On this night, Congressman Josh Harder and his wife Pam were just (masked) faces in the crowd, standing in solidarity with their fellow citizens. Modesto Police Chief Galen Carroll somehow managed to make a big cop — in uniform and packing iron — look like your friendly next door neighbor. That was the atmosphere Friday night in downtown Modesto, as the local chapter of the NAACP held a candlelight vigil […]
History
The Next Wave of Covid-19 Will Hit Stanislaus County Soon
The People’s Republic of China currently has over 100 million citizens in lockdown. A new wave of Covid-19, the Corona Virus, has emerged in Northeast China. The first wave of the virus hit Stanislaus County about four months after it was first reported in Wuhan China. What can we now expect? Now that the first wave of the Corona Virus has swept across the world, will another wave come and […]
When Medical Management Engages in Malpractice
“Maybe we should conclude that JIT supply chains, when involved on a global basis and with respect to certain types of businesses and service providers, are not the ideal model for medical preparedness.” As someone who’s been working for and around physicians since age 13 — not just through my high school years while working for a local doctor in Newman, but during my years at UCSF School of Dentistry […]
To Stanislaus County Supervisors: An Open Letter on Opening
My name is James Costello. I am a pediatric physician’s assistant with almost 40 years’ experience. I want to thank our health officer, the Board and all of those people who put this very impressive, detailed set of recommendations together. Thank you! In general, I agree that many businesses can and should open up under the strict guidelines presented. The documents mention an Online Training Tool and Marketing Tool Kit, […]
Poor and Homeless: The Plague after Corona
And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand Our New Normal Just a little over eleven years after George W Bush signed the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act to save banks and financial institutions from defaulting on mortgage backed securities, the Trump administration is into a second round […]
Stanislaus Mayors! STOP: “It’s still too soon to open up!”
Ceres resident James Costello is a Pediatric Physician’s Assistant with over 40 years’ experience caring for children. His emphasis is on vaccines and vaccinations. As of April 25, Modesto is opening parks and golf courses under specific guidelines. Bathrooms will be cleaned twice a week. Playground equipment cleansing is up to parents. If you feel reassured, you should not be. The recent Stanislaus County mayors’ letter to Governor Gavin Newsom […]
Of Magpies and Men—or “COVID and Corvids”
Doctor Richard Anderson is a retired Professor of Microbiology. When contemplating the effects of Covid-19, we would do well to meditate on California’s endemic Yellow-billed Magpies as a model of how nature works her relentless process of evolving life forms. About 180,000 of these beautiful birds previously mobbed various favorite sites in Modesto and throughout their limited California range. More than half died after West Nile Virus reached California in […]
Stanislaus County Unprepared for Covid-19
In 2005, I lost a race for Stanislaus County Supervisor. A major plank of my platform was to upgrade our health care system in order to keep the community safe from disease, including epidemics. Voters did not agree. The winner of the supervisor’s race followed the Republican doctrine of letting the free market provide all medical services to the public. The county hospital was closed and clinical services were cut […]
Covid-19 Brings New Challenges for Haven Emergency Shelter
While many of us are making often radical adjustments to our lives during this tragic time, those people living in an abusive environment at home can find themselves even more isolated than ever. May Rico, the Executive Director at the Haven Women’s Center of Stanislaus, shared her thoughts on that issue in a telephone interview the other day: “If someone is living in a violent relationship, they have few safe […]
Before Corona, there was Homelessness
The pandemic isn’t the biggest news everywhere, no matter what people think. Out in the streets it’s still about who died, who’s in jail, who’s got a cigarette, and where the next deal’s coming from. Self-isolation is nothing new for the most desolate of homeless people, and those lucky enough to have formed small communities and camps aren’t about to give up the comfort and safety of friends for a […]