Spanos Park Monthly Magazine

MAY 2013 | VOL. 7 | ISSUE 5

2 | MAY 2013 | spanos park monthly magazine

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EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

Mitzi Stites Managing Editor

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>>editor’s note

Special Day for a Special WomanHonor Your Mom This Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day, the last few days of school, graduation and Memorial Day. There are a lot of occasions that we celebrate

during the month of May. We may celebrate more than those I have mentioned or less, but there is one thing for sure: this month is filled with special moments for everyone.

There is one day a year that is reserved just for our moms. There will be people honoring their moms everywhere this month and rightfully so; all moms do a lot for their families. I read online once that “mom” stands for “Manager of Miracles.” Mir-acles: All children are miracles, and those of us who are lucky enough to get a membership into this club will do anything for our children. After all, they are only young for a short time. You only have about 18 years to teach them core values that will hopefully build a strong founda-tion, before you send them out into the world.

Moms are teachers, mentors, nurses, chauffeurs, referees, counselors, room moms, Boy Scout/Girl Scout moms, friends – the list can go on and on. To show your mom that she is appreciated and loved, you can give her flow-ers, make her favorite dinner, or create a card with why you think she is so special to you. Person-ally, the homemade cards are the best. I still have every one that my

children have given me over the years. The hours are long, but the rewards are priceless.

As our children reach the ages of 2-5, they pretend to be grown-ups with career and families. And there may be an assortment of “dress up” clothes at their preschool or daycare that help the children in their pretend world. They can put on a fire-fighter hat and coat, and pretend to drive a fire truck on their way to a five-alarm fire, or put on a badge and holster on their way to catch a robber and put him in jail, or maybe don a white coat and a stethoscope and find a cure for a disease.

Then, as our children grow, we guide and support them as they make decisions in their life. One such decision may be to find a career path. These days, if children have an idea of what careers interest them, they have opportunities to get hands-on experience now instead of wait-ing for college.

In this month’s feature story, I invite you to read how Health

Careers Academy High School partners with local medical groups and schools to help students understand the medical field, along with their regular high school core classes. You will also learn about a local cardiologist who works with pharmacy stu-dents at University of the Pacific and helps them understand how important it is to view patients as something more than words on a slip of paper. And, you will learn how San Joaquin prepares students to be the doctors of tomorrow.

We at Big Monkey Group want to congratulate all the seniors on their graduation from high school. And to all our readers who are moms, we hope you enjoy your special day with your family.

Mitzi Stites | Managing [email protected]


>>feature story

Doctor, DoctorToday’s medical students are tomorrow’s

MDs – with some local helpBy Alan Naditz | Staff Writer

It’s 24 hours later, and Traci Miller, principal of Health Careers Academy High School, is still in a state of happy shock. Her school’s latest parents’ information night,

designed to attract prospective students for the 2013-14 year, was standing room only. With more than 175 visitors, the evening marked the second case of parent overload in only a few months.

That’s a far cry from the two-year-old campus’s inaugural meetings in 2011, when a few dozen parents showed up to find out about the charter school that specializes in medical education classes for teenagers. “Last night, before the meeting, I’m thinking about how much I have riding on this,” Miller says. “I have the dean of the CSU Stanislaus-Stockton Center opening up his facility for us, I’ve got the director of Kaiser’s School of Allied Health opening his facility up. We had all these workers coming in to help. And to end up with another stand-ing room only crowd – it was nuts.”

Miller will take this kind of crazy any day. The school is well on track to meeting its goal of having 400 students by fall, when it begins offering classes for 11th graders. Nearly half that total of students have already com-mitted to attending HCA next school year, about three times as many as last year at this time. “At one time, people didn’t even know we existed,” Miller says. “That appears to be changing very fast.”

Stockton Unified School District created HCA in 2011 to address a forecasted, severe shortage of trained, qualified healthcare workers for jobs coming to the Central Valley in the next few years. As an example, Miller points to the new 1,700-bed state prison healthcare facility under construc-tion in Stockton and scheduled to open this summer – about 2,400 people are expected to be employed there. There’s also the 120-bed Veterans’ Administration medical facility and outpatient clinic, planned for opening in 2018, which would create another 900 jobs.


>>feature story

Continued on page 6

While not all the new jobs at the two locations will be medical, the impact on a county already identified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources as a Health Pro-fessional Shortage Area cannot be ignored, notes Dr. Ahmed Mahmoud, director of surgery at San Joaquin General.

To that end, the California Department of Correc-tions awarded a $700,000 grant to get HCA up and running. And run it has: Tucked away inside University Park in Stockton’s historic Magnolia District, the school has quickly established partnerships with neighboring California State University Stanislaus-Stockton Center, and Kaiser Permanente’s School of Allied Health.

Students who attend HCA arrive each day in medi-cal scrubs – the school’s uniform – looking like extremely young doctors. The outfit helps keep the students in a healthcare frame of mind, and also levels the playing field when it comes to household income, Miller says. “You can’t tell the kids who have more from the ones who don’t,” she notes.

The school follows a Stanford University medical-based curriculum: A typical day consists of college prep courses in first aid, CPR, medical terminology, history of healthcare, and ethics, among others. In most cases, those classes can be used for credit should the student pursue a degree at a four-year university, possibly speeding up their gradu-ation and pursuit of a career in medicine.

“Because we’re a charter school, we can draw students from anywhere in California. So we get students from Stock-ton, Manteca, Lodi, Linden, Lincoln. They’re coming from all over the place,” Miller says. “It’s also a very wide demograph-

ic: Some kids arrive here in a Mercedes; some take an hour and a half to get to school every day by public transportation. It’s a really wide cross-section of the community, but what they have in common is that they all want to do something very specialized.”

Like any school, there are projects. But these class proj-ects overlap with medicine whenever possible. For example, an English teacher will have them study a disease. The students then become an “expert” on it and present their knowledge to their classmates. “When I was in school, I was studying Romeo and Juliet, and learning the Pythagorean Theory in geometry,” Miller recalls. “It didn’t connect for me at all. So we have our teachers working together to show how this is important.”

There are field trips that go beyond the typical visit to a museum. In 2011, HCA students visited San Quentin State Prison to see the various medical job opportunities avail-able in the prison system. Although everything went fine, it wasn’t a trip Miller is likely to repeat. “I was too much of a mother hen the whole time,” she admits. “It took me two weeks to recover.”

The students also pass on what they’ve learned. A typical community event involves them visiting neighboring Pittman Charter School as part of the K-8 campus’s annual health fair,

explaining healthcare matters to those students. It’s also not unusual to see HCA students at Kaiser Family Health Days, or promote physical fitness at an event sponsored by the YMCA.

Guests from the local medical community regularly ap-pear on campus. In recent weeks, Dr. Moses Elam and Dr. Darryl Jones, both executives from Kaiser Permanente, spoke to students about their respective journeys to be-coming physicians. “The world is yours if you want it,” Elam told the students. “But you’re going to have to work for it right now.” Delta Blood Bank and the California Transplant Donor Network presented information about how students and their families can make an impact by helping to save lives of others in their community. Several medical and uni-versity students from the University of the Pacific and CSU Stanislaus-Stockton Center also reminded students of the importance of maintaining good grades while in high school.

“Every quarter and every semester, we start the day off by revisiting what our goal is, to help the kids keep their eye on the prize,” Miller says. “Teenagers kind of live in the now, as in today – not a week from now, much less four years from now. We have to remind them there is an end goal to what they do here.”

Miller’s students won’t begin the second leg of their journey until 2015, when HCA has expanded to a full four-grade curriculum, and its first class graduates. By that point, becoming a student at the medical charter school could be a bit of a challenge. “I have a feeling I will be using a waiting list for freshmen after next year,” Miller says. “That will put us in a situation resembling other charter schools. But what a great problem to have!”

From the HeartHCA graduates who move on to college for their medi-

cal careers could cross paths with Dr. Ramin Manshadi, who is also dedicated to guiding new doctors, nurses and other clinicians.

Manshadi, a cardiologist in private practice on Pacific Avenue in Stockton, bases everything he does on the Hippocratic Oath. Most people have heard of its main principle: Do no harm as a doctor. But there’s a second pledge that not every doctor follows: Teach the art of medicine to the younger generation in the same way the doctors themselves were taught.

For Manshadi, that starts by keeping up with medi-cal technology. While the average person’s knowledge of medicine comes from what they see on shows like “House,” “Nurse Betty” and “E.R.,” Manshadi spends most of his free time reading about the real thing. “When you’re in the medical field, you’re always a student,” he says. “There are always new findings. That’s why I try to always learn about new technology and new ways of treat-ment, new items out there from different companies. When there’s new technology that would benefit the patient, I’m

“Our motto at the school is, ‘Passion.’ We

believe everyone needs to have pas-

sion in what they do. And every one

of those letters stands for

something: ‘P’ (Professional),

‘A’ (Academic), ‘S’ (Service to others),

‘S’ (Strong), ‘I’ (Inspiring),

‘O’ (Optimistic) and ‘N’ (Nurturing).”

— Traci Miller, principal, Health Careers Academy High School

Principal Traci Miller guides her students through their studies at Health Careers Academy High School. “I’m one of the luckiest people on Earth,” she says. “This is a terrific job.” PHOTOS BY LOUIE AMBRIZ


>>feature story

Continued from page 5

the first to learn about it so I can deliver it to my patients as soon as possible. After I learn, I teach it to other doctors in the United States.”

Manshadi was one of the first doctors in the U.S. – and the first in San Joaquin County – to use a wire-less pacemaker when they became available in the mid-2000s, and later an MRI-safe pacemaker in 2011. In 2007, he was the first in Northern California to implant a left ventricular assist device – a.k.a. a mechani-cal heart – that literally replaces the human variety with a machine (the recipient, Stockton resident Irene Armendarez, lived five more years, or about 4 1/2 longer than she would have with her failing human heart). And, Manshadi recently began performing a self-sealing arteriotomy procedure at St. Joseph’s Medical Center for patients who undergo

surgery to remove heart blockages, which greatly reduces recovery pain and chance of infection.

Over 13 years, the Elk Grove High School alum has also made a name for himself in other circles: Manshadi has been voted Top Interventional Car-diologist by Castle Connelly; America’s Top Cardiologist by the Consum-ers Research Council; winner of the Future Leader Award by the American College of Cardiology; and recipient of the Patients Choice Award, and San Joaquin Medical Society’s Young Physician of the Year Award.

In 2011, he wrote a book, “The Wisdom of Heart Health,” an easy-to-understand guide to help cardiac patients take proper care of them-selves as they recover from surgery. “I know that my patients are more educated about their heart health, and they are more likely to take care of themselves, and are more likely to follow through on my recommenda-

tions,” Manshadi says. “They do a lot of research on the Internet. The biggest complaint I heard from them was that the research is quite dry. The wanted something that wasn’t written over their heads.”

And, to prove he’s not taking it too easy in his spare time, every year Manshadi goes to Washington D.C. to meet with federal legislators to hear the latest on healthcare policy. Locally, he is chairperson of media relations for California chapter of the American College of Cardiology, a clinical profes-sor at the University of the Pacific’s School of Pharmacy, and associate clinical professor of cardiology at the University of California at Davis.

The two university dealings give Manshadi the most immediate chances to fulfill his Hippocratic Oath. At UC Davis, he works mostly with third-year medical students when they undergo a several-week course in cardiology. He offers the typical lectures on basics like heart failure and how to read EKGs. But then he goes a step further when he goes with them to visit clinics. “I teach them the difference between an average doctor and an excellent doctor,” Manshadi says. “An average doctor practices cookbook medicine, where you read up and see, ‘Okay, this disease gets treated this way.’ An excellent doctor realizes that every patient with a specific disease is quite different from another patient with the same disease. You must look at the patient as a whole, and you fine-tune the treatment for that patient.”

The University of the Pacific doesn’t have a medical school. But it does offer pharmacy, and even these students are required to take a course in cardiology as part of their degree. So, for several weeks at a time, pairs of future pharmacists visit Manshadi’s office to observe his prac-tice. The sessions help the students see patients as more than just names on slips of paper, he notes. “When

they’re here, they can understand how the heart works and how it re-lates to the patient,” Manshadi says. “They see the patients’ faces; they hear the patients complain. If they can understand all of this, when they later see these prescriptions come through for cardiac drugs, they can be better pharmacists in general.”

Manshadi often gets thank you letters from the students after they move on. He appreciates these, but appreciates their future actions more. “I not doing this to be able to say I turned someone into a great person, and be able to pat myself on the back,” he replies. “I’m doing it because I believe in doing the right things, and doing good things. That’s the way everyone should look at life. I want to bring positive energy back to the community, because positive always brings positive.”

That positive ethic continues. All proceeds from Manshadi’s book go toward another personal project: supplying free automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, to all local high schools. The cardiologist began the effort in 2009 to help reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest among young athletes. Several high schools in Stockton have received the devices, as well as a few area soccer and baseball leagues.

“I’ve created a positive, by exten-sion, out of my name, my recogni-tion, my hard work,” Manshadi says. “Basically, it’s a constant, circular approach in life, where everything feeds on each other.”

Manshadi adds that a program like Health Careers Academy serves a vital purpose in establishing, and ultimately maintaining, that circle. “It’s very important to be very positive and encourage young people to go into medicine,” he says. “It’s also important that students have a good role model, whether it’s a teacher, a soccer coach or an established physician. The right mentor can really make a difference.”

“There are two types of doctors and clinicians. One is to be the one who has the 9-to-5 job and has an easy life. The other is there be-

cause they truly love what they do, and constantly want to learn and give back.”

— Dr. Ramin Manshadi, cardiologist

For more informationWant to learn more about Health Careers Academy or heart healthcare? Go here for more information:• Health Careers Academy, 931 E. Magnolia St., Stockton, (209) 933-7360, http://hca-susd-ca.schoolloop.com. • Dr. Ramin Manshadi, 2633 Pacific Ave., Stockton, (209) 944-5530, www.drmanshadi.com.



Area School HappeningsLodi Unified School District

Wednesday, May 8 is a Common Planning Day and Wednesday, May 15 is an Assessment Collaborative Day. The last day of school is Friday, May 24 and will be a minimum day.

Manlio SilvaStaff Appreciation Week is Monday, May 6 through Friday, May 10.

Tuesday, May 7 is a Triple A Period 7, and handouts for the Summer Reading Challenge will go home. Tuesday, May 7, the Bruin Band Concert for third through fifth grades will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. There will also be the book exchange from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. On Thursday, May 9, sixth graders meet with McAuliffe counselors to select classes. The Shark Tank Q4 ends and the PTA Board Installation is Friday, May 10. The Volunteer Tea is Monday, May 20.

Tuesday, May 21 is the sixth grade pool party. Kindergartens go to Gymstars. Wednesday, May 22, the first and second grades will have their awards and Honor Roll students will go to Boomers. On Thursday, May 23, the third through sixth grades will have their awards. Friday, May 24, Kindergarten graduation is at 8:45 a.m. and the Sixth Grade vs. Staff softball game is 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Julia Morgan Elementary SchoolThe Talent Show is Friday, May 10 at 6:30 p.m. and the awards as-

semblies are Tuesday, May 21 and Wednesday, May 22. Field Day and the sixth grade pool party are Thursday, May 24.

St. Mary’s High SchoolMonday, May 6 is the incoming Freshman Sports Night. Wednesday,

May 8 is Fine Arts Night. The Theatre Banquet is Friday, May 10. Cap and gown distribution will be Tuesday, May 14 through Friday, May 17. The Awards Assembly is Wednesday, May 15. Senior Breakfast and yearbook distribution is Friday, May 17 and final exams are Tuesday, May 21 through Friday, May 24. There is a mandatory graduation prac-tice on Friday, May 24 and graduation is Saturday, May 25.

Come to St. Mary’s annual Olive Festival on Sunday, May 11, from noon to 5 p.m. Regional olive oil producers, wine makers and fresh produce growers will be on site for tastings and a farmers market. Food and entertainment includes live music, food booths and demonstra-tions, bocci, a kids’ zone, the ever-humbling “Olive Pit-Spitting” contest, and the festival’s first 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk.

The annual “Blessing of the Olive Trees” and the bestowing of the “Golden Olive Branch Award” for humanitarian work will be featured on center stage.

Tickets are $5 for adults; $3 for students with ID; free for kids age 10 and under. For more information, call (209) 663-7067.

>>around spanos

Local Schools Receive Top Honors

The 27th annual San Joaquin County Science Olympiad Competition for grades 3-6 was held at Ronald McNair High School on Saturday, March 23. Fifty teams from across the county participated in 24 science events throughout the one-day competition. Top-scoring students and teams received medals, plaques, and/or grants.

Top 10 overall teams:First: Brookside School, White, Lincoln Unified Second: Brookside School, Blue, Lincoln UnifiedThird: Vinewood Elementary, Red, Lodi UnifiedFourth: Elkhorn School, Gold, Lodi UnifiedFifth: Ellerth E. Larson Elementary School, Purple, Lodi UnifiedSixth: Vinewood Elementary, White, Lodi UnifiedSeventh: John Muir Elementary, Green, Lodi Unified Eighth: Manlio Silva Elementary, Silver, Lodi UnifiedNinth: Ellerth E. Larson Elementary School, Violet, Lodi UnifiedTenth: Annunciation School, Gold, Stockton Diocese

Elkhorn School placed fourth in recent Science Olympiad Competition.

State of the City with Mayor SilvaThe Stockton Chamber of Commerce will hold its 15th Annual

State of the City Address on Thursday, May 16, at the Port of Stockton. Tickets are $35 each; pre-paid reservations only. Mayor Anthony Silva will deliver his first State of the City Address and lay out his plans for the future of Stockton.

The Annual State of the City is co-sponsored by the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, Port of Stockton and City of Stockton. Exhibits by local and state programs will provide infor-mation useful for businesses of any size. The Chamber guarantees attendees will walk away with pride in the city of Stockton while discovering valuable sources of information and expertise.

This local public event is Thursday, May 16. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.; lunch will be served at noon. Tickets for the Annual State of the City Address are $35 per person. This event always sells out, so reserve your tickets today. To purchase tickets or for more infor-mation, call the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce at (209) 547-2770 or visit www.stocktonchamber.org.

An Evening to Support Kids Each year, pieces of artwork created by residents of Mary Graham

Children’s Shelter are auctioned off to benefit ArtWorksYes! and College & Trade School Scholarships, two programs which provide educational and recreational opportunities to San Joaquin foster kids:

Beyond offering enrichment, the year-round, twice-a-week art and music program supports valuable on-site therapy by offering an out-let for the youth to safely express their feelings and emotions. Educa-tional scholarships provide opportunities for students to further their educational goals and guarantee a foundation for future success.

The Fifth Annual Kid’s Art Auction is Wednesday, May 15, at the Stockton Golf & Country Club. The event takes place at 5:30 p.m. with wine-sampling, hors d’oeuvres and a raffle. Tickets are $40 per person. This event is sponsored the Mary Graham Children’s Foundation.

For more information and tickets, call Amber at (209) 468-7635, or purchase tickets at www.marygrahamfoundation.org.


>>community briefs

An American Exhibit Comes to the Haggin“Pro Football and the Ameri-

can Spirit: The NFL and the U.S. Armed Forces” is an inspirational exhibition from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which chronicles the many ways in which the National Football League and its players have responded to America’s call during military conflicts.

This exhibition recalls the stories of triumph, tragedy and personal sacrifice made by the more than 1,200 players, coaches and adminis-trators who interrupted or delayed their pro football careers to serve their country during times of mili-tary conflict.

Included are stories of how the NFL generated millions of dollars in War Bond sales during World War II, was the first sports orga-nization to send groups of players to Vietnam as part of the NFL/USO “goodwill tours,” and how it has used its game and resources to raise America’s collective level of patrio-tism during and after such national crises as the Iranian hostage situ-ation, the Gulf War, and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania.

Some of the items which highlight this exhibition include Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Donovan’s Army uniform; the career medals of General Earnest Cheatham (pro football’s highest-ranking former player); the Cleve-

land Browns sideline jacket of Don Steinbrunner, one of only two NFL players to perish during the Viet-nam War, and Pat Tillman’s Army Ranger uniform.

This exhibit will run Saturday, May 25 through Sunday, Sept. 22, at the Haggin Museum.

This exhibition was created by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, where the American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Foot-ball League) was founded in 1920.

The Hall’s mission is to honor in-dividuals who have made outstand-ing contributions to professional football; to preserve professional football’s historic documents and artifacts; to educate the public regarding the origin, development and growth of professional football as an important part of American culture; and to promote the positive values of the sport.

Haggin Museum hours are Sat-urdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays through Fridays, 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.; and 1st & 3rd Thurs-days, 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Museum admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $5 for youth and students with valid school ID. Children of museum members, who are under age 10 and accompanied by an adult on the first Saturday of the month are free. For more information, call (209) 940-6300.


>>community briefs

Now is the Time to Buy a Spectacular Spanos Park Home

In March, 38 homes were for sale, 45 were pending, 28 sold and 11 expired, withdrew or can-celled. For properties sold, the average days on the market were 36, median square footage price was $105.32, median sold price was $187,400 and median size was 2,122 square feet. Properties currently available are $145,000 to $525,000. For more important market information, call RE/MAX Gold Broker Sheree Cox at (209) 451-2600. Current market data taken from Metrolist.

Ropin’ on the RiverGive Every Child a Chance will

present the CCPRA Rodeo on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2 at the Dell’Osso Family Farm. On Saturday, gates open at 1 p.m., with the rodeo beginning at 6 p.m. On Sunday, gates open at 9:30 a.m., with the rodeo beginning at 2 p.m. Arena events include saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, tie down roping, steer wrestling, women’s breakaway roping, barrel racing, team roping header, team roping heeler, pee wee barrel racing, and mutton bustin’. There will be a general store, vendor booths, concession booths, Ropin’ on the River Rodeo Queens, a Clydesdale expo, the Diablo Ladies drill team, a petting zoo, pony rides, Dell’Osso signature attrac-tions, “Cowboy Church,” and more. Admission is $15 for children, ages 3 to12 years, and seniors 55 years and older; and $20 for adults. Parking is free. For more information or tickets, call (209) 823-6222. This event is hosted by Dell’Osso Family Farm and is a City of Lathrop signature event.

Celebrate America Through Music

The Stockton Chorale May con-cert, celebrating American music, will feature the premier perfor-mance of a work commissioned by the Stockton Chorale, “I Heard You Singing,” by the internation-ally renowned David Conte.

The Stockton Chorale and Master Chorale will also bring a feast of American music new and old – spirituals, patri-otic works, folk songs, shape note hymns, and the best of American popular song – from legendary composers George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein,

Rogers and Hammerstein, Alice Parker and others.

The Stockton Youth Chorale, conducted by Joan Calonico, will join the concert with the cowboy songs that many in the audience will know by heart: “Home on the Range,” “Whoop-ee Ti Yi Yo,” and “Songs of a Starry Night.”

The new Valley Youth Chamber Choir, conducted by German Aguilar, will feature “Bring Me Your Tired, Your Poor,” “Road Not Taken,” and “Sylvie,” by Leadbelly. This is an opportunity to hear a premier high school-age chamber choir, and you will be enthralled.

The concert performance is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 10, at Quail Lakes Baptist Church, 1904 Quail Lakes Drive, Stock-ton, and then again at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1055 S. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi.

Single concert tickets are $20 in advance for adults, $25 at the door, and $5 for students. Tickets are general admission and may be purchased by calling the Stockton Chorale office at (209) 951-6494, through any Chorale member, at www.stocktonchorale.org, or at the door.

On Your Mark, Get Set…Go!Get ready for the seventh annual

Avenue of the Vines Half Marathon and 5K on Sunday, May 19, at 7 a.m. at Woodbridge Winery in Acampo. Runners start and finish at the award-winning Woodbridge Winery. The half marathon follows country roads just east of Lodi, beginning and ending at Woodbridge Winery. Follow the roads past the beautiful scenery of grape vines and mustard seed in full bloom. There will be six aid stations with water and Powerbar fluid replacement drink. The 5K course has the same start and finish, with one aid station. Registra-tion for the half marathon is $65 until Thursday, May 16, $75 on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18 during packet pickup. There will be no race day registration.

Fees for 5K are $45 until Thursday, May 16; $50 Friday, May 17 and Sat-urday, May 18 during packet pickup. There will be no race day registration.

Entrance fee includes parking, com-memorative wine glass, wine tasting, men’s- and women’s-specific New

Balance technical race shirt (shirt sizes not guaranteed), finishers medal for half-marathon participants, a goodie bag, entertainment, and a post-race lunch. Additional wine glasses will be for sale, if you wish to make a set, at Woodbridge Winery tasting room.

Woodbridge Winery will also offer a limited-edition Avenue of the Vines zinfandel for sale in their Visitor’s center. Only 200 cases are being made, so get your bottles early. For more information, visit www.fleetfeet-stockton.com/resources/avenue-of-the-vines.

Get Me to the Ritz! This hilarious farce is set in a

gay bathhouse, The Ritz. Gaetano Proclo, a hapless, middle-aged, overweight, very married man is on the lam from his Mafioso brother-in-law, Carmine Vespucci. He ducks into The Ritz, the last place anyone would look for him, not knowing what he has thrust himself into. What he encounters there sets the scene for an old-fashioned door-slamming farce, albeit with towel-clad chubby chasers, bumbling detectives, and Googie Gomez, an over-the-top would-be Bette Midler looking for her big break. This production is directed by Richard Garvin and is rated R for situations and language. Performances are Friday, May 3 through Sunday, May 19, at the Stockton Civic Theatre, 2312 Rosemarie Lane, Stockton. Regular tickets are $25 for adults, $21 for seniors, and $15 for students and children. For more information, call (209) 473-3224 or visit www.sctlivetheatre.com.

Cherry Festival The Linden Cherry Festival is Sat-

urday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival begins with the annual parade down Front Street at 9 a.m. The festival itself kicks off at 10 a.m. on the Linden Elementary School grounds, 18100 E. Front St., Linden. There will be a car show, food, rides, vendor booths, and more. For more information, call (209) 547-3046.

Unspoken Beauty“Unspoken Beauty” is that mo-

ment that does not have words to explain the feeling present when you encounter love, peace, tranquil-ity, simplicity, color, contrast of light, strength, vitality, roughness, age, and life plus death. Nature provides this unspoken beauty that sometimes cannot be explained or defined through words.

This art exhibition is at The Mexi-can Heritage Center and Gallery

from Wednesday, May 1 through Saturday, May 25. Arturo Vera and Luz Lua-Foster bring the outside world indoors. Gallery hours are Tuesday thru Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. The gallery is at 111 South Sutter St. in Stockton. For more information, call (209) 547-0752.

Green GardeningMany people are “going green”

to reduce their carbon footprint, but green gardening can also reduce the impact to the Delta and your storm-water system. Runoff from your yard flows untreated through the storm drains directly into the waterways surrounding Stockton. By reducing fertilizer used and using less-toxic pes-ticides, you can reduce the negative effect on the health of our waterways. Avoid using leaf blowers and instead rake or sweep leaves, yard debris, and dirt from the driveway, walkways, and gutters. We can all play a part in keep-ing the San Joaquin Delta healthy. For more tips on protecting the environ-ment, the Delta, and your stormwater system, visit www.stocktongov.com/mud, or call (209) 937-5143.

Rainbow School Summer Programs

Imagine what it would be like to join the circus! Rainbow School Preschool’s Summer Session, “Under the Big Top,” will offer an opportunity for four- and five-year-old children to experience the joys of the circus through art, music, language, and math activities.

Two sessions are offered. Session one will meet June 6-19. Session two will meet June 20 through July 3. Parents may choose one or both sessions. The tuition for each session is $300 per child. Children will meet daily from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Rainbow’s Elementary Summer School Program will explore the allure and enchantment of knights, castles, heraldry and the arts and architec-ture of the Middle Ages in “Medieval Magic.” This four-week program is designed for children who will be entering first through fourth grade in the fall. The tuition for the program is $600 per child. The program begins June 6 and ends July 3. It meets each day from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Lunch Bunch is available daily for an additional $5 per day.

Rainbow School is private non-profit preschool and kindergarten at 1801 W. Bristol. This year the school is celebrat-ing its 35th anniversary. For further in-formation or registration forms, contact the school at (209) 464-7301.


>>411 in 209W

HERE Ripon High School Saturd

ay, May 11: R

ina’s Run and Health Fair

This pre-Mother’s Day event honors the late Rina Brocchini. There will be a 5K run and half-marathon. Registration starts at 6:30 a.m. and the races start at 7 a.m. Cost is $35 for the 5K and $60 for the half-marathon races. The latter includes a long-sleeve Tech T-shirt, finisher’s medal and post-race refreshments. Medals will be three deep for ages 20-29 in first, second and third place. A $50 first prize will be awarded for both female and male winners on the 5K run. There will be age categories for 12 and under, 13-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70-plus. Proceeds benefit Ripon’s only stadium.

WHENSaturday, May 18ZinFest Wine Festival, Lodi

From noon to 5 p.m., savor 250 handcrafted wines from 50 Lodi wineries. Winemakers and winery representatives will share their knowledge and many wines. Learn new tips at the ZinFest Wine and Cooking Schools, or relax to live music along the beautiful Moke-lumne River. Tickets include a ZinFest wine glass, wine tasting, participa-tion in seminars, and entertainment. Tickets are $45 in advance, $55 at the gate. Designated driver tickets are available for $10 each. Tickets are available online or by calling the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center at (209) 365-0621.

WHATYouth Conference and Fan Fest

May 22-25: Banner Island Ballpark West Coast Conference Youth Day & Fan Fest, Stockton

The four top teams in the West Coast Conference (WCC) will play in down-town Stockton’s ballpark next to the San Joaquin River. Before the action

starts, the teams will host a free WCC Youth Baseball Day and Fan Fest on Wednesday, May 22. Everyone is invited to meet the competing teams to enjoy

music, food and soft drinks. The first 100 youths under 14 to sign up are also invited to participate in the WCC Youth Baseball Clinic. Events start at 6 p.m.

Schedule of events:6-6:30 p.m.: First autograph session.6:45-7:30 p.m.: Youth Baseball Clinic. Sign up early to secure spot.7:30-8:15 p.m.: Youth Home Run Derby (15 youths at the baseball clinic will compete in this event).8:15-8:30 p.m.: Second autograph signing session for youths under 14 years old.

HOWto Celebrate Culture with Style

Sunday, June 2: Jewish Culture Day, Temple Israel, StocktonEnjoy a tasty brunch of bagels and lox, or a corned beef sandwich. Browse the Jewish deli

and bakery for take-out items, or take a tour of the Temple, and even dance to music. Or, you can participate in a raffle and have a beer in the beer garden. Children will enjoy games and

other fun. Event time is 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Free parking and admission.Temple Israel is at 5105 N. El Dorado St. (at corner of March Lane), Stockton.


In the GardenPlanting, Fertilizing and Controlling Pests this Month

By Sue Davis

When buying seedlings in six-packs, four-inch pots, or shrubs in containers, remem-ber bigger is not always better. Quality is what is important. Look for dark green

leaves, a thick stalk, and no yellowing or shriveling. It is tricky, but look for healthy roots and avoid purchasing plants that are root-bound or circling within the pot. For a fall crop of beautiful chrysanthemum flowers, start planting seeds this month.

Tomato and pepper transplants can be planted this month. Seeds of pumpkins, beans, corn, squash, cucumbers, and melons can be sown in the garden around the middle of this month. For maximum flavor, don’t let zucchini get more than 8 to 10 inches long before harvesting. Although carrots become sweeter with age, be sure to pick them before they take on a woody texture.

Thinning young fruit improves the size of fruit, reduces the risk of broken branches, and keeps trees healthy. Before apples, Asian pears, nectarines, and peaches reach an inch in diameter, gently twist off enough fruit to allow 4 to 6 inches between remaining fruit.

Snails and slugs will be hiding in your garden. Use an iron phosphate bait to get a handle on them before they do too much damage. Spring is also the worst time for aphids in San Joaquin County gardens – the hot summer weather will drive them away. Until they leave, use an insecticid-al soap or spray with water from the garden hose as necessary or strip aphids from plants by hand.

If you didn’t troubleshoot your irrigation system for cracks, leaks and clogs last month, do it now. Dirty filters can wreak havoc, especially if you are on a well. Flush out drip systems and make sure all emitters are working. Replace batteries on systems that use battery-operated controllers. Ensure that timers are working.

Fertilize your lawn with a balanced slow release or organic fertilizer ac-cording to directions on package. Lawns that get a lot of heavy foot traffic may have compacted soil, making it difficult for water, fertilizer, and oxy-gen to reach the roots. If you can’t push a screwdriver up to its handle into the turf, it’s time to aerate. Water your lawn in the morning between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. to discourage fungus diseases, and only water only as much as necessary. Heavy or daily watering in spring leads to shallow-rooted, problematic lawns in summer. Make sure you check all of your sprinklers to make sure they are functioning properly. Keep your mower set high to only remove the top third of the grass blade when mowing.

Sue Davis is a 2011 Master Gardener of San Joaquin graduate that lives in Tracy. You can find more garden tips at http://sjmastergardeners.ucdavis.edu. Master gardeners are available to answer your questions from 9 a.m. to noon, Tuesday through Thursday, by phone at (209) 953-6112 or by email at [email protected].

>>tips from the pro

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The ‘Perfect’ Romantic Getaway

Relax in Luxury at Bodega Bay Lodge

By Bernadine Chapman-Cruz

Nestled on a waterfront bluff on Bodega Bay, enjoy the inviting authentic feel of a luxury coastal retreat. Sixty-five miles north of San Francisco on scenic Highway 1, Bodega Bay

Lodge is the perfect romantic getaway. A Four Dia-mond AAA coastal property, the lodge is also rated No. 1 in the area by TripAdvisor.

Views from the lodge include the marshland bird sanctuary, and Doran Beach with the Pacific Ocean beyond. Under Woodside Hotel ownership since 1972, the lodge has expanded from a single building to 83 guest rooms, including five junior suites. The hotel features an exquisite fireside lobby, heated pool, outdoor whirlpool spa, fitness center, pristinely groomed grounds, and fantastic views.

“We offer guests a unique venue to experience the rugged Sonoma Coast,” sales director Brian Larsen said. “At Bodega Bay Lodge, guests come first. Service is a top priority and we strive to make our guests’ stay a memory that lasts a lifetime. Bodega Bay Lodge is the perfect set-ting to relax on a romantic weekend by the sea.”

Depending on specific room and location, amenities can include spec-tacular ocean views, private terraces or balconies, soaking tubs, walk-in showers, and fireplaces. King or queen size beds with luxurious down comforters and fluffy pillows are part of the cozy warmth associated with Bodega Bay Lodge slumber. When weather conditions warrant, you might even be lucky enough to hear a foghorn. Every room has a Keurig coffee maker with complementary product.

When it comes to the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation, enjoy a massage, facial or body treatment. Certified massage therapists admin-ister luxurious calming massages in treatment rooms beside the pool. Services include facials, Swedish massage, warm shell, or warm stone

>>beyond 209


>>beyond 209

massages using the highest quality products. Private in-room massages are also available.

Bodega Bay Lodge has two options for exquisite dining. Under the expert hand of Executive Chef Jeff Reilly, a full-flavored cuisine awaits. Incorporating local seafood, meats, fowl, cheese, and produce, the Duck Club offers breakfast and dinner service. For a lighter fare, the Fireside Lounge features local wines, beers, and signature cocktails. In-room food service is available. Nightly, a complimentary wine and cheese reception in the lobby allows guests to mingle by a cozy fire.

Bodega Bay is close to wineries, cheese tasting locations, and oyster farms. Other local points of interest include the infamous Potter School-house in Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” Sebastopol’s apple orchards, the Russian River, Point Reyes, and Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, home to some of the oldest trees in the world. Bodega Bay Lodge staff are available for arranging off site excursions. Other area activities include hiking, kayaking, deep-sea fishing, golf, and exploring the scenic coast.

Bodega Bay Lodge offers wedding venues, meeting rooms and Wi-Fi throughout the facility. Custom design packages specific to couples and families are available. Reservations are preferred. Call Bodega Bay Lodge for room availability.

Bodega Bay Lodge103 Coast Highway 1 | Bodega Bay, CA 94923

707.875.3525 or [email protected]

Open dailywww.bodegabaylodge.com Thanks to views like this, Bodega Bay is now known for being more than

just the location of Alfred Hitchcock’s angry “Birds.”

SPANOS PARK MONTHLY MAGAZINEBig Monkey Group LLC94 W. Castle St. #BStockton CA 95204

WE’RE HIRING!Big Monkey Group is seeking one ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE to

prospect, build relationships and sell advertising programs to help local businesses grow in all 6 of our magazines.

Candidates with advertising sales experience can step to the front of the line!

We offer 50% commission for the first 60 days, then a generous commission structure and quarterly bonuses and the ability to sell

advertising in all 6 of BMG’s magazines.

Resumes can be sent to Advertising Director Noel Fielding at [email protected]

Documents

Spanos Park Monthly Magazine