Jorge Orozco/The Madera Tribune Madera third baseman Kearney Opfergelt goes in the air to make the throw to first during Friday’s loss to the Bullard Knights. The Madera Coyotes softball team was fresh off a walk-off victory over the Sanger Apaches, and looked to carry that momentum into a battle with the Bullard Knights.  In a meeting of two of the top teams in the County/Metro Athletic Conference, it was all Bullard from the start in a 9-0 Coyote loss at Zimmerman Field on

The Matilda Torres Toros distance team excelled at the Arcadia Invitational on April 17-18, setting records along the way.  The team of Benjamin Fernandez, Alfonso Del Toro, Antonio Santiago and Hunter Hannah finished the 4X1,600 (or mile relay) with a time of 17:22, which is the No. 5 time in the nation and No. 3 in the state. The time also set a Central Valley record with the fastest time in the section, as well as a new Madera Unified record and a Matilda Torres record. Fe

I am writing to express my strong support for Melanie Barker as the next Madera County District 5 Supervisor. I believe she is the best candidate for this position because she truly understands the needs of our community, and has the experience to represent us effectively. As a small business owner, Melanie Barker brings a practical, real-world perspective to the challenges facing our district. She understands firsthand the importance of supporting local businesses, encouragi

I don’t believe that history repeats itself. I do believe, however, that the arrogance of ignorance leads to strikingly similar albeit preventable mistakes time after time. We could learn from Gertrude Bell. She was a complicated, female British contemporary of T. E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia, in the Middle East before, during and after WW1. She rode camels to visit desert tribes at her own expense. She learned native languages and respected local customs. She advised the

Many readers like to munch on something while they pore over their books. Others enjoy the cool refreshment of a bowl of ice cream while turning pages. Well, some of the best ice cream in the world comes from valley cows and is processed in a valley creamery. There are several places in the Central Valley that are truly “destinations” that bring people to enjoy their beauty or uniqueness. Hanford used to have two of them. Imperial Dynasty was legend for those who enjoy a sit-

For The Madera Tribune Duane Furman, shown here, was MUSD superintendent during the racial unrest of 1974. In the summer of 1974, racial trouble erupted in Madera. A 16 year-old male student at the high school threw a young coed, fully clothed, into the school swimming pool. Two female high school teachers, Rose Harper and Sharon Weldon, tried unsuccessfully to question the perpetrator. Madera High Vice Principal Perry Harper and Learning Director Barry Crow intervened, and b

Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune Farm Journal-Trust in Food’s Andy Lyon addresses more than 50 attendees of the California Almonds: Growing Sustainable Future event, hosted by Agriland Farming Company, Blue Diamond Almond Growers and the Farm Journal. Agriland Farming Company, in cooperation with Farm Journal-Trust in Food and Blue Diamond Growers, hosted a event for almond growers to learn about practical strategies to improve both profitability and sustainability during an i