Read more of Steve Ringhoff’s reporting here. The two largest law enforcement agencies in Stanislaus County allow their officers to chase just about anyone for just about anything. So, they do. Sometimes they chase real bad guys. Other times it’s for trivial vehicle code violation—fix-it ticket kinds of things—at speeds of 100 mph in both […]
History
Homeless and Mentally Ill: the Families
Sadie Koch was stunned when she learned a few weeks ago that her sister, Mary Baca, is homeless. Though she hadn’t seen her in well over three years, Sadie, who lives in Escalon, thought Mary was still living in Modesto with her friend and partner Linda.* The sisters had never been particularly close, but reunited […]
County Pays Big for “Limp, Lame, and Lazy” Claim
In the sad story of the late Sheriff’s Deputy Dennis Wallace—gunned down by a mentally ill killer at Fox Grove fishing access near Hughson almost two years ago—Stanislaus County may get stuck with a big bill: $1,471,843.95. An order from Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Timothy W. Salter says that’s what Wallace’s attorneys are owed. […]
Is the City of Modesto Our Own Big Brother?
Here’s another of Steve Ringhoff’s deep dives into the otherwise covert operations of our city authorities. Should we be concerned? You decide. For several years now, the MPD has been collecting data on your travels by photographing your license plate and storing the data, first locally then, later, in a central database to which public […]
Faces of the Homeless: Chester “Utah” Hamby
Ask Chester “Utah” Hamby how long he’s been homeless, and he’ll say, “I’m not homeless, I’ve got a house and a home right here,” as he points to his “Hillbilly Hotel,” a rolling shelter of his own design. “My nickname’s, ‘Utah,’ he adds, “because that’s where I’m from.” Hamby says he has two other designs, […]
No Way to Sweep Homelessness under the Rug
Years after the explosion of homelessness in Stanislaus County, authorities are still trying to sweep it under the rug. No better example exists of the futility of the “Sweep them Away” policy than Beard Brook Park. Probably because it’s relatively remote and surrounded by industry rather than residences, Beard Brook has long been a favored […]
132: How Not to Build a Freeway
In the mid-1990’s, I served on the Citizens’ Transportation Advisory Committee for the Stanislaus Area Association of Governments, currently called the Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG). After each meeting, I would corner Dana Cowell, the Caltrans representative appointed to attend our monthly meetings. I always had questions for Mr. Cowell. Very knowledgeable, he patiently answered each one. After […]
Faces of the Homeless: Rosario, “Just Checking In”
Those few Valley citizens who get to know homeless people by name always notice when they’re missing. Rosario Quintana goes missing frequently, but because she’s almost always very visible, word gets around among people who know her whenever she turns up, which could be anywhere from Riverbank to Modesto and points beyond. In the late […]
Merced College’s Keith Law Sounds Off on “15 to Finish”
For almost thirty years, Merced College’s Keith Law has been a persistent gadfly, contrarian, and thorn in the side of anyone advancing a proposal that hasn’t been subjected to rigorous academic scrutiny. Law teaches philosophy, and has always been willing to model himself after Socrates and other great philosophers who took their discipline and reasoning […]
David Lambert on Homelessness in the Valley
David Lambert’s popular Facebook page, “Homelessness and Poverty in Stanislaus,” has over 1200 members and is growing every day. Lambert gets lots of on-the-ground experience in the Valley as a Guardian Angel, and he is one of the best listeners anywhere to people experiencing homeless. He realized we’re facing a national crisis long ago, and […]