theranchosspecial dedication service, the memorial was unveiled at its location on road 37 at avenue...

The PRSRT STDECRU.S. POSTAGE PAIDMADERA, CA.PERMIT NO. 61

Volume 7 Issue 11 2011 The Official Publication of Southeastern Madera County 50¢

RanchosIndependent

In This Issue Editorial • Page 5 / Aunt Jean’s Ranchos Recipes • Page 8Classifieds • Page 22 / Fun Pages • Pages 26 & 27

The family of fallen U.S. serviceman Sgt. RaulMoncada stand proudly in front of the first sign

erected in Madera County at the communitylevel to honor a fallen member of our armedforces. On Thursday, November 17 at aspecial dedication service, the memorialwas unveiled at its location on Road 37 atAvenue 12. A second sign was also posted

on Road 37 and Avenue 13, drawingattention to the significance of Road 37 sinceit is the road where Sgt. Moncada grew up inthe Ranchos and where his family still livestoday.

Sharing in the dedication were (from left)Sgt. Moncada’s father, Raul Sr., sister

Daniela, brother Julio, Sgt. Moncada’s daugh-ter Priscila, his mother Obdulia and brothersRuben and Matthew.

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Click on “Local News” at

By Christi McKinney

As the Obama administration and U.S.Attorneys in California outline their plans toshut down Medicinal Marijuana Coopera-tives inCalifornia, theMaderaCountyBoardof Supervisors are working locally to createa new ordinance to regulate outdoor cultiva-tion ofMedicinalMarijuana. This new ordi-nance should be in place by March of 2012.

David Rogers, Madera County Super-visor inDistrict 2 summarized the issues lawenforcement is dealing with in his request tothe Board of Supervisors. “There have beennumerous complaints from constituents re-garding the outdoor cultivation ofMedicinalMarijuana. Law enforcement agencies havealso had problemswith these operations. Theopen cultivation has drawn a criminal ele-ment such as thefts and attempted thefts ofmarijuana into the neighborhoods wheremarijuana is grown.This has become a threatto the general population. Reports of theft inand around the marijuana cultivation opera-tions have come from various law enforce-ment agencies in Madera, as well as incounties statewide. Tulare County has hadthree shootings, two of which were homi-cides. Madera County has also seen shoot-ings at marijuana grow sites. Severalcounties have already adopted ordinancesregulating marijuana cultivation. This is anattempt to protect the rights of legitimatemedical marijuana users and thewelfare andsafety of the majority of Madera Countyconstituents.”

The smell of marijuana has been soprevalent in some neighborhoods this fallthat you only need towalk or drive down thestreet to be overwhelmed by the pungent,sweet, skunky smell. Many people with al-lergies or asthma can have severe reactionsto the smell of budding plants. Marijuanaoften grows to be 10-12 feet tall, so if youdon’t smell them you will often see theplants towering over back yard fences.Whether it’s legal or not, growing 30-50plants in your back yard is never a great idea;it not only exposes you to an increased riskfrom thieves but also home invasions. It’scertainly the worst kept secret in the neigh-borhood. If you’re worried about a situationin your neighborhood, call the Sheriff’s Of-fice to file a complaint. If you know that thehome is a rental, please let them know that aswell. They will investigate to determinewhether or not the grower has a medicalmarijuana identification card or not, andwhether they are in compliance with countyordinances and regulations.

Many times the county’s hands havebeen tied because until now there have been

no ordinances in place specifically prohibit-ing the crop. Individuals who spend the timetending a crop are often times growing mar-ijuana for themselves as well as for otherswhom they’ve been designated as the pri-mary caregiver. Sheriff Anderson expectsthat a new ordinance regarding outdoor cul-tivation will be in place by March of nextyear.

Marijuana has been approved by Cali-fornia, as well as many other states and thenation's capital, to treat a range of illnesses,but in a decision announced recently the fed-eral government ruled that it has no acceptedmedical use and should remain classified asa highly dangerous drug like heroin. The de-cision comes almost nine years aftermedicalmarijuana supporters asked the governmentto reclassify cannabis to take into account agrowing body of worldwide research that

shows its effectiveness in treating certain dis-eases, such as glaucoma and multiple scle-rosis.Although California was the first stateto decriminalize marijuana for medical usein 1996, it remains a federal crime to possessor sell it.

The National Organization for the Re-formofMarijuana Laws (NORML) is a non-profit, public-interest lobby that has provideda voice for those Americans who opposemarijuana prohibition for more than 30years. Their literature states they representthe interests of the tens of millions ofAmer-icans who smokemarijuana responsibly andbelieve the recreational andmedicinal use ofmarijuana should no longer be a crime.NORML estimates there are currently be-tween 750,000 and 1,125,000 medical mar-ijuana patients in California. While at thesame time the Criminal Justice Statistics

Center reported a moderate decline in mari-juana arrests in 2010.

How did this all get so confusing?On Jan. 1, 2004, Senate Bill 420 be-

came law, enacting the Medical MarijuanaProgramAct (MMP). The intent was to clar-ify Proposition 215 by stipulating how pa-tients who could not grow their owncannabis should obtain it. TheMMPpermitsa primary caregiver to be paid a "reasonablecompensation" for services provided to aqualified patient "to enable that person to usemarijuana.” The MMP also states that a pa-tient may cultivate up to sixmature plants orpossess up to half a pound of processedcannabis per person for medical purposes.

On Nov. 5, 1996, the people of Califor-nia passed Proposition 215 titled “TheCom-passionate Use Act of 1996.” This waspassed to decriminalize the cultivation anduse of cannabis by seriously ill individualsunder a physician's recommendation whendeemed appropriate. The physicianmust de-termine that their patient’s healthwould ben-efit from the use of cannabis. Thiswasmeantto ensure that patients and their primary care-givers are not subject to criminal prosecu-tion.

Supervisor Frank Bigelow, District 1explains, “While California residents votedto allow the use of medicinal marijuana, theCalifornia law is notwell defined. It is still il-legal at the federal level and is a federal of-fense. Each county must determine whatthey will and will not allow in their countyand control this with zoning ordinances andregulations. If there is ever any direct con-tradictions between state law and federal law,federal law prevails.” Madera County Sher-iff John Anderson puts it simply: “Busi-nesses must have a business license andMadera County does not issue business li-censes to medical marijuana dispensaries.”

Amazingly, there is a local MedicalMarijuana Dispensary here in the Ranchos.Sheriff Anderson and his department arevery aware of it saying, “We’ve shut this par-ticular location down repeatedly.” The NewImage Health Center – known just lastmonth as CaliforniaMedicinal Cooperative,Inc. – is located onHighway 41 just South ofAvenue 15 in a small industrial park. Thereis a free-standing sign in the parking lot list-ing this location in Madera and another inFriant, however the Friant location was re-portedly closed down several months ago bythe Fresno County Sheriff’s Department.The only thing identifying the Ranchos lo-cation from Highway 41 is a large yellowhappy face banner hanging on the chain link

Medicinal Marijuana in Madera:It’s Already Here

The New Image Health Center, located onHighway 41 just South of Avenue 15. When thesmiley face is out, they’re open.

Please see POT on P. 3

Sgt. MoncadaMemorial Placed

In a service that was both movingand historic, Madera County has placeda pair of memorial markers on Road 37betweenAvenues 12and 13 in the mem-ory of Sgt. RaulMoncada, a Ranchosresident who waskilled in action inIraq in 2009. It is thefirst time thatMadera County hasso designated aroadway that is not astate or federal high-way. Road 37 was selected because it isthe street Sgt. Moncada grew up on andhis family still lives there.

On Thursday, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m., alarge crowd of dignitaries, veterans, newsmedia and thankful citizens showed up topay their respects and witness the unveil-ing of the road marker by Moncada’sdaughter, Priscila. A luncheon receptionwas held immediately following at the of-fices of the Golden Valley Chamber ofCommerce. Pictures of the event can befound on page 14.

In an outcome that few could have pre-dicted, the Liberty High School VarsityFootball team finds itself playing for theDivision V Championship against FowlerHigh School this Friday night at 7 p.m.

Liberty had gone into the post seasonwith a 4 and 6 record and found itselfranked fourth in the playoffs of Division Vschools. Its first game against number fiveranked Granite Hills resulted in a 31-15 vic-tory against the Porterville school, settingup a meeting last week with number one,Firebaugh. Heavily favored Firebaugh, withits impressive passing attack, could not getanything going against the Hawks and wentdown to defeat, 24-21 in a nail biter.

At the same time, number two rankedFowler took on Orosi and spanked them,walking away with a 45-7 victory, and set inmotion a championship game between theFowler Redcats and the Liberty HighHawks.

Can you say Cinderella story? To gofrom being below the .500 mark to being inthe championship game says a lot about ourkids and what they’re capable of.

I’ll see you at the game.

Title Game forLHS Football

www.The Ranchos.com

fence.If it’s up then they’re open for business.The New Image Health Center’s web-

site says, “By joining our collective, you arenot only a patient of New ImageHealth Cen-ter, you are becoming a part of a greatermovement in history for the Central Valleyas we initiate the transformation of negativefeelings and counterproductive ideas towardsmedical cannabis into understanding andhealing.Wewelcome our patients to take re-sponsibility as positive ambassadors for

medical cannabis and encourage them tocombat the hindering attitudes we have beenfacing for nearly seventy years due tocannabis prohibition.” Its products include“Super Banana Og Kush, Kryptonite orBubba Kush,” just part of the 28 “flavors”that are listed on their website’s menu.

Calls to New Image Health Center forcomment on this storywere not returned.Theperson answering the phone refused to pro-vide the owner’s name.

As a presidential candidate, BarackObama said the federal government shouldnot raid medical marijuana users and care-

givers. Threemonths after Obamawas inau-gurated, his attorney general announced thatit would be the administration's official pol-icy. Earlier this year, however, the ObamaJustice Department released a memo declar-ing that it may prosecute large-scale medicalmarijuana cultivation operations and dispen-saries, defined as growers that deal with1,000 plants a year, even in states where theyare operating in compliance with state laws.Federal prosecutors are now threatening toshut down medical marijuana dispensariesthroughout the state. They’ve sent letters towarn landlords to stop sales of marijuana

within 45 days or face the possibility thattheir property will be seized and they will besent to prison. Because the warning lettershave just now been sent, and no actual prop-erties have been seized, it's unclear exactlywhat effect the Obama administration's lat-est assault on medical marijuana will havethroughout the state. According to a recentWashington Post article, ever since the an-nounced crackdown, the feds have been tar-geting dispensaries, not undergroundcultivation networks like the ones run by the

Please see POT on P. 20

POT cont. from P. 2

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1

Europe'sHumiliation

By Rich Lowry

One hundred and fifty years ago, no onecould mistake the relative power of Europeand China. When the British defeated theChinese in the First Opium War, they im-posed an indemnity, took Hong Kong andforced open more Chinese ports to Britishmerchants. They demanded extraterritorialityfor British citizens, exempting them fromChinese law. Other Western powers ex-tracted similar privileges.

When this wasn't enough, the Britishlaunched the Second Opium War after theChinese seized a ship flying the British flagand refused to apologize. The French joinedin, and the two together captured Beijing,and burned the emperor's summer palacesfor good measure.

The Chinese refer to the period fromthe middle of the 19th century to the middleof the 20th as "the century of shame." Now,the shame is all on their former tormentorsas the Europeans beg the Chinese to helpbail them out from their debt crisis.

The Europeans share a misbegottensingle currency that is amplifying the in-herent problems attendant to the practice ofspending money that you don't have. Per-haps the Greek crisis can be contained, butwhat if Spain and Italy spin out of control?Europe is trying to fund a "bazooka" bigenough to fend off doubtful markets, butdoesn't want to -- and perhaps can't -- fundit all by itself. Germany is Europe's eco-nomic powerhouse, yet its public debt-to-GDP ratio is already larger than ours.

This is where China and its $3.2 tril-lion in foreign reserves come in. If Chinawere to contribute to a bailout fund that Eu-rope wants to build up to $1.4 trillion, itwould surely ask for concessions in return,like the Europeans dropping their criticismof China's undervalued currency. China alsomight wonder why it should come to the

rescue of a European Union that still has itunder an arms embargo. History comes fullcircle, with the ascendant Chinese in a po-sition to extract concessions from erstwhilecolonial powers.

So far, though, Beijing is not showingany eagerness to jump into the Europeanbailout business. While it wants a robustEuropean export market, China might bedoing the math and realizing that Europehas a problem too big for serial bailouts.The official Xinhua News Agency ran apiece explaining, "Amid such an unprece-dented crisis in Europe, China can neithertake up the role as a savior to the Europeans,nor provide a 'cure' for the Europeanmalaise."

This reversal in fortunes was a longtime in coming. Nothing could have stoppedthe Chinese from adopting more rational,market-friendly policies a few decades ago,and it has proven immune to appeals toallow its currency to appreciate so its exportsdon't have such an advantage. What Europecould control was its own destiny. It chose acomfortable, if bankrupting, social democ-racy and a vast experiment with a single cur-rency. The euro was supposed to be thevehicle and symbol of Europe as a worldpower, and instead is laying bare its debt-ad-dled decay.

For the United States, listing in a sim-ilar direction, the turnabout in Europe'sglobal position should be of the utmost in-terest -- as a cautionary tale.

Rich Lowry is editor of the NationalReview.

(c) 2011 by King Features Synd., Inc.

“The only way to getfresher produce would be

to pick it yourself.” ™

GET YOUR FREE ONION!Just for visiting Sweet Flower Fruit Stand we’d liketo give you a FREE onion to say “thanks” and togive you an example N just how good our produceis. One per customer per day. Exp. 12-31-11

11/1

1

www.The Ranchos.com

The Ranchos Independent is published by Five and Two Publishing.All contents of this publication are copyright 2011, all rights reserved.Reprintingwithout the permission of the

copyright holder is forbidden by law.All articles are submitted as the opinion of the author, who remains solely responsible for the content. The in-

formation gathered for this publication is from sources that are considered to be reliable, but are not guaranteed.Opinions expressed in advertisements or articles remain the opinion of the writer.

Randy Bailey............Publisher/EditorChristi McKinney -- Reporter • Jean Briner -- Columnist, Advertising SalesRachael Bailey -- Advertising Sales • Tina Shannon -- Advertising Sales

RanchosIndependentThe

559-645-0634

37167 Ave. 12, Suite 5C • Madera, CA [email protected]

By Randy Bailey

On Thursday, Nov. 17 the MaderaRanchos got to make history. On thatday, for the first time ever in MaderaCounty, an area roadway was dedicatedto the memory of a fallen U.S. service-man. The Ranchos’ own Sgt. Raul Mon-cada, who was killed in the line of dutyin Iraq in 2009, had the segment ofRoad 37 from Avenue 12 to Avenue 13designated in his honor. It was the streetthat he grew up on and where his familystill lives.

As President of the Golden ValleyChamber of Commerce I got to say a fewwords at the ceremony and I’d like toshare them with you here.

Editor

My name is Randy Bailey. I’m thepresident of the Golden Valley Chamberof Commerce here in the Ranchos and Iwant to thank you for coming today andwould like to share a few thoughts aboutSgt. Moncada with you.

There are some in our countrytoday, some in very high places, thatwould have you believe that Sgt. Mon-cada died in vain. That he gave his lifefor nothing. That he was in the wrongwar in the wrong place at the wrongtime.

Those people are wrong.Sgt. Moncada understood that we

don’t live in a vacuum. That actions

taken in one place have consequencessomewhere else, often thousands ofmiles away. Sgt. Moncada knew thatplans hatched in caves in the MiddleEast could result in planes flying intothe World Trade Center, killing 3,000 ofhis countrymen, half way around theworld. And Sgt. Moncada understoodthat the minds responsible for creatingsuch death and destruction were activelyspreading their gospel of terror through-out the Middle East. He understood thatwe could fight them there, or most as-suredly we would one day have to fightthem here.

The freedoms that we enjoy asAmericans, like being able to gather onan autumn morning to pay tribute to afallen hero, come at a cost. Sgt. Mon-cada understood that if his actions thou-sands of miles away stopped just oneperson from being able to one day bringdestruction to the Madera Ranchos, de-stroying Sgt. Moncada’s home, his fam-ily, his friends and neighbors, then itwould all be worth it. What he graspedwas that if that same person got through,ANYWHERE, the destruction he wouldbring would be to SOMEONE’S home,to SOMEONE’S family, and to SOME-ONE’S friends and neighbors, just likein New York on September 11.

The world is a dangerous place.Thankfully we have people like Sgt.Moncada willing to stand on that frontline, ready to give the ultimate sacrifice

The Ongoing Cost of Freedom

"Our friends inthe other partywill never for-give us for our

success, andare doing

everything intheir power

to rewrite his-tory ... but you

and I know bet-ter than that.

We werethere."

Editorial

without hesitation or equivocation.Ready to say, “You’ll be safe tonight. I’llsee to that.”

The Madera Ranchos is a betterplace for having people like Sgt. Mon-cada, and it’s a little emptier with himgone. But what he stood for and what hebelieved in should make us all swellwith pride. He is the embodiment of ourAmerican spirit. He didn’t ask what hiscountry could do for him; he asked whathe could do for his country.

And then he did it.On behalf of the Golden Valley

Chamber of Commerce and a gratefulnation, we thank you Sgt. Moncada foryour service. God bless you, God blessyour family, and God bless the UnitedStates of America.

Thank you.

11/1

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Once again the season of giv-ing is upon us, the season of fam-ily and sharing, of faith andreverence, and most notably theseason where people forget theirparking lot manners. Clearly thethreat of ending up on the naughtyside of Santa’s list isn’t enough tomake people so much as use theirblinker.

In every other way, Christmasis my favorite season. I love theweather, the music, the movies andthe decorations. What I can’t stand,however, is the complete disregardfor parking lot decorum during thisotherwise magical time.

I knew that the Yuletide seasonwas upon us when I had an unfor-tunate altercation in the parking lotat the mall. Intending to do a littleshopping andcatch a moviewith a friend, Ipulled into theparking lotblissfully un-aware that wewere about toencounter a jerkwho learned todrive behind thewheel of abumper car. Idon’t know ifthis kid just did-n’t understandthe layout of theparking lot, orperhaps hethought theother cars weresimply figmentsof his imagina-tion, but thesheer reckless abandon with whichhe maneuvered through the lot wasscary. I tried to avoid him as best Icould by turning down oppositeaisles, back-tracking to steer clearof his path. But I couldn’t evadehim for long, and our first close en-counter came when he decided totake a sharp corner and cut me off,literally skidding into my lane. Ob-viously there was a sale I had notyet heard of, and he was a twit on amission. Our paths crossed againfor the final time when he jammedhis car into reverse and just aboutbacked up into me, all in the nameof stealing someone else’s parking

‘Tis the Season for ... Parking

space. My anger got the better ofme and I slammed my car into parkand threw my door open. I washalfway to him, shouting every ad-jective I could come up with in hisgeneral direction, when the driverof the exiting car, and another on-looker obviously had the same in-clination. Derogatory epithetsflying from all directions, thispunk had been rounded on by just

about everyonein the area. Ob-viously fearinga public stoning,he threw hishands up and re-treated and thecouple in theSUV who hadbeen patientlywaiting for thespace was ableto pull into thespot that wasrightfully theirs.

Not AloneNot that the

youth of Amer-ica is the onlyd e m o g r a p h i cguilty of forgo-ing commoncourtesy for

their own convenience. When Ipulled into the bank just the otherday to handle a little business thatcould not be done from the conven-ience of my lap top, I had a dandyof a time finding a parking place.Because the bank was overly busy?No, because someone decided tocircle around the wrong direction,and rather than back up and try itagain, thought, hey, I’ll just takeup three extra spaces with myspaceship sized boat of a car. Howlong could it take in the bank?Those tellers, after all, are known

A parking lot is not a shoeclearance bin; you can’t justdive in all willy nilly. A shoeto the head would likely hurtand leave a mark, but runningover someone is often fatal.Note the subtle difference. Re-member people, we are talkingabout big dangerous machinesdriven by fallible, imperfecthumans. A scary enough com-bination when everyone ispaying attention; deadly whensomeone is driving like a ma-niac and someone else is tex-ting behind the wheel.

For a free consultation, visitour Madera Ranchos office!

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Say you saw it inthe Ranchos Independent

11/11

www.The Ranchos.com

By Audrey Stock

Hi neighbors.Well here we go! The holiday

season is upon us. Daylight savingssaving time is over. It is dark at 5p.m. and I want another hour of lightto get everything on my list done. Iam making lists of things that have tobe done before Christmas. I have justfinished putting my Thanksgivingmenu together. Now I have to goshopping. I will buy 2 turkeys since Iam cooking one turkey for the Ran-chos Hills Seniors annual Thanksgiv-ing dinner and one for my family. Iam writing this article on November15th and I feel that I am late in writ-ing my annual Christmas letter. SinceI send out about 100 Christmas cardswith letters each year I need to getstarted rightaway.

In the lastissue of the Ran-chos IndependentI told you aboutthe five day tripto Laughlin, Nev.that was spon-sored by the Ran-chos HillsSeniors. Let metell you I havebeen on a lot oftrips but our tourdirector JoleneMason was themost well-orga-nized tour direc-tor that I have ever traveled with.This was a delicious trip because Jo-lene knew where every good restau-rant was all the way to Laughlin. Shegot us in the mood for the trip byplaying card bingo and telling usabout the different side trips that shehad planned for us. Then she brokeout homemade macaroon cookies thatshe had baked for us in her sparetime. She was directing the busdriver where to stop along the way sothat we never got too tired. Next shebrought out chocolate chip cookiesand white chocolate fudge. When wegot to Laughlin our rooms at theEdgewater Hotel were ready for usand no one had a bad room. If youhave ever taken a tour with a groupof people you know that in itself isunusual. Since Jolene was so happyand full of fun we all tried to match

her mood. There was no whining orcomplaining on this trip. The nextday was a trip to Oatman, Ariz. andthe wild burros. There were burrosall over the place and I got the pic-tures to prove it. Next day was theexcursion to the Hoover Dam/Col-orado River new bypass bridge thatspans from the Nevada side to theArizona side of the Colorado River.This bridge is a true engineeringmarvel. It was a challenge to climbup the bank to get on the bridge andthen a challenge to walk over thebridge to the end and back down thesteps or ramp down the mountainside to where the bus was parked. Iam so glad I was able to do this. Itwas so worth it. Thanks to Jolene forfinding this great experience andsharing it with us. The next day many

of the group tookthe jet boat downthe ColoradoRiver to see theLondon Bridge. Ichose to stay atthe hotel and rest.That was one ofthe best parts ofthis trip: younever felt rushedor pressured intodoing somethingyou didn’t feellike doing. It wasrestful and fun.Our fearlessleader Jolenemade it all hap-

pen. Jolene is planning more trips forthe Ranchos Hills Seniors. If youwould like to hear about any seniortrips call the Senior Center at 645-4864.

Some of the upcoming events arethe Annual Christmas Tree Lightingat Maywood Center at 6 p.m. on Fri-day, Dec. 2. This event is put on bythe Golden Valley Chamber of Com-merce. Come to the program and picka star for a Veteran at the Fresno Vet-eran’s Hospital. The next morningthe Ranchos Hills Seniors on Dec. 3will be having their monthly sale.The Senior ’s Christmas Boutiquewill begin at 8 a.m. to noon on De-cember 3, 10 and 17. I hope that youall had a good Thanksgiving and did-n’t eat too much. You need to savesome room for all of the Christmascelebrations.

Merry Christmas Drawing NearerThe Stock Report

That was one of the bestparts of this trip: you neverfelt rushed or pressured intodoing something you didn’tfeel like doing. It was restfuland fun. Our fearless leaderJolene made it all happen. Jo-lene is planning more trips forthe Ranchos Hills Seniors. Ifyou would like to hear aboutany senior trips call the SeniorCenter at 645-4864.

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When we were young my two sis-ters and I couldn’t wait until theChristmas catalogs arrived from Searsand Roebuck or Montgomery Ward.The first half of each catalog washousehold items, clothing and such –but the back half was toys! They weregrouped into boy’s and girl’s toys. Wewould sit on the couch, each with adifferent colored crayon and start atthe first page of the girls toys andmark on each page the items wewanted. Of course we never got whatwe wanted, but we always had a goodChristmas. In “those days” we didn’thave Target, K-Mart or Wal-Mart. Wehad the dime store, and sometimes thehardware store and drug store wouldput in a row of toys.

Gift SolutionIn those days times were tough,

similar to the times as they are now.People couldn’tafford to pur-chase big gifts, soa lot of peoplemade theirChristmas gifts.My mom alwaysmade my aunts anapron, and ofcourse we wouldalways makemama and daddyand our grandpar-ents something. Iworked with agirl that madecookies for allher family and friends. She wouldstart just after Thanksgiving and makedozens and dozens of cookies. Betty’skitchen looked like a bakery fromThanksgiving until just before Christ-mas. She would make all kinds ofcookies – the typical chocolate chipand oatmeal – and some I had neverheard of before, like the CherryBlinks (make the dough according tothe recipe and roll each cookie incrushed Wheaties or Corn Flakes andwhen you put them on the cookiesheet you flatten them out a bit andput half a maraschino cherry on top)or the Thumbprint (make the doughaccording to the recipe and roll theminto balls and roll each ball in eitherfinely chopped nuts or coconut and asyou put them on the cookie sheet youflatten them out a bit and put yourthumb print indentation in each

cookie and, in that, you put a teaspoonof your favorite jam). I worked withanother girl that made gallons upongallons of the Chex Party Mix – be-fore you could buy it in a bag. And Iknew a girl that crocheted slippers foreveryone. And I’ve told you about mygrandmother who made homemadecandy every Christmas.

Cookie Time!This month I thought I’d give you

some recipes for different cookies.You can find Chocolate Chip recipeson the back of any chip bag, or Oat-meal Cookies on the oatmeal box, butthese cookies are a little different.

The firstcookie recipe I’msending you wasgiven to me by areader. It soundsyummy, gooey,and easy to make.Thank You!

B u t t e r yGooey CookieBars

1 Pkg. Yel-low Cake Mix

1 Stick But-ter

3 Eggs8 oz. Cream

Cheese1 Box (1 Lb.) Powdered Sugar1 tsp. Vanilla1 C Crushed or Chopped NutsPreheat oven to 350Mix cake mix, butter, 1 egg to-

gether and pour into a greased andfloured 9 x 13 pan. Beat togethercream cheese and powdered sugar (re-serve enough powdered sugar tosprinkle on top). Add 2 eggs andvanilla and mix. Pour over cake mix-ture.

Bake 30 minutes or until tan.After it is cool, sprinkle nuts and re-served powdered sugar on top. Cutinto bars.

The next one is one from the AuntJean’s collection from last month’s article:

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Again this month we have a guestwriter for the Pastor’s Desk. He is not apastor but he has a message. With ap-proximately 17.6 million Americansadults who abuse alcohol or are alcoholdependent, his message is timely andrelevant.

Editor

By Mike B.

During this wonderful time of theyear when we are to give thanks, I amtruly THANKFUL! You see, I shouldnot be here. I had always planned to bedead by the time I was 43. Seriously, Iused to tell people all the time, “Whatdoes it matter? I’m going to be deadbefore my 44thbirthday anyway.”That was my planand, as the sayinggoes, “Man plans;God laughs.” Myplan did not go as Ihad expected. Godhad a whole differ-ent plan for me.For that I am grate-ful and very thank-ful.

In reality, theold Mike did dieand a new Mikewas born. As Paulwrites in 2ndCorinthians 5:17,“Therefore, if any-one is in Christ, he is a new creation;the old life has gone, the new life hascome.” In retrospect, my plan andGod’s plan were not that different. Idied a worldly death at 43 and wasborn unto him at 44.

In my new life I have grown too bethankful for everything: the good, thebad and the ugly. Before, I was nothappy with anything; the grass was al-ways greener somewhere else. What Ihad was not enough. If you had it, Iwanted it. And when I got it, it still wasnot enough. I wanted more and I woulddo anything I would have to do to getit. No matter who I hurt or whateverthe cost, I did not appreciate anything,and I mean anything. I was the typethat would complain about how I wasgoing to carry the free brick of goldthat someone had given me. “It’s too

heavy! How do you expect me to carryit?” Yes, I was that ignorant and selfishand inconsiderate.

By the grace of God and the bloodof Jesus the veil has been lifted and forthe first time in my life I can see howwonderful life and all the blessings,good and bad, actually are. It is nolonger, “Oh crud. I have to go towork.” It is, “Thank you Jesus, I have ajob.” Or, “Oh man, I have to go to myparents’ and clean their backyard.” In-stead, “I will be there as soon as I canget there. Thank You Jesus, I still haveparents.” Have you ever thought whileyou were stuck in traffic because of anautomobile accident that happened infront you, “Oh great! Now I’m going tobe really late!”? The first thing I do ispray that no one was hurt and thank the

Lord it was notsomeone I care foror myself. It is anattitude of grati-tude.

A few monthsafter I came home,my best friend wasslow in acceptingme. For good rea-son: I had hurt himand many others.He would call orcome by my workand we would talkand just be cordial.One day I noticedthat I had notheard from him ina while. I called

him and asked where he had been andhow come he was not coming by or re-turning my calls. His reply was, “Well,every time I see you I ask how it isgoing, how are things? You alwaysreply that things are great and life iswonderful. How can that be? You livein a men’s sober living home. Youdon’t have a car. Your kids don’t livewith you. Your parents don’t speak toyou. How can life be great and won-derful?” I told him that this was a con-versation that we need to have inperson and that I would see him thatnight. When I got to his house, we satdown and I explained how my life, theone that lived in a sober living home,where my kids did not live with me andparents did not talk to me, was so won-

The Pastor’s Desk

On Being TRULY Thankful

I t is not about what Ihave, i t is about what Godwould do for me as long as Idid one thing. That one thing,the only thing I have to do isput God first, rely on Him andHe wil l restore me and giveme more than I ever wanted,needed or deserve. Li fe waswonderful and great becauseI knew that God had my backand all He wants is the bestfor me. He wil l never leaveme or forsake me.

For that I am THANKFUL.

Please see THANKS on P. 10


Is your linen closet one of those thatyou open with one hand and hold back theavalanche with the other? Or maybe it’sstoring stuff that you think you probablyhave, but go buy anyway because it’s toohard to find.

Reduce your stress and spending bycarving out some time for a linen closetoverhaul. Start by emptying its contentsand sorting it into categories, i.e. towels,sheets, household supplies, etc.

Directly remove anything that be-

What’s Lurkingwith Your Linens?

longs in the trash, recycle, relocate, or do-nate pile. In Julie Morgenstern’s book Or-ganizing from the Inside Out, she lists the“no brainers” such as “stained or rippedtowels and linens, anything broken that’sgone unrepaired more than two years, man-gled wrapping paper, cleaning supplies youhaven’t used in a year, and duplicates andtriplicates of anything nonconsumable.”

Now determine how many of eachitem is really needed.Usually two to threesets of sheets per bedis adequate. In orderto make it easier todistinguish betweensizes and sets, con-sider using a specificcolor sheet set foreach bed. Fold thepillow cases and fitted sheet into the flatsheet, or store the set inside one of the pil-low cases.

The number of towel sets per personwill depend on how often you replace withclean ones, and how often you do laundry.Just make sure there are enough per per-

son to hold you over until the next laundryload is clean. If there’s space in the bath-room consider moving them there so thatthey’re closer to where they’re used. Whenplacing them on the shelf, put the foldedside out so they’re easier to grab and lookneater. Shelf dividers (available onlinefrom Amazon.com) will keep the towelsand sheets from becoming a jumbled mess.

The sheets and towels are probablyused most often andtherefore earn theprime shelves foraccessibility. Therest of your closetcontents — lightbulbs, batteries, can-dles, gift wrap,sewing supplies,party supplies, etc.

should be containerized in labeled plasticor canvas storage bins or baskets. Stackablebins make the best use of widely spacedshelving and are retrieved easily, even fromhigher shelves. You can also label the edgeof the shelves so that it’s clear to all whouse them where to find and replace items.

For seasonal items like beach/pooltowels and throw blankets place the off-season items in an underbed bag or vac-uum-sealed bag on a high shelf. Keep thein-season items on an accessible shelf.Switch them when the season changes.

Here’s a great idea from www.getor-ganizednow.com: If you store a supply ofspare toiletries and paper goods, considerplacing a labeled sticky note on the last onein the row. When it’s used, the person whoremoves it from the closet is responsible toplace the sticky note on the grocery list orsome other designated place. That wayyou’ll never run out of a product!

When you complete this project you’llnot only retrieve supplies without fear,you’ll probably want to open the door justto see a job well done.

You can contact Brenda McElroy to havequestions answered at Organized by Choice(because things don’t always fall into place) atP.O. Box 26152, Fresno, CA 93729, email herat [email protected], visit herweb-sitewww.organizedbychoice.comor shecanbereached by phone at 559-871-3314.

When you complete this projectyou’ll not only retrieve supplieswithout fear, you’ll probably wantto open the door just to see a jobwell done.

RanchosTipThwarts Possible Burglary in Rolling Hills

IncustodyareShawnWilliams,27,ofFresno;BenjaminWallace, 30,also fromFresno;and James“Jimmy”Hale, 28,ofMadera.

Thanks to an aware citizen lastmonth, three men are behind bars follow-ing a tip phoned in about suspicious ac-tivity in the Madera Ranchos. In custodyare James Hale, 28, of Madera; ShawnWilliams, 27, of Fresno; and 30-year-oldBenjamin Wallace, also from Fresno.

The 911 call came into the MaderaCounty Sheriff’s Department beforenoon describing suspicious activity inthe Rolling Hills area on Avenue 11, justwest of Highway 41. What was reportedto the 911 operator was that a vehiclewith three men inside appeared to becasing homes on the block, havingdriven at least four times through the

neighborhood.Deputy Ian Roth responded to the

call and found the vehicle parked at agas station on Highway 41 and with helpfrom Deputy Toinie Jackson quickly de-tained all three without incident.

Two of the suspects were wanted inFresno and the third was found to be inpossession of heroin. Fresno residentShawn Williams was wanted in Fresnoon a $160,000 warrant for burglary.Fresno resident Benjamin Williams, whotold deputies his name was Payton Ely,was also wanted in Fresno on a felonyno-bail drug warrant and a $10,000 drugwarrant. Madera resident James Hale, or

“Jimmy” as he is known, was the driverof the vehicle and was found to be inpossession of heroin.

All three were transported toMadera County Department of Correc-tions where Williams was booked on theburglary warrant as well as on suspicionof conspiracy to commit burglary. Wal-lace was booked on the two warrants aswell as suspicion of conspiracy to com-mit burglary and identity theft and Halewas booked on suspicion of conspiracyto commit burglary, possession of bur-glary tools and drug charges.

The case remains open becausedeputies believe others may be involved.

derful. I started out with that I at leasthave a roof over my head, my childrenwere at least talking to me, my parentsstill loved me and one day, maybe notright now, but one day it would allwork out. It is not about what I have, itis about what God would do for me aslong as I did one thing. That one thing,the only thing I have to do is put Godfirst, rely on Him and He will restoreme and give me more than I everwanted, needed or deserve. Life waswonderful and great because I knewthat God had my back and all He wantsis the best for me. He will never leaveme or forsake me.

For that I am THANKFUL.Oh, by the way, my kids now live

with me, in our own place. My parentsnot just talk to me; they let me go totheir house. And I have a car. Howabout that for a wonderful life?

I have many people to thank. Mostof all I would like to thank the greatpeople of Woodward Park Church ofChrist. They opened their hearts andtheir home to me. It’s their commitmentto their outreach programs. Not just tome, but to the thousands of people theyhave touched and served over the years.

From the whole of my heart, thankyou.

Mike

THANKS cont. from P. 9

www.The Ranchos.com

Annual CommunityChristmas TreeLighting Ceremony

for more information, contactthe Golden Valley Chamber at

The Golden Valley Chamber of Commerce

Santawill arriveearly at theceremonyandphotoswill beavailable!

Cookies - Coffee - Hot Cider

Christmas carols by Flipside Churchand area Girl Scouts

Pick a star for a Veteran at VA Hospital.*

Items may be brought to the tree lighting!

Maywood ShoppingCenter • Friday,Dec. 2 • 6 p.m.

*Items needed for Veterans: Instant coffee, white handtowels, white socks, lap blankets, toothpaste, tooth-brushes, L and XL white t-shirts, new books.

More Santa Pictures Available!This year Santa will be taking pictures with Ranchoschildren (both naughty and nice) at B&D Holiday Cen-ter on Ave. 12 across from the Ranchos Market. He’llbe there every weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. untilChristmas. Pictures are ONLY $10!!!

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Chocolate Crackle Cookies1 C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips1 C Brown Sugar Packed1/3 C Salad Oil2 Eggs1 T Vanilla1 C All-Purpose Flour1 tsp. Baking Powder¼ tsp. Salt½ C Chopped Nuts (Optional)Powdered SugarPreheat oven to 350Melt chocolate in microwaveable

bowl. In a mixing bowl combine thechocolate with the sugar and oil, mix-ing well. Add eggs, one at a time intothe cooled chocolate mixture, beatingwell. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowlmix all the dry ingredients; add tochocolate mixture (add nuts if using)and beat well until blended together.Chill dough in refrigerator for at least30 minutes.

Drop teaspoons of chilled dough inpowdered sugar, rolling to coat andplace on slightly greased cookie sheetabout an inch apart. Bake for 10 to 12minutes.

One of Randy’s favorite cookies isa coconut macaroon.

Coconut Macaroons

14 oz. Sweetened Shredded Co-conut

1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk1 tsp. Vanilla2 Large Egg Whites – at Room

Temperature¼ tsp. SaltPreheat oven to 325Combine the coconut, condensed

milk and vanilla in a large bowl – setaside. Whip the egg whites and saltwith an electric mixer in a large bowl.Beat at high speed until egg whitesmake medium-firm peaks. Carefullyfold the egg whites into the coconutmixture – DO NOT BEAT.

Drop the batter onto sheet panslined with parchment paper using asmall ice cream scoop or two tea-spoons. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes oruntil golden brown.

Cool and serve.This was the first Thanksgiving for

us since the loss of our sister andRandy and his brothers’ mom, Faye. Itwas sad, but comforting in knowingshe is at rest. As with all of you whohave lost loved ones this year, we missthem terribly, try to adjust, and lifegoes on. This year, tell your loved oneshow much you love them and howthankful you are that they are with you– we have no idea what tomorrow willbring.

RECIPE cont. from P. 8

Help Asked Solving Early Morning Crime

Sheriff John Anderson is asking for the pub-lic’s help in identifying two men caught on sur-veillance tape stealing rims and radiators from anauto wrecking yard in Madera at around 8:55 a.m.on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

The two men entered the wrecking yard lo-cated on Road 29 just north of Avenue 12 in agreen-colored, third generation Toyota Tacomatruck with left front body damage. Surveillancevideo shows them loading four rims and 12 radia-tors onto their truck before taking off.

These two still pictures taken from the sur-veillance camera clearly depicts one of the suspectscaptured on tape. The second suspect is hard tomake out, other than he is wearing a dark coloredhooded jacket and has facial hair.

Anyone who may have information about thistheft or the men caught on tape is urged to call theMadera County Sheriff’s Department at 559-675-7770or CRIME STOPPERS AT 498-STOP. An anonymoustip to Crime Stoppers that will result in the capture ofthese two men could be worth up to $1,000.

Robbers Caught Stealing on TapeSurveillance Video Captures Two Men Stealing Rims,Radiators from Road 29 and Avenue 12 Wrecking Yard


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Senior Report

So Much Happening at Senior CenterBy Verlaine Elinburg

On November 6 the long awaited Bustrip to Laughlin, Nev. arrived. The Ran-chos/Hills Seniors were on their way to fun,laughter and adventure. The trip was coordi-nated by Jolene Mason from the Ran-chos/Hills Seniors, the solo committee forshort trips. At the membership meeting heldin November she received a standing ovationfor a job well done.The members experi-enced an abundance offun on the bus and inLaughlin. JoannBlancett, our long dis-tance trip solo coordi-nator, is puttingtogether a trip to Geor-gia and South Carolinanext.

On Thursday,Nov. 17 the Seniorscelebrated Thanksgiv-ing dinner. As alwaysthere was so muchfood. The turkey wasprovided by the centerand all the trimmingswere brought in by themembers.A total of 72members were presentat the dinner and afterdinner the card gamescommenced.

On Sunday, Nov.20 the seniors enjoyedtheir monthly dancesession. For those thatdid not participate onthe dance floor therewere dreams of yester-years.

The fun is over,temporarily, so it’sback to work, whichcan also be fun. TheHolidays are upon usand this is our majorfundraiser month. Webegin with our Holi-day Boutique and Bake Sale which begins onSaturday, Dec. 3. On the Saturdays of the 3rd,10th, and 17th it is from 8 a.m. to noon andduring the weekdays it is from 9:30 a.m. to12:30 p.m. The Holiday Boutique will be re-tailing home-baked goods such as cakes,cookies, pies, candy, jams and jellies. Therewill be handcrafted items such as aprons,quilts, afghans, hot pads, hats, scarves andmuch more. There will also be a craft sale

with all-occasion handcrafted gifts, basketsand jewelry. And from Grandma’s Attic aregently used items. Your shopping will becomplete at 37330 Berkshire Drive in theRanchos.

The Department of Health comes peri-odically to the Center for free checkups. Thescreenings include: Personal health historyreview, blood pressure and blood sugar test,nutrition and health education and a low-cost

blood test is available.The health screeningsare for 50 and above.For referrals to med-ical providers andcommunity services,the contact number is675-7893 to make anappointment.

A nutritionallybalanced lunch pro-gram is availableMonday through Fri-day at 11:30 a.m. Asuggested price for 60years and older is$1.75. Reservationsare needed 24 hours inadvance prior to 11a.m. so remember tocall Joann at 645-4864and also notify thecenter if you need tocancel or change yourreservation.

We have a grow-ing exercise programbeing held on Mon-days,Wednesdays andFridays at 10 a.m. Theparticipants are gettingmore than just exerciseby attending. Theyhave fun, share laughs,meet new friends andget updates on oldfriends, their fellowmembers and get cur-rent news on what ishappening at the Cen-ter. There is room for

you and you may attend all three days or justone or two of them.

New to the agenda on Tuesday at 12:30p.m. are a variety of cards games to be en-joyed. Come and learn new games.

Check your calendar for daily events foreach day of the week. If you do not have acopy, stop by the Senior Center for a copy.Additional copies are available at the Ran-chos Market and Hurst Hardware.

The Ranchos/Hills Seniors practice theirdance steps as part of their ongoing exercise.

On the road to Laughlin, Nev. the Ran-chos/Hills Seniors prepare for a great time.

Turkey time at the Ranchos/Hills Seniorsas Thanksgiving was celebrated in style.

www.The Ranchos.com

By Carla Hart

Afterafewweeksofawell-deservedbreakat the endof the summer, theRanchosKiwanisis reenergized and charging full speed aheadagainwithoursponsorshipsandfundraisingac-tivities.There’s somuch tosayandso little timethat I’ll get right to the keypoints.

On Oct. 12, we sponsored “Teens andTrucks” for the LHS Driver’s Education stu-dents.Theprogram,incooperationwiththeCal-iforniaTruckingAssociationandtheCHP,is thefirst of its kind in the state that teaches youngdrivershowtosafelysharetheroadwithbigrigs.Officers touched on important information re-gardingdistracteddrivingwithem-phasisonin-juryandfatalitystatisticsfollowedbyinteractivedemonstra-tions of the stopping distance andblind spots on these80,000 lb. trucks.Thankyou toKiwa-niansMona,Charlesand Casey Diaz ofCharlesDiazTruck-ing for the use oftheir rig; to Hal andMaryAnn Parks ofPizza Fac-tory forthepost-event pizza;Kiwanian JohnMinney; the Commercial Vehicle Safety Al-liance and to all the participants who were in-strumental inbringingthislifesavingprogramtoour kids.

Congratulations to ourLHSKeyClub forafirstplacewinintheHomecomingParadefloatcompetition on Oct. 21. Their theme was theSwingin’ 60s complete with go-go dancers incages and peaceful protes-tors. Thank you Ki-wanian Travis Hart for the construction of thefloat and to Key Club PresidentAndrew Hartand all the club members whose hard workmadeanotherawardwinningdesignforthesec-ond straight year. Groovy, Key Clubbers!VeryGroovy! That evening, several Kiwanis mem-bers dedicated their Friday night working thebooster’ssnackbaratbothJr.VarsityandVarsityHomecoming games and our newest member,BryanLee,personallydonated$300for thefes-tive game day balloons and decorations liningbothsidesofAvenue12forHawkSpiritHome-comingDay.ThankyouBrianandall themem-berswhorolleduptheirsleevesonthebiggameday that brought ourHawks a27-14victory.

On Oct. 29, we sponsored a table at theValley Teen Ranch charity auction event atTorninos. The theme of this year’s event was“AnimalParty”andourdecoratingchairperson,OlliaRidge, really outdid herselfwith a beauti-ful, jungle animal display.All proceeds of thisevent benefit the kids atValleyTeenRanch.

TheRanchosKiwanis, alongwithVulcanMaterials and several local residents and busi-nessowners,sponsoredamemorialanddedica-tioncer-emonyhonoringSgt.RaulMoncadaonNov. 17 atAve. 12 andRoad37.Asecondme-morial signwasplacedatAve.13andRoad37.Sgt.Moncada,aRanchosresident,waskilledinaction in Iraq while serving in the U.S.Army.We are honored to be part of a lasting tribute toour local hero and his familywhomade the ul-timate sacrifice for our freedom.

Somuch of the good work Kiwanis doesfor its community doesn’t always come in out-ward, granddisplays. In fact,manyof ourmostmean-ingful accomplishments are often themostsubtle,andstillmakearealandlastingim-pact.Ourpastyear’s effortsdidn’t gounnoticedwhen our clubwas namedDivision 5Kiwanis

Team of the Year,beating out morethan 20 other clubs.The prestigious Di-vision Award Bellfor Best Club waspresented to outgo-ing President MonaDiazbyourLt.Gov-ernor,DaveHillman.CongratulationsRanchos Kiwanis

team!Wetrulyare thebest,butweknewthatallalong, didn’twe?

Kiwanis exists solely for the purpose ofmaking a difference in the lives of others, par-ticularlychildren.Wearelookingforpeoplewhoare interested in serving the community, mak-ing new friends andhaving funwith a purpose.If you are interested, contact President, JohnGlueck at 559-706-5215. We meet the firstThursday of every month at 6:45 a.m. at TheCoffee Spot and every Thursday thereafter at6:30p.m. at theRan-chosPizzaFactory.Comejoin us at ameeting for fun and fellowship andseewhat being aKiwanian is all about.

Kiwanis, Key Club and KidsKiwanis Korner

www.ranchoskiwanis.comBoard Members:

President: John GlueckPast President: Mona DiazPresident Elect: Carla HartVice President: Marie CameronSecretary: Pam GlueckTreasurer: Perry WatkinsCo-Treasurer: Carla Hart

Board of Directors:Debbie FarrVirginia VickOllia RidgeJohn HerreraJolene Mason

Mr. Tarango’s Liberty High School Driver’sEducation class participate in the Teens and Trucksevent on October 12.

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Sheriff John Anderson recently an-nounced that the Madera County Sheriff’sDepartment has launched a Citizen WebAlerts webpage covering specific crimesthroughout Madera County.

Now posted on the Madera CountySheriff’s website, Citizen Web Alerts pro-vides information about burglaries, fraudalerts and warnings about deceptive adver-tising. This page also offers tips and valu-able resources to help citizens avoid fallingvictim to theft, money scams and identitytheft. Anderson said that the Citizen Web

Alerts page will make monthly updatesavailable as well.

Anderson said the Department is build-ing a series of maps that will highlight spe-cific locations in which burglaries are takingplace. He says those maps should be avail-able to the public in the coming weeks. Atpresent this site shows the number of bur-glaries occurring in areas located in easternMadera County as well as the Valley floor.

The Citizen Web Alerts webpage canbe found at www.madera-county.com/sheriff/alerts.html.

Sheriff Launches Citizen Web Alerts


Before the event got underway, the memorial placard wascovered with a red and black cloth emblazoned with the symbolfor those killed in action in service to their country.

The American Indian Veteran’s Association provided thepresentation of colors at the beginning of the event and stoodsilently by throughout the presentation.

A stirring version of the Star Spangled Banner, and later arendition of God Bless America, was provided acapella by Bri-ana Vick.

Madera County District 1 Supervisor Frank Bigelow wasthe master of ceremonies for the event. It was his office that co-ordinated the dedication.

The parents of Sgt. Moncada, Raul Sr. and Obdulia, wererecognized by the crowd with an extended ovation in honor oftheir sacrifice.

There was quite a crowd on hand at 11 o’clock in the morn-ing on Nov. 17, including all of the local news programs, veter-ans, Ranchos community members and others.

The man who really pulled it all together, Ranchos residentJohn Herrera. He started the ball rolling, made the contacts andthe next thing you knew we had a memorial for Sgt. Moncada.

The moment of truth when Sgt. Moncada’s daughter,Priscila, had the honor of unveiling the marker for her fatheras the Moncadas and the Liberty High band look on.

A first for Madera County. Sgt. Moncada’s memorial is thefirst time a section of road has been dedicated to an individual.All other dedicated roadways are state or federal highways.

Immediately following the presentation at Road 37 and Av-enue 12, the Golden Valley Chamber of Commerce opened itsdoors for a reception for all attendees.

The beautiful fall weather made the tables setup outside ofthe Chamber office a perfect place to enjoy a meal and remi-nisce about the life and service of Sgt. Moncada.

An unexpected surprise for the family was when theirdaughter, “Alex” was able to show up, having just completedher second tour of duty.

AA HHiissttoorriicc EEvveenntt iinn tthhee RRaanncchhooss RReemmeemmbbeerriinngg aa FFaalllleenn WWaarrrriioorrAll pictures courtesy of Don Foster and Bill Whyman

www.The Ranchos.com

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for their sense of urgency. Not in thebest of moods, when I pushedthrough the doors to find one ladystanding in line, I shouted, “Who-ever owns the silver sedan out front,your car is being ticketed andtowed.” Not my proudest moment,but I consoled myself by taking herplace in line. As I watched her scurryto the parking lot to try and save hercar, I figured that more than made upfor the three-block hike I had to takebecause she never bothered to readParking for Dummies.

More Important?I t’s not that I don’t appreciate

time sensitive matters, or that peo-ple might have legit imate urgentbusiness, but who are you to sayyour business is more urgent thanthe person to your left? Protocoland procedure are there for a rea-son; stand in line and wait yourturn. But sadly, the squeaky wheelgets the grease in our culture andthe people with the patience of Jobtend to refrain from squeaking, evenwhen they have reason to. And as aresult they often get trampled by themob, which would just as soon go

over you than take the half secondto go around. At some point we haveto stop, look around and think:would I be inconveniencing anyoneif I used four spaces instead of justthe one? Am I putt ing that otherdriver out by swooping in and steal-ing the parking spot they are wait-ing for? Oops, I forgot , thinkingmight take too long.

A parking lot is not a shoe clear-ance bin; you can’t just dive in allwilly nilly. A shoe to the head wouldlikely hurt and leave a mark, but run-ning over someone is often fatal.Note the subtle difference. Remem-ber people, we are talking about bigdangerous machines driven by falli-ble, imperfect humans. A scaryenough combination when everyoneis paying attention; deadly whensomeone is driving like a maniac andsomeone else is texting behind thewheel.

So I beg of you, this Christmas,in the spirit of the season, please re-member to be cautious, courteous,watch out for other cars and pedes-trians, and most importantly, forgoodness’ sake, those giant whitelines on the pavement are there for areason: they are not part of the deco-rating scheme.

GEN WHY cont. from P. 6


When Greg Ruland and Bill Gor-man got together 11 years ago ascoaches of the Liberty girls’ tennisteam, they knew they had to build fromthe ground up.

Fast forward 11 years and the pairare celebrating their second straight Di-vision V Central Section championshipwith a group of girls they will have nextseason as well.

However, the more amazingfact is that none of the players onthis year’s Valley Championshipgirls’ tennis team had picked up aracket until they were freshmenat Liberty.

“We like being the behind-the-scenes team,” Ruland said.“We get kids that are hard-work-ing and want to put the time andeffort in. We saw that this yearwith the best team I have evercoached.”

Last season, the Hawks wenton a Valley Championship run asthe Cinderella team. As the thirdseed, they knocked off second-seeded Coalinga 5-4, and thenbeat No. 4 seed Strathmore 5-4 inthe Valley Championship match.And that was with a team full ofsophomores. With basically hisentire team returning this season,expectations were high for the tennisteam, although they weren’t on anyone’sradar.

The tennis team went undefeated in17 matches this season. In fact, theirclosest win of the season came in theValley Championship match againstStrathmore where they won 6-3 and twoof the losses came after the Hawks hadalready clinched the title.

“They were a perfect group ofgirls,” Gorman said. “The chemistry onthis team couldn’t be more perfect.”

The Hawks are loaded for next sea-son as well as the top six players returnnext season.

“I tell the kids at the end of everyyear that each position is up for grabsnext year,” Ruland said. “It’s up to themto put in the work to get better.”

Leading the Hawks were Annie Er-

ickson and Eunice Castro, who sharedthe No. 1 singles position this year andwere a dominating force at No. 1 dou-bles. Erickson and Castro were on thecourt, as they were last year, when theNo. 3 doubles team of AmandaMatthews and Nicole Ray shook handsto signify a victory. It was the fifth forthe team and secured the Valley title. Er-ickson and Castro began celebrating be-

fore a point was played and had todouble-check they were Valley Champi-ons.

“At least we were better than lastyear,” Erickson said. “This makes itcompletely, 110 percent worth all thework we have put in.”

Last season, Erickson and Castrobegan their celebration in the middle ofa point in No. 1 singles.

For the second year in row,Matthews and Ray sewed up the ValleyChampionship with a victory in No. 3doubles.

“This feels amazing,” Ray, a senior,said.

“She hit her ball long and it didn’tregister at first,” Matthews, also a sen-ior, said. “It’s amazing.”

Also returning next season will beJordyn DeChamplain, Bethany Buch-

noff, Chloe Doyle and Jocelynn Her-nandez.

Doyle came back from a gamedown in the second set in the ValleyChampionship match at No. 5 singlesfor a 7-5 win to get the fourth win forthe Hawks.

“They are like my kids,” Gormansaid. “We take care of them. They are afun group to coach.”

Like he has done for the last10 seasons, Gorman will host atennis camp over the summerwhere all of next year’s Hawksplayers will participate, and evenfuture Hawks.

“I look for players who havean athletic background,” Gormansaid about finding diamonds inthe rough.

“Eunice played shortstop insoftball so I knew she had goodfootwork and a good swing,” Gor-man said. “I tried to talk her intoplaying when she was a freshman,but she didn’t come out. Shecame out last year and hasn’tstopped playing since.”

Castro, who didn’t pick up aracket until she was a sophomore,says that her primary sport now istennis.

“Hitting the ball hard is fun,”Castro said. “I get my strength fromsoftball.”

In the past 11 years, Ruland has hadjust a handful of players that have comeout to the team with tennis experience.The last one Ruland had was AnnSoghomonian, who graduated in 2009.And she almost didn’t come out for theteam.

“I was in the office talking aboutthe girls’ tennis team and Ann was inthere,” Ruland said. “She said she didn’tknow that we had a team and I had toconvince her to come out. At first, shewasn’t accepted by the team because shewas so good, but after a while, she be-came an integral part of the team. “

With two straight Valley Champi-onships under their belts, the LibertyHawk girls’ tennis team is primed to adda third straight next season.

Hawk’s Girls’ Tennis Team Building a Legacy

GVUSD Calendar

District wideDec. 19-Jan. 7 - No school- Winter break

Sierra View ElementaryDec. 8 - Parent Club meetingDec. 15 - Winter Program

Webster ElementaryDec. 2 - Intermural Game with Sierra Viewat Webster (football and volleyball)Dec. 7 - Character Counts eventDec. 14 - Winter Program

Ranchos Middle SchoolDec. 7-8 - Drama ProductionDec. 13 - Band Concert

Liberty High SchoolDec. 3 - Winter FormalDec. 8 - Band/Choir Winter ConcertDec. 9 - Winter Food Fair

The Liberty High Girls Tennis Team defeated StrathmoreHigh on Nov. 3, 6-3 to win the Division V Valley Championshipand remain undefeated for the season with a record of 17-0. Con-gratulations to Coach Greg Ruland and all the girls for a superbperformance this season. From left are Kinsey Carlson, CorrieTalbert, Megan Lee, Jordyn DeChamplain, Nicole Ray, AmandaMatthews, Renee Ortega, Bethany Butchnoff, Julianna Wilson, Jo-celyn Hernandez, Eunice Castro, Chloe Doyle, Maritza RiveraMedrano, Annie Erickson and Coach Ruland and Coach Gorman.

On May 31, 2012, the next graduat-ing class of Liberty High will leave ourHawk’s nest destined to fulfill their col-lege dreams. However, many of thesegraduates face the daunting challenge offiguring out how to pay for rising costs ofattending college and we need your help.

Liberty High School would like toextend an opportunity to the members ofthe community to establish a scholarshipfund, which will promote the attainmentof our graduates’ post-high school goals.The creation of these scholarship fundswill support the continued growth and ed-ucational opportunities for Liberty High’sgraduating seniors and the future profes-sionals of this community.

It’s not too late to establish a schol-arship fund for the Class of 2012. If youor someone you know is interested in do-nating a one-time or annual scholarshipopportunity to support college-bound stu-dents of Liberty High, please contactKarie Hannigan, Scholarship Coordina-tor, at 645-3500 extension 2003 or [email protected] by January13.

Create a LHSScholarship

www.The Ranchos.com

Kristi Forshee’sWebster Elementary classgot a surprisewhen ABC-30w e a t h e rm a nKevinMussopaidthe class a visit.The local meteor-ologist showed avideo to the classdepicting the dif-ferent types ofweather that canbe seen right herein theSanJoaquinValley.

“We weresurprised to learnthat we have hadsnow, floods andeven tornadoes,” Forshee said.

Musso spent an hour in the classroom an-

sweringavarietyofquestionsaboutweatherfromthe students. Healso taught thestu-dents about whatcauses weather,how meteorolo-gists predictweather and thevarious parts thatmake up a thun-derstorm. He alsoexplained how el-evation affects theweather to answera student’s ques-tion about why itsnows atChukchansi.

“We had agreat time with Mr. Musso and look forward toseeing himonChannel 30,” Forshee said.

TVWeatherman VisitsWebster

At the first food fair of the year, thequad was abuzz with hungry studentslooking for the best food and a fun time.This year, therewere more boothsthan before. Withmany booths meantmany choices ofgoodies and snacks.

Top FoodsAccording to

the students, the toptwo favorite foodswere the Pizza Fac-tory breadsticks andthe Otter Pops.

The DramaClass sold breadsticks for four tickets($2) for a half order. They sold full ordersfor eight tickets. The breadsticks were themost expensive item at the food fair, butone of the best.

The Otter Pops, on the other hand,

were sold very cheaply at one ticket each.They were sold by the Photography Club.

There were two different kinds ofcandy apples forsale, caramel andcinnamon. TheDance Club soldcinnamon applesfor two tickets andsold caramel ap-ples for three tick-ets.

“The cinnamonapples were lesspopular than thecaramel apples sothey offered those ata lower price,” said

Carissa Miller, vice president of theDance Club.

The Ranchos Food Fair was a funtime for students and staff. Some studentsare already saving up for those Pizza Fac-tory breadsticks.

A group of students at Ranchos MiddleSchool enjoy the fall food fair.

Middle School Enjoys Fall Food Fair

On October 28, the boys faced off against the girls in a rally. The Girls came out ontop.

In the first event, the girls held up in a game called The Human Chair. In the CheetoToss, Mrs. Forester and Coach Norris donned a shower cap and covered it in shavingcream. Both teams tried to toss cheetos onto the shaving cream and the boys came out ontop by two.

In the Make-up My Gender game, two boys and two girls were dressed in the oppo-site gender. The girls came out on top. Jackon Watts and Eddie Green dressed up as girlsand Karissa McFerrin and Kaylee Saar dressed as boys.

With the girls leading 2-1, the heel race was next. Each gender put on a pair of highheels and took off running. The boys took the victory and tied up the rally.

In the game called Suicides, the boys and girls got geared up in heels and backpacks.The girls took the victory and ruled the rally.

ABC 30 weatherman Kevin Musso spent more thanan hour talking to Kristi Forshee’s Webster Elementaryclassroom about weather.

Boys vs. Girls at RMS Spirit Rally

Danny and Audra Damore are theproud owners of the newest business in theMaderaRanchos. TheCoffee Spot is locatedat 37164Avenue 12 Suite 102, next to Sub-way.

The Coffee Spot is proud to serve freshroasted coffee from the Santa Cruz RoastingCompany, and they hand brew it while youwait. In addi-tion to all thedifferent cof-fees, specialtycoffees and teasthey serve frap-p u c c i n o s ,smoothies andice cream fromSuperior Dairy.There are sev-eral special fla-vors availablejust for the holi-day season likePumpkin Spice,P e p p e rm i n tLatte and EggNog.

Danny andAudra had al-ways talkedabout wanting toopen a coffeeshop and whenthe opportunityaroseat this loca-tion they jumpedat it. “We felt theRanchos needednot only a coffeeshop but a placewhere everyonein the commu-nity could gatherto talk aboutschool projectsor fundraisingprojects,” Audrasaid. She recalls,“Growing up inSanta Cruz andhaving a coffeeshop whereeveryone felt comfortable just hangingout andsipping coffee with friends. The type of spotwherehighschoolkidscouldmeetafter schoolto visit or go to use the free wi-fi service. Aplacewhereeveryonefeels safeandwelcome.”

On weekends they have fresh donutsand pastries and they would love to havelocal artists display their work inside The

Coffee Spot. Watch for an announcementabout “Open Mic” Night for musicians andpoets who would like to perform.

The Coffee Spot’s hours of operationare Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m.to 7 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sun-day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Audra and Danny have lived in theRanchos for 2½ years andthey are theproud parentsof two beautifuldaughters, Juliaage 10 and Vic-toria age 9.Both daughtersattend WebsterE l em e n t a r ySchool. Theyenjoy being in-volved in thelocal Girl ScoutTroop and justcompleted ashoe box drivewhere they col-lected over 50boxes of shoes.They are nowc o l l e c t i n gblankets to do-nate for Christ-mas and theirTroop is look-ing for nomi-nations for alocal family toreceive a spe-cial Christmassurprise fromthe Troop. Youcan pick up an om i n a t i o nform at TheCoffee Spot.

Danny isthe artist in thefamily. Hesings with arock groupcalled “South

of Sanity.” The band has played at theWhiskey-A-Go-Go in LosAngeles and per-forms at the Starline Theatre in Fresno.Danny also paints and has painted some ofhis own artwork currently displayed at TheCoffee Spot.

Stop by, have a cup of coffee andsay hi.

Business Review

Brewing Up a New Ranchos Spot

The Coffee Spot owner, Danny Damore, will makeyour coffee just how you like it, providing you like it deli-cious, whether hot or cold.

Hurst Hardware owner Cheryl Hurst knows what ittakes to get going in the morning and The Coffee Spot isglad to oblige.


“Three Sisters” Wants VisitorsBy Verlaine Elinburg

The “Three Sisters” (squash,beans and corn) is a demonstrationgarden located behind the MaderaCommunity College Center,30277 Ave. 12, Madera. The gar-den is a two acre plot of land de-signed by Robert Boro. Theacreage was donated by State Cen-ter Community College District.The Master Gardeners brokeground in March of 2010 after amemorandum was drawn up be-tween the State Center, MaderaCounty UC Cooperative Extensionand the Master Gardeners. TheMaster Gardeners will cultivate and maintain the Three Sisters Demonstration Garden.

The garden is divided into different sections, including the ornamental trees, fruittrees and California native plants. The Girl Scout troop from theMadera Ranchos raisedmoney for the California native plants section and planted them under the supervisionof the Master Gardeners.

There is also a two-part rose garden, the children’s garden and a corn maze. Adream playhouse was donated byShirley Mariel, completing thesection of the garden.A ribbon cut-ting on November 4 was spear-headed by Jill Cholewa tocommemorate the sections thatwere finished. Madera CountyDistrict 1 Supervisor FrankBigelow was present for the cele-bration.

The Master Gardeners havean ongoing time period of approx-imately four years to completetheir project. The plan is to havewildlife, butterfly, seasonal andperennial gardens. There will besections for herbs, vegetables and

vines and sustainable landscapes. The “Three Sisters” represent a Native Americanlegend in which corn, beans and squash are three inseparable sisters that must beplanted together to thrive. The stalk of corn provides a pole for the bean vines to climband the beans stabilize the corn plants and improve the soil. Squash, the shortest andthe youngest sister, squashes out the weeds.

The Three Sisters received a grant from Chukchansi that made the purchase oftrees, plants and other necessaryitems to make the demonstrationgarden possible. The Master Gar-deners’ only other fundraiser is theannual Spring Garden Tours.

The Master Gardener plan isto host demonstrations and teachclasses for Madera residents tolearn to grow and maintain plantsthat thrive in this area. MaderaRanchos residents are encour-aged to travel the few milesdown the road and visit the ThreeSisters Demonstration Garden atthe Madera Community CollegeCenter.

Every area is a play area when you have the rightattitude, as these young visitors to the Three SistersDemonstration Garden showed.

The people who helped make the Three SistersDemonstration Garden a reality, your Madera CountyMaster Gardeners.

The donated playhouse was obviously the bestpart of the Three Sisters Demonstration Garden forthese discerning visitors.

Three people attempting to change a flat tire to-ward the beginning of the month are now behind bars-- captured during their rush hour commute on Avenue12 near Highway 41. Arrested were 54-year-old Han-nie Eugene Rice of Oakhurst, 21-year-old RandallCarlson of Fresno and 22-year-old Heather Ballingerof Madera.

According to reports, Deputy Sheriff Ian Rothwas heading west on Avenue 12 roughly a quarter ofa mile west of Highway 41 when he spotted a Saturn4-door on the shoulder. Deputy Roth pulled over torender assistance when he discovered the Saturn 4-door was reported stolen out of Fresno.

Additional Deputiesarrived on the scene toassist Deputy Roth. In-side the stolen vehicle they seized U.S. currency, adigital scale, small plastic bags and marijuana. Acheck on Rice showed he was on bail for drug relatedsales and was also carrying an expired medical mari-juana card.

Probation, Drugs, Fraud, Stolen PropertyCarlson was on probation for drugs and found to

be in possession of a glass smoking pipe commonlyused to smoke Metham-phetamine and Ballingerwas wanted on a no-bailwarrant for fraud out ofFresno. Ballinger re-

mains jailed without bail. She was booked on the out-standing warrant for fraud, as well as suspicion ofattempting to buy/sell stolen property. Carlson is alsobeing held without bail. He was booked on attempt tobuy/sell stolen property, possession of marijuana,possession of a controlled substance, and transporta-tion of marijuana

Rice is accused of committing a felony while outon bail, attempting to buy/sell stolen property, pos-session of marijuana and transporting marijuana. Hisbail was set at $25,000.

Arrested were 54-year-oldHannie Eugene Rice of Oakhurst ...

... 22-year-old HeatherBallinger of Madera ...

... and 21-year-old RandallCarlson of Fresno when theirstolen Saturn got a flat.

Deputy Stops to Help, JailsAll Three

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By SerafinQuintanar

If the Republican presidential primaryrace has reminded us of anything, it is thatthings can change in an instant and that noth-ing is a sure thing inpolitics.Takea lookat theonce GOP savior, Rick Perry, who implodedafter looking likehewas invincible.Then thereis the painfully hard to watch decline ofMicheleBachmann.The latest sensation,Her-manCain,waswrittenoffashavingnochanceat all and then he shot to the top seeminglyovernight. However, now that he is under themicroscope, he may be the next victim in thepolls. Regardless, another sensation from the“written off” cate-gory may be in thewings ready to takeCain’s place at thetop: Newt Gingrich.Gingrich has beensteadily climbing inthe polls week afterweek.

Regardless ofwho the flavor of themonth is, one thing iscertain: we won’tknow who the Re-publican nomineewillbeuntil theactualvotingstarts in Iowaandbeyond.Thefirst four statesmayverywellde-termine who will go against Obama in 2012,but then again anything can happen.

The point of all this is that we should alldo our own research and come to our ownconclusionsabouteachcandidate’sprinciples,proposedpoliciesandhisorherviability in thegeneral election. However, we should alsokeepanopenmindandnotgetemotionallyat-tached toonlyonecandidate. Itmightbeabet-ter idea, both practically and emotionally, tonarrow down our top three choices andmakea decision ahead of time that we’d be happywith any of those three being the nominee.Atthe same time, we can support our favoritecandidate,butnotdosowithblindpassionandemotion.We should be open to learningmoreabout anycandidate: thegood, thebadand theugly.

There is nothing wrong with switchingwhoyousupport ifyou learnnewinformationthatmakes you like or dislike a certain candi-date more than how you felt about them be-fore. For example, you may have really like

Rick Perry until you learned about his immi-grationpolicy inTexas.Oryoumay think thatNewt Gingrich is proving himself to be themost qualified and capable candidate. Youmay think thatCain isgoing tohave toomuchbaggagegoingforward.Oryoumight feel thatimmigration is not a big deal or that Newt ispast his prime or that what doesn’t ruin Her-manCain onlymakes him stronger.

If nothing else, this primary continues tobe exciting.That is a healthy thing for this im-portant time in our nation’s history.

If you haven't already, please take thetimeto joinus.Wewouldappreciateyourpres-ence allowing you the opportunity to discusscurrent issues, ideas or just listen. These edu-cationalmeetings keepuswell-equippedwithfacts and banish the many untruths that areconsistentlyspread throughout themainstreammedia.Arecent example is the unknown cul-prits who have encouragedwomen to try anddamage Herman Cain's reputation and cam-paign.Who convinced these women to come

forward after 15years, the despicablelawyer, GloriaAllred? Wouldsomeone or grouppayher to do it?Thisshell game is oftenplayed to steer usaway from facts.Wehavemanyimportantissues to discuss re-garding our coun-try’s survival thanthis ridiculoussensa-tionalism. The de-

batebetweenCainandGingrichhadsubstanceand not this typicalmedia drivel.

Madera Tea Party Chapter MeetingsThe November 17th meeting presented

guestspeakerSamParedesof theGunOwnersofCaliforniawhotalkedabout the2ndAmend-ment rights and confrontational politics.

Meetings are held on the third Thursdayof eachmonth at 6 p.m. atDiCicco's, 516So.“I”Street inMadera.Nextmeeting isDecem-ber 15. Confirmmeeting dates on the CentralValley Tea Party website at www.centralval-leyteaparty.com.

For more information contact MaderaRanchosTeaPartyCoordinator JohnSmedleyby e-mail at [email protected] or callhim at 559-645-7031. Or you can emailMaderaTeaPartyCoordinatorRickFarinelli [email protected] or call him at559-706-5386.

InMadera and beyondwe hope you hadawonderfulThanksgiving.WewisheveryoneaMerryChristmaswith thepromiseofhaving"Life, Liberty and the pursuit ofHappiness"!

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SAY YOU SAW IT ...... IN THE RANCHOS INDEPENDENT

The point of all this is that weshould all do our own researchand come to our own conclusionsabout each candidate’s principles,proposed policies and his or herviability in the general election.However, we should also keep anopen mind and not get emotionallyattached to only one candidate.


ANSWERS

By Christi McKinney

“Fabiano’s Coffee, Inc. is open for business in the Brick-yard Business Center in the Rolling Hills area of Madera,” saidFabiano DeSousa. “Fabiano’s Coffee Inc. takes pride in bring-ing you quality you can taste. We’ve searched the world to findthe finest coffees and brought them home to you.”

The coffee business is truly a family affair for the DeS-ousas. Karen and husband Jim DeSousa have been involved inthe coffee industry for many years.Karen DeSousa was once named thenumber one woman salesperson inthe entire coffee industry while shewas employed by United Coffee inthe Bay area. She worked there forover 35 years. The DeSousa familyoriginally operated Fabiano’sEspresso and Roasting Company in1992 in Clovis. They closed thatbusiness when they opened theMadera Roasting company on Janu-ary 1 of this year. The business istruly a family business with any-where from three to 10 family mem-bers working at the shop at any time,depending on the season and the de-mands for coffees from all over theworld.

Fabiano's is a premier coffeeroaster. “Our goal is to procure thebest quality Arabica coffees fromaround the world, roast them to per-fection, and sell it to the most presti-gious restaurants, coffee houses andfarmers' markets, batch by batch,” DeSousa said. Relying ontheir trained senses, he said that their master roasters keep watchon the coffee, listening for the beans to pop and continually test-ing samples to check the aroma and color. Only when the beansare at their peak are they released into cooling trays.

In addition to their roasting skills, Fabiano’s Coffee offersa unique fundraising opportunity to help nonprofit organizationsearn money. The nonprofit group is able to select their own fla-vors of coffee and they create their own private labels for the

coffee. They have worked on fundraisers with the Liberty HighSchool Girls’ Basketball team, who sold their favorite flavors ofchocolate macadamia, French vanilla, vanilla cream and abreakfast blend coffee. The coffee was sold at both basketballand football games.

Fabiano’s is proud to say they have entered into a partner-ship with California State University, Fresno. The CSUF stu-dents have developed their own blend of coffee which is soldat the CSUF Store bearing their brand name. Fabiano’s Coffee,

Inc. is also sold at the Farmer’s Mar-ket on Blackstone and Shaw onWednesdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.and again on Saturdays from 7 a.m.to noon. Crafter’s Cove in the Ran-chos is carrying the Fabiano’sbrands and during the holidays Fabi-ano’s creates custom gift baskets toyour specifications. These gift bas-kets range in price from $10 to $250,depending on what is included inthem.

“We have great customers thatmake our job very pleasant. Weenjoy putting a smile on people’sfaces every morning,” DeSousa said.“Our mission is to create a new cus-tomer every time someone enjoys acup of our coffee.” Fabiano's roaststhe finest coffees of the world andthey ship them directly to their cus-tomers to guarantee they receive thefreshest beans for the most flavorfulcup of coffee. “We offer manychoices including decaffeinated cof-

fees, certified organic coffees, certified decaffeinated organiccoffees, blended coffees, flavored coffees and holiday flavoredcoffees,” he said.

Orders can be placed online by visiting their website atwww.fabianoscoffee.com and fundraising opportunities, like thesuccessful ones many schools, churches, athletic organizationsand clubs have held by using their coffees, can be developed bycontacting Karen at [email protected]. For more in-formation you can call Fabiano’s Coffee, Inc. at 559-222-1716.

A Passion for Roasting Coffee Comes to the Ranchos

Where all great coffee begins: at the roaster. It’s herethat Fabiano’s master roasters bring all of their skills tomake world class coffees.

Mexican cartels, as well as landlords who arebeing threatenedwith property seizure if theyrent or lease to amedicinal marijuana dispen-sary. The stepped-up enforcement appears tobe a major escalation in the Obama adminis-tration’s bid to rein in the explosive spread ofmedical marijuana outlets that was acceler-ated by the announcement that federal prose-cutors would not target people using medicalmarijuana in states that allow it.

Many think the feds are surprised at howmuch land, especially in northern California,is being used formarijuana growing, and theyrealize they can start seizing these propertiesand turn it into federal land. Federal forfeiturecan take two or three years before it goes tocourt, but meanwhile you lose all your prop-erty. The latest letters have baffled the state’smedical marijuana activists, who believe thepresident has broken his word. “Obama says,‘Yes.’The conservatives say, ‘No.’So they gettogether and huddle and they settle on ‘no,’”said William G. Panzer, an Oakland lawyerwho helped draft the state’s medical mari-juana initiative. “The Obama administrationhas been incredibly disappointing on thisissue. It's just the latest evidence that despiteearly signs from the Obama administrationthat it wasn't going to interfere with the rightof states to allow the medical use of mari-juana, nothing could be further from the truth.By going after landowners, they can grab abunch of land, make a bunch of money, andsave face politically by saying, 'Hey, we're notgoing after sick patients or arresting little oldladies – we're going after rich landlords.'"

California's top law enforcement officialAttorney General Kamala Harris stated thatwhile, "An overly broad federal enforcementcampaign will make it more difficult for le-gitimate patients to access physician-recom-mendedmedicine in California ambiguities inthe law must be resolved either by the stateLegislature or the courts."

POT cont. from P. 3

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4-H Club Not Slowing Down

The Sierra Shadows 4-H club wouldlike to express a heartfelt THANK YOUto all who supported the club's car washfundraiser which was held on Oct. 22 atthe Ranchos Market. The club would like

to thank the Ranchos Market for allowingus to hold the car wash fundraiser in theirparking lot. We would also like to thankNapa Auto Parts for donating the soap.We appreciate it and we also appreciatethe support from our community.

The swine project had a meeting thispast month. The swine leader barbecuedpork sausage for the group, which tastedfantastic. The leader also showed theswine members the items/equipment theywould need for showmanship. We willalso need these items and others for anyupcoming fairs we will be participatingin.

The rabbit project held its monthlymeeting which was very interesting. The

group viewed and handled the heart, liver,kidneys and intestines of a rabbit. Theywere also able to view them under a mi-croscope. We also discussed the anatomyand skeletal system of a rabbit.

The community pride project heldits monthly meeting and worked on cut-ting blankets which were finished at theNovember community club meeting. The"blankets" are a community service proj-ect for the Sierra Shadows 4-H club. Theclub hopes to donate 20 blankets to theRonald McDonald House for Christmas.The members also donate spare changeto the Heifer International and soda poptabs to the Ronald McDonald House. Wealso work with “Kids for Recycling”

with Diana VanWagenen. Thank youDiana for all that you do for us.

Many of the members have startedstudying for the small animal expo andlarge animal expo.

Youth between the ages of 9 to 18years old may join 4-H. To join for this 4-H year, you will need to join before Janu-ary 1.

The Sierra Shadows 4-H club leaderis Terri Fernandez, who can be reached at645-4836 or at [email protected] next club meeting will be the Decem-ber meeting and will be the annual Christ-mas party on Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. at the SierraView Elementary School cafeteria. Hopeto see you there.

Classified

A l t e r a t i o n S e r v i c e s

M a d l i n ' s A l t e r a t i o n s - 4 0y e a r s e x p e r i e n c e - Ta i l o r i n g ,r e p a i r s a n d l e a t h e r s . F a s ts e r v i c e . N EW ADD R E S S &P HON E N UMB E R : 3 6 7 3 3Av e . 1 2 . C a l l 5 5 9 - 6 4 5 - 4 5 8 3 .

C o n s t r u c t i o n

N e w c o n s t r u c t i o n , r e m o d e l s ,r o o m a d d i t i o n s , b a r n s a n dp a t i o s . C a l l 5 5 9 - 9 7 0 - 4 4 7 6o r 5 5 9 - 6 4 5 - 4 0 3 3 .

F l o o r / U p h o l s t e r y C a r e

P i n n a c l e C a r p e t C a r e a n dU p h o l s t e r y - F R E E e s t i -m a t e s . F R E E s t a i n p r o t e c t i o nw i t h a n y p u r c h a s e . T i l e , a g -g r e g a t e , s h o w e r s , P e b b l eTe c . G o l d e n Va l l e y C h a m b e rM e m b e r , B B B , r e f e r e n c e s .C a l l B r u c e a t 6 7 6 - 0 7 6 0 .

F o r R e n t

Home fo r Ren t - 2 bd rm , 2 b a t hmob i l e h ome . R e n t $ 8 0 0 p e rmon t h . Co r n e r o f Av e . 11 a n dCo l o r a d o . P e t s OK . Ca l l a g en ta t 706 - 0301 .

F o r S a l e

F o r S a l e - P o r t a b l e B a s k e t -b a l l B a c k b o a r d - S p a l d i n gp o l y c a r b o n i t e b a c k b o a r dw i t h a l l t h e f e a t u r e s . B o u g h tt h i s n e w o n e y e a r a g o f o r$ 2 5 0 , h u r t m y k n e e a n dh a v e n ’ t u s e d i t s i n c e . F i r s t$ 1 5 0 t a k e s i t . C a l l ( c e l l )9 0 5 - 8 3 1 1 .

F o r S a l e - R e f r i g e r a t o r -W h i r l p o o l - S t a i n l e s s S t e e ls i d e b y s i d e , i c e / w a t e r d i s -p e n s e r . $ 7 0 0 o r b e s t o f f e r .Wa s h e r / D r y e r - W h i r l p o o l -W h i t e . P r o p a n e r e a d y . $ 3 0 0 .e a c h . L o c a t e d i n R a n c h o s .C a l l c e l l 6 6 1 - 3 3 3 - 2 7 7 1 .

F o r S a l e - P o o l T a b l e - Yo um o v e $ 2 0 0 ; 8 f t . C a m p e rs h e l l , l i k e n e w $ 1 , 1 0 0 ; R e g -

i s t e r e d 1 3 - y e a r - o l d m a r e$ 9 0 0 ; ' 7 3 J e t B o a t 1 9 1 / 2 f t .d e e p v - h u l l . R u n s G r e a t .$ 1 , 5 0 0 . C a l l 6 4 5 - 8 5 2 1 .

For Sale - Fine Things Ware-house - NEW STOCK DAILY -75% off re ta i l . Chr i s tmas is com-ing - a re you ready? New hours .Open Monday, Tuesday and Thurs-day from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdayand Sunday from 10 a.m to 6 p.m.37341 Ave. 16 - Call 999-6832.

G u t t e r S e r v i c e s

The Gu t t e r Doc t o r s p e c i a l i z i n gi n bo t h c on t i n u ou s a nd s t a n d a r dr a i n gu t t e r s . Gen e r a l Con t r a c t o r- R e p a i r Ma i n t e n a n c e . 2 9 y e a r swo r k i n g i n t h e a r e a . Ca l l 5 5 9 -8 22 - 2 759 .

Housecleaning

Housecleaning Service - Haveyour house spring cleaned all yearlong. Experience, responsible, hon-est . Fair prices. Call 416-2585.

Hou s e c l e an i n g S e r v i c e s - Ran -cho s Area . Re l i a b l e , r e f e r e n c e s ,r e a s o n a b l e r a t e s . J o b i n c l u d e s :A l l h o u s e d u t i e s e x c e p t w i n -d ow s . Ca l l f o r r a t e s o r hav eque s t i on s? 559 - 412 - 1605 .

Housec leaning - 20 years exper i -ence . Hones t , r e l i ab l e , r e f e r-ences . Cal l Rachae l at 822-3330 .

Lo s t and Found

Mi s s i ng goa t - Lo s t i n t h e a r e ao f Bonade l l e and 35 1 / 2 . B rownand wh i t e ma l e . Ca l l 975 -7569 .

P a i n t i n g S e r v i c e s

Pa in t ing Serv i c e s - 40 year s o fexper i ence . L i c en s ed and in -sured . Frank Kramer Exter iors .L i c . #273099 . Ca l l 645 -4113 .

Paint ing Services - GeraldScheff ing & Son Paint ing. 40years experience. Inter ior & Exte-

rior. Licensed, insured and bonded.Lic #313070. Call 674-2320.

R e c y c l a b l e s P i c k Up

Free Recyclables Pickup -- KIDS 4RECYCLING offers pickup ofhousehold paper, plastics, tin, glass,aluminum and cardboard. Fundssupport Ranchos Seniors, l ibrary,schools and 4H. Info call RecycleGal 999-6832 or 645-1048.

Tractor/Trenching Services

Bobcat Work - Drilling Post Holes -Trees - Trenching - Clean Up. TractorWork - Discing - Rototilling - Mow-ing - Scraping - Stump Grinding - RollOff Box. Call Neal at 645-1200 or285-8211.

Tractor Work - House pads, lot lev-eling, driveways, trenching, concretework and underground utilities in-stalled. Call 559-970-4476 or 559-645-4033.

Wanted

WILL PAY TOP DOLLAR FORCARS, TRUCKS, RVs, AND TRAIL-ERS!!! CALL 559-375-3432.

Window Cleaning Services

Most windows $5 inside/out.Screen, track and sills included. Re-move hard water stain on home win-dows, shower doors and carwindows. Cobweb removal avail-able. Fully insured. Call Nick at285-1723. Free estimates. SENIORDISCOUNT!

The RanchosIndependent

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SUDOKU

©2011 King Features Syndicates, Inc.


Real EstateNancy Watson

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If you are considering buying or selling a home, call Nancy Watson. She is anexperienced agent who has served the Ranchos with honesty and integrity for 20years. A Ranchos resident since 1977, Nancy is dedicated to serving her clientswith the highest level of care and commitment. Please call Nancy Watson for allof your Real Estate needs. 11/11

A Ranchos resident for over 27 years, I am a full-time professional agent working theMadera, Fresno and Clovis areas. Inventories of homes for sale are at a long term low.Now is a great time to sell as competition is low. And it is a great time to buy with recordlow interest rates and multiple tax incentives. Call me today!

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Don't wait until the last minute. You can be pro-active!If you're facing the possibility of losing your home to

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You can do it yourself or have thepros at Madera Glass & Mirrortake care of your window repairs.

MaderaGlass &Mirror’s repair services are close to the prices charged in the 1980’s. Give thema call todayfor unbelieveable prices on incredible quality work and products for all of your glass and screen needs.

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repairENGINE AND OUT-DRIVE REPAIRINBOARDS AND OUTBOARDS

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B.M.T.Computer Repair(559) 917-4507• Sales & Service• In-Home ServiceSé Habla Español

Microsoft Cerified Pro

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ARIES (March 21 to April 19) This is a good time to let that intrepid Aries temperament takecharge. Your strong leadership will help settle those still-unresolved situations. Support comes from asurprising source.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your problem-solving talents shine as youmove to cool downheatedemotions. You also inspire trust in all parties when you act with careful consideration of their feelings.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) That long-delayed commitment begins to look better to you. Butthere's still a crucial fact or two you need to know about it. A health problem needs to be taken care of.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Don't waste time trying to learn why someone you relied on iswavering in his or her support of your stand on a workplace issue. Move on with the help of moresteadfast allies.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Relationships enter a brighter period, both at home and in the workplace.Prospects also look good for single Leos and Leonas, who can expect a welcome visit from Cupid.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Those mixed signals that were complicating your lifeare giving way now to clear, definitive guidelines. This makes it easier for you to weigh your optionsand make decisions.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Ask your partner for an explanation of what seemsto be a sign of strain in your relationship. The sooner you understand the problem, the sooner you canboth act to resolve it.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A new challenge in the workplace holds anexciting promise for the future. But be aware of the fact that you haven't been told about all the demandsyou might have to meet.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your financial picture brightens as you getinto sorting out realistic goals and those that are not reachable at this time. "Caution" remains yourfiscal watchword.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You're deep into your new project, and that's justfine. But don't neglect your family and friends. Spending time with people you care for is always a wiseinvestment.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Past feelings are suddenly reawakened. This couldmake you emotionally vulnerable. Be careful about decisions you might be asked to make at this time.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You've come to a place where you'll be facing importantdecisions that can affect your future. Rely on your strong moral compass to guide you toward makingthe right choices.

(c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.

You're gifted with both natural wisdom and wit -- a goodcombination for success as a writer, a teacher and,

most importantly, a parent.

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1. MUSIC: What artist is the subject ofa 1970s Don McLean song that begins,"Starry, starry night"?2. HISTORY: When and where did thefirst African slaves arrive in America?3. ANIMATION: What was the nameof the craggy peak overlookingWhoville in "How the Grinch StoleChristmas"?4. MEASUREMENTS: What is absolutezero measured in Celsius?5. MOVIES: What was the home planetof the "Transformers" alien robots(2007) who came to Earth?6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is ababy horse called?7. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which U.S.president proposed the Great Society?8. LITERATURE: Who wrote "TheCanterbury Tales" in the late 14th cen-tury?9. MEDICAL: What is the tine test usedto diagnose?10. SCIENCE: What elements were dis-covered by Pierre and Marie Curie?

1.VincentVanGogh2.1619(Jamestown,Virginia)3.MountCrumpit4.-273degrees5.Cybertron6.Afoal7.LyndonJohnson8.GeoffreyChaucer9.Tuberculosis10.Poloniumandradium

Answers

TRIVIATESTBy Fifi Rodriguez

(c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.

SSuuppeerr Crosswordby Dave T. Phipps

www.The Ranchos.com

11/1

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SEMCUREGULAR MEETING

Monday, December 19 at 6:30 p.m.Ranchos Pizza Factory

SEMCU is looking for newmembers andvolunteers to join the SEMCU committees

dealing with water, schools, parks,library, roads and grants. The grant

writing classes SEMCU recently sponsoredhave already started. Please look for more

information in the near future.

theranchosspecial dedication service, the memorial was unveiled at its location on road 37 at avenue...

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