Success & Service: Modesto lauds transit manager as he retires

Modesto officials praised and thanked Fred Cavanah – the city’s longtime transit manager – at last week’s City Council meeting on the eve of his retirement, after nearly 31 years with the city and about 40 years in the public sector. “Fred is just an amazing individual who has done a terrific job,” City Manager Jim Holgersson said.

Cavanah, 64, thanked officials for the warm words and praised his staff, saying the proposals he brought to the council over the years reflected the team effort of his department. About 3.7 million passengers ride a Modesto Area Express bus or use a Dial-A-Ride van annually.

Cavanah’s last day is Dec. 28, and he hopes to do consulting work in his retirement.

Teen raises $4,800 for animal rescue

Emily Ewing, 15, of Merced once again spearheaded a bake sale to benefit Merced’s New Beginnings Animal Rescue and raised $4,800 this year. The first one, in 2012, made $350 and the fundraiser has increased dramatically each year since.

Ewing is a sophomore at Stone Ridge Christian High School.

The money, she said, will be split between the rescue’s medical and transport funds, with every dime benefiting the animals.

Turlock High journalists turn patch into gifts

Each year, Turlock High journalism and photo journalism students pool their money to sponsor a girl or boy from the Good Samaritan Tree in Turlock. This year, they decided to do more by sponsoring more children, teacher Virginia Barr said. They created patches using the original Turlock High School logo and sold them to be attached to beanies, scarves and letterman’s jackets. They raised more than $600 and then went shopping for gifts; they chose older children whose names otherwise might not have been selected from the tree.

Fire2Wire expands free downtown Wi-Fi

Salida-based technology firm Fire2Wire has expanded its free wireless Internet service in downtown Modesto. The firm has added a second location centered around the Gallo Center for the Arts. The firm launched the free Wi-Fi along 10th Street between J and K streets a few months ago. The technology firm plans to add the service to two more locations, including Mancini Bowl at Graceada Park.

Fire2Wire is providing the service to help the city attract more visitors to downtown. The firm is paying for the cost of installing and maintaining the service and plans to keep it running for three years.

Oakdale Chamber tabs awards nominees

The Oakdale Chamber of Commerce announced the nominees for awards that will be presented at a banquet Jan. 15 at the Gene Bianchi Center.

The chamber will honor the Gilbert family with a lifetime achievement award. The nominees: Jo Harris and Travis Johnson, citizen of the year; Central Valley Realtors Association of Oakdale, Friends of the Library, Oakdale Equine Rescue and Oakdale Family Resource and Counseling Center, community service award; Basi Insurance, The Oakdale Leader, Oakdale MMA and Prime Shine, business of the year; and Gustavo Torres Carrillo, Alyssa Castano, Hope Kindred and Kate Wessling, junior achievement.

Tickets are $40 per person and are available on the chamber’s website. For more information, call 209-847-2244.

San Joaquin LAFCO seats open

Applications are being accepted to fill the regular and alternate public member seats on the San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission. Each applicant must be a county resident and may not be an officer or employee of the county or any city or special district within the county at the time of appointment. The regular member seat will become vacant in May, while the alternative member will be seated immediately and fill an unexpired term ending in May 2018.

Application forms are available from the LAFCO office, 509 W. Weber Ave., Suite 420, Stockton, or on the LAFCO website at www.sjgov.org/lafco. Completed applications must be returned to the LAFCO office by Jan. 12. Appointments to the commission are scheduled to be considered at the LAFCO meeting Jan. 14. Qualified applicants will be invited to the meeting to briefly present their qualifications to the commission. For more details on the appointment, call James E. Glaser, executive officer, at 209-468-3198.

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Success & Service: Modesto lauds transit manager as he retires."