All comments are edited for length and content. Due to content some comments may not be published. Please limit your calls to two minutes or less. Repeat messages on the same subject adding to the length will not be published. Some weeks, due to the number of comments and space, some may not be published.
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A man asked, “what does it take to fix the roads in Madera? Gateway Drive and Yosemite and everywhere there are potholes.” He suggested, “drive to Fresno. Their roads are a lot better.”
A woman made a comment “about parking in the street.” She asked if “the paper could publish the times (and day) the street-sweeper is coming by so the people could move their cars.”
She had one other item “concerning education. The writer didn’t mention music in the article and music requires math and reading as well. I think it’s a shame what the school district is doing.”
She also mentioned “the downtown area and the graffiti is really bad. The abatement people do a great job, but it is too bad they can’t catch the people doing the tagging.”
A man also said the graffiti “is a blight on our community,” and agreed the “removal crews do the best job they can.” He asked, “why don’t we get a task force or use the narcotics task force, and really enforce the laws on tagging. We need to make these lowlifes pay the maximum in jail time and fines for destroying community and private property.”
“How many illegal aliens and dropouts from high school does it take to build a building?” a man asked. “Look what’s happened to (he mentioned a store in the strip mall at Yosemite and Flume), they been working on it for two, three years. Now they’re tearing it down again. This is what they call beautification in Madera?”
“Attention, parents of junior high and high schools in Madera County,” began a lady. “There is something going on. Recently, I found my child’s cell phone and out of curiosity I read her text messages. What a shock. My sweet innocent 14-year old has some of the most sexually explicit messages from a young boy describing every sex act he planned with her.” The caller said, “it seems all the kids are text messaging stuff like this.”
The caller also noted after speaking “with a friend of mine at the (County) Health Department that Madera has one of the highest teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease rates in the state.” She advised parents to “wake up, and check their messages.”
A gentleman said jokingly, “I just saw the paper today and it was nice to see our supervisor Ronn Dominici being gentlemanly by letting Mayor (Sally) Bomprezzi use his back for signing a document. I just want to know how she got him to stop talking and waving his arms for a few minutes.”
A lady called about last week’s woman concerned with “the 36-1 student-teacher ratio in classrooms.” She asked, “why are they building a new school in Parkwood and closing down the school at Eastin-Arcola? It’s a perfectly good school and they don’t even have money for teachers.”
A man said, “in Monday’s (March 3) paper under Coyote baseball, Justin Nash did start for the Coyotes and was relieved in the fifth inning with Madera leading 8 to 1. Most all of the runs were scored off of the relief pitchers that were left in the game way too long.”
A woman called after hearing a commercial against the “proposed new casino near Avenue 17. Come to the meeting at the fairgrounds and support what will help improve everything from roads and schools and community services in the city and county. I have spoken with several people in cities and towns north of here that have casinos in the area and they all say the Indian gaming funds have improved their towns and services.”
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A visitor to the Red Line online, “Concerned about education,” wrote a lengthy lament on education in California and Madera. She concludes, “Honestly, as a parent, I would be looking at a private school, charter school or home schooling my child. As an educator I am sad at the state of education in our local schools. But I have to tell you parents do make a difference! Attend your next school board meeting and let them know our children’s futures cannot be cut anymore.”
A reader, “floydy,” commented on a letter by Steven Ingle that complained of changes in Madera. Floydy writes, “If you want to avoid a town with a Mexican-centric economy you should move to a city that’s not in the agricultural epicenter of California, if you can afford it.”
In response to Ingle’s letter, another reader, “Janet,” writes, “The real problem in Madera is there is not enough for the 15-20 year-old young adults to do. Sure, there is a skate park, but no place for them to hang out. Royal 8 and teen dances are no longer here for them. Just think of all the young adults that have died because of alcohol.”
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Thank you for your calls. Remember, the Red Line is open for your messages 24-hours a day by calling 674-4478 or visiting www.MaderaTribuneRedLine.com.
