Wrapping up a four-week series, in this issue we look back at the top news and events for Oakdale during the fourth quarter of the year, October through December, 2025.
OCTOBER
It was a successful Homecoming Week for Oakdale High School students and the community, with lots of fun activities throughout the week and a huge Friday night win – under the lights – in The Corral on Oct. 3 in varsity football. Named as Homecoming Royalty were Princess Kaia Cox and Queen Taylor Krum, announced at the Friday night game. Prior to that, Prince Griffin Gerber and King Wes Burford received their crowns. Other events included a festive rally at the high school that featured a spirited lip sync contest and a sea of red and gold in the student section for the night of football, with the varsity Mustangs defeating visiting East Union, 71-55.
It was back – and exponentially bigger – than last year, with organizers of the Oakdale Fall Festival putting on the family-focused gathering on Saturday, Oct. 4 in Wood Park. Food booths, merchandise vendors, clubs and organizations, bounce houses, music and more were featured, with the festival stretching throughout Wood Park along Yosemite Avenue and even spilling in to the area of the skate park and stage. That was where several bounce houses were set up. Last year, the festival was hosted at Kerr Park east of the city but for 2025, the goal was to bring it in to town.
The 2025 edition of a unique fundraiser, Once Upon A Tomb, took over the Oakdale Citizens Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 4. It was a night of guided walking tours of the cemetery, making stops at the gravesites of several notable Oakdale residents, with local actors and actresses bringing them to life. Cast members performed monologues for the audience at the gravesite of the person they were portraying. One hundred percent of the event proceeds benefit the Oakdale Citizens Cemetery on East J Street.
Following comments and discussion, members of the Oakdale City Council voted Monday, Oct. 6 to move forward with an appointment process to fill the vacancy left by council member Christopher Smith, who resigned effective Sept. 18.
The Friends of the Oakdale Library, as part of its ongoing effort to enhance and beautify the outdoor area of the Oakdale Library and to honor its many extraordinary friends since the organization’s formation, is gifting a new mural to the Oakdale Library. Painting of the mural on the blank patio wall is scheduled to occur, weather permitting, during the 20th annual National Friends of Libraries Week, being observed Oct. 19 – Oct. 25. Local artist, Lindsey Wetenkamp, designed the mural, which features a whimsical “reading tree” and she plans to start painting on Monday, Oct. 20.
Students at all grade levels on the four Oakdale elementary school campuses laced up their running shoes and put on their 2025 Jog-A-Thon T-shirts on Friday, Oct. 10. The roughly half-hour event was staged Friday morning at Fair Oaks Elementary, Cloverland, Magnolia and Sierra View. The annual fundraising walk/run for students was hosted under sunny skies and students brought both energy and enthusiasm.
It was a little bit of everything, all wrapped up together, from fundraising to a retirement recognition, a Sheriff’s Department helicopter landing, and the always-frightening haunted hay ride. Valley Home pulled out all the stops to put on a memorable Harvest Festival, staged on the campus of the school in the small hamlet on Saturday evening, Oct. 25. People turned out for a special fundraising tri-tip dinner, with proceeds going to support local teen Jett Trunnell as he continues to battle cancer. Several members of his family, including his mother Tiffany Trunnell and his sisters, were in attendance for a portion of the event. Longtime Fire Chief Kevin Wise was also recognized, presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by District 1 Supervisor Buck Condit on behalf of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, as he prepares to retire. A special prime rib dinner was served to Chief Wise and those seated at his table, and the Sheriff’s Department helicopter flew in, siren blaring, circling the school before touching down nearby. The chief later was able to take a ride in the helicopter.
NOVEMBER
Prices are on the rise, inflation is very much in evidence, and lingering concerns over the future of SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, prompted one local family to get into action. The Drader family, on Purcell Court off North Maag Avenue in Oakdale, started small … but their ‘little free food pantry’ has taken off, way beyond their expectations. Darci Drader initially built a 3-by-3 pantry box that the family of five set up outside their home. “It’s overwhelming in the best way,” Kaitlyn Drader said, adding that their triplet daughters, Parker, Dani and Reese, have also been instrumental in the effort. The small pantry box went up toward the end of October and featured a simple sign: Take what you need, leave what you can. And there has been just as much giving as taking.
As the smells of cotton candy and kettle corn glided down Main Street in Knights Ferry, anxious fans awaited the first pumpkin of the season to be rolled from the starting line along Main Street. More than 100 contestants – from big kids to little kids – tried their luck as they fought to earn those coveted trophies Knights Ferry Pumpkin Roll trophies. The event was staged, as always, on the first Sunday after Halloween. That put the roll this year on Sunday, Nov. 2.
The official groundbreaking for the Julia Haidlen Memorial Ice Skating Rink took place in November. Wielding the shovels were Oakdale Chamber CEO Cher Bairos, Gretchen Haidlen-Arbini, Erich Haidlen and Kelly Haidlen, City of Oakdale Public Services Director Jeff Gravel and Small Town Christmas Chair, Ami Poncabare. The rink is scheduled to open Dec. 3.
After interviewing seven applicants in a special meeting Wednesday night, Nov. 12, members of the Oakdale City Council appointed former councilmember and longtime local contractor Rich Murdoch to fill the vacant seat left by the September resignation of Christopher Smith. Murdoch, who previously served six years on the council, was sworn in immediately following the vote. He told the council he was “grateful” for the opportunity to serve again.
With donations made locally, more than 700 children around the world will be blessed for the Christmas holiday. The River Christian Community Church on East G Street in Oakdale served as the collection location for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. The program sees people filling brightly colored shoeboxes with age-appropriate gifts for girls and boys, some toiletries, stationery and school supplies, small clothing items and more. Serving as coordinator locally was Patty Cooper, who was busy keeping track of the boxes as people dropped them off throughout the week. The effort ran from Monday, Nov. 17 through Monday, Nov. 24. When the final count came in after the last drop off on Monday morning, Cooper said they had a total of 718 boxes.
DECEMBER
The grand opening of the Julia Haidlen Memorial Ice Skating rink ran from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at Yosemite Avenue and G Street in Oakdale, just south of Wood Park. The rink will be open through early January with hours from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily, 10 am. to 10 p.m. weekends and during winter break. Tickets are available on site and are $20 for adults, $15 for kids 12 and under, which includes skate rental and a one-hour skating session. The rink will also be available for party rentals; for more details visit smalltownchristmas.co
Oakdale is seeing fresh momentum in its retail landscape as long-vacant storefronts begin to find new life. Among the activities: a revised Walmart application for the former K-Mart site on South Maag and a new Ross Dress for Less planned for the old Rite Aid building on East F Street in the Foothill Oaks Shopping Center.
From the flurries of ‘snow’ falling gently on the brightly lit streets to the crackling fire perfect for toasting marshmallows at the s’mores station, holiday cheer was abundant at the Small Town Christmas in Oakdale, hosted Saturday, Dec. 6. Huge crowds descended on the Julia Haidlen Memorial Ice Skating Rink to spend time gliding on the ice and sharing sweet treats from Bloomingcamp Ranch. Upon leaving the ice rink, folks walked through candy cane lined pathways and uniquely decorated Christmas Trees at Wood Park to hear the Oakdale High School Choir sharing some holiday tunes.
As visitors walked into the ASTRO Foundation facility on South Stearns Road in Oakdale, it was a celebration, with the grand re-opening hosted on Dec. 7. ASTRO is technically known as the Animal Shelter To Riverbank and Oakdale, but is more commonly called by its acronym. The hallways were filled with people there looking for new furry friends and taking in the recent renovations. The Welcome Room featured a new window which brightened up the room and made the Welcome Room feel very welcoming indeed. Outside, the new kennels have been installed and there is a grassy area for dogs to run and play. The re-opening came after several months of renovations to the site, necessitated when a car crashed through the front of the building, causing extensive property damage.
It was a morning to ‘Remember, Honor and Teach’ as dozens gathered at the Oakdale Citizens Cemetery for the annual Wreaths Across America program dedicated to placing holiday wreaths on the graves of veterans. Working cooperatively to put on the event were the Board of Trustees of the Oakdale Citizens Cemetery, Oakdale’s Cub Packs and Scouting America Troops 43 and 365, and Pacific Project Heroes, Inc. The National Wreaths Across America program was staged on Saturday, Dec. 13, with ceremonies across the country designed to remember the sacrifices of veterans, honor their service and teach the next generation about the value and cost of freedom. The special ceremony featured an entry by Bagpiper George Harcrow, followed by several members of the Oakdale Lions Club who themselves are veterans. The VFW Post 2922 of Oakdale served as the Honor Guard. An introduction was offered by Pacific Project Heroes, Inc. President J.R. McCarty and Doug Creekpaum provided the welcome and remarks regarding the program. He served as the Wreaths Location Co-coordinator, along with Oakdale Citizens Cemetery board secretary Melinda Owen.
