Valley Solutions

Where you’ll find fireworks

Modesto Bee. This won’t be your normal Fourth of July in Modesto region. 
Synopsis: The nation’s 250^th birthday celebration will be special with a host of activities. It helps that it falls on a Saturday, though the festivities start on Friday as the Roadsters will also host fireworks both July 3 and 4. Then on Saturday, the fourth, there will be fireworks over Woodward Reservoir north of Oakdale, and the North Modesto Kiwanis Club is hosting its annual parade, just bigger with a street fair, food and entertainment downtown from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Continuing on the fourth:
Riverbank will have a Bicycle Parade & Celebration from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Denair has the Tractor Parade & Golf Cart Contest starts at 9 a.m.
Manteca has three events, starting with breakfast, a parade and finally fireworks at Manteca High.
Livingston has a parade, petting zoo, and picnic followed by fireworks from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Atwater’s annual parade starts at 9 a.m. followed by a festival at Ralston Park and music at the Castle Commerce Center.
Gustine has a parade on Main Street starting at 10:30 a.m.
Columbia State Historic Park will have a sing-along along Joaquin Gullet Road in Twain Harte.

Turlock Journal. Where to see fireworks this holiday weekend. 
For those who want fireworks on the 250^th Fourth of July celebration, the Journals offers six alternatives in the region.
Turlock: A downtown parade at 6:30 Friday evening, finishing at the Fairgrounds where the fireworks will start going off around 9 p.m.
Modesto: When the Roadsters finish with the Ballers at Modern Woodmen Field, fireworks will commence both Friday and Saturday nights.  
Don Pedro: Turlock Irrigation District will have Fireworks on the Water starting at 9:3 p.m. Saturday. Parking will cost $40 per car or $20 per boat.
Gustine: The fireworks will follow a Saturday morning parade and picnic at the city park.
Atwater. The city’s 63^rd Fourth of July celebration will include a parade, picnic and fireworks at Castle.
Oakdale: The 30^th Fireworks Celebration at Woodward Reservoir begins at 9:30 Saturday. Parking costs $40 per vehicle and you have to leave by 10 p.m.

Merced County Times. Parade, fireworks and fun!
Synopsis: Atwater promises an epic day of patriotism as the nation celebrates its independence from Britain for the 250^th time. In Atwater, it will be the 63rd July Fourth celebration and is considered one of the San Joaquin Valley’s largest. It starts with a run, then a parade, a citywide picnic, then fireworks. There will be four grand marshals, all veterans: Gary Frago, Army; Check Herman, Air Force; Donovan Sizemore, Army; Ramon Alfaro, Navy. Dave Luna will emcee the parade and the diaper derby.

Merced County Times. Lights on Lake fireworks return to Lake McClure. 
Synopsis: The Lights on the Lake fireworks show returns to Lake McClure on Saturday night, capping off a day of boating, swimming, picnicking and fun. Fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. To allow people to attend the show, Lake Yosemite will close at 7 p.m. to give people time to travel and find parking. The designated viewing area is at McClure Point. No personal fireworks will be allowed inside the park or surrounding area. The sheriff’s office promises “strict enforcement.”

Drones are watching

Modesto Bee. Sheriff’s office arrest 4 for shooting guns into the air near Hwy 99 in Salida.
Synopsis: Deputies arrested four individuals – two men, two women -- who were drinking and shooting in Salida. They didn’t realize, perhaps, that a drone was hovering above taking video as they took turns drinking and firing a pistol. They were shooting toward Hwy 99 and the center of Salida. One tried to hide the gun inside a refrigerator as deputies arrived.

Wine labeling law killed

SF Chronicle. How a new law aimed at easing CA wine crisis was smothered at the eleventh hour. 
Synopsis: Jess Lander reports on the decision by Rhodesia Ransom (D-Tracy) to pull her bill establishing nation-of-origin requirements for wine labels. Currently, wine can contain up to 25% of foreign concentrate and still be labeled “American” wine. Winegrape growers believe 400,000 tons of California grapes went unharvested last year as big wineries bought cheap imports from Australia, South America and South Africa to fill their bottles. The bill wouldn’t have halted the purchases since current tax law rebates duties paid on the juice, but it might have swayed consumers. Originally popular, the bill began losing support as the winemakers weighed in.

Returning pride to the lions

Modesto Bee. Inside look at restoring beloved lions from Seventh Street Bridge in Modesto. 
Synopsis: The concrete lions that guarded the entrances to the Seventh Street Bridge for 109 years are being restored though the bridge was destroyed. Two of the lions will be displayed at the plaza near the new bridge, which will open in 2028. “They’re going to look pretty impressive,” said engineer Michael Eddy with Giampolini Group. Viewed at close range, the lions showed the effects of weathering over 100 years. But the face of one is still in good enough condition to allow a cast to be made to restore the others. The company has restored ornate facades in San Francisco, so this is not a problem. Coincidentally, the lions were cast from a concrete mold in San Francisco before being shipped to Modesto in 1917.

Two tell of campaign plans

Merced County Times. Barbershop owner, Realtor Zeledon announces campaign for Merced Council. 
Synopsis: Yader Zeledon kicked off his campaign for District 6 Merced city council with a party at the Branding Iron on June 25. Zeledon, who overcame a troubled youth, owns Headquarterz Barbershop and oversees the Cheerful Giving charity event that provides gifts to poor kids every Christmas. District 6 is represented by Fue Xiong, who has not announced his intentions. David Bliss, a teacher at Buhach Colony, is also running for the seat.

Turlock Journal. Rocha joins race for mayoral seat.
Synopsis: Jeremy Rocha has thrown his hat into the ring for mayor of Turlock. That makes four candidates – two-term Mayor Amy Bublak, planning commissioner Jim Reape, Rocha and private investigator Kelley Coelho. Candidates have until July 13 to file for the race, so there might be more. Rocha has released a five-point plan for turning Turlock into a charter city. He has served on the city’s Parks & Rec commission and on a county advisory committee.

Merced unveils new terminal

ABC30. Merced’s regional airport unveils new terminal and airline for Valley travelers. 
Synopsis: Mayor Matthew Serratto announced a “new era of travel in Merced” as the Merced Yosemite Regional Airport opened the doors on a new terminal building Wednesday. It will accommodate travelers on Contour Airlines’ nonstop service to LA and Las Vegas. Serratto said the airport will be perfect for those coming to UC Merced, going on to Yosemite or with business in Merced.

Video sparks outrage

Merced Sun Star. Merced County Sheriff’s office looking into killing of four horses in 2025. 
Synopsis: The Sheriff’s office is “aware of a video circulating on social media” showing the killing of four horses on an Atwater property. The video was published by Animals’ Angels USA, an animal-rights group based in Maryland. It was taken with a bodycam as the horses were shot. The property is owned by horse trader Don Gatz. “We understand the concerns expressed by members of our community and appreciate those who have brought this matter to our attention,” said the SO. However, the SO also said that veterinary professionals and animal services staff were present. It is legal to “provide a quick and humane death or minimize suffering” by shooting livestock.

Responding to Stockton killings

Stocktonia. After June surge in homicides, Stockton police chief vows crackdown. 
Synopsis: Last year, Stockton had a single homicide in June. This year there were seven. Eight other people were shot but survived. Chief Stanley McFadden has had enough: “Our community has experienced a series of senseless acts of violence, including multiple homicides,” he wrote. “The violent crime will not be tolerated.” In all of 2025, Stockton had only 18 homicides – a record low. This year, the city has had 16 so far. Most of the violence is occurring in two parts of the city – downtown’s District 5 and north Stockton’s District 1. The violence is becoming a political issue with councilmember Brando Villapudua and his challenger, Desiree Lynch, decrying the mayhem.

Stocktonia. Stockton council approves new military armored vehicles, drones for police department.
Synopsis: The Stockton city council voted 7-0 to approve the purchase of an armored SWAT vehicle and more surveillance drones. The equipment, training and maintenance will total $3.23 million. Included is a bomb-squad truck, a Lenco BearCat vehicle that can fire tear gas cannisters, and nine drones. That will give the city 24 drones. Last year, drones were deployed 1,236 times in searches for suspects and to monitor suspicious devices and activities.

Grass burning at San Luis

Merced Sun Star. Wildfire near San Luis Reservoir up to 650 acres, now 65% contained.
Synopsis: As of 8 a.m. Thursday, the Point Fire near San Luis Reservoir was about 65% contained. It has burned 650 acres, but a fire perimeter and control line have been established. The blaze is burning near the Dinosaur Point Road turnoff, with Cal Fire sending 15 engines, two tankers, three helicopters and two bulldozer crews to the scene.

More bugs at Costco

SF Chronicle. ‘We do not want this stuff getting out’: More Costco plants found with invasive pests.
Synopsis: A second wave of Costco ornamental plants have been found with invasive glassy-wing sharpshooter eggs. The invasive pests have the potential to kill thousands of acres of grapevines and other plants. The flies carry a bacteria called Pierce’s disease which threatens wine and table grapes in particular. The discovery comes two months after a nursery in Fresno County shipped roughly 120 grapevines to Costco stores in Napa and Sacramento. The latest bugs were found on desert willow trees shipped from Tyler, Texas. Of the 215 plants shipped to Sacramento, 209 were recovered and destroyed. A grape grower said this is just one more concern: “All the other stuff remains. Leafroll. Red blotch. Regulations. Weak market. If you think about it all at the same time, your head will explode.”

Builder responds to claims

GV Wire. Darius Assemi: Granville Homes is prosperous, secure and planning 2027 Home of Hope. 
Synopsis: The publisher of GV Wire and CEO Granville Homes responded to a story in Fresnoland earlier this week that said his homebuilding empire was crumbling. The story was based on comments from a former employee who was offering “fabulist tales,” in Assemi’s words. He says the former employee was fired for various reasons. As for Granville, which has built 7,500 homes in the Fresno area, “We are in a strong financial position and poised to continue building our beautiful, energy-efficient, award-winning homes for years to come.” His annual Home of Hope charity event has raised $9 million for local nonprofits since 2006.

AI designs the ‘perfect’ burger

Morning Ag Clips. AI designs the ideal burger for taste, health and planet.
Synopsis: If you’re dissatisfied with your hamburger recipe, AI has got you covered at ai4burger.com. It will design your new favorite burger based on your age, weight, taste preferences and environmental sensitivities. For an aging boomer who is slightly overweight, it recommends a meatless portobello-based burger with plenty of mustard, mayonnaise, salt, garlic and soy sauce. It has 500 calories and produces 1.18 kg of carbon dioxide with “scarcity-weighted water use” of 7,660 L eq – whatever that means (liters maybe?). The recipe actually comes from food.com.