Valley Headlines

Almond crop is growing

Western Farm Press. Almond farmers predict 2.8-billion-pound crop in 2025.
Synopsis: The Almond Board’s “subjective forecast” is usually fairly close to what happens in August, so this prediction is good news. At 2.8 billion pounds, this is the second highest subjective projection on record behind only 2021. The forecast projects 2,010 pounds per acre, or 30 pounds higher than projected in 2024. Land IQ reported that farmers have another 6,000 acres of almonds coming on line this year for 1.389 million bearing acres. Donny Hicks of Hughson said the crop in the Northern San Joaquin Valley appears strongest. There are lighter crops in the south SJ and Sacramento valleys. The USDA-NASS objective estimate is due July 10 and will provide a better prediction.

Non-cheery news on cherries

Fresno Bee. Cherry crops failing in Fresno, Tulare from the heat: ‘This has never happened.’
Synopsis: Robert Rodriguez reports on how last summer’s heat made the region’s cherry trees less bountiful this year. Last July was the hottest month ever recorded in Merced, Madera, Kern and Fresno counties. But the impact has been hit or miss. One Kingsburg grower is seeing a good crop, but Joe Del Bosque in Firebaugh says he won’t bother picking his cherries. As one grower put it: “If 10 is a great crop, most guys are at a 3 or a 4.” State officials expect 6.5 million boxes (18 pounds each) to be harvested; last year, the SJ Valley alone harvested 10.2 million boxes.

More concern for ‘We Care’

Modesto Bee. Gov. Newsom was correct to blast Turlock for nixing homeless grant. 
Synopsis: The Modesto Bee editorial board – basically, the Fresno Bee editorial board of Juan Esparza Loera and Tad Weber with maybe some input from Sacramento – weighs in on the Turlock city council’s 3-2 decision back in April not to make a $1 contribution to the We Care men’s shelter.  That decision deprived the shelter of $267,000 in county-administered state grants, or about half of the shelter’s annual budget. As a result, some 49 men will be without shelter each night as of June 30. A GoFundMe campaign to replace the state money has gone nowhere. The council’s vote caused Gov. Newsom to blast the city for a “truly ridiculous lack of local leadership – an absolute moral failure.” Mayor Amy Bublak’s complaint that the shelter uses 40% of its money for administrative costs was addressed by Corey Mai, director of operations, who said none of the shelter’s officers are paid, but the facility’s 11 staff members are paid. We Care supporter Cathy Doo said the city cut “half of our budget out of spite.” Bottom line: “Turlock’s leaders let down the community.”

Modesto Bee. Hey, Turlock residents: We need a morality check on homelessness.
Synopsis: UC Santa Barbara student and Turlock native Micah Littlepage wrote this op-ed about the refusal of the city council majority to support the We Care Shelter. “The loss of the only men’s shelter in Turlock is shocking and will have devastating impacts both on the 49 men who rely on it as well as the broader community.” He praised council dissenters Cassandra Abram and Kevin Bixel, then suggested the council majority should be replaced.

An interesting, but bad, idea

PPIC. Uniting Central Valley Project and State Water Project would benefit all water users.
Synopsis: Jeffrey Mount says operating parallel projects dedicated to the same purpose is inefficient. “Moreover, the projects are often beset by controversy and conflict when state and federal administrations change.” Then he provides a history lesson dating back to the 1920s through completion of the projects in the 1960s. He says the CVP and SWP are at odds in the seven instances when “federal policies revise the rules governing coordinated operations and endangered species protection.” Among his many and varied reasons for merging the two systems, is “improved water markets.”
MAD Take: Mount lost me at “markets.” He and PPIC co-worker Ellen Hanak have long pushed efforts to turn over California’s water – which belongs to the people -- to speculators. Commercialization of water will lead to the loss of every small- to medium-sized farm in the state, not to mention artificial droughts and PG&E-style price spikes for residential users. Mount & Hanak insist a system could be devised to safeguard the public against manipulation. But there has never been a system that couldn’t be gamed … or one that kept bribes from being accepted. If Mount wants a history lesson, here are some chapters for him: The Whiskey Ring. Teapot Dome. Enron. Savings & Loan. … I’ve got more.

How to grow more farmers

Western Farm Progress. Video series to help new CA vegetable growers.
Synopsis: UC Davis, three state universities (Fresno, Poly, Chico), five community colleges and the UC Ag & Natural Resources division are producing a series of 26 educational videos they hope will help address a dire shortage in the farming community – farmers. With the average age of a California farmer nearing 60, we need to grow more farmers. These videos are trying to help with that. The curriculum looks at weed management, harvest tech, crop breeding, microgreen production, soil management and labor and more. The entire playlist is at: Jeffrey Mitchell - YouTube.

Get ready for big haboobs

Maven / UC Merced. Dust is a danger to Valley health and will likely get worse, researchers find.
Synopsis: UC Merced Prof. Adeyemi Adebiyi is predicting significant “dust and dust storms” in the Valley, some large enough to cover thousands of square miles. He says the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which limits the amount of water applied to farmland, has left the soil dry and crumbling across thousands of acres. This contributes to dust and the possibility of “haboob-style” storms. It gets worse. With the dust will come increased exposure to Valley Fever, a dust-borne fungal infection that attacks the immune system. Being able to forecast the storms will be our best defense.

Modesto Schools’ new leader

Modesto Bee. Modesto school board appoints new superintendent amid experience concerns. 
Synopsis: The Modesto City Schools Board voted 5-2 to appoint Modesto High grad Vanessa Buitrago to replace retiring Sara Noguchi in July. Her annual pay will be $300,000. “I am proud to stand before you as a Latina, an English learner, a first-generation college student and a product of Modesto City Schools,” she told the board. “I believe that students benefit when they recognize themselves in their leaders.” John Irvin and Chad Brown voted against the appointment but said they support Buitrago, who currently is a deputy superintendent at Oakland Unified. Union leader Fawn Peterson noted Buitrago’s lack of experience in dealing with unions and other “superintendent-level responsibilities.” An anonymous employee wrote that there is a perception “Dr. Buitrago was selected not because of what she has accomplished … but because of where she is from and what she represents.”

Modesto Bee. Modesto City Schools celebrates big improvements at two high schools. 
Synopsis: The Health Services Academy at Davis High is now finished and will offer career-technical education next Fall. At Downey, there are modernized labs and a new courtyard. Both were paid for by Measure L. Also nearing completion are new baseball, softball, aquatic and track facilities at Davis and a 10,300 square-foot athletic facility for weightrooms, restrooms, etc. at Downey. The Davis fields are covered in Pivot 2.0 artificial turf, the first in the nation. The new pool is a Myrtha, the same used by the US Olympic team last summer.

Good news (and bad) on crime

Merced Sun Star. Merced crime rate dropped in first quarter. 
Synopsis: Chief Steven Stanfield says car thefts, burglaries, assaults, shootings, murders and traffic accidents are all occurring less frequently. Sex crimes were down 45%, homicides 27% and vehicle break-ins 63%. Shootings are down 30%. “I’m super proud about these numbers,” said the chief. He gave some credit to the recently installed red-light camera at R and Sixteenth.

Cal Matters. CA released 15,000 prisoners early during COVID; data reveals what happened to them.
Synopsis: Of the 14,800 prisoners released during COVID, 4,600 – or 31% -- were re-arrested and returned to prison for new crimes. That’s not the bad part. In releasing prisoners, the state failed (refused?) to share full lists of the names and crimes committed by those being released. At least one prisoner asked not to be released but was forced to leave. She later committed murder. CA wasn’t the only state with early release during COVID but appears to have a recidivism rate almost 3x higher than most.

Getting the monkey off its back

CBS13. Traffic stop leads to officers rescuing spider monkey again.
Synopsis: An endangered species of monkey was found (along with two rattlesnakes) after law enforcement arrested a man in possession of “massive amounts” of methamphetamine” in his car then raided his home. It was reminiscent of a traffic stop in Madera County last year led to the confiscation of a small monkey, which was sent to the Oakland Zoo. Veterinarian Andrea Goodnight calls the discovery of a second monkey “disturbing. They’re wild animals. They need proper care, and they should be in the wild.” All the same, the zoo has named her Violeta.

Bulldogs try to ‘Rally the Valley’

Turlock Journal. Fresno State hopes to ‘Rally the Valley’ with coaches tour.
Synopsis: The Coaches Caravan from Dog State is visiting Valley communities. They will be at Hilmar’s Great American Grill today from 4-7 pm. Fans can talk to Matt Entz (football), Vance Walberg (basketball), Ryan McCarthy (women’s basketball) and Leisa Rosen (volleyball). AD Garrett Klassy says Fresno State belongs to the entire Valley.

Changes on the air waves

GV Wire. KMJ’s Ray Appleton off the air as he deals with ‘rare condition.’ 
Synopsis: David Taub reports on the region’s media happenings, leading with the absence of conservative talk-radio’s Ray Appleton due to a “rare immune disorder” called CVID. He is expected back in a few weeks. … Brianna Willis has left ABC30 for Houston. … KSEE 24 has hired Andy Paras to run its news operations. He arrives from Indiana. … Fox26’s Jim de la Vega has retired following a diagnosis of high blood pressure. It helps that he just signed a new 3-book deal for his thriller novels and that he is married to CBS47 anchor Kathryn Herr.

Correction

Headline: Luke-mania could slow traffic.
Synopsis: The headliner for Thursday’s big show at Castle Commerce Center is Luke Bryan – not Bryant, as it was spelled in Monday’s Valley Solutions. Bryan’s farm tour stop in Atwater is entirely sold out, as are shows in Kern and Fresno counties. County officials