PRSRTSTD ECR Independent - theRanchos.comPage 3 Ranchos.com 12/17 Our 93636 family has suffered a...

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

Volume 13 Issue 12 2017 The Official Publication of Southeastern Madera County 50¢

RanchosIndependent

In This Issue Editorial • Page 5 / Aunt Jean’s Ranchos Recipes • Page 8Classifieds • 8 / Fun Pages • Pages 22 & 23

Looking Back:Taking a look back

at the top storiesin the Ranchos

for 2017

The PRSRTSTDECRU.S. POSTAGEPAIDMADERA, CA.PERMITNO. 61


RanchosIndependent

In This Issue Editorial • Page 5 / Aunt Jean’s Ranchos Recipes • Page 8Classifieds • Page 18 / Fun Pages • Pages 22 & 23

A Ranchos coupleout home shopping

are surprised whenthey see a pair of

bald eagles in aRanchos field.

The PRSRTSTDECRU.S.POSTAGEPAIDMADERA, CA.PERMITNO.61


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Phot

oco

urte

syof

John

Glu

eck

A young parade fan gets a special greetingfromMadera County’s Sparky, the Fire safety Dog,

at the 27th Annual Flatlanders Day Parade.



RanchosIndependent




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The PRSRTSTDECRU.S.POSTAGEPAIDMADERA, CA.PERMITNO.61


RanchosIndependent


Map courtesy of the Sierra Club



RanchosIndependent


“The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth,”Jennie Brownscombe, 1914

Click on “Local News” at

Moncada Family Death/December • This was a storyof unbelievable sadness. For the

third time in a decade, another member ofthe Ranchos’ Moncada family was killed,and this time it was an 11-year-old childasleep in his bed. With this tragedy, deathhas claimed threegenerationsofone family.

1

Groundwater Recharge/May,June,July • In a three-partseries,KarenPetrynalookedintothe

need for groundwater recharge if the Ran-chos’ aquifer is ever going to recover. Shealso looked at the sad absence of rechargeawareness and lack of aggressive rechargebasin construction byMaderaCounty.

3

Measure L/February • Aspecial electionwas held to createa one cent tax to pay for emer-

gency fire and police personnel ... andwassoundly defeated. The Monday morningquarterbackswere convinced that the pro-moters of the tax presented it incorrectlyand the results spoke for themselves.

4

Riverstone Opens/Janu-ary •After decades of delays andseveral changes in ownership, the

property on the corner of Avenue 12 andHighway 41 was finally being developedand was open for business. Reaction fromthe Ranchos was mixed, leaning more to-ward fear about water usage and traffic.

5

Tesoro Viejo/October • Justninemonths after TheMcCaffreyGroup cut the ribbonon theRiver-

stone development at Avenue 12 andHighway 41, they had a grand opening fortheir next project, TesoroViejo. THISproj-ect northeast of the Ranchos is on 1,600acres and is planning for 5,190 homes.

2

Drought Over/January •Formore than five years a droughtgripped California with the Ran-

chos right in the middle of it. Then theheavens opened and biblical amounts ofrain fell all overCalifornia, by somemeas-ures nearly doublewhat an “average” yearwould produce. For now, it was over.

6

Flag Barn Sold/February •TheFlagBarn, locatedatAvenue12andHighway41,wassoldbytheMc-

Caffrey group to CommunityMedical Centerforafuturehospital.Whatwillbecomeof it?

7

2017 •TopRanchos Storiesffrroomm tthhee ppaaggeess ooff tthhee RRaanncchhooss IInnddeeppeennddeennttBy Randy Bailey

or the third time in less than a decade, another member ofthe Ranchos’ Moncada family has been killed, and this timeit was an 11-year-old child asleep in his bed. With this

tragedy, death has claimed three generations of one family ineight years.

Luis “Tito” Valdez, 11On Saturday, Nov. 25 at 9:20 in the

morning, the family living in the modesthouse on the corner of Road 37 andCloverleaf were abruptly awakened bya tremendous shudder and noise. A full-size pickup had left the roadway at ap-proximately 40 m.p.h. travellingsouthbound on Road 37, hitting apropane tank that launched the truckinto the air like a missile. That missilecame to rest in the north wall of thefamily’s garage.

But the building was no longer agarage.

Where the truck had bored through thewall had been converted into a bedroomwhere two brothers aged 11 and 9 sleptpeacefully in their bunkbeds. The olderbrother had just turned 11 the day before.

According to witnesses, ThomasCanton, 36, was driving the pickupwhen he appeared to have a seizure-like “medical emergency,” in-capacitating him immediately and making him incapable of con-trolling the truck. As the vehicle struck the garage, on the otherside of the wall lay 11-year-old Luis “Tito” Valdez and his littlebrother, 9-year-old Matthew “Bro” Lopez. The driver, Canton,and the older brother, Tito, both died at the scene from their in-juries. The younger brother was taken to Valley Children’s Hos-pital with major injuries.

As horrific as the scenario is and brings dread to parentseverywhere when examining the chain of events that not only ledto the death of a child but are so random that there is nothing aparent could have done to stop a fate-filled morning, is the uneasyrealization that with the death of Tito this is the third member ofthe Moncada family to have died, all horribly, within an eight-

year period. Each one a different generation of the family.Sgt. Raul Moncada, 29

On April 13, 2009, Tito’s uncle, Sgt. Raul Moncada, 29, waskilled near Baghdad in Iraq when a roadside bomb, or improvisedexplosive device, exploded near his vehicle. Originally a Marine,he took a year off from the military and then re-entered for a sec-ond tour in Iraq as part of an Army military police program where

he was training Iraqi policemen. Near-ing his tenth year in the military, he waspreparing to call it quits and return tothe Ranchos in July of that year to hiswaiting girlfriend who was expectingtheir first child. There were plans ofbuying a house and settling down in thecommunity where he was raised.

When Raul didn’t make it home,the Ranchos looked for some way tohonor one of its own. In November of2011, the Madera County Board of Su-pervisors selected the section of Road37 from Avenue 12 to Avenue 13. Itwas dedicated to his memory as the Sgt.Raul Moncada Memorial Segment, thefirst time that Madera County had des-ignated a roadway that was not a stateor federal highway. Road 37 was se-lected because it was the street Mon-cada grew up on and his family stilllives there.

Raul Ruben Perez Moncada, 66Yet a mere three years later, tragedy struck the Moncadas

again. On the first of June in 2014, Sgt. Moncada’s father, RaulRuben Perez Moncada, or Raul Sr., 66, was going to church onthis warm Sunday morning. He was heading westbound on Av-enue 12 in the family SUV at 9:30 in the morning to get to churchin Madera. At the same time, an Amtrak passenger train washeading northbound on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracksfrom Bakersfield to Sacramento with 73 passengers on board.There is still controversy as to whether the crossing arms wereoperating properly that day, but there is no controversy aboutwhat ultimately happened. Travelling at approximately 80 milesper hour, the train had just crossed over Avenue 12 and the first

Road 37 between Avenues 12 and 13 commemo-rates the first of three Moncadas to perish.

TThhee TTrraaggiicc CCiirrccuummssttaannccee ooff aa RRaanncchhooss FFaammiillyy

F

Please see TRAGIC on P. 15

Do you have a bench warrant for notpaying your child support?

Come to Court on Jan. 4, 2018 totake care of it and you will not be ar-rested.

The Madera County Department ofChild Support Service is hosting thisevent at the Madera Superior Court, 200S G St., Madera, starting at 9 a.m. to 3p.m.

A child support representative willbe available to discuss your current sit-

uation and evaluate if the bench warrantcan be dismissed. We want to work withyou and help you get back on track withpayments, a driver’s license, and possi-bly a job. The Madera County Work-force Assistance Center will be onsiteto assist with job placement and train-ing.

If you have any questions, do nothesitate to contact your local child sup-port agency at 866-901-3212 for more in-formation.

Madera County Offers SolutionsFor Not Paying Child Support

On New Year’s Eve, have a goodtime BUT be safe. There’s probably amillion tips out there but these are the ba-sics that should get you through it safely.

1. Don’t drink and drive.2. Don’t leave your drinkunattended.

3. Be aware of your surroundingsand how others are acting.

4. Celebrate with friends, staytogether and look out for oneanother.

Tips for Having aSafe New Year’s

www.The Ranchos.com

12/1

7

Our 93636 family has suffered a great loss. While driving his vehicle, a young man suffered a major medical emergency causing him to lose control of his vehi-cle, strike a propane tank and propel himself and the vehicle into the bedroom of an 11-year-old child who was asleep in his bed. Both perished.

The driver attended Madera High School with my oldest daughter Renée. On several occasions we took this young man to church youth group with our family.I also have an 11-year-old grandson. This loss hurts me to my soul.

In order to support these families in their time of need, for the next 30 days Complete Car Care will donate 10% of the gross revenue received from our 93636customers. I am grieved by this loss. Warren Parr“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed spirit.” Psalm 34:18 • “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galations 6:2


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Letters

Dear Editor:During many years of people watch-

ing, I have discovered at least two typesof public servants. One type serves forselfish reasons and strives to serve onlyin a capacity that comes with power andauthority which can be used to aggran-dize the selfish public servant. Everyoneunder this person’s authority has to con-stantly prove to the authority figure thathe/she is the boss by submitting to vari-ous abuse, such as vulgarity, intimida-tion, racial slurs, threats, etc.

The second type seeks to become apublic servant as a way to express gen-erosity; like a tree which bears fruit.This person discovers within him/herselfintelligence, bravery, ability to work anda strong appetite for problem solvingand getting good things done.

I have known Brett Frazier since hisage was a single digit. It gives me hopethat he is a public servant because I be-lieve he serves from a good and coura-geous heart.

I applaud the Board of Supervisorsfor having the courage to do what theycan to make the workplace climate betterfor employees of Madera County. It istheir duty.

Sincerely,Marcella AndrewsMadera Ranchos

Dear Editor:This letter is a response to a letter to

the editor in the November 2017 issueby “Disrespected and violated” (DianneReimer of Madera Ranchos).

I fully respect your complaint about“Our developer/rancher neighbor adja-cent to Ave. 12, having the audacity toignite a huge bonfire in the middle of thenight …”. However, although I surmiseyou meant me, Igal Treibatch, I wouldlike to pose to you the following: I/wedid not have that fire at our ranch, nordid we initiate any such fire.

In the course of our farming, we doprune throughout the year. We collect allour pruning wood during the year in onearea and, at a great expense, we contractwith a company that has a grinding ma-chine and chip all our pruning (you cansee the mountains of chips at our ranch).I’m aware of the pruning fire you referto since it was next door to our ranch.

I also would like to invite you tovisit with me at our ranch, so you maysee for yourself the conscientious waywe farm and operate our orchards. I un-derstand your frustrations and I would

like to set your mind at ease with respectto “your neighbor” (myself that is).

Please contact Randy Bailey at theRanchos Independent so he may arrangefor us to meet and tour our ranch. I trulyam a good neighbor who cares about thiscommunity, its people and its future.

I hope that you will take me up onmy offer and build a worthy relation-ship.

Your respectful neighbor, Igal TreibatchMadera Ranchos

Dear Editor:Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-

Colo.) recently introduced a bill thatwould break our promise to veterans. H.R.4457, the Veterans Empowerment Act,would dismantle the VA health care sys-tem, charge veterans for service-con-nected health care and reduce VA to aninsurance program for veterans. Con-gressman Lamborn and bill cosponsors,Congressmen Mark Meadows (R-N.C.)and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) must not be al-lowed to advance this dangerous proposal.

Take action. Urge your member ofCongress to oppose H.R. 4457 and letCongress know if they cannot take careof America’s veterans then Congressshould quit creating them. After takingaction, please consider posting about thison social media. For example, on Face-book please paste: “I stand with@VFWHQ and oppose H.R. 4457, theVeterans Empowerment Act. If Congresscannot afford to take care of America’sveterans, then we should stop creatingthem. #VFWActionAlert.”Ray KrauseO’Neals

The Ranchos Independent welcomesyour letters. Whether you’re a fan orsomeone looking for somethingto line the birdcage, we want

to hear from you. The only rules?Sign it, be civil or forget about it.

Send your letters to:email:

[email protected]:

The Ranchos Independent37167 Ave. 12 #5CMadera, CA 93636

fax:559-645-4002

www.The Ranchos.com

The Ranchos Independent is published by Five and Two Publishing.All contents of this publication are copyright 2017, 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/EditorKaren Petryna -- Reporter

Jean Briner -- Columnist, Advertising Sales

RanchosIndependentThe

559-645-0634

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

By Randy Bailey

Empire? Yeah, right.If being around for a while makes

you an empire then I’ve got that going forme.

This paper you hold in your handsmarks the beginning of the fourteenthyear that I have owned the Ranchos Inde-pendent. It was on Dec. 1, 2004 that myformer business partner Kim Allison andI bought the Ranchos Independent fromprevious owner Bill Bell. He had ownedthe paper since 1996 after acquiring itfrom original owner Len Wilcox whostarted the “Madera County Independent”sometime in the late 1980s-early 1990s.By my calculation, I have owned our lit-tle community newspaper longer than anyof its previous owners. I guess that’ssomething.

Probably not a week goes by that Idon’t engage in conversation with some-body and eventually the talk turns to, “So,what do you do?” After proudly confess-ing that I publish a community newspa-per, that admission is almost ALWAYSfollowed by, “I heard newspapers are allgoing out of business. Nobody reads pa-pers anymore.”

Well, no, that’s not exactly true.The major newspapers are hurting.

There are days that my paper seems likeit’s larger than the Fresno Bee. The rea-son, in my opinion, that they’re hurting isthat they’re trying to compete in an area

they can’t win: Up-to-the-minute, rightnow, absolutely latest news. A newspapersimply can’t compete with the internet fornews as it’s happening.

Twenty years ago you would getyour morning paper and read about every-thing that happened yesterday, then youwould watch the local evening news tofind out what happened today. You’dwrap up your news thirst with the nationalnews where you’d get the major nationaland international stories of the day, all de-livered in small, edible 1-3 minute bites.Of course, if you do the math you quicklyrealize that 3-minute stories supplied in a30-minute format works out to about 10stories. For the whole day. For the wholeworld. And what you were getting was se-lected and chopped and clipped andshaped and formed until often there waslittle resemblance to the original story.

No more.Thanks to the internet, the 24-hour

news cycle has become the 24-second (orless) news cycle. Now you can get oneside, the other side, and sometimes, thetruth. Of course, this puts an awesome re-sponsibility on you, the news consumer.Now you have to read opposing viewsand wade through the “he said, she said”that makes up a lot of the news. Someoneused to do that for you but now you’re themaster of your domain.

Heady stuff.So why is this little paper in the Ran-

chos still here under my watch 14 years

The Ranchos Independent Empire

“We must goforth from

here united,determinedand what a

greatgeneral

said a fewyears ago

is true:“There is no

substitutefor victory.”

Editorial

later? Because we do things a little bit dif-ferently.

We try to have current news but thereality is by the time the paper comes outit can be more like a history lesson. So, wetry to get a little more detail on our stories.Who, what, where when, how, but mostly,why? I have always focused on the Ran-chos. I look at the stories and try to find aRanchos connection or I don’t use it. Ran-chos people. Ranchos businesses. Ranchosevents. Legislative decisions that impactthe Ranchos. We also don’t have big-name, high-priced writers writing for us.I’m sure they would probably get bored.

Most importantly, the Ranchos Inde-pendent goes to every home in the Ran-chos. No other area newspaper can makethat claim. One hundred percent distribu-tion means ALL of the people of the Ran-chos get to keep up with what’s going onin their hometown.

My hometown.Thanks for 14 years. Let’s see how

many more we can do together.


12/1

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Chr i s tmas ha s a lways beenmy favo r i t e t ime o f yea r ,l a rge ly because of my Mom whoa lways wen t way overboa rd dur -ing th i s season . And i t ’ s c l ea r lyin my blood because I ’m one oft ho se peop l e who s t a r t s t h ecoun tdown to Chr i s tmas on De-cembe r 26 th . I wou ld p robab lyl e ave my Chr i s tmas t r e e up a l ly ea r l ong i f I d i dn ’ t m ind thesno t ty looks f rom my ne ighborsand those judgey Jehovah’s Wi t -ne s s e s . Bu t my fee l i ng s havebecome b i t t e r swee t s i n ce Mompas s ed away l a s t y ea r . I t ’ s i n -t e r e s t i ng how d i f f e r en t i t a l ll ook s t h rough eye s f i l l ed w i t hl o s s . I s t i l l l ove t h i s t ime o fyea r , bu t i tw i l l fo reve r bemi s s i ng some -t h i ng . I waswa t ch ing oneo f ou r f avo r i t eC h r i s t m a smov i e s a s Iwas s e t t i ng upmy Chr i s tmasv i l l age and Iwas ove r comewi t h a comp l i -c a t ed mix tu r eo f ex t r emesadne s s ove rhe r ab senceand ye t a senseof joy as I f e l the r sp i r i t w i th me .

Bu t I don’ t wan t th i s to be asad s to ry . I wan t to focus on a l lt h e wonde r fu l ways my Mommanaged to make Chr i s tmaseven more mag ica l fo r me . L iket he t ime she su rp r i s ed me wi t han i c e ska t i ng r i nk fo r myChr i s tmas v i l l age . I h ad beensea rch ing a l l ove r town fo r th i sice ska t ing r ink . I knew i t wouldbe the pe r f e c t add i t i on andno th ing e l se wou ld do . Grumpyand de f ea t ed , I h ad g iven upwhen my mo the r s t r u t t ed i n t omy apa r tmen t ho ld i ng a r a t he rbea t up box wi t h a l ook o f t r i -umph on her face . I t was the iceska t ing r ink tha t was on d i sp laya t Michae l ’ s . A t f i r s t , t hey d id -n ’ t wan t to se l l i t to he r becauset hey though t t h ey migh t ge tmore in and d idn’ t wan t to g ivet he d i sp l ay up , bu t she wore

Christmas, Mom and Me

t hem down wi th the pe r s i s t enceo f a t enac ious badge r . She to ldme tha t no t on ly d id they re l en tbu t she managed to ge t them toknock o f f a b i g chunk s i nce i twas miss ing a coup le o f p ieces .I had res igned myse l f to p ick ingano the r p iece tha t yea r bu t he re

comes myMom to savethe day a su sua l . To th i sday i t ’ s onemy favo r i t ep i e c e s i n myco l l e c t i on . Il ove how thei c e ska t e r st w i r l i n ga round b r i ngmy beau t i f u lCh r i s tmas v i l -l age to l i f e .

I o f t ent h i nk o f t h et ime when sheignored the ad-

v ice o f bo th my dad and me anddec ided to make Snow Ange l s int he f r e sh l y f a l l en snow . Shecou ld ba re ly wa lk and was hav-ing some ba lance i s sues , bu t shewou ld no t be de t e r r ed ; she wasgo ing to make a snow ange l . De-sp i t e ou r p ro t e s t s we lookedaway fo r a Momen t and lookedback to f ind Mom, ly ing on he rback in the snow gigg l ing l ike aschoo l g i r l and hav ing the t imeo f he r l i f e . O f cou r s e , by thet ime we managed to he lp he r upthe snow ange l looked more l ikea drunk d id a few donu t s in ourdr iveway, bu t I wi l l a lways havetha t memory . And the v ideo .

One yea r when I was ou t fo rCh r i s tmas t he r e was a ve ryheavy snow in the i r a r e a . Wedec ided to go for a dr ive to v i s i t

I know I can’t expectChris tmas to ever be thesame now that she’s gone butI wil l keep that same spir i tal ive as best as I can in herhonor. So, remember: cherishevery moment you have withyour family, at Christmas andalways, because you neverknow how it might change.

Merry Chris tmas to al l ,and to all a good night!

Please see GEN WHY on P. 7

www.ranchosdental.net

12/17

559-645-5320

37144 Ave. 12, Suite 104Madera Ranchos

Matthew Pia, D.D.S.

“Thank you for an amazing21 years, Madera Ranchos!”

Merry Christmas andHappy New Year

Our dedicated Doctor and Staff look forward to manymore years of making smiles beautiful and bright.

www.The Ranchos.com

CALL 645-0634 TO ADVERTISE

12/1

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an o ld ghos t t own . The r e was asma l l g raveya rd wi th a coup le o ffamous names f rom the Old Wes t ,so we dec ided to meander th roughto see i f we cou ld f ind them. Theth i ng abou t snow i s t ha t youdon ’ t a lways know whe re t heground ends and the snow beg ins .Abou t ha l fway in to the ceme te ryI t ook a s t ep and sudden ly t hef l oo r s e emed to j u s t d i s appea rand I was up to my che s t i n asnow bank . My Mom though t i twas so funny she l aughed un t i ls he nea r l y f e l l ove r . Then shetook ou t he r phone and s t a r t edv ideo ing . I can ’ t r ea l ly b lame herbecau se I wou ld have done thes ame th i ng . Of cou r s e , I wou ldhave a t l eas t a sked i f she was a l -r i gh t f i r s t , bu t t h a t ’ s me . Okay ,so I was c rack ing up laugh ing soI ’m sure she knew I was f ine , bu ts t i l l Mom. S t i l l .

He r ve ry p r e s ence a lwaysmade Chr i s tmas more spec i a l noma t t e r wha t we we re do ing .Whe the r i t was s i t t i ng in f ron t o ft h e Ch r i s tmas t r e e d r i nk inghomemade ho t choco la t e o r rock-i ng on the back po r ch in t he

f r eez ing co ld in f ron t o f the f i r ep i t d r i nk ing homemade ho tchoco l a t e , o r wrapp ing p r e s en t sand wa t ch ing Whi t e Ch r i s tmaswh i l e d r i nk ing homemade ho tchoco l a t e . I h ave t he r e c i pe fo rthe homemade ho t choco la t e , bu ti t ’ s jus t no t the same wi thou t her .

You know wha t e l se I mis s? Imis s bak ing wi th he r . Desp i t e thef a c t t h a t she sn iped a t me fo rmak ing a mes s and she wou ldneve r l e t me he lp he r w i t h t hefudge fo r fea r i t wou ldn’ t be pe r -f e c t , j u s t b e i ng in t he k i t chenwi th her whi le she made a l l of herde l i c i ou s Ch r i s tmas c r e a t i on swh i l e we (you gue s s ed i t ) d r ankhomemade ho t choco l a t e waswonder fu l . I wish I had pa id morea t t en t ion to he r fudge rec ipe . MyMom made the bes t fudge .

I know I can ’ t expec t Ch r i s t -mas to eve r be the same now tha tshe ’ s gone bu t I w i l l k eep tha tsame sp i r i t a l ive as bes t a s I canin he r honor . So , r emember : che r -i s h eve ry momen t you have wi t hyour fami ly , a t Chr i s tmas and a l -ways , becau se you neve r knowhow i t migh t change .

Mer ry Chr i s tmas to a l l , and toa l l a good n igh t !

GEN WHY cont. from P. 6

We now deliver tothe Ranchos,Bonnadelle &

Rolling Hills areas.12/1

7

NEW DAILYLUNCH SPECIALS

Time forChristmas Treats

by Jean BrinerHere we are jus t a week away

f rom Chr i s tmas . Are your ca rdsaddres sed and ready to bemai led, gif ts bought and wrappedand you’ve s ta r ted baking?

Do you hav e p eop l e a r oundyou t h a t y ou wou l d l i k e t o g i v ea l i t t l e “ t h a n k y o u ” g i f t , b u td on ’ t k now wha t t o do f o r t h a tp e r s o n ? Th e b o y d own t h es t r e e t t h a t c omes and he l p s youw i t h y o u r l awn , t h e s h u t - i nf r om you r c h u r c h , t h e s e n i o rc o u p l e t h a t l i v e n e x t d o o r a n dl ook a f t e r y ou r home when youa r e away , o r e v e n t h e p a p e rb oy ( o r g i r l i n my c a s e ) ? Howabou t g i v i n gt h em a t r a y o fh o m e - b a k e dgood i e s : a f ewcook i e s i n ap r e t t y l i t t l eCh r i s tm a s g i f tb a g , a l o a f o fd a t e , z u c ch i n i ,o r p umpk i nb r e a d , o r e v e na h a l f d o z e nmu f f i n s . H a v -i n g c ome f r omyou a n d k n ow -i n g t h e y a r eh o m e m a d emight mean moret h a n a n y t h i n gyou cou l d buy .

Banana Rais in Muff ins2 C Cheer ios cerea l1 ¼ C al l -purpose f lour1 /3 C packed brown sugar2 ½ tsp . baking powder1 C mashed r ipe bananas (2or 3 medium)

1 C ra is ins2 /3 C milk3 T vegetable o i l1 egg- bea tenHeat oven to 400. Grease just

the bottom of 12 regular size muf-fin cups with shortening, or spraywith cooking spray.

P lace ce rea l in re sea l ab les torage plas t ic bag . Sea l bag andcoa r se ly c rush wi th ro l l i ng p in .In la rge bowl , mix cerea l , f lour ,brown sugar and baking powder .St i r in remaining ingredients jus tun t i l mo i s t ened – do no t bea t

un t i l smoo th . Div ide ba t t e reven ly among the muf f in cups .Bake 18-20 minu tes o r un t i lgo lden brown.

Makes 12 muff ins .

Choco la te Chip Zucch in iCake

1 ¼ C sugar1 /3 C but te r or margar ine –sof tened

1/3 C vegetab le o i l1 tsp . vani l la2 eggs

2 ½ C flour¼ unswee t -

ened bak ingcocoa

1 t sp . bak -ing soda

½ C but t e r -mi lk

2 C shred -ded zucchin i

1 /3 to ½ Cs e m i s w e e tchocola te chips

½ C chop-ped nu t s (op -t iona l )

Hea t ovento 350 . Grease13 x 9 pan wi thshor t en ing or

cooking spray , l igh t ly f lour .I n l a r g e b ow l , b e a t s u g a r ,

b u t t e r , o i l , v a n i l l a a n d e g g sw i t h s p o o n u n t i l w e l l b l e n d e d .S t i r i n f l o u r , c o c o a , b a k i n gs o d a a n d b u t t e rm i l k u n t i l w e l lc om b i n e d . F o l d i n z u c c h i n i ,c h o c o l a t e c h i p s a n d t h e n u t s .S p r e a d b a t t e r e v e n l y i n p a n .

B a k e 3 5 t o 4 5 m i n u t e s o ru n t i l t o o t h p i c k i n s e r t e d i nc e n t e r c om e s o u t c l e a n . C o o lc omp l e t e l y , a b o u t 1 h o u r . C u ti n t o 2 0 p i e c e s . I f y o u d o n ’ th a v e a n y b u t t e rm i l k f o r t h i sr e c i p e , u s e 1 ½ t s p . , v i n e g a r o rl emon j u i c e t o m i l k t o mak e ½cup .

Chewy Peanut Bars4 C Wheat ies cerea l


Here we are at the end of an-other year. Even though it seemstime goes faster as we get older,I am looking forward to 2018.January I will start my ninth yearwriting this article. Yes, January2009 was my first article. Suredoesn’t seem that long ago. I’vemet a lot of nice people cominginto the office, calling, or evenwriting. I want to thank each ofyou for your loyalty in readingmy column each month.

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1/3 C l ight ly sa l ted dry-roas ted peanuts , coarse lychopped

½ C light corn syrup1/3 C packed brown sugar¼ C peanut but te r3 T semisweet chocola techips

Sp r a y 9 i n c h s qu a r e p an w i t hc o o k i n g s p r a y . I n l a r g e b ow l ,m i x c e r e a l a n d p e a n u t s . I n a 2qua r t s a u c ep an , h e a t c o r n s y r up ,b r own s u g a r a n d p e a n u t b u t t e rt o b o i l i n g o v e r m e d i um h e a t ,s t i r r i n g con s t a n t l y . Bo i l a nd s t i r1 m i nu t e . P ou r o v e r c e r e a l m i x -t u r e , s t i r r i n g t o c o a t e n t i r e m i x -t u r e . P r e s s i n p a n , u s i n g y o u rf i n g e r s . I f m i x i s t o o s t i c k y ,d ampen you r f i n g e r s w i t h wa t e r .

I n a sm a l l m i c r ow a v e a b l eb ow l , m i c r ow a v e c h o c o l a t ec h i p s u n c o v e r e d o n h i g h 3 0 s e c -o n d s , s t i r . C o n t i n u e m i c r ow a v -i n g 1 0 s e c o n d s a t a t im e ,s t i r r i n g a f t e r e a c h t im e , u n t i lsm o o t h . D r i z z l e o v e r b a r s . R e -f r i g e r a t e a b o u t 3 0 m i n u t e s o ru n t i l c h o c o l a t e h a s h a r d e n e d .Mak e s 1 6 b a r s .

Frui t and Nut Snack BarsSnack Mix4 C Honey Nut Cheer ios

cerea l1 C dr ied t ropica l three- f ru i t

mix ***½ C sunf lower nuts***½ C dry roas ted peanutsSyrup¾ C packed brown sugar½ C corn syrup¼ C peanut but te r1 tsp . vani l laSpray 13x9 inch pan wi th

cooking spray . In la rge bowl , mixsnack mix ingredien ts , se t as ide .

In 2 qua r t saucepan , mix a l lsy rup ingred ien t s excep t van i l l a .Heat to boi l ing over medium-highhea t , s t i r r ing cons tan t ly . Bo i l 1minute . Remove from heat , s t i r invan i l l a . Pour sy rup over snackmix , s t i r r ing un t i l even ly coa ted .Press mixture f i rmly in pan . Coolcomple t e ly a t l eas t 30 minu tes .Cut in to 9 rows by 4 rows, making36 bars . S tore l igh t ly covered .

*** If you can’t find the driedtropical fruit, use whatever driedfruit you like – apricots, dates,pineapple, but be sure to chop themto bite size. Same for the sunflower

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nuts – if you don’t like them, usechopped toasted almonds, pistachios,or even cashews.

Here we are at the end of anotheryear. Even though it seems time goesfaster as we get older, I am looking for-ward to 2018. January I will start myninth year writing this article. Yes, Jan-uary 2009 was my first article. Suredoesn’t seem that long ago. I’ve met alot of nice people coming into the of-fice, calling, or even writing. I want tothank each of you for your loyalty inreading my column each month. Isometimes don’t even know what I’mgoing to write about until I sit down infront of my computer. If you havesomething you would like me to writeabout, please call me. If I’m not in theoffice, we have an answering machineor you can send me an e-mail, or writeyour info on paper and put i t in themail slot in the door. I would loveto hear from you!

Hope you a l l have a b le s sedChr i s tmas and the happ ies t , andbes t of New Year’s .

Ta lk to you next year .

The original version of this ar-t ic le appeared in the December2012 issue of the Ranchos Inde-pendent .

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Past,PresentandFuture

“A triumph, my dear!” Anyone recognizethat movie line? My husband quotes it when Ihave success with a new recipe. There are fewmovies Iwatchmore thanonce, and even fewerthat Iwatch every year.AChristmasCarolwithGeorgeC.Scottisoneofthose.Inthemovie,BobCratchit is lovinglypraisinghiswife’sChristmasPudding—arecipe Idon’tplanon trying.

AvisittoaschoolforLondon’smostdestitutechildren inspired Charles Dickens to write AChristmasCarolwhichwas released onDec. 19,1843andsoldoutbyChristmasEve. In it, he tellsthe story of EbenezerScrooge,BobCratchit’sboss, a selfish, miserlymanwhohasamiracu-lous transformationafter the visit from theghosts of ChristmasPast,ChristmasPresent,andChristmasFuture.

In the endScrooge declares, “IwillhonorChristmasinmyheart, and try tokeep it all theyear. Iwill livein the past, the present, and the future. The spiritsof all three shall strive withinme. I will not shutout the lessons that theyteach.”

Like Scrooge, I believe it does us good tolook intentionally atChristmaspast, present andfuture.The lessons they teachmaynot be as lifealteringas theywereforhim,but theymight justmakeourholidaysa littlemore joyfulanda littleless stressful.

ChristmasPast–Askyourselfsomeques-tions.What contributed to your favorite holidaymemories as a child? Itmight have been some-thing as simple as reading a favorite Christmasstory,drivingdownChristmasTreeLane,ordec-orating Christmas cookies. Maybe it was whatyou didn’t do. Having less on the calendar canbuildgoodmemories too.

What are some of your best Christmasmemoriesasanadult?Lastyearourfamilydidatriptogetherinsteadofbuyinggifts.Thatreducedthe shopping frenzy. The year before we hadChristmas dinner at PF Chang’s— no prep orclean up— just fun. One year we cut back ongifts foreachotherand insteadboughtagoat fora family inadevelopingcountry.

Familytraditionsarevaluableandcanbinda family together. Celebrating Advent with thecandles,Christmasstoryandfamilyactivitieswasoneof those for us. Some traditionsdon’t last aslongasothers.Playing thecardgame“Donkey”where you grab spoons from the center of thetablelastedonlytwoyears.Withanengravedtro-phyatstake,Idiscoveredourfamilyisalittle toocompetitive for that tradition when Band-Aidsbecamenecessary.

After your personal review,make notes ofwhat has been special to youandyour family inthepastandthinkabouthowtoincorporatethoseactivitiesor ideas in thepresent.

ChristmasPresent–Prioritize!Noneofuscan do it all. Wherever you are in your holidayplans and preparation, take amoment to recordwhat’s still waiting to be done— cards, gifts,baking,decorating,parties,volunteering,watch-ing your favorite Christmas movies, ChristmasTreeLane, visitingSanta, etc.

Consider if any of those things could waituntilafter theChristmasrush.For instance, I likethe new trend of people sending New Year’sphotocards.SomanyarriveinthemonthofDe-cember that theydon’t get the attention theonescoming laterdo.

Putaholdonanythat can wait. Then,numbertheremainingitems in order of im-portance. Scheduleyour topfive,withad-equate time, on yourcalendar. If there arestill days left beforeChristmas, add a cou-ple more. If not, beglad thatyou’re inten-

tionallydoing the things thatmattermost toyou.ChristmasFuture–AfterChristmas,while

theholidaysarestill freshinyourmind,sitdownand write a review.What was the best experi-ence?What’s something that needs to be donedifferentlynextyear?Wethinkwe’llremember,but ayear is a long time.

Was there something you really wanted todo, butmissed out on it, or ran out of time?Thathappened to me last year, so after Christmas Imade a list of everything I wanted/needed to doandwrote it into the notes section on this year’sDecembercalendar.Then,whenDecemberrolledaround,Ischeduledthemontoaspecificday/time.

Themovie closes with Scrooge full of thespiritofChristmas—caringfor those less fortu-nateandshowingkindnessandgenerosity toall.May we do the same and in the words of TinyTim,“Godblessus, everyone!”

Contact Organized by Choice (becausethings don’t always fall into place) at P.O.Box26152,Fresno,CA93729, call 559-871-3314 or email [email protected] can also visit www. organizedby-choice.com.

SAY YOU SAW IT INthe Ranchos Independent

MERRY CHRISTMASFrom Our Family To Yours!

12/17

Thank Youfor making our3 YEARSso successful!

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“For unto you is born this day in thecity of David a Saviour, which isChrist the Lord.”

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ThemoviecloseswithScroogefullofthespiritofChristmas—caringfor thoseless fortunate and showing kindness andgenerositytoall.Maywedothesameandin the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us,everyone!”

www.The Ranchos.com

12

/17

By Jerrica Edmundson

TheRanchosLibraryiswell intotheholidayseason andwehavebeen eagerly anticipating thenew year which is quickly approaching. Soonwe’ll be in2018and it’s happenedso fast.We’vegot our holiday decorations up and it’s lookingmighty festive among the stacks. The librarywouldliketothanktheFriendsoftheRanchosLi-brary for its help in getting us properly into thespiritandassistingusinspreadingholidaycheertoall of ourwonderful patrons.

Thismonththerewillbeanewentryinto theStarWars saga andwe havemade sure to have awidevarietyofbooks toreachallageswith itsen-during story. Themovie came out onDec. 15 socome check out our collection and enjoy it on awhole new levelwith your little ones.We’ve gota section highlighting those books tomake themeasy to find for anyone looking.

Anothernewsectionwe’llbehighlightinginthe library will be dedicated to books that havebeen turned into movies, TV shows or mini-se-ries. The books add a new depth to the story thatthesilverscreensimplycan’t trulycapture,andthe

booksaredefinitelysomethingyouwon’twant tomiss, if you love the stories you arewatching.

We’vemadeaFacebookpageforour local li-brary,andwewillbepostingnewbookscomingintothecollectionaswellaseventsthatwearehosting.Besure to follow us at www.facebook.com/Ran-chosLibrarysothatyoucanstayuptodatewithanyeventsandthedetailssurroundingthem.

As a friendly reminder,we do still have ourweekly preschool story timewithMrs.Maxfieldwheresheshareswonderful lessonsbasedaroundatheme(thismonth it’sall related to theholidays)along with a treat and great times are had allaround. The weekly themes will be outlined onour Facebook page as they approach.

We love our regular patrons and are ex-panding to hopefully reach even more peoplein our community, so even if you don’t usuallycome—take a chance. Spencer or Iwill gladlyhelp you navigate the stacks and aremore thanwilling to take on the challenge of finding abook that just about everyonewill enjoy. Put usto the test.Reading truly can takeyouanywhereandweare glad tohelpyou find thedirectionofyour choice.

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www.theranchos.comwww.theranchos.comwww.theranchos.com

CALL 645-0634 TO ADVERTISE

By Jeff McGrath

SEMCU (South East Madera CountyUnited) has been actively pursuing grants tohelp improve the quality of life in our com-munity.

SEMCUhas two grantwriters currentlyworking with us.Whenwe identify a projectthat would be beneficial to the community,we search for a grant that may help in fund-ing the project. We then apply for the grantand, working with the granting agency, finetune it to meet the requirements.

I know that individuals have been ask-ing Virginia Vick at the Golden ValleyChamber of Commerce and Verlaine Elin-berg from SEMCU, “When can I expect toget my money?” It’s not all that simple.Grants work on the “Pay up front plan,” thatis you must spend the money first and thenget reimbursed by the state. We submit ourinvoices to the state once a quarter.

SEMCU’s first grant was for low-flowdevices to restrict the use of water in ourhomes and therefore saving a valuable re-source. This was a straight forward grant inthat SEMCUpurchased the low-flowdevicesand then distributed them to the community.There was no out of pocket money for you,the consumer. SEMCU started with some

seed money and then requested reimburse-ment from the state as we progressed and asmore devices were needed. We are in theprocess of trying to rewrite this grant to allowus to reimburse qualified individuals that havehad water meters installed as required by thecounty; this changes the existing grant andmust be approved by the state before we canproceed. I know some of our residents haveapplied for this reimbursement and we willkeep you informed as it is a slowprocess, buthopefully we will be successful.

The next grant SEMCUwas able to ob-tain was to reimburse those in the modified93636 zone $350 for the purchase of newen-ergy efficient washing machines. This iswhere it gets confusing. Again, SEMCUloaned the grant “starting money” as moneycannot be moved between accounts. Withthatmoney,wewere able to pay bills for con-sulting and grant writing and also reimbursethe first nine applicants. We submit bills tothe state quarterly for reimbursement and arewaiting for those funds to arrive. We cur-rently have 14 households waiting for theirmoney. Again, as soon as those monies ap-pear those households will be reimbursed ona first come, first paid basis until funds runout and then we will apply for additionalmoney.

I hope this helps explain how the fund-ing is obtained and how it is dispersed. Weappreciate your understanding.

Please join us the thirdMonday of everymonth at 6 p.m. at the Pizza Factory and helpshape our community.


12/17

The Golden Valley Chamber of Com-merce would love to see you at our next meet-ing, always the second Wednesday of themonth at 6:30 p.m., 37167 Ave. 12 Suite 5Cin the Maywood Center. Come join us onJanuary 10, 2018 and see what’s going on inyour community. Call us at 645-4001.

Only the Golden Valley Chamberhas Flag Barn T-Shirts!

Only $15 for Large and Extra Large.$2 more for 2XLarge.

Call the Chamber today to reserve yours! 645-4001

The 3-year wait is almostover. The Golden ValleyChamber of Commerce’sNEW Community Guide-book is on its way and thebest part is you don’thave to go searching forit. Look in an upcomingissue of the Ranchos In-dependent.For more informa-

tion, call the Chamberat 645-4001.

TThhee NNEEWWCCoommmmuunniittyy GGuuiiddee

ffoorr tthhee RRaanncchhoossiiss ccoommiinngg!!

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Liberty High SchoolLiberty High School honored six in-

dividuals during its Community ServiceAwards Assembly on Dec. 14. LibertyHawks football player Kaleb Roth pre-sented Valley Children’s Hospital repre-sentative Jessica Duarte and mascotGeorge with a check for $6,100 as a re-sult of Roth’s Beyond the Game initia-tive. Roth has raised more than $10,000in the two years of Beyond the Game.

Kaleigh Hunt, along with the LibertyHigh School Link Crew sent two vansfull of school supplies to fire victims inSonoma County. In addition, FFA mem-bers Dani Hutchinson and Brittany An-derson helped gather pet food and petsupplies to also help the fire victims inSonoma County. Additionally, LibertyHigh School Community Service Com-missioner Dustin Thompson wasawarded for the school’s canned fooddrive. The winner of the school’s fooddrive was the library.

Finally, Key Club member and ASBPresident Sarah Folsom was given a cer-tificate for her contributions for organiz-ing a sock drive, called Socktober.

Sierra ViewMadera County Probation is working

with Cristi Lee’s fifth grade class over thenext eight weeks educating students throughthe RadKids program, a child safety pro-gram that address multiple issues that mightbe faced by students, including bullying pre-vention and child predator prevention. Stu-dents receive training by Madera CountyProbation officers in physical resistancestrategies against abduction, internet safety,personal space safety, home and schoolsafety, and safety in public places likeparks, fairs, playgrounds, beaches, storesand malls, all through the eyes of the child.Erin Dahlem’s fifth grade class will havethe opportunity to go through this trainingin January. Parents will receive additionalinformation, including a wavier beforetheir child participates in the program. You

can visit www.radkids.org for additionalinformation.

Flag CeremonySierra View hosted its monthly flag

ceremony and saluted the MaderaCounty Sheriff’s Department by recog-nizing their service to the communityand commitment to keeping it safe. Sher-iff Jay Varney was present along withdetectives, and deputies. The studentsthen presented Sheriff Varney with abanner to hang in the Madera CountySheriff Department's office.

Honor WallSierra View will be dedicating new

names to the U.S. Armed Forces HonorWall on Feb. 21 as part of the school’sfirst grade Patriotic Day. The honorwall has the names of former SierraView students and staff who haveserved in the U.S. military. The schoolis soliciting new names for the wall.If anyone needs to be added to thewall, please contact Crissy Winslow

at [email protected] club

“I would like to give a big thank youto the Sierra View Parent Club (SVPC)for hosting our annual Santa’s Work-shop,” principal Chris Imperatrice said.Students were able to buy gifts for theirfamily and friends at discounted prices.The SVPC does not make money on theevent and actually loses a few dollarseach year, but the meaningful experienceof giving is worth every penny.

“We would like to give a specialthanks to all the parents who came outand devoted countless hours,” Impera-trice said. Those parents are: KristenLaurenti, Patty Groh, Michelle Zapata,Megan Barklow, Jessica Shepard, EmilyCree, Tiffany Tharp, Cara Christopher-son, Melissa Horner, Aimee Hall,Melinda Tickel, Carrie Gill, Kelly Peir-sol, Karri Hight, and Larissa Sobieralski.

“It was a huge success,” Imperatricesaid.

Hello 93636,2017 has been a very busy and ex-

citing year for the Parr family. All 13children and grandchildren are doingwell. Max started school, Kevin joinedthe Marines, Lori and I celebrated our40th wedding anniversary and for thefirst time in two years our family mem-bers stationed in Okinawa, Japan camehome for a visit. We are truly blessed.

The Parrs would like to express ourheartfelt appreciation to our 93636 familyfor your generous support in 2017. Wewish you all a very Merry Christmas anda healthy and prosperous 2018.

I do understand that most readers ofthis article will not immediately rush intothe garage to implement the principlesand techniques discussed. My intentionis to create awareness and deliver usefulinformation in the event you may needautomotive services. My hope is that you

Piezo Cake

will be a discriminating buyer asking in-formed and probing questions. Your an-swers should not be ambiguous and shouldinclude test results and the specificationsfor the failed component. If not, don't hes-itate to get a second and third opinion ifnecessary. Remember, the trial and errormethod of diagnostic is the least efficientand most expensive method.

During last night’s DuraMax dieselclass, I noticed one of the pickup truckshad bright ORANGE COVERS over someof the electrical harnesses in the enginecompartment. For the past six weeks Ihave been so occupied with hybrid vehi-cles and high voltages, the first thoughtthat flashed into my mind was this is adiesel hybrid vehicle. Hey, the first dieselhybrids are not due until next year. After alittle investigation I discovered these or-ange covers indicate high voltage circuitsfor the fuel injectors. Just to review, in theautomotive world black and red cablesidentify 12-volt direct current (DC) cir-cuits. Blue cables, like the ones connectedto your electric steering box or the fuel in-jectors in your Direct Injection gasolineengine, identify 36 - 60-volt AC (alternat-ing current) and DC circuits. Better becareful with the blue cables. If you seebright ORANGE cables or covers, they in-

dicate high voltage circuits, AC or DC.High voltage circuits require testing equip-ment that meets a Category III/1,000-voltrating and rubber gloves that meet Cate-gory 0 with a 1,000-volt rating. WARN-ING: don't mess with the bright orangecables or components. If you get shocked,you’re going to be hurt or worse for a verylong time. In the case of the DuraMax en-gine, the orange cables carry up to 240volts DC to the fuel injectors. After morethan 100 years of mechanical and low-voltage diesel fuel injection, why do wenow find it necessary to use lethal voltagesto operate the system?

Well, I'm glad you asked. As we allknow, old school diesel engines were loud,knocked a lot and their exhaust smell wasobjectionable. Those engines also createdhigher levels of NOx emissions and par-ticulate matter. To the average U.S. buyerthose vehicles were much less desirable.In addition, U.S. Corporate Average FuelEconomy (CAFE) standards are increas-ing and emissions level standards decreas-ing so light duty diesel enginesmanufacturers needed a solution. That so-lution is the piezoelectric fuel injector.They reduce engine vibration and knock,increase fuel efficiency and performancewhile reducing tailpipe emissions. The

word “piezo” is the Greek word for pres-sure. The piezoelectric effect was discov-ered by Jacques and Pierre Curie in 1880.When quartz crystals are compressed, avoltage is produced. When voltage is ap-plied, they extend or flex. Piezoelectricfuel injectors have approximately 500thinly sliced crystal wafers internallystacked one on top of another. When highvoltage is applied, the wafers flex essen-tially pushing open the injector. When thehigh voltage is suspended, the wafers con-tract and create a voltage that is capturedand used to assist with the next injectoropening event in the sequence. Nothingwasted here unlike an old school solenoidfuel injector. Although each individualwafer flexes very, very little, the accumu-lative amount opens the injector. A fuel in-jector is essentially a gate. When theinjector is open, fuel may pass. When it'sclosed, fuel may not pass.

The Robert Bosch Company pio-neered piezo fuel injector technology foruse in the automotive industry. Accordingto Bosch, piezo injectors react up to fivetimes quicker than standard solenoid in-jectors. This translates into more precisefuel injection events and facilitates multi-

Please see HANDS on P. 15


Senior Report

Holiday Events Complete Seniors’ YearByMargaret Tynan

When I joined the Ranchos/Hills Seniorsthis past June, I had no idea that I’d be writingtheSeniorReport for themonthly Ranchos Inde-pendent, but here I am. Ilook forward to the op-portunity to share all theexciting, interesting andenjoyable activities tak-ingplaceat theCenter inthe coming year.

It’s hard to believethat another year hasflown by. In just a fewdays Old Father Timewill usher out 2017 andBabyNewYearwill ar-rive on Jan. 1, 2018. Aswe move into the newyear, it is well to reflecton a little history of theRanchos/Hills Seniors,highlights of this pastyear and some of theCenter’s future plans.

In 1973, when I moved to the MaderaRanchosareawithmyfamily, theRancho/HillsSeniors didn’t exist. But beginning in January1989, through thecooperative effortsand creative skillsof a small group ofcommunity mem-bers, the Ran-chos/Hills Seniorsidea began to be-come a reality. OnJanuary 9, 1990 thenon-profit organi-zationwas incorpo-rate as theRanchos/HillsSen-iors, Inc. In 1997the current locationof the Center was purchased and in just sixyears, through theconsistenthardworkof fundraisingandcommunitysupport, theCenterwaspaid in full.What a feat.Themortgageburningpartywas held inNovember 2004.

2017 saw many engaging and excitingevents at the Center. The annual April Ran-chos/Hills Seniors Home and Garden Festivalwas a real success made possible through theefforts ofmemberswith the help ofBoyScoutTroop 118. This year seniors had fun learningdifferent crafts. EvaMcAtee led several papercrafting sessions. Participants came awaywithlovely unique greeting cards and gift boxes.MartaMorgan ledaclassonmaking4thofJuly

stylized flag decorations. The improvisationacting classes and the painting class were in-spiring andverywell attended.There is a lot ofinterest inoffering theseagain this comingyear

sokeepaneyeout for fu-ture dates.

Most recently adrawing for the lovelyhandmade quilt, gener-ously donated by Ran-chos/Hills SeniorsmemberDortheaHusted,was held on Dec. 9 dur-ing theHolidayBoutiquesale. Congratulations towinner Richard Trimble,a Ranchos resident andRanchos/Hills Seniorsmember. Thanks to him,Dorthea and to all whosupported the raffle cam-paign.

Members enjoyedseveral holiday themeddinners, one of whichjust took place Dec. 12.

Over 40 members and their guests enjoyed adelicious holiday hamdinnerwith all the trim-mings. All joined in singing Christmas carolsandsharing themirthof theseason.Seniorswill

ring in the NewYear with a potluckand card games onSunday, Dec. 31 at6 pm.

The Ran-chos/Hills Seniorsoffers many activi-ties on a regularbasis. A few exam-plesare thenutritionprogram mealsserved Mondaythrough Friday at11:30 a.m. (prereg-istration required);

exercise class held MWF from 10 to 11 a.m.;the Thursday evening social potluck and cardgames held weekly; the Bake and BoutiqueSale and the Treasure House and Garden Saleheld the firstSaturdayofeachmonthfrom8amto noon. Other events for 2018 are in the plan-ning phase. Some suggested possibilities are apeer writing group, various outings, guestspeakers, discussion groups, knitting/crochetgroup, etc.Wewant your input, ideas and par-ticipation. Join the Ranchos/Hills Seniors andenjoy good friends and fun events. Stay en-gaged! Formore information contact the Cen-ter at 645-4852.

Have a grand, healthy and happy 2018!

12/1

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Winner of the quilt drawing isRichard Trimble, right, along with hisgranddaughter Emily Trimble and thequilt’s creator, Dorthea Husted.

One of the holiday themed dinners took placeDec. 12 where over 40 members and their guests en-joyed a ham dinner with all the trimmings.

12/1

7

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ple events per injection cycle. Now insteadof the one large, violent, noisy fuel injec-tion event, fuel is delivered in a series ofsmaller events with a maximum total offive main, pre-and post injection events.Old school solenoid injector-pulsed eventslast about 1/1,000 of a second. Piezo injec-tors react so quickly all five injector eventsoccur in that same span of time. Can youimagine that? Five separate and distinct in-jection events in 1/1,000 of a second. Themain injection event is the longest and thepost injection event the shortest. Graduallyinjecting fuel, instead of dumping it all inat once, results in a less violent, more evencomplete burn. The gradual rise in cylinderpressure reduces noise, vibrations andemissions.

The fuel pressure inside a DuraMaxfuel injector can be as high as 29,000pounds per square inch (PSI). WARNING:this extremely high fuel pressure can belethal. In order to overcome the fuel forceacting on the injector, an even strongerforce is needed to flex the wafers and openthe injector. That force is electromotiveforce, or voltage. Boost capacitors insidethe Engine Control Module (ECM) areused to step up low voltage to high voltage.The higher the voltage the stronger the re-action of the wafers. At 29,000 psi, it takeslots of voltage to flex the piezo's wafersenough to lift open the fuel injectorplunger. Hence the need for high voltage.

Piezo injector nozzles have six open-ings so small I cannot visually see them. Athigh pressure, fuel is forced through theopenings creating a very fine, high velocitymist that is evenly and uniformly spreadthroughout the combustion chamber. Thenozzle openings are arranged so the fuelmist pattern looks like an upside-downcone or funnel.

OK, we are close, but there is onemore very important ingredient missing.Not only do we need the ECM to deliverhigh voltage, we also need it delivered at avery high frequency or hertz (cycles persecond represented as Hz). We need tocycle the wafers on and off five times in1/1,000 of a second. I expect to see a fre-quency in excess of 5,000 Hz. For com-parison, the light bulb in your houseoperates/flashes at 60 Hz. To me the highfrequency is the key to the efficiency ofthis system.

To diagnosis this system, I set my LabScope sampling rate to 1 million samplesper division, my time base to micro sec-onds (1/1,000,000 per/sec.) and connecteda high voltage attenuator. This allows meto capture every fuel injection event or1,500 per minute at idle. I can build a mathchannel that will isolate the injectionevents outside normal operational rangesto help me quickly and accurately focus mydiagnostic. Lab Scopes may have oncebeen considered a luxury, now they are es-sential.

WOW! This stuff is way cool. Auto-motive engineers and manufacturers are al-ways looking for new and innovative waysto apply science. Case in point, piezoelec-tric science was discovered more than 130years ago. It's just math and science andthat's how it should be diagnosed and re-paired.

OK guys, that's about all for now. Ifyou have any questions concerning the au-tomotive industry, suggestions for topicsand/or questions concerning a vehicle (gas,diesel or electric), I can be reached at [email protected], Facebook orfax 559-907-7661.

God Bless America and God Bless93636

Warren Parr ASE Mastercertifiedsince 1988

HANDS cont. from P. 13

passenger car was squarely in the middle ofthe Avenue 12 crossing when MoncadaSr.’s SUV plowed into the train. The impactkilled Moncada and the impact was enoughto injure a passenger on the train.

The crossing sees an average of ap-proximately 42 BNSF freight trains andAmtrak passenger trains daily, according tothe Federal Railroad Administration. Mon-cada’s collision was the tenth at that cross-ing and the fifth death.

According to website GriefandSympa-thy.com, the impact of multiple losses cantake its toll on remaining loved ones. Itstresses, “The one certainty is that whenyou have lost your loved ones you have nochoice but to cope as best as you can for thechildren or family who are left, and for your

own sake too.”Pointing out the obvious that no one

is expected to simply forget a loved onewho is gone, the site suggests multiplecoping mechanisms which are different foreveryone. While some often start workinglong hours at their job to ease the hurt, oth-ers cope by giving more time to their hob-bies, such as golfing or fishing. The mainpoint is that no one can grieve 24 hours aday.

The site also states that getting sup-port is key when dealing with multiplelosses. Whether it’s local professionalhelp, your church or even online supportgroups, don’t grieve alone. As the sitestresses, “There is no doubt that life willnever be the same again. But we will learnto live with the new reality, and graduallyfind some small pleasures again.”

TRAGIC cont. from P. 2


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Dad was born to loving parents, Glen and Hazel Dahlstrom in Kingsburg, Calif.,but lived the majority of his life in Fresno. He proudly served in the United StatesNavy during the Korean Conflict as a first loader on the USS Carmick from 1951 to1954.

He met and married our mother, Barbara (Fisher) in 1955 and they celebrated 25years together until her passing in 1981. He retired from Pacific Telephone & Tele-graph and Southwestern Bell Corp. after 39 years of service in installation and repairand made many memorable friends there. After retiring, Dad enjoyed yearly summertrips to Trinidad, Calif. which were spent with his parents and time spent fishingwith his dad, canning tuna and smoking salmon. He continued these trips with hisson. Michael until Michael's passing in 2013. His sister, Lois Satterberg also pre-ceded him in death.

Those left to cherish his memories are long-time girlfriend and companion of 25plus years, Maxine Briner; his sister, Evelyn Taylor of Sacramento; his daughters,Laurie Nemanick and husbandMartin; Tammy Duque and husband Louie; and SusanDahlstrom; six grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, one great-great grandson,nieces, nephews and cousins.

A special thanks to Maxine for "putting up" with Dad all these years and whosehidden nursing skills emerged with loving care; grandson Joseph "Joe" – withoutyou Grandpa wouldn't have been able to come home. Your willingness, strength andgentle care you gave were a godsend and I love you more than words can say. To hisniece, Linn Williams, whose intelligence and expertise guided me through all thepaper work. And a special thank you to Hinds Hospice and VA/Senior Helpers andthe caring employees they have.

"Dad, remembering all the love and support, good times, trips to Trinidad andeasy conversations, you were the best father anyone could ask for," love, Laurie,Tammy and Susan.

Donald R. DahlstromSeptember 10, 1932 – November 28, 2017

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Alteration Services

Madlin's Alterations - 45 years ex-perience - Tailoring, repairs andleathers. Fast service. NEWHOURS: Monday-Thursday 8-5.36027 Ruth Ave. Call 559-645-4583.

Bounce House

Bounce House in Ranchos - 36919Ave. 12 starting Wednesday, Dec. 2710 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 559-999-6832.

Child Care

Child Care - Susan Ryan Day Care.Newborn to 5 years old. Licensed. Call661-4725 or 706-0424.

Chimney Sweep

Paul the Chimney Sweep Guy- 29years of experience. Wood stove inserts,pellet stoves and fireplaces. Also cleandryer vents. REMEMBER THINKSAFETY, BURN SAFELY! Call 559-908-9332.

Construction

New construction, remodels, room addi-tions, barns and patios. Lic. #719500.Call 559-970-4476.

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F o r S a l e - S e a s o n e d A l -m o n d f i r e w o o d . R o u n d o rs p l i t . C a l l 2 5 9 - 7 1 2 2 o r6 4 5 - 5 5 2 3 .

For Sale

Gardener's trailer 5'x10' tandemaxle w/side and rear doors $750.Utility trailer 4'x6' $250. Vintage1960s Evinrude 35 HP outboardboat motor $95. Assorted phonebooths (including “Superman”style) and complete pay phones.Call Tim at 559-777-0981.

Gutter Services

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Recyclables Pick Up

KEEP IT LOCAL - FREE RECY-CLABLE PICKUP - KIDS 4 RECY-CLING offers pickup of allrecyclable materials including paper,plastic, glass, aluminum and card-board. Call Diana at 999-6832 or645-1048.Funds support Ranchos communityorganizations and schools.

Tractor/Trenching Services

BOBCAT WORK - DRILLING POSTHOLES - Trees - Trenching - Clean Up.TRACTOR WORK Discing - Rototill-ing - Mowing - Scraping - Stump Grind-ing. Call John at 908-1066.

Tractor Work - House Pads, lot level-ing, driveways, trenching, concrete workand underground utilities installed.Lic. #719500. Call 559-970-4476.

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ARanchos resident for over 30 years, I am a full-time professional agent workingMadera,Fresno and Clovis. We offer first class service for sellers and buyers. Unable to sell atcurrent prices? We offer full property management and will rent your home for top dol-lar and handle all the details. Call me today! 490-1989 • DRE#: 01323109 12/17

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/17

ByBettyVanValkenburg

MerryChristmas!ADecember 2015 headline in theOrange

CountyRegister screamed“Gas tax inCalifor-nia ranks among highest in country; but itsroads are among theworst inAmerica.”

Where has all the tax money gone? Cer-tainly not entirely to roads.

Last month Jerry Brown and CaliforniaDemocratsgaveus lumpsofcoal forourChrist-mas stockings in the form of increased gas andvehicle taxes estimated to cost the averageCal-ifornian an extra $800 a year – above and be-yond the existing taxes already paid. Brown’sSB1, the so-called“RoadRepair andAccount-ability Act of 2017,” states that it will “addressdeferred [deferred why?] maintenance on thestate highway system and the local, street androad system.”

WhereWill theMoneyGo?Where will all that additional tax money

go?Partly to roads, but at least 30 percent is al-

readyearmarked forpurposesunrelated to roadupkeep.

Whyshouldwe repealSB1?After all,wewant our roads and streets repaired. Accordingto State Assemblywoman Melissa Menendez,SB1’s spendingproposals “are clearlynot pro-grams intended to fixourcrumbling roads”andinclude over $818 million on “rail, transit, ac-tive transportationsuchasbikewaysandpedes-trian paths, parks and recreation, food andagriculture, university research and workforcedevelopment programs.”

And we can be sure that more will be di-verted fromthe statedpurposeaspoliticiansgettheir hands on more of our money. But moreimportantly, there is now a requirement to em-phasize “sustainable development” and envi-ronmentalism in every public policy –promoting lifestyle changes designed to get usout of our cars rather thanprudent roadmainte-nance decisions.

SB1“advances greenhouse gas reductionobjectives and other environmental goals andsupports SB 375 and transportation plans.”

“Sustainable” Communities?SB 375 is the Sustainable Communities

and Climate Protection Act of 2008 which co-ordinates transportation and land-use planningwith the goal of more “sustainable” communi-ties. Under it, goals are set for greenhouse gasemissions reductions from passenger vehicleuse in regionscoveredbyoneof thestate’sMet-ropolitan Planning Organizations. Each MPO

must (must!) prepare a “sustainable communi-ties strategy in its regional transportation planwhich contains land use, housing and trans-portationstrategies.Then theSustainableCom-munitiesActestablishes incentives toencouragelocalgovernmentsanddevelopers to implementthat strategy. It is even more complicated thanthat, but you get the picture: Controlling ourlives.

As another example, Fresno County’sMeasure “C” sales tax increase was passed in1986 to “improve the overall quality of FresnoCounty’s transportation system.” Voters ap-proved it because they wanted the potholesfilled. In 2006 they extendedMeasure “C” foranother 20 years for the same purpose. How-ever, this time it included a stipulation havingnothing to dowith improving roads: “NewBi-cycle Facilities: Every highway, expressway,super-arterial, arterial or collector within theCounty constructed or reconstructed in wholeor in partwithMeasure “C” funds shall includeaccommodations for bicycle travel either by ashared roadway or by bike lane.”

According to its literature, Measure “C”alsocreatesTransitOrientedDevelopmentproj-ects and supports “high-density housing andmixed uses near transit ... it also strives to sup-port livable, viable and sustainable transit-ori-ented healthy communities that promotewalking,bikingand theuseofpublic transit andreduce private vehicle dependence. Such TODcommunities promote health and reduce risks

for chronic diseases.”Lofty goals to be sure, but just fix the darn

potholes and stop playingBigBrother!And just soyouknow,Californiapasseda

BicycleTransportationAct in 2006 to establisha “bicycle transportation system.” Woo hoo!Now we’ve gone from failed high-speed rail(200m.p.h. fromMerced tonowhere) toa futilebicycle system (Ranchos to Madera in a huffand a puff).

Repealing the TaxesSo howdowe repeal the tax increases?Reform California has a petition on its

website www.ReformCalifornia.org that youcan print, sign andmail. If the required numberof valid signatures are submitted, a constitu-tional amendment will be placed on the 2018ballot to repeal SB 1 and to require that votersmust approve any new specified taxes or feesongas,diesel fuelorvehicles. It is important thatyou follow all the instructions for signing andmailing thepetitions.Eachonehasroomfor twosignatures, but you can print as many as youneed. Please obtain as many signatures as youcanandmail thepetitionsasquicklyaspossible,preferably by January 4. Let’s repeal the taxesand return to sane policies.

Meanwhile, may you have a very MerryChristmas and a happy and safeNewYear!

Visit the Central Valley Tea Party websiteat www.centralvalleyteaparty. com formore in-formation.

Repeal theGas and VehicleTax Increases


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ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Start preparing now to make sure you get the credit you're due forall that effort you put in to get that project off the ground. A new challenge emerges after the 15th.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You're still charging full steam ahead on the job -- and that's fine.But take time to share the joy of preparing for the upcoming holidays with folks you love.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A former detractor resists joining your ranks just yet. Give himor her time to learn more about what you're doing. Meanwhile, devote more time to friends andfamily.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Be careful not to be goaded into a tiff by someone who might belooking for a fight. Remain cool as you make your exit. Be assured that others will rally to yoursupport.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Kudos on getting the well-deserved Lion's share of the rewards for ajob well-done. Now you can take a breather from your workaday duties and spend time with yourfamily.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You enjoy a quick spurt of renewed energy just in time tomeet that upcoming deadline. A potentially romantic situation looms. How it develops will be upto you.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Watch out for distractions that could cause delays andleave you running twice as fast to finish your work by the 15th. Then go ahead and have fun.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You might prefer to work on current tasks on yourown. But be open to a potentially useful suggestion from someonewho admires you andwants to help.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Avoid rushing full gallop into that volunteerproject without knowing what's expected of you. Take things a step at a time as you begin to findyour way.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Good news: You should begin to feel morecomfortable expressing your emotions. This will go a long way in helping you with that personalsituation.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) An old friend gives confusing signals. Best advice:Don't assume that things will necessarily work themselves out. Ask questions and demand straightanswers.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A new relationship needs time to develop. Be careful not tolet your emotions flood your natural sense of caution. Meanwhile, check out that new job offer.

©2017 King Features Synd., Inc.

Your sense of right and wrong sometimes causes you to come intoconflict with others. But you invariably come out ahead.

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1. LITERATURE: What 20th-century au-thor wrote a short story titled "Gimpel theFool"?2. GENERALKNOWLEDGE: Sometimescalled "the second most visited home inAmerica," what Memphis, Tennessee, es-tate was designated a National HistoricLandmark in 2006?3.GEOGRAPHY:What is the onlymountainin North America that exceeds 20,000 feet?4. FIRSTS: Who became the first womanin the British Parliament in 1919?5. HISTORY: The International Committeeof the Red Cross won what prize in 1944?6. SCIENCE: In forensic science, what isdermatoglyphics?7. MOVIES: In one of the movie's classicsongs, howmuch sugar does Mary Poppinssay is necessary to make the medicine godown?8. MUSIC:What is the classification for analbum that sells 10 million copies?9. EXPLORERS: What European explorerwas the first to reach the Mississippi Riverin 1541?10. MEDICAL TERMS: What is a morecommon name for the malady called pityr-iasis capitis?

1.IsaacBashevisSinger2.Graceland3.Denali(MountMcKinley)4.LadyNancyAstor5.TheNobelPeacePrize6.Thestudyoffingerprints7.Aspoonful8.Diamond9.HernandodeSoto10.Dandruff

Answers

TRIVIA TESTBy Fifi Rodriguez

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© 2017 King Features Synd., Inc. © 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.


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PRSRTSTD ECR Independent - theRanchos.comPage 3 Ranchos.com 12/17 Our 93636 family has suffered a...

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Transcript of PRSRTSTD ECR Independent - theRanchos.comPage 3 Ranchos.com 12/17 Our 93636 family has suffered a...