25 years ago in the week of May 22, 1991

AIDE SAYS TEACHER UNIONS USING CHILDREN TO LOBBY — Aides to Gov. Pete Wilson say teachers are brainwashing schoolchildren to write letters, some of them abusive, to state politicians protesting potential school funding cuts. One letter sent to Wilson by a junior high school girl concluded: “I hate your guts and your mother’s too. I hope someone stuffs a bomb in your mouth and blows your head off. And then I hope they cut off your hands and burn them.” Bill Livingstone, Wilson’s press secretary, said, “You can see the brainwashing that’s occurring. The children have essentially become tools of lobbying on behalf of teachers.”

COUNTY LIBRARIES GIVEN $70,500 GIFT FROM ESTATE — It’s not Christmas yet but the Madera County Library just received a cash gift for $70,500. The Board of Supervisors accepted the money Tuesday from the law offices of Chandler, Bruner and Ricks as part of a share of the estate under the last will of Mary Elizabeth Seramur given in memory of her mother, Elizabeth Emerick Griffin. The board approved $10,400 of the donation to be put into the current library budget of anticipated funds with the remainder to be included in the 1991-92 budget. According to County Librarian Jeannine Semrau, $10,000 will remain in trust to be used for the Chowchilla library building fund.

CANDLELIGHT ANTI-ABORTION RALLY DRAWS 150 SUPPORTERS — An anti-abortion rally drew some 150 people Saturday evening to Courthouse Park in what supporters hope is the first of several public awareness actions. Sponsored by St. Joachim’s Catholic Family Life, speakers and a candlelight ceremony capped the quiet rally. According to Mark Sullivan, president of St. Joachim’s Catholic Family Life, the group has been around for several years but has just recently revived. Sullivan says the group has three goals. The first is to provide assistance to expectant mothers. Its second goal is community education, and the third goal is to network with other churches and groups.

FURMAN GIVEN SIX-YEAR ACCREDITATION — Furman High School has earned accreditation for a six-year term, making five years of hard work pay off for outgoing Principal Phil Pendley and his staff. Pendley said he was surprised by the length of the term since Furman is the first independent study school in the state to be granted the status. Furman was also the first independent study school to operate in California, moving away from being an extension of Madera High School in 1985-86. The accreditation commission did recommend that Furman improve its relations with other schools. Pendley said Furman’s ties with elementary schools and the junior high school are cordial, but some work will have to be done at Madera High to smooth out some problems that exist...