As we approach our nation’s 250th birthday, it’s worth reviewing the evolution of our revolution. Let’s review the current adaptive status of America’s original peoples: Indians. Many tribes have acquired casinos to combat the poverty forced on them by the greed of American policies and practices. Unfortunately, too many casino-owning Indian tribes continue the ugly, federal policy of assimilation against their own people. Assimilation was a 100-plus year American government

I didn’t know, until the day of writing this, that there is such a thing as National Applesauce Cake Day. There are so many national days of recognition for various foods, it is hard to keep track of them all. National Applesauce Cake Day is on Saturday, June 6. Just about everyone in my family exchanges recipes, and as far as I know, applesauce cake is very popular with them. Friends of the family are the same, so perhaps it is somewhat universal. If you are also a fan of th

For The Madera Tribune This photograph of Spring Valley School in O’Neals was taken in 1894, one year after Victor Adams was hanged from a tree just up the road from the school. His body was left hanging for two days, and youngsters walking to school no doubt contemplated the consequences of breaking the law. Madera County has generally been a law-abiding place. Most of the time law and order has prevailed. Every once in a while, however, the people have taken things in their

Cal Fire will be conducting a prescribed burn near Tesoro Viejo on Saturday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. A total of about 104 acres will be burned. Prescribed burns aim to reduce large conflagrative fires and high suppression costs to Madera residents. The prescribed burn will start on Tesoro Viejo Boulevard, and extend north to the Madera Canal. The project will help reduce the fire threat to Tesoro Viejo, located along the State Route 41 corridor. There should be little impact on SR

For The Madera Tribune Michelle Ramirez-Rueda. Madera South High School’s Michelle Ramirez-Rueda will walk across the stage during 2026 Commencement Ceremonies at Matilda Torres High School as the No. 1 ranked student in her class. However, she didn’t set out for the top spot. “Originally, I was attempting to try hard classes to challenge myself, and I got No. 1, which is amazing,” she said. “There was competition for that from a lot of other students that wanted to take oth

For The Madera Tribune A Jeep Cherokee sits next to a pistachio tree after a collision on Avenue 21 and Road 28 1/2. The driver of a white Ford Escape (in background) died from the accident last week. California Highway Patrol Madera officers responded to a two-vehicle traffic crash at the intersection of Avenue 21 and Road 28 1/2. An 18-year-old man from Madera was driving a white Ford Escape southbound on Road 28 1/2, traversing the intersection of Avenue 21 at an unknown s

For The Madera Tribune This flyer, provided by the Madera Police Department, informs residents about the increasing number of electric bikes in the city and how to be safe around them. Officers with the Madera Police Department responded to a traffic collision involving a motor vehicle and an electric bike (e-bike) Wednesday evening. During the incident, the e-bike rider was struck while traveling through an intersection, resulting in significant injuries. The rider was tran

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress formally adopted the text of the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson and a committee of five. The date became our anniversary date. So, on the Fourth of July of this year, we will celebrate 250 years of our independence as a nation. This is definitely a time to celebrate! In 1776, we decided we no longer wanted or needed to be dependent on another country, and we wanted to write our own rules and laws. Since that