Delicious wine and chocolate, who could ask for anything more?  On Saturday, February 9th and Sunday, February 10th, come and enjoy all that the Madera Vintners Association has to offer.  Family wineries of the Madera Wine Trail will be hosting a wonderful weekend for you to enjoy!

Winery visitors may purchase a $20 Passport Wine Glass at any of the participating wineries either Saturday or Sunday.    Come and enjoy both art and music as you travel along through your wine tasting adventures.  Current and new vintages will be available for tasting and purchasing and will be paired with delicious chocolate creations that are sure to delight even the most finicky of taste buds.

The wineries will offer a vast selection of fun for you to enjoy while visiting.  The Birdstone Winery will host jazz musicians.  They will have lunch available and olive, chocolate and cheese tasting.  The Westbrook Wine Farm is taking reservations by appointment only (very limited).  They will unveil their new secret wine “Gambono”.

The Prospero family welcomes you to come and try their award winning wines, made from the finest California grapes at the Oak Hallow Winery.  Come and try the old world wine blends from the Nonini family at the Pacific Crest Winery.

Please check back on Wednesday for the conclusion to this delicious post!

A spaghetti dinner will be held as a fundraiser for Mark Grogan.  Mark works at the Century 21 Ditton Sierra Realty office at the Bass Forks Minit Mart.  A non-smoker all of his life, he is currently battling lung cancer.  With his upbeat attitude, he is quoted as saying “I’m going to beat this!”
 
The dinner will be held this Saturday, January 12th from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Oakhurst Community Center.  The entire community is invited to attend.  The cost of the dinner is $10.  Tickets can be purchased at any Century 21 Ditton Sierra Realty, The Buckhorn Saloon, K & B Auto, Gas n’ Stuff, Hair Care Plus, Steve Cook Insurance, Bass Fork Minit Mart, North Fork Ace Hardware and the Yosemite Gateway Association of Realtors.

Every year there are over 17,000 Americans diagnosed with lung cancer.  Early detection and the overall health of the individual diagnosed are important factors in surviving this disease.

Proceeds from the dinner will help Mr. Grogan with travel and medical expenses.  There will be a live auction for a wonderful Carnival cruise (4 day, 5 nights).  The winner will only need to pay taxes, port fees and incidents.  There will also be raffle drawings and fun entertainment for everyone to enjoy.

For more information on the spaghetti dinner, call (559) 683-7653.

The Harry H. Baker Boys and Girls Club had their 6th Annual Christmas Tree Auction on December 2, 2007.  They are reporting that it was a huge success.  Information will follow soon on their website, as to how much money they raised for their various charities.

If you missed the live auction, you still have a chance to bid on some fantastic items online.  The final day of bidding will be this Friday, December 14th.  Like before, the proceeds will go the The Harry H. Baker Boys and Girls Club.

Bidders are welcome to wage war and try to win a one-of-a-kind original painting that was painted especially for this occasion by artist Joan Brumley.  There are  other items still available for online bidding. Many holiday decorations, a family portrait session, glassware, jewelry, various collectible items, and the book, “Rhett Butler’s People”.

Not only will you find some fun items to put under the Christmas tree, you will be helping this worthwhile organization whose mission is to enhance and promote and the development of boys and girls in the Madera County area.

If you would like to see what see what all the fun is about, visit http://www.supportbgclub.cmarket.com for more information.  Let the bidding continue!

If you’re in business (and even if you’re not) you know that China is fast becoming a leader on the world economic stage. In March 2007 the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored a trip to China and the chamber is planning to return to China in October 2008. If you want to go, you should make arrangements now so that you can be prepared and have everything in place, as space is limited.

The price of the trip is $1,499 per person. This price takes into account double-occupancy and includes round trip airfare, the costs of staying at a 4 or 5-star hotel, tour bus, tour guides, 3 meals per day, entrance fees for attractions and taxes. You will truly get your money’s worth and then some on this trip. You can get a single room for $450 more. If you want to take a business class flight (round trip) add $4,500 to the original price.

Participants are responsible for making sure their passports are up to date. You must register for the trip by 8/1/08 and a registration fee of $200 is due at the time of registration.

To get an information packet about this exciting trip, call the Chamber at 559-683-7766.

If you missed your opportunity last weekend, you have yet another chance to enjoy some great fun in Madera County.  Come celebrate Christmas in the Mountains on its final weekend!

Local crafters, shop keepers and artisans welcome you to join their Christmas celebrations.  The festivities began last weekend and will continue December 7th through December 9th.

Patrons will enjoy experiencing the simplicity of Christmas past in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  There is something planned for everyone in the family in the communities of North Fork, Oakhurst and Coarsegold.

Come and enjoy the fresh mountain air with local artisans, candy makers, storytellers, and music makers.  You will also encounter roving carolers throughout your travels.  Whether you visit for one day or the entire weekend, your family is sure to have a wonderful time!

Motorists will be greeted by paintings of woodland critters. Your children will be able to enjoy Breakfast with Santa, photos with Father Christmas and Santa, and storytelling hours.  There will be a shuttle service available to Yosemite National Park as well. 

Visitors will be able to purchase their “passport” (a holiday bracelet) for $5.00 which will open the doors to special gifts from restaurants, shops and hotels during their visit.  These bracelets will be available at stores displaying a pine cone decal in their window.

The Vision Academy of the Arts is sponsoring this event.  They are a non-profit organization.  Their main purpose is to promote art in the mountain area.

If you are interested in attending any or all of the fun events scheduled, visit (http://www.visionacademy.org/CITMschedule.htm) for more information.

Clearly one of the biggest events of the year in Oakhurst is the Installation Dinner and Dance.  The Chamber of Commerce invites you to join them on Friday, December 7, 2007 at 5:30 p.m..  The festivities will be held at the Pines Resort, Lakeview Room.  Attendees will help welcome into office the new Board of Directors.

The evening will include appetizers, served during the reception with a No Host Bar.  Dinner choices are Prime Rib or Salmon, and will include a salad, wine, and dessert with coffee or tea.

Honoree for the Life Time Achievement Award will be Tommie Underwood.  Winners will also be announced for the “Volunteer of the Year”, “Woman of the Year”, “Man of the Year”, and “Business of the Year”.

After the Installation of Officers, participants will enjoy a night of dancing with Sierra DJ.

Reservations are currently being taken for this event.  The cost is $45 per person, or you may reserve a table for 8 for $360.  You may also sponsor the Installation Dinner for $500.  This price will include a table for 8, an announcement recognizing your contribution with special recognition in the program that is provided to participants.   For an extra $50, you may want to enter the table top decoration contest.  If you are entering the contest, plan on arriving between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to decorate your table.  The winner will be announced at the dinner and will receive $100. 

Sponsoring an award recipient’s table is available for an additional $500 donation.  Be sure to notate which recipient you would like to sponsor.  Donations are also being accepted from those who are not able to attend this event.

If you would like to make a reservation or receive more information, call the Oakhurst Chamber of Commerce at (559-683-7766) or visit their website.

Oakhurst Library – Food For Fines Program

The State of California passed a law in 1911, requiring each county to provide free public libraries to all citizens.  With revenues from the federal government, the Oakhurst Library was built in 1977.   When it first opened, the Oakhurst Library was called “Fresno Flats”.  Currently, there are many services available including tax forms, internet assessable computers, music CD’s, books on CD and tapes, along with newspapers, magazines and most importantly, books.

“The mission of the Oakhurst Branch Library is to provide a balanced, accurate, and up-to-date collection of books and other materials, as well as professional information services, for the educational, informational, cultural, and recreational needs of the community.”

The Oakhurst Library will be sponsoring the “Food For Fines” program.  Under this program, library patrons with outstanding fines, can reduce or eliminate their fines by donating canned food items.  Each canned food item donated is equal to $1 in fines assessed.  Patrons are asked to not bring in dented or damaged cans, as they cannot be accepted.  Donations cannot be applied to lost or damaged items from the library.  Canned food items are being collected from November 26th through December 15th.  If you are interested in donating canned food, but do not have any fines to pay, feel free to join the fun and make a donation.  The Manna House will be receiving all collected items.
 
The Friends of the Oakhurst Branch Library will also be offering the “3 Bucks for Books” sale on December 1st from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m..   Proceeds will benefit the needs of the library.   Visitors will be able to fit as many books as you can in a bag for only $3!  All books are in good condition and are fiction, self help, art, history and travel, to name a few.   There will be a great selection of children’s books on site.  For more information, contact 559-683-7552 or 559-642-4333 or 559-683-4838.

The Harry H. Baker Boys and Girls Club will be having their 6th Annual Christmas Tree Auction.  The online auction will be running from November 19th through November 30th.  The live event will take place on December 2, 2007.

A variety of donations are being sought for this event.  They are seeking rare collectibles for the auction.  They would also like to auction off business and personal services.

Some of the items that are available and are listed on the website include, 2 tickets for Great America, 4 tickets to the Falcons Hockey Game, various collectibles including a handmade Santa collectible valued at $200, Nativity sets, items for your home, holiday décor and holiday gift wrap, plus much more.

You may now view some of the amazing trees and wreaths that will be available for live bidding on December 2nd.  Bidding for silent auction items will be available online and will continue into the evening on December 2nd.  Proxy bidding is available to those who are not able to attend the event.  Some online items are available for bidding for up to one week after the event ends. 

The Auction will help the Harry H. Baker Boys and Girls Club and several other local charities.

If you are interested in making a personal donation or attending the live event on December 2, 2007 please call 559-642-0313 or visit their website for more information.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and officially starts the Christmas holiday shopping season in the United States.  Black Friday can fall on any date from November 23rd through November 29th,since Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November.

Most retailers will start decorating their stores weeks before Black Friday in an effort to entice early shoppers into their stores.  Most retailers will advertise their super low prices for Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day.  Stores typically will open very early on the Friday following Thanksgiving.  It is not uncommon for lines to begin forming the night before.  Patrons will put up with the most commonly cold weather to be the first to receive the super bargains promised to them for their efforts.  Once inside the stores, customers will fight and grab for the treasured low priced items they are seeking. Electronics and popular toys are often the most sought after items and may be sharply discounted.  Unfortunately, many stores nationwide will advertise these items, but only carry a few for their customers to purchase.

The term Black Friday has only been traced back to the 1970’s.  In current day, the term “Black Friday” is considered to refer to the time in which retailers are turning a profit (“in the black”).  It was previously regarded “Black Friday” because of the heavy traffic on that particular day.  Target stores nationwide have decided to call the Friday after Thanksgiving, “Green Friday”, because of all of the “green” they will be making.

Most media outlets refer to Black Friday as the busiest shopping day of the year.  Some years, this is a true statement.  At times though, the Saturday before Christmas has proven to be the busiest shopping day of the year.

So if you feel brave; dress warm, grab your coffee or hot chocolate and hit the streets to find some great bargains!

Forming and leading a championship power agent team can be quite a challenge, but it is well within the realm of most ambitious and talented agents. With the right information and some hard work and determination, you can build a team that will more than pay for itself by generating substantial revenue and freeing you up to pursue other opportunities—both personal and professional.

In this session, John Featherston, President & CEO of RISMedia, teams up with Agent Team Coach Ralph R. Roberts and a panel of the top Power Team Leaders from across
North America to reveal what it takes to build and manage a highly successful power agent team.Topics they will address include the following:

• - Structuring your team, from simple agent-assistant teams to more robust teams consisting of listing agents, buyer’s agents, closing coordinators, and more
• - Identifying your needs
• - Recruiting the right talent
• - Transitioning from independent agent to Power Agent Team Leader
• - Mastering the art of delegating
• - Supplying your team with the tools and technologies to succeed
• - Training new team members
• - Keeping the team on track with weekly meetings
• - Compensating your team to ensure maximum productivity
• - Avoiding and resolving conflicts among team members
• - Marketing your team to build a strong brand presence
• - Identifying new opportunities and adding new teams
• - Overcoming the top challenges to operating a successful agent team

This session will also touch on advanced topics of how to promote and expand your agent team:

• - Generating ever-increasing leads through R-Commerce
• - Streamlining operations with the latest technology
• - Building trust through communities with social media and blogging
• - Expanding your talent pool and scaling your business with virtual assistants
  
  

Moderator & Panelists:

Moderator: John Featherston, President and CEO, RISMedia
Agent Team Coach: Ralph R. Roberts

Panelists:

Brandon Fairbanks, Broker/Owner, Montecino & Associates Real Estate
Domenic Manchisi, Team Leader, Prudential Towne Centre Realty
Chip Neumann, Partner, Neumann Real Estate
Wayne Turner, Broker/Owner, Wayne Turner Real Estate Company
Michelle Turner, Second in Command, Wayne Turner Real Estate Company