Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 11-14-19 E-edition

Thursday, November 14, 2019 | A4 | Mid Valley TiMes Editorial & Opinions
Serving the Readers of the Reedley Exponent, Dimuba Sentinel and Sanger Herald.
A Mid Valley Publishing Newspaper
Founded March 26, 1891, in a two-story building on the corner of 11th and F streets, by A.S. Jones
Fred Hall — Publisher
In my OPINION Cultural battle continues
to rage on in California
Monday, Nov. 11, dawned beauti-
ful, bright and clear, which is typical
of an early morning this time of the
year here in California. As I got ready
for another day at work the television
newscast in the background reminded
me repeatedly that this was not just a
Monday but the observation of Veter-
ans Day. The president was deliver-
ing remarks in New York prior to the
huge parade each year which pays homage to those who served this country so valiantly.
Pulling out of the driveway, I couldn't help but notice that our entire neighborhood was awash in large red, white and blue American flags, leaving one to wonder how such a beautiful site could have offended one Colin Kaepernick to the point he lost his mind and threw away a career providing inestimable wealth and fame. The fact he had supporters was bothersome!
Our neighborhood is one of those areas which sub- scribes to a service provided by the Boy Scouts; where large flags are placed on poles in the yards of all sub- scribers on appropriate flag-flying holidays. I can assure the overall effect is pride instilling and powerful. Given the sacrifice of the gallant men and women we salute on Veterans Day, we are extremely disappointed in what appears a diminution of respectful tribute for those who fought, and often gave all, defending many of the rights we accept with such a cavalier attitude.
When a culture changes so dramatically, as has Cali- fornia over the past three or four decades, there are bound to be precipitous losses in what is held so dear by the masses. Huge — and growing numbers — of foreign born residents who have no “skin in the game” nor his- torical perspective predictably fail to have pride in has made and sustained America. Want to know something? It's our fault because we continue to elect the politicians who ask no quid pro quo for these newcomers. They are not asked to do anything to become Americans nor, do we believe, they really want to become Americanized. The milk and honey provided by politicians for the pos- sibility of a vote for the Democratic Party is all that really is required. No assimilation, no understanding of American history or democracy, and they don't need to learn the language. Our government will provide accom- modations. Soon, free health care will be added to that list of enticements.
America is the greatest, most prosperous and stron- gest nation in the world and the accomplishment of that feat was no accident. Real dyed-in-the-wool Americans remember what makes us great and what it going to take to keep us that way. A bunch of weak-kneed, pandering politicians is not the answer to anything worth knowing.
Thank heaven that all polls and economic indicators show that America has begun a return to a more conser- vative and reasoned electorate in most states, with the notable exception of California. How can one state be so far out of line with most of the rest of states which comprise our electoral college?
This is a question which just seems to beg for an an- swer. How in the world can one state, in the course of a century, take itself from a raw, untamed wilderness to arguably the most beautiful and envied lifestyle on the face of the earth — then, in the span of two or three decades, manage to return to that untamed wilderness?
One has only to examine the general bent of the Democrats and the educational pipeline which produc- es, year-after-year, a steady flow of graduates who have been so indoctrinated toward a system of socialism. If nothing is done — and soon — to stem that slide, Nikita Khrushchev was correct back in the early 1960s when he said they would defeat America without firing a shot. The ball is in our court. We better not mess this one up!
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Central Valley sets the bar high for events saluting area veterans
Rick Curiel — Sanger Editor Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
QUOTE
“We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like?”
— Jean Cocteau (1889-1963)
Fred Hall
One thing you can say about the San Joaquin Valley — and Mid Valley Times' anchor cities Dinuba, Reedley and Sanger in particular — is that they hold military veterans past and pres- ent in the highest regard.
That point is driven home when you look at the events you'll find in the region sur- rounding the Veterans Day holi- day. Start with the annual Fres- no Veterans Parade, the largest Veterans parade in the United States. Also on the Monday holi- day was the annual Dinuba Av- enue of Flags program at Smith Mountain Cemetery. This year's event featured a special flag presentation in honor of Cutler native Albert Chavez, who had an American flag presented to family members in his memory. The program also includes vet- erans sharing the memories of serving in the U.S. armed forces.
Sanger is another huge vet- erans advocate, hosting its lat- est annual Veterans Day parade on Nov. 2 and honoring local newspaper icon Dick Sheppard, Last Sunday, Nov. 10, the an- nual Sanger Marine Corps Ball marked the 244th birthday of the United State Marine Corps (see story on Page A6) while also honoring guest of honor Tanis Ybarra, a Sanger native and Ma-
rine sergeant. His service from 1965 to 1969 included a 1967 de- ployment in Vietnam.
In addition, on Nov. 8 Sanger formally dedicated the new Sanger Veterans Memorial Plaza on the western edge of the city. The park area includes a play area, public bathrooms, a walk- ing path and landscaping areas.
Then there's Reedley. While a formal Veterans Day com- memoration isn't held in Reed- ley Cemetery like the annual Memorial Day event, there's always an annual Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Memo- rial Park on the east end of the Reedley College campus. The event features current and past veterans and group repre- sentatives, and RC students are among the attendees.
The Times joins the commu- nity and Americans in thanking present and past members of the military for their efforts, dedica- tion and sacrifice to help us all enjoy our freedoms.
•••
Reedley's Faith House, enter-
ing its second full year of opera- tion as an emergency shelter for displaced mothers and families, is hosting its inaugural Charity Banquet event on Saturday, Nov. 16. There will be an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. at Faith House,
located at 1697
W. Huntsman
Ave. in south-
west Reedley,
followed by a refreshment
time at 6 p.m.
and dinner/cer-
emony from 6 to9p.m.atthe
Reedley Community Center, 100 N. East Ave.
Guest speakers at the event will include Reedley City Man- ager Nicole Zieba, Reedley Po- lice Chief Joe Garza and tes- timonials from Faith House clients. Money raised from the event will go to help fund opera- tions at the facility.
•••
One other fundraising event
taking place Saturday, Nov. 16, is "Karen's 17th annual We-Be-50 Plus" bicycle ride to raise money for Community Youth Minis- tries. Event host Karen Wiebe plans to pedal 66 miles this year in honor of her birthday, and to thank donors for their continued support. She plans to leave her Reedley home at 6:30 a.m. and should return at around 2 p.m. A late lunch will follow the ride.
Anyone wishing to join along in the ride, make a donation or be involved in the event can call Gordon Wiebe at (559) 351-8484.
Jon Earnest
Random thoughts about stamps and life-changing school teachers
For the first time in a long while I bought a book of post- age stamps. The guy behind the counter at the post office proba- bly thought I was having a stroke when he told me the price and I had trouble articulating an incred- ulous and probably incoherent re- sponse. I grudgingly handed over a $10 bill and put the few pennies change in my pocket. I needed the stamps to respond to people from my past who saw my name in the Mid Valley Times and wrote to say hello and reminisce about how things used to be.
My first letter, maybe even in my best cursive, will be to Mrs. Mae Ewert of Dinuba. Mrs. Ewert’s late husband Albert was one of my favorite school teachers. Mrs. Whittington in the fifth grade and Mr. Ewert in junior high school get most of the credit for me being who and where I am today instead of who and where I might have been – in a gated community op- erated by the state or feds.
When we moved from Exeter to Dinuba I was several grades behind other kids my age and, I’m told, I had a bad attitude about school, teachers, other kids and just about everything else.
My first recollection of school, after migrating from Oklahoma, was at Linnel Farm
Labor Camp in Tulare County. Many employees and volunteers at the camp talked about us Okie kids as though we weren’t capa- ble of understanding them.
When we settled in Exeter for awhile my teachers acted like I was some kind of subspe- cies, not capable of understand- ing or learning. The California kids made fun of me because my shirts were cut and sewn from flour sacks and everything else was ill-fitting hand-me-downs from my older brother.
I guess I didn’t want to disap- point the teachers or kids, so I lived down to their expectations of me. On one Exeter report card I got 26 unsatisfactory marks on the attitude side of the card and the academic side wasn’t much better.
After one of the several some- times bloody fights I got into at school, my mother told me the school thought it would be a good idea if I stayed home for awhile. And I did, for quite awhile.
Applying at home what I had heard but ignored at school I learned to read from cereal box- es and my father’s pulp western magazines.
I started Dinuba schools in the fourth grade. I was so far be- hind other kids my age that my voice had already changed, but
I could read re-
ally well. I was
almost imme-
diately promot-
ed to the fifth
grade and Mrs.
Whittington. She
talked to me as
though I was a
real person. She
told me what she expected of me academically and on the play- ground — no more fights. She held me accountable for living up to her expectations. No teacher had ever done that before.
When I made it to junior high school, thanks to the makeover started by Mrs. Whittington, Mr. Ewert raised the bar. He held me account- able for living up to a new set of even higher expectations.
I had stopped fighting — a good thing because I’m a little guy and I always got beat up. I started to get better grades and no longer thought of my- self as a subspecies incapable of learning or functioning in a civilized society.
Thank you Mrs. Whittington and Mr. Ewert — for my very life.
Retired and sleeping in Dick Sheppard can be contacted by email at dicksheppard86@ gmail.com.
Dick Sheppard