COMMUNITY CHOIR PRACTICE

The Manteca Community Choir will rehearse for this year's Christmas cantata every Sunday evening in November at 7 p.m. at the Manteca Presbyterian Church on North and Main. Adults, teenagers and children are invited to participate in this cantata. "Christmas Fantasia" will be performed on Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. and is free to the public. Contact Anne Talcott at 823-0054 for more information.

Elder Heinze going on 2-year Chile mission

Daniel Heinze, a 2008 Sierra High graduate, will enter the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah on Nov. 18 to begin preparations for a 2-year mission to the Chile Concepcion South Mission.

Scouting for food takes place Nov. 21

Scouting for food is a national canned food drive put on by the Boy Scouts of America.

Veterans Day at Library Park

Manteca's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6311 and American Legion Post 249 are holding a Veterans Day ceremony at Library Park on Wednesday, Nov. 11, starting at 11 a.m.

Neon Ink in free concert at Main Street Café Friday night

A new upcoming R&B Pop band will be performing a free show this Friday, Nov. 6, at Main Street Café at 7 p.m.

IN UNIFORM

Christ is a verb for Calvary youth

Christ is a verb and not a noun.

Kirk Waters takes oath as Manteca fire chief

Kirk Waters is officially Manteca's permanent fire chief.

Lathrop council may change meetings

LATHROP – When Jose D. Hernandez served on the Lathrop City Council two mayors ago, he lost a number of hours at work and, on a few occasions, arrived late at the meeting. Sometimes, he did not even have time to grab something for dinner while dashing off from work to the 7 o'clock council meeting at City Hall.

FLAG VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Ripon gang member sentenced to 5 years

RIPON - A 16-year-old gang member has been sentenced to five years and four months in juvenile detention after pleading guilty to assault with a deadly weapon in a stabbing in August that left him with a broken hand.

SJ deputies looking for missing man

LATHROP - San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department reported Mario Pena as a missing person.

2 laid off officers land Hayward jobs

Two recently laid off Manteca police officers have been hired by the City of Hayward with a higher wage scale than they had in Manteca.

Give Every Child a Chance appreciates support of business, rest of community

In these tough economic times, Carol Davis greatly appreciates any and all donations to her non-profit organization.

Pumpkin Maze: Smashing hit

LATHROP - It is without a doubt the largest agri-tourist attraction in the Central Valley if not all of California.

Mass exodus of city workers?

An aging municipal workforce combined with a looming benefit change that will hike health insurance costs for new retirees could mean the possible loss of almost half of Manteca's current municipal workforce by 2016.

Will Lathrop eventually go to pot?

LATHROP – It could be a non-issue in the coming years if California does become one of the next several states to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

Waffle Taco rings bell for diners

Steve Mendoza didn't quite know what to make of the Waffle Taco when he walked into Taco Bell on Thursday morning.

Entries sought for Camden essay contest

The Robert Camden Inspirational Essay Contest is an essay contest offered to 4th-12th grade students in the Manteca Unified School District.

‘Dog-gone’ park is overdue

One of the goals Manteca's elected leaders have for the upcoming fiscal year is to make sure the city becomes a bit more dog friendly.

One sweet deal: Pancakes fund Scouts

Three generations of Boys Scouts that have passed through Manteca Scout Group 423 are united in spirit – and maple syrup.

Woodward: 68-day reprieve

Water recreation will be allowed between May 1 and July 7 at Woodward Reservoir under a tentative deal brokered Tuesday.

SUPPORTING MILITARY

The Manteca Unified School District is the recipient of a Patriot Award from the Department of Defense. A separate Patriot Award was also presented to Superintendent Jason Messer.

Soroptimist fashion show & tea Saturday

Spring is in the air and so is the Spring Tea & Fashion Show hosted by the Soroptimist International of Manteca.

Manteca High leaving others green with envy

Green isn't just a school color at Manteca High School.

Small Manteca ministry seeks to feed homeless

Terry Pierce wants to give back to a community that has shown his young hotel nothing but support.

Great Valley Writing Project pupils produce book for Sequoia library

Barbara Damewood talked about writing the same way she would to any student in a writer's workshop.

The $9.99 watermelon

Sticker shock, courtesy of the drought, is coming to a supermarket near you.

CIVIL WAR ENTHUSIASTS

Scott Quealey has been a welder for more than two decades. He currently works at Rosa Welding in Manteca.

Manteca may stop discharging water to SJ River

The wish list of Manteca's leaders - both elected and bureaucratic - for major undertakings is long and expensive.