All calls are edited for length and content. Due to content some calls may not be published. Please limit your calls to two minutes or less. Repeat messages on the same subject adding to the length will not be published. Some weeks, due to the number of calls and space, some may not be published.

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A male caller responded to “the letter by (Gordon) Skeels” and said, “he either has to be a millionaire or totally out of touch with reality. He said a lot, but didn’t say much,” the caller concluded.

A man called about the article “‘Rancho Alegre: keeping tradition alive,’ and where they are offering us a piece of Mexico. They give information to call” and a phone number “Spanish only. America,” the caller claimed, “you are, no doubt, the most gullible nation on the planet and you are going to find out shortly you are going to be picking your own fields.”

COPY EDITOR’S NOTE: English-speakers wishing information on upcoming horse races at Rancho Allegre may call 479-1653. Contrary to a front page article published on Monday, July 23, the telephone number is not Spanish-only. The Madera Tribune regrets the error and any inconvenience the error may have caused.

A man called in response (last week) from the caller saying we should not send the kids to Las Vegas for a football game. This week’s caller said, “I think it’s great” that they are going and hope “we can do a lot more for the kids.”

A man called about “the Madera city bus. They are not paying them enough money and they are going to go on strike if they don’t get what they want. For people depending on the bus, there will be no bus.”

“Thank you so much for bringing back (Columnist) Bill Coate,” said a lady. “I love it. It’s fabulous. Love the history.”

A lady asked about an article on the San Joaquin River, “protect the river from what? When do we start protecting the taxpayers?” We need to focus on schools, roads and other items the caller emphasized. “Let the river do what it’s supposed to do. Let it run free.”

A woman called about the Madera Aquatics Team. “Those poor swimmers have to swim from 8:30 to 9:30. Why not give these children an earlier time and give the water polo or other high school swim teams a later slot? They’re older and I’m sure they can handle the time better than the younger swimmers. These swimmers have come a long way and three of them are going to the Junior Olympics. They are the future for Madera High School swim teams and water polo teams.”

“My wife and I really enjoy your writer, Leon Emo’s columns and monthly travel articles (Mo’s Meanderings), but his writing on his trip to Alaska (Saturday, July 28) topped them all. Except for his trips to the desert. The color photos were great and the entire page. You have a good staff,” said the caller, “keep up the good work.”

A lady also called about the Tribune columnist and his Alaska article. “I can’t believe it. Emo probably had to actually put on long pants and dress decent for dinner,” said the woman. “That is if he was a gentleman enough to take his so-called gal to dinner on the cruise ship.”

A hard-to-understand voice said he and others worked “with pesticides and the company doesn’t want to give us any medical attention.” He asked if we would “put his comments in the paper to see if there are any other people in the area” that have the same problem.

A woman reported driving “by a place, and there’s this family and they live in a house that has no water. Its been like that for months. Is there someone that could help them?” She did not leave an address or phone number.

A woman had “two words for the drivers of Madera. Turn Signals.”

These comments were on maderatribuneredline.com:

“George Arias” wrote: “Madera is long overdue for a state of the art swimming pool for all ages. Do the people of Madera need to start a fundraising campaign to get one? Are there any grants or funds to get this done? It’s needed now. Build it and lots of great things will happen.”

“Securityman491” wrote: “I wish Madera would adopt a policy like so many others have back east, which is to not let illegals rent housing, and fine severely owners who do. I’ve lived in Madera for almost 30 years and I’m sick of it! I couldn’t take it anymore. I moved out of Madera.”

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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 you can contact us on line at www.maderatribuneredline.com.

The July 31st issue of The Madera Tribune covered such topics as the rising foreclosures, a Madera bank robber pleading guilty, a plan to improve Road 222 in North Fork, an upcoming walk to promote breastfeeding, a fire truck nearly flipping, a man pulling a gun in a fast food drive-thru, pollution found in valley waterways, and more. What are your thoughts about what was published? What wasn’t in this issue that could have been? Feel free to let everyone know below.

Please note that all comments will be reviewed before appearing on the Web site. Comments may also be published in The Madera Tribune or El Sol de Madera.

The July 28th issue of The Madera Tribune covered such topics as the Senior Farmer Dinner, a man’s second arrest for growing “medical” marijuana, a Madera native’s goal of musical stardom, the forgotten historic raceway nicknamed Little Okie Raceway, the beginning of the annual Joaquin Murrieta Ride, an RV home catching fire off of SR 41, the passage of the farm bill, journeys to Alaska, and more. What are your thoughts about what was published? What wasn’t in this issue that could have been? Feel free to let everyone know below.

Please note that all comments will be reviewed before appearing on the Web site. Comments may also be published in The Madera Tribune or El Sol de Madera.

The July 26th issue of The Madera Tribune covered such topics as the masseur case, two University of California studies on obesity causes, the farm bill getting bogged down, the Iron-Horse Joaquin Murrieta Ride, a cat that seems to predict the death of nursing home residents, the birth of the Atomic Age, a Madera Ranchos man winning a PGA championship, and more. What are your thoughts about what was published? What wasn’t in this issue that could have been? Feel free to let everyone know below.

Please note that all comments will be reviewed before appearing on the Web site. Comments may also be published in The Madera Tribune or El Sol de Madera.

The July 25th issue of The Madera Tribune covered such topics as the Central Valley housing grants, researchers linking nutrition with asthma severity, Maderan athlete making a name for herself at the college softball showcase, a man charged with cutting railroad communications electronics, a Chowchilla boy’s death to leukemia, and more. What are your thoughts about what was published? What wasn’t in this issue that could have been? Feel free to let everyone know below.

Please note that all comments will be reviewed before appearing on the Web site. Comments may also be published in The Madera Tribune or El Sol de Madera.

Anything missing from this calendar of events (July 25-31) for the San Joaquin Valley? Comments on any of the events? Let everyone know.

Please note that all comments will be reviewed before appearing on the Web site. Comments may also be published in The Madera Tribune or El Sol de Madera.

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Thursday, July 25-26
Lil Stallions’ Football Camp — 6-8 p.m., Madera South High football field, 705 West Pecan. Learn the fundamentals of football such as kicking, passing, punting, receiving, blocking and tackling. The cost is $30 per camper (scholarships are available.) For information, call Scott Donegan, 650-743-2531 or 675-4644, ext. 1901.

Thursday, July 26
Senior Farmer Dinner — 6 p.m., Madera Municipal Golf Course, 23200 Ave. 17. Honoring Vernon Martinazzi tickets are $35 each with tables of 10 available. Tickets must be purchased in advance. No tickets at the door. Potential sponsors or friends and family who would like to participate in the Senior Farmer presentation can call Debi Bray at the chamber, 673-3563, in advance.

Friday, July 27
Shades of Grey — 7 to 10 p.m. playing the big band sound at the Frank Bergon Senior Center, 238 North D. St. All ages are welcome and donations are accepted. For information, call 673-4293.

Poetry reading — 6 to 8 p.m., Cole’s Books and Bagels, 1516 Howard Road. Brandon Cesmat, author of Driven into the Shade and a 2003 San Diego Book Award winner for poetry, will read poetry and perform music. The event is sponsored by Poets & Writers, Inc., through a grant from the James Irvine Foundation. Driven into the Shade was published by Poetic Matrix Press of Madera.

Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28
Madera Youth Soccer Camp — 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 27, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 28, Millview Soccer Complex. Fee is $10 per player. Open to boys and girls ages 5 to 12. For information, call Denise Romero, 975-7635, or Angel Garza, 706-2577.

Saturday, July 28
Youth Football and Cheer — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Lions Town and Country Park. Open to youth, kindergarten through sixth grade. Copy of birth certificate and a sports physical is required before the first day of season. For information and fees for football, call Dan Englehaupt, 661-7571 or for cheer, Yolanda Galindo, 232-8375.

Monday-Friday, July 30-Aug 3
Five-day Club for Kids — 6:30 to 8:30 pm., Madera Family Church of the Nazarene, 1021 Austin St. Beginning of five days of Bible stories, crafts, games and snacks. For information, call 674-0911.

Tuesday, July 31
Autism Epidemic Meeting — 6 to 9 p.m. at California State University, Fresno, Peters Auditorium, 5245 North Backer Ave. Town hall meeting on autism epidemic. Blue Ribber legislative staff will discuss status of autism commission. For information, contact Chuck at 232-9094

All calls are edited for length and content. Due to content some calls may not be published. Please limit your calls to two minutes or less. Repeat messages on the same subject adding to the length will not be published. Some weeks, due to the number of calls and space, some may not be published.
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A man said, “All the fireworks stands have been torn down.” He continued, “What is atrocious, though, is all the garbage and all the boxes (shipping) that the fireworks came in left behind by those who ran those fireworks’ stands. They have no consideration for the town.” He also recommended “next year the stands be operated by non-profit organizations and youth groups.”

What was a similar voice asked the police department, “I wonder why you don’t pick up the people that are pushing the shopping carts around if they are in possession of stolen property? Are you trying to tell me if they have my TV in their possession you wouldn’t stop and pick them up?” He then asked, “why does Council Member (Sally) Bomprezzi want to take and tack a bill onto the local merchants? Everybody will pay extra at the stores.”

The same voice also called about the article on “Michael McHatten, the new director of administrative services for the city of Madera. He lives in Clovis and has no intentions of moving to Madera.” The caller asked, “how much interest can he put into the city of Madera when he lives outside the city? I would think when they hire people, they would want them to live in the community where they’re working so they have an interest. I think it is ludicrous.”

A woman called and said, “today’s paper, page A3, has a picture of the superintendent and Millview Elementary School kids. There is this boy that looks like he is holding up three fingers.” She said it might be a gang sign and concluded, “I can’t believe this picture could have been printed. It should have been looked at more carefully before being printed.”

“I’m not a Democrat,” began a gentleman’s call, “but I read Monday’s (July 16) letter to the editor by Gordon Skeels about George Bush and I must make some comments. First,” he said, “the Bush administration invaded a sovereign nation in the faint and false hopes of finding weapons of mass destruction. They (the Bush administration) introduced Al Qeada into Iraq. They were not there when we came in. The Bush administration has caused the largest deficit in the history of this nation that our grandchildren’s grandchildren will still be paying.” He mentioned laws being trampled, Katrina victims still waiting for aid, and benefits being cut. “The Bush administration,” he concluded, “will go down in history as the worst administration ever.”

A man called about the police not doing anything concerning a vehicle accident message (by a Red Line call) involving an illegal. “Our police department ought to be ashamed of themselves. They don’t seem to want to do anything. They just hide wherever they want to hide. In the case of an emergency,” the caller stated, “It takes forever for them to respond.” On another subject, he commented, “on how this town looks. I’m very ashamed to live in this in town. It should be called — (not discernible).” He gave his name as “Jim, and have been living here about four years.”

A man called about “the Madera Coyote football game going to play its opening football game in Las Vegas.” The caller “didn’t understand how Madera Unified would allow this when the Madera Unified cannot give their teachers a respectful raise in wages.” In the caller’s “opinion, classroom instruction is more important than a trip to Vegas for a football game.”

A lady called regarding the troubles of a local masseur and said, “in my opinion, the women bear some responsibility along with the businessman. If they don’t want to get burned, stay out of the kitchen.”

A woman added to the numerous messages “about the developers not repairing their roads. My car, as well, has been damaged by developers tearing up the roads with new home construction.” She felt “they should pay for all these damages to the vehicles.” She suggested people with similar problems “or damage to their vehicles (from the roads) write in to see how many have been damaged.”

A woman called about the cleaning businesses in town. Her opinion was “Only in Madera can people stay in business and do shoddy work.” She hoped, “They stay in Madera because if they were anywhere else they would have been put out of business a long time ago.”

A man “wondered why his (county) bill was received on July 17,” and concluded the county would reply, “We are understaffed in our new $40-million dollar government center. Huh!”

A male voice said he saw a newscast “with the governor at San Luis showing very little water” and pleas for water conservation. It was followed by a story that featured “Fresno building a golf course (Running Horse), which is the most non-productive waste of water there is. Less than 10 percent of the people will use it. It seems ludicrous to be wasting water on a golf course when we are not going to have enough water to drink.”

“Where is our postmaster?” asked a lady. “I have no complaints about the two mail clerks (at the counter), they do their job and are friendly.” She wondered what happens to the others “when the line gets longer (out the door) and the window’s are closed. The clerks go in and out as though they don’t even see us. Please do something.”

“Three shopping centers at one time is a bit too many,” began a man’s message. “The (city) council should not put in any city money unless absolutely required. But three at once is a bad idea. Someone is going to get hurt.”

“It just seems like there’s a whole lot of county officials and county people that don’t know how to react or act,” said a man referring to a pending lawsuit. “I don’t know how you say it, but it seems it’s time to clean up this place.”

Regarding a story about a 17-year-old boy being injured while playing “chicken” with a train, a reader said on maderatribuneredline.com: “Where were this young man’s parents? He was 17, out with a bunch of others probably the same age. Had he died, the parents would be the first to step up to sue, but where are they in the wee hours of the morning? I believe charges should be pressed against this whole group of young people. What a dumb thing to be doing and watching. What a horrible thing to watch someone die this way.”
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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; readers may also visit maderatribuneredline.com to leave their comments.

The July 24th issue of The Madera Tribune covered such topics as the Madera County Taxpayers Association’s efforts to protect the San Joaquin River, the city and county’s concerns with flood control, a planned battle of the bands to raise funds for literacy, the Madera Aquatic Team’s struggle to find practice times, a local elderly woman found dead in her backyard, and more. What are your thoughts about what was published? What wasn’t in this issue that could have been? Feel free to let everyone know below.

Please note that all comments will be reviewed before appearing on the Web site. Comments may also be published in The Madera Tribune or El Sol de Madera.

The July 23rd issue of The Madera Tribune covered such topics as local Harry Potter mania, an organization that feeds visitors to the women’s prison in Chowchilla, Rancho Alegre’s work to keep a Mexican tradition alive locally, Golden Valley Unified School District’s grant applications, and more. What are your thoughts about what was published? What wasn’t in this issue that could have been? Feel free to let everyone know below.

Please note that all comments will be reviewed before appearing on the Web site. Comments may also be published in The Madera Tribune or El Sol de Madera.

The July 21st issue of The Madera Tribune covered such topics as a 17-year-old being hit by a train, the increase in Alzheimer’s incidents, a formal complaint filed against a county official, the latest farm bill’s possible impact on the valley, and more. What are your thoughts about what was published? What wasn’t in this issue that could have been? Feel free to let everyone know below.

Please note that all comments will be reviewed before appearing on the Web site. Comments may also be published in The Madera Tribune or El Sol de Madera.