RanchosIndependent

ThePRSRT STDECRU.S. POSTAGE PAIDMADERA,CA.PERMIT NO. 61

November 2006 The Official Publication of Southeastern Madera County 35¢

INSIDEEditorial.............Page 2Letters.................Page 3Stock Report......Page 7Fun Zone.........Page 19Real Estate.......Page 21Classifieds........Page 24

On Tuesday, Nov. 14 atsome time between midnightand 4 a.m., the Valero gasstation at 37047 Ave. 12 wasbroken into and was robbed.Madera County Sheriff ’sdepartment stated that theyresponded to an alarm fromthe station and when theyarrived discovered the frontdoor glass had been brokenout and the contents of theconvenience store had beendisturbed. They determinedthat the cash register hadbeen stolen with an undis-closed amount of money.

The sheriff ’s depart-ment had no other informa-tion but said that the case isopen and still under investi-gation.

Ranchos ValeroStation Robbed

The Rolling Hills Home-owners’ Association met onThursday, Nov. 16 for a fullagenda of items, but it was waterthat was on everyone’s mind. Atquestion is an aging water sys-tem that services the approxi-mate 350 residential parcels inthe area around Highway 41 thatstretches from Ave. 12 toChildren’s Hospital. Severalhomeowners saw the writing onthe wall three years ago whengroups were formed to investi-gate solutions and costs to fix thesystem, but those efforts werenot acted upon. Today, the watersystem is worsening and thecosts have gone up considerablysince 2003, some estimatingfrom the original $1.7 million topossibly $5 million today.

A special election will beheld in March 2007 for propertyowners and, if approved, con-struction could begin within ayear. If it’s rejected, the projectdies and the situation, presum-ably, will worsen.

By Randy Bailey

In an absolute heartbreak ofa game, the Firebaugh Eaglesscored a go-ahead touchdownwith less than a minute left toplay and brought to an end anunbelievable season for theLiberty High Hawks with a scoreof 35-31.

In front of a crowd estimatedin the thousands, the Division VSemifinal game was played onFriday, Nov. 17 between the #1ranked Hawks and the #4 rankedEagles. But this game meantmore than being just a step closerto the ultimate division champi-onship. In what many consideredto be a storybook season in whichLiberty High beat opponentsmercilessly into the ground withscores like 56-7, 49-6 and 41-8,the only team that beat them theirentire season was Firebaugh, andat that the best Firebaugh coulddo was eke out only four morepoints than Liberty. With thatwin, although Liberty had moreoverall victories than Firebaugh,they were tied in their conferencegames at 4-1 each and that gaveFirebaugh the #1 spot in theNorthwest Sierra League.

This game was about muchmore than getting to the finals; itwas about payback.

The game truly was a studyof two different games. Therewas the first half game, com-pletely dominated by Libertywith a score of 28-6 at halftime.Firebaugh scored once in the firstquarter after Liberty had alreadyscored two touchdowns, the firsta 19-yard run by BrandonGraham and the second a 50-yardrun by Donovan Tessmer.Firebaugh didn’t enter the end-zone again until the third quarterof play.

But this is a story of twofootball games played that night.In the second half, Firebaugh didscore a touchdown ... and thenanother, and another, and another.And all the while this was hap-pening, all the second halfLiberty High Hawks could put onthe board was one 40-yardBrandon Schlueter field goal.

But there’s more toFirebaugh’s second half magicand Liberty’s second half implo-sion than meets the eye.

For most of the game, theofficiating was right on.However, in the fourth quarterLiberty had its wind knocked outwith three pass interference callsin a row, advancing Firebaugh 45yards in three plays and placingthem on the Liberty 2 yard linefrom where they scored. Thesecalls came after an 80-yard

Liberty touchdown was calledback for holding.

But more importantly, afterthe flags were thrown there was apalpable change in Liberty’sdefensive secondary. “Gun shy”would not be too strong of anadjective. After the penaltiesLiberty started to give theFirebaugh receivers more thanenough room and Firebaugh, totheir credit, exploited it.

And exploit it they did. Inthe first half, Firebaugh’s quarter-back Alex Gutierrez’ passingnumbers were MIA, but by theend of the second half he hadamassed 159 yards by complet-ing 11 of 21 passes.

Liberty’s strength was itsrunning game. Graham ended thenight with 183 yards rushing on17 carries, for an average ofalmost 11 yards per carry. Talk

about a first down machine.Graham’s rushing alone waswithin 23 yards of the total rush-ing yards for Firebaugh’s entireteam. When you add in DonovanTessmer’s 4 carries for 75 yards,the ground was controlled byLiberty.

In an interesting twist,Friday’s game was the secondtime this year that Firebaugh beatLiberty High by only 4 points.

What a season. Liberty Highhas made us all incredibly proud.Most kids go through four yearsof mediocrity and look back on itand call it their high school years.This team will be able to lookback on a season that went fur-ther than any other Liberty foot-ball team and also set an incredi-bly high standard for thosereturning lettermen next year.

We can’t wait.

Planning Committee MeetsFor New Ranchos LibraryBy Julie Hale

On Wednesday, Nov. 15, thefirst meeting was held to start up acommittee to work toward thegoal of building a new library forthe Ranchos area. The currentlibrary is located in leased space inthe Maywood shopping center onAvenue 12 at Maywood. The firstmeeting was attended by 27 inter-ested Ranchos residents.Committee officers elected wereMark Swan, who will chair thecommittee; Stephen Bibler, whowas elected as the co-chair; JulieHale, who was elected as secre-

tary; and Cheryl Harvat, who waselected as Treasurer. There wasalso discussion that the committeewill start up as an ad-hoc commit-tee which will be associated withthe “Friends of the Library” group.This will allow the committee totake advantage of the alreadyestablished non-profit corporationof the “Friends of the Library.”The next meeting will be on Nov.29 at 7 p.m. at the library to dis-cuss the possible donation of landto the county for the future librarysite. Anyone interested in partici-pating in the committee is wel-comed to attend.

LHS Friday Night-mare Ends Dream Season

Say it ain’t so!The faces of the Liberty High School Varsity Football Team say it all at the end of one of the most intensely fought games

in school history. After losing only one game all season to Firebaugh, Friday night’s championship game with Firebaugh -again - would determine who would move on to the Division V Championship Game with Caruthers. After leading the gamefor the first three quarters, Liberty watched Firebaugh mount a last-ditch effort that resulted in a final score of 35-31.

Photo by Tyler Takeda

Ranchos Voters ElectGV Board Members

In a vote for the status quo, both incumbents, Mona Diaz and RogerSchuh, were reelected Nov. 7 to the Golden Valley Unified School DistrictBoard of Trustees. Of the three remaining non-board members running,Steven Lewis, Brad McDonald and Mark Toole, the voters chose Lewis forthe 4-year seat.

Diaz was the #1 vote getter, receiving almost 26 percent of the votes cast.Schuh was next with 21 percent. Of the three other contenders, there was only4 percentage points separating them. Lewis won with 19.8 percent of the votefollowed by McDonald with 18.2 percent and Toole with 15.3 percent.

Elected School Board members (from left) Steven Lewis, Mona Diaz and Roger Schuh.

Rolling HillsH2O Woes

559-645-063437167 Ave. 12, Suite 5C • Madera, CA 93638 • ranchosnews@theranchos.com

The Ranchos Independent is published by Five and Two Publishing.All contents of this publication are copyright 2006, all rights reserved. Reprinting

without the permission of the copyright holder is forbidden by law.All articles are submitted as the opinion of the author, who remains solely responsi-

ble for the content. The information gathered for this publication is from sources that areconsidered to be reliable, but are not guaranteed. Opinions expressed in advertisementsor articles remain the opinion of the writer.Randy Bailey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . EditorTina Shannon . . . . Advertising Sales

Editorial

Page 2 November 2006

RanchosIndependentThe

Random Notes

The good folks over at the Golden Valley Unified District Office wanted me to pass alongsome well-deserved thank yous to some volunteers that, in their words, “...have been awesome in their offers of time and equip-ment to help prepare Liberty High School foot-ball field for the Liberty/Firebaugh playoffgame.” They say that the community really pulledtogether to offer their help, “... they have beenawesome, enthusiastic and willing to do whateverit took to ensure that the players and all who attend-ed had a positive and memorable experience.”

Specifically, they wanted to thank Karl Roth,Don Foster, Brian Kirste, Pat Knobloch, DarrellGraham and Darrell Graham Sr., Theresa Graham,John Pearson, Christine Pearson, Scott Sample,Yosemite High School and their MOTDirector Kevin,Chowchilla High School and their Superintendent RonSeals, Golden Valley staff Jesus Garcia, Art Hernandez and Susan Lunt.

LHS Principal Andy Alvarado stated, "It is absolutely evident that our schools in theGolden Valley USD are a source of community pride. It never ceas-

es to amaze me how our community ralliestogether to support all of our programs here atLiberty High School."

Golden Valley has a very cool system in placeif you’re a parent and want to get a look at your kid’sgrades without having to wait for a progress reportor report card. It’s called PAMS or Parent AccountManagement System. You can check grades or evencheck on how many days your child has missedschool due to illness.

It uses the same database that teachers use to inputattendance and grades, only now it’s been mad accessi-ble to parents. If you would like access to the PAMSsystem, you need to go by the District Office at 37479Avenue 12 during normal business hours (7:30 – 4:30)

in order to sign up for your verification pass code. You can get more information at the DistrictWebsite at www.gvusd.k12.ca.us or call ChrisPierce at 645-7500.

As long as I’m talking about school-relat-ed stuff, Liberty High School is having a lit-tle fundraiser for the school library. OnSaturday, Dec. 9 they’re having a Book Fair atBarnes & Noble across fromk River Park. Youcan get a Book Fair Voucher at Liberty HighSchool and at the GVUSD District Office.Present the voucher when you make your pur-chases at Barnes & Noble (7849 N.Blackstone Ave.) on Dec. 9 and the LHSlibrary will receive a percentage of all profitsfrom purchases made with the vouchers. Theprofit will be used to purchase new books forthe library. Want a bonus? Gift wrapping willbe provided by LHS students and staff from 2- 6 p.m.

Finally, as I round out this GVUSDRandom Notes, you can meet with theSuperintendent, Dr. Marilyn Shepherd, on thefirst Thursday of each month over coffee. It’scalled “Starbucks with Shepherd.” It’s at theDistrict Office from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. How’sthat for access?

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Ray Gun

I was poised by my TV set on elec-tion night, waiting for what they’ve con-ditioned me to expect after an election:election impropriety. Someone “stealingthe election” again. I was ready for thenon-stop, wall to wall barrage from thetalking heads on TV to explain to mewho had been disenfranchised this elec-tion. I was prepared to get beat over thehead again over stories of pranksterscalling certain voters and telling themthat the election had been moved to thenext day and that they wouldn’t be need-ed to vote until the day after the election.Of stories about voters being intimidated- always by the same party - into not vot-ing.

Prior to the election I heard the sametired clap trap that a vote for THIS partywould equal lynchings and churchesburning and voting for that same partywould ensure that the lame would neverwalk again ... blah, blah, blah.

So along comes election night andwhat happens?

Nothing.No angry voters. No disenfranchised

minorities. No imbeciles from PalmBeach, Fla.

What was happening? Had I enteredan alternative universe somehow? Everyelection I had watched since 2000 therewere major problems. Foul-ups.Uncounted voters. Hanging chads.

What was going on?Then I started to notice the returns as

they trickled in. A Democrat here. Twothere. Another one way over there some-place. As I tried to control my instinctivegag reflex, I started putting two and twotogether.

There was nothing to complainabout because THEY were winning.

And then it all started coming backto me. When Bill Clinton was elected hewas going to put together a cabinet that“looked” like America. Things werefinally going to get done because he wasthe king of bipartisanship. It was thenthat we learned that “bipartisan” meant“agree with the Democrats.” If youagreed with a Democrat, you wereexhibiting the finest qualities of biparti-sanship. Now a Democrat could staunch-ly disagree with you, but that wasbecause their positions were alwaysinherently correct. There was nothingpartisan about supporting and champi-oning truth.

So there you had it: 1) Agree withthem = Bipartisan, the highest form ofpolitical creature; 2) Disagree with them= Partisan knuckle-dragger throwing aroadblock into all things good and pureand progressive; and 3) Have them dis-agree with you = Protector of the Faith,even higher than Bipartisan.

And now it’s all coming together inthis election.

They had their scores of lawyers atthe ready to start challenging absolutelyeverything if they had lost, but there wasno need to this time. They were winning.

Which all comes down to my point.It’s only a “bad” election if they lose. AmI the only one who sees this? Does any-one else smell a huge pile of disingenu-ousnous? Of course, I don’t know whyI’m complaining. If I would just shut upand do what they say - like our friends inthe Northeast did - everything will befine. Really.

Voting Irregularities? No Way ...Not When Democrats Win

LettersNovember 2006 Page 3

The Olde Cowboy

Please see COWBOY on Page 11

Castle & Cooke Townhall Meeting

Thursday, November 30, 20067:00 p.m.

The Village of Gatewayto discuss the status and progress of

Townhall to be held at the Liberty High School Cafeterialocated on the corner of Ave. 12 and Road 36 • Refreshments will be served

The most current Draft Environmental Impact Report has been prepared and we hope you can join usfor a discussion of the possible effect the report may have on the advancement of the Village of Gateway project.

It should prove to be both an interesting and informative evening.

invites you to a

11/0

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Dear Editor:

Of the many controversial issues thenation is facing, one item surely demandsprompt action: raise the minimum wage.The income of the richest 1 percent of thepopulation has risen sharply in recentyears while wages and ownership amongthe working class have eroded. Congresshas raised its own salaries several times inthe last 10 years, but has steadfastlyrefused to raise the minimum wage overthe same period. We have been told that toincrease the minimum wage will destroycountless small businesses, and hurt thepoor because of lost jobs and rising prices.That is a sobering thought, but is it true? Inthe grocery business, since wages takeabout 10 percent of the sales dollar, a pricehike of only 10¢ on a $10 order wouldaccommodate a 10 percent wage increase.And remember, for the most part the work-ing poor and the non-working poor are inthe same families.

Think for a moment about the furni-ture manufacturing and retailing industry.No one can doubt that in terms of supplyand demand, the industry is overstocked.Television tells the story constantly, with aplethora of “no down payment, no interesttill ‘08, no sales tax, etc.” In automobiles,it’s “cash back, low or no interest!” Thereis plenty of need, all right, but for“demand” to serve its essential function,the buyer must be able to pay the price.

Suppose we put more money into thehands of the furniture industry by favor-able tax cuts. Now in view of the fact thatthe industry already has goods it cannotsell, does common sense tell you that theindustry will rush out to invest in morecapacity, and hire more workers? No, itdoes not. If we put more money into thehands of the wealthy by more tax cuts, willthey rush out to buy down the overstocks

of furniture? No, they will not, because ifthey thought they needed furniture, theyalready bought it yesterday.

Now consider the working class. If weput a little more money into their hands,what do you suppose they will do with it?Will they buy long-term bonds, yachts, athird vacation home in Bermuda? No, theywill not. They will spend it immediatelyon furniture, ordinary clothing, more tripsto Carl's Jr., better used cars, etc., etc.

And the major beneficiaries of theadditional purchasing power will be thevery people the opponents of raising theminimum wage claim will be hurt: the fastfood chains and small retailers in general.

And would that be good for every-body? Yes, it would.

Fred MathesMadera Ranchos

Dear Editor:

I don’t smoke. I have, in my youngerand foolish days, smoked and done othersuch foolish things. My grandparents bothsmoked. In fact, my Aunt nicknamed mygrandmother Puff, because of her frequenthabit. (My brother and I thought she wasnamed after Puff the Magic Dragon and tothis day we still call her Puff.)

Yes, I did say smoking was foolish.Cancer is the second leading cause ofdeath with lung cancer the leading causeof all cancer deaths. In 2003, about170,000 new lung cancer cases occurredand about 157,000 people died from lungcancer (U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services.) It seems foolish to thinksmoking is anything but foolish. But whydo smokers always seem to bear the bruntof American animosity and taxation?Shouldn’t we be celebrating diversity and

appreciating our differences? Diversity is,after all, a pressing issue of our time.

In the worst sense diversity meansgroup preferences and group entitlements;it values group identity above individualidentity. In the best sense diversity meansaccepting and appreciating differences –but not if the difference is smoking.

Why?Since diversity proponents are

opposed to individualism and withoutindividualism there is no personal respon-sibility, it seems that smokers would qual-ify as a group worthy of entitlements. Butthis is not the case. The diversity police donot allow the smoking minority their ownpersonal responsibility even though smok-ers want it. And that’s the crux of the issue:wanting or not wanting personal responsi-bility. Smokers, for the most part, are will-ing to face the consequences of theirchoice to smoke. Special groups that areworthy of the benefits of being diverse donot want personal responsibility. Thesegroups, for the most, are not willing toface the consequences of their particularchoices, and generally hide behind thelarger group identity.

Thus, to truly be diverse in the diver-sity crowd — and get the benefits — youmust denounce personal responsibility andoppose individualism. To do otherwise,even when you might belong to a diversegroup, disqualifies you from receivinggroup entitlements and raises your taxes.

If you want to be responsible you losebenefits. If you claim not to be responsi-ble you gain benefits. So here is a tip forsmokers: denounce personal responsibili-ty and claim smoking is not your fault.Packs of cigarettes will be under $2 in notime.

Ray M. SanchezMadera Ranchos

By Woody Laughnan

My longtime neighbor three milesup the road toward town is cleaning outthree generations of accumulation fromhis farmstead preparatory to holding afarmyard sale in November, and hismissus is going through boxes andtrunks that have not been opened foryears; in fact she's been emptying clos-ets in upstairs rooms whose doors havenot been open in 20 years as is the casein many rambling old farm houses thatpre-date the 1920s.

Her sorting job is taking muchmore time than his.

Sometimes I come into a room andfind her holding an object to the cheekand crying, for instance an old doll thatwe bought for our oldest daughter onher first Christmas 40 years ago. And apitcher and knickknacks that her grand-mother brought from Ireland more thana hundred years ago. I don't know, butsometimes it is more difficult for awoman to look back on yesterday,although I was all but moved to tearswhen I found my son's tricycle in whatwas once the tack room in the horsebarn that hasn't been used for years. Iguess I'm getting old because the adageis that men don't cry.

Anyhow, the neighbor put his placeup for sale a couple of months ago, not thathe was doing much with it anymore exceptrunning a few head of cows and putting upsome hay. Oh, the wife and he had a fewchickens, a couple of hogs and a gardenthat didn't get much tending this year.

At one time theirs was a busy farm,even employing a year around hiredman; and until a labor camp was built

By Ellen Mester

It’s time once again to plan and cele-brate the holidays! Are you in need ofsome really excellent and economicalChristmas gifts? Try doing your holidayshopping at the Friends of the RanchosLibrary Book Sale that will be on Dec. 1through 3 in the vacant office space thatused to be the community hall/voting placein the Maywood Center. The Book Salewill continue on the following weekend,Dec. 8, 9 and 10. You’ll find first editionrecently released novels in perfect condi-tion for incredible prices. Think aboutpaperbacks as stocking stuffers for thosehard-to-buy-for relatives. The Book Salewill begin on the same day (Dec. 1), samelocation as the annual Christmas TreeLighting that the Golden Valley Chamberof Commerce is hosting. There will befood and drinks for the family, music,Santa and lots of holiday cheer. Rain orshine we hope to see everyone there.

On Dec. 7, the Friends of the RanchosLibrary will host our annual Christmas TreeDecorating party inside the library. This is agreat opportunity to visit with your neigh-bors and enjoy some tasty treats whileyou’re helping to decorate the library.

Every other Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. awonderful group of children meet at thelibrary for a book club. At each meetingbooks are selected based on a theme. Thefollowing meeting the children talk abouttheir chosen books and what they likedabout them. Then the new theme is dis-cussed and books are selected. It’s a greatopportunity for kids of all ages. The sign-up sheet is at the circulation desk in thelibrary.

Book Recommendations

Juvenile Holiday Fiction:Thanksgiving Wish by Michael J. Rosen.Every year Amanda’s family gathers at hergrandmother’s house for Thanksgiving.Grandmother has spent the entire month ofNovember preparing food for the feast.And every year Grandmother has saved

wishbones fromall the chick-ens andturkeys eatenthroughoutthe year forall of herg r a n d -childrento makewishes.T h ef i r s t

Thanksgivingarrives after Grandmother

has passed away and the family tries toprepare the traditional feast withoutGrandmother’s help. This turns out quitecomical when the electricity goes out and

the food is not quite cooked. Fortunatelythe neighbors lend a hand and Amanda’sfamily has a very special Thanksgivingafter all. It is so reminiscent of some of myfamily’s holiday gatherings that I find thisbook to be especially endearing and Iimagine many would feel the same way.It’s a picture book that can be read andenjoyed by the whole family.

Large Print Adult Non-fiction: Youthe Smart Patient: an Insider’s Handbookfor Getting the Best Treatment written byMichael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C.Oz, M.D. Although the title sounds seriousthis book was actually written in a light-

hearted manner.The authors evenapologize for thet o n g u e - i n -cheek exagger-ations of someof healthcareworkers orcases theyd i s c u s s .D e s p i t ethe funnycartoonsa n d

silliness theyactually offer practical

advice which is their true intent. Theybegin with a quiz to see how smart youalready are. It’s quite funny and easy to do.Then they give the answers and discusssome of the key points. They also give sev-eral good Websites for information so thatyou can be prepared to ask the right ques-tions when you go to the doctor and web-sites to help you find a specialist in yourarea. There are also pointers on what to dobefore you have surgery and how to under-stand the doctor’s shorthand instructionsor prescriptions. It’s written in big boldprint with appendix and index at the back.An excellent read not only for seniors butfor everyone.

Adult Non- Fiction: Frommer’sEurope by Rail: the Official Guide ofRailEurope. If you are thinking about trav-eling to Europe in the near future I recom-mend this book. It is current (2006) andcan help you plan your entire trip from

hotels, sites to see,restaurants, trainschedules (andhow to under-stand them),maps, pricesand picturesof what theinside ofthe trainslook like.There areloads ofaddress-es and phone num-bers to book accommodationsand practical travel tips as well. For thoseof you who are looking for an economicalway to see several countries then this is thebook for you.

All of the staff and Friends of the RanchosLibrary wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Check out these books and more at thelibrary and remember your library card …don’t leave home without it!

The BookshelfPage 4 November 2006

Annual Christmas TreeLighting Ceremony

for more information, contact the Golden Valley Chamber at 645-4001

The Golden Valley Chamber of Commerce

Santa will make an appearanceat the ceremony!

Cookies - Coffee - Hot Cider

Pick a star for a Veteranat Veteran’s Hospital.*

Photos with Santafor a $5 donation.

Christmas carols by Flipside Churchand area Girl Scouts.

Maywood Shopping CenterFriday, December 1 • 6:30 p.m.

*Gift items needed are lap blankets, socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes,books, magazines, L and XL t-shirts, shampoo and instant coffee. Theitems need to be dropped off at the Chamber office before December 14.

The Ranchos Kiwanis are also collecting toys forthe children of our troops. Bring a toy to theChristmas Tree lighting and it will be delivered to adeserving child.

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Holiday Fun at Ranchos Library

All of the staff and Friendsof the Ranchos Library wishyou a Happy Thanksgiving!

Say You Saw It inThe RanchosIndependent

November 2006 Page 5

11/0

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In Sheriff John Anderson’szero tolerance concerning ille-gal OHV (Off Highway Vehicle)r id ing, NO TRESPASSINGsigns are going up, whichmeans no one caught violatingMadera County OHVOrdinances can feign ignoranceof the law.

“Drivers caught breaking thelaw risk arrest and having theirvehicle impounded,” Andersonsaid.

A n d e r s o nhas not onlyissued warn-

ings, he has tried to educate the publicabout the seriousness of violating coun-ty OHV Ordinances. Despite hisefforts, there are those who continue toflout the law.

In the department’s continuedattempt to tackle the problem,Sheriff ’s Deputies with the OVH Team& Ag Crimes Task Force began post-ing signs along the Fresno River.More signs will go up in areas wherethe problem of illegal OHV ridingcontinues.

Sheriff Anderson does not begrudgethose who own OHV’s – whether theyare ATV’s or off-road motorcycles.“Ride them in areas that are designatedOHV paths. Do not ride them in areasdeemed off limits,” Anderson said.

Madera County drafted and put intoeffect a Noise Ordinance Law, “But it’s

not just the noise that’s impacting residents and businessowners in our county,” Anderson said. “OHV’s areresponsible for damaging agricultural land, stirring updust clouds, which contribute to extremely poor air qual-ity in our Valley.”

Again, those who choose to ride OHV’s anywhere inMadera County are urged find out where it is legal to ride.To do so log on to the Madera County web site at:www.madera-county.com/sheriff/ohv/index.html. Thiscounty web site not only provides pertinent informationabout OHV riding and safety, it also serves as an educa-tional tool for those who need to familiarize themselveswith Madera County’s OHV Codes.

OHV Riders: Heed “No Trespassing” or Risk Arrest

The OHV Team & AG Crime Task Force are (from left) Ag Crimes Detective Bud Smith, OHVTeam Deputy Dan Kerber, OHV Team Leader Deputy Larry Rich and Ag Crimes Detective Cliff Kirkes.

More than 100 junior high stu-dents from 14 schools in MaderaCounty competed at the AcademicPentathlon Speech Competition onOct. 17.

Rachel Oatman from ChawanakeeAcademy received first place in theAcademic Pentathlon seventh gradespeech competition.

North Fork student, Kazia Hartplaced first place in the eighth gradecompetition.

Julia Hall of Ranchos MiddleSchool received second place andDana Wood from North ForkElementary came in third place in theseventh grade competition.

Eighth graders, Hannah Pludowand Skyler Towle, both students atNorth Fork Elementary received sec-ond and third place in the competition.

“I am amazed at the students’ abil-ity to articulate.” said Jennifer Girado,a speech judge volunteer. “Speaking infront of people can be daunting andthese students did a wonderful job.”

The Academic Pentathlon is a fiveevent competition. The other fourevents are Essay/Literature, Math,Destination Imagination and SuperQuiz. The Super Quiz will be held onApril 26, 2007. The public is welcometo attend this event and the awards cer-emony immediately following theSuper Quiz.

Madera Co.Speech Winners

Page 6 November 2006

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Sheriff John Anderson is warning theresidents of Madera County, and quitepossibly all citizens residing in the SanJoaquin Valley, about a new scam whichappears to be targeting Senior Citizens.

“These predators have refined theirploy to such a clever degree,” said SheriffAnderson, “I am very concerned thatsomeone will get taken in.”

Sheriff Anderson found out about thescam from a Mountain resident here inMadera County, “He called me on behalfof one of our senior citizens who almostfell for this scheme.”

Here’s how the latest scam trapworks: Citizens, again mostly our elderlycitizens, receive a letter in the mail froman outfit called US LOTTO PROMO-TIONS.

A check arrives in the mail with acleverly written letter informing the recip-ient that he/she has won the Lotto. “Withthe number of lotteries out there it’s hardto distinguish between legitimate andfake.”

The Promotional letter informs therecipient that it has been contracted by theMUSL (Multi-State Lottery Association)to find winners who have not claimed theirprize. In order to help the recipient claimtheir winnings a check is enclosed – some-times in excess of $400. The recipient isadvised that the check is a “small portion”of the actual winnings. The letter goes onto instruct the recipient to cash the check –which will cover insurance, processingand shipping fees in order to claim andreceive the full amount.

Once the recipient deposits the check,he/she must call the “Claims Manager” of thepromotion to “activate the check,” so that the

winner can begin, “the claiming process.” The checks, at first glance appear

authentic. In fact they’re so cleverlydesigned they look on the surface as ifthey were drawn on an actual businessaccount located in an out-of-state bank.

“Those who endorse theses boguschecks have been known to do one of twothings: Either they take what was sent andbegin drawing on it for personal use, orfollow the promotional orders and transferthe full amount of the bogus check inorder to cash in on their alleged win-nings.”

Either way, adds Sheriff Anderson,the recipient finds him or herself in finan-cial turmoil. “The letter is bogus and thecheck, counterfeit.” Depositing a phonycheck is bad enough, but anyone whodares to draw on the phony check is break-ing the law.

Through the course of his own inves-tigation Sheriff Anderson found out thatthe scam may have originated in Texaswhere the state Attorney General wasforced to step in and warn the citizensthroughout the state.

“Some victims have even transferredthe full amount of the check to claim theirprize … they have no idea they are reallydrawing on their own funds.” In somecases people have bled their accounts dry… some even transferred the amount withinsufficient funds.”

“The emotional and financial toll thisparticular scam is taking on seniors isunconscionable.”

Sheriff Anderson is hoping that whathappened in Texas doesn’t happen hereand hopes this warning will reach our cit-izens before they fall prey.

Sheriff Warning Senior CitizensAbout Phony “Lotto” Check Scam

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Madera Ranchos Assembly of GodNW Corner of RD 36 & AVE 13 1/2

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Wednesday......................7 - 8:30 p.m.Worship ServiceRoyal Rangers (Boys 5-17)Missionettes (Girls 5-17)Rainbows (Boys & Girls 3-4)

SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE RANCHOS INDEPENDENT!

November 2006 Page 7

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The Stock Report

By Audrey Stock

Hi neighbors,I don’t know about you but I am sure

glad that the election is over. It seems tome that politicians spend an obsceneamount of money on TV ads. If your sup-porters put up a whole lot of money to getyou elected, you can be sure that they havetheir own agenda and feel that they ownyou. Public service should be actuallyworking for the public. I am not sure thatanything will really change at the Federallevel but I am willing to hope.

Which brings me up to the mostimportant election that will effect us local-ly, that of the Golden Valley School Boardmembers. Mona Diaz, Roger Schuh andSteven Lewis won their place on theGolden Valley Unified School Board forthe next four years. They were the topthree vote-getters out of a field of five thatwere running. Mike Kelly and I haveanother two years left on our terms. Yourboard members have a lot of work to keepGolden Valley moving in the right direc-tion for your students.

I called Mona Diaz after the electionand she was so excited. Mona says thanksto the community for voting for her! Shesays it is a very good feeling to know thatpeople trust her and have shown that theywant her to represent them on the GoldenValley Unified School Board. Mona saysthat she asks one thing from the communi-ty and that is that all of you will “please”stay involved with the school district.Mona says that we need you and all of thecommunity’s input. Mona’s vision for thenext four years is to build the new middleschool, have a new stadium for the com-munity and to continue to add more pro-grams for Golden Valley students. She saysher door is always open to hear your con-cerns and ideas. Mona says her main focushas always been all of the students inGolden Valley Unified. I am very pleasedto have her continue on the board.

After I talked to Mona, I called MarkHuddleston who has been our fearlessleader on the Golden Valley School Boardfor the last six years. Mark was on thefounding school board and has been afaithful member from the beginning. Hewill be sorely missed when he leaves uswhen his term is over on Dec. 1, 2006.Mark says it is time for him to step down.He feels that he leaves the district in thebest shape financially and educationally,and the district is at the “top of its game” atthe present time. Mark feels it is “OK” tohand over the reins to others to carry on thework that he started. I know the feelingbecause I took two years off from boardwork before I went back on the board.Being a member of Golden Valley Board isa four-year commitment and it is veryintense. God bless you Mark and thankyou for your faithful work for the studentsin Golden Valley School District.

The Liberty High students’ 12-weekgrades have been sent home. These lasttests will be used to create benchmarks tosee if each student is on task and wherethey need help. Along with the benchmarksystem the district has installed a new

computer program called the ParentsAccount Management System (PAMS).Before you can use this program you haveto go to sign up at the district office and getyour password to be able to log on to yourstudent’s grades. There is paper workinvolved and you have to have your stu-dent’s ID and a picture to fill out the paperwork. This is a new computer program andis only available for middle school andhigh school students at this time. It isdesigned so that you can keep an eye onwhat your student is doing in each of theirclasses. If a student is behind in a class,perhaps this will help parents to encouragetheir student to catch up.

A new group of community people arebeing formed into a Citizen’s FacilitiesAdvisory Committee to lay the foundationfor the district’s facility needs for the next10 to 20 years. It doesn’t seem possiblethat Golden Valley Unified is already eightyears old. It seems like just yesterday thatI was walking and talking to people in ourcommunity about the advantages of creat-ing our own school district. Some peoplesaid that we didn’t have enough students inthe area to create our own school district. Iknew that we had students going to fivedifferent school districts to get a highschool education. I kept telling people thatif we could establish a new school districtwe could build our own high school andthen the students would come. The districtstarted with 700 kindergarten to 8th gradestudents just eight years ago and we arealready up to 2,000 students in the district.We have the best school district in the area.

I have just watched the wonderfulVeterans Day Parade in Fresno. We hadLiberty High Cadets marching in thisparade. Veterans Day always makes me alittle sad because my brother was killed inWWII. If you know a veteran call him orher and just say “thank you.” I called myson who is a veteran from the Vietnam Warand my cousin who served in the KoreanWar. Now we are in another war in Iraq. Ihope someday the world leaders will figureout how to settle problems without killingoff so many young people. Fresno had thelargest Veterans Parade on the West Coastand it was very well attended.

Community things that are coming up are:Nov. 30 Castle and Cook developers

will have a town hall meeting at LibertyHigh library at 7p.m.

The community Christmas tree light-ing sponsored by Golden Valley Chamberof Commerce will be Dec. 1 at MaywoodCenter at 6:30 p.m. Flipside Church will besinging carols. There will be a ColorGuard. Santa will arrive in a horse buggyfrom the North Pole. Children’s picturescan be taken with Santa. The stars on thetree will be for the Veterans at the FresnoVeterans Hospital. There will be cookies,hot cider and coffee to keep you warm.

There will only be one Golden ValleyBoard meeting in December and at thattime our new board members will beinstalled, so please join us on Dec. 12,2006 at the Liberty High library at 6 p.m.Even at this busy time of the year we stillneed you there.

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CallToday!

A valley-wide identity theft investiga-tion is now underway after two Fresnanswere taken into custody early on the morn-ing of Friday, Nov. 17 after the MaderaCounty Sheriff’s department stopped thepair on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle.

The two arrested suspects driverSamuel Huerta, 39, and his passengerMelanie Heimgartner, 30. Heimgartnertried to pass herself off to Sheriff’sdeputies as someone else by providing adriver’s license which showed an entirelydifferent name and date of birth whichbelonged to another woman -- anotherwoman who may be one of hundreds ofvictims of possible identity theft.

Had it not been for Sheriff’s DeputyValerie Breedlove’s inquisitive nature,Heimgartner may have been able to keepher true identity a secret as well as avoid-ing prison time because as Breedlove dis-covered, Heimgartner is also on parole.

When Heimgartner was arrested herdriver’s license showed the name of awoman who actually exists who has noprior arrests according to jail records, butbased on evidence seized from the vehicle,

Breedlove refused to believe this wasHeimgartner’s first arrest.

Inside the vehicle deputies found bags

and bags of personal information includ-ing checks, social security cards and dri-ver’s licenses all void of a picture, ripe forthe taking for anyone who wanted toassume another’s identity.

Based on the magnitude of evidence,which deputies were still inventoryinghours later, Breedlove decided to do somedigging and ran every name every possibleway with various dates of birth provided.

Heimgartner was booked at 2:45 a.m. andby 7 a.m. Breedlove had found her true identity.

Breedlove’s inquisitiveness led toHeimgartner remaining behind bars on ano bail hold, booked on suspicion of beingin possession of stolen property and forfelony parole violation. Heimgartner wason parole for a felony drug conviction.

As for the driver, Samuel Huerta, hetoo remains behind bars with bail set at$5,000 and facing charges of receivingstolen property and attempting to buy and/or sell stolen property.

“Breedlove is known for her teamplayer approach as well as her steadfastconvictions, demonstrated time and againwhen she follows her hunch,” said SheriffJohn Anderson.

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Suspect Melanie Heimgartner (left) wasreported to have been in possession of hun-dreds of items used for identity theft.Heimgartner’s driver, Samuel Huerta, faces chargesof receiving and attempting to buy and/or sell stolenproperty.

November 2006 Page 9

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Barely 24 hours after posting his bail forsecond degree burglary, a Madera man is backbehind bars this time facing felony drug charges.

In a span of just 24 hours, Deputy DarrellSwengel would find himself arresting JoseCesar Salomon, 19, – not once, but twice.

Deputy Swengel arrested the 19 year oldTuesday night, Nov. 14 after witnesses ID’dhim as the man who tried to break into a vehi-cle on Road 28 ¼. After posting his $15,000bond the next day, Salomon was seen againThursday night, Nov. 16, this time beingchauffeured around town in a truck that hadbeen reported stolen out of Sonora County.

Deputy Ryan Lutz was the first to seethe vehicle on Road 29, followed it toClinton and Tozer, where Sergeant MikePace, and later Deputy Swengel, arrived toassist in making a felony vehicle stop.

The driver, Genaro Ayala, 30, andpassenger Jose Salomon were each placedin the back seat of separate patrol cars forquestioning. Each one offered deputiestheir rendition of how they wound up rid-ing around in the stolen truck. Ayala, whogoes by a host of aliases including: JohnnyAyala, Arnold Ayala, Bueno Ayala and G-Dog, claimed he purchased the GMC

without papers for $200.As for Jose Salomon, while deputies

couldn’t implicate him to this theft or pur-chase of the truck, they did arrest Salomon forbeing in possession of a controlled substance.

A plastic bag with a white powderysubstance determined to be methampheta-mine was discovered in the back of one ofthe patrol cars – presumably left there bySalomon during questioning. Deputiesbelieve this because the car had been thor-oughly searched during shift change,meaning the bindle wasn’t there whenLutz made the vehicle stop.

Salomon was taken into custody andbooked on suspicion of being in posses-sion of a controlled substance. He remainsjailed in lieu of $5,000.

Inside the stolen GMC driven byAyala deputies found a glass pipe used forsmoking Methamphetamine.

Ayala, was booked on suspicion of cartheft, possession of a controlled substance,possession of drug paraphernalia and driv-ing on a suspended license. He too remainsbehind bars with bail set at $25,000.

Back Behind Bars in Just 24 Hours

Jose Cesar Salomon, 19, was arrested andput back in jail 24 hours after he had beenreleased.

Genaro Ayala, 30, playedchauffeur in a truck that had beenreported stolen out of SonoraCounty.

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The Ranchos Youth Football JuniorDivision Team finished their regular sea-son 8-1 and went to the playoffs, winningtheir first game then ultimately losing toOrosi on Nov. 4. The team had a fantastic

season and report they are very grateful totheir coaching staff: Head Coach JimSanta Cruz; Offensive Coach MikeBrogdon; Defensive Coaches AnthonyMendoza and Adam Mendoza.

In their playoff game against Dinuba on Oct. 14, the Ranchos Youth Football team was making a lotof good moves behind quarterback Connor Brogdon, #13 (left), running backs Lynnie Butler, #5, andLogan Doss, #22, and tight end JJ Santa Cruz, #8.

8-1 for Ranchos Youth Football

An Open Letter fromthe Golden Valley Unified School District

District Office

A Wonderful Gift of Labor from Community Friends and Students

Thanks to the generous gift of time and equipment, the empty field north of thefootball field at Liberty High School was cleared of rocks, trash, debris and weeds.

The District would like to thank the eight students who gave their time and consider-able effort to walk the entire field on foot to clear it of any hazards so that largeequipment could safely work the area. The students are Ismael Lizarraga, ChrisOnellas, Chris Sanchez, Jeff Cassity, Julian Hernandez, Tyrone Stocker, Justin

Fulcher and Ethan Bauer. These students, along with their Principal, Dr. Jim Green,are to be commended for their gift of labor to the District, and we certainly appreci-

ate the considerable work they did on foot in the heat.Thanks also to Mark Toole who helped coordinate the cleanup project by contacting

the owners of large equipment and kindly asking them to help the District. Manymen reported to the site with large grading and clearing equipment and spent a verylong day mowing, wetting and floating the area. It felt like Christmas to have this

work performed so well, so willingly and at no cost to the District.Chris Wiley of Farmco and Igal Triebatch of Sol Development

sent their men and equipment to perform the project.

The District appreciates the cheerful kindness of so many professionalsand community members that are always willing to lend a hand in assisting

the District in so many ways. We feel truly blessed to be part of a community thatcares so much about the students and the schools in this District.

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November 2006 Page 11

11/06

nearby, they put up migrant farm workersand their families in the cow barn that isnow only a skeleton exposed to the sky.Others lived in their cars or pitched tentsunder a cluster of oak trees in the hollow.

That was quite a long time ago.“I remember that on Saturday nights

in town there were more than a thousandcotton pickers on the streets on Saturdaynight,” he reminisced the other day. “Theold town was really booming then. Nowthere's just the post office, a filling stationand a rickety old grocery store owned byan Indian fellow who cashes checks forfarm workers who buy necessities.”

And I recall going to barn dances upin the mow of his old cow barn, a neigh-borhood pickup band of piano, drums,saxophone and banjo playing polkas andold-time waltzes and at 2 in the morningwe took up a collection for the foursome tocontinue playing until dawn. Indeed, I metmy wife while dancing with her at one ofhis barn dances while the band was play-

ing “The Tennessee Waltz.” It was a bas-ket social and I bought her basket and wehad midnight supper together.

And in those olden days we hadSunday gatherings down at the creek, themen pitching horse shoes, dozens of kidswere at play and the womenfolkexchanged recipes and local gossip.

Well, I guess neither the neighbor or Iever thought of leaving these old farmsteadsuntil they hauled us off to Shady Oaks forOlder Folks or the Grim Reaper made a callto our bailiwick. But then neither of us everdreamed the city would so insidiouslyencroach this far into the countryside. I meanback in our day, there were times when wewould have been indeed fortunate to sellopen land out here for a relatively few thou-sand dollars if we could sell it at all.

But the time has come that we can nolonger even afford to live on it.

And one can witness this for himselfon a big billboard that went up on a pas-ture alongside the highway sometime ago:

FOR SALE: $250,000 AN ACRE.

COWBOY Cont. from Page 3

The STAR Touring and RidingAssociation is an International Associationof motorcycle riders with 235 Chapterscurrently operating throughout Americawhose members participate in a variety oflocal fund raising events and charitablecauses. The mission of the association is topromote safe riding and camaraderieamong riders and provide goodwill to thecommunity. On Sat., Nov. 18 Yamaha 99,an authorized Yamaha dealer, sponsored anew STAR Touring & Riding Chapter thatwill be known as the Madera 399.

“Our local group of riders has alreadydonated funds to the Madera PeaceOfficers Memorial Fund with their recentGrizzly Run,” said Jim Riley, owner ofYamaha 99. “The new Chapter 399 is opento all riders no mater what brand they ride.There are organized rides to nationalparks, the coast, desert, and local points ofinterest.”

Riders from all over Californiashowed up to celebrate the new MaderaChapter 399 and then enjoyed BBQ, a liveband and bike games.

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By Tyler Melvin

This year our Babe Ruth All StarTeam had incredible hype and expecta-tions to live up to. The past two years wehad gone to state and went two and outlosing by one run in the first games.However, this year's team was thought tobe one of, if not, the best team ever out ofthe Madera Ranchos.

The roster consisted of Tyler Melvin,Daniel Whittemore, Kenneth Kirkman,Zach Schuh, Mitch Kochergen, Jake Preo,Pat Bariteau, David Schmall, DarrenAnderson, Nick Palacios, Nate Swan, JoshKelley, Nate Alchelpohl, Chase Cullinsand Wes Kirste.

This roster is pretty stacked. Plain andsimple, one of the best. We played Edisonour first game at districts and dominated asexpected. We then played Carey (Hoover)and beat them twice to become DistrictChampions. We averaged 16 runs pergame in districts. Then we took the longdrive to Exeter for Small State. The firstgame we were paired with Corcoran. Wethen, of course, ten run-ruled them. Afterthat game, we were unbeatable, beatingShafter the same way. For the champi-onship we had to play Corcoran … again.We defeated them 6-3 in the closest gameof the season.

The California Central Section State

Tournament was being hosted in Lodi. Thetwo-hour plus drive forced us to stay inhotels. We stayed in the Comfort Inn in theworst part of Lodi. Four guys to a roomwith bad air-conditioning made it evenbetter. This year we were paired withArroyo Grande in the first round. Weended up defeating them 12-1 for our firstever win at state. That Sunday, we playedManteca. We lost 13-6 in our first lost ofthe All-star season. Because we lost, wewere forced to play every day until weeither won the tourney, or lost.

The next game we were pumpedbeyond belief because we had found outwhom we were going to be playing —Madera. We had complete momentum afterputting up eight runs in the first inning. Thefinal score was 12-1 and Madera was goinghome. The night before the Madera game,Northwest Bakersfield, our hotel partners,had gotten in trouble by patrolling policeofficers because they were out at twoo'clock. When asked who they were, theysaid that they were “with Liberty.”

The next day was it, baby, the “Battleof the Comfort Inn.” The one we had beenwaiting for. Northwest Bakersfield wasour newest enemy. We put up 10 runs inthe first inning and the score was 10-2.Sadly, after that we committed six errorsthat game and lost 23-12. We had lost ourfinal game at State.

Liberty Babe Ruth goes to State

Back Row - Coach Roger Schuh, Nate Swan, Mitch Kochergen, Daniel Whittemore,Kenneth Kirkman, Zach Schuh, Chase Cullins, Wes Kirste, Coach John Palacios, TylerMelvin and Coach Pat Bariteau. Front Row - Darren Anderson, Nick Palacios, NateAlchelpohl, Josh Kelley, Pat Bariteau, David Schmall and Jake Preo.

November 2006 Page 13

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Business Profiles

10 Years of Smiles at Dr. Pia’sNo place in the Ranchos keeps the people smiling

like Ranchos Dental Care. Now in its tenth year, thepractice of Dr. Matthew Pia has flourished in the com-munity that he, his wife and three children call home.But why start a practice in the Ranchos? “I was bornin Madera and liked the area,” the doctor says. “I waslooking for a smaller community where I could growwith the community.” And grow he has. Dr. Pia esti-mates his patient base at “ a couple of thousand,”including some patients that come from as far away asVisalia and Merced.

In addition to general dentistry, Dr. Pia has alsobeen offering orthodontic services for the last fiveyears. He had an exceptionally memorable opportuni-ty to use his orthodontic skills recently when LHSfootball player Tyler Melvin came to him with a bro-

ken tooth one a day that he had a big event to go to. A short while later Tyler was as goodas new and none of the kids at school were even aware of the emergency procedure.

In addition to Matthew Pia, the dentist, there’s Matthew Pia the Ranchos communi-ty member. His children attend Golden Valley schools and he coaches softball, baseball,soccer and flag football here. He’s involved with the Flipside church and Boy Scoutingand his medical practice provides work for fiveemployees. In addition, he’s established an academicscholarship at Liberty High School for worthy candi-dates who want to pursue the medical profession incollege. “I started it with the first graduating class andhave been doing it ever since,” Pia said.

The good news is Dr. Pia has absolutely no pansto leave the area. He’s not quite ready to expand hisbusiness, yet, but if he should the Ranchos will figureheavily into his plans.

“I love this area!” Pia exclaimed, “I am proud tobe a participating member of this wonderful commu-nity. The schools out here are great and my familyloves living here.”

Dr. Pia, we love having you out here. Here’s tothe next 10 years.

... and how son Zachory has seenhis Daddy for the last six years.

How most people have seen Dr.Pia over the last ten years ...

Page 14 November 2006

11/06

1706 Howard Rd. • Madera

559-674-0071

Lay Away NowFor CHRISTMAS

Happy Thanksgiving from the staff at

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By Ken Cooksey, Jr.

We are entering into what I like to callthe “month” of Thanksgiving. As we do,so many things immediately come to mindthat I am thankful for. You know thingslike my health, my finances and my fami-ly. If I were to ask you what you werethankful for, you would probably havemany of the same things that you arethankful for as I am.

It is an easy thing however to givethanks when things are going the way wethink they should be going, but what aboutwhen things aren’t going as we think theyought to go, are we still able to givethanks?

When things happen in our lives thatare so contrary to what we call good, arewe still able to give thanks, or are we sodown on God and anyone who might evenspeak positive to us that we become angryat the very mention of their name or thesight of them? Here before us lies the bigtest then doesn’t it? The test being, is ourcharacter one that is able to give thanks toGod or anyone else for that matter evenwhen we don’t like what life is throwingour way, or are we only able to give thankswhen life is going the way we like it to go?

I’m certainly not suggesting that it isan easy thing to be thankful when tragedycomes our way, or when difficult timescome along, but I am saying that it is pos-sible to be thankful even in the hard times.

You see, when we realize that thank-fulness isn’t dependent upon our circum-stances surrounding us, but rather on a joythat comes from the inside of a person,then we can truly be thankful at any time,and in any situation. You can be thankfuleven when you don’t have food on thetable, or when your health is not whereyou want it to be. You can be thankfuleven through the worst of times in this life.

I do want to tell you though; peaceand happiness such as this can only come

when you have the peace of mind thattranscends all understanding. I know youwant to know how you can acquire suchpeace, so let me tell you.

Imagine with me for just a moment ifyou will, never being anxious about any-thing! It seems like an impossibility, does-n’t it? We all have worries on the job, inour homes, at school; but what I am sug-gesting is to turn your worries intoprayers. Do you want to worry less? Thenmay I suggest that you pray more!Whenever you start to worry, stop andbegin to pray. Allow God to take the bur-den that you are feeling and put it on Hisshoulders. It will all be much lighter whenGod is carrying the load instead of you.

God’s peace is much different fromthe world’s peace. True peace is not foundin positive thinking, or in absence of con-flict, or in good feelings. Real peacecomes from knowing that God is in con-trol. Control of all things! Your trust inGod will bring such a surety that your des-tiny is set, and no matter what may comeyour way, you can know that everything isgoing to be ok.

As Pastor of Liberty Worship Centerright here in the Ranchos, I teach that thereare only two times when you need topraise or thank God: 1) When you feel likeit; and 2) when you don’t! Any other time,you don’t need to!

As a Pastor in our community, I wantyou to know that I am continuously pray-ing for you and your entire family, as isour entire church family at L.W.C. Have awonderful and thankful holiday as we cel-ebrate Thanksgiving together. Alwaysremember that God loves you, and Hewants you to be thankful beyond your lim-its through Him.

God bless you all.

Ken Cooksey, Jr. is the pastor of theRanchos’ Liberty Worship Center, locat-ed at 37275 Ave. 12.

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By Dave Johnson

Recently much of my time has beenspent conducting the “Safe Realtors”Personal Protection Course throughoutCalifornia (www.saferealtors.com). Indoing so, I have noticed many topics thatwould apply to everyone, no matter theiroccupation. Whether you’re a real estateprofessional, a doctor, a teacher, or a full-time parent, there are many things you cando day to day to increase your level ofsafety and decrease you chances ofbecoming a victim. First, we must remem-ber that Prevention and Preparednessshould be our focus and DefensiveAwareness should be our state of mind.Prevention comes from education, actionand consistency. Preparedness reducesparanoia and increases self-confidence.Effective preparedness comes from realis-tic training. Defensive Awareness meansto be calmly and constantly aware of yoursurroundings (ALL of your surroundings)and mentally prepared to react appropri-ately to whatever, without feeling nervous,apprehensive, afraid, or paranoid. In factdone correctly, you should feel very com-fortable, confident and secure. This mentaland physical sense will in turn be very evi-dent to the criminal element.

So what simple things can we do toincrease our level of safety on a day to daybasis?

1. Try your best to plan out your dayand then let someone you know and trustknow about these plans.

2. Touch bases with this personthroughout the day at specific agreed-totimes. Keep in mind that unless you per-form #2, #1 is useless.

3. Develop a “code word” or “codephrase” to use should you find yourself ina dangerous situation and able to make aphone call. By utilizing just these threesteps you have created a sort of safety netshould something go wrong. If your spe-cial someone is not contacted at theagreed-to time or if they are contactedwith the code word or phrase, emergencyactions and pre-planned responses can beimplemented immediately.

Now let’s talk about ways to avoid abad situation all together.

4. Get out of the “Automatic Mode.”It is easy for a majority of us to fall intothis category. We get up at the same time,we do the same things and we drive thesame route, etc.

5. Change it up. Remember that oftenthe criminal element studies their targetvery carefully and for some time. Take adifferent route, a different street, stop at adifferent coffee shop, etc. By changingyour daily routine, you not only become

unpredictable, you become a harder targetand may even view the world in a differ-ent, more refreshing and interesting way.

6. Look outside before you exit yourhouse, auto or place of work.

7. Make sure your house, office andcar doors are LOCKED.

8. Be sure you have a cell phone inhand before leaving to a different locationand that it’s fully charged and in properworking order.

9. Contact someone and update themon your plans before leaving to a differentlocation.

10. Make sure your car and homealarm systems are in good working order.

11. Walk with confidence, lookaround, and make eye contact.

12. Be prepared to defend yourself.13. Enroll in a REALISTICT Self-

Defense training program. HINT! HINT! DON’T WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING

HAPPENS! Remember, “The WORSTtime to start Self-Defense training isAFTER an attack. The only way to reallyknow how you will react when faced witha violent encounter, is to experience thatencounter in a safe environment.

CONTACT ME. I would love to hearfrom you. E-mail me at info@masterjohn-son.com. Your participation is vital andappreciated. Remember, since we are all inthis together, let’s make it a communityproject, have some fun, and increase ourlevel of safety.

PARENTAL GUIDENCE: Spendsome time with your children reviewingthe following sites. www.amw.com/kids,tcs.cybertipline.com and www.miss-ingkids.com/adcouncil.

SELF-DEFENSE TIPS: SEEKPROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION.Protect your space. Always stand at aslanted angle with one foot back spaced atabout shoulder width. Hands should berelaxed and held between waist and chestlevel. Don’t wait to be hit in order todefend yourself. KNOW YOUR ENVI-RONMENT. BE PREPARED TO ACTINSTANTLY.

Master Johnson is a world-recognizedsecurity and self-defense expert specializ-ing in executive protection, hand-to-hand,multiple opponents and weapon disarms.He is listed in the “Who is Who” in MartialArts and was named “Master Instructor ofthe Year” 1996 by the World Martial ArtsHall of Fame. He is the owner of GoldenValley Martial Arts, Tactical TrainingInternational, Dave Johnson Real Estate,and operates the World’s only online self-defense and Black Belt training course atwww.masterjohnson.com. He can be con-tacted at 559-917-5262.

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Page 16 November 2006

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Service Schedule Sunday 10 a.m. & 6 p.m.

3rd Monday of the Month 7 p.m. Manna Link Food Distribution For needy families. Everyone Welcome!

Tuesday 7 p.m. Life Connections Home Groups Thursday 7:30 p.m. Family NightRE-Generation Youth Group—Generation NeXt Children's Ministry

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On Feb. 3, 2007 the Madera CountyAcademic Decathlon will celebrate its25th Anniversary.

The Madera County Office ofEducation needs former Decathletes toparticipate in a “25 Years of Excellence”video.

To celebrate this monumental event,Madera County will hold a commemora-tive celebration before the awards cere-mony at 4 p.m. at Madera South HighSchool.

During the ceremony Madera CountyOffice of Education would like to honorformer decathletes with certificates andpresent a video highlighting past years.

Former decathletes are needed for inter-views for the video. Any photos or videofootage is also welcome from decathletes.

More than 525 participants have ben-efited since the event’s inception in 1982.

The event has seen 30 different coachesfrom the six schools that have participat-ed.

Each year the United StatesAcademic Decathlon produces studymaterials and tests in eight of the 10event categories. Each year theDecathlon has a specific theme and eachsection encompasses that into their test.The tests include: art, economics, essay,language and literature, math, music,social science and science. A speech andinterview are also conducted for eachstudent.

Volunteers are needed to judge thespeeches and interviews the morning ofSaturday, Feb. 3.

Former Decathletes and anyoneinterested in the volunteering at the event,please call Kristi Peine, events developerat 559-662-6273.

Ex-Academic Decathletes SoughtFor 25th Anniversary Program

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By Thea Fiskin

Autumn is here but what little rainwe've gotten hasn't been enough to turn offthe sprinklers yet, so continue watering tillwe get a really good soaking. Our firstfrost usually arrives the middle ofNovember so now is the time to prepare.Bring frost-tender plants inside or underthe patio for protection. Some plants thatare in the ground will require protectiontoo. Wrap trunks of young palms and cit-rus with blankets, burlap or heavy paper. Ifyou use plastic, create a tent over the plantwithout touching it and open it on sunnydays so the plant doesn't cook. Some peo-ple string Christmas lights or place buck-ets of warm water under their plants onespecially cold nights as added protection.

Garden ChoresFallen Leaves - Don't waste fallen

leaves by throwing them away. Instead,rake into piles, then run over them with thelawn mower to chop, reduce volume, andgather them in the mower's bag. Afterwardadd to the compost pile, bury in the veggiegarden, spread in flower beds, or store indark garbage bags. Leaves break down inno time to make a wonderful amendmentthat enriches garden soil.

Landscape Trees - Prune deciduousand evergreen trees with dense canopies,like the California Pepper, before any morewinter storms arrive. Selectively removeentire branches to allow airflow throughthe tree canopy and prevent wind fromblowing over top heavy trees. PLEASEDON'T stub branches back so trees end uplooking like hat racks! Large trees shouldbe pruned by a certified arborist.

Houseplants - As we turn on theheaters our houseplants will be gasping forthe humidity they need, so treat them to ahumidity tray. Line the tray under the plantwith pebbles and add water to just belowthe surface of the rocks. Never let plantssit directly in water or they will rot. Someplants also benefit from misting includingdracaena, ferns and schefflera. Do not mistcacti, succulents or any hairy leaved plantslike African violets.

Weed Prevention - Winter weeds arepopping up now; remove them whileyoung before new seeds form. Sprayingisn't always necessary; a hula hoe worksgreat and helps work off all those holidaygoodies. If weeds are a big problem inlarge flowerbeds or lawns, then apply apreemergence herbicide to prevent annualweed germination. Discourage weeds bymulching flowerbeds, shrubs and treeswith a thick layer of leaves or other organ-ic topper. If using preemergence herbi-cides, spray first then add a layer of mulch.

Critter Control - Now that nights arecooler slugs and snails are lurking about.Hand-pick or use snail bait to control. Ifyou've got pets or kids use iron phosphatebaits instead of the poisonous metaldehydebaits. Iron phosphate breaks down into fer-tilizer and can be used on any ornamentalor vegetable plant right up to picking.

Dormant Sprays - If peach or nec-tarine trees had curled or puckered leavesthis summer, then take preventative meas-ures now against the fungal disease called"peach leaf curl" for next spring. Rakeleaves when they fall, remove any fruitmummies, and discard both rather than putthem in the compost pile. Spray tru