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Hanford Insider: Season of Giving, Season of Lights!

• Rob Bentley

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Experience the magic of the holiday season like never before on this week's Hanford Insider. Discover how the vibrant Hanford Christmas Parade, orchestrated by the Hanford Chamber of Commerce, filled the streets with unparalleled community spirit. We'll guide you through the Downtown Mural Program, a creative endeavor uniting local artists to bring new life to our city walls. Cara Fleming joins us to illuminate the heartwarming mission of Operation Christmas Blessing, offering insights on how each contribution, no matter how small, can light up the lives of families in need. Learn how you can get involved in various charitable drives, from the Slipper Sock Drive to the cheerful Santa for Seniors initiative.

But the holiday cheer doesn't end there! Explore the array of seasonal events, from the enchanting performances at the Hanford Fox Theater, featuring the timeless magic of Bethel Ballet's The Nutcracker and the Kings Symphony Orchestra's Christmas Spectacular.  Candice Blackburn introduces Hanford Holiday, an interactive map of festive home decorations across Kings County, ensuring no spectacular display goes unnoticed. Leeandra Dupree shares with us the exciting new contest for decorated homes "Kings County Let it Glow".  Join us for a celebration of all things merry and bright in Hanford, and find out how you can become part of these joyful traditions.

You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider
Thank you for supporting the show!

Speaker 1:

On this week's episode of the Hanford Insider, we'll hear from Carol Fleming about this year's Operation Christmas Blessing, Then Leandra Dupree stopped by to let us know about the new Christmas light decorating contest in Kings County, and later I'll be back with your sports report. This is the Hanford Insider for Monday, December 2nd.

Speaker 2:

This is the Hanford Insider, the podcast where we dive into what makes our community tick, from local stories and hidden gems to conversations with the people shaping our neighborhoods. We're here to celebrate, explore and connect. Whether you're new to Hanford or a longtime local, this is your source for everything happening in our town, from events and news to unique conversations with people who make Hanford what it is. Thanks for tuning in and let's jump right into this week's community news. What an amazing turnout it was for the Hanford Christmas Parade on Friday night. It was so nice to see so much community spirit. Thanks to the volunteers at the Hanford Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this event, which undoubtedly is the largest event in town each year. I was reviewing the agenda for the City of Hanford Site Plan Review Committee meeting on Wednesday and it looks like they'll get their first look at the site map for the new subdivision being planned at the northeast corner of 12th and Fargo. The City of Hanford has put out a call for local artists to participate in the Downtown Mural Program and help create spaces that inspire, engage and unite our community. For more information, visit the City of Hanford website at hanfordcity. Hanford. Winter Wonderland is now open in the Civic Park in downtown Hanford. Tickets to ice skate and visit the Santa experience are on sale now at hanfordwinterwonderlandcom. You can listen to last week's episode to get all of the information about this year's event. The Miss Kings County organization has announced that they are now accepting applications for their annual competition, which will be held on February 15th. For more information, email misskingscountyorg at gmailcom.

Speaker 2:

It's the season of giving. So many local organizations are sponsoring special collection drives. Here are just a few. Kings County Child Support Services is holding their annual Slipper Sock Drive for the senior citizens of Kings County. Any slipper sock that has a skid-proof bottom and is one size all can be donated through December 10th. There are several drop-off locations in town, including one of our great supporters of the Hanford Insider Cornerstone Cafe in the Fast Plaza. Gold Standard Mortgage is sponsoring a Santa for Seniors for local nursing homes and retirement communities in our area. Donations can be dropped off at 115 West 7th Street. The Hanford Fire Department is having a toy drive at Fire Station no 1 on Grangeville Boulevard. The toy giveaway will be held on December 21st.

Speaker 2:

At the Longfield Center, the Itchy Pooch is holding a holiday pet pantry food drive through Christmas Day. All donations will be delivered to the Kings County Animal Services. Your donations of pet food are being collected at 324 West Cortner or you can text for pickup at 824-1380. Another great opportunity to give this season is Operation Christmas Blessing. This organization began as a kind gesture by one family to another over 30 years ago and has grown to serve hundreds of local families. This organization works with the Hanford Elementary School District and Kings County Community Action to provide Christmas presents to deserving families. Kara Fleming joins me now to tell us about the needs that they have for this year. Welcome to the show, kara.

Speaker 3:

Hi, hi, thank you for having me. So this year we are hoping to bless 600 children. As you said, we work with Hanford Elementary School and Kings County Action Organization to find our families that are in need, and we work with lots of people in the community and businesses and people that are interested and work together to provide Christmas for kiddos that otherwise wouldn't have a Christmas. So that's our goal, that's our passion.

Speaker 2:

So how can people support this event?

Speaker 3:

There's lots of ways that you can support. I have people that just purchase toys. I have people that like to purchase jackets and socks and shoes. Part of what we do is we like to provide the needs of the children. Obviously, they get toys as well, but we really like to also focus on if they need jackets and shoes and winter clothes or blankets and things like that. We like to provide those as well. So I have lots of people that like to shop for those kinds of items and donate them.

Speaker 3:

We also have people that want to just sponsor a child, and they can. We have various ways that they can do that. It's $50 sponsors a child and that provides all you know everything for them. And then we have other people that we really would love to adopt a child, and by that I mean they. I get them basic information for the child and what their needs are and what their wish lists are, and they go out and shop for them and shop and wrap and bring it back to me and then I get things to the organizations to get taken out to the kiddos. So there's lots of ways. Really, honestly, no donation is too small, whether it's a singular toy or a cash donation or a jacket or a packet of socks. Everything helps, and if it wasn't for the generous donations from the amazing people in our community, we couldn't bless as many kids as we do.

Speaker 2:

So if somebody wanted to get involved whether it's maybe donating or maybe even helping wrap presents and deliver them how can they get ahold of you?

Speaker 3:

We have a flyer on Facebook and it has, or on Instagram as well. We do have a Facebook page Operation. You can just look up Operation Christmas Blessing. My personal phone number is on the flyer because I am the I'm in charge. We are also an official nonprofit, so we have a. We have a tax ID number, so that's been super handy for a lot of our bigger organizations that like to participate, that we have that as well and I, yeah, we have the flyer and my, my phone number is on there so you can get ahold of me and and we can work out what what capacity you'd like to participate.

Speaker 2:

I will also link that flyer on my post on my social media as well. Kara, thank you for joining us, and we thank you for all that you and your friends have done with the Operation Christmas Blessing. One question that I did not get a chance to ask you is how long have you been doing this?

Speaker 3:

Oh gosh, my husband and I started doing this a little over 30 years ago, just a family or two at a time each year, and then one year we got a mom of eight kiddos. That just had such a great need that we weren't going to be able to fill it all ourselves. So we decided to reach out to some friends here in Hanford and got such an amazing response. And one of my friends said hey, why don't you do this every year? We would love to join with you and do this. And so it really, honestly, has just grown from there. And it went from, you know, maybe eight or 10 kids to then 50 and so on and so on. And now here we are working with big organizations and, you know, supporting Big Thunder Kid.

Speaker 2:

That's fantastic.

Speaker 3:

So 30 years and counting.

Speaker 2:

Well, great job, cara, and thank you for joining us, and we wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Speaker 3:

Absolutely you as well. Thank you so much.

Speaker 2:

Here are some things coming up on our community calendar. The Hanford Fox Theater has announced their holiday lineup of shows. They'll be showing A Winter Garden on December 5th. This charming holiday film was produced and directed by two local women, jenna Maciel and Sherry Graywall. A portion of the proceeds from this screening will be donated to Main Street Hanford. The theater will be showing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on December 7th. On December 13th and 14th the theater will host the annual Bethel Ballet production of the Nutcracker. Check foxhanfordcom for full listing events at this historic venue.

Speaker 2:

Speaking of theater, the Kings players will be holding auditions for their upcoming comedy Ghost of a Chance. Auditions will be held December 2nd and 3rd at 6.30 pm at the Temple Theater. For more information, visit kingsplayersorg. The Hanford Branch Library is holding their 15th annual Winter Open House on Wednesday, december 4th, from 4 to 6 pm. There'll be raffles and a visit from Santa Kings. United Way is holding their annual Christmas Charity Festival on December 5th at the Hanford Civic Auditorium. Visit kingsunitedwayorg for more details.

Speaker 2:

Main Street Hanford is holding their annual wine and chocolate tasting event on Friday, december 6th in the evening in downtown Hanford. I'll be down there with my Brass Caroling group walking around serenading people as they walk around downtown. Be sure to say hi if you see us. The Hanford Breakfast Lions Club is presenting Breakfast with Santa at the Hanford Civic Auditorium on Saturday, december 7th, from 7 30 to 11 30 am On Saturday, december 7th. Century 21 Jordan Link is holding their 6th Annual Pictures with Santa and Toy Drive from 11 to 2 at 1810 North 11th Avenue. On Saturday, december 14th, the Carnegie Museum of Kings County is holding their annual fundraiser gala at the Hanford Civic Auditorium. For tickets and more information, visit carnegiemuseumofkingscountyorg.

Speaker 2:

The downtown Hanford Run Run Rudolph two-mile run-walk benefiting the Hanford Police Activities League will be held on Sunday, december 15th. Go to runsignupcom to get registered before prices go up. The Children's Storybook Garden and Museum is holding a Cookies and Milk with Santa event on Sunday, december 15th at 2 pm. Visit childrenstorybookgardenorg for more details. And the King's Symphony Orchestra will be presenting their annual Christmas at the Fox on Sunday, december 15th at 4 pm. This year, choirs from local high schools will be joining in this festive event.

Speaker 2:

If you have an event coming up and you'd like some help getting the word out, let's work together. Send your information to hamperinsider at gmailcom. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a complete calendar of events. For nearly 10 years I regularly put together a list of houses decorating the yards for Christmas so that we could have an organized way of looking at all of the displays. Last year, after starting this podcast, I realized that I needed to let others step forward to organize this annual event so that I could focus on the show. I put out the call and last year Christmas Lights of Hanford became Hanford Holiday on Facebook and Candace Blackburn volunteered to organize it. Candace joins me now to fill us in about Hanford Holiday.

Speaker 4:

Thank you for having me. I'm excited to share our site with everybody listening.

Speaker 2:

So tell us a little bit about Hanford Holiday and how it got started, and maybe some of the features of your program.

Speaker 4:

Okay, well, so, as you know, you last year decided to dedicate more time to your podcast, and so you were asking if anybody wanted to step up and kind of take it over. And I thought about it and thought about it and I thought, you know, maybe it's something I can do. And so coming up with the name Hanford Holiday was the first step, and we decided on that name because hopefully, our end goal one day is to allow the residents to post all of their holiday decorations, not just Christmas. Halloween has become such a popular time of the year to decorate too for trick-or-treaters and truck-or-treaters, and so we thought eventually we can do an interactive map for that time of the year too.

Speaker 4:

But for Christmas time we were excited because it's something that my family truly loves is decorating for the holidays, and we love going and seeing everybody's displays, and so we create an interactive map that individuals who decorate their home and want to be added to the map they post on our Facebook page Camper Holidays and in turn we take those addresses and we turn it into an interactive map that they can actually click where they're starting, pick one house and then it will take you all the way around Kings County with everyone who has submitted their address, their address, and we also, on the individual posts, will have each house highlighting whatever it is that they are offering. There's people out there that have snow machines and some have the Grinch Mr Penguin I think he ended last year, but he was a fun one for the public. So it's nice to have a venue for individuals to just have the one stop and then know where to go from there, instead of just randomly having to drive around.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so the focus of your program, then, is just being a resource for people to be able to get these lists, to go around and look at the houses, and I remember that when I did this a few years back, the city of Hanford fire truck would go around town and visit all the houses. So yours remember that when I did this a few years back the city of Hanford fire truck would go around town and visit all the houses. So yours seems to be aimed mainly at just a resource for people to find these homes.

Speaker 4:

Yes, and initially, when we started the Facebook page, we thought we would maybe entertain the idea of having it as a competition. But a lot of the feedback I got was more of they would love for people just to visit, because that's what they enjoy doing is decorating. They didn't want to be entered into a contest and so I thought well, I don't know how to do part contest, part, not so majority rule, and we are strictly just a resource. Like you said, the map is a wonderful way that makes it so easy for families, freddy, the fire truck and limousine services that do the holiday lights. They love the interactive map because it's just one shot. They put their starting point, pick the house closest to them and then it takes them the rest of the way.

Speaker 2:

So what is the timeline that you have for entries and putting these lists out?

Speaker 4:

This year we have already started accepting submissions. So at the end of each day I start taking a look at the posts and building the map from there. I think the last day for the mission to be entered and added to the interactive map. I think I wrote the 20th. Don't hold me to that, but you can find that on Hanford Holiday's Facebook page.

Speaker 2:

Well, candice mentioned it there, it's Hanford Holiday on Facebook. Well, candice mentioned it there, it's Hanford Holiday on Facebook and we encourage you to go to that Facebook page and find the driving maps and a list of the decorated homes in Hanford. Candice, thank you so much for joining us.

Speaker 4:

Thank you.

Speaker 2:

Merry Christmas.

Speaker 4:

Merry Christmas to all of you.

Speaker 2:

This year, local realtors Leandra Dupree and Stephanie Silverik-Chavez are adding to our list of choices for looking at Christmas lights With a website and social media pages. Kings County Let it Glow. Leandra joins me now. How are you doing, leandra?

Speaker 5:

I'm doing great. How are you?

Speaker 2:

I'm awesome. Hey, can you tell us a little bit about Kings County Let it Glow and why you decided to start it?

Speaker 5:

We decided to start it so that we'd give something for the community to do during the holidays and make it fun with a little bit of competition. So we decided to do five different categories. You can do a self-submission for your own address or you could enter in somebody else's address. If you do enter in somebody else's address, we will stop by and we will drop them off a sign and a letter asking them permission to have a sign in their yard and be able to put them on our interactive map that will show you where all the houses are located in Kings County.

Speaker 2:

That's great. I understand you have some sponsors for the program.

Speaker 5:

Yes, we do. We have Core Home Loans, maceo Mortgage A1, plumbing Quality Cleaners, gold Standard Mortgage and Valley Home Inspections.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's great. Those are listed on your website. I saw that earlier. So tell us a little bit about the awards and categories. I understand you have some creative categories you're going to be judging homes on.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, so that way we can have at least five winners, just to give them a little extra incentive, a little more extra, you know, a little extra incentive, um, especially because I don't think people realize how much work a lot of these people put into doing their yards and getting their houses ready for us to all enjoy and they get the bill and all the fun stuff. So I thought we thought it'd be kind of cool to give them like an actual reward and, um, a hundred dollar gift card. Five different homes will win from five different categories. They will win a $100 gift card to Amazon and then they will get a trophy for their category. We just had them ordered and they're ginormous three-foot lights and they'll have their name and year that they had won.

Speaker 5:

Nominations actually opened up yesterday, so we're taking nominations from yesterday and they will actually end December 14th. Voting will begin December 15th and then the voting will end right at midnight on the 24th. We will actually make the announcement of who won each category on December 24th at noon. So we have five categories. Our categories are minimalist a simple, clean white light or just a simple clean display. Number two is going to be inflatables for the best inflatable display. Then our third category is the reason for this season best nativity display. And then we have our four Griswolds sparing no expense, some that just goes all out. And then we have Disco Fever for the best projection of lights, with music.

Speaker 2:

Those are some creative categories.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, we thought we'd have a little bit of fun with it.

Speaker 2:

Where can we find King's County? Let it Glow on the internet.

Speaker 5:

They can find it on Facebook. There is a Facebook group called King's County Let it Glow and there's a ton of information on there. They can also look at my Facebook, my business partner, stephanie Silvera Chavez's Facebook, or Beja Fellini she's another one of our agents that's participating in this or Tiffany McAllister or Kristen Fullard so all these people kind of have a big following. So any of them you can find any of these links to any of this through any of our agents on our team's websites, or they can go to wwwkingscountyletitglowcom and that's where they can register their homes or register another participant and it'll ask them if it's their home or they're going to be registering someone else, just in case someone doesn't want their house. You know, yep, been there, been there, done that Right, just want to make sure we have the disclaimers out there, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Hey, Leander, thank you for joining us and taking time out of your busy schedule. I know it's a busy time of the year for realtors and I want to thank you for joining us. And good luck to Kings County. Let it glow.

Speaker 5:

Absolutely Well. Thank you so much for this opportunity.

Speaker 1:

We greatly appreciate it. And now it's time for your Hanford Insider Sports report with Eric Bentley. We'll start with youth sports, where Hanford Youth Baseball has announced that their signups for the upcoming spring season are starting. Registration closes at the end of this month, so go to hanfordyouthbaseballcom for more information.

Speaker 1:

In high school sports, it was a pretty light week due to the holiday break. However, there were a few teams in action. We'll start with the Turkey Leg Showdown Girls Basketball Showcase hosted by Sierra Pacific. The tournament featured all three Hanford teams, where the host Golden Bears went 1-1, picking up a 65-59 victory over Buchanan and falling to Benacci 48-39. Hanford West wasn't able to come away with a victory in their two games versus Buchanan and Orcutt Academy, and Hanford High fell in their lone matchup to Mendota. There was also one soccer game, as the Sierra Pacific boys lost to Granite Hills by a final of 3-0. All of the local teams will jump back into action next week and I'll be back to have a breakdown of all of the results on next week's show. As always, we'd like to cover as many local sports as we can, so if you have a score report or a story idea, make sure to email hanfordinsider at gmailcom. I'm Eric Bentley and this has been your Hanford Insider Sports Report.

Speaker 2:

Well, that's all the time we have for this week's show. If you enjoyed this podcast and you'd like to show your support, you can go to buymeacoffeecom slash Hanford Insider to make a donation. If you'd like to join the Hanford Insider email list, stop by my website at hanfordinsidercom to sign up for updates. You'll also get an exclusive copy of my newsletter in your inbox each week. I also need your help getting the word out about the show by liking and sharing on social media or just telling a friend For more information about the show. You can find this podcast on Facebook, instagram, threads X and YouTube at Hanford Insider. I'm also now on TikTok at Hanford Insider 1. If you have a show idea, be sure to email me at hanfordinsider at gmailcom and I'll look into it. Thanks for listening. Have a great week.

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Rob Bentley

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