Monthly Archives: February 2010

Stockton tiki’s mythical past

By Michael Fitzgerald | Published: February 27, 2010 | 0 Comments
For David Foster, researching Stockton tiki includes combing old phone books and newspapers for ads such as this one for The Bali Hai. Note the name of You-Know-Who in the ad. And here’s the big boy of Stockton tiki himself, the 2000-pound moai head that stands out front of the Bali Hai. He’s eroded a bit [...]
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The politics of public unions

By Michael Fitzgerald | Published: February 26, 2010 | 0 Comments
The Police Officer’s Association in Long Beach may be trying to get the city manager fired because, in the worst recession since the Great Depression, he felt it necessary to cut their pay. “Here’s a preview of what Stockton’s next City Manager will face,” writes a correspondent, “since the Police and Fire are attempting to hold the City [...]
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Death comes to Alicia

By Michael Fitzgerald | Published: February 25, 2010 | 0 Comments
In the last year I’ve written about two people who needed a double lung transplant: Alicia Brogle, 33, of Lodi and Josh Mompean, 26, of Stockton. Both suffered from cystic fibrosis. Both had to risk a double lung transplant – a terrifying, otherworldly experience, I am sure — or die. Both seemed like really cool people. Brogle, [...]
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Shameless self-promotion

By Michael Fitzgerald | Published: February 25, 2010 | 0 Comments
Genvieve Beltran, herself an aspiring author, writes: “It was great to see you write such a nice column (on the book “The Blue Mexican”) helping promote a local writer. High words of praise from you mean it really must be one heck of a novel. But I did discover some amusingly deceptive self-promotion on the place of [...]
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An opponent of fireworks?

By Michael Fitzgerald | Published: February 24, 2010 | 0 Comments
The resurrection of Stockton’s municipal fireworks celebration seems to be coming along. One influential person in City Hall who may oppose them, however, is Interim City Manager Kevin O’Rourke. O’Rourke did not express opposition when I interviewed him for the column about Councillman Dale Fritchen’s proposal to restore them. Not exactly. What he did say is he had trouble [...]
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What she “hates” about Stockton

By Michael Fitzgerald | Published: February 23, 2010 | 0 Comments
Reader Rhondda Nunes has penned a retort to Forbes. She calls it, “What I Hate About Stockton, California.”  “I hate when my brother comes from Chicago  in the Winter and says”Mmmmm…t-shirt weather …above 50 Degrees.” I hate when atmospheric fog forms at 2:00am and I can remember London (England) coming out of a pub in the [...]
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Josh goes under the knife

By Michael Fitzgerald | Published: February 22, 2010 | 0 Comments
Joshua Mompean, the longtime Stockton resident dying from cystic fibrosis, has gone into surgery at Standord Med for a double lung transplant, his Facebook page says.  As I wrote here, I reported on Josh when he was a little boy. Pray for him.
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McNerney to Feinstein: prove you care

By Michael Fitzgerald | Published: February 22, 2010 | 0 Comments
Congressman Jerry McNerney has written a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein questioning her dubious proposal to ship more Delta water south: “I ask that you provide convincing evidence that your proposal would not cause harm to farmers, families, and businesses in the San Joaquin Delta region, and if such evidence is not available, I respectfully request [...]
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Challenging Forbes

By Michael Fitzgerald | Published: February 22, 2010 | 0 Comments
The Scavenger published my heartfelt curse on Forbes, and says the magazine replaced the photo of Melissa Huckaby, who is Tracy’s problem, not Stockton’s. Of course, what they replaced it with is a photo of a foreclosed home, so it’s not a tremendous improvement. Meanwhile, Chamber CEO Douglass Wilhoit forwards this, from Christopher  Lozano, Director of Student Recruitment, [...]
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Reader: Frats can spoil a college’s image

By Michael Fitzgerald | Published: February 19, 2010 | 0 Comments
Teresa Vosper writes: “I wanted to respond to your February 7th article regarding the fraternity scandal. I went to Chico State, where partying, including drinking and humiliating behavior, gained Chico State national recognition as a “party school.” Administrators and professors were not pleased. “By the time I arrived at Chico, the partying was still rampant, and some [...]
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