It’s called the Stockton Asparagus Festival, but two people with close Tracy ties are heading up plans for this year’s “gras” fest that will be held next weekend — April 23 through 25 — in downtown Stockton.

C.P. Riddle, a Tracy resident for the past 10 years, is president of the festival’s board of directors, and Marc Marchini, a Union Island grower with brother Paul and a former Tracy school trustee, is chairman of the California Asparagus Commission, whose members are supplying asparagus for the three-day event.

“Last year, we provided 40,000 pounds of asparagus for the festival, and very little of it was left at the end the three days,” Marchini said. “This year, we should supply about the same amount.”

Although total production of asparagus coming out of Delta fields is below average for this time of year — mainly because of cooler weather — there will be plenty of “gras” for this year’s festival, he reported.

“The ground is still less than 50 degrees, and that inhibits rapid growth of asparagus in fields, but there is still more than enough, and the quality is outstanding,” Marchini said.

Growers will provide asparagus that is graded as large or extra large — one notch below the largest, jumbo — and cut to 8 inches in length, he reported. It will be collected by J&B Farms and Zuckerman Heritage and stored in refrigeration units before being taken to the festival all three days, said Marchini, who also serves on the festival board of directors.

The great majority of the asparagus at the festival is dipped in batter and then deep-fried to provide the signature food for the festival. But there also will be asparagus in pasta, tacos, burritos — and, for the first time, ice cream, Riddle reported.

“We’ve wanted to serve asparagus ice cream for several years, but this year we managed to do it,” he said. “I think people will want to give it a try.”

Riddle, a retired California Army National Guard brigadier general, has been an asparagus festival volunteer for 24 years and a member of the board of directors for the past 11 years. He is in his second year as board president.

“We have a working board, and everyone has an assignment,” he said. “Before becoming president, I was in charge of the garbage and portable restrooms.

Riddle said this year’s Stockton Asparagus Festival, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary — and its seventh year in downtown Stockton — should be one of the best.

“The weather reports indicate we should have clear skies and moderate temperatures, and that’s important,” he said. “We also have a good lineup of entertainment and special attractions.”

He pointed to continuing performance on all three days of the Velocity Circus, which is similar to the world-famous Cirque du Soleil. Performances will begin at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. all three days at the corner of Center and Fremont streets.

Other festival main-stage headliners include the Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra and Sha Na Na on Friday, Covergrrlz and Blue Oyster Cult on Saturday and Tennessee River and Loverboy on Sunday.

With good weather, Riddle expects a three-day attendance of close to 120,000 or more. Kate Post continues as the festival coordinator, and all functions connected to the festival are carried out by some 5,000 volunteers representing more than 100 Stockton nonprofits. They share in proceeds above expenses.

“Last year, we paid out $276,000 to the volunteers’ organization,” Riddle said. “That a real dividend for the community.”

Yes, and there were five

A Press reader recently, in a letter to the editor, asked whether any black students had ever played on a Tracy High baseball team.

The answer is yes, and the best number we can come up with is five.

It appears that the first black baseball player at Tracy High was Loyce Singleton, who graduated in 1960. Loyce, a three-sport (football, basketball and baseball) standout, was one of the best athletes in the school’s history. He played catcher and pitcher on Tracy High baseball teams in his junior and senior years. In fact, just 50 years ago, in March 1960, he threw a two-hitter in the Bulldogs’ 2-0 win over Patterson.

John Morehouse, best known as a football running back despite his small size, played three years as an outfielder for Bulldogs baseball teams before graduating in 1979. Following close behind John was Billy Rabb, also a football ball-carrier and an outfielder who graduated in 1981. He later played on local Mexican-American Baseball League teams.

Nate Samuels, who graduated in 1982, was a member of the baseball team, and Mike Cox played his freshman year before graduating in 1981. Mike later became a Tracy police officer.

Thanks go to Chris Ramos, who came up with four of the five names that matched and added to those we found in our own research.

Sports scribe, too

While on the sports beat, I should note that the recent untimely death of Rick Overall ended not only the life of a longtime railroad conductor but also that of a former Tracy Press sports writer.

With accuracy and thoroughness, Rick covered local sports for the Press in the mid-1960s while attending San Joaquin Delta College. At the same time, his younger brother, Stan, was a sports correspondent for the Stockton Record. Local teams of that era were well-covered by the Overall brothers.

• Sam Matthews, Tracy Press publisher emeritus, can be reached at 830-4234 or by e-mail at shm@tracypress.com.