You’ve got a San Joaquin County Supervisor who will fight for you if live in Lathrop or Manteca north of Yosemite Avenue.
Tom Patti — who defeated Moses Zapian on Nov. 8 to win the District 3 seat that also represents the Delta and parts of north Stockton — was sworn in last week to a four-year term.
The night before he and his daughter were at his parents’ house when their German Shephard jumped up suddenly to greet him as he was bending down. Patti took a direct hit to his right eye from the dog inadvertently head butting him in his excitement.
Patti — from experience — knew exactly what to do to counter the swelling and minimize the inevitable black and blue that followed. That’s because in his younger days as an aspiring boxer he roomed at a training camp with a guy by the name of Mike Tyson.
Talk to Patti and you will find out how boxing can indeed make one focused and goal-driven. Patti opted not to play up his boxing past during the campaign as he wanted to focus on the issues and present his vision for working with the community to uplift San Joaquin County economically while at the same time making it a better place to live.
It’s safe to say that Patti — with the training and discipline needed to succeed as a boxer — definitely will be tenacious fighting for a better future for the county’s 715,000 residents.
Patti will be on hand helping Manteca Rotarians during their 11th annual Super Bowl Sunday Omelet-Pancake Breakfast on Feb. 5 from 7:30 a.m. until noon at the MRPS Hall. Patti will be helping sell raffle tickets. Breakfast tickets are $10 at the door or from club members.
Banner week coming
up for Manteca area
pet owners
Things are looking up for Manteca pet owners.
Not only is the long-promised dog park finally opening sometime next week at the Manteca Civic Center behind the Manteca Senior Center along Eucalyptus Street but Manteca also will have another option for pet supplies next week.
Carter’s Pet Smart plans opening the week of Monday, Jan. 16, as well. The family-owned business that has earned high marks for personalized attention for years at their Stockton location is opening in the former site of Blockbuster Video at Main and Alameda streets.
They will offer pet adoptions every weekend as well as a pet care clinic every Sunday from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
When they do open their hours will be Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

More coaches of
note that have had
impact on EU students
A story on the effort to add longtime boys’ basketball Bill Stricker’s name to the basketball court at East Union High prompted this email from a reader:
“Mr. Stricker was a good coach, but what about the great girl coaches that you will be leaving out?  Coach Mike Morenzone coached for 20 years at East Union and was instrumental in the school’s first three section championships.  Coach Jim Agostini has been running a great girls’ basketball program at the school for over 10 years.  Coach Bill Goulart has been a successful coach for over 10 years.  I think Coach M. came back to help revitalize the volleyball program a few years ago and coach at the lower levels and they also won a championship that had not happened since he retired from coaching volleyball at East Union.  Coach Morenzone and Coach Jim Agostini both have been instrumental in the progression of girl athletes who use the gymnasium at EU.”
Good points. It also underscores the relevance that many see to attaching names to buildings and such like Dino Cunial Stadium, the Jose Baron Band Room, and the Jim Brown Weight Room among others.
East Union High — and other high schools — offer an experience and education for young people that is the sum total of the people that played a role in helping them grow. That, by the way, includes the English teacher who goes above and beyond in and out of the classroom to get students turned on to literature and writing as well as coaches, band directors, principals, and school trustees.
Naming a building doesn’t honor as much the individual as it does put a face onto colleagues and others that make similar impacts on students.
Much like Manteca High that has named various facilities help keep reminders of its rich heritage and traditions alive with name dating back 67 of its 97 years, East Union also has accomplishments, heritage and traditions over the past 50 years that can be remembered in the same way.

Moses Zapian joins
Community Partnership
for Families board
Let’s go back to the San Joaquin County politics for a moment.
Moses Zapian — the appointed incumbent that Tom Patti was elected to replace on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors — has joined the Community Partnership for Families as a new board member.
 The Board of Directors is responsible for advancing CPFSJ’s mission to provide tools, resources and connections through partnerships to help families improve their quality of life and for steering the agency towards a sustainable future.
Zapien is an attorney and has served on the Stockton City Council.
“Through strong family support, training, mentorship, hard work and educational achievement, I believe anyone can realize his or her potential,” Zapien noted of the CPFSJ’s endeavors.
 Zapien has ahistory of giving back to San Joaquin County. He is a current bboard member of the American Leadership Forum-Great Valley Chapter, Library and Literacy Foundation of San Joaquin County, the Beyond Our Gates Community Council at the University of the Pacific and is co-founder of the Stockton Little Free Libraries Association.
CPFSJ provides resources, services and supports to individuals and families at its five Family Resource Centers in San Joaquin County and through its mobile unit. 
For more information on the non-profit organization go to www.cpfsj.org

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com