Touchstones: The 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

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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.


HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY.


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


replaced 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.


HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY.

- 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.


HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY.

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.


HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY.

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

HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY.

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

Stanislaus County.

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

in Modesto.

- 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 &

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE.

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


business 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 community.

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.


HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY.

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

the community.

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

BY CARL BAGGESE

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 &

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE.

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

BY CARL BAGGESE

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 I

Touchstones: The Life and Times of Modesto

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