Valley Solutions

Fighting voluntary water deals

Maven / CWIN. Unethical choice for the State Water Resources Control Board.
Synopsis: The activist organization CWIN rails against the appointment of Jared Blumenfeld to the State Water Board. CWIN is angry that Blumenfeld helped negotiate voluntary agreements with irrigation and water districts that resulted in higher flows and streambed improvements on the state’s rivers. According to CWIN, “Blumenfeld has made it clear that he will vote to approve these very agreements later this year. He is also certain to support other boondoggle projects” such as Sites Reservoir and the Delta Tunnel. CWIN then compares Gavin Newsom to Donald Trump – slap.
MAD Take: Voluntary agreements played a role – though we don’t yet know how large – in the incredible rebound of salmon in rivers across Northern California the past two years. Yes, the ban on commercial fishing helped, too. But the work done by irrigation districts and groups like River Partners, the Water Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Sustainable Conservation and county farm bureaus have created better places for the salmon to spawn. Whether or not the additional fish can survive swimming through a predator-infested Delta remains to be seen.

Maven’s Notebook. Control, not eradication: Managing invasive plants in the Delta. 
Synopsis: Invasive aquatic plants such as hyacinth and Brazilian waterweed are altering the Delta in catastrophic ways. Hyacinth is said to cover 2,500 acres of the waterway with the submerged Brazilian waterweed also taking hold. The weeds slow water flow, make it easier for algae to grow, and provide hiding places for invasive fish that prey on native smelt and salmon. Dense mats of plants reduce phytoplankton which shifts oxygen to algae. The plants clog boat propellors and damage water-supply infrastructure. The weeds have become so pervasive that eradication is no longer possible. Meanwhile, federal funds to remove the weeds have been slashed.

Bay Area polluters get a pass

Palo Alto Online. Deadline for cleaner wastewater extended by water board. 
Synopsis: Two years ago, the Bay Area’s 40 publicly owned wastewater treatment agencies were given 10 years to upgrade wastewater-treatment facilities to the same standards required throughout the state. The goal was to reduce the pollutants entering San Francisco Bay by 40%. The cost was pegged at $11 billion. Thursday, the SF Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board – the regional arm of the State Water Board – agreed to a 5-year extension giving agencies time to conduct additional studies and build small levees and wetlands adjacent to facilities to “absorb the pollutants from treated effluent.” Meanwhile, overflows from some of those plants contribute fish kills throughout the Bay. “Fifteen years is too long, the Bay needed better protections from wastewater pollution years ago,” said Jon Rosenfield of SF Baykeeper. “The board should be driving the urgency and innovation by requiring implementation of solutions.” The SFPUC pledged to invest $2.3 billion over 20 years to upgrade wastewater treatment.
MAD Take: It is a travesty that Bay Area officials facilitate this ongoing environmental disaster. It’s easy to blame fish kills and loss of native species on Valley water districts, low flows, farming chemicals and a host of other reasons. But it wasn’t farmers or Valley residents who sued the federal EPA to set aside the same rules that every other city in the state must follow when releasing treated wastewater into the environment.

A million solar rooftops

Fresno Bee. PG&E reaches 1 million rooftop solar customers as debate over incentives continues. 
Synopsis: CA now has 1 million rooftops with solar panels, according to PG&E. “It’s definitely a major milestone, not just for PG&E but for CA’s clean energy transition,” said spokesman Paul Doherty. Solar has become a “vital component of energy generation.” The data: 25.9% of all CA homes have solar, generating 55.5 gigawatts of power valued at $122.4 billion. That’s the good news. The story also delves deeply into the contention by major utility providers that they should be allowed to pay wholesale prices for excess generation. Their argument is that rooftop solar deprives them of operating cash flow, meaning the companies have less to for maintenance, infrastructure and dividends. So those costs now fall on those who don’t have solar – mainly the poor. “Net energy metering hurts the poor; it’s that simple,” said energy researcher Severin Borenstein of UC Berkeley.

O’Brien’s closing at Roseburg

Modesto Focus. O’Brien’s Market at Roseburg Square to close in late September, employees told.  
Synopsis: O’Brien’s Market in Roseburg Square will close Sept. 26, though it could be sold to someone other than a family member and remain open under different ownership. The notice to employees offered “no assurance” of continued employment. At one time, O’Brien’s had 10 stores in the Modesto region; with the closure of Roseburg, only one will remain – the Dale Road store. Former supervisor Bill O’Brien said he was unable to speak with the media until Wednesday. The store opened in 1987.

Should Dyer get a third term?

Fresno Bee. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer supports changing city charter for third term. 
Synopsis: Jerry Dyer thinks he’s been doing a good job as mayor and says anyone who agrees should be able to vote for him to have a third term. But the city restricts mayors to two consecutive terms, and he’ll be termed out in January 2029. That provides time to change the city charter, which is what council president Nelson Esparza is trying to do.
MAD Take: It should be noted that Jerry Dyer is a Republican and Nelson Esparza is a Democrat. It is a good sign for our Valley that both of these leaders can set aside any political disagreements for the good of community. Maybe it’s a Valley thing. Or maybe there’s hope after all.  

Fresno Bee. Should Mayor Dyer get a third consecutive term? What Fresno’s power brokers say. 
Synopsis: Politics reporter David Taub spoke to several people about setting aside the restrictions on a third consecutive mayoral term. Most, like Brooke Ashjian and Jason Carns, support it. “Jerry has done a good job as mayor. … Ultimately this is a win-win.” But Joaquin Arambula doesn’t like the idea, nor does Nick Richardson. Council candidates Keshia Thomas and Ariana Martinez Lott said nothing.

Cities on a collision course

Modesto Bee. Modesto, Riverbank debate issues raised by 663-acre Tivoli North development plan. 
Synopsis: Modesto is pressing forward with its environmental study for the Tivoli North Specific Plan, which is creating some friction with the city of Riverbank. Tivoli could have up to 7,000 homes and 21,000 residents with 1.25 million square feet of commercial space between Coffee and Roselle and south of Claribel. Riverbank, which has expanded all the way down to Claribel, worries Tivoli will impact its transportation, schools and emergency services. The city of Modesto said it “appreciated” the feedback. Riverbank’s city manager said conversations with Modesto have been “informative.”
MAD Take: With Riverbank already having built out massive neighborhoods north of Claribel and with plans to put thousands of homes 4 miles west of town adjacent to Modesto, it sounds, uh, incongruous for the city to complain about growth. A decade ago, Riverbank was asked by Modesto not to allow cuts on Claribel so that the proposed Claribel Road improvements would remain a highway. Riverbank ignored that request.

Pistachio crop estimate slashed

Ag Net West. CA pistachio crop could be cut in half; Rich Kreps explains what growers need to know.
Synopsis: Rich Kreps of UltraGrow talks to ANW’s interviewers, saying the heat wave that hit the South Valley in April was devastating to pistachios. Temps spiked as flowers were emerging, causing them to wilt. In the worst-hit area, farmers now are seeing blanks in 90% of nuts. The eastern side of the Valley didn’t suffer quite as badly. Still, the crop is expected to be as little as 650 million pounds, far below last year’s 1.5 billion pounds. Naturally, a smaller crop means higher prices.

CA Ag Net. Mike Forbes named next CEO of American Pistachio Growers.
Synopsis: Mike Forbes will take over as CEO of American Pistachio Growers on Sept. 1. He has 20 years in the food biz, including stints as CEO of MaryRuth Organics, chocolate maker Alter Eco Foods and with the Vitamin Shoppe. He has also experience with the CA Olive Ranch, McKinsey, Jim Beam and Procter & Gamble.

Putting ‘cuss’ in city customers

Modesto Focus. Rocky start for Modesto’s new utility billing system gets even worse. 
Synopsis: The city of Modesto’s new billing system is, well, a mess. Twelve weeks in, customers are frustrated, being charged errant late fees, and some 60,000 have called to complain – overwhelming the call center. Considering the city has only 76,000 water/sewer connections, that means 8 out of 10 have called in frustration. The city is offering two in-person workshops at the Senior Citizens Center on Bodem -- 5:30 Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Fires in Sonora, Modesto, Kern

SF Chronicle. Man arrested on suspicion of starting Dove Fire near Sonora.
Synopsis: Jacob William Hoskins of Sonora was arrested Monday for recklessly starting the Dove Fire currently burning through parts of Tuolumne County. Several people spotted him running from the area where the fire started and a few got video. The fire came within 400 yards of downtown Sonora, prompting evacuations. As of Tuesday morning, the 225-acre fire was 25% contained.

Modesto Bee. Second vegetation fire begins in Sonora; Courthouse, businesses evacuated.
Synopsis: A second fire broke out just after 3 p.m. Monday near the Dove Fire. The Court Fire has burned 15 acres, forcing evacuation of the Juvenile Hall, Camp Justice and the Tuolumne County Superior Court. Eight areas have been evacuated, and 14 other areas have gotten warnings.

Modesto Bee. A week after first fire, dozens more cars burn in same Modesto wrecking yard.
Synopsis: In the same wrecking yard where 100 cars burned on July 20, a second fire ignited early Sunday and burned another 40 cars. Capt. Jim Black of MFD said it was in a different part of the yard and took around 45 minutes to put out. The cause is under investigation.

GV Wire. Kern County’s Fish Fire grows to 3,500 acres, reaches 15% containment.
Synopsis: A fire is burning in Kern County due east of Bakersfield. It has consumed 3,500 acres thanks to high winds. There are evacuation warnings, but no immediate threat to humans.

Immigration lawyer charged

Fresnoland. Dozens of Fresno cases tied to alleged national immigration scam. 
Synopsis: Attorney Alexandra Lozano defrauded thousands of immigrants she was claiming to help, according to a lawsuit. The Washington-based attorney billed herself as a “miracle worker” and often posed with religious iconography. The case is being called a “massive, multi-state case” with “tens of thousands of cases that appear to have been deliberately mishandled.” Her signature appears on 53,000 pending cases in the state of Washington alone. At least two dozen plaintiffs live in the 559 area code. Her law firm, Luz del Camino Legal, closed its offices in May, including the Fresno office. But sitting in the window is a candle with the message: “proteccion, permiso, papeles” – protection, permission, paperwork.

West Nile confirmed in S Valley

Fresno Bee. Fresno, Central Valley counties confirm first human cases of West Nile.
Synopsis: Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Madera counties all have confirmed human cases of West Nile virus. The case in Fresno was confirmed when a person tried to give blood. Officials urged residents to cover up if outdoors at sun-up or sundown. Madera also confirmed its first case Monday. There is no treatment or vaccination. There were 128 human cases and 11 deaths in CA in 2025.
MAD Note: Two human cases of West Nile have been confirmed in Stanislaus while mosquitos in San Joaquin have tested positive for six weeks.

Daylight doesn’t need saving

Westside Connect. Gray casts vote to halt Daylight Savings Time.
Synopsis: Rep. Adam Gray voted in favor of HR 139 – the so-called Sunshine Protection Act – to end daylight savings time. The measure passed 308-117, putting the nation on the path to keeping the clocks constant year-round. DST is currently observed from March to November except in states refusing to recognize it such as Arizona.