Red Line (Feb. 6)
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Multiple readers of the Red Line online commented about a video on the Web site (www.maderatribuneredline.com / local-film-woodie-wagon-restored) that showed the restoration of an 8-door Woodie Wagon at a Coarsegold shop in Madera County. On Monday, “Jeff Boyd” wrote, “The woodie consumed 2.5 years and 4,500 hours of labor to restore it. Thank you for all the great response.”
A visitor to www.MaderaTribuneRedLine.com / Krista-Pike-remembered, “Janizzle,” wrote, “Krista, Although I didn’t know you personally (you were on my sister’s softball team) your story has touched me. I cannot imagine what your family and friends are going through, but I pray that they find the strength and courage that I know you’d want them to have.”
An online reader, “April Rain,” wrote, “I call the family just about everyday. I hurt so badly at the thought of them going through this. I prayed they would never have to. Everything seems unreal. Like it’s a bad dream and I’m just waiting to wake up. But I know I won’t. I’ll wake up tomorrow and still have to deal with your absence. It just hurts. So unbelievably bad. I just want you to come home. I’ll look out for the family. I promise. Tell Liz I say hi.”
A poetess visiting the Red Line, “Jennifer Uemura,” wrote, “Krista, Always had on a pretty smile, / Always had time to talk for awhile, / Always saw the good in all, / She was the pick me up if you were going to fall …”
An Oklahoman, “Gundy,” wrote, “I can’t understand how somebody can just go and take another’s life. A young heart stopped beating because of the bitterness and hate another girl felt in her heart. I am thinking about this gorgeous young woman and her family and friends. The outpouring of love in all the comments left on here, tells me that she was a truly remarkable girl. I only wish my daughter would have had a friend like her. When we lived in Madera, I never even thought that something like this could happen.”
Visitor “Steven Imada (SMURF)” wrote, “(Krista) you will dearly be missed in all of our hearts.”
Multiple readers of the Red Line online left comments criticizing the Jan. 26th article entitled “Anatomy of a murder: Final minutes.” One critic, “RyanC105,” also noted, “Although I agree that the article was done in poor taste and very well could have hindered the criminal investigation, as a criminology/psychology major, I will have to disagree with one of the comments made by Ms. Padilla. Serial killers are not made through reading newspaper articles nor is there any support studies that actually show a strong correlation between knowing the gruesome details of a murder scene (and becoming a serial killer).”
A visitor, “Carmen,” wrote, “I truly believe that (John Rieping) the writer of this story should be suspended without pay or even possibly fired. Doesn’t he know that certain things that were mentioned on the newspaper were supposed to be confidential? He completely overdid it.”
Tribune columnist Sharon Stockdale wrote on the Red Line, “I am a firm believer in freedom of speech, but still I was shocked to see the article in The Madera Tribune, especially right there above the fold on the front page. I purposely did not read it. We may not have any control over what is published in a newspaper, or put on television or a movie screen, but all of us have the right not to read it or view it.”
A reader, “JP,” criticized Rieping personally — and The Madera Tribune — for “Final minutes” and wrote to the Pike family, “For my part, I would like to extend my deepest and sincerest apologies to the Pike family. This stunt by the Tribune is not indicative of a lot of Maderans, past and present, and no parent should have to endure what you have. My prayers continue to be with you.”
He later commented, “Earlier, I posted a very scathing commentary regarding Mr. John Rieping at The Madera Tribune, and his — and their — insensitivity and lack of journalistic tact in publishing the story on Krista Pike’s murder. I stand behind every single word. … but know this: John is a good person at heart, and again should at least be given credit for being journalistically transparent and open to criticism.”
A “concerned resident” wrote about the uproar, “There is a lot of ignorance on both sides concerning this issue. I will just leave it at that and let you guess what I’m talking about.”
A visitor, self-identified as Jennifer Starline (sister of Thomas Hollier), wrote, “How dare The Madera Tribune print such things. … If the ‘writer’ of that article could have seen my brother as he read that article the ‘writer’ maybe would have seen the pain he caused and then maybe he could have grown a heart. To him I guess, a ‘story is just a story.’
“I can not thank everyone enough from the bottom of my heart for ripping into the ‘writer and editor’ the way you did. Thank you again. Lets just all forget what was written in the paper and remember our beloved Krista-Rae Pike the way she was when she was still with us on earth. Thank you again for all the comments and defense. With love from Krista’s sister-in-law.”
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Thank you for your comments. Remember, the Red Line is open for your messages 24 hours a day by calling 674-4478 or visiting www.MaderaTribuneRedLine.com
Recently I heard about the city planning on restricting minors and people with skateboards and bicycles from Town and Country Park. Also, I have heard about the police enforcing the fact that skateboarding is not allowed at the ampitheater area more than they usually would. From what I heard this is all because of the graffiti on the ampitheater building that appears every week. There are ways to solve this problem or at least reduce it. First, the city could put more adequate lighting around the area and, if needed, cameras to catch who is responsible. Secondly, they could just move the building to a different park, maybe over by the skate park.
I am not against graffiti completely just the random scribbles and non-artistic kind. So, maybe as the last and probably best/easiest solution to this problem is to have a legal graffiti wall somewhere in the city or barely outside of the city limits. The city or whoever maintains the location it is in will be able to charge for its use and that money will either go towards the city or towards some other cause. Just look at the legal graffiti walls in Venice Beach and in Calwa. These both cost money to be able to use and great works of art can be seen on both constantly. Maybe it is not really cameras and more lighting that are needed to solve this problem in our city and at Town and Country Park.
Maybe the City of Madera needs to open its mind and allow a legal place where young artists/graffiti artists can do their art. This will at least reduce the amount of illegal vandalism and tagging by a good amount. Even if it does not the city will earn more money from it to spend on abatement or whatever else important they may need to spend it on.
Also, a combination of these solutions could be used, meaning lighting and/or cameras in the area at Town and Country Park and the legal graffiti wall or moving the building to a different park and still having the legal graffiti wall. Hopefully these ideas will be considered by the City of Madera and its citizens and they will not have closed minds towards the legal graffiti wall idea. I believe that that one thing would be a valuable contribution to the community/arts community.
I agree about artistic graffiti. I have lived and worked in cities coast to coast that have legal graffiti walls.
However … I draw the line between real art and “Wanna be” gang-bangers tagging everything in sight.
Don’t just take my word for it…go and look at the trees that have been tagged in the park. Drive out past Chavez school all the way down over the creek and look at the tagging on the sand pipes, or along the fences and walls on Cleveland; electrical boxes and street lamp posts. Look up over the Factory-to-U store, even on churches!
Again I stand by what feel should be done to these thoughtless, dirt-bags:
I really think that when they catch these little $#its or big ones. They should make them clean it up and wear a sign on the corner of Yosemite and Gateway telling everyone that they are a tagger and saying they are heartfelt sorry for their actions. Also bill their parents!
(Really it is too bad we couldn’t just strip them to their underwear and spray paint them then march them through town.) I for one am tired of this whole “hood” crap. “Cowards” is more like it.