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By Eric Johnson
Published May 06, 2024

California Forever's proposed city (in blue) is located roughly halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento.

The California Exodus and California Forever, Redux

On January 29, The Newsletter ran a piece under the headline “The California Exodus and ‘California Forever’.” Both of these big stories moved significantly over the past week, and we revisit them today.

Also, as always: Peruse your cureated local News Feed; learn about a local nonprofit doing good work; and check out our Recipe of the Week.

Brand New City on the Delta Takes a Step Forward

Last Tuesday, the company that plans to build a high-tech, green, walkable city of 400,000 in rural Solano County announced that it had gathered enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The story involves an insane amount of money, some insanely powerful billionaires, and a detailed set of plans that appear to be quite sane, if not visionary. Here, amid well-earned controversy, we offer two pieces that consider the project on its own terms.

California Forever: Building a New Community From the Ground Up

A view of the Helen Madere Memorial Bridge crossing the Sacramento River at Rio Vista in Solano County, California.

We take a closer look at ambitious plans to build a new community of up to 400,000 residents in Solano County.

California Forever CEO on Democracy and City Planning

California Forever CEO Jan Sramek announces that he has gathered enough signatures to get his plan on the November ballot in Solano County.

Jan Sramek disavows techno-libertarian 'Network State,' explains why master-planned cities are All-American, and talks of his love for walkable communities.

They're Coming Back to Cali

The California Department of Finance announced this week that the state’s population rose last year, after declining in both 2021 and 2022.

Is the ‘California Exodus’ Over?

San Jose is finally working to fix its housing shortage, as are many California cities. This could help quell the hoards heading out of state.

Despite predictions that the party on the West Coast is winding down, California’s population increased last year for the first time since 2020.

Recipe of the Week

Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.

See more recipes in their Taste Spring! cookbook.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Time to dig into this fruity salsa

Fresh strawberries combine with oranges and chilies for a fruity spring salsa

NEW! Fresh strawberry-orange salsa with green onions

Get to Know a Group

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brother Big Sisters provides children facing adversity with strong, enduring, professionally supported mentorship. The chapter serves Sacramento and Yolo counties, as well as southern Placer County.

→ Learn more

From Our Media Allies

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	Yolo Nonprofits Net $1.6m on Big Day of Giving
	May 2, 2024, was Big Day of Giving in the Sacramento region – and it was a very big day for the Yolo County nonprofits that participated, as they raised a collective $1.6 million.

	Yolo Farm to Fork Welcomes New President
	Christine Polycarpe Replaces Former President Suzanne Falzone.

	Square One: Woodland Library’s Makerspace
	At the Woodland Public Library, a community makerspace provides new, tactile learning opportunities in arts and engineering.

Recent Local News

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• Student Encampment Set Up In UC Davis Memorial Union Quad

Divestment tops list of five demands issued by encampment organizers.

(05/06/2024) → The California Aggie

• KDVS Celebrates 60 Years

A look back, and a look ahead, for UC Davis student-run radio station KDVS.

(05/06/2024) → UC Davis Magazine

• Yolo Community Foundation Announces Endowed Fund

An initial donation of $1.3 million established a new All Things Right & Relevant endowment for grants to support career development for those living with mental health diagnoses.

(05/04/2024) → Daily Democrat

• Big Day of Giving Raises $13 Million

The Sacramento Region Community Foundation announced the May 2 Big Day of Giving had raised $13.2 million in donations to 826 nonprofits in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties.

(05/03/2024) → Roseville Today

• Dual Enrollment Earns College Credits

The Winters Joint Unified School District signed a dual enrollment agreement with Yuba Community College District opening a path for Winters High School students to earn college credits.

(05/02/2024) → Winters Express

• City of Sacramento Releases Budget Plan to Close Deficit With Cuts, Fee Increases

Sacramento City Manager Howard Chan on Tuesday released a budget proposal outlining a plan to close the $66 million deficit staff warned of a couple months ago by increasing fees and cutting services.

(05/02/2024) → CapPublicRadio

• May Day for Palestine’ Event Held at UC Davis

Hundreds of people attended a May 1 event held in the quad outside the Memorial Union on the UC Davis campus.

(05/01/2024) → Daily Democrat

• Police Accountability Commission Considers Facial Recognition Software Use

The Police Accountability Commission for the City of Davis considered use of facial recognition software by the Davis Police Department, noting concerns about reliability and potential harm to the community.

(04/30/2024) → The California Aggie

Recent Statewide News

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• Metal Detectors, Fear, Frustration. College Commencements Altered Amid Gaza War Protests

At many universities across the country, graduation for the Class of 2024 will feel more like making it through airport security than a procession through a free-flowing campus green or a cheering stadium crowd.

(05/04/2024) → Los Angeles Times

• How Congress Is Letting Die an Internet Connectivity Lifeline for Millions

More than half of the U.S. House supports a bill to extend the funds, but it can’t get out of committee.

(05/04/2024) → CalMatters

• California's Population Increased Last Year for First Time Since 2020

During the much-ballyhooed “California exodus” amid the pandemic, remote workers moved to other states where they could live for a fraction of the cost compared to cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco.

(04/29/2024) → Los Angeles Times

Government Announcements

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	United States (05/05/2024) Palmer Candy Company Recalls White Confectionary Products Because of Possible Health Risk
Palmer Candy Company, Sioux City, Iowa, is recalling its "White Coated Confectionary Items" because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immu

	United States (05/03/2024) Chuao Chocolatier Recalls Its: .39 oz /11 Gram Potato Chip Mini Bar Lot 4022 Due to Undeclared Hazelnuts
May 3, 2024, Chuao Chocolatier is voluntarily recalling a single production of Potato Chip mini bar .39oz/11 gram LOT 4022 because some packages may contain undeclared hazelnut. People who are sensitive or have allergies to hazelnut could be at risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reactio

	United States (05/03/2024) Hormel Foods Sales, LLC Recalls a Limited Number of Planters® Honey Roasted Peanuts 4 Oz. and Planters® Deluxe Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts 8.75 Oz. Because of Possible Health Risk
Hormel Foods Sales, LLC is voluntarily recalling a limited number of two PLANTERS products that were produced at one of its facilities in April. This recall only impacts two retailers in five states. These products are being recalled because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria

	United States (05/02/2024) FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Raw Pork Chorizo Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
WASHINGTON, May. 2, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns of raw pork chorizo products...

	United States (05/01/2024) Cargill Meat Solutions Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination
WASHINGTON, May 1, 2024 - Cargill Meat Solutions, a Hazleton, Pa., establishment, is recalling approximately 16,243 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7...

	United States (04/30/2024) Gibson Farms Voluntarily Recalls Organic Light Halves and Pieces Shelled Walnuts Because of Possible Health Risk
On 04/26/2024, Gibson Farms recalled Organic Light Halves and Pieces shelled walnuts because Gibson Farms received information that they may have the potential to be contaminated with E. Coli 0157:H7. E. coli O157:H7 causes a diarrheal illness often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults c

	United States (04/27/2024) H-E-B Issues Voluntary Recall for 3-Ounce Cups of Creamy Creations Ice Cream in Select Flavors
Committed to the safety and quality of its products, H-E-B is voluntarily issuing a recall for 12-count packages of 3-ounce cups of Creamy Creations ice cream in select flavors for potential metal. The affected products were distributed to all H-E-B stores in Texas and Mexico and Central Market, Joe

	United States (04/26/2024) 802 VT Frozen Recalls Frozen Meat Pizza Products Due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens
WASHINGTON, April 26, 2024 - 802 VT Frozen, a Newport, Vt. establishment, is recalling approximately 8,221 pounds of frozen meat pizza due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department...

	United States (04/24/2024) Tama Corporation Recalls Product Because of Possible Health Risk
Tama Corporation of Doral FL is recalling 24-ounce containers of "Oueso de Mano PAISA" have contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy indivi

	United States (04/24/2024) ConSup North America Inc. Recalls Ready-To-Eat Sliced Prosciutto Product Produced Without Benefit of Inspection
WASHINGTON, April 24, 2024 - ConSup North America Inc., a Lincoln Park, N.J. firm, is recalling approximately 85,984 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) sliced prosciutto ham product produced in Germany without...