Congratulations to Terri B. and Lori R. for winning our Ladies’ Night Out contests! Terri was the winner of the merchant card drawing and Lori won the Best Animal Print Contest by a landslide. Congratulations, ladies. Enjoy your $100 worth of Downtown Dollars!

Thank you to all the businesses that supported Fall Ladies’ Night Out and ladies that attended. We’ve heard nothing but great things from all of you since the event. We are so happy you enjoyed yourselves, the food, drinks, giveaways, the animals & red boas. Weren’t they fabulous? It was so cool to see a real-life zebra and red boas parading throughout Downtown! Click here to see our LNO gallery!

We hope you ladies are ready for the next LNO. We PROM-ise it’s going to be worth your while.

Congratulations to Ernesto and Raquel Piñon, Reedley’s Most Romantic Couple!

“My grandparents Ernesto and Raquel Piñon met at a fair that happened to be across the street from my grandma’s house. When their eyes met my grandparents knew they were destined to be together. After that they began to date for about a year. My grandpa took my grandma dancing and serenaded her with mariachis. A year later my grandpa asked for my grandma’s hand in Marriage. They were married by court March 10, 1951 then three months later they were married by church. They will be married 60 years this March.

Though they have been married for nearly 60 years they still have that spark that they had when they first met. They have that spark because they got through the toughest times together and still managed to hang on to each other.  They lost two of their daughters. Their oldest daughter Rita died at age seven from tonsillitis. Maria Del Carmen died when she was nine months old due to an illness of the stomach. They held on to each other through the tough times and managed to make it through.

My grandparents are the most romantic couple I know. Though they have gone through it all, somehow they still manage to love each other more and more every day. My grandparents look at each other same way they did when they first met 61 years ago. I hope when I get married that I will be as happy as my grandparents are 60 years later. They are an inspiration to my family and me because we know by looking at them that a marriage can work as long as you want it to.

In closing I just want to say that my grandparents have shown my family and me how a marriage works. Marriage is not an easy thing to do but they manage to get through it. I know I can handle the responsibility because I learned from the best my grandparents.”

Bring your family and friends out to the 14th Annual Electric Farm Equipment parade for a fun-filled evening!   This is also a great chance to celebrate our local Ag Industry.  Pre-Parade activities start at 5:30PM.

Activities include:

• Visiting Santa from Christmas past at the Historic Downtown Clock
• Buggy rides
• A live Nativity Scene
• Holiday shopping in one of our many charming Downtown gift stores
• Or just relax and listen to Christmas music while dining Downtown.

We look forward to seeing you at this year’s Reedley Electric Farm Equipment Parade on December 2nd!

To enter the parade, fill out this application and mail it with a check for the entry fee to the address below: 2010 Electrical Farm Eqipment Parade Application (PDF).

Reedley Downtown Association
Attn: Christmas Parade
P.O. Box 615
Reedley, CA 93654

My husband has shared so much love and support for me in the last year that I had to try for the title of “Reedley’s Most Romantic Couple”.
My husband, Mike, did not shower me with flowers, gifts, or special getaways to fancy hotels or restaurants.  He hugged me and held me tightly last February when I was told I had breast cancer.  He was there by my side joking with me and telling me he would still find me sexy without hair.  He promised to chase me around the house till he caught me.

I was lucky.  Due to early detection I only had to have a lumpectomy and 6 weeks of radiation treatment.  My hair did not fall out and Mike was still joking and hugging me daily.

Six months later I found a lump in my groin.  Mike said it is probably just a pulled muscle.  But after more tests and another surgery, we were told I had stage 3 Non Hodgkin Lymphoma.  Mike was there at the doctor’s office joking and teasing all along the way.  This time I had to leave work.   I had 8 weeks of infusion of a special drug that treats just what I have. We cut back on everything we could.  Mike helped with keeping the kids occupied and keeping a positive attitude.

One of the most loving things Mike did was tell me to have my family come to our house for Thanksgiving.  I love family.  Mike knew I had a special bond with my cousins who I called constantly when I need moral support.  Mike wanted to make sure I had lots of family around me.  He cleaned up the property and helped with household chores.  He helped cooked dinner four nights they were at our house. You have to understand that Mike is generally a macho man who doesn’t help in the house at all and likes his privacy in his own home.  Mike brought my family to me.   I was so tired.  But I loved every second they were here.  It was the best Thanksgiving ever!
Romance was Mike telling me he believed the next test results in January would be good when I believed they wouldn’t.  He just held me until I felt his strength bring me relief.  Romance is staying with someone in sickness and in health.

Last year was not all terrible.  We stood side by side as our oldest son got married.  Mike held my hand tightly as I cried through the ceremony.  He teased me about it until I started to laugh with him about my silly mushy side.  We rushed to the hospital to see our fist grandson born in September.  What a joy!!!!

My 53rd birthday will be February 14 of this year.  I could really use a pick me up Romantic prize this year.  We both could use the quiet time dinner together.  Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, Denise Bauer

The holidays are coming!  Here’s the application for the 2009 Electrical Farm Equipment: Application (.pdf).  Right-click to save it to your computer.