Looking back on memorable columns in 2023

Peering through the archive of my twice-monthly columns in the past year reminds me of how much change our community went through in 2023.

The year was barely new when in January heavy rain caused considerable flooding throughout the county. Especially hard-hit was the community of Planada where every house had water damage.

I visited the community, talked with residents, and shared the stories that offered some rays of hope in two columns about the restoration. Residents were beaten down by the heavy rain, but optimistic about assurances that help was on the way.

That help came in the form of a host of community service and non-profit organizations setting up relief services in the center of town. Pallets of bottled water, trailers with full-sized washers and dryers, and daily drive-through meal pick-up sites were just some of the ways these agencies offered to help.

Government dollars were promised and by the end of the year, some concerns were raised about how this financial help will get to where it is needed efficiently.

It is a story that is still evolving.

By early summer, mural artists were busy creating public art on the walls beneath overpasses on all the Highway 99 exits passing through the City of Merced.

I spoke to an artist named Martin who works a regular job by day and pursues his passion for commercial art in his off-hours.  

Martin applied to Cal-Trans for the grant money to paint his mural. The work honors his three children and their sense of optimism and opportunity.

By mid-summer, customers said goodbye to the staff at Parker’s Hardware store in downtown Merced.

The store was an institution in the City with one of the best testimonials coming from a comment found on social media: “If you can’t find it anywhere else, you can find it at Parkers.”

After six decades on 18th Street in the City, the Parker family closed up shop. As for reasons why, some point to the competition from big box home improvement centers; a store employee told me there just wasn’t enough interest in the next generation of the family to continue.

Upon closing up on that final day, the Parker family could look back on a successful local business that helped homeowners, contractors, and just about anyone else who would stop in to find what they needed for various projects.

The Merced Fire Department marked a milestone in 2023:

One hundred fifty years of continuous service to the community.

To celebrate the occasion, the Department brought out a restored pumper acquired in 1874.

The pumper named Old Betsy was the star of the show at an exhibit at the Merced County Courthouse Museum.

The Fire Department hopes Old Betsy will rest on a permanent display at City Hall in the future.

Along the way, the Our Community Story column marked the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Central Valley Billy Graham Crusade with a look at how part of the money raised from that Modesto event was invested in helping the less fortunate and how that initial investment continues to reap dividends.

We met a man who made the trip west from Arkansas to the Central Valley as part of the Dust Bowl exodus in the 1930s.

Charlie was just a baby when his parents loaded up the family vehicle with everything they had, and left the ruins of the Dust Bowl for a land that promised nothing more than an opportunity for a better life.  

The move paid off for Charlie.

In many ways, these stories showed how hard work and a strong belief in doing the right thing paid off for the people we met in our community.

From the Planada residents who faced rebuilding their damaged homes to the proud display of a retired fire tanker and everything in between, it was a year of resilience.

Steve Newvine lives in Merced.

His new book Beaten Paths & Back Roads is available at Lulu.com or at the Merced County Courthouse Museum Gift Shop or online at BEATEN PATHS AND BACK ROADS (lulu.com)