Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 8-15-19 E-edition

Thursday, August 15, 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 There's no way to control
insanity on the part of a few
Can we talk?
Random thoughts about nectarine cobbler jam and Fireball shooters
Rick Curiel — Dinuba Editor Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Sanger Editor
QUOTE
“Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.”
— George Orwell (1903-1950)
Summer months have brought
about the confluence of a couple of
events here in California in which we
feel, perhaps cynically, that the state
taxpayer who is one of the rate pay-
ers for PG&E's highest rates in the
country is, once again, going to be the
ultimate loser. The traditional heat of
summer in the Valley combined with
an investigation, if you want to call it
that, by the Pubic Utilities Commission of our power company is virtually a guaranteed loser for all of us.
Forgive my cynicism, but this is the same PUC which has forced us to pay for prior management mis- takes of this very same power company. This is the same regulator who has routinely rubber stamped rate increases with marginal documenting evidence by the same utility provider. This is the same power company which routinely donates piles of campaign cash to poli- ticians in Sacramento. Given all of that, exactly what do you believe are our chances of getting a fair shake?
When one realistically examines all of the solar pan- els (now they're government mandated) being installed across California, how long do you suppose it will be be- fore PG&E asks the PUC for an emergency assessment to recapture all of the revenue which is being lost to these new panels? If you guess that the probability is near 100 percent, then we're on the same page. After all, with gov- ernment oversight, what could possibly go wrong?
During my considerable lifespan, it has always struck me that a shortcut to failure is the oversimpli- fication of a complex problem. Ergo, we are experienc- ing mass shootings in the United States so those who have doubts about the validity of the Second Amend- ment feel that getting rid of guns will cure the problem. Every time this happens, there is always the perfunc- tory rush to judgment by gun-grabbers and politicians. When dealing with something that is constitutionally guaranteed why, indeed, should they wait for all the facts to be gathered, weighed and evaluated?
If it were indeed that simple, then why — with millions of guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans — do we have a minuscule percentage of our population sporadi- cally act on some unknown impulse and decide to slaugh- ter their neighbors or people they don't even know? Take a look at the America of today which has been wrought by leftist messages of hate. It seems to me that there is no way to control a certain level of insanity on the part of a few. New laws only impact the law-abiding and it goes without saying that we have our fair share of criminals and nuts! Make no mistake about it, the elimination of the Second Amendment is being done incrementally. If you doubt that, simply look at California!
I know this isn't going to make many Democrats and Trump haters happy, but it's not the fault of our president. His dose of honesty with an America-first message has less effect on the actions of these young men than the video games they sit and play in their parents basement all day long or Democratic presi- dential candidates for speaking, almost daily, about physically beating up Donald Trump! Do we really want anyone who is so immature and unhinged as to utter such a thought as the leader of the free world?
Culturally, the U.S. has reached a new low water mark, having removed God and religion from our schools and most public events. When I was a wee lad, we began each school day with a prayer, the salute to the flag and a sto- ry from the Bible. Today's parent and child would have their ACLU-approved attorney all over the school district should little Johnnie or Jane be exposed to such a “trig- gering” event. That same ACLU which once functioned for the good of the many has become one of the most frightening and intimidating groups operating with pres- sure over the public domain. If one does not agree with someone or something, these people sue them. The courts are clogged with cases which should never be there.
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Liz Hudson asked for feed- back about her newest cre- ation, nectarine cobbler jam, and I’m always up for that kind of public service for our Mid Valley Times readers.
Liz’s cobbler jam with tiny chunks of nectarines has a perfect sweet-acid balance and just a hint of pie filling from the spices she used. I liked it best on top of warm cinnamon swirl raisin toast in the morn- ing with my first, maybe sec- ond and third cups of coffee — with no one talking to me until I finish my coffee.
One of my most enjoyable, unselfish acts of public service for a reader was back when Tylee Navo was experimenting with brewing homemade beer and asked me to be her quality control specialist.
I’m always here to help. •••
The Raider rookies looked good last weekend beating the Rams 14-3. I watched with the TV muted because of the an- noying Chatty Cathy announcers who seemed to think they were more entertaining than what was going on down on the field.
I usually watch the Bull- dogs away games on TV and listen to Paul Loeffler on 940 AM ESPN. But, I’m thinking seriously of joining the Red Wave at USC for the ‘Dogs first game of the season on Aug. 31. Go ‘Dogs!
•••
There’s not much doubt Mike
Montelongo will be reappoint- ed to the Measure S oversight committee at this evening’s city council meeting. That will, in my opinion, mean those meet- ings will become even more of a bizarre spectacle than the ones that attracted the most recent grand jury to town.
•••
My favorite fall events in
Sanger are just around the corner — Farmers’ Markets every Saturday in September and the first Saturday in Octo- ber — with Sadie Mae’s peach cobbler, sweet potato pie and rib sandwiches — the 9th an- nual Veterans Parade on Nov. 2 and the Marine Corps Ball, always on Nov. 10, the birth- day of the Corps.
The chamber is looking for vendors, the parade commit- tee is looking for nominees for grand marshal and the “Those Who Served” committee is looking for another full house at its classy ball and birthday party that honors all branches of the military with lots of loud “Semper Fis” and”ooo-rahs” fueled as much by comrade in arms kinship as by frequent Fireball shots.
•••
Former Sanger mayor and
Vietnam veteran Tanis Ybarra will be the honored guest at this year’s Marine Corps Ball.
My suggestion
for next year is
Ann Marie Car-
rizales, a USMC
veteran and a
Devil Dog su-
per cop who on
a “routine traf- Dick Sheppard fic stop” was
shot in the face and chest and still jumped in her police car to chase down and arrest her attackers. Ann Marie and her dad Joe were my guests at the 2016 Marine Corps Ball.
Nowadays she's sharing her story with other cops. I heard her presentation at Sanger PD and she would be the best motivational speaker the jar- heads ever had at their bash.
•••
Maybe it would be a good
idea, in view of the recent ap- parent prison suicide of Jef- frey Epstein and his links to the Clintons, to clarify a re- mark I made about Hillary at that 2016 Marine Corps Ball. I meant no offense. I was just trying to be funny. I know noth- ing about the Clintons, nothing.
Absolutely nothing. •••
A coincidence that fall, Fri- day and football all start with the letter "F"? I don't think so.
Our season starts Friday, Aug. 23. Go Apaches!
Dick Sheppard can be con- tacted by email at sangerher- ald@gmail.com.
Fred Hall
We're more connected than you might think
While out at last week’s Na- tional Night Out in downtown Dinuba, I came across a lady who has been active in the com- munity for many years. We be- gan to chat and she mentioned how, although she likes the new paper, admittedly she scans the paper for Dinuba news only, skipping over stories that may pertain to other cities the new Mid Valley Times covers.
I thought, well that’s unfor- tunate, and I began to explain to her how we, as people and as a community, can only benefit from knowing what’s happening in our surrounding communities.
Beyond that, last week’s sto- ry of the three new principals in the Dinuba Unified School District was a perfect illustra- tion of how connected we are as a region. The three new princi- pals, coincidentally, had connec- tions to all three cities Mid Val- ley Times represents.
Dinuba High School’s new principal Andrew Popp spent the majority of his educational career at Sanger High School.
The new principal at Jeffer- son Elementary School, Robert Valenzuela (sorry for getting the name wrong last week), is a graduate of Reedley High School. And Melissa Vega, the new principal at Lincoln El- ementary School was born and raised in Dinuba and returns to the very school where she be- gan her education.
The education system is just one example of how inter- connected we really are as a region. I’m sure the three men- tioned are not the only ones con- nected to other communities within the region and chances are you may know someone at your local school site who may be from one of the surrounding communities.
The superintendent for Di- nuba Unified School District, Dr. Joe Hernandez, is also a graduate of Reedley High School.
We are more connected than you might think. That’s really what makes the Valley, and this region, what it is. We
are not just iso- lated pockets of people who would rather keep to our- selves. At least, I hope that’s not the case.
Rick Curiel
Rather, we
are a web of communities tied together by way of family, pro- fessions and lifestyles. But more importantly, we are neighbors.
Now more than ever, we need to band together in soli- darity to fulfill the hopes of this nation’s founding fathers. That is, to ‘form a more perfect union.’
Get to know your neigh- bors, around the block, down the street and even down these beautiful country roads. Once you do, I’m sure you too will realize how interconnected we really are.
And in the meantime, you can meet them here, in the Mid Valley Times.
Rick Curiel is editor for the Times' Dinuba office.