News

STORY CORRECTION - UPDATE

MADERA - The former football player behind the attendance scandal that rocked Madera High School last month avoids expulsion. Thursday evening, at a special emergency meeting,  the Madera Unified Board of Trustees decided that "attendance fixing" was not an expellable offense and allowed MHS senior Anthony Martinez to stay in school.

Tuesday evening  Madera Unified staff recommended to give Martinez a "Slap on the Wrist" by expelling the student from school but to suspend that expulsion. In other words Martinez would have an expulsion on his record but would still be allowed to attend Madera High School. Board president Ricardo Arredondo was the lone dissenter to give Martinez a complete pass on his offenses on a five to one vote.

SAN ANDREAS, CA. -  Former assembly candidate Rico Oller sent out a press release after the election that was neither congratulatory towards Assemblyman-Elect Frank Bigelow nor in the spirit of cooperation towards working for the betterment of our state.

While we initially decided not to run the release, we thought the voters of the 5th Assembly District might find it entertaining. I particularly found funny how Mr. Oller said, "I was looking forward to representing the foothills in the Assembly." Guess that means Madera wasn't going to get any support from Oller.

BREAKING STORY YOU READ FIRST ON BIG VALLEY NEWS

MADERA - Madera Unified Superintendent Gustavo Balderas has been offered a position at Ocean View School District in Huntington Beach, California. In three closed season meetings last month the board of trustees of OVSD discussed the open position for superintendent of their district.  In the October 27th meeting an offer was made to Balderas which he is expected to accept at their next regular board meeting on November 6, 2012.

The Madera Unified Board of Education hired Balderas as the district's current superintendent in April of 2011 and he assumed his duties effective July 1, 2011. Before coming to MUSD Balderas served as the assistant superintendent of support services in the Hillsboro School District in Hillsboro, Ore.

DO STUDENT ATHLETES HAVE DIFFERENT SET OF RULES AT MHS?

MADERA - So much for punishment of athletes at Madera High School. All six football players suspended from school and the varsity football team for attendance fixing are back on the team.

The four seniors and two juniors that paid a fellow football player working in the attendance office to clear a massive amount of absences sat out the Edison High School football game last week and were suspended from school for one day. However, this week they were back on the team and played Thursday night in their overwhelming loss to Bullard High School (48-0).

2nd Annual Pomegranate Festival Nov. 3rd @ Madera Municipal Airport

MADERA - Madera Mayor Brett "Ginger Ice" Frazier is encouraging people to “Pomegranate Rock” and a new video featuring him is showing people how.

“We wanted to show the world that Madera California is the Heart of Pomegranate Country and invite people to come see us during the Pomegranate Festival,” said Frazier. “So we figured there was no better way than a parody video.”