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For the past year, I’ve been helping all of us stay abreast of what’s happening in our Valley through the Valley Solutions Newsletter. I depend on it to keep me informed of what’s happening in and around our hometowns. — ADAM GRAY.
About the author: Mike Dunbar, aka MAD, is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker who worked for McClatchy Newspapers in the Valley. Mike also worked for the State Assembly. Reach him at [email protected]
Adam and his niece on election night; it only seems like she will be old enough to vote before the counting is done.
How long should it take?
Fresno Bee / LA Times. Christmas is coming and CA is still counting ballots. Is that a problem?
Synopsis: Columnist Carla Hall doesn’t like how long it takes California to tally up election results, but says she’d rather get it right than get it fast. Her obvious example is CA 13, the last undecided House election in the nation. Adam Gray leads incumbent John Duarte by 143 votes.
MAD Take: Taking a month to count ballots and deliver results is absurd and one of the reasons that voter participation has fallen.
Blue Diamond’s nutty ideas
Modesto Bee. Blue Diamond sales are flat; here are 10 of its ideas for nut snacks, milk and more.
Synopsis: John Holland writes about Blue Diamond’s annual report, which shows income of $1.33 billion. That’s up from $1.32 billion, and the small increase (0.17%) has the co-op worried. It’s not growing fast enough. All this is extremely important in Stanislaus County where Blue Diamond has 1,400 employees in Salida, Modesto and Turlock. The best year for almonds was 2016, when sales totaled $1.67 billion. Among ideas: 1) Selling almonds in mixed nuts; 2) marketing almond milk to Spanish speakers; 3) adding nuts to breakfast cereal; 4) selling honey-roasted, hickory and wasabi nuts in Europe. There are more ideas.
Almonds ready to be swept up and processed.
Western Farm Press. Growers begin vote on Almond Board’s future.
Synopsis: Basically, growers are being asked if they still believe in the organization that has provided almond research and direction for the past 30 years. The Modesto-based organization is funded by a marketing order that assesses 3 cents per pound. No other changes are being proposed.
All that was left standing of the old Merced High School on Monday.
Fire destroys historic school
Merced Sun Star. Fire ravages 19th century high school building in Merced County.
Synopsis: The old Merced County High School building at 2125 M Street was reported to be burning around 6:30 a.m. Monday. Flames could be seen in all its windows and coming from the roof within 15 minutes. What’s left isn’t much. It was originally built in 1897. It has been vacant since the 1970s.
This excavator slipped into the building’s basement.
Merced Golden Wire News. Excavator falls into basement.
Synopsis: An excavator sent to knock down the burned walls of the old Merced County High School fell about halfway into the basement. Crews are on scene to extract the excavator.
State signals a dry year
Maven / DWR. DWR announces initial State Water Project allocation for 2025 at 5%.
Synopsis: The state’s biggest project carries water to 27 million people, from urbanites to farmers. This year they can expect extreme cutbacks if this number holds – though it won’t. The initial allocation Is based on current storage. Last year’s initial allocation is only 10%. As storms arrive, the number will rise.
MAD Take: The initial allocation is considered an indicator of expectations. So, a low initial allocation means the state is pessimistic. Or it’s got other priorities.
Lake Oroville added 17 feet in 11 days from Nov. 19-30.
Newsweek. CA’s second-largest reservoir sees sudden change in water level.
Synopsis: On balance, Lake Oroville rose 18 feet in November. But in one 11-day stretch it was filling fast, rising from an elevation of 754.8 feet on Nov. 19 to 781.2 feet on Nov. 30. That’s a lot of water.
MAD Take: Huh. The lake rises 17 feet in 11 days and we’re still seeing the initial allocation cut in half.
Stanislaus gets its own ‘Homeboy’
Modesto Bee. Stanislaus County’s Homeboy-inspired program has plans for ‘second chance’ center.
Synopsis: Legacy Alliance Outreach of Modesto unveiled its program for those released from prison at a Nov. 23 event highlighted by Fr. Greg Boyle, the founder of Homeboy in LA. He asked, “What if we were to stand with people rather than futilely trying to incarcerate our way out of everything?” Ann Endsley hosted the event at Greens and employs some of the LAOM workers in her restaurant. Plans call for a building with room for classes, a gym, barber shop, training facilities, classrooms and more. Terry Withrow is pushing for the program, as he always has.
Atwater getting new top cop
Merced County Times. Atwater announces expected police chief appointment.
Synopsis: Richard McEachin is expected to be hired at the Dec. 19 meeting as the city’s next police chief. He arrives from Clayton and prior to that Dos Palos.
Walnut market improving? Maybe
CA Ag Net. Postharvest State of the CA Walnut Industry highlights improving markets.
Synopsis: Podcast in which CA Walnut Board CEO Robert Verloop is interviewed by Matthew Malcolm. Verloop says the USDA estimate was 670 million tons, but it will be less. However, nut quality is “phenomenal.” Most handlers have already sold 50% of their nuts. Prices are “well above break even for most growers.”
Council turmoil coming to end?
Westside Express. Two years of ‘turmoil’ on Los Banos city council coming to an end.
Synopsis: With two council members recalled and one emphatically voted out of office, the five-member council will have three “new” members – including Mike Amabile, who returns after having served 6 terms as mayor. Story describes outgoing mayor Paul Llanez’s last meeting as tumultuous. The first order of business when the new council convenes this week will be to appoint replacements for Doug Begonia Jr. and Brett Jones, who were recalled.
Raw milk producer quarantined
Fresno Bee. Raw milk producer in Central Valley latest to halt sales due to bird flu outbreak.
Synopsis: Raw Farm has found bird flu among its cows, which makes sense since the virus has also been found in its milk. The farm is now under quarantine, and none of its unpasteurized products can be sold. All this came to light after Santa Clara County tested products in stores there and found the virus in two bottles of Raw Milk. Strangely, since the outbreak began, Raw Milk’s sales have been breaking records.