Visalia Lifestyle Magazine - April 2019

STYLE, ART, CULTURE, + EVENTS OF THE SOUTH VALLEY APRIL 2019

Home Tour

THE WESCOTT ESTATE

Page 22 EPICURE

MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH FOR THE BUNCH Page 32 TRAVELER’S TREK

BOROBUDUR, INDONESIA Page 44

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I

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22 HOME TOUR

THE WESCOTT ESTATE The Giving Tree, one of the valley oaks that grace the Visalia area, guards the beautiful home of the Wescott families.

Although the tree has changed little over the years, the home it shelters has changed dramatically.

WHAT'S INSIDE

16

20

8

Letter from the Executive Editor

REFLECTIONS OF VISALIA

LIVELY LIVING

10

Word Play

12

Business Profile

TULARE COUNTY'S FIRST HEALTH CARE CENTER

PYRAMIDS AND PEPPERS

40

Literary Arts

54

Fitness Challenge

56

Community

58

Happenings

32

44

MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH FOR THE BUNCH

BOROBUDUR, INDONESIA

EPICURE

4 LIFEST YLE | APRIL 2019

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Published By

DMI Agency 200 E. Center St., Suite A Visalia, CA 93291

Karen Tellalian

Executive Editor

Creative Director

Art Director

Senior Designer Web Designer/Designer

Assistant Editor

Text Editor

Greg Bitney Marcie Vagnino Frank Miramontes Kaci Hansen Sue Burns Melinda Brown

Contributing Writers

Operations Manager

Amy Jones Cheryl Levitan Diane Slocum Justin Levine Kelly Lapadula Lisa Bacci Lisa McEwen Major Rogers Michelle Jessen Patricia Bermudez Sue Burns Terry L. Ommen

Sales@DMIAgency.com

Advertising Sales

Sales Office

Maria Gaston

200 E. Center St., Suite A Visalia, CA 93291 559.739.1747 • Fax 559.738.0909

E-Mail Lifestyle@DMIAgency.com

WEBSITE www.VisaliaLifestyle.com

View The Mag Online Issuu.com/LifestyleMagazine Facebook.com/LifestyleMag Instagram: visalialifestyle

RACK LOCATIONS DMI Agency Evolutions Fitness Center, Tulare

Exeter Chamber of Commerce Tazzaria Coffee & Tea The Lifestyle Center

Visalia Chamber of Commerce Visalia Convention Center

COUNTERTOP LOCATIONS 210 Cafe AMCC Armstrong Property Mgmt Ashoori & Co. Jewelers Blend WIne Room California Fitness Academy Citizen's Bank Comfort Suites Downtown CreekSide Day Spa Skin & Laser Center Dale Bruder Law Offices Downtown Visalia Alliance Ed Dena Auto Center, Visalia Exeter Chamber of Commerce Exeter Library Flow Studios

Franey's Design Center Glick's and Co. Holvik Family Health Center ImagineU Children’s Museum International Agri-Center Janeen’s Furniture Gallery Kaweah Delta Hospital Keller Williams Reality Marcela's Home Store Max's Cookies Michael's Custom Jewelry Monét’s, Exeter Pacific Treasures Premier Medical Clinic PRO-PT Salon 525

Sunmed Health & Weight Management The Aesthetic Center Tulare County Library V Medical Spa Vintage Press Visalia Ceramic Tile Visalia Marriott Visalia Medical Clinic Watson's Wildflower Café, Exeter Williams, Brodersen & Pritchett, Attorneys at Law Windows Plus, Inc. Wyndham Hotel

Visalia Lifestyle Magazine is published monthly and is distributed via direct mail to nearly 13,600 homes in the upper-middle and high-income neighborhoods in Visalia. An additional 2,000 copies are distributed at various distribution points around Visalia, Tulare, and Exeter.

Views expressed in columns are those of the columnist and not necessarily those of DMI Agency or its advertisers.

Circulation of this issue: 15,600 © 2019 DMI Agency

6 LIFEST YLE | APRIL 2019

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FROM THE

EDITOR Although we are still opening cabinets and drawers with murmurs of 'where did we put the ...,' there is always a new energy that comes with change, and we are very happy to be here.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SUBMIT A STORY IDEA, CONTACT ME AT KAREN@DMIAGENCY.COM

I

f you have never seen the office of an editor, you should put that on your bucket list. Sitting behind mounds of paper and different colored pens and markers, I would not be surprised to learn that I had been referred to one of those organization reality shows. The truth is that I know where everything, well almost everything, is, and feel a sense of security knowing that I’m surrounded by mountains of words and beautiful photos.

It makes me happy.

This month, the piles and resulting chaos are a tad more than normal, but yet there’s an overwhelming sense of joy. A minute later, I realize that it must be the article featuring Soroptimist International of Visalia and its 80th anniversary. In full disclosure, I am not a member, but there is something just so light-hearted about the name itself. Perhaps it is due to the translation; the word Soroptimist means “best for women.” That alone is enough to make me want to know more. The recent Spring Fling and subsequent article on page 56 shed light about this amazing organization and the philanthropy it bestows on our community.

While some of us are bound either by work commitments or buried under piles of paper, others are trotting around the globe.

World adventure seekers Cheryl and Dean Levitan have found themselves in some of the most interesting parts of the world, and Cheryl’s humor-riddled articles make us want to visit places that we might never have considered, like Borobudur, Indonesia.

Regular readers of Lifestyle know that the Levitans seek out people, cultures and destinations that most would walk past.

Go to “A Journey as Memorable as the Destination” on page 44 to read about how this most memorable trip added to her collection of interesting bathrooms around the world, giving me another reason to smile.

DMI Agency and the Lifestyle staff recently moved into our new headquarters, and we are in love with our new space. Although we are still opening cabinets and drawers with murmurs of “where did we put the ...,” there is always a new energy that comes with change, and we are very happy to be here.

We thank you for reading this issue of Lifestyle and, as always, our loyal readers, advertisers and contributors who forever make our hearts happy and cause us to smile. We hope you feel the same.

KAREN TELLALIAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

8 LIFEST YLE | APRIL 2019

WO R D PLAY

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S L O C U M

News on writing, books + the world of publishing

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s the new life of spring emerges from the dead of winter, we can be inspired to renew our own lives and become less fearful, less self-absorbed, more kind, more joyful.

“Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose” (Simon and Schuster, January 2019) by Jean Case reveals her interpretation of the main characteristics of people who have made a difference in society. Being fearless in their endeavor was one. People she cites as examples range from Jane Goodall, José Andrés and Bryan Stevenson to John F. Kennedy. She includes practical tips for readers to make breakthroughs of their own.

“Be a Blessing: A Journal of Cultivating Kindness, Joy, and Inspiration” (Ballantine Books, April 2019) is Debbie Macomber’s way of encouraging her readers to become all that they can be. Using a gardening metaphor, her journal offers thoughts for each person to consider about themselves and write in the journal with the purpose of “looking inside your heart and gardening your soul.” She asks questions such as “what seeds are you willing to plant in the rich soil of your mind?”

VALLEY WRITERS Gerald Haslam’s “Grace Period” was the winner of the 2016 Eric Hoffer Award for Legacy Fiction.

The novel focuses on Sacramento journalist Marty Martinez and his Job-like disasters – his son dies, his wife divorces him, his daughter blames him and he is diagnosed with cancer. Yet Marty manages to find joy and humor as he and his new love face life-threatening challenges together.

Gayle Taylor Davis, author of “Grief Sucks … But Love Bears All Things,” has two more books published, “Wild and Curious Atticus James at the Gnu Petting Zoo” and “King Arthur’s Heart.” “Wild and Curious,” published in February 2018 and illustrated by Lyn Meredith, tells the story of Atticus, who thinks that school

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is way too tame and is looking for something wild. “King Arthur” was published in October with illustrations

by Shelby Veloz. In the story, King Arthur was a terrible artist, so banned art from his kingdom.

Fresno poet Jennifer Fenn has published more than 160 poems. Her latest is online in “Medusa’s Kitchen.” You can find her poems by searching for her name on the site.

BOOK FESTIVALS Writer Beware warns authors to shun book festivals sponsored by JM Northern Media. These include the Los Angeles Book Festival, the Hollywood Book Festival, San Francisco Book Festival and up to a dozen more. A significant part of the scam, according to Writer Beware and several other reviewers, is that there is no festival, only a ceremony for the grand prize winners in the cities named.

On the other hand, there are legitimate festivals where authors, publishers, agents

and readers come together to celebrate the written word. The names of the Northern festivals often resemble actual festivals such as the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (held in April at the University of Southern California), the Bay Area Book Festival (May 4-5 in downtown Berkeley) and the Brooklyn Book Festival (Sept. 16-23 at the Brooklyn Borough Hall and vicinity).

The Bay Area event includes scheduled programs, authors and other speakers, an outdoor fair, and events for children and families.

Speakers include Esi Edugyan, Joyce Carol Oates, Linn Ullmann, Shane Bauer and Jamel Brinkley.

The fair includes hundreds of emerging authors, booksellers and artists. The children’s program includes Innosanto Nagar, author of “A is for Activist” and K-Fai Steele, illustrator of “Noodlephant.”

WRITING CONTESTS Submissions of manuscripts for the University of Pittsburgh Press Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize must be postmarked between March 1 and April 30 or submitted electronically during the same dates. The contest is open to any poets who have not had a fulllength book of poetry published.

Entries must be 48 to 100 typescript pages. Fee is $25. Details: upress. pitt.edu/prize/agnes-lynchstarrett-poetry-prize.

The New Letters writing contests accept poetry, essays and short stories.

Deadline is May 20 for postmark or electronic submission. Fee is $24 per manuscript, which may include between three and six poems. Details at newletters.org/writers-wanted/maywriting-contests.

THE LAST WORD “Spring drew on … and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that hope traversed them at night and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.” – Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) L

Inspired by your powerful love.

We are on this earth for a reason. There’s no time in your day to slow down because too many people depend upon you. But you’re still able to take great care of yourself and do it all. Your motherly love fills you with energy. You, and every loving parent, inspire us to do more than practice medicine. You inspire us to transform lives.

See inspiration in action at AdventistHealth.org

B U S I N E S S P R O F I L E

SUNMED HEALTH AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT T E X T

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n the last few decades, the conversation around medicine has shifted its focus more toward preventive health care as a way of stopping life-threatening diseases before they become a problem. Gilbert Sunio, MD, owner of Sunmed Health and Weight Management in Visalia, has taken this a step further by helping patients reverse diseases and transform their lives.

As an internist for more than 17 years, Dr. Sunio experienced years of working with patients who came to him with preexisting conditions that stemmed primarily from unhealthy habits and obesity.

“As an Internist, I encountered a large number of diseases that could have been prevented if only the weight problem was addressed to start with,” he said.

“We saw an abundance of people with weight problems who were having medical conditions such as heart

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disease, arthritis, chronic pain, diabetes or hypertension.”

At that time, Dr. Sunio was practicing as an internist with Visalia Medical Clinic, where he recognized an opportunity to help patients in a different way. He implemented weight loss management as one of his fields of concentration in order to reverse diseases and restore health.

With five years of weight loss management experience under his belt, Dr. Sunio decided to start his own medical practice in 2017, focusing on health management, weight management, men’s health, geriatrics and, more recently, body and face contouring.

“Sunmed is a new primary-care facility in Visalia. We have a distinct specialty in obesity management and also provide for men’s health care, said Dr. Sunio.

“Recently, we started body and facial contouring, utilizing Accent Prime Technology. This is Alma Laser’s most

advanced workstation for skin tightening, body and facial contouring, and aesthetic enhancement.”

While some people may find success losing weight on their own, Dr. Sunio is passionate about physician-supervised weight management as it allows him to customize safe and effective programs based on a patient’s specific medical condition and health history. For example, a patient who has a heart condition would need a modified exercise routine that might look vastly different than someone with a heart that functions normally.

“It can be complicated and entails a lot of different parts,” Dr. Sunio said. “It’s not the same as any diet programs that you see. This is physician-supervised, so we take other diseases that a patient has into consideration. It’s different for everyone, and that’s why we get to know more about each specific individual so we know what will work for their unique situation.”

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B U S I N E S S P R O F I L E

According to Dr. Sunio, the most rewarding part of his work is seeing the transformation that his patients go through during the weight-loss process, both physically and mentally. He has helped patients manage their diabetes, get off maintenance medications, lose weight and change their lives for the better.

Dr. Sunio recounts a time when he helped a patient who did not see weight loss in his future: “I had a patient who was in his 50s; he was diabetic with high blood pressure and he couldn’t lose weight. He worked on his feet all the time, so his feet and knees were always hurting. He decided to come to me, and he lost between 60 and 70 pounds. Within several months, he was no longer on insulin. His feet are better; his knees are better. He’s so much healthier.”

Dr. Sunio’s passion for helping others started at a young age growing up in the Philippines. After finishing medical school, he did his residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Some might consider Visalia to be a small town, but after finishing his residency, Dr. Sunio took a job as a county clinic physician in a Nebraska town of about

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1,000 people. As the only physician, he gained experience working with patients from every stage of life and enjoyed the small-town atmosphere. But as anyone who has lived in the Midwest knows, the winters can be a little too cold for comfort.

“I moved to Visalia from Nebraska and part of it was the weather,” Dr. Sunio said.

“Winter is just too cold in Nebraska, so I wanted something that I liked better weather-wise but, at the same time, I liked the small community lifestyle. Visalia is the kind of town I was looking for – not so big, not so small, and it’s a great place to raise a family.”

Once he moved to Visalia, Dr. Sunio started working for the county clinic before transferring to Visalia Medical Clinic, which eventually led him to opening Sunmed Health and Weight Management.

As the owner, Dr. Sunio enjoys the opportunity to customize services, implement new technology and create a comfortable patient environment. He prides himself on making the health-care process easy for patients; this includes short wait times for appointments, an on-site pharmacy, and the option to book appointments, view records and pay online.

When Dr. Sunio first started his Visalia practice, he had an immediate following of patients, allowing him to be successful right away. His practice has continued to grow and is currently accepting new patients, but he is careful to limit the number of people seen in one day so that each patient has a more personalized experience.

Dr. Sunio is grateful the patients who have chosen him as their healthcare provider. “They have a lot of choices for where to go, so I am thankful they entrusted us to help them with their needs,” he said.

As Sunmed continues to grow, Dr. Sunio hopes to bring on another physician and may even expand in the future by implementing a separate weight-loss facility.

Whatever the future holds, Dr. Sunio said he is grateful for his patients and the opportunity to do the work he is most passionate about.

“I never thought I would be working in California with my own practice,” he said.

“I feel very lucky that I have been able to accomplish what I’ve accomplished.

I’m managing my own clinic, and it’s been successful so far. I want to keep going.” L

The center as it appeared in 1936.

TULARE COUNTY’S FIRST HEALTH CENTER THE ICONIC BUILDING STILL STANDS T E X T

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oday, health care, or the lack of it, seems to dominate the news.

People want to know that medical treatment is available should they need it. The same was true many years ago.

In 1920, for example, concerns about the health of Tulare County residents, especially the poor, rose to the top of public consciousness. The vicious Spanish influenza pandemic in 1918 was a big part of the reason, but the heightened concerns went beyond the flu.

In January, health-care professionals Charlotte Kett, field director for the American Red Cross in San Francisco, and Verna Shaw, Visalia city nurse, sounded the alarm and reported that the overall cure rate for preventable diseases in Tulare County was only half of that experienced by the rest of the state.

They added that the availability of health centers could improve the situation.

Citing the success of New York City, they noted that the big city had reduced its death rate by half after introducing clinics.

The words of these health experts and others did not go unheeded. A county group was formed and by Jan. 25, 1920, the members quickly declared that Tulare County would get a health center.

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Several organizations joined in the effort, with the local chapters of the Red Cross and the Tulare County Tuberculosis Association Committee clearly taking the lead. Members raised funds, and the city of Visalia offered a large lot on West Main Street near Hall Street on which to build the center.

In January 1921, a more formal group called the Tulare County Health Center

The front entrance to the health center as it appeared in about 1950.

O M M E N

Board was formed. Trustees were selected countywide to serve. With these key leaders in place, the $13,000 already collected for the center was deposited with the new board.

The next month, building plans and specifications for the health center were finished and adopted. When the bid requests were sent out, it was expected that the construction costs would come in at about $10,000. In March, five bids were received from valley builders and, after some modifications, the construction company of Noble & Toothacre of Visalia was selected with Visalians Renfro & Michael chosen as the architectural firm.

In early April 1921, construction began.

The contractor expected work to be completed within 60 days, but shortly after work started, building materials that had been ordered were lost somewhere between Portland, Ore., and Visalia, causing a delay. By the end of May, most of the framework was done and in August, the building was completed.

On Aug. 25, the Visalia Morning Delta newspaper described the completed project: “The building is finished on the outside with stucco of brick red color.

The two wings of the structure are

spring into

shape

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Gilbert Sunio, MD Medical Director

separated by the main entrance. Two rooms will be used for nurses’ quarters.

A reception room and two offices in the main building will provide for visitors and consultations. The health center also contains a ward 18 by 32 feet in dimension, allowing eight beds for patients and the other seven rooms are an operating room, a dental room, examination room, storage room, a kitchen and two baths.” Supplies were delivered and the new equipment installed, all within the $3,000 budget.

On Dec. 23, the Delta announced the formal opening of the new Tulare County Health Center for Monday, Dec. 26. The newspaper explained that the center would be operated by nurse Meda V. Keener, who would live in the building.

The other medical staff there would be physicians and dentists all donating a portion of their time from their practices.

Services would include treatment for children under 12 years of age on Monday and Thursday mornings; well baby care on Friday afternoons; general medical on Monday afternoons; eye, ear, nose and throat on Tuesday mornings; surgery on Thursday mornings; dental on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the afternoons,

and minor surgery on Friday mornings.

Services offered would be available free to any adult or child in Tulare County who could not afford care, however, patients would be asked to pay 10 cents per visit and a small fee for prescriptions if they could afford it.

The first week of operation at the center saw few patients, but the number of inquiries was large. Based on questions that Keener received, she predicted that “soon the clinic would be one of the busiest places in the county.”

After five months of operation, Keener’s prediction proved correct. In May 1922, for example, the center saw 169 patients from throughout the county, with Visalia contributing the most with 74 for the month and Lemon Cove the least, with one. Many of them were admitted as in-patients.

The center offered special services, too. In November 1924, it hosted a two-day tuberculosis health clinic. Local medical professionals and big-name doctors, led by Dr. Esther Rosencrans from the University of California Medical School, examined 100 patients for signs of early stages of tuberculosis and offered treatment.

For 37 years, the Tulare County Health Center on West Main provided care to thousands living in Tulare County, no doubt extending and saving many lives. By the 1950s, however, a major change was in the works. The county of Tulare had taken over operation of the center and it was looking to physically consolidate the departments within county government. As the county eyed the Burrel Avenue and Mooney Boulevard site for the new government complex, it decided to include a new Tulare County Health Center.

In 1957, the new health center was under construction at the complex, and the following year, the Tulare County Health Department operation on West Main was moved to the new building.

The county notified the city of Visalia that the old building and property were ready to revert back to the city, which eventually sold it.

Today, the original Tulare County Health Center building, now designated 1549 W. Main St., remains as an orthodontic office. The nearly century old structure has never looked better! L

The health center building, designated 1549 W. Main St., as it appeared in 2006.

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L I V I N G

PYRAMIDS AND PEPPERS

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he idea came to me, as many others of this type have, while sitting on a Crawdaddy’s barstool.

The word was that the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers were playing a concert March 15 at the Pyramids in Egypt. The venue made the show historic.

I’ve seen a lot of the world, but never Egypt, I suppose specifically the Great Pyramids. They are something I think that we are all programmed with a desire to see. But will we? I mean, seriously, is that a region to travel in “unsure” times?

The equation got muddled with the fact that my favorite musical group was playing there, at the feet of the timeless tombs.

I told a couple of friends nearby that I was considering going. The dilemma appeared the next morning, with a clearer head, and a text from my friend Thomas: “Are you seriously going to go to Egypt?” “I don’t know,” was all I could respond with. I spent the next couple of days pondering the situation. Part of me wanted to laugh at myself like, Yeah, right,

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you’re going to Egypt to see a concert.

Another voice entered the conversation: Are you going to be able to live with yourself missing this opportunity? It wasn’t a foolish-sounding question. After about a 48-hour period of calls, I discovered that my friends were either too broke or too responsible to make the trip with me.

Some of the men I admire from previous decades and times took up big-game hunting. Men like Ernest Hemingway and sugar heir Bunker Spreckels set off to the Dark Continent of Africa (the term being born hundreds of years ago based on the unknown of the untamed continent) in the quest to drop a brilliant big beast.

And though I admired the spirit of these men and the peril they added to their already wild lives, I just don’t have the heart to kill. However, I still wanted to do my part to live up to the lifestyle of living to the fullest as I saw in those I found heroic in nature. I wanted to copy some sort of formula that led to similar emotions for fun, danger and passion. So I booked my trip 30 days shy of my travel date.

T E X T A N D B Y M A J O R

P H O T O S R O G E R S

I suppose that the first element of danger and fear came with the downing in Ethiopia of the Boeing jetliner that happened two days before my departure.

I was flying on a Boeing 777; the two that had gone down only months apart were 737 Max 8s. I guess my shuttle driver both added to and quelled my fears when he said, ”Every year, thousands of planes go up in the air and every year a few of them fall out of the sky. That’s just the way it is.” And he was right. The same works for automobiles, but statistically far worse. But I mean, falling from the sky, wow, that’s one lottery I wouldn’t want to win.

Ultimately, I left on Etihad Airways out of Los Angeles, landing 16 hours later in Abu Dhabi for a quick layover, then three more hours into Cairo, landing the next day at 11:45 p.m. Something to keep in mind at international travel destinations: Often soon after landing, the first person you’re going to come across is someone offering you a taxi; oftentimes, it’s a hustle.

Always research either online or with

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airport or hotel staff the best way to get to your hotel from the airport. I utilized Uber, which is popping up at airports worldwide.

It was late or, by now, early, but the thoroughfare to the hotel was alive.

Cairo is a city with something like 18 million people. The bedroom community of Giza, where you’ll find the Great Pyramids, adds another 3 million. The area is densely constructed and reaching for the sky. I want to say that things looked dirty, but that’s inaccurate; many things looked old and dusty – just as a 1,000-year-old city should. However, there is a charm to the desert sand-dusted place and certainly there are pockets as modern and hip as anywhere. It reminded me of some of the towns in Mexico that I’ve visited, which I enjoy.

My hotel was a Marriott property built on the Nile. It was a 5-star place, built up and out of the historic Palace Al Gezirah, built in 1869 to serve for important events, starting with opening of the Suez Canal. I paid 110 bucks a night. The last two of my three days, I paid for an upgrade and moved to a tower room with views of the garden and Nile. It was worth every penny. To see the sunset or the moonrise over the historic body of water is an experience that cannot be replicated online. All the senses are utilized during those mornings.

So back to my big game hunt. The danger of the travel thus far was nonexistent. I set up my camp after my 23-hour trek. I got to bed at 3 a.m. and woke to a mild noontime Egyptian sun that appeared bigger than usual, maybe because there are still some there who worship it? The big game that I had come to conquer was the next evening’s concert, which gave me time to acclimate. There are some must-do’s in Cairo and I’ll list them in a separate

article later. The day of the concert arrived with the typical international mixed-up sleep patterns of late, late nights and waking in the early afternoon.

A late wake-up was fine anyhow as I wanted to be rested for the event that would go late into the evening.

Through a hotel valet, I was partnered with a personal driver for the evening, at a cost of about 25 bucks. This was less than the cost of taking an Uber 25 minutes each way to the show. He took me to an open-air rooftop bar with the best view of the pyramids in Giza. There, I drank Egyptian beer and watched the sun sink into a very mild evening sandstorm that kicked up with the winds associated with sunset. It’s views and silent moments like that that inspire the same emotions as ballet or fine art – or stalking prey, for that matter. Just after the sun dropped and the sky cleared, we were off to the show.

My driver dropped me at the entrance.

Security was paramount. You know that the government couldn’t afford an international incident. After passing through two metal detectors, a shuttle bus picked concertgoers up and took us farther into the desert and closer to the pyramids. We were dropped at the venue entrance.

From here, I did something I call ghost walking. It’s something I do when I’m traveling solo or even in downtown Visalia on occasion. It’s where I’m free to just roam around and observe. I’m not beholden to anyone or any group, so I can wander and just take little pockets of the scene in. People don’t see you because no one is looking for you. It’s a great time for people-watching. It was such a mixture of crowds at the show; it could have been filled with people from any city in the world. And just as an American-looking group walks by, you

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hear a dialect far from English, and you all of a sudden feel alone again until the next intriguing moment. This, up to the point the music starts to play, then everyone becomes instantly connected.

The band took stage with the mighty pyramids all lit up in the background, giving an instant dose of surrealism of the moment and then night.

There is a lot of power and passion with Chili Pepper music for me. I haven’t been a life-of-the-band fan, but always appreciated their hits. Later in life, during my darkest hours of losing my wife to cancer, I discovered healing music that clearly was mused from the loss of someone dear. There is a peace that comes when listening to pain in a song in the way the lyrics remind you others understand the same sorrow.

While In my late 40s, a time of life when we are supposed to be grown up, the music of the band and the lyrics of Anthony Kiedis (who was at that age not long ago) reminds me that I’m not alone in the quest to understand my middle age in life and love.

Other emotions appeared, spawning from wishing that certain friends were along, including my girlfriend Cassandra, who couldn’t make the trip, but urged me to if I believed it was important. The experiences lead to the same explanation as why opera can inspire tears. That passion was here for me. To stand there, on top of sand that’s as old as time, in front of human-created monuments almost as old, listening to music that is timeless, feeds the soul in ways only understood when experienced.

When the encores ended and the show came to a finish, the emotional roller coaster was coming to a slow end and I felt really alive. And in the end, I didn’t have to shoot anything dead to feel life.

I just had to seek the adventure. L

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THE GIVING TREE CONTINUES TO PROVIDE CURB APPEAL TO VISALIA HOME

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f one symbol could represent an area, it is safe to say that a valley oak tree would be the obvious choice for Visalia and its surrounding rural neighbors.

Whether within the city limits or outside of town, quercus lobata, the Latin name for a valley oak, is an icon of resilience, beauty and strength. In fact, this native species represents many an institution in the area, including schools, financial institutions, businesses and community groups. The city of Visalia treasures its urban forest so much that residents must abide by an oak tree ordinance, enacted to protect the majestic giants that give the area its unique identity.

For those who frequent the area north of the Visalia city limits, near the well-traveled intersection of Road 144 and Avenue 328, another valley oak tree is a symbol that has stood the test of time and for many serves as a navigational beacon in the midst of miles of citrus orchards and walnut groves.

Known to some as the Giving Tree, it is estimated at 400-plus years old and, over the centuries, has seen Tulare County created, weathered drought and untethered floods, and even shaded cows at a dairy formerly located on the property. It has been the site of hundreds of photographs, its gorgeous canopy providing the backdrop for many portraits.

As the moniker suggests, it gives generously of its beauty and shade, creating conversations and awe as drivers whiz past.

Today, the tree continues to guard the beautiful home of the Wescott families, a home featured in Lifestyle in 2010.

Although the tree has remained literally unchanged since then (save for some prudent gentle pruning), the home it shelters has changed dramatically.

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Old World to Modernism From the exterior, the 2,626-squarefoot home appears to the naked eye much like the tree — unchanged, stalwart and beautiful. But step over the threshold, through stunning etched glass black double doors, and an Old World motif has been transformed into a modern, minimalist approach.

The home was built in 2008 for the late Nona Benbow, mother of local professional photographer Kim Wescott, who posed hundreds of clients in front of the tree during her 30-plus-year career. Gone are the dairy cows, replaced by an elegant gated entryway and eight acres of navel oranges, planted by Wescott’s husband, Rick, and her late father, Ernie.

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Wescott moved her mother to Visalia from Yuba City in Northern California after Ernie passed away.

During an interview with Lifestyle in 2010, Benbow said she was first attracted to the property because of the imposing oak tree.

“Who would have thought then that I would be living on the same property Kim loved to use,” she said in the article.

“It must be one of the oldest trees in the county.”

Likewise, Kim, who has lived in Tulare County since 1982, said she remembers the property as the quintessential country setting for portraits, with nothing around but orchards and an amazing sentinel of an oak tree.

“I had no idea that one day my mother

would move here and build a home on the property,” she said.

Benbow passed away in 2017, and Kim explained that it was her mother’s wish that her grandson, Josh, and his growing family live in the home, which was built

by Exeter contractor Mike Atkins.

Although there are no curbs in the country, this home surely takes the prize for best curb appeal. In fact, the home was honored as such in 2013 by Lifestyle in a review dubbed “Ten Best Home Tours,” which analyzed the many, many homes that have graced the magazine’s cover over the years.

Maintaining the open floor plan, Josh and his wife, Tasha, embarked upon a superficial renovation of the home, changing a warm palette into a cool one,

FUELING FOR THE GREATER GOOD.

559-651-1760 | 8601 W. RO OSEVELT AVE., VISALIA CA 93291

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utilizing the home’s giant picture windows to draw in natural light, illuminating white walls, a pale gray tile floor and pareddown furnishings. Bright blue cabinetry and quartz countertops lend a coastal vibe to the kitchen.

The couple, who have two young daughters, incorporate some of Nona’s art and furniture in the home, and especially in the kitchen, where a Thomas Kincade painting floats above the cabinets, highlighting the raised ceiling.

A center island gives the home chef plenty of prep space, as well as houses a Jenn-Air cooktop. A farmhouse sink

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means that everything from sippy cups to large platters are easily washed in the roomy basin.

Modern light fixtures have replaced ornate ones, and window coverings have moved into the wirelessly operated realm. But the couple did keep a gorgeous rock fireplace with a raised hearth intact, which draws some of the exterior’s facade into the home for continuity.

Outside, two waterfalls gurgle gently into a small man-made creek, drawing the eyes and ears to a relaxing oasis in the backyard. A pavilion looks out over the orange grove and features

a wood-burning fireplace perfect for enjoying an evening with friends. A small putting green keeps guests entertained while a spacious covered patio is the perfect play area for children’s bikes and push toys.

While spacious, the three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home is still inviting and conducive to family togetherness.

A Jack and Jill bathroom connects the children’s rooms, while just down the hallway, the split floor plan reveals a light-filled office and master suite.

The home features formal and informal dining options, perfect for families with younger and older members.

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Times are changing In the name of progress and future ambitions, however, the families have decided to sell the home and are in the process of some large life transitions.

Josh Wescott’s young family is moving to Las Vegas to take advantage of Nevada’s tax rates and pursue new business opportunities. Rick and Kim, devoted grandparents, will follow suit.

Kim, who recently retired from operating her photography studio, has turned her primary focus to her granddaughters, 4 and 1.

“They are at our home nearly every day, and we want to be near them,” Kim said. “There is such a short window to enjoy them before they grow up.”

Rick is retiring from his position with Bayer Crop Sciences in a few years, too, and then the couple will make a permanent move to Las Vegas. They are slowly liquidating their California properties in preparation for their relocation.

Kim lamented the demise of water rights for farmers and the general direction of California politics.

“California is so beautiful, and we will miss our friends greatly,” she said.

While giving Lifestyle a tour of the home’s newest features, Kim reflected upon the family times shared there.

“Some of my best memories are my granddaughter, Noél, and my mom interacting,” she said. “She loved sitting in the bedroom, watching the orchard, reading and enjoying the light. This is a quiet, peaceful place.” L 30 L I F E S T Y L E | A P R I L 2 0 1 9

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Mother's Day

Brunch Bunch for the

R E C I P E C O N T R I B U T O R S : L I S A B AC C I , A M Y J O N E S , PAT R I C I A B E R M U D E Z A N D M I C H E L L E J E S S E N

P H O T O S BY F R A N K M I R A M O N T E S , D M I AG E N C Y

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other’s Day is fast approaching and what better way to start Mom’s morning than with a quintessentially elegant brunch?

Whether you set the dining room table with “the good china” or enjoy a relaxed outdoor celebration, the creative minds at Butcher & Baker proffer a selection of recipes perfect for either setting.

Mixed Veggie Deep-Dish Quiche surrounds spring’s best produce in cheese, eggs and cream in a delicate, flaky crust. Strawberry and Mascarpone Crepes, with a sweet and lemony filling, make a lovely dessert. Or perhaps Scalloped Potatoes and Ham alongside seasonal fruit parfaits layered with Mom’s favorite yogurt and homemade granola.

Hosting a crowd? Make them all – and don’t forget the Cara Cara Orange and Thyme Mimosas!

STRAWBERRY AND MASCARPONE CREPES INGREDIENTS CREPES: 1 cup flour 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons sugar 6 eggs Dash of salt

MASCARPONE FILLING: 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup granulated sugar 8 ounces mascarpone cheese Zest of one lemon 2 pints fresh strawberries or any berry of choice

DIRECTIONS In a blender, place all of the crepe ingredients.

On low speed, blend until well mixed.

Place the mixture in a covered container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Heat a 9-inch nonstick skillet and add 1/2 tablespoon butter.

Once melted, add about 1/3 cup batter into the pan and swirl around to spread the mixture to the edges. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Flip crepe over and cook for an additional 20-30 seconds.

Stack crepes and keep covered until all the crepes are cooked.

In a bowl, combine the cream, sugar and lemon zest, and beat until stiff peaks form.

Add mascarpone cheese and gently fold into the cream mixture; set aside.

Slice strawberries and set aside.

In a warm crepe, fill with 1/4 cup of the mascarpone mixture.

Place berries on top of the cream and fold the crepe, covering the fruit and cheese mixture.

Top with fresh berries and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Serve immediately.

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Did you make these tasty dishes?

Share your photos with us on Facebook and Instagram.

We look forward to seeing you online!

/LifestyleMag

@visalialifestyle

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CARA CARA ORANGE & THYME MIMOSA INGREDIENTS Juice of 1 Cara cara orange 1/2 ounce thyme simple syrup Your favorite chilled champagne or Prosecco DIRECTIONS To make the syrup, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in 2 cups of water in a small saucepan, then add a bunch of fresh thyme. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until desired flavor is reached. Strain herbs and chill.

Add fresh-squeezed Cara cara orange juice and thyme simple syrup to a champagne coupe. Top with chilled champagne or Prosecco. Garnish with a slice of orange and sprig of thyme.

FRUIT, YOGURT & GRANOLA PARFAIT GRANOLA INGREDIENTS Yogurt (we prefer plain yogurt drizzled with honey) Fresh fruit; choose what is in season. (For this recipe, we used fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.)

DIRECTIONS To make parfait, chose any tall glass or bowl and place alternating layers of granola, fruit and yogurt.

Serve and enjoy!

SIMPLE GRANOLA INGREDIENTS 3 cups rolled oats 1 cup sliced almonds 1 cup chopped walnuts 3/4 cup shredded coconut 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup avocado oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup dried fruit DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut and brown sugar.

In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil and salt.

Combine both mixtures and pour onto two sheet pans.

Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes until a golden brown color is achieved.

Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl. Add dried fruit and mix until evenly distributed. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

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BUTCHER & BAKER PIE CRUST Makes one 9- to 10-inch deep-dish pie crust INGREDIENTS 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced small 1/2 cup shortening, cubed 14-16 tablespoons ice cold water DIRECTIONS To pre-bake (blind bake) the crust: In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.

Using a pastry knife or pastry cutter, incorporate butter into flour mixture until butter is in quarter-sized pieces.

Add shortening, coat with the flour mixture and incorporate until the mixture forms pea-sized pieces (some big chunks are OK to remain).

Drizzle half of the ice water into the flour mixture to begin to form the dough.

Continue to add the water one tablespoon at a time, mixing in, until the dough comes together but is not wet when pressed. (Try not to overwork the dough or it will become tough.)

Once the dough is ready, roll out and place in your favorite deep-dish pie pan.

Dock the dough lightly by piercing the bottom and sides with a fork.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take the pan out of the freezer and line the dough with a sheet of parchment paper or foil 2 inches larger than the pan. Fill with pie weights, beans or rice.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and, using the edges of the parchment or foil, carefully lift the pie weights from the pan.

Put the pan back in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325F; bake for 10 minutes more, until golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Note: For the Mixed Veggie Quiche below, you will parbake (partially bake) the crust: Bake in the preheated oven 15-20 minutes, then set aside while you make the filling for the quiche.

MIXED VEGGIE QUICHE INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

1 parbaked deep-dish pie crust 10 large eggs, beaten 3 cups heavy cream 3 cups milk 7 ounces (3/4 cup) flour Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups cremini mushrooms 2 cups spinach 1/2 white onion 1 cup broccoli florets cut small 1 cup mixed bell peppers 12 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

In a skillet, sautĂŠ cremini mushrooms, onion, broccoli and bell pepper; season with salt and pepper. While the veggies are still firm, add spinach and cook for one more minute.

Place cooked veggies in a bowl and allow to cool.

In a blender, combine eggs, heavy cream, milk, flour and spices; blend until smooth.

Place half of the shredded cheese on the bottom of the parbaked crust, top with mixed veggies and pour in custard, leaving about an inch of space from the top of the crust.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake 45-60 minutes until golden on top and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (internal temperature should be 160F). If the crust’s edges become too brown, make an aluminum foil strip to cover, leaving the center of the quiche exposed.

Top with the remaining cheese and place back in the oven until the cheese is melted.

Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

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E P I C U R E

SCALLOPED POTATOES & HAM INGREDIENTS 4 russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch slices 1/2 yellow onion, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 1 cup whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup chopped ham or Canadian bacon 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 38 L I F E S T Y L E | A P R I L 2 0 1 9

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Parboil sliced potatoes for 3 minutes.

In a pot, add the butter on medium heat until melted, then add the flour, pepper and half of the salt, whisking well for 30-45 seconds. Add in the milk and heavy cream slowly while whisking until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

In a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish, which has been sprayed with a nonstick cooking spray, layer the sliced potatoes, minced onions, ham, cheese (reserving 1/2 cup) and salt. Add the cream sauce over the potatoes and top with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 90 minutes. L

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L I T E R A R Y

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VALLEY LITERARY SUPERHEROES INSPIRE RONALD DZERIGIAN T E X T

E

ven though descriptions of Ronald Dzerigian’s poetry use phrases such as “Whitmanesque,” his true inspiration comes from closer to home.

“Once I got into high school, my English teacher, Mike Cole, introduced me to Phillip Levine’s work and quickly the authors of the valley became my superheroes,” he said. “And that’s really the reason I got into writing in the first place.”

If Levine, Peter Everwine, Chuck Moulton, Luis Omar Salinas and others were his superheroes, the Central Valley was their universe. Evoking the name of another classic poet, Juan Felipe Herrera said that like Frost, Dzerigian is a regional poet in whose work the parched summers and soggy winters live along with the endurance of the people.

Dzerigian’s paternal greatgrandparents discovered the allure of the valley after migrating from Armenia and living briefly in the eastern U.S. They settled in Selma, where they had a packing shed.

The maternal, German side of his family has much the same story. His mother’s family raised walnuts and citrus near Navelencia. Both sides have deep roots in the valley.

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“And deep respect, too,” he said.

“Both sides of my family. We love being from here. And my wife’s side of the family, too. It goes way back. We have a lot of pride in the valley.”

Dzerigian was born in Fresno to parents who lived near Centerville but separated soon after his birth. During his childhood, he spent part of his time in Fresno with his dad and lived with his mother in Reedley, Dunlap, Coarsegold and Oakhurst, the latter where he graduated from high school.

Following high school, from 1995 to 2002, he attended Fresno City College and then Fresno State, where he received his bachelor’s degree in art.

“I originally wanted to be a writer,” he said. “I studied English literature at Fresno City and Fresno State, but I had this sudden urge. I suddenly wanted to be a painter. I liked painting since I was a kid. So I changed my major.”

This and other factors accounted for his lengthy time in college. Following graduation, he spent two years in New York and eight years in Los Angeles pursuing his interest in art and music.

During this decade away from his roots, he did find some success. He played in bands and worked hard at painting.

Galleries in both cities exhibited his art, although he says now, he doesn’t know why.

Even during these times, he acknowledged his obsession with words. He included text in his paintings. He wrote what he calls “horrendous” song lyrics for his bands.

“It took me a while to figure out that I was a much better writer to begin with,” he said.

Even before graduating from college, he had published poetry in journals, and in 2002, he was included in an anthology called “Armenian Town,” published by the William Saroyan Society.

“I should have taken those cues,” he said. “A few people mentioned that to me, but I ignored it. I wanted to be a famous artist, which was a horrible pursuit, but I can laugh about it now.”

He did write poetry in Los Angeles, which was published in a limitededition chapbook by Robert Amador and Steve Ruppel. These poems were written during a difficult time in his life and he gets emotional just looking at them.

“But it was good for me to see that my writing could garner interest again,” he said.

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While he was in Los Angeles, a need for the San Joaquin brewed inside him.

Within about six months of divorcing his first wife, he returned and his life started to come together.

“It was like magic, almost,” he said. “I ended up back in the valley and pursuing my original dream.”

This included getting his master of fine arts in poetry at Fresno State and immersing himself again in the community of Fresno’s literary superheroes. His life calmed down. He found the rigor and hard work of writing on a regular basis addictive and wonderful. Being in a community of writers such as Corinne Hales, Tim Skeen, Stephen Church and John Hales gave him a sense of belonging.

“It was nice to see that other people knew the benefit of hard work when it comes to the creation of something that seems almost silly when you say it,” he said. “Poems. That there is a purpose to joining that conversation that has been going on since “Beowulf.” The presence of verse in our lives is really important.”

The landscape of the valley is a strong, recurrent theme in Dzerigian’s poetry.

His poems usually begin with images that he sees, often while driving from his home in Fowler to Fresno.

“I fall in love with the valley again and again on a daily basis just while driving to work,” he said. “I drive through the orchards almost daily. I see a lot of meaning in the landscape of the Central Valley.”

The image will meld with a current event that is intriguing or bothersome, or something in his own life that he is contemplating. Water or the lack thereof, the kinds of trees, the animals like coyotes and opossums, all catch his eye and his imagination.

“I do it almost unconsciously,” he said.

“The poems always come out awkward, so I work really hard at polishing those ideas. What is it that I need to address as a human being, and how do I make it less about just me?”

Family is also a recurring theme in his poetry. In his book, “Rough Fire,” some poems center on memories of family and the impermanence and fragility of family dynamics. His grandfather suffered from Alzheimer’s and that impressed on him the need to preserve memories in poetry.

Even as he drives the back roads between Central Valley towns, he has that in mind.

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“There are very specific nods to what I see on my drives in the book,” he said.

“Part of that ties into, you know, this may not be here for years. Recording that information as much as possible in a way that is meaningful and ties in with the human experience, that’s really my ultimate goal.”

“Rough Fire” started as his MFA thesis, which eventually was accepted by Finishing Line Press and released last summer. The book was available locally and Dzerigian said “it was such a lovely thing to see it on the shelf,” but now it can be ordered online.

Family dynamics and valley landscapes are also part of two manuscripts he is currently marketing, along with additional

issues. “The Effort of Distant Lights” addresses what it means to be male or female. “With First the Blade” addresses the shortcomings of the male gender and how do we deal with that.

“They’re both coming to terms with a lot of delicate, personal things,” he said.

The book he is currently writing follows similar lines.

“I’m making an effort to address what I feel is important in all three of these manuscripts,” he said. “I’m paying close attention to male and female roles and what does love mean. How does love impact how we see the world? And intricacies of that. Love is so complicated.”

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T R A V E L E R ' S

T R E K

A JOURNEY AS MEMORABLE AS THE DESTINATION:

Borobudur, Indonesia T E X T

A N D

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ravel is unlike any other pursuit.

Opening a window to the world, it allows you to see that people (not governments) are much more alike than they are different and that simple “truths” once held require a bit of a “tweek.” In the process, you often end up learning as much about yourself as the people and cultures you visit.

Our years of globe-trotting have graced my husband and I with amazing memories (and some pretty funny stories). But 12 years later, our excursion to Borobudur remains hauntingly unforgettable, its saga forever etched in “Levitan lore.”

Located in central Java (Indonesia’s most politically and economically dominant island), Borobudur is the largest and best-preserved sacred Buddhist architecture in the world. Its inscriptions and reliefs date to 800 A.D. Yet so much about this ancient structure

remains an enigma: who built it and for what purpose, why it sits on a rocky hill 850 feet above sea level unlike temples normally built on flat surfaces, and what caused this magnificent structure to be abandoned just a few centuries after it was built.

It sat largely forgotten beneath piles of ash and dense vegetation until the early 1800s, when the island came under the British administrative rule of Sir Thomas Raffles. Long enthralled with Java, Raffles actively traveled the island and soon heard superstitious tales from locals in the port of Semarang about a large monument in the mountainous jungle 65 miles to the south. Fascination overtaking expense and reason, Raffles dispatched 200 men and an engineer from the British East India Company to investigate. Two months of tree-cutting and digging did, in fact, reveal that the

structure existed. As word of the discovery filtered out, researchers (along with a few thieves and souvenir hunters) began the task of clearing the site.

A major renovation project funded by UNESCO in 1973 finally put Borobudur on the map. Today, it is the single most visited site in Indonesia.

Its popularity hasn’t made Borobudur any easier to reach, however. It is situated between two active volcanos.

Frequent earthquakes take their toll on the surrounding villages while leaving Borobudur relatively unharmed due to the solid bedrock underneath the structure. It is located two hours from Semarang, the nearest port; the closest airport is still an hour away from this ancient site. A new airport, seriously undersized, is under construction but faces constant delays from farmers protesting the loss of their land and

Above: At the top of Borobudur, the perforated stupa with seated Buddhas inside are shown at the end of the day when the misty fog begins rolling in. One of the side staircases leading down to the base at front side of structure is shown. Below, left to right: More than 10 centuries after being carved, the reliefs at Borobudur are still so well preserved thanks to centuries beneath ash and jungle. Bus #5 dutifully followed our guide through the levels of enlightenment. One of the seated Buddhas surrounding the top stupa at Borobudur no longer has its perforated dome.

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the constant difficulties the area has in retaining trained workers.

We arrived by sea while on a cruise and felt that the excursion to Borobudur was a “must-do” despite the two-hour bus ride each way.

The day started out well, albeit early in order to beat the worst of the afternoon heat. Our full-sized bus was new and spacious with just 30 passengers, had adequate air conditioning (a must in this tropical and humid climate) and our new “cruise buddies” were sitting next to us.

But once out of the city, it became obvious that the aforementioned “two-hour travel” could only occur on the back of a fast-flying bird. Our bus struggled on the less than full-sized roads, all which seemed under some level of construction with few workers in sight. And that air conditioning that performed adequately at the port?

It struggled in the hills. All this we could have taken in stride were it not for our guide, who felt it imperative that we arrive at our destination fully versed in the complexities of Buddhism. It would take days, not hours, to teach neophytes the history of Buddhism, but this was the task our English as a second language guide chose to undertake. As much as I consider myself a lifelong learner, my overloaded brain blocked incoming content after 30 minutes (and I lasted longer than most). Despite repeated attempts to detour the monologue with questions about Java’s culture or what we might be passing on the road, he was an unstoppable force. Our tour to Borobudur quickly was renamed “Bore-us-some-more” on our ill-fated Bus #5. More than one passenger hummed the theme song of Gilligan’s Island (a 1960s sitcom about the S.S. Minnow’s “three-hour tour” that ran aground on an uncharted desert isle).

We reached the “halfway” rest stop almost two hours into our drive. Exiting the bus, we could see a long line of women extending out the cafe’s door and realized that they were waiting for the ladies restroom. Just happy for the reprieve from Buddhism 101, we joined the queue. But as we shuffled closer, I could see that instead of looking relieved or “rested” when finished, women looked confused and dumbfounded. I asked one what was going on. Remember those earthquakes that take their toll on the surrounding villages? They also wreak 48 L I F E S T Y L E | A P R I L 2 0 1 9

In rural Central Java, people walk, use a Becak bicycle rickshaw or get around by bicycle and load it beyond what one imagines it could hold.

In the city of Semarang with 1.5 million people, the closest port to Borobudur, there are some cars and many motocycles, but the majority of people use a Becak or hired bicycle rickshaw to get around.

Our guide from infamous Bus #5 explains in great detail the meaning behind just one of the more than 2,000 reliefs at Borodudur.

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havoc on plumbing, disconnecting it from the porcelain thrones we were waiting in line to sit upon. It was understandably a bit of a shock when a uniformed female would scurry into the room just as a woman was beginning to stand, spritz disinfectant on the recently vacated seat, throw a bucket of water into the porcelain bowl, hold down the handle (vacating the contents to who knows where) and scurry back out all before the woman had time to fully adjust her clothing. The news made a few uncomfortable, but I saw having my own personal flusher as possibly the highlight of the trip so far. I was ready with my camera to commemorate the moment; the photo was probably a bit of a shock to the bathroom attendant. That picture became the first of what is now a photo file of strange bathrooms around the world. You can learn a lot about a culture by its bathrooms (but it’s probably not a topic that Lifestyle is interested in publishing). Some hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, a snack of giant cashews and mini bananas (bizarrely almost equal in size) followed.

We arrived at Borobudur hours after expected, but it was even better than we had imagined. This impressive square-stepped structure consists of 2 million cubic feet of stones laid without mortar with a base larger than 2 1/2 football fields and a height of an 11 1/2-story building. It has many stupas (domed structures) common to Buddhist architecture, which symbolize the presence of the seated Buddha meditating and striving toward enlightenment.

The largest stupa at the structure’s top (surrounded by seated Buddhas in perforated domes) represents enlightenment itself, the pinnacle of Buddhist achievement. A series of levels connected by staircases, all with intricately carved reliefs, teach and guide visitors as they ascend to the top of this marvel of engineering. Centuries of ash and jungle helped preserve this ancient structure, but the 100 carved gargoyle spouts on each corner ensured that it would never be flooded by the area’s heavy rainfall (which averages 95 inches annually).

After exploring and still waiting for lunch, I spied a vendor. Never one to pass up some local retail therapy, I immediately fell in love with a set of Wayang Golek or three-dimensional carved wooden puppets. Assuming that I’d have no need 50 L I F E S T Y L E | A P R I L 2 0 1 9

Author with a mini banana at the rest stop.

The dance room with international fan collection on wall and Wayang Golek puppets in back corners on pedestal tables.

The male and female puppet "divorce dolls" are controlled by a rod that turns the head and two sticks that move the elongated and hinged arms and hands.

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The top of Borbudur at 115 feet tall with its giant domed stupa surrounded by perforated domed stupa. There are currently no restrictions to climbing or sitting on the surfaces or maybe just no one to enforce.

of cash that day, I explained that I would return with money from my husband. By now, it was hot and humid; we were all hungry and also damp from episodic showers. My normally even-tempered and generous husband was anything but. My request for $75 was met with “great reluctance.” I pressed on, dragging him over to the vendor. A back and forth between us ensued - his dislike for the puppets escalating to hatred as I continued to extoll their virtues. The vendor, seeing a potential sale slipping by, kept jumping into the fray with a lowered price. When he got to $25, I signaled him to stop and then placed my hand palm up in front of my husband’s face. Dollars were slapped into my palm, and the Bank of Dean stomped off mumbling and fuming.

Later, after a fantastic buffet lunch 52 L I F E S T Y L E | A P R I L 2 0 1 9

accompanied by cultural dancing (all with Borobudur as the backdrop), my calm and composed husband had “returned,” apologizing profusely for arguing over something so insignificant.

No matter. By then, Bus #5 had dubbed the puppets the “divorce dolls.” The drive back to the port was just as long (but blessedly minus the treatise on Buddhism). Our ship delayed its port departure and kept dining options available long past closing while waiting for the Borobudur tour buses to return.

Weeks after returning home, I purchased pedestal tables, placed a puppet on each in the corners of our upstairs dance room and added the first of what would become an international collection of fans on the wall. That evening, I asked my husband to go upstairs once he was home. Mystified, he complied. Ten minutes

of silence passed. Returning, he looked at me and said, “If I ever again tell you something won’t look good in our house, don’t listen.” That walk upstairs was clearly the ascension to my husband’s “enlightenment” (and the comment he has come to regret along with “I would buy it if they had it in your size” and “I don’t care what you get as long as I don’t have to go shopping with you”).

Remarkably, we returned to the same port last year, but opted not to venture back to Borobudur (on a tour that sounded remarkably similar to the one we took years before). It was no surprise to us when the ship delayed our departure that evening. After dinner and dancing, we sat with a view of the dock, cocktails in hand as busloads of bedraggled passengers returned … right on time.

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SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF VISALIA CELEBRATES 80 YEARS T E X T

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ifty members of Soroptimist International’s Visalia chapter gathered with close to 350 of their friends and families to celebrate the club’s 80th anniversary. The annual Spring Fling fundraiser was held at the Wyndham in Visalia on March 23. The garden party theme lent an elegant and special air to the event, with floral dresses, fascinators and hats of all styles, and vintage jewelry in abundance.

Soroptimist, which translates to “best for women,” was founded in Oakland in 1921 by women who wanted a service group in line with those of men. Eighteen local professional women representing several vocations and all walks of life founded Visalia’s chapter in March 1939.

They worked to ensure a broad range of skills and interests that would keep the group from becoming a clique or social club, bringing together women whose paths might otherwise never cross to lend aid and support to the greater community of women.

“When you think about what Visalia was like in 1939, the fact that there were professional women who thought about how they could serve the community, that’s quite extraordinary,” said current President Jody Gilman. The scrapbook from that first year contains caricatures made by women representing their professions – nurses, teachers and Gilman’s favorite, a corset maker, Grace Campbell, who owned The Grace Shop on Court Street just north of Main Street.

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The guestbook from the charter celebration lists the hundreds of people in attendance. (Those who have lived in Visalia for many years may even recognize some of the names.)

Gilman has been a member since 1992. Her grandmother became a member in 1946 and her mother followed. One of Gilman’s daughters is also a member. The chapter is made up of many longtime Visalians, including more multigenerational family members from their 20s all the way to their 80s – and several women who are newer to the area. New members are welcome at any time, which recognizes that everyone has busy lives juggling family, careers and other activities; everyone is encouraged to do what they can. Meetings are held alternately in the afternoon and evening each month to accommodate availability, and members are asked to be involved on one of several teams facilitating the scholarships, awards and the annual Spring Fling.

This year, a scholarship for membership will be offered to a Leadership Visalia participant in the hopes that this will facilitate more membership from the younger generation and bring in new creativity and energy. The discussion about getting more women involved is ongoing.

"With the growth and popularity of social media, people may feel they are doing service by having a GoFundMe page, and contributing in this way is

S O U R C E S

certainly a positive and wonderful option,” Gilman said. “But there is nothing quite like developing in-person relationships and being actively hands-on in one's own community."

For Spring Fling, chair Karen Roberts and her team look to have a different theme and flair for each event. Adding to the ambience this year was the Golden West High School Melodic Minors string quartet. “As we plan a fundraiser, we always like to consider who else we can be helping learn about service by involving them in the event,” said Gilman. True to form, the chapter is making a donation to the school that will be used toward the students’ participation in an upcoming competition in San Diego.

After a refreshing lunch, the Spring Fling program began with a welcome to the celebration from Gilman, who served as mistress of ceremonies. She thanked the event sponsors and volunteers and gave recognition of the organization’s commitment and dedication by women for women over the years, saying “…behind every successful woman is a tribe of women who have her back.”

Drawings for more than 100 opportunity baskets and door prizes (donated by members, friends, families and local businesses), and a 109-bottle wine tree resulted in a fun and energetic effort to have as many guests as possible leave as winners. The drawings were interspersed with historical notes ... a walk into the past as a slide show with vintage photographs

C O M M U N I T Y

complemented the narrative.

In the 1940s during World War II, members educated the public about saving fat for the war effort. The women also volunteered at a “baby spacing clinic,” where women discussed how, in the absence of birth control, to space their babies out more, resulting in smaller families. Soroptimists also purchased an electric hair dryer for women hospitalized during the tuberculosis epidemic.

In 1952, the chapter put on a gala celebrating Visalia’s centennial. The extravagant Masquerade Ball, complete with orchestra conducted by Eddie Foy from San Francisco and can-can dancers, was a smashing success. Scholarships given to young women in high school also entailed mentorship as members followed the girls through college and beyond, even attending their weddings.

The 1970s saw the rise of women as heads of state, including Golda Meir and Margaret Thatcher, and Billie Jean King was victorious over Bobby Riggs in tennis’ Battle of the Sexes. Soroptimists continued to grow in membership and in their desire to support the community.

In the 1980s, Visalia grew by 50,000 residents, the largest growth since the start of the 20th century. There was also a growing sense of social justice and the plight of women and children affected by domestic violence, and the period saw the city’s first domestic violence shelter formed as Family Services of Tulare County.

In 1982, the Top of the Line Craft Show became the main fundraiser and ran for 25 years. Over the life of the show, an incredible amount of funds were raised, with the largest year bringing in $50,000.

Starting with the earliest fundraiser that brought in $835 (the current equivalent would be $11,700!) through today, the chapter has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that have provided extraordinary support to the community.

Current programs include: • Live Your Dream Awards honor single mothers who have or are enrolled in college (undergrad) or a career-training program that will help them improve their family’s situation. They can use the funds for whatever they need, such as child care.

• Dream It, Be It is a mentorship program for high school girls to help them navigate the complex issues that are a part of life, with the goal of helping them break the cycles of poverty, violence and abuse.

• Ruby Awards honor local residents and organizations that go above and beyond to support the Soroptimist mission of improving the lives of women and girls.

• Soroptimist Park was founded in 1963, originally located on Douglas Avenue in northeast Visalia, when Gilman’s grandmother was president. At the request of the city, the park was relocated behind Oak Grove School in 2000 – an April ribbon-cutting anniversary event with the Chamber of Commerce is planned to honor past member Eunice Riso, who worked for the city’s recreation department for years.

A conference at College of the Sequoias for middle school girls encourages entry into nontraditional areas of study.

With its focus on supporting women who have been victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, the chapter is also involved with Family Services of Tulare County, where Gilman’s daughter, Caity Meader, is the executive director. Collaboration with the Rotary Club and others enabled the purchase of a much-needed van for Family Service’s Freedom House.

Clearly, the women of Soroptimist International’s Visalia chapter, supported by those around them, have made the community a stronger, kinder, more positive place. Every guest left a winner because of their contributions to the ongoing success of one of the community’s most impactful organizations.

Gilman left no doubt about this as she closed the event: “We are doing everything we can to remain relevant, meaningful and effective. You are here today; you have contributed; you have made a difference.” L

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HAPPENINGS

APRIL Tattoo Exhibition Arts Visalia present Tattoo, an exhibition featuring local talent. The exhibit consists of tattoo sketches, photography of tattoos, three-dimensional artwork and other artwork made by tattoo artists.

The exhibition may contain some nudity to show the full range of tattoos on the body.

When: Through April 26 Where: Arts Visalia, 214 E. Oak Ave., Visalia Contact: artsvisalia.org or (559) 739-0905 Annual Birdathon The Tulare County Audubon Society is holding its 27th annual Birdathon, where participants search for different bird species. Sponsor a birder or choose a day to find as many species as possible in a 24-hour period.

When: Through May 4 Where: Tulare County Contact: tulareaudubon@yahoo.com or https://bit.ly/2Waxb5k ‘Absolutely Gourdgeous!’

The Exeter Courthouse Gallery is presenting “Absolutely Gourdgeous!” featuring gourd artists Toni Best, Diana Pearcy and Sam McKinney, with special guest artist Wendy McKellar. The gallery is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays.

When: Through May 26 Where: Exeter Courthouse Gallery, 125 South B St., Exeter Contact: (559) 592-5900 or email exeterarts@outlook.com Pancake Breakfast The Exeter Kiwanis Club will hold a pancake breakfast on Easter Sunday to raise funds for the children of Exeter.

When: April 21, 7-10 a.m.

Where: Veterans Memorial Building, 324 N. Kaweah Ave., Exeter Contact: Exeter Chamber of Commerce, (559) 592-2919 58 L I F E S T Y L E | A P R I L 2 0 1 9

Springville Sierra Rodeo The three-day “Biggest Little Rodeo in the West” will feature a queen coronation dance, motorcycle barrel race, backcountry horsemen breakfast, downtown Springville parade, PRCA rodeo, rodeo dance with Terra Bella, cowboy church service and other events. Tickets $10-$15.

When: April 26-28 Where: 34902 Highway 190, Springville Contact: springvillerodeo.org ‘Night at the Museum’ On the last Friday of the month, ImagineU Children’s Museum holds “Night at the Museum” for its imagineers.

Children can be dropped off for a night of fun, crafts, games and imagination.

Members $20, guests $25.

When: April 26, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: ImagineU Children’s Museum, 210 N. Tipton St., Visalia Contact: (559) 733-5975, imagineumsueum.org

Relay Fundraiser “Bunco for a Cause,” a fundraiser to benefit the Exeter Relay for Life, will be hosted by the Ladies Auxiliary Pink Eagles team. $20 to buy 25 tickets for raffle prizes. Admission $20 per person, including finger food.

When: April 26, 6 p.m. doors open, 6:30 p.m. rolling Where: Exeter Woman’s Club, 201 Kaweah Ave., Exeter Contact: Sara Pullen (559) 827-8271; Jolena Crist (559) 310-2040 Celebrate America Spring Join Sequoia Riverlands Trust and PBS “Nature” for a day of learning how people can become citizen scientists.

This is one of 10 locations in the U.S. chosen by PBS to participate. Free and open to the public. Bring binoculars, hat, sunscreen, food and water.

When: April 27, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Where: Kaweah Oaks Preserve, Road 182 north of Highway 198 Contact: https://bit.ly/2Waxb5k

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HAPPENINGS

MAY Golf Classic The fifth annual Hopper Heritage Foundation Golf Classic is planned in conjunction with the annual Great Western Gospel Music Fan Festival.

When: May 1, 11 a.m.

Where: Valley Oaks Golf Course, 1800 S. Plaza Drive, Visalia Contact: Rich Trimmer, (602) 448-6995 Mixed-Media Display The works of Teresa Getty, a mixedmedia abstract artist from Seattle, will be on display at Arts Visalia. Each of her paintings has a story that begins with an everyday experience, current event, experience shared with her daughter or simply a looking or seeing moment. Free.

When: May 1-31; opening reception, May 3, 6-8 p.m.; artist’s talk, May 4, noon Where: Arts Visalia Visual Art Gallery, 214 E. Oak Ave., Visalia Contact: artsvisalia.org or (559) 739-0905 ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’ Valley Life Charter School will present the classic story of “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” set in a small French town and an enchanted castle. Tickets: $10.

When: May 2-4, 7 p.m.; May 4, 2 p.m.

Where: Valley Life Charter School, 3737 W. Walnut Ave., Visalia Contact: (559) 625-8527 or info@vlcs.org Gospel Music Fan Fest The annual Great Western Gospel Music Fan Festival is scheduled, featuring the Booth Brothers, the Hoppers, Grammynominated Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, Triumphant Quartet, Liberty Quartet, Tribute Quartet, 2017-18 solo artist of the year Joseph Habedank, the Hall Sisters, comedian Taylor Mason and the Henrys, Rykert trio, Evidence Quartet, the Roberts and the Chordsmen.

When: May 2-4 Where: Visalia Convention Center, 303 E. Acequia Ave., Visalia Contact: (800) 965-9324, iTickets.com or fanfestivals.com 60 L I F E S T Y L E | A P R I L 2 0 1 9

Youth Orchestras The Tulare County Youth Orchestras will perform at an event sponsored by the Tulare County Symphony League. Free admission.

When: May 2, doors 6:45 p.m., show 7:30 p.m.

Where: Visalia Fox Theatre, 308 W. Main St., Visalia Contact: foxvisalia.org or (559) 625-1369 Golf Tournament Hands in the Community, which provides volunteers and groups to assist with crisis and short-term services for the underserved in Tulare and Kings counties, will hold its sixth annual Golf Tournament, which will include lunch, dinner and raffle prizes. Cost is $600 for a team of four or $150 for individual players. The community can sponsor local first responder teams as a special thank you. First responders from police, fire and sheriff’s departments in Tulare and Kings counties, as well as CAL FIRE, are invited to take part.

When: May 3, 1 p.m. shotgun start Where: Ridge Creek Golf Club, 3018 Ridge Creek Drive, Dinuba Contact: register at hnconline.org or call (559) 625-3822 First Friday Arts Visalia showcases a monthly rotation of regionally, nationally and internationally recognized artists. Join us every First Friday during the Art Walk for an opening reception honoring each month’s artists.

When: May 3, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Arts Visalia, 214 E. Oak Ave., Visalia Contact: (559) 739-0905; artsvisalia.org

‘Derby’ Fundraiser The Assistance League of Visalia will hold its annual fundraiser, “An Evening at the Derby,” including dinner and silent auction. There will also be a drawing for two sets of 10 one-day Disneyland “Park Hopper” admission tickets, each valued at $1,800; 500 raffle tickets are available. The event will begin with “horse racing,” where wooden horses race to the finish with prizes to the winning bettors. Proceeds will benefit the league’s children’s programs provided to all Tulare County schools.

When: May 3, gates open 6 p.m., “horse racing” at 6:30 p.m., dinner 7:30 p.m.

Where: Koetsier Ranch, 8230 Ave. 272, Visalia Contact: assistanceleague.org/visalia or (559) 737-1907; call for tickets or email assistanceleague@alvisalia.org Ministry Workshop Visalia United Methodist Church will host a Stephen Ministry Introductory Workshop to help church leaders and others learn about the Stephen Series, which equips laypeople for effective, caring ministry. Cost is $15 person or $50 for a group of four from the same congregation.

When: May 4, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; registration 8 a.m.

Where: Visalia United Methodist Church, 5200 W. Caldwell Ave., Visalia Contact: (314) 428-2600 or stephenministry.org/workshop

Gardening Festival The Master Gardeners of Tulare-Kings Counties will hold their Spring Into Gardening Festival. Mostly droughttolerant and Native California plants will be on display. Learn about square-foot gardening, herbs and succulents. And children can build an authentic replica of a Mono Indian birdhouse. Bring your family, friends and gardening questions.

When: May 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Where: Hurley Elementary School demo garden, 6600 W. Hurley Ave., Visalia Contact: ucanr.edu/sites/UC_Master_ Gardeners/ 1st Saturday Artists, restaurants and merchants of Three Rivers HAPPEN I N GS invite the public to join in a town-wide celebration.

Pick up a map at the Three Rivers Historical Museum, 42268 Sierra Drive, or Art Center, 41673 North Fork Drive. Cost to participate is $10, with deadline the 15th of the previous month.

When: May 4, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Where: Three Rivers Contact: (559) 561-3463 or 1stsaturdaytr.com

May Flowers Marketplace The May Flowers Marketplace shopping event featuring more than 40 vendors will include collectibles, home decor, skin care, greeting cards, jewelry, crafts, fashion times, scented candles, food and nutrition, patio and garden health, kitchenware and more. There will be door prizes and raffle items. Free admission. Proceeds benefit the House of Hope.

When: May 4, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; fashion previews noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m.

Where: Visalia Veterans Memorial Building, 609 W. Center St., Visalia Contact: ksondra68@gmail.com or facebook.com/events may flowers marketplace visalia Orchid Sale Just in time for Mother’s Day, Arts Visalia’s annual Orchid Sale fundraiser will include a display of more than 800 Phalaenopsis orchids delivered to the gallery. The sale will continue until the orchids are all sold. Orchids $25 each.

When: May 4-11, noon-5:30 p.m.

Where: Arts Visalia gallery, 214 E. Oak Ave., Visalia Contact: (559) 739-0905, artsvisalia.org

Murals Fundraiser The nonprofit Exeter, a Festival of Arts presents its 17th annual Exeter Garden Party, Expanding Our Vision, a fundraiser for the murals of Exeter, featuring dinner with live and silent auctions. Table sponsorships are available. Tickets: $50.

When: May 5, 5 p.m.

Where: Mixter Park, Pine and E streets, Exeter Contact: Exeter Chamber of Commerce, 101 W. Pine St., Exeter, (559) 592-2919 Food Creativity A workshop for creativity in food styling and photography is planned by Lori Rice, food photographer and stylist.

When: May 9, 8 a.m.-noon Where: Historic Seven Sycamores Ranch, 32988 Road 164, Ivanhoe Contact: loririce.com/workshops for registration information

TRAVEL THE WORLD WITH THE VISALIA CHAMBER TREASURES OF EGYPT February 18 – March 2, 2020 Includes: 14 days and 23 meals Featuring: Giza, the Pyramids & Sphinx, Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, 4 night Nile River cruise and much more. *Optional 3 night Jordan post tour extension

All tours include roundtrip airfare from Fresno, transportation to and from the airport, hotel accommodations and an English speaking guide.

TASTE OF VIETNAM March 6 – 19, 2020 Includes: 14 Days and 21 meals

Featuring: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Cooking Class, Reunification Palace and a Food Tour *Optional 3 night Bangkok pre tour extension

VISALIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 222 N. Garden St. Suite 300, Visalia

APRIL 2019 | LIFEST YLE

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Exeter Garden Walk Explore beautiful and unique gardens, and enjoy refreshments and a tea party compliments of By the Water Tower Antiques, and a free home garden festival presented by Tulare/Kings Master Gardeners as part of the 16th annual Exeter Garden Walk. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 day of.

When: May 11, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Where: Exeter Contact: (559) 592-2919 or exeterchamber.com; tickets, Exeter Chamber, 101 W. Pine St., Exeter, and By the Water Tower Antiques, 141 South B St., Exeter Mother’s Day Tea Grace Lutheran Women in Mission will host a 1940s-style Mother’s Day tea to celebrate mothers with food, desserts and tea, as well as music from the ’40s and talk by Cindy Steinbeck, Christian author and inspirational speaker. There will also be a children’s fashion show.

Tickets: $15 available at the church.

When: May 11, 1-3 p.m.

Where: Grace Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 1111 S. Conyer St., Visalia Contact: Carole Sell, (559) 623-9588 Armenian Food Festival Join us for lunch and/or dinner to enjoy a taste of Armenia at the 42nd annual Armenian Food Festival. Choose to dine-in, take-out or drive-thru.

The menu includes a choice of lulu kebab or chicken kebab, pilaf, salad, peda bread and bourma. A variety of pastries as well as grape-leaf sarma will be available. Tickets at $15 can be purchased at the event. Proceeds support St. Mary Armenian Church of Yettem.

When: May 16, lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m., dinner 5-8 p.m.

Where: Visalia Elks Lodge, 3100 W. Main St., Visalia Contact: (559) 623-2390 ‘Miscast’ Join the Visalia Players for a night of music where there is no “right” age, type or gender, just talented folks with dream songs and blind casting. Tickets: adults $20, students $16.

When: May 17-18, 7:30 p.m.; May 19, 4 p.m.

Where: Ice House Theatre, 410 E. Race Ave., Visalia Contact: (559) 734-3900, visaliaplayers.org 62 L I F E S T Y L E | A P R I L 2 0 1 9

Fundraising Fair Calvary Visalia will hold its first Spring Fair to raise funds for its children’s ministry. There will be more than 30 vendors, raffle prizes, food and fun for the family. Free admission.

When: May 18, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Where: Calvary Visalia, 11720 Ave. 264, Visalia Contact: calvaryvisalia.org Forest Birding Tulare County Audubon will hold a forest birding field trip to the Tule River watershed. Depending on weather and road conditions, the trip will focus on the Camp Nelson area off Highway 190 or Mountain Home State Forest on Bear Creek Road. Bring binoculars, hat, sunscreen, food and water.

When: May 18 Where: first meeting place, 7 a.m. for 7:15 a.m. departure, McDonald’s parking lot at Mary’s Vineyard, 1401 E. Noble Ave., Visalia; second meeting place, 8 a.m., Springville Memorial Veterans Building, 35944 Highway 190 Contact: https://bit.ly/2Waxb5k

‘The Wizard of Oz’ “The Wizard of Oz” is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by MetroGoldwyn-Mayer and considered one of the greatest films in cinema history.

Legendary for its use of Technicolor, fantasy storytelling, musical score and memorable characters, it has become an icon of American popular culture. $5.

When: May 22, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Visalia Fox Theatre, 308 W. Main St., Visalia Contact: (559) 625-1369, foxvisalia.org Night at the Races Happy Trails Riding Academy’s annual fundraiser, Night at the Races, is returning to the end of May. When: May 31, 6 p.m.

Where: Visalia Convention Center, 303 E. Acequia Ave., Visalia Contact: (559) 688-8685 or wearehappytrails.com Student Invitational Top qualifiers at the 2018-19 All-American Student Classic can take part in the second annual McDermont X All American Student Classic Invitational for those in the fourth through eighth grades.

It will include online academic testing at grade level, plus three athletic events rock climb, obstacle course and mystery challenge. Spectator entry is $2, which includes half-price Stay and Play at McDermont Field House.

When: June 1, 9 a.m.; 1:15 p.m. awards ceremony Where: McDermont Field House, 365 N. Sweetbriar Ave., Lindsay Contact: (559) 783-7503

HAPPENINGS

‘Way 2 Fierce’ Visalia Charter Independent Study Performing Arts will present “Way 2 Fierce,” a show of musical, choral and dance ensembles. Featured music is from such Billboard artists as Post Malone and Beyoncé. Tickets at $7 can be purchased at VCIS campuses (649 S, County Center Drive and 1821 W. Meadow Lane, Visalia) or at the door the day of the performance.

When: May 18, 2 and 7 p.m.

Where: L.J. Williams Theater, 1001 W. Main St., Visalia Contact: (559) 735-8055 or vciseagles.org

Juried Community Exhibition Arts Visalia will display artworks spanning 2D and 3D mixed media, ceramics, fiber, glass, graphics/ printmaking/drawing, jewelry, metalwork, painting, photography/ digital art, sculpture and woodwork.

The exhibition will be juried based on composition, quality, authenticity, creativity and originality, uniqueness, presentation/craftsmanship and overall balance. Awards will be announced at the opening reception June 7.

When: June 5-28, noon-5:30 p.m.; opening reception, June 7, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Arts Visalia Visual Art Gallery, 214 E. Oak Ave., Visalia Contact: artsvisalia.org or (559) 739-0905

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