Hanford Insider
Welcome the Hanford Insider, I’m your host Rob Bentley. I’m a lifelong resident of Hanford and I’m very involved in the local history scene and podcasting so I decided to start this show as a resource to Hanford area residents for covering issues, promoting events, sports, and reflecting on some local history.
Tune in each Monday for a new episode.
Please help me get the word out about the show by sharing on social media, or telling a friend. For more information about the show, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, or Threads at @Hanford Insider.
If you have a show idea, be sure to email me hanfordinsider@gmail.com If you are part of an organization that needs help getting the word out to the community, let’s work together.
Hanford Insider
Hanford Insider: If These Walls Could Talk: A Century of Memories at the Hanford Civic Auditorium
Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode!
Brad Albert joins us to unveil the exciting plans for the Hanford Civic Auditorium's 100-year anniversary celebration happening June 7th. This historic landmark, dedicated in 1925, has been the backdrop for countless community memories – from dances and performances to political speeches and polio vaccinations. The multi-day celebration, themed "100 Years of Memories," will feature 100 year old plus classic cars, historic photographs, artifacts, and the opening of a century-old time capsule.
The festivities will coincide with the popular Carnegie of Kings County Car Show, creating a perfect synergy between two beloved Hanford institutions. A special John Philip Sousa Tribute Band with musicians from throughout Central California will perform during the afternoon ceremony, bringing period-appropriate music to this momentous occasion. As Brad beautifully framed it during our conversation, this celebration aims to answer the question: "If these walls could talk, what stories would they tell?"
Before diving into the centennial plans, Brad shared the success of this year's Winter Wonderland ice skating event, which drew an impressive 92,000 visits over seven weeks and nearly broke even financially after making significant equipment investments. He also previewed the upcoming community Easter egg hunt, which will be free to all children thanks to sponsorship from Anthem Blue Cross – even featuring a special adult egg hunt where parents can join the fun.
The Hanford Civic Auditorium celebration spans four days (June 5-8) with Thursday Night Marketplace kicking things off, followed by classic car exhibitions, a free community celebration on Saturday afternoon, and a special ticketed gala Saturday evening featuring food, drinks, and a video presentation on the building's history. Anyone interested in supporting this once-in-a-lifetime event can find sponsorship information and details at www.hanfordca.gov/civic100. Join us in celebrating this treasured community landmark that truly belongs to all Hanford residents!
You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider
Thank you for supporting the show!
On this episode of the Hanford Insider. Brad Albert gives us a preview of the Civic Auditorium Centennial Celebration coming up in June. You'll get an update of Hanford news and the community calendar Then later I'll be back with your sports report. This is the Hanford Insider for Monday, march 10th.
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 people shaping our neighborhood. We're here to celebrate, explore and connect. I'm your host, rob Bentley. 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 such a unique community. I hope you enjoy the format. If you'd like to support the show, you can go to buymeacoffeecom slash Hanford Insider. Your contributions help me pay for subscriptions and equipment needed to produce this program each week. I want to thank you for your consideration. Now let's take a look at this week's community news.
Speaker 2:The Hanford City Council met last Tuesday. During the afternoon study session. The Council considered the pros and cons of opening up the social media channels to public commenting. It's clear that there's a difference of opinion amongst Council members. City staff will look at options and bring a recommendation back to City Council at a future date. During the regular meeting, they heard the final report from the Hanford Winter Wonderland. Brad Albert will tell us about that in just a minute. The council also adopted the 2025 Active Transportation Plan. The plan strongly indicated the priority and need for walking and biking trails, which Hanford lacks. Throughout the past 133 years the city has been developed as a car-centric community. As the city continues to expand, the need for a comprehensive active transportation plan is critical to the city's plan for growth. As I said on last week's show, having this plan in place will help with grant applications to secure the funding necessary to fully implement components of the plan.
Speaker 2:The Hanford Police Department will host a public community engagement meeting on Thursday, march 13th from 1 to 3 at the Police Activities League building at 902 North 11th Avenue. That's the old Armory building on the corner of 11th and Florinda. This meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to discuss and ask questions about the annual Military Equipment Report as well as the department's funding, acquisition and use of military equipment. Here's some things coming up on our community calendar. Ghost of a Chance is now showing at the Temple Theater in Hanford. For tickets and information, visit kingsplayersorg the Main Street. Hanford Beer Tasting Event Everybody's Irish in Downtown Hanford will be held on Friday March 14th at 6 pm. I had a chance to catch up with Michelle Brown about the event.
Speaker 3:We are so excited. We've been doing this event, I believe 10 years now, so we have about 25 businesses that are going to be participating from 6 to 9 on Friday, March 14th, and we have some really special craft beers for everyone to try. We try to pick some really unique flavors and varieties, so some really fun names some traditional Irish beer, some red ale gotta have Guinness but we also have some strawberry lagers, some peach IPAs, mango IPAs, some popular brands and not so popular brands. So I feel like it's a really good variety. I'm really excited this year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a super opportunity to try different types. That's the one thing that I enjoy about it. And I noticed that a lot of the stores that are opening up they run you know some of them that you know sell items. They have clothing or whatever they have on sale, but it's become kind of a tradition to have a big spread. Some of them put on some extravagant layouts of charcuterie and stuff like that, and I know that that's a big part of it as well. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:There's going to be snacks. So for $45, you get unlimited craft beer tasting. A lot of businesses will provide snacks, whether it's charcuterie or even tacos, and I think one business is having a pizza truck. We also have a business that is going to be providing games, so there's going to be poker tables, and so I mean it's a lot of fun. There's activities in many of the businesses. There's going to be lots of photo opportunities, fun pics to take with friends, some live music, so we're really looking forward to that. It's a really great event for $45. You can't beat it. It's a night out from six to nine and it's so much fun and, of course, everybody must wear green.
Speaker 2:So how many stops will there be this year?
Speaker 3:We have 25 participants. We have some that are a little bit on the outskirts but not too far to walk One business who recently moved to a new location, moth Tattoo. They're going to be participating and they're going to be doing some really cool stuff. So I urge people to make that one of their stops. And then as far down as the Carnegie Museum we have Hanford Antique Emporium on that side, and then on the west side we've got Top Hook Realty and the new candy store it's called Menarca Then Valley Strong Credit Union, which is newly opened last year. They're participating. So it's a really great range of businesses from mostly in the core of downtown but reaching kind of the farther sides of the east and west of downtown as well.
Speaker 2:Well, it certainly sounds like a lot of fun. If people haven't gotten their tickets yet, where can they get them?
Speaker 3:Tickets can be purchased online, mainstreethanfordcom, or here in our office, and the price is the same it's $45. And most likely we'll have tickets available at the event as well.
Speaker 2:Well, that's fantastic, michelle. Thank you for coming on and we look forward to talking to you again soon, when Thursday Night Marketplace comes up.
Speaker 3:Yes, coming up. That'll be here before you know it. Thank you so much, Rob.
Speaker 2:On Saturday, March 15th, Frontier Elementary School will be holding their carnival from 11 am to 3 pm. Also on Saturday, the Children's Storybook Garden will be holding their Victorian Tea. Visit childrenstorybookgardenorg for more details. On the evening of Saturday, March 15th, the Rotary Club is holding their annual stakeout dinner at the Hanford Civic Auditorium at 5.30 pm. Also that evening at the Hanford Fox Theater will be silent comedies with Dave Moreno on the organ at 7.30 pm. The King's Symphony Orchestra is presenting their annual Young Artists Spring Concert on Sunday, March 16th at 4 pm in the Hanford Fox Theater. For tickets and information, visit kingsymphonyorg.
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 hanfordinsider at gmailcom. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get a complete calendar of events. It's the most comprehensive community calendar available. Well, you know it's going to be a good show when we get a chance to talk with our friend Brad Albert from the City of Hanford Parks and Community Services Department. And boy has it been a year so far, huh, Brad.
Speaker 4:It really has. It's funny how winter turns into spring and into summer before you blink.
Speaker 2:Let's hit on three things today I'd like to talk about. First of all, you gave a report to the city council last week at the meeting about the success of Winter Wonderland. Can you give our listeners just an insight into how things went this year?
Speaker 4:Yeah, you know this was our fourth year hosting Winter Wonderland. It's an event that has grown, you know, over time. This year we actually had 92,000 visits within the seven-week period. We had over 19,000 skaters. Local vendor, food vendors, of course, were there. The average stay was 81 minutes. Vendors, of course, were there. The average stay was 81 minutes. So, all in all, the weather cooperated this year really well for us for the first time. But all in all, we made some big investments. We bought the ice rink you know ice skates and made a lot of investments we had been renting in the past. So, all in all, just we're shy of breaking even, which I think is a victory and that will set us up, I think, for future years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's awesome news, and so the park now will undergo kind of a restoration to get it ready in time for Thursday Night Marketplace. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 4:So, yeah, we're cleaning it up, we've overseeded it, so it's actually starting to come up now, nice and green, and we plan to have the park in beautiful condition come to the start of the market in early.
Speaker 2:May. That's great, and I know it's important for egg hunts too. So that leads us to topic number two. I know you guys are really excited about the annual egg hunt that's free to children. Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so our egg hunt will take place in Civic Park. We're very, very fortunate to have Anthem Blue Cross as a sponsor, and they came in last year and wanted us to be able to offer the event at no cost to anybody. Folks will still need to go online and register. They'll come in, check in, they'll get their baskets. Several different age groups go at different times, so we don't want all the big kids fighting with the little kids. And this year, I'm excited, at the very end we're going to do an adult egg hunt and so the kids can laugh at the at the parents, right, and we're going to have some pretty cool surprises in some of those eggs. And so it's just, you know, we'll have the Easter bunny out there. We'll be able to take pictures. Beautiful site, beautiful location for it. Hopefully the weather is really good and it's just a really fun day.
Speaker 2:It certainly is. I want to move now to the big event, and this is an event that, as we say, it's 100 years in the making. The iconic Hanford Civic Auditorium building was built in 1924, and we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the dedication, which actually took place in 1925 this year and I have to admit I'm also on the committee because it's been kind of a dream of mine to help with this celebration and there's a lot of plans that are being made. There's a committee, we have a lot of great people on the committee that have got some surprises for the community and lots of great things happening the week of June 7th at the Hanford Civic Auditorium. And I'll let you take the mic and I'll just kind of chime in where I have something to add.
Speaker 4:Well, we're really excited this happens once, right, the 100th anniversary. So we named the event 100 Years of Memories. For a lot of folks in Hanford and surrounding areas that is such an iconic landmark within our city. So over the last few years we've been doing some renovation, both externally, with new air conditioners. Last year we replaced the oak wood flooring paint. So we've been getting her ready for the birthday party.
Speaker 4:So on June 7th we're going to have the official birthday party of the Civic Auditorium and we've decided to coincide it with the Carnegie Car Show and I think there's some great synergy there. We plan to have 100-year-old cars in the Civic, partly as decoration but just also to signify what automobiles looked like 100 years ago. We will have historic photos, historic artifacts and really the whole event is really just telling the story of the building. Over time many famous people have performed there, Many people have spoken there, Many people have spoken there and, of course, just all of the proms and fundraisers and weddings, and the list goes on and on.
Speaker 4:It's a very busy building and reservation. So that's what we've been planning. We're honing in. You'll see more things going out on social media, We'll put banners up. So we're just really looking forward to having a great day. Folks will be able to come into the Civic at no cost and to see the automobiles, to see the memorabilia. The afternoon of the 7th we have a very special community band that will be performing and I'll let you, Rob, just touch on that. But you know, again, it's just telling the story. At our planning meeting Someone mentioned if the walls could talk, and I like that concept, like if the walls could talk, what story would they tell? So that's our job as a planning committee, to nail that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, as you can imagine the planning meetings, you know they're budgeted for an hour and we've been meeting biweekly here for a month or so and the meetings easily get derailed when we have stories to tell about the building that we've either we've experienced or, in preparation for this, people I've shared with us and on my history page, just countless stories of dances. One person mentioned polio vaccinations with the Carnegie Museum of Kings County. At our recent exhibition we talk about how the Japanese met there before they were relocated to other areas of our country World War II. So definitely an iconic building. And the car show downtown is on Saturday, June 7th. It starts at 9 am and continues on until about one o'clock and there'll be awards and it will be close to 200 cars this year will be displayed and it will be on Dowdy Street, 8th Street and part of 9th Street and then, of course, in the park we have food trucks lined up for the parking lot inside the Bastille parking lot. It's a great little venue for us to be able to do that. And then we'll transition to the ceremony inside the Civic Auditorium at 3. And we have lots of different speakers, we have guest performers lined up and, of course, the John Philip Sousa Tribute Band which I've been organizing.
Speaker 2:I put off the call to musicians throughout Central California and, as of today's recording, we have over 60 musicians who have committed to come to Hanford to perform that day. Many of them most of them, from out of town, they're just. They know the building, they know that this is a very special event so they wanted to be involved in it, and that that evening, Saturday evening, there's going to be a special event inside the auditorium, which is a ticketed event. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Speaker 4:Yeah, that that will be. I kind of signify that as kind of the gala, I guess, more or less. So during that evening there'll be food and drink, of course, live entertainment. We're going to be working on a video that kind of tells the story, you know, using a lot of the historic artifacts, maybe interviewing some folks and succinctly just kind of telling you know the building's history, the story, as you just mentioned so many wonderful events over many, many years. Really cool too is there's a hundred-year-old time capsule. That's going to be pretty cool to see what's in there.
Speaker 4:We do have a list from a newspaper article written when they embedded it in the cornerstone. The Masons embedded that. So it'll be really interesting to look at those things that folks thought was important a hundred years ago. And when we close it up we'd like to put in things from today's times. So in another 100 years they'll look at what we put in and like, wow, you guys were behind. So it's all you know. Again, when you're talking centuries, long time, there may be very few folks around that were born, you know, when the Civic was built. There's probably a handful, and God bless them. But you know, for new generations they need to know the story also.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely. One of the things that I failed to mention earlier is during the ceremony in the afternoon, we're also having a guest singer singing the national anthem and we're actually going to be holding auditions for that, and that's probably a good time to bring up the website that all of this will be directed to. The website for the Century of Memories is hanfordcagov slash civic100. That's it hanfordcagov slash civic100. And Brian Johnson, the City Communications Director, has been working on that page to kind of be a landing point for all the information for the events, including the National Anthem auditions, which will be via YouTube for preliminary rounds, and then we'll listen to finalists inside the Civic Auditorium closer to the event. So, brad, it's the second week of March and it seems like a long time away June 7th but how can the community get involved in this and how can they support it?
Speaker 4:Well, there's a few different ways. We will be out in the community seeking sponsorships. We're very thankful the city council has allotted a budget for this. My job is to recoup some of that expenditure through sponsorship through the evening ticket sales. So we'll be out and we're finalizing those packages. But we're looking for what I refer to as a gold level or signature sponsor. They would get a couple of reserve tables, name in print, social media banners, all of that kind of stuff, and then maybe some smaller sponsors also.
Speaker 4:And you know, just because of where this you know, the place in people's heart for this building, I think you know resonates with a lot of folks in the community and we hopeful it resonates with some of the business too. So we'll be out. Anybody interested feel free to reach out to me personally and my email is balbert at hanfordcagov and be happy to answer any questions. We'll have a link on the website for sponsorships also. We're not quite there to ticket sales yet but that will be rolling out here probably within the next month or so. And just so everyone knows, the evening is a ticketed but all of leading up to it. It is an absolutely free event and open to everyone and we want people to come out because that building belongs to the community.
Speaker 2:Exactly, yeah, thursday, june 5th, the Thursday Night Marketplace will dedicate a portion of their program to the event, and the car show will be open inside the Civic Auditorium. As well as Friday, the Classic Car Exhibition will be on display, and then, of course, on Saturday we talked about it's free and then Sunday, the Classic Car Show we talked about it's free and then Sunday, the Classic Car Show will stick around for one more day, and so it's a full four days of activities and we're really looking forward to it. Brad and I want to thank you and the rest of the committee for the hard work on this. And, once again, the website for the Century of Memories is is wwwhanfordcagov slash civic100. And you can also follow the city of Hanford on social media. They'll be putting out announcements about the National Anthem, auditions, about sponsorships. This is really gaining momentum and we're super excited about it. So, brad, thank you for joining me and we look forward to hearing from you again soon.
Speaker 1:Thanks, ralph. And now it's time for Hanford Insider Sports with Eric Bentley. We'll start with Sierra Pacific girls basketball, as their quest for a D2 state title got underway last week. It began on Tuesday when the Golden Bears took down Grant High 66-61 in round one. Thursday's round two matchup with Atwater played out fairly similarly to that Tuesday game, as the Golden Bears jumped out to an early lead and eventually cruised to a 74-63 victory over the seven-seed Falcons to advance to the regional semifinals. It was there where Sierra Pacific's playoff run, though, came to an end, as the six-seed Salacian College Prep High School took down the Golden Bears 61-51 in a hard-fought game. Sierra Pacific finishes their season as Tri-County Kings Canyon League champions and Division II Valley champions with a 25-9 overall record. A big congratulations to the Golden Bears for adding more history to the Sierra Pacific basketball program. And speaking of that history, after leading the Golden Bears from 2013 to 2024, former head coach Amy Bush was honored at Seland Arena with the CIF Lifetime Achievement Award for all of her accomplishments, including leading the Golden Bears to a D4 Valley Championship in 2017 and a D5 state title in 2018. Always great to see recognition of the past and still get to see the current growth in Sierra Pacific girls basketball Out to the Diamond, where all six local teams are now officially underway with their 2025 seasons.
Speaker 1:We'll start with softball, where Hanford High went 3-1 on the week, taking down Madera South and South in Bakersfield, both in run-rule fashion as well as tacking on a 5-3 win over Porterville. The lone loss a 5-3 win over Porterville, the lone loss a 5-3 defeat to Liberty. Hanford West improved to a perfect 3-0 after a 12-9 victory over Lemoore, and Sierra Pacific was busy getting their season started with a 5-3 win over Dos Palos, before going 1-3 in the Reedley tournament, shutting out Matilda Torres 8-0 but falling to Golden West, mission Oak and Tulare Western, sticking with Sierra Pacific. But on the baseball side, the Golden Bears are off to a hot start. After splitting their first two games of the season, they improved to 3-1 after taking down San Joaquin Memorial 4-3 and Selma 10-3 last week. Hanford West also sits at 3-1 overall after splitting a pair of close games, beating Hoover 2-1 but falling to Templeton 3-2. And Hanford High Baseball is 2-2 on the air after coming away victorious 4-2 over Redwood, before Frontier got the better of the Bullpups 13-1.
Speaker 1:As always, we'd like to cover as many local sports as possible. 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, 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 telling friends For more information about the show. You can find this podcast on Facebook, instagram, threads X and YouTube at Hanford Insider, and I'm always looking for new story ideas. 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.
