Valley Solutions

It’s results, not rhetoric

LA Times. A new piece of Democrats’ midterm strategy: Being ‘practical.’ 
Synopsis: Reporter Justine McDaniel checks in on Democrats emphasizing results over rhetoric. High on her list is Adam Gray, who represents deeply purple CA-13. Keeping Gray grounded is his focus on how government is felt in the Valley. “It’s not the kind of ideological debates we have in Washington,” said Gray. “It’s the experience of doing something, whether that’s shopping for groceries or going to the lake to go boating with your family and realizing the price of gas is through the roof or the road to the lake is in disrepair.” It isn’t always about opposing Trump’s bad ideas like waging war in Iran; sometimes it’s just about making things better. Said Texas Democrat Matt Angle: “It’s very important that those things not be talked about in ideological terms but in practical terms. Democrats are doing a better job of that than ever before.”

Update on local politics

Modesto Focus. Focus on politics.
Synopsis: Garth Stapley checks in on local political races as the filing deadline (Aug. 7) approaches. Modesto has three city council seats (districts 2, 4, 5), MID has three districts (2, 3, 4), City Schools has four seats (1, 3, 5, 7) available for those inclined to run. The June 2 primary set up some races (including CA-13 and CA-5 for Congress), but there are other important questions. For instance, should Riverbank expand out to McHenry Avenue, adding 2,400 new homes and 1,000 acres to the city. There will also be 14 statewide measures on the ballot, a bunch of bonds, etc. Garth points out that the people who run the California Globe and New York Post want to keep Valley neighbors at each other’s throats, criticizing Juan Alaniz and Heath Flora for some of their votes. Garth quotes political observer Mike Lynch: “The issues today demand sober discussion, not sound-bite assaults.”

North Valley Review. Food drive set up by Democrats group. 
Synopsis: The group Stockton Democrats Together will host a Summer Food Drive in support of the Stockton Salvation Army and Red Rabbit Advocacy. Donations of canned food and dry cereals can be dropped off by Aug. 31 at the Red Rabbit office at 326 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. For those without transport, pick up of donations can be arranged through [email protected]. If you can’t give food, stop by and give support.

State redefines ‘heat wave’

Cal Matters. CA restricts utility shutoffs as dangerous heat ripples across state.
Synopsis: PG&E and other for-profit utilities can no longer shut off power for non-payment when temperatures reach 90 degrees. Until Thursday, the magic number was 100 degrees. Excessive heat can be deadly, and a far higher number of people have fallen behind in paying rapidly rising electricity bills. TURN says a single heat threshold for the entire state doesn’t work, that “extreme heat” is defined differently in Turlock than it is in Tiburon. The Cal Heat Score, a range from 0 to 4, looks at local health impacts.
MAD Take: Heat is more deadly than flood or wind in America.  When the heat wave of 2006 hit the Valley, it killed 26 people in Stanislaus County – the highest figure in the state. While the state appears to be most worried about what happens when it hits 90 on the coast, the real danger is in the Valley. Besides, it’s not the daytime heat that causes the most problems. It’s when nighttime temps don’t dip below 80 and the Valley just keeps getting hotter.

Housing solutions, problems

Modesto Bee. Final funding is in place for 45 low-cost apartments just off McHenry in Modesto. 
Synopsis: Construction is set to begin on a complex of three-story apartment buildings for people with mental health and medical needs. The apartments will be next to the Mister Car Wash on a vacant lot on Morris Avenue in Modesto. Rents will range from $570 to $1,600 a month based on income and apartment size. Self-Help Enterprises is partnering on the $15.2 million project along with Health Net, which is providing a $4 million grant. 

KCRA. Turlock among 5 cities Newsom admin filed complaint against for violating state housing law. 
Synopsis: Turlock is one of five cities to be sued by the state for failure to submit an approved Housing Element. The state is cracking down on cities that have failed to identify sufficient land for building low-income housing, The others on the list are Calexico, Costa Mesa, Half Moon Bay and Ridgecrest.

Asleep at the wheel?

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus bus drivers say staff shortage a safety issue: Long hours, little rest. 
Synopsis: The company Transdev recruits and trains drivers for Stan RTA, the community bus service. But there aren’t enough drivers to cover all the routes and the drivers are worried. The company recently sent a memo to staff asking them not to be critical of their workload or the company. So, drivers are asking their names to not be divulged as they describe long hours, quick turn-arounds and six-day weeks. Some drivers said that others have fallen asleep at the wheel. “We were told this would be a temporary thing, but it’s not,” said one. “It’s going on six months or better now.” Federal rules limit drivers to 60 hours in seven days, but timesheets show some drivers putting 33 hours of OT in a single week. Drivers belong to Teamsters 386, but the union did not respond to reporter’s queries.

Bowel bug reaches Valley

Wall Street Journal. Parasitic outbreak linked to Taylor Farms lettuce supplied to Taco Bell.
Synopsis: Hundreds of people have been sickened by shredded iceberg lettuce on Taco Bell products, according to the Food & Drug Administration. The lettuce was produced at Taylor Farms in Salinas and shipped to Taco Bell locations in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. More than 30 states have reported cases of the illness with more than 140 hospitalizations, so it is not clear that only Taylor Farms products are at fault.

KSEE / CBS47. Merced County confirms 1 cyclosporiasis case this year.
Synopsis: The Merced County Dept of Public Health confirmed one case of the “explosive diarrhea” that has been sweeping the nation. It is caused by a parasite, and in many cases from eating improperly cleaned lettuce.

Fox26. Fresno County confirms rare cyclosporiasis case as health officials monitor illness.
Synopsis: The Fresno County Dept of Public Health confirmed one case of the parasite-caused disease. While there are thousands of cases nationwide, very few have been reported in California. Apparently, that’s changing.

Pumping threatens canal

SJV Water. State poised to nix pumping along Friant-Kern Canal in Tulare County by early 2027. 
Synopsis: After seeing significant and repeated damage due to ground subsidence, the state water board is proposing to halt groundwater pumping from the aquifers that underlie the Friant-Kern Canal. Damage is estimated at $797 million for the canal that carries water south from Millerton Reservoir to Kern, Tulare and Fresno counties. The threat to halt pumping did not surprise water managers. Since 2015, land in the Tule subbasin has sunk by nearly 8 feet. But the distance of any pumping ban remains in contention. “When anybody says no pumping within 2 or 3 miles of the canal, I’d say ‘You guys are smoking crack,’” said Porterville GSA official Sean Geivet. But growers in Geivet’s districts are among those pumping the most from beneath the canal. “We’ve got six months to find something other than a strict moratorium,” said Alex Peltzer of the Pixley GSA.

Work begins on Vang Pao Park

Merced County Times. Merced breaks ground on culturally significant new park.
Synopsis: Mayor Matthew Serratto and other city dignitaries came out Saturday to kick off construction of the General Vang Pao Park and Aletha June Playground in north Merced. The park is named for the Hmong military leader who helped save American lives during the Vietnam War. The playground will stress inclusivity for special needs people, honoring a trailblazer for disabled inclusion. What the two have in common, said parks director Chris Jensen, is that both fought “for the right to participate in your community and the right to prosper. … This continues our mission to play on purpose and ensure that everyone is involved with our local play opportunities.”

Bobcats have new coach

Merced Sun Star. UC Merced announces hiring new women’s volleyball coach.
Synopsis: Anitra Brockman is leaving Maryland Eastern Shore, where she coached the men’s team, to lead the UC Merced Golden Bobcats women. She had been the first woman ever to lead a NCAA Div I men’s team when she took over the men’s team at Central State in Ohio. Brockman will take over for Al Prachumsri, who coached the team for 10 seasons and won two CA Pacific Conference titles. Play begins Aug. 23 at UC Santa Cruz.

Editorial: Resign from board now!

GV Wire. Time is up for Fresno Unified trustees Levine and Islas. 
Synopsis: News Director Bill McEwen demands the immediate resignation of Fresno Unified trustee Andy Levine and tells board chair Veva Islas that she should drop out of her race for re-election. Why? Because they have been utter failures in their first duty: “to keep children safe.” Two students in Levine’s district have died due to what the state termed “incompetence” and “unprofessional conduct.” Instead of demanding a full accounting of what transpired in each death, Levine has been silent. “Where is the outrage? Where is the empathy?” asks McEwen. “I’m not delusional. This column won’t budge Islas and Levine, who vote identically on practically every issue.” But it had to be said.

Their dad is a real hero

Fox26. CA father hailed as hero after rescuing drowning man in Yosemite’s Merced River. 
Synopsis: A father who preferred not to be identified described how he saved a man from drowning in Yosemite National Park. While hiking with his two sons, he heard the cries of people alarmed that Ze Seng, a visitor from China, had slipped beneath the water. The man jumped into the water, swam to Seng and pulled him to the bank. “I don’t even remember making the decision to jump in,” said the hero. “It was like the next thing I knew, I was swimming.” On the way back, he didn’t quit: “The idea that my kids were watching, it gave me sort of that strength to keep kicking and keep going.”