Think you’ve seen everything? Well how about this one. Some people are really into exercising their pets...On a recent drive through a new subdivision in north Manteca I came upon a gentleman driving his pickup truck down the street with his dog trotting alongside the vehicle. What’s different or wrong with that? The driver was holding onto a leash as he drove. The leash was attached to the dog’s collar.

We were shopping at Safeway when lo and behold we came upon past mayor of Farmington and Manteca store owner as well as past Manteca City Councilman Dick Cross. You may also remember he was a bowling alley operator as well as a restaurant magnet (now Perko’s). So you can see he has had his ups and downs...in fact he still has his ups and downs. He now works in Sacramento operating a man lift (elevator to us). By the way the Safeway store is a classy place.

Also ran into Dino Cunial and wife at the Waffle Shop as well as his look-alike (they both have the same hairdo – on windydays they don’t have to carry a comb.) retired Lincoln School Principal Marion Elliott as well as Damon Knight, a SHARP member and the group’s news editor. It was a momentous day as the ladies in the group let me know Marion was buying that day. You put a man’s face on the wall for events like that.

We took a ride out South Manteca Road to the new Bud’s Nursery and met Todd Roddan the owner. If you are into flowers you may want to stop by, it’s roomy, clean and well organized. They also have some beautiful yellow roses on hand.

Did you see where a member of the Air Resources Board wants all car repair shops to check the pressure of all car tires to make sure they are correctly inflated? It sounds like a lot of hot air to me.

Then there was an idea floating around about water cops notifying residents of their water wasting way. Sounds like a good idea, however the last time our then city manager floated that idea it seems to me a local reporter did his homework and guess who the worst offender in the city was? It was the city itself. Oh well, set ‘em up in the next alley. It kind of made us look like a bunch of buffons and most politicians don’t need that kind of help. By the way the present Manteca City Council had no part in the above situation. But then there is the problem of the “Welcome to Manteca” signs on the edge of our community. The impression the signs give is not what we deserve. There must be a way to correct that.

See you at the Crossroads Street Fair downtown today or Sunday, I hope!