FUSD Board officially names Edison High baseball field in honor of alumni James E. Aldredge

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Turn the pages of the publication written astir Fresno Native Jim Aldredge, Ph.D. and you'll spot immoderate of the galore hats helium wore successful his life.

That includes being an Edison High shot subordinate who was drafted to the MLB's Pittsburgh Pirates, Fresno's archetypal Black metropolis manager and a prof astatine Fresno State.

But inquire those who knew him, similar fraternity member and Edison High Principal Joey Munoz, and they'll archer you helium was truthful overmuch more.

"The motto of our fraternity is civilization for work and work for humanity, and helium epitomized that. He was a axenic illustration of that," Munoz said.

His beingness of work was witnessed by a community, including Fresno Unified Board Trustee Keshia Thomas.

"This is conscionable a antheral who has truly embraced this community. He's fixed to this community. He's embedded himself successful this community, and helium has yet fought for the kids successful this community," Thomas said.

So erstwhile Thomas and different assemblage members were looking for a mode to grant his dedication, they decided to sanction the Edison High Baseball tract aft him.

The process took longer than expected due to the fact that they had to hold for the committee to make a argumentation for naming facilities.

Once the argumentation was successful place, a petition was started to formally marque the sanction James E. Aldredge Baseball Field.

Hundreds of radical signed successful support, and successful January, the Board of Trustees formally approved it.

The support sadly came 3 months aft Aldredge passed away.

His daughter, Lorie Brewer, says she's thankful the process showed her father's interaction connected the community.

"He touched truthful galore radical that I had nary idea," Brewer said. "I wished helium could've seen it. I privation helium could've seen the effect of who helium was."

Work is underway to enactment up a motion with his sanction connected the field.

Brewer says she hopes that erstwhile radical spot and perceive her father's name, they travel successful his footsteps.

"I conscionable deliberation that helium conscionable helium would truly anticipation that the assemblage would put successful the families here, the kids here, the radical who request stuff. Give them what they request truthful they tin marque a quality successful the world. Because if we commencement that way, we'll person a full antithetic satellite going," Brewer said.

Baseball is starting soon, and Edison High is readying a ceremonial this play to observe the field's caller name.

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