The Mariposa/Madera County Chapter of the Association of California School Administrators held their annual Golden Apple Awards Dinner on May 10, in Madera Municipal Golf Course.</p><p>The Golden Apple Award is presented to a person in the community who has made a significant contribution to public school and education.</p><p>All three Chowchilla school districts, Chowchilla Union High School District, Chowchilla Elementary School District, and Alview-Dairyland School District, participated in the awards ceremony.</p><p>CUHS Superintendent Ron Seals presented the Golden Apple Award to Eddie and Anita Simpson.</p><p>The Simpsons moved to Chowchilla from Clovis in 2005, when they started their business, Piranha Pipe and Pre-Cast. They chose Chowchilla because of the close location to Highway 152, Highway 99 and Interstate 5. Piranha Pipe and Pre-Cast services the entire state of California.</p><p>From the time the Simpsons moved to Chowchilla, they have been great contributors and supporters of Chowchilla High School. They attended and purchased silent auction items at the first Ag Advisory Dinner to raise funds to build a new metal ag barn at the school farm. They also donated funds to build the new concrete floor inside the new ag barn.</p><p>They donated and installed the irrigation pipeline and pipe stands that bring irrigation water to the school farm.</p><p>The Simpsons continued to give by donating two 36" X 6' sections of pipe for the new sand and grease separator for the new hog pens and then installed chain link fence between the ag farm and Piranha Pipe and Pre-Cast, along with a walk through gate for easy access for students to enter to feed their animals.</p><p>"These wonderful people also assist Chowchilla High School by keeping a watchful eye on the school ag farm, which includes calling when some of the animals get out and begin taking an unscheduled tour of Piranha Pipe and Pre-Cast" stated Seals. "I'm not sure if Eddie and Anita know the word 'no' because whenever there has been a need, they have stepped up to help." Seals told the crowd that Eddie and Anita have been a wonderful addition to Chowchilla. "The old phrase, "it takes a village to raise a child," well Eddie and Anita are doing their part to help the village of Chowchilla raise the children," Seals said.</p><p>Eddie and his family were one of the first families to raise cattle and sheep in the Clovis area. They have five children and three grandchildren.</p><p>The recipient of the Chowchilla Elementary School District Golden Apple Award is Harry Turner. CESD Superintendent Dr. Charles Martin told those gathered for the ceremony that Turner was a man of many hats for the city of Chowchilla. Turner is currently Fire Chief, Chief Code Enforcement Officer and Acting Public Works Director. He is also a key member of the Madera County Anti Terrorism Task Force. This task force was instrumental in bringing the H1N1 vaccination programs to Chowchilla this past year. As a result, the Chowchilla Elementary School District had more than 700 students vaccinated. According to Martin, the interagency participation with Turner's guidance was absolutely incredible.</p><p>"Harry is a Git'er Done kind of guy who is easy to work with," Martin stated. "I believe that one of Harry's greatest assets is that he always views the glass as being half full when working on District or city related projects.</p><p>Martin said, simply put, Harry always delivers what he promises. Martin noted that he appreciates how Turner is quick to take responsibility and always works things out in a manner that is beneficial for both the District and the city.</p><p>"Our District motto, "Pound the Rock" is best illustrated by a passage written by Jacob Riis:</p><p>'When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before."</p><p>The Chowchilla Elementary School District thanked Harry Turner for repeatedly helping them "Pound that Educational Rock."</p><p>The Alview-Dairyland Union School District's Golden Apple recipient was Miranda Dill. Dill has been a volunteer in the District for about six years. She is married to Shawn Dill and they have two daughters, Leighton and Morgan.</p><p>Dill not only volunteers for Alview-Dairyland, she is an active 4-H leader in the community and in the county. She is active in the Tenaya Guild raising funds for Children's Hospital. She also worked hard in the family farming operation.</p><p>"She is a 'can do' type person," stated Alview-Dairyland School Superintendent Lori Flanagan. 'In fact, she has many attributes of Annie Oakley." Oakley once said, "Aim at a high mark, and you will hit it.</p><p>Flanagan said Dill is constantly hitting high marks. She has led the Parent Teachers' Club as president. Dill as been chairman of many fund raisers such as dinners, bookfairs, jog-a-thons and remarkable end of the year activities, even a dunk tank that featured Flanagan herself.</p><p>Dill was a key person in organizing the first Parent Teacher's Club Trap Shoot raising money to improve the playgrounds.</p><p>Dill's positive enthusiasm motivates other. "In days of tight budgets, the Alview-Dairyland School District is blessed to have Miranda Dill always aiming high to do great things for our kids," stated Flanagan.