1,200 flock to business, home expo

More than 1,200 people flowed through Hatfield Hall during a showcase of local services, commerce and classic cars Thursday evening at the Madera District Fairgrounds.

A few attendees won $5,000 to $10,000 grants to buy a home in Madera before mid-October. A pre-approval letter must be submitted by the end of this month.

“It makes me feel really good,” said winner Jason Garcia, a first-time attendee of the extravaganza. He and his wife Ana Rosa Garcia “were actually trying to save up money (for a house) and the car broke down and stuff, so we actually had to pull money out of there to fix the car. So this is actually a blessing.”

Many participants were bullish on the area’s business climate and all were positive...