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City Modesto, California
Nickname: City of Water, Wealth, Contentment,and Health
Motto: Water,Wealth, Contentment, and Health; City Pride, City Wide
Location in Stanislaus County and the state of California
Location in Stanislaus County and the state of California
Coordinates: 37°39′41″N 120°59′40″W / 37.66139, -120.99444
Country United States
State California
County Stanislaus
Government
 - Mayor Jim Ridenour
Area
 - Total 36. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Stanislaus County is a County located in the Central Valley of the state of California, between Stockton and Fresno. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The US state of California is divided into fifty-eight counties. Stanislaus County is a County located in the Central Valley of the state of California, between Stockton and Fresno. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 0 sq mi (93. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 1 km²)
 - Land 35. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 8 sq mi (92. 7 km²)
 - Water 0. 2 sq mi (0. 4 km²)
Elevation 92 ft (28 m)
Population (2007)
 - Total 205,721
 - Density 5,277. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 3/sq mi (2,037. 4/km²)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 - Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 95300-95399
Area code(s) 209
FIPS code 06-48354
GNIS feature ID 0277609
Website: http://www.ci.modesto.ca.us/
"Modesto" redirects here. The Pacific Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-8) UTC−8 is a band of Timezones separated from the Universal Coordinated Time by 8 hours Daylight saving time ( DST The Pacific Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-8) UTC−7 can be observed in Mountain Standard Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time Zone Canada The ZIP code is the system of Postal codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks North American area code 209 is a California Telephone Area code which covers Stockton, Merced, Manteca, Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military The Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout For other uses, see Modesto (disambiguation). Modesto may refer to some places in the United States: Modesto California, population greater than 250000 Modesto Illinois

Modesto is the county seat of Stanislaus County in the U.S. state of California. A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Stanislaus County is a County located in the Central Valley of the state of California, between Stockton and Fresno. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 188,856. Current census estimates place the population at 206,300. According to the California State Department of Finance January 2006 estimate, 514,370 people live in the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area. Roughly 110 miles (180 km) from Yosemite National Park, 80 miles (130 km) from Sacramento, California's capital city, and about 90 miles (140 km) from both San Jose and San Francisco, Modesto is less than 2 hours from many prime locations in California. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city This proximity to major business centers has turned the agriculturally based city into a bedroom community. A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential from which most of the Workforce commute out to earn their livelihood Over twenty percent of the workforce travels outside of the county to their place of employment. The area is plagued by some of the worst air quality in the nation, on occasion surpassing even that of Los Angeles. The Air Quality Index ( AQI) is a standardized indicator of the Air Quality in a given location A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West It is also reported to have had the highest car theft per capita rate in the United States in 2005 and 2006, it dropped to fifth in 2007[1], but regained the top spot in 2008. [2]

Contents

History

The McHenry Mansion.
The McHenry Mansion.

Modesto, originally a stop on the railroad connecting Sacramento to Los Angeles, was founded in 1870 and was to be named for William C. Ralston, financier of many projects in early California. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common William "Billy" Chapman Ralston ( January 12, 1826 - August 27, 1875) was a San Francisco California businessman and Financier (fɨˈnænsiɚ or finãˈsje in French is a term for a person who handles large sums of Money, usually involving money lending, financing However, he declined the suggestion and a Spanish-speaking railroad worker at the naming ceremony said that Ralston was "Muy modesto" (very modest). Thus, the town was named Modesto.

Modesto's official slogan is "Water Wealth Contentment Health," which is emblazoned on a large arch downtown that has been immortalized in many photographs. A contest was run in 1911 to determine the slogan. The original winning slogan was: "Nobody's got Modesto's goat". The second place entry was the final winner.

Up until the 1930's, Modesto was commonly known as the "Filth Capital of California" due to the abundance of saloons, brothels, gambling, opium houses, and "wild west" atmosphere. In actuality, it was a Wild West town, with vigilante justice the norm, often ending in shootouts or hangings. Wealthy businessmen on their way north or south through California would routinely schedule an overnight stay in Modesto to "relieve stress", while wives of the same businessmen warned against it.

Sights

Modesto is known for the following tourist attractions and historical sites.

Transportation

Modesto is served by one of the busiest rail corridors in the country. The Amtrak San Joaquins make six daily stops on the route between Oakland and Bakersfield, and two stops daily on the route between Sacramento and Bakersfield. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The San Joaquins are Passenger trains operated by Amtrak California in California 's Central Valley. Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U

Modesto is also served by State Route 99, State Route 132, and State Route 108, the latter a seasonal highway (opening usually in May or June, closing with the first major snow) which is the main route into Stanislaus National Forest and Inyo National Forest. State Route 99 (SR 99 commonly known as Highway 99 or 99, is a north-south State highway in the U State Route 132 is a route in the Central Valley that leads to the Sierra Nevada foothills and the California Gold Country. State Route 108, also known as Highway 108, is a numbered State highway in California.

The Modesto City-County Airport lies next to the Tuolumne River in the southeastern end of the city, just north of the suburb of Ceres. Modesto City-County Airport, also known as Harry Sham Field, is located two miles (3 km) southeast of the Central business district (CBD of The Tuolumne River is one of the major rivers draining the western slope Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Air service is provided between it and San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport by Skywest Airlines, operating as United Express under an agreement with United Airlines. San Francisco International Airport is a major international Airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States adjacent to the Los Angeles International Airport is the primary Airport serving Los Angeles, California, the second-most populated metropolitan area of Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional Airline company based in Perth, Australia servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia as United Express is a Brand name under which seven Regional airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines. United Air Lines Inc, trading as United Airlines ( is a major airline of the United States.

Three public transit systems serve Modesto: Modesto Area Express (MAX), Stanislaus Regional Transit (StaRT), and the San Joaquin Regional Transit District along the northern edge of the city on McHenry Avenue. San Joaquin Regional Transit District (known as "San Joaquin RTD" or simply as RTD) provides bus service to the city of Stockton California and the MAX is the local system with additional connections to the Altamont Commuter Express train station in Lathrop and the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. The Altamont Commuter Express (also known as ACE, pronounced "ace" is a Regional rail service in California connecting Stockton Dublin/Pleasanton (also and originally known as East Dublin/Pleasanton) is a Bay Area Rapid Transit station on the border of Dublin and MAX also provides a paratransit "dial-a-ride" service which specifically caters to seniors and the disabled. Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules It is open to the general public only during certain times [1]. StaRT connects Modesto to the county's other populated centers.

The large industrial region south and east of the city is served by the Modesto and Empire Traction Railroad, a 5-mile (8-km) short line with a web of industry tracks and many customers.

At one time, the city was the operational center of the Tidewater Southern Railway, which had its mainline down the center of Ninth Street, a major north-south road. The Tidewater Southern Railway was a Short line railroad in Central California in the United States. A law passed by the city kept electric wire over this section of street running long after the railroad converted to steam power. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society In 2000, the last trains ran down Ninth Street and now the railroad (owned by the Union Pacific Railroad since 1983) is severed through Modesto. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar)

Planning and environmental

In the late 1980s Modesto embarked on an update to the city's General Plan pursuant to requirements of the State of California. A general plan is the policy of acceptable Land uses in each Jurisdiction. The result was a comprehensive evaluation of alternative population and land use projections along with associated environmental impact analysis. Some of the environmental factors assessed were air quality, water quality, environmental noise, soil contamination and visual impacts. Water quality is the physical chemical and biological characteristics of Water in relationship to a set of standards Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human- or machine-created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life Soil contamination is caused by the presence of man-made chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment The visual system is the part of the Nervous system which allows organisms to see.

Much of the soils in Modesto are classified as part of the Hanford series: (HbpA) fine sandy loam, moderately deep over silt. These soils are well-drained, moderately coarse textured soils derived from alluvium from granitic rock. The Hanford soils are important for the production of a wide variety of irrigated orchard, field, and truck crops.

Vicinity watercourses include the Stanislaus River, the Tuolumne River and Dry Creek empties into the Tuolumne River. The Stanislaus River in California is one of the largest Tributaries of the San Joaquin River. The Tuolumne River is one of the major rivers draining the western slope Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Area groundwater, which is the principal source of water supply in the city (Stanislaus,1987), has been historically impaired in a fashion that is spatially variable. In various parts of the city and its perimeter the following water pollutants have occurred from time to time: nitrates, dibromochloroethane, volatile organics, salinity, total dissolved solids and other pesticides. Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities In Inorganic chemistry, a nitrate is a salt of Nitric acid with an Ion composed of one Nitrogen and three Oxygen atoms This article describes a highly specialized aspect of its subject in the "Terminology and legal definitions" section Total Dissolved Solids (often abbreviated TDS) is an expression for the combined content of all Inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. (Torrey, 1989) Each of these contaminants is not present citywide.

Activism

In recent years, Modesto has seen a growing number of activist movements. Groups working on homeless issues, have led to the creation of an emergency homeless shelter [2]. The Environmentalist and anti-environmental racism work of Green Action has centered around opposing various companies like the Modesto Tallow Plant, and the Covanta Energy Corporation. Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. Environmental racism refers to intentional or unintentional Racial discrimination in the enforcement of environmental rules and regulations the intentional or unintentional Tallow is a rendered form of Beef or Mutton Fat, processed from Suet. Covanta Energy Corporation owns and operates over 30 Waste-to-energy power generation plants worldwide Various individuals and groups have also worked on counter military recruitment in schools, a product of the No Child Left Behind Act, several Animal Rights demonstrations, and various other events/movements. Counter-recruitment is a strategy often taken up to oppose War. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110 often abbreviated in print as NCLB and sometimes shortened in pronunciation to "nickelbee" is a controversial "Animal liberation" redirects here for other uses see Animal liberation (disambiguation. Some of these are supported and organized by the Direct Action Anti-Authoritarians Collective, a local community organizing group. The DAAA Collective, or Direct Action Anti-Authoritarians was an Anarchist and Anti-authoritarian collective based out of the Central Valley city of This anarchist collective has also engaged in many organizing drives, including Critical Mass, Food Not Bombs, Really Really Free Market, Copwatch, strike support, and other projects. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i A critical mass is the smallest amount of Fissile material needed for a sustained Nuclear chain reaction. Food Not Bombs is a loose-knit group of independent collectives serving free Vegan and Vegetarian food to others The Really Really Free Market ( RRFM) movement is a non- hierarchical collective of individuals who form a temporary Market based on an alternative Copwatch (also Cop Watch) is a network of Canadian and United States Activist organizations that observe and document police conduct Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work. These projects are often firsts for Modesto, in terms of organizing. The Modesto Peace/Life Center, established in 1971, is one of Modesto's longest-lived activist groups, promoting non-violence and a sustainable environment.

On May 1, 2006 (May Day) over 10,000[3] people marched up Crows Landing Road, made several turns, and wound up at City Hall, in an unpermitted march organized by Aztlan Rising [4], to show support for undocumented immigrants. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several Public holidays In many countries May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour The march coincided with others across the country, one of many immigration reform protests, and the Great American Boycott. Role of Spanish-language media Spanish-language media outlets in particular Univision, Telemundo, Azteca America and various Spanish-language radio stations The Great American Boycott (known in Spanish as El Gran Paro Estadounidense, "the Great American Strike" was a one-day Boycott This number dwindled to about 350 people in 2007.

Demographics

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 188,856 people, 64,959 households, and 46,640 families residing in the city. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The population density was 5,277. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 3 people per square mile (2,037. 4/km²). There were 67,179 housing units at an average density of 1,877. 2/sq mi (724. 7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69. 58% White, 25. 58% Hispanic or Latino, 3. 97% African American, 1. 24% Native American, 6. 03% Asian, 0. 50% Pacific Islander.

There were 64,959 households out of which 38. 7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51. 5% were married couples living together, 14. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28. 2% were non-families. 22. 5% 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 2. 86 and the average family size was 3. 36.

In the city the population was spread out with 30. 1% under the age of 18, 9. 6% from 18 to 24, 28. 9% from 25 to 44, 20. 3% from 45 to 64, and 11. 1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94. 1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89. 7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,394, and the median income for a family was $45,681. Income, refers to consumption opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame which is generally expressed in monetary terms Males had a median income of $38,595 versus $26,989 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,797. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country About 12. 2% of families and 15. 7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country 9% of those under age 18 and 7. 4% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

In the state legislature Modesto is located in the 12th and 14th Senate district, represented by Republicans Jeff Denham and Dave Cogdill respectively, and in the 25th and 26th Assembly districts, represented by Republicans Tom Berryhill and Greg Aghazarian respectively. The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. Jeffrey "Jeff" Denham (born July 29 1967) is a Republican politician serving his second term in the California State Senate. David Ellis Cogdill Sr (born December 31 1950 in Long Beach California) is the California State Senate Republican Leader The California State Assembly is the Lower house of the California State Legislature. Tom Berryhill is a Republican politician in the United States who has represented California's 25th Assembly district since December 2006 Greg Aghazarian (born September 10 1964 in Stockton California) is a Republican who has represented California's 26th Assembly District Federally, Modesto is located in California's 18th and 19th congressional districts, which have Cook PVIs of D +3 and R +10[4] respectively and are represented by Democrat Dennis Cardoza and Republican George Radanovich respectively. California's 18th congressional district is in the northern San Joaquin Valley of California, and includes the cities of Stockton, Modesto California's 19th congressional district covers parts of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus counties The Cook Partisan Voting Index ( CPVI) sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index ( PVI) is a measurement of how strongly an American The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Dennis A Cardoza (born March 31 1959) is an American politician who has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives George P Radanovich (born June 20 1955) is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995 representing the

Media

See also

References

  1. ^ No. 1 in auto theft: Las Vegas
  2. ^ Modesto, CA leads the nation in auto theft. - Apr. 22, 2008
  3. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
  4. ^ Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?. Campaign Legal Center Blog. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead

Bibliography

External links


A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.
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