209 Magazine - Issue #53

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PUBLISHER/OWNER

Hank

Kristina

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAHERS

Chris Correa

Teresa Hammond

Marg Jackson

Matt Johanson

Sarah Lawson

Sabra Stafford

Virginia Still

Frankie Tovar

Dennis Wyatt

ART DIRECTOR

Harold L. George

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Sharon Hoffman

SALES & MARKETING

Chris Castro

Beth Flanagan

Rich Matheson

Karen Olsen

Corey Rogers

Melody Wann

Charles Webber

SPECIAL CONSULTANT

Larry Dovichi

As the weather — finally — cools down, now is the perfect time to get out and explore everything the 209 has to o er. In this issue, we highlight a number of “spooky” fun activities to celebrate fall as well as honoring local veterans who now run their own businesses. We encourage our readers to both shop local while supporting our heroes.

ose looking for a new place to eat, grab a cocktail or a glass of wine need look no further than our Flavors section. is issue we are featuring the Bourbon Barrel in Sonora, Galletto Ristortante in downtown Modesto, the Mainzer in Merced and Le Mulet Rouget in Sutter Creek. Each of these locally-owned businesses o er something special.

You don’t have to travel far this fall for a unique art experience. “Van Gogh: e Immersive Experience” has transformed a 27,000 square foot space in West Sacramento into an interactive exploration of the artist’s life.

We are happy to bring you all these stories and more to shine a light on the people, places, organizations and businesses that make the 209 such a special place to live, work and play.

Hank Vander Veen

California Garlic Festival

With a new name and new location, the California Garlic Festival welcomed hundreds of visitors to the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds for a two-day celebration of all things garlic! Garlic ice cream, garlic French fries, garlic mushroom bowls, and more were divvied out to hundreds of visitors in a covert operation to destroy the vampire population. Just kidding – they just like garlic!

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Denair Gaslight Theater

This episode features a historical site that dates back to the 1930s and now serves as a community conservatory for the small town of Denair – The Denair Gaslight Theater. Old timey vibes in a small, intimate setting serve as the perfect backdrop for movies and productions alike, so take a trip to the small town to show your support.

Judy “Jupiter” Schmidt: Modesto’s Viral Astronomer

How did an amateur astronomic image processor from Modesto explode onto the galactic scene with her viral images of Jupiter? Watch this episode and nd out! Enjoy a sit down with Judy “Jupiter” Schmidt as she shares the passion and process that helped her images of Jupiter from the James Webb Space Telescope gain worldwide notoriety.

209 Podcast with Virginia and Teresa

It’s the 209 Podcast with V&T! Enjoy the revamped 209 Podcast with new hosts Virginia and Teresa as they take you behind the scenes of the latest issue of 209 Magazine. Learn more about your favorite 209 stories from the people who help put them together each month by following the 209 Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform.

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Scene in the

Therewas plenty of fun and sun to go around in the 209 as we bid farewell to summer with festivals and celebrations of all varieties.

Want to see your event featured in the Scene? Contact Sabra Sta ord at ssta ord@209magazine.com.

NEWMAN FALL FESTIVAL

The high temperatures didn’t stop the fun at the Newman Fall Festival over Labor Day weekend. The event included pageants, a carnival, volleyball and cornhole tournaments, a car show and lots of live entertainment. The highlight of the festival is the annual parade which drew a large crowd to downtown Newman.

PHOTOS BY ANGELA GONZALEZ

Honorio Bardo of Michoacan Mexico, Claudia Bardo of Michoacan Mexico, Edward Greer from Philidelphia, and Isabel Greer of Michoacán Mexico were enjoying all the festivities of the Newman Fall Festival.

McKoi Uribe, Ashlie Uribe and Karen Ascencio, all of Newman got some prime seats to watch the parade go by.

Trenten Cordero, Carla Martin, Chandra and Kylieigh Brace and Karen Alcazar, all of Gustine and Oscar Romero of Newman came out for the parade and to check out the car show and festival activities.

CITY OF LIVINGSTON CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

ESCALON PARK FETE

The annual Park Fete in Escalon marked 100 years of celebrating this year. The early August festival included a pageant, a carnival, games, entertainment and a parade that shone a light on all the people that make the small town special.

Miss Escalon 2022 Isabella Nalbandian, center, and members of her court, from left, Gracie Bracco, Jessica Pantoja, Bailey Dugo and Olivia Beebe stand at the ready to try their hand at the quick draw booth, hosted by the Sierra Gun Hawks/Oakdale Cowboys.

Little Ripper, a ve-year-old rescue Chihuahua, was de nitely one of the coolest dogs at Escalon’s Park Fete in early August, sporting his sunglasses while being held by mom, Sara Hagan.

PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA/ 209 Magazine PHOTOS BY MARG JACKSON/ 209 Magazine

Sept. 11, 2022 o cially marked the 100th birthday for the City of Livingston, a milestone that has been acknowledged through a series of events throughout the year. The year-long centennial celebration was highlighted with a downtown ceremony unveiling a commemorative plaque in front of the Livingston Historical Museum.

Livingston City Council Member Jose Moran, Mayor ProTem Raul Garcia, Council Member Maria Soto and Council Member Gagandeep Kang unveil the centennial commemorative plaque in front of the Livingston Historical Museum.

Livingston Mayor Juan Aguilar Jr. and Mayor Pro-Tem Raul Garcia pose with Foster Farms CEO Donnie Smith and the Foster Imposter mascot at the city’s Centennial Celebration.

A little bit older than the Park Fete, 102-year-old Jetty Hartgrove is the oldest member of the Escalon Senior Fun Bunch and was driven in the parade by Randy Schmidt.

Enthusiastic scouts from Cub Scout Pack 263, siblings and chaperones riding along the parade route.

BARRELS, BREWS AND BITES

Sonora Sunrise Rotary will present Barrels, Brews and Bites, a tasting event at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 8.

Homebrewers, craft brews, and local wineries present their finest selections paired with gourmet bites.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at www. eventbrite.com/e/ barrels-brews-bitestickets-406241809187

STOCKTON WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S

Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. This inspiring event calls on participants of all ages and abilities to join the fight against the disease.

Join the Stockton walk today to help fight this disease and bring awareness to the cause.

While there is no fee to register for Walk, all participants are encouraged to raise critical funds that allow the Alzheimer’s Association to provide 24/7 care and support and advance research toward methods of prevention, treatment and, ultimately, a cure.

The walk will start at 8 a.m. Oct. 15 and is set to conclude two hours later at 10 a.m. The walk will be at Swenson Park Golf Course at 6803 Alexandria Place in Stockton.

For more information contact Cheryl Schrock at (209) 606-2441 or register at stocktonwalk@alz.org

RIPON MAIN STREET DAY

The Ripon Chamber of Commerce will present the 37th Annual Main Street Day on Oct. 15, along Main Street in Historic Downtown Ripon from Acacia Ave to Industrial Avenue. The festivities are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Main Street Day brings to the heart of Ripon a car show, antique faire, Ripon Fire District pancake breakfast, Calvary Reformed Church kids’ zone, local vendors, great food, music, arts and crafts, Ripon Unified School District Family Fun Color Run, Ripon High FFA petting zoo, Ripon Library book sale, Pet Costume Parade, local musical acts, as well as plenty of family fun and entertainment. This year there also will be a career fair which will focus on vocational jobs and career training for young people.

For more information contact the Ripon Chamber of Commerce at (209) 599-7519.

SCARECROW STROLL

Create your own unique familyfriendly scarecrow or a scarecrow representing your organization, sport, or business for the Scarecrow Stroll set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 29 at Lodi Lake. The contest is open to Lodi residents,

organizations and businesses. $10 per entry. Entries must be completed online no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 21. Visitors are encouraged to come in costume and take photos with their favorite scarecrows. Vote for your favorite by liking it on facebook. com/LodiParks. Winners will be announced on Oct. 31.

TRACTOR FEST

The San Joaquin County Tractor Fest will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at the San Joaquin County Historical Museum in Micke Grove Park.

Offerings include a tractor parade held at 11:30 a.m., activities for the kids, local food truck, and the museum buildings will be open throughout the day.

Admission and parking for members of the San Joaquin County Historical Museum is free. For the general public the admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and military, and $5 for those 6-17 years. Kids 5 years and younger get in for free. Parking is $6.

RECORD SWAP

The Graffiti USA Classic Car Museum is hosting a record swap for all vinyl enthusiasts out there.

The record swap will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 22 at the museum at 610 N. 9th Street in Modesto. 610 KFRC will be broadcasting live from their mobile studio during the event.

Entry is free. Record vendors can contact beathappybooking@gmail.com for a space.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS STREET FIESTA

Downtown Stockton Will be the home of the Dia De Los Muertos Street Fiesta from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 29.

Four blocks of Sutter Street/ Market Street are shut down for a day filled with celebration and culture. The planned activities include: Mariachis, Raices, Folkloric Dance Group, Latin Soul Band, Classic Cars, Aztec Dancers, Catrina Pageant, Children Activities, Section Street Art and Face Painting, and Food and Cultural vendors.

The event is hosted by the Mexican heritage Center and Gallery.

ALL SOULS DAY

Celebrate All Souls Day under the stars in Hornitos at 7 p.m. Nov. 2. The celebration starts in the town plaza, followed

by a candlelight procession to the cemetery and then a mass at the church. Following the procession, there will be a reception in the town hall.

TROUT BOUT

San Joaquin County Parks and Recreation and the Delta Fly Fishers will host the annual Trout Bout beginning at 6:15 a.m. Nov. 19 at Oak Grove Regional Park.

Over 2,500 pounds of trout will be planted prior to the tournament, which is open to everyone. Prizes will be awarded in youth and adult categories.

Kids age 15 years and younger fish free at Oak Grove’s 10-acre lake during the event. There is no registration fee, however, a $5 fishing permit fee and valid state fishing license are required for those 16 years of age or over.

A $6 vehicle-parking fee will also apply. There is a five trout limit. All State Fish and Game laws apply. Participants must supply their own fishing equipment.

Park gates will be open at 6:15 a.m., derby registration closes at 10 a.m. and the last weigh-in is at 12:30 p.m. Prizes will be awarded shortly thereafter. For more information, call (209) 331-2050.

Oak Grove Regional Park is located on Eight Mile Road and Interstate 5 in Stockton.

HILMAR HOLIDAY EXPO

The 8th Annual Hilmar Holiday Expo will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Hilmar Grange Hall, located at 8818 Lander Avenue in Hilmar. The expo will have local vendors on hand selling a variety of items just in time for the holiday shopping. There also will be barbecue meals and sweet treats available for purchase.

SONORA CHRISTMAS PARADE

The holiday season will kick-off with Sonora’s annual Christmas parade along Washington Street on Nov. 25. The parade starts at 6 p.m. and is held rain or shine.

The spirit of Christmas will fill the air with this night time parade with bright lights, floats, antique cars, and sounds of the holidays with marching bands and dancers.

For more information call (209) 532-7725.

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Although Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead may sound frightful, it is not a day for zombies but rather a celebration to reunite the living with the dead. A celebration that brings families and community together. is cultural tradition originated with the Aztecs in Mexico about 3,000 years ago. rough the years it has evolved and is celebrated all over the world including the 209. e celebration remembering those that passed with all the traditions including altars, a Catrin and Catrina Parade and Contest, food, and entertainment will be held on from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 28 at Plaza del Rio Park in downtown Riverbank.

“I feel it is really important to celebrate this event because it gives families an opportunity to celebrate and commemorate a lost loved one in a di erent way,” stated event organizer, Nancy Garcia. “ e altars are tributes and remembrances to the people we have lost. As children grow up, and they see pictures of people who haven’t been a part of their life but seemed to be important in their parent’s life, this celebration provides that opportunity to talk about them and what they meant to them.”

e sophisticated altars traditionally have three levels, several elements, and o erings for the dearly departed. Pan de muerto represents the body and bones of the dead, tissue paper represents the wind and joy, sugar skulls represent the living giving a funny face to the inevitableness of death, water that allows the dead to cool o a er their trip to the underworld and symbolizes

BY VIRGINIA STILL

purity that helps their sins be forgiven, a salt cross that symbolizes purity of souls, owers that form the path that guides the soul and candles to guide the soul as well. Some people also put their loved ones that have passed away favorite foods, items, and pictures on display.

ere will be a Catrin and Catrina contest with participants that have detailed attire and face paintings. ey will parade about the plaza with a statement to respect death. ere will be vendors, live music, and entertainment including traditional Mexican Folklore Dances.

is will be the third Día de los Muertos celebration held in Riverbank that has been well received by the public and very well attended. e rst one was held in 2019 and organized by Garcia and a team of enthusiastic friends and colleagues.

With so much positive feedback and several people asking her to do it again as well as the attendance that exceeded their expectations, Garcia collaborated with the City of Riverbank and other organizations to hold another celebration in 2021. ey did not hold the event in 2020 due to COVID restrictions.

“In my opinion, both events were successful, but the last one was even more so, but we had such

PHOTO BY GENARO SERVIN/ Pexels

little planning time and were able to plan the event and bring in more families, not just organizations to create altars,” added Garcia. “ e thing I am looking most forward to, is seeing the altars that the families are creating.” is year the City of Riverbank’s Parks and Recreation department in collaboration with Garcia will be hosting the event. ere is no cost to attend the event. ere are other celebrations that will be held throughout the 209.

“It is about remembering people,” expressed Garcia about the celebration. “ ey go on to another life and as long as we continue to remember them they will never die. at is the biggest piece.”

For more information on the celebration in Riverbank call the City of Riverbank at 209-8637150 or visit riverbank.org.

—Nancy Garcia

By DENNIS WYATT

The San Joaquin Valley — the most productive farming region on the planet — is America’s food basket. e Valley grows more than 250 crops. When coupled with its weaker cousin in terms of farm production — the Sacramento Valley — the two combined produce 25 percent of this nation’s table food using only one percent of the farmland.

It is against this background of plenty that the Mantecabased Second Harvest Food Bank of the Greater Valley is ghting the battle against hunger in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Merced counties along with ve adjoining foothill counties.

Second Harvest of the Greater Valley is among 200 similar operations nationwide a liated with Feeding America. e member food banks serve as distribution centers to funnel food to community pantries much like the Safeway distribution center in Tracy supplies stores throughout Northern California.

e partner food closets in the eight counties serve 35,000 unduplicated individuals each month. e warehouse operation handles more than 15 million pounds of food a year.

It arrives in the warehouse in several forms. ere are gigantic bins of produce that cost the food bank 6 cents to 20 cents a pound via the Farm to Family program that connects growers and packers directly to food banks for low cost fruits and vegetables. ey aren’t considered marketable due to size, shape, slight blemishes, or overproduction.

ere are pallets of goods delivered by sponsors such as ConAgra Foods. ere are gigantic boxes and bins of miscellaneous items pulled from grocery store shelves because they are at or nearing advertised shelf life. en there are canned goods and such secured from various collection drives conducted by youth groups and non-pro ts.

All of that has to be sorted, set aside by food type, and then re-boxed or bagged.

Some of the items they receive aren’t food such as detergent, shampoo and toothpaste. ey gladly accept the items and send

them to food banks knowing those that ultimately receive them will be able to free up what limited money they have to buy food or perhaps pay a water or power bill.

Volunteers play a huge and critical role. ey provide needed manpower to sort the food. Volunteers wanting to help can do so for a few hours or a half a day. Volunteers can do so once or as many times as they like. e tasks are essentially sorting cans and sorting produce. ey can also help with free food distribution from a truck that takes fresh vegetables and fruits to area communities at scheduled locations.

e biggest “puzzles” that volunteers sort out are the boxes that come from stores such a Target, SaveMart, Safeway and Walmart.

ey typically contain food that has reached its expiration date based on marketable shelf life. But that doesn’t mean the food isn’t still good — far from it.

Second Harvest sta has become experts at reading expiration dates. Speci c food has speci c times where they are still good a er the stamped shelf life is reached.

While perishables such as dairy products do not last long a erwards, canned goods and packaged items typically have a useful life of six months to a year depending upon the food item.

ere is little worry once the sorted items are provided to the 102 food banks of the food going bad. It is almost always consumed within weeks of reaching a food pantry.

Fundraising is critical to the e ectiveness of Second Harvest. While the donations of large items of food stu by producers, distributors, and retail stores is the backbone of how the nonpro t agency helps feed struggling arrangements, donated funds allows them to purchase perishable items such as produce.

Due to arrangements Second Harvest has made, $1 can buy the equivalent of $5 worth of food.

To explore volunteer opportunities, donate, or nd out more information about the non-pro t, go to localfoodbank.org. ●

Harvest helps feed

a month

region.

SANDHILL CRANES

By MARG JACKSON

It may be one of the most unique festivals in the 209 – and Lodi is glad to have it.

Coming up in early November, it’s the annual Sandhill Crane Festival, with a focus on learning more about how good stewardship has helped the species recover from dangerously low numbers and having a chance to see the birds up close. rough the festival, the Lodi Sandhill Crane Association highlights crane conservation, o ering education along with entertainment. e festival runs Nov. 4-6 and includes some family friendly activities at Hutchins Street Square, 125 S. Hutchins St., in Lodi in addition to the nature treks and tours.

“Depending on the order of how you experience things, go see the birds somewhere in those days,” suggested festival publicity committee member Kathy Grant.

Nov. 4 will see an art show opening at Hutchins Street Square and the ne

arts show will continue all weekend long. Saturday and Sunday at the square there will also be a vendor hall with exhibitors, informational tables, items for sale, food and more.

“It’s really a very social thing, many people have been coming back (through the years) just like the birds,” said Grant. “Around the building there will be workshops, speakers, a food court, art tables for kids, origami, T-shirts for sale.”

Nov. 5 and 6 will feature the tours and while many do focus speci cally on the cranes, there are other options as well.

“ e Delta boats go out, there are kayaking trips on the Mokelumne, just celebrating where we live,” added Grant.

But the overall draw is, by far, the cranes and it’s easy to get there to see them; o Interstate 5 along Woodbridge Road in Lodi.

“ e big picture here is that this is our natural history, it’s still happening, it’s still alive and well,” said Grant, who also works for the City of Lodi as its Watershed Program Coordinator. “It’s a story about the crane migration; we have both the Greater and Lesser species, they are migrators.”

You can see the cranes early or late; the ‘ y out’ in the morning sees some of the tours at the festival onsite before dawn. On the opposite side, the ‘ y in’ as birds return to the water is also a spectacular site, with hundreds of the cranes all headed for the same destination.

“It’s one of those events, anybody who wants to understand or know about California Delta land should experience just once,” summarized Grant. “It’s primordial California.”

For more information, including prices, tour options, or Hutchins Street Square activities, visit the festival website: lodisandhillcrane.org. ●

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The Great Valley Bookfest — now in its 10th year — is the latest chapter in the book being written to not just elevate literacy rates but to also celebrate the power and joy of reading.

More than 60 authors with most heralding from the Northern San Joaquin Valley are participating in the Bookfest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 8, at e Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley near Bass Pro Shops accessed via the Union Road interchange on the 120 Bypass.

If you think this free event is a staid a air, guess again.

Organizers have done everything possible to drive home the point reading is fun and can open the door up to all sorts of endeavors.

Besides having the chance to meet authors (and purchase their books if you like), there is a children’s pavilion with interactions with children’s

THE NEXT CHAPTER Great Valley Bookfest is Oct. 8 in Manteca

By DENNIS WYATT

authors as well as hands-on activities, a poet’s corner with author readings, magicians, sidewalk chalk contest, customed characters, dance and martial arts demos, bounce house, vendors, and more.

e Bookfest not only speaks volumes about the commitment of organizers and participants to reading and literacy but it underscores the valley’s tremendous resources and commitment to elevate lives through the power of reading.

When Toni Raymus rst started circulating the idea of staging a Bookfest, the nearly universal response was, “what, a Bookfest in Manteca?” with more than a few silently wondering whether she was joking.

Her response: Why not?

ere is little doubt much of the San Joaquin Valley has its challenges. But that said, the Valley is not a desert when it comes to literature or culture. In fact, you could argue that the Northern San Joaquin Valley is the perfect setting for not just a Bookfest but to strengthen the written word. For more information go to gvbookfest.org. ●

Bookfest founder Toni Raymus with some of the books from participating authors.

By VIRGINIA STILL

Comedy never goes out of style; laughter is healing and something that we can all use these days. e multi-talented comedian, actor, singer, and songwriter Rodney Carrington will be coming to the area with his “Let Me In” tour.

Carrington has been doing comedy for 33 years and has starred in the television sitcom “Rodney,” a feature lm “Beer for My Horses” with Toby Keith, and his own Net ix special, “Here Comes the Truth.” He has established a fan base that knows what to expect at his shows. e audience makes his shows feel more like spending time with family than work. is has also been part of the reason that the material and music he writes has not changed too much with the exception of getting older and adding in new experiences. His storytelling style comedy comes from scenes out of his own life.

He explained that the stories shared on his current tour re ect where he is in

life now. He thinks di erently than when he was younger and things change, Carrington explained, like his kids are now older and living their own lives.

News does not re ect reality, Carrington noted, and is o en not very truthful but more so based on opinions. So, he does not get wrapped up in the news and does not talk about politics because he thinks it is a turn o and people are trying to escape from that.

“At some point you’ve got to manage what goes in your mind like you manage what you put in your body, I think,” expressed Carrington. “Most people are raising their kids and loving their kids and living their life and going to work and seeing their friends and family and that is the reality of our lives. But what is being projected on the news is something far di erent.”

Carrington found comedy by accident. While he was in college, he was studying theater and decided to try comedy thinking that it would help him with his

acting. He realized from the rst show that he loved comedy and that was going to be his career. e comedy road did not come without bumps as he slept in the back of his truck that had a camper shell on it for the rst four to six years and traveled the country, going wherever he could get a gig. With the money he made from a show he would nance the next stop.

“In the early days I didn’t have necessarily the luxury to pick where it is I wanted to work,” remarked Carrington. “So, a lot of the places I was working were pretty rough. You could be somewhere in some city and there would be 300 drunken crazies. It felt like a “Braveheart” crowd.” rough the years, Carrington has toured all over the country as well as Canada and Australia. He is extremely grateful for the audience that has followed him through his career and continue to attend his shows.

“It has been a wonderful way to make a living, you

know,” stated Carrington. “Comedy is my job but it is a portion of my life. I just enjoy the people that I get to see. It feels like to me that my relationship with the people that have come to see me all these years is what I appreciate most. I am very grateful.”

Although he has enjoyed all the di erent projects in his career through the years, standup is the one thing, he enjoys the most. It gives him the freedom to make his own decisions. As long as he is still having fun and people are still attending his shows, Carrington said he will continue doing standup.

“I am really enjoying my life at home with my kids growing,” added Carrington.

“My kids are older living their lives and watching them make their wonderful creative decisions in life and seeing how that is turning out is something that I am enjoying. So, you know while it is my job, like everybody else I enjoy all the other pieces of my life as well.”

●

continues to impress

By SABRA STAFFORD

There is a time during dinner service that Galletto Ristorante General Manager Cal Romo has a moment — and it’s usually just a few seconds — when he can look over the dining room and the open kitchen and see it all ow together with e ciency and perfection.

“It’s rewarding when you stand and you look back and the music is on and people are enjoying their food and it’s like, ‘okay, this is why I do this’ and then you go back to the rush,” Romo said.

For 21 years Galletto Ristorante has been a pillar of Modesto’s ne-dining scene and with a new consulting chef leading the kitchen, the excellent reputation they have garnered will continue to thrive and Romo will have more of those moments to savor.

Galletto Ristorante was opened by Tom and Karyn Gallo with a menu that favored Northern Italian cuisine and used ingredients that highlighted the Central Valley’s rich bounty. Recently, the couple handed over the restaurant to their four adult children — Julian,

Gianna, Tessa and Will — with Julian and his wife Taylor Gallo taking on the responsibilities of day-to day operations.

The restaurant is located in the heart of downtown Modesto in an expansive and architecturally-impressive art-deco building that was once the home of Wells Fargo Bank.

“This is a landmark site and they have kept it beautiful and true to its nature,” Romo said.

For the last year the restaurant has been working with Spencer O’Meara, a culinary veteran with more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, including 23 as an executive chef.

“We have him come in quarterly and he works with our kitchen on maintaining standards, creativity, creating new menu items and changing our seasonal menu,” Romo said. “Our main focus on bringing Spencer in was to for those seasonal items and to have continuous growth with our menu. “We strive to stay true to our roots, while also giving the community something interesting and different on a regular basis.”

It’s an all-scratch kitchen, meaning everything is made in house from the pasta to the sauces.

“We make all our own pizza dough and every single pasta is made in house,” Romo said.

O’Meara appreciates the farm to fork menu Galletto Ristorante has cultivated and finds inspiration for new dishes from the seasonal bounty.

“When I’m creating a new dish, it goes one way or another,” O’Meara said. “It’s either somebody introduces

me to a protein, and I try and build a dish around it. Or I look at the produce list and I’m like, ‘oh, what do we have here? I want that.’ And then I put a protein next to it and start building. Something has to inspire you, because if you force it, it will come across on the plate. But, if something inspires you and you get passionate about it, then that’s when some of your best dishes come out.

Served year-round, but particularly fitting for a crisp fall night is the pork chop entrée. The 12-ounce bone-in cut is prepared using roasted corn, spring onion, garlic baby kale, fava beans, red peppers, ham hocks and smoked tomato jus.

Seasonal offerings, like the butternut ravioli bring something new to the menu, while others have earned classic status, like the fettuccine.

“All of our pastas are house-made,” O’Meara said. “It has sun-dried tomatoes in there with a little Alfredo sauce and some asparagus. And then we have this gorgeous lobster tail on top. It’s really impressive.”

“It’s a dish that people love and come back for again and again,” Romo said.

When not at Galletto Ristorante, O’Meara resides in Hawaii and while the island paradise is certainly a far cry from the Central Valley, it is where he finds some of his inspiration for dishes that locals end up enjoying.

A favorite for anytime of the year is the bruschetta. For the fall, the crostini are topped with roasted garlic, goat cheese mousse, prosciutto, persimmon slices and a drizzling of balsamic glaze.

A perineal favorite at Galletto Ristorante is the grilled ribeye, said Romo. The 16-ounce steak is grilled to perfection and served alongside confit garlic potatoes, roasted wild mushrooms, charred broccolini, with a mushroom butter and a red wine reduction.

Just as impressive as the menu, is Galletto Ristorante’s bar, with more than 150 different varietals, 12 bottled import and domestic beers and seasonal craft cocktails, like the spiced apple sangria, with hints of cinnamon and fresh, crisp apples.

In addition to the dining room, Galletto Ristorante has the wine vault and the Sala room, which can both be used for private parties; and the bocce ball court and the vine arbor patio, which is a bit like finding an Italian hideaway in the middle of downtown Modesto, where no matter the weather, it’s always a pleasant under the arbor.

Galletto Ristorante is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday for lunch and dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The restaurant is located at 1101 J Street in Modesto. For reservations or more information visit galletto.biz or call (209) 523-4500.

We strive to stay true to our roots, while also giving the community something interesting and different on a regular basis.

By VIRGINIA STILL

The Armory is a large entertainment venue in downtown Sonora that o ers guests a Beer Garden, banquet room, a wine room, and the swanky Bourbon Barrel. A er being dormant for several years, two families – Jenn and Doug Edwards and Rebecca and Jordan Barrows – joined forces to bring this entertainment mecca to life in the 209, including the relaunch of the Bourbon Barrel this year. Although they are new owners of the Armory, the families are not new to the industry. e Edwards are locals that have operated two hotels and restaurants in Groveland. Doug is a chef that has worked as a private chef and has been in the food industry for many years. Jordan has also been in the industry for many years as an executive chef, restaurant consultant, and a private chef. He is the Executive Chef at the Armory and has created the menu that features American cuisine.

ere are so many custom and unique designs throughout the Armory, like the wide-open outdoor Beer Garden with a waterfall that comes out of beer tap

handles, the cozy roo op terrace with misters, the upstairs VIP table, the silo, and walking through a barrel to enter the posh Bourbon Barrel. Guests can also nd live music and a DJ on ursdays and Fridays.

“People are coming here for the experience,” said Rebecca. “It is the whole package with

the music, aesthetics, drinks, food and just the vibe.” e Bourbon Barrel has an impressive whiskey wall that has a rustic sliding library ladder along with the coolest bartenders. e Bourbon Barrel has its own kitchen with their own food menu. Although it is called the Bourbon Barrel they have a full bar with a long list of exceptional specialty cocktails like the Sierra Pack Mule, Blackberry Mojito, Aviator, Donkey Tongue, Pain Killer, and a guest and Instagram favorite, the Prickly Pig Paloma.

Lead Bartender Lydia Berwick has been in the industry for a long time and truly enjoys working for the new owners, as well as a team that she adores.

“Our team is perfectly overquali ed because everyone here has either been in a position of leadership or has been in the industry for a very long period of time,” stated Berwick.

“We have this beautiful team that we’ve been able to

People are coming here for the experience.

It is the whole package with the music, aesthetics, drinks, food and just the vibe.

pull recipes from so this is kind of a conglomeration of all our minds combined. We have a lot of respect for each other’s opinions in this building. So, there was a lot of tweaking and coming together and kind of marrying ideas and so that’s what our list is. It’s quite a large specialty cocktail list. ere are a lot of ne details that go into every one but it’s cool, because you ask the employees and they all have pride, because they’ve been able to input and be a part of creating this.”

e Prickly Pig Paloma is served in a unique pig glass that has tequila, prickly pear, grapefruit, lime juice, agave and pink grapefruit soda that delights the tastebuds and is very refreshing. e guests snap photos of this one regularly.

Lead Bartender Avery Walker has been in the restaurant industry for several years and as a bartender she loves making drinks and the

interaction with the people including hearing all their stories.

“I love to hear their stories. It is a safe place for people to come and there is no stress. ey do not have to share but if they want to, I am here to listen,” Walker said, adding that, like many bartenders, they o en feel like counselors. “We are both psychologists and psychiatrists. We prescribe and we chitchat.”

However, a er all it is called the Bourbon Barrel and that they do well. ey make their very own BarrelAged Black Manhattan that has just the right blend that is very tasty. e Smoked Old Fashion made with Four Roses Bourbon is quite the site to see

with the ame burning bright and the smoke swirling around giving your palate some excitement. Perhaps, guests may be looking for something a little more delicate like the Strawberry Bourbon Smash with muddled strawberries, which is one that Rebecca enjoys on occasion.

Berwick noted, “All our drinks are really well cra ed by a handful of professionals.”

ey o er a number of bourbons, rye, scotch, or mezcal ights or you can choose your own custom ight with a selection of three spirits.

ey serve up the classics as well and a few mocktails for

those that may prefer something non-alcoholic.

“ ere’s a lot of things that I like about bartending, but they’re even more things I love about working for this speci c company,” shared Berwick with a heartfelt expression. “I love being here. Every position is so crucial. We all work together well with respect and humility. We are all worthy and valuable.”

Bartenders Berwick, Walker and Casey Aguirre shared that there are a variety of guest favorites that they serve up on a regular basis and they welcome everyone to pull up a barstool and have an intimate experience with some tasty food, a classy atmosphere, and of course, a remarkable beverage. ey plan on hosting several events including a Halloween Party on Oct. 28. For more information visit their website armorysonora.com, or call 209-694-3158 or social media on Instagram and Facebook @bourbonbarrelsonora, and @ armorysonora. ey are located at 208 South Green Street in Sonora. ●

We all work together well with respect and humility.

Le Mulet Rouge

By KRISTINA HACKER

—Tamara Richards

When Colorado architects Randy and Tracy Hart decided to take their love of wine to a new level by moving to Amador County and opening a vineyard and tasting room in 2014, they brought their creativity with them. at creativity is evident in everything from the complex wines produced at Le

Mulet Rouge to the thoughtfully designed tasting room in downtown Sutter Creek.

“All of the textures on the walls and the barrel staves and everything else are what they feel is really re ective of what you get when you’re tasting wine because you get the various textures of the di erent varietals,” said Tamara

Our tasting experience is a shared experience. So, if you come in with a group, we serve you a bucket of wine.

2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition silver medal winner)

This estate wine builds on flavors of blueberry and pomegranate, with a hint of vanilla on the finish.

Richards, Le Mulet Rouge’s tasting room manager and events coordinator.

Le Mulet Rouge means the red mule, honoring the winery’s location on Red Mule Road in Fiddletown. All the wines produced at Le Mulet Rouge use exclusively Fiddletown grapes, with the exception of their sparkling wines.

Bad Jack Red (Sierra Foothills Wine Competition gold medal winner)

This red is a Syrah blend with hints of baked cherries and rhubarb.

Visitors to Le Mulet Rouge’s tasting room will get a unique experience.

“Our tasting experience is a shared experience. So, if you come in with a group, we serve you a bucket of wine, and the bucket of wine has your carafes and you pour at your leisure at your table. You’re never waiting for me to run around and fill your glass. You have your wine there. You can have wonderful conversations about the wine, about your life with your friends and family. But the wine is there and we get to chat about the wine as well. It’s a really fun experience,” said Richards.

2016 Syrah (Orange County Fair gold medal winner)

This estate wine has a spicy nose with dark fruit flavors and a lingering finish.

Along with their wines, Le Mulet Rouge also features a seasonal sangria at the tasting room. Look for Richards’ apple spice sangria in October and November. ●

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Le Mulet Rouge Tasting Room

WHERE: 59 Main St., Sutter Creek

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday; tasting by appointment only

2018 Viognier (San Francisco Chronicle silver medal winner)

This estate wine features fresh peach and mango flavors with a twist of lime on the finish.

CONTACT: 209-267-5838 * lemuletrouge.com

It’s

warrior

SMOKED PAPRIKA LAMB CHOPS WITH FRESH GRAPE SAUCE

4

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional, to taste, divided

4 boneless sirloin leg lamb chops

thick each, about 1 1/2 pounds total)

1 tablespoon olive oil

cup dry riesling wine

shallots, minced

cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cups seedless Grapes from California, rinsed

tablespoon unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS

In small bowl, combine paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Rub chops with paprika mixture and set aside.

In large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over mediumhigh heat, heat olive oil. Add chops and cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to platter and keep warm.

In same pan, add riesling, bring to boil and scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Cook until wine is reduced to glaze, about 5 minutes. Add shallots, broth and thyme; cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in grapes and butter; swirl to melt butter. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste, then pour sauce over chops and serve.

Nutritional information per serving: 359 calories; 31 g protein; 14 g carbohydrates; 17 g fat (42% calories from fat); 105 mg cholesterol; 565 mg sodium; .9 g fiber.

BRULEE PUMPKIN PIE

TIME

minutes

PIE CRUST

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

teaspoon sugar

teaspoon salt

tablespoons Country Crock Plant Butter, cold and cut into cubes

tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

tablespoons ice water

PUMPKIN FILLING

1/2 cup maple syrup

tablespoon vanilla

can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

cup coconut cream

cup Country Crock Plant Cream

cup brown sugar

teaspoon cinnamon

teaspoon ginger

teaspoon nutmeg

teaspoon ground clove

teaspoon salt

tablespoons cornstarch

tablespoons white granulated sugar

WHIPPED TOPPING

2 cups Country Crock Plant Cream, chilled

cup powdered sugar

teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

To make pie crust: Preheat oven to 350 F.

In bowl of food processor, add flour, sugar and salt; pulse to combine. Add cold plant butter and shortening. Process about 10 seconds until it looks like coarse meal.

With food processor running, add ice water. Process until mixture clumps together.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 14-inch circle. Transfer to 9-inch pie dish. Lift edges and allow dough to drape into dish. Trim, leaving 1-inch overhang. Fold excess dough under and crimp edges.

To make pumpkin filling: In medium saucepan over medium heat, add syrup and vanilla; warm about 2 minutes then remove from heat and set aside.

In large bowl, combine syrup mixture, pumpkin, coconut cream, plant cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, salt and cornstarch; blend with hand mixer until smooth. Pour mixture into pie crust.

Bake 1 hour. If crust starts to burn, cover edges with aluminum foil. The middle will still be jiggly.

Cool at room temperature 30 minutes then cover and transfer to refrigerator to chill at least 5 hours or overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle pie with white sugar and, using kitchen torch, brelee until sugar is melted and dark brown.

To make whipped topping: Using electric hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk plant cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on high until mixture thickens and stiff peaks form.

Slice and serve with whipped topping.

CAROUSEL ON THE FARM

By DENNIS WYATT

There’s now an ostrich, zebra, gira e and even a panda bear on the farm.

ey are part of the latest attraction — a painstakingly restored carousel that debuted at New York City’s fabled Coney Island — you’ll nd at the 26th annual Dell’Osso Family Pumpkin Maze that runs from Oct. 1 thru Oct. 31.

“A carousel is probably the last thing my father would have expected to have seen

on the farm,” Ron Dell’Osso said as his wife Susan hopped aboard a giant cat with a sh in its mouth that is one of 36 ride options on the carousel adjacent to the wildly popular pumpkin blasters.

Crews spent over a month doing restorative hand painting of carousel details and rehabbing every mechanical apparatus of the carousel that came disassembled in a cargo container. e carousel that rst delighted riders at Coney Island went to another

locale before making its way to Lathrop.

e carousel is something that Susan wanted a er Ron got his train in the form of the Dell’Osso Express that takes guests around the perimeter of the 10-acre corn maze.

“I always wanted a train,” Ron said.

As for the carousel Susan noted it’s a “little girl thing.”

It is one of several newer attractions awaiting visitors at the farm.

e carousel is one of the few attractions that has an additional cost on top of the admission, but most of the other attractions do not. ey include a hillside slide, tiny town, an 18-hole miniature golf course as well as a “lower” rope course designed for kids.

e crew in the Country Store will be busy baking pies, making caramel apples with various options such as plain, M&Ms, brownies, cookies, and more. e

Dell’Osso Pumpkin Maze open every day in October.

store o ers a long list of treats from fresh-made apple doughnuts that many visitors like the taste so much that they buy a dozen to take home before they leave the farm, to 35 types of wild animal jerky including alligator.

A number of things that were on a hiatus due to during the pandemic are now back include the pig races, the interactive pirate show and more.

Cra beer and hard cider sales are back on “Cider Hill” as is homemade pizza. ere is daily and nightly live musical entertainment.

ere are more than two dozen attractions including the corn maze, a haunted house, and the Dell’Osso Speedway featuring pedal cars.

e farm also has various food options.

Among the attractions that are extra are the bazooka-like pumpkin blasters where for $8 you can re a bucket full of mini-pumpkins, hurling them at various targets at speeds approaching 100 mph.

e best time by far to beat the crowds is Monday through ursday that

feature lower admission rates as well.

“It ramps up as we near Halloween,” Susan said.

You can also purchase an annual pass good for as many times as you want to use it in October. It’s $69.95 with residents of Lathrop receiving a $5 discount. e passes can only be purchased at the farm.

Most of the attractions are included with admission. e maze opens at noon Mondays through Fridays and at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. e last admission is 7 p.m. nightly while attractions

start closing at 8 p.m.

Admission is $18.95 Monday through ursday, $24.95 on Friday and $27.95 on both Saturday and Sunday. Children 2 and under are free. Parking is free.

e Dell’Osso Family Farm October event employs 450 people.

Roughly 2 million people have visited the farm since the annual month-long October attraction opened in 1996.

It is one of the largest — if not the largest — agri-tourism concern in California that is not a traditional county fair. ●

For more information, go to pumpkinmaze.com.

By KRISTINA HACKER of providing fa fun 20 YEARS

Fantozzi Farms in Patterson is inviting the public to help celebrate the popular fall attraction’s 20th anniversary this season.

“I can’t believe it’s been 20 years,” said Denise Fantozzi.

Fantozzi Farms, operated by Paul and Denise Fantozzi, has a bevy of family-friendly activities, highlighted by the 25 acres of corn mazes with more than ve miles of paths. Within the mazes are 12 hidden checkpoints for guests to nd and nding them all earns guests a certi cate of completion.

e corn mazes are designed to be enjoyed by all ages with some especially for younger children and featuring games to help them along.

e primary corn maze has a 20th anniversary theme this year.

“It has been a wonderful experience,” said Denise about operating the fall attraction. “We started o small with a corn maze, pumpkin patch and hay ride and then we kept adding things year a er year.

“It’s our family tradition now… It’s just become a part of our lives. It’s been really rewarding seeing it grow

over the years and customers return year a er year…It’s a great way to celebrate fall.”

e courtyard now features a hay bale maze, hay pyramids, large jumping pillow, hayrides, corn cannons, cow train rides, petting zoo, huge pipe slides, corn seed pit, pedal karts, zombie shooting range, and of course a pumpkin patch, with selections from small to large. is year, the farm is bringing back the popular pig races and adding more photo opportunities and pedal cars.

For those looking to add a little more spookiness to their night, Fantozzi Farms is operating a haunted drive through attraction with plenty of thrills and chills. Rooms representing di erent fears have been built over the course of the drive through and some feature animated exhibits and others have live actors looking to give carloads a jump scare or two. e corn maze is created by utilizing GPS, which allows for an extensive and

detailed cut. Once the maze has run its course for the season, all the corn is cut down and used as silage for livestock.

e corn maze and the courtyard attractions are open from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through ursdays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. e cost of admission for the corn maze and courtyard attractions is $12 per person and free for those 2 years and younger.

e haunted drive through attraction is open from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. e cost is $25 per car.

Cash only at the gate.

Both the haunted drive through and the corn maze and attractions will close a er Oct. 31.

Fantozzi Farms is located at 2665 Sperry Avenue in Patterson. Tickets can be bought in advance at fantozzifarms. com. ●

“IT’S BEEN REALLY REWARDING SEEING IT GROW OVER THE YEARS AND CUSTOMERS RETURN YEAR AFTER YEAR…IT’S A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE FALL.”

—Denise Fantozzi

By SABRA STAFFORD

Witches of all stripes, shades and warts will be descending upon Murphys for the return of the Murphys Witch Walk on Oct. 15.

Starting at 11 a.m. and continuing through to 8 p.m., the Murphys Witch Walk will feature multiple vendor bazaars, charity ra es, live music at local businesses, and plenty of food and drink options from the local Murphys restaurants, pubs and wine-tasting rooms. Guests are encouraged to come in their favorite witchy attire, whether it be a Witch of Eastwick, Harry Potter character, Male cent, sorcerers Saruman or Gandalf, Sanderson Sister, the witches of MacBeth or the Good Witch of the North, the Wicked Witch of the East, or whatever other fascinating fantastical mystical character you can conjure.

e 6th Annual Murphys Witch Walk has expanded their vendor bazaar from last year’s single venue featuring 12 artisans to 40 vendors at two di erent venues along Main Street with additional artisan vendor

pop-ups and festivities staged by existing Murphys’ Main Street businesses. e aptly titled Murphys Witch Walk Wicked Goods Bizarre Bazaar will feature curious, odd, eccentric, esoteric, spooky, Pagan, spiritual, sacred, and witchy collectibles, baubles, trinkets, ephemera, ornaments, novelties, knickknacks and assorted works of art just in time for Halloween.

e Murphys Witch Walk, now in it’s sixth year, will welcome Whispers of a Witch Podcast hosted by professional voiceover actress Jennifer Anne Scott.

A portion of ra e ticket and vendor bazaar admission ticket sales, as well as other generated revenue, will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern California in honor of Murphys’ very own 9-year-old Wyatt Walker and the Walker Family. “Super” Wyatt, as he has come to be known due to his resilience to unparalleled adversity, was diagnosed in December 2021 with medulloblastoma brain cancer, at

Wicked Wine Stroll in Lodi

BY SABRA STAFFORD

Murphys will not be the only destination in the 209 that witches will be paying a visit to this Halloween season. Lodi is having the Wicked Wine Stroll.

The Wicked Wine Stroll will be in downtown Lodi from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 15. Hosted by the Lodi Chamber of Commerce, the annual event lets visitors taste wine from more than 20 Lodi appellation wineries while strolling through the downtown shops.

Each downtown business that is hosting a winery will feature special sales for the evening, as well as tasty appetizers.

Tickets include a commemorative wine glass, tastings, and appetizers.

Guests are encouraged to come in witch attire to be entered into the costume contest.

They also sell designated driver tickets to keep strollers safe. They receive free water and soda and can enjoy the appetizers at each participating merchant. For ticket information please visit lodichmaber.com.

which time he underwent emergency surgery to remove the life-threatening tumor from his brain.

e street festival is free admission, while the vendor bazaar has an admission of $5 and includes and Murphys Witch Walk tote bag, a commemorative bumper sticker and ve ra e tickets.

●

A Celtic All Hallows Faire

By SARAH LAWSON

The term ‘Halloween’ has many meanings and interpretations from all across the globe, and the co-producers of Angel Camp’s All Hallows Faire, Patrick Karnahan and Lissa Britt, are sharing the traditional Celtic version. e majority of the Halloween customs have roots coming from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain which is a celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of the summer by having huge bon res and wearing costumes to ward o the ghosts.

Originally put on several years ago as a quick idea that Karnahan planned to be just a one-time thing, a er the successful event, the following year he decided to continue the celebration counting that as the rst of many.

It began in Sonora but as the event grew, so did the numbers of people

attending; therefore, a larger area was needed to accommodate the new attractions and more parking. Shortly a er, the event found its new home at 2465 Gunclub Road in Angels Camp.

“It all started when I was eight years old; me and my friend were building a haunted house in his backyard out of cardboard and right before we were going to present it to the neighbors and family, his dad came outside and made us take it down,” Karnahan explained. “Ever since then I wanted redemption and over time I envisioned a new type of haunted house, something more interesting.”

All Hallows Faire is a full weekend jam packed with events from re swallowing, to live music, and even an allinclusive costume contest with prizes.

e event begins on Oct. 29 with the gates open at noon and events run-

ning until 10:30 p.m.

Saturday is the busiest day, beginning the festivities with one of their main events called ‘burning of the harvest man’ that is a tradition where people write notes to loved ones that have passed on and they are thrown into the re. It is one of the popular ancient Celtic traditions.

ere are dancers, cosplay performances, live bands, magic, and even the Phoenix Fire Family.

ose events and more stretch into Oct. 30 with the Faire running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

More information on camping and booking an RV or a tent space can be found on their website allhallowsfaire. com.

More information, including ticket prices are available at: allhallowsfaire. com.

salute to veteran-owned businesses

THE AMAZING WORLD OF

By CHRISTOPHER CORREA

he city of Turlock has spent years without a comic book shop, leaving many collectors and enthusiasts with limited options. Luckily for the community, two friends have combined forces to create Turlock Comics.

Turlock Comics, located on 2717 Geer Road, is owned and operated by Joey Aiello and Kyle Turner, who opened the shop on June 4. The two veterans decided to take the risk of opening the shop after bonding over the hobby amongst other aspects of their lives. Not only did they enjoy comic books and card games, but they each had experience in the military and took their daughters to the same gymnastics classes.

“Our families have gotten along pretty well,” said Aiello. “We each have four daughters and they do gymnastics together, so we hung out a lot… Being in the military, we both have those stories and experiences that we can relate to that not many other people can.”

Aiello served in the Marines and Turner served in the Army, and like their branches, they each specialized in their own things as it relates to collectbles. Aiello explained that he has collected comic books since he was six years of age, with his favorite character and series being the Hulk. Meanwhile, Turner has had a huge passion for card games like Magic the Gathering.

“There are so many different communities and groups out there, with both

of us here we feel like our inventory is pretty wide,” Turner said.

Walking into the shop, customers are met with two long walls on each side of the space filled with comic books. Some of the comic books are rare, graded treasures while others are modern and more common copies. There are also multiple showcases packed with cards from sets like Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic the Gathering and more. Placed around the shop, there are also tons of action figures and Funko Pops. There is also no shortage of high-end memorabilia on the walls of the shop, stemming from custom made helmets to autographed movie props.

“We want this place to be somewhere people can come to, look at all the stuff and hang out,” Aiello said. “Sometimes we have guys come in here and hang out for hours just talking about the latest releases or showing off their newest pickups.”

Even though the shelves are heavily stocked with eye-catching collectibles, it was not always the case when they first opened.

“There came a point when we were still painting and setting up that we were really feeling that pressure that we needed to finally open up since the bills were starting to rack up,” Aiello said.

“We only had some pieces from our personal collections, and only about half of the walls were full.”

Even with the limited supplies at the beginning, the two explained that products were instantly flying off the shelves, something that has not slowed down since.

“Even with as much stuff that we have now, we are still always buying and restocking. The demand has been pretty insane,” Turner said.

Aiello believes that the high demand and popularity of the shop thus far is for several reasons.

“The main thing is that Turlock hasn’t really had a shop like this for a while. The closest places for people to go get their comics is Modesto, and many people don’t want to make that drive all the time,” he said.

Turner added the fact that comics and collectibles are simply popular, citing that many cities, including small towns, have multiple shops.

“This isn’t the largest of spaces, and at times we’ve had over 20 people in here searching through

comics, talking to each other, looking through the Pops, doing just about everything,” Aiello said. “ e fact that we’ve been so popular is awesome. And we know that some of these other shops haven’t had this success, so it goes to show that we’re establishing ourselves as a really fun and trustworthy place.”

One of the most notable customers that have come into the shop is MMA and UFC superstar Nick Diaz. e legendary ghter walked in unannounced last month and conversated with customers, discussing everything from his career to pop culture, taking photos with all who asked.

“I was genuinely star-struck when Nick Diaz came in. e most surprising

part was just how cool he was hanging out and talking with everyone,” Aiello said. “From lifelong collectors to people just curious about the hobby, we’ve had people from all walks of life come in. People from all ages and all personalities come in looking for certain Funko Pops and comics, it’s been really eye-opening to see just how large these communities are.”

Not only is it surprising to see how huge the community is, but to see how passionate people are is also cool to see,” Aiello said.

e passion is most evident in the gaming area in the back of their shop. Turlock Comics plays host to several tournaments for a variety of card games.

“We don’t have the biggest prizes or the biggest stakes, and we like it that way,” Aiello said. “We want to give back to our small community here in Turlock, and even with it being small events, we still have that same amount

of fun and excitement as any other larger places wuld have.”

Aiello and Turner encouraged everybody to follow the shop on social media sites for the latest updates on tournaments and new inventory. eir Instagram handle is @Turlock_Comics while you can nd them on Facebook at @TurlockComics.

“We’ve grown so much in such a short amount of time, we’re crushing all of our goals since we came together and started this,” Turner said. “It’s been amazing so far and we just hope that people can come in, have a good time and want to come by again.”

Turlock Comics is open Mondays through ursdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. ●

By SABRA STAFFORD

Making the move from being a cook at a restaurant to being the owner is a big leap of faith. ere’s so many more decisions to be made, aspects to factor in and problems to solve.

Richard Ritzman, 55, of Sutter Creek decided to take that leap in August of 2021 when he and his wife Michelle decided to purchase Bu alo Chips, a popular eatery in Sutter Creek. But shying away from a challenge is not something that could be said of Ritzman.

At the age of 17, Ritzman started talking to a recruiter for the United States Marine Corp. A er he graduated high school and turned 18, he enlisted and started training as a machine gunner.

Ritzman served for 10 years and traveled around to various parts of the world, as well as being deployed for Operation Desert Storm.

A er a decade in the service, Ritzman decided to leave the military for a very personal reason.

“I had two boys at home and I wanted to be a part of their lives,” Ritzman said.

He worked various physically intensive jobs, but as they were starting to take a toll on his body, he decided to move into a new eld. But cooking was not his rst choice.

“I went in to nursing,” Ritzman said. “We were in Washington and I had maintained my GPA to qualify for nursing school but when we came down here it was a lottery system. So, I decided to go back to school.”

He enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and learned the ne art of cooking.

“I enjoy working with my hands, so it doesn’t matter to me if it’s welding or cooking a meal,” Ritzman said.

ose years in the military helped

prepare Ritzman for the hard work it would take to succeed as Bu alo Chip’s cook and owner.

“I get here at 6:30 every morning and I am the last one to leave,” Ritzman said. “Me and two other people do all the prep work and get everything ready for breakfast. en we get to cooking.”

Located at 76 Main Street, Bu alo Chips is an ice cream dessert parlor as well as a grill serving up breakfast and lunch. e menu features breakfast standards like omelets, pancakes and French toast and lunch favorites like deli sandwiches, salads and burgers that are purported to be the best in town.

Bu alo Chips is a popular place for tourists to stop during their stay in Sutter Creek, for which Ritzman is very grateful. But it’s the locals that continue to come by routinely that really touch him.

“ is is a very supportive community, especially for veterans and I’m grateful they keep coming in,” Ritzman said. ●

KATHERINE

This is a very supportive community, especially for veterans and I’m grateful they keep coming in.

By TERESA HAMMOND

Chad and Kayla Roslan just may have found their niche. e United States Navy veterans, turned entrepreneurs, are both the brains and the humor behind Sparks Fly Candle Company, Sassy Candles for Sassy People.

It’s a company they began shortly following Kayla’s separation from service in 2017 and a few months a er the birth of their son.

“So, when my son was born, the world shut down and we had nothing to do and really no ways to make an income,” Kayla Roslan said, noting that while her husband remained enlisted through July of 2021, she remained in their Washington home with their new baby and no outlet, be it employment or education.

“We wanted something we could do as a hobby for the two of us, so we started making candles,” Kayla continued. “We were really, really good at it and our family loved it. My husband is really good at graphic design, so we wanted to gure

out how to bring a little bit of joy to the world because we were so shut down and everything seemed so gloomy.”

Fast forward to August 2021 and the family found themselves relocated to the 209 via a job opportunity for Chad.

Kayla, an Enochs High School 2012 alum, desired returning to the 209 to be close to family.

“We chose to come home, all of our family’s here, I’m from here and my son — James, three this November — was very alone out there,” Kayla said of the family relocation.

Yet the job opportunity that brought them here proved to be short-lived.

In the summer of 2022 Chad walked away from corporate life to join his wife full-time in the candle business.

“It’s better,” Chad shared, pointing out that prior to his resignation he was doing double duty, at his corporate job and helping Kayla with the home-based business, and he believes

he made the right decision. “Having more control over my schedule is giving us so much more freedom to take care of ourselves and our business.”

Now calling Oakdale home, the family has set up their candle making production in the tandem third car garage of their new home.

“Our logo is Sassy Candles, for Sassy People, that’s kind of our motto,” Kayla said of Sparks Fly Candle Co. e “sassy” she speaks of are the candle names and descriptions which are accompanied by speci c scents, which might prompt one to make the connection. Examples of their creativity with candles like: Co ee; “Because hating your job should come with enthusiasm,” or Outdoorsy; “Smells like drinking wine out on the porch.”

While the wood wicked, soy candles with essential oil fragrances are pleasant to the senses, it was their essence of fun and creativity which caught the attention of Oakdale Mayor Cherilyn Bairos.

Bairos crossed paths with the Roslan family and their Sassy Candles, serving in her role as an Oakdale Chamber of Commerce Ambassador. Drawn to the candles and their originality, the mayor shared she began thinking of an opportunity.

“I started thinking, hey, what about if they could make a candle for Oakdale? What would that smell like?” Bairos said of their initial introduction. “Leather, dust, cowboy, almonds, dairy … everything together and how would that look?”

e mayor quickly began brainstorming with the couple about hosting a contest for the scent, as well as the label and the name. e Roslan duo loved the idea and its originality.

“ ey’re inspired a er our real-life circumstances,” Kayla shared of the candles.

“ is DD 214 that’s the paper you get when you’re released from the military,” Bairos said of the candle which rst caught her attention. “I got my nephew that one.”

A er deciding to pursue the contest idea, in March of this year the “Oakdale” candle was created by a community member. Images of a cowboy hat, oak tree and boot are featured on the label capturing the image of the “Cowboy Capital of the World” with the listed scents of Oak, Leather, Bourbon and Country Music.

Since then, the veteran-owned and operated company has continued to grow. Expanding to 209 farmers’ markets, as well as upcoming fairs, including Dutch Hollow, Manteca Pumpkin Roll and Oakdale’s Downtown Christmas in early December.

e couple has also begun partnering with non-pro ts, giving back and o ering support, which they credit for so much of their own individual success.

Kayla is a recipient of a scholarship from the non-pro t Sentinels of Freedom, which helped the family with housing for disabled vets.

“ ey’ve just been so helpful to us that we wanted to give back,” Kayla said.

e couple recently made a custom candle for attendees of the non-pro t’s annual gala event.

“We really got a lot of help from Sentinels of Freedom,” Kayla continued, explaining the non-pro t helped her go to school and provided nancial aid as well as connected them to a business which helped them network for their candle business.

“A lot of the non-pro ts are very, very active in helping veterans start a business,” Chad added.

As veterans with servicerelated disabilities, the help and support of the veteran non-pro t community does not go unnoticed with these two US Navy Veterans.

“ ere’s no way I would even be near where I am now. Even at my college that I went to in Washington they had a veteran service, entire department and that’s where I found my family and friends that helped me with the transition,” Kayla noted about veteran support. “It’s really nice to know that there are people out there who are willing to help veterans that are going through some of the same stu and be able to form that community.

“ at’s why we work with them so much,” Kayla continued. “We know what we’ve gone through. We know what others have gone through so we want to support them.”

While the support of the veteran community has become an additional focus of the company, ultimately their driving force is to simply bring joy and happiness to their customers.

A variety of scents as well as “sassy” in uenced candles can be found on their website: www.sparks ycandle.com.

ey even host a scent of the month club for members. Custom labels and scents are also popular with their clients.

“I love bringing people happiness. It is like the best thing to me,” Kayla said of the hobby which quickly became a booming business. “Seeing them read the labels and they actually laugh. at’s amazing to me. At that point I don’t even care if people are buying my candle. ey’re just coming and they’re laughing and having a good time. I just love that.

“ is is exceeding expectations already.” ●

Operation:

American Veterans First

By

It is all in the name for the non-pro t organization American Veterans

First, founded by United States Marine Corps veteran Duke Cooper. e organization was established in 2016 to be a refuge for veterans and rst responders. Since the inception, Cooper and his team have grown the organization, expanded the programs, and increased their partnerships which has led to great success.

“ e volunteers that we have make this organization a success,” said Cooper. “We have the best group of men and women that we have had in the past six years and I owe all the success to this group and the volunteers. We are helping veterans heal one step at a time and making this world a better place one day at a time.”

AVF Executive Secretary Paige McLaughlin, Director of Veterans Outreach Shirley Serato, Director of the Museum Gloria Robertson, Director of Volunteers Karen Knox, and several others have made AVF what it is today. rough the years the organization has helped several veterans in the 209 and beyond with a variety of programs including the veteran’s outreach with distribution of food, coats, blankets, socks, underwear, shoes, hygiene packs, wheelchairs, electric scooters, and walkers. Some of the programs have also been extended out to those in need even

if they are not veterans.

“We are honored to do that,” added Cooper about helping the community. “When you come into our building and we can help you there is no better ‘feel good’ than that. I am proud that we have a great facility. For me there is no better feeling than to volunteer your time to help somebody that is less fortunate than you. It is very rewarding.”

e group has sent several care packages to service members overseas. ey have donated vehicles to veterans in need, toys to foster kids, uniforms, and ags. Schools have taken eld trips to their facility where they learned some history and were taught to properly fold a ag and how to dispose of it. ey now have a military museum at their location on Oakdale Road in Riverbank with artifacts and history from the Civil War to Iraq and Afghanistan.

ey have met the needs of so many veterans in the 209 in so many ways in the six years they have been in existence including mental health services.

Cooper received Veteran of the Year honors in 2020, presented by California State Assembly member Heath Flora for all the work his organization has done. Cooper served in the United States Marine Corps from 1968 to 1974 and was an infantry ri eman. ere are no paid positions and there have been many changes through the years including the volunteers and board members. However, the focus of remembering the fallen, patriotism, honoring service members and helping veterans has been consistent and something Cooper is very passionate about. AVF has made many friends like WWII Navy Combat veteran Alan Taylor and Korean War Army Veteran Eddy Jones along the way.

Veterans Day is a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars and in 1918 on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month an armistice was signed o cially ending World War I. e holiday on Nov. 11 was originally known as Armistice Day but in 1954 it was changed to Veterans Day.

“We strive to bring awareness to our veterans and to let them know that they are not forgotten,” expressed Cooper. “ e ones that are gone, we

For me there is no better feeling than to volunteer your time to help somebody that is less fortunate than you.

cannot resurrect them from the grave but we can resurrect their memory and we call it not forgotten. From day one it has been important to us to make sure the veterans that fought for this country are not forgotten.”

For AVF to keep the doors open and continue the ght for veterans’ rights as well as their humanitarian e orts they hold fundraisers, accept donations, and apply for grants.

For more information visit americanveterans rst.net, email veterans rst16@gmail.com, call 209-652-7627 or stop by 6436 Oakdale Road in Riverbank. ●

Introducing Dr. Amin Esfahani

Immerse yourself into the world of

VAN GOGH

By SABRA STAFFORD

Anyone who has ever gazed at one of Vincent Van Gogh’s vividly colored creations, whether it be a reproduction or an authentic piece, and wanted to step inside it, can now have that wish full- lled.

“Van Gogh: e Immersive Experience” has transformed a 27,000 square foot space in West Sacramento into an exploration of the artist’s life, works, inspirations and techniques through modern technology like 4K resolution projections, 3D imaging and a virtual reality experience.

“We are thrilled to be bringing Van Gogh: e Immersive Experience to West Sacramento,” said Mario Iacampo, CEO and Creative Director of Exhibition Hub, who created the show. “ is innovative and arts-focused community in the heart of the region is the ideal location for our award-winning immersive experience.”

“We are honored that West Sacramento was selected to host this worldclass experience,” said Mayor Martha Guerrero. “ is furthers our mission to elevate the cultural o erings in our city and we look forward to welcoming visitors from across the region.” e exhibit is divided into four distinct sections, with the rst covering Van Gogh’s life and art. While he went largely unrecognized during his life, art historians and biographers have been able to put together the course of his young life and all that inspired him through the trove of correspondence he

It is a serene experience and one not to be rushed. Sit down in one of the many chairs in the expansive room and take in the entire experience.

into a 10,000 square foot gallery with Van Gogh’s paintings coming to life in a stunning 360-degree light and sound marvel. Watch in awe as his paintbrush strokes in “Starry Night” swirl all around you and the petals o his “Irises” cascade around the room. Crows y from one painting to another ad boats set sail across the waters of his paintings.

It is a serene experience and one not to be rushed. Sit down in one of the many chairs in the expansive room and take in the entire experience.

le behind, including the voluminous letters between himself and his younger brother eo. rough these letters, the exhibit tells the story of Van Gogh in his own words, as he re ects on topics ranging from his initial attempt to study theology, to his use of color, to his life in France, and sometimes his own mental state. His words are combined with reproductions of some of his most well-known works, including a series of his paintings of sun owers and a 3D projection of the many owers in vases he painted, with a dream-like musical score and the dulcet voice of a narrator taking you along the journey. is section includes a life-size replica of the view Van Gogh had during his self-imposed stay at a sanitarium and his bedroom in Arles that he painted repeatedly. Visitors are allowed to step into the room for a feel of the space. e immersive experience comes in the next section, where guests walk

e third section of the exhibit is a where visitors can unlock their own creativity and put their own interpretations on a Van Gogh piece.

e studio has several coloring-book sized prints for guests to pick. Once one is selected, sit down and start reimaging it with the provided crayons. Once completed the work can be scanned and projected up on the studio wall, complete with a gilded frame. Guests can either tack up their work on the studio walls or take it home and proudly adorn your refrigerator with your own masterpiece.

e nal section is virtual reality experience that is included in VIP tickets or an additional $5 for general admission. Tis section should denitely be included in your excursion, unless you get queasy easily. e virtual reality takes you on an astounding walk through Van Gogh’s life in Arles and Saint-Remy de Provence, both in

The scenery as you stroll from the countryside through the forest into the village and finally down to the waterfront, is other-worldly and simply stunning.

France. e scenery as you stroll from the countryside through the forest into the village and nally down to the waterfront, is otherworldly and simply stunning. It is a full 360-degree experience and along the way the paintings this scenery inspired will materialize before your eyes.

Produced by Exhibition Hub and Fever, the leading entertainment discovery platform, “Van Gogh: e Immersive Experience” has proven so popular that the stay in West Sacramento has been extended to run through Dec. 31. e exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last entry) on Mondays, Wednesdays and ursdays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (last entry) on Fridays; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (last entry) Saturdays and holidays; and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last entry) on Sundays.

e visit takes about 60 to 75 minutes to complete, though it is self-guided so visitors can go at their own pace.

Tickets start at $34.90 for adults and $19.90 for children. Tickets should be purchased in advance by visiting vangoghexpo.com/ sacramento/#tickets.

e exhibit is located at 31 15th Street in West Sacramento. In order to ensure the best guest experience, Exhibition Hub and West Sacramento were able to identify city resources and work with local organizations to implement a valet-parking. operation and easy o -site parking program. In addition to valet parking on-site, guests can also park at West Sacramento’s public lot close to Drake’s e Barn where the rst two hours are free and take advantage of the City’s new VIA ride-share vehicles for just a $3.50 ride ($1.75 for seniors and people with disabilities) to the venue. ●

Many people know that Royal Rob bins and Warren Harding pioneered rock climbing on Yosemite’s big walls like Half Dome in the 1950s. Not enough know about the role women like Bea Vogel played in the sport’s evolution.

“Warren was complaining about Royal Robbins finish ing the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome without him. He was pouting and moaning because he had been left out,” Vogel recalled.

“I told him, ‘Oh hell! There are lots of other walls. Why don’t you do El Capitan?’”

At Vogel’s suggestion, Harding and his partners labored to scale The Nose of El Capitan over 47 days in 1958. The breakthrough ascent changed climbing forever, though Vogel noted that Harding never credited

her for inspiration.

That’s one of many revela tions contained in the new book “Valley of Giants: Stories from Women at the Heart of Yosemite Climbing,” edited by Lauren Delaunay Miller. A climber herself, who has served on Yosemite’s Search and Rescue Team, Miller assembled 38 fascinat ing women’s narratives from 1930 through the present. Her work will expand the horizons of even those who consider themselves wellversed in Yosemite climbing history.

For example, women like Marjorie Bridge Farquhar and Virginia Greever climbed the Cathedral Spires in the early 1930s. Vogel led classic routes like Royal Arches and forged her own pitons by the early 1950s. Liz Robbins, teaming up with her future husband Royal Robbins in

1960, made the first ascent of Nutcracker, using clean protection instead of pitons which scar and damage rock.

Sibylle Hetchel and Bev Johnson achieved El Cap’s first female ascent in 1973. “Being up there with another woman can be incredibly comfortable, relaxed, and hilariously funny …There is always a certain pressure to prove that women can do things,” Hetchel observed.

Lynn Hill would second that. Well-known for the first free ascent of The Nose in 1994, Hill shared instead about her 1980 climb of El Capitan’s Shield with Mari Gingery. The overhanging and intimidating route took six grueling days to ascend. “Well worth the effort,” Hill wrote. “I felt the need to demonstrate that women can do whatever we set our minds to.”

More than just a litany of women’s accomplishments though, “Valley of Giants” expresses the wisdom its contributors achieved.

Life lessons they acquired through their journeys and shared in Miller’s book differ starkly from the tone of men’s climbing narratives.

“Our foremothers have much to teach us, if only we stop and listen,” Miller wrote.

“Yosemite Women” exhibit Yosemite women’s history goes far beyond climbing, of course. “Yosemite Women: A Yosemite Museum Exhibit Honoring the 19th Amend ment Centennial,” a new dis play open to the public at the Ahwahnee Hotel, documents their many contributions. Indigenous women like Julia Parker kept alive traditional practices such as basket making. As an inter pretive park ranger, Parker

educated visitors for more than 50 years. “I felt like Yosemite was a big mother to me, protecting me from the outside,” she said.

In the years after President Lincoln first protected Yo semite’s wilderness in 1864, Irish immigrant Bridget Degnan opened a bakery and fed the crowds forming in Yosemite Valley. After Yosemite became a national park in 1890, Jennie Foster Curry established Camp Curry and hosted guests there for decades. Clare Marie Hodges became the first female ranger in the Na tional Park Service in 1918, patrolling the backcountry and performing her duties with “fearless dexterity and efficiency,” the park superin tendent recorded.

Shirley Sargent, a Yosemite historian and author who wrote more than 30 books

and 200 articles, captured much of this history in her work, “Pioneers in Pet ticoats,” published in 1966.

“Yosemite has had ‘men to match its mountains.’ At their heels were the pioneers in petticoats whose energies, exploits and significance in that place of surpassing beauty and prominence received little recognition or public notice. The author ess, a Yosemite devotee since 1936, decided to correct this oversight,” Sargent wrote.

“Yosemite Women” shared the stories of many oth ers who changed Yosemite, including climbers, conserva tionists, and rangers. Cicely Muldoon, the park’s female superintendent, took office in 2020. “I am so grateful for all who helped clear the path for me, and hope I can give a helping hand to the next generation of park leaders…

Yosemite superintendent is the best job on the planet!” Muldoon said.

“An Accidental Life” film

Further establishing 2022 as the Year of Yosemite Women, a new film called “An Accidental Life” reveals the emotional story of climber Quinn Brett.

Brett achieved rare success climbing in Yosemite, once ascending seven big walls in seven exhausting days with her partner Josie McKee in 2016. During the following year, she suffered a 120-foot fall on The Nose which broke her back and paralyzed her from the waist down.

“An Accidental Life” shows her effort to heal and forge a new life. Filmmaker Henna Taylor captures Brett’s lows and highs as she suf fers wrenching grief while searching for joy. Throughout the movie, a wheelchair-

bound Brett struggles with physical tasks, therapy, pain and despair. “I’m living my nightmare,” she says.

Friends rally to help her adapt and cope. As the film ends near the accident’s second anniversary, Brett enjoys a camping and cycling trip with them. “I’m celebrat ing new friends and new experiences,” she says. She’s learned to ride a hand cycle and landed a National Park Service job to help expand backcountry access for the disabled.

“The reason I chose to share my difficult time with you all is to shine a light to this injury, its secondary ailments, the stigma society places on disability and that helping us via funding more research is not an impossible feat,” Quinn wrote. “Continue funding and fueling spinal cord research. Please.” ●

Scalp freezing and defrosting during each weekly treatment was added to the menu to help prevent hair loss for a second time.

Breast cancer and the unexpected

By TERESA HAMMOND

Things don’t always go as planned. Six small words which hold so much truth.

I first began to learn this lesson as a child, only made more apparent when adulting became a full-time thing. And while some might think I learned this most in the spring of 2020 when I learned of my breast cancer diagnosis, they would be wrong.

Truth be told, the surprise of life versus plans happens all the time. Regardless of your marital status, bank account balance or size of your jeans we all get greeted with not so great “life” surprises on occasion.

Being that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I felt this was the best time to share the second part of my breast cancer story.

First diagnosed in April of 2020, Stage 3, Triple Nega tive Breast Cancer, would be a new box to fill in on Health

Forms, as well as a new title to share with those walking a similar path. We did all the things (chemotherapy — lots, radiation — also lots, as well as a bi-lateral mastectomy). Take that cancer, was my truest feeling when we com pleted this journey in early summer of 2021.

It took a crew of dedicated girlfriends, but each week for 12 weeks a small army rallied to make sure I made it safely to treatment at UCSF.

Supported by a team of optimists, as well as scans that showed “No Evidence Detected” the plans were made to remove my port (the device inserted in my chest to administer chemo) in early fall.

Life is funny and while it might be a taboo topic for a

journalist, I’m here to share that I believe in God and He indeed showed up through this unexpected chapter.

Days prior to having my port removed in 2021, my appointment was postponed by a week as my surgeon had a more urgent case to tend to. As a cancer survivor I knew what that meant and simply sloughed it o as no big deal.

What I didn’t know was days later I would nd a ball-bearing size lump in my underarm on the right side. Strange as it was, I messaged my surgeon, convinced it had to be an infection of some sort as a result of my reconstruction surgery earlier that summer.

Meeting with her that following week, was one of the more heartbreaking moments in this journey. Her words I’ll never forget and they still sting today as I share them here.

Upon checking the lump, she shared with my mom and I we’d need to do some more tests. e port “Porsche,” as my daughter and I had named it, would have to stay until then.

“We may need it again,” the doctor shared. And the tears did fall. e fear set in and the tests resumed.

In time we would learn the cancer had returned. ree months, three simple, life- lled, short months was what we were treated to and then — more cancer.

Punched in the gut and stunned beyond words, my guy and I slept on the news before making any decisions. I still remember that night very vividly as well. Sharing with him that I wasn’t ready to die. I needed to be here for my children, his children, him, my parents, my friends, what exactly was happening?

Well, as my story goes a night to think on it and a lot of prayer led us to request a referral to leave the Valley and seek treatment in the Bay Area. UCSF Mission Bay would soon be our new home for this battle and we were grateful to add them to the team.

While it is not my intention to bash Valley medicine or doctors in any way, my experience through the past two years of this journey is valid. With the

cancer we were ghting (an aggressive cancer, in late stage) we learned that what was best for us was not to just have the help of an Oncologist but a Breast Cancer Oncologist, someone specialized in the eld of treating patients like me.

Once again, we would go back to the table to kill this thing once and for all and return to life as we once knew it. Once a week for 12 weeks, UCSF would be my home away from home. e downside nausea and fatigue would return and yes, so would hair loss.

I chuckle as I type this because what I know now, that I didn’t know then was life never really returns to how it once was when you’ve battled cancer. Everything in life post cancer is in High De nition, which is both a plus and a minus.

en there’s the subconscious anger that must be acknowledged and dealt with, not to mention survivor’s guilt when someone you love passes from the disease you survived.

Yet, there is always a silver lining, as well as a bright side and mine would come by way of not just being in some of the best care in the nation, but also the opportunity to save my hair.

For some this is a sign of vanity at its nest and well, I’m at peace with that judgement. While I understand “it’s just hair,” it’s also something more than that. What we came to learn during the rst battle was that overall, I could handle most of the treatments pretty well. For the most part, I still looked very much like myself, until I was bald. When one loses their hair however, the world knows you’re not well and wigs just weren’t my thing.

ere were a number of silver linings in Chapter 2 of Breast Cancer battle. Weekly trips to UCSF with my favorite ladies in my life (and my guy for the nal nal), a medical team, which was truly one of a kind and the cooling cap. is invention was so revolutionary in my second chapter that I’m sharing more of it in this issue’s Full of Life feature. anks to this, not so simple, invention weekly scalp cooling (aka freezing) during treatment helped me retain my hair.

ere were rules which made it a bit challenging, as you basically baby your hair and treat it like ne china. Speci c shampoo, wash once a week only, no hair products, no blow drying, no styling tools and silk pillowcases. And yes, I did all the things. Gratefully it was winter and hats quickly became my BFF.

Late March of this year, we once again nished

Post treatment/ cancer celebration with friends who are family was enjoyable yet short lived as my cancer recurrence was found weeks following the August 2021 festivities.

the battle. Another nish line in one more marathon of this amazing life. Once again, I am typing this just days before my port is to be removed.

Yet here’s the point/landing the plane in this long-winded chapter telling.

We really never know what’s to come next. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a time for us as women, daughters, sons, spouses and friends to stop and remember/encourage self-care. Early detection can be so instrumental in preventing another woman from any of the path I’ve traveled and that’s a good thing. e resources are there, but you have to have the discipline to simply take the time. Trust me on this one … one day of scheduling a not so fun appointment can save you two years of “is this really happening.” Take good care. ●

MEDICINE & MINDFULNESS

By TERESA HAMMOND

Overall wellness is more than the once popular and simplistic diet and exercise. As the health industry has grown, it has become increasingly well known that wellness is a true mind/body connection.

Simply put, wellness can’t be found solely in a bottle, at a gym or in a meditation class. While each may be signi cant contributors, healing the body, mind, spirit and achieving ultimate wellness must come from the inside out.

Medicine Woman, Angela Burge not only believes this, she learned it rsthand through her own journey with

healing her body, clearing her mind and an overall detoxi cation.

e 209 Medicine Woman shared she’s always enjoyed gardening, cooking and living a healthy lifestyle. Five years ago, however, she began her true transformation when traditional medicine began treating her for a hormone imbalance. Not completely content with how things were going, she described feeling foggy, fatigued, sleep deprived and not like herself.

Seeking the advice of a Functional Medicine Doctor, it was suggested that Burge try bioidenticals, as well as a natural antibiotic. Much to her pleasure both worked.

Seeking the advice of a Functional Medicine Doctor, it was suggested that Burge try bioidenticals, as well as a natural antibiotic. Much to her pleasure both worked.

Over the course of the next ve years, she dropped 40 pounds from simply detoxing and using energy medicine.

“I wasn’t trying to lose weight,” she shared, stating she was simply trying to be healthier overall. “It just started coming o naturally. So I know when you give your body the tools it will go where it needs to go.”

Sharing she’s always had an interest in alternative medicine, Burge pointed out that she believes and utilizes western medicine as well.

It would be at an event, however, where she heard the philosophy and teaching of Alberto Villoldo, which led Burge from being one interested in health and natural alternatives to actually seeking a life of serving others as a Medicine Woman.

In September of 2019 Burge took a trip to Chile, South America to attend a training at Alberto Villoldo, Light Body School where she received her Shamanic Medicine Certi cation. ere she joined 32 other women from around the world attending the Women’s Medicine Journey. Over the course of 10 days, she and the others were immersed in the Chilean mountains studying plant medicine, herb medicine and energy medicine.

“Sometimes I listen to myself and think, people must think I’m crazy,” she said, laughing. “But I’ve had some really amazing healing experiences both with myself and also with clients.”

Her studies eventually led to the formation of her business.

“ is is my mission, to take what I’ve learned and what’s helped me,” she said of launching the Medicine Woman in May of 2021. “Continue my own education and teach people how to help themselves. We all have an innate healing ability; we just don’t know it.”

Burge specializes in a number of things to help clients, ranging from

clean eating recipes, herbal medicines as well as shamanic training for energy work.

“Teas are just one way to get the herbs in. All herbs are loaded with phytonutrients, which are micro nutrients that we’re just learning to identify. ey all have di erent phytonutrients,” Burge explained. “It can be a little tricky with herbs because you have to be willing to try things and you have to be willing to be consistent for a period of time.”

Of the many ways she utilizes herbs, both herbal teas, as well as tinctures are natural aids she uses, as well as teaches clients how to make and apply to their own health needs.

“Tinctures are plant medicine basically,” she said, noting that one takes fresh or dried plant material and infuses it in vodka. “It soaks in for six to eight weeks, you shake the bottle every several days and then you strain it. What you’re le with are the medicinal components of the plant in the tincture.”

To bring her knowledge and passion to a larger community in a more accessible way, Burge began partnering with Modesto entrepreneur Ann Endsley and hosting classes at Endsley’s shop, Gather, on McHenry Avenue in Modesto.

Using the space to host hands-on

workshops such as, a 10-day detox group program, building an herbal apothecary and food medicine dinners have been a great way for the Medicine Woman to spread her knowledge and passion in a big way.

“I think the most important thing for people to try and do or get is pick something that resonates with you,” she said of her passion and sharing with others. “Start with a step you can easily fold into your life. Don’t set yourself up for failure.

“I think connecting with your why is really important,” she added, becoming emotional. “I think that sets people up for success and I think that’s what’s di erent about this work and this program.”

Recognizing the prompt of sudden emotion, the trained medicine woman said it’s the truth it has in her own journey that brings the tears to her eyes.

“And because I feel really sad that people go through life feeling disconnected,” she said. “I think we’re all in such a rat race hurry all the time now and it’s been one of the hardest things for me to deal with in modern life.”

Yet as she grows a passion, a calling, her “mission” into a business which bene ts others, the 209 Medicine Woman recognizes her good fortune and from that her excitement to keep sharing and growing.

“Lately my philosophy has been, gure out what you love and do more of that,” she said, “whatever it is. I don’t care if you have to do it at 6 a.m. or on your lunch break, just do it. It may not be your job, but there’s ways to do more of what you love. When you feed your soul, you feel di erently, you really do.”

For information on all of the Medicine Woman’s services, events and one on one opportunities, visit www.angelaburge.com or on social media at Angela Burge Medicine Woman. ●

Scalp cooling system

offers cancer patients privacy and dignity

By TERESA HAMMOND

It is fair to saay, there is nothing easy for someone rst hearing the words, ‘you have cancer.’ For many a number of words and or questions might rst come to mind: Stage, type, prognosis, treatment and for many women —‘will I lose my hair?’

While many cancer regimens (i.e.: treatments) do not have a side e ect of hair loss, there are a fair share of chemotherapies used for solid tumor cancers, such as breast, ovarian, uterine, prostate, colon, bladder and in some cases lung, that result in hair loss for both men and women.

Fortunately patients undergoing those types of chemotherapy, now have the ability to potentially “save” their hair or at minimum retain a good portion thanks to scalp cooling.

First invented by Swedish oncology nurse Yvonne Olafsson in 1996 and patented in 1998, the idea has been launched and used in many forms since that time. Olafsson was the brains behind the DigniCap, a scalp cooling system which in 2015 became available in the United States, when it received FDA clearance.

“Unfortunately in terms of awareness we’re trying to educate the whole world, because any of us could get cancer at any time,” Melissa Bourestom, Chief Communications O cer of Dignitana,

shared. “Our hope is that by increasing awareness, especially among people who are either in the health care community or among friends and family who might have heard about scalp cooling will say ‘you know I heard there’s this thing that can help you save your hair.’”

In 2017, the FDA expanded the clearance to include men and women with solid tumor cancers undergoing chemotherapy.

“We recognize that cancer is one of the hardest things that most people will ever have to deal with in their life,” Bourestom acknowledged. “Scalp cooling o ers you a way to hopefully make that a little more tolerable. Maybe that means you get to maintain your privacy, whether you can wake up in the morning, still have your hair and look like yourself, keep your self-esteem, whether you can have some measure of control because you’re doing something to ght back. All of those things are just really, really important.”

e name DigniCap, comes from the root dignitas, which is Latin for dignity.

“ e wrap itself is exible. It’s designed to closely t your head. ere’s a couple things that we know about scalp cooling for sure, you need to have very close contact to the head and you need to have a constant temperature,”

Proper t of the DigniCap by the nurse is critical in the process of the DigniCap Scalp Cooling process.

Bourestom stated. “ at is achieved by the wrap lled with coolant.

“It’s kind of like a blood pressure cu ,” she continued. “It’s exible material, it lls up with coolant and it pushes up against your head. at’s unique in the market. ere are no other caps that t any head shape or size like our cap does.”

A neoprene cap then covers the wrap to ensure the wrap stays close to the scalp with no air pockets. Once properly tted by a trained nurse, a 30-minute pre-freeze begins to get the patient acclimated to the cold temperature. e DigniCap is worn during infusion, as well as post infusion. e length of time post cooling is determined for half the life of the drug administered.

Bourestom shared that while the Scalp Cooling System is proven to be e ective, the organization cannot guarantee no hair loss.

“When we talk about our e cacy rate or success rate, it’s hard,” she con ded, noting that a variety of factors can contribute to the ultimate success rate of the system. Simple things such as age, prior smoking history, overall health prior to diagnosis, as well as observance of guidelines given once a patient begins using the system.

“ ere are times that patients do all that they’ve been advised and still may

not have a good outcome,” she continued, adding that the pivotal trial showed that 66 percent of patients were able to keep 50 percent of their hair.

“That’s considered success,” she stated. “The patient perception of how you look and what is “success” with scalp cooling is one of the most difficult. It’s really hard to help patients and doctors and nurses understand how to talk about that.”

Not only does Bourestom feel spreading the word of the DigniCap Scalp Cooling System is important, but so is awareness by way of insurance providers. At present time most providers in California do not offer coverage or a reimbursement for the cooling system. There are, however, a number of organizations that offer subsidies to help cover the cost of DigniCap.

“We’re very much trying to work toward standardized reimbursement,” she said, “so that patients and health care providers know what to expect when they’re looking at whether to do this treatment or not. We’re just not there yet.”

One thing noted that is most

helpful is for a patient to submit a claim, even if the provider shares it’s not covered. The codes must still be put in and are tracked. The more tracked and denied, the stronger the case for standardizing coverage.

“Even if they deny your claim, it still gets tracked as somebody who wanted to use it,” Bourestom noted. “All of that helps us to build a case with payors that this is something the patients want and the patients should have access to.”

For information on DigniCap Scalp

Cooling System or to contact a clinical expert, visit www.dignicap.com.

“Cancer is hard enough. To have to lose your hair and deal with that and deal with the uncertainty of what you’re going to look like when you wake up tomorrow morning, that’s just a really hard thing,” Bourestom concluded. “Our hope is that patients don’t have to deal with that. We want to give them an option to do scalp cooling, minimize hair loss and have some sense of privacy and control during their treatment.”

The nurse/patient relationship becomes one of importance, aside from traditional chemotherapy. Nurses take great care in administering the DigniCap for the patient’s ultimate success.

Not only does Bourestom feel spreading the word of the DigniCap Scalp Cooling System is important, but so is awareness by way of insurance providers.

aplacecalledhome

By PERENNIAL POWER

rnamental grasses in pots can bring any outdoor space to life. Even the slightest breath of wind is enough to get them swaying. Let ornamental grasses shine on your balcony, terrace, or roof garden, and enjoy their appearance as it changes throughout the seasons. Variation in color, shape & height Ornamental grasses are perennials that you will be able to enjoy for a long time. They come in a variety of shapes: from low to high, from compact to lush. There is also plenty of variety when it comes to color. First of all, there are different shades of green, from yellowish to dark. Ornamental grasses also come in the surprising colors blue (blue fescue, Festuca glauca), black (black mondo grass, Ophiopogon), and red (cogon grass, Imperata cylindrica).

FROM SPRING GREENERY TO WINTER SILHOUETTE

Ornamental grasses look attrac tive in all seasons, from the first fresh green blades in spring and beauti ful plumes in (late) summer to the intense leaf colors in fall. Even in winter, ornamental grasses create a fairytale winter silhouette, enhanced by a layer of frost after a cold winter night. Evergreen ornamental grasses that retain their color, such as blue fescue and sedge (Carex), are also an option.

ENDLESS COMBINATIONS

If you like the power of simplicity, why not try filling containers with a single type of ornamental grass, such as silvergrass (Miscanthus) or fountaingrass (Pennisetum). If you

would rather go for variety, you can go wild with ornamental grasses com bined with flowering perennials. For a botanical look, you could combine them with foliage plants, such as coral bells (Heuchera).

TIPS

Use frost-resistant pots and con tainers to plant ornamental grasses. Make sure there are holes in the bottom of the pot to allow excess water to drain away. Water the grasses regularly to prevent them from drying out. Cut them back in early spring to make room for the first fresh greenery of spring. Evergreen grasses don›t need cutting back; you can just pick out any withered blades of grass.

Visit www.perennialpower.eu for more information about perennials. ●

MOST LIVE KITCHEN DISPLAYS IN THE VALLEY!

COMFORTING COLOR

COMFORTING COLOR

COMFORTING COLOR

Fill your home with balance and hope

Fill your home with balance and hope

Fill your home with balance and hope

FEATURES

FEATURES

In the world of design, what’s old inevitably becomes new again, and a similar pattern is inspiring today’s on-trend color palettes for home decor. The latest styles reflect reviving and comforting colors influenced by heritage and romance, lending to a look that is familiar in an individ ualistic way.

the world of design, what’s old inevitably becomes new again, and a similar pattern is inspiring today’s on-trend color palettes for home decor. The latest styles reflect reviving and comforting colors influenced by heritage romance, lending to a look that is familiar in an individ ualistic way.

In the world of design, what’s old inevitably becomes new again, and a similar pattern is inspiring today’s on-trend color palettes for home decor. The latest styles reflect reviving and comforting colors influenced by heritage and romance, lending to a look that is familiar in an individ ualistic way.

today’s most beloved design aesthetics celebrate the past, present and future while bringing balance, hope and comfort for you and your family to embrace.

today’s most beloved design aesthetics celebrate the past, present and future while bringing balance, hope and comfort for you and your family to embrace.

Timeless Color

With more people living their everyday, working lives at home, many homeowners are discovering the contentment that comes with slowing down. Often that means looking to the past to find comfort for moving forward.

With more people living their everyday, working lives at home, many homeowners are discovering the contentment that comes with slowing down. Often that means looking to the past to find comfort for moving forward.

Nostalgia serves as an emotional tool that delivers deep-rooted serenity and powerful healing properties. Looking to the past is often beneficial during times of uncertainty and can be an opportunity to bring styles and practices back to the present to create an appreciation of the past.

Nostalgia serves as an emotional tool that delivers deep-rooted serenity and powerful healing properties. Looking to the past is often beneficial during times of uncertainty and can be an opportunity to bring styles and practices back to the present to create an appreciation of the past.

Whether living through the romance of rural lifestyles, the comfort of home or the nostalgia from far-off times, some of

Whether living through the romance of rural lifestyles, the comfort of home or the nostalgia from far-off times, some of

With more people living their everyday, working lives at many homeowners are discovering the contentment that comes with slowing down. Often that means looking to the past find comfort for moving forward. Nostalgia serves as an emotional tool that delivers deep-rooted serenity and powerful healing properties. Looking to the past often beneficial during times of uncertainty and can be an opportunity to bring styles and practices back to the present to an appreciation of the past.

today’s most beloved design aesthetics celebrate the past, present and future while bringing balance, hope and comfort for you and your family to embrace.

Timeless Color

Using color to evoke feelings and emotions is hardly new but combining a carefully curated color palette with other design elements can allow you to create a look that pays homage to the past while breathing new life into your living space.

Using color to evoke feelings and emotions is hardly new but combining a carefully curated color palette with other design elements can allow you to create a look that pays homage to the past while breathing new life into your living space.

Timeless Color

Reimagining classic, familiar tones allows you to achieve a design motif that is equal parts reminiscent and refreshing.

Reimagining classic, familiar tones allows you to achieve a design motif that is equal parts reminiscent and refreshing.

Using color to evoke feelings and emotions is hardly new but combining a carefully curated color palette with other design elements can allow you to create a look that pays homage to the past while breathing new life into your living space.

“The Vintage Homestead Color Collection offers an effortless look that reveals the importance of being hopeful to find stability and balance,” said Ashley Banbury, HGTV Home by SherwinWilliams senior color designer. “Our 2023 Color Collection of the Year revives elements from the past that are perfectly paired with vintage, comfortable and classic colors.”

Reimagining classic, familiar tones allows you to achieve a design motif that is equal parts reminiscent and refreshing.

“The Vintage Homestead Color Collection offers an effortless look that reveals the importance of being hopeful to find stability and balance,” said Ashley Banbury, HGTV Home by SherwinWilliams senior color designer. “Our 2023 Color Collection of the Year revives elements from the past that are perfectly paired with vintage, comfortable and classic colors.”

“The Vintage Homestead Color Collection offers an effortless look that reveals the importance of being hopeful to find stability and balance,” said Ashley Banbury, HGTV Home by SherwinWilliams senior color designer. “Our 2023 Color Collection of

Blending Past and Present

Striking a balance between old and new can take many forms, as these styles show:

Blending Past and Present

Blending Past and Present

Striking a balance between old and new can take many forms, as these styles show:

Striking a balance between old and new can take many forms, as these styles show:

n Heritage Revival: An interest in reviving the past is evident in design trends like a remerging appreciation of antiques and vintage elements, such oversized furniture and traditional shapes. To capture this style, your design should focus on contrasting old and new for a mix-and-match look. Ultimately, the aesthetic is a look that feels simultaneously individualistic and curated.

A cohesive color scheme can allow the various elements to stand on their own while working in harmony for an intentional design. For example, the HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams 2023 Color Collection of the Year includes a combination of familiar tones that have been thoughtfully curated by design experts who borrow color and design concepts from the past for a hopeful future and a sense of belonging. Hues like Poetry Plum and Hot Cocoa evoke warmth and depth, while moderate shades like Restrained Gold and Glamour offer fresh ways to incorporate midrange neutrals. Meanwhile, soft tones like Natural Linen and Cool Beige offer subtle color for lighter, brighter spaces.

n Heritage Revival: An interest in reviving the past is evident in design trends like a remerging appreciation of antiques and vintage elements, such oversized furniture and traditional shapes. To capture this style, your design should focus on contrasting old and new for a mix-and-match look. Ultimately, the aesthetic is a look that feels simultaneously individualistic and curated. A cohesive color scheme can allow the various elements to stand on their own while working in harmony for an intentional design. For example, the HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams

n Heritage Revival: An interest in reviving the past is evident in design trends like a remerging appreciation of antiques and vintage elements, such oversized furniture and traditional shapes. To capture this style, your design should focus on contrasting old and new for a mix-and-match look. Ultimately, the aesthetic is a look that feels simultaneously individualistic and curated. A cohesive color scheme can allow the various elements to stand on their own while working in harmony for an intentional design. For example, the HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams 2023 Color Collection of the Year includes a combination of familiar tones that have been thoughtfully curated by design experts who borrow color and design concepts from the past for a hopeful future and a sense of belonging. Hues like Poetry Plum and Hot Cocoa evoke warmth and depth, while moderate shades like Restrained Gold and Glamour offer fresh ways to incorporate midrange neutrals. Meanwhile, soft tones like Natural Linen and Cool Beige offer subtle color for lighter, brighter spaces.

2023 Color Collection of the Year includes a combination of familiar tones that have been thoughtfully curated by design experts who borrow color and design concepts from the past for a hopeful future and a sense of belonging. Hues like Poetry Plum and Hot Cocoa evoke warmth and depth, while moderate shades like Restrained Gold and Glamour offer fresh ways to incorporate midrange neutrals. Meanwhile, soft tones like Natural Linen and Cool Beige offer subtle color for lighter, brighter spaces.

n Mixing and Matching of Eras: A new take on retro design is emerging in which eras are blended and new and old furnishing work side by side. To get this look, you’ll craft a space that marries historical and contemporary design, celebrating both the old and new. To design for longevity, incorporate pieces that are ambiguous in era and stand the test of time.

n Mixing and Matching of Eras: A new take on retro design is emerging in which eras are blended and new and old furnishing work side by side. To get this look, you’ll craft a space that marries historical and contemporary design, celebrating both the old and new. To design for longevity, incorporate pieces that are ambiguous in era and stand the test of time.

n Mixing and Matching of Eras: A new take on retro design is emerging in which eras are blended and new and old furnishing work side by side. To get this look, you’ll craft a space that marries historical and contemporary design, celebrating both the old and new. To design for longevity, incorporate pieces that are ambiguous in era and stand the test of time.

n Vintage Homestead: Reviving design elements from the past with mixed patterns, classic shapes and vintage decor adds up to comfortable and comforting design. With this trend, prints and patterns encompass a range of styles, reinforcing how interiors connect to fashion. Mixing classic elegance with sleek vintage shapes is refining the concept of polished comfort. To achieve the look, curate pieces in heritage shapes and patterns, along with retro accents. Be sure to incorporate vintage lighting and glass, as well.

n Vintage Homestead: Reviving design elements from the past with mixed patterns, classic shapes and vintage decor adds up to comfortable and comforting design. With this trend, prints and patterns encompass a range of styles, reinforcing how interiors connect to fashion. Mixing classic elegance with sleek vintage shapes is refining the concept of polished comfort. To achieve the look, curate pieces in heritage shapes and patterns, along with retro accents. Be sure to incorporate vintage lighting and glass, as well.

n Vintage Homestead: Reviving design elements from the past with mixed patterns, classic shapes and vintage decor adds up to comfortable and comforting design. With this trend, prints and patterns encompass a range of styles, reinforcing how interiors connect to fashion. Mixing classic elegance with sleek vintage shapes is refining the concept of polished comfort. To achieve the look, curate pieces in heritage shapes and patterns, along with retro accents. Be sure to incorporate vintage lighting and glass, as well.

A versatile color choice like Darkroom, the 2023 Color of the Year from HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, is an alluring shade that is classic enough for heritage interiors but also modernly retro for a throwback-inspired aesthetic. It’s a neutral perfect for creating an eclectic yet modern look inside and out. Indoors, use it on the walls to offset more earthy brown and taupe tones in your furnishings and textiles.

A versatile color choice like Darkroom, the 2023 Color of the Year from HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, is an alluring shade that is classic enough for heritage interiors but also modernly retro for a throwback-inspired aesthetic. It’s a neutral perfect for creating an eclectic yet modern look inside and out. Indoors, use it on the walls to offset more earthy brown and taupe tones in your furnishings and textiles.

CRAFTING A CONSERVATORY

CRAFTING A CONSERVATORY

CRAFTING A CONSERVATORY

Today’s homeowners are also increasingly interested in biophilic design and bringing the outdoors in, which prompts a conservatory aesthetic in home design. To achieve the look, design your space to make maximum use of natural light in creative ways. Incorporate large potted trees and statement plants that blur the lines between indoors and outdoors.

Today’s homeowners are also increasingly interested in biophilic design and bringing the outdoors in, which prompts a conservatory aesthetic in home design. To achieve the look, design your space to make maximum use of natural light in creative ways. Incorporate large potted trees and statement plants that blur the lines between indoors and outdoors.

A versatile color choice like Darkroom, the 2023 Color of the Year from HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, is an alluring shade that is classic enough for heritage interiors but also modernly retro for a throwback-inspired aesthetic. It’s a neutral perfect for creating an eclectic yet modern look inside and out. Indoors, use it on the walls to offset more earthy brown and taupe tones in your furnishings and textiles.

Get inspired to combine the past with the present for a comforting design that’s all your own at hgtvhomebysherwinwilliams.com.

●

Get inspired to combine the past with the present for a comforting design that’s all your own at hgtvhomebysherwinwilliams.com.

Get inspired to combine the past with the present for a comforting design that’s all your own at hgtvhomebysherwinwilliams.com.

Today’s homeowners are also increasingly interested in biophilic design and bringing the outdoors in, which prompts a conservatory aesthetic in home design. To achieve the look, design your space to make maximum use of natural light in creative ways. Incorporate large potted trees and statement plants that blur the lines between indoors and outdoors.

Eat, drink and be entertained at the Mainzer

By VIRGINIA STILL

The revival has been ongoing in downtown Merced with the renovation of the El Capitan Hotel and the Mainzer theater on Main Street, bringing people in the 209 a hub of entertainment and upscale restaurants. They have quite the variety of merriment at the Mainzer with live shows on the main stage, movies in the cinema, a retro-gaming area, a self-serve beer bar and tasty pub food are all reasons that people are making their way to the heart of Merced.

Whether you are a local or a visitor, there is fun to be had at the Mainzer and it is worth the trip as there is a surprise at every turn with the art collection, design, or amenities that make this remodeled theater something truly special. What once was a storefront is now an indoor gaming area with Skeeball, a large scrabble board, Foosball, ping pong and much more.

Kim Garner, Director of Culture and Community Impact for the sister properties (El Capitan and Mainzer) explained that the Mainzer was originally built in the early1920s as a live performance theater and then it was turned into a movie theater. It burned down around 1930 or 1931 and then was rebuilt. It operated as a movie theater for a long period of time and was renovated in the late 1990s. The Mainzer reopened in 2020 with a fresh new look and new concept. Although that was a rough year to open, Garner noted that they had a really good response from the community.

“Opening through the pandemic was definitely difficult,” said Garner. “I will tell you this, Merced was so excited to see the property get revitalized. People were breathing on the windows to come in. It was really hard because when we opened, we had to do the social distancing; a lot of what we did had to be outside on the street. It was difficult but even with that, people were coming because they were excited to see what it was looking like inside and what

we had done with the historic space and so it was really good.”

The lobby desk has board games and game pieces to play with on the custom tables that have checkers, chess, and trivial pursuit boards on them in the restaurant. Guests would never know that before the restaurant existed it was a bus station with the exposed beams that make up the ceiling, the décor, and the self-serve beer bar making it a oneof-a-kind experience.

“We wanted to offer a space where people could come sit there for hours and enjoy yourself with your family or with your college buddies like the UC Merced students can hang out,” added Garner. “We are really proud of it. We are hoping that we offer as many different entertainment experiences possible in that space. I think there is literally something for everyone whether you like live performance or want to hang out with your family or friends; there is a myriad of ways to use that space.”

Quentin Garcia is the Executive Chef for all their restaurants in the hotel including Rainbird and the theater which features American comfort food.

The fun continues at the Mainzer with the main stage that offers a diverse lineup of entertainment where guests can dine, have drinks, and watch a show like the Killer Dueling Pianos, the Selena tribute band, drag night or the upcoming Tom Petty tribute band.

The gem upstairs called the cinema has an array of seating options from comfy couches to oversized chairs giving it a nice living room feel. There are several options in the cinema for guests to enjoy like movies, concerts, or a new lecture series where individuals discuss important topics regarding the Central Valley. Guests can order food

and drinks and have them delivered while watching movies or concerts in the cinema.

They have a few self-serve beers for people to choose from upstairs.

“The little cinema upstairs, it is a real jewel,” Garner said.

“We do very interesting programming both on the main stage and in the cinema.”

They had their very first speakeasy last month which Garner shared was “a riot” with the Merced Symphony.

They entered through the side door with a password and

secret knock. Everyone was in 1920s attire and there was a jazz band from Fresno that performed.

“There is 100 years of experiences in that theater space, that is a long time,” said Garner. “It means a lot to our area. Both of our properties do. When they were built it was unique and revolution ary for our time and our area 100 years ago. We are trying to bring that back now; it is important to us. I think the community has really embraced it.”

For those that may live out of town the beautifully renovated El Capitan offers valet parking, elegant rooms, and a short walk on Main Street to the Mainzer.

They offer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. where they serve up mimosas and families and friends have been known to spend time enjoying the ambiance and playing board games.

With football season underway, the Mainzer knows there are football fans in the 209 that may want to watch a game on the big screen. They will be showing some of the games on the big screen this football season.

“I am hoping that over time with both the hotel and the Mainzer, people start to look at Merced with fresh eyes,” remarked Garner. “Me being part of the 209 and from the Valley we want to be surprising and exciting in a way that really does speak to where we live and the uniqueness of where we live. We are not just a drive through area. We have an awful lot to offer and it is very much our own.”

To find out what all the buzz is truly about at the Mainzer, visit their website at themainzer.com or call 209-4464001 or on social media: Facebook and Instagram @mainzermerced.

They are located at 655 West Main Street in Merced. ●