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Fight For Oakhurst Community College

To the Editor:

Please read the article in the link below. This is an article in Thursday’s Fresno Bee regarding Mr. Arias’ opinion of the future growth of the State Center Community College District and how that growth should AVOID OAKHURST.

I am hereby initiating an community organization to oppose the opinion of Miguel Arias, a SCCCD Trustee.

A summary of the article is that the SCCCD is proposing a nearly $500 million dollar Bond. This bond is well funded and will probably pass. TTEE Arias explains in his opinion that “south Fresno” (his District) should be the primary beneficiary of the Bond funds.

Oakhurst needs a new, larger, permanent SCCCD campus. Oakhurst can and will support a new campus. Presently, the Oakhurst campus supports 700+ students, is located on 2.73 acres, in modular buildings, uses neighboring parcels for parking because the campus is to small for current student parking and is located in the business district of Oakhurst.

When the proposed Bond passes the District intends to construct a permanent building on the existing, woefully to small, poorly located Oakhurst campus thereby locking “our” campus into its present location for many, many years to come. This is 100% unacceptable. We have been paying into the District for a long, long time and we should demand that we get something better for it.

The Oakhurst/Ahwahnee area has ample infrastructure and land available for a new, larger campus on which to construct a permanent campus. A permanent campus similar to Columbia College is exactly what Oakhurst needs and TTEE Arias is on a mission to see that this does not happen.

We must circle the wagons now! This is not the time to have poorly attended community meetings that achieve little or no results. Progress to counter act Mr. Arias’ opinion is a must. If we do not make an impressive stand against Mr. Arias now, he and a couple other TTEE’s who now share his opinion will have time to build their case thereby shutting our area out of a permanent, larger, needed campus for at least the next 20 to 30 years!

This is not the time to sit and watch. We have to act.

A) Write a letter to the Fresno Bee and call out TTEE Arias for his poor attitude against our area.
B) Why should we be ignored?
C) Why not invest $20 or $30 million, less than 10% of the Bond in our area? We need a new campus.
D) Learn about this issue, attend upcoming meetings, get out, get active and support a new campus in Oakhurst.
E) Please forward this letter to all your friends, neighbors and acquaintances so we can garner their support!
F) This is the time for action, not apathy!
G) If we silently on the sideline we will be passed over, again.
H) As you read this letter Mr. Arias is working on his case!

http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article23767600.html

You are hereby authorized to forward this email as you wish. Please get the word out.

Respectfully,

Brad Ditton
Broker/Owner
Century 21 Ditton Realty
49015 Road 426
Oakhurst CA 93644

2 comments

  1. I have taken MANY high quality classes at the Oakhurst campus, ALL of which were transferable to my major at CSUF, Bachelors in Health Administration. I’m all in with the preservation and protection of this immeasurable in our mountain community.

  2. We had a presentation at the WIB luncheon about the college and I was REALLY impressed! The local college an affordable solution to those who may not be able to afford a four-year college at first, AND it has a guaranteed acceptance at Fresno State, if a student wishes to continue.

    They also provide free coats in the winter for students who cannot afford them, and breakfast as well. This is an amazing institution that I didn’t even know existed! Kudos.

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