Valley Headlines

Digesters to the rescue!

Farms.com.  Congressional briefing promotes dairy digesters to curb methane emissions.
Synopsis: Atmospheric methane levels have jumped 30% in the past 180 years, and the best way to reduce their impacts is to install more anerobic digesters. That’s what experts told members of Congress last week. A senior advisor for the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate told the audience that the single fastest way to slow warming is to install more anerobic digesters. Among those applauding such a plan is Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno. Cows are responsible for 70% of ag methane emissions, and the digesters are extremely effective at vastly reducing methane.
MAD Take: Thursday night, Costa told a crowd of about 900 in Merced County that “I need Adam Gray in Congress” to help pass legislation that will help find affordable and effective solutions for warming.

Gray supports Black residents

Merced County Times. Support Gray with the Black vote.
Synopsis: Antoinne Hubbard Sr. calls Adam Gray “one of the most consistent, non-biased and diversified political leaders in the past 10 years while addressing concerns that affect people of color.” Especially important was Gray’s leadership in having the new Merced County Courthouse named for Merced-native Charles Ogletree Jr., who defended Anita Hill, brought national attention to the injustices of the Tulsa Massacre and mentored students such as Barack Obama at Harvard Law School. “Let’s elect Adam Gray for Congress,” writes Hubbard.

Duarte’s fines and bad plans

LA Times. Nursery owned by Central Valley congressman has history of safety violations.
Synopsis: Duarte Nursery has been cited 8 times and fined $22,220 for safety violations over the last decade. An employee died of a heart attack at the nursery in 2013. In 2019, nine workers were sickened while working inside a hot greenhouse filled with airborne contaminants. And there were nearly 50 workers’ comp claims filed for 150 injuries during the time when John was the nursery’s president. In his defense, Duarte says his nursery has an injury rate lower than the industry standard. The story says “the nursey is famous for its grapevines and root stock of almonds, walnut and pistachio, which are sold to farmers…”
MAD Note: The story details violations but makes no mention of the judgment against Duarte Nursery for the hundreds of thousands of defective pistachio trees he sold to Valley farmers.

Merced County Times. Duarte crafts bill for immigration reform, border security.
Synopsis: John Duarte, a member of the most ineffective Congress in the past 120 years, says he has a plan to fix immigration. In a last-second bid for attention before the election, he will stage a press conference in Livingston on Monday to talk about a plan he had two years to introduce but didn’t. Duarte says it’s all about ensuring those protected by DACA will be able to stay in America and making sure he can find enough employees for his nursery.
MAD Take: How, exactly, would Duarte get any bill protecting immigrants through a rabidly anti-immigrant Congress? And why would Duarte’s choice for president – the guy whose entire campaign has been based on demonizing immigrants as rapists, murderers and pet-eaters -- sign such a bill? The first people Trump will go after, if given the chance, will be the DACA students; he will know where they live.  

Modern Farmer. Prop 12 was landmark animal rights law; repealing it could hurt farmers.
Synopsis: This story focuses on the growing number of small farms in the Midwest that have changed how they raise pigs to meet standards required by CA’s Prop 12. The 12 farms in this story spent about $1 million each to comply with Prop 12, which requires giving pigs 24 square feet in which to move. “We’re not animal activists, we’re just farmers,” says one. Meanwhile, major pork producers like Beijing-based Smithfield Foods fights to kill California’s Prop 12 by getting the EATS Act inserted into the Farm Bill. It would make it illegal for voters in specific states to impose standards on food production.
MAD Note: Not mentioned in the story is that John Duarte is among the 37 co-sponsors of the EATS Act, which, if passed would take away California voters’ freedom to choose. It would also mean the millions invested by those small farmers would be lost. Doesn’t Duarte say he’s a friend to farmers?

Change needed in Los Banos

Merced County Times. Los Banos city council can use some positive change.
Synopsis: Former Merced County Supervisor Anthony Whitehurst writes that Los Banos is facing a “critical and historic choice.” He urges them to vote “yes” on the recall of city councilmembers Brett Jones and Doug Begonia Jr. The two voted in favor of the $1.8 million payoff to the city manager. “Many in the city view this decision as a grave mistake which might seriously jeopardize the safety of both citizens and first responders,” writes Whitehurst. Also, “we are entitled to a thorough investigation of the legal and financial actions that brought us to this point.”
MAD Note: Well said.

Vote counting explained

Merced Sun Star. More than 16,000 ballots received by Merced County ahead of Nov. 5 election.
Synopsis: Andy Kuhn reports on the voting that has taken place so far and how it will proceed. As of Oct. 24, there were 16,000+ turned in. Those ballots have been opened, verified and are ready for counting. Registrar Melvin Levey explains that results will be posted at 8:15 and 10 p.m. on Nov. 5 with no additional information until Friday.  Results won’t be final until after Dec. 3, the last day voters can “cure” defective ballots.

Festivals coming and going

Fresno Bee. Filipino fest to be held in Fresno, celebrating unsung community’s contributions.
Synopsis: Fil Fiesta 559 is Saturday at Fresno City College. Expect music, dancing, lots of spicy food and workshops. Don’t miss Filharmonic -- a boy band that doesn’t need instruments. Expect to learn about Larry Itliong, Jalen Green and the belief that Filipinos reached North America (Morro Bay) before the Pilgrims.

Merced County Times. Thousands gather at Castle Airport for first-ever AirFest.
Synopsis: With a dozen photos, the Times tells the story of AirFest and the adjacent Bombs Away Car Show last weekend. Visitors talked to 30 vendors and viewed all kinds of aircraft, including a P51 Mustang flown into Castle just for the event. There were vintage cars, too.

Merced County Times. Annual ‘Elks Day’ showcases San Luis Wildlife Refuge.
Synopsis: The Elks Day was Oct. 12 and featured tours of the refuge on hay wagons and exhibits on elk, archery and duck stamps. Some great photos.

Key to education: Teachers

Westside Connect. Gustine, Orestimba HS collaborate to expand child development, health pathways.
Synopsis: These two nearby schools are in different districts and even different counties, but they allow students to go from campus to campus based on their interests in either healthcare careers or childhood development. So far, there are 13 students from Gustine and 12 from Orestimba taking part. They earn college credits transferrable to a JC or CSU program. Both schools had programs up and running, but now students will be able to participate across bureaucratic boundaries. Ashley Ramirez and Daisy Zagazeta connected the two programs. Parents like the idea. A grant helped fund their collaboration.

Westside Express. Building basketball legacy: Peter Gonzalez inspires Romero Elementary students.
Synopsis: A teacher in Santa Nella realized there were no after-school programs for his students, so Pete Gonzales took action. Principal Nic Freitas was all-in, so the schools launched the after-school basketball program. As Gonzalez put it: “Health is wealth. Getting kids away from screens to exercise strengthens both their bodies and minds.” To help cover costs of a fieldtrip to Stanford, he’s organizing a fajita dinner at Mission de Oro. Tickets are already sold out.
MAD Take: Two interesting stories from reporter Zachary Ramos. There’s another connection: Both of these two excellent ideas were initiated by dedicated teachers who saw the need and took the lead.

Are you counting fish or eggs?

Daily Kos. Fall Chinook salmon returns to date are shockingly low on upper Sacramento River.
Synopsis: Dan “Fish Sniffer” Bacher says only 1.5 million salmon eggs have been harvested at the Colemand National Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek near Redding. Normally, the nursery expects to have about 6 million eggs by this time.
MAD Take. Something is, uh, fishy here. As Bacher starts counting eggs collected in the Battle Creek hatchery, the staff on the Mokelumne River is counting actual fish. As of Wednesday, 3,824 had come up the river to spawn. That’s a record pace. Bacher has always acted as a mouthpiece for the Golden State Salmon Fisher/Killer Association, who have a vested interest in painting conditions as dire. Bacher even trots out the fiction that California’s commercial salmon “industry” is worth $1 billion annually.

It’s bloody tea time

Modesto Bee. What’s the tea? Meet the influencer making blends with a dark, mysterious twist.
Synopsis: Reporter Maria Figueroa writes about Modesto influencer Joseph Zuzula (aka, Hyde), who says he has 500,000 followers across several platforms. He works with a company in Pennsylvania to create blends like BloodThirsTea (get it?) He has 4 forms of blood-thirsty, including Dark Spell and Earl Graveyard. Most customers get his products online, but he also sells at the Spirit Halloween Store.