A REMARKABLE WOMAN. The passing of long time Bonita School secretary Doris Cardoza saddened hundreds of former students and parents who celebrated a mass of Christian burial this week. Doris was a lifelong West Side resident whose life was spectacular for the students and families who knew her so well. Her life was dedicated to her family and, for many years, to the students and families passing through one of the West Side’s best elementary schools.

Doris served as secretary when I attended Bonita in the ‘60s, and when my daughters arrived there in the early ‘80s, Doris was working there as well. She never sought the limelight, but for so many of us she was the glue that held that school and its students together in so many ways. Her caring, loving, motherly nature was so evident in everything she did and with everyone she touched. As students, we could always count on her for assistance and guidance.....particularly when we happened to visit the principal now and then.

Bonita’s teachers and staff certainly deserve the credit for our great education, but Doris added so much to our positive attitudes and school spirit by her constant support of our activities, whether academically or athletically. She was upbeat and happy, and it rubbed off on the students.

I knew her as a fabulous school secretary and the mother of my friends, Darryl, Dan and Laureen, who learned with me during our early school days. Doris was proud of these children, who all excelled in their own ways and always remember the love of their Crows Landing and West Side family.

Doris also leaves her loving husband, Manuel, who she supported every day of their 59 years together, and over the years she was so very happy with the times they shared and the care and support he provided her, both while she was working and at home.

Some say that good teachers provide young students with the mentoring necessary to move on to achievement and success, which is all true. However, if there was ever a woman who encouraged and supported thousands of students who are very successful today, it was our friend and former Bonita secretary, Doris Cardoza.

DENHAM RECALL A SHAM. The movement to recall our popular Senator Jeff Denham is the work of our California Democratic Senate leader, who didn’t like the fact that Denham wasn’t about to vote for a state budget last year that was out of balance.

Today, Denham is really our hero because he was right about the budget all along.

Denham fought both the Democratic leader and our own Republican governor over last year’s budget. Denham argued that he wouldn’t pass an out-of-balance budget, because in the end it would hurt schools and other important programs.

Well, friends, Denham was right. The budget not only wasn’t balanced, it’s farther off than anyone imagined. So now, while a small group of people will be asking us to recall our Senator in June, most of us should be going to vote for a guy who did the right thing. And he was right all along. The budget wasn’t balanced.

While the recall is amazingly stupid, it will be up to us to make that point when June rolls around. Stay tuned for more information!

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