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Marriage at the Mansion
Stevinson residents Timothy and Cossette Robertson (seen here being married by Journal editor Kristina Hacker) were one of 47 couples who said “I do” during the sixth annual “Marriage at the Mansion” event in 2017 (Journal file photo).

BY KRISTINA HACKER AND JOE CORTEZ

Turlock Journal

 

I’ve worn many hats in my professional life — from being an EMT to working in a veterinarian office, before becoming an editor at the Journal — but in 2017, I also briefly held the title of wedding officiant. That was the year I was part of the Marriage at the Mansion event. Every year couples are invited to have their marriage ceremonies on Valentine’s Day at the historic McHenry Mansion in downtown Modesto. In 2017, there were about 50 couples who tied the knot that Valentine’s Day. The Stanislaus County Clerk/Recorder and Commissioner of Civil Marriages can’t perform all the marriages herself, so “volunteers” from the community are sworn in to officiate that day. Thank goodness there was a prepared script. I don’t know who was more nervous that day, the soon-to-be married couple or me. Stevinson residents Cossette and Timothy Robertson, who met while working together at Amazon, repeated after me and shish-boom-bang, they were married. I have not followed up with them since then, but hopefully this month they will celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary (and if not, don’t blame me). The Marriage at the Mansion event will once again be taking place and couples can have a unique ceremony on the most romantic of holidays  — all for the low price of $121. For more information or to set an appointment contact the clerk recorder’s office at 209-525-5269 or 525-5205, and for assistance in Spanish call 209-525-5230.

Poetry is alive and well: While many local students may not know exactly what a poet laureate is (a poet officially appointed by a government or institution), Pitman High student Faith Delgado proved in 2023 that the classic position is alive and well in the 21st century. Delgado was selected as the inaugural Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate by the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center, in partnership with Stanislaus County Office of Education, Stanislaus County Library,  Modesto Junior College’s School of Language Arts and Education, and Stanislaus Library Foundation. Applications are currently being sought for the 2025 Youth Poet Laureate. The application period closes on March 3. Submission guidelines and an application are available on the YPL webpage (https://www.mostpoetry.org/contests/ypl/ypl2025/). The selected Poet Laureate will receive a $500 scholarship. Altogether, the YPL program will engage Stanislaus County youth in literary arts programming for one year, beginning June 1 and ending May 31, 2026.

In addition to the scholarship, the YPL will be provided with the mentorship and resources needed to bring their community projects and vision of Stanislaus County’s future to life.

CABCOP (no taxis involved): CABCOP, or the Community Advisory Board of the Chief of Police, is seeking applicants. The group of community members provides the chief of police with input on crime trends, policies, community issues and more.

 “Police and community partnerships are the cornerstone of safe and successful communities. Our CABCOP team is a critical component to building trust and collaboration for a better Turlock,” said Turlock Police Chief Jason Hedden in a 2023 Journal article.

It’s a two-year commitment and applicants must be at least 21 years old and pass a background check. Applications can be obtained at: https://bit.ly/3Rao1nr Applications can be submitted either in-person at 244 N. Broadway in Turlock or via mail — attention: Chief of Police, Turlock Police Department, 244 N. Broadway, Turlock, CA 95380. Last day to apply is Feb. 14.

Proud of the Pride: Congratulations to Pitman High boys basketball coach Harvey Marable, who won his 300th game as the Pride’s head coach with a 57-52 triumph against Enochs in Motown on Jan. 24. And following Friday’s win over Downey, Marable’s career record at Pitman now stands at 302-239-1. 

Trivia Question: Valentine’s Day is only a couple of weeks away and the See’s Candies store on Geer Road is ready for the sweetheart holiday rush. So, we ask, what is the most requested individual piece of candy at the Turlock shop?

Trivia Answer: Last week, we asked if you knew the very first president of Stanislaus State University — back when it was called Stanislaus State College. The answer is J. Burton Vasche. Bonus points if you knew that Turkey Tech's first classes were held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds.