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| 2007: The year in pictures |
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| Written by Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 02 January 2008 | |
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Patterson Irrigator photographer Elias Funez has documented 2007 through pictures.  Elias Funez I’ll never forget when I was a kid growing up here in Patterson, wandering into the historical Center Building during an Apricot Fiesta and being amazed at all of the old photos in the displays showing the seemingly isolated museum building (then the land purchase office) and the Del Puerto Hotel sitting alone on the radial layout of Patterson, the streets still paved in dirt, with an unobstructed view of the Diablo range rising in the background. I couldn’t believe how far the city had come, and from then on, I always felt the need to document time and place. Photography has come a long way from the turn of the century, when photographers were limited to using a tripod to take a photo that would sometimes take minutes to expose because of slow-acting chemicals. Back then, being a photographer meant you were probably pretty wealthy, considering materials for this relatively new process were expensive. Often, doctors or chemists were the picture-takers, since they already had experience with measuring out certain quantities of substances. So it comes as no surprise that the first photographer in town was T.W. Patterson himself, who photographed the early years of Patterson in 1910 and 1911 with a 4-by-10-inch panoramic view camera, documenting the layout and design of the Patterson Colony. I can only imagine how exciting a time it must have been for all those involved. When it comes to my coverage for the Patterson Irrigator over the past year, the renovation of Patterson Community Stadium sits high on my list of enjoyable assignments. I really wanted to capture every aspect, from the Lions and Gridiron clubs using blow torches to dismantle the old wooden bleachers to Keith Yamamoto and the rest of the 2007 varsity football squad dancing the Tongan cheer in the middle of the football field after their final home win over the Hilmar Yellowjackets. I was glad I got back from my trip to Mexico in time to see the delivery of the green field turf and watch its installation over the course of a couple of weeks. None of it could have been predicted, but the way the stadium and the Cozart family have helped to bring the community together in the process of building a solid football program really is priceless. Many of those same community members came together on a night at Patterson High School that wasn’t so joyous: the night of varsity cheerleader Korre Mitchell’s candlelight vigil. I had taken a few shots of her at softball games catching fly balls in the outfield while wearing those huge white sunglasses, and it was hard to believe that this person so full of life had been taken from us. I kept the camera flash off that night, wanting to be the least intrusive I could be, using only available light from the glowing candles. It’s hard to focus through tears, as many other photographers in this situation have noted, but a photojournalist has a duty to fulfill, and after wiping them, I was glad I could capture some images of those who knew her — smiling, laughing and bringing up the good times they remembered. Narrowing down the images of a full year is a daunting task when you think each one is equally important. Some depict wins and losses, tragedies and triumphs and changing times in this growing small town of ours. Whether you read the Irrigator cover to cover or stumble across an issue in a pile of forgotten papers somewhere, I hope the pictures take you to a certain time or place, as they do for me. 
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