As if the case didn’t need any more bizarre twists, the Sam Fant election fraud and conspiracy case took an unexpected turn on Monday when his former political mentor testified against him in the preliminary hearing in his case.
Fant, 28, is accused to being the mastermind behind a move to get two out-of-district ringers elected to the school board to help give him additional votes to move his agenda through in his final two years on the board.
According to Dale Fritchen – who appointed Fant to the Stockton Planning Commission when he was only 20-years-old, and essentially jumpstarted his political career in the process – Fant told him explicitly that he was in fact using addresses in the right districts so that he could get Alexander Bronson and Ashley Drain elected, regardless of whether they actually lived there.
Fritchen has remained active in Manteca Unified politics ever since he was defeated by Michael Tubbs in his reelection bid for the Stockton City Council – Fant, ironically, is now running for Tubb’s old seat – but the revelation on Monday added a unique layer to a case that has been hanging over Manteca Unified ever since it was announced that two of their sitting board members were being charged with election fraud.
This has been something that I’ve followed from the beginning – visually inspecting the damning election documents that Drain supposedly filled out that included the address that Bronson would eventually use on his own.
It was crossed out and the right one was written underneath because it wouldn’t have been the right district, and surely nobody would notice such a minor mistake.
Nothing like leaving a paper trail.
But at this point I actually feel bad for the administrators at Manteca Unified that have had to wade through all of this over the course of the last two years – the Grand Jury reports and the principal oustings and the negative reputation that the circus has brought on all of their names.
I’m sure Superintendent Jason Messer has aged 10 years just dealing with these issues alone, not to mention the fact that he has the education of 24,000 kids to worry about.
Soon enough it’ll all be over.
And then the real work – improving the lives of the children of Manteca, Lathrop, French Camp and Weston Ranch – can actually begin.
That day can’t come soon enough.

Bye-Bye Baby Bonanza
In a spectacular explosion last week, the San Francisco Giants surrendered the largest lead in the Top of the 9th inning in baseball history to literally hand the game to the Chicago Cubs – who look like they’ll be heading to the 2016 World Series to face the Cleveland Indians.
Let me say that again. It looks like it’ll be the Chicago Cubs playing the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.
Let that sink in.
One team hasn’t won the trophy since 1948. The other hasn’t won the trophy since 1908.
I’d much rather be talking to my son about how Bochy is a genius for perfecting the double-switch with the game on the line right now instead of rooting against the Dodgers, but from a sports fan’s perspective, I guess I’ll take what baseball is giving us this year.

The Picks of
the Prideful Pack
So last week I lost a game while Mark Condit went 5-0, so now he’s only a game behind me and nipping at my heels to take first place.
I have to admit – the confidence that was there in the first week is a bit shaken. I’m not quite sure I still have it.
Am I good enough?
Will I make it to the finish line?
What is my life?
Just kidding. Condit may think that he’s going to put me in a green jersey, and Teicheira may think he’s throwing the kitchen sink at it this week to try and jump some major places, but they’re both sadly mistaken.
That blue is going look good on them.
Here are our poorly researched and extremely unscientific thoughts about who is going to come out on top this week:
uCampbell – At 18-2, I’m in first place. And so therefore these picks should be respected as such. Manteca High School will beat Lathrop, Central Catholic will beat Sierra, and East Union will beat Kimball. In the NFL, the Oakland Raiders will come out victorious on the road at Jacksonville, and the San Francisco 49ers will win one of the three games they’ll come out on top in this year against Tampa Bay. Write it down. Call your bookie.
uCondit – At 17-3, this Manteca High grad proves that he’s no joke. He agrees with me on Manteca, Central and East Union, and thinks that the Oakland Raiders has what it takes. Condit breaks this week from the leader by taking the Jaguars – a move that could end up tying us up. It worked for him last week. We’ll find out.
uWohle – He’s 15-5 at the moment, but don’t let that scare you – East Union will likely make the playoffs this week, and that could be just what this Lancer needs to jumpstart the push towards the finish line. Eric takes the same line as Condit – Manteca, East Union and Central, topping it off with Oakland and the Bucs. I thought Lancers were supposed to lead?
uTeicheira – He’s 12-8 and feeling frisky. This week Chris will take chances to try and snake up the leader board and make sure that the Teicheira name isn’t forever part of the East Union campus – although I’m fairly certain his name’s written under layers and layers of paint inside of a ladies room stall somewhere on campus. It has to be. He’s going to take Manteca, Central and Kimball, as well as the 49ers and the Jaguars – going against his Oakland Raiders.
There you have it ladies and gentlemen. Until next week?

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.