Arguably the worst placed bulb in downtown Manteca is gone.
It didn’t take a council debate. Nor did it take three years. It actually took less than a week.
City Manager Karen McLaughlin simply ordered it taken out.
The offending bulb was by the alley on the west side of the 100 block of North Main Street. City Councilwoman Debby Moorhead at last week’s council meeting pointed out that once again the tree had been knocked down and the curbing scuffed by tire marks by a vehicle unable to make a right run out of the alley without hitting the bulb.
Off and on over the past 10 years that specific bulb — as well as all others in general — had been the target of complaints from citizens wanting them out. The bulb by the alley, though, wasn’t simply a case of drivers not liking them. It actually got hit by vehicles on an ongoing basis due to its placement by the alley.
A decade ago, four other bulbs were taken out as having been poorly placed for safe traffic movement and parking but only after two to three-month of council level debate.
The bulbs — plus those still in place — are designed to make parking easier, to slow down traffic on Main Street to make the corridor more pedestrian friendly and to beautify downtown.
• • •
Ground breaking for VFW home work next month
Ground is expected to break late next month on the Moffat Community Center that will serve as the new home for Jimmie Connors Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6311.
Manteca Community Development Director Frederic Clark confirmed Tuesday that the project designs are now being reviewed by city staff. It is on target for a July 1 completion to allow veterans to celebrate the Fourth of July with their first permanent ever.
The $1,160,000 project involves building a 3,600-square-foot structure is being designed and built by Diede Construction at 560 Moffat Boulevard.
• • •
A rare pick for Manteca board
A rare appointment took place last week when the Manteca City Council picked Amanda Dhaliwal as one of three appointees to the Manteca Public Safety Sales Tax Oversight Committee.
The rarity comes in the fact she is only one of a handful of women ever to serve on municipal commission or standing boards except for the senior and youth advisory boards. On the flip side, not very many women ever apply.
She works as a bank manager and serves on the Give Every Child a Chance board as well as the ladies wing of the Punjabi American Association of Manteca among others.
The others are John Harris and Randy May.
Harris served in law enforcement for 32 years before his retirement in 1995. He also has served on various boards included as a Manteca United School District trustee and a Manteca City Council member.
May worked 28 years with the Manteca Fire Department with half of that time working with city staff on the budget process. He is currently commander of the Manteca Fire Department’s Seniors Assisting Fire Effort. He also served four years on the Manteca High School Athletics Boosters Club.
• • •
Appointees to senior advisory alternate spots
Maxine Van Middendorp and Beverly Villines have been named by the Manteca City Council as alternate board members for the Manteca Senior Advisory Committee.
Van Middendorp has been working for the past several years as a volunteer at the Manteca Senior Center in both the kitchen and helping with trips and tours. She also has been serving as a board alternate for the past year.
She worked for many years as the Northgate Little League snack bar coordinator, taught scorekeepers, umpired games and served on the board for four years.
Villines is a retired computer system analyst. She volunteers to help seniors with taxes at the senior center. She has served as president of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 249 as well as in the same capacity as the district level. She is treasurer of the Senior Sunshine Club.
Villines is a volunteer worker at the nutrition desk, helps with trips and tours and coordinates the Bunco group.
