Who am I?

By Brent H. Ives

I grew up in Tracy...

My sister Marsha and I both attended New Jerusalem School and Tracy High school. In fact, Both Lynda and I, along with all of our three children also attended Tracy High and then on to college. At Tracy High I was a proud member of the Pride of Tracy marching band and head drummer (no snickers please). We were good, bringing back many statewide awards for both marching and drumming and concert performances. I also worked for the City two summers and was an intern for the Parks and Recreation Maintenance crews (can you say gopher?)

Marsha and I lived along with my mother at the San Joaquin River Club and there I met my wife Lynda. When Lynda and I got married 1975(see photo, very 70's) we moved into town. Lynda worked at the Woolsworth downtown (now Roasted Bean) and the Bank of America and I had taken a job at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (then the Rad Lab).

We had three children over the years, Lyndsy, Kristy and Andrew. They were and in many ways are still a prime focus of our lives, as family should be. My wife Lynda works as a substitute teacher for the school District and is a respected and sought after interim for many teacher within the District. My daughter Lyndsy is a 7th grade core teacher at Williams Middle school her, my daughter Kristy, also a certificated teacher currently taking a break to be mommy. They both married great guys (dad approved prior), Mike Frederick a Tracy Fire Engineer and Geoff Mann an account executive for Dow-Corning. We have four wonderful grandchildren,

Our son Andrew is a junior business major at Sacramento State University. My mother still lives in Tracy and is well known as the best former waitress in town (Harry's Chuckwagon and Tracy Inn) and all around great person. My mother allowed me to be an inquisitive, logical and independent thinker as a young boy.

Our church has been a solid rock for us through the years. Southwinds church (formerly Trinity Baptist) has provided a center of learning and provided teaching in a solid foundation to offer to our family. God has been very very good to the Ives. I serve as an Elder there.

I got involved in Tracy "politics" because I had a passion, like so many others that get involved. My passions were tennis and softball. I wondered too much why we didn't have better fields to play on like other communities. I got involved and one thing led to another. My public service career began shortly thereafter and looks like this:

1975 + petitioned the City Council to open three new public tennis courts (Dr. Powers Park) 1985 + One of seven of Tracy's first Parks and Recreation Commissioners 1990 + Panning Commission 1992 to present + City Council Member

So you can see, we really do have a long history in this town. I have a perspective that really allows me to appreciate our distinct heritage in agriculture and railroad. I have experienced where Tracy has been and I can clearly see where we need to go. Its those traditions and vision that I want to talk about in the next chapter.