Valley Solution

Solar debate splits ag

Cal Matters. CA may help solar bloom where water runs dry. 
Synopsis: The “more solar, less food” debate is well covered here by Rachel Becker as she visits a huge installation near Cantua Creek and another on property owned by Woolf Farming & Processing. The first quote goes to Woolf’s Ross Franson: “We farmers, we’d rather farm.” But “This is the only way I think people are going to survive out here, if they’re able to find other uses for some of the ground like this.” That ground is “white territory,” land without surface-water. Buffy Wicks is on the side of solar, having written a bill to suspend Williamson Act property-tax breaks on land covered by panels. Currently, if you break a Williamson Act contract, you must pay substantial penalties. The most prized property for solar is nearest to existing electrical infrastructure – which is often productive farmland. When solar farms arrive, jobs disappear, and communities are destroyed.
MAD Take: This is a hugely important issue in our Valley, where massive solar farms have sprouted near Crows Landing, Los Banos, Dos Palos, Huron, Firebaugh and -- the largest yet with 3 million planned panels – near Kerman. All that power will be flowing west to Silicon Valley, not to us. As our farmers worry about their ability to feed their families and ours, digital tycoons are making it easier to cover our land and use our water to grow their server farms. Why does it matter if a few thousand acres are covered? Because farming requires economies of scale. Look at how tomato processing has moved south through the years, from Sacramento then Stockton then Modesto and now Los Banos. Diminish the scale, kill the crop. No one would wish away the digital world, but there must be rules laying out how we use it and how its owners use us. Farming already owns this table, so farmers must be sitting at the table when the rules are made. Not just politicians and the AI moguls.

Ag Daily. Bipartisan push to study impact of data centers on rural America. 
Synopsis: Reps. Jim Costa and Blake Moore (R-Utah) have introduced HR 5227 that would require the US Energy Dept, the USDA and Dept of Interior to study the impacts of AI data-center expansions. “AI data centers are expanding rapidly and using more energy and water than entire cities,” said Costa. He wants to slow their growth until the full impacts are recognized. For instance, one study across 13 states said the large data centers have added $9.3 billion in higher costs to ratepayers. Moore warned data-center developers, “Don’t come in just asking for handouts. Show up ready to pay your fair share, just like the rest of us.” That “fair share” is needed to “fund our schools, our fire departments and our community services.”

Fight over Lodi wine tax

Stocktonia. Amid backdrop of Lodi Grape Festival, growers ‘struggling at all ends’ as wine sales slide.
Synopsis: Everyone is smiling and appears happy at the annual fair and wine-tasting event, but these are “hard times in wine country.” Alcohol consumption has dropped worldwide, winegrape prices are in the basement and thousands of bottles are sitting in warehouses. “The pain is especially acute in San Joaquin County, where grapes are the third-most valuable agricultural commodity behind milk and almonds.” But winegrape income fell 19% last year to $319 million and 6,400 acres of vineyards have been removed. Now winemakers and growers are fighting with each other over a proposed 1.5% tax that the Lodi wine-marketing organization says it must have to lure more imbibers to the region. There will be public hearings Oct. 7 and Nov. 18 before a vote. Others say higher costs will drive a wedge between wineries and their customers, giving them one more reason not to buy a bottle, said Rachele Spaletta of Intercoastal. Said Jenise Vierra of St. Jorge Winery, “customers don’t’ want to be nickel and dimed.”
MAD Take: If the growers had faith that the money would benefit them, they might be more receptive. But a lot of winemakers – especially those far outside Lodi – have seen no reason for that faith.

NCAA shares gambling blame

Fresno Bee. Has sports betting become too tempting for Fresno student-athletes?
Synopsis: The editorial board (Tad Weber and John Esparza Loera) weigh in on the banning of three former Fresno State basketball players by the NCAA. They were accused of shaving points to affect bets. It’s not the first time. From 2018 to 2023, the NCAA has reported 175 violations of its sports-betting policy. But the NCAA itself is not blameless: “It is rich that the NCAA cracks down on athletes breaking its anti-gambling rules while benefiting from the popularity of sports betting made legal in a 2018 Supreme Court decision. You can’t watch a sporting event without being bombarded by sports-betting site commercials.” Those ads contribute to the $875 million paid to the NCAA by the networks in 2024.

Drawbacks of warehouse jobs

Stocktonia. SJ County warehouses provide jobs, just not great ones, 2 supervisors say. 
Synopsis: Supervisors Maria Gardea and Sonny Dhaliwal called the explosion of warehouse and logistical centers in the region a “mixed blessing” during a symposium at Delta College on Thursday night. Yes, they provide jobs. But those jobs don’t pay well enough to support a family. “We’ve got to have balance,” said Gardea, a retired firefighter. “We need warehouses, but do we need as many as we have?” Dhaliwal said the county needs a broader jobs base. He pointed to Tesla manufacturing taking place in Lathrop as an example.

Crowd loves KO.BBQ

Modesto Bee. Turlock caterer wins one category in Famous Dave’s competition.
Synopsis: Six barbecue teams faced off at Vintage Faire in last weekend’s All Star BBQ Series. They were judged in three categories. The People’s Choice award went to caterer Kevin Ortega, owner of KO.BBQ. That gave him a “golden ticket” into the World Food Championships in Indianapolis next month. There will be two rounds of competition there, with the final winner getting $150,000. Ortega had to make 200 wings using Famous Dave’s rubs and sauces. Other winners: Chicken category: Porktera BBQ. Ribs, El Mero Mero Taquero. Wild Card: El Mero Mero Taquero (San Jose).

Bad dogs, weed and AK47s

ABC30. 10 aggressive dogs captured in Merced County. 
Synopsis: After seeing several security-cam videos of a pack of dogs attacking cats and other dogs, authorities captured 10 dogs in Winton on Wednesday afternoon. Neighbors say the dogs have killed at least 20 cats and one dog. Officials were worried the dogs would attack humans next. Most of the dogs had a single owner, who surrendered them without incident. Two dogs got away.

Modesto Bee. 600 pounds of marijuana, firearms seized in domestic dispute in Ceres.  
Synopsis: A domestic violence call at 2:56 a.m. Saturday led to the seizure of 600 pounds of processed weed and guns. David Hurtado, 30, and Jessie Bobadilla, 23, were both detained on Central Avenue by sheriff’s deputies. Said Sheriff Jeff Dirkse: “If you’re going to be an illegal marijuana salesman, don’t start an argument. And don’t bring an AK47.”

Judge: Pay or go back to jail

GV Wire. Judge orders Bobby Salazar to pay $1M bond or return to Fresno jail. 
Synopsis: The well-known restauranteur and salsa-maker accused of hiring a gang member to torch his restaurant is out on bail. But Judge Erica Grosjean says she doesn’t know why he was released; that he did not meet conditions and must return if he cannot put up the funds. She also ruled that he is not entitled to a public defender and must provide his own counsel, saying his assets “are the most I’ve ever seen” for someone seeking a public defender. So far, the only lawyer he’s spoken with wants $100K up front, but “we just don’t have the money.” Grosjean noted that Salazar owns 20 acres in Clovis, four food trucks, the burned-out restaurant, a home at Shaver Lake and a condo in San Francisco.

Paying respects to the fallen

Westside Express. A veteran’s monumental undertaking. 
Synopsis: The Los Banos District Cemetery has a new monument to honor soldiers at rest, thanks to Robert Jurado. Made up of three upright slabs, it stands 75 inches tall and spans roughly 10 feet. The monument was designed by Justin Daniel and was made at Atwater Headstone and Legan Stonework. Lots of folks contributed, including the Los Banos Basque Club, Wool Growers, the Oddfellows, RPAC Almond Processing and the Santos and Amabile families.

Job swap at the top?

GV Wire. Gov. Padilla? Sen. Newsom? It would be a risky switch. 
Synopsis: Columnist Joe Mathews wonders if Gavin Newsom and Alex Padilla might swap jobs next year.  Two of CA’s most popular politicians could pull it off. Newsom will be termed out. If he throws his support to Padilla, and he wins, then the senator will have to appoint someone to fill the last two years of his term. And don’t forget, it was Newsom who appointed Padilla to finish Kamala Harris’ term five years ago. Bonus: It would give Newsom a national stage to continue his trolling of Trump.

Reaction to train departure

Merced County Times. All of a sudden, city’s plan for high-speed rail falls into doubt. 
Synopsis: Jon Whitaker writes about the “Shock. Dismay. A breakdown in trust. Thoughts of betrayal” that accompanied the High Speed Rail Authority’s decision to remove Merced from Phase 1 of the project. The new route will pass through Madera, then turn west to Gilroy. Authority officials came to Stanislaus for closed sessions with community leaders last week. “To say it was a good meeting, I would be lying to you,” said supervisor Josh Pedrozo. Said councilman Shane Smith: “I think they are scrambling to justify their existence, and so they’re basically rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”

Modesto Bee. Legislature, Gov. Newsom agree to fund high-speed rail through 2045.
Synopsis: The Governor and legislature have reached a deal to spend $1 billion a year each year through 2045 on the bullet train. It is said to be the capstone to Newsom’s climate agenda. “For too long, critics have tried to write high-speed rail’s obituaries,” said state Sen. Dave Cortese.
MAD Note: No mention in this story of the plan to eliminate Merced from the plan.

Mental health campus under way

Stocktonia. SJ County breaks ground on $261 million behavioral healthcare campus.
Synopsis: The largest mental health investment in county history was celebrated Thursday as construction began (at least ceremonially) on the 18-acre BeWell Campus in French Camp. It will provide treatment for substance abuse and mental illness, crisis stabilization, residential and outpatient care. It will have 132 beds and 240 treatment slots. The $261 million project got federal and state funding but will be dependent on Medi-Cal (ie, Medicaid) for ongoing funding. The project will require extension of sewer and water lines, which will help the entire area, said Supervisor Paul Canepa. A second “North Campus” will cost an additional $120 million and is in the planning stages.

Valley woman channels Dolly

Modesto Bee. Modesto actress stars as Dolly Parton in musical touring world. 
Synopsis: Tricia Paoluccio has been singing Dolly Parton songs since wandering around her family’s almond trees near Modesto, but now she’s getting paid for it. The Broadway veteran is touring Australia in the musical “Here You Come Again,” which she wrote with her husband. It depicts her favorite country music mega-star encountering an “uber fan.” The musical comedy was written when Paoluccio and her husband spent the COVID lockdown in her parents’ cabin in Moccasin. They collaborated remotely with comedy writer Bruce Vilanch. Before producing it, they sent a copy to the real Dolly – who loved it. Next stop, Broadway.