Give Manteca’s Energizer City Manager her due.

Toni Lundgren spent many of her Saturdays and Sundays in the past few months knocking on doors in neighborhoods throughout Manteca to explain to residents the need for the Measure Q sales tax.

Never before in the annals of Manteca history has a city manager performed such a fete even when Manteca was the size of Ripon.

Lundgren was one of many off-duty city employees — including many firefighters and police officers — who volunteered to canvas neighborhoods.

That, along with 100 or so neighborhood gatherings — including 80 plus Mayor Gary Singh was at — is credited with helping make the difference between the three-quarter of a cent sales tax passing or failing.

Measure Q passed with a 409 vote margin out of 32,807 votes cast.

The gatherings — that ranged from six people to nearly 200 — typically lasted two hours.

Besides Lundgren and Singh, other council members as well as various department heads such as the police and fire chiefs also were at the gatherings to explain the city’s needs and financial situation as well as answer questions.

Councilman Mike Morowit — who along with Mayor Singh and Councilman Jose Nuno was among elected officials that made financial donations to the Yes on Q Committee, pointed out what Lundgren did was a first for Manteca city managers.

Morowit shared at Tuesday’s council meeting how Lundgren, before knocking on doors during the weekend, would stop by his liquor store and pick up beef jerky and an energy drink.

Perhaps whatever energy drink Lundgren favors, the council might want to keep her supplied with a case or two.

2,500 Thanksgiving

meals were served

Manteca’s annual community Thanksgiving dinner effort served 2,500 plus meals, including many that were delivered in Manteca and Lathrop.

There was a small army of 200 volunteers working out of the Golden West Schol cafeteria and multipurpose room over a 14-hour period on Thanksgiving to pull of the successful dinner.

Groups involved included Sunrise Kiwanis, Manteca Rotary, the Manteca Police Department, and Cornerstone Community Church.

Cornerstone handled the logistics of meal delivery.

Altogether, volunteers cooked 191 turkeys plus the traditional fixings.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantcabulletin.com