Valley Solutions

Did homeless program work?

Cal Matters. Did Newsom’s $3.8 billion hotels-to-housing program pay off? We filed 100 PIA requests. 
Synopsis: Turning old hotels into homeless apartments offered a novel approach to dealing with CA’s homelessness issue, but many in the non-profit world were hesitant to engage. With good reason. Some purchases were godsends. Others were money pits. One example was a 40-unit Travelodge outside LA; the state insisted it would need $50K in fixups when purchased in 2020. Having already spent $3 million, it is still vacant today. Everything from old churches to sorority houses to motels were deemed worthy, but not all. The state has declined to review the successes or failures of Homekey projects. CalMatters takeaways: 1) Rushed vetting led to bad decisions. 2) The program worked best in rural counties with local accountability. 3) Only 1 in 5 projects succeeded. 4) The lack of transparency is unacceptable. The data: 148 were completed within 1 year, 49 were 1 year late, 39 are over 1 year late, 22 are 2 years late but still in the works, 23 will be over 2 years late, and 10 have been abandoned. That’s just the ones Cal Matters could get data on. Valley data shows something truly impressive. Stanislaus County had 3 projects, all in Modesto, and all were completed on time resulting in 75 units. San Joaquin and Merced each finished 2 of 3 projects and each has a third still in progress. Madera’s 1 project was completed on time. Fresno’s 5 projects all show “interim-to-permanent,” which means they were finished.
MAD Take: One reason Valley projects were successful is that officials up and down the hierarchy got involved. That has been especially true in Los Banos, Merced, Modesto, and San Joaquin County.

Sacramento Bee. Sacramento council member floats cutting homeless agency in $66M budget crisis.
Synopsis: Facing a budget shortfall of $66 million, councilmember Phil Pluckebaum said Tuesday night that by cutting the $101 million designated for homeless programs the city could balance this year’s budget and next year’s. That would save at least 37 jobs now on the chopping block. By Wednesday he was reconsidering his comments but still wants to see cuts from homeless services.

Giving park a new name

Modesto Bee. What will Cesar Chavez Park be renamed? Modesto narrows list to 3 options.
Synopsis: Three ideas are being floated by the Modesto Culture Commission: a) Fourth Street Park, b) Si Se Puede Park; c) Farmworkers Park. The park was called Fourth Street Park until it was renamed in honor of now-disgraced Chavez back in 2002. A $17 million renovation project is wrapping up this summer but won’t be complete until there are new signs.

CA water boss has new job

Maven’s Notebook. ACWA names Karla Nemeth executive director, plus Nemeth podcast: Hard truths.
Synopsis: Longtime CA Dept of Water Resources director Karla Nemeth is leaving her post to become executive director of the Association of CA Water Agencies. The association represents 470 agencies that supply water to 90% of California. She had been the top exec at DWR since 2018. She explained the importance of managing CA’s water on an appearance of the water podcast, “The Hard Truth of California Water.”
Spotify: #28 - The Hard Truths of California Water - What Matters Water TV and Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

Farm Bill has long way to go

Ag Alert. Advocacy in Action: Farm Bureau tracks labor bills, applauds Farm Bill passage in House. 
Synopsis: The CA Farm Bureau Federation keeps folks abreast of various state bills on issues from AI use to accident reporting. This month’s report applauds the efforts of “California’s Adam Gray, D-Merced, and Jim Costa, D-Fresno, along with Kevin Kiley, I-Rocklin, and the state’s full Republican delegation” in passing the House version of the Farm Bill. Its fate in the senate is still uncertain.

Sacramento Bee. Schiff outlines CA priorities for US farm bill stalled in Congress.
Synopsis: Sen. Adam Schiff laid out his priorities as the Senate Agriculture Committee takes up the long-overdue Farm Bill. He is not happy with the version that passed by the House, saying cuts to food assistance is a non-starter and that states must be allowed to keep their animal-welfare regulations. Those two provisions were not part of the House bill, and it is likely to be a sticking point.

Media: No AI and ‘Legends’ return 

Modesto Focus. We’re only human: A few words about AI and The Modesto Focus. 
Synopsis: Editor Marijke Rowland tells readers that everything they read in Modesto Focus has been and will be generated by humans – like reporters Garth Stapley, Vivienne Aguilar and their partners in Merced. The same can’t be said of stories in The Modesto Bee. She counted 17 stories based on previously reported work then repackaged by AI robots into “new” stories. That’s just over the last month. Marijke calls such regurgitation “a mistake. Quantity over quality isn’t how you win back readership or build trust.”
MAD Take: Amen, Marijke.

GV Wire. KMJ revives ‘Valley Legends,’ ABC30 celebrates 70 years, and Faith Sidlow retires.
Synopsis: David Taub reports on happenings in the local media market, starting with the return of Valley Legends & Legacies. The daily segment will be voiced by Mark Standriff and feature Fresno Historical Society president Elizabeth Laval. … Danyelle Burke North will join ABC30, which turns 70 this year. She is moving in from Yuma, Az. … Longtime KSEE anchor Faith Sidlow has retired from her second career, as Fresno State communications professor.

Passing of a Modesto leader

Modesto Bee: Van Groningen, longtime YCCD chancellor and MID director, dies at 93.
Synopsis: Tom Van Groningen, one of the city’s most respected public leaders, has passed. He served for 20 years as Modesto Irrigation District director, was an interim president of MJC and served on the Yosemite Community College District board of trustees for 18 years. “A scholar and a gentleman,” said MJC president Brian Sanders. “Tom represented the district with grace and kindness coupled with vision and drive for success.” Van Groningen also volunteered with Memorial Medical Center, the Modesto Chamber, Community Hospice and many others.
MAD Take: Visionary. Industrious. Peacemaker. Tom offered a model for our better aspirations.

Yosemite was a terrible mess

LA Times. Yosemite ditches reservations, drawing huge crowds in free-for-all.
Synopsis: After federal officials ditched the reservation system that kept crowds manageable at the nation’s most beloved national park, the first heavy weekend was a mess. Cars lined up at both western entrances and inched forward for hours. Once inside, they circled parking lots looking for parking spaces that weren’t available and creating gridlock. Many simply gave up and exited. Meanwhile, human traffic jams accumulated near all the trailheads. The story points out that it’s not even summer yet. One visitor told a reporter she would never return unless the reservation system is resumed.

Misplaced ballots recovered

LA Times. CA County discovers trove of unopened ballots from last election in a locked box. 
Synopsis: Humboldt County officials say they found an unopened drop box containing 596 uncounted ballots from the Prop 50 special election last November. The votes would not have changed the outcome of the race. Staff thought the box had already been emptied and placed it on the wrong stack of boxes. Registrar Juan Pablo Cervantes said the mistake was made by an employee, but the responsibility rests on him. Within minutes of the disclosure, Trump sent messages saying the election was rigged.

Council candidate gets hateful

Stocktonia. City council candidate’s campaign ad causes uproar among LGBTQ community. 
Synopsis: Joey Veltri is running in Stockton’s District 3 against incumbent Michael Blower and two others. Veltri sent an email highly critical of Blower’s vote to allow the Pride flag to fly over the city each year. He wrote that Blower joined “openly gay councilmembers Jason Lee & Mario Enriquez to push an agenda that has no positive effect on making Stockton a cleaner or safer city.” Actually, the vote passed 6-0 with one member absent. Blower called such attacks “hurtful and divisive.” Vice Mayor Lee called it “hateful and homophobic.” Councilmember Enriquez said it was “completely unacceptable.”

Faire, grand opening a success

Ceres Courier. Thousands flock to Street Faire.
Synopsis: “Awesome, great weather” contributed to thousands of people turning out for the annual Ceres Street Faire. The Lions Club tri-tip booth sold out both days. “We had more booths and vendors than we ever have had this year,” said organizer Lisa Mantarro Moore. There were a lot of classic cars, too, with 100 entries. Rick and Debby Borrelli won the Sponsor’s Choice award for their 1936 Ford while Rich Mora’s 1949 Cadillac was judged Best of Show. Susan Vigil’s 1957 Chevy Bel-Air won Best of Show in the Low-Rider category with Jose Pico’s 1964 Impala winning Grand Champion.

Patterson Irrigator. Ribbon-cutting opens new culinary options for Patterson.
Synopsis: Muriel’s Southern Comfort Food officially opened in Patterson, offering catfish, fried chicken, red beans & rice and banana pudding at their Renzo Lane location. Muriel’s grandmother inspired many of the recipes, but we’re never told Muriel’s last name. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 8 pm.

Who was Pvt. Whitley?

Merced Sun Star. Woman in Europe looking for family of Merced man who died during World War II.
Synopsis: Esther de Vet and her husband have “adopted” the grave of Eugene Debs Whitley, who died Nov. 19, 1944, in Kellersberg, Germany. That means the couple is responsible for the grave’s upkeep. They are also trying to keep alive the stories behind those buried in the cemetery in Margraten. “I visit his final resting place regularly to honor his sacrifice, but I have one big wish: I would love to find a photo of him to give him a face.” Whitley was the son of Thomas Hiram and Chatherine Whitley and was married to Virigina. His brother, Rupert, lived in Merced until 1983.

MoBand shows will be themed

Modesto Bee. Beloved band adds audience twist for 2026 Modesto celebrations. 
Synopsis: Moband will have its usual six summer concerts, from June 4 to July 9 at Graceada Park, just as it has for 107 years. This year, to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Conductor Brad Hart says each concert will have a theme. June 4: Good Vibrations. June 11, Star Power with music from Hamilton and Bruce Springsteen. June 18, Innovation Nation. June 25, Bright Lights, Modesto Nights featuring songs by Elvis, Cher and Sinatra. July 2 is the Fourth of July Celebration. July 9 is Sunshine and Rainbows, getting back to the Beach Boys. The audience is encouraged to dress for each occasion.  

Bears & lions invade CA

GV Wire. Bear cub sighting reported near Herndon and West avenues in Fresno. 
Synopsis: A young black bear has successfully evaded police in the Herndon Avenue area. One of those who spotted it was councilmember Mike Karbassi, who posted a video and said he had the “pleasure of welcoming” the bear to District 2. But he was most grateful that CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife came out so quickly in an effort to capture the cub. So far, the cub has been winning their game of hide-and-seek.

SF Chronicle. ‘That’s not Chonkers’: Where did SF’s viral sea lion go, and who is this imposter?
Synopsis: The 2,000-pound sea lion tourists have dubbed “Chonkers” was last seen at Pier 39 a week ago. The Steller sea lion is roughly 3x the size of all the other sea lions at the pier. Wildlife experts say he actually lives out by the Farallon Islands and roams much farther in search of food. That search is what likely brought him to Pier 39 as he followed an abundant run of anchovies. There’s another Steller sea lion at the pier, just not as big as Chonkers. He is expected to vacate for the Channel Islands for breeding season.