Red Line (Jan 20)
All comments are edited for length and content. Due to content or space limitations some comments may not be published Please limit your calls to two minutes or less.
“I would like to thank the Madera County Civil Service,” said a woman, “for dedicating their conference room to my daughter, Julie Ford.”
A lady wanted “to comment on a few things on the Red Line. First, where is the public recycling? Madera has let graffiti and the dumping of garbage all along the roadways get out of hand … I’ve been recycling for years, but we need a place to dispose of it. (Editor’s note: For hours and directions, call Heartland Opportunities Center, 674-4521.)
“Also the mailboxes here are broken into on a daily basis out in Madera County … Oh, by the way, what happened to, to whatever it is, the train stop, being moved to the other location at Country Club Drive? It is still over there on Avenue 15.”
A man called with “another message about postal service in the Country Club (Drive) area.” Several people have mentioned they are getting others’ mail, “and the same thing has been happening to us. The postal workers should have a little professionalism and talking on the cell phone (while distributing mail) is uncalled for.”
A lady had a similar comment. “I have been wondering what has been happening to our mail. Payments that were sent were not received and we have been missing mail. Then, I’ve been reading where many people have been having the same problems. I hope the mail delivery will improve.”
A man had a solution for “these little (graffiti) taggers. You dress them up in a little pink tutu and you take them around with the cleanup crew. Then hang a sign on them that reads ‘This is what I get for tagging.’ Or you can take them out to Wal-Mart and put them in a see-through plastic box and let them stand in that thing all day long stating again, ‘This is what I get for tagging.’ You’ve got to embarrass them. You’ve got to humiliate them. You can’t just send them to Juvenile Hall.”
A lady left a rather confusing message that said, “I think the only way to get rid of these horrible taggers is, when you catch them, you put them along with their families to get rid of them all.”
An online Red Line visitor, “Juan,” thought he had the solution to Madera’s graffiti problem. He writes, “The problem is the ignorance of the parents and the passive nature of the school district … I remember all the kids at school with tagging on their backpacks and binders. Confiscate the d–n things, take pictures, match them with the graffiti around town, (and) bingo the problem is solved.”
He wasn’t pleased that the city wanted to hire graffiti elimination experts. He writes, “Thats more money the city doesn’t have out the window.”
A woman, who said she “was a local reader” and “doesn’t normally call the Red Line,” saw “an article on page six about animals that were up for adoption. The proofreader in there doesn’t seem to be doing his job because the headline says the ‘Pest of the Week.’ (instead of ‘Pets of the Week’) I think you should try a little harder.”
“I keep reading in the Tribune about all the wonderful plans for the city in the year 2025,” said a lady. “But from what I witnessed this afternoon I don’t see it happening. I saw a poor, helpless cat suffering from injuries inflicted by someone’s dog. This little cat was trying to, but unable to, reach help.
“That is when several elementary school kids got off a bus and, before an adult could get to the cat, three-quarters of the kids tried to kick, step on or shoot this poor animal. Just think, those kids will be the adults in Madera in 2025. To see kids acting this way, it just broke my heart.”
An online reader, self-identified as “Ms. Sandoval,” wished to warn parents. She writes, “I would like to give warning to parents dropping their kids off at the skating rink on Friday and Saturday. The owner is selling energy drinks to these kids, most kids are in corners making out with each other, the dances are inappropriate and these kids range from (ages) 11 to 15. And people wonder why the teen pregnancy rate is high. Friday was my son’s first and last night there.”
Another Internet guest, “Karan Pursell,” commented on the passing of the city’s ballpark icon Kenny Taylor. She writes, “I didn’t know him past a ‘hello’ at a ball game. My son Mike knew him from his involvement in Madera baseball. When Kenny heard that Mike had leukemia, he called to check on him and to see if he could do anything for him. That meant a great deal to the whole family, especially Mike. We were sad to hear of his passing and only wished we could have called to see if we could have helped him. God’s comfort and peace to his family.”
Thank you for your calls. Remember, the Red Line is open for your messages 24 hours a day by calling 674-4478, or by logging on to maderatribuneredline.com.
