2024- A Year Like No Other-

Looking back on the special columns from the past year

(left) The turkey farmer who helped Ronald Reagan get over his fear of flying and (right) one of several mules cared for by 3Mules.com. Photo montage: George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, Steve Newvine

For the Our Community Story column in 2024, it was a year of turkeys and mules, historic buildings and new structures, and of radio stations and newspapers.   

We started the New Year with how a turkey farmer in Turlock helped then-candidate Ronald Reagan get over his fear of flying.

Merwin Amerine’s story was about piloting his plane, which was once used to deliver turkeys, and then repurposing the aircraft to fly the Reagan all over the state during the first gubernatorial campaign.  

What followed were two terms in Sacramento and two terms in Washington DC as President of the United States. Reagan overcame his fear of flying, California got a new governor, and eventually, the nation got a new President in 1980.

I encountered a mule on one of my trips along the region's back roads. The mule and his human counterpart were part of a statewide group promoting a proposed interstate hiking trail. Their story was fascinating as the group navigated local laws restricting the use of mules on some roadways.

The mission style building that now houses KAMB Celebration Radio was first a regional station for the Merced division of the California Highway Patrol. CHP Photo: CHP. 19th Street building: Steve Newvine

The current mission-style building that serves as studio space for KAMB radio was the subject of two columns in 2024. The first, appearing in April, was about the historic building constructed as a command center for the Merced division of the California Highway Patrol.

The second column was about the radio station itself, which ran in this space in October.

On a rainy Friday afternoon in March, I noticed the construction of a new office building on 19th Street next to the Merced College Business Resource Center (renamed in 2024 to honor former Merced College President Ben Duran).

The building is nearly complete now and will be the new offices for the Merced County Employees Retirement Association.

The community lost a true citizen journalist in early 2024, and later in the year, his life and newspaper were the subject of an exhibit at the Courthouse Museum.

John Derby founded and served as the Merced County Times Publisher and several other local weekly newspapers. The Museum presentation “The Merced County Times, Sixty Years in Print” was a successful summer exhibit.

The palm and the pine remains one of the more popular topics I write about in the Our Community Story column. Photo: Steve Newvine

The palm and the pine along Highway 99 south of Madera was the subject of a July column.  

The two trees in the highway median, the palm representing southern California and the pine representing the north, will be removed in 2025.  

They will be represented along the western side of the road with thirty palms and pines as that section of the highway is expanded.

From the world of sports, the column about the day sixty years ago when the Yankees and Giants played an exhibition game in Modesto got a lot of attention.

The column highlighted the plight of the local minor league team. Sadly, 2025 will be the farewell season for the Modesto Nuts, as the team prepares to move to southern California with a new name in 2026.

Planada, One Year Later, was the title of a January column. The piece looked at how things have changed, for better and worse, since the January 2023 floods. Photo: Steve Newvine

We followed up on the Planada community one year after the January 2023 floods devastated the area.  

Millions of government dollars have been poured into the community. Some of those dollars have improved life for residents.

That follow-up column has been nominated for an award from the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.  

You will learn about it first here in the Our Community Story column if it wins. -

Steve Newvine lives in Merced.

His new book, Jack & Johnny, is now available at the Merced Courthouse Museum Gift Shop along with his California series (California Back Roads, Can Do Californians, and Beaten Paths and Back Roads). His books are also available online at: Jack & Johnny (lulu.com) and Bookish Modesto in the Roseburg Square Shopping Center in Modesto.

Steve will discuss the book in a January 2025 broadcast of Steve Beverly’s Television Classics. Follow him at Can Do Californians on Facebook for more information.

If your community group would like Steve to present a program about his latest books, contact him at SteveNewvine@sbcglobal.net

Jumpstarting the Holiday Season-

Merced Area Activities Abound

The Merced Baroque Sinfonia performs at the Christmas Open House at the Merced Courthouse Museum. Photo: Steve Newvine

There’s a special feeling in the air when the Christmas holiday season is upon us, if we are willing to let it in and take over our hearts.

There are the sounds of children’s choirs, church bell concerts, classical music and even a band of ukulele players.

Add to all that, the beauty of nearly ninety Christmas trees, each representing a non-profit organization or local business.  

All of it makes for a great kickoff to the holiday season.

For the past forty years, the Merced County Courthouse Museum has invited the community in to jumpstart the holiday weeks with an open house and music concert. 

Members of the Bear Creek Ukulele Society perform at the Merced County Courthouse Museum Christmas Open House. Photo: Steve Newvine

This year, five local groups presented mini-concerts throughout the afternoon of the Sunday after Thanksgiving: the Central Presbyterian Church Handbell Choir, Our Lady of Mercy Christmas Choir, Merced Baroque Sinfonia, St. Paul School Choir, and Bear Creek Ukulele Society.

 "There was such a range of music from classical to ukulele,” said Museum Director Sarah Lim. “With the children in between, there was music for everyone.”

But the other stars of this long-running event were the decorated Christmas trees that were all over the three stories of Museum display space.  

Just four of the nearly ninety Christmas trees are on display now through the holiday season at the Merced County Courthouse Museum. Photo montage: Steve Newvine

Some were mixed in with the current exhibit (Painting Merced County). Trees were in the hallways (including a tabletop tree honoring the Merced County Times newspaper).  

Tree lights filled the rooms holding the permanent exhibits. There were even trees near the entrances of the restrooms.

Years ago, the Museum asked community groups to consider setting up trees for the annual open house.  

With a humble start of just over a dozen, this year’s display boasts nearly ninety. Some might argue there’s room for more.

My personal favorite tree among the dozens on display at the Merced County Courthouse Museum is this one honoring the King of Rock and Roll: Elvis Presley. Photo: Steve Newvine

For me, the afternoon at the Museum brought back some pleasant memories of the child-rearing years. Holiday school concerts and community celebrations were part of the small-town experience our children could enjoy.

Being among the festive surroundings at the Courthouse Museum, listening to the music, and enjoying a home-baked cookie or two helped churn up those pleasant memories.

So, the holiday season is here, and it is easy to take it all in thanks to the jumpstart from our community treasure, the Courthouse Museum. –

Steve Newvine lives in Merced.

His new book, Jack & Johnny, is available online at Jack & Johnny (lulu.com). It can also be purchased from Bookish Modesto in the Roseburg Square Shopping Center in Modesto.

Steve’s California book series is available at the Merced County Courthouse Museum Gift Shop.

For more information on the Merced County Courthouse Museum, MercedMuseum.org