Wednesday, 9 January 2013

ONtap Calendar: ‘Cowboy Tale-Spinner’ at The Remington

Author, actor and cowboy storyteller Bruce Isham will be spinning some yarns today at The Remington.

Isham will roll out the best of his many tales of the Old West at 3:30 p.m. Isham’s travels have broadened his appreciation of the West and add authenticity to his stories. His many books will also be available for purchase during the event.

Admission is free. The Remington is located at 2727 N. 11th Ave. For more information, call 587-9999.

FRIDAY

Fox showing comedy, has big upcoming lineup

HANFORD — The Hanford Fox Theatre has a number of upcoming shows, including a showing of the raunchy adult comedy movie “Magic Mike” Friday.

The movie will be shown at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5.

Other upcoming shows:

• Jan. 25: Angeline Quinto in concert, 7:30 p.m. $55, $75 and $90.

• Jan. 26: Tulare-Kings Music Educators Honor Band Concert, 5 p.m. $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and children under 12.

• March 2: Silent Movie Night, 7:30 p.m. $10.

• The 1940s style musical revue “In The Mood” returns March 19. Tickets are $29, $39 and $49.

• Country singer Marty Stuart will sing his biggest hits on April 25. Tickets start at $27.50.

• May 11: Johnny Cash Tribute with James Garner, 7:30 p.m. $20.

The Hanford Fox Theatre is located at 326 N. Irwin St. For more information, call 584-7823 or visit www.foxhanford.com.

SATURDAY

Poor Man’s Poison holding send off party

HANFORD — Local bluegrass/Americana group Poor Man’s Poison is holding a special party with their fans before they leave for Nashville.

The sendoff party is on Saturday. The group is celebrating their advancement into the National Finals of the Texaco Country Music Showdown in Nashville. They will compete with the four other regional winners for $100,000 and the coveted title, “Best New Act in Country Music,” on a nationally syndicated television special.

The party will be held on the third floor of the Old Courthouse in downtown Hanford. The event is from 7 to 9 p.m.. Admission is $5 per person. VIP tickets are available for $15 per person and include early admission at 6 p.m., wine and appetizers.

Tickets can be purchased at the Hanford Parks and Recreation Department located at 321 N. Douty St., Suite B. For more information, call 585-2525.

Avenal Theater presents ‘Free Movie Saturday’

AVENAL — A special free showing of Disney’s “101 Dalmations” is being held at Avenal Theater on Saturday.

The showing is part of the theater’s “Free Movie Saturday” event. The viewing begins at 2 p.m. The film “101 Dalmatians” is rated “G” and tells the story of a family trying to rescue its Dalmatian puppies from the clutches of the evil Cruella De Vil.

The Avenal Theater is located at 233 E. Kings St. For more information, call 386-1500.

SUNDAY

Renown Italian pianist to perform

FRESNO — Philip Lorenz Memorial Keyboard Concerts will present pianist Alessio Bax Sunday.

The performance by one of today’s most gifted Italian pianists will begin at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall at California State University, Fresno.

Bax, who will perform works by Rachmaninoff, Kreisler/Rachmaninoff and Mussorgsky, is the winner of numerous awards, including the prestigious 2009 Avery Fisher Career Grant.

Tickets are $18, $12 for seniors and $5 for students.

For more information, call 278-2337 or visit www.keyboardconcerts.com.

MONDAY

Learn to square dance

HANFORD — The Square Eights of Hanford are offering square dance lessons starting Monday. The classes are open to everyone from age 8 to 80 years old.

Classes are from 7 to 8 p.m. The first three weeks of classes are free; after that, the cost is $2.50 per person for each lesson. Lessons will be taught at the Square Eights Hall located at 11555 Fargo Ave.

For more information, call 582-5148.

UPCOMING

Oldies legends to play at Tachi

LEMOORE — Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino will feature the Temptations and Four Tops Jan. 17.

The show will take place in the venue’s bingo hall. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show at 7. Tickets are $39, $59 and $85.

Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino is located at 17225 Jersey Ave. For more information, call 924-7751 or visit www.tachipalace.com.

Winter Wine Showcase tickets now on sale

HANFORD — Tickets for the Winter Wine Showcase, Kings County Farm Bureau’s annual fundraiser, are now on sale.

The festivities will take place on Jan. 17 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Richard Brown Building at the Kings Fairgrounds. An evening of wine, appetizers, music, and mingling, Winter Wine Showcase promises to be entertaining while raising money to support Farm Bureau programs.

The Winter Wine Showcase, which began eight years ago, raises money to support local farmers through educational programs, training classes, industry workshops, political activism and community involvement. Farm Day, which gives 2,300 Kings County third-graders a hands-on lesson in agriculture, livestock and farm equipment, is one of the many Farm Bureau-sponsored programs this event helps support.

“Winter Wine Showcase is our largest annual fundraiser,” said event chairwoman Aubrey Bettencourt. “Attendance at this event allows us to continue advocating for local agriculture and providing the programs and services that local farmers have come to rely on.”

The Winter Wine Showcase is traditionally a sold-out event, so those planning to attend should purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased from any Farm Bureau board member or at the office, located at 870 Greenfield Ave.

For more information and tickets, call 584-3557.

‘The Sing-Off’ winners Pentatonix coming to Visalia

VISALIA — Vocal sensations and season three winners of NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” Pentatonix, will take the stage at L.J. Williams Theater on Jan. 28.

Pentatonix has continued to build upon their already fiercely loyal fanbase established from their appearances on “The Sing-Off,” introducing new material via their YouTube channel, including covers of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know,” Fun’s “We Are Young,” and Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” The three videos have a total of 17 million views combined.

The night will also feature performances by students from El Diamante, Golden West, Mt. Whitney, Redwood and Central Valley Christian High Schools and College of the Sequoias. Tickets will be available at www.ticketfly.com or at the Visalia Fox Theater box office. The prices are $22 or $17 for students.

All proceeds from the event benefit Hands in the Community which provides crisis and short-term referral services in the Central Valley.

The L.J. Williams Theater is located at 1001 W. Main St. in Visalia. For more information, call 625-3822 or visit www.hnconline.org.

Disney on Ice presents ‘Dare to Dream’

FRESNO — Get tangled up in a new, thrilling show as Disney on Ice presents “Dare to Dream” at Selland Arena.

There will be 10 exciting performances from Jan. 30 to Feb. 4. Experience the magic of “Tangled,” “Cinderella,” “The Princess and the Frog” and other Disney princess favorites. Ticket prices are $18, $24, $34, $45 and $52. Tickets will be available at the Fresno Convention Center Box Office, ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets including select Save Mart Supermarkets, or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Selland Arena is located at 700 M St. For more information, call 445-8200 or visit www.disney.go.com/disneyonice.

Aaron Lewis returning to Visalia Fox

VISALIA — Staind frontman Aaron Lewis will perform a solo acoustic concert Feb. 22 at the Visalia Fox Theatre.

Lewis is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and founding member of Staind, the rock group with whom he has released six studio albums. Staind is known for the hits “Outside,” “It’s Been Awhile” and “Right Here Waiting.”

Nominated for three Grammys with Staind, Lewis has since ventured into country music. His debut solo album, “Town Line,” featured the single “Country Boy.” The show will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25, $30, $40 and $60.

The Visalia Fox Theatre is located at 308 W. Main St. in Visalia For more information, call 625-1369 or visit www.foxvisalia.org.

Tuesday, 28 August 2012

Body condition score ewes ahead of flushing

As sheep producers begin to wean lambs off their mothers, now is a good time to assess the body condition of ewes ahead of flushing and tupping.

Speaking to Farmers Weekly, sheep specialists said the wet summer had created problems for producers in terms of quality and availability of grazing, and the knock-on effect of delays to silaging.
"There is plenty of grass about generally, but it's been so wet and the ground conditions are not very good," said SAC sheep and beef specialist Rhidian Jones.

"When the grass is wet, it takes a bit more effort for the sheep to get the DM they need and it doesn't do their feet any good - it creates lameness problems, which affects their condition and ability to graze."
He said now was the perfect time of year to wean lambs, offering a good chance to sort through ewes and prioritise them for grazing.

This was backed up by EBLEX beef and sheep scientist Liz Genever, who recommended producers to sort their ewes into three different groups - thin, all right and fat - dependent on body condition score.
"The biggest thing to think about is body condition scoring sheep - flushing generally only works when sheep are on a rising plane of nutrition, and it's the most effective when the sheep's body condition score is slightly below target," she said.

Once sheep have been sorted into groups, grazing priorities can be established; priority must be given to the thinner ewes which needed to graze fields which have 6-8cm of grass growth, she added.
Fat ewes can be put on less favourable pasture where they will need to work harder to get to the grass, and those which are about right on condition score (2.5-3) need to be kept on maintenance, which is approximately 4-5cm of grass growth.

"Post-weaning, some thin sheep might be that way because they are young or because they have done a great job with their lambs," added Dr Genever.

"But when you go back in a month later to check on the sheep, if these sheep are still thin then the decision is probably taken to remove them from the flock."

She said producers should continue to cull any sheep, post-weaning, which have bad teeth or udders. "If they are not in the right body condition score by flushing and tupping, you are always going to be chasing your tail."