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Free dinner for veterans; effort to help homeless with their pets
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The Sunrise Kiwanis want to say thanks to the men and women who served our country.
They are treating all veterans to a free dinner on Friday, May 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Manteca Senior Center, 295 Cherry Lane.
“We want to honor everyone who served in peace or wartime,” said Kiwanis member Carol Davis. “It is a great sacrifice of time.”
All veterans are free while other guests are $12 for the chicken and pasta dinner.
Everyone — including veterans — need to have tickets in advance so the Kiwanis know how much food to prepare.
Tickets are available at the American Legion Post in the 200 block of East Yosemite Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays or at the Manteca Community Center/Veterans Center on Moffat Boulevard weekdays form 9 to 11 a.m.
Tickets are also available by contacting Bob Gonzales of the American Legion at 612.6954 or Gary Colby of the Veterans of Foreign Wars at 608.0505.
You can also RSVP through Davis at cdavis@gecac.net.

You can help the
pets of homeless
Norman Provost has stepped up to help the homeless in Manteca and Stockton care for their pets. 
He has started an outreach with his wife dubbed Thomas’ Good Turn that they hope eventually hope to secure non-profit status for.
At least once a week they visit a homeless encampment in Manteca and Stockton spending some time with people and their pets. They offer food, water, treats and anything else they need for their pets including vaccines, neutering and spaying. They also provide bags of pet food to the Gospel Rescue Mission in Stockton and the Manteca Gospel Resource Center.
Their flyer notes, “Imagine being on the streets, alone and afraid.  For many of the people we meet, all they have in this world is a pet.  Their pet gives them unconditional love, companionship, warmth on a cold night and a sense of worth.  If we can ease their minds by providing food, water or a warm sweater for a dog and see a smile on a person’s face because of this, it makes what we do worth the work.”
If you’d like to help, among the items they need are dry or wet food (cat, adult dog and puppy), bottled water, treats, leashes,  collars, dog sweaters (any size), harnesses, food bowls, gallon or quart Ziploc bags or even a gift card to Costco, Target or Wal-Mart.
Monetary contributions can be made to www.gofundme.com/thomasgoodturn or
via Paypal at tom1341@yahoo.com. You can also visit their Facebook page for updates and pictures: Thomas’ Good Turn. Mary Castro can be contacted at (510) 774-1614 or by email at tom1341@yahoo.com.
 Provost also weighed in on the incident involving a homeless man’s Pit Bull and an attack on 80-year-old Wayne Cummings last Friday at the Manteca Moose Lodge on North Main Street.
While emphasizing “it is  not right what happened, period” he said he’s been told that Cumming’s dog instigated the attack and that the Cummings fell because he was trying to kick the Pit Bull adding it was his understanding that the dog did not pounce on him.
 
Dangers times for
pedestrians crossing
120 Bypass brdges
Recently a Sierra High student was hit — although it wasn’t life threatening — by a car exiting the 120 Bypass at the Airport Way bridge overcrossing.
His mother —who said her son either walks or rides his skateboard from their home south of the 120  Bypass to Sierra High —might have not been hit if there was at least  crosswalk to remind drivers at the signal that there are pedestrians.
And while it is true there is no sidewalk that is part of the problem in Airport Way and Union Road. crossings.
Both bridges were built when there was nothing south of the 120 Bypass except farms and small country estate parcels. Union Road didn’t even have ramps to access the freeway.
The safety of students walking to and from school was raised as a major concern almost 10 years ago when Manteca Unified essentially cut in-town busing to save money due to budget cuts.
Union Road is being addressed with an interchange widening project that should start within a year or so.
Given that there are more than 1,400 more homes already approved southwest of Woodward Avenue and Airport Way intersection that means foot traffic on the Airport Way bridge to reach Sierra High and even the Stadium Retail Center and nearby McDonald’s and Taco Bell will be increasing significantly.
City leaders have acknowledged the situation in the past but that is about it.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com