PATRIOTIC HONOR

Denair Middle School student Cody Alicea was presented with a flag from the U.S.S. Intrepid Association of New York on Friday at the Turlock American Legion Rex Ish Post 88.

College students present study of Turlock’s bike paths

Five Geography majors at California State University, Stanislaus spent the semester biking around Turlock to help make the community a safer place. They surveyed existing bike routes and areas around town that could use bike paths to measure Turlock's bikeability and propose new bikeways.

Latif’s restaurant celebrates 50 years at same location

Generations of Turlockers have enjoyed a hot cup of "joe" at the lunch counter of Latif's restaurant. Even more have delighted in a thick slice of apple pie a la mode at the Latif's pie booth at the Stanislaus County Fair. Through 63 years in business Latif's restaurant has become a landmark in Turlock, and a goodwill ambassador that represents the city to travelers and fair guests alike. ...

New Masters program offers swim workouts for fitness seekers and competitive athletes

The new Turlock Masters Swim Club will offer coaching and camaraderie to adults who have an interest in swimming.

Teen fighting cancer receives very purple wish

A local teen had her wish come true this past weekend when Make-A-Wish Foundation gave her a full bedroom makeover. Megan Gonzalez, a 14 year old from Waterford, is sleeping in style now in her very purple bedroom, thanks to Make-A-Wish volunteers and hard work from her parents.

Turlock woman makes slippers, afghans for local seniors

Donna Oppelt doesn't consider herself an angel among us. She just does what she feels is the right thing to do. The Kiwanis Club of Turlock, however, considers Oppelt an outstanding volunteer worthy of recognition.

Giving rats a bad name

An interesting news story circulating on the Web this week really caught my attention. The headline read "1000 rats rescued from California Home." The basic story is that the reality TV show "Hoarders" found over 1,000 of the critters in a man's California home during filming. The rat colony was a result of one pregnant pet rat being brought home by a child who lived in the house. ...

Parks and Rec commissioner reaches term limit after 22 years

After 22 years of service to the Turlock Parks, Recreation and Community Commission, Brent Bohlender is finally faced with the end of his term limit. Bohlender has been on the commission since 1988, through five different recreation directors and three mayors of Turlock.

Festival celebrates salmon run

Central Valley populations of Chinook salmon are making their yearly run up the Stanislaus and Tuolumne rivers, and the East Stanislaus Resource Conservation District is ready to celebrate. The second annual Stanislaus River Salmon Festival will both celebrate the return of the salmon and educate the public about conservation.Local salmon populations make their way from the Pacific Ocean up river to mate and lay eggs this time of year. ...

Tree gives hope for cancer patients

Emanuel Medical Center will add "hope" to its holiday wish list this year with a new Christmas tree decorated with ornaments made for and by cancer patients and survivors.

Clothing drive for Afghan children

The Noon Rotary Club of Turlock is asking for the community's help to provide seasonally appropriate clothing for children in Afghanistan. The club's Afghan Project will collect waterproof footwear, winter clothing, and other items and ship them overseas where they will be distributed to children who would not otherwise have warm winter clothing.

Taking the long road

Erin Nelson set off on Wednesday morning on what she describes as a "bike ride around the world." Nelson left her Turlock home headed south for Fresno. From Fresno she will go to Los Angeles, where she said she is booked to speak on "Good Day LA." She then plans to head to Dallas, Texas, then up to New York where she will take a plane to Morocco. ...

EDUCATION: A STICKY SITUATION

Students at Sacred Heart School were rewarded for their fundraising efforts with a special assembly on Friday. Students who sold the most for the school fundraiser helped tape their principal to the wall of the multipurpose room. The duct tape held, and she was stuck about 1 foot off the ground, where she was pied in the face by a Sacred Heart teacher.

Mosquito season comes to an end

Turlock's mosquito season is coming to a close, and the risk of contracting West Nile Virus will continue to decrease until mid-November.

Investigators look for ghostly happenings at historical museum

The Turlock Historical Society Museum is not known as a hot spot for paranormal activity, but investigators say they captured an audio recording that might change that.

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 ...