Red Line (June 23)
Sunday, June 28, 2009All comments are edited for length and content. Due to content or space limitations some comments may not be published. More than one comment from the same person during the same week will normally not be published. Please limit calls to two minutes or less.
A lady offered “congratulations to Madera Unified School District for downsizing the eighth-grade promotion and for calling it a promotion instead of a graduation. It is appropriate to take a moment to reflect on the middle school years. It is not appropriate to treat the event like a life’s achievement. Leave the pomp and circumstance to the high school graduation.”
A gentleman who called “in response to the letter concerning the graduation, slash, promotion, from sixth grade and junior high school,” had this to say. “Come on, we’re talking about elementary and junior high making a big deal with cap and gown and everything. It dilutes the value of the high school and college diploma when you’re doing this all the way down to pre-school. This is not a long tradition. It puts a financial burden on the parents. Then they have to turn around and do it all again in four years.”
A recently-moved-to-Madera caller (first name given) from Washington State said, “We don’t need to celebrate every time somebody moves on. In my state they don’t celebrate until they graduate from high school and college. Maybe we should be more concerned with the education gained in high school and not thinking their eighth-grade diploma will get them anywhere.”
An “out of towner that takes the Tribune,” was “finally glad that someone called about this (Eddie) Chapa fellow. In his letters to the editor he repeats himself over and over. It’s the same old story. Same old song and dance.”
A woman called “after reading Mo’s Musings, and his article about his father. The paper should be ashamed running a picture with Emo’s father lighting a cigarette. It’s a bad influence on today’s teenagers. And,” she continued, “I’m sure his father would be ashamed of him wearing shorts all the time and hugging every woman he sees.”
Again, there were many calls received about the graffiti problem. Far too many to publish, but here’s a few. A woman said, “The graffiti in Madera is terrible, and the parents should be held responsible.” On another subject she asked, “what happened to the Blue Man? I miss his stories.” (Editor’s note: The Blue Man has moved out of state.)
A man “understands that it’s a big job, and there’s a lot of it and we have to keep pressing. But I called the graffiti abatement people on three occasions. I even talked to the guru of graffiti abatement to report there is graffiti all over the sidewalk out here. He said they would be out in seven days. It’s been close to four months and they haven’t come yet.
A man responded to the woman who said baseball “Coach (George) McWherter was not a coach for the kids.” This week’s caller disagreed. “That is nonsense. He has been a good coach for a number of years and has won valley titles as a head coach. He has put kids into pro baseball over a number of years. I think it is the young, inexperienced athletic director who is either on an ego or power trip, and a principal that is allowing him to get away with it, that has led to this big mistake.”
A lady said, “Saturday was the last game for my son in T-Ball. What a great time. He met new friends and so did I. It was all clapping and cheering for both teams. I have an older son in Little League and what a difference, just booing and complaining. I met one of the gentlemen who runs the T-Ball games. What a nice man. He was cheering and clapping for every player. I wish all the leagues were as fun as T-Ball” A caller complained police did not respond quickly to a call about a quad rider “going a minimum of 40 mph down the (Fresno) River Trail. He almost hit my wife and I, and at least a half-dozen other people.” A woman was walking through Arbor Vitae Cemetery and saw “a lady walking her two dogs. My first thought was, does she not know dogs are not allowed in the cemetery? Secondly, she let her dog run up on the grass where he did his business. Granted, she did pick it up and throw it away, but in my opinion, shame on her for allowing her dogs there. People are resting, people who are there are remembering. I don’t think it was very nice of her.” A lady called to ask if the names of all the graduates of the high schools be put in the paper. Later, after they were published, another lady called to say “thank you for putting the Madera High Coyotes pictures and names in the newspaper.”
A woman was “very upset at our local movie theater. They used to run an ad every day (in the paper), and I can understand the economics and hard times, but couldn’t they run an ad at least once a week? How about Fridays?”
Another caller also mentioned she “hasn’t been able to find the movie listings in the paper for Madera. I don’t know what’s wrong with those people, but I have quit going to the Madera movies all together.”
A woman “was looking at the Saturday paper showing the state looks to deport the inmates. I’m looking at this guy who’s complaining that his family is going to be left behind in the United States if they deport him.” The caller said she “had two words for that man and the rest of them: Too bad. You should never have committed the crime in the first place.”
Thank you for your comments. Remember, the Red Line is open for your messages 24 hours a day by calling 674-4478, or by visiting www.maderatribuneredline.com.
