Page 7 - Mid Valley Times 12-2-21 E-edition

Thursday, November 25, 2021
The View From Here
It was about three years ago when I cov- ered the annual tree lighting cer- emony in downtown Reedley.
I re- member
speaking to a woman who attended the event. She told me she felt like she was in a Hallmark movie.
The night was cold with a chill in the air. A slight fog also hung above everyone’s head. All that was missing was the snow.
I looked around and thought to myself, "she's right, this place does look like a Hallmark movie scene."
It was dark, sometime in the early evening. Reed- ley’s downtown looked calm and peaceful. The oc- casional flicker of nearby Christmas lights added to the mood.
Fast forward several year, to the middle of the day, Saturday, Nov. 27.
I am back in downtown visiting a few stores to talk to locals about “Small Busi- ness Saturday.”
For those not familiar with Small Business Sat- urday, it takes place after Black Friday. It's meant to encourage locals to shop their hometown boutiques, hardware stores, and res- taurants.
My first stop was To- manni's Bistro. I talked with Erik Schuk and his family for a few minutes.
He toldmeheisof Finnish descent and was born in Helsinki, Finland. Erik and his family are al- ways welcoming and very nice, it was good to see their restaurant filled with customers.
Next, I made my way over to The Nest. Again, the place was filled with customers. I then made my way through a couple of the downtown second hand stores, all of them also busy.
Lines of people waiting to purchase their items. I talked to a few people and one of them told me they loved downtown Reedley because it reminded them of, yea you guessed it, a Hallmark movie.
There is definitely something special about this town. It has a certain charm to it that both locals and outsiders like myself have noticed.
However, since I moved here I don't think I'm so much an outsider anymore.
Can't wait to see what this Christmas season brings.
Juanita Adame
Reedley celebrates small business
Juanita Adame /Mid Valley Times
Tomanni's Bistro stayed busy throughout Small Business Saturday on Nov. 27.
Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times
From left, Yvonne Lopez and Cristal Lopez enjoyed posing for a pho- to during Small Business Saturday in downtown Reedley.
something they are extremely thankful for.
“It allows us to survive and to be here and people in Reedley are so supportive and they care about their down- town and without them, we wouldn’t be here,” she said.
Small Business Saturday takes place after Black Fri- day. It is an event targeted at supporting local businesses during the holiday season.
“A lot of history here, there’s a lot of beautiful shops and stores and restaurants, and I feel like when you are a citizen of Reedley and the sur- rounding towns,” said Schuk.
“Our downtown looks al- most like the baby brother of downtown Clovis and it’s beautiful with the trees and the nice people and all that.”
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
Downtown Reedley shops and restaurants were filled with customers who came to participate in Small Business Saturday.
“Yesterday we started get- ting busy about 12:30 p.m., so that’s when folks started moving around and coming in here,” said Erik Schuk, owner of Tomanni’s Bistro. “We ex- pect to be busy today as well.”
Shuck opened Tomanni’s Bistro during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The
business has done well and Shuck said he’s thankful for locals who have supported them.
“Its giving back to the community, this is a very strong community has a lot of history, a lot of these business- es have been here for a long time like Sam’s Shoe Store, it’s been here 100 years,” he said. “This building where we are, Tomanni’s Bistro, is over one hundred years old.”
Customers who were not dining at Tomanni’s Bistro on the morning of Nov. 27 were a few stores down over at The
Nest.
“It’s been very steady,
we’ve had moments where we were crowded but definitely steady,” said Shelli Darrah, owner of The Nest.
Darrah said the support from the community allows them to stay open and that is
“People in Reedley are so supportive and they care about their downtown, without them, we wouldn’t be here."
Shelli Darrah The Nest
Cheer team takes part in Visalia's Christmas parade
Contributed
The Orosi High school cheer team posed for a photo before the 75th annual Candy Cane Lane parade in Visalia on the evening of Nov. 29.
Drive-thru parade at Adventist Health in Reedley
Sanger Woman's Club will have two upcoming events
Contributed
The Sanger Woman's Club will be open during the annu- al Toyland Parade in Sanger on Saturday, Dec. 4.
The Sanger Woman’s Clubhouse, which is located at 1602 P , will be selling burritos for $2, baked goods, coffee and hot chocolate.
A week later, on Friday the 10th, The Sanger Wom- an’s Club's Take-Out dinner will be held.
It will feature Pulled Pork Sandwich, Rice Pilaf, Cole- slaw and a Cookie for $12. Advance orders only; place orders with sky.hannigan@ hotmail.com or text (559) 349-5858.
Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times
Cars lined the area behind Adventist Health in Reedley for their second annual drive thru parade that took place behind the birth- ing center on the evening of Nov. 30. (More photos in A section.)
Contributed
Photo of the week
This photo of "Drako," a Bulldog Boxer mixed puppy was sent in by Daniel Andrade. Have a photo you'd like featured? Email juanita@ midvalleypublishing.com.