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By Eric Johnson
Published Feb 19, 2024

CEQA vs. Housing; a Nonprofit’s Collapse; Black History Reading List

In this week’s edition of The Newsletter (as always), you will find a curated collection of news stories from trusted local sources—automagically selected for the county in which YOU live.

Also this week, to celebrate Black History Month, we present nine books that reveal distinct Black Californian voices, including a memoir (Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings), poetry (Wanda Coleman’s African Sleeping Sickness), fiction (Dana Johnson’s Elsewhere, California), and more.

But first, an article about unintended consequences wrought by a well-intentioned piece of environmental regulation, and another about a well-intentioned nonprofit’s failed attempt to fix a big problem in the state’s capital city.

Did Environmental Protection Cause the Housing Crisis?

The California Environmental Protection Act (CEQA) has helped preserve California’s precious landscape, helped protect residents’ health and safety, and helped fight the climate crisis. Many leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, believe it has also been a primary cause of the housing shortage that has crippled the state and made 150,000 Californians homeless. Here’s how that happened.

CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law

Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
The California Environmental Quality Act, CEQA, is both the state’s signature environmental legislation, and is also often named as the villain in the state’s housing shortage. But the story may not be that simple.

Battling Chronic Homelessness in California’s Capital

San Francisco has gained national notoriety for the thousands of homeless individuals forced to live on its streets and the squalid camps they inhabit. While the problem in the City by the Bay is infamous enough to be mocked by everyone from Ron DeSantis to Dave Chappelle, the crisis in California’s capital city is less well known.

The fact is, Sacramento, with a population of just over half a million, has more homeless residents than San Francisco, whose population tops 850,000. In the six years since I moved here, I have witnessed an unhoused neighbor in some manner of distress practically every day. For local small-business owners, or families who want to feel that their kids are safe, here in Sacramento, the homeless crisis is unavoidable and painful.

That is not because local leaders are ignoring the problem. Mayor Darrell Steinberg, an empathetic man and (as former California Senate President pro Tempore) an astute public servant, made it the central focus of his time in office. The homeless population grew by almost 70 percent over that period, for reasons nobody can adequately explain.

Meanwhile, an organization that was doing the difficult work of finding homes for the hardest cases found itself swamped, and was forced to declare bankruptcy and shutter its operation. Graham Womack reports.

The Collapse of Sacramento Self-Help Housing

Mark Oden was among the thousands of chronically homeless people helped by Sacramento Self-Help Housing prior to the organization’s failure.
A once-groundbreaking nonprofit working with chronically homeless people in California’s capital closed and filed for bankruptcy in 2023.

Black Lit California Style

This short sampler considers the well-known books mentioned above, and lesser-known texts such as Anna Deavere Smith’s one-woman work of “documentary theater,” and Octavia Butler’s post-apocalyptic speculative fiction.

February Reading List


Mark Black History Month by reading these novels, nonfiction books and collections that feature Black voices exploring the Black experience in the Golden State.

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Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus logo Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus

Supporting local singers by building, promoting, and nurturing vocal music programs, the Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus hosts two annual concert series that feature music from a range of genres, such as classical, Broadway, and contemporary hits.

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From Our Media Allies

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Sierra Sun logo Truckee Seeks Two Additional R2SC Committee Members

The town of Truckee is looking for two local residents to join the River Revitalization Steering Committee, which is helping to shape the future of the downtown area by creating opportunities for the revitalization of the river corridor.
Tahoe Daily Tribune logo The Century-Plus History of the Tahoe Dam

Rain and snowmelt flow down 63 tributaries into Lake Tahoe, but just one river runs out of the alpine lake—the Truckee River. And 400 feet downstream sits the Tahoe Dam, a 110-year old concrete structure in Tahoe City.
Tahoe Daily Tribune logo California State Parks Releases Plan for the Future

The California Department of Parks and Recreation has developed a five-year strategic plan to shape the direction of the state park system and its many recreational and conservation programs.
Sierra Sun logo Parasol Foundation Gives $15K for Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Transport

Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue has received a grant award from the Community Fund of the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation to help purchase of a multi-passenger van.
Tahoe Daily Tribune logo California State Parks to Close Main Trails to Burney Falls for 2024 Season

California State Parks announced the temporary closure of the main trails to the falls at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park beginning on April 1 and through summer season or fall.
Tahoe Daily Tribune logo South Tahoe PUD to Address Water, Sewer Infrastructure Needs

Most of South Lake Tahoe’s water and sewer systems were built in the 1950s and 1960s. Additional investments are needed to avoid costly emergency projects.
Tahoe Daily Tribune logo Tahoe Time Owner Houses Homeless

The 5,000-square-foot space at Tahoe Time Community Center fulfills a number of purposes year round. Most recently it has been converted to a warm room for those in need.
Sierra Sun logo Truckee Fire District to Accept Proposals for 2024–26 Curbside Green Waste Services

Truckee Fire Protection District is seeking qualified and interested contractors and/or organizations to provide green waste collection and disposal services in residential areas.
Tahoe Guide logo Tahoe Literary Festival Coming to Tahoe City

The inaugural Tahoe Literary Festival on Oct. 11-12 will be celebrate the region’s literary community through events of interest to locals and visitors, while also providing support for writers.
Tahoe Daily Tribune logo Vail Resorts Says It’s Ahead of Schedule for Zero Net Emissions by 2030

Vail Resorts says as a company, the product it’s selling is the environment, a fact that undergirds its approach to business.
Tahoe Guide logo State of the Backcountry: 2024 Alliance Makes Progress with Parking, Micro-transit

Because the snowpack has been thin at lower elevations, backcountry travelers have looked for trailheads that start at high elevations. But these locations can often be avalanche prone.
Tahoe Guide logo Changes to Forest District Snowmobile Policies Make Little Progress

While updates to snowmobile access throughout the Tahoe Sierra progresses at a snail’s pace, some forest districts are moving forward, and groups are tracking how new policies for over-the-snow vehicles are working out so far.
Tahoe Guide logo Explore Tahoe’s Winter Wonders

Whether it’s gliding across ice rinks or venturing into the forest on snowshoe, discover endless opportunities for laughter and bonding in Tahoe’s snowy paradise.
Tahoe Guide logo Train Station Upgrades Proceeding

Work is underway at the Truckee Train Depot to upgrade the Amtrak station. The project will include a new platform for ADA compliance.
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Recent Local News

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• Nevada County Arts Council Announces 2024 Poetry Out Loud Champions

Following an evening of recitation from high school students at the Eric Rood Center, the Nevada County Arts Council revealed the winners of its 2024 Poetry Out Loud County Championships.

 (02/17/2024) → YubaNet

• Nevada County Supervisors Deny Rise Grass Valley’s Idaho Maryland Mine Project

After six hours of public comment over two days, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to deny Rise Grass Valley’s Idaho Maryland Mine Project and final environmental impact report.

 (02/16/2024) → YubaNet

• Food Bank Raises Alarm About Skyrocketing Number of Families in Need

The Food Bank of Nevada County is experiencing “huge increases across the board through all our programs and especially our direct distribution sites,” according to Volunteer Coordinator Heather Haddock.

 (02/15/2024) → YubaNet

• Cinderella Project Moves; Grand Opening Feb. 24

Bright Futures for Youth’s Nevada County Cinderella Project, which provides dresses, tuxedos and other formal clothes to students, has moved to a space inside Sammie’s Nifty Thrift Shop in Grass Valley.

 (02/15/2024) → YubaNet

• Center for the Arts Announces Penntucky Country Music Series

The Center for the Arts is thrilled to present “Penntucky Country Music Series” at Penn Valley Rodeo Grounds, featuring Lonestar on July 20 and the Sawyer Brown on Sept. 8.

 (02/15/2024) → YubaNet

• Researchers Shed Light on River Resiliency to Flooding

Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno have completed a study examining how river ecosystems recover following floods, using data from oxygen sensors to estimate growth in aquatic plants and algae.

 (02/14/2024) → YubaNet
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Recent Statewide News

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• San Francisco Set to Apologize to Black Residents for ‘Systemic Racism’

Members of the board gathered to put forward a resolution that takes responsibility for the history of discrimination against Black San Franciscans.

 (02/16/2024) → Los Angeles Times

• Research: Immigration Enforcement Hinders Education; Schools Offer Support

Immigration enforcement lowers students’ ability to succeed academically and negatively affects their overall learning experience.

 (02/15/2024) → EdSource

• Why Adopting Sports Gambling in California Has to Involve Tribes

When and if California legalizes sports gambling, the policy should honor the laws established in partnership with tribes decades ago, says Assemblyman James Ramos.

 (02/15/2024) → CalMatters

• Beekeeper Offers $100,000 Reward in Brazen Fresno Beehive Thefts

Commercial beekeeper Andrew Strehlow estimates he’s had 1,000 hives stolen over the years. The latest theft, of 96 hives from a Fresno County orchard, was his last straw.

 (02/14/2024) → Los Angeles Times

• Robocalls, Ringless Voicemails and AI: Real Estate Enters the Age of Automation

As agents hunt for business in Southern California's slow real estate market, some are trying out new ways of tracking down leads. Others are quitting the industry.

 (02/13/2024) → Los Angeles Times

• New California Teaching Standards Increase Focus on Family Engagement, Social-Emotional Learning

The state is to implement long-awaited new guidelines in 2025 despite some calls for a year’s delay.

 (02/12/2024) → EdSource
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Government Announcements

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Image of United States seal. United States   (02/16/2024)

Nordic Naturals Issues Voluntary Recall of Baby's Vitamin D3 Liquid Due to Elevated Levels of Vitamin D3
Nordic Naturals is voluntarily recalling one lot of Nordic Naturals Baby's Vitamin D3 Liquid, 0.76 fl. oz. (22.5 mL), 400 IU (10mcg) D3. This recall is being conducted due to a manufacturing error that resulted in an elevated level of Vitamin D3 dosage or super potent dose. The affected lot number i
Image of State of California seal. State of California   (02/16/2024)

Megan Dahle CA Assembly 01:
Legislative Video Series: AB 925
Greetings Today marks the deadline for introducing bills into the state legislature. My team and I have been diligently working on developing our own legislation and collaborating on significant bills with fellow legislators from both the Senate and the Assembly. Im eager to share more details about these endeavors in the coming weeks. But before [...] The post Legislative Video …
Image of United States seal. United States   (02/15/2024)

Raw Cheddar Cheese - Voluntary Product Recall
On February 15, 2024 Raw Farm was contacted by the FDA and CDC regarding the epidemiological possibility that Raw Farm raw cheddar cheese might have caused some illnesses within a date range of October 18th 2023 and January 31st 2024.
Image of United States seal. United States   (02/15/2024)

Capitol Distributing Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Sesame in Product
Capitol Distributing is recalling 3,934 sandwiches because they may contain undeclared sesame. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.
Image of State of California seal. State of California   (02/15/2024)

Brian Dahle CA Senate 01:
Senator Dahle Introduces Legislation to Save Mt. Shasta Museum
Senator Dahle Introduces Legislation to Save Mt. Shasta Museum SREPweb Thu, 02/15/2024 - 06:44
Image of United States seal. United States   (02/15/2024)

Don Novo & Son Recalls Ready-To-Eat Meat Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2024 - Don Novo & Son, a Miami, Fla. establishment, is recalling approximately 9,330 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes...
Image of United States seal. United States   (02/14/2024)

Bristol Farms Recalls Chicken Taco Kit Because of Possible Health Risk
Bristol Farms is recalling Chicken Taco Kit 9oz, Sell by1/18/24, because the Chipotle Crema sauce cup has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes,
Image of United States seal. United States   (02/12/2024)

Mg Foods Voluntarily Recalls Ham & Cotija Torta Sandwich Distributed in Florida Due to Possible Listeria Monocytogenes Contamination of Cotija Cheese
MG Foods is voluntarily recalling a Ham & Cotija Torta Sandwich on Telera Roll sold in Florida. This voluntary recall is being initiated as a result of the Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. recall of cotija cheese due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes and associated with an outbreak the FDA
Image of United States seal. United States   (02/12/2024)

Rico Brand Recalls Enchilada Trays Due to Possible Listeria Monocytogenes Contamination
Rico Brand of Salt Lake City, Utah is voluntary recalling Ready-to-eat Enchiladas made with Queso Fresco containing cheese as part of the voluntary recall from Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal i
Image of United States seal. United States   (02/12/2024)

Fratelli Beretta USA, Inc. Recalls Ready-To-Eat Charcuterie Meat Products Due to Possible Under Processing
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2024 - Fratelli Beretta USA, Inc., a Mount Olive, N.J. establishment, is recalling an undetermined amount of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat charcuterie products containing Coppa that may be...