5-18-09

 
5-18-09
Badlands Journal
The dogs bark but the caravan moves on...Badlands Journal editorial board
http://www.badlandsjournal.com/2009-05-18/007230
As Badlands pointed out recently, there is a new young couple among the Valley's witless Democratic congressmen, the Costoza, replacing the Pomboza, which met a timely demise with the dis-election of former Rep. Richard Pombo, Buffalo Slayer-Tracy, in 2006. The swing man in both duos is Rep. Dennis Cardoza, Shrimp Slayer-Annapolis MD, who still claims to represent the 18th Congressional District of California, which includes three cities with some of the worst foreclosure rates in America, Merced, Modesto and Stockton and one county, Merced, with the second highest unemployment rate in the nation this month.
The front end of the Costoza is Rep. Jim Costa, O Pompadoro-Fresno.
The Costoza Blue Dog Democrats distinguished themselves yesterday by boycotting First Lady Michelle Obama's commencement speech at UC Merced. Cardoza was even given an award for his contribution to the founding of the campus, an effort that consumed his entire focus and energy in the state Legislature until he took over former Rep. Gary Condit's congressional seat in 2003 and began to work the federal side on behalf of the campus. Congressman Cardoza introduced three separate bills to gut the Endangered Species Act in ways that would have benefited UC Merced and his other developer friends. Each one was defeated and the third, co-authored with the Republican Pombo, then chairman of the House Resources Committee, so alarmed environmentalists that state and national groups descended on Pombo's district, led by former Rep. Pete McClosky, a Republican who beat Pombo up so badly in the primary that Democrat Jerry McNerney could beat him in the general election.
McNerney had the class to attend the first lady's speech. We think he has also secured a new VA hospital, not in Livermore as he wished, but in San Joaquin County, which he actually represents.
In that phase of his wretched political career, Cardoza was ready and willing to gut one of the most popular laws in the nation solely for the benefit of his contributors and UC Merced in one little congressional district. In this present phase, the ol' Shrimp Slayer has mortgaged his subprime soul to a few hysterical Valley irrigation districts not even in his congressional district. He is also no doubt irate that Congress passed the San Joaquin River Settlement and is even now plotting how to obstruct its funding. Costa, whose district contains some of the areas worst hit by ag-water cutbacks and does not contain UC Merced, might have had a lame excuse for boycotting the First Lady's event. Cardoza had absolutely none. It was pathological.
Political actions have political consequences, not just for the politician but also for his constituents. If President Obama had come to the Valley to speak, one could almost understand a manly act of "political principle," however misguided and suicidal. But they snub his wife? His wife? Who came here with a very clear message of support for UC Merced students and, regardless of what she might have known about the environmental and political issues surrounding the campus, mentioned not one word about them? She was the epitome of grace and inspiration at that event, in more than 100-degree heat.
The Obamas beat the Clintons. The Obamas now live in the White House, where they even have an organic garden and a Portuguese Water Dog, two daughters and a mother-in-law.
Cardoza's snub of the president's wife will probably have bad consequences for the most vulnerable people in his district in terms of federal funding. The people of the 18th CD of California have never benefited much from Valley agribusiness and this gratuitous snub by the Shrimp Slayer, one that has already struck some as racist, will hurt us because there are a lot of suffering congressional districts in the United States today, not enough money to go around, and politics does establish priorities.
What must the president, who has at the moment a great deal of political capital, think of Cardoza snubbing his wife? What must the president think of a district that would tolerate this snub? Aside from what the White House thinks of Cardoza, what do we think of Cardoza?
Other no-shows, also drowning in water politics were: the Hun, our governor, or his wife, Maria Shriver, a Kennedy; state Sen. Jeff Denham, a Republican (again, remind us what was partisan about this event?); Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, D-Livingston, who claims to have been a consultant to the Legislative Committee on the Development of UC Merced), and both US senators. UC Merced's first chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey didn't come. Where were the two most prominently self-described "Mr. UC Merceds," Bob Carpenter and former state Sen. Dick Monteith, Halfback-Modesto. Where were former governors Pete Wilson and Gray Davis?  Nor did we notice any county supervisors on the stage. Gary Condit probably wasn't invited, which is an injustice to an especially deft political move that insured the campus would come to Merced rather than Fresno. Mike Gallo, who funded the Joseph Gallo Wellness Center on campus, Greg Hostetler, who funded the gymnasium, and representatives of the Kollegian family, who donated the library, were also no-shows. Nor was the McFadden family honored. Bob and Marie Gallo were there. They donated a grand piano and they showed up, even though E&J Gallo Wine Co. probably also has some water anxieties. The Gallos and most official Modesto Democrats supported Hillary in the primary. 
When we look at Costa and Cardoza's big Blue Dog Move, along with Galgiani, Denham and rest, we think of an old saying, "The dogs bark but the caravan moves on." Unfortunately, the caravan may move on right past us because of the snub to First Lady Michelle Obama, led by this self-pitying wimp, who has always represented the most reactionary, destructive special interests in the Valley.
However you interpret it, one way you cannot intepret it is as a political invasion of Blue Dog Country by the Obamas. Mrs. Obama's speech was too far above the nasty little games and illiterate oratory Democrats around here call politics. It was a beautiful and truthful evocation of the accomplishments of the first graduating class and the challenges that lie ahead for them. Her ending, which reversed the video tape the students had sent her and to which she responded, "No, we believe in you," flowed logically and rhetorically from the entire address, concluding what was probably the greatest speech even given in Merced.
Badlands Journal editorial board
5-16-09
Fresno Bee
5 congressmen won't be at UC Merced ceremony...John Ellis
http://www.fresnobee.com/564/v-print/story/1408607.html
Five of six San Joaquin Valley congressmen are skipping today's high-profile graduation ceremony at the University of California at Merced -- including one who was a driving force in the school's birth...
5-17-09
Costa, Cardoza snubs first lady speech at UC Merced, but don't have the guts to say why...Jim Boren
http://fresnobeehive.com/opinion/2009/05/costa_cardoa_wont_
attend_first.html
It's no secret that the San Joaquin Valley's congressional delegation is among the weakest in the nation. But you can add the wimp label to the lackluster records of Democratic Congressmen Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza...
Merced Sun-Star
97-degree heat caused the only problems on otherwise flawless day...VICTOR A. PATTON and CAROL REITER
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/850560.html
First lady Michelle Obama's visit to UC Merced was nearly flawless Saturday, with three exceptions: heat, heat and more heat.
As temperatures soared during Obama's outdoor speech around 2:25 p.m., a steady procession of audience members needed the help of medical staff at the scene.
Brian Ochs, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Hanford, said Merced had a high of about 97 on Saturday. That's up 11 degrees from Thursday's temperature of 86.
Still, many in the bowl said they felt like the temperature was at least 100 degrees. Tonya Luiz, UC Merced spokeswoman, said nearly 100 people were treated for heat-related illnesses. She said 77 were treated on campus, while eight were sent by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center Merced.
"We knew we'd have some issues with the heat, so we planned ahead for this," said Greg Spurgeon, the campus assistant director of health services.
Mercy Medical Center Merced officials were expecting at least 38 people to come to the hospital's emergency room late Saturday with heat problems. Many in the commencement audience had little or no shade; many people used stiff cardboard and makeshift paper fans to try to keep cool.
Robert McLaughlin, Mercy spokesman, said that by 4:30 p.m., eight people had come into the hospital's emergency department for treatment of overheating. The hospital was expecting about 30 more to show up before the day's end.
"For the first time, the ER people were actually talking about diverting ambulances to Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock (20 miles north)," McLaughlin said.
The university set up a tent in the campus' quad area, and a treatment center in the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center. Dozens of people throughout the day rested in cots set up inside of the building, sipping bottled water and trying to stay cool.
UC Merced Police Chief Rita Spaur said one of her officers was among those who required treatment because of the heat.
Other than the heat, Spaur said the event was safe and no arrests were reported among the more than 12,000 who attended.
"It was a very pleasant crowd," Spaur said. "We enjoyed them as much as they enjoyed being here."
Spaur said 70 police officers from the University of California system were at the event. They worked alongside dozens of Secret Service agents, dressed in suits and keeping a watchful eye on the crowds.
Meanwhile, pairs of sharp-shooters from the Merced County Sheriff Department's SWAT Team were clearly visible on the rooftops of the campus' Science and Engineering Building and Kolligian Library.
The sheriff's department helped UC police by contributing about 45 deputies to help with security, according to Sgt. B.J. Jones.
The California Highway Patrol contributed 25 officers, some of whom escorted the first lady and her motorcade from Castle Airport to UC Merced. The CHP also provided traffic control on neighboring streets, according to Capt. Steve Badilla.
The Merced Police Department contributed 12 police officers to handle traffic in Merced related to the event Friday and Saturday. The police department also directed buses from Merced College to UC Merced, said Cmdr. Floyd Higdon.
About seven paramedics from CalFire/Merced County Fire Department were on hand to keep the event safe.
In addition, about 162 volunteers, including staff from the Merced County District Attorney's Office, police cadets and other agencies helped police. Many of the volunteers staffed the 39 metal detectors set up outside of the event.
Sheriff Mark Pazin said the success of the commencement ceremonies was due to the collaboration between all agencies involved.
"Everything went without a hitch," Pazin said. "We were all prepared for any incident that might have come our way."
One of those who required treatment from the heat was Sun-Star photographer Marci Stenberg, who had been on campus since 6 a.m. She was taken by ambulance mid-afternoon to Mercy's ER and was later recovering there after an IV and treatment.
She was released from the hospital around 6 p.m..
An alternate ceremony in Spanish
Labor organizer Dolores Huerta serves as keynote speaker...JONAH OWEN LAMB
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/850555.html
Saturday morning in Lakireddy Auditorium at UC Merced, a man holding an incense-filled vessel faced the four cardinal directions.
He spoke in Spanish and English for what was a traditional Aztec blessing.
More than 50 UC Merced graduates, their families and friends, turned with the man as the he faced north, west, east and south.
The blessing opened an alternate commencement -- the Chicano-Latino commencement -- hours before the university's official graduation ceremony began.
The event, organized by a group of Latino students, came after a year of fundraising and organizing for a bilingual ceremony.
"For me, it's a gift to my parents," said Carolina Valero, a graduate who helped organize the event. Since her parents, like those of many of her fellow graduates, speak Spanish better than English, a bilingual event made it easier for their families could fully participate.
While the commencement was about recognizing the culture of Latino students and giving their families a more intimate setting for celebration, it was hard to ignore the political undertones.
Not only was the keynote speaker Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers union, but many of the events organizers were vocal in their disappointment of the university's efforts to serve Valley students.
They focused especially on Latinos who make up a plurality of the student body at the university and a majority in much of the Valley.
Thirty-two percent of the school's students are Latino, and they make up 52 percent of Merced's population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
While many of the graduates and organizers were happy about their day in the sun, the university's failure to establish a Chicano or Latino major and the lack of Latino professors at the school suggested to some of them the school's priorities.
"We really need these kind of studies here because they represent us," said Valero.
Maricela Rangel-Garcia, who helped organize the event, echoed that sentiment. "Many of us wanted to study our culture," she said. "But there's not a Chicano/Latino studies here at Merced."
Another organizer of the event, Sean Lambert-Diaz, said Latino students at the university gathered about 400 signatures to support the start of a Chicano studies major -- so far, to no avail.
In a brief press conference Saturday, UC Merced Chancellor Steve Kang said, "We are doing our best. Eventually, I can say we will have a Chicano studies."
The morning ceremony's keynote speech by Huerta was wide-ranging, but one point she hammered home was how few Latinos in the Valley and state ever make it to university at all.
Despite the demographic weight of Latinos, said Huerta, they still hold few positions of power in all fields. "We are not at the table," she said.
But, she continued, the graduates at Saturday's ceremony represented a shift in the status quo. Their success gave them power to make change for those that are still powerless.
"Your job," said Huerta," is to come back and help the working people."
Meanwhile, Obama opposition forms around a microphone in the media room...JONAH OWEN LAMB
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/850558.html
For most at UC Merced's graduation on Saturday, Michelle Obama's speech brought a gravitas to what was already a day to remember.
But for two students who leaned over a microphone discussing Obama before her speech, the first lady's presence wasn't a reason to celebrate.
Over their Web site, America's Headlines, Oliver Darcy and Mike Fincher, both members of the UC Merced College Republicans, broadcast their self-described conservative views on their radio show.
They dubbed the broadcast "Freedom radio from occupied UC Merced."
In a sarcastic dialogue, they critiqued everything from Obama's past remarks about being proud of her country for the first time to the wisdom of UC Merced's choice of inviting Obama here.
And that was just the start.
They opened the broadcast on a minor note by talking about the flags in the ceremony, especially the missing ones.
Where was Israel's flag, for instance, asked Fincher. Had it been left out of the ceremony on purpose, he asked. And why were there so few American flags?
Not long into the 45-minute broadcast, they laid into Obama herself.
More specifically, they mentioned her statements during the election campaign about being proud of her country for the first time.
"It's in the audio," said Darcy, about Obama's statements. "I wonder if the tone will be different today?"
Fincher, a Sun-Star columnist, replied: "I've always been proud of my country."
Then Darcy said, "It reveals something about her that you didn't see in (Barack) Obama's speeches."
Why had the university bent over backwards for Obama, they asked.
If George W. Bush were still in office, there wouldn't have been this kind of effort to get Laura Bush to speak, said Darcy.
It was obvious, said Fincher, why Obama was being treated so well -- politics.
Obama had been invited because her politics matched those of most of the students at the university.
That was why she had been welcomed with such excitement, they concluded.
When their broadcast ended, they headed out to watch Obama give her speech, along with everyone else.
They didn't bring any protest signs.
James Burns: UC Merced Bobcats of '09 a special class: Bright people with bright ideas...James Burns, sports editor
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/850557.html
"They are the ones the world needs."
-- Steve Kang, UC Merced chancellor, on the class of 2009
The year is 2024, and innovation, new technology and break-throughs of every size and scale blossom.
The new world is nothing like the Jetsons -- no flying cars, robotic maids or kids named Elroy -- but it's full of bright ideas powered by bright human beings.
Like Ivan Noe.
You'll find the chatty neuro scientist entrenched in Silicon Valley, the Land of Computer Chips, researching a mainframe of a different sort.
Noe studies the mind -- a fascination he developed in high school and honed as a cognitive science major at UC Merced. In recent years, he's narrowed his scope.
The LA transplant wants to crack Balint's Syndrome -- a visual disorder similar to tunnel vision, but worse.
Those that suffer from Balint's struggle to integrate complex visual scenes. "There's got to be a way to form the connection," he says, certain 2024 will be a year of discovery.
Katie Heaton's career has come full circle in the year 2024.
The UC Merced history professor followed her major and is one of the state's leading advocates for higher education, reaching out to high school students not unlike herself many moons ago.
"There's power in learning and knowing," Heaton says. "The university was put in the Valley to help raise educational levels."
Allisa Clemens, who majored in biochemistry at UC Merced and is now a biochemist with Locke-Martin in Sunnyvale, tests new materials that will be used on satellites and missiles.
"Never a boring project," she says in her lab coat.
Still, no matter how busy their lives might be, the three will take a moment each May to reflect and marvel at the day their lives were released into the wild like a flock of doves.
The genesis.
It was May 16, 2009, graduation day.
Noe and Heaton and Clemens were cooking under cap and gown in the "The Bowl" at UC Merced -- the smallest campus in the UC system and the country's newest research university at the time.
Back then, their 2009 class -- the first four-year graduates in school history -- was tied tightly together, woven like strands of rope.
In fact, their bonds were so taut it would have taken all 12,000-plus people in attendance that day to unravel them.
These first-generation Bobcats poured the foundation for an athletic program, founded Greek communities and clubs, started a student newspaper and published books like "The Fairy Shrimp Chronicles."
They shared cups of coffee, lab space, library hours and dorm rooms.
Four years into their adventure, the campus had become a small-sample size of their dreams: A petri dish teeming with future scientists, doctors, professors and engineers.
"We are a family," Heaton said.
Such was the small-school lifestyle.
You knew everyone, by name or by appearance. And more often than not, you had a keen, intimate sense of where each student had been and where they were going.
Rare was an unfamiliar face. Rare was an awkward encounter.
That afternoon, back in 2009, they were inspired to reach, to open new doors, to turn away from the light and brave the dark.
Standard fare for any graduation ceremony.
Only their keynote speaker was anything but -- first lady Michelle Obama, a perfect reflection of the university, the city of Merced and the region.
Remember her?
The graduates were confident in their education, their focus galvanized by a bet-I-can spirit.
Many of them already had one foot through the door to their futures. But they needed one final push. A nudge.
The first lady, a perfect package of grace and beauty, fire and conviction, was happy to oblige.
"You, the students, the graduates and faculty on this campus -- you're capable of changing the world, that's for sure," Obama said that day.
"We need your ideas, graduates. We need your resourcefulness. We need your inventiveness.
"Dream big. Think broadly about your life. ... Take that same hope and optimism, the hard work and tenacity that brought you to this point, and carry it with you the rest of your life," she later added.
"As you step out into the big, open world, the truth is you will face tough times. You'll certainly have doubts. ... There will be days when you will worry if you're really up to the challenge.
"But in those moments, those inevitable moments, I urge you to think about this day."
Remember: the year is 2024 -- 15 years after the first lady's maiden commencement engagement on the tiny campus of UC Merced.
Obama still speaks to new graduates each spring. She's older now, obviously, with a tinge of gray, but she still looks as if she could bench press Barack.
And with every new year, every new engagement, just before she releases a new flock of doves into the wild, she pauses.
Not to soak up the applause or the moment. Not to pose for the shutterbugs in the photo pit or to add spice to a reporter's story.
But to remember her first set of doves. The Ivans, the Katies and Allisas -- UC Merced's original cast.
They flapped their wings in the face of global recession, environmental disaster, political unrest, war and revolution.
They applied their knowledge, invested their faith and challenged the status quo with every new step.
Ultimately, Obama will challenge each set of new graduates to be like those Bobcats of 2009.
A special class ... full of bright people with bright ideas and even brighter futures.
The ones the world needed.
First Lady Michelle Obama to UC Merced graduates: 'Dream big'...Danielle Gaines
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/850272.html
"Wow."
That's all she could say.
When first lady Michelle Obama took the stage at UC Merced's Class of 2009 commencement ceremony, the second action she took was to ask the crowd to applaud the 511 graduating students sitting in front of her.
"I am just so proud of these graduates," Obama said. "And to the graduates and their families and the entire community of Merced, I am so pleased, so thrilled, so honored to be here with all of you today."
Obama's 17-minute message focused on innovation, service to others and perseverance...
Graduate Megan Machado said she enjoyed the first lady's remarks about enduring hard times. "You will face tough times, you will certainly have doubts And you will definitely have your share of setbacks. Count on it," Obama said. "But in those moments, those inevitable moments, I urge you to think about this day."
Machado graduated with a bachelor's of science degree in biological sciences and is taking a year off before pursuing a master's degree in business administration...
David Do was also there...
Do said Obama's message about giving back to the Merced community carried the most importance to him...
Do said those comments cemented his desire to stay in Merced after graduation and get a job here. He hopes to attend law school and go into prosecution someday...
Those who couldn't get in to see Obama partied, too...SCOTT JASON
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/850561.html
First lady Michelle Obama's call for UC Merced's graduates to give back to their community echoed off the walls of downtown Merced -- a city that represents just about all of America's woes.
"And with jobs scarce, many of you may be considering leaving town with your diploma in hand. And it wouldn't be unreasonable," Obama said during her speech, which was broadcast on a JumboTron at Main and Canal streets.
She explained that the graduates must tap the same hope and optimism that brought them to graduation.
Obama referenced Merced's high unemployment rate and foreclosure problem as reasons that students may be quick to hit Highway 99. But it's vital that they stay or head to areas most in need of help...
The message of small-town investment resonated with city officials, who believe it's what's needed to help the city prosper.
"We want to keep the students here and and what they learn here with the hope that they're the next innovators," said Frank Quintero, Merced Economic Development manager...
How many students who were planning to return to Southern California or the Bay Area and decide to stay in Merced remains to be seen...
Local folks want to see 'Michelle'
'She's showing that there's good things in Merced' -- Bert Crane...CAROL REITER
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/850556.html
Bert and Nancy Crane enjoy a long history in Merced County.
Bert Crane has been a cattle rancher for years. His family name adorns street signs in rural areas of the county.
The Cranes have worked hard for local causes, such as building a new hospital and helping out the less fortunate.
But Saturday, Bert and Nancy Crane were like thousands of other people in Merced: just a couple of local residents who wanted to see first lady Michelle Obama speak at UC Merced...
Lee Boese, a local dentist deeply instrumental in bringing the 10th UC campus to Merced, looked forward to hearing Obama speak.
"I can't wait," he said. "Getting the UC here has been a long haul, and this is wonderful."
Read the full text remarks by student speaker Jason Castillo
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/story/850197.html
Read the full text of Michelle Obama's commencement speech to UC Merced
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/story/850180.html
Replay the minute-by-minute coverage of the UC Merced commencement
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/479
Video: Interview with UC Merced Chancellor Steve Kang
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/479
Video: Interview with Frank Quintero, Merced's economic development manager, on the city's Cap&Town event
http://videos.mercedsunstar.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=4153905&item_index=1&query=quintero&sort=NULL
Video: Interview with John Garamendi, Jr., vice chancellor of university relations
http://videos.mercedsunstar.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=4152383&item_index=1&query=garamendi&sort=NULL
Video: Interview with Jane Lawrence, VC of student affairs, about UC Merced's commencement
http://videos.mercedsunstar.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=4152095&item_index=1&all=1&sort=NULL
Modesto Bee
Ex-politicians new leaders on farmland group's board...Garth Stapley
http://www.modbee.com/local/v-print/story/707541.html
The Farmland Working Group is celebrating its 10-year anniversary by adding political muscle.
Having spent a decade in mostly behind-the-scenes lobbying for farmland protection, the nonprofit group is getting new leadership with extensive experience inside the halls of government.
"I suggested we become more vocal," said Denny Jackman, a former Modesto city councilman and longtime advocate of managed growth. He became chairman of the Farmland Working Group when Turlock's Jeani Ferrari, who had led the group since its inception, stepped down.
Also boosting the group's political clout are former Oakdale City Councilman Phil Rockey, former Newman City Councilman Timothy Parker and retired Stanislaus County planning director Ron Freitas, all of whom recently joined Jackman's board of directors.
Videos and newsletter
The Farmland Working Group traces it origins to a 1995 meeting facilitated by then-Rep. Gary Condit where attendees expressed alarm at rampant growth. Four years later, the group officially organized and has been active since in trying to educate people on the evils of sprawl.
Under Ferrari's leadership, the Farmland Working Group produced videos for high school curricula and has published a newsletter three times a year. Its popular "We Are Watching" presents an easy-to-digest roundup of land-use issues confronting policy-makers throughout the Northern San Joaquin Valley.
Jackman's activism spans four decades. He helped establish the nation's first curbside recycling program in Modesto in the early 1970s and served a term at Modesto City Hall, ending in 2005.
His most impressive success may have come in February 2008, when voters throughout Stanislaus County embraced his initiative giving voters more control over housing developments in rural areas.
Taking the helm of the Farmland Working Group, which Jackman has helped lead for years as a board director, "is just a continuum of activity," he said.
Examples of smart-growth leadership by Rockey and Parker are well-documented. Freitas might be a more curious choice, however, having led the county's development department during a period of unprecedented growth.
Jackman said he invited Freitas aboard because the new Farmland Working Group needs his insight and expertise. Planning isn't inherently evil, Jackman said, but can be an instrument for thoughtful, sustainable growth.
"I don't kill the messenger," Jackman said of Freitas.
Believes in the mission
Freitas said he isn't trying to "atone for sins" of sprawl, as have other planners who later reformed into slow-growth activists. "I believe in what they're doing," he said of the Farmland Working Group.
"Having been born and raised here, with all of my family involved in agriculture, I'm really the only one who wasn't and (farming) is still in my blood. I'd like to see it continue."
The Farmland Working Group lately has pushed farmland mitigation policies requiring developers to permanently preserve some farmland for every acre they build on.
"That's not anti-development; that's just trying to protect our future," Freitas said.
On the Net: www.farmlandworkinggroup.org
Fresno Bee
Millerton nearly full despite drought
Water officials say that's deceptive considering the reservoir's too small...Mark Grossi
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/v-print/story/1410238.html
As California copes with a third year of drought, federal officials are trying to avoid spilling water over the top of Friant Dam at nearly full Millerton Lake.
Millerton probably will fill and possibly spill excess water this week while many major reservoirs remain below 70% of capacity. The reason: Millerton is too small to capture the San Joaquin River's spring runoff even in a relatively dry year, say area water experts.
For days, river water has been funneled into delivery canals to farm-irrigation districts and the city of Fresno. The city is filling flood-control basins where the water can seep into the ground.
"We're very thankful for the chance to recharge the aquifers," said Lon Martin, the city's assistant public utilities director.
It's more than anyone expected in February when federal allotments were forecast at 25% for Fresno and east San Joaquin Valley farmers who buy water from Millerton. A series of late winter storms built the snowpack enough for water officials to become more optimistic.
Now, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, owner and operator of Friant Dam, hopes to deliver a 100% supply to the Class I or high-priority customers.
Fresno, Orange Cove and Lindsay are high priority customers. So are many irrigation districts that deliver water to 15,000 farmers on the east side.
Lower priority or Class II farm customers use river water to percolate into the ground to help replenish their wells. They are receiving some water now, but there won't be much more available for them this year, officials said.
Meanwhile, west Valley federal customers, such as Westlands Water District, remain at a 10% supply. The west-siders' Northern California water comes through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, where drought and legal protections for fish are forcing huge cutbacks in water pumping.
Much of the west-side water comes from Shasta Reservoir on the Sacramento River. The lake is the largest man-made reservoir in California -- nine times the size of Millerton. Shasta is at only 70% of capacity.
Millerton is nearing 100%, but that's a deceptive number because the reservoir is so small, water officials say. The reservoir is about half the size of Pine Flat on the Kings River, which has about the same annual runoff as the San Joaquin.
Pine Flat's capacity is 1 million acre-feet -- each 326,000-gallon acre-foot amounts to a 12- to 18-month supply for an average family. Pine Flat is 61% full with plenty of room for more water. It is not expected to fill completely this year.
But Millerton, with a capacity of 520,000 acre-feet, spills over Friant Dam during spring runoff in many years. The government built it in the 1940s on a site that would not support a larger reservoir, officials said.
Federal officials understood the limitations, but the land was donated and the reservoir was sorely needed at the time.
Fresno Irrigation District, which delivers water in a 245,000-acre area that includes the Fresno-Clovis metropolitan area, is taking water from Millerton. General manager Gary Serrato, whose district is a Class II customer, said his agency this month will get up to 15,000 acre-feet of water.
In February, the district didn't expect any water by now, Serrato said: "We take advantage of every drop of water we can get."
Fresno city officials say residents should not relax conservation efforts. They say years of drought can drastically lower the underground water table, which supplies more than 250 city wells. Fresnans use treated river water and well water.
To conserve, the city this year revised its water rules to prohibit outdoor watering during daytime hours. The revised rules also require the use of a bucket for car-washing, although a hose with a shut-off nozzle can be used for what the rules term a "quick rinse."
About 70% of residential water usage is for outdoor landscaping, said Ann Kloose, spokeswoman for the public utilities department. She recommended residents install drip irrigation and plant drought-tolerant vegetation.
She also said people can cut water usage indoors. "Take shorter showers," she said. "And shut off the water when you're brushing your teeth."
Clovis weighs Wal-Mart Supercenter...The Fresno Bee
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/v-print/story/1410225.html
A hearing for a new shopping center that includes a Wal-Mart Supercenter will be held by the Clovis City Council tonight.
The 491,000-square-foot center is proposed on about 50 acres at Highway 168 and Herndon Avenue. The hearing follows a Clovis Planning Commission recommendation last month backing the plan.
The City Council will be asked to certify the environmental impact report for the center, as well as the project's site plan.
Other tenants include: Kohl's, Petco, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Ross, Dress Barn and Old Navy.
A judge last year found the city should not have certified an environmental impact report for the project because the document did not adequately address water and did not examine the potential for lost business by merchants beyond the Clovis city limits.
Based on the judge's decision, the City Council "decertified" the environmental report and consultants were told to rewrite sections deemed inadequate.
The rewritten portions of the environmental document will be discussed during tonight's hearing.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Clovis Veterans Memorial District building at Fourth Street and Hughes Avenue.
Sacramento Bee
Energy officials face questions on Northern California transmission line plan...Ed Fletcher
http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/v-print/story/1869515.html
A $1.5 billion plan to build 600 miles of new high-voltage transmission lines from Lassen County to serve Sacramento and the Bay Area has ignited outrage among property owners and prompted a call for a longer comment period.
The project is proposed by a consortium of municipal power providers to increase the region's power-grid capacity and improve its reliability. But its most important role would be as a conduit for electricity from alternative energy sources to power-thirsty urban areas.
To address questions, The Bee interviewed Patrick Mealoy, a spokesman for project sponsor the Transmission Agency of Northern California, or TANC; James Shetler, an assistant general manager for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, which is the project's biggest participant; and California Energy Commission staff.
If the towers and lines are such an eyesore, why not put them underground?
Since "hot" underground wires can't touch the ground, insulating them creates a whole new set of problems, not the least of which is heat, Mealoy said.
Heavier insulated wires would need to be connected at an underground vault every 1,000 feet. All that creates more costs and a new set of environmental concerns, he said.
Undergrounding has been done over short distances, but not with the higher- capacity lines planned in the TANC project.
Why don't we follow the "local food" model and just invest more in rooftop solar projects?
Utilities, including SMUD, are developing local solar, wind and other renewable energy resources.
SMUD has been helping customers invest in solar for years, Shetler said.
However, Mealoy pointed out that if rooftop solar were installed at every suitable site in the region it would generate only enough power for 2.5 percent of SMUD's customer needs.
The Energy Commission contends that reaching the state's renewable portfolio goal will require small-scale and large-scale generation projects.
The transmission project aims to access renewable energy resources in Lassen County, but isn't the demand for power flattening due to conservation efforts? Is all this new green power needed?
Demand is flattening, but it won't forever. The state is still growing, according to Energy Commission staff.
Besides, meeting state and internal goals means SMUD must replace existing natural gas plants with alternative energy sources, Shetler said. The state requirement is that 20 percent of a utility company's power delivery be from alternative sources. That minimum is expected to be ramped up to 33 percent by 2020.
Will this project at least create jobs along the route?
During construction the project is expected to create more than 500 jobs. More short-term jobs will be created as renewable plants are built. More than 100 permanent jobs will be created running the facilities, Mealoy said.
Doesn't Pacific Gas and Electric already have transmission lines going through Northern California up to Oregon? Why not use them?
The existing line – shared by PG&E and TANC members – is maxed out and can't carry any more electricity, Mealoy said. TANC will analyze running new transmission lines right next to the existing path, he said. But federal law and good common sense say you don't leave customers' electricity needs vulnerable to one calamity.
EPA urged to act on climate, not wait for Congress...DINA CAPPIELLO, Associated Press Writer
http://www.sacbee.com/838/v-print/story/1869946.html
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Environmental Protection Agency should not wait for Congress before taking steps to control the gases blamed for global warming, supporters of federal greenhouse-gas regulation said Monday.
The EPA hearing is the first of two public forums on the agency's April finding that concentrations of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere pose dangers to human health and welfare - and that emissions from new motor vehicles and engines are contributing to the problem.
The proposal could eventually lead to regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, starting with emissions standards for motor vehicles.
"We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions now without further delay and without waiting for a perfect solution," said Navis Bermudez, speaking on behalf of New York Gov. David A. Paterson.
"While we also hope that Congress enacts comprehensive federal climate change legislation, we believe EPA can act now under the existing Clean Air Act without waiting for such legislation."
The House Energy and Commerce Committee planned to begin work later on Monday on legislation that, for the first time, would limit the emissions blamed for global warming from large industrial sources.
The EPA proposal has put pressure on Capitol Hill to take action.
"It is clear that the choice is no longer between doing something and doing nothing to curb greenhouse gas pollution. It is a choice between regulation and legislation," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass. "We believe that the bill we have crafted in the Energy and Commerce Committee ... protects consumers and provides businesses with the certainty they need to adapt to our clean energy future."
Which proposal will ultimately win out depends mostly on Congress. The House bill would largely pre-empt the EPA from forcing industries to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. Instead, it writes a new chapter that would put a price on each ton of pollution and allow industry to decide how to meet increasingly more stringent targets.
President Barack Obama has made it clear that he prefers new legislation to cope with the problem.
In his weekly radio address Saturday, the president called the bill "a plan that will finally reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and cap the carbon pollution that threatens our health and our climate."
The agency was compelled to weigh in on the threat posed by greenhouse gases after a 2007 Supreme Court ruling found them to be air pollutants.
Industry groups and Republicans quickly sounded the alarm saying the finding could eventually prompt the EPA to regulate pollution from a whole suite of sources and burden an already troubled economy.
That view was reiterated Monday by Bryan Brendle, director of energy and resources policy for the National Association of Manufacturers.
Brendle told EPA officials the Clean Air Act was ill-suited to deal with the global problem of climate change and would "pre-empt ongoing congressional debate on an issue that would impact all sectors of a struggling economy."
Supporters tried to head off those criticisms Monday.
"We are concerned that other commenters have used hyperbole to describe the consequences of potential endangerment finding claiming it will wreak havoc ... we disagree strongly," said Nancy Kruger, deputy director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, which represents state and local air pollution control agencies.
More than a hundred people are signed up to testify at the EPA hearing, including environmentalists, scientists, religious leaders and climate change skeptics.
The House Energy committee intends to complete work and vote on the climate and energy bill by the end of the week. But Republicans concerned that the 932-page proposal will drive up energy prices and harm the economy are expected to drag out the proceedings by offering hundreds of amendments.
The bill is H.R. 2454.
Back-Seat Driver: Airport considers using falcons to protect planes...Tony Bizjak
http://www.sacbee.com/driver/v-print/story/1869521.html
Next time you fly, could a falcon protect you from harm?
Jim Tigan of Marysville thinks so. He trains falcons to chase birds away from airports, so the critters won't collide with planes. He wants Sacramento International to give his team a try.
Falcons aren't big. But they're tough. They can swoop at 200 miles per hour. They make a fist and punch their prey like a featherweight boxer.
Birds smack into jets at the Sacramento airport frequently. Usually, it's no big deal – just some blood and feathers a worker has to scrape off a nose cone after landing.
But on direct hit, even a dollar-sized dent from a small bird can cost thousands to repair.
And, on occasion, humans are at risk. The nation took notice earlier this year when a U.S. Airways jet landed on the Hudson River after both engines had been knocked out by a flock of birds.
Sacramento airport officials spend $500,000 a year to manage wildlife, mostly birds. The multifaceted program includes air cannons and boxes emitting sounds of distressed birds.
State Sen. Dave Cox, R-Fair Oaks, is pushing a bill to make it clear that authorized airport workers also can shoot birds they feel are a danger to an approaching plane.
Several readers have asked: What about falcons?
Travis Air Force Base near Vacaville uses them. So does Kennedy airport in New York. LaGuardia, the take-off airport for the U.S. Airways flight, doesn't because it has geese, which are too big for falcons to kill.
Tigan, who owns Tactical Avian Predators, proposes having two falconers patrol Sacramento airport grounds daily. The falcons would chase their prey off airport grounds. The falconer then would call his bird back with a whistle and a lure.
Sometimes falcons catch and kill another bird. But if a falcon eats a whole bird, it likely won't want to hunt anymore that day, so handlers generally reward the falcon with a small piece of meat instead.
Falcons can be prey, too. Some owls and eagles will swoop down on unsuspecting falcons while they are on the ground eating. So Tigan said crews sometimes have trained dogs follow the falcons and sit with them to protect them.
Sacramento officials recently visited Tigan's facility and watched his birds in action, he said.
"We are exploring the possibility of using falcons," the airport said in an e-mail.
But there are questions about whether falcons would bring much more safety to the airport, and at what cost.
Airport officials point out the falcons themselves can be a hazard for planes. A falcon and a plane collided at Travis last year, Tigan said.
Plus, Tigan estimates his services would cost $250,000, half the airport's wildlife management budget.
That's a serious price tag, given that falcons don't work nights, when there isn't enough light to hunt but plenty of planes are flying.
San Francisco Chronicle
Obama set to release pollution standards...KEN THOMAS and PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writers
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/05/18/national/w102351D96.DTL&type=printable
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will issue new vehicle emission standards and pair them with a broader goal of reducing pollution, marking the first time limits on greenhouse gases will be linked to federal standards for cars and trucks.
Officials familiar with the administration's discussions say Obama will unveil the new standards on Tuesday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not been made.
California, 13 other states and the District of Columbia have urged the federal government to let them enact more stringent standards than the federal government's requirements. The states' regulations would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in new cars and trucks by 2016.
Officials said Tuesday's announcement moves toward the 30 percent goal by 2016, starting with model years 2011 and beyond.
Obama's move also would effectively end litigation between states and automakers, who sought to block state-specific rules. The new federal rules would prompt automakers to drop their lawsuit. Two car companies who have been part of the litigation, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, have received billions in government loans during a dramatic downturn in car sales and weakened economy.
A March 2008 decision prevents states from setting their own limits on greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, but Obama has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider the ruling.
North County Times
GOLF: Other regions taking proactive stance to cut water use at golf courses...MARC FIGUEROA
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2009/05/18/sports/golf/
z94afd522acd825c1882575b60077db0a.prt
While the San Diego County Water Authority and some local water agencies are reaching out to golf courses in attempts to encourage water conservation, there are currently no mandates to enforce it.
That's a different story from other drought-plagued regions such as Nevada and Arizona, states that regulate usage with turf reductions programs and water budgets.
Five years ago, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) began paying golf courses and residents up to $1.50 per square foot to remove turf, a "cash for grass" program that cost the agency $40 million in the last fiscal year.
The effort has been a success, having removed more than 600,000 acres of turf from area golf courses and saving more than 1 billion gallons of water from those courses. Of the more than 40 courses in Clark County, 26 are participating in the program.
"You can't hardly find a (grass) yard in Las Vegas anymore," said Dale Hahn, the superintendent at TPC Summerlin, the site of the PGA Tour's annual stop in Las Vegas. "They're paying a lot of money to have us remove turf. And it's working."
Hahn, who worked previously at Pala Mesa Resort in Fallbrook and Morgan Run Resort and Club in Rancho Santa Fe, said TPC Summerlin has removed four acres of irrigated turf from its 150-acre facility.
Angel Park Golf Club, a 36-hole facility near TPC, has taken a much more aggressive approach. The 260-acre compound, which also features a nine-hole short course and a nine-hole putting course, has removed 76 acres since 2007 ---- mostly from its two 18-hole courses ---- and has plans to remove nine more by 2010.
Bill Rohret, Angel Park's superintendent, said the effort at his facility saves 80 million gallons a year and more than $200,000 in watering expenses. Rohret said Angel Park has received about $3 million from the SNWA, money that covered reconstruction costs.
"We essentially are breaking even on it," Rohret said. "Without their financial help, we wouldn't have been able to do it."
The massive turf reduction project has turned Angel Park into a target golf course, a transformation that he said is being accepted by customers.
"Overall they like it because it defines the hole better now," Rohret said. "Plus, we had a lot of turf that wasn't even in play.
"It's funny, 20 years ago when we opened, we took out the desert to put the grass in. Twenty years later, we're taking grass out to put the desert back in."
When there is no drought, new golf courses in Clark County are limited to a maximum of 90 acres of turf for 18 holes and 10 acres for the driving range. In current drought conditions, the limitation is half that, making it virtually impossible to open a new track.
At most golf courses in southern Nevada, water is by far the biggest expense.
According to PJ McGuire, the past president of the Southern Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association, area courses are paying $3 per thousand gallons, the most expensive rate in the country.
The average annual cost for water is $600,000-$700,000, he said, adding that some courses spend up to $1.4 million each year.
"People wonder why it costs so much to golf in Las Vegas," McGuire said. "Water is a huge expense."
Most courses get their water from the Colorado River and nearby Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States.
Golf courses in the Las Vegas Valley Water District, a member agency of the SNWA, also are on a water budget, restricted to 6.3 acre feet of water per irrigated acre every year. For TPC Summerlin, that's an allotment of 407 million gallons per year. One acre-foot of water is approximately 326,000 gallons, enough to serve a family of five for a year.
The mandate started at 7 acre feet but has since been lowered, and Hahn said he and other area superintendents soon expect the allotment to be reduced to 6 acre feet.
Exceed your allotment, and the penalty can cost up to 10 times the original cost, McGuire said.
"There's only way to go, and that's to remove turf," Hahn said. "There really aren't any other options for us. There are no miracle water treatments, and no super-efficient sprinklers."
In Arizona, the Arizona Department of Water Resources controls the state's water supply. Acreage limitations have been in place since 1985, and all new courses must prove they have access to a renewable water source. Most of the 198 18-hole courses in the Phoenix area rely heavily ---- in some cases, totally ---- on recycled water for irrigation.
What also has helped the state hold onto its water is the Arizona Water Banking Authority, which was established in 1996 to help "bank" unused water it receives from the Colorado River. The water is stored in underground aquifers and tapped in times of need.
"Our conditions are much harsher than San Diego," said Mark Clark, the superintendent of Troon Country Club in Scottsdale. "We've been in a drought for nine years, and it basically has not effected us at all in the metro areas."
The Coachella Valley Water District, which services most of the 133 golf courses in the Palm Springs area, has set a goal to convert 80 percent of the area's golf courses to recycled water by 2020.
The Coachella Valley also imports its water from the Colorado River and stores it in an aquifer. The district's water management plan calls for a 5 percent reduction at golf courses by next year.
Looking at the long-term implications, the district is taking aggressive measures to significantly reduce or eliminate a course's dependence on the aquifer.
Mark Cupit, a board member of the Hi-Lo Desert Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, said reclaimed water users pay less than $10 an acre-foot of water, while aquifer consumers pay about $100 an acre-foot.
Cupit is the superintendent at Ironwood Country Club in Palm Desert, a 36-hole facility that sits 750 feet above sea level. The elevation eliminates his access to recycled water, a disappointment considering that his annual water budget is $500,000.
"The more courses we get off using the aquifer, the better," he said. "I would love to get my hands on that (recycled) water. It's not the best for irrigating turf, but I think we're in a situation where we're going to have to lower our expectations a little bit just because we don't have an endless supply."
Mike Huck, a golf course irrigation specialist based in Dana Point, said California's situation is different from places such as Nevada and Arizona because of the variety of microclimates, which would make an across-the-board allotment a sticky issue. But he contends that something must be done.
"In Arizona they give you an allotment of water based on your lot size and you can use it however you want," he said. "Here we're trying to calculate what you can use when, and those calculations get very fuzzy from the standpoint of different plant materials and different microclimates.
"It's a much more complicated problem in California. We're going to have to have some kind of agreement on removal of turf and limits of irrigated areas."
Washington Post
Cold Reality
Addressing climate change is a job for Congress, not the Endangered Species Act...Editorial
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/17/AR2009051701792_pf.html
INTERIOR SECRETARY Ken Salazar ruffled more than a few feathers this month when he let stand a Bush administration decision to prohibit the use of the Endangered Species Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. It was the right call when it was made in 2008, and it is the right call now. Tackling climate change -- and all the implications that has for the economy -- should be dealt with by the people's representatives in Congress, not through a 36-year-old law not designed for such a complex task. Just how complex will be on full display today when the House begins its scheduled debate on the American Clean Energy and Security Act.
Inaction by the Bush administration led environmental groups to find backdoor ways to force it to deal with climate change. When then-Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne listed the polar bear as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act because global warming was melting its Arctic Sea ice habitat, activists geared up to use the decision to challenge high- carbon-emitting projects across the country. But Mr. Kempthorne wisely limited the law's reach by prohibiting "global processes" from triggering further action to protect a listed species' habitat.
That both the Bush and Obama administrations have had to contort Interior Department policies to ensure that it doesn't get dragged into setting U.S. climate policy shows why action on Capitol Hill is vital. The American Clean Energy and Security Act would seek to slash 2005 greenhouse gas emission levels 83 percent by 2050 through a cap-and-trade system in which government would set a declining limit on the amount of carbon dioxide that could be emitted and would issue allowances to emitting companies that could buy and sell those rights.
Shaping the bill, sponsored by Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), was no easy exercise. Regional concerns, particularly those of members from coal-producing areas such as Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), forced a number of compromises that have left all sides grumbling. Initially, 85 percent of the carbon trade allowances would be given away. This is a far cry from the 100 percent auction position espoused by President Obama during the campaign. But the committee staff believes that this is necessary to ease the transition to a carbon-constrained economy for industries and states and to help limit direct consumer rate increases. By 2030, all the pollution permits would be auctioned.
The work on this bill is far from done, and the debate on the House floor promises to be spirited, as it should be. We continue to hope that Congress will consider a simpler carbon tax rebated to all taxpayers or less bureaucratic versions of cap-and-trade, such as that proposed by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). But it's encouraging that lawmakers are undertaking to meet the challenges of climate change. The responsibility is theirs, not that of unelected bureaucrats using laws far beyond their intended purpose.