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On mass shootings, voter fraud and my 35th year at the Courier
Opinion

Another mass shooting … made possible by lax laws against criminals.

On Feb. 13 Anthony McRae shot and killed three students at Michigan State University and injured five others before turning the gun on himself. It’s too bad he didn’t start with himself first.

McRaw was walking free because of a reduced charge on a plea deal, a fact that should outrage everyone in the country.

McRae was arrested on a felony gun law violation in 2019 however, a few months later he was arrested a second time on a less serious gun-related crime and was allowed to enter a guilty plea on the misdemeanor charge while the felony charge was dismissed. He spent a total of 18 months on probation, but was allowed to retain his gun rights! Instead of being jailed, where he could harm nobody, it looks like he was allowed to escape imprisonment thanks to a lenient prosecutor.

Politicians only ramp up their calls for more gun laws, as if gun laws will prevent tragedies when defective people are allowed to escape harsh penalties for their crimes. Guns are prohibited on the university campus, yet there McRae was with a gun. There’s a law against murder in Michigan, and yet he committed three of them. What makes anybody think passing more laws will prevent the next madman from doing the same thing?

As Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms noted: “This senseless incident is already being exploited by anti-gunners who want to use McRae’s evil act to justify new restrictions on millions of law-abiding Americans who are just as shocked and heartbroken as anyone. Had existing laws been enforced more than three years ago, this crime might never have happened because, at the very least, McRae would have been unable to legally own or possess a firearm. 

“We’re tired of gun-hating, headline-grabbing politicians racing to the nearest microphone to push their anti-rights agenda every time a criminal or deranged individual commits a violent crime. That’s not justice; it’s political grandstanding designed to penalize people who had nothing to do with the crime. Passing new laws that only impact honest citizens creates the false impression something has been done to prevent a similar crime in the future. At the very least, it’s dishonest.”


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If you need an example of how voter fraud is occurring with the legal ballot harvesting process, look no farther than Lodi, a city of 67,000 people only 45 minutes from Ceres.

Last week the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office arrested Lodi City Councilman Shakir Khan who they say held committed voter fraud from the 2020 election, including causing/procuring/allowing false voter registration of self or another person, submission of fraudulent candidacy petition, aiding/abetting the commission of fraud at any election, and the subscription of fictitious names to nomination petitions.

This comes after Khan and his brother, Zakir Khan, were arrested in 2021 and arraigned on over 50 counts related to illegal gambling, money laundering, unemployment claim fraud and tax invasion.

Sheriff’s officials allege that during a 2020 search warrant of Khan’s home, they located 41 mail-in ballots and after further investigating they located about 70 names that were registered to Khan’s home, his email or phone number. The 41 ballots were not cast for him, of course, that’s why he held onto them.

Some further allegations against Khan include pressuring voters to vote for him, taking advantage of people who were ignorant of the voting process, and filling out ballots on his own then having people sign them.

In the ultimate sign of his arrogance, Khan said he won’t resign. He needs to be removed from office, stand trial and sent to prison as an example.

But that’s not all. Someone has been asleep at the elections office in Stockton. Sheriff Withrow found others anomalies within the voting system in that county, including 93 persons on the voter rolls with a birthdate of 1850; 232 persons registered to vote with addresses of the local prisons (felons cannot vote); 4,144 persons registered to vote who are supposedly 90 years of age or older; 125 persons on the voter rolls addressed to non-profit organizations (not home addresses); 300 persons with no first name; 110 persons who were double registered; persons registered to vote with addresses to local shelters; and one person registered as Jesus Christ. Withrow gave the disclaimer that this didn’t necessarily represent a corrupt voting system but it’s obvious that San Joaquin County needs to clean up its act.

This was only one county; there at 57 others!

It’s also a wake-up call that the vote-by-mail system and ballot harvesting is fraught with potential fraud and corruption. I think all mail balloting should be banned and that we need to go back to in-person voting. 


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This year marks my 35th at the Ceres Courier.

I’ve had a front-row seat to over a third-century of news and newsmakers in Ceres. And while the pay isn’t stellar for small town newspaper editors, the experience has been extremely rich. I’ve met so many people and had some great relationships with many of you.

I’ve learned more about people and life and issues than most people do in a lifetime. It’s probably no exaggeration to say tens of thousands have known me. Folks have come up to me over the years and said, “Hi, Jeff!” but I hadn’t a clue as to who they were so I’d smile and make small talk.

I’m sure that I spoke to many thousands of folks along the way.

Boxes of photos jar my memory of all the folks who came and went during my career.

I won’t forget Police Commander John Chapman who met me when I first came to the job in 1987 and he viewed me with typical cop suspicion until he got to know me and then he turned out to be a really nice guy. John died from cancer and it broke the hearts of all of his friends.

Ceres Police Chief Pete Peterson welcomed me with a hearty handshake. I sat in his office which I believe was a portable building located on the ground that is today the downtown Ceres fire station. He smoked like a chimney and his office reeked of an ash tray. Chief Peterson retired in 1999 and I lost track of him until I started attending church in Oakdale with my father only to see that Pete was attending there with his wife Karen. Cancer, however, would claim his life on May 21, 2015.

Commander Gene Fowler, I remember, was always the gruff detective and looked straight out of a 1950s noir film. He’s also gone.

I was present when Howard Stevenson was made sergeant. He became an unnecessary victim of a senseless killer in 2005.

Of course, Sgt. Hollie Hall (who is still around) looked like someone you wouldn’t mess with his tree trunk arms. His body builders’ physique belied the gentleman inside.

Cpl. Ron Richter used to drop by regularly long after he retired and also called and sent emails.  I don’t think I ever saw the poor guy sober and I haven’t a clue what caused him to self-medicate I won’t ever know. He died last October.

My interest in history brought me into acquaintances with Caryl and Hardy Fowler and Ruth and Homer Jorgensen who helped me understand Ceres history a little better. I enjoyed talking with Phil Reynders and relished when he showed me his collection of Yosemite memorabilia. He, too, is gone.

I also think back fondly of Grant and Mildred Lucas, salt of the earth people, who were pillars of the community. So were Roger and Ruth Strange.

Duryea Warn, a real character into his 90s, passed in 2018. He was one of those people who defined what makes Ceres a great place.

I’ll never forget Bill Noble who approached me about a column to which I said yes. I had to do some heavy editing but his stories – which ran from 2003 to 2008 – were very interesting and later put into book form. If we hadn’t collaborated together those memories and experiences would have died with him.

Loren Hosmer died the month before my wife in 2013. He was a sweet gentleman with connections to historic Ceres. His father was Wayne Hosmer who owned a gas station in the downtown Ceres destroyed by progress.

Another of my favorites was Jim Bergasmaschi, Ceres’ longtime barber and a real character who’d always walk over to the press table at council meetings and press his hand down on it, exclaiming, “It says press.” It took me a while to get his joke but I later expected repeat performance of his humorous antics of pressing down on my table. I was saddened to see his health take a terrible turn for the worse up until his passing.

Another spitfire was Ruth Simpson, who was known as the “Burger Mama” in the 1950s. She and husband Bob ran Burger 19 for many years before opening Chew N Chat, a popular Ceres diner. They served many travelers along Highway 99 until their retirement in 1978. She died in 2012.

There was the lovable red-headed country musician Wanda Faye who always brought in laughter and hugs when she came to see me at the Fourth Street office. She was always making a pitch for more publicity. Wanda passed in 2007 but I can see and hear her in my mind like it was five minutes ago.

Rob Phipps, the River Oaks manager/owner and city councilman, used to come into our office. I noticed how unhealthily large he had become, and feared for his health. He died unexpectedly of heart failure on Dec. 2, 2007 at the age of ridiculously young age of 44.

I had a few encounters with icons George “Mr. Baseball” Costa, for whom the ballfield in Smyrna Park was named; and Virginia “Betty” Parks for whom a school was named. She used to come into the office and buy a copy of the Courier from me every Wednesday afternoon straight out of her Soroptimist meetings at Alfonso’s.

Another dear lady who would come by and encourage me – with her hand planted atop mine on the counter – was the legendary Mae Hensley. If all people could sweeten with time like that dear lady – and retain all the faculties as well.

Allita Algeo was a real authentic community servant. So was Bill Boyd, another war hero, a nice guy.

Helen Marchy was another dear servant of Christ who helped feed the poor until she had to leave us last year at this time.

One of my fondest memories was hearing Ernie Bucio and his band play for a private party in Hughson for Jack Hunter, a friend and former Ceres teacher. Both have passed on.

Other memorable folks who have passed on during my career were Del and Shirley Davis, Pat Svoboda, Eldon DeWitt, Adrian Condit, Pierce Butler, Joel Hidahl and Robert Caulton.

Gene Welsh was also a great guy. He shall not forget tearing up every time he spoke about losing buddies during World War II. 

I also think back at all of the folks who had key roles but have since retired or moved on. Cheryl Winter, Karen Clarke, Jennifer Duncan of the Ceres Chamber. All the city managers I interviewed – Jim Marshall, Gary Napper, Tim Kerr, Art deWerk, Brad Kilger, Toby Wells and Tom Westbrook.

I interviewed more than my share of public officials over the years included Supervisors Rolland Starn and Paul Caruso, Assembly members George House, Sal Cannella and Bill Berryhill; state Senators Dan McCorquodale and Tom Berryhill; and Congressmen Gary Condit and Dennis Cardoza.

There were the countless city officials I knew over time, mayors Jim Delhart, Louie Arrollo, Eric Ingwerson, Richard McBride, Barbara Hinton, Delinda Moore, Leo Havener, Anthony Cannella and Chris Vierra; and former mayors Gene Robirds, Brian Carlin and Ted Humphries.

I’ve interviewed countless political wannabes who, quite frankly, were unprepared and bluffed their way in answer to questions.

All the fire personnel that changed over the years – among them Dan Davis and Bryan Nicholes.

When I came here Ceres in 1987 had a hospital. It closed shortly thereafter and my articles explained why, leaving the community feeling most unprotected.

I also was present at the ground-breaking for the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center in 1990. I covered the coming and going of the first Walmart and the 14-year roadblock of the building of the Supercenter.

I saw a lot of school personnel come and go, such as school superintendents Robert Adkison, Bruce Newlin, Bea Lingenfelter, Walt Hanline and Scott Siegel; district folks like Eldon DeWitt, Phil Swearingen, Jack Rudd and Jay Simmonds; and school principals like Al Nocciolo, Chuck Edmonds and Connie Starks.

I wrote stories on business folks like Mr. Correa and his jewelry shop, Sheldon Teranishi and Ceres Drugs; Rich Crawford’s insurance; and zillions of stories on businesses that came and went with dreams shattered.

I grew fond of successful rancher Sid Long and felt the sorrow as I watched him go from a vibrant farmer to a diminished human being. The last time I saw him he looked frail and his voice was hoarse.

There were all the pastors who came and went … William Heinrich, Bret Mitchell, Wayne Unger and Eva Berger.

All the folks I got to work alongside like Farren Williams, a peach of a guy who died too young as the city’s IT guy. I still hear from former co-workers in Marc Paulus and Mike Bush but lost track of some of favorites including Don Nemoede and Luke Waters.

I’ve written a zillion stories of which I see in faded yellowing newsprint in bound copies and find myself muttering, “I don’t remember writing that story.” The same with photos. For example, I was flipping through back issues when I spotted a photo of a young Ceres Police officer aiming radar on Whitmore Avenue and was astonished to see my byline under that photo. I have no recollection that Adam Christiansen was a Ceres officer. His term as sheriff came and went.

Once while taking photos at two crashes – one on Eastgate Boulevard and one on Highway 99 – I had no idea that the CHP officer in both would become a public safety martyr. Earl Scott was senselessly gunned down Feb. 17, 2006 by a Stockton thug with a criminal record.

I shot a lot of bad wrecks in my career and saw my share of dead bodies – all who were women. You don’t forget them.

I’ve seen the bodies of a husband and estranged wife, killed by whatever passions that stirred him to gun down both.

When I had my son job shadowing one day, he had to ride to a report of a body in the canal southwest of Keyes. My wife later was concerned that he may have been emotionally troubled by seeing him floating in the canal face down. Turns out he wasn’t.

I was on scene moments after felon Ronnie Dale Cadwell was gunned down by Officer Mark Neri near the old hospital and saw the visceral anger of a mob screaming obscenities from across the street. One of the officers involved was Jared Puryear. He died Feb. 11, 1998 from an accidental drug overdose at the age of 28.

I was also present moments after Larry Dale Duke ran over Mae Hensley Junior High School students at Fowler Road and Darwin Avenue on Feb. 9, 2011 killing Danielle Tarancon-Leon, 13, and injuring four others. I shall never forget seeing the split-open hip of one girl.

You can’t forget scenes like that.

I’ve covered my small share of celebrity visits.

Flamboyant TV personality and fitness guru Richard Simmons made a surprise visit at Anne Aubert’s Walter White School classroom on July 10, 1991. I was tipped off and watched the zany celebrity acting like a kid in the class.

I covered events in Modesto, like when Michael Dukakis popped in for a campaign rally in 1988. I walked with John McCain and Jeff Denham across I Street in Modesto to a press conference; and covered Speaker Tom Foley campaigning for Gary Condit and Speaker Paul Ryan stumping for Denham – both at locations on McHenry Avenue. I also watched George Bush and two members of the Beach Boys – as well as son Jeb – at an October 1988 rally at the Beyer Park ballfields.

George P. Bush, son of Gov. Jeb Bush, visited our Fourth Street office in 2000 to campaign for his uncle, George W. Bush.

A fun experience was a media flight out of Castle AFB aboard a KC-135 plane to refuel a B-52 bomber over eastern Oregon. At the end of our flight, the pilot decided to drop down into Castle over the foothills in such a manner to make our stomachs fly up and our eyes bug out.

There’s just too much to recall. There were train derailments, shootings, TID board meetings and a billion city council meetings.

I have no idea when this experience will end but it’s looming on the horizon. I will be 62 this August.


This column is the opinion of Jeff Benziger, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or 209 Multimedia Corporation.  How do you feel about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com