When Vance Kennedy called the soil north and west of Modesto “a national treasure,” he was speaking from the perspective of an award-winning scientist who has studied soil and water all his life. Kennedy is also a small-scale farmer—he farms eight acres of citrus on the famous “sandy loam” soil north of Modesto. Realtors and developers like to cite figures that show farm acreage is increasing, and they’re right if […]
Marsh Needs to Back Urban Limits Now
If you’ve been reading the Modesto Bee lately, you might think Dave Lopez and Bill Zoslocki are guardians of the farmland Garrad Marsh and Jenny Kenoyer are trying so hard to cover with asphalt. Kenoyer and Marsh have been framed as sell-outs and there’s even talk of a recall. It’s a far cry from what many hoped would be a farm-friendly government led by Marsh, whose years as a Modesto […]
Down the Higher One Rabbit Hole with Kyle Summerfield
Down the Higher One Rabbit Hole with Kyle Summerfield Note: Despite problems with the courts, the controversial financing practices of Higher One haven’t stopped hundreds of college administrations from hiring Higher One to disburse financial aid. Here, Merced College student Kyle Summerfield offers a graphic account of his own experience with the Higher One “Blue Card.” My name is Kyle Summerfield. I am currently a Merced College student. I am a […]
Logic Behind Votes to Add Wood Colony to Sphere Of Influence
News item: The Modesto Bee reported in its Thursday edition that the Modesto City Council voted 5-2 in favor of adding Wood Colony to its General Plan map. Councilmembers Zoslocki and Lopez voted against the addition. In politics, everything has a logical explanation. Oftentimes, the logic seems impossible to follow. Undoubtedly, to some, the Tuesday night decision looks crazy. Let’s look for some logic. At the end of a 7 hour meeting, Mayor Garrad Marsh stated […]
Why Certain City Council Members Want A New General Plan
At the January 28, 2014 Modesto City Council meeting, Councilmembers Dave Cogdill Jr., Bill Zoslocki, and Dave Lopez voted to begin a comprehensive rewrite of the Modesto General Plan. A majority of the City Council voted down the proposal due to the high cost, but what exactly were the three proponents after? Councilmember Cogdill stated that the Modesto General Plan was out of date because it had not been updated “since 1995” and because […]
A Scheme to Throw Good Water After Bad
Leave it to a crisis to bring out the worst in those who helped bring it about. Led by Devin Nunes, three San Joaquin Valley Republicans are trying to overturn legislation that restored flows to the San Joaquin River after over two decades of litigation. Never mind that a wide consensus of scientific opinion agrees that restored flows are necessary for the survival of San Joaquin Valley salmon runs. Never […]
Time for Mayor Marsh to Stand Up for Wood Colony
Richard Nixon and Jerry Brown have shown that while politicians don’t have nine lives, they often have at least more than one. The thought must be comforting to Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh, because since taking office he’s seemed intent on political suicide. Almost simultaneously with being sworn in, he announced he was going annex Salida. There were only two things wrong with the proposal, both of which were toxic: (1) […]
Award-Winning Scientist: Our Water Policy is “Insanity”
Once when he was asked why he’s so involved in public issues, Vance Kennedy replied, “It’s my way of paying back for the opportunities I was given in public service. When I was with the [U.S. Geological] Survey (USGS), I got to do a lot of research, and I’ve always been thankful for the opportunity.” It could probably be argued that Kennedy’s work alone gave the public plenty of payback. […]
Groundwater Lawsuit Will Change the Water Game
Today’s news that a group called Protecting Our Water and Environmental Resources (POWER) will sue Stanislaus County unless it revokes permits for wells on the county’s east side is very likely to change the rules about groundwater throughout the state. Attorneys for POWER are arguing the well permits are in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act. They have a strong case. In June, 2011, we summarized some of the […]
The Valley Citizen Water Primer
Until recently, a sixty mile span of the San Joaquin River ran dry every year, no matter how wet or dry the year. Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Trout populations declined precipitously. But because people got informed and involved, a more natural flow cycle has been restored for fish and fisheries. Salmon and Steelhead are returning to the river. Over eighty percent of the water from the Tuolumne River has […]