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the lede Events in and around Merced
Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
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the lede Events in and around Merced
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Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
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Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
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Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
comedy Brad Williams
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music Maggie Watkins & Scott Patrick Little
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Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
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music Maggie Watkins & Scott Patrick Little
Photo by Renee Souza of Kitten Cabada Photography Maggie Watkins and Scott Patrick Little perform at at Quote Your Pulse show at the Grizzly Rock Cafe and Grill in Turlock.
Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
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Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
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music End of the World?
Taking good care of our community for over 100 years. Taking care of businesses. Taking care of our community. We have a long history of providing peace of mind around town.
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Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
Downtown Bus Schedule
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arts MCAC
Photo by Tom Price Merced County Arts Council’s executive director Laura Phillips wants to rebuild the foundation of nonprofit to add programming, outreach and new programs.
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arts MCAC
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Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
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Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
Holiday
SHOPPING GUIDE
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Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
shopping The Gift Guide
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Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
shopping The Gift Guide
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shopping The Gift Guide
PHOTOS BY JUNO APPLESEED
MULTICULTURAL ARTS CENTER 645 W. Main Street Awkward Holiday Photo, $25 Have you ever marveled at an old family Christmas photo and wondered, ‘what were we thinking?’ This is your chance to take a photo that will go down in infamy and be talked about at family dinners for generations. And it all goes for a good cause! Come by Dec. 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. and for a donation of $25 to the Merced County Arts Council get your pick of terrible sweaters and accessories and walk away with digital images that you will cherish forever. Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
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stage Merced’s Classic Christmas Carolers
The
Carolers Photo by Meganne Ward Merced’s Classic Christmas Carolers Jim Kocher, Rachel Rodrigues, Corey Strauss and Dianne Kocher.
“H
ere we come a-caroling among the leaves so green;Here we come a-wandering so fair to be seen.” So begins the familiar strains of another cheerful season of Christmas caroling from Merced’s Classic Christmas Carolers. A quartet of singers who bring a bit of holiday cheer and live music to the Merced community. Dressed in detailed Dickensian costumes, and looking like they just stepped out of a scene from “A Christmas Carol,” the group provides live, old-fashioned harmonizing, Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
performing some of the most beloved Christmas songs ever written. From “Caroling, Caroling” and “Jingle Bells” to “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” their repertoire is familiar and traditional. The group is made up of members who also perform at Playhouse Merced. Husband and wife, Jim and Dianne Kocher, who sing bass and soprano. Corey Strauss sings tenor and Rachel Rodrigues and Bethy Harmelin alternate throughout the season singing alto. Jim and Dianne met years ago while www.thedlm.com
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the most appreciative and enthusiastic audiences here in Merced,” says Jim. “And we’re so thrilled to be able to bring this type of entertainment to Merced during the holiday season.” This year, the group is sporting new costumes, designed by Dianne and Strauss. “We created a Victorian look, with a little Steampunk thrown in too” says Strauss. Steampunk has a science fiction flavor, made popular in the recent “Sherlock Holmes” movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. “It keeps us fresh, while still maintaining the classic feel that our name implies,” says Strauss. Merced’s Classic Christmas Carolers have several gigs on their list this year, including Amie Marchini’s Park Merced, Merced County Courthouse Museum, Atwater Rotary, Merced Mall, The Emeritus, Merced Kiwanis, UBS and Kathleen Crookham. Bookings continue right up until Christmas. “Love and joy, come to you and to you glad Christmas too / And God bless you and send you a happy new year / And God send you a happy new year” For rates and available dates for Merced’s Classic Christmas Carolers, call (209) 722-7971.
F A I T
RE lifespringchurch.net
Christmas caroling at the Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland. “I sang soprano with the eight-part caroling group that strolls around Disneyland, starting in 1984,” says Dianne. “I was in that group for about 12 years.” Adds Jim, “We met some years later when we were both performing in the Christmas Fantasy Parade at Disneyland.” The following year, Dianne and Jim were part of a caroling quartet that strolled through the Disneyland Hotel during the holiday season. They would sing, “We are not daily beggars, who beg from door to door, but we are Christmas carolers whom you have seen before,” says Jim. When Jim and Dianne moved to Merced in 2005, they knew eventually they would create a caroling quartet. “Through our association with Playhouse Merced, we have been able to add some great singers to the group,” says Dianne. Caroling live and a cappella (that is, without musical accompaniment) with each member of the quartet singing a different part requires a good ear and constant listening and tuning. When the group launched in 2008, the response was fantastic. “We have some of
SH FRE S
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SF ATI
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The Final Say Armando Martinez
MEET THE COLUMNIST
ARMANDO MARTINEZ Co-Owner, Pilates Plus Certifications: TPC (The Pilates Coach) Reformer 1 BBU (Balanced Body University) Refomer2 BBU (Balanced Body University)Anatomy BBU (Balanced Body University)Apparatus NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) GRAVITY Group GRAVITY Pilates GRAVITY Post Rehab
T
here are three ways you can live your life: healthy and happy, conscious and content or unhealthy and inconsistent. Have you ever met someone who is active, eats well and had a negative outlook on life? Not likely, and if so, it was probably just ‘roid rage. Serotonin is the brains main regulator of happy and sad feelings, which is increased by 20 percent with exercise, so the more active you are the happier and more relaxed you will appear. Those who are regularly active also tend to have higher self-esteem and more confidence than those who are
not; a strong body is a strong mind. Consistent physical activity prevents disease, helps maintain a better kinetic chain and boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol while decreasing unhealthy triglycerides. In fact, exercise prevents or manages stroke, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, depression and even certain types of cancer. I could go on for days about all the benefits of exercise, but I think you get the picture. Many of you out there are health conscious, meaning that you attempt to practice good habits such as avid exercise and watching what you eat,
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Armando will be writing a monthly health blog at www. thedlm.com where he will talk about topical health issues in Merced County, how to take advantage of Downtown’s healthy food and exercise options. Email him questions at armando@pilatesplus merced.com
Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
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The Final Say Armando Martinez
34.3 percent of Merced County residents are obese — UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
but often fall into temptation and or have a problem with consistency and followthrough with your workouts. I call you guys “conscious and content” because many of you understand what it takes to lead a healthy life, but choose to live a life with a little more indulgence and a little less exercise. This is where most gym-goers find themselves, stuck in the middle, which is understandable because it is the easiest option. It takes real hard work and consistency to practice a healthy lifestyle. I would consider the conscious and content person my target audience. Most of the topics I cover will pertain to all of you in this crowd because you are eager for answers. The final category is where the majority of Mercedians reside. A study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that 34.3 percent of Merced County residents are obese. The county has the secondhighest rate of obesity in the state, topped only by Imperial County. So this means that one-in-three people who live in Merced are living what I call an “unhealthy and inconsistent” lifestyle. When the majority of your diet comes from processed or fast foods you deprive your body of several essential vitamins and nutrients that help
Photo by Tom Price Tyler Button, co-owner of Pilates Plus, training a small group at his Downtown studio.
Downtown Life Magazine December 2012
regulate your mood, immune system and overall well-being. This population also tends to be less active, suffer from chronic injuries and is more likely to suffer from disease. Many who battle obesity find themselves here for several reasons. Often times it is either an emotional or financial burden that will lead to this rather harmful lifestyle. With the right tools and knowledge, this lifestyle can be avoided. Diet and exercise is something that many Americans struggle with. We as a country are getting fatter, lazier, poorer and worst of all, dumber. You don’t have to search far to confirm that statement.
But there is still hope. As the owner of a fitness studio, I have seen people from all occupations with all excuses imaginable make the change from “unhealthy and inconsistent” to “conscious, and content.” In Downtown Merced alone, three other fitness studios — Make it Happen, Team Pump and Crossfit Merced — that are open for business and the demand seems to be getting even greater. I am going to make it my mission to inform people on what it takes to lead a “healthy and happy” lifestyle and how you can use tools available Downtown to accomplish your goals. www.thedlm.com
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EVERY HOUR SHOULD BE HAPPY.
#MAKE IT PLATINUM
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