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Michael Fitzgerald
Mike Fitzgerald is The Record’s award-winning metro columnist. His column runs in the paper three times a week. Born in San Francisco, he was raised in Stockton. His column covers diverse beats including, sometimes, the offbeat. Read FullCategories
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- Sass Bar & Grill, the replacement for Paragary's, was supposed ot open July 20. What's the delay? http://t.co/ZDHA1Lw 3 days ago
- Here's an idea: we use the Swedish J35 Draken interceptor warplane for sale at Stockton's airport for crimefighting. Ja! http://t.co/1BDauhT 1 week ago
- The Council's OK of pot shops is a step away from silly, destructive marijuana policies. Did I mention I have glaucoma? http://t.co/VlCm3T5 1 week ago
- Allegations the Council improperly accpepted free events tickets go to the A.G. A sideshow that could have been avoided. http://t.co/zVFifNH 1 week ago
- The man who let the historic peace boat Phoenix of Hiroshima sink in the Delta has returned it to its original family.http://t.co/ztcW9Sf 1 week ago
- More updates...
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Related Content- Two brave lives teach us to cherish every breathOver the last 14 months, two young people dying from cystic fibrosis, a disease that slowly decays the lungs, took their one chance to avert implacably advancing suffocation. […]
- Stockton area needs more than clock towerDowntown Stockton's east end is a forgotten city. It's almost as if there's an unspoken agreement to ignore it. […]
- City's burning question: Fire or policeIt's chaos out there," declared Councilwoman Susan Eggman. […]
- Two brave lives teach us to cherish every breath
Monthly Archives: November 2008
Reader: library not acquiring popular books
Reader Virginia Lamphear writes:
Your column on Friday said the Grand Jury is investigating Natalie Rencher and the Library. I hope they investigate the direction she is steering the library. Staff morale is so low because of the changes she is pushing. You quote Rencher as saying she’s the new broom stirring discontent from longtime employees [...]
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Machado: prison hospital is an opportunity
State Senator Mike Machado writes:
This is a follow up to your column on the proposed prison hospital.
There are many issues that need to be addressed re the prison hospital. There are also opportuinities.
What other proposal for the San Joaquin community will provide between 3,000-4,000 well paying jobs? There will be need for RNs, LVNs. [...]
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A reader’s mostest proposal to fix Social Security
Richard Farago writes:
Just solved the Social Security problem but before I give you the answer let me tell you a true story. My Mother in law died about 2 years ago. She was a decent woman who worked all of her life as a seamstress … She retired at 60 and lived until she [...]
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Nordstrom brilliant vs. dreary Eldo Street project
Larry Nordstrom, fighting the El Dorado Street Widening project, acutally appears to be winning his campaign, though the project was well underway when he cranked up the war machine.
He writes:
We had a productive meeting today with the City Council Development & Planning Committee. To very briefly summarize …
The city staff, through their consultants, provided an [...]
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Collecting Stocktons: land of pippies
This Stockton is “a land of plenty, with oysters, pippies, myriads of fish species in the surrounding waters and abundant wildlife in the forested areas.”
Don’t know what a “pippie” is, but I’m glad they are abundant — in Stockton, Australia.
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Shadowbird case: David 1, Goliath 0
The Shadowbird case – the city’s longest-running legal entanglement – partially concluded on Wednesday when a judge handed a defeat to The Grupe Co. and a victory to the progressive nonprofit Shadowbird.
The background on this curious case is here.
Throughout this David vs. Goliath case – a battle over 50 acres of land west of [...]
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Determined to be a disaster until the very last day
Proving they cannot get along with anybody, Delta College’s famously dysfunctional board rebuffed pleas from new members-elect Tuesday not to make any more decisions about bond money or Delta’s south-county satellite campus.
The sitting trustees, demonstrating the collegiality for which they are renowned, told the new board members to get lost.
“There’s only one board,” huffed trustee Greg McCreary, [...]
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Don’t give Martin one penny
Today’s column about Joe Martin, the checkered character suing Stockton Unified, doesn’t include Martin’s perspective. Evidently Martin’s attorney has advised him not to speak to the press.
Given Martin’s temperment, this is probably a prudent decision. To call me today in anger would only cement his image.
So, absent his perspective, my additional thoughts are speculative. I’m guessing Martin [...]
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Podesto: unbuilt bridges snarl traffic
A voice mail from former mayor Gary Podesto:
What that anonymous writer (see below) fails to recognize is there were 10 bridges that were not voted in by Councils of the past that woud have take traffic off the few north south roads that exist. Pacific Avenue, Eldorado Avenue, Pershing Avenue, West Lane. Had they been approved – even though [...]
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The joker in the farmer’s deck