LINCOLN SCHOOL WILL OPEN AS YEAR-ROUND CAMPUS — Lincoln Elementary School will open as a year-round school, Madera Unified trustees decided Tuesday. The school, located on Sunset Avenue near Granada Drive, is planned to open in September 1992 if a state bond issue passes this November. According to Director of Field Operations Bob Owen, new regulations which took effect in March give year-round school projects priority for state funding over regular projects. The negative side of classifying the project as year-round is that it will reduce the district’s eligibility for future elementary schools. Presently the state regards Lincoln as having a capacity of 812 students. If re-classified as year-round, that figure will jump to 1,009 pupils.
O’ROURKE HOPES TO CONTINUE RECENT STRIDES IN MADERA — With numerous irons still in the fire, Mayor Patrick O’Rourke is seeking re-election to a Madera City Council seat. O’Rourke, who wants to bring several ongoing projects to fruition, is one of five candidates vying for three council positions to be filled during the November election. O’Rourke estimates that he spends more than 40 hours a week on city business. “My 40 hours are outside of normal working hours, including every lunch hour, every coffee break, every day’s vacation for the last four years,” O’Rourke said. “To do the job right, that is what has to be done,” said the Mayor.
COUNTY’S WAR ON DRUGS GOING TO THE DOGS — A 52-pound dynamo driven by the intense desire to play has become local law enforcement’s newest tool in the fight against drug trafficking in Madera, according to Madera Police Officer Thomas Fraser. The Malinois sheep dog “Banja” is making use of her acute olfactory sense to sniff out the homes and property of suspected drug dealers. Fraser, who has trained her with toys that smell like illegal narcotics, says, “She’s a good tool that is going to surprise a lot of people. The 2-year-old canine lives with Fraser and his family and must be ready to work at a moment’s notice. “She has the personality of a hyperactive child whose only desire in life is to play,” Fraser said.
PIG RACING DRAWS ENTHUSIASTIC FAIR CROWDS — It may not be the Kentucky Derby and may not feature horses, but it is just as exciting to watch. The four-legged beasts that are exerting their muscles to reach the prize at the finish line are pigs racing over a track made of PVC pipe and sawdust. Bart Noll and his wife, Deanne are operating the pig race at this year’s fair. Noll has been in pig racing since 1987. Jennifer De Luca won the first pig race this year when her pig, Ellie Mae, outdistanced three challengers. The racing pigs are kept on a special racing diet. “We don’t feed them until they bloat,” Noll said. “We’re not raising food here; we’re raising racing animals.” ...