Turlock manager lovin’ her job reaps rewards

When Betsy Lazar moved to Turlock from Iran in 2001 she took an hourly job at McDonald's. She had no idea that she would someday be in the top 1 percent of McDonald's management.

Llama hobo classic show brings the fuzzy to town

Llamas from all over the state – and their owners - converged on the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds this past weekend for the Llama Association of North America's (LANA) third annual hobo classic llama show. This winter event is an opportunity for owners to show their llamas as nature intended them, fuzzy, dirty and happy.

Bilingual immersion students share learning experiences

Students in the Two-Way Bilingual Immersion program at Dutcher Middle School spent Thursday night showing off. Most of the students in the program have been studying in English and Spanish since they were in kindergarten or first grade. On Thursday they took the opportunity to showcase what they have learned and to persuade younger students that the immersion program pays off.

Works sought for Spring Juried Art Show

The Turlock City Arts Commission is now taking submissions for their 29th annual Spring Juried Arts Show and Sale. Independent judges will select the best pieces to display in the Turlock City Hall Gallery and award prizes to the winners. A new prize, the Ornament Award, will be selected by commissioners and the winner will have his or her artwork featured on Christmas ornaments sold by the commission. ...

New Year’s fitness goals: One month later

The ball has dropped, the Champagne bottle is empty, and the novelty of the new year is starting to wear off. Resolutions that were so adamantly proclaimed at the stroke of midnight have faded to distant memories for many Turlockers. Others are still clinging to the hope that a new year can mean a clean slate for accomplishing the goals they most want to meet. We are one ...

Parenting focus of ‘Choose Civility’ lecture event

Justin Lookadoo entertained and informed parents on Thursday night at the Stanislaus County Office of Education's latest "Choose Civility" event. Lookadoo is a former juvenile probation officer turned professional speaker who lectures across the country. Lookadoo said that he does consultation work with schools and parents who have made national headlines because of crisis situations. "What I'm excited about here ...

COMMUNITY: HELPING TANNER

Monica and James Woods accepted a check from American Legion Rex Ish Post 88 and the American Legion Riders on Sunday. The money will help with medical expenses for their baby boy Tanner, who was born with multiple heart defects in December. Monica Woods said that Tanner is finally home after six weeks of hospital stays and open heart surgery.

Chamber of Commerce honors city’s top citizens, businesses

On a foggy night in one of the coldest months of the year, the Turlock Chamber of Commerce took the opportunity to recognize some bright spots in our community. The chamber held its Best of Turlock awards dinner on Friday to recognize outstanding citizens and businesses for their contributions and hard work over the past year.

Turlock swine show unofficial start of fair season for many 4-H, FFA students

There were not many bidders left in the stands as the last few hogs made their way to the auction block at the WD Swine Farm show and sale on Saturday. The farm was selling pigs exclusively for projects, mostly 4-H and FFA, and many of the school-aged bidders were already happily admiring their purchases through the bars of the pig pens.

Commission considers making dog parks part of General Plan Update

The Turlock Parks, Recreation and Community Program Commission is actively reviewing possible locations for a second dog park in Turlock. Although there are no funds currently available for the construction of a new dog park, the commission is researching the possibility of including dog parks in the Parks Master Plan and General Plan update for all future parks in Turlock. <font face="Calibri" ...

EDUCATION: CALL TO SERVICE

In honor of the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's inauguration, mayors from across the country are challenging youth to get involved in their communities. The speech JFK made on that day is still famous for the line "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

Hughson finance director retires; city hires part-time replacement

The City of Hughson is starting over with a clean slate in the new year. Three new council members joined the Hughson City Council after the recall election in August, and a new city manager was hired in September. Hughson will continue to see new faces at City Hall after the City Council approved the hiring of a new finance director on Monday. "Debbie Paul ...

School district financial health dependent on tax extension

Governor Jerry Brown's proposed budget for 2011-2012 leaves a lot of unanswered questions for the Turlock Unified School District. Officials say that if California voters don't approve to extend a set of taxes that are about to expire the results could be devastating for local school districts.

Class makes dresses for Salvation Army

Pitman High School students in Anne Cornell's fashion and design class learned the value of community service this semester. Thirty-six students sewed 30 little girls' Christmas dresses and donated them to the Salvation Army. Major Debi Shrum of the Salvation Army said the dresses will be distributed to families with young daughters during the holiday food distribution, and they would probably all be gone by the end of ...

New county animal shelter opens its doors to the public

Community members enjoyed a preview of the Thomas W. Mayfield Regional Animal Services Facility on Wednesday at a public dedication ceremony. The Stanislaus County Animal Services Auxiliary held their fundraising event, "Every Life Counts" at the facility later that day to benefit the shelter.

Fun to dream, while it lasted

If you are reading this column, then I did not win the lottery. I wrote this on Friday afternoon, when lotto fever was still high and we all had hopes of winning $640 million dollars. I have to admit that I was not immune to that fever myself. I bought several tickets for myself, and I'm part of an office pool of 12 people. I prepared this letter in the unlikely, but unfortunate ...

Local kids get hands-on with dental health

Students from TLC day care and preschool classes learned a lesson about dental care from First Step Dental employees on Friday morning. The class was just one of 12 groups that took a tour of the dental office and learned dental hygiene from the professionals. February is children's dental health month, and in honor of that First Step Dental invites community preschool, daycare and kindergarten groups to tour their office every year. Kids learn ...

What is romance?

My assignment this week, whether I liked it or not, was to write an article about the inner workings of romance. This article, I was told, had to be a first-person perspective on the issue. I thought this would be an easy assignment, but it turns out that defining romance is harder than I expected. The first person I approached for this article was my wonderful and loving boyfriend. I thought that surely ...

Annual quilt show to display local talent, honor U.S. veterans

The Turlock Quilt Guild will be showing its colors on Feb. 18 and 19 at its annual quilt show. The "Stars Among Us" themed show will feature a special presentation to United States veterans by Quilts of Honor. The presentation of quilts to veterans of foreign wars is a regular thing for Quilts of Honor. The group hopes to honor members of the military by showing them appreciation for sacrifice and service. Their ...

Mosquito conference addresses new requirements

The Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California met on Jan. 30 to discuss issues facing local control districts. Top on their list of priorities was the new Clean Water Act permit requirement that might result in mosquito control agencies being unable to provide the same level of service. Turlock Mosquito Abatement District manager David Heft attended the conference. He said that the new Clean Water Act enforcement might require permits for all ...

Local woman collects teddy bears for firefighters

Jessica Austin is on a mission to help local children affected by fires and other emergencies. Austin was moved to action after the fire at Crowell Elementary School to collect small stuffed animals for the local fire fighters to distribute. "I just thought it was a good idea to replace what they handed out at the fire. (Firefighters) keep small stuffed animals with them to pass out to children who are scared," Austin ...

Emanuel welcomes new chief of staff, board members

Emanuel Medical Center is starting the new year with a change in board members and a new chief of staff.

Turlock says farewell to favorite Sister

After 28 years of memories, the Turlock community is saying farewell and safe travels to Sister Christina Doona as she embarks on the next chapter of her life. Doona will be leaving for her native Ireland on Tuesday, after serving the Sacred Heart Parish since 1983. "She has truly been a 'sister' to us. She has helped to make us truly feel like a family. Our parish family will not be the same ...

Turlock native releases fourth album

Turlock native Andy Padlo recently released his fourth album, "Buffalo Wedding." He describes his style as a mix of singer/songwriter, folk, and alternative country/rock. Padlo lived in Turlock for most of his childhood. His family moved to town when he was in fifth grade and he attended Chatom School. He graduated from Turlock High School in 1979, where he played in school bands. Padlo also had a rock band with his friends. In ...

Locals celebrate Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year was celebrated around the world on Monday by cultures that follow a lunar calendar. The holiday, popularly known in the U.S. as Chinese New Year, is also celebrated by Vietnamese, Korean, Tibetan and Mongolian communities. Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated in China as a spring festival. It includes dragon dances, fireworks, and family meals. Older relatives give gifts of red envelopes, normally full of cash, to children. Family ...

Turlocker presents 1966 turbo engine design to UNLV students

David Chovanak made the long trek from Turlock to Las Vegas this week to present a unique invention to a group of engineering students. Chovanak built what might be the first known micro turbine engine out of spare parts and kitchen utensils in 1966 as a student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (then Nevada Southern University). He presented his invention - which he named The Rebel - to senior design students on ...

Chamber, community honors 'Best of Turlock'

The Turlock community gathered on Friday night to recognized business leaders, humanitarians and other local dignitaries at the Best of Turlock awards. The ceremony is put on every year by the Turlock Chamber of Commerce. This year's ceremony included awards presented to two local football volunteers, Joaquin Rose and Don Hill. Rose also won an award for Best Small Business for his leadership of B & B Manufacturing. The chamber also recognized the ...

Alzheimer’s Association offers advice for families

January is a busy time for the Alzheimer's Association. The organization receives an increased number of calls from concerned family members who noticed a change in a loved one during holiday visits. For some families, the holidays are the only time they see elderly relatives. Those visits can be a challenge for children, grandchildren and other family members who see personality changes in their loved one. The Alzheimer's Association's Northern California and Northern ...

Local Home Depot employees volunteer time, expertise

Local couple shares experiences with Nazi Germany

Hanna and Dieter Renning both survived an episode of world history that most Americans have only read about. Both Hanna and Dieter were born in Germany during WWII, but they had vastly different experiences. Dieter was made to join the Hitler Youth, and Hanna's family fled the Nazi Party for their lives. The Rennings will share their story at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Association of American University Women Turlock Branch. Dieter ...