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Community honors veterans

May 31, 2017, 12:22 pm
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Tami Jo Nix/The Madera Tribune Veteran’s of Foreign War Post 1981 past commander Doug Nelson and VFW Auxillery President Cindy Wood lay wreaths at the Veterans’ Memorial at Arbor Vitae on Memorial Day.
The first “Decoration Day” ceremonies were almost funereal, said District 1 County Supervisor Brett Frazier in his keynote speech at the annual Memorial Courthouse Park Memorial Day ceremonies. “They were very somber because they were held in the winter,” he said. They were not the “barbecue holidays” that we think of them as today.
He said we sometimes forget that Memorial Day is a commemoration of lives lost in service to the nation.
“These were the lives of the young,” he said. “What did the world lose because they were killed?
“I want to thank each and every soldier, sailor and airman who gave his or her live so that the rest of us could live free.”
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Graduation week raises community pride

June 3, 2017, 7:50 am
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This week began as we paid homage to the brave men and women who lost their lives in the service of democracy. It is also wholly appropriate in my opinion to also honor those who served our country and those who are on active duty. Men and women who interrupt their lives for military service are real-life heroes. Both of my fathers, my dad and my father-in-law and both my brothers, served. Ralph Hill in the Navy, Gordon Nix in the Marines, Rocky and Brian Hill in the Army respectively.
The rest of this week was devoted to graduation and promotion ceremonies. The smattering of rain and strong winds are typical of a touch of foul weather usually present during graduation observances.
This rite of passage represents the culmination of a process begun in early childhood with kindergarten. It is a milestone that represents years of hard work, learning and dedication. Those who obtain their diplomas are a source of pride for their families, and bear proof they have the intellect for erudition.
Promotion ceremonies are where middle school students leave primary grades behind and enter high school. Depending on whom you ask, high school is a great experience to be enjoyed, or it is an ordeal to be survived.
The high school diploma is a steppingstone to becoming an adult and the launching point for college or vocational training school. Congratulations to all the members of the class of 2017. May lifelong learning continue to improve your future and enrich your days!
From my perspective graduation and promotion ceremonies are boring unless they are your own or maybe those of the students you love. My husband skipped his high school graduation to go to a Rolling Stones concert. My parents would never have allowed one of us to miss commencement.
Our newspaper scrambles its forces to attend and photograph as many graduation observances in Madera as possible. We run lists of graduates as supplied by the local educational institutions and we do this as a no-charge public service to the schools. Graduation season sells newspapers and that is a great byproduct for our business.
When I graduated from Madera High School in 1973 neither of my brothers, who are five and seven years older than I, had any interest in going to my graduation. Since each graduate got a limited number of admission tickets I told them they didn’t have to go. I gave their tickets to a couple of underclassmen who really wanted to go but couldn’t get tickets. I think it surprised my brothers that I didn’t care if they attended. But I had to sit through their graduations and was bored to tears.
I have taken photos at many graduation and promotion ceremonies in the last 20-plus years, four or five of them this month alone. They aren’t any more interesting now than they were then.
I hope our readers are adjusting to our new twice-a-week publishing schedule and receiving their newspapers via the USPS mail. Our mid-week edition arrives on Tuesday and our weekend edition is delivered on Friday. The schedule for Chowchilla subscribers has the Tribune delivered on Wednesday and Saturday. I have spoken to several Chowchilla subscribers who are glad to be able to get our publication delivered again.
We are doing our best to keep our readers informed and appreciate all the community support we can garner. If Madera wants to continue to have its own newspaper we need your support to survive.
Non-subscribers can receive a complementary month of home delivery by contacting the circulation department.
Quoting Alice Cooper: “School’s out for summer…” so drive slowly through our residential neighborhoods as the children tend to play in the street. Have a great weekend
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This weekend is for hiking, surviving

June 3, 2017, 7:53 am
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Take advantage of this great weather. Lace up your boots and strap on your backpack. Today is National Trails Day.
Every first Saturday in June is designated as the time of year that Americans promote and protect “hiking trails, the natural lands around them, and the hiking experience,” according to the American Hiking Society (AHS).
Headquartered in Silver Springs, Maryland, the organization worked with Congress to establish this recognition in 1976.Buck Ridge Trail
The AHS maintains a directory of trails that are suitable for hiking, and the local trail is located at the Hidden Lake-Hensley Lake Recreation Area on Road 400.
The hike begins at the parking lot, and the full excursion involves intersecting loops, laid out like a figure eight, and a transition loop.
Hikers begin on a short approach to the Buck Ridge Purple Loop and then switch to the Buck Ridge Blue Loop. This part leads up three hills, called the Three Sisters, with each hill being progressively steeper than the last.
After the Third Sister, which can be a bit rocky, the trail comes to the crossover of the figure eight. At that point, the path meanders to the right through oak trees, a drainage area, and then a straight climb to the transitional Buck Ridge Green Loop. From there, hikers can see the rolling hills to the back of the loop.
The last section is steep, but the reward is a great view of the river as it flows down the canyon and into the lake. This year, for a welcome change, there is a lot of water to be seen.
The return section follows the contour of the lake and brings hikers back to the area of the parking lot.
Recently, a disc golf course was set up, and hikers are advised to bring their Frisbees. The trail was established by the local AHS Club, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the IMBA Subaru crew. Technically, it is a “shared-use trail,” meaning that it is approved for bikers, hikers, runners, and horses. Parking costs $4 for the day.
The overall experience covers nearly 6 miles with an average grade of 4 percent, and a maximum grade of 19 percent. However, most of the ascending and descending sections are encountered on the way out; coming back to the parking area is reasonably flat. The highest elevation is a bit under 600 feet.
Because of my detailed account of the Buck Ridge Trail, readers might believe that I took notes as I wandered o’er the hills and ‘round the lake. In real life, my idea of a hike is the walk from the door of my room at a four-star hotel to the ice machine.
My descriptions come from a virtual tour that is provided on the AHS website. However, I have viewed the real trail.
A few years ago, my dear friend, Dr. Duane Furman, who passed away toward the end of 2016, invited me to visit his land overlooking Hensley Lake. Our exercise was limited to setting up a couple of lawn chairs, placed alongside the river, from which we could watch a mama duck guide her ducklings through the tall grass.
I believe I worked up a sweat.Surviving cancer
Both of my parents and three of my four grandparents died of cancer. So, to me, the issue was never “if I get cancer,” but rather “when I get cancer.” The crisis came about 13 years ago. When I received the diagnosis, my head was filled with dark thoughts. But, the oncologist assured me that my death was not imminent. Naturally, I wondered if “not imminent” meant “not today” or “not this month.”
Well, that was then; this is now. Sunday is National Cancer Survivors Day, a “celebration for those who have survived, an inspiration for those recently diagnosed, a gathering of support for families, and an outreach to the community,” according to the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation. This year marks the 30th annual occurrence of the event to raise awareness of the challenges that are presented by the disease.
The organization reminds us that cancer affects everyone. It touches friends, family, and the community. But, Sunday is less about the disease and more about a celebration of life. While the foundation defines a survivor as “anyone living with a history of cancer — from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life, — it also reminds us that life “after cancer is about more than just surviving; it’s about living well. It’s celebrating milestones and thriving in spite of adversity.”
As I’ve written in many of my columns over the years, times change. And that’s fortunate for those of us who have had cancer. When I was a child (admittedly a very long time ago), being told that one had cancer was equivalent to a death sentence. I pictured the word “cancer” as having a skull and crossbones beneath the lettering, like the warning symbol on a bottle of poison. But, the overall cancer death rate has declined steadily since the early 1990s. So, for many of us, death is not imminent.
However, cancer is still a major health problem, both nationally and throughout the world. In the United States, the cancer incidence (number of new cases) is 454.8 per 100,000 population per year. And, cancer mortality (number of deaths) is 171.2 per 100,000. In the past, those numbers were much closer together. But, cancer researchers are confident that they will be even further apart in the future.
Last year, there were more than 1.6 million new cases of cancer diagnosed in this country, and — statistically, at least — somewhere between 500,000 and 600,000 of those affected will die of the disease. In 2016, the most common cancers were breast cancer, lung and bronchus cancer, prostate cancer, colon and rectum cancer, bladder cancer, melanoma of the skin, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, thyroid cancer, kidney and renal cancer, leukemia, endometrial cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
The key to surviving this dreaded disease, of course, is early detection. According to the National Institutes of Health, the number of people living beyond a cancer diagnosis reached nearly 14.5 million in 2014 (the last significant date), and that figure is expected to rise to almost 19 million by 2024. So let’s celebrate all those extended lives.
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Editor's Corner: From Paris pact to California coast

June 3, 2017, 7:57 am
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If you drive over to the coast, which most of us do occasionally, one of the things you learn is that traffic in the Bay Area and Southern California is clogged like a drain full of hair most of the time, which means those two regions are responsible for a good share of the global warming that occurs on the planet — assuming that the theory that carbon dioxide causes global warming is correct.
So the residents of those megalopolises, whose millions of cars donate carbon dioxide to the atmosphere day and night, should be grateful President Trump has decided to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accords, which would be pretty hard on places such as S.F. and L.A. if the terms of the accords were followed.
These are the terms, according to The Associated Press:
The United States has agreed to reduce the country’s pollution emissions to 26 percent to 28 percent of 2005 levels by 2025 — about 1.6 billion tons. Countries are permitted under the treaty to change their goals and there is no punishment for missing targets.
That would mean getting more than 10 percent of the vehicles off the roads in those vast cities in the next eight years, assuming that motor vehicles are responsible for most of the carbon dioxide production.
Come on. Give us a break. Would that actually happen? Could you imagine a tenth of those people parking their cars? Not likely. Getting that many Californians out of their cars would be like getting tuna fish out of an unopened can.
More of a possibility is that the number of vehicles will increase rather than decrease as the populations in those areas grow.
Right now, you are seeing an increase in SUVs and pickups.
Yes, hybrids and all-electric vehicles have helped save gasoline, but not that much, when you calculate it. Hybrids do get better mileage, but not enough to meet anywhere near the kind of goal that’s been set in the Paris accords. And all-electric vehicles use electricity, which in California is generated largely by the burning of natural gas, which produces carbon dioxide.
Meanwhile, people will continue to air-condition and heat their houses, both of which require energy produced by the burning of fossil fuels. If you get the vast numbers of new houses that are predicted to be built in California by 2025, you will see more energy used, not less.
Yet, Gov. Jerry Brown and some in the Legislature say California is leading the world in greenhouse gas reduction, but how do you really do that without turning everything off?
For example, the hot air that comes out of Sacramento is unlikely to decrease, and a major component of that hot air is carbon dioxide.
Also, carbon dioxide, being an invisible odorless gas, is almost impossible to track. All you know is how much there is in a particular sample. If there is carbon dioxide high enough in the atmosphere to keep heat from being reflected outward — the so-called greenhouse effect — how do you know where it came from? Did it come from Bejing, where the people wear masks to keep from breathing that city’s polluted air, or did it come from Yellowstone Park, which belches carbon dioxide 24-7?
Not much has happened since the Paris accords went into effect, and little is likely to happen if the U.S. pulls out, because the talks will be reopened again as more is learned about what works and what doesn’t.
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Armed-robbery suspect held in lieu of $200,000 bail

June 3, 2017, 8:36 am
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A Sanger man suspected of armed robberies, car theft and other crimes in Madera County and elsewhere has been arraigned in Madera County Superior Court and is being held in Madera County jail in lieu of $200,000 bail, according to Madera County District Attorney David Linn.
John Anthony Barajas, 35, was captured May 25 after a high-speed rush-hour pursuit through Fresno and Madera counties.
A warrant for his arrest had been issued May 9 after documents were filed naming him as a suspect in several crimes.
He was arraigned May 30 on charges including robbery; personal use of a firearm in the commission of a crime; violation of 20800.2(a) of the California Vehicle Code, operating a motor vehicle with intent to evade or flee or otherwise attempt to allude pursuing police officers; and vehicle code 10851(a), driving a motor vehicle without the consent of the owner.
Linn said more charges likely would be leveled at Barajas, who has a history of arrests.
“It is highly likely that Barajas will be charged with other offenses by Fresno County,” Linn said. “At the present time, however, he will be remaining in the Madera County jail.”
Linn thanked the California Highway Patrol for its work in both Fresno and Madera counties, and the Madera Police Department.
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Supporting the K-9 unit: Reirings, friends donate to sheriff’s foundation

June 3, 2017, 8:37 am
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Tami Jo Nix/The Madera Tribune Members of the late Sgt. Chuck Reiring family present a check to the non-profit Madera County Sheriff’s Foundation from left Deputy Logan Majeski, his K-9 partner  Nacho, Amy Varney, wife Joyce Reiring, daughter Kathy Reiring and granddaughter little Dixie Reiring. The money is earmarked for the K-9 unit.
Family and friends of the late Sgt. Chuck Reiring a retired Madera Sheriff’s Deputy recently made a $400 donation to the Madera County Sheriff’s Foundation. The funds are earmarked for the department’s K-9 Unit. The money was raised by selling commemorative T-shirts.
“My dad spent a lot of time working as a K-9 Unit Deputy and we wanted to do something to honor his memory,” said daughter Kathy Reiring.
Members of the Reiring family presented the check to Sheriff Jay Varney on Thursday.
A t-shirt designed by a former sheriff’s office public information officer Rita Valdivia Hill bear a small silhouette of a deputy and a dog on the left-front. The back of the shirt displays the slogan “Back the Blue,” a rendition of the American flag, a graphic of Sgt. Reiring’s deputy sheriff badge and a Bible verse from Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God.”
The shirts sell for $15 and are available at Valley Feed and the Sub Shop in Madera and Cressman’s General Store in Shaver.
Born on July 24, 1948 he was a Madera resident since sixth grade. Sgt. Reiring came from Burbank with his parents Leonard and Hermine Reiring. He attended John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and graduated from Madera High School in 1965. He died on Sept. 2, 2016.
He retired after a 32 year career as a deputy with the Madera County Sheriff’s Office working from 1971 to 2003. He worked in many departments including as a jailer, a Chowchilla area deputy and Valley Patrol Watch Commander. He served as a K9 Handler with partner “Skipper,” and as a member of the Search and Rescue Dive Team and the TAC team a forerunner of the county’s SWAT team, said Varney. Sgt. Reiring also worked as the Reserve Deputy Liaison and Sheriff’s System Administrator.
After retirement his continued public service included working at the Madera County Information Technology Department. He also supervised security at the Madera District Fair for many years. Sgt. Reiring is survived by his wife Joyce, daughter Kari and husband Patrick Lauver, son Chuck Jr. and his wife Angie Reiring, daughter Kathy Reiring, mother Hermine Reiring, brother Ron Reiring, sister Dianna Reiring, 8 grandchildren, 8 nephews and nieces, and 9 great nephews and nieces.
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Chowchilla making a push for industrial expansion

June 3, 2017, 8:42 am
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Chowchilla’s City Council has taken steps to try to attract e-fulfillment centers, industrial plants and food-processing companies to some 2,000 acres of land near the northwest corner of the confluence of State Routes 152 and 99.
At its recent Council meeting, the Council voted to work with the California planning and design firm QK in developing a Specific Plan for more than 2,000 acres of industrial land.
The parcel’s location provides easy access easy access to the Bay Area and major Valley cities, said Chowchilla City Administrator Brian Haddix in a news release.
Haddix said QK would help the city develop a Specific Plan, “which is essentially a blueprint for future development, will provide for major wet and dry utilities, types of industries compatible with the region, location and design of future roads, access to multimodal transportation, architectural guidelines for the region, proximity to public safety, and more.”
He said the plan would be “modeled after the highly successful Westside Industrial Specific Plan of the City of Turlock. Chowchilla’s plan should effectively establish this city as a 21st century industrial hub.”
He said Chowchilla also plans to partner with its community college in developing a locally trained labor force to meet the needs of industries.
“This is a major step towards making our industrial lands shovel ready,” Mayor Mary Gaumnitz said. “We have already honed a business friendly environment with economic incentives that make Chowchilla very competitive. We have cut our permit turnaround time to under three weeks, and our staff bring a friendly, hands-on approach to guiding business though the development process.”
As the Specific Plan is being assembled, Haddix and members of the City Council plan to travel to corporate offices, marketing Chowchilla’s industrial potential.
“In concert with major industrial landowners, they will be marketing the Chowchilla Industrial Region in Silicon Valley, as well as visiting major e-commerce businesses throughout the country to promote the benefits of locating in Chowchilla,” said the news release.
“This industrial region is like a hidden jewel,” Haddix said. “It is well positioned geographically, it has competitive land values, all it has needed is a blueprint for growth — and the new Chowchilla Industrial Specific Plan will provide just that.”
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Stallions runner signs with Fresno Pacific University

June 4, 2017, 7:14 am
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Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera South cross country and track runner Christian Nevarez (front) is all smiles after signing his National Letter of Intent to attend Fresno Pacific University next year on May 5.
When Christian Nevarez first ran cross country in junior high school, he felt like a fish out of water.
Today, the senior from Madera South is on his way to Fresno Pacific University with an athletic scholarship.
“The first time I ran was in eighth grade,” Nevarez said. “I was kind of fast, but it felt weird to me. It was tiring and painful at first, but it’s paid off.”
Nevarez placed sixth at last year’s CIF Central Section cross country championships while leading the Stallions to its ninth straight Valley Championship, including the last five in Div. I.
After missing the CIF State cross country championships his junior year, Nevarez placed 55th in his return.
Focusing on the mile and two-mile on the track, Nevarez looks to make a name for himself outside of the city he loves.
“I want to establish who I am and I think Fresno Pacific will help me do that,” he said.
Nevarez grew up in Madera and recalled a hectic childhood that benefited him more than he realized.
“Growing up my parents moved me around a lot,” Nevarez said. “I was moving from school to school and just meeting new people. When I look back and think about it, I’ve met so many different people along the way. I know so many people from both South and Madera High because I was able to meet so many people growing up.”
Nevarez’s parents always had an impact on his life. Whether it was giving him the confidence to succeed out on the track or in the classroom, Nevarez doesn’t forget the life lessons they taught him.
His mother Leticia Nevarez, 44, said her son has a knack of fighting through adversity.
“He’s a really hard worker,” Nevarez said. “One thing I admire most about him is his ability to fight through obstacles. He handles it in a mature way.
“As a runner, he is focused and does what he’s told. Even if he isn’t to sure about it, he’ll still put in the effort.”
Although Nevarez has a lot of work ahead of him, his father Manuel Nevarez, 44, said his son is more than capable.
“He’s the one hardest working kids out there,” Nevarez said. “He’s very consistent as an athlete and always a team player. I couldn’t wish for anything else, he’s honest and loyal. He’s the perfect son.”
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La Vina promotes students

June 5, 2017, 7:12 am
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Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Salvador and Yesenia Valdivia congratulate their son, class president Ruben Valdivia on his promotion from the eighth grade Thursday morning at La Vina School.
The following are students promoted from eighth grade at La Vina School:
Yoseline Cardenas-Mendez, Leslie Gutierrez, Alondra Maciel, Celestino Luna-Morales, Daniel Lupian, Humberto Maciel-Castro, Jesse Martinez, Prisila Melendez-Alvarez, Rosa Monroy-Campa, Alejandro Mota, Salvador Mota Hernandez, Alejandro Nunez, Perla Reyes Nunez, Sebastian Preciado, Dayli Romero-Villalobos, Gerardo Saldana-Ceja, Giselle Valdez-Robles, Ruben Valdivia.
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Dixieland promotes 30 students

June 5, 2017, 7:16 am
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John Rieping/The Madera Tribune
Eighth graders of Dixieland Elementary School each bring a rose to their parents during their promotion ceremony Thursday morning. Dixieland promoted 30 students.
The following are eighth grade students who graduated from Dixieland on Thursday:
Antonia Amezcua, Jasmine Balderas, Eduardo Bobadilla, Juana Carmona, Guillermo Ceja, Alexis Cortes-Lita, Gissel Cortes-Lita, Daniel Cortez, Marco Cuevas, Rocio Enriquez, Mireyda Figueroa, Aryanna Garcia, Brian Gonzalez, Daniel Gonzalez, Edith Gonzalez, Maritza Huerta, Jahir Juarez, Julian Lujano, Adam Madrigal, Anthony Moreno, Izaak Murillo, Alfonso Navarro, Michaela Norris, Jeevanjot, Rai, Ivan Ramos, Candice Saucedo, Garret Tajara, Jesus Tornero, Anastacia Torres and Sabrina Torres.
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Eastin-Arcola sees 22 graduate

June 5, 2017, 7:21 am
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Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Eastin-Arcola School students promoting from the eighth grade enter the cafeteria for a ceremony Thursday morning.
The following are eighth grade students who graduated from Eastin-Arcola on Thursday:
Diana Abendano-Mendoza, Emma Andaverde, Litzy Barcenas-Ortiz, Jiovany Bautista, Elizabeth Carmona, Placido Castellanos Ruiz, Catherine Colomer, Charles Duran, Citlaly Figueroa-Villegas, Stephanie G. Infante, Dayana Garcia Vital, Shawn Goodson, Janet Ibarra-Trejo, Carolina Infante Jimenez, Josue Leyva-Cuevas, Evelyn Mendoza-Benavides, Janel Mendoza-Benavides, Jose Merino, Miranda Moles, Crystal Ortiz Cebreros, Maggie Salazar, Priscila Saldivar.
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Howard School students promoted

June 5, 2017, 7:25 am
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Tami Jo Nix/The Madera Tribune
Wearing commemorative Howard School Bulldogs class of 2017 T-shirts students form two processional lines. More than 60 eighth graders bid their grammar school days goodbye Thursday.
The following students from Howard School were promoted Thursday morning:
Kaitlyn Alejandre-Cruz, Cassandra Barajas, Matthew Joseph Barajas, Cynthia Cardenas, Jacob Bryan Cevasco, Avery Noelle Cordero, Sinthia Cruz, Rigoberto Cruz-Peralta, Samuel Alexander Cuellar-Ornelas, Yvette Vanessa Espinoza, Sabrina Esqueda, Daniel Garcia, Ethan Ryan Inthavong, Aaron Thaddeus Jackson, Ryan Jeffery Kephart, Myranda Lomeli-Olguin, Estevan Andrew Lopez, Davin Angelo Luna Garcia, William Andrew Magdic, Rayalex Mata, Guadalupe Morales-Espinoza, Daniel Moreno, Elgar Martinez-Garcia, Fernanda Orellana-Cuellar, Arianna Ornelas, Nathan Daniel Palacioz, Ashley Verenice Parra, Jazmin Anastazia Pinon, Aliyah Melissa Ramirez, Jovany Ramos-Aguiar, Damian Ray Rodriguez, Stacy Marie Sanchez, Giselle Janette Silva, Hectornoel Torres,
David Zavala III, Nadia Zuniga Navarro, Hugo Ulices Aguilar, Fernanda Alcaraz, Cristian David Alonzo, Daphne Prudente Alvarez, Joel Barrera, Julio Cabrera-Martinez, Savannah Rose Cisneros, Vincent Martinez, Dylan Douglas Cosgrove, Ryan Daniel Cosgrove, Savannah Christine Crow, Ashly Ailyne Cuevas, Malaysia Dinah Echevarria, Noe Baltazar Garza, Amy Gomez, Adrian Ramiro Gomez, Philip Isaac Gonzalez, Angel Abraham Gutierrez, Edgar Hernandez, Garrin Clark Hatfield, Jonah Sebastian Hill, Jacqueline Maciel, Ruth Maldonado, Nicholette Marin, Jasmine Elicia Martinez, Trinity Shinese Martinez, Joshua Montelongo, Luke Rulon Nelson, Gloria Paulino, Joshua Matthew Ramirez, Alison Elisabeth Pursell, Alana Lisa Rangel, Arianna Alejandra Reyes, Cassandra Rodriguez, Kindrah Grace Scott, Enrique Roberto Solis and Mariah Jasmin Zapata.
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Word from the worldwide web: Little Okie and others

June 6, 2017, 7:47 am
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Little Okie
(About a recent Bill Coate article about the history of “Little Okie.”)
My grandparents, D.C. and Mini Willis, lived across the street and maybe a hundred yards west of the Bowlin Store.
My family had moved back to Texas around 1950, but every summer my mother would take my brother and me to Amarillo, where we’d catch the San Francisco Chief and ride it to Fresno, where my grandparents would pick us up.
I made many a trip with my Grandpa across that street to Bowlin’s for bread, milk, a Coke now and then, and what ever he needed in the way of snuff. ;-)
Boy the memories I have of not only the store, but Little Okie. My grandparents had friends all over the place. There was a sister and her husband of my grandparents, Ethel and Ben Hoover, that lived about a mile south of the store.
Last time I was on that road was around 96- 97, when my Aunt died and I came out from Texas to her funeral. Took my cousin’s truck and drove around the old places.
Oh, my grandpa Willis drove up until he was in his 80s and he and grandma would always be driving so-in-so here and there for doctor’s appointments, into Madera, or fishing.High-Speed Rail
(About a recent letter to the editor on the California High-Speed Rail project)
After having just returned from Tokyo, where I rode on the Shinkansen between Kyoto and Tokyo — I can hardly wait for California high-speed rail. The naysayers want us to continue to travel on South West air or drive. The sooner HSR arrives the better off California will be.Donald Trump’s problems aren’t CNN’s fault
It was interesting reading Editor Doud’s column of May 20 blaming CNN for bringing up the Trump scandals.
One of the CNN reporters usually says, “Don’t believe us. Go to your smart phone or Internet to check out the facts.”
I’m sure that Editor Doud’s TV is also tuned into Fox News or his radio is tuned into Rush or Sean or listening to Kelly Anne Conway or Sean Spicer trying to make excuses.
Bottom line: President Trump and his administration are in deep trouble and it isn’t CNN’s fault.
— Peter Openshaw, Madera
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Madera’s pistol packing senator

June 6, 2017, 8:39 am
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Courtesy of The Madera County Historical Society State Sen. George Goucher fought for the creation of Madera County — literally!
At 11 o’clock on the evening of Jan. 21, 1911, the Honorable George G. Goucher died in Madera, and with his passing the Valley lost one of its social pillars and active political leaders. He had been a teacher, an attorney, District Attorney for Mariposa and Madera counties, state assemblyman, and state senator.
And if that isn’t enough to place him in the local “Who’s Who?” we might add that, along with the Honorable George Washington Mordecai, he was a founding father of Madera County. When Mordecai introduced in the State Assembly in 1893, the bill to create Madera County, Goucher did likewise in the State Senate, but it came close to costing him his life.
Not everyone rejoiced at the prospect of creating a new county in 1893. Certainly the sentiment south of the San Joaquin River was decidedly anti-divisionist. Numerous public meetings were held in Fresno to map a strategy for thwarting the move to carve Madera County out of Fresno County’s First Supervisorial District. Strong feelings were expressed on both sides of the issue, and occasionally violence was the result. It was for that reason that Senator George Goucher carried a pistol.
When Goucher and Mordecai introduced their bills in their respective houses authorizing a vote by the people on the matter of county division, the proposals made one Charles A. Lee seethe with resentment, and for some reason that anger was directed more toward Goucher than Mordecai.
Lee lived in the foothill area of the proposed new county, and he was against its formation, as were a number of his neighbors. During the hearing on the proposed creation of Madera County, Lee was omnipresent; he lobbied everyone he could reach, urging them in the strongest terms not to allow the required plebiscite. When Goucher turned a deaf ear to him, Lee responded by “applying vile epithets” to the senator and “impugning his honesty.” Goucher was understandably upset.
On Feb. 19, 1893, Senator Goucher arose from his seat on the floor of the Senate to complain of Lee’s attacks and of his presence in the visitor’s gallery. The sergeant-at-arms was directed to remove Lee from the chamber, whereupon the disgruntled anti-divisionist continued his verbal attacks on Goucher out in the hall, within the hearing of Goucher’s good friend, Fred Hamstead.
While Lee was holding forth against Goucher in the capitol building, Hamstead walked up to him and “decorated his countenance with several scientific blows.” Lee, for a moment didn’t know what had hit him, for Hamstead had drawn upon all of his skill as a professional boxer to teach the obstreperous lobbyist a lesson. When he regained his senses, Lee recognized Hamstead as the well-known pugilist, “Young Duchy.” Not wishing to engage in a match of fisticuffs with an expert in the field, Lee pulled a revolver from his coat.
The Fresno County lobbyist never had a chance to fire his weapon. He was disarmed by one J.M. Sullivan and taken to jail; Hamstead, for his part, was charged with battery. In the meantime, when Senator Goucher learned of what had taken place out in the corridor, he went to his room for his own pistol.
Both Lee and Hamstead were scheduled for a police court appearance the next day, and just before the hearing was to begin, a horse drawn hack pulled up in front of the station, carrying Senator Goucher. He was not one to desert his friends. Goucher walked into the building, informed the officer in charge that he was there to defend Hamstead, and asked to see his client. At that point, the sheriff of Sacramento County stormed into the station and exclaimed, “See here, Senator, you will have to disarm right now. I don’t propose to have any shooting here and won’t stand for any nonsense of that kind. Give me your weapon.”
Goucher replied, “I will keep my revolver. This man (Lee) has been making threats against my life, and I have a right to protect myself.” With that, the chief of police entered the fray and demanded that Goucher comply with the sheriff’s order to turn over his gun. Once again there was a demurrer from Goucher.
“I am a state senator, and as an officer of the state, I decline to give up my weapon. The law entitles me to carry one.”
The Sacramento lawmen recognized that they had more than they could handle by attempting to intimidate Goucher, so they turned to persuasion, but still, Goucher remained firm.
“I am not going to shoot anybody,” said the senator. “This man Lee said that he was going to kill me on sight. I was told of these threats by Lieutenant Governor Reddick, who came to me and told me that I had better carry a pistol and be prepared.” With that, Goucher strode into the court fully armed to represent his friend.
Upon Goucher’s request, the charges against Hamstead were dropped, and the senator returned to the Capitol building to continue his argument on behalf of Madera County. In this he was successful; the legislature authorized an election to be held in May 1893, in that part of Fresno County north of the San Joaquin river, to determine whether the County of Madera would become a reality.
That election was held on May 16, 1893, and the voters approved the proposal 1,179 to 368. On that day Charles Lee, who had returned to his foothill home, was seen hopping from precinct to precinct “wearing an anxious look.” Senator Goucher, on the other hand, was pleased with the results and later was elected district attorney of the new county.
It had been a long struggle, one that had erupted in violence in the state capital and had almost cost the lawmaker his life. Such were the politics of the good old days before we all got civilized.
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Solo climber is 1st up mighty Yosemite rock without ropes

June 5, 2017, 7:31 am
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alex Honnold had dreamed about climbing the mighty El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any safety gear for eight years. But every time he looked up the massive granite wall, he found it too daunting.
That was the case until this weekend, when the elite rock climber reached the summit in about four hours using only his hands and feet. The 31-year-old on Saturday became the first to climb the 3,000-foot (914-meter) granite wall alone without a safety harness or ropes to catch him if he fell.
"I was pretty much elated," Honnold said of reaching the top in a telephone interview Sunday with The Associated Press. "I was probably the happiest I've ever been. It's something that I thought about for so long and dreamed about and worked so hard for. I mean, it's pretty satisfying."
Honnold, who grew up in Northern California, began preparing for his historic climb two years ago. He scaled the route countless times, rehearsing it while climbing with protective gear and memorizing each hole he had to grab and the way he had to position his body until he felt comfortable enough to attempt the "free solo" climb.
The most difficult part of the route is about 2,300 feet off the ground, where there are very small holds where only a thumb can fit.
But even more challenging was overcoming the mental hurdle, he said.
"Each year I would show up and it would seem just much too daunting," said Honnold, who has been climbing for 20 years. "To walk up to the base of the climb without rope and harness, it just feels a little outrageous. Getting over that side of it was the hardest part."
Observers said his climb has pushed the limits in a sport that requires a high level of athleticism, risk-taking and mental focus.
"This has never been done before ... and it's hard to imagine anybody ever coming close to what he's done," said Daniel Duane, author of "El Capitan: Historic Feats and Radical Routes."
"He is totally alone at the top of his game," he added.
Honnold grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento where he began practicing indoor rock climbing at age 11. He dropped out of the University of California Berkeley to conquer major summits around the world.
He was among several elite rock climbers whose endorsements were dropped by energy food company Clif Bar in 2014 following the release of a documentary about climbers who were risking their lives by forgoing safety gear.
Honnold, who spoke calmly as he recounted his achievement, brushed off criticism by those who say he's being reckless by not wearing protective gear.
"I could see how for a non-climber it might seem completely insane. But I've devoted 20 years to climbing and probably six or seven to this particular project so, it's not like I'm just some crazy kid who in the spur of the moment decided to do this crazy thing. It took years of effort," he said.
The climb up 3,000-foot (914-meter) El Capitan used to take days to complete with the aid of ropes, safety gear and a partner. In the past few decades, speed climbers working in tandem and using ropes have set records in reaching the top of the steep cliff.
In January 2015, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson became the first to "free climb" the Dawn Wall — a particularly steep route to the top of El Capitan — by grabbing just the rock and using ropes only to catch them if they fell. They did it in 19 days.
Honnold is first to climb the iconic rock alone without protection in mere hours.
"To climb without ropes where the slightest slip is literally fatal in that arena requires enormous self-control and focus," Duane said. "It requires this intense cognitive effort to keep fear at bay and focus on the task in front of you."
He said Honnold has a rare ability to control fear and his body for a long period of time.
"He's shown awesome grace under pressure," said Hans Florine, a fellow climber who with Honnold holds the speed record for climbing the Nose route of El Capitan in about two hours and 23 minutes.
The historic ascent will be featured in a National Geographic documentary .
Associated Press writer Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this story.
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Hwang's single leads Sacramento to 7-3 win over Fresno

June 6, 2017, 1:33 am
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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Jae-Gyun Hwang hit a run-scoring single in the sixth inning, leading the Sacramento River Cats to a 7-3 win over the Fresno Grizzlies on Monday.
Chris Shaw scored on the play to give the River Cats a 4-3 lead after he hit a single with two outs and advanced to second on a walk by Mac Williamson.
The River Cats extended their lead in the eighth when Williamson and Hwang scored on a home run, and Christian Arroyo scored on a wild pitch.
Kraig Sitton (4-1) got the win in relief while Kevin Comer (2-2) took the loss in the Pacific Coast League game.
Sacramento took advantage of some erratic Fresno pitching, drawing a season-high seven walks in its victory.
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Police: 3 dead, 1 wounded in possible robbery at Fresno home

June 6, 2017, 3:37 pm
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FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A gunbattle Tuesday at a central California home left three men dead and another wounded in what may have been a home-invasion robbery or a drug deal gone bad, police said.
Two men drove up to the house in a Fresno neighborhood, and at least one of them went inside, where he held a man in his 50s at gunpoint, Fresno Lt. Mark Hudson said.
Another man inside the home, possibly the older man's son, came out of a bedroom and opened fire with an assault rifle, Hudson said. The assailants were armed with a handgun, and an ensuing shootout spilled outside the house.
"At this point, we're still investigating," Hudson said. "We're really in a preliminary stage of the investigation."
Police who arrived found one attacker inside a vehicle and another outside and the two other men in the home. All four had gunshot wounds.
The assailants and the older man held at gunpoint died, Hudson said. The fourth man's wounds were not considered life-threatening.
The violence comes nearly two months after authorities say a racially motivated attack in Fresno killed three white men targeted at random. Prosecutors also have charged Kori Ali Muhammad, who's black, with fatally shooting a fourth white man, an unarmed security guard at a motel, a week earlier.
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Feds fault pilot for striking trees in 2014 Yosemite crash

June 6, 2017, 3:40 pm
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YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Federal investigators are blaming the fatal 2014 crash of a firefighting aircraft in Yosemite National Park on the pilot's failure to avoid trees while flying at a low altitude.
The pilot, 62-year-old Geoffrey "Craig" Hunt, was the only one killed when his air tanker struck trees with its left wing as he was trying to avoid a more prominent tree to his right.
The National Transportation Safety Board's final report on the crash's probable cause faults the pilot for failing to maintain a safe altitude and proper vigilance to avoid the trees.
The final report was made public Tuesday by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. CalFire was operating the aircraft for the National Park Service when the crash occurred on Oct. 7, 2014, near Yosemite's west entrance.
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Armed man shot by Madera police

June 6, 2017, 6:26 pm
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Authorities ask the public to speak up on what led a man to wound his neck before driving through southeast Madera brandishing a handgun Monday and pointing it at a cop, who shot his shoulder.
Suspect Saul Santana, 39, was taken to a Fresno hospital “where he was in surgery fairly early last night,” said Madera Police Chief Steve Frazier during a press conference this morning. “The bullet was removed and he is now in stable condition – expected to make a full recovery.”
The name of the officer involved in the shooting was not released, but will be after he is interviewed Wednesday about the incident. In the meantime, “he’s on days off at this point.”
For now, Frazier believes the suspect intended to provoke police into killing him.
Madera police received a call around 4:45 p.m. Monday about someone driving in a white truck with a knife to his neck. Police found and followed the truck without sirens or light, and an officer allegedly spotted a handgun in the suspect’s hand, rather than a blade. The truck continued at 5 mph to C Street, just south of 14th Street, before stopping.
“He steps out,” Frazier said. “He points a handgun at our officers and our officer fires five rounds striking him one time in the left shoulder. When officers go up to secure him, they observe that he has a very significant neck wound that is self inflicted.”
Frazier released a dashboard camera video online that showed the slow-moving truck come to a stop and a man exiting before aiming a gun, which Frazier said was a bloody Smith & Wesson 9 mm.
“It’s important for us to make sure that our citizens are aware that our justification (for the shooting) is a direct response to the individual’s actions,” Frazier said.
The suspect “has a fairly extensive criminal background,” according to Frazier, including an eight-year prison sentence in 2002 following his conviction for a Northern California car jacking with a handgun, as well as miscellaneous drug charges.
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390 graduate from Thomas Jefferson Middle School

June 7, 2017, 7:24 am
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Tami Jo Nix/The Madera Tribune The Thomas Jefferson Middle School eighth grade class of 2017 sits during its promotion ceremony Thursday.
Ramon Agredano, Makayla Aguero, Larissa Aguilar, Ramon Aguilar Garcia, Osvelia Alvarado, Michelle Alvarado-Ramirez, Amanda Alvarez Blanco, Ivan Alvarez-Reyes, Zaid Ambrosio-Palacios, Trinity Amezola, Mayra Amezola-Mariscal, Jennifer Aragon, Cristian Arguello-Martinez, Arissa Arias, Jocelin Arias Hernandez, Aakashdeep Aujla, Anthony Avila, Haley Avila, Janae Avila, Vanessa Ayala.
Adolfo Baez, Rajan Bains, Jacqueline Banda, Destiny Barajas, Ariana Barboza, Analisa Barriga, Luz Barrios-Martinez, Brian Beas, Ashley Beck, Briana Bedolla, Ayden Beltran, Bethany Bennett, Blake Bennett, William Bispham, Jonathan Brizendine, Zakery Brocchini, Kaylee Brunolli, Camilla Buenrostro, Roger Burns.
Darian Caballero, Alicia Cabey, Neiro Cabrera, Nathan Cabrera, Lynnlee Cam, Carlos Enrique Camacho, Jesus Cancino, Evan Candelaria, Dylan Carabajal, Andrew Carrillo, William Norberto Castillo, Sabel Castro, Elijah Ceballos, Federico Cervantes-Sandoval, Andrew Chaidez, Terry Chamblin, Araceli Chavez, Jesus Chavez, Marissa Chavez, Ana Cisneros-Hernandez, Mackenzie Coen, Anthony Contreras-Espinoza, Imanol Coria, Adrian Corona, Luis Corona, Berenice Cortes-Morales, Deisy Cortes-Santos, Marlen Cortes-Vasquez, Angelica Cortez-Herrera, Duricela Cortez-Matamoros, Edward Coss, Michael Costello, Haeley Couch, Wyatt Crabtree, Benny Criado, Kelsey Crowder, Luis Cruseno, Kevin Cruz, Jordan Cuevas.
Jade Davie, Jason Davisson, Damaris Daza, Jasmine Daza, Iris Daza-Mendez, Maricarmen Daza-Vargas, Marcus Defranco, Matthew Defranco, Alexa Del Toro, Alexis Delacruz, Juan Deleon, Janae Della, Abigail Desmond, Adrian Diaz, Noel Diaz-Camacho, Elba Duarte-Villa.
Joseph Egure, Faiet Ellis, Karen Enriquez Villa, Malik Escheik, Savannah Espinoza, Yahid Estrada-Martinez, Jose Eugenio-Lorenzo, Ismelda Eugenio-Merino, Gladys Eugenio-Rodriguez.
Lexi Fahrney, Isabella Farias, Jonese Feliu, Briana Fernandez, Catherine Figueroa, Arianna Flores, Isaac Flores, Angela Flores-Gallardo, Brie Folmar, Thomas Franklin.
James Gallardo, Abram Garcia, Andre Garcia, April Garcia, Eric Garcia, Evangelina Garcia, Gabriel Garcia, Guillermo Garcia, Ileene Garcia, Jacob Garcia, Laura Garcia, Nicholas Garcia, Oswaldo Garcia, Raul Garcia, Rheanna Garcia, Ricky Garcia, Rigoberto Garcia, Maritza Garcia Moya, Daniel Garcia Rodriguez, Rocio Garcia-Morales, Izayah Garibay, Amanda Garza, Vannessa Garza, Steven Godinez, Gisselle Gomez, Samuel Gomez, Jordan Gong, Celeste Gonzales, Daniel Gonzales, Jordan Gonzales, Na’Talia Gonzales, Calisity Gonzales-Woodley, Mateo Granada, Kiyana Granados, Joshua Guajardo, Brianna Guerrero, Daniel Guillen, Diego Gutierrez, Dominic Gutierrez, Nataly Guzman, Guillermo Guzman-Torres.
Brooklyn Hadjis, Felipe Hernandez, Fernando Hernandez, Javier Hernandez, Matthew Hernandez, Robiye Hernandez, Maricela Hernandez-Cruz, Fernando Hernandez-Rodriguez, Jessica Herrera, Nancy Herrera, Faith Hogue, Alisha Huerta, America Huerta-Gutierrez, Dylan Hynds.
Melissa Jauregui, Ilene Jimenez, Victor Jimenez, Jocilin Johnson, Aislynn Jordan, Stephenie Jordan, Jose Jose Hernandez, Aaron Juarez, Miguel Juarez-Gil, Jessica Juarez-Vasquez, Rosio Jurado Hernandez.
Simranjit Kaur.
Mario Lama, Emily Ledesma, Yahir Leon, Jannie Lopez, Angela Lopez-Garcia, Jacqueline Lopez-Garcia, Fabian Lopez-Gomez, Kelsey Lovely, Alexya Lugo-Sulca, Gustabo Luis-Perez, Nicholas Luna, Leonela Luna-Mendoza.
Emiliano Maciel, Jaidyn Mackaben, Angel Maclovio-Racinez, Mikel Magdaleno, Farhan Maklani, Yahayra Maldonado, Steven Mares, Gabriel Marquez, Cristian Marroquin, Adrian Martinez, Ayva Martinez, Elijah Martinez, Julia Martinez, Michael Martinez, Nathaniel Martinez, Scott Martinez, Yadira Martinez Sanchez, Gerardo Martinez-Berdejo, Iori Martinez-Gracida, Julio Martinez-Toro, Ariah Marz, Natalia Mata, Maicool Mateo-Lopez, Raul Medrano, Shannel Melchor, Eliazer Mendez, Jiselle Mendez, Alberto Mendoza, Victor Mendoza, Miguelina Mendoza-Cruz, Gustavo Meras, Carlos Meza-Soto, Jose Luis Miguel, Thomas Miguel, Gabriel Miranda, Marcus Molina, Gerardo Mondragon, David Monge, Jorge Monreal, Jesse Morales, Andrea Moreno Guzman, Michael Mosqueda, Zitlali Mota-Benito, Emelin Mota-Camacho, Crystal Munoz, Roxanna Munoz.
Camila Navarrete, Hailey Nazaroff, Arleth Neri, Jovani Nicolas-Francisco, Ryan Nishimoto, Rhett Noblett.
Kristopher Ochoa, Ibon Ojeda, Juanita Olivera, Juan Ordaz-Duran, Juliet Orozco, Roman Orozco, Ashlyn Ortega, Christian Ortiz, Brian Ortiz-Cortez.
Kevin Parra-Cazares, Rafael Paz-Raymundo, Anthony Pedraza, Jeffrey Pena, Angel Perez, Cesar Perez, Jessica Perez, Joshua Perez, Sergio Perez, Carmela Perez-Cruz, Veronica Perez-Hernandez, Aldo Perez-Sanchez, Maria Pimentel-Barriga, Xochilt Pineda-Barragan, Ivin Ponce, Cynthia Ponce, Abigail Poore, Garrett Potkey, Giovanni Prudente, Christina Pruitt.
Miguel Quintero.
Logan Radcliff, David Ramirez, Ilene Ramirez, Lilianna Ramirez, Paul Ramirez, Jose Ramirez-Garcia, Perla Ramirez-Reynoza, Adrian Ramos, Klarissa Ramos, Anthony Ramos Castruita, Adrian Rayas-Moreno, Dustin Rejda, Ashlee Reyes, Naisaiah Reyes, Richard Reyes-Ambrosio, Alexssandra Reyes-Mejia, Sabrina Reynoso, Lealani Ricks, Andrew Rincon, Verenice Rios-Garcia, Andres Rivera, Julia Rivera, Melissa Rivera, Hailey Robertson, Abraham Rodriguez, Anayely Rodriguez, Ashlynn Rodriguez, Geno Rodriguez, Isabella Rodriguez, Jocelyn Rodriguez, Joleen Rodriguez, Juliana Rodriguez, Oscar Rodriguez, Maria Rodriguez-Perez, Maria Rojas-Jimenez, Christian Romero, Vianna Romero, Irvin Romero-Hernandez, Alicia Romero-Mendoza, Richard Rosales, Yaris Rosas, Judith Ruiz.
Guillermo Salazar Martinez, Daisy Salazar-Cholula, Airabella Saldivar, Angel Sanchez, Jeremiah Sanchez, Jesus Rodrigo Sanchez, Jose Sanchez, Paola Sanchez, Saul Sanchez, Fabiola Sandoval, Yahaira Sandoval, Arlette Santana-Ortiz, Yahir Santiago, Martha Santiago Martinez, Elizabeth Santiago-Perez, Lizel Santiago-Santiago, Zindy Santos, Vanessa Santos-Michel, Alyssa Scott, Yuvraj Sekhon, Anthony Serrano, Taylor Serrano, Sana Shaukat, Alexis Sicairos, Ruben Sierra, Ethan Silva, Lisa Silva, Christopher Sledzianowski, Damien Sledzianowski, Bryson Smith, Sophia Soliz, Michael Solorio, Anna Sosa-Pineda, Esmeralda Soto Lazaro, Joel Spivey, Heather Stapleton, Angela Suarez.
Markus Taddei, Hina Tanver, Christian Tapia, Ally Torralva-Hernandez, Anthony Torres, Rodrigo Torres, Rosa Torres, Johnny Torres-Gonzalez, Matthew Trujillo.
Eric Urena-Perez.
Kristy Vaca, Justin Valdez, Emily Valencia, Christian Valencia-Robinson, Luisa Vallejo, Cynthia Vargas, Jonathan Vargas, Jimena Vargas-Reyes, Adriana Vasquez-Hernandez, Jennifer Vasquez-Montalvo, Jazmin Vazquez, Alexis Vega-Garcia, Juan Velazco-Vasquez, Carlos Velazquez, Sophia Velazquez, Sergio Villa, Vanessa Villalva.
Jenna Williams, Kailee Williams, Katelyn Ylarregui.
Evelyn Zambrano Montemayor, Janeli Zaragoza, Kenneth Zarasua, Rocio Zarate, Angel Zarco, Isias Zuniga and David Zurita-Herrera.
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