C I T Y
L I F E
T O
C O U N T R Y
L I V I N G
JAN / FEB 2018 ISSUE
MAGAZINE
USA $7.50 INTERNATIONAL $9.50
MODEL CHRISTOPHER BETHUNE GUILT TRIP ’S OWN
THE ISAAC POPE CENTURY PART ONE
NEW YEAR’S IN
THE BIG APPLE ISBN 978-1-365-58375-9
90000
9 781365 583759
HOMELESS IN AMERICA
CONTENTS JAN / FEB 2018 ISSUE
10
06
28
21 HUMAN INTEREST
06 The Isaac Pope Century
MODEL
COVER STORY
21 Me & Michael Homeless In America
TRAVEL
10 Christopher Bethune 28 Madison Davick
40 New Year’s In The Big Apple
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MEET THE TEAM
ENTERTAINMENT
48 Circus Vargas 50 Road To Success – Rodney Allen Rippy 54 54th Annual Ski Dazzle Show 55 Progressive International Motorcycle Show
Journalists Head Writer/Advice Columnist SUE MCGAUGHEY ctcmsue@gmail.com Arts/Entertainment Columnist JAY LUSTER Interviews (Owner/CEO at CAMERON HOLDER Wings By The Flock) Freelance Writer, Owner/Founder of TOM KELLY Chasing Your Dream Radio Freelance Writer ROBYN WEISS Freelance Writer LILI DEBARBIERI Contributing Writer LEAH REISE
HEALTH
56 From Pounds To Perseverance
SUE’S COFFEE TALK
58 How To Live Positively In A Negative Place
FILM
60 Lisa Mikitarian – How I Made My First Movie
40
President & Owner LISA SNYDER citytocountrymagazine@aol.com Director of Operations/Business Adviser TAMMY KC HEGYES tammykchegyes67@gmail.com Executive Editor/Managing Editor TERRI R. BASSETT terrirbassett@yahoo.com Creative Director/Head of Layouts AMY PAYCANA ESPALDON amyespaldon@icloud.com
PR Contributors MG Agency CA SUE MCGAUGHEY October Coast CLINT MORRIS Wickid Pissa Publicity JOSH MITCHELL Photographers/Photojournalists Staff Photographer/ Owner of J. Route Photography Sports/Entertainment Photojournalist at Sterling Images - Freelance Photography Photojournalist Photojournalist Photojournalist
JONATHAN ROUTE BRENT GROH JESSICA ROSE ED SANDOVAL ERIC TIER
Write To Us: 1911 Market Street Beatrice, Nebraska 68310 CITY TO COUNTRY MAGAZINE LLC would like to thank our sponsors for their contributions and will be making changes to our digital and print issues to bring our readers and viewers the best of the best! Sponsors: Sue’s Coffee Talk Chef John’s Events & Catering www.chefjohns.net/ Blueyed Pictures ww.blueyedpictures.com/ For those who would like to become a part of our Team here at CITY TO COUNTRY MAGAZINE LLC, you can join us over at CityToCountryMagazine.com and show your support. For those who would like to advertise in and/or sponsor an issue, you can email us at citytocountrymagazine@aol.com. CITY TO COUNTRY MAGAZINE LLC is a Bimonthly Magazine. This publication may not be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission from the Publisher/Owner, Lisa Snyder. Copyright© 2018 CITY TO COUNTRY MAGAZINE LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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HUMAN INTEREST
THE
ISAAC POPE CENTURY WRITTEN BY JAY LUSTER
Potter Photography & Design
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HUMAN INTEREST
Joseph Friedman, Photographer
“Men who are in earnest are not afraid of consequences.” ~ Marcus Garvey Events of December 1917 The 18th Amendment, authorizing prohibition of alcohol, is approved by the US Congress and sent to the states for ratification. Philip Randolph and Chandler Owen founded The Messenger, a Black socialist magazine in New York City. “Our aim is to appeal to reason, to lift our pens above the cringing demagogy of the times.” The Supreme Court, in Buchanan v. Warley, strikes down the Louisville, Kentucky, ordinance that mandated segregated neighborhoods. African-American soldiers of the Third Battalion of the all-black Twenty-Fourth United States Infantry Regiment, 156 in number, marched on Houston after their mistreatment and abuse by the Houston Police Department. The Houston Mutiny, as it came to be known, resulted in four blacks and 12 whites being killed. There were 29 black soldiers executed for participation in the riot, and another 41 were sentenced to life in prison. December 17, 1917 Isaac Pope is born.
In 1917, all across the American South, most black people were caught up in a farming system known as sharecropping. After the Civil War, large plantations, remaining under the ownership of former slave masters, were parceled out to what became known as tenant farmers. The black families would rent the land, the seed, and the equipment to run their farm, as well as the food on their table. At the end of the harvest, the landowner would subtract out those expenses, and whatever was leftover was what the tenant earned as wages. Predictably, the remaining money was never enough to free families from the land and the life. This form of virtual slavery was handed down to Isaac Pope’s parents from their parents, who were slaves freed at the end of the war. Only one generation removed from slavery, Pope’s early life was dominated and informed by what became known as the Jim Crow Laws. Famous examples of this separate but equal doctrine were the relegating of blacks to the back of the bus, as well as having separate lunch counters and restroom facilities. However, the most insidious of the laws concerned the schooling of black children. Back then, much like today, in some places, school funding depended upon where you lived. In Kinston, North Carolina, Isaac Pope’s hometown, school funding for black schools was significantly lower than for white schools. At first, when white schools received new books, the old books went to the black schools. In 1889, that went by the wayside when North Carolina
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MODEL Jonathan Route, Photographer J. Route Photography www.jroutephoto.com
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MODEL
CHRISTOPHER
BETHUNE WRITTEN BY JONATHAN ROUTE
“Success is achieved, once failure is no longer expected.” ~ Christopher Bethune Christopher Bethune, born in New Haven, Connecticut, is a 34-year-old, AfricanAmerican male who currently resides in Hamden, Connecticut. Bethune has worked for the state of Connecticut as a Department of Children and Families social worker for over eight years and has two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Master’s in Social Work. Bethune has been pursuing acting since 2011 and has an all-encompassing resume for both corporate America and entertainment, with his most recent project being Guilt Trip, a play written by Shanee Ransom that focuses on recognizing the signs and symptoms of domestic violence. Bethune signed with Maggie, Inc., a corporation out of Boston, Massachusetts, in July 2017. Since then, he has been commuting throughout all of New England, New York, and Los Angeles for films, runway shows, photo shoots, stage plays, television shows, commercials, and hosting duties. He has taken classes at Boston Casting with Erica Derrickson and is currently enrolled in classes at The Actor’s Gym with Reno Venturi. Bethune’s goal is to become a well-rounded and versatile actor/model who is not defined by looks or color, but merely for his talent.
For more about Christopher Bethune, please visit the following sites: www.facebook.com/chris.bethune.90 www.instagram.com/mr_bethune/ http://www.imdb.com/user/ur72183390/?ref_=nb_usr_prof_0 Maggie, Inc. – Lifestyle: http://www.maggieagency.com/portfolio. aspx?nav=9&subid=14395&mainsubid=14395&modelid=1250366&sexid=1&a=13
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ME & MICHAEL
HOMELESS IN AMERICA WRITTEN BY SUE MCGAUGHEY 21 CITY TO COUNTRY MAGAZINE LLC
COVER STORY
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As you read this story, I’m sure you will become as emotionally moved as I was when I first heard it. The story is of two men from vastly different worlds; two men a mere 20 yards apart, separated by a wall, where the difference between security and survival is, sometimes, no different at all. Me & Michael is based on the true story of two men – one who learns that he is valued, and the other that learns what true value is – two men who lived so close to each other on the same Earth, yet lived miles apart in a world filled with homelessness. Mark Rolston, an American actor with an extensive film resume´, including Shawshank Redemption, The Departed, and Aliens, was accustomed to living in a bubble. Homeless people were just losers who camped out on the streets, drugaddicted and a nuisance. Mark confesses he was aware of the homeless epidemic in America, but he was guilty of thinking, “That’s their problem, not mine.” Just like Mark, many Americans have no clue on just how serious the homeless epidemic is. According to recent statistics, in Los Angeles alone, there are approximately 57,794 homeless living in the streets. Michael Toscano is one of them. Michael lived in a nice neighborhood, or so it seemed. He lived in the same neighborhood that Mark did. The only difference was that Michael lived in the ravine behind Mark’s house. The ravine is where Michael called home. Every day, Mark would take his dog, Lola, for a walk. He passed several homeless people, including Michael, cursing them under his breath. Mark eventually discovered that the idyllic world he lived in wasn’t as ideal as he thought. As he walked Lola, Mark noticed the drug addicts passed out on the path and trash all over the place. He became painfully aware of a man, living in a tent, who was singing badly and smelling of smoke. The homeless guy (Michael) knew the dog’s name was Lola, so he would greet her by name whenever he saw her, but ignore Mark. Mark was quite irritated with this. One day, as Mark was doing his usual walk past Michael’s homeless camp, he noticed Michael, who was sitting against a tree, shivering. “I was so struck by the man’s predicament that, even though I had cursed him before, I circled back to my home, grabbed one of my kid’s sleeping bags, and took it back to the man. I remember being cautious as I approached the man to hand off the sleeping bag. After I handed it to him, the man broke down crying, then he asked me if I was sure I wanted to part with the bag. I told him he needed it,” Mark explained to City to Country. As Mark began to walk away, the man blurted out, “What’s your name?” “We exchanged names.
It was that moment when I put a name to this face, when I met the person behind my perception of him, when I met Michael,” Mark said. So began the friendship of the homeless man from the ravine and American Actor Mark Rolston. They were about to learn a lot from each other. Perhaps surface-level appearances aren’t always quite as they seem, considering Mark, himself, was going through financial difficulties and faced losing everything, just like Michael did. Mark and Michael were about to connect on a level that not everyone immediately understood. Mark understood, though, because through Michael’s eyes, Mark saw what could easily happen to himself or to anyone. Who was Michael Toscano? The following was written by Michael himself. “Hi, my name is Michael Toscano. I was born in New York City. I lived there until the age of five. Then, my mother’s side of the family moved out West to Los Angeles. I had good schooling at Charter Oak Middle School, Cedar Grove Junior High School, and Charter Oak High School. I graduated high school, got a job, saved my money, and bought a car. Life was good. Then, I started doing drugs and alcohol. I went to Florida to see my dad for the first time in 20 years. My parents divorced when I was young. I lived there for eight years, working for my father at his Shell gas station. I stopped doing drugs, but I still drank. I moved back to LA to be with my family. I worked, I drank, and I became homeless. I sure miss my grandparents. I was with both of them when they passed away, just two weeks apart from each other. That was the worst time ever. After that, I got jobs in machine shops, Arcapaco Dental Supply and Custom Manufacturing in the Cypress Industrial Park in Covina, California. I worked as a machinist for seven years, then I moved to San Diego. I lived there for 18 years in a one-bedroom apartment. I worked as a handyman for a guy who had houses and apartment buildings. My mother passed away at the age of 59. I was born in 1959. That was hard for me. Then, not soon after, my father’s parents passed away within weeks of each other. My grandparents, on both sides, came to New York in the ‘20s. It was nice to see them when I could. I learned a lot from them. I wish I could have had more time with them. When I was living in San Diego, I met a girl. We got serious and decided to get married and have a family. She got pregnant, and we had a baby girl. One night, she flipped out on me and called the police. She told them that I was trying to kill her. We separated, and within a week, I was served with a restraining order. I had to go to court and face the judge. He told me that I couldn’t have any contact with the girl. I asked, ‘What about the baby?’ He said, ‘Forget about the baby.’ I went home and was in
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shock, to the point where I was put in a mental institution for three days. After I got out, I went home and drank until I lost everything. Homeless, I moved back to LA. I stayed with my younger brother, Joe, but we didn’t get along. The owner of the property let me build a room in the back of the apartment complex, and I lived there for eight years. He was my good friend. I did a lot of work for him. Then, he became ill and passed away. His brother ended up selling the apartment complex, and I had to go. That’s when I hit bottom…drinking and on welfare, which wasn’t much. I found a place next to the bus line and made camp. I was in a ravine and lived there for seven years. Then, I met Mark, my good friend. Now, he, I think, is someone that was sent to me from God.” Mark and Michael quickly became friends. We can’t forget Lola, Mark’s dog, who befriended Michael in the first place – a dog and her men. Mark Rolston is also friends with Brian Krause. Brian has an extensive film and TV career and is widely known for his role as Leo on the ‘90s TV show Charmed, which also starred Alyssa Milano, Holly Combs, and Shannen Doherty. Brian did months of research regarding the homeless situation in America. “The stats vary between 1-30 or 1-40 children are homeless, on any given night, in America. That, alone, should be
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COVER STORY
enough to wake us up! It’s unacceptable. Since Reagan, the homelessness/mental-health budget has been slashed from 17 billion dollars, down to just under two billion today. Even Obama took 1.5 billion out of the program. Although, with Obamacare, I believe a lot of services were provided there. I’m sure Trump would just love to scrap it entirely,” Krause said. “Veterans are a huge concern for most. If you are willing to give your life for our freedom, you should be taken care of forever. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) isn’t something that only affects soldiers, as so many men and women have found themselves on the streets. Many are a biproduct of abuse. Women and kids who have been assaulted, raped, or physically beaten often have nowhere to go and find themselves without family, hope, or help. They have just as much PTSD as a soldier, by no fault of their own,” Brian concluded. Mark and Brian had many discussions related to the homeless epidemic. When Mark first told Brian about Michael, Brian
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MODEL
MADISON
DAVICK WRITTEN BY MADISON DAVICK
Growing up, my mom would tell me to treat every day as if it were a fashion show. I don’t know whether this is a phrase she coined from Coco Chanel or her own mother, but I have lived my life by it. I grew up in a small city, and while I dreamed of bright lights, they weren’t from that of camera flashes. I had wanted to be under the bright lights in an operating room in surgeon’s green scrubs, smelling of sterilization. Not once did I dream of any other fame. I didn’t start modeling until I was 17, and even then, I still wouldn’t consider myself a model. A role-model to some, maybe, but an actual model like the ones little girls grow up watching walk the runway? Heavens, no! It all started when photographers who looked to grow their portfolios and skills, by shooting a dancer, reached out to me. I knew my mom would absolutely love more photos of me in costume, so I couldn’t say no. I’ve always been charismatic and fun-loving, so I created a mental game out of this art form. These photoshoots allow me to embody a different character, and for a snap second, I am no longer myself. Madison Davick ceases to exist, and I am whoever I dream of being within that moment. The flash explodes, instantly dying and taking with it whoever I was, sealing her in a fragment of time. It’s a magical game filled with different emotions and never-ending giggles. When picking a college, I decided to immerse myself in something new. Living in Massachusetts my whole life, I chose to branch out and head to an area where the grass is greener, literally. I packed my bags and moved to study Biology at the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF), where I am currently a sophomore. I’m on a premedical track and am obtaining a minor in Anthropology, as well as working a few different jobs within the Biology Department. UMF has given me more opportunities than I can begin to list, even allowing me to be a published researcher, after my freshman year, for a Genome Announcement within the American Society of Microbiology. I have a deep passion for science, because it aims to answer all the irrational questions I ask myself each night. While school is my main focus, I would most definitely consider these photoshoots to be a big hobby of mine. Who knows? Maybe one day, they’ll become much more than just that, but for the time being, I reside to the books and study until I drift to sleep each night. Jonathan Route, Photographer J. Route Photography www.jroutephoto.com
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“Everything you can imagine is real.” ~ Pablo Picasso
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TRAVEL
In The Big Apple
WRITTEN BY TAMMY KC HEGYES
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When asked to do a New Year’s travel article for this issue, I didn’t have to think too long on where to travel. Rocking in the New Year is the way to go, and planning my trip to New York for this amazing celebration was a given. With everything that is going on in the world today, I first found myself wondering if I should take the plunge or just sit at home with my glass of bubbly, watching it all unfold on TV, like most Americans these days. Get up, get out, and show the craziness that you’re just as crazy! Never let insanity ruin your happiness. Show no fear, live your lives, and schedule for the next year. If you’ve found yourself reading this and you do it, then I have accomplished something, because nothing can stop a spirited person with a cause! So, I hope you were out there celebrating, just like me. New York City is the place to be on New Year’s Eve, if you’re looking for festive parties and dinners and an opportunity to attend one of the biggest New Year’s Eve parties! I will say this, though. Trying to get into Times Square, later in the day, is a bad idea. Make sure you are prepared to get there around 12 p.m. Security will be very tight, and to be honest, you will start to feel like cattle. Not kidding! Once there, be sure you have things that you will need, as in drinks and food. There are a variety of different things you can plan to celebrate New Year’s, but some will be a little pricey. I chose to go a little pricey on this trip and not be a part of the cattle drive, and I was able to really enjoy seeing the ball make its drop, toasting the New Year and having a wonderful time! Before the festivities, we arrived on Friday evening and made our way to our hotel. We had decided, before planning our trip, that we needed to do this right. So, we booked our rooms at the Marriott Marquis. Let me just say this. The rooms were just amazing, the service was excellent, and they had everything you could possibly think of. I highly recommend that you experience this grand hotel and its festivities for New Year’s. Waking up on Saturday morning, we weren’t sure which attraction to hit first. We each have our favorite things to do, and combining them was not an easy task. However, we all love to shop, and when I say shop, I mean CLOTHES! Come on! A girl cannot experience New York City without visiting Fifth Avenue! First stop on this early morning journey through the Big Apple is Saks Fifth Avenue! For the traveler, it is everything you’d expect Saks in NYC to be – full of cutting-edge fashion, beautiful apparel, and many things for the very high-end consumer. There are things for the moderate budget as well. A visit here, though,
is delightful in either case. We loved our experience and enjoyed the Christmas decorations in the windows. The lobby was a little overcrowded, but once you make your way up to the next level, you feel like you can breathe again. The iconic Saks Fifth Avenue lives up to its expectations. I could spend forever here, except my salary is a little less than what The Real Housewives of New York would be. Okay, so I’m being a little silly, but it’s reality. Before we had realized it, we had spent almost the entire morning just shopping and dreaming of the designs we couldn’t afford. I really need to win the lottery! After wearing ourselves out walking around Saks, we had our bags taken to our hotel and continued our journey to The
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Met, and no, I am not talking baseball. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a must-see when you come to NYC. Just standing in front of the museum was breathtaking. I was floored. I’ve been to so many museums on my travels, but none can compare to this one. There are so many amazing exhibits. I think anyone who is interested in art and history could stay in this museum the entire day, and the rest of our day was spent there. Be sure that, if you would like to take any of the tours with a guide, you call ahead and schedule. You can visit www.metmuseum.org/ for more information. You will not be disappointed, and you will learn more than you ever thought you could. After your tour, make your way to the Met’s dining room. Yes, I said it! In a serene setting overlooking Central Park, The Dining Room
offers contemporary American cuisine with an emphasis on seafood as well as local and seasonal ingredients. Each month, Executive Chef Fred Sabo prepares a four-course tasting menu inspired by current exhibitions. The Grilled Double Lamb Chop with Empanada, Favetta, and Pickled Rhubarb is to die for, and they have a lovely wine selection to choose from as well. After our time at Saks and The Met, we called it a complete day. Fulfilled, we returned to our hotel. Knowing tomorrow was going to be rather expensive, I think our choices were decided for us. Okay, that, and my feet were killing me. My choice for Sunday morning was sleeping in, and since
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it was New Year’s Eve, it was my prerogative! Staying at the Marriott Marquis, one thing you will discover are the comfortable beds, and when you finally find yourself pouring out of that comfortable bed, you will wake up to some rather wonderful room service. Hey, I was on holiday, after all! While everyone else headed out for a day of siteseeing, I decided to get a little workout in at the hotel’s fitness center, a 24-hour center that features all new Life Fitness machines! With over 40 ways to customize your routine, including cross-trainers, recumbent bikes, treadmills, and a full selection of strength-training equipment, there is no need to wait for your machine. At 4,000 square feet, you can enjoy your experience at New York City’s largest hotel fitness center that is exclusively for hotel guests! Okay, with that said, don’t forget after all the rich food, walking around NYC, a good night’s sleep, and that morning cup of coffee,
this was the place to be. With my planned partying for the evening, my body would thank me for it later. If you still feel like you need to see one more attraction before you go home, you can make your way to Radio City Music Hall. It’s just a hop, skip, and jump from the hotel. Your tickets will cost you from $60 - $250 for a show, but it’s well worth it. I rather enjoyed The Christmas Spectacular. Make sure you don’t miss it! This is a must-do for all families, whether you are visiting New York or have lived here for over 30 years. Get there early, because you will need time to get through security. For more information, you can visit www.radiocitymusichall.boxoffice-tickets.com. My friends and I chose to experience New Year’s Eve at the New York Marriott Marquis, 50 floors above Times
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Square, ringing in the New Year at The View Restaurant and Lounge with live music, dancing, and a live stream of the ball dropping at midnight. When I said a little pricey earlier, I meant it, but the evening was well worth it. For dinner, I was very impressed with the menu. We were given five courses and had much to choose from. Everything was so delectable that I almost didn’t want to stop eating, but of course, we would all be hitting the dance floor later. To start, we were served Kumamoto Oyster Caviar in a Champagne Gelée. I am not much of an oyster eater, but I loved it. For my appetizer, I chose the Cold-Water Lobster Ravioli, which was amazing, with its Butter Poached Lobster Claw, Sherry Cream, and Mint-Basil Pesto. For my entrée, I chose the Surf n’ Turf – Premium Beef Tenderloin with Maine Lobster Tail, Broccoli Robe, and Truffled Mashed Potatoes. Then came the cheese course, which just puts you on the edge – Wisconsin Buttermilk Blue, Honey Comb, Délice de Bourgoin, and Fig Cake. The ending leads me over that edge with an insightful moment – an Open-Faced Raspberry Tart with a Passion Fruit Sorbet and a RaspberryInfused Chocolate Ganaché. I need to think about taking a culinary course or two, because I have been enticed with the pleasures of food. You could say my New Year’s Eve started off in Heaven.
people, new friends, an enjoyable dance floor, then ringing in the New Year! Okay, so maybe I didn’t have that handsome man standing in front of me for a New Year’s kiss as the ball made its drop, but I had the opportunity to spend it with great friends. Next year, maybe I might just bring that special someone. I hope he loves to shop, because there are a few other fashion stores I’d love to check out! We chose this plan, because standing in the crisp, cold weather, being told where we could or could not stand and being shuffled around like cattle, was not something we felt would benefit our fun weekend.
Our evening was one of kings and queens spoiled with wonderful food and drinks, a great waitstaff, intriguing
If you find yourself wanting to experience the Marriott Marquis for your New Year’s next year, please go to their
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website at www.balldrop.com/new-years-eve-marriottmarquis-times-square and plan your trip ahead of time. Now, remember, you are looking at a very pricey experience, but I have to say I was very impressed with my trip and the service we were provided.
I give my New Year’s Eve experience in New York City a 5 out of 5.
Every trip you plan, weather it be on New Year’s Eve or at another time of the year, needs to be researched well. Ask those important questions and please plan and schedule ahead. Most of the things you want to accomplish during your trip need to be reserved early. I do hope that all of you enjoyed your New Year’s, and if my story influenced anyone to experience the trip I had this year, I do hope that you make your way to NYC.
When planning for next year, be sure to visit www.tripadvisor.com.
Happy New Year, everyone!!
Remember, if there is an area across this great country of ours that you would like for me to venture to, hit me up on City to Country’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/citytocountrymagazine/ and tell me your ideas.
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ENTERTAINMENT
WRITTEN BY JESSICA ROSE
CIRCUS
VARGAS Staff Photographer Jessica Rose and her assistant, Daniel Noa, attended Steam Cirque, a production of Circus Vargas, on Sunday, October 29, 2017, at 3 p.m. at the Valencia Town Center Mall in Valencia, California. Circus Vargas has been family-owned and run for years, but what makes this version of their circus unique is its steampunk focus, including goggles, gears, retro-futuristic gadgets, and science fiction/fantasy themes. The first act consisted of trapeze acts with chairs and a chandelier, motorcycle cage flips, baseball bat juggling, an audience participation demonstration, group trampoline and handstand acrobats, and even a disappearing and reappearing from the box magic trick. The second and last act had rope trapeze, archery with a crossbow aimed at a rose and a cloth, motorcycle flips lit up in blue, group routines, the finale, and final bows. The costumes were very colorful and intricate and just as intriguing as the circus acts. Jessica and Daniel fully enjoyed watching the wide variety of entertainment that the traveling Steam Cirque had to offer.
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More information about Circus Vargas can be found at the following sites: www.circusvargas.com/ https://www.westfield.com/valencia/events/all-events/circus-vargas/45071 Thanks to Rolanda Kaiser Andrade for providing us with press passes to cover this event. Rolanda Kaiser Andrade Community Outreach and PR Director rkaiser@circusvargas.com J Rose Photography, Photographer
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HOW TO LIVE
POSITIVELY IN A NEGATIVE PLACE WRITTEN BY SUE MCGAUGHEY
Let’s face it. Life is not all about sunshine and sparkles. We all go through rough patches in life. We can either succumb to the negativity or make our own happiness. Personally, I think a lot of people get things twisted. Many seek happiness in money and relationships. Truth is, although money is a necessity, it doesn’t have to be the thing that makes you feel happy. Many
people are rich in dollars and poor in happiness. A lot of people are always looking for that next, best love, but are never quite satisfied. More often than not, people are actively looking for people and things to make them happy, when truth be told, the happiness is within them already. We live in times where there is a lot of stress. Rents are going up, and paychecks are not. Taxes are high, and health insurance is outrageous. These are just some of the triggers for unhappiness. Relationships fail, and divorce is as normal as buying candy at the grocery store. There always seems to be something that makes
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