Manteca may soon have two community gardens.

The possible locations are on land at the  Second Harvest of the Greater Valley food bank in the Manteca Industrial Park as well as a parcel that is part of the city’s fire station site at Atherton Drive and Woodward Avenue.

The goal is for volunteers to join forces to help provide fresh produce to the food bank

Behind the effort is area resident Dr. Rajnish Khanna, the founder and Chief Executive of i-Cultiver, Inc.  It is a consortium of multidisciplinary professionals working together to improve agriculture, nutrition and conservation through advanced research and easy to use technology.

He has also worked as a research scientist on the private sector currently with the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University among other endeavors.

DeBrum is Manteca’s

Community Member

of the Year for 2023

Former Manteca Mayor Steve DeBrum has been selected the City of Manteca’s community member of the year.

He is the second person to earn the honor.

The first was Jon Anderson who is responsible for the establishment and ongoing maintenance of the Spreckels Park BMX track facility forged in a partnership with the City of Manteca.

DeBrum has been active for years in numerous civic groups such as the Sunrise Kiwanis and the Manteca Boys & Girls Club.

DeBrum is currently a candidate seeking election to the San Joaquín County Board of Supervisors in the 2024 election cycle to represent Manteca and Lathrop as well as a part of northwest Stockton.

Manteca is a Tree City

USA for 32nd straight year

The Arbor Day Foundation has bestowed Tree City USA status on  the City of Manteca for the 32nd consecutive year.

To become a Tree City USA , a community must have:

*A tree board or department.

*A tree care ordinance.

*A community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita.

*An Arbor Day observation and proclamation.

This year’s Manteca Arbor Day event takes place on Thursday, April 27, at 10 a.m.

It is a joint effort of the Manteca Garden Club and Manteca Parks Department

It takes place at Manteca Fire Department Station 243 on Louise Avenue west of Main Street.

The garden club donated the plants for the firehouse landscape which the city will plant for the celebration. 

The garden club also donated 20 trees that the city will be planting along the Tidewater Bikeway Trail.  Everyone is welcome to join the Arbor Day celebration.

 Contact Paula Elias on 209-482-3660 for more information, Facebook or www.mantecagardenclub.org. 

The Arbor Day Foundation notes:

*Trees help absorb the sounds of traffic in urban areas by 40%.

*Neighborhoods with trees are seven to nine degrees cooler than those without.

*Trees reduce energy costs up to 25% by shading buildings and protecting them from winter winds.

*Homes with trees have higher property values.

*Green space plays a major role in improving mental and physical health.

*Planting and maintaining trees absorbs carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, mitigating the effects of climate change.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com