FamousView

The Adventures of Batman and Ruben

It has been weeks since I last sat down and wrote an article. I used to pump out thousands and thousands of words every single day but lately I have been focusing more on social media and that takes more time than anyone might imagine. It feels good to have my fingers on the keys again.

I am sitting here thinking about the fact that May is just a few days away and that boggles my mind a bit. I swear that my life is on fast-forward lately. Days seem to just fly by. Nights seem to just fade into memories.

I am really looking forward to the next few months in good-old Modesto. Living right on the parade route is pretty sweet and helps me enjoy events when the heat is blazing. Heat and I don’t get along. In many ways I am like an old car. I can go and go, but if I don’t get enough water, I just sort of sputter out and quit moving. My doctors should start emailing me their annual warnings soon. My body will start to get tired faster. But hey, I’m alive! That’s the key. That makes me happy.

May will be fun In Modesto and it will keep me on my toes and as busy as ever.

American Roots artist Pokey LaFarge is scheduled to perform at the Fat Cat on May 11^th, Dwight Yoakam will bring his ‘Guitars and Cadillacs’ to the Gallo Center for the Arts on May 25^th and the summer movie season will kick-off on May 3^rd when Brenden Theatres welcomes Iron Man onto its largest screens. Those events and more can be found on our event calendar at modestoview.com.

In personal news, I am still working toward the goal that I mentioned last month of publishing a book of local images. Like my projects and ideas always seem to, that goal has morphed into an adventure of epic proportions.

I am about to launch a website to sell my prints called Buddha Street Urban Art (to earn the money to publish the book) and that has made me want to get out and shoot as much as possible. I need to be careful however so I don’t get hurt trying to create my crazy brand of art.

Yesterday, my trusty partner in crime and I adventured out to take some shots of an abandoned building and we ended up in a small scary attic with an unhappy bat. Have you ever seen a fat guy try to navigate stairs while screaming things like, “My girlfriend is going to kill me if I get rabies!” and “Run! Run for all that is holy!” It was hilarious. That fiasco would have made an amazing YouTube video.

Bottom line here- Don’t wake up bats. They bite and foaming at the mouth is not at all attractive.

If you need a better visual example of what I just described, hit up the Farmer’s Market this week and buy an odd-shaped potato. Let that potato roll down a flight of stairs. That is pretty much what the scene developed into. It wasn’t pretty.

Have a fantastic May in Modesto. Plant a garden. Eat some tasty fruit. Find somewhere to sit and watch a river roll by. Share a sundae at Loard’s downtown with the one person that you love the most. Sit and watch tiny kids learn to play baseball. Live the American dream. Be thankful for health and happiness.

Feel free me to email me at r.porras@me.com for any reason at all. I know some awesome recipes and I can hook you up with some great advice on avoiding bats. Oh life!

by Monica Barber

May is a magnificent month for trying out new things and finding new ways to occupy your time. There’s no better time than the present to enjoy the warm weather and get out on the town and Mo-town is ripe for deals in May!

Looking for a great deal on a book? Take a walk downtown on May 4th and head over to the Modesto library. The Annual Friends of the Library Sale is happening and will be held on the portico of the Library from 8am to 3pm. Books are priced to sell at 50-cent for paperbacks and $1for hard-bounds! There will be something for everyone! Book donations are always needed as well. If you’d like to donate please feel free to head over to their homepage tinyurl.com/209books or send an email to clarenoo@gmail.com.

If you treasure your time spent indoors, think of how much you can learn about the outdoors while spending your time indoors. Stop by The Great Valley Museum to learn some beautiful and enriching facts about the valley environment. As you find yourself walking through the exhibits you will feel absolutely transformed by the experience. Learning about the great outdoors won’t break your budget one bit. Prices range from FREE for students and children under six to $1 general admission. If you head over as a family group you can enter for the bargain price of only $3. Find more information at tinyurl.com/209animals.

One of my favorite ways to quench my thirst is with a glass of Lemonade. This year you can join me and many others in the community by participating in the Modesto Lemonade Day. On May 18th, youth are encouraged to participate in this nationwide program that teaches startup principles and business follow-through by operating a Lemonade Stand. You can support by mentoring, volunteering, participating or purchasing. Registration is free. Head over to modesto.lemonadeday.org to find out more about this revolutionary program.

End your month by Going Straight to the Movies with the MSO Pops tribute to Walt Disney & John Williams at The Gallo Center. Let’s Go to The Movies offers you a chance to enjoy your favorite movie music from classic Disney films along with selections from Harry Potter, Star Wars and Chicago. There should be something for everyone including film aficionados and music enthusiasts. For more information including ticket prices see galloarts.com.

Go Modesto We love our Farmer’s Markets Your mother always told you that you should eat your greens so you would grow big and strong. This handy list of local certified farmers’s market locations will help you show mom that you listen closely.

Modesto- Count on a long list of tasty fruits and veggies, nifty crafts, hot food vendors and more! Don’t pass up the Killer Bacon at the Green’s Market booth or the fresh pita chips at the hummus booth. Music fans can boogie to tunes this year sponsored by ModestoView. Find it: Between H & I Streets on 15th St. Thurs & Sat, 7am-1pm

Turlock- Don’t worry about letting mom down if you miss the Modesto market. Turlock has you covered! Find it: Broadway & Main St. Fri, 8am-1pm

Oakdale- We think that this market should definitely have horse parking! This one starts a bit later in the year but is worth the wait if you prefer early evening shopping. Catch it on the way to your favorite local swimming/fishing spot. Find it: 3rd St between F & J Streets. Thurs starting on 06/09, 5pm-8pm

Riverbank – The City of Action offers plenty of market satisfaction! This is another evening adventure option for those seeking cooler temperatures. Find it: Riverbank Community Center – 3600 Santa Fe St, Weds 5pm-8pm

ModestoView is proud to announce our partnership with Crescent Work and Outdoor for a special contest designed for local families.

We love traveling and exploring and we really love getting outside and enjoying nature. On that note, we want to help one local family do just that.

Details – One lucky winner will win all of the following from Crescent Supply and Outdoor -

• 6-Person Tent
• Two Coleman Sleeping Bags
• Two Aluminum Chairs with Attached Retractable Tables
• Queen-Sized Air Mattress

Dig out your favorite camping photos and share your best memories. We are looking for the most interesting photos that you can find. Maybe your Aunt Sally once had to wrestle a deer or your little brother once got a fish that was a big as a shark. Those photos would be great!

Enter in one of three ways -

Tag your photo with #ModestoView on Instagram

Post your photos to the ModestoView Facebook at www.facebook.com/modestoview

Email your images to r.porras@me.com

Deadline for entries is May 25th. One entry per family. Entries will be judged by Crescent Work and Outdoor.

Learn more about Crescent Work and Outdoor here: www.crescentmodesto.com

Crescent Work and Outdoor – 801 8th Street – (209) 529-3490

Editor’s Note: – Take a couple hours out of your day today to learn about Modesto and plans for the future. We live here and work here – Let’s take an active role in making our community a place that we truly feel at home in. While you are downtown, enjoy Modesto’s Third Thursday Artwalk. This is a great night for you to embrace your hometown! We, the citizens, have a chance to help make this a better Modesto, USA!
Ruben Porras/ModestoFamous, Senior Editor

City of Modesto Press Release-

Photo by Ruben Porras

The City of Modesto will be hosting a Community Engagement Forum from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm on Thursday, April 18, in the  Downtown Plaza.  This event will focus on gathering community input on the future of Modesto as we work together to create The City of Modesto’s 2014-2017 Strategic Plan.

This event is for the citizens of Modesto to have a say in shaping their community.  AND- the best part…..a positive community atmosphere, with food, music and purpose! Come join us for a great time, one that you don’t want to miss! Also, parking will be made available for FREE to those wishing to attend (the lot at the corner of K St & 11th as well as the 10th Street Parking Garage will be open for FREE parking).

There will be a short presentation on the goals and priorities identified by the City Council, as well as, information obtained from community members who participated in the City Council Goal Setting Workshop, the Public Safety Forums held in December 2012 and January 2013 and City staff.

The Community will have the opportunity to select the most critical services/priorities they feel should receive the greatest focus over the next 3 years.  A list of priorities and goals will be posted for those attending to select their top priorities as well as the ability to list new ideas and concepts for consideration. This will be the last forum held to obtain community input prior to the Council developing a new Strategic Plan. Don’t miss it!

by Ruben J. Porras / ModestoFamous

Photos by Ruben J. Porras

Scott Aspesi loves wine and he wants Modesto to share that love. To make that happen, Aspesi has opened a new tasting room as part of Dewz restaurant on J St. that is like nothing else in the Modesto area.

Dewz has a long history of upscale dining in Modesto and has consistently made changes over the years to appeal to the desires of their customers. This latest change combines Aspesi’s vast knowledge of wine with technology while offering more options and a more personalized overall experience for patrons.

Scott Aspesi is serving wine differently than anyone else in Modesto.

Walking into the space that Aspesi has created is an interesting experience. You are immediately surrounded by warmth, comfort and color in a room that could double as the set of some sort of artsy sci-fi adventure film. To achieve the look and feel that Aspesi wanted to convey he reached out to Designz on 15^th St. for interior design consultation and a variety of unique art pieces that include a glimmering gold jaguar, a beautiful painting of hot air balloons and a collection of beautiful lighting fixtures.

The back and center of the room are lined with gleaming stainless steel wine dispensers with bright red numbers that glow on an LED display. I suppose that you might call them wine robots if this were an actual film set. Maybe someone should consult George Lucas.

The wine dispensers are the key to Aspesi’s vision. Each unit uses argon gas to preserve wine thus allowing each bottle to remain fresh for up to five days longer than traditionally-stored wine. Each offering is tested by Aspesi personally for freshness and flavor.

Each dispensing unit offers a variety of wine that is served in two-ounce servings. Based on the wine that you choose to sample, prices per serving range from just over $2 to $8 per serving. Customers purchase a refillable debit card that goes into each dispensing unit just like an ATM machine to pay for their selections.

After purchasing their choice of samples customers can remain in the plush space that houses the units or they can take their selections to Dewz’s main dining room. From there, the wine that they sampled can be purchased by the glass or by the bottle.

Aspesi has also amassed a selection of wines available to purchase as gifts or to enjoy at home and there are some great deals to be had. A number of wines that normally retail for $200 to $500 per bottle are currently available for just $90 bottle per bottle.

If you are not a wine connoisseur, Aspesi’s space could turn you into one. Modesto is wine country. Enjoy your hometown and support our unique and diverse local businesses.

Dewz

1505 J St.

(209) 549-1101

dothedewz.com

FamousView April 2013

by ModestoFamous

Oh life! March was quite the ride for me! My life in this community seems to just get better and better and that is something that I’m really excited about. Things in my life don’t always stay good. For some crazy reason, the good always turns bad or worse. I won’t let that happen with my life here. I’m just too happy. Happy is good!

My work with local businesses really kicked into high gear in March and it seems like I am getting busier and busier in that regard and I am enjoying it. My doctors like when I stay busy but still manage to get what I call my “old man naps” in. My body and I don’t always agree on the projects that take me late into the night but I’m still here and reasonably healthy so I am learning to find a balance.

Some of my best moments last month were the moments that I spent with celebrities. Not everyone would agree with my definition of celebrity, but that is ok. A celebrity to me is someone that makes themselves known for the work they do in their field. I’ve been called a local celebrity. That’s always nice to hear.

Somehow last month I managed to get in front of Boz Scaggs, Kenny Rogers, a couple famous DJs and a few country stars that were big in the 90s when I was in high school. I’ve met many famous folks in my life but I never really get starstruck. That just changed – Meeting Kenny Rogers put me at a loss for words. He was genuine, humble and polite and that was nice to see. I’ll never forget his show or the handshake that we shared. The man is a true icon.

April won’t be as crazy as March but that is just fine with me. I could use a bit of a breather I suppose. My beautiful partner in crime and I have joined a gym and have decided to get fit together. Apparently she is mildly insane and wants to grow old with me. She wants to watch me age and take care of me. That works for me. She inspires me and cooks like Wolfgang Puck. I’m pretty sure that going back to a single guy’s diet of ramen and Oreo cookies might be a bad idea. She won’t allow that.

Enjoy your April. Party like a rockstar. Take in a drag show at ClimaX on 7^th Street, watch a rapper shake the walls at Fat Cat or close your eyes and get lost in a Modesto Symphony performance at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Take a look at our event calendar and you will realize that Modesto serves up something for everyone.

One more thing – As if I wasn’t busy enough, I have decided to publish a book of local street images. The photos that accompany this column are a couple that I have taken recently. They are not perfect. They would not make it onto the walls of famous galleries. That is not the the point. They tell a story about beautiful people doing regular things in the place that I call home. I’m not trying to get rich and sell a million copies. I will donate most of the book profits to help those in need.

Have a great month in April. Walk the local trails, sit on the patio of a local restaurant, walk hand-in-hand with someone special. That is life. Life is good!

Keep in touch with me – Twitter @ModestoFamous Email r.porras@me.com

Tattoo Nation

The True Story of the Ink Revolution – Press Release provided by State Theatre

Playing at State Theatre

Thurs. 4/4 – Thurs. 4/11

(Documentary) I Hr. 29 Min. (DVD) In English

Howdy campers! You know that I have to open with that based on the theme of this issue. Right now I am in my downtown apartment and I have a raging campfire going in my living room. These s’mores are tasty, but for some reason men in giant red trucks with ladders attached just pulled up. That’s strange! They don’t look happy!

So, let’s talk about what I’ve been up to. February was a crazy month for me personally and professionally and I am very excited about new changes that I’ve made and challenges that I’ve accepted.

Here’s a quick rundown of my February-

Professionally, I became the social media voice for the Gallo Center for the Arts and that has really opened up my world in regard to music, theatre and so much more. I love it! In just one month in the position, I have met a celebrated magician, taken in a number of exciting shows, attended their annual Back to Black black-tie gala and became the proud owner of a pair of their adult sippy cups! Good times!

Personally, I received some very solid blood test results along with the news that I’m no longer at risk to just fall over and die at any moment and I have fallen in love even more with my beautiful girlfriend. I am so happy with her that I have agreed to make her daughter a much bigger part of our lives. We are becoming a family! I use an exclamation mark there because I am thrilled. I am excited. I am ready. We are going to be the most colorful, musical, artistic, perfectly dysfunctional and adventurous group of Brady Bunch wannabes ever and we are going to fight like hell to keep our love alive. That’s our deal. We will love like crazy. Sounds great to me!

March will be an interesting month for me and a fun month in Modesto. I’ll turn 38, meet Elvis impersonators, Shrek and a few country music stars, spend long nights with hilarious drag queens at ClimaX Bar and Nightclub and take a million photos. I just bought a tiny portable camera that fits in my ridiculous man purse and I have been newly inspired to get out and shoot things. That’s a nice feeling!

Get out and do good things this month in Modesto! Have breakfast every Sunday morning with us at Deva Cafe where the Poorhouse Millionaires make us feel like we are at a special type of musical church full of amazing friends, watch a few movies at Brenden Theatres and the State Theatre, attend as many live music shows as possible and take the time to dance like crazy whenever possible. If money allows, buy a piece of art from Mark Holden, Jen Coffey, Jim Christensen, Jeff Moore, Stacey Penland or another local artist and hang it proudly in your home. Allow it to inspire you. Allow it to make you feel alive. If that can’t happen, take the time to look at all the new murals popping up in town. The new Aaron Vickery piece on the Chamber of Commerce offices is incredible!

Keep in touch with me this month. Email me at r.porras@me.com for any reason and follow me on Twitter where I have been known as @ModestoFamous for nearly six years. Wow! Time flies!

Have a great month in Modesto! We live in a beautiful special place and we need to keep it thriving and growing in a positive direction. Smile today. Smile every chance that you can. Embrace life.

I continue to be impressed and inspired by the diversity that makes up Modesto. Meeting new people on a regular basis is always exciting and recently I have had the opportunity to meet a local artist that is actually a world-famous celebrity in her field.

What she does may not appeal to everyone, but her story is inspiring, intense and deeply interesting.

You can Meet Maya Moore in person every Sunday night where she performs as Mizz Monique Moore during her Dragaliscious female impersonator revue at ClimaX Bar and Nightclub at 607 7^th Street in downtown Modesto. Take the time to catch her act. It is sexy, funny and fast-paced. It is a great way to end a long weekend.

This is the text of a Q & A interview that I recently did with the starlet:

MF: Tell me about yourself. I know that you were born a man but that your stage identity is that of a woman. How did you get started?

MM: First, I consider myself a woman. I have been dressing up ever since I was five years-old in my mother’s clothes and makeup.I started doing drag shows and became a female impersonator at the age of 17 when I would sneak into clubs and perform at in San Jose. After winning numerous drag contests, I knew that I had what it took to be a professional female impersonator.

MF: How far have you gone to change your body to become who you are today? How is your stage persona different than your daily persona?

MM: Lets just say that I have had quite a few procedures to enhance some areas of my body but that Cher and Joan Rivers still have me beat. I am basically the same person on and off stage.The only difference is that when I am on stage, I am a seductive enticing showgirl who wears a lot of makeup, rhinestone jewelry, wigs, and over-the-top costumes that I believe people would die for. During the day, I am just a plain-Jane (LOL) with less make up, and I am much less flashy.

My character, Mizz Monique Moore is a sexy ,captivating, energetic, talented entertainer. I am basically the same confident person off stage without all the glitz and glamour. What people don’t realize and don’t see is that I live my life as a wife and step mother of a three year-old son. The sexy goddess they see on stage is really all an illusion.

MF: What are your greatest personal and professional successes?

MM: My greatest personal success is changing my name and gender and getting legally married at the courthouse to my husband.

Professionally, I have been extremely lucky and blessed to have had national and international exposure. I have competed in the three most prestigious pageants there are to compete in as a female impersonator including Miss Gay America in Washington, D.C, Miss Gay USofA in Dallas,Texas and Miss Continental in Chicago.

I have also have had numerous television appearances including being a featured guest on The Riki Lake Show three times and on The Maury Povich Show. I would have to say the most memorable appearance would have to be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno where I got to perform for American Idol Judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul.That was an amazing time and a once-in-a-life time opportunity.

MF: What goals do you have for your future?

MM: My ultimate goal in life is to live a happy and content life with my husband and my stepson. So far, I have been blessed to live an exciting life and have achieved a lot in my profession. I bet that some people would kill to be in my heels and live the life I live.

MF: How does your family feel about how you have chosen to live your life?

MM: I am blessed to have had a very supportive family since day-one. My parents are the greatest and have been to many of my shows throughout the years. They have accepted the path that I have taken to become a woman.

My mother is the one who taught me how to sew dresses.How much more supportive could parents be?

Being a step-mother and wife alone is my full-time job. I moonlight as a show director and female impersonator at night. I have worked in the past as a makeup artist, dance instructor, color guard teacher, hair dresser, dress designer and pageant consultant.