Home Care In Armona, CA

ARMONA — In an effort to expand into a community where it didn’t previously have services, Kings Community Action Organization has purchased a child development center in Armona.

KCAO began operating the newly named Armona Learning Center, located at 13835 Lyn St., in April. The organization purchased the child development center, formerly called Edukids Preschool, in January.

Jeff Garner, executive director of KCAO, said the agency is always on the lookout to broaden the landscape of its services in the county, so the organization jumped at the opportunity to buy the building when it became aware of the sale.

“We fell in love with the location,” Garner said. “We felt it fit with our mission and was an important step for the agency.”

Garner said KCAO approached the previous owners and worked out the details of buying the building. Everything worked out and Garner said it was the “perfect situation” not only for the organization, but for staff and local families

The licensed facility holds two classrooms with restrooms, a kitchen, a space for staff and a spacious play area. One good thing was that most of the items in the building are relatively new, Garner said, so KCAO didn’t have to make too many improvements.

The Armona Learning Center is a year-round site and currently has 69 children, Garner said.

The center provides full-day child development services on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for 23 children, and part day services on weekdays either in the morning session or afternoon session for 46 children.

The full-day program is for children whose parent or parents work full time, while the part-day programs are for children whose parents’ work day is a little more flexible. Garner said the programs were made this way to best serve all different types of family situations.

Briana Whitten, the assistant site supervisor at Preston Green Learning Center, is currently overseeing the Armona Learning Center while its site supervisor, Teresa Avila, is on vacation.

Whitten said the center, which is still in the process of transitioning from Edukids to the Armona Learning Center, still has room left in the full-day program for more students.

Besides living in Kings County, Garner said there are certain measures to determine whether the child can attend the Armona Learning Center, including family income and other needs.

Even if a child doesn’t qualify for the Armona Learning Center, Garner encourages parents to visit or call the KCAO office to see if they are eligible for one of the agency’s other programs.

The Armona Learning Center joins the 13 other early care and education centers operated by KCAO throughout Kings County. Garner said the program is funded by the California Department of Education’s State Preschool Program.

Now, KCAO has either an early care or education center in the communities of Armona, Avenal, Kettleman City, Corcoran, Hanford and Lemoore.

KCAO has provided early education services to children and families for over five decades and currently serves over 1,500 children annually through the Head Start and child development programs.

ARMONA – The Christmas Tree lot in Armona is open for business and bustling with families on the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree.

Started over 40 years ago by Armona volunteer firefighters and now run by Kings County Firefighters Local Union 3747 for the past four years, the tree lot provides an annual tradition for families and a way for local firefighters to give back to their community.

All proceeds from sales go to the union’s charity fund which supports numerous non-profit organizations. A partial list includes the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation Champ Camp, Kings County Foster Care, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, Pioneer Middle School Band, Hanford FFA, Sober Grad celebrations and many local youth athletic leagues.

Josh Cunningham, union president, said in addition to the work the firefighters do every day for the community, this is just another way for the firefighters to give back.

Cunningham, who's worked at the tree lot since 1997 when he was a volunteer firefighter, said a lot of the firefighters have helped with the lot for many years as well. He said they get to know the repeat customers and families who stop by every year.

"The fun part is seeing those same families and watching the kids grow up," Cunningham said. "It's a tradition we're keeping alive."

With around 800 fresh trees shipped in from Oregon, customers can choose between Douglas and Noble Fir ranging in size from 2 feet to 10 feet.

Firefighters and students from local youth organizations can help you choose a tree, put your stand on (also available for purchase), and load it for you. Trees can be custom flocked on site and even include the ever-popular glitter option.

The Christmas tree lot is located at Kings County Fire Station 5, 11235 14th Ave. in Armona. Hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 9p.m. They will also be open until Christmas Eve, inventory permitting.

Cunningham said there is a Christmas tree shortage this year, so the lot wasn't able to get as many trees as they have in past years. He encourages people looking for trees to do so as soon as possible.

Tree prices are $30 and up and fresh wreaths are $20. Military and public safety discounts are available with valid ID.

Come out to find the perfect tree while making family memories and a difference in your community.

Kings County supervisors approved a letter of support in requesting $2 million in earmarked funds from the state budget for a homeless shelter Tuesday, but only after the initial site in Armona was removed from the funding request.

The shelter project as presented consists of a 65,000 square-foot warehouse-like facility which would operate as a kitchen, foodbank, low barrier shelter and housing navigation center located in either Armona or Hanford. A 5.6-acre lot in Armona was listed in the request as the preferred site because the Kings Community Action Organization already owns the land.

Several Armona residents asked the board to reject the proposal, however, saying the shelter would have a negative impact on nearby schools and neighbors if it was built on the 11486 Oak Ave. lot.

Isaias and Imis Gonzalez urged the board to consider the potential exposure to children in the community.

Human Services Director Wendy Osikafo assured the board that a final location for the center had not been chosen, and the property in Armona was suggested because it was large enough to develop on and it was already owned by the Kings Community Action Organization. Therefore, if the earmarked funds were approved, none of the funding would have to be used to acquire property.

Osikafo listed statistics supporting the need for a homeless shelter in the county, and said the homeless population doesn't consist of what some would consider the homeless stereotype.

"While there are folks that have chosen not to be sheltered, chose to return to the streets, we've had a lot of success," said Osikafo. "We are working with some first time homeless folks. We are working with 39 percent of the population having a disability. We are working with 6% that are veterans, and 27% that are over (age) 55. So there is a portion of the homeless population that are a bit unseen and not the stereotype and I just wanted to share some of that data to express why this is an important project for this community."

Osikafo then introduced Jeff Garner, executive director of Kings Community Action Organization, who explained the project concept and potential design.

"The project concept is priority one, site is priority two," said Garner.

The joint-use building would house a kitchen, foodbank, housing navigation center and low barrier emergency shelter. The foodbank and kitchen would encompass roughly 75% of the facility, while the remaining 25% would be used as a shelter and navigation center.

Garner emphasized that the location on Oak Avenue in Armona was chosen for convenience, as the entire facility would fit on the lot without having to be broken up.

"When we bought this property in August our intention was to make this our foodbank and centralized kitchen, but as we brainstormed on this concept, and instead of developing on two different properties, we thought this was a big enough piece of property to do it all on one piece of property," said Garner. "But this isn't where we're putting all of our eggs. This isn't the basket that we're doing that. We are still working with the City of Hanford to find locations that might be more suitable for this type of project."

Garner said that between $13 million and $16 million would be needed to fully fund the project, and a cost of $1.2 million would be incurred for annual operating costs.

Supervisor Rusty Robinson opened the board discussion, saying that the constituents who live near the Armona site are nearly split on the project, but that those opposed were extremely opposed. Robinson said he could not support the project if it were to be built at the Armona location.

"Unless I were to have assurances that this project would not go in Armona, I can't support the project," said Robinson. "You will greatly change the dynamics in the City of Armona with this project."

Before it went to the board for a vote, Osikafo requested the recommendation be amended to remove specification of the Armona location for the shelter and that the funding instead be used to seek property in Hanford.

With the amendment to the request, the board unanimously approved a letter of support for a request to the state for the earmarked funds.

In addition to the homeless shelter request, the board approved a letter of support for the request of $15 million from the state budget to help fund an integrated health center. The request by Public Health Executive Director Rose Mary Rahn was unanimously approved without concerns or questions. While the funds will not cover the entire project, they will cover a down payment on the 85,000 square-foot facility.

In other business the board:

- agreed to write a letter of support for the Santa Rosa Indian Community to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to support the acquisition of 37.19 acres of land south of Jersey Avenue.

- appointed Eric Gonzalez as the county's Director of Finance. Gonzalez will begin on March 13.

- heard an update on American Rescue Plan Act funds, which assist small businesses in recovering from financial hardship due to COVID-19. The update noted there is $3.5 million dollars remaining in available funding. The county has received 421 applications, 141 of which have been approved and 132 of those approved have received their funding.

The next Kings County Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for March 7 beginning at 9 a.m.

Editor's note: This story has been updated. Kings County backed a $2 million request, the board of supervisors did not approve the money. Additionally, the Armona property initially proposed for a homeless shelter site is owned by Kings Community Action Organization, not the county.

ARMONA — Odorless, colorless, crisp-tasting water as good as any bottled water was served Friday in Armona during the dedication of a new well and water treatment facility; and the Armona Community Services District board was proud and excited to say the water came straight from Armona.

“For the residents of Armona, this facility is truly transformational,” Jim Maciel, chairman of the Armona Community Services District, said.

Maciel said Armona will go from having some of the lowest quality water in the state, to producing some of the highest quality water in the state. He said tests have shown the water is non-detectable for many of the issues the water previously had.

“We’ve got some water that is every bit as good as anything in the state and better than most,” Maciel said. “The issues of color, taste and odor are going to be minimized — if not totally eliminated.”

Along with arsenic, the water in Armona deals with many other naturally-occurring and complex issues, including aluminum, iron and trihalomethanes, Maciel said.

Matt Kemp, a professional engineer and vice president of Provost & Pritchard consulting group, said it was an exciting day for him because the project has been in the works for over a decade.

“As an engineer, it’s exciting to actually see things get built that you get to work on,” Kemp said, adding it takes a lot of hard work and effort to complete a project like the well and water treatment facility.

Kevin Berryhill, the lead engineer on the project said the water in Armona was “extremely challenging.”

“It’s what some clients in the past have called ‘angry water’,” Berryhill said. “It’s not happy when it comes out of the ground and you have to do a fair bit to it to get it to where you can drink it.”

Ultimately, Berryhill said the treatment facility will not only make the water healthy, but also enjoyable to drink.

Maciel, during a quick history of the project, said prior to 1998, the water was pumped without treatment and arsenic levels sat at about 100 parts per billion. In the late '90s, he said the Environmental Protection Agency set a standard of no more than 50 parts per billion of arsenic.

In order to comply with the new standard, Maciel said the district was able to get a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to drill two deep wells and maintain a treatment facility.

In 2006, the EPA lowered the standard for arsenic to 10 parts per billion, making the treatment facility plant obsolete, Maciel said.

After a few years and threats of fines from the EPA for not lowering the arsenic levels, Maciel said the district found and purchased the seven-acre site the new treatment facility now sits on at the corner of 14th Avenue and West Lacey Boulevard.

Maciel said it’s taken the collective effort of the district, local elected officials, engineers, and state health and water boards, among others, to get the facility off the ground.

“We strive for a common goal of delivering safe, affordable drinking water to the community,” Maciel said. “The affordability we’re still working on a little bit, but the safety in now a reality.”

Construction on the project began March 28, 2016, and includes a 900-foot deep well that is designed to be capable of producing 1,200 gallons per minute of treated water.

Kings County Supervisor Craig Pedersen spoke at the dedication and said the district had been told “no” a lot over the years, but was able to persevere though the partnerships they established.

Pedersen recalled meetings the district held where members of the community voiced their frustrations over the quality and cost of the water, and said the most important thing now was that they will have clean water.

“Again, congratulations,” Pedersen said to the crowd. “This is a huge day for Armona. The effort that it took to get this accomplished is amazing.”

Senator Andy Vidak also attended the event and presented the district with a certificate commemorating members for their hard work and dedication to the project.

For three generations, Frank's Market has been a community landmark, a touchstone for old-time residents who remember it as a centerpiece of the town's life.

Soon it will be called Royal Food. The nearly full-service supermarket, complete with an old-fashioned meat counter, has been there for residents of the small Kings County community since 1933. It is being sold to new owners from Tulare County.

For many locals with deep roots in Armona, it's depressing to see the store pass out of the Maccagno family, which has been involved since the beginning.

"It's just sad," said Brenda Bittner, who has lived in Armona for 30 years. "With Danielson's [Hardware] closing, and Frank's Market, there's just a lot of history there. You're talking a grandfather-father-son type of situation."

Danielson's, another Armona fixture, shuttered its doors last year and didn't reopen. That left Frank's Market and Coplin's Barber Shop as the main holdouts from the old days, when residents say Armona was a more tight-knit community.

"A lot of things are changing," said Pam Brasel, who grew up in Armona and lives in Hanford. "It's a very sad time for a lot of people to see the changes. It used to be such a quaint little town. Now, it's different."

Mike Maccagno, co-owner of Frank's Market with his father Richard, said it was time to sell so he could focus on running the Best Buy markets he co-owns with his father in Hanford, Lemoore and Visalia.

"I think most of my [Armona] clientele has left and gone away, and my new clientele goes to Walmart and Foods Co," Maccagno said.

Signs for Royal Food, the new name for Frank's Market, could go up as early as next week. Mohamed Shaibi, part of a Tulare County group that will run the store under the new name, said he'll add a hot deli to the store's current offerings.

"They've been in business for a long time," he said. "I feel like it has a lot of potential."

Though the family is selling Frank's Market, the Maccagno name will continue to be a vital part of local business life through the Best Buy supermarkets. The family name also lives on at a landmark bakery in Hanford. It has changed hands more than once since the family sold it many years ago, but the sign still reads "Maccagno's Bakery."

Not so with Frank's Market. The name will disappear, and with it a reminder of bygone days.

"Everything comes to an end," Maccagno said. "It's time to close this chapter and move on."