Frank and Janet Fiore are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary June 24.

And Janet knows the perfect gift that Frank can get her — a backhoe.

Not just any backhoe either. A John Deere backhoe.

Janet has spent the past seven years helping upgrade East Union Cemetery along with a core of other dedicated volunteers joined periodically by other civic-minded individuals and service organizations.

The cemetery’s backhoe that is critical for digging graves is aging and has been racking up costly repairs with the last one coming in at $6,000.

There is a bit of a precedent in the Fiore household for practical gifts.

A few years back when her husband who is a partner in Center Appliances asked her what she wanted for her birthday she replied “a lawnmower.”

When he asked what for, she explained it was because the cemetery was in dire need of one.

“I figured if I just asked him if we could buy a lawn mower for the cemetery I wouldn’t get one,” Janet said.

Frank ended up buying Janet a Toro lawn mower for her birthday.

And while she’s kidding about the backhoe — or at least says she is  — it would be cheaper than a 274-night cruse around the world on the Royal Caribbean that starts at $122, 000 per couple. John Deere backhoes on eBay that weren’t more than a decade old were listed for between $42,700 and $104,999.

And it does fit in with other anniversary gifts Frank has given Janet given it has two wheels. Early in their marriage one of his surprise anniversary gifts was a pair of wheels for her bicycle. Frank is an enthusiastic roadie when it comes to cycling.

The two met while they were in college while Frank was at the University of the Pacific and Janet (Lindeman) was at San Joaquin Delta College.

They married June 24, 1972 at Trinity Lutheran in Stockton.

They have three children, seven grandchildren and one grandchild.

Feel groovy at dinner

Saturday and help the

East Union Cemetery

If you want to help convince Frank that the 50th is a backhoe anniversary and not a golden anniversary, you can try your luck at this Saturday’s benefit for the East Union Cemetery being staged by Friends of the East Union Cemetery in conjunction with the Sunrise Kiwanis Club.

It’s dubbed “Peace, Love & Feeling Groovy”  for $40 a person.

Cocktails are from 6 to 6:45 p.m. at the Manteca’s Senior Center, 295 Cherry Lane, followed by dinner at 7 p.m.

There will be a live and silent auctions as well as a disc jockey.

Contact Carol Davis at 209-601-5051,or Kerri Tapia at 209-614-2429 for tickets or go to SunriseKiwianis.org or EastUnionCemetery.org.

Dress in your 1970s best.

Other women were also

on planning commission

Two women are now serving on the Manteca Planning Commission at the same time for the first time ever in the city’s 104-year history—  Judith Blumhorst and Celeste Fiore.

A story in the Bulletin two weeks ago was incorrect to infer they were only the second and third women to serve.

Besides Charlene Carroll there were at least three others — Cheryl McFall, Polly Marliani, and Margaret Johnson.

The first meeting with Blumhorst and Fiore on the Planning Commission is this Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Manteca Civic Center, 1001 W, Center St.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com