Valley Solutions

‘Fed up’ protesters come out

Fresnoland. ‘We love our country.’ Protesters pack sidewalks for Fresno’s ‘No Kings’ rallies.
Synopsis: Thousands of protesters peacefully packed the streets of Fresno on Saturday, joining millions across America in protesting the Trump administration’s tactics and policies. There were “thick clusters” of protesters at several Blackstone intersections throughout the morning, mostly greeted by “an endless stream of honking horns” in support of the peaceful rally and their color signs. Those who did not support it usually made other displays. The Fresno “Puppet Society” created a 10-foot Statue of Liberty. Because the protests were so diffuse, it was difficult to estimate the number of protesters, but it was put in the thousands.

Fresno Bee. ‘We are hardworking people’: Hundreds in Clovis protest Trump at ‘No Kings’ rally.
Synopsis: Roughly 1,000 residents came to Clovis and Shaw to protest in one of the most conservative communities in the Valley. “The rally was energetic and lively and peaceful.” While many honked in support, a few yelled “Trump!” from their car windows and flipped off protesters. Singleton Papendick, who describes herself as a Clovis mom, organized the demonstration. It included many first-time protesters, including 75-year-old Alice Roman, who said “I’m every scared of where our democracy is going right now. It’s being destroyed.” A child of immigrants noted that Trump is “badmouthing us and acting like we are all criminals coming in here to ruin America, but we are hardworking people.” Said Catherine Latona, “As a Republican, I am fed up.”

Fresno Bee. Trump fans lied. No commies, haters or paid agitators at ‘No Kings.’
Synopsis: Columnist Juan Esparza Loera writes that try as he might, he just couldn’t find any communists or paid agitators at Fresno’s No Kings rally. Nor could he find professionally painted signs, rioters, people who hate the US or troublemakers. Instead of the “scum of America,” as Donald Trump characterized those who participated, Loera found just the opposite. He asked former Madera Mayor Santos Garcia about it: “Trump people hate to see us out in the streets,” said Garcia. “The truth is that we’re out here defending democracy, defending our country.”

Working for a freer, better country

Valley Focus. Colorful, flag-waving No Kings protestors show up by the thousands in Merced. 
Synopsis: Thousands hit the streets in Merced and Modesto on Saturday, some also advocating for LGBTQ rights, Prop 50, Palestine, immigration protection and freedom of speech. After hundreds gathered at Standiford Park in Modesto, more than 1,000 marched to Briggsmore and McHenry to be seen at the city’s busiest intersection. Police were highly visible but issued no citations. In Merced, police had an easy time keeping an eye on things since the protest was centered a block from headquarters. Along with chants, bubbles floated through the air keeping dozens of children in the throng entertained. One resident said: “It’s poppin’. The vibes are immaculate.” Protesters were joined by Rep. Adam Gray. “We’re in this together,” said Gray. “I think what’s most disturbing about what’s happening in the country right now is -- you know, our fellow Americans are not enemies. We’re all Americans working together to have a freer, better country for us all. I think it’s really important.”

Modesto Bee. Second ‘No Kings’ protest draws over 1,000 in Modesto’s Standiford Park. 
Synopsis: By 1 pm Saturday, Modesto’s Standiford Park -- well away from the parks normally used for public displays closer to downtown Modesto -- was “filled with about 1,000 people,” wrote Bee reporters. Some protesters came dressed as unicorns, dinosaurs and frogs while others wore Halloween costumes; hundreds carried mostly humorous signs. One young woman came dressed as a clown, asking, “How violent am I going to be? I’m dressed brightly. I’m dressed silly. You can’t say I’m violent when I look this silly.” Police met people at park entrances stopping those carrying flagsticks or poles attached to signs. Many were required to remove the poles or flagsticks. As one protester pointed out: “I think that’s ridiculous. It’s only a pole that I bought at Walmart with the flag attached.” One speaker, with a mic in her hands, pointed to an American flag and noted that her grandfather was wearing that flag when he died in France fighting fascists. She asked that we all “pledge allegiance to that anti-fascist flag – that ANTIFA flag.”
MAD Take: The Bee’s estimates of protesters might be a little low. Knowledgeable observers put the number closer to 2,000. Even splitting the difference is a 50% discrepancy.

Merced Sun Star. Second ‘No Kings’ rally draws hundreds for protest in Merced. 
Synopsis: Hundreds gathered in Merced’s Courthouse Park to take part in the “No Kings” protest, stretching all the way along M Street to 23^rd. Some brought lawn chairs and most brought homemade signs. “It’s important to come out and protest peacefully,” said Lorraine Nelson of Merced. Indivisible Merced organized the event and set up registration tables for voters. Some of the signs: “A king is only a king if we bow down” and “Imagine being scared of diversity but not dictatorship” and “Hands Off!”
MAD Note: Hundreds? Sure. About 23 or 25 hundreds judging from the images.

ICE shouldn’t trap moms

Fox26. Valley mother detained at routine immigration appointment, sparking outrage. 
Synopsis: Maria Francisca Caballero of Firebaugh went to the federal building in Fresno to update her immigration application but was immediately detained by ICE then taken to Kern County more than a week ago. Her family and about a dozen elected officials came out Friday to demand her release. Among them was Rep. Adam Gray, who said Democrats have offered bills that would prohibit the detention of people trying to comply with immigration laws. He called for the immediate release of his constituent. Gray called it inexcusable that House Republicans and the president refuse to consider legislation to protect law-abiding residents trying to comply with the law. “We call on the White House and immigration officials to immediately release her, return her to her children and review her pending immigration case.”

GV Wire. ICE says woman entered US illegally multiple times; Fresno lawmakers want her release.
Synopsis: Columnist David Taub writes about the gathering to demand the release of Maria Villanueva Caballero but takes a different approach – accepting ICE’s justifications for detaining her. ICE claims she entered the US illegally 6 times in the past 25 years. ICE admits she was “voluntarily removed five times.” Taub goes on to quote liberally from the ICE press release, which characterized Caballero as a “criminal alien” though it failed to cite a single law she has broken other than entering the country.

Fresno Bee. Fresno mom followed the rules and was imprisoned by ICE. This is wrong.
Synopsis: The Fresno Bee editorial Board – Tad Weber and Juan Esparza Loera – write about the case of Maria Francisca Villanueva Caballero, who was applying for legal residency on Oct. 8 when ICE detained her in Fresno. Rep. Jim Costa “and a slew of local officials” are doing their best to make her case as public as possible. “Hundreds of letters” have testified to her character and community involvement. As Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco put it, “The immigration system should serve as a pathway to stability … not a trap door that punishes compliance.” Costa decried the “bureaucratic cruelty” in detaining her.  

Can almond hulls be, uh, tasty?

Almond Board. Commercializing almond hulls as food ingredients. 
Synopsis: Historically used as cattle feed, almond hulls might soon become a source of fiber for humans. The declining dairy herd nationally, matched by a declining price for hulls, has the ABC looking for other ways to create revenue from almonds. Hulls contain fiber, sugars, phytochemicals and minerals and can be turned into any number of products. Working with Mattson, the ABC has developed a coffee-additive to reduce bitterness and increase fiber. Several companies are developing hull-cleaning systems, including the Cortez Growers Association.

Oversight meeting gets testy

Turlock Journal. Friction remains between oversight committee, school district officials.
Synopsis: The Measure N and O oversight committee is winding down its responsibilities, but acrimony between chair Lacy Elliott and TUSD official Barney Gordon shows “no signs of cooling.” Elliott says TUSD’s incompetence deprived the district of $8.4 million in state funding for modernization projects financed with two bond measures totaling $116 million. The sides have offered competing paperwork to prove their points – 140 pages from Elliott, 225 pages from TUSD’s Gordon. Yes, there were mistakes, said Gordon, but they were not as costly as Elliott contends.

Missile misfire halts show

LA Times. How military’s ‘safe’ plan to fire munitions over I-5 went off the rails, hit CHP cruiser. 
Synopsis: In an event planned to celebrate the Marine Corps’ birthday, live rounds were fired near a beach at Camp Pendleton. Shrapnel from one of those rounds hit a CHP cruiser parked along I-5 to block traffic – a precaution Gov. Newsom ordered despite assurances it would not be necessary. But during the program, a shell detonated prematurely and struck the cruiser. The Gov. called firing the weapons into California “an absurd show of force.” The state also canceled Amtrak and Metrolink trains that run parallel to I-5 through Camp Pendleton. The Marines had planned to fire 60 shells during Vance’s visit but immediately ceased fire after the Howitzer round went off prematurely. The Marines are investigating the incident.

Nursing shortage gets serious

Stocktonia. CA’s nursing shortage is getting worse, threatening patient care. 
Synopsis: We’re not producing enough nurses to replace those “aging out” of the workforce. This endangers patients and the wellbeing of those in the field. Nearly 60% of the state faces nursing shortage, with the worst crisis in rural areas. The current shortage is expected to triple by 2030. The nurses union says the crisis is sparked by poor working conditions and unsustainable workloads. Among those speaking out was Lorena Burkett, who works at Emanuel MC in Turlock. She recounted missing a notation in a chart showing opioid dosing. She caught the mistake before a second dose could be administered, but that made her realize something must change. “We have to prioritize patient care, but we are under a lot of pressure to get patients out and turn profits.” UCSF researchers say enrollment in nursing programs has declined. While there are 552,000 active licensed RNs in CA, only 350,850 are working in the field.

Los Banos powers up

ABC30. Los Banos unveils solar project expected to save the city $380K.
Synopsis: The city partnered with Peninsula Clear Energy to install solar panels at the Los Banos Wastewater Treatment Plant. According to Mayor Michael Amabile, the city will save roughly $380,000 a year.

McClatchy’s view of Prop 50

McClatchy California. Here is how McClatchy CA opinion journalists voted on Prop 50.
Synopsis: Basically, the 11 people (5 in Sac) who contribute to the company’s editorials for its five newspapers explain why all of them are voting Yes on Prop 50. They summed it up in 3 words: President Donald Trump. They point out that it is “within the power of any Congress and the president to end the nation’s sordid history of gerrymandering and implement the same independent redistricting process for every state.” But they haven’t. And won’t. So something must be done.

Ex-Modestan makes Dateline

Modesto Bee. Modesto connection to ‘Dateline’ episode, a saga of scams, secrets and murder. 
Synopsis: Reporter Maria Figueroa provides a glimpse into “The Prince, the Whiz Kid and the Millionaire” – the Dateline episode that debuted on Oct. 10. It recounts the murder of art dealer Cliff Lambert of Palm Springs and the trial that ensued. One of the two culprits was Daniel Garcia, who was raised in Modesto. Just so you’re not left guessing, Garcia was among four people found guilty in 2011. Due to exceeding legal strangeness, he has not yet sentenced.