A Farmersville foundation named after community activist Martin Macareno held a news conference July 12 at his former home to offer a reward for information leading to a conviction in his murder more than a year ago.

The Martin Macareno Foundation, formed by his family in his hometown of Farmersville, offered a $5,000 reward during a press conference held on the far east side of the city of Greenfield, Calif. on Ava Street between Cedar and Rava Parkway where Macareno lived and near the location where the murder occurred. The family demanded that the Greenfield Police Department intensify the investigation in Monterey County, where he had lived and worked as a community activist since 2005, and in Tulare County, where he was a controversial elected official who may have made enemies.

ìThe wheels of Martinís murder investigation have turned very slowly for someone that worked so swiftly as a community activist for the people of south Monterey County, Salinas and the San Joaquin Valley,î the family said in a prepared statement.

ìWe believe the murderers could be nearby. We know that many of his colleagues and even ëpersons of interestí have never been interviewed by investigating officers. We also know that many leads have not been followed up here in Monterey County and Tulare County due to what GPD cites as budgetary constraints.î

The family also requested that if police department cannot move forward on the investigation due to budget constrains then the family will plea with the Monterey County District Attorney to take over the investigation.

Macareno, a Farmersville Unified School District trustee and community activist, was found dead in a garage in Greenfield, Calif. on July 5, 2007. Police said the body was badly beaten that it took an autopsy to identify the body as the 42-year-old Macareno.

A cell phone call led police to the detached garage at a home across an alley from Macarenoís. The garage was being rented by two Mexican immigrants ó Antonio Abran Navarro, 18, and Alberto Meza Rios, 32 ó for two weeks before they disappeared the night of the murder. Greenfield police issued a statewide alert for the two men on July 11, 2007 and contacted Mexicoís consulate in Los Angeles in case they try to flee to their native country. Police said they were last seen driving a white 1997 Ford Ranger pickup with blue pin striping and California license 5MO8476, stolen from the garageís owner that night. Police are still unsure how the two men knew Macareno. Anyone with information about Macarenoís slaying is asked to call Greenfield police at 831-674-5111 or 831-385-8311.

Macareno moved to Greenfield in 2005 after being recalled from the Farmersville Unified School Board election. Macareno was at the center of a political war between board members and Superintendent Janet Jones. Macareno was elected to the board in November 2003 and immediately became board president. Macareno, who said he felt the district was not making enough progress for migrant students, voted along with other board members to fire Jones, who Macareno accused of campaigning against him in the election. The board voted to replace Jones with Carlos Vega, who was fired two weeks later and replaced by Sadie Nashitani. Nashitani was later fired and Jones rehired after Macareno and Blanca Sandoval were replaced in a recall election by two former board members, Al Vanderslice and Don Mason, in 2005.

The political circus cost the district more than $400,000 in guaranteed contracts.

Later that year, Macareno was charged with 14 misdemeanor counts for either failing to submit or submitting after the deadline voter registration cards to the elections office. In addition, Macareno was charged with one count for disturbing the peace outside of a polling site during the recall election. All but one of the charges were dropped.

Before running for the school board, Martin started Projecto Farmersville, a migrant education and information program, and served as president of the now defunct Farmersville Chamber of Commerce.

In Greenfield, Macareno was elected to the local school board and began working as a coordinator for La Union del Pueble Entero and Poder Popular in Monterey County where he published migrant resource guides and started three pilot Poder Popular communities. Poder Popular helps farmworkers improve their quality of life by teaching them how to become involved citizens and community leaders.

He was instrumental in bringing in art and literacy to South Monterey County focused around health to the Triqui and Mixteco indigenous community. He also spoke on the subject ìChallenges facing minority elected officialsî at the California School Board Association Conference in 2005.

The Macareno Foundation has been established to support interest in education, youth leadership, health and the arts in the Salinas and San Joaquin valleys. Specifically, MMF will provide financial assistance to community leaders who cannot otherwise afford leadership training fees; award college scholarships to graduating high school students; and create partnerships in setting up and promoting community events such as health fairs, art projects and community recognition programs.

The Martin Macareno Foundation, Mailing address: P.O. Box 357, Farmersville, CA 93223.

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