Wax poetic for Turlock contest

Poets of all ages are scouring the town and their imagination in search of inspiration for the "Ode to Turlock" poetry contest. This contest is the first of its kind held by the California State University, Stanislaus Modern Languages Program in conjuncture with the Turlock City Arts Commission. The poetry contest was proposed by Teresa Bargetto-Andrès, a professor at CSU Stanislaus and a ...

Appellate court makes rare visit to university

Students at California State University, Stanislaus had a unique opportunity to learn about the justice system on Thursday when the school hosted a panel discussion of the 5th District Court of Appeal justices. Six of the justices visited the university on their way back from hearing oral arguments in Modesto. The last time the justices visited Stanislaus County was in 2006.

I guess I won’t be on “Jeopardy!”after all

Last week a press release came across my desk that killed a dream of mine. The news was innocent enough; it congratulated an Elk Grove college student on his upcoming appearance on the TV show "Jeopardy!" For me, however, this press release ended four months of waiting and hoping on a phone call from the "Jeopardy!"casting staff. You see, I was also in the running to compete in ...

Holiday activities promise spooky fun

Ghosts, ghouls and goblins have plenty of trick-or-treating alternatives this year at area Halloween events. Several organizations are hosting their own Halloween carnivals the day before Halloween as an alternative to the traditional door-to-door candy collecting. Costume contests and pumpkin carving contests will also get families in the Halloween spirit this year.

Paralyzed dog finds new home, way to travel

Daphne the Chihuahua does not seem to notice that she is not like other dogs. She runs with the other dogs, she plays in the grass, and she occasionally disobeys her owner. Daphne doesn't seem to notice that she only walks with the help of a special wheelchair, she only plays where the grass is not too long to stop her wheels, and she ...

New city commissioners look to better the community

The Turlock City Council approved four new city commissioners at Tuesday's meeting. Mike Dowd and Steven Nascimento were appointed to the Parks, Recreation and Community Commission; and Alex Cantatore and Susana Love were appointed to the Arts Commission. Each commissioner had his or her own reason for applying, but they all said they were happy to be appointed to serve their community.

Turlock artist opens yurt for clay classes

Children and adults who love to get their hands dirty in the name of art have a new outlet for creative expression in an unconventional classroom. Titia Barnett-Gudde converted her backyard yurt into an art studio classroom where she will offer clay lessons for young and old. The yurt is a portable, but sturdy, lattice-framed tent and Barnett-Gudde said that it makes for a surprisingly good work space.

Going three rounds for cancer awareness

Art and inspiration came together for a women's cancer awareness event on Tuesday night. The Art of Life was hosted by Emanuel Cancer Center at Monte Vista Chapel as a free public event to raise awareness and celebrate the survivors of breast, ovarian, cervical and other cancers that impact women's lives.

Emanuel reaches $1 million fundraising goal

Emanuel Medical Center celebrated the successful end to this year's Legacy Circle fundraising campaign on Thursday. The hospital successfully met its $1 million donation goal in just six weeks of fundraising. Money raised from Legacy Circle will fund cardiovascular services at Emanuel Medical Center.

COMMUNITY: PICNIC AND A MOVIE

The City of Turlock Recreation Department's "Movie Under the Stars" event was a popular place to picnic Friday evening. Families brought dinner, pizza and their favorite snacks to enjoy before the showing of "Tooth Fairy." The movie was presented at the Turlock Regional Sports Complex. It was the latest of several outdoor movie events sponsored by city recreation department. At $2 per person, "Movies Under the Stars" has ...

Newman Crows Landing educators win weight loss contest

Residents of the West Side of Stanislaus County took the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle with their own version of a "Biggest Loser" competition. On Aug. 12 seven teams of 10 people stepped on a giant agricultural scale to weigh in and begin their weight loss mission. Five of those teams took to the scales again on Saturday for their final weigh out at the end of the ...

Blessing of the animals

Reverend Kathie Galicia of St. Francis Episcopal Church and Pastor Sylvia Meuller of Light of Christ Lutheran Parish blessed local animals on Sunday in celebration of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. The yearly tradition honors St. Francis and his love for all creatures and thanks pets for their service and companionship. Cats, goats, and dogs big and small participated in this year's blessing.

Food program expands in Merced, Stanislaus counties

More than 30 elementary school students struggled under the weight of bags packed with groceries in the multipurpose room of El Capitan Elementary School on Friday. Each kid was hauling more than 15 pounds of food home thanks to a recently expanded after-school program named Food 4 Thought.

After school programs combine learning and fun

Back to school means back to finding afterschool childcare for many local parents. The Turlock Recreation Division offers several educational and play-oriented programs for elementary school students.

CENTENARIAN CELEBRATION

Seven residents of Covenant Care Center were recognized for turning 100 years old on Friday. Turlock Mayor John Lazar presented each centenarian with a certificate. Those recognized for their longevity included Elizabeth Lemcke, Marjory Flood, Mable Olson, Grace Allen, Esther Wilson, and Lawlis Pace and soon-to-be centenarian Laura Frykman, who will turn 100 in December.

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 ...