25 Years Ago in the week of Oct. 2, 1991
Courtesy of The Madera County Historical Society Fourth Street Church of God Pastor Sam Bruce said goodbye to his congregation 25 years ago to become president of Wesley College in Mississippi. The popular clergyman had been in Madera for 21 years.
MANFREDI WANTS STATE TO HELP WITH GARBAGE PROBLEM — Madera County and its cities are backed into a dirty, smelly corner, and like every other municipality in California, they are being pushed hard to create a solution for their garbage problem. State law requires counties to reduce their waste stream by 25 percent by 1995, but Ron Manfredi, Madera assistant manager, thinks Sacramento ought to help. “This is a major task,” said Manfredi. “I want the state to pre-screen legitimate companies instead of sending us these buffoons from the Solid Waste Management Board. They sit there and say, “We don’t know anything.” By the year 2000, fifty percent of the 100,000 tons per day heading for California landfills must go elsewhere.
BOARD GIVES UP ON BOUNDARY PLAN — The job of reworking supervisorial districts won’t be done by the Board of Supervisors. The board, which is divided over whose district Yosemite Lakes Park will end up in, voted unanimously to leave the decision up to a committee made up of District Attorney David Minier, County Clerk Rebecca Martinez, and County Assessor Richard Gordon. Tempers have often flared over the politically volatile topic. Supervisor Harry Baker and Board Chairperson Rick Jensen favor leaving Yosemite Lakes Park in Jensen’s district, but Supervisors Jess Lopez and Gail Hanhart McIntyre say to do so would leave Jensen’s district with 22 percent of the county’s population and Baker with only 18 percent. Ideally, each supervisorial district should have 20 percent of the population.
SCHMALL TO FOCUS ON AG EDUCATION — Darren Schmall is the new chairperson of the Madera District Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee. The Madera Native is a grape farmer and the owner of a custom spraying business. “I got involved with the chamber over the last couple of years and saw that the Ag Committee’s program was lacking participants,” Schmall said. “I hope to go in a new direction. We need to educate the public about agriculture,” Schmall commented. He said, “It is ridiculous how poorly educated people are on pesticides and herbicides.” Schmall also wants to let people know how things like cotton, beef, chickens, grapes, and almonds are grown.
BIG RIG COLLISION BLOCKS HIGHWAY 99 FOR HOURS — Southbound traffic on Highway 99 was rerouted through the city of Madera for nearly four hours Wednesday due to a fatal traffic accident that blocked southbound lanes through the heart of the city. The drive of a northbound truck, traveling at about 55 mph, hit his brakes, locking up his vehicle and causing it to skid off the roadway. It went through the center divider where it hit a southbound rig. The driver of the northbound rig died at Madera Community Hospital from injuries received in the accident. Twenty city police officers and several sheriff’s deputies helped direct traffic through the city and assisted local residents in getting home.
BRUCE TO LEAVE FOURTH STREET CHURCH OF GOD — Pastor Sam Bruce of the Fourth Street Church of God has announced that he will bid farewell to his Madera congregation to accept the presidency of Wesley College in Mississippi. Bruce came to Madera 21 years ago. His wife Sandie and daughters Janette Boch and Janelle Bond and their husbands will join him in the move. “I have performed 350 weddings and 600 funerals here,” Rev. Bruce said. “The decision to move did not come easy.” Rev. Bruce will be replaced temporarily by youth pastor Steve Williams and Buzz Boberg. 50 Years Ago in the week of Oct. 2, 1966
NANCY REAGAN MEETS REPUBLICAN WOMEN HERE — Nancy Reagan, wife of the gubernatorial candidate, Ronald Reagan, appeared Friday afternoon for an informal reception of over 200 persons at Lucca’s Restaurant. Mrs. Reagan said that she and her husband don’t see much of each other during the present campaign. The Reagans have two children, Patty, 13, and Ronnie, 8, and “of course they want to see their daddy win,” Mrs. Reagan said. The candidate’s wife was presented with a gift basket of area vineyard products and left Madera shortly after 5 p.m. to fly back to Malibu Hills. Recent polls show the gap narrowing between Reagan and Gov. Edmund Brown.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY MAKING PLANS TO SAVE CHINESE STORE — Support to save the old Chinese store on the Savage Monument site is being encouraged by the Madera County Historical Society. The site of the store and monument, purchased by the society several months ago, is to be completely flooded by the waters of the Hidden Dam reservoir. The store was built in 1862 and was operated by Man Wo Chan, who also operated a store in Borden with his partner, Ye Chung. Preservation of the adobe store building would memorialize the part Chinese played in the development of this area, according to the society.
REPUBLICAN NUMBERS CHALLENGE DEMO MAJORITY IN MADERA COUNTY — Republicans are climbing upwards against the heavy Democratic majority in Madera County. While in the past years, Democrats have enjoyed a 2 ½ to 1 majority, they slipped this year below the 2 to 1 mark. New voter registration figures give the Democrats 11,243 voters and Republicans 5,649. The total voter registration for Madera County for the November general election is 17,071.
MERCED GETS THE HAT; MAUL COYOTES 21-7 — “We want the hat! We want the hat! We want the hat!” Seemingly obliging some 4,000 Merced fans chanting the popular slogan of the night, the Madera Coyotes handed the ball game, 21-7, and the traditional trophy, Governor Goodwin Knight’s Stetson, over to the Bears Friday in Merced. Before the game, head varsity coach George Farrell said a big Merced line and a top-flight passer and some good receiving backs could seriously hurt the Coyotes, and they did. Merced quarterback, Jerry Johnson, tossed two touchdown passes and completed five more to rack up a total of 176 yards.
OWL WANTS TO KNOW WHAT, WHEN AND HOO — The owl which inhabits the Old Courthouse clock tower appears to be very interested in the restoration work going on there, jeweler Ted Elliott reported today. He said that he was disturbed at work on the clock mechanism by a soft “hoo-hoo” and looked up to find a white owl staring down at him. The owl, Elliott reported, watched the work for quite a while, looking knowledgeable and curious before leaving for a higher perch in the bell tower above the clock room. The owl has kept the place free of mice and hasn’t bothered anybody, the jeweler noted.
