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Morowit starts run for 2nd term with event Thursday
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Mike Morowit is kicking of his re-election campaign for the Manteca City Council on Thursday, Dec. 14, with a gathering from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Emory Hall, 1028 W. Yosemite Ave.
Snacks and refreshments are being served at the event where donations are appreciated. It does not require an RSVP to attend. Additional information is available by calling 209.483.4129.
Morowit will become the second candidate to announce for the two seats up in the Nov. 6, 2018 election. The other is Jose Nuno who is currently serving on the Manteca Planning Commission and is in his 13th year working for Visionary Home Builders of California.
The other incumbent — Richard Silverman — said Tuesday evening he is still undecided whether he’ll seek a second four-year term.
Mayor Steve DeBrum in October formally announced he’ll be seeking a second term as mayor next November.

Moorhead is
now Manteca’s
vice mayor
Last week Debby Moorhead was appointed as Manteca’s vice mayor replacing Gary Singh in that role.
It follows a decades-old tradition of the highest vote getter in the council election every two years being appointed as vice mayor for the year after the election and the second highest — in this case Moorhead — serve as vice mayor the second year after the election.
Moorhead, who has served on the council since 2008, was a candidate for mayor in the 2010 election against then Mayor Willie Weatherford who went on to win a third term. Also in that 2010 race was Ben Cantu who also ran for mayor in 2014.
Cantu is currently pondering his sixth campaign to gain a spot on the council either as a council member or as mayor.

Daniels extension
could deal a winning
hand for ACE riders
The extension of Daniels Street from where it dead-ends at the western edge of Costco and Big League Dreams to McKinley Avenue could be covered by a $3 million plus federal grant designed to make major economic investments in communities work.
The City of Manteca is applying for the grant now that negotiations are in the final stretch for a possible water park resort deal of 30 acres of municipal owned land along the 120 Bypass of Costco. If the city is successful it would free up remaining redevelopment money for other projects authorized when the bonds were issued.
The extension of Daniels Street through to McKinley Avenue not only would open up development of 210 city-owned acres for development including an indoor waterpark resort but it would strengthen the city’s pitch to relocate the Altamont Corridor Express station roughly a mile to the south of where it is now on West Yosemite Avenue to near where Daniels would join McKinley.
Such a move would give ACE its only station accessed almost directly from a major freeway when the McKinley Avenue/120 Bypass interchange now targeted to beak ground in 2019 is completed. The station would be within a half mile if it were relocated.
That’s a big deal because the current Lathrop-Manteca station has consistently been the second highest boarding point on the ACE line driven by the fact commuters from Modesto, Ripon, and east toward Oakdale and the foothills drive to the station to catch trains. When ACE service is extended to Ripon, Modesto and Ceres by 2025, it will change the dynamics somewhat.
That said an ACE station off McKinley on the 120 Bypass would be an easier access point for commuters from areas in South Stockton such as Weston Ranch, the foothills and those along the East Highway 120 corridor.
And depending how the rest of the city’s proposed family entertainment zone on the 210 acres is designed, it could share parking for future attractions that would have extensive use during the weekend and not weekdays such as envisioned playing venues with extensive bleacher seating for soccer and other competitive amateur sports. The greatest need for ACE parking — even if weekend service is eventually instituted — is during the week,

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com