Touchstones: Life and Times of Modesto

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A publication of Press and Publications, 

McHenry Museum & Historical Society 

HPNbooks 

A division of Lammert Incorporated 

San Antonio, Texas

PHOTOGRAPH BY RUBEN PORRAS. 

First Edition 

Copyright © 2017 HPNbooks 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing 

from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to HPNbooks, 11535 Galm Road, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas, 78254. Phone (800) 749-9790, www.hpnbooks.com. 

ISBN: 978-1-944891-38-1 

Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 2017954682 

Touchstones: Life and Times of Modesto 

editor: Ken White 

contributing writer for “Sharing the Heritage”: Joe Goodpasture 

cover artist: John Mattos 

HPNbooks 

president: Ron Lammert 

project managers: Daphne Fletcher 

Jennifer Folkert 

Autumn Link 

administration: Donna M. Mata 

Melissa G. Quinn 

Lori K. Smith 

Kristin T. Williamson 

book sales: Joe Neely 

production: Colin Hart 

Evelyn Hart 

Glenda Tarazon Krouse 

Tim Lippard 

Craig Mitchell 

Tony Quinn 

Christopher D. Sturdevant 

2 ✦ TOUCHSTONES: Life and Times of Modesto

CONTENTS 

5 SPECIAL THANKS 

5 LEGACY SPONSOR 

6 PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS 

8 INTRODUCTION Our People Are Our Strength 

11 FOREWORD Touchstones 

15 A MODESTO POEM Prayer for You, On the Way to Wherever You’re Going 

17 PREFACE Modesto: My Favorite Place 

20 A HISTORY OF MODESTO From Sleepy Railroad Town to Bustling Metropolis 

26 DOWNTOWN MODESTO The Heart of Our Hometown 

33 GRAFFITI HERITAGE Graffiti USA 

38 THE ARTS Extraordinary Arts and Entertainment Experiences 

46 COMMUNITY The Gift of Time and Talent: 

Philanthropy and Volunteerism in our Community 

54 GOVERNMENT Balancing Urban Amenities with Rural Values 

62 ENTERTAINMENT, RECREATION & SPORTS A Year-Round Playground 

72 HOMETOWN HEROES Modesto Notables 

80 AGRICULTURE The Life-Blood of Our Economy 

86 DIVERSITY Common Threads: Diversity in Modesto 

97 FAITH COMMUNITIES A Tapestry of Hope 

103 PUBLIC SAFETY Honoring the Past While Moving into the Future 

113 EDUCATION A Model of Collaboration 

120 HEALTHCARE Modesto Delivers Local, High-Quality Healthcare 

129 ARCHITECTURE Cutting Edge Design 

135 BUSINESS Improving the Quality of Life for Modesto 

141 CREATIVES Artists of the City 

148 OUR FUTURE On the Road that Lies Before Us: The Future of Modesto 

Contents ✦ 3

156 TRIVIA In Pursuit of Modesto Minutiae 

161 TIMELINE Important Dates in Modesto History 

167 AFTERWORD Ever After is Here and Now 

170 CONTRIBUTORS 

175 INDEX 

179 SHARING THE HERITAGE 

289 SPONSORS 

291 ABOUT THE EDITOR 

292 ABOUT THE COVER 

Although “Draggin’ 10th” is long gone, our love of classic cars, chrome, and rock ‘n’ roll still shines bright. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CORY WARNER, STUDIO WARNER. 


SPECIAL THANKS 

My thanks to the artists, photographers, and writers who volunteered their time and talent; the businesses that shared their stories; 

and the following individuals, who contributed to this uniquely collaborative effort. I could not have done it without you. 

Carl Baggese 

James A. Ewing 

Janet Lancaster 

Michael Mangano 

Scott Mitchell 

Henrietta Sparkman 

Amy Vickery 

Cory Warner 

Todd Aaronson 

Ralph Anaforian 

Don Aspito 

Debra Banuelos 

Lois Belt 

Susan Belt-Highiet 

Patrick Burda 

Tiffani Burns 

Suzanne Byrd 

Vickie Chu-Hermis 

Sandy Clark 

Florence Combes 

Tonja Conway 

Sean Copeland 

Brad Cornwell 

Kathleen Correia 

Maria Cortez 

Doug DiFranco 

Mike Dunbar 

Kathy Espinoza 

Daphne Fletcher, HPN 

Jennifer Folkert, HPN 

Becky Fortuna 

Marc Garcia 

Melissa Gascon 

Curtis Grant 

Tom Hampson 

Bill Harris 

Doug Highiet 

Dana Hohn 

Amanda Hughes 

Ruben Imperial 

Jessica Irish 

Danny Johnson 

Dr. Jim Johnson 

Ron Lammert, HPN 

Catherine Larsen 

Gwen Larson 

Joan Lee 

Judy Leitz 

Autumn Link, HPN 

Roni Lubliner 

Wendy Lucas 

Katharine Martin 

Wayne Mathes 

Donna Mata, HPN 

Dominique Maurer 

James McAndrews 

Dina McCall 

LEGACY SPONSOR 

Ken McCall 

Suzanne McCaslin 

Mary McGranahan 

Maggie Mejia 

Kristin Mostowski 

Ana Murphy 

Caroline Nickel 

Natalie Nielsen 

Tracy Norris 

Jamie Norwood 

Susan Patricola 

Kristin Platts 

Michele Proffitt 

Janet Rasmussen 

Lynn Reeves 

Lisa Ribeiro 

May Rico 

Marijke Rowland 

Robert LeRoy Santos 

Carin Sarkis 

Mike Sessions 

Talbott Smith 

Leo Stutzin 

Barbara Tregea 

Kevin Valine 

Connie Wethington 

Scott Williams, HPN 

Through their generous support, Stanislaus Food Products helped to make this project possible. 

Stanislaus Food Products 

1202 D Street 

Modesto, California 95354 

800-327-7201 

www.stanislaus.com 

Special Thanks ✦ 5

PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS 

M C H ENRY M USEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 

PUBLISHERS OF T OUCHSTONES: 

L IFE AND T IMES OF M ODESTO 

BY GWEN LARSEN 

Virginia White, Modesto Arch in 

November 2006, watercolor. 

Why do we need another history of Modesto? Actually, we don’t. Our city history has been 

chronicled over the years by a number of knowledgeable, dedicated, and respected authors. 

Each either examined a small slice of that history or presented a larger, more expansive view. 

These publications continue to give us a credible and comprehensive account of our city since its 

founding in 1870. That is why our organization decided to publish a book which is much more than 

a history as we approach the sesquicentennial of that founding, a book which showcases our city’s 

treasures—people and places, assets and institutions, hopes and values—which are rooted in a rich 

historical background. A book which tells where we came from, where we are now as a city, and 

where we are going. Touchstones is a contemporary portrait which has become the most recent 

history of the city. 

Who is Press and Publications? We are an offshoot of the early Stanislaus County Historical Society, 

which was chartered by our County Board of Supervisors in 1966, one year after the City of Modesto 

chartered a similar group called the Citizens’ Cultural Center Committee. The two organizations had 

much in common with the similar goal of preserving local history. They each had a collection of artifacts 


and archives, but neither had a permanent 

building. The county historical society’s 

accomplishments are told in detail in Kathleen 

Gooch’s 1988 Stanislaus County, an Illustrated 

History. The Modesto Bee published several articles 

between 1967 and 1972 about Heidi Warner’s 

and the Cultural Committee’s efforts to acquire 

the McHenry Public Library building as a 

museum. This building had been built in 1912 

with money left by Oramil McHenry specifically 

for a library, with the stipulation that if the 

building ceased to be used as a library, the 

property would revert to the McHenry family 

unless the city used the building for a related 

public purpose. When the library moved into a 

new, larger site in 1971, the city and the Cultural 

Committee worked out a partnership involving 

city ownership of the building and archives, city 

maintenance, along with Society volunteer 

staffing. A new name was adopted by the 

volunteers; the incorporated, nonprofit 

organization was named the McHenry Museum 

Society, which occupied its new home in 1972. 

The refurbished library became their museum, 

still known as The McHenry Museum today. 

But what happened to our ancestral Stanislaus 

County Historical Society during the growth and 

transition of the Cultural Committee? They continued 

to build membership and had concentrated 

their efforts on publishing local history, 

reprinting Branch’s 1881 History of Stanislaus 

County, publishing Jack Brotherton’s Annals of 

Stanislaus County, and beginning the quarterly 

journal Stanislaus Stepping Stones, which Press 

and Publications still publishes today. However, 

with no building of their own and with similar 

purposes and collections, in 1987 the Historical 

Society merged with the McHenry Museum 

Society, resulting in the current name of McHenry 

Museum & Historical Society. The Amended 

Articles of Incorporation stated that there 

would be a Publications Committee to carry on 

the work of the Historical Society, and the 

Historical Society officers became members of 

this Publication Committee. The Historical 

Society added some 500 members to the 

newly formed merger. The new Publications 

Committee acquired the $25,000 treasury of the 

old Stanislaus County Historical Society, a significant 

figure with which to carry on its book publishing 

mission. 

Since that 1987 merger, there have been a few 

name changes of the Publications Committee now 

known as Press and Publications, McHenry 

Museum & Historical Society. The Society is governed 

by a Board of Directors, and its Bylaws designate 

Press and Publications as a Support Group, 

along with Acquisitions, the Docents, and the 

Guild. Press and Publications has continued to 

bring authentic local history in written form to the 

community, with a list of fifteen original publications 

and several reprints. So now we go a step further 

and bring you this publication Touchstones: 

Life and Times of Modesto which, as stated earlier, 

builds on our heritage but goes beyond history 

with detailed stories of present day Modesto and 

projections into our future. We are confident this 

new venture will provide hours of good reading. 

Above: McHenry Museum, home 

of the McHenry Museum & 

Historical Society. 

COURTESY OF THE CITY OF MODESTO. 

Below: Press and Publications 

provides authentic local history in 

written form. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY SCOTT MITCHELL. 

Press and Publications ✦ 7

INTRODUCTION 

O UR P EOPLE A RE O UR S TRENGTH 

BY MAYOR TED BRANDVOLD 

Georgia Herrick, Valley Vineyards, 

watercolor. 

As Modesto approaches the 150th anniversary of its founding, we will have an opportunity to 

reflect on where we’ve been and to decide where we want to go. This book is a testament we 

share with future generations, as its many contributors express their views of these reflections 

and decisions. 

There is no doubt that the strength of Modesto is its people. Whether you were born here and 

stayed or were born here and left, special qualities exist if you were Modesto-grown. 

Two brothers started a winery after reading some pamphlets in the county library, stayed, and turned 

their business into the largest privately owned winery in the world—E. & J. Gallo Winery. 

Other world-class businesses were built here, such as Bob Piccinini growing Save Mart 

Supermarkets and Dan Costa cultivating a series of creative and successful ventures. 

A son of Modesto grew up here, dreamed of making movies, made one called American Graffiti 

about Modesto’s car culture, and became one of the greatest storytellers in the history of the world by 

creating the Star Wars saga, among others. Modesto-grown George Lucas is Modesto’s greatest export 

of all time! 

Countless others who are Modesto-grown have gone on to succeed in their chosen vocations 

around the world, and we take great pride in them all. There are many like me, who moved here from 

other places around the nation, and around the world, helping make Modesto an outstanding city. 

Our people best reflect who we are as a city, and not just our famous ones. Mothers and fathers 

raise strong families here. Grandmothers and grandfathers keep memories alive of the past successes 


WORKING TOGETHER TO MEET THE CHALLENGES AHEAD 

The naming of Modesto has its roots in the 

Spanish word for “modest.” Though its citizens 

tend to be modest people, there is nothing 

modest about what Modesto has accomplished 

over the span of almost 150 years. Growing to a 

city of over 211,000 and listed as one of the 100 

largest cities in the United States, its agricultural 

“roots” run deep, but its downtown and urban 

amenities provide its population with a diversity 

of opportunities to live, work, and enjoy. 

Nearly 150 years of growth have changed the 

city in profound ways. Modesto truly finds itself 

at the “crossroads.” The Great Recession of 2008 

and “Growth/No Growth” debates have 

dampened enthusiasm and optimism about the 

future, and clouded over some of our strengths. 

However, this time of uncertainty has created 

many new opportunities in Modesto. 

Born out of a desert and located in the heart of the Central Valley, we are a very resilient 

community that is unafraid of challenge. We have succeeded time and again where others have 

failed. The beginning of the twenty-first century saw an amazing growth spurt that came tumbling 

down in 2008. The leadership of the community made the hard choices necessary to reduce 

and rebalance the budget to maintain the fiscal sustainability of the city. Eight years later, growth 

remains slow, but that has not dampened the spirit or the “can-do” attitude of the community. A 

strategic plan is in place that prioritizes precious resources to invest and expand on our “Great Safe 

Neighborhoods,” strengthen “A Healthy Economy and Great Quality of Life,” reestablish a “Vibrant 

Infrastructure and Sustainable Environment,” and continually improve as an “Effective, Responsive, 

and Transparent Government.” 

These commitments are no easy challenge, but Modesto has a strong foundation and good 

“bones” to build upon, a resilient and entrepreneurial spirit, and a broad diversity of talent and 

strength that will carry us forward. We know that government is not the solution. Building 

partnerships, engaging our diverse community, collaboration, sharing, networking, and reaffirming 

what used to be called civic responsibility to our 

neighborhood and community are the 

characteristics that will help us choose the right 

direction and achieve success. 

Though our beginnings were founded on 

“modesty,” we are confident of who we are, and 

proud of what we have accomplished. We are 

ready as ever to work together, meeting whatever 

challenges lie ahead. We are looking forward to 

an even greater 150 years to come and an even 

brighter future for Modesto. 

Above: Modesto City Hall: Ready 

to work together to meet the 

challenges ahead. 


Below: The men of Stanislaus County 

put themselves in her shoes. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID SILVA. PHOTOSHOP 

RENDERING BY LESLEE ADAMS. COURTESY OF 

HAVEN WOMEN’S CENTER OF STANISLAUS. 

- Jim Holgersson, 

City Manager of Modesto 

(May 2014-March 2017) 

Introduction ✦ 9

we’ve enjoyed and some failures we’ve learned 

from. Our churches, our voluntary associations, 

clubs, and charities fill the many needs of our 

citizens. This is Modesto. 

It is a humbling honor to be mayor of this 

exceptional city, as it approaches its 

sesquicentennial. To readers of this book in the 

future, judge us by what we did with both the 

community and the city passed on to us by our 

forbearers. Did we succeed or fail to make a 

great city even greater? That’s the question I ask 

myself every day as mayor. 

Thank you to Ken White for organizing this 

volume, as well as to each of the many 

contributors, for chronicling this particular point 

in time in the history of Modesto, California. 

SHAPING A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR STANISLAUS COUNTY 

Stanislaus County and the City of Modesto have a long and rich history of working together in a commitment to improve and 

better serve their communities. This collaborative spirit is perhaps best exemplified in Tenth Street Place, the administration building 

for both the city and county, where there are no walls dividing the city manager’s office portion of the building from the county chief 

executive office. Over the years, these two public agencies have entered into a variety of partnerships from a joint Regional 911 Call 

Center to an “Energy-from-Waste” facility. Working together, they have brought sewer services to county islands, a community/onestop 

center for our veterans, and one of the largest recycled water projects in the country. These partnerships have resulted in greater 

efficiencies in the delivery of government services and have led to a growing recognition of the value of cooperation. 

Like many counties and cities in the Central Valley and across California, Stanislaus County faces profound challenges. 

Recognizing that local government acting alone cannot create the future hoped for in our county and cities, in 2015, leaders and 

residents throughout Stanislaus County joined together to launch a long-term movement to improve the quality of life for residents 

and families across our county. 

Initiated by the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, this “Focus on Prevention” movement is growing through the efforts of 

volunteers and leaders from multiple sectors, including: neighborhoods; businesses; education; faith; health; nonprofits; 

philanthropy; media; arts, entertainment and sports; and local government. These sectors have committed to focusing on prevention 

by moving more of our resources and attention to addressing root causes and the long-term conditions that lead to individuals and 

families struggling in our county. They are also committed to acting and working together, to doing better through learning and 

mutual accountability, and to remaining committed for the long haul. We are convinced that by working together, we can shape a 

bright future for the residents of Stanislaus County. 

- Stan Risen, Chief Executive Officer, Stanislaus County (November 2013-August 2017) 

The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, acting together to better serve our community. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID JONES. COURTESY OF STANISLAUS COUNTY. 


FOREWORD 

T OUCHSTONES 

BY KEN WHITE 

Once upon a time, a touchstone was used by ancient alchemists to test the purity of gold or silver. 

Now it is used to determine the excellence or genuineness of something. 

When it comes to the place where we live and work, there are many touchstones used to determine 

the quality of life. These benchmarks are the focus of Touchstones: Life and Times of Modesto, 

commissioned by the McHenry Museum & Historical Society to commemorate Modesto as it 

approaches the 150th anniversary of its founding. 

Located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, there is more to Modesto than meets the eye. The 

closer you look, the more interesting it becomes. That is the story we tell in Touchstones. Our goal is 

to highlight the many uncommon threads that make up this amazing tapestry we call home. 

Touchstones is a contemporary snapshot of the values, people, places, organizations, and activities that 

make Modesto a unique, attractive, and authentic California city; that contribute to its identity and quality 

of life and form the foundation of our community. 

Touchstones is a prestigious portrait of all the things that make Modesto quintessentially Californian, as 

well as the cultural and economic center of Stanislaus County. This collection of essays, illustrations, 

stories, photographs, and artwork captures the vibrant lifestyle, rich heritage, distinctive culture, evolving 

diversity, and essential character of our hometown. It showcases what connects and unites us. It identifies 

what we’ve done, are doing, will do, and still need to do. It is a chronicle of the immediate future. 

Touchstones features a special sponsored section entitled “Sharing the Heritage,” which profiles 

prominent local businesses and institutions that have played a major role in the growth and development 

of our city. These tributes look at the history, accomplishments, and vision of the many respected and 

Bruce Miller, McHenry Museum, 

acrylics on board. 

Foreword ✦ 11

Above: Touchstones—used to 

determine excellence. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK GIRON, NICK GIRON 

PHOTOGRAPHY. 

Below: A contemporary snapshot. 

Tesoro of the Valley. Mural by 

Frankie Franco. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES A. EWING. 

diverse companies, organizations, and families 

born and based in Modesto. Each profile provides 

an opportunity for these entities to share their 

heritage, pride, and success, while creating a 

lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy. 

Touchstones is much more than another 

history book, as it reaches into our past, 

present, and future to tell a memorable story 

about this town. Each chapter covers an 

important aspect of our hometown; significant 

themes that help illuminate our evertransforming 

city. Each chapter was written by 

experts in their respective fields; a prestigious 

group of knowledgeable, well-known, and wellrespected 

contributors. 

Ted Brandvold, mayor of Modesto, gives us a 

brief glance at what makes our city one of a kind. 

Ken White, writer and editor, sets the stage 

before chronicling our history, introducing us to 

some notable natives and creative people, and 

closing with some final words. 

Stella Beratlis, Modesto Poet Laureate, 

captures the many facets of our town. 

Robert Ulrich, casting director/producer, talks 

about the small town that helped shape him. 

Carl Baggese, retired journalist and local 

history writer, describes the downtown heart of 

Modesto, as well as compiling an entertaining list 

of trivia, and an enlightening historical timeline. 

Chris Murphy, president and vice president 

of Marketing, Sierra Pacific Warehouse Group, 

takes us on a nostalgic trip to visit the roots of 

our American Graffiti heritage. 

Dr. Jim Johnson, arts education coordinator, 

Gallo Center for the Arts, showcases the 

spectrum of arts activities that illuminate our city. 

Kate Trompetter, development and 

communications director, Center for Human 

Services and Tom Ciccarelli, deacon, St. Patrick’s 

Church Ripon, collaborate on the story of 

volunteerism and philanthropy in our community. 

Garrad Marsh, former mayor of Modesto and 

owner of McHenry Bowl, provides an overview 

of the type and role of local government. 

Jennifer Mullen, Visit Modesto, chronicles the 

incredible range of entertainment, recreation, and 

sports options available to locals and visitors. 

Wayne Zipser, executive director, Stanislaus 

Farm Bureau, shares the incredible bounty and 

impact of agriculture. 

Jeremiah Williams, owner, Oak Crafts by 

Jeremiah, looks at the blessings and challenges 

of our diversity. 

Elizabeth Greenlee-Wight, CEO, Inter-Faith 

Ministries; Mark Haskett, president, Stanislaus 

County Interfaith Council (SCIC); and Dan 

Onorato, Modesto Peace/Life Center, come 

together to convey the good work being done by 

our faith-based institutions and organizations. 

Doug Ridenour, Sr., Modesto City Council 

member and retired police officer, talks about 

the roles and responsibilities of the many 

individuals and agencies involved in keeping 

us safe. 

Dr. George Boodrookas, dean of advancement, 

Modesto Junior College, discusses the 

incalculable value and influence of our local 

educational system. 


Colleen O’Brien Preston, RRT, RN, service 

director, Kaiser Permanente, examines the state of 

our healthcare. 

Robert Barzan, founder, Modesto Art Museum 

and Modesto Architecture Festival, tours of our 

architectural landmarks. 

Cecil Russell, CEO, Modesto Chamber of 

Commerce, provides insight into why Modesto 

means business. 

Carol Whiteside, principal, California Strategies, 

gazes into the future to see what lies ahead. 

A percentage of all book and sponsor sales will 

be donated to the McHenry Museum & Historical 

Society. Purchasing a book or profile benefits the 

museum, the community, and the sponsor. 

Acclaimed author Joan Didion, a native 

daughter of the Golden State, once wrote that “a 

place belongs forever to whoever claims it 

hardest, remembers it most obsessively, 

wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, 

loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own 

image.” We believe that. The Central Valley 

belongs to us and Modesto is ours. 

This valley after the storms can be beautiful 

beyond the telling, 

Though our city-folk scorn it, cursing heat in 

the summer and drabness in winter, 

And flee it – Yosemite and the sea. 

They seek splendor, who would touch 

them must stun them; 

Above: Sharing the heritage. 

COURTESY OF SAVE MART SUPERMARKETS. 

Bottom, left: Reaching into our past, 

present, and future. 

COURTESY OF CHRIS MURPHY AND NOEL ROCHA. 

Bottom, center: This publication 

includes contributions from a 

prestigious group of knowledgeable, 

well-known, and well-respected 

contributors, including Jim 

Johnson, Ph.D. 


Bottom, right: Proceeds from this 

publication benefit McHenry Museum 

& Historical Society. 

COURTESY OF MCHENRY MUSEUM & 

HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

Foreword ✦ 13

Above: The Central Valley belongs to 

us and Modesto is ours. 


Below: There is much to be proud of 

in our community. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY WILLIAM HARRIS, WILLIAM 

HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY. 

The nerve that is dying needs 

thunder to rouse it. 

I in the vineyard, in green-time and 

dead-time, come to it dearly, 

And take nature neither freaked nor 

amazing, 

But the secret shining, 

the soft indeterminate wonder. 

I watch it morning and noon, the unutterable 

sundowns; 

And love as the leaf does the bough. 

This poem was written by William Everson, 

“the Beat Friar.” Another Central Valley patriot and 

refugee, he too loved this valley. It was his 

touchstone, not a flat spot on the map viewed in 

the rear-view mirror while on the way to 

someplace else. Unfortunately, many of us have 

lost our connection with this place; with what 

helped make us who we are, in all its kaleidoscopic 

glory. The familiar sight of the sun low on the flat 

horizon. The soft sound of whispering oak trees. 

The cool touch of flowing rivers. The sweet taste of 

a fresh peach. The memory-etching smell of 

irrigated soil. Here in this part of the world, we are 

all linked by the land, the people, and this place 

we call home. It is our tap root. From it, we draw 

sustenance, inspiration, and determination. 

Our town is known around the globe. Our 

landmarks are universally recognized. Our products 

are sold across the planet. Our people have 

changed the world. There is much to be proud of 

in our community. Much to feature. Much to 

remember. Much to celebrate. And much to prove 

that Modesto is, and will remain, a great place to 

live and work. 

It is our deepest and most sincere wish that 

this book will help change how we are 

perceived. That it will help communicate all that 

is singular about our little town. That it will 

cultivate hope for the future. A message of 

compassion, inclusion, trust, and optimism. 

And, ultimately, a sense of community. 

THERE’ S MUCH MORE TO 

THIS TOWN 

We hope to reverse the stigma that’s 

strongly associated with Modesto as leastliterate, 

least-educated, most-miserable city. 

We want to tell the story of this vibrant, 

energetic culture we have. We’re trying to say 

there’s much more to this town. 

- Sam Pierstorff, Editor-in-Chief, Quercus 

Review Press; Founder, Slam on Rye and 

The Ill List; Professor of English, 

Modesto Junior College; Modesto Poet 

Laureate 2004–2008. 

Originally published in the April 24, 2016 

edition of The Modesto Bee. 


A MODESTO POEM 

P RAYER FOR Y OU, ON THE W AY TO 

W HEREVER Y OU’ RE G OING 

BY STELLA BERATLIS 

While you’re on your way to wherever you are going, 

make time for interesting civic slogans, 

kind tones of voice from your offspring, 

and tender pork chops at dinner, as you wait 

for those children to grow; 

Rebecca Murphy, Through the Arch, 

100 Years, acrylic. 

and on your way, don’t forget 

to wave at the passing cars, the ’62 Rambler Ambassadors, 

the ’57 Chevy Impalas – lowered or not – the ’49 Chevy pickup 

with the two-tone paint job and its wine press in the wood-slat bed 

on which you chipped your front tooth; 

meanwhile, on your way to being an adult in Modesto, 

don’t forget to stand at the side of the street 

watching the veterans parade by, 

the group ever-smaller year by passing year – 

and to think about what that means; 

A Modesto Poem ✦ 15

and on the way to wherever your route ends, remember 

the urban forestry division and its cherry-pickers taking crews up high, 

clearing out the mistletoe taking hold in your soul. It roots 

to your higher self, takes in your exhalations 

and thrives. 

And on the way to wherever you are going, 

don’t forget to design the official flag of your being. 

Do it with your own brand of thinking, all of the 

small sadnesses mixed with triumph, your flag waving 

in the same air that we breathe, here in Modesto – 

And while you are on the way 

to wherever you are going, bless each face you meet, 

the creases at the bottom corners of both eyes; bless 

the line of the lips where they meet. Curve your own mouth 

into a shape, a symbol, the flag of this singular moment, 

when you meet your neighbors at every corner – in the Virginia Corridor, 

in Dry Creek. You are here in this moment, you fill it, are filled; 

you are firmly twined around the tree trunk of time. And so, on the way 

to wherever you are going, you find yourself always arriving here, where you are: 

inside this frame, and this frame, and this frame. 

Note: I recall that when my family and I moved here from the Bay Area in the late ‘70s, Modesto’s slogan 

(perhaps a Chamber of Commerce-created slogan) seemed to be a phrase along the lines of Modesto: We’re on 

the Way to Where You’re Going. In this poem, I work with that slogan, which might be true only in my memory’s 

imagination. As an adult who has now lived in Modesto for the past 21 years after leaving “for good” back in 

my college days, I’m fascinated by the idea of a city—any city, really, but especially one’s hometown—as both a 

transitory and a permanent place, a place where one projects one’s own desires, regrets, and hopes. 

When you meet your neighbors at 

every corner—in the Virginia 

Corridor, in Dry Creek. 




PREFACE 

M ODESTO: MY F AVORITE P LACE 

BY ROBERT ULRICH 

Everyone’s relationship to their hometown is personal. Some people can’t wait to get out, and some 

people want to stay there the rest of their lives. If I hadn’t wanted to pursue a professional career in show 

business, I would’ve been truly happy to stay, and I know that I would have found great comfort and 

joy in playing an active role in the community. However, I had a different calling. 

I loved growing up in Modesto, and I don’t think that I have created an idyllic perspective of it. I 

think it really was a pretty darn perfect setting to live out my youth. 

My parents were so proud of the town and all its history. My great-grandfather was mayor. My 

grandfather was one of the initial founders of the Modesto Reds baseball team. I lived around the corner 

from Ulrich Avenue, down the street from the wonderful O’Brien family, and directly next door to the 

Ulrich Shopping Center, where I would grab my ice cream cone at Swenson’s and walk ten yards to visit 

Lulu, the chimpanzee, in my dad’s zoo, which was the only zoo in the Central Valley at the time. 

I was very active while attending Grace Davis High School and fairly active while at Modesto 

Junior College. Theater played a huge part in my formative years, and I was mainly involved in the 

Modesto Youth Theater, headed by Paul Tischer. That was a wonderful time in my life and the 

experiences and friendships I gained were invaluable. The people I performed with in plays and 

musicals became friends and, later, became major fixtures in Modesto’s art scene—Melanee Wyatt, 

Karen Lotko, Michael Johnson, John Duerner, Debbie Holtzclaw, Penny Sweeney, Claudia Streeter, 

and Candy Chamberlain, to name a very few. 

Even though I moved to New York City and eventually to Los Angeles, where I currently reside 

and work as a casting director, I have always returned to my hometown for parties, events, and plays, 

both to support my friends, and to not lose my connection with my roots. 

I have always been extremely impressed that a town the size of Modesto has its own symphony, 

so many respectable theaters and dance companies, and now the beautiful Gallo Center for the Arts. 

Tyler Abshier, North and Dakota, 

The Great Tree, oil. 

Preface ✦ 17

Top, left: Downtown Modesto, 1960. 

Modesto: A nurturing, enriching, and 

unique environment. 

COURTESY OF THE MCHENRY MUSEUM. 

Top, right: “Valley Talent Project.” 

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL J. MANGANO, 

MICHAEL J. PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN. COURTESY 

OF GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS. 

A CITY OF GREAT NEIGHBORS & GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS 

Every city has a story that it 

believes about itself. Modesto is 

no different. Over the last few 

years, citizens from Modesto’s 

neighborhoods have been 

intentional in highlighting the 

positive characteristics of the 

city and its citizens. 

A shift of perception, what is 

believed about the city, has been 

occurring. A shift from a negative 

view of the city to a more positive 

outlook. This shift in perception 

has led to a shift in conversation. 

The stories that Modesto’s citizens 

tell about their fair city is The positive benefits of helpful neighbors. 

changing. Yes, crime rates are COURTESY OF THE COLLEGE AREA NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE. 

high and income is low, but the 

city is also made up of great neighbors that create great neighborhoods. Yes, many citizens have been 

complacent, but the encouraging emergence of proactive citizens willing to get to work to improve 

the conditions in our city is giving rise to stories of volunteerism, philanthropy, and loving acts of 

random kindness. 

As this shift in conversations is occurring, there is also developing an alternative experience that 

people are having in the city; experiences of sacrifice for others and investing time and effort for the 

sake of neighbors. A growing number of people are benefiting from this “city of great neighbors.” 

As people are seeing their city in a positive light, expressing a positive story, and experiencing 

the positive benefits of helpful neighbors, there is also a small but growing shift in positive action 

taking shape in our city. This is reflected in citizens willing to “get to work” to improve the health 

and well-being of others; investing their own resources and abilities to build a great city. 

- Marvin Jacobo, Executive Director, City Ministry Network 


OUR SENSE OF COMMUNITY 

The sense of community and the great people make Modesto special. I also love the climate, the proximity to other great places 

to visit, the special things that make Modesto extraordinary—MoBand, the Gallo Center, the restaurant and music scene, outdoor 

life such as biking, hiking, al fresco dining. Modesto is small enough to know “everyone,” but large enough to have the amenities of 

a bigger city like healthcare, shopping, dining, professional services. 

What makes me proud to be a Modestan is the way Modestans come together to help each other and rally around good causes 

that increase our sense of community. 

- Lynn Dickerson, CEO/President, Gallo Center for the Arts 

Small city intimacy, big city amenities. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY WILLIAM HARRIS, WILLIAM HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY. 

The youth of today are incredibly lucky 

to have such an amazing facility to perform 

in; what I would’ve given to have had that 

back when I was growing up. One of the 

things that my wife, Kim, and I look forward to 

the most every year is coming home and 

judging “Valley’s Got Talent,” now known as 

the “Valley Talent Project.” It really is a highlight 

for us. 

Modesto is, and always will be, my favorite 

place. I’m so proud that I can call it my hometown. 

It’s actually a joke in my office that the word 

“Modesto” is mentioned so often. My staff always 

says that the way to get me on the phone is using 

that “special” code word. I feel that I am not only 

successful at what I do, but I am also the person I 

am because of all I learned in the nurturing, enriching, 

and unique environment that is Modesto. 

Preface ✦ 19

A HISTORY OF MODESTO 

F ROM S LEEPY R AILROAD T OWN TO 

B USTLING M ETROPOLIS 

BY KEN WHITE 

William “Bill” Scheuber, Down in the 

Valley, acrylic. 

Modesto was born with the coming of the railroad. In 1870, the Central Pacific Railroad—the 

western link of the first transcontinental railroad—bought property and laid out another of the many 

railroad stops snaking down the valley’s spine. At the time, Modesto was the end of the line. 

William Chapman Ralston, a banker who previously made millions from the Comstock silver 

mines in Nevada, was a director of the Central Pacific Railroad and was known as “the most 

resourceful and daring of the West Coast’s financiers.” Legend has it that the city was briefly named 

after Ralston. When he declined, a Mexican railroad hand was heard to say, “Señor es muy modesto (The 

man is very modest).” The name had a ring to it and was adopted with acclaim. 

Because the people of the area recognized the advantages of the railroad’s year-round, reliable 

transportation, the citizens of Paradise and Tuolumne City literally picked up their houses and 

buildings and moved them to Modesto. The first business district was Ninth Street, then known as 

“Front Street” because it fronted the railroad tracks. 

A frontier boomtown teeming with life and energy, Modesto quickly gained a reputation as one of the 

wildest towns of California’s Central Valley. Commerce and civilization soon tamed it. Businesses were 

rapidly followed by schools, churches, parks, and beautiful homes. 


In the late 1840s, like the rest of California, folks 

living in the Central Valley were infected with gold 

fever. Some 300,000 people migrated to California 

in search of the valuable nuggets. When dreams of 

quick riches were quickly shattered, hundreds of 

miners and prospectors turned to the land to ranch 

and farm. Unfortunately, two natural disasters 

threatened to end ranching and farming in the valley 

before it really began. During 1861 to 1862, the 

area experienced two months of steady rain, melting 

the Sierra snowpack. Rivers overflowed, washing 

away entire villages. Land used for grazing was 

destroyed, and much of the livestock was drowned. 

The following year, the region braved the worst 

drought in recorded history. The dry spell killed 

most of the remaining animals and threatened to 

finally wipe out valley farming. But, in the mid- 

1860s, a shortage of wheat around the world 

offered impoverished farmers a golden opportunity. 

With the drought a not-so-distant and still painful 

memory, the locals rolled up their sleeves and 

planted thousands of acres of wheat, transforming 

Stanislaus County into endless amber waves of 

grain. From 1867 to the mid-1880s, Stanislaus 

County was a leader in the wheat industry. 

While Stanislaus County had plenty of wheat, 

farmers had a significant problem transporting it 

because primary roads and major bridges were 

not yet built. The creativity and determination of 

the people shined through once again. They 

started using rivers as highways. In 1870, the 

railroad replaced this mode of transportation. 

In 1871, Modesto became the county seat. 

Between 1872 and 1873, a courthouse was 

erected at a cost of $60,000. From that point on, 

Modesto became the hub of the region, roughly 

defined as the area between the Stanislaus and 

Tuolumne Rivers. In 1884, it incorporated. 

A major boost to the town and the economy 

was the development of an irrigation system. In 

March 1887, California’s governor signed 

legislation authorizing the creation of irrigation 

districts. Modesto Assemblyman C. C. Wright 

introduced the bill. Local voters approved the 

formation of the Modesto Irrigation District 

(MID) in mid-1887, which became California’s 

second irrigation district. The first was the 

Turlock Irrigation District (TID). Although 

Top, left: The Central Pacific settles 

the Central Valley. 


Top, right: Gold fever infects 

California. “Head of Auburn 

Ravine, 1852.” 

COURTESY OF THE CALIFORNIA HISTORY ROOM, 

CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY, SACRAMENTO, 

CALIFORNIA. 

Above: Modesto blossoms with 

irrigation. 


A History of Modesto ✦ 21

The Modesto Arch was built in 1912 

to attract commerce. 


formed in 1887, the Modesto Irrigation District 

did not actually begin functioning until the early 

1900s. That was due to a number of reasons, 

including litigation by the anti-irrigationists who 

challenged the constitutionality of the Wright 

law, believing that the district should be privately 

owned and operated, as well as the lack of funds 

to carry on operations thanks, in part, to the 

litigation’s effect on bond measures. Robert 

McHenry was selected as the district’s first 

president. MID built a canal system and started 

delivering irrigation water in 1904. A Grand 

Jubilee in April 1904 marked its official opening. 

With the founding of MID and the creation of 

irrigated agriculture, Modesto blossomed. 

Irrigation made it possible to grow a diversity of 

FOUR GENERATIONS IN MODESTO 

My roots are deep here in Modesto. At the turn of the 1900s, my great 

grandfather made harnesses. His son, my grandfather, in his early years drove 

a mule team with hay from Paradise City into Modesto and then worked his 

way into hardware management. My other grandfather taught at Modesto 

High School in the 1930s. One grandmother helped start the PTA, my other 

grandmother was a science teacher in Turlock. My father was a carpenter and 

my mother was a librarian. The setting was rural when I grew up. We knew 

each other. Our neighbors were our friends and extended family. The memory 

that lives deep in my bones is that we cared for each other. 

- Twainhart Hill, Fourth Generation Modestan 

Family roots run deep in Modesto. 

COURTESY OF TWAINHART HILL. 

crops and to plant year-round, as well as enabling 

farmers to make a living on a relatively small 

piece of land, often consisting of 20 to 40 acres. 

Throughout the 1880s, lovely new homes were 

built east of downtown. Today, only one of those 

beautiful homes still stands in its restored state. 

From 1882 to 1883, Robert McHenry constructed 

an Italianate Victorian, now better known as the 

McHenry Mansion. 

The prosperity fostered by irrigated agriculture 

was reflected in the creation of a number of civic 

structures, such as the McHenry Public Library 

(1912; now the McHenry Museum), the Modesto 

Arch (1912), the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot 

(1915), large, multi-story hotels (Hotel Modesto, 

1914; Hotel Hughson, 1914; and Hotel Covell, 

1924), and splendid churches (St. Stanislaus, 

1913; First Presbyterian Church, 1911; and First 

Methodist Church, 1932). 

The McHenry Public Library was underwritten 

by money left in the will of Oramil McHenry, 

Robert’s son, when he died in 1906. Construction 

was started in 1911 and the new library opened 

on May 1, 1912. An addition, which doubled its 

size, was built by the city in 1928. When a new 

city library was constructed in the 1970s, the 

original building was converted into the 

McHenry Museum. 

By 1910, Modesto was growing, boasting a 

population of nearly 4,500. In an early attempt 

at self-promotion, the young community 

described itself as the “most metropolitan and 

classy of its size in California.” It was also soon 

referred to as the “Rose City” and the “Garden 


CAUGHT UP IN 

CIVIC PRIDE 

The people are friendlier, it’s not as 

crowded or rushed, and there is rural 

beauty a stone’s throw from downtown. 

There is an unusually high level of 

community involvement here. People seem 

to care more about their city than I’ve seen 

elsewhere. It’s hard not to get caught up in 

that civic pride. 

- Chris Wight, 

Senior Marketing Analyst 

City,” thanks to the citizens planting the fragrant 

flowers and meticulously grooming their lawns, 

as well as the development of Graceada Park 

under the supervision of John McClaren, 

designer of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. 

The Modesto Arch, which spans I Street at 

Ninth Street, was promoted by the Modesto 

Business Men’s Association, which later became 

the Modesto Chamber of Commerce, as a way to 

attract commerce. Built in 1912, a contest was 

held specifically to find a slogan to adorn the 

arch. The entry that came in first, “Nobody’s Got 

Modesto’s Goat,” was passed over in favor of the 

runner-up, which remains atop the arch today— 

“Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health.”“ 

Founded in 1921, Modesto Junior College is 

the oldest junior college in California. This 

institution has helped tens of thousands of students 

blaze a path to higher education and a 

better future. MJC continues to be a place that 

thousands of students seek out each year for an 

affordable, quality education. 

The 1930s were marked with the founding of 

the Modesto Symphony (1930) and new 

theaters, such as the State Theatre (1934). 

The day prohibition ended in 1933 was an 

important day in the United States. It was also one 

of the most significant dates in Modesto’s history. 

That is the day two brothers, Ernest and Julio 

Gallo, opened a small winery in Modesto with 

$5,900 in borrowed funds. Over 80 years later, the 

winery that Ernest and Julio founded is now the 

largest privately owned winery in the world, 

employing thousands of workers in Modesto, the 

Napa Valley, and other locations throughout 

California and the world. 

In the 1940s and during World War II, 

Hammond General Hospital opened as a burn 

and convalescent hospital for wounded troops. 

The National Arbor Day Foundation has 

named Modesto a “Tree City, USA.” This honor 

Above: “Tree City, USA.” 


Bottom, left; Downtown Modesto. 


Bottom, right: The El Viejo Post 

Office. Modesto is the nineteenth 

largest city in California. 



Modesto is California’s 19th largest city, with 

more than 211,000 residents. Although it has 

become a major American city, Modesto has 

remained true to its early history and continues to 

be the center of one of the largest and most diverse 

agricultural regions in the United States. 

From its wild beginnings through its years of 

hardships and uncertainty, people have been 

MODESTO’ S 

ANTHEM 

Above: The E. & J. Gallo Winery, the 

largest privately owned winery in 

the world. 

COURTESY OF THE E. & J. GALLO WINERY. 

Below: Modesto is the birthplace of 

filmmaker George Lucas. 

COURTESY OF SKYWALKER PROPERTIES LTD. 

has been bestowed in recognition of the city’s 

“urban forest,” which includes more than 81,000 

trees lining our streets and shading our parks. It 

is estimated that there is one tree for every two 

people in Modesto, which doesn’t include all the 

privately maintained trees. To keep this forest 

healthy, the city’s Parks and Recreation 

Department utilizes an award-winning, state-ofthe-art, 

computerized street-tree maintenance 

program. The conscientious planting of these 

trees was only the beginning of the city’s urban 

beautification. Parks, large and small, dot the 

community’s many neighborhoods. 

Throughout the ‘50s, “draggin’” 10th Street 

was the popular pastime for Modesto’s teenagers. 

This resulted in native son George Lucas’ 1973 

film American Graffiti that asked the question, 

“Where Were You in ‘62?” Each summer, Modesto 

continues to preserve the small town feel as 

depicted in this popular film. In 1954, Modesto 

was named an “All-America City” by the National 

Civic League. This award honors citizen action in 

community affairs and recognizes exceptional 

successful collaboration between residents and 

elected officials to make the city a better place to 

live and visit. It received the honor again in 1972. 

The 1960s and 1970s saw a significant 

growth and spread in Modesto’s population, 

resulting in a dispersing of businesses to 

shopping centers and strip malls, as well as the 

loss of productive farmland. 

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the downtown 

experienced a vibrant renaissance. Leading 

the way was the construction of Tenth Street Place, 

which included new offices for the City of Modesto 

and Stanislaus County (1997), restoration of the 

historic State Theatre (2005), construction of the 

prestigious Gallo Center for the Arts (2007), and 

plans for a future county courthouse complex. 

“Modesto, Where Dreams 

Come True” 

1st Verse 

There’s just one spot 

In the world for me, 

No matter where I roam. 

A wonderful city, most fair to see, 

Modesto is my home. 

With golden beauty upon its fields, 

Its flowers of every hue, 

Its towers of learning, 

Its homes so blest, 

Modesto, I love you. 

Chorus 

My Modesto, where dreams come true will 

be loyal and true to you, 

City of water, City of wealth, City of 

contentment, City of Health 

Fairest and best of the great Golden West, 

Modesto, the city of my dreams. 

2nd Verse 

Our founders brave 

In days gone by. 

Together toiled and planned; 

So we will keep our courage high; 

Together we will stand. 

With high endeavor we’ll work for this, 

The city of the west. 

We’re here to serve, 

And here to build. 

Modesto, we pledge our best. 

Repeat Chorus 

- Words and Music by Winifred McGee. 


attracted to Modesto. Today, just as it has for 

nearly 150 years, Modesto’s beauty, charm, and 

style of life continue to draw people from all 

over the country. 

MODESTO 

AT- A - GLANCE 

• With a population of more than 211,000, 

Modesto is the largest city within 

Stanislaus County and the 19th largest city 

in California. 

• Founded in 1921, Modesto Junior College is 

the oldest junior college in California. 

• The City of Modesto maintains and operates 

76 parks, encompassing 1,100 acres of 

developed and partially developed land. This 

includes five regional parks or trails, six 

community parks, 54 neighborhood parks, 

and 11 miscellaneous parks or parklets. 

• Modesto is the hometown of George Lucas and 

is the inspiration for his first hit film, American 

Graffiti. Every June, the city celebrates with 

classic car parades, concerts, showings of the 

movie, and much more. 

• The city is home to Seneca Foods 

Corporation, which operates the largest wetprocess 

cannery in the world. 

• Modesto is home to the largest garden club 

in California, with nearly 600 members 

helping to make Modesto a more beautiful 

place to live. 

• Modesto and the garden club received the 

international “Enhancement of the Landscape” 

award in 2002 for its flower clock, located at 

downtown’s Centre Plaza. 

• Modesto is also home to the world’s largest 

privately owned winery, the E. & J. Gallo 

Winery. The Gallo Glass plant is also located 

in Modesto, and most of the company’s 

products are bottled here. The winery plant 

is large enough to hold three football fields. 

• Foster Farms is the largest poultry producer 

in the Western United States. 

• Frito-Lay, Del Monte, Hunt-Wesson, and 

Kraft Foods also operate processing plants 

in Modesto. 

• The Almond Board of California is the 

second largest organization of its kind. 

• Modesto’s many local dairies are partially 

responsible for making California the secondlargest 

cheese-producing state in the nation. 

REFERENCES 

If you would like to learn more about Modesto’s history, we recommend 

the following sources: 

Websites 

Modesto Convention & Visitors Bureau; City of Modesto; Stanislaus 

Alliance; and www.historicmodesto.com. 

Print Resources 

Modesto: Images of Yesterday, Images of Today, Robert Gauvreau; “Visitors Guide 

& Meeting Planner,” Modesto Convention & Visitors Bureau; The Modesto Bee; 

City of Modesto Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhoods Department. 

Publications 

Modesto—Images of America and Modesto—Postcard History Series by 

Carl P. Baggese 

Early Modesto and Nearby Towns: Stories Published in The Modesto Bee; The 

McHenry Mansion—Modesto’s Heritage; Modesto Then and Now; and The 

Modesto Story by Colleen Stanley Bare 

The Greening of Paradise Valley: Where the Land Owns the Water and the 

Power—The First 100 Years of the Modesto Irrigation District by Dwight H. Barnes 

History of Stanislaus County by L. C. Branch 

Along the Stanislaus, 1806-1906 by Florabel McKenzie Brennan 

Annals of Stanislaus County, Volume 1: River Towns and Ferries by I. N. 

“Jack” Brotherton 

Growing Up in the Valley by Charlotte Smith Couture 

Modesto on My Mind: Columns from The Modesto Bee by Dave Cummerow 

Stories of Stanislaus: A Collection of Stories on the History and Achievements 

of Stanislaus County by Solomon Philip Elias 

Landmarks and Legends: History from the Pages of The Modesto Bee and 

Stanislaus County: An Illustrated History by Kathleen M. Gooch 

One Hundred Years: Modesto, California by Jeannette Gould Maino 

Modesto—Then & Now by Wayne Mathes 

An Insightful, Rousing, Sagacious, Artful, but Not-too-Serious History of the 

Stanislaus County Library by Michael McGranahan 

Stanislaus Stepping Stones and Stanislaus County History: From the Pages of 

Stanislaus Stepping Stones, an Anthology; 1976-1986, by the McHenry Museum 

& Historical Society 

Modesto: An Informal History by B. J. Osborn 

Stanislaus County and the Western Movement and Stanislaus County 

and World War I: Draft, Training, Combat, Casualties, and Letters by Robert 

LeRoy Santos 

The Story of Stanislaus County: Where the Land Owns the Water by the 

Stanislaus County Board of Trade 

A History of Stanislaus County by the Stanislaus County Department 

of Education 

Old Times in Stanislaus County: A Journey to the Past by Robert Daras Tatam 

History of Stanislaus County by George Henry Tinkham 


DOWNTOWN MODESTO 

T HE H EART OF O UR H OMETOWN 

BY CARL BAGGESE 

Michael J. Mangano, Michael J. 

Photography & Design, Beaty Then 

and Now, ghost photograph. 

In 1973, when George Lucas decided to tell a story of his youth on a night in 1962 Modesto, he 

chose to film American Graffiti in Petaluma. At the time, Lucas admitted that Modesto had changed 

so much since his high school graduation over ten years before that it was no longer recognizable as 

the town he remembered and, thus, would not work for his purposes. In the years between 1962 and 

1973, downtown Modesto had gone through an upheaval that changed the landscape and helped 

push the development of strip malls and the massive enclosed shopping mall that would become 

Vintage Faire, far from the central core of the city. 

Anyone who lived through the turmoil of the 1960s would not necessarily point to the changes 

in downtown Modesto as the most significant events of the time. Yet the impact to the dynamic city 

center was indelible and has continued to be a source of repeated attempts to create a more viable 

and useful area than what was left behind. Documented in many articles over the period written by 

Lu Gandolfo for The Modesto Bee, Modesto’s past was subject to the wrecking ball in a systematic 

destruction of old buildings deemed unworthy of saving for posterity. 

During the mid-1960s, most city centers consisted of aging buildings that had outlived their original 

purpose. Modesto was founded in 1870 by the Central Pacific Railroad and had gone through several 


distinct changes, from its wild-west youth to its 

adolescent years of growth and its maturity into 

the business center of agriculturally rich 

Stanislaus County. Banks, offices, government 

buildings, department stores, hotels, and all 

other types of businesses flourished as the 

community grew and prospered. Downtown was 

the magnet for the county’s population seeking a 

place to shop, work, and be entertained. 

The mantra of the 1960s was “urban renewal,” 

which was designed to improve and regenerate 

areas in a city that had become slums. 

Fresno had built a pedestrian mall in its downtown 

that brought new development with it. 

Modesto saw its chance to do the same. The first 

area to go was “skid row,” which consisted of the 

old State Hotel (once a grand Victorian edifice 

called the Tynan Hotel, built in the 1890s); 

Rogers Hall, one of Modesto’s oldest buildings 

that had housed one of the city’s first performance 

spaces on the upper floor and now featured 

The Hub Clothiers below; the old Turner 

Building, which now hosted a liquor store and 

billiard parlor; and the two-story Claremont 

Hotel, as well as Plato’s Opera House. This was 

the block between I, 10th, Highway 99, and H 

Streets, in close proximity to the Modesto Arch. 

What happened next is what made Modesto 

less attractive to Lucas when he decided to set 

his film in his hometown. As each area met the 

wrecker’s ball, it seemed that parking lots, not 

new structures, replaced those torn down. No 

pedestrian mall was ever approved or built. By 

the late 1970s and early 1980s, when a new 

hotel and Modesto Centre Plaza were planned 

and built at Ninth and K, Modesto had been 

bypassed by a freeway for State Route 99 and 

major businesses were moving to the outskirts. 

Sears and J.C. Penney, the two mainstay 

department stores in downtown, moved to 

anchor Vintage Faire Mall at the north end of 

town, which would soon become a maze of new 

shopping centers, subdivisions, and streets. 

Downtown seemed to be an afterthought. 

In an attempt to make the city center viable 

again, a plan to use state-provided redevelopment 

funds to build a new city hall and county building 

was put into place after a contentious battle for 

and against the plan in the mid-1990s. The 

downtown had languished for a number of years, 

losing the long-unused Strand Theatre to a fire in 

1984 and seeing the Hotel Hughson and Covell 

become eyesores. Many of the buildings that 

remained were empty, and it was mostly city and 

county government workers who went into the 

area on a daily basis. 

The rebirth of downtown Modesto began with 

construction of Tenth Street Place after both old 

hotels were torn down, along with the Covell 

Theater. The 1925 Beaty Building, which stands 

across J Street from the new construction, is one 

of Modesto’s oldest surviving buildings and complements 

the new construction with its still classic 

look. Part of the plan included an 18-screen, 

state-of-the-art movie theater, built partially on 

the site of the old Strand, and a parking structure 

which also houses a restaurant and offices. Across 

11th Street from Tenth Street Place is an upscale 

Italian restaurant, Galletto Ristorante, housed in 

a former bank building. Other businesses, 

Above: Downtown Modesto had 

changed over the years. 


Below: Downtown Modesto, 1962. 


Downtown Modesto ✦ 27

Top, left: Tenth Street Place. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZABETH CARDENAS. 

Top, right: The rebirth of downtown 

Modesto. 


Below: Gallo Center for the Arts. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CARL BAGGESE. 

including the Modesto Chamber of Commerce, 

are located in the old J.C. Penney building on the 

southeast corner of J and 11th Streets. 

Along with new construction, Modesto’s one 

remaining original movie theater has been given 

new life as well. Built in 1934 and designed by 

renowned theater architect, S. Charles Lee, strictly 

for film, the restored State Theatre now houses 

live performances with an emphasis on concerts 

and comedy. Art films and movies not shown at 

larger local cinemas are also scheduled, as well as 

classic films. 

The jewel of downtown’s rebirth is the 

performing arts complex at the corner of I and 

10th Streets, sharing the block with Modesto’s 

old city hall, now a court building. The Gallo 

Center for the Arts, named for the famous 

winemaking family whose winery and offices are 

located in Modesto, houses two theaters: the 444- 

seat Foster Family Theater and the 1,250-seat 

Mary Stuart Rogers Theater. Throughout the year, 

this arts venue routinely brings large audiences to 

downtown to dine in local restaurants and attend 

professional Broadway touring shows, concerts, 

and other arts performances. 

It has been a very long passage for downtown 

Modesto from the city’s birth in 1870 to the 

present. While the metamorphosis has been 

ongoing, a continuing effort is being made to 

keep downtown active and alive. The next step 

in the rebuilding process will be a new eightstory 

Stanislaus County Courthouse on a largely 

A BETTER, MORE 

VIBRANT COMMUNITY 

Like any city, Modesto is not without its 

social and economic issues, yet the fact that I 

can personally name so many talented 

individuals that dedicate themselves to 

making our city a better, more vibrant place 

for their family and community, makes me 

proud to be a Modestan. Their dedication and 

love of home makes mine all the stronger. 

- Ryan Leupp, 

Assistant Management Consultant, 

Stanislaus County 


unused portion of property bounded by G, H 

10th, and Ninth Streets. The hope is that new 

construction will help bring housing and 

businesses to help downtown Modesto thrive. 

HISTORIC BUILDINGS OF 

DOWNTOWN MODESTO 

While not a definitive list of the buildings 

that once graced downtown, this list is a 

sampling of some of those long-gone and others 

still standing. 

The Stanislaus County Courthouse, located 

between I and H Streets, built in 1873. The 

courthouse stood until the late 1950s, when a 

new building was erected on the site. 

The Tynan Hotel, located at H and 10th 

Streets, 1890. Constructed by Thomas Tynan, it 

boasted a clock tower, but no clock. In later 

years, the tower was removed, along with 

its Victorian-era trim. The building was 

renamed the State Hotel and became part of 

Modesto’s skid row. It was torn down in the 

late 1960s. 

The Modesto Bank Building, located at the 

corner of I and 10th Streets, 1893. This building 

had an iconic clock tower that was a centerpiece 

of downtown until 1941. That year, a new 

building replaced this structure, and later 

housed Crocker Anglo Bank, until the city used 

it for storage in the late 1990s. It was eventually 

replaced by the Gallo Center for the Arts. 

The Modesto Theatre, located on 10th Street, 

between I and J Streets, 1913. Built by the 

Mensinger family, the interior caught fire and 

burned in 1914, but was soon rebuilt. This was 

an ornate theater for stage shows and, later, 

films. In 1934, when the State Theatre opened, 

use diminished. The building still stands, but is 

an empty shell. 

The Hotel Modesto, located at the corner of 

11th and H Streets, 1914. It was expanded 

several times over the years and became the city’s 

social center. It burned in 1944 and the remnants 

stood until 1958, when the new brick city hall 

replaced it. 

The Hotel Hughson, located at the corner of J 

and 10th Streets, 1914. It was built by the 

Above: Historic downtown Modesto. 


Below: The Strand Theatre. 



FOOD: REFLECTING AND BUILDING A COMMUNITY 

To me, a city is defined by its gathering places. Whether they be restaurants, pubs, cafés, coffee shops, or farmers markets (for 

simplicity’s sake, we will refer to them all as “restaurants”), they provide the best snapshot of the community—past, present, and 

future. You see, everyone eats, and everyone needs care and attention. Around the table is where this happens; food, atmosphere, 

company, and service. 

Take our town for instance. You can walk into the coffee shop down the street and enjoy art from local artists; wander to the tapas 

restaurant around the corner, have a glass of wine and see new and old faces alike; grab a beer at the local pub or have a cocktail at 

one of the many bars run by good people with big hearts. With an open mind and general curiosity, you can go into a restaurant that 

has been around for decades and get a feel for the history of that city, as well as the cultures of its people. You can go into familiar 

places that hold memories, or into new establishments and see them striving to find themselves. You can witness first-hand the 

personalities of the place and its people evolving and growing. And, even better, you can be a part of it. The beauty of a good restaurant 

is that they value you, and understand that you affect the outcome of that place. These places are defined by you, who populate them, 

as much as those who work there, and so the culture of a city is largely determined by its restaurants. 

Modesto is a good and hospitable place, filled with an extremely diverse set of people who care for their work, their 

loved ones, and their community. The downtown is a great place to witness this. There are restaurants on every corner, and they pull 

from the bounty that is our valley. You can sample a number of restaurants and enjoy a meal created entirely from local products. Take 

a stroll downtown, from one end to the other, you will see the diversity in our community represented in its food. Greek, Italian, 

Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Thai, and American BBQ. There is all this and much more, waiting to be explored and experienced. 

We have such a diverse selection of food and food establishments and people that fill them that you are sure to discover something 

new and something old, something familiar and something bold. Venture out, ask a neighbor, a friend, or a stranger to recommend a 

spot. Start a dialogue, then bring some friends, and take it in. Sit, eat, drink, laugh, cry, have silly talks, and important conversations. 

The food scene in Modesto is about much, much more than food. It’s about people. It’s about community. And we have incredible 

people, who have created a powerful community. 

- Damon Robbins, Owner/Operator, 

Camp 4 Wine Café—”Life happens at the table.” 

The food scene in Modesto is about 

much, much more than food. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAMON ROBBINS. COURTESY OF 

CAMP 4 WINE CAFÉ. 


widow of the founder of the town of Hughson 

and designed by Bernard J. Joseph, who also 

designed the Modesto Arch. The hotel boasted 

an indoor swimming pool, restaurant, and 

ballroom. Eventually falling into disuse, it was 

razed in the late 1990s to make way for Tenth 

Street Place. 

The Strand Theatre, located on 10th Street 

between J and K, 1921. The grand theater was 

designed and built by Reid Brothers. It was used 

for stage shows, graduations, and films. After 

years of neglect, it burned in 1984 and was 

demolished. An almost identical theater built by 

the same company is still in use as a performing 

arts center in Eureka, California. 

The Hotel Covell, located at the corner of 

11th and J Streets, 1924. Built by rancher 

George Covell and his wife, Grace. Originally 

seventy rooms, it was expanded in 1929. The 

hotel was demolished in the late 1990s to 

make way for Tenth Street Place, the new citycounty 

building. 

The Covell Theater, built as part of the Hotel 

Covell. It was called the Richards Theater 

during construction, but was actually named 

the National. Later, it was the Princess and then 

the Covell. Most often the location for Disney 

films, it later was turned into an adult movie 

house. The theater was torn down when the 

hotel was demolished. 

The Beaty Building, located at the southwest 

corner of 11th and J Streets, 1925. Still 

standing, it houses Tresetti’s Restaurant, as well 

as various other shops and offices. The building 

was built by John Beaty, who was manager of the 

Hotel Hughson. 

The J.C. Penney Building, the third and final 

downtown Modesto location for the department 

store, 1947. Originally managed by the 

founder’s nephew, Richard Penney, it was 

converted into office space in the mid-1970s 

when J.C. Penney moved to Vintage Faire Mall. 

The Modesto Chamber of Commerce is 

currently one of the tenants. 

The Black Building, located at 11th and I 

Streets, 1922. This was the original site of 

L.M. Morris, a business supply company owned 

by George Lucas, Sr. It also housed Lowery Gift 

House, a long-time downtown business. 

The El Viejo Post Office, located at 12th and I 

Streets, 1933. The building was authorized by 

THE BEAUTY AND FREEDOM OF MODESTO 

As a Bay Area native, and later in life, a longtime resident of Los Angeles, 

it took me several years of stubbornness and self-reflection to finally 

appreciate the beauty and freedom of living in Modesto. 

As a filmmaker and writer, my most precious commodity is time. The low 

cost of living affords me the luxury of working full-time on my craft. My 

girlfriend and I own a home a mile from downtown Modesto, so I’m never 

too far from a pint of beer at Commonwealth Gastropub, a meal at Concetta, 

or an art film at the State Theatre. Being a runner and cyclist, my daily 

workouts have me joyously hitting the trails of Dry Creek, or the newly laid 

bike paths on the Virginia Corridor. 

My favorite thing about living in Modesto: spending time in my garden, 

surrounded by succulents, drought tolerant plants, and my three cats. 

- Mark Runnels, Filmmaker, Writer 

The beauty and freedom of living in Modesto. 


Congress in July 1930 as a Federal Construction 

Project by the Hoover Administration. It was 

commissioned as the Federal Building and 

included the post office and all Federal offices, 

such as the Internal Revenue Service, the 

Immigration and Naturalization Service, the 

Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other 


A THRIVING HIVE 

Above: The Beaty Building. 


Below: The El Viejo Post Office. 


departments. The cornerstone was laid March 

12, 1933. It opened October 2, 1933. The lobby 

contains hand-painted, Depression-era murals 

by Ray Boynton that were commissioned by 

the New Deal’s Treasury Relief Art Project 

(TRAP), which was funded by the Works 

Progress Administration (WPA). The post office 

was dubbed El Viejo (“the old one”) when 

the new main post office opened on Kearney 

Avenue in 1962. El Viejo closed on April 

29, 2011, was redeveloped as legal offices in 

2013, and occupied by McCormick Barstow, 

LLP in 2014. 

The “American Dream” is possible in 

Modesto—no debt, savings accounts for 

retirement and children’s education, date 

nights downtown, and occasional vacations. 

My highly educated friends in the Bay Area 

can’t afford a home and barely make rent. 

Although they have access to more amenities, 

Modesto is starting to compete on the arts 

and culture front, too. 

I love going to Concetta and bumping 

into neighbors, colleagues, or friends of my 

parents. I lived in a lonely fish bowl in San 

Francisco, but in Modesto I’m part of a 

thriving hive of folks, all working together 

to improve our community. 

- Amanda Hughes, 

Program Director, 

Stanislaus Community Foundation 

The State Theatre, located on J Street, 1934. 

Built in the waning days of the Art Deco period, 

this structure was designed by S. Charles Lee, a 

renowned California theater architect. It 

contains plaster murals of leaping gazelles 

and greyhounds. It has been restored and is still 

in use. 


GRAFFITI HERITAGE 

G RAFFITI 

U.S.A. 

BY CHRIS MURPHY 

It’s all about the music and the cars! Oh, yeah, maybe dating, too. 

After World War II, the roads opened up. Gas was plentiful, rubber and metal were no longer rationed, 

and people could drive; sometimes for no reason at all. Along with the open road came the drive-in. 

Across the busy highways of America, carhops served up burgers, fries, and shakes to the hungry 

motorists. In the case of Modesto’s own Burge’s Drive-In on Highway 99, chicken was the specialty. 

In the ’40s, a new music created in Modesto circa 1938 by the Maddox Brothers and Rose called 

“Hillbilly Boogie,” would reach around the country via radio and would become “Rockabilly.” The 

“slappin’ bass” technique of brother Fred Maddox put the beat in the rhythm and blues that would 

become the foundation of “Rock ‘n’ Roll.” 

This is the birth of cruising; having time, gas, a car, music, a place to hang out and, of course, a date, 

or the hopes of getting one. People that grew up in Modesto during the late ’50s and early ’60s say that 

Modesto native George Lucas really got it right in his landmark 1973 film, American Graffiti. It was a 

fun, innocent time, and even the police officers of the day recall that most of the action was pretty tame. 

Of course, it was all about seeing and being seen. The slow crawl of the cars was a spectacle and, 

whether you were parked or driving, it was a mobile mating ritual for many. 

When Modestans were cruising, then known as “draggin’ 10th,” there was only one radio station that 

played the rock ‘n’ roll hits. KFIV 1360 AM was, for many, the soundtrack of their lives. American Graffiti 

opens with the Rockabilly-inspired 1954 song, “Rock Around the Clock.” These and many other rock 

‘n’ roll anthems were broadcast live from a booth in Burge’s, located at Ninth and O Streets, a key 

turnaround for the evening ritual. 

American Graffiti was the first movie created around a selection of popular music not written 

specifically for the movie. These songs were integral to the script. Securing the rights to the songs 

Aaron “Fasm” Vickery, Modesto 

Graffiti, spraypaint. 

Graffiti Heritage ✦ 33

GRAFFITI TAKES ME BACK 

Above: Burge’s Drive-In on 

Highway 99. 

COURTESY OF BELT PRINTING. 

Below: Radio provided the soundtrack 

for cruisin’. 

COURTESY OF STEVE PEDEGO. 

consumed 10 percent of Lucas’ $750,000 budget. 

This was the playlist of a generation. 

American Graffiti made a legend out of one of 

the many car clubs in Modesto. “The Pharaohs,” 

their name stylized in the movie to protect the 

“innocent,” were originally the FAROS. There 

were many car clubs before the FAROS that 

included numerous “Cruise Legends.” Most of 

the clubs in town started as high school “Athletic” 

clubs, such as the 36ers and the Regs. The first 

real racing car club was the Century Toppers, 

founded by Gene Winfield, along with Bart 

Bartoni and Pete Hischier. There were a variety of 

clubs in Modesto; some were more social and 

some were filled with car enthusiasts, like the 

Modesto Mill Jockeys, Road Rebels, and the club 

Graffiti Summer is a great event. The 

parade, the car show, and the music all take 

me back. We did the same thing growing up 

in Fort Worth, Texas. Having my name in the 

Graffiti “Walk of Fame” alongside George 

Lucas and Bo Hopkins is pretty cool. Modesto 

is where it all started. That’s why I like coming 

back. It still feels like the small town it was in 

the good old days. Everybody is so nice. I love 

meeting people who love American Graffiti. I’ll 

return as often as they’ll have me. It’s always a 

real good time. 

- Candy Clark, Actor, 

“Debbie” in American Graffiti 

that George Lucas belonged to, the Ecurie 

AWOLs. All of these clubs had special logos, 

jackets, patches, and other items to help promote 

club unity. 

It was a simpler time when “The Cruise” took 

place. The police officers on the beat would write 

multitudes of tickets for illegal turns, lowered 

cars, and excessive speeds for the kids “draggin’ 

10th.” The cruise from Burge’s Drive-In was 

underway in 1947 and cruisers also frequented 

Al’s, Felix’s, and Warren’s drive-ins and dragraced 

from light to light. Pranks were pulled all 

over town using oil slicks and smoke shows. But, 

most of all, it was about hanging out for some 

harmless fun, going on dates, and showing off 

your car. You could dance to Kent Whitt and the 

Downbeats with Rockabilly legend Roddy 

Jackson at the California Ballroom or the Fable 

Room in the Hotel Covell. Whether you had a 

Gene Winfield “Candy Apple Red” paint job, 

your car was lowered and chopped, or even if 

you drove the family car, downtown Modesto 

was the place to be. Whether you were in the 

FAROS, Road Rebels, or Century Toppers car 

clubs, or one of the fraternities or sororities, or 

just enjoyed a night out with your date, most 

cruisers agree that George Lucas’ movie captured 

the magic and mystery of the cruise in Modesto. 

While the cruise has evolved over time, with 

the two-way, 10th Street strip yielding to a loop 

of 10th and 11th Streets ultimately being 


eplaced by a route out McHenry Avenue, the 

music, the cars, the fun, and the connections 

remain an important part of our culture. Even 

though the days of cruising are no longer, our 

love of classic cars, chrome, and rock ‘n’ roll still 

shines bright and comes to life each June during 

Graffiti Summer. 

Modesto Graffiti is more than a chapter in the 

history books. Subsequent generations have kept 

cruising alive and well into the ’70s, ’80s, and 

early ’90s, and are now sharing the experience 

with future generations of car lovers. We have the 

Rockabilly bands and fans that embrace our retro 

heritage, the elaborate low-riders that celebrate 

the Impalas of the ’60s, and all kinds of people 

who want to embrace a positive feeling about 

Modesto and share in the excitement we can 

create with our tuck-and-rolled heritage. Graffiti 

is cross-cultural and cross-generational. It is 

steeped in art, music, soul, and respect for a 

simpler time. Watch American Graffiti and you 

will be amazed at what can happen. 

Modesto has memorialized the cruising years 

featured in the film classic with a statue of two 

cruisers in downtown Modesto at the Five 

Points intersection. Classic Community Murals 

is producing timeless, Graffiti-themed murals 

throughout the city that celebrate the era. 

Downtown, 10th and 11th Streets have been 

named the “Modesto Historic Graffiti Cruise 

Route.” The route features a 25-kiosk walking 

tour and a “Walk of Fame” at Tenth Street Plaza 

that honors the “Legends of the Cruise,” 

including George Lucas, stars from the film like 

Above: The FAROS. 

IMAGE BY MICHAEL J. MANGANO, MICHAEL J. 

PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN. COURTESY OF CHRIS 

MURPHY AND MODESTOVIEW. 

Left: Modesto Graffiti USA celebrates 

our tuck-and-rolled heritage. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DREW KYLER. COURTESY OF 

CHRIS MURPHY AND MODESTOVIEW. 


THOSE WERE THE DAYS 

I graduated from Thomas Downey High School in 1954. That was a great time to be a teenager. Compared to now, life was simple. 

There was no stress of having to answer our cell phone, which is now a constant leash around our necks, so to speak. We didn’t have 

social media to keep us up on what was happening. Our parents didn’t worry about us much, as long as we got home every night and 

got our homework done after school. We did not appreciate the life we were living then. In the evening, we would go “draggin’ 10th.” 

That is where we found out what was happening. The route at that time was Burge’s Drive-In at Ninth, which back then was Highway 

99 and O Street to 10th. Down 10th to J and out J to McHenry Avenue. The northern turn-around was Al’s Drive-In at McHenry and 

Frances Avenues, just north of the canal. Then there was Felix’s Drive-In on the way. We’d follow the route back to Burge’s and do it 

all over again. Sometimes, the route would take us around the police station on 11th Street. 

Today, that good time in our lives has been recreated by the North Modesto Kiwanis Club. The year 2017 will mark the 19th year 

we have put on the American Graffiti Festival and Car Show. On the Friday night of Graffiti weekend, there is a parade through 

downtown Modesto, just like in the Fifties. This, of course, was encouraged by the movie American Graffiti by Modesto native, George 

Lucas. I have been asked many times if Mr. Lucas got it right in depicting a typical night “draggin’ 10th.” My answer is always, 

“Absolutely.” Watch the movie, and you are living 10th Street in Modesto, California, in the 1950s. I am always amazed at the number 

of different cars in the movie. I have counted roughly 64. George Lucas has always considered the movie to be a musical, because it 

has music playing constantly throughout the film. A large part of his budget was spent on securing the rights to the songs. The cars, 

though, are certainly the glue that keeps it all together. Aaaah, those were the days! 

- John Sanders, General Chairman, 

American Graffiti Festival and Car Show 

North Modesto Kiwanis Club recreates the days of cruising. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CORY WARNER, STUDIO WARNER. COURTESY OF NORTH MODESTO KIWANIS CLUB. 


our culture, our soul, and our brand. Around 

the world, there is only one Modesto Graffiti 

USA, a Classic American City. See you on the 

Cruise Route. 

The last night of summer, 1962. 


MICHAEL J. PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN. 

CAN YOU DIG IT? 

A tribute poem for American Graffiti’s 25th anniversary celebration. 

A SMALL TOWN FEEL 

Growing up in a very small town in 

Iowa, Modesto has that same feel, but just 

larger. I love the parades, the festivals, the 

farmers market, downtown, and the 

amazing people. 

- Kole Siefken, Westmont Hospitality 

Hotel General Manager, 

DoubleTree by Hilton 

Candy Clark and Bo Hopkins, Gene Winfield, 

Modesto car clubs, and others. Each June, a 

new round of inductees are added. There is 

much more being planned to celebrate and 

promote our Graffiti heritage. Thanks to 

Modesto Graffiti USA, there is a line of retro 

souvenirs, and the annual Graffiti Summer 

celebration continues to grow. 

So, take some time to stroll the Modesto 

Historic Graffiti Cruise Route and “Walk of 

Fame.” Check out the murals. Learn about our 

history and share it with someone you know. 

Show your kids a classic ’57 T-bird and 

play some rockabilly or Roddy Jackson music 

on your record player. This is our history, 

ADDITIONAL 

INFORMATION 

For more information, please visit: 

www.modestocruiseroute.com 

www.modestomusichistory.com 

www.graffitisummer.com 

www.modestograffitiusa.com 

If you unearth the body parts buried beneath G street, 

you will find a hot rod’s canary yellow doors, 

the steel wings of a white T-Bird, the tire tread 

of a ’55 Chevy still smokin’ like the Sixteen Candles 

you let burn on the last night of summer, 1962. 

These are not footprints or fossils. 

These are the birthmarks of Modesto. 

Rest your ear against the hot asphalt of McHenry Ave. 

and you will hear Wolfman Jack spinning At the Hop, and 

Johnny B. Goode, and That’ll Be The Day when cruising 

meant living and death was a finish line no one saw coming. 

And if you look closely at the exhaust curling 

out of the tailpipes of yesterday’s vintage cars, 

you might see George Lucas rising like a genie, 

and your first wish will be to rewind – 

turn back the clock so you can rock around it again 

and erase every name in your Book of Love because you 

were the fool who kept falling for great pretenders. 

But you knew that every stoplight was a fresh start; 

every turn could lead you to your goddess. 

People say that “You can’t stay 17 forever.” 

And you believe them, but American Graffiti 

is spray-painted on the walls of your whole body. 

The engine that roars loudest is your own heart 

beating, beating. Do not wait for the checkered flag. 

Do not look over your shoulder. Look ahead. 

The fastest thing in the valley is life. 

Don’t let it pass you by. 

- Sam Pierstorff, Editor-in-Chief, Quercus Review Press; Founder, 

Slam on Rye and The Ill List; Professor of English, Modesto Junior 

College; Modesto Poet Laureate 2004–2008. 


THE ARTS 

E XTRAORDINARY A RTS & ENTERTAINMENT E XPERIENCES 

BY DR. JIM JOHNSON 

Ed Cesena, Duet, acrylic. 

To our nation and the world beyond, Modesto may be known for its prodigious agricultural output, 

a far-reaching influence on the international wine industry, and the magical cinematic inspirations of 

native son George Lucas, but for Modesto’s fortunate residents it also is home to a robust arts 

community that one might not necessarily expect to find in California’s 19th largest city. 

For more than forty years, I served as an administrator and professor of speech and theater at 

Modesto Junior College. As a Bay Area transplant arriving in Modesto in 1969, I had a snobbish 

attitude about the cultural scene in Modesto. That attitude quickly changed when I discovered the 

rich history of artistic accomplishments going back to the founding of Modesto in the 1800s. What 

other community our size can boast long-standing traditions embracing symphonic music, ballet, 

opera, professional and community theater, and more. 


A 

THRIVING, HOMEGROWN 

ARTISTIC COMMUNITY 

In its 15-year history, Prospect Theater 

Project has produced over 100 plays and 

provided an artistic home for hundreds of 

theater artists, as well as expanding and 

relocating to a new downtown location. 

PTP is Modesto’s longest operating, 

nonprofit, independent, resident theater 

company. Noted for its intimate setting, 

high production values, and artistic 

excellence, PTP is regarded by its patrons as 

on a par with any comparably sized theater 

in the world. It is a testament not only to 

the local artists and craftspeople who have 

contributed to the ongoing success of this 

small company, but to the region’s 

commitment to, and confirmation of, the 

place and value of a thriving, home-grown 

artistic community in Modesto. Because, 

what is perhaps most remarkable, is that 

PTP has achieved this, almost entirely, 

through ticket sales and individual 

donations. Truly, a grassroots organization. 

- Jack Souza, 

Founding Artistic Director, 

Prospect Theater Project 

Today, on any given night, extraordinary arts 

and entertainment experiences await Modestoarea 

residents. In addition, local actors, directors, 

designers, and others are able to work in a 

thriving artistic environment. 

What our community lacked for many years, 

however, was a performing arts venue that would 

provide not only a home for local arts 

organizations, but also a magnificent setting for 

professional touring companies and artists. 

Thanks to a visionary public/private partnership, 

which combined the investment and efforts by 

Stanislaus County with generous contributions 

from more than 4,000 individuals and businesses, 

the Gallo Center for the Arts opened in 2007. To 

date, it has attracted more than 1.2 million 

patrons. Acknowledged as one of the finest 

performing arts venues in the nation, the Gallo 

Center has improved and enriched the lives of 

valley residents with high quality entertainment at 

affordable prices, as well as an arts education 

program that has touched the lives of tens of 

thousands of school children. 

With its two performing spaces—the 1,250- 

seat Mary Stuart Rogers Theater and the 

intimate 444-seat Foster Family Theater—the 

Gallo Center for the Arts is home to six resident 

arts organizations. 

Under the direction of René Daveluy and 

Leslie Ann Larson, Central West Ballet presents 

full-length ballets such as Romeo and Juliet and 

Peter Pan, as well as numerous contemporary 

works and entertainment style shows. Central 

West Ballet has staged classics such as Giselle, 

Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. 

The goal of CWB is to provide a training 

company for aspiring dancers and to increase 

experience opportunities for dance students. 

Long before the Gallo Center opened, the 

Modesto Community Concert Association was 

organized to meet the demand for more cultural 

entertainment in the Modesto area. For more than 

fifty years, MCCA brought to Modesto such 

Above: Local artist Jim Christiansen. 

Modesto has a robust arts community. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID SCHROEDER. COURTESY 

OF CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ART ASSOCIATION. 

Below: Central West Ballet. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY BICEK PHOTOGRAPHY. 

COURTESY OF CENTRAL WEST BALLET. 

The Arts ✦ 39

Modesto Symphony Orchestra. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIAN MENDOZA. COURTESY 

OF THE MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. 

talented artists as opera star Eileen Farrell, the 

Boston Pops Tour Orchestra, pianists Leon 

Fleisher and Victor Borge, and many others. 

MCCA concerts continue to be of the highest 

quality, presenting a vital mix of established artists 

and performers still on their way to prominence. 

Under the artistic direction of Paul Tischer, 

Modesto Performing Arts was established in 1968. 

It was then known as Modesto Youth Theatre. 

TRULY RICH IN CULTURE AND HISTORY 

There is a lot to do and be proud of right here in Modesto! There’s the 

beautifully restored and historic, nonprofit State Theatre, where you can 

experience entertainment not found in the cineplexes. The Gallo Center for 

the Arts provides a wide variety of top-notch entertainment at affordable 

prices. The Modesto Junior College Arts, Humanities and Communications 

Division hosts many wonderful theater, music, and dance productions in its 

beautifully restored Performing and Media Arts Center. 

We have Prospect Theater, Center Stage Conservatory, Sankofa Theatre 

Company, Gallo Center Repertory Company, Modesto Performing Arts, 

Central West Ballet, Townsend Opera Players, MoBand, Opus Handbell 

Ensemble, Funstrummers Ukulele Band, American Graffiti Festival and Car 

Show, the Modesto Historic Graffiti Cruise Route, the MAMA Awards 

(Modesto Area Music Awards), ModestoCon, “Valley Talent Project,” YES 

Company (Youth Entertainment Stage Company), McHenry Mansion, 

McHenry Museum, Modesto Radio Museum, the Mistlin Gallery, Modesto 

Architecture Festival, Peer Recovery Art Project Gallery, MICL (Modesto 

Institute for Continued Learning), the Modesto Marathon, Tuolumne River 

Trust, 50 Plus Club of Stanislaus County, and the Stanislaus Veterans Center. 

The list goes on and on. Modesto is truly rich in history and culture. 

- Wes Page, Retired Media Producer; Volunteer 

During its history, MPA has presented more than 

ninety productions, among them musicals 

including Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma!, Bye Bye 

Birdie, and The Music Man. MPA also produces 

holiday offerings such as A Christmas Carol and 

classic children’s plays. The organization has 

received numerous awards for directing, set 

design, lighting design, and choreography. 

For the past 84 years, the Modesto 

Symphony Orchestra has enjoyed a strong bond 

with the community. The orchestra strives to 

enrich our community’s vitality and quality of 

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 

OF PERFORMING 

Modesto Performing Arts (MPA) is a 

community theater primarily performing 

Broadway musicals, although we also 

present children’s and non-musical plays. 

We cast both local and professional talent in 

our productions. In 2017, MPA celebrates its 

50th anniversary. The mission of MPA is to 

contribute to the enjoyment of the arts and 

to the cultural life of the community. Cities 

thrive where the arts are strong and 

influential. Our goal is also to provide 

training and an opportunity for youth and 

adults to participate and learn about the 

theater; an opportunity to be creative and 

imaginative. For our young people, the 

values and work ethics learned while 

participating in theater productions are 

assets they can rely on in life, as well as any 

future job opportunities, either in the theater 

or elsewhere. 

Modesto Junior College Performing and Media Arts Center. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID TODD. COURTESY OF MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE. 

- Paul Tischer, Artistic Director, 

Modesto Performing Arts 


A RICH, DIVERSE ARTS COMMUNITY 

I will always remain grateful to the Modesto/Stanislaus directors and producers who helped revive my acting career. When I 

moved here in 1991, I had not worked in the theater since 1975, sadly due to stage fright. My passion lay dormant all those years. 

However, it remained an inherent part of who I am. In 1994, when I decided to return to the stage, I auditioned and was cast in 

the principle role of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s, The King and I, and have been working ever since. 

The Modesto theater scene has grown by leaps and bounds with more opportunity now than ever before. Young people who 

are interested in stage and dance have more choices today, and parents are supporting their children and encouraging them to 

excel in the arts. 

When the Gallo Center for the Arts opened in 2007, it brought a plethora of bigger names and acts to the community. Local 

artists initially were worried it would cause the smaller venues to go by the wayside. Their fears were unfounded. The Gallo 

Center actively promotes and partners with theaters and dance groups in the area and affords them the opportunity to have a 

space for their productions. 

Theater and dance have blossomed in and around Modesto, while attracting a diverse audience. On any given day, you’ll see 

farmers, liberals, conservatives, gays and lesbians, Latinos, African-Americans, and Asians in the audience and onstage. An 

example of this is Sankofa Theatre Company, founded in 2012, by four African-American actors. 

I would like to extend special thanks to Dr. Jim Johnson and Lynn Dickerson of the Gallo Center, Richard Mann of Riff Raff 

Productions, Melanee Wyatt of YES Company, Charline Freedman (1933-2011) of Modesto Junior College, Dennis Soares (1951- 

2006) of Newman Performing Arts, and, of course, the timeless Paul Tischer of Modesto Performing Arts. I am quite proud to 

have been a part of such a rich and vibrant community. Thank you Modesto/Stanislaus for supporting the arts, and helping one 

person revive his acting career! 

- Dwight Mahabir, Actor/Singer 

Local arts and entertainment continue to attract diverse audiences. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY GREG SAVAGE. COURTESY OF THE SANKOFA THEATRE COMPANY AND THE GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS. 

life through music. Its mission is to produce and 

present music of the highest caliber and quality. 

MSO became a fully professional ensemble in 

1977. Today, the orchestra consists of 75-85 

musicians from the valley and the San Francisco 

Bay Area. The MSO is led by David Lockington, 

who began his tenure in 2007 as the orchestra’s 

eighth music director. 

The Arts ✦ 41

Above: Prospect Theater Project, 

Death of a Salesman. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG HOLCOMB. COURTESY OF 

PROSPECT THEATER PROJECT. 

Below: Prospect Theater Project, 

Migrant Mother. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ASHLEY ROSE TACHEIRA. 

COURTESY OF PROSPECT THEATER PROJECT. 

Townsend Opera was founded in 1983 by 

Modesto native Eric Buck Townsend. Townsend 

Opera is a professional opera and musical theater 

company, which presents both traditional and 

forward-looking productions of the standard 

operatic repertoire, as well as new American opera. 

Recent productions include A Streetcar Named 

Desire, Tosca, Sweeney Todd, Carmen, and Dead 

Man Walking. Led by General and Artistic Director 

Matthew Buckman, Townsend Opera also has 

forged a creative partnership with Fresno Opera. 

Under the direction of Melanee Wyatt, YES 

Company is a multifaceted youth theater program 

introducing students to the performing arts 

through intensive summer theatrical training and 

year-round exposure to performance and 

the arts. YES Company brings young people, 

grades 7-12, together to gain a sense of community 

through trust, acceptance, and celebration of their 

differences as they work toward a common goal. 

Recent productions have included Mary Poppins, 

Peter Pan, Hairspray, and Les Misérables. 

In addition to these organizations, Modesto is 

enriched by a wide variety of artistic enterprises. 

Prospect Theater Project, under the artistic 

direction of Jack Souza, develops and presents 

traditional, as well as unconventional theater 

works each year. Each season, PTP produces 

challenging and provocative plays in an intimate 

setting. Recent productions include To Kill a 

Mockingbird, Death of a Salesman, The Belle of 

Amherst, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Faith 

Healer, and Glengarry Glen Ross. PTP also offers 

workshops for actors and directors, classes in 

theater genres and styles, and a showcase for 

original works. 

Sankofa Theatre Company is dedicated to 

presenting plays which reflect African-American 

history, life, and culture through the performing 

arts. Founded in 2013 by John Ervin, Greg 

Savage, Cheryll Knox, and Elizabeth Garmon, 

STC has produced The Piano Lesson, Looking 

Over the President’s Shoulder, Freedom Riders, and 

Fences, all in partnership with the Gallo Center 

for the Arts. The theater company also conducts 

workshops for aspiring actors and directors. 

The Central California Art Association 

(CCAA) was established in 1952. It was started 

by a small group of artists committed to 

supporting the arts in our community. The 

Mistlin Gallery is run by volunteer members of 

the Central California Art Association, who 

endeavor to promote and provide art education 

and cultural opportunities for all residents of 

THE ROLE OF MUSIC 

Music plays an essential role in Modesto’s 

history and its future. Each season we aspire 

to truly reflect the community’s spirit, 

enthusiasm, and passion. 

- David Lockington, Music Director, 

Modesto Symphony Orchestra 


MODESTO ARTS COME OF AGE 

Modesto, often maligned as a "cultural desert" and "one of the worst places to live in the USA," has come of age. As a native 

Modestan, I have observed the Modesto Arts Scene go through the tail end of its infancy, into the struggles of childhood and 

adolescence, and emerge full bloom into a vibrant and multifaceted adulthood. 

I consider myself fortunate to have had parents, especially my mother, who supported the performing arts in Modesto. She had a 

beautiful soprano voice that she was too shy to share, and used to talk lovingly of all the major performers of the ‘20s ‘30s, and ‘40s 

who came to perform in Modesto at the Strand Theater, a major and mysterious loss to the Modesto community, and other venues 

long gone. Her favorites were Mario Lanza and Ezio Pinza. 

It is a wonder that I developed an appreciation for music and the performing arts following the sounds of opera screaming from 

our Philco radio, or the droning shouts of whatever sports event was being broadcast every Saturday afternoon at our home, and the 

memories of squirming in my seat to the music of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Conductor Mancini, or 

performances of the Modesto Community Concert Association. 

I never did learn to appreciate spectator sports, but as I reached adulthood my appreciation for music and the performing arts 

developed into a passion, as the Modesto Symphony Orchestra came of age as a world-class orchestra and Modesto Community 

Concerts continued to bring outstanding artists from throughout the United States. 

Modesto has entered an age of excellence in the arts, which today incorporates one of the largest Architectural Festivals in the 

nation, the state-of-the-art Gallo Center for the Arts, the long-standing Modesto Performing Arts community theater company the 

Prospect Theater Project, the Mistlin Art Gallery, a thriving poetry community under the umbrella of MoSt (Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry 

Center), and numerous other community and school theater, applied arts, and performing arts options. On any given day of the week 

throughout the year, there is likely to be music, theater, and workshops for most any artistic interest; art walks, open studios, and 

garden tours punctuate the arts calendar, while music and performing arts continue to be supported in schools and colleges. 

As has Modesto, I have also developed an appreciation for music and the arts over my lifetime, and have served as an artistic 

director of Sunday Afternoons at CBS since 2000. This community-based series has presented music of many genres by local and 

global artists from as far away as Australia and Canada. We celebrate our 25th season in 2016-17, and have enjoyed a reputation for 

bringing world-class musicians to our intimate acoustic venue. 

Sunday Afternoons at CBS is proud to be a member of Modesto’s cultural renaissance and legacy. 

- Tina Arnopole Driskill, 

Artistic Director, 

Sunday Afternoons at CBS 

Sunday Afternoons at CBS. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY AARON ROWAN. COURTESY OF 

CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM. 

The Arts ✦ 43

EIGHTY YEARS OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH THE ARTS 

The National League of American Penwomen is an organization of professional women artists, composers, and writers, 

dedicated to serving communities through the arts. The Modesto branch of the NLAPW was founded in 1936, with five charter 

members: Alice Scott Carlson, Grace M. Davis, Irene Childrey Hoch, Blanche Willis Allen, and Helen Hope Page. Past presidents 

have included Jeannette Maino, Colleen Bare, and Martha Loeffler, names familiar to Modesto residents. Peggy Mensinger, 

Modesto’s first woman mayor, was also a Penwomen member, as was internationally known artist, Yvonne Porcella. 

Each year, the Modesto branch supports the local Educationally Interpretive Exhibit at the Stanislaus County Office of 

Education, a visual arts exhibit open to K-12 students. In addition, the branch sponsors an annual poetry contest for students in 

memory of Aileen Jaffa, a former member. Branch artists and writers collaborated in an ekphrastic “Inspiring Women” exhibit at 

the Carnegie Arts Center in Turlock; members have also collaborated with music students at California State University, 

Stanislaus, and Peter Johansen High School. 

Currently, the Modesto branch of NLAPW has 30 members. In 2016, members celebrated their 80th anniversary with a special 

program, and 19 women were present to honor their past, present, and continued contributions to the arts. 

- Nancy Haskett, Modesto Branch President, NLAPW 

The Modesto Branch of National League of American Penwomen celebrated its eightieth anniversary in 2016. 

COURTESY OF NLAPW, MODESTO. 

Modesto and the surrounding region. The gallery 

supports the visual arts by offering paintings, 

sculpture, graphics, and crafts by local artists. 

High schools throughout the region provide 

a foundation for the arts with award-winning 

band programs, theater, art, and music classes. 

Students are often introduced to the arts for the 

first time and gain a lifelong appreciation that 

enriches their lives forever. 

Programs offered by Modesto Junior College 

and California State University, Stanislaus, serve 

the valley with superb performing and visual arts 


experiences for student and community 

audiences. Both educational institutions have art 

galleries that present a variety of shows each year 

focused on student, faculty, and community work. 

The fine arts programs include orchestra and 

band concerts presented throughout the school 

year. Theater and dance departments produce 

events each year including comedies, dramas, and 

modern, jazz, and hip-hop concerts. Both MJC 

and CSU, Stanislaus, have partnered with the 

Gallo Center for the Arts and other organizations 

to produce an annual calendar of special events 

including international music ensembles, guest 

speakers, solo artists, and master classes. 

Try to imagine Modesto without this remarkable 

panoply of arts and entertainment choices! 

TOUCHED BY BEAUTY 

Royal has always been touched by beauty; out-of-doors, in music, in dance. That was something that made him very different 

from the others at Camp 4 in the ’50s and ’60s. That difference was most appealing to me; this rugged climber who valued things 

that I did. He was so inspired by classical music that he named one of his routes, “The Nutcracker.” 

When we saw the potential of Central West Ballet and what it could bring to the community, we wanted to support it. The 

bond was solidified when we found that the dance mistress, having been a principal dancer for years, was also a serious climber. 

- Liz Robbins, Co-Founder, Royal Robbins ® 

Supporting beauty in the community: Liz Robbins, Royal Robbins, and René Daveluy at a fundraiser for Central West Ballet. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MURPHY. COURTESY OF MODESTOVIEW. 

The Arts ✦ 45

COMMUNITY 

T HE G IFT OF T IME AND T ALENT: 

P HILANTHROPY AND V OLUNTEERISM IN OUR C OMMUNITY 

BY KATE TROMPETTER AND TOM CICCARELLI 

PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE 

Sue Siefkin, Morning Mist, San 

Joaquin River, fabric collage. 

Recent headlines in The Modesto Bee include, “Stanislaus residents stepping up to help less 

fortunate,” “Giving more, than giving thanks,” “Spirit of giving warms chilly air in downtown 

Modesto,” and “Employees spend holiday building houses.” Modesto is a town with a strong sense of 

civic responsibility and dedication to its residents. Our diverse community is overflowing with people 

who enjoy helping others. Many of those people participate in innovative, reliable, and productive 

organizations. These people and organizations are providing services throughout this great city for 

families, youth, and individuals. They offer solutions ranging from meeting basic needs, like food and 

clothing, to helping families and individuals build their capacity to take care of themselves and their 

children, as well as providing access to some of the top talent of our day in theater, music, and more. 

There is no shortage of ways for people and families in Modesto to become engaged in giving back. 

Correspondingly, there is no lack of examples demonstrating how philanthropy, volunteerism, and 

civic responsibility are a clear part of the Modesto life. 

In the 1930s, a natural disaster would change American culture and then the landscape for many 

of its people. The Dust Bowl of the Great Plains devastated a 150,000-square-mile area that included 


Oklahoma, Texas, and neighboring sections of 

Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico, setting in 

motion a great exodus. By 1940, more than 2.5 

million people had fled the region. Nearly 10% 

of those people moved to California. Entire 

families were displaced and homeless, some 

living in camps along rivers in the Modesto area. 

During this time, churches and families already 

residing in Modesto were the ones to help these 

migrant workers through difficult times. More 

than 60 years later, the landscape of Modesto has 

changed, the makeup of our neighborhoods and 

residents looks different, and our social 

challenges and needs have transformed. Those 

homeless migrant workers have been replaced 

by another kind of homeless, while others in our 

community—of every class and caste, ethnicity, 

age, and gender—struggle with drug and alcohol 

abuse, mental health issues, and generational 

poverty. These are some of the challenges of our 

day, of our Modesto. Over the years, many 

community-based organizations, neighborhood 

groups, and nonprofits have been started to 

address some of these social ills. 

Furthermore, Modesto understands the 

contribution of culture and art make to a thriving, 

engaged community and thus houses some of the 

most notable and successful nonprofit arts 

organizations and cultural assets in the valley. 

Modesto recognizes that one of the significant 

ways we make community is through the sharing 

of arts and culture. These resources are central to 

Florence Owens Thompson, one of the 

most famous faces of the Dust Bowl of 

the Great Plains. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DOROTHEA LANGE. COURTESY 

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

THE IMPORTANCE 

OF GIVING BACK 

Modesto pioneer leaders were 

entrepreneurs in business and community 

building. Bette Belle Smith was a member of 

that generation who valued their city so much 

that they were always working to make it the 

best place to live. Her generosity and those 

other trailblazers’ expectation of giving laid the 

groundwork for us to follow. That is the 

expectation when you reside here. These 

leaders have inspired me and my family and 

taught us the important lesson of giving back. 

We are not alone. The standard of volunteerism 

and giving permeates our community. 

- Kenni Friedman, 

Community Volunteer 

Bette Belle Smith, an inspiring trailblazer. 

COURTESY OF THE SMITH FAMILY. 

Community ✦ 47

ROOTED IN GENEROSITY 

Modesto is a city rooted in generosity. In fact, Robert and Matilda 

McHenry were avid benefactors of various causes at the time they built the 

McHenry mansion. Today, those charitable roots have borne incredible fruit. 

Philanthropy is a common vision shared by many giving families and 

individuals in our region. The charitable giving in a community is often the 

measure of its heart and soul: whether that giving is to support the neediest, 

inspire imaginations through the arts, make the “American Dream” 

accessible for all, or shelter those who need it. Philanthropy touches every 

corner of Modesto, and is a large part of what makes our town so special. 

- Marian Kaanon, President/Chief Executive Officer, 


creating a sense of community, a sense of place. 

Through the arts, we also enhance personal 

development, improve social cohesion, reduce 

isolation, and create a more active community. 

Through these pathways, Modesto community 

groups, service-providing organizations, and our 

charitable public are contributing to the health 

and wellness of Modesto in a variety of ways. 

NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES 

TO GIVE 

Today, a quick search of the internet yields 

hundreds of nonprofit and community-based 

organizations, and numerous opportunities to 

give back located in Modesto. Many of these 

organizations were founded by community 

members, joining together around a shared 

concern for the state of their hometown. These 

organizations continue to be supported by, and 

connected to, local people. The nonprofit sector 

has become a vital component in dealing with 

many of the social challenges of our day, and they 

wouldn’t survive without the devotion of many of 

Modesto’s residents. According to the Stanislaus 

Community Foundation and other statistical 

resources, Modesto residents have been more than 

generous over the years in sustaining and 

furthering the mission of local nonprofits. 

Additionally, Modesto residents contribute 

countless volunteer hours. Modesto is a town that 

has long understood the impact the gift of time 

and talent can have in creating a better 

community. People of all kinds, from all walks of 

life, give thousands of hours each year, some 

singlehandedly making sure local organizations 

keep their doors open. 

Beyond individual residents, Modesto is also 

known for exceptional levels of corporate 

philanthropy and engagement. Modesto is a city 

that often feels like a small town. One reason for 

that is the many locally owned, successful 

businesses, large and small. These businesses, 

their owners and employees, are committed to 

taking care of, and providing opportunities for, 

The Center for Human services offers 

programs and services for children, 

families, and individuals. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY KATE TROMPETTER. COURTESY 

OF CENTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES. 


HOMELESSNESS: CARE, 

COMPASSION, COMMUNITY 

COLLABORATION 

Modesto is a community built on trusting 

relationships, faith, and strong values. The city has 

always been a great center for volunteerism and 

philanthropy. In recent years, across this great 

nation, cities are encountering many who are 

suffering from the effects of homelessness. The city 

known for “Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health” 

is in the midst of experiencing similar issues. 

The number of individuals and families who 

are homeless has risen dramatically, with no 

apparent solution. There are outcries in our community 

to somehow hide the homeless. The 

parks have been declared by some as unsafe and 

taken over by “undesirables.” Some say our 

streets have been overrun by panhandlers. The 

stark reality is our community is experiencing 

issues that do not have a simple answer. There are 

many local agencies and organizations tasked 

with the responsibility of offering services to 

those in need. They work diligently to help the 

homeless, but it can be overwhelming. 

I have lived in Modesto off and on for 30 years 

and there is one thing I know about this town. We 

have care, compassion, and an incredible sense of 

community. I am encouraged by the collaboration 

that is occurring between so many of the different 

sectors in our town. As a community, we are beginning 

to understand that those experiencing homelessness 

are no different than us. As a matter of 

fact, they are part of us. They are our brothers, sisters, 

nephews, nieces, fathers, grandfathers, and mothers. There are no “others.” We are them and they 

are us. Many of the agencies that work alongside those experiencing homelessness understand that each 

person has a name and a backstory. Many residents may not agree with some of the behaviors and 

actions that the homeless display, but we must remember to treat them with dignity and respect. They 

have worth and value. Compassion is a great character trait to have and this community is benevolent 

to a fault at times. How we structure our compassion is a difficult process. Should we give money to 

those in need? Do we engage or ignore? How do we build trust? What should I do to help? These and 

more questions are asked daily by the citizens not only of Modesto, but of cities across our nation. 

I am proud to live in Modesto. I came back here with my family to be part of the solution for those 

in our community who are in need. Understanding that people need people is the heart of compassion. 

And Modesto has a very big heart. It’s all about building bridges, not fences. As a community, 

we face huge issues and challenges, but I believe we can make a difference as we go forward as one. 

We can do so much more together than we can apart. 

Remember that what we do today will echo into eternity. 

Combatting homelessness: Building 

bridges, not fences. 



- Kevin Carroll, Executive Director/CEO, Modesto Gospel Mission (June 2013-July 2017) 

Community ✦ 49

Above: Love Modesto. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MURPHY. COURTESY OF 

LOVE MODESTO AND MODESTOVIEW. 

Below: Operation 9-2-99, Tuolumne 

River Cleanup. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ED AGUILAR, TUOLUMNE RIVER 

TRUST. COURTESY OF OPERATION 9-2-99. 

the people and families who reside here. There is 

no shortage of options available through local 

nonprofit and community organizations for 

corporations to engage. Whether through event 

sponsorship, employee giving and volunteer 

programs, or direct gifts, our business community 

exhibits stewardship of their community. 

A BRIGHT FUTURE 

Modesto values community, collaboration, 

and people. Modesto believes that people in our 

city have a right to a decent quality of life, a life 

that includes having basic needs met, and access 

to the better things in life, including art, theater, 

and music. Modestans accomplish this by 

working together with their neighbors and 

partners to create a vibrant, giving community. 

The future for Modesto is bright. With an 

engaged, supportive, community-minded group of 

patrons, givers, and nonprofits serving our town 

every day, Modesto must now turn its attention to 

the next generation of supporters; millennials and 

other young individuals and families working and 

raising their families here. As a community, we are 

facing the challenge of engaging a new group of 

givers; givers that perhaps don’t yet have the 

capital to give monetarily to local causes they are 

passionate about. Across America, people often 

aspire to make a difference, but believe they need 

to achieve a certain success before they can give 

back. A current snapshot of Modesto would 


MAKING A DIFFERENCE 

IN THE LIVES OF 

YOUNG PEOPLE 

Project UPLIFT! was started as a result of the 

disparities that became so prevalent within our 

schools. African-American boys, in particular, 

had the highest dropout rates, suspensions, 

expulsions, and juvenile justice/law enforcement 

contact rates in our county. 

As an educator, I wanted to do more to 

overcome the barriers and challenges that these 

boys faced in our community to becoming 

successful. As a mentor in another program in 

the ’90s, I experienced first-hand the powerful 

effect a positive, supportive, and caring adult role 

model could have on the lives of young people 

growing up with no hope. I began to recruit likeminded 

prospective mentors who wanted to 

make a difference in the lives of young people 

facing seemingly insurmountable odds for 

success in school and life. In the beginning, we 

targeted youth who were not on track for 

graduation, who had been suspended multiple 

times, who struggled with behavior issues, had 

problems with core academic subjects, and who 

came from single mother homes. 

We started by taking a group to a youth 

leadership conference in Los Angeles in 2001. 

We soon found ourselves working with a diverse group of young people who all had common 

socio-economic backgrounds and school issues. The results of this initial experience and our 

other mentoring efforts were outstanding. We were able to achieve 100 percent graduation rate, 

70 percent college attendance, 90 percent reduction in suspensions, and 100 percent reduction 

in expulsions. Of the initial group of 18 youth we mentored, only one briefly had contact with 

the juvenile justice system. 

We continue to target the youth population we identified at the beginning, but our mentees 

now come from all walks of life—ranging from youth struggling academically, personally, and 

socially to foster youth and youth who just need, or want, a consistent, positive, caring, and 

supportive role model in their lives. Our motto is: “Be Somebody…Be a Mentor!” 

I can truly say, I found my purpose in life here in Modesto! 

Project UPLIFT! helps young people 

overcome the barriers and challenges 

facing the youth of our community. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY GREG SAVAGE. COURTESY OF 

PROJECT UPLIFT! YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAM. 

- John Ervin III, 

Regional Community Outreach and Partnership Manager, Aspire Public Schools; 

Director/Founder, Project UPLIFT! Youth Mentoring Program; 

Recipient of the 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr., Legacy Award; 

Co-Founder, Sankofa Theatre Company 

suggest that many young people are beginning to 

reject that assumption and are busy building a 

community of people who give first, which will 

make Modesto a better, brighter place to live. Such 

a trend is encouraging for the people and place we 

call home. 

Community ✦ 51

FOCUS ON PREVENTION: 

OUR BIG PROBLEMS REQUIRE BIG SOLUTIONS 

The results of dysfunction are as clear as they are painful to see. 

Too many families in Stanislaus County struggle to make ends meet. Too many 

children are not succeeding in school. Too many are homeless, or soon could be. 

Too many suffer from physical and mental illnesses. Too few have access to the 

care needed to heal. Too many are isolated and fearful, their neighborhoods beset 

with petty crime and profound violence. 

As disturbing as these problems are, we are hopeful. Why? Because so many among 

us are willing to rise and confront the challenges we all see so plainly. That’s happened The “Focus on Prevention” initiative is a long-term effort to 

before and now it’s happening again—but this time our approach is different. 

improve the quality of life for residents and families. 

In 2015, caring and concerned people throughout Stanislaus County launched PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID JONES. COURTESY OF STANISLAUS COUNTY. 

a long-term effort to improve the quality of life for residents and families. Rather 

than concentrating on those all-too-obvious symptoms of dysfunction, we decided 

instead to address the root causes of the problems. 

Thus, “Focus on Prevention” came to be. 

Initiated by the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors and overseen by a Stewardship Council, the movement began to grow as 

volunteers and leaders stepped forward. 

We come from throughout the county and its communities. We come from different areas of life. We represent neighborhoods, 

businesses, education, faith, health, nonprofits, media, the arts, sports, local government, and even the homeless. 

Together, we have a common goal: To achieve results that will last a generation and beyond. 

Unfortunately, you can’t create such change in just a few months, or even in a year or two. The results we are trying to build require 

sustained engagement by ever-growing numbers of people throughout the county. In other words, a commitment for the long haul. 

Our first year has been about building a firm foundation for “Focus on Prevention” by nurturing the critical roots of connection, 

collaboration, and commitment. And already we’ve seen commitment to action from many individuals and organizations in our region. 

Our goal is about doing better, much better, and we envision a three-step process to help achieve that goal. 

First, we will live out our name—prevention—by devoting more of our resources and attention to the underlying causes and longterm 

conditions that cause individuals and families to struggle. 

Second, we will work together to achieve our goals. Government alone cannot create the future we want for our county. Businesses 

alone cannot strengthen and expand our economy. Hospitals and healthcare workers by themselves cannot improve the physical and 

emotional well-being of families and communities. Community and faith leaders, by themselves, cannot help neighborhoods thrive 

and become safer and more vibrant. Teachers and school administrators by themselves cannot improve the graduation rates and 

reading levels of our children. 

No, the only way to significantly improve the well-being and futures of our families and communities is to act together. 

Third, we will be accountable to each other. Acting together is not enough. Many of the challenges we face do not have simple or 

obvious solutions. As we learn together, we must also learn how to share honestly and openly. When something works, we’ll explain 

why; when it doesn’t, we’ll share that, too. To do this requires collecting good data and reflecting unflinchingly on what the data reveals. 

These commitments—to prevention, to acting and learning together, and to holding ourselves mutually accountable—can be 

challenging, to be sure. No single sector can tell another what to do. Sometimes acting together takes longer because we have to build 

the shared understanding and deep commitment to whatever actions we take. This commitment to act together, however, and to learn 

and adapt based on data and experience, is what will sustain this movement over time. 

Ultimately, the “Focus on Prevention” initiative is about a cultural shift toward hope in our community. Our priorities are having 

healthy residents, safe and connected neighborhoods, economic prosperity, and a strong cradle-to-career continuum for kids. The 

“Focus on Prevention” initiative embraces a new way of working together to improve the quality of life in our county. It won’t be quick 

or easy. But, ultimately, we will do better, because we are committed for the long haul. And we invite you to join us. 

The authors are all members of the “Focus on Prevention” Stewardship Council. They are Marian Kaanon, president/chief executive officer, 

Stanislaus Community Foundation; Stan Risen, chief executive officer, Stanislaus County (November 2013-August 2017); Mark Vasche is the 

former editor of The Bee and executive director of the Pinnacle Forum; Terry Withrow is a Stanislaus County supervisor. 

Originally published in the February 4, 2016 edition of The Modesto Bee. 


A GENEROUS COMMUNITY 

After a 25-year career in the Fortune 500 corporate world, I had the opportunity to serve in a nonprofit. Community Hospice was 

a small healthcare organization struggling financially, but with a great mission and local leadership support. 

For several years, I repeatedly heard from hospice nurses that we could take better care of this patient if they didn’t live under the 

Seventh Street bridge, or in a camper shell in the airport district. Thus was born the ambitious vision of building a Hospice House in 

Stanislaus County. At the time, there were only six such facilities in California and less than 40 in the United States. It was expected 

to cost over four million dollars to build and operate at an expected annual loss of $500,000. It was then that the community stepped 

up. Our board leadership accepted the challenge and months later, John and June Rogers entered our lives. With a matching dollar 

challenge offered by the Rogers, we started the capital campaign to build our Hospice House. Within the next year, we had raised over 

four million dollars in matching funds and the Rogers built our Hospice House on the Samaritan Village campus in Hughson. 

This kind of project would never have been completed without the generosity of every one of our donors, large and small. For the 

past 30-plus years, hundreds of donors have trusted us with their loved ones at their greatest hours of need, and those same people 

were, and continue to be, generous with their contributions. Over one million dollars of the money raised was given by the everyday 

people in our community. Every nonprofit organization in our community has seen the same generosity, so you know that Community 

Hospice is not unique. Whether it is for cancer, Alzheimer’s, homeless shelters, a children’s home, a safe place for abused women, food 

banks, literacy, parent education, or the many other worthy efforts being addressed by these nonprofits, there is always someone in 

our city or county that is making that donation to help. 

One such donation came from Sammy and Rosita. Their donation came with this note: “Enclosed $1.00 is because Sammy is also 

dying of Cancer and is now under Hospice Care. Sorry such a small amount and wish we could give you more. Signed, Dying of 

Cancer, Sammy.” Once I received this letter with the dollar bill taped to the note, I donated a dollar and kept the letter. Fifteen years 

later, I still carry that letter in my briefcase, just as a reminder of the generosity of our community. 

We live in a very generous community. Each person gives according to what they can and what fills their heart, whether it’s a large 

donor like the Rogers family or a small one like Sammy. 

- Harold Peterson, President/Chief Executive Officer, 

Community Hospice (Retired) 

A community filled with generous donors, large and small. 

COURTESY OF HAROLD PETERSON. 

Hospice House at Samaritan Village. 

COURTESY OF COMMUNITY HOSPICE. 

Community ✦ 53

GOVERNMENT 

B ALANCING U RBAN A MENITIES WITH R URAL V ALUES 

BY GARRAD MARSH 

PRESERVING A UNIQUE QUALITY OF LIFE 

Tom Duchscher, Rhombus Cubis III, 

welded steel. 

Modesto has a quality that is special and worth sustaining; a uniquely Central Valley lifestyle: urban 

amenities with rural values. 

I grew up in Modesto. In fact, I’m a third- and fourth-generation Modestan. There is a pace of life, 

a connectivity, and a hominess that makes Modesto a great place for families. I have had the 


A LEGACY OF PUBLIC SERVICE 

It’s interesting how a place can imbed itself 

inside you. I’m not from here. But, once I 

arrived, I never left. Modesto Junior College 

helped set me on my path after I left the service 

by providing the best possible liberal arts 

education. I met my wife, Modesto native Joan 

Pedego, there. We were leads in a musical 

together. It was a classic love story—on-stage 

and off. I realize now, and hope I realized then, 

that you need a supportive partner if you’re 

going to dedicate your life to public service. Joan 

was that partner. 

It’s also interesting how, in life, one thing 

seems to lead to another. When I joined the 

Modesto Junior Chamber, I was seeking to 

hone my skills, find mentors, and develop 

opportunities. I found all that and more. As a 

Junior Chamber member, I volunteered to be on the Modesto Planning Commission. That led to 

my running and being elected to the city council (1967 to 1974) for two terms, which, in 

turn, led to eight terms on the Board of Supervisors (1976 to 2007). During my service on the 

Board, I continued my public service as a volunteer consultant to five different governors on 

criminal justice matters. Governor Pete Wilson appointed me to the California State Board of 

State Corrections, where I served for three years. That led eventually to the creation of the Ray 

Simon Regional Criminal Justice Training Center, a state-of-the-art training facility for public 

safety professionals. 

Around that same time, I was able to combine my skills as a public servant with my love of 

entertainment as I collaborated with Marie Gallo, her brother Frank Damrell, Stanislaus County 

CEO Reagan Wilson, and others to build the Gallo Center for the Arts. The project wasn’t 

without its detractors, but we were able to fund, build, and sustain it. Thanks to the center, as 

well as Tenth Street Place, I can honestly say that downtown Modesto, which had been decaying 

for years despite our best efforts, came to life and became the place to be again. It still is today. 

I am a public servant. If it wasn’t what I started out to be, it certainly is what I became. I am also 

an amateur entertainer. That may have been who I always was. I have been fortunate to have remained 

involved in both in some capacity over the span of a long public career and private life. 

I don’t often talk of legacy these days because it signals some kind of end. But, if I did, I would 

say that my legacy combines the two things that defined and shaped my life: public service 

and entertainment. The two benchmark accomplishments that each represent one pillar of 

that legacy are the Ray Simon Regional Criminal Justice Training Center and the Gallo Center for 

the Arts. 

I owe a great deal to this city. It gave me a 

fresh start and a new direction, a wife and a 

family. I’m proud to say that the second and third 

generations of the Simon-Pedego family have 

returned home and continue to love and support 

this place as much as I do. 

Above: Ray Simon Regional Criminal 

Justice Training Center. 

COURTESY OF STANISLAUS COUNTY 

SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT. 

Below: A Gallo Center production. 

Downtown is the place to be. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY GREG SAVAGE. COURTESY OF 

GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS. 

- Ray Simon, Retired, 

Modesto City Council, 

Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors 

Government ✦ 55

Above: A uniquely Central 

Valley lifestyle. 



Bekow: Modesto operates under 

a “Council-Manager” form 

of government. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CORY WARNER, STUDIO 

WARNER. COURTESY THE CITY OF MODESTO. 

opportunity to live in Virginia and New England, 

as well as Hawaii and the Bay Area, but I have 

never found a better place to live than Modesto. 

I became involved with local government for 

two reasons. One was the simple desire to serve 

and help. The other was the need to preserve a 

unique quality of life; the balance of rural and 

urban that I saw being eroded away. 

As a two-term Modesto city council member 

and former mayor, I believe I have some knowledge 

of Modesto’s governmental characteristics as 

they stand today. 

Modesto is a voter approved charter city. A 

charter is much like having a “constitution,” 

which allows somewhat more freedom regarding 

the form and rules of its governance. Modesto’s 

charter was originally adopted in 1954. 

As adopted by the voters, Modesto has operated 

under a “Council-Manager” form of government. 

It has a mayor and six council members, 

who comprise the city council. The council hires 

the city manager, as well as three other charter 

positions: city attorney, city auditor, and city 

clerk. The city manager leads the operation of the 

city. Part of the city manager’s duties are to hire all 

department heads and supervisors, thus all other 

positions are under the manager’s purview. 

The city charter has been amended several 

times, both from a ten-year charter review 

process and from citizen initiatives. A 2003 

initiative placed term limits on the elected 

positions, allowing only two four-year terms. The 

2007 charter amendments changed the council 

member elections to districts. Six districts, each 

with its own council member, were formed and 

the mayor’s position remained an at-large 

election. The 2007 amendment also increased the 

mayor’s involvement in the budgeting process. 

A FULL- SERVICE CITY 

Modesto is a full-service city, meaning it not 

only provides police and fire services, but also 

provides the water and wastewater infrastructure 


ADVOCACY FOR ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN 

More than 500,000 children live in foster care in the United States. These children were abused or neglected and then removed 

from their families and the place they called home. Sadly, many can become a victim a second time in an overwhelmed child 

welfare system that does not allow for close attention to each child and their needs or wants. 

Each day in California, more than 70 children who have been abused or neglected join the state’s population of nearly 80,000 

children in foster care. California is home to nearly one-fifth of all foster children in the United States. In Stanislaus County, there 

are over 700 children in foster care at any given time. As dependents of the juvenile court, these children pass through a court 

system that can leave them frightened, confused, and alone. 

The mission of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Stanislaus County is to provide quality advocacy services for all 

abused and neglected children in the dependency system through the use of trained volunteers. CASA of Stanislaus County is a 

passionate community organization that provides children received through the court system with personalized advocacy and 

support. Our goal is to provide a safe, permanent, nurturing environment for every child served. 

- Steve Ashman, Executive Director, 

CASA of Stanislaus County, 

County Nonprofit of the Year, 2016 

CASA (Court Appointed Special 

Advocates) of Stanislaus County. 

COURTESY CASA OF STANISLAUS COUNTY. 

for its citizens and some surrounding areas. 

About 80 percent of general use revenues are 

spent for safety staffing: the city’s police and fire 

services. The remainder of general revenues are 

used to cover administration, parks, and some 

road maintenance. 

Stanislaus Council of Governments 

(StanCOG), composed of Stanislaus County’s 

five supervisors and representatives from the 

nine cities in the county, distributes much of the 

federal and state road funds. They also control 

funding for transit needs within the county, with 

Modesto’s MAX service being the largest recipient 

for its bus system. 

Modesto opened the first municipally 

owned airfield in the United States in 1918. 

Municipal Golf Course (Muni) was the original 

site of the city’s airfield, prior to relocating to the 

current site of the Modesto City-County Airport 

in 1929. 

The City of Modesto also operates three 

golf courses. The oldest is the 9-hole Muni, 

mentioned above. Modesto’s second golf course, 

the 18-hole Dryden course, was built in 

1959. The Dryden family donated much of the 

Dryden Golf Course property. The newest city 

course is the 18-hole Creekside Golf Course, 

opened in 1991. 

Government ✦ 57

Above: Opened in 1918, Bud Coffee 

Field was the first municipally owned 

airfield in the United States. 


Below: Modesto Irrigation District 

(MID) is the provider of electrical 

power and water to Modesto and 

much of the surrounding farmland. 



THE CHALLENGES OF 

POPULATION GROWTH 

Following World War II, Modesto grew very 

rapidly. It doubled in population during the 

1950s and doubled again in the 1960s. 

Population growth continued to be significant 

through the remainder of the twentieth century. 

As part of that growth, McHenry Village was 

opened in 1953 and Vintage Faire Mall in the 

mid-1970s. Both retail complexes contributed to 

the deterioration of the city’s downtown. 

An early voter-initiated charter amendment, 

“Measure A,” passed in March 1979. It was a 

reaction to the city’s rapid growth and conversion 

of farmlands to housing and developments like the 

mall. Later that year, Modesto elected its first 

woman mayor, Peggy Mensinger, and she was reelected 

in 1983. Mensinger was a leader in the 

group that put forth Measure A, and was an 

advocate for “smart growth,” green concepts, and 

sustainability before these ideas were common. 

She advocated for campaign finance reform to 

assure that public servants weren’t unduly swayed 

by constituent contributions. It was a message to 

future citizens to be aware and involved; to temper 

the influence of money on local politics and policy 

with education, transparency, and oversight. 

In the late 1980s, the city used a state property 

tax financing vehicle, the Redevelopment Agency 

(RDA), to start reversing the deterioration of the 

downtown area. First came the Lincoln Center 

shopping area, followed soon after with the 

building of Modesto Centre Plaza and the Red 

Lion Hotel, currently the DoubleTree by Hilton. 

The next big endeavor was Tenth Street Place. 

This property included a new City-County 

building on the site of the razed Covell and 

Hughson Hotels. It also included the Brenden 

Theatres multiplex on the site of the former 

Strand Theatre. 

In 1963, the State of California instituted 

Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCos) 

in every county except San Francisco. LAFCos 

have evolved to be a powerful force within 

counties. They are tasked with: 1. Encouraging 

the orderly formation of local governmental 

agencies; 2. Preserving agricultural land 

resources; and 3. Discouraging urban sprawl. 

Any land additions to Modesto or changes in 

jurisdictions require decisions by LAFCo. 

LAFCo is comprised of two county supervisors, 

two city representatives, and a “citizen-at-large.” 

Modesto Irrigation District (MID) is the 

provider of electrical power and water to 

Modesto and much of the surrounding farmland. 

MID has its own five member governing board of 

directors elected by its constituents. 

Prior to mid-1990, Modesto provided all of its 

urban water needs from well water. By 1995, 

MID and the City of Modesto partnered to build 

a surface water purification plant. This provided 

an alternative source for some of the city’s 

potable water needs. That partnership was 

augmented by further water agreements, 

culminating in a second purification plant going 

into service in 2015. 

Modesto’s wastewater system has provided 

the disposal needs for all its residents and 

businesses, but also for our area’s agricultural 

canning operations. In 1998 a separate line for 


BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS TO CREATE 

A MORE PEACEFUL WORLD 

The City of Modesto has seven sister cities around the world. These global relationships provide 

opportunities for cultural awareness, as well as business, government, and student exchange experiences. 

Civic participation and community support are what make our Sister City Program a success. 

The U.S. Sister City Program originated in 1956 at then President Eisenhower’s White House 

Summit. Eisenhower proposed a citizen diplomacy program that would create a more peaceful future. 

He reasoned that people from different cultures could understand, appreciate, and celebrate their 

differences, while building partnerships that would lessen the chance of new conflicts if this initiative 

were successful. Many cities throughout the nation adopted the program to promote international 

relationships through community level efforts, to build understanding, camaraderie, and goodwill. 

A sister city relationship was intended to be a long-term, cooperative relationship between two 

cities in different countries through which cultural, educational, business, and technical exchanges 

take place. According to Adrian Harrell, board president of Modesto Sister Cities International, “The 

concept of international friendship is as relevant today as it was over 60 years ago when Sister Cities 

International was born. Friendships across national borders are important in developing 

understanding and goodwill. Hosting people from our sister cities around the globe helps us bring 

the world to Modesto and showcase all the wonderful things Modesto has to offer the world.” 

Modesto Sister Cities International is a nonprofit volunteer organization that was incorporated in 

1994. Prior to incorporation, it was governed by a city steering committee called the City of Modesto 

International Friendship Committee. 

Former chairman of the board, John Mensinger, has a fondness for the program and its ability to create 

and foster lasting relationships around the world. “I know of at least three marriages between Modesto 

residents and people from our sister cities, which is remarkable,” he said. “Modesto is a wonderfully 

diverse and tolerant community. The Sister City Program promotes and encourages the understanding 

and appreciation of other countries and cultures. That’s good for us and the world at large.” 

Advancing global friendships and business exchange opportunities are key priorities for the 

program. Sister cities are selected for their similarities in size, primary industry, and other 

demographics. Our first Sister City (since 1983) was Vernon, British Columbia. Since that time, we 

have added Khmelnitskiy, Ukraine (1987), Kurume, Japan (1992), Vijayawada, India (1993), 

Aguascalientes, Mexico (1995), Mengzi, China (2011), and Laval, France (2011). Exchange activities 

are organized and implemented by volunteers, local institutions, and municipal employees. 

An important component of the program is youth exchange. Modesto has participated in high school 

student exchanges with all of our Sister Cities except Mengzi, China. In 2010, the Modesto Sister Cities 

Program was awarded one of nine federal grants for a Trilateral Exchange Program, which offered 

financial resources allowing the City of Modesto to participate in a unique program centered on youth 

exchange opportunities over the course of three years. Youth volunteers interned in sister nations to 

study the concept and practices of volunteerism in their sister cities. Participants also explored critical 

community services provided by local governmental, business, or private sector entities. 

Every year, Sister City delegates spend time in Modesto building friendships, learning about our 

government, and spending time observing the 

practice of their profession in America. Visits from 

our friends around the world are always welcome. 

We anticipate continued growth for the Sister 

Cities Program and look forward to building on 

these meaningful relationships around the globe. 

Above: The City of Modesto is 

creating and fostering lasting 

relationships around the world. 


Below: Sister City representatives 

from Khmelnitskiy, Ukraine, 

visiting Modesto. 


- Amy Vickery, public information officer, 

City of Modesto (July 2015-July 2017); 

public information officer, Stanislaus County 

Government ✦ 59

Modesto will overcome future 

challenges with imaginative, 

innovative, and practical solutions. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY WILLIAM HARRIS. WILLIAM 


cannery wastewater was put into operation, 

allowing this effluent to be applied to city-owned 

farmland. In 2015, a tertiary treatment plant was 

completed. Concurrently, a regional partnership 

with Patterson-based Del Puerto Water District 

made plans to use Modesto’s treated water for 

agricultural irrigation to farms on the west side 

of Stanislaus County. 

When I took office as mayor in 2012, I was 

challenged with an unsustainable budget, lack of 

public safety personnel, and a tax system that 

could not provide the level of services our 

citizens deserved. Much of Modesto’s financial 

challenges stemmed from the Proposition 13 

initiative of 1979. California’s implementation of 

Prop 13 put Modesto, and Stanislaus County at a 

severe financial disadvantage. Our area is allowed 

to retain only about 7 percent of its property tax 

compared to 14 percent that an average city in 

the state receives. To combat that fiscal challenge, 

I had hoped to enact development fees 

(Community Facilities Districts) to compensate 

for this revenue disadvantage. 

PROMOTING STEWARDSHIP OF GREEN SPACES 

The mission of the Dry Creek Trails Coalition is to promote stewardship 

and a sense of ownership of our city’s open green spaces for all to enjoy. We 

do this by organizing quarterly cleanup events, which involve volunteers 

from all corners of the community who enjoy spending time at Dry Creek 

Regional Park. 

- Darin Jesberg, Dry Creek Trails Coalition 

MODESTO IS 

BEYOND EXPECTATIONS 

Additionally, I also felt that ag preservation 

was important to maintaining this community’s 

special quality of life. I was a proponent of both 

ag mitigation requirements and residential urban 

limits. Those remain a work in progress. 

Modesto is unique and, as such, is positioned 

to overcome its ills. To maintain our singular 

quality of life, we need to address and deal with 

these challenges, not ignore them. That means 

cooperation. That means working together. That 

means partnerships. That means thinking outside 

the box. There are tough challenges ahead, but I 

am optimistic that Modesto will be imaginative, 

innovative, and practical in its solutions. 

What is it that makes Modesto special? It is its 

neighborhoods, its level of volunteerism, and its 

friendliness. Those characteristics reflect a spirit 

of optimism and energy that is uniquely 

California. It is a notable fact that, for a city our 

size, we don’t have the level of problems similar 

urban cities have. It is a fact that we’re still rural, 

even though we have over 200,000 people. It is 

a fact that we have a history of slow and 

measured growth. 

When new arrivals come to our city, they are 

almost always surprised by how wonderful they 

find Modesto. People commonly move here 

thinking it is a short-term stop. Then, they fall in 

love with the local lifestyle and choose to stay. 

They find that Modesto is beyond the usual; 

beyond the tried and true; beyond the typical. It 

is truly Beyond Expectations. 


WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIX LOW VOTER TURNOUT? 

One thing that jumps out following an election is the continuing pattern of civic disengagement across 

our region, our state, and our country. Simply stated, Americans do not vote at nearly the same rate as they 

once did. Sadly, that’s not a stop-the-presses revelation. Turnout, generally, has been falling for almost two 

generations, with the exception of the presidential races every four years. 

Though the region’s biggest city, Modesto, elects city council and school board members in odd years, 

there are always plenty of competitive races in many of Stanislaus County’s other cities, in addition to local 

initiatives on high-interest topics, such as roads and public safety, as well as statewide propositions dealing 

with water, public safety, and healthcare. And yet, barely four out of ten eligible voters bother to show up. 

Odd-year elections are even worse. 

It’s hard to divine exactly why people don’t vote, but some answers appear obvious: 

• Dissatisfaction and distrust nationally and statewide with politicians from all parties. 

• The millions of dollars spent on negative ads, which has trickled down to the local level more and 

more often. 

• The hyper partisanship seen on TV, whether it’s Fox or MSNBC. 

• Cynicism about the process and simple apathy. 

Whatever the reason, too many people believe their ballots don’t matter or, worse, that voting is a 

waste of time. 

What are the solutions? I am neither a political scientist nor a sociologist, just a political enthusiast 

frustrated by the lack of participation. But, I do believe this: Voters want to support candidates who 

honestly and responsibly discuss and debate issues and ideas that have relevance to their lives. 

It means talking rationally about how to improve our school system, protect our citizens, strengthen 

our neighborhoods, build a more efficient transportation system, and sustainably manage our precious 

water resources. 

It means running open, issue-oriented campaigns conducted by candidates who will talk about 

what they stand for and what they’ll do, as opposed to tearing down an opponent. 

It means being approachable and engaging voters directly via forums, debates, and precinct walks. 

It means candidates having the courage to admit they don’t have all the answers. It means 

embracing collaboration, treating others with respect, and always putting the public’s needs first. 

Remember this the next time election season is upon us. Our forefathers and veterans have given much 

to provide us the freedom to be a democratic 

union. Do not let issues such as negative 

campaigning deter us from this freedom. 

It is critical to our democracy that we 

not squander the freedom to vote. 


- Mani Grewal, 

Modesto City Council, District 1 

Originally published in the November 19, 2014 

edition of The Modesto Bee. 

Editor’s Note: Voter turnout in Stanislaus County 

for the 2016 Presidential Election was 73 percent, 

the highest on record since the 1990s. This may 

indicate that voters are more interested in national 

versus local elections. Voter registration is also at its 

highest, with 241,196 residents signing up to vote. 

Government ✦ 61

ENTERTAINMENT, 

RECREATION & SPORTS 

A YEAR-ROUND 

P LAYGROUND 

BY JENNIFER MULLEN 

A VIBRANT CULTURAL COMMUNITY 

Glen Streeter, From Tee to Green, oil. 

When you visit Modesto, you will be delighted to discover a vibrant, diverse destination. From lively 

music festivals to delicious culinary events and everything in between, we have something for everyone. 

The city offers world-class artistic and cultural facilities, symphonies, theater companies, museums, an 

amazing array of classic cars, virtually unlimited opportunities for outdoor recreation, spectacular 

scenery, one-of-a kind cafés and diners, unbeatable roadside produce stands, and farmers markets. 

Modesto is the art and cultural hub of the Central Valley. With everything from theatrical 

productions and ballet performances to classical concerts, global music, jam sessions, comedy 

showcases, and poetry slam competitions, Modesto’s entertainment holds center stage. Our yearround 

calendar spotlights international and local stars. You’ll enjoy famous actors, opera singers, 

classical musicians, jazz quartets, and bands playing rockabilly, blues, country, and rock, as well as 

many other gifted artists performing in a variety of genres. 

Designed to showcase the local music scene and our wide variety of musicians, each October 

we hold the Modesto Area Music Awards (MAMAs). The MAMAs are a celebration of the huge 

talent based in our city. It is a true recognition of all the hard working people in the local music 

industry; the bands, the venues, the promoters, and all the folks who work behind the scenes to 

make it all happen. 

Every August, a terrific outdoor concert is held known as Modstock. The goal is to foster the next 

generation of musicians by helping fund youth music programs and by putting instruments in the 


hands of kids and some adults who might not 

otherwise have them. The objective is to keep 

the fundamentals of music available for our 

youth and community. 

The California Women’s Music Festival in 

October is a celebration of women in music, art, 

literature, poetry, and business. It began as an 

idea between like-minded women who wanted 

to create a culture and community of sisterhood 

among the local area performers, artists, and 

musicians. This desire brought together a 

committee of women committed to furthering 

the format for all women to come together to 

celebrate each other. 

All summer long, enjoy Music in the Plaza at 

Tenth Street Place. Each Friday, you can hear 

performances by area musicians. 

The Modesto Band of Stanislaus County is 

one of the oldest, continuously performing 

bands in the United States. In 1919, Professor 

W. W. Higgins gathered eleven boys together 

and formed The Modesto Boys’ Band. In 1927 

the original band became the Stanislaus County 

Boys’ Band. Gradually, women were included 

and, finally, in the early 1950s, the name was 

changed to the one used today: The Modesto 

Band of Stanislaus County, affectionately known 

as MoBand. Today, this wonderful band, 

composed of approximately 130 volunteer 

musicians, features extraordinary talent of all 

ages. They perform free concerts at Mancini 

Bowl in Graceada Park each summer on six 

consecutive Thursday evenings beginning in 

mid-June. MoBand has become an iconic 

Modesto summer experience, transforming the 

park into a patchwork of picnickers and 

providing music lovers with an opportunity to 

hear the best music under the stars. A musical 

tradition over 98 years in the making, the 

MoBand Concert in the Park series is one of 

Modesto’s most treasured summer traditions. 

Modesto is energized and enlivened by a 

dynamic art, live music, and theater community. 

The city is honored to have its own resident 

symphony (Modesto Symphony Orchestra), a 

community band (MoBand—Modesto Band of 

Stanislaus County), opera (Townsend Opera), 

ballet (Central West Ballet), youth theater (Youth 

Entertainment Stage Company), community 

concert association (Modesto Community 

Concert Association), and more. 

A RESONANT MUSICAL RENAISSANCE 

Since 2012, I’ve curated the Modesto Unplugged Music Festival and its 

related monthly concert series. MUMfest is the only event of its kind in 

town, focusing almost exclusively on acoustic music and structured not as a 

large outdoor affair, but as a series of the most intimate listening showcases, 

in small theater and art gallery-type venues—crucial for the proper appreciation 

of the genres we present. 

Modesto Unplugged’s programming has included Grammy-winning bluegrass 

and Celtic songwriters; world-famous instrumentalists and national 

champions rocking the violin, cello, harp, and more; traditional folk songs 

from Russia, Finland, and South Africa; as well as many of the gifted 

Americana, country and folk artists from right here at home. One of my 

favorite showcases we’ve done featured Xin Zhang, a classically trained erhu 

(two-string Chinese fiddle) player, as well as classically trained crossover cellist 

Rebecca Roudman and her blues/bluegrass group Dirty Cello. The cello 

and the erhu are two of my very favorite instruments, and it was a thing of 

beauty when Xin and Rebecca performed a duet on one song. I doubt anything 

quite like that combination had been heard in Modesto before. 

We work alongside organizations such as the Modesto Community 

Concert Association, Townsend Opera, and other regional music presenters, 

always seeking to foster greater awareness of and engagement with the independent 

arts. In the few years I have been active in the local music scene, I’ve 

seen a number of vibrant new arts offerings spring up. I hope to see this resonant 

renaissance continue to grow, and transform our city into an arts 

mecca as great as San Francisco or New Orleans. 

- Aaron Rowan, Founder, MUMfest 

Modesto Unplugged Music Festival. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY MONICA BARBER. COURTESY OF MUMFEST. 

Entertainment, Recreation & Sports ✦ 63

Above: The Modesto Area Music 

Awards (MAMAs) celebrate the 

spectrum of talent based in Modesto. 



Below: The Open Studio Tour provides 

a behind-the-scenes look into working 

artist studios. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID SCHROEDER. COURTESY 

OF THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ART ASSOCIATION. 

A PASSION FOR THE ARTS 

If art is your passion, you can visit local 

artists in the evening on the third Thursday of 

each month at the Downtown Art Walk. Or, the 

annual Artists Open Studios, a two-day event in 

April, showcasing over 80 local artists. This 

unique self-guided tour provides a behind-thescenes 

look into working artist studios located 

throughout Stanislaus County. The tour features 

artists who specialize in handmade pottery, 

glass, photography, jewelry, watercolor, fiber 

arts, and much more. You’ll also find handmade 

masterpieces ranging from fine art to funky folk 

creations. Discover for yourself Modesto’s rich 

heritage of handmade crafts at one of the many 

galleries and shops. 

Modesto is the proud home of one of the 

premier performing arts venues in California, 

the Gallo Center for the Arts. Featuring two 

stages, it presents regional, national, and 

international entertainment. 

The beautifully restored State Theatre is 

Modesto’s only remaining historic theater and a 

recognized Landmark Preservation Site by the 

City of Modesto. This art deco style theater, 

built in 1934, plays host to a variety of live 

concerts and productions, as well as cutting 

edge and independent films. 

Charming, historic downtown Modesto is an 

enjoyable place to shop, dine, and meet friends in 

the heart of the city. Stroll the pedestrian friendly, 

tree-lined streets and find amazing locally owned 

restaurants, historic buildings, service businesses, 

unique shops, galleries, and theaters. Discover 

Modesto’s spirited nightlife scene, including 

neighborhood taprooms and wine bars, live music 

venues, coffee houses, sidewalk cafes, and latenight 

hot spots. Great shopping and rich dining 

experiences await you throughout the city. Our 

farm-to-table fresh culinary scene will delight you, 

as you taste an array of elegant to casual cuisine. 

The McHenry Mansion is Modesto’s treasure. It 

is the city’s only remaining original Victorian home 

and one of the few reminders of the town’s rich 


heritage still in existence. Its restoration has 

proved to be the community’s most visible, 

extended renovation project. Thousands of local 

citizens have participated and contributed to the 

restoration. Built in 1883 by Robert McHenry, a 

prominent local rancher and banker, the McHenry 

Mansion is on the National Register of Historic 

Places. In 1923, it was converted into apartments 

and remained that way until 1976, when the Julio 

R. Gallo Foundation purchased it. The mansion 

was then donated to the City of Modesto and was 

refurbished and decorated with antiques 

appropriate to the period (1883-1896) that Robert 

and his wife, Matilda, lived there. The wellmaintained 

interiors really show how people lived 

at the turn of the century and beyond. Today, the 

McHenry Mansion is one of Modesto’s favorite 

tourist attractions. It is a truly wonderful way to 

step inside Modesto’s history. Admission is free. 

Only a block away from the McHenry 

Mansion, delve deeper into the roots of the 

Modesto area at the McHenry Museum, which 

offers a variety of paintings, photographs, and 

historical artifacts depicting early life and times in 

the city, county, and surrounding communities. 

Originally the McHenry Public Library, the facility 

was built in 1912 with funds bequeathed in the 

will of Oramil McHenry, son of Robert McHenry. 

After the Stanislaus County Library was built 

nearby in the 1970s, the original building was 

turned into the museum you see today. Many of 

the museum’s exhibits are changed regularly so 

there is always something new to see. The 

museum is a Modesto Landmark Preservation 

Site, and is open to the public. Space for private 

functions is available, as are group tours, which 

provide a revealing glimpse into Modesto’s past. 

Admission is free. 

The Gallo Center for the Arts is known for its superb acoustics. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY FISHBOWL PHOTOGRAPHY. COURTESY OF GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS. 

LEGENDARY 

ACOUSTICS 

Legendary singer Tony Bennett was among the first to perform at the Gallo Center for the Arts 

when it opened in the fall of 2007. Taking the stage in the Mary Stuart Rogers Theater, Mr. 

Bennett promptly regaled the audience with effusive praise for the center’s architectural beauty 

and superb acoustics. In a remarkable demonstration of the latter, at one point Mr. Bennett set 

his handheld microphone down on the stage and then spoke in a conversational tone to the rapt 

audience. “He could be heard in the seats furthest away,” remembers Al Poulus, the Gallo 

Center’s director of technology and theater operations. “What he did was stunning. I think everyone 

believed that the center had been very carefully designed from an acoustic standpoint, but 

in that moment, with that simple demonstration, we knew it with an absolute certainty.” 

- Doug Hosner, Director of Marketing, 

Gallo Center for the Arts 


STILL ENTERTAINING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS 

When we talk about arts and entertainment in Modesto and the 

surrounding region, no discussion is complete without mention of the State 

Theatre. When it opened on Christmas Day in 1934, its modern, Art Deco 

décor and “refrigerated” air made it the “go to” theater for first-run films. It 

was the last of the historic movie palaces to be built in the city, and it drew 

a throng of loyal film-goers every Saturday night when a new film premiered 

at midnight. That’s when Hollywood reigned supreme and everyone was 

enamored with movie stars. 

As the times changed, along with the desires of the community it served, 

so too did the State, with the removal of about 300 seats and the addition of 

a stage in the early ‘90s. The State then became all about independent and 

foreign films, live music, special events, and most importantly, helping to 

revitalize the downtown. 

Fast forward to 2016 and the State has reinvented itself again, this time 

transforming into an art film house and a venue for plays, live music, social, 

and community-based events. To stay relevant and remain vital and vibrant 

after 82 years is quite an accomplishment. The State has managed to be all 

that and more, as it continues to welcome all in the region to Modesto’s 

original home for film, arts, and entertainment. 

- Sue Richardson, Executive Director, 

State Theatre 

The State Theatre is relevant, vital, and vibrant. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIAN MENDOZA. COURTESY OF STATE THEATRE. 

Modesto is an agricultural powerhouse. Here 

it is a very important way of life. It is inspiring 

when you drive down country roads and see the 

abundant crops, farms, ranches, and beautiful 

blooming orchards that are considered among 

the most fertile and productive regions in the 

world. Designed to showcase and celebrate 

where our food and drinks come from, you can 

get up close and personal with the people who 

are feeding the world with tours, tastings, and 

“U-Pick” farms. 

A FULL SPECTRUM OF 

FOOD- RELATED ADVENTURES 

Local farmers and chefs take pride in their 

commitment to quality and share a passion for 

locally grown food. Because our farms and 

restaurants are so close together, chefs can pick 

products at just the right moment to create tasty 

works of art, all in the same day. When you taste 

local staple ingredients, whether it be fresh 

produce, cheese or olive oil, you get a taste of 

the rich culinary history and overall culture of 

the region. 

Modesto also offers a full spectrum of foodrelated 

adventures, from the unique dishes 

available on menus to festivals dedicated to 

particular food products to tours of the places 

where specific products are made. 

Taste honey and other honey bee items at 

Beekman and Beekman’s original 104-year-old 

farmhouse. More than eighty years of 

beekeeping experience convinced them to 

start their own line of honey and led to the 

opening of a tasting room. The tasting room 

provides the stage to highlight the unique 

flavors of pure varietal honeys, mead wine, and 

lavender products. 

Blue Diamond Almonds, formed in 1910, has 

turned into the world’s largest almond 

processing and marketing company. They 

produce over eighty percent of the world’s 

almond supply. You can visit their store, sample, 

and view a video that highlights the almond 

process from tree to table. 

Classic Wine Vinegar, a family-owned 

company, has been producing quality wine 

vinegars for over twenty years. You can tour and 

see the aging and flavor process, sample the 

wide variety of flavors, and shop in their designer 

gift store. 

Do Good Distillery, another family-owned and 

-operated company, formed in 2013, strives to 

live by Ben Franklin’s philosophy that “You Do 


Well by Doing Good.” The business has been 

intertwined with family from the beginning and 

that’s how they intend to grow. Their philosophy 

is to cherish every day with family and friends 

and just “do good.” They invite you to try their 

California distilled spirits—gin, white rum, and 

beechwood smoked whiskey. They are open for 

tours and tastings. 

Dutch Hollow Farms is a springtime 

sensation with over 300,000 colorful tulips. 

Despite the valley’s notoriously warm weather, 

owner-operator John Bos manages to grow over 

100 varieties of tulips. They’re arranged in 

circles shaped like a peace sign and surrounded 

by grape hyacinth, which makes them look like 

they are floating on an ocean. He sells them to 

the public during a few months in the spring. 

Walter Nicolau III, an artisanal cheesemaker, 

produces a variety of specialty goat and blended 

milk cheeses at his family farm. They make 

about a dozen cheeses with different processes 

and different ages. They are rich, complex, and 

refined cheeses that showcase the quality of the 

milk and the art of cheesemaking. Nicolau 

Farms offers tours and tastings. 

Sciabica Olive Oil is a family-owned, fourth 

generation olive oil producer that has been coldpressing 

olive oil in Modesto since 1936. That 

makes them by far the oldest producer in the 

United States! Jonathan Sciabica regularly 

hosts olive oil tastings at the company’s gift 

shop, where you can enjoy the many varieties, 

flavors, and aromas of extra virgin olive oil, the 

highest grade of olive oil. Sciabica offers eight 

flavored oils made by pressing natural 

ingredients, such as garlic, basil, and jalapeño 

with the olives. 

Every Thursday and Saturday mornings 

from May until November, you can visit the 

Modesto Certified Farmers Market to sample 

the wares of local vendors selling everything 

from fresh produce to flowers, baked goods 

to cheeses. 

On Thursday evenings from June until 

November, cruise downtown to grab a bite, 

meet friends, and listen to live music at the 

DoMo Night Market. 

If you are interested in having a fun and 

authentic farm experience, you are invited to 

enjoy orchards full of ripe fruit, literally bursting 

with flavor. You can have a hands-on experience 

for the entire family by going out into the fields 

and picking lush fruit at a number of seasonal “U- 

Pick” farms. 

If you’re a real foodie, it is easy to enjoy our 

locally grown produce thanks to a variety of 

fruit stands and farmers markets, including the 

Modesto Certified Farmers Market, waiting to 

share their bounty. 

A DIVERSE VARIETY 

OF FESTIVALS 

Modesto is home to a diverse variety of festivals 

that will inspire you with experiences perfect for 

anyone. We invite you to explore the character of 

Modesto through these unique events. 

Above: The Modesto community has a 

commitment to quality and a passion 

for locally grown food. 


HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY. COURTESY OF MODESTO 

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU. 

Below: The International Heritage 

Festival celebrates the ethnic diversity 

of our community. 


HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY. COURTESY OF 

INTERNATIONAL HERITAGE FESTIVAL. 


THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE… 

… OR, WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A TANK OF 

GAS AND SOME CHANGE? 

When my wife and I were young, just graduated from college with new 

jobs and a 1950 MG TD, one of the first questions we asked ourselves after 

moving to Modesto was, “What can you do with not much money, but cheap 

gas?” We were curious about what was available to do other than work. We 

both had grown up in a small valley town, so Modesto was a big city to us. 

Well, we filled up the tank, took the top down, and went exploring. 

We looked around Modesto first. We were fascinated by the styles and types 

of houses close to McHenry Avenue. We were equally surprised by the number 

of parks, especially Graceada Park and the summer concert band performances 

held there. Next, we started driving out into the country, finding many back 

roads with little traffic, abundant wild flowers, and swarms of tricolor 

blackbirds, egrets, and red-tailed hawks. There were poppies and goldfields, 

patches of shooting stars and brodiaea. With the assistance of readily available 

identification books, we learned what we had just seen. We watched the old 

and getting older barns as the area transformed from dairy to grapes, peaches, 

and almonds. Each weekend was a new adventure; whether driving around 

little towns to see buildings like the old church in Farmington, or driving up 

Highway 4 to Telegraph Road to examine what remained when the old 

highway was bypassed by the new as it snaked its way to Copperopolis. 

What to do? Not a problem. Hours of adventure await for the curious and 

bold. Just fill up the tank and hit the highway! What a great place to live 

Modesto is. 

- Jack Leach, Retired School Psychologist 

There is much to experience in and around Modesto. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DULCEY REITER. COURTESY OF TUOLUMNE RIVER TRUST. 

The Modesto Architecture Festival is held each 

September. Beginning in the 1930s, the city 

developed a national reputation for cutting edge 

design, when architects began experimenting 

with what we now call Central Valley Modernism. 

The architecture festival is your opportunity to 

explore and celebrate the city’s design heritage, 

contemporary world architecture, landscape, 

public art, and urban design. 

The Greek Orthodox Church presents the 

Greek Food Festival, also in September. 

Authentic Greek cuisine; outdoor coffeehouse 

with live Greek music and entertainment by 

award-winning Greek dancers; a marketplace; a 

bakery shop with homemade Greek pastries; and 

tours of the Byzantine-style Orthodox Church 

adorned with magnificent frescoes are all part of 

this traditional gathering. 

Another September staple is the Edible 

Extravaganza, which features samples of food 

and beverages from over sixty local vendors, all 

benefiting the work of local nonprofit Center 

for Human Services. 

International Heritage Festival is a festival 

celebrating the ethnic diversity of the community 

and offering an opportunity for groups to 

showcase their cultural heritage. The event, held 

in October, is free and family-friendly, located in 

an outdoor setting with lots of cultural activities 

for the kids. It celebrates sounds, dances, and 

tastes from around the world. 

The annual Downtown Modesto Harvest 

Festival originated to celebrate the farmlands’ harvest. 

Held in October, it features fresh baked pies 

and breads, live music, kid’s activities, food, and 

an array of arts and crafts. Shiny hot rods, muscle 

cars, and classics are a favorite part of the festival. 

Other festivals include the annual Tresetti’s Fat 

Tuesday Celebration, St. Patrick’s Day Lucky 

Fest, Earth Day in the Park, Taste of the Valley, 

Family Cycling Festival and Downtown 

Criterium, Highland Games, Modesto Fiji 

Festival, Autumn Art Festival, Women of the 

West Film Fest, Oktoberfest, PRIDE in the Park, 

Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) Celebration, 

Mod Shop, and Dickens Faire. 

The Great Valley Museum is located in the 

Science Community Center on the Modesto 

Junior College west campus. The museum 

brings together the wonders of science and 

nature, featuring native habitat displays of the 


California Central Valley; the Science on a 

Sphere (SOS) 3-D globe; an interactive periodic 

table; observatory and planetarium shows. The 

planetarium, which is the third largest in the 

country, consists of top-of-the-line projection 

instruments that display unparalleled images of 

the night sky and full-dome planetarium films 

projected onto a 40-foot, suspended dome 

ceiling. Tours of the facility are available. 

The Lilly of the Valley Alpaca Farm features 

rare, gentle, and charming suri and huacaya 

alpacas. Their country store is stocked with alpaca 

yarn, hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, and more. 

Each spring, the Modesto Garden Club hosts 

its Spring Garden Tour. The tour showcases the 

landscapes of local homes to raise money for its 

many educational and beautification projects. 

A YEAR- ROUND PLAYGROUND 

Boasting one of the best climates in the world, 

lovers of sports, nature, and the outdoors will find 

Modesto a paradise. It is a yearround playground 

with recreational options from the rivers and 

many parks to a network of bike trails and 

professional baseball. Set against the backdrop of 

the glorious Sierra Nevada and Coastal mountain 

ranges, Modesto offers virtually unlimited 

opportunities for sports and outdoor recreation. 

The Hetch Hetchy trail, the Peggy Mensinger 

trail, Dry Creek, and the Virginia Corridor 

trails provide a healthy and scenic way to 

enjoy Modesto. 

The Modesto Marathon was founded by the 

ShadowChase Running Club to promote 

physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. Runners 

come from all over to compete in the marathon, 

which is known for being flat and fast. The 

marathon includes an event expo and finish line 

festival. It is typically held in March. The course 

is certified as a qualifier for the Boston and New 

York Marathons. 

Since its inception in 2006, Amgen Tour of 

California has become America’s most 

prestigious annual cycling event, featuring an 

unsurpassed field of men and women’s 

professional teams. Many of the top cyclists in 

the world face off across nearly 800 miles of 

California terrain. The eight-day event features 

18 of the world’s most decorated and esteemed 

teams competing for one of the sport’s most 

coveted titles. Modesto has had the pleasure of 

being host to stage starts and stage finishes with 

the electrifying international field of riders 

racing through our streets. Over the past 

decade, Modesto has built the gold standard for 

the Lifestyle Festival and Breakaway from 

Cancer ® parade held in conjunction with the 

race. Annually, this world tour cycling event 

includes two hours of live television coverage of 

each stage on 24 media outlets worldwide, 

including NBC Sports, which combined 

broadcasts the Modesto leg of the race to over 

11.3 million households in more than 200 

countries and territories worldwide. 

The Modesto Marathon is a certified 

qualifier for the Boston and 

New York Marathons. 

COURTESY OF THE MODESTO MARATHON AND 

CAPTIVATING PHOTOS. 


The Tuolumne River, which runs through 

Modesto, is an excellent wildlife habitat and a 

great resource for recreational facilities, rafting, 

kayaking, and educational activities. 

The Modesto Nuts are the Class A California 

League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Baseball 

has a long and storied history in Modesto, 

having been played here since the late 1800s. 

The Nuts play 70 home games a year between 

April and September at the fan-friendly John 

Thurman Field. 

A LONG AND STORIED HISTORY 

Professional baseball in Modesto has a long and storied history. As one of 

only 120 communities in the United States with a full-season minor league 

baseball team, Modesto has seen more than its fair share of future superstars. 

Baseball fans have cheered on future Hall of Famers such as Joe Morgan, 

Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, and Rickey Henderson, as well as current 

superstars, such as Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado. Since joining the 

California League in 1946, more than five million fans have seen over 300 

players reach their goal of making the Major Leagues. From fireworks to 

food, baseball and promotions, minor league baseball has been a staple in 

our community, generating revenue, providing countless hours of affordable 

entertainment, and inspiring future Hall of Famers. 

- Mike Gorrasi, Modesto Nuts, Executive Vice President, 

HWS Baseball 

The Modesto Nuts. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK GIRON, NICK GIRON PHOTOGRAPHY. COURTESY OF MODESTO NUTS. 

Golfers can tee up on Modesto’s three wellmaintained, 

uniquely different public golf 

courses and a country club course, each with its 

own challenges and levels of play. 

Creekside Golf Course features three lakes, 

intricately contoured bunkers, large manicured 

tees, and narrow fairways. It is a fair test for 

every club in your bag. Noted for fast, expansive 

greens, this championship course has a 

particular appeal to the more experienced golfer. 

Dryden Park Golf Course winds along the 

Tuolumne River, encompassing mature pines 

and oaks, as well as wide, emerald fairways. 

Both beginners and experts, who prefer a more 

traditional round, will appreciate its mediumsized 

greens and small bunkers. 

“Muni,” Modesto Municipal Golf Course’s 

picturesque, tree-lined course has been a hub for 

local golfers for over 70 years. As most players will 

point out, it is a full-length course. Small, level 

greens make it ideal for juniors, seniors, families, 

and those with time for only a quick round. 

Del Rio Country Club is the premier country 

club in the Central Valley. Founded in 1946, it is 

a private club with eight tennis courts and three 

golf courses. The 27-hole, par 72 golf course plays 

through Del Rio’s 325-acre property with serene 

views at every turn. Whether you’re on the Oak, 

Bluff, or River courses, each round of golf 

promises to be challenging, as well as enjoyable. 

The Mary Grogan Park Soccer Complex, a 42- 

acre community park opened in 2013. There are 

seven outstanding soccer fields, three synthetic 

turf fields, and four natural turf fields, all featuring 

sports field lighting for night play. The complex 

includes a 500-stall parking lot, concession stand, 

and a lighted walking path around the park. 

The Stonehenge Indoor Climbing Wall, a 

locally owned facility, has something for the 

advanced climber looking to improve 

themselves, or the true beginner with a sense of 

adventure looking to try something new. 

With its abundant and attractive mixture of 

artistic and outdoor adventures, Modesto is 

sophisticated and stylish, yet it remains genuine 

and unpretentious. Underlying the latest in 

agriculture, entertainment, and a robust 

culinary scene is a deep sense of community. 

You are invited to experience the character of a 

city that blends a vivid present with a very 

special past and a promising future. 


GRAFFITI SUMMER CELEBRATION 

For years, Modesto has recognized and 

celebrated the era that George Lucas 

immortalized in his popular film, American 

Graffiti. Our hometown hero, George was born 

and raised in Modesto, graduating from Thomas 

Downey High School in 1962. Only a little more 

than a decade later, he co-wrote and directed 

one of the top 100 movies of all time, American 

Graffiti. Modesto pays tribute each June to Mr. 

Lucas’s film and the twin themes of car culture 

and rock ‘n’ roll. Modesto is recognized as the 

car cruising capital of the nation with a monthlong 

lineup of events for Graffiti Summer. 

Modesto’s signature event is the North 

Modesto Kiwanis Club’s American Graffiti 

Festival and Car Show. Held the second weekend 

in June, it kicks off with a nighttime classic 

car parade where over a thousand hot rods, 

vintage vehicles, and classic cars rumble Each Summer, Modesto celebrates native son George Lucas’s popular film American Graffiti. 

through the streets of downtown Modesto, on PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL J. MANGANO, MICHAEL J. PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN. 

the original cruise route of 10th, 11th, and 

12th Streets, and out McHenry Avenue. Fans of all ages line the streets to relive old memories, make new ones, and show their 

appreciation for these incredible cars. 

The two-day festival, which started in 1999, brings thousands of visitors to Modesto from around the United States and the 

world to experience our custom car culture. Spectators enjoy some of the nation’s premiere classics, customs, hot rods, vintage, 

restored classics, pro street cars, modern and vintage race cars, and muscle cars. With over 1,300 cars arrayed on the beautiful 

greens of a golf course under big shade trees, there is something for everyone. 

This festival features more than just rare and unique autos. Visitors can spend the day shopping among arts and crafts vendors, 

viewing new products, experiencing interactive displays, and enjoying activities for the whole family. There is a variety of food 

booths selling delicious foods and great live music throughout both days. Spectators can also visit with stars from American 

Graffiti, including Candy Clark, Bo Hopkins, and Paul Le Mat, along with the very talented custom car builders, Gene Winfield, 

also from Modesto, and Chip Foose, star of Overhaulin’. 

Del Rio Country Club is the premier 

country club in the Central Valley. 

COURTESY OF DEL RIO COUNTRY CLUB. 


HOMETOWN HEROES 

M ODESTO 

N OTABLES 

BY KEN WHITE 

A VIBRANT CULTURAL COMMUNITY 

Yvonne Porcella, Waiting for Pink 

Linoleum, art quilt. 

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” 

- Joseph Campbell, American Mythologist, Writer, and Lecturer 

For a relatively small town, Modesto has produced its fair share of hometown heroes. Not heroes 

in the sense of curing cancer, or negotiating peace. But, people who have been very successful in their 

high-profile careers and made an impact beyond our city limits. 

These are some of the notable people that have made a difference in our world—culturally, socially, 

economically, or politically. It’s quite a cast of characters that started their journey in Modesto. 

Winemakers Ernest and Julio Gallo, who founded their multi-national winery in a small 

warehouse on 11th and D Streets in 1933. 

Filmmaker George Lucas, whose break-out film American Graffiti was based on his teenage years 

cruising 10th and 11th Streets. George’s first wife Marcia, an academy-award-winning film editor, was 

also born in Modesto. 


Royal Robbins, a pioneer of American rock 

climbing, whose competitive spirit helped 

change the sport forever. 

Liz Robbins, the first woman to climb Half 

Dome in Yosemite, and co-founder with Royal 

of the heritage apparel brand Royal Robbins ® . 

Actor and two-time Academy Award 

nominee Jeremy Renner, who honed his craft at 

Modesto Junior College. 

Modesto has also nurtured a spectrum of 

musical theater performers, including Erik 

“Buck” Townsend, Jeremy Stolle, Morgan James, 

Lindsay Pearce, and Sharon McKnight. 

Former executive director of UNICEF, Ann 

M. Veneman, who also served as secretary of 

the California Department of Food and 

Agriculture and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture 

from 2001 to 2005, the first and only woman to 

hold that position. 

Ann’s father, John, was a five-time California 

assemblyman and undersecretary at the U.S. 

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare 

under Secretary Robert Finch. 

Dr. Herbert McLean Evans, Modesto High 

School Class of 1900, discovered vitamin E. 

California Assemblyman and Speaker of the 

Assembly Ralph M. Brown, author of the Brown 

Act. Enacted in 1953, it was California’s first 

sunshine law, which provided increased public 

access to government meetings. 

Attorney and former sports agent Jeff 

Moorad, a Downey High School and Modesto 

Junior College graduate, who was a one-time 

CEO and owner of Major League Baseball’s 

Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres. 

He founded the Jeffrey S. Moorad Center for the 

Study of Sports Law at Villanova University 

Ernest and Julio Gallo. 

COURTESY OF THE E. & J. GALLO WINERY. 

MODESTO WILL ALWAYS BE HOME 

As a child growing up on a peach farm on the outskirts of Modesto, I never 

would have imagined where my life’s journey would take me. My early years in 

Modesto, with its strong community, quality education, and great people gave me 

the foundation to take advantage of opportunities in public service in Sacramento, 

Washington, and with the United Nations. Despite my many moves around the 

country and my travels around the world, Modesto will always be home. 

- Ann M. Veneman, 

Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture (1995-1999); 

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (2001-2005); 

Executive Director of UNICEF (2005-2010) 

Ann Veneman, former executive secretary of UNICEF, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and California Secretary 

of Food and Agriculture. 

COURTESY OF ANN VENEMAN. 

Hometown Heroes ✦ 73

MEMORIES OF GROWING UP IN MODESTO 

Above: George Lucas, filmmaker. 


Below: George grew up surrounded by 

a loving family and community of 

friends. 


Bottom: George (left) and his friend, 

Fred, build a fort in a simpler time. 


Filmmaker George Lucas’ devotion to timeless storytelling and cutting edge innovation has 

resulted in some of the most successful and beloved films of all time, including American Graffiti, the 

Star Wars saga, and the Indiana Jones franchise. He founded Lucasfilm Ltd. in 1971. He also pioneered 

new digital standards for sophistication in film visuals at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) in 1975, 

and sound at Skywalker Sound at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County in 1987. In addition to being a 

writer, director, and producer, he became a powerful force for charitable giving, especially in the area 

of education. He founded the George Lucas Educational Foundation in 1996 to celebrate and 

encourage innovation in schools. 

Over the years, George has been honored with many outstanding awards. Most notably: the Irving 

G. Thalberg Award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science’s highest honor (1992); Honorary 

Degree, Doctor of Fine Arts, from the University of Southern California (1994); American Film 

Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award (2005); Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade 

(2007); California Hall of Fame Induction (2009); and Kennedy Center Honors recipient (2015). 

George W. Lucas, Jr., was born in Modesto on May 14, 1944, to George W. Lucas, Sr. and Dorothy 

Bomberger Lucas. He grew up surrounded by a loving family, including two older sisters, Ann and 

Kate, and a younger sister, Wendy, as well as a community of close-knit neighborhood friends. He 

spent the first 15 years of his schooling attending John Muir Elementary School, Roosevelt Junior 

High School, Thomas Downey High School, and Modesto Junior College. He then transferred to the 

University of Southern California to study cinema and filmmaking. 

George recalls the early experiences and events in his home town that helped shape his life 

and helped set him on his journey to become a world-renowned filmmaker, entrepreneur, educator, 

and philanthropist. 

I have wonderful memories of growing up in Modesto. It had small town values, and it was fun 

because we had a great neighborhood, and a few lifelong friendships were forged during this time. 

There weren’t as many people living here, and there were no malls. Everything was centered in town 

—grocery stores, clothing stores, and things like that. When McHenry Village was built out in the 

country, everyone thought it would fail. 

I grew up at a time when life was very different than it is today. My family didn’t have a television 

until I was ten years old. Because there were no computers, cell phones, or internet, I listened to the 

radio, drew pictures, played games, rode my bike everywhere, read comic books, read books from the 

children’s library, which was located in the basement of the McHenry Public Library, and went to the 

movies at the Strand, which is where the Brenden Theatres are now; the Covell, where the Disney 

movies were shown; and the State Theatre. I placed a large piece of plywood on top of a storage 

cabinet in my bedroom where I would create cities and landscapes for my train set. I was also a 

Modesto Bee paperboy and a Cub Scout. 

We played outside a lot in our neighborhood, 

and we had to use our imagination to create our 

activities. We built forts and soapbox derby cars, 

designed spooky houses rigged with special 

effects in a neighbor’s garage, produced backyard 

carnivals, crafted a ramp for a roller coaster, 

which was nothing more than a large tub on 

wheels, in a friend’s backyard, and published a 

neighborhood newspaper. One of my close 

neighborhood friends moved to Southern 

California. I was able to visit him when I was 11, 

and we went to Disneyland the second day it 

opened in 1955. It was such an exciting place. 

After I came home, I would write articles for our 


neighborhood newspaper to describe the rides 

at Disneyland. 

My parents bought a 14-acre walnut ranch off 

Sylvan Avenue in 1959. I was pretty isolated, so 

rock ‘n’ roll records, Mad Magazine, and 

experimenting with trick photography kept me 

busy. After I got my driver’s license, my life 

became exciting. I started working on my first car, 

a small Fiat Bianchina, at the Foreign Car Service 

on Scenic Drive, across from the Scenic Drive-In. 

I got involved with autocross racing by becoming 

a member of the Ecurie AWOL Car Club. And, I 

began cruising the 10th and 11th Street loop. I 

later used those memories to write the screenplay 

for American Graffiti. It all happened to me, and 

so I glamorized it in the film. I spent four years 

cruising the main streets of Modesto. I drove the 

cars, chased the girls, listened to rock ‘n’ roll on 

the radio, and stopped at Burge’s Drive-In at the 

comer of 9th and 0 Streets. 

I was bored in high school, and wanted to be 

a race car driver, or an auto mechanic. My 

grades were not good at all. During finals week 

of my senior year in 1962, I went to the library 

to finish a term paper that was due. If I didn’t 

finish it, I wouldn’t graduate. As I was returning 

home, I turned left onto the lane that went to 

my house and was hit broadside by the driver of 

a large Chevy Impala, who decided to pass me 

going 75 mph. My small car flipped three times. 

On the first flip, my metal seat belt, which was 

bolted to the floor, held me in so I wasn’t run 

over. It broke on the second flip and I was 

thrown out on the street. On the third flip, the 

car crashed into a walnut tree, and actually 

moved the tree. I was critically injured with a 

punctured lung, chest and rib injuries, and 

internal bleeding. The school administrators 

were not sure if I would live, so they gave me my 

diploma in the hospital. After two weeks in the 

hospital, several weeks of physical therapy, and 

a lot of time to think, I decided that instead of 

becoming a race car driver, I would attend MJC, 

and do something meaningful and significant 

with my life. 

Top, left: George’s first car revved up 

his teen years. 


Top, right: George nearly died in this 

horrific crash on June 12, 1962. 

COURTESY OF THE MODESTO BEE. 

Bottom, left: Cruising 10th Street was 

captured in American Graffiti. 

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES. 

Bottom, right: George returned home 

to be the grand marshal of the North 

Modesto Kiwanis Club’s American 

Graffiti Classic Car Parade and to 

celebrate the 40th anniversary of 

the release of American Graffiti on 

June 7, 2013. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY SUSAN DAVID. COURTESY OF 

STANISLAUS MAGAZINE. 


Above: Jeff Moorad, sports executive. 

COURTESY OF JEFF MOORAD. 

Below: Michael Allsup, musician. 



School of Law and is currently chairman of 

PrimeSport, a global sports travel and eventsmanagement 

company. 

Mike Piccinini and Nick Tocco, who founded 

Save Mart Supermarkets, and Mike’s son, Bob, 

the former chairman and CEO. 

Dr. Joan Mitchell, also a Downey Knight, was 

one of the key contributors to the JPEG (Joint 

Photographic Experts Group) algorithm for 

photographic image compression, as well as 

some of the MPEG (Motion Picture Expert 

Group) standards for video. 

Esto B. Broughton was the first woman 

elected to the California legislature in 1918, as 

well as being the first female attorney in 

Stanislaus County. 

Howard Flory revolutionized the food 

industry by mechanizing the harvesting of 

beans, barley, and grains. Flory Industries is a 

world leader in mechanized harvesting, with 

shakers and sweepers harvesting everything 

from almonds to walnuts. 

Country singer-songwriter and radio 

personality Chester Smith founded a broadcasting 

empire that revolutionized Spanish-language 

programming in the U.S. 

Yvonne Porcella, a world-renowned artist 

specializing in wearables and art quilts, whose 

work is on permanent display at the Smithsonian. 

Entrepreneur Dan Costa, a Davis High 

graduate, started multiple businesses, including 

the Velvet Creamery restaurants, Mallard’s 

Restaurant, Davis Lay Food Service, and 

5.11 Tactical. 

Modesto High graduate Bruce Bomberger 

was an illustrator for Time, Life, Look, and 

Saturday Evening Post. 

James Algar was a film director, screenwriter, 

and producer who directed sequences in the 

Walt Disney films Fantasia and Bambi. 

Modesto boasts a stellar collection of 

Olympic athletes, including Cyrus “Cy” Young 

(javelin), Suzy Powell-Roos (discus, javelin), 

Erin Cafaro (rowing), Ali Cox (rowing), and 

Tisha Venturini-Hoch (soccer), as well as 

Modesto-born Mark Spitz, who won seven 

gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics 

in Munich. 

Richard “Dick” Lyng was director of the 

California State Department of Food and 

Agriculture and secretary of the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, holding both positions under 

Governor and President Ronald Reagan. 

We were also home to actor and singer 

Harvey “Harve” Presnell, who debuted his 

baritone voice at Modesto High School. 

Guitarist Michael Allsup, who played lead for 

the popular rock group, Three Dog Night. 

Andrew J. Toti, a world-renowned inventor, 

who held more than 500 patents, including the 

inflatable lifejacket (nicknamed the Mae West), 

an automated chicken plucker, and the 

EndoFlex endotracheal tube. 

Motorcycle racer and racing team owner 

Kenny Roberts, the first American to win a Grand 

Prix motorcycle racing world championship. 

Downey High’s Joe Rudi, a baseball All-Star, 

who won three consecutive World Series rings 

playing left field for the Oakland A’s. 

Max and Verda Foster, founders of Foster 

Farms, whose eighty-acre farm grew into the 

West’s most trusted poultry company. 

Major league baseball’s Ray Lankford, a Davis 

High grad who went on to play center field for 

the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres. 

Actor Timothy Olyphant, a Fred C. Beyer 

High School grad and swimming standout, who 

starred as Seth Bullock in the HBO series 

Deadwood and Raylen Givens in the television 

show Justified. 


MY UPBRINGING MADE 

ME WHO I AM 

My childhood in Modesto could be 

likened to planting a seed in the fertile soil of 

our region: It provided me with the 

opportunity to grow and find my potential. 

I am so very appreciative of my entire 

family and community for nurturing me 

with stability and acceptance through all my 

endeavors as a boy and young adult. The 

freedoms they gave me opened the 

floodgates for an exploration of my 

limitations, providing me the courage to 

reach beyond them. This upbringing surely 

made me the man I am, the father I have 

become, and the artist I will always be. 

- Jeremy Renner, 

Actor/Producer 

Jeremy Renner, actor/producer. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF VESPA. COURTESY OF PATRICOLA PUBLIC 

RELATIONS, INC. 

Emmy Award-winning casting director 

Robert Ulrich, a Davis High grad, known for his 

casting work on the CSI series, Glee, and other 

prime-time hit TV shows. 

Florence Owens Thompson, the subject of 

Dorothea Lange’s iconic photo, Migrant Mother, 

lived in Modesto and is buried at nearby 

Lakewood Cemetery. 

Legendary car customizer Gene Winfield, a 

Modesto High School grad, who created worldfamous 

modified cars for racers, collectors, 

movies, and television. 

NBA star Chuck Hayes, who attended 

Modesto Christian High School and later played 

for the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, and 

Toronto Raptors. 

Biologist Chris "Floyd" Zaiger, best known 

for his work in fruit breeding and hybrid 

development of varieties such as the pluot, has 

been called "the most prolific stone fruit breeder 

in the modern era." 

While living in Modesto, Polish-born 

photographer Roman Loranc captured the 

beauty of the Central Valley in his stunning 

black-and-white images. 

Other notables include philanthropists 

June and John Rogers; character actor Jack Elam; 

one-time resident and actress Carol Channing; 

chef Michael Chiarello; actor James Marsters; 

Robert Ulrich, casting director 

and producer. 

COURTESY OF ROBERT ULRICH. 


Dry Creek Park, Modesto, 1998. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROMAN LORANC. 

singer-songwriter Brett Dennen; prestigious floral 

designer Reg Merritt; Tower of Power trumpeter 

and trombonist Mic Gillette; singer-songwriter and 

founding member of the indie-rock band 

Grandaddy Jason Lytle; prolific television director 

Richard Bare; professional football player and 

coach Paul Wiggin; as well as musician and bandmaster 

Frank “Proof” Mancini. 

INSPIRED BY THE SUPPORT OF THE HOMETOWN CROWD 

The Modesto Relays, formerly the S&W Relays and later the Coca-Cola Modesto Relays, were 

Modesto’s first, world-class athletic competition (1942), founded by the legendary Tom Moore. 

My dad would take me to the Relays as a young girl, and I would watch the Olympic athletes 

run, jump, and throw. I was amazed and inspired. Several years later, it would be my turn to 

compete at the Modesto Relays as an Olympian. Some of my best performances happened at the 

Relays, and I’m convinced it had something to do with the fervent support of the local crowd, 

and the sense of pride I felt competing in my hometown. 

- Suzy Powell-Roos, Three-Time Olympic Athlete 


DISCOVERING THE ORDINARY IN THE EVERYDAY 

I was born in Bielsko-Biala, Poland. I defected to the United States in 1981. In 1984, I moved to 

Modesto, California. Not long after that, I developed a love for the Central Valley, finding elegance in 

its fragile wetlands and ancient oaks, rural back roads and farms. And an appreciation of my hometown, 

discovering the extraordinary in everyday things like bountiful orchards, drifting fog, ebbing Dry 

Creek, chattering migratory birds, the bustling farmers market, and the beautiful McHenry Museum. 

I often think about how interconnected the world is. When I’m out on a crisp winter’s morning, 

shooting a stand of native oaks, I see oak galls hanging from the trees. These were once used to make 

the pyrogallol chemicals I use to develop my negatives. In reality, the oak trees I am photographing 

played a part in the developer I use to process my negatives of those same trees. It is healthy to 

remember that we are often linked to the natural world in ways we don’t even suspect. 

I’m fascinated by the ancient churches of my homeland. These are holy spaces where millions of 

people have prayed for hundreds of years. They are places of great humility, and remind us how brief 

our lives are. I feel the same way when I’m photographing ancient groves of native oaks in California. 

I was unconscious of this when I began, but upon reflection, I think the oaks are just as sacred as the 

old cathedrals of Europe. They are sacred in that they have survived for so many years. I’m aware that 

the native people of California held all living things as divine. For me, a grove of valley oaks is as 

sacred as any church in Europe. 

Roman Loranc, photographer. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY LINDA CRUZ. 

- Roman Loranc, Photographer 


AGRICULTURE 

T HE L IFE-BLOOD OF O UR E CONOMY 

BY WAYNE ZIPSER 

AGRICULTURAL 

BOUNTY 

Chella, Twin Creeks Vineyard, oil/ 

en plein air. 

Stanislaus County has a rich history of agricultural diversity. Over time, we have seen our crops 

change with fluctuating market demands around the world. Forty years ago, it was common to see 

peach orchards on the east side of the San Joaquin River and apricots on the west side. Today, it is a 

much different picture. Almonds and walnuts make up the majority of permanent crops throughout 

the county. Even with this shift, our county still offers the bountiful diversity of over two hundred 

different crops. 

The city of Modesto is the largest of the nine cities in Stanislaus County. Modesto is home to over 

200,000 of the 531,000 residents of Stanislaus County, as well as the largest privately owned winery 

in the world—E. & J. Gallo Winery, which employs over 6,000 people. Modesto is also home to other 

large food processors, such as Blue Diamond Growers, Del Monte Foods, Nestlé USA, Seneca Foods, 

and Stanislaus Food Products. These businesses, and many more small processors, export to over 109 

countries around the world. Modesto is truly at the heart of feeding the world. 

The Stanislaus County Agricultural Commissioner’s office started collecting crop data in 1965. The 

Annual Crop Report indicates the “farm gate” revenue, which is the gross value of the crops when 

they are shipped off the farm. It is important to note that this is not the net revenue a farmer 

collects. Agriculture, like any other business, has bills to pay that are part of the cost of production. 


Sometimes the ledger is positive and sometimes 

it is negative. When we incorporate the 

agricultural businesses mentioned above and 

the many ancillary supply functions to these 

products, the value increases by nearly 3½ 

fold. Simply put, $1.00 of “farm gate” revenue 

equals $3.50 of economic activity for 


In 1965, the harvested crop values were 

roughly $200 million. It took twenty-five years 

for that value to reach $1 billion. It took sixteen 

more years to get to $2 billion, five more to get 

to $3 billion, and only three more years to get to 

$4 billion. The 2014 crop report stated that 

agricultural commodities produced more than 

$4.397 billion of on-farm income. Stanislaus 

County ranks higher than twenty (20) individual 

states in agricultural income and higher than the 

combined income of the smallest eight (8) states. 

Locally, agriculture contributes over $15 billion 

in economic activity. 

NEW TECHNOLOGY HAS 

CHANGED THE 

AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE 

One of the main reasons for such a quick 

upsurge in the growth of the industry has been 

the utilization of new technology. Advances in 

irrigation, production automation, animal 

health, solar energy, global positioning systems, 

crop protection material spray efficiency, aerial 

photography, and environmental sensors have 

dramatically impacted Stanislaus County 

agriculture. Farmers and ranchers have 

combined these new practices with proven 

practices to improve yields, efficiency, and the 

quality of the products grown. 

The incorporation of this new technology has 

also changed our landscape. This is most 

evident in the eastern foothills of Stanislaus 

County. Farmers have expanded into less 

desirable and previously limited production 

soils. The use of terracing and irrigation 

technology in terrain traditionally too hilly to 

farm most crops has allowed this land to be 

farmed and irrigated efficiently, while limiting 

runoff and soil erosion. These technologies 

include high efficiency drip and microirrigation, 

originally created to transform the 

deserts of Israel into a thriving agricultural area. 

There is a tradeoff with the cultivation and 

transformation of native and dryland pastures. 

Our beef producers are finding it harder to 

locate grazing lands for their cattle. These farms 

are also extremely dependent on groundwater 

resources for their water supply. As we have 

seen before, changing markets will dictate what 

crops will be grown and it will continue to 

change over time. 

Land use in Stanislaus County, and especially 

in the largest city of Modesto, will always be a 

“hot topic.” Preserving our most prime, highquality 

soils will be an ongoing challenge. Cities 

will inevitably grow, so current and future 

leaders need to continue to address land use 

policies, such as vertical growth or incentivizing 

infill that will protect our rich agricultural 

heritage. Both agriculture and cities covet flat, 

Above: Modesto feeds the world. 

COURTESY OF THE STANISLAUS COUNTY 

FARM BUREAU. 

Below: Agriculture contributes over 

$15 billion in economic activity. 


FARM BUREAU. 

Agriculture ✦ 81

OPERATION 9-2-99: 

STEPPING UP AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY 

In almost every part of Modesto, you can find something that has been 

dumped, dropped, vandalized, littered, or spilled. Unfortunately, it goes 

hand-in-hand with living in an urban environment. You start to ask yourself, 

“Why doesn’t somebody pick that up?” and “Whose responsibility is it?” 

Sometimes you decide to pick it up yourself and you feel great. Sometimes 

you wait to see how long the same item can sit in the same spot day after 

day and nobody touches it, leaving you with the feeling that nobody cares. 

I found an area in our community along the Tuolumne River that was suffering 

from a tremendous amount of blight and asked the same two questions. 

After some investigation, I found out that because everyone was 

responsible, nobody was responsible, and our river had become a tragedy of 

the commons. It seemed that nobody cared. 

Over the past two years though, I have been proven wrong about that. 

Twenty-three monthly cleanups and 1300 volunteers later, we have a much 

cleaner river and have reduced a great deal of the blight through Operation 

9-2-99. We started working on one mile of river and ended up cleaning up 

seven. And, along the way, I found that our community contains passionate 

people who are willing to step up and address the issues we face. It gives me 

hope that, in the future, Modesto will be a place where we don’t walk away 

from our problems, we find a way to solve them. As Dry Creek Trails 

Coalition coordinator Darin Jesberg says, “Don’t pass it up, pick it up and 

make Modesto a better place to live, work, and recreate.” 

- Chris Guptill, Modesto Native, High School Teacher, 

Operation 9-2-99 Coordinator 

Volunteers take responsibility for cleaning up our rivers and trails. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DARIN JESBERG. COURTESY OF THE DRY CREEK TRAILS COALITION. 

well-drained soils for very different reasons. 

Education, versatility, and flexibility will be key 

factors in assuring that sustainably allows these 

goals to co-exist. 

UNIQUE AGRITOURISM 

DESTINATIONS 

Modesto is blessed with an institution of 

higher education that is second to none— 

Modesto Junior College. Their Agricultural & 

Environmental Sciences Department is the 

“golden gem” of the Central Valley. MJC’s new 

hands-on production units and state-of-the-art 

Agriculture Pavilion, as well as their great 

instructors and staff, make this department the 

envy of many community colleges. MJC Ag has 

a long history of being the number one 

community college Ag Department in the 

nation. MJC students compete for various 

judging teams against some of the top 

universities in the nation and always place in 

the top 10 and, in fact, often surpass many fouryear 

universities. The investment the 

community has made in these facilities has paid 

huge dividends. 

Modesto is also home to some unique 

agritourism destinations. With the dairy 

industry riding the ups and downs of the 

economy in recent years, local dairymen have 

come up with creative ways to market 

themselves. Fresh milk comes in a variety of 

flavors and colors at Nutcher Milk Company, 

while Fiscalini Farms is producing worldrenowned 

cheeses, including a spicy 

horseradish cheese spread and a cabernet 

soaked cheddar. Both companies welcome 

guests to visit their farms to see firsthand where 

they create their products. 

Those looking for fresh fruits and vegetables 

must look no further than the many produce 

stands in Modesto. Loretelli Farms and Rodin 

Farms each offer an array of fresh produce 

during the summer growing season, pumpkins 

in the fall, and Christmas trees in December. 

A fun, farm-themed day with the family 

might also include picking your own 

blueberries by the bucket full at VanderHelm 

Farms or Ott Farms, or sampling awardwinning 

olive oils at Sciabica & Son’s California 

Olive Oil tasting room. 


AGRICULTURE IS THE 

LIFEBLOOD OF OUR 

ECONOMY 

Each day we are all aware that agriculture is 

the life-blood of our economy here in Modesto 

and Stanislaus County. We have seen from our 

crop reports of the last fifty years that it has 

grown and will continue to thrive. 

Farmers and farm families are resilient, 

independent, hardworking, and patriotic people. 

They know the risks of farming. Farmers are the 

most proud when taking care of their land. They 

are the true original “environmentalists.” They 

care for the land so it can be sustainable forever 

and they invest heavily in conservation practices 

to prevent adverse effects on the environment 

that each of us as residents share. 

Modesto should be proud of its agriculture 

and the opportunities farming provides its 

citizens. The true value can never be measured 

by dollars alone. The true value is measured by 

the quality of life that farms provide our citizens. 

AGRICULTURAL 

THINGS TO DO 

This is a sampling of some of the ag-related 

attractions available in Modesto. 

Ag in Motion: A mobile science agricultural 

laboratory that allows middle school students to 

participate in hands-on, standards based science 

labs without leaving their school site. The lab is 

managed by the National Ag Science Center. 

http://agsciencecenter.org/explore-ag-in-motion/. 

Blue Diamond Growers Store: A wide 

selection of the highest quality Blue Diamond nut 

products for snacking, cooking, and gift giving. 

Open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 

Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 4800 Sisk Road, 

Modesto; 209-545-1602; www.bluediamond.com. 

Dutch Hollow Farms: Whether you visit us 

in the fall for pumpkins or in the spring for 

tulips, we strive to provide learning opportunities 

so you can further enjoy our products in your 

home. 5101 Oakdale Road, Modesto; 209-541- 

7448; www.dutchhollowfarms.com. 

Fiscalini Farms: Handcrafted cheese is 

produced on a family farm using both traditional 

and state-of-the-art techniques. Each of their 

cheeses receives exceptional care from a master 

cheesemaker. 7231 Covert Road, Modesto; (209) 

545-5495; www.fiscalinicheese.com. 

Loretelli Farms: Stop by the farm to sample 

or buy a variety of produce, from fruit to nuts. 

1151 Claratina Avenue, Modesto; 209-968-7902. 

Modesto Certified Farmers Market: Open 

every Saturday from May through November 

and every Thursday from May through October. 

Above: New techniques improve 

yields, efficiency, and quality. 


FARM BUREAU. 

Below: Modesto Junior College is 

second to none. 


FARM BUREAU. 

Agriculture ✦ 83

CLOSE TO CALIFORNIA’ S 

NATURAL WONDERS 

Another perk we’re really enjoying is 

Modesto’s central location to so many of 

California’s natural wonders. We visited 

Yosemite once a month for the first four 

months we were here. The California 

foothills are gorgeous year-around and so 

accessible. I love how everything is a short 

drive away and never overrun with crowds. 

Above: Ag in Motion is a mobile 

science agricultural laboratory. 


FARM BUREAU. 

Below: Fresh produce is available in 

and around Modesto. 


FARM BUREAU. 

16th Street between H and I Streets, Modesto. 

209-632-9322; http://modestocfm.com. 

Nick Sciabica & Sons Olive Oil & Gift 

Shop: The gift shop is open Monday through 

Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., closed weekends 

and holidays. 2150 Yosemite Blvd., Modesto. 

209-577-5067; www.sciabica.com. 

Nutcher Milk Company: A family-owned 

and -operated dairy that offers whole milk, light 

milk, reduced fat, and an assortment of fun 

seasonal flavors. A storefront is on site to 

welcome guests to the farm to purchase milk 

straight from the source. 5213 W. Grayson Road, 

Modesto; 209-537-1118; www.nutchermilk.com. 

Ott Farms: A small family farm growing the 

freshest fruit, while preserving and protecting the 

natural resources that sustain it. Open May and 

- Courtney Ringsted, 

Courtney Ringsted Photography 

June. “U-Pick” blueberry and cherry Saturday 

and Sunday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; 3082 Shiloh Road, 

Modesto; www.otttohavethebest.com. 

Rodin Farms: A family-owned farming 

operation that provides a large selection of fresh 

fruits and vegetables. Corner of Claribel and 

Oakdale Roads, Modesto; 209-551-6701; 

www.rodinfarms.com 

VanderHelm Farms: A family-owned, youpick 

blueberry farm growing several varieties of 

blueberries. The farm is open May and June, 

Wednesday through Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; 

1678 Albers Road, Modesto; 209-614-8307; 

www.vanderhelmfarms.com16. 


PROTECTING OUR HOME RIVER 

TAKES EXPERIENCING IT 

People root for their home team, but many folks don’t know that the Tuolumne is their 

home river, as so many people rely on it for their water supply. I think the Tuolumne River Trust’s 

work in educating folks and getting them involved is magnificent. It can’t just be something they 

read about in the paper. Once they get out and experience the river, they will do better at 

protecting it. 

- Leah Rogers, Volunteer, Tuolumne River Trust 

The Tuolumne River Trust works to educate people about the river. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY MEG GONZALEZ. COURTESY OF TUOLUMNE RIVER TRUST. 

IDEAS MAKE A DIFFERENCE 

History reminds us that ideas, even those that were once unpopular, expensive, and time consuming, 

can make a difference. In 1887 the idea of bringing water from the mountains to irrigate 

our otherwise dry valley led to the formation of the Turlock and Modesto irrigation districts. Water 

was in the Turlock canals as early as 1900, followed by Modesto in 1903. Today, that water continues 

to flow, nourishing crops and people. Your idea, however small or large, might help make this 

place we call home a better place in a year, ten years, or 100 years. Find people who share your 

interest, develop a plan, and see what you can accomplish together. You can make a difference. 

- Maree Mundelius Hawkins, 

Retired Public Affairs Specialist, Modesto Irrigation District; 

Community Volunteer 

Agriculture ✦ 85

DIVERSITY 

C OMMON T HREADS: DIVERSITY IN M ODESTO 

BY JEREMIAH WILLIAMS AND KEN WHITE 

Randy Crimmel, Altered Vase Form, 

ceramic clay and glaze. 

“He who is different from me does not impoverish me—he enriches me. Our unity is constituted 

in something higher than ourselves—in Man…. For no man seeks to hear his own echo, or to find 

his reflection in the glass.” 

- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French Writer, Poet, and Journalist 

There are many common threads that unite this uncommon town. They are the values that tie and 

bind this community. One that is especially important and unifying is our diversity. 

SUCCESSIVE WAVES OF MIGRATION 

We are a city, a valley, and a state of immigrants. We have a history of migration. We have often 

provided a home for refugees. People have come here from all over the country and the world and 

for all kinds of reasons. Many to chase gold or work on the railroad or labor in the fields. Many to 

escape the crushing poverty of the Dust Bowl. Many for a new start. Many after Vietnam. Many from 

the years of war in the Middle East. Many for new opportunities. Many to simply re-invent 


themselves. After all, this is California, the 

Golden State, offering the dream of a new life, 

unlimited opportunity, and greater freedom. 

The story of diversity in California, 

Stanislaus County, and Modesto must begin 

with the native peoples who lived here in the 

beginning. Yokuts first appeared in the San 

Joaquin Valley 8,000 years ago. Over the last 

200 years, contacts with the white man, as a 

result of exploration, expansion, and 

exploitation, vastly reduced their population 

and completely displaced them. 

The story of migration in California, 

Stanislaus County, and Modesto is one of 

arriving, fitting in, and making life better— 

arrival, acculturation, and advancement. For 

many of the early immigrants, the California 

dream promised work in the fields and a lower 

cost of living. 

Since its discovery, successive waves of 

immigrants have traveled to California on a 

regular basis by land and sea from all four corners 

of the earth. They came from almost every region 

in America and nearly every continent in the 

world, including Asia, Africa, Europe, South and 

Central America. They came to mine for gold, 

work the fields, build the cities, and seek 

something more promising. Of the 300,000 who 

had arrived by 1855, most were Americans; 

Yankees from the east and Southerners from 

Dixie. There were also many thousands of 

Mexicans, Chinese, Portuguese, Britons, 

Australians, French, Italians, and Latin 

Americans, as well as smaller populations of 

African-Americans, Filipinos, Basques, and Turks. 

One of the early waves of immigrants came 

from 9,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean, as 

young Chinese men, mostly from the coastal 

counties near Hong Kong, answered the siren 

call of gold. They mined, built the railroad, 

washed clothes, cooked food, and did jobs 

others refused. Modesto, like many cities in 

California, had a “Chinatown.” Modesto’s 

“China Alley” was located south of the railroad 

tracks between Seventh and Eighth Streets and 

F and G streets. 

DIVERSITY IS A CHOICE 

A Dia de Los Muertos celebration. 

The unifying thread of diversity runs 

throughout Modesto. 



My daughter, Savannah Williams, is the first of her twenty-two cousins on 

the Williams side of the family to graduate from a university, having received 

her B.A. in business administration from Central Washington University. She 

said, and deeply believes, “Diversity is a choice and is not a requirement.” 

- Jeremiah Williams, Owner, 

Oak Crafts by Jeremiah 

Diversity ✦ 87

Left: Since its discovery, a wide 

variety of immigrants have been 

stirred into the California melting pot. 


OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Right: People have come to the 

Central Valley from all over the world 

seeking a better life. 


OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

THE MEXICAN IMMIGRANT 

SEEKS A BETTER LIFE 

The next immigrant group to be stirred into 

the melting pot was the Mexican national. 

Native Mexicans had helped settle California as 

part of the ranchos and missions that followed 

the occupation of Alta California by Spanish 

adventurers and priests. With the signing of the 

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, 

thousands of Mexican nationals living in the 

Southwest and California became part of the 

United States. Following statehood in 1850, as 

settlers flooded California to homestead and 

farm, there were new opportunities for the 

Mexican farm peasant. With the coming of the 

railroad in the 1870s, irrigation, and the decline 

of available cheap labor from Asia due to 

immigration laws in the 1880s, California 

employers looked to Mexico to find workers to 

fill the need in agriculture, mining, 

construction, and transportation. Many stayed 

and became citizens, which was an option 

the Chinese did not have until much later. 

Poverty and political upheaval at the 

beginning of the twentieth century, including 

the Mexican Revolution of 1910 to 1917, forced 

thousands to seek a new life north of the border. 

That movement continues, but at a much 

reduced rate because of recent federal efforts to 

restrict the flow of undocumented people into 

the U.S. The most recent census indicates that 

the Latino population constitutes the majority 

in Stanislaus County. 

A large influx of Europeans, mostly Irish, 

took place in the mid-1840s. The greatest 

number of Italians immigrated between 1880 

and 1924. The Greeks came in the early 1900s. 

The Portuguese also arrived in the early 1900s. 

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to set 

foot on California soil when João Rodrigues 

Cabrilho, a Portuguese exploring for Spain, 

sighted San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. 

The Portuguese later came to California as whalers 

and fishermen, as well as miners and farmers. 

When the search for gold didn’t pan out, instead of 

returning to whaling, the Portuguese pursued 

farming and dairying. The first Portuguese came to 

the San Joaquin Valley at the turn of the nineteenth 

century in search of inexpensive land. By 1923, 85 

percent of the dairymen in Stanislaus and Merced 

counties were Portuguese. 

A MULTICULTURAL MOSAIC 

The next piece in this multicultural mosaic was 

provided by Japanese young men, who left their 

homeland to escape poverty and the military, to get 

an education, or pan for gold. They first arrived in 

California in 1869 and Modesto in 1906. Many of 

these families also made their living as farmers, 

purchasing land throughout California. 

In addition to the Chinese and Japanese, 

other East Asian immigrants came to California 

to farm. Following the U.S. annexation of the 

Philippines in 1899, many Filipinos migrated to 

California, joined by more after World War II. 

Hindustanis and Punjabis arrived in the state in 


NOTABLE FIRSTS AND PROMINENT CITIZENS 

There has been no shortage of firsts achieved by, and prominent citizens from, our diverse community. 

• Kristi Ah You, the first woman and first civilian to hold the position of chief deputy coroner, 

Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. 

• Charles Edgar Aguilar, the first Latino judge in Stanislaus County. 

• Stella Beratlis, the first Greek Poet Laureate of Modesto. 

• Mani Grewal, a native-born Modestan, who is the first Sikh city council member. 

• Balvino Irizarry, the first Puerto Rican city council member. 

• Odessa Johnson, the first African-American teacher in Modesto. 

• David Lopez, the first Mexican-American city council member. 

• Maggie Mejía, the first Latina to be honored with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award at the 

annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemoration. 

• Peggy Mensinger, Modesto’s first female council member and mayor. 

• Phil Newton, the first African-American city council member. 

• Sam Pierstorff, the first Muslim Poet Laureate of Modesto. 

• Leopard Ray Prescott, a prominent African-American landowner and community advocate. 

• Dawna Frenchie Reeves, the first African-American judge. 

• Rubén Villalobos, the first Panamanian Stanislaus County Superior Court judge. 

• Dr. James H. Williams, the first African-American president of Modesto Junior College. 

• Jeremiah Williams, the first African-American to serve on the Stanislaus County Fair Board; the first 

African-American lieutenant governor of Kiwanis, Division 46. 

Sam Pierstorff. Our diversity is a 

powerful social, political, and 

economic force. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANK GRAHAM, SACRAMENTO 

POETRY CENTER. 

The accomplishments of each of these individuals is a reflection of our growing and vibrantly 

diverse community. 

the late 1800s and early 1900s to work on the 

railroads, while others were recruited to break 

the hold of the Japanese farm workers. In recent 

decades East Indians from the Fiji Islands have 

made their home in the Modesto area. 

When the hard times of the Depression and 

Dust Bowl struck, white residents of the hardest 

hit states “Grapes-of-Wrathed” it west, soon 

taking jobs from Asian and Mexican farm 

workers. Many Dust Bowl refugees and skilled 

agricultural workers were drawn to Stanislaus 

County because of its canneries. 

AFRICAN- AMERICANS IN 

PURSUIT OF THE 

“ AMERICAN DREAM” 

Sarah and William Boyd Bishop, former slaves 

in Missouri, settled in Modesto in early 1892. 

They are reported to be the first African- 

American family in Modesto. Private Bishop, Co. 

G, 18th Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops, is the 

only black Civil War veteran buried in Stanislaus 

County. Additional African-American families 

arrived in Modesto in the early 1900s. Margaret 

Harris Deal, born in Stanislaus County and raised 

in Modesto, died at the age of 103 in 2013. Her 

family built their first home because no 

contractor in 1958 would assist them. There were 

many other pioneering families like Margaret’s, 

including the Batties, the Prescotts, the McCoys, 

the Shepards, the Greens, and others. 

In the early 1950s, a group of African- 

American families started the Monterey Park 

Tract community west of town. Their goal was 

to start a predominantly African-American 

NEVER 

FORGET 

No matter where you are or what you do, never forget where you 

are from. 

- Jean Kea, Site Supervisor, 

The Bridge/Sierra Vista 

Diversity ✦ 89

Vietnam War in 1975, Southeast Asian refugees 

from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia emigrated 

to California and the Central Valley. Refugees 

from the Middle East have been a constant over 

the years, but the number increased 

dramatically following unrest in the Middle East 

in the early 2000s. Coinciding with the 

Southeast Asian exodus was the migration of 

thousands of Americans escaping the severe 

Eastern winters of the late 1970s. 

A 

KALEIDOSCOPE 

OF DIVERSITY 

Above: The Modesto Monarchs, 1948. 

The first African-American family 

settled in Modesto in 1892. 

COURTESY OF THE ARD FAMILY, FACES OF 

STANISLAUS, AND MCHENRY MUSEUM. 

Below: A Cinco de Mayo celebration. 

By valuing our diversity, we’ve become 

a true multicultural community. 



community, similar to Allensworth, a township 

located in Tulare County and founded in the 

belief that African-Americans could own 

property, become educated, prosper, and live 

the “American Dream.” 

In the early twentieth century, a large number 

of Assyrians migrated to California, as a result of 

persecution by the Turks. With the end of the 

Because farming is what most of these 

immigrants knew and could do, and because 

agriculture remains a major employer and source 

of capital for California and the Central Valley, 

the state and the region are among the most 

ethnically and culturally diverse sections of the 

country. And, because agriculture is so 

important to Modesto, our city is more diverse 

than some cities in California, but not as diverse 

as others. While that reliance on agriculture has 

provided jobs, some claim that it has made it 

harder for the area to diversify economically, 

thus negatively affecting the upward mobility of 

our diverse population. 

Today, the kaleidoscope of our diversity is 

most visible in our places of worship, our media, 


DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH 

This community is home to many people of color and people with diverse cultures, 

ethnicities, and religions. It is important that there is respect for this diversity and a spirit of 

inclusivity and openness to all the perspectives in this city. For 100 years, a small Jewish 

population has been part of the success and growth of Modesto and Stanislaus County. We are 

not a Christian nation and we are not a white nation; we are a country and city whose diversity 

is our true strength. 

- Rabbi Shalom Bochner, Congregation Beth Shalom 

Members of the Laotian community at a cultural diversity festival. Modesto is a community blessed with a spirit of inclusivity 

and openness. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARC GARCIA. COURTESY CITY OF MODESTO. 

our food, and our festivals. We have a mosque, a 

synagogue, and various Asian temples, as well as 

many Catholic and Protestant churches. Our 

radio and TV options are spiced with Spanish 

language programming and East Asian music. 

Our cuisine includes barbecue, soul food, sushi, 

pho, tikka masala, and a potpourri of Southeast 

Asian noodle dishes. Tacos and burritos are as 

common as hamburgers and hotdogs. Our 

festivals and ethnic events highlight our 

varied heritage, from Portuguese to Fijian, from 

East Indian to Chinese, from Greek to 

Cambodian and Laotian, including the Modesto 

Fiji Festival, Greek Food Festival, Chinese 

New Year, the Portuguese festa, as well as 

Quinceañeras and Mexican Independence Day, 

Dia de los Muertos, Cinco de Mayo, and Our Lady 

of Guadalupe celebrations. 

Two singular endeavors are examples of 

projects developed to celebrate our diversity. 

Diversity ✦ 91

Students at the Grace Davis High 

School Language Institute. The 

people of Modesto are developing 

innovative ways to identify, address, 

and engage the diverse realities of 

our community. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY LINDSEY BIRD. COURTESY 

OF GRACE DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL 

LANGUAGE INSTITUTE. 

“Faces of Stanislaus” in 2001 documented our 

diversity. The International Heritage Festival 

yearly celebrates it. 

“Faces of Stanislaus” was part of “Faces of 

America,” a national project helping people to 

discover through photographs how they 

and their families fit into the larger vista of 

American history and culture. The photographs 

in this exhibit told the stories of the many 

different ethnic and cultural groups that 

have settled in our area. In their work, their 

leisure, their commitments, and their family, 

cultural, and religious traditions, these 

groups have added their imprint on the 

collective portrait of who we are. The goal 

of this project was to use imagery to help us 

all feel more deeply the bonds that connect us 

as people. 

For twenty-five years, the International 

Heritage Festival has taken us on a trip around 

ADVANCING THE CONVERSATION 

Faith in Stanislaus, formerly Congregations Building Community, was founded when different local pastors came together to 

work on systemic changes to improve the life of those in the community usually not represented socially, politically, or economically. 

We concentrate on immigration reform, getting out the vote, racism in the criminal justice system, and other issues that 

Latinos and the broader community, among many others, care about. We primarily work with people living in underrepresented 

neighborhoods who attend the various member congregations. 

We found that people often don’t vote because they don’t understand the process or impact it will have on their daily lives. As 

a result, we do voter education and work on getting ballot measures passed that impact low-income and communities of color. 

Immigration reform is another issue that is very important to a community like ours that relies on agriculture. We try to help documented 

and undocumented individuals who want to work, but who have no driver’s license or had their cars impounded or 

have a police record. There are those in the community who say, “People don’t get ahead because they don’t want to,” and that’s 

simply not true. We work with lawyers and hold forums to inform undocumented people what their constitutional rights are. We 

also help students apply for their temporary protective status, which is DACA. We also train folks to advocate for themselves. 

One of the biggest challenges we face is basically a contradiction of values. As a community, we value our agricultural heritage, 

but we don’t value the people who give their life for it. These people do one of the hardest jobs imaginable, but they have no 

health benefits. They’re forced to use emergency rooms as their primary health insurance, which becomes more expensive for 

everybody. Another major issue is understanding the complexity of the immigration system. It is estimated there are four million 

people waiting to become residents. The average wait is 15 to 20 years. Another problem is the fear these families feel about possibly 

being separated. It’s very real. My father came here when he was 17. He traveled back and forth from Mexico to work. Finally, 

he brought the rest of our family to California. We were undocumented. I became a resident and then a citizen, went to college 

locally, and found work. I understand what it’s like. 

I think the thing that bothers me the most is that our community believes that immigrants are the root of the problem and should 

be removed, yet they shop, work, pay taxes, and contribute like everyone else. Most people don’t see that because they’re invisible. 

If we’re going to progress as a community, we must all engage, especially the people who feel like they have nothing invested 

or nothing to gain by doing so. We all do. You can choose to live where everyone looks like you but, by making that choice, you’re 

not helping the community advance and come together. You’re perpetuating “them and us”; that dangerous myth of “the other.” 

We need to embrace everyone in our community if we want to make it better. 

In the long run, it’s the job of our organization to push the conversation, even though there are those who will resist it. We 

won’t move forward as a city, a county, or a country until we have this very real and necessary conversation. 

- Homero Mejia, Director, Faith in Stanislaus 


the world. The event takes place each year 

on the Modesto Junior College East Campus. It 

features a parade of nations, music, dance, food, 

and exhibits from countries across the globe. 

The free event showcases the kaleidoscope of 

international heritages from the local area and 

celebrates a shared American heritage. 

LEVERAGING THE 

POWER AND PROMISE 

OF OUR DIVERSITY 

Unfortunately, our diversity has not yet been 

fully nurtured, tapped, or appreciated. Instead, 

our differences have historically been used to 

scapegoat immigrants, out of fear of the 

unknown and a perceived threat to health and 

well-being. Regrettably, as people, many of us 

fear what we don’t know. And what we fear, we 

try to eliminate. Despite the common ground 

we share, despite the richness of our differences, 

discrimination persists. A number of the many 

issues facing today’s immigrants are the same as 

those their ancestors faced. Low wages, limited 

access, racial bias, harassment, predatory 

practices, and restricted civil rights. Some forms 

of discrimination are unique to today. In our 

post-9/11 world, for example, fear of terrorism 

raises the specter of violent retaliation, 

quarantine, and deportation. 

The fact is, our diversity, when properly 

harnessed and utilized, is a social, political, and 

economic force that can benefit the city, the 

county, and the state. However, properly 

recognizing the value and contributions of our 

ethnic neighbors and leveraging the power and 

promise of our diversity requires moving 

beyond face value; beyond the apparent. It 

means truly getting to know and understand the 

language, religion, customs, and identity of 

other cultures. It means developing innovative 

ways to identify, address, and engage the diverse 

realities of our community. It means helping 

migrants, immigrants, and refugees become a 

productive and responsible part of our 

community fabric. 

Although there are still many issues to 

resolve, we have begun to truly appreciate our 

diversity in the last few decades. We will only 

reach our full potential as a community when 

we realize that diversity is an asset, not a threat. 

Modesto is home to a diverse cross-section of people, cultures, community, and experiences. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL J. MANGANO, MICHAEL J. PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN. 

A VIBRANT MELTING POT 

We’re a vibrant melting pot of people, cultures, community, and 

experiences that I know, through my journeys, is unique. Modesto is 

more than a pass-through town in the middle of a state. It’s a thriving 

community with proud people who work hard and care about making the 

community better and are actively working to do that. I didn’t experience 

that in other communities. 

Modesto offers a small town charm mixed with a growing, vibrant city. 

You can find that in the people you meet. You can taste it at the small markets, 

food trucks, and taquerias. You can experience it in our many parks. 

You can feel it in our places of worship. Modesto is more than a town where 

people come and go. It’s a community. 

- Mike Daniel, Partner & CMO, Final Cut Media 

There are still many challenges ahead, including 

opportunity, access, and participation. By 

working together, by communicating, by 

promoting civility and dignity, by valuing our 

differences, we can create an uncommon city 

united by the common threads of compassion, 

inclusion, trust, respect, equity, and hope. A 

true multicultural community. 

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be 

the beauty and the test of our civilisation.” 

- Mahatma Gandhi, 

Indian Civil Rights Leader 

Diversity ✦ 93

“ EQUALITY IS A BENCHMARK, NOT A FINISH LINE” 

Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and their allies (LGBT/A) appear to have existed throughout history. We can assume, then, 

they will always be with us in our communities. There have been positive changes since the Stonewall uprisings of 1969, especially 

the 2015 Supreme Court ruling, which determined that the Constitution guarantees every American the right to marry the person 

he/she loves. Yet, as GLADD puts it, we all need to “push for accelerated acceptance of LGBT people, couples, and families across the 

US. Marriage equality is a benchmark, and not a finish line, and we (need to) continue to tell the stories of everyday LGBT people so 

that the decisions from the Supreme Court can resonate with the hearts and minds of the public.” 

To that end, what follows is an alphabetical listing of community champions, especially those which continue to help attain and 

ensure LGBT equality, respect, and appreciation in the Greater Modesto Area. As well, some have met their objectives, served their 

purposes, and achieved success in offering a variety of beneficial services and programs. 

• Bay Area Career Women (BACW), Central Valley Chapter, c. 1985: Lesbian membership organization that fostered career networking. 

• Bird Cage, c. 2004-present: Monthly LGBT gathering for libations and socialization at a Modesto venue. 

• Birds of a Feather Committee, Modesto, 1994: Twelve celebrations over thirteen years on the Klamath Ferry moored at private, 

gated property, on the channel near Stockton; aimed at socializing, while enjoying libations, great food, dancing, silent auction, 

and raffle by as many as 250 attendees; an after-cost total income of $15,143 awarded to bird-friendly nonprofits, such as BACW, 

GLSEN, PFLAG. 

• College Avenue United Church of Christ: Committed to including those excluded by other churches; invites lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

and transgender people to participate fully. 

• GLEE Foundation of California (Gay Lesbian and Everyone Else), 2006: Stemmed from Stanislaus Pride Center; awarded annual 

$1,000 scholarships to high school seniors to recognize and support outstanding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight 

ally students. 

• Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Modesto Chapter, c. 1982: Instrumental in getting special on-going 

policy, “Principles of Rights, Responsibilities, and Respect to Ensure a Safe School Environment” adopted by Modesto City Schools 

in 1984. 

• Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Network, 1999-present: 4,000 chapters in secondary schools, colleges, universities; works for safe 

schools via activism on campus, with events such as Day of Silence, National Coming Out Day; Oakdale High’s GSA presents 

Rainbow Prom each spring. 

• LGBTQA Collaborative for Greater Well Being in Stanislaus County, 2013-present: Promotes health and well-being of lesbian, gay, 

bisexual, transgender, questioning persons, and their allies by uniting and cooperating with agencies, organizations, and groups of 

like purposes. 

• Liberty Action Network, c. 2001: Central Valley civil rights advocacy organization. 

• Modesto Pride Day, 2012: Offered “Pride in the Park” gathering after Stanislaus Pride Center concluded its sponsorship of the event. 

• MoPRIDE, Inc.: Provides leadership, education, peer support, outreach (particularly to youth), community development, visibility, 

and advocacy, including educating the public in tolerance and respect for all people; sponsors yearly “MoPRIDE in the Park;” 

planning to open a PRIDE Resource Center; wants to be known as more than just a party in the park. 

• Owl Empire of Stanislaus County, Inc., 1967-present: Nonprofit public benefit corporation dedicated to charitable fund-raising to 

meet needs of everyone in LGBT communities of Stanislaus, Merced, Calaveras, and Tuolumne counties. 

• Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Modesto, 1994: Offered support and love to all Stanislaus LGBT people and 

those who love them; committed to advancing equality through its mission of support, education, and advocacy; sponsored the 

International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, MoFest. 

• PRIDE on Tour Committee–Modesto, 2012: Supported four LGBT plays, at the Gallo Center, by San Francisco’s New Conservatory 

Theatre Center: The Bus (2013), Standing on Ceremony (2014), From White Plains (2015), and Buyer & Cellar (2016); each year, more 

than $3,000 awarded to area agencies/organizations that carry out LGBTQ/Ally initiatives. 

• St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Modesto: Invites persons of every race, ethnicity, creed, age, gender, marital status, physical or mental 

ability, sexual orientation, and gender identity to attend; publically flies the Gay Pride Flag in front of the church. 

• Stanislaus PRIDE Center (People Respecting Individuality, Diversity, and Equality), 2005: First facility of its kind between Stockton 

and Bakersfield, it was a place for LGBT to socialize/organize outside of a bar atmosphere; resources to strengthen and support 

LGBT persons in Stanislaus and surrounding counties; offered free/inexpensive counseling services; in 2007, presented first 

outdoor Pride Day event in the Modesto area. 


• The Place, 2007-present: Support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning 

youth ages 14-20; also offers parents of LGBTQ youth—whether accepting, conflicted, or rejecting 

—opportunities to attend parent support groups. 

(Please note: Any omissions were not intentional.) 

- R. J. Moriconi, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, California State University, Stanislaus 

Community champions continue to 

help attain and ensure LGBT equality, 

respect, and appreciation in the 

Greater Modesto Area. 

COURTESY OF MOPRIDE. 

THE EPITOME OF THE “ AMERICAN DREAM” 

The Language Institute serves immigrant, refugee, and asylum seeking teens who are new to the United States. Over the past eight 

years, the program has welcomed students from 39 countries speaking 19 primary languages. While some students arrive with a 

solid background education and some exposure to the English language, others enter the classroom with significant gaps in their 

formal education and without mastery of the Roman alphabet. This became more and more common as Modesto evolved into a war 

refugee resettlement hub of California. It is the duty of the Language Institute, regardless of the academic and linguistic level of the 

student upon enrollment, to bring the student up to a level of mastery of the English language where they can graduate high school, 

succeed in college, and be career ready. But, most importantly, to help these students be independent and contributing members of 

their new community. We are proud to say that over 80 percent of our graduates each year enter higher education. These students 

represent the epitome of the “American Dream” and are already making the greater Modesto region a better place to live. 

- Lindsey Bird, Language Institute Program Coordinator, Social Science and Acculturation Instructor, 

Grace Davis High School; 

2015 Carlston Family Foundation Teacher of America 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

We would like to thank the following for their contributions to this chapter: Carl Baggese, George Boodrookas, Curtis Grant, 

Mani Grewal, Dr. Jim Johnson, Jean Kea, Janet Lancaster, James McAndrews, Maggie Mejía, Dan Onorato, Sam Pierstorff, and 

Robert LeRoy Santos. 

Additional information about Modesto’s diverse past and present can be found in issues of Stanislaus Stepping Stones, McHenry 

Museum & Historical Society. 

Diversity ✦ 95

LITANY OF UNITY AND SHARING 

C: We gather from different neighborhoods. We come from diverse families, faiths, and cultures…and as seekers. 

All: And yet we share a common humanity. We share space as neighbors, co-workers, citizens, and friends. 

C: Many of us have different beliefs, differing ways of seeing things. We have different customs, practices, and foods. 

All: Yet we share so many common values. And we appreciate the opportunity to experience one another’s presence, and to learn 

about one another’s faiths. 

C: We all have a common need to connect, to live in harmony and mutual respect. 

All: We all long for peace and safety in our community. 

C: We can all share in caring about, and for, one another. 

All: We can all join in acts of service to help our neighbor survive, and even thrive; acts that proclaim, “Even as we are individuals, 

we are bound together.” 

C: We can choose to build bridges that will connect us... 

All: …rather than walls that divide us. 

C: May this be a night for getting to know our neighbors who are different, yet so much the same. 

All: May this be a night for recognizing the common threads among us... 

C: …and for continuing to bind them together for good. 

All: May the offering of our presence here, and the offerings we gladly give to Inter-Faith Ministries… 

C: …bear good fruit for our communities, and for a nation that cherishes our religious freedom and our diversity. 

All: May this night represent one act among many ... 

C: …of sowing the seeds of kindness, gentleness, and peace-making. 

All: And let us, as Gandhi prayed, “BE the change we want to see in the world.” 

- Erin Matteson, Pastor, Church of the Brethren; 

Mark Haskett, President, Stanislaus County Interfaith Council (SCIC); 

Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration, 2016 

Celebrating what binds us, not what 

divides us. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES A. EWING. COURTESY OF 

THE STANISLAUS COUNTY INTERFAITH COUNCIL. 


FAITH COMMUNITIES 

A TAPESTRY OF H OPE 

BY ELIZABETH GREENLEE- WIGHT, 

MARK HASKETT, AND DAN ONORATO 

THE VOICES OF FAITH 

Modesto has over 400 congregations, churches, and houses of worship, representing a variety of 

denominations, faiths, and spiritual traditions all woven together in an intricate and vibrant tapestry 

of faith, community, and service. Nearly every faith tradition can be found here: Christian, Jewish, 

Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Unitarian, Non-denominational, and many more. 

The voices of these faiths can be heard praying, teaching, singing, chanting, and enjoying 

fellowship in languages as diverse as our population. From tight-knit communities to loose, 

interconnected networks, from the ancient to the more progressive and contemporary, faith 

communities are the beating heart of our city. 

We are inundated with news reports that church attendance is down nationwide, and that 

members are aging and dying, a trend which statistics reinforce. This pattern would seem to hold 

true in Modesto as well. However, while participation declines in some areas, a new generation of 

young adults are nevertheless finding new ways to connect to their faiths and to one another. Social 

media makes it easier for faith groups to share meetings, events, scripture, testimony, and moving 

stories of answered prayers and changed lives, as well as faith-culture in-jokes, inspirational blogs, 

and music. 

Sandra Veneman, St. Stanislaus 

Plaque, clay, tile with embossed 

image. 

Faith Communities ✦ 97

Above: Faith communities are the 

beating heart of our community. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY PABLO MASON. COURTESY OF 

ST. STANISLAUS CATHOLIC COMMUNITY. 

Below: Modesto has a rich history of 

interfaith collaboration. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARC GARCIA. COURTESY OF 

CITY MINISTRY NETWORK. 

A RICH HISTORY OF 

INTERFAITH COLLABORATION 

The young faithful don’t just worship 

together. They “do life” together. They share 

workouts, study scripture, enjoy moms’ groups 

and men’s groups, attend life-skills lectures and 

recovery workshops, courses for couples, for 

singles, for newlyweds, and for seekers. They 

raise money for causes, they volunteer, they 

open socially responsible businesses, where the 

goal of giving back to the community is as much 

a part of their mission as profit. 

In many neighborhoods, faith-groups stand 

at the center of grassroots efforts to unify 

residents, to keep parks and streets safe and 

clean, and to take care of neighbors in need. 

Organizations like the West Modesto King- 

Kennedy Neighborhood Collaborative, South 

Modesto Partners, Manos Unidas, City Ministry 

Network, and the much-acclaimed “Love 

Modesto” volunteer movement now being 

copied across the country, are models for 

community activism driven by this socially 

responsible faith. 

Modesto is proud of its rich history of 

interfaith collaboration. While divisions still 

exist, and misunderstandings and differences 

are likely to occur where there is religious and 

cultural diversity, we live in a community that 

thrives on the combined efforts of many people 

of many faiths working toward a goal of 


THE TREASURE OF HOPE 

Modesto seems to be riding a seventy-year civic wave that is still gathering 

speed. Modesto’s area of influence is in step with its faith community. Five largerthan-usual 

churches in a city of this size is phenomenal! Over one hundred 

neighborhood churches and a fresh crop of new churches serve our communities. 

Billy Graham held a two-week crusade here in 1948. Reverend Graham’s 

guiding document, the “Modesto Manifesto,” was drawn up and signed here. 

Cliff Barrows, long-time program director for the Billy Graham Crusades, who 

passed away in 2016, came from this area. Lorne Sanny, the late international 

leader of the Navigators, was also a native of Modesto. 

A high treasure of life in Modesto is the hope it demonstrates for the future. 

The arch over I Street demonstrates that hope—“Water, Wealth, Contentment, 

Health.” The Modesto area faith community welcomes all to enter that eternal 

Arch from whom all blessings flow, Jesus our Lord and Savior. 

- Ben Jennings, Senior Consultant, 

Campus Crusade for Christ 

Churches large and small fill our community with hope. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW AUSTIN. COURTESY OF CROSSPOINT COMMUNITY CHURCH. 

common good. It was a diverse group that 

joined together over forty years ago to create 

Interfaith Ministries of Greater Modesto to 

address hunger and poverty in our city. It is a 

vast and inclusive network of multidenominational 

congregations and individuals 

who keep it alive today. 

RELIGIOUS AND 

CULTURAL DIVERSITY 

While a largely Christian ecumenism has 

fueled many of these efforts in the past— 

including the mainline Greater Modesto 

Ministerial Association and an evangelically 

inspired “Church of Modesto”—recent decades 

have recognized the much broader religious and 

cultural diversity that has taken root in the 

Central Valley’s rich soil: Catholics from South 

America; Hindus from the Indian sub-continent 

and South Pacific islands; Assyrian Christians 

from Iran and Iraq; Jews escaping Europe in the 

1930s to 1940s, joined by relatives already in 

the United States; a sizable post-Vietnam-era 

influx of Cambodian and Lao Buddhists; one of 

America’s largest concentrations of Sikh 

immigrants from the Punjab; along with a 

thriving Islamic community gathered from the 

Middle East, and newly augmented by refugees 

fleeing the Syrian crisis. 

A broad religious and cultural 

diversity has taken root in the 

Central Valley. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES A EWING. COURTESY OF 

THE STANISLAUS COUNTY INTERFAITH COUNCIL. 


THE MODESTO PEACE/ LIFE CENTER: 

PROMOTING A MORE PEACEFUL, JUST AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WORLD 

The Modesto Peace/Life Center (www.peacelifecenter.org ) was started in 1970 by members of an ecumenical group whose primary 

aim was to provide draft counseling to young men grappling with questions of conscience regarding the Vietnam War. Most of the 

founders were drawn from the Modesto Church of the Brethren and a regional Quaker Meeting, joined later by other people of faith who 

shared their outlook. While the roots of the center came out of the social Gospel, the center wanted to serve people of all faiths or no 

faith. Since its beginning, then, the center has been secular and inclusive in its approach. Over the years, new issues have called for new 

projects, but the underlying goal of promoting nonviolent solutions to global and local issues remains its core focus. 

The center has led or participated in a wide range of efforts, from opposing nuclear power plants in California to promoting energy 

conservation and environmentally clean energy; from protesting wars, in Central America and the Middle East, for example, to engaging 

thousands of students throughout our county in an annual Peace Essay Contest; from hosting an annual summer Peace Camp in the Sierra 

Mountains to organizing, with other major sponsors, the City of Modesto’s Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration; from holding 

public monthly peace vigils on topics like immigration reform, climate change, and a living wage for all to promoting our vision of social 

change on Facebook (Modesto Peace/Life Center); from publishing Stanislaus Connections (http://stanislausconnections.org/), a monthly 

newspaper focusing on peace, social and economic justice, and a sustainable environment to promoting increased awareness of 

homelessness in our community (www.modestocahomelessdocumentary.org) and helping homeless and low-income people obtain an 

official photo ID or birth certificate so they can secure a job, housing, or services from local agencies. 

Changing needs will inevitably inspire more such projects. In late 2015, the FCC granted the center a full-power FM radio station 

license. The center is now engaging local groups and committed people to develop a vital community radio station that informs, 

entertains, and stimulates involvement in the betterment of our community. In this effort, as in all the center does, the vision is to create 

what Dr. King called the “Beloved Community,” in which people of all races, nationalities, genders, religious, and political beliefs live 

together in harmony, thereby ensuring a more peaceful, just, and environmentally healthy world. 

- Dan Onorato, Professor Emeritus, Modesto Junior College; 

Board of Directors, Modesto Peace/Life Center 

The Modesto Peace/Life Center, 

founded 1970. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN ONORATO. 


Left: Our communities of faith are a 

tapestry of hope. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY JANET RASMUSSEN, 

PERCOLATING PIXELS. COURTESY OF 

CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM. 

Below: The Islamic Center of Modesto 


Inter-religious groups like the 1990s Inner- 

Faith Resources and the Stanislaus County 

Interfaith Council (SCIC) now provide avenues 

by which these diverse faiths can learn more 

about one another, accommodate and even 

celebrate their differences, and unite in 

common purpose. 

The churches, temples, and houses of 

worship in Modesto shelter more than our 

weekly rituals, ongoing spiritual development, 

and religious schools. They are our community 

centers, hosting Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, 

sponsoring 4-H clubs, offering salsa lessons, 

HELPING IS CONTAGIOUS 

Research shows us that people live longer, children are healthier 

emotionally, they experience better mental and physical health, and 

neighborhood crime rates fall when neighbors are connected relationally. 

Helping neighbors is contagious—acts of generosity and kindness beget more 

generosity in a chain reaction of goodness. 


Originally published in the April 27, 2014 edition of The Modesto Bee. 


A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN 

Three faith-based organizations have come together to shelter those who have nowhere to go. Executive Director Tamra 

Losinski and Family Promise of Greater Modesto has been collaborating with Rabbi Shalom Bochner of Congregation Beth 

Shalom and Reverend Lance Lowell of Neighborhood Church to temporarily house homeless individuals in their houses of worship. 

Family Promise is a partnership of local congregations working together to reduce homelessness and transform lives. It is one of 171 

affiliates in 41 states and the District of Columbia. Family Promise is committed to helping families until they can become 

independent again. 

Currently, 16 congregations are sheltering families, while four others are providing different types of support. CBS had the space, 

but not the beds or staff. Family Promise had the beds and Neighborhood Church had the volunteers. As each entity said, it was a 

match made in heaven. The director, the rabbi, and the pastor all believe that this partnership may ripple out with a message of 

inclusion that counters an ever-present culture of fear and divisiveness. 

Excerpted from an article originally published in the December 21, 2016 edition of The Modesto Bee. 

yoga, GED classes, tutoring, and CPR courses. 

They host marriage workshops and town-hall 

meetings, youth groups, book clubs, and 

interfaith forums. On any given Friday, 

Saturday, or Sunday in Modesto, on nearly 

any street corner, in both impressive sanctuaries 

and converted storefronts, you will find 

congregations brimming with the old and young 

celebrating births, marriages, and the lives of 

those who have passed away. Our communities 

of faith, whether growing or waning, continue 

to be an enduring, vibrant, and vital part 

of a social network interwoven with the 

cultures, charities, businesses, and committed 

individuals that make Modesto a resplendent 

tapestry of hope. 

“ BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD” 

I got so tired of seeing Modesto on these 

worst city lists and hearing the negativity from 

different people about our city. I started 

thinking and asking the question, “If my 

church were to suddenly disappear from 

Modesto, would anyone even care or notice?” I 

don’t think we had a lot of good answers 

back then. At the same time, many of our 

friends were moving away and so excited 

to get out of here. It was discouraging. I 

knew if I was going to stay living here, I 

needed a renewed passion and love for my city. 

I love the quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “Be 

the change that you wish to see in the world.” 

I wanted to be the change I wished to see 


- Jeff Pishney, Executive Director, 

Love Modesto 

A renewed passion and love for this city. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MURPHY. COURTESY OF LOVE MODESTO AND MODESTOVIEW. 

Originally published in the April 2016 edition 

of ModestoView. 


PUBLIC SAFETY 

T WENTY-FIRST C ENTURY P UBLIC S AFETY: 

H ONORING THE P AST W HILE M OVING INTO THE F UTURE 

BY DOUG RIDENOUR, SR. 

A TRANSFORMATION IN PUBLIC AND 

PRIVATE SAFETY SERVICES 

Public safety in many communities can mean a joint effort by government and private emergency 

medical providers to protect the public and keep people safe. It can also provide a career path, as it 

did for my family. We now have fourteen family members who have served with several agencies 

throughout California. 

In Stanislaus County, the sheriff’s office provides law enforcement in the unincorporated areas 

and/or contracted cities throughout the county. The sheriff’s office is also the coroner for the entire 

county. In the incorporated areas of the county, it is the distinct responsibilities of police, city fire 

departments, fire districts, and private ambulance services to provide full-scale public safety services. 

These are ongoing professional relations between city and county jurisdictions. It has not always 

been this way. 

In the years following the Vietnam War, public safety in Modesto and Stanislaus County changed 

significantly. Before this time, it was characterized by “grab and run” handling of trauma patients on the 

streets of our city by ambulance attendants, “hook and book” of alleged criminals by police, and some 

volunteer fire departments committed to “only saving the home’s foundation” in structure fires. Since then, 

a transformation has taken place, resulting in the professional public and private services we benefit from 

today, including pre-hospital care (paramedics), trained law enforcement, and a professional fire service. 

Henrietta Sparkman, Aerial 

Arena, acrylic. 

Public Safety ✦ 103

Finding innovative and cost-effective ways to combat crime. 


KEEPING MODESTO SAFE 

Policing has changed a great deal over the past several decades. The Modesto Police Department 

has evolved to meet the challenges presented by an increasing crime rate, changing criminal justice 

system, evolving state and federal legislation, and low staffing levels. As a key agency tasked with 

public safety, MPD continues to find innovative and cost-effective ways to combat crime, including 

the early adaption of body cameras, technology that predicts the probability of crime, crime 

analysts, a real-time crime center that provides intelligence and tracks precious resources, and nextgeneration 

smartphones to help officers efficiently and effectively accomplish their duties. The 

department continues to research and utilize technology as a force multiplier to assist our shortstaffed 

agency in keeping Modesto safe. 

At the request of its officers and to signify a rebirth of the department, we also changed 

uniforms, badges, and patches; honoring the past, but moving into the future. 

The Modesto Police Department is proud to say that, along with the community, “We are 

Modesto,” as the majority of officers working for the department either live in Modesto, grew up 

in the city, or have family members who live here. MPD is proud and honored to partner with the 

community to make the City of Modesto a great and safe place to live, visit, and do business. 

- Galen Carroll, Chief of Police, Modesto Police Department 

Between 1950 and the turn of the century, 

ambulance companies were comprised 

primarily of privately owned operators. In 

Modesto, there were three competing 

companies: Doctors, Modesto, and Community 

ambulances. Most of these companies housed 

their businesses in homes or small commercial 

buildings in the downtown area and 

independently dispatched for their individual 

companies, almost entirely through private 

answering services. At that time, the only 

mandatory training of ambulance attendants 

was that the driver of the ambulance had to 

have an advanced first aid card. There was little 

medical accountability by the state or local 

government in the “grab and run” model of 


transporting the sick and injured to local 

hospitals. These private companies were 

interested in the business side and weren’t as 

focused on pre-hospital patient care as they are 

now. Only one of those original companies 

(Modesto/Ceres Ambulance) has survived to 

this day, having been bought by one of the 

largest national ambulance corporations in the 

country—American Medical Response (AMR). 

Today, each attendant must be an Emergency 

Medical Technician (EMT), or a paramedic, in 

order to operate an ambulance service. 

Paramedics must have a minimum 1,090 

hours of initial training, including 450 hours 

of didactic classroom study, 160 clinical 

hours in a hospital emergency room setting, 

and 480 to 720 hours of pre-hospital field 

internship. The State Emergency Medical 

Services Agency and local government regulate 

certification for EMTs/paramedics and response 

times for ambulance companies. Long 

gone are the days of simply having just a first 

aid card. 

GOOD OLD COMMON 

HORSE SENSE 

The return of so many soldiers from the war 

was a benefit for their communities, and for law 

enforcement in particular. Police services 

required qualified and experienced men and 

women to become police officers, helping to 

deter the ever-increasing crime in our city. Until 

the early 1970s, Ann Fulmer was the only 

female in the Modesto Police Department 

(MPD). For many years, the MPD depended 

primarily on a strong volunteer reserve program 

to help keep crime under control. MPD 

dispatched for both police and fire during this 

time and often would use reserve officers that 

had little to no training to dispatch emergency 

services. Anyone 21-years or older could apply 

to become a police reserve officer. There was no 

training or mandated certification required. A 

person wanting to be a reserve police officer, 

once sworn in by the chief of police, then had 

constitutional authority to arrest and investigate 

crimes without any training. During those years, 

full-time police officers had in-house academy 

training lasting only 13 weeks before they could 

start their job. 

In 1972, one reserve officer was sworn in by 

the chief of police, then directed to contact the 

sergeant in charge of the reserve program to get 

his equipment and instructions for work. 

Sergeant Claus “Sandy” Fuhlendorf gave the 

new reserve officer his uniform, leather gear, a 

.38 caliber six-shot revolver, handcuffs, baton, 

key to the police department, and a notebook. 

When the reserve officer asked Sergeant 

Fuhlendorf if there was any training, the 

sergeant explained that his training would be on 

the job. He added, “Be ethical. Don't talk to 

anyone, including friends and family, about 

Above: Public safety is a joint effort to 

keep people safe. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY HEATHER GRAVES. COURTESY OF 

THE MODESTO POLICE DEPARTMENT. 

Below: Long gone are the days of 

simply having just a first aid card. 



The sheriff’s office remains committed 

to providing the very best in public 

safety services. 



police investigations, watch other veteran 

officers, and make ‘good old common horse 

sense’ decisions.” That reserve officer was me. 

STANISLAUS 

SHERIFF’ S 

COUNTY 

OFFICE 

After the 2007 financial crash, most public 

safety agencies had to lay off police 

officers/deputies, firefighters, and paramedics. 

Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, along with our 

local municipal police and fire agencies, were hit 

hard by the recession. Even today, local public 

safety agencies have not been fully restored to 

pre-financial crash years. Still, crime rates 

remain challenging and agency philosophies 

have changed, focusing on public education, 

fewer police officers, less proactive work in the 

community, and more inter-departmental 

cooperation. As a result, the community has had 

to take on a greater responsibility for their own 

homes and families to help prevent becoming 

victims through public-private neighborhood 

watch, nonprofit neighborhood prevention 

programs, and private security. 

The sheriff’s office has a much greater 

responsibility than merely general law 

enforcement services and criminal investigations. 

They’re also responsible for the safety and 

security of the superior court, correctional 

services for jails, mental health of inmates, civil 

services (i.e., court mandated eviction orders, 

child and welfare services), coroner and death 

investigations, local state emergency services 

coordination for mutual aid, park and water way 

safety for the entire county, and much more. 

The sheriff’s office has embraced the 

inevitable change in California’s public safety 

value and belief system, building public safety 

facilities with inmate medical/mental health care 

services and program opportunities to address 

addiction and recidivism. The sheriff’s office 

remains committed to providing the very best in 

public safety services with the available 

resources despite economic challenges, court 

ordered changes, and voter approved initiatives. 

MODESTO FIRE DEPARTMENT 

Fire services have also changed over the years. 

In their early days, local fire departments also 

depended on volunteers to support the fire 

services. One of the volunteer fire departments 

was McHenry Dry Creek Fire District, located at 

Scenic and Coffee Roads. They utilized a loud 

PARTNERING TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY 

Modesto has been getting a rather bad “rap” for several years now when it comes to crime. I 

think it is really unfortunate and unwarranted. Modesto is now one of the 100 largest cities in the 

country, so we should certainly expect that we will have crime commensurate with our size. What 

is often left unsaid, however, is that we have progressive prosecution and law enforcement ideas 

and practices. We work well together. We also partner with local nonprofits and community-based 

organizations to make our limited tax dollars go further, so that we can better serve crime victims 

and enhance public safety. Not every city can boast of such cohesive partnerships in such an 

important area, so we should be really proud of our efforts. 

- Birgit Fladager, District Attorney, Stanislaus County 


COMMITTED TO PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES 

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office, founded in 1854, has played a pivotal role in public safety for several generations. Even as 

the City of Modesto began its humble beginnings on the banks of the Tuolumne River, shaped by the Central Pacific Railroad in 1870, 

the sheriff and his deputies served to keep the peace. Modesto evolved from a frontier boomtown plagued with gunslingers, card 

sharks, and opium parlors, earning the dubious reputation as the wildest town in the Central Valley, to a highly respected agricultural 

community and 19th largest city in California, with tremendous potential and a bright future. 

Over the years, the sheriff's office, led by 21 elected Sheriffs like Sheriff R.B. Purvis, Sheriff Dan Kelsay, and Sheriff Les Weidman, 

has become an organization of strength, courage, and determination in our ongoing commitment to protect our communities. We've 

grown to nearly 700 employees and we serve a much larger population today, but our motto and mission haven't changed. We're 

still “Keeping the Peace Since 1854.” 

- Adam Christianson, Sheriff-Coroner, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office; 

Immediate Past President, California State Sheriffs’ Association 

The officers of the Stanislaus 

County Sheriff’s Department have 

played a pivotal role in public 

safety for generations. 



The current Modesto Fire Department 

is an all-risk emergency service. 

COURTESY OF THE CITY OF MODESTO AND THE 

MODESTO FIRE DEPARTMENT. 


siren on their rooftop to alert area volunteers of 

the emergency, prompting them to rush to the 

fire station to get the location of the fire, then 

proceed to the fire in their personal cars. Their 

district included some very large unincorporated 

areas of Modesto’s northeast side. There was only 

one paid firefighter. The rest were volunteers. 

Unfortunately, some house structure fires 

sustained significant damage due to delayed 

response and the lack of well-trained firefighters, 

staff fire engines, tactical fire plans, and backup 

fire resources. 

In 1953, the Modesto City Fire Department 

(MFD) had nine volunteers and thirty-five paid 

firefighters. Today, MFD has 11 fire stations, 

nine engines, two trucks, and one airport rescue 

with 138 sworn firefighters and 12 non-sworn. 

The MFD serves the entire incorporated city and 

has automatic mutual aid agreements with the 

Ceres Fire Department and the Stanislaus 

Consolidated Fire Protection District, which 

means the closest fire engine responds, 

regardless of the jurisdiction. Firefighters must 

have an EMT certification, possess the 

Firefighter One Certificate, complete fifteen 

semester units of college coursework in Fire 

Science, and pass a one-year probation. 

In the late 1980s, the Modesto City Council 

approved MFD to enter the First Responder 

Program to help the sick and injured patients 

normally handled only by the private 

ambulance companies. With the reduction in 

fire calls due to improved fire prevention, new 

building codes, sprinklers, and public 

education, the First Responder Program 

better utilized the on-duty firefighters 

and improved service to the citizens. 

Ambulance response times were a major 

concern then and, with multiple fire stations 

throughout the city, MFD many times could beat 

the ambulance to the scene and provide basic 

emergency care. 

As the service continued to improve, 

firefighters became certified EMTs and some 

even became paramedics, offering advanced life 

support. The fire department was responsible 

for funding this added service. Today, 65 

percent of MFD’s emergency calls are for 

medical emergencies. The current Modesto Fire 

Department is an all risk emergency service. In 

addition to responding to fires and medical 

emergencies, the fire department provides 

hazardous materials and urban search and 

rescue services for the entire county. 

ADAPTING AND EVOLVING 

The Modesto Fire Department has proudly served the citizens of Modesto 

and surrounding communities since 1875. Over the past 140-plus years, we 

have evolved from a volunteer department that responded to fires with horses 

and buggies to today’s all-risk department that operates with state-of-the-art 

equipment. From preventing and suppressing fires, providing emergency 

medical services to technical rescues, hazardous materials incidents, and 

terrorism responses, the Modesto Fire Department continually adapts to meet 

the needs and challenges of our great city and its citizens. The outstanding 

services we provide our citizens would not be possible without the tremendous 

dedication, bravery, and selfless sacrifice of every member who has humbly 

worn the badge of a Modesto firefighter. 

- Chief Sean Slamon, 

12th Fire Chief (August 2014-March 2017), 

Modesto Fire Department 

Continually adapting to meet the needs and challenges of the city and citizens. 

COURTESY OF THE CITY OF MODESTO AND THE MODESTO FIRE DEPARTMENT. 


A FAMILY TRADITION 

I was proud to be a firefighter in my hometown and to follow my grandfather’s and father’s footsteps in the fire service. The best 

part of being a firefighter was being able to help people in need and being there for this community. It was very rewarding to assist 

people in any emergency. My grandfather started in 1909 and retired in 1948. At his retirement, he was the senior fire chief in the 

United States. My dad started in 1947 and retired in 1983. I retired in 2011. For 102 years, there has been a Wallace in the Modesto 

Fire Department. I thoroughly enjoyed and was deeply honored to be a firefighter serving my hometown. 

- Bill Wallace, Retired Modesto Firefighter 

MODESTO POLICE 

DEPARTMENT 

Municipal law enforcement has been impacted 

as well by the changing times. 

Today’s police officers are better educated and 

trained to handle different social, legal, civil, 

emotional, technical, tactical, and multiple-threat 

responsibilities and policies. They grasp the 

administrative orders, constant awareness of 

violence on police and others, physical 

requirements, constitutional law, community 

mandates, neighborhood relations, town hall 

meetings, daily expectations from our society, onbody 

cameras, and added accountability. Law 

enforcement officers today must be dedicated to 

a calm, appropriate, and professional response to 

whatever may arise in a second's notice. From 

homelessness, drugs, gangs, cybercrime to 

increasing violence and other issues of public 

safety, police officers are expected to respond in a 

manner that meets the department’s mandates, as 

well as the media’s and society's expectations. 

In 2011, based on a three federal judge 

panel, California was ordered to reduce the 

prison population. As a result, the state released 

approximately one-third of the prison 

population. While those released were supposed 

to be non-violent offenders, inmates were 

released based on their current charges, not 

their criminal background. As Modesto was just 

overcoming those two challenges with doubledigit 

drops in crime two years in a row, at the 

end of 2014, voters passed Proposition 47, 

which made most drug offenses misdemeanors. 

As a result, Modesto saw an immediate jump in 

reported crime. The Modesto Police Department 

continues to combat crime in an era where 

fewer and fewer criminals are held accountable 

by the criminal justice system for their crimes. 

At the end of 2012, well before the rest of the 

nation was debating the use of body cameras for 

police officers, Modesto was a test site for Taser 

body cameras. The program has been very 

successful in documenting crimes, as well as 

protecting both officers and citizens. In 2013, 

the police department implemented Predictive 

Policing, which is a software program that uses 

algorithms to determine the probability of 

crime based on calls for service over a ten-year 

period. In addition, the police department reemphasized 

the use of crime analysts to 

help identify individuals who are the most 

likely offenders and to assist in deployment 

of resources. 

In 2015, the police department began 

construction of a Real-Time Crime Center to 

provide real-time intelligence to officers 

Today’s police officers are better 

educated and trained. 


MODESTO POLICE DEPARTMENT. 


Above: The Modesto Police 

Department combats crime with nextgeneration 

technology. 


Below: Throughout their history, the 

men and women of public safety have 

loyally and steadfastly done their job 

regardless of the risks. 


responding to calls and to supply intelligence 

updates during investigations. The center acts as 

a fusion center for cameras in the city, tracking 

resources, as well as calls for service and 

intelligence. Additionally, all officers were 

equipped with smartphones to aid in the free 

flow of intelligence and to assist officers in 

doing their jobs. Instead of issuing cameras, 

tape recorders to dictate reports, and devices to 

view and mark body camera footage, officers are 

now able to do everything on one device. 

Today’s public safety services are much more 

coordinated and include automatic response 

through a regional dispatch center, Stanislaus 

Regional 911 (SR911). A joint powers 

agreement between City of Modesto and 

Stanislaus County, serves Modesto City, 

Consolidated, and Salida Fire services, as well as 

the police and sheriff’s department. The 

American Medical Response (AMR) 

communications center is a privately owned 

communications center providing medical 

dispatch to their paramedic units and other 

contracted emergency services. Private and 

public entities continue to work closely to 

achieve professionalism, quick emergency 

response times, accountability, cross training, 

and quality public safety services. Still, it takes 

all these entities working together to keep our 

citizens and public safety personnel safe, even 

during tragic times. 

PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES 

COMMITTED TO 

THEIR PROFESSION 

At times, the past 40-plus years have brought 

incredible sadness to our law enforcement 

brothers and sisters when people we know have 

given their lives to our community in the line of 

duty. Modesto Police Officer Leo Volk (1973), 

Police Sergeant Steve May (2009), and 

Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Deputies Bob Paris 

(2012) and Dennis Wallace (2016) were 

personal friends of mine. Their tragic in-theline-of-duty 

deaths reflect the dark reality of the 


PUBLIC SAFETY IS EVERYONE’ S RESPONSIBILITY 

Safety has never been the sole responsibility of our government or law enforcement. Public 

safety is everyone’s responsibility. What keeps us safe is connecting with neighbors, watching out 

for each other, getting to know each other by name. Don’t get me wrong, law enforcement has a 

crucial role in public safety. But there are many efforts and resources beyond law enforcement that 

keep us safe. 

As a boy growing up in west Modesto, neighbors took care of each other and their homes. There 

was an understanding that we all watched out for each other. Today, in many parts of our city for 

various reasons, there’s a hesitancy to take on that responsibility. Secondly, somewhere we began to 

believe the negative self-speak about our neighborhoods and city. Our city has challenges, but we 

will overcome them together one city block at a time. 


Originally published in the April 27, 2014, edition of The Modesto Bee. 

A meeting of the College Area Neighborhood Alliance. There are many resources beyond law enforcement that help keep us safe. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY BART AH YOU. COURTESY OF COLLEGE AVENUE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE. 

ongoing risk every peace officer must constantly 

be prepared to face every day in law 

enforcement. The names of 14 officers killed in 

the line of duty in Stanislaus County since 1935 

are inscribed on the police monument at 

Lakewood Memorial Park, where they are 

remembered every May during police officer 

memorial week. Still, officers today must 

calmly prepare themselves to respond to any 

threat in spite of fewer officers, possible tragedy 

that may confront them at any second, the 

worry of domestic terrorism, disrespect, and 

mandates our society requires of them to keep 

us all safe. 

Yet, throughout the Modesto Police 

Department’s history, the men and women of 

law enforcement, like Chief Gerald McKinsey, 

who served 37 distinguished years in law 

enforcement and after whom the police 

department building is named, have loyally and 


Above: Effective public safety is still 

all about using “good old common 

horse sense.” 


MODESTO POLICE DEPARTMENT. 

Below: Each of these public safety 

agencies have come a long way from 

the early 1940s. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY BAIRD PHOTOGRAPHY. 

COURTESY OF MCHENRY MUSEUM. 

steadfastly committed themselves to their 

profession regardless of the tragic realities of the 

job and limited resources they are given. 

Each of these public safety agencies and their 

combined capabilities have come a long way 

from the early days. Retired Modesto Police 

Officer Sergeant Ed Russell recalled, during 

an interview with Sergeant Steve Ferry and 

myself in the 1980s, that when he started, they 

only had one patrol car, which was a 

“Hupmobile.” They would park their only car 

on 10th Street at Nichol News, where the clerk 

would hang the lone key on a hook, and then 

the officers would walk the downtown beat. Any 

time they saw a red light on the call boxes located 

throughout downtown, they would call the 

department, receive the call for service, pick up 

the car key from the Nichol News clerk, and 

drive to the police call. It was indeed a very 

different time. 

With all its new technology, constant 

mandated training, and psychology of 

emergency services, it still holds true that 

effective public safety in today’s world remains 

all about using “good old common horse sense” 

decisions in a twenty-first century way. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

I would like to acknowledge the 

following for their assistance in helping with 

this story: Steve Ferry, Modesto Police 

Department sergeant, retired; the late Ed 

Russell, Modesto Police Department 

sergeant; Chief Sean Slamon, Modesto Fire 

Department; Mike Corbin, American 

Medical Response (AMR); Doug Ridenour, 

Jr., police officer and son; Linda Ridenour, 

wife; Chief Galen Carroll, Modesto Police 

Department; Adam Christianson, sheriffcoroner, 

Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office; 

Amy Vickery, public information officer, City 

of Modesto (July 2015-July 2017); public 

information officer, Stanislaus County; and 

Bart Bartoni. 


EDUCATION 

A MODEL OF C OLLABORATION 

BY DR. GEORGE BOODROOKAS 

THE KEY IS PARTNERSHIP 

On any weekend evening in May, Modestans will catch a glimpse of red, blue, green, black or gold 

commencement gowns and mortar boards as graduates of junior high, high school, and college 

programs dot the landscape. Proud parents, relatives, and friends with great hopes for a bright future 

accompany the graduates to these joyous events. They celebrate the end of a chapter and the 

beginning of many possibilities. 

As a native Modestan, I was a product of Modesto’s schools. My teachers prepared me well for the 

University of California, Berkeley, and, later, a doctoral degree right down the road at California State 

University, Stanislaus. We all remember those special teachers along the way. For me, there were many. 

I’m proud of my Modesto roots and now, as a long-time administrator at Modesto Junior College, I take 

pride in the efforts of many organizations working to improve educational outcomes in this community. 

Nicole Slater, A Friend Near and 

Dear, mixed media on glass. 

Education ✦ 113

Above: An end and a beginning. 

© BRIAN RAMSAY/MODESTO BEE/ZUMAPRESS.COM. 

Below: “Stanislaus READS!” is an 

example of the spirit of collaboration 

in Modesto’s educational community. 

COURTESY OF THE STANISLAUS 

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. 

The key to enhancing education is 

partnership. Schools, families, businesses, 

nonprofit groups, and community members are 

mobilizing to surround our youth with support. 

Modesto is a model of such collaboration and it 

is making a difference in our schools. 

In “A Love Letter to Stanislaus County,” 

Modesto’s former Poet Laureate and MJC English 

Professor Sam Pierstorff, captures the spirit of that 

collaboration as follows, “We are working in your 

schools, dusting the cobwebs off young minds, 

showing them they can find hope in the pages of 

great books.” There is no better example of this 

than the recent community-wide initiative known 

as “Stanislaus READS!” When local leaders 

discovered that 71% of our third graders do not 

read at grade level, the Stanislaus Community 

Foundation and more than 30 strategic partners 

from the public and private sectors joined forces 

to change that picture. This partnership has sent 

ripples throughout the community and we are all 

on our way to creating a new reality for our youth. 

CHANGING OUR TOUTH’ S 

TRAJECTORY IN LIFE 

Modestans realize that by working together, we 

can change our youth’s trajectory in life, thus 

improving our economy and our collective quality 

of life. It’s working! Modesto City Schools, our 

largest school district, recently announced a celebration 

of five consecutive years of increasing 

graduation rates. Five of the seven comprehensive 

high schools in the district now have a graduation 

rate exceeding 90 percent. For socioeconomically 

disadvantaged students, the dropout rate has fallen 

15 percent in that time. This has taken commitment 

by teachers, administrators, families, community 

partners, and, especially, our students. 

Modesto City Schools Superintendent Pam 

Able speaks proudly of the district’s heritage 

and impact: 

Since 1871, Modesto City Schools has been 

preparing students for life after graduation, in 

whatever path they choose. Our graduates have 

won Olympic medals, been nominated for 

Academy Awards, run high-tech companies, and 

represented the region in political office. Our 

schools are the hub of every neighborhood and a 

great part of this community’s history. Like the 

trees that line our streets, Modesto City Schools 

will maintain a strong foundation rooted in history, 

while reaching for the stars to improve the 

future of our students. 


DREAM 

BIG 

One of my big dreams is to see every one 

of our Modesto schools have as many 

community partners as possible to meet the 

needs of each school. I encourage 

businesses, congregations, service groups, 

etc. to dream big with me on how they can 

be a part of helping to make our schools the 

best they can be. To learn more, check out 

LoveModesto.com/schools. 

- Jeff Pishney, Executive Director, 

Love Modesto 

Originally published in the April 2016 

edition of ModestoView. 

Our schools are a complex undertaking and a 

very big business in our community. Stanislaus 

County Superintendent of Schools Tom 

Changnon, describes the scope of our county’s 

schools as follows: 

Since 1854, the Stanislaus County Office of 

Education (SCOE) has provided quality public 

education and support for students, school 

districts, and the community. We serve 26 school 

districts and support them in their educational 

endeavors. Stanislaus County has the 14th largest 

pupil population in California, serving well over 

106,000 students. It is a job we take seriously. 

SCOE provides opportunities to students 

through Career Technical Education pathways, 

student events (i.e., Academic Decathlon, Mock 

Trials, and the Science Olympiad), Visual and 

Performing Arts, STEM (Science, Technology, 

Engineering, and Math), and outdoor education. 

We have had tremendous success with providing 

students alternative educational opportunities, 

such as the Stanislaus Military Academy and the 

“Come Back Kids!” program, both designed to 

provide students with high school diplomas and 

job skills. 

We look forward to more years of supporting 

education and readying a diverse student 

population to become productive citizens and 

lifelong learners capable of achieving a 

successful future. 

OFFERING STUDENTS MORE 

LEARNING CHOICES 

Our schools offer students more learning 

choices than ever before. Specialized academies, 

middle college programs, private and public 

charter schools, the International Baccalaureate 

Program at Modesto High School, advanced 

academic and technical pathways, hands-on 

career technical learning, as well as private and 

public college and university programs, are 

popular and growing parts of this education 

landscape of choice in our community. In 

addition, our community collaboratives are 

doing everything possible to ensure success in 

these educational pathways: 

Above: Preparing students for life. 

COURTESY OF MODESTO CITY SCHOOLS. 

Below: Students, such as these 

graduates of the Come Back Kids! 

program, benefited from the 

community’s alternative 

educational opportunities. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY JUDY LEITZ. COURTESY OF THE 

STANISLAUS COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION. 

Education ✦ 115

Options like the IB Program offer 

• New partnerships between K-12, community 

college, and university leaders; 

Letty Blanco, the first college graduate in her family. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY VANESSA GARCIA. COURTESY OF MODESTO JUNIOR 

more learning choices than 

• Community-wide mentoring projects to link 

COLLEGE FOUNDATION. 

ever before. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY SCOTT MITCHELL. COURTESY OF 

MODESTO CITY SCHOOLS. 

adults to young students; 

• The Destination Graduation and Graduation 

MODESTO JUNIOR 

Coach efforts to increase high school completion 

and urge college attendance; 

COLLEGE SAVED MY LIFE 

• The Stanislaus Partners in Education (SPIE), 

now hosting over 300 school and business 

partnerships in the community; 

• “Love Modesto” and the neighborhood 

movements all over town linking faith-based 

and nonprofit organizations with our 

schools; 

• “Stanislaus Futures” aimed at increasing the 

college-going rate in our community. 

Despite all of these learning options and 

partnerships, only 16 percent of our adults, 25 

years of age and above, possess a bachelor’s 

degree or higher (compared to 30 percent 

statewide). No doubt our collaborative efforts 

with the early grades will change that, in time. 

Generational poverty in our area has taken its 

toll and the mountain to climb is steep. But, 

My life was a long list of bad mistakes, 

attitude, and trouble. I was involved in 

gangs and other activities that were getting 

me nowhere. I enrolled at Modesto Junior 

College and struggled. I felt as if I didn’t 

belong, but it wasn’t until I was accepted 

into the Extended Opportunity Programs & 

Services Bridge and CARE programs that I 

began to find my way. 

I always thought I was not good enough, 

smart enough, or had what it takes to be 

successful in life or in college. Today, I have 

a college degree. I am the first college 

graduate in my family. MJC saved my life, 

changed my life, and helped me create a 

great life. I will always consider this place 

my home. 

Modestans will rally and change this path for 

greater numbers of our youth in the future. - Letty Blanco, Class of 2015 

Our spirit of collaboration is as strong as 

ever. I was reminded of this when a champion 

for education and collaboration, Peter Johansen, 

passed away. He founded the Stanislaus Partners 

in Education and the Parent Institute for Quality 

Education locally. He contributed to many other 

ventures in support of learning. Modesto’s 

Johansen High School is named after him. 

Peter’s work and the work of hundreds of nonprofit, 

business, education, and government 

leaders is now paying off. The tipping point is 

within reach. 


EDUCATIONAL 

OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND 

My own institution, Modesto Junior College, 

contributes mightily to the ideal of educational 

access and opportunity for all in our community. 

Since 1921, this great college has paved the 

way for tens of thousands of learners who seek 

employment opportunities, skill improvement, 

certification, or transfer to the university level. 

Dr. Jill Stearns, president of MJC, states: 

Serving over 20,000 students each year, 

Modesto Junior College provides a clear transfer 

path for students to the university and to the 

workforce. MJC offers opportunity through 

access and a focus on student success in our 

outstanding educational programs.” Indeed, our 

alumni stories are filled with praise for the 

passion of MJC instructors and the benefits of 

the community college experience. 

Our community’s university, California State 

University, Stanislaus, has been a beacon for 

higher education opportunity in our region since 

1960. Students choose from 41 undergraduate 

programs, 23 masters programs, six graduate 

certificate programs, and seven school credential 

programs, as well as a doctoral program in 

Educational Leadership. For ten straight years, 

The Princeton Review has listed CSU, Stanislaus, 

among the top 380 universities in the country, 

while, in 2015, Money Magazine ranked CSU 

Stanislaus number one among the nation’s 

public universities that best help students 

“exceed expectations. 

Educational opportunities in Modesto and 

the surrounding region abound. Our community’s 

collective spirit is now focused on leading 

more of our youth to those educational opportunities 

and to building options for our college 

graduates to stay in Modesto and surrounding 

communities once they graduate. 

Modesto Junior College contributes to 

the ideal of educational access and 

opportunity for all in our community. 


CREATING A HEALTHY 

ENVIRONMENT TO 

LIVE AND THRIVE 

The Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation is 

pleased to be able to support many 

organizations, institutions, and venues in 

Modesto. We have underwritten education and 

scholarships not only in our local community, 

but also throughout Stanislaus County. We 

have been fortunate to have the assets and 

capability to collaborate with so many groups 

as they work tirelessly to help create a healthy 

environment in which to live and thrive. We 

hope the future will find us able to continue 

our efforts to enrich our community. 

Community organizations, institutions, and venues unite to 

enrich our community. 

COURTESY OF MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE. 

- John S. Rogers, President, 

Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation 

Education ✦ 117

WENT THROUGH HELL TO REACH HEAVEN 

A community that engages in 

conversations and actions around 

cultural competency. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY MEG GONZALEZ. COURTESY OF 

THE TUOLUMNE RIVER TRUST. 

My mother and father were refugees from Cambodia. In 1983, mom gave birth to me 

in a refugee camp near the border of Thailand. Life was dysfunctional in our family and 

my mother and father struggled to make ends meet. I found my way onto the streets of 

Stockton, where we had moved when I was eight. After my parents separated when I was 

ten, a life of gangs, drugs, and the juvenile justice system became my new normal. My 

siblings and I dropped out of school and I never completed my high school diploma. Our 

little sister, though, was the example in our family and became the first to graduate from high 

school and college. She reached out to me to take me off the streets and I found myself enrolled 

at MJC. 

That first semester I barely kept my grades above the financial aid requirement of 2.0. When 

I got my first financial aid check, I found the motivation I needed. I worked hard and improved 

my grades. I learned to write better. I studied hard. I listened to my instructors and mentors. I 

persevered. Commencement day in 2014 was one of my proudest days. 

Today, as a single parent of two, I’m working part-time for Stanislaus County Behavioral 

Health and Recovery Services as a group facilitator for the mentally disabled. Someone recently 

asked me what I’d like for my own children and I responded, for me, I had to go through 

hell to reach heaven. I hope they don’t have to go through the same, but find a different and 

better path. 

- Bunreth Sok, Class of 2014 

SERVING STUDENTS OF CULTURALLY 

DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS 

At this time, Modesto finds itself in one of its most pivotal moments with regard to education 

and serving its culturally diverse students. As a first generation Chicana (daughter of Mexican 

immigrants) born in the United States, I represent the growing number of minority students 

living in Modesto and its neighboring cities. Given that almost half of Stanislaus County’s 

residents are of Hispanic/Latino backgrounds (2010 U.S. Census, updated 2015), this number is 

expected to continue growing within various cultural/ethnic groups beyond those of 

Hispanic/Latino descent. 

As a recent doctoral graduate from California State University, Stanislaus, and as someone 

who understands the potential challenges and unique needs of first generation students, I feel 

privileged to be able to live in a community where conversations and actions around cultural 

competence played a major role in my own academic career and continue to play a role in the 

education of our students. Furthermore, this allowed me to feel valued and supported by the 

local educational institutions, which I attended while pursuing my bachelor’s, master’s, and 

doctoral degrees, without having to move away from my hometown. Additionally, the support 

and mentorship of local community leaders was invaluable to my educational success. Because 

of this support, I was able to marry my husband, whom I met in high school, purchase our first 

home, and work as a public servant for my community. 

I very much look forward to the future impact that Modesto will have while serving its 

students, especially those of culturally diverse backgrounds. 

- Janet Nuñez-Pineda, Ed.D., Community Leader 


“ STANISLAUS FUTURES”: 

PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY TO LOW- INCOME STUDENTS 

“Stanislaus Futures” is a long-term and large-scale effort to provide low-income Stanislaus County students the opportunity to 

achieve their college and career goals. 

Stanislaus Community Foundation is working closely with the College Futures Foundation, a respected statewide foundation, 

that has studied the experience and achievements of more than 20,000 low-income California scholarship recipients over time. 

We’re also collaborating with local education partners and philanthropists to build scholarship funds, align systems, and deepen 

family engagement around financial aid and college resources. 

“Stanislaus Futures” will focus on three key areas: Access, Attain, and Align. 

The Access focus involves educating students and their parents about college options and access to financial aid. A bilingual 

outreach coordinator provides culturally sensitive college and financial aid preparation and guidance for low-income, 

underrepresented students and their parents. Administrators and consultants support college counselors trained to help the 

transition to college and increase FAFSA completion rates. Financial aid information, scholarship links, and a common 

application for local scholarships are all provided on the “Stanislaus Futures” website. 

The Attain focus centers around building and administering strategic, needs-based scholarship funds to students with the most 

financial need. Together, Stanislaus Community Foundation, The Modesto Bee, College Futures Foundation, and donors from the 

community provide scholarships to low-income students who have the potential and drive to succeed in college, but lack the 

means. Stanislaus Community Foundation and The Modesto Bee present opportunities for Stanislaus County residents and 

corporations to invest in “Stanislaus Futures.” 

The Align focus involves working with high school districts and institutions of higher education to embrace best practices. 

Stanford’s John Gardner Center for Youth & Communities gathers and provides data and identifies gaps and opportunities along 

a student’s path through Stanislaus County’s K-12 system and into college. Stanislaus Community Foundation convenes working 

groups focused on key transition points among Stanislaus County Office of Education, local high school districts, Modesto Junior 

College, and California State University, Stanislaus. 

For more information, please visit www.stanislausfutures.org. 

- Stanislaus Community Foundation 

NURTURING THE SEED 

Receiving the scholarship made me realize, 

“Here’s the seed, just water it. Let it grow.” I 

don’t know if life would’ve turned out the 

same or gone different if it weren’t for the 

small seed that grew and blossomed. 

- Danny Mauricio, UC Merced Student, 

2014 Stanislaus Community Fund 

Scholarship Recipient 

“Stanislaus Futures” is helping Danny Mauricio achieve his 

college and career goals. 

COURTESY OF STANISLAUS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. 

Education ✦ 119

EDUCATION IS CRUCIAL TO 

HELPING FOREIGN- BORN RESIDENTS 

With approximately 20 percent of Stanislaus County residents identifying themselves as 

foreign-born and over 40 percent with a native language other than English, education is crucial 

in helping newcomers and language learners engage and achieve equality in our community. To 

that end, Modesto Junior College has opened the English Language Learner Welcome Center to 

directly assist students new to the country and new to English in the college matriculation 

process, including individual help with enrollment, registration, testing, and general advising. 

- Ruth Luman, English Language Instructor, Modesto Junior College 

HELPING LOCAL YOUTH ACHIEVE A BRIGHTER FUTURE 

Our region has been blessed with a sturdy economic backbone: agriculture. Water has brought contentment, health and, to some, 

much wealth. But we also face considerable challenges. 

We must reduce poverty and increase opportunities for all—in particular for young people. In an economy dependent on one 

major industry, we face growing workforce competition, dramatically shifting demographics, very low college completion rates, 

“brain drain,” a tepid entrepreneurial environment, and persistent poverty. 

Despite these challenges, we believe Stanislaus County not only stands a chance in the new economy, but has a powerful case for 

prosperity—but only if we unite to support our children in their journey from cradle to career. 

California faces a shortfall of college-educated workers in the next decade and that shortfall will deeply affect our county. 

To address this issue, the Stanislaus Community Foundation and The Modesto Bee have partnered in an unprecedented effort called 

“Focus on Futures.” The Foundation will provide “last dollar in” scholarships to college-bound students who demonstrate financial 

need as part of their “Stanislaus Futures” program, which is supported by local philanthropists, educators, and businesses. The Bee 

will create an expansive media campaign to raise awareness, celebrate success, and drive scholarship funds. 

As part of this initiative, the Foundation and The Bee are supporting and recognizing the work of dedicated, inspiring, and 

innovative educators already hard at work in our community: 

• Like Manny Escamilla, who survived south Modesto’s “Devil’s Street” to attend graduate school at Harvard and is teaching coding 

and life skills to underprivileged children in south Modesto middle schools. 

• The “Mighty Milers” running group at Wilson Elementary School, who run every Friday morning. 

• Ron Boren, a sixth-grade teacher at Tuolumne Elementary, who uses a song to solve mathematical equations. 

• The Grace Davis High School Language Institute and its director, Lindsey Bird, who is teaching English to immigrants and 

changing their lives. 

Other programs include local law enforcement walking young kids to school through tough neighborhoods; mentoring classes 

through Sierra Vista; classes for parents in a “café” setting; and a “pathway” at Peter Johansen High School that leads students into 

careers in digital film, game design, and video arts. 

Studies have shown that education and expectation are critical links to success not just of individuals, but of entire communities. 

Areas that become hubs of excellence also become magnets for the success that follows. That excellence always begins with education. 

The long-term goal of “Focus on Futures” is developing engaged, productive, upwardly mobile citizens who stay in the region and 

become its leaders. 

- Marian Kaanon, President/Chief Executive Officer, Stanislaus Community Foundation 

Ken Riddick, Publisher and President, The Modesto Bee 

Excerpted from articles originally published in The Modesto Bee. 


HEALTHCARE 

M ODESTO D ELIVERS L OCAL, 

H IGH-QUALITY H EALTHCARE 

BY COLLEEN O’ BRIEN PRESTON, RRT, RN 

MODESTO DELIVERS A 

FULL SPECTRUM OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES 

In every community, people become ill and require access to healthcare facilities, physicians, and 

treatment. Healthcare problems can be acute in nature: heart attack, fever, injury; can be chronic: 

hypertension, diabetes, cancer; can also be a mental condition: depression, substance abuse, stress. 

Women have unique needs related to pregnancy and childbirth, while children require preventive 

care for immunization against common disease, and monitoring their growth and development 

trajectory. Regardless of the nature of the health need, Modesto delivers, providing access to the full 

spectrum of healthcare services. 

Early in its history, Modesto healthcare leaders initiated a vision to develop a healthcare infrastructure 

capable of providing a “self-contained,” robust, and comprehensive network of medical services ranging 

from ambulatory and ancillary care, mental health, and hospitals, as well as programs encompassing 

county health services and federally qualified health centers focused on our underserved residents. 

Bruce Klein, Yosemite Wall, acrylic. 

EARLY 

YEARS 

Modesto became the county seat in 1871, which prompted the founding of medical services 

driven by both a societal and entrepreneurial imperative. The Stanislaus County Medical Society was 

Healthcare ✦ 121

thus securing its role as an essential organization 

responsible for preparing our medical workforce. 

MEDICAL 

PROVIDERS 

Above: Kaiser Permanente Hospital is 

part of the spectrum of healthcare 

services offered in Modesto. 

COURTESY OF KAISER PERMANENTE. 

Below: The historic Stanislaus County 

Hospital. Modesto has a long tradition 

of medical services. 


organized in 1894 and continues to this day. As 

early as 1903, the public “old county” hospital 

and existing private hospitals evolved and 

improved, attracting general physicians and 

specialists to Modesto. 

A plus for Modesto was the unexpected 

opportunity to establish a military hospital in 

1942 and the development almost overnight of 

the Hammond General Hospital, which was a 

magnet surgical center specializing in thoracic, 

neurological, and orthopedic surgery. Modesto 

Junior College quickly stepped up to assist in 

creating, expanding, and eventually supervising 

training programs for nurses and technicians, 

Today, ambulatory settings provide the 

majority of care, and so are very essential in any 

community. Modesto has a variety of choices for 

primary care access: multi-specialty groups, 

small groups, and solo practices that, over the 

years, have been very innovative and influential 

in establishing the current local hospital 

systems, including Doctors Medical Center, 

which is part of Tenet Health System; Memorial 

Medical Center and Stanislaus Surgical Hospital, 

which are both part of the Sutter Health 

network of hospitals and physician 

organizations; and Kaiser Foundation Hospital. 

Modesto’s citizens benefit from the 

comprehensive services of two major medical 

provider health systems: Sutter Gould Medical 

Group and The Permanente Medical Group. 

Both were formed in the 1940s, have similar 

models utilizing Epic electronic medical records, 

and supervise over 500 physicians capable of 

resolving complex medical conditions, or 

facilitating referrals to their respective network 

of specialists. In 1948, Sutter Gould began in 

Modesto as Gould Medical Group, which 

utilized the Mayo Clinic model of care, grouping 

multi-specialty physicians and ancillary services 

within a single medical office. Sutter Gould 

physicians have contributed to the growth and 

success of Memorial Medical Center since its 


in Modesto. This group has the depth of 

experience to care for Modesto’s children on its 

own, as well as offering referral connections to 

Stanford, UCSF, and Oakland Children’s 

Hospital as needed. 

There are also a number of solo, small 

internal medicine, and pediatric group practices 

available in Modesto, all who have their niche in 

the community. 

The many specialty group practices in our 

town, which include cardiology, orthopedics, 

obstetrics and gynecology, and ophthalmology, 

have fueled growth and expansion of advanced 

services at our local hospitals. Known for their 

contribution to cardiac care, Valley Heart 

Associates was founded in the 1970s. Originally 

Doctors Medical Center. Residents of 

Modesto have access to the 

comprehensive services of major 

medical provider health systems. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CORY WARNER, STUDIO 

WARNER. COURTESY OF DOCTORS 

MEDICAL CENTER. 

opening. The Permanente Medical Group arrived 

in the Modesto community in 1996, offering its 

long history of integrated care. It is now a major 

competitor, bringing additional physicians to the 

Modesto area, as well as adding its own Modesto 

Hospital in 2008. If care cannot be obtained 

locally, both Sutter Gould and Kaiser have access 

to specialized providers and hospitals across 

Northern California. 

For those who prefer care offered by a smaller, 

local multi-practice, Modesto is home to the 

McHenry Medical Group. Formed in 1969, this 

practice, which was founded by some of the 

internists and surgeons who practiced at Doctors 

Medical Center, has done much to enhance 

thoracic, vascular, and trauma programs. This 

group became First Choice Physician Partners, a 

nonprofit medical foundation committed to 

serving the healthcare needs of the community. 

They also expanded their services to include 

pediatrics, as well as opening additional locations. 

SAFE, HIGH- QUALITY, 

AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE 

At Memorial Medical Center, we are proud to be part of our community. 

And, as a not-for-profit health care organization affiliated with Sutter Health, 

we proudly offer safe, high quality, affordable healthcare, with excellent 

service to our patients. We are one of the area’s largest employers, and are 

committed to giving back to the community through numerous charitable 

contributions each year. 

– Daryn Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Memorial Medical Center 

FAMILY PRACTICE GROUPS 

Family Health Care, Orangeburg Medical 

Group, and Cornerstone Family Medical Group 

have been practicing in Modesto for several 

decades. Valley Oak Pediatrics, a comprehensive 

group specializing in the development, care, 

and diseases of babies and children, was 

founded in 1991. It brought together under one 

roof many of the solo pediatric physicians based 

Memorial Medical Center has grown along with the area. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CORY WARNER. COURTESY OF MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER. 

Healthcare ✦ 123

Family Health Care. The healthcare 

community of Modesto includes a 

variety of family practice groups. 

COURTESY OF FAMILY HEALTH CARE. 

LOCAL AND PERSONAL HEALTHCARE 

Modesto’s health professionals 

overcome challenges and changes 

to provide the best that medicine has 

to offer. 

COURTESY OF FAMILY HEALTH CARE. 

Currently in Modesto and the United States, we are undergoing major changes in medicine 

and the politics that affect healthcare. We have a diverse population with a spectrum of serious 

health problems and this challenges healthcare providers daily in their care and management. I have 

seen a number of positive changes with our area being designated a “nationally underserved 

healthcare region” and the implementation of a national healthcare program. While we still have a 

long way to go to serve our many people in the valley, these are moves in the right direction. 

As an established private practice providing healthcare for over thirty years, we have seen 

many previous, as well as recent changes. We expect many more evolvements as medicine makes 

advances on a population level and strives to treat large numbers of people as effectively and 

inexpensively as possible. 

In my years in Modesto, I have had the 

privilege of caring for multigenerational families 

from all walks of life. Our smaller community 

affords the opportunity to take care of people we 

work and live with every day, and to provide a 

personal touch of medicine you can’t find in 

larger cities. 

My hope is that as progress and changes go 

forward, we can continue to provide healthcare at 

a local and personal level rather than in a generic 

and detached bureaucratic fashion. We have an 

amazing group of families and individuals in the 

area that deserve the best that medicine has to 

offer. As medical professionals, we need to work 

to overcome any challenges and changes that 

might try to prevent us from doing that. 

-Tracy Brockman, MD, 

Family Health Care Medical Group 


TEACH YOUR CHILDREN 

As a youth in Modesto, my mother taught me to become involved with my community by 

helping families in need, but not just by giving things. “Things” go someplace to someone you 

may never know or see. We were encouraged to get involved. 

We volunteered for home therapy for a young girl with severe dystrophy. Five people were in 

her home, five days a week to prevent terrible contracture. We were part of a team. My mother 

volunteered weekly at the local hospital. She spent months working with my cousin, made 

quadriplegic in an auto accident, helping her to learn to work the BIRD, a new respirator. We 

turned her every few hours on a huge, round bed. I was 11, and proud of what we did. My 

mother was hands on; a true Modesto volunteer. 

Modesto offered me a great place to continue in her footsteps. I have been in medicine for 

over 35 years. I continue to see so much need for community service in Modesto; from the 

education and care of young mothers to the needs of our ever-growing homeless population with 

drug and mental health problems. Service comes in many forms. It needs to be taught, practiced, 

shared, and valued. 

– Jennifer Glover, Physician Assistant 

housed inside Doctors Hospital, it quickly 

expanded to include cardiac surgeons providing 

comprehensive services to Modesto and Central 

California. They are now affiliated with Doctors 

Medical Center as Valley Heart Institute, making 

available a full scope of cardiac services. Another 

association of entrepreneurial specialists became 

owner-operators of the Stanislaus Surgical 

Hospital, providing specialty surgical and 

procedural services. This facility is now a part of 

the Sutter Health network. 

Memorial Medical Center’s cardiac program 

is also well-regarded, with an accredited Chest 

Pain Center and STEMI Receiving Center. This 

means Memorial Medical Center provides a high 

level of expertise dealing with patients arriving 

with heart attack symptoms, including the 

ability to care for heart patients with a reduced 

time for diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. 

Memorial Medical Center is also one of the few 

medical centers that operates a Cardiac 

Independence Program, which provides 

comprehensive outpatient care and support to 

patients with heart disease. 

UNDER- SERVED 

RESIDENTS 

For the medically under-served, underinsured, 

and disadvantaged residents in 

Modesto, comprehensive care is available from a 

network of federally qualified healthcare service 

agencies known as Health Services Agency 

(HSA), as well as the Golden Valley Health 

Center clinics. HSA has outpatient clinics and 

public health services for all of Stanislaus 

County, an indigent health program, and a 

family medicine residency program affiliated 

with Doctors Medical Center. The residency 

program historically supplies family medicine 

physicians to area practices. Through its 

affiliation with Doctors, which has a Neonatal 

Intensive Care Unit, HSA offers after-care 

treatment for children through California 

Children Services. For pediatric cardiac care, 

HSA brings specialists from UCSF Children’s 

Hospital to handle special cases in our town. 

Golden Valley complements HSA with an 

additional range of services, which includes 

dental and on-site clinics at several Modesto 

schools, for families in need of healthcare. 

HOSPITALS 

Modesto is blessed to have hospitals that 

collectively administer over 1,000 beds for 

community care, as well as high-level 

specialized services. The existing hospitals 

encompass three major health systems, 

including Memorial Medical Center (Memorial 

Hospital), Tenet Healthcare (Doctors Hospital), 

Healthcare ✦ 125

Memorial Medical Center.. Modesto’s 

healthcare community provides 

nationally recognized quality of care. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY WILLIAM HARRIS, 

WILLIAM HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY. COURTESY 

OF MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER. 

and Kaiser Foundation Hospital (Kaiser 

Hospital Modesto). These health systems 

create a stable, continual physician recruitment 

base to practice within each hospital, as well as 

providing outpatient care to the community. 

All three of these hospitals are Joint 

Commission Accredited and nationally 

recognized for their Quality of Care. All three 

are certified Stroke Centers and have Cardiac 

Catheterization Laboratories, with Doctors and 

Memorial featuring long-standing cardiac 

surgery programs. Doctors and Memorial are 

both Level II Trauma Centers, offering services 

for emergent needs and the critically injured, 

augmented by air ambulance services that 

reduce the critical time period from accident to 

the operating room. Doctors Medical Center's 

Darroch Brain & Spine Institute offers both 

specialized neurological care and spine surgery 

care close to home. Doctors and Kaiser are 

equipped with Level III Neonatal Intensive Care 

Units for Modesto’s “smallest” residents, who 

most often stay in a hospital for up to two 

months, allowing families to remain in Modesto 

and “bond” locally with their new child. 

Additionally, Stanislaus Surgical Hospital 

contributes another 23 beds and a variety of 

COMMUNITY SUPPORT OF CRUCIAL SERVICES 

In the early 2000s, I was a newly licensed marriage family therapist who had stumbled upon 

eating disorders through a colleague’s family experience. Even though eating disorders were 

serious, life-threatening illnesses impacting millions of people in the United States, there was a 

profound gap in services for treatment in the area. Margaret Hunter and I co-founded our 

practice to fill that need in our community. 

Since we opened our doors in 2004, the Modesto community has supported our work, 

allowing us to provide crucial services to individuals from the Central Valley region and beyond. 

Modesto Bee health writer Ken Carlson ensured our work was consistently visible to the 

community, while the State Theatre helped increase awareness through the showing of bodypositive 

documentaries and speakers. Memorial Medical Center invited Stanford University’s 

Eating Disorders Division team to address area professionals, while the Center for Human 

Services initiated our training as interns, sending us to national conferences where we enhanced 

our skills under the tutelage of the world’s leading experts. Thanks to Modesto’s continued 

support, I am now president of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, 

San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, with my largest caseload continuing to be in my own 

hometown. My book, entitled No Weigh!, on which I collaborated with Dr. Shelley Aggarwall 

from Stanford University’s Eating Disorders Division and dietitian Wendy Sterling, who is the 

team nutritionist for the Oakland Athletics and consultant for the Golden State Warriors. No 

Weigh! focuses on attuned eating and overall intuitive self-care for adolescents. 

I realize it is sometimes tempting to be at odds with the community you and your family have 

been in forever, given that everyone knows your business. But, I will tell you that the benefits of 

a community that is “in your business” outweigh any negatives. 

- Signe Darpinian, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist 


specialties. Founded by entrepreneurial medical 

and surgical physicians, it is now affiliated with 

Sutter Health. Well-known and rated as a leader 

in hip and knee replacements, it has the 

ambiance of a “boutique” facility. 

HEALTHCARE 

VS. HEALTH 

Modesto has a world-class healthcare system. 

The providers and hospitals are equally 

dedicated to prevention, as well as caring for us 

when we become ill. Ultimately, we all want 

good health for ourselves and our families. In 

truth, we would be thrilled not to need 

healthcare. In reality, because it is part of life, it 

is important to know how Modesto residents’ 

health status rates, as well as what will make 

Modesto’s health as excellent as its healthcare. 

Our residents report that they have generally 

“poor health.” Unfortunately, Modesto is 

challenged by high poverty rates, low education 

levels, and uninsured and underinsured citizens, 

resulting in health disparities. Though we have a 

healthy farmers market, we also have an 

abundance of “fast food” restaurants. While we 

have a generally active population, our obesity 

rates for adults and children are higher than the 

rest of California. This can be a critical problem 

since obesity is the primary cause of diabetes, 

stroke, and heart disease. 

The essential question is, “What is needed for 

a Healthier Modesto?” The honest fact is, people 

in our community need to eat better, live with 

less stress, exercise more, and avoid destructive 

behaviors. We must live in a way that 

significantly reduces how much emergent care 

we seek. Our message to the residents of Modesto 

is to embrace health, correct poor behaviors, and 

begin to improve diet and exercise habits. This is 

the best approach to achieve the “health” 

proclaimed in our famous Modesto Arch: “Water, 

Wealth, Contentment, and Health!” 

Stanislaus Surgical Hospital. 


Healthcare ✦ 127

SIMPLE PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION 

YIELDS DRAMATIC RESULTS 

In the 1960s, the Stanislaus Medical Society obtained a federal grant to help migrant workers. The 

result was something we can all be very proud of. At that time, there were several migrant labor 

camps that opened in the spring for the harvest season. The camps were run by Stanislaus County, 

but the society hired the nurses and assistants to provide early intervention for health of pregnant 

women and children. 

At that time, children were kept in the fields by their parents when they were working. In hot 

weather, many children would develop diarrhea and arrive at Stanislaus County Hospital (renamed 

Scenic General Hospital in 1966) in serious dehydrated condition. Many very sick children took up 

an entire ward with dozens on IV fluid therapy. We called it, “The “IV Jungle.” Many pregnant women 

working in the fields would wait until the very last minute to come to the hospital for their delivery. 

Of course, none had received any prenatal care, so many would become high-risk deliveries. 

Under the leadership of pediatrician Dr. Rush Bailey, the nurse in each migrant camp was trained 

to educate the mothers about early observation of a sick child, along with early feeding of salt solution 

to avoid serious dehydration. The nurses also kept track of pregnant women by monitoring their 

weight, blood pressure, and urine for sugar and protein. Most private physicians in the county 

volunteered to work in the clinics, and none would turn down a call from the nursing staff. Within 

three years, the ward of “The IV Jungle” at Scenic was closed and high-risk deliveries were reduced 

by over 50 percent. 

The entire program was an excellent example of simple public health education and measures that 

resulted in dramatic results. The medical society ran the program for ten years until Stanislaus County 

became the program managers. Scenic Hospital then became the training center for the Family 

Practice Residency program that has grown from nine to thirty-two residents today. The growth of the 

residency program has been a godsend for our county due to our chronic physician shortage. We 

currently retain one or two out of every three graduate doctors every year. 

- Roland Nyegaard, M.D. 

Left: Roland Nyegaard, M.D. 

Right: The Stanislaus Medical Society 

served the underserved local 

population. 



ARCHITECTURE 

C UTTING E DGE D ESIGN 

BY ROBERT BARZAN 

PROGRESSIVE ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS 

In the early twentieth century west coast building journals, many articles referred to Modesto as 

one of the prosperous cities in the state. The journals’ editors were interested in Modesto because 

wealthy residents and developers were building numerous large residential, commercial, government, 

and community projects designed by some of the best architects in California. The progressive 

architectural projects reflected not just the wealth of the city but also confidence in the future. 

You can see many of those projects today. San Francisco architect Bernard Joseph designed 

the Modesto Arch (1912); the George Cressey residence (1912) at 915 17th Street; and the 

first downtown Modesto home of J. C. Penney (1911) at 1022 I Street. The original McHenry Public 

Library building (1911) by William Weeks still stands at 14th and I, one block from the beautifully 

restored McHenry Mansion (1883). Clarence Dakin designed and George Ulrich built the 

Hawke residence (1929) at 115 Magnolia Avenue. John Leonard was nationally known for his 

inventive bridge engineering, and three of his bridges are still in use: the Jennie-Grand Bridge over 

Dry Creek (1906), the Highway 99 Stanislaus River Bridge near Salida (1905), and our beautiful Lion 

Bridge (1916). 

Virginia White, Gallo Center for the 

Arts, watercolor. 

Architecture ✦ 129

California, laid out the 18-hole Oak/Bluff course 

at Del Rio Country Club, and Thomas Church 

and Lawrence Halprin designed many 

residential landscapes. 

Several local architects and engineers 

contributed to Modesto’s architectural heritage. 

City engineer Frank Rossi designed the addition 

to the library (1928) and Mancini Bowl (1949) 

in Graceada Park. George Hilburn’s B & T 

Market (1938) is altered but still stands at 

Eighth and H Streets. And many buildings by 

Herbert Ramont and Russell DeLappe remain. 

AN 

ARCHITECTURE 

LABORATORY 

The Cressey Residence, 1912; Bernard 

Joseph, architect. 


Along with these noted architects, several 

well-known landscape designers helped make 

Modesto beautiful. John McLaren, who 

designed San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, 

planned our Graceada Park, and Howard Gilkey 

designed the grounds of Modesto High School 

(1918), Modesto Junior College, and the Hawke 

residence. In 1946, William P. Bell, one of the 

most important golf course designers in 

Some of the most noteworthy buildings in 

the city are from the mid-twentieth century 

when Modesto became an architecture 

laboratory where both local and nationally 

known architects experimented with a new 

architectural style. They adapted European 

Modernism to our local climate and created 

Central Valley Modernism. Their experiments in 

Modernism drew national attention because 

they were on the cutting edge of environmental 

CUTTING EDGE ARCHITECTURE 

Architecture and design are at the very core of our community. As an 

architect, it is inspiring to work in a city with such an incredible history of 

cutting edge architecture. Even when Modesto was a small community, we were 

producing amazing buildings. I look forward to continuing this tradition as the 

city grows and building an even better Modesto for our future. 

I am fortunate to be an architect that now practices within the community 

that I was raised. Growing up, there were always certain buildings in Modesto 

that stood out to me, like the former City Hall Building and County 

Courthouse. I didn’t know why, but there was something different about these 

buildings; something that set them apart. It wasn’t until years later, when I 

myself started practicing architecture, that I took the Modesto Art Museum’s 

guided walking tour of downtown and discovered that these buildings were 

indeed special and a part of an amazing, mid-century modern architecture 

history within Modesto. This gave me a whole new appreciation and pride for 

the city that I call home. 

- Barrett Lipomi, AIA, principal architect, 

Pires, Lipomi + Navarro Architects 

Modesto City Hall. Modesto: A small community producing 

amazing buildings. 



Top: Hawke Residence, 1929; 

Clarence Dakin, architect. 


Middle: Dry Creek Bridge, 1906; John 

Leonard, architect. 


Bottom: B & T Market, 1938; George 

Hilburn, architect. 


and artistic design. The architects responded to 

the hot, dry summer with architectural features 

that provided shade and cooling, and they 

responded to the dark, wet winter with 

architectural features that provided light and 

shelter. But, what really set Modesto apart, what 

makes it a model for other cities even today, is 

the development of an architectural style that 

responds to the local environment in a way that 

is also aesthetically pleasing. 

The first attempts to create a Modernism that 

was appropriate for our area were made by John 

Funk with the Heckendorf house on Patricia 

Lane; Russell DeLappe with the Stanislaus 

County Hall of Records on I Street, both 

designed in 1939; and William Wurster with 

the Everett Turner house on Brady designed in 

the late 1930s and completed in 1941. All three 

buildings were praised for their innovation and 

design, but the Heckendorf house was held up 

as a model for future American house design by 

the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The 

museum included the house in three books and 

featured it in its trend-setting national 

exhibition on modern architecture Built in the 

USA. A photo of the house was on the cover of 

the exhibition catalogue. 

Again in the 1940s through the 1960s, many 

books, professional journals, and popular 

magazines published articles on Modesto 

buildings. The city’s national stature in 


Royal Robbins, Rock Climbing 

Pioneer, Camp 4 Wine Café. 

MURAL BY AARON “FASM” VICKERY. COURTESY OF 

AARON “FASM” VICKERY. 

CELEBRATING MODESTO THROUGH PUBLIC ART 

“Murals in Motown” is a community based mural project founded in 2012 by a small group of 

young professionals hoping to generate pride in the community through publicly displayed art. The 

volunteer led nonprofit highlights the wonderful elements of Modesto by showcasing the abundance, 

history, and accomplishments of the community through artistic portrayals of the seven most 

distinguishing attributes of our city: Hometown Heroes, Agriculture, Industry, Community, Culture, 

Parks & Outdoors, and Location. 

“Murals in Motown” relies solely on the charity of the community and has successfully raised funds 

to commission two murals. The first mural is an homage to Royal Robbins, a Yosemite National Park 

rock climbing pioneer, which also celebrates Modesto’s proximity to the park. This mural is located 

on the north-facing wall of the Camp 4 Wine Café. The second mural celebrates the rich and 

abundant agriculture and farmland surrounding our beautiful city. It adorns the south-facing wall of 

Dewz Restaurant. 

Also in 2012, Peer Recovery Art Project, another local nonprofit, launched a community arts 

initiative entitled, “Classic Community Murals,” which celebrates the city through our American 

Graffiti heritage. As the hometown of filmmaker George Lucas, Modesto provided the real life 

inspiration for his 1973 film, American Graffiti, which paved the road for a renewed appreciation of 

classic cars, rock ‘n’ roll, and “cruisin’.” 

The first mural commissioned by “Classic Community Murals” was a ’32 Deuce Coupe, the iconic 

car from the movie as driven by John Milner (actor Paul Le Mat). This car has become synonymous 

worldwide with the Graffiti experience. It decorates the north-facing wall of Peer Recovery Art 

Project’s office on J Street. As of 2016, “Classic Community Murals” has commissioned 13 murals 

focusing on Modesto’s rich Graffiti heritage. 

Murals like these not only tell a positive story about our hometown, but they also encourage the 

entire community to get involved, create, and celebrate. 

- Karlha Davies, Vice President, “Murals in Motown” 

architecture began with the Heckendorf house, 

and, in the following years, many other significant 

pieces of architecture were built and are here to 

enjoy today. The Modesto Art Museum has so far 

identified more than 85 Modernist buildings and 

landscapes from 1939 to 1972 by noted midtwentieth 

century designers including Frank 

Lloyd Wright, Gardner Dailey, Anshen and Allan, 

William Turnbull, Brian Green, Joseph Esherick, 

SOM, and many more. 


Top: Heckendorf House, 1939; John 

Funk, architect. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL GIBBONS. 

Middle: Walton House, 1957; Frank 

Lloyd Wright, architect. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ASHLEY PURPLE, ASHLEY 

PURPLE PHOTOGRAPHY. COURTESY OF NEVER 

BORING DESIGN AND CONTENTMENT HEALTH & 

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE. 

Bottom: The interior of the 

Walton House. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ASHLEY PURPLE, ASHLEY 

PURPLE PHOTOGRAPHY. COURTESY OF NEVER 

BORING DESIGN AND CONTENTMENT HEALTH & 


Not all the experimentation was successful. 

DeLappe’s adapted International Style plan for 

the Hall of Records included flooding the roof 

with water in an unsuccessful attempt to cool it 

during the summer. In the early 1970s, 

Christopher Alexander designed a group of 

buildings for the county mental health clinic on 

Scenic Drive that he considered of mixed 

outcome. The complex is a remarkable design 

and is significant because it helped Alexander 

refine his influential Pattern Language theory. 

Local designers Ray Abst, John Bomberger, and 

Kenneth Kaestner also made significant contributions 

to the development of Modernist design in 

Modesto, especially in the local banks and schools. 

Mitchell Van Bourg was clearly influenced by his 


Right: Modesto Commerce Bank, 

2008; Mark Horton, architect. 


Below: Modesto Savings and 

Loan, 1965; Mortensen and 

Hollstien, architects. 


Harvard professor, Walter Gropius, in his design 

for the new Stanislaus County Courthouse (1960) 

on 11th Street. The 1965 Modesto Savings and 

Loan Building at 10th and I by Mortensen and 

Hollstien is a Modernist gem. 

MODESTO ARCHITECTURE 

FESTIVAL 

GROUNDBREAKING ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS 

I have a fondness for Modesto. I grew up here. But, the affection for this 

wonderful town didn’t develop until after I had the opportunity to travel. I 

enjoyed rummaging through architecture in Arizona, Denver, Washington 

DC, and Nevada, to name a few. After those visits, I developed an 

appreciation for the history and culture Modesto has to offer. The city has 

some noteworthy architectural landmarks and was a testing ground for midcentury 

modern architecture during the ’40s and ’50s. Architects and 

developers together created groundbreaking designs that were, and still are, 

beautiful and functional, such as the Heckendorf House (1939) by John 

Funk. The excitement for me doesn’t stop in the ‘50s. The talented architects 

of today, along with forward-thinking clients, are dreaming up new and 

creative buildings. The future is bright for Modesto and the remarkable 

architectural gems are there for those willing to look. 

- David Burkett, AIA, architect 

Architecture is celebrated in the City of 

Modesto. Since 2008, the city has hosted the 

Modesto Architecture Festival, a multiple day 

event with dozens of free events, activities, 

talks, movies, and tours. Produced by the 

Modesto Art Museum and the Sierra Valley 

Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, 

the award-winning festival draws more than 

5,000 people annually. 

The architecture of a city and the interest and 

care that a community puts into its built environment 

tell us something about the people who live 

in that city. For most of the twentieth century, we 

see from their building and landscape projects that 

the people were confident and optimistic about 

the future of Modesto. They were willing to invest 

money, not just on utilitarian buildings, but on the 

best designed and aesthetically pleasing buildings 

that were possible at the time. They embraced 

experiments with cutting edge design, not just in 

commercial and civic building, but even in their 

own homes. These progressive people built the 

Modesto we know today. 

ENGAGED AND INVOLVED 

Modesto has a number of challenges, not 

the least of which is its general negative 

perception in the media. The cool thing 

about Modesto is the engagement by people 

to counteract this negative publicity. There 

is a unity of people putting efforts toward 

improving the city unlike anything I've ever 

experienced. This common enemy being 

met by people fighting for a common goal 

creates a uniquely exciting and positive 

environment. There are so many people 

here passionate about seeing their city 

succeed that makes it a great place to live. 

I call myself a Modestan because I am 

part of the solution here. I am engaged and 

involved in community development efforts 

and I feel like I'm needed and a part of the 

large team working to significantly improve 

our city. I have friends here, family here, and 

a hope for a bright future here. 

- Jay Pink, attorney, 

Gianelli & Associates 


BUSINESS 

I MPROVING THE Q UALITY OF L IFE FOR M ODESTO 

BY CECIL RUSSELL 

A RICH HISTORY 

The business community has a rich history that has prevailed for well over 100 years. The Modesto 

Chamber of Commerce was officially created in 1912 as a successor to the Modesto Business Men’s 

Association and the Modesto Boosters Club. The Modesto Business Men’s Club was comprised of a group 

of local business people who banded together to promote Modesto’s business interests. One of the organization’s 

first major accomplishments was the construction in 1912 of the iconic Modesto Arch, which 

spans I Street at its intersection with Ninth. The development of this centerpiece of Modesto’s growing 

downtown involved the entire community. A contest was held to select the design, as well as a slogan, that 

was later worked into the Arch. “Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health,” the phrase which actually took 

second place to “Nobody’s Got Modesto’s Goat,” still graces the Arch. This slogan continues to inspire and 

guide us today as a business community and a city of great neighborhoods. 

The Modesto Bee was started in 1924 as the Modesto News-Herald. It dropped News-Herald to 

officially become The Modesto Bee in 1974. E. & J. Gallo Winery was started in 1933, Foster Farms in 1941. 

McHenry Village opened in 1953. Doctors Medical Center was dedicated in 1967, Memorial Medical Center 

Brian Swander, Farmer’s Market, oil. 

Business ✦ 135

The Modesto Arch, 1912. 

COURTESY OF THE MCHENRY MUSEUM 

in 1970. Through the years, these businesses were 

key cornerstones of our economy and continue to 

thrive today. 

The Modesto Chamber’s mission has been, and 

continues to be, “To promote the region’s 

economic strengths and vitality; identify and 

promote services that are valuable to our business 

members; advocate for public policy that is 

advantageous to the business community; fully 

participate and partner in activities to improve 

quality of life for all of our citizens.” 

In the 1930s, the Chamber endorsed Ninth 

Street as the main highway artery through 

Modesto. It also supported the expansion of 

Modesto Junior College and drafted a long-range 

plan for an extensive list of local improvements. 

These included, among other things, enlarging 

our municipal airfield, as well as lobbying for a 

dormitory at Modesto Junior College. The fiveyear 

plan also included a new civic auditorium, 

an annual county fair, and the creation of Lake 

Modesto. A decade later, the Chamber advocated 

making Highway 99 a four-lane highway 

between Stockton and Bakersfield. In the 1950s, 

Modesto enjoyed post-war prosperity and 

received its first designation as an “All-America 

City.” The Chamber partnered with the City of 

Modesto to establish an industrial department to 

serve existing industry and to attract new 

companies to town. It was during this time that 

the plan was initiated to widen McHenry Avenue 

and Yosemite Boulevard. 

During the 1960s and early 1970s, Modesto 

had a thriving downtown, as well as a large 

A HOME GROWN BUSINESS 

Dan Costa. As an All-American 

city, Modesto is a perfect place to 

test market a product. 

COURTESY OF INNOV8 PARTNERS. 

I was born and raised in Modesto. I started multiple businesses here. Through the years, my 

hometown has proven to be a great place to do business. I like to compare it to a watermelon, with 

the rest of the country being the watermelon and Modesto its heart. That’s because, as an All- 

American city, it’s a perfect place to test market a product. If it works here, it’ll work anywhere. 

Modesto offers a terrific infrastructure for business, including a reliable work force, access to 

transportation, abundant raw materials, and a solid customer base. 

It’s also a place with a lot of folks like me who were born and raised here. When I visit other 

California cities, most of the people I talk with are not from there; they’re from “someplace else.” 

Not Modesto. Many local families have been here for generations. There’s a stability and comfort in 

knowing that. 

I have been fortunate to shepherd many successful businesses. That has allowed me to give back 

to the community that gave me my start. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing than living 

in and supporting the city I call home. 

- Dan Costa, CEO, Innov8 Partners 


usiness and retail complex at McHenry Village. 

E. & J. Gallo Winery and other businesses were 

continuing to grow in the Beard industrial tract. 

Save Mart Supermarkets grew from four to five 

grocery stores, eventually expanding to become 

one of the largest regional supermarket 

companies in the entire country. The regional 

Vintage Faire Mall opened in 1977, and the 

once thriving downtown business community 

began a transition to a new wave of retail. The 

mall also had its impact on locally owned 

businesses in McHenry Village. In 1988, the Red 

Lion Hotel, later purchased by DoubleTree by 

Hilton, and Modesto Centre Plaza also opened. 

REVITALIZING 

DOWNTOWN 

In the 1990s, plans were developed to 

revitalize downtown with the construction of 

new government buildings that included 1010 

10th Street. This facility became the new 

headquarters of the City of Modesto, as well as 

housing the consolidated Stanislaus County 

government offices. The Brenden Theatres 

complex was completed in 1999. New 

restaurants opened in this same time period, 

including Galletto Ristorante, an upscale, white 

tablecloth restaurant that owner Tom Gallo 

established in 2001 inside a converted and 

totally remodeled bank building. This new 

activity launched a resurgence and revival of 

downtown Modesto. 

A STORIED HISTORY 

During the mid-2000s, growth was hit hard by 

the great recession that impacted the whole 

country. Retail and other business were not only 

slowed, but many were forced to close. 

Local nonprofit groups have had an equally 

significant impact on the marketing of 

Modesto. The North Modesto Kiwanis 

undertook the resurgence of our American 

Graffiti heritage, sponsoring and producing an 

American Graffiti Festival & Car Show that has 

attracted over a thousand custom and vintage 

cars to Modesto every June since 1999. We have 

visitors from all over California and other states 

that come to participate and view this 

automobile extravaganza. 

Above: Modesto Junior College. 

COURTESY OF MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE. 

Below: Tenth Street Place. 


Modesto is a community with a storied 

history. The McHenry family has left a 

legacy on which the greater community was 

built. As Modesto grows, it is important to 

honor its past. The business community 

here understands that. With agriculture as 

the backbone of our economy, all 

sustainable business growth must never 

lose sight of that. To stay relevant we must 

grow and with that growth comes balance if 

we all work together for smart growth. 

- Ken McCall, Pacific Media Group, 

Stanislaus Magazine 

Business ✦ 137

A WIDE DIVERSITY OF INDUSTRIES 

AND COMMERCE IN THE VALLEY 

Owning a business that depends on local clients opened my eyes to the 

wide range of industries and commerce here in the valley. I wasn’t raised in 

Modesto, so the opportunity to work with business and public leaders has 

helped me connect with and understand my community. We have grown as 

a company and diversified our services to handle our client's marketing and 

advertising needs. 

Our clients rely on us to be experts on the technology side from digital 

marketing and social media to the latest web language, now that traditional 

media is a shrinking part of the marketing mix. You can blink and what you 

know of current technology has already changed. There is plenty of 

knowledge right here in Modesto.” 

- Julie Orona, Vice President/Art Director, 

Never Boring Associates, Inc. 

Since its opening in 2007, the Gallo Center for 

the Arts has become an icon that is a magnet for all 

things downtown Modesto. This started another 

uptick in business in our downtown. 

During major downturns in our overall 

economy, our agriculture industry, which is the 

major driver of our local economy, continued to 

thrive and expand. We also experienced the 

growth of a very strong and robust health industry 

that employs thousands in well-paying jobs. The 

new Kaiser Hospital, which opened in October 

2008, the expansion of Memorial Medical Center, 

the new Doctors Medical Center’s Valley Heart and 

Darroch Brain & Spine institutes have all 

contributed to this expansion. There have also 

been other rehabilitation centers that have located 

to our city, bringing with them many needed jobs. 

Slowly, our retail and service industry have started 

to recover and we are once again seeing growth in 

our overall economy. 

MODESTO IMPROVEMENT 

PARTNERSHIP 

In 2010, the planning started to replace our 

aging county courthouse. After many meetings with 

the Judicial Council of California’s state court 

system, the project was approved and funding was 

set aside to finance this replacement project. The 

City of Modesto and the court system settled on a 

downtown location encompassing an entire city 

block that will again promote resurgence in the core 

of our downtown businesses. This will be the single 

largest funded construction project in the history of 

downtown Modesto. After it is completed and 

occupied, a decision will be made regarding the best 

use of the old courthouse property. 

In 2015, the city and county agreed to support 

a downtown assessment district, which has the 

ability to self-assess funding for the purpose of 

improvements to established businesses in the 

downtown core. The district is known as the 

Tenth Street Plaza. A downtown 

assessment district will 

support improvements to 

established businesses. 



The Mary Grogan Park 

Soccer Complex. 


Modesto Improvement Partnership, which will 

work in conjunction with the existing Downtown 

Improvement District. The board of directors has 

hired a director and is in the process of developing 

an expenditure plan. With the continuing success 

of retail business at both Vintage Faire Mall and 

McHenry Village, as well as at other shopping area 

businesses, including an expanding restaurant and 

hospitability sector, we are optimistic that the 

service portion of our economy will continue to 

develop and provide employment. 

AN OPTIMISTIC FUTURE 

The city is currently examining all assets it 

owns, including the McHenry Mansion, McHenry 

Museum, John Thurman Field, the municipalowned 

golf courses, the Mary Grogan Park Soccer 

Complex, and Modesto Centre Plaza. This review 

is being done with the ultimate objective of 

exploring how to better market these properties, as 

well as developing an overall strategic plan to 

finance and manage these assets. The city is 

involving many groups in this review. Their 

recommendations will assist in the marketing of 

Modesto as a destination to attract more visitors, 

will help grow more tourism, and ultimately, will 

boost the economy. 

The city and county asked the voting public to 

support a half-cent sales tax increase to support 

badly needed transportation infrastructure. With the 

passage of Measure L, Stanislaus County can look 

forward to more and better roads. It will also give the 

county more leverage to obtain federal funding. It is 

believed it will help create more jobs and help 

support our existing industry, as well as bringing 

new industry and diversifying our economy. 

With all of these things in motion, we are 

optimistic for our future and confident we will 

continue to improve the quality of life for all of 

our citizens. 

ENTREPRENEURIAL HEARTLAND OF AMERICA 

When thinking comprehensively about our rich history of business 

and agricultural innovation and success stories, it becomes clear to me 

that Modesto and Stanislaus County are the Entrepreneurial Heartland 

of America. 

With our rich and fertile soil; our unique climate; high density of wise, 

multi-generational business entrepreneurs; talented C-level corporate 

executives; and somewhat limited, but mighty, supply of hardworking craft 

workers and laborers, we see a long list of world-class families and firms that 

have stood the test of time. On top of that, we have a community of faithful 

and generous benefactors who are the catalysts for a full array of community 

services intent on leaving no person behind. 

This beautiful reality is quite evident to those in our community who have 

previously experienced life in other parts of our great country before locating 

here. They number in the hundreds, if not thousands. There are scores of 

these individuals and families who would never trade away their sense of 

opportunity, of community, and all they have found here in Modesto. I am 

proud to be one of those persons. 

- Pete Herrmann, Principal, 

NextStep Business Consultants 

Business ✦ 139

MODESTO’ S TECH ECONOMY 

Technical vocational opportunities have existed in Modesto and neighboring communities for many years. Being an agricultural 

epicenter, Stanislaus County has been a hotbed for technological development in agriculture. However, in recent years, the existence 

of technological opportunities has begun to extend beyond the agricultural field and into IT and programming. 

In 2004, James Bates and David Darmstandler founded Datapath—a Modesto-based company that provides custom IT solutions 

to organizations. Datapath quickly found success as a service provider, with clients including large school districts, major 

municipalities, and fortune 500 companies. Their organizational impact garnered attention, and Datapath has been recognized each 

year by Inc. Magazine’s “500” and “5000” lists, as one of America’s fastest growing private companies from 2011 to 2015. 

While Datapath’s success put Modesto on the map as a provider of information technology services, significant strides have been 

made in recent years to further the growth of the computer programming community. Recognizing the existence of programmers 

within the greater Modesto area, Simeon Franklin, a programming language instructor for a Bay Area company, formed the Modesto 

Scripting Language Meetup (MSLM) in 2012. Though small initially, the Meetup began to unite a previously disconnected group of 

tech enthusiasts. When Franklin began work at Twitter in 2014, MSLM leadership was given to James Moore, who was later succeeded 

by Nate Bunney, the current MSLM organizer, in 2015. Over the past four years, MSLM attendance has grown in numbers and 

popularity. The existence of MSLM, a Modesto Google Developers Group, and other such groups has not only marked the existence 

of programmers in the Central Valley, but has also been a vehicle to foster both individual skills and a growing tech community. 

The rising attendance in social tech clubs, in addition to other indicators of a growing tech culture, caught the attention of the 

Stanislaus Business Alliance. David White and Kurt Clark recognized that Stanislaus County has long been a home to programmers 

who commute to jobs in the Bay Area. However, they also noticed the existence of independent contractors working in programming, 

graphic arts, and other tech-related fields. In 2015, the Stanislaus Alliance Small Business Development Center founded ModSpace to 

support the nascent tech economy within Stanislaus County. ModSpace is a collaborative workspace for independent consultants and 

entrepreneurs specializing in fields such as web development and computer graphics. Heather Rapinchuk is the current chairperson 

of ModSpace. In addition to housing local technical innovators, ModSpace has hosted several tech events, such as the 2016 Valley 

Hackathon. Organizers Nate Bunney and Phillip Lan helped grow the programming contest to include over 70 participants. The 

hackathons connect programmers in the Central Valley and raise awareness about Modesto’s budding tech economy. 

Oportun, a fin-tech institution with headquarters in Redwood City, California, caught sight of the emerging programming 

community in Modesto. In a progressive move, Oportun opened a Modesto location in April 2016 that now houses employees living 

in the Central Valley. With a limited supply of programmers in Silicon Valley, areas such as Modesto may help meet the growing 

demand for capable tech workers. 

Over roughly the past decade, the technological climate in Modesto has shifted. Programmers and IT professionals have begun to 

emerge in the area, as have companies to employ them. In the coming years, the Modesto tech community hopes to take the lead in 

providing growth opportunities for the Central Valley. 

- Phillip Lan, Digital Strategy Advisor, Business Development and Marketing at IBM, Hearst, and E.& J. Gallo Winery 

Nathan Bunney, Web Development Consultant; Founder, Inventaweb; Organizer, Valley Hackathon 

Heather Rapinchuk, Chairperson, ModSpace; Organizer, Valley Hackathon 

Left: Modesto Scripting Language 

Meetup united a previously 

disconnected group of tech enthusiasts. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY NATE BUNNEY. COURTESY OF 

MODSPACE AND THE VALLEY HACKATHON. 

Right: The Valley Hackathon helps 

raise awareness about Modesto’s 

budding tech economy. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY BONNI LAN. COURTESY OF 

MODSPACE AND THE VALLEY HACKATHON. 


CREATIVES 

A RTISTS OF THE C ITY 

BY KEN WHITE 

“Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.” 

- Bill Moyers, American journalist 

Everyone is a storyteller, everyone has a story to tell, and everyone appreciates a story well-told. 

Our lives, our experiences, and our world view are our stories. Each of us tells our stories from that 

unique perspective, whether it’s in a novel, a song, a painting, a poem, the volunteer work we do, or 

the way we live our lives. 

Michelangelo believed that every block of marble already contained a statue and it was the job of 

the sculptor to discover it. The same is true of every artist. We all carry the stories within us. We just 

need to find them and share them. 

A community is defined in part by its creative minds. Its success, vitality, and uniqueness are 

determined by the number and variety of genuinely visionary individuals a place can produce, 

cultivate, and share. Based on that metric, we feel Modesto is doing very well. 

Creatives are all storytellers at heart. They differ only in the form of their art. 

The following are profiles of some of the gifted creatives in our community. They tell their stories 

in their own words. They talk about their lives, their art, and their community. 

Dorian Gibbons, Geisha, acrylic. 

Creatives ✦ 141

military was left out – Navy, Marines, Army, Air 

Force, and Coast Guard. 

- Barry Day, Musician, Silvermoon 

https://www.facebook.com/Silvermoon- 

Band-146310275404038/ 

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR 

DREAM PROJECT? WHY? 

I would love to sing in Antarctica and 

Australia, so that I would have performed on all 

seven continents! 

Top: Tammy Jo Schoppet. 

Middle: Barry Day. 

Bottom: Annalisa Windberg. 

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a 

quickening that is translated through you into 

action, and because there is only one of you in 

all time, this expression is unique. And if you 

block it, it will never exist through any other 

medium and will be lost.” 

- Martha Graham, 

American Dancer and Choreographer 

- Annalisa Winberg, 

International Opera Singer, Educator 

www.Valley-Song.com 

WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED 

YOU TO BECOME 

AN ARTIST? 

Fingerprints in 3,000-year-old pottery! 

When I was 17, I worked at the Egyptian museum 

and spent hours staring at the ceramic work 

in glass cases. Twenty-five years later, a doctor’s 

recommendation to “get a hobby” started my 

artistic clay journey. 

- Tammy Jo Schoppet, Potter 

www.hobbypotter.com 

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR 

MOST REWARDING PROJECT? 

Without a second thought—traveling overseas 

to entertain our troops. Silvermoon had the 

honor to take two Department of Defense USO 

Tours, which included ten countries and a special 

performance on the hanger deck of the USS 

Enterprise aircraft carrier in the Philippines. We 

performed for over 100,000 men and women 

during our combined tours. No branch of our 

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER 

YOUR GREATEST 

ACHIEVEMENT? 

After 40 years of teaching speech and theater 

at Modesto Junior College, I consider my 

greatest achievement to have been touching so 

many people, both young and old, who took my 

classes and performed in my productions. I 

often have former students tell me how much 

my Readers’ Theater class meant to them as they 

pursued careers in education. Former actors 

often tell me that the production they were in 

was one of the highlights of their academic 


career. I also take great pride in the eight years 

that I was dean of the MJC Arts Division. During 

that time, I was a part of creating a new dance 

program, guitar program, humanities program, 

plus adding a diverse new staff in art, music, 

and theater. These instructors are now leaders in 

the arts community. 

- Jim Johnson, Ph.D., 

Educator, Director, Actor 

http://www.galloarts.org/ 

ANY REGRETS ALONG 

THE WAY? 

Sometimes I think of a life led down a 

different path, and I kind of fantasize scenarios 

fueled by endless “what ifs”: what if I went to a 

four year university, what if I pursued a different 

passion, what if I did something else, what if, 

what if, what if? But, in the end, no, I can’t say 

I do have any regrets. It all works itself out 

eventually, one way or another. And, if you like 

where you are presently, then you can’t really 

regret where you’ve been. 

- Erikka Reenstierna-Cates, 

Dancer, Teacher, American Repertory Ballet 

http://www.arballet.org/person/erikkareenstierna-cates/ 

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 

THE FUTURE? 

Annalisa and I have touched the lives of 

500,000+ students through our AmazingVox 

School Residencies, which will continue. Also, I 

have developed some remarkable partnerships 

in the international philanthropic communities 

that will probably lead to interesting collaborations 

in the Balkans and other fascinating areas 

of the world, both as organizer and performer. 

Finally, I am again reinventing myself as a 

singer. I have performed internationally as a 

dramatic baritone and heldentenor. Now, I will 

return to the baritone category of roles. It is 

exciting to begin a new vocal adventure. 

Above: Jim Johnson. 

Bottom, left: Erikka Reenstierna-Cates. 

Below: Roy Stevens. 

- Roy Stevens, 

International Opera Singer, Educator 

www.WinbergAndStevens.com 

WHY IS ART IMPORTANT? 

HOW DOES IT BENEFIT 

PEOPLE? A COMMUNITY? 

I think art is maintenance on the universe. 

There is an artist in everyone and it can help 

reveal to yourself what is important to you. 

Making art requires that you listen to yourself. I 

am sad to see how art in all its many forms is 

Creatives ✦ 143

A VIBRANT, INCLUSIVE WRITING COMMUNITY 

Writing can be a lonely endeavor, and breaking into the publishing world is 

often a frustrating experience. Many Modesto area authors have found 

camaraderie – and confidence – through a vibrant and inclusive local writing 

community. From informal groups meeting at local coffee shops to events centered 

around the downtown arts scene and Modesto Junior College, writers have a 

number of opportunities to connect and share their work with a larger public. 

MoSt (the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center) hosts a monthly Tuesday 

poetry series at local restaurant “Barkin’ Dog Grill,” inviting poets from our area 

and beyond to share their work. The Queen Bean Coffee House is the scene of 

monthly poetry nights hosted by Summer Krafft, where participants perform in 

front of a packed house and members of the crowd often join in during the 

open mic period. Another popular event is Modesto Junior College English 

professor Sam Pierstorff’s popular “Slam on Rye,” which showcases talent from 

Modesto and around the country. 

Through the Stanislaus County Library system, writers have an opportunity 

to share their work at various events, including the annual Local Author Fair. 

On a larger stage, writers can interact with readers at Manteca’s Great Valley 

Bookfest, and a number of Modesto writers participated in Fresno’s inaugural 

LitHop in 2016. Our local bookstores, Barnes & Noble, and the beloved 

Yesterday’s Books, support a number of local authors and provide a venue for 

reading and signing. 

Modesto’s small but thriving arts community guarantees that writers don’t 

have to go far to find those with similar passions and to reach a reading public. 

Stanislaus County Library Local Authors Fair. 


- Paula Treick DeBoard, 

Author of The Drowning Girls and The Mourning Hours 

Brian Swander. 

being sidelined or eliminated in our educational 

system. I believe that the natural creativity we are 

all born with should be nurtured and encouraged. 

Whether you want to become an artist or choose 

another path, creativity is the foundation of all 

problem solving. A community is often defined in 

part by its commitment to the arts. 

- Brian Swander, 

Painter, Musician, Carpenter 

http://www.brianswanderworks.com/ 

WHAT WORDS OF ADVICE 

WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE 

WHO WANT TO BE AN ARTIST 

LIKE YOU? 

Taken from the words of poet “Spoken 

Reasons.” F.C.H.W—Faith, Consistency, Hard 


Work. Secondly, be sure to practice as you plan 

to perform. When you perform, perform as you 

have practiced. Finally, when the going gets 

tough, the tough get going. Don’t let any 

obstacles block your aspirations. 

- Khalil Williams, 

Student, Saxophonist, Actor 

WHY DID YOU COME TO 

STANISLAUS COUNTY? 

WHY DID YOU STAY? 

I was born, raised, and educated in 

Stanislaus County, as well as Colorado. I’ve 

really been here most of my life with the 

exception of spending time in Italy, serving my 

country in the military, and spending some time 

in Hollywood with Paul Henning, the producer 

of The Beverly Hillbillies. I call this great place of 

Modesto home and I like it. 

- Roberto Chiesa, 

Filmmaker, Documentarian, Media Producer 

https://www.facebook.com/perrinmedia 

WHAT INFLUENCE HAS YOUR 

HOMETOWN AND STANISLAUS 

COUNTY HAD ON YOU? 

ON YOUR ART? 

I moved to Modesto in seventh grade. I had 

never really sung. I had a karaoke machine, 

but that’s about it. I joined choir. I started 

doing theater and taking voice lessons. My 

musical schooling began here and was so 

encouraged and fostered. I wanted to go to 

Juilliard and I didn’t have any musical 

background, outside of choir. My voice teacher 

suggested that I take classes and get some 

coaching, so I would be better at the theory. 

Everybody was so supportive of me. It felt like a 

huge achievement for all the people who 

had helped me finally get in. Modesto is a great 

place to grow up. I was afforded so many 

performing opportunities. 

Above: Khalil Williams. 

Left: Roberto Chiesa. 

- Morgan James, 

Singer, Songwriter, Actress 

www.morganjamesonline.com 

ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF 

CULTURE, TECHNOLOGY, AND CREATIVITY 

We are on the cutting edge of culture, technology, and creativity. And it shows in our growing 

community arts scene, our incredible youth-focused technology innovation program, CodeX, 

and the many other creative innovations exclusive to our community. 

We’re a mix of grit, passion, and flavor; from our food to our history to our people. I’m an 

example of what Modesto is to the core: Born and raised in South Modesto by Dust Bowl 

refugees who never gave up and had a dream to make something great for their family. I am 

continuing that tradition as a local business owner and community leader. I hope to pass that 

tradition on to my children. 

- Mike Daniel, Partner & CMO, Final Cut Media 

Creatives ✦ 145

Above: Mike Pascale. 

IN ONE WORD, HOW WOULD 

YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF? 

Right: Morgan James. 

Below: Carolina Stevens. 

Imaginator. 

- Mike Pascale, Artist, Writer 

https://www.facebook.com/mike.pascale 

WHAT IS ONE THING PEOPLE 

WOULD BE SURPRISED TO 

KNOW ABOUT YOU? 

I grew up homeschooling around the world, 

following my international opera singer parents. 

This has given me a fascination with other 

cultures, as well as the performing arts. 

- Carolina Stevens, 

Student, Stage Manager, Actress 

A few of the other creative people who have 

been profiled in Stanislaus Magazine include: 

Dorian Gibbons, painter, sculptress, designer; 

Nita Gunnarson, painter and educator; Dwight 

D. Mahabir, actor, singer, producer, director; 

John Mayer, educator, actor, director, producer; 

Scott Mitchell, photographer, educator; Wes 

Page, film, video, and radio storyteller and educator; 

Henrietta Sparkman, artist, educator; Jim 

Sanders, veteran, author; and Gillian Wegener, 

Modesto Poet Laureate, educator. 

“Creativity takes courage.” 

- Henri Matisse, French Artist 

Photographs by James A. Ewing. Interviews and 

images courtesy of Stanislaus Magazine. 

TREMENDOUS CIVIC PRIDE 

I have only been here four years, but the 

people I have met and the tremendous civic 

pride in this community are what really 

make me feel proud to reside in Modesto. 

- Kole Siefken, 

Westmont Hospitality 

Hotel General Manager, 

DoubleTree by Hilton 


THE BEST- KEPT SECRET 

IN MODESTO 

Sometimes it seems the best-kept secret in 

Modesto is at 1015 J Street. When people walk 

into The Mistlin Gallery, they’re amazed to find a 

well-lit art gallery, tastefully exhibiting the work 

of local and regional artists right in the heart of 

town. Regular visitors and participants in the 

monthly “3rd Thursday Art Walk” know better. 

The Central California Art Association (CCAA), 

an all-volunteer group that operates the gallery, 

has been a part of the community for years, and 

the beautiful Mistlin Gallery has been in its 

present location since 2004. 

First, a little history. In 1942, a group of local 

artists formed the Modesto Art League, which 

evolved into the Central California Art League in 

1952. The group was incorporated as a nonprofit a 

little over a decade later. For a number of years, the 

CCAA operated their gallery in the basement of the 

McHenry Museum. Once a year, they sponsored a 

Spring Art Competition, where art was displayed at 

the E. & J. Gallo Winery corporate headquarters. 

When the museum decided to expand into their 

basement, the CCAA had to relocate. With the help 

of generous donations from art patrons like Honda 

car dealer Tony Mistlin, Edna Mellis, and others, 

the current location was secured. 

The CCAA provides a number of services, 

including art education, art exhibition—both in 

the Mistlin Gallery and at other venues— 

cultural activities, and special events. CCAA has 

played a key role in Memorial Medical Center’s 

Complementary Therapy Program, which The Mistlin Gallery is a community treasure. 

provides therapy to cancer patients and PHOTOGRAPH BY VIRGINIA WHITE. COURTESY OF THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ART ASSOCIATION. 

caregivers through artistic expression. In 

addition, support and recognition for young 

artists in the region comes through the CCAA’s annual “Young@Art” exhibition, which features work by young artists from ages two 

to 18. The Art Scholar Program provides art instruction to underserved high school students. In recent years, the CCAA has expanded 

its outreach to area schools through their CLASS program, providing art instruction in public schools. 

However, the real appeal is the gallery itself. For those who enjoy and appreciate art, The Mistlin Gallery offers ten different exhibits 

each year, including several competitive events. The Gift Shop has one-of-a-kind jewelry, ceramics, and small format original artworks 

and prints, as well as cards for gift-giving. The gallery is open to the public and admission is free. It is a great place to view and 

purchase art. 

Plan on visiting the Mistlin Gallery regularly. You will see something new and different with each visit. And tell your friends. The 

Mistlin Gallery deserves to be a community treasure, not a best-kept secret. 

- Tony Pooler, President, 

Central California Art Association 

Creatives ✦ 147

OUR FUTURE 

O N THE R OAD THAT L IES B EFORE U S : 

T HE F UTURE OF M ODESTO 

BY CAROL WHITESIDE 

Linda Jones, California Foothills by 

Knights Ferry, watercolor. 

THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF THE FUTURE 

It is hard to write about the future of Modesto. There are so many alternatives and possibilities to 

consider. There are, however, a few things about which we can be fairly certain. 

The population of Modesto will continue to grow. It is estimated that it will reach as high as 

300,000 in 20 years. People from other parts of California, other states and nations who seek the 

ambient climate and affordable cost of living will come to our area. With high birth rates locally, much 

of the growth will be internal; simply expanding and growing the families who already live here. 

Modesto began as, and will remain, an agricultural-based community. Increased automation 

of agriculture will decrease the need for unskilled labor, potentially adding to an 

unemployment pool that is already too large. However, with more vertical integration of agriculture, 

and increasing global demand for high quality foodstuffs, we can safely assume that agriculture will 

continue to be an important part of the local economy, even as the number and kinds of jobs and 

industries grow and change. 

The local economy will continue to diversify. Diversification will be necessary to leverage the 

skills of the local work force, to build upon emerging technologies, and to provide access to new 

economic sectors. This trend, in turn, will promote upward mobility for the educated and talented so 

they can stay, live, and work in the area. 

Education for our young people will be more important than ever. The role of education will 

be critical if we are to assure prosperity for the growing population. The graduates of California State 

University, Stanislaus, and University of California, Merced, will help provide a better educated, more 

competitive workforce, but every school and every district has to prepare students to be part of this 

new economy. 


Many of the influences that will shape 

Modesto in the future may come from the 

outside. Our physical and social connection to 

the other metropolitan areas of the state will get 

stronger. Our challenge and our opportunity 

will be to manage the influences and pressures 

to ensure the future that we want, not one that 

is dictated by outsiders. 

URBAN FORM: 

WHAT WE BUILD 

Modesto has perhaps the most successful 

downtown for a city its size in the valley. 

Modestans worked together for decades to 

improve our downtown and to re-establish it as 

the “heart” of the city. Continued focus, building 

on the successful arts and entertainment venues 

provided by restaurants, theaters, museums, and 

the Gallo Center for the Arts, will create a lively 

downtown with appeal for everyone. Soon, a new 

high-rise courthouse will change the skyline, 

expand the footprint of downtown, and bring 

more offices, workers, and investments to the city 

center. Small shops, services, coffee shops, and 

even lofts or condos for those who want to live in 

a more urbane environment will enhance our 

downtown and provide a focus for the community. 

Modesto’s neighborhoods are strong and 

increasingly cohesive. First, the La Loma 

neighborhood, and then the College Area 

Neighborhood Association and Del Wood 

IRVINE NEW LEADERSHIP NETWORK— 

CREATING CITIZEN LEADERS 

The Irvine New Leadership Network (NLN), a new civic innovation 

project in partnership with The James Irvine Foundation, launched in 

Stanislaus County in September 2016. The NLN brings together business, 

nonprofit, education, government, health, faith, and media leaders to 

work in the “dynamic space” between sectors—finding common ground 

and building trust—and then working together on important initiatives in 


The overall goal of this program is to create a meaningful network of wellconnected 

citizen leaders who can help drive significant change in their 

community. To accomplish this, cohorts of 12 to 15 leaders immerse 

themselves in an intensive nine-day program, meeting three times over six 

months. These cohorts are then woven together to create one larger network. 

For more information, please visit www.irvinenewleadershipnetwork.org. 

- Stanislaus Community Foundation 

Neighborhood Alliance have formed coalitions 

of neighbors, who take some responsibility for 

keeping the neighborhoods safe and clean. More 

neighborhoods, organizing and pulling together, 

will mean lower crime rates, safer routes for 

children, and an environment that supports 

remodeling and updating existing houses. 

Land use and urban form have always been 

part of local policy discussions, and they will 

continue to be in the future. Development is an 

important part of the local economy, as the city 

Love Modesto, perpetuating the values 

of the community. 


Our Future ✦ 149

ARRIVING 

HOME 

I kissed my wife goodbye, turned, and boarded the bus. I put my right leg 

on the first step and hoisted myself up. I was not only climbing onto a bus; I 

was stepping out of my comfort zone. When I moved to Modesto from 

Phoenix, I vowed to become active in my new community. I heard about a 

unique program. One that exposed its participant to the movers and shakers 

who helped shape the area. “Leadership Modesto” was started by the 

Chamber of Commerce over thirty years ago and its alumni were the virtual 

“who’s who” of the community. 

The bus was heading to Bass Lake. The program starts with a weekend 

retreat. There, we would get to know one another, and spend a little 

introspective time focused on our personal style of leadership. I looked down 

the aisle and saw the faces of strangers who I would be not only spending the 

weekend with, but a Friday a month for the next ten months. 

I look back now at the moment, and recognize that it’s when I actually 

arrived home. Those strangers are now my friends. Today, I am an active 

member of the community and one that I hope is viewed as a positive 

difference maker. I found a bit of my voice on that bus. I also learned how 

lucky I was to now call this my town. 

For some reason, as a community, we are apologist. Sure, we have our 

challenges; what community doesn’t? Yet, what I found was that our people 

and their passion make this a place that not only has a rich history, but a 

bright future. 

- Elliot Begoun, Principal, 

The Intertwine Group 

and surrounding areas work to enable housing 

and jobs for the growing region, while 

preserving precious agriculture resources. We 

will have to build neighborhoods where 

residents can live together and perpetuate the 

values of the community. 

A SENSE OF OUR PLACE 

There are a variety of characteristics that 

make a place special and unique. A larger city 

and metropolitan area will bring challenges— 

more traffic, more crime, and greater frustration 

with the inconveniences that come with more 

people and crowded spaces. However, with 

more people will also come more amenities, 

including recreational activities for young 

people, shopping options, cultural venues, and 

economic growth. 

Our sense of place, here in Modesto, comes 

from a combination of experiences that 

encompass local knowledge, history, and our 

shared memories. It involves our unique 

experiences. We share an understanding of our 

place in the world; our connection to the land, the 

rivers and open spaces around us, our neighbors 

and neighborhoods, and our geography, as well as 

our demography. Our sense of place comes from 

the joy of concerts in the park and almond 

blossoms in the spring; from festivals and parades, 

charity events, bike rides, marathons, and cancer 

walks. Our sense of place is perhaps most 

uniquely demonstrated with the “Love Modesto” 

events that bring thousands of people out to work 

together to improve our neighborhoods and the 

community. There is a strong sense of place here. 

It is worth nurturing and protecting to make sure 

that Modesto remains a real community, not just 

an unconnected aggregation of streets, houses, 

and buildings. 

IT’ S THE ECONOMY AND 

ALWAYS HAS BEEN 

“Leadership Modesto” inspires, grows, and unites the next generation of leaders in our community. 

COURTESY OF “LEADERSHIP MODESTO.” 

We have the world’s best soil for crops. We 

have taken leadership steps to provide a water 

supply that will serve us well, even as we 

struggle with huge statewide issues like the 

drought and groundwater depletion. Our 

natural advantages will continue to support this 

“growing” part of our economy. Modesto has 


always valued agriculture, but it has 

traditionally been an assumption rather than a 

strategy. With increasing global demand for a 

safe, healthy food supply, an explicit strategy to 

support and ensure that our agriculture economy 

will remain healthy has to be a part of Modesto’s 

economic planning. 

However, agriculture alone is not sufficient to 

provide the economic engine needed to make 

certain that our growing city will prosper. 

Regional medical facilities and services are 

showing strong growth potential. Already, there 

are signs of a growing tech sector in the city. 

Work spaces for tech entrepreneurs, business 

incubators, and angel investors ready to provide 

capital and counseling could support home 

grown businesses, fundamental to a diversified 

local economic base. Creating and maintaining a 

workforce that can meet the needs of new 

businesses and economic sectors will continue 

to be a challenge for the region, and will require 

improved collaboration between educational 

institutions, employers, and public agencies. 

CIVIC 

ENGAGEMENT 

A bright future for Modesto will depend on a 

shared and sustained vision. Local government 

will increasingly play the role of facilitator as 

investors, business leaders, and philanthropists 

assume a greater responsibility for change and 

development. While the city may provide the 

zoning and infrastructure for a regional medical 

center, it will be the private sector that builds 

the clinics, hospitals, and labs. While the city 

oversees basic water, roads, and utilities, it will 

be the private sector that builds processors, 

manufacturers, and incubators. 

The El Viejo Post Office. The 

Modesto community nurtures and 

protects a strong sense of place. 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT MITCHELL. 

Below: Our community is making 

certain that our growing city 

will prosper. 



Our Future ✦ 151

A PLAYFUL OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT A SERIOUS ISSUE 

While hidden away, domestic and sexual 

violence is immune to cure, so it’s critical to 

open communication about this scourge. Haven 

Women’s Center of Stanislaus was founded in 

1977 as Haven/Stanislaus Women’s Refuge 

Center, providing domestic violence support 

services to battered women and their children 

in Stanislaus County. By 1993, following a 

merger with the Stanislaus Rape Task Force, 

Haven Women’s Center of Stanislaus became a 

comprehensive provider of vital community 

services and advocacy for victims/survivors of 

domestic violence and sexual assault. 

How do you get people talking now, so they 

can prevent it from happening? In 2014, to 

Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club supporting a Walk a Mile in Her Shoes ® event to raise public awareness of promote public awareness in Stanislaus 

sexual and domestic violence. 

County, Haven ran its first Walk a Mile in Her 

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAY RICO. 

Shoes (WAM) event in downtown Modesto. 

An ever-increasing number of men, women, 

and their families are joining the award-winning Walk a Mile in Her Shoes ® : The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual 

Assault & Gender Violence. A Walk a Mile in Her Shoes ® event is a playful opportunity for men to raise awareness in their 

community about the serious causes, effects, and remediations to men’s violence against women. 

Having walked in two of the three annual WAM events, I was one of 200 to 275 men who wore red high heels to gingerly and 

un-artfully walk roughly 1,700 strides from the Gallo Center for the Arts up I Street, over to 16th Street, back on J Street to 10th, 

and return to the Gallo Center, bruised and sore. As they say, “You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve 

walked a mile in their shoes.” But, in a perfect example of mind over matter, I was proud to not just have written a check in support 

of Haven, but to have joined these other men to publicly declare NO MORE to the criminal bullying and terrorizing done to 

vulnerable women and men. It’s not easy walking in these shoes, but the more we get men talking about the problem, the closer 

we’ll be to hardening the target by removing these despicable acts from the dark shadows into the light where we can better police 

the offenders and protect the isolated victims who desperately need our help. 

We encourage all men to walk in WAM every April in downtown Modesto. Every man’s voice counts to attack this insidious problem. 

- Phil Trompetter, Board of Directors, 

Haven Women’s Center of Stanislaus 

Civic engagement at all levels will be essential to 

tap into the newest and most creative ideas, and 

find ways to monetize opportunity, encourage 

entrepreneurs, and move nimbly to take 

advantage of trends and community choice. A 

stable local government that can facilitate change 

without controlling, in tandem with an 

interested, engaged civic sector, will enhance 

and expand the possibility for accomplishment 

and community prosperity. It is the tradition of 

visionary leadership shared between the public 

and private sectors that will guide and help steer 

the future. And that collaborative trait is a 

fundamental part of our character. 

THE KEY IS PEOPLE 

Young people, who left to find their fame and 

fortune elsewhere, are coming back to Modesto. 

They now see their hometown as a good place for 

their families; where their roots run deep and life is 

simpler and less chaotic than in the Bay Area or in 

Southern California. With them comes new energy 

and new perspectives. Their leadership and 


optimism is being felt in community organizations, 

businesses, and religious institutions. Local 

governments, educational support groups, 

charitable organizations, and the arts are all 

benefitting from the enthusiasm and participation 

of a new and/or returning generation of expatriate 

Modestans. 

Neighborhoods in Modesto are strong and will 

get stronger. Neighbors know each other, children 

can play together, and elementary schools serve 

the families who live in the area. Human 

connections—across ages, genders, and cultural 

backgrounds—create incredible bonds, and will 

be key to our successful future. Building on these 

connections, Modesto will find ways to include 

the rich cultural diversity of people, already living 

and working here, in our civic activities and 

community leadership, which gives everyone a 

stake in the success and prosperity of the 

community. Inclusion, participation, and mutual 

support will strengthen Modesto, and be 

important to our success in a global economy. 

NO 

GUARANTEES 

A successful Modesto has not been—and will 

not be—without its challenges. If there had not 

been an organized, informed, and inclusive 

civic culture, Modesto would never have 

approved the formation of a public utility 

district with its own power supply. That wasn’t 

an easy decision, and many opposed it, but 

Modesto voters saw a future that would give us 

inexpensive power and a safe and secure water 

supply. We continue to benefit from that 

foresight and vision today. 

Modesto also made the difficult political 

decision to build a convention center and a 

performing arts center to anchor downtown. 

Several elections revolved around whether or not 

those were good decisions. Today, those are no 

longer issues, and the old controversies have 

faded away. These decisions, which benefit us in 

the present, were the result of courageous, 

persuasive, and consistent leadership by 

Modestans in the past. 

Success is not certain. There are twists and turns 

in the road that lies ahead. We could reject new 

ideas and try to live in the past. We could fail at 

educating our young people, making employment 

an elusive goal. We could ignore the gangs, crime, 

Modesto is a great place to call home. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ADRIAN MENDOZA. COURTESY OF THE MODESTO CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU. 

MODESTO— A GREAT CITY TO GROW UP IN 

AND GROW OLD IN 

I foresee a day when the majority of the public and private conversation 

about our city is about the great servant citizens we have, neighbors watching 

out for each other, concerned about the well-being of the people on their 

block. Another thing we’ll be looking for is an intentional move by our local 

governments to invest resources to strengthening leadership at the 

neighborhood and community level. If we’re successful, we’ll see an increase 

in the numbers of churches, businesses, and citizens acting together on their 

own behalf to improve their schools, create more jobs, cut the crime rate, and 

make true the saying, “Modesto—a great city to grow up in and grow old in.” 

– Marvin Jacobo, Executive Director, City Ministry Network 

Originally published in the April 27, 2014 edition of The Modesto Bee. 

The key to strengthening Modesto’s 

success is giving everyone a stake 

in the success and prosperity of 


PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MURPHY. COURTESY OF 

LOVE MODESTO AND MODESTOVIEW. 

Our Future ✦ 153

and drugs that are a threat to our community. We 

could refuse to make the necessary investments 

that will be the foundation for the future. We could 

lose our sense of community and become just 

another bland agglomeration of roads, homes, and 

structures. But, based on the past; based on our 

history of courage, vision, and leadership, I don’t 

believe that will happen. 

I am confident Modesto’s future is bright. It is 

splendid in its diversity and opportunities. It will 

be exciting and worthwhile to be part of the 

coming decades in our city. It won’t be easy, but 

we have never taken the road most travelled. We 

have a history of taking the right road, 

overcoming obstacles, and reaching our goals. 

That is the future I am counting on for Modesto. 

Collaboration is a fundamental part 

of our character. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID JONES. COURTESY OF 

STANISLAUS COUNTY. 

AWARDS 

& ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Streetsblog California recognized Modesto for its bike-friendly improvements, naming it a 

“Bicycle-Friendly Town.” Streetsblog California is a website that informs Californians about ways 

to improve an outdoor lifestyle through walking, biking, and transit. By adding buffered bike 

lanes, building roundabouts, and walking paths like the Virginia Corridor, the city is becoming 

known for encouraging healthy outdoor lifestyles. 

Modesto topped the list of California cities taking part in National Night Out. The city won first 

place in the state for participation in its size category and finished fifth in the nation. National Night 

Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and 

neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. 

Glassdoor.com featured the E. & J. Gallo Winery in their online article, “9 Companies as Cool 

as Google.” The story featured nine companies whose corporate culture and values have 

consistently led to long-term employee and job satisfaction. According to the article, “Gallo is a 

large enough company that there’s plenty of room to move across the organization based on your 

career interests, but small enough to build relationships across teams and departments.” 

The city’s focus on technology earned Modesto a “Digital Cities Award.” The city deployed 

several projects that engage citizens and boost the city’s commitment to effective, responsive, and 

transparent government. Some of these include the police department’s Real-Time Crime Center 

and the GoModesto! mobile app. 

In a WalletHub report, Modesto was listed as the seventh “Most Fun” city in California, based 

on the number and variety of entertaining and cost-effective activities. The study compared the 

150 largest cities across 51 key metrics, ranging from “number of fitness clubs per capita” to 

“movie costs.” 

Modesto was ranked in the “100 Best Places to Live in the USA,” compiled by U.S. News & 

World Report. To make the list, a city had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a 

strong job market, and a high quality of life. 

- Amy Vickery, public information officer, City of Modesto (July 2015-July 2017); 

public information officer, Stanislaus County 

Excerpted from Our Community Matters, a monthly newsletter published by the City of Modesto. 


CONNECTING FOR GOOD 

The third “Connecting for Good” event took place on April 28, 2016, and 

brought a capacity crowd to Modesto Centre Plaza for a day with Dave Viotti 

and Smallify. As the day progressed, we watched hundreds of attendees 

develop bold yet actionable approaches to the vexing challenges they face 

daily in their community work. 

Stanislaus Community Foundation has supported the “Connecting for 

Good” event for the past three years, as one of many ways we invest in our 

region. All of our work—whether through our grantmaking, our conferences, 

or our regional initiatives—is underscored by a singular, core belief: Stanislaus 

is at a tipping point. 

What does it mean to be a community at a tipping point? It means we have 

a critical set of choices to make. We can choose business as usual: focused only 

on our organizations, led by our unique funding streams, building 

relationships only defined by contracts, focused on agendas and deadlines and the headlines that tell 

us we’re at the bottom of various national lists for various things. 

Or, we can make an entirely different set of choices. We can: 

• Choose mission over brand. Put aside your organization’s agenda and see yourself in a larger 

movement for change within your respective field, whether that’s education, healthcare, the local 

economy, etc. Ask yourself: “How can my organization’s mission align around a common agenda?” 

• Choose to view our community as a network or hive. When one of us isn’t winning, the rest of us 

aren’t winning either. This means open-sourcing relationships and building trust so that change 

happens quickly. 

• Choose relentless curiosity. We think we must possess all the answers when, in truth, we really could 

benefit from asking more questions. This commitment to inquiry leads to some challenging 

conversations about what we all take for granted as hard facts. It means we’ll tip some sacred cows 

on the way. 

• Choose empathy. Instead of averting our eyes, we can try to walk in the 

shoes of the people we want to help. We can cultivate deep empathy by 

putting aside our assumptions and learning what it means to be poor in 

Stanislaus County. We can begin to view the issues faced by the working 

poor, not from our perch as service providers and funders, but through 

the lens of the human being who experiences poverty first-hand. When 

you arrive at this place of authentic understanding, that’s when innovation 

can begin. 

• Choose experimental design. It’s not a linear path to solutions. Oftentimes, it’s 

the zigzags that lead to meaningful change, and these curves require 

patience and what I call “intestinal fortitude.” We all love our rigid plan and 

we all love our tangible programs. But, remain open to possibility and even 

serendipity along the way. 

• Choose to fail fast. The best way to learn is to try something new and fail at it. But, the key is to stay 

riveted by that failure so that it teaches you and refines your work. 

We see many individuals in our community already selecting from the above set of innovative 

choices, which makes it an incredibly exciting time to live in the Central Valley. For our part, Stanislaus 

Community Foundation will continue to invest in the local capacity for change through our 

grantmaking and our leadership initiatives. We look forward to supporting your good work. 

Above: “Connecting for Good” 

sessions help citizens develop bold yet 

actionable approaches to the 

challenges we face each day in our 

community work. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL WOOD, BILL WOOD 

PHOTOGRAPHY. COURTESY OF THE STANISLAUS 


Below: The Stanislaus Community 

Foundation invests in the local 

capacity for change. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL WOOD, BILL WOOD 

PHOTOGRAPHY. COURTESY OF THE STANISLAUS 


– Marian Kaanon, President/Chief Executive Officer, 


Our Future ✦ 155

TRIVIA 

I N P URSUIT OF M ODESTO M INUTIAE 


Michael J. Mangano, Michael J. 

Photography & Design, Echoes of 

the State, ghost photograph. 

Trivia can be defined as “unimportant facts or matters.” It also can be interpreted as “little known 

facts” about people, places, or things. For the sake of the following information, let’s use the second 

definition, since everything that follows may be little known to many, but historically significant 

nonetheless. That old 1970s game of Trivial Pursuit classified its trivia by distinct categories, so we 

will do the same to make it easier to find information that may be of interest. 

GEOGRAPHY 

Before white settlers decimated the Native American tribes inhabiting the area, four thousand 

Yokuts lived in the region. 

The initial crop grown in the region was wheat, which, until the railroad arrived, had been 

shipped by river to the Port of Stockton. 

The Central Pacific Railroad was responsible for the original mapping of the street grid in Modesto. 

Many of the original buildings in Modesto were moved from the river towns of Paradise City and 

Tuolumne City, including the two-story Ross House Hotel building, which arrived in two pieces. 

The Modesto Arch is located across the original state highway route that ran through town on I 

Street. The arch was dedicated in 1912 and christened with canal water. 

China Alley, in an area bounded by Seventh, Eighth, and G Streets, was active in the late nineteenth 

century. Tunnels as deep as 14 feet below ground connected many of the buildings in this area. 

La Grange Dam was built by the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts and completed in 

1893, but water did not flow into the irrigation canals until 1903. Anti-irrigation lawsuits 


stymied the completion of the system for 

ten years. 

Modesto threw an irrigation “jubilee” in 1904 

and took visitors on train tours of the entire 

irrigation district. 

ENTERTAINMENT 

Modesto’s first performance space was 

located in a loft above Ross Livery Stables on the 

south side of I Street, between Ninth and 10th 

Streets, according to early historian and former 

mayor, Sol P. Elias. It was called simply, “The 

Theatre.” The first presentation by the Modesto 

Amateur Company was Ten Nights in a Barroom, 

which premiered on February 9, 1872. 

On May 3, 1944, the Hotel Modesto burned 

in a spectacular fire. Among the throng of people 

watching the spectacle were Dorothy Lucas, nine 

months pregnant, and her daughter, Kate. Two 

weeks later on May 14th, Dorothy gave birth to 

George Walton Lucas, Jr. Kate would later say 

she was fearful her mother might go into labor 

on the street while watching the fire. 

Modesto High School graduate, Harvey 

“Harve” Presnell, was headed for a career in 

opera when Meredith Willson heard him sing 

and had him audition for the role of Leadville 

Johnny Brown in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. 

He played the role on Broadway opposite 

Tammy Grimes and on film opposite Debbie 

Reynolds. He would later be cast in several films 

and many television programs and play the role 

of Daddy Warbucks on stage in Annie over 

2,000 times. 

During the 1965-1969 run of Barbara 

Stanwyck’s The Big Valley on television, the 

Barkley clan often visited Modesto, since their 

ranch was located near Stockton. 

The Briggsmore Theatre, located on McHenry 

Avenue, was the first new movie theater since 

1934 to be built in Modesto. It was a state-ofthe-art, 

70mm, six-track stereo theater with 524 

seats. The first feature was The Sound of Music, 

which played for 14 weeks. At that time, most 

movies played in Modesto for a week, at most. 

This theater would later welcome George Lucas 

for the premiere of his Modesto-based film, 

American Graffiti, in 1973, and eventually host 

the local opening of Star Wars, in 1977, with the 

introduction of a new Dolby sound system, and 

comments from George Lucas, Sr. 

In 1976, Peter Bogdanovich brought Ryan 

O’Neal, Burt Reynolds, Tatum O’Neal, and the 

rest of his players to Modesto to film 

Nickelodeon. The movie was shot in and around 

town, using the old ice warehouses on Ninth 

Street as sound stages. 

Above: The 1904 Irrigation Jubilee. 

There are many little-known facts 

about Modesto. 


Below: The Ross House Hotel (center) 

arrived in Modesto in two pieces. 


Trivia ✦ 157

At the time it opened, the state-of-theart 

Briggsmore Theatre was the first 

new movie theatre since 1934 to be 

built in Modesto. 


In the early 1990s, famed movie star 

Elizabeth Taylor stayed in Modesto at the Red 

Lion Hotel (now the DoubleTree by Hilton), 

while visiting her seventh husband’s mother, 

who was hospitalized at Memorial Hospital. 

Construction worker Larry Fortensky had 

married Taylor in 1991 in her eighth wedding 

ceremony (she married Richard Burton twice). 

Modesto made its animated debut as the 

location of the DreamWorks Animation SKG 

film, Monsters vs. Aliens, in 2009. 

Modesto was the location of a highly 

acclaimed television series on ABC called, 

American Crime. With little help from the 

community because of its controversial subject 

matter, the series was filmed in Texas with some 

background scenes shot in Modesto. 

Modesto has been mentioned in song, 

including “Holiday Hotel” by Loggins & 

Messina, “Modesto, My Destination” by Carla 

Piper, and “Modesto, You’re My Home Town” by 

Carol Channing, and in television commercials, 

including a Henry Weinhard spot. 

HISTORY 

The story of the actual naming of Modesto is 

the stuff of legend. The closest and most 

accurate retelling is from Sol P. Elias in Stories of 

Stanislaus, where he says a convention was held, 

a vote taken and, with William Chapman 

Ralston in attendance and declining the honor 

of using his name, the Spanish term for modesty 

(modesto) was chosen “with great acclaim.” 

Modesto was founded in November 1870 

when the Central Pacific expanded railroad lines 

into California’s Central Valley. This was a year 

and six months after the completion of the 

Transcontinental Railroad and the driving of the 

“Golden Spike” in Utah. 

Modesto replaced Knight’s Ferry as the county 

seat of Stanislaus County in 1871. Knight’s Ferry 

had replaced LaGrange as county seat in 1865. 

During the early years after its founding, 

Modesto was as wild and lawless as any western 

town. Front Street (Ninth Street) had saloons, 

brothels, and opium dens. Gunfights erupted 

daily. It took citizens becoming the San Joaquin 

Regulators, a group of vigilantes, to turn 

Modesto into a suitable place to live. 

Over the years, Modesto has had several visits 

by influential politicians. Whistle-stop visits 

included President William Howard Taft in 1909 

and President Harry S. Truman in 1948. 

President Bill Clinton made a fundraising visit 

during his term in the 1990s. Candidate visits 

included Thomas E. Dewey in 1948 and Richard 

Nixon in 1950 and 1952. Both John Kennedy 

and Robert Kennedy were on whistle-stops that 

paused in Modesto, one in 1960 and the other in 

1968. Vice President George H. W. Bush spoke at 

Beyer Park during his 1988 presidential 

campaign. Democrat Michael Dukakis, his 

opponent, spoke at Mancini Bowl in Graceada 

Park shortly after his nomination. 

ARTS 

& LITERATURE 

Prolific pulp fiction author and creator of the 

famous Dr. Kildare books, Max Brand, was 

actually Frederick Faust, who spent his 

formative years living with his uncle, Thomas 

Downey, in Modesto. He would later credit his 

experience in the Central Valley as inspiration 

for the many western novels he wrote, including 

Destry and Destry Rides Again. Thomas Downey 

was the first principal of Modesto High School. 

Modesto’s second high school bears his name. 

Francesco Nicolo “Frank” Mancini, a cofounder 

of the Modesto Symphony and 

renowned Modesto High School music teacher, 

played in a visiting orchestra at the Strand 

Theatre and decided to stay. He had originally 


played with John Philip Sousa’s band at the 1915 

Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. 

Modesto native James Algar was a top studio 

executive and close confidant of Walt Disney. He 

is listed as one of the main directors of the 

Disney classic, Bambi. He was named a Disney 

Legend in 1998. 

John Martel, a 1948 graduate of Modesto High 

School, writes highly acclaimed “legal thrillers,” 

such as The American Lawyer. He is also a 

composer, former lawyer, and U.S. Air Force pilot. 

From her marriage to former Modesto city 

council member, Harry Kullijian, in 2003, until 

his death in 2012, Broadway legend Carol 

Channing frequently lived in Modesto and 

performed, especially in summer concerts with 

MoBand at Graceada Park’s Mancini Bowl. 

Modesto currently boasts many former 

residents active in the arts, including Oscarnominated 

Jeremy Renner, Emmy-winning Robert 

Ulrich, Emmy-nominated Timothy Olyphant, 

Broadway performer Jeremy Stolle, Tonynominated 

stage and cabaret performer Sharon 

McKnight, television performer Lindsay Pearce, 

and singer, songwriter, and actress Morgan James, 

among many others. 

A sculpture by Betty Saletta of two teens and 

a portion of a mid-century automobile adorn a 

tribute to famed film director and Kennedy 

Center honoree, George Lucas, at the 

convergence of McHenry, Needham, 17th Street, 

and J Street in downtown Modesto. 

SCIENCE 

& NATURE 

The Tynan Hotel, built in 1890 at 10th and H 

Streets, boasted the city’s first elevator and used a 

system of voice tubes for guests to communicate 

from their rooms with the front desk. The hotel 

also boasted a clock tower, but no clockworks. 

Graceada Park, created in 1907, was 

designed with the help of John McLaren, 

designer of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. 

Modesto was the first city in the nation to 

recognize the importance of aviation. In its 1911 

charter, the city included plans to develop a 

municipal airport. 

The J-7 (“The Rio”) airplane, which crashed in 

Modesto on July 14, 1921, killing local pioneer air 

pilot, Harold “Bud” Coffee, and three others, was 

built by Jacuzzi Brothers, Inc., in Oakland. It was 

one of the first airplanes built to establish 

passenger service. The J-7 featured room for seven 

in an enclosed cabin. The Jacuzzi family 

abandoned their airplane and propeller business 

after the crash, which also killed Giocondo 

Jacuzzi. They went into plumbing and invented a 

hydro jet whirlpool system now generically 

known as “the Jacuzzi.” 

Loeb’s Department Store, located on 10th 

Street, between I and H, had a system of 

pneumatic tubes to transport cash and other 

papers from the sales floor to the office. 

The Modesto Ash tree was developed for the 

hot climate and clay-like soil of the city and 

planted all over town. Thought to be disease 

resistant, the tree has proven to be susceptible to 

leaf blight and causes significant sidewalk and 

street damage with its prodigious root system. 

After co-founding the world’s largest privately 

owned winery with his brother Julio in 1933, 

Ernest Gallo became a marketing whiz; so much so 

that unique stories of his prowess are still 

recounted. From his “What’s the word? 

Thunderbird!” campaign to hands-on rearranging 

of wine displays in local stores on shopping visits, 

he made sure the Gallo brand was always up front 

and clearly visible. 

SPORTS 

& LEISURE 

Modesto’s baseball team has been called the 

Reds, Colts, A’s, and Nuts and has been affiliated 

with the St. Louis Browns (1948), Pittsburgh 

Pirates (1949-1952), Milwaukee Braves (1953), 

New York Yankees (1954-1961), Houston Colt 

.45s (1962-1964), Kansas City Athletics (1966), St. 

Louis Cardinals (1967-1974), Oakland Athletics 

Above: Television performer Lindsay 

Pearce is one of many entertainers 

born and raised in Modesto. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARILYN DAYS PHOTOGRAPHY. 

COURTESY OF CONTENTMENT HEALTH & 


Below: Graceada Park was designed 

with the help of John McLaren. 


Trivia ✦ 159

FAMILIAR MODESTO 

BASEBALL NAMES 

Modesto Reds, 1946-1961 

Jim Brenneman, 1961 

Pedro Gonzalez, 1959 

Bob Roselli, 1953 

Modesto Colts, 1962-1964 

Joe Morgan, 1963 

Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. The 

New York Yankees and San Francisco 

Giants practiced in Modesto during 

the rain-delayed 1962 World Series. 

COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF 

FAME AND MUSEUM. 

(1975-2004), Colorado Rockies (2005-2016), and 

Seattle Mariners (2017-present). 

Many famous players have found that their 

path to the major leagues included a stop in 

Modesto. Both Reggie Jackson and Rickey 

Henderson were named as Modesto’s representatives 

to the new California League Hall of Fame. 

During the 1962 World Series, seeking a place 

to practice away from the water-soaked field at 

Candlestick Park, the San Francisco Giants and 

New York Yankees traveled to Modesto’s 

sufficiently well-drained Del Webb Field (now 

John Thurman Field) to swing away. They would 

later resume the World Series in San Francisco 

when the rain stopped, with the Giants losing the 

series in Game 7. 

Downey High School graduate Joe Rudi was 

a three-time World Series Champion with the 

Oakland A’s and a three-time Gold Glove 

outfielder in the 1970s. 

Modesto’s Municipal Golf Course on 

Tuolumne Boulevard is located on the site of the 

city’s first airport, Bud Coffee Field. 

The Plunge was the name of a large swimming 

pool at Playland, a family recreation area located 

on Kansas Avenue near the Borden plant. 

Playland also boasted one of the finest 

steakhouses in the area. 

For those more daring, Nunes Drop near Morris 

and Virginia was the place to learn to swim and 

cool off in the triple-digit heat of summer. The drop 

was part of the irrigation canal at that location. 

Modesto’s Tisha Venturini-Hoch earned her 

place in United States’ soccer sports history by 

being part of both the 1996 women’s gold medal 

team at the Atlanta Olympics and the World 

Cup Champion 1999 women’s team. 

Modesto Reds, 1963-1974 

Pedro Borbon, 1968 

Jose Cruz, 1970 

Rollie Fingers, 1966 

Reggie Jackson, 1966 

Joe Rudi, 1966 

Ted Simmons, 1968 

Angel Torres, 1973 

Modesto A’s, 1975-2004 

Lance Blankenship, 1986 

Mike Bordick, 1987 

Eric Byrnes, 1999 

Jose Camacho, 1976 

Jose Canseco, 1984 

Nelson Cruz, 2004 

Mario Encarnacion, 1997 

Andre Ethier, 2004 

Mike Gallego, 1981 

Jason Giambi, 1993 

Rickey Henderson, 1977 

Chuck Hensley, 1981 

Tim Hudson, 1998 

Mark McGwire, 1984 

Scott Spiezio, 1993 

Nick Swisher, 2003 

Miguel Tejada, 1993 

Walt Weiss, 1985 

Curt Young, 1981 

Modesto Nuts: 2005-Present 

Nolan Arenado, 2009 

Chad Bettis, 2010 

Charlie Blackmon, 2010 

Corey Dickerson, 2010 

Dexter Fowler, 2007 

Ubaldo Jimenez, 2005 

Juan Nicasio, 2010 

Troy Tulowitzki, 2006 

Eric Young, 2007 


TIMELINE 

I MPORTANT D ATES IN M ODESTO H ISTORY 


THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 

1870 • In October, the Central Pacific Railroad completes the street layout for the new village of 

Ralston. As late as November 18, it is still referred to by that name in published newspaper 

articles, as buildings are moved there from the river towns of Tuolumne City and Paradise City. 

• At a convention of citizens, William Chapman Ralston declines the honor of having the 

village named for him, and, due to his modesty, the location is named Modesto. 

1871 • In a contentious election on September 6th, Knight’s Ferry loses its status as the county 

seat to the new town of Modesto. 

1872 • Construction begins on the Stanislaus County Courthouse built on property donated by 

the Central Pacific Railroad on I Street, between 11th and 12th Streets. 

• The first church built in Modesto is the Congregational Church on I Street, between 12th 

and 13th Streets. 

• Modesto School District is established for students in the community. It is governed by a 

board of trustees under County Superintendent of Schools James Burney. 

1873 • First Methodist Episcopal Church is built at 13th and H Streets. 

1874 • Modesto holds its first Fourth of July parade. This yearly patriotic display continues to this day. 

• The Brick Schoolhouse, Modesto’s first school, is built at 14th and I Streets. It is also 

known as Fourteenth Street School. 

1875 • Modesto Hook and Ladder Company, a volunteer fire department, is organized. 

• St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic parish is established in Modesto. A church is built three 

years later on Eighth Street, between J and K Streets, and is attended by visiting priests. 

1878 • Rogers Hall, a commercial building built on I Street near Front Street, houses the first 

“legitimate” entertainment space in Modesto on its second floor. The formal opening is held 

on New Year’s Eve with a ball by the Hook & Ladder Co. 

• Modesto Gas Company begins operation. In 1930, PG&E purchases its plant. 

1879 • The San Joaquin Regulators, a vigilante group, first appears. Formed in an effort to clean 

William Harris, The Pink Cadillac, 

watercolor. 

Timeline ✦ 161

up the “murky atmosphere” of Modesto, they will reappear for the last time in 1884. 

1880 • The population of Modesto is 1,693. 

1881 • Nearly all the businesses on Ninth Street (The Front) are destroyed by fire. 

• First Presbyterian Church is built at 14th and I Streets. The church had been organized in 1879. 

• Father Patrick Walsh is appointed permanent priest at St. Stanislaus Church. 

1883 • McHenry Mansion at 15th and I Streets is built by Robert McHenry (born Robert Henry Brewster). 

• There are 40 high school students enrolled in Modesto. 

1884 • The Daily Evening News is founded and publishes continuously as a daily newspaper under a variety of names through 

the present. 

• Modesto is incorporated as a municipal city on August 6th, with a population of over 1,000 people. 

1887 • California’s governor signs legislation March 7th authorizing the creation of irrigation districts. Modesto Assemblyman C. 

C. Wright introduced the bill. In mid-1887, local voters authorize the formation of the Modesto Irrigation District (MID). 

• Modesto High School graduates its first class on May 27th. There are seven girls and three boys and the ceremony is held 

at Rogers Hall. Among the graduates is future mayor and early historian, Sol P. Elias. 

• New homes are built east of downtown in the late 1880s. 

1890 • The population of Modesto is 2,402. 

• Dr. Thomas Tynan builds a grand Victorian hotel at the corner of 10th and H Streets. The Tynan Hotel has a clock tower 

without a clock and boasts Modesto’s first elevator, as well as rooms with fireplaces. 

1892 • Stanislaus County Hospital and Almshouse is built on Scenic Drive at a cost of $14,500. The Victorian structure will survive 

until 1950, when it is torn down to make way for a modern building. 

1893 • Rogers Fountain is placed in the intersection of 10th and I Streets. It is dedicated on Decoration Day, in remembrance of 

Rogers’ family members. 

• Modesto Ice Company, established by Admer Brown, begins business. 

• Modesto Bank Building is constructed at the corner of 10th and I Streets. It boasts a working clock in its clock tower. The 

building is remodeled in 1922 and replaced in 1941. 

1895 • Modesto Steam Laundry begins operation and continues in business for 114 years, until closing during the business recession 

in 2009. 

1899 • A high school district is established for secondary education. 

1900 • Modesto’s population is 2,024. 

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 

1901 • The Stanislaus County Courthouse gets a new Hall of Records. 

• Modesto’s first high school building is completed at 12th and L Streets. Eighty-one students attend school there, including 

eighth graders. 

1903 • I. E. Gilbert and Company General Store, on the northeast corner of 10th and I, becomes Schafer’s. It is underwritten by 

Oramil McHenry for his brother-in-law, George Schafer. 

• First water flows through miles of MID canals to irrigate the fields of Stanislaus County. 

1904 • The Modesto Irrigation District Jubilee is held April 21-22 to commemorate the opening of the irrigation canals and to 

celebrate the wedding of land and water. Trains take visitors from throughout the country on trips to see the irrigated fields 

of Stanislaus County. The city is ablaze with electric lights. California Governor and Mrs. George Pardee are in attendance. 

• Stanislaus County celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding. 

• The First National Bank of Modesto is completed. 

1906 • Oramil McHenry dies and his will bequeaths three 10th Street lots to the city plus $20,000 to build a library. The lots are 

sold and the library is built at a quieter location. 

• Rogers Fountain is moved to Courthouse Park because of increased traffic at its former location in the intersection of 10th 

and I Streets. 

1907 • Sixth Street School, also known as Pioneer and Longfellow School, is established at Sixth and I Streets. The school is sold 

in the 1930s and converted to a church. 

1908 • Modesto Canning Company begins operation on Ninth Street. In 1919, it is sold to Pratt-Low Preserving Company and 

later becomes Flotill, owned and operated by Tillie Lewis. 


1910 • Modesto’s population is estimated at 4,034. 

• Modesto adopts a new municipal charter. 

• George E. Wallace is hired as Modesto’s first paid fire fighter because he is good with horses. He is appointed fire chief in 

1911, a job he holds for 39 years. 

1911 • Real Estate Agent George Wren is elected mayor under the city’s new charter. 

• The Cressey Building, consisting of shops and apartments, is constructed on 10th near H Street. 

1912 • The Modesto Businessmen’s Association completes construction of the iconic Modesto Arch. Erected at a cost of $2,000, 

the arch’s foundation is christened with canal water. 

• Oramil McHenry’s bequest is realized when the McHenry Public Library is dedicated on April 29th. The building is located 

at 14th and I Streets. 

• A fire destroys the Modesto Creamery building. The Milk Producers Association of Central California purchases the Ninth 

Street site in 1918. 

1913 • The Modesto Theatre on 10th Street opens with a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, produced by 

the Modesto Chorale Company. 

• Modesto’s new St. Stanislaus Church is built in a Spanish mission style on Seventh and J Streets. 

1914 • The Hotel Hughson and Hotel Modesto give Modesto two new opulent options for travelers and residents. 

• James Apartments on I Street near the library are advertised as “strictly new.” 

• Thomas K. Beard’s house at 102 Sycamore is built. Beard is founder of the Modesto and Empire Traction Company and an 

MID director from 1901-1907. 

• The interior of Modesto Theatre is gutted by fire, but owner William B. Mensinger immediately rebuilds. 

1915 • Southern Pacific opens a new train station at the foot of J Street, across Ninth Street. The building matches St. Stanislaus 

Catholic Church’s Spanish mission style. 

1917 • Production begins at the Borden’s Condensed Milk Plant. 

• The Seventh Street Bridge, or “Lion Bridge,” is dedicated on March 22nd. 

1918 • A new campus for Modesto High School opens at First and H Streets with 545 students and a cost of $160,000. The campus 

remains in use today. 

1919 • William W. Higgins establishes the Modesto Band, later known as “MoBand.” Francesco Nicolo “Frank” Mancini— 

”Modesto’s Music Man”—takes over leading the band when Higgins dies in May 1922. 


• Modesto celebrates its 50th anniversary. 

• The resplendent Strand Theatre opens on 10th Street with The Mark of Zorro. Frank Mancini is a member of the grand 

opening orchestra and decides to stay in Modesto. 

1921 • Modesto Junior College is founded under a new California act that establishes independent junior colleges. It is the first 

such institution in the state. The first junior college student to transfer moves from MJC to Stanford in 1922. 

• Modesto’s flying ace, Harold “Bud” Coffee, and three others, including Giocondo Jacuzzi, die in a fiery airplane crash near 

Maze Wren Park on July 14th. 

1922 • A snow blizzard hits Modesto 

• The Black Building is constructed for $100,000 on I Street at 11th. 

1923 • Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts dedicate Don Pedro Dam on June 25th. 

• The first meter is installed and electric power reaches Modesto customers. 

1924 • George and Grace Covell open their upscale 70-room hotel at the corner of 11th and J Streets. The Hotel Covell is in the same 

block as the Hotel Hughson, and contains a movie theater known variously as the Richards, National, Princess, and Covell. 

The Seventh Street Bridge, or “Lion 

Bridge,” is dedicated, 1917. 


Timeline ✦ 163

1925 • Construction starts on the Beaty Building. Tenants begin occupying in March 1926. The building is one of the only 

remaining 1920s structures in Modesto. 

1929 • A new section is added to the Hotel Covell, bringing the number of rooms to 128. 


1931 • The first performance of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. Frank Mancini, Malin Longstroth, and Leonardo Fristrom 

founded the orchestra during 1929-1930. 

1933 • Ernest and Julio Gallo open a small winery in Modesto with $5,900 borrowed from Ernest’s in-laws, the Franzias. 

• The Modesto Daily Evening News changes its name to The Modesto Bee and News-Herald. 

• Harvey “Harve” Presnell, stage, film, and television actor, is born in Modesto. 

• The new Modesto Post Office opens in October at 12th and I Streets. The building’s lobby features hand-painted murals 

commissioned by the WPA. 

1934 • The art deco-inspired State Theatre, designed by famed architect S. Charles Lee, opens on December 25th. The first film is 

Flirtation Walk. 

1936 • Carl Shannon home is completed on 17th and I Streets next to Shannon Funeral Home. Shannon serves as mayor of 

Modesto from 1939-1950. 

1937 • The new Safeway grocery store opens on H Street. 


1942 • The first California Relays take place at the Modesto Junior College Stadium. The relays are an annual event until 2008. 

• Hammond General Hospital, the largest military hospital on the West Coast, opens in Modesto. Over 24,000 soldiers are 

treated there during World War II. 

1944 • The Hotel Modesto is destroyed by fire on May 3rd. The ruins will remain fenced-in until the late 1950s, when a new city 

hall is built on the site. 

• George Lucas is born on May 14th. Lucas will immortalize Modesto in American Graffiti in 1973 and launch the most 

successful film series in history with Star Wars in 1977. 

1946 • The Modesto Reds join the reestablished California “C” League as an independent baseball team.. 

1947 • J.C. Penney Department Store is built in downtown at a cost of $750,000. J.C. Penney’s nephew, Richard E. Penney, is the 

store’s original manager. 

1948 • President Harry S. Truman speaks to a crowd during a September 23rd whistle-stop at Modesto’s train station. 


• Richard Nixon visits Modesto while running for Congress. 

• Mark Spitz, Olympic gold medal swimmer, born in Modesto February 10th. He and his family move to Hawaii when he is 

two years old. 

1951 • Modesto’s second high school opens. The school bears the name of Modesto High’s first principal, Thomas Downey. 

1952 • Mike Piccinini and Nick Tocco open their first Save Mart Supermarket in Modesto on Crows Landing Road. 

• In October, Richard Nixon speaks at Courthouse Park while running for vice president. 

1953 • McHenry Village opens north of town on McHenry Avenue. It is the first major shopping center to lure businesses away from 

downtown. 

1954 • Stanislaus County celebrates its Centennial. 

• Look Magazine names Modesto an All-America City. The city wins the award again in 1972. 

1955 • B & T Market on H Street is renamed Angelo’s Market. Angelo’s had originally been the San Francisco Fruit Market. 

1959 • Modesto opens its third public high school. The school is named after educator Grace M. Davis. 

Left: Modesto Junior College is 

founded, 1921. 


Right: Hammond General Hospital, 

the largest military hospital on the 

west coast, opens in Modesto, 1942. 



Left: McHenry Village opens north of 

town on McHenry Avenue, 1953. 


Right: Modesto celebrates its 

Centennial, 1970. 


1960 • Modesto population is 36,585. 

• The new, red brick City Hall opens on the site of the old Hotel Modesto at 11th and H Streets. 

• Senator John F. Kennedy stops in Modesto while campaigning for the presidency on September 8th. 

1960s • Many homes built between Fifth and Sixth Streets are razed for construction of a Highway 99 freeway bypass. The sunken, 

six-lane roadway disrupts much of the neighborhood feel of this part of Modesto. 

1962 • The World Series comes to Modesto for a day on October 14th when the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees 

take batting practice at Del Webb Field. 

1966 • Modesto’s first private Catholic high school, Central Catholic, is founded. A campus is eventually constructed on Carpenter 

Road, near Maze Boulevard. 

1967 • The Briggsmore Theatre opens on McHenry Avenue on April 26th. The first film is The Sound of Music, which will play for 

14 weeks in 70mm and six-track stereo sound. 

1968 • Robert F. Kennedy stops to speak at the Modesto Southern Pacific Train Station on May 30 during a whistle-stop tour while 

campaigning for president. 

• Paul Tischer creates Modesto Youth Theatre and stages a production of The Boyfriend. The company will eventually become 

known as Modesto Performing Arts. 

• Movie and television actor Timothy Olyphant is born in Modesto on May 20th. 

• County Superintendent of Schools Fred C. Beyer and Assistant Superintendent Joseph Howard are killed in an airplane 

crash near Pacheco Pass on November 20th. 

1970 • Modesto population is 61,712. 

• Modesto celebrates its Centennial. 

1971 • The McHenry Public Library, built in 1912, is replaced by the new Stanislaus County Library, located on I Street. The original 

McHenry Public Library becomes the McHenry Museum. 

1972 • On November 27th, Ernest and Julio Gallo appear on the cover of Time magazine. Their winery is extolled as the largest, 

privately owned winery in the world. 

• Modesto opens its third public high school and names it for late Stanislaus County Superintendent of Schools, Fred C. Beyer. 

1973 • American Graffiti makes filmgoers around the world aware of “cruisin’” in Modesto. 

1975 • The Modesto Bee and News-Herald abbreviates the name on its masthead to The Modesto Bee. 

1976 • The Julio R. Gallo Foundation purchases the McHenry Mansion and gives it to the City of Modesto. After years of use as 

an apartment house, it is to become a museum. 

1977 • Sears and J.C. Penney flee downtown to relocate in the new regional shopping center, Vintage Faire, located near Highway 

99 in North Modesto. The indoor mall opens in March. 

• George Lucas’ Star Wars has a gala opening at the Briggsmore Theatre. The theater installs a new Dolby sound system for 

the occasion. 


1983 • The McHenry Mansion is opened to the public. 

• Professional opera star Erik “Buck” Townsend establishes Townsend Opera Company in his hometown. 

• George Lucas appears on the cover of Time magazine on May 23rd for an article about Return of the Jedi. The Star Wars universe 

has been featured on seven Time covers. 

1984 • As talk of refurbishing begins, a fire destroys the 64-year-old shuttered Strand Theatre. 

1988 • Modesto Centre Plaza, a downtown convention hall, opens on March 3rd with a gala, “Bob Hope In Person.” 


Timeline ✦ 165

1992 • Modesto’s fourth high school opens. It is named after former mayor Peter Johansen. 

1993 • Julio Gallo, innovative winemaker and co-founder of E. & J. Gallo Winery, dies in a jeep accident. 

1994 • The Hotel Covell is placed on the National Registry of Historic Places. 

1998 • The Hotel Hughson and Hotel Covell are demolished to make room for Tenth Street Place, a building housing a new city 

hall and county administration offices. 

1999 • The 18-screen Brenden Theatres complex opens on the site of the former Montgomery Ward Department Store and Strand Theatre. 

• Modesto gains national notoriety because of the Sund-Carrington murder case, as news reporters descend on the town to 

cover the “Yosemite Murders.” 


TH E TWENTY- FIRST CENTURY 

2001 • Modesto native, Ann M. Veneman, is sworn in as the 27th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2005, she 

leaves to become executive secretary of UNICEF. 

2002 • The Chandra Levy murder in Washington, D.C. again focuses national attention on Modesto. Chandra is a Modesto native 

working for local Congressman Gary Condit, whose political career is irreparably damaged by the crime. 

• More national attention is focused unfavorably on Modesto because of the disappearance of pregnant Laci Peterson on 

Christmas Eve. The story eventually evolves into a murder case with her husband, Scott, convicted of the crime. 

2006 • James C. Enochs High School opens in the Village One development. The fifth public high school is named after the city 

school superintendent. 

2007 • Co-founder of E. & J. Gallo Winery, Ernest Gallo, dies on March 7th at the age of 97. 

• Long talked about, often planned and never realized, Modesto finally gains a performing arts facility. The Gallo Center for 

the Arts opens its two theaters in September. 

• Construction begins on a new St. Stanislaus Catholic Church on Maze Boulevard. 

2010 • Modesto population reaches 201,165. 

• Modesto native and Beyer High graduate Jeremy Renner is nominated for a best actor Oscar for his performance in the 

years’ best picture winner, The Hurt Locker. In 2011, he is nominated for best supporting actor for The Town. 

• Modesto’s sixth public high school opens near Salida. It is named for late district administrator and educator, Joseph Gregori. 

2011 • A fire started by Christmas decorations causes extensive damage to the front of the McHenry Mansion. 

2012 • The Modesto Arch is refurbished with a new, low-energy LED lighting system and a new paint job in time for its 100th 

anniversary. Its twin flagpoles are also restored. 

2014 • The Modesto Historic Graffiti Cruise Walk celebrates the history of cruising and American Graffiti in downtown Modesto. 

2016 • Streetsblog California recognizes Modesto for its bike-friendly improvements and names it, “Bicycle-Friendly Town.” 

• Modesto places first in the state and fifth in the nation for cities its size participating in the National Night Out campaign. 

• E. & J. Gallo Winery is featured in an online article by Glassdoor.com entitled, “9 Companies as Cool as Google.” 

• Modesto earns a “Digital Cities Award” by implementing technology to provide better services to residents, including the 

police department’s Real-Time Crime Center and the GoModesto! mobile app. 

• WalletHub ranks Modesto as the seventh “Most Fun” city in California. 

2017 • Modesto is included in the “100 Best Places to Live in the USA,” compiled by U.S. News & World Report. 

Timeline compiled by Carl Baggese with research help by Judi Baggese. 

Left: Modesto Centre Plaza 

opens, 1988. 


Right: Joseph Gregori High School, 

Modesto’s sixth public high school 

opens, 2010. 

COURTESY OF MODESTO CITY SCHOOLS. 


AFTERWORD 

E VER A FTER IS H ERE AND N OW 

BY KEN WHITE 

In recent years, Modesto has unfortunately and undeservedly been maligned by being included 

in the top ten on a number of derogatory lists about places to live, work, or retire. Most haven’t 

been flattering. These are lists compiled by people who don’t live here. People who look at 

us through the prism of statistics and interviews with jaded refugees. Bloggers who sit at 

their computers and use Wikipedia for their facts and figures. News readers who get their 

information from less than reliable or objective sources. Few, if any, have ever set foot in our town. 

Some are folks who grew up here, had a bad experience, left, and continue to blame their malaise 

and misfortune on the town. Regrettably, these people have not, do not, and will not look below 

the surface. Or spend time here. It’s impossible to know a place without being a part of the fabric of 

that place. 

Yes, we have homeless, but we have people and agencies that try to help them. We have crime, 

but we have a conscientious corps of vigilant law enforcement and charitable volunteers to 

counteract it. We have eyesores, but we have devoted community activists who work very hard to 

beautify and maintain our city. We have pollution, but we have committed citizens working diligently 

every day to reverse that. We have poverty, but we have organizations and schools, selfless advocates 

and educators dedicated to assisting people to change their circumstances. We have auto theft and 

meth labs, but we also have Graffiti Summer and farmers’ markets. We are far from the urban cultural 

centers of San Francisco or Los Angeles, but we have a symphony orchestra, an opera company, a 

performing arts center, a theater company, a minor league baseball team, and a ballet company. For 

every Scott Peterson, there is a George Lucas, Jeremy Renner, or Ernest Gallo. A town is its people 

and ours are stellar. 

Modesto has grown and changed, as everything does. We have warts, but we also have unexpected 

beauty. We are not Carmel, Eugene, or Santa Fe. We are much more than many other places. Beauty 

is indeed in the eye of the beholder. So is blight. People will see what they want to see. You cannot 

paint it black, nor can you paint it white. It is, like all things, a spectrum of gray. 

Georgia Herrick, After the Rains, 

watercolor. 

Afterword ✦ 167

Making a difference by making 

it better. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS GUPTILL. COURTESY OF 

OPERATION 9-2-99. 

There are many in Modesto who are 

dedicated to making this a better place. 

Who are willing to praise it, not damn it. 

Some of them have contributed their stories 

to this book; a book we hope will also 

help change how our hometown is perceived 

and portrayed. 

Join us. Do your part. “Ever After” is “Here 

and Now.” You can make a difference by making 

it better. 

MAKING OUR CITY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE 

One of the results of Love Modesto that fulfills me so much is hearing about the high percentage of people who continue to 

volunteer and have pride in our city. The volunteer day is just a catalyst to spur people on to continual involvement in our city, 

neighborhoods, and schools. 

I want to see as many people as possible in our community reaching out and caring for others. This is really what Love Modesto 

is all about—loving our city year-round and not just one day a year. What if everyone knew and looked out for their neighbors? 

What if our schools were amazed by the number of people wanting to volunteer? What if our city became known for the 

overwhelming amount of loving foster families and known for how hard we work at keeping families together in the first place? 

Everyone can and should do something to make our city a better place to live. 

- Jeff Pishney, Executive Director, Love Modesto 

Originally published in the April 2016 edition of ModestoView. 

Loving our city year-round. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MURPHY. COURTESY 

OF LOVE MODESTO AND MODESTOVIEW. 


“ MODESTO SONG” BY GILLIAN WEGENER 

Modesto floats in people’s minds like a little formless island between one place and another. 

We know Modesto is not an island though, and the formlessness takes a thousand forms. 

Modesto has a middle-range voice, mezzo-soprano on some days, alto on others, 

And historically enjoys being accompanied by mandolin, harmonica, and standing bass. 

Modesto has alleyways, some dirt, some paved, some linking this thought and that. 

Walking down the alleys makes the neighborhood dogs bark in sequence. 

Winter in Modesto is a gray and hopeful gamble. Every day it might rain. It might not. 

Summer in Modesto is no gamble at all. Heat rises off the pavement like malevolent ghosts. 

Modesto isn’t someplace those not from Modesto think they want to live. 

Modesto ends up with its fair share of residents who are not from Modesto. 

Modesto is sometimes portrayed in films that need a Middle America. 

So far, we have not seen a realistic representation of our town called Modesto. 

Modesto has both a deep love for and a slight allergy to almonds, it turns out – 

They are thirsty, thirsty trees, but in spring we take family portraits amidst the blossoms. 

Modesto isn’t someplace that those from Modesto plan on staying 

Imagine the surprise at finding themselves parents of children born in Modesto. 

Caught on camera, Modesto can’t turn away from unflattering images. Of course, 

There is crime in Modesto; there are the thousand faces of grief and desperation. 

People from Modesto can tick off the names of movie stars from Modesto, 

But the writers, the musicians, the filmmakers, the painters…mostly anonymous. 

Modesto changes costume regularly. She cannot decide which she likes better – 

The pink and white flashiness of spring or the orange and yellow wildness of autumn. 

Many languages are spoken in Modesto: Spanish, English, Portuguese, Hmong. 

Also the languages of rivers, weather, seasons, streetlights, and traffic patterns. 

Caught on camera, Modesto can’t turn away from unflattering images. Of course, 

There is work to do in Modesto; there are the thousand faces of hope and action and love. 

Modesto’s history is made up of names and buildings and streets, of secret passage-ways, 

Of landmarks preserved, of landmarks razed, of trees and fizzled dreams and resurrected dreams. 

And in Modesto, the future’s unfolding – someone finds her footing, someone thinks big, 

Someone paints or writes or builds or plans, someone gathers others together, someone acts. 

In Modesto, the future’s unfolding – it’s chanting its Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health mantra. 

It’s looking into all the faces of all the good people of Modesto, eager to see what’s coming next. 

Afterword ✦ 169

CONTRIBUTORS 

ARTISTS 

Tyler Abshier creates landscapes and cityscapes rendered in a naturalistic combination of impressionism and sharp-edged realism. 

His goal throughout is to bring out the beauty of our ordinary landscapes in such a way that the viewer comes away with a new 

perspective on the region he or she lives in. http://studiosevenarts.com.host01.cfdynamics.com/portfolio-category/tyler-abshier/ 

Ed Ceseña is an award-winning painter whose work features, and was inspired by, the great jazz artists of past decades. Mostly 

self-taught, Ed began painting in his teens and hasn’t stopped since. “I just got to keep the brush moving,” he says. 

Chella has painted for over 50 years. She is a retired art instructor from the Modesto City School system. Her specialty is painting 

outdoor scenes (en plein air) of the disappearing farmland, as well as changing agricultural techniques and methods. 

http://chellaartist.com 

Randy Crimmel has been doing pottery since 1972 and teaching since 1991. He has worked to find his creative voice in the 

traditions of pottery and ceramic sculpture. 

Tom Duchscher, a native Californian, has been teaching design, sculpture, and ceramics at Modesto Junior College for the past 

forty years. Professor Duchscher’s work has been exhibited throughout Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. His sculptures 

are visual experiences in themselves and are subject to change with both the environment and the observer. 

Linda Jones Ewing was born in Modesto, California, in 1952. After spending 34 years in Southern California, she and her 

husband, James, returned to Modesto, where she began exploring a variety of art mediums. Linda is the granddaughter of Dr. J.C. 

Robertson, who began Robertson Hospital on 12th and J Streets in Modesto in 1919. 

Dorian Gibbons is a native Modestan. Drawing, painting, and other creative pursuits seem to have been ingrained in her DNA. 

Now retired, she is able to follow her inspirations to create in a number of mediums. http://uncommonephemera.typepad.com 

Georgia Herrick is a well-known local artist who has taught art for over 30 years, as well as serving in many other capacities with 

local and regional art groups. Her work, which encompasses portraits to landscapes and abstracts to still life, is rich and diverse. 

http://www.georgiaherrickfineart.com/ 

Bruce Klein is constantly surprised and spurred on by painting. It feeds his soul. He paints to trap small intellectual and emotional truths 

in a strong and original style. He feels lucky to be married to a beautiful woman who supports his life’s work. 

Yvonne Porcella specialized in bold and vibrant wearables and fabric art. Her work has been featured in major quilt shows, 

decorative art galleries and museums. She also wrote a number of books related to her work. Before she passed away in February 

2016, she taught and lectured at quilting conferences, symposiums, and craft schools throughout the United States and Canada and 

in Australia, Europe and Japan. 

William “Bill” Scheuber was born and raised on a dairy in Modesto. He started to paint and draw on napkins in 1970. His main 

subjects are farm scenes and lighthouses. His napkin art is found in collections all over the world. 

Sue Siefkin has been sewing all her life. Her textile “paintings” reflect her love of nature and travel. Using collaged cottons and 

silks, she hand dyes and paints her fabric to achieve her desired palette and adds extensive threadwork detail. A member of Studio 

Art Quilt Associates and Country Crossroads Quilters, she is a retired Superior Court judge. www.suesiefkin.com 

Nicole Slater specializes in painting people set in fashion, weather, and places. As an artist of diverse mediums and subjects, she 

uses her art skills, life art lessons, and art education (B.F.A.) to help others in their own art quest, dreams, and desires. She manages 

and offers classes at a public art space named “The Artist’s Loft.” www.nicoloeslater.com 

Henrietta Sparkman is a visual artist who enjoys working in different media and subject matter. She explores her own personal 

timbre and, through her eyes, you may discover your own perception and meaning. http://www.sparkmanstudios.com/Welcome.html 

Suzanne Staud has been designing and painting since high school. With encouragement from teachers and competitive recognition, 

she has made art her business. As one fellow artist said, “Suzanne’s art is who she is every day.” http://staudesign.com/ 

Glen Streeter has enjoyed a forty plus year career as an artist, art teacher, and student teacher supervisor. He has done 

commissioned work for the San Francisco 49ers, Save Mart, Budweiser, and Golden Gate Fields. He has won a National Art 

Competition and been featured at the Classic Art Gallery in Carmel. 

Brian Swander is a carpenter, printmaker, painter, and mosaicist. He translates his spontaneous sketchbook drawings into 

finished prints and paintings. Much like poetry, often only an echo remains of the original intention. What might begin in the 

sketchbook takes on a life of its own in ink or paint, although the fresh and lively character of the initial line drawing remains. 


Sandra Veneman enjoys working in many different media, but her true love is clay. Most of her art pieces have a very organic 

form, which reflects her love of creation, especially the oddities found in nature. http://thechartreusemuse.com/ 

Aaron “Fasm” Vickery started doing graffiti art in 1991. Considered by some a pioneer of authentic legal graffiti, he has painted 

all over North America. Most notably, he had a 72-foot mural on display at Facebook’s headquarters. http://www.fasm.net/ 

Virginia White is a retired art teacher from the Oakdale public schools who now paints full-time. She has been living and painting 

scenes of the Central Valley since 1972. http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/virginia-white.html?tab=about 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Bart Ah You 

Ed Aguilar 

Andrew Austin 

Carl Baggese 

Baird Photography 

Monica Barber 

Ted Benson 

Bicek Photography 

Lindsey Bird 

Nate Bunney 

Elizabeth Cardenas 

Brad Cornwell 

Linda Cruz 

Susan David 

Marilyn Days, Marilyn Days Photography 

James Ewing 

Fishbowl Photography 

Marc Garcia 

Vanessa Garcia 

Bill Gibbons 

Nick Giron, Nick Giron Photography 

Meg Gonzalez 

Frank Graham 

Heather Graves 

Chris Guptill 

William Harris, William Harris Photography 

Doug Holcomb 

Darin Jesberg 

Philip Johnson, Philip Johnson Photography 

David Jones 

Drew Kyler 

Bonnie Lan 

Dorothea Lange, Library of Congress 

Roman Loranc 

Michael J. Mangano, Michael J. Photography & Design 

Pablo Mason 

Adrian Mendoza 

Scott Mitchell 

Chris Murphy 

Dan Onorato 

Ruben Porras 

Ashley Purple, Ashley Purple Photography 

Janet Rasmussen 

Dulcey Reiter 

May Rico 

Damon Robbins 

Aaron Rowan 

Greg Savage 

David Schroeder 

David Silva 

Ashley Rose Tacheira 

David Todd 

Kate Trompetter 

Jeff Vespa 

Cory Warner, Studio Warner 

Virginia White 

Bill Wood, Bill Wood Photography 

WRITERS 

Carl Baggese is a retired journalist, communication specialist, and local history buff. He is the creator of the 

“HistoricModesto.com” website and the author of a photographic history of Modesto for Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series, 

as well as a postcard history book of Modesto for Arcadia. 

Robert Barzan is the architecture curator of the Modesto Art Museum, an honorary member of the American Institute of 

Architects, Sierra Valley Chapter, and one of the founders and producers of the award-winning Modesto Architecture Festival. 

Stella Beratlis is the author of Alkali Sink (Sixteen Rivers Press, 2015) and co-editor of the collection, More Than Soil, More Than 

Sky: The Modesto Poets (2011). Alkali Sink, her first collection, was a nominee for the Northern California Book Award in poetry in 

2016. Stella is the City of Modesto Poet Laureate for the 2016-2018 term. She is a librarian. 

Dr. George Boodrookas is a 27-year veteran of community college administration. He has served his entire academic career at Modesto 

Junior College in various capacities. He has served on numerous campus, community, regional, and statewide committees and organizations 

Contributors ✦ 171

focused on student access and success, community and workforce development, and fundraising. George is a proud native of Modesto. He 

graduated from Thomas Downey High School and earned his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, his master’s and doctoral degrees from 

CSU, Stanislaus. George is married to native Modestan, Anna (Skiles) Boodrookas, and they have raised two children. 

Mayor Ted Brandvold was elected in February 2016 and currently serves as chair of the Appointments Committee. He has served 

the community as a member of the Modesto Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustment, and as a board member for Casa de 

Modesto Retirement Center. He is also a current board member of Stanislaus Partners in Education. His vision is to create a collaborative 

City Hall driven to create long-term financial sustainability, increased quality of life, and significant economic development for Modesto. 

Mayor Brandvold has been a resident of Modesto since 1990. He and his wife, Jeri, have two children, Benjamin and Elyse. They also 

have four grandchildren—Eli, Avery, Ethan, and Allen. Mayor Brandvold is a licensed architect and is owner of a local architectural firm. 

Tom Ciccarelli has spent most of his career as a senior business executive and founder and/or director of local nonprofits, 

including Inter-Faith Ministries, Redwood Family Center, United Way, and the Stanislaus Family Justice Center. Deacon Ciccarelli 

serves as director of Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Affairs and is the administrator at St. Patrick’s Church in Ripon, California. 

Elizabeth Greenlee-Wight is CEO of Interfaith Ministries in Modesto. Modesto-born, she is the creator of IFM’s Feed Modesto 

programs, including the Free Mobile Farmers Market, and is the founder of the Artsy Folks collective and annual event. 

Mark Haskett is author/publisher of several fiction and non-fiction books, each with a spiritual theme or focus on faith. Currently 

board president of the Stanislaus County Interfaith Council (SCIC), Mark has lived in Modesto with wife Nancy, a retired teacher and 

prolific poet, since the 1970s. 

Dr. Jim Johnson is a retired Modesto Junior College instructor and dean. He is now the artistic director of the Gallo Center 

Repertory Company. He previously served for six years as the Gallo Center Arts Education Coordinator. He is currently serving as a 

board of trustee member for the Gallo Center for the Arts. He graduated with B.A. and M.A. degrees in Communication from 

California State University, East Bay, and a PH.D. in Communication Arts and Sciences from the University of Southern California. 

Garrad Marsh is a lifelong resident of Modesto. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he returned home and joined the family business, 

McHenry Bowl, built in 1959. After obtaining an M.B.A at Berkeley and negotiating the purchase of the company, he became the 

president and general manager. Garrad has been very active in his community, serving on the City of Modesto Planning Commission, 

the Modesto City Council, and as mayor. Garrad and his wife, Dallas, have four grown children and six grandchildren. Two children 

live locally and are raising their families here, while the other two are living in North Carolina and San Diego. 

Jennifer Mullen is with Visit Modesto, the official source of all the great things to see and do in Modesto. She works to create a 

positive economic impact in our community by marketing Modesto as the ideal destination for meetings, conventions, sporting events, 

tours, film production, and leisure travel. She is the past president of the Central Valley Tourism Association and currently the Northern 

California representative. 

Chris Murphy is the president and CEO of Sierra Pacific Warehouse Group, publisher and founder of ModestoView, Inc., cofounder 

of the Modesto Area Music Association, and founder of the Modesto Historic Graffiti Cruise Route and “Walk of Fame.” 

Capturing and celebrating Modesto’s history is his passion. Born in Yosemite and raised in Modesto, Chris worked globally in the 

cycling industry before returning to Modesto in 1996 to join the family logistics business. Chris is married to his artist wife, Rebecca, 

and has two daughters, Madison and Abigail. He is lead singer and guitarist for his band, Third Party, which donates their 

performances to nonprofits. 

Colleen O’Brien Preston is a “hometown Modesto girl.” She has been involved with healthcare for 42 years. She is currently 

director of population management for Kaiser Permanente in Modesto, which allows her to live her passion for promoting the need 

for more “health” rather than relying so much on “healthcare.” 

Dan Onorato is a retired Modesto Junior College instructor. He has been active in the Peace/Life Center since it started in 1970. 

Currently, he is a member of the center’s board and active in its many projects. 

Doug Ridenour, Sr., represents District Six on the Modesto City Council. Before being elected in 2015, he served 41 years at the 

city of Modesto Police Department. In addition to serving the people of Modesto, he enjoys photography, camping, and spending time 

with his family. 

Cecil Russell was raised in Manteca, California. He attended Modesto Junior College. After leaving college, he left the area. He 

returned to Modesto in 1986 as the vice president of Save Mart Supermarkets. Cecil retired in 2010 from Save Mart. He has been 

active in many Modesto Organizations, including the Modesto Chamber of Commerce. He became the president and CEO of the 

Chamber in 2011, which is the position he continues to hold today. 

Kate Trompetter is the development and communications director for the Center for Human Services. She is involved in many community 

efforts related to branding, culture, and tourism, as well as being active on several local boards and committees. Born and raised in Modesto, 

she is known to many as a “connector.” She is an accomplished musician and celebrates all things Modesto: music, culture, and community. 


Robert J. Ulrich is a partner in Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting and an owner of Stay Relevant Productions LLC. A native of 

Modesto, he is a seven-time Emmy nominee and winner of a 2011 Creative Arts Emmy for “Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series” 

(Glee). Over the last twenty-four years, he has cast more than one hundred different television shows, including the remake of the cult 

classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

Ken White retired from the worlds of advertising, corporate communications, and interactive entertainment to concentrate on 

writing and community service. Born in Lathrop and raised in Modesto, most of his stories are about his hometown and the Central 

Valley heartland. 

Carol Whiteside has been involved in the community and the San Joaquin Valley for decades. She served on the Board of 

Education for Modesto City Schools, the Modesto City Council, and was elected mayor of Modesto. She worked with local 

governments throughout the state for Governor Pete Wilson, and was the founder and president of the Great Valley Center. Carol and 

her husband, Judge John Whiteside, continue to be active in the community. They have two grown sons. 

Jeremiah Williams is a community leader/activist and owner of Oak Crafts by Jeremiah, a cabinet shop that has been in business for 

30 years. He attended local schools, Modesto Junior College, received an Associate Degree in Theology from Purpose Institute, and is a 

Leadership Modesto graduate. He has been involved in a wide variety of civic projects and organizations, including Healthy Start, 

N.A.A.C.P., Kiwanis (lieutenant governor, Division 46), Stanislaus County Human Rights (commissioner), King-Kennedy Center 

(president), Modesto Chamber of Commerce, Gallo Center for the Arts (founding trustee), Stanislaus County Fair Board, and Boys & Girls 

Club of Stanislaus County (founding board member). He is also a minister at the United Pentecostal Church. He has been married to Nancy 

for 30 years and has two daughters (Iris and Savannah), twin sons (Joshua and Jeremiah), and two grandchildren (Isaiah and Savannah). 

Wayne Zipser is the executive manager of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau. Born and raised in Ceres, he attended Modesto 

Junior College and Fresno State University before returning home to farm and form Zipser Farms, Inc., a farm management business. 

Having been involved with the SFCB for over 29 years, Wayne oversees all operations and is also an integral part of the management 

of the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition 

Carl Baggese Robert Barzan Stella Beratlis Dr. George Boodrookas 

Ted Brandvold Tom Ciccarelli Elizabeth Greenlee-Wight Mark Haskett 

Contributors ✦ 173

Dr. Jim Johnson Garrad Marsh Jennifer Mullen Chris Murphy 

Colleen O’Brien Preston Dan Onorato Doug Ridenour, Sr. Cecil Russell 

Kate Trompetter Robert Ulrich Ken White Carol Whiteside 

Jeremiah Williams 

Wayne Zipser 


INDEX 

# 

100 Best Places to Live in the USA, 

154, 167 

3rd Thursday Art Walk, 147 

5.11 Tactical, 76 

50 Plus Club of Stanislaus County, 40 

9 Companies as Cool as Google, 154, 167 

A 

Ag in Motion, 83-84 

agriculture, 11, 21, 70, 73, 76, 80-83, 

88, 90, 92, 120, 132, 137-138, 140, 

148, 150-151, 167 

agritourism, 82 

Al’s Drive-In, 34, 36 

All-America City, 23, 136, 165 

Almond Board of California, 24 

American Graffiti, 7, 11, 23-24, 26, 33- 

37, 40, 71-72, 74-75, 132, 137, 157, 

165-167 

American Graffiti Festival & Car Show, 137 

American Medical Response, 105, 110, 

112 

Amgen Tour of California, 69 

architecture, 12, 40, 68, 129-132, 134, 172 

Artists Open Studios, 64 

arts, 9, 11, 16-18, 23, 28-29, 31-32, 38- 

45, 47-48, 52, 55, 63-66, 68, 71, 74, 

115, 120, 129, 132, 138, 140, 143- 

146, 149, 152-153, 158-159, 166- 

168, 173-174 

Autumn Art Festival, 68 

B 

Barkin’ Dog Grill, 144 

baseball, 16, 69-70, 73, 76, 159-161, 

165, 168 

Beaty Building, 27, 31-32, 165 

Beaty, John, 31 

Beekman and Beekman, 66 

Bennett, Tony, 65 

Beyer, Fred C., 76, 166 

Beyer High School, 76, 167 

Black Building, 31, 164 

Blue Diamond Almonds, 66 

Blue Diamond Growers, 80, 83 

Bomberger, Bruce, 76 

Boynton, Ray, 32 

Brand, Max, 158 

Breakaway from Cancer ® , 69 

Brenden Theatres, 58, 74, 137, 167 

Brick Schoolhouse, 162 

Briggsmore Theatre, 157, 166 

Brotherton, Jack, 6 

Broughton, Esto B., 76 

Burge’s Drive-In, 33-34, 36, 75 

business, 7, 12, 16, 19, 22, 27, 31, 47, 

50, 59, 63, 67, 80, 87, 104-105, 115- 

116, 126, 135-140, 145, 149, 151, 

155, 159, 163, 171, 173-174 

C 

Cafaro, Erin, 76 

California League, 70, 160 

California Relays, 165 

California State University, Stanislaus, 

44, 95, 113, 117-119, 148 

California Women’s Music Festival, 63 

Camp 4 Wine Café, 30, 132 

Campus Crusade for Christ, 99 

car clubs, 34, 37 

Career Technical Education, 115 

Carnegie Arts Center, 44 

CASA (Court Appointed Special 

Advocates), 57 

Center for Human Services, 11, 48, 68, 

126, 173 

Center Stage Conservatory, 40 

Central California Art Association 

(CCAA), 39, 42, 64, 147 

Central Catholic High School, 166 

Central Pacific Railroad, 19, 26, 107, 

156, 162 

Central Valley, 8-10, 12-13, 16, 19-20, 

54, 56, 62, 68-71, 77, 79, 82, 88, 90, 

94, 99, 107, 126, 130, 140, 155, 158, 

172-174 

Central West Ballet, 39-40, 45, 63 

Centre Plaza, 24, 27, 58, 137, 139, 155, 

166-167 

Chamber of Commerce, 12, 15, 22, 28, 

31, 135, 150, 173-174 

churches, 9, 11, 19, 21, 47, 68, 79, 91, 

94, 96-97, 99-102, 130, 153, 162- 

164, 167, 173-174 

City Ministry Network, 17, 98, 101, 

111, 153 

civic engagement, 151-152 

Civil War, 89 

Clark, Candy, 34, 37, 71 

Classic Community Murals, 35, 132 

Classic Wine Vinegar, 66 

Coca-Cola Modesto Relays, 78 

Coffee Field, 58, 160 

Coffee, Harold “Bud”, 159, 164 

College Area Neighborhood Alliance, 111 

Come Back Kids!, 115 

community, 6, 8-13, 16, 18, 21-24, 27- 

28, 30, 32, 35, 38-53, 57, 59-60, 62- 

63, 65-68, 70, 72-74, 77, 82, 85-86, 

89-101, 104, 106-107, 109-110, 113- 

127, 129-130, 132, 134-137, 139-141, 

143-155, 158, 162, 168-169, 172-174 

Community Hospice, 53 

Concert in the Park, 63 

Congregation Beth Shalom, 43, 91, 101 

Connecting for Good, 155 

Contentment Health & Lifestyle Magazine, 

133, 159 

Cornerstone Family Medical Group, 123 

Costa, Dan, 7, 76, 136 

Covell Theater, 27, 31 

Cressey residence, 129-130 

cruising, 33, 35-37, 71-72, 75, 167 

cycling, 69, 173 

D 

Daily Evening News, 163, 165 

Darroch Brain & Spine Institute, 126, 138 

Datapath, 140 

Davis High School, 16, 76-77, 92, 95, 120 

Davis High School Language Institute, 92 

Day of the Dead, (Dia de los Muertos), 

68, 91 

DeLappe, Russell, 130-131 

Del Monte Foods, 24, 80 

Del Rio Country Club, 70-71, 130 

Del Wood Neighborhood Alliance, 149 

Dewz Restaurant, 132 

Dickens Faire, 68 

Didion, Joan, 12 

Digital Cities Award, 154, 167 

diversity, 8, 10-11, 21, 30, 67-68, 80, 

86-87, 89-94, 96, 98-99, 153-154 

Do Good Distillery, 66 

Doctors Medical Center, 122-123, 125- 

126, 135, 138 

DoMo Night Market, 67 

DoubleTree by Hilton, 37, 58, 137, 

146, 158 

Downey High School, 36, 71, 73-74, 76, 

160, 173 

Downey, Thomas, 36, 71, 74, 158, 

165, 173 

downtown, 8, 11, 17, 21-24, 26-32, 

34-37, 39, 46, 55, 58, 64, 66-68, 71, 

104, 112, 129-130, 135-139, 144, 

149, 152-153, 159, 163, 165-167 

Downtown Art Walk, 64 

Downtown Improvement District, 139 

Downtown Modesto Harvest Festival, 68 

Dry Creek, 15, 31, 60, 69, 78-79, 82, 

106, 129, 131 

Dry Creek Regional Park, 60 

Dry Creek Trails Coalition, 60, 82 

Index ✦ 175

Dust Bowl, 46-47, 86, 89, 145 

Dutch Hollow Farms, 67, 83 

E 

E. & J. Gallo Winery, 7, 23-24, 73, 80, 

135, 137, 147, 154, 167 

Earth Day in the Park, 68 

economy, 8, 20, 52, 80, 82-83, 114, 

120, 136-140, 148-151, 153, 155 

Ecurie AWOL Car Club, 75 

Edible Extravaganza, 68 

education, 9, 11, 22, 24, 32, 39, 42, 44, 

52-53, 55, 58, 73-74, 82, 88, 92, 94- 

95, 106, 108, 113-120, 125, 127-128, 

142, 147-149, 155, 163, 171, 173-174 

Elias, Solomon Philip, 24, 157-158, 163 

El Viejo Post Office, 22, 31-32, 151 

English Language Learner Welcome, 120 

Enochs High School, 167 

entertainment, 9, 11, 38-41, 45, 55, 62- 

64, 66, 68, 70, 149, 157, 162, 174 

Everson, William, 13 

F 

Faces of Stanislaus, 90, 92 

Faith in Stanislaus, 92 

Family Cycling Festival and Downtown 

Criterium, 68 

Family Health Care, 123-124 

Family Promise, 102 

farm-to-table, 64 

FAROS, 34-35 

Fat Tuesday Celebration, 68 

Felix’s Drive-In, 34, 36 

festivals, 12, 36-37, 40, 62-63, 66-69, 

71, 91-92, 94, 134, 137, 150, 172 

Fiscalini Farms, 82-83 

flower clock, 24 

Focus on Futures, 120 

Focus on Prevention, 9, 52 

Foster Farms, 24, 76, 135 

Fourth of July, 162 

Fred C. Beyer High School, 76 

Frito-Lay, 24 

Funk, John, 131, 133-134 

Funstrummers Ukulele Band, 40 

future, 6-13, 22-23, 30, 35, 40, 42, 50, 

52, 58-60, 70, 81-82, 99, 103-104, 

107, 113-118, 120, 129-131, 134, 

139, 143, 148-154, 163, 170 

G 

Galletto Ristorante, 27, 137 

Gallo Center for the Arts, 11, 16-18, 23, 

28-29, 39-43, 45, 55, 64-65, 94, 129, 

138, 149, 152, 167, 173-174 

Gallo Center Repertory Company, 40, 173 

Gallo, Ernest, 22, 159, 167-168 

Gallo Glass, 24 

Gallo, Julio, 22, 72-73, 165-167 

Gallo Foundation, Julio R., 65, 166 

Gallo Winery, E. & J., 7, 23-24, 73, 80, 

135, 137, 147, 154, 167 

George Lucas Educational Foundation, 74 

Glassdoor.com, 154, 167 

gold, 10, 20, 69, 76, 86-88, 113, 160, 165 

Golden Gate Park, 22, 130, 159 

Golden Valley Health Center, 125 

golf, 57, 70-71, 130, 139, 160 

Gould Medical Group, 122 

government, 8-9, 11, 27, 52, 54, 56, 59, 

73, 103-105, 111, 116, 129, 137, 

149, 151-152, 154 

Grace Davis High School, 16, 92, 95, 120 

Graceada Park, 22, 63, 68, 130, 158-159 

Graffiti Summer, 34-35, 37, 71, 168 

Graham, Billy, 99 

Great Valley Bookfest, 144 

Great Valley Museum, 68 

Greek Food Festival, 91 

Gregori High School, 167 

H 

Hammond General Hospital, 22, 122, 165 

Haven Women’s Center of Stanislaus, 8, 152 

Hawke residence, 129-130 

Health Services Agency (HSA), 125 

healthcare, 12, 18, 52-53, 61, 121-127, 

155, 173 

Heckendorf house, 131-134 

Henderson, Rickey, 70, 160 

Hetch Hetchy trail, 69 

Higgins, W. W., 63 

Highland Games, 68 

Hillbilly Boogie, 33 

history, 5-7, 9-11, 16, 19-20, 22-25, 30, 

35, 37-40, 42, 60, 65-66, 70, 80, 82, 

85-86, 92, 94, 98, 110-111, 114, 

121, 123, 130, 132, 134-135, 137- 

139, 145, 147, 150, 154, 158, 160, 

162, 165, 167, 170, 172-173 

homeless, 47, 49, 52-53, 100, 102, 

125, 168 

Hopkins, Bo, 34, 37, 71 

Hotel Covell, 21, 31, 34, 164-165, 167 

Hotel Hughson, 21, 27, 29, 31, 164, 167 

Hotel Modesto, 21, 29, 157, 164-166 

houses of worship, 97, 101-102 

Hub Clothiers, 27 

Hunt-Wesson Foods, 24 

I 

Ill List, 13, 37 

immigrants, 86-88, 90, 92-93, 95, 99, 

118, 120 

immigration, 88, 92, 100 

interfaith, 98, 102 

Interfaith Council, 11, 96, 99, 101, 173 

International Baccalaureate Program, 115 

International Heritage Festival, 67-68, 92 

irrigation “jubilee”, 157 

Irvine New Leadership Network (NLN), 

149 

Islamic Center of Modesto, 101 

J 

Jackson, Reggie, 70, 160 

James C. Enochs High School, 167 

Johansen High School, 44, 116, 120 

Johansen, Peter, 44, 116, 120, 167 

John Thurman Field, 70, 139, 160 

Joseph Gregori High School, 167 

Joseph, Bernard J., 31, 129-130 

Julio R. Gallo Foundation, 65, 166 

K 

Kaiser Foundation Hospital, 122, 126, 138 

Kaiser Permanente, 12, 122-123, 173 

KFIV, 33 

King, Jr., Martin Luther, 51, 89, 100 

Kraft Foods, 24 

L 

La Grange, 156 

La Loma neighborhood, 149 

land use, 81, 149 

Landmark Preservation, 64, 66 

Lange, Dorothea, 47, 77, 88, 172 

Language Institute, 92, 95, 120 

Leadership Modesto, 150, 174 

Lee, S. Charles, 28, 32, 165 

Leonard, John, 129, 131 

Levy, Chandra, 167 

LGBT, 94-95 

Lilly of the Valley Alpaca Farm, 69 

Lion Bridge, 129, 164 

Local Agency Formation Commissions 

(LAFCO), 58 

local author fair, 144 

Loranc, Roman, 77-79, 172 

Loretelli Farms, 82-83 

Love Modesto, 50, 98, 102, 115-116, 

149-150, 153, 169 

Lucas, George, 7, 23-24, 26, 31, 33-38, 71- 

72, 74, 132, 157, 159, 165-166, 168 

Lyng, Richard “Dick”, 76 

M 

Maddox Brothers and Rose, 33 

Mancini, Francesco Nicolo “Frank” 

(“Proof”), 78, 158, 164-165 

Manos Unidas, 98 

Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemoration, 

89 


Mary Grogan Park Soccer Complex, 

70, 139 

Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation, 117 

McGwire, Mark, 160 

McHenry Mansion, 21, 24, 40, 64-66, 

129, 139, 163, 166-167 

McHenry, Matilda, 48 

McHenry Museum, 5-6, 10, 12, 17, 20- 

21, 24, 27-29, 32, 40, 58, 66, 79, 90, 

95, 112, 122, 128, 130-131, 136, 

139, 147, 157, 159, 164-166 

McHenry Museum & Historical Society, 

6, 10, 12, 24, 95 

McHenry, Oramil, 6, 21, 66, 163-164 

McHenry Public Library, 6, 21, 66, 74, 

129, 164, 166 

McHenry, Robert, 21, 48, 65-66, 163 

McHenry Village, 58, 74, 135, 137, 139, 

165-166 

McLaren, John, 22, 130, 159 

Memorial Hospital, 125, 158 

Memorial Medical Center, 122-123, 125- 

126, 135, 138, 147 

Mensinger, Peggy, 44, 58, 69, 89 

Mistlin Gallery, 40, 42, 147 

MoBand (Modesto Band), 18, 40, 63, 

159, 164 

Mod Shop, 68 

Modernism, 68, 130-131 

Modesto A’s, 160 

Modesto Arch, 5, 21-22, 27, 31, 127, 

129, 135-136, 156, 164, 167 

Modesto Architecture Festival, 12, 43, 68, 

134, 172 

Modesto Area Music Awards (MAMAs), 

40, 62, 64 

Modesto Art Museum, 12, 130, 132, 

134, 172 

Modesto ash, 159 

Modesto Bank Building, 29, 163 

Modesto Boys’ Band, 63 

Modesto Certified Farmers Market, 

67, 83 

Modesto City Council, 11, 55, 61, 108, 

173-174 

Maddox, Rose, 33 

Modesto City Schools, 94, 114-116, 

167, 174 

Modesto Colts, 160 

Modesto Community Concert 

Association, 39, 43, 63 

Modesto Fiji Festival, 68, 91 

Modesto Fire Department, 106-109, 112 

Modesto Garden Club, 69 

Modesto Google Developers Group, 140 

Modesto Gospel Mission, 49 

Modesto High School, 21, 73, 76-77, 

115, 130, 157-159, 163-165 

Modesto Historic Graffiti Cruise Route, 

35, 37, 40, 173 

Modesto Historic Graffiti Cruise Walk, 167 

Modesto Institute for Continued 

Learning, 40 

Modesto Irrigation District (MID), 20- 

21, 24, 58, 85, 163-164 

Modesto Junior College (MJC), 11, 13, 

16, 22, 24, 37-38, 40-41, 44-45, 55, 

68, 73-75, 82-83, 89, 93, 100, 113- 

114, 116-120, 122, 130, 136-137, 

142-144, 164-165, 171-174 

Modesto Marathon, 40, 69 

Modesto News-Herald, 135 

Modesto Nuts, 70, 160 

Modesto Peace/Life Center, 11, 100 

Modesto Performing Arts, 40-41, 43, 166 

Modesto Police Department, 104-105, 

109-112, 173 

Modesto Reds, 16, 160, 165 

Modesto Relays, 78 

Modesto Sister Cities International, 59 

Modesto Symphony, 22, 40, 42-43, 63, 

158, 165 

Modesto Theatre, 29, 164 

Modesto Unplugged Music Festival, 63 

“Modesto, Where Dreams Come True”, 23 

ModestoView, 35, 45, 50, 102, 115, 153, 

169, 173 

ModSpace, 140 

Modstock, 62 

Monterey Park Tract, 89 

Moorad, Jeff, 73, 76 

Moore, Tom, 78 

MoSt (Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry 

Center), 43 

multicultural, 88, 90, 93 

Municipal Golf Course, 57, 70, 160 

murals, 32, 35, 37, 132, 165 

Murals in Motown, 132 

museums, 62, 149, 171 

music, 18, 23, 33-38, 40-46, 50, 62-64, 

66-68, 71, 91, 93, 97, 143, 157-158, 

164, 166, 173 

Music in the Plaza, 63 

N 

National League of American 

Penwomen, 44 

New York Yankees, 159-160, 166 

Nicolau Farms, 67 

"Nobody’s Got Modesto’s Goat", 22, 135 

North Modesto Kiwanis Club, 36, 71, 75 

Nutcher Milk Company, 82, 84 

Oktoberfest, 68 

Olympics, 76, 160 

O 

Olyphant, Timothy, 76, 159, 166 

Operation 9-2-99, 50, 82, 169 

Opus Handbell Ensemble, 40 

Orangeburg Medical Group, 123 

Ott Farms, 82, 84 

P 

Paradise City, 19, 21, 156, 162 

parks, 19, 23-24, 49, 57, 68-69, 93, 98, 

132 

Peace Camp, 100 

Peer Recovery Art Project, 40, 132 

Peggy Mensinger trail, 69 

Penney, J. C., 27-28, 31, 165-166 

Peter Johansen High School, 44, 120 

Peterson, Laci, 167 

PFLAG Modesto, 94 

philanthropy, 9, 11, 17, 46, 48-49 

Piccinini, Bob, 7 

planetarium, 69 

Playland, 160 

Porcella, Yvonne, 44, 72, 76, 171 

Powell-Roos, Suzy, 76, 78 

Presnell, Harvey “Harve”, 76, 157, 165 

Press and Publications, 5-6 

PRIDE in the Park, 68 

Project UPLIFT!, 51 

Proposition 13, 60 

Prospect Theater Project, 39, 42-43 

public safety, 55, 60-61, 103-104, 106- 

107, 109-112 

Q 

Queen Bean Coffee House, 144 

R 

Ralston, William Chapman, 19, 158, 162 

Ray Simon Regional Criminal Justice 

Training Center, 55 

Renner, Jeremy, 73, 77, 159, 167-168 

Roberts, Kenny, 76 

Robbins, Liz, 45, 73 

Robbins, Royal, 45, 73, 132 

Rockabilly, 33-35 

Rodin Farms, 82, 84 

Rogers Foundation, Mary Stuart, 117 

Rogers Fountain, 163 

Rogers Hall, 27, 162-163 

Rudi, Joe, 76, 160 

S 

S&W Relays, 78 

Saletta, Betty, 159 

Samaritan Village, 53 

San Francisco Giants, 160, 166 

San Joaquin Regulators, 158, 162 

San Joaquin River, 46, 80 

San Joaquin Valley, 87-88, 174 

Index ✦ 177

Sankofa Theatre Company, 40-42, 51 

Save Mart Supermarkets, 7, 12, 76, 137, 

165, 171, 173 

Scenic Drive-In, 75 

Scenic General Hospital, 128 

Sciabica & Son’s California Olive Oil, 67, 

82, 84 

Seneca Foods Corporation, 24, 80 

sense of place, 48, 150-151 

ShadowChase Running Club, 69 

Slam on Rye, 13, 37, 144 

Smith, Bette Belle, 47 

Smith, Chester, 76 

South Modesto Partners, 98 

Spitz, Mark, 76, 165 

sports, 9, 11, 43, 52, 62, 69-70, 73, 76, 

159-160 

St. Patrick’s Day Lucky Fest, 68 

Stanislaus Business Alliance, 140 

Stanislaus Community Foundation, 32, 

48, 52, 114, 119-120, 149, 155 

Stanislaus Council of Governments, 57 

Stanislaus County, 5-6, 8-11, 20, 23-25, 

27-29, 39, 44, 52-53, 55, 57, 59-61, 

63-64, 66, 76, 80-81, 83-84, 87-89, 

91, 94, 96, 99, 101, 103, 106-107, 

110-112, 114-115, 117-122, 125, 

128, 131, 134, 137, 139-140, 144- 

145, 149, 152, 154-155, 158, 162- 

163, 165-166, 173-174 

Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and 

Recovery Services, 118 

Stanislaus County Boys’ Band, 63 

Stanislaus County Courthouse, 28-29, 

130, 134, 162-163 

Stanislaus County Historical Society, 5-6 

Stanislaus County Medical Society, 121, 

128 

Stanislaus County Office of Education 

(SCOE), 44, 115 

Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, 

55, 89, 106-107 

Stanislaus Food Products, 80 

Stanislaus Futures, 116, 119-120 

Stanislaus Magazine, 75, 137, 146 

Stanislaus Partners in Education (SPIE), 

116, 173 

Stanislaus READS!, 114 

Stanislaus Regional 911 Call Center, 9, 

110 

Stanislaus River, 20, 129 

Stanislaus Stepping Stones, 6, 24, 95 

Stanislaus Surgical Hospital, 122, 125- 

127 

Stanislaus Veterans Center, 40 

Star Wars, 7, 74, 157, 165-166 

State Theatre, 22-23, 28-29, 31-32, 40, 

64, 66, 74, 126, 165 

Stonehenge Indoor Climbing Wall, 70 

Strand Theatre, 27, 29, 31, 58, 158, 

164, 166-167 

Streetsblog California, 154, 167 

Sunday Afternoons at CBS, 43 

Sund-Carrington, 167 

Sutter Gould Medical Group, 122-123 

Sutter Health, 122-123, 125, 127 

T 

Taste of the Valley, 68 

technology, 65, 81, 104, 110, 112, 115, 

140, 145, 154, 167 

temples, 91, 101 

Tenet Health System, 122 

Tenth Street Place, 9, 23, 27-28, 31, 55, 

58, 63, 137, 167 

Tenth Street Plaza, 35, 138 

Thomas Downey High School, 36, 71, 

73-74, 76, 160, 173 

Thurman Field, John, 70, 139, 160 

Townsend Opera Players, 40 

Tree City, USA, 22 

Tresetti’s Restaurant, 31 

Trivia, 156 

Tulowitzki, Troy, 70, 160 

Tuolumne City, 19, 156, 162 

Tuolumne River, 40, 50, 68, 70, 82, 85, 

107, 118 

Tuolumne River Trust, 40, 50, 68, 85, 118 

Turner Building, 27 

Tynan Hotel, 27, 29, 159, 163 

U 

urban renewal, 27 

V 

Valley Hackathon, 140 

Valley Heart Associates, 123 

Valley Oak Pediatrics, 123 

Valley Talent Project, 17-18, 40 

VanderHelm Farms, 82, 84 

Velvet Creamery restaurant, 76 

Veneman, Ann M., 73, 167 

Venturini-Hoch, Tisha, 76, 160 

Vietnam, 86, 90, 99-100, 103 

Vintage Faire Mall, 26-27, 31, 58, 137, 

139, 166 

Virginia Corridor trail, 15, 31, 69, 154 

volunteerism, 11, 17, 46-47, 49, 59-60 

W 

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes (WAM) ® , 152 

Walk of Fame, 34-35, 37, 173 

Wallace, George E., 164 

WalletHub, 154, 167 

Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health, 22, 

49, 99, 127, 135, 170 

West Modesto King-Kennedy 

Neighborhood Collaborative, 98 

Winfield, Gene, 34, 37, 71, 77 

Wolfman Jack, 37 

Women of the West Film Fest, 68 

World War II, 22, 33, 58, 88, 165 

Wright, C. C., 20, 163 

Wright, Frank Lloyd, 132-133 

Y 

Youth Entertainment Stage (YES) 

Company, 40-42, 63 

Yokuts, 87, 156 

Yosemite, 12, 73, 84, 121, 132, 136, 

167, 173 

Young@Art, 147 

Young, Cyrus “Cy”, 76 

Z 

Zaiger, Chris "Floyd", 77 


Suzanne Staud, Water, Wealth, 

Contentment, Health, digital 

design/painted mural 

SHARING THE HERITAGE 

Profiles of businesses, 

organizations, and families that have 

contributed to the development and 

economic base of Modesto 

QUALITY OF LIFE ...........................................................180 

THE MARKETPLACE.................................................................202 

BUILDING A GREATER MODESTO ...........................................234 

FAMILY HERITAGE...................................................................268 

SHARING THE HERITAGE ✦ 179

“Focus on Futures” is designed to 

cultivate citizens who will become 

local leaders. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRAD CORNWELL. 

180 ✦ TOUCHSTONES: LIFE AND TIMES OF MODESTO

QUALITY OF LIFE 

Healthcare providers, foundations, 

universities, and other institutions that 

contribute to the quality of life in Modesto 

Memorial Medical Center ...............................................................182 

Sutter Gould Medical Foundation ....................................................184 

Doctors Medical Center..................................................................186 

Darroch Brain & Spine Institute of Doctors Medical Center .................188 

Valley Heart Institute of Doctors Medical Center ...............................189 

Central Catholic High School ..........................................................190 

Community Hospice, Inc. ...............................................................192 

Gallo Center for the Arts ...............................................................194 

Modesto Rotary Club .....................................................................196 

Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation.......................................................198 

Modesto Symphony Orchestra..........................................................199 

Center for Human Services .............................................................200 

McHenry Museum Store..................................................................201 

QUALITY OF LIFE ✦ 181

MEMORIAL 

MEDICAL CENTER 

Memorial Medical Center (MMC) opened in 

Modesto on May 1, 1970, as a 72,000-squarefoot, 

99-bed facility, bringing to fruition the 

dream of a group of community residents 

dedicated to providing quality healthcare in 


Today, Memorial Medical Center, a full affiliate 

of Sutter Health since 1996, has expanded 

both in size, beds, and medical services to fulfill 

its mission to “…enhance the well-being of 

people in the communities we serve through a 

not-for-profit commitment to compassion and 

excellence in healthcare services.” 

Being a part of Sutter Health is integral to 

fulfilling this mission. Sutter Health is a family of 

not-for-profit hospitals, physician organizations, 

and other medical services that share resources 

and expertise to advance healthcare quality and 

access. Serving more than 100 communities in 

Northern California, Sutter Health is a regional 

leader in cardiac care, cancer treatment, orthopedics, 

obstetrics, and newborn intensive care, 

and is a pioneer in advanced patient safety 

technology. Sutter Health’s vision is to lead 

“the transformation of healthcare to achieve the 

highest levels of quality, access, and affordability.” 

Throughout its history, MMC has grown 

along with the community. It is guided by the 

community’s healthcare needs and supported by 

community contributions. As a not-for-profit 

hospital, the residents of Stanislaus and neighboring 

counties are MMC’s only shareholders. 

After paying for patient care, Memorial reinvests 

any funds remaining to enhance treatment, 

improve facilities and equipment, provide health 

education and research, and fund community 

benefit programs. 

Memorial Medical Center has been responsible 

for several medical milestones in the 

community’s healthcare history. Two years after 

opening, MMC initiated twenty-four-hour 

emergency services, and, in 1978, introduced 

the first air ambulance services in Stanislaus 

County. Known as Medi-Flight, at the time 

it was one of only nine programs of its kind in 

the nation. 

MMC began offering Stanislaus County’s first 

outpatient surgical services in 1980 known as 

Same Day Surgery, and a year later the hospital 

received community cancer accreditation by the 

American College of Surgeons. 

The Advanced Medical Diagnostic Center 

opened in 1988 with specialized equipment for 

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), angiography, 

myelography, ultrasound, and nuclear 

medicine, as well as an expanded cardiac 

catheterization laboratory. A year later, MMC 

added an open-heart-surgery program. 

Other major milestones include: 

• Project 40: This five-story west expansion 

of Memorial Medical Center in 1991 opened 

two floors featuring additional birthing 

services and intensive care beds, with the 

remaining three floors completed by 2000. 

• Level II Nursery: Created in 1994 to provide 

care for high-risk infants. 

• Health Center: In 1999, MMC began providing 

comprehensive outpatient programs for 

breastfeeding assistance, cardiac and pulmonary 

independence, diabetes management, 

and heart failure education. 

• The Outpatient Surgery Center at Spanos 

Court opened in 2001. 

• The Weight Loss Surgery Program was initiated 

in 2003. 

• Level II Trauma Center designation was 

awarded in 2004. 


In 2007, the first five floors of the North 

Tower expansion opened, part of a seven-story 

patient care tower featuring 112 inpatient beds 

and eighteen operating rooms. As with previous 

construction, the remaining two floors were 

shelled to accommodate future expansion. 

Throughout its history, MMC has won 

numerous awards, designations, and accreditations. 

In 2008, MMC received the American 

Cancer Society’s Visionary Award presented 

for providing exceptional commitment and 

financial support for the fight against cancer, 

and, in that same year, the U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services presented the 

medal of honor for organ donations to MMC 

for the first—but not the last—time for surpassing 

the health resources and services 

administration’s goal for organ donations. 

MMC’s Diabetes Treatment Program received 

recognition in 2009 from the American Diabetes 

Association for offering high-quality education 

services to its patients. In 2010, MMC received 

an excellence in patient care award given by 

outcomes firm Studer Group for exemplary 

overall rating of hospital results based on a 

patient survey. 

Through the years, MMC 

has won numerous consumer-choice 

awards, such 

as the prestigious consumer’s 

choice award from the 

National Research Corporation. 

Consumers in the Modesto 

market ranked MMC at the 

top of the list for best overall 

quality service for ten years 

in a row. In addition to providing 

quality service, MMC 

has been recognized for its 

commitment to the environment 

by reducing the waste 

that goes into landfills. 

The awards keep coming. 

In 2015, MMC received the 

award for cardiac care from 

the American College of 

Cardiology and Advanced 

Certification for Primary 

Stroke Centers from the 

American Heart Association/ 

American Stroke Association. 

MMC’s awards and certifications are the 

byproduct of its commitments to services, 

professionalism, care, and compassion, as 

well as the belief that employees are the most 

important resource and the basis for becoming 

a model not-for-profit care system. 


SUTTER GOULD 

MEDICAL 

FOUNDATION 

Sutter Gould Medical Foundation is a not-forprofit 

healthcare organization dedicated to providing 

the highest level of care for its patients. 

More than 320 providers in both primary and 

specialty practices provide outpatient services 

for residents in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and 

Merced Counties, communities, and care centers 

in Modesto, Stockton, and six other Central 

Valley communities. SGMF offers high-quality 

medical care close to you and your family. 

Sutter Gould Medical Foundation is an 

affiliate of Sutter Health, one of the nation’s 

leading systems of community health services, 

serving hundreds of Northern California 

communities from the Oregon border to the 

San Joaquin Valley, and from the Pacific Coast 

to the Sierra Foothills. 

SGMF provides a full range of outpatient 

medical services, including a clinical laboratory, 

audiology and hearing aid center, EKG/ 

treadmill labs, radiology and mammography, 

nuclear medicine/ultrasound, and gastrointestinal 

endoscopy. Physician services primarily are 

provided by Gould Medical Group, Inc., which 

has been operating in the Central Valley for 

nearly seventy years. SGMF also provides access 

to independent physicians in the Central Valley 

by way of its Community Provider Network. 

Because SGMF has been part of the Central 

Valley community for many years, we take pride 

in supporting health-related activities in the area. 

Our non-for-profit mission allows us to have 

close ties with community organizations and to 

offer support in many ways. We continually strive 

to improve the services and care that we provide. 

Our patients’ opinions count and ultimately 

provide us with the direction in which we need 

to go to make improvements. We gather your 

opinions and suggestions in many ways. 

We also collect, trend, and report patient complaints 

and grievances in order to identify and 

rectify recurring problems. We track and report 

patient access issues to identify ways to improve 

scheduling and physician access. Finally, we have 

patient representatives trained and experienced 

to help resolve all patient complaints. 

Helping keep medical costs at a minimum is 

as important to SGMF as it is to you. We do this 

through our utilization management program, 

which is designed to ensure that managed care 

members receive timely, medically necessary, 

and cost-effective care services. 

Through this program, SGMF provides 

patients with prior authorization/concurrent 

review, discharge planning, case management, 

and retrospective review. Our UM staff, including 

RNs, LVNs, and trained representatives, 

work closely with our medical staff to help 

coordinate with external specialists. Our goal 

is to meet the needs of patients, as well as the 

programs’ needs. 

SGMF ensures decisions are made only on 

appropriateness of care, service, and existence 

of coverage. Neither the staff nor the providers 

receive any compensation, direct or indirect, 

or financial incentives based on review 

decisions. Providers are ensured independence 

and impartiality in making referral decisions 

that will not influence hiring, compensation, 

termination, promotion, or any other similar 

matters. SGMF encourages appropriate utilization 

and discourages inappropriate underutilization 

by providers and staff. 

Quality is also a central concern of SGMF. 

Our cinical quality committee is devoted to 

designing, implementing, and evaluating programs 

to improve the health of our patients. 

Past achievements include the implementation 

of a breast health program in which patients 


are notified of test results sooner, and care is 

provided by increased coordination between 

radiology, surgery, and oncology departments. 

Other achievements include development of an 

asthma program for pediatric and adult patients 

and review of the procedures for our diabetes 

treatment programs at all of our care centers. 

Thanks to our commitment to quality, SGMF 

received a three-year accreditation from the 

Institute of Medical Quality (IMQ), a subsidiary 

of the California Medical Association. The IMQ’s 

standards cover essential quality of care domains 

and were developed to accommodate the needs 

of California Ambulatory Facilities. Sutter Gould 

Medical Foundation became the first foundation 

in the Sutter system to complete this process. 

Sutter Gould was previously accredited by 

Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health 

Care and The Medical Quality Commission. 

Providing care to residents who struggle to, 

or lack the ability to, pay for healthcare is an 

important part of our mission. We do this 

through a financial assistance policy for lowincome, 

under-insured or uninsured patients 

who may be eligible for full or partial care at 

no cost. Sutter Gould Medical Foundation is 

committed to the health and well-being of all 

community residents. 


DOCTORS 


Doctors Medical Center has served the 

healthcare needs of the Central Valley since 

July 7, 1962, when a group of local physicians 

opened what was then called Doctors Hospital. 

In 1979, the name was changed to Doctors 

Medical Center to reflect a full and growing 

scope of services. For more than three decades, 

this spirit of excellence has resulted in an everincreasing 

level of care to the community. 

A $72-million expansion in the 2000s 

allowed Doctors Medical Center to continue 

to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 

Central Valley in the areas of trauma, heart 

care, high-risk obstetrics, neonatal intensive 

care, neurology, and oncology. Through these 

measures and others, the 461-bed hospital has 

established itself as a provider of quality medical 

care and treatment. This multispecialty hospital 

offers a full range of medical services plus stateof-the-art 

treatments in the areas of traumatic 

injury, microsurgery, and nuclear medicine. 

Doctors Medical Center of Modesto is a 

full-service, comprehensive healthcare facility, 

dedicated to providing the finest medical care 

for the Stanislaus County community. From preventative 

and diagnostic services, to expertise 

in some of the world’s leading technologies, 

DMC’s multidisciplinary team of physicians 

and healthcare professionals is dedicated to 

patient’s good health and well-being. The largest 

hospital between Stockton and Fresno, DMC is 

part of Tenet Health System, one of the nation’s 

foremost providers of healthcare services. 

Doctors Medical Center: 

• Provides access to more than 600 physicians; 

• Employs more than 2,600 people and is served 

by more than 180 volunteers; 

• Treats more than 100,000 emergency patients 

each year; and 

• Admits more than 25,000 patients annually. 

Doctors Medical Center is fully accredited 

by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of 

Healthcare Organizations, is licensed by the 

state of California and is an approved provider 

of benefits for many insurance plans in 

addition to Medicare and Medi-Cal. Other 

accreditations include: 

• State of California Department of Health 

Services (General Acute Care Hospital); 

• Commission on Cancer (Community Hospital 

Cancer Program of Doctors Medical Center); 

• State of California Department of Health 

Services (Clinical Laboratory of Doctors 

Medical Center); 

• American Association of Blood Banks 

(Transfusion Service of Doctors Medical 

Center); 

• Department of Health and Human Services 

Health Care Financing Administration Clinical 

Laboratory Improvement Amendments 


(Clinical Laboratory of Doctors 

Medical Center); and 

• Certified Primary Stroke Center 

( Joint Commission Gold Seal of 

Approval). 

One of the most recent accreditations 

went to Doctors Medical 

Center’s Surgical Weight Loss 

Program, which received national 

accreditation as a comprehensive 

center, meaning it meets the highest 

standards for patient safety and 

quality of care. The accreditation 

was awarded by the Metabolic 

and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation 

and Quality Improvement Program 

(MBSAQIP), a joint program of 

the American College of Surgeons 

(ACS) and the American Society for 

Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). 

In the more than fifty years serving the 

Central Valley, Doctors Medical Center has 

achieved a growing list of recognitions. They 

were recognized as one of the top five hospitals 

in the state for coronary artery bypass graft 

outcomes. In addition, Doctors Medical Center 

has the first Level II Verified Trauma Center in 

the region. This enables them to provide twentyfour-hour 

emergency care, immediately have 

surgeons and anesthesiologists on hand, and 

provide backup care for rural and community 

hospitals. As part of the Level II designation, 

they also provide continuing education for their 

trauma team and preventive outreach programs 

for the community. 

Other recognitions include: 

• Advanced Certification in Inpatient Diabetes 

by the Joint Commission; 

• American Heart Association/American Stroke 

Association’s Get with the Guidelines Heart 

Failure Gold Plus Award; 

• American Heart Association/American Stroke 

Association’s Stroke Gold Award, with 

designation as a Target: Stroke Honor Roll 

Elite Facility; 

• American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline 

Receiving Center Gold Level Recognition 

Award for Heart Attack Care; 

• American College of Cardiology Foundation’s 

NCDR ACTION Registry—Get with the 

Guidelines Platinum Performance Achievement 

Award for Heart Attack Care and 

• Joint Commission’s Top Performer on Key 

Quality Measures distinction for heart 

attack, pneumonia, surgery and heart failure. 

Doctors Medical Center plays an active 

role in promoting good health in the Central 

Valley. They take pride in the community and 

are involved in many community outreach 

programs and efforts. Among those is Family 

Medicine and Orthopedic Residency programs 

they host and support, training the next 

generation of doctors for our community. 

At Doctors Medical Center, their priority is 

making sure patients get the compassionate 

care they deserve in the Central Valley. From 

maternity to heart care to stroke care and 

beyond, they provide the medical services 

and specialties patients need at all stages 

of life. 


Above: Large, warm reception area 

at Darroch Brain & Spine Institute 

of Doctors Medical Center. 

Right: Dr. John Darroch. 

DARROCH BRAIN & SPINE INSTITUTE 

OF DOCTORS MEDICAL CENTER 

Dr. John Darroch, Modesto’s first neurosurgeon, 

left a profound mark on the region 

thanks to talented hands and an extraordinary 

heart. Dr. Darroch’s legacy lives on in the 

Darroch Brain and Spine Institute of Doctors 

Medical Center, where medical and support 

personnel provide medical care with a 

personalized touch. 

Whether your pain was caused by a car 

accident or an old sports injury, the medical 

professionals at DBSI work to find out what 

is wrong and help you deal with it through 

surgical or non-surgical 

treatments. They bring 

together dedicated doctors 

and nurses to help evaluate, 

diagnose, and treat 

you. They aim to improve 

your quality of life through 

non-surgical means whenever 

possible, and when 

surgery is needed, you 

can rest assured knowing 

you’re in qualified hands. 

DBSI employees take pride 

in knowing their patients’ 

names and stories. 

Non-surgical treatments 

in the Darroch Brain and 

Spine Institute include, among others, 

guided exercise, medication, braces, traction, 

acupuncture, and transcutaneous electrical 

nerve stimulation. When surgery is unavoidable, 

the Darroch Brain and Spine Institute uses 

state-of-the-art facilities at Doctors Medical 

Center, the region’s first Level II Trauma Center 

and a Blue Shield of California Distinction 

Center for spine surgery. DBSI’s utilizes specialized, 

minimally invasive spine surgery to 

treat herniated discs, disc degeneration, 

spinal stenosis (narrowing), fractures, spinal 

deformity, infections, and tumors. 

Doctors Medical Center has been certified as 

one of the region’s first Primary Stroke Centers. 

Their rapid response team implements 

synchronized stroke alert protocols to improve 

patient outcomes. DMC’s Neuro Critical Care 

nurses are certified in trauma nursing care, 

pediatrics, life support, advanced cardiac life 

support, and the National Institutes of Health 

Stroke Scale. The neurosurgeons of the 

Darroch Brain and Spine Institute are trained 

in diagnosing and treating all types of back, 

spine, and neurological pains, conditions, 

and injuries. Surgeons at DBSI employ 

Deep Brain Stimulation to treat Parkinson’s 

disease, implant spinal cord stimulators, and 

treat aneurisms. 

When no one else seems to know what is 

wrong or how to help, reach out to the medical 

professionals at the Darroch Brain and Spine 

Institute for the help you need to heal and 

return to enjoying life. 


Valley Heart Institute offers the region a 

convenient and comprehensive solution for 

patients at risk for heart disease and is the area’s 

foremost provider of cardiac care. Serving the 

entire Stanislaus County, the multidisciplinary 

specialists at Valley Heart Institute are committed 

to providing patients with access to nationally 

recognized care. 

This ranges from detecting and managing 

the early stages of heart disease using minimally 

invasive treatment options to providing some 

of the most advanced outpatient surgical 

procedures. They offer a full spectrum of 

diagnostic and therapeutic treatment options, 

delivering a standard of care to the region. 

They provide patients a wide range of 

treatments, such as: a complete cardiovascular 

evaluation and treatment, echocardiography, 

nuclear stress testing, heart rhythm management 

including electrophysiology, ablations, 

pacemakers and defibrillators, cardiac catheterization, 

balloon angioplasty, stenting, peripheral 

and cerebral vascular disease management 

and treatment. 

Their commitment to care has helped lead 

Doctors Medical Center to many awards and 

accreditations. These include: 

• Recipient of the American Heart Association/ 

American Stroke Association’s Get with the 

Guidelines Heart Failure Gold Plus Award; 

• Recipient of the AHA Mission: Lifeline 

Receiving Center Gold Level Recognition 

Award for Heart Attack Care; 

• American College of Cardiology Foundation’s 

NCDR ACTION Registry—GWTS Platinum 

Performance Achievement Award for Heart 

Attack Care (one of only 197 hospitals in 

the U.S. to receive this award); 

• Accredited as a Chest Pain Center by the 

Society of Chest Pain Centers (becoming 

the first hospital in the region to receive 

this designation); 

• Recipient of the Joint Commission’s Top 

Performer on Key Quality Measures distinction 

for heart attack, pneumonia, surgery, 

and heart failure; and, 

• Accredited as a Mission: Lifeline Heart 

Attack (STEMI) Receiving Center by the 

American Heart Association (becoming 

the first hospital in California to receive 

this accreditation). 

In addition to treating patients with chronic 

heart conditions, Valley Heart Institute serves 

as a referral center for complex and difficultto-treat 

cardiac cases. 

Valley Heart Institute believes offering the 

best possible care requires more than the latest 

technology. This is why they offer a personalized 

approach to care. Valley Heart Institute’s goal 

is to see patients in a timely fashion and 

assign every patient one clinician who will guide 

patients through the entire treatment process 

and, whenever possible, ensure all tests and 

evaluations are coordinated on the same day. 

Dedicated access nurse coordinators assist 

patients by taking relevant information about 

each patient’s condition and symptoms and 

follows up by arranging a prompt evaluation 

with the most appropriate cardiac expert. 

Clinicians guide patients through cardiac risk 

assessment and lifestyle changes, including diet 

and exercise, so they naturally become part of 

a patient’s daily routine. 

Valley Heart Institute is committed to educating 

patients, physicians, and nurses about 

heart disease. Clinicians share new scientific 

discoveries and innovations in patient care 

with others through local, state, and national 

conferences and publications. Experience is 

the cornerstone of Valley Heart Institute. The 

board-certified cardiologists treat thousands 

of patients each year for a wide range of cardiovascular 

conditions, ranging from the common 

to the complex. 

VALLEY HEART 

INSTITUTE OF 

DOCTORS 



CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 

In the early 1960s, Bishop Donohoe, the first 

Bishop of the Diocese of Stockton, envisioned a 

Diocesan high school accessible to all Catholic 

families in the southern part of the Diocese. 

With this vision to guide and inspire him, 

Bishop Donohoe engaged the Augustinian 

Fathers and Holy Cross Sisters to work with dedicated 

parents and a supportive community to 

open Central Catholic High School on land 

donated by St. Stanislaus Parish. 

Central Catholic High School accepted its 

first students in 1966. Faithful to its Catholic tradition, 

its mission is to witness to the Gospel 

while building an educational community that 

inspires the spiritual, academic, and social development 

of young adults. The Augustinians and 

Holy Cross Sisters remained involved with the 

coed school until 1980 when Father Richard 

Morse, an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, became 

the fourth principal. He was followed by the 

first lay principal, Dr. Les Clements, and, in 

1987, Jim Pecchenino (class of 1972) took on 

the role before transitioning to president when 

the school moved to a president-principal model. 

Today, Central Catholic High School (CCHS) 

is a four-year college preparatory high school 

in California’s Central Valley serving students 

from twenty-five communities, including and 

surrounding Modesto. CCHS also serves a 

growing population of international students. 

The school welcomes students of all faiths and 

offers a strong scholarship program providing 

students from every economic background 

the ability to attend Central Catholic. CCHS 

alumni play an important role in the school’s 

operations and the children of alumni comprise 

a significant percentage of the student body. 

Central Catholic High School believes the best 

preparation for life is a challenging, well-rounded, 

academic education combined with diversified 

co-curricular activities grounded in the 

teachings of Jesus Christ. CCHS has an outstanding 

track record getting students into top colleges 

up and down the state and across the nation. 

A Central Catholic High School student 

is spiritually developed, academically prepared, 

socially responsible, and globally conscious. 

Students also enjoy a sense of belonging, a 

real family atmosphere, unique to other 

educational institutions. 

As an academically prepared student, Central 

Catholic students exhibit skills and knowledge 

of a well-rounded, college preparatory education, 

employ creative and critical thinking 

to promote independent lifelong learning, and 

utilize technology as a tool for learning, 

communicating, and building skills. A full 

complement of college preparatory and AP 

classes are offered in small-class settings. 

Students learn to be responsible leaders by 

practicing a healthy lifestyle in body, mind, and 

spirit. They are guided by morality, compassion, 

confidence, and integrity and participate in 

school and community activities. Central 

Catholic High School students become agents 

of change for a just society and model team 

and family values. 

Central Catholic students become globally 

conscious citizens demonstrating an understanding 

of the cultural, political, and economic challenges 

for the twenty-first century. They respond 


to world, national, and local crises and challenges, 

promote environmental stewardship, and understand 

and respect cultural and ethnic diversity. 

As a spiritually developed person, Central 

Catholic students demonstrate acceptance of 

self, compassion, and concern for others based 

on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Students 

engage in personal and communal prayer, 

recognize and appreciate the tenets of both 

the Catholic and non-Catholic faiths, practice 

active involvement in community through 

volunteer service, and apply Christian values, 

ethical standards, and moral integrity to life. 

Another long-held tradition at Central 

Catholic is the availability of a wide variety of 

sports for both young men and women. CCHS 

currently offers nineteen varsity sports. In its 

fifty-year history, the CCHS athletic program 

has delivered over 160 league championships, 

over 50 section titles, and a dozen state titles, 

including an historic 4 state championships in a 

row for Central Catholic Football in 2012-2015. 

Student-athletes perform on and off the field, 

garnering numerous athletic-scholar awards 

every year. The athletic program is another way 

in which CCHS develops the whole student. 

As Central Catholic embarks on its fiftieth 

year, CCHS is proud to unveil the new Mark 

Gallo Health and Fitness Center. The Mark 

Gallo Health and Fitness Center will provide a 

beautiful, large venue for sports, a state-of-the-art 

fitness center for our students, two additional 

classrooms, and a kitchen capable of serving 

gourmet dinners to groups of 500 or snack 

and luncheon items on a daily basis. The 

Center provides the perfect opportunity to 

expand curriculum into nutrition, as well as 

providing a home for the new and growing FFA 

program, which started in 2014. The proximity 

of our FFA program will encourage homegrown 

food use in preparations in the state-of-the-art 

kitchen in the Center. 

Bishop Donohoe’s vision endures in Central 

Catholic High School’s students and staff, as 

each day we embrace our core values of faith, 

academic rigor, family, community, and integrity. 

We are proud to demonstrate a tradition 

of excellence while witnessing to the Gospel 

of Jesus Christ. 


COMMUNITY 

HOSPICE, INC. 

Top: Mary Jean Coeur-Barron 

Thompson, co-founder. 

Above: Kathy Oberg-Erlenbeck, 

co-founder. 

Below: Members of the Friends of 

Community Hospice. 

The seed that sprouted into Community 

Hospice, Inc. was planted in 1979 when a 

nurse and her husband, an oncologist, decided 

to do what they could to alleviate the pain of 

children suffering from leukemia. Mary Jean 

Coeur-Barron, was working on a degree in 

public health nursing, and a classmate, Kathy 

Oberg-Erlenbeck, approached local hospitals, 

home health agencies, and community organizations 

to create a local hospice program. 

Thirty-five healthcare providers met with a 

consultant in Modesto to determine whether 

the community would support hospice services. 

A board of directors was formed with representatives 

from all 5 area hospitals, many home 

health agencies, 2 physicians and 2 nurses to 

complete the 12-member board. 

Community Hospice, Inc., nurses visited 

their first patient on January 22, 1980. Today, 

Community Hospice serves Stanislaus, San 

Joaquin, Merced, Calaveras, Mariposa, Tuolumne, 

and parts of Contra Costa, Sacramento, Alameda, 

and Santa Clara Counties. On October 31, 1985, 

Community Hospice became the first freestanding 

hospice in the nation to receive accreditation by 

the Joint Commission on Accreditation. 

A little more than two years later, Community 

Hospice merged with Project VIA, an independent 

nonprofit agency providing bereavement 

care, allowing Community Hospice to provide 

services to anyone facing any terminal illness. 

It also enabled Community Hospice to provide 

bereavement services to anyone faced with 

the terminal illness or death of a loved one, 

regardless of the cause of illness. 

As awareness of hospice spread through 

the Central Valley, financial needs increased. 

In 1982, Friends of Community Hospice, a 

voluntary ladies’ auxiliary was established to 

serve the fundraising needs of Community 

Hospice. After one year, more than forty community 

members were fundraising ambassadors 

for Community Hospice. To date, the Friends 

of Community Hospice have raised over $1 

million to help support the patients and 

families of Community Hospice. 

The Community Hospice Foundation was 

founded in 2001 to raise funds to support the 

mission of Community Hospice. Community 

Hospice Foundation has garnered support to 

ensure quality patient care during end of 

life journeys for thousands in our region. 

The Community Hospice Volunteer Program 

also became pivotal providing a vital link with 

the patient, family, and community members, 

providing thousands of hours of service annually. 

As the 1990s ended, Community Hospice 

recognized some patients needed more care 

requiring around the clock nursing care. 

Community Hospice’s vision broadened to 

include a hospice inpatient facility, which 

became a reality when John and June Rogers 

offered a $3-million challenge grant to help 

build a freestanding hospice inpatient facility in 

Hughson, California. After a year-long campaign 

and strong community support, a significant 

gift was given to Community Hospice. Thanks 

to the generosity of gracious community 

donors, Community Hospice Alexander Cohen 

Hospice House accepted its first patient on 

March 7, 2005. The 20,000-square-foot hospice 

inpatient facility includes sixteen private rooms 

with adjoining patios, a chapel, and activity 

and family rooms for patients and their families. 


Shortly after Community Hospice Alexander 

Cohen Hospice House opened, Community 

Hospice and Community Hospice Foundation 

moved to the Haig and Isabel Berberian Patient 

Services Center in Modesto, paving the way for 

the continuing work of Community Hospice 

and allowing the organization to grow. In 

2010, Community Health Accreditation Program 

(CHAP) awarded Community Hospice accreditation 

with deemed status under the CHAP 

Hospice Standards of Excellence. Community 

Hospice was again awarded reaccreditation with 

deemed status in 2013 and 2016. 

In 2011, Community Hospice opened a 

20,000-square-foot Logistics Center in the 

River Bluff Business Park in Modesto. The 

Logistics Division building houses the Durable 

Medical Equipment division operations and 

the processing center for Community Hospice 

Hope Chest Thrift Stores seven locations. All 

proceeds generated at the Hope Chest Thrift 

Stores are used to support the patients, families 

and programs of Community Hospice. The 

processing center’s efficiency has allowed the 

Hope Chest Thrift Stores to achieve the City 

of Modesto Business Recycling Award for 

outstanding waste reduction in 2012, 2013, 

2014, 2015 and 2016. 

In 2013, President/CEO Harold A. Peterson III 

retired and was succeeded by C. DeSha McLeod. 

Community Hospice opened a San Joaquin 

Branch office in Stockton, California, in 2013 

followed by a Community Hospice Hope Chest 

Thrift Store in 2015. In 2016, Community 

Hospice San Joaquin Branch relocated to a 

larger facility to meet the need of expanding 

patient services and programs in the county. 

As the oldest and largest nonprofit hospice 

provider in the Central Valley, Community 

Hospice has provided the community compassionate, 

quality care, education, and support 

to terminally ill patients and their families 

regardless of ability to pay. Everyone has the 

right to walk their life’s journey with dignity and 

peace, regardless of ability to pay…that is the 

Community Hospice promise. 

Above: The Alexander Cohen 

Hospice House. 

Below: The Haig and Isabel Berberian 

Patient Services Center. 


GALLO CENTER 

FOR THE ARTS 

Below: Movin’ Out, a touring 

Broadway production; and a children’s 

show, Dinosaur Zoo LIVE! 

The beginning of the campaign to build the 

Gallo Center for the Arts occurred in January 

1997 when Mayor Richard Lang announced 

that he was appointing Marie Gallo to chair 

a research team to determine the feasibility 

of the project. Marie assembled a diverse 

team of community leaders and City of 

Modesto and County of Stanislaus officials to 

study options for building and operating an arts 

facility. Members of the research team included 

Bob Cardoza and Fred Silva, representing 

the private sector, and Modesto Mayor Lang, 

Stanislaus County Supervisor Ray Simon and 

Chief Executive Officer Reagan Wilson, representing 

the public sector. Over the course of a 

couple years, team members visited other arts 

centers and received advice from experts to 

help them formulate a plan. 

Members of the research team came up with 

a unique public/private partnership to build and 

maintain an arts center for the Central Valley. It 

was determined that for the Center to be financially 

stable, an endowment fund was needed. 

In July 1999, the Gallo Family Foundations 

pledged $10 million to fund an endowment and 

in October the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation 

added another $5 million. In mid-2000, the 

board of supervisors of Stanislaus County voted 

to contribute the land and $15 million. 

The public campaign to raise the additional 

$32 million began in May 2001 with the 

“Arts for All” fundraiser attended by almost 

800 people at the home of Bob and Marie Gallo. 

At this event, Marie announced that the Foster 

Family had pledged $3 million to the project. 

Over the next six years, more than 4,000 

individuals and businesses contributed to the 

building fund. 

Stanislaus County Assistant Chief Executive 

Officer Patricia Hill Thomas served as project 

manager working closely with the architect, 

Steven Gaffney, contractors, and designers to 

build a spectacular addition to the downtown 

landscape. Performers have been particularly 

complimentary about the superior acoustics 

designed by internationally acclaimed acoustician 

Christopher Jaffe. 

Marie is recognized as the “spark plug” that 

made the long-held dream of an arts center a 

reality. Her tenacity, encouragement, dedication, 

hard work, and passion convinced people it 

could happen—and it did! 

In September 2007, with great fanfare and 

celebration, the Gallo Center for the Arts 

opened its doors with a concert featuring 

Broadway star Patti LuPone and the Modesto 

Symphony Orchestra. Since the grand opening, 

the Gallo Center has set a new standard for 

arts, education, and entertainment for the 

region, attracting top-flight performances from 

around the world. 

The downtown Modesto complex operates 

two theaters—the 1,250-seat Mary Stuart Rogers 

Theater and the 440-seat Foster Family Theater. 

The Center is also home to six resident companies—Central 

West Ballet, Modesto Community 

Concert Association, Modesto Performing Arts, 

Modesto Symphony Orchestra, Townsend Opera, 

and YES Company. 


Programs at the Gallo Center reflect the 

interests, diversity, and history of the people who 

call the Central Valley home. Its focus is on arts, 

entertainment, and multicultural programming. 

The Center is an enriching complement to the 

region’s educational activities, providing extraordinary 

opportunities for students at all levels. 

The Gallo Center is supported by sponsors, 

corporate patrons, and annual donors. The 

Center also has 250-plus volunteers who, in 

one recent year, donated more than 32,000 

hours of service to help operate the facility. 

Since 2009, the Center has thrived under 

the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Lynn 

Dickerson and her outstanding staff. Lynn 

maintains a high standard of excellence for 

the Center while making sure the operation 

remains on financially solid ground. 

The Center has attracted more than 1.5 

million patrons since it opened, including 

tens of thousands of school children, who 

attend arts education performances for $5 per 

ticket. Through 2016, approximately 250,000 

students from more than 350 schools have 

participated in the Center’s Pathways to 

Creativity program. 

The annual economic impact of the Gallo 

Center in downtown Modesto and the 

surrounding area is estimated at $10 million, 

while its impact on the culture, education, 

and quality of life for residents of Modesto and 

the Central Valley is inestimable. The Gallo 

Center for the Arts will serve as a beautiful 

landmark for the region for decades to come. 

Gallo Center for the Arts is located at 1000 

I Street in Modesto and at www.galloarts.org. 


MODESTO 

ROTARY CLUB 

Above: A meeting of the 1923 

Rotary Club. 

. 

The Modesto Rotary Club has been an 

important part of the Modesto business 

and philanthropic community since it was 

organized on March 26, 1920. Sponsored by 

the Stockton Rotary Club, membership began 

with twenty-three Modesto businessmen who 

recognized the importance of forming an 

organization where people could join forces 

to make the community a better place to 

work and live. 

Like the larger organization known as Rotary 

International, the objective of the Modesto 

Rotary Club is to promote the idea of service as 

a basis of worthy enterprise. In particular, 

Modesto Rotary seeks to: 

· Encourage and foster the development of 

acquaintance as an opportunity for service; 

· Support high ethical standards in business 

and professions; 

· Recognize the worthiness of all useful occupations 

and dignify each Rotarian’s occupation 

as an opportunity to serve society; 

· Endorse the ideal of service by every Rotarian 

to his personal, business, and community life; and 

· Advance international understanding, good 

will, and peace through a world fellowship of 

business and professional people united in the 

ideal of service 

With nearly 250 members, the Modesto 

Rotary Club is the largest club in District 5220. 

The district includes fifty-one clubs, more 

than 2,200 members, and includes Stanislaus, 

San Joaquin, Merced, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and 

Mariposa counties. 

The Modesto Rotary Club has a long history 

of working with clubs in other countries, 

including art and youth exchanges with Tokyo 

Nihonbashi, youth exchanges with Kurume, 

Japan; and Laval, France; and matching grant 

programs and friendship exchanges with 

Aguascalientes, Mexico, a sister Rotary Club. 

In 1987, Modesto Rotary Club welcomed its 

first female member. 

Modesto Rotary has vigorously supported the 

efforts of the Rotary International Foundation 

to eliminate polio. In 1987-1988 and 2003- 

2004, Modesto Rotary donated more than 

$280,000 for the Polio Plus and Polio 

Eradication Campaigns. The Modesto Rotary 

Club raises money for service projects through 

the Modesto Rotary Club Foundation. Funds 

are raised by the annual Foundation Auction, 

the December Community Service Fund 

Appeal, International Night fundraiser, and our 

annual concert, MoRo at the Gallo. 

The Modesto Rotary Club has donated 

untold time, money, and talents to the Modesto 

community. Individual members serve the 

local, national, and international communities, 

bringing renown to themselves and, Modesto 

Rotary. Past President Peter Johansen served 

as a Group Study Exchange team leader in New 

Zealand in 1971. In 1975, Jerry Ammerman led 

a Rotary team to Belgium and Luxembourg. 

Three years later, Larry Bailey led a team to 

India. In 1983, John Bree led a team to South 

Korea and, in 1998, John B. Mensinger led a 

team to France. 

The club’s contributions to Modesto’s growth 

are numerous. In 1979, Modesto Rotary helped 

build The Salvation Army Red Shield Recreation 

Center in south Modesto. In 1981, Modesto 

Rotary built Rotary Pavilion in Graceada Park, 

196 ✦ TOUCHSTONES: Life LIFE and AND Times TIMES of Modesto OF MODESTO

dedicating it to Past District Governor Ernest F. 

Soderstrom. In 1985, Modesto Rotary added 

playground equipment to the park and, in 

1988, completed a $140,000 picnic area in 

Beyer Park. Modesto Rotary continued its philanthropic 

ventures in 1988-1989, replacing 

Mancini Band Hall with a new $270,000 senior 

meeting and band practice facility. 

Beginning in 1986, Modesto Rotary supported 

the Santa Marta Orphanage in Baja California, 

with more than $10,000 in food, building materials, 

and machinery delivered annually. In 1989, 

club members planted a ten-acre orchard and 

installed a drip irrigation system. 

In April 1992, Modesto Rotary planted twenty 

Valley Oak trees in Tuolumne Regional Park, 

which became known as Dochterman Grove in 

honor of Cliff Dochterman, a member of the 

Stockton Rotary Club and international president 

from 1992-1993. In that same timespan, 

Modesto Rotary provided playground equipment 

for Robertson Road Park and built a basketball 

court at a cost of more than $80,000 for 

the distressed west side of Modesto. 

The club’s contributions to the area continued. 

In 1993-1994, Modesto Rotary painted the 

interior of the YMCA and established a Rotaract 

Club. In 1995-1996, Modesto Rotary built 

classrooms for the Red Shield Center and 

installed playground equipment in Westside 

Park. In 1996-1997, Modesto Rotary donated 

$14,000 to the Salvation Army for the Modesto 

flood relief and continued with the annual 

Senior Stride, involving more than 300 seniors 

from throughout the community. 

The year 1999 marked the beginning of an 

$80,000, two-phase project to install playground 

facilities for Welfare-to-Work Daycare 

Centers at the YMCA and the Salvation 

Army. The Oregon Park reconstruction project, 

valued at more than $230,000, was launched in 

the spring of 2002. Modesto Rotary provided 

half the money, most of the volunteers, and 

supervised construction. Also in 2002, the 

foundation contributed $100,000 to the Gallo 

Performing Arts Center over a four-year period. 

More recently, Modesto Rotary Club 

Foundation has donated $21,000 to the 

Salvation Army to purchase bunk beds for the 

Haig Berberian Homeless Shelter, along with a 

donation of a new commercial-grade washer 

and dryer. Additional monetary support has 

been provided for the following: 

· $25,000 for the Helen White Trail in 

west Modesto; 

· $50,000 for the Miracle League Field, 

enabling disabled individuals to enjoy the 

experience of playing softball; 

· $50,000 to the Stanislaus Youth 

Soccer League; 

· $10,000 to the Veterans Foundation; and 

· Five Little Free Libraries through out 

the community 

The Modesto Rotary Club Foundation 

continues to support numerous local nonprofits 

with grants. 

The motto for all Rotarians is “Service Above 

Self.” The members of Modesto Rotary Club 

continue a long tradition of putting these words 

into action and will continue to do so in the 

decades ahead. 

Volunteers hard at work in their 

community. 

Sharing QUALITY the OF Heritage LIFE ✦ 197

Above: John Stuart Rogers. 

Right: Mary Stuart Rogers. 

MARY STUART ROGERS FOUNDATION 

The Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation strives to 

perpetuate the spirit of the woman for whom 

the foundation is named by supporting organizations 

that help people who help themselves. 

The lifelong homemaker and mother of four 

was committed to providing opportunities to 

needy individuals motivated to succeed. 

Mary Stuart, an heiress of the Carnation Milk 

Company, created her foundation from the sale 

of her stock when the company was sold to 

the Nestle Corporation in 1983. She kept a 

low profile and did not divulge the foundation’s 

existence until her death in 1993, placing her 

sons, John Stuart and James William Rogers, 

in charge. James died a year after Mary, leaving 

sole responsibility to John. 

The foundation’s interests in education, 

women, children, the homeless, and the blind 

closely reflect the concerns of its founder, who 

established the foundation in 1985, eight years 

before her death. The foundation contributes 

to youth and human service organizations and 

sponsors the Mary Stuart Rogers Scholarship 

Program to help students at schools ranging 

from the elementary to the university level. 

The foundation has endowed funds at several 

institutions to underwrite scholarships given 

mostly to minority students who have completed 

at least two years of college. 

Along with giving more than 200 scholarships 

each year, the foundation makes grants 

to private, nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations 

supporting twenty-five to thirty projects each 

year. To foster the beliefs of Mary, numerous 

grants are made to religious organizations, 

including several private Catholic schools in 

Stanislaus County, where funds are used to 

help pay tuition. 

The foundation has supported a wide range of 

organizations, such as Ronald McDonald House, 

Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital, and 

Learning Quest—Stanislaus Literacy Centers, 

which, among other things, helps adult students 

earn GEDs and find jobs. The foundation has 

supported the Children’s Crisis Center of 

Stanislaus County, Parent Resource Center, Sierra 

Vista Child & Family Services, Community 

Hospice, and Guide Dogs of the Desert. It also 

supports the arts with grants to organizations like 

the Modesto Symphony Orchestra and the Gallo 

Center for the Arts. One of the two theaters at the 

Gallo Center is named for Mary Stuart Rogers. 

Each year, the foundation provides scholarships 

and grants to many students and charitable 

organizations. In the past, when the foundation’s 

investments generated more income, it donated 

funds to help build several university buildings, 

such as the Mary Stuart Rogers Educational 

Services Gateway Building at California State 

University, Stanislaus; Rogers Music Center at 

Willamette University; the Student Learning 

Center at Modesto Junior College; and the 

Graduate School of Education building at Lewis 

& Clark College. 

The board consists mostly of family members 

who are dedicated to continuing to fulfill the 

intent of Mary, who believed God helps those 

who help themselves. 


In April 1931, under the leadership of 

founder and conductor Frank “Proof” Mancini, 

seventy-four teenagers, adults, and professional 

musicians assembled at First Presbyterian 

Church for the Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s 

first public performance. By the time the 

concert concluded, Modesto had become the 

smallest city in the United States to have a 

symphony orchestra. 

With a population of just seventeen thousand 

people at the time, Modesto embraced the idea 

to form a symphony after Mancini sent a letter 

to area musicians in December of 1929 inviting 

them to help Modesto “be the only city of its 

size in the United States that can boast of having 

a symphony orchestra. We aim to give several 

concerts this winter and play the best music 

there is.” 

Today, Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a 

fully professional ensemble; striving to reach 

new artistic heights, while welcoming worldrenowned 

musicians to Modesto to help 

enhance the community’s cultural fabric. 

Currently consisting of 75 to 85 professional 

musicians from the Central Valley and San 

Francisco Bay area, the symphony—through 

dedication and hard work of musicians, staff, 

Board members, and music lovers—has become 

what one music director described as Modesto’s 

“greatest cultural asset.” David Lockington, who 

began his tenure in September 2007, is the 

orchestra’s eighth music director. 

Perhaps the symphony’s most well-known 

event and largest annual community concert, 

“Picnic at the Pops,” attracts roughly four 

thousand people from the Central Valley and 

beyond each September. Held on the grounds of 

the E. & J. Gallo Winery in Modesto, “Picnic 

at the Pops” invites guests to enjoy an evening 

of symphonic music underneath the stars 

and provides a change from the symphony’s 

usual performance venue at the Gallo Center for 

the Arts. 

In addition to concerts, the symphony’s 

reach has expanded to include a youth 

orchestra, a community chorus, and various 

educational initiatives. Ryan Murray serves as 

music director for the Modesto Symphony 

Youth Orchestra, which continues to expand in 

both size and quality, while the Modesto 

Symphony Chorus, founded in 2001 and 

directed by Dr. Daniel R. Afonso, Jr., has grown 

to nearly 150 singers. 

The Modesto Symphony Orchestra has 

enjoyed a strong bond with Modesto and is 

fortunate to have experienced continuous 

growth and support since its inception. The 

orchestra’s continued commitment to excellence 

and the community’s unwavering support 

ensure a bright and lasting future for both. 

MODESTO 

SYMPHONY 

ORCHESTRA 

Above: Conductor Frank Mancini 

with the orchestra during rehearsal. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY THOMAS D. QUINN. 

Below: Modesto Symphony Orchestra 

and Chorus at a 2016 performance. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DIANE MOODY. 


CENTER FOR 

HUMAN SERVICES 

In 1970, Head Rest opened its doors as a 

drop-in center for young drug abusers in 

Stanislaus County. They employed one paid staff 

member and nine volunteers. Within one year, 

Head Rest had grown to three paid staff and 

twenty dedicated volunteers. Through state 

funding, community support, and a desire to 

help our community, Head Rest continued to 

add programs and staff and shifted focus from 

programs reacting to issues in our community to 

a broader, educational approach aimed not only 

at young drug abusers, but the whole family. 

In 1984, Head Rest became Center for Human 

Services (CHS). Their service capacity continued 

to grow as they added funding sources and 

several programs for youth and families. 

As one of Stanislaus County’s largest nonprofit 

organizations, CHS employs hundreds of staff 

and volunteers working in every community in 

the county. CHS continues to offer programs to 

strengthen and support youth and families. They 

believe all people have the capacity for change 

and growth, and everyone deserves access 

to resources that will help in times of need. 

CHS has a long history here, and does all they 

can to respond to the needs of this community. 

In turn, the community has always supported 

them, for which they are thankful. 

Modesto is taking the right road into the future. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY WILLIAM HARRIS, WILLIAM HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY. 


The McHenry Museum Store has become a 

community treasure under the management of 

Press and Publications, McHenry Museum & 

Historical Society. When the Society began, there 

was no store, and docents volunteered to sell a 

few history books from behind one of the lobby 

counters. Eventually, a small space was set up 

for books and a few gifts, and income was used 

to replenish the inventory. The space has been 

improved, and the variety of gifts and collection 

of local history has made the store a unique 

shopping experience. A manager now handles 

scheduling and purchasing. All profits go toward 

store expenses and the cost of new publications. 

Below is a sample list of local authors and 

their historical works. Many more such histories 

are available in the store. 

Annals of Stanislaus County by I. N. “Jack” 

Brotherton–Here is the exciting story of 

Stanislaus County’s three major rivers and the 

early ferry days. It is a definitive history of 

the men and women who settled the region 

and made their livings transporting people, 

produce, and livestock across the Stanislaus, 

the San Joaquin, and the Tuolumne Rivers. It is 

illustrated with rare historical photographs and 

detailed maps. Bibliographical sources and a 

detailed index are included. 

Early Modesto and Nearby Towns by Colleen 

Stanley Bare–A collection of columns about 

Modesto, Copperopolis, Farmington, Merced, and 

Turlock from 1870 to the present, all originally 

published in The Modesto Bee. Each is really a nonfiction 

short story, recounting what happened 

to some of our early pioneers. The challenges 

of forming new towns, establishing city and 

county governments, and coping with violence 

are found in these stories, along with documentation 

of the customs, celebrations and parties, 

education, and transportation of the past. 

History of Stanislaus County with illustrations 

1881 by L. C. Branch. San Francisco: Elliot & 

Moore Publishers, 1881–This is the 2012 reproduction 

of the original hardbound cover and 

contents. This classic nineteenth century history 

of Stanislaus County is a balance of text and 

lithographic illustrations in a coffee table size 

format. It covers topics such as the early Spanish 

and Mexican history of the county area; early 

county history; mining; agriculture; weather; 

county seat; natural resources; pioneering; and 

biographies of prominent residents, with illustrations 

of their homes and farms. There is a 

personal name index. 

Modesto: Then and Now by Colleen Stanley 

Bare–This book encompasses one hundred 

and thirty years of Modesto history, up to 

and including the 1990s, in a chronological 

narrative from a wide variety of written sources. 

Each chapter covers one to two decades of 

history. It includes an appendix with several 

lists of facts about the city and an index. 

The Stanislaus Indian Wars by Thorne Gray– 

Journalist Thorne Gray tells the story of the 

obliteration of a tribe of California native 

peoples, the Laquisimas, a subgroup of the 

Northern Yokuts, who lived along the Stanislaus 

River near present-day Modesto. The story 

begins in 1806, when the Spanish first reached 

the Stanislaus River, and ends in 1933, when 

the last Laquisima, Charley Gomez, dies at 

Knights Ferry. It is a chronicle based on the lives 

of three important tribal chiefs: Estanislao, 

Yoscolo, and Jose Jesus. The author draws 

from letters, manuscripts, government documents, 

and published materials to write this 

history. Keenly written, this account will stir 

the reader’s emotions as it recounts the tragic 

plight of the Laquisimas. 

MCHENRY 

MUSEUM STORE 

A community treasure and unique 

shopping experience. 


Gallo Center for the Arts. 

COURTESY OF GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS. 


THE MARKETPLACE 

Modesto’s retail and commercial establishments 

offer an impressive variety of choices 

Varni Brothers Corporation ............................................................204 

Almond Board of California ............................................................206 

The Save Mart Companies ..............................................................208 

Mocse Credit Union .......................................................................210 

Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson.................................................212 

Prime Shine Car Wash ...................................................................214 

Gianelli &Associates .....................................................................215 

American Chevrolet .......................................................................216 

Bank of Stockton...........................................................................217 

Ambeck Mortgage Associates ...........................................................218 

Mistlin Honda ..............................................................................219 

Helbling, Inc. dba Miracle Auto Painting & Body Repair .....................220 

Damrell Nelson Schrimp Pallios Pacher & Silva.................................221 

McCoy Tire ..................................................................................222 

Atherton & Associates, LLP Certified Public Accountants ....................223 

Rossini Menswear-Formalwear ........................................................224 

Five Minute Carwash.....................................................................225 

Ciccarelli Jewelers ........................................................................226 

Slater’s Home Furnishings ..............................................................227 

Vintage Car Wash .........................................................................228 

Concetta......................................................................................229 

McHenry Bowl ..............................................................................230 

Modesto Independent Insurance Agency Association 

Stanislaus Insurance ................................................................231 

Tradeway Transmissions .................................................................232 

SPECIAL 

THANKS TO 

Modesto Mobility 

Center, Inc. 

THE MARKETPLACE ✦ 203

VARNI BROTHERS 

CORPORATION 

The Varni Brothers Corporation officially 

began in 1960, but its roots go as far back as 

1933, when Attilio Varni began his beverage 

business on Ninth Street in Modesto, where he 

bottled, labeled, and delivered local wine from 

casks and barrels to area restaurants and taverns. 

Then, in 1936, Attilio was given the opportunity 

to purchase a franchise to bottle and distribute 

a fairly new brand of soft drink known as 7-Up. 

The drink reminded Attilio of a lemon-lime 

soda he had enjoyed in Italy, and so the Seven- 

Up Bottling Company of Modesto was born. 

Hard work and honest customer service 

increased 7-Up’s popularity to the point that 

Attilio needed to expand his business within the 

building that also housed his wife Caterina’s 

company—Modesto Ravioli and Noodle Factory. 

Their three sons, Louis, John, and Fred, worked 

with their parents from a young age after school 

and on weekends, interrupted only by their 

service during World War II. When the war 

came to an end, they returned to work, helping 

to operate and grow the business after their 

father fell ill and passed away unexpectedly. 

After incorporating in 1960, they seized the 

opportunity to purchase Seven-Up Bottling 

Company of Stockton in 1963 to more than 

double their franchise territory size. Stanislaus 

Distributing Company, which developed as a 

beer and wine distribution business, operated 

separately from the soft drink division, and 

Modesto became the sole bottling and canning 

facility for Seven-Up Modesto and Stockton. 

Like their fathers, the third generation family 

members worked during the summer months 

and after school, and many entered the business 

as full-time employees before moving into 

management. The beverage industry continued 

to change dramatically in the 1980s with the 


7-Up parent company selling several times. 

Familiar beer and wine brands were eliminated 

due to relentless competition. The changes in 

the marketplace brought opportunities to 

expand the non-alcoholic portfolio to include 

new-age, fruit drink, and energy brands. 

John and Fred continued to lead the 

business into the 1990s by expanding the 

company’s beverage line. The third generation 

management team helped introduce and 

market more new brands and developed the 

Varni-owned trademark: NOAH’S California 

Spring Water. Distribution in Stanislaus and 

San Joaquin Counties continued to grow as the 

population in the Central Valley grew, and to 

keep pace the production facility in Modesto 

continued to expand and modernize. 

The new millennium brought more changes 

to Varni Brothers Corporation. The energy 

drink, Rockstar, dramatically boosted sales 

and production even as distribution of soft 

drinks continued to remain successful. 

Stanislaus Distributing Company began 

distribution operations in Fresno, servicing the 

San Joaquin Valley’s southern counties, selling 

NOAH’S Water, Rockstar, and many other 

brands. To accommodate its growing business, 

by 2006 the Modesto production facility grew 

to more than 200,000 square feet into a stateof-the-art 

beverage plant, and increased 

production tenfold. 

After acquiring neighboring property, Varni 

Brothers Corporation built another 27,000- 

square-foot warehouse addition followed by 

another 15,000-square-foot addition in 2013, 

bringing the total facility footprint to 255,000 

square feet. This made room for a dedicated 

wine production line and a new hot fill-capable 

bottling line for glass, PET, aluminum bottles, 

and CapCans for a wide variety of new 

production customers. The capability prompted 

wine bottling and canning relationships with 

some of the largest wineries in the world. 

The NOAH’S Spring Water product line 

expanded in 2011 with an updated logo. In 

addition, NOAH’S Sparkling Spring Water 

launched its trendy new twelve ounce sleek 

cans in natural lime, blueberry-pomegranate, 

and peach-mango flavors followed by NOAH’S 

Oxygenated Spring Water, and NOAH’S 

Sparkling Varni Almond Spring Water, the first 

sparkling almond-flavored spring water, to 

celebrate the Varni family’s ties to their Varni 

Almond Ranch and Varni Nut Company huller. 

In 2015, NOAH’S Spring Water was the first 

bottled water brand offered in the eco-friendlier, 

aluminum twenty-four ounce CapCan. Its 

popularity grew into new markets, with added 

distribution partners throughout the West. 

Now, more than eighty years after Attilio 

purchased the 7-Up franchise of Modesto, Varni 

Brothers Corporation remains completely familyowned 

with fourth-generation involvement. 

Varni Brothers Corporation is California’s only 

surviving family-owned franchise bottler of any 

major soft drink brand, and, in a beverage 

industry that continues to change quickly, it 

remains well-positioned as one of the most 

versatile beverage packers in the United States. 


ALMOND BOARD 

OF CALIFORNIA 

Almonds first arrived in California with 

Father Junipero Serra, who planted a few 

seeds as he established his missions in the 

eighteenth century. 

Originating in the deserts and lower mountain 

slopes of Asia, almonds grew wild near 

trade routes like the Silk Road, making them 

easily accessible. By 4,000 BCE, almonds were 

found in nearly all ancient civilizations. 

Almond cultivation spread from Asia to 

the Middle East, and from there to the 

Mediterranean countries of Europe, where they 

thrived for centuries. Commercial production 

began in East Coast states around 1840. It was 

thought that because almonds are closely 

related to peaches, they would grow in the same 

environment, but growers soon discovered 

that the early blooming almond succumbed 

to late frosts or to diseases that thrived in 

humid conditions. 

Almonds arrived in California in the early 

1850s, where they grew more successfully in 

the mild, wet winters and dry, warm summers 

so similar to their Mediterranean home. 

In 1878, A. T. Hatch of Suisun planted 2,000 

seedlings; he then grafted different almond 

varieties. The fruit of these trees varied widely 

and he selected the best to exhibit at the 

Sacramento Citrus Fair in 1886. These included 

Nonpareil and Ne Plus Ultra, which are still 

planted today. In fact, Nonpareil almonds from 

California account for more than half of all 

almond sales globally. 

With the new varieties, almond planting 

increased in California. By the early 1900s, the 

need for cross-pollination with compatible 

varieties was recognized, which greatly improved 

production. While the statewide production 

was about 250 tons in 1888, it rose to 20.5 

million tons by 1923. 

By 1860, almonds were grown from Los 

Angeles to Yuba City. Soon, large acreages with 

as many as 40,000 trees and many from 5,000 

to 10,000 were common, producing about 10 

pounds of nuts per tree. 

As production rose, profitability fell. Each 

grower was his own marketer, making deals 

with only a few buyers. With the small scale, 

it became clear that a central marketing organization 

was necessary for almond growers to 

have enough marketing information and clout 

to be successful. 


It was out of this need that the California 

Almond Growers Exchange was founded, combining 

nine local associations into a central 

exchange in 1910 representing about sixty 

percent of the state’s crop. Leaders of the 

exchange analyzed world supply and demand 

and gathered market intelligence to encourage 

fair and stable pricing. Today, the cooperative 

is known as Blue Diamond Growers. 

In these early years, almonds were harvested 

and processed almost exclusively by hand. 

Large canvas sheets were placed under trees, 

and almonds were knocked off the trees onto 

the sheets. From the sheets, they were shoveled 

into large sacks for transport. In the packing 

shed, the pulpy outer hull was removed by 

hand and the nuts were sold in-shell. 

Hulling machinery was eventually developed 

and today, the process of harvesting, hulling 

and shelling is completely mechanized. 

The federal Central Valley Project (CVP), 

was created in 1933 to provide irrigation and 

municipal water to much of California’s Central 

Valley. In 1950, fifty percent of California’s 

almonds were still produced in the Sacramento 

Valley, but, over time, acreage shifted to the San 

Joaquin Valley with its better soils and climate. 

From 1915 to 1935, the average yields of 

California Almonds remained about 210 pounds 

per acre of shelled almonds. But, by 1960, 

yields soared to more than three times that 

amount and since then yield has increased to 

more than 2,500 pounds per acre. 

As larger and larger crops were harvested, 

the California almond industry began talking 

about a generic advertising program to promote 

all California almonds. In 1950, the 

Almond Control Board, the forerunner of the 

Almond Board of California, was created under 

supervision of the United States Department 

of Agriculture. 

In the 1970s, recognizing a need to address 

market development, the name was changed to 

Almond Board of California. While compliance 

is still a crucial part of its activities, the board 

now engages in production, nutrition and 

market research, advertising and promotion 

in domestic and international markets, quality 

control and analysis, and dissemination of 

industry statistics. 

Almond acreage and crop size continued 

to grow over the decades, reaching two billion 

pounds from 800,000 acres in crop year 

2011-2012. Almond production and processing 

are important to jobs in the Central Valley; 

the almond industry supports 104,000 total 

jobs in the state, about 97,000 of which are in 

the Central Valley. 


THE SAVE MART 

COMPANIES 

Save Mart was founded in 

1952 by Mike Piccinini and 

Nick Tocco, brothers-in-law 

who grew up surrounded 

by the Central Valley’s agricultural 

community. They 

opened the company’s first 

store on Crows Landing Road 

in Modesto with a passion for 

serving people, caring for its 

community and a vision for 

bringing innovation to the 

grocery industry. 

In that first store, shoppers were offered 

pre-packaged meats, yard and garden supplies, 

plants, fresh-cut flowers and gift items, which 

were rung up on some of the Valley’s first cash 

registers—all creative concepts for the 1950s 

and relatively unheard of for the area—until 

Save Mart brought them to the Valley. The 

store also provided check-cashing services to 

its customers—a transaction that once only 

took place by visiting a bank. Save Mart would 

continue to offer innovations throughout its 

history to enhance the shopping experience for its 

customers. Going the extra step for its customers 

became a daily principle for Save Mart. 

The company gradually expanded throughout 

the Central Valley from the 1950s through the 

1980s, entering the value grocery arena by opening 

two warehouse-style stores in Bakersfield 

in the late 1980s—a concept that would prove 

to be embraced by shoppers seeking quality 

groceries at lower prices. Today, FoodMaxx 

serves customers from Redding to Bakersfield. 

In 1985, Mike Piccinini’s son, Bob, purchased 

the family business from the Piccinini and Tocco 

families. Bob grew up in the family grocery 

business, starting as a box boy and eventually 

serving as the company’s chairman, president 

and chief executive officer. By that time, he 

understood the business from years of hands-on 

experience and active participation in all aspects 

of the company’s operations. 

The following year, when the company 

moved its corporate headquarters to Standiford 

Avenue, where it remains today, Save Mart had 

grown to sixty-five stores throughout Northern 

and Southern Central California. 

From the mid-1980s through the 1990s 

Save Mart grew substantially, bringing more 

stores to Northern and Central California and 

expanding into the San Francisco Bay Area. 

In the mid-2000s the company experienced 

the greatest growth in its history, bringing 

Save Mart, Lucky and FoodMaxx stores into 

the Metro Sacramento area, Northern California, 

Northern Nevada and Coastal California through 

the acquisition of Albertson’s stores in the area. 

From the day its first store opened, Save Mart 

has been involved in the communities where its 

stores are located, supporting school’s, children’s, 

and family-oriented events. This commitment 

remains alive and thrives. In the early 

1990s Save Mart sponsored the Modesto 

American Graffiti Festival, an event that contin- 


ues to this day. In 1991, the company began a 

partnership with Sonoma Raceway for NASCAR’s 

Sprint Cup racing—a partnership that continues 

to this day. In 2008, Save Mart launched Shares 

(Supporting Humanities, Arts, Recreation, 

Education and Sports), its most notable giving 

program that provided $4.5 million to participating 

organizations in 2015. In 2016, Shares 

relaunched as Shares Powered by eScrip, offering 

eligible organizations greater visibility to their 

earnings through a completely online portal. The 

company also runs Save Mart C.A.R.E.S., a charity 

foundation supporting Community, Arts, 

Recreation, Education and Sports. In addition, 

Save Mart donates thousands of tons of food 

products each year to community food banks. 

Save Mart has always been on the leading 

edge of innovation in the grocery industry. 

Today, the company has converted store lighting 

and refrigeration fixtures to energy-efficient 

sources, as well as developing sustainable 

organic crop fertilizer from store food waste. 

In 2013, Bob resigned as president; and in 

2014, after celebrating his fiftieth anniversary 

with Save Mart, Bob retired as CEO and left 

the day-to-day operations to Greg Hill, Steve 

Junqueiro, and his daughter, Nicole Pesco. Under 

Bob’s leadership, Save Mart received local and 

national recognition for excellence in the grocery 

business. In 2015, Bob passed away, leaving a 

legacy of caring for communities, providing outstanding 

customer service, and innovation that 

remains integral to the company’s culture. 

In 2016, Save Mart Supermarkets changed its 

name to The Save Mart Companies—creating a 

clear distinction between its retail operations 

and the parent company. Today, it operates over 

200 stores under the primary banner names of 

FoodMaxx, Lucky, and Save Mart, two distribution 

centers, a refrigerated and dry transport 

fleet, and is a partner in two state-of-the-art 

dairies that supply Sunnyside Farms products 

to supermarkets throughout California. The 

Save Mart Companies private label brands 

include Sunnyside Farms, Sunny Select, Angus 

43 Beef, Full Circle Organics, Market Essentials, 

Bayview Farms, and Pacific Coast Selections. 


MOCSE 

CREDIT UNION 

Right: Lucille Hammer. 

Mocse Credit Union has been committed 

to its members and the communities it serves 

since it received its charter in February 

1959. Seven original members with total 

credit union assets of $35 founded Mocse 

Credit Union because they recognized the fact 

that Modesto City School employees needed the 

financial services a credit union could provide. 

Modesto City School Credit Union was a 

mouthful, so the founders invented Mocse (pronounced 

“moxie”) as an easier-to-say, easier-toremember 

name. Through the years, Mocse Credit 

Union has grown and evolved at a remarkable 

pace, expanding its financial services and field of 

membership exponentially. Yet, no matter how 

much it has grown, it has retained its friendly, 

members-first attitude 

and credo of People 

Helping People, a philosophy 

embraced and 

preached by Mocse’s first 

Chief Executive Officer, 

Lucille Hammer. Lucille’s 

commitment to giving 

back to the community 

set the standard for what 

the credit union strives to 

achieve to this day. 

Mocse Credit Union 

is a not-for-profit financial cooperative owned 

and operated by members and designed to best 

serve them. Members have equal shares in 

credit union ownership and benefit by 

receiving competitive interest rates and a full 

range of financial products. Mocse is proud of 

its past, as well as the direction in which it 

is headed. 

Mocse now serves everyone who lives, 

works, worships, or attends school in 

Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Mariposa, and Merced 

Counties. Mocse has two locations in 

Modesto and one in Turlock. Another branch— 

Sonora Wildcat Branch—is a student-run 

credit union at Sonora High School created 

through the Regional Occupational Program. 

It stands as one of Mocse Credit Union’s 

proudest achievements. 

The program was created in 2008 during 

a deep recession. A branch manager trains 

students and takes care of day-to-day 

operations, while educating a new group of 

three students every fifty minutes. Mocse’s 

staff created the program’s curriculum. During 

their allotted time, these juniors and seniors 

don Mocse shirts and learn a variety of 

tasks from Mocse’s staff, including how to 

work as a teller and how to open new 

accounts. Students receive the same training 

as new employees, including lessons on 

financial regulations and financial literacy. 

The program has been so successful that a 

number of students have gone on to work at 

other financial institutions in the Sonora area, 

as well as at Mocse Credit Union. 


Supporting the financial education of Sonora 

High School students is only one example of 

how Mocse gives back to the community. It also 

supports local nonprofits, such as the United 

Way, Gallo Center, Salvation Army, American 

Heart Association, and Education Foundation 

of Stanislaus County. Mocse also supports 

the State Theatre, a historic and beautifully 

restored Art Deco auditorium featuring classic, 

foreign, and independent films, as well as 

performing arts and entertainment events. For 

years, Mocse has supported its local baseball 

team, the Modesto Nuts, and its Modesto Nuts 

Reading Program. 

Community Involvement is firmly woven 

into the fabric of Mocse Credit Union. It is a 

tradition the current CEO, Tracey Kerr, has 

embraced since she started at the credit union 

in 1979. Mocse’s dedicated, experienced staff 

has contributed greatly to the credit union’s 

success. Employees are 

the most important 

resource in Mocse’s 

service commitment to 

members. By applying 

the principles of trust, 

honesty, respect, and 

commitment, not only 

do employees thrive 

in an environment of 

encouragement and 

support, but members 

do, too. 

That and the services it provides its 

members is why Mocse has been voted favorite 

financial institution more than ten times by The 

Modesto Bee’s readers. It is proof positive of 

Mocse’s pledge to provide the finest personal 

service with professionalism and integrity to all 

communities and all members. 

Left: CEO Tracey Kerr. 


MITCHELL’S MODESTO HARLEY-DAVIDSON 

Ninth Street. Mitchell purchased the store in 

1987, eventually relocating it to its current 

location at 500 North Carpenter Road. 

You could say that Art Mitchell, owner of 

Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson, has motorcycles 

in his blood. The Sunnyvale native, who 

moved to Modesto in 1975, received his first 

motorcycle at age five when his father brought 

one home for him. Like any young boy, Mitchell 

fell in love with the mechanical marvel and 

quickly became a skilled rider who raced bikes 

during his high school years. 

It seems only natural he would go to work 

for a Sunnyvale Harley-Davidson store and 

become the owner of a Harley-Davidson store 

himself. Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson, 

an authorized dealer for the classic American 

motorcycle, originally opened in 1938 on 

Through the years, Mitchell has become the 

de facto leader of the Central Valley’s motorcycle 

culture and Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson 

has become its unofficial headquarters. Harley- 

Davidson owners and would-be owners are 

drawn to the store like pilgrims to a motorcycle 

mecca, admiring the new and used motorcycles 

for sale, as well as a wide range of parts, accessories, 

and clothes. 


No matter how high your expectations may 

be, Mitchell’s is likely to exceed them. Whether 

it is the newest fashion selections from its 

large MotorClothes department, the factorytrained 

technicians or the experienced sales 

personnel, you will leave impressed with the 

quality, quantity, and variety available. 

Mitchell’s can help you finance your motorcycle 

purchase with a minimum down payment 

and approved credit and, within a few hours, of 

picking out your bike, you can hit the road. 

Mitchell’s also offers an extended service plan, 

cycle insurance, and factory-trained technicians 

to take care of all your service needs from regular 

maintenance to full, custom engine building. 

Mitchell’s has a full performance facility that 

includes a dyno and certified dyno technician. 

It honors all warranty work and can handle 

any problem that may arise with your Harley- 

Davidson in an efficient, precise, and timely 

manner. Mitchell’s can help you make your 

motorcycle match you and your tastes by 

helping you customize your ride. The staff 

customizes motorcycles on a regular basis, so 

stop by and enjoy friendly service for all your 

parts and accessory needs. 

In addition to the Modesto store, Mitchell 

owns a second store in Jamestown, which he 

purchased in 1995, and, for the past several 

years, has owned Stockton Honda Yamaha. 

Mitchell’s is conveniently located near the areas 

of Stockton, Tracy, Manteca, Oakdale, Turlock, 

Livingston, Merced, Patterson, and Fresno. 

Mitchell’s offers a retro-themed restaurant, 

where you can relax and bask in the Harley- 

Davidson atmosphere. It is part of the nostalgia 

that draws people to Mitchell’s and the Harley- 

Davidson brand. The company is working to 

keep the best of the old models and combine 

them with the latest technology to give riders 

the best of both worlds. Mitchell’s is going 

along for the ride. 

Mitchell is the father of five and grandfather 

to eight. Like most Harley-Davidson riders, 

he does not fit into the stereotype of what a 

Harley rider is supposed to be. Look around 

the store and you will see all kinds of people 

from strapping young adventurers to grandmothers. 

Mitchell’s has been a strong supporter 

of motorcycle riders in the Central Valley for 

many years, supporting groups like the Modesto 

Harley Owners Group (HOG), as well as other 

community organizations. 

In partnership with its customers, Mitchell’s 

has a long-standing commitment to building 

a strong relationship with the community. 

Through shop-sponsored events, Mitchell’s raises 

funds for deserving charities, while promoting 

safe and rewarding motorcycle ownership. 

As one of Mitchell’s partners, HOG regularly 

provides security for local events and helps 

collect donations for philanthropic causes. 

Popular events include the annual Corporal 

Michael D. Anderson, Jr. Memorial Ride, the 

Sierra Hope Ride, and the American Graffiti 

Festival. Each year, HOG plans more than seventy 

rides for its approximately 170 members. 

With more than a few miles under his belt, 

Mitchell is making the transition from owner to 

owner emeritus, passing the mantle to his son, 

John Bilyeu, who you might say was born 

and bred for the role. Whatever the future 

holds for Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson, 

you can bet it will continue to be an integral 

part of the Central Valley’s motorcycle culture 

for years to come. 


PRIME SHINE 

CAR WASH 

Above: One of sixteen locations in 

California. Visit www.primeshine.com 

for the nearest location. 

Below: Father and son team, 

Norm and Evan Porges, in front of 

the original Prime Shine Car Wash, 

on McHenry Avenue in Modesto. 

Norm Porges founded Prime Shine Car Wash 

in 1991 with the intent to change the way 

Californians thought about washing their 

cars. Twenty-five years later, Prime Shine is 

California’s original and largest exterior express 

car wash company. Norm had built a successful 

career working for Fortune 500 companies 

around the country when yet another transfer 

request had him relocating away from Modesto. 

Not desiring another move, Norm explored 

several entrepreneurial options, including 

medical supplies, junk business, and car 

washing. In explaining his decision to not take 

the big corporate transfer, Norm told a friend, 

“I don’t want to leave Modesto and I’ll wash 

cars if I have to in order to make ends meet.” 

Norm was true to his word and after mortgaging 

his house and securing a SBA loan, on 

April 11, 1991, Prime Shine Express Car Wash 

was born on McHenry Avenue in Modesto. 

The business was an instantaneous hit with the 

Central Valley community, which immediately 

appreciated the new style of washing their cars. 

“No waiting, no wiping, only $3.95” was the 

company’s first tag line. Customers could now 

wash Prime Shine style by receiving a high-quality 

exterior car wash, while staying in their vehicles 

and enjoying the wash process from the comforts 

of their car. The location was colorful, high-tech, 

well-landscaped, and had uniformed professional 

attendants to assist customers. Vehicles received a 

spot free rinse at the end of the wash and a 

high-powered blow dry. This revolutionary new 

way to wash in California was appealing to all ages 

and wages. 

Shortly after opening the first location, 

Norm’s son, Evan, graduated from college and 

was in search of his next direction. Although 

originally intending to go to law school, Evan 

decided to come home and spend some time 

learning the newly opened business. The business 

immediately appealed to Evan and provided 

him the opportunity to build something 

special with his father. With hard work and 

intense focus, father and son began a journey 

that would create an award-winning and highly 

recognized brand in the car wash industry. 

Today, Prime Shine has almost 200 employees 

and operates 16 locations in 3 counties with 

several locations currently in development. 

The stated mission is to have twenty locations 

by the year 2020. In 2015, Prime Shine was 

ranked number 14 in Professional Carwashing & 

Detailing’s list of top 50 car wash chains in 

the country. 

Although the number of locations and 

amount of cars washed is important to Norm 

and Evan, there are other aspects of their 

responsible entrepreneurship that they are 

equally proud of. The countless contributions 

of dedicated and smart employees that have 

been a part of the business has rewarded 

Norm and Evan with lifelong and meaningful 

relationships. Believing in the company’s vision 

and mission, the talented members of the team 

over the years have been vital to the creation 

and success of the Prime Shine system. 

Norm and Evan recognize that it is the 

community that has made Prime Shine a success. 

From day one, Prime Shine has been 

a recognizable force in local philanthropy. 

Through their eco-friendly car wash fundraising 

programs, nonprofit event sponsorship, and 

the Prime Shine and Porges Family Foundations, 

the company has returned millions of dollars 

back to communities in need. Norm has instilled 

this as a part of the company culture and firmly 

believes as a “Champion of the American 

Dream,” it is one’s obligation to give back. 


GIANELLI & 

ASSOCIATES 

Most people who have been as successful as 

Louis “Bud” Gianelli would have remained in 

the insurance industry rather than returning 

to the rigors of law school twenty years after 

setting aside their dream of becoming a lawyer. 

But Bud could not get the idea of practicing 

law out of his system, so with the blessing of 

his wife, Jackie, and his three sons, he returned 

to law school, passed the bar exam, and, in 

1972, opened the law offices of L. F. Gianelli 

in Modesto. His intent: to use his years of 

experience in business combined with legal 

knowledge to fill a gap in local civil law. 

Today, Gianelli & Associates strives to be 

the preeminent Modesto law firm by helping 

clients with estate planning, business law, civil 

litigation, and family law. Although Bud passed 

away in 2009, all three of his sons followed in 

their father’s footsteps and became practicing 

attorneys. Michael and David eventually joined 

the Modesto practice and assumed control of 

the firm, bringing specialized knowledge that 

broadened services the firm provides to clients. 

Michael is senior counsel at Gianelli & 

Associates. His practice areas include estate 

planning, estate litigation, business law, and 

mediation. He is a certified specialist in estate 

planning, trust, and probate law with the 

California Board of Legal Specialization. 

Dave is the managing attorney at Gianelli & 

Associates. He has twenty-eight years of experience 

in business and estate planning, succession 

planning for businesses, business formation, corporate 

maintenance, probate and trust administration, 

and taxation. He is a certified specialist 

in estate planning, trust, and probate law and 

has an advanced master’s degree in taxation. 

Michael and Dave are joined by a number 

of associates, paralegals, and support staff. The 

firm exists to solve client’s legal challenges 

and to help them plan for more prosperous 

and successful futures—for themselves, their 

family, and their business. Gianelli & Associates 

plan to continue serving its clients with the best 

possible legal counsel and striving to be the 

best law firm in the region. 

Gianelli & Associates is located at 1014 

16th Street in Modesto and on the Internet at 

www.gianelli-law.com. Gianelli & Associates— 

We focus on the law, so you can focus on life. 

Above: (From left to right) David, 

Louis “Bud,” and Michael Gianelli. 

Today, Mike and Dave Gianelli and 

Eric Nielsen are the owners. They, 

along with 6 associate attorneys and 

nearly 20 other team members, 

comprise Gianelli & Associates, 

a professional law corporation. 


AMERICAN 

CHEVROLET 

Right: David and Jim Halvorson 

proudly accept the award for twentyfive 

years with Chevrolet, c. 2015. 

The Chevrolet dealership in Modesto had 

closed three times in eight years when the 

Halvorson family took over the business on 

July 7, 1990. Poor management and equally 

poor customer service had earned the dealership 

the third lowest customer-satisfaction 

rating in the United States—among 4,600 

dealerships. As if that were not enough, the 

country had entered a recession, the first Gulf 

War had begun, and California had entered its 

fifth consecutive year of agricultural drought. 

Not exactly great conditions for taking over a 

business, but the Halvorson family understood 

something other business owners sometimes 

forgot: People prefer to do business with people, 

not companies, and they like to be treated with 

the same respect and friendliness as one would 

treat a family member. The Halvorsons honed 

their business acumen at Prospect Motors in 

Jackson, California, where for many years they 

worked hard to abide by the following slogan: 

“The family business that treats you like family.” 

So, when they took over the Chevrolet dealership 

at 1234 McHenry Avenue in Modesto, they 

saw no reason not to follow the same philosophy 

at the newly named American Chevrolet. 

In the beginning, Bill Halvorson was the 

dealer while his son, David, served as executive 

manager and his other son, Jim, worked in 

commercial sales. Although the dealership 

struggled through tough times in the early 

years, the Modesto community soon came to 

believe the name “American Chevrolet” was more 

than just a marketing ploy. The Halvorsons 

and their dedicated employees believed in 

and exhibited the American values of honesty, 

hard work, and dedication to family. 

Equally important at American Chevrolet, 

the word “family” extends to employees and 

customers. Many key employees have been with 

the company almost since the beginning and 

have played an invaluable role in the company’s 

success. John Haley, service manager; Dennis 

Baker, parts manager; and Carol Solario, 

business manager, have been with American 

Chevrolet since 1991. In all, American Chevrolet 

has more than ninety “family members” who 

work each and every day to serve each other 

and, most importantly, their customers. 

In December 1991, David acquired the financing 

needed to purchase his father’s shares and 

became the dealer. The dealership remained at 

1234 McHenry Avenue until June of 1995 when 

they opened a new facility on auto row at 4742 

McHenry Avenue. In 1998, Jim became David’s 

partner and today they both operate the store. 

The family philosophy has worked well for 

the Halvorsons. So, too, has their approach of 

“never take more than you give,” as evidenced by 

their involvement with countless organizations, 

boards, and community activities. American 

Chevrolet believes it is the company’s responsibility 

as a business to give back, support, and be 

involved in the Modesto community. 

That makes for a great partnership: Modesto 

and American Chevrolet. 


BANK OF 

STOCKTON 

Left: The main office located 

downtown at 1302 J Street. 

Below: The Dale Road branch at 

4204 Dale Road. 

When the Bank of Stockton opened its doors 

in 1867, banking transactions were recorded by 

hand in ledger books and a visit to the bank was 

made by horseback or carriage on dirt roads. 

Since the beginning, the bank has operated 

under the principles of excellent customer service, 

financial stability, and community involvement. 

Throughout a century and a half of doing 

business, the Bank of Stockton has grown in 

branch locations and technological innovations. 

Part of this growth included the acquisition 

of Modesto Commerce Bank and Turlock 

Commerce Bank in the fall of 2003. These 

additional branches added over $330 million 

in assets to the bank and expanded its branch 

network into Stanislaus County with two fullservice 

branches in the Modesto community 

and one in the Turlock community. 

Founded in March 1998, Modesto Commerce 

Bank serviced primarily business customers 

and, at the time, was recognized as one of the 

best startup banks in California. Its philosophy 

of providing personalized service and quality 

banking products to its customers was a perfect 

fit to become part of the larger Bank of Stockton 

network. As a result of the acquisition, Modesto 

Commerce Bank customers were allowed greater 

lending resources, a more extensive branch network, 

and a broader array of financial products 

and services, while continuing to experience 

the high level of customer service they were 

accustomed to. 

In early 2017, as the Bank of Stockton 

entered its 150th year of doing business, the 

names Modesto and Turlock Commerce Bank 

were consolidated into Bank of Stockton, with 

new signage to reflect the strong Bank of 

Stockton brand. The branch staff remained the 

same and shared in the excitement, having 

been part of the Bank of Stockton family for 

fourteen years. The name consolidation allowed 

customers to more easily recognize Bank of 

Stockton throughout its nineteen branch footprint 

and utilize all bank locations. 

Today, the bank’s customers enjoy banking 

in person, by ATM, through computers, smartphones, 

and tablets anywhere in the world. 

Regardless of how their customers like to bank, 

their old-fashioned personalized service will 

always be their trademark and their customers’ 

satisfaction will always be their greatest reward. 

Additional information is available at 

www.bankofstockton.com. 


AMBECK 

MORTGAGE 

ASSOCIATES 

Above: President Patty Amador. 

Below: Ambeck Mortgage Associates 

Modesto office. 

Ambeck Mortgage Associates is a home loan 

and refinance specialist with an array of loan 

programs to meet its customers’ needs, but at 

the end of the day this Modesto born-and-bred 

company has only one product: service. 

Like the company president, Patty Amador, 

Ambeck employees are local people serving 

local customers, many of whom are their 

friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Most 

Ambeck employees were born and raised in 

the Modesto area, and many have been with the 

firm since the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

The idea for Ambeck Mortgage Associates 

came from Amador, who started in mortgage 

lending in the 1970s, working first as a loan 

officer and rising to the level of executive vice 

president for one of the companies for which 

she worked. Her varied job experiences allowed 

her to learn both the front-end side of dealing 

with clients and the back-end side after a loan 

is approved. Her experiences gave her the 

knowledge and skills to successfully run her 

own mortgage banking business. 

Ambeck Mortgage Associates opened its doors 

on July 5, 1989, with three full-time and one 

part-time employee. The goal was to establish 

a locally owned and operated mortgage banking 

operation with a friendly, family feel, while 

offering the status and expertise of a nationally 

based operation. Ambeck quickly surfaced as one 

of the leading local mortgage bankers in the 

Central Valley, a status it maintains to this day. 

The company has locations at 4265 Spyres 

Way, Suite A, in Modesto, 1401 Geer Road in 

Turlock, and can be found on the Internet at 

www.ambeckmortgage.com. 

Ambeck’s success has not been as much 

about major milestones as it has steady, continual 

growth. It focuses on service to local 

customers rather than scattering efforts all over 

the state and nation. Ambeck employees know a 

home purchase is a major investment and work 

hard to make sure clients get the loan that is 

right for them, at the same time making sure 

clients understand and feel comfortable with the 

lending process. 

The company’s future lies in increasing its 

market share through excellent customer service, 

while making sure it has the expertise to meet its 

customers’ needs. 


Tony Mistlin will not be remembered for 

how many cars he sold during his sixty-plus 

years in the auto industry. That is not because 

he did not sell many. This born-salesman from 

England, who immigrated to the United States 

as a teenager during World War II, has sold 

more cars than anyone can remember. But, 

his name will be remembered because of the 

many philanthropic endeavors he spearheaded, 

helping to improve the quality of life in 

Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties. 

Inspired by an act of generosity during World 

War II, Mistlin has since donated a substantial 

amount of his time and money for projects benefitting 

the cities of Modesto and Ripon, as well 

as the surrounding areas. The owner of Mistlin 

Honda in Modesto found further inspiration in 

1972 when Ervin and Esther Burchell donated 

funds to the Modesto Irrigation District to build 

a fountain. He liked the end result so much 

he decided to follow suit. Today, fountains, 

sculptures, an art gallery, and a sports complex 

owe their existence to Mistlin’s generosity. 

His first major venture into philanthropy 

occurred when he worked with the city of Ripon 

to build a fountain at the entrance to Ripon’s 

Main Street. Designed by architect Ray Abst and 

completed in 1996, the Mistlin Fountain is 100 

feet wide and fifteen feet high with a complex 

system of waterfalls and fountains. The fountain 

eventually led to development of the land 

behind the fountain as Mistlin Park. 

Mistlin also financed construction of the 

Chief Stanislaus sculpture and the surrounding 

stream and fountain in front of the Stanislaus 

County Courthouse and funded the Mistlin Art 

Gallery in downtown Modesto. He also was 

one of the founding donors for the Gallo Center 

for the Arts. This performing arts center in 

Modesto opened in 2007. 

Perhaps the most impressive project Mistlin 

has been involved with is the Mistlin Sports 

Complex off River Road and Jack Tone Road 

in Ripon. Inspired by a fountain at Bonfante 

Gardens in Gilroy, Mistlin financed development 

of a fountain at the entrance of what 

would later become a sports complex. The 

125-acre complex eventually included baseball 

diamonds, soccer fields, softball diamonds, an 

outdoor stadium that seats 1,000, and a concession 

stand. It is also home to various community 

events throughout the year such as the 

Almond Blossom Festival, Fourth of July fireworks, 

and Soaring Over Ripon balloon festival. 

His two latest ventures are one, to create a 

restaurant in the interior of the water tower and 

developing the interior so that the balconies 

can be used for observation and two, he is 

getting ready to build an indoor soccer area at 

the sports park. 

Mistlin Sports Complex and numerous other 

Mistlin-inspired endeavors will continue to 

benefit the Stanislaus and San Joaquin County 

communities for many years to come. 

MISTLIN HONDA 

Left: Left to right, Marc Thomas 

and Tony Mistlin during an awards 

ceremony honoring Tony’s thirty-five 

years of service to Honda and 

its customers. 

Above: Anthony “Tony” Mistlin. 

Below: The watertower at Mistlin 

Sports Complex. 


HELBLING, INC. 

DBA 

MIRACLE AUTO 

PAINTING & 

BODY REPAIR 

The love of cars—both the ordinary and the 

extraordinary—is the motivating force that 

drives Miracle Auto Painting & Body Repair and 

the people who work there. It begins with owners 

Don J. Helbling and Rob Sapunor and 

extends throughout the entire staff, which goes 

the extra mile to give customers good work at a 

fair price. 

Don and Rob, who started out as detailers, 

personally supervise operations, often taking a 

hands-on role for more complicated repairs. 

Don went off to college and, after graduation, 

took a job, but returned. This is when Don and 

his Uncle Rob acquired the shop. Rob worked 

his way up in Sacramento while Don started at 

Miracle working for his father, Mike. 

Eventually, they purchased the shop and grew it 

into one of the most trusted auto body shops in 

the area. 

The business got its start in 1979 and has 

not only survived but prospered based on the 

philosophy of listening to customers and then 

doing whatever they can to help. The staff at 

Miracle knows when to replace a part and 

when to repair it and takes the extra time and 

effort to please the customer. This philosophy 

does not lead to huge profits on the jobs 

they do, but it ensures happy, repeat customers 

who know they are getting quality work at 

reasonable prices. 

Here you will see working owners and a 

team of employees that work hard for each 

and every customer. Their work ethic has been 

handed down from father, Michael J. Helbling, 

who began the love-of-cars tradition, to son, 

Don, and brother-in-law and uncle, Rob. 

The female family members also have helped 

make the business a success. Jenny Miller, 

Brynda Miller, Vicki Helbling, Dominique 

Faubert, and Bridgette Helbling learned their 

work ethic here. Painter George Tollison began 

as a detailer and worked his way up. Juan Rojas, 

the shop’s body man, has been with the company 

several years, and manager Carlos Martins has 

held various positions, as have many employees. 

The shop is affiliated with major industry 

associations, including the Inter-Industry 

Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) 

and the California Autobody Association (CAA). 

The staff meets with customers to learn the 

history of each car and technicians will then 

prepare a detailed estimate of what they will do 

to restore the car to pre-accident condition using 

one of four paint packages available. 

After the job is done, customers leave with a 

detailed written warranty specific to the services 

performed on the car. It is just one more example 

of how Miracle Auto Painting & Body Repair 

strives for total customer service and works hard 

to earn and keep our customers’ business. 


Damrell Nelson Schrimp Pallios Pacher & 

Silva has served the legal needs of Modesto’s and 

Northern California’s businesses, individuals, 

and families for more than four decades thanks 

to a dedicated team of attorneys, who provide 

consistently excellent representation across a 

wide spectrum of practice areas from complex 

corporate litigation to estate planning. 

Operating from its main office in Modesto 

and branches in Sacramento and Oakdale, the 

firm maintains an AV Preeminent rating from 

Martindale-Hubbell, the national directory of 

attorneys, which is the highest ranking available 

to attorneys. Central Valley residents and 

businesses do not need to go out of the Central 

Valley to find full-service legal representation 

and sophisticated lawyers. Modesto is home to 

one of Northern California’s leading law firms 

for litigation, estate and wealth planning, trust 

administration, and transactional work. 

Thanks to the Damrell firm’s established reputation 

among attorneys in California, the firm’s 

exceptionally qualified and skilled lawyers are 

capable of handling even the most complicated 

matters, saving many clients the expense and 

inconvenience of seeking legal counsel outside 

of the Central Valley. For businesses of all sizes, 

the business transaction lawyers at the Damrell 

firm can assist Central Valley businesses in 

entity formation, franchising and licensing, 

employment and labor law. 

The Damrell firm is ideally situated to represent 

clients in the agricultural industry, handling 

not only real estate and business succession 

planning matters on behalf of agribusinesses, 

but also legal issues related to livestock sales and 

purchases, farm employment, and agricultural 

cooperatives. In addition, the firm provides comprehensive 

legal services to many vineyard owners, 

wineries, almond and walnut growers and 

processors, and dairy and livestock operations 

in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced, Fresno, 

Kern, Tulare, Colusa, Napa and Sonoma counties. 

Beyond transactional work, the business litigation 

attorneys from the Damrell firm regularly 

engage in major commercial litigation in 

California state and federal courts. Its attorneys 

have successfully tried cases involving multiple 

parties and novel issues, including class actions, 

antitrust litigation, and complex business 

disputes with industry-impacting outcomes. 

The Damrell firm also represents clients in 

the areas of personal injury, family law, and 

estate and wealth planning. For accident 

victims and their families, Damrell’s attorneys 

have obtained numerous high-dollar financial 

recoveries, establishing the firm’s reputation for 

jury trial victories in injury lawsuits. In family 

law matters and estate planning, the firm 

provides highly particularized legal services 

tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals. 

DAMRELL NELSON SCHRIMP 

PALLIOS PACHER & SILVA 

Above: First row, left to right, Duane 

L. Nelson, Steven G. Pallios, Matthew 

O. Pacher, and Fred A. Silva. Second 

row, left to right, Angela Schrimp 

de la Vergne, Kathy L. Monday, 

Robert V. Garcia, and Kirin K. Virk. 

Below: Law offices of Damrell Nelson 

Schrimp Pallios Pacher & Silva. 


MCCOY TIRE 

John McCoy started selling truck tires in 

Bakersfield during the Great Depression. It was 

an extremely tough time for individuals and businesses. 

One employee, Ernie Holdsclaw, voluntarily 

worked for an entire year before receiving 

a salary, because McCoy could not afford to pay 

him at that time. Holdsclaw remained with 

McCoy Tire for more than fifty years. It shows 

the kind of loyalty the company earns from its 

employees and customers. The company survived 

the Great Depression, a fire in 1937, World 

War II rationing, a move to Modesto in 1946, and 

competition from scores of tire stores and national 

chains that have since gone out of business. 

McCoy Tire’s company strength is the relationships 

they build with their customers 

and their employees. Their employees are experienced, 

well-trained, professional, and do not 

work on commission. They have 3 employees 

with more than 30 years with McCoy Tire, 

7 employees with more than 20 years, and 

5 with more than 10 years. 

The goal of McCoy Tire is to perform quality 

auto service with honesty and fair prices to the 

people of Northern California. They are a leading 

provider of tire products and automotive 

services and always make sure the customer 

comes first. The company is still locally owned 

and operates from two convenient Modesto 

locations: downtown at 1226 Ninth Street and 

3333 McHenry Avenue. 

Their main products and services are tires, 

wheels, brakes, shocks, alignments, and front 

end repair. They have a number of ASE-certified 

technicians and the most up-to-date equipment 

available. They offer free rotations, air pressure 

checks, and brake inspections on most vehicles. 

Their top tire brands include Michelin, 

BFGoodrich, Uniroyal, Bridgestone, Firestone, 

Pirelli, Hankook, Goodyear, and Dunlop. They 

buy direct from the manufacturer, which allows 

them to offer competitive prices along with the 

highest level of personal service. 

They supply a wide range of tire services and 

repairs. Their tire services include computer spin 

balance, flat repair, low-profile tire installation, 

road-force balance, and rotations. They repair 

axles, CV joints, drive shafts, brakes, differentials, 

steering, suspension, Tire Pressure Monitor 

Sensor (TPMS), and wheel-alignment issues. 

Their downtown location is open Monday 

through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. 

and from 7:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. 

Their McHenry Avenue hours are Monday through 

Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and from 

7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays. They strive to 

provide the most trustworthy services for their 

customers in need of both products and repairs. At 

McCoy Tire, their dedication to making customers 

their number one priority will never change. 


ATHERTON & 

ASSOCIATES, LLP 

Certified Public 

Accountants 

It began with one man operating as a sole 

proprietorship and, almost a century later, 

stands as one of the largest public accounting 

firms between Sacramento and Fresno with 

more than forty accountants and support staff 

serving clients throughout California’s Central 

Valley, as well as nationally and internationally. 

What Robert Fitch started in 1925 evolved 

through the years. As the business grew, it went 

through several mergers and name changes. 

Finally, on September 14, 1993, the firm 

changed its name one last time to Atherton & 

Associates, LLP when Allen Atherton, who had 

retired from the firm eight years earlier, agreed 

to allow the firm to use his name in perpetuity, 

stating that he felt honored by the request. 

Today, Atherton & Associates is a full-service 

accounting firm, providing tax planning and 

preparation, business advisory services, full 

auditing capabilities, estate and trust planning, 

and litigation support. From business 

formation to succession planning 

and from tax planning to 

retirement and estate planning, the 

firm stands ready to help clients 

achieve their business and personal 

financial goals. The firm has the 

resources and experience to identify 

its clients’ needs, as well as the 

skilled professional staff to help 

them realize the results they desire. 

Atherton & Associates’ vision is 

to help the world become more 

financially savvy one relationship 

at a time. Its motto, “Work here, live here, 

play here. Invested in our community,” is 

demonstrated by its deep involvement in the 

community through a variety of service and 

charitable organizations and events. 

Since moving to its current location at 

1140 Scenic Drive, Suite 100 in Modesto in 

late 2006, the firm has continued to grow. 

The firm’s partners are committed to continue 

this growth through industry outreach, 

community involvement, talent recruitment, 

and commitment to the firm’s core values. 

Those values are integrity, commitment, 

innovation, teamwork, and excellence. By 

believing in hard work, and pursuing its 

vision to help the world become financially 

savvy one relationship at a time, Atherton & 

Associates is dedicated to helping clients 

achieve long-term prosperity no matter how 

challenging the business climate may be. 

Above: Left to right, front row, 

Pete Bertozzi, Romain Schonhoff, Joe 

Fulford, B. R. Fitch, Vernon Withun, 

Allen Atherton, Wayne Rostomily, 

Peter Jeppson, Bob Gidley, Irv 

Daugherty, and Merdith Hamilton. 

Back row, Virginia Mallard, 

Thea Roberts, Rosalie Nunez, 

Dorothy Nelson, Jackie Thorkelson, 

Betty Edson, Marge Smith, and 

Jan Martinson, April 15, 1964. 

Below: Current location of Atherton & 

Associates, LLP. 


ROSSINI 

MENSWEAR- 

FORMALWEAR 

The Catholic nuns in the small Italian town 

of Bittrito knew how to train girls to be good 

wives. The nuns taught Rosa, who would later 

marry another Bittrito native named Michael 

Rossini, to sew. With additional training and 

experience she became so good she earned a 

reputation for performing top-quality work. 

By that time, she and her husband had 

immigrated to the United States by way of 

Chicago and then, in 1960, Modesto, bringing 

their two sons with them. Rosa worked as 

a seamstress for a dry cleaner, and as her 

reputation grew, she and her husband decided 

to open Rosa Rossini’s Tailor Shop in 1965. 

She sewed and Michael handled the bookkeeping, 

pressing, and sales. They decided to 

rent tuxedos and provide custom-made service. 

This was a decision that eventually led to Rossini 

Menswear-Formalwear, a Modesto institution for 

more than half a century. 

Today, the 6,100-square-foot store is owned 

and operated by Joe Rossini, the youngest of the 

two sons. It sells menswear, rents formalwear, 

and provides tailoring services. He began working 

at the store as a young boy, serving as janitor, 

shoe shiner, and assembler for tuxedo rentals. 

Joe was sixteen when he started working on the 

sales floor. His brother, Michael, Jr., also worked 

in the store, although he eventually fulfilled his 

dream of becoming a surgeon. Joe later learned 

to mark and measure to make custom clothes; 

a service the store continues to offer to this day. 

When his father died in 1977, Joe had to 

decide whether to take his father’s place or 

continue going to college. 

Joe decided to do both, working full time 

at the store, while completing college at night. 

Then, a month after Michael, Sr., died, the 

region’s first big mall opened in Modesto, altering 

(no pun intended) the Modesto menswear 

business forever. Although Modesto had several 

menswear stores, they eventually closed, 

leaving Rossini Menswear-Formalwear as the 

lone survivor. They survived, in large part, 

because they followed a good customer’s 

suggestion to specialize in high-quality brands. 

In 1978, they moved to their current 

location at 3224 McHenry Avenue, eventually 

expanding to their current footprint. Rosa 

retired in 1992, leaving Joe in charge of shoes 

to hats and everything in between. He oversees 

a staff of five people dedicated to exploring 

new avenues for sales—such as the website 

www.Rossinifw.com—and keeping up with the 

latest trends in menswear and tuxedo rentals. 


The Five Minute Carwash started from 

a dream at a time in America when anything 

was possible. Charles P. Fenley realized his goals 

in June of 1963 in the community of Modesto. 

With the hard work of the family, the business 

continues to be successful after more than half 

a century of uninterrupted service to Modesto. 

In the words of our founder, “Service is 

our Business.” 

The first location was on McHenry Avenue. 

The facility was built in short order and contained 

cutting-edge equipment and amenities to 

service our patrons’ vehicles. Automated car 

washing and drying equipment washed cars 

while customers waited indoors or outdoors. 

The facility included a diner, comprehensive 

automotive accessories, gift shop, and even 

eight-track tapes. It also had a full-service shoe 

shine parlor staffed with the best equipment. 

Full-service gasoline has been continually 

offered to customers, and after many successful 

years, a second facility was opened in 

Bakersfield. The southern location was 

equipped comparably. In 1978, the third 

location opened in Modesto on Old Oakdale 

Road and continues operations to date. 

Currently two carwashes, oil change facility, 

and a convenience store operate under the 

brand Five Minute Carwash. The flagship 

location on Oakdale Road encompasses fullserve 

and self-serve gasoline with a convenience 

store, full-service car washing operations, oil 

change facility, smog shop, luggage shop, 

and full-service restaurant operated by My 

Garden Café. My Garden Café is open seven 

days a week except Thanksgiving, Christmas, 

and New Years’ Day at 6:00 am until 5:00 pm, 

serving the “Best Breakfast in Town.” The 

second carwash is a drive-thru exterior facility 

on the west side of town. 

Five Minute Carwash has several options to 

clean your car—from a simple exterior wash 

to complete detailing. A quick visit to the 

Internet at www.fiveminutecarwash.com and 

you will see the many options along with prices 

and locations. This will be “The best 5 minutes 

your car will ever have!” 

The family business is currently operated by 

the second, third, and fourth generation. Mike 

Fenley grew up working in the business from 

day one. Mike’s son, Brandon Fenley, also grew 

up in the family business. Today, even Charles 

Fenley’s great grandson, Duncan Fenley, works 

full-time in the carwash business. At ninety-two 

years young, Charles still expresses interest in 

the car washing business and what the future 

holds for our business in the local area. 

Throughout the years, the Fenley family has 

made many longstanding friends and acquaintances. 

The challenges of a family business with 

four generations of family have been met, and a 

common goal among all members still is, and 

will always be, to provide the best car washing 

experience we can for all our customers. 

FIVE MINUTE 

CARWASH 


CICCARELLI 

JEWELERS 

Top: Carla and Greg Ciccarelli. 

Below: Ciccarelli Jewlers storefront. 

Bottom: A family atmosphere. 

Greg and Carla Ciccarelli opened Ciccarelli 

Jewelers in May of 1990. They had a vision, “We 

want our store to be the way businesses used to 

be. One where we get to know our customers and 

have them become lifelong friends, building a 

relationship that will last for generations to come.” 

Greg and Carla met when they were both 

store managers for the same jewelry company. 

Carla ran a store in Reno and Greg ran a store in 

Modesto. Greg was born and raised in Modesto 

and had lived in several other cities in 

California, but came back to his family roots in 

Modesto. Five years after getting married, they 

left their solid careers to open their own store. 

Against their banker’s advice, they used all their 

savings, obtained an SBA loan, and borrowed 

money from Greg’s parents, Ernest and Joan 

Ciccarelli. They followed their hearts. They 

knew they would have to work seven days a 

week and many, many hours for a few years. 

They knew they would obtain their dream–a 

business built on integrity, with their strong 

commitment to family. 

Greg’s grandparents on his father’s side, Antonio 

and Assunta Ciccarelli, were married in Pescara, 

Italy, in 1909. They came through Ellis Island on 

their honeymoon, moving to San Jose first. They 

later moved to the Modesto/Salida area around 

1917. They knew the land and climate here were 

very similar to Italy. They wanted to be farmers 

and create a better life for their ten children. Greg’s 

grandparents on his mother’s side were Johanna 

and Antone Rattos, who had come from Genoa, 

Italy. Joan’s father, Antone, started Ratto Brothers 

Produce in 1905, which is now operated by the 

third and fourth generation here in Modesto. 

When Ciccarelli Jewelers first opened, there 

were just three people–Greg, Carla, and Greg’s 

sister, Sandy, running it. Within six months, they 

added four more people: Leslie Swartwood 

(another of Greg’s sisters), Janine Ratto (a cousin 

of Greg’s), and their manager, Rosanne Wimberly. 

Next, Carla’s mom, Wilhelmina Willemse, a GIA 

graduate gemologist, joined their ranks. 

Wilhelmina had owned her own jewelry store in 

Las Vegas, and one in Bishop, California. Carla 

had grown up working in her mom’s store until 

she left to go to college in Reno. Over the next 

few years, Ciccarelli Jewelers added Brad 

Wimberly and then Mike Baker. The shortest 

time anyone has worked at our store is twenty 

years. We know that, “We have the most 

experienced and knowledgeable staff anywhere!” 

In the last few years, the most wonderful 

thing happened for the jewelry store. Two of 

Greg and Carla’s children, Brett Ciccarelli, who 

has a master’s degree in business, and Alexandra 

Ciccarelli, who went to the GIA School for 

gemology, came back to the business. They both 

had grown up working in the business and 

moved away for college. Together, they will 

ensure that Ciccarelli Jewelers will continue on 

for the next generation. 

At Ciccarelli Jewelers, we have the privilege 

of bringing you the very best customer service, 

provided in a warm and comfortable family 

atmosphere. We have the latest technology, but 

keep our traditional family values. We believe in 

supporting and giving back to the community 

by donating to over 100 local charities and 

fundraisers every year. We specialize in custommade 

jewelry and carry the newest in fashion, 

along with the timeless classics. Greg and Carla 

always say, “We have the most fun and joyful 

business there is! You only receive jewelry when 

someone really truly cares for you.” 


SLATER’S HOME 

FURNISHINGS 

Slater’s Home Furnishings is a family-owned 

and -operated business that has been in the 

Slater family for more than a century. Louis 

Slater, who emigrated to the United States in 

1905, founded the store in 1912 in Fresno. 

After World War II, one of his sons, Matt Slater, 

returned to open a second location in Merced. 

Matt picked a good time to go into the 

furniture business. During the war, people 

had gone without commodities like nylons, 

refrigerators, tires, and other goods. As soon as 

consumer manufacturing returned, people were 

eager to buy things they had done without. 

Shortly after the Merced store opened, Matt 

would arrive at work in the morning to find a 

Slater’s delivery truck loaded with merchandise 

waiting behind the store. In front of the store, 

he would find a long line of people waiting to 

find out what had been delivered so they could 

purchase it. Business was fabulous. 

In 1953, Slater’s 15,000-square-foot, 

premier-quality Modesto showroom opened at 

Sixteenth and J Streets. Today, the company’s 

longstanding tradition of excellence continues, 

as clients from near and far enjoy Slater’s firstclass 

merchandise, friendly staff, and sterling 

reputation among manufacturers and clients. 

With the largest selection of fine furnishings, 

accessories, and décor in the Central Valley, 

Slater’s Home Furnishings offers clients an 

exceptional buying experience. Their unsurpassed 

service and quality are evident from the moment 

a customer enters their exquisite showrooms to 

the day the order arrives. 

As a Slater’s client, you have access to the 

expertise of an interior design consultant. With 

thousands of fabrics, styles, colors, and finishes 

to choose from, you can achieve an exciting new 

look that reflects your personality and lifestyle. 

Slater’s offers an exclusive combination of 

product lines found nowhere else in California. 

The growing list of satisfied clients relies on 

Slater’s for the stylish, upscale furnishings not 

previously available in the area. 

Once your order arrives, Slater’s capable 

warehouse and delivery team ensures each piece 

is delivered in immaculate condition and is placed 

correctly. Stop by showrooms in Modesto or 

Merced to find exactly what you are looking for, 

and enjoy the knowledgeable staff, outstanding 

service, vast selection, and incomparable value. 

At Slater’s, your satisfaction is guaranteed. 

The Slater’s Home Furnshings 

showroom is located at 1605 J Street. 


VINTAGE 

CAR WASH 

Vintage Car Wash was founded by the Pete 

Giambanco Family and opened on June 26, 

1985. More than three decades later, the 

business continues to flourish by adhering to the 

same principles and providing the same high 

level of customer service on which the company 

was founded. 

Vintage Car Wash is located at 

1801 Standiford Avenue in Modesto. 

This full-service car washing business allows 

customers to exit their vehicles, relax, and shop 

while Vintage Car Wash equipment and 

personnel clean their car inside and out, 

resulting in a finished product that far exceeds 

what most people can accomplish on their own. 

Cars are vacuumed, washed, waxed, and dried 

to the customer’s specifications. We also apply 

protectant dressing to the tires, so the vehicle 

looks clean and shiny on all surfaces. 

We sell Shell gasoline from our three 10,000- 

gallon underground tanks. Vintage Car Wash 

employees have always believed in hard work 

and treating customers right. Everything is done 

to the best of our ability and with caring and 

respect for all. 

While your car is being pampered, you can 

enjoy a fantastic lunch in the Vintage Deli, where 

you will find freshly made sandwiches and salads 

along with breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and 

smoothies. We offer many varieties of coffee 

drinks served hot, cold or blended, according to 

your taste, and we sell numerous popular snacks 

you can enjoy here or take home. 

In 2009, a Protein Shake Bar was added to 

accommodate our customers’ growing interest 

in protein drinks and other healthy drinks. In 

addition to offering several flavors, we can add 

vitamins, muscle builders, and other healthy 

ingredients to craft your protein shake to meet 

your dietary and workout needs. 

Inside Peddler Gift Shop, you will find unusual, 

hard-to-find items not available in other area 

shops. We sell everything from art work to purses 

and wallets to candles and pottery. The shop also 

carries a variety of jewelry lines, Archipelago 

products, and Lollia creams and perfumes. We 

know what our customers like and strive to keep 

up with the latest products and gift items. 

We also keep up with the newest equipment 

and supplies to expedite your car cleaning 

experience. A clean car is our customers’ most 

important need. Remembering this and always 

putting customers first have been, and always 

will be, the key to our success. 


Paul Tremayne and Concetta restaurant have 

been serving Modesto for decades, offering 

good food, an array of wines, and a pleasant 

dining experience that can be as familiar as 

you like or as varied, depending on your tastes. 

Hard work and stints at a variety of 

California restaurants laid the groundwork for 

the success Tremayne enjoys at Concetta, which 

has grown from a single space to a second 

and third, to accommodate a steady increase 

in customers. Concetta is known for the good 

food it serves and the quality and variety of 

wines, from the best and most popular 

California wines to French vintages savored by 

sophisticated customers, many of whom travel 

to France regularly. 

served in the best San Francisco restaurants 

without dealing with big-city hassles. Concetta 

prides itself on serving what Tremayne 

calls “real food,” which means it is cooked 

from scratch at the restaurant. 

CONCETTA 

Tremayne began his restaurant career at 

Barnwood, which also did a lot of catering, an 

experience that serves him well at Concetta. He 

later worked at a wine bar (Valley Cellars) where 

he began his education in wine and spent the 

next four-and-a-half years at Benni’s, an italian 

restaurant formerly on Yosemite Boulevard. There 

he worked for well-known Chef Christopher 

Bonora, who taught him about the restaurant 

part of the business. His restaurant ventures 

also led him to involvement with Tresetti’s and 

a downtown Modesto coffeehouse. 

That may seem like a full plate—and it is— 

but Tremayne learned the value of hard work 

from his parents. That is fortunate for Concetta 

fans because the restaurant, which opened in 

1999, took a few years to catch on. It became 

truly popular around 2005. 

Tremayne works to keep up with current 

trends, while remaining bold enough to offer 

new dining experiences. Modesto residents 

can enjoy many of the foods and wines 

Concetta takes pride in the steady stream 

of regular customers, many of whom have 

followed Tremayne throughout his restaurant 

career. He enjoys cooking for regular customers 

and keeps his ears attuned to customers’ 

desires. Giving diners what they want and 

surprising them with the occasional new 

offering are keys to maintaining Concetta’s 

comfortable-yet-vibrant dining atmosphere. 

Tremayne never planned on becoming a 

restaurateur, but fortunately for Concetta 

regulars and newcomers, the industry beckoned 

and embraced him, resulting in a clientele 

that will be forever grateful. 

Above: Concetta is located at 

1205 J Street in Modesto. 

Left: Wine special menu printed daily. 


MCHENRY BOWL 

Bowling alleys have been a part of Modesto 

since before 1900. By 1910 there was a six 

lane alley in the basement of the building on 

Tenth Street between I and J in the building 

now occupied by Greens on 10th Restaurant. 

billiard and snooker tables were replaced by six 

more bowling lanes. Modesto Bowl was both 

the sporting and social center of Modesto life. 

“Everyone” bowled. Leagues in the evenings, 

“housewives” during the day, and “juniors” on 

the weekend. Major employers had teams, if 

not full leagues under their sponsorship. The 

alley was the gathering place in downtown 

Modesto with its popular lunch counter and 

the Turtle Creek Saloon. 

Owner and operator, Garrad Marsh. 

From about 1930 to 1950 the main bowling 

alley was Mission Recreation. It was located 

on Eleventh Street between I and J, where the 

current parking garage is located. The Mission 

was pool hall, cigar stand and lunch counter 

on the first floor and ten alleys of bowling in 

the basement. 

Following the end of WWII, Jerry Marsh 

returned to Modesto after serving four years 

as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. He served 

as an air instructor and flew the “Hump” from 

Burma into China from July of 1944 to the 

end of the war. Marsh had been in college at 

Stanford and was a member of the Stanford 

Bowling Team. When the war broke out, 

he left Stanford following his junior year 

and enlisted. 

His love of bowling never ceased, and upon 

returning to Modesto in 1946, he encouraged 

his mother, Iris Kewin (then owner of United 

Lumber Company), to build a modern bowling 

alley. In 1948, following the removal of construction 

restrictions that followed the end of 

the war, Modesto Bowl at 1120 Thirteenth Street 

was built. It was a state-of-the-art facility, with 

sixteen lanes, pool, billiard, and snooker tables. 

Bowling was so popular, and with the advent 

of automatic pinsetters, in 1955 the pool, 

Filled to capacity, Marsh and Art Sanders 

of Sanders Construction teamed up in 1959 

to build the twenty-four lane McHenry Bowl, 

at the time two miles outside of town. 

The mid-1960s found bowling struggling, 

but the centers held on. By the 1970s business 

was again on the upswing, and the McHenry 

center expanded in 1974 to thirty-six lanes. 

Marsh sold Modesto Bowl to his manager, 

Gene Cox, in 1976. McHenry Bowl expanded 

again in 1982-1983 to its current fifty-two 

lanes. Garrard and Dallas Marsh purchased the 

McHenry Bowl from his family in 1986. 


MODESTO 

INDEPENDENT 

INSURANCE 

AGENCY 

ASSOCIATION 

STANISLAUS 

INSURANCE 

The Modesto Independent Insurance Agency 

Association is one of the oldest independent 

associations in California. This century-old 

trade group began in 1918 as a way for local 

insurance agents to share in commissions. 

This included the City of Modesto, Modesto 

Irrigation District, Modesto City Schools, and, 

later, the Yosemite Junior College District 

(Modesto Junior College.) Originally known 

as Modesto Insurance Agents Association, the 

organization amended its name in 1951 to 

its current format. Giddings Brothers, Inc., 

(now CAPAX) oversaw commissions and the 

placing of business. 

Each December, the association met and 

disbursed commissions among agent members. 

The association continued in its original 

purpose until 1973 when Stanislaus County, 

in a joint agreement with the association, 

began to self-insure, which meant it no longer 

required the association’s services. 

The association then expanded to become a 

networking group of independent insurance 

agents and brokers, providing classes, events, 

and giving back to the community through 

charity and event sponsorship that drew 

attention to Modesto and educated the 

public regarding insurance. The association 

sponsored motorcycle safety events, junior 

marshall fire programs, golf tournaments, and 

advertised in local papers. It also sponsored 

high school events such as “DUI and You,” 

“Sober Grad Night,” and the “Every 15 

Minutes” program. Through the years, the 

association has been honored for its philanthropic 

efforts. 

In the 1980s, the association expanded to 

be an arm of the State Independent Association, 

continuing in the same vein, but expanded to 

have a voice in legislative issues of interest 

to the industry. In addition to agent members, 

the association expanded its membership to 

include associate members that consisted of 

insurance carriers and vendors involved in 

the industry. 

The association continues to meet once per 

quarter. Some members are second- and thirdgeneration 

agency members. The Modesto 

Independent Insurance Agency Association 

is proud to have served the Modesto area 

community and plans to continue its spirit of 

service into the next century. 


TRADEWAY 

TRANSMISSIONS 

Top: Roger Rickett, owner/operator of 

Tradeway Transmissions. 

Below: Tradeway Transmissions is 

located at 308 Motor City Court 


On the day in 1967 when Roger Rickett 

walked into Tradeway Transmissions for the 

first time, it changed his life and, as it turned 

out, the lives of many in Modesto’s business 

community, as well as residents living in the 

greater Central Valley area. 

Looking for a way to advance his career in 

the automotive industry, Roger approached one 

of the owners of the business to see if he would 

be interested in selling. Coincidentally, the two 

men who had started the company in 1959 were 

in the mood to sell, so Roger purchased the 

business located on Yosemite Boulevard. 

Roger had moved to California to pursue a 

career in professional baseball. Raised on a 

Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Idaho, Roger 

had been a good athlete who played college 

baseball and enjoyed working on hot rods. 

After his attempt to play professional baseball 

fell short, he wound up in Modesto and took a 

job at Farish-Herzog Pontiac, where he worked 

his way up from new car prep mechanic to 

service manager. 

Driven by ambition, Roger wanted both a 

greater challenge and to earn more money. 

Tradeway Transmissions, which he purchased 

in 1967, provided the opportunity. Realizing 

Modesto’s business center was moving to 

McHenry Avenue, Roger purchased five 

acres at the intersection of McHenry and 

Pelandale Avenues for $500,000 and, in 

1990, built the existing buildings for 

$2.7 million. Motor City Auto Center, as the 

five-acre complex is known, is home to 

Tradeway Transmissions and several other 

businesses, the majority related to the 

automotive industry. 

Tradeway Transmissions has built a 

reputation for honest, quality work. Much of its 

business comes from local auto dealerships, 

especially Ford and Toyota, which value 

Tradeway Transmissions’ expertise and fair 

prices. Tradeway also has numerous regular 

customers who come to them for transmission 

and other automotive services. 

Through the years, Roger has supported little 

league baseball and soccer teams, bowling 

teams, and other community events. He owns 

a hot rod restoration business at Motor City 

Auto Center, and regularly supports car shows 

and other automotive-related events. Because of 

this, his name has become synonymous with hot 

rod restoration. 

Roger is both an avid patriot and Christian 

whose oldest son served in the first Gulf War. 

He and his wife, Shari Rickett, who has been his 

partner in life and business, have given several 

vehicles for charitable purposes through the 

years. They help feed the homeless on a regular 

basis and converted a bus into a mobile shower 

facility, allowing the homeless to shower and 

receive new clothes. 

Roger is past the age of seventy now, but has 

no plans to retire. He enjoys his work and looks 

forward to more years of serving customers and 

spending time around cars and the people who 

love them. 

For more information about Tradeway 

Transmissions, please call 209-529-1230 or visit 

www.tradewaytransmission.com. 


The Modesto Junior College 

production of The Elephant Man. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID TODD. COURTESY OF 

MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE. 


The AT&T Building. Modesto was a 

testing ground for mid-century 

modern architecture. 



BUILDING A GREATER MODESTO 

Modesto’s service providers, small businesses, 

real estate developers, construction companies, 

heavy industries, and manufacturers provide 

the economic foundation of the city 

J. S. West & Co., Inc. ...................................................................236 

Delta Sierra Beverage....................................................................240 

Direct Appliance, Inc. ...................................................................242 

Champion Industrial Contractors, Inc. ............................................244 

J. M. Keckler Medical Company, Inc. ...............................................246 

MTC Distributing..........................................................................248 

The Zagaris Family .......................................................................250 

Silkwood Wines.............................................................................252 

CALTEC Ag Inc. ...........................................................................254 

Classic Wine Vinegar Company, Inc. ................................................256 

Wille Electric Supply Company .......................................................257 

Ceres Pipe & Metal .......................................................................258 

Modesto Junk Company ..................................................................259 

Hennings Bros. Drilling Co., Inc. ....................................................260 

Nicolau Farms..............................................................................261 

Arnold Cement, Inc. .....................................................................262 

Modesto Irrigation District .............................................................263 

Garton Tractor .............................................................................264 

CoSol Commercial Real Estate.........................................................265 

Burchell Nursery...........................................................................266 

Sierra Pacific Warehouse Group 

ModestoView .........................................................................267 

BUILDING A GREATER MODESTO ✦ 235

J. S. WEST & 

CO., INC. 

James Stewart West was born in Bentonville, 

Ohio, on February 20, 1856. Although his father 

ran a sawmill for a while, the family soon moved 

to a farm, where J. S. spent his boyhood years. 

Following the Civil War, the family moved to 

Nebraska, which at that time was a frontier 

state, where J. S. became interested in education. 

He graduated from the state’s Normal 

School in Peru, Nebraska, and taught school 

for two years. He then decided to become a 

lawyer, securing a job in Lincoln, Nebraska, at 

the law firm of Talbot and Bryan (the latter 

being William Jennings Bryan, the three-time 

Democratic nominee for president). J. S. studied 

law while working at the firm and two years 

later was admitted to the bar. 

J. S. met his future wife, Nona H. Lesh, an 

education student at the University of Nebraska 

around this time. They were married on June 

11, 1889. Soon thereafter, J. S. relocated his 

office to Benkelman, Nebraska, just a few miles 

from the Kansas border on the Republican River. 

Two years after moving there, the citizens of 

Dundy County, where Benkelman was located, 

elected J. S. to serve as county judge, a position 

he held for the next nine years. His service, 

however, was not without drama. Twice a man 

bent on revenge for a judgment J. S. had made 

tried to kill him. The first attempt on his life 

occurred in his office and the second occurred 

while J. S. was hunting. 

In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, 

J. S. worked to help organize an Army unit 

known as the Third Nebraska Regiment. Bryan 

served as colonel, and the regiment’s men elected 

J. S. to serve as first lieutenant. They drilled 

in Indianola, Nebraska, before traveling to 

Omaha for additional training. Lieutenant West 

passed his first physical, but before reporting to 

another military base in the South was examined 

again and determined to have a weak heart. 

Not long afterwards, J. S. resigned his judgeship 

and moved to Lawton, Oklahoma, a new 

town where 10,000 potential new citizens 

were living in tents. J. S. bought property lots 

and set up a law practice. After a short time 

in Lawton, J. S. moved to Wellston, east of 

Oklahoma City, and bought a fruit farm. He 

was appointed to be the town’s postmaster by 


President Theodore Roosevelt. His role here did 

not last long because, at the age of fifty-two, he 

was diagnosed with a respiratory disease known 

as consumption and decided to relocate his 

family to California because its dryer climate 

would be better for his health. 

By 1908, he and his wife moved their family 

of five—Vera, 18, Virgil, 15, Norman, 13, Nona, 

10, and Don, 6 months—to Modesto, traveling 

by train. J. S. had been to Modesto two years 

earlier when he was searching for a place for his 

family and looking for business opportunities. 

He found the conditions in Modesto appealing 

and liked the fact that the public owned the 

water and power supplies. 

In 1909, J. S. purchased a small warehouse 

on the west side of Frost Street, or Ninth Street, 

between G and H Streets, from Merced Milling 

Co. This remained the headquarters for 

J. S. West & Co. through the years. During the 

dry months, J. S. sold feed (predominantly 

brands provided by Albers Milling Co. or 

Sperry Milling Co.) and hay to farmers. In the 

wet months, J. S. secured wood and coal and 

put his sons to work hauling them. 

J. S. later spent $25,000 to build an ice plant 

on the Ninth Street site and hired people to 

service ice boxes in the area. The ice business 

endured until 1950 when it was sold for 

$35,000. The building burned down seven 

years later. 

Like all successful companies, J. S. West & 

Co. transformed its operations many times to 

keep up with technological changes and to diversify 

the company’s services. During the 1920s 

through the 1940s, motorized vehicles such as 

the Model T replaced horses in retail work, and 

as electrical appliances became commonplace, 

J. S. opened an electrical appliance store at the 

Ninth Street location. Liquid propane replaced 

coal fuel and was delivered to residences that 

needed it for heating and cooking. The store 

later closed due to market pressures caused by 

increased competition. A Mobil gas station with 

four pumps opened on H Street and, in the 

1940s, a tire shop began selling General and 

U.S. Tires. It stayed in business for thirty years. 


J. S. retired in 1925 at the age of sixtynine, 

turning the business over to his son, 

Norman, who through the years took in 

family members as partners to help run the 

ever-expanding business. C. Harvey Benson 

was introduced to the business in 1926 

when he married Nona West, one of J. S.’s five 

children, adding the fuel oil business to the 

coal and wood department. In 1930, the 

partners decided to build a feed mill and 

manufacture livestock and poultry feeds, a 

decision that proved crucial to the company’s 

success back then. 

J. S. died in 1942 at the age of eighty-six 

when the car he was driving collided with a 

train. Two of his sons—Norman and Donald— 

along with Benson, assumed ownership of the 

company. Three years later, the new owners 

formed three corporations and divided the 

stock according to the partnership interests: 

J. S. West & Co., operating ice, appliances, 

LPG, and fuel oil departments; J. S. West 

Milling Co., operating feed manufacturing 

and sales; and J. S. West Tire Sales and Service, 

which included the service station. 

Today, the company operates under an 

Employee Stock Ownership Plan in which 

the employees own part of the company. 

Two descendants of J. S. maintain controlling 

interest in the company—Gary West (third 

generation, son of Donald) and Michael West 

(fourth generation, son of Gary). A third— 

James S. West (third generation, brother of 

Gary) worked as vice president until his 

death in March 2016. He was an integral part 

of the business for more than sixty years. 


J. S. West & Co. now consists of the following 

business enterprises: 

• The company is one of the largest distributors 

of propane in Central California with 

seven branch offices serving twentythree 

counties in and around the Central 

Valley. With twenty-four hour on-call 

service, exceptional technical support, and 

competitive pricing. J. S. West is the propane 

supplier of choice for commercial and 

residential customers. 

• The company’s egg facilities produce and 

process 1.2 million of the freshest eggs every 

day, which are sold exclusively throughout 

California, Nevada, and Hawaii under the 

NuCal brand and various private labels. 

• J. S. West is a partner in NuWest Milling 

Company and Sierra Grain Company, which 

produces 340,000 tons of chicken feed each 

year, making it the largest grain terminal 

west of the Mississippi. 

• At its Retail Feed Store, the company carries 

a variety of animals, a full line of animal 

feed, pet and veterinary supplies, and a variety 

of outdoor goods. The store is located 

on the site where J. S. purchased his first 

milling building in 1909. 

As the oldest business in Modesto, J. S. West 

& Co. is committed to providing its customers, 

employees, resources, and the area a business 

that offers value, fairness, integrity, and a 

concern for individuals. As a business providing 

both products and services, the company 

pledges to: 

• Assist all customers with concern and respect; 

• Provide quality products, services, and 

knowledgeable assistance; 

• Create an atmosphere of quality and interest 

so customers will have a pleasant shopping 

experience; 

• Provide a fair and pleasant environment in 

which to work and treat everyone with 

compassion and respect; and 

• Be a good citizen by contributing time and 

money to community affairs. 

In return for these commitments, J. S. West 

& Co. believes a profit will result, and through 

this profitability it will be able to continue 

offering good products, create employment, 

and grow with the community. It is the 

company’s passion for the community that 

leads it and its 300 and growing employees 

to support charitable programs that directly 

impact the communities in which it operates. 

J. S. West has been family-owned and locally 

operated for more than a century with the third 

and fourth generations of family members 

managing the business. The company is proud 

and privileged that customers continue to place 

their trust in it and “Go West with Confidence.” 


DELTA SIERRA 

BEVERAGE 

Above: Ben Santi picking up milk at 

local dairy, c. 1919. 

Right: Ben Santi as young man. 

Ben Santi, a Swiss immigrant who arrived 

in Merced, California, in the early 1900s, could 

not have known that taking a job at a local 

dairy would plant the seeds for a company that 

would eventually employ more than 280 people. 

Nor could he have dreamed that someday 

his efforts would provide the groundwork for 

a company that would sell more than eight 

million cases of beer and other products to 

more than 2,600 retail accounts in all or part of 

eight California counties. 

But that is exactly the path Santi embarked 

upon when, three years after taking the job, he 

purchased it from the owner in lieu of back 

wages. Within a few years, Santi expanded his 

product line to include ice and ice cream and 

changed the company’s name to Merced Dairy 

and Ice Company. 

By 1933, with the repeal of Prohibition, 

Santi added beer and wine to his distribution 

portfolio. In 1945, Don Stewart, met Santi’s 

middle daughter, Betty, while attending 

Stanford University, and three years later they 

married. Santi decided to groom Stewart as 

his heir apparent. 

By 1950, Lucky Lager had become the 

region’s hottest selling beer and so the company 

changed the beer distributorship portion of 

its business to Lucky Distributing Company, 

with Stewart as a partner. In his new role, 

Stewart decided to add the products of a 

growing national brewery, Anheuser-Busch, to 

the distribution system. 

In 1957, Merced Dairy and Ice purchased a 

well-known local dairy called Sunshine Farms. 

The dairy began operating under the Sunshine 

Farms name while the ice company split off 

to become Merced Ice. With the popularity 

of brands like Lucky Lager and Regal Pale, 

along with Budweiser, the beer business 

grew rapidly. The company expanded to the 

Modesto area in 1963 with the purchase 

of Delta Distributing Company and then 

Giahos Distributing. Meanwhile, in 1966, the 

Merced distributorship changed its name to 

Sierra Beverage. 

The Modesto operations were known as 

Delta Brands, Inc. Les Vick, who would play an 

important role in the success of Delta Brands, 

Inc., for the next thirty years, joined the company 

in 1966. Thanks to his efforts and the work 

of others, the beer business grew so rapidly that 

in 1976 Stewart sold Sunshine Farms to Foster 

Farms in order to concentrate on selling beer. 

Through the next several decades, the two 

companies grew under the leadership of 

Stewart and, later, Don Stewart, Jr., at Sierra 

Beverage and Vick and, later, Robert Stewart, 

at Delta Brands, Inc. 

In 2007, Sierra Beverage Company and 

Delta Brands, Inc., consolidated to form Delta 

Sierra Beverage, with Robert as president. 

The Merced warehouse was closed and all 

operations transferred to the Modesto facility 

in the Beard Industrial Tract. The improved 

efficiencies of the merger, along with continued 

industry consolidation, made the acquisition of 

additional territory attractive. 


On January 30, 2009, Delta Sierra Beverage 

merged with two Anheuser-Busch-owned 

distributorships in Stockton and San Andreas. 

This allowed them to more than double their 

volume and add new products to the company’s 

portfolio. In 2011, Delta Sierra bought out 

Anheuser-Busch’s share of the business and was 

once again an independent operator. 

Today, the company sells more than 100 

brands of beer—the majority of which are 

Anheuser-Busch products—along with many 

imported and craft beer brands and Jarritos 

Mexican Soda. The company’s goal is to sell 

and deliver the right product to the various 

licensed retailers with which it does business, 

helping to market products through custom 

signage, proper shelf-space management, and 

promotional activities. 

Delta Sierra Beverage has grown through the 

same hard work and integrity that Santi demonstrated 

when he started the company. This is 

enhanced by a positive corporate attitude 

where teamwork is stressed and employees 

work with a strong sense of common purpose. 

This positive attitude has played a big part in 

the company’s growth through the years from 

12,000 cases of beer sold in 1954 to approximately 

8 million cases sold in 2015. 

No one knows for certain what the future 

will bring. Fate has its way of determining the 

future no matter how much planning one 

does, but one can be certain that as the Central 

Valley grows, Delta Sierra Beverage will be 

there to serve its growing needs. The business 

is now owned by Don Stewart’s five children 

who collectively have thirteen grandchildren, 

providing hope that the Stewart family ownership 

will endure for many generations to come. 

Above: Don and Betty Stewart. 

Don served as company president 

from 1957-1997. 

Below: The Delta Sierra Beverage 

facility in 2016. 


DIRECT 

APPLIANCE, INC. 

Who knew a little appliance store started 

in 1995 in Modesto would become the largest 

independent appliance sales, service, 

and remodel store in the area! 

Certainly not Direct Appliance owner 

Ron Winter. Winter worked as a 

delivery, sales, and service man when 

the original founders—the late Jack 

and Cyl Ugar—opened with just 

themselves and Winter as employees. 

Direct Maytag Home Appliance 

Center opened on the corner of 

McHenry and Floyd, where the 

business still stands. Offering a small 

selection of Maytag appliances, the 

Ugars anticipated a small mom 

and pop operation supplying reliable 

appliances. Both the Ugars and 

Winter had extensive experience in 

appliances, and they believed the 

three of them could do just fine operating 

the small store. 

It was not long before community support 

helped the store expand by leaps and bounds. 

Soon they became a multi-brand store, adding 

other brands and employees to the lineup. 

Sadly, at the height of business, Cyl passed 

away in 2000, and Jack followed in late 2001. 

Because the store was privately owned, it closed 

while the estate determined if, and how, the 

store would carry on. 

In January 2002, the store reopened as a 

corporation under the leadership of two former 

employees—Winter and Melvin “Bud” Heller 

and their wives, Colleen and Alice, respectively. 

They incorporated so that if anything happened 

to any of them, the store would continue to 

operate. As agreed when the store reopened, 

Heller retired in 2007, but continues to work 

part time. 


“Jack and Cyl were like family to us,” said 

Winter. “They had put so much into the store, 

that we wanted to see continue. We kept the 

same name they had selected, and not a day 

goes by that I do not think of them and how 

they would be proud of what we have done 

over the years.” 

Today, Direct Appliance has more than doubled 

its footprint on McHenry Avenue. The store 

has a gorgeous living showroom featuring 

seven live kitchen vignettes of high-end brands, 

including SubZero, Wolf, Monogram, Thermador, 

Viking, Dacor, and Jenn-Air. They host the 

Modesto Junior College Community Education 

cooking classes; served as location shoot for a 

regional SaveMart Supermarket television commercial, 

as well as many video and television 

shoots for community chefs; and provide free 

appliance product demos for customers. 

In 2009, Winter formed a partnership with 

Samuel Garrett, a local entrepreneur, to form 

Direct Flooring & Home. Specializing in complete 

kitchen remodels, Direct Flooring & 

Home, which operates as a separate store in the 

same location, offers sales and installation of 

countertops, cabinets, flooring, and fixtures 

through its own construction company. “The 

business is a complement to the appliance 

store,” said Winter, “and frankly, we were growing 

tired of delivering appliances to homes that 

had cabinets from the big guys, and getting calls 

that the appliances wouldn’t fit. We directly 

intended to go head-to-head with the box store 

mentality of remodeling kitchens. With Sam’s 

expertise, and that of his crews, we have done 

that and more.” 

Direct Appliance also opened an outlet 

location at 701 K Street in the downtown area. 

“When the economy dropped in 2008-2009, 

some people felt they couldn’t afford our 

appliances. We wanted to let them know that 

we are here to meet the area’s needs, whatever 

they may be! The outlet offers all-new open-box 

items with a steep discount—and all backed by 

our service department.” 

Direct Appliance is the only appliance store in 

the area to fully operate its own service department 

for its customers, something many other 

stores feel is a great expense, but one that Winter 

feels is a necessity to truly care for customers 

after the sale. “When our customers need service 

on their appliances, they are not forced to call 

1-800-HOLD. They call us directly.” 

Direct Appliance also has a growing authorized 

contractor/builder division offering special 

pricing and coordination for builders with 

large projects. 

Most employees have been in the industry for 

years. “Our employees tend to be the ones who 

live and breathe appliances and remodeling,” 

said Winter. “When various other stores closed 

down over the years, many of their employees 

came to us looking for opportunity and we tried 

to bring on the best, even though we could not 

employ them all,” he said. “We have employees 

from former stores, such as Youngdale’s, which 

was in business seventy-nine years in Turlock, 

and a couple of employees even owned their 

own stores at one time.” 

Knowledge, expertise, and caring are some of the 

traits that set Direct Appliance and Direct 

Flooring & Home apart from their competitors. 

“We hope we are being good stewards in our 

community,” says Winter. “We, and our employees, 

live here and raise our children and grandchildren 

here. Although we rarely publicize the 

fact, we sponsor a tremendous number of activities 

and projects and give back in the form of 

donations to many, many events and organizations. 

The community has been very supportive 

to the store from the day Jack and Cyl first 

opened, and everyone here works hard every 

day to deserve and preserve that trust.” 

Left: Direct Appliance Flooring & 

Home at 2426 McHenry Avenue. 

Below: Direct Outlet Store at 

701 K Street. 


CHAMPION INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTORS, INC. 

company. The name not only honors the man 

who built it into the success it is today, it also 

speaks to the company’s reputation among 

colleagues, clients, and competitors. 

Today, the company continues to be family 

owned and operated. Although James no 

longer runs the day-to-day operations, he 

stays involved by serving as chairman of the 

board. His son, Darrell Champion, serves as 

president, and grandson, Eli Champion, as 

vice president. They are joined by John Walter, 

chief operations officer, and Ashveen Singh, 

chief financial officer. 

Champion Industrial Contractors, Inc., formerly 

known as Hansen’s, Inc., has provided 

the Central Valley with industrial HVAC, 

plumbing, and electrical work since 1933. 

Originally owned by George Hansen and his 

wife, Gladys, the company eventually was 

purchased by James C. Champion, who worked 

for the company seventeen years prior to 

George’s death. 

James grew up on an Oklahoma farm starting 

out as a welder, but was introduced to sheet 

metal work while serving in the U.S. Navy 

Seabees during World War II. Following his 

discharge in 1946, James moved to Modesto, 

landing a job at Hansen’s, Inc., as an apprentice 

sheet metal worker. At Hansen’s, he worked 

his way through the ranks from journeyman to 

foreman to estimator and department manager. 

After George’s death, Gladys asked James to 

take over the job of running the company as 

president and chief executive officer. The 

request surprised him, but James proved equal 

to the task. He later purchased one-seventh of 

the company and, through the next several 

years, bought out the other owners. 

After becoming sole proprietor, James kept 

the Hansen’s, Inc., name because he considered 

it a trustworthy brand. But in 1987, the Rotary 

Club he belonged to convinced him that 

“Champion” would make a great name for a 

They continue to preserve the company’s 

long history of successfully meeting the special 

challenges of industrial, commercial, institutional, 

and public works projects. Although 

founded as a plumbing, electrical, and sheet 

metal firm, the company has expanded its 

areas of expertise and is now one of the state’s 

largest mechanical contractors. As such, they 

strive to provide their clientele with everything 

necessary to accomplish their construction 

goals and needs. 

Modern day mechanical and industrial 

systems are sophisticated and complex. They 

require a contractor with advanced mechanical 

capabilities and experienced and trained personnel. 

At Champion Industrial Contractors, 


journeymen have gone through a minimum of 

five years of apprenticeship and foremen have a 

minimum of ten years of experience. Most have 

advanced training in specific areas, and the 

company’s superintendents represent hundreds 

of years of experience in construction, process, 

mechanical systems, and fabrication. 

The Central Valley would not have developed 

as it has without the many projects that 

Champion Industrial Contractors has been 

involved in. This includes several Modesto 

schools and hospitals throughout the San 

Joaquin Valley, many Stanislaus County buildings 

including the courthouse, the convention 

center, and numerous churches. 

Other projects include the Beyer High 

School complete campus HVAC change-out, 

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital design/ 

build, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, an 

Atomic Energy Commission facility west of 

Tracy, and various copper roofing projects 

throughout the valley. 

The company maintains the latest in 

machinery and supplies, but its people make 

Champion Industrial Contractors the success 

it has become. Employees spend several years 

in apprenticeship training before working 

alone, and many spend hours in specialized 

training away from work to learn and enhance 

their skills. 

All the technicians in the Champion 

Industrial Mechanical Services Division have 

completed the HVAC Excellence and UA 

S.T.A.R. training and certification process. This 

division provides professional air conditioning, 

refrigeration, and cold-storage service and 

repair. Champion’s service journeymen have a 

minimum of six years of field experience and 

are trained in the latest equipment, service 

bulletins, and environmentally safe techniques. 

Regardless of the brand name or configuration, 

Champion can provide comprehensive surveys 

to evaluate the client’s needs in all areas. 

Champion’s list of clients includes many 

regional stalwarts, such as Sutter Health 

Memorial Medical Center, Doctors Medical 

Center, Blue Diamond Almonds, Stanislaus 

Food Products, and Modesto Irrigation District. 

It also includes a “Who’s Who” of nationally 

recognized companies, such as ConAgra Foods, 

Del Monte, General Mills, Kraft, Amazon, 

and Target. 

As for the future, Champion Industrial 

Contractors plans to continue playing a central 

role in the development of Modesto, the Central 

Valley, and beyond. 

Champion Industrial Contractors, Inc. 

is located at 1420 Coldwell Avenue 



J. M. KECKLER MEDICAL COMPANY, INC. 

Above: J. M. Keckler Medical 

Company, Inc., Oakdale office. 

Right: Founders: J. Michael and 

Susie Keckler. 

Mike and Susie Keckler founded J. M. Keckler 

Medical Company, Inc., in 1973 in Modesto with 

a dream and a rock-solid dedication to hard 

work and customer service. Beginning with a 

strong will and little-to-no investment capital, 

they began the process of building a company 

that has set the standard in the healthcare industry 

for state-of-the-art medical equipment and 

unsurpassed service to customers. 

The company got its start when Mike was 

working as a salesman for a local medical 

company and Susie was working at Doctors 

Medical Center. One day, Mike went to his 

job of eight years and learned the company 

had been sold. Not wanting to work for a large 

corporation, Mike resigned that day despite 

having four kids to support and a large monthly 

mortgage payment staring him in the face. 

Call it confidence or call it faith, but it 

never occurred to Mike and Susie that they 

might not make it when Mike decided to 

start his own medical supply company. They 

borrowed $3,000 from Susie’s aunt to help fund 

the new business and started the company out 

of their garage. Susie continued working at 

Doctors Medical Center during the day and 

taking care of the kids at night, while Mike 

sold medical supplies and equipment in the 

mornings and contacted manufacturers in the 

afternoons to fill the orders. Susie also handled 

the books at night, the kitchen table serving as 

her office. 

God quickly rewarded Mike and Susie for 

their hard work and faith. Unlike most new 

businesses, they covered their costs the first 

month and the business that started from almost 

nothing grew. Today, J. M. Keckler Medical 

Company is an award-winning medical and 

surgical equipment distributor that has earned 

national recognition for its dedication to 

sales expertise, reliable technical support, and 

knowledgeable customer service. 

J. M. Keckler’s mission is to partner with its 

“primary influencers” to achieve sustainable 

growth in hospital capital equipment sales and 

service in the acute care industry. Its vision is to 

be the premier supplier in providing hospitals 

and surgery centers with efficient operating 

rooms and acute-care procedure-and-support 

rooms, where capital equipment is part of the 

package. This package also includes information 

technology software and outstanding biomed 

service to help hospitals and surgery centers get 

and remain operationally effective. 

Now headquartered in Oakdale, J. M. Keckler 

is a registered veteran-owned small business 

serving all of Northern California and Nevada. 

It is a distinguished medical equipment supplier, 

providing hospitals, surgery centers, and physicians 

with a full spectrum of quality operating 

room and acute-care equipment. J. M. Keckler 

Bio Medical Services provides rapid response to 

customer needs. 

J. M. Keckler continuously seeks products and 

services that will enhance and refine its offerings 

to customers. Its focus areas run the gamut 

from general operating room equipment to 

emergency services equipment to chemical 

environmental surface disinfection, as well as 

the NICU. Its sales team has garnered a national 

reputation for superior product knowledge and 

its “Start to Finish Care” means J. M. Keckler 


will be with you from beginning to end. 

Turnkey projects from start to finish are 

its passion. 

J. M. Keckler partners with manufacturers who 

set the standard in their respective industries, 

and its complete product line is available for 

sale and/or rent. Once the sale is made, the 

company’s service team continues the spirit 

of excellence by providing maintenance and 

repair to medical capital equipment twentyfour 

hours a day, seven days a week, so 

its customers’ facilities remain operationally 

efficient and effective. Its certified technicians 

cover California from Santa Barbara to the 

Oregon border and Nevada as well. 

One of the company’s most valuable offerings 

is its preventive maintenance contracts 

that provide timely routine service for equipment, 

reducing downtime and ensuring the 

equipment meets manufacturers’ maintenance 

specifications. J. M. Keckler also offers preowned 

equipment for medical facilities tasked 

with providing excellent care with the best 

available equipment on a tight budget. The 

company’s 25,000 square foot warehouse 

provides a large selection of pre-owned medical 

equipment that is cleaned, safety checked, and 

function tested. 

Even with a multitude of national, state, 

and local awards, the company focus goes 

beyond the bottom line. Since its inception, 

J. M. Keckler has always been about giving 

back. In partnership with local and worldwide 

organizations, such as Rotary International and 

World Vision, the company has forged decades 

of history—making significant contributions 

in developing countries through capital 

equipment donations and technical training. 

The company would not have enjoyed the 

success it has without the many faithful and 

long-term employees—known as Team Keckler— 

who have given their time and efforts to grow 

the company. No team member has been more 

important than Jana Ollar—Susie’s sister—who 

is a partner in the company and has worked 

to make it one of the best in its industry. 

Throughout its existence, J. M. Keckler, led 

by Mike and Susie, has been blessed by God 

and motivated to do good things through their 

work, the communities they serve, and the 

people who have made J. M. Keckler Medical 

Company, Inc. the success it has become. 

Above: J. M. Keckler Medical 

Company, Inc., Operating Room 

Training Center. 

Below: J. M. Keckler Bio Medical 

Services Inc., service fleet. 


MTC 

DISTRIBUTING 

MTC Distributing’s growth since its inception 

almost a century ago mirrors that of Modesto 

and the rest of the Central Valley. Herbert P. 

Eakin, a sales manager for the William Gundst 

Cigar Company, founded the Modesto Tobacco 

Company in 1921. He felt there was a need for 

an additional cigar distributor in the valley, 

and he also thought it would be a wonderful 

place to raise his family. 

In 1932, Herbert’s son, William, took over 

the business and charted a path for its growth 

over the next five decades. William was very 

active in the local community. He served on the 

board of several nonprofit organizations and 

felt strongly about giving back to Modesto. 

The path for Modesto Tobacco was not 

always an easy one. The Great Depression had 

an impact on the valley. World War II had a 

dramatic effect on Modesto Tobacco. Rationing 

and shortages on key commodities made it 

difficult, if not impossible, to have any products 

to sell its customers. The doors remained open 

while William was away fighting for his country. 

He enlisted and joined the Army as an officer. 

“It was a very tough time for the company 

and my father,” William’s son and current 

owner, Tom Eakin, explained. “My dad’s generation 

absolutely believed in service to your 

country. He owned a business that was doing 

fairly well, he was the only son, and he was 

well past draft age, yet he never gave the 

thought of enlisting in the Army a second 

thought. He was always very proud of how 

many people in this area did the same exact 

thing. And none of them were drafted, either.” 

William returned from the war, married 

Frances Gosney, and had three sons: William 

Stephen, Tom, and David. The company 

flourished over the next decades, adding product 

lines other than tobacco. With a name 

change to The Modesto Tobacco and Candy 

Company, the geographic area serviced was 

greatly expanded. 

In 1986, the Eakin family sold the company 

to Tom. The name was changed to MTC 

Distributing to better reflect an expanded 

product line, which now includes groceries, 

snacks, fresh foods, frozen foods, beverages, 

health and beauty aids, automotive supplies, 

and a full line of convenience store equipment 

and fixtures. 


In 2002, MTC moved to its current location 

on Stoddard Road. It is a fully modernized, 

automated 150,000 square foot warehouse 

that stores more than 10,000 items in dry, 

cold, or frozen space. 

Tom purchased other distributors and greatly 

expanded MTC’s service area like his father. 

While other much larger distributors were 

streamlining costs, and removing traditional 

salespeople from the field, Tom focused on 

exemplary customer service and hired and 

trained sales specialists to help each MTC 

customer sell more product and become more 

profitable. One way to do this was to design a 

system that allows convenience stores to place 

orders on the web, create reports, and track 

inventory automatically. 

“I was at MTC when we got our first 

computer in the seventies,” Tom said. “It was 

mind-boggling what that computer did to 

our business and the industry. Today, we 

can’t make a move without technology. 

It drives everything. From roadway efficiency 

to product ordering and handling, everything 

is done with technology. I have no idea 

how we ran this business sixty or seventy 

years ago!” 

The vision for the future of MTC and its 250 

employees is to provide services to its retailers 

and vendor partners that no other distributor 

can match. That vision will never include being 

the biggest, but will always be about trying to 

be the best. 

“I know that the foundation of MTC in 

2017 is exactly the same as it was for Modesto 

Tobacco in 1921,” Tom concluded. “It all starts 

with the great people who have worked for 

this company for the last century. We have truly 

been blessed to have so many people put their 

trust in the hands of our family.” 

And the future? 

“I was in a meeting last week and we were 

talking about all of the amazing new products 

coming to the convenience store industry. 

The various platforms the c-stores are using 

to sell their products to the consumer are 

changing daily. I told our folks that MTC smells 

and looks like a startup company. We’re just 

getting started!” 


THE ZAGARIS 

FAMILY 

The son of Greek immigrants, Paul M. Zagaris 

was forced to drop out of school and work in 

the coal mines of Wyoming after his father died 

in a mining accident. 

After serving in the Pacific Theatre during 

WWII, he brought his wife, Liberty, mother and 

younger siblings to Modesto. Upon arriving in 

Modesto in 1947, Liberty taught elementary 

school and Paul launched a career as a real estate 

agent with Bomberger Brothers Real Estate. 

Paul became a partner in Bomberger Brothers 

and years later founded PMZ Real Estate. Under 

Paul’s leadership, the firm grew to become 

Modesto’s leading real estate brokerage. At the 

time of Paul’s death in 1980, the firm had 

fifteen agents and annual sales of $10 million. 

After Paul’s death, his children Michael, 

Steven, Jon, and Paula worked together to 

continue the family business. 

The Zagaris children faced an extraordinarily 

difficult business environment with mortgage 

rates climbing to over eighteen and a half 

percent. But, by working together, they continued 

to build the business and today PMZ Real 

Estate has sixteen offices in Stanislaus County, 

San Joaquin County, and other nearby counties 

and over 700 agents and employees with annual 

sales exceeding $2 billion. 

In addition to its involvement in residential 

brokerages, the family has created PMZ 

Commercial/Ag Real Estate and Liberty Property 

Management as divisions of PMZ Real Estate. 

The family has been involved in land development 

and building over the years. Many of 

Modesto’s most sought after neighborhoods 

were developed by the family. Sherwood Forest, 

Eastridge, River Heights, Westridge, and 

Dutchhollow are just a few examples of the 

neighborhoods developed by the family. 

Steven focused on the design and construction 

of custom and merchant built homes in 

Modesto and surrounding communities. Many 

of his homes won prestigious awards given by 

the Building Industry Association. Steven was 

president of the Building Industry Association 

of Central California. Steven passed away in 

2000 and his legacy lives on in the beautiful 

structures he designed and built. 

To better serve the needs of their clients, the 

Zagaris family has established numerous other 

successful affiliated businesses: 

• Scenic Oaks Funding, the family’s mortgage 

banking company, was launched in 2008 

and is now the leading provider of home 

loans in Modesto and Stanislaus County. 

• Cypress Title Company was launched in 

2005 and currently has offices in Modesto 

and Turlock. The Zagaris family founded 

Cypress Title with two strategic partners. 

• River Oaks Insurance Services is a joint 

venture launched by the Zagaris family and a 

strategic partner in 2012 to provide property 

and casualty insurance. 


The Zagaris family has also developed 

numerous commercial projects: 

• Thousand Oaks Executive Center on Scenic 

Drive in Modesto is currently comprised of 

four professional office buildings. 

• PMZ’s headquarters building located in the 

Thousand Oaks Project won the prestigious 

Gold Nugget Award at the Pacific Coast 

Builders Conference for the best Office/ 

Professional Building under 60,000 square 

feet in 2006. 

The Zagaris family is proud to give back to 

the community. Mike cofounded the Leadership 

Modesto Program, helped build and served as 

chairman of the California State University, 

Stanislaus (CSUS) Foundation Board, was active 

on the board of governors of Doctors Medical 

Center as chairman, led the effort to save 

Modesto’s State Theatre, and is currently on the 

board of directors of the Realty Alliance, and the 

board of directors of Opportunity Stanislaus. 

Jon is currently president of the Modesto 

Junior College Foundation and has served on 

the Board of Directors of the Building Industry 

Association of Central California, has been recognized 

by the Modesto Association of Realtors 

as Realtor of the Year and by the Building 

Industry Association of Central California as 

Builder of the Year and served as president of 

the Modesto Association of Realtors. 

Paula was on the CSUS Foundation Board, 

the Memorial Hospital Foundation Board, and 

the Board of Omega Nu. 

Today Michael, Jon, and Paula, together with 

two of Paula’s children, Duke and Hilary, and 

Jon’s son, Steven, and an extraordinary staff of 

administrative and sales professionals continue 

to build the Zagaris family businesses. 


SILKWOOD WINES 

There is an old saying that goes: You can’t 

keep a good man down. The same could be 

said for Silkwood Wines, now in its third 

incarnation, having been shut down first by 

disease and, later, by a catastrophic fire that 

wiped out its entire inventory. 

phyloxera—a sap-sucking pest similar to the 

aphid—wiped out the vines. He planted rice, 

which controlled the pest, and made eight 

barrels of wine a year from a few vines of AB 

and Muscat. To this day, the family continues to 

produce rice in Northern California. Ultimately, 

Silkwood Wines closed, although the Monnich 

family farmed 540 acres in Modesto for the 

Jesuits of Novitiate Winery in Lost Gatos, plus 

perennial crops of its own. 

Left: Menus of Silkwood’s first 

Chardonnay release served at the 

Reagan White House, as well as 

French, Canadian, and 

Mexican Summits. 

Right: Judie and John Monnich with a 

wine thief at a tasting of Petite Sirah. 

Silkwood Wines first began in 1979 with a 

Chardonnay produced at Spring Mountain 

Winery in St. Helena, Napa Valley. It won great 

reviews and was served frequently in the White 

House when Ronald Reagan was president. 

President Reagan and his wife, Nancy, Ed Meiss, 

Michael Deaver, and George Bush also served 

it and transported it aboard Air Force One to 

French, Canadian, and Mexican Summits. 

The grandfather of owner, John Monnich, 

produced Alicante Bouschet in 1920 until 

John and Judie Monnich restarted Silkwood 

Wines in 1988 with small lots of Petite Sirah. 

This continued in St. Helena at Rombauers 

Winery for a number of years until a fire wiped 

them out, including the ’98 Petite Sirah bottled 

the previous day. Its ’99 Petite Sirah was 

awarded the Best Wine from the Napa Valley in 

2002 by the California State Fair. 

Other awards have been won: 

• 2007 Satin & Silk 

• Double Gold Medal, 2012 Florida State Fair 

• Double Gold Medal, Denver Wine Competition 

• Gold Medal, 2012 Lodi Consumers 

• Gold Medal, 2012 Orange County 

• Recognized by wine judges, writer as one of the 21 Best Wines in the World 

• Que Sirah Syrah 

• Silver Medal, 2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition 

• Bronze Medal, 2010 San Joaquin Valley Wine Competition 

• 2008 Chardonnay 

• 90+ Points Gold Medal, 2010 San Joaquin Valley Wine Competition 

• Bronze Medal, 2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition 

• Bronze Medal, 2010 National Women’s Wine Competition 

• 2011 Chardonnay with innovative glass cork. 

• Gold Medal San Joaquin Valley Wine Competition 

• 2008 Syrah 

• Platinum Medal, 2012 Lodi Consumers 

• NV Red Duet 

• Gold Medal, 2012 Lodi Consumers 

• 94 Point Gold Medal, 2011 San Francisco Wine competition 

• 94 Points—Gold Medal, OC Fair California 

• 2007 Petite Sirah 

• Double Gold, Best Red Wine Houston 

• Best of Class, 2012 Indianapolis Wine Competition—Best of Class 

• Gold Medal, 2012 Sunset International Wine Competition Gold 

• Awarded handmade chaps for Best Red Wine 

• Gold Medal 2008 International Wine Competition 

• Gold Medal, 2012 Orange County Fair Gold 

• 2004 Syrah 

• 98 Points Double Gold Medal, 2007 San Francisco International Wine Competition 

• 98 Points Double Gold Medal, 2007 California State Fair 

• 94 Points Gold Medal, 2007 Central California Wine Competition 

• Silkwood 2001 Syrah Selected Reserve 

• Gold Medal, American Wine Society 

• Silkwood 2001 Syrah 

• Best of Show—Gold Medal, Lone Star International Wine Competition 

• Gold Medal, 2005 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 

• Gold Medal, 2005 Texas Wine Competition 

• Silkwood 2000 Syrah 

• Best of Class—Gold Medal, California State Fair 

• Gold Medal, California State Fair 

• Gold Medal, American Wine Society 

• Alicante Bouschet 

• Best Red Wine, Houston 

• Silkwood 1999 Petite Sirah 

• Best in California, California State Fair 

• Best of all Wines—Napa Appellation, California State Fair 


The latest version of the company started in 

1998 with a grower partner in the Modesto area. 

The Central Valley’s microclimate is the perfect 

environment for allowing grapes the time 

needed to mature naturally without concern 

for rain. 

This allows the vintner to take the time to 

produce and age wines for maximum “hang 

time” needed by seeds and stems to mature 

from green to a nice, toasty brown, ensuring 

optimum flavors and firm, smooth tannins. 

Letting the fruit hang until it is ripe and then 

placing it in a tight-grain, oak wood barrel 

of a selected species for four to five years 

is critical in making better-quality wine from 

warm-climate grapes. 

These factors contribute to the outstanding 

final product for which Silkwood Wines is 

known. They custom crush their grapes in 

Lodi after harvesting vineyards in the Tuolumne 

River and Dry Creek areas of Stanislaus County 

just east of Modesto. 

Monnich serves as a board member of the 

San Joaquin Valley Wine Grape Growers 

Association. The association works to support 

and promote the area as one of the finest 

grape-producing areas in the world, as 

evidenced by the fact that a number of valley 

wineries are recognized for their worldclass 

wine status, including Silkwood Wines. 

Seventy-one percent of all California grapes 

are grown in the Central Valley. Monnich is 

also past president and board member of 

P.S. I Love You, a Petite Sirah advocacy group, 

and president of CALTEC Ag Inc., an innovative 

company servicing production agriculture 

throughout the United States. 

Above: Silkwood Wines barrel room in 

Lodi, California. 

Left: John Monnich preparing an 

oxtail stew marinated for twenty to 

twenty-four hours in Petite Sirah and 

then slow cooked for six hours with 

more Petite Sirah. 

Below: A bottle of Silkwood Wines 

Alicante Bouschet in a huge wineglass 

at a marina tasting in San Diego. 

Silkwood Wines’ grapes have consistently 

received double gold and gold medals, 

including Best in California for its Petite Sirah 

and two 98 Points/Best in Region for its 2004 

Syrah. Japan Airlines recognized its Syrah by 

making it the only U.S. red wine to fly JAL First 

Class for five years. Silkwood now produces 

approximately 10,000 cases per year, shipping 

to major states, Japan, and Hong Kong. 


CALTEC AG 

INC. 

CALTEC Ag Inc. LED lights in 

Firebaugh, California, tomato field. 

CALTEC Ag Inc. has been helping agricultural 

clients in California and throughout the United 

States since 1982. Services range from providing 

beneficial insects for weed control to a wide range 

of high-technology products and services. 

Our farmer-friendly insects assist growers in 

eliminating weeds that threaten many crops, 

primarily cotton, grapes, and almonds. Our 

research and development arm researches environmental 

impact in production agriculture—all 

with an eye toward helping customers produce 

products without damaging the environment. 

Emphasis is on biological insecticides, fungicides, 

and herbicides developed as a result of genetic 

modification. New crops and seed treatments 

are also major areas of activity with major seed 

companies, as well as with distributors. 

CALTEC Research and Development personnel 

are highly experienced in California’s rich 

agricultural fields, as well as in major crops in the 

rest of the United States. California provides an 

ideal proving ground for researching new technology. 

Company scientists have experience in 

all of the western states’ 350 commercial crops, 

including the 40 crops in California that are not 

produced commercially anywhere else in the 

United States. CALTEC conducts research on an 

array of environmental concerns at numerous 

locations, and is a commercial resource with 

some of the most progressive growers in the U.S. 

CALTEC offers crop production clients from 

around the world an array of services designed to 

help them bring their products to market. Pest 

Control Advisors (PCAs) will not recommend a 

new product until they are convinced it is effective 

and non-phytotoxic. Their credibility—and their 

license—are at stake every time suppliers recommend 

a product, so educating clients regarding 

new products is critical. CALTEC trains PCAs, 

crop advisors, and crop consultants in the proper 

use of our clients’ new products, working with 

them to develop confidence in the product so they 

will recommend it. 

We also guide clients through the registration 

maze, helping them coordinate registration efforts 

throughout the western United States. CALTEC’s 

high profile in California agriculture allows us to 

help our clients in many ways, including recommendations 

regarding the best advertising media 

for products, as well as assisting in direct mail 

campaigns and social media to PCAs, growers, 

resellers, and distributors. We represent our 

clients’ products and companies at farm shows, 

conferences, and continuing education classes. 

CALTEC Ag Inc. assists clients with regulatory 

services in states throughout the U.S. for commercial 

and specialty fertilizers, packaged agricultural 

minerals, auxiliary soil and plant substances, 

packaged soil amendments, and organic input 

materials. Our regulatory services include: 

• Review of product labels to meet specific 

requirements per state, including organic 

products; 

• Obtaining heavy metals and other lab analysis as 

required by each state for product registration; 

• Assisting in obtaining fertilizer licenses for 

clients based on state requirements; 

• Submittal of product labels and accompanying 

documentation to obtain label approval/product 

registration, per state requirements; 

• Assisting in preparing product registration 

applications for organic input materials; 

• Direct contact with state agencies to streamline 

the approval/registration process; 

• Resubmittal of revised labels based on states’ 

requirements, if necessary; and 

• Submission of all product registration renewals 

upon expiration. 


When a client is ready to field-test to validate 

a new product or technology, CALTEC 

Research and Development personnel will: 

• Establish new technologies in crops with its 

highly experienced team; 

• Utilize protocol with GLP-qualified scientists; 

• Develop and coordinate trial plots with 

client, university, and experiment station 

personnel; 

• Conduct field demonstrations for personnel, 

other researchers, resellers, or growers; 

• Maintain complete confidentiality; 

• Identify major resellers in specific crop 

markets; 

• Establish a distribution system through 

qualified resellers; 

• Identify competitive products; 

• Develop marketing strategies; 

• Establish centralized warehousing; 

• Recommend formulations; 

• Packaging sizes for product; 

• Pricing and margin structure; 

• Obtain order for client billing; 

• Registration support; 

• Research and development; 

• PCA liaison and training services; 

• Project management; 

• Biological insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides; 

• Beneficial insects; and 

• Advertising and marketing program. 

CALTEC Ag Inc. is very innovative and 

works to aid new client concepts in Advanced 

Technologies by: 

• Testing drones with unique cameras and 

sensors to identify “stressed” areas; 

• Testing a machine from Germany that 

blows out sheets of air heated up to 400 

degrees into crops to push out humidity, 

reducing pesticide needs. Kills soft-bodied 

insects and modifes genome expression, 

which has improved the quality of fruit, 

juice, and brix in grapes in numerous trials; 

• Testing a root imaging device to instantly 

visualize root flush, root knot nematodes, 

microbial colonies, and fertilizer timing; 

• LED light systems used night and day to 

increase daylight hours to shorten crop 

cycles by reducing pesticides, fertilizers, 

and water; and increasing crop yields. 

• From a unique start-up company, CALTEC 

Ag Inc. is testing novel new products from a 

mobile fermentation unit to produce consistent 

soil products which increase crop yields. 

CALTEC Ag Inc. has fifty years of experience 

in marketing innovative products to production 

agriculture beginning with an exclusive marketing 

agreement with Monsanto to introduce 

the herbicide Roundup on an exclusive basis, 

as well as rice herbicides for Rohm and Haas, 

and Monsanto. 

CALTEC Ag Inc. has taken a very successful 

marketing position with some companies 

where it identifies a unique ag product 

that provides unique benefits to CALTEC Ag 

Inc. distributors. 

Left: Root imaging tubes containing 

cameras viewing root growth, 

Nematodes, Microbe colonies, etc. 

viewed on an IPAD from vehicle 

or office. 

Right: Conducted in Firebaugh, 

California, processed tomatoes tworow 

Agro Thermal heat unit for 

insect control. 


CLASSIC 

WINE VINEGAR 

COMPANY, INC. 

Top: Left to right, Tim, Ella Rose, 

Jenny (Tim’s wife), Donna, Walter, Jr., 

Joseph IV, Liz (Walter III’s wife), 

Dominic and Walter Nicolau III. 

Above: Tim testing the quality of 

vinegar. 

Bottom: Redwood aging tanks. 

Agriculture is the heart and soul of 

the Central Valley of California. We are 

the fields, orchards, dairies, farms, and 

vineyards that produce an incredible 

agricultural bounty. 

Walter and Donna Nicolau purchased 

the Classic Wine Vinegar Company, Inc. 

twenty-five years ago as a weekend hobby, 

along with sons, Walter “Sonny” III, now 

a farmstead goat cheese maker, and Tim, 

now the head vinegar maker. We currently 

bottle vinegars for seventy-five different 

labels, and continue to grow. We manufacture 

wine vinegars using the oak barrelaged 

process called the “Orléans method.” This 

technique is considered the premium vinegarmaking 

style in the world, based on a 

method developed in Orléans, France, during 

the Middle Ages. We are one of the 

few Orléans vinegar-making companies left 

in California. Classic Wine Vinegar has 

expanded into manufacturing many types of 

vinegars, including rice, fruit, and distilled 

vinegars. We also bottle extra virgin olive 

oils, flavored dipping oils, and are a certified 

organic facility. 

In the past few years, wine vinegar has 

become a prized specialty item. With an 

increase in the popularity of the Food Network, 

where Classic Wine Vinegar was spotlighted on 

the Good Eats show with Alton Brown, knowledge 

of food has led to the desire for less-acidic 

vinegar. Red wine vinegars made with varietals 

like cabernet, zinfandel, and sangiovese are 

robust vinegars and are ideal for salad dressings 

and steak marinades. 

Producing exceptional wine vinegar starts 

with quality wine sourced from grapes 

grown locally by vendors we know and 

trust. Carefully cultured bacteria convert the 

wine into vinegar in a controlled environment. 

We do not use preservatives and we do not 

pasteurize, which can affect the taste. Like 

good wine, good vinegars take time. Our 

wine vinegars age slowly over a period of 

twelve to twenty-four months. Unlike most 

mass-marketed brands, which are produced in 

stainless steel tanks typically within twenty-four 

hours, we will not extract our vinegars until 

they are ready. Tim’s vinegar-making experience 

ensures every batch is a superior product. 

With the move to the new facility in Ceres 

built in 2005, came an opportunity for Donna to 

expand her gourmet food and gift shop. Donna 

and her staff’s passion for providing customers 

with the best service and finest gift items has led 

her store to be known as the “Best Kept Secret” 

in Ceres. Along with vinegars, olive oils, and 

gourmet foods, you also can find exquisite salad 

bowls, servers, imported towels, glassware, and 

seasonal gifts. 

Over the years, Classic Wine Vinegar has 

continued to be able to maintain its loyal 

customer support and growth potential. With 

the acquisition of a bulk ingredient supplier 

in 2013 and the well-known local favorite 

Copper Kitchen’s sauces in 2015, we find 

ourselves in need of more space. We began 

the planning of another facility adjacent 

to our current location. This addition will give 

us more square footage and the capabilities of 

continuing our quest of producing the highest 

quality products available. This modern facility 

will be environmentally friendly and will 

contain the latest technological equipment in 

our industry. 

California’s heartland offers one of the state’s 

best authentic food experiences–and we are 

proud to be a part of it. 


Carl Wille, a native of Victoria, Canada, started 

Wille Electric Supply Company in 1922 after 

purchasing the electrical department of a local 

hardware store. Although only twenty-two years 

old at the time, Wille opened a small location 

on I Street in Modesto and began repairing 

products and selling new products to customers. 

The Victoria, Canada, native fit right in with 

his new neighbors thanks to hard work, a commitment 

to great customer service, and fostering 

one-on-one relationships with customers. Today, 

almost a century later, the people at Wille Electric 

Supply Company continue to abide by Carl’s 

business philosophy, and the results are obvious. 

WILLE ELECTRIC SUPPLY COMPANY 

This people-first philosophy has allowed 

the company to expand its business to other 

locations and cities. After moving twice to larger 

facilities, in 1969 the company moved to its 

current location on Seventh Street. It added a 

second location in Stockton in 1983, and, in 

2004, expanded the business by acquiring San 

Leandro Electric Supply. 

Wille Electric is now one of the few remaining 

independent multi-branch distributors in 

Northern California. Despite growing competition, 

the company continues to thrive by 

adhering to a successful business model, while 

continually searching for ways to improve. 

Thanks to the company’s efforts, Wille 

Electric has never laid off a single employee— 

not during the Great Depression and not during 

any of the more recent recessions. This, along 

with enviable corporate stability, has led to a 

retention rate that any business would be proud 

to have, with many employees having stayed 

with the company for several decades. 

So, too, have many customers, who appreciate 

the company’s large and consistent inventory. 

It is this dedication to maintaining products 

customers need that is among the qualities that 

set Wille Electric apart. No matter how unpredictable 

the economy might be, the company 

has always maintained high stock levels. 

As an independent distributor, Wille Electric 

has the ability to address issues immediately 

and act upon them now rather than next week. 

The company leadership—as well as the rest of 

its employees—believes in true customer 

service and maintains a large outside sales staff 

that is knowledgeable, well-trained, and eager 

to meet customer needs. Sales calls are made in 

person, a tradition that began with Carl and 

continues to this day. The company remains 

family-owned and -operated. 

Larry Robinson serves as president, Rob 

Robinson as vice president of sales, and Seth 

Neumann as vice president of finance. This 

leadership team works together to make sure 

the company is an exciting place to work, while 

serving as a one-stop destination for customers 

in all industries. 

For hours or locations, please visit their 

website at www.willeelectric.com. 

Left: Carl Wille. 


CERES 

PIPE & METAL 

Above: Founder of Ceres Pipe & 

Metal, Barry Highiet, standing in the 

pipe yard. 

Below: Doug and Barry Highiet. 

Ceres Pipe & Metal, as the name suggests, 

got its start in the nearby community of Ceres, 

but the company has been in its present location 

on South Seventh Street in Modesto for over 

fifty years. This family-owned business provides 

new and used steel and pipe for agriculture, 

industry, and hobbyists. 

The company owes its existence to Modestoborn 

and -raised Barry Highiet (1925-2014). He 

was the youngest of three children of immigrant 

parents, Alex and Nettie Highiet, who established 

Modesto Junk Co. in 1920. 

Upon his graduation from Modesto High 

School and after a year at Modesto Junior 

College, he joined the U.S. Navy and was 

honorably discharged at the end of the war. 

Barry went on to finish his studies at Stanford 

University before moving back to Modesto to 

work in the family business, Modesto Junk Co. 

After several years of gaining valuable insight 

in the business of recycling metals, he received 

his father’s approval to venture out on his own, 

leading to the founding of his own company, 

Ceres Pipe & Metal. 

In the mid-1970s, Barry’s son Doug joined 

the company, and the focus soon changed to an 

emphasis on new and used steel with less 

involvement in scrap metal. By the 1980s, Ceres 

Pipe & Metal had completely exited the scrap 

metal trade to concentrate exclusively on new 

and used steel sales. 

The company has since added a sales showroom 

with ornamental iron supplies and accessories, 

in addition to the wide range of steel 

including sheet, bars, tubing, and pipe. At the 

present time, Ceres Pipe & Metal buys new steel 

from domestic steel mills and imports from 

around the world. The company also specializes 

in buying secondary materials from manufacturers’ 

closeouts and insurance cargo claims. Much 

of this growth and success is attributed to 

knowledgeable and friendly employees and to 

a wonderful Central Valley with its diverse 

agricultural history. 


The word “junk” is not used in the scrap 

metal processing and recycling business these 

days. Nonetheless, Modesto Junk Company has 

retained the word as part of the company’s name, 

in part out of respect for the company’s founder. 

Alex Highiet, a Latvian native who immigrated 

to the United States in 1913, founded 

Modesto Junk Company in 1920. His brother, 

George, joined him in the business for a year 

before returning to Stockton to run their uncle’s 

junk yard and where Alex had previously lived. 

Alex decided on Modesto for personal, as 

well as professional reasons. His wife, Nettie, 

wanted to live closer to her family, and Alex 

believed he could make a living pretty much 

anywhere. A couple of years after starting the 

business, Alex moved it to its present location 

on Ninth Street to be closer to the railroad, 

leasing land from Southern Pacific for eighteen 

dollars a month. 

Back then, Alex purchased bottles for three 

for a penny, wool at eight cents a pound, and 

hides for eighteen cents, traveling door-to-door 

by horse and buggy. This early enterprise set 

the stage for the scrap metal processing and 

recycling business that continues to this day, 

making Modesto Junk Company one of the 

oldest businesses in Modesto. 

Although the company is nearing the century 

mark, its methods are state-of-the-art. Today, 

the company purchases scrap iron, copper, 

brass, aluminum, stainless steel, junk batteries, 

aluminum cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, and 

other related scrap for recycling purposes. 

Operations include cutting-edge processing 

equipment and computerized technology that, 

combined with professional, courteous staff 

make Modesto Junk Company large enough to 

get the job done and human enough to care. 

Since 1920, the company has maintained a 

tradition of leadership in the scrap metal 

industry, as well as in the Modesto community. 

This privately owned company has benefited 

from the work of four generations of Highiets, 

beginning with Alex and continuing with his 

son, Harvey, his grandson, Jeff, and now his 

great-grandson, Keith. 

Alex, who worked well into his eighties, would 

be proud of the legacy he has created and the 

work his offspring have done to preserve and 

enhance it. The company plans to continue to 

grow and expand to meet the ever-changing needs 

of the scrap metal industry and its customers, and 

it is committed to remaining the most successful 

scrap metal processing and recycling business in 

Modesto and the surrounding area. 

MODESTO JUNK 

COMPANY 

Above: Founder of Modesto Junk 

Company, Alex Highiet. 

Below: An aerial view over Modesto 

Junk Company. 


Above: Madeline and Sean Roddy. 

Below: The Hennings Bros. Drilling 

Company yard located at 1930 Ladd 

Road, Modesto, California 95356. 

HENNINGS BROS. DRILLING CO., INC. 

Hennings Bros. Drilling Co., Inc. has been 

serving Modesto and the surrounding Central 

Valley since 1947. The company was started by 

Bill and Howard Hennings and is currently 

owned by Madeline Hennings Roddy, daughter 

of Bill. Current Vice President Sean Roddy, 

Madeline’s son, will be the third generation to 

own the company. 

Madeline started working in the family business 

in 1972, and Sean started working in 1988. 

Sean has managed the operations since 1998, 

while Madeline is CEO/CFO and president. 

Bill and Howard came from very humble 

beginnings. Born and raised in Minnesota, they 

ventured out in different ways. Bill worked in 

California for a time, but returned to Minnesota 

to marry and become a farmer. Howard stayed 

in California, married, and worked in the gas 

and oil drilling fields. In 1943, Bill decided to 

spread his wings, sold his farm in Minnesota, 

and moved to Modesto. He and his wife, Irene, 

purchased a peach orchard and started a new 

farming adventure. Eventually, the brothers 

decided to unite and form another business, 

water well drilling. With Howard’s expertise in 

drilling and Bill’s business acumen, they started 

Hennings Bros. They purchased a mud rotary 

rig, which was something new for the Central 

Valley in the mid 1940s. Obviously, it was a 

successful venture and the business is still 

thriving to this day. 

Water well drilling—domestic, irrigation 

and industrial—is still the heart of the business. 

Creating a high volume, efficient, and sandfree 

well is what they strive to accomplish for 

every customer. Today, Hennings Bros. employs 

twenty people and has expanded the services 

of the company. Hennings Bros. also provides 

drain-well drilling, and cleaning, well abandonments, 

well maintenance, including video 

inspection, sonar jet cleaning, jetting, brushing, 

and swaging. Rehabilitating wells is an important 

service they also offer and something they 

pride themselves in doing for their customers. 

Recently, the company moved their facilities 

to 1930 Ladd Road, after being on Pelandale 

Avenue for thirty-nine years and previously 

located at the corner of Rumble and Conant 

Avenue for thirty years. The new Hennings 

Bros. location is on the same property where 

Bill and Irene lived and farmed their peach 

orchard. Sean and his family live in his 

grandfather Bill’s house on the property. 

Madeline and Sean feel very blessed and proud 

of their accomplishments over the years. They 

know “Grandpa Bill” would be pleased as well 

with their continued success and cannot wait 

to celebrate seventy years in business in 2017. 


Family. Farming. Food. These are the touchstones 

that define and inspire Nicolau Farms. 

More than a century after his great-grandfather, 

Jose Nicolau, emigrated from the Azores to dairy 

farm in Stanislaus County, Walter Nicolau III 

remains committed to the strength of family and 

culture, the value of land and livestock, and the 

pride of handcrafting the finest cheese. 

At his farm south of Modesto, Walter and his 

wife, Elizabeth, produce a variety of specialty 

goat and blended-milk cheeses. They make 

more than a dozen varieties of cheeses using different 

processes, ages, and molds. During peak 

season, Nicolau Farms produces around 4,000 

pounds of cheese monthly. 

Making award-winning farmstead goat 

cheeses requires balancing science and art. The 

highest-quality cheeses begin with the freshest 

milk produced by contented, healthy goats 

nourished with nutritious grasses and forages, 

all grown and baled at the farm. We are proud 

to be an all-natural goat dairy. We never use 

antibiotics, hormones, conventional medicines, 

or harmful chemicals. 

At Nicolau Farms, our milk is pasteurized 

in small batches on a daily basis. It is never 

altered or standardized. By relying on the 

older method of pasteurization, the milk does 

not taste “cooked” and retains the beneficial 

components needed for making cheese. Mildly 

heated to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, the pasteurized 

milk is cultured for twelve hours, which 

allows the lactic acid to separate the milk 

into curds (solid) and whey (liquid). The curds 

are hand-ladled into cheese cloth and left to 

drain for another twenty-four hours. The resulting 

chevré is then blended with less than 

one percent sea salt. Other fresh ingredients, 

such as herbs or fruit, may be added, depending 

on the final flavor desired. The cheese is immediately 

packaged, refrigerated, and prepared 

for shipping. 

Our aged cheeses begin with the same traditional 

pasteurization process. Following pasteurization 

of the fresh goat milk, the type of 

bacteria, rennet (coagulant), make and aging 

processes used will determine the final taste, 

texture, and appearance. The cheeses are then 

stored until matured. 

The cheese plant is the heart of the process 

that turns the finest “white gold” (goat milk) in 

the world into delicious artisanal cheeses. Vat 

pasteurization, small batch production, age-old 

skills, and labor-intensive attention to detail all 

ensure the freshest, highest-quality cheeses. 

Whether it is fresh or aged cheeses, we 

rely on imagination, determination, tradition, 

and state-of-the-art sanitation to achieve 

a benchmark business dedicated to providing 

an artisanal product that is both enjoyable 

and successful. As Walter III has said many 

times, “We turn grass into milk into cheese 

into happiness.” 

NICOLAU 

FARMS 

Above: Nicolau Farms 2017 collection 

of aged goat cheese and mixed 

milk cheeses. 

Bottom: Walter Nicolau III in his 

aging room. 


ARNOLD 

CEMENT, INC. 

Above: Lowell Arnold. 

Right: Rick and Michael Arnold. 

Lowell and Rick Arnold began Arnold 

Cement, Inc., in 1984 with an old work truck 

out of Lowell’s garage. Initially, they focused on 

the residential market; digging, setting, placing, 

and finishing concrete. Through hard work, 

dedication, and attention to quality, the company 

has grown in the past three decades into a 

highly regarded concrete company serving the 

greater Modesto and Ceres communities. 

Today, Arnold Cement is owned by Rick and 

his son, Michael Arnold. Michael grew up in 

and around the company ran by his father and 

grandfather, who created a family legacy that 

takes pride in their work, giving customers 

quality workmanship at an honest price. 

To get real value in concrete work, there 

is no substitute for a company with decades 

of experience in the right way to do things 

and solve problems coupled with a focus on 

maintaining its reputation for quality results 

and satisfied customers. With the family 

name on the company, they make sure every 

customer is completely satisfied with the 

services they receive before the job is considered 

finished. 

Arnold Cement has extensive experience 

with commercial, residential, and custom jobs. 

They provide expert service on driveways, 

foundations, patios, walks, and steps. They also 

specialize in stamped and colored concrete, 

retaining walls, building slabs, parking lots, 

mow strips, and custom concrete benches. 

Delivering quality results is an attitude 

instilled in all employees. Each employee is 

taught to provide every customer with the same 

quality they would want at their own home or 

business. Taking short cuts is not something 

that one would find at Arnold Cement. They 

pride themselves in giving honest bids, even if it 

means the loss of business to other companies. 

In the old days, business was conducted 

on a handshake and a man had to be as good 

as his word. Even though Arnold Cement 

works with written agreements these days, 

they continue to abide by the philosophy that 

a handshake and a promise mean something. 

Whether it is a small concrete slab at a home 

or a big commercial job, Arnold Cement, Inc., 

treats each job as though it is the most 

important job they have ever done. 


The founding fathers of the Modesto 

Irrigation District (MID) had the foresight 

to construct a reservoir to store water, a 

conveyance system to provide irrigation water 

to farmers, and a powerhouse to help supply the 

community with electricity. 

In 1887, MID was formed as the second irrigation 

district in California. Their forefathers’ vision 

was clear and their determination profound as 

they began transformation of a desert wasteland 

into one of the nation’s most productive regions. 

After sixteen years and battling some opposition, 

the irrigation water that had been promised 

entered a newly constructed canal system moving 

water from east to west and providing irrigation 

to the early tracts of land. Property values 

climbed, land was subdivided, and wheat fields 

were transformed into vineyards and orchards. 

By the 1920s, Modesto Reservoir and the original 

Don Pedro Project were built and helped MID 

bring nearly 60,000 acres into irrigation. 

Building on the success of providing irrigation 

water to an otherwise barren landscape, MID’s 

forefathers’ vision was not yet complete. By 1923, 

the first electrical pole was installed and MID 

embarked on a pathway to provide power. 

MID provides electricity via a mixture of 

owned and purchased resources, including 

wind, solar, large and small hydro, and natural 

gas. In addition to hydroelectric generation at 

Don Pedro Reservoir, MID owns several natural 

gas generation facilities. Electricity is transmitted 

and distributed over more than 1,800 miles of 

power lines throughout MID’s 560 square mile 

service area. 

Fast forwarding to 1994, MID partnered with 

the City of Modesto to provide safe, reliable 

drinking water and built the Modesto Regional 

Water Treatment Plant. To date, MID has 

provided close to 230 billion gallons of treated 

surface water to the City of Modesto, significantly 

reducing their reliance on groundwater 

and improving water quality for more than 

250,000 area residents and 6,000 businesses. 

Today, 130 years later, MID still relies on the 

foresight of its forefathers—providing electric 

service to more than 120,000 customers, irrigation 

water to more than 3,000 agricultural customers 

and treating and delivering drinking water to 

the City of Modesto. 

MID continues to look for ways to enhance 

water and power service, work to protect its 

senior water rights, diversify power resources, 

and monitor and respond accordingly to 

increasing regulatory pressures on the water and 

power industries. 

Throughout its existence, this publicly 

owned utility has worked to deliver the highest 

value of service at the lowest possible cost 

through teamwork, technology, innovation, 

and commitment. It is a mission the Modesto 

Irrigation District plans to continue to fulfill in 

the years to come. 

MODESTO 

IRRIGATION 

DISTRICT 

Below: MID installing an electrical 

pole by the Strand Theatre. 


GARTON 

TRACTOR, INC. 

Since 1954, Garton Tractor, Inc. has provided 

equipment, parts, rentals, and service to the 

agricultural and light construction industry. 

Family-owned and -operated, the fourth generation 

continues to provide the services our 

customers deserve. The Garton Tractor family has 

grown from a single store selling Ford tractors to 

over 230 employees and ten California locations 

supplying the industry with New Holland, 

Kubota, and many other manufacturers. 

The company roots started when Bud 

Garton met and married Carole Cornforth. 

Carole’s father, Bill Cornforth, the family’s 

first generation farm equipment dealer, had 

the Ford tractor franchise in Reedley. 

Bud’s background included family ranching 

in Squaw Valley, serving his country in the 

Navy, and working as an accountant. Bill 

hired his new son-in-law, who would soon 

become the second generation family member 

to sell Ford tractors. Soon after, Bill purchased 

the Ford tractor franchises in Turlock and 

Modesto and assigned Bud to run the parts 

department at the Modesto store. In 1954, 

Bud was transferred to the Turlock store as 

general manager. 

In 1957, Bill decided to sell the 

establishments in Turlock and Modesto. Bud, 

his father Leonard Garton, and Roy Nance 

bought the two stores. They remained partners 

until 1960, when they divided the businesses, 

with the Gartons taking over the Turlock 

store. The company branched out to Los Banos, 

where Leonard operated the location. When 

Leonard retired in 1969, the store was closed 

and the Turlock location expanded by moving 

from Center Street to its current location on 

Golden State Boulevard. At the time, it was in 

the country and Golden State Boulevard was 

Highway 99. 

The third generation began employment in 

1979 when Bud’s oldest son, Bill, graduated 

from the University of the Pacific. In 1983, Bud’s 

other son, Tom, graduated from Cal Poly San 

Luis Obispo. There is currently three fourth 

generation family members—Ben (University of 

Alabama), Grant (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), 

and Drew Garton (University of Southern 

California) in various managerial positions. 

Over the years, many farm equipment manufacturers 

have consolidated and the dealers have 

expanded to multiple locations with many 

owned by investment groups. Garton Tractor’s 

expansion to additional locations began with 

Newman in 1989 followed by Stockton, Tulare, 

Santa Rosa, Modesto, Ukiah, Fairfield, Merced, 

and Woodland in 2017. 

From the initial Turlock store through the 

expansion to ten locations, the values have 

stayed the same–honesty, integrity, and treating 

others with respect. We are proud of the 

people we have in our organization and grateful 

for our customers. At Garton Tractor, Inc., we 

have positive attitudes and strong work 

ethics to ultimately help you, the customer, in 

the best and most efficient way possible. Quality 

People Quality Products®, that is Garton 

Tractor, Inc. To learn more about us, please 

visit gartontractor.com. 


CoSol Commercial Real Estate is one of 

Modesto’s leading commercial real estate companies. 

CoSol is a highly focused brokerage 

company that prides itself on outstanding 

customer service and developing long-term 

relationships with its clients. The company’s 

founders, both locally grown products, know 

the area well, and through the years, have 

developed a wealth of information and experience 

that benefit retailers, property owners, and 

investors alike. 

With experienced principals and in-depth 

knowledge of the regional marketplace, 

CoSol Commercial Real Estate provides 

full-service capabilities catered to the need of 

its clients, whether they are a large corporate 

entity or an individual with an interest in 

real estate. The company was founded by 

Modesto businessmen Tim L. Bettencourt 

and Thomas C. Solomon who combined 

have more than sixty-five years of experience 

in the real estate business. 

In 1994, as a logical extension of their 

business, they formed CoSol Management 

Group. They invited Janet Akard to join as 

an associate agent and later made her partner 

in the management arm, primarily responsible 

for the day-to-day operations of the management 

group. Jake Maiorino joined CoSol as an 

associate in May 2006, and Bowen Cardoza 

joined in January 2013. Thomas Solomon, Jr., 

joined the firm in June 2014. 

CoSol’s client list includes a long list of 

national, regional, and local entities. Their 

business spans a wide range of clients including 

retail, office, medical, governmental, 

school districts, industrial, and others. Their 

experience and local knowledge make them 

premier brokers for landing major retailers 

interested in locating in Stanislaus and south 

San Joaquin counties. 

CoSol Commercial Real Estate’s reputation 

for repeat client business with proven success is 

based upon its ability to effectively satisfy its 

clients’ needs. This includes project marketing, 

project management, assistance in the development 

process, and buyer/tenant representation. 

CoSol prides itself on personal attention, while 

providing the best possible service to its clients. 

This philosophy is borne out in its 

company motto: “Our Success Follows Our 

Client’s Success.” 

COSOL 

COMMERCIAL 

REAL ESTATE 

Above: Tim L. Bettencourt is involved 

in the sales and leasing of retail 

commercial properties in the market 

area of the San Joaquin Valley 

of California. 

Below: Tom C. Solomon is a lifelong 

resident of Modesto. Tom prides 

himself on “allowing my success to 

follow that of my client’s success”. 


BURCHELL 

NURSERY, INC. 

Irvin Burchell began his business with an 

acre and a half of good, Central Valley land 

on the outskirts of Modesto, and, applying his 

degree in pomology—the science and culture 

of fruits—from the University of California at 

Berkley, began growing peach trees. 

By adhering to his philosophy of honesty, 

growing the highest-quality trees, and selling 

with the highest integrity, Burchell and his 

descendants grew his business from an acre 

and a half to more than 1,000 and from 10,000 

trees to more than three million. 

Today, Burchell Nursery, Inc. grows more 

than 300 varieties of peach, nectarine, cherry, 

apricot, plum, prune, apple, almond, and 

walnut trees, patenting more than eighty 

varieties. It also grows fig, pomegranate, citrus, 

and olive trees. 

Irvin’s focus on quality, which he taught to 

his son and grandson, as they joined him in 

the business, led to development of California’s 

own tree certification program. Beginning 

in the 1960s, Burchell Nursery worked to 

eliminate viruses from commercial tree varieties 

and establish clean sources of bud wood. 

In 1970, the year the first Earth Day was 

celebrated, his son, Bill, took over the company. 

Under his guidance, Burchell Nursery grew 

dramatically, and by 1975, the company had 

added 700 acres in Oakdale, while continuing 

to farm the land around Modesto. 

Bill continued to expand the company 

throughout the next decade, opening the 

Fresno branch in 1983, and by 2000, the first 

greenhouse became part of the business. By 

2004, the third generation of Birchells had 

taken the company’s reins. 

Tom Burchell has continued to grow the 

business. With a renewed focus on research, he 

has pioneered the development of the nursery’s 

container tree lines. His stewardship also has 

advanced the firm’s breeding program, which 

now holds more than seventy patented varieties 

to its credit and with more coming each year. 

Burchell Nursery has been growing quality 

fruit and nut trees for more than seventy-five 

years, producing fruit and nut trees for the 

agriculture market. No matter who runs 

the company, you can count on continued 

dedication to the founder’s and the family’s 

belief in honesty, integrity, and service. You 

can look to Burchell Nursery, Inc. to provide 

the healthiest, most vigorous bare root and 

container trees anywhere. 


Sierra Pacific Warehouse 

Group is proud to be a 

family-owned business 

based in Modesto. Our history 

is our future. Founded 

in 1987 by Mike McNulty 

and Roy Atkins, we deliver 

excellence in the warehousing 

and logistics industry 

with a specialty in foodgrade 

storage; from frozen 

to ambient conditions with 

certified food safety and organic programs. 

As a company that serves global customers, 

our roots are in Modesto and we make a point 

to be involved in our community, championing 

the things that make Modesto a great place 

to live. 

In 1997, Chris Murphy and Sierra Pacific 

collaborated with local Internet and technology 

specialists to found ModestoView as a guide 

to all things that are positive in the 

community. With a single webcam in downtown, 

ModestoView was born. Twenty years 

later, ModestoView is a leading, positive voice 

in the central valley, featuring one of the 

largest monthly magazines in the area, 

a website, and an amazing social media 

network that “Serves Civic Pride Daily.” The 

Sierra Pacific/ModestoView team created the 

Modesto Historic Cruise Route, Modesto Music 

History, and co-founded the Modesto Area 

Music Association, the Modesto Area Music 

Awards (MAMAs), and the Classic Community 

Murals program. Each day, we are proud to 

deliver Modesto and California to you. 

SIERRA PACIFIC 

WAREHOUSE 

GROUP/ 

MODESTOVIEW 

“Short Stack and a Side Order of Alco.” 

PHOTOGRAPH BY TED BENSON. 


Ensuring the future we want. 



FAMILY HERITAGE 

Families whose businesses, products, and legacies 

continue to shape the future of Modesto 

Beard Family Companies ................................................................270 

Mape’s Ranch ...............................................................................274 

A&L Pirrone Vineyards, Inc. ..........................................................278 

E. & J. Gallo Winery.....................................................................280 

Stanislaus Food Products................................................................282 

Fiscalini Farms & Cheese...............................................................284 

Ratto Bros., Inc. ..........................................................................286 

Ulm Farms, Inc. ..........................................................................288 

FAMILY PORTRAITS ✦ 269

BEARD FAMILY 

COMPANIES 

Right: Thomas Kennan ‘T. K.’ Beard 

and Grace Ada Lewis’s wedding day 

on September 17, 1878. 

Below: T. K. and Grace’s house 

built in 1888, one mile east of 

Modesto. This photograph was taken 

in 1893. This location is now 

Santa Cruz Avenue. 

The success of the Beard Family Companies 

cannot be attributed to a single person or even a 

single generation, but the seed that sprouted into 

one of the Central Valley’s successful families— 

and business enterprises—bore the name of 

Elihu Burritt Beard, who arrived in California in 

September 1850 hoping to earn his fortune in 

the gold fields. 

Elihu and his wife, Ann Eliza Kennan, had 

seven children, the eldest of which, T. K. Beard, 

inherited his parents’ vast holdings and, in 1915, 

closed his contracting business to focus on 

managing his and what had previously been 

his parents’ assets in Stanislaus County. T. K. 

and his wife, Grace Ada Lewis, had ten children, 

ensuring the perpetuation of the Beard family 

name and sowing the seeds for what would 

become a successful family of companies. 

Elihu can be credited with much of the 

success of the family and its business holdings. 

It is because of him that the family moved to 

the Modesto area in the first place. But the 

Beard family history extends beyond California 

and can be traced as far back as around 

1710, when John Beard, his wife, and their 

two sons, Richard and John, immigrated from 

Devonshire, England, arriving on Nantucket 

Island, Massachusetts. The island’s inhabitants 

included the Wampanoag Indians and several 

Quaker families, who had fled religious persecution 

in England. The Beard family, who were 

also Quakers, lived on Nantucket Island until 

troubles between Massachusetts and the British 

threatened to boil over into violence. 


Many Quakers, who were pacifists, fled the 

impending Revolutionary War for Guilford 

County, North Carolina. This included Richard 

Beard, Jr., and his family, who made the exodus 

in 1767. Richard Beard, Jr.’s son, thirteenyear-old 

George Beard, was destined to become, 

among other things, Elihu’s grandfather. The 

Beards and other Quaker families did not 

settle permanently in the South. Their antislavery 

stance made them unpopular among 

their Southern neighbors, and so, in 1817, 

three generations of the Beard family moved 

to the border area of Indiana and Ohio. 

George Beard settled in Wayne County, and 

his son, William Beard, settled just to the 

south near Liberty in Union County, Indiana. 

William served as a preacher in the family’s 

new church, treated his neighbor’s injuries and 

illnesses, and farmed their 1,000-acre spread. 

It was on this farm that William and his 

wife, Rachel, gave birth to Elihu, who adopted 

his middle name while attending college to 

honor Elihu Burritt, a Quaker leader in the 

international peace movement. 

Rachel Pierson Beard, Elihu’s mother, was 

born in Rowan County, North Carolina, to a 

Quaker family. Although they did not have 

Nantucket Island roots, they too left North 

Carolina and settled in Indiana, two counties to 

the north of where William and Rachel settled. 

Cincinnati, located on the Ohio River, served 

as the transportation hub for the region. Since 

the river served as the boundary between 

slave and free states, the city became the focal 

point for the Underground Railroad, which 

spirited escaped slaves to freedom. Elihu’s 

father, William, served in the leadership of the 

Underground Railroad. 

In 1826, Levi Coffin, also a Quaker, moved 

from Guilford County, North Carolina, to 

Indiana, settling thirty miles north of the Beard 

family near Newport, Indiana. Both he and 

William, who were cousins, became leaders 

in the Underground Railroad, offering their 

homes as stations in the network of safe 

houses providing refuge to escaped slaves. 

Elihu entered college in 1845, spent five 

semesters at Oxford College in Miami, Ohio, 

(now Miami University), taught school for six 

months, and returned to school to finish his 

education, graduating from Farmers College in 

what is now College Hill in 1849. Then, like 

many others at that time, he was drawn to 

California and the recently discovered gold 

fields. Elihu worked to raise the funds needed 

to make the journey, tending livestock for 

a group headed for California. They followed 

the Oregon Trail through Kansas, Nebraska, 

Wyoming, and Idaho before arriving in 

California in September of 1850. 

Elihu began his prospecting career in El 

Dorado County and for the next two years 

worked there and in Tuolumne and Fresno 

Counties. In 1852 he purchased his first parcel 

of land on Dry Creek in what was then 

Tuolumne County and would later become 

Stanislaus County. He planted grain and grazed 

sheep. After the land became part of Stanislaus 

County, Elihu was elected county assessor and 

first county superintendent of schools. Four 

years after purchasing land on October 7, 1856, 

Elihu married Ann Eliza Kennan, originally 

from Missouri. 

Their first house was located on Dry Creek 

at a site known by the family as “Graveyard 

Bottom,” which served as the family’s burial site. 

A road between Stockton and the southern 

mines ran along the property, and travelers 

began using it as a stopping point. To this day, 

descendants of Elihu and Ann own the property. 

Elihu did well as a farmer and after selling his 

crops each year would buy land to increase his 

holdings and his ability to earn more money. In 

a ten-year period between 1860 and 1870, Elihu 

increased his real estate holdings by ten times. 

Because they owned large tracts of land, the 

Beards were able to enter into sharecropping 

contracts with other farmers or to hire farm managers. 

This freed them from work, allowing them 

to pursue other activities. For instance, Elihu was 

appointed as the first superintendent of schools 

in Stanislaus County, served in the California State 

Assembly for three years, and donated his time 

and talents to various community endeavors. 

In 1873, the Beards bought a home site on 

the northwest corner of Twelfth and I Streets 

in Modesto, which later became the post office. 

A year later, they built a home across I Street 

from the Stanislaus County Courthouse, and 

in 1880 bought two lots in Pacific Grove for a 

vacation home. Beard family descendants own 

the home to this day. 

Above: Elihu Beard at age sixty, 

San Francisco, 1885. 

Below: Ann Eliza Beard at fifty-six, 

San Francisco, 1885. 


Beard family home built in 1913 at 

the corner of Sycamore and Needham 

Avenues in Modesto. Sold in the late 

1920s, it was torn down in 1956. 

Although they fared well in business, 

Elihu and Ann endured many personal hardships. 

By 1892, only two of their seven children 

were still alive: T. K. and their unmarried 

daughter, Alice, who suffered from the same 

weak lungs that had claimed the lives of 

some of her siblings. To preserve her health, 

Alice eventually moved to the Kona Coast 

of Hawaii, and after visiting in 1901, Elihu 

developed pneumonia and died on May 7 

at the age of seventy-five. Eleven years later, 

Alice also passed away, and two months after 

that—on November 6, 1912—Ann died from 

pneumonia at the age of eighty-three. 

The Beard family might have faded into 

history had it not been for T. K., who had 

promised his parents their lineage would 

continue after their deaths. T. K. fathered ten 

children. They all survived their parents and 

lived well into adulthood, thus allowing T. K. to 

keep his promise. 

After a four-year stint in the Pacific Northwest, 

T. K. and Grace returned to Modesto and built 

a home diagonal to the home of Elihu and Ann. 

Like his father, T. K. bought land whenever 

he could, including what is now the Beard 

Industrial District. 

T. K. played an important role in irrigating 

the Central Valley. It took hard work and diplomacy 

to convince residents to see the value of 

irrigating and to invest the money in making 

it happen. T. K. and his son, Walter, went into 

business creating early reservoirs and canals. 

T. K. served on the Modesto Irrigation District 

from 1901 to 1907. 

T. K. later inherited his parents’ land and 

spent the rest of his career managing the 

family’s Stanislaus County assets. The family’s 

legacy lives on through two parks built on 

land donated by the family—Graceada Park 

(given in conjunction with the Wisecarver 

family) and Beard Brook Park, and a Modesto 

school—Elihu Beard Elementary School—also 

bears the family name. 

Following T. K.’s death in 1925, Grace lived 

another thirty-two years. She encouraged her 

children to keep the family assets together as 

a family corporation, which they did. The 

majority of the family’s assets are in Stanislaus 

County, but it does own property in Southern 

California and Walnut Creek. 

Today, the Beard Family Companies is led by 

Beard Land & Investment Company, which holds 

the majority of the family’s real estate assets and 

is owned by more than 180 shareholders. Beard 

Land and Investment Company plays an integral 

role in a multitude of businesses in Modesto’s 

Beard Industrial District, which is home to 

several Fortune 500 companies and employs 

several thousand area residents. The company 

continues to serve as an industrial property 

developer and leasing company with properties 

located mainly within the Beard Industrial 

District, which borders the City of Modesto. 

Many of the industries in the Beard Industrial 

District, which is composed of more than 2,000 

acres zoned and developed for commercial and 

industrial use, are food-related and most sites 

are rail served by Modesto & Empire Traction 

Company, established October 7, 1911, a subsidiary 

company that operates a short-line 

railroad within the Beard Industrial District. 

Although its main line is only five miles long, it 

operates and maintains an additional thirtyeight 

miles of track within the Beard Industrial 

District, which serves numerous customers, 

and facilitates rail shipping throughout North 

America through daily interchanges with BNSF 

Railway and Union Pacific. 

More than 100 years later, the Beard Land 

Investment Company continues to be family 

owned and governed. Branches of the family 

have a representative on the board and were 

proud to celebrate its 100-year anniversary in 

2011. To this day, the family strives to adhere to 

the philosophy espoused by T. K., who recorded 

in his journal: “And now abide us these three: 

Faith. Hope. Love. Causing us to look up and 

not down; forward and not back; out and not in; 

and lend a hand.” 


Above: T. K. and Grace Beard with 

their ten children, Thanksgiving Day 

in 1922. 

Left: Grace with her ten children in 

1946. It was Grace who encouraged 

her children to create the Beard Land 

and Investment Company in 1926, 

a year after their father’s death. 


MAPE’S RANCH 

Below: Bill Lyons and the 

Mape’s Ranch ‘Half-Circle-Bar’ 

branding iron. 

Bottom: Edward Thomas “E. T.” Mape 

in the 1930s. 

Edward T. Mape had a grand vision when 

he combined twenty-eight ranches to establish 

the original Mape’s Ranch—west of Modesto 

in 1923. With help from his nephew, William 

“Bill” Lyons, Sr., Mape added thirteen additional 

ranches, creating what is now a 10,000-acre 

farming and ranching operation consisting of 

farmland, orchards, grazing land, cattle operation, 

and wildlife habitat. 

Even Ed could not have imagined his ranch, 

nestled between the Stanislaus, San Joaquin, 

and Tuloumne Rivers, would someday be 

widely regarded as a leader in the California 

agricultural community, as well as a model 

that demonstrates how agricultural and environmental 

partnerships can co-exist and result 

in mutually beneficial outcomes. 

Throughout the past ninety-three years, the 

Mape’s Ranch has integrated various practices 

of sustainable agriculture and resource management 

by incorporating modernized systems and 

cutting-edge infrastructure into the management 

of the ranch. Presently, farming operations 

consist of 5,000 acres of corn, alfalfa, wheat, 

barley, winter forage, watermelons, pumpkins, 

beans, tomatoes, grapes, almonds, walnuts, and 

rangeland. In addition, the ranching operation 

consists of 2,500 head of Angus cattle. The 

Mape’s Ranch is proud to stand behind its 

storied brand, the Half-Circle-Bar, which backs 

their slogans of “Breed the Best and Forget the 

Rest” and “Home of the One-Ton Bulls.” 

This fourth-generation family farming and 

ranching business continues to adhere to the 

beliefs on which its success has been built—strong 

family values, hard work, and dedication—and 

is committed to continuing the conservation values 

embraced by Bill and his wife, Mary. Bill and 

Mary’s appreciation and respect for nature led 

to the adoption of farming and cattle-ranching 

practices that helped enhance the overall ecosystem. 

The Lyons’ family became very successful 

caring for the land while operating a profitable 

agricultural business. 

Following the passing of his father and with 

his mother’s encouragement, Bill left home in 

Minnesota at age sixteen to join his Uncle Ed in 

California to live and work on his ranch. Uncle 

Ed, who had no children, treated his nephew 

as one would a son. Ed, who had a number of 

other business endeavors that kept him quite 

busy (including music and gambling ventures), 

turned the responsibility of running the ranch 

over to Bill, where he developed a very strong 

work ethic and commitment to the land. In 

1949, Bill married his college sweetheart, Mary 

Houghtaling from Minnesota. Bill and Mary lived 

on the ranch where they raised their six children: 

Bill, Jr., Jane, Lynne, Ed, Chuck, and Louise. Life 

on the Mape’s Ranch was always a family affair. 

From a very young age, their children often went 

to work with their dad. “When there was work 

to be done on the ranch, the kids were always 

involved,” Bill once said. “It was nice having our 

children there. Not just because they worked 

hard, but because they were family.” 

Through a combination of hard work, dedication, 

and his Uncle’s tutelage, Bill became a 

savvy businessman whose ingenuity transformed 

the Mape’s Ranch into the agricultural 

success it is today. Following the passing of 

Ed in 1973, the ranch expanded in size and 

stature under Bill’s leadership. The cattle herd 

grew, the ranch acreage increased, and the 

crops became more diversified. The Lyons 

family eventually expanded and diversified their 

business operations by purchasing shopping 

centers, industrial warehousing developments, 

and other business ventures throughout a 

four-county area. This business growth made 

Bill and Mary amongst the largest private 

landowners in the San Joaquin Valley, as well 

as two of its most influential citizens. 


Left: Ed Mape (left) and Bill Lyons 

working the ranch in the 1940s. 

Below: Ed Mape (left) with Mary and 

Bill Lyons and their six children, left 

to right: Bill, Jr., Lynne, Ed, Chuck, 

Jane, and Louise in 1962. 

Bill and Mary are considered pioneers in the 

agricultural community, devoting their time, 

money, and land to conservation efforts by 

developing sanctuaries for geese and other 

waterfowl, as well as native habitat restoration. 

Their love for nature and their belief that agricultural 

practices and environmental preservation 

could work hand-in-hand are part of their 

legacy. These commitments were passed down 

to their six children and remain an integral 

part of the Mape’s Ranch operation to this day. 

These traditions continue to be passed down to 

Bill and Mary’s twenty-one grandchildren and 

thirty-five (and counting!) great-grandchildren. 

In conjunction with running the agricultural 

operations, the Mape’s Ranch has partnered with 

environmental groups and public agencies for 

the protection and restoration of wildlife, fish, 

and plant habitat with an eye toward maintaining 

the area’s biological riches. Among the many 

highlights of their success has been the effort to 

help save the Aleutian Cackling Goose (formerly 

known as the Aleutian Canada Goose), which 

was declared endangered in 1967. Because the 

Lyons family was committed to the cause and 

the environment, they planted corn and special 

migratory waterfowl-friendly pasture mix and 

provided wetland environments for the geese to 

flourish. Through these actions and their partnership 

with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 


Bill and Mary Lyons on the ranch 

in 2000. 

the population of the Aleutian Cackling Geese 

has grown from a mere 800 in 1975 to over 

100,000 today. The results of the Lyons’ efforts 

were so strong that the Aleutian Cackling Geese 

were removed from the Endangered Species List 

in 2001, becoming one of only thirty-six species 

to be “de-listed” since 1982. This partnership also 

resulted in additional restoration projects on the 

ranch that protect, restore, and enhance hundreds 

of acres of wetland habitat for other wildlife and 

waterfowl, such as the Sandhill Crane, Bell’s 

Vireo, and the Riparian Brush Rabbit. 

In addition to their commitment to environmental 

conservation, the Lyons family continues 

to strive toward making the ongoing farming 

and ranching operations more efficient and 

achieving long-term sustainability. Over time, 

they have implemented many programs and 

practices to achieve these goals, and continue 

to stay on the cutting-edge of agricultural and 

environmental technology. 

The Mape’s Ranch has a long history of 

updating its irrigation infrastructure to conserve 

water while working to improve water quality. 

Installation of comprehensive Tailwater Return 

Systems to maximize irrigation efficiency and 

minimize the impact of runoff, coupled with 

innovative infrastructure management has 

achieved considerable results in improving 

water and air quality. 

The Mape’s Ranch also employs a number of 

programs to maximize soil and resource management. 

The ongoing investment in scientific 

analysis of the soil has resulted in higher quality 

crops and the preservation of environmental 

quality. For over twenty-five years, the Lyons 

family has partnered with Stanislaus County on 

the Food Processing By-Product Re-Use Program 

to divert fruit, nut, and vegetable by-product 

(stems, peels, leaves) from the county landfill to 

the Mape’s Ranch to be applied to the soil as an 

organic fertilizer and soil amendment. To date, 

over two million tons of by-product has been 

diverted from the landfill. The Lyons family 

was nationally recognized for their participation 

in this program, which allowed the county to 

qualify for diversion credits, while giving 

food processors a sustainable method to remain 

competitive in the international marketplace. 

Bill and Mary have received numerous 

awards for their many contributions to the 

community. Among them, the Center for 

Human Services honored Bill and Mary with 

their Distinguished Leadership Award and 

they were ultimately inducted into the 

Stanislaus County Ag Hall of Fame in 2000. 

Bill received the Cattlemen of the Year Award, 

the Modesto Chamber of Commerce President’s 

Award, and the Fred Price Memorial Good Egg 

Award among many others. 

The Lyons family members have also played 

an important role in the agricultural community 

by serving as members and/or leaders in 

organizations such as the California Farm 

Bureau, Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, Western 

Growers, California Cattlemen’s Association, 

Almond Alliance, and 4-H/FFA, to name a few. 

In 1999, Bill and Mary’s eldest son, Bill, Jr., 


was appointed Secretary of the California 

Department of Food and Agriculture, where he 

served for five years. 

The Lyons family has always been deeply 

involved in their community and have been 

long time supporters of many local organizations 

and charities. These include the American 

Cancer Society, the Salvation Army, Children’s 

Crisis Center, Howard Training Center, State 

Theatre, Central Catholic High School, and many 

other community programs promoting the arts, 

leadership, youth sports, and disadvantaged 

youth. The family’s involvement in conservationrelated 

organizations includes participation in 

groups such as the National Audubon Society, 

Ducks Unlimited, Tuolumne River Trust, and 

River Partners. 

Bill, Sr., managed the Mape’s Ranch daily 

operations with his sons until his passing in 

2003. Mary, her children, grandchildren, and 

great-grandchildren will continue to ensure 

that their commitment to the land and the 

storied legacy of the Mape’s Ranch lives on for 

many generations to come. 

Above: Photograph from Modesto 

Bee article, February 2001. 

Below: Mape’s Ranch main yard. 


A&L PIRRONE 

VINEYARDS, INC. 

The word “vineyards” in the name A&L 

Pirrone Vineyards, Inc., might sound like a 

misnomer for this agricultural enterprise 

encompassing 325 acres of walnut, 275 acres 

of almond, and 100 acres of cherry trees. 

But search deeper into the story behind the 

business and the family that owns it and you 

will discover a family history rooted in wine 

and the grapes from which it is made. 

Frank and Angelina Pirrone get much of the 

credit for this American success story. Frank 

emigrated from Sicily in the early 1900s and, 

after marrying Angelina, they had five children: 

Frank II, Rosalie, Joseph, Alfred, and Francis. 

Frank and Angelina started making wine, a 

move spawned during Prohibition by the 

overwhelming thirst that sprung up throughout 

America as a result. All but Francis, the 

youngest daughter, were involved in the 

business in some way during their lives. Frank, 

a self-taught architect who also owned an 

insurance company, began making wine in 

New Jersey and, in 1936, moved his family 

to California. Frank incorporated the business 

in 1947 as F. Pirrone and Sons, Inc. 

He built a winery north of Salida while 

maintaining a distribution center on the East 

Coast. Frank II was in charge of sales, Alfred 

headed up production, and Joseph, who died 

at an early age, was in charge of the distillation 

and fortification of the sweet wines. At first, 

they made bulk wine and shipped it to the 

East Coast to be bottled and distributed and 

later moved the entire operation to California, 

where they built a bottling factory and in the 

1940s and 1950s made, bottled, and sold wine. 

Frank died around 1955 and the sons 

who had begun working with him decided 

they could not work together. Alfred bought 

out his brother and changed the name from 

F. Pirrone and Sons to Pirrone Wine Cellars. 

He became well-known in the wine industry, 

serving in the 1960s as president of The 

Wine Institute. By 1968 the business consisted 

of a winery, a couple hundred acres of 

grapes, and a contract with Ernest and Julio 

Gallo to make wine. Alfred got along well 

with Gallo’s owners and eventually went to 

work for them, serving as vice president for 

12-15 years. 

His son, Alfred M. “Butch” 

Pirrone was not interested in 

farming when he went off to 

college at the University of 

California, Davis, but by 

the time he graduated in 

1973, he had earned a degree 

in agriculture sciences and 

management. After working 

two years at Gallo, Butch came 

home to work with his father, 

raising grapes for Gallo on 

the 600 acres he had amassed 

by that time. 

Then, in 1974, they formed 

A&L Pirrone Vineyards, Inc. 

(“A” for Alfred and “L” for 

his wife, Lois), with Butch as 

manager, surviving on a small 

profit per acre. Although they 

likely would have done better 

had they diversified, Alfred 

was loyal to grapes, wine, 

and Gallo and resisted the 

temptation. Finally, in 1984, 

they planted a few acres of 


apples, which did well for a time, and then 

planted cherries, walnuts, and almonds, 

which continue to do well to this day. When 

Alfred died in 2008, they pulled the last 140 

acres of grapes and planted walnuts. 

He might have died in debt had Butch not 

discovered a document in a safe his father had 

forgotten he had. In the document, the Salida 

Sanitation Department had promised to bring 

sanitation to the original eighty acres owned 

then by the Pirrone Family, and eventually 

land owned by fifteen to twenty farmers was 

rezoned to allow for development. Alfred sold 

about 125 rezoned acres to developers, which 

allowed him to pay off his debt. Since that 

time, the company has never gone back into 

debt while growing from 400 to 700 acres. 

Today, the business is owned by Butch, 

who serves as president, his two sisters, who 

own thirty percent each, and Butch’s son, 

who owns five percent and serves as manager. 

The company employs twelve full-time 

employees. Plans for the future are to continue 

growing the farming operation and diversify 

into commercial real estate by purchasing and 

managing developed property. 


E. & J. GALLO 

WINERY 

produced by the wine industry in the years 

following the end of Prohibition was not of 

good quality. The wine was made from grapes 

that were poorly grown and were not the best 

types for making wine. 

Left: Ernest and Julio Gallo 

at groundbreaking. 

Right: Ernest and Julio Gallo, 

co-founders. 

COURTESY OF E. & J. GALLO WINERY. 

When Ernest and Julio Gallo began the 

E. & J. Gallo Winery at the repeal of Prohibition 

in 1933, there is absolutely no way they could 

have envisioned the growth and success of their 

company. The original winery building, which 

was rented from the Beard Family for $60 per 

month, is located at 11th and D Street in 

downtown Modesto, and was only about 10,000 

square feet. It was there that the two young 

brothers, armed only with the hands-on 

experience of growing grapes, a few 

informational pamphlets on how to make wine 

from Modesto’s public library, which was the 

McHenry Public Library, and an idea that an 

opportunity existed in the wine business, took a 

chance that forever changed their lives and 

popular culture. 

When Ernest and Julio began, their biggest 

asset was their unbounded self-confidence. 

Their resources were meager—only $5,000 

in capital and very limited knowledge about 

the wine business. The odds against them were 

formidable. The country was in the midst of 

the Great Depression. They were facing larger, 

established, and well-financed competitors. 

They did not know how to make wine commercially. 

When they began their business, their 

first goal was simple—survival. They wanted to 

establish a business that would provide for 

themselves and their families. 

Then, as Ernest and Julio’s company began to 

succeed, their goals evolved into a vision—to 

transform a beer and whiskey drinking nation 

into a wine drinking culture. 

The realization of this vision faced enormous 

obstacles. First, was perception. At the time, 

wine was perceived as an elitist beverage, which 

only rich and sophisticated people would drink. 

The second obstacle was that much of the wine 

Ernest and Julio worked extremely hard to 

overcome the twin obstacles of perception and 

poor wine quality, and they made great progress. 

Along the way, they achieved many milestones 

for the wine industry: 

• They were early adopters of television to 

advertise their products; 

• They introduced brand management and 

modern merchandising to the wine industry; 

• They established their own national salesforce; 

• They offered long-term contracts to encourage 

growers to plant premium grapes that 

made better wine; and 

• They were pioneers in producing high-quality 

wines that deliver value to the consumer. 

As E. & J. Gallo Winery became successful, 

Ernest and Julio began to focus on establishing 

a wine drinking culture. They strongly believed 

wine had been mistakenly marketed as a 

unique beverage to enjoy only during celebrations 

and special events. Consequently, from its 

earliest days, E. & J. Gallo Winery sought to 

make its wines approachable to all consumers, 

while giving wine drinkers the confidence and 

information needed to purchase wine more 

frequently. This transformation was hardly an 

overnight success. While great strides have 

been made during the company’s more than 

eighty years, there is much more to achieve in 

the years ahead! 


The second generation of the Gallo family, 

led by Joe and Bob Gallo and Jim Coleman, has 

continued Ernest and Julio’s vision. Under Joe’s 

leadership as president and CEO, the second 

generation has taken the company to the 

next level through major investments in brand 

acquisitions, new brand development, product 

innovation, global expansion, infrastructure 

investment, and direct to consumer marketing. 

In 1977, E. & J. Gallo Winery, for the first 

time, acquired fine wine vineyards in Sonoma 

County with the completion of its purchase of 

the Frei Brothers Winery. In the early 1980s, 

E. & J. Gallo Winery produced its first vintagedated 

wines. Realizing American consumers 

were becoming more wine confident and 

knowledgeable, E. & J. Gallo Winery sought to 

provide new wines from new places. In 1996, 

it introduced Ecco Domani, the first foreignsourced 

brand it had developed and imported. 

It would later follow this up with acquisitions 

of respected wineries and brands, including 

Louis M. Martini, Mirassou, Bridlewood, Barefoot 

Cellars, William Hill Estate Winery, Columbia 

Winery in Washington, J Vineyards & Winery, 

and Asti Winery. With its recent purchase of 

the Ranch Winery in Napa County, E. & J. Gallo 

Winery now owns fifteen wineries strategically 

located in premier wine regions throughout 

California and Washington. It has also added 

premium and luxury offerings to its portfolio 

to provide consumers with a variety, style, and 

price point for every occasion. 

When E. & J. Gallo Winery 

saw that the spirits industry 

was growing in popularity, it 

moved swiftly to leverage its 

brandy expertise and, in 2008, 

entered the market with New 

Amsterdam Gin. This was followed 

in 2012 with the introduction 

of New Amsterdam 

Vodka, which sold more than 

one million cases in the first 

twelve months, making it the 

fastest growing spirits brand in 

history. As consumer tastes in 

spirits evolved, E. & J. Gallo 

Winery responded by successfully 

introducing flavored vodkas. 

Most recently in 2015, 

E. & J. Gallo Winery announced 

it will now offer imported 

Scotch whiskies from Scotland’s 

Whyte & Mackay. 

Today, more than 6,000 people work for 

E. & J. Gallo Winery, including members of 

the third and fourth generations of the Gallo 

family. The Gallo portfolio is comprised of more 

than eighty unique brands selling in more than 

ninety countries around the world. More than 

eighty years since the company’s humble beginnings, 

wine consumers around the world can 

enjoy wine as a complement to their everyday 

dining experience and at more occasions than 

ever before. 

Top: Administration building of 

E. & J. Gallo Winery in Modesto. 

Above: Ernest and Julio Gallo. 


STANISLAUS 

FOOD PRODUCTS 

Stanislaus Food Products was founded in 

Modesto by the Quartaroli family back in 1942. 

The company’s fresh pack tomato cannery, while 

much larger today, is still located at the corner 

of 12th and D Streets. 

Because Stanislaus focuses exclusively on 

supplying premium quality tomatoes and sauces 

as ingredients to the restaurant industry and 

does not produce supermarket-sized cans, many 

locals are unfamiliar with the company’s name 

and reputation. But, to quality-oriented Italian 

restaurants and pizzerias across the United 

States and Canada, the name “Stanislaus” stands 

for the highest quality fresh packed tomatoes 

they can buy. In fact, more family-owned Italian 

restaurants and pizzerias make their own signature 

sauces from Stanislaus tomatoes than any 

other company’s brand, imported or domestic. 

Today, the company is proudly owned and 

operated by the Cortopassi family and locally 

employs roughly 250 people year-round in 

its Modesto office and warehouses. Seasonally, 

the company also directly employs another 

1,800 loyal employees annually during its threemonth 

summer “fresh pack” tomato season. 

That is when the company is a beehive of activity, 

transforming millions of pounds of fresh, 

locally grown tomatoes into a variety of Italianstyle 

canned tomato products and sauces. 

Indirectly, the company also contributes 

millions of dollars to the region’s economy 

and helps support thousands of additional yearround 

and seasonal jobs throughout Modesto 

and Stanislaus County. Those businesses include 

local farms growing fresh tomatoes and 

seasonings, local steel can and corrugated box 

manufacturing plants, local trucking companies 

used to haul tomatoes from 

the field to the cannery and, 

then, finished canned goods from 

the cannery to its warehouses, 

local electrical contractors and 

equipment fabricators, and utility 

workers from MID, PG&E, and 

the City of Modesto, etc. 

Stanislaus’ long dedication to 

making superior quality tomato 

products began with the company’s 

founders, Ralph and Edna 

Quartaroli, back in 1942. Prior 

to founding Stanislaus, Ralph 

had a successful career sourcing 

fresh tomatoes on behalf of other 

California canneries. 

With the outbreak of World 

War II in December of 1941, 

there was a sudden surge in 

demand for shelf-stable canned 

goods to feed American troops 

overseas. This led the Quartarolis 

to start their own cannery at the 


corner of 12th and D Streets in Modesto, 

in a rented tin shed with used cannery 

equipment. Steam was provided by a 

pair of steam locomotives rented from 

the Modesto and Empire Traction 

Company (M&ET) based nearby. 

After the war, the company freshpacked 

tomatoes in consumer-sized cans 

to supply mom and pop grocers located 

in Italian-American neighborhoods 

throughout New York City, Buffalo, 

Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. 

Under the leadership of Frank 

Piciullo in the 1960s and 1970s, 

Stanislaus began exclusively focusing 

on fresh-packing tomato products in 

#10 (gallon) cans used by qualityoriented 

restaurateurs. 

The company was purchased in 1978 by its 

current owners, the Cortopassi family. Thanks 

to the vision of Dino Cortopassi, Stanislaus 

began introducing its products directly to 

the type of quality-oriented mom and pop 

restaurant owners who recognize superior 

quality tomatoes and are willing to pay a bit 

more for them to improve the flavor of their 

own signature sauces. 

The company also began reinforcing those 

new relationships with a personalized service 

approach. This included a newsletter, which 

shares proven business-building ideas with 

independent restaurant owners, Christmas 

greetings, and even an annual phone call 

from its Modesto employees to thank them 

for making Stanislaus tomatoes part of their 

restaurant’s success. 

Today, the company is led by President Tom 

Cortopassi, Dino’s nephew, and long-time 

Executive Vice President Bill Butler. Cortopassi 

and Butler both give credit for the company’s 

enduring reputation for excellence to the 

dedication of the company’s quality-oriented 

employees, many of whom have been with 

Stanislaus for decades. 


FISCALINI 

FARMS & 

CHEESE 

The Fiscalini family has been producing milk 

on its land since 1914 when John Baptiste 

Fiscalini started a dairy farm with ten milking 

cows on 160 acres in Modesto. John Baptiste 

purchased the land after learning of plans to 

build the Don Pedro Dam in Northern 

California, which meant there would be open 

land that could be irrigated and farmed. 

He was not the first family member involved 

in agriculture. His father, Mateo Fiscalini, after 

emigrating from Switzerland in 1886, had settled 

in Cambria, California, joining family who had settled 

there. He went to work with family members 

at the Chorro Diary, raising his family and sending 

his son, John Baptiste, to Cal Poly San Luis 

Obispo, where he earned a degree in irrigation. 

John Baptiste did not need a degree in irrigation 

to understand the importance of the Don 

Pedro Dam, but his education helped him work 

the land and maximize its potential, mixing 

dairy and farming operations. But all the knowledge 

and expertise in the world cannot prevent 

bad things from happening and, in 1930, a 

tuberculoses outbreak forced him to slaughter 

his entire herd. The state mandated the land 

remain animal free for two years, a period in 

which John Baptiste focused on farming. 

By 1933 his love for cows and a strong desire 

to be a dairyman led him to Wisconsin, where 

he purchased thirty registered Holsteins to start 

a new herd. He returned to California with his 

prized cows, keeping a watchful eye 

on them by riding in their boxcar, making sure 

they were fed and milked along the way. 

Five years later, John Baptiste died of complications 

from appendicitis, leaving his wife, 

Anne, and their son, Matthew, to manage the 

Mrs. M-Jay-Bee Fiscalini and Son Dairy. They 

were soon joined by Marie Weisner, who 

became Matthew’s wife, and the family-owned 

business continued to grow the dairy operation 

and purchase neighboring land for crop production. 

Matthew and Marie raised three children, 

including John Fiscalini. 

John graduated from Oregon State University 

with a degree in microbiology and returned 

home to join the partnership and participate in 

management of the farming operation, which by 

this time had grown to 530 acres, including 

wine grapes and walnut trees. Construction of 


the current state-of-the-art facility began in 

1992, including a milking parlor and the dairy’s 

first stall-free barn, and the next year, the dairy 

grew from 500 to 800 milking cows. 

Dairy operations might have continued as 

always had John not made a trip to Lionza, 

Switzerland, in 2000 to get in touch with his 

family’s roots. While there, he learned that his 

ancestors had earned a living through the art 

of making cheese. Deciding to follow in their 

footsteps, after returning home he began 

processing cheese with a portion of the milk 

produced by his herd, building a cheese plant 

thirty feet from the dairy to ensure freshness. 

As fate would have it, a year later he was introduced 

to Mariano Gonzalez, a cheesemaker from 

Paraguay by way of Vermont, who offered to share 

his knowledge and craftsmanship. Mariano had 

learned to make cheese from his uncle in Paraguay 

and years later moved to Vermont, where he took 

a summer job working at Shelburne Farms. 

Within a few years, he became the company’s head 

cheesemaker, winning numerous awards and 

securing national recognition for their cheeses. 

One year after Mariano began making cheeses 

with John, their Fiscalini Bandage Wrapped 

Cheddar won Best Farmstead Cheese in North 

America, and today Mariano continues to manage 

and grow the company’s product line, while 

winning awards for his handcrafted masterpieces. 

Similar to a winemaker, Mariano is involved 

in the cheesemaking process from start to finish, 

overseeing his creations as they evolve during 

the aging process. The addition of ingredients 

and the temperature are perfectly balanced 

and closely monitored throughout the laborintensive 

process. Although making cheese 

by hand is a time consuming process, it is 

worth it once the final product is achieved. 

Today, a portion of the milk produced 

by Fiscalini Farms is used to make batches 

of handcrafted cheeses and the rest is sold 

to Nestlé. The business that began as a 

dairy farm is now an artisan cheesemaker 

committed to quality, animal welfare, environmental 

sustainability, and an artisan tradition 

focused on crafting the best-tasting cheeses 

in the world. 


RATTO BROS., INC. 

Above: Top row (from left to right):, 

Frank “Babe,” Antone “Bud,” Jr., 

and John “Jack” Ratto. Bottom row 

(from left to right): Leonard “Lenny,” 

Antone L., Sr., and Raymond 

“Ray” Ratto. 

Below: Left to right, David, Ronald, 

Frank, and Raymond Ratto, Jr. 

The Ratto Bros., Inc., has been owned and 

operated by the same Italian-American family 

since 1905, when Antone L. Ratto, Sr., began a 

vegetable business on Bay Farm Island near 

Oakland. He started his business delivering 

produce to customers from a horse-drawn cart 

and was blessed with five sons who followed in 

his footsteps. 

It was said that to gaze upon a fully loaded 

truck—the array of vegetables perfectly arranged 

by color—was like gazing at a work of art. It also 

was said that Antone and his sons were so skilled 

at farming they could magically make water run 

uphill to irrigate crops. Stories like that serve 

as testament to the quality of the final product 

produced by Antone and his sons. Although 

water does not run uphill these days, the company 

Antone founded is still highly esteemed. 

More than a century later, the Ratto family 

still grows its own vegetables—greens, herbs, 

lettuce, cherry tomatoes, watermelons, and 

specialty produce—and cultivates personal relationships 

with each of its customers. The sons of 

Antone formed Ratto Bros., Inc. in 1957, and 

looking to expand their operations, gravitated 

to the fertile San Joaquin Valley near Modesto. It 

was there in 1962, they added several hundred 

acres of prime farmland to their operations. 

Through the intervening years, the company 

has built on its rich history to earn a reputation 

within the produce industry as a trusted and valued 

partner who can be relied upon to provide 

the best and freshest produce available. Now in 

the fourth generation, operations in the fields, 

cooling and distribution facility, sales office, and 

corporate headquarters are still family run. 

This new generation of Ratto Bros., Inc., has 

modernized and expanded the business in a 

way that has enhanced the company’s reputation 

for excellence. Ratto Bros., Inc., now farms more 

than 1,400 acres of prime farmland near 

Modesto, using progressive farming practices 

and the latest in cold-chain management technology. 

These modern innovations help the 

company produce the safest and freshest herbs, 

fruits, and vegetables on the market. 


As part of its ongoing commitment to providing 

the highest-quality produce on the market, 

Ratto Bros., Inc. added a 70,000-square-foot 

cooling and packing house located minutes 

from its fields. The facility allows the company 

to more effectively establish and maintain the 

cold-chain needed to keep produce fresh longer. 

Post-harvest research has shown that every hour 

between harvest and cooling reduces the shelf 

life of produce by one day. That is why Ratto 

Bros., Inc. has invested in the best in post-harvest 

technology, which includes hydro, vacuum, 

and forced-air cooling methods. Ratto Bros., 

Inc. also will “top-ice” produce boxes and pallets 

for shipment when requested by customers. 

Having a variety of precision-temperature 

management tools so close to its field ensures 

immediate cooling allowing Ratto Bros., Inc., 

to prevent backlogs and eliminate delays in 

the cooling process. Once cooled and cleaned, 

produce is moved to refrigerated loading 

areas, where it is placed on refrigerated trucks 

owned by the Ratto Bros., Inc., as well as their 

customers, and delivered with minimum interruption 

to market—typically within hours of 

being picked. 

Ratto Bros., Inc., is proud of its new facility 

and its reputation as an industry leader in using 

the latest technology to enhance the quality 

and safety of its products. But, it takes more 

than technology to produce quality foods. 

It takes the heart and soul of a farmer who takes 

pride in his work; a quality that every member 

of the Ratto family possesses. This passionate 

family work ethic is passed on to employees— 

from farm workers and warehousemen to truck 

drivers and office staff—who share the family’s 

quest for excellence. 

The company has retained a horse-drawn 

cart on its logo as an important reminder of 

the company’s proud heritage. Customers are 

invited to come see for themselves. Ratto Bros., 

Inc. invites all their customers to pay them a 

visit and tour the farm and other operations. 

At Ratto Bros., Inc., everyone is family. 

Above: Fresh produce from the 

Ratto Bros., Inc., farms. 

Below: Left to right, Raymond, Jr., 

Anthony, Frank, Ronald, David, and 

Geoffrey Ratto. 


ULM FARMS, INC. 

Above: Bill and Don in 1962. 

Below: Three generations of the 

Ulm family: Bill, his son, Tom, and 

grandson, Robert, c. 2012. 

The Ulm Farm has been owned and operated 

by the Ulm Family for several generations, 

beginning when William F. Ulm and wife, Mary, 

moved to Modesto in 1943 from Southern 

California, where he worked as a contractor 

designing and building small single-family 

homes. William and Mary brought with them 

their three sons: William C. (Bill), Donald, and 

Jerald Ulm. William, Sr., bought 300 acres 

west of Modesto on Highway 132 and Texas 

Road for $400 per acre. 

William and Mary wanted their boys to grow 

up in a rural town and experience life in the 

country. William and the boys transformed the 

old barn, built in 1904, into 

a working dairy, which still 

operates to this day. Bill was 

involved in various political 

organizations including Farm 

Bureau president, California 

Milk Advisory Board secretary, 

and Stanislaus County Board 

of Supervisors from 1973 to 

1983. Bill was so integral to the 

region’s agriculture industry 

that, in 1999, he was inducted 

into the Stanislaus County 

Ag Hall of Fame. Bill’s wife, 

Marilyn, served as a 4-H 

Leader for ten years, in which 

all three children became very 

active. Marilyn also taught music and played 

violin with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra 

for thirty-nine years. 

In 1981, when Bill’s son, Tom, graduated 

from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bill and Don 

decided it was time to incorporate and formed 

W-D Ranch Inc. including Tom and Don’s son, 

David. In 1991, Bill and Tom split from the 

dairy and formed Ulm Farms, Inc. With 210 

acres and the proceeds from half the cow 

herd, Bill and Tom planted 55 acres of almonds 

and 16 acres of walnuts in 1993. In the split 

from the dairy, Ulm Farms, Inc., also acquired 

seventy acres of wine grapes, which was Tom’s 

specialty. In 2002, the wine market crashed for 

the Ruby Cabernet variety of wine grapes, so 

they were pulled out and the acreage was 

replanted with thirty-five acres of Tulare walnuts. 

The other planting of wine grapes 

remained until they were thirty-three years old 

and were pulled out in the fall of 2014 to plant 

thirty-five acres of Chandler walnuts. 

Meanwhile, the family of Tom and his wife, 

Irene, continued to grow with the marriage of 

their daughter, Tiffany to Mike Alexander. Ten 

weeks later their son, Robert, married Michelle 

Ott. Tiffany now has a fourteen-month old 

girl, Zellie Grace, and is expecting a boy in 

December of 2016. Robert’s wife is expecting 

a boy in August of 2016. Tiffany is living on 

the ranch in the house of Bill and his wife, 

Marilyn, who have passed. Robert has taken 

over management of Ulm Farms and is planning 

to build a home on the ranch in the near future. 


SPONSORS 

A&L Pirrone Vineyards, Inc. .....................................................................................................................................................278 

Almond Board of California........................................................................................................................................................206 

Ambeck Mortgage Associates......................................................................................................................................................218 

American Chevrolet....................................................................................................................................................................216 

Arnold Cement, Inc. .................................................................................................................................................................262 

Atherton & Associates, LLP Certified Public Accountants...........................................................................................................223 

Bank of Stockton........................................................................................................................................................................217 

Beard Family Companies............................................................................................................................................................270 

Burchell Nursery ........................................................................................................................................................................266 

CALTEC Ag Inc..........................................................................................................................................................................254 

Center for Human Services.........................................................................................................................................................200 

Central Catholic High School .....................................................................................................................................................190 

Ceres Pipe & Metal ....................................................................................................................................................................258 

Champion Industrial Contractors, Inc. ......................................................................................................................................244 

Ciccarelli Jewelers ......................................................................................................................................................................226 

Classic Wine Vinegar Company, Inc. ..........................................................................................................................................256 

Community Hospice, Inc. .........................................................................................................................................................192 

Concetta.....................................................................................................................................................................................229 

CoSol Commercial Real Estate....................................................................................................................................................265 

Damrell Nelson Schrimp Pallios Pacher & Silva..........................................................................................................................221 

Darroch Brain & Spine Institute of Doctors Medical Center........................................................................................................188 

Delta Sierra Beverage..................................................................................................................................................................240 

Direct Appliance, Inc. ...............................................................................................................................................................242 

Doctors Medical Center..............................................................................................................................................................186 

E. & J. Gallo Winery ..................................................................................................................................................................280 

Fiscalini Farms & Cheese...........................................................................................................................................................284 

Five Minute Carwash .................................................................................................................................................................225 

Gallo Center for the Arts ............................................................................................................................................................194 

Garton Tractor............................................................................................................................................................................264 

Gianelli &Associates...................................................................................................................................................................215 

Helbling, Inc. dba Miracle Auto Painting & Body Repair ............................................................................................................220 

Hennings Bros. Drilling Co., Inc. ..............................................................................................................................................260 

J. M. Keckler Medical Company, Inc. .........................................................................................................................................246 

J. S. West & Co., Inc. ................................................................................................................................................................236 

Mape’s Ranch .............................................................................................................................................................................274 

Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation ..................................................................................................................................................198 

McCoy Tire ................................................................................................................................................................................222 

McHenry Bowl ...........................................................................................................................................................................230 

McHenry Museum Store.............................................................................................................................................................201 

Memorial Medical Center ...........................................................................................................................................................182 

Mistlin Honda ............................................................................................................................................................................219 

Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson ...........................................................................................................................................212 

Mocse Credit Union ...................................................................................................................................................................210 

Modesto Independent Insurance Agency Association/Stanislaus Insurance..................................................................................231 

Modesto Irrigation District .........................................................................................................................................................263 

Modesto Junk Company.............................................................................................................................................................259 

Modesto Mobility Center, Inc. ....................................................................................................................................................203 

SPONSORS ✦ 289

Modesto Rotary Club .................................................................................................................................................................196 

Modesto Symphony Orchestra....................................................................................................................................................199 

MTC Distributing.......................................................................................................................................................................248 

Nicolau Farms............................................................................................................................................................................261 

Prime Shine Car Wash................................................................................................................................................................214 

Ratto Bros., Inc. ........................................................................................................................................................................286 

Rossini Menswear-Formalwear....................................................................................................................................................224 

The Save Mart Companies..........................................................................................................................................................208 

Sierra Pacific Warehouse Group/ModestoView..............................................................................................................................267 

Silkwood Wines .........................................................................................................................................................................252 

Slater’s Home Furnishings ..........................................................................................................................................................227 

Stanislaus Food Products............................................................................................................................................................282 

Sutter Gould Medical Foundation...............................................................................................................................................184 

Tradeway Transmissions .............................................................................................................................................................232 

Ulm Farms, Inc. ........................................................................................................................................................................288 

Valley Heart Institute of Doctors Medical Center ........................................................................................................................189 

Varni Brothers Corporation ........................................................................................................................................................204 

Vintage Car Wash.......................................................................................................................................................................228 

Wille Electric Supply Company..................................................................................................................................................257 

The Zagaris Family.....................................................................................................................................................................250 


ABOUT THE EDITOR 

K EN 

W HITE 

Ken recently retired from the worlds of advertising, corporate communications, and interactive 

entertainment to concentrate on writing and community service. 

He received his A.A. degree at Modesto Junior College, his B.A. and teaching credential at 

UC Davis, and his M.A. at San Francisco State University. He has taught mass communications 

and film appreciation at Modesto Junior College. 

Born in Lathrop and raised in Modesto, California, he continues to live in his home town. 

He is married to Robin and has two adult step-sons, Tyler and Eric. He has written novels, 

screenplays, short stories, stage plays, children’s and non-fiction books. Most of his stories are about 

his home town and the Central Valley heartland. 

www.facebook.com/ken.white.7106 

Ken White. 


ABOUT THE EDITOR ✦ 291

ABOUT THE COVER 

J OHN 

M ATTOS 

John Mattos. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEWART BLOOM 

John has created imagery for corporate clients like Apple and Microsoft, entertainment companies 

(Disney and MGM/United Artists), publications (Time and Fortune), and institutions (Harvard 

and Stanford). 

He has received over 150 awards, including gold medals from the Art Directors Club of New 

York and the New York Society of Illustrators. His poster for The Rocketeer was selected as one of 

the one hundred best movie posters of all time by the American Film Institute. 

His work is in the Broad Museum and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. He has been a guest 

on Jay Leno’s Garage and has done eleven stamps for the U.S. Postal Service. 

Although John says he will always be “An Empire Guy,” he was born at Memorial Hospital in 

Modesto, and graduated from Thomas Downey High School in 1970. He received his BFA in 

illustration at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. He has two children and two 

grandchildren and lives on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco. 

www.johnmattos.com 


LEADERSHIP SPONSORS 

ISBN: 978-1-944891-38-1 

Historical Publishing Network

Touchstones: Life and Times of Modesto

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