Someplace special

A recent work-related conference placed me within an hour's flight of my hometown of Stockton, California. As the base airfare was less than $40 and opportunities to visit my parents and sister only arise once or twice a year, I jumped at the opportunity.

Some who are familiar with my hometown's many challenges might wonder why I'd bother. Not being a 'Stockton apologist', I recognize said problems and have even sung the blues about them. Problems aside though, there's a lot to like about Stockton that many (read “Forbes Magazine”, among others) either refuse to acknowledge or gloss over. After spending an extended weekend in the nation's easternmost Pacific seaport, I'd like to rectify that oversight.

Valley deliciousness

My first stop upon landing at Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK) was Chuck's Hamburgers, a family-run eatery dating back more than forty years. Though Chuck's menu includes a range of delectable options (e.g. milkshakes served up in the metal can, pancakes so large they're nicknamed 'manhole covers', etc.), this trip included two of my longtime favorites: A completely loaded club sandwich on sourdough and a half-order of onion rings. Yum!

The visit and related proximity to childhood memories also inspired me to make sopas (a traditionalPortuguese dish often served on or around Easter) for my parents and sister. Sopas made with fresh-baked multigrain sourdough bread from Stockton's Boudin Bakery made for yet another delicious Stockton memory.

Music and the arts

Second stop on this year's spring vacation to Stockton was the Haggin Museum. My parents and I enjoyed wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres and the blues, made possible by Friends of the Haggin (who organized the refreshments) and Ms. Lizzy and Her Cadillac Kings, the evening's talented performers. Sipping delicious, locally grown and produced red zinfandel wine accompanied by fresh California strawberries, all while listening to classics like “Sweet Home, Chicago” (a song about where I now live) made for yet another memorable moment.

The weekend's entertainment didn't end with that first night at the Haggin though. On Friday night, my parents and I enjoyed listening to local band “Bad Habits” while dining on delicious tri-tip sandwiches at Royce's BBQ. My mom and I then headed out to the Elks Lodge to listen to the classic rock n' roll stylings of “RB/X”.

[More]BBQ and Baseball

Yet another Stockton claim to fame is Banner Island Ballpark (aka 'The BIB', a minor league venue once recognized as one of the nation's finest ballparks). A quick stroll around The BIB quickly illustrates why it's a Stockton gem. Nestled alongside the headwaters of the San Joaquin River, just across the water from Stockton's downtown marina, with a host of children's activities and blessed with cool delta breezes and a plethora of dining options (I enjoyed a BBQ'd chicken salad and deep fried Stockton asparagus), I can't think of a better place to enjoy a ballgame... Which is no mean compliment coming from someone who's personally enjoyed 'The Friendly Confines' on a number of occasions.

Far away home, far away port

Watching the Stockton Ports' batters slam doubles and triples, seeing ocean-bound freighters loading up on molasses and concrete, enjoying warm sun and clear skies... Good times. Does any of that eradicate the specter of bankruptcy, high crime or Stockton's other challenges? No, of course not. That said though, I'd like to remind Stockton's many naysayers that, while the city's challenges are great, a thousand miles of sun-drenched waterways, countless acres of verdant farmland and plentiful vineyards all translate into someplace that, challenges aside, is still pretty dammed special.

Trouble in River City

River City, Chicago, Illinois

Downtown Stockton, California

An open letter to Michael Fitzgerald, Record columnist

Dear Mike,

I've given your recent blog post, “On the waterfront”, quite a bit of thought. As the varied though largely (and understandably) negative reader comments in your post illustrate, Stockton's woes are significant and complex. Are they insurmountable? No, I don't think so... Not as long as people still care... Which many still do, the purely negative naysayers aside. Still, I think most Stocktonians (even expatriates like myself) agree there are no easy answers.

Specific to the delta, yes, it's an asset, and yes, Stockton's already deriving significant economic benefits from it in the form of jobs at the Port of Stockton. There are also Stocktonians - yourself included, I believe - who view delta recreation as an essential part of their lives, lifestyles, maybe even their psyches. But Stockton is no Sacramento with it's 'old town', nor is it still named "French Camp" with it's associated trapping industry. Stockton is a bankrupt city with failing infrastructure, high crime, an understaffed police dept., an overcrowded jail, substandard public schools, limited higher education options... The list goes on and on. My intention here isn't simply to be negative or sing the blues though, but rather to show empathy and agreement that, while the challenges are great, said challenges are accompanied by dangers too great to risk inaction. That said, a few thoughts......

Crime will not decrease overnight, it's primary drivers are economic, and improvement can't await the more significant turnaround I believe is coming. So how about taking a page from my favorite Stockton film, "Cool Hand Luke"? What if, instead of building more empty houses, Stockton's rich soil was used for a new self-sustaining, low security work farm? While the idea of another Stockton-area prison rankles, such a facility could provide benefits in the form of produce to the entire California prison system (which might help it get funded), and could help address the short-term problem of a full jail.

Another thought is inspired by Chicago's River City. Yes, such a development bears some similarity to Stockton's exclusive, gated community, Brookside, but it could provide a starting point for future development... A safe, self-contained and secure place for boaters to live and commute from, that would bring in revenues and leverage the waterfront/delta locale. And, before anyone poo-poos such an idea out of hand because of the old adage, "Location, location, location" (or the equivalent naysayers response of, "No one in their right mind would ever choose to live in downtown Stockton!"), River City was developed in one of downtown Chicago's least attractive neighborhoods (the riverfront aside... And, actually, even the riverfront wasn't a slam dunk initially due to significant water pollution issues that have since been largely addressed).

One more idea I'm guessing the Stockton Chamber of Commerce might embrace... Real, powerful, effective PR in the form of more public events. While seemingly at odds with the challenges of crime and bankruptcy, I think most Stocktonians would agree that our fair (though tarnished) city sure cleans up pretty. Televised events like the bass derby and Amgen's Tour of California, both of which leveraged Weber Point instead of the controversial downtown Arena, show off the beauty of Stockton's delta locale and communicate to the wider world that there's more to the city than can be found between the pages of Forbes Magazine. Such events also foster civic pride, allowing citizens to see their hometown's glittering waters on TV and hear event attendees from across the globe comment on Stockton's beauty.

In closing, I'm fully aware that I don't have complete (or likely even significant) solutions to my hometown's woes. Still, to stop proposing solutions is to stop caring... To give up, to lose all hope. And, if there's one thing Stockton - and Stocktonians - can't afford to lose, it's hope.


Sincerely,

T.R. Nunes