Chamber honors new Lifetime group
Lifetime Achievement Awards recipient, the late Tami Jo Nix, would have written in the Madera Tribune, “a good time was had by all,” at last week’s awards dinner hosted by the Madera Chamber of Commerce. A new group of recipients were honored Thursday night at Hatfield Hall in the Madera Fairgrounds. Elaine Bethel Fink, Phil […]
Local pharmacy shuts down after 44 years
After 44-and-a-half years in operation, pharmacist Debra Chu-Yep closed the doors of the Pill Box Pharmacy at the La Esperanza Food Center on North Lake Street on July 30 as she prepares for retirement. “I’ve been thinking about it (retirement) for several years, but it was hard,” Chu-Yep said. “I’m the watchdog of the property, […]
County Chief Admin. announces retirement
Madera County’s chief administrator, Jay Varney announced his retirement, punctuating a decorated career of public service for over four decades. Varney, who also served as Madera County Sheriff from 2014 to 2020, was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve as the Chief Administrative Officer five years ago. His retirement date is set for […]
Longtime drama teacher to receive Crystal Tower Award
Ginger Latimer will receive the Crystal Tower Award at the Madera County Compact’s Annual Business and Education Shareholders’ Luncheon on August 26. Each year the Crystal Tower Award is given to a business or individual that has displayed exemplary partnerships with schools in Madera County. Latimer was nominated by Brandon Gilles, director of Visual and […]
DUI driver causes violent crash
California Highway Patrol Madera Area officers responded to a crash involving two vehicles, at the intersection of Avenue 18 1/2 and Road 19 1/2 on August 4 at about 3:30 p.m. A 56-year-old man from Gonzales was driving a RAM 2500, southbound on Road 19 1/2, approaching the intersection at Avenue 18 1/2. A 67-year-old […]
Vehicle crash leads to child endangerment
Madera Police Department officers responded to the 600 block of South Gateway Drive for a single-vehicle collision with a car that struck a tree Friday afternoon. Upon arrival, officers found a young child that had been left alone in the vehicle while the driver fled the scene on foot. A short distance away, officers located […]
Babe Ruth 15s place fourth
After a second place finish in the State Championship, the Madera Babe Ruth 15-year-old All-Star team qualified for the Babe Ruth Southwest Regionals, held in Long Beach. The 15s advanced to the third place game and finished fourth out of nine teams. Three players — Juan Gil, Thomas Rodriguez and Anthony Bursey — were named […]
Book Talk: Baldacci, ‘A Calamity of Souls’
“A Calamity of Souls” (2024, 480 pages in hardback format) is set in southern Virginia in 1968, a time when George Wallace was running for president of the United States on a segregationist platform. It was the era of continuing Jim Crow in the south. Baldacci said this book is somewhat autobiographical because he grew […]
Beans all year ‘round
Beans don’t really have a season, except maybe for the colder months, when many people turn to hearty meals. I grew up in an area where beans, mostly pinto, were eaten all year long. I have cooked many different types of beans, and I do have my favorites. My grandmother used to grow cranberry beans […]
Madera at the turn of the 20th century
Any observer who happened upon Madera in 1900 would have found a community bustling with activity, and if that person had arrived on the train and decided to take a stroll east along Yosemite Avenue, businesses of all sorts stood ready to satisfy every need. Moving from the depot to the northeast corner of E […]