FURRY FRIENDS FIND HOPE, HELP THROUGH ASTRO

By MARG JACKSON

Helping to place animals in need of homes, the ASTRO Foundation center on North Fifth Avenue in Oakdale encompasses 1,440 square feet.

For nearly 10 years, the ASTRO Foundation – Animal Shelter To Riverbank and Oakdale – was run strictly as a foster-based organization. Dogs and cats in need of new homes were rst placed with foster families as the search was conducted for a forever home.

e organization started in 2012 as that foster-based group but behind the scenes, dedicated volunteers were working toward having a brick and mortar location. at came to fruition in late 2021 and the group hosted a formal grand opening of their ASTRO Foundation Adoption Center in May of 2022. ASTRO Foundation is a nonpro t 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization.

Now more than a year in operation at the physical location of 157 North Fi h Avenue, Oakdale, Director of Adoption Services Megan Scoullar said while many things have changed over the years, the mission remains the same. Placing animals in need with owners who can care for and love them.

Scoullar said they also worked previously with an adoption bus, a well-known rolling shelter where they would host pet adoption events at PetCo in Riverbank for many years.

ASTRO Board President Jaydeen Vicente also had a makeshi shelter at her home for many years but now the animals – and volunteers – have a place to call their own.

e 1,440-square foot center has a main lobby, a community cat room, plenty of space for the animals to exercise and an area for prospective adopters to meet with the animals for a visit.

“A big part of the goal was to create a center with a central location,” Scoullar said of establishing the adoption center in Oakdale. “We can house up to 40 cats and kittens and we do have an occasional small dog or two on site but we try to keep our dogs in foster care.” e center is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and while they are located in Oakdale and take in dogs and cats primarily from the Oakdale, Riverbank and Escalon areas, Scoullar said they are more than happy to welcome in adoptive families from throughout the 209 and beyond. In fact, she said some pets have been placed as far away as the Bay area, though most stay within or close to the 209 region.

position. She joined ASTRO in 2021, when they were looking for a director for their new center endeavor.

Many of their pets come from the Oakdale Animal Shelter, those that would likely face euthanasia as their ‘time’ at the local shelter has run out. But ASTRO’s goal is to take on those animals and nd them new homes so they can go on to a happy life. Some are also special needs and ASTRO works with local veterinarians to provide the care and services needed for all animals.

e nearby ASTRO ri and Gi Store, with proceeds going to support the center, is at 250 East E Street in Oakdale and features a variety of home goods, décor and more.

“It’s high quality stu at incredible prices,” Scoullar said, with the store also open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All of the work takes plenty of volunteers and Scoullar said the large group helps make everything happen, from cleaning the cat cages to greeting the public, working the cash register at the thri store to stocking the shelves.

Many also still help at adoption events hosted in conjunction with PetCo.

“Everyone is welcome to come in and check out the animals, our volunteers are there to assist,” she noted. e cats and kittens can be seen any time; since many of the dogs are with foster parents, it’s best to call ahead and schedule a time to meet them.

Scoullar started working with animals in a volunteer capacity at the Humane Society of Tuolumne County, which eventually evolved in to a paid

“We wouldn’t be able to do any of this without our volunteers and donors,” Scoullar noted of keeping the center doors open.

Those interested in learning more about the ASTRO Foundation and opportunities to volunteer, donate or adopt, can contact them at 209-6042649.

“It’s super ful lling the amount of animals we’re able to help,” Scoullar said. ●

By KRISTINA HACKER

Alittle bit of Stockton shipbuilding history was restored in April with the relaunch of one of the Stephens Brothers Company’s 56-foot luxury vessels 63 years a er it originally slid into the Delta.

Two brothers, Roy and od Stephens, grew up mesmerized by the di erent styles of boats they saw along the Delta. ey went to work in their backyard on Yosemite Road and built a 33-foot sloop - the Dorothy - familiar with one mast and an ability to move through the water with dexterity and e ciency.

ey sailed their boat to Santa Cruz as the best form of advertising. e reward was a $1,000 down payment to build a vessel for a client. e company they founded, Stephens Boating Company, would stay in business for 85 years and be one of the great success stories of Stockton. Able to adjust to di erent eras and changing needs, Stephens Brothers and their heirs would produce spud boats for moving potatoes, sail boats, speed boats, runabouts, boats that assisted the military in wartime, and private yachts that are accurately called stunning pieces of artwork.

Sixty-three years ago, a 56-foot luxury vessel was given a traditional champagne baptism before sliding into the Stockton Channel at the Stephens Boat Works.

e Amelia Marie was a year-long project commissioned by eodore Brix. She was his fourth boat, all named in honor of his wife, who by most accounts preferred not to be on the water. An airplane pilot in his 20s, Brix was his own sea captain when he bought the Amelia Marie in his late 50s. He out tted the boat as a home a oat and planned to cruise as far as South American waters.

Brix could a ord the best toys. He accumulated a fortune selling his tire company to Goodyear, guring out how to earn enough to amass a signi cant real estate portfolio in Fresno and Coalinga. By the time he commissioned the Amelia Marie, he was described as a ‘charming dilettante with deep pockets.’ How long he kept the boat is lost to history, and the Amelia Marie herself disappeared for decades.

e Stephens Boatyard has a unique place in the heart of Stockton’s Haggin Museum. e curator is proud of the 27-foot boat on display and can boast they have the complete Stephens Brothers’ archives. He says he receives 12 to 15 requests a year from all over the world from people who want to restore a Stephens boat.

One of those calls came from Rusty Areias. A former California State legislator, adventurer, and businessman, Areias had already partnered in the restoration of two Stephens boats. He saw pictures of the Amelia Marie years before he was able to nd her. She was not even the Amelia Marie anymore. Her name had been changed to Joie de Vivre, the French expression for delighting in living your life.

Areias and his friend and business partner, Ted Harris, bought the Joie, originally intending to complete the restoration in Los Angeles. Instead, adjusting to the rigors of the pandemic, they towed the boat to the Delta.

More than two years and considerable funds were spent restoring the boat the Stephens built for Brix to her original glory.

ey listened closely as the curator turned the pages of the early documents of the Amelia Marie with his white-gloved hands. He explained the nuances of the vessel, the materials used, the delity of her lines, and the disputes and agreements that are part of her lore. ey decided to keep the new name. e result is that a brilliant memory of Stockton that sleeps nine comfortably, has a displacement of 42tons, a top speed of 20 miles an hour, and a cruising range of 1200 miles nally found its t again in the water.

Areias, along with family, friends and community supporters, relaunched the Amelia Marie/Joie de

Vivre with a champagne splash on April 23 at the Five Star Marina — the old Stephens Boatyard — in Stockton.

“We sent her out the same way to taste the Stockton water for the rst time like she did in 1960,” said Areias.

Restoring the Amelia Marie/Joie de Vivre wasn’t an easy project by any means.

“While I was State Parks Director I ran the O ce of Historic Preservation. I learned the concept of adaptive reuse. e key is that it doesn’t take away from the historic nature of the boat. ese projects aren’t for the faint of heart,” said Areias.

“When I began working on the Joie we set aside a certain amount of money and we exceeded that about four times. Everything that could’ve gone wrong with the boat was wrong with it. We bought it cheap, but then the fun began.”

Despite the dry rot, termites and degrading metal they found when starting work on the project, Areias is glad that he put in the work.

“I’m really pleased with the outcome. I think we’re going to be very happy with the result and it’s largely a new boat. I’m fond of saying we saved the lines and that’s about it,” he said.

“It feels great. ere’s a lot of enthusiasm for the history of Stephens Brothers, the history of shipbuilding in Stockton. I’m a son of the 209. I’m 209 proud. is is an important part of the 209 heritage.” ●

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Just south of Carmel is tucked a little-known gem where you can escape back to California’s coastline as it was over a century ago: Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Beautiful vistas, pounding sea surf, a network of easy hiking trails, and history trapped in time make it the perfect place to visit.

A seasonal destination for Indigenous tribes for over 2,000 years, a er its discovery by Europeans in 1769, Point Lobos went through many phases: rancho, livestock pasture, whaling station, abalone cannery, granite quarry, and shipping point for a nearby coal mine. Industrial and residential development seemed to guarantee that the area would follow the pattern of other coastal towns. It was parceled out to become Point

Lobos City by the Carmelo Land & Coal Company in 1890. Residential lots went for $50 each.

In 1898, local entrepreneur A.M. Allan purchased Point Lobos as a business investment and residence, although it would take another 20 years before he nally bought back lots that

By CLAUDIA NEWCORN

had already been sold. In 1933, the State purchased Point Lobos from Allan’s heirs for $631,000. Later additions expanded the park to 554 acres, plus the addition of 775 submerged acres, creating one of the nation’s rst underwater reserves.

My most recent visit on a sunny day revealed Point Lobos in all its visual and geological beauty. Wherever you walk, you see the tectonic forces that govern the region.

Deep coves. Gnarled rocks layered in black, red and palest gold, heaved up from the sea. High craggy headlands crowned with wild lilac, brilliant poppies and busy butter ies. Toothy islets of stone puncture the restless waves at various distances, ancient markers of a gradually eroding coastline. In the morning, the ocean garbs itself in every shade from turquoise to indigo, paling to quicksilver as the sun crosses to the west. e peaceful Cypress Grove loop trail escorts you to Allan Memorial Grove and winds through one of the only two naturally growing stands of Monterey Cypress in the world. e linked Sea Lion Point and Sand Hill Trails are short, but provide a vista of the coast, as well as an added trail that descends to the Devil’s Cauldron, awash with surf, harbor seals and sea lions. Glimpsing the development that has occurred north and south of Point

Multiple trails meander about the reserve. Most follow the coastline, but some crisscross the peninsula and take hikers up among meadows and woodlands. ose along the southwest side are the most scenic, in particular the South Shore trail, which extends from Sea Lion Point to Pelican Point, passing Weston Beach, Hidden Beach and China Cove. Visitors can easily step o to visit the beaches.

Lobos, you are thankful that Allan preserved this stunning place.

Inside a protected elbow of land is Whaler’s Cove, home of the Whaler’s Cabin & Whaling Station Museum, and well worth the visit. e cabin, occupied and used from 1851–1983, was added in 2007 to the National Register of Historic Places.

Opened in 1987, the museum showcases the region’s diverse cultural history. Originally constructed by Chinese shermen, it was subsequently used by Japanese whalers and abalone shermen, and World War II army soldiers. Across the cove is where whale carcasses were hauled up; beside the cabin sit the large cauldrons in which blubber was boiled down to whale oil. Flanked by a massive cypress whose roots have merged with the wooden wall, the cabin displays a collection of intriguing artifacts, including archeological “rubbish” such as clay pipes, bottles and patterned china. Enjoy the easy trail that takes you from the cabin to Granite Point. You’ll glimpse non-native owers, remnants of the gardens of the Chinese and Japanese families’ homes that once dotted the area. Otters enjoy the quiet waters, and there’s a chu ng “blow hole” at Granite Point where the waves strike to explode water through a stone hollow, just like a whale coming up for air. In season, gray whales can be seen migrating past Point Lobos, an added feature of this hidden gem of a park. ●

If You Go

Easily reached from Highway 1, Point Lobos (https://www.parks. ca.gov/?page_id=571) is the perfect day trip to combine with a visit to Monterey or Carmel. The park is day use only. Admission is $10. You can only park in designated lots; parking is limited, so go in morning or late afternoon; photography is best in the morning. There are guided walks, and park rangers and docents are available to answer questions. Pack your own water and food. Pets are not permitted in the park.