1. FAIR RESULTSOAKDALE GRAPHIC ESTABLISHED 1882
The Oakdale Leader• S E R V I N G O U R C O M M U N I T Y • www.oakdaleleader.com • 75¢Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Fair Results See Page A4
By RICHARD PALOMA
rpaloma@oakdaleleader.com
The spotlight of the home-
less, or at least those per-
ceived as homeless, is shin-
ing back on the group of
individuals that gather daily
at William Meyer Park on
West G Street.
At a recent Oakdale City
Council meeting, a few resi-
dents spoke out about the
behavior of certain individ-
uals and conditions at the
neighborhood park.
Sharon Arpoika, president
of Friends of the Library,
stated that people don’t feel
comfortable going to the li-
brary and having to pass by
the park. Many times those
walking are subject to the
foul language and other
public debauchery such as
drunkenness, public urina-
tion, and drug usage.
Arpoika said that the li-
brary is planning “A Day of
Play” event for July 29 and
fears interference from the
undesirable subjects in the
park that have taken over,
making it unpleasant for any
family associated event.
“Since the park is adjacent
to the library, it’s a perfect
place to hold the affair,” said
Arpoika. “With how it is right
now, I don’t think many at-
tending would feel comfort-
able or safe.”
Robyn Kerr of the Church
Street Neighborhood Watch
mentioned finding eight sy-
ringes and other drug para-
phernalia during a recent
clean-up at the park for Love
Oakdale.
Kerr suggested the council
ban drinking in city parks to
curb the problem of the un-
desirables.
After the meeting, Sharon
Morrow, another neighbor-
hood watch block captain
for the area, said she feels
there have been quite a few
visible problems at the park,
but feels little support from
the police and city.
“It really can’t be used by
the community anymore,”
Morrow said. “People can’t
go there without getting ha-
rassed.”
Morrow told stories of
drunken fights, cussing, and
what she described as “other
anti-social behavior.”
“This neighborhood needs
a ‘play park’ where kids can
go and be safe,” Morrow
said. “Around here kids can’t
go there and end up playing
in the street. We’re trying to
get our neighborhood to be
more of a community.”
AtWilliamMeyerParkona
recent Thursday afternoon,
regulars Victor Salinas and
Julian Garcia were seated at
a picnic table, each drinking
a 24-ounce can of beer.
“We’ve been black listed
around town,” Salinas said
with slurred words. “We had
to move out of Wood Park
where we had Porta-Pot-
ties and benches and then
moved here.”
Salinas claims he and his
friends have been targeted
by the police who should be
focusing their time on the
traffic problem and hazards
to pedestrians crossing the
street.
Both Salinas and Garcia
said they were not homeless
and had houses they lived at
in town.
“It’s ‘tax-paying citizens’
like me that paid for this
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By DAWN M. HENLEY
dhenley@oakdaleleader.com
It’s hard to say goodbye to sum-
mer but school is about to start
and the eight-week Super Sum-
mer Camp program in Oakdale is
wrapping up its final week, ending
on July 26.
With the final week’s theme be-
ing “Summer Blowout,” the camp-
ers are making tie-dye T-shirts,
sun visors and other summer-
themed crafts, taking a field trip
to Funworks on Wednesday, and
a couple of walking trips to splash
around in the community pool.
The camp, operated by the Oak-
dale Joint Unified School Dis-
trict at the Magnolia Elementary
School campus, started on June
3 with a record 74 children in the
first week. Super Summer Camp
supervisor Annette Kimball said
they averaged about 70 students
per week this year, continuing
the growth they’ve seen each year
since it started.
The camp catered to kindergar-
ten through sixth grade children
from Oakdale and surrounding
Super Summer Camp Ready To WrapGavin Peral draws in his
favorite activities on his
“All About Me” poster
at the Oakdale Super
Summer Camp held at
the Magnolia Elementary
School campus on July
22, during the final week
of camp.
DAWN M. HENLEY/THE LEADER
Kielynn Blom adjusts
the visor she decorated
during an arts and craft
activity so she can wear
it at Super Summer
Camp.
DAWN M. HENLEY/THE LEADER
CAMP, Page A11
CHP officers fill
out paperwork
outside the
AC Transit bus
stolen from San
Francisco on
Friday morning,
finally stopped
just west of
Oakdale along
Highway 120.
The bus stopped
due to severe tire
damage caused
by a spike strip in
Escalon. One man
was taken into
custody.
MARG JACKSON/
THE LEADER
STOLEN BUS
STOLEN BUS
STOLEN BUS
STOLEN BUSLands In OakdaleBy MARG JACKSON
mjackson@oakdaleleader.com
Covering about 100 miles alto-
gether, a spike strip put down by
the California Highway Patrol at
the main intersection in Escalon
didn’t stop a stolen AC Transit
bus there … but it did enough
damage to the tires to force the
driver to go off the roadway just
before reaching Oakdale.
The bus,
stolen out of a terminal in San
Francisco, ended up off Highway
120 near Cleveland Avenue a few
miles west of Oakdale on Friday
morning. The spike strip was
put down along Highway 120 at
a major intersection in Escalon.
Traffic was held up there as CHP
units awaited the arrival of the
bus, which traveled primarily
at speeds of 55 to 60 mph on its
journey from the Bay area to the
Valley.
When it was over, a San Fran-
cisco man was taken into custody
and ultimately booked into San
Joaquin County Jail on suspicion
of grand theft, reckless driving
and failure to yield.
Escalon Police were notified
of the impending chase coming
through the community, with
the bus driver failing to yield to
BUS, Page A11
By DAWN M. HENLEY
dhenley@oakdaleleader.com
In an effort to keep the interest in
reading over the summer, the Oak-
dale Library is participating in the
“Activate Your Mind - READ!” pro-
gram for all ages, children to adults.
It started May 25 and runs through
Saturday, Aug. 3.
According to Oakdale Library
staff, there’s still time to get that
summer reading in for prizes.
Bryan Sontag, Oakdale Library
branch manager and librarian said
that as soon as the program wraps,
they’ll start totaling to find out the
impact the program has had on lo-
cal readers. He said that this year
they’ve offered prizes, including bi-
cycles and a Nook, and it seems to
have made an impression.
“We’ve had a lot of kids interest-
ed this year because of the prizes,”
Sontag said of the program. “The
kids like to see a big grand prize…
It’s exciting for the kids to see the
bicycles.”
There won’t be a shortage of ac-
tivitiestoenjoylocallythisweekend.
On Saturday, July 27, the Oak-
dale Museum & History Center on
West F Street will be taking a step
back in time. A special event is be-
ing planned, with demonstrators
showing a bit of what it was like to
preserve food. In keeping with the
community’s summer Farmers
Market theme, the museum’s dis-
play will highlight canning and the
significance it has to this area.
This special event is being put on
by Friends of Oakdale Heritage and
the staff of the Oakdale Museum
& History Center. All are invited to
come join in for an afternoon of fun,
food and learning.
Gypsy Cowgirl Kitchen will be on
hand doing demonstrations and
there will be hot dogs and lemon-
ade for all. The Museum Fun Day
will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this
Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Oakdale Cowboy
Museum will be hosting a special
day of its own, saluting the Ameri-
can Cowboy and the cowboy’s place
Weekend Events Focus
On Community, History
EVENTS, Page A12
Library Fun
Reading Program
Reaches Final Chapter
PROGRAM, Page A12
Citizens Aim To Take Back The Park
AIM, Page A11