JoaqunPublic Safetyin the Valley

JUNE 2013 YEAR 1 N 010 $3.50

Seguridad Pblica en el Valle

NATION / NACINThe Overlooked Latino Role in U.S. IndependenceEl Ignorado Papel Latino en la Independencia de los EEUU

THE ARTS / THE ARTSRoger Casillas: Nature in ClayNaturaleza en Arcilla

STATE / ESTADORejecting At Large electionsRechazando la Eleccin Global

More Needed than Law EnforcementMs que Fuerzas del Orden

Crime-fighting Proposals Square OffSe Enfrentan Propuestas Rivales para Combatir el crimen

SPD Chief Jones: Doing More with LessComandante Jones: Ms con Menos

2 Joaqun JUNE 2013

PUbLIC SAFETy / SEGURIDAD PbLICAMore than law enforcement / Ms que orden a la fuerza

NATION / NACINThe overlooked latino role in the U.S. IndependenceEl ignorado papel latino en la Independencia de EEUU

PUbLIC SAFETy / SEGURIDAD PbLICAStockton crime-fighting proposals square offSe enfrentan propuestas rivales para combatirel crimen en Stockton

SUSD / Distrito Escolar Unificado de Stockton

STATE / ESTADOPushing for better local representationBuscando mejor representacin local

PUbLIC SAFETy / SEGURIDAD PbLICA Eric Jones: More with less / Ms con menos

ART FOCUS / ENFOqUE ARTSTICORoger Casillas: Mother Nature in ClayMadre Naturaleza en Arcilla

EDUCATION / EDUCACINquetzalMama: The Rsum / Curriculum Vitae

CHICAN-IZMOSThe best three out of five / Tres de cinco

PHOTO ART / FOTOARTEImpressions of a city / De una ciudad

ENVIRONMENT / MEDIOAMBIENTEConnecting community to natureConectando comunidad y naturaleza

SHORT STORIES / El CUENTO: Beto and the cat / Beto y el gato

POETRy / POESA: Its Time / Es Tiempo

POlITICAl PUlSE / PUlSO POlTICO

HISPANIC AMERICA / EEUU HISPANO

PersonnelEditor-in-ChiefRoberto A. Radrignradrigan@joaquinmag.com

PublisherJess Cervantes /Leading Edgejess@leadingedgedata.comwww.leadingedgedata.com

Composition, Layout& All IllustrationsGrfica Designwww.graficadesign.net

ContributorsRoxanne Ocampo San Marcos, CAScott WynnStockton, CAMarisa Mndez, DDSStockton, CA

Joaqun

Joaqun is an English & Spanish bilingual publication addressing relevant Latino issues in the Californias Northern Central Valley. It is published monthly by Leading Edge Diversified Ventures, a Lodi, CA-based LLC.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any use of materials from this publication, including reproduction, modification, distribution or re-publication, without the prior written consent of LE, LLP, is strictly prohibited.

Joaquin is printed by LE Printing Services, a union print shop

EditorialBoardIns Ruiz-Huston, PhDGene Bigler, PhDRichard RosManuel CamachoJeremy TerhuneCandelaria Vargas

Offices2034 Pacific AvenueStockton, CA 95204(209) 941-0597info@joaquinmag.comwww.joaquinmag.com

Advertising & SubscriptionsLeading Edge11940 N. Lower Sacramento Rd.Lodi, CA 95242jess@leadingedgedata.comwww.leadingedgedata.com(209) 948-6232

Our mission is to provide the latino community of Californias Central Valley with an unbiased mirror of our society, to advocate civic duty and participation, to celebrate the successes and achievements of our peers, and to provide a tribune for emerging latino leadership.

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COVER PHOTO IllUSTRATION:A ROBERTO RADRIGN AND RICHARD ROS COllABORATIVE

June 2013

ContentsContenido

JUNE 2013 Joaqun 3

More Than Law enforceMenT

Did you notice that Stockton no longer heads the list of most miserable cities in America? There is actually good news about Stockton. Crime and unemployment and foreclosures have all declined and home prices are recovering. Indeed, our town in the center of the Great Valley has dropped all the way to number seven on the 2013 list, and probably would have dropped all the way off except for the bankruptcy. Modesto is the only other Central California city remaining on the dreaded roll of shame devised by Forbes magazine to taunt and embarrass our part of Middle America. Just two years earlier, other cities like Merced, Modesto, Vallejo and even Sacramento, had also shared the infamy that has clouded Stockton since 2009.

Yes, Stockton and the rest of the valley is coming back, despite still high unem-ployment and other challenges. Surpris-ingly, one could ar-gue reasonably that a remarkable effort at law enforcement co-operation is showing the way. The results of the multiagency law enforcement task force that were an-nounced on April 23 are indicative of what coordination, despite the hard times, was able to produce. 44 arrests and 84 firearms seizures were announced that day, and this was just one of several similar roundups. On this occa-sion a coalition of local and state law enforcement officials was complemented with 20 federal agents, including an undercover operation by Federal ATF officers. Although the Stockton Police Department itself had been crippled by layoffs and cut backs, the dedication to mission and willing coordination across a phalanx of agencies got the job done.

More remarkably, it was not just a single task force effort that has turned the trend in crime around, but a continuous pattern of coop-eration over time especially with the San Joaquin County Sheriff s Office, the District Attorneys, the Courts and other county and state law enforcement officials and the California Highway Patrol and the increased citizen cooperation that all have mustered. The statistics for Stockton are impressive. During the first four months of this year, homicides have fallen 55 percent, forcible

Han notado que Stockton ya no encabeza la lista de las ms mise-rables ciudades de los EEUU?Hasta hay buenas noticias sobre

Stockton: tanto el crimen, el desem-pleo y los embargos han disminuido

y los precios de vivienda se estn recuperando. Al decir

verdad, nuestra ciudad, centro del Gran Valle, ha bajado al N7

en la lista del 2013 y, si no fuese por la ban-carrota municipal, se hubiera quedad fuera de la lista. Modesto es la nica otra ciudad de California Central que queda en ese per-gamino de vergenza que invent la revista Forbes para humillar

a ese sector medio de la nacin al que pertene-

cemos. Hace apenas dos aos otras ciuda-des como Merced, Modesto, Vallejo e

incluso Sacramento, com-partan la misma infamia que opaca a Stockton desde

el 2009.S. Stockton y el resto de

valle se recuperan, a pesar del todava alto nivel de desempleo y

otras barreras. Asombrosamente se podra afirmar, con justa razn, que la cooperacin entre

las fuerzas del orden es la que ha mostrado el camino. Los resultados que esta colaboracin multi-agencia ha podido comprobar en el reporte del 23 de abril donde se muestra que, a pesar de la crisis, se puede progresar. Ese da se anunciaron 44 detenciones y 84 incautaciones de armas, y ese fue solo uno de varios operativos similares. En esta ocasin, una coalicin de agentes policiacos locales y estatales se unieron a 20 funcionarios federales, incluyendo agentes trabajando en una operacin encubierta de ATF (Control de alcohol, tabaco, armas de fuego y explosivos). A pesar que la misma Polica de Stockton ha sido enormemente afectada por despidos y recortes presupuestarios, la dedicacin a su misin y la voluntad de cooperacin a travs de una falange de agencias logr que se cumplieran los

Ms Que orden a La fuerza

By GENE BIGlER, Stockton, CA

continued next page contina a la vuelta

P U b l i c S a f E T y & T h E V a l l E y S E g U r i D a D P b l i c a y E l V a l l E

4 Joaqun JUNE 2013

More Than Law Enforcementcontinued from previous page

rapes 25 percent, robberies 21 percent and ag-gravated assaults 16 percent1. These somewhat surprising results were announced on May 17, the same day that Mayor Anthony Silva presented his first State of the City address and emphasized the virtue of cooperation for moving the city ahead.

Thus, the falling crime rate demonstrated serendipitously that rather than the number of police on the street, the key is, indeed, the co-operation among all the elements of our commu-nity. What stands out is that our community has in fact been responding successfully, and that the path to continued improvement is clearly already visible in what has been achieved.

Clearly, we need more police and other law enforcement per-sonnel, but the strides that have been made through increased cooperation, realignment of facilities, prioritizing of actions, and mobiliz-ing community support have all been impor-tant. In fact, every time I hear local police or Sheriff Steve Moore or one of his staff they encourage citizen support and involvement for the policing effort. I am reminded of the monumental study by Robert Sampson and his colleagues, published by Science Magazine in 1997, showing that neighborhood involve-ment and action is crucial for the reduction of violent crime.

This should not be understood to minimize in any way the tragedy and suffering that have plagued our region, especially the jump in homicides last year. Yet there are a number of favorable demographic trends and a longer term reduction in crime that we can take ad-vantage of. The tide is turning against harsh sentencing and long term incarceration as the only remedies for wrongdoing, especially for victimless crimes.

There should also be no doubt that the change in course that has begun in our area is also partially due to the beginning of economic recovery around us and those coordinated actions in the neighborhoods. As Council-man Elbert Holman has emphasized, public safety is not just about traditional methods to hookem and bookem. Unemployment has also dropped to a five year low, and major expansion projects, such as the prison hospital and Amazon distribution center promise to spur continued improvements. Other efforts

Ms Que Orden a la Fuerzaviene de la vuelta

Gene bigler, PhDWriter & consultant

on global affairs,former professor, retired diplomat

P U b l i c S a f E T y & T h E V a l l E y S E g U r i D a D P b l i c a y E l V a l l E

to keep and build local momentum are cru-cial, especially the coordinated effort by the City Council and government to lead us out of bankruptcy. The unity of local leadership is the best protection against the excessive demands that external creditors will make for additional local sacrifices that might threaten both the economic and public safety progress.

For instance, the San Joaquin County Grand Jury report released on May 22 em-phasized some of the competing public safety demands for financial resources. More money is needed simultaneously for law and justice staffing, to furnish more beds and related jail facilities, as well as to facilitate the continued cooperation between police agencies. Our respected District Attorney James Willett emphasized during the recent Law Day Program that economic difficulties continue to threaten the fabric of law enforcement and judicial action thru the closing of court branches and small claims court operations. Willett said, if our citizens don t believe they have access to justice, they re not going to follow the law.

The challenge to both our city and county officials is obviously enormous. For the city of Stockton, there has been a tendency to frame the discussion on the virtues of the comprehensive Marshall Plan advanced under City Council leadership, and the Stockton Safe Streets Initiative that focuses on the need to raise and spend more money on the police. In contrast, the policy discussion among the Board of Supervisors seems to be charac-terized a bit more as Larry Ruthstahler explained it as a matter of deciding on the correct facilities to deal with the problem in the context of maintaining the countys sound overall financial situation.

Just as city and county law enforcement officials have increasingly learned the virtue of cooperative methods, the San Joaquin County approach to decision making about public safety in the context of broader economic and social circumstances seems to be recom-mending itself to the city as well. As Mayor Silva said, compromise is the key to putting the city back on the right path. The city s Marshall Plan clearly represents the broadest compromise and, simultaneously, embraces the broadest range of efforts that so many citizens have worked on, for the longest time, as a means for advancing public safety in the context of the overall financial and economic well-being of the community.

The first Marshall Plan helped rebuild and revitalize Europe and Japan after the Second World War it even succeeded in convert-ing former enemies into America s closest

allies. This new Marshall Plan holds similar promise for the recovery and the cooperative integration of the people of Stockton and for blazing a trail of harmony that would serve the rest of our valley just as well.1 For further details, see the front page story by Jason Anderson in the May 17 issue of Stocktons The Record.

objetivos. An ms digno de atencin es que no solo

ha sido un esfuerzo aislado el que ha comenza-do a revertir la criminalidad, sino el continuo patrn de cooperacin que se ha mantenido ya por algn tiempo entre la Oficina del Alguacil, la Fiscala, los tribunales, otras autoridades policiales del condado y estatales, la Patrulla de Caminos de California como tambin la creciente participacin ciudadana que han estimulado. Las estadsticas para Stockton son impresionantes. Durante los primeros cuatro meses de este ao los homicidios han bajado en un 55 por ciento, la violaciones en un 25 por ciento, los robos en un 21 y las asaltos en 16.

Estos insospechados resultados fueron anunciados el 17 de mayo, el mismo da que el Alcalde Anthony Silva entreg su primer informe del Estado de la Ciudad en el que elogi la virtud de la cooperacin para hacer avanzar la ciudad.

As e inesperadamente, la reduccin en actividad criminal demuestra que, ms que la cantidad de policas que hay en las calles, la clave es la cooperacin entre todos los elemen-tos de nuestra comunidad. Lo que destaca es que nuestra comunidad ha, indudablemente, respondido con xito, y que el camino para seguir avanzando est claramente sealado por lo que se ha logrado.

Sin duda, necesitamos ms uniformados y otros funcionarios policiales, pero el progreso obtenido por medio del aumento en coopera-cin, reorganizacin de instituciones, revisin de prioridades, y movilizacin del apoyo comunitario ha sido igualmente importante. De hecho, cada vez que escucho a la polica local, al Alguacil Steve Moore o alguno de sus agentes, estn incentivando a la ciudadana a respaldar y participar en los esfuerzos poli-ciales. Me recuerda un monumental estudio realizado por Robert Sampson y sus colegas, publicado el 1997 por la revista Science, en el cual se revela que la accin y participacin vecinal es crucial para la reduccin de la vio-lencia delictual.

Esto no se debe entender, de manera algu-na, como que se debe restar importancia a la tragedia y sufrimiento que ha plagado nuestra regin, especialmente en el aumento de ho-micidios el ao pasado. contina en la pg. 6

JUNE 2013 Joaqun 5

N aT i O N N a c i N

As we approach yet another anniver-sary of the birth of our nation, we should remember that the United States of America was created, truly, E Pluribus, Unum (out of many, one.)

For centuries now, U.S. schoolchildren and adults have been fed a conveniently misleading history of our past. It features a single, monolithic English and Northern European people, battling for freedom against all odds, culminating in the most remarkable feat: an independent nation where free will and unending ingenuity are homegrown and the natural course of a cohesive culture.

Thus, it is not surprising that ordinary Americans1 Euronativists in par-ticular believe their direct ancestors created this country for them and no one else. Plurality for them cul-tural, linguistic, etc. is against the very foundations of the nation.

Yet, our countrys origins are not only multinational, multiracial and multiethnic, its present state of wealth and technological prow-ess owes much to the continuous contributions of immigrants, past and present2. The U.S. War for Independence was no different it was won with the help of others besides Anglo-Americans. Not only French and Spanish espe-cially Cuban, Venezuelan and Mexican3 silver, money, war material and manpower were pivotal in keeping Washingtons Continental Army supplied, but also kept the British Navy and troops busy somewhere else4, while opening their ports to the rebel colonists in Florida, New Orleans and Havana.

In addition to the exploits of the Spanish Governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de Glvez, whose Caribbean, Mexican, Spanish, Black and American Indian troops5 defeated the English armies sent to encircle the new nation in various battles6, the role of Cuban, Mexican and Spanish Americans played in financing the rebels cause proved crucial for the victory at Yorktown. A last minute citywide collection in Havana se-cured the money needed to pay for the powder and weaponry Washing-ton needed for the decisive battle7. Yorktown ended with the surrender of Lieutenant General and British Lord Charles Cornwallis, sealing the United States perpetual independence from the United Kingdom.

Nonetheless, other than a statue in front of the Department of State Building in Washington, D.C. and a city in

A medida que nos acercamos a otro aniversario del nacimiento de nuestra nacin, deberamos recordar que los Estados Unidos de Amrica fue creado, verdaderamente, E Pluribus Unum (de muchos, uno)

Por siglos ya, a los escolares y adultos de los EEUU se les ha alimentado una historia convenientemente tergiversada de nuestro pasado. Presentando un pue-blo singular, anglosajn y noreuropeo, luchando por la libertad contra todo, cul-minando en una conquista sin parangn:

una nacin independiente donde la libertad individual e infinita creatividad son propias y el producto

natural de una cultura cohesiva.Por esto, no nos debe sorprender que

los americanos1 euronativistas en parti-cular crean que sus ancestros directos crearon este pas para ellos y nadie ms. El pluralismo para ellos sea

cultural, lingstico, etc. va contra las races ms profundas de la nacin.

No obstante, los orgenes de nuestro pas no solo son mul-tinacionales, multirraciales y

multitnicos, sino que tambin su actual estado de riqueza y podero tecnolgico debe mucho a las con-tribuciones de los inmigrantes del

pasado y los actuales2.La Guerra por la Indepen-

dencia de los EEUU no fue la excepcin fue ganada con

la ayuda de gente que no era angloamericana. No solo la plata,

dinero, material blico y personal de apoyo francs y espaol especialmente cubano, venezolano y mexicano3 fueron cruciales para mantener abastecido al Ejrcito Continental de Washington, sino que tambin mantuvo a la armada y tropas britnicas ocupadas en otros lados4, al tiempo de abrir sus puertos en Florida, Nueva Orleans y La Habana a los colonos rebeldes.

Adems de las proezas del gobernador espaol de Luisiana, Ber-nardo de Glvez, cuyas tropas caribeas, mexicanas, espaolas, negras y nativoamericanas5 derrotaron a los ejrcitos ingleses que intentaban rodear a la naciente nacin en el curso de varias batallas6, el papel que jugaron cubanos, mexicanos y norteamericanos espaoles finan-ciando la causa rebelde fue vital para la victoria de Yorktown7. Una colecta de ltima hora en La Habana pag por la plvora y armas que Washington necesitaba para la batalla final. Yorktown concluy con la rendicin del Teniente General y Lord Britnico continued next page contina a la vuelta

The Overlooked Latino Role in the U.S. Independence

El Ignorado Papel Latino en

la Independencia de los EEUU

POR ROBERTO RADRIGN, STOCKTON, CA

6 Joaqun JUNE 2013

Texas named after Glvez where his last name was curi-ously anglicized as Galveston little or no attention7 has been given to His-panic participation on the struggle to secure a land for the free and a home for the brave.

It is about time that the average American gets it: Like many others, Hispanics were and are a part of the U.S. fabric: E Pluribus Unum S?

Roberto RadrignJoaqun EditorStockton, CA

Charles Cornwallis, sellando para siempre la independencia de los Estados Unidos del Reino Unido.

As y todo, aparte de una estatua frente al Departamento de Estado en Washington, D.C. y una ciudad en Tejas nombrada en honor a Glvez donde su apellido fue curiosamen-te anglicado a Galvestonpoca o ninguna

c O N T i N U a T i O N S c O N T i N U a c i O N E S

Overlooked Latino Rolecontinued from previous page

Ignorado Papel Latinoviene de la vuelta

importancia8 se le ha dado a la participacin latina en la lucha por asegurar una tierra para el libre y un hogar para el bravo.

Ya es hora que el estadounidense promedio lo entienda: al igual que muchos otros, los hispanos fueron y son parte la fibra estado-unidense: E Pluribus Unum S?NOTES1 Inhabitants of North and South America and the

Caribbean are all appropriately called Americans, so the tendency of U.S. citizens to use the term to apply exclusively to us can be bothersome to our neighbors.

2 For instance, most of our cattle ranching culture and even vocabulary, from rodeos to stampede, was borrowed from Mexico.

3 King Carlos III of Spain levied a special tax on North American Spanish colonists, including early Californios, to pay for the help lent to the Continental Army.

4 Spain declared war on England in 1779, forcing the british to divide its armies to fight the Span-iards in the Mississippi and rebel colonists. The best account is Thomas E. Chavez, Spain and the Independence of the United States: An Intrinsic Gift (University of New Mexico Press, 2002).

5 General Washington and his contemporaries most often referred to these Spanish soldiers as Antilleans because they came from the Spanish islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, and the surrounding Caribbean countries, especially Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico.

6 Venezuelan Colonel Francisco de Miranda led at the battle of Pensacola (Florida) and elsewhere. The Spanish-American forces defeated the

British at more than six major battles in the Mis-sissippi Valley and Gulf of Mexico.

7 The last British Army effort to subdue the colonists.8 Except in a very few college-level courses.

NOTAS1 los habitantes de Norte y Sudamrica y el Caribe

son, apropiadamente, americanos, de modo que la tendencia de los ciudadanos estadounidenses de pensar que solo ellos son americanos molesta a muchos de nuestros vecinos.

2 Por ejemplo, la mayor parte de nuestra cultura ranchera, incluso el vocabulario, de rodeo a stampede (estampida), vienen de Mxico.

3 El Rey Carlos III de Espaa grav un impuesto especial en los colonos hispanos en Norteamri-ca, incluyendo a los primeros Californios, para pagar la ayuda prestada al Ejrcito Continental.

4 Espaa declar la guerra a Inglaterra en 1779, obligando a los ingleses a dividir sus fuerzas a luchar contra los espaoles en Mississippi y con-tra los colonos rebeldes. la major fuente sobre este tema es Spain and the Independence of the United States: An Intrinsic Gift por Thomas E. Chvez(University of New Mexico Press, 2002).

5 El General Washington y sus contemporneos se referan a estos soldados como antillanos por venir de las islas de Cuba, Puerto Rico y Espaola, como de los pases circunvecinos: Venezuela, Colombia y Mxico.

6 El coronel venezolano Francisco de Miranda lider en Pensacola (Florida) y varias batallas ms. los hispano-americanos vencieron a los ingleses en ms de seis batallas importantes en el Valle del Mississippi y el Golfo de Mxico.

7 El ltimo gran esfuerzo del Ejrcito Britnico por dominar a los colonos.

8 Exceptuando ciertos cursos a nivel universitario.

mica como en seguridad ciudadana. Por ejemplo, el informe que entreg el

Gran Jurado del Condado San Joaqun el 22 de mayo recalc algunas de las necesidades que compiten por recursos econmicos. Se necesita ms dinero tanto para personal poli-cial y jurdico, ms camas y otras necesidades carcelarias, como tambin para facilitar la continua cooperacin entre agencias policia-les. Durante un reciente Da Jurdico, nuestro respetado Fiscal de Distrito, James Willett, subray que las dificultades econmicas continan amenazando la base del orden y la accin judicial al cerrar juzgados satlites y variadas operaciones de juzgados de menor cuanta. si nuestros ciudadanos no creen tener acceso a la justicia, no van a respetar la ley, dijo Willett.

El desafo tanto para nuestra ciudad como para las autoridades del condado es obviamen-te enorme. En la ciudad de Stockton ha habido una tendencia a enmarcar el debate en las virtudes del amplio Plan Marshall propuesto por el Concejo Municipal y la Iniciativa Calles Seguras, que propone recaudar y gastar ms dinero en polica. En contraste, el debate de la poltica a seguir entre los supervisores del condado parece caracterizarse ms como en las palabras de Larry Ruthstahler decidir cuales instalaciones son las adecuadas para

enfrentar el problema, al tiempo de mantener la sanidad econmica general del condado.

As como las autoridades policiales de la ciudad y del condado han ido comprobando la virtud de las tcnicas de cooperacin, la estra-tegia del Condado de enmarcar la seguridad pblica en el contexto de circunstancias eco-nmicas pareciera ser una idea que la ciudad debiera considerar. Como dijo el alcalde Silva, llegar a un acuerdo es clave para retomar el camino correcto en la ciudad. El Plan Mar-shall claramente representa el ms amplio acuerdo y, simultneamente, comprende el ms amplio espectro de medidas por las que tantos ciudadanos han trabajado, por mucho tiempo, como el mtodo para recuperar la se-guridad ciudadana en el contexto econmico el bienestar general de la comunidad.

El Plan Marshall original ayud a recons-truir y revitalizar Europa y Japn despus de la Segunda Guerra Mundial incluso con-virti a ex-enemigos en nuestros aliados ms cercanos. Este nuevo Plan Marshall es una similar promesa de recuperacin por medio de la cooperativa integracin de la poblacin de Stockton y por la relampagueante senda de armona que abre para el resto del valle.1 Para ms detalles, ver el artculo de Jason Ander-son en la portada The Record de Stockton del 17 de mayo.

Ignorado Papel Latinoviene de la vuelta

No obstante hay un nmero de tendencias demogrficas favorables y una disminucin del crimen a ms largo plazo que podemos aprovechar. Se est revisando la hasta ahora slida idea que sentencias severas y largas condenas son los nicos remedios al delito, especialmente en los que no hay vctimas.

No debe quedar duda alguna que el cambio de direccin que ha comenzado en nuestra rea se debe tambin, parcialmente, al comienzo de la recuperacin econmica y a la coordinada accin en los vecindarios. Como ha enfatizado el concejal Elbert Holman, la seguridad pbli-ca no se trata solo de medios tradicionales de capturar y encerrar. Tambin el desempleo se encuentra en su nivel ms bajo en cinco aos e importantes proyectos de expansin, como el hospital penitenciario y el centro de distribucin de Amazon prometen continuo progreso.

Otros intentos por crear y mantenernos en esta direccin son vitales, como los esfuerzos del gobierno y el concejo municipal por sacar-nos de la bancarrota. La unidad del liderazgo local es la mejor proteccin contra las excesi-vas exigencias que hacen acreedores externos que quieren obligarnos a sacrificios que ponen en riesgo el progreso tanto en sanidad econ-

JUNE 2013 Joaqun 7

S E g U r i D a D P b l i c a y E l V a l l E P U b l i c S a f E T y & T h E V a l l E y

Stockton crime-fighting proposals square off

Hace poco un amigo me pidi le ayudara a videograbar un foro auspiciado por la Asociacin de Contribuyentes de San Joaqun, organizacin autodenominada apartidista y sin fines de lucro que lucha contra el gravamen innece-sario e impulsa la efectividad en el gobierno. El foro un debate cara a cara sobre las dos propuestas que buscan controlar el sustancial aumento del crimen en Stockton no fue lo que imaginaba.

La poltica ltimamente en Stockton ha estado, por ponerlo suave, belige-rante; esperaba un bao de sangre. Pero lo que se vio en frente a un centenar de estockto-nianos fue un honesto debate moderado por David Renison entre dos planes para paliar el paralizante problema de la delin-cuencia en Stockton. En una esquina los proponentes del Plan Marshall, en la otra los de Safe Streets (Calles Seguras)

Kathy Miller y Elbert Holman, miembros del Concejo Municipal de Stockton, desglosa-ron el multifactico Plan Marshall catalogando sus muchas etapas, incluyendo un elemento re-ligioso y la Operacin Ceasefire (Cese al Fue-go) ya en progreso. Segn Holman, la Opera-cin Ceasefire incluye un llamado a conocidos delincuentes violentos para que se renan con las fuerzas del orden donde se les incentiva a renunciar a esa conducta o convertirse en el blanco de los operativos multi-agencias.

Aunque algunos de los componentes del Plan Marshall han sido ya implementados, el municipio an no ha establecido un mecanis-mo para financiarlo. Miller sugiere se aumente el impuesto a la compraventa (IVA) en tres-cuartos de un porciento.

Presentando para Safe Streets estuvieron los urbanistas Anthony Barkett, Matt Arnaiz y Russell Ray. Ray destac que a diferen-cia del aumento del IVA propuesto por el

Se enfrentan propuestas rivales

para combatir el crimen en

Stockton

Scott WinnPolitical ConsultantStockton, CA

I was recently was asked by a friend to assist him in fil-ming a forum hosted by the San Joaquin Tax Payers Association, a self-proclaimed non-partisan, non-profit association guarding against unnecessary taxation and promo-ting government effi-

ciency. The Forum, a face- to- face discussion of the two Crime-fighting

proposals that are ai-med at curbing the

substantial cri-me in the city

of Stockton, w a s n o t what I had expected.

T h e politics in Stock ton as of late

have been contentious,

to say the least; I was expecting a

blood bath, but what I saw played out in front

of a crowd of over a hundred Stocktonians was a sincere discussion mo-derated by Dave Renison of two plans to curb the citys crippling crime problem. In one corner were proponents of the Marshall Plan and in the other, those of Safe Streets.

Stockton Council Members, Kathy Miller and Elbert Holman, unpacked the multi-

faceted Marshall Plan cataloguing its many phases, including a faith- based element and the already implemented Operation Ceasefire.As described by Holman,Operation Ceasefire has a call-in that invites known violent offenders to meet with the law enforcement community where they are encouraged to cea-se their violent behavior or become a target of a multi- department law enforcement task force.

While some of the components of the Marshall Plan have been employed, the city has yet to indentify a funding mechanism. Miller is anticipating as much a three- quarter cent sales increase to fund the plan.

Stating their case for Safe Streets, were local developers Anthony Barkett, Matt Arnaiz and Russell Ray. Ray highlighted the fact that unlike the anticipated sales tax increase by the City Councilthis plan would be funded by a restricted tax specifically for crime: a half-cent tax added to all sales within city limits. Ray also touched on a component that would give an incentive to Stockton Police officers that choose to reside within the City of Stockton.

Following the presentations, Renison ope-ned the forum to questions from the audience. One of the final suggestions of the night was about working together to formulate a compro-mise between the two plans. Both sides agreed anything was possible.

Crime is a serious problem throughout the Central Valley. Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto are all struggling against it. I applaud the San Joaquin Tax Payers Association and its President, Dave Renison, for creating an opportunity for the people of Stockton to become informed on this issue.

As the two opponents retreated to their cor-ners nary a blow between them it was obvious that the winner was the people of Stockton.

Concejoeste otro plan se financiar con un impuesto restringido a usarse para combatir el crimen, este sera de medio centavo por dlar agregado a toda venta dentro de la ciudad. Ray tambin mencion un incentivo que se ofre-cera a los funcionarios policiales que elijan residir en Stockton.

Luego de las presentaciones, Renison abri el foro a las preguntas de los asistentes. Una de las sugerencias finales de la noche fue que los proponentes de ambos planes se unan en una frmula conjunta. Ambos lados aceptaron que

todo era posible.El crimen es un serio problema en todo

el Valle Central. Tanto Sacramento, Stockton y Modesto estn luchando contra lo mismo. Aplaudo a la Asociacin de Contribuyentes de San Joaqun y a su presidente, Dave Renison, por facilitar esta oportunidad para que los resi-dentes de Stockton se informen sobre el tema.

Al separarse los contrincantes a sus res-pectivas esquinas sin haberse dado siquiera un golpe, era evidente que el ganador era la poblacin de Stockton.

8 Joaqun JUNE 2013

D I S T R I T O E S C O l A R U N I F I C A D O D E S T O C K T O N

Muestra Musical del

SUSDMs de mil alumnos del SUSD tocaron

jazz, msica contempornea, mariachi y muchos otros estilos musicales el pasado 16 de mayo en el Polideportivo Stockton. La Muestra de Artes Escnicas y Visuales de este ao incluy a estudiantes de primaria a preparatoria, actuando en coros, orquestas, bandas, e incluso elencos de danza y coreo-grafas musicales.

La Seccin de Percusin de la Preparatoria Csar Chvez abri la noche con una maravi-llosa versin de Unique a la que sigui una combinacin de bandas de diferentes secun-darias y primarias, coros, bandas y orquestas primarias, el Mariachi Chvez, y los coros y orquestas secundarios. El evento de este ao

Music Showcase

More than 1,000 SUSD students performed classical, jazz, modern, mariachi and all genres of music on May 16, 2013, at the Stockton Arena.This years Visual and Performing Arts Showcase included

students from elementary through high school, performing in choirs, orchestras, bands, including dance and musical routines. The Chavez High School Drum Line opened the night with a wonderful performance of Unique and was followed by the combined high school bands, the elementary bands, elementary choirs, orchestras, the Chavez Mariachi Band and High school show choirs and concert bands.

This years event also included dance performances by the Stagg and Chavez students. Student artwork was displayed in the rotunda at the arena and featured during the concert.

It was a terrific evening of music!

incluy tambin nmeros de danza por estu-diantes de la Preparatoria Chvez.

Piezas de arte estudiantil se exhibieron

por toda la rotonda del polideportivo durante el concierto.

Fue una gran noche para la msica!

JUNE 2013 Joaqun 9

SUSD family growsAs this very productive year winds down,

I want to take a moment to welcome three new and important people to our SUSD family. First, the Board of Education has named David L. Midura trustee for Area 6. Mr. Miduras three children graduated from SUSD schools, with his youngest, Sarah, graduating from Ce-sar Chavez High School last year. He and his wife, Toni, have been active in the schools in

Area 6 and through-out the district.

Also joining us this summer is our new Deputy Superin-tendent, Sheree Au-det, who comes to us from San Bernardino Unified Schools. As you know, we have not had a deputy in some time and we are fortunate to have

Ms.Audet with us. She has already started work and is in the process of moving to Stockton.

Finally, in July, Michele Huntoon will become our new Chief Business Officer. Ms.Huntoon replaces Wayne Martin, who after 16 years with the district, is retiring at the end of June. She comes to Stockton Unified from the Sacramento-based School Services of Califor-

S T O C K T O N U N I F I E D S C H O O l D I S T R I C T

Steve Lowder, Ed.DSUSD SuperintendentStockton, CA

Bush and Chavez Have literacy Day

nia, which provides financial guidance and ex-pertise to school districts throughout the state.

I wish you all a wonderful summer.

Crece la familia SUSDAl acabar este productivo ao quiero

aprovechar de dar la bienvenida a tres impor-tantes personas, nuevas en el SUSD. Primero, el Directorio Escolar seleccion a David L. Midura como representante por el rea 6. Los tres hijos del Sr. Midura se han graduado de escuelas del SUSD su hija menor, Sarah, sali de la Preparatoria Csar Chvez el ao pasado. El Sr. Midura y su esposa, Toni, han participado activamente en las escuelas del rea 6 y otras en el distrito.

Unindosenos tambin este verano es

nuestra nueva superintendente interina, Sheree Audet, quien viene de las Escuelas Unificadas de San Bernardino. Como sabrn, no hemos tenido un superintendente interino en bas-tante tiempo y es afortunado contar con la Sra. Audet entre nosotros. Ya ha comenzado a trabajar y se encuentra en el proceso de mudarse a Stockton.

Finalmente, en julio, Michelle Huntoon se convertir en nuestra nueva directora de finanzas. La Sra. Huntoon reemplaza a Wayne Martin quien, luego de 16 aos con el distrito, se jubila a fines de junio. Ella nos llega desde Servicios Escolares de California, institucin basada en Sacramento y que ofrece asesora fi-nanciera a distritos escolares por todo el estado.

Les deseo a todos un feliz verano.

David Midura, ap-pointed to complete SUSD Area 6 Sara Cazares term, is sworn by his wife, during the Tuesday, May 28, 2013 SUSD Board meeting.

David Midura, desig-nado para asumir el lugar de Sara Cazares representando el rea 6 del SUSD, jura ante su esposa durante la reunin del Directorio del SUSD el martes 28 de mayo del 2013.

PHOTO By ROBERTO RADRIGN / JOAqUN

More than 200 Chavez High School stu-dents led by the Chavez Jazz Band and its director Art Coleman marched for literacy this month to nearby Bush Elementary School. The Chavezs students carried childrens books to read to the younger students. They made a grand entrance through the park behind the primary school, and then paired up to read to Bush students before carrying their literacy banner back to their school. The annual Lit-eracy Parade was filmed by TV Channel 10 and appeared on the evening broadcast. Thank you Chavez High School for promoting literacy with our students!

Da de Lectura para bush y Chvez

Este mes, ms de 200 estudiantes de la Preparatoria Chvez liderados por la Banda de Jazz y su director, Art Coleman desfi-laron por la literatura a la cercana Primaria Bush. Los alumnos de Chvez llevaban libros infantiles para leerles a los ms pequeos. Lue-go de hacer una entrada triunfal por el parque

posterior a la primaria, se emparejaron con estudiantes de Bush, les leyeron su libro, para finalmente retirarse con su estandarte literario a la Preparatoria. El Desfile Literario Anual

fue capturado por las cmaras televisivas del Canal 10 y transmitido esa noche Gracias Preparatoria Chvez por fomentar la lectura entre nuestros estudiantes!

10 Joaqun JUNE 2013

RECHAZANDO lAS ElECCIONES GlOBAlES

Muchos de las autoridades electas a distritos escolares y concejos municipales en California se eligen en elecciones globales. En breve, estas elecciones permiten que un elector de un distrito escolar o ciudad vote por candidatos de todas las reas. Por el contrario, en las elecciones por-rea el elector solo puede votar por candidatos de su rea. Aunque todava hay quienes defienden las elecciones globales, estas estn desapareciendo, y con razn. Todas las autoridades electorales debiesen considerar seriamente elecciones por-rea porque estas fomentan campaas ms limpias, facilitan una representacin ms diversa y tienen ms base jurdica.

Las campaas por distritos escolares y concejos municipales no tienen el glamor y dinmica que muestran pelculas de la era Clinton como War Room o la taquillera hollywoodense The Ides of March. En lugar de un equipo de costosos asesores trabajando para un candidato cuyo empleo de tiempo completo es seguir electo, las campaas locales se componen de amigos y parientes quienes donan su tiempo libre para ayudar a su candidato a ganar un puesto de medio tiempo. Para estos candidatos, una eleccin global es un gran problema puesto que tienen que estirar su tiempo, dinero y voluntarios en un rea varias veces ma-yor que si la eleccin fuera por-rea. En casos as es fcil para que un candidato sin grandes cualidades, pero s acceso a fondos que paguen por mucha propaganda por correo y publicaciones que lleguen a toda la ciudad o el distrito, arrase con el ms calificado.

Otro factor importante de considerar en una eleccin es la diver-sidad. Muchas comunidades tienden a vivir agrupadas y cada barrio puede tener su propia identidad tnica, econmica y cultural. En una eleccin global siempre existe el riesgo que todos los candidatos residan en una comunidad en particular, sin embargo los defensores de las elecciones totales temen que se desarrollen preferencias por rea. Una irona si tomamos en cuenta la cultura individualista y competitiva. Ya tenemos elecciones por-rea para la legislatura estatal y el Congreso Federal, de modo que solo se repetira lo que ya se hace a nivel estatal y nacional. Adems la diversidad adicional es clave para una democracia representativa y una buena poltica.

Las ciudades y condados californianos tienen una demografa cambiante y mientras ms candidatos haya, mas podrn reflejar esos cambios. Y por el lado de la poltica pblica, la mayor diversidad trae variadas perspectivas lo que permite un debate ms real. No hay mrito alguno en que se pongan de acuerdo dos personas que piensan igual y provienen del mismo lugar. Nuestro sistema poltico apuesta al debate, al intercambio de ideas, al alcanzar acuerdos las elecciones por-rea pueden facilitarlo.

Finalmente, hay un precedente legal que revela que las elecciones por-rea no solo son buena poltica, sino obligatorias por ley. En el 2001 la legislatura estatal aprob el Decreto de Derechos del Elector Californiano que prohbe a los gobiernos locales conducir elecciones globales si estas le quitan representacin a las minoras.

En el 2008 este decreto form la base de una demanda judicial contra el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Madera en la que el Comit de

l E G I S l A T U R A E S T A T A l

Buscando Mejor representacin

LocaL

SERVICIOS EN ESPAOL

JUNE 2013 Joaqun 11

than in a by-area election. In such cases, a less-qualified candidate could easily trump a better candidate who is financially unable to buy enough political mailers and ads to reach all voters in the district or city.

Another important factor to consider in elections is diversity. Many communities tend to live in clusters and each neighborhood may have its own distinct ethnic, economic, and cultural identity. In at-large elections there is always the risk that all the candidates will come from one particular community. By-area elections eliminate that risk by ensuring more geographic, and likely, more cultural and ethnic diversity. Yet, some people still advo-cate for at-large elections because they fear individual by-area biases will develop. This concern, however, seems to fly in the face of Americas political culture of individualism and competition. We already hold by-area elections for State Legislatures and U.S. Con-gress so that holding local by-area elections would only parallel what we do at the state and national level. Furthermore, added diversity is critical for representative democracy and good public policy.

Californias cities and counties have changing demographics and the more elected officials are able to parallel those changes, the more represen-tation the electorate will have. As for public policy, more diversity brings varying perspectives and allows for real discourse to flour-ish. There is no merit in building

REJECTING AT-LARGE ELECTIONS

pushing for Better LocaL representation

Many school d i s t r i c t trustees and city coun-cilmembers in Cali-fornia are elected by at-large elections. In their simplest form, these elections allow all voters in the school district or city to vote for al l candidates. Conversely, by-area

elections only allow voters to vote for candi-dates from their own areas. While there are still advocates of at-large elections, that method is quickly approaching extinction, and rightfully so. All elected bodies should strongly consider adopting by-area elec-tions because they promote fairer campaigns, facilitate more diverse representation, and have sound legal standing.

Local school district and city council campaigns are not usually as glamorous and dynamic as the campaigns depicted in the Clinton-era movie the War Room or the Holly-wood blockbuster The Ides of March. Instead of a team of highly-paid consultants working for a candidate whose full-time job is to hold office, local races feature teams of friends and family members who volunteer their free time to support a candidate pursuing a part-time position. For these local candidates, at-large elections pose a true financial obstacle because candidates have to stretch their time, campaign dollars, and volunteers over a far larger area

Max VargasSacramento, CA

S T A T E l E G I S l A T U R E

Abogados por los Derechos Civiles arguy que las elecciones globales en Madera Unificado impedan que se eligieran ms latinos al direc-torio escolar. El triunfo de la demanda oblig a Madera Unificado a cambiar a elecciones por-rea y cost al distrito ms de $160 000 en abogados y otros gastos, sin mencionar lo que gastaron en sus propios gastos de defensa, monto que se mantuvo privado.

Desde aquel caso, son muchos otros dis-tritos escolares y municipalidades las que han llevado elecciones globales a los tribunales. Esta incluye la ciudad de Modesto, la que per-di su apelacin ante la Corte Suprema de los EEUU y ha debido pagar una compensacin

de $3 millones.El costo legal y

poltico de insistir en elecciones globales es demasiado alto para nuestros gobiernos lo-cales, especialmente en tiempos de crisis econmica. Los distri-tos y municipalidades que batallan contra la adopcin de elecciones por-rea lo hacen a costa del mismo pblico que se su-pone sirven y representan.

consensus between two like-minded individu-als of an identical community. Our political system aims for debate, exchange of new ideas, and consensus-building, and by-area elec-tions can facilitate that.

Finally, there is a legal precedent that may make by-area elections not just good policy, but legally mandatory. In 2001, the state legis-lature passed the California Voting Rights Act to prohibit localities from running at-large elections if they disenfranchise minorities.

That act became the basis of a 2008 lawsuit against the Madera Unified School District in which the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights argued that at-large elections in Madera Unified prevented more Latinos from being elected to the board. The successful lawsuit forced Madera Unified to change to by-area elections and cost the school district over $160,000 in plaintiffs attorneys fees and ex-penses, not to mention their own, undisclosed attorneys fees.

Since the Madera Unified case, many more school districts and cities have been taken to court for at-large elections. This includes, the City of Modesto, which unsuccessfully

appealed its case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and

had to pay a settlement of $3 million.

The legal and po-litical costs of retaining at-large elections are too high for our lo-cal governing bodies,

especially in these recessionary times. School dist r icts and cities that at-tempt to fight the push for by-area elec-tions do so at the expense of the public they are meant to serve and represent .

12 Joaqun JUNE 2013

El aumento en crimen y violen-cia en el Valle Central ha sido repetidamente sealado como resultado directo de la crisis econmica y sus consecuencias. El Condado San Joaqun y Stockton en particular ha sufrido los ms severos efectos, lo que le ha valido ser catalogada como una de las ciudades mayores ms peligrosas de los EEUU. La solicitud de proteccin por quiebra sometida por la municipalidad y la reduccin de un cuarto de su costosa fuerza policial han solo agravado el problema.

No obstante, y contra toda suposicin, el nuevo director de polica, Eric Jones, no solo logr contener el problema, sino que se nota una tendencia regresiva. Joaqun le pregunt:

J: La Operacin Ceasefire (Alto al Fuego) se implement exitosamente en Stoc-kton a mediados de los 90s, pero hoy nos encontramos en el mismo punto en cuanto al crimen Qu diferencia har esta vez?

EJ: Al igual que otras ciudades de la nacin, vimos como una jurisdiccin triunf en su intento y, o desviaron su atencin al siguiente problema, o cambios en el lide-razgo causaron cambios en direccin. Ahora sabemos que esta es una de las mejores estrategias para reducir la violencia en el pas, y que se debe seguir implementada por un largo tiempo aunque el plan de los 90s ha sido ya revisado y ahora estamos usando el nuevo modelo. Tambin se debe notar que por todos estos aos hemos retenido muchos componentes del original como los Peace-keepers (Garantes de la Paz) y el acerca-miento ciudadano.

J: Tanto el actual Plan Marshall como Safe Streets (Calles Seguras) apuntan la necesidad de contratar a ms de 100 nuevos funcionarios policiales para controlar la situacin actual. Sin embargo y con un departamento diezmado por reducciones de personal, los crmenes de gravedad han bajado sustancialmente comparado a los dos ltimos aos Cmo es posible?

EJ: El crimen violento ha bajado y, aun-que no hay una sola razn por lo que ocurri-

do, mucho crdito debe darse a los Equipos de Respuesta Comunitaria del Departamento de Polica de Stockton quienes trabajan en colaboracin con el Equipo de Control de Pandillas en el Condado el enfoque que la oficina Oficial de Patrullaje ha puesto en sacar armas ilegales de circulacin; grandes operaciones multi-agencias de control cri-minal como Operacin Family Feud (Ria Familiar) y Gideon IV, Operacin Ceasefire, Clergy Nightwalks (Caminatas Nocturnas del Clero) como asimismo la movilizacin y participacin del pblico en general. Pero no hay que equivocarse, se necesitan ms de cien policas adicionales para que Stockton no solo contine sus esfuerzos en todas las reas, sino para tambin regresar a las verdaderas tcnicas policiales en la comu-nidad, para enfrentar mejor tanto el crimen como la calidad de vida respondiendo a ms llamados de servicio de los ciudada-nos. Todava tenemos un largo camino por caminar antes de poder decir que tenemos una comunidad segura.

J: Usted ha dicho que toma doce meses preparar a un polica para poder enviarlo a la calle y que el Departamento no puede ab-sorber ms de 75 funcionarios uniformados por ao. Si tambin tomamos en cuenta el problema de encontrar individuos califica-dos, el contrato de 100-120 nuevos policas que exigen ambos planes de normalizacin pareciera ser un proyecto a muchos aos Qu cree Ud.?

EJ: Toma mucho tiempo entrenar y acondicionar un polica para que sea efec-tivo. Es, en promedio, una inversin de un ao. Por lo tanto tomar tiempo un par o varios aos, aumentar 100 uniformados. Es por eso que mi principal enfoque es, antes de aumentar personal, enfrentar el problema de contratar y retener funcionarios de modo que lleguemos a contar con los 361 elemen-tos que se nos han autorizado, antes de agre-gar ms. El nmero ptimo para Stockton debiera ser 590.

J: Segn informacin oficial, el 85 por ciento del crimen violento de la ciudad est conectado a actividades

Mscon menos

S E g U r i D a D P b l i c a y E l V a l l E

contina en pg. 16

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2034 Pacific Avenue

Stockton, California 95204

phone (209) 941-0597

info@graficadesign.net

www.graficadesign.net

grficadesign

JUNE 2013 Joaqun 13

The increase of crime and violence in the Central Valley has been repeatedly described as a direct product of the downturn of the economy and all its consequences. San Joaquin County and Stockton in particular have suf-fered the most severe effects, resulting in a dubious distinction of being among the most unsafe large cities in the U.S.A. The Citys application for bankruptcy protection and the reduction of a quarter of its expensive police force have exacerbated the problem.

Yet, despite all odds, the new Chief of Police, Eric Jones, not only man-aged to contain the problem, but progress is being made to reverse the trend. Joaqun asked him:

J: Operation Ceasefire was successfully implemented in Stockton in the mid 1990s, but today we are in a similar situa-tion in regards to crime. Whats the difference on applying it this time?

EJ: We have seen similar cases around the na-

tion whereby a jurisdiction saw success and then, either moved on to the next best thing, or changes in leadership brought changes in direction. We now know it is the most proven violence- reduction strategy in the nation, and that it requires sustaining over long periods of time, although it has been refined since the 90sand we are using the most contemporary model. It should also be noted, though, that we retained many components of the original plan through

the years such as Peacekeepers and outreach work.

J: Both the current Marshall Plan as well as Safe Streets plan call for hiring 100-plus new officers in order to handle the current situation. Yet, with an understaffed depart-ment, serious crime has substantially gone down compared to the

last two years. How is that possible?

EJ: Violent crime has

trended down

and though there is no one reason why, much can be attributed to the Stockton Police Departments Community Response Teams working with the Countywide Gang Task ForcePatrol Officers focus on getting illegal guns off the streets;to large multi-agency enforcement operations like Operation Family Feud and Gideon IV, Operation Ceasefire, and Clergy Night-walks; and overall community mobilization and engagement. But make no mistake about it,well over 100 more police officers are needed for Stockton to not only continue these efforts on a broader basis, but to return to true Community Policing techniques, to better address all crime and quality of life issues, and to respond to more service calls from the community. We still have a long way to go for a safer community.

J: Youve said that it takes a full 12 months to place one functioning policeman on the streets and that SPD cannot absorb more than 75 new officers per year. If we also factor in the problem of finding quali-fied individuals, the hiring of 100-120 new officers that both proposed plans call for, it seems to be something that might take years to come to fruition. Your thoughts?

It takes time and a lot of training to hire and deploy a fully functional police officer. It is, on average, a twelve month invest-ment. Therefore, it will take time... a couple to several years... to build up over 100 additional officers. This is why my primary focus, before adding more staff, is address-ing recruitment and retention issues so we can first get to our authorized police force strength of 361 officers before adding more.

The optimal numbers of Stockton Police officers would be 590.

J: According to official data, 85 per-cent of the citys violent crime is gang-re-

lated, whereas less than one percent of its residents are involved in gangs. Do you believe in the effectiveness of Peacekeep-ers? If not, why?

EJ: The Peacekeepers program and their outreach workers are absolutely crit-

ical to Operation

ERICJonesMORE with less

P U B l I C S A F E T y & T H E V A l l E y

continued on page 16

14 Joaqun JUNE 2013

Mother Nature

Madre Naturaleza en Arcilla

Roger Casillas work is well-known for his whimsical ceramic sculptures of birds, chickens and turtles. But his newfound love is for fish and the crea-tures of the sea, as evidenced in his latest body of works, Fish, ceramic wall sculptures which were recently displayed at Stocktons Mexican Heritage Center.

I think these pieces embody my spirit more than any other work I have done. They are well- crafted, and I believe they capture the energy of life in the sea, life beneath the waves. I love the colors and

the shiny glazes I was able to utilize in them.

We can look forward to more fish themes in Rogers work in 2014, but a new item is on the horizon: wine.

in Clay

La obra de Roger Casillas es reconocida por las caprichosas esculturas de pjaros, gallinas y tortugas en cermica. Pero su ltima pasin es la de los peces y las criaturas del mar, como evidencia

su ltima produccin titulada Fish (Peces), cermicas de pared que hace poco fueron exhibidas en el Centro del Patrimonio Mexicano de Stockton.

Creo que estas piezas, ms que todas las que he hecho hasta ahora, encar-nan mis sentimientos. Estn muy bien acabadas y creo capturan esa energa de la vida en el mar, bajo las olas. Me encantan los colores

y brillantes acabados que pude lograr en ellas

Quisiramos ver ms temas martimos en la obra de Roger pero un nuevo inters ha aparecido en su

horizonte: el vino.

Roger Casillas was born and raised in Stockton, studied atSan Joaquin Delta College and earned a B.A. in Art at UC Davis. Received a teaching credential from California State University, Stanislaus, and a M.A. degree from California State University, Sacramento. He has taught drawing, painting and ceramics at Stein High School in Tracy since 1983.

Roger Casillas naci y creci en Stockton. Estudi en San Joaquin Delta College y obtuvo su Bachillerato en Arte en la Universidad de California- Davis. Recibi credenciales de maestro en la Universidad Estatal de California-Stanislaus y una Maestra en la Universidad Estatal de California-Sacramento. Ha enseado dibujo, pintura y cermica en la Secundaria Stein de Tracy desde 1983.

JUNE 2013 Joaqun 15

Roge

r Ca

silla

s

16 Joaqun JUNE 2013

pandilleras, aunque menos de un uno por ciento de los residentes est relacionado con pandillas Cree en la efectividad de Peacekee-pers? Si no Por qu?

EJ: El programa Peacekeepers y su personal de extensin comunitaria es definitivamente crucial para la Operacin Cease-fire y la reduccin de la violencia en general. Ese personal no solo puede intervenir a nivel callejero sino que tambin puede prevenir que los jvenes se involucren en pandillas desde un principio. No solo necesitamos ms funcionarios policiacos, sino tambin ms peacekeepers.

J: Un programa federal ha designado fondos para contratar 17 nuevos funcionarios policiales en Stockton Se han contratado estos policas ya? Si no Por qu?

EJ: Esto est relacionado al problema de retencin. Hemos visto muchos uniformados con experiencia dejar Stockton por otros departamentos de polica, reduciendo nuestro personal an ms. No nos ha sido posible recuperar siquiera nuestra fuerza autorizada y presupuestada de 344 uniformados. No obstante, creemos que s alcanzaremos ese nmero porque hemos continuado contratando nuevos policas. Una vez que alcancemos 344 comenzaremos a utili-zar esos fondos federales para contratar los 17 adicionales.

J: Dado que las minoras latinos en particular residen en barrios donde ocurren la mayora de los crmenes Cmo el Departamento de Polica est actualmente enfrentando esta barrera cultural y/o lingstica?

EJ: Primero, a travs de los Equipos de Respuesta Comunitaria, hemos estado entrando esos barrios, comunicndonos con los resi-dentes para que nos ayuden y colaboren, como tambin por medio de mi recin formado Panel de Asesora Comunitaria (CAB por sus siglas en ingls) El CAB se comunica directamente conmigo; su mi-sin es mejorar las relaciones con la comunidad. Y, segundo, hemos estado tratando de contratar a nuestros nuevos policas aqu mismo, para identificarnos mejor con la comunidad a la que servimos.

Ceasefire and violence reduction strategies in general. The outreach workers can intervene at the street level to stop the violence, but they can also prevent juveniles from getting into gangs in the first place. We need not only more Police Officers but also more Peacekeepers

J. A federal program has allocated funds for the hiring of 17 new officers in Stockton. Have these officers been hired yet? If not, why not?

EJ: This relates to our retention issue as we had a lot of expe-rienced police officers leave Stockton to other police departments, reducing our police ranks even more. We havent been able to build back to our authorized and budgeted police force number of 344 officers. However, we now believe we will reach that number soon because we have continued to hire new police officers. Once we reach 344, we will begin using the federal funding from the grant for the additional 17 police officers.

J: Since minorities Latinos in particular reside in neigh-borhoods where most of the crimes occur, how is SPD currently addressing this cultural and/or language barrier?

EJ: First, we are entering those neighborhoods and reaching out to the residents for help and partnership through the Community Re-sponse Teams and also with my newly formed Community Advisory Board (CAB). The diverse CAB reports to me directly, its mission is to improve police-community relations. Secondly, we are trying to recruit locally for our police officers so we can better mirror the very community we police.

C O N T I N U A T I O N S

Chief Jones continued from the page 13

Comandante Jones contina de la pgina 12

JUNE 2013 Joaqun 17

the rsuM:A Must Have Tool for Savvy High

School Students

Back in the day, only job seekers understood the value of a resume because its purpose has historically been to get an interview, and a contract. Today, it is a must-have tool for college-bound high school students. It serves two purposes: It is timesaving tool for the intensive college application period, and is es-sential to the critical scholarship portfolio.

Think of the resume as a work-in-progress that evolves over four years of high school that captures real-time information in prepara-tion for the college and scholarship application period, so students should begin building it in the freshman year of high school. Time will fly by, and recalling four years of community service, awards received and distinction earned, officer and leadership roles, sports activities, music programs, summer internships, class projects, and member-ship in academic organizations, is not easy.

Start with a bare bones resume which projects future anticipated categories consistent with either the Common Application or the UC application, items like:

List all college/university affiliated courses you have taken since 9th grade. Provide examination dates and best scores for SAT, ACT, AP and IB examinations.

Rather than rummaging through old files, recalling passwords to access online scores, estimating the hours spent on volunteer and community service activities, or paying the cost to expedite transcript requests, wouldnt it be easier to simply cut and paste the information from a Word document? Of course it would. This is the beauty of having an evolving, real-time resume.

The sample college application questions (above) only require straightforward, objective data. What about the following question:

List Educational Prep Programs, Volunteer & Community Service, Awards & Honors, Work Experience, and Extracurricular Activities. Include organization and description, title and responsi-bilities, and dates (time spent) on each activity.

Answering these questions requires a bit more work. I can see the benefits of compiling this information proactively. Students have a limit to the number of activities provided (generally 10 to 12), ranked in order of importance. The activities must include the name of the organization, their title, a brief description of their duties, the length of their assignment (start and end dates), and the total number of hours worked. In addition, there is also a character limit. Once the pressure of completing applications has begun, it is extremely time-consuming (and frustrating) for students to remember important details from years ago.

First, the student should request their official transcript from the high school registrar (counseling office). Next, they should visit col-legeboard.org to obtain test scores for any applicable examinations including SAT, Subject Tests, and AP scores, and for an ACT exam, found at actstudent.org. In a folder, they should pull together all award certificates, and a tally the number of community service hours per-formed, which are critical for scholarship consideration! Next, they should visit the websites for all organizations related to volunteer and/or paid experience, internships, leadership

Roxanne OcampoSan Marcos, CA

QuetzalMamacurricuLuM Vitae:Herramienta indispensablepara el pasante perspicaz

Antiguamente, el curriculum vitae (hoja de vida o simplemente currculo) tena valor solo para aquel que buscaba empleo dado que su propsito, histricamente, ha sido lograr una entrevista y un contrato. Pero hoy es una indispensable herramienta para los estudiantes que se proyectan a la universidad. Cumple con dos objetivos: ahorra tiempo

durante el intenso periodo de postulacin universitaria, y es parte esencial de la carpeta para becas.

Visualicen el currculo como un recuento de lo que han hecho en preparacin a la postulacin a la universidad en los cuatro aos de secundaria, por lo que deben empezar a armarlo el primer ao de preparatoria. El tiempo pasa volando y no es fcil acordarse de todo el trabajo comuni-tario, premios recibidos, distinciones, papel en directivas y liderazgos, actividades deportivas, musicales, internados veraniegos, proyectos de estudios y afiliacin en organiza-ciones acadmicas.

Comiencen con un currculum vitae bsico que refleje categoras de las que salen en el formulario de postulacin universitaria Common Application (Solicitud General) o el de la Universidad de California, desarrollando puntos como:

Enumere todos los cursos de nivel universitario que ha tomado desde el 9 grado. Especifique fechas y calificacin obtenida en las pruebas SAT, ACT, AP e IB.

En vez de andar buscando entre papeles, tratando de acordarse de contraseas de acceso a evaluaciones en lnea, calcular las horas de voluntariado o servicio comunitario, o pagar por agilizar la copia de algn archivo no sera ms fcil cortar y pegar texto de un documento en Word? Por supuesto! Esa es la ventaja de tener un curriculum vitae interactivo.

Los ejemplos citados arriba piden solo una respuesta directa y especfica pero Y si la pregunta es,

Enumere programas de preparacin, voluntariado y servicio comunitario, premios y distinciones, experiencia laboral y actividades extracurriculares. Incluya nombre y descripcin de la organizacin, puesto y responsabilidades, ms la fecha y tiempo que pas en cada actividad.?

La respuesta a esto requiere un poquito ms de trabajo. Aqu se ve el beneficio de guardar informacin anticipadamente. Los estudiantes tienen un lmite en las actividades (generalmente de 10 a 12) ordenadas por importancia. Estas deben nombrar la organizacin, puesto ocupa-do y breve descripcin de sus responsabilidades, fecha de comienzo y trmino y el total de horas trabajadas. Adems, hay un lmite de palabras. Una vez que comienza la presin de llenar cuestionarios es extremadamente difcil y frustrante para que un estudiante se acuerde de estos importantes detalles despus de tanto tiempo.

Primero, el estudiante debe procurar su certificado de estudios cursados con la oficina de archivos de su escuela o con el orientador. Luego, visitar collegeboard.org para obtener las

E D U c a T i O N E D U c a c i N

contina a la vueltacontinued on next page

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QuetzalMamacontinued from the previous page

E D U c a T i O N E D U c a c i N

QuetzalMamacontina de la pgina anterior

programs, campus officer, and honors and awards received, then write a brief description (in the students own words) of the organiza-tions mission and the students contribution. Finally, the student should obtain statistics from awards and/or honors earned to qualify the distinction, for example, if the student earned the title of Best Defense Attorney at the annual county Mock Trial Competition, include how many students were considered for the award and the criteria required to earn the distinction. Once the student has compiled this information, begin plugging this data into a Word file. Update the file twice per year.

Students who invest time and thought into each component of the college application will have a superior application. One way to achieve this goal is to proactively prepare a work in progress resume that will save valu-able time, increase data accuracy, eliminate stress, and have critical information prepared for the scholarship process. In addition, this will lay the framework for responses to many of the essay prompts!

A quick overview of the basic resume to do list:

Order official high school transcripts 1. and SAT or ACT examination scores, AP or IB y Subject Test scores.Go online and obtain mission 2. statements from all organizations worked/volunteered.Compose a brief description of the 3. organizations mission statement and student contribution. Include titles, hours worked, and duration of assignments (e.g. JanMay 2013).In a folder and pull together all 4.

El estudiante que dedique tiempo y atencin a cada componente del cuestionario lograr una solicitud universitaria superior. Una manera de hacerlo es anticiparse prepa-rando un curriculum en progreso el que les ahorrar valioso tiempo, aumentar la exac-titud de la informacin, reducir la tensin, y ofrecer informacin crucial para el proceso de postulacin a becas. No solo eso tambin ofrecer una base para responder a muchas de las selecciones de la composicin!

Un rpido recuento de la lista de pendientes del curriculum vitae:

Ordene un certificado oficial de 1. estudios secundarios cursados y calificaciones obtenidas en las prue-bas SAT o ACT, AP o IB, y pruebas por tema.Visitar sitios virtuales de cada orga-2. nizacin donde trabajo voluntario o por pago, y obtener su declaracin de objetivos fundamentales.Redactar una breve descripcin del 3. propsito de cada organizaciny la contribucin del estudiante. Incluya puesto, horas trabajadas, duracin (ej.: Ene-May 2013)En una carpeta rena todo certifi-4. cados de reconocimiento y una lista toda hora de servicio comunitario.Ordene las actividades por importancia.5. Organice su Curriculum Vitae por tema 6. o seccin lgica para el estudiante

Para ejemplos de posibles temas para incluir en un Curriculum Vitae estudiantil vea el recuadro abajo. Esta no es una lista completa. Las palabras en itlica son puntos que deben incluirse con el tema, aunque el Curriculum Vitae debe ofrecer informacin adicional.

Academics (3.83 GPA, class rank 83/537)Discipline-Specific Accomplishments (Outstanding Achievement in Science Award, Sandia National laboratories)Athletics (Captain of Varsity Track Team, Varsity Soccer)Leadership (President of MEChA; Key Club Activities Director)Awards (National Hispanic Scholar & AP Scholar by the College Board)On-Campus Activities (Marching Band, Science Olympiad, Key Club)Public Speaking/Presentations (Guest Speaker at Kiwanis Club, Presenter at Science blast, University of the Pacific)Community/Volunteer Experience (Tutor at Boys & Girls Club, Homework Club Tutor at McHenry House Homeless Shelter Total Community Service Hours = 310)

award certificates, and a tally of community service hours.Rank the activities in order of im-5. portance.Organize resume in topics/sections 6. that are meaningful for the student

At the bottom there is a sample of possible topics to include on a student resume. This is not an exhaustive list. The italicized text represents items that would be included with these topics, but the resume should include ad-ditional information (see #3 & #4 above.)

calificaciones logradas en todos los exmenes pertinentes, SAT, pruebas por tema, AP. Los resultados de ACT se hallan en actstudent.org. En una carpeta debe poner todos los certifi-cados de reconocimiento y una lista de todas las horas pasadas en trabajo comunitario cru-ciales cuando se postula a una beca! Despus, debieran visitar los sitios virtuales de todas las organizaciones donde hayan hecho volun-tariado, trabajo pagado, internado, programa de liderazgo, hayan sido dirigentes, recibido premios o distinciones, para entonces escribir en palabras propias una breve descrip-cin del propsito de cada organizacin, y la contribucin del estudiante. Finalmente, el estudiante debe obtener las estadsticas apropiadas a cada premiacin o distincin para asignarles un valor, por ejemplo, si la distincin fue Mejor Abogado Defensor en la Competicin Anual de Simulacros de Juicio, debe especificar cuantos candidatos eran y cuales los requisitos para ganar. Una vez recolectada toda esta informacin, hay que empezar a guardarla en el archivo de Word. Se debe actualizar dos veces por ao.

Mission Statement Examples(to be used for the college application and as the basis for supplemental essays and scholarship essays)Outstanding Achievement in Science Award, Sandia National laboratories. This annual award is given to one student (junior level) from participating high schools in the Tri-Valley region of California, nominated by Science staff members, and demon-strates outstanding achievement in the field of science.Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztln (MEChA) As President of my high school campus chapter, my role has been to provide leadership, activities, and event facilitation. MEChA was found-ed on the principles of self-determination for the liberation of Chicano students. Central to its mission is that political involve-ment and education is the avenue for change in our society.Boys & Girls Club of Tracy: I provided 160 hours of volunteer service to students at North Elementary School, tutoring in the subjects of English and Mathematics. My role was to design and implement instructional plans, and to monitor student progress.E

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By Richard RosStockton, CA

The Best Three Out of Five

Es naturaleza humana aferrarse a mtodos que creemos son los ms lgicos y eficientes para hacer las cosas, aceptando incuestionablemente que cualquier proceso nuevo debe ser ms efectivo que el anterior. Aunque no siempre sea as.

Analicemos, por ejemplo, el antiguo sistema de trueque o inter-cambio. Obligaba a cada persona a producir algo que otros pudiesen valorar: una olla, una cobija, una herramienta o joya que alguien de-sease, necesitara, o le fuera de vital importancia. Los dems estaban igualmente comprometidos para obtener el artculo que queran tenan que ofrecer algo propio a cambio: mi olla por ti cobija, tu collar por mi azadn, y as. Fue entonces que inventamos el dinero y el crditoy vean el desastre en el que nos hallamos ahora!

Cuando se trata del eufemsticamente llamado arte de la guerra hemos llegado a las ms eficientes tcnicas de deshacernos del enemi-go con sper armas mortales bombas inteligentes, armas cada vez ms poderosas y mortferas, cohetes sigilosos que ofrecen la mayor

cantidad de muertos por dlar.Los aztecas, por ejemplo, tenan un sistema llamado

guerras floridas cuyo fin no era matar al enemigo, sino capturarlo (aunque eran casi siempre convertidos en escla-vos o igual terminaban siendo sacrificados a los dioses!) Deberamos tratar de decidir las guerras enviando solo a los

generales, jefes o capitanes a pelearse en el campo de batalla el que gana se lleva todo. Podran decidirlo a pulseadas o en un juego de ajedrez Se imaginan cuntas vidas se ahorraran en eso?

Hace poco le en el diario sobre una eleccin para alcalde en un pequeo pueblo de las Filipinas que, luego de contar y recontar

las papeletas, termin con ambos candidatos con idntica cantidad de votos. Para resolver el empate se les pidi echarlo a suertes con una moneda, cinco veces aquel que acertara tres veces se declaraba vencedor! Al parecer esto era algo que estaba en las leyes electorales

precisamente para una circunstancia as.Pero mi pregunta es Por qu diablos no lo decidieron as

desde un principio? Se imaginan de todo lo que libraran a la gente en discursos polticos, debates, horribles anuncios televisivos sin mencionar el inmenso ahorro econmico en

campaas polticas, publicidad, impresin de papeletas en tres idiomas, hanging chads (votos perforados a medias) todo eso a

cambio de simplemente pedirle a cada candidato que eche una moneda al aire para determinar el ganador? Tres de cinco? Me encantara!

Tres de CincoAs humans we tend to get hung up in what we believe to be the most logical and efficient ways for doing things, blindly accepting the false premise that each new process, method, or way of doing things just has to be smarter and more efficient than previous ones. But that is not always true.

Take for example the ancient system of bartering or trading. Each person in this kind of society was required to produce a commod-ity of value, be it a pot, a blanket, a tool or a piece of jewelry that was desirable, necessary, and even vital to another person. That person was equally obligated. Thus, to acquire the item(s) you desired, you had to trade some-thing you had made for it: my pot for your blanket, your necklace for my hoe, so to speak. Then, we invented money and credit - and just look at the mess were in now!

When it comes to the so called art of warfare, we have progressed to the most ef-ficient ways of disposing of our enemy with super weapons of death: smart bombs, deadlier and more powerful guns, stealth missiles, drones, that can deliver the most loss of life for the buck. However, peoples like the Aztecs, for instance, had a system they called flower wars, whose intent was not to kill the enemy, but simply to capture him alive (though they were often turned into slaves or later killed as sacrificial victims to the gods!)

We could try settling wars by sending only the opposing generals, chiefs, or captains to face one another on the field of battle and winner take all. They could also arm wrestle or engage in a game of chess, to determine the outcome. Imagine how many lives could be saved this way?

Recently, I read in the paper about a mayoral election held in some small town in the Philippines where the opposing candidates came to a complete draw dead even after all the votes were counted. To solve the problem, the candidates were required to flip a coin in the air 5 times and the best 3 out of 5 would be declared the winner! Evi-dently, this was something already written into their election laws, precisely for an occasion like this.

But my question

is why in tarnation didnt they do it this way from the get? Can you imagine being spared from political speeches,

political debates, the flood of tasteless ads on TV, not to mention the enormous financial savings from

the costs of political campaigning, publicity, the printing of ballots in three languages, hanging chads, all by requiring all of our political candidates to simply flip a coin to determine a winner in the runoffs and final

elections? Best three out of five? I love it!

20 Joaqun JUNE 2013

iMpresSions oF CityA

JUNE 2013 Joaqun 21

iMpresSions oF CityA

Qu hacer con las imgenes de una sesin fotogrfica una vez que la foto elegida ha sido ya impresa? Editarlas! Pintarlas encima, calcarlas, darles una segunda oportunidad... estas piezas fueron editadas por el personal de la Revista Joaqun basadas en imgenes de la coleccin de la foto-artista estocktoniana Mnica Carina Radrign.

Whats to be done with the leftovers of a photo shoot after the chosen frame has been printed? Edit them! Paintem over, trace them, give them a second chance... these pieces were edited by Joaquin Magazine staff from the photo collection of Stockton photo-artist Mnica Carina Radrign.

22 Joaqun JUNE 2013

Connecting Community to Nature

Kristine WilliamsSpring Valley, CA

E N V i r O N M E N T M E D i O a M b i E N T E

Its already June and the g roup Fr iends of the L owe r Ca lave r a s River is nearly half-way its yearly River Walk schedule. The Stockton-based en-vironmental group has already led five walks in and around the lower reach of the

often-overlooked Calaveras River and has another seven lined up.

These last three months have seen warm-ing weather and more chances to get outside which is exactly what interested community members have been doing when they join FLCR one Saturday each month to learn more about the river that flows right through the city.

In March, the group teamed up with the San Joaquin Bicycle Coalition (www.sjbike.org) for a leisurely ride along the Calaveras River Bike Trail (yes, Stockton has a bike trail). It was a beautiful early spring morning

Conectando Comunidad y

NaturalezaEstamos ya en junio y el grupo Amigos del Bajo Ro Calaveras (FLCR por sus siglas en ingls) se encuentra a mitad de su programa de caminatas ribereas. Este grupo ecologista con base en Stocktonha conducido ya cinco caminatas en y a lo largo de la cuenca de este prcticamente ignorado sector inferior del Ro Calaveras, y hay planes para todava siete ms.

En estos ltimos tres meses se ha visto un clima ms tibio, ofreciendo ms oportunidades para estar al aire libre, exactamente lo que buscan aquellos vecinos cuando se unen al FLCR un sbado por mes para saber ms de este ro que cruza totalmente su ciudad.

En marzo el grupo se uni a la Coalicin Ciclista de San Joaqun (www.sjbike.org) para un pedaleo de placer a lo largo del Sendero Ciclista del Ro Calaveras. S, Stockton tiene un sendero para andar en bicicleta. Aquella fue una hermosa maana a principios de primave-ra que gener grandes conversaciones e ideas, resultado lgico al juntarse ecologistas.

En abril los caminantes del FLCR des-viaron las miradas hacia el cielo durante otra oportunidad de comunicarse con otros entu-siastas de la naturaleza. Gracias al especialista en aves de Preservacin Waldo Holt, David Yee, quien se uni al pblico inmediatamente al este de Linden, para una caminata dedicada a los pjaros del Ro Calaveras. Aquel fue un sbado especial, dado que los caminantes pudieron darse una idea de cmo era el ro en su estado original y les dio, adems, la posibi-lidad de observar alguna flora y fauna que no se ve dentro de los lmites de Stockton.

La caminata sabatina de Mayo result ser, aunque calurosa, informativa. El director de la Restauracin de Peces Andromos del Depar-tamento de Pesca y Fauna Silvestre, Donnie Ratcliffe, habl de dos barreras artificiales (de las ms de cien que obstruyen el paso de los peces despus del Dique Escaln-Bellota) a lo largo del Bajo Rio Calaveras. El Calaveras es el origen de escuelas de salmn rey de migra-cin otoal y trucha arco iris, a las cuales les es muy difcil, sino imposible, remontar las aguas para sus lugares de desove.

La prxima caminata sabatina est pro-

and lots of great ideas and conversations were generated, an obligatory result of teaming up with other environmentally-minded locals.

In April, FLCR walkers turned their heads to the skies during another opportunity to connect with other natural world enthusiasts. Thanks to the Waldo Holt Conservancy, pro-fessional birder David Yeemet with members of the public, just east of Linden, for a special bird walk along the Lower Calaveras River. This was a special Saturday because it al-lowed attendees to glimpse a view of what the Calaveras River most closely resembled in its original state and also provided the chance to see some flora and fauna not widely seen within the City of Stockton.

May proved to be another, albeit warm Saturday, informative walk opportunity. Fish and Wildlife Anadramous Fish Restoration Director, Donnie Ratcliffe, discussed two man-made barriers (out of over 100 obstruct-ing fish passage below the Escalon Bellota Weir) along the Lower Calaveras.The Cala-veras River is home to populations of fall-run Chinook salmon and Central Valley steelhead that have a difficult, if not impossible time, making it back up the river to spawn.

FLCRs next walk is scheduled for Sat-urday, June 15. Walkers will meet in Valley Springs beneath New Hogan Dam and walk the picturesque River of Skulls trail. For more information and to view a walk schedule, visit riverofskulls.wordpress.com.

gramada para el 15 de junio. Los caminantes se reunirn en Valley Springs a la sombra de la Presa Nueva Hogan y recorrern el pinto-resco sendero River of Skulls (Ro de las Calaveras) Para mayor informacin y ver el plan de la caminata, visite el sitio riverofskulls.wordpress.com.

JUNE 2013 Joaqun 23

Original by Manuel Camacho

Beto and the CatS h O r T S T O r i E S E l c U E N T O

Beto y el Gato

Beto was soundly asleep, knowing that he would wake at any minute, likesomeone waiting for the alarm clock to go off. It wasnt a recurrent or ex-orbitant dreamlike those typical of Bolaos characters; rather he was conscious that soon the cat that caused him such terrible angst would appear, and just as the feline showed his head from the darkness, Beto woke up. Both of them started a sort of synchronized dance: the cat initiated his descent from the roof, stealthily; Beto got up, in silence.

The feline looked from side to side, suspi-ciously, like an ordinary thief, free of scruples. He paused at each step, lowered his head wary of something unexpected, smelled something succulent in the air and resumed his descent.

From the eave the wall was not very high: barely the two meters between represented but a light jump. The cat made the first jump onto the kitchens corrugated asbestos roof. An almost imperceptible sound followed until he was level with the floor.

There he remained, camou-flaged against the grayish color of the asbestos, patiently waiting for any reaction. Then, he adopted a different attitude, rising and walk-ing defiantly, almost floating, his shoulder blades moving rhythmi-cally with each step. More alert, he looked at his surroundings as he approached his prey. All he had to do now was to enter the kitchen, nothing but a protuberance com-ing out of the wall without any personality. How could they dare call it a kitchen, this cave hiding pans of leftovers from breakfast, lunch, dinner, or whatever. An enormous clay pot full of beans boiled and re-boiled day after day to keep them always fresh.

There was a door that did not keep anyone in or out. Yet, there it