Tracy City Center Association News
4th Annual “RED Day” Set to Lend a Hand in Tracy
May 4, 2012
4th Annual “RED Day” Set to Lend a Hand in Tracy
Keller Williams Realty associates may be taking the day off on Thursday, May 10, 2012, but it will hardly be a day of rest. Associates with the Tracy Market Center have chosen to “Give Where They Live” as part of RED Day, one of the biggest events in the real estate industry. Short for “Renew, Energize and Donate,” RED Day was created to unite Keller Williams Realty offices and associates in an international day of service.
As part of the RED Day effort, Tracy KW, in conjunction with the Tracy City Center Association has chosen to spend the day in Downtown Tracy tidying up the landscape and beautifying the streetscape.
“This type of commitment to community represents the best of Tracy,” said Jan Couturier, District Manager of the Tracy City Center Association. “Tracy City Center Association’s successes are built on volunteerism. Our goal is to continue to make our downtown an inviting and fun place to “Shop, Play, Dine” for the entire family. Helping us renovate our planter pots will go a long way to enhance these efforts. Hats off to Keller Williams for their support!”
“This event is an entrenched part of Keller Williams Realty’s culture and displays the extraordinary effect a company can have when individuals come together to work as a team for the greater good of everyone. It feels great to give back to a community we know and love,” said KW Team Leader Nick Cameron.
During RED Day 2011, over 40,000 Keller Williams associates participated in activities ranging from food and blood drives to cleaning up trash in public parks, doing yard work for neighbors in need or revamping gardens at nursing homes totaling more than 190,000 hours of service making RED Day one of the biggest events in the real estate industry.
For more information about RED Day visit www.kw.com/redday or call Lisa Aguilera at 209-814-8256. Join us at 10:00 a.m. for the beautification project and/or 1:00 pm for a free BBQ. Donations to KW Cares will be gladly accepted.
City celebrates Cinco de Mayo in the plaza
City celebrates Cinco de Mayo in the plaza
by Denise Ellen Rizzo/Tracy Press
May 07, 2012
Mariachi Colima plays during Tracy’s Cinco De Mayo celebration Friday evening at the Downtown Plaza. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
A night of lively music and family fun filled the Downtown Plaza on Friday, May 4, as the city celebrated Cinco de Mayo, which fell on Saturday.
As the first city-sponsored event in the new plaza, many residents said they were at the gathering — which is part of the Downtown Block Party series — to check out the new space and enjoy the performances by Latin Essence and Mariachi Colima.
City officials opened the $3.8 million plaza at Sixth Street and Central Avenue on April 30.
“I wanted to reunite with my roots; I’m third-generation Tracyite,” Susan Campos said. “It’s all right, good music. I didn’t know what to expect. When I grew up, Cinco de Mayo celebration was big at the Portuguese Hall.”
Accompanying Campos was her friend Sandra Raimondi, who also attended with her relatives, 9-year-old Page and 7-year-old Joseph.
“It’s my first time,” she said. “It was a chance to bring the kids to Cinco de Mayo. I’ve been telling them about it.”
In addition to the live music, there were also food and beverage vendors in the grassy area closest to Central Avenue. The grassy area quickly became a popular spot for children to play and dance to the music.
“I’ve lived here 18 years, and I’ve never come down here,” said Lorna Stephenson, as she sat and listened to Mariachi Colima perform. “I wanted to experience the park and the culture. They did a nice job down here.”
Tracy Recreation Manager Kim Scarlata said city officials dubbed the free event a huge success, estimating the crowds at about 700 people. She said it was the first city-sponsored Cinco De Mayo celebration.
“It was fabulous,” she said. “People never stopped coming. Our intent was to bring all the block parties down to the plaza once it was built, for a community gathering.”
Scarlata said feedback from those attending the Cinco de Mayo celebration were all positive, and many said they couldn’t wait for the next block party, which will be June 8 for a Blues & Brews night with performer Zakiya Hooker. Scarlata said one of their goals with the plaza was to draw people downtown so they could patronize the local businesses.
“Perfect kickoff to the block parties,” Scarlata said. “We brought together a mix of cultural diversity, all ages, all races. I definitely hope to be able to do it again next year.”
Link to the Tracy Press article: City celebrates Cinco de Mayo in the Plaza - Tracy Press, May 7, 2012
Farmers market set to open
Farmers market set to open
by Glenn Moore / Tracy Press
May 03, 2012
Fresh fruits, vegetables and baked goods are among the harvest headed to the Tracy farmers market when it opens this weekend in two different locations.
The market will return to 10th Street between A Street and Central Avenue on Saturday, May 5, and will set up for the first time at the West Valley Mall’s main entrance off Naglee Road on Sunday, May 6.
The two locations will remain the same every weekend through Oct. 27, open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days.
Organized by San Joaquin Certified Farmers’ Market, the goal is to bring locally grown produce to Tracy residents.
A majority of the roughly 40 vendors opening the market season will be from San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, with a couple of growers from Santa Cruz County, according to Carlos Dutra, who works with the county farmers group.
Cherries will be among the first market offerings, he said, with early-ripening Brooks and Burlat varieties ready for the market’s grand opening.
Dutra said that in two or three weeks, apricots and peaches will be ripe enough for sale, with the rest the stone fruits hitting the market by the end of May.
Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association took over operations of the Tracy market in 2008. This year, however, the SJCFM is returning to run the market, according to Dutra.
He said the group was happy to return to the Tracy markets and hoped to showcase local growers.
Moving the second market to the mall for the first time will allow the market reach new customers, Dutra hopes.
“It helps the local residents,” he said. “That way, we can serve the whole community.”
The Tracy Center City Association’s district manager, Jan Couturier, said she hoped reverting to SJCFM’s management would help Tracy-area businesses. The association is sponsoring the market season for the second year.
“It is the aim of TCCA to support our local entrepreneurs and help showcase our downtown for the community,” Couturier said.
Couturier noted that Scarlata Farms, AJ Frerichs Enterprise and Kandi’s Pies are just a few of the local businesses that will be selling items.
Link to the Tracy Press article: Farmers Market Set To Open - Tracy Press, May 3, 2012
