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!

Great Exhibits

A great place to start is in the western style “Kids Bank” including a teller’s window, play money, phones and an old fashioned typewriter. Adjacent to the bank is the role playing Theater. Musical instruments, to accompany any production, are close by to drum, shake, rattle and ring. Backstage hosts an array of dragon, bunny, firefighter, pilot and ballerina costumes. Meandering through additional rooms visitors discover the brightly painted Castle Room. Throne and courtyard included, this popular room is available for birthday parties. The courtyard will soon offer supplies and instructions for many artistic creations. Another popular feature is the Shadow Room dubbed “the room full of giggle”. Here one finds a darkened room where photosensitive paper on walls combined with a strobe light capture wiggling, posing and jumping movement.

Eager to involve children in” real-life” learning, an Emergency Services Exhibit is now OPEN! Included are a 911 console simulator, kids-sized fire truck, brass sliding pole and miniature ambulance. Local fire, ambulance, sheriff and victim services presentations will be available with interactive elements and scenarios to encourage opportunities towards developing confident answers to emergency situations

Complimenting the Emergency Services Exhibit is a
Teddy Bear Hospital located in another area of the museum where children can dress in scrubs, medical coats and hospital pajamas. In the clinic there are X-rays to study, crutches to lean on and stethoscopes to hear the beating of Teddy Bear hearts. Slides can be viewed using the unique “Wentz-Scope” and anatomy puzzles can be assembled as well.

The arrangement of exhibits facilitates easy access to smaller exhibits like the Gravity Wall, Bernoulli Blower, Sand Pendulum and Plasma Ball. All offer eager participants the opportunity to experiment with the principles of science, flight and gravity. At the Gravity Wall, participants are encouraged to insert colored plastic cards into angled slots designing a route for balls of varying size and weight. The Plasma Ball and Disk teach the properties of electrical current. Touching the glass ball or disk, the electrical field enclosed in gas, follows the “touch” movement, sparking only curiosity and sensory understanding. Children will also have fun at the museum’s computer, which has access to the Internet (protected by Cyber Patrol) and has a computer painting program.

One of the original and most popular exhibits is the
Paul Beard Natural History area. Children “dig” in the 3 foot high sandbox to discover, dust and identify bones. Retired school teacher, Paul Beard’s generous collection of butterflies, fossils and rocks are available with adult assistance to identify, touch and hold. Also included in this exibit is a taxidermied collection of local creatures on permanent loan from the CSU, Fresno.

Montecino & Associates is hosting the first annual “Celebrate The Season”. Come into the office with a can of food for Manna House, vote on the best decorated cubicle and be entered to win a $200 gift card to Target. You may vote daily and the drawing will take place on December 18th.

When we think of giving at Christmas time, we often think of material goods, rather than services. Professionals who give of their time and talents offer the type of gifts that cannot be wrapped, but are just as meaningful as presents tied up with bows.

For 14 years, Dr. Dennis Jones has provided free dental care for people in the area who lack dental insurance. His partners this tooth-saving venture, Dr. Peter Jones and Dr. Walter Randall, haven’t been at it quite as long, but they are more than willing to help. Since dentists can’t work alone, the rest of their office staff to make this happen.

This year’s free dental day will be Friday, December 7. It starts at 8 am and lasts until noon. People start to get in line an hour before the dental clinic starts and patients are seen on a first come, first served basis. Some years they have had as many as 80 patients.

If you feel as though your teeth are in good order, you can help by donating canned food. It will go to Manna House to help round out someone’s holiday meal.

The dentists’ office is at 48677 Victoria Lane at the Community Medical Center, behind Urgent Care. If you would like to know more about free dental day, contact the office at 559-683-4544.

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.

You know the old saying: one person’s trash is someone else’s treasure. This saying has never been truer because the Harry H. Baker Boys & Girls Club would love to take your old jalopy off of your hands. By selling it at auction, the organization can convert an eyesore into opportunity. Even if your car is not fit to be auctioned, it can still be sold for scrap. The proceeds, minus the cost of towing and other fees, will benefit the club.
Don’t worry about whether or not your old car will make a lot at auction because it all adds up. Every donation helps and many small donations add up.

And cars aren’t the only thing they are willing to haul away: they’ll rid you of an unwanted boat, truck, trailer, or RV too.
Make the call to (800) 246-0493 and arrange for a pickup. When you call, be sure to tell them that you want Oakhurst’s Harry B. Baker Boys & Girls Club to benefit from your donation. Then someone will come haul your vehicle away, leaving you with more breathing room in your yard and a tax-deductible receipt.

Just think: your phone call means that a local child will be able to get help with homework, be mentored and encouraged, and gain valuable experience and exercise playing sports in a supervised environment.

If only it were always this easy.

As the holiday season is approaching, so many people begin to collect food for those in need. At the Madera County Food Bank, you will find a wonderful place in need of your donations. “It is the purpose of the Madera County Food Bank to provide and distribute supplementary/emergency food to our community’s low-income individual, families, and Senior Citizens, in a manner that promotes health, self-sufficiency and preserves recipients’ dignity.” http://www.maderafoodbank.org/ This facility offers so much for our community, when and where, it is needed most.

The “Compassion in Action” clients are referred to the food bank by hospitals, service providers, and ministers, etc… This program offers on-going nutritional support to families who suffer from a long term crisis such as Cancer and AIDS. Their need for food is met at the Madera County Food Pantry when they cannot be met elsewhere. Compassion in Action families will receive approximately 70 pounds of food two times per month. The items donated to the family are individualized to better aid in the recovery of the client.

Another great program is SNAPP (Senior Nutrition and Produce Program). This is a service providing bags of food for low income seniors. Not only do they provide a service, but also a social outlet for our seniors. Seniors 55 and over will be given fresh fruit and vegetables each week. Seniors who are 60 and over can receive additional food once a month. They offer many sites for seniors to come together and package food for those in need. For more information, call (559) 674-1482.

Experts advise that your family should have an emergency evacuation and action plan in case there is a family, environmental, or terrorism emergency. This means an emergency kit with food, water, flashlights, masks, protective garb, extra clothing, extra gasoline, radio, candles, batteries, cell phone, blankets, medicines and bandages, and more. You will also want to instruct your family members who to contact and set a family rendezvous point. It is also good for a nearby friend or neighbor to be in on the plan in case you cannot get home quickly enough. You will also want to have extra cash on hand and arrange to have valuable documents and computer equipment safeguarded and archived offsite.

You should also devise a plan for your company for evacuation and safety, and set up a phone tree for keeping in touch. You will also want to arrange to have valuable documents and computer equipment safeguarded and archived in secure offsite premise.

You can get advice on emergency preparednes from Madera County. You can also check federal resources such as FEMA www.fema.gov and Dept. of Homeland Security. DHS has a special site for helping you with preparedness: www.ready.gov.

The Madera County Government has a task force in place planning an emergency response. You are invited to become a citizen volunteer to coordinate activities in your area. Simply indicate your interest or expertise in medical, site coordination, or non-medical issues. Register here: http://www.madera-county.com/publichealth/form.html

For more preparedness information on bioterroism issues, outreach, and activities, see the county’s website http://www.madera-county.com/publichealth . You can also contact Bernie Smith at at 675-7893 or bernie.smith@madera-county.com.

Adopting a pet not only saves the pet’s life, but it can enrich yours, too. Madera County reports that pet shelters here and in the neighboring counties are overflowing with wonderful animals seeking new homes. There is a severe overabundance of dogs, who will be put to sleep if homes cannot be found for them.

Some people adopt pets without thinking through what pet ownership means. Or their family or living situation changes, making it harder for them to keep their pets.
Visit county website for a list of the pets of the week. You will also find links to neighboring animal rescue groups throughout the region.

For more information, please contact Madera County Department of Animal Control
14269 Road 28 or call (559) 675-7891. You can also view pets available at www.petfinder.org. Or, visit the shelter from 10 am to 5 pm weekdays and until 2 pm on Saturday.

For only $95 you can adopt a neutered animal, save a life, and control the pet population. More importantly, you can enrich the lives of your family and teach your kids wonderful lessons about love and responsibility. Single people also love the companionship of a pet.

Dogs are wonderful pets, noted for their unconditional love and loyalty. These wonderful family members can help protect your home, your valuables and your kids. Animals can sense that something is awry before we humans do. Amazingly, researchers confirm that animals can even predict impending earthquakes, an important consideration for us Californians.

Don’t underestimate cats. They too can be loving, and not as aloof as you might think. They have their own distinct personalities, and do enjoy human affection.

Mutual love makes people happier and healthier, and research shows they are quicker to recover from illness. There is no time like the present to adopt a pet. Your children will thank you, too.