January 2012

HOME TOUR

THE HESKETT/HENSLEY HOME: YANKEE STYLE, SOUTHERN ROOTS

NEXT GEN

TAYLOR THEIS

CHARITY & SOCIAL

31st ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE AUCTION January 2012

ENSURING THAT YOUR FAMILY HAS A LIFETIME OF HEALTHY SMILES. The Williams family Dental Comprehensive Dental Plan is designed to provide affordability and greater access to quality dental care.

• No Deductibles • No Pre-existing Condition Limitations • Immediate Eligibility • and many more features...

This Family Plan includes children who are enrolled full-time in college until age 23, or children who are not enrolled full-time in college until age 18.

This plan is only honored at Williams Family Dental. This dental plan is not an insurance plan that can be used at any other dental office. Visit VisaliaSmiles.com for savings on comprehensive coverage.

Family Dental Practice Keith E. Williams DDS Inc.

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LIFEST YLE | JANUARY 2012

2744 West Main, Visalia, CA 93291

559-667-4304

Visaliasmiles.com

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PAGE

20 THE HESKETT/HENSLEY HOME

CULINARY ARTS

Created from Coffee

BBQ Sauce and Chicken Wings

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Letter from the Executive Editor

10 Business Cents 12 Word Play 14 Local Adventure: Ice Skating 16 Visalia Visual Chronicle 18 Spotlight: Makayla Jones

PAGE

30

36 Charity: Shanghai Nights 40 Next Gen: Taylor Theis

CHARITY & SOCIAL

50 Fashion

Christmas Tree Auction

54 Faces & Places

31 Years of Tradition

52 Performances: Tulare County Symphony 56 Happenings

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42 HIDDEN JEWEL

The Happiest Place in America San Luis Obispo

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TOP: Visalia couple Don Heskett and Steve Hensley have remodeled their Beverly Glen home with keen attention to 1940s authenticity, true to the Colonial Revival’s era.

JANUARY 2012 PUBLISHED BY DMI Agency 801 W. Main St. Visalia, CA 93291 EDITORIAL Executive Editor Karen Tellalian Assistant Editor TAYLOR VAUGHN Copy Editor DARA FISK-EKANGER Content Editor Kyndal Kennedy ART & PRODUCTION Art Director ROSS YUKAWA Senior Graphic Designer CHRIS BLY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Aaron Collins corey Ralston crystal r. r. edwards Diane Slocum James Jessen Jillian Bos Jordan Venema kyndal kennedy Marsha Peltzer Sharon Mosley BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Malkasian Accountancy LLP Gary Malkasian CPA JEFFREY Malkasian EA Operations Manager Maria Gaston

RACK LOCATIONS

DMI Agency Evolutions Fitness Center, Tulare Tazzaria Coffee & Tea Tulare County Library The Lifestyle Center Visalia Chamber of Commerce Visalia Convention Center COUNTERTOP LOCATIONS

210 Cafe Advanced Body & Laser Center Creekside Day Spa & Wellness Center Exeter Chamber of Commerce Exeter Golf Course Holiday Inn Kaweah Delta Hospital Red Carpet Car Wash Sequoia Laser Aesthetics Smiles by Sullivan Tiffany’s Luxury Medispa Tulare Chamber of Commerce V Medical Spa Velvet Sky Visalia Community Bank (Downtown) Visalia Eye Center Visalia Imaging & Open MRI Visalia Marriott Visalia Medical Clinic Wildflower Cafe-Exeter Dr. Keith Williams Williams, Jordan, Brodersen & Pritchett, Attorneys at Law Windows Plus, Inc.

ADVERTISING SALES Advertising Director Bridget Elmore SALES OFFICE 801 W. Main St. Visalia, CA 93291 559.739.1747 • Fax 559.738.0909 E-mail: lifestyle@dmiagency.com VIEW THE MAG ONLINE! issuu.com/lifestylemagazine

Visalia Lifestyle Magazine is published monthly and is distributed via direct mail to nearly 13,000 homes in the upper-middle and high-income neighborhoods in Visalia and Exeter. An additional 2,000 copies are distributed at various distribution points around both communities. Views expressed in columns are those of the columnist and not necessarily those of DMI Agency or its advertisers.

Circulation of this issue: 15,000 © 2012 DMI Agency

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ON THE COVER: Among the many appealing qualities of the Heskett & Hensley home in Visalia's Beverly Glen section is its large peninsular lot, bounded by neighbors on only one side. The property's uncommon shape allows for ample grounds that create a park-like setting.

LEFT: The Beverly Glen home of Don Heskett & Steve Hensley conjures style circa 1940. The Colonial Revival derived, Minimal Traditional style residence has been lovingly rejuvenated and furnished true to the era's fabrics, colors and materials.

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EDITOR NOTE

Photo by Becca Chavez | Hair and Make-up provided by Velvet Sky

I

t’s a brand new year. Though saying goodbye has never been easy to do, I’m getting rather used to ushering out the old year with high hopes and optimism about the year ahead. Seems it’s been awhile since anyone I know has been sad to see the current year laid to rest.

But it’s a new year, and that’s always a good time to make plans and put some goals down on paper. I refuse to call them “resolutions” because if I did, I’d feel obligated to honor them. Goals, on the other hand, are more fluid – at least they are for me. Like the one I made in the January’s of 2011, 2010, and 2009 to not lament about the previous 12 months. These were goals, not commitments.

A good place to start looking forward, is with this month’s Business Cents feature on page 10. Pepperdine University graduate and frequent Lifestyle contributor Jillian Bos talks about the silver linings in the recovering real estate market.

While some of us might struggle with finding our professional calling well into our adult lives, others seem to have this figured out at such a tender age. One such local young woman, Taylor Theis, followed her heart into a career in dance. Taking her first dance lesson at age two, Taylor’s story begins on page 40 as this month’s Next Gen feature.

Since its inception in October 2003, Lifestyle Magazine has strived to give the local arts scene a boost up. Featuring numerous arts events—and even hosting a few—we’ve always believed having a strong local arts community was good for the economy. More than financially supporting our local artists, having an arts-enriched community attracts educated, professional people to our area. But while I’ve admired the talent from the executive editor’s chair, my only real talent has been more about search and rescue – to find exceptionally talented individuals that need a forum for their artistic expression.

Well, I’ve really gone and done it this time. When Arts Visalia approached me late last year about participating in the first ever Art for the Heart “celebrity” art show and auction during the annual Sofa Art show, I said yes. Well, I said yes after I made sure they knew I had no artistic ability, whatsoever.

This year, Arts Visalia partners with Pro-Youth/Heart in bringing this year’s theme: Art for the Heart. In addition to the open call for artwork entries from artists (and non-artists!) throughout the community my … still undetermined … will display along with other artworks, and will be sold by silent auction in support of their after-school youth education programs. So, at risk of setting myself up like the grade-school principal in the carnival dunking booth, please join us at the reception, February 14. For details about this, and other local Happenings, be sure to turn to page 56.

One final thought about saying goodbye, and that is to give a tip of the hat to the recently closed Valley Voice. As a local, independent publisher, we know how challenging it is to keep the presses running. We admire the credibility and outlook they presented in the local news – they will be missed.

As far as looking to the future, I hope to see you all at the Art for the Heart silent auction in February. For now, Happy New Year!

Karen Tellalian, EXECUTIVE EDITOR For more information or to submit a story idea email Karen@dmiagency.com or call (559) 739-1747 or fax (559) 738-0909.

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B BUSINESS CENTS

Welcome 2012! What have you got in store for us?

Text by Jillian Bos, Keller Williams of Tulare County

T

he Wall Street Journal reports housing statistics are “basically moving sideways.” Four years after the housing crash and the eruption of the financial crisis, the California residential real estate market still struggles to get a grip on recovery. Statistics indicate unprecedented, low interest rates coupled with low housing prices provide only weak traction as sales volume continues along the bumpy plateau recovery path.

That said, in a world gone “sideways,” how do we poise ourselves for 2012?

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (the Boston Fed) conducted a study in which they polled a sample of adults aged 18-85 about their views on owning versus renting. The researchers carefully tracked the change in housing prices of the respondents’ neighborhoods – from peak to trough – to determine the severity of “crash” the respondents were exposed to, to gauge their “perception.”

Overall, the great majority of those polled still believed homeownership was better financially than renting.

Additionally, researchers identified two opposed results between the age groups of 18-59 and 59-95. The further home prices dropped, the less confidence the younger group had in homeownership. The opposite is true of the older age group: the further home prices dropped, the more confidence was expressed in homeownership.

Driving the perception of the 59-95 age group is an entire generation’s worth of experience in the housing market outside this particularly negative episode. Real estate conditions since the 1950s have vested in them the belief that prices will always go up, interest rates will always go down, and homeownership is always a good bet.

Perception drives reality.

The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) reported all cash sales grew to a record-breaking 32 percent in January, about three times the historical average. This new level is a record high on the NAR charts. All cash deals averaged just 20 percent of all sales in 2009.

The NAR also reported that distressed properties made up 37 percent of the sold home inventory in January, a 12-month high, up slightly from 36 percent in December. As of May 2010, reports showed the distressed properties made up 63 percent of our local market in Tulare County. Unlike traditional owners, banks are often faster to reduce prices in order to unload properties quickly. The more homes being sold by lenders in any given month the faster prices tend to fall.

The “wise” will argue in favor of waiting, hoping to carefully predict the timing of the bottom through analysis of this sort of market data.

While this plan is logical in theory, it lacks one fundamental truth: anyone looking to

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predict the “perfect” time in the real estate market must use specific housing data to define their jumping-off point. Statistics that assess year-over-year housing declines in both volume of sales and average pricing equivalents are numbers derived from empirical evidence.

Meaning the information is three to six months old.

On the contrary, this just in; reported November 2011, the average sales price in Tulare County decreased from $140,000 in November 2010 to $124,900 today. Further, current statistics indicate on average, homeownership is 28 percent more affordable than renting in Tulare County. Many would interpret these statistics, combined with historically low interest rates to equal tremendous opportunity … today. Locally, the outlook for homeownership and affordability is anything but foggy.

The most recent housing crash wasn’t merely a turn in the real estate cycle, but was coupled with a financial crisis and the Federal Reserve dropping interest rates to unprecedented lows. Buyer beware, interest rates have nowhere to go but up.

The negative experience of the housing challenge has a silver lining for our economy: homebuyers and homeowners are less inclined to embrace homeownership without first questioning its financial advantages over renting. Although this financial prudence is forced by current necessity, it’s a sustainable foundation for a stable future real estate market.

So, how can anyone really know when the market is ready to recover when everyone is relying on data that is not given in realtime? Doesn’t it make sense that we won’t hear about the recovery of a market until it’s already recovered, and in our rear view mirror?

Thus, the “perfect” moment may have already come and gone.

Compounding the agony of those looking to outsmart the market, oftentimes they will wait for confirmation after confirmation from newspapers and television media that markets have recovered, thus allowing more time and opportunity to slip through their fingertips before seizing the moment. In truth, no one knows when any market finds a bottom until the moment has already passed because it is only in hindsight that you can clearly see the whole picture.

Ultimately, the “ideal” time to purchase a property comes down to your needs and your ability to afford a property. If you have outgrown your current housing situation or life deals you a less than perfect hand that causes you to act, then now is the best time to assess your finances in relation to your housing environment and make sound business choices that serve you best.

As we catapult into 2012, given market data and media speculation, remember we create our reality. In a time when our “recovering” economy stammers, when unemployment figures and disdain for corporate greed compete for headlines, take a walk on the wild side and opt for the sunny side of the street. Create a fabulous 2012 for yourselves, and for each other.

Jillian is a graduate of Pepperdine University (2005). She began her career in Real Estate in 2006 in West Los Angeles, and returned to her hometown, Visalia, in the spring of 2010. Jillian is a REALTOR, and a Team Leader at Keller Williams, Tulare County.

W WORD PLAY

NEWS ON WRITING, BOOKS AND THE WORLD OF PUBLISHING Text by Diane Slocum

J

anuary is the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Jan. 15) and Benjamin Franklin (Jan. 17), both of whom were eloquent advocates of freedom and justice. Two debut novels that reflect the human spirit’s need to be free are Wunderkind ((Free Press, 2011) by Nikolai Grozni and Running the Rift (Algonquin Books, 2011) by Naomi Benaron.

Grozni’s book tells the story of young musical prodigies attempting to keep their souls alive in the stifling oppression of their Soviet dominated country that values their virtuoso but not their personhood. To the state, they are a natural resource to be exploited. The more rebellious among the teens, thwart the state’s goals for them by turning to self-destructive behaviors. While fictionalized, the novel is largely the story of Grozni’s own early years.

Running the Rift follows a young Rwandan sprinter whose hopes to be an Olympic athlete collide with the horrific genocide in his country. As Jean Patrick continues his training from elementary school through young adulthood, he comes under the wing of a powerful and supportive coach, but as Hutu and Tutsi relations become ever more strained, his own chances for survival as a Tutsi become more and more tenuous.

Valley Writers During the height of the women’s liberation movement in 1970, Judy Chicago came to Fresno State and, along with 15 students, founded the Feminist Art Program. This project promoting the freedom of female creativity is chronicled in a new book by CSUF History Professor Jill Fields. Entering the Picture: Judy Chicago, The Fresno Art Program, and the Collective Visions of Women Artists (New Directions in American History) (Routledge, 2011) includes 37 color plates along with essays by artists and scholars.

Check the tag archive at Dames of Dialogue to read writing advice by Bonnie Hearn Hill. Hearn Hill explains external and internal conflict – the hole in your character’s life. Hearn Hill, who now has 12 published novels, grew up in Hanford. Find the article at http://damesofdialogue.wordpress.com/tag/bonnie-hern-hill/.

Christopher Allan Poe discusses writing his novel, The Portal on KMPH’s Great Day. See it at http://www.kmph.com/ story/16222474/great-day-welcomes-author-chris-poe.

Exeter author Ron Hughart’s Dustbowl books are now available for eReaders. See his website at http://ronhughart.com/index.php/ booksinprint/1/150/books.

Writers’ Conferences Big Sur Writing Workshops For Children’s Books from Picture Books to Young Adult Fiction will be held in Seaside/Monterey on March 2 – 4. Among the faculty will be Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank, Identical, Glass and Tricks. Editors present will be Sharyn November and Julie Romeis. Agents participating include Andrea Brown, Laura Rennert, and Jaime Weiss Chilton. Cost for entire package, including shared room and meals is $720. Deadline for 12

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registration and manuscript submission is Feb. 10, but workshops may fill sooner. http://www. henrymiller.org/AFW3.html.

This is the opportunity for Visalia mystery writers to attend a Left Coast Crime conference relatively close to home. This year’s event will be held in the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento from March 29 – April 1. The theme is “Mining for Murder” in recognition of California’s Gold Rush heritage. Guests of Honor are John Lescroart (Damage,) Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs series) and James Rollins (Sigma Force novels).

Writer and actress Harley Jane Kozak will be toastmaster. Over 200 mystery and thriller authors are expected. Details at: http:// www.leftcoastcrime.org/2012/index.html.

The 25th Anniversary Summer Fishtrap: A Gathering of Writers, will be held from July 9 – 15 at the Wallowa Lake Camp & Retreat Center in eastern Oregon. Keynote Speaker is David James Duncan. The camp is distinguished by its remote natural setting and focus on provocative themes. This year’s theme is “Catch & Release: What we hold onto, what we let go, and the one that got away.” Details at: http://www.fishtrap.org/summer.shtml.

Check the International Women’s Writing Guild website at http://www.iwwg.org/ for details on its March 2012 conference in Santa Cruz.

Writing Contests The Association of Writers and Writing Programs is accepting entries for the 2012 Award Series through Feb. 29. Awards include The Donald Hall Prize for Poetry which awards $5,500 and publication for a book-length manuscript. The Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction offers the same reward, while winners in the novels and creative non-fiction categories receive $2,500 and publication. Details: http://www.awpwriter.org/contests/series. htm.

Publishing Associate Press software was released last month that proofreads according to AP style. AP Styleguard checks spelling, journalistic style, usage and more and works in Microsoft Word.

Popular Mechanics has been around since 1902 and tries to appeal not only to scientists and technology enthusiasts. It looks for articles with strong do-it-yourself appeal. Article queries should stress what is new about the information, what makes it better, less expensive or more interesting. Automotive, photography and boating are among their topics. For submission guidelines, go to http://www.popularmechanics.com/about/contact-us.

The Last Word “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968)

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L LOCAL ADVENTURE

One-of-a-Kind

Ice Skating

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typical winter wonderland image that comes to mind is that of ice skaters whipping and whirling around a beautifully lit ice skating rink...perhaps in Rockefeller Center...while it's snowing. Sounds perfect! Well, whats even better? Skating below the majestic forms of Glacier Point and Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. It's no New York City, but its natural beauty is just a three-hour car ride away.

Yosemite National Park provides a one-of-a-kind experience for those wishing to get swept up in the joy of the winter season with breathtaking views of its very own scenic backdrop. A perfect way to experience the outdoors with friends and family, ice skating provides a fun alternative to other winter activities .

The Curry Village Ice Rink was established in 1928 when the Yosemite Winter Club flooded an unused parking lot, creating what is now a permanent fixture. The rink is located in the western part of Curry Village, nestled below Glacier Point with views of snow-capped Yosemite icons, including Half Dome. The rink is large and gives everyone their room to practice simply staying vertical or their triple axel jump.

For those having a hard time staying upright on the ice or who simply want to enjoy the setting, a warm fire pit adjacent to the rink is perfect for reveling in the natural beauty of Yosemite in winter, socializing with friends and people who visit from around the world – and of course, a lovely place to sip on hot cocoa.

Whatever your goal is for enjoying the Curry Village Ice Rink, the wonders of the winter season and the beauty of Yosemite will be sure to make you want to return next time the temperatures drop.

From mid-November until early March, the Curry Village Ice Rink is open daily for several skating sessions, conditions permitting. Monday–Friday, 3:30-6p, 7-9:30p; Saturday and Sunday, 8:30-11a, 12-2:30p, 3:30-6p, and 7-9:30p. The ice rink is also available for private parties on weekdays.

Call (209) 372-8319 for more information about this charming local adventure at the Curry Ice Rink in Yosemite National Park.

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V VISUAL CHRONICLE

2012 Visalia Visual Chronicle

Paints an Era in Transition Text by Aaron Collins

W

ith a recent all-time low approval rating of 8 percent for Congress and the media and other public institutions getting similarly low marks in our difficult times, one might wonder what 2011 itself would receive, were it on the poll. As years go, some might have voted 2011 a clunker, a do-over.

But what did our most recent year look like through the eyes of our region’s artists?

• Visalia’s Chinese Cultural Center ablaze with the joyful, auspicious crimson of its authentic Chinese structure (Ernie Weerasinghe); • Main Street’s red traffic signals glowering as they dutifully direct a deserted, traffic-free early Downtown Visalia morning as the Sierra Nevada behind mimics its own geographical vernacular of “stop” (Ellen Milinich); • Downtown’s Mid-Town News awash on a silver-lit morning, its austere grays and dated graphics questioning how bright the future might be (LaVone Sterling); • an enshrouded Valley Oak standing sentinel in Mooney Grove Park, whose atmosphere elicits instant mystery thanks to the Tule fog (Carlos Rocha); • the decrepit Sequoia Auto Theatre Drive-In marquee sadly suffering the neglect and indignities of our harsh San Joaquin Valley climate, yet still able to remind of the simpler joys of a former era (John Friedrich).

The above are just some of the iconic Visalia locations captured by area artists for the 2012 Visalia Visual Chronicle Juried Exhibition currently on view at Arts Visalia.

Artists chosen as 2012 candidates for the collection include Kenneth Conn, John Friedrich, Carlos Rocha, James Stark, and Lavone Sterling, who join retuning permanent 2011 artists Ellen Milinich, Matthew Rangel, and Ernie Weerasinghe. So far, Sterling and Milinich’s pieces have attracted sponsors, so their pieces now become permanent inclusions in the Visalia Visual Chronicle.

The Chronicle offers artists a rare opportunity, one that is otherwise locally unavailable to them: the chance for their art to be

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acquired for permanent inclusion in a public fine art collection that promises to become a de facto annual snapshot of Visalia.

Their artwork – whenever sponsors select and underwrite the purchase – will be preserved for the public enjoyment and education in future decades, as windows on the past as seen through the eyes of area artists, photographers, fine art printmakers and draughtsmen.

The collection will accrue historical and artistic value over time, and potentially financial worth, too, should our best and brightest artists flee Visalia for greater success in more lucrative art markets.

The Visual Chronicle stands alone as a formal art collection in an area that most artists would agree is painfully short on actual art collectors or even mere original art buyers who are needed to sustain artists’ careers.

“Not only does the Chronicle benefit artists, it provides permanent recognition for sponsors as well – local civic minded individuals, companies and organizations can be remembered by far more Visalians for their contribution to this very visible collection than they will with more traditional epitaphs,” says Kevin Bowman, Executive Director of Arts Visalia and a COS art instructor.

The jury for the 2012 exhibition was Kevin Bowman, Arts Visalia; Caroline Koontz, Arts Consortium; Terry Ommen, Tulare County historian; and arts writer and curator Aaron Collins. In addition to founding sponsor McMillin Homes and founding cosponsor DMI Agency, sponsors include Jeff and Sandy Carl, First Arts, George Pilling, Brian Newton, Anonymous, Susan ZacharyKreps and Judy Lawsen, among others.

Civic-minded arts supporters who would like to help create this permanent record of life in Visalia may contact Visual Chronicle founder Aaron Collins (559) 359-1305, or Kevin Bowman, Arts Visalia, (559) 739-0905.

ABOVE: "Chinese Cultural Center" by Ernie Weerasinghe (2011; oil on canvas)

S SPOTLIGHT

The Shining Light of

Hope

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T

hough the holiday season is over and the Christmas trees and lights have all come down, the joy of the recent holiday will forever remain in the eyes of one little girl.

One person is chosen each year from the 250,000 children and adults served by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to help light the Capitol Christmas Tree. In 2011, the Central Valley Regional Center (CVRC), which services 14,000 developmentally challenged people in six counties, was asked to choose that year’s honorary guest – Visalia’s Makayla Jones.

The CVRC provides hope to developmentally disabled children, adults and their families by being a resource and a constant provider of support and care.

The services this center offers promote growth and advancement where many times, the future can seem quite dim.

Makayla was born with Down syndrome and receives services from CVRC, which, alongside Makayla’s parents, Terran and Marria Jones, developed a plan to address a variety of therapies that would promote Makayla’s physical movement and advance her fine motor and visual skills. Makayla is currently involved in swimming, baseball and dancing – activities her parents were told their daughter would never be able to do.

On December 7, Makayla, a kindergartener at Cottonwood Creek Elementary, stood beside Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., First Lady Anne Gust Brown, and Mayor Kevin Johnson on the West Steps of the State Capitol to light the 40-foot-tall tree.

This year’s white fir tree was decorated with 10,000 lights and 900 handmade ornaments created by children and adults with developmental disabilities, each of whom receive services and support from the state’s 21 non-profit regional centers that contract with DDS. Makayla not only proves many statistics wrong, but thanks to the support of the CVRC and the dedicated love of her parents and siblings, she is a thriving, beautiful, young girl capable of achieving any goal she sets forth.

For now, with the twinkle of the thousands of lights in her eye, she will focus on graduating kindergarten.

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R

H HOME TOUR

THE HESKETT/HENSLEY HOME

Yankee Style, Text by Aaron Collins | Photos by Forrest Cavale, Third Element Studios

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HOME TOUR H

Southern Roots

PICTURED: The needs of contemporary entertaining, style and cooking, and the desire to remain true to a home’s period roots are perhaps most in conflict when remodeling a kitchen. The Heskett & Hensley kitchen remodel shows one way that competing needs can be fulfilled.

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H HOME TOUR

A

t first glance the Heskett and Hensley residence in Visalia appears rooted in Yankee style. Standing prim and stately, if modestly, in Visalia’s Beverly Glen section, it’s hard not to think of Peyton Place, far though Beverly Glen may be from that classic novel’s East Coast setting.

“We looked at moving to Visalia for many years. We looked at new and old homes alike. At the end of every house-hunting trip we found ourselves back in Beverly Glen,” said Don Heskett.

“We absolutely loved the vintage homes, walkable streets, large trees. It was truly the neighborhood that brought us here. This has been the best decision we could have made. Our neighbors and neighborhood are truly one of a kind, really remarkable in our opinion.” He said that many of the home’s past residents have dropped by to say hello and tell the new owners about their time spent at the house growing up as children.

But while the home’s style and grounds invoke New England, the Colonial Revival’s occupants, Don Heskett and Steve Hensley, are perhaps much more akin to Southern gentlemen, given their families’ Dixie roots, sharing as they do their passion for comfort food and hospitality.

The interior conjures post-Prohibition Hollywood, with the speakeasy-themed entertainment room lurking in the basement level of the 4000-sq. ft. structure situated on the park-like grounds of an unusual peninsular lot adjoining neighbors on only one side. “The basement bar is original, built when the home was constructed,” Heskett said. “We have used that old ‘speakeasy’ feel to create an old Hollywood-style media room/bar/wine area. It is

very unusual and is a hit among those who first tour the home,” he added.

Further highlighting their Southern affinities: Despite travels to Paris, London, Hawaii, Italy and other destinations, Heskett and Hensley single out their time in Savannah, Georgia, touring its historic homes as among their favorite vacations. The couple may both be Corcoran natives, having grown up only two blocks apart, but their families’ common Southern roots run just as deep.

If the home’s façade doesn’t strike passersby as purely oldschool Colonial in character, there may be good reason. The 1940 residence was erected somewhat late in the game for the style known as Colonial Revival, whose implied patriotism helped reboot all things Americana in the latter 1800s.

The reprised style was further revised into a late-state derivative known as Minimal Traditional, which is reflected in the Heskett and Hensley home’s more austere proportions, ceiling heights, and subdued detailing characteristic of the 1940s. (Whereas Colonial Revival might have stuck with Colonial’s double-hung windows with six-over-six lights, the ’40s version often gives us four-overfour or casement windows, for example).

Minimal Traditional was spawned beginning in the 1930s thanks to divergent factors including Great Depression economic realities, the popular availability of affordable kit homes via Sears, Montgomery Ward, and other manufacturers of Minimal Traditional homes, and growing critical taste for the sleekness of International Style, which exerted a worldwide reductive force on the surface details of traditional architecture.

When a Visalia physician built his family a Beverly Glen home ABOVE: If Mildred Pierce comes to mind, it’s with good reason: The Heskett & Hensley home’s 1940s roots are well evident, with bits of Hollywood’s Golden Era here and there for period effect.

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H HOME TOUR in 1940, prevailing tastes had mostly banished traditional architecture’s elaborate ornamentation, considered a very guilty pleasure for multiple reasons. But even as homebuyers of the era wanted more modern homes, many were unable to fully resist the pull of nostalgia. So Colonial Revival and its kin, Minimal Traditional, fit the bill perfectly. And to this day, real estate decision-making is still largely ruled by the subjectivity of perceived tradition and objective realities of economics. Stylistic preoccupations change, but the affectations and implied status of old-money style appear a tough addiction to shake in Central California, leaving Modernism mostly to the state’s more progressive urban venues.

With the various strains of Colonial visible in Green Acres and Beverly Glen as elsewhere, one can detect the two-pronged austerities of fashion and the virtue of necessity inspired by the nation’s widespread slide into poverty.

Finally, WWII stuck the final fork in any lingering Victorian excesses

PICTURED: A guest bedroom in the Heskett & Hensley Visalia home.

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H HOME TOUR

and Colonial Revival and Minimal Traditional were done by the ’50s (save for one last shark-jump as mass-market real estate developers stuck Colonial shutters and brass fixtures onto their mid-Century Modern ranch houses, appliqué Colonial cosmetics that strained lingering post-war patriotism. (Many of these ranches are still visible in our Central California region.)

Ironically, as Spartan as Colonial Revival and Minimal Traditional detailing can be in some cases, remodeling one still requires sensitivity to period. Heskett and Hensley have remodeled extensively, bringing the kitchen into the current era. But they have taken great pains to maintain authenticity via the materials, colors and furnishings they have chosen.

“The kitchen remodel was a difficult thing to do; how to create upgrades to the original galley style kitchen and not lose the charm of the home. In the end there were vintage pieces used as well as subway tile to offset the new stainless appliances. We wanted the kitchen to be a social focal point of a house of this scale, not just a utility area,” Heskett said. “If I could do something else with the home, a wraparound porch would be nice and maybe a balcony off the master bedroom in the rear of the home. But we always try to think of what would be correct for the style and area of the home prior to making changes,” he said.

In addition to the kitchen expansion, new pillars and an entry

gate and gut and remodel of the master bath were completed in period style. Matching street lamps were found at an auction yard and restored for the front and back gardens, where family dog Stella has ample room to roam. “I think they look as if they have always been there,” Heskett said of his and Hensley’s goal. “Stella has been a big part of the household for nearly 12 years. Her only requirement is that wherever we move she has a pool to swim in during the hot summer months. She doesn’t look like a swimmer but has been one since she arrived from the Visalia pound as a puppy,” Heskett said.

“We love the feel and architecture of a vintage home. I think the keeping it as classic as possible with just the right level of

ABOVE: The master bedroom of the Heskett & Hensley home features a four poster bed, and subdued architectural hints of late Colonial Revival’s Minimal Traditional detailing, while the master bath features period tile work and a color scheme that is well true to the era. Abundant lighting is perhaps the most contemporary aspect, along with the vanity-style sink cabinet.

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upgrades speak to our taste. The kitchen remodel is definitely a reflection of our need to host large family gatherings and entertain friends as often as possible,” Heskett said.

And with that kind of investment, the couple plan to stay put. “We have no plans to move elsewhere. We moved into this neighborhood to stay,” say the couple, whose prior home was also in Beverly Glen. “It just took about seven years in the ’hood to wait for one of the great homes to come on the market. We couldn’t be happier.”

Hensley has an education and background in hotel management, and currently works for Hormel Foods as a purchasing agent. Heskett is a co-owner of Hanford-based Pacific Ag Insurance Agency, which has additional offices in Corcoran and Chowchilla.

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“The insurance business is a very social, peopleoriented business,” Heskett said. “This home really mirrors that and our personal lives, as well. It would be a rare week if we were not entertaining or being entertained by family and friends,” he added. In addition to career, Heskett has served on the board of the Central Valley YMCA as well as the Corcoran Chamber of Commerce.

Recently the couple purchased a getaway condo in Palm Springs, Heskett said, but that will be “something completely different in scale and design than this home.” But like the true period enthusiasts they are, they’re considering a leap forward in time only by a decade or so: into mid-Century Modern.

HOME TOUR H

PICTURED: The basement of the Heskett & Hensley home in Visalia features this media room with an eclectic array of styles. Of the period speakeasy theme bar and wine room, Heskett says “It is very unusual and is a hit among those who first tour the home.”

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creating from Recipes by James Jessen, Tazzaria

C

offee is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. In America, 87.7 percent of the adult population consumes coffee daily. So, what do BBQ sauce and chicken rub have in common?

You got it: coffee. It can enhance a wide variety of foods. Here are two easy recipes, hopped up with the magical beans.

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Coffee-Chipotle BBQ Sauce Ingredients

3/4 C onion, finely chopped 1 1/2 C ketchup 1 C red wine vinegar 1/4 C Worcestershire sauce 1/4 C soy sauce 1 1/4 C brown sugar, packed 2 T dry mustard 4 T chipotle chili powder 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 T vegetable oil Zest from 1/4 of a lemon 4 oz. espresso or strong dark coffee

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Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and sautĂŠ the onion until it becomes translucent.

Combine the remaining ingredients (except the coffee) and simmer for five minutes over medium heat. Add the coffee, mix well and it’s ready to use.

Arts Visalia partners with Pro-Youth/Heart in bringing this year’s theme: Art for the Heart. In addition to the open call for artwork entries from artists (and non-artists!) throughout the community, Pro-Youth/Heart will be

February 14, 2012 ARTS VISALIA 214 E. Oak Ave., Visalia

inviting a selection of community “celebrities” to display artworks which will be sold by silent auction in support of their after-school youth education programs.

For more information please call: 739-0905

C CULINARY ARTS

Spicy Sumatra-Rubbed Chicken Ingredients

2 pounds chicken cut up and skinned 2 T finely ground Sumatra coffee or espresso 2 T paprika 3 T seasoned salt 1 T onion powder 2 T brown sugar 2 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. cayenne 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. basil, dried 1/2 tsp. rosemary, dried

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*Adjust the heat by changing the amount of cayenne.

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients together.

Rub mixture all over chicken pieces.

Allow to stand for a half hour.

Preheat grill. Place on grill and cook until done. When turning the pieces, be careful not to displace the rub. For additional flavor, add presoaked wood flavoring chips to the grill before cooking.

CULINARY ARTS C

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an evening in

Shanghai Text by Corey Ralston | Photos by Connie McClaskey

A

s soon as one stepped into the courtyard of the Chinese Cultural Center it was apparent that the evening was going to be the social event of the year. Hosted by Las Madrinas Guild for Central California Children’s Hospital, “An Evening in Shanghai” was put on to raise money to prevent child abuse.

During a cocktail hour before dinner, guests mingled in a courtyard draped in lights and paper lanterns. Appetizers by the World Famous Dynasty restaurant were served and champagne given to each guest as they entered the center. Several trunks filled with prizes were displayed giving incentive to purchase a raffle ticket to see if it would “open” the trunk as a key. The chilly night air only helped set the tone and feel of the event. Women clad in beautiful coats and wraps gave the evening a sophisticated winter look.

Las Madrinas Guild (meaning “godmothers” in Spanish) was formed in 1950 and has worked tirelessly for 60 years to raise funds for children in need of healthcare. The 130-member group hails from Valley cities like Tulare, Visalia, Exeter, Porterville, Springville, Lindsay, Three Rivers and Orosi. Each year they come up with events and fundraisers to be able to support the hospital.

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“Las Madrinas Guild is part of a network of guilds throughout the Valley that raises funds for Children’s Hospital. Together we have pledged to raise $5 million to establish the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Endowment. The endowment will provide permanent support for the fully accredited Child Advocacy Center. Many of the children that are cared for by the hospital are there as a result of abuse, so we stay committed to prevention,” said Kim Beck, event coordinator and Las Madrinas member.

Central Valley Children’s Hospital is the tenth largest hospital of its kind in the United States and possibly the busiest hospital in California. The hospital sees 2,000 patients a year from Tulare County alone and another 20,000 in out-patient care.

“We are fortunate to have members that are truly committed to Children’s Hospital. It is during tough times that the incidents of child abuse can sometimes escalate. Our guild members know that and are more committed than ever,” Beck said.

During the five-course dinner, prepared by The Vintage Press of Visalia, Todd Suntrapak spoke to those in attendance of how necessary it is to have guilds to support the growing needs of children in our area. Suntrapak is the Executive Vice President and C.O.O. of Children’s Hospital.

Stifel Nicolas 1012.pdf

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Front L-to-R: Monica Peterson, Amy Gunn, Penney Sick, Jim Wohlford Back L-to-R: Sherri Rigney, David Sharp, Lupe Sanchez

Jim Wohlford – Branch Manager & Senior Vice President/Investments Lupe Sanchez – Vice President/Investments David Sharp – Vice President/Investments Penney Sick – Vice President/Investments Amy Gunn – Client Service Associate Monica Peterson – Office Coordinator Sherri Rigney – Wire Operator

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C CHARITY “You have an impact on driving the abuse of children down in our area,” Suntrapak said to reinforce the importance of the guilds’ work.

Cathy Knapp-Young was eager to attend the event.

“I heard really good things about this organization and I wanted to help,” she said.

Her husband, Fred Young, an Orthopedic Surgeon in Porterville, said that in his 30 years of practice he has seen the benefits of the hospital.

“It is good to have them around because they provide such important support for the Central Valley area,” Young said.

After dinner the guests were invited inside the Chinese Center where a casino night was about to begin. Each guest was given $100 in chips to try their hand at games like Black Jack, Poker, and Roulette.

The goal was to turn the $100 chips into big winnings to earn a top prize. High roller Sara Todd won a catered five-course dinner at a beautiful local family home and Marlene McMillan was given the honor of donating $2,000 to Children’s Hospital and having a plaque engraved with her name placed in the entry way of the hospital.

The screams of joy and sighs of defeat increasingly grew louder in the gambling room as the night went on. Periodically tickets were drawn to open one of the six trunks loaded with prizes. There was a trunk for wine enthusiasts loaded with fabulous wines from California vineyards. There were also vacation trunks to places like Hawaii, Carmel, a spa in the Central Coast and a week retreat to a cabin in the mountains.

For the sport enthusiast there was a trunk filled with tickets to some of the many sporting events in the state like Dodgers, Giants and Fresno State.

“I loved watching each person go up and try their key to see if it opened the trunk. The looks on their faces when it did was really fun,” Beck said.

Each year Las Madrinas hosts an event that raises on average $50-60,000. The themes of the events change and keep getting better, Beck said. “Last year was a ‘Day at the Ranch’ featuring the popular band Sons of the San Joaquin. I recently saw a newsletter from 1978 in which Las Madrinas hosted a black-tie dinner featuring Bob Hope.”

According to Beck the guild members will get no rest as they jump into their next fundraiser of selling delicious truffles after Christmas.

Anyone interested in supporting the guild with a donation or becoming a member can be directed to their website, www.lasmadrinasguild.org.

TOP: Danny Miller and Katie Hobbs CENTER: Didi Hammond BOT TOM: JoAnn Watte

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NEXT GEN N

next gen:

TAYLOR THEIS Text by Crystal R. R. Edwards | Photo by Becca Chavez

I

t is difficult to imagine Taylor Theis sitting still. When Lifestyle Magazine caught up with the 25-year-old Visalia native, she was attending a dance performance workshop in Chicago. “Right now I’m waving my arms around,” she said during the phone interview. “The people on the second floor drinking their coffee might look down and think I’m acting out some kind of mime performance here.”

Taylor’s career in dance began at the age of two. “My mother was a dancer,” she said. “It was obvious I would be enrolled in classes. At two, it’s basic training, a mixture of ballet and tap dancing at what used to be Visalia Dance Studio. As I got older, my training evolved into jazz dancing and ballet.” Eventually she was dancing in performance-based solo company, with numerous competitions. “Just before high school, I began studying with Susan Pallas at the Sierra Performing Arts Studio in Visalia.”

Taylor graduated from Golden West High School and then joined the National Dance Alliance and began traveling around the United States teaching dance in workshops and camps.

She went on to study at Fresno State, with a double-major in Art History and Theater Arts with an emphasis on dance. She took the opportunity to study abroad at Birkbeck University of London, and while there auditioned for a professional dance company called Nimblelimbs. She was accepted into the group and performed at the Brighton Fringe Festival in 2006 for their show entitled “8 Feet More.” Taylor returned to Fresno to finish her degree.

Taylor had a decision to make.

She began working for her family’s various businesses: marketing and promotions for The Glass Shop and Lucio Hay, both in Visalia, and later at the Orange Blossom restaurant belonging to her uncle and aunt (Doug and Lucy Long). Taylor remembered this being a challenging period in her life.

“When you study performing arts and then finish school, you think ‘Now how am I going to make money?’ I felt pressure to get a normal job, whatever that means. In this last year, I’ve not completely answered that question, but I understand that in order to live a fulfilled life, in order to contribute to the world, I have to be moving and dancing. It’s what makes the most sense to me.”

Taylor is currently working on a duet with a dance partner, Ethan Dunn of Oakland, utilizing the technique known as contact improvisation. She is influenced by contemporary dance, the techniques of Merce Cunningham and Erick Hawkins. Her latest study has centered around butoh, a highly theatrical dance form that hails from Japan.

It’s also possible she’s recently managed to answer her question about how to make dance a paying career. “My direction since undergrad has been more toward academia,” she said. In the autumn, Taylor will travel to the University of Oregon to both teach dance and obtain her master’s in dance performance.

Taylor’s enthusiasm for dance as an art and as a lifestyle is hard to resist. When she was asked what she’d say to adults wanting to study dance, she bubbled over. “I just had an adult ballet class this last year and it was wonderful to see people who hadn’t had any dance technique before coming into it later in life. The progression over the course of a year was phenomenal. I would say if there’s an interest at all, then pursue it! There is definitely a way to be a dancer, whatever that means to them.” Taylor, a strong advocate for the mental benefits of the art, is confident that “Dance is medicine.

It’s healing.”

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Christmas Tree AUCTION Text by Jordan Venema | Photos by Forrest Cavale

E

ach year Christmas seems to arrive a little sooner than it did the year before.

Retail stores are playing Christmas carols and Starbucks is serving its holiday drinks before families are given the chance to throw out the carved pumpkins from their front porches. Christmas comes sooner, it seems, but it doesn’t last as long or “linger” like it used to.

Perhaps the holiday loses its allure with age, or maybe the commercialization of Christmas has transformed the season into one long and exhausting shopping spree. There are some days when the Scrooge in all of us desperately needs a visit from the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.

In recent years there’s been talk about the “war on Christmas,” but despite that, the holiday survives. New movies are produced and the classics rerun. The debate yet rages over which is the greatest Christmas movie, cookie and carol (White Christmas, sugar cookies,

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O Holy Night – just saying).

Christmas has grown complex; it comes early, and sometimes it even comes with a groan.

But there is an unforgettable feeling that follows a fairly common ritual: the sigh that follows a long day spent removing dusty boxes from the attic and untangling knotted strings of lights; the nostalgia of rediscovering ornaments that go back years, sometimes generations. Decorating the house can be chaotic, but once the lights are plugged in, the fire’s in the fireplace, and the scent of pine fills the room – well, then it seems that Christmas finally has arrived, and with a peace that is as memorable as it is inimitable.

There is something in a Christmas tree, even if only entirely sentimental, that brings with it the spirit of Christmas, the idea of family and giving. And for this reason, families will sooner let a tree wilt and its needles drop than take it down, as long as it means keeping Christmas around a little longer. The city of Visalia knows this, too, and for 31 years it has fostered the spirit of Christmas, of community and charity, with one of its longest-standing and most popular traditions, the annual Christmas Tree Auction.

Each year the Chamber of Commerce ushers in the holiday season by hosting Tulare County’s premier fundraising event, which has consistently raised around $300,000 for local charities.

Glenn Morris, the president and CEO of the Visalia Chamber of Commerce, described the auction as the “kickoff event in Visalia to the holiday season.”

On the evening of Friday, December 2, a total of 16 Christmas

trees decorated by local charities were put on display at the Visalia Convention Center. Each tree was elaborately and thematically decorated – some with traditional Christmas colors and ornaments, and others with untraditional decorations, such as sports memorabilia, children’s toys and Disney characters – and sold at a live sale during a catered meal for VIP guests. While the catered meal was perhaps the most obvious addition to this year’s auction, Glenn Morris explained that other additions had been made in order to work “more closely with the participating charities on ticket sales,” and “to emphasize that the event was about the charities first and a really fun party second.”

Make no mistake, even with the new changes to the auction, such as allowing organizations to participate in the sales of tickets, the auction was no less a party this year than in had been in the past. At 8 p.m., following the dinner and auction, doors opened for general admission guests. The large trees were still on display, and guests could put it their bid on the smaller items in the silent auction. More than 30 local business contributed by providing food and drinks for guests, which was more than enough to substitute for an entire meal. Limos parked along the street outside the Convention Center, and elegantly dressed guests checked their coats at the door. Suits and gowns, glasses of wine, and plates of hors d’oeuvres, a DJ and the dance floor, conversation and laughter – the auction was not unlike a more sophisticated prom for adults.

The only thing lacking was a photographer and a themed backdrop, though flashes of photography illuminated the room throughout the night.

Suffice it to say, despite any changes that were made, there were still plenty of opportunities to dress

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your best, dance, drink and eat, and be very, very merry. Even as the evening began to wind down, KMPH’s Kopi Sotiropulos, the auction’s co-emcee, riled up a herd of guests in front of a TV camera and coaxed them to mimic his gestures and echo his phrases for the evening news.

Dorinne Henken, the executive director at Love I.N.C., a faithbased charity that has made trees for the auction for the past eight years, was at first wary of the changes. “We felt that in the past, the people who had purchased our trees had come only for the winetasting.” In other words, Henken was concerned that by separating the “fun party” element from the live tree sale, potentially there would be less people to bid on the trees. But, Henken said, “this year the auction was better. You could see who was bidding, and there was better food.” Not to mention, Love I.N.C. raised about $2,000 more this year than it did last year from the live tree sale.

Overall, the auction brought in about $15,000 for Love I.N.C., which constitutes about 10 percent of the charity’s annual budget.

If Love I.N.C. is making 10 percent of its annual budget from the Christmas Tree Auction, it’s easy to imagine the kind of far-reaching impact the auction has on the entire community. A diverse group of nonprofits and organizations benefit from the auction: Visalia Rescue Mission, Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County, Hospice of Tulare County Foundation, Redwood and El Diamante ASB – the health, homes, and education of this community are maintained by the willingness of its members to give back to it.

Sarah Ashoori, owner of Ashoori & Co. Jewelers at 4212 South Mooney Blvd, has

32nd Annual Christmas Tree Auciton

"Bubbles & Baubles"

Friday, November 30, 2012

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sponsored the Visalia Rescue Mission for 11 years by donating a piece of jewelry valued at $5,000. The jewelry helped to raise $50,000 for the Rescue Mission this year, though she was quick to add, “I can’t take credit.” When asked why she felt compelled to give, she answered, “Because we need to. We need to help the community … If you belong to a community you need to be a part of the community. It’s as simple as that.” Not only did the Ashoori family sponsor the Rescue Mission’s tree, but three years ago they also purchased one of the trees at the live sale auction, which currently stands in the center of their store.

These auctioned trees are gifts that truly keep on giving. The full effect of these gifts, given to the community in the form of a tree that will for years continue to decorate homes and businesses, will not always be as evident or as obvious as an ornament on a tree. But long after these trees come down and the ornaments are stored into boxes, the community will continue to be nurtured by the generous donations of its members, and because of it, tree or no tree, the true spirit of Christmas will stick around just a little bit longer.

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36-HOUR VACATION DESTINATION

H HIDDEN JEWEL

THE HAPPIEST PLACE IN AMERICA:

SAN LUIS OBISPO Text by Kyndal Kennedy | Photos by Taylor Vaughn

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scape to France for the weekend without the hassle of the airports this winter. Located just a couple hours away, all the whimsy and richness of the Provence of France is brought to the California Coast – at Petit Soliel, Bed et Breakfast in San Luis Obispo.

Completely designed and decorated to evoke the charm and colors of Provence, this Bed and Breakfast is the perfect destination for those wanting to experience something unique. Petit Soleil is owned by husband and wife John and Dianne Conner and staffed by a lively and caring staff, whose one goal is to make your stay quite simply–magnifique.

Just as the French are passionate about their culinary creations, so too are the people at Petit Soleil. Every evening guests are invited to stroll the countryside of Provence and the foothills of San Luis Obispo at their Evening Wine Tastings. Accompanying the French and local wines are specially selected hors d’oeuvres to entice the taste buds. On top of this, in the morning you will be treated to a gourmet breakfast in their dining room or sunny cobblestone courtyard and patio.

Of course, after you’ve enjoyed the comforts of France, the city of San Luis boasts some of the best restaurants and shops in its historic downtown, located just a few blocks from the property.

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Simply taking a stroll downtown, you will uncover boutiques where you can find contemporary crafts and one-of-a-kind gifts like at Hands Gallery, or vintage record stores like Boo Boo Records where you can also catch live music shows. The restaurant scene downtown is as eclectic as its residents with popular choices such as Big Sky Cafe, a favorite of locals as well as food critics around the world; Novo Restaurant and Lounge which specializes in innovative global cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, local flavors; and American burger and tri-tip staple Firestone Grill, under the same ownership as Fresno’s Dog House Grill. No matter your preference, there is something for everyone.

Come for a Thursday night and enjoy one of the state’s best Farmer’s Markets. Higuera Street is lined with vendors selling crafts, produce, desserts, flowers and much more. And let’s not fail to mention the live music and bustling crowds that fill the street. This is truly the best time and place to experience the eclectic local culture.

As many wine connoisseurs are aware, San Luis Obispo County can also be synonymous with wine country. With numerous vineyards to choose from, it’s best to plan ahead and set an itinerary.

Not to worry, all are fully equipped to please your palette and, of course, all are under the beautiful coastal weather and shining sun – hard to go wrong. So, if wine tasting is on your last-minute day trip plans you can easily find a vineyard ready to show you the ropes of one of its favorite pastimes.

For a weekend getaway of relaxation and exploration, there is no better spot than San Luis Obispo. There’s no wonder why it’s often called “The happiest place in America.”

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Text by Sharon Mosley

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F FASHION

12 fashion trends for 2012

Text by Sharon Mosley

1) Graphic Prints. Whether it's a new floral blouse, a striped skirt or a batik dress, the prints this spring are big, bright and bold. This is not a fashion trend for the wallflowers out there. Look for pieces that stand out, and don't be afraid to mix and match them from head to toe.

2) Saturated Colors. Delicate pastels were all over the runways, but there were also plenty of deeper shades designers used for inspiration. And white seems to be one of the most popular neutrals, showing up in soft suits. Or take the best of it all and do a bold, color-blocked look. Pops of neon also shake up spring clothes.

3) Ladylike Luxe. Think pin-up style – the hourglass shapes of Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page. The focus is on the waist. The peplum silhouette makes a huge comeback in jackets and dresses. Look for the matching skirt suit to make a return, too.

4) Drop Waist Dresses. Get the Gatsby vibe of the 1920s this spring with the new drop waist dresses that shimmied down the runway. Note the details of these new drop-dead chemises: pleated hemlines, sequined fringe, feathered accents and metallic insets.

5) Dots and Spots. You'll be seeing dots a lot this spring – polka dots in all shapes and sizes. Try mixing small and large polka dots together for a modern twist on this spring classic.

6) Stripe It. Another pattern that is a warm-weather favorite. This spring, the stripes are also bolder in nautical designs as well as graphic interpretations that make them contemporary in a digitalized fashion world.

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FASHION F

On your next shopping trip, when you're browsing the winter sales, keep an eye out for one of these 12 trendy items to brighten and lighten up your wardrobe.

7) Sporty Chic. The athletic look has gone high fashion. Remember the tracksuit? Hmmm. Yes, designer track pants with drawstrings are back, but mixed with razor-sharp jackets and crisp white shirts.

A new look for the office, perhaps?

8) Tribal Motifs. Fashion designers come out of Africa this spring with more inspiration than ever before.

Animal prints are still a favorite: leopards, zebras and pythons, oh my! From basket-weave handbags to raffia sandals to crafty necklaces and earrings, this trend is best in bold accessories.

9) Cropped Tops. This spring, it's time to keep it on the short side. Cropped tops and jackets, especially the ones in bold colors, can make any of your fashion basics look new. Pair with a longer T-shirt or silky blouse if you want to cover up any lumps and bumps still hanging around from the holidays.

10) Go Long. The maxi dress and skirt is flowing into fashionistas' wardrobes everywhere. In light fabrics – knits and chiffons – these long looks are great for the beach and spring and summer cocktail parties.

11) Get Transparent. Spring and summer is the perfect time to get naked...well, not totally. But it is a good time to experiment with some of the new sheer tops and skirts. There are lots of ways to mix opaque layers under or over the sheer, tissue-thin fabrics, so you're not walking out in an X-rated outfit.

12) Embellish It. When times are tough, we girls like a little sparkle, right? So why not add some bling to your daytime wardrobe this spring. Shine with a pair of metallic platform sandals or a swingy pair of jeweled chandelier earrings. You'll be surprised at how much your mood will brighten!

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& PLACES F FACES PERFORMANCES P Text By Marsha Peltzer

FILM NIGHT | Saturday, February 4 | Visalia Fox Theatre | 7:30p If you missed last year’s sell out “Film Night” with the Tulare County Symphony, you will want to attend the ever popular evening this year, featuring famous music from famous movies.

This is one of Music Director Bruce Keisling’s favorite programs, as well as one of the Symphony’s most popular events.

The three films that will be featured are Avatar, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, focusing on the music of composers James Homer, Howard Stone, and audience favorite, John Williams.

In addition to selections from those three films there will be music from Henry Mancini: “Bier Fest Polka,” music from Aliens, and a recent favorite of Kiesling’s, composer Marionelli’s academy award winning music from Atonement. Harry Potter is magical and fantastical, capturing the spirit of excitement and wonder of the film series and the Avatar score is dramatic!

Complementing the well-known movie themes and other selections from the featured composers are Bruce Kiesling’s behind-

the-scenes stories from his vast knowledge of the movie scores and composers. Bruce is a big fan of Westerns, so included in the program are Howard’s “Wyatt Earp” and “Hidalgo,” which deals with an American cowboy who travels to Saudi Arabia to compete in a famous multi-stage race across the desert. The music is big, bold and epic.

The orchestra will showcase the talents of Concert Master Susan Doering, and Cellist, Valerie Walden. Susan will be playing John Williams' “3 Pieces from Schindlers List,” one of which she played at the Pops at Zumwalt Park. Valerie Walden will be the soloist in another Williams' piece, “Sayuri’s Theme,” from Memoirs of a Geisha.

For more information or tickets call the Symphony office at (559) 732-8600.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE MUSICAN: VALERIE WALDEN Valerie Walden is one of the Tulare County Symphony’s real treasures. She has a rich and varied background, literally world wide, and all who know her and hear her play agree how lucky the Symphony is to have her in their ranks.

Valerie grew up outside of Santa Cruz, CA, in Rio del Mar, where her father taught history and her mother taught piano.

She started cello in her school music program at age 10. Shortly thereafter she began private study, and somewhat later began her orchestra career with the Santa Cruz Youth Symphony and David Andre’s Cabrillo College Orchestra, before joining the Santa Cruz Symphony at age 16. Valerie completed a double major in history and cello performance at UC Santa Cruz and became a member of the Monterey Symphony.

In 1975, Valerie married Max Walden, the developer instrumental in revitalizing downtown Santa Cruz. Thus ensued a 32-year adventure that included the raising of three children— Eloise, Cooper, and Max—and travels far and wide.

When David Andre found that a now-grown Valerie was living in Hanford, he asked her to join the Tulare County Symphony, which she did in 1986. However, serious challenges lay ahead when Max was treated for cancer in 1987. An incredibly supportive orchestra gave Valerie a leave of absence and she returned to school,

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beginning graduate studies at the University of Auckland. She returned to the orchestra following her Master’s program in 1989, when Dr. Andre called her in New Zealand to tell her he was short cellists for a Christmas performance of the Messiah and asked if she could she please submit her thesis so she could come back.

Commuting between Hanford and Auckland for the next four years, Valerie then completed her PhD. Her academic studies were on historic cello performance.

While Valerie’s writing has garnered international attention, she is appreciated locally for her orchestral, chamber music, and teaching skills. She currently plays quartet music with the Kaweah String Quartet, and duos and trios with pianist Brian Johnson and violinist Rudolphina Avsic. She loves to teach cello and her students have earned numerous awards and placement in state and national honor orchestras.

Valerie has taught at COS since 1998, and Max and Valerie moved to Visalia in 2000. Max died in 2007, but, assisted by her children, Valerie continues the upkeep on the historic home that he rebuilt for her cello teaching. Her escape from music is her roses and Max’s fruit trees.

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Interior Plantscaping | Design and Installation | Live Plant Rental and Leasing LIFEST YLE | JANUARY 2012

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n enthusiastic crowd thronged the recent opening reception for the Visalia Visual Chronicle 2012 Juried Exhibition, says Arts Visalia Executive Director Kevin Bowman. Local hobnobbers and cultural figures turned out to support seven area artists whose Visalia-related artworks were offered to prospective sponsors for permanent inclusion in the Visual Chronicle.

Although this is the public art collection’s second year, 2012 is Arts Visalia’s first as host. “The Chronicle is expanding thanks to Arts Visalia’s diligent effort to help establish it. This is a good fit as they share the Chronicle’s mission to feature the city’s iconic people, places and views,” says Visalia Visual Chronicle Curator and Founder Aaron Collins.

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1. Kevin Bowman, Fernando Rubio 2. Larry Akey, Jeri Burzin 3. Marlin Roehl, Brian Newton, George Pilling 4. Kevin Bowman says a few words to the crowd who showed up for the Visalia Visual Chronicle opening reception at Arts Visalia

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5. Monica Rodriguez, Michael Varela 6. Bob Ross, Leland Sterling 7. Ellen and Mitch Milinich

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NEW SHANGHAI CIRCUS! Astonishing athletes defy gravity and execute breathtaking feats as they stretch the limits of human ability in this spellbinding show. Fearless performers with boundless energy bring you more than two thousand years of Chinese circus traditions. If it’s humanly possible – and even if it’s not! – Shanghai’s acrobats, jugglers and contortionists do it with spectacular flair.

When: Jan. 29, 5p Where: Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main St., Visalia Contact: 625-1369

Special Event

FEB 15

Ag Warriors Gala, An Evening with the President of the United States, George W. Bush Enjoy a spectacular evening of fine dining, entertainment by the 82nd Airborne Division’s All American Chorus and a keynote address from George W. Bush. The Ag Warriors Gala will support returning veterans with an interest in securing jobs in the agricultural industry. For ticket and event information visit website or call number below.

When: Feb. 15, 5p Where: International Agri-Center’s Entertainment Pavilion, 4500 S. Laspina St., Tulare Contact: www.AgWarriors.com or call 800-999-9186

JAN 28

THE LITTLE MERMAID Presented by The Enchanted Playhouse Theatre Company, the play follows the storyline of the Disney classic closely with small variations.

Nevertheless, the performance is sure to leave audience members of all ages with their imaginations running wild.

When: Feb. 3–5, 10–12, 17 & 18, Evenings, 7p; Matinee, 2p Where: Main Street Theatre, 307 E. Main St., Visalia Contact: 739-4600

Theater & Performances

JAN 21

ERIC JOHNSON AT THE FOX Best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country-western music into his recordings. With special guest Peppino D’Agostino, this night will be full of great music and fun.

When: Jan. 21, 7:30p Where: Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main Street, Visalia Contact: 625-1369 ALWAYS ... PATSY CLINE An evening full of wonderful music, and an intimate and uplifting look at the life of the beloved country singer. The show features more than 20 country standards including “I Fall to Pieces,” “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight” and many others.

When: Jan. 27–29; Feb. 3–5, 10–12, Evening, 7:30p; Matinee, 2p Where: The Ice House Theatre, 410 E. Race Ave., Visalia Contact: 734-3900

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VISALIA’S NEXT GUITAR HERO SOLO COMPETITION Come and watch the top eight finalists compete to be the winner of the 2012 Visalia’s Next Guitar Hero competition. These amazing contestants will be playing styles such as rock, blues, metal and classic rock. Everyone is welcome!

When: Jan. 28, 6-9p Where: Cafe 210, 210 W. Center Ave., Visalia Contact: 713-4365

FEB 4

JANKA Congregation Beit Shalom presents “Janka,” a play by Oscar Speace. Janka is the intimate story of Janka Festinger, a Holocaust survivor; and how, near the end of her life, she finally tells her story, demonstrating the humanity we all share. Janice Noga, Janka’s daughterin-law, brings Janka back to life in a loving performance.

When: Feb. 4, 7p Where: Cafe 210, 210 Center St., Visalia Contact: 308-1333

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FEB 14

TULARE COUNTY SYMPHONY’S FILM NIGHT If you missed last year’s sell-out Film Night with the symphony, you might get this season’s tickets now! This annual event has already become the symphony’s most popular program. Come and enjoy an all-new collection of movie classics including Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and more!

Complementing the well-known movie themes are Bruce Kiesling’s behind-the-scenes stories from his vast knowledge of movie scores and composers. He is as entertaining as the music!

When: Feb. 4, 7:30p Where: Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main Street, Visalia Contact: 625-1369 AFRICAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR: THE YOUNG AFRICANS The Young Africans are a gifted group of singers, musicians and dancers who were all once a part of the world-renowned African Children’s Choir. Now 17-21 years old and more talented than ever, they are poised to fulfill their promise and make a difference in their communities back home. The African Children’s Choir raises awareness of the plight of Africa’s orphaned and abandoned, but also highlights the beauty, dignity and potential of each African child.

When: Feb. 8, 7p Where: Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main Street, Visalia Contact: 625-1369 THE STEPCREW Bringing together three styles of exhilarating dance forms – Irish Stepdance, Ottawa Valley Stepdance, and Tap – this amazing company, which includes six virtuoso dancers, five musicians and one vocalist achieves the ultimate balance of respecting traditional forms of dance and creating exciting modern fusions never seen before! The show will have the audience literally on its feet!

When: Feb. 14, 6:30p Where: Fox Theatre, 300 W. Main Street, Visalia Contact: 625-1369

Art Exhibits

JAN 22

THE COURAGE TO REMEMBER A 42-panel educational exhibit from the Museum of Tolerance will be on display with nearly 200 original photographs, many never seen before by the general public. “The Courage to Remember” offers a powerful, compelling insight into the Holocaust of 1933-1945.

When: Opening Ceremony: Jan. 22, 2p; Exhibit: Jan. 22–Feb. 4, 2-5p Where: Congregation Beit Shalom, 115 E. Paseo Ave., Visalia Contact: 308-1333

SOFA ART XVII: ART FOR THE HEART Arts Visalia partners with Pro-Youth/Heart in bringing this year’s theme: Art for the Heart.

In addition to the open call for artwork entries from artists (and non-artists!) throughout the community, Pro-Youth/Heart will be inviting a selection of community “celebrities” to display artworks which will be sold by silent auction in support of their after-school youth education programs.

When: Feb. 1–24; Reception: Feb. 3, 6-8p; Art for Heart Silent Auction: Feb. 14 Where: Arts Visalia, 214 E. Oak Ave., Visalia Contact: 739-0905

Diversions & Excursions

JAN 21

TULE FOG RUN The Tule Fog run offers a beautiful backdrop to a unique event. Join us in the fog as we run the St. John’s River. Last year’s event attracted nearly 500 participants. The event provides participants with a T-shirt, goodie bags and healthy snacks. Kick off your New Year the right way!

When: Jan. 21, 7a Where: Parking at Cutler Park Contact: Visalia Parks & Recreation, 713-4365 GARDENING FESTIVAL UC Davis Master Gardeners will present a free Gardening Festival, featuring hands-on pruning demonstrations, with information on gardening Central Valley-style; how to create sustainable landscapes, manage weeds, insects and disease; conserve and water wisely and more.

Also, bring children for a gardening activity.

When: Jan. 21, 10a-2p Where: Tulare County Courthouse Rose Gardens, 221 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia Contact: 684-3325

JAN 27 FEB 3

TWO SMALL PIECES OF GLASS: THE AMAZING TELESCOPE See how telescopes work and how the largest observatories in the world use these instruments to explore the mysteries of the universe.

When: Jan. 27, 7p Where: Peña Planetarium, 2500 W. Burrel Ave., Visalia Contact: 737-6334 FIRST FRIDAYS ART TOUR An interactive, progressive art show organized by the Arts Council of Tulare County, this artinfused event is fueled by local artists and venues and takes place the first Friday of each month. Art lovers and enthusiasts fill Downtown Visalia to meet and greet with the artists and enjoy the reception and music. Restaurants, studios, galleries and other venues don their blue lanterns and open exhibitions to the public for this free event.

When: Feb. 3, 5:30-8:30p Where: Downtown Visalia Contact: downtown@artsTC.org

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2012 WORLD AG EXPO World Ag Expo is the largest annual agriculture exposition celebrating 45 years of innovative agriculture with 1,600 exhibitors displaying the latest in farm equipment, chemicals, communications, and technology on 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space; free seminars on a variety of topics important to dairy producers, farmers, ranchers and agribusiness professionals; cooking demonstrations by chefs from California’s top restaurants.

When: Feb. 14–16 Where: International Agri-Center, 4450 S. Laspina St., Tulare Contact: www.worldagexpo.com

FEB 4

1ST SATURDAY IN THREE RIVERS Celebrate art, music, dance, storytelling, food and drink as you browse the art galleries, studios and gift shops of Downtown Three Rivers. For discounts and participants visit website.

When: Feb. 4, 10a - 5p Where: Maps at Anne Lang’s Emporium, 41651 Sierra Drive, Three Rivers Contact: Nadi Spencer, 561-4373 or visit www.1stSaturdayTR.com 19TH ANNUAL VISALIA SPRINGFEST HOME AND PATIO SHOW Local merchants will fill the convention center with over 350 booths and feature discounts and show specials on products and services including: windows, doors, flooring, solar systems, outdoor & patio products, home furnishings, and many more home-related essential items.

When: Feb. 10, 12-7p; Feb. 11, 10a-7p; Feb. 12, 10a-5p Where: Visalia Convention Center, 303 E. Acequia, Visalia Contact: 713-4000

VISALIA FARMERS’ MARKET – HARVEST OF THE VALLEY Weekly event open to the public featuring free live music, kids’ activities, cooking demonstrations and local, fresh produce available for purchase.

When: Saturdays, Sequoia Mall – Sears parking lot, 8-11:30a Where: Sears parking lot at Mooney and Caldwell, Visalia Contact: 967-6722 or www. visaliafarmersmarket.com

Writers & Readers TULARE COUNTY LIBRARY First Tuesday Book Club (Feb. 7, 6:30p) Mystery Readers (Feb. 15, 6:30p) Independent Film Series (Feb. 16, 6p) Where: Tulare County Library, 200 W. Oak Ave., Visalia Contact: 713-2700 or www.tularecountylibrary.org

Event Listings If you would like to have your event considered for a free listing in our “Happenings” section, please email your submission to lifestyle@ dmiagency.com or fax to 738-0909, Attention Happenings. Please note, we do not guarantee listing of any submission.

Submissions are due six weeks prior to publication.

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Let’s face it, there’s nothing like the sparkle and shine of a brand new home!