Welcome to Eastern Madera County News! This Community Blog was created in order to give the Eastern Madera County Community a free, interactive and comprehensive communication site that serves as a one-stop source for Community news and information. This Community blog offers constantly updated, pertinent news provided by Community bloggers represented by local organizations active in our community including civic organizations, schools, charities, general business, and many more. Best of all, anyone can join in on the conversation! Our Community Calendar provides information on upcoming events and activities important to our community. Comments are welcome, so let us know what you think! If you would like to join as a contributor to this site please contact Brandon Fairbanks at (559) 683-3595.

If this doesn’t touch you!

http://www.youtube.com/v/ervaMPt4Ha0&autoplay=1
The above is the hottest thing on the internet and on Fox News today. Lizzie Palmer who put this YouTube program together is 15 years old. There have been over 3,000,000 hits as of this morning. In case you missed it, here it is. (if you can’t open it right away, try later – the site may be busy)

If you go to this web site, www.letssaythanks.com, you can pick out a
thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier
that is currently serving in Iraq. You can’t pick out who gets it, but
it will go to some member of the armed services.
How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!!
This is a great site.
Please send a card. It is FREE and it only takes a second.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these?
Whether you are for or against the war, our guys and gals over there
need to know we are behind them…

It may sound cliché, but it is a new year and it is time to develop new habits get rid of addictive behaviors.

Whether you consider an addiction to be a disease, a learned pattern of behavior, or something based on genetics, if you or someone you love has a problem, it is time to get help.

Drugs and alcohol are common addictions, but addictive behavior goes beyond substance abuse. Some people are addicted to shopping. Others can’t stop gambling. There are people who cannot keep themselves away from MySpace, Facebook or Xbox. Addiction can creep into someone’s life wearing many disguises.

When someone has an addiction, they obsess over it, become compulsive about it, and will often hid evidence of the activity from family and friends. Once they start getting a kind of “high” from the activity, it is very hard to stop. Ending an addiction may be difficult, but it is not impossible, and it is much easier if you have some assistance.

To help area residents get the new year off to a good start, the Oakhurst Seventh Day Adventist Church is sponsoring “Kick the habit and live!” Overcome addictions. This free program runs from January 6-10. The church is located at 50690 Crane Valley Road (426) in Oakhurst. To learn more, contact Jacob Gibbs at 559-760-8117.

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, has announced the expansion of the California Landowner Incentive Program (LIP). Landowners who participate in this program will receive grants to fund land management activities that will benefit the plant and animal life in the state.

It may not be readily apparent, but our plants and animals are disappearing. This program is just one way to help reverse this trend.

These grants will allow landowners to restore natural habitats so that California’s lush landscape is not irreparably damaged. This effort focuses on privately owned land because officials are aware that private landowners may not be able to initiate this kind of restoration on their own. Not only are they provided financial assistance, they are also providing technical assistance as well. DFG really wants to make sure that these efforts succeed, so they do not expect landowners to execute this restoration on their own.

They are turning their attention to the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The idea is to repair and restore small parcels of marginal cropland or to rejuvenate orchards that have fallen out of use so that wildlife and return and thrive.

DFG will accept applications until January 31, 2008. Visit this website to learn more about eligibility and additional incentives.

Does the thought of public speaking tie your stomach up in knots? Do you avoid speaking to groups at all costs? Do you think that you could get ahead at work or in life in general if you were able to speak with more confidence?
If this is you, then Toastmasters is the place for you. You can join other area public speakers every Monday at the Toastmasters International Club that meets in the Sierra Telephone Conference Room (Crane Valley Road (426) in Oakhurst).
There you will be able to improve your speaking and leadership skills in a non-threatening environment. Participants in a Toastmasters meeting are interested in getting better at public speaking and they want to help fellow attendees do the same. It is a workshop, so there is no teacher or instructor and everyone works through speaking assignments at their own pace.
You’ll not only gain confidence as a speaker, you can also gain experience taking on leadership roles by taking on various responsibilities to keep the meetings running smoothly. Once you feel comfortable, you can consider leadership positions within your region or district as well.
Many people come to a Toastmasters meeting afraid to speak, but with practice and encouragement, they find that they can talk to others in large or small settings with ease.
For more information on the group that meets at Sierra Telephone, contact Sharon Ince at 559-658-2790.

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.

The Squirrel Cage Theatre Company will be presenting their second consecutive weekend performance of their annual fall dinner show on Friday, November 16th and Saturday November 17th.  The play presentation is called “Shakeup at Sugar Pine.”  Audience participation is encouraged by hissing and yelling at the characters.  The first weekend’s showing was a great success.

The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:00 pm. Tickets for this event will be $25 for a family (immediate family only) $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12.  Reservations may be made in advance for tables only.  Individual tickets are available on site the evening of the performances.

The main food dish served on Friday will be lasagna.  The main food dish on Saturday will be stew.  Dinner is included in the ticket price.  Desserts will be an additional cost to guests. 

There will be a sealed bid auction at intermission each night.  Interested parties will bid for a portrait of the Smiley Mountain Band, which is the featured group at this year’s Frank Logar Memorial Gathering of Musicians.  The portrait was completed by North Fork artist, Joan Constable and is completed on torn paper.  The auction will benefit the 2008 music scholarship.  Sealed bids will be accepted at all showings of the play.  The winner will be announced on November 17, 2007.  Winners need not be in attendance to receive their prize.

Joan LeGro Bushnell is the author of the play. She has lived for more than 40 years in Eastern Madera County. She has resided in Teaford, Bass Lake and North Fork.

If you are interested in more information on this enjoyable show, contact:  (559) 877-2129.
 

“Our mission is to promote the humane treatment of and maintain the quality of life for all animals whether they be domestic, exotic, wild, or livestock. It is the purpose of this society to foster a public attitude of gentleness towards animals and an awareness of the importance they have in our environment and daily lives.” (http://www.emcspca.org/index.html)

The Madera County SPCA’s goal is to provide education to the public on how to care for area animals.  The SPCA offers pet placement for unwanted pets.  They provide low cost vaccination clinics as well as financial assistance with having your pets spayed or neutered.  People often wonder why there is a need to spay and neuter pets.  Controlling pet population is a nationwide problem.  Millions of domestic animals are born each year.  Many will not be placed in loving homes, and are needlessly euthanized because pet owners have had not had their pets spayed or neutered.

The Madera County SPCA is responsible for all stray animals in the county.  If you have a lost pet in the county, you should file a lost pet report as soon as possible.  Owners are encouraged to provide a picture of their pet as well.  There is a “found cat/dog book” that is located at the admissions desk.  This book has a listing of pets that are found, but not brought to the shelter.  Cats dropped off at the shelter are held for 3 days, dogs are held for 5 days, before being evaluated for adoption.

Check back on Monday to read Part II of the Eastern Madera County SPCA article.

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

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.