For The Madera Tribune Major Jim Savage. As difficult as it may be for the 21st century mind to grasp, there once was a time when Major James Savage was thought to be a hero in Madera. In fact, on April 23, 1951, more than 100 local folks held a California Centennial program at his grave, which was then located on land that is now covered by Hensley Lake. Guy Crow presided over the gathering, which featured Walter Chandler, Madera County District Attorney, as the guest speake

For The Madera Tribune Bee Authry Payne. Bee Authry Payne passed away in the Fresno, CA, leaving behind a legacy remembered by those who knew and loved him. A funeral service to honor Bee’s life will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at 10 a.m., at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, 2529 E. Belmont Ave., Fresno, CA 93701. Following the service, interment will take place at Arbor Vitae Cemetery, 1301 Roberts Ave., Madera, CA 93637. May his memory bring comfort and peace

For The Madera Tribune Patrick Junior Hernandez. Patrick Junior Hernandez, 79, passed away peacefully on Jan. 8, 2026, at his home in Yosemite Lakes Park. Born on March 17, 1946, in Madera, CA, Patrick lived a full and vibrant life rooted in family, faith, hard work, and community. A proud graduate of Madera High School’s Class of 1964, Patrick maintained lifelong friendships with many of his classmates. His strong work ethic began early while still in high school, flipping b

For The Madera Tribune Juan Andaverde. Juan Andaverde, 76, of Madera, California, passed away on Jan. 10, 2026. Born to Ofelia Aispuro and Ramon Andaverde on March 12, 1949, in Harlingen, Texas, where he lived until he was 15 years old and then made the move to California. This is where he met his wife, Sofia Andaverde, and became a loving father to Juan Manuel, Araseli, and Maria Eliza.  He was hard-working and dedicated. He spent more than 45 years working for Robert A. Joh

Nelson DeMille is on my list of “Favorite All-Time Authors.”  The first of his twenty-four novels that I read was “The Gold Coast,” a mystery thriller that also illustrates quite clearly the difference between the “old money” upper-upper class and the “newly wealthy” lower-upper class.  He followed that with best-seller after best-seller, including “The General’s Daughter,” which became a motion picture, starring John Travolta and Madeleine Stowe.   A few years ago, he began

The Madera Tribune File Photo Jennifer (Moran) Parker, circa 1999. Jennifer (Moran) Parker turned her All-League Madera Coyote softball career into an Academic First-Team All-American selection at UNC Greensboro, and is now a pharmacist in Georgia.  Moran still ranks amongst the Coyotes’ best in many categories after graduating in more than 25 years ago. She is still the Coyote record holder for lowest ERA in a season with a 0.38, a number that may never be eclipsed She will

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Matilda Torres’ Steven Jamison drives to the hoop to score two of his 12 points in Friday’s win over the Central Grizzlies. He had a team-high five steals in forcing 37 Central turnovers in the blowout.  The Matilda Torres Toros boys basketball team got a much-needed confidence boost with a commanding victory over the Central Grizzlies in North Yosemite League action.  The Toros scored 55 points in the first two half and put away the Grizzli

Courtesy of Suzy Hazelwood/Wikimedia Commons  Smooth and creamy is a good way to describe a slice of cheesecake. There is an old TV show called Golden Girls, most of us are familiar with. Every time the gals are having a problem, it seems the first thing they do is get a cheesecake out of the refrigerator. I know that cheesecakes don’t really solve problems (except for coming to the rescue for a popular dessert), but I never say no when someone offers a slice. I must admit th