Valley Headline

Water challenges in Madera

Ag Net West. Madera County water challenge explained by Matt Angell.
Synopsis: Madera County farmer and pump-company owner Matt Angell spoke with interviewer Nick Papagni about water in Madera County. Angell says water management in the state is “disjointed,” pointing to 12 groundwater sustainability agencies in Madera County alone. He also pointed to expansion of almonds into “marginal lands,” requiring more pumping, for contributing to a water shortage. He says Madera’s water table has dropped a “startling” 140 feet in 9 years. No one likes the thought of metering, but you can’t solve problems that you don’t measure. An interesting observation: Consumers generally eat all the almonds they buy, a fact that should be taken into consideration when discussing water coefficients.

Field for governor shrinks

LA Times. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis drops out of governor’s race, pivots to treasure.
Synopsis: Eleni Kounalakis, one of the few candidates for governor who was raised in the Valley, has decided to concentrate on the state’s financial future and will run for treasurer instead of governor. The lieutenant governor has been a major player in Democratic politics, but usually in the background. There are three other candidates for treasurer – including Anna Caballero of Merced, who is termed out of the state senate after this year. Politico called Kounalakis’ departure “entirely a surprise.”

Supervisors get 11% raise

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus County supervisors approve pay raise giving them 11% increase. 
Synopsis: The pay bump supervisors voted for themselves matches the raise being given to managerial employees; it was confirmed at the same time as approval of raises for 590 county employees not represented by unions. The vote was 4-1 as Channce Condit voted no, saying such a raise widens the gap between top management and front-line employees. Supervisors will be paid $116,150 and get additional 3% bumps in 206 and 2027. The board chair will be paid $130,000. Supervisors say their salaries are 20% lower than those of other supervisors in 8 other Valley counties – some with smaller populations. Supervisor Mani Grewal says he will donate his increase to charity.

More food trucks; fewer carts?

Merced County Times. Local vendors poised for opening of food truck plaza in downtown Merced.
Synopsis: The corner of MLK and 16^th streets is the future home of “Downtown Grubs” – a half-acre plaza designed for food trucks at one of the city’s busiest intersections. The driving force is Koi “The Egg Roll Lady” Saechao. The corner has been vacant since 2018. Property manager Ernie Ochoa said the plaza will be open from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. and has room for 10 trucks, offering coffee, fruit drinks, egg rolls and much more. Another plaza with 7 trucks just opened at 1997 W. Olive, offering food ranging from barbecue to ice cream.

Merced Sun Star. Merced considers regulating street food vendors, citing health, safety concerns.
Synopsis: Improperly stored meats and poor sanitation are routine findings when inspectors visit pop-up vendors and food carts in Merced. City staff is crafting an ordinance to regulate roaming and stationary vendors taking into consideration health, safety, economic fairness and pedestrian access. “I’m down for a good street taco, like everybody else,” said police chief Steven Stanfield, “But I just want to know that what I’m eating is not going to make me sick.” Adds Mayor Matt Serratto: “We have some serious concerns … to establish fairness between the street vendors” and more established trucks and restaurants. Ashley Marie Suarez asked the city to be careful about targeting “certain communities” with requirements for permits, insurance and “all of the check boxes that you have to tick off.”

Speaking of food options …

Modesto Bee. Ceres family opens city’s only bookstore, with sandwich shop coming soon.
Synopsis: Brandy Meyer had been thinking about opening a bookstore for a decade; now it’s a reality. She and husband Keith have opened BK Bookstore & More, next door to Lil Papa’s Sandwiches – which Keith runs. The B is for Brandy, but the K is for daughter Kendall. “We’re the bookstore, and Keith is the food.”

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus County will get first Dave’s Hot Chicken.
Synopsis: The Nashville-style restaurant will sell spicy chicken at 2741 Countryside Drive in Turlock, the company’s first venture into the Northern San Joaquin Valley. For those who want “not chicken” try fried cauliflower or the loaded fries.

Modesto Bee. Two locations of popular Stanislaus County pizza chain cited for ‘major’ violations.
Synopsis: The Stanislaus Dept of Environmental Resources issued violation notices to two Mountain Mike’s pizza restaurants, the most significant violation being for a refrigerator that wasn’t cold enough.

Preserving signs of the past

Merced Sun Star. Neon sign preserved as Merced Mall rebrands: ‘A special place in our lives.’
Synopsis: The sign that once adorned the front door of the Merced Mall is now sitting in the Courthouse Museum as the mall’s developers are opting for a modern approach. Museum staffers Russell Smith and William S. George saw the same Facebook post as the sign was coming down and both rushed to the mall to see if they could have the sign. The mall’s owners were happy to have them take it away. The sign is already attracting visitors downtown.

Patterson Irrigator. Barnstormers find new home.
Synopsis: The Patterson Township Historical Society Barnstormers have found a new home for their collection of tractors and farm implements, moving from River Road to 151 Pomelo off Hwy 33. The site itself is historically significant as the Potter dry yard, where apricots and other fruits were dried before shipping to market. The society will have its annual fundraiser Sept. 13.

Almonds, water and the future

Ag Net West. Minturn Nut’s Darren Rigg talks almond industry.
Synopsis: Almond Board rep Darren Rigg of Le Grand talks about last year’s highest prices and this year’s drop after the USDA objective estimate of 3 billion pounds released last month. Rigg noted that while the estimate spooked the market, it also triggered renewed buying interest at the lower price levels. The season’s outlook will depend heavily on actual harvest yields and global demand trends. He also talked about water, exports and tariffs, logistical challenges and the long-term outlook for farming.

Fires are spreading

Accuweather. Rapidly spreading Canyon Fire joins CA’s escalating wildfire crisis.
Synopsis: Wildfire is intensifying and coming earlier creating a “megafire territory” stretching from CA to the Rocky Mountains. The two fires raging in the state now are examples. The Canyon Fire has displaced 4,200 residents with another 12,000 living under warnings near Castaic. There are 14 other active fires in CA, including the Gifford Fire which has burned 100,000 acres in and around the Los Padres National Forest with only 15% containment.

PHS will teach barbering

Patterson Irrigator. Patterson High to unveil barbering & cosmetology building. 
Synopsis: Synopsis: There will be an open house and ribbon-cutting Saturday at 9 am as the Patterson High Career Technical Ed program opens a new building dedicated to looking better. It is expected that students who finish courses in barbering and cosmetology will be ready for the CA State Licensing exams.

There’s a new judge in Merced

Merced County Times. Superior court welcomes Albertoni Sausser to bench.
Synopsis: Judge Ashley Albertoni Sausser was sworn in on Aug. 1. She was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the vacancy left by Judge Shelly Seymour’s retirement. Her background is in family law and criminal defense, and she served as the Merced County Bar’s president. She also lectures at Stanislaus State. The Oakdale native got her law degree from the Drivon School of Law in Stockton.

At least 60 cats recovering

ABC30. Dozens of cats found in U-Haul in Merced County continue to recover.
Synopsis: More than 100 cats were left in a truck parked in Santa Nella without water or AC during a hot day last month until they were rescued by law enforcement. Dozens of cats died, but most of the others are recovering at the county animal shelter. “What really broke my heart was opening the back of the (truck),” said Officer Kalen Rafferty. More than 60 cats are recovering. When ready for adoptions, the shelter will move quickly to facilitate those interested.

New water polo coaches

Merced County Times. Merced native Ellett to lead UC Merced men’s water polo.
Synopsis: Hannah Ellet, who once coached the El Capitan varsity aquatics teams to several league titles, is taking over the UC Merced men’s program. She had been an assistant on both the men’s and women’s teams and has served as interim head coach since May 1.

Merced County Times. Connell named head coach of UCM women’s water polo.
Synopsis: Britt Connell will take over the women’s water polo program, moving from powerhouse Brown University to Merced. In 2023, with Connell as an assistant coach, Brown won a record 26 games. She has also worked in USA Water Polo’s Olympic development program.

Can we still tell the truth?

Fresno Bee. Can truth persist despite the Trump administration’s lies and deception?
Synopsis: Fresno State ethics professor Andrew Fiala makes an important point: “It isn’t easy to cling to the truth in a world where truth is assaulted and expertise is devalued. In this idiotic environment, bad news is dismissed as fake news and scientific reason is denigrated as ideological.” It’s easy to ignore scandals such as the Epstein files and what appear to be bribes, because “the Trumpian firehose of gibberish is constantly gushing.” Resistance to lies is necessary but it isn’t easy, he writes.