Delta Rat Scrapbook – by Bill Wells

Taste Of The Delta

Dave and Marsha Theis hosted the 21st annual Taste of the Delta at their Windmill Cove Resort in Stockton. They are very generous supporting the community. This was a perfect spot for an event on a hot summer day. It is surrounded on three sides by water and exposure to any breeze coming up the San Joaquin River. It was a great day with the temperature in the low 90s and a slight cooling breeze. Dave and Marsha recently installed the “Pavilion,” on the east lawn area which is a large canvas covered frame that was big enough to house all the participants. Make sure to check with Windmill Cove if you are interested in having them host your next event.

Sixteen area restaurants and a like number of beverage enterprises were there, each offering a unique culinary experience. Alongside, selected artists and artisans showcased their wares, adding a touch of local artistry to the event. For one low price, you could savor the diverse flavors of the Delta, all in one place. It’s like a wine and food tasting tour, but without the travel. The lagoon was a bustling hub with boats from near and far joining in the weekend’s festivities.

Some great live music was provided by the excellent band Gotcha Covered; they played everything from the 60s to the modern era and hardly took a break during the day. From their website they “cover a vast array of genres.” Everyone was rocking to the music, especially those of us working in the check-in booth. Sadie and Jason Freed came to help. Sadie was once featured on the TV show “Undercover Boss” when she was the manager at Tower Park. She is the best customer service representative I have ever known. Her husband Jason is an expert with technology such as point of sale systems. They are a great team and I highly recommend them if you ever need help with an event. My good friend Rhonda Hurles says “Dancing with Rhonda” was a huge help too, and she brought her girlfriend to help out. Last but not least Sue was a huge help at the front desk. The team kept everything running smoothly with no mishaps.

There was a lot of excellent food available from some great restaurants such as sandwiches, sliders, you name it. Check out the website tasteofthedelta.com for a complete list of restaurants, wineries and breweries.

Richard Boland, the famous yacht broker from Alameda was there promoting his new line of floating homes. If you want a tiny home, why limit yourself to being a landlubber? Richards’s new line of Marina Bay floating homes might be the answer for you. They are powered too, so you can move around when you get bored at one spot.

Several of us bought “Magnum PI” style red Hawaiian shirts about ten years ago. Many of us still have them and break them out once a year for this event. The Taste of the Delta is the main fundraiser for the California Delta Chambers & Visitor’s Bureau. Supporting this event helps the organization keep the doors open and serving local businesses and people of the Delta.

The next Taste of the Delta will be on Aug. 9, 2025, at Delta Diamond Farm in Isleton. This will be a great venue with plenty of shady grounds and plenty of parking. Put it on your calendar so you won’t miss this wonderful event. Vendors wanted, send an email to info@californiadelta.org if interested.

The Return Of Athena

Athena was launched at the Stephens Brothers yard in Stockton as Tapawinga, hull #566 in 1929. She was built for Frank A. Cressey Jr., president of the Modesto Gas Company and a member of Saint Francis Yacht Club. She is 47 feet long with a beam of 11 feet 3 inches. Her draft is 3 feet 4 inches. She is powered by twin 160 horsepower Chrysler Majestic motors, each equipped with dual updraft Zenith carburetors.

This is an immaculate, better-than-Bristol boat. The varnish is so bright you have to wear shades. Nowadays, she is under the care of Wayne and Dianna Ettel of the Maritime Preservation Trust. She was donated to the trust in 2009 by then-owners Dan and Joan Carter. Wayne and Diana have done an amazing job preserving this beautiful vessel. I challenge you to find a ding or blemish anywhere. The motors look like they are brand new and sound like it too.

She was trucked to Stockton and launched at Delta Yacht Center. From there it is only a few hundred yard cruise to 5 Star Marina. Wayne and Diana served wine, champagne and soft drinks along with snacks to the folks that greeted her, Alan Almquist and his son Chris, Dan & Pat (Stephens) DeWees, Scott Andrews & Susan Takimi, Rusty Areias and a reporter for a local TV station.

Wayne is moving his operation to 5 Star Marina in Stockton where Athena was launched so many years ago. Marina owner Abdul Yasini has provided Wayne and his organization with office space, shop space and access to the marine railway. The rumors I hear are that the famous sailing yacht Tatoosh will be arriving in the near future for a complete overhaul.

Wayne is the boat restorer for the stars, with several classics under his belt. He plans to start a maritime trade school at 5 Star and teach the younger generation the fine art of boatbuilding and restoration.

Athena is being berthed at Ox Bow Marina on Georgiana Slough. The Delta is a little tricky for folks that are used to cruising the open ocean and maybe navigating to Catalina Island. Downtown Stockton to Ox Bow Marina is only about 25 miles by water, pretty much a straight shot down the San Joaquin River to the confluence with the Mokelumne River at Marker 49, up the Mokelumne to Georgiana Slough and just about five miles up to the marina. You only have to navigate one bridge (Mokelumne River Bridge) with a low water clearance of 11 feet. I can sometimes slip under without an opening. This bridge has had a lot of money spent on it over the last decade so it is pretty dependable if you do need an opening. Scott Andrews, who also keeps his classic Stephens yacht at Ox Bow, offered to pilot Wayne to Athena’s new Ox Bow home. It was a beautiful summer day, perfect for a Delta cruise.

Stockton Maritime Museum

David Rajkovich, commodore of the Stockton Maritime Museum, has advised me that they are going to have an open house on the minesweeper USS Lucid on Oct. 5, from 0900 hours to 1600 hours. If you have never been aboard this vessel, you owe it to yourself to make the trip and check her out. I especially suggest bringing your children or grandchildren to see this living piece of history. They will put the details on their Facebook page USS Lucid (MSO-458). They have put a lot of work into the interior of this ship, and it is not finished yet, but the parts that are done are amazing. To us old Navy veterans, it is like being home.

The Stockton Waterfront is changing and becoming a maritime center. It literally has the potential to rival the Tiburon Waterfront in the Bay, or even Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. There is potential for museums, boat rides, boat rentals, restaurants and boatyards. It has the potential to be a huge draw to Stockton. Hopefully, the city leaders will see the potential and act accordingly. The waterfront could be a huge financial asset for the city. Abdul Yasini plans to make 5 Star Marina great again. I think we can make the whole Stockton Waterfront great.

Waterfraud Update

My undercover reporter, Jack Hanna (not the animal guy) checks in with an update on Webb Tract: “I had the pleasure of seeing the corn fields of this 5000-acre reclamation island from the flybridge of a yacht. As neat a corn farm as I could imagine. A few years back, Zurich, a Swiss based insurance and finance company bought the island and some others, bringing their holdings to over 20000 acres of Delta farmland below sea level.

Dutra came in with barges of rock, refaced the levees and raised them to FEMA standards. This is a big thing for safety and investment. Also, Jersey Island, owned by Ironhouse Sanitary District, was raised and refaced. Jersey Island is over 4000 acres.

“Later, it was announced that Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District purchased all of the Zurich held islands. At that time, the proposed alignment of The Tunnel ran through rivers and sloughs from Sacramento to Byron. Various alignments were proposed and rejected until a draft EIR was proposed.

“The document was over 1000 pages. Those of us who are concerned, or opposed, to the Water Grab attempted to take a page or two and respond with intelligent criticism. I chose the relocation of a few million yards of dirt, polluted by the drill lubricants. Bay & Delta Yachtsman published my comments.

“My pages discussed bore sample tests in the river along the proposed route. Testing showed remarkably high levels of DDT in the mud below the water. DDT was banned decades ago. It appears the alignment is to be changed. I have yet to confirm this with the dozens of agencies and stakeholders. I would love to say I changed the tunnel alignment, but I won’t. Apparently, the value of farmland below sea level, accessible only by ferry, may have become diminished in cost/benefit to Metropolitan Water District and the other water contractors.

“Cow gas and corn farming in the dry peat soil of our Delta islands can release over 20 tons of carbon per acre annually into the atmosphere. This is associated with the drying peat soil oxidizing and subsiding. In 2024 we have progressive ideas and some incentives to explore mitigation of carbon emissions.

“Metro Water and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy put their heads together and proposed a plan to protect wildlife, reduce carbon emissions and improve land and water habitat. The project tab is over $20 million. Diane Burgis, Chair of the Conservancy, promises there are written guarantees that grants will not benefit the Tunnel project. Win-win, we hope.

“In Oakley, the plan was presented jointly. Carbon emission reduction annually of around 75 thousand tons is projected. Some ponds for tule and cattail are included. Corn production to rice production is the primary ingredient. Another major benefit would be habitat improvement for the annual migration of waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway.

“State Parks, Ironhouse Sanitary and of course Los Angelinos are anxious to see the net results of the project for the available revenues and grants. Other islands may follow. I’m Jack Hanna, and I’m for the birds.”

The longfin smelt, a minnow sized fish that was once so abundant it fed animals and humans throughout the California Delta and San Francisco Bay has been put on the endangered species list.

According to Tamara Ward, assistant field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “The main cause of their declining population is habitat loss, primarily due to long-term reductions and alterations in freshwater flow into the San Francisco Bay Estuary. These added protections mean that no one will be able to ‘take’ longfin smelt without a permit. To take means to kill, harass, or harm the fish’s ability to survive. Other Bay-Delta species currently listed under these protections include the Delta smelt, winter run Chinook salmon, spring run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead and green sturgeon.”

Connie Cochren, communications officer for the City of Stockton advises that, “The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will conduct two studies in Downtown Stockton / McLeod Lake. The first study is scheduled for late August. The studies will apply a non-harmful dye to the water to record water flow and monitor the interaction of McLeod Lake and the San Joaquin River. The purpose of the studies is to establish the cause of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Stockton Waterfront. McLeod Lake was selected by the State as one of the study sites due to the impact of HABs in the area, particularly during drought years.

“To conduct the studies, crews hired by the State will use rhodamine dye. Recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as non-harmful to humans and the environment, rhodamine may turn the water noticeably bright pink or a purplish color depending on weather and water conditions at the time of the application. The coloring is temporary and poses no harm to McLeod Lake, people, boats or wildlife.

“The first dye study is scheduled to begin on Aug. 26, and is anticipated to be completed by Aug. 30. Crews will use a Port of Stockton boat to apply the dye and record data between McLeod Lake at Weber Point and Interstate 5. The second study is expected to be scheduled in early 2025. Data collected during the studies will provide information about conditions that are present between the Stockton Waterfront and the San Joaquin River that result in the harmful algal blooms that cause the water to turn green and odors that occur during hot months.” Over the last few years, there have been some pretty nasty algae blooms there. They have devices to aerate the water in McLeod Lake and help reduce the blooms, but I am not sure they are working at this time.

The rule of thumb is: “algae grows where water does not flow.”

Pacific Boat Services

Ramon Mata took over the old Ladds Marina a couple of years ago. On day one, he moved in a portable building to use as an office while he remodeled the existing office and began cleaning up the yard. It has been a while since I visited, but I attended the Delta Chambers mixer he hosted in early August.

Ramon goes all out bringing in family members to prepare and serve food and schmooze people. We dined on tacos with tortillas fresh off the grill, along with grilled onions and peppers – another Delta feast with plenty of liquids to wash it down. It was a fine evening of fun and camaraderie.

If you have not been to Pacific Boat Services in a while you should pay a visit. Ramon has paved the parking which is an amazing transformation from the previous rock and dirt macadam. He has also gotten rid of the derelict boats that were taking up a lot of space. I guess they were dismantled and the usable parts salvaged. The yard is now nearly immaculate, looking more like a resort than a boatyard.

Diversity Mixer

Timm Quinn of the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce got the other local chambers together for a fabulous diversity mixer at the Commander’s House at the Port of Stockton. In addition to the Stockton Chamber, the African American Chamber, the Central Valley Asian Chamber and the California Delta Chambers & Visitor’s Bureau all pitched in with food and drinks to make this a memorable event. It is good to see so many community service organizations coming together to create something that is bigger than the sum of its parts. The grounds are beautiful, and we were right on the water; they just need a boat dock and the location would be perfect. Can you imagine a future where you have shuttle boats bringing people from the downtown Stockton Waterfront to the Commander’s House for weddings or other events? There are a lot of possibilities here. Mark your calendars for Dec. 5 at the Haggin Museum in Stockton for the Winter Diversity Mixer. It will be fun.

Walk Like An Egyptian

I have told you before about Maggie Azer being like a human hand grenade, albeit a very pretty one. She spearheaded the Egypt Night at the Village West Yacht Club and indeed what a fabulous night it was. Marina West Yacht Club cruised in with nine boats; Shelly Murry, John & Patty Romero and Kyle & Susan Kordes, were among the many visitors. Many folks came dressed for the part in colorful clothing and the decorations made you think you were in Cairo. Maggie has seemingly boundless energy and is always up for something good.

Marina West Yacht Club cruised in for the event and was very impressed with the evening. The food was amazing: three kinds of Shawarma – chicken, beef and lamb; eggplant, red onions, mushrooms, hummus, vegan grape leaves, cucumber yogurt sauce, Tahini sauce, Egyptian shrimp pasta and for dessert Baklava with freshly whipped cream. It was a gourmet feast!

After dinner everyone headed out to the deck for the entertainment. The band was called “The Flairs.” Joy Hope plays lead violin, Torrey Stadtner plays oboe and other wind instruments, Joe Lewis plays darbuka (drum) and sings. They are from the Stockton and Elk Grove areas. The dancers were incredible. They were all friends and associates of Maggie’s from the last 20 years (I guess Maggie started when she was ten). The dancers were Sawako Ama, Linda Monroe, Kim Bainbridge, Teresa Kileen and Patty Mendenhall. They performed individually and as a group. One lady danced while balancing two scimitars with at least one on the top of her head. Another lady danced while standing on stemmed wine glasses; it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.

It was a captivating performance, something you would expect to see in a large nightclub or auditorium. The performers were all great and full of energy; you could just feel the vibe while you were sitting there. The event was totally sold out, so if Maggie does this next year, I urge you to make a reservation early if you want to have an amazing evening. I am sure the Marina West Yacht Club folks that cruised in were as impressed as the rest of us.

Stockton Yacht Club

Every week the club has a Wacky Wednesday dinner hosted by a member. They have some great meals at reasonable prices. Recently member Joon Lee prepared a Korean dinner for the club. I love Korean food almost as much as I love Mexican food, but alas I had other commitments and could not make it. Sue and I did arrive after the dinner and a few folks were enjoying cocktails and raving about how great the dinner was. I hope Joon will repeat this event in the future so we can attend; my mouth is still watering.

Cass Gimbert bought me a martini, Sue a Coke and Melissa Marvin a Cosmopolitan. Bartende/Director Mike Cummings carefully crafted the martini for me, shaken not stirred. While the cocktail was great, I am sure it was no match for the Korean food I was anticipating. Well, hopefully Joon will do a repeat of the evening sometime in the near future when he is not out cruising his classic Chris Craft yacht.

Kerry Davis Celebration of Life

It is still hard for me to comprehend that Kerry Davis is no longer with us. We attended his celebration of life at the Bridge Marina Yacht Club clubhouse. The place was packed with his friends, relatives and former workmates. This was a huge showing of love for him, and with Kerry being a musician there was plenty of live music and singing. It was definitely a celebration of life. Officers of the Ebony Boat Club were in their summer white uniforms. Otis Brock emceed the event. Kerry leaves behind a host of people who loved him. Always remember that his definition of the heaviest object in the universe is a Hammond B-3 organ with two #122 Leslie speakers. Rest in peace Kerry.

Irish Pennants

Steamboat Landing Bar & Grill up on SR 160 by the Steamboat Slough Bridge has become a very popular place to get a bite to eat. Sue and I have eaten there several times and the Delta Chambers Board has met there a couple of times. On a recent visit I ran into a friend I had not seen for a while; Ted Reed was just finishing dinner. I invited him to be the guest speaker at our meeting but he declined. Caltrans has been retrofitting the bridge lately, and it is closed to vehicular traffic some of the time; they have flagmen stationed at the Walnut Grove Bridge when that happens.

Did you see that Governor Newsom hired a professional photographer for $200,000 per year at California taxpayer expense to follow him around and capture positive images of him? If you tack on 30 percent for benefits, that raises the compensation package to $260,000 per year. I know a few world-class photographers that work in the Delta. I talked to a couple, and they said they would take a gig like that for around $100K per year, and they are familiar with California. I think Newsom’s images could definitely use some softening. Many people have pointed out that he bears a striking image to the Christian Bale character in the film “American Psycho.”

J Mills should be on the road by the time you read this. He spent the summer in Stockton while his boat is in Costa Rica and is planning to fly down there and cruise farther down the west coast before heading west to Tahiti and points further west.

Gerard and Christine Hammer have closed on a home at Lake Havasu. They are a little bit cryptic about this, but I think the plan is to keep their current home and spend winters at Lake Havasu and summers in the Delta. Their friends Jeff Sargent and Annette Williams have already blazed the trail and have their own place down there. By the way, Jeff and Annette have announced their plans to get married in the near future.

Eric Koster of the Antique and Classic Boat Society informs me that they will be having their annual Delta cruise-in to B&W Resort on Oct. 4-6. They will use B&W for their home base and do some local cruises in the area with a stop at Grindstone Joe’s on Little Potato Slough for lunch on Saturday.

There seems to be more and more sea lions coming to the Delta to live. I remember not too many years ago when they were rare. Now they have taken over the area under the piers at the Port of Stockton and many places up on the Sacramento River. You are lucky you don’t live on the coast though. Sea lions are moving onto the beaches and aggressively chasing people. You are not allowed to mess around with them and you are supposed to keep a minimum of 50 feet of distance from them. That might be a little hard while they are chasing you.

The Delta Leadership Foundation has announced the 2024 winners of its Delta Champion Awards: Russell van Loben Sels, Delta Preserver – for achievement in historical or environmental preservation. The Pear Fair, Delta Promoter – for achievement in tourism, agriculture, education, commerce, and/or the arts. The Rio Vista Food Pantry, Delta Improver – for achievement in Delta health, community, and/or quality of life.

Dutra Family, Delta Legacy Family – for a family that has contributed to the Delta for at least 100 years through multi-generational professional and volunteer activities that have enhanced the quality of life of the region. Gilbert Labrie, Delta Lifetime Achievement – for lifetime achievement in preservation, protection and promotion of the Delta. Congratulations to the winners.

The 183-foot yacht Bayesian was struck by a tornado while anchored off Sicily. She sank, and 15 people were rescued. The owner, Mike Lynch, and his daughter Hannah are missing along with five other people at this writing.

I am here for you and can be reached at commodorewells@msn.com or give me a call 916-869-9141.