The Selma Enterprise from Selma, California • 1

I I I I I 98056 ul Th TO OVERALL CHOOL Special AONUN a SITT fuuns 112, Riding Selman wins Rolls Royce in TV event By Tim Sheehan MANAGING EDITOR In the 1960s, a flamboyant newspaper columnist drove the streets of San Francisco in a silver and white Rolls Royce, sometimes ferrying movie stars and other celebrities when they came to Baghdad by the Bay. Today, that same notable car sits in the driveway of a rural Selma home, the surprise gift from a benefit prize drawing. Douglas Anderson won the 1961 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud last week in a fund-raising promotion by KVPT Channel 18, Fresno's public television station. For about a year, the station had been selling tickets for the drawing for $100 each to help earn money for the noncommercial station and its programming. Anderson had bought one of the tickets many months ago he can't even remember when and was overwhelmed on the morning of Sept.

3, when KVPT general manager Colin Dougherty knocked on the door, congratulated him and handed him the keys. "Oh, my God, you're kidding," he said before he stepped outside and saw the elegant car sitting in his driveway. "My wife doesn't even know I entered." As Dougherty showed Anderson 1 the car's various luxury appointments and features, including the mink fur-covered pillows in the back seat, he also explained something of the car's history. The Rolls was owned for some time by the San Francisco Chronicle for Marc Spinelli, who under the pen name "Count Marco" was a society columnist for many years for the Chronicle. Dougherty and Kathy Moulthrop, the station's public information director, said Spinelli used the car extensively for promotional purposes with the paper, often driving famous people when they were in the city.

"He would often squire celebrities around when they were visiting San Francisco, and it was great P.R. for the newspaper," Moulthrop said. On the rear sports preview A jukebox PREVIEW OF LOCAL SELMAN'S SPORTS AND SCHEDULES I OLD pt. 4. section, Page 1-20D Scene, No.

24 SELMA, 'elma Enterprise CALIFORNIA STATE SALES TAX INCLUDED COPYRIGHT 1997 COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS, INC. in style KVPT Channel 18 general manager farmer Douglas Anderson the Rolls ing to benefit the public television station. door there is a tiny crest Spinelli had installed to further distinguish the vehicle. The car was later purchased by William Robert Perry of Fresno, who in death would be a significant benefactor of the arts in the area. In his will, Perry bequeathed the car and the contents of his Fresno home to the television station with the provision that the car be used as a fund-raising tool; he also reportedly left $1 million to a Fresno museum in an insurance policy.

The car, which has 45,000 original Former council member Rothgarn dies at age 69 ENTERPRISE STAFF REPORT He also worked as a driver for the Fresno Charles A. "Chuck" Rothgarn, a long- Auction. time firefighter and former member of During his lifetime, Mr. Rothgarn was the Selma City Council, died Friday at a member of numerous service and prohis Selma home. He was 69.

fessional organizations. He was a memA service was held Tuesday at Page ber of the Board of Directors for the Funeral Chapel in Selma. Burial was at State Center Credit Union, the California Floral Memorial Park. The Rev. Gary State Employees Association, the Gould officiated.

Forestry 25 Year Club, an honorary Mr. Rothgarn was born in member of the Selma Jr. Minneapolis, Minn. and lived Women's Club, and a former in Selma for the past 39 Rotary member, serving as years. He served two four- chairman of the club's Selma year terms on the Selma City Marching Band Festival and Council between 1980 and Parade from 1978 through 1988, and twice held the title 1979.

of mayor pro tem. As a coun- He was also a past presicil member, Mr. Rothgarn dent of the Fresno County served as Selma's representa- Fire Chiefs Association, a tive to the Council of Fresno past president and honorary County Governments and to life member of the San Charles A. "Chuck" Rothgarn Since his time on the council, Mr. Rothgarn remained active in municipal government, serving as a member of the Selma Planning Commission and having a voice in the city's land use and zoning issues.

He was also a past chairman of the planning commission. After graduating from Fresno's Roosevelt High School and Fresno State College, Mr. Rothgarn worked for 44 years for the Mid- Valley Fire Protection District, supervising the California Department of Forestry's crews as a battalion chief for the Selma, Fowler, Reedley, Riverdale and Caruthers area. hero REPAIR SKILLS KEEPS MACHINES MAKING MUSIC Page 1-B se 50 CENTS Wednesday morning September 10, 1997 Inside Four sections 60 pages Around Town Fall Sports Preview Food Scene. Mailbag 10A Obituaries Police Public notices.

7B Scene 1-6B Sports Want Ads. WIIJO8OIW BAYMI AV8 SDH eyes process for reengineering to cut its losses By Audrey Wong ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER Officials at Selma District Hospital are predicting a sizable budget shortfall for the 1997-98 fiscal year, prompting the hospital to look at a "reengineering" process that will likely mean changes in services and staffing. In a memo circulated to the hospital's staff Friday, SDH Executive Director Terry Curley said an assessment of the facility's financial condition indicated that the hospital was on a pace to lose about $700,000 by June 30, 1998, the end of the fiscal year. At a special meeting on Sept. 3, the hospital's board of directors opted to join in a five-hospital analysis to see how the facilities could cut costs.

SDH and the other hospitals are affiliated with Adventist Health of Central California, a health provider organization that SDH hired for its managerial services earlier this year. Taking a hard look at hospital operations will help the hospital formulate a plan to save money, Curley said. When the analysis if finished, the hospital's structure would undergo a reengineering. Curley said it is uncertain, but possiNo butts cite tobacco By Mark S. Arcamonte ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER In a case of McGruff the Crime Dog putting the bite on Joe Camel, Selma Police Chief Tom Whiteside hopes to snub out underage smoking by educating and ultimately citing business owners.

who sell tobacco to kids. A new enforcement program, the brainchild of Officer Rey Garcia, is targeted foremost at the city's 33 retailers who sell tobacco products. Many are within six blocks of the city's schools, he said. In the near future, youths ages 15 to 17 will begin acting as police decoys by attempting to purchase cigarettes, chew- ble, that the restructuring would eliminate positions. "When you eliminate expenses you eliminate people," Curley said.

"It will result in fewer jobs. I'm hoping jobs will shift from here to other Curley explained if the five Adventist hospitals in the Valley could centralize services, then staff could be relocated rather than let go. For example, he said, if billing for all the hospitals were moved to a single office at Hanford Community Medical Center, then some of the billing jobs at Selma may go over to Hanford. Restructuring hospital operations is necessary to maintain the hospital's ability to survive in a changing health care environment, Curley said. "This is not about jobs this is about health care in this community," he said.

"We're at a very fragile moment in our history," Curley added. "But health care in California is at a very fragile moment." Curley predicted there will be other ways in which to streamline costs besides cutting staff. "This hospital, I believe, is already pretty efficient," he said. Curley added Please see Process, Back page police to violators THE ENTERPRISE Tim Sheehan Colin Dougherty (right) shows Selma Royce won by Anderson in a prize draw- miles on the odometer, has an estimated value of between $21,000 and $25,000. The station had hoped to sell 1,000 tickets; although it fell short of that goal, more than 800 tickets for the car were sold, netting the station over $80,000 to support its broadcasting and programming needs.

Anderson, who farms peaches and grapes on his property east of Selma, said he and his wife often watch the television show, "Mystery," on Channel 18. "I thought the donation would be good whether we won the car or not," he said. ing tobacco, snuff and cigarette rolling papers while accompanied by Garcia. If the decoys are able to buy tobacco or tobacco-related paraphernalia, Garcia will write a ticket charging the seller with a violation of Penal Code section 308(a), sales of tobacco to a minor, a misdemeanor. The first offense carries a penalty of $200, which increases to $500 for the second time and $1,000 the third.

"Our focus is not enforcement, primarily," said Whiteside. "It is seeking compliance." To that end, Garcia attended training conducted by the state Department of Please see Tobacco, Back page Rain doesn't dampen school enthusiasm By Audrey Wong ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER What 12-year-old Lesley Guerra is looking forward to this year are the dances and talent shows. What Juan Guzman anticipates is an easier year as an eighth grader. "This year will be a lot calmer," said Guzman, 13. "I know the teachers better.

You know how to slide by. If you miss your homework you know how to talk your way out of it." Guerra and Guzman were two of thousands of children who started school Sept. 2 in the Selma Unified School District. Both spoke about their scholastic hopes while waiting for the school bus at Abraham Lincoln Middle School that muggy Tuesday. Although gray skies sprinkled on all Selma students the day after Labor Day, school officials said the unexpected shower did not dampen activities.

"The sprinkle was unusual," said Steve Bojorquez, superintendent of the Selma Unified School District. "This is the first time I remember it raining. remember on some first days it was 105 degrees." Otherwise, said Bojorquez the first day of school was "excellent, it was very smooth." On the first day of school, 4,992 stu- Joaquin Valley Fireman's Association, past president of the California State Employees Association, and was the first Selma representative installed as president of the South San Joaquin Division of the League of California Cities while a member of the city council. Mr. Rothgarn is survived by his wife, Joyce Rothgarn of Selma; a daughter, Susan Ward of Clovis; a son, Richard Rothgarn of Fowler; a brother, Rodger Rothgarn of Fresno; five grandchildren; and three great Remembrances may be sent to the CDF Honor Guard, in care of the CDF Firefighters, 924 Enterprise Sacramento, 95825.

dents entered the hallways of Selma schools, according to Bojorquez. By the second day, student enrollment swelled to 5,130 students. THE ENTERPRISE Steve R. Fujimoto Bojorquez said he couldn't give a sinKindergarten students and their parents together checked classroom assign- gle answer why the number of students ments at Garfield School on the first day of school last week. School officials jumped by 138 people the second day.

reported that everything ran smoothly on opening day. I Please see School, Back page.