The miracle of fresh air
One week after the CT Scan, the phone rang. It was the doctor’s office with some news that was not good for the patient. He was told, “You have emphysema.” Now it all made sense to the man. For over a year he had been coughing up some really ugly stuff on a regular basis. […]
Three cousins remember their heritage
As the three cousins, Bill Alessini, Jim Barsotti, and Maurice Cappelluti, sat together in front of their audience, alphabetically they represented the ABCs of Madera’s Barsotti family: The trio descended from their grandparents, Domenico and Louisa Barsotti, and they had gathered to share some memories of their Italian heritage with this writer and his cohorts. […]
Orange you lucky
This time of year, we are fortunate that our California orange crops are at their best, or soon will be. My mom has an orange tree in her back yard, but she waits until just about March to pick them. I just finished an orange before sitting down to write this column, so I am […]
Madera Athletic Hall of Fame inducts eighth class
After getting postponed for 14 months, the Madera F.A.N. Organization was finally able to hold its Madera Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony to induct its eighth class over the weekend. A record 12 inductions were handed out in the COVID-19 postponed ceremony. The Hall of Fame is scheduled to host induction ceremonies every even year. […]
San Joaquin Winery to host vendor fair
After receiving glowing reviews for her work organizing a vendor fair to All About Dance and Gymnastics, Kirsten Hefner was asked to do it again and she is organizing a bigger one at San Joaquin Winery. San Joaquin Winery presents Central Valley Sip and Shop to be held Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the […]
Book Talk: Black Fall — the ultimate deception?
Having solved two “impossible” cases (“Angel Killer,” reviewed 9/17/21 and “Name of the Devil,” reviewed 12/8/21), magician-turned-FBI agent Jessica Blackwood is now the go-to sleuth when it comes to unbelievable phenomena. In Andrew Mayne’s “Black Fall” (2017, 368 pages) her familiarity with the use of deception in performing magic is required when an earthquake rocks […]
Opinion: Reparations — resurrection volatile historic issues
One year after California created America’s first official task force on reparations for Black slavery, every question remains open: Will there be reparations and if so, what shape should they take and who should pay them? Of course, Blacks were never the only victims of racial or religious discrimination in California, so the question of […]
Madera South outplays Madera for CMAC win
The Madera South Stallions kept draining 3-pointers and the Madera Coyotes girls basketball team couldn’t keep up with the barrage in a 51-40 loss in Joe Flores Gym. Madera South’s Alanna Ward sank eight 3-pointers to account for all of her 24 points to lead all scorers. “That was Alannah’s best game. We had a […]
Stallions outlast Coyotes in rivalry matchup
The Madera South Stallions boys basketball team came out on top in a contested 59-35 match against next-door rivals Madera at home that not only saw the home team get one over on the Coyotes, but continued its push within the County/Metro Athletic Conference. Madera South’s Joe Galvan helped pace the Stallions with 15 points, […]