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.

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.

The Cat’s Meow in Oakhurst, CA is your headquarters for paper, crafts, and all things connected to rubber stamping. Whether you’re new to stamping and other crafts or you’ve been an enthusiast for years, they have what you need. Stop by to see their selection of inks, pens watercolor pencils, pens, embossing powders and paints.

You can also find any and everything to fill up your scrapbook there as well: high- quality paper, scrapbooks, extra pages, basic tools, charms and many types of embellishments.

If you’re looking for ideas, they have samples, magazines and books to inspire you and of course the staff is very knowledgeable.

They not only provide you with the tools to complete craft projects, they can teach you how to complete them as well.

On Saturday, December 8 from 9:30-10:30 you can participate in a class that will feature the Stamp of the Month. This being December at The Cat’s Meow, this month’s stamp is Snowball the Cat. When you buy the stamp you can attend the class at no charge.

Then on Saturday, December 15, they will offer a free Procrastinator’s Workshop. You know you’ve got some half-finished projects at home, so come on out. Nothing solves the problem of unfinished craft projects like some help and a little friendly peer pressure. If you want to get those handmade Christmas gifts ready for this Christmas, you are going to need a little help.

Go to http://www.catsmeowstamps.com/ for more information and to see a schedule of upcoming classes.

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.

Do you remember the joy of racing downstairs on Christmas morning to see what presents were their awaiting you? Or, of you don’t remember Christmases like that from your childhood, perhaps you remember the see the joy on your own children’s faces as they opened gifts the gifts you bought for them.

In our area there are parents who cannot give their kids that kind of Christmas and there are children who already know that when they awaken on Christmas morning, there won’t be a tree or a sea of presents.

The Oakhurst Elks Lodge wants help families in our area who are unable to provide such Christmas morning moments on their own by giving gifts to children in need. They are having their annual Christmas party on Saturday, December 15 for 9am to 1pm. The Elks are committed to assisting these children with their wants and needs. Each child at the party will receive toys as well as an item of clothing.

Attendees will be children ages 4-12. At the party they will get pizza, soft drinks and ice cream. And a certain jolly old man in a red and white suit will make an appearance to spread Christmas cheer.

You can help make a child’s Christmas a little merrier by making a donation for this effort. Call the Elks at 559-683-2717 for more details.

We wish you all a Very Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!  We look forward to our 2008 Baseball Season and look forward to seeing you during sign ups in January!

 Happy Holiday’s

The Sierra Mountain Little League Board

Did you have older relatives who would claim to know that the rain was coming buy the creak they felt in their knees? Or do you people who can look up into the sky and forecast the weather based on the cloud formations they see?

There is something to be said for these methods of predicting weather, but we can also use modern technology to get an idea of what to expect weather-wise.

Would you like to help your neighbors by assisting the National Weather Service in its efforts to compile information about the weather in Eastern Madera County?

The National Weather Service has a program called Citizens Weather Observation Program (CWOP). The program aims to collect weather data from citizens so that weather services and homeland security can make use of this information. Citizen participants will also get feedback so they can make adjustments as necessary to improve the quality of the date they contribute.

The information is transferred through the internet. To participate, you will need:

A home weather station (the are various brands that fit the bill)

A personal computer with a cable or DSL internet connection

Software and/or hardware for porting data

Visit this site to learn more about the program.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Earlier this year the developers of the Running Horse complex in Fresno declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They owed millions of dollars to their creditors and faced lawsuits.

Donald Trump showed interest in the property, but negotiations stalled over the summer.

Just yesterday the Fresno city council had a special meeting with the mayor to go over the mayor’s proposed plan for partnering with Trump. The vote was unanimous: the city will go ahead with the plan. There will be another vote in December to iron out more of the details.

There was some concern that the deal would be too risky for the city, but in the end, they decided to go for it. Trump will buy the majority of the property, leaving the city to procure the rest.

As I’m sure you know, the Trump brand is strong and Donald Trump has holdings all over the world. A deal with his company could really be a big boost for the area.

Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II helped to design this gem of a golf course that sits on 220 acres. The course was planned so that the holes would challenge and the surrounding scenery would enchant. The complex includes a set-up to host elegant weddings and parties. Of course nobody wants to see such a beautifully appointed natural space go to waste.