WHAT’S ON tap

AS THE WEEKEND APPROACHES, IT’S TIME TO BEGIN PLANNING FOR SOME REST AND RECREATION. HERE ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES COMING UP IN THE NEXT WEEK.

TODAY

tthe El Granito Foundation announced that for the 44th year it will be providing holiday meals and Christmas

parties for community members in need, and this year they urgently need donations from the Porterville community. The events for Porterville will be held on separate days to better accommodate the large number of expected guests. The foundation will be hosting a Christmas food basket giveaway on Dec. 21 from 12 to 3 p.m. at their office at 383 W. Date Ave. in Porterville. The children’s Christmas party will be held at the same location on Dec. 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. For additional information, call Janice Rice, CEO/ director of the El Granito Foundation at 784-2788, or 756-3027. FRIDAY

tthe El Granito Foundation announced that for the 44th year it will be providing holiday meals and Christmas

parties for community members in need, and this year they urgently need donations from the Porterville community. The events for Porterville will be held on separate days to better accommodate the large number of expected guests. The foundation will be hosting a Christmas food basket giveaway on Dec. 21 from 12 to 3 p.m. at their office at 383 W. Date Ave. in Porterville. The children’s Christmas party will be held at the same location on Dec. 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. For additional information, call Janice Rice, CEO/ director of the El Granito Foundation at 784-2788, or 756-3027. tporterville Elks Lodge

TGIF dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. every Friday at the lodge on the corner of Main Street and Morton Avenue. The first Friday of the month is steak night. Cost varies. Public welcome. For more information, call 784-1342.

SATURDAY

tthe Porterville City

Library holds introductory computer classes on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. For more information on services and programs, go to the Library at 41 W. Thurman Ave., call 784-0177, or visit www.portervillelibrary.org and www.facebook.com/ portervillelibrary.

SUNDAY tthe Tule River Historical Museum is open to the public from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays with no admission charge. The museum houses a collection of vintage lumber mill and farm equipment. Antiques from local families are on display in the 1860 Murphy House and in the main museum. For more information, contact Betty Harding at 539-6314.

TUESDAY tthe Tule River Historical Museum is open to the public from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays with no admission charge. The museum houses a collection of vintage lumber mill and farm equipment. Antiques from local families are on display in the 1860 Murphy House and in the main museum. For more information, contact Betty Harding at 539-6314.

D EC . 31 tthe New Year’s Eve

Gala, a long-standing celebration, takes place at the Veterans Memorial Building on Dec. 31. It starts at 8 p.m. and goes until the ball drops at midnight. Local favorite, Jerry Hall & Trick Shot, will provide the musical entertainment. Admission is $10 per person and includes refreshments

and party favors. All adults are welcome and tickets are available at the door.

JAN. 6 tan Authentic Elvis Experience, starring Jim Anderson and the

Rebels, is coming to the Lindsay Theater on Jan. 6 at 7:30 for one night only. Anderson embodies the spirit of Elvis as few performers can, organizers said. Tickets are just $20 each or for groups of 10 or more, just $15 each. Tickets available at lindsaycommunitytheater. com. For more information, call 284 2223. Anderson’s show has never had a negative review and has sold out most of its venues. It sold out the Firehouse Arts Theater in Pleasanton five weeks in advance. Jim Anderson and the Rebels were the featured act at the Atlantis Casino Resort in Reno for the entire week of Hot August Nights.

JAN. 9 tthe Visalia Economic Development Corporation is hosting its

second job fair Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Fresno Pacific University’s Visalia campus. Employers are seeking to fill various openings from entry level to skilled level employees. Some of the participating business members are Hilti, Jostens, Fresno Pacific University, Seals Construction, VWR, Electric Motor Shop, Visalia Ceramic Tile, Visalia Marriott, California Water Service, VF Outdoor, the County of Tulare and USA Staffing. On-site interviews are not guaranteed for all applicants, however, all job seekers are encouraged to come prepared with hard copies of resume.

JAN. 12 tthe Porterville Art Association is once again asking for artists to submit their worst pieces for the second annual Bad Art Show coming in January. PAA will begin accepting entries on Friday, Jan. 12 between 1 and 5:30 p.m. at the PAA Gallery at 151 N. Main St., Porterville. The show will run Jan. 17 to March 17 at the gallery, with a reception from 5-8 p.m. on Jan. 26. There will be three categories: Rejected Work — honest artwork rejected by a gallery or show or self-rejected; Tongue In Cheek — done intentionally to be bad, good for a laugh; and Commercial Junk — ugly commercially available junk in bad taste, assemblage OK, no photos or copies. Entry fees are as follows: free for students; and $3 per entry for everyone else or $15 for up to three entries max in each category. For more information, call 782-9265 or 539-3243. tan informational meeting presented by

“Healthy CA” will be held at the Tulare City Library at 475 N. M St., in the Olympic Room on Friday, Jan. 12. The purpose of the meeting is to continue to update the public and generate support for a better health care plan for all. A Spanish presentation will be presented from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. An English presentation will run from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Snacks will be served. For more information, contact Sheila Bishop at 644-5375.

ONGOING OCT. 1-DEC. 31 tthe City of Porterville will conduct its annual “Food For Fines”

campaign Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. This program is designed to exchange non-perishable food items for library fines. One food item equals $1 in fines, up to $10 per card. The cans of food and other nonperishable food items received must not be damaged or expired and all items must have an expiration date. Patrons who have library accounts that have been sent to collections cannot participate. The objective is to collect enough food to contribute to the needs of the local community. This year the library will partner with the Porterville Kiwanis Club, a non-profit organization that coordinates an annual family food basket giveaway. Patrons without fines who want to donate are encouraged to do so. For more information on services and programs, visit the Porterville City Library at 41 W. Thurman Ave., call 784-0177, or go to www. portervillelibrary.org and www.facebook.com/portervillelibrary. NOV. 24-JAN. 6 tporterville Historical Museum’s 33rd Annual Model Trains and Antique Toy Exhibit starts on Friday, Nov. 24. This event was started by the Underwater Trains Society and “has become the largest model train show in Tulare County.” The head Engineer Dr. Don Stover has increased the exhibit by adding his experience, time, money and love of trains. His fellow engineers Rick Struble, Sam Winters, Ann Zimmerman, Jerry Kirby, Judy Holloway and Don Wheeler have added a circus setup and a tribute to our military troops. The museum will have antique toys from the collection of Bill Warner that your grandparents or great-grandparents played with. Joe Sanchez will exhibit his handmade art collection of tanks, airplanes, motorcycles, etc. This year the museum will open on Sundays, Dec. 3, 10, 17, and 31 from 1 to 4 p.m. The museum will also be open from Dec. 26 to 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Museum is located at 257 N. D St. in Porterville. Admission is $5 for adults, $1 for students, and 6 years and younger are free. There is no charge for Friends of the Museum and Sponsors. For more information, check the website www. portervillemuseum.org, email us at portervillemuseum@gmail.com or call 784-2053.

DEC. 16-24 tlas Posadas begins Dec. 16 and concludes

on Dec. 24. Las Posadas is an annual religious Christmas-time tradition that commemorates the journey of Mary and Joseph into Bethlehem. The tradition, celebrated in Mexico since 1538, is observed annually by many people of Mexican descent in the United States. In villages and neighborhoods throughout Mexico, young children will gather to commemorate the journey and travel from home to home in search of lodging in a posada — an inn. The roles of Joseph and Mary will be portrayed by Natalie Carranza, 10, who attends Strathmore Elementary, and Jiovanni Trujillo, 7, who attends Pleasant View Elementary. They will be denied shelter as they sing, but as they continue singing and praying, they will eventually be let into the home and offered refreshments. The Las Posadas journey will start around 4 p.m. every night near that night’s lodging point from Dec. 16–24. The nine Las Posadas stops

will be: Dec. 16 – 16574 Avenue 166,

Woodville Dec. 17 – Corner of Avenue 166 and Monroe Road, Woodville Dec. 18 – 1611 Oak Ave.,

Woodville Dec. 19 – Road 196 and 195,

Plainview Dec. 20 – 15485 Magnolia

Road, Porterville Dec. 21 – Avenue 145 and

Tobias Road, Poplar Dec. 22 – 14531 Road 191,

Poplar Dec. 23 – 14650, Road 190,

Poplar Dec. 24 – 19157 Avenue 148,

Poplar