Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 11-25-21 E-edition

Thursday, November 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
In my OPINION Give thanks, and ignore
America's detractors
Dinuba High football is back on track for potential future success
Fred Hall — Publisher
Jon Earnest — Editor
Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
If you've already shared your con- temporary version of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner or preparing to sit down with same — we're talking about turkey, stuffing, yams, cranber- ry sauce, gravy, green bean casserole and mashed potatoes — you may be surprised at the similarities and dif- ferences from that first feast in 1621.
In five short months, the Di- nuba High Emperors regained their football swagger and put together a solid postseason run this fall.
C.J. Lester took the reins as head coach during the late spring, after Dinuba struggled through an 0-4 spring 2021 sea- son that was unprecedented, having been postponed from a COVID pandemic-plagued fall 2020 campaign. But this fall's Emperors team immediately showed signs of better things to come. Following a close 33- 30 defeat At Clovis East, the team ran off three straight wins fueled by an explosive offense featuring veterans in quarterback Casimiro Barra- gan, running back Sebastian Olivera and receiver Mikey Ol- vera. The latter led the section in receiving yards and receiv- ing touchdowns while setting school single game records.
A midseason hiccup in- cluded an unlikely home loss to Edison and a hard-fought
24-21 Central Sequoia League home setback to Central Valley Christian. But Dinuba closed out CSL play with three wins in four games, the only loss to wild 42-41 loss at league cham- pion Kingsburg that was decid- ed by a missed two-point play.
The section playoffs con- tained many high moments for the program. First came a 51-27 drubbing of Edison in a rematch, and then a riveting 28-24 win over Paso Robles that was decided on Olvera's catch and run TD reception with six seconds remaining and no time outs.
The run finally ended last week, when a Bakersfield Christian team coached by Darren Carr (older brother to former NFL quarterback Da- vid and current Raiders QB Derek) struck with five big play scores in a 49-27 victory. Despite the defeat, Lester said he's excited about the future potential of the program.
"We're going to still contin-
ue to grind and
work hard with
these kidsm" he
said. "I'm from
Dinuba, and
I'm here now
so these kids
are going to see
me all year. The
offensive coordinator is from Dinuba, and it's a foundation. We're going to continue to re- load."
Well-earned congratulations go out to the 2021 Emps.
•••
If the past two-three weeks are any indication, we may be in for a long late fall and early winter of dense fog. The last few days in particular up to Nov. 22 only strengthen that assumption. During the holiday weekend, and all days the next month or so be sure to drive with extra caution.
Enjoy a relaxing and happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Jon Earnest is news-sports editor for The Times.
Fred Hall
Obviously, were these people not proficient hunters, gatherers and farmers, they would have starved during that first harsh New England winter.
A tiny ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, Eng- land in September 1620, carrying an assemblage of 102 passengers which included religious separatists search- ing for a new home where they could freely practice their faith. Among others on board were individuals who were lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in a new world filled with possibilities. A treacherous and ex- tremely uncomfortable crossing for more than two months resulted in safely dropping anchor at Cape Cod. That was far north of their objective, which was the mouth of the Hudson River. Roughly a month later, these Pilgrims set about the work of establishing a colony at Plymouth.
During that brutal first Winter most of the colonists remained on board of the Mayflower where they suf- fered from exposure, scurvy and contagious diseases. Only one-half of the ship's manifest of passengers and crew survived to see their first New England spring.
That's a lot of space being used to lay a predicate for settling and inhabiting the continent, but in view of the “reimagined” history of America by today's revisionists of American history, it seemed necessary.
The 1619 Project, compiled by Nicole Hannah-Jones, is one of the most egregious, dishonest accounts we've ever seen. Her premise is that the Pilgrims brought with them a number of Angolan slaves who actually built the colony. Slavery was the real reason they came, accord- ing to this author.
With that and similar misinformation and lies being distributed in the guise of education, it should surprise no one that four centuries after that original celebration, we find this nation more divided than at any time since the Civil War.
The best advice we can offer is to ignore the detrac- tors of America. Celebrate the blessings of living in a nation where freedom is a way of life. Please don't take that freedom for granted. There are people in place po- litically who could cause it to all disappear in one gen- eration. Every time we hear them speak of reimagining America is telling us their plan. Freedom is fragile. Ask anyone from a Communist or Socialist country. They'll probably tell you why borders are being crossed coming into the United States instead of people trying to get out! The exit should be available to some of these trouble- makers that are known by various acronyms.
Enjoy the tradition of food and fellowship with your fam- ily and friends this year. Take time to set aside the troubles of the world and realize — even with inflation, shortages and soaring prices — that each and everyone has been blessed with living in this wonderful country. Do whatever is nec- essary and attempt to reach out to the elderly, shut-ins and those less fortunate. Treasure every minute with your fam- ily. Soon enough that time will seem very dear!
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
An understanding of Type 2 diabetes
Editor's Note: November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Here is the final of four guest columns this month with infor- mation on the fight to prevent and curb diabetes.
By Chinayera Black Hardaman
Guest columnist
Type 2 Diabetes is a signifi- cant health burden in Califor- nia and the United States, af- fecting more than 20 million people. Fresno County has among the highest incidence rates in the state of California, reaching as high as 31 percent. The burden of Type 2 Diabetes is particularly great among ethnic populations and those of lower socio-economic status.
Type 2 Diabetes is an im- pairment in the way the body regulates and uses sugar (glu- cose) as a fuel. This long-term (chronic) condition results in too much sugar circulating in the bloodstream. Although a
healthy lifestyle (such as ade- quate nutrition and fitness and low stress) can prevent the oc- currence of Type 2 Diabetes, a study from UCLA estimated that the pre-Diabetes rate in the Valley is 47 percent and as high as 68 percent among those ages 55-69 living in Fresno County.
Though a serious condition that affects so many people, Type 2 Diabetes is said to be almost 95 percent preventable. Recognizing this opportunity to increase knowledge and de- crease occurrence, the Sierra Kings Health Care District issued a $25,000 grant to the California Health Collabora- tive (CHC) to target residents of Reedley, Parlier, Dunlap, Squaw Valley, and Miramon- te. The Diabetes Prevention Program uses an evidenced- based curriculum created by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to educate participants in managing their pre-Diabe-
tes or Diabetes. Participants
record their
glucose lev-
els and weight
upon entering
the class. After implementing
lifestyle chang-
es taught by the
Program, inter-
mittent glucose and weight assessments are recorded to track changes.
The Sierra Kings Health Care District embraces this opportunity to slow the oc- currence of Type 2 Diabetes through community-based pro- gramming. If you, or someone you know, struggles with Type 2 Diabetes, contact the district for information of this pro- gram.
Chinayera Black Harda- man is CEO of the Sierra Kings Health Care District in south- east Fresno County.
QUOTE
“The only thing that lasts longer than a friend's love is the stupidity that keeps us from knowing any better.”
— Randy K. Milholland,
Something Positive Comic, 09-07-06
Jon Earnest
Hunting and gathering was a means
of survival for the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims. Cer- tainly wild fowl would have been a central part of the din- ner. Included in the fowl category would have been tur- key, pigeon, goose and swan. Other dishes that would be considered entree would have included lobster, seal and venison. Vegetables such as corn, which the participants were able to grow, would have appeared on their tables. There was no running down to the local supermarket to shop the shelves and displays featuring nature's bounty.
Chinayera Black Hardaman
Where were the flags?
Wednesday (Nov. 10), a mu- ral on a wall next to Fosters Freeze honoring the veterans was shown on the news.
As a resident of Reedley for 61 years, a four-year veteran of the United States Air Force, and having worked for the city
for almost 37 years (most of the time as a wastewater plant superintendent), I was very proud.
On Thursday afternoon (Nov. 11), I went to see if Sam's Shoe Store was open to look at shoes. I noticed something was missing on the light poles. NO FLAGS, couldn't believe it. The
owner of the store said the pole were to be painted the next day. I now am not proud to be a resident of Reedley. The poles could have been painted an- other day. I don't really believe the city administration actually
honors the veterans.
Norman La Joie Reedley
Letters from readers