A Message from Chamber CEO Douglass Wilhoit:

Festival is a treat for all

May 2009 - I’m in my office on Sunday, April 19, 2009 , looking out my window at a good and happy Sunday crowd at the ballpark and one of the Port’s just hit a home run! Looking at the arena where the Thunder is doing well in the playoffs! I am looking at the transformation of Weber Point Event Center and Center Street into the 24th annual Asparagus Festival that will bring thousands of folks to downtown Stockton, have over 5,000 volunteers raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for over 100 charities in our community who certainly can use the money during these difficult times or for that matter over the last 23 years of the festival and undoubtedly for many years to come.

I feel confident that the weather will hold and that will add to the enjoyment of our community and help to make the Festival a huge success again this year.

Next year, with the completed Marina and Joan Darrah Promenade, look for a wonderful 25th Anniversary Asparagus Festival with folks coming from all over in their boats to enjoy the weekend in Stockton and hopefully an expanded footprint for the festival.

I will not spend much of my energy on those who sit from afar and say something negative about the festival either with little or no knowledge. Most, if not all of them, have never even VOLUNTEERED one single second to the Festival to help those in our community who need our help and compassion. They would rather “bad mouth” the festival and all those who work so hard, almost year round, to do something good for others and the City of Stockton. To those who sit on the sidelines with sour faces, mouths and computers let me share with you one of my favorite statements made by President Theodore Roosevelt: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly…”

The Board of Directors of the Festival, the staff of the festival, the volunteers, sponsors, vendors, performers, the attendees and most of all, the beneficiaries of the festival know that nobody and I mean nobody can take away from the good done for so many and for our home, the City of Stockton. They will all continue to do the right thing for all concerned with little or no recognition except for knowing and having the satisfaction that they have, year after year after year worked so hard to help others. There will be more to come about the positive financial impact of the festival in the coming months.

Many thanks to the staff at The Reserve at Spanos Park, the sponsors, volunteers (there they are again, community minded folks), Chamber staff and the players who took part in the Chamber’s 28th Golf Tournament on Monday April 13th. It was a great day with great weather and fun had by all. Make plans now for our 29th Annual Tournament to be played at Elkhorn County Club on Monday April 12, 2010 . Sign up early for we always have a full field each year.

Hopefully you have signed up for our weekly events calendar that goes out each week to let you know what you, your family and friends can do in Stockton and the local region. If you have you will know that this calendar is being acclaimed as the best in the area and folks have been responding in a great way by going out and experiencing so many of the good things to do and see here in our hometown. If you have not yet signed up go to www.visitstockton.org and follow the prompts to be on the weekly email list. You will not be sorry you took the time.

One thing I strongly invite you to check out is the website for the Stockton Silver Lake Camp (www.silverlakestocktoncamp.org) or while you are on the www.visitstockton.org site you can link to the Silver Lake Camp site. This has been a part of our community for such a long time and many wonderful family memories have been made there with more to be experienced by previous family campers and a new generation of family campers.

Take time to enjoy your community, be part of the improvement of the community and get to know your community. Please do not be soured by the naysayers, “reality” TV watchers, stay at homers who do not get out into the community but sit in small little circles of fellow small like minded people who think they know it all but sadly do not even have a clue!  I feel they live a very sheltered and unhappy life by not being involved in their community but find glee in “putting it down.”

Note:  this is an example of what I am trying to impress upon so many people: as noted at the top of my article I was in the office Sunday night writing this article to make the deadline which was April 21st. Something took place Monday morning during the set up for the Asparagus Festival at about 11:00 am when the crew for the new sea lion exhibit arrived at Weber Point and exclaimed: “wow, we had no idea what a great location on the water this was and it is neat to see all the revitalization that apparently has been going on the area.” I pointed out the progress on the marina, the ball park, the arena, the Lexington Hotel and then pointed back to the Hotel Stockton and the City Centre Cineplex and again their comment was “wow, this is so neat.” I guess I will rest my case and meet my deadline for the May Port o Call.

Everyone I know who comes down off the Ivory Tower or out of their caves within their homes or minds truly finds Stockton, it’s people, it’s art venues, it’s sport teams, it’s restaurants, it’s businesses, the surrounding areas, the diversity that makes us unique and strong and so many other things that others would be so proud to possess. I am always so proud when a visitor comes to town and he or she leaves with a very positive impression which is 180 degrees from what they expected due to those who “put down this community” just to build themselves up. I truly feel sorry for those naysayers amongst us and hope they will soon have an epiphany as to what a great city we live in and, not unlike other big cities, we do have issues but the great communities have people who get out and work together like those who will work so hard prior to and during the 24th Asparagus Festival in Downtown Stockton.