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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
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- 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
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Veterans Day: A time to listen
In my early years as a columnist, I seldom let a Vererans Day or Memorial Day go by without talking to veterans. Patriotism was a secondary motive for this practice. The primary motive is that veterans’ stories are incredible. If, by telling them, we thank them for their service, so much the better.
After a decade or so, however, I began to give veterans a pass. I had a “been there, done that” feeling about it. But when the wife of today’s subject contacted me, she mentioned one fact that compelled me to return to coverage of veterans: her husband, Mr. Cain, is 91.
Cain’s story, while strong and worthy, is far from the strongest I have done. Talk to a Guadalcanal Marine the next time you want strong. But the point is soon we won’t have the choice to talk to them or give their stories a pass. They will be gone. The time to listen is now.