Red Line (Oct. 15)
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 Due to content some calls may not be published.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 Repeat messages on the same subject adding to the length will not be published. Some weeks, due to the number of calls and space, some may not be published.
+ + +
–“This message is for the city of Madera,” began a message from a woman. “I’m not using your blue can. You can take your blue can anytime you want. It is sitting out here in front of my house. It will be sitting out here until the wheels have rotted off it. You’re making money off of everybody in this town,” she continued, “and taxing and charging us for the blue cans.”
–A lady called about the article “about the Christian bikers in town. It was really good. I look forward to stories like this. I just want to compliment the writer and newspaper.”
–A woman responded to “the man who wrote the letter in last Tuesday’s paper questioning the Catholic Church.” She suggested, “to get your answers all you have to do is enroll in the RCIA classes in the Catholic Church.” She also suggested an Internet site and a television network.
–A man at Lions Town & Country Park noticed “a group of teenagers all gathering up, brakes slamming and tires squealing.” At the south end of the park he noticed “something was going on, and what appeared to be a fight. There was yelling and screaming.” He decided to call the police and was “surprised to find” the non-emergency number had been changed. He reported what he saw by calling 911 and was told, “by the dispatcher, that officers were already on the way. They never showed up until about 10 minutes later,” said the caller. “By then somebody could have been killed. By the time they showed all the teenagers involved had already taken off. I was really disappointed.” The caller changed his reference of Town & Country Park to “Lincoln Park,” and again stated that the park had become a gang area. He concluded, “I am a concerned citizen and taxpayer.”
–A man who “happened to be attending a meeting of the Madera Unified School Board, when one of your columnists, Jim Glynn, was speaking. It was a little while back,” he admitted, but “was totally appalled at the action of a board member (named), and his outrageous blood pressure thing and the way he stated things.” He said he would like to see this particular trustee “investigated” and wondered if he suffered from “being bipolar.”
–A woman was concerned “about the block on North C Street, from Griffin Hall to 4th Street. It is a disgrace to Madera. The people who live there hang their underwear in the front yard, on the fence and wherever they can. It’s a jungle there. At one time,” she continued, “there were beautiful homes there. The pride of Madera, but now they look awful. Where are the code enforcement officers?”
–“The lawn Gestapo, formerly known as the Madera Redevelopment Agency has taken a big bite. Sitting in their little office, looking down main street for five years looking at the Mexicali colors yet take no action. Now their jumping all over home owners. A 32-year old action being taken against citizens, boy,” he concluded, “is that a way to make friends?”
–A caller said, “I read the front page of your paper this morning about the city going out for a graffiti call then fining the resident for add on’s that were not permitted years ago. My understanding of the laws is that if a citizen calls for help on a item and the city finds something else wrong with another item that is not related to the crime that the city does not have the right to cite you.”
–A woman called about the article Monday “regarding the patio cover. I think the Code Enforcement is being a little ridiculous about the patio cover (shown in the Tribune). They should be more concerned about other issues in the city regarding dilapidated housing, and the trash and clutter in backyards. They need to be doing a better job about what is actually wrong with the city.”
–A man “found it quite funny on (Highway) 145, just east of Tozer where that new subdivision is that is only halfway built they are having a public auction to sell those houses. But,” the caller continued, “let’s go ahead and build more homes when we can’t even sell what we got. And let’s plan more houses like out at Avenue 12 and 145 (the Red Line believes the caller meant to say: Highway 41 and Avenue 12), 6,000 new homes. What were the politicians thinking of? I think the contractors deserve everything they lose on these houses.”
+ + +
Thank you for your calls. Remember, the Red Line is open for your messages 24-hours a day by calling 674-4478 or going on line at maderatribuneredline.com
