Tuesday, November 27, 2012
THE END!
I hope you have enjoyed my blog about my home town of Merced, CA. Below is a video that shows famous historic landmarks of Merced such as the Merced theater and the El Capitan Hotel and the Tioga Hotel, where Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimmiagio are rumored to have stayed! The title is "To Those who Call Merced Home". Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Chapter 18: Hawaii
The Asian arrival in Hawaii had a major impact on the population. In 1997, Merced had a high concentration of Hmong residents relative to its population. The settlement of the Hmongs began after the Laotian Civil war ended. The Hmong fled to refugee camps in Thailand and then the United States. Dang Moua promoted Merced for the Hmongs to live in. He thought that it had rich soils and good land to plant with. He moved to Merced, and the reviews of this town spread quickly to other clans. Even though he was right in what he thought about the land, much of the land had already been owned, and Mexican workers took up the low-wage jobs that the farms had to offer. However, the longer they lived in Merced, the more common it was for them to become land owners. There is now a "Yang Farm" which is just a small fruit stand, located just down the street from my house in Merced. During the summer, one can buy three baskets full of strawberries for about $5.00. The farm produces adequate produce throughout the summer and many locals stop there to buy fruits and vegetables from them. Many of them left between 2006 and 2008 due to the economic recession. The Hmong population in Merced was so prevalent that there was even a book written about it called "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" by Anne Fadiman.
http://fieldnotesfromwonderland.tumblr.com/
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| Just a small selection of what one can find at Yangs fruit stand in Merced. |
Chapter 16: The North Pacific Coast
Likewise to the North Pacific Coast, Merced is filled with trees! The new housing developments along with the old consist of many trees filling the neighborhoods. These trees range from maple, spruce, firs, and evergreens. However, these trees are not used for timber, these trees are more for the "decoration" of Merced. Along with neighborhood trees are orchard trees. These orchard trees bloom in the Spring season making for a beautiful country scene, but annoying seasonal allergies, which is what my dad and I suffer from! After moving to Northridge from Merced, I feel as though I have learned to appreciate so many trees in my old neighborhood. I now live in an apartment, not a neighborhood, and there is a scarce amount of trees near the proximity of my apartment. I miss the neighborhood trees and the shade they had to offer. I also miss the trees during a hot day here in Northridge. In Merced, at a red light, one could find comfort in the shade of a tree during a hot day, but here, there are no trees on the most busiest streets!
http://www.flickriver.com/groups/merced/pool/interesting/
http://www.cityofmerced.org/depts/pw/trees_division/default.asp
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| Trees lining the walkway to the old courthouse in Merced. |
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| Neighborhood lined with trees in Merced. |
Monday, November 19, 2012
Chapter 15: California
Ahhh the greatest state ever! California is always depicted as the ideal place to live. With warm beaches, mountains, attractive people and the elite, how could one resist? These words and pictures are what first come to peoples minds when they think of the sunshine state. Too bad the entirety of the state does not lay on the coast! These are also some of the reasons why this state is so ethnically diverse. Movies, television shows, reality shows and even music conveys California in a most ideal way. I am an only child, so growing up my family has hosted three foreign exchanged students, all from Germany. One of them named Valerie, watched the television show called The O.C while she was in Germany. The show is about a rich white family that lived in orange county. They lived in a mansion looking over the ocean, the kids had bonfires on the beach every night while watching the sunset on the beach. When she heard that she would be coming to California, her mind was full of all of the previously mentioned attributes plus the life of the characters in The O.C. Well, little did she know that Merced was not even close to orange county! Needless to say, Valerie was a little disappointed when she came to the small town of Merced filled with cow pastures, one small mall, and the best sunset view at the local man made lake. My point is that we should not only focus on the stereotypical things that come to mind when we think of California, however we should also keep in mind why we are so ethnically diverse, because we are a land of opportunity.We should also keep in mind and remind others of the scarce water supply and rapid urban expansion. If these two problems do not get some sort of attention in the near future, California may not be the state where everyone wants to end up.
http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/yosemity
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| Sunset at Lake Yosemite, Merced. See, its not so bad, right? |
Chapter 14: The Southwest Border Area
Hispanic Americans
Similar to the Southwest border, many Hispanic Americans also reside in Merced. My grandparents migrated to the US from Mexico in 1957. My grandfather came here illegally at first, looking for work which he found. He then sent money for my grandmother to come and join him. During this time that they were apart, they were engaging in a long distance relationship for about 7 years (awww!). Once they saved enough money to file for citizenship, they did so and have been legal residents ever since.Throughout Merced, one can see the hispanic influence that it has had on the town. From the local "panaderias" or bakeries, to "taquerias" or taco shops, many hispanics were successful in establishing business. They also had a decent clientele base, which consisted of other immigrants from Mexico. My great grandmother, the mother of the one that immigrated here was from France. My grandfathers last name is Velazquez, which is derived from Spain. This is just one example of how the Spanish Conquistadores and European immigrants have impacted my family and I.My fathers last name is Garcia, which is also Spanish. According to the 2010 U.S census, 55.7% of the Merced County population reported being hispanic or latino. That is 38.1% of the entire state of California! I am glad that my grandparents came when they did, or else I would not be here today! |
| Pictured here is Panaderia Oaxaca in Merced where one can find delicious, authentic Mexican pastries. |
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Chapter 13: The Empty Interior
Merced is the gateway to one of the most well-known national parks located in the empty interior: Yosemite. Highway 140 runs directly through the town of Merced. This is the only highway that leads the locals to Yosemite. Yosemite is home to Glacier Point, El Capitan, Half Dome, Nevada Falls, Mirror lake, and not to mention the famous Ahwahnee Hotel nestled in the heart of Yosemite Valley. The great Yosemite Valley was formed during the glaciation period of history. Lakes and streams were formed along with great waterfalls and huge mountains. Yosemite is beautiful during anytime of the year. Tourists who choose to go during the summer can witness the "fire fall" which is when the sun hits the water coming down Vernal falls and it looks red. Others who choose to come during the fall or winter can see the magnificent leaves change to bright fall hues, or the massive mountain peaks covered with snow, looking like a winter wonderland. Everyone should see Yosemite at least once in their lifetime. Whether you are an avid hiker, naturalist, or just enjoy the peaceful outdoors, you should visit this extraordinary place. I promise you will not regret it!
Click Here to Start Planning a Yosemite Vacation Today!
Click Here to Start Planning a Yosemite Vacation Today!
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| The Ahwahnee Hotel | http://www.incadventures.com/trips/yosemite/yosemite-winter-hotel-tour.php |
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| The "fire fall" | http://www.incadventures.com/trips/yosemite/yosemite-winter-hotel-tour.php |
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| Yosemite Valley during the Winter season. | http://www.incadventures.com/trips/yosemite/yosemite-winter-hotel-tour.php |
Chapter 12: The Great Plains and Prairies
Precipitation Patterns
Merced is known for having extremely hot summers and mild winters. It is not uncommon for Merced to experience a dry spell or drought season. Rainy days come far and few throughout the year. Crops suffer due to the small amount of rain that Merced receives. As you can see, the highest temperature recorded for Merced was 112 degrees farenheit in 2006, and the lowest temperature was 13 degrees farenheit in 2007. The most precipitation occurs in the month of January. The average precipitation for 2011 in Merced was just above ten inches for the year. Compared to the Great Plains annual precipitation, with just Kansas coming up with 42 inches, this is extremely minute. This is part because Merced does not have such conflicting air masses like the great plains and prairies do, which causes this large amount of rain fall.http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/USCA0695
| Month | Avg. High |
Avg. Low |
Mean | Avg. Precip |
Record High |
Record Low |
| Jan | 55°F | 37°F | 46°F | 2.61 in. | 75°F (1981) | 13°F (2007) |
| Feb | 62°F | 40°F | 51°F | 2.44 in. | 79°F (1977) | 20°F (1990) |
| Mar | 68°F | 43°F | 56°F | 2.07 in. | 88°F (1972) | 21°F (2007) |
| Apr | 75°F | 46°F | 61°F | 0.94 in. | 98°F (2001) | 22°F (1999) |
| May | 83°F | 52°F | 68°F | 0.54 in. | 106°F (2001) | 30°F (1978) |
| Jun | 91°F | 57°F | 74°F | 0.08 in. | 111°F (1961) | 37°F (1979) |
| Jul | 96°F | 62°F | 79°F | 0.01 in. | 112°F (2006) | 42°F (1978) |
| Aug | 95°F | 60°F | 78°F | 0.02 in. | 110°F (1996) | 35°F (1979) |
| Sep | 90°F | 56°F | 73°F | 0.16 in. | 108°F (1984) | 35°F (1978) |
| Oct | 80°F | 49°F | 65°F | 0.83 in. | 100°F (1991) | 28°F (1971) |
| Nov | 65°F | 41°F | 53°F | 1.33 in. | 87°F (1949) | 23°F (1957) |
| Dec | 55°F | 37°F | 46°F | 2.08 in. | 73°F (2006) |
Chapter 11: The Agricultural Core
I know that I have already mentioned how important Merced is to the Central Valley agriculture, however I just feel the need to mention it again, especially with the title of this chapter! Without Merced, and the entire Central Valley of California, our groceries would be much more expensive. Thankfully, some, if not most of the produce in the grocery stores are from local farmers. According to labormarketinfo.edd, Merced is the fifth leading agricultural county in California.Milk and related products from Merced's dairies generate the greatest amount of revenue. Other crops grown in bulk quantities include tomatoes, grapes, almonds, poultry and beef. The landscape of the county is prime for planting. The Merced River, along with the Stanislaus River and San Joaquin River create an agriculturally rich plain for crops to thrive on.
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| http://www.aerialarchives.com/Aerial-Maps-of-Merced.htm As one can observe, much of the agriculture takes place outside of the metropolitan area of Merced with the plains and boundaries perfectly drawn out. |
Chapter 10: The Subtropical Margins
Both the Subtropical Margin, especially in Florida, and Merced experience winter freezes which are a hazard to citrus fruit. Huge financial losses and crop damage has occured to farmers throughout Merced county. However, the freezes in Merced happen much earlier. On November 11, 2012, the weather advisory in Merced County issued its first freeze warning of the season. On the Subtropical Margin, they can expect the first frost as late as December 15. These freezes not only effect the producers, but the consumers as well. When crops of citrus fruits are damaged by a winter freeze, the price to buy such fruits sky rocket at the local grocery store. Another hazard that inflicts crop damage is hail. Merced is known for its mild winters so farmers try to grow crops year around. However, Merced does get the occasional hail. When it hails during winter or spring, many crops also experience damage.
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| http://www.komonews.com/news/business/5686106.html Here is an example of what a freeze looks like. The tree is covered with dew, and then dew then freezes, which freezes the crops and makes them unedible. |
Friday, October 12, 2012
Part One Video
UC Merced is the biggest thing that has come to Merced since I have lived there. Please watch this video about UC Merced life! Who knows? Maybe some of you might want to apply there! Click the link below to watch the video.
UC Merced Life
UC Merced Life
Chapter 9:Race
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| http://www.city-data.com/city/Merced-California.html |
Chapter 8: Regional Development Programs
The Merced Irrigation District
Because agriculture and farming are so prominent in Merced county, the planning of an irrigation system happened relatively early for Merced around 1873. The outskirts of Merced consist of a canal system complete with a river, dams, reservoirs and even a man-made lake. The irrigation system was extremely important to the citizens of Merced, especially the farmers. They are the ones who really pushed and advocated this waterway system. The irrigation system stretches all they way into Stanislaus County. Over 50,000 acres have been irrigated throughout the county and beyond. Two main floods have challenged the districts irrigation system. These floods happen from heavy rain, and melting snow coming from the Sierra Nevada mountains just East of Merced. The Irrigation District works hard to preserve the agriculture and water rights. Without this system, Merced would not be what it is today. This county thrives on its agriculture and the revenue that comes with it.
http://www.mercedid.org/
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| http://www.norcalblogs.com/watts/2007/02/irrigation |
Because agriculture and farming are so prominent in Merced county, the planning of an irrigation system happened relatively early for Merced around 1873. The outskirts of Merced consist of a canal system complete with a river, dams, reservoirs and even a man-made lake. The irrigation system was extremely important to the citizens of Merced, especially the farmers. They are the ones who really pushed and advocated this waterway system. The irrigation system stretches all they way into Stanislaus County. Over 50,000 acres have been irrigated throughout the county and beyond. Two main floods have challenged the districts irrigation system. These floods happen from heavy rain, and melting snow coming from the Sierra Nevada mountains just East of Merced. The Irrigation District works hard to preserve the agriculture and water rights. Without this system, Merced would not be what it is today. This county thrives on its agriculture and the revenue that comes with it.
http://www.mercedid.org/
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Chapter 7: Climate and Agriculture Today
Merced Climate Graph - California Climate Chart
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| http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USCA0695 |
The climate of Merced consists of hot summers and cold winters. The hottest months of the year are from late May till the end of August/beginning of September. The precipitation in Merced does not usually exceed above two inches. I have lived in Merced for 20 years, and it has only snowed once, in 1999, and one would not even consider it "snow", they were more like "flurries". During the winter months, the temperature never drops below 0. The lowest temperature is about 30 degrees fahrenheit. The most comfortable months in Merced are the end of March until the end of May. Merced would be a good place for someone to live if they like swimming in the summer and curling up by a hot fire in the winter.
Merced County Crop Information
Value of agricultural production, 2010: $2,733,495,000 (state ranking: 5th)| Top five crops, by value, 2010: | |
| Milk | $736,192,000 |
| Almonds | $286,600,000 |
| Broiler Chickens | $275,536,000 |
| Cattle & Calves | $225,408,000 |
| Sweet Potatoes | $152,863,000 |
In 2010, Merced was ranked fifth in the state for the production of milk, almonds, broiler chickens, cattle and calves and sweet potatoes. The revenue from Merced comes mainly from the hefty agriculture in the valley. http://www.cfbf.com/counties/?id=24
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Chapter 5: Mineral Resources and Metropolitan Growth
As mentioned before, the discovery of mineral deposits in the Merced River increased the cities population. Gold is the only mineral resource known in Merced county. Merced does not overlap any gas, coal, or oil deposits. With the discovery of gold came the establishing of the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroads.
The Southern Pacific Railroad system ran from North to South through Merced. This resulted in many people deserting small gold mining towns that were established along the Merced River and flocking to towns such as Merced, Turlock, and Fresno which are all located in the Central Valley. The cause of this was because of the rail road system. Metropolitan growth flourished around this particular transportation system. Merced is known as the "gateway to Yosemite" so many locals traveled to Yosemite to continue their search for the precious metal.The building of this rail road system also lead to the transportation of goods from the San Francisco bay, to the Gulf of Mexico and vice versa.
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| http://www.spcrr.org/HistorySPCRR.htm |
Chapter 4: Population Distribution
Below is the Population Growth and Status as of 2012:
| Total Population | 67,584 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Miles | 83.96 | |||||
| Population Density | 804.90 | |||||
| Population Change Since 1990 | 14.65% | |||||
| Population Change Since 2000 | 5.78% | |||||
| Forecasted Population Change by 2014 | -2.33% | |||||
| Population Male | 33,280 | 49.24% | ||||
| Population Female | 34,304 | 50.76% | ||||
| Median Age | 29.10 |
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As you can observe, Merced has had a 5.78% increase since 2000. This could be because of the new University which created new jobs such as teachers, engineers, landscapers, architects, scientists, builders, and contractors. The forecasted population change in another two years is in the negative. This could be because many major plants have closed such as Pepsi, and Color Print. A local Budweiser distribution plant has also closed, so many families may be relocating for another job opportunity. http://www.clrsearch.com/Merced_Demographics/CA/Population-Growth-and-Population-Statistics
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| http://www.clrsearch.com/Merced_Demographics/CA/95340/Employment-Occupation-and-Industry |
Above is a graph depicting the 2010 employment by job type. The occupations of "Professional and Related" has increased to about 26.5% and the "Sales and Office" has increased to about 25.5%. You can see that the "Farming, Fishing and Forestry" are relatively low compared to the others and this is because many farmers have established themselves long ago, and most of the land for farming in Merced is privately owned. Merced County is not looking to hire anymore agriculturalists. As far as fishing goes, Merced is about 30 minutes from a recreational lake named Lake McClure. This lake is used for recreational fishing and sport fishing, but not to create a means of revenue for Merced.
Chapter 3: Who Lived Here Before Me?
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| Picture of Merced River taken from bridge. http://campingsierra.com/2007/05/ |
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| Miners from Merced and Mariposa County. http://home.comcast.net/~davesmeds/alvinbranson.htm |
To learn more about the settlement of Merced County, click here.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Chapter 2: Physical Environment
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| Photo courtesy of: http://www.landsat.com/merced-county-california-aerial-photography-2010.html |
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| During the Spring season, Merced is surrounded with acres and acres of these blossoming almond trees, along with many others. |
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| September 2004, the beginning stages of UC Merced. |
When plans were put into place to start the construction of UC Merced, there was controversy as to where it would be built. The local politicians and Chancellor of the University did not want to destroy any of the precious land. In the end, the city of Merced decided on a place out in the country, but unfortunately, the deconstruction of the Merced Hills golf course, a popular local spot, had to take place. The construction took place in the South East part of Merced. As you can also see here, the campus is surrounded by dry, desolate land.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Chapter 1: Regions and Themes
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| Photo Courtesy of: http://www.villamarinelifestylescalifornia.com/page/California_Central_Valley_Hotels_Attractions |
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White persons, percent, 2011 (a) | 82.1% | 74.0% |
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Black persons, percent, 2011 (a) | 4.3% | 6.6% |
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American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2011 (a) | 2.4% | 1.7% |
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Asian persons, percent, 2011 (a) | 7.9% | 13.6% |
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Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander persons, percent, 2011 (a) | 0.4% | 0.5% |
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Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2011 | 2.9% | 3.6% |
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Persons of Hispanic or Latino Origin, percent, 2011 (b) | 55.7% | 38.1% |
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White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2011 | 31.3% | 39.7% |
An important theme in Merced is the diversity of cultures and nationalities. According to the United States Census Bureau, Merced County is home to 82.1% White persons, and 55.7% of Hispanic or Lations. Between these two extreme numbers lies many other small numbers of different nationalities.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Welcome!
Merced, CA is home to the newest University of California which had its first graduating class on May 16, 2009. The one and only, first lady, Michelle Obama was the commencement speaker at the ceremony. The university has been accredited for its advanced engineering and biochemistry programs. According to http://www.ucmerced.edu/about-uc-merced as of fall, 2011 UC Merced had 5,200 undergraduate and graduate students. The campus assumes a projected student enrollment of 7,466 by 2015-2016.
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