Cinderella presides over Halloween Costume Parade today

Halloween came early to the community of Alden Park as resident ghouls, gobblins, and the occasional little princess came out on Sunday, October 28th, to follow Cinderella around the park in our first-ever Costume Parade. Nearly 50 children arrived in costume, along with their parents, and played games, collected candy, got their faces painted, and admired each other's outfits.

See if you can find Obi-Wan Kenobi, Austin Powers, Strawberry Shortcake, SpongeBob Squarepants, a zebra, and a witch or two in these pictures from the event. Even a few of the neighborhood dogs came to the party dressed in their finest.

Ketchup and Mustard, Winnie the Pooh, and a unique cross between vampire-hunter Blade and the intrepid Indiana Jones also joined in the festivities.

With a preview like this, you can bet this Halloween is going to be great one! Thanks, Debbie DelDotto and friends, for organizing this wonderful event.

Tri-Valley Herald reports new details in Alden Park shooting

Mike Martinez, Staff Writer for the Tri-Valley Herald, has posted the latest information in the investigation of the murder of San Leandro resident Steven Klent, found dead in Alden Park on September 9th. The 42-year-old, who attended high school in Fremont, was killed by a single gunshot wound to the back of his head, according to a report by the San Joaquin County Coroners Office.

The report said he was shot in the base of the skull and had an exit wound on the left side of his forehead. He was found lying on his back, in a pool of blood, with his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, according to the report. He was identified by police through his fingerprints.

Investigators don't know how long Klent had been dead before he was found around 10 o'clock that morning, but their report noted that a second pool of blood collected a few feet away from his body at the base of a water fountain. Residents of the Alden Park area are befuddled by this little fact, as there is no "water fountain" anywhere in the park.

The report also noted that potentially toxic levels of methamphetamines and amphetamines were detected in his system by a blood screen.

According to court records, there was an active warrant for Klent's arrest in Sonoma County after he violated the terms of his contract with Project Intercept, a drug and crime prevention program in the county. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported Klent was charged with one misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance in 1998, which lead to his enrollment in the program. The warrant for his arrest was issued in October the same year.

Document searches list Klent as a Sonoma County resident until November 2000. A spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriff's Department said Klent was in their custody in 2000 on theft and drug charges.

The Tri-Valley Herald article also noted that Steven Klent had two MySpace.com web pages and that he had written about creating the second one after someone "he trusted" had changed his password on the first.

"... of course, I can never trust this person again ... with anything. cant trust em with my stuff, in my house ... just plain cant trust em," he wrote. "... of course what I probably need to do is get these kinds of people out of my life. aint got room for anybody I cant trust."

Tracy investigators continue to try to find out why he was in the park and how long his body was there before being discovered. Several nearby residents reported hearing a single gunshot between 3 and 3:30 a.m. Tracy Police Detective Dean Hicks said investigators have been in the Bay Area working on the case since the beginning.

"It seems like every day we're there doing interviews and turning over every rock to see what we uncover," Hicks said. "We're still working on some leads that are taking us in a certain direction, but nothing we can talk about."

Within hours of the discovery of Mr. Klent's body, residents in the Alden Park community came together to form a neighborhood watch, which has been chronicled on this weblog.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Tracy Police Department at 209-831-6501. Mike Martinez can be reached at 209-832-3947 or at mmartinez@trivalleyherald.com.

Avoid the scares of Halloween with these Safety Tips

This Halloween, take these few extra steps to make is a safe and sane time for all:

Help your child pick out or make a Costume that:

• Is Fire Proof
• Has large eye holes for good peripheral vision
• Is brightly colored. (If the costume is dark, add reflective tape.)
• Is easy to walk in without tripping.
• Is warm enough in cooler weather. (Wear warm clothes underneath if it gets chilly on Halloween night.)

On Halloween, go Trick-or-Treating during daylight hours, and with a responsible adult. Plan a safe route. Set a time to return home.

Don’t cut through back alleys and fields. Be careful crossing the streets. Use the sidewalks, and stay on the left side of the road, facing traffic. Carry a flashlight.

WALK from house to house. Use sidewalks and walkways, and do not cross yards or lawns where unseen objects or terrain can cause you to trip. Stop only at familiar houses in your neighborhood unless accompanied by an adult.

Eat before going out so you’re less likely to snack on the candy you collect. Inspect all treats when you get home before eating it. When in doubt, throw it out.

Now’s the time to remind kids to NEVER go into the home of a stranger or get into their car. Stay in groups. Be respectful of others. And have fun!

-- a message from the Tracy Police Department and your friends at the Neighborhood Watch

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Watching out for your neighbor works...

Manteca neighbors help stop burglary
Police laud action as good example of how Neighborhood Watch works in Manteca

MANTECA — Local police have often said that perceptive neighbors are one of their best means of fighting crime. On Thursday, the alert reactions of some in a Manteca neighborhood helped nab four would-be burglars. Around 10:45 a.m. Manteca police received two separate calls from residents on Jasmine Hollow Drive reporting a burglary in progress, said Rex Osborn, a police spokesman. While the suspects were piling into a blue Ford Expedition, another neighbor took a digital picture of them and the vehicle, he said.

One caller told police dispatchers about the sound of glass breaking, while another reported four individuals walking out of a neighbor's house, said Sgt. Ralph Colin. Police patrolling in the area were able to locate the vehicle that matched a description of the one at the scene. The Expedition was reportedly followed onto Woodward Avenue by a witness, police said. The vehicle was stopped and the four people inside were arrested, Osborn said.

Police arrested Jose Bustamante, 24, Vicente Bustamante, 18, and two male juveniles ages 17 and 16, all of Stockton, on charges of burglary, possession of stolen property and conspiracy to commit a crime. They were taken to Juvenile Hall and the San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp.

The case is an excellent example of how Neighborhood Watch works in Manteca, Osborn said, lauding the neighborsfor alerting police without putting themselves in harm's way. "Police can't be everywhere at once, but neighbors looking out for neighbors and alerting police if something doesn't seem right, helps create a crime-free community," Osborn said. The victim on Jasmine Hollow, who asked not to be identified, told police the she loves her neighbors and that is why her family chose to live in Manteca.

Community Garage Sale in Alden Park a BIG SUCCESS!

Just a quick 'thank you' to everyone who participated in our first-ever Community Garage Sale today! Many of you opened your yards or came down to Alden Park to sell your stuff and put a little extra jingle in your pockets. Now that it's over, what should you do with all that leftover stuff you didn't sell? Here are some good ideas:

• Donate it to your local thrift store. You can help the needy with your old clothes.
• The Animal Shelter could always use those extra towels, blankets, and throw-rugs for the dogs and cats there.
• Perhaps the local library or school could use your used books.
• Or the neighborhood doctor's office might want your old magazines, if you don't recycle them.

Be sure to get a receipt for your donation(s); you can write it off on your taxes if you itemize. If you just plan on just throwing it away, remember: Tracy's "Fall Clean Up Event" is Monday, October 22nd, so you could put out some of your leftovers at the curb with your garbage pickup that morning. "eWaste" like old computers, TVs, and cell phones, (and anything else with a battery) should disposed earlier on Saturday, October 20th, at 520 S. Tracy Blvd., from 9am to 1pm. Don't put it out with your regular garbage; dispose of it properly. Help save the planet and let the Tracy City-Wide garage sale theme "Make Every Day Earth Day" live on!

Alden Park Community Garage Sale to coincide with Tracy's city-wide event

Families in the Alden Park neighborhood are invited to participate in our first-ever Community Garage Sale on Saturday, October 13th, in Alden Park, from 8:00a.m. to 1:00p.m.

Here's your chance to get rid of some of that stuff that's been cluttering up your home and garage, to make a little extra money, and to support your Neighborhood Watch program.

It's also the time for the City of Tracy's City-Wide Garage Sale, which is happening on the same day, and we've registered our event so it will be listed in the City's maps and publications promoting the event under the theme "Make Every Day Earth Day." For more on the City-Wide Garage Sale, go to http://www.ci.tracy.ca.us/news/front-page/2007/10/08/city-wide-garage-sale/.

Each family will be able to "set up shop" in Alden Park. Just follow these simple rules:

1. Bring a Queen-Sized Sheet to the park with you, and check in at the Neighborhood Watch table. Your sheet will be used to mark your space in the Community Garage Sale. All items you wish to sell should fit on your sheet to allow your friends and neighbors space for their stuff, too.


2. If you have large items to sell, open your own garage or yard for the sale. This is the time to get to know each other and to enjoy your neighbors and community. By coordinating our event with the City-Wide Garage Sale, we should get a lot of foot-traffic.


3. There is a suggested $3.00 donation from each family that participates in the Community Garage Sale in Alden Park. This donation will help cover costs of our new Neighborhood Watch signs, which the City provides to us at a cost of $25 each.

So, start cleaning out that garage and those closets! See you on Saturday, October 13th!