Merced man’s selflessness makes him ‘Father of the Year’
Merced County’s choice for Father of the Year was quick to deflect credit for the award, but maybe that’s what makes him the right choice.
“I think, ‘Whose kid is this?’ because she’s too good for me,” Nelson Ortiz said about his daughter, Eliana. “I can’t help it. She’s just awesome.”
Eliana, 11, wrote an essay that earned her a medal and led to her father getting pegged as the county’s top dad. The Peterson Elementary School student, who will be in sixth grade in the fall, wrote about her dad’s selflessness.
He cuts his elderly neighbor’s lawn, feeds the homeless and is good at making others laugh, she wrote. “My dad is very generous to me and other people,” she said, reciting from her essay.
The annual Merced County Father of the Year Essay contest is in its 14th year. Winners are picked from essays at every grade level in the county. Those winners are interviewed by a panel of past winners, who decide what father or father figure gets the top award, according to Paul Lundberg, the committee’s contest coordinator.
Ortiz, 43, is also a father to Daniel, 11, and stepfather to Michael, 25. The son of fieldworkers, Ortiz said he learned the value of hard work from his 68-year-old mother, Sarah.
His dad wasn’t really around, he said, so he knew he wanted to be there for his little ones. His mom set the example. “My mother was the type of person who would bend over backwards and sacrifice for her kids,” he said. “I wanted (my children) to have two parents and a dad that loves them to death.”
Eliana’s only complaint is that Dad can’t be at every field trip her classes take.
Ortiz said he’s still trying to wrap his head around getting the county’s top dad title. “It’s like, really?” he said. “That happened to me?”
Eliana gave her dad a Father’s Day gift in the form of an essay, so the rest of the sons and daughters in the area will have to come up with another idea.
Thaddeus Miller: 209-385-2453, @thaddeusmiller
If Dad is No. 1 in your book, then the No. 1 thing you can do for Father’s Day is spend time with him.
Here are some ideas:
Kites – OK, this is on Saturday, but it’s still Father’s Day weekend: Pacheco State Park’s annual Kite Day features kite flying, a “make your own kite” activity, face painting and pie-eating and bubble-blowing contests. It’s from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Pacheco State Park, 38787 Dinosaur Point Road, Hollister. $10 park day use fee. (209) 826-1197. Or you could just go fly a kite anywhere there’s a breeze on Sunday.
Museums – There are plenty, near and far. Unfortunately, a lot of them, like the Great Valley Museum and the Oakdale Cowboy Museum, aren’t open Sundays. But for starters, you do have the McHenry Museum in Modesto, Castle Air Museum in Atwater, the Haggin Museum of art in Stockton, the Murphys Old Timers Museum, museums at Columbia State Historic Park and Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, and the Sonora Fire Museum and the Tuolumne County Museum in Sonora.
Picnic – As simple or as fancy as you want to make it. Pack PB&J’s, deli sandwiches, fried chicken (keep it cold) or your lunch of choice, take some lawn-game equipment and head out to a shady spot.
Quilts – Check out the “A Stitch in Time” show at the Gustine Museum. The variety of quilts on the display in the charming museum span more than 125 years and tell stories of the town’s people and the times they lived in.
Sharks – You’re going to need a bigger screen. If you’ve never seen “Jaws” on anything but a TV, here’s your chance. Turner Classic Movies is bringing the greatest of great whites back to theaters for the movie’s 40th anniversary. Shows are June 21 and 24 only, in select theaters. There are screenings in Merced, Manteca and Tracy. Get tickets at www.fathomevents.com/event/jaws.
American Graffiti – Take the Historic Graffiti Cruise Route downtown Modesto walking tour. The loop of G to K and 10th to 11th streets is dotted with sidewalk markers and information kiosks. See www.modestocruiseroute.com.
Gold panning – Try your luck at Matelot Gulch Mining Co.’s Hidden Treasure Gold Mine in Columbia State Historic Park. www.columbiacalifornia.com.
Disc Golf – Gather family and friends to play disc golf at Fahrens Park in Merced. It’s not too strenuous, so neither you nor dad need to be Olympians.
Yosemite – The glorious national park pretty much in our own backyard easily provides a day – a weekend, a week – of outdoor beauty and fun.
The Modesto Bee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 19, 2015 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Merced man’s selflessness makes him ‘Father of the Year’."