the Merced County Board of Supervisors gave the green light for another new subdivision in Hilmar
The board considered an appeal of a prior planning commission decision on Tuesday during its regular meeting
the board affirmed the planning commission’s approval of the project on a 4-1 vote
Half a dozen Hilmar residents drove the 30 minutes to Merced to register their opposition to the project
water supply and strategic planning decisions
“I understand the need to make sure we’re planning in a good way and the county is developing in a positive way,” Board Chair Josh Pedrozo said
but I think this company who has submitted the plan … has listened to everybody
has taken a lot of time to do it the right way
Supervisor Daron McDaniel said he worried that since the developers met all of the county’s requirements
denying the project may expose the county to legal action
The 136-home project, called Shevlin Place
walking trail and drainage basin on about 33 acres of land
south of Hilmar and Irwin high schools and a new elementary school
Homebuilder Mike Wadsworth is behind the project
located near the intersection of West Geer and North Lander avenues
previously was an orchard and has been fallow for several years
outbuildings and a storage company remain on Geer Avenue directly north of the project site
The unincorporated town of Hilmar is home to just over 5,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau
Known locally as a dairy town with deep Portuguese roots
there’s a growing population of Latino residents as well
Hilmar resident Danny Coder filed the appeal that the board of supervisors weighed Tuesday
Public records show Coder lives in one of the homes right by the project location and likely will be directly affected by construction and the resulting neighborhood
Coder was unable to attend Tuesday’s public hearing because he got called to work
according to another Hilmar resident who spoke on his behalf during the hearing
Coder outlined his concerns with the project as well as possible solutions
The main concern cited by residents and the supervisors alike is the vehicle traffic the new development will add to an area of town that’s already notorious for traffic congestion
Outside of Hilmar, Lander Avenue turns into state Highway 165, which is managed by Caltrans
The intersection of Lander and Geer avenues is located near a Hilmar Unified School District compound that includes the newly-opened Hilmar Elementary
Elim Elementary and its associated Head Start program
Supervisor Pareira said he has seen firsthand the existing traffic congestion at the intersection
drivers sometimes will use a turn lane as a passing lane to bypass bottlenecked traffic
Other Hilmar residents described the staggered school schedules that create nonstop pickup and dropoff traffic around the various schools
“What the public comment is saying about the school traffic is – I don’t even think they’re explaining it to the degree that it is,” Pareira said
Although a traffic study was conducted for the project as part of the environmental review process
Coder and others called it flawed and called for a new one to be done that considers school operations within its peak hour analysis
Merced County planning staff said the study did include school drop-off times
and in the end the study found the project met “safe circulation” standards set by Caltrans and county planning
County staff also confirmed Caltrans is planning to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Lander and Geer avenues around 2028 or 2029
Wadsworth told the board the traffic signal likely will already be installed by the time the first house goes up for sale
considering permitting and engineering plans may push construction out a year or two still
Coder in his appeal, along with other Hilmar residents, also voiced concerns about the Hilmar County Water District’s ability to provide water for the new subdivision
citing lack of supply and adequate infrastructure
Other residents also voiced concerns about the water district’s supply for the several new subdivisions coming to town
saying the district cited supply issues in the past
Residents also mentioned failed wells in the community
County staff said the water issue is outside of the county’s jurisdiction
but the small water district signed a “can and will service” letter for the project and a legal acknowledgement that it has capacity for the new community
If it turns out Hilmar County Water District does not have capacity to serve the new development
“then it doesn’t get built,” said Tiffany Ho
Residents say they want ‘responsible growth’
Hilmar residents urged the board to carefully consider residents’ concerns before approving the project
Crystal Casey, an active Hilmar resident who also serves as a member of the Hilmar-Stevinson Municipal Advisory Council (MAC)
said nearly everyone in town she’s talked to opposes the project
“It’s important to note that Hilmar is not against growth
We are advocates for responsible growth,” Casey told the board of supervisors
“We actually have already voted in favor of two subdivisions
“The residents of Hilmar are very clear in their vision of the community
They do not want large subdivisions built south of the school,” Casey said
Casey and other residents criticized the Hilmar community plan – a county planning document that charts future growth – as 20 years old and outdated
She said the Hilmar MAC has requested an updated plan many times
the community asked for development west of Lander so children wouldn’t have to cross the road to get to school
That’s why the property was zoned as residential
noting it’s taken over three decades for the project to get to this point
County staff estimate construction on the development will begin around 2028
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One Hilmar family is bringing all the fall fun to the community with their recently opened Irwin Acres
a brand new pumpkin patch and corn maze complimented with dozens of fun and games for those of all ages
the property of nearly 10 acres sat unused for decades
but that changed on Sunday when the site welcomed visitors for a grand opening of the new attraction
Co-owners Claudia and Jake Ducheneaux explained that the thought of opening a pumpkin patch in their hometown came from brother-in-law Jeff Perry last year
as their house and the home of Jake’s parents
The families joined forces with Jeff's wife
they closed on the property in May and transformed it into what it is today
“It all came together pretty fast,” Claudia said
“It was a lot of hard work around the clock
but it’s been great and people seem to really like it
She described it all as a learning experience
as the family had never grown pumpkins before
they have literal thousands gracing the property
now we need to sell them and get rid of them,” Jake said jokingly
Jake was the mastermind behind several of the games and attractions
the photo walls and the beds for the kernels and seeds
The beds are some of the most popular attractions for the youngsters
Talena explained that they are especially popular amongst her own children
as she has been finding spare kernels and cotton seeds throughout the house
where guests can buy a basket of mini pumpkins and launch them with a slingshot out onto the open field
Creating space between the launch pad and the open fields is a dirt road
who takes guests on rides throughout the property
the pumpkin and corn growing processes and just about anything in between
“I love the kids because they are all so different
You get them of different ages and they all have different personalities
and interacting with them on a tractor is something really fun for me.”
The corn maze has been particularly popular amongst teens and adults
“It’s so cool on so many levels,” Claudia said
“The photo from the aerial view is just awesome.”
Although Irwin Acres has been open for just a few days
the family is already looking towards the future
“We plan on coming up with new ideas and just building every year,” Jake said
On Saturdays they will also be hosting movie nights starting at 6:30 p.m
This week the Hilmar community will celebrate the 100th birthday of Hilmar High School with what is sure to be a historic series of events and celebrations
the highlight of the week will be the homecoming parade on Friday — featuring “Glee” star and HHS’ most famous graduate Dot Jones as marshal
followed by Yellowjackets taking on Riverbank High
The parade will take place on Lander Avenue at 2 p.m
“If you’ve never been to a Hilmar homecoming parade it is something you will never forget
The streets are packed with people — it is really a tremendous showing of community support,” said Jenifer Schaper
the Hilmar Post Office will be offering a once in a lifetime commemorative postmark to honor the HHS 100th graduating class
On Saturday alumni will celebrate 100 years of history during the Green and Gold Formal Dinner and Dance at the Stevinson Pentecost Hall
At the homecoming game the Hilmar-Irwin-Stevinson Historical Society will be on hand with an elaborate
informative and interesting display enclosed in a mobile museum known as the Tumbleweed
Inside the Tumbleweed visitors can expect to discover a world of HHS history
The Tumbleweed will show that HHS has always been a remarkable community
small beginnings and in 100 years many in Hilmar are proud to know that while the times have changed the small town
Hilmar High School was established as Hilmar Colony Union High School in 1911
and the first campus was located in the second story rooms of Elim Union School
which would of course later become what it is now known as Elim Elementary
The school had 25 freshmen and one sophomore
Later that year Rosebell Lynd was the first ever HHS graduate
According to Hilmar-Irwin-Stevinson Historical Society’s Secretary Elaine Grant
she was believed to have moved to the East Coast where she became a teacher
Pam McFadden and Tom McFadden — with a combined 100 years of teaching experience at HHS — appreciate that throughout all the changes the one constant has always been the family atmosphere in Hilmar and at HHS
“The dynamics of the student population have changed so much
It was about 400 students when I started and now it is over 700
Back then it was a Portuguese and Swedish community and now it is largely Hispanic,” said Schaper
“But with all the changes there has always been wonderful parent support
this has been a safe campus and the kids now are judged on personality more so than color.”
Pam noted that former students of hers often move to other communities around Hilmar
and obtain inter-district transfers just so their children can experience the family atmosphere at HHS
The family atmosphere at HHS can trace its roots back to 1922 when the first yearbook
It was much smaller than today’s colossal yearbooks but it was filled with text
The Waukeen from 1922 will be on display in the Tumbleweed
Also on display are photographs of HHS’ second-most famous graduate Rudolph Peterson
who was the president and CEO of Bank of America from 1963-1969
Until the 1926-27 school year HHS didn’t have a team name or mascot
The football team adopted the Yellowjacket and by 1930 HHS was officially known by that name
one of Hilmar’s most important traditions was born
The Future Farmers of America was born at HHS for boys who were interested in agriculture as a vocation
The modern picture of HHS began to take shape in 1937 when the Lander gymnasium was built and later renovated in 1988
The district office was completed in 1992 and Lander gym was renamed Sparks Gym
The second story high school at Elim Elementary was moved into the old brick HHS building that was built with a $35,000 bond and completed in 1919
The current HHS campus opened to students in 1957
the Strom Gym and music room was built with a 15-year
Hilmar residents passed the tax by 63 percent
it looks as if it was built in the last decade — a testament to the level of upkeep it receives from HHS faculty and the community
HHS football stadium improvements included an announcer’s booth
The tax approval and upkeep of Strom are signs of Hilmar’s commitment to its only high school
This level of commitment is something familiar to HHS teachers like Schaper and the McFaddens
Schaper has served as home economics teacher for 35 years and Pam McFadden has served as a physical education teacher for 36 years
“I’ve always been inspired to see how kids care about each other here
The most inspirational kids to me have been the severely handicapped kids who go out there and play even though they may have cerebral palsy
The other kids cheer them on and really care to see them finish when they are doing something like running the mile in PE,” said Pam McFadden
the faces of students have changed and methods of technology in and out of the classroom have changed
“But a student is still a student and at this school being so small and with such a family environment- that never changes,” said Schaper
For more information on the HHS centennial visit www.homeofthejackets.com or search Facebook under “Hilmar High Celebrates 100 Years.”
e-mail jmccorkell@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext
The construction of additional elementary school facilities is underway in Hilmar
Over 15 acres of land sitting between Hilmar High School and Elim Elementary School will play host to six new buildings to house a total of 25 classrooms
an outdoor amphitheater area and a number of recreational areas including hardcourts and playground structures for younger aged elementary students within HUSD
The new elementary school campus will provide instruction for TK through 2nd grades and will have capacity for up to 600 students. Once the project is completed
existing TK through 2nd grade students will relocate from Elim to the new elementary site
leaving Elim Elementary with 3rd through 5th grades
both campuses are anticipated to have a maximum of 60 staff members
some staff will be shared between the two campuses
the campuses would be in regular session on weekdays from late August to early June
Each of the sites will be allowed to host special events and classes during evenings
In addition to the construction of the new facilities
modifications to Elim Elementary will also be taking place
One of the main modifications will be the reorienting of the “front” of Elim Elementary
Instead of its existing front off Lander Avenue (State Route 165)
a new administration building will be built at Elim
New driveways from Geer Avenue will serve as the main access to both elementary schools once construction and modifications are completed
which will include designated vehicle and bus drop-off areas for each site
will also be developed along the eastern portion of the new elementary school campus
The project is being funded through the Measure G Bond Issue that residents voted on in November 2018
allowed HUSD to issue $31 million in bonds with an estimated tax rate of 6 cents per $100 of assessed value to build the new school
Conceptual plans of the new elementary site were presented to HUSD parents and campus community members in January 2021
Hilmar High School students will now be developing a stronger proficiency in science and mathematics for the upcoming New Year
Hilmar High School was selected as a winner of the Monsanto Fund’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grant competition
Hilmar was one of the four winners in California
and received a $10,000 grant to augment science and mathematical opportunities for 6th to 12th grade math teachers
Math is one of the areas that we are focusing on to work with our students
and this grant gives us the ability to provide professional development and support in these economic times for our teachers,” said Hilmar High Principal Bret Theodozio
Hilmar Unified celebrated its newfound success with the community Friday morning during the elementary school’s Christmas show
A large $10,000 check was presented to Superintendent Isabel Cabral-Johnson
Hilmar Middle School Principal Eric Hixson and Irwin Colony High Principal Darlene Carvalho to begin the ceremony
Theodozio said the effort was communal and the opportunities arose from local farmers committed to furthering students' education
We needed letters of support from the farmers in our community
and they stepped up as they always do for the schools here in Hilmar
we were able to receive the grant,” he said
Local farmers gained recognition for their efforts as their names were called out individually during the Christmas ceremony
This year 61,000 farmers showed their support for the thousands of school districts that put in their grant applications
school districts completed an online application
The finalists were chosen by ineligible school districts' math and science teachers
Twenty-six farmers from across the country on the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Advisory Council then reviewed the finalists' submissions and selected the winners
The Monsanto Fund is investing $2.3 million into rural education through the program this year and has expanded to 1,245 eligible counties in 39 states
Cost of living is a big part of deciding where to live
and housing affordability is one of the major factors driving how expensive different places are.
Using the newly released data from the Census Bureau's 2015-2019 American Community Survey
we found the small town in each state with the highest share of households paying affordable housing costs
The American Community Survey includes data for three types of households — homeowners with a mortgage
we took the average of the shares of each of those household types paying less than 30% on housing
weighted by the number of each type of household in each town
Here's the most affordable small town in every state
based on the share of households paying less than 30% of their income on housing
Population estimates noted for some of the places are also from the most recent five-year American Community Survey
Moores Mill is part of Madison County and Huntsville
According to the 2019 five-year American Community Survey
86.9% of homes are owner-occupied in this town and have a median value of $175,200.
This small town with a population a little over 5,000 is about 40 miles away from Little Rock. According to Best Places
estimated at 25.8% lower than the US average
This census-designated place with over 5,700 people is a small town in central California. The CDP is located in Merced County, and Niche ranks Hilmar High School the second best public high school in the county
64.6% of homes are owner-occupied and have a median value of $284,300.
The town is within the southern part of Hartford County, Connecticut and has nearly 8,000 people. According to Niche
this small town has a relatively good cost of living and is a good place for families
contributing to its overall ranking on the site
Niche ranked it the 25th best suburb in the county
but Waihee-Waiehu also offers a golf course
This small city has a population of over 5,200
It is located close to the state's border with Oregon
perfect for people who want to live a short distance away from the adjacent state
71.6% of homes are owner-occupied where these homes have a median home value of $154,400
Washington was founded in 1825 when a man named William Holland Sr
His family were the only residents there for a year and the population has since grown to over 16,500 residents
previously known as Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor
Le Mars was given this title in 1994 after producing the most ice cream
The family-owned Wells Enterprises located in this city makes Blue Bunny ice cream
Located in northern Kentucky within Boone County
Hebron has nearly 6,500 residents and the majority or homes are owner-occupied
These homes have a median value of $159,200 per the 2019 five-year American Community Survey
This census-designated place is close to the border of Kentucky and Ohio
It is only a short drive away from Cincinnati
This CDP has over 5,300 residents and is located in the southern part of the state
With areas like the Mississippi River nearby
this place is great for people who want to be a short drive away from rivers and lakes
the majority of homes are owner-occupied at 93.0%
These homes have a median value of $166,300
It is about an hour drive away from Baton Rouge
This CDP in southern Maine is located within Cumberland County. The town of Gorham includes the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine and Baxter House Museum. According to the Baxter Memorial Library
who served as Portland mayor for six years
was born in the house and gave over the house to be turned into a museum when he was older
The town is also great for people who enjoy nearby water with Sebago Lake
Poolesville was named after two brothers
its official name was left as "The Commissioners of Poolesville" due to a clerical error
it is highly ranked in the state for families and has good public schools
who was the owner of a popular tavern that served local lumberjacks in the mid 1800s.
The city's website calls itself the "city of lakes and parks." There are several lakes within Victoria and nearby
making it a great place for people who enjoy being by water
it is the eighth best place to buy a house in the state
It is situated between the Elko Hills to the northwest
and the Ruby Mountains to the southeast.
This CDP is home to 5,800 residents and is located within Merrimack County. It is about 3 miles away from Manchester, great for people who want to live in a small town but still be close to the state's largest city. According to Niche
South Hooksett is the 18th best suburb for public schools in the state and the 14th best to buy a home
per the 2019 five-year American Community Survey
It is by the Delaware River and Philadelphia
great for people who want to live in a small town but also less than an hour drive away from the city
The town is also a short driving distance away from fun activities like Sesame Place in Langhorne
or Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township
Big Flats is in western New York
and is only a short drive away from New York's Finger Lakes
This city with a population of around 7,300 is named after the lake that borders it. Devils Lake is great for people who like to be surrounded by water and enjoy outdoor activities, especially fishing. According to Devils Lake's website
including in the winter where people can try ice fishing
Delhi Hills is just outside of Cincinnati
Delhi Hills' main attraction is Delhi Pike
a popular strip of highway lined with fast food eateries and stores
The first person born in Tuttle
a local rancher who was one of the town's founders
It maintained a low population for decades
until more residents settled there and brought the population up to its current number around 7,200
This borough in Luzerne County is by the Susquehanna River and is around 20 miles away from Scranton. Around the area, there are plenty of parks and trails to visit, like the Pocono Whitewater for kayaking nearby
80.4% of housing units are owner-occupied and these units have a median value of $125,500.
Cumberland Hill is a suburb of Providence, Rhode Island's capital. The town is a residential community mostly made up of families. The public schools are highly rated, according to Niche
Located in the westernmost part of South Carolina in Anderson County, According to Niche
Powdersville is the 12th best place to buy a house in the state
75.4% of housing units are owner-occupied and these units have a median value of $188,300
Harrisburg
is an active community with several attractions
Good Earth State park has two miles of trails for anyone looking to enjoy the outdoors
most families have lived in the town for generations
Located about 30 miles away from Salt Lake City
West Point is a rural small town with over 10,600 residents
It is a few miles away from Hill Air Force Base and close to Farmington Bay
Montpelier
is the least populous state capital in the United States
Its small population doesn't prevent it from having a capital city's personality
with its stately buildings and lively downtown
This census-designated place within Fairfax County is highly ranked for its schools, housing, and families on Niche
93.0% of homes are owner-occupied and have a median value of $633,600
This census-designated place in Washington with around 6,300 residents is also close to Oregon and Idaho
most homes in the CDP were built in the 1970s followed by the 1990s
The majority of homes are owner-occupied at 92.6%
This village is located next to Green Bay, great for people who enjoy scenic views by the water. The small town has different trails and parks to visit where people can enjoy the open land and nature
Green River is great for people who want to live surrounded by nature. People can visit the river that shares the city's name and enjoy fishing or the scenic views
most homes in Green River are owner-occupied at 77.2% and have a value of $213,800