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

A hip and knee joint replacement seminar will be led by orthopedic surgeons affiliated with Kaweah Delta on Thursday, Jan. 11, in Visalia. This free seminar aims to help people whose hip and knee pain has kept them from everyday activities. It will take place from 12-1 p.m. on the campus of Visalia United Methodist Church, 5200 W. Caldwell Ave. The seminar will take place in the church’s Family Life Center, which faces Akers Street. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required by calling 6271660. The seminar will be led by board-certified Orthopedic Surgeons Seth Criner, D.O., and David Surdyka, M.D., of Orthopaedic Associates in Visalia. Drs. Criner and Surdyka will answer questions, discuss new advancements in technology and the benefits of minimally-invasive techniques in total joint replacement surgery.

FRIDAY

The 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.

An 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.

Porterville 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

The 30th annual Sierra Winter Classic Beef Show will be held this weekend at the Porterville Fairgrounds. The annual show is for young beef exhibitors and attracts more than 300 head of cattle and 200 exhibitors. This year’s show runs Saturday through Monday, Jan. 13-15. The Sierra Winter Classic is a project of the Porterville Jr. Fair Board, a group of 16 4-H and FFA member’s age’s 14-19. The show allows the Jr. Fair Board the experience of running a Jr. Livestock show with the assistance from the adult committee members. Exhibitors from all over the state and beyond come to the show. The event is open to the public at no charge. Pleasant Valley Chapel will be holding a free mega sports camp on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Springville School for all students from kindergarten to sixth grade.

All young people are welcome to participate and parents are invited to come and watch. To register, visit online www. pvchapel.com.

The Springville Farmers’ Market is held each Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon in downtown Springville. Fresh, local fruits and vegetables, home-cooked foods, hand-crafted articles and collectables are offered. For booth space or information, call Ralph at 544-4069.

The 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.

MONDAY

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias has planned a small-scale but symbolic MLK Day march for local kids to participate in on Monday, Jan. 15. Kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs in Visalia, Ivanhoe, Tulare, Strathmore, Exeter and Farmersville will gather at 10 a.m. at the Visalia Gindick location at 215 W. Tulare Avenue to kick off the march and enjoy the day-long celebration. They will march and chant, hold banners, and work their way down the sidewalks along Tulare Avenue, Watson Street, then onto Main Street and over to the Garden Street Plaza where speakers and performers await their arrival. At 11 a.m. the program at the Garden Street Plaza will begin with speaker Ronald Smith, a Boys & Girls Clubs board member, opening the program. There will be musical performances by the kids, plus a reading of parts of the “I Have a Dream” speech, among other presentations.

TUESDAY

The 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.

WEDNESDAY

Helping One Woman (H.O.W.) will hold a benefit dinner and raffle drawing this month to help local resident Vanessa Winter. Winter and her husband, Wesley, have a son, Riley, who has a congenital heart defect that requires surgery. Riley is currently at Valley Children’s Hospital. The Porterville chapter of Helping One Woman holds a dinner each month to benefit a recipient whose name is drawn from nominations offered at the previous month’s dinner. H.O.W. attendees purchase their own meal and provide a $10 cash gift at each dinner to assist the woman being helped. A raffle featuring multiple gifts is also held. The dinner will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Elks Lodge at 386 N. Main St. in Porterville. RSVP by Jan. 18 by calling or texting 202-3598.

Congressman Kevin Mccarthy has announced a monthly staff mobile office in Springville on the morning of Jan. 17. The mobile office will be held from 10–11 a.m. at the Springville Veterans

Memorial Building, 35944 Highway 190. A staff member from Mccarthy’s office hosts each mobile office held throughout California’s 23rd Congressional District. Cole Karr, Mccarthy’s field representative, will meet with visitors in Springville and report back to the Congressman. This time provides an opportunity for constituents in the local community to conveniently visit and share concerns on important issues, current events and discuss casework matters regarding problems with federal government agencies.

JAN . 19

Pink Heals Tulare County will be having a Bunco Fundraiser on Friday, Jan. 19, at the First Congregational Church on Mill Street. Doors open at 5 p.m. for shopping, registration and soup. Games start at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $10 and includes Bunco and soup. Vendors will have cash-and-carry items. There will be door prizes and some great raffle prizes. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at that door. Proceeds will help with maintenance of “Maddi” the Pink Fire Truck and for the new patrol car to be dedicated soon. Pink Heals is a national nonprofit and the Tulare County chapter has recently received their own nonprofit status. This organization is about supporting women and their families in their own backyard, putting people before diseases. For more information about Pink Heals Tulare County, visit their Facebook page at Pink Heals Tulare Co, email at pinkhealstulareco@yahoo.com or contact at 907-8181.

JAN. 20

The Porterville Women’s Club is hosting a Bunco Party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20 at the Elk’s Lodge on the corner of Main Street and Morton Avenue. Cost is $15 and includes lunch. There will be cash and raffle prizes. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. For more information, call 920-1233.

JAN. 23

Auditions for the Buck Shaffer Spectacular will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at the Porterville Memorial Auditorium. For more information, call 784-4213 or email buckspectacular@ocsnet.net. The annual variety show will take place on Feb. 24 at the auditorium. Proceeds will benefit Valley Adult Day Services and Imagine Community Art Center.

FEB. 2

The Porterville College Foundation Hall of Fame induction banquet will be held on Feb. 2 at River Island Country Club with networking and reception (heavy appetizers) at 6 p.m. and welcome and introduction of honorees Jim Crichlow and Sharon Gill at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 each, $200 for a table of six, and $260 for a table of eight. Seating is limited.if you have any questions or wish to purchase tickets, call Carol Thornburg at 791-2319 or email carol.thornburg@portervillecollege.edu after Jan. 2, 2018. Tickets may also be purchased from any PC Foundation board member, or on the PC Foundation’s website https://www.portervillecollege.edu/pcf/hallfame-annual-reception. When purchasing online, use Paypal (Special Events Donation) and indicate Hall of Fame.

Congressman Kevin Mccarthy, R-CA 23rd District, has announced a monthly staff mobile office in Porterville on Friday, Jan. 5. The mobile office will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Centennial Plaza Conference Room, 15 E. Thurman Ave., which is across the street from Porterville City Hall. This is one hour earlier than the usual time. A staff member from Mccarthy’s office hosts each mobile office held throughout California’s 23rd Congressional District. This time provides an opportunity for constituents in the local community to conveniently visit and share concerns on important issues, current events and discuss casework matters regarding problems with federal government agencies. Cole Karr, Mccarthy’s field representative, will meet with visitors in Porterville. For more information, contact Mccarthy’s district office at (661) 327-3611.

ONGOING

The Porterville Historical Museum, located at 257 N. D St., is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for students. Children age 6 and under are free. Friends of the Museum and sponsors are also free. For more information call 784-2053, go to www.portervillemuseum.org ,or visit the museum’s Facebook page.

The Zalud House Museum is closed for the month of January due to annual maintenance.

The Porterville Art Association gallery is located at 151 N. Main St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and admission is free. Art work is changed every two months. The gift shop features items handcrafted by members. The PAA gallery is located at 151 N. Main St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and admission is free. For more information, call 784-4323. The Porterville Chamber of Commerce hosts First Friday Coffee events the first Friday of each month. The events are held at Galaxy 9 Theatres at 631 N. Indiana St. beginning at 7 a.m. First Friday Coffee is designed to bring people together to network with other businesses. There will be coffee and snacks followed by a short program.

Game Day is the first Saturday of each month from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the community room on the second floor of the Porterville City Library. Gamers of all ages and skill levels can play popular board, video and card games.

Sergeant Shepherd, the new costumed mascot for the Porterville Police Department, is available to appear at youth-oriented meetings and events. The mascot’s purpose is to spread the motto — “Stand Up and Speak Out!” According to the Police Department, Shepherd will be encouraging the community to “Stand Up” for family, friends and community, and “Speak Out” against drugs, bullies and crime. To check Sergeant Shepherd’s availability for events targeting youths in the community call Sgt. Rick Carrillo at 782-7563.

The Porterville Youth Center offers free recreation for youths after school. The center is open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located inside the Heritage Center at 256 E. Orange Avenue. The Youth Center offers a stimulating environment for youths ages10 to 18 and there are no registration fees or monthly costs. The Youth Center’s game room features pool and pingpong tables, game consoles, foosball, board games and more. Members can also enjoy arts and crafts, organized sports and regular adventure trips. Access to the Margaret J. Slattery Children’s Library located inside the Heritage Center offers students a computer lab with Internet access. A quiet classroom is also available for homework assistance. Parents and children must be present when enrolling. Visit the Youth Center for a tour, or visit the City of Porterville website or call 791-7695 for more information.

Make your summer reservations at the City Pool starting Jan.

2. Pool parties are a way to celebrate any event, from your child’s birthday party, a graduation, end of the school year activity or even a family reunion. The City Pool is open to all ages and requires little to no set up. Reservations for school events can be made between May 21 and June 8. The bookings are not to exceed six hours in one day and schools must have a 30 minute break between parties. The general public can reserve private bookings on Saturdays and Sundays between May 26 and Aug. 26. Hourly rates for use of the facility begin at $85 and vary based on the number of guests. Reservations can be made at the Heritage Center, 256 E. Orange Ave. They will be taken on a firstcome, first-served basis. Early booking is advised as available time slots are limited. Visit the City of Porterville website or call 791-7695 for more details.