• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Nature, Environment, History & Politics

The Valley Citizen

  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About
  • RSS Icon

Marsh to Bee: "Get Scott Peterson Off the Front Page"

May 6, 2012 By Eric Caine Leave a Comment

Garrad Marsh and Bev Finley

Making good on one of his campaign promises, Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh held a town hall meeting in west Modesto Saturday, a concrete signal that he intends to be accessible to the entire city. Marsh said he plans to have at least three more such events around town.

Marsh acknowledged that Modesto has an image problem, but reiterated his refrain that Modesto is a, “great town.”

“We don’t need to have Scott Peterson on the front page,” he said. “We need to have Chris Peterson, who just won a teacher of the year award, on the front page.” Like many long time Modesto residents, Marsh is acutely sensitive to Modesto’s reputation as a sensationalist hotbed of crime and scandal.

Between thirty and fifty people attended the meeting at the King/Kennedy Center on Martin Luther King Drive. The city itself was well represented by police and fire officials, including Modesto Police Chief Mike Harden. Dave Geer, the district’s City Councilman and County Supervisor Terry Withrow also attended.

After a brief introduction, Marsh called for questions from the crowd. One of the first to respond was former Mayor Carmen Sabatino, who asked Marsh what his position is on the proposed Modesto Irrigation District (MID) water sale to San Francisco.

“I don’t have a problem with the first part of the plan,” said Marsh. “The 2,000 acre feet is essentially a drop in the bucket. It’s less than one percent of the 310,000 acre foot allotment for the MID. The second part of the plan, 25,000 acre feet, will have to have a full Environmental Impact Review. I plan to make sure the City’s water supply is secure.”

Former mayoral candidate Bev Finley was well received when she made a plea for the extension of the library tax. She distributed yard signs to a generally enthusiastic crowd.

Marsh fielded questions and complaints about graffiti, metal theft, parks, and curbs and sidewalks. Audience members raised the curbs and sidewalks issue persistently, and Marsh explained more than once that the City can’t be responsible for infrastructure normally included in housing sales. He offered some solutions for the problem in terms of creative financing, but west Modesto residents seemed unsatisfied with his answers.

In response to questions about crime on the west side, Marsh and Harden agreed that metal theft is a city and county-wide problem, and there are no immediate fixes for it.

In fact, while continuing to boost Modesto as, “a great place to live,” Marsh admitted there are problems it will take years to fix, including the gang and graffiti problems. Marsh reiterated his strong support for law enforcement in general and said he will seek ways to put more police offers on duty, despite lean budget times.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Bev Finley, Garrad Marsh, Yes on T

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

So What if Romney Doesn?t Solve the ?Root Causes? of Poverty?
So What if Romney Doesn’t Solve the Root Causes of Poverty?
We handle problems all the time without dealing with their root causes.
nymag.com
The Facts of Life - The Bulwark
The Facts of Life – The Bulwark
My suggestion last week that perhaps the best way some of us who’ve been conservatives can now help the country is to help the Biden administration succeed, and help the Democratic party move to the center, seems to have stirred up a minor tempest in the conservative teapot. I asked whether one shouldn’t consider allying…
thebulwark.com
WSJ News Exclusive | Texas Electric Bills Were $28 Billion Higher Under Deregulation
WSJ News Exclusive | Texas Electric Bills Were $28 Billion Higher Under Deregulation
Texas’s deregulated electricity market left millions in the dark last week. For the past 20 years, its consumers have paid more for their electricity than state residents who are served by traditional utilities, a WSJ investigation found.
www.wsj.com
The making of Madison Cawthorn: How falsehoods helped propel the career of a new pro-Trump star of the far right
The making of Madison Cawthorn: How falsehoods helped propel the career of a new pro-Trump star of the far right
Cawthorn has emerged as one of the most visible figures among newly arrived House Republicans, who have promoted baseless assertions and pushed a radicalized ideology that has become a driving force in the GOP.
www.washingtonpost.com
Los Angeles Just Opened a Tiny Home Village for the Homeless
Los Angeles Just Opened a Tiny Home Village for the Homeless
The colorful community was built in just 13 weeks!
www.housebeautiful.com
California's coronavirus strain looks increasingly dangerous: 'The devil is already here'
California’s coronavirus strain looks increasingly dangerous: ‘The devil is already here’
California’s coronavirus strain is more transmissible than its predecessors, is more resistant to vaccines and may cause more severe cases of COVID-19.
www.latimes.com
More Than 150 Biz Leaders Endorse Biden's Sweeping COVID Package
More Than 150 Biz Leaders Endorse Biden’s Sweeping COVID Package
More than 150 business leaders from various industries have signed a letter backing President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief…
talkingpointsmemo.com
Exclusive: Defeated and impeached, Trump still commands the loyalty of the GOP's voters
Exclusive: Defeated and impeached, Trump still commands the loyalty of the GOP’s voters
www.usatoday.com
The Christian Prophets Who Say Trump Is Coming Again
The Christian Prophets Who Say Trump Is Coming Again
In the growing community of charismatic Christian prophecy, faith in Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House is a new dividing line.
www.politico.com
AOC raises $1 million in Texas relief, heading to Houston as Ted Cruz douses Cancun flames
AOC raises $1 million in Texas relief, heading to Houston as Ted Cruz douses Cancun flames
The New York congresswoman said she would travel to Houston to highlight the problems faced by Texans hit by power outages and freezing weather.
www.newsweek.com
Rush Limbaugh Did His Best to Ruin America
Rush Limbaugh Did His Best to Ruin America
How the right-wing talk radio icon corrupted the Republican Party, spread hate, racism, and lies, and laid the groundwork for Trumpism
www.rollingstone.com
?I Don?t Trust the People Above Me?: Riot Squad Cops Open Up About Disastrous Response to Capitol Insurrection
“I Don’t Trust the People Above Me”: Riot Squad Cops Open Up About Disastrous Response to Capitol Insurrection
Interviews with 19 current and former officers show how failures of leadership and communication put hundreds of Capitol cops at risk and allowed rioters to get dangerously close to members of Congress.
www.propublica.org

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design