TID approves short-term Gomes Lake agreement

Homes and businesses near the San Joaquin River are one step closer to having flood protection this winter season as the Turlock Irrigation District Board of Directors voted on Tuesday to enter into a short-term agreement with the Gomes Lake Joint Powers Agency.The JPA membership - made up of TID, the City of Turlock, Stanislaus County and Reclamation Districts 2063 and 2091 - ...

Thrift store donates over $250,000 to area charities

Off Center Thrift & Gift in downtown Turlock is not a regular second-hand store. While Off Center does sell gently used clothing and gift items, unlike most other thrift stores, all of the employees are volunteers and all of the profits are donated back to the community.

Season of hope

No matter how commercial the Christmas season gets, there is one pure thing the holidays always bring - hope.

Retired engineer uses skills to create parade magic

This year's Turlock Downtown Christmas Parade theme is right up Richard Fantazia's alley. You see, Fantazia is a miracle worker. He takes abstract ideas and makes them into moving, lighted, bigger-than-life parade floats.

2008 robocalls still under investigation

While the City of Turlock prepares to seat a new council following the Nov. 2 election, the investigation into the party or parties responsible for the illegal "robocalls" placed during the 2008 City Council election continues. The repercussions of the investigation also continue to sow discord between council members.

Using their powers for good

I am usually not a fan of celebrity news. In fact, I cringe whenever someone in the office asks "Did you hear what Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (or any other famous people) are doing?"

Keyes horsewoman earns two World Championship titles

Horses have always been a part of Kate Doerksen's life. The Keyes woman's passion for horses and riding has led her to capture two World Championship titles at the 2010 Fall World Championship Paint Horse Show held Nov. 4-13 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Web site provides information on low and no-cost healthcare

As more and more people find themselves without a job - and the health insurance they were used to having - doctor's visits and general wellness care drop to the bottom of the priority list.

Pre-school program gives children tools they need to succeed

As the 20 Head Start pre-school students in Maria Marques' classroom at Osborn Elementary finished their lunches, parent volunteers Victor Sanabria and Christine Berlin helped the kids throw away their disposable plates and head to the reading carpet.

Turlock family mixes cuisines to prepare the perfect Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving is a true American holiday. It is celebrated by everyone, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnic background. And many times it is the first American holiday embraced by emigrants. This is true for the Aydenian family.

A family tradition

Practice makes perfect. Dave Hillenga and his 5-year-old grandson Braydon Johnson found that old adage to be true on Monday, when they won first place in the pumpkin pie contest that they took second place in last year.

OFF TO SACRAMENTO

California State University, Stanislaus administration, faculty and staff bid a fond farewell to the university's assistant vice president for communications and public affairs on Friday. Kristin Olsen (pictured center) will soon be leaving her post at the university to tackle the challenges of the California State Assembly.

Another for the record books

Last week I became a statistic. I was one of the over 6,700 cases of whooping cough reported in California for 2010 - the most cases reported in 63 years.

Community gathers to support Salvation Army at annual Kettle Kick-Off

Over 600 people gathered at the Larsa Banquet Hall Tuesday to ring in the holiday season with giving. The annual Salvation Army Kettle Kick-Off not only brought hundreds together for a pre-Thanksgiving turkey dinner, but also raised much-needed funds for the Turlock Salvation Army.

Keyes ethanol plant to reopen soon

Keyes will soon be contributing to California's renewable energy industry once again, as AE Biofuels, Inc. announced it plans to reopen the ethanol plant located off of Highway 99.

Lemonade Day sweet success

The weather was perfect for selling lemonade on Saturday, and helping local youth understand the importance of giving back while learning business principles. Among the dozens of young entrepreneurs who set up shop at locations around Turlock and the county for National Lemonade Day on Saturday, were Samantha Robison and Norah Frank. Frank and Robison, both first graders at Medeiros Elementary School, offered traditional lemonade and berry-flavored at their booth at Paramount ...

Cultural diversity brings us together

I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again. Turlock needs to bring back its cultural festivals. Cultural diversity is one of the Valley's greatest strengths, and it should be celebrated whenever possible. I've lived in Turlock for over 14 years now, and I'm still learning about the many cultural backgrounds of area residents. On Saturday, I joined the Sons of Norway for their annual Syttende Mai (May 17) celebration in ...

COMMUNITY: SYTTENDE MAI

The Garborg and Solheim lodges of the Sons of Norway held their annual Syttende Mai (May 17) celebration on Saturday at Donnelly Park in honor of the Norwegian Constitution Day. The two Central Valley lodges marked the National Day by flying the Norwegian flag, eating traditional dishes like lefse (a flatbread made of potato, cream and flour) and playing kubb. "Kubb is an old viking game that goes back 1,000 years. It's ...

Turlockers 'Fill the Boot' for Kindness

Turlock Firefighters Local 2434 held its annual Random Acts of Kindness Fill the Boot fundraiser on Saturday and was able to raise almost $16,000 for local charities. Turlock firefighters voluntarily stood out on the corners of Monte Vista Crossings asking citizens to fill their boots with donations. Firefighters were able to raise $836 alone from people emptying the change trays in their cars. This year's total amount donated is an increase of almost $2,000 ...

More water coming to TID growers

Doomsday scenarios were bantered about at Tuesday's Turlock Irrigation District Board of Directors meeting, with the economic repercussions of this season's failed crops pitted against the impact of having no water at all for future irrigation years. In an effort to balance the immediate needs of farmers with prudent drought planning, the TID directors voted to increase the cap on irrigation water from 30 inches to 34 inches. The increase is still 14 ...

KIWANIANS GIVE BACK

The Children's Crisis Center will be able to continue to serve at-risk kids in the Turlock area thanks in part to a donation from the Kiwanis Club of Greater Turlock. On Thursday, Kiwanians presented a check for $2,000 to Children's Crisis Center Executive Director Colleen Garcia. The crisis center is just one of the many organizations that the Kiwanis Club of Greater Turlock supports. The club provides college scholarships, donates to high school ...

Festival of Trees to continue through new EMC Health, Inc.

As the sale of Emanuel Medical Center to Tenet Healthcare proceeds through the regulatory approval process, the Turlock hospital's faith-based service to the community will continue through two new organizations. EMC Health, Inc., a faith-based nonprofit affiliated with the Covenant Church, will be the successor organization to Emanuel Medical Center. The new organization will take care of the hospital's business obligations after the sale to Tenet and assume management of Jessica's House. <p ...

Welcome to Turlock

Playing host is nothing new for Turlock. The town welcomes thousands of athletes and fans to its fields and diamonds each year; sees over 200,000 visitors to the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds; and is the site of Christmas and Fourth of July family traditions for thousands of parade attendees. Turlock recently saw new-found fame as San Francisco 49er fans and Colin Kaepernick supporters flocked to the QB's hometown for a truly unique NFC Championship ...

Water wall captures iconic pose of 49ers QB

When San Francisco 49ers quarterback and hometown hero Colin Kaepernick kissed his bicep after a touchdown run during the team's NFC Championship season, he started a Niner Nation sensation called "Kaepernicking." Although football season is over, Kaepernick's iconic pose is still inspiring fans. One of those fans is local designer T. Michael Alcordo, also known as "Kimo." "I'm a 49er fan; I was challenged to do a 49er water wall," Alcordo said. ...

FEASTIVAL OF FUN

The 8th Annual Taste of Turlock FEASTival brought local eateries, live entertainment and kids activities together for downtown fun on Saturday.

Homeless shelters close for season

Warmer weather has finally arrived in the Valley - just in time for those who now have no option left but to sleep on the streets. The Turlock Gospel Mission's winter relief ministry for women and children and the We Care cold weather shelter for men both closed for the season last week. TGM's winter relief gave shelter to 1,580 (99 individual women and children) over its five month season from mid-November to ...

Turlock prepares to feel the love

A Valley-wide demonstration of love is set for Saturday as hundreds of volunteers will take to their city streets and neighborhoods to clean, paint, rebuild and repair. The second annual Love Turlock event is expected to draw at least 1,200 volunteers, said organizer Craig Brooks. While volunteers will be working on projects for a few nonprofit organizations, the focus this year is on helping individuals and families. "We want people connecting with ...

Keep the discourse coming with public art

I admit it; I'm a fan of Califia. Since 2005, when the 14-foot fountain statue was placed at the corner of Main and Market streets in downtown Turlock, it has evoked many a passionate opinion - mostly negative. But I , for one, am a supporter of the mythical Amazon queen that is supposed to symbolize this area's connection to the soil and its agricultural vitality. On my daily drive to work, the ...

ONE DAY OF SERVICE

MedicAlert remains at forefront of health information

Turlock teen Linda Collins' near fatal allergic reaction to a doctor-administered tetanus antitoxin in 1953 - and her family's desire to prevent a similar medical emergency in the future - revolutionized the health information field. The story of how Turlock physician Marion Collins and his wife, Chrissie Collins, designed the first Medic Alert emblem and bracelet for their daughter, and then created an international foundation to provide emergency medical information services for all ...