Oliver Twist And The Artful Dodger Coming To Town

Poverty, greed, the seething unmentionable sides of humanity - no, it's not the latest salacious Hollywood headline - it's the delicious complexity layered into the adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic, Oliver Twist and it's coming to Oakdale's stage, Aug. 19-Sept.3.

Little Luv Bugz Offers Quality Gently-Used Items

For parents operating on a tight budget - or maybe just enjoy a bargain - the newest clothing retailer in Oakdale should be right up their alley.

ORFD Program Plays It Safe

It's summer time and Oakdale Rural Fire Protection District (ORFD) has been busy - rescuing people from the Stanislaus River.

Eager Students Search Class Lists

Fair Oaks Elementary students could hardly wait to discover who their new teacher would be for the 2011-2012 school year and there was quite a crowd assembled Thursday, Aug. 4 when the class lists were posted at 4 p.m. School starts bright and early at all Oakdale Unified School District sites Wednesday, Aug. 10.

New Horse Joins Police Department Family

The Oakdale Police Department equestrian budget is going to double -from $1 to $2 - with the recent addition of Moe, an 8-year-old bay quarter horse gelding.

Huli Huli Fundraiser Saturday

The first Huli Huli fundraiser is slated for Saturday, July 30 at the Rodeo Grounds from 6 p.m. until midnight where attendees will enjoy a teriyaki chicken and rice dinner followed by dancing with music provided by local favorite Remedy. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

Stuff N' Nonsense - Researching Paradise

As I write this I'm sitting in a borrowed apartment that was set up for our arrival by my friend Dulcey. I can hear bananaquits (or Sugarbirds) and frogs that sound similar to very loud crickets, a rogue rooster crowed at the break of dawn, and the ocean is a short walk away from our back door.

Oakdale Equine Rescue - Dedication, Love For Horses Motivate Local Group

Jeannine Etheridge and Lora Handley are proof that you don't have to start out as hardcore horsewomen to find your calling as a stanch advocate.

OPD Retires Three

Saying goodbye is always hard, but particularly so when you're saying it to people who are less like coworkers and more like family.

Huli Huli Luau - Grassroots Group Takes On Football Fundraiser

A grassroots movement by a motivated group of Mustang football parents has spawned a new fundraiser.

Oakdale’s Whole Health Dental Offers Old-Fashioned Customer Service

After 26 years of owning a successful dental practice in Manteca, married dental duo Mary Richmond and Rafael Cardenas retired and settled into a peaceful, relaxing retirement that didn't include hectic day schedules, 80-hour weeks, and meals that consisted of hastily gulped breakfasts and dinners shoved down their throats so they could rush to the next item on their very long, very important to-do lists.

Elderly Woman Rescued From River

A 90-year-old woman was rescued from the Stanislaus River Monday, July 4 when her River Journey boat capsized near the Russian Rapids. She wasn't injured but she was sinking fast in spite of her life jacket. For full details and a snapshot of the Fourth of July holiday, don't miss the July 6 issue of The Oakdale Leader.

Financial Stability For Rural District

The first thing Oakdale Rural Fire Protection District Chief Lee Winton noticed when he took his post at the helm of the rural district was a distressing fact: they were perpetually in the red.

Oakdale Girl Killed In ATV Wreck

A 17-year-old Oakdale girl was killed Thursday evening, June 23 when her ATV entered the path of a 2002 Chevrolet traveling westbound on Rice Road at 45 mph. The Stanislaus County Coroner's office confirmed the identity of the Oakdale High student as Kaitlynn Louis. According to California Highway Patrol, Kaitlynn was riding her ATV southbound on a canal bank that runs parallel to McGee Avenue ...

Dangerous Depths - Officials Warn Of Conditions

It seems at the beginning of every warm weather season, water officials issue a dire warning about conditions on the Stanislaus River. The basics: it's moving fast, it's cold, and it's filled with hidden dangers, remain the same. The difference this year? Take the essence behind those typical warnings and multiply that by a hundred and you might have an inkling of what officials fear for the 2011 summer season.

Oakdale's Annual Chocolate Festival

Although the main attraction of the Oakdale Chocolate Festival is undoubtedly the chocolate, there are plenty of other things to see, taste, and experience at the 21st annual Oakdale Chocolate Festival hosted by the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce. Several new vendors – nearly a dozen ‑ have committed to the festival, ranging from pool supplies to tasty candied treats and there is bound to be ...

Stuff ‘N Nonsense - Adjusting To The Dream Job

Who knew there would be an adjustment period to living the dream? I certainly didn't. Many of you know I published my first book in December 2006 and it's been a dream of mine for longer than I can remember to support myself solely on my fiction writing income. After many years of incredibly hard work, I managed to make that dream a reality and I left my post at The Leader to live the dream.

Hottest Ticket - Annual Cowgirl Luncheon Wild Success 12 Times Over

It's the hottest ticket in town and for 464 lucky ladies - it's money well-spent.

Chatting With Pam Thornberry, P.A.

Pam Thornberry, a Physician's Assistant with Dr. Lee Horwitz, has a smile that immediately puts patients at ease, whether she's discussing something serious or simply exchanging information about one's medical history. Thornberry, who received her medical training at UC Davis, has been a PA for 18 years and in the current Oakdale office for the past 12. For the special Healthy Living feature, this 'Q and A' is designed to help the ...

Stuff ‘N Nonsense - A Graceful Exit

I have an issue with finality. At the end of every year, as everyone is celebrating the ball drop on a New Year, I'm lamenting the fact that I'll never be in that moment again - another year lost to time, never to experience again. In that second before the big calendar change, I panic just a little knowing that it's over. I'm happy to report that the panic doesn't last but ...

BOWL BOUND

The Oakdale Varsity Football team arrived bright and early Friday, Dec. 14 to board the bus headed for Carson, California for the California Interscholastic Federation State Football Championship Division II Bowl game -- a first for the Mustangs and there was a good-sized, rowdy crowd ready to send them off in style.

Not-So-Merry - Thieves Pilfer Holiday Packages

The best part about the digital age is the ease with which retailers make it for consumers to do a large portion of their shopping from the comfort of their living room via the Internet. Emarketers estimated that Internet shopping will account for 24.3 percent of all U.S. retail spending during the traditional holiday season (November-December) and judging by the number of times the UPS, FedEx, and other mail carriers have been ...

House Of Beef, A Delicious Holiday Resource

Holiday Safety - Police: Be Wary Of Opportunists

As the unseasonably warm Indian summer fades to the chill, foggy days of a Central Valley winter, Oakdale Police are reminding the community that criminals often look for quick opportunities to steal other people's property and a foggy night makes for perfect cover. "As soon as the fog starts to roll in, we see more crime because of the lower visibility," Sgt. Michael Nixon of the Oakdale Police Department warned. "You ...

Eclectic Empty Nest Under New Ownership

Shelley Leadem is no stranger to the business world, having been in real estate for 20 years in her native Hollister, but the new owner of The Empty Nest admits that working in retail is a whole new world. Leadem and her husband relocated to Oakdale three years ago due to a job change and quickly fell in love with the small town. "My husband got ...