Central California Life April/May2015

Central California Life magazine

Special Section:

April-May 2015

Remembering the Armenian genocide

Small-town boy, heart of a lion: Boxer Jose Ramirez

Volume 2, Issue 2

Central California Life magazine

APRIL-MAY 2015

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Reflections

J

uly 4…December 7…September 11. The birth of a nation…the start of a war…the day that changed how we fundamentally look at the world. As a people, we use dates and symbols to commemorate both triumph and tragedy. Yet so many take no notice of April 24. That would be April 24, 1915 to be exact — a date that numerous historians describe as the beginning of one of the greatest atrocities of the 20th century against humanity.

On that night, the Armenian genocide unfolded when the Young Turk leaders of the Muslim-dominated Ottoman Empire rounded up, arrested, and summarily executed several hundred Armenian intellectuals. Thus beginning an eight-year campaign of oppression and massacre. By 1923, the Ottoman effort killed an estimated 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children of the more than 2 million Armenians in the Ottoman territory. Genocide.

As a publisher, I write this opening letter in each issue of Central California Life with the intent of highlighting many of the interesting stories offered in these pages. However, the 1.5 million stories of the victims of the genocide take precedence here. The indelible strength of the heart of a nation is reflected in the ability of one of its favorite sons to write, “If I have any desire at all, it is to show the brotherhood of man.” William Saroyan, Seventy Thousand Assyrians (1934).

Of course I invite you to read this very special issue cover to cover, but this is my moment of silence in honor of the 1.5 million.

Karen Maroot, Publisher Karen@CenCaliLife.com

Cover Photo: Boxer Jose Ramirez Photo by Gary Kazanjian

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Central California Life

Our Mission “The mission of Central California Life magazine is to spotlight what makes this region a unique and integral part of the Golden State.

We do this by telling the stories of the people who live, work and play here—artists and entrepreneurs, farmers and elected officials, educators and athletes, and so many others who call California’s heartland “home.” From short profiles of ordinary individuals who are making extraordinary differences to in-depth stories

For subscription information or advertising opportunities visit CenCaliLife.com or call 559.691.1004

about our history and more contemporary matters, our team of experienced writers produces content that is informative, relevant and interesting. Their work is complemented by talented photographers and graphic artists.

We also provide comprehensive event listings, restaurant reviews and art and entertainment news.

We are the only magazine that covers the central San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast, and count among our targeted readers those who live both within and outside the region.”

CenCaliLife @CenCaliLife CenCaliLife Central California Life

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22 Fotini Alfieris of the MS Society

34 Taps for Tom

54 Jose Ramirez

Saying Goodbye to a Vietnam Vet

Boxer

What’s Inside Reflections

2 Publisher’s Letter

Contributors

8 Getting to Know Us

A Few Cool Things

10 What to Do in Central California

Keeping the Faith

14 Waxing Philosophical Faith Sidlow

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Central California Life

Stories from the Heartland

16 Estate Sales: Helping People Let Go Judith House Menezes 20 On the Hunt with The Shopping Ladies Bud Elliott 22 Former Journalist Heads Regional MS Society Judith House Menezes 28 Fresno State Project Gives a Voice to Vets Valerie Shelton 34 Taps for Tom: Saying Goodbye to a Vietnam Vet Bud Elliott 38 Fresno State’s Armenian Genocide Monument Marine Vardanyan

The Wish List 40 Mother’s Day

Destinations

46 Places to Eat in Disneyland Amy Guerra

Health and Wellness 50

52

PTSD and Epigenetics Dr. Bradley Wajda Eating to Lose Weight Rhonda Murphy & Abigail Martin

20 Shopping Ladies On the Hunt

46 Disney Restaurants

68 Guri’s GrubHouse

Sports

54 Water Warrior Jose Ramirez Bud Elliott

Arts and Entertainment 64

66

Eva Scow: “Gem” of the Fresno Music Scene Jeffery Williams Book Review: Summer Lane’s “State of Alliance” Jeffery Williams

Sip and Savor 68

70

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Guri’s GrubHouse Amy Guerra Culinary Artists: Dustin and Kristin Stewart Katie Fries Sip: Jack & Charlie’s Judith House Menezes

Spotlight

76 Milestones and Events in Central California

Calendar of Events 88 April, May and June Happenings

Special Section

The centennial of the Armenian genocide.

After page 32.

Central California Life

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Contributors PUBLISHER Karen Maroot karen@cencalilife.com PUBLISHER/ MARKETING & PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR Alyssa Boyles alyssa@cencalilife.com SALES DIRECTOR Bob Sieloff info@cencalilife.com ADVISORY BOARD Alyssa Boyles, Bud Elliott, Karen Maroot, Kelley Campos McCoy, Richard Melella, Faith Sidlow, Bob Sieloff EDITOR Kelley Campos McCoy kelley@cencalilife.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Abigail Martin abigail@cencalilife.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bud Elliott, Katie Fries, Edgar E. Dunn III, Amy Guerra, Abigail Martin, Judy House Menezes, Rhonda Murphy, Valerie Shelton, Faith Sidlow, Marine Vardanyan, Dr. Bradley Wajda, Jeffery Williams CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Bud Elliott, Amy Guerra, Gary Kazanjian, Judy House Menezes, Dan Minkler, Faith Sidlow DESIGNERS Beth Greene, Gary Hoffman CREATIVE CONSULTANT Edgar E. Dunn III PUBLIC RELATIONS Derek Andre Marines VOLUNTEERS Trevor Boyles, Elaine Linder Copyright © 2015 by Central California Life magazine. All rights reserved.

Central California Life magazine accepts or assumes no liability for the material contained herein. This magazine is for entertainment only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any product or service.

All statements and expressions are the sole opinions of the writers. Central California Life magazine reserves the right to edit any editorial, photos or ad submissions for the purposes of clarity and space.

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Central California Life

Alyssa Boyles

Publisher/Marketing & Promotions Director The best part of living in Central California in spring is … the weather. It’s the perfect time to hike the many trails we have to offer in our area.

The most important lesson I learned from my mother is … that if I put God first in every area of my life, I will live a blessed life regardless of any situation I may go through.

If I could tell my younger self anything that would make life easier as an adult, I would say … don’t take family time for granted. Friends can come and go but your family will always be there. Don’t look back at all the times you missed because you put your friends first.

What I’m most looking forward to this summer is … family barbecues and the start of football season. Go Raiders! Go Bulldogs!

People would probably be surprised to know that … I’m the oldest of seven kids. My parents have been together since they were 15 years old.

Bud Elliott

Writer/Photographer The best part of living in Central California in spring is … that it lasts so long, often stretching from February well into June. Then comes summer.

The most important lessons I learned from my mother are … how to bake banana bread, and that failure is an important part of success.

If I could tell my younger self anything that would make life easier as an adult, I would say … failure is an important part of success, just like my mamma said.

What I’m most looking forward to this summer is … a trip to Europe. I hope it’s still there when we get there.

People would probably be surprised to know that … I regret not continuing the piano lessons that my mother insisted I take right in the middle of Little League season. Baseball won, of course, but I wish I had stayed with piano.

Abigail Martin Editorial Assistant

The best part of living in Central California in spring is ... the absolutely beautiful weather. The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining and the wind is blowing - perfect California days!

The most important lesson I learned from my mother is ... to never give up when times get difficult. She has been through much more than anyone deserves to go through and she’s accomplished so much. I love you, Mom! If I could tell my younger self anything that would make life easier as an adult, I would say … be a kid as long as possible. Enjoy your youth, because you will never get it back and adulthood is not always fun.

What I’m most looking forward to this summer is ... traveling with my best friend, Dania. I can’t wait to explore another part of this wonderful world.

People would probably be surprised to know that ... this small frame of mine can produce terrifyingly rambunctious burps. •

A Few Cool Things

Top Rank: Fight for Water 4 Just a week after the world’s most anticipated boxing match, Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao, all eyes in the Central Valley will be on Jose Ramirez.

Following his 13th professional victory, Ramirez’s fight will take place at Selland Arena on May 9 in Fresno. The 22-year-old Avenal native has dedicated his boxing career to raising funds for more water allocation to farming communities.

If his past success gives any indication to this fight, it’s sure to be a sellout.

Ramirez won the North American Boxing Federation junior welterweight title during the sold-out Fight for Water-3 on Oct. 25, 2014, knocking out David Rodela 50 seconds into the first round.

Don’t miss out on what will arguably be the Central Valley’s most anticipated sporting event this year.

To purchase tickets, visit ticketmaster.com.

Kingsburg Swedish Festival Get a little taste of Sweden at the annual Swedish Festival in Kingsburg, where this year’s festivities will run from May 15-17.

The event will kick off with a Swedish smorgasbord on Friday night at the Swedish Village on Draper Street. A Svenska pancake breakfast will follow on Saturday morning.

Surrounded by this European country’s architecture, music, clothing and food, you’ll feel as though you’ve made a 5,000-mile trek across the globe. Take the family for a culturally-enriching outing that’s sure to offer fun for all.

For more information, visit kingsburgswedishfestival.com.

Photo courtesy of the Kingsburg Swedish Festival

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Central California Life

Antique and Classic Wooden Boat Show Join the California chapters of the Antique and Classic Boat Society of America at their annual show, where more than 50 of the finest preserved and restored boats in California will be on display.

These elegantly built boats with stain-finished woods and leather interiors will be featured at Bass Lake on May 15-17 at The Pines Resort and Ducey’s Bass Lake Lodge. The show kicks off with a barbeque at Miller’s Landing Resort on Friday night and concludes with a Sunday brunch at Ducey’s.

Admission is $5 per person with proceeds benefiting community projects run by the Bass Lake Lions, including a camp for sight- and hearing-impaired children. Children under 10 years of age enter free.

For more information, visit yosemitethisyear.com.

California Strawberry Festival Who doesn’t love indulging in deliciously sweet, juicy strawberries on a warm, spring day? Get ready to stuff yourself with all things strawberry at the California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard May 16-17.

The celebration is loaded with fun, including strawberry pie eating contests, strawberry tart tosses (to the face!), Berry Best Hat and Berry Best Baby Costume contests and much more!

People of all ages can enjoy carnival games, rides and live music.

Be prepared to eat all day, as more than 50 booths will sell any possible strawberry dish you can think of, from strawberry pizza to deep-fried strawberries. If you’re 21 or older, you can also enjoy a special strawberry beer. • For more information, visit strawberry-fest.org.

Photo courtesy of the California Strawberry Festival Central California Life

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Keeping the Faith

Faith and her daughter Mallory at the top of Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland, Dec. 30, 2014.

Waxing philosophical Story and photos by Faith Sidlow

T

Faith Sidlow teaches broadcast journalism at Fresno State. She spent the last 28 years as a news reporter and morning anchor at KSEE-TV, where she produced a series called Extreme Faith.

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o be honest, before I started researching options for New Year’s Eve 2014, I had never heard of Hogmanay. When I found out it was on the list of the top 100 things you must do before you die, I decided Hogmanay was how my daughter and I would ring in 2015. After all, we were already going to be there.

Mallory was finishing her study abroad, and I was planning our winter break rendezvous. The more I read about Hogmanay, a giant outdoor party on Edinburgh, Scotland’s Princes Street, the more excited I became at the prospect of spending New Year’s Eve there.

Edinburgh is a magical city for me. Never mind that JK Rowling wrote her early novels there and based many of her Harry Potter moments on places in the city.

For me, the magic started 30 years ago when I was a study abroad student in London. My college friend Dolores had come to visit and we decided to spend a long November weekend in Scotland. We took the train to Edinburgh and had dinner at a small restaurant that required a taxi to get back to our hotel. We climbed into the iconic black British cab and gave the driver our address. Then we sat back for the short ride home.

A few minutes later we were driving up a dark, narrow road that was definitely not the way

Central California Life

back to our hotel. Dolores and I exchanged worried looks. I don’t know about Dolores, but I could hardly breathe. My heart was racing. I was trying to decide whether we should jump out of the cab now or wait until the driver stopped.

We waited. The cab stopped at the top of the hill. The driver turned around to look at us in the back seat.

“I wanted you to see the view,” he said in a thick Scottish accent.

Dolores and I looked in the direction he was pointing. A giant full moon, in all its golden glory, was hanging low in the inky black sky over Edinburgh Castle, which glowed in the darkness. The sight took my breath away. We got out of the cab and stood in awe, looking at the spectacular display.

Turns out, the top of that hill – we found out later it was called Calton Hill – is considered one of the best photographic locations in the world. At the time, Dolores and I were disappointed that we didn’t have our cameras (this was in the days before cell phones). We kicked ourselves as we stared at the moon and the castle, trying to burn the picture into our memories.

I had always wanted to return, and Hogmanay was a perfect excuse. My daughter and I arrived in Edinburgh on December 29, in time to go shopping and have dinner. We spent the next day seeing

Thousands of torches glowed as Faith and Mallory walked alongside 35,000 others through Edinburgh’s city center and up Calton Hill.

“We were surrounded by a mass of 100,000 revelers in varying degrees of intoxication on Princes Street.” some of the sites. That evening we got in line, or queued up as they say in Scotland, at the George IV Bridge for the famous torchlight procession. More than 8,000 revelers held tall wax torches and, when the command was given, the torch lighting began. Each torch was lit from the torch held by the person in front.

Within a few minutes, thousands of torches were glowing, and we began the walk with 35,000 people through the city center and up Calton Hill, the same hill where I experienced the moon over Edinburgh Castle 30 years ago.

To say the feeling was surreal is an understatement. Emotions that I wasn’t aware existed rushed through me. I thought back to that day 30 years ago when my whole life was in front of me. I was in college doing a study abroad with no knowledge of what the future held. There were no thoughts of husbands or children or careers. No notion of what it would be like to lose a parent or a close friend or a beloved pet. No realization that I would one day look back on this moment and wonder where time had gone.

I was living in the moment, enjoying my youth but not knowing it – unaware that, within a few years, life would be speeding by, just as my mother had promised.

As we climbed the hill, I considered the continuum of time – how much of my life, my youth at least, was behind me, but for my daughter it was just beginning. She was walking up the same hill in the same metaphorical shoes I wore 30 years ago.

Her whole life loomed in front of her. It was a concept so difficult to articulate, I said nothing. I looked around at the thousands of people who were winding their way up the hill with us, many of them carrying torches, and I wondered if I was the only one having this self-absorbed epiphany.

As we reached the crest of the hill, the first firework flashed in the night sky. I looked for Edinburgh Castle to see if the almost full moon was over it, but there were too many people blocking the view. We watched the fireworks as they were launched from just a few feet away. I told Mallory about the cab driver and the castle and the moon.

My time in Edinburgh with my daughter was wonderful and memorable. Hogmanay on New Year’s Eve was overwhelming. We were surrounded by a mass of 100,000 revelers in varying degrees of intoxication on Princes Street. It was a little unsettling being pressed together shoulder-to-shoulder with no escape route. But the New Year’s Eve fireworks were spectacular – every hour on the hour beginning at 9 p.m.

Am I glad I did it? Definitely. Would I do it again? Probably. Just for the chance to walk up Calton Hill again and wax philosophical.

In February, when Julie Andrews appeared on stage during the Oscars to pay tribute to the Sound of Music 50 years after the original release of the film, I knew exactly what she meant when she said, “I blinked and suddenly here I am.” • Central California Life

| 15

Stories from the Heartland

Clean, polish, position, tag: Helping people let go of a lifetime of possessions Story and photos by Judith House Menezes

O

n a Monday morning somewhere in the Valley, estate liquidators Larry Peters and his wife, Donna, will begin to go through someone’s home.

They will go through every space – drawers, closets, the odd nook – and sometimes find surprises. Mummified animals. A cash stuffed sock in a hamper of dirty clothes. A pistol, thought to have been stolen, taped to the underside of a dresser drawer.

They have dealt with ghosts, hoarders, bickering siblings and a number of odd items: a stuffed dog with three legs, a misspelled tombstone (limited market) and several armadillos.

“You see some weird stuff,” Larry said.

There have been warm homes and cold homes, beautiful objects and junk. No two estates sales are ever the same, and that keeps the work interesting.

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Central California Life

“It’s a passion, a calling. I love everything about this business. I was born to be an estate liquidator,” said Larry, who has been in the business 28 years.

Their clients, usually after the loss of a loved one, are vulnerable. Kindness and sensitivity are required for there are emotions and memories, history and meanings to contend with.

“It’s very hard to walk into Mom’s home [to do a sale],” Larry said. “Very emotional and hard to take.”

THE HUNT FOR TREASURES In the beautiful home in north Fresno, the hard work is done. The prices are set. The following morning a line of bargain hunters, treasure seekers, collectors and antique buffs will line up as early as 4 a.m. for their chance to buy something – an art deco Bakelite clock, a 48-state flag or a Tiffany parrot lamp.

When their children were growing up, their friends had a special name for their home.

“Our house was known as the museum.”

Estate liquidators Larry and Donna Peters.

“They like the hunt, the deal, like American Pickers,” said Donna, referring to the buyers and the popular TV show. “Most of our customers like to dig.”

An atypical sale before Thanksgiving, which Donna called “amazing,” consisted of a house styled in all-white Pottery Barn furnishings less than two years old. It sold out in three and a half hours.

At a recent sale, the offerings included a custom-made mink fur coat for $975 and a rosewood-inlaid Étagère (a display cabinet) from the 1860s for $3,750.

They once sold an $18,000 contemporary dining room table at a house on Lake Van Ness. They’ve also sold a $10,000 tapestry, a $10,000 diamond bracelet among other real jewelry, and classic cars – T-birds, MG’s and motorcycles.

But there are also hoarder homes. At one house, the Peters filled 150 large 33-gallon garbage bags.

“They’re not all clean,” explained Donna, describing the range of homes as “good,” “bad” and “ugly.”

One appeal of estate sales is the history, they said.

“It has a past,” said Donna of sale items.

“It takes people back to an innocent time, a simpler time, maybe a more fun time,” Larry added.

But he said some people are in it for the money. And there are compulsive buyers with underlying emotional issues who are trying to fill a void.

One woman used to purchase items from him and, after she died, they did her estate sale. In the garage, they found shopping bags full of unpacked items.

“She never put it out and enjoyed it,” he said.

SKILL AS AN ANTIQUE DEALER HAS HELPED As a former antique dealer and collector, (he was a dealer for more than 40 years and still appraises) Larry has knowledge to back up his appraisals. His parents were longtime antique dealers and, as a young man, he was involved in the Serendipity! Antique Show. Though his mother has been gone for three years, he still gets goose bumps.

“I know Mom’s watching,” he said. “I feel her presence a lot. It pushes me to be a better person.”

Larry quit retail sales of antiques three years ago to focus entirely on the estate sales. Previously, he bought whole estates when the couple’s three children, now adults, were younger. The Peters were also once collectors. Their home is a mixture of old and new, with European art glass, art nouveau, pretty Victorian things and lots of collectibles. When their children were growing up, their friends had a special name for their home.

“Our house was known as the museum,” said Donna.

BEST ETHICAL PRACTICES Unlike their competitors, the Peters do not sell box items. Instead, each item is priced individually, maximizing profit for the families and them.

They don’t need to advertise. Their business is through referrals. Larry also does the Fig Garden Ladies Club sale.

There are two strict rules that Larry and Donna have. They guarantee all checks they take at the sale and they do not allow pre-sales or cherry picking.

“It’s all about ethics,” he said. “In this business it’s all you have.”

At the end of the first day of a sale, if an item catches their eye and hasn’t sold, they will ask the owner if they can buy it. More often than not, the owners will give it to the couple in gratitude for their hard work.

Most the clients are relieved to have someone else handle an estate sale.

Donna said people tell her, “We are so grateful to have you do this.”

Larry said his competitors force clients to fit their Central California Life

| 17

Along with antique treasures, the Peterses have found a number of odd items: mummified animals, a cash stuffed sock in a hamper of dirty clothes and a pistol, thought to have been stolen, taped to the underside of a dresser drawer. business mold. He does the opposite.

“We mold to their needs,” he said. “Each one is different, each one needs different care.”

For a Seventh-day Adventist family, he held the sale on Friday and Sunday.

Still, sometimes there are family arguments. Said Donna: “Money brings up the bad, the good.”

GREAT CUSTOMERS, SOME LIKE FAMILY Larry said they have an “unbelievable following of customers” from doctors and lawyers to field workers. They get new buyers each week and some become like family that sends them Christmas cards every year. About 2,000 people follow them on social media.

The Peters will go anywhere in the state but most of their business is in the Valley. Last year, they oversaw three sales in Hanford, two in Madera, and two in Tulare in addition to the several they handled in the greater Fresno area.

Many of their employees are family. Larry’s father, 88, works the sale with his girlfriend. Larry’s son, Matthew, 18, an aunt and a friend also work sales. All told, seven to eight people are involved on sale day.

The Peters typically charge a 20 to 50 percent commission. The couple does about 45 sales each year, with bookings two to three months ahead, and some weekends there are two sales.

IT BEGAN WITH A CUSTOMER A nice woman, a friend who used to buy antique porcelain from Larry, passed away. Her daughter found his business card among her mother’s possessions. On the back was a note: “If you ever want to sell everything call him.”

“They asked me to come over. It was like going back in time,” Larry said. “Just amazing merchandise. That was how it started. From there it mushroomed.”

Before a sale, family members remove anything they want. The Peters advise families not to be there for the sale. The cycle usually starts on a Monday morning with Larry appraising items for two to three days and Donna cleaning and setting up. Before the sale, 200 photos and a thorough list of items appear on their website, where people can sign up for e-mail alerts on sales. The sale is advertised in newspapers and on Craigslist and Facebook.

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Central California Life

By Friday, the final touches are made and the signs are out. The sale is held on Saturday and Sunday. About 200 people line up early, sometimes before the sun rises.

“We call it controlled chaos,” Donna said. “It is something to be seen.”

HIDDEN TREASURES AND SPOOKY THINGS Both Larry and Donna have stories to tell – sad, funny and strange. Years ago, Larry was alone, preparing for an estate sale in the Hanford home of two deceased sisters, 94 and 96, who had never married. They were born in the house and had died in the house within six months of each other. He would arrive in the morning and hear unusual noises. Doors would close, lights would go on, a book would fall off a shelf.

“Finally I realized there was something there,” he said.

When he went through the door one morning, he started saying, “‘Good morning ladies. Show me how you want it.’

“I never heard anything again.”

Some homes have been cold, as if there has been strife, he said. Other homes have been warm and inviting.

“It’s like the walls are exuding this happiness,” he said.

Fortunate things can happen such as the time Donna found a sock full of $3,400 in cash.

“They couldn’t believe they missed it,” she said. “They couldn’t believe we were so honest.”

Sometimes people give a home to odd things. A man purchased the three-legged dog mounted on a piece of wood to display by his pond.

As for anything embarrassing they might find, Larry said, “We make no judgments. We are very discreet.”

Donna said people ask them how they can just let go of the beautiful possessions they come across.

Larry is philosophical.

“We don’t own anything,” he said. “At best, we are caretakers for these inanimate objects in a short amount of time.”

The business is more about helping people than pretty objects.

“I hang my hat on that,” he said. • For more information about Larry Peters Liquidation, go to lpliquidation.com.

Judith House Menezes is a professor of journalism and adviser to the student newspaper at College of the Sequoias in Visalia.

Estate Sales When our publisher Karen Maroot stopped by an estate sale held by Larry Peters several years ago, she was amazed by the quality and beauty of the items she found. She now visits estate sales several times a year.

Here are a just a few local estate sale companies to assist you in your own search for timeless treasures.

Happy hunting!

Basements and Beyond www.basementsandbeyondestates.com 559-606-5112 Beethoven’s Estate Liquidators www.beethovensestates.net 559-642-4273 Big Valley Estate Sales www.bigvalleyestatesales.com 559-790-8598 Chesterfields Antiques & Consignments www.chesterfieldsantiques.com 559-225-4736 Clutterby’s Auctions & Estate Sales www.clutterbys.com 559-683-8558 Dan Cobb Estate-Business Liquidations www.dcobbestateliquidators.com 559-577-3787 Ed Steer & Associates www.edsteerliquidations.com 559-243-6200 Fresno Estate Sales www.fresnoestatesales.com 559-367-6673 Great Estates www.greatestatesfresno.com 559-960-4580 Larry Peters Liquidations www.lpliquidation.com 559-285-2381 Steward Estate Sales www.stewardestatesales.com 559-538-9115 Other interesting places as you search for treasures: www.bebelongfineart.com Local Artist who incorporates her art into her estate sales www.clovisantiques.com List of Antique Shops in Old Town Clovis as well as Antique Fairs www.facebook.com/YoshiNow Retro thrift shop in Downtown Fresno www.facebook.com/fresnohighflea Monthly flea market at Fresno High School Cooper House Estate Sales A lovely Estate Sale Company run by two sisters 559-287-9934 Osterburgs Estate Liquidations One of the oldest Antique Dealers in Californi 559-298-4291 Central California Life

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Geri & Ann:

Ann (left) and Geri in October 2010. For years, they rode their matching scooters from sale to sale, looking for steals.

Story and photos by Bud Elliott

E

ver heard the one about the lady who bought a leather recliner at a garage sale for $20 and found a gold bracelet under the cushion?

How about the lucky shopper who shelled out $5 for a wristwatch and later had it appraised at $2,500?

Urban legends?

Nope.

Tall tales?

Hardly.

Outright lies?

No way!

No, just a couple of incredible finds by a north Fresno garage sale shopper named Ann, who, along with her 20 |

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long-time bargain hunting companion, Geri, has taken the fine art of shopping and lifted it into the realm of, well, junk science. And luck.

Most serious Saturday garage sale shoppers have a well-developed, time-tested, surefire method of sniffing out bargains and grabbing them quick.

Ann and Geri have been perfecting their strategy for years – you might call them garage sale guerrilla gals because they are stealthy in their approach, incredibly focused and absolutely ruthless when they move in for the kill.

“We try to identify the best prospects before we ever leave the house. We

map out our route and then hit the road at 6:45 every Saturday morning,” explains Ann, before Geri chimes in, “It’s absolutely essential that we get to the first couple of sales before anybody else does, and that means arriving at 7 o’ clock sharp.”

And how do they identify the best prospects?

“Secret,” Ann says. “Lots of research, sure, but the actual process? Top secret. I can’t tell you, because, well, it’s secret.”

On a warm Saturday morning in November, Geri scores first. Five minutes into the first stop she spots a nearly-new leather coat, easily worth $40 or $50 dollars. Another shopper is moving closer.

“Shopping is a woman thing. It’s a contact sport like football. Women enjoy the scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death, and the ecstasy of the purchase.”

–Erma Bombeck

Browsing items at a garage sale last fall. Ann once purchased a recliner for $20, only to find a gold bracelet under the cushion. And she’s found more gold twice more.

“How much?” Geri asks quickly as she hefts the coat.

“Five dollars,” the lady selling it says.

“How ‘bout three?” Geri counters.

“Sure, why not.”

Geri counts out three crisp one dollar bills and hands them over.

Game on.

“What about this?” It’s a nearly new bedspread easily worth $100.

“That’s $15 dollars,” the lady says.

“Will you take 10?” Geri flashes cash and the deal is done.

Ann and Geri have been fast friends and stalwart shoppers for 10 years or more. Both are widows with grown children. Both love the chase. That gold bracelet Ann found? Actually, she’s found two others over the years. Bargain hunting has its rewards. Success loves success.

Driveway merchants love to see them coming. For many years, the two ladies were famous for scooting from sale to sale on twin Yamaha motor bikes. One summer they logged more than 2,000 miles on those little rascals. That is, until the law caught up with them.

“Our scooters have 125-cc motors,” Geri explains. “Well, guess what, you can’t drive on the freeway with anything smaller than a 150-cc bike, which more than one traffic officer was happy to explain to us.”

“And so, we had to access the other side of town the back way, by using about an eighth of a mile of bike trail near Woodward Park,” Ann says.

“That got us busted, too! No motorized bikes. Period.”

Ann, a former deputy sheriff, reluctantly retired her scooter. Geri thought about going rogue – after all, she paid $40 for a motorcycle license, $30 for a bike parking license and $2,500 for the bike itself. In the end, she followed suit. Now they drive from sale to sale in Ann’s SUV. So, while some of the charm of two nice ladies riding shiny new Yamaha motor bikes from driveway to driveway early Saturday mornings has been erased from the Fresno-Clovis landscape forever, the ladies themselves have not given up the hunt.

Far from it.

At the second stop of the morning, Ann spots a set of two wrought-iron side tables. “Perfect for plants on the patio,” she says.

She turns to the lady, “How much?”

“Oh, $5,” the homeowner says.

“Will you take three?” (It’s worth a try. It worked for Geri, after all.)

“Sold!”

Just that quick.

Ann started an in-home dog-sitting business awhile ago. It’s called Riverside Pup Paradise. Now she’s got her hands full with visiting pups of all sizes and shapes. Some Saturdays she takes the whole crew garage hopping. Other days she just stays home.

But one thing is certain: The two gals plan a shopping road trip to Kingsburg in the near future. The say they’ll ride their Yamahas.

Stealthily, under the radar. Side streets and country roads. Legal and lethal.

It’s all about the hunt, remember.

Ann says she’s pretty sure there is another gold bracelet stuck under the cushions of some sofa or love seat out there in somebody’s garage right now. It’s her duty to go out and find it. • Bud Elliott retired in May 2014 from a broadcast journalism career that spanned 49 years, including 27 years at KSEE-TV in Fresno.

He is currently a freelance writer.

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Stories from the Heartland

Fotini Alfieris: Former broadcast journalist heads local MS Society

by Judith House Menezes

F

otini Alfieris was once an ambitious broadcast journalist who produced professional newscasts in college. She enjoyed the adrenaline rush and thought this would be her life.

Then, at 22, she was diagnosed with MS, a progressive neurological disease that hits people in the prime of life. She eventually left journalism, got married and found her true calling: working for the MS Society.

Now at 30, Alfieris is the Central Valley program director for the Southern California/Nevada Chapter of the MS Society.

She calls her job “amazing,” and says she likes “being there for people, especially [the] newly diagnosed to let them know there is life after diagnosis.”

Her job includes programming and educating.

She organizes wellness classes and workshops such as Free From Falls, Yoga for MS, Cogni Fitness and Nutrition and MS. Her services cover Madera, Fresno, Tulare and Kings counties.

“What I’ve realized is this diagnosis has truly been a blessing in disguise.

“In the beginning it’s just, ‘What?’ ‘Why?’” Alfieris said. “You are so angry, and then you realize ‘I’m able to do what I do best and put it toward something that is good for so many people.’”

Her diagnosis also gives her instant credibility with people who have MS. One time a frustrated woman called the MS society and asked her, “How would you understand?”

When Alfieris told her she had temporarily lost vision in both her eyes, the woman’s attitude “completely changed,” the Colorado native recalled.

SOUTHWEST ROOTS Originally from Denver, Alfieris came to the Val22 |

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Alfieris was in her early 20s when she was diagnosed with MS. She has since earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Fresno Pacific University and held positions of increasing responsibility for the MS Society. Photo by Judith House Menezes

ley in August 2005 for an internship at KMPH, then owned by Pappas Broadcasting. She started part-time on the floor, became a writer and then produced “Great Day.” Ready to start Fresno State that January, she got a job offer to work for Harry Pappas, owner of Pappas Broadcasting, in Reno. She worked on projects and was part of a team that launched community correspondents in 25 stations across the country. She traveled and did feature reporting on the side for KFRE in Reno. In early 2007, she was going full tilt, under a lot of stress and was finally reaching senior status at the University of Nevada, Reno when her body gave out.

She had numbness, tingling, blurred vision, was running into things and didn’t feel right. She remembers thinking, “There’s something wrong with my body.”

It came to a head when she took her then boyfriend, Steve, to the airport. He called after checking in and she told him she was headed to the hospital. His luggage left, but he skipped the flight to be with her.

The 2014 Walk MS at Woodward Park in Fresno. Photo courtesy of the MS Society

“The walk is my pride and joy, knowing how small it was and how huge it is now. It’s an awesome community event.”

Four days of tests followed. The diagnosis came. Two weeks later she lost vision in her left eye. (Her sight has since been restored.)

“I had no idea. MS? What is that?

Jerry’s kids? I knew nothing about it,” Alfieris said. “Nobody in my family had it.”

The beginning was hard. She had to drop her college classes. She felt betrayed.

“I’d been an athlete all my life,” she said.

Her MS was aggressive. Because of balance and difficulty walking, she gave away her high-heeled shoes thinking she would never wear them again.

“Then I made a decision,” Alfieris said. “‘I need to make lemonade out of lemons and make this a blessing.’”

She has been on a disease-modifying drug for six years and has not relapsed.

Her husband is supportive.

“When they diagnosed me, I said, ‘You did not sign up for this. I will not hate you if you leave me,’” Afieris recalled.

He told her, “You look at me right now. I’m not going anywhere.”

“He was with me when I went through the worst of it, when I couldn’t walk across the room,” she said.

A month later, he proposed and they married the following year.

“It’s never been, ‘She has MS.’ It’s, ‘We have MS,’” Alfieris said.

RETURN TO THE VALLEY In August 2007, Alfieris returned to Fresno to produce “Valley Life” at KMPH. She also started volunteering with the MS Society.

“I said, ‘Gosh, I should help. How can I help? Utilize me,’” she said.

Her health declined and she took a

leave from her producing job to plan her wedding. Then, the MS Society hired her to help with the annual walk.

In July 2008 she was offered at fulltime job as the community development coordinator.

Now, she and a part-time person run the Fresno office. She has more than tripled the amount the Fresno MS walk raises, taking it from $50,000 in 2007 to $163,000 last year. Participation has increased from 850 people in 2007 to 2,000 in 2014.

Last year, Alfieris successfully moved the walk from Woodward Park, where the terrain was uneven and participants had to pay parking fees, to Fig Garden Village. She also persuaded the city to close Palm Avenue from Shaw to Browning Avenue.

“The walk is my pride and joy, knowing how small it was and how huge Central California Life

| 23

Fotini and her husband, Steve.

Photo by Judith House Menezes

it is now. It’s an awesome community event,” she said.

At this year’s walk on April 25, about 30 “Fo Fighters” will be out in full force. The name is a play on the band the Foo Fighters and is composed of Alfieris’ family and friends. They will join about 60 other teams. Alfieris’ younger sister and an aunt in Denver started the original “Fo Fighters.” All told, the two teams have raised about $200,000 for MS. “A GIVING AND INDOMITABLE SPIRIT” Alfieris is known in the community as a hard worker.

“Fotini doesn’t stop,” said Cortney Snapp, community director for Make-AWish Central California. “She has regular priorities just like the rest of us. Family, home life, friends, church, the list goes on and on. I think I am a busy woman, and then I look at Fotini in awe.”

Snapp called Alfieris a “world changer” and has been part of the Fo Fighters team for six years.

“When she was diagnosed with MS, she decided to make it her life’s passion to challenge the disease head24 |

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on,” said the Rev. Fr. James C. Pappas, her priest at St. George Church in Fresno, who described her as “a giving and indomitable spirit.”

“Her faith in God has strengthened and she has rallied the entire church to support the efforts to find a cure.”

She has rallied others, as well. In 2011, she was able to get Stamoules Produce to put orange bands with “MS Join the Movement” around boxes of broccoli.

(Orange is the official color representing MS awareness.) The company has also replaced their standard blue bands with orange bands on corn and cantaloupe that is shipped to Canada and Mexico and changed the color of their logo to orange.

“My hope is that other produce companies who do have a connection to MS might do that,” she said.

Alfieris also started a Dinner of Champions benefit in Fresno, which honors a Central Valley donor. Last fall, the $150 a plate dinner raised $50,000.

ASKING FOR MONEY Raising money in the Valley is challenging.

“We are reaching for a pool of money that is so small,” Alfieris explained. “It’s really hard to convince people your cause is worth it. There are so many worthy causes.

“People say, ‘How can you ask for money for a living?’ But I know what is at risk if I don’t. I risk losing funding for programs and services.”

She said much of the money raised is kept locally, adding that the MS website is transparent about what the funds are used for.

Another challenge is covering a large region with no MS specialist and working with rural health care professionals. Making connections and cultivating relationships is key, she said. So is helping people understand MS.

“It’s something we struggle with all the time. Every interview I’ve ever done, especially during MS Awareness Week, I make it clear we are not Jerry’s kids. We are not MD,” she said of muscular dystrophy, a group of muscular diseases. “We are multiple sclerosis.”

Worldwide, 2.4 million people have MS. Alfieris said someone new is diagnosed with the disease every hour of every day. It affects women more than men.

While there is no known cause or cure for MS, there are treatments.

“It’s exciting to think there is so much research going on,” she said.

When Alfieris was diagnosed, there were five disease-modifying medications. Now there are 12 FDA approved medications. (There is no treatment for progressive MS.) Alfieris said MS is a different disease from 30 years ago. Then, “they would send you home and wish you luck,” she noted. Now, if caught early, many people with MS can live normal lives.

While most of her 45 co-workers in the Southern California/Nevada chapter have a connection to the disease through a sibling or a parent, Alfieris is the only employee who has MS. “I laugh. I tell them I care about it just a little bit more,” she said. • Judith House Menezes is a professor of journalism and adviser to the student newspaper at College of the Sequoias in Visalia.

Walk MS Fresno 2015 April 25, 9 a.m.

Fig Garden Village For more information, contact Fotini Alfieris (559) 439-2154 fotini.alfieris@nmss.org

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Stories from the Heartland

Preserving history:

Fresno State project gives voice to Valley veterans

by Valerie Shelton

W

hen Fresno State journalism professor Gary Rice moved to Fresno in 2003, the first thing he noticed about the Central Valley was its heightened patriotism.

That observation later birthed the idea for the Central California War Veterans Oral History Project.

“There are lots of former military people, lots of veterans, lots of career military types and, of course, an extremely large Veterans Day parade in town,” Rice said. “So I thought it would be a natural fit to have this project here. It turns out it is.”

Students who participate in the Central California War Veterans Oral History Project interview local veterans and transcribe their recordings to create historical documents that are archived in the Henry Madden Library at Fresno State.

Since the project launched in 2010, 459 oral histories have been completed.

Thirty new oral histories will be added to the archives at a ceremony at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Building on May 6.

A COMMUNITY OF VETERANS Charlie Waters, an active member of many local veterans’ organizations, said the project is perfect for the Central Valley, which is home to 300,000plus veterans.

“You always hear about the Central Valley being the last on the list, but we’re toward the top of the list when it comes to how many veterans live here,” Waters said. “That is partially because our

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Central California Life

Fresno State journalism professor Gary Rice started the Central California War Veterans Oral History Project in 2010. By the end of this year, more than 500 oral histories will be in the collection. Photo by Dan Minkler

community has great respect for veterans and offers a lot of services.

Fresno has the second largest Veterans Day parade in the country and we have one of the finest military museums. We also have a new veterans’ home that other places are trying to emulate.”

Waters, a Korean era combat veteran, said the Central California War Veterans Oral History Project is beneficial for all involved.

“Many veterans think that people have forgotten, but when a student contacts them and shows interest in hearing their story, they feel appreciated,” Waters said. “It’s been a couple years since a student interviewed me, but I remember meeting with him two to five times and, after spending some time with him, I was able to loosen up and recall experiences I hadn’t thought of in a long time.

“He was very interested and it was a great experience for him because he didn’t know a lot about the Korean War before that and he gained some insight. It was also good for me to remember my experience.”

Rice advises student Thea Napolitano. Students who participate in the oral history project interview veterans, transcribe their recordings and create documents that are archived in the university library.

Students and veterans will often form a bond that lasts way beyond the initial interview.

Photo by Dan Minkler

Paul Loeffler, who hosts the Hometown Heroes radio show and helps facilitate the local Honor Flight program, said he is delighted to partner with the Central California War Veterans Oral History Project and its students, some who have gone on the Honor Flights to Washington D.C. to interview veterans and witness them seeing the World War II monument for the first time.

“The project is valuable for veterans of all ages, but it has been especially meaningful for World War II veterans,” Loeffler said. “Today’s Fresno State students are about the same age as these heroes were when they went to war. To have young people express genuine interest in their experiences not only makes them feel appreciated, but it gives them a chance to inspire the future with stories from the past.”

Rice’s assistant on the project, graduate student Sammy LoProto, said some of the stories he has heard from veterans are jaw-dropping.

“One veteran I interviewed, Roger Jensen, was the pilot on the last plane on the last mission of World War II,” LoProto said. “He was part of the last bombing raid of B-29s. As the group of planes started to take off, the plane he was on had some engine difficulties so they were

called off, but the mechanic was able to fix the problem and they decided to take off. As the plane was flying back, he remembered hearing over the radio that the war was over.

“That story just made my jaw drop to the floor. This is just one man’s story.

All the students who work on the project get to hear different stories like this and they are amazing to hear.”

FORGING INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS Rice said students and veterans will often form a bond that lasts way beyond the initial interview.

“When talking about their experience with the project at the end-of-thesemester ceremony, veterans will use the phrase ‘my student’ when talking about the student who interviewed them,” Rice said. “Conversely, I hear students talk about ‘my veteran.’ That’s a good indication that bonds are being developed.

I know of several cases where students have stayed in contact with their veteran for years after the interview.”

Daniel Ward, a recent Fresno State graduate who holds the record for having done the most oral histories of any student so far – nine – said one of the veterans he interviewed has become a

Daniel Ward with Lucille and Chuck Noll. Noll, who served in the Navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II, was one of nine veterans Ward interviewed for the oral history project.

What began as a class assignment for Ward blossomed into a lasting friendship. He and Noll talk on the phone regularly and go out to eat together. Photo courtesy of Daniel Ward

lifelong friend.

“One couple has become my surrogate grandparents,” Ward said. “I go to the shooting range or grab some hamburgers for lunch with him and he and his wife have had me over for dinner several times. I’ve also become friends with their son.”

In March, Ward was sworn into the Air Force as a commissioned officer in the medical program. During the ceremony, he held on to one of the veteran’s medals.

Interviewing this particular veteran, as well as the other eight, had such an impact on him that he was able to make the decision to enlist wholeheartedly.

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Photo by Dan Minkler

“I’ve wanted to serve since I was in elementary school but this project helped affirm that I was in the right place mentally to apply for the Air Force program,” Ward said. “One question I would ask at the end of each interview was whether or not the veteran would recommend service work to others and the overwhelming response was that they would encourage it.

“For me, hearing that from the average soldier – if you can call someone who was willing to sacrifice his life for his country average – was inspiring.”

In addition to the relationships forged out of the program, veterans also have a newfound connection to their local university.

“Before this project started, veterans had little or no connection with the Fresno State campus,” Henry Madden Library Associate Dean Dave Tyckoson said. “When the project first started, though, the veterans would come on campus for the end-of-semester ceremony at the library. The ceremony has now outgrown the library, but the project still gives the veterans involved a connection to Fresno State.”

“I remember one Vietnam veteran who spoke at one of the first ceremonies who said he had not set foot on a college campus since before joining the service,” Tyckoson continued. “He was from the Bay Area and said, when he got out [of the service], people in college mistreated 30 |

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While the project is a meaningful one for veterans and students alike, the end product created after each interview holds tremendous historical value. him so he stayed away from colleges.

“Now, he was able to go on a college campus, be welcomed and see things in a positive way.”

MAKING HISTORY While the project is a meaningful one for veterans and students alike, the end product created after each interview holds tremendous historical value.

Each oral history, Tyckoson said, includes a transcript and recording of the interview and any documents or photos the veteran chooses to add. A list of the histories is also available online.

Right now, he said, the database is only organized by name, but soon it will be organized by conflict and branch of service, as well. In the future, the recordings will be put online also so they are easily accessible for researchers out of the area.

Tyckoson said that at least two researchers a month come in to study the oral histories. Scholars have started to cite the information they contain in books and other published works. He said these developments are “pretty remarkable” for Fresno State and the Central Valley.

“We currently have 459 oral histories in the collection and we are going to pass the 500 mark by the end of the year,” Tyckoson said. “It’s the largest archive of its kind and it’s growing rapidly. That growth is important because these stories need to be gathered. Sadly, there are so few World War I veterans left, and soon we will no longer be able to get a firsthand

account of World War II without referring to oral histories. The Vietnam era veterans won’t be around forever, either.”

Waters said the historical records are also good resources for families who want to research relatives who have served.

“Many people come to the veterans’ museum wanting to find out more about their father or grandfather who served in World War II,” Waters said.

“Having access to these oral histories will help families in the future who want to go and hear a firsthand account about their loved one’s experience.”

Rice said what makes the project unique is that it can potentially continue on indefinitely.

“The project can probably go on forever because there will always be new veterans created,” he said. “That is the beauty of it. It is a historical resource but it is also one that stays alive with new subjects.”

Ward said he would encourage any Fresno State student with an interest in the project to get involved.

“It’s a fantastic program,” he said.

“You don’t need to be a journalism major to take part. I was chemistry major and pre-med. All you need is an interest.

“I’d also encourage any veterans willing to share their story to be a part of it.” • Valerie Shelton has worked as a reporter and editor for several Central Valley publications. Most recently, she was editor of The Fowler Ensign, a small town paper which ceased publication last fall. She currently writes freelance and plans to go back to school and earn a teaching credential.

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Stories from the Heartland The fifth in a series of Central Valley Honor Flights will depart from Fresno on April 25 with a group of 65 to 70 World War II military veterans anxious to visit the many war memorials built in their honor in Washington, D.C. Of the 16 million Americans who served under arms in the second great war of the 20th century, fewer than 850,000 are still alive. The last surviving vets are dying at the rate of 650 per day.

The 100 Honor Flight hubs around the country are in a race against time to get the remaining World War II vets a seat on an Honor Flight. Only in very rare and extraordinary cases are vets from Korea or Vietnam or Desert Storm invited on a flight. There were four Central Valley Honor Flights last year. Vietnam vet Tom Beckham was booked on the September 2014 Honor Flight.

A

s a U.S. Marine, Sgt. Marion B. Beckham, III served two 11-month tours of duty in the northern provinces of South Vietnam from early 1966 until November of 1968. Upon arrival, he was thrown into early and intense battles throughout the city of Da Nang and the provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Tri. He endured 10 days of captivity and torture in a 3’ x 3’ x 3’ bamboo cage before escaping, was knocked out cold when a Viet Cong bullet pierced his helmet, survived a helicopter crash landing, killed a full quota of enemy troops and received toxic exposure to the powerful defoliant, Agent Orange.

“I was never sprayed directly. It was always after the fact,” he recalled at his home in Oakhurst in July 2014. “It’s like a mist, and I don’t know how else to describe it.

“It’s like a London fog.”

The dioxin-laced chemical was used extensively by American and South Vietnam34 |

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TAPS for TOM Story by Bud Elliott

Honor Flights have allowed military veterans from around the country to visit war memorials built in their honor in Washington, D.C. Photo by Bud Elliott

ese forces to defoliate vast stretches of jungle and cropland to deprive the Viet Cong of food and the lush green canopy so useful in hiding troops.

“And the stench! It’s got this smell,” Beckham said. “It’s like smelling a burnt body. You never, ever forget it.

Never.”

Only later did Americans discover the horrible effects of Agent Orange on human bodies, tens of thousands of “Tom was born for the stage, he could them, friend and foe alike. light up a room the moment he entered,” said lifetime friend and band member, In the summer of 1969, BeckGene Day. Photo by Gene Day ham returned to Oakhurst with a chest-full of service medals and an honorable discharge. He settled into a career making music and entertaining friends in cities and towns from Berkeley to Bakersfield, but mainly in the foothill towns near Oakhurst, Bass Lake and Shaver Lake.

“Tom was born for the stage. He could light up a room the moment he entered,” said lifetime friend and band member, Gene Day, “He loved his little band and he loved to perform.”

“In fact, he never really talked about the Vietnam War, and he certainly never told us anything about the damage that Agent Orange had done to him,” she said.

Jerry Burns, who played bass guitar with the band, said Beckham “could infect a whole room with his charisma.”

“I’ll always remember his sheer joy at dancing the polka, of all things, years ago at a club in Clovis,” he said. “His head thrown back, that cheek-to-cheek smile of his, cowboy boots clomping in overdrive, hair flying out like a colt at the Derby.”

Tom’s fatigue hat sits on the Tom Beckham passed away July 19, When Al Perry, president of the Central Valley Honor Vietnam Veterans Memorial 2014, 58 days before his Central Valley Flight organization, heard of Beckham’s fragile and deteriorating Wall in D.C. Photo by Gene Day Honor Flight. Photo by Gene Day condition, he extended a special invitation to join the next availAt the same time he quietly began a 46-year private war able flight. At first Beckham resisted emphatically, but gradually against the military to win recognition, compensation and began to realize that the trip would be vindication for his long treatment for his war-related injuries. battle.

For many years after the Vietnam War, the Department “I decided to do it for my buddies,” he said. “I don’t know of Veterans Affairs denied that thousands of American troops why I survived and so many of them didn’t. I don’t want to go out had been harmed by their exposure to Agent Orange or the with all this hatred. many similar defoliating weapons. But Beckham knew almost “I want to go to the Wall and tell them I did my best.” immediately that his headaches, skin rashes, acne, mood and Almost every vet who makes an Honor Flight will tell you sleep changes, general malaise and early signs of Post Trauthat they are not heroes, that they didn’t contribute as much as matic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were all a direct result of the the other guy, that they regret not giving more to the war effort. noxious, toxic chemicals that touched him during combat in “You look around and here’s these other guys, same situVietnam. ation as I am in. They want to go but they’re afraid to take that “We told the VA that each and every one of these sympnext step,” Beckham said last summer. “It brings back a lot of toms was caused by Agent Orange, but for years and years they hurt.” just wouldn’t listen,” he said.

Perhaps that is why there are always a few old vets who Finally, in 1984, one of the manufacturers of chemical simply cannot get off the chartered bus to join their comrades at defoliants agreed to pay several thousand GIs $3,000 apiece to the Marine Memorial or the Tomb of the Unknowns. The memsettle injury claims. ories 70 years later are still too vivid to touch – the thunderous “It was in insult,” Beckham said. “I didn’t take it.” unceasing noise of battle; the constant, ungodly stink of death; The Department of Defense continued to refuse to admit an unexpected SLAP! SLAP! of bullets shattering the skull of any liability for the growing list of maladies ascribed to Agent your closest buddy; air too putrid to breathe; smoke and fire and Orange. Beckham, and many like him, fought harder. Lawsuits, brutality and 50 consecutive days of cold beans and unwashed congressional hearings, medical research and public opinion fear … Far too much for a 20-year old soul to endure. slowly pushed the military-industrial complex into a corner.

Yet they did.

As the years passed, Beckkam’s symptoms worsened.

On the Vietnam Honor Wall in Washington, DC there are Legal blindness, perhaps the result of diabetes, brought on by 58,300 names of men and women who served and died during stress. Skin cancer and then lung cancer. A liver transplant and the Vietnam conflict. Tom Beckham’s name should be on that then a pancreas transplant. Increasingly severe PTSD. wall. But it’s not, because Beckham had the misfortune of dying And all the while, his band played on.

46 years after receiving his fatal wounds while serving two tours “I tried not to show my emotions because I was in a of duty as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam. business where people paid good, hard money to be enterWe spoke at his home in Oakhurst on July 9, 2014. He tained, and that was my job – to entertain,” Beckham said. passed away on July 19, 58 days before his Central Valley Honor “(But) I had the highest level of PTSD without being Flight. • sent to the nut house. I wasn’t suicidal – I was homicidal.”

Linda Day, the band’s lead vocalist for several years, said Bud Elliott retired in May 2014 from a broadcast journalism career Beckham never showed his suffering. that spanned 49 years, including 27 years at KSEE-TV in Fresno. He is currently a freelance writer.

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what is it ?

It is serious information and a seriously good time. Spirit of Women at Saint Agnes Medical Center is how we care for you, the caregiver for everyone else. It’s how we personalize your health experience. It’s how we help you maintain good health. It’s education, prevention, screenings, diagnostic testing and early intervention. It’s for you and about you.

who has it ?

We know you have it and will spread it to your family, your friends and our community.

where is it ?

Find it in leading hospitals across the country. Find it in our community.

Find it exclusively at Saint Agnes Medical Center.

Visit www.samc.com/spirit-of-women to find it in you!

Saint Agnes Medical Center

laughter intelligence spunk strength compassion

grace 36 |

Central California Life

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Stories from the Heartland

Fresno State’s Armenian Genocide Monument: First of its kind in the nation Story by Marine Vardanyan

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Marine Vardanyan, president of the Armenian student organization at Fresno State, in front of the Armenian Genocide Monument. The monument is the first of its kind to be built on a university campus in the U.S. It will be unveiled in a special ceremony on April 23.

Photo by Dan Minkler

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Central California Life

ot unlike members of other immigrant groups, Armenians came to the Central Valley in pursuit of a better life. In many ways, however, their story is unique. They arrived not only as farmers and laborers, but also as immigrants escaping genocide. An estimated 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman Turks between 1915-1923.

Those who survived were forced to scatter to all corners of the world.

Armenians have successfully integrated into American society, contributing locally and nationally as politicians, lawyers, judges, doctors, educators, business professionals and more. Today, about 40,000 Armenians live in the Central Valley. Many are direct descendants of genocide survivors.

“Armenians have been involved in virtually every aspect of Fresno’s development,” says Barlow Der Mugrdechian, coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State, of their strong local presence.

On the evening of April 23, a

That Fresno State would be the first university in the nation to house such a monument is of no surprise given the multi-level contributions Armenians have made to the Central Valley in general and Fresno in particular. monument commemorating the tragic event that catalyzed Armenian immigration to the U.S. will be unveiled on the Fresno State campus. The Armenian Genocide Monument is intended to serve as a permanent structure for honoring the lives of the martyrs, raising awareness of the tragic event and the historical injustice that surrounds it, and inspiring the world to overcome adversities and condemn the reoccurrence of similar crimes.

That Fresno State would be the first university in the nation to house such a monument is of no surprise given the multi-level contributions Armenians have made to the Central Valley in general and Fresno in particular. Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro, who has consistently voiced support for the campus project, summarized the perspective of many when he asked, “Where else should that [monument] be but here in Fresno?”

The monument will be erected on Maple Mall, a campus location selected for its high student traffic and accessibility to the public. The area is considered a fitting location because of its surrounding monuments, which include the World War I and World War II memorials.

Architect Paul Halajian worked with the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of Fresno (AGC Fresno) on the monument’s design. The goal was to create a monument that represented the event both as a traumatic moment in Armenian history and as a foundation for the way Armenians see themselves today.

The monument will be a circular stone structure composed of nine pillars, each representing an aspect of Armenian history. The pillars will be constructed of Tufa stone imported from Armenia. Similar to the Armenian Genocide Monument in Yerevan, Armenia, the pillars of the Fresno The program on April 23 will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Maple Mall on the Fresno State campus. Free and handicapped parking will be available for the ceremony in lots P5 and P6 near the Peters Business Building. Overflow parking will be available free of charge in the Save Mart Center parking lot.

For more information about this and other centennial events, go to agcfresno.org.

The Armenian Genocide Monument in Yerevan, Armenia

State monument will be angled inwards. A unique feature of the local monument will be the height of the pillars. The first pillar will be 19-feet high. Subsequent pillars will gradually descend in height to the last pillar, which, at 15-feet high, will symbolize the year of the Armenian genocide.

An incomplete stainless steel halo will be placed on top the pillars to symbolize the disruption in Armenian history and the fracture caused by the genocide. A symbol of eternity will be featured at the center of the monument, symbolizing the perpetuation of the Armenian people in the face of adversity. Other features of the monument will include a waterfall in the middle of each pillar, lighting at nighttime and a timeline of important dates in Armenian history.

“The monument is a way to artistically represent the feelings of the community as well as … an object for pedagogical purposes,” says Sergio La Porta, professor of Armenian Studies at Fresno state and chairman of AGC. The monument is expected to provide thousands of faculty, students and campus visitors with opportunities to learn. Along with its symbolic design, the structure will have signage that includes QR codes that direct individuals to more information about the genocide. • Marine Vardanyan is a student at Fresno State. She is also president of the campus Armenian student organization and editor of the Armenian student newspaper, Hye Sharzhoom.

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The Wish List

Mother’s Day Ara Karkazian Watch & Jewelry Co.

Gifts

Photos by Dan Minkler

1776 W Bullard Ave, Fresno (559) 431-0900

Photos courtesy of Ara Karkazian Watch & Jewelry Co.

Simon G Fashion Ring, Paisley Collection $5,940 (platinum) $4,620 (gold)

Baume Et Mercier Watch Capeland 10006 $7,500

Surprise mom with this Simon G fashion ring from the line’s Paisley collection. The vintageinspired tri-tone band features a delicate floral design, accented by .62-carat round cut white diamonds and .12-carat round cut yellow diamonds, and set in lovely 18-karat rose, yellow and white gold.

This Baume et Mercier Capeland 10006 chronograph watch combines sobriety and elegance, with lines inspired by a 1948 model. Its 44-milimeter diameter pebbleshaped case and its determinedly vintage design makes this steel timepiece a model of perfect balance. This watch is driven by a La Joux Perret 8147-2 automatic manufacture movement equipped with a flyback function and visible through a transparent sapphire case-back. Fitted with an off-white dial displaying two counters, it also has a datedisplay aperture and features two graduated scales: one tachymetric and the other telemetric. Symbolizing an unashamedly sport-chic style, this watch is worn with a black alligator strap closed by a pin buckle.

Tacori RoyalT Engagement Ring $16,750 (platinum) $14,800 (gold) (not including center diamond)

Maybe you’re looking to replace the ring you bought her on your 21-yearold salary, or maybe you’re looking to make her the mother of your future children. Whatever the case may be, this Tacori RoyalT engagement ring is the perfect choice. Channels of graduating diamonds curve into the ceiling of this distinctive engagement ring, featuring two rows of blooming diamonds to enhance the cushion-cut center diamond. RoyalT designs are only available in platinum, 18-karat rose gold and 18-karat yellow gold.

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Central California Life

Fresno Piano Gallery, Inc. 7194 N Abby Street Fresno (559) 226-0793 How many moms would have loved to take the time to learn to play the piano or maybe even just have a lovely piano that could play their favorite tunes for them to enjoy in their homes? Fresno Piano Gallery, the exclusive home for Yamaha Pianos in the Fresno area, can bring music to Mom’s ears.

Holiday Boutique

If Mom doesn’t play, the Yamaha CVP Clavinovas have a built-in “teacher” that will have Mom playing the first time she sits down at the keyboard. If she prefers to just listen, a Yamaha Disklavier player piano is for her. She can enjoy a concert just as if the artist is sharing the bench with her. Pianos can be purchased for as little as $50 per month with approved credit.

1772 W Bullard Ave, Fresno (559) 435-1660

Mom is guaranteed to treasure her shopping experience at perhaps the most unique gift shop in Central California, Holiday Boutique. Staffed by volunteers of the Holiday Guild, all proceeds benefit Valley Children’s Hospital.

$13 – $88

$350 – $600

Scout brand, waterresistant bags come in a variety of sizes, attractive colors and designs and have a number of uses.

The Bangles Collection from Katy Briscoe, renowned jewelry and home décor designer. Her signature “jewelry for the table” includes the American-made, hand-crafted vase in bone china with hand-painted gold and white bisque finish.

$20 – $168 Catstudio brand handstitched pillows and dish towels featuring destinations from around the world.

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Mother’s Day Gifts

Little Black Dress Boutique 1731 W Bullard Ave, Fresno (559) 439-2032 Proms, Mother’s Day and weddings are just around the corner as is the location of Little Black Dress Boutique at the south east corner of Bullard and West. You won’t believe all the elegant dresses that are on display and ready to be shown off at that special event.

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Little girls’ formal dresses start at just $49 and women’s cocktail dresses at $89.

$179

$289

From Sally, this exquisite, shorttiered dress with a lace jacket is available in many colors.

From Let’s, this regal gown boasts a crystal-beaded top with a chiffon skirt.

Martin’s Flowers 4535 N Blackstone Ave, Fresno (559) 222-0807 What mother doesn’t love flowers?

How about a gorgeous silk floral arrangement that she can enjoy for years to come? Why not invite her to Martin’s Flowers and treat her to a vast selection of lovely, life-like floral arrangements in designer vases, or in stunning floral door and wall wreaths. Mom may prefer to work with an in-house designer or select her own arrangement of flowers to complement her home décor, choose from home décor items among Martin’s huge selection, all at wholesale prices of 40 percent off.

The Spa and Hungry Hair Salon at Fig Garden Village

660 W Shaw Ave, Fresno (559) 229-9553

Who deserves to be pampered more than moms? And what better place to spoil Mom for a day than at The Spa and Hungry Hair at Fig Garden Village? Owner Tammie Riley and her skilled staff have been revitalizing and beautifying clients with the latest techniques and treatments, and the finest products for a quarter of a century. Spa packages start for as little as $240 (“Pamper me”) and along with gift cards for any amount, may be purchased online at thespa@fgv. com or at the elegant Fig Garden location.

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Desti nations

Disney’s Carthay Circle and Blue Bayou restaurants Story and photos by Amy Guerra

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lack and white pictures of Walt Disney dot the walls of the restaurant, each photo a silent comment on his legacy.

“It’s one of the few pictures of Mr. Disney holding a cigarette,” our guide tells us when we notice a picture of Disney with his two fingers outstretched to a point – the signature gesture every Disney employee has been trained to mimic. “Almost every other picture has been edited to take the cigarette out.”

There are more photos spread throughout each dining room, including the very first picture Disney took with Mickey Mouse, framed side-by-side with their very last picture together, taken just weeks before his death.

It’s the day before Valentine’s Day and the romanticism of Disney’s legacy has brought us to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park for a rare, childless vacation. We’ve opted to take a tour of one of Disney’s most highly regarded eating establishments, Carthay Circle Restaurant in Disney California Adventure Park. It’s a good place to start, given that Disneyland is gearing up to celebrate its 60th anniversary and the restaurant is steeped in Walt Disney history.

The restaurant is a replica of the Carthay Circle Theatre, where Walt Disney’s very first full-length production, Snow White, premiered on Dec. 21, 1937. A menu framed in the lobby from that night offers filet mignon dinners for a mere 60 cents.

The lounge offers handcrafted cocktails, a collection of craft beers and a sophisticated collection of appetizers ranging from deviled eggs with smoked salmon and lemon 46 |

Central California Life

crème fraîche to a collection of sushi rolls and small plates. We order drinks and ascend the winding staircase to the richly decorated dining room.

At our server’s suggestion, we order the ceviche of blue cobia with avocado, tomatillo-cilantro essence and crisp plantain chips.

The subtle sweetness of the plantain chips pairs beautifully with the flavorful acidity of the tomatillos and fish. For one entrée, we opt for the Moroccan-spiced salmon with roasted baby yams, sugar snap peas and a tangerine-date relish. For the other dish, we select the chicken and spinach

ravioli in red pumpkin broth accompanied by chanterelle mushrooms and Nueske’s ham. Both dishes are impeccably presented and delicious.

For dessert, our server brings us coffee in a French press and a caramel-chocolate turnover with housemade marshmallow and Carthay Theater popcorn ice cream. Tiny pieces of caramel corn dot the plate – a whimsical but delightful touch.

After lunch, we stroll through Disneyland, wandering through each store on Main Street before making our way towards Sleeping Beauty Castle. Towering only 75 feet above Fantasyland, the castle seems to be much larger because of its design.

The Tabebuia trees that surround a statue of Walt Disney holding Mickey Mouse’s hand are in full bloom.

We take in our favorite rides in Frontierland, Tomorrowland and Adventureland before leaving to walk through Downtown Disney, a vibrant promenade teeming with shopping, dining and entertainment.

We still have time to spare before our dinner reservations, so we head to the Central California Life

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Hearthstone Lounge at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. People are gathered around large fireplaces and a polished bar. A small table in the corner has the added benefit of a checkerboard and chess pieces, which we take advantage of for a bit.

We take the Disneyland Railroad into the heart of the park, stopping at New Orleans station. With another hour before our reservation time, we slip into Café Orleans, where a Creole band plays dinner music on a patio.

Our backs to the impressive Mark Twain riverboat, we walk the tiny pathway that leads to the Blue Bayou Restaurant. Colorful Mardi Gras decorations are strung between the buildings and decorate the wrought iron lamps that light the way.

Guests of the Blue Bayou sit outdoors where it is always twilight.

The first part of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride runs past the restaurant, and for a brief moment the ambiance of the lagoon is shared by riders and diners alike.

The luxury here is intimately related to sitting down and having a slow, relaxing meal after a day filled with the bustle and excitement of visiting the park. We order quickly, afraid that the soft and irresistible sweet potato bread brought to our table will fill us. The establishment is markedly more fast-paced than the Carthay Circle Restaurant, but it is no less attuned to the impeccable service one tends to expect from Disney. In the spirit of the atmosphere, we order the spicy and robust Royal Street Seafood Jambalaya, a combination of shrimp, sustainable fish, Tasso ham, Andouille sausage and chicken, tossed with Cajun-style dirty rice. We also try the pan-seared, panko-crusted rack of lamb, which is served with Boursin cheese mashed potatoes, feta cheese and rosemary jus.

Content, we wander back into the lantern-lit streets of New Orleans Square before making our way back to our hotel, reluctant to leave a place that lives up to its reputation for being the “Happiest Place on Earth.” • Carthay Circle Restaurant is located on Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure Park. For menus, hours and to make a reservation, go to disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/ disney-california-adventure/carthay-circle-restaurant/.

Blue Bayou Restaurant is located in New Orleans Square in Disneyland. For menus, hours and to make a reservation, go to disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/blue-bayou-restaurant/ Amy Guerra is a criminal defense attorney practicing in Fresno. She has written for several publications throughout California and enjoys writing about the law, food, travel and all things Fresno.

DISNEYLAND is kicking off its 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration on May 22. Several featured attractions in both parks, from the Matterhorn and Haunted Mansion to Soarin’ Over California and Critter Country, have been slightly remodeled for the occasion. The famous fireworks show has been completely reworked to include new projection technology and special effects. For more information about how this milestone will be commemorated, go to disneyland.disney.go.com/eventstours/60-years-diamond-anniversary-celebration/.

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Health and Wellness

Ripples through time: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and epigenetics

by Bradley T. Wajda, D.O.

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During his 25 years of practicing in the Central Valley, Dr. Bradley T. Wajda (aka “Dr. Brad”) has amassed extensive experience in adult and child psychiatry, as well as comprehensive substance abuse treatment. Catch “Dr. Brad” at RadioPsyched.com.

You can also read more from “Dr. Brad” at EsanoHealth.com.

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ost-traumatic stress disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that occurs after seeing or experiencing a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death. War, natural disaster, terrorism and violence in society have made PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) a mental health diagnosis that is frequently mentioned in the media.

This issue of Central California Life devotes considerable attention to the Armenian genocide, an event that has had wide-ranging repercussions for millions of people with familial ties to the tragedy. As has been documented by writer Monica Prinzing and others elsewhere, some individuals appear to suffer PTSD symptoms linked to the genocide despite having directly experienced it. How can this be? First, a discussion of PTSD is in order. Then, I’ll look at the

Central California Life

medical profession’s current understanding of nature and nurture, and how they shape our psychological and behavioral tendencies.

PTSD While the symptoms of PTSD have been around for centuries, the medical community has been slow to recognize it. It wasn’t until 1980 that the American Psychiatric Association officially added PTSD as a diagnosis. Throughout history, PTSD has been called a number of different names.

Most of these names were associated with the one traumatic event that resulted in the highest concentration of PTSD: war. It was called “soldier’s heart” during the Civil War, “shell shock” during World War I and “battle fatigue” during World War II.

Throughout my career I have been asked one question more than any other: “Doc, was I born this way...or did I just get this way?”

The cause of PTSD is unknown and can occur at any age. It is not known why traumatic events cause PTSD in some people but not in others. In the U.S., 7-8 percent of people will develop PTSD in their lifetime. Five million people suffer from PTSD at any one time and women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD. The numbers are much higher for children who have seen a parent killed or been sexually abused.

The symptoms of PTSD fall into three main categories: re-experiencing, avoidance and hyperarousal. Re-experiencing the event occurs through “flashbacks” where the event seems to be happening again; recurring and intrusive memories of the event; nightmares of the trauma; and strong, uncomfortable reactions to situations that remind you of the event. Avoidance causes feelings of detachment and can result in an inability to remember important aspects of the trauma, a lack of interest in normal activities, avoidance of things or thoughts that remind you of the event, and feeling like you have no future. Also, it is not uncommon to feel guilt about the event (including “survivor guilt”). Hyperarousal causes an exaggerated startle response, hypervigilance or outbursts of anger.

Throughout my career I have been asked one question more than any other: “Doc, was I born this way...or did I just get this way?” The question of nature or nurture – biology or psychology – has been long debated. I’ve seen abused children who are adopted by nurturing parents seemingly defy every effort to soothe them. Likewise, I’ve seen children orphaned by nurturing parents and placed in very dysfunctional situations to which they seem to immune. The converse to both of these scenarios also happens regularly.

So is there an answer? The medical profession (especially psychiatry) has embraced the term “familial” to categorize those genetic outcomes in people that don’t conform to what was expected. Let’s look at an example. In identical twins, a genetically related illness should be present in both twins 100 percent of the time.

Schizophrenia occurs 1 percent of the time in the general population. So if one twin has schizophrenia, then the other should have it 1 percent of the time or 100 percent of the time. In fact, they have it 51 percent of the time. The “familial” label can certainly apply here.

EPIGENETICS What if there’s a provable answer that includes both nature and nurture?

That answer is called epigenetics.

The origins for its application to psychology began in 1992 in a Madrid bar over a beer between Moshe Szyf, a molecular biologist and geneticist at McGill University in Montreal, and Michael Meaney, a McGill neurobiologist.

Originally, it was thought that changes to our DNA only occurred during fetal development. The science that was to be called epigenetics discovered that dietary changes and chemical exposure after birth could alter DNA by adding a methyl group (a small cluster of carbon with hydrogen atoms) to the DNA, essentially interfering with which genes get transcribed and passed on to offspring.

This means that, without a mutation to the DNA code itself, the attached methyl groups cause long-term and inheritable changes in one’s genetic make-up.

Szyf and Meaney began to wonder if, similar to diet and chemical exposure, psychological trauma could also set off epigenetic changes to a person’s DNA. They ended up doing a series of elaborate experiments that culminated in a land-

mark paper published in the June 2004 issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Subsequent studies revealed that stress, especially early stress during childhood, adds methyl groups to DNA without making changes to the genetic code.

However, this does change which genetic traits get passed down. According to the new insights of behavioral epigenetics, traumatic experiences in our past, and in our recent ancestors’ pasts, leave molecular scars adhering to our DNA. The DNA remains the same, but psychological and behavioral tendencies can be inherited by their offspring.

Recent research findings suggest that most epigenetic changes are erased rather than being passed on to offspring, but this erasure is imperfect. This means that some of the affected genes do make it through to the next generation – the scars actually do alter the genes that are passed on. Relevant to the topic of the Armenian genocide, the psychological ripples of that trauma persist but (thankfully) dissipate with each succeeding generation.

It is important to realize that these psychological traits are as likely to be positive as they are to be negative. In other words, you may be enjoying traits gained by your grandmother through exemplary nurturing during her childhood.

The research has always supported that a mother’s love can make all the difference in a child’s life- long before the concept of epigenetics.

Medical science is looking at drug treatments that could reset these epigenetic changes. This has been aptly described by using the analogy of your grandmother’s vintage dress- you can wear it as is or have it altered using these medications (if and when they are fully developed). So back to the question of “Is it nature or nurture?”

The answer is “yes”. •

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Health and Wellness

You need to eat to lose

by Rhonda Murphy as told to Abigail Martin

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s springtime rolls around, lighter and fresher foods are available at the supermarkets. Take this opportunity to enhance your diet with plenty of nutrient-rich food and, more importantly, protein.

One of the biggest misconceptions about diet among people trying to lose weight is that they have to eat less to lose pounds. This is not the case.

In fact, the older we get, the slower our metabolism runs. To keep it burning calories and fat throughout the day, we must keep it fueled with foods that allow it to do so.

The rule of thumb to follow: Eat a handful of healthy foods every three hours.

It is also important to feed your body the proper foods that keep it energized. Think about food as gas for your car – to keep it running, you must keep its tank fueled. If you use the wrong kind of fuel, you will As a certified member damage your engine. Eat the of AFAA (Aerobics and foods that keep you going, now Fitness Association and in the long run. Stay away of America), Rhonda from bad fats and processed Murphy is part of the world’s largest fitness sugars; they will turn to stubeducation association. born fat that is very hard to get With over 25 years of rid of. experience, Rhonda The best food to keep has become one of your muscles strong, lean and the most sought after fitness consultants in toned is protein. Protein is Central California. She dense, so it sustains your body is the owner of Rhonda’s longer. The top three proteins Fitness Center and hosts to consume are eggs, fish and “Workout Wednesdays” poultry, in that order. All other on ABC 30. As a personal meats should be consumed trainer, she motivates and gives inspiration to anyone sparingly because they have a who wants to gain a higher higher fat content. level of health and fitness.

To successfully lose fat, For more information, you should be eating one gram visit rhofit.com or call of protein per one pound of (559) 431-3600.

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lean body mass. For example, if you weigh 100 pounds and your body fat percentage is 20 percent, 20 pounds of your weight are from fat and the other 80 pounds are lean body mass. Therefore, you should eat about 80 to 90 grams of protein per day.

Incorporating extra protein is not hard to do. Hard-boiled eggs, a bag of jerky or a can of tuna are all easily accessible and can be eaten as snacks or on the go.

In addition to increasing your protein intake, replace chips, crackers and candies with vegetables, fruits and nuts. Again, this is easier to do than you think. Throw some celery and peanut butter, an orange and a cucumber in your lunch bag. Make your own trail mix by combining almonds and raisins in a baggy instead of consuming store-bought mix that contains chocolate.

Keep your carbohydrates to those found naturally. Oatmeal, yams, potatoes and rice are all better than processed breads. You can prepare five baked potatoes on Sunday night for your week ahead as they are easy to reheat.

Additionally, three of the most nutrient-rich foods you can add to your meals are almonds, spinach and kale. Almonds are easy to store and snack on at any time. Replace iceberg lettuce with spinach and kale when possible.

The most important thing to remember: Eat more good food, more often. You cannot starve to lose weight. •

Your “Go To” Source for organic groceries, vitamins, and natural products

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or more than 30 years Kristina’s Natural Ranch Market has been serving the Central San Joaquin Valley with our brick and mortar store located in Fresno, CA. We have long been a “go to” source for organic groceries, natural health products, vitamins, supplements, and natural beauty products.

If you are in the area please come in to visit with our knowledgeable staff and learn about our amazing selection. If you live far away please use our online store by going to kristinasranchmarket.com to shop thousands of your favorite products!

Kristina’s Tip of the Month 10 Healthy Tips For Taking Care Of Yourself 1.

2.

3.

4.

Take control and learn to love yourself.

Don’t eat just because food’s there.

Make sure you’re walking – park far from the entrance.

Stop being concerned about aging. You can’t change the fact that you have a birthday every year.

5. Have as much fun as possible.

6. Drink green juice – 16 ounces can contain as much as half your daily vitamins and nutrients.

7. You have to put time for yourself on your calendar.

8. Even if you don’t adopt a raw foods diet, include more of them in your diet.

9. Don’t eat processed foods.

10. If you eat the box, a lot of times you’d actually get more fiber than what is in the product inside.

7 6 1 E . Ba r s t o w F r e s n o, C A 9 3 7 1 0 559-224-2222

K ris tinas Ran ch Market.com

Sports

WATER WARRIOR Jose Ramirez

by Bud Elliott

Ramirez walks to the ring at the Chelsea, the Cosmopolitan’s newest event venue in Las Vegas. ‘Get Crackin’ refers to Wonderful Pistachios, one of his earliest backers.

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ate one sweltering summer afternoon not that many years ago, some neighborhood kids walked home after boxing practice in the dusty south Valley town of Avenal. An older and bigger kid, maybe 10 or 11, followed close behind, taunting little Jose. Schoolboy smack. Nothing serious. Suddenly, the skinny 8-year-old stopped, turned and delivered an uppercut to the older boy’s solar plexus. Silently, he turned back to the group and continued homeward, leaving the bully bent over on the sidewalk in tears.

Jose’s sister, Karla, recalls the event vividly because it so clearly illustrates the character of Jose Carlos Ramirez then and now. “He’ll be okay,” he said at the time. “He’ll be okay.”

The next day at school, Jose apologized to the older kid and extracted a truce that was never broken.

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Now at 22, there is no brashness, no bravado nor swagger about the young man who remains undefeated in his professional boxing career at 13-0 and holds the NABF Junior Welterweight title. He is disarmingly mild-mannered and humble in his dealings with the world outside the ring and genuinely unaffected by the riches, which have already come his way.

Rick Mirigian, his agent-manager, sums up his character in just six words: “He speaks softly. Punches very hard.”

HEART OF A LION Jose Ramirez fought six times in 2014. Six times he won – five times by knockout. He dispatched Javier Perez in just twoand-a-half minutes. He knocked out Boyd Henley in 50 seconds.

Yes, he punches very hard, each blow recorded and evaluated in a sport obsessed with numbers and statistics. Yet to this

Norman Mailer once said of amateur boxer Ernest Hemingway, “There are two kinds of brave men. Those who are brave by the grace of nature, and those who are brave by an act of will.”

A close observer would not be wrong to conclude that Jose Carlos Ramirez possesses both. day, the experts and analysts, promoters and predictors have not figured a way to hang a ranking on heart – whatever it is inside that compels a young man (and frequently now, women) to enter a square space enclosed by ropes twenty-feet on each side for the sole purpose of inflicting physical damage on an opponent, while defending against an equal measure of painful, violent, often injurious blows.

Norman Mailer once said of amateur boxer Ernest Hemingway, “There are two kinds of brave men. Those who are brave by the grace of nature, and those who are brave by an act of will.”

Mailer assigned the second attribute to Hemingway. A close observer would not be wrong to conclude that Welterweight boxer Jose Carlos Ramirez of Avenal possesses both.

Near the end of every Jose Ramirez boxing match the pace quickens. Something shifts in the opponent’s resolve. It’s akin to what happened during 22-year old Muhammed Ali’s first title fight in 1964, when he so bewildered Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston with his flash and speed and style that Liston sim-

ply “quit on his stool” and didn’t come out for the seventh round of a twelve round fight.

“Yes, I see that often,” says Ramirez, “I see it in their body language, the look on their face, or in their eyes, and I know that it’s time.”

Dec. 13, 2014 at the plush Chelsea Room inside The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. HBO cameras are there. The Junior Welterweight bout against Antonio Arellano of San Ysidro. Left-right-leftleft. The sixth and final round. Ramirez doesn’t play any musical instruments, but he used his two 8-ounce gloves like a couple of drumsticks. Right-left-rightright. The paradiddle, every drummer knows it. A lightening left hook to the ribcage draws a gasp from Arrellano and

sends him into a fog bank from which he will not emerge. Just like trainer Freddie Roach taught Ramirez, and his godfather, Armando Mancinas before that.

JAB–HOOK–JAB–JAB. Faster now!

“He’s a devastating body puncher,” Mirigian says, “always has been.” (Word is, he once hurt welterweight champion Manny Paquiao with a left to the ribs during a sparring session and the champ had to call it off.)

Twenty-six seconds later, dazed and confused, Arellano walks into a staggering Ramirez flurry ending with a monumental overhand left hook to the temple. Referee Pat Russell stops the music with ten seconds remaining. Fog turns to cold sleep.

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WATER WARRIOR Jose Ramirez

Ramirez poses with loved ones after his fight against Antonio Arellano on Dec. 13, 2014. From left to right: Brother Luis, girlfriend Marisol Lopez, Jose, sister Karla, mother Juanita and father Carlos.

Victory number 13.

“To win you gotta hit and not get hit,” says Ramirez, who has always maintained that his defense is better than his offense. “I’m glad this fight went six rounds. I made some mistakes. He got to me a couple of times. It gives my trainers more things for me to work on.”

SMALL-TOWN BOY Wiry and rambunctious and bursting with energy, Jose Ramirez has always been in motion. His mother, Juanita, finally put her foot down in the summer of 2000 when 8-year-old Jose and younger brother, Luis, were caught (again) jumping from the roof of the house –just for fun. Basta! Enough, already!

Mom directed Dad, Carlos Ramirez, to find something for all four kids to do during summer vacation. Pronto. So he marched Luis, Jose, Karla, and Lalo down the block to the newly-opened Police Athletic League’s Kings Boxing Club.

All four kids learned to box, but only Jose fell in love.

“He was a natural,” Karla says. “He loved it and you could tell. He actually quit once but went back right away. He’d come home at night all excited about something Armando (Mancinas) had taught him. He loved to train. He loved to learn. He was a good student and a good athlete to begin with – soccer, basketball, track, cross country, you name it.

“But boxing? That was his joy, right from the start.”

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orchards and vineyards and packing sheds. Drugs and gangs, rap sheets and trouble start at an early age. Yet, when Mirigian entered the Ramirez family home for the first time he found something completely unexpected.

“Jose was soft spoken; he was deeply spiritual; he had a family setting and bonding, which to me was a support cast that was unbelievable,” Mirigian recalls.

“I asked him, why do you box? Without the slightest hesitation he said, ‘I box to someday take care of my family. I fight for them first.’”

Mirigian does not hesitate to put Ramirez’s potential greatness into perspective.

“He’s broken every amateur record of great boxing names – Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Moseley,” he says. “At this point in his career, Jose Ramirez has exceeded the records, including amateur championships, of the four biggest-earning boxers in history, with a combined pay-per-view gross of $3-4 billion dollars.”

Ramirez won a spot on the USA Olympic Team in 2012 by emerging from a field of 200 boxers in the first round of qualifying in Colorado Springs, and an unconventional second round of eliminations in Alabama.

“At one point he had to make weight and then fight once a day for seven straight days,” Mirigian says. “Kids don’t fight like that. Nobody does.”

But then, nobody trains like Jose Ramirez, either. In 2011, the year leading up to the Olympic trials, Jose pursued

“To win you gotta hit and not get hit,” Ramirez said, maintaining that his defense has always been better than his offense.

Photo by Carl Klingenberg

a punishing schedule of early morning drives from Avenal to Fresno to attend Fresno State. He carried a full load of freshman business classes, including calculus. Home again by 3:30, then three hours in the gym, homework, a little family time and, occasionally, a full measure of sleep for an athlete in training.

That was only Monday. Tuesday included an eight-hour shift at Starbucks, then the gym, then a little sleep. Wednesday, it was back to school.

“I promised my dad that I would be the first in our family to attend college, and I did,” says the boxer whose college education is currently on hold. He also devoured books as a teenager to improve his English.

At 18, Ramirez had won more than 95 percent of his amateur fights. At 20, he learned the toughest lesson of his career about politics and corruption and the way things work in the Olympics. By all accounts, everybody who saw the fights at the 2012 London Games would attest that Jose won both of his bouts, yet he came away with nothing. After defeating Rachid Azzedine in his first fight, he lost the second fight to Fazliddin Gaibnazarov of Uzbekistan in a highly controversial decision on foreign judges’ score cards.

Humbled by the experience, and certainly wiser but no less determined, Jose knew one thing: It was time to turn pro. His final amateur record was 152-11, with 11 national titles and six consecutive USA gold medals, breaking Oscar De La Hoya’s all-time record.

State, Mirigian wanted nothing to do with conventional boxing nor the hard-luck kids who fill its lower ranks.

“I didn’t even want to watch, I just wasn’t interested,” Mirigian says.

But he did watch. And what he experienced that day during his own MMA festival at Chukchansi Park was an epiphany.

“I wasn’t quite sure what I was seeing, but I knew it was special, and this kid Ramirez was more than special,” he says.

He spent the next few days studying all he could find about the young boxer named Jose Carlos Ramirez. Mirigian, the hard negotiator and skeptical promoter, couldn’t find any negatives.

“In my line of work everybody lies. But one thing that doesn’t lie is the numbers,” he says. “I said to myself, I’m looking at something that historically and generationally just doesn’t happen.”

Oct. 25th, 2014. Selland Arena is sold out. It’s “Fight For Water-3.” The crowd of 10,000 is raucous. Jungle theatre bounces off the walls. A Mexi-rap rant roars at incredible wattage. The room shimmers with electricity and skittering light. Boos break out as opponent David Rodela sashays to the ring. He and his people wait in a small cluster on the canvas. He dances the dance. He shadow boxes. He hops from foot to foot. He waits. And waits.

Suddenly the crowd roars to its feet. Elvis left the building a long time ago, but Jose Carlos Ramirez has just entered it – the effect is the same. Surrounded by his people in a Conga line from locker room to boxing ring, Ramirez stares straight ahead. He admits later that he hears none of the commotion.

A gentle and generous soul, Ramirez seems out of place in this ocean of bloodlust and bravado. Except that he does belong – this is his office and he’s here to punch the time clock. Hard. The bout lasts exactly 50 seconds.

Ten times in his 13 fights as a pro, and many times before that as an amateur, Jose Carlos Ramirez, the kid with no nickname, has knocked out his opponent. This time it’s David Rodela of Oxnard. Jose wins the vacant NABF Junior Welterweight title.

MENTOR, MANAGER, MIRIGIAN Two years before the London Summer Games, promoter Rick Mirigian was rising rapidly in a career of staging big events like Beyonce concerts and soldout MMA fights. A risk-taker who once spent an entire student loan check to throw a party at Fresno

VALLEY OF DUSTY DREAMS There is a prison nearby that provides a lot of jobs, yet the south Valley town Avenal is first and always a farm town dependent upon soils and weather, God’s grace and abundant water.

“The drought has hurt a lot of people through no fault of their Central California Life

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WATER WARRIOR Jose Ramirez

Ramirez handed out turkeys alongside Kings County Supervisor Richard Valle’s Operation Gobble, which provided more than 500 Thanksgiving turkeys in 2014 to families in need.

Photo by Richard Valle

own – hardworking people have lost their jobs and their livelihood.” Ramirez explains. “I’ve worked these fields, almonds and peppers and everything else. This is hard work, sure, but it’s even harder NOT to have work.

“This drought has ruined many, many lives. I want to help them get through these hard times, as well. They are my family, too.”

Ramirez joined the Latino Water Coalition shortly after it was formed in 2007. Co-founder Mario Santoyo says he has been a vocal supporter of water rights for the agricultural sector ever since.

Kings County Supervisor Richard Valle tells the story of a Water Coalition meeting in Sacramento with top legislative leaders last year that probably would not have happened if not for Ramirez’s personal request.

“When (then) Assembly Speaker John Perez walked into the room, the first thing he said was, ‘Jose Ramirez!

Can I have your autograph?’”

In early September 2014, as he was leaving to work out with well-known trainer Freddie Roach in Los Angeles for the Oct. 25 fight, he stopped by Children’s Hospital in Madera. It was going to be a quick visit, maybe an hour at most in length.

Spokeswoman Zara Arboleda recalls how Ramirez first went into the room of a little boy with leukemia.

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they keep talking. Then, a few minutes more and, all of a sudden, they are laughing and joking around,” Arboleda says.

After 15 minutes passed, she told Ramirez it was time to move on to the next room.

“Well, I’m not finished,” was the reply.

Ramirez wound up staying for almost four hours. As he was leaving, he handed over 1,500 tickets for his Fight For Water-3 bout. They were to be given specifically to hospital staff and their families.

“He’s just like that,” Valle says. “For a couple of years now he’s jumped in with both feet to help out with my Operation Gobble at Thanksgiving.”

Valle and his supporters handed out over 225 turkeys to needy families in 2013 and well over 550 last November.

“I just asked Jose to show up and help hand out the turkeys, that’s all,” Valle says. “So, I got there a couple of hours early to set up, and here he comes around the corner completely unexpected, with a caravan of five pickup trucks filled with everything else for Thanksgiving dinner.

I mean bread, and veggies, and potatoes, dressing, canned goods, drinks, cranberries, pumpkin pies, all of it.

“He went out and bought all of that stuff with his own money. Five pickup trucks!”

NATIVE TALENT AND HARD WORK On Nov. 14, 2012, after a protracted bidding war between Oscar De La

Hoya’s Golden Boy Productions and Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Ramirez signed with Top Rank.

“It was the largest and most comprehensive deal ever given to an amateur boxer turning pro,” Rick Mirigian says.

“No one in boxing thought we’d be able to produce this deal – no one.

“It allows a brand-new fighter – Jose – to essentially co-promote his own fights in the Central Valley twice a year for five years. Unheard of.”

Ramirez, whose favorite boxer of all time remains Oscar De La Hoya, says simply, “It was the best business decision.

That’s all.”

Mirigian made certain that Ramirez quickly became one of the most-endorsed boxers in the history of the sport. The young boxer is wellpaid to lend his name to several dozen well-known companies such as Granville Homes, McDonalds, Nike, Beats by Dre, Wonderful Pistachios, Discover, Aqua Hydrate, 2XU, 9FIVE, Dodge, Pepsi, Card City, Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino and many others.

Mirigian and Ramirez immediately set out to live up to the Top Rank contract. In “Fight For Water-1” on Nov. 9, 2013, Ramirez knocked out Erick Hernandez at 47-seconds into the first round at the Golden Eagle Arena in Lemoore.

“We sold out the arena – 3,600 tickets,” Mirigian says. “That fight alone set a Univision Television network record for attendance, revenue and sponsors.”

Photo by Carl Klingenberg

Next, in “Fight For Water-2” on May 17, 2014, Ramirez knocked out Jesus Selig with a devastating left hook to the ribs in the second round before a crowd of 6,100 at Selland Arena.

Then, with that already mentioned sellout crowd of 10,000 in attendance at Selland Arena on Oct. 25, 2014, Ramirez won his first professional championship – the NABF Junior Welterweight title. He knocked out David Rodela 50 seconds after the fight began.

“This just doesn’t happen,” Mirigian observes. “The biggest names in boxing don’t draw 10,000 people to a local arena, but Jose does, and the boxing world knows it.

“We could sell out a larger venue, but Bill Overfelt at Selland Arena has been very good to us, so we stay.”

There will always be dispute over who is the greatest boxer of all time. Public sentiment might favor Muhammed Ali. Or Joe Louis. Or Jack Johnson. Insiders and experts fondly recall Rocky Marciano, who remains

the only heavyweight champion ever to retired undefeated. Many consider Sugar Ray Robinson to be the greatest poundfor-pound boxer of all-time. The point is, someone new is always coming up through the ranks – someone younger, stronger, faster, smarter.

In this generation, in the welterweight division, Jose Carlos Ramirez could be that guy.

He’s training right now at the famous Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles alongside Manny Pacquiao, who will fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on May 2nd in perhaps the biggest prize fight in five years. Jose often spars with Pacquiao in preparation for his own bout, “Fight For Water-4,” against 34-year-old Rob Frankel from Denver, Colorado (33-15-1) on May 9 at Selland Arena.

In no other sport is there such a brutal, sustained, savage, and desperate man-to-man struggle for dominance.

The same limbic fight-or-flight machinery of our distant ancestors’ brains is at work in the boxing ring today. Blood

is necessary, of course, and showers of sweat. Cunning and skill play into it. And pain. Involuntary shrieks when a violent hook breaks a rib. Throbbing agony while throwing dozens of haymakers with a broken knuckle, thumb or wrist. Eyes grotesquely swollen to tiny slits. Faces bruised, battered and broken. A mouth pummeled into mush and headaches straight from hell.

Then there is always the palpable fear of looking the fool – humiliation at the hands of a better man.

There is a prize for those who survive this mayhem. Jose Ramirez has won a taste of it and it’s sweet, indeed, like cold, clear snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada Range on an unbearably hot summer day in an endless field of peppers.

He fights to win that cool drink of water. To share it with his family. To share it with his Valley. • Bud Elliott retired in May 2014 from a broadcast journalism career that spanned 49 years, including 27 years at KSEE-TV in Fresno. He is currently a freelance writer.

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Arts & Entertainment

Music prodigy

Eva Scow

by Jeffery Williams

E

va Scow views music as a universal language that crosses barriers of geography, culture and age.

“Music creates such gratifying and incredible conversations,” the 26-year-old mandolinist said. “It’s so stimulating artistically.”

Scow is considered by many to be “a gem of the Fresno music scene,” says Cynthia Green, owner of Landmark Restaurant in the heart of the Tower District, where Scow frequently performs.

“She is internationally recognized for her amazing talents in mandolin.”

Scow performs at venues around Fresno a couple nights a week and is a mainstay of Art Hop and Jazz Hop. A versatile musician with a passion for various genres, she performs funk, soul, jazz and reggae with the band The Experience and Brazilian and Latin jazz with the group Espacio.

“Music awakens and stimulates me,” Scow said.

“If I ever get a little bored, the endless new challenges and directions music can take me is re-energizing.”

Observing a few minutes of her expertise on YouTube is a worthy use of time. One can readily see how Scow feels and expresses her music. The precision, clarity and quickness of her fingerpicking work are sights to behold, but it is the unique blend of sounds she seems to effortlessly and spontaneously create that makes the biggest impression.

When Scow is not practicing and polishing her craft, she teaches for the Milestones Youth Jazz Workshop and the Central Unified stringed orchestra program.

“I love the way music affects and impacts people. And now teaching has given me another way to express music,” she said. “It’s been very rewarding.”

Jim Page, director of the Milestones workshop, which serves about 50 students each year, said, “Eva is a great addition to our faculty. Her musical knowledge is amazing, she relates well to the faculty and students, and the kids love her. She is a fantastic instructor who 64 |

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Scow wasn’t yet 4 years old when she began playing piano and violin. She commuted once a week from her home in the foothills to Fresno for classical music training. Photo by Dan Minkler

inspires.”

Scow said she feels a philanthropic responsibility to give back to the community that has supported her.

“I hope my music and time can positively influence others,” she said.

Scow’s musical roots are in the isolated foothill community of Balch Camp. Her parents, John and Coco, introduced Scow to the piano and violin when she was 3 1/2 years old. Her training in classical music included traveling to Fresno once a week.

“My father had an orchestra background and directed my instruction. My mother strongly encouraged me by driving me to Fresno once a week for lessons,” she recalled. “It was a team effort.

I am so grateful to them both.”

Her parents decided to move to Fresno when Scow was 9.

The move initiated a shift that took her away from classical music performed on the violin and piano to bluegrass, Brazilian and other styles of jazz played on the mandolin.

Artists near and far became her music teachers. She said the Fresno Folklore Society provided her with significant support and encouragement by allowing her to join informal jam sessions at a young age. She immersed herself in the Bay Area acoustic community and got to know Jerry Douglas, Edgar Meyer and Bela

“...for many students, when a piece of their art sells, it might be the only paycheck they ever receive.”

A versatile artist with a passion for various genres, Scow performs with the bands The Experience and Espacio.

The mandolinist has been described as “a gem of the Fresno music scene” but has an international following. Photo by Annette Ash

Fleck. Particularly inspiring was a trip to Brazil where she began a lifetime love affair with the complexities and challenges of Brazilian music.

By the time she entered high school, Scow regularly performed at paid gigs, weddings and parties. She graduated early in 2006 so she could participate in a week-long workshop with 15 other young artists that culminated in a performance at Carnegie Hall with bassist Edgar Meyer. The experience inspired Scow to pursue music as a career.

Scow has since been featured on numerous projects. She played on the album “Sharon by the Sea” with guitarist Dusty Brough, recorded “Tone Poets” with Grateful Dead mandolinist David Grisman, and partnered with Anthony Wilson Nonet on the CD “Power of Nine.” More recently, she worked on an album with singer Sarah Cabral and a Brazilian band.

Scow said the mandolin has a rich history. The genesis of the stringed instrument, which is a member of the lute family, dates back to classical Italy.

Beethoven and Mozart are known to have composed music for the Neapolitan mandolin. The instrument has also played a prominent role in the music of Ireland, Russia, Greece, Portugal, North America and Latin America, particularly Brazil.

Scow’s passion leans most clearly towards the musical innovations and complexities of Brazilian music.

“There [are] so many styles such as choro, samba, bossa nova and contemporary jazz,” she said of the music of Latin America’s largest country.

While she has done some writing, she is most interested in creating new arrangements for others’ songs.

She said she embraces the challenge of making a cover song better in concert

Photo by Owen Gailar

by improvising in the moment.

“That spontaneous conversation with the other musicians keeps the creativity alive and fresh,” she said.

Scow has often been asked why she remains in Fresno when there are more opportunities in the Bay Area and L.A. “I say Fresno is my home and I have received a great deal of support here,” she said. “Fresno has a sophisticated audience that appreciates different styles. There are little micro groups of music styles here that not every city has.

“I’m grateful for a receptive audience. The feedback is really important to me. ” Scow’s dream? “To keep doing what I love and travel to new places with my instrument, starting with a Mandolin Festival in France,” she said. • Scow will be performing with Espacio at the Jazz and Soul Festival at the African American Museum in Fresno on Saturday, April 18, at 4 p.m. For more information about her schedule, visit evascowmusic.com.

Jeffery Williams has been a high school English teacher for 27 years. He is also a freelance writer and the award-winning author of the novel “Pirate Spirit.”

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Arts & Entertainment

Book Review

Summer Lane’s State of Alliance

by Jeffery Williams

S

“I want to share my stories with the entire world and I can’t do that if things are too graphic.

You cut people out, especially kids.”

Photos courtesy of Summer Lane

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ummer Lane has published six novels during the past two years and has four more that will be released in 2015.

It’s a prolific output by any standards but is especially impressive given that the author is a 21-year-old full-time college student.

The fifth installment in Lane’s bestselling Collapse Series (Goodreads), a post-apocalyptic story set in California, is “State of Alliance,” a frenetically-paced adventure story with no shortage of military action and underdog survival twists.

While many post-apocalyptic stories are often rife with violence, twisted characters, adult language and sexuality, Lane’s works veer away from that path by keeping the focus on action, plot twists and budding romance.

“I want to share my stories with the entire world and I can’t do that if things are too graphic. You cut people out, especially kids,” the Reedley College student says. “I want a kid to be able to enjoy the books as much as a retired veteran.”

“State of Alliance” begins with the destruction of the state Capitol – another attack from Omega, an invading military that combines China, Russia and North Korea. The United States has collapsed, but a Pacific Northwest Alliance of militia groups (Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington and Canada) is forming to protect the Pacific Coast and repel the enemy. Despite having no electricity or advanced technology, the militias’ resolve proves challenging for Omega to quash.

Cassidy Hart, a 20-year-old battle-hardened sniper and militia commander, has been elected to represent California in its talks with the Alliance. Unfortunately, the plan to bring representatives togeth-

er is fraught with peril as Omega makes multiple attempts to destroy the leaders.

Although the protagonist possesses military insight and commando skills, she has tender concern for her missing father and a romantic pining for Chris Young, a rugged member of the militia. (In an earlier book, Hart rescues Young from an Omega prison camp, which only serves to strengthen the bond between them.)

Lane manages to balance the scenes of action and escapade with displays of friendship and romance. Her main characters’ reflections bounce between military survival and tactics with a longing for love, peace and normalcy.

Lane’s quick-paced plots are clearly crafted to be page-turners. Local readers will appreciate the references to the Central Valley, Sacramento and Monterey, the primary setting of this series.

As a writer, Lane’s own story began at age 13. Finding herself with ample time after school, she began writing novels, which led to the creation of her own online magazine, “Writing Belle” (writingbelle.com). From that magazine, she created WB Publishing, which has given her a platform for all her interests – journalism, PR, publishing and teaching.

Though Lane is now in college, she says “telling stories will always be my number one passion.”

Lane’s books are available online at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. • Jeffery Williams has been a high school English teacher for 27 years. He is also a freelance writer and the award-winning author of the novel “Pirate Spirit.”

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Savor

Guri’s GrubHouse

Story and photos by Amy Guerra

W

hen it comes to food, there are few offerings that could be more diametrically opposed.

On the one hand is a rich, seasoned pastrami sandwich, smothered in bacon and stuffed between two thick slices of marble rye. On the other is a carefully melded quinoa patty with cheddar, grilled onions and a chimichurri mayonnaise.

Each dish is decadent on its own but, juxtaposed, they underscore the eclectic menu – a carefully planned work of art – created by executive chef Megan Beck of Guri’s GrubHouse.

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Guri’s menu features everything from corn dogs and pizza to sandwiches and nontraditional yet delicious spins on comfort food. The decor is part brick, part wrought iron, with tall leather backed booths and wood surrounding the raised bar. There are white plates, cloth napkins and Mason jar glasses – each a tiny but necessary part of the experience.

On this day, an electric string quartet (two guitars, one bass violin) plays contemporary music on a stage

framed by a chalkboard advertising the next “Beer Dinner.” With 24 beers on tap, the dinner planned for the following weekend will offer beer pairings and traditional Irish food in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. “For Easter Brunch, we’re going to have bottomless mimosas,” Beck says.

The menu changes monthly, and appetizers like Tachos (homemade tatertots with cheese) are replaced with new favorites like homemade jalapeno poppers. If it can be made from scratch, it is.

“I like food that’s approachable for everyone.”

“That pepperoni took me years to perfect,” Beck laughs, referring to one of the most popular items on the menu: the Meat Lover’s Flatbread Pizza. Beck and her team also make the pastrami and bacon. Items that aren’t homemade are still local, like the Max’s Bread every sandwich is served on.

Beck graduated from the French Culinary Institute of New York and has worked at well-known Fresno establishments Vino & Friends and Cracked Pepper as well as restaurants in both San Diego and Seattle.

This her first turn as an executive chef.

“I like food that’s approachable for everyone,” she says of her style.

She succeeds, with offerings such a corndog wrapped in blue cornmeal for the carnivores to vegetable lasagna and other vegetarian options for those who eschew meat.

“I’m working on more gluten-free items next,” Beck says.

For dessert, she brings out what appears to be traditional bread pudding.

“It’s made from doughnuts. Sometimes people notice the sprinkles,” she says proudly before pointing out that the side of ice cream comes from Fresno State.

We’ve been here less than hour, yet,

like a traveling band of foodies at a county fair, we’ve somehow made our way through corn dogs; a burger composed of a 50/50 split of ground chuck and bacon smothered in apple butter and pickled onions; a pastrami sandwich; homemade chips and fries; and, of course, a doughnut bread pudding.

A perfect afternoon. • Guri’s GrubHouse is located at 1713 E. Shaw Ave. in Fresno. The phone number is (559) 2252902. To make a reservation or learn more about the establishment, visit gurisgrubhouse.com.

Amy Guerra is a criminal defense attorney practicing in Fresno. She has written for several publications throughout California and enjoys writing about the law, food, travel and all things Fresno.

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Savor

Culinary Artists:

Dusty Buns’ Dustin and Kristin Stewart Story by Katie Fries

Dustin and Kristin Stewart

Photo by MJD

T

wo Cordon Bleu chefs walk into a taco truck . . .

It sounds like the setup to a bad joke, or at least the beginning of a kitchen nightmare on Gordon Ramsay’s eponymous show. But if you follow dining trends, you know that food trucks are one of the hottest things to shake up the industry in the past decade. And if you live in Fresno, you might know that Kristin and Dustin Stewart – two Cordon Bleu-trained chefs who got their start cooking in Bay Area restaurants – are often credited with bringing food trucks 70 |

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Photo by Dan Minkler

and the slow food movement to the Valley.

Dustin, a South Carolina native, and Kristin, who was raised in Dinuba, met while living in Southern California and soon found they enjoyed cooking together. The couple began to talk about opening their own café where Dustin could cook and Kristin, an artist, could display her work. To further their dream, they relocated to the Bay Area to attend the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. Dustin entered the culinary arts program while Kristin

enrolled in the baking and pastry arts program.

After their graduation, the Stewarts worked in Bay Area restaurants, in kitchens that followed Alice Waters’ farm-to-table approach. On trips back to the Valley to visit Kristin’s family, they were disappointed to find the concept of eating locally-sourced food hadn’t really caught on. This was a cause close to Kristin’s heart, as she’d grown up in a family of farm workers.

“We would go back and there wasn’t a [restaurant] that focused on

“We do comfort food but we wanted to give it a fancy flair.” what was coming out of the nearby fields,” she says. “We decided to go to Fresno to bring attention back to the farms and what farm workers do.”

The couple thought about setting up a sandwich pushcart but realized a taco truck – a staple in the fields Kristin’s parents had worked in – was essentially “a kitchen on wheels.” They found their truck, painted it orange and green to reflect their fresh mission (as well as the colors seen in Valley fields) and got to work serving food out of their “Bistro Bus”.

From the beginning, the chefs at Dusty Buns have married gourmet techniques with the casual aesthetic of taco truck culture.

“We wanted to do everything from scratch and we wanted to do everything local,” Kristin says. “We do comfort food but we wanted to give it a fancy flair.

“Even though it’s just sandwiches, we use techniques we learned in school.”

One of those techniques ended up turning into their signature menu item, the Dusty Bun. All sandwiches are served on a freshly-made bun garnished with a “dusty” top. Other gourmet touches include marinating their meat using Cordon Bleu techniques and hand-making their corn tortillas (yes, they do have tacos on the menu).

And the “local” part of their mission? That’s evident in every menu item, from the Valley-raised Mary’s chicken they use for their chicken sandwiches and tacos to their Fresno chili marinade.

Photo by Dan Minkler

Because Dusty Buns sources locally-grown produce, ingredients and garnishes change with the season, Kristin says.

“If you come in the summer, the slaw will probably have bell peppers [and] in the winter it will have carrots,” she says. “Our grilled cheese will always have bacon and cheddar but will also always have a seasonal fruit – most customers trust it’s going to be something good.”

Though the Stewarts’ unique concept took a little while to catch on, they soon developed a following and planted the seeds for the food truck movement to take root in Fresno. Through negotiations and compromises made with the City of Fresno to obtain the necessary operating permits, they paved the way for other food truck vendors to do the same. They were instrumental in establishing CartHop, held every Thursday on downtown Fresno’s Fulton Mall.

Dusty Buns has been influential in other ways.

Almond Pesto (Vegan) INGREDIENTS 1-½ cups toasted almonds 2 cups fresh basil leaves 2 cups fresh arugula 2 small cloves of peeled garlic 1 oz. apple cider vinegar ½ cup extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Crush garlic cloves. Place dry ingredients in a food processor. Add vinegar and olive oil to desired thickness. Season to taste with salt.

Note: Substitute roasted garlic or blend one seasonal pepper into the mix for spice and a variety of fresh flavors.

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Dusty Buns Original Bistro 608 E. Weldon Ave Fresno, CA 93704 (559) 486-2867 Monday - Saturday 11am-7pm

Dusty Buns San Francisco 11 Division Street San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 895-2867 Monday - Saturday 11am-8 pm Sunday 11am-5pm

Bistro Bus Schedules available on Dusty Buns’ Facebook, Twitter, Instagram feeds: www.dustybuns.com www.facebook.com/ DustyBunsBistro Twitter & Instagram: @dustybunsbistro Photo by Dan Minkler

“As we go around and eat we notice other places are serving local,” Kristin says. “It definitely is spreading and customers are asking where things are coming from. We tell them which farmers we get products from and where they can find them.

We want to make sure we can get the farmers connected with the people.”

Dusty Buns’ success has led to expansion, first in Fresno, with the opening of their brick-and-mortar bistro. Now they’ve taken their concept back to the Bay Area, with a second bistro bus in the SoMa StrEat Food Park and a newly-opened restaurant in the SoMa neighborhood.

Kristin says San Francisco has welcomed them “with open arms.” Despite the change of scenery, the Stewarts have taken a little bit of the Valley with them.

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Says Kristin: “Our Fresno chili marinade is a shout-out to Fresno, even when we’re in the Bay.” The Stewarts have graciously shared their recipe for vegan almond pesto with Central California Life’s readers. Many of the ingredients can be found at local farmer’s markets. • Katie Fries is a Fresno native and graduate of Fresno Pacific University. Formerly based in Chicago and the Bay Area, where she wrote and edited for several publications, she returned to Fresno in 2013, where she continues to freelance on various topics.

Fresno State’s farm-to-fork agricultural education prepares students to produce a bounty of products. www.FresnoState.edu

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Sip

A not so classic but wonderful martini at

Jack & Charlie’s

Story and photos by Judith House Menezes Jack & Charlie’s signature drink is the Strawberry Basil Martini, a flavorful libation that uses vodka infused with strawberries.

T

here is no hesitation when I ask the manager at Jack & Charlie’s in Visalia what the house drink is. No doubt about it, William Sa said.

It’s the Strawberry Basil Martini.

The cocktail is simple: vodka infused with strawberries and basil – a delightful combination. First come the strawberry notes followed by a clean basil finish. Tasty.

It is served in a martini glass with a rim of sugar and a strawberry garnish. The infusion is what makes this cocktail, a suitable drink year round, so flavorful. And you can see this happening behind the bar, where big glass jars of vodka and other spirits slowly infuse with different ingredients.

Jack & Charlie’s is part of the David Vartanian-owned trio of restaurants in Visalia. The other establishments are The Vintage Press on Willis Street and The Depot, which is located on Oak Street across from Jack & Charlie’s.

The restaurant is easy to spot with its authentic bright red British phone booth out front. You step down to get into the restaurant, which sets the tone and is in the basement of the old 74 |

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Tulare County courthouse and jail. No worries, you won’t feel like you are in custody; there are plenty of windows. The restaurant is where the cells used to be until the 1940s. Think sheriff ’s office/jail set up in the old Andy Griffith TV show, Sa said.

Jack & Charlie’s, open for nine years, has a relaxed, comfortable speakeasy ambience with dark paneling, dark wood tables, booths and a bar near the entrance. Old classic movies, such as Charlie Chaplin features and the Three Stooges, silently play on the TV in one corner. The feel is nice but not ostentatious. The food is fresh and features many local ingredients.

The restaurant was recently a finalist for the Visalia Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year award.

There are two stories about the name of the restaurant/ bar, Sa said. The first is that it was named after two Vartanian uncles. The second story, which Sa gives more credence to, is that it is named after the owners of the 21 Club in New York City.

At this writing, the Strawberry Basil Martini is not on the menu, but Sa said people ask for and the restaurant serves it.

The vodka martini is also known as a Vodkatini or Kangaroo Cocktail.

“Everybody knows we have it,” he said.

The vodka martini is also known as a Vodkatini or Kangaroo Cocktail. While no one seems to know where the name Kangaroo Cocktail comes from, what is certain is that the vodka martini started showing up in bars around the 1950s.

James Bond famously prefers vodka martinis “shaken not stirred” (which makes it frosty). Then there is a fruity vodka version called the I Dream of Jeannie Martini after the Willow Ranch 1960s TVDorrisshow.Tulelake The drink became popular Yreka Montague Clear Creek Bray Lake City after Jeannie, with her magic, made a vodka Hackamore Etna Weed Alturas martini gush from a rock in the desert for a Mount Shasta Callahan Orleans Likely Dunsmuir Cecilville thirsty Captain Tony Nelson.

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Jack & Charlie’s is located at 204 E. Oak Ave. in downtown Visalia. The phone number is (559) 738-5752. For more information and to make reservations go to jackandcharlies.com.

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Judith House Menezes is a professor of journalism and adviser to the student newspaper at College of the Sequoias in Visalia.

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Some purists still say that a vodka martini is not a true martini, which is made with gin.

Jack & Charlie’s Strawberry Basil Martini not a real martini?

Say what you will. The drink is good. •

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Spotlight

Master Gardeners are busy as bees this spring Edgar E. Dunn III Photos courtesy of the Master Gardeners of Fresno County

W

hile bees are briskly pollinating this season, master gardeners are springing into action, too.

With the much-anticipated annual Spring Garden Tour and Kids Garden Day occurring in late April and early May respectively, there’s a sense of purpose among dedicated volunteers to successfully stage these two popular events within just two weeks of one another.

THE SPRING GARDEN TOUR If you like spending time in your garden, then just imagine how much you might enjoy soaking in several exquisite landscapes you might not otherwise experience. Once you stroll through the half-dozen

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gardens carefully chosen for this year’s Spring Garden Tour by event chair Shannon Stiner and her committee, it should be obvious how much creativity and hard work have been invested in these remarkable properties.

According to Stiner, the goal for this tour is to provide visitors with a “glimpse of the unique and diverse vision of six homeowners, all residing in Old Fig Garden” and all within walking/biking distance of one another.

Visitors are encouraged to ask questions of the master gardener docents stationed at, and familiar with, each location. Live music and artists painting featured landscape scenes at various sites should make this year’s event even more memorable, says publicity chair Chris Hays. There will also be a master gardener demonstration and a plant sale.

The Spring Garden Tour is Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., rain or shine. For ticket information, call (559) 970-3384 or visit ucanr.org/sites/mgfresno.

KIDS GARDEN DAY – PLAY, LEARN AND GROW Composting, transplanting flowers and constructing weather vanes are among the fun activities planned for the 7th Annual Kids Garden Day. Also included for children and adults is a tour of the Garden of the Sun, the master gardener demonstration garden.

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“A child planting a garden is the essence of hope for the future,� says Rose Pipkin, chair of the youth gardening program.

Kids Garden Day is Saturday, May 9, from 9:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. at the Garden of the Sun, located at 1750 N. Winery. Youth groups with adult supervision are welcome.

Admission is free. Reservations are not necessary. For more information, call the University of California Cooperative Extension office at (559) 241-7515.

THE MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM OF FRESNO COUNTY Since 1985, the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Master Gardener Program has been fulfilling its mission to provide educational outreach to the gardening public through regularly scheduled classes and events, says Janet Cangemi, coordinator of the program for Fresno and Madera counties. Helping carry out that mission at the grassroots level is an army that includes extensively trained master gardener volunteers and experienced master gardener mentors.

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Bella Bead 6650 N. Blackstone Avenue • Fresno 559.447.0400 | www.bellabead.com

Full Service Bead Store Chunky Beads • Swarovski Crystals Rhinestones • Gemstones & Pearls Gift Certificates • Rewards Program www.facebook.com/bellabead Central California Life

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Cangemi estimates that the program’s approximately 250 master gardener volunteers, along with their predecessors, have logged “in excess of 296,800 hours” educating area residents in a variety of ways – gardening classes, a 1.25 acre demonstration garden, a gardening helpline, garden-themed events, informational booths at local venues, public speaking engagements and youth/school gardening-related activities.

Master gardeners receive extensive, ongoing training to help homeowners address the current water crisis along with numerous other concerns such as choosing the least toxic methods of pest and weed management and planting and maintaining safe and edible gardens and landscapes.

“Their educational outreach and passionate volunteering has a very positive impact on the quality of life for all in the community,” Cangemi says. •

For more information about the Master Gardener Program, home gardening and classes and events for adults and children, visit ucanr.org/sites/mgfresno/.

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In 2011, China Alley was listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as “One of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” Proprietors Arianne Wing and Steve Banister were inspired by the designation, and in March 2012 opened the L.T. Sue Tea Room and Emporium as a means to help revitalize China Alley. They adopted their name from Dr. L.T. Sue, the first of many herbalists located in China Alley The L.T. Sue Tea Room & Emporium serves as a catalyst business to bring vibrancy to China Alley and the area. Twenty percent of profits go towards helping preserve and revitalize this truly American treasure.

TEA WITH CAUSE 402 E 7th ST

HANFORD, CA, 93230

(559) 583-8379

LTSUE.COM

BUYER’S CHOICE AWARD

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PAIN Prescription Abusers In Need

The P.A.I.N. organization has the charge to communicate the truth about prescription drug abuse to teenagers and young adults. Founded in 2009, P.A.I.N. elevates awareness and individual assistance. Family consulting, facilitating support groups, speaking at schools, and community service groups are the primary methods by which P.A.I.N. reaches communities. Through community partnerships and resources we help the prescription drug user begin the rehabilitation process, and help their families by providing support services. P.A.I.N. proposes to reach the 80,000 students throughout the region, serving not only Fresno County, but additionally Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tlare County School Districts.

Prescription Abusers In Need 83 E. Shaw Suite 202 Fresno, CA 93710 WWW.GOTPAINUSA.COM Flindt.Andersen@gotpainusa.com (559) 579-1551 (559) 978-9239 82 |

Central California Life

I N T R O D U C I N G …

THE CALIFORNIA AUTISM CENTER & Learning Group

Imagine new possibilities for children with a diagnosis on the ASD spectrum!

T

he new California Autism Center originated in the central valley to offer families a home for comprehensive, flexible, and scientificallyproven behavioral treatment for children and youth on the autism spectrum. The heart of our program is a center based ABA program, but our comprehensive mission includes much more. Our CEO and clinical director, Dr. Amanda Nicolson Adams (formerly with Fresno State) has over 20 years of experience training and researching the latest breakthroughs in autism treatment. The California Autism Center’s state-of the-art model combines all the rigor of science without losing sight of what really makes it all work; a tender and caring approach.

• Our Team consists of highly experienced and extensively trained therapists. Our multi-disciplinary dream team of consultants includes a credentialed teacher, a school psychologist, a speech therapist, a marriage/family counselor and our own developmental pediatrician.

• Center-based programs: provide expertly delivered Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment with constant supervision and support.

• Parent seminars and sibling programs create a wraparound model of care and fun for the whole family!

• Comprehensive programs blend evidenced-based teaching strategies in careful balance to ignite each child’s potential.

• Potty Training Clinics: Our group seminar followed by individual consultation in home will get your child preschool ready!

• The Enrichment Program is our approach to social skill development. Through activities like sports, art, music, drama, and drum circles we will capture every child’s interests in the context of natural social interaction with peers.

A new kind of center – a new kind of hope!

www.calautismcenter.org Amanda@calautismcenter.org

(559) 385-3954

Spotlight

Fresno State library ranks 25th on “most amazing” list

By Abigail Martin

Photos by Cary Edmondson/Fresno State

T

he Henry Madden Library surpassed Yale, University of Southern California, Princeton and other prestigious university libraries on College Rank’s list of “The 50 Most Amazing College Libraries.”

According to College Rank’s website, the libraries on the list “offer amazing on-campus experiences, provide stunning and rare book collections as well as offer fantastic campus views.”

The site noted Henry Madden Library’s outstanding features. At 370,000 square feet, the Henry Madden Library is the largest in the California State University system. It holds more than 1.1 million volumes and has the largest installation of compact shelving on any one floor, amounting to more than 20 miles in length.

College Rank also acknowledged the architectural design elements inspired by Native American basket weaving created by AC Martin and Partners.

Fresno State’s library was first opened in 1911 during the establishment of the Fresno State Normal School. The library was remodeled to its current state in 2009.

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Raising Awareness for Mental Health May 23, 2015 Woodward Park

REGISTER TODAY! Contact the NAMI Fresno office for details.

559-224-2469 or namiwalks@namifresno.org Website: www.namiwalks.org Central California Life

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Spotlight

Edison Bethune Fourth-Graders Present at Full STEAM Ahead Abigail Martin Photos by Marty Solis

F

ourth-graders at Edison Bethune Charter Academy in Fresno had the honor of presenting on behalf of the Fresno County Office of Education at the Full STEAM Ahead conference.

Full STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) Ahead was held March 6 at the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center. Students and teachers across the state gathered to share their “best of the best” STEAM projects.

Cheryl Schellenberg, the visual and performing arts coordinator for Edison Bethune, said the students took on the challenge of creating galimotos (a push toy on wheels) out of everyday materials. The idea to create galimotos was encouraged by “Galimoto,” Karen Lynn Williams’ book about a poor, young African boy who goes on a quest to find materials to build his own toy.

The children presented their creations with a drumming musical performance and gave a history of kinetic (moving) sculptures. They honored African culture by painting their toys with traditional tribal colors and wearing colorful sashes.

“It’s really about kids using science and math, integrated with the arts,” Shellenberg said. “There’s a lot of science involved, learning about motion and force.”

This was the fourth year in a row the students at Edison Bethune were asked to participate in the conference.

“We’re a little West Side school,” Shellenberg said, “and the kids are doing big things in their community.”

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We have the range of services to take care of the needs of you and your family!

IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE OR NOT • IF YOU ARE DOCUMENTED OR NOT

Our 8 Central Valley health centers offer high-quality and non-judgmental care for all individuals and families.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE

including prenatal care, contraception, and STD testing and treatment

FAMILY MEDICINE

including annual exams and chronic disease care

PREVENTATIVE CARE

including immunizations and cancer screening

Medi-Cal & FPACT Accepted

Schedule your appointment online by visiting ppmarmonte.org or call 800.795.5745 Same day, Saturday and extended hour appointments available

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Calendar of Events

APRIL

Central Valley VISALIA Salsa Tuesdays at The Cellar Door: April 21 & 28 Shake and shimmy the night away at The Cellar Door every Tuesday, where beginner dance lessons start at 8 p.m. Advanced lessons begin at 8:45 p.m., followed by an open dance floor. No partner needed to participate. Tickets are $5 with $2 drink specials. This event is for the 21-andover. For more information, visit cellardoor101.com.

FRESNO Vintage Days: April 17 – 19 Celebrate springtime with Fresno State’s largest student-planned event!

Visit the Bulldogs’ campus with friends and family on Friday and Saturday for food, music, vendors and children’s activities. The annual festival attracts more than 50,000 guests each year.

FRESNO Spring Blossom Festival and Annual Bonsai Show at Shinzen Garden: April 18 & 19 Spend a lovey spring day at Shinzen Garden where gorgeous, old bonsai will be displayed among blossoming trees and colorful peacocks. Located at Woodward Park, this event will feature Japanese cultural events including a traditional tea ceremony, taiko drummers and local artist performances. For more information, visit shinzenjapanesegarden.org.

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LEMOORE The Time Jumpers at Tachi Palace: April 23 Dance, take your chances gambling and enjoy a selection of places to dine at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino. Based out of Nashville, Tenn., this Grammy-nominated western swing ensemble is performing at the Bingo Hall at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $35. For more information, visit tachipalace.com.

CLOVIS Clovis Rodeo: April 23 – 26 Get your cowboy and cowgirl boots ready for the annual Clovis Rodeo! The popular event kicks off Thursday, April 23 with the Professional Bull Riders Tour Pro Division and a live performance by Parmalee. The weekend’s events include the 101st rodeo parade on Saturday, Rodeo performances Friday – Sunday, concerts and the big rodeo after party on Saturday! For more information, visit clovisrodeo.com.

FRESNO A Midsummer Night’s Dream Ballet: April 24 – 26 The California Arts Academy and Severance Ballet Conservatory presents Shakespeare’s widely-performed classic as an original ballet at the Warnors Center for Performing Arts. Experience the magic of talented Central Valley teens as they bring the characters to life. You don’t want to miss this show, as the The California Arts Academy only produces a story ballet every-other year. For more information, visit calartsacademy.com.

For more events, visit CenCaliLife.com

SELMA Young Frankenstein: April 25 – May 2 The Raisin’ Cain Players present Mel Brook’s adaptation of his silver screen legendary comedy, Young Frankenstein. The show, performed at The Selma Arts Center, is sure to bring the audience lots of laughs and a good time. For more information, visit selmaartscenter.com.

FRESNO Evolution Sports Expo: April 25 Do you love extreme fitness sports? This action-packed event will feature top-level tournaments in boxing, karate, judo, MMA fights, Muay Thai, taekwondo and more. Check out the bodybuilding and bikini competitions and visit with more than 60 industry-leading fitness companies. For more information, visit evolutionsportsexpo.com.

Central Coast SAN LUIS OBISPO SLO Multicultural Music and Dance Showcase: April 17 & 18 Interested in international cultures? Explore traditional African music and food at the SLO Grange Hall on Friday night and Saturday. This is a Central Coast Arts International presentation. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. For more information, visit slochamber.org.

CAMBRIA Annual Chili Cook-off, Car & Motorcycle Show: April 18 You can visit the coastal town of Cambria, check out the participants or enter your best chili recipe, car or motorcycle in the open category! The event runs from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and will be held at the Cambria Veterans Hall parking lot and Pinedorado Parade grounds. For more information, visit cambriachamber.org.

BIG SUR Big Sur International Marathon: April 26 The Big Sur International Marathon has been described as “the best running experience on the planet” and “one of the jewels of American running.”

Runners race along California’s Highway One, set on a beautiful road that parallels the Pacific Ocean and reach Carmel. Additional events include 21, 10.6 and 9-mile running events along with a 5K run. For more information, visit bsim.org.

Mountain Areas RAYMOND 30th Annual Raymond Parade and Family Fun Days: April 18 The historic community of Raymond celebrates its traditions with a craft and food fair, swap meet and parade! Raymond was the main tourist hub for those venturing to Yosemite National Park from 1886 – 1907, and looks just as it did 100 years ago. Enjoy a look back to the gold rush era by visiting the town. The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. For more information, visit yosemitethisyear.com.

OAKHURST 8th Annual Oakhurst Woodcarver’s Rendezvous: April 19 – 25 This seven-day gathering of woodcarvers and crafters from across the country celebrates artistry and nature. The public is welcome to watch the woodcarvers take on a special assignment – complete a woodcarving represent the 125th anniversary of Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.

A craft fair will be held on Saturday, April 25 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. for an opportunity to purchase some of the carvings. For more information, visit yosemitethisyear.com.

COARSEGOLD Stage Route Tour: April 25 This six-hour bus tour is perfect for California history aficionados. It explores the history of eastern Madera country, from the late 1800s to early 1900s. Starting at the Coarsegold Historic Museum, the tour offers an oral history by two of the area’s lifelong residents. The event runs from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and costs $40. For more information, visit yosemitethisyear.com.

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Calendar of Events

MAY

Central Valley CLOVIS Spring Wine Walk: May 2 Take a stroll around Old Town Clovis as you enjoy wine tastings from more than 20 local wineries. The event runs from 5:30 – 9 p.m. For more information, visit oldtownclovis.org.

VISALIA Walk With a Doc: May 9 Take a step towards your ultimate well-being at Blaine Park in Visalia alongside local physicians who want to get your moving! The walk begins at 8 a.m., during which a health topic is presented and you will have the opportunity to ask questions about exercise and wellness. In addition, snacks will be provided. For more information, visit walkwithadoc.org.

FRESNO Taste and Toast of the Tower: May 14 Spend a lovely spring day walking through Fresno’s Tower District exploring its drinking and dining establishments. This tasting event will feature more than four dozen sampling locations and 17 local wineries. Tickets are $25 and include a complimentary wine glass. For more information, visit towerdistrict.org.

MADERA Butterfly Sanctuary at Home Grown Cellars: May 2 – 30 Every fall and spring, Home Grown Cellars in Madera opens a butterfly sanctuary to the public. You can experience the beauty of these winged creatures Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month. For more information, visit homegrowncellars. com.

HANFORD Square Dance Lessons: May 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 Have you always wanted to learn how to square dance? Take the opportunity to do so this spring every Sunday night at Square Eights Hall in Hanford! Lessons are only $3 and start at 7 p.m. For more information, visit vasdcalifornia.org.

FRESNO Home Free at the Tower Theatre: May 9 This country a capella band was crowned season four winner of NBC’s The Sing-Off December 2014. Spend your Saturday night being serenaded by this talented group of men from Minnesota. Their show is described as “high-energy” and “peppered with quick-witted humor.” For more information, visit homefreemusic.com.

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MADERA 15th Annual California Rendezvous Bike Show: May 16 This event is for the “ride-or-die” crowd.

Renegade Classics presents a day of hot bikes, luscious models, live music and food. There will also be a bikini contest.

Renegade Classics recommends attendees be at least 18 years of age. For more information, visit renegadeevents.com.

Mountain Areas BAKERSFIELD Standing Bear Pow Wow: May 22 – 24 Visit the Kern County Fair Grounds to learn about Native American culture through intertribal dance performances, arts and crafts and cultural awareness education. This is a family-fun event, where all dancers and drummers are welcome to the open gourd. Admission is $6 and free for children nine and under. For more information, visit kerncountyfair.com.

COARSEGOLD 63rd Annual Coarsegold Rodeo: May 1 – 3 This old-fashion mountain rodeo brings children and professional rodeo performances to Coarsegold for a good cause. In addition to the vendors, food and exhibits, a cowboy breakfast will add to the fun Sunday morning. As a non-profit event, the money raised by the rodeo is donated to local charities. For more information, visit thecoarsegoldrodeo.com.

CLOVIS Glorious Junk Days: May 24 Love antiques? Visit Old Town Clovis from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. where you can expect to see collectible, vintage items, repurposed furniture and handcrafted goods! If you have a treasured item, take it to appraiser Kathy Osterberg Sobelman to be sure of its value! For more information, visit oldtownclovis.org.

Central Coast CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA 22nd Annual Carmel Art Festival: May 14 – 17 Celebrate the arts in the beautiful, quaint coastal town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. More than 100 paintings will be placed on Mission Street between Ocean Avenue and 6th for public viewing Friday night. Saturday, the entries will be judged followed by a silent auction. Activities run through Sunday, when artists will be painting live around town and on the beach. For more information, visit carmelartfestivalcalifornia.com.

KING CITY Salinas Valley Fair: May 14 – 17 Take the kids or a date out to the Salinas Valley Fair for a fun time.

Carnival games, rides, live music, food and much more awaits you at the annual fair. There will be free admission for children under the age of 12 on Thursday, to seniors 60 and over on Friday and to all military personnel and dependents on Saturday! For more information, visit salinasvalleyfair.com.

APTOS Santa Cruz American Music Festival: May 23 & 24 Set in a beautiful Redwood amphitheater at Aptos Village Park, the music festival pays tribute to some of America’s all-time favorites. Performers include Bonnie Raitt, Big & Rich, Los Lonely Boys and more. For more information, visit santacruzamericanmusicfestival.com.

BASS LAKE 35th Annual Bass Lake Fishing Derby: May 2 & 3 Enter to win big bucks at the Bass Lake Fishing Derby. There will be two tagged $10,000 rainbow trout, one $5,000 trout, 150 trout tagged with $100 and 847 tagged with $20! This is family-fun event, sure to get the kids excited to win. Registration fees are $25 for individual participants and $60 per family.

For more information, visit basslakechamber.com.

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Bike Camp For Individuals With Disabilities Comes to Sanger, CA the week of June 29th – July 3rd!

Riders and volunteers are needed.To sign up,

http://icanbikefresnoclovis.info/

iCan Bike is a weeklong bike program that uses adapted equipment to help individuals with disabilities learn to ride a two-wheel bicycle. The Arc of Fresno and Madera Counties is pleased to offer this program through funding from the Central Valley Cycling Charitable Association.

For more information, visit us on the web: http://icanbikefresnoclovis.info/

Congratulations Graduates!

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Calendar of Events

JUNE Morro Bay

Central Valley

Central Coast

FRESNO Central California Big Band Dance Society: June 7 Every month, The Central California Big Band Dance Society hosts a dance at the DoubleTree by Hilton Fresno Convention Center. A 9- to 14-piece band performs ballroom dance music for more than 100 attendants. The cost is $15 for non-members and $10 for members. If you would like to join the society, membership is $30. For more information, visit bigbanddancing.com.

ATASCADERO Main Street’s Art and Wine Tour: June 5 Enjoy a lovely summer evening in the lusciously green town of Atascadero admiring fine art and wine. The event offers unlimited wine tasting for only $10! It runs from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit atascaderochamber.org.

FRESNO Eddie Izzard: June 9 Emmy Award-winning comedian, actor and writer Eddie Izzard will perform his latest standup show at the William Saroyan Theatre in Fresno. Sometimes hailed as the “lost Python,” his world-class act is not to be missed.

For more information, visit eddieizzard.com.

© Amanda Searle

MODESTO American Graffiti Festival and Car Show: June 12 – 14 Love street art and classic rides? Visit Modesto for the 17th annual American Graffiti Festival and Car Show, which kicks off Friday, June 12 with a parade. North Modesto Kiwanis members organize and work the event, donating all proceeds to charity. For more information, visit americangraffitifestival.com.

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MORRO BAY Morro Bay Music Festival: June 6 This fun-for-all music festival will take place bayside at the Embarcadero at Tidelands Park all day! Enjoy local bands, arts and crafts vendors and delicious food and drinks from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Admission for children 12 and under is free, and $2 for all others. All proceeds from the music festival support the Morro Bay Harbor Festival. For more information, visit morrobay.org.

MONTEREY Monterey Beer Week: June 8 – 14 Doesn’t a nice, cold brew on a warm, summer day by the bay sound delightful? Well, you can relax and have a cold one for an entire week during the first-ever Monterey Beer Week! Festivities will be held across Monterey June 8 – 13, leading up to the 14th Annual Monterey Beer Festival on June 14, which will be held at the Monterey County Fair and Event Center. For more information, visit seemonterey.com.

Mountain Areas OAKHURST Sierra Blooms Quilt Show: June 13 – 14 If you’re an avid quilter or crafter, you’ll love the Sierra Blooms Quilt Show, which will feature presentations by Sierra Mountains Quilters’ Association member Virginia Corriea. In addition, crafting vendors will have a variety of goodies for sale and many intricately designed quilts will be on display at the Oakhurst Community Center. For more information, visit yosemitethisyear.com.

YOSEMITE Mariposa Country Pioneer Wagon Train: June 10 – 13 The 40th annual Pioneer Wagon Train trek covers the historic 32-mile route from Goat Meadow Campground in Fish Camp, Calif. to the Mariposa County Fair Grounds. This three-day event includes campfires, cowboy poetry, costume contests, a dance and much more to give all participants a real Western experience. The organization welcomes wagon owners, horseback riders and anyone who would like to walk the trail, pioneer-style! For more information, visit mariposawagontrail.org.

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Join Us At The Theatre!

April 24-26, May 1-3 • The Fresno ART Museum- Bonner Auditorium

Weaving together the music of Bach, with the memories of the Bosnian War and the universal conflicts between teacher and student, THE MUSIC LESSON tells the story of Irena and her husband Ivan, two musicians who escaped the war in Sarajevo to start a new life in Pittsburgh. While Irena's passion for music and the students she taught helped Irena survive the war, she now stands torn between Maja, the 12 year old prodigy she left behind in Sarajevo and Kat, the bright but angry American teenager who wants to learn but resists her teaching. Shifting elegantly from past to present and resonating with powerful music, this is the tale of two countries, two families and the ways they teach and heal each other. A Fresno Premiere!

July 2-19 • The Dan Pessano Theater

What happens after Happily Ever After? In Sondheim and Lapine’s beloved musical retelling of the Grimm classics, a parade of familiar folktale figures find their way “Into the Woods” and try to get home before dark. The story follows a Baker and his wife who wish to have a child, Cinderella who wishes to attend the King's Festival, and Jack who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse.

Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.

July 24-August 9 • The Dan Pessano Theater

It's November 21, 1963. On the eve of their deployment to a small but growing conflict in Southeast Asia, three young Marines set out for one final boys' night of debauchery, partying and maybe a little trouble. But when Corporal Eddie Birdlace meets Rose, an awkward and idealistic waitress he enlists to win a cruel bet with his fellow recruits, she rewrites the rules of the game and teaches him the power of love and compassion.

Based on the 1991 Warner Brothers film, Dogfight takes audiences on a romantic and heartbreaking theatrical journey that stays with you long after the performance.

- A Fresno Premiere!

September 11-20 • The Fresno ART Museum- Bonner Auditorium

Brooke Wyeth returns home to Palm Springs after a six‐year absence to celebrate Christmas with her parents, her brother, and her aunt. Brooke announces that she is about to publish a memoir dredging up a pivotal and tragic event in the family's history— a wound they don't want reopened. In effect, she draws a line in the sand and dares them all to cross it. "The most richly enjoyable new play for grown‐ups that New York has known in many seasons…In his most fully realized play to date, Mr. Baitz makes sure our sympathies keep shifting among themembers of the wounded family portrayed here.

Every one of them emerges as selfish, loving, cruel, compassionate, irritating, charming and just possibly heroic…leaves you feeling bothmoved and gratifyingly sated."

—NY Times.- A Fresno Premiere!

Season Subscriptions NOW on sale!

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STAGEWORKSFRESNO.COM

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Our rehab and recovery programs are available in 30, 60 and 90-day treatment lengths, depending upon the specific needs of our residents. We specialize in residential drug and alcohol detox for individuals who are initially seeking treatment.

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1312 W Herndon Ave, Suite 102 Fresno, CA 93711

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