DINUBA – It was standing room only at Dinuba City Hall as community members from a variety of backgrounds gathered together to celebrate the perseverance, athletic skills and dedication to public service that Dinubans have shown as of late.
For its Sept. 9 meeting, the Dinuba City Council welcomed a young BMX rider, an undefeated co-ed softball team and new firefighting personnel into the council chambers to recognize their accomplishments so far and their potential to positively impact the community. As so many family, friends and first responders came out to support the various honorees, there wasn’t room in the council chambers for all of them.
First up was 8-year-old Jace “The Bug” Garza, who has been involved with BMX riding for about four years and has been racing competitively for the last three years. Mayor Rachel Nerio-Guerrero said in that time, Jace has moved up in proficiency from novice to intermediate to expert.
“It makes me happy to see the youth out here doing good for us, for our city. You know, dream big, don’t stop,” Councilmember Benjamin Prado told Jace. “Just in the last five years, we’ve had somebody win a World Series from Dinuba, somebody win a Grammy from Dinuba, … doesn’t matter where you’re from, just keep going. You can do whatever your mind thinks you can.”
Nerio-Guerrero, who learned about Jace’s accomplishments through his grandmother, said Jace found BMX racing through Airtime BMX in Reedley. He was recently asked by Airtime BMX to join its Body D Racing team, which requires more commitment.
Jace has competed all over California and traveled to Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Colorado as well.
Also hitting it out of the park in sports and making the city of Dinuba proud were members of the Dinuba Adult Co-Ed Softball League’s team Blueprint.
Dinuba Sports Coordinator Elijah Luna said the city brought back its adult softball league in 2023 and since then it has been a joy to see how the league has brought Felix Delgado park to life once more. The city just wrapped up its third season back, with team Blueprint being named the 2025 City of Dinuba Adult Co-Ed Softball League Champions.
“This team is made up of truly talented players,” Luna said. “They compete at a high level, finishing the season, as our mayor stated, with an undefeated record.”
What made the team stand out even, however, was their commitment to good sportsmanship, Luna said.
The city presented the team with commemorative T-shirts and showed a championship plaque that will display each year’s champions, etching the Blueprint team name and the revived softball league into Dinuba history.
Public service
The council also welcomed five new firefighting personnel to the city, including three new firefighter/EMTs and two new single-role paramedics. All three new firefighter/EMTs — Andrew Ambriz, Eduardo Hernandez and David Camarillo — grew up and currently live in Dinuba.
As Dinuba High School graduates, the three have already been involved with the Dinuba Fire Department for a few years, getting their start through either the Valley Regional Occupational Program EMT course or the DHS medical pathway. Each began officially working for the fire department as paid-call firefighters, Fire Chief Greg Chastain said.
Prado, who used to teach in Dinuba, said he remembers the three from when they were in junior high and high school. He said their involvement in Valley ROP and the medical pathway is a testament to how the community’s educational system has made a shift away from only pushing college as the path forward after high school.
“Thank you for staying here,” Councilmember Linda Launer said. “Thank you for taking the position here and showing the rest of our community that we have individuals that have what it takes to be that professional and keep us safe.”
The two new single-role paramedics introduced to the department included Konner Beardsley and Brent Cain. Though neither are originally from Dinuba, Beardsley now calls Dinuba home and Cain is not far away in Fresno. Chastain said both come to Dinuba with prior experience working for other ambulance service providers.
