Valley Headlines

Resumed ICE raids anger ag

GV Wire. ‘Who’s running the White House?’ Trump brings back ICE raids on farms, restaurants. 
Synopsis: The abrupt “flip flop” on rounding up undocumented workers and deporting them without notice or due process has resumed, frightening thousands of immigrants across the South and West. Manuel Cunha of the Nisei Farmers League said workers and farmers “don’t know what to believe anymore. They are so scared.” ICE is trying to reach a quota of 3,000 arrests per day set by White House adviser Stephen Miller. The White House pretends that most of those apprehended are “violent criminals,” but the overwhelming majority have committed no crimes. “What happens to the fruits and vegetables,” asked Cunha. “Even worse, what happens to those workers because they aren’t gonna have any income. How do they survive to keep their families alive? Is the intention to starve them so they have to leave?”

Ag Daily. Trump administration reverses ICE farm raid pause.
Synopsis: The Dept of Homeland Security’s about-face came just four days after President Trump expressed sympathy for growers and those in the hospitality industry who rely on immigrant labor. This is causing chaos in places where crops are being harvested. Said Emerald Packaging CEO Kevin Kelly, “We should be handing them gold stars, not throwing them out of the country.”

Ag Alert. Ventura County raids alarm CA farm community.
Synopsis: Immigration raids in fields on the Oxnard Plain last week alarmed and angered growers who need workers to finish the harvest. Now those raids have resumed, and workers are responding by staying home. On Monday, a farmer who was expecting 300 workers got 180 impacting all operations. One strawberry grower said there were “roving convoys” of Border Patrol vehicles driving among fields. Another posted a video showing workers being chased on foot. CA law prohibits employers from allowing immigration agents onto private worksites without judicial warrants. Wrote Caleb Hampton, “Prevailing sentiments among farmers … were ‘heartbreak and disappointment,’ but also pride at how their employees handled the event.”

Morning Ag Clips. Farm Bureau statement on immigration enforcement on farms.
Synopsis: American Farm Bureau Federation leader Zippy Duvall is admonishing President Trump for backtracking on his promise not to target farmworkers. “Farmers cannot care for crops and animals without the contributions of the men and women willing to do the hard work,” he wrote. “Current agriculture workforce programs are broken. … They’ve become so expensive they are out of reach for many farmers.” He urged Congress to “prioritize fixing the farm labor crisis.”
MAD Take: Congress tried to fix it two years ago, but candidate Trump ordered his followers in Congress to torpedo what was truly a bipartisan bill so he’d have a campaign issue. It’s not Congress who is ordering agents into the fields and processing facilities, it’s the president. It’s up to the president to fix it.

McClatchy Newspapers. Trump’s flip-flops over ag workers are a new threat for CA farmers.
Synopsis: The combined editorial boards of McClatchy’s CA newspapers – Sacramento, Fresno and San Luis Obispo – write that “for a brief moment, President Donald Trump seemed to get it.” Unfortunately, that moment has ended. ICE agents returned to the fields and packing houses. The president of the CA Fresh Fruit Assn said “CA is entering into its busiest harvest season and policies from the federal government continue to change, which has caused concern amongst farmers and even more so, their employees. Uncertainty is never good for business.” To solve the problem, Trump “must champion the Farmworker Modernization Act and encourage Congress to pass it.”

Raids, tariffs hurting CA

LA Times. CA’s economy will contract due to immigration raids and tariffs, UCLA predicts.
Synopsis: Between the trade war and immigration raids, UCLA’s Anderson Forecast is predicting CA’s economy will grow more slowly due to “decision paralysis.” With so much turmoil, consumers will put off moving to a new home, buying a new bicycle or starting a business. Especially hard hit will be four sectors: food-processing, agriculture, healthcare and construction. It’s a double whammy for construction, because tariffs on basic materials increase costs and immigration enforcement scares away workers, meaning a lot of projects simply won’t pencil. Unemployment is predicted to rise to 5.8% even as builders and farmers will be unable to find workers.

Dire issues: Fees, water, labor

Ag Alert. Agriculture is at a critical juncture, farm leaders warn. 
Synopsis: The Farm Bureau’s Shannon Douglass, the Almond Alliance’s Alexi Rodriguez and Western Growers’ Dave Puglia sat on a panel during the Agri-Pulse Food & Ag Summit in Sacramento last week. They talked about farm consolidation, exports, higher labor costs, misinformation found in the Make America Healthy Again report and the costs of regulatory compliance. That last one is especially galling. Twenty years ago, CA had the nation’s highest per-acre regulatory fees on farming at around $900. Now, those fees are at least $1,600 and rising every year. Comparable fees in Texas are from $400 to $500.

A plan to make water reliable

Turlock Journal. Congressman Gray introduces Valley Water Protection Act. 
Synopsis: Reps. Adam Gray and Jim Costa have introduced the Valley Water Protection Act which will set aside enforcement of the Endangered Species Act if that threatens national security or causes regional economic harm. “By introducing the Valley Water Protection Act, I’m sending those who would dry out the Valley a clear message: The tap is turned off,” said Gray. The legislation would also focus on making water deliveries more reliable through projects such as Del Puerto Canyon reservoir. Modesto Irrigation District GM Jim Netniss said the “Endangered Species Act is long overdue for an overhaul, and we applaud Rep. Gray for introducing this bill.”

Boiling water in Hickman

CBS13. Stanislaus County city of Hickman working to address months-long water issue.
Synopsis: Residents in Hickman are being told to boil water. Hickman is served by Waterford, across the Tuolumne River. The city’s oldest well collapsed into the system, leaving water discolored. “It looks like sewage, like urine,” said resident Heaven Jobe. The city has hired American Pipeline Solutions to scour pipes with a semi-frozen slurry. It requires the system to be shut down from 8 am to 2 pm each day, leaving Hickman School without water. Superintendent Trish Anderson says she got less than 12 hours notice. “We’ve been replacing our filters monthly and buying bottled water. I’m done being patient.”

‘Don’t shut off their water’

Fox40. Fire district asks water agency to not shut off Diablo Grande water. 
Synopsis: The West Stanislaus Fire Protection District requested that Kern County Water Agency not shut off the water to the 600 homes built in a canyon west of Patterson. Chief Jeff Frye told the agency that water for fire protection is stored in a 1MG gravity-fed tank. If that water is not replaced, the district can’t fight fires. “A fire would start burning and develop in size and intensity and spread prior to our resources being able to get on scene,” he wrote. Diablo Grande has one volunteer firefighter in the community.

‘Give back Gallo’s money!’

Modesto Bee. Senators defend green energy grant for Modesto’s Gallo Glass.
Synopsis: Adam Schiff sent a letter to the Dept of Energy on Tuesday decrying the department’s decision to cancel a $75 million grant that would have made glass making 70% more energy efficient. Schiff’s letter questions the legality of clawing back funds already accounted for in previous budgets. Alex Padilla signed the letter, which also addressed projects in LA and Sutter County.

Cities face tough budgets

Fresnoland. 7 things you should know about Fresno mayor’s budget proposal.
Synopsis: Jerry Dyer presented a 466-page, $2.36 billion budget for the city of 550,000. The most salient points include: 1) Without federal funds for affordable housing, there won’t be much. The $32 million senior center will be built, but that might be it. 2) Sales taxes are declining for the first time in a decade. 4) No cuts to police staffing, but a little less in funding. 6) A $100 million bond will help public works keep up on road repairs in the “pave now, pay later” program.

Merced Sun Star. Merced city council approves budget, reducing city’s reserves.
Synopsis: The Merced city council approved a $440 million budget that saves $1.5 million but still dips into reserves to help cover a $490,000 deficit. The city will cut 3 employees (to 561) and make some cuts to recreation. But a $1.5 million HUD grant will fund upgrades at Joe Herb Park and help fund the Dr. Jennifer Jones Foundation, Harvest Time and Project Sentinel. There will also be some reduced landscaping frequency.

‘No Kings’ exceeds expectations

Turlock Journal. Turlockers take part in protests against ICE, Trump.
Synopsis: “Hundreds of protesters” took part in the “No Kings” rally in Turlock on Saturday, joining protesters in Modesto, Patterson, Merced, Los Banos and other Valley cities. “Turnout surpassed all our expectations,” said organizer Daniel Miller. Previous anti-Trump protests at Monte Vista and Countryside have drawn 60 to 80 people, but this one had several hundred. Among those quoted were Tom and Susan Baldwin, who said they were tired of just sitting and watching the news, deciding now was the time for “standing up and being strong.” Levi Semore said it was her first protest, and she was glad to “get more involved.” Police chief Jason Hedden said his office got one call for service during the event, though he had additional officers on hand just in case. As in other communities, sarcastic-but-clever signs caught a lot of attention.

Food-truck hub in Merced

Merced Sun Star. Merced’s new food truck park to offer affordable eats, community vibes.
Synopsis: The 1.7-acre Valley Eats site will open at 1997 W. Olive in July, say owners Sunee Dola and Goldy Aulakh. They have space for 7 trucks, from tacos to BBQ to ice cream. There will be picnic tables, benches and chairs for those who want to eat nearby.

LA loves its Lucas museum

LA Times. George Lucas’ spaceship of a museum lands in LA with a wonderful surprise. 
Synopsis: The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Exposition in downtown LA runs the gamut of visual storytelling, from Peanuts to Flash Gordon to Star Wars. The real star, though, is the 11 acres of landscaping around the billion-dollar building. The team “used topography to help amplify … emotion, sequence and storyline.” Says one designer, “each biome reveals something new, each path hints at what’s ahead without giving it away.” The landscaping covers a parking garage for 2,400 cars.
MAD Take: Wonder if the LMNA folks have any leftover spaceships or landscaping for the original Lucas museum in Modesto?

Sheriff’s Office in crosshairs

Ceres Courier. Sheriff’s deputies’ misconduct prompts calls for citizen police review board. 
Synopsis: In the past few weeks, a Stanislaus deputy was arrested for soliciting prostitution while another is believed to have murdered his wife before killing himself. Another deputy Tasered a driver who had a broken taillight but refused to comply with commands to exit his car. This has prompted calls for a review board similar to one in Modesto. Most vocal is activist Bianca Lopez of Valley Improvement Project, who told county supervisors, “We don’t trust the sheriffs. We don’t trust police.”

Graduation comes to her

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus principal who skipped own graduation for students gets a surprise.
Synopsis: Corrin Rivera is principal for three Patterson schools and their graduation ceremonies were set for May 29 – the same day she was supposed to get her doctorate at Stan State. She skipped her own graduation ceremony to attend that of her students’. So, at Monday’s Patterson Joint Unified board meeting, officials staged her graduation ceremony. In a surprise to her, Rivera’s entire family was on hand to make the celebration complete.