I was disappointed when I belatedly learned that Madera Chief of Police Dino Lawson is retiring. That was selfish of me. It was selfish because our community is losing an outstanding human being and an exceptional law enforcement officer. I want to hold on to what’s best for Madera. Dino Lawson is the best of us.
But retirement is his call, isn’t it?
The first Madera police chief that I knew was Gordon Skeels. He, too, came up through the ranks of the police department. He seemed to know most of the citizens in our 17,000-person community. Gordon had a few rough edges, but he was ethically strong at his core. He was what Madera wanted in his time. I think well of him.