Valley Solutions

Gray profiled on Substack

Blue Dog Bark (substack). The work is the story. 
Synopsis: A writer from the Blue Dog Caucus spent several days accompanying Rep. Adam Gray across his sprawling Valley district, meeting constituents, hearing about issues and watching Gray work. “Adam Gray is less interested in showcasing himself than in making sure the people doing the actual work are the focus,” said the profile. Gray spoke of the Valley’s shortage of medical experts and the med school being built at UC Merced to help address the shortage. He spoke at length of the enormous importance of ag and the tens of thousands of jobs it supports. Among those encountered were growers Joe Del Bosque and Cannon Michael, professors at Merced College (which Gray attended) and UC Merced (where he helped create the CAPE Institute) among others. Asked what he owes the Central Valley, Gray’s response was simple: “Everything. Obviously, this is the place that shaped me.” As for his approach to his work: “My job is about solving problems. Not about winning an argument, not about blaming other people for our problems, but getting to work every day.”

Why discourage voters?

Modesto Focus (email). Politics Focus.
Synopsis: Garth Stapley is downright angry that 5,150 ballots over the past two elections in Stanislaus County were rejected because they were postmarked a day or two late. That’s because the US Postal Service has reorganized and now ships all of its mail to West Sacramento before postmarking it and sending it back to Stanislaus County for delivery. That process can add a day, sometimes two, to the process. That was enough to cost 5,150 people their right to vote. Last November’s Prop 50 ballot saw 3,019 ballots go uncounted. The same thing is happening in Merced, Madera, San Joaquin and throughout the Valley. Writes Garth: “Government representatives, please get to work protecting local votes. Our Stanislaus representatives – particularly Tom McClintock and Adam Gray in the US House, who should have some sway with the US Postal Service – should make it a priority to explore solutions to this vexing problem.”
MAD Note: Delays in postmarking ballots are not a “bug” in the eyes of those currently in charge of the post office. It’s a feature used to discourage voting by mail. Until someone else is in charge managing the nation’s postal service, nothing will change.

‘Moral rot’ at Fresno Unified

GV Wire. Fresno Unified’s moral rot exposed in coverup of student’s death. 
Synopsis: News Director Bill McEwen trains his scalpel-sharp pen on Fresno Unified School District, which he says has broken its “bond with the community it is supposed to serve. As a result, Fresno Unified answers only to itself.” He recounts the death of a Homan Elementary student in 2022 after an asthma attack at school. “This precious child’s life might have been saved if the nurse, Lydia Chrisel White, had provided the appropriate response.” The district attempted to cover up its ineptitude. “Fresno Unified needs radical surgery to stop its bankrupt culture from infecting the entire body.”

Youth crisis center set for Turlock

Merced Sun Star. Merced County joins other counties in developing foster youth crisis services.
Synopsis: Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties are joining forces to build a mental-health campus near Turlock. Young people can be treated locally rather than traveling up to 200 miles for an available bed. Supervisors have approved the program through June 2028. The 11-acre Hope Forward campus will be staffed by Stanislaus Behavioral Health & Recovery Services through an $8.5 million state grant.

Modesto courthouse delayed

Modesto Bee. New Stanislaus courthouse opening delayed again as costs continue to rise.
Synopsis: The long-awaited Stanislaus County Courthouse was supposed to open this summer. Now, officials say the seven-story building won’t be available until late fall. That’s two years past the original timeline. The delays have driven up the cost well beyond the original estimate of $278 million in 2010. The courthouse is expected to cost above $351 million.
MAD Note: Even at $360 million the courthouse appears to be a bargain. The Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator says that something that cost $280,000,000 in 2010 today would cost $430,000,000.

Chiesa discusses county issues

Turlock Journal. A conversation with Stanilaus County Supervisor Vito Chiesa, Part 2. 
Synopsis: Reporters Kristina Hacker and Joe Cortez continue their chat with Vito Chiesa, touching on federal ARPA allocations, homelessness, county budgets, healthcare access and how the county will pay its mounting bills. Every department is facing cuts over the coming year, said Chiesa. Fortunately, the county’s reserves are strong. He also talked about the dispatch center software controversy. Most illuminating, Chiesa talked about why he got into politics and where he thinks he can be most effective.
MAD Take: Chiesa is modest. He didn’t talk about his efforts years ago to remove the negative bailout that Stanislaus and four other counties were forced to pay. His efforts have saved Stanislaus County millions upon millions of dollars (the last estimate I heard was $40 million, but that’s probably low). Yes, it was a team effort. But without Chiesa’s stubborn persistence, it wouldn’t have happened. If the county stays afloat in the coming rough financial waters, it will be in large part due to Chiesa’s work.

Study: Wolves prefer steak

SF Chronicle. Study reveals what CA wolves are eating; it’s not good. 
Synopsis: CA’s 12 wolfpacks like beef. Cattle constitute 55% of the gray wolf diet, a study out of UC Davis found. Natural prey such as mule deer, elk and small mammals make up 40% of wolf scat. Chickens, pigs and even bison have been found in smaller amounts, some of that likely coming from garbage, said researcher Tina Saitone of UC Davis. “This is a substantial problem when you think about coexistence,” said Saitone. She said there are not enough deer and elk to sustain the growing wolf populations. A lost steer can cost a rancher roughly $3,200, but surviving cattle often lose weight in areas where wolves can be heard and seen. 
MAD Note: Not mentioned are the laws that keep ranchers from dealing with wolves. They’re not even allowed to haze away wolves on their property, much less shoot them.

Land of (early) fruit & nuts

Ag Net West. CA walnut industry looks ahead to strong export opportunities.
Synopsis: Interviewers talk to Walnut Commission CEO Robert Verloop, who is optimistic over improving trade conditions. There are 3,700 growers in CA supplying 99% of America’s nuts. Two-thirds of their crop is exported. Verloop said he’s worried about nuts from China and Chile.

Ag Net West. Early harvest raises questions about organic stone-fruit supply.
Synopsis: An unusually early growing season has CA’s stone fruit farmers worried supplies will not last through the summer. An early bloom was followed by exceptionally good growing conditions, which caused the fruit to ripen very early. In some places, the harvest began 28 days ahead of schedule.

Merced ponders next rail move

Merced County Times. Merced moves to coalesce public stance on high-speed rail station. 
Synopsis: Merced city leaders have begun community discussions to determine the best location for the city’s high-speed rail station. Originally, it was planned for downtown. But earlier this year the High-Speed Rail Authority proposed moving it to a vacant field south of the city. The Authority insists it can “save” $1 billion by moving the station. City Manager Frank Quintero said the new station plan is dramatically scaled back from the previous station, which called for having Amtrak and the ACE train in the same downtown building. Now, only a small platform is proposed. Councilmember Fue Xiong was the lone dissenter in a vote to proceed, saying the city has been abandoned. Shane Smith voted to proceed because refusing could derail the entire project. Darin DuPont said “Merced cannot be pushed aside for the benefit of the High-Speed Rail Authority.”
MAD Take: I’ll ask again, how can the CHSRA “save” $1 billion on a station that was projected to cost less than $300 million in the first place? The real reason for moving the station appears to be the CHSRA’s plan to capture sales and real estate taxes around the new station while leasing land within their corridor to data centers.

Protecting ‘vulture lawyers’

Cal Matters. Most CA senators supported this ADA lawsuit bill; it died anyway. 
Synopsis: Lawyers have apparently killed yet another attempt to rein in the vultures who prey on small businesses using the arcane and frequently changing Americans with Disabilities Act. Adam Gray and Republican Kristin Olsen proposed giving businesses an “opportunity-to-cure” back in 2015. The lawyers in the Assembly killed the proposal. Now, a similar bill moving through senate has met the same fate. Roger Niello’s SB 84 would have given businesses 120 days to correct violations of the ADA before a lawsuit can be filed. Despite unanimous support in the original committee vote, the chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, Ash Kalra, refused to give it a necessary hearing. A competing bill that would require businesses to buy additional insurance against such lawsuits is still alive. Kalra says that Niello is “bullying” him by pointing out his inaction.
MAD Take: This is an outrage. Forcing business to buy “lawsuit insurance” is a protection racket. Providing a good-faith “opportunity to cure” violations of ever-changing ADA laws solves the problem for everyone – the disabled and the business. The only people it hurts are the “vulture lawyers” who make a fortune by hiring people to scout out possible ADA violations then threatening to sue. Kalra should be ashamed.

City politics

Modesto Bee. Turlock city attorney named in lawsuit alleging credit card misuse, more. 
Synopsis: Hired in March to run the city’s legal department, Kate Lucchesi is being sued over her former job in Lodi. Scott Carney, the former Lodi city manager, was fired by the city council. He is suing Lucchesi, saying she retaliated against him when he raised concerns over what he called financial irregularities. The city of Lodi investigated his charges before firing him. The city of Turlock said it continues to support Lucchesi.

Stocktonia. Council reacts after DA declines to investigate Colangelo; Fugazi responds to grand jury. 
Synopsis: San Joaquin prosecutors will not pursue charges against former Stockton interim city manager Steve Colangelo, according to a letter read at Tuesday’s council meeting. Colangelo led the city from February to August 2025 and the council asked the DA to look into any misuse of city funds. The DA’s office said Colangelo’s activities did not “rise to a level requiring action” by the DA. Also Tuesday, Mayor Christina Fugazi announced her efforts to address problems detailed by the SJ Civil Grand Jury. The council’s infighting, instability and divisions drew grand-jury criticism for the third year in a row.

A break for Turlock parents

Turlock Journal. Turlock Rec’s Parent Night Out offers evening childcare for families. 
Synopsis: Parents who need a few hours away from the kids to finish up chores, run errands or even take in a movie and dinner are in luck. The city’s recreation department is hosting “Parent Night Out” at the Turlock Senior Center on July 24. Kids up to age 12 can be dropped off for on the evening of safe, supervised fun under the watchful gazes of city employees. There’s a $20 fee to help pay for crafts, games and pizza.
MAD Take: What a cool program. Whoever had this idea, it’s a great one.