OldTownClovis.org

It’s here! Amgen, Tour of California

Old Town — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:19:32 +0000

It’s here! Amgen, Tour of California . . . the 3rd largest bicycling event in the world! Join us Wednesday, May 16 in Old Town Clovis at the Amgen Stage 4 Finish. A crowd of 40,000+ enthusiasts are forecasted to attend the race throughout Fresno. In Old Town, where the finish takes place you’ll find a festival for all ages. Pony rides, facepainting, huge slide and cotton candy for the young ones, and a climbing rock for the daring! Great food and beverages to quench your thirst!

The best places to see the bicyclists ZOOM through Old Town is most likely on Pollasky Avenue. The finish line is at 7th Street in front of the Old Town Clovis Fire Station. So anywhere along Pollasky is the prime place to watch the final stage. (See map below) Riders will also be riding into town on Clovis Avenue headed South, and making a final loop, riding up Woodworth, heading North and then turning east on Sierra and a quick right, headed south on Pollasky for the finish. So the side streets will also afford a good look with a smaller crowd!

If you’re like many of us, you are excited at the prospect of seeing America’s most successful bicycle race, but you’re not entirely familiar with the terminology that goes along with it. Following we have included a “Primer” of bicycle racing terminology so you can look like a pro while you’re cheering on the riders.

Attack: A sudden acceleration to move ahead of another rider or group of riders.

Bonk/Hit the Wall: Both are bad news for a cyclist. To “bonk” or to “hit the wall” means a rider has not consumed enough calories to fuel his/her body. Cycling races are usually long and require careful replenishment of calories and electrolytes. Failure to fuel correctly can lead to a rider falling off the pace of the main group and may even cause them to drop out of a race.

Breakaway/escape: A rider or group of riders who ride off the front of the peloton and form a lead pack. Breakaway riders will obviously want to maintain their lead, but whether they do so depends on how well they cooperate and how well the peloton cooperates in any attempt to chase them down and close the time gap.

Bridge: A rider or riders who sprint away from the main group of riders, or peloton, and catch the breakaway.

Bunch/Peloton: The main group of riders who ride together at a comfortable pace and share the pace-making. Flat stages tend to finish in a bunch or field sprint contested by most of the riders.

Caravan/Follow Car: The riders are followed by a large group of vehicles that support the race. This includes: commissaires, team directors, medical staff, VIP’s, and neutral mechanical support. Each team is allowed two vehicles to provide riders with water bottles, food, and bike parts. A team’s best-placed rider determines the order of the vehicles in the caravan so the athletes competing for the lead can have the quickest service when they find themselves in a dire situation.

DNF: Short for “Did Not Finish”.
Drafting/Slipsteam: The biggest enemy to a cyclist is aerodynamic drag. Riders can save a significant amount of energy by riding in a group behind other riders or by having their teammates break the wind for them. In a breakaway, riders rotate from the front of the group to the back in order to take a short rest. Larger groups are more successful because each rider spends less time riding in the wind.

Domestiques: A French term for the “helpers” or “servants” on a team. Cycling is a team sport and a team leader, primary sprinter or star climber may find it difficult to win a race without the help of their loyal domestiques. Domestiques will shelter their teammates from the wind, visit the team car to collect extra water bottles, and chase down breakaway groups. On a rare occasion a domestique will receive to go-ahead to race for a stage victory if the conditions are right.

Drop/Dropped: When a rider has been left behind by another rider or group of riders.

Echappee: The cyclist who escapes from the pack. The “escapee”.

Echelon: A staggered, long line of riders, each downwind of the rider ahead, allowing them to move considerably faster than a solo rider or small group of riders. In windy sections where there are crosswinds, a large peloton will form into echelons.

Equipe: A cycling team.

Feed zone: A designated stretch of road where soigneurs distribute musettes filled with food and drink to riders while as they pass by at full speed. A rider only grabs a musette from his own team’s soigneur who is typically dressed in a matching team uniform. The end of the feed zone is often a good place for fans to get souvenirs as riders discard musettes and bottles after taking the supplies they need.

Field Sprint: A mass sprint at the finish among the main group of riders in a road race.

Gap: The amount of time or distance between a rider or group of riders in a road race.

General Classification Riders: Well-rounded riders who compete for the best overall time in a stage race. These riders are typically strong climbers and time trialists who are protected by their teammates.

Hammer: To ride hard. Also to “put the hammer down”.

Jump: A quick acceleration, which usually develops into a sprint.

King of the Mountain: During a stage race, points are awarded to the first few riders to cross the summit of categorized climbs. Difficult climbs are worth more points and the rider who has accumulated the most points over the course of a race is crowned at the King of the Mountain.

Maillot Jaune: The presentation jersey is now made with a full-length zip at the back and the rider pulls it on from the front, sliding his hands through the sleeves rather like a strait-jacket. He then receives three further jerseys each day. In American English it is sometimes referred to as the mellow johnny, a mispronunciation of its French name originally by Lance Armstrong, who wore it many times while winning the 1999-2005 races. Armstrong also uses the name “Mellow Johnny” for his Texas-based bike shop.

Mechanical: Slang for a problem with the bicycle. “He had a mechanical.”

Off the Back: When a rider or riders cannot keep pace with the main group and lag behind.

Off the Front: When a rider takes part in a breakaway.

Paceline: A formation of two or more riders who are drafting. Typically racers take turns doing the hard work at the front of the line.

The Peloton: Is the “bunch or the “field” or the “pack” of cyclists that consists of the main group of cyclists in a race. The word peloton is drawn from French where it means “ball” or, more loosely, platoon. The “bunching up” of the riders to form the peloton is a tactic designed to save energy on a ride while remaining competitive. The riders at the front of the peloton “break the air” on the ride, and those following “draft” behind them saving as much as 40% of the “energy cost” through a given stretch of riding. A link is provided.

Slipstream: The area of least wind resistance behind a rider.

Squirrel: A small rodent, but also a rider who is erratic and “squirrely” when riding in a group.

Rouleur/Strong men: Literally a “roller” this is a rider who can pedal a difficult gear for a long time on flat and rolling terrain. Every team has three or four rouleurs employed as domestiques who protect their leaders by chasing down breakaways and sheltering them from the wind.

Soigneurs: From the French verb meaning “to take care of”. The role traditionally involves preparing food for the riders, driving the team’s spare vehicles and providing massages.

Sprinters: Each team typically has one powerful rider who has the ability to produce a quick burst of speed at the end of a race; this is a sprinter. On flat courses, teams protect their sprinter from the wind so they can conserve as much energy as possible until the final few hundred meters of the race. A win for a sprinter is always a win for the entire team because a sprinter would not be able to showcase his finishing power without the support of his teammates throughout the race.

Train: A fast moving paceline of riders.

Velo: French word for “bicycle”.

Wheelsucker: A somewhat dated term for someone who, while riding in a paceline, doesn’t take a turn at the front of the line. These days they get called lots of other names, none of which are printable here!

Map to Clovis – Come watch

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21st Century Clovis

Uhuru Network — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:57:06 +0000

Getting a website for your business doesn’t have to be a chore for small business owners or involve expensive purchase or be a time consuming process. It can be simple to have a great looking website that presents your business professionally and be found through all the major search engines. Two of our BOOT members recently used Uhuru Network to design their website. Uhuru Network designed our OldTownClovis.org website and we were excited to recommend their services to our members at an Old Town discount.

The two members were Victoria Rose Restaurant and Old Town Saloon. Each website had was unique to their business. Victoria Rose offers several services beyond lunch and dinner including both full tea service and coffee. The visual atmosphere of the Victoria Rose and the wonderful food provided an opportunity to build a site around great photography. As you can see throughout the site, there are stunning images of both the food and the restaurant, including a spectacular 360 tour – all provided by Uhuru Network – that really give you a glimpse into the restaurant. The website even included a blog where Chef Nathan Copeland shares his culinary creations and provides recipes to some of his restaurant’s most popular items.

For Old Town Saloon, owner Larry Baumeister wanted to be found online and have a method for communicating his specials and events to those that were interested. Uhuru Network created a sleek website that made it quick and easy to find the latest drink specials and find events at the Saloon. Once again you see high quality photography through the site to really provide a sense of the bar atmosphere. Uhuru Network believes strongly in not only making a quality website, but including as many quality visual elements as possible. Old Town Saloon is also extremely search engine friendly as is consistently one of the top ranking bar establishments in Clovis!

We encourage all of our members to have the opportunity to work with Uhuru Network. They are extremely enlightening and always fun to work with and always provide a stunning product. We couldn’t be happier with the work they have done for us!

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We Help Build Communities By Investing In Local Business

Uhuru Network — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:30:25 +0000

Business is the backbone of every strong community – something we’ve believed at Central Valley Community Bank since our opening in 1980. We stand behind that belief every day by supporting local business in every way possible, from our wide variety of lending products to our business convenience services. As our business community has grown, so have we, with an ever-expanding dedication to the success of your business and an ever-deepening commitment to the vitality of the communities we serve.

We are proud of our roots that began in Clovis, with our first location in Downtown Clovis opening 32 years ago. We have grown since then with now 17 full-service offices throughout the Central Valley, including two right here in Clovis.

While our footprint has grown larger, we are unchanged in the values that we have always believed in. We are focused not only on our customers, but also investing in the communities we serve. Each year, we donate time, expertise and financial support to a wide variety of local charities and philanthropies.
Additionally, our management currently serves in over 80 different civic and philanthropic organizations in the Valley.

When it comes to investing in local business and our local economy, count on Central Valley Community Bank to keep your business moving in the right direction. Visit us today at one of our convenient Clovis offices or at www.cvcb.com.

Rug Hooker at the Black Pot Cook-Off

Uhuru Network — Tue, 01 May 2012 07:22:06 +0000

Rug hooker, Kate Ude, was another one of the talented Period Artisans who delighted visitors at the First Annual Black Pot Cook Off on April 22nd. She and her group from the Rug Hookers guild demonstrated this ancient art form that originated in Yorkshire, England in the early part of the 19th Century.

Rug hooking is truly an original story of early recycling. Families saved the burlap from animal feed bags and when clothing was worn out, after many hand-me-downs, and ready for the rag bag, they were cut into strips and used to make rugs. These rugs lasted many decades and often you’ll find the burlap backings of early rugs worn, frayed and torn but yet the rug itself is still in good shape.

The local guild, the Wool Poppies, officially formed under ATHA, Association of Traditional Hooking Artists, in 1998. In addition to enjoying each other’s company, learning new techniques, and working on their projects, they do community outreach and demonstrate at a variety of events, including the Fresno Historical Society’s Civil War Revisited. Kate and her group meet the last Saturday of most months and anyone interested in learning how to hook rugs can contact them through their website www.woolpoppies.com and on Facebook as well.

Black Pot Cook-Off & Cowboy Poetry – The Period Artisans

Uhuru Network — Tue, 01 May 2012 07:16:17 +0000

Old Town Clovis hosted the First Annual Black Pot Cook Off and Cowboy Poetry Event on April 22, 2012. The weather was beautiful, if not a little hot, and the streets of Clovis were buzzing with the sounds of chefs preparing their Black Pot entries, fiddlers fiddling and Period Artisans working their crafts.

Ree and Perry Coy, a husband and wife team, were two of the Period Artisans who came out to the Event, each sharing their craft and wealth of information with passersby. They were a great addition to the event and Ree could be heard calling out to people, “Come and sit a spell!” She reported that some came closer and sat down on a hay bale to watch her skills, while others were too shy.

Ree has been chair and furniture caning for thirteen years, working out of her home in Clovis. She was taught by Master Caner, Bob Petithomme of Angel Camp, CA. She loves to restore and replace the caning of treasured family heirlooms and has demonstrated this craft at the Fresno Historical Society’s Civil War Revisited at Kearney Park, which is held in October www.valleyhistory.org. Ree stated, “Being a long time Clovisite, I love supporting my community,” and is excited for the 2013 Black Pot Cook Off.

Perry has been a wood turner for fifteen plus years, producing vases, platters, wine stoppers and pen and pencil sets. He was spotted at the Black Pot Cook Off wearing his custom made Wooden Cowboy Hat! He proudly wore this hat during the event and told us that he makes several a year, painstakingly measuring and shaping each one to perfectly fit the new owner – all from a single block of wood! He really enjoys harvesting his own wood from local/native trees (such as olive, ash, oak, maple, manzanita, etc.) and burls. He is a member of Sequoia Wood Turners. Perry’s work can be found at Clovis’ Art & Jewelry and Fresno’s Twee, All Things Fresno, and Hands On Art at the Fresno Water Tower.
The addition of Period Artisans to this event added a feeling of “Old West” authenticity and we are thankful to Ree and Perry for coming out to our inaugural event and look forward to seeing them again next year!

Reuel Darling was another Period Artisan who came out to the Black Pot Cook Off with his team of blacksmiths. Braving the already high temperatures, Reuel and his team demonstrated working with even hotter iron.
Reuel is the creator of Darling Forge Works in Watts Valley, where he works on ornamental iron works, which can be found in local homes in details including candelabra, fire screens, railings, banisters, light fixtures, doors, gates and garden fences. He has been doing ornamental iron work since he retired from horse shoeing in the mid-nineties. His shoeing career began with his formal training in farrier science from Ralph Hoover at Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo in 1958. He trained and plated race horses on the California fair circuit for ten years before settling down in Fresno with his own farrier practice.

He eventually branched out to teaching shoeing and operated a successful farrier school in Clovis from the mid 1970’s to the late 1980’s. In 1978 he organized the first North American Challenge Cup Futurity Horseshoeing Contest. He was also inducted into The International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame, which honors farriers around the world who have made significant contributions to the profession and who have left a positive permanent impression on their peers and clients. He continues to serve in the American and Western States Farrier’s Association as a judge.

The National Ornamental Miscellaneous Metals Association has recognized Reuel and awarded him with multiple gold medal awards for his distinctive railings and fences. Most recently for his designs which were featured in the magazine “The Fabricator”. Reuel’s work can be seen locally at the Clovis Botanical Gardens on Clovis Avenue where visitors can see his stunning wrought iron entry gate with a three dimensional depiction of poppies.

Reuel can be found most days turning out works of art at his Watts Valley Forge and we are grateful that he and his team of blacksmiths took time out of their very busy, creative schedule to share their work with us at the Black Pot Cook Off.

*Information Sourced from The Clovis Roundup

Black Pot Period Artisan, Chris Potzernitz, comes from a long line of Saddle Makers. His grandfather, Steve Potzernitz, became an apprentice in 1900 at the age of 12 in Hungary. Steve moved to Fresno in 1933 where he went to work for A.D. Colliver & Son and in 1938 Steve’s son Joe joined the business.

In 1946, after a stint as a Navy Pilot, Joe and Steve purchased A.D. Colliver & Son and renamed it “Potzernitz & Sons”. As is the case in many family businesses, Chris joined in 1958 washing windows, cleaning saddles and harnesses, and sweeping the floors. At the same time he was learning to make “waxed ends”. Chris stated that “While working alongside my grandfather Steve and father Joe I have learned a craft that is as much art as craftsmanship.”

Today Potzernitz & Sons promotes “Fine Leather Goods Made to Order; Horse and Mule Equipment for Riding, Packing & Harness.” They specialize in Western Saddles, custom silver work and repair, parade equipment and museum quality restoration. During the event visitors were able to watch Chris tooling a leather saddle and many items were available for immediate purchase at his booth.

Lace Making at the Black Pot Cook-Off

Uhuru Network — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:53:44 +0000

The First Annual Black Pot Cook Off and Cowboy Poetry Event was very lucky to have Period Artisan Rebecca Wasson do lace making demonstrations for the event. In full period dress Rebecca charmed visitors to Old Town Clovis and showed them her ancient craft.

While there are many types of lace making, Rebecca demonstrated Bobbin lace, which is created using bobbins and threads which are woven together and held in place with pins stuck in the pattern on a soft surface or pillow. This craft originated in the first half of the 14th century in Flanders (now on the border between France and Belgium), and originally linen, silk, gold or silver threads were used. Nowadays lace is often made with cotton thread. Traditionally, lace was used to make tablecloths and doilies and in both men’s and women’s clothing. Rebecca’s demonstrations were fascinating and visitors could see that this was a skill that required one’s full concentration!

Be in the Know: Black Pot Cook-Off & Cowboy Poetry

Uhuru Network — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:41:55 +0000

Sunday, April 22, 2012, marked the date of our First Annual Black Pot Cook Off and Cowboy Poetry event. As our inaugural event, BOOT wanted to start small and grow it year after year. While this event was small, it ended up being a great success thanks to our cooks, period artisans and performers.

The Black Pot Cook Off kicked off at 11am when the cooking teams gathered for a Cooks Meeting. Important safety and sanitation guidelines were given out and afterwards the cooks went back to their Booths to busily chop, spice and stir their entries! We had five groups of cooks this year. The Professional Division was filled with local Celebrity Chefs, “Constable Wyld Bill” Shipley of Soups, Scoops and More, and Nathan Copeland of Victoria Rose Restaurant. The Amateur Division was filled with local Psychologist Mike Zimmerman and Mike Murphy of American Frontiers. Lastly, our Junior Division was filled by local Boy Scout Troup 354 led by Mike Lancaster. It was their job to time their cooking just perfectly to ensure Judges from the IOT tasted them at the exact right moment.

As the cooks started their long hot competition, visitors to Old Town were able to walk around and enjoy the many sights and entertainers that were invited to the event to add an authentic “Old West” feel. Reuel Darling brought out his team of Blacksmiths, Ree and Perry Coy were there to show off their caning and carving skills, Chris Potzernitz gave demonstrations on saddle making, Kate Ude demonstrated rug hooking and Rebecca Wasson demonstrated lace making. Musical Group Grass Fire and the California State Old Time Fiddlers filled the air with Country and Western favorites, and acclaimed artist Jack Hannah from Sons of the San Joaquin performed in the early afternoon. To round up the event, published Cowboy Poet, Robert Brown, performed his wonderful spoken word poems throughout the day and sold autographed copies of his books.

As the day started to wane the cooking teams brought up their dishes to be judged by Chefs Don Waddell, Kevin and Molly from the IOT Culinary School. Each team was judged based on: the appearance and presentation of their dish; the execution of the recipe; taste and texture; originality and creativity; crowd interaction and the appearance of their Booth.

Winners in each category were:

Junior Division Champs – Boy Scout Troup 354
Amateur Division Champs- Mike Zimmerman
Professional Division Champs – Wyld Bil Shipley
Best Main Dish – Boy Scout Troup 354 (South by Southeast Chicken)
Best Side Dish – Boy Scout Troup 354 (Mexican Mac & Cheese)
Best Bread – Mike Zimmerman (French bread)
Best Dessert – Wyld Bil Shipley (Berry Walnut Crunch Crumble)
Best in Show 1st Place – Boy Scout Troup 354
Best in Show 2nd Place – Mike Zimmerman
Best in Show 3rd Place – Wyld Bil Shipley
People’s Choice Award – Mike Zimmerman’s (Beef Bourguignon)

After each dish was presented, Passport Holders were able to taste a sample. With thirteen dishes presented many stomachs were filled with tasty treats.

Looking forward to next year, we hope to have more teams of cooks and more groups of entertainers. We already have Period Artisans who have expressed a desire to return next year and a group of Chuck Wagons who hope to attend. B.O.O.T. would like to thank Evans Feed for their generous sponsorship of the event. Special thanks to Greg Laine and KSKS Country Radio for promoting the event and coming out to greet folks! Heartfelt thanks to the Chefs of the Institute of Technology Culinary Program who gave up their Sunday afternoons to join us and judge the cooking. We couldn’t have done it without them! Thanks to all those who came out to enjoy our First Annual Black Pot Cook Off.

Member Profile: Fifth Street Antiques

Uhuru Network — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:57:18 +0000

Fifth Street Antiques has been a fixture in Old Town for fourteen years, in its well-known spot on the corner of Fifth Street and Pollasky Avenue. For the last three years, it has been owned by Wanda Leon who was a dealer there for three years before purchasing the store from previous owners.

Wanda owned a flower shop in North Fork for 15 years, adding antique accents to add to the atmosphere. As her collection of antique furniture grew, so did her knowledge and love of the business. When she decided that she was done with the floral business Wanda knew that she wanted to sell antiques full time.

“For antiques – Old Town is the place to be!” says Wanda regarding choosing Old Town as a place to do business. The ambiance of Old Town fits antique businesses, complemented by the boutiques and other stores here. Business has consistently grown every year that Wanda has owned the store, with the Christmas season being the best time of the year for sales. Wanda also attributes the wonderful events that occur in Old Town to the success of the shop and stated that months when Antiques and Collectibles Fairs were held they always had boosted sales figures.

Fifth Street Antiques is a 4,000 square foot storefront with 18 “charming” dealers who rent space and work in the store. They have an eclectic mix of merchandise with a wide variety of price points: anyone can find something to buy there. Wanda plans on growing the business every year and has no aspirations of ever leaving. “Basically I’ll be here until I have one foot in the grave!” We look forward to sharing the journey with Fifth Street Antiques!

Black Pot Cook-Off in April

Uhuru Network — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:57:17 +0000

Sign up for cooking at the first Old Town Clovis Black Pot Cookoff! Coming up on April 22, we are looking for cooks! This is a growing pastime for many folks across the nation. Cooks use “black pots” or Dutch Ovens to showcase entre’s, desserts, breads and side dishes. They cook off the ground, on steel or iron tables, firepits or cinder blocks with briquettes.

Applications for cooks and cooking teams are available online at www.oldtownclovis.org or by calling the office at 559.298.5774.

We will be selling a very limited number of “passports” for tasting and those ticket holders will decide on the People’s Choice Winners! Passport tickets are only $10 and available at Hearts Delight and Bear Creek Gifts in Old Town and at www.oldtownclovis.org. Tickets are limited.

Enjoy an afternoon in Old Town listening to music, chatting with the cooks, sampling foods, and observing artisans demonstrate the skills of yesteryear! The artisans will also be selling their crafts!

In honor of National Cowboy Poetry Week we will introduce local cowboy poets . . . join in if you have a poem you’d like to share!

Big Hat Days – April 14 & 15

Uhuru Network — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:57:13 +0000

The Clovis Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for their Big Hat Days event on April 14th and 15th. We met with the Chamber on the age-old issue of booth locations on Pollasky between 4th and 5th Streets.

We have been told that this “up against the curb” positioning is necessary to allow a 17 foot clearance for a fire truck to get onto the block in case one of the buildings in this block should catch on fire. This block is different than other streets due to the landscaping spaces at the intersections and at the crosswalk in the middle of the block.

The Chamber was willing to look at the arrangement with fresh eyes, so we met with Fire Chief Lee Kraft and staff members to take a new look at the problem to see if there was a way to make merchants in this block happy. A solution came up and it will be examined and hopefully implemented for future Big Hat Days and ClovisFest. We felt it was unfair to ask the Chamber to rearrange the booths at this late date as their sale of booths has already taken place.

B.O.O.T. will follow up after Big Hat Days to see if the new plan can be put into practice for next year and for ClovisFest this fall.