Latinas Unidas honors Mother of the Year

Latinas Unidas, the 45-member organization of Latina women in Madera, honored its Mother of the Year at its annual Mother’s Day brunch.

The group also heard an address from its founder, Martha L. Lopez, who now lives in Bellingham, Washington, where she retired after a career of 37 years on the staff of the University of California Cooperative Extension Service. She received a Master of Science degree in consumer education from Fresno State University and a doctorate in multicultural education from the University of San Francisco.

The Saturday event was held in the Madera County Office of Education’s meeting room.

The Mother of the Year honoree was Petra Gonzales, who was praised by her son, Pete Gonzales, in a letter read by Latinas member Martha Cardona during the brunch, which was attended by 225, most of whom were Latina women, although a few men were in attendance, too...