Wednesday, December 31, 2008

my top photos of 2008

These were my top choices of photos for 2008. For the full story that accompanied some of these photos in the 12-31-08 issue of the Irrigator, click on the link to the website here.The 2008 AMGEN tour of California pedals through Patterson en route to San Jose via Del Puerto Canyon and Mt. Hamilton.
A pair of Pitman High students ready the arrival of their dairy cows at the Stanislaus County Fair in August.

Family members grieve the loss of their loved ones in a fatal canal accident near Westley that claimed 7 lives and received national media attention.
I took this photo while hiking through Henry Coe State Park in late March, during my attempt to traverse the Diablo Range from Morgan Hill to Patterson.
Patterson's Greg Werne helps rescue thousands of catfish that were pulled up in vehicles by tow truck driver Doug Borges from the Delta Mendota Canal in January.
Lynda Zaragoza is named to the Miss Patterson court during the 2008 Miss Patterson pageant at the Apricot Fiesta.
Torreadors return to Patterson during the Festa de Espiritu Santu's (F.D.E.S.) bloodless bullfight. The bullfighters are all volunteers who chose to enter the ring at their own risk. Some used whatever they could to draw the bull's attention, like this spongebob blanket. I also saw people using umbrellas... it was so cool.
A structure fire off of Loquat Ave. in the Patterson colony, started by scrap metal recyclers using blow torches to retrieve the metal. The structures were total losses.
Some huge windstorms trapped a few Patterson residents' vehicles in late May.
Stanislaus County Sheriff's deputies Eugene Day and Matthew Wagner make a routine traffic stop on Del Puerto Ave. in front of the Total Discount Store.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Dive team assesses the recovery efforts that will need to be undertaken to retrieve two vehicles and and the victims trapped in the waters of the Delta Mendota Canal.
Construction slowly continued on the homes at Diablo Grande over the year despite the water woes and uncertainty of the resort's future.
A patch of California Poppies opens for the morning sun near Del Puerto Canyon's historic gateway. One of the largest displays of wildflowers in years could be witnessed over the spring season.
A crop duster crashed in a field off of Marshall road in mid July. The pilot escaped the burning wreck by jumping from the plane as it fell towards the ground. He then hitched a ride back to his car and checked himself into the hospital.
The colors of a setting sunset reflect off of the smooth foundation of the Patterson Business Park's newest building after a Summer storm late in May. The 580,000 square foot McShane Corp building awaits the installation of it's concrete walls, shown in the lower right quadrant of the photo.
Stanislaus County Supervisor Jeff Grover smirks as he listens to the many pleas of Patterson and West Side residents for the county NOT to continue business with West Park developer Jerry Kamilos during a meeting April 22nd. Supervisor Jim DeMartini is seated at his left.
Left over wreckage from the motorcycle that claimed the life of Patterson Planning Commissioner Jim McCluskey as he rode his bicycle along Diablo Grande Parkway in August.
Patterson FFA student Evan Bachelder takes a nap in his pigs' pen after tending to the animals during opening weekend of the Stanislaus County Fair.
San Francisco all girl rock band "Tinkture" plays during Patterson rock festival "Hellapop" in a garage on Ash Ave, along with many many other bands.
A vegetation fire burns 30 or so acres of thick riverside vegetation near Crows Landing August 11th.
Doug Borges of Borges Auto Service, pulls the second of two vehicles involved in a deadly Delta Mendota Canal accident, from the water around midnight. Investigators photograph the scene and cover up the bodies.
Del Puerto Creek west of Patterson flows close to it's highest for the winter/spring season of 2008.
05-26-08--Darrell and 13 week old son Miles Triano reverently visited the various grave sites of those who have served in the name of our nation, after the Memorial day services Monday at the Patterson District Cemetery.
Dominic Verducci ollies the auditorium 10 stair after the last day of school in May.
Eight year old Nicole Ramirez suffers from severe aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder in which too few red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are produced leaving her susceptable to sickness. In order to help prevent further sickness, Nicole is forced to play indoors, but finds refuge in her room where she can play for hours with her dolls and doll house.
Patterson and Central valley residents experienced poor air quality as more than 1,000 wildfires started by lightnign strikes burned in Northern California in late June.
UC Merced Anthropologists and county coroners work to dig up the remains of a 'Jane Doe' buried in the Patterson District Cemetery in 1971 after she was discovered with multiple stab wounds in the Delta Mendota canal. Stanislaus County Sheriffs detectives watch from behind, they hope to use modern technology to help identify the woman and hopefully find the womans' murderer. Later in the year investigators identified the body as San Francisco's Mary Alice Willey.
Homes slowly go up on a terrace on Golf Canyon Ct. in Diablo Grande in March.
Diablo Grande's Ranch Course and tract homes photographed in March.
An empty lot on Foxy ct. in Diablo Grande's custom built estate home sites photographed in October.
Patterson Mayor Becky Campo celebrates her re-election with friends food and drinks at Las Gaviotas Mexican Restaurant on November 4th.
The mood at mayoral candidate Luis Molina's campain party November 4th, was a little more somber as attendees watch the television for updates on the national election results, while Molina checks his cell phone and computer for updates on the local election.
Audiorama plays at the Emulsified Music festival in downtown Patterson October 18th.
Andre Smith from 'Nadine the Band' plays the drums on a closed of section of S. Del Puerto Avenue during the Emulsified Music Festival which featured 16 bands playing live
Farming is still the main activity to occur on the grounds of the proposed West Park inland port site in Crows Landing, as tractors use the defunct airfield as a means to travel between farms.
Record crowds filled North and South Parks over the Apricot Fiesta weekend.
Some friends enjoy the beer garden at the Apricot Fiesta during Friday night of the pageant. Many former and current Patterson residents converge on Las Palmas ave during the extent of the Fiesta to reunite.
Real Estate auction signs and foreclosure notices begin to trickle into Patterson in February.
Police and Paramedics stand watch as the new Mexican restaurant, Hacienda Arteaga, burns in early August.
The concrete walls go up on the 580,000 square foot foundation to Mc Shane corp's newest distribution center building.
The 2008 Miss Patterson pageant contestants take the stage during opening night of the Apricot Fiesta.
Political signs begin to cover the city as election day draws nearer.
Carlos Roque (right) and a woman who wished to remain annonymous, stand beside a roadside memorial put in place by Roque who lost his son to an auto accident six years ago at the same site of Monday night's fatal accident that killed Monica Martinez and three year old son Eloy. The woman, who witnessed the accident and tried to help the dying victims, says she hasn't been able to work for the past few days as the horrific details of Monday night's accident are stuck with her.
Patterson High School campus security Eddie Thompson helps keep students safe at the school in the wake of a gang brawl a year earlier.
Concrete walls go up at Walnut Grove Elementary School's new joint use gymnasium.

Construction continues at Walnut Grove's classrooms.

West Park consultants try to convice Patterson residents about the good things that West Park will bring, during an informational meeting held at City Hall.

the year in sports photos 2008

2008 brought about many exciting and memorable moments in Patterson sports. Many thanks to those players and coaches that allow me to follow them along for the wins and the losses. These are some of my favorites.