Page 3 - Sanger Herald 11-29-18 E-edition

SANGER HERALD 3A THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018 EDITORIAL & OPINION
By Dick Sheppard
I would appreciate your help with trying to find descendents of Nobuyoshi Akita who mailed a "Happy New Year" one-cent post- card in Sanger on Dec. 31, 1920.
Dick Sheppard
Herald.
You can pick up nomination forms at the
high school and at the Sanger Herald.
I'll let you know as soon as tickets go on
sale.
•••
While things seem to be more harmonious
at Measure S Citizens Oversight Committee meetings, thank goodness, the planning com- mission meetings have, to say the least, been discordant.
So much so that a planning commissioner, Vincent Wall, recently appealed a decision made by the commission on which he sits. It was his way, apparently, of protesting what he seemed to believe was incompetence on the part of the city staff assigned to provide the commission with timely, relevant infor- mation.
"Timely" may be the key word, because this evening it looks like the city staff is going to try to catch up on several things that probably should have been taken care of a long time ago.
Like minutes of the commission meetings.
Commissioners will be asked to sort through, make desired changes and approve minutes of seven meetings, going way back to March 22.
Then they'll have a public hearing where they'll see a map of a housing element update which won't look exactly like the map they probably thought they approved a few meet- ings back.
Then, they'll be asked to spend time look- ing at and discussing copies of policies and procedures from other agencies, submitted for review many meetings ago by Wall in an attempt to craft an updated policy and proce- dure manual for the Sanger commission.
Then, if it's not too late, they might finally get around to voting for new officers at a reorganization meeting that Wall said was supposed to take place months ago.
I have no way of understanding or explain- ing the mess. But, it does cause me to wonder why the City of Sanger which pays its admin- istrators pretty well can't seem to find top people who can do the job right the first time.
It almost looks like crisis management and damage control are going on all the time at city hall.
•••
On the other hand, Corina Tamez is one of
the many city employees who has been doing
it right.
Very right!
Corina manages the city's military banner
program. The program which began in 2015 was created by the Sanger Veterans Advisory Committee to the Mayor. There were 16 ban- ners in 2015, 24 in 2016, 41 in 2017 and this year there were 71.
Those banners, honoring military veter- ans, are displayed from Memorial Day to November each year along Academy Avenue.
Then in November they are given to the veteran or the veteran's family at a ceremony at the community center.
You can read about this year's ceremony on the front page of today's Herald.
•••
The fog season is here, turn on those darn
headlights!!
For some reason way too many Sanger
drivers, probably the same ones who don't know how to use turn signals, don't know how to turn on headlights when the tule fog is so thick it makes it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead.
Maybe it's some kind of subconscious urge to cleanse the gene pool.
•••
Hope to see you at the parade on Saturday!
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
- Pogo
Comments, complaints and suggestions may be emailed to sangerherald@gmail.com or may be made by calling 875-2511.
Random thoughts The fog season is here, turn on those darn headlights!
Thanks to Chieko Delgado for translat-
ing the card and to Ralph Kumano, with the Japanese American Citizens League, for help- ing try to find someone who remembers the Akita family.
I've thought, ever since we've had the card, that it might make a good new year story if we could find a descendent or even someone who remembers the family.
But with the new year approaching, so far no luck.
•••
Speaking of the new year, I don't think
I got around last week to congratulating
the new class that will be inducted into the Sanger High School Athletic Hall of Fame on May 4 of next year.
The 1950 Valley Championship Apache baseball team, which was enshrined in the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame in
2010, will headline the hall of fame's second group to be inducted. The others are Ron Blackwood, Dave Dodson, Willie Garcia, Cole Herron, Chuck Shidan, Roy Tanimoto, Ted Torosian, Chris Wallin and Cindy Weibert.
“The committee decided to stick with coaches and athletes for the first class of 20 inductees in May of this year. But from now on, each year up to 10 inductees may come from any of five categories; athlete, team, alumnus/alumna, coach and contributor and every nominee is going to stay on the list for selection consideration for five years,” Brian Penner, the hall of fame chairman, told the
In my OPINION
Want a happy holiday season?
Try to avoid what passes as news
By Fred Hall
more concerned about how they look on the new high definition television screen and look for ways to make the story about themselves as has Jim Acosta with CNN.
During the coming weeks and months, one should watch for a full-on attack on the electoral college by Democrat politicians andthemedia. KeepinmindthatourFore Fathers declared this country a republic and established our Electoral College to maintain equality among all the states, demographic areas,andmajorcities. Ifeverydecision made by our governing bodies provided a pronounced edge to hugely populated states and cities, smaller locations would soon have novoiceatall. StateslikeCalifornia,Texas andNewYorkwouldbeabletodictatetoall of us.
Democrats in overwhelmingly “blue” areas proclaim they have been cheated because of one unified political persuasion
of voting in lock step for a single party. Traditionally, densely populated locations tend to have more minorities and “immi- grants” who tend to buy into the liberal agen- da of more government and more cradle to thegraveentitlements. Republicanstendto believe in individual accomplishment and avoid the agenda du jour of class war-
fare and envy of those who are success-
ful. Refreshinglyso,therecentmid-term elections indicated what appears to be the beginning of a full-on change of allegiance by minority voters to the Democrat party. Having been taken for granted for far too long, these individuals are seizing on issues which impact the lives of themselves and their families and discovering they have some real options to the old straight line party vote.
Without successful people who believe in a strong, rich America, who would operate the businesses that are the very engine of the Americaneconomy? Withoutthemandthe hard working people who go to work every day who would provide the governmental lar- gesseforthoseonthedole? Politiciansare, or seem to be, destroying the very work ethic of self reliance which has made America greatagain. Doyourparttomaintainthat greatness.
This country is probably more politi-
cally divided than at any time in our his- tory. Citizensmustbeacutelyawareofthe shenanigans of those in power who seek only toembellishthatpower. Wecan'taffordto throwawaytheverybasics handeddownto us through the Constitution, thereby allowing any entrenched politician to further spread their roots.
But, as always, that's only one man's opin- ion.
In addition to the Sanger Herald, Publisher Fred Hall oversees two other Mid Valley Publishing newspapers - Reedley Exponent, and Dinuba Sentinel. He can be contacted by phone at (559) 638-2244 or by email at fred@ midvalleypublishing.com.
All those wondrous
smells that so filled our
homes this past week dur-
ing the preparation of
Thanksgiving dinner have longsincefadedandassur-
edly any and all leftovers
have since been consumed
in front of the television set watchingfootballorsomeotherdiversion.
The page has now been turned and all our surroundings are suddenly filled with a spe- cial kind of hustle and bustle that is a signal toallthatChristmasisjustaroundthecor- ner. Evenatmyage,thereisstillareallove for theholidays.
The chime of bells, the crisp mornings and evenings and the sound of Christmas music and carols can leave little doubt about the joyousseasonintowhichweareheaded. It provides an environment where everyone's spiritsareinevitablylifted. Scroogesamong us are shunned and forced to step aside from casting a shadow over the joy and festivities.
Now, if you have even a small smile on your face, I would advise you to avoid turn- ing on your television set and risk being exposed to the negative spin being given politics, the recent elections, crime and immi- gration being spewed by the nattily dressed reportersandtalkingheads. Theyarethe individuals who truly believe that the world is breathlessly awaiting their pronounce- ments when nothing could be further from the truth.
I hate being repetitious but, as I have said manytimesbefore, journalismdidnotdieof natural causes, it committed suicide.
Advocacy and young reporters coming out of our colleges with limited skills and no understanding of the difference between a web blog and real journalism have landed a fatal blow to a once honorable profession.
All of the unvetted blather appearing on blog sites, Facebook, Twitter and others occu- pying the social media sewer may claim to be publishers of the “news” but nothing could be further from the actual truth.
There was a time when if one saw it in a newspaper, one could bank on it being true andfactual. Thatisnolongerafaitaucom- pli with the advent of advocacy journalism.
People who call themselves “journalists” have joined the political battles with thinly disguised opinions being offered as news.
We once took the time and we took the effort to verify the veracity of what was beingreported. Theopinionofthereporter wasneverafactor. Notsomuchintodays “new” journalism. We used multiple sources andneveranyonewhowasanonymous. Now, thanks to the New York Times, even writ-
ers of opinion pieces are allowed to remain anonymous. Howfarwehavefallen!
Television and radio weren't always the best sources because of the pressure to “get itontheair”first. Eventhosepeopleare
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