Merced Knights of Columbus at 100-

Service Club Marks Centennial with Celebration

Here are the founding members of the Merced Council of the Knights of Columbus. The local Council was chartered in 1922.  Photo: St. Teresa of Calcutta Council, Knights of Columbus 

Put yourself into the year 1922 for a few moments and think about the men pictured in the black and white photograph above.  

They were the founding members of what was first called the Merced Council of the Knights of Columbus, a service club of Catholic men.

The Knights were started in 1882 by a Connecticut priest as a means for Catholic men to work together so as to help others and display patriotism.

From that humble start some one-hundred forty years ago, chapters of the Knights formed all over the country.  

In 1922, the Merced Council was chartered.  

The Knights founding principles are charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. There are nearly two-million Knights throughout the world.

Displays of the accomplishments made by the St. Teresa of Calcutta Council of the Knights of Columbus in Merced, CA.  Photo:  Steve Newvine

The Merced group hosted receptions following church services on June 11 and 12 at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall.  Displays of some council projects and group history were set up for parishioners to see.

Longtime member Randy Starkweather says the local organization changed its name from the Merced Council to the St. Teresa of Calcutta Council around the time Mother Teresa was canonized as a saint in September of 2016.  The world-famous missionary died in 1997 and the canonization process began right away.

Locally, the Council provides support to the Alpha Crisis Center in Merced as well as a faith-based nonprofit organization known as Possibility Productions.  Local Knights also help seminarians as they study for pastoral roles in the church.  They provide service for a number of initiatives and organizations within the St. Patrick’s community.

The Merced Council of the Knights of Columbus changed its name to the St. Teresa of Calcutta Council to honor the missionary nun Mother Teresa upon her canonization in 2016.

In the years leading up to the Merced group’s founding, the Knights worldwide raised money and provided so-called “K of C” huts throughout Europe during World War I. 

The huts were rest and recreational facilities that offered social services to Allied servicemen of all faiths.

The huts sprung up throughout the United States and Europe providing religious services, supplies, and recreation under the motto, “Everybody Welcome, Everything Free.”

This effort led to the eventual development in World War II of the non-profit group known as the USO (United Service Organization).

Parishioners of St. Patrick’s Church attended celebration receptions for the St. Teresa of Calcutta Council of the Knights of Columbus.  Photo:  Randy Starkweather, Knights of Columbus

In the years following World War II, Knights all over America lobbied for public adoption of the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Those words were officially added to the Pledge following the signing of a bill into law by President Eisenhower in 1953.

“We have the Knights to thank for those two words,” said Randy Starkweather in remarks he made to those attending one of the receptions.

While the international organization marks its 140th anniversary, the local fraternal group celebrates a century of service. 

Back in September 1974, the Merced Council of the Knights of Columbus took part in the cornerstone ceremony for the new Merced County Administration Building in 1974. They joined Merced's Masons group in front of the Administration Building in a show of unity. Photo credit: St. Teresa of Calcutta Council, Knights of Columbus

Looking back, some of the senior members and club historians still recall the time in 1974 when the Merced County Administration Building was dedicated.

The Knights marched in one direction toward the building, while the local Mason’s group marched in another direction toward the same spot.

“They met in the middle, by design, right in front of the new County Administration Building,” Starkweather said.  “And together they helped dedicate the new building.”

As the St. Teresa of Calcutta Council of the Knights of Columbus begins a new century of service, they can look back on some impressive achievements over the last one hundred years.  

Who would have thought among the men in that 1922 vintage photograph that this organization would continue serving the community well into the next century?  

It took hard work, strong friendships, and a little faith to make it all happen.

Steve Newvine lives in Merced. 

He is currently working on a new book to be released later this year. 

Ten of his books are available at Lulu.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Amazon.com.

This summer, he joins several presenters at the Principles-Based Lifestyle Training summer youth program being held at UC Merced.

That’s Where Starbucks Was –

As coffee chain builds new stores, the old locations are repurposed

The former Starbucks shop at the corner of Paulson and Yosemite Avenue is now vacant. A new tenant is being sought to occupy the space. Photo: Steve Newvine

A new Starbucks opened in Merced in May.  This one is the first beverage retailer in the new commercial development at the corner of G Street and Yosemite Avenue.

With the opening of the new location, the company closed the familiar shop just down the road at Yosemite and Paulson.

This is not the first time the coffee chain has moved to a bigger, and some might add a better, location.

When the original Olive Avenue Starbucks moved to a new spot near Merced Mall, the old space was leased to Pizza Hut.  The pizza chain moved across the street on Olive to take over the space while Dutch Brothers Coffee opened a brand new store at the former Pizza Hut spot.  Photo:  Steve Newvine

The store on Olive Avenue closed a few years ago and emerged in a bigger spot in the CVS commercial zone a block west of the former location on Olive Avenue.

In both cases, the public area inside the new stores exceeds the available space in the previous location.  Customers have more room for conversation, smartphone checking, and beverage drinking common in any coffee shop.

Both newer locations have drive-through service.  It’s common to see a line of vehicles idling away their nearly six-dollar gallons of gas as they order and wait on their five-dollar-plus cups of specialty coffee.

Merced’s Main Street welcomed the Seattle-based coffee retailer nearly two decades ago in what many considered a prime location: next door to the movie multiplex.  

That spot served downtown coffee drinkers for about fifteen years until a newer shop opened on 16th Street closer to the highway 99 exit. This location also has a drive-through window that the Main Street spot did not have.

ASIP Coffee now occupies the former Starbucks location on Main Street in Merced. Photo: Steve Newvine

A couple of years ago, a Starbucks opened on West Main Street.  That one also has a drive-through.

So it’s clear that the big game-changer for the company is moving to locations where a drive-through can be built.  

But the spaces vacated by the coffee giant generally don’t stay empty for too long.  Pizza Hut moved across the street on Olive Avenue to take over the former coffee shop spot.  Ironically, the former Pizza Hut location was raised and it is now home to Dutch Brothers Coffee.

The former Main Street Starbucks location next door to the movie theater is now occupied by a locally owned coffee brewer.

There’s no word yet on who will occupy the former coffee shop at the corner of Paulson and Yosemite Avenues.

That spot has a special place in my heart. I spent an hour there every week for about ten years having coffee with a good friend.  That friend passed away earlier this year, so maybe it was a good thing that a once-loved coffee shop should close and move to a new location a couple of blocks away.

Fresh starts are good for all of us.  

Steve Newvine lives in Merced. 

His new book A Bundle of Memories is available at Lulu.com.