OUR UPCOMING EVENTS

PREVIOUS EVENTS

     SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: LUCILLE

By: Mariah Ring

    In the two years since Lucille opened its doors, it has become a staple in downtown Modesto. A spot for regulars and newcomers alike, the establishment has worked its way into the hearts and stomachs of the city. Co-owners and spouses, Marissa and Wyatt Smith, met while working in the restaurant industry and joked about one day opening their own brick-and-mortar location. With that dream in mind and a lot of hard work, they were able to open Lucille in 2023 and have no plans of slowing down. 

    After the hardships placed on the restaurant industry in 2020, Marissa knew that the duo would have to get creative to continue working in a field they loved if they were going to have something of their own. As a certified sommelier, Marissa began an online wine club called Scout Wines, where she curated wine for customers from local, family-owned vineyards. Scout Wines found their niche supplying organic, hand harvested grape wine to the people of Modesto and has continued to do so under their new name, Bestie Club and Bottle. The wine club continues to operate online and now in person at Lucille, offering a selection of bottles and wine by the glass. 

     Though Lucille’s current space is smaller than Marissa and Wyatt originally imagined for themselves, it has become a defining feature. The intimate feel of the restaurant lends itself to a more cozy, homey feeling where guests are always greeted and wished the best on their way out. They make an effort to not only build relationships with patrons, but also the community as a whole, wanting to pour into the town that helped bring their vision to life. “Modesto deserves heartfelt, intentional places of business,” Marissa stated when explaining why she and Wyatt opened Lucille in Downtown Modesto. They want the restaurant to be an amenity to the city they live in and to pour into it for future generations. 

     Lucille provides downtown Modesto with a taste of home, providing delicious scratch-made dishes prepared with local ingredients. Named after Wyatt’s grandmother, Ruby Lucille Toews who was a matriarch and entrepreneur, Lucille aims to provide the best that they can offer while staying true to their roots. It is important for Marissa and Wyatt to honor those that came before them and leave something special for generations that come after, including their daughter. The intention behind Lucille is evident in their motto, “For the common good.” This applies to everything surrounding the business and starts in the restaurant, where no lazy short cuts are taken. Lucille has forged a space where meaningful exchanges can take place and the community is celebrated for all it has to offer.

    Many people first become acquainted with Lucille through their beverages, although it was never meant to be a cafe. With fresh espresso based beverages, delicious matcha, and unique pink chai, it is easy to see why people in the area are drawn to their drinks, which are a perfect match for their freshly baked pastries. Breakfast is served all day (thank goodness) and features dishes like Fancy Toast, Benny on a Bun, and H Street Block (a French toast casserole). Lunch starts everyday at 11 A.M. and includes signature salads, bowls, and sandwiches, which are all made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and no seed oils.

    Going forward, Lucille will continue to provide the best service and ingredients possible. Marissa states that there are no plans to expand Lucille, as its small-scale lends itself to its concept of being an extension of home. Marissa and Wyatt do however have plans to open another restaurant, similarly named after a family matriarch. Their future restaurant will be centered around a different concept but of course, like Lucille, still be “for the common good.”

ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT: TULEBURG PRESS

By: Mariah Ring

    Founded in 2013, Tuleburg Press aims to spread literacy and admiration of book arts in Stockton “by identifying, publishing, and/or mentoring emerging, talented, local writers, especially those who write about life in the Central Valley.” In efforts to amplify marginalized voices, the organization focuses on highlighting writers from Stockton and surrounding areas to truly represent local talent. Through their yearly publications, scholarships, workshops, field trips, and writing center (The Write Place), Tuleburg Press is able to "cultivate a community where diverse voices flourish, enriching [the] cultural narrative,” and empower individuals through reading, writing, and publishing.

      Every year, Tuleburg Press is able to showcase a piece of literature that reflects the population and/ or hardships of Stockton residents. Between September and November, local writers can submit manuscripts to the press, in hopes of having their work published during the upcoming year. Tuleburg is able to provide the author with editing, feedback, and recommendations to produce the best piece of literature possible at no cost to them. The press then assists the author with cover design, marketing, and publicity efforts. Currently, they are able to offer this opportunity to one writer each year but hope to expand services in the future. In addition to Tuleburg Press’s publishing capabilities, the organization also operates a books art and creative center aptly named The Write Place. Workshops, community events, lessons, and presentations related to books and the creation of them, such as paper making, letter pressing, book binding, and cover design are hosted monthly. Additional workshops hosted include zine making, junk journaling, creative writing, storytelling, letter writing, and much more. The Write Place collaborates with other organizations and creatives to host workshops, and provides scholarships to those in need, removing traditional economic barriers to their services. 

    In continued efforts to bridge the gap in literacy education for Stockton natives, Tuleburg Press awards two writers each year with the scholarship of a lifetime. These Sligo Scholars are given the opportunity to attend a summer session at Yeats International Summer School in Sligo, Ireland. While abroad, students join a global cohort to learn more about poetry, music, traditional art, and culture. By providing diverse access points to education, Tuleburg Press hopes to increase literacy and bring the knowledge of the Yeats school back to Stockton. Applicants must be Stockton natives, over the age of twenty-one, and provide a statement of purpose explaining what impact they believe this opportunity will have.

      As the year progresses, Tuleburg Press hopes to continue spreading positive messages and sentiments about Stockton, a city whose artistic capabilities are often overlooked. Their goal is to keep growing and expanding the services offered by both the press and The Write Place, to expose individuals to literature, book arts, and help find their voices. They are currently accepting submissions for a poetry anthology centered around the labor force in the Central Valley. Poetry that “explores the lives of workers, the dignity of work, and the human stories behind the labor we often take for granted,” is encouraged to be submitted by the March 31st deadline and all guidelines can be found on their website, linked below.

CREATIVE NATIVE Q & A: JAZMARIE LATOUR

Q: What is your name and hometown?

A: My name is Jazmarie LaTour but you can call me Jazzy. I’m from Stockton, CA born and raised.

Q:How were you first introduced to poetry/ spoken word?

A: I was first introduced to spoken word poetry in high school. I saw a classmate share an original poem at a school assembly and was completely inspired. As a child, I also remember reading some of my mom’s poems - she wouldn’t consider herself a poet, but I do.

Q: Is creating your full time career? If not, is that your goal?

A: I WISH! No it’s not, I do spend a good amount of my free time writing, performing, and advocating for the arts but I also work a full-time job (that I love) as a program director at Little Manila Rising. My future goal is to build up my community based organization, InnerG, that I co founded in 2017. I believe in that capacity, I can work to inspire new voices while continuing to work on my own craft. I host a monthly open mic with InnerG (4 current members), we’ve been creating these art spaces for 7 years and counting.

Q: Where do you find inspiration? Are there artists/ poets that inspire you?

A:  I feel most inspired by living my life, as cheesy as it may sound, there’s inspiration all around me. As a poet, it’s important to me that I write about the current state of the world, my community, my own experiences, and how I relate to them. I’m inspired by great artists who are authentic in their truth and have the courage to share it. Some of my favorite poets are Ariana Brown, Joshua Bennett... Honestly the list is long so I’ll leave it with those two for now.

Q: Do you have advice for youth that are interested in pursuing a career in the arts but may be anxious to start?

A: Go to a few open mics, immerse yourself in the arts community, share some of your work. There’s truly nothing to lose but your fear. Don’t take yourself so seriously, I started off thinking everything I wrote and shared on a stage needed to be perfect- it truly doesn’t, it just needs to be honest. Come find me at an open mic, and I’ll give you a pep talk.

Q: What do you believe is the most prominent or most recurring theme in your prose? What does this theme mean to you?

A: The themes in my work change often, for a while I had a running theme of nature-inspired poetry. This theme prompted my e-book Nature of Her. Then I started writing about the theme of “home” and what that means to me. I still live in that theme from time to time. My current theme is advocacy, using poetry as a tool to dismantle my own imposter syndrome when talking about the issues close to my heart. There’s so much going on in the world, and sometimes poetry is the only way I can describe how I feel about it. I think this theme has also been nurtured by my position as Poet Laureate of Stockon, it helps me to think about local issues and implications they have on my immediate community.

Q: Where can people go to read or hear your work?

A: The e-book I mentioned can be found on my website Natureofher.com, or you can follow me on instagram @elderjazz where I try to post any upcoming performances. I also have a TEDx talk on

youtube called “Jazmarie LaTour: The Healing Power of Poetry,” where I talk about how poetry has saved my life.

Q: Do you have any community events or collaborations coming up that you would like to promote?

A: I’m hosting 4 writing workshops between March-April, at a few local libraries, a poetry reading, open mics, and a few performances that are set so far. I get asked to perform often. I’ve done 89 performances/poetry activities since being voted in back in October

2023. To find fliers for upcoming events, instagram is the best way to stay up to date (linked below).

COMMUNITY EVENTS & RESOURCES