News and notes

iNformation about iPhones— So, who was the first person in Three Rivers to get an iPhone? If you have one, give John or me a call and provide an update of how it works in Three Rivers.

Move over— On the quiet country roads of Three Rivers, drivers should give walkers, runners, bicyclists, and riders on horseback a break. If there is no oncoming traffic, and there usually isn’t, it’s okay to cross over that center line to give pedestrians some safety clearance.

Health and wealth— I’m anxious to see Michael Moore’s new documentary Sicko. I had planned to see it on its opening day, but it didn’t come to Visalia.

The movie is in wide release, so why is this? I plan to write about our family’s nightmarish experiences with the healthcare and insurance industries soon.

Classified ads— There were a couple errors on the Classified ads page last week and for that I apologize. A “For Rent” ad had the phone number left out; it’s correct this week. A “Misc. for Sale” ad had an incorrect phone number; it is not in this week since the person who placed the ad is now out of town. In addition, a conversion at the printer caused some type discrepancies.

Although I regret all of the above, I have always said that I am never surprised when something is wrong on that page; I’m more surprised that there is so much that’s right!

It’s hot, but not that hot— Several Three Rivers residents have noticed over the past week that on the CBS channel 47 local news, the temperatures in Three Rivers are being shown on the weather map as much hotter than other locations down in the Valley. Since we all live here, we know that’s not true.

It’s hot, but we are certainly not hotter than the blacktopped-encased cities on the Valley floor. One concerned citizen sent an email to the station, asking how they obtain this temperature and stating: “By constantly showing our town to have the highest temperature, you are affecting our businesses by discouraging tourism.”

Colin Jackson at Channel 47 responded by saying that they receive their numbers from the National Weather Service in Hanford.

A telephone call to a NWS representative in Hanford revealed that there are two automatic sensors in the area, one along Highway 198 in Three Rivers and the other in Ash Mountain, but he didn’t immediately know the specific locations of the devices.

He admitted that temperatures could vary greatly due to the sensor’s amount of exposure. He also stated that on July 4 the Three Rivers sensor provided a reading of 104, but Ash Mountain came in with a 112.

Last night, Channel 47 said we will reach 114 degrees today (Thursday). I can’t wait around to find out because our printer just called and said it’s 105 in his pressroom already, so I’ve got to end and send!

Independence Day

Fourth of July will never have a greater meaning than this year. Having just returned from my first trip ever to our nation’s Capitol and actually having the privilege to personally participate in the democratic process, I understand more than ever how fortunate we are to live in the United States of America.

While in Washington, D.C., I was proud to be a companion to my son who was one of 150 children, ages four to 17, who were delegates on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Among the dozens of activities in which the group participated, the most patriotic were performing a song on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol; being in attendance as the subjects of a congressional hearing chaired by senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Lieberman(D-Conn.); and spending a day on Capitol Hill as the delegates met with their various senators and representative.

It was an unforgettable experience to sit back and watch as my 16-year-old son discussed his life with Type 1 diabetes in separate meetings with senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Representative Devin Nunes and requested that the legislators co-sponsor a reappropriations bill that would increase funding for research toward a cure.

Following our D.C. blitz, we visited Gettysburg National Military Park and the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia where it became graphically apparent the foresight the Founding Fathers possessed and how many have fought and sacrificed their lives so that we may enjoy the freedoms and liberties that we have today.

Let freedom ring! Happy Independence Day.