Red Line (June 16)
All 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 Due to content or space limitations some comments may not be published. More than one comment from the same person during the same week will normally not be published.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 responded to a caller last week who “complained about the $20 tickets to the air show. It all comes down to a matter of priorities. A $20 ticket to a show that was from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., that was family oriented and featured history, patriotism and good clean entertainment.”
“I just wanted to complain about Saturday’s paper,” said a woman. “The (Madera High) north campus got a raw deal on the pictures and I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way.” She mentioned several articles that could have waited or been placed elsewhere in the paper to make room for “better pictures. The other stuff could have waited. Madera (High) north campus got a really bad deal.”
Similar to the above, a lady said, “you certainly could have done a better job with the Madera South (High) graduation pictures. I think you gave (Madera High) north campus a lot more coverage, and it was the first graduation class for South High.”
“I thought Madera County had budget issues,” said a lady. “So why did the district attorney hire a supervisor for Madera County at over $95,000 a year when he has two supervisors already? Surely this money can be put to better use. Really, do 13 attorneys really need three supervisors whose salaries total over $300,000 between them? I don’t think so.”
Another woman wanted to comment “on the T-shirt promotion in the eighth grades at some of the middle schools. These kids do deserve to wear a cap and gown.” She also mentioned, “this year my sixth grader got a Xeroxed copied graduation notice. What is Madera Unified coming to?”
Another woman said, “How embarrassing to see our eighth graders graduating and advancing to high school in jeans and T-shirts when other schools are in cap and gowns. Madera, this is so embarrassing.”
A man “called in about the graffiti on my fence three months ago and they still haven’t come by and cleaned that up. Just how long does it take for the graffiti abatement guys to get over to the east side of town?”
A regular caller, a man, “directed a message to Gov. Schwarzenegger. Very simple, cancel the (State) Assembly, send them home. Revert back to an amateur Assembly. Get rid of the professional politicians and we’ll have no more problems.”
A woman called “about the two boys they caught doing so much damage with graffiti. Since the police know who they are I am encouraging people to call the district attorney’s office and give them your opinion. Do not let them go unpunished or their parents.” She said, “The number is 675-7726 and tell them you want to give an opinion for the district attorney.”
A lady responded “to the letter of Friday, June 12, on (former Madera High baseball coach) George McWherter. I am aware that George is a nice guy and believes in Madera sports. But unfortunately time has passed him. He can’t relate to boys that age. He spent all his time with Babe Ruth and Little League.” She said, “At practices he spends all his time talking to the parents, not coaching the kids. I do know one thing, when he was hired a vast majority of varsity players and parents were shocked and dismayed.”
A man also responded to “the letter that Bobby Kahn wrote about George McWherter. George is one of the nicest guys I ever met, but when it comes to practices, running the Xs and Os and game time decisions he may have lost a step. I think it was a smart move to let him go. I hope that Madera Unified can come up with a sort of general manager position for George. I think it was time to let him go, but I hope they can find something for George working with the youth.”
A gentleman had this to say about us, “I always look forward and read your articles on our Panama Mission. A lot of times we read your article to the congregation of our church. Keep up the good work. However, reading about the building of the church in one of the villages and the missionaries having to haul in supplies by boat and horseback, I would still bet the church in Panama is completed before the Youth Center in Madera.”
A woman called “about the graffiti on McKenna, Howard Road and Westberry, and also Lions Town & Country Park. I thought they were supposed to patrol every day. People call them and still there is graffiti there. It is getting really bad.”
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.
I was just wondering why when the entire State of California is in its 3rd year of drought, there are still several fund raiser, funeral donation etc. car washes every weekend. There are hundreds, if not thousands of people employed in the farming industry that aren’t working because the farms can’t get adequate water. Residents are on watering restrictions, yet the City of Madera is allowing multiple car washes to take place throughout the City……Why?
to those who think 8th graders need caps and gowns..they don’t graduate from 8th they go on to 9th. I came from several other twon before this one and NONE of them do an 8th grade graduation. Maybe it was Ok in farm days when 8th grade was as far as you went but not now. Cap/gowns for HS grads only. College too of course
The person who wrote the following knows absolutly nothing about George McWherter: A lady responded “to the letter of Friday, June 12, on (former Madera High baseball coach) George McWherter. I am aware that George is a nice guy and believes in Madera sports. But unfortunately time has passed him. He can’t relate to boys that age. He spent all his time with Babe Ruth and Little League.” She said, “At practices he spends all his time talking to the parents, not coaching the kids. I do know one thing, when he was hired a vast majority of varsity players and parents were shocked and dismayed.”
George is too good a coach for such … thinking. Madera lost more then a coach. They lost a builder of youth, a builder of a great institutions. What a shame, you folks don’t even know your hometown son.