Tiny Pajaro (center) sits across the river from Watsonville in the strawberry-rich Pajaro Valley.
Hello and welcome to the first “statewide” issue of The Newsletter from California Local.
For the past year, my colleague Sharan Street has delivered a weekly report to our members who live in Santa Cruz County, where we are headquartered. Today I am subbing, and this issue goes to members and subscribers in the seven other counties where we operate.
If you’re a first-time recipient of The Newsletter, here’s what you're getting:
- Original articles by CALocal contributors (in this case Dustin Mulvaney, Jonathan Vankin and yours truly).
- A selection of news articles from members of the California Local Media Alliance.
- A curated digest of news from other trusted outlets in your county.
- Comprehensive access to upcoming local public meetings.
If you’re thinking “This sounds like a good way to find out what's going on around here”—that makes me happy.
This week, our lead item—and the story I would rank as most the pressing statewide—is about the flooding of the small Monterey County agricultural town of Pajaro.
Although I write to you today from my home in Sacramento, I am very familiar with Pajaro, having lived for many years in both Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. And still, the depth of the tragic situation there did not hit me in full until I heard a report about the impacts of the Pajaro River flooding by a national correspondent on NPR, who put the story in context.
KQED reporter Farida Jhabvala Romero pointed out that many of the flood-displaced farmworkers who call Pajaro home are undocumented and not eligible for FEMA funds or unemployment insurance. Later, she noted that these people are the workforce that make possible Monterey County’s $4 billion ag industry.
The unfairness of this situation is obvious, yet most of us around here don’t think about it until a disaster like this occurs. If you are in a position to help, please visit the storm relief fund of the Monterey County Community Foundation, or the disaster fund of the Santa Cruz County Community Foundation.
• EDH Residents Oppose Huge Business Park
More than 200 residents are protesting the development of two large warehouses, which would be some of the biggest in the nation.
(03/19/2023) → Read the full Village Life report
• Is the Western Drought Finally Ending?
Many people are looking at the snow and water levels and asking that question. The answer depends on where you are in the West and how you define “drought.” A researcher at the Desert Research Institute’s Western Regional Climate Center explains.
(03/16/2023) → Tahoe Daily Tribune
• South Tahoe PUD Challenged By Weather
Rain on snow events bring unique challenges to wastewater operations at Lake Tahoe. As streets and meadows flood, stormwater seeps through manholes and into the sewer system.
(03/16/2023) → Tahoe Daily Tribune
• Community Input Sought for Auburn Branding Effort
In addition to holding an open house at City Hall on March 21, consultants from North Star are collecting feedback through the website DistinctlyAuburn.com, created to guide the Auburn branding process.
(03/16/2023) → Gold Country Media
• WPUSD Refrains From Taking Action on Controversial Book
After more than five hours of discussion by speakers on both sides of the issue, Western Placer Unified School District chose not to take any action on parental objections to a ninth-grade required reading novel, “The Hate U Give.”
(03/15/2023) → Read the full Auburn Journal report
• 86 Buildings in South Tahoe Damaged; 9 Red-Tagged
More than 100 buildings in the South Lake Tahoe area have been inspected for structural integrity over the past week following record snowfall too heavy for some structures to support.
(03/15/2023) → Mountain Democrat
• LeeAnne Mila to Lead Ag Commission
Approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, acting El Dorado County Agriculture Commissioner LeeAnne Mila will become the permanent commissioner and sealer of weights and measures effective March 11.
(03/15/2023) → Mountain Democrat
• Tahoe City Buildings Experience Snow Load Issues
Due to the rain on snow event experienced in the Tahoe Basin, the Placer County Building Department is dealing with several structures with snow load damage.
(03/15/2023) → Sierra Sun
• South Lake Tahoe Resolves to Upgrade Equipment
South Lake Tahoe is making a $3.5 million investment into new snow removal equipment.
(03/14/2023) → Tahoe Daily Tribune
• Proposed Roseville Industrial Park Raises Concerns
Panattoni Development Company seeks to build an industrial park on 241 acres of city owned property on Philip Road.
(03/14/2023) → Roseville Today
• Visit Placer Issues Explorer Pass
Visit Placer has launched a free Explorer Pass to encourage visits to dozens of locations throughout the county.
(03/14/2023) → Sierra Sun