Valley Headlines

Downsizing the dream for rail

Merced Sun Star. CA high-speed rail looks to downsize massive Merced station. 
Synopsis: Plans for both the Merced and Fresno high-speed rail stations have been downsized in an attempt to cut costs. The stations will be smaller, have fewer seats and the number of tracks entering the stations will be diminished. Those tracks won’t be needed until the system links LA to SF, which could take decades. Instead of 215,000 square feet, the stations will be 165,000 square feet. Said Merced Mayor Matt Serratto, the true priority is to get the trains running.

Turlock vote makes news

SF Chronicle. ‘Absolute moral failure’: Newsom slams city after $1 dispute over homeless shelter.
Synopsis: The Turlock city council’s 3-2 decision to deny even a token $1 to help the We Care shelter secure $267,000 in state grants has drawn the attention of the governor and the Chronicle’s readers. The shelter provides beds to 49 men each night. Gov. Newsom called the decision not to support the shelter’s request for state funding “a ridiculous lack of local leadership.” He added, “The state has done its part. Local leaders need to step up.” It appears the state’s funds will be diverted to other applicants while We Care must now rely on the charity of local residents to fund its efforts.
MAD Take: Interestingly, this story was No. 2 on the Chron’s “trending” list, ahead of the Warriors and Giants.

Turlock Journal. Council sucker punches Turlock’s homeless population.
Synopsis: The TJ editorial board weighs in forcefully on the city’s failure to put up even “10 thin dimes” to gain $267,000 in state support for the We Care homeless shelter. Without that state support, “What’s the plan for dealing with some 50 homeless men living on the streets every night?” asked the editorial writers.

Protests hit Valley reps

Fresno Bee. Central Valley families demand Rep. Valadao oppose $880B in Medicaid cuts. 
Synopsis: More people living in David Valadao’s congressional district rely on Medicaid (via Medi-Cal) than any other district in the nation – roughly 62% of the total population. He “has one job in Congress, to protect the families of the Central Valley,” said Norberto Gonzalez of Poder Latinx, which organized a protest outside Valadao’s office this weekend. So far, said Gonzalez, he’s failed. In his district, 87% of all children get healthcare through Medicaid-funded programs. That’s 225,000 kids. Though his vote to advance the GOP Budget Blueprint helped make the cuts possible, Valadao says he won’t vote for cuts to Medicaid. Now, there are “Fight for Our Health” rallies taking place in Modesto, Clovis and Bakersfield – cities largely represented by Republican lawmakers.

Valley Citizen. Congressman McClintock, where are you?
Synopsis: Eric Caine writes about Tom McClintock and his “deep red” district. After some redistricting four years ago, McClintock also has much of Stanislaus County, including 80% of Modesto. That means roughly 3-in-5 of his constituents depend on Medicaid-supported healthcare programs. Regardless, McClintock has been vocal in justifying gutting the program. Which might explain why he won’t face voters. “He not only has no presence in his district, some of his offices aren’t even staffed – including the Modesto office,” writes Caine.  
MAD Note: Did anyone check to see if McClintock has opened an office in Elk Grove, where he lives? 

CVP growers get 50%

Ag Net West. Central Valley Project water supply allocation for 2025 announced.
Synopsis: South of the Delta contractors will get 50% of their contracted water allocations, up from 40% previously promised. Westlands GM Allison Febbo is enthusiastic but feels it could be better: “CA’s water system needs fixing to restore balance. We can’t keep lurching from wet to dry without a better plan. So, as we thank the Bureau of Reclamation for their dedication, let’s also commit to a long-term solution. Our farmers, our jobs and our communities depend on it.”
Audio: https://agnetwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-05-25-Central-Valley-Project-Water-Supply-Allocation-for-2025-Season-Announced.mp3

Valley Ag Voice. State Water Project deliveries from Delta take another hit. 
Synopsis: Scott Hamilton of Hamilton Resource Economics writes that pumping from the Delta has dropped to 600 cubic feet per second, about a tenth of the permitted pumping capacity. With 12,500 cfs being released from Oroville, most of the state’s water is flushing through the Delta into the ocean.
MAD Note: With south-of-the-Delta storage so close to being full, the real question becomes: “Where would you put another 12,000 cfs if you pumped it?” Increased pumping without creating greater storage capacity – behind dams, underground, in floodplains -- doesn’t work.

Sorry kids, no books for you

Fresno Bee. Madera First5 suspends operations at Family Resource Center due to DOGE cuts.
Synopsis: Cuts ordered by Elon Musk when he ran DOGE has resulted in elimination of a program teaching poor children how to read. The First5 program funds library programs and provides free books to children along with a lot more. “We will let you know if or when our services return,” said a sign on the door in Madera. The closure came just days after DOGE ordered AmeriCorps to cancel $400 million in grants, or 41% of its budget. That resulted in the firing of staff and the curtailment of 1,000 First5 programs nationwide, including in Madera. Three other programs in family-services programs were also killed in Madera, one for expectant mothers and one called “Preventing Abuse Through Home Visitation.” Gov. Newsom has promised a lawsuit.

Who will milk the cows?

Farms.com. Trump deportations have dairy farmers on edge.
Synopsis: Story focuses on farming operations in Wisconsin, Idaho and Pennsylvania but says the problem is the same on every dairy farm in America – 90% of skilled dairy workers are from other countries. With the Trump administration signaling it will ramp up raids, dairy owners are “deeply uneasy.” The head of the National Milk Producers Federation says workers are skilled, well paid and often get benefits. “We’re very lucky to have these foreign workers ... Not only are they willing to work with animals, they’re very good at it.” Technology can only go so far in getting the work done. Prof. Brian Reisinger, who grew up milking cows, says Congress “hasn’t rolled up its sleeves and actually addressed the issue for decades.”

Who will answer the phones?

Successful Farming. More than 15,000 USDA employees have taken Trump incentive to leave.
Synopsis: The Trump administration has made USDA staff two offers many couldn’t refuse. Now, roughly 15% of the department’s employees have resigned. The numbers could rise as any staffer over age 40 has extra time to consider leaving. Among those running for the exits were veterinarians and wildland firefighters, leading the department to exempt those positions from the hiring freeze as it looks for replacements. Some 2,408 staffers at the Natural Resources Conservation Service quit along with 674 at the Farm Service Agency – both forward-facing agencies interacting with farmers. Another 555 staffers at the Food Safety Inspective Service left along with 1,377 in the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service.

Finding affordable homes

Merced Focus. Affordable housing is bustling in Merced, but smaller cities face barriers.
Synopsis: Merced has 500 units “in the pipeline” scheduled for completion this summer. But communities such as Atwater, Gustine and Dos Palos have none -- and that runs afoul of state requirements. Developer Adam Conour, a young veteran, is trying to create 58 container-based homes for homeless veterans near the Merced County behavioral health center. Meanwhile, Gustine “hasn’t had a new building in decades,” affordable of otherwise. Esmeralda Soria is trying to help with AB 36, to expedite planning (i.e., cut back on state-required reporting).

How a New Yorker sees ‘Valley’

NY Times. It was just a rumor on Facebook, then a militia showed up. 
Synopsis: A NY Times reporter named Eli Tan parachutes into town to describe “horse-trodden” roads and “endless fields of almond blossoms.” He describes Oakdale as a rural media desert infested with fact-starved angry people getting non-facts off Facebook pages. He also describes the 2020 confrontation between the Black Lives Matters marchers and a few members of the Bear Flag Militia as some sort of Facebook-inflamed hoax, failing to mention the presence of both TV and newspaper reporters that day. He quotes several local folks, including some from Modesto.
MAD Take: People in the community have been apologizing to each other through social media over this story, which seems to concentrate on all the wrong stuff. Yes, Oakdale is a small city. But what about the 10,000 people living adjacent to the city in all those fancy homes past the golf course? They’re not a bunch of pitchfork-carrying simpletons too stupid to read the Times. And about those “fields” of almond blossoms? Flowers grow in fields, nuts grow in “orchards.”

Newspaper building is rubble

Merced Focus. End of an era: Old Merced Sun-Star building reduced to rubble.
Synopsis: The 54-year-old structure had become a favorite for homeless squatters, who twice set the place on fire. Last year’s fire left the structure unsalvageable.
MAD Take: Wonder where the ghosts of journalism will roost now.

Hundreds make a difference

Westside Connect. Motors on Main draws in crowds and sizeable donation for Jessica’s House.
Synopsis: In memory of Victor Medeiros, his family hosted its fifth annual car show in Gustine on April 26. There were lots of classic cars, motorcycles, music and auctions. They raised $28,000 for Jessica’s House. They also gave out 8 awards, including one for best Big Rig, a People’s Choice and a fire engine.

Patterson Irrigator. Over 600 volunteers show up for “Love Patterson.” 
Synopsis: Rain didn’t dissuade folks from pitching in to make Patterson a better place. Angela Bodas said she was “thrilled to have over 600 volunteers join us” to complete 40 projects. Outreach Coordinator Kandace Weyhrauch believes the community “should be proud of everything that was accomplished.”

Swinging for the fences

Merced County Times. Congressman Gray suits up with Blue Devils baseball team.
Synopsis: In preparation for the intramural congressional baseball game in June, Rep. Adam Gray got in a workout with some college-level players. He wore No. 13, representing his 13^th Congressional District. Gray was invited to work out with the team by Coach Jason Ingraham, one of Gray’s old high school classmates. The Blue Devil players seemed surprised Gray was making contact, perhaps not realizing this wasn’t the first time he had swung a baseball bat. Gray said he expects to play a good bit in the Congressional game, considering he’s one of the younger members and one of the few to played beyond Little League.