City salaries need better oversight, says consultant
A consultant’s report that says, in short, that the City of Madera pays higher management salaries overall than do other cities in the Central Valley — also known as the “market median” — was the focus of a special report at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. The pay levels of Madera’s senior municipal administrators have been […]
Residents scold council over salaries
Residents paid rapt attention Wednesday night at the Madera City Council meeting as they listened to government advisor Ron Manfredi’s 2 1/2-hour presentation, saying it appears some in the city administration had outwitted naive city councils of the past by using complicated contracts and lavish benefit schemes to grab every dollar they could for themselves […]
Yosemite Park to be closed
Yosemite Valley, Wawona Road, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias, Hetch Hetchy, and other areas will remain closed to all visitors through Sunday due to continued unhealthy smoke impacts and ongoing firefighting operations. The park will continue to assess conditions and reevaluate all closures on Sunday. Yosemite Valley has […]
Award to rehabilitate houses and wells
Madera County has been awarded $1 million to be used for housing and well rehabilitation. The county received the money July 10 from the California Department of Housing and Urban Development. The rehabilitation program will be focused specifically on low-income families who need assistance in making repairs and general property improvements to both owner- and […]
Transparency should start now
At the end of Wednesday night’s Madera City Council meeting on city administrative salaries the council and City Attorney Brent Richardson began laying plans for a secret meeting, aka “closed session,” to talk to applicants for city administrator of Madera. Here’s a plea, city council. Change your ways. Hold those meetings in public. Yes, I […]
Let’s make today National Pineapple Day
“He is the very pineapple of politeness.” — Richard Sheridan, The Rivals, 1775 “Pineapple” was thought to be a malapropism. Maybe not. Pity the pineapple. Almost everything else, from chicken wings (July 29) to bobbleheads (Jan. 7) to paper airplanes (May 26) has a national day of recognition. There is a website called “What National […]
California is on fire, burning with a vengeance
The Golden State of Cali is all ablaze. Oh, if that science were advanced enough to manufacture rain clouds and send a storm to aide CalFire with its work. One of my classmates, Doug Elliot — for some reason nicknamed Possum — has worked for CalFire forever. I say a prayer for him and his […]
Coyotes bring professional approach
The newest member of the Madera Coyotes varsity coaching staff is one of those that has proven what he teaches can lead to a professional career. Coyote offensive line coach Anthony McCoy sports a Super Bowl ring he won as a member of the Seattle Seahawks while spending six years in the National Football League. […]
Bill Tighe’s death stunned Madera
W.C. Tighe was Madera’s merchant emeritus. He lived here for almost 60 years, and when he passed away, the town lost the centerpiece of its Yosemite Avenue business community. Tighe was 82 years old when he died on April 11, 1950. He was known to at least two generations of Maderans as the proprietor of […]
Grab your picnic basket
Except for some pesky uninvited guests, such as ants, meat bees and flies, picnics are fun adventures to enjoy good food and summer weather. With the added safety of good insulated containers, we can enjoy cold foods as well as warm ones. Take potato salad, for example. Many recipes call for mayonnaise or some sort […]