Was Hammond’s parole a death warrant?
If ever there was such a thing as a ne’er do well, Leonard Hammond must have been it. He spent 15 months in jail for a crime spree in Arizona before he came to Madera in 1901, robbed the Vignolo Hotel, and wound up behind bars. Judge Conley sentenced him to Folsom Prison for 90 […]
Letter: Paying respects
I did not know Ray Pool very well. Enough to say, “Hi, How are you?” when we ran into each other. Most of what I think I knew about him, I learned from listening to others who knew him well and spoke so highly of him when he received his Farmer of the Year award […]
Petrucci’s opens for summer
The staple of summer in Madera includes hot weather, baseball in the park, people in pools and, best of all, Petrucci’s tri-tip from the Old Schoolhouse. Petrucci’s BBQ Pit at the Old School House (23527 Avenue 14) opened for the summer on May 11 and will be open for every Saturday until the end of […]
Coyotes score late for first win
The Madera Coyotes baseball team scored a run in the final three innings to record a 3-1 victory to open the 2019 season. Behind the pitching of Kristian Gomez, Alek Trukki and Nikayha Castro, the Coyotes held the Hanford Bullpups to just two hits and an unearned run to open the Coca-Cola Classic with a […]
Blackface in Madera
“Living Black and White,” or should we say “Black on White?” Either way, there has been a lot of talk recently about something that was once considered quite acceptable — Blackface minstrels. Some research suggests that the idea began in earnest around 1900 as comedic performances of “blackness” by whites in exaggerated costumes and make-up. […]
Book Talk: McFadden, ‘The Perfect Son’
Erika Cass is lucky. She has a wonderful husband named Jason who is a good provider and makes terrible puns, a 14-year-old daughter named Hannah who tests her patience, and a 16-year-old son named Liam who is… well, he’s perfect. She hates to admit it, but Liam is her favorite. However, she worries about Liam […]