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Thursday, November 11, 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 A little history lesson on
creation of Veterans Day
On this date 103 years ago (Nov. 11,
1918) treaties were signed to end hos-
tilities of World War I, and participat-
ing armies laid down their weapons —
bringing a conclusion to the war that
had been proclaimed by many as “the
war to end all war.” That was the good
news. The bad news was that some of
these agreements, especially the Trea-
ty of Versailles, were so punitive and
harsh on the German people as to “set
the table” for the inevitability of Adolf Hitler's rise to power with his Nazi Party. The seeds already were being sown for World War II.
Although weapons were laid down by the armies of participating countries on the eleventh day of the elev- enth month at eleven in the morning, the first “Armi- stice” day was celebrated on Nov. 11, 1919. The concept was to honor and pay homage to the gallant young Amer- ican men and women who had so honorably and gallantly served this country and their fellow citizens.
While beginning as Armistice Day, this special trib- ute has undergone a number of changes, alterations and modifications — although the intent remained. In 1926, Congress passed a resolution declaring that the 11th of November every year would be a recurring celebration of thanksgiving and prayer. It became a federal holi- day in 1938; Dwight Eisenhower, in 1954, marked the change to Veterans Day. Although originally celebrated the same day each year, in 1968 it was brought under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and became the fourth Monday in October.
That move by the federal government created confu- sion (what's new) with a plethora of local celebrations by changing the date. In 1975, due to much local unhappi- ness in the states, the date of the holiday was returned by Gerald Ford to the original date of Nov. 11.
We have to be concerned this year that, since this is one of he truly patriotic celebrations of the year, we will be able to celebrate in spite of the cancel culture or riot- ing by Antifa, Black Lives Matter or “woke” proponents as well as many other “crazies” from our educational institutions! It's a crying shame that with such brave, heroic men and women, fight for the very freedoms these outliers abuse, we have to tolerate the common sense challenged while they receive the protection of our own elected government!
Ever wonder how this group of brave young men and women who make up our Armed Services — serving that same government and the cadre of armchair generals who populate the Pentagon — can be so disrespected as to serve as a social experiment for the brass? The service academies are being told that either they turn to Joe Biden on bended knee to accept a mandated vaccine, which is of questionable value to these healthy, young warriors, or face the arbitrary consequences. The only available option is to be fired or resign, which could decimate our fighting forces. What the hell were military brass thinking that led them to go alone with such a stupid position?
Most of the community celebrations and parades took place this past weekend, but we would ask that you pause for a moment and reflect on the contributions and sacri- fices that have ben paid by our sons and daughters who serve this great country. We have great respect, as well, for those who pray for and work for a peaceful world. Experience has proved, time and again, that aggressive actions require an in-kind reaction and we aren't capable of responding from a position of strength we'll be living under a foreign government with a less expansive vision of civil rights and freedoms than we. Freedom isn't free!
We should never use our most-powerful-military-in- the-world in any position of being a bully, but we sure as hell need to maintain maximum effective strength for our own safety. We wish it were not so, but we will al- ways need a strong military as long as we live in a world filled with aggressive nations and their leaders with grand ambitions for dominant positions in the world.
Return of parades shows the field of community also is coming back
Fred Hall — Publisher
Jon Earnest — Editor
Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
QUOTE
“You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeat- ing the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for independence.”
— Charles Austin Beard (1874-1948)
Fred Hall
It was a crisp autumn morn- ing, filled with a bit of patrio- tism and admiration for those who served.
There still are events you can catch. On Nov. 11, the Viet- nam Veterans of America Chap- ter #643 in Dinuba host a cer- emony at Smith Mountain Cem- etery beginning at 10 a.m. The event will mark the 36th anni- versary of the first display of the cemetery's Avenue of Flags.
It won't be too long a wait to again scratch your parade itch. Next month, Christmas holiday-themed parades will return for 2021 in both Sanger and Reedley. See you there!
Jon Earnest is news-sports editor for The Times.
My third parade in the past two months may have been the most taxing of all on me physi- cally, but it was a good kind of sore. That's because I was able to experience the annual Cut- ler-Orosi Veterans Day Parade for the first time.
My legs were weary from walking to the parking area of the Orosi Sports Complex — north of the high school — over to Road 128 (also known as Highway 63 through Orosi and Cutler). I then walked the half-mile down to Avenue 416, the main intersection through Orosi, to check out the parade route before the quaint number of entries proceeded to move south through town.
Unlike some other parades, such as the Reedley Fiesta Parade I covered earlier this month, there wasn't any crush of people lining the street. Sure, there were some pockets of people along the route, but most sat or stood in cozy open areas. And the parade route
itself was unique. Since Road 128 also serves as a highway, the roadway was shared by the parade on the west side of the road and through traffic trav- eling both directions along the east side. In the spirit of the parade, there weren't too many motorists coming through, al- though there was a rare big rig waiting to make a turn.
I wasn't at this year's Sanger Veterans Parade, but in sharing with The Times' feature editor Juanita Adame, who did attend, the community still embraced the return of an event that took a year off because of the coro- navirus pandemic.
It's community, and the civ- ic pride of smaller towns, that make these parades fun for me to attend and watch. And, in my case, even to work. People, ma- ny masked, some unmasked, still had a glow in their eyes and faces as they waved their American flags and waved at passing parade participants. Those included the "guest of
honor," Grand Marshal Donald Wade, as well as a pickup truck carrying veter- ans/members of the Vietnam Veterans Wall organization.
Jon Earnest
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Good nutrition is an important habit
Editor's Note: November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Here is the second of four guest columns this month with tips to prevent and curb diabetes.
By Chinayera Black Hardaman
Guest columnist
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), almost 34 million people in the United States suffer from Diabetes, some of which are undiagnosed. While there are no known strategies to pre- vent Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes is estimated to be 95 percent preventable. The most significant mitigating factor in prevention of Type 2 Diabetes is adequate nutrition.
The most proven way to avoid a Type 2 Diabetes diag- nosis is to eat a nutritious diet that helps reach and/or main- tain a healthy weight. Here are some “Dos” and “Don’ts”
DO include plenty of the fol- lowing in your diet:
• Non-Starchy Vegetables - includes broccoli, carrots, greens, peppers, and tomatoes
• Fruits—includes oranges, melon, berries, apples, banan-
as, and grapes
• Grains—at least half of
your grains for the day should be whole grains
includes wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, and quinoa
• Protein – includes lean meat, chicken or turkey with- out the skin, fish, eggs, nuts and peanuts, dried beans and certain peas, such as chickpeas and split peas, and meat substi- tutes, such as tofu
• Dairy—nonfat or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese
DON’T include much of the following in your diet:
• Fried foods and oth- er foods high in saturated fat and trans fat
• Foods high in salt
• Sweets, such as baked goods, candy, and ice cream
• Beverages with added sugars, such as juice, regular soda, and regular sports/ener- gy drinks
Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting a significant proportion of people through- out the district. Recognizing the mal-implications of Type 2 Diabetes, the Sierra Kings Health Care District issued $25,000 grants to both the Cali-
fornia Health Collaborative
(CHC) and Ad-
ventist Health
(AH) targeting
residents of
Reedley, Parlier,
Dunlap, Squaw
Valley, and Mi-
ramonte. The
Diabetes Prevention Program and the CREATION Health program work with the com- munity to aid in preventing and managing their pre-Diabetes or Diabetes.
Maintaining an adequate diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with foods high in fiber, will not only reduce the chanc- es of getting Type 2 Diabetes, but improve overall health and wellness.
To access a list of healthy recipes, go to www.mayoclinic. org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/ diabetes-meal-plan-recipes/rcs- 20077150
Chinayera Black Harda- man is CEO of the Sierra Kings Health Care District in south- east Fresno County.
Chinayera Black Hardaman
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MID VALLEY TIMES invites letters from the public on any topic of local relevance. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity or brevity, and we reserve the right to NOT publish them if they could be deemed libelous or profane. Letters should be 350 words or less, and bear the author's name, address, and phone number. Letters can be mailed, emailed, submitted via our website, or personally delivered to: Editor, Reedley Exponent, 1130 G St, Reedley CA 93654.
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