Red Line (Nov. 3)
Music Video: “Evil Genius” by Eleventyseven
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 Due to content or space limitations some comments may not be published. More than one comment from the same person during the same week will normally not be published.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.
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A woman said, “my son goes to Sherman Thomas Charter School … It is one of the best schools in Madera County. They treat the children just like family, everybody. I just wanted everyone to know what a great school it is.”
After reading last week’s Red Line “and the people who wanted the drive-in theater swap meet to continue,” a woman said, “I think it is wonderful that they have closed it. That road on Sunday was impossible to go down with all the roach-coaches and all the cars going in and out. I don’t blame the people who live there. It was terrible for them.”
Another woman said, “Keep the swap meet closed. It’s a mess.”
But another lady said, “I find it sad the actions of the filthy, uncaring people at the swap meet has caused it to be shut down. The drive-in owner has given a lot of time and funds over many years, and even before the swap meet, to help make Madera a better place to live. Now he is being punished instead of the people who have no respect for fellow citizens or Madera.”
A man suggested “the lady who’s complaining about the Spanish billboards should get together with the lady complaining about the American flag hanging in front of somebody’s house. English is the spoken language and the red, white and blue is the favorite color.”
A man said, “I just got my VIA magazine from AAA, and there is a piece in there about an open air art museum just east of Death Valley. I got to visit that piece of land, thanks to your columnist Leon Emo. He took me on a four-day trip through the northern Mojave showing and telling me the history of ghost towns, scenery and everything. Quite a guide.”
A man called about “the comments made about the red paint overspray on West Yosemite and Howard Road.” He suggested, “Some people just don’t see the big picture. In this economy the government is trying to create jobs. So let’s send two or three people out to do a job that normally would only take one person to do. Then, when they get overspray all over, they have to go back the next day with another crew and clean up the mess the first crew made. They’re just creating jobs.”
A woman spotted “a certain lady, a Highway Patrol officer, on I Street,” and “thought it was odd she was on her cell phone. I don’t think it is any less dangerous for the Highway Patrol than it is for anybody else. My daughter is starting to drive and if she sees a Highway Patrol person on her cell phone I think it is a bad signal.”
A man said he read that “the State Fair in Sacramento is going to change dates because of poor attendance, etc.” He also “read that the Fresno Fair had good attendance and was happy with the results. However, concerning our local fair, there was absolutely no information about the results of our fair.” He “was just wondering if it was good, bad or indifferent. Are fairs becoming a thing of the past?”
A man “wanted to thank the teachers at James Monroe for their hard work. Especially those teachers that are tutoring after school.”
A lady called about “the surplus commodities. I was trying to call the phone number today to see if I could pick my food up at Oberti’s (warehouse) and they said the number had been disconnected for Madera County Food Bank.” Another number, she said, had also been disconnected. “My friend missed out on her food because she could not call and find out where to pick it up.” She had been told, “it was supposed to be in the newspaper, but there was nothing in the paper. They need to get a schedule in the paper. I thought they (the Food Bank) was supposed to be helping people get their food.”
(Editor’s note: The Food Bank has opened in a new location, 225 S. Pine St.)
A lady said she “was concerned about the pedestrian lines (crosswalks) on Yosemite Avenue and D Street. They’ve needed painting for a long time now. I don’t know if it is Caltrans who’s supposed to paint it; and (also) the crossing area is chock-full of holes. Somebody needs to put some new asphalt down.”
“A parent” made a “comment about Madera High’s varsity football team. If the school board or whoever is in charge of that position can’t see that it is not getting any better with the same coach. Over and over, it is the same thing. What are they waiting for?
“I know they let go of our baseball coach, but at least they won some games and were competitive. The football team should not even be on the same field with these other teams. He (the coach) has not really won anything here. I keep hearing there’s some talent on that football team, but it’s not going to come out with that coach.”
The man mentioned last Thursday’s game, “77-14 they lost.” (Actually, 70-14) against Central. That’s embarrassing.”
A woman asked, “can somebody explain why, week after week in your TV guide, you show, under weekday mornings the same shows as you show weekday afternoons? Please let me know. Thank you.”
A woman did not want Maderans to forget the coming Veterans Day (Nov. 11) and requested, “please fly your flag, attend a memorial service. Let’s pay tribute to all those, from the Revolutionary War to Iraq and Afghanistan wars and those in between, who have given their lives so that we can have freedom. Thank you, veterans, men and women.”
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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 by visiting maderatribuneredline.com.
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Music Video: “Trouble” by Coldplay
Is that proposed Avenue 17 development dead due to the recession. Everything was happening in 2007 and 2008 and now nothing. Whats the scoop on Avenue 17 and Zelman?