Valley Solutions

Valley Solutions offers a daily look at the top headlines appearing on media websites affecting the San Joaquin Valley. It is compiled by Mike Dunbar, who worked in Stockton, Modesto, Merced and Los Banos media for 40 years and later served as Adam Gray’s press secretary when he was in the Assembly. Valley Solutions is brought to readers by Rep. Adam Gray.

Dolores Huerta passes

SF Chronicle. Dolores Huerta, iconic labor activist behind United Farm Workers, dies at 96. 
Synopsis: The woman who left a teaching job in Stockton to define a movement has died at age 96. Raised in Stockton, Dolores Huerta become an organizer for farmworker unions while raising 11 children from three relationships. She helped lead the National Farm Workers Assn through the grape boycott of the 1960s and was instrumental in negotiating the first contracts with the United Farm Workers. She was arrested 25 times during non-violent protests. Huerta’s mother Alicia Chavez left New Mexico with her daughter for Stockton where her parents lived. Huerta’s grandfather called her “seven tongues” because Dolores talked so much.

North Valley Review. Lo siento mucho: Dolores Huerta, 1930-2026. 
Synopsis: Heartfelt words as the website bids farewell to “the most famous person to come out of Stockton.” The memorial concludes: “For nurses, factory workers, farmworkers, and anyone fighting for a better life, the familiar picket-line chant ‘Si, se puede” carries her spirit forward. The phrase she coined commonly translated as ‘Yes, we can’ continues to inspire people to stand together and demand something better. Every time those words are spoken, a little of Dolores Huerta lives on.”

Water board decision looms

Stocktonia. Farms or fish? State water board weighs critical decisions about San Joaquin River. 
Synopsis: The State Water Resources Control Board begins an important two-day meeting as it considers revisions to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan. The most contentious provisions concern voluntary agreements between the state and water districts who manage river flows for farming and urban use. Districts that participate in the state’s Healthy Rivers & Landscapes program agree to make habitat improvements on rivers and in floodplains in exchange for reliable water deliveries. Gov. Newsom calls those agreements “a collaborative, science-driven approach to managing our water.” But some of the most adamant environmental organizations – Restore the Delta, Sierra Club, Friends of the River – believe river flows must be doubled or tripled to protect fish.
MAD Take: While this story is straightforward, it does not explain why this is a “farms or fish” dilemma. Groups like Friends of the River and Restore the Delta insist farmers be required to give up crops that require a minimum amount of water each year to survive. But as Alex Rabidoux of Solano County Water Agency points out, salmon evolved in a system of rivers connected to floodplains. The only way to restore salmon populations is to restore those connections between rivers and areas that flood intermittently – which is what water districts and groups such as River Partners are doing in locations across the Valley. Such restoration requires resources that only water districts and the state can provide. I’m unaware of any project that either The Sierra Club or Friends of the River have ever done in the Valley. Restoration isn’t cheap.

More water flows to farms

Fresno Bee. West Fresno County farmers’ water allocations increased, reducing groundwater need.
Synopsis: The Bureau of Reclamation announced it will increase water allocations for south-of-Delta customers from 28% to 31% of their contracted amounts. The water will come from Central Valley Project reservoirs such as Millerton near Fresno and New Melones near Sonora. Among those receiving the water are growers in Westlands Water District, whose GM called the late-season announcement “unusual” but smart. “This is exactly the kind of thoughtful, science-based water management that supports both our agricultural communities and California’s long-term water sustainability goals,” said Allison Febbo.  

Does desal cost too much?

Farm Bureau Intel. Desalination doesn’t pencil out for Western agriculture. 
Synopsis: The Colorado River is among the most economically important water systems in the world, supporting 40 million people and millions of acres of cropland. But river’s reservoirs are near empty, and desalination has become the most popular idea for replacing those flows. The Farm Bureau throws cold water on those thoughts. It estimates that seawater desalination would cost around $3,400 per acre foot in California, adding up to $11,250 per acre to the cost of producing crops. At $3,400 an acre foot, lettuce growers would lose $2,533 an acre and almond growers would lose $2,658. To be economically viable, the cost of water would have to fall to around $1,444 per acre foot.
MAD Take: Interesting story, and it’s important to apply very sharp pencils to water problems. But I am reminded of stories we’ve been hearing from Israel over the past few years where the cost of desalination has dropped to around 50 cents per cubic meter. That works out to around $620 per acre foot. Some of us are not quite ready to give up on desal as a solution.

Valley housing still pricey

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus County home prices rise amid ‘affordability challenges.’ 
Synopsis: Even as rising interest rates drive down home prices across the nation, prices in Stanislaus County continue to rise. The median home price was $491,800 in September, up 3.5% from August. For comparison, the statewide median is $899,720. The most affordable homes in the county are in Modesto, with four listings under $300,000.

Fresno Bee. Is $3,750 for a 2BR apartment in Fresno ‘absolutely bonkers?’ Maybe not.
Synopsis: For anyone familiar with Fresno rental prices, paying $3,750 a month for a 2-bedroom apartment seems, uh, high. After all, Fresno isn’t LA or New York. But that’s the going rate for an apartment at The Hubert on Audubon Court. The manager says even at that price, all have been rented.

Fresno police apologize to Singh

Fresno Bee. Fresno City Council candidate Naindeep Singh cleared of DUI accusation, chief says. 
Synopsis: The founder of the Jakarta Movement and Fresno city council candidate Naindeep “Deep” Singh has been cleared of charges that he was impaired while driving Saturday night. Singh says his religious beliefs forbid the use of alcohol or drugs. He went immediately to Community Regional Med Center to be tested, and the tests came back negative. Chief Mindy Casto apologized for the arrest, but insists the unnamed officer did everything by the book. The officer has been trained in drug recognition. Casto defended the officer for “making a legitimate effort to keep our community safe through traffic enforcement.” Singh was pulled over because his registration was out of date.

Fresnoland. Fresno police chief apologizes to council candidate after drug test exonerates him on DUI. 
Synopsis: Julianna Morano reports from the news conference in which police chief Mindy Casto apologized to council candidate Naindeep Singh, saying the candidate is not entirely mollified. “The damage caused by false rumors and misleading allegations – something that so many of us residents have experienced – cannot be ignored,” he said. “I hope the truth gets the same attention and reaches just as many people as the false accusations did.” Singh’s opponent, Rob Fuentes, called on Singh to drop out of the race for District 1 on Sunday but retracted that demand Tuesday.

ICE ‘destroyed my life’

Cal Matters. The dizzying speed of Trump’s deportation machine: Fresno man lands in Mexico in 16 days.  
Synopsis: Luis Arreguin, 54, has lived in California for 49 years. He is married, has four kids, goes to church, pays taxes, is a skilled craftsman and was picked up by ICE on his way to work. “My whole life got destroyed,” he said of the day ICE grabbed him. Arreguin is one of 356,000 people who have been deported this year. He is living in a Mexicali motel room rented by his daughter. His family drove 8 hours to visit last week. He and his wife of 31 years had never spent a night apart. His blood pressure is so high he had to be taken to an ER. There were 300 people on the deportation flight. “Everybody on that plane had their work clothes on. Every single one of them.”

Turlock names park for Lazar

Turlock Journal. Mayor Lazar honored for years of public service with opening of namesake park. 
Synopsis: The city of Turlock dedicated its new west park Tuesday, cutting the ribbon for John Lazar Park on Bethpage Street. The 3.5 acre park has playground equipment, picnic areas, barbecue facilities and open green space. Dignitaries from the current mayor to Supervisor Vito Chiesa to a representative of Rep. Adam Gray’s office spoke at the ceremony. Before they finished, children were already playing on the equipment. “Having children around just makes (the dedication) all that more fantastic,” said Chiesa.

Party principal needs discipline

GV Wire. Teachers accuse principal of sex with staff, drinking on the job; will Fresno Unified act?
Synopsis: Ten teachers at Tehipite Middle School have filed complaints accusing the principal of drinking on the job and having sex with staff. The complaints were filed in June, saying the principal created a “party-like” atmosphere and that she favored staff who went along with it. With “lengthy, corroborating allegations from staff who say they witnessed the behavior firsthand,” the district put principal Shannon West on administrative leave. Fresno Teachers Assn president Manuel Bonilla says the investigation has taken entirely too long.

Driving high is killing people

SF Chronicle. America waged war on drunk driving; now a new epidemic is taking hold. 
Synopsis: The Chronicle looks at the death toll associated with driving while high. The stories are maddening – a devoted father, a laughing toddler, people on the way to work. Some 30 a day across the US are killed by drivers impaired by meth, cocaine, weed and painkillers. “Local, state and federal officials are failing at the most basic levels to confront the carnage.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn’t even track fatalities due to drug use. “This is a silent epidemic, people are dying, but it’s still being swept under the rug,” said a professor of public health. “Federal agencies and Congress should have treated this 15 to 20 years ago.” On the rare occasions when impaired drivers are brought to trial, their punishment is far too lenient. One man who killed a toddler in his stroller was sentenced to 12 years and served less than 6. “It feels like the state of California is saying you can go kill someone and then get a few years and get out.”

Mussels make concrete weak

SJV Water. Golden mussels may weaken concrete and degrade water quality, studies suggest. 
Synopsis: It’s not bad enough that invasive golden mussels clog pumps, pipes and ruin equipment. Now studies are showing they also weaken concrete. They secrete a “byssal thread” which loosens the upper surface of concrete, allowing cracks to form and water to seep in. The mussels, who arrived on a ship from Asia roughly two years ago, have colonized bodies of water up and down California. The “colonized concrete can become more porous, absorb more water, and lose some of the minerals that contribute to its durability.”

Is this Las Madera? Ma-Vegas?

Fresno Bee. Madera’s new Las Vegas-style casino is now open; 2,400 slots, 40 tables. 
Synopsis: The North Fork Mono Casino & Resort has opened its doors. Finally. Inside you’ll find 40 gaming tables, 2,400 slot machines, a locally run Mexican restaurant, a sports bar and even “fine dining.” GM Mark Ward calls it “elegant.” Clubhouse 99 offers craft beers and there are at least three different bars. Las Vegas-based Station Casinos is the operator of the 24/7 resort. The opening was delayed by lawsuits lodged by the Picayune Rancheria, which operates the Chukchansi Gold Casino off Hwy 41. There’s still a federal challenge pending. But the gaming has begun.