Al Lennox is on News Noon talking to Tom Slivick about national issues with Veterans' Affairs. 

Al Lennox is on News Noon talking to Tom Slivick about national issues with Veterans' Affairs. 

At the May 15 awards ceremony at AmadorHigh School, $1,200-scholarships were awarded by the Amador County Artists Association (ACAA) to two aspiring art students.  Stefani Gelardi and Maria MacDonald not only excel in the field of art but manage to do so while taking part in extracurricular activities, working part time and maintaining GPAs of 4.0 or better. 

Stefani plans to become an animator with the ultimate goal of working for an animation company.  To further that goal, she has taken advanced art courses and recently exhibited several pieces in the Student Art Show organized by the ACAA.  She voluntarily contributed to the design needs of the school’s theater department and her tennis team, including designing the team’s shirts for the past two years.  Stefani also helped raise money to get the high school courts resurfaced.  Over the four years at Amador she has achieved the rank of the No. 2 girl on the tennis team. And she works part time. 

Maria is taking on a double major to study art and environmental studies and has worked extensively throughout her years at Amador in both areas.  In the field of art, all of her classes have been advanced and her effort paid off in the recent Student Art Show.  She placed first in ceramics and received an honorable mention in painting.  Maria has taken numerous honors classes across the curriculum and yet has managed to devote time to martial arts, kickboxing, and ballet, earning a Second Degree Black Belt in karate.  She also works part time, including a job painting murals at a dance school in Jackson. 

The ACAA is pleased to award these exemplary students its 2014 scholarships and wishes them well on their artistic journeys.  These scholarships are funded by the Open Studios tour held each September.      

2014)…The Wilkinson Family of Groveland, California, wanted to make a difference in their community. After seeing the catastrophic effects of the Rim Fire that destroyed over 257,000 acres in their area, Christina and David Wilkinson chose to use their talents to make that difference. Christina and David own a full service design firm, Saber Designs, and put their designing skills to work. With the help of their daughter, Bethany, they designed two versions of a t-shirt. All t-shirt sale proceeds are going towards the Rim Fire Recovery efforts. As the saying goes, “When you hand good people possibility, they do great things.” This is the case with the Wilkinsons and the people they tapped to help reach their goal. Groveland Area Involved Neighbors, Dori’s Tea Cottage, Groveland local merchants, even the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce were willing to participate in selling the t-shirts. Level One Web Design donated the website for selling the t-shirts: rimfirefundraiser.com. Over 1,500 t-shirts have been sold to date, over $14,000.00 has been raised. Some of the funds will be donated to the local fire department with the balance going to the Rim Fire Recovery efforts.

A fund donation ceremony is scheduled Tuesday, June 17 at 10:00 am at the Rim of the World Overlook on Calif. Highway 120 east of Groveland. “Paying it forward” doesn’t end there as the Tuolumne River Trust, a key partner in the Rim Fire recovery effort is matching that contribution. This contribution is anticipated to be leveraged with a grant from the National Forest Foundation. Funds will be used to help coordinate the repair and replacement of recreation signs, picnic tables, trail maintenance, and eradication of noxious weeds impacting wildlife food sources.

The public can continue the good work of the Wilkinsons by participating in volunteer opportunities posted on the Tuolumne River Trust website - http://www.tuolumne.org/content/article.php?story=RimFireRecovery. The desire to make a difference inspired the Wilkinsons to take action in a time of need and with these funds the community, the Stanislaus National Forest, and the environment emerging from the ashes of the fire will benefit for a long time.

Part one of Tom Slivick's interview with local author, Mark Bennett.

Amador Live wrap-up.

Wendy Ward explains her 6 week art Journal Class on TSPN's Amador Live.

Pru Starr talks about Art in the Garden Along the River in West Point.

Roam with Heather and Richard.

Ruthella Turner talks to Heather Murdock about Summterime fun with ATCAA.