Page 11 - Sanger Herald 12-14-17 e-edition

Lifestyles
SANGER HERALD • 3B • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017
Chrismas fundraiser goes all out to stock Father Hannibal's shelves
Sanger
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Beverly Cox described the event at St. Mary’s as one of the biggest of the season in Sanger.
The fourth year in a row, she said.
Big, big, big.
And she was right. The
Christmas Dinner for Women of the Community at St. Mary’s appeared determined to become a big seasonal event in Sanger, one that ushers in the reason for celebration. And Christ definitely belonged in this Christmas event.
Each table featured a carefully crafted centerpiece, flatware and china straight out of a posh home staged for an HGTV
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
The Christmas Dinner for Women of the Community sold out this year. The event is a fundraiser for Father Hannibal House.
And while there were some men, two of whom priests, those of the male persuasion were definitely the minority. This was a girls’ night out. Yeah, sure there were other men — those who belonged to the Knights of Columbus. But they were but a handful and quietly served the women of the community.
The event also was definitely a multi- generational affair with young women, even younger and those young at heart. And the meal, catered by the Gonzalez clan, was brought with utmost professionalism to the tables by students from Del Rey.
The mood could only be described as festive.
Friends and family gathered. All focused on raising money for the Father Hannibal House to put food on the shelves for needy folks. The church hall at the corner of Bethel and North avenues had been transformed with suspended lighting, wall decorations and general atmosphere to an expensive venue that could have been in downtown San Francisco, renting for many thousands of dollars for the evening.
Still, it was the camaraderie that struck Cox. “I’m so grateful the ladies get together in fellowship,” she said. “And we have a great time.”
Jessie Avery serves as co-chair with Cox of the event. “It’s a beautiful
event,” she said just before the meal was served. “The money it generates is very important to the poor people of our community.”
Avery said she predicts the event will grow and continue to make its mark in alleviating hunger. “The generations will carry on,” she said.
The fundraiser began as a way to meet a challenge from the pulpit. “Father Devassy (Painadath) was at mass and he encouraged the congregation to do something for Father Hannibal (House),” Cox said. “The shelves were bare, and nobody had any food.”
Cox said she and Avery
See Fundraiser, Page 4B
Christmas special. The centerpieces, and nearly every other decoration, showed the attention to detail and creativity of each person who assembled the table.
Many of the tables featured religious touches, meticulously designed, of course. The event grew to 32 tables this year and was fully sold out, said Cox, one of the organizers.
Cookies impress Herald judges
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Editor Dick Sheppard’s love of cookies is no secret. Baked goods sometimes can inspire him to cover an event even if he’s tired, even if he’s covered way too many things that week and even if he doesn’t have
time.
“But they have cookies,”
he often says.
So he noticeably perks
up when it comes time for the Sanger Herald’s annual cookie contest. And while not on the level of the Christmas parade or the tree lighting, the contest does indeed usher in the holiday season, especially at 740 N St.
On Dec. 7, when judging was to begin, Sharon Mendoza arranged the 17 diverse entries on the office table. Many had turned up in the last half hour as the celebrity judging team gathered in the newspaper offices. Each judge had a sheet of paper to rank the entries. Cookies had been cut into small pieces for sampling.
“A little piece of heaven,” said Jen Johnson after tasting one from a plate marked No. 12. “Fudge. Heaven on the inside.”
Sheppard sported a big grin, one that showed
The Parable of the Three Trees
Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.
The first little tree looked up at the stars and said, “I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I’ll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!”
The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. “I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings,” it said. “I’ll be the strongest ship in the world!”
The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. “I don’t want to leave the mountain top at all,” it said. “I want to grow so
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Entries to the Sanger Herald Cookie Contest amounted to 17 this year, and all appeared to be crafted by the best bakers in the central San Joaquin Valley. The judges are above.
the gap in his teeth. He didn’t delay. “Lingering aftertaste,” he said, carrying on a conversation with his taste buds. “Hint of the forest. Whaddaya call that stuff?”
That sample followed another, each one another
tall that when people stop to look at me, they’ll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.”
Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone and the little trees grew tall. One day, three woodcutters climbed the mountain.
The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell.
“Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!” The first tree said.
The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell.
“Now I shall sail mighty waters!” thought the second tree. “I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!”
The third tree felt her heart sink when the last
step closer to caloric overdose.
“They’re all good,” said Sanger mayor Frank Gonzalez. “But I have to choose the best excellent.”
Others echoed the sentiment.
And that’s the thing
about the Sanger Herald cookie contest. These aren’t some common recipes. The bakers take their job seriously. Some fiddle with ingredients over time and even generations to come up with the right mix that perhaps could even end wars and find a solution to the Middle East peace process.
Perhaps.
This is Sanger, after all. Home of the Apaches. Not to be underestimated.
Gonzalez discussed his
method of choosing the best excellent. “I made my own scoring system,” he said.
He was leaning to No. 7.
Councilman Eli Ontiveros enjoyed his role. Asked for a comment on the contest, he said, “I think it’s great. It’s almost as hard as picking people for a city committee. You get a bunch of qualified people who apply, but you can only pick one.
“I should’ve brought a gallon of milk. They’re all so good.”
suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One evening, a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain.
The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, “Peace.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She
Sheppard, at this point, had disappeared. He then mentioned, likely from his office, something about descending into a sugar coma. His vocal chords remained functional. Nobody got too worried.
Keith Kriser, commander of VFW Post 7168 in Sanger, took a drink of water. “Trying to clear the palate,” he said. “Excellent so far.”
Tammy Wolfe, president and CEO of the Sanger
See Cookies, Page 4B
shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.
But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth tremble with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
So next time you feel down because you didn’t get what you want, just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you. Author Unknown
Pastor Sam Estes is city advance director and facilitates the Sanger Community Task Force that meets the first and third Tuesdays every month. He can be reached at pastorsam51@gmail.com.
PASTOR’S CORNER
woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven.
But the woodcutter never
even looked up.
“Any kind of tree
will do for me.” He muttered. With a
swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter’s shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.
The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She
was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river; instead she was taken to a little lake.
The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her
in a lumberyard. “What happened?” The once tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God.”
Many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox. “I wish I could make a cradle for him.” her husband whispered.
The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. “This manger is beautiful,” she said. And
Pastor Sam Estes