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CAN YOU HANDLE THE NAKED TRUTH?
Shopping center kicks out family car club; Cantu challenges DeBrum to 3 town hall forums in mayor’s race; ballot order for candidates
naked man.JPG

After the first posting of the cellphone video of the naked man walking along Daniels Street near Big League Dreams on Friday, most people posted lighthearted comments. But then more than a few people on social media started piling on the Manteca Police Department.

Their complaints boil down to them blaming the police for letting public nudity happen and not responding quick enough. They then go on to use the naked man as the reason du jour to support their belief Manteca is going to hell.

Here’s what happened: Multiple citizens called 9-1-1 at 1:54 p.m. to report a naked adult male with only a sweatshirt wrapped around his waist was walking down Daniels Street near the Costco.

The first officer was dispatched at 1:57 p.m. A minute later a 9-1-1 caller updated dispatch with the fact the man had ditched the sweatshirt and was now completely nude.

The first Manteca Police officer arrived on the scene at 2:02 p.m. within eight minutes of the original call.

Officers determined the man was suffering from a mental illness. He was cooperative and asked for help allowing officers to transport him to an area hospital for observation.

They also were able to learn that an off duty sheriff’s deputy had stopped to help the man initially and lent the man his sweatshirt.

Believe what you will about Manteca Police but they are not to blame for the man’s mental condition and they took just eight minutes to arrive.  A naked man walking around is definitely a call that needs attention — city law explicitly requires genital areas and such to be covered — but it isn’t exactly a life and death call warranting red lights and sirens.

Police have to be measured in all of their responses whether it’s the use of force or the manner in which they respond given the public’s safety is a paramount decision weighed before they initiate an emergency response or a chase.

If an eight minute response isn’t reasonable perhaps  the people with a major issue with that will lead the charge to increase city taxes by a factor of 100 in order to try and place a police officer every other block or so on a 24/7 basis.

 

Manteca Marketplace

boots Datslocos Car Club

For the past two years the family-orientated Datslocos Car Club — obviously they’re crazy about Datsuns — have been gathering the last Saturday of each month to show off their cars and enjoy each other’s company as well as chat with those dropping by to see their wheels.

Their meeting place has been in the Manteca Marketplace parking lot at Union Road and Yosemite Avenue next to Jack’s Pizza Café. They had the permission of the owner of the pizza café to do so. They’d typically buy pizza from Jacks’s, sandwiches at Subway and drinks from the Chevron station.

The new owner of the shopping center decided they don’t want Datslocos hanging around anymore so she called Manteca Police to tell them to leave last month.

Club members said the Manteca Police officer was completely professional but told them his hands were tied given it was private property and posted according to laws that the owner could have the cars towed.

More than a few club members — most who happen to be Hispanic — said the shopping center representative was a tad rude.

Given the numerous car shows in Manteca throughout the year and that socializing at car shows is practically an official city pastime, it’s not what you’d call a brilliant marketing strategy to kick out a family-orientated car club especially when members and those dropping by spend money with tenants.

 

 

Cantu challenges

DeBrum to three

town hall sessions

 

 

Ben Cantu is challenging Mayor Steve DeBrum to three town hall session over a five-week period focusing on five subjects — public safety including the homeless, downtown revitalization, economic development, housing, and growth.

DeBrum said he has received the letter and is reviewing it.

DeBrum confirmed he is participating in the Manteca Chamber of Commerce candidates’ forum lunch on Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. that takes place at the Emory Hall, 1028 W. Yosemite Ave., and the San Joaquin League of Women Voters forum on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Manteca Transit Center, 220 Moffat Blvd. Cantu also will be in attendance.

In Cantu’s letter to DeBrum, Cantu states, “After several inquiries from the community seeking a more detailed explanation of your and my perspectives on the challenges facing the community, it is my view the community should have an opportunity to participate in a discussion of our perspectives. It is entirely inappropriate for me to attempt to explain your thoughts and goals.”

 

 

Cantu tops DeBrum

in jockeying for top

of ballot position

Ben Cantu beat out Steve DeBrum for top billing on the Nov. 6 municipal ballot.

Based on a random drawing of the alphabet conducted by California Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s staff “C” came out as the first letter while “D” ended up being drawn 10th. That means Cantu’s name will appear first on the ballot for the mayor’s race.

There have been numerous studies over the years that claim being listed first on a ballot gives a candidate a “bump” by between 10 and 15 percent. That presumes voters either couldn’t decide and just went with the first name when marking the ballot or marked the name in error simply because it appeared first.

Whether it makes much of a difference is questionable given other research that contends the same type of bonus bump in voting benefits the name listed last as well. The studies are based on three or more names for an office where only one vote is cast.

The descending order for the council candidates are: Jose Nuno, Mike Morowit, Chris Silva, and David Breitenbucher. Manteca voters will select two council members.

The San Joaquin County elections office has assigned letters to 10 ballot measures of which one will apply to all county voters, one to City of Manteca voters and one to Ripon Unified School District voters. The remaining seven apply to measures in other school districts and cities.

*Measure B is a San Joaquin County proposal to impose taxes on commercial cannabis businesses in the unincorporated parts of the county to support early childhood education, drug use prevention, literacy and other programs for youth and public safety including the enforcement of cannabis laws. The proposal is for a 3.5 to 8 percent tax on gross receipts as well as a $2 per square foot cultivation payment starting at $2 that will be adjusted annually by the Consumer Price Index.

*Measure I is the Ripon Unified measure seeking passage of a $38.5 million bond to build more classrooms to maintain smaller classes, replace older portable classrooms with permanent buildings, construct science labs and improve career technical facilities.

*Measure J is the City of Manteca to take the hotel tax from 9 percent to 12 percent to generate $450,000 a year to pay for basic services such as police, fire, and streets.

 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com