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.

In praise of hero dogs

SF Chronicle. Northern CA couple badly injured in bear attack, dog dies trying to protect them. 
Synopsis: A couple was seriously injured by a black bear outside their home in Trinity County early Saturday. But it could have been worse if their French bulldog had not intervened. Cassie, the small black dog, attacked the bear as it mauled Jeff Wilson. The attack occurred around 4 a.m. Saturday when Jeff was awakened by Cassie’s barking. He let Cassie out, thinking it was just a potty run. When he opened the door, he was rushed by a black bear, who broke two ribs and knocked Jeff to the floor. That’s when Cassie charged. Mallory awoke and found the bear holding Cassie in its mouth. She hit the bear with a piece of furniture and it turned on her, causing injuries before fleeing. Their glamping business has been closed while they recover. They’ve asked that the bear, if identified, not be euthanized.

Fox40. Dog shot, 2 men arrested, K9 attacked during marijuana bust in Keyes. 
Synopsis: Two men were arrested and their dog shot after it attacked a deputy’s canine partner during a drug bust in Keyes on Thursday. Stanislaus Sheriff’s deputies noticed a large bunch of marijuana plants behind a fence at a house on Washington Road. They got a warrant and found a “large outdoor marijuana cultivation operation” of more than 1,000 plants. One man refused to leave the house, where he was accompanied by a large dog. As deputies entered, the dog attacked the K9 and was shot. The men arrested were 48 and 61.

Merced Sun Star. Merced County traffic stop leads to big drug bust, CHP says.
Synopsis: The CHP pulled over a pickup truck pulling an enclosed trailer carrying another vehicle on Wednesday. They called in a K9 officer, who alerted partners to the presence of cocaine – about 77 pounds hidden inside the vehicle in the trailer. The driver and passenger are now guests of the Merced County jail. 

Dos Palos gets needed help

Westside Express. Gray secures funding for DP’s wastewater treatment plant. 
Synopsis: Calling it a “very important investment in the city’s future,” Mayor Katy Reed celebrated the arrival of $1.1 million in federal funding delivered by Rep. Adam Gray for the city’s new water treatment facility. “Dos Palos faces significant challenges in funding major wastewater improvements,” said Reed. “This grant is a tremendous investment in our community and the future.” The money will help consolidate two aging facilities into a single unit. “It’s not flashy, but it’s the kind of investment that keeps Central Valley communities running and growing,” said Gray. After his visit in Dos Palos, Gray went to Mendota where he announced $2 million in funding for the city’s community center.

39 Days: Columnists weigh in

LA Times. Heads up, Latino men: The future of democracy hangs on your vote. 
Synopsis: Columnist Gustavo Arrellano writes about the plight of being a Latino male. You’re painted as either a criminal, a lech, a buffoon, lazy or a few drinks away from brawling and bawling. But Donald Trump appealed to their machismo. In 2024, Latinos were the pivotal vote that swung swing states to Trump. This year, Latino men are more likely to swing the vote in the other direction. What Gustavo calls “rancho libertarians” now recognize that “no politician has insulted the Latino way of life more than Trump. Helping to flip the House and Senate to the Democrats wouldn’t end his influence, but it sure would help. Plus, it would be a perfect rebuke to a pendejo who fooled too many good Latino men.”

LA Times. Republican candidates can’t escape the stink of Trumpism. 
Synopsis: Columnist LZ Granderson has a message for candidates who have cheered on Donald Trump for the past two years but now can’t remember his name: “Removing the president’s picture from (campaign websites) won’t remove the smell of Trumpism,” she writes. These candidates “agreed to smell like him when it was politically advantageous. Now they can’t get the Trump stink off of them.”

Airport needed for fire fight

Fresno Bee. Wildfire closes Mariposa-Yosemite airport as crews battle Dome Fire.
Synopsis: As firefighting efforts take precedence, Mariposa-Yosemite Airport has been closed to public use so firefighting aircraft can stage at the facility 18 miles from the fire. The fire has been a “slow burn” in the backcountry near Chilnualna Falls for more than week, having covered 4,200 acres. Smoke from the fire has closed Glacier Point Road and several trails.

How dry has it gotten?

Sacramento Bee. Nearly 70% of CA is ‘abnormally dry’ as drought, El Niño strengthen.
Synopsis: After a hot summer, nearly 70% of CA is either “abnormally dry” or technically in drought, says the US Drought Monitor. The return of dry conditions is a sharp shift from earlier this year, when there was no drought in the state for the first time in 25 years.
MAD Take: Not to diminish the significance of drought, but the fact that the Monitor found drought in California for 25 straight years – including in 2016-17, 2019 and 2023 – raises eyebrows. If drought is all you’re looking for, it’s all you’ll find.

UC Merced: Sustainability pioneer

Merced Sun Star. UC Merced among first campuses to earn Carnegie Classification for Sustainability. 
Synopsis: UC Merced became one of the first 14 college to receive the Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability. It recognizes the university’s dedication to creating a sustainable campus across its facilities, operations, career prep, community engagement, research and curriculum. It was the fourth recognition UCM has gotten from the Carnegie Foundation, including being named an R1 institution for research. As an example of sustainability, the university looked at how it provides water for events. Instead of plastic bottles, water is offered through coolers with compostable cups. At last year’s graduation, the school saved 3,500 bottles.

DA declines charges in 4 fatalities

ABC30. Madera DA declines charges for now against father, son arrested in fatal crash investigation. 
Synopsis: Madera DA Sally Moreno has decided there is not enough evidence to charge Thomas Wood Sr. and his son Thomas Jr. with a crime. The Woods were in a GMC Sierra the CHP said ran a stop sign and hit a Honda CRV, killing four people earlier this month. The men were taken into custody on Tuesday, some 19 days after the crash at Road 9 and Avenue 21. The CHP booked the Woods on murder charges, which are allowed in multiple fatalities. Moreno would not say if alcohol was involved.
MAD Take: If the DA doesn’t believe the CHP was wrong in its charges, she should explain what needs to change in CA law so that those responsible for carnage on the highways can be held to justice.

Saturday is party time

Patterson Irrigator. Ready or not … it is time for the Corn Maze!
Synopsis: The Fantozzi Farms Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch will open (maybe for the last time) at 2665 Sperry Avenue on Saturday. There will be a scavenger hunt, hayrides, food, a petting zoo and five “golden pumpkins” will be hidden around the facility. Find one and you win a free pass. The maze includes 5 miles of trails over 10 acres at varying degrees of difficulty. The property has already been sold to logistics developers.

Madera Tribune. 95^th Old Timers’ Day Parade is Saturday. 
Synopsis: The 95^th Old Timers Day Parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, with Dennis Smith the grand marshal. Accompanying him will be Honorable Queen Ila Schoettler. A new category for honorees has been added to celebrate “Madera Young Trailblazer.” The first to get the award is RC Chahal, who played an integral role in the Madtown Robotics Team 1323’s success. After the parade there will be a fair with vendors, food and music at Courthouse Park.

Stocktonia. Stockton Symphony, United Way celebrate 100 years with ‘Unforgettable’ gala. 
Synopsis: The Stockton Symphony celebrate its first century in Stockton on Saturday at 6 p.m. The event includes dinner, music, a silent auction, live painting and dancing. Tickets are $250 with proceeds split between the Symphony and United Way, which is also 100 years old. Peter Jaffe has been musical director of the symphony since 1995. The symphony is the third oldest in California, and the longest in continuous operation.

Hit-and-run-and-die

Modesto Bee. Suspect in Turlock hit-and-run dies minutes later in crash involving city bus, house.
Synopsis: After hitting a car and driving away, the suspected driver then crashed into in a city bus and then a house on Lander Avenue on Thursday night. The last crash killed the driver. No other injuries were reported. Police were on their way to the first crash when the report of the second came in. The bus carried only its driver. The deceased was not identified.

Beloved pharmacist passes

Westside Express. Longtime Los Banos pharmacist Mel Hartsoch has died. 
Synopsis: John Spevak writes about Mel Hartsach, longtime owner of Los Banos Drug Store. He died unexpectedly on Sept. 14 with his family around him. He sold the business in 2019 but continued working part-time at Sorensen’s Ace Hardware. An active 74, Hartsach was part of the chain crew at Los Banos football games and active in Knights of Columbus, Rotary, FFA and 4H. “So many people would tell me wonderful things about the little acts of kindness that Mel did for them,” said Joanne Hoefer, who owned a bookstore a few doors down from the Drug Store. “Especially when they were down on their luck.”

Shelter opens in French Camp

Stocktonia. At a shelter in French Camp, a new space gives women a place to rest, recover.
Synopsis: The Roos Family Health & Wellness Center is a different kind of shelter. It’s meant to provide a private place when needed and communal space when desired. Olga Rodriguez is the director and chose everything from the furniture to the colors of the wall. “Color is key,” she said of the golden tones on the walls. “It’s not a building, it’s a blessing,” said Jon Hathorn, the pastor at Lincoln Presbyterian. Residents typically remain for two weeks but can stay several months. It is funded by San Joaquin County and private donations.

What time is it? Check clock

Merced Golden Wire (Facebook). New Bob Hart Square clock coming soon to downtown Merced. 
Synopsis: The clock has been removed from Bob Hart Square in downtown Merced and sent to the Historical Society for safekeeping. The old clock was broken with damage to its mechanism; repairs were estimated at $50,000. A new clock has been purchased at $75,000 – with $41,000 provided through donations, many anonymous. Installation is expected in two weeks.

What day is it? It’s Dolly Day

Fox26. Sept. 25 is Dolly Parton Day in Fresno, in CA and more. 
Synopsis: Nine-two-five, the name of one of Dolly’s biggest hits, is also the day California has chosen to celebrate her. Parton died of cancer earlier this month. The performer and songwriter was celebrated for her charity efforts, which include handing out 168,000 books to children in Fresno and more than 330 million across the world. Shannon Grove wrote the proclamation honoring Parton and Gov. Newsom signed it into law. Raised poor in East Tennessee, Parton rose to prominence because she could sing. Her fame grew as she branched into movies, including a starring role in the feminist comedy “9-to-5.” She helped fund development of the COVID vaccines and made a video of receiving one of the first. She gave scholarships to every graduate of her hometown high school and contributed to fighting wildfires in the Smoky Mountains. Her Dollywood Amusement Park provided jobs and educational assistance to thousands. She gave money to hurricane relief, hospitals, and helped rebuild homes destroyed by catastrophe. She even created an eagle sanctuary. Her impact on charity was called “immeasurable” by those who knew.