Good morning! Today is Monday, September 28. It’s Danielle, here today.
Exit interview: State Sen. Anna Caballero reflects on her decades of service and barrier breaking in the state legislature. ABC30
Is California behind? Parent and early childhood advocates are wondering why free childcare policies haven’t gained traction in our unaffordable state. CalMatters
Landfill lawsuit: Avenal residents have filed a lawsuit alleging that gases and odors from a nearby landfill are causing health problems. YourCentralValley
Smithsonian comes to Fresno: Mark your calendars for the Great Valley Gathering this next weekend on Oct. 2-4 at Courthouse Park, bringing together people, traditions and stories that make the Central Valley unique through live music and dance.
1. Another election, another ethics complaint
State Center attorneys have been defending trustee Rob Fuentes against an anonymous complaint filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission in July.
The complaint, signed by the anonymous group the SCCCD Avengers, suggests Fuentes violated the Levine Act, a state law designed to prevent elected officials from weighing in on decisions involving major campaign donors, also known as “pay to play.”
The issues center discussions around the settlement of a lawsuit involving one of Fuentes’ major donors to his city council campaign, Richard Spencer of Harris Construction and his wife, Karen Spencer.
SCCCD attorneys are defending Fuentes, but one ethics expert says that while there may be gray area under the law, the perception isn’t great.
Thomas Holyoke, Fresno State political science professor: “Regardless of what the technical legal points actually are, public officials should be aware that, when trying to decide between recusal and non-recusal, should always take the safe route.”
Read the full Fresnoland story here.
2. Shaver Springs residents given updated water instructions
Residents of the Shaver Springs community near Shaver Lake have updated instructions on how to deal with the murky water sputtering out of their faucets, The Fresno Bee reports.
Now, both the State Water Resources Control Board and Fresno County are telling residents not to drink or cook with the water due to elevated manganese levels. The water also has high levels of uranium and alpha in it.
This follows a Aug. 26 public meeting hosted by Supervisor Nathan Magsig where he told residents the water was safe to drink. Officials are now saying that information was based on previous notices.
Fresno County administrative officer Paul Nerland: ““This has been elevated as a top priority for the county.”
3. See you at ArtHop this Thursday
Join us on Thursday, Oct. 1 to listen to residents and community advocates share stories about life before the freeways and the ways in which they’ve still found a path to celebrate their neighborhood history and culture.
Panelists include:
- Gwendolyn Morris, SJV Black Communications Network
- Van Der Mugrdechian, Armenian Cultural Conservancy
- Kathy Omachi, Fresno Chinatown Preservation, Inc.
We’ll also be curating visual displays of the neighborhoods before and after the freeways, created by urban planner Dan Zack.
We’ll be at Sombra, located at 616 Broadway in downtown. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the program will run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with light refreshments. The event is free to attend, but reserve your spot here at the link.
The event is co-hosted by Fresnoland and Facing Fresno, a project of Fresno DRIVE and the Central Valley Community Foundation.
