addition to the development restriction easement: compatibility with the nearby residential neighborhood and the project’s proposed signage.
Sharon Turnbull, who lives and owns several properties along Barnhart Road behind the project site, complained of dust from the project site from vehicle delivery trucks and Price Ford employees parking in the vacant lot — something that is not permitted under the property’s current zoning. She also said that the current dealership is the cause of speeding cars and semis down Barnhart Road.
Figurell said during the County Planning Commission meeting on Aug. 5 that Price Ford has a policy in place which states employees aren’t to use Barnhart Road, and that he would ensure his staff follows the order. A wall will be built along the backside of the project to act as a buffer between the residential area and dealership, and neighbors will be able to reach the dealership directly should any disturbances occur as part of a Good Neighbor Policy included in the project.
Also, despite the City of Turlock’s sign ordinance which would not allow for the Price Honda’s proposed 65-foot-tall sign, the approved project will include the signage after the Planning Commission considered a nearby 75-foot Peterbilt sign and the existing 45-foot Price Ford sign along the highway.
Supervisor Terry Withrow said the project has been years in the making and “painful,” but was happy to see it finally moving forward. Supervisor Vito Chiesa assured nearby residents that if they had any problems with noise, dust or vehicles driving down Barnhart Road, they could call him directly.
Coronavirus update, Sept. 9: Stanislaus reports 12 more deaths, 288 hospital cases
Stanislaus County added 12 residents to its COVID-19 death toll Wednesday, for a total of 43 over the first week of September.
Deaths stand at 1,185 since the first was reported in April 2020 by the county Health Services Agency.
New cases slowed with the 119 reported Wednesday, brings the total to 69,439. The Labor Day weekend had brought 995.
Stanislaus also has 801,976 negative test results and 65,688 people who are presumed recovered.
Business Spotlight
Forever Smiles Turlock
Location: 1850 Colorado Ave Turlock, CA
Tel. No: (209) 500-1234
Operational Hours: Monday & Sunday (Closed) Tuesday - Saturday (9am-5pm)
Forever Smiles Turlock, led by Dr. Jasleen Kaur, aims to provide you and your family with friendly, customized dental care that focuses on your unique oral health needs, and your personal goals. They know you have a choice when it comes to your dental health, and Forever Smiles Turlock promises to make you feel happy about choosing their office. They offer standard and emergency dental care; from routine checkups and cleanings, to advanced braces, implants and completely new smiles.
Insomnia | Gym
Location: 2390 N Walnut Rd Turlock, CA
Tel. No: (703) 554-0305
Operational Hours: Monday to Friday (4pm-8pm) Sat & Sun (Closed)
INSOMNIA provides the luxury of a gym with eye comfort of their home by offering 24 hour access as if it were their very own. Their mission is to offer a membership experience that is quick and easy by relieving the stress of scheduling and improving day to day productivity through their convenient platform.
Thank you for tuning in for this week’s podcast. Don’t forget to visit our website, localturlock.com, to stay up-to-date on our local news. You can always email me at turlock@localturlock.com and visit our Facebook at Facebook.com/localturlock and leave us some comments! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode! Have a great weekend and always stafe safe!
