Letter: Madera Woman enjoys local oral history book

As I have been reading excerpts in The Madera Tribune of “NEIGHBORS: Oral History from Madera, California” by Lawrence F. Lihosit, I finally feel that I belong. I came to Madera as a young wife and mother in l952 when the population of Madera was around 11,000 and Cleveland Avenue was the northern boundary. I’ve seen it grow into a small metropolis of over 55,000 with many good changes taking place. But I felt I wasn’t really a Maderan because I wasn’t born here.

I won’t be specific, but among the things I have noticed are that we have clean, well-kept parks that are frequently used. The senior centers are there for us “oldsters.” Madera takes care of its hungry and the homeless. We have a newly remodeled, up-to-date library that is here for everyone. We care about our animals, enjoy sports, and savor the arts. (I know I’ve left out other important areas.)

The people as described by Mr. Lihosit show how special and diverse our population is. Of course our author had to limit the number of people he interviewed, but we all know they are only “a tip of the iceberg.”

By the way, I bought the book.

— Vi Turner,

Madera