President Obama honors farmworker labor leader Cesar Chavez at the dedication of a new national monument, Fresno police suspect hazing led to the alcohol- fueled death of a freshman pledging a fraternity, Zacky Farms in Fresno files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and continued delays in the high-speed rail project could jeopardize funding.

Here are the top stories of the past week, along with selected comments posted by readers at fresnobee.com.

Si, se puede

What happened: President Barack Obama's first visit to the San Joaquin Valley came Monday when he landed in Bakersfield and then headed up the hill to La Paz. Obama spoke at the dedication of a new national monument, the 187-acre site where labor leader Cesar Chavez lived the last 22 years of his life and where he is now buried.

What it means: Some Republicans had said the timing of the visit -- less than a month before Election Day, where Obama is courting the Hispanic vote -- was suspect. But Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he had long pushed for the National Park Service to study historic sites associated with Chavez and the farmworker movement in California and Arizona for a national monument designation.

What readers said:

"I'll bet from day one the presidents team said all these type of projects would be handled just before the election to ensure his 'good guy' image continued whether he was in good standing or not. It's just political insurance and you'd be naive to think they just thought this visit up."

-- dtomahawk7917

"I wonder if the monument will have articles of importance from the struggle on display, like metal tire deflation spikes."

-- Guest

Death by hazing

What happened: Leaders of the Fresno State fraternity where a freshman drank himself to death told 15 pledges they couldn't leave a room until they had polished off multiple bottles of liquor, a court document released Tuesday stated. Fresno police are calling the alcohol-related death last month of Philip Dhanens, 18, of Bakersfield, a hazing investigation.

What it means: On Friday, Fresno State announced that the national Theta Chi organization had revoked the charter of the Fresno chapter.

What readers said:

"wow! what an insane hazing ritual. it isn't really all that non-typical but seriously, the thought of pounding hard liquor like that makes me ill just thinking of it! it seems like these 'brothers' had it all figured out with their 'sober,' 'drunk rooms' or whatever. ... it's no wonder fraternity's are sooooo lame."

-- doubleSrep

"The university police need to 'sting' the Greek clubs chartered through the campus. Underage drinking there is winked at as a freshman ritual and maybe if charges were brought against CSUF president John Welty, this would change. It would not be a difficult 'tradition' to put a permanent end to."

-- Jade Rowe

"Underage drinking is not limited to the Greek system and there is no way you can completely stop it. Personally, I believe if you are old enough to go to war, you are old enough to drink."

-- tiltedright

Talking turkey

What happened: Fresno-based Zacky Farms, one of the largest turkey producers in the U.S., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, blaming high feed prices for soaring losses in recent years.

What it means: The bankruptcy filing sets the stage for an auction sale of the company by mid-January, according to court documents filed last week in Sacramento. The auction would come after the main turkey-selling season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, during which Zacky expects to rebuild its cash flow.

What readers said:

"It's just the beginning folks. In Britain there's grumblings over the high cost of bacon, again due to the high cost of feed. The Corn Lobby worked their way into EVERYTHING. 3 out of 4 items in grocery stores have something made from corn, be it sweeteners like in fruit juices and yogurt to thickeners using corn starch for gravies and sauces."

-- c5ster

"Your comment: "The Corn Lobby worked their way into EVERYTHING". You missed the elephant- corn based ethanol. Look in your gas tank. The ripples from the decision to divert food into fuel has driven up food prices worldwide."

-- delectron184

Delays risk funds

What happened: Federal money for California's high-speed rail program could be jeopardized if the start of construction is significantly delayed in the San Joaquin Valley. Court records suggest the California High-Speed Rail Authority's schedule continues to slip for building the project's first stages in Madera and Fresno counties.

What it means: Rail authority CEO Jeffrey Morales said he believes the schedule is "do-able." Morales said target dates within the schedule may evolve, but the only concrete deadline is the expiration of the federal grant in September 2017.

What readers said:

"If HSR is facing this much delay for construction through farm land, just think of what is going to happen when they try to start in LA and the Bay area. Delays and massive cost overruns. This project is doomed."

-- hawker