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Hey Focus fans!

Last-minute reminder about our in-person debate at 6:30 tonight (Thursday, Oct. 1) featuring all five candidates for Modesto City Council.

Seriously – what could be more fun?

Don’t answer that – just come on down to the Veterans Services Office banquet hall at 3500 Coffee Road. It’ll be worth your while, promise.

Or at least watch it when we post a recording, hopefully not long after. There simply isn’t a better way to spend quality time with all five of these guys before the Nov. 3 election.

Guys like Councilman Jeremiah Williams and challenger Jared Sylvia, who want to represent north-central Modesto in District 5.

Also, Councilman Eric Alvarez and challengers Juan Telles and Jon Rodriguez in District 2 which covers downtown and west and south Modesto.

Don’t worry about entry registration – there isn’t any, and the banquet hall has lots of room. You might want to arrive a bit early though to make sure you get a good seat – and to enjoy some free light snacks and maybe buy a drink at the veterans bar.

Many thanks to our trusty partners, the local NAACP Modesto/Stanislaus chapter and the veterans center, for their hard work to help host what promises to be a memorable evening.

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If live politics is your thing, you might check out our other Modesto Focus debates coming soon as well:

  • Turlock mayor – 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 in the event center at Stanislaus State University in Turlock, featuring incumbent Amy Bublak and challengers Kelley Coelho and Jim Reape. The Turlock Journal and Stan State are doing the heavy lifting for logistics on this one. The address is One University Circle, and you’ll want to head to Lot 8 for free parking. Click this link to RSVP and to ask a question for potential use during the debate.  
  • VotingMatters – 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 at the North Valley Labor Federation Hall, 1235 M St., Modesto, where we’ll be joined by our CalMatters partners. If you’re scratching your head at the 14 statewide propositions, this is a must-see. Bonus: We’ll also review what you need to know about the school bonds facing Modesto voters, as well as sales tax measures in Ceres and Patterson – and of course, Measure M in Riverbank addressing growth like the recently approved River Walk project. And bonus bonus: free tacos and libations.

This is just too much fun.

If that’s not enough, you’ll want to check out recordings of several debates we’re doing in other local races. More are added periodically to our elections page as we work through them this campaign season.

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Lastly, be on the lookout for your ballots to arrive in the mail mid-next week.

Feel free to share notes, tips and insights for Stanislaus-centric campaign coverage at garth@themodestofocus.org. 

Garth Stapley is the accountability reporter for The Modesto Focus.