Valley Solutions

Dos Palos misspent V money

Merced Focus. Cash-strapped Dos Palos misspent $2.2 million in transportation tax money. 
Synopsis: Brianna Vaccari reports on the revelation that the city of Dos Palos used $2.2 million in Measure V funds earmarked for transportation projects and misspent it on city services. Instead of being held in a separate fund, as required, the money was accessed through “interfund borrowing” and used for routine expenses. Now the city has no means of repaying the loans. “By the time city officials realized what was happening, ‘It was like a freight train that’s out of control,’ (Mayor Katy) Reed said.” Moving forward, the city must recover the money and use it for road projects, said the Merced County Association of Governments. The financial blunder will be addressed at three meetings starting tonight then Tuesday and Thursday. Reed said she is angry, sad and embarrassed at the same time.

Allocations rise to 45%

Sacramento Bee. CA water managers raise 2026 deliveries as reservoirs remain near full.
Synopsis: The State Water Project will provide 45% of promised deliveries for the state’s 29 public water agencies, it was announced late Friday. Those agencies supply water to 27 million residents and irrigate 750,000 acres of farmland. Most of the water will flow from Lake Oroville, which is at 99% of capacity and 117% of seasonal normal. Outgoing DWR director Karla Nemeth noted that while reservoirs are full, the state’s snow has melted. “We must use this stored water carefully because there’s no backfill until next season.” The original allocation, announced on Dec. 1, was 10% then raised to 30% Jan. 29 and now 45%. 

Growth ‘debate’ continues

Modesto Focus. Timeless struggle of country quiet v. new prosperity comes to life in Modesto. 
Synopsis: Garth Stapley looks at the age-old conflict between proponents of progress and the status quo. The area that best exemplifies what Modesto once was is the Wood Colony area west of Hwy 99 and outside city limits. Due to its proximity to 99 and 132, developers have coveted the land for at least a generation. Building on it, though, would push Wood Colony’s bucolic farms and small farmers into the past. Other Valley communities have expanded in recent years and offer residents additional amenities, experiences and facilities even as Modesto has remained stable or stuck – pick your label. And all three Modesto city councilmembers up for re-election appear to believe that advocating for more homes is not political suicide. The story explains the perils and politics of the paths forward.

Turlock Journal. Report: Central Valley sees population growth; Stanislaus, Merced record losses. 
Synopsis: Kristina Hacker reports on recent population figures, showing Stanislaus County lost 0.2% of its residents, or about 900 residents in the past year. The city of Modesto shrank by 478 residents, Turlock 135, Ceres 243, Newman 80 and Waterford 17. Hughson, Oakdale, Patterson and Riverbank all had slight increases. Merced County’s population fell by 0.1%, or about 250 people. On the other hand, San Joaquin County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state, with four of the fastest-growing cities –Lathrop, Manteca, Tracy and Mountain House. All are seeing spillover from the Bay Area.

Playing the endorsement game

Merced Focus. Political FOCUS: Tietjen makes key endorsement; Farm Bureau hears from candidates. 
Synopsis: Focus editor Victor Patton writes that with June 2 primary just two weeks away, some political races are getting “a little spicy.” Assembly District 27 race has three big personalities – Mike Murphy, Brian Pacheco and Japjeet Singh Uppal – and some pointed exchanges. But there are other races, too. While “it’s debatable how much endorsements actually matter,” Ana Boyenga got a key one. Outgoing Merced County Schools superintendent Steve Tietjen is endorsing her to replace him.

Valley Sun. Bern it down? Sanders throws support behind progressive Celedon for Valley Assembly seat.
Synopsis: Bernie Sanders has endorsed Sandra Celedon over Democratic Party favorite Annalisa Perea for Assembly District 31. Since the party’s endorsement of Perea, Celedon’s contributions have dried up. So it will be important to see if Sanders’ embrace changes the dynamic.

More questions for director

Valley Citizen. Questions raised about MID Director Larry Byrd’s water rates. 
Synopsis: For nearly a year there have been serious questions about how much water MID Director Larry Byrd used on his out-of-district trees and where he got it. Now there are similar questions about how much he paid for the water he got from the district and put on trees within the district. A technical investigation into his out-of-district water provided figures that suggest Byrd should have been billed $403 for district water. Instead, he paid $123. “It’s abundantly clear that directors (Chris) Ott and (Bob) Frobose were entirely justified in voting to continue investigating Larry Byrd’s irrigation practices. … It now appears further investigation should include Byrd’s in-district billing.”

Bringing back the grizzlies

KVPR. Grizzly bears could return to CA after a 100-year absence. 
Synopsis: Former Fresno Bee columnist Marek Warszawski writes about the legislation to study the feasibility of bringing grizzly bears back to the Sierra. State Sen. Laura Richardson is carrying the legislation for two tribal groups. The last grizzly sighting in the state was in what is now Sequoia National Park in 1924. Studies have shown that grizzly bears in the Rockies and Canada are genetically indistinct from those who once roamed California and could serve “as kind of the seeds of a new population here,” said Peter Alagona of UC Santa Barbara. Kirk Wilbur of the Cattlemen’s Assn considers that a particularly bad idea, pointing out that the state can’t manage the wolves and lions killing cattle and calves and becoming more brazen in frequenting populated areas. Rancher Jack Lavers asked: “How are they going to add grizzly bears to the mix and manage that as well?” He noted that Richardson represents South Central LA, and the bears wouldn’t be released near her.
MAD Take: Just because they’re on the flag, doesn’t mean grizzly bears should be CA’s new state pet.

It’s a mussel emergency

Modesto Bee. Golden mussels still a threat to CA waterways.
Synopsis: The unofficial start of the boating season is Memorial Day, and this year it comes with a dire warning: Don’t spread Golden Mussels. The invasive, half-inch mollusks breed by the millions and their colonies clog pipes, docks and canals. They have been found from the Port of Stockton, where they are believed to have arrived from China, down to LA and both Kern and San Joaquin counties have declared mussel emergencies. They’re “nearly impossible” to remove once established on pilings, intake pipes or even beach rocks, said one expert. Their shells are sharp enough to cut human skin, and their eggs can live in mud, fishing live-wells and water.

Water park ready for summer

Merced Sun Star. ‘Largest floating inflatable water park’ reopens near Merced. 
Synopsis: As temperatures climb this weekend, the Splash-n-Dash Aqua Park will open for its ninth season on Lake McSwain. It features 200,000 square feet of floating slides, climbing walls, jump platforms and obstacle-course style attractions. This year, the park has “leveled up” with Big Chivo -- a chute with a 20-foot drop followed by a 30-foot slide. All-day passes are $49.99.

Recognizing young scholars

Turlock Journal. Uncle Sam ponies up for THS grads’ college dreams. 
Synopsis: Turlock High students amassed some $600,000 in scholarships celebrated at the Senior Awards Night on Thursday. Two students – Prabhjot Kaur and Scarlet Hanson – accounted for half-a-million of that total, earning scholarships worth a quarter-million each. Kaur earned an ROTC Scholarship and will attend UC Berkeley. Hanson’s appointment is to the US Naval Academy, not exactly following in the footsteps of her father who graduated from West Point. Both will be obligated to serve up to five years in the US Navy upon graduation. THS students were given awards by the American Association of University Women, Sons of the American Legion, Turlock Bulldogs Aquatic Boosters, Stanislaus Bar Association and the Chamber of Commerce.

Ag Daily. CA FFA member is the Justin Boots’ Standard of the West winner.
Synopsis: Yesenia Soriano of the Mendota High’s FFA chapter has been named the Justin Boots Standard of the West Award winner for the FFA. Her recognition comes with a $500 scholarship and attendance at the state leadership conference.

Felony hate charge reduced

Modesto Bee. Felony hate-crime charge reduced to misdemeanor in Oakdale pride flag case. 
Synopsis: A felony hate-crime charge against an Oakdale man accused of destroying a pride flag at a Starbucks was reduced to a misdemeanor. Shane Cawelti, 30, was in court last Friday where Judge Jeff Mangar reassigned the case. Cawelti pleaded not guilty. He was arrested after removing the flag from the store and destroying it outside. The DA’s office made the decision to reduce the charges, mainly because no one was assaulted. Roman Scanlon of CalPride said such incidents create fear and anxiety. 

Yosemite: A traffic nightmare

LA Times. As crowds build at Yosemite, visitors worry the high season will be a disaster. 
Synopsis: The summer rush has not yet started, but CA’s most-visited park is seeing record numbers of tourists flock to the iconic Valley. Those arriving beyond early morning have no place to park and nowhere to go except out the way they came in. “As far as the eye can see … every single parking space in the Valley is full.” Last weekend, the Upper Yosemite Falls trail had become a “human conveyor belt” by 11 a.m. as “hundreds of people trudged up the steep switchbacks.” So far, there have been 836,000 visits in 2026, or about 100,000 more than at this time last year. The reservation system that has limited vehicle entry since 2023 has been scrapped by the Trump administration – which is also considering cutting another $3 billion from the National Park System’s operating budget. One Yosemite visitor says he is “very, very, very much pro-reservation. … It just makes it a better experience for everyone.”

SF Chronicle. What weekends in Yosemite are like in the park’s new no-reservations era.
Synopsis: The Chronicle’s reporter describes inching through the Hwy 120 entrance and needing 45 minutes to enter the park Saturday morning. Once in the Valley, it was endless circling the parking lot looking for a space. Park admin insists that while weekends are busy, weekdays are “mostly” fine. On Friday, though, one visitor who had a reservation for a campsite couldn’t find a spot to park. “It’s going to be back to taking your entire day to drive around the Valley,” she said. “The reservation thing was a big issue when it first came out … but we all adapted. Now, this is what you get; you get too many people.” There were also long lines for shuttles, food and spots to take photos. The park superintendent said he will begin surveying visitors this summer to learn about their park experiences.

MC basketball legend passes

Merced Sun Star. Legendary Merced College men’s basketball coach Don Reid dies at 89. 
Synopsis: The coach who led Merced College to back-to-back state championships has died. Don Reid was the first-ever men’s basketball coach at MC, starting in 1963 when he was 26 years old. He served 25 years and eventually was inducted into three athletic halls of fame – Merced College, CA Community Colleges and Sonora High. His 1978 team went 26-8 and won his first state title; the next year his team went 34-1, won its second title and finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation. In 25 years, Reid’s teams won 14 conference titles, and he was named the state’s coach of the year twice. He coached the UAE National Olympic team in 1980.