Enjoy Magazine: South Valley Living—August 2015 by Enjoy Magazine: Northern California Living

South Valley Living Magazine

AUGUST 2015

Summer Soundtrack

www.enjoysouthvalley.com

Enjoy the magazine It’s on the house

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Contents ®

South Valley Living AUGUST 2015

I NT ER EST 6 Raising Heritage Chickens with Brice Yocum 14 Coming Clean with Lather to Lace

LI V I NG ROOM 17 A New Twist on Working from Home

LOCA L S 10 More Than a Good Stretch at Painted Elephant Yoga Studio 21 Pet Envy Provides Professional Grooming and More 28 The Hallowed Halls of Valhalla Restaurant

SHOW T I M E 24 Take a Spin with the Valley’s Slow Season

I N EV ERY ISSUE

30 Enjoy the View—Josiah Alter 32 What’s Cookin’—Marinated Shrimp 34 Spotlight—Calendar of Events 36 Store Front—Enjoy Local 38 Giving Back—Central California Fallen Firefighters Golf Tournament

Lather to Lace photo by Josiah Alter See page 14 for more on this story

Enjoy magazine is not affiliated with JOY magazine or Bauer German Premium GmbH.

AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 3

Connie Kautz REALTOR

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Jada Lee Design photo by Jen May Pastores See page 17 for more on this story ®

SOUTH VALLEY LIVING

YVONNE MAZZOTTA publisher MICHELLE ADAMS publisher RONDA BALL editor-in-chief KERRI REGAN copy editor MICHELLE ADAMS graphic design JERED MILLER contributing graphic designer MONICA FATICA consultant/ advertising sales representative LYNN LEARNED advertising sales representative VALERI BARNES advertising sales representative

AUGUST 2015 Summer’s sizzle is upon us, so grab an icy beverage and find somewhere cool to savor the imaginative collection of stories that we’ve gathered for your enjoyment this month. Would you like to give back to those who put their lives on the line every day for us? The Central California Fallen Firefighters Golf Tournament helps the families of those heroes who have lost their lives fighting fires. You’ll be inspired by the adrenaline junkies behind Lather to Lace, who are turning the market for beauty products on its head. Then meet Brice Yocum, a modern-day farmer who is making a name for himself one well-raised chicken at a time at Sunbird Farms. Heather Busby’s entrepreneurial spirit also centers on creatures, but they’re in the beautification business – Pet Envy Grooming & Boutique pampers people’s pets. Get some tips for living your best life from the fine folks at Painted Elephant Yoga Studio, then treat yourself to a refreshing change of pace in your musical repertoire by giving Slow Season a listen. Their rock ‘n’ roll-influenced style is tough to define, but easy to enjoy. Hungry? The folks at Valhalla stand ready to deliver delicious Danish delights with flair. They’re celebrating 33 years of dishing up aebleskivers and much more. Then, take a virtual tour through the home of artist Jada Lee, whose family has created an environmentally friendly house on a budget. She shares her tricks for humble but fashionable living. Enjoy the last stretch of summer!

BRANDI O’BRIEN sales assistant/event calendar/website ALEX PUJOL JOSH GARZA deliveries www.enjoysouthvalley.com 505 W. Center Street Visalia CA 93291 559.804.7411 Email General: info@enjoymagazine.net Sales and Advertising information: monica@enjoymagazine.net

© 2015 by Enjoy Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproductions without permission are strictly prohibited. Articles and advertisements in Enjoy Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management, employees, or freelance writers. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If an error is found, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us of the mistake. The businesses, locations and people mentioned in our articles are solely determined by the editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. Enjoy and Enjoy the Store are trademarks of Enjoy, Inc.

COV ER PHOTO

Joel Adam Russell Photo by: Josiah Alter.com

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AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 5

INTEREST

| BY JORDAN VENEMA

e g a t i r He l a y o R A

R A I S I N G H E R I TA G E C H I C K E N S W I T H B R I C E Y O C U M BRICE YOCUM ISN’T EXACTLY what you’d call a conventional farmer. He doesn’t look the part, anyway, dressed in casual business attire, smart watch on his wrist, Starbucks mug in hand. But watching Yocum navigate through a recently irrigated orchard, with chicken feed in tow, is like watching a man who was born for this. Yocum manages 20 acres of walnuts, though he admits he’s not the one out shaking trees. He isn’t trekking through mud to collect loose nuts, anyway. Yocum’s here to feed his stock, about 100 chickens roosting and ranging and pecking at pasture, the sum of Sunbird Farms.

Photo: Tamara Orth

6 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

Photo courtesy of Sunbird Farms

Farming is a relatively new gig for Yocum, though, which he calls his premium hobby. “I didn’t grow up a farmer, I just grew up on farms,” he explains. But one day he found himself on the other end of his relationship with food, not just eating, but growing, raising and producing it, too. “Long story short,” he says, “chickens were a way to have good food at our house.” But short story longer, Sunbird Farms goes back to a challenge he made to a classroom full of students, and even farther back to the countryside in France. When he’s not farming, Yocum teaches courses at Fresno Pacific University, where, “as part of a project, I was trying to prove to my MBA students that you could start a national business on anything using the Internet today.” According to Yocum, the Internet leveled the playing field by offering entrepreneurs the means to start businesses in just about anything and anywhere. And with the virtual world his oyster, all Yocum wanted was chickens. Not just any chickens, and not just your grass-fed, freerange organic chickens, either. We’re talking birds of another feather altogether, birds with pedigree, birds with history, birds with heritage. Consider the poulet de Bresse, a heritage chicken that originates in the Bresse region of France. “That line has been around for probably 500 years,” says Yocum. “They process food differently, and they really develop a meat that is unbelievable.” It’s so unbelievable that renowned French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin called the bird “the queen of poultry, the poultry of kings.” But monarchs no longer have the monopoly. Heritage birds once bred in the small, local corners of the globe are now being bred and raised right here in our backyard, at Sunbird Farms. Think of heritage chickens like heirloom tomatoes: nonhybrid, open-pollinated varieties dating back generations. Basically, they’re the better-looking, better-tasting version of your average garden variety. Or as Yocum puts it, a heritage chicken “is a bird that breeds true without the help of humans.” They mate naturally, live productively outdoors, and grow at a slower rate than non-heritage birds. If that sounds absolutely mundane and uninteresting, that’s probably because it’s natural. There’s nothing spectacular about birds being birds, doing birdish things, right? But consider the Cornish Cross, a non-heritage, hybrid chicken that Yocum guesses makes up about 99 percent of chicken sold in supermarkets. “Its body can’t support its own weight and it can’t walk more than two feet without falling down” – let alone range, mate, and, you know, do birdish things. Leave a Cornish Cross alone with its food, and it will eat itself to death. Now that’s interesting, but it’s also as unnatural as a corndog. There are no corndogs at Sunbird Farms, only birds being birds, pecking at the mud, mounting each other and dodging diving hawks. There’s something idyllic about this orchard, but it’s also a jungle out there.4 continued on page 8

“LONG STORY SHORT,” HE SAYS, “CHICKENS WERE A WAY TO HAVE GOOD FOOD AT OUR HOUSE.” BUT SHORT STORY LONGER, SUNBIRD FARMS GOES BACK TO A CHALLENGE HE MADE TO A CLASSROOM FULL OF STUDENTS, AND EVEN FARTHER BACK TO THE COUNTRYSIDE IN FRANCE.

Photo courtesy of Sunbird Farms

AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 7

Photo courtesy of Sunbird Farms

Yet that’s precisely what makes birds like the Bresse the “queen of poultry, the poultry of kings.” Kings don’t want common, and Sunbird’s chickens are truly rare avis, rare birds – chickens worth the wait. Because for breeds like the French Barbezieux, Austrian Sulmtaler, and Spanish Isbar, there will be a wait. “You’re feeding them four times longer, 16 to 20 weeks,” explains Yocum, compared to the six weeks it takes to plump up a Cornish Cross. But that’s part of the experience, he says. “There’s a lot of mentality that goes into eating food.” The best chicken Yocum ever ate? The Barbezieux, a premium meat bird only recently exported to the United States from France. “I doubt more than five of them have ever been eaten in America,” he guesses, making the bird as rare as the goose’s golden egg. And yes, the Barbezieux was delicious, says Yocum, “but what made it fantastic was it took six months to raise, and I saw it every day.” “And because they’re fed the way they’re fed, they’re healthy,” adds Yocum, which means healthier meat. “They’re eating soy-free, they’re eating pasture, they’re exercising and getting fresh water, so they literally have better nutrients for you.” A chicken’s individual health doesn’t just translate to a better tasting breast, but also to a better, stronger breed. Yocum isn’t in this just to produce food; he’s start to get one common variety, and if that becomes susceptible to preserving heritage. Healthier, stronger disease or any genetic issue, you lose all diversity.” Plus, it’s boring. birds aren’t necessarily better for business, So Yocum’s out to prove it’s possible – that heritage chickens aren’t since the cost of breeding and feeding a the sole property of heritage farmers, people born into farms that have Barbezieux demands passion before profit. been passed from generation to generation. “My desire is for other To process a chicken at a USDA-approved people to have small, local poultry farms where they’re providing the plant costs Yocum $6.50, which is already highest quality to their communities.” Where there’s broadband, more expensive than the $4.99 rotisserie you there’s a way. can buy at Costco. But ask Yocum if his Like a true craftsman, Yocum offers a product made slowly, carefully premium hobby is worth it, and he offers and in relatively small batches. As a one-man, 100-bird operation, an interesting thought. “I want to be a Sunbird can’t possibly supply all the demand. And sincere there’s a craftsman,” he says. corollary between care and quality, getting your hands on the best Raising a Cornish Cross would be faster tasting chicken in the world, even though it’s raised right here in Visalia, and cheaper, but Yocum doesn’t give a cluck will probably take a couple months at least. This doesn’t bother Yocum, about a buck. “Lack of biodiversity puts us in because “it’s better that you can’t serve everybody than you have too a dangerous place with our food,” he says. much. We’ve got plenty of food loss in the world.” “Without these different, pure varieties, you If you want to eat poultry that’s fit for a king, you’ll have to get in line like everybody else. Or you could always start raising them yourself. If Yocum’s right and that’s good for biodiversity, then it’s also good for heritage breeds. Which means even though it will eventually end up on your dinner table, the chicken’s going to thank you. And you are going to thank the chicken. • Sunbird Farms • www.sunbirdfarms.com • Find them on Facebook Find Sunbird Farms eggs at Enjoy the Store in Visalia and Sage Roots in Three Rivers

Photo courtesy of Sunbird Farms

8 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

Jordan Venema is a freelance writer and California native. He’s a fan of wild stories, impetuous traveling, live music, and all the food. But mostly, he’s a fan of his six-year old son, Cassian. He can be contacted by email at jordan.venema@gmail.com.

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10 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

M O R E T H A N A G O O D S T R E TC H AT PA I N T E D E L E P H A N T Y O G A S T U D I O YOU KNOW THAT FEELING of a good stretch after a slightly too-long stint at a desk? Arms extending toward the ceiling… back muscles flexing…and a deep breath expanding the lungs. That sense of awakening movement is a deep and primal joy, a quick and direct connection to the wild, active spirit that lives inside us all. But in the face of the demands of modern schedules, that stretch which heralds the care of our bodies and spirits is often neglected for too long, resulting in excess stress, lethargy and muscles knotted until they resemble the rigging of a ship. And that is no way to live one’s best life, if you ask Denise Head, owner and operator of the Painted Elephant Yoga Studio and something of a local fitness guru. Head’s expertise spans everything from Crossfit coaching to windsurfing instruction, but it was her background in yoga that she deemed most essential to serve Visalia. “When I was coaching Crossfit athletes, I realized we were making people really big and strong, but we weren’t doing much for their range of motion or flexibility,” explains Head. “So I decided to move into this space so I could offer my athletes a place to practice yoga.” The space to which Head refers is a beautiful, airy building in Visalia’s burgeoning downtown industrial district. “Oh, it was kind of rough at first, but I could visualize it,” Head says. “And then I found a couple of great local artists here who helped me incorporate some of their work into the design, and the studio just took on its own life very quickly.” The Painted Elephant is one of a scant few yoga studios in Visalia. But when it opened its doors, the responsive rush of mat enthusiasts of all levels who flooded through them demonstrated just how overdue its presence was. But this yoga studio is as unpretentious as it is popular. “My intention was to make this place accessible to anyone who walks through the door,” muses Head. “I understand that the first step is the hardest, and walking through our door can be challenging for someone who is new at this. So I really treasure every person that comes in here.” The studio offers a familiar selection of yoga classes intended to suit a range of needs and abilities, such as Yoga for Athletes, Vinyasa Flow and Sunrise Yoga. But at the Painted Elephant, there exist a few classes with a newer twist, such as PiYo, an upbeat, musically driven workout that combines yoga with Pilates movements. And then there is a class with…well, more of a literal twist: a silky, suspended one, in fact.

The Painted Elephant’s Aerial Yoga class is perhaps the offering for which this studio has become best known. In this practice, each student spends just under an hour moving through a series of traditional yoga poses that are enhanced with a large swatch of silky, dangling fabric. These substantial yet ethereal loops enable the classic downward dog pose to flow into a Cirque du Soleil-style progression of lifts, flips and suspensions that invoke the adventurous, childlike spirit that has lived in many of us since those grammar-school days on the monkey bars. “I think that the aerial adds a whole new dimension to the yoga. It’s playful, it’s fun and it strengthens you on a totally different level than traditional yoga does,” says Head. “The main thing I tell everyone that comes into aerial is ‘channel that inner child.’ Letting go and having fun can give you power.” Helping people find their own power is one of Head’s most cherished pursuits in life. “I love empowering people and making them stronger,” says Head. “It’s my thing, figuring out how to build someone up – physically, spiritually, emotionally, whatever it is that they need in their practice.” Serving her community is at the core of what the Painted Elephant is all about. Classes are affordably priced, and running discounts abound for military personnel and students. Head subscribes to the philosophy of like minds coming together, and she celebrates that communal spirit in every way she can. “I like to do something communityoriented here about once a month,” says Head. “And apart from the good vibes, it’s nice to use these events to benefit the Visalia Rescue Mission. That organization is very dear to my heart. “It’s a dream to be able to come here and share what I love,” says Head. “But the real blessing is how this studio brings people together. Guys, girls, old, young…this place is for everyone.” • Painted Elephant Yoga Studio • (559) 737-7776 525 E. Acequia Ave., Visalia www. paintedelephantyogastudio.com Find them on Facebook and Instagram

Fache Desrochers is a writer, photographer and artist. Her work can be viewed at fachedesrochers.com.

AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 11

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INTEREST

| BY FACHE DESROCHERS | PHOTOS: JOSIAH ALTER

Daringly Beautiful C O M I N G C L E A N W I T H L AT H E R T O L A C E

A DAREDEVIL IS SOMEONE whose life is driven by a racing heart – a person whose blood pumps for adventure, and who dives into experiences with a hunger and strength typical of only the fiercest beasts. But if fairy tales and nature documentaries have taught us anything, it’s that every beast has its beautiful side. In fact, it almost seems that the wilder the beast, the more potential for beauty. And this is particularly true if you ask Kayte Fredieu and Kalish Morrow: dyed-in-the-wool daredevils, partners in adventure, and founders of Lather to Lace, an artisan home décor and handmade bath and body emporium that is turning the market for home and personal beauty on its head, one lovingly crafted product at a time. If you don’t see the connection between adrenaline junkies and artisan products, that’s perfectly normal. After all, if one is seeking thrills, perusing hand-crafted textiles or massaging ethically sourced lotions into the skin is far likelier to lull that person to sleep than to get the blood

14 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

pumping. But necessity is the mother of invention, and so to truly understand the motives behind Lather to Lace, we’ll need to return to their beginning, which started off with a bang. Or rather, a crash. “I was in a motorcycle accident about five years ago,” explains Fredieu. “I had about 18 fractures and was in a wheelchair for some time. And because of all the scarring, I couldn’t use my normal regimen of bath products that I had been using my entire life. So I started looking into natural handmade products, which worked so amazingly that I started to wonder if I could figure out how to make them myself.” She could, as it turns out, so she did. Fredieu laid the foundation for her artisan skincare journey by first mastering the mother of all lotions and potions: soap. “Soapmaking is chemistry, and it took me some time to become adept at it,” says Fredieu. “I found out that it takes a lot of studying, research and practice to get a wholesome, beautiful bar of soap that’s hydrating, nourishing and not drying.” But one thing was always clear to Fredieu: On the

I S TA R T E D L O O K I N G I N T O N AT U R A L H A N D M A D E P R O D U C T S , W H I C H W O R K E D S O A M A Z I N G LY T H AT I S TA R T E D T O W O N D E R I F I C O U L D FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THEM MYSELF… road to exquisite skincare, quality is key. “I use at least 95 percent organic ingredients in everything,” she says. “If it comes organic, I buy it that way.” The ladies of Lather to Lace come together like a pictureperfect bath: while Fredieu provides the luxurious bubbles, Morrow sources the elegant claw-foot tub to fill with them. An accomplished interior designer, Morrow is a curator of beautiful objets d’art, many of which are her own creations. The duo share not only a working aesthetic and a balance of skills, but also a wild heart. “Kalish and I are both licensed skydivers, and that’s how we met,” Fredieu says with a grin. “We’re both risk-takers at heart, so I knew we would be good business partners because we have the same level of drive, and the ability to take chances.” Fredieu had been growing her artisan soap business for a handful of years when Morrow became one of her main distributers out of the Hanford Antique Emporium. Before long, they decided to join forces on their own venture, and Lather to Lace was born. “It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been an amazing adventure,” says Fredieu. “We’ve established ourselves at the Vendome building in Hanford, and we’ve just opened our second store right on the water in Morro Bay.” A big part of Lather to Lace’s inventory philosophy is its dedication to supporting local consigners. Both storefronts and their online shop boast everything from crocheted crafts to baby items to fair-trade home décor and much more. “If we ever can’t find something locally and have

to outsource it, we always do it fair-trade,” says Fredieu. “But Kalish has been learning how to hand-make her own exclusive lace and textiles, so soon, instead of buying fairtrade home décor, we’ll be making it.” This hands-on approach stems from the rather punk-rock ethos that drives their goals and keeps their standards high. “We are pretty passionate about cutting out the middleman and getting rid of corporate consumerism,” says Fredieu. “I envision a life one day where handmade soap takes over the world, and all those inferior, filler brands are just burned to ashes.” When you’re a beast whose business is beauty, the world is what you make of it. And for loving daredevils like the ladies of Lather to Lace, that concept is a welcome one. “I want to build an empire. A small empire, but an empire,” Fredieu says with a laugh. “I envision myself running an ethical corporation one day with Kalish by my side, just daring to make beautiful things together.” • Lather to Lace • www.lathertolace.com • (559) 410-8416 Find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest 217 N. Irwin St., Hanford • 845 Embarcadero, Morro Bay

Fache Desrochers is a writer, photographer and artist. Her work can be viewed at fachedesrochers.com.

I E N V I S I O N A L I F E O N E D AY W H E R E H A N D M A D E S OA P TA K E S OV E R T H E WO R L D. AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 15

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LIVING ROOM

| STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEN MAY PASTORES

A NEW TWIST ON WORKING FROM HOME IMAGINE YOUR DREAM HOME and everything you’d like it to be. What do you see? Many would wish for a bigger house with more things, but for artist Jada Lee, it’s a classic case where less is more than enough. With her husband and two young kids, the family enjoys spending time playing on the banks of the Kaweah River that flows through their acreage in rural Woodlake. Occupying a tiny percentage of their land is a metal shop that they converted themselves, which is used for a dual purpose: a workspace for Jada to design and create things, as well as a two-story house (1,200 square feet total) for the family to call home. 4 continued on page 18 AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 17

very structure has its own personality. How can I maximize what’s already there? I always look at what I have versus what I need to get. I like this approach better,” Jada says about constructing an environmentally friendly house on a budget. Instead of building from the ground up, she chose to use the existing footprint as a starting point. “What can I reuse? What is the most that I can do? That pretty much drives all of my designs,” she says. During the six-month renovation, the family camped out and barbecued in the home-to-be, making the most out of the transition as good stewards of humble living. Jada grew up around Tulare County in homes that invited hands-on projects, such as a 100-year-old house in need

18 ENJOY AUGUST 2015

of major repairs. Inspired by her childhood upbringing, Jada studied interior design and studio art at Fresno State University, volunteered in Tiny Home studies and obtained a green building certification. “One thing I’m sure that has made me into who I am is that I was always allowed to build things,” she says. “A hammer and nails were never off limits because they were dangerous. I grew up in a house where projects were really common. One of the first homes I lived in, my mom and dad were building together. My mom was a house beautifier.” Beautifying a building can quickly add up in costs, but with craftsmanship on her side and a resourceful mindset, Jada achieved big goals with little. In revitalizing the Lee home, she looked at what they already owned to use for the build. With a $30,000 budget and a smaller-than-average existing space, she relied on her problem-solving and creative talents, which brought a set of unique repurposing ideas to life. “It’s hard for me to be impressed with a $10,000 bed. What’s amazing is a $100 bed that looks like

a $10,000 bed,” says Jada. Without buying anything new, Jada transformed an old sewing machine into a sink base for the bathroom. She also used scraps from mosaic tile used throughout the house to design the shower stall walls. Old cabinetry, once used in a government facility, were installed for household storage, and – using all the pennies they had – she designed a kitchen backsplash that reflects a beautiful pairing of innovation and resourcefulness. “Almost everything we’ve installed had a previous life,” says Jada. “We bought a tankless water heater because it minimizes the energy usage. We also installed some gray water valves for the washing machine; water from the laundry runs into the garden instead of into a septic tank. And we don’t have heating/cooling ventilation or duct waste. We have a passive system using windows and crossventilation.” Every detail makes a difference in sustainability. The Lee family proves this can be done, and without taking a financial risk. Inside their home, they’ve found a way to fit

an office, living room, kitchen, playroom, master bedroom, kids’ bedroom, two bathrooms and a spacious work space. With the home project completed, Jada plans to one day have a blueberry farm on their property and host events like weddings and parties by the river bank for clients. She also hopes to help bring other people’s dream homes to life while making their dollars go far. If home is where the heart is, then home is a reflection of what’s most important in life. To Jada, that means spending more time with family and less worrying about everything else. • Jada Lee Design and Events Find her on Instagram @jadagasparlee

Jen May Pastores is a photographer, teaching artist and writer. Her work can be viewed at jenmayphotography. com. She also enjoys sharing local food on @VisaliaEats and her travels @jenmay on Instagram.

AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 19

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LOCALS

| BY JORDAN VENEMA | PHOTOS: CHRISTINA HOPPER

P R E C I O U S

PET ENVY PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL GROOMING AND MORE HEATHER BUSBY IS RUNNING a little late, but the reason couldn’t have been more appropriate. “Sorry,” she apologizes. “One of my dogs had an accident.” Busby isn’t just a pet owner and animal lover; she and her husband Greg own and operate Pet Envy Grooming & Boutique. For Busby, a dirty dog is just another day at work, but as animal lovers, grooming is more than business – it’s about loving and caring for their pets. “I grew up in the county,” explains Busby, for whom animals were always a part of life – “chickens, horses, I have had a pet turkey. His name was Virgil.” But by the time she

got married, she had simplified to a single cat. Well, marriage changes things, and “family” eventually followed. “Right now we have 12 dogs, eight cats and two birds,” says Busby. “We have a bunch of koi, about 20 of them, and one saltwater clown fish.” Chalk up the petting zoo to country living. “People dump animals so much by where we live, so we end up with more and more,” explains Busby. She also sometimes temporarily cares for a customer’s pet while the owner tries to find a new home. 4 continued on page 22 AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 21

Between finding, collecting and adopting animals, the Busbys’ home has become a kind of halfway house for pets, though she hints it’s just as much a risk they’ll end up keeping the critters. Busby isn’t just a groomer; she’s like an SPCA poster child. As much as they love animals, the Busbys never envisioned professionally grooming other people’s pets. In fact, they didn’t really see the fuss of grooming their own (professionally, anyway), until they got a Maltese in 2006. “After that we started to understand the upkeep that they need,” admits Busby. The Busbys moved back to the Central Valley and opened Pet Envy in 2010. Greg and Heather had both lived and worked in LA. Busby describes that period of life as “constant travel, never seeing each other, just wanting to find a way to get back home.” And it just made sense: let’s move home, work with what we love. “We wanted to open it here because this is where our family is,” says Busby, even though LA might have seemed a more appropriate milieu for a pet salon. Busby agrees. “You’d think San Francisco and LA would be where a pet salon is more prevalent. But we’re actually so much larger than any of the salons in those areas,” she says. “We’re actually the biggest grooming salon on the West Coast.” Busby gives two reasons for their success: affordability relative to location, and people who love their pets. “For a lot of our customers, their dogs are their children.” And whereas customers might pay $80 to trim a Yorkie in San Francisco, they’d pay less than half for a full groom at Pet Envy Grooming & Boutique. Pets might be like children to some, but when it comes to bathing, animals are rarely as compliant. “Not every dog enjoys a bath or their 22 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

toenails trimmed,” and Busby admits grooming can be be difficult, messy, complicated for owners. “We have tubs designed for dogs, ramps where they can walk in,” as well as special hoses. Basically, says Busby, “you can’t do the same things” – or provide the same care – “from home.” Ultimately, Busby says professional pet grooming isn’t just about looks or convenience for the pet owner – it’s about animal care and health. “I’ve actually seen animals have to get put down from neglect, not being groomed,” says Busby. Many are bred for specific coats, meaning breeds have specific needs. Cocker spaniels, for example, have finer fur that can mat between toes, causing discomfort, even limping. However you cut it, whether it’s animal hygiene or pampering pets, Busby’s grooming salon fundamentally cares about animals – and not just the pets that can afford to pay. “We also offer discounts to rescue animals,” says Busby, “a 25 percent discount rate to make an animal more adoptable.” Busby works with “any of the local rescues, the SPCA, the Love of Animals, Gabby’s Animal Rescue – basically any that stop by,” she says. • Pet Envy Grooming & Boutique • www.petenvygrooming.com 5121 West Goshen Ave., Visalia • (559)-741-1442 1237 North Cherry St., Tulare • (559)-366-7674 Find them on Facebook

SHOW TIME

| BY JORDAN VENEMA | PHOTOS: JACKI POTORKE

24 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

TA K E A S P I N W I T H T H E VA L L E Y ’ S S L O W S E A S O N IT’S COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK, loudly, unpredictably, breaking up the year’s cycle with the release of its second full-length album, Mountains – fresh as spring, hot as summer, familiar as fall and wild as any winter should be. That Slow Season seemingly came out of nowhere is both shocking and appropriate: with a throwback sound, reminiscent of late ‘60s and early ‘70s garage rock, its music is nothing new, but then it’s never been done before, either. But how Slow Season has remained relatively unknown until now is puzzling, since its tracks are like echoes from rock ‘n’ roll’s past. Authentic, true roots rock ‘n’ roll: there’s no simpler way to describe the band’s sound. Call them “classic” if you will, but when most thusly-defined rockers were making music however many years ago, these four dudes hadn’t even been born. Maybe Slow Season members Daniel Rice, David Kent, Hayden Doyel and Cody Tarbell went unnoticed because they’d been hiding these past 40 years, writing, watching, waiting for their season to come back around. Nope, says Rice, dismantling this theory of cryogenic rock preservation. “We didn’t really play locally a whole lot. I just don’t think our music connected with people in the area,” he says. They’ve been playing since 2012, but Rice suggests Slow Season doesn’t jive with the current musical zeitgeist. That doesn’t mean the band has gone completely unnoticed, or that its sound hasn’t connected with fans outside the Valley. During recent tours, Slow Season discovered (or was discovered by) fans in Oklahoma and Texas. “People really connect with our music there,” says Doyel, Slow Season’s bassist. These rockers are like cartographers, drawing lines and borders between genres, tracing the course of musical history from influence to influence, connecting traderoutes between different sounds, like psychedelic rock and American hip-hop. Don’t you know, the Americans landed in England long before the British Invasion? Soul, R&B, “James Brown, Aretha, they actually influenced most ‘70s hard rockers,” says Rice. Obviously, Doyel adds, “You don’t just listen to your influence. You listen to the influence of your influences.” And so the conversation, like vinyl, keeps on spinning. Slow Season doesn’t just talk the rock ‘n’ roll talk, though. They walk it, too. On the heels of a nearly fourweek tour, Slow Season hit the road on July 3 for yet another 10,000-mile, month-long excursion. Call them

rockers, call them road warriors, but when Slow Season takes the stage, they look like they’ve crawled from the ‘70s just as much from a tour van. “I think we’re starting to pull off the look now that we’re more road-worn. The more we go, it’s kinda just happening,” says Doyel, referring to the gnarly mustaches and turquoise jewelry, long hair, paisley shirts, leather vests and boots – a look to match their sound. They look the part, they sound the part, but Slow Season isn’t putting on airs, either. “There’s no board meetings about what we’re doing,” explains Doyel. “We want to sound like we’re from back in the day, the ‘60s and ‘70s, but it’s not like we have to do this.” “There’s no master plan,” Rice agrees. “We kind of know what we want to do, and it happens to be in line with each other.” In line and common ground. Distill Slow Season’s interests and musical tastes and you’ve got its purist influence: “the common ground is Zeppelin,” Rice says. Of course, every band wants to make its own way in the musical word, to create its own sound, but there’s no better comparison than to those legendary rockers from London. From its first track, Mountains displays that influence through repeating guitar riffs punctuated by a snapping high-hat, and tied together by a blues-driven bass line. Tracks like Sixty-Eight and King City display Rice’s powerful range, reverberating vocals hitting high notes and low, hauntingly rolling vowels, siren-like, blending the best of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell and Zeppelin’s Robert Plant. But any comparison misses the mark, and even Slow Season strains to describe its sound. “Well, we say rock ‘n’ roll a lot, but people don’t seem satisfied with that,” says Rice. Doyel raises the ante, “Yeah, but what kind of rock and roll? Bluesy, riffy, ‘70s?” “Guitar rock?” asks Rice. “No,” he concedes. “I don’t know man, what do you think?” While Rice admits their music reaches a certain “type,” the gray hairs and bikers, he calls them, Slow Season also reaches a wider audience, which only reflects the diverse tastes and backgrounds of its members. “Cody grew up on the rodeo circuit,” says Rice. “His dad was a bull rider, so ‘90s country was his bread and butter. When he wanted to rebel as a kid he got into WuTang Clan.4 continued on page 26

AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 25

“We didn’t grow up in the ‘60s and ‘70s,” he continues. “I was around rap and ‘90s rock and I grew up Church of Christ, which was all four-part harmonies, a cappella,” which, Rice adds, “is cool common ground with the Beach Boys.” And through a thick mustache, Doyel says, “I’m younger so I grew up throughout the Backstreet Boys,” though “Neil Young was tops growing up. He’s one of my favorites.” Good music is good music, and “it’s not like we forget what we listened to as kids or anything,” Doyel adds. “You can find something good in every genre or time period.” By drawing from that bottomless well of musical experience and influence, Slow Season refuses to duplicate any one kind of sound, get niched, become a musical relic. They’re adapting, growing as musicians, and already working on a new album with a sound different from the last. They’re dabbling with organ and mellotron, writing with mandolin. All successful bands develop by degrees to stay ahead of the times. But what would that mean for a band like Slow Season? Moving forward, will moogs replace their mellotrons, and ‘80s new-wave synth-pop wash away ‘70s rock riffs? Will Slow Season become some kind of chronological musical experiment, moving through the decades until it collides with the current zeitgeist?

26 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

Doyel laughs: “That’s kind of actually how it’s progressing so far. Our music has kind of gone from ’69 to like ’71.” “The new album is gonna be early ‘70s, touches of prog, and you know eventually we’ll end up doing Kenny Loggins,” Rice jokes – at least, through the thick of the mustache, it’s hard to tell. Slow Season’s progression won’t be limited to its chords. Their music proves they’re not afraid to tackle different genres, and certainly not afraid to walk down a road long ago paved by rock ‘n’ roll greats. Anyway, like the name suggests, time’s a relative thing. However slowly, seasons still cycle, and eventually the really good stuff always comes back around. Who knows, maybe Slow Season has been ahead of the game, and everyone else behind the times. If so, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do. What better way to start than with a record and some good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll? • www. 5low5ea5on.bandcamp.com Find them on Facebook and Instagram Jordan Venema is a freelance writer and California native. He’s a fan of wild stories, impetuous traveling, live music, and all the food. But mostly, he’s a fan of his six-year old son, Cassian. He can be contacted by email at jordan.venema@gmail.com.

Enjoy the Village of Three Rivers

Sage Roots Come enjoy the beautiful weather in our outdoor space!

Breakfast & Lunch: Sun. 8:30-2:30 • Sat. 8:30-2:30 Dinner: Mon. 5-9; Thurs. 5-9 • Fri. & Sat. 5-10; Sun. 5-9

559.799.3665 • olbuckaroo.com • 41695 Sierra Drive, Three Rivers

Local Produce Market • Local, Organic & Pesticide Free Produce • Custom, Juice and Produce Box Pick-up & Delivery • Bulk Section & Local Goods

Thursday/Friday 12-6PM Saturday/Sunday 8-4PM Monday 8-12PM 41763 Sierra Dr. Unit A, Three Rivers, CA 93271 559.802.8929 Sageroots3r.com Sageroots3r@gmail.com

Shop. Explore. Make a memory.

Unique Goods & Greenery Artisans, Jewelry, Pottery MAIN FORK & CO

Thursday-Saturday 11-6 • Sunday 11-5 41763 Sierra Drive, Unit B • Three Rivers • (559) 740-9882

Monday-Saturday 11-7p • Sunday 10-5p 41891 Sierra Dr., Three Rivers • (559) 561-4095 www.kaweahrivertrading.com Bring in a receipt from the ol’ buckaroo and receive 10% off your purchase

LOCALS

| BY JORDAN VENEMA | PHOTOS: JACKI POTORKE

danish flair T H E H A L LO W E D H A L L S O F VA L H A L L A R E S TA U R A N T SOME INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN AROUND so long that anniversaries only suggest what otherwise is too difficult to conceive: a time before they were. Take Visalia’s Valhalla Restaurant, which, like its Norse mythological namesake, the heaven-like “hall of the fallen,” seems eternally etched upon the minds of its patrons. If you substitute coffee for mead, you’ve essentially got the same concept, excepting the whole perpetuity thing. But as hard as it may be for some Visalians to accept, Sept. 2 marks Valhalla’s 33rd anniversary, proving that once upon a time Valhalla simply was not, and every aebleskiver fix demanded a pilgrimage to Slovang. It might be hard for some to believe, but not all. Just ask Kim Payne, who estimates she’s made about 53,000 pies during her tenure as Valhalla owner and chef. This seems like a monumental feat, except “anybody that does something that long is pretty quick at it. It becomes second nature,” says Payne. So yes, she remembers – every aebleskiver, every pie – though even Payne wonders how 33 years passed so quickly. When Valhalla first opened its doors, Payne was only 21. Now, on the regular, she serves customers who are as old as the restaurant itself, and who’ve been dining at Valhalla since they were infants. “You know, I don’t consider myself old, but I started young enough that I’ve seen kids born, leave, go to college, come back, get married, have their own kids, and now they’re coming to the Train Room,” says Payne. “I’ve seen the whole circle of life.” Still, even after 33 years in the business, once in a while Payne gets a first-time guest, which seems impossible, considering Valhalla is one of Visalia’s oldest institutions. “I’m sure we’re up there,” Payne guesses. “33 years ago, there were only six eating establishments downtown, so there was definitely a need. The timing was in our favor.” “We didn’t even know how to spell restaurant,” laughs Payne, who says starting a restaurant was less competitive back then. “There are

28 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

more than 60 restaurants now downtown… There was a lot of wiggle room back then for error. We just opened our doors and” – voilà – “we were a restaurant. Seriously, I didn’t go to culinary school, or anything like that.” Theirs was a simple recipe for success. “Right off the bat we knew we wanted Danish flair,” says Payne. That meant Danish staples like medisterpolse, a spiced sausage, and aebleskiver, a round, doughy pancake-like ball served with jam. They included other Danish dishes on the menu, foods inspired by grandma’s recipes. The second ingredient of the recipe was even simpler: hospitality. “Visalia is small enough that people still like to seek out the mom-andpop restaurants,” says Payne. “It brings me a lot of joy when people come in and enjoy their food, and I have their favorite pie for them,” says Payne. “This is a comfortable place when they’re having a bad day, when they need their hug.” “We have singles that come that maybe were coming here for years and years and years, and then they lose their spouse, but still come here and get a hug and don’t feel by themselves,” she adds. And while Payne says Valhalla has become a comfort to her customers, those customers have also become a comfort to Valhalla. Guests have become like family. So in the spirit of hospitality, with true Danish flair, Valhalla plans to bring its anniversary celebration to the street outside its restaurant, where all will be welcome and aebleskivers will be for all. On the Friday and Saturday of Labor Day weekend, from about 8 to 11 am, Payne will “set up a stove and make aebleskivers on the sidewalk, so that everybody that drives by or walks by or comes in gets a free aebleskiver.” Guests who eat at the restaurant will also receive a raffle ticket, with a chance to win prizes like free breakfast or pie. So if you’ve waited 33 years to eat at Valhalla, Labor Day weekend could be fate. But don’t press your luck by waiting any longer, because while Valhalla might seem a fixture, the best things never last forever – no, not even the hallowed hall of the aebleskiver. And though Payne insists, “as long as the Lord gives me my health, I don’t see me stopping,” not even she can say what will happen in the next 33 years. Says Payne, “I might just hang up my rolling pin before then.” • Valhalla Restaurant • 314 W Center Ave., Visalia • (559) 627-2113 Find them on Facebook

ENJOY THE VIEW

| PHOTO: JOSIAH ALTER

30 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

Lake Kaweah, Tulare County Josiah Alter is a photographer and an adventurist who is wild at heart. Destination weddings, portraits and film photography are his specialties. When he is not shooting, he is often rock climbing, backpacking or mountain biking. View his work at josiahalter.com or @josiahalter on Instagram.

AUGUST JULY 2015 ENJOY | 31

WHAT’S COOKIN’

| BY LANA GRANFORS | PHOTO: KARA STEWART

August Recipe As in one of my favorite movies of all times, Forrest Gump, I’ll quote Bubba: “Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There’s shrimp kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich… that’s about it.”

32 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

However, one great way to prepare shrimp was missed in that quote, and that would be a marinated shrimp appetizer which is also great served over a bed of spinach for a salad entree or tossed with angel hair pasta as a main entrée. Whichever way you choose to serve this shrimp dish, I think you are going to love it!

Enjoy!

M A R I N AT E D S H R I M P Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. shrimp (15 to 20 count), peeled and deveined, tails removed (pre-cooked frozen can be used – see below for use) Pinch of salt 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced ½ yellow bell pepper, diced 1 small shallot, minced 1 T minced garlic 1 rib celery, minced 1 lemon, juiced 2 tsp. capers 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes 1 T finely chopped fresh basil leaves 2 T extra virgin olive oil ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper ½ tsp. finely grated ginger 1 medium bunch fresh basil, stems removed

STEP 1: Bring 3 quarts of water and a pinch of salt to a boil over high heat in the saucepan. Add the shrimp, lower the heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for 1 minute. Drain the shrimp and cool them to room temperature. (If using pre-cooked frozen shrimp, allow to thaw completely in refrigerator. Once thawed, rinse and drain completely.) STEP 2: Combine the tomato, bell pepper, shallot, garlic, chopped basil, celery, lemon juice, capers, oil, flakes, salt and black pepper in the bowl with a metal spoon. Add the cooled shrimp, toss well, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. As the shrimp marinate, they get more garlicky. STEP 3: Drain the shrimp, re-season with additional salt and black pepper, and arrange them on a platter.

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes PREP: 4 hours 20 minutes 6 hours 20 minutes

LOVE OUR RECIPES? Come into Enjoy the Store (Visalia, Redding or Red Bluff ) each month and ask for your FREE recipe card. For a limited time, spend $50 in any Enjoy store and receive a “Made to Enjoy” recipe box crafted by Phillips Brothers Mill. (while supplies last)

ING RED IEN TS 1 lb. shri mp (15 to 20 cou deveined, tails remove nt), peeled and can be use d (pre I MhP d – see below for -cooked frozen E D S H R Pinc T use) A of salt N I R A M 1 medium tom ato , seeded and ½ yellow bell diced 1 small sha pepper, diced llot, minced 1 T min ced 1 rib cele garlic ry, minced 1 lemon, juiced 2 tsp. cap ers 1 pinch cru shed red pepper flak 1 T finely chopped es fresh bas 2 T extr il leaves a virgin oliv e oil ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. fres hly ground ½ tsp. fine pepper ly grated ginger 1 medium bunch fres h basil, stem s remove TO TAL TIM d

August Recipe 2015

E: min ute PRE P: min s ute s SER VES :

GRANF ORS RECIPE BY LANA

A R I N AT M ING

P ED SHRIM

Lana Granfors enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking and spending time with her friends and family– especially her grandchildren, Jillian and Garet.

STEP 1: Brin a boil ove g 3 quarts of wat er r high hea t in the sau and a pinch of salt lower the cepan. Add heat to to medium, for 1 min the shrimp ute and sim , mer unc temperatu . Drain the shrimp overed re. and cool them to to thaw com (If using pre-co room oke d frozen pletely in and drain shrimp, allo completely refrigerator. Once w thawed, .) rinse STEP 2: Com bine the tom chopped ato, bel basil, cele ry, lemon l pepper, shallot, gar salt and black pep juice, cap lic, per in the ers, oil, flak Add the bowl wit coo es, ha refrigerato led shrimp, toss well, and metal spoon. r for 4 to ma they get 6 hours. more gar As the shr rinate in the licky. imp marina te, STEP 3: Dra in the shr and black imp pepper, and , re-season wit h additio arrange the nal salt m on a pla tter.

STEWA RT | PHOTO : KARA

AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 33

SPOTLIGHT

| AUGUST 2015

in the august spotlight FROM FOOD TO FUN, SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY Color Fun Run

(DINUBA)

ENTERTAINMENT PLAZA AUGUST 1

Golf Skills Challenge

(VISALIA)

VALLEY OAKS GOLF COURSE AUGUST 21

The time has come for you to pull out those golf clubs and put your skills to the test,because the golf skills challenge is back. The day will include a round of golf filled with a variety of challenges and obstacles. See if your team has what it takes to beat the competition. Join in for a day of golf, friendly competition, prizes and great food as they share what Visalia Rescue Mission is doing. For more information, visit www.vrmhope.org/events/golf-skills.

Broads of Broadway

First Saturday Art and Foods

ICE HOUSE THEATER THROUGH AUGUST 16

DOWNTOWN AUGUST 1 | 11 AM - 5 PM

(VISALIA)

Experience that golden age of Broadway musicals and the “Broads” who headlined the shows. This musical revue will take you on a trip down memory lane through song and story. You’ll love the music, but you’ll also love the history and stories behind the shows - songs from Showboat, Carousel, Finian’s Rainbow, Guys and Dolls, Funny Girl, Camelot, Damn Yankees, Jesus Christ Superstar and many more. For more information, visit www.visaliaplayrers.org.

34 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

Run, walk, skip or whatever else you feel like. Come be a part of this fun run benefitting City of Dinuba After School Program. Check in from 8 - 8:45 am then the 2-mile run starts at 9 am. Feel free to get creative with your attire. For more information, call (559) 591-5940.

1 Refresh Your Decor Workshop

(THREE RIVERS)

(KINGSBURG)

MERIT WINDOW FASHION & DESIGNS AUGUST 15 | 11 AM

1 Artists have joined together to create a day of food, fun and fabulous art on the first Saturday of this month. The theme will be “celebrate sequoias.” Specials will be promoted throughout the town by artists, restaurants, gift shops, galleries and more. Watch people painting plein air, eat good food and listen to local musicians or storytellers. Pick up a map and check the schedule at the museum or Anne Lang’s Emporium. For more information, visit www.1stsaturdaytr.com.

Visit this free home decor workshop on creating fresh updates for your home. They will not only inspire, but give you tips and tricks to great design. Workshop content is based on the season. Attendees receive 15% off entire decor and gift purchase. Limited seating. To reserve your spot or for more information, call (559) 897-2132.

CALENDAR | AUGUST 2015

Clovis August 7, 14, 21, 28 • Farmers Market, Old Town Clovis, 521 Pollasky Avenue, 5:50 - 9 pm August 7, 14, 21, 28 • Saturday Farmers Market, Old Town Clovis, 521 Pollasky Avenue, 5:50 - 9 pm August 21 • Hot August Daze cruise, sock hop and dinner dance, Elks Lodge, 535 Woodworth Avenue, 6 - 10 pm,

Dinuba

August 1 • Color Fun Run to benefit City of Dinuba After School Program, Entertainment Plaza, 289 S L Street, 8 am, (559) 591-5940 August 4 • National Night Out, Entertainment Plaza, 6 - 10 pm, www.dinubachamber.com August 12 • Good Morning Dinuba, Open Gate Ministries, 511 North K Street, 8 am, www.dinubachamber.com

Exeter

August 4 • Women in Business Brown Bag Lunch, Exeter Senior Center, Chestnut and E Streets, noon - 1:30 pm, (559) 592-2919

Farmersville

August 1 • Women’s Self Defense Class, Team KO Sanctuary, 448 Farmersville Road, 10 am - 1 pm, (559) 556 - 5746 Hanford August 4 • National Night Out, Hanford City Park, www.hanfordchamber.com August 6 • Bryan Vickers Band, Mainstreet Hanford, 326 N. Irwin Street, 6 pm August 6, 13, 20, 27 • Thursday Night Marketplace, Hanford Fox Theater, 326 North Irwin Street, 5:30 - 9 pm, www.hanfordchamber.com August 30 • Be Your Own Hero 5K walk and run, downtown Hanford, 8 am, www.mgmfitness-hanford.com

Kingsburg

August 6, 13, 20, 27 • Kingsburg Farmers Market, Memorial Park, 5 - 8 pm, www.kingsburgchamber.com August 14 • Summer Nights Wine Series Finale, Ramos Torres Winery, 1665 Simpson, 8 - 11 pm, (559) 419-9159, www.ramostorres.com August 15 • Refresh Your Decor Workshop, Merit Window Fashion and Design, 1585 Draper Street, 11 am, (559) 897 - 2132

Lemoore

August 7, 14, 21, 28 • Rockin’ the Arbor, The Arbor, E Street and Follett, 6 - 10:30 pm, www.lemoorechamberofcommerce.com

August 22 • Lemoore Lions Brewfest, Lemoore Lions Park, 600 Sheffield Court, 5 - 9 pm, www.lemoorechamberofcommerce.com

Porterville

August 1 - 2 • 30th annual Camp Nelson Mountain Festival, Camp Nelson Meadow, (559) 542-2551 August 15 • America’s Greatest Game Show, Eagle Mountain Casino, 681 South Tule Road, 8 pm, www.eaglemountaincasino.com Springville August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 • Springville Farmers Market, Springville Ranch, 36400 Highway 190, (559) 359-0713 August 7 • Concerts in the park: Brad Wilson, Springville Veterans Memorial Park, 7 - 9 pm, (559) 359 - 1135 August 21 • Concerts in the park: Mighty Oaks Chorus, Springville Veterans Memorial Park, 7 - 9 pm, (559) 359 - 1135

Tulare

August 6, 13, 20, 27 • Speech Conductors Toastmasters, Tulare Chamber Trade Room, 220 East Tulare Avenue, noon - 1 pm, (559) 679-0344, www.tularechamber.org

Three Rivers

August 1 • First Saturday art and food: Celebrate Sequoias, downtown, 11 am - 5 pm, www.threerivers.com, www.1stsaturdaytr.com

August 21 • 6th annual Golf Skills Challenge to benefit Visalia Rescue Mission, Valley Oaks Golf Course, 7:30 am, (559) 740-3178, www.vrmhope.org August 27 • King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard with Mild High Club, The Cellar Door, 101 West Main Street, 6:30 pm, www.cellardoor101.com August 31 • Pizza with a Purpose, The Planing Mill Artisan Pizzeria, 513 E Center Avenue, 5 - 9 pm, www.vrmhope.org

Ice House Theatre www.visaliaplayers.org

July 31 - August 16 • Broads of Broadway

Tachi Palace Casino www.tachipalace.com

August 6 • Summer Brawl, 6 pm August 20 • Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, 7:30 pm August 28 - 30 • Santa Rosa Rancheria Pow Wow

Visalia Fox Theatre www.foxvisalia.com

August 7 • Hamlet, 7:30 pm August 8 • Comedy jam with Willie Barcena, Daryl Wright, Quinn Dahle and Rick Izquieta, 8 pm August 21 - 22 • All on - citywide women’s conference with Jennie Allen, 9 am

Visalia

August 7 • Blues Brews and BBQ, Garden Street Plaza, 6 - 10 pm, (559) 782-0101, www.visaliachamber.com • 27th annual Tommy Elliott Memorial Golf Classic, Visalia Country Club, 625 N Ranch Street, 7 am - 3 pm, (559) 624 - 2359, www.visaliachamber.com • Celebrant Singers 38th annual homecoming concert, LJ Williams Theater, 1001 W Main Street, 7 - 9 pm, www.tularecountyevents.com • The Milky Way breastfeeding information class, 210 Cafe, 210 West Center Street, 6 pm • First Friday, downtown Visalia, 6 - 9 pm www.firstfridayvisalia.con August 8 • Comedy Jam with Willie Barcena, Daryl Wright, Quinn Dahle and Rick Izquieta, Visalia Fox Theater, 8 pm, www.foxvisalia.com • Just Walk with a Doc, Blain Park, 3101 S. Court Street, 8 - 9 am, www.healthyvisalia.com • Superhumanoids with James Supercave, The Cellar Door, 101 West Main Street, 6:30 pm, www.cellardoor101.com

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE CALENDAR! Please visit www.enjoysouthvalley.com or email info@enjoymagazine.net to post your calendar events. If you’d like your event to be listed in this section of Enjoy magazine, it must be posted on our website or emailed by the 5th of the month— one month prior to the next magazine issue. For example, an September event will need to post by August 5. Thank you.

AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 35

STORE FRONT

PHOTOS: TAMARA ORTH

TASTE, TOUCH, SEE... ENJOY LOCAL.

Local made artisan food and gifts

SOUTH VALLEY Enjoy delicious unfiltered raw honey in your tea or over toast...great for seasonal allergies, too by Bradshaw Honey Farms

Combine these wonderful sheep milk cheese blends with fresh figs or jam to keep your guests happy by Vintage Cheese Company

This freshly baked artisan granola is great over Greek yogurt and fresh fruit by Visalia Bakehouse

36 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

These handcrafted lightweight leather earrings make a great gift for a loved one or for yourself by Quinn & Edie Jewelry

Add the healthy benefits of almonds into your diet by using this butter in your oatmeal, smoothies or on toast by Barney Butter

Use these long lasting and oh-so-soft wash cloths for washing dishes, face & body, or for sopping up messes by Portland Crochet

Gift crates for any occasion!

Come visit us at our new store location

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GIVING BACK

| BY JORDAN VENEMA

SOME GAVE

ALL

C E N T R A L C A L I F O R N I A FA L L E N F I R E F I G H T E R S G O L F TO U R N A M E N T WE STILL SEE THEM, the shirts memorializing the sacrifice of first responders during the 9/11 attacks, with broad letters printed FDNY – the Official Fire Department, City of New York – yes, we remember. Then in 2013, 19 City of Prescott firefighters were killed fighting a wildfire near Yarnell, Ariz. – the highest wildland firefighter death toll in the United States since 1933. It took only a moment, a collapsing building, a rushing fire to engulf these men and women, the first responders who daily put their lives on the line to protect the lives of others. We cannot forget these tragedies. Not just because of the number of lives lost, but because of the significance of their sacrifice. Whether we’re talking about 100 or one, they’ve given the same thing: everything. And that everything is precisely the loss experienced by the families of those firefighters who gave their lives. This is why nonprofit National Fallen Firefighter Foundation was founded in 1992: to be the first responders for the families of fallen first responders. Tulare County firefighters Jody Adney and Michael Damron (Station 8, Ivanhoe) know what it’s like to be on call, to jump into the thick of the flames. Damron describes fighting fires like “going out to fight a dragon that you don’t know if you’re going to slay or it’s going to slay you.” For some, that would be enough giving, but not Adney, not Damron, and not the many other Tulare County firefighters who coordinate the annual Central California Fallen Firefighters Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation. “Losing a firefighter is a terrible thing for a department, but for many

Photo courtesy of Central California Fallen Firefighters Golf Tournament

38 | ENJOY AUGUST 2015

families the firefighter is the primary breadwinner, and that’s where this comes in,” Adney says about the tournament, which will be held at Ridge Creek Golf Course, Dinuba on Sept. 25. The volunteer-organized tournament, one of about 30 national tournaments, raises money directly for the national foundation, which then can be used for the families of fallen firefighters. “Kids camps, counseling, to help a family pay their mortgage, to send kids to college, scholarships, to pay electric bills,” lists Damron. “That is why we do this tournament.” In 2013 and 2014, the tournament raised $15,000 and $30,000, respectively. What’s the goal for this year? “Well, if it was Michael’s way,” Adney says, “we’d do $60,000.” While the tournament raises money through ticket sales (144 spots in the tournament), it mostly relies upon sponsors, like Sequoia Beverage and Tulare Federal Credit Union. Ranging from $250 to $10,000, individual and business donations directly benefit the families of fallen firefighters. “We’re pushing for sponsorship,” says Damron, who also recognizes the importance of communicating to sponsors and golfers the story of these heroes. Each hole will have a biography of a fallen firefighter, and the tournament begins with a memorial service. “We really try to bring the focus home,” says Adney, “and want to remind them why they’re here.” Because, explains Damron, “this is bigger than a golf tournament. This is about people’s lives, helping people get back on their feet who’ve lost a loved one.”

That isn’t limited to the major tragedies of 9/11 and Yarnell. The national foundation wants a more inclusive definition of “in the line of duty.” Says Damron, “they’re fighting every year to get more and more added,” whether that includes aneurisms or cancers, even heart attacks. “You don’t hear about those,” Damron says. “What you hear about are the Yarnell 19, or when an aircraft goes down, something like that. But you don’t hear about the everyday firefight.” And sometimes, people don’t even hear about the fallen firefighters from their own backyards. Reedley couple Marci and Steve VanderGriend lost their son, Zachary, in 2008, when he died in a plane wreck. He was an aerial firefighter, explains Marci, “and was taking off from Reno for a California fire in Stockton and his tanker went down. He was killed with the pilot and co-pilot.” But Zach was a contracted firefighter working for a private company, and whether by accident or oversight, “he was overlooked for his service,” says Marci. Then the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation contacted the VanderGriends to attend a national memorial in Maryland in 2009. “I get chills talking about it,” says Marci. “The morning of the memorial, we walked through – the NFFF calls it the sea of blue – it’s firefighters in their dress uniforms standing shoulder to shoulder on each side of you, making a walkway till you get to your seat.” Zach’s name was called, she was handed a rose and badge, “and for the first time, Zach was honored with the flag of his country. And that experience meant more to us than I can ever explain. They cared enough to remember

and honor him, and it didn’t matter who he worked for, it didn’t matter who paid his check. It mattered that he was a hero, and gave his life to save other people.” The National Fallen Firefighter Foundation provides everything from financial to emotional support to families, but also a network for survivors. “That’s the biggest thing,” says Marci, “that they bring us together, so we can help each other.” The VanderGriends will attend this year’s Central California Fallen Firefighters Foundation tournament. Like the national memorial in Maryland, it brings families together, offering support while memorializing the sacrifice of their heroes. And though services can never equally match the sacrifice of these fallen firefighters, the funds raised through the tournament is at least a start – to give back to the families of those who have gave everything. It’s also a way to say, “Thank you, we remember.” • Central California Fallen Firefighters Golf Tournament Sept. 25, 7am – 7pm • Ridge Creek Golf Course, Dinuba For sponsorship information or to sign-up, contact (559) 972-4823 or www.firehero.org Jordan Venema is a freelance writer and California native. He’s a fan of wild stories, impetuous traveling, live music, and all the food. But mostly, he’s a fan of his six-year old son, Cassian. He can be contacted by email at jordan.venema@gmail.com.

AUGUST 2015 ENJOY | 39

PHASES

reinventing parenting for every year of your child's life

What PHASE is your child in? Preschool

Elementary

Middle School

High School

Artist

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Zero to One

one & two

Three & Four

K& First

Second & Third

Parent Conference Adults $10/$15 at door.

Fourth & Fifth

Seventh & Eighth

Sixth

When:

Saturday, Aug. 29th From 9-1pm.

Where:

At v1ag.onthecity.org/plaza Visalia First or at the door 3737 S. Akers

3737 S. Akers St. Visalia, CA 93277 Service Times:

Ninth

www.v1ag.com Saturday at 5:00

Tenth

Eleventh

Twelfth

Childcare $5 per child/ $10 at the door if space available (birth thru 8th grade) snack provided.

facebook.com/visaliafirstassembly

Sunday at 9:00 // 10:45 // 12:30

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