2020 Articles

Dec 2020 5

A Sweet Diva Wants a Person She Can Love

2020 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Lee Juslin

by Lee Juslin

Cassandra is part of Col. Potter’s Mix-It-Up, non Cairn rescues. These dogs are not Cairns and are often, like Cassandra, a mix of several breeds. Like the Cairns Col. Potter rescues, these mixed breeds have been fully vetted for any health needs and are not ready for adoption until the vetting and an analysis of the dog’s personality have been done by an experienced Col. Potter foster parent. One advantage of adopting a Mix-It-Up rescue is that you may just get a very special little dog, like Cassandra.

Dec 2020 5

Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas By Nancy Coco: Review/Giveaway/Recipe

2020 Articles, Cynthia Chow, Food Fun, Mysteryrat's Maze

by Cynthia Chow
& Nancy Coco

Christmas on Mackinac Island may be the postcard ideal of snow and horse-drawn carriages, but for Allie McMurphy the holiday is proving to be a little more humbug than ho ho. Extensive renovations on the top floor of her family’s Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop have Allie bunking in her fudge shop manager’s vacant apartment until the construction is completed, but at least Allie has her bichonpoo Mal and calico Mella as roommates. A knock on the door and an intriguing note leads Allie to the steps of Fort Mackinac, where she is shocked to find a body facedown in the snow. Nearby church ladies identify the unconscious woman as Kayla Cramdon, a freelance graphic artist and new resident at the Ambassador apartments.

Dec 2020 5

Christmas is Alive and Well with The Kings Players

2020 Articles, Theatre

by Louella Moreland

What happens when a worldwide pandemic closes the doors to live theaters? After recovering from the initial shock, creative minds of organizations, writers, directors, and actors go virtual!

Dec 2020 5

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings By Liz Ireland: Review/Giveaway/Interview

2020 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze, Sandra Murphy

by Sandra Murphy

April and Nick met at her B&B in Oregon. They soon fell in love and he proposed. She said yes and moved North with him, having no idea what she was getting herself into. Nick is the real Santa Claus, having inherited the title when his brother, Chris, died in a hunting accident.

Dec 2020 5

Reedley Firefighter John Agueda: Helping People

2020 Articles, Lorie Lewis Ham, Public Protectors, Reedley News

by Lorie Lewis Ham

As 2020 comes to a close, we share our last profile of a member of the Reedley Fire Department. This week we are interviewing John Agueda who is currently a Fire Apparatus Engineer. John was born and raised in Fresno, but moved to Reedley with his wife 23 years ago to take care of his wife’s mother.

Dec 2020 5

The MacDonald Dilemma: Mystery Short Story

2020 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze, Terrific Tales

by Herschel Cozine

Not much happens here in Sheepsvale. It’s a small town, mostly farms and open space that holds little attraction for city folks. This is fine with me. Too many visitors means crime and big city trouble. As sheriff, I am perfectly satisfied to put my feet up on my desk, have a leisurely cup of coffee, and let the rest of the world go by. So when I got the call that there was trouble at the north edge of town I was a little surprised. There are only two farms in that neck of the woods: McGregor’s and Old MacDonald’s.

Dec 2020 2

Sherlock Holmes, His Creator and His Love of the USA

2020 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze

by H.B. Lyle

When we think of Victorian London, one or two writers spring to mind: Charles Dickens, obviously, in particular with A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. What is more Victorian, more English indeed, than Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson hot footing it through London on the trail of a dastardly crime? But, what few people know is that, almost from the very beginning of his career writing Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle had a deep fascination with America and continued to put it in the Holmes stories again and again.

Dec 2020 2

Detroit ’67 Presented Online By University Theatre

2020 Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Lorie Lewis Ham, Tales of Diversity, Theatre

by Lorie Lewis Ham

As theatre continues to be presented online, University Theatre at Fresno State will be presenting its latest show, Detroit ’67, streaming December 4-12. The cast includes Trey Jones, Alexis Myles, Madeline Nelson, Nwachukwu Oputa, and TJ Taylor. We chatted with the director of the show, Thomas-Whit Ellis, Professor of Theatre Arts, Department Chair, Africana Studies, to learn more.

Dec 2020 2

Drama Christmas By Joe Cosentino, the eleventh Nicky & Noah mystery

2020 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze, Tales of Diversity

by Joe Cosentino

In Drama Christmas, hunky and hilarious armchair sleuth Professor of Play Directing Nicky Abbondanza (Bob Cratchit), his handsome husband Associate Professor of Acting Noah Oliver (Nephew Freddy), their son Taavi (Tiny Tim), best friends Department Chair Martin Anderson (Scrooge/Carol), Ruben Markinson (Marley/Ghost of the Lover of the Past), and Martin’s sassy office assistant Shayla Johnson (Housekeeper) star in a musical version of Scrooge’s A Christmas Carol at Treemeadow College, entitled Call Me Carol! The show proves that every Christmas needs a good Carol. Nicky’s favorite target, Detective Manuello (Ghost of the Lover of the Present) and Nicky and Noah’s both sets of wacky parents, are along for the bumpy ride.