Valley Solutions

Grizzly bears on the beach?

Cal Matters. They’re on our flag, but do long-gone grizzlies belong in modern California?
Synopsis: A consortium of environmentalists, tribes and animal-rights groups are pushing a bill to “study” the prospect of returning grizzly bears to California. Ranchers already dealing with mountain lions and wolves (whose diets are mostly domestic cattle) are against it. But the groups say the Sierra could support up to 1,713 grizzlies. Others wonder what happens when that habitat is burning. One of the most reasonable voices in the debate belongs to a Native American Elizabeth Washoe, who lives in Modoc County. “There’s nothing I would love more than to see grizzly bears on the beach at Santa Barbara chasing rich people,” she said. But that would be cruel to the bears. She notes that bears have no say in any relocation and bringing them back to fulfill some eco-fantasy “feels egotistical.”

Wall Street Journal. Bears are running amok in Lake Tahoe and causing chaos among locals. 
Synopsis: Story begins with a bear peeing in the living room of a home in South Lake as the owners banged pots and pans to scare it away. Didn’t work. “It smelled like a zoo in here for three days,” said the retiree who lives there. Bears are “on a rampage across America,” riding a population rebound since several states enacted protections. They are being found in dumpsters, motel rooms, trucks, in trees, and parked in garages. South Lake police have gotten 174 bear calls this year compared to 97 in all of 2025. There have been five attacks on humans as bears become more accustomed to urban life. People are selling “bear mats” that deliver a nonlethal “but memorable” shock at the front door. About 6,000 have been installed. Said one resident who just spent $7,500 on repairs: “The bears are winning. I’m the one spending the money.”

Choice upsets some hardliners

Fresno Bee. Did Madera Young Republicans just endorse a Democrat for real? Or was it trolling?
Synopsis: David Taub looks into the recent social-media posting in which the Madera County Young Republicans endorsed Rep. Adam Gray, a Democrat, for Congress. It’s such a rare move that the statewide California Young Republicans club is looking into stripping the Madera group of its charter. Taub could not reach any members of the Madera group to verify the endorsement. By Wednesday, the group had disappeared from social media. Is it that odd? Valley Republicans were split in the primary, with Madera Young Republicans joining some other groups in endorsing Vin Kruttiventi to run against Gray.
MAD Take: Perhaps the Young Republicans just wanted someone who actually lives in the District, which left them with only one choice.

Kicking around ‘River Walk’

Modesto Focus. Political Focus
Synopsis: Reporter Garth Stapley takes a look at River Walk, the proposed 2,400-home development that would expand Riverbank all the way to McHenry Avenue – about 3 miles from the current city limits. The city and a local developer have forged ahead with development plans without bothering to talk to residents. The current city manager says the city is “ready to move forward” with the plan. But neighbors and opponents who want to preserve the land bordering the Stanislaus River are mobilizing. … Looking at other races, we see that Nick Bavaro and Eric Alvarez have attracted challengers for their Modesto city council seats. But at MID, embattled Janice Keating didn’t respond when asked if she would seek re-election. Bob Frobose and John Boer are running. … Garth writes that Adam Gray is getting a “stiff challenge” in his bid to return to Congress. Gray is one of roughly 20 Democrats who has made a “Promise To America” that he will remain pragmatic in searching for solutions.

Ashley used to understand

GV Wire. As mayor, Ashley Swearengin fought for urban sprawl and distribution centers. 
Synopsis: Bill McEwen writes that Ashley Swearengin knows exactly how hard it is to be mayor of Fresno; she did it “exceptionally well” for eight years. Now, as CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation, she’s making it harder for the current mayor by her opposition to a major development plan. Swearengin is trying her best to “drive a stake through the heart” of the Southeast Development Area, which would bring thousands of jobs to Fresno, along with some sprawl. Mayor Swearengin made a similar choice back in 2010, when unemployment was at 18.7%. Now, Jerry Dyer is following in the footsteps she’s trying to sweep away.

El Niño could refill Tulare Lake

SJV Water. Will ‘super’ el Nino fill Tulare Lake? Fresno engineer thinks so. 
Synopsis: Lois Henry writes that “El Niño is coming. Of that, scientists seem sure.” With ocean temperatures at an all-time high, the weather pattern could deliver a “monster” wet season to the Valley. Engineer John Ennis says there is a 100-percent correlation between the current conditions and Lake Tulare coming back into existence. But this time, people are in danger. “The reason I’m bringing this up is subsidence from groundwater pumping has shifted the lake bottom seven miles to the south and east. If the lake gets half-a-million-acre feet, Corcoran could be flooded, including the two state prisons.” With a great danger comes a great opportunity for creating a storage aquifer. But that would require the state taking some of the land that belongs to J.G. Boswell and John Vidovich.

Dredge Delta or prepare to swim

Maven’s Notebook. Edward Ring: Dredging the Delta can prevent a catastrophe. 
Synopsis: Columnist Edward Ring of the CA Policy Center continues his crusade to have the Delta dredged, noting that the state’s largest reservoirs are releasing “record quantities of water to preserve space for the next round of precipitation.” If predictions about El Nino’s atmospheric rivers are true, we won’t have the space for all the water as it arrives. “The state is set for cataclysm.” If it happens, our Valley could become an ocean with “a century’s worth of reclamation … lost within hours.” The solution is to dredge 130 years of accumulated silt from the Delta’s channels, leaving room for more water. Today’s Delta channels are a foot deep when they once were 10. That creates a more hospitable setting for invasive species like striped bass that consume native salmon and smelt.
MAD Take: Dredging the Delta is a great idea, though a little late for this year’s storms, but with one caveat. What do you do with all the mercury sitting in the mud? There’s enough mercury in the south delta alone to pollute every ounce of fish living there. About 26 million pounds. While sitting in the silt, it’s inert. Dredging gets it into the water, then the fish, then us. By all means dredge. But find a way to remove the mercury along with the silt.

But you can’t fill Sites?

SF Chronicle. CA wants to build biggest reservoir in 50 years; there may not be enough water to fill it. 
Synopsis: Kurtis Alexander writes that plans for Sites Reservoir has “hit a major snag.” The amount of water the state would allow to be diverted from the Sacramento River to Sites might be too little to justify the expense. The State Water Board’s conditions could cut storage by 50%, said the project director. Diversions would be limited to specific times of the year and be cut off whenever the “natural outflow” from the Delta drops below 55% of normal. The final terms of the water right will be released around Sept. 3 and approved around Nov. 2.

Prof G gets seat at the table

Politico. Newsom appoints podcaster Scott Galloway to UC Board of Regents. 
Synopsis: Gavin Newsom appointed part-time Florida resident Scott Galloway – aka, Prof G – to a seat on the UC Board of Regents. He will be one of 26 regents. Galloway has spoken and written effectively about issues facing young men, ranging from loss of opportunity to loneliness. He has also founded several companies and sits on the board of the New York Times, Panera and Urban Outfitters.
MAD Take: I listen to Prof G regularly; the guy is brilliant, innovative, engaging and sometimes almost funny. But he lives in Florida and London. Sure, he was born, raised and educated here, but it’s not the same. OK, that $16 million he long ago donated to UCLA and Berkeley helps make his case.

Feeling better about Valley Fever

LA Times. New drug could help people stricken with Valley Fever. 
Synopsis: The fungus that causes Valley Fever is spreading across the southwest as cases skyrocket in California. Now, researchers say they have a new anti-fungal that can make the symptoms fade faster. It was developed at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine and doesn’t have the enormous and profound side effects of current treatments. In 41 test cases, 75% of patients were successfully treated. The cases of Valley Fever in CA rose from 5,234 in 2011 to 12,745 in 2025.

Studying agave in Madera

Ag Alert. Researchers study potential of agave crop. 
Synopsis: Blue agave is the plant used to make tequila. It grows well in sandy soil without much water. That makes it perfect for the parts of the Valley where groundwater pumping is restricted. That’s why Madera Community College is helping with research into agave, having planted a test plot to figure out which varieties are best suited for our Valley. Until 2023, only 50 acres of agave was growing in CA; now it is being grown in 31 counties. The key is to choose the right one of 38 varieties growing in CA. And not all of it is used for tequila. The fiber is strong enough for construction material.
MAD Note: One of the pioneers in this crop has been Stuart Woolf who is making his own tequila.

Have voters soured on bonds?

EdSource. Are CA voters signaling tax fatigue toward school bonds and parcel taxes?
Synopsis: John Fensterwald writes about the falling support for various local school bonds and taxes. In Palo Alto, for instance, the district has reserves of about $35,000 per student yet was asking for a new parcel tax. Voters said no for the first time in 22 years. Other such taxes are also failing. Historically, 65% of such tax increases have passed. But last June, only 53% passed. Historically, 78% of bonds pass, but last June that fell to 62%.
MAD Take: This is a fine story, but it doesn’t get into an important aspect of the bond business: Cost. The fees vary wildly from bond to bond depending on various factors, including the company underwriting the bonds.

Who knew sharks were funny?

Merced Sun-Star. UC Merced professor making another appearance on ‘Shark Week.’
Synopsis: Paleoecology Prof. Sora Kim will appear in “K-Pop Shark Heroes” on Sunday night. It’s her fourth time to be featured in Shark Week programing. The show is hosted by comedian/physician Ken Jeong and features Rei Ami. It was filmed in the Bahamas, and the purpose is to counter myth and fear with facts. “It’s a mix of science and fun,” said Kim. This year’s show had the “most science,” but also “the most humor because Ken Jeong is an awesome comedian.”