Valley Solutions

Drones are filling the sky

Ag Alert. Farms increasingly use drones for aerial applications. 
Synopsis: Drones can’t replace ground-based sprayers and they’re not as fast as traditional biplanes, but they are definitely earning a place above the Valley’s orchards and fields. That’s the conclusion of drone operators, whose businesses are, uh, taking off. Veg growers were the first adopters, mainly because using a tractor on emerging plants can be destructive. But others are catching on. One vineyard owner said it takes a crew of 17 three days to cover his winegrapes, but drones can do it in a day with three operators. Nicholas Steed owns UAV Ag Solutions with brother Brandon in Oakdale, concentrating on walnuts, almonds and alfalfa. But two weeks ago, a cherry grower asked him to hover close to the trees to blow rain off ripe fruit to minimize cracking. It worked. Jayraj Kahlon and his brother Udhay operate a drone service for pistachio and almond growers in Merced, Madera and San Joaquin counties. They monitor fields before and after spraying to determine best practices and positioning.

Stocktonia. Sheriff’s drone nabbed a fertilizer thief; then deputies made him return the haul. 
Synopsis: For the second time in a year, SJ County deputies caught someone in the act of stealing Scotts Miracle-Grow from a manufacturing plant in Linden. They were able to get to the location just as the would-be thief was making off with 43 bags of potting mix. They used a drone to trail him into a nearby orchard. He was cited for petty theft and required to drive back to the facility where he restacked the previously purloined bags.

KSEE / CBS47. Night-vision drones to crack down on illegal fireworks.
Synopsis: The Hanford Fire Dept will deploy drones so they can get a quick fix on whoever is launching illegal fireworks over the Fourth of July holiday. The drones will be equipped with night-vision and thermal imaging. “We need to do something about our illegal fireworks problem,” said fire chief Daniel Perkins. Those cited and convicted can be fined $10,000.

Bad bugs found on vines

Fox26. Fresno County grapevine plants shipped to Costco were infested with bugs. 
Synopsis: Ag officials in Marin, Napa, Nevada, Yolo and Solano counties have issued warnings after glassy-winged sharpshooters were found on plants delivered from Burchell Nursery’s Fresno facility. The sharpshooters spread Pierce’s Disease which is deadly to grapevines and also damages citrus and almonds. Bugs in several life stages were found on 160 plants at a Sacramento Costco. Hundreds of grapevines are unaccounted for and are believed to have been purchased and taken into the community. Officials are asking anyone who bought a vine from Costco to enclose it in a plastic bag and return it immediately in the original pot. To be safe, use two bags.

Getting advice from facial hair

Wall Street Journal. Race for CA governor has become a battle over facial hair. 
Synopsis: If winners were picked based on whiskers, Chad Bianco would be the next governor of CA. Charlie, interviewed in a gun store, thinks Bianco’s “cop mustache” is a “show of strength.” Steve Hilton’s “MAGA beard,” or goatee, isn’t nearly as impressive for gun-store Charlie: “Is that what he’s calling it? I thought he’d been on the road and hadn’t shaved.” Actually, Hilton admits he polled family and friends before deciding to keep the goat. Other notable hirsute pols include JD Vance, Ted Cruz and Zohran Mamdani. The story notes that Vance is the first furry Vice President since Charles Curtis. Who? That was Herbert Hoover’s VP in 1928-32. The last mustachioed governor, BTW, was Sunny Jim Rolph, who died in office in 1934.

Getting advice from celebrities

Stocktonia. Hollywood star Tiffany Haddish supports Stockton city council candidate with big donation. 
Synopsis: Popular comedian Tiffany Haddish gave $5,900 to the Stockton city council campaign of Tamica Small, one of four people running against Michele Padilla. Chris Woodyard reports that “While Haddish’s role in the Stockton race is unclear, the actress may have been introduced to Small through another supporter: Vice Mayor Jason Lee.” Haddish recently appeared on Lee’s podcast “Hollywood Unlocked.” 

Ceres balks at state plan

Ceres Courier. State pushes for smaller lot sizes, less parking for apartments. 
Synopsis: At their May 18 meeting, the Ceres Planning Commission was provided an extensive overview of changes to the city’s Housing Element being demanded by the state. Among them is a reduction in lot sizes – from 6,200 square feet to 5,000 or smaller. Builders are asking the state to push for lots of 3,500 square feet, insisting that homeowners don’t care about yard size but want larger parks. Others are asking for one-car garages – which means residents would have to park a second car on the streets. Developers are also asking to get out of any requirements for sound walls. Commission chair Gary M. Condit was concerned about the loss of parking, as was resident Dave Pratt. Commissioner Bob Gobble said homes built on zero-lot lines “go to hell” in two years then “look really bad.” And with one garage “you’ve got cars parked everywhere.”
MAD Take: When kids have no yard in which to play, they play in streets. And with so many cars parked on the streets, it’s hard to see them lurking behind cars. This is dangerous.

Loss of incinerator is costly

CBS13. Stanislaus County considers garbage rate hike after incinerator closure reshapes waste system. 
Synopsis: Some Stanislaus residents could see higher refuse rates now that burning most trash is no longer part of the plan. County staff wants a 2.5% rate hike for garbage services in unincorporated communities because waste must be taken directly to the Fink Road Landfill. Previously, much of it went to the Covanta facility near Crows Landing. By closing the incinerator, the landfill’s lifespan dropped a decade and now is expected to be filled by 2042.

PFAs found in Stan, Merced

SF Gate. ‘Forever chemicals’ found in CA waterways in 10 counties, study says. 
Synopsis: A study by the activist organization Environmental Working Group says polyfluoroalkyl substances have been in 50% of CA’s surface water including in Stanislaus and Merced counties. The chemicals are especially prevalent near agricultural areas. Bifenthrin was found in 88% of the samples taken in Stanislaus County; the chemical has been banned in Europe. There were 10 different PFAs found in Monterey County while Merced and Sutter had just one. The study did not look at Fresno and Kern counties, where the use of PFAs is most highly concentrated.

MID board: Do your duty

Valley Citizen. The Byrd Rules: Water, water everywhere. 
Synopsis: Eric Caine continues his informed examination of Modesto Irrigation District Director Larry Byrd’s water use and voting patterns. Caine notes that Byrd voted in his own self-interest though rules required him to recuse himself. The technical review of water use on Byrd’s ranches suggested he was not being forthright when explaining the volumes and where the water came from. Caine insists the other four MID board members meet their fiduciary responsibilities and protect the resources entrusted to their care.

TC’s Lee gets boots, help

Morning Ag Clips. Turlock Christian FFA member wins John Justin ‘Standard of the West’ award.
Synopsis: Julia Lee has been the winner of the inaugural Justin Boots “Standard of the West” Award and the $2,500 scholarship that goes with it. There were 44 applicants from across CA. Lee was chosen for leadership roles in her FFA chapter, the sectional and state levels. She was the state committee chair at the FFA’s national convention in Indianapolis this year. Along with the scholarship, Julia also gets a pair of full-quill ostrich boots.

Kids acting crazy on bikes

Merced Golden Wire (Facebook). Growing complaints over reckless juveniles on bicycles in Merced.
Synopsis: Frustration is growing across Merced as residents complain on social media about kids on bikes making the streets and sidewalks unsafe. Some of the young riders weave through traffic and ride directly at oncoming traffic, a game of chicken. Some are doing stunts while others purposely block or dramatically slow traffic.

Bored with this board yet?

Cal Matters. Lawmakers stripped the Board of Equalization of power; now they’re fighting to join it.  
Synopsis: In 2017, lawmakers gutted a corrupt Board of Equalization of any real governance authority, leaving behind a soft landing pad for termed-out politicians. Now, some of those who voted for those changes are trying to win jobs on the board. Its current members insist a role remains for the board in helping taxpayers contest their bills. Former comms director Mark DeSio isn’t buying it: “They should have just chopped the head of the snake off and done away with the BOE altogether. They didn’t do that. They left enough for the cancer to grow back.” He offered this advice: “Somebody better watch these guys. They’re not there for the policy; it’s for the exposure.”
MAD Take: One of the most honest campaigns I ever encountered as an editorial writer was that of Tom Hallinan when he ran for District 1 on the Board of Equalization in 2018. His one promise: I will kill that board from within. That he didn’t win speaks to the fact that too few voters pay attention.

Election learning is thirsty work

Modesto Focus. Remember: Voting Matters event tonight!
Synopsis: The Modesto Focus and Cal Matters will provide a free presentation from 6 to 7:30 p.m. tonight at Contentment Brewing, 208 Campus Way, Modesto. You can play election trivia, ask questions of folks who have researched both the issues and the candidates and even get a free taco. First-come, first-served. Among those greeting guests will be Garth Stapley of Modesto Focus and Dan Hu of Cal Matters.

Volleyball legend steps aside

Turlock Journal. Following state title win, Hilmar volleyball’s Harris calls it a career. 
Synopsis: Patti Harris has decided to go out on top, saying she will retire as Hilmar’s volleyball coach after 17 years at the helm. Her team won the CIF State Division IV Championship this year. When first approached to coach back in 2009, it was “just for one game.” Two years later, the Yellowjackets finished 25-12-2 and in 2013 Hilmar was 12-0 in the TVL and began a run of six consecutive seasons in which Harris’ teams played for the Sac-Joaquin Section title. She finished with a 412-188 career record, 3 NorCal titles, 2 Section titles and 5 league titles. Her 2014-15 and 2015-16 teams each finished 38-10 and were unbeaten in the TVL.