For The Madera Tribune Madera County dignitaries officially break ground on the site of the new Madera County Fire Station No. 3 on Tuesday at the corner of Road 26 and Ave. 18 1/2. In 1986, Madera County began leasing real property at the corner of Road 26 and Avenue 18 1/2 for Fire Station No. 3, and 36 years later, a permanent building will house the station. A 552-square-foot mobile home trailer was moved to the site and a 1,750 square foot apparatus bay was constructed.

For The Madera Tribune James Phillips Dixon. The story of the Alabama Colony and its pivotal role in the formation of what is now Madera County is well known. Likewise the history of Refuge, the Mordecai Ranch as it was later called, is similarly well documented. The roles of the major participants in this slice of local history have also been abundantly explored with one exception — James Phillips Dixon. We know that those pioneers who settled the Alabama Colony came in 1868

Tennessee is beautiful this time of year. I spent last week just outside Nashville, in the community of Spring Hill. Beautiful homes, clean streets and a good school district. My Kirk family lives there: my mom’s brother, Pete Kirk, his wife Nada, née Gibbens, and her son-in-law and daughter, Van and Lori Woody, née Kirk. During sad times, the loving arms of one’s family are extremely restorative. I experienced the kindness of traveling strangers in an incredibly friendly atm

Recently, I heard a candidate for office criticize the incumbent for not having proposed a single law during that person’s term of office. Without knowing anything about either the incumbent or the challenger, my immediate reaction was to vote for the incumbent. The fact is that I heard the comment on my TV set while I was typing something else with my keyboard. So, I don’t know if the contenders for public office were in my district, or even in the state of California. My “g

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera’s Chris Arias rises up for a block attempt on Madera South’s Ivan Miranda during Tuesday’s 3-0 victory. It took the Madera Coyotes boys volleyball team to settle into its County/Metro Athletic Conference opener against the Madera South Stallions, but closed the match with convincing victories in a sweep. After coming from behind late to win the first set, the Coyotes outscored the Stallions 50-25 in the final two sets to record a CMAC

Benny Munoz/The Madera Tribune Madera Coyotes softball team members congratulation Leilani Moreno (23) after she hit a two-run home run to finish a 10-0 victory over Chowchilla on Wednesday. The Madera Coyotes softball team got offense from an unexpected source to close out a 10-0 victory over the Chowchilla Tribe at Zimmerman Field. Madera No. 9 hitter Leilani Moreno hit her first-ever over-the-fence home run to invoke the mercy rule Wednesday evening. The Coyotes dominated

Madera, California, is right smack dab in the center of our state, within what we know as the Central Valley. Most of us are very proud of our little section of the world. We can boast that if you live in “The Valley,” you are close to any kind of entertainment you want. The mountains, the coast, the cold, the hot, the cool, San Francisco, Disneyland, Hollywood, and peace and quiet are all within a short distance from wherever you are in the Central Valley. I am especially pr

Courtesy of Diego Barriga Benny Madrigal crosses the finish line to win the Second Wind 5K earlier this month in record time. He won’t be running, but he will be directing the Running With the Lions, Stride for Diabetes 5K run/walk on April 2 at Lions Town and Country Park. The goal of the Evening Lion’s sponsored race is to help with awareness about diabetes. The Madera Evening Lions are celebrating the club’s 100th anniversary. It is also the 100th anniversary of the first