Latest news with #ChristLutheranChurch
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘We've built more than a school:' ChristKids celebrates 25 years with Silver Spring Fling
Twenty-five years ago, the goal to open a center that would serve local children and their families became a reality at Christ Lutheran Church. Located on Tulare Avenue in Visalia, the school is an outreach to the community that offers private faith-based subsidized child care and preschool classes for children ages 2 through 5. 'ChristKids is a place where every child will experience quality child care that prepares them for kindergarten,' said Noel Thompson, director of youth ministry at Christ Lutheran. "They will leave our preschool knowing that they are always loved by God, no matter what.' Planning for the school began in the 1990s and it took over nine years for a dedicated team to create a licensed preschool center. 'It's a gift to the children and a gift to the congregation,' said retired pastor Barry Vail, a key members of the team that established ChristKids. 'It really is a gift that keeps on giving.' On May 3, Christ Lutheran Church members and ChristKids staff, students and their families will gather to honor the school's 25th anniversary for their Silver Spring Fling. The celebration includes free food trucks, a silent auction to raise money for upgrades to the facility and scholarships for future students. It's also a time for the community to meet the school's new director, Tiffeny Nunes. She was hired as the Christ Kids Preschool & Childcare director in November. 'I can say with joy and confidence that what truly sets us apart is our deep commitment to nurturing the whole child—mind, body, and spirit—in a loving, Christ-centered environment," Nunes said. "For over two decades, we've built more than a school. We've built a faith-based community where children feel safe, known and celebrated." During the event, families are encouraged to tour classrooms and view the artwork and projects the students have created. 'Our goal for this year's fundraiser is twofold; to celebrate the legacy of love and learning that ChristKids has cultivated over 25 years and to raise funds to invest in the future of our school—enhancing our classrooms, upgrading playground equipment, and expanding resources for both spiritual and academic development. As well, as building our scholarships fund," Nunes said. "We want this Spring Fling to be a joyful gathering of past and present families, supporters, and staff—a true reflection of the heart of ChristKids. Together, we can plant seeds for the next 25 years of impact.' In recent months, the school has expanded to offer child care for children as young as 2 years old. This change was made to accommodate more families looking for quality child care for toddlers in Visalia and to allow the school to remain open as more parents are choosing to send their children to free preschool and TK programs offered on public elementary school campuses. "Our passionate teachers go beyond early academics; they guide children in kindness, compassion, creativity, and curiosity—all rooted in the teachings of Jesus," Nunes said. "From our small class sizes to our individualized care, from joyful worship songs to hands-on learning, Christ Kids is a place where children grow with purpose and families feel supported every step of the way.' California has a significant unmet need for affordable child care, with only a fraction of eligible children receiving subsidized care, according to California's budget and Policy Center. The state needs to make "significant and sustainable investments" in expanding subsidized child care options, particularly for infants and toddlers, according to the center's website. The demand for subsidized child care has outpaced supply. An analysis of 2022 data shows the continuation of this trend, underscoring the need for a larger supply of subsidized child care spaces in California. A 2022 Current Population Survey, the latest data, shows that the number of preschool age children enrolled in all U.S. schools, both federally funded and private, increased by 13%, from 40.3% in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, to 53.3% in 2022 when the pandemic emergency ended. With the cost of living steadily increasing, more parents are being forced to find affordable child care for younger children, and options for private child care centers in Tulare County are limited. Families can apply for assistance through Connections for Quality Care with Tulare County Office of Education What: ChristKids Silver Spring Fling When: Saturday, May 3 from 5-7:30 p.m. Where: Christ Lutheran Church, 3830 W. Tulare Avenue in Visalia Who: CLC members and all ChristKids families and staff (past and present) This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: ChristKids celebrates 25 years in Visalia with Silver Spring Fling
USA Today
06-02-2025
- USA Today
Phil Cherney: a life dedicated to family, justice across Valley, God
Phil Cherney: a life dedicated to family, justice across Valley, God Editor's note: Meade Trueworthy is the daughter of Phillip Cherney and a freelance writer for the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance Register. If you struck up a conversation with Phil Cherney you'd realize quickly he was a passionate man. In fact, it's the word most used to describe him. But it wasn't just the passion for his wife, Lori, his four daughters or his five grandchildren, it was his passion for life that people recognized most. 'My dad was a strong man,' said Meade Trueworthy, Cherney's oldest daughter. 'He was strong in his beliefs and his faith. Passionate about justice and the law, nature, golf, running, cooking, writing and reading, teaching, travel and most importantly, his family.' As a defense attorney he sought justice from injustice. He sought life for those on Death Row. He urged others to, 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' He fought for the unpopular clients, many of whom were admitted killers trying to find a path to forgiveness and redemption. He often quoted John 8:7, 'He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone', essentially saying that only someone without sin can condemn someone to death. You could often find his words in the Visalia Times-Delta, where he'd rebut local lawmakers or urge prosecutors to look deeper. ''Truth in sentencing' is a slippery slope, and it is not the concern of one party only,' Cherney wrote in 2020. 'For those of us who 'through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe' (1 Corinthians 21) in the promise of atonement and redemption. Hope is what keeps justice alive.' On the streets, he laced up his Nikes and hit the pavement daily. His gray ponytail whipped in the wind with each bounce as every stride helped him focus on being one with the Earth in his few short hours away from the desk and law books. In the classroom, he reminded students the importance of protecting rights, fighting for their clients, justice and compassion. He was more than a professor to many, he was in class to balance the scales and show future prosecutors and defense attorneys that there's two sides to every story. "Phil — whom I affectionately called 'Professor' and with whom I enjoyed many rich discussions about the law, life, and his love for baseball and golf over piping hot bowls of ramen — was not merely an attorney who had reached the highest echelons of his profession," said Dr. A.A. Howsepian, a psychiatric expert in multiple cases on which Cherney worked on both the defense and post-conviction levels, "but was also an invaluable mentor, a masterful teacher, a model of human excellence, and a cherished friend.' He was a deeply spiritual man who took Jesus's and Buddha's teachings to heart. A longtime member of Christ Lutheran Church in Visalia, he lived his faith every day, sharing it in numerous corners of the world, his own dinner table, in the lives of those around him and in the silence of nature, where he often went to reflect, his friends recalled. 'Phil Cherney was a passionate man; he was passionate about justice, intellectual curiosity, travel, spirituality, golf, film, long-distance running, and most of all, family,' said Brian Malison, a retired pastor and friend. Cherney died Jan. 31. He was 75. A look back Sitting next to a defendant was among the most comfortable places Cherney could be. He started his law career in Palo Alto after passing the bar in 1977. In 1987, he came to Visalia and worked as a Tulare County deputy public defender overseeing felony trials. He went into private practice in 1994. While his daughters endured criticism of their father on the playgrounds and in classrooms, Cherney never faltered in his belief to bring fairness to trials. Before coming to Visalia, he gained notoriety by defending Oakland's kingpin of the 69th Street Mob, Felix Mitchell. Mitchell was slain in Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas after his conviction. For Cherney, though, it wasn't about a not guilty verdict. It was often more about keeping his clients out of the gas chamber or away from the needle that would end their lives. '… Other systemic problems, unequal selection of 'death-eligible' offenders, racism in charging practices and sentencing decisions, and inadequate legal representation, have not been addressed,' he wrote in 2020 when President Donald Trump reinstituted the death penalty in federal cases. 'Unequal justice in this country is rampant in capital cases as it is throughout the criminal justice system, and most of the time the capital defendant is a person of color, indigent, struggling with 'high risk' factors, such as severe childhood trauma, poverty, addiction, and mental health problems.' And while he butted heads with prosecutors in the courtroom, outside the respect was mutual. He felt comfortable reaching out to then-District Attorney Phil Cline and speaking frankly. When Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward took office, he urged the veteran prosecutor to seek justice through the lens of rehabilitation. 'I am saddened by Mr. Cherney's passing and my thoughts are with his family,' Ward said. 'By its nature, the practice of law is adversarial. As attorneys, my and Phil's philosophies and interpretations of the administration of justice greatly differed. Despite those differences, we understood each other's deep convictions and passion for our profession. His presence, his civility and his work in the Central Valley's legal community will not be forgotten.' Among his cases Ryann Jones was sentenced to 25 years to life for the second-degree murder of his girlfriend's daughter, Natalynn Miller, 3, in Visalia. He was acquitted of first-degree murder. Cherney maintained that the girl died after a series of events including falling off a dresser, running into a sliding glass door and later choking on pizza. Richard Allen Davis was convicted in 1996 for the first-degree murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas. His criminal record, which included burglary, robbery, kidnapping, and an attempted lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, led to California's "three-strikes law." Davis is housed at San Quentin State Prison. Joel Radovcich was convicted alongside Dana Ewell for the 1992 murders of Ewell's wealthy family in Fresno. The trial revealed their motive was to inherit the family's millions set aside in a trust. His parents and sister were found shot to death in their home, and the investigation pointed to Dana hiring Radovcich to kill them and split the money. Both were convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and faced harsh punishments, but Cherney fought and won for life sentences. 'Phillip was not just an attorney; he was my friend and a beacon of hope and compassion for those of us in dark places who needed a way. His steadfast belief in how precious life is and his dedication to justice were truly inspirational,' said Jones, who's currently serving his sentence in Chino. 'I am one of the many lives he touched. Without his selfless efforts, I would not be here today. He stood by me when no one else would, and he fought tirelessly to ensure that I was given a fair chance. His belief in my potential and his commitment to justice saved my life, for which I am eternally grateful.' Death penalty in California Capital punishment in California shifted from county to state level in 1891, with executions moving to state prisons. The first state-run execution was at San Quentin in 1893, followed by Folsom in 1895. Hanging was replaced by lethal gas in 1937, with the last hangings at Folsom in 1937 and San Quentin in 1942. The gas chamber at San Quentin was used from 1938 to 1967, executing 194 people. Legal challenges halted executions from 1967 to 1992. The death penalty was reinstated in 1977, allowing for mitigating evidence. Proposition 7 in 1978 reaffirmed the death penalty. Executions resumed in 1992 with Robert Alton Harris. In 1993, lethal injection became an option, and in 1996, it became the default method. The first lethal injection execution was William Bonin in 1996. Since 1973, more than 160 Death Row inmates have been released after new evidence exonerated defendants. 'Phillip Hopewell Cherney lived his life at the intersection of tenacity, faith, and compassion. He had a heart of gold, a silver tongue, and a will forged in steel,' Howsepian said. 'His middle name was no accident, nor was his having poured his life into a profession which provided for him a platform on which to fight tirelessly to protect the legal rights of the despised, discarded, and vulnerable. He recognized in 'the least of these' immense value and dignity.'
