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Stockton, California

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Stockton, California
  File:Stockton, CA city seal.png
Stockton City Seal
City nickname: "California's Sunrise Seaport"
City slogan: "Stockton's Great, Take A Look!"
Stockton, California
County: San Joaquin
Area code: 209
ZIP code: 952xx
Area:
 - Total
 - Water
144.9 km² (56.0 mi²)
3.2 km² (1.2 mi²) 2.22%
Population:

 - City proper (2005 est.)
 - Density (average)


289,800
579.0/km²

Time zone: Pacific: UTC-8

Latitude:
Longitude:

37°58' N
121°18' W

Mayor: Edward Chavez
City of Stockton Official Website

Stockton is a city in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the 5th largest agricultural county in the United States). According to 2005 estimates by the California Department of Finance, Stockton has a population of 289,800 and is the 13th largest city in California. Stockton is also the fourth largest inland city in California, behind Sacramento, Fresno, and Bakersfield. According to the California State Department of Finance January 6, 2006 estimate, 668,265 people live in the Stockton Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Stockton was named after Commodore Robert F. Stockton and was founded in 1849 and incorporated on July 23, 1850. The area now known as Weber Point is the same spot where Captain Charles Maria Weber built the first permanent residence in the San Joaquin Valley after acquiring 49,000 acres through a Spanish land grant. Soon, he established this spot as a stop for 49ers on their way to the Sierra Nevada. It didn't take long for this stop to grow and flourish.

Encompassing Interstate 5, State Route 99 and State Route 4, Stockton is strategically located about 60 miles east of the San Francisco Bay Area and 45 miles south of Sacramento, the capital of California. Stockton is surrounded by the rich and fertile lands of the California Central Valley and is home to the largest inland seaport in California. In and around Stockton are thousands of waterways, canals, and rivers that comprise the California Delta.

In the past decade, Stockton and the nearby communities of Tracy, Manteca and Lodi have experienced a population boom. This is largely due to thousands of people settling in the area to escape the relatively high cost of living of the San Francisco Bay Area. This influx of new residents, however, resulted in a sharp increase in the cost of living of Stockton, although it is still significantly lower than any Bay Area city of comparable size.

In the midst of a massive, city-wide redevelopment project (still in progress), Stockton was twice named an All-America City, in 1999 & 2004.

Geography

Stockton is located at 37°58' North, 121°18' West; its land area is 52.57 square miles (136 km²); its water area is 0.95 square miles (2.5 km²). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 144.9 km² (56.0 mi²). 141.7 km² (54.7 mi²) of it is land and 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²) of it (2.22%) is water. The city lies at the nadir of the San Joaquin Valley.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 243,771 people, 78,556 households, and 56,167 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,720.4/km² (4,455.7/mi²). There were 82,042 housing units at an average density of 579.0/km² (1,499.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 43.26% White, 11.25% African American, 1.12% Native American, 19.90% Asian, 0.40% Pacific Islander, 17.31% from other races, and 6.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.50% of the population.

There were 78,556 households out of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.59.

In the city the population was spread out with 32.4% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,453, and the median income for a family was $40,434. Males had a median income of $35,181 versus $26,602 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,405. About 18.9% of families and 23.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.8% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

In 2005, Forbes magazine listed it as having 6,570 crimes per 100,000 residents [1] — the highest listed[2]; and 0.8% of engineers within total employment[3] — the lowest listed[2]. The city had the 7th lowest (of 150) educational attainment (bachelor's degree or higher over the age 25)[4].

Central Connecticut State University surveys from 2005 and 2006 ranked the city as the most illiterate of all U.S. cities with a population of more than 250,000[5][6][7].

Government

Edward J. Chavez was elected mayor of Stockton in 2004 and officially began his term on January 1, 2005. Chavez succeeded Gary Podesto to the mayorship. His term expires December 31, 2008.

Chavez joined the Stockton Police Department in August 1973 as a Patrol Officer. Working his way up, he was appointed Chief of Police in August 1993 and served until his retirement in 2003.

Mark Lewis was appointed City Manager by the City Council in April 2001. Lewis, best known for his economic and developmental policies, successfully served the cities of Monterey Park, Colton, Union City and South San Francisco, California in the same capacity.

Lewis was dismissed by the City Council on January 17, 2006 by a vote of 6-1, with Vice Mayor Gary Giovanetti dissenting.

The Stockton City Council is comprised of six councilmembers, each elected by their respective districts:

  1. Steve J. Bestolarides
  2. Dan J. Chapman
  3. Leslie B. Martin
  4. Clem Lee
  5. Gary S. Giovanetti (Vice Mayor)
  6. Rebecca G. Nabors

Industry

Although historically an agriculturally based community, Stockton's economy has diversified into all sectors of industry. Several top-tier companies have chosen to base their operations in Stockton, some of which include:

In addition, due to readily available land and office space in Stockton, several corporations have either shifted their regional headquarters to the city or are in negotiations with city officials to do so.

Media

Television Stations

Radio Broadcast Stations

  • KJOY 99.3: Adult Contemporary
  • KMIX 100.9: Regional Mexican
  • KQOD 100.1: Rhythmic Oldies
  • KSTN-FM 107.3: Regional Mexican
  • KUOP 91.3: News/Talk and Jazz
  • KWIN 97.7: Rhythmic Top 40
  • KYCC 90.1: Religious

AM Stations

  • KCVR 1570 Spanish Adult Hits
  • KSTN 1420 Classic Hits
  • KWG 1230 Catholic
  • KWSX 1280 News/Talk simulcast of KFIV 1360 Modesto

Plus several radio stations from Modesto, Sacramento and the Bay Area are receivable in Stockton

Sister cities

Stockton has seven sister cities worldwide:

Transportation

Public Transportation

Stockton does not have a lightrail or subway system and employs busing as its only method of municipal public transportation. These services are provided through the San Joaquin Regional Transit Districtwhich also provides limited regional transportation. Local routes run every hour on average and fares are $1.25 for adults with 25c transfers, $1.00 for children over 5 years of age.

Regional and International Transportation

Stockton also has access to several different modes of regional and international transportation:

Land

Due to its location at the 'crossroads' of the Central Valley and a relatively extensive highway system, Stockton is easily accessible from virtually anywhere in California. Interstate 5 and State Route 99, California's major north-south thoroughfares, pass through city limits. Also, Stockton is just minutes away from Interstate 205 and 580.

Stockton is also connected to the rest of the nation through an extensive network of railways. Amtrak and Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) both make stops in Stockton, with Amtrak providing passenger access to the rest of the nation. Moreover, Union Pacific meets the cargo rail needs of the city. Recently, BNSF Railway opened a much needed $150 million intermodal freight transport facility in southeast Stockton, which satisfies long-haul transportation needs.

Air

Stockton is served by Stockton Metropolitan Airport, located on county land just south of city limits. The airport has been designated a Foreign Trade Zone and is mainly used by manufacturing and agricultural companies for shipping purposes. Since airline deregulation, passenger service has come and gone several times. Most recently, domestic service resumed in June 2006 with service to Las Vegas by Allegiant Air, and the days of service/number of flights were expanded a few months later due to demand. Also in 2006, Aeromexico had planned to provide service to and from Guadalajara, Mexico, but the airport's plan to build a customs station at the airport was initially rejected by the customs service. However, the possibility of building this station is currently a continuing matter of negotiation between the airport and the customs service, and Aeromexico has indicated a continuing interest in eventually providing service.

Water

The Port of Stockton is a large inland port set on the San Joaquin River, which provides a direct route to the Pacific Ocean and other port cities around the world. The Port of Stockton is the third largest landholder seaport in California and has also been designated a Foreign Trade Zone. The Port of Stockton operates a 2,100 acre (8.5 km²) transportation center with berthing space for 14 vessels. In addition, 6.5 million square feet (600,000 m²) of warehouse storage space is available. The Port of Stockton is currently competing with HSMPS (Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square) for the rights to dock the USS Iowa (BB-61) as a permanent museum and memorial. The Port of Stockton plans to donate 1,000 feet of dock space to make the USS Iowa available to visitors, a 90,000 square foot building to be used as a museum and ten acres of land for parking. The Port of Stockton is also a home for the Stockton Rowing Club. Stockton Rowing can trace its history back more than 100 years. Its modern expansion began in the early 1980s.

Education

Higher education

File:Uop.jpg
University of the Pacific

Stockton is home to several institutions of higher education. The largest is the University of the Pacific (UOP). The UOP campus has been used in the filming of several Hollywood films, partly due to its aesthetic likeness to East Coast Ivy League universities. UOP's most notable appearance was in Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Also located in Stockton are San Joaquin Delta College and Humphreys College and School of Law.

Stockton used to be the site of a California State Hospital, the oldest in the state system, founded only a few years after statehood. Stockton State Hospital was closed in 1996 and has since been converted into the Stockton branch campus of California State University, Stanislaus.

Humphrey's College is a prominent business and law school based in Stockton. National University, Heald, and University of Phoenix all have campuses in Stockton as well.

Primary and secondary schools

Most areas in Stockton are zoned to schools in the Stockton Unified School District.

Some areas are within other school districts, including:

Private schools in the area include:

  • Annunciation Elementary School (Catholic)
  • Carden Elementary School (Methodist)
  • St. Mary's High School (Catholic)
  • St. Luke's Elementary School (Catholic)
  • Brookside Christian High Shcool (Christian)
  • Lakeside Christian High Shcool (Christian)

Events of Historical Significance

Completion of Port and Deepwater Channel

The river port and deepwater channel to San Francisco Bay were completed in 1933, giving rise to commercial opportunities that have fueled the cities growth over ever since and paving the way for a naval base that placed Stockton in a strategic position during the cold war.

The Cleveland Elementary School Shooting

On January 17, 1989, the Stockton Police Department received a threat against Cleveland Elementary School from an unknown person. Later that day Patrick Purdy, a mentally ill resident, opened fire on the school's playground with a semi-automatic rifle, killing five children and wounding twenty-nine others and a teacher, before taking his own life. This event received national news coverage and is sometimes referred to as the Stockton Massacre.

Mayor Barbara Fass' pioneering work on gun control received national attention and sparked nationwide efforts to ban semi-automatic military-style rifles like the one Purdy used in the shooting. Because of her efforts, these weapons are now illegal.

Closure of Stockton's Naval Reserve Center

In September 1996, the Base Closure and Realignment Commission announced the final closure of Stockton's Naval Reserve Center, which had served as a major communications outpost for submarine activities in the Pacific during the Cold War. While many other base closures in the region were seen as largely negative due to job loss, Stockton residents welcomed the news. The site is currently being considered for commercial development.


Downtown Revitilization

Simce the completion of the Weber Point Events Center, revitilization in downtown stockton has slowly been on the rise. The city have putten much effort into downtown, and many good things have been either built or renovated. The Bob Hope Theatre, The Hotel Stockton, the Downtown Transit Center, the Cinemas, the arena, ballpark, Sheraton hotel, and many others. Projects being considered, or to be built include a marina, south-shore housing, the revitilization of the Robert J. Cabral station neighborhood, bridges across the channel, and a high-rise that may include condos.


Professional sports

Although Stockton lacks a major league sports team, it is home to several minor league franchises:

The Stockton Ports play their home games at Banner Island Ballpark, a new 5,000 seat facility built for the team in downtown Stockton. A new 10,000 seat arena, the Stockton Arena, has recently been completed in downtown Stockton, which houses the California Cougars, Stockton Thunder and Stockton Lightning.

Famous Stocktonians

Facts

  • Prior to its incorporation in 1850, Stockton had several names, including Tuleburg, Gas City and Mudville - the Stockton Ports played for two seasons under the name Mudville 9.
  • Captain Charles M. Weber chose to honor Commodore Robert F. Stockton by naming the city in honor of Stockton, who was instrumental in the capture of California during the Mexican-American War.
  • Stockton was twice named an All-America City (1999 & 2004).
  • Citing high unemployment, crime, cost of living along with low educational attainment, Bert Sperling ranked Stockton-Lodi as second worst out of 331 U.S. metropolitan areas in his book, "Cities Ranked and Rated" (2004).[8]
  • Stockton had the third-highest auto theft rate in the nation in 2005.[9]
  • The historic Bob Hope Theatre (formerly Fox California Theatre) in downtown Stockton is one of several 'movie palaces' in the Central Valley.
  • With over 100,000 trees, Stockton was thrice named Best Tree City in the western United States by Sunset magazine.
  • Stockton was the first community in California to have a name not of Spanish or Native American origin.
  • The Port of Stockton is the easternmost inland port in California and the largest inland port.
  • George W. Bush Elementary School, located in north Stockton, is the first public school in the nation to be named for a sitting president.
  • An article written in 1856 by the Stockton Directory (a paper long since disbanded) told about Stockton's major advantages over all inland California cities:
"The City of Stockton is situated on a beautiful prairie at the head of the Stockton Slough, a wide and deep arm of the San Joaquin River, which extends eastward some three miles from the river into the plain. As a harbor, in point of capacity, Stockton possesses advantadges over all inland cities of California [in that] there is sufficient depth and breadth of water, at all seasons of the year, for all purposes of moorage and navigation."

Culture

Fine Arts

Stockton is well known as having the third oldest professional orchestra in California, the Stockton Symphony, behind the San Francisco Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Auditoriums and Concert Halls

  • Bob Hope Theater
  • Faye Spanos Auditorium
  • Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium
  • Warren Atherton Auditorium (Home of the Stockton Symphony)

Museums

Stockton is the home of the Haggin Museum [1] and Children's Museum of Stockton [2]. The Haggin Museum displays historical artifacts from Stockton and San Joaquin County. The Children's Museum of Stockton is housed in a former warehouse on the Downtown Waterfront. It has displays in which children can interact with.

There are a few proposed museums, including the effort to bring the USS Iowa to the Port of Stockton as a naval museum. The Filipino American National Historical Society has proposed the construction of the National Pinoy Museum in the Little Manila district. The museum would be dedicated to the history of Filipino-Americans. Stockton once had one of the largest population of Filipinos in the United States. There have also been efforts to convert the San Joaquin Street home of Moses Rogers, a former slave, into a non-profit museum dedicated to Stockton's African-American community.

Music

The Stockon Chorale, Stockton Symphony and Orchestra, and the Children's Chorale, which regularly perform in the area are all musical organizations open to public audition. In addition, local high schools and colleges featuring world famous ensembles such as the Lincoln High School Chamber Ensemble, The Delta Singers, and the Amos Alonzo Stagg High School Madrigal Singers also give public performances.

Festivals

Annual festivals celebrating the rich cultural heritage and values of Stockton's diverse population and the city's agricultural importance include:

  • The Stockton Asparagus Festival - world-renowned, award winning (April)
  • The Brubeck Festival (April)
  • The Earth Day Festival (April)
  • The Filipino Barrio Fiesta (August)
  • The Greek Festival (September)
  • The Jewish Food Fair (June)
  • The Stockton Festival of Lights and Boat Parade (December)
  • The Stockton Obon Bazaar (July, Bhuddist)

Pop Culture

Many movies have been shot in Stockton over the decades, giving it the nickname "Hollywood North" by producers.

  • 7 Brides for 7 Brothers
  • All the King's Men
  • Always
  • American Graffiti II
  • An American Murder
  • Animal House
  • Atlanta Child Murders
  • Birdy
  • Blind Man Sees First
  • Blood Alley
  • Bound for Glory
  • Coast to Coast
  • Cool Hand Luke
  • Coyote
  • Dead Man on Campus
  • Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
  • Dreamscape
  • Fat City
  • Flubber
  • Friendly Fire
  • Glory Days
  • God's Little Acre
  • High Time
  • Hot Shots! Part Deux
  • Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
  • Jungle Wolf II
  • More American Graffiti
  • Oklahoma Crude
  • Porgy & Bess
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • Rampage
  • RPM
  • Sam Whiskey
  • Skipping
  • Strawberry Statement
  • Take the Money and Run
  • The Big Country
  • The Sure Thing
  • This is Spinal Tap
  • Valentino's Return
  • Valley Girl
  • World's Greatest Athlete

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References

  1. ^ Badenhausen (editor), Kurt (2005-05-05). "Worst crime rate". Forbes. Retrieved 2006-04-30. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  2. ^ a b Badenhausen (editor), Kurt (2005-05-05). "Best Places For Business And Careers". Forbes. Retrieved 2006-04-30. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  3. ^ Badenhausen (editor), Kurt (2005-05-05). "Least engineers". Forbes. Retrieved 2006-04-30. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  4. ^ Badenhausen (editor), Kurt (2005-05-05). "Educational attainment". Forbes. Retrieved 2006-04-30. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  5. ^ Miller, John W. (2005). "America's most literate cities, 2005". Central Connecticut State University. Retrieved 2006-04-30.
  6. ^ Torres, Jennifer (2005-12-26). "Literacy letdown". Stockton Record. Retrieved 2006-04-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  7. ^ Miller, John W. (2006). "America's most literate cities, 2006". Central Connecticut State University. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  8. ^ "Think your city is best? See the latest rankings". MSNBC. March 30 2004. Retrieved 2006-12-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  9. ^ "For Car Thieves, the West is Best". National Insurance Crime Bureau. May 9 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
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