Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 2-25-21 E-edition

Thursday, February 25, 2021 | 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 Saluting a friend, colleague
and man of integrity
On Feb. 12, I lost a good friend and colleague; Sanger lost a skilled, dedi- cated journalist and the world lost a man who applied the golden rule every day in his interaction with others.
A look back at Dick Sheppard's retirement column from 9-26-19
Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
Dick Sheppard was a proud repre-
sentative of a dying breed these days
— a journalist with honesty and integ-
rity. When one read anything he wrote,
it was clear as to who, what, where,
when and why as far as it came to story content. His personal opinion never showed in any of his writing. One could quote his writing without qualm because of the reliability and honesty in accuracy and sourcing.
When Dick wrote his column each week for the Opin- ion page one knew that he had turned in his “straight matter” editor's hat for that of a pundit where his opin- ions — often with a sharp sense of humor — were yield- ed like a surgeon's knife. There are any number of mis- creants who practice the political trade in Sanger who have scars. He loved Sanger, and was driven to report accurately and shine a little light into the darkness of bureaucracy. Rest in peace, my friend.
•••
This is a sorry anniversary to acknowledge, but we
are entering our second year of COVID-19. Frankly, I can't remember any event that has been more politi- cizedthanthisvirus. Strangelyenough,Icanrecallour current president, when he was campaigning from his basement, declaring that he would shut the virus down. Recently, in one of his “softball” interviews, we took note of the fact that he even took credit for developing the vaccine which is being used to combat the disease.
To get some idea of just how delusional this adminis- tration is, one can add the claim of developing the vac- cine to the assertion that the Biden administration was starting from scratch in the COVID wars. I believe that bumbling utterance came from California's own Kamala Harris and was so egregious that even Anthony Fauci was unable to defend it. By now we all know that Fauci will take any number of positions on various issues, but the lie was so blatant that even he couldn't cover for the administration. We've always suspected that Harris was selected as a replacement for Biden because of Biden's lack of mental acuity, but she says things that are just as dumb as his assertions.
The caravans from Central America have begun once more since this administration has put out the welcome mat. Criminals no longer will be deported and illegal aliens will not be tested for COVID before being released into the United States. They just have to promise they will appear in court in two or three years for their hear- ings. Anyway, Biden has declared they are non-citizens because it might hurt their sensibilities to be called aliens.
These “non- citizens” will be treated equally to gov- ernment handouts as actual citizens, including access to a priority position for receiving the new vaccine and taxpayer-funded federal programs. California has even decided they should be eligible to receive payments for COVID impact. Why would anyone not wish to move here to a Democrat land of milk and honey — especially when someone remains to pick up the tab?
With more and more executive actions continuing to create joblessness, why not bring more and more cheap labor to compete for a dwindling number of positions? The proposed $15 minimum wage will result in more and more automation and an unknown number of entry level positions being eliminated.
Inexplicably, after four years of economic growth and success throughout the world in terms of policy, Biden seems interested only in undoing everything that Donald Trump did. Where is the upside of cozying up to China, rejoining the Paris Accords, rejoining the deeply flawed World Health Organization, and rejoining the Ira- nian nuclear agreement? Every Biden move weakens us!
By Dick Sheppard
I'm on a farewell — not a goodbye — tour.
After saying farewell to friends at the chamber, council and school board I thought I'd better let readers know what's going on.
About 15 years ago I became editor of the Sanger Herald.
I didn't intend to stick around long, just until publisher Fred Hall found someone who knew what he or she was doing.
I had never worked at a newspaper.
When I finished a long radio/ TV career in Fresno, Sacramen- to, Los Angeles and the Bay Ar- ea we came back to the Valley, to Sanger, for a more tranquil small town life.
Fred and previous Herald editor Dawn Pearson told me that's what it would be like at the Herald, tranquil. Just the thing for an old, retired guy — Dawn called me "spry" — filling in on a three-day-a-week basis.
Then I met Sanger's city manager Jim Drinkhouse and his wife Laura, convicted fel- on-turned-developer Randy Castiglione, a lot of other bad guys, homicide detectives, IRS agents, undercover officers and grand jury members.
It turned out there would be nothing tranquil about the town, the Herald or my life for sev-
eral years. It was no longer a three-day-a-week job and it was not a job those who knew what they were doing would really want to do.
It certainly was not what I signed up for.
I became the target of an attempted homicide, was as- saulted, threatened, condemned to hell more times than I choose to remember, sued and the part that hurt the most, my dog was shot.
I promised Fred I would stick around until things got back to normal and 15 years, many investigative journalism awards — including a national one — and four grand jury investigations later I believe things are probably about as normal as they're going to be for awhile in Sanger. It's time to step away from the paper and pick up on that tranquil life I was looking for 15 years ago.
I'm not going anywhere. We love Sanger and its wonderful people.
What happened way back then was an aberration, an anomaly.
It was an out
of town wolf-
pack preying
on a flock of na-
ive sheep and a
sheep dog — an
even more naive
municipal gov- Dick Sheppard ernment — still
seems to be limping along and licking its wounds.
I'll be writing a column for the paper, contributing stories now and then and stopping by with my world famous Tex/ Mex/Okie bean and bacon soup whenever the staff has a pot- luck lunch.
I'm hoping it'll be the best of a couple of worlds.
•••
I can't help wondering if
maybe politicians are moon- lighting at writing the mis- leading hype on packages and bottles; easy open packages aren't easy to open; resealable packages don't reseal; and the non-streaking Windex with am- monia left my windshield so streaked I had to stop at a ser- vice station and use the station's squeegee and muddy water to scrape off streaks left by non- streaking Windex so I could see well enough to drive home against the setting sun last week.
•••
It's been mostly fun. Go
Apaches!
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Sanger FOL book sale
Do you like a good book and a good bargain? Then you need to visit the Sanger Library ev- ery Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in March.
On these days, all donated
books on the Friends of the Li- brary book shelves will be just 25 cents each.
Saturday hours of 10 a.n. to 2 p.m. are being introduced in March, and patrons are wel- come in on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. also to select li-
brary materials and use the computers.
The Sanger Library branch is at 1812 7th St. Hope we'll see
you there!
Rosa Huerta President, Sanger Friends of the Library
Fred Hall
Remember Bejar ceremony, blood drive
For the 11th time, the Reed- ley Police Department and Central Valley law enforce- ment will gather to honor the memory of Officer Javier Bejar, the first officer in the 100-year history of the depart- ment to be killed in the line of duty. The ceremony will take place at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, in front of the police department on G Street.
Bejar and Joel Wahlenmai- er, Fresno County Sheriff's ho- micide detective, were fatally shot in a standoff in Minkler on Feb. 25, 2010. Every year on the anniversary date when
it falls on a weekday, emer- gency personnel from Reedley and surrounding communities gather to honor their comrade. It's always an emotional and heartfelt ceremony, and the flag lowering event remem- bers a tragedy that remains painful to family, friends and acquaintances to this day.
In addition to the flag low- ering ceremony, another tra- dition is developing — the Of- ficer Javier Bejar Memorial Blood Drive. That also will take place on the 25th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A bloodmobile will be parked by the police depart-
ment, and you can give the "gift of life" by donating blood. •••
This week,
we're run-
ning the first
of three Dick
Sheppard columns that our late colleague and friend wrote on and after his retirement. Enjoy his special writing talents, and check out his obituary on Page A2 to learn more of his fantas- tic life.
Jon Earnest is news-sports editor for The Times.
Letters from readers
QUOTE
“Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them."
— Joseph Heller (1923-1999), "Catch-22"
This is the first of three "Random Thoughts" columns that the late Dick Sheppard wrote for The Times in 2019.
Jon Earnest