The Douglas iris is a wildflower native to central and northern California and parts of southern Oregon.
(Blogpost extra: In a last-minute addition to this edition of The Newsletter, I share some thoughts on today's eclipse. See below.)
The first time I recall encountering a field of Douglas irises, which may have been at Wilder Ranch State Park just north of Santa Cruz, I looked around for the ruins of a homestead. It didn't occur to me that these could be wildflowers—I figured they had to be remnants of some long-ago-planted garden.
I grew up ten miles from Manhattan in New Jersey, which is known as the Garden State, and deserves that nickname outside the brutalized swath that is the Turnpike. But the woods that flanked the Hackensack River and surrounded the Oradell Reservoir, my childhood nature refuges, had nothing to compare with the Douglas iris. Or the California poppy. Or, to my knowledge, the Calochortus lily (see below). All of California is special in my eyes, and Santa Cruz maybe especially so.
I write as always from my beloved home in the urban forest that is Midtown Sacramento, and take you today to another of my hometowns.
A Spring Guide, a Garden, and a Bunch of Pretty Murals
Even if you aren't planning to visit Santa Cruz this spring, you might enjoy this virtual visit.
Santa Cruz Murals
Santa Cruz County is home to amazing murals. One amazing person is working to document them in one place.
• Lodi Votes on EV Charge Fees
The Lodi City County voted to add hourly fees for use of city-owned EV charge stations beginning June 1.
(04/06/2024) → LodiNews
• Tracy Senior Housing Project Approved
In a unanimous vote in their April 2 meeting, the Tracy City Council approved a very-low-income 110-unit senior housing project at 301 West Street.
(04/05/2024) → Tracy Press
• San Joaquin County Appoints Interim Administrator
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors appointed Sandy Regalo as interim County Administrator.
(04/05/2024) → Tracy Press
• Lodi High Considers Schedule Change
Lodi High is considering a schedule change from 6 to 7 periods with students attending six classes on Wednesdays and four on the other days.
(04/04/2024) → LodiNews
• Jordan Giannoni to Represent Area 5 in San Joaquin County Board of Education
First time candidate and Lodi native Jordan Giannoni will put her Doctorate in Education from John Hopkins University to use representing her area on the school board.
(04/04/2024) → LodiNews
• Manteca Fire Department Covers Ripon
Manteca Fire responded to 168 fires in Ripon, providing coverage in cases when the single available fire engine and team were engaged.
(04/03/2024) → Manteca Bulletin
• New Homeless Shelter to Open in Stockton
The Pathways Project homeless shelter is set to open in the fall to provide services to the city's estimated 900 homeless.
(04/03/2024) → Escalon Times
• San Joaquin Count March 5 Election Certified
The San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters certified the March 5 Election and reported 128,492 ballots cast and a voter of 34.9%.
(04/03/2024) → LodiNews
• California Snowpack Above Average for a Second Year
The California Department of Water Resources announced the water content of the Sierra Nevada snowpack at 110% of the April 1 average.
(04/02/2024) → CapPublicRadio
• New Freight Terminal Construction Begins
Cheema Freightlines has commenced construction of a new terminal and shop at 16200 McKinley Avenue in Lathrop.
(04/02/2024) → Manteca Bulletin
• Homeless Dorms to Open in Manteca
Manteca is opening two new portable dormitory units of 50 beds each at the homeless emergency services center at 555 Industrial Park Drive.
(04/02/2024) → Manteca Bulletin
• Ripon Consolidated Fire District Underfunded
Ripon Consolidated Fire District is seeking a parcel tax increase to fund the hiring of six firefighters.
(04/01/2024) → Manteca Bulletin
• Sanchez Resigns From Commission
Controversial 209 Times website publisher Motecuzoma Sanchez resigned from the Charter Review Advisory Commission a day before a vote to remove him.
(04/01/2024) → Stocktonia
• Interim San Joaquin County Administrator Appointed
Following the termination of the contract of the previous county administrator, Jerome Wilverding, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors appointed Sandra Regalo to fill the role in the interim.
(04/01/2024) → Stocktonia
• California Fails to Adequately Help Blind and Deaf Prisoners, US Judge Rules
Thirty years after prisoners with disabilities sued the state of California and 25 years after a federal court first ordered accommodations, a judge found that state prison and parole officials still are not doing enough to help deaf and blind prisoners.
(04/08/2024) → California Healthline
• Business Groups and Lawmakers Battle Over Ballot Measure to Limit California Tax Increases
Anti-tax groups in California have qualified a measure for the November ballot that would make raising state and local taxes much more difficult. It’s a showdown that’s been building for nearly five decades.
(04/08/2024) → CalMatters
• Opinion: I've Covered California's Homeless Since Before the Word Was Used. This Is What I Learned
I thought my journalism and others’ could change policy, perhaps even inspire a New Deal-style response equal to the challenge. Such was my naiveté.
(04/06/2024) → Los Angeles Times
• These Californians Just Got Protection From Big Rent Hikes
Tenants in many new privately owned, low-income units will be protected from double-digit increases. So will some in existing units, after a state committee on affordable housing imposed a rent cap.
(04/05/2024) → CalMatters
• CA Budget Deal Gets Early Start on Deficit
Not filling open positions in state government, cutting a school facilities program and several climate initiatives, delaying funding for public transit — these are some of the first steps that California officials plan to take to deal with a looming multibillion-dollar budget deficit.
(04/05/2024) → CalMatters
• Bill to Mandate ‘Science of Reading’ in California Schools Faces Teachers Union Opposition
The move puts the fate of AB 2222 in question, but supporters insist that there is room to negotiate changes that can help tackle the state's literacy crisis.
(04/04/2024) → EdSource
• Photographers Capture Spectacular Streaking Lights of Southern California
It quickly became clear that Elon Musk’s SpaceX was responsible for the show. The lights were a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 new Starlink satellites into orbit. The rocket blasted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 7:30 p.m., and it’s trail was visible from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree National Park.
(04/02/2024) → SF Gate