Valley Solutions

Looking out for Valley, not party

Turlock Journal. Sometimes the little guys win. 
Synopsis: Columnist Mike Lynch recalls the times that Valley folks pulled together to accomplish big things. Rep. Gary Condit, back in 1997, took busloads of supporters to the top of the Altamont to release balloons – which blew straight back into the Valley. He was demonstrating that air pollution from the Bay Area also blows into our Valley, making it harder to breathe and impossible to meet clean-air standards with all that exhaust coming our way. It worked. Then there were Vito Chiesa’s efforts – carried by Anthony Cannella, Adam Gray, Kristin Olsen and Cathleen Galgiani – to end the good-government penalty required of Stanislaus and four other counties. Those counties were penalized for being prudent after the passage of Prop 13, meaning Stanislaus was sending money to Marin, San Diego and LA. Getting that fixed has meant $100 million to county residents in the last decade. Finally, there was the Stop The Grab rally on the Capitol steps. It was organized by Gray but had over 1,000 people of every political stripe. That rally proved a point and paved the way for Voluntary Agreements to help save our farms and rivers. The common factor: Politicians who put the Valley ahead of party. “This should always be the standard for people we send to Sacramento and Washington.”

They’re ambassadors for milk

CA Ag Net. Student ambassadors to share CA dairy messages with international audiences.
Synopsis: Three young women from the Northern San Joaquin Valley have been chosen as CA Milk Advisory Board ambassadors to work in Thailand and Mexico. Morgan Olivera of Hilmar and Victoria Paolini of Los Banos will work in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Ellie Dyt of Crows Landing will be working in Bangkok. Each internship lasts six weeks. California accounts for a third of all dairy exports from the US. Oliveira, Paolini and Dyt are all studying at Cal Poly SLO. A fourth ambassador, Julia Basch, is studying at UCLA. She will join Dyt in Bangkok.

Valley politics: Danbom is out

Turlock Journal. Young drops out of D-4 state senate race; Danbom exits D5 Congressional race.
Synopsis: Former Hughson Mayor Jeramy Young has dropped out of the race for the state’s Fifth Senate district. He left Hughson last year to become Livermore’s police chief. It leaves two challengers to Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, Tuolumne Supervisor Jaron Brandon and political newcomer Alexandra Duarte. Meanwhile, in the Fifth Congressional District, Paul Danbom has exited the race to Tom McClintock. Fellow-Democrat Michael Masuda called Danbom “a class act throughout this campaign.”

Valley Citizen. Republican challenger may threaten McClintock in deep red 5^th District. 
Synopsis: Steve Ringhoff notes there are seven candidates for CA District 5, Tom McClintock’s seat. The district was reshaped in November to become even redder. Democrats have choices: Michael Masuda, Michael Barkley, Kate Sills, Angelina Sigala and Tom Danbom. Republicans have McClintock and possibly Kevin Kiley, whose Roseville-based district was split up under Prop 50. He is considering challenging McClintock, who “has so often been an absentee representative.” McClintock has never lived in the district. Kiley has money. Modesto/Oakdale has the highest concentration of voters in the district.
MAD Note: This was posted before Danbom dropped out.

Fresno Bee. Fresno councilor who won bruising 2025 race faces many challengers.
Synopsis: Brandon Vang, who had to overcome scurrilous accusations in his first race for Fresno city council, will have several opponents this year. The first person of Hmong descent to sit on the council, he will be challenged by State Center College trustee Danielle Parra, homeless advocate Nickolas Wildstar and Parks commissioner Jose Leon Barraza.

How Delta managed is changing

Maven. Delta data offline? No more X2? Monitoring changes could obscure fate of fish & flows.
Synopsis: New federal policies outlined under Action 5 will “almost certainly alter the volume, timing and objectives of water flowing through the Delta,” according to an analysis written by the law firm Cariad Hayes Thronson. Announced late last year, Action 5 was written to “maximize water deliveries” and de-emphasize environmental objectives in management of the Central Valley Project. The key is abandoning the Summer-Fall Habitat Action (aka X2), which is used to measure salinity. Under X2 modeling, Fall pumping has been curtailed to expand low-salinity conditions preferred by Delta smelt. But recent studies don’t show any impact on smelt survival. “If you’re using a species which is functionally extinct as a metric, it’s damned hard to prove that Fall X2 is doing any good,” said Jeffrey Mount of the PPIC. Delta Water Master Jay Ziegler said the X2 measurement had positive impacts on a host of salinity-sensitive objectives and animals. Without X2, “who will be responsible for ensuring that those water-quality objectives are met?” Meanwhile, the Bureau of Reclamation ended the longstanding USGS contract to use 54 monitoring stations to measure Delta flow and water quality – a program previously deemed “essential” for operations. “A lot of people rely on that data,” said UC Davis’s Jay Lund. 

Byrd vote being reviewed

Modesto Bee. Modesto irrigation District director being investigated for Political Reform Act violations.
Synopsis: MID Director Larry Byrd, who voted to end an investigation into his use of district water outside district boundaries, is now being investigated by the Fair Political Practices Commission. The complaint was brought by State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, who called it “my duty to report suspected fraud and abuse in local government.” Byrd insists the district’s legal counsel said it was OK for him to vote on his own behalf, even though another director had recused himself. He calls Alvarado-Gil’s accusations “a witch hunt.” Alvarado-Gil is running against Alexandra Duarte, the wife of former Representative John who has close ties with Byrd and his business associates.

Hundreds plan for ICE visits

Modesto Bee. Hundreds attend ‘ICE Out of 209’ community organizing town hall in Modesto. 
Synopsis: Carrying dishes of mac & cheese, sandwiches and cold drinks, some 200 people came to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for an organizing event. Ten groups from Stockton to Merced – including Valley Watch Network, 50501, Central Valley Brown Berets and El Concilio – took part. They handed out whistles, stickers and cards that explained the rights of those detained or confronted by ICE. An immigration attorney said there hasn’t been much ICE activity in the area, but it’s better to be prepared.

Figuring out pesticide threat

Modesto Focus. Group seeks expanded pesticide buffer by schools; ag officials say not enough support. 
Synopsis: Activist group Valley Improvement Projects says pesticide drift -- from Telone, in particular -- is endangering students in Stanislaus County communities. The soil fumigant used in place of deadly methyl bromide can irritate eyes and sinus and cause nausea. The organization says 20,000 pounds of various pesticides are applied to soils near schools in Turlock, Modesto and Ceres. Stanislaus Ag Commissioner Linda Pinfold notes strict state rules around pesticide use, including public notification. She also pointed out that common household chemicals like bleach are more toxic than Telone. Tom Orvis, an agricultural leader in the Valley for nearly 40 years, pointed out that activists and agriculturalists seldom communicate in any kind of meaningful way. He also noted that farmers live in the communities where their chemicals are used – meaning their children and grandchildren are subject to the same threats. “We’re not going to do anything that’s going to harm ourselves, our family or our employees because without all of the above, we don’t have livelihoods.”

Borrego bows out, Hampton is back

Turlock Journal. Hampton returns to city as Borrego set to resign.
Synopsis: Sue Borrego, who became Turlock interim deputy city manager in May, says she has served the year she promised and is ready to move along. The former Stanislaus State president did not announce any future plans. Meanwhile, the city has announced that Gary Hampton will return as interim city manager for a fifth time. The last time ended badly as Hampton filed a complaint against former Mayor Gary Soiseth and city attorney Phaedra Norton for having created a hostile workplace. The city settled with him on that issue.  

Most beautiful alley in the Valley

Modesto Bee. Modesto wants to turn this alleyway into a ‘destination.’
Synopsis: The alley that connects J to Tenth Street is one of the most beautiful spots in Modesto. The walls of buildings provide the background for a dozen or more murals, turning it into “an outdoor gallery” and “the jewel of our downtown.” Sonya Severo envisions a grand entry way on J to welcome visitors then a walkway made of permeable pavers with custom lighting to create a “gallery effect” and ADA-compliant walkways. The original mural was created by graffiti artist Aaron Vickery, aka Fasm.

Roberts Auto Sales shutting down

Modesto Bee. A Valley favorite place to buy used cars closing after 45 years in business.
Synopsis: Roberts Auto Sales on McHenry is closing its gates. Founder Doug Roberts died in December. He was known for his participation in Modesto parades and a no-hassle approach to selling cars. No specifics were provided about the closure date or last day of business.

The history of Westley

Modesto Bee. Then and now, Stanislaus County’s Westley is at the center of migrant history.
Synopsis: Reporter Kathleen Quinn looks at the community of Westley, which began life in the 1930s as a labor center for Dust Bowl migrants. The Stanislaus Housing Authority continues to operate a migrant housing facility in the community. A photograph of the original camp included in the posting is by renowned Depression-era photographer Dorothea Lange. The community now has a Golden Valley Health Center clinic at the Grayson Elementary School. Quinn quotes activist John Mataka talking about the tire fire west of the community in 1999 that choked the air with toxic fumes. Community activists took the lead in extinguishing the fire, with help from legendary firefighter Red Adair, after state and county officials decided to just to let it burn out.
MAD Take: John Mataka actually lives in Grayson, about a mile down the road. Interestingly, the Grayson School was rebuilt in Westley after the original, in Grayson, burned.

Missing woman found in canal

Modesto Bee. Body of adult female found in canal near Gustine; no identity confirmed.
Synopsis: Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke reported the discovery of a body in the Delta-Mendota Canal about 7 miles downstream from where a woman was reported missing 11 days ago. Sheriff’s divers recovered the body, but no identity was provided pending notification. The CHP and SO have been looking for Lupita Ontiveros of Stockton since the dune buggy in which she was riding was driven into the canal near Gustine. Three others in the buggy escaped. The body was found near Cottonwood Road.

CBS13. Body of Stockton mother who went missing after dune buggy crash recovered, family says.
Synopsis: The family of Lupita Ontiveros confirmed that it was, indeed, the young mother whose body was recovered from the Delta-Mendota Canal on Sunday. The family said the discovery brings closure. She lived in Stockton and had an 18-month-old daughter.  

Cricket pitch is now open

Modesto Bee. Mary E. Grogan Community Park opens with Modesto’s tallest playground.
Synopsis: Mary E. Grogan Community Park unveiled major improvements on Friday, including a two-story play structure and a cricket pitch, the city’s first. The park has expanded to 43 acres near Enochs High School when this phase broke ground in August 2024. The park also added two soccer fields, a playground, restrooms and now has 500 parking spaces.