One thing is certain about Manteca’s next mayor.

Whoever wins in November of 2026 will be in the only citywide elected office when Manteca crosses the 100,000 population mark.

Manteca is on pace to surpass that mark in the next three to four years on the heels of Tracy also joining the 77 other California cities that have crossed the 100,000 population threshold.

So far, two have filed the required paperwork indicating their intent to run for office.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission document needs to be filed before a candidate can solicit or accept donations.

The two are political newcomer Jacob Naven and incumbent Gary Singh.

Naven has gone a step further and formally announced his candidacy last week.

Singh has yet to do so.

The next steps include forming a campaign committee of which Singh’s treasurer has already secured from the Manteca City Clerk’s office to fill out.

The last step, and the one that actually gets them on the ballot, is the filing of nomination papers with registered voters’ signatures that doesn’t take place until next June.

 Cricket participation

is growing in Manteca

No, he did not say Jiminy Cricket, but Councilman Mike Morowit is more than happy to see the heavy use the city’s cricket field at Doxey Park is getting these days.

Morowit took a lot of flak for successfully advocating for the city to earmark leftover federal COVID funds to install the required pitch and such at Doxey Park on Northgate Drive.

Morowit reported on weekends whenever he passes the field it is in use.

“Now we’re seeing junior (youth) teams playing,” Morowit said.

Not only is cricket ranked among the top 10 participatory sports in the world, but it is going to make its Olympic debut in California at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.

At least one more cricket field is in the works at a proposed neighborhood park south of the 120 Bypass.

Curb cuts in Shasta

Park neighborhood

There are a good number of curb cuts being made in the Shasta Park neighborhood pavement improvement project.

Such work is required whenever a city uses state funds for significant road projects to bring sidewalks at street crossings up to current ADA standards.

The Shasta Park neighborhood was built in the 1970s.

American with Disabilities Act rules have changed significantly in the last 50 plus years.

25 more homeless

getting off the street

The long-awaited third dorm at the city’s emergency homeless shelter at 555 Industrial Park Drive is in the final stretch.

Once a safety-related system that the city has been trying to secure is delivered and in place, the dorm will be ready for occupancy.

And when that happens, it will be noticeable.

That’s because the city will likely be able to fill all 25 beds in the men’s  dorm from a waiting list almost overnight

As such, 25 less people will be sleeping on the streets which should be a fairly noticeable occurrence.

The have been two dorms in place for 17 months. One has 25 beds for men and one has 25 beds for women.

160 attend vigil

Manteca Police estimates 160 people attended last Friday evening’s vigil for Charlie Kirk at the Woodward Park picnic shelter.

The main organizer was the Young Republicans of San Joaquin County.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com