The Current May 2016 - SHE Edition

May 2016

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“INTO THE LIGHT”

by Melissa Jazulin

printed on recycled paper

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run like a girl

Contributors

I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass. — Maya Angelou

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irst and foremost, I want to take a moment to express my absolute gratitude for the overwhelming positive response we got after the first edition of The Current published in March. The Current team and I knew we were onto something when we cooked up this little publication, but we could never have predicted the flood of kudos and congratulations and kind compliments we received. So thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Without this amazing community, The Current could not have happened.

Now let’s talk about the inspiring women of San Joaquin County and why we chose SHE as the theme for our sophomore edition.

We have some serious girl power surging through our community. We always have. Any longtime area resident could tell you that, but if you need some research to back that up, here you go; a recent national study ranked the Stockton-Lodi area second among California cities most friendly to female entrepreneurs, and we placed thirty fourth in the nation. Not too shabby!

As most of us already know, there is a whole lot of positive change happening in Stockton and San Joaquin County. There are some really innovative businesses popping up, and what many may not realize is that there are women behind many of them. Our local women support each other and share ideas and resources. That is where our strength generates from.

This community knows the value of women and continues to produce the best!

We wish we could have included every last one of them in this edition, but we had to settle for introducing just a few. We know you will be inspired.

Best, Karen Bakhtegan, Editor

The Current wants to become your voice.

Do you have something to say? Are you a writer?

An armchair columnist? A blogger?

Are you an entrepreneur? An inventor? An innovator? An artist?

Are you paying it forward? Do you know of a hidden gem or an unsung hero whose story needs to be told?

Publisher Roger Coover Advertising Director Deitra Kenoly Editor Karen Bakhtegan Cover Artist Melissa Jazulin Graphic Artists Jason LaMasters Jason Ente Social Media / Event Specialist Lina Tirre Account Specialists Deanna Luna Liz Saldivar Writers Donald W. Blount Charleen Earley Middagh Goodwin Bob Highfill Melissa Hutsell Mike Klocke Leah Myers Susan Michener Spracher Jennifer Torres Joanne Yi Photographers Ashlee Blackard Charleen Earley Joanna Jeronimo Anirudh Nagvenkar Shannon Rock/Preserve Studio Calixtro Romias Rich Turner

We want to hear from you and we want to include you in upcoming editions.

Email: thecurrent@recordnet.com Follow us and share your photos and messages Instagram–thecurrentsj Facebook–The Current San Joaquin Twitter–@thecurrentsj

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10-35 she - pointe of interest - project gia - live 209 - women kick’in it - crafting a role - a holistic life

36 my generation - trust us

38 the casa project - volunteers become voices

40 postcards from the delta - taken for granted

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43 the gift of green

- repurposing newspaper into gift bags

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44 threads - spring style

46 fork this!

- 9 places we love

48 vines

- nipote wine imports

50 all-city poetry slam 53 best rides - cycling in san joaquin

54 the campus - KWDC radio - pac ave records

58 get out - calendar of events

59 the undercurrent

 - the nightcrawler - the polyester wags - volume freak

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contact our specialists

209.943.8585

Deanna Luna The Current dluna@recordnet.com Inside print and Digital Specialist

Liz Saldivar The Current lsaldivar@recordnet.com Outside Print and Digital Specialist

Lina Tirre Current Events Live etirre@recordnet.com Event Specialist

events

Get The Current delivered to your home the third Sunday of every month by subscribing to The Record.

Go to Recordnet.com to get your subscription started. ~Or~ Pick up a free copy of The Current sponsored by Big Valley Ford on the following week at any of these local businesses: Black Rose Tattoo 237 E. Miner Avenue, Stockton

Friends of the Library 1724 W. Hammer Lane, Stockton

Brannon Tires 4905 Claremont Avenue, Stockton

Green’s Nutrition 1906 Pacific Avenue, Stockton

David’s Pizza 1744 W. Hammer Lane, Stockton

Humphrey’s College 6650 Inglewood Avenue, Stockton

Downtown Stockton Alliance 125 Bridge Place, Stockton

Lange Twins Winery 1525 E. Jahant Road, Acampo

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Mexican Heritage Center 111 S. Sutter Street, Stockton Meyer’s Optical 858 W. Ben Holt, Stockton Mid Town Creperie 3311 Pacific Avenue, Stockton

Stockton Convention & Visitors Bureau 125 Bridge Place, Stockton Stockton Platinum Smog 2433 E. Miner Avenue, Stockton

Mr. D’s Pizza 122 E. Oak Street, Stockton

Millie’s Art Korner 229 E. Alpine Avenue, Stockton

Stockton Civic Theatre 2312 Rosemarie Lane, Stockton

We Play 3252 Tomahawk Lane, Stockton

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Wine & Roses 2505 W. Turner Road, Lodi

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Melissa Jazulin (Miss Millie) Owner/Instructor at Millie’s Art Korner and Freelance Fine Artist Why I choose to live in Stockton: I was raised in Stockton and am rooted here with family, friends, and an amazing career. Stockton is a very diverse and eclectic city with MAD potential. I’m excited to be part of the growing art community and higher social awareness that is dawning in the community.

My role models: There have been many role models and mentors in my life; two of my favorite artists with whom I’ve apprenticed under are Ava Avione and Nadine Merrill Persson. Both are highly acclaimed and successful female artists.

Their generosity with their time, knowledge, and kindness have taught me so much and have truly helped shape my development as an artist and teacher.

I’m always exploring new techniques and becoming more skillful in my work. At 87 years old, the great master painter Michelangelo said, “I am still learning.” I share that same enthusiasm about the pursuit of knowledge.

I continue to surround myself with and be inspired by other artists and teachers that share my passion for the arts. Life is a creative journey and we are fortunate to find like-minded ones along the way!

How I pay it forward: The greatest lesson my teachers have given me is to pass on what I learn to the next generation. I pay it forward by giving local artists opportunities to build their experience and resumé by interning in the classroom. Hands-on experience is the best teacher. As an instructor, I push my students

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to master their artistry, and give them opportunities to exhibit their work in the art community. This exposure builds their confidence as artists and opens their minds to the possibility of turning their passion for art into a career. Many of my students have gone on to become professional artists in their own right, receiving regular commission requests and pursuing higher education in the art field.

My greatest passion is: I know that nurturing young artists is not a cookie-cutter process; each child is an individual. My greatest passion is to provide an environment for students to learn at their own pace.

I love to teach technique in all fine art mediums, and allow students to take that knowledge and apply it to their art to develop their own style as artists in their own right.

My goal is for my students to know the rules, and break them as they see fit. My passion is to facilitate the creative process!

My advice to young women: My advice to young women is to unite in sisterhood; to encourage individuality while supporting each other’s creative pursuits and interests.

We as women need to build each other up and come together; to create a positive current where all meet their full potential both collectively and individually. Work with others while maintaining a sense of autonomy. Be true to what suits you best. Everyone will always have an opinion, but your opinion is most valuable in regards to your creative choices.

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Bridging worlds through her documentaries Story and photo by Charleen Earley

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ara Washington loves objects. She also loves people. But when you put objects and people together, that’s when her Cannon DSLR comes out and a documentary is born.

“I really love studying objects and how they live in people’s lives,” said Sara, a 26-year-old documentary media artist, born in San Francisco and raised in Stockton.

Among many shorts she’s working on, her current documentary, “The Pointe” is about a ballerina’s shoe.

“The shoe is called a ‘pointe.’ They are custom made to fit the ballerina, who goes through two pairs of shoes a week from dancing eight hours a day. Each shoemaker makes 200 shoes a week, several hundred a year for one ballerina,” said Sara. “This documentary is about following the shoe from the factory, to the ballet company > and its life with the ballerina.”

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It’s great to create a community around film and culture – come out, buy some food at the food truck and hang out with your friends…

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“The people in the ballet company don’t think about where the shoes come from, and the factory workers don’t think about the shoe’s use – those two worlds don’t know each other,” she added.

Homeschooled before attending college, Sara received her B.A. in community studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she majored in documentary media.

She graduated from The New School for Social Impact in Greenwich Village, New York.

Her parents instilled in her strong work ethics.

“The biggest lesson my parents taught me was that whatever you do, do your best at it,” she said. “Your best changes too – so what you thought was your best back then, you learn to do better – it’s an ever-evolving concept.”

In between filmmaking, Sara runs a Rom Com Club she started on Valentine’s Day this year. It’s a group that gathers on the 3rd each month at various pop-up locations to watch romantic comedy films such as When Harry Met Sally (1989) and How to Marry a Millionaire (1953).

She recently found new digs for the club to meet (then travel to the pop-up location) in the newly renovated B&M Building located at 125 Bridge Place, in partnership with the Downtown Stockton Alliance (DSA) and the San Joaquin Bike Coalition.

“The Rom Com Club is part of a larger community. There are no indie film houses in town, and there’s a real difference between watching something at home on Netflix than watching films with other people. It’s great to create a community around film and culture – come out, buy some food at the food truck and hang out with your friends,” said Sara.

The eldest of six siblings, (one brother and four sisters), Sara’s documentary work is funded through private donations, grants and freelance work.

When money is tight, she gets inventive.

“In the beginning, I had to ‘MacGyver’ a lot of things together!

Equipment-wise, when I needed 10 things and only had three – it is just part of the tradition of being resourceful and you have to have a tough skin,” said Sara, who began her love for documentaries at age 19.

“I’m often a team of one, and had to learn how to do a lot of it myself,” she added. “There were times I asked myself ‘why am I doing this?’ Now I have a system down and feel much more confident in my ability to deliver.”

With favorite documentarians such as the Maysles brothers (Gimme Shelter, 1970) and Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch (Chronicle of a Summer, 1961), Sara has an affinity for visiting other people’s worlds and documenting them.

“I like talking to people about the things they are passionate about,” she said. “I always love telling stories – telling true stories.”

Visit her at www.sarawash.com or https://www.facebook.com/ romcomclub.

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Communications Manager at Downtown Stockton Allian ce Why I choose to live in Sto ckton: I moved here to liv e with my then fiancé right after I graduated from college in my home town in Poland, Europ e. I literally followed my heart.

Now I choose to live here because this is where my fam ily, friends and work are.

My role models: I admire ma ny historic figures like Queen Elizabeth I, Maria Sklodowska-Curie, and Audre y Hepburn, to name a few. Bu t my greatest role model is my grandmother, Krystyna Paw luczuk, who is a beautiful , intelligent, strong and lov ing force in my life.

How I pay it forward: I fee l that I do it best throug Downtown Stockton Allian h my work with the ce, where we advocate for preservation, and try to the Sto ckt on art community, historic cultivate local pride and self-awareness. I and my wonderful kids onto whom husband are raising two we are trying to pass the importance of education, inv and community, self-assuran olvement in arts ce and self-sufficiency, but most of all that “love con hope that they will carry quers all.” We the torch into the next gen eration.

My greatest passion is: Rea son and romance.

My advice to young women: Always be true to yourself.

Cecil Rose

24, Instructor at Millie’s Art Korner & Freelance Illustrator in Why I choose to live in Stockton: I love the diversity and richness and nce the cultures and social groups here. I love the people’s resilie faith in this city, and I commend those who work hard to make a positive influence in our city.

My role models: My mother is my biggest role model. She always nurtured and supported my artistic talent. My mom is the strongest, most caring, and giving person I have ever met, and I could only hope to someday be half as wonderful as she is.

How I pay it forward: I gain an amazing feeling of satisfaction teaching others the skills I’ve acquired over my life. The greatest part of being a teacher is when their faces light up in that “AHA!” moment after I’ve shown them a new technique. I see a lot of myself in our students at Millie’s Art Korner, and I see a lot of them going on to pursue an artist career at the rate they’re going.

My greatest passion is: I’ve never been as passionate as when I am sitg at illustrated ting down with my watercolors. I’ve always loved reading and lookin that keeps energy sparks an books. Creating in an environment of all ages and skill levels really the creativity flowing in us all! to yourself. There is so much My advice to young women: My advice to women is to simply stay true es hard to do that. Emsometim pressure on us to fit into everyone’s trends and ideologies that it’s the beat of your own drum, dig brace what society deems as flaws–it’s what makes you, you. Walk to fit, and never be afraid to down and discover what your interests are and pursue them as you see fail. Failing in something is the first step to mastering it.

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Christina Tornero 24, Interim Gift Shop Manag er/Gift Shop assistant at St. Joseph’s Medical Center

Currently pursuing a maste r’s degree in Public Admini stration with an emphasis in health care at California State University, East Bay Why I choose to live in Sto ckton: I was born and rai sed in Stockton, and find that the re are many opportunities to serve my community in hopes of making it better.

My role models: My mother for being the epitome of un conditional love, kindness, and patience. And Robert F. Ken ned y because he believed in, and advocated for, not only gen der and racial equality, but huma n equality, How I pay it forward: Vol unteering in the Communit y Health department at St. Joseph’s Medical Center.

My greatest passion is: I have a passion for philan thropy and hope to foster that passion into a career in community outreach and nonprofit management. I asp advocate for social change ire to be an . My ambition is to create and develop new and improved health and wellness servic ways to deliver es to underserved communit ies.

My advice to young women: Care less about what others think of you, and more abo of yourself. Never hesita ut what you think te to reinvent yourself in an effort to improve and be, the person you hope to be who you want to be; you do not have to be the same as you were yester offer greatness, you first day. If you want to have to believe you are gre at, and carry that belief generosity. with confidence and

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35, Event Manager, Downtown Stockton Alliance Why I choose to live in Stockton: My fiancee, Jared Rusten and I were both living and working in San Francisco, but when the landlord more than doubled the rent, we knew we wanted to find a new place to call home, and preferably, a place where we could own. We came across downtown Stockton and were immediately blown away by its plethora of amazing, abandoned buildings and its potential for greatness. We are now the proud owners of a beautiful building in the downtown and have never been more content or assured of our decision to relocate.

My role model: I look up to musicians like Sharon Van Etten because I could never do what they do.

How I pay it forward: At the Downtown Stockton Alliance, we are beginning an entrepreneur incubator program in our new event space called Brick & Mortar. We will be offering businesses the opportunity to test their product on the market during our Waterfront workshops, classes and Fridays event. In connection with this, we will also be offering free media strategy and website/logo lectures related to subjects such as best business practices, social tools they’ll need to be sucdesign. We want to create opportunities and give entrepreneurs the in downtown Stockton. cessful with the ultimate goal being a Brick & Mortar of their own potential, but for its past My greatest passion is: Downtown Stockton. Not only for its future ed advocates. greatness and its present-day community of warm, welcoming and dedicat te quote from a book My advice to young women: I don’t have any advice but I do have a favori ful must first pass through called The Fly Trap by Fredrik Sjoberg, “...the path to what is beauti what is meaningful.”

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Gesine Gerhard Historian 46, Professor of History, story of food, World War Area of study/interest: Hi published a book, Nazi II, Nazi Germany. I recently of Food in the Third Hunger Politics: A History how the Nazis used food Reich -- that talks about War II. as a weapon during World ckton: The job brought Why I choose to live in Sto to California before the me here (I had never been ckton and am still here job interview), I loved Sto 17 years later! e! big, study hard, enjoy lif eam Dr n: me wo g un yo to My advice

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Looney, 23, had only to look in her own backyard of a tough childhood growing up in east Stockton to know she wanted something more out of life.

Inspired by a TED Talk about the importance of life planning as early as the 20s, Looney, a high school dropout, got her GED and enrolled in

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Noticing that unlike the Bay Area or Southern California where multiple organizations advocate for the empowerment of young women, Looney saw nothing like that in this area. She sees a need for an online forum that will inspire and support young women during the critical, and often difficult, period between ages 13 to 25 where self-esteem can take a bruising. Project GIA will be a resource hub, including an ontrend website where young women can find support and information about growing a strong future. The site offers a safe internet space for girls to connect and network over subjects such as schooling, health, financial aid, career and self-improvement to build confidence and self-esteem. Young women needing resources for social services such as homelessness or mental health care can find information though Project GIA.

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he phrase “Girl Power” took on new meaning when Mariah Looney decided to start Project GIA (Girls in Action) in January. She’s building the Project to become a community outreach organization focused on the empowerment of girls and young women in the Stockton and San Joaquin County area.

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Creating a Facebook page resulted in instant interest, gathering hundreds of followers in a short time. In-kind content creators were offered the opportunity to collaborate, and Looney found a partner for the Project in Destiny Pena.

She provides the business strategy yin to Looney’s visionary yang. Pena, 24, also brings personal experience to the project. Having made her way through adolescence in the primary care of her father, she longed for a female role model to help navigate the waters of becoming a woman. “Girls will find they are not the only one with struggles. Whoever feels they share our story or wants help, we are there 100%,” said Pena.

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Delta College where she attends classes and works a full-time job. The idea of Project GIA grew out of her desire to be the person she needed for guidance, inspiration and support.

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The partners want Project GIA to deliver a message to girls that they can do whatever they can dream, they are needed in previously male-dominated STEM careers, and popular trends can be followed in a positive way.

Looney says, “Break the mold. You can do whatever you want to do, and we’re going to help you find that passion inside yourself to do it.” Several interns have been engaged in the Project, which provides experience that can help build a resumé.

Outreach meetings to build community rapport, gain feedback and highlight local activities will be held periodically.

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Mahala Burns aphy

60, Commercial Real Estate Broker, Cort Companies

My greatest passion is: I have two great passions. I have worked for Cort Companies for the past 20 years, with a mission to bring downtown Stockton back to life again. I also am a dedicated dressage rider, trying to find glorious movement and harmony with my equine partner. Riding is mental, physical and spiritual work, all rolled into one.

ly Dobin photo © Kimber

How I pay it forward: I serve as Chair of the Downtown Stockton Alliance and on the Boards of the Central Parking District and TEAM Charter School.

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My role models: There are three people that I admire greatly…

Aaron Copland (American composer), William Butler Yeats (Irish poet) and Joseph Campbell (mythologist and writer). Each of these people had a unique vision that guided their lives.

My advice to young women: You are the master of your thoughts. Your thoughts determine your reality. Choose to be joyful, grateful and strong. And get outside a lot. The natural world is where we, as Paleolithic creatures, belong. I can count on one hand the number of days I haven’t wanted to go to work. If you pick a job that you love to do, your passion will fill your days with meaning and your job will be easy.

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26, Co-owner at Trail Coffee Roasters Why I choose to live in Stockton: I choose to live in Stockton because I grew up here, my family and many close friends live here and it's centrally located, which makes for perfect weekend road trips.

My role model(s): Too many to list, but mainly my friends and colleagues who inspire me on a daily basis and work tirelessly in making their own dreams a reality...and of course, my mom!

How I pay it forward: I pay it forward by donating coffee to local charities and organizations such as the St. Mary’s Dining Hall. Soon I’m anticipating to plan a fundraiser to raise money for the children who live on our farm in Nicaragua. My stepfather has built a school on the farm so I would love to provide them with school supplies, backpacks, new clothes, really anything that could help make their lives better.

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Lenzi Leonard

37, Owner of Caterpillar Children’s Boutique Why I choose to live in Stockton: I chose to move back to Stockton to raise my kids around family and friends who still call Stockton their home. I relocated back to Stockton after working as a buyer in the Bay Area for the past 12 years. I wanted to become an entrepreneur and start a business that would benefit the community I care so much about.

My role model: My mother (Judi Auwinger), who was also born and raised in Stockton. She is a strong independent woman who provided her two daughters with a life of opportunity. She worked multiple jobs when we were growing up to make sure we had everything we needed (or let’s face it, wanted). She is also a woman well-liked by everyone she meets. She was named homecoming queen in high school and has lived her entire life like she is still wearing that crown.

How I pay it forward: My small business is a children’s buygently sell-trade boutique. I give local families the opportunity to sell their some new threads at a used children’s apparel and gear for a little extra cash, or to score really decent price. things to better my commuMy greatest passion is: I have a passion for children, fashion and doing d. nity. I’m proud to say I have found all of that in the business I create elders. Be yourself. Be humMy advice to young women: Don’t be in a rush to grow up. Respect your ble. Be kind. Listen to your heart and expand your mind.

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Susan Spracher 50, Program Coordinator/Consultant, Freelance Writer Why I choose to live here: I choose to live in Stockton because it’s my hometown, the only place I’ve ever lived and my children have family roots here.

My role models: Writers, people with a sense of humor, humility and kindness, change makers How I pay it forward: I work on projects that promote books and reading My greatest passion is: Helping books get to people.

Storytelling.

My advice to young women: Talk to yourself like you would and a best friend. Take the time while you’re young to be your own girl follow your dreams. You don’t need to play small.

Lindsay Ortez

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My role models: I find ins piration and strength in all women who are self-employed business owners and supermoms togeth er. It takes so much love, patience and dedication to be able to bal ance the two worlds we love most. My art is my soul, and my fam ily is my heart! So even on most day s when I’m juggling photo sho ots, editing, emails, house chores, getting kids to and from school, and the endless to-do list...I crash hard at the end of the nig ht beyond, thankful that I get to wa ke up again tomorrow and do the 2 jobs.

How I pay it forward: Thr oughout the year I like to offer free photo shoots to people that I feel are bey ond deserving of having a special moment in their lif art and given with love. e captured through I’ve donated my time to wom en who are battling cancer lost children, women who , families that have have conquered mountains of hardships and needed to how beautiful they are. be reminded of just My greatest passion is: My children above all else. My firstborn sweetheart and most 8 years), my wild and mini-me, Teagan (alhandsome baby boy Jagger (4 years), and my newest ang gust, “River” welcome her el girl due in Auinto this. The day I becam e a mama was the day I fou nd my truest self.

My advice to young women: Be YOU. Be TRUE. Find you r soul, your inner self and will always come across peo believe in her. We ple who think they “know” us, even before we know our their negativity and use selves. Block out their toxic bad vibes as fue l to create a better and str onger you.

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Why I choose to live in Loc ekford: I grew up in this one-stoplight town. I moved on, moved aw ay, started a family and career and somehow found myself back her e after almost 2 decades of experiences.

I’m thankful I get to share a piece of my childhood now with my kids and watch them grow up with a little bit of a good country heart.

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ctions / Co-Founder, Co-Owner, Goodstock Produ Stockmarket, Stockton tie Handel, and the late My role model: my mom, Ka Tim Egkan ing my story, especially How I pay it forward: Shar to encourage the next with local youth. Hoping rs! generation of entrepreneu is: Co nn ec ti ng an d My gr ea te st pa ssi on ative community. collaborating with our cre If you have a dream, My advice to young women: y, you’ll never succeed. pursue it. If you never tr

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left to right: Rima Barkett, Lynette Zeiter, Susan Traverso

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ongtime friends Rima Barkett, Susan Traverso and Lynette Zeiter changed up their usual travel plans to Guatemala by bringing their husbands. A conversation among the group landed on the subject of how often they heard negative comments about Stockton. Zeiter’s husband happened to be wearing a simple logo shirt that inspired them to think, “What if we make shirts with a positive message about Stockton?”

The women brainstormed and arrived at the idea that the 209 area code had become associated with gangs and violence and it was time to flip that idea to represent all the positives there are to living in their community. They also desired to make the city a place that young adults would want to return to. “That’s what's going to uplift our community, getting those kids to come back,” says Zeiter. “Live 209” was the right fit for what they wanted to represent.

Zeiter’s daughter Danielle, 24, designed the logo and a local shirt printer, Tom Souza, partnered with them at a discount enough to be able to follow the Tom’s shoes model of giving a shirt to someone in need for every shirt purchased. Wearers are encouraged to post a picture of themselves wearing the shirt and performing a random act of kindness or participating in a local activity on the Live 209 Instagram or Facebook page.

The project’s goal is to raise funds to support those in need while uplifting the spirit of residents and demonstrating the positivity that exists in the area. The decision to do T-shirts for fundraising was purposeful. The low cost allows many people to participate in giving back. “Some people just need the outlet and don’t know where to start,” says Traverso.

All the funds raised go to the mission of offering assistance wherever there is need. Letting the underserved know that they are cared about, Live 209 delivered Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in south Stockton, sponsored an essay and art contest at an alternative school, and purchased home goods for individual families. Future plans include collaboration with the District Attorney’s office, Child Abuse Prevention Council and the Women’s Center to start a program to fight human trafficking. “Helping is empowering. It takes everybody,” says Barkett.

T-shirts can be purchased for $25/adult and $15/youth sizes at KCM Boutique, Zuesters and Caterpillar Children’s Boutique.

Find Live 209 on Facebook, Instagram and at Live209.org

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photos courtesy Tony Nunez, MMA

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By Charleen Earley

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xercise hubs are everywhere, from the big-box franchise to the privately owned, but it’s not everyday you come across one with a moving back-story such as the one of Tony Nunez, MMA.

martial arts and fitness programs geared towards every age group.

The last thing he wants to do is scare his clients about attackers.

Owner of Women Kick’in It in Lodi, Tony opened his kickboxing gym for men and women seven years ago, but the concept began years earlier.

“I tell them ‘I’m not trying to make you scared or fearful, but a tiny bit of fear is beneficial’ – like when you’re walking from the parking lot to your car, don’t be on your phone texting and not paying attention,” he said.

“When I was young, I watched my stepfather beat my mom for years and I felt I couldn’t help her. I was paralyzed in fear,” said Tony, 49, who came to the United States from Cuba at eight months old. “I yelled a couple of times, but that’s it. Later, my mom got depressed with prescription drugs and committed suicide.”

“I teach them how to throw a jab, a side-kick and back-kick and the fighting part too,” he added. “The day you have to use it for selfdefense, those punches are going to come out strong and accurate and you will also have the endurance that you’ll need.”

“I was a troubled youth, but was lucky enough that at the age of 12, someone found me and taught me boxing,” he said.

To keep himself from hanging with the wrong crowd, Tony enlisted into the Marine Corps after high school, learned hand-to-hand combat, Karate and Jiu-Jitsu.

“I thought, ‘WOW, I love it, and I want to learn more,’” said Tony, who lives in Lodi with his wife Amber and their son, Shiloh.

His kickboxing school is in honor of his mother – to empower women through self-defense classes.

“I wanted to open a school geared towards women, because I feel it’s so important for women to have confidence, strength and ability,” he said. “If you can change your mindset, you can change your entire life!”

“If you don’t have that strong spirit, you will stay in that relationship like my mom did,” he added. “And it affects everyone in the family, like me; it doesn’t just affect the person getting beat. I ended up breaking that chain.”

He also teaches how to get out of hair-grabs, bear-hug attacks from the back and front, modern attacks, and ground self-defense.

“The number one self-defense is in the mind,” he said. “Using your mind and putting a tiny bit of fear, just to let them know that something CAN happen; to be alert and aware. I heard somewhere that 82% of women who fight back, survive, and that doesn’t include trained women.”

Training is a family-affair for Tony, whose wife Amber, a 3rd Degree Black Belt, teaches the kids, and their son Shiloh, 5, knows how to kick and punch properly.

“I look at self-defense as a way of taking care of yourself, your family and standing up for what you believe in,” said Tony. “In today’s society, we need to stop the pain, strengthen that confidence and become a positive and united people.”

Visit his website at www.tonynunezmma.com.

Men and children are not excluded from his school, but his Women Kick’in It classes are 90-members strong, and meet Monday through Thursday at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Tony is a 10th Grand Master in Karate and 8th Degree Master in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. He teaches kickboxing, soft and hard mixed Tony Nunez & family

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Marcellique Lashea

30, CEO of M.Lashea Hair Boutique Why I choose to live in Stockton: I was born and raised in Stockton, CA. I currently live in Atlanta, GA, where I am a lead celebrity fashion stylist for Kontrol Magazine. Stockton is my heart and soul and that is the reason why I came back to Stockton to open M.Lashea Hair Boutique. I proudly live in both cities. My goal is to influence others and prove that one can reach their goals if they are willing to work hard and give back.

My role models: My role models are all the successful women who strive and work hard to provide for their families and work towards their dreams every day.

How I pay it forward: I pay it forward by giving to my community, rather it’s a makeover, helping high school girls, to making time for those who need help or a listening ear. I’m here for it all.

My greatest passion is: My greatest passion is fashion and uplifting women of all age groups. I have a psychology degree as well as a lot of life experiences, which allows me to identify with many.

Fashion is my way to identify with people; fashion allows my gift to uplift everyone that comes into my path. My gift is building self–esteem and self-worth, motivating others to dream and go after their goals.

My advice to young women: My advice to women is to live fancy in your own way. Women are strong and beautiful, and being yourself is the best person you can be.

Shannon Rock

34, Owner of Preserve Studio, Photographer / Videographer Why I choose to live in Stockton: Stockton has had a horrible reputation for a long time. I was born and raised here and couldn’t wait to leave once I got out of high school in 1999. A little less than 2 years ago I returned with a different outlook. I brought my company with me and went on a search to find others like myself who wanted to see I Stockton rise beyond headlining awful statistics nationally. To say was pleasantly surprised in the people I found is an understatement. , There are so many of us who love Stockton and want to see it succeed has me for on and we are growing bigger in numbers every day. Stockt been the best decision I have ever made. I currently have my office in Huddle Co-Work, and in September will be moving into my studio.

My company is expanding, and I am collaborating with other small businesses, entrepreneurs and creatives both on the Miracle Mile and downtown in order to make Stockton an amazing place. Frankly, not only is my family here, but I love living here, love working here, ity. and love being a part of this positive and constantly improving commun very few people these days My role model(s): Without sounding cliché, I say my mother. There are very driven woman, but the person that are actually humble and genuinely kind in this world. I am a I can only hope that one day I who really keeps me grounded me is her. She exudes kindness and love. can be half the woman she is.

2015, I did overseas media-misHow I pay it forward: Giving back is huge to me. This past year, in other in the Philippines to the sionary work. I traveled for 2 months, 1 month in Nicaragua and g on marketing content so that orphanages. There I photographed/filmed the children and am workin they can get funding from the U.S. 26

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By Melissa Hutsell

D

espite the prominent role women play throughout the history of beer, the brewed beverage remains… well, synonymous with masculinity. Thanks to such leading ladies in the alcohol industry like Veronica Camp, founder of the Central Valley Brew Fest, women are reclaiming their role.

Historically speaking, females were solely responsible for brewing and distributing beer, tracing all the way back to ancient Egypt, and the prehistoric Sumerian (modern-day Iraq) deity known as Ninkasi – the goddess of alcohol. A song, titled “A Hymn to Ninkasi” which dates back to 1800 B.C., is arguably the oldest recorded recipe for beer. The goddess, along with the hymn, highlights the long-established relationship between women and beer – one in which Camp is helping to rejuvenate in the Central Valley.

Veronica Camp was born and raised in the 209. She studied locally at Modesto Junior College and CSU, Stanislaus where she earned a degree in communication with a concentration in public relations. She immediately began working in the event planning industry, where she has remained for the last ten years.

The road to running her own event production company, MD Event Production, started with her love of performing. At 22, she joined the renowned San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleading team, where she performed for three years on the field and two years on the team’s alumni squad. Being a part of such a large production inspired her to continue her passion as the director of the Stockton Lightning arena football cheerleaders for two years. During this time, Camp worked in the wine industry as a national event planner, most notably as the project manager for E&J Gallo Winery.

Camp. “As a former national event planner for E&J Gallo Winery, I’ve participated in numerous food, beer, and wine festivals and have found the Central Valley to be an unexplored market for such festivals.”

“I wanted to recreate scenes from big city beer festivals here on my own home turf,” adds Camp, “The Central Valley Brewfest is a one-of-a-kind event, keeping our locals on the cutting edge of a growing trend.”

The craft brew movement continues to gain momentum throughout the U.S., and within the 209. Camp has seen an increase in breweries seeking to have their beer at the event since the first festival in 2013, a testament to the Central Valley’s interest in beer culture. “I am confident in saying the Central Valley Brewfest can and will boost the local economy.”

Under Camp’s leadership, the brewfest has been nominated for a MAMA (Modesto Area Music Association) award for “best large event in 2015.”

This year’s event will bring together more than 125 brews for the ultimate sampling experience. The event not only showcases local breweries like Fresno’s Tioga Sequoia Brewing

photo by Charlene Earley

It was a natural step for Camp to combine her passions and create the Central Valley Brewfest. The brewfest, now celebrating its fourth annual event this May, was born from her “desire to bring a fun and inviting atmosphere for locals to learn more about their favorite craft beer and be introduced to new styles,” says

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Co. and Turlock’s Dust Bowl Brewing Co., but also encourages all women includes music, food and artwork from the local who are interested in event charity, Art Expressions of San Joaquin. planning or the alcohol “The craft beer industry is filled with innovative, and beverage industry to get strong, and friendly people who create products that involved. “I would love to have have a positive impact on the community,” explains people move forward together. It Camp. “The main purpose behind the Central Valley shouldn’t be a man versus woman Brewfest is community. It is a rare opportunity, if ever, type of thing. We can boost the for the consumer to get the chance to speak one-on- regional economy together … pint one with professional brewers or brewery personnel. by pint.”

The event brings people together from all aspects of the craft beer industry, from brewers to distributors, to retailers, to shoppers. This event acts as a craft beer community that everyone gets to visit for a short while every year.”

---

According to the brew culture website, CraftBeer.com, “With thousands of established and upstart breweries producing a diverse variety of flavorful beers, the U.S. craft beer movement has more traction than ever before, and women are increasingly showing up both in the beer aisle and in the brewhouse.” In addition, a Nielson research study has found that not only do women consume a third of craft brews in the U.S., but 21 percent of breweries had at least one woman in a leadership position such as founder, CEO, or brewmaster in 2014. In comparison to other industries, that number is high, and it is only rising.

$40 at the door. Passes can be purchased online at cvbrewfest. com or, if still available, at the fairgrounds the day of the event.

The Central Valley Brewfest will be held on Saturday, May 14th from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, 900 North Broadway in The rise of small and independent craft brewers is Turlock. breaking the mold, proving that beer has no gender. VIP Early entrance tickets are $45 With so many new styles and flavors, women are in advance. General Admission being reintroduced to their love of beer. tickets are $35 in advance and

To encourage safe driving, there is a discounted photo s cou designated driver ticket for $15. All rtesy of Ce ntral guests must be over 21 years old to attend.

Val

For more information on Central Valley Brewfest or to purchase your tickets and see a complete list of participating breweries, visit cvbrewfest.

Though Camp admits craft beer is still a male- com. dominated industry, it is becoming more common for women to know the ins and outs of craft beer. “They To support women in the beer industry, check are taking a seat at the bar next to men, ordering an out these female-owned and operated IPA, not the light beer.” She says that showing a sense breweries across the U.S.: of interest has helped to level the playing field. To that, Six Rivers Brewery she adds that statistics from the Brewers Association Lost Coast Brewery show that women consumed almost 32 percent of all craft beer in 2014. Furthermore, “Half of that comes Stoudt’s Brewing Company from women ages 21 to 34. That’s a big number, and I New Belgium Brewing Company am confident it will keep growing.”

Intercourse Brewing Company

ley B

rewfe

st

Indeed, she says, the craft beer world has welcomed Full Sail Brewing Co. her with open arms. “In most industries you don’t want to give anyone your edge or secrets. This community Jackalope Brewing Company is different -- everyone is quick to help because we all have a passion for creating great craft beer events.” For this reason, she

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Story and photos by Charleen Earley

M

ost women can handle being single, raising kids and working, but it takes a highly dedicated and motivated woman to run her own business on top of all that – and Dr. Eunice Green, NHD, says it’s no easy task.

“I think many people feel that you work less when you are a business owner, but the truth is, you work more,” said Green, owner and herbalist of Green’s Nutrition Center on Pacific Avenue on the Miracle Mile. “You have a responsibility to not only your customers, but also to your employees.”

Green carries the highest quality researched supplements that enhance health, including bulk herbs, spices, skincare products and natural foods – not to mention a must-see grocery section.

The icing on the healthy cake for Green is having her oldest daughter working for her for the past seven months.

“All of my children support my business, but having one of them working for me is really a dream come true,” said Green, who was born and raised in a small town of Minnesota, and now grandmother of eight.

She wrote a recipe book called Feed your Body NOT the Cancer two years ago – a collection of nutritious, health-enhancing recipes to support those going through cancer treatments.

Her passion for nutrition started 45 years ago when her children were toddlers. Beginning first in traditional medicine, Green received a degree in respiratory therapy from the American College of Paramedical Arts & Sciences in Santa Ana, CA.

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“I eventually ended up in the business world, and although I raised my children on herbs and natural supplements, my career was in marketing,” said Green.

“Over 20 years ago, I changed hats and bought an existing store, Lundy’s Nutrition Center, which was located on Waterloo Road, then changed the name.”

She also expanded her knowledge base and earned her doctorate in natural health from the Holistic Life Institute in Oakdale, CA. “I love nutrition because it is safe and produces remarkable results,” said Green.

Her store’s mission is painted on the wall and states, “Our mission is to educate and support our customers in achieving optimum health through the use of natural products.”

“I believe we have a responsibility to serve our customers, and knowledge makes a difference,” she added. “I feel it’s important to train my staff, and they also take many classes on their own. I hire people with a thirst for knowledge.”

“I think what I love most is that I have the opportunity to do what I love every day,” said Green, whose employees have been with her for years, some as long as 20. “I enjoy coming in to work.”

She gives advice to women contemplating starting their own business.

“Be prepared to work harder than you ever have,” she said. “You cannot just open the door, put a sign out and wait for people to arrive.

Marketing and getting out in the community is very important.”

Passion helps too.

“Be passionate about what you do,” Green added.

Visit Green at www. greensnutrition.com.

With an herb vault containing over 400 bulk herbs – something rarely found in other herb stores – Green loves her job.

left to right: Eunice Green, Cathy Huss, Toni Villanueva

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nom’ nom’ nom’ 32

Buy one cupcake, get one FREE or 10% OFF Balloon Bouquets See Store for details expires 5/31/16

GRAND OPENING SPECIAL FREE Appetizer with purchase of a Dinner expires 5/31/16

Frosted Flour 904 W. Lodi Ave, Lodi (209) 369-2253 www.frostedflour.com

Breadfruit Tree Restau rant 8095 N. Rio Blanco Rd Stockton (209) 952-7361 www.breadfruittree.co m

Buy 1 dozen tamales and receive 3 sweet breads free

Upgrade any 16 oz. drink to 24 oz FREE with Coupon

expires 5/31/16

La Victoria’s Delicatessen 1305 E. Main St, Stockton (209) 463-4340

expires 5/31/16

Fresh Delights 24 N. School St, Lodi (209) 365-1361 Buy one entree, get 2n d of equal or lesser value 1/2 off with purchase of two drinks

Buy a Fresh Sandwich, Hot Dog or Grilled Sandwich & get a FREE soda or bag of chips

expires 5/31/16

expires 5/31/16

California Al’s Restaurant 601 W. Lockeford St, Lodi (209) 365-1805 www.californiaals.com

Serrano’s Deli 445 W. Weber Ave, Ste. 142 Stockton (209) 670-4406

15% off Breakfast

Buy one lunch, get a FREE soda

am served 7:30am-1urs1:30

Irma’s Place Restaurant 524 E. Weber Ave Stockton (209) 464-1960

Moo Moo’s Burger Barn kton 10940 Trinity Pkwy, Stoc (209) 957-9450 www.moo-moos.com

Offer good Mon-Th . at these this location only expires 5/31/16

expires 5/31/16

FREE drink with the purchase of $5.00 or more on deli item expires 5/31/16

Louie’s Market 734 E. Main Street Stockton (209) 464-7693

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All sandwic hes, chips & sod a for $8.50 We offer bage l

& croissant breakfast da ily expires 5/31/1

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Tillie’s Cafe 21 West Pine St, Lodi (209) 365-6644

may 2016

expires 5/31/16

Le’s Dynasty 1439 N. El Dorado St Stockton (209) 931-9673

15% off your entire order@ the

Must present this coupon time of order. One time use.

Not valid with any other offers or

coupons

expires 5/31/16

T Cakes Cupcakery Stockton (925) 400-8572 www.tcakescupcakery.com

Buy 1 Large piz za (regular price $9.99)

get any one sco op of ice cream in a regular cone F REE expires 5/31/16

Slice N Scoop 1143 E. Main St, St ockton (209) 937-0890

nom’ nom’ nom’

Buy 1 entree get the 2nd one 50% off (Equal or lesser value)

lue

a v r e s s le r o l a u q e f O *

t Buy 1 entree, ge 1 half off* lesser value *Of equal or 5/31 /16 expires

Blend 115 S. School St, Lodi (209) 334-2036 www.blendlodi.com

Buy 1 ent ree get th e 2nd entre e (of equa l or lesser v alue) 1/2 price expires 5/31/1

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West Lane B owl 3900 West L ane Stockton (209) 466-331 7 may 2016

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Stephanie Rodriguez

55, Photographer, Real Estate Broker & Director, Grupe Home Star Why I choose to live in Stockton: I love Stockton. Geographically, we are located right in the center of so much fun. There is San Francisco to the west and the foothills to the east, just to name a couple of hot spots. We raised our children here, and now have 3 of our 6 grandchildren here in Stockton. We call Stockton “home.”

My role model: My father was my role model. He passed away when I was 14 years old, but what he taught me impacted my entire life. My father was a physician, an “old-fashioned” doctor that made house calls. He allowed me to go with him, calling me “his shadow.” Our first stop would be to the pharmacy, where we would pick up prescriptions for the elderly patients. He would pay for them. Curious, I asked why he paid for their medications and he explained that some people could not afford the medicines that they needed to stay alive. He said it was the “right thing to do” to pay for their prescriptions. I grew up thinking this was “normal.” What was “normal” was the love that he had for people.

How I pay it forward: I am a part of the “Magic Hour Foundation.” Magic Hour is a non-profit that provides free photo sessions for cancer patients and their families. I also am a member of “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep”. Sessions are a free remembrance photo to parents suffering the loss of a baby. Both of these services are incredibly rewarding for me.

My greatest passion is: My family. My husband, our two daughters, son and 6 grandchildren are a passion that brings unbelievable joy into my world.

My advice to young women: Believe in yourself. You can achieve success and still be “soft and beautiful”. How wonderful to be admired for your poise, beauty and heart, but at the same time, acknowledged for your strength, courage and success. Combine all those ingredients and it’s a recipe for eminence.

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Jasmine LeEk

sheiscurrent

Managing Director at Huddl e Why I choose to live in Sto ckton: There’s a lot of wor k to be done here, and an opportunity to build and create a city that we are proud of.

My role model(s): I have bee n very blessed to have sev eral influential people in my life.

My mom, who has the most incredible work ethic I have ever seen. My gram, who became deaf at age 5 and has shown me that obstacles are opportunities and should not get in the way of living a happy life. Kandi Howe and Paula Sheil, who have been tremendous mentor s and friends during some of the most difficult moments of my lif e. And the late Tim Egkan, wh o was an absolutely magnetic human who gave me the courage to dre am of what Stockton could be, and the opportunity to make it rea lity.

How I pay it forward: I cur rently serve as board sec retary for Community Medical Center s, a nonprofit healthcare org anization, and am a member of Rotary Clu b of Stockton. I also volun teer with various communit ganizations like Reinvent y orSouth Stockton Coalition and the LULAC Youth Group the community you live and #7 02. Giving back to work in is the best way to get to know people in you change in the community. r area and impact My greatest passion is: Con necting people.

My advice to young women: Be kind to yourself and oth ers. Focus on your own per challenge yourself to rea sonal growth – d, pursue things you are cur iou s about, and keep an open comes to new opportunities mind when it – and be intentional about how you spend your time.

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? t S u R t uS ?

By Joanne Yi

?

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couple of weeks ago, an open letter to “Society” was posted around my high school campus, protesting the dress code, and signed, “Sincerely, female student body." There is a growing consensus among girls in many schools that dress codes target them specifically, from the measured regulations on the length of shorts to the specialized implementation of these policies by school administrators. In most cases, girls are being called into the office for dress code violations for clothes that they’ve worn numerous times before. In all previous cases, no riot has ever broken out,

may 2016

I have been endowed with a fine education, but I have never been so ashamed of myself and my own body as when an administrator told me that the length of my shorts, my body, was somehow making me unfit to learn. This is what is actually at stake here, because the dress code is functioning as a small example of how larger society believes that it has a right to mandate what is acceptable or not for a woman to wear. Whether this comes as hateful

phy Photogra Fritz Chin

Recently, two friends and I went to three different popular clothing stores and tried on two sets of the same style of shorts in the sizes that fit us the best. Among us, fits varied around seven sizes, and had we all worn the same style of shorts to school, based on their length, only one of us would have been cited with a dress code violation while the others of us would not have been, or even vice versa. We found that whether or not the shorts would be deemed “school appropriate” depended largely on the shape of our bodies and the length of our arms, invalidating any “fingertip length” or “mid-thigh” test that schools often apply. With only three girls and three different body types, it was apparent that the dress code does not consider that dress code appropriate clothing may be difficult to find depending on size and that one pair of shorts can be considered fine on one person and then be considered scandalous on another. Despite all of these variations, one thing was certain: when I asked whether my friends would wear the shorts that we tried on to school, they exercised their own judgement about the length, regardless of whether or not the shorts actually violated the dress code. Schools need to trust that their students know their bodies better than anyone else or any arbitrary regulation, because the cost of not doing so is too high.

comments against Kim Kardashian or as declarations of a woman being a “prude," the underlying idea is the same: the female body is shameful. I have only ever doubted my self-respect when a figure of authority felt that they had the power to doubt it for me, and that can’t happen anymore to me or to anyone. I, a part of the “female student body”, won’t allow it.

photo by

nor has there been a significant drop in grades among the student population because a girl wore shorts. Perhaps then, the problem with shorts and clothing lies not with the girls, the perpetrators, but with the administration, the enforcers of this arcane policy.

Joanne Yi is a senior at Lincoln High School in Stockton. She gives back by volunteering as a tutor.

She enjoys skateboarding and going to concerts.

Joanne will begin attending UC Berkeley next fall to pursue legal studies.

Do you like to write? Do you have something to say?

Theent r Cur nts Wa !

YOU

may 2016

We are seeking student guest columnists from All San Joaquin County High Schools to write about trends, hot topics, and issues that affect you and your peers.

Our monthly My Generation feature is YOUR forum. Your column can be serious or light-hearted, humorous or inspiring, thought- provoking or just plain fun.

We want to hear from YOU. If you are interested in contributing as a student guest columnist or you just have a topic you would like our guest columnists to address email kbakhtegan@recordnet.com for details. the current

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i ng up k a e p S

By Jennifer Torres

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s e c i o v e m o c e b s r CaSa voluntee ty’s most vulnerable for the coun

y the time she was 8-years-old, the girl had been deemed homes between the ages of 6 and 8—and had been forced “unadoptable.” to change schools almost as frequently—Sutton believed Her challenging behavior meant placements with foster that many of the girl’s behavior problems stemmed from the families seldom lasted long, and, with other options exhausted, relentless uncertainty of her daily life. there was a chance she would spend the next decade Based on Sutton’s recommendation, a dependency court judge in group homes—until a Court Appointed Special ordered that, even if she moved to a new foster home, Advocate intervened. the child would not move to a new school.

Court Appointed Special Advocates, or Sutton also helped ensure that the girl CASAs, are highly trained volunteers, spent time with her half-brother, the only each assigned to protect the best relative with whom she had a close, loving interests of children in the foster care relationship. system.

“Once her school and home life stabilized, her Once a child becomes a ward behavior stabilized,” Tidwell recalled. So much of the court, a series of foster so that the girl was eventually adopted by parents, social workers and her brother’s grandmother. lawyers may move in and “It’s the most rewarding thing I have out of her already fractured ever done,” Sutton said. life. A CASA volunteer is a To be a CASA, prospective volunteers constant, trusted presence— must be at least 21, and must pass sometimes the only one a child an initial interview and background has—committed to advising on check. Then, after 30 hours of intensive —Frances living arrangements, education, training, they are sworn in as court Richardson visitation and other critical officers and assigned to a child’s—or considerations for as long as the sibling group’s— case. child is in the foster care system.

Frances Richardson, a grant manager, was sworn in as “They are a voice for children who a Court Appointed Special Advocate about a year ago. are otherwise voiceless,” said Sheri Tidwell, who leads It was an opportunity, she said, to focus her passion for advocacy San Joaquin County’s CASA program on behalf of the and mentorship in ways that could have life-improving impact nonprofit Child Abuse Prevention Council. for children and for the community. She encourages others to And more of them are needed. While an estimated 1,600 local consider volunteering. children are in foster care, there are only about 65 active CASA “You become the voice of someone who has no one else in their volunteers available to serve them. Unlike social workers, each life to speak up for them,” Richardson said. “You can be the CASA handles just one case at a time. missing puzzle piece.”

Volunteers meet with their children weekly. They also review health and education records, attend court hearings and provide written recommendations to judges—all to ensure vulnerable foster children have the best possible chance at a stable future.

Suzette Sutton, a retired educator, was the CASA assigned to work with the 8-year-old girl.

The next CASA training session begins April 26.

“It was clear to me that this was a child we did not have to give For more information, call the up on,” she said.

Child Abuse Prevention Council at (209) 464-4524.

Noting that the child had been placed in 11 different foster

“

“

You can be the missing puzzle piece.

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m o r f s d r a c t Pos a t l e D the

98o1m s,to1.c ahro tu d rPnoeprlp n t@ a l h s I ic r l l tcehre– urin Tw ©RichT

Taken for Granted T

hat special place you go for the renewal you feel — that special place you have come to count on to provide just the tonic you need — that special place that you think will always be there? Well, maybe it won’t be. And how will you feel when it’s gone, or radically changed in some way?

Photos © RICH TURNER

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“You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.” — Joni Mitchell

richt@turnerphoto.com

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Circa 1982 Circa 1986

Imagine your special place. A place you return to time and again. A place that, because of its dependability and quietude, draws you back many times over the years.

Anglers, I’m told, have favorite fishing holes where, even if the fish aren’t biting, they’re happy to visit. And revisit.

I have such a place that I have returned to many times over the years. Sometimes the conditions of weather and light are simply stunning, compelling me to make photographs.

On most visits, however the conditions are not remarkable enough for me to unbag my camera. But the journey was–and still is–worth the trouble for the reassuring calmness that I feel by being there. I first discovered “my place“ in the early ’80s while just cruising Delta roads enjoying the wonders that abound.

While rounding a bend of the levee road in early 1986 I expected to receive my usual. You know, the way you can order something in a café or bar where they know you?

“I’ll have the usual, please.” Of course it will be there. >

Last One

, 2005

Standing

Photos © RICH TURNER

may 2016

Last On

e Standin

g, 2006

richt@turnerphoto.com

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“Taken for Granted” is an excerpt from “Delta Grandeur”, a new 140-page, hardcover coffee table book printed in America on 100% recycled Americanmade stock. It is available exclusively at www.turnerphoto.com “Delta Grandeur,” the museum exhibit photographed and curated by Rich Turner, is on tour throughout California and currently on display at the Hayward Historical Society until May 8th.

Former Record photographer and Chief Photographer, Rich Turner began his photography career in the U.S. Navy photographing assignments from the back seat of supersonic jets and in exotic locations including Antarctica.

His work as an award-winning photojournalist at the Roseville Press-Tribune (three years) and the Stockton Record (16 years) newspapers led to opening his own fine art and commercial photography studio in 1990.

4

Circa 201

Reliable and steady and ready to give what I had come to expect. Instead, my heart sank.

What once was a magnificent stand of ten poplar trees had dwindled to only three. I realized that I hadn’t been there in some time, not sure just how long. But this seemed a very abrupt change, and I remember feeling a loss. I called around trying to find a voice of authority who may have known something about the attrition of the poplars. But to no avail. I have since discovered that poplars have an average life span of only about forty years.

I continue to make my periodic pilgrimage to that special place. Since that sad day in 1986 there has been even more attrition. That magnificent stand of ten stately and tall poplar trees standing as sentinels on the eastern levee of Twitchell Island have been reduced to only one. The last one standing.

On our first date I introduced “my place“ to a beautiful woman who also is a plein air painter.

I referred to this extraordinary spot as my private stash. She later told me that her opinion of me changed after that. We were married about a year later.

One day, probably sooner rather than later, that last one standing will be gone and I know exactly how I’m going to feel. Bummed, for sure.

---

richt@turnerphoto.com

“Educating people about environmental issues is widely acknowledged to be a key factor in protecting the environment. What better medium to convey the overwhelming beauty of our surroundings than art? Unfortunately, our beautiful and fragile environment is in peril on many fronts. I want to do what I can to document this delicate splendor and share it with as many people as possible, the hope being that we will all become better stewards of the planet that sustains us,” says Turner. “We tend to protect what we love.”

Rich Turner specializes in fine art photography for corporate and home décor as well as aerial and corporate-industrial photography for advertising and annual reports.

Exhibitions of Turner’s fine art photography have been held at: California State Capitol Wallace Stegner Environmental Center, San Francisco Public Library Tidewater Gallery Hutchins Street Square Gallery UOP Reynolds Gallery Alan Short Center Gallery UC Fullerton Arboretum Hayward Area Historical Society Museum San Joaquin County Historical Museum

“You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.”

Photos © RICH TURNER

Documenting the environment in general and the California Delta in particular has been the interest of Turner’s for over 40 years. Based in Stockton since 1974, he has employed his camera to capture the changing vistas and compelling character of vast natural resources just beyond his own back door.

Museum on Main, Pleasanton, Scheduled for July, 2016 Contact: Rich Turner richt@turnerphoto.com

Photo © Joanna Jeronimo

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e l c y c e r o t r How e p a p s w e n e s o p r repu s g a b t f i g e k a m o t What you will need: • A box that matches the size of the bag you wish to make. Boxes from your cupboard work great. Cereal boxes, cracker boxes, etc. They do not need to be empty - you will only be using the box to shape your bag.

• Two equal pieces (approx 10-12” each) of ribbon, string, yarn, twine, fabric, etc to use as handles for your bag.

• Scissors • Glue stick • Shipping tape • Hole punch 1) You will need a full front and back page sheet. Use the newspaper for larger bags or a tabloid sized publication (like The Current) for smaller bags.

2) Spread the paper open on a flat surface with the side that you want to show face down.

3) Fold the top edge down 2 to 3 inches and glue the flap down using a glue stick.

4) Place your box so the edge of the box lines up with the top (folded) edge of your paper.

5) Wrap the sides and bottom of the box as you would a present, being sure to trim the paper so you don’t have too much overlap.

6) Use the glue stick, rather than tape, to secure the overlap at the back of the bag.

7) Use shipping tape to secure the bottom of the bag where the paper is folded down as with gift wrapping. This helps strengthen the bottom for heavier gifts. Be sure to cut the tape slightly shorter than the bottom of the bag so that it won’t come up over the sides.

8) Slide the box out from the top of your bag.

9) Fold each side of the bag inward make a crease that will help the bag stand upright.

10) Use the hole punch to make two holes at the top of each side of your bag to string your handles through.

11) String your ribbon (or whatever you chose to use as a handle) through the holes and then knot both sides on the inside of the bag.

12) Embellish with decorations of your choice.

Hint: If you prefer visual instructions, there are lots of videos on Youtube that will walk you through this process.

Just Google search “making gift bags out of newspapers”

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T H R E E L Y ST

By: Leah Myers

Photos by: Anirudh Nagvenkar

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pring is officially here and so is the warm weather which also means it’s time to transition your wardrobe from winter to spring – which can easily happen with a few key pieces and accessories.

Where fashion is concerned, there really are no hard rules.

We all have our own unique style preferences, and fashion should be a fun way to express your personality.

One thing to keep in mind is that trends come and go – don’t invest a huge amount of money on things that are here today and gone tomorrow.

Instead, focus on items and colors that flatter YOUR body and experiment with trendy accessories/ pops of color to

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E A D S complete the look. Adding hats, handbags, scarves, sunglasses and jewelry will personalize your style. Spending more money on well-made shoes and handbags will elevate your entire look even if you’re wearing less expensive clothing. Timeless quality items will last for years and will never appear dated.

White denim is a staple that goes a long way and works for day or night. For a fresh, bright look, wear your white denim with a blouse or tank underneath a blazer. For a more relaxed look, pair the denim with a T-shirt or off-the-shoulder top for a night out or during the weekend.

Flare denim is back in a big way, and the shape flatters every body type – be sure to wear the right proportions on top.

Layers are key for any season – sleeveless vests (soft or structured) will be your go-to pieces that you can throw on over a dress, t-shirt or lightweight sweater. When the temperature cools down at night, or if you work in an office where the air-conditioning runs non-stop, it’s always wise to wear extra layers.

Moto jackets are great for spring, and this dusty rose color is neutral enough to wear with almost any color. These jackets can be worn with jeans, trousers, dresses or skirts. Shown here, over a dress, this is a look that is appropriate for day or night.

Neutral colored sandals are another key piece for spring and summer. Wedges, heels or flats in all shades of nude will pair well with dresses, skirts, pants or shorts that you already own. The added bonus is the color elongates your legs. For ideas on how to pull your spring and summer looks together, visit websites such as Pinterest or Polyvore for inspiration.

All clothing and accessories featured in the photos are available at FINA boutique.

FINA is located at 240 Lincoln Center, Stockton, CA 95207. You can also find them on Facebook.

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e v o l e w s e c a l p 9 Bob’s at the Marina Village West Marina 6639 Embarcadero Drive, Stockton bobsatthemarina.com (209) 957-3279 ches at The breakfast, burgers, and sandwi dining is t trea Bob’s are divine. But the real ing Noth on the patio overlooking the Marina. t kfas or says summer in Stockton like brea ina. lunch on the patio at Bob’s at the Mar

Whirlow’s Tossed & Grilled 1926 Pacific Avenue, Stockton whirlows.com (209) 466-2823 You never have to suffer with fast food again.

Whirlow’s offers quick service with menu items that taste like they just came out of your mom’s kitchen or off of your dad’s grill. The freshest produce, char-grilled flavor …mouth watering!

Corner Scone Bakery 322 N. California Street, Lodi cornersconebakery.com (209) 747-3418 So much more than a bakery, the namesake scones are out of this world, but the soups, wraps, salato, hand pies and other unique lunch specials are so unexpected and soooo yummy!

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Kyodai ter Stone Creek Village Shopping Cen kton 5779 Pacific Avenue, Stoc (209) 323-5495 aurant Kyodai, a contemporary Japanese rest e Creek tucked away in the corner of Ston a lovely ice, serv ble Village, offers impecca As if all . fare environment, and outstanding only can that isn’t enough, the presentation be described as an art form.

Midgley’s Public House Lincoln Shopping Center 296 Lincoln Center, Stockton midgleyspublichouse.com (209) 474-7700 A first-class dining experience. It is impossible to go wrong when you order anything off of Midgley’s menu. Where else can you start with asparagus cigars served over chili sauce and finish with maple syrup bread pudding with bacon? Everything in-between is pure decadence for your taste buds.

Angelina’s Spaghetti House Eastland Plaza Shopping Center 1563 E. Fremont Street, Stockton angelinas.com (209) 948-6609 There is only one negative when dining at Angelina’s. Everything on the menu is so outstanding that it is nearly impossible to choose one thing. Good thing they have all-you-can-eat salad and pasta bars so you don’t have to.

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Smack Pie Downtown Lodi 121 S. School Street, Lodi smackpiepizza.com (209) 224-8061 Individual customizable pizzas with both classic and unusual toppings offered, craft beers and local wines. As if we needed anything more, Smack Pie has patio dining, too.

Genova Bakery 749 N. Sierra Nevada Street, Stockton (209) 466-6145 Genova seems to be San Joaquin County’s “go-to ” place for fresh bread …just ask anyone. They have been serving up oldworld-style bread for decades and remain one of the best places in town to get a good old-fashioned deli sandwich for lunch. Some things just never go out of style.

Waterloo Restaurant 10447 Waterloo Road, Stockton thewaterloo.com (209) 931-4019 Waterloo‘s rustic dining room, bar and patio make you feel like you are on a vacation road trip any day of the week. The BBQ is to die for, and the burgers are second to none, but at Waterloo it’s ALL about the PESTO. There are no words to describe the pesto. You gotta try the pesto!

may 2016

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s e in

Story by Bob Highfill Photos by Calixtro Romias

Nipote Wine Imports

W

onderful aromas emanated from the family kitchen almost daily.

Dinnertime was a big deal.

Lauren O’Leary grew up in a food-centric household and was exposed to different flavors, textures and cultures through food at a young age. Those memories and experiences have fueled her burgeoning career in the world of culinary arts and wine.

O’Leary is a certified sommelier, a private chef, and owner of Nipote Wine Imports in Stockton, which specializes in Italian varietals. Last month, she hosted her first dinner party through EatThis and prepared a remarkable Mediterranean feast that she paired with sensational wines for 12 guests at her apartment in Sacramento.

O’Leary currently is working with some college friends on a series for the Internet that will showcase an area winery and include a food and cooking segment. The first show is scheduled to be released this summer and will feature the outstanding Klinker Brick Winery in Lodi.

O’Leary also leads classes for private parties that are aimed to entertain and educate the public on the sublime sensory delights of wine and cheese, two foods steeped in culture, tradition and history. She’s honed her cheese knowledge working part-time as a cheese monger at The Rind, a restaurant and wine, beer and cheese shop in Sacramento.

Nipote Wine Imports

She also hosts pop-up wine and food events a time or two a month in downtown Stockton or Sacramento, which she markets through social media. O’Leary also travels. She recently returned from a 10-day trip to Italy, where she visits twice a year to stay abreast of its wine scene.

Lauren Rose O’Leary Phone: (209) 712-0836 Web: nipotewineimports.com Email: lo@nipotewineimports.com Twitter: @laurenrosecooks 48

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O’Leary is a rising star in the food and wine world. She’s a mover and a shaker, doing may 2016

what she loves. And the St. Mary’s High and Saint Mary’s College graduate is just 27 years old.

For O’Leary, food and wine are as important as air.

“I come from a very food-focused home, and those in my family aren’t necessarily really big wine drinkers, but I grew up in a family where food at dinner was extremely important,” she said.

“So, as I grew older and got out into the real world, wine became a bigger part of that.”

O’Leary studied communications and performance art dance in college and worked for the Boys and Girls Club of Stockton. She also worked for Madison Wine Company, owned by Stockton’s Mark Ellis. She learned much about the wine business from Ellis, a broker, merchant, négociant and promoter to small farm artisan winemakers in Napa Valley, Sonoma and the Pacific Northwest.

O’Leary took wine classes and spent three months in Friuli, Italy, where she immersed herself in Italian wine and culture. About two years ago, she and her uncle, Stockton developer Anthony Barkett, started Nipote Wine Imports. Nipote means “niece” in Italian.

O’Leary’s aunt, Rima Barkett, a native of Tuscany, Italy, owned Café Luna Spaghetteria in downtown Stockton, where O’Leary had her first job in the food service industry.

“I see the lighter, more acidic, Italian varietals really coming into popularity right now because we’re all becoming a little more conscious about food and wine pairing,” she said. “The reds that are 15, 16 percent alcohol with lots of oak and are really high in residual sugar really don’t pair well with food.”

Recently, Nipote earned a direct sales license, so O’Leary can sell her wines directly to consumers. Nipote sells mostly to distributors O’Leary said some of her best customers are her peers. and restaurants. Some of her wines are on the list at Market Tavern “I can say for Millennials or with my group of friends, we’re restaurant in Stockton. foodies,” she said. “We’re interested in learning more about wine, Italian varietals are special to O’Leary because of their versatility more about beer and we’re adventurous. I look at who’s buying for a lot of these events that I do and half the people are my parents’ and compatibility with food. age and half are my age.”

O’Leary isn’t the least pretentious about wine. She wants people to enjoy it as much as she does.

“I learned that from Mark– making wine approachable,” she said. “Some people are almost nervous about wine. They either can’t wait to tell you everything they know or they are afraid to talk. It’s fermented grape juice at the end of the day. Once people remember that, they can have some fun.”

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Contact reporter Bob Highfill (209) 546-8282 bhighfill@recordnet.com recordnet.com/fromthevine Twitter @bobhighfill 49

Story & Photos By Mike Klocke

Stockton AllCity

All the competitors in the Stockton All-City Poetry Slam show their glee after the competition.

y r t Poe I

Slam

ambled through the doors to watch the Stockton All-City Poetry Slam a number of years ago, not realizing that Mama T had other plans.

There was a seat near the back of the room, well away from the stage.

Tama Brisbane walked briskly toward me, wearing a wry smile.

“We’re so glad you could come,” she said. “Guess what? You’re going to be a judge.”

I flash back to that day often. It was a personal epiphany about the youth of Stockton and an altered realization of the power of written and spoken words.

That first day of judging — and absorbing — slam poetry was humbling because, 1) these kids could write circles around me, and; 2) I’d underestimated the power of words all these years as a journalist.

Earlier this month, I judged the All-City Poetry Slam for the fourth time.

Brisbane and husband Aaron — known as “Chief” — do an amazing job working with these teenagers through the With Our Words group.

The depth and meaning in the 3 ½-minute poems once again was staggering.

There was the Pakistani girl who “swallows stones” every time she hears of another terrorist attack. And the Hispanic youth who tearfully writes and speaks of his father in prison. The black teen’s amazing tribute to her deceased grandmother. The tongue-in-cheek rhyming of a teen who claims to be “pretty fly for a white” poet.

And so much more. There’s always so much more through the eyes of the judge.

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Undergoing the ‘process’ Tama Brisbane — Stockton’s first poet laureate — said poets go through “the process” before they ever spit their poems into microphones locally or at the national Brave New Voices competition, to be held in Washington, D.C. in July this year.

She explains the steps: “Part 1.0 is the conceptualization, where the idea of the poem is discussed. That’s where we decide if the poem really has a chance to work.

“Part 2.0 is the initial writing. That’s when the relationship between the poets and me tend to fray at times. I’m very honest with them, and it can be difficult.

“Part 3.0 is the editing stage. Sometimes we’ll have tears, sometimes we hear ‘I didn’t sign up for this’ and sometimes it’s where everything can mesh to move forward.

“Part 4.0 is the memorization and performance, and any choreography involved. There’s a lot of work involved here.

“It isn’t until Part 5.0 that the poet hits the stage and performs.”

And guess what? The poems that the current team members used for the all-city slam will change dramatically before Brave New Voices or the “Bigger Picture,” a health-related competition for a second traveling team.

“Oh, we’ll take all of those poems to the shop,” Tama Brisbane said. “We’ll break them down and rebuild their engines.

There’s a lot of work to do.”

Diversity at work

Anthony Orosco Jr., second-place finisher in the Stockton All-City Poetry Slam, will be making his third consecutive trip to the national Brave New Voices competition. He receives a hug of congratulations.

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Tama and Aaron Brisbane look at the cultural diversity of Stockton and embrace it through With Our Words.

They want to take teams to Brave New Voices that reflect the city’s rich culture and racial makeup in “real” ways. “We don’t want just dinner plate diversity,” she said.

The top three finishers in the 2016 All-City Slam say a lot about how this collective works.

Rida Fatima, 17, won the slam with poems that included powerful images of a Pakistani girl (“It’s 16 hours of travel from my home to my home”) and the pain she sometimes feels (“Like a suitcase lost in baggage claim”).

Runner-up Anthony Orosco Jr., 18, of one.Charter Academy for Visual & Performing Arts will compete at Brave New Voices for the third consecutive year.

Two years ago, when he finished first, Anthony immediately called his father in prison to tell him of his victory. One of his poems this year was an emotional verbal “letter” to his father.

Third-place finisher Sandra Guillen did not make the Brave New Voices team in two previous all-city slams. Sandra’s two poems this year were delivered with poise and confidence. “She told me a few weeks ago that she’s coming after it. Sandra … that girl. She’s gonna make me break down and cry,” Tama Brisbane said.

The competition was fierce and the order of finish was important. But the slam was still the very personification of the word “team.” Poets cheered for one another and constantly snapped their fingers (a sign of approval or support).

We’ll end with the euphoria of 16-year-old Adilia Watson of Stockton Collegiate International High School. She had two vastly different poems — one on a straight girl imagining how her gay friends must feel and one on the joys of food. She even invented a new word in her second poem. “That’s thick … but I’m going to spell it T-H-I-C-C,” Adilia said.

She let out a yell when it was announced that she made the Brave New Voices team. Adilia, 16, has never been outside of California.

After the awards ceremony, I sought out Adilia to offer congratulations, and told her the team should get shirts made that simply read “T-H-I-C-C.” She smiled brightly. Then she gave me a hug.

For one time during the evening, words were not necessary.

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The top finishers in the Stockton All-City Poetry Slam. (Left to right): Aaron Brisbane of With Our Words, third-place finisher Sandra Guillen, second-place finisher Anthony Orosco Jr., champion Rida Fatima, Tama Brisbane of With Our Words.

Bottom right photo: Aaron Brisbane, right, and Tama Brisbane go over the judges’ scores with Aaron Chapman at the Stockton All-City Poetry Slam.

Stockton 1: Rida Fatima, 17 AllCity 2. Anthony Orosco Jr., 18 McNair High School

Poetry

Slam

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TOP FINISHERS

one.Charter Academy for Visual & Performing Arts (Stockton)

3. Sandra Guillen, 16

one.Charter Academy for Visual & Performing Arts (Manteca Campus) Other members of six-person Brave New Voices team

Maurice Spiller, 19 Adilia Watson, 16, Stockton Collegiate International High School Isabel Carbajal, 18, Chavez High School David Mendez, 19, SJ Delta College Matthew Wharry, 18, Benjamin Holt Prep Soyini Adams, 15, St. Mary’s High School

Breauna Thornton, 17, one.Charter Academy for Visual & Performing Arts (Stockton Campus) Madison Espino, 16, Stockton Collegiate International Daniel Smith, 14, Edison High School. the current

Bigger Picture Regional Slam team.

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By Donald W. Blount

ne of the best things about getting on a bike is the ability to get away and see things that you would have never encountered while in a car, and definitely not while walking.

Here are three rides worth sharing – but first, a few caveats as well.

I train for long rides of up to 200 miles, so these rides are on the longish side. And they also include a fair amount of riding uphill – climbing or elevation gain, as they say in the cycling vernacular. But none of the climbs are excruciatingly difficult and as always, if the going uphill gets too tough, just stop and walk.

The benefits you gain are a sense of tranquility gained from being in nature, often being out of traffic and pedaling to places that you more than likely would not if you were behind the wheel of your motorized vehicle.

Let’s take this sequentially, starting in Stockton and then traveling out farther to other areas. Now, you could ride from Stockton to any of these points, but then you’re looking at a long day in the saddle.

As stated earlier, I do long rides but I don’t necessarily expect others to want to spend six hours or more on a bike.

Stockton to Cosumnes River Preserve This is a flat ride that could begin from anywhere within Stockton to the Cosumnes River Preserve.

I ride there because the roads have little traffic, some nice views, places to stop to re-fuel and nice things to see along the way.

Among the highlights of this ride is traveling along a fairly traffic-free route, including along the levee on Blossom Road.

As you approach the preserve on Franklin Boulevard, you will cross the Mokelumne River. And once at the preserve, you can pedal through to see birds there, stop at the visitor’s center or take a quick break and head back on the return trip.

This ride is about 45 miles from Stockton, but can vary shorter or longer, depending on how you tweak your route.

Clements to Ione Unless you want to start training for ultra-distance rides, you’ll have to drive to this starting point near the intersection of Liberty Road and Highway 88.

There is about 2,500 feet of climbing in this ride, but nothing too difficult for someone in moderate condition. Head north on Camanche Parkway North and you’ll find plenty of picture-worthy views of Lake Camanche.

Once in downtown Ione, head over to cyclist-friendly Clark’s Corner for a snack, lunch and/or beverage. The staff is nice and the food is good, but don’t linger too long, as you don’t want your muscles to cool down too much or your belly too full for the return ride.

Distance: About 42 miles with 2,400 feet of elevation gain.

Valley Springs to Jackson This is the most difficult of these three rides because it has more climbing with a few steep grades.

Start at the Valley Oaks Center at Highways 12 and 26 in Valley Springs and wend your way to Pardee Reservoir. If you want to make a quick side trip to the observation point, it is well worth it.

As stated, this is the most difficult of the three rides, as it involves riding up Stoney Creek Road. The first few sections are the toughest. It becomes easier, although the climbs are steady to Jackson. Once there, there is a Raley’s on Highway 49 that offers plenty of food options.

For the return trip, once again you can trace your steps back to Valley Springs. Or if adventurous, continue on Highway 49 to Paloma Road in Mokelumne Hill and back to your starting point.

Distance: The out and back route is about 38 miles with 3,000 feet of climbing. The second route is about 37 miles with 3,300 feet of climbing.

So saddle up, clip in and enjoy the great cycling in our portion of the San Joaquin Valley.

Distance stats: about 45 miles, flat.

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FM 93.65 radio

o i d a r e v i act Delta n i u q a San Jo nts e d u t S e Colleg mmunity on ng co buildi airwaves the

I

Story and photos by Charlene Earley

t all started two years ago when Don Maszewski read an article that listed Stockton as one of the ‘most miserable places to live.’ It’s what inspired him to let the world – specifically San Joaquin County – know that it’s not true.

So he volunteered his time and talents to help revive community radio with Delta Community College Professor William E. Story. KWDC Stockton FM 93.5 hit the airwaves specifically on Jan. 1, 2015 on purpose.

“It commemorated 106 years, when in 1909 the first person to broadcast music on radio was a 16-year-old kid named Ray Newby, playing Enrico Caruso records – he was from Stockton!” said Don. He said the station’s focus is community, not so much commercial or college-centric.

With community radio shutdowns since 1996, Don said there’s a big hole in local programming.

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“We need to revitalize this form of media,” said Don, general manager of the non-profit, 100-watt station. “This has been a dream come true for me!”

The station manager is Marc Itliong, and the programs have something for everyone, from teeny-boppers to baby boomers with shows like ‘Lunar Craft Pizza’ for 6 to 12-year-olds, ‘Ryan and the Repo Man,’ which airs sillyto-relevant information about local politics, salmonella and more, and ‘Stockton 360.’

“Stockton 360 is our flagship program focusing on the community; it’s about newsmakers and what’s happening in Stockton,” said Don, an Army brat, born in Okinawa, Japan, raised in Berkeley, and living in Stockton since 2002.

“We’ve had guests like Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva, Erin Brockovich (American legal clerk and environmental activist, who helped build a case against PG&E in California in 1993), Dolores Huerta (American labor leader and civil rights activist), and Congressman Jerry NcNerney (Antioch District Office), who enrich the audience’s perspective,” he added. ‘ Time for the Ladies,’ all womenrelated topics, runs at 2 p.m., Monday through Fridays and ‘Women Innovators Network’ begins at 6 a.m.

– because everyone knows how early women get up and get things started.

“We wanted space for women to have conversations that we never get to hear in our local media,” said Don. “These are more on issues of mindfulness, which is important for mental health and family.”

A pop culture show called ‘The Get Down,’ airs at 3 p.m. and features media entertainment and trendy topics. The ‘Gaming Show’ and ‘Movie Talk’ air at 4 p.m. to quench the video gamers’ thirst during after school hours. may 2016

“What I really love is how it brings the community together and how it gives the opportunity to both present and receive local information – which is rare and compartmentalized,” said Don. “We want to be the hub to bring this stuff out and we want to support all non-profit organizations because it’s so important.”

Funded by underwriting, grants, sponsorships and memberships, Don said to ask for their standard rates, but memberships are gauged on an individual basis. Bonus, as a non-profit, donations are tax-deductible.

“When you make a contribution, giving to us is like giving to everyone!” said Don. KWDC Stockton FM 93.5 is nearly one hundred percent student-run, where students are either volunteers or receiving course credit. Don said past students are now working for Fox 40 News, ESPN, and interns for the Stockton Ports.

“All of our instructors were former students!” said Don, who received his AA in radio and TV at San Joaquin Delta College. “I want to be part of improving this community and our outlook on ourselves. Sometimes we have the worst opinion of ourselves. Stockton is not the worst of anything. I believe Stockton is magnificent!”

Visit them at www.kwdcradio.org or www.facebook. com/KWDCradio/. the current

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PAC AVE Records UOP STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO RUN A RECORD LABEL

Pac Ave Records mighty staff

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Chris Wentworth, Alex Noxsel, Alyssa Dezell, Kelly O’Moore, Keith Hatschek

Story and photos by Charleen Earley

ac Ave Record’s office might be modest in size, operating In its early days, Hatschek came in as a label coach and out of a small ten-by-ten room nestled at the top of the stairs instructor in 2004. The label program would turn over a new above a chapel, but the student-run record label is anything leaf and start over from ground zero each semester, until but understated – they represent upcoming local artists with recently.

“We did a reset with the advisory board in order to make huge, award-winning talent.

Located at the University of Pacific (UOP) in Stockton, the company a sustaining enterprise, complete from cradle course advisor Keith Hatschek is proud of his students who to grave,” said Hatschek, a music management professor at are basically running a real record label by themselves within UOP for the last 14 years. “In 2012, we started the company in its current format, the students named the company (Pac Ave the music industry. the current may 2016

Records), designed a logo and won an award!”

They won “Best Student Recording of the Year” from DownBeat magazine. Their artist at the time was Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet.

This spring semester, Pac Ave Records is a mighty staff of four including VP Business Affairs Alex Noxsel, VP Finance Chris Wentworth, VP Sales and Marketing Kelly O’Moore and VP Art and Production Alyssa Dezell.

In this real-to-life course, they do everything record labels do: launch campaigns on social media to promote artists, create video interviews, photo profiles, press releases and focus individual attention on the artists they represent.

“

ore like a m s i t i t tha class,” a I enjoy n a h t siness junior a , small bu e r o o ly O’M jor from a said Kel m s e i stud n campus and film o g n i v i l , now ein of r e e Roseville r f e We hav what d n a at UOP. “ o d o want t ocus our f what we o t t n a we w s. It also t direction n e m t r a r dep n t hands-o particula a e r g f o t a lo allows for riences. e p x e e u q and uni

music industry.

“I’ve been in the sound recording business for 30 years and it’s been helpful to use those experiences to help these students navigate the music scene today,” said Hatschek, of Livermore. “Some of the highs are still the same challenges, but we have a lot more tools now in our arsenal than we did back then.”

“We have social media, easy access to recording facilities, we can record at home with some basic training and all the equipment is more affordable and smaller,” he added.

He recalled the past, where it took a very large room and hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment.

“Today we can use a few laptops, video cameras and make some amazing recordings and videos,” he said.

“And today we can also make a music video for a couple hundred dollars.”

The title they’re representing this semester is Soul Finesse.

“They released an album last November and it features six San Joaquin artists. You can stream them on Spotify,” said Hatschek. “The kids really focus on local talent.

They’re not into signing big names from New York, because they’re showing everyone we’ve got some great talent here in the Stockton area.”

Hatschek enjoys advising Pac Ave Records.

“It’s soup to nuts. I’m there to keep them away from sharp objects! Let’s not break any copyright laws,” he said.

“It’s fun to teach, and sometimes I have to bite my tongue!”

“

“I’m learning all about how records get produced and all the behind-the-scenes details it takes to keep a label afloat,” she added.

For Hatschek, who plays guitar professionally, except the last eight years, where he’s mostly played at family gatherings and holiday songs, he’s no stranger to the

Visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PacAveRecords/.

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T E G OUT

Through May 9 High School Visual Art Showcase Mexican Heritage Center Gallery 111 S Sutter Street, Stockton More info: mexicanheritagecenter.org (209) 969-9306 April 19- May 9 7th & 8th Grade Visual Art Showcase Mexican Heritage Center Gallery 111 S Sutter Street, Stockton More info: mexicanheritagecenter.org (209) 969-9306

April 23 The STOCKMARKET 630 East Weber Avenue, Stockton 10:00am – 4:00pm For more info: www.stockmarketca.com Lodi Beer Fest Lodi Grape Festival Grounds 413 E. Lockeford Street, Lodi 1pm-5pm $50-$65 grapefestival.com/events April 24 Stockton Earth Day Festival Victory Park (Behind Haggin Museum) 1201 Pershing Avenue, Stockton 11am – 4pm FREE 209-483-5199 April 27- May 15 Funny Money Stockton Civic Theatre 2312 Rosemarie Lane. Stockton For Tickets and Show Times: 209.473.2424 or boxoffice@sctlivetheatre.com April 30 Stockton Symphony The Music of Michael Jackson Spanos Center University of the Pacific 8pm – 10pm Tickets: $30-71 stocktonsymphony.org 209-951-0196 Parking Lot Party at Mr. D’s Pizza and Pub Featuring The Marvin Zeller Band 122 W Oak Street, Stockton 5pm – 8pm 58

The Great Big Read Janet Leigh Plaza North El Dorado at Channel Street, Downtown Stockton 11am – 2pm www.downtownstockton.org 209-464-5246 May 1 Cinco de Mayo Family Festival Weber Point Events Center 221 N. Center Street, Stockton 10am - 6pm General admission is $5 Kids 14 & under are free.

More info: 209-644-2627 May 5 – May 22 Lodi Musical Theatre Presents HAIRSPRAY Hutchins Street Square 125 S Hutchins St # A, Lodi For Tickets and info: 209-333-5550 Every Friday starting May 6th Waterfront Fridays Brick & Mortar and Janet Leigh Plaza North El Dorado at Channel Street, Downtown Stockton

3pm – 7 pm More info: 209-888-8624 May 8 A Story of Fashion Presented by San Joaquin Delta College 5151 Pacific Avenue, Stockton 8pm Tickets and information: email fashion@ delta college.edu Mother’s Day Brunch @ Wine and Roses Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet in the Garden Ballroom 2 seatings :9am and 12pm. $55 for adults, $17 for children 5-12 years of age, $5 for children under 5 years of age.

Reservations: townehouseres@winerose. com, or call 209.371.6160.

May 21 The STOCKMARKET 630 East Weber Avenue, Stockton 10:00am – 4:00pm For more info: www.stockmarketca.com

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Besides being spoiled, moms always want their children together to celebrate! Picnic at LangeTwins with your family honoring Mom. Enjoy lunch featuring our newly released Rosé, music, lawn games and a chance to just chill out in the country. Seating is limited—make your reservations today!

RSVP to Jillian at jmulrooney@langetwins.com Regular pricing: Adult tickets $40 / Children tickets $20 | Wine Club pricing: Adult tickets $32 / Children tickets $16

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May

ZINFEST OPENING DINNER 6:00pm

Kick off ZinFest at LangeTwins with a wine-paired dinner featuring Texas’ Dragonfly chef, Dan Landsberg and Pennsylvania Millworks BBQ King, Lance Smith. This event is always a sellout! RSVP to Jillian at jmulrooney@langetwins.com.

Tickets $150 per seat Wine Club pricing $120 per seat.

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Noon to 4:00pm The ZinFest party continues.

Enjoy complimentary wine tastings featuring our many Zinfandel wines. A Moveable Feast will be on site selling food, and the lawn will be set with our new Caricature Corn Hole Competition to challenge the best of you. may 2016

r e l w a r N ightC

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W

By The Current Staff

CENTRALE KITCHEN & BAR

alk along Stockton’s Miracle Mile and you won’t find a shortage of watering holes, whether it’s beer or cocktails, but at the corner of West Walnut Street and Pacific Avenue, a dimly lit and chic restaurant stands out.

A cheese dip ($10) that came with two styles of cheeses, carrots, celery, freshly-toasted ciabatta bread and housemade chips was also the perfect plate to share as we finished our drinks and checked on the sports games playing on two TVs.

Centrale Kitchen & Bar, which opened in 2008, calls itself an American bistro focused on local ingredients, and that’s a notion it carries over to its libations.

Centrale Kitchen & Bar’s artfully-crafted cocktails are as good as its ambiance and service, and if you’re looking for a low-key night, stop by during the week.

While weekends at the popular eatery tend to be busy, week nights offer a chance to snag one of the barstools at a counter, watch as a bartender goes to work and gab with friends and other patrons. But if you’re looking for a more intimate setting, Centrale offers plenty of indoor and outdoor sitting.

Do you have a place you think we should “crawl?”

Send your tips to Current Editor Karen Bahktegan at kbahktegan@recordnet.com.

Centrale’s drink menu, like its food, is seasonal, so keep in mind that what’s poured today may be gone tomorrow.

On this recent outing, the Jameson Shrub ($10) caught our attention.

This Irish whiskey drink features strawberry-jalapeno shrub, which includes the two previously named ingredients, white sugar and handmade chardonnay vinegar. This cocktail delivered quite the punch as the smoky and peppery flavors of the jalapeno and the whiskey mixed. A single vibrant strawberry danced inside the martini glass, which gave the illusion of being a delicate drink.

Sticking with our liquor of choice, we requested an offshoot of the whiskey-based Lynchburg Lemonade, which we figured would pair well with a plate of crispy fish and chips ($10).

The bartender served up a pint glass full of a refreshingly sweet and tart drink that could be sipped dangerously quick. Other cocktails available include everything from champagne with grapefruit juice, to vodka with fresh carrot and orange juice. A wide selection of beers and wines by the glass or bottle are also available.

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The Polyester Wags

by Middagh Goodwin

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T

he Polyester Wags are quite a unique band especially if you consider the members’ background. The band has metamorphosed over the years. Starting out as the (Secret)Hitchers, a husband and wife singing on their porch after their PG&E was shut off, to winning $50 at the Blackwater Cafe Gong Show and thinking, “we could do something with this.” The (Secret)Hitchers grew over the years, becoming much more what you will see today as The Polyester Wags.

Starting out as a female-fronted Americana combo with alternative percussion, now a full band playing their own unique brand of outlaw country with a rock and roll twist.

All the members have known each others for years, and the group features two sets of family members: Chocolate (vocal/ guitar), Augie Alvarez (stand up bass/vocals), and Pops and DBC Kanel (father and son) on percussion and drums. DBC, Chicago Chapdelaine (lead guitar) and former guitarist Little Joe Vasquez, along with Augie, were all part of Stockton’s own The Outlaw Dance Society (aka the Gallows) who were a fan favorite and even opened up for the Violent Femmes at the Bob Hope Theatre, and Reverend Horton Heat at the Fat Cat, and again at Hero’s in Modesto. DBC and Chicago were also members of the very popular punk bands Scattered Fall and the Lobstrosities (inspired by Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.)

photos by Shannon Rock / Preserve Studio

As the (Secret) Hitchers/The Polyester Wags, the group has played venues large and small around Northern California and are a regular at the STOCKMARKET in downtown Stockton every month. They have opened up for Reverend Horton Heat, Joe Buck, The Chop Tops, Lydia Loveless, performed at MUMfest and the Not Quite Folk Festival, to name just a few. The band has also been nominated in the Americana category in the Modesto Area Music Awards. They have an album recorded, but at this time, no record label to release it for them.

If you like good, honest, fun music, do yourself a favor and catch the PolyWags live at an upcoming event. April 23rd they will be performing at the STOCKMARKET at 630 E. Weber (where Plea for Peace used to be located.) The band will also be playing at the Whisky Barrel Tavern on May 6th with Trucker Dad and the legendary Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies.

Both these shows are FREE. If you are interested in booking the Polyester Wags, contact them at polyesterwags@yahoo.com.

Middagh Goodwin Beat Happy! Music may 2016

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By Melissa Hutsell

M

embers of the selfdescribed punk-pop-indie ensemble, Volume Freak, are harnessing their talents and breathing new life into the San Joaquin music scene.

The band brings musicians of all skill levels, genres and generations together to form one undeniably dynamic sound. Like the diversity of its members, the band combines different varieties of music to form an entirely exclusive venture with original music.

The band’s namesake, Volume Freak, comes from the lyrics of the song “Judy Staring at the Sun,� released in 1995 by Catherine Wheel. With a vocalist who channels the likes of Joan Jett, matched with powerful percussion and bass, it is easy to see why the band adopted the title that encompasses both their influences and originality.

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There are some points where the music [crescendos], she leans into it and belts her lungs out,” describes War. “She usually finds a way to make a personal connection with what I have written, then adds her emotional connection and sings (screams) her heart out.

“

The punk-pop-rock sounds of this local band are inspired by the classics: Social Distortion, The Descendents and Bad Religion – to name but only a few.

While these influences are apparent in Volume Freak, the band delivers a fresh sound with music specifically written and composed by its founder, known as Duby War. War’s love for music has always taken center stage.

He picked up his first guitar at the age of 15, and from there, immediately joined his first band, The Surrogate Brains. With more than 30 years of experience as a guitarist, War has toured both the East and West Coast with previous bands such as the 3 a.m. Mechanic with former Pavement band member and Stockton local, Gary Young.

Now, he is combining his lifelong experience in the national and regional music industry to proudly represent the 209 with the formation of Volume Freak.

Volume Freak comprises of four local musicians – the band’s founder, Duby War (songwriter and guitarist), Nick Harbut (drummer), and husband and wife duo, Alex Nelson (bass guitar) and Carissa Nelson (the band’s vocalist). Though each of their musical abilities and training differ significantly, the members’ combined 50+ years of experience in the industry is nothing short of impressive.

Each of their musical abilities is united by their common passion for punk rock, says Harbut, the band’s drummer and youngest member. Despite their separate lifestyles and careers, the members are always practicing separately if not together, he adds.

The different levels of experience – both informal and formal – lend to the band’s distinctive sound, says Alex, who has a background in classical and jazz music. “I have found that I bring all of my influences to the table when I play bass in this band. My passion has always been in playing punk rock, and with Volume Freak, I can incorporate that style of bass playing along with some jazz and straightforward rock and roll.”

“Volume Freak’s style of music is a little different for me in that I have never been in a band with a female lead vocal. My wife Carissa’s singing style is very edgy and raw,” adds Alex.

photos courtesy Volume Freak

As far as the music he creates and the lyrics he writes, War wants listeners to find their own meaning in his songs. “I try not to be literal,” he says, “If I reference fights, guns, bombs or explosions in my songs it doesn’t mean I’m talking about hurting somebody. It’s probably just a love song. Here’s an excerpt from an old Volume Freak song, ‘Your love is like friendly fire exchanged on battlefields, my hearts divided. When will it blow!’ Yes, it is a love song.”

War makes music pop out of thin air, and is inspired by everything around him, especially his roots. “When people learn that you are from Stockton, there is a reactionary look that you get usually followed by some colorful statement that can be considered negative or condescending,” says War. “Stockton is considered to be a gritty, violent city that is very rough around the edges. I am a native of Stockton and I see a different side. I represent Stockton [and] I carry it like a badge of honor on my sleeve next to the patch that says ‘Punker!!’

You can hear this in my music if you listen closely…”

Check out the band’s performance on April 22, 2016 at the Whisky Barrel Tavern in Stockton or by visiting their websites below:

Facebook.com/volumefreakband VolumeFreak.bandcamp.com Instagram @volume.freak

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