I have taken part in every community event that the city of Tracy Parks and Community Services Department has hosted for the past couple of years now. In the past, these events have been awesome, thought out and well coordinated. However, this year I have noticed a drastic change in these city events. What happened?
I am a local Barista’s coffee shop customer; I and other regulars who attend Barista’s every morning were having a conversation about these events. According to another regular, the reason for these events flourishing was due to a special young lady. From my understanding, the parks department has unfortunately lost one of its key players this summer who successfully ran all of these events.
I was not fortunate to meet this young lady personally.
I was not able to make it to the last two Movies on the Plaza. However, I did manage to make it to Taste of Tracy. And what a disaster that was!
The two Taste of Tracy events, October wine stroll and December holiday parade have all been atrocious. I began poking around to get more information about why the city events have taken such a horrible fall. I asked around local downtown merchants, City Councilmen, and city department heads.
To sum up everyone’s response: Julia is no longer working for the Parks and Recreation Department. The past two years, the city events were phenomenal, and each year kept getting better and better. Now they are getting worse and worse.
I personally ask our city to find this young woman and bring her back. Or hire someone who can at least do half of her job. Do whatever needs to get done to make sure the city of Tracy has great events.
Tracy community members deserve to have stupendous events. Let’s not have fall 2011 be like fall 2010.
Jo Garcia, Tracy
• Editor’s note: According to city officials, Julia Soto was a part-time staffer who worked on special events but who is no longer employed with the Parks and Recreation Department.
Why is it, the people who have “Tracy” in their user name seem to be so negative? I find it rather strange.
Regards,
Jo
This article actually says they DID hire good people.
Why is it that whenever there is something positive going on there is always someone trying to bring about negative attention? Comprehension is a topic students should study more often, because although the title states "Bring back a brilliant city worker" it can be misleading. The article is about critiquing the performance of current Park and Recreation staff and events. The person who wrote to the editor to express her opinion mentioned at the end of the article a proposed answer to the problem. That was not solely to hire this young lady back, but to hire better.
As for the person who is the current position now, hopefully they will take this critique into consideration and perform their tasks better to prove people wrong, and in your case, to prove you right.
With all this said, stop being negative, allow the people of Tracy, to critique the City's Employees; for they pay their wages. Just because a former employee is getting recognition for doing a job well done, should not be a reason to take such an envious and antagonistic point of view.
To Ms. Soto if you are reading this comment I wanted you to know that I appreciate your work on all of the past City Events you were in “charge” of. Thank you for your professionalism and dedication. Talent and skill such as yours cannot go long unrewarded. Thank you for the preparation you put into all of the City Events while you were employed with the City of Tracy Parks and Community Services Department. You have set a high standard for others to follow. The key to successful events rests in people like you, who embody the spirit of greatness. Words cannot convey my gratitude for your tremendous contribution. My family and I have had some of the best moments last year at all of your events. With that being said it was a pleasure and privilege Ms. Soto to have been present at your events.
LuvTracy- You always have one rotten apple in the bunch and I am saddened to see it is you. Due to your comment it makes me believe you are either a City of Tracy employee or part of this new downtown association who feels someone else should be recognized. Like GSmile23 mentioned I was certainly not taking away recognition from the other employees, I was simply stating the “fact” that the events are simply not what they used to be. Correct me if I am wrong but Mayor Brent Ives and every other Councilmen constantly express they want to hear feed back from Tracy community members. How can we make this community better? What does the Tracy Community want to see? I simple see no harm expressing my gratitude for a young lady who has done everything she could to make sure the Tracy Community received the best events they very well deserved. The community asked for great events and Ms. Soto delivered. Before you talk negatively maybe you should get your facts in order because my fact findings seem to be true. You stated “she did not personally “run” them or was in charge of them”; correct me if I am wrong but according to a couple of business owners who have taken part in Taste of Tracy and Parades and Wine Strolls, Ms. Soto was the only employee that they dealt with during those events. When an individual is responsible for setting-up events, running around during and after events, has their name as the main contact person for events and is being interviewed for a City event-I think that means that individual is “running” and is in “charge” of those events. As GMSILE23 stated “PLEASE GIVE RECOGNITION WHEN IT IS DUE”.
Regards,
Jo Garcia
The city started it. Let's see if the new downtown association (that replaced the DTBIA) can kick it into high gear.
Hope so. But we should give them time to do that and not criticize them for trying. These are tough economic times and unfortunately businessses aren't lining up to help the new downtown assoc.
This article by no means takes away any recognition of the other employees, but what it does is place spotlight on an individual who clearly has made an impact within our community. Its apparent that this young lady's work has made an impact on these events. I, too, have noticed a lesser degree of work put into Tracy's recently past events.
Please give recognition when it is due, luvtracy. Do not be discouraged or envious if your work is not publicly acclaimed. Let's not bring other people down for their achievements and hard work, but praise them and be proud so that maybe future, even current employees will strive to do better.
Although I am sure your compliments are well deserved in all of your fact finding you should have found out that the City of Tracy did not host the Wine Stroll and Christmas parade this year. These events are now hosted by the new downtown association. This is their first year and are still working to get established.
Also, Julia is one of several City employees who have assisted with the Parks and Recreation events, she did not personally "run" them or was in charge of them. I personally know of several of others who have done and continue to do an outstanding job working at the Parks and Community Services Department and hosting other events for our community.
Before you talk negatively about the City of Tracy you should get your facts in order.