Mar

12

The Future of the Central Valley

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Tonight I post a basic question to provoke thought.

What is the future of the Central Valley and what are we going to do about it?

Mar

9

“Big State, Big Valley�

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Today Marissa and I attended the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board Meeting in Bakersfield. We departed from Merced at 6:00am and arrived at 8:30am.

I have roughly 17 pages of hand-written notes. Still digesting the notes, I have two thoughts I would like to share.

First, I am inspired. In fact, I am more than inspired. I don’t know a word yet to describe how I feel. It is great to know that so many people are committed to the future of the San Joaquin Valley.

And it is more than just commitment. Actual work is being done and that is the most amazing part. The CPSJV isn’t just some blue-ribbon commission, it is a commission committed to achieving results because results matter.

Second, it is important to “stay united.� The San Joaquin Valley is a diverse region. Each county is similar in many respects, but each county is also different in just as many respects. However, at the end of the day, to achieve results, then a balance must be achieved.

During Public Forum, I commented on the continued need for greater student involvement in the Partnership’s work. I spoke with Mark Keppler of The Maddy Institute and I am now the “point” person for ensuring that more students get involved and especially attend the next meeting in Fresno. With a plan and hard work, you can rest assured that more students will get involved. ;-)

This is an exciting time to be a resident of the San Joaquin Valley! If you are a resident, then I encourage you to learn more about the Partnership! The future of the region is at stake.

Feb

26

Day 3 and 4: Riverdale, Lemoore, a Tractor, Hanford

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It has been about 8 hours since I returned to Merced from Hanford. I am near information overload and I love it!

On Saturday, I started the day with biscuit and gravy and the Comfort Inn in Hanford and carpooled to Errotabere Ranches in Riverdale. At the ranch, we met with Daniel Errotabere, Owner of the Ranches, and talked with him about almonds, agriculture, and water. It was about 46 degrees outside next to the almond orchard, but the engaging conversation kept me warm.

From the ranch, we drove to Lemoore and met with Craig Perderson, Managing Partner of Perderson Farms. We spoke with him in an old barn. After watching a video, we were able to ask him questions about agriculture, his decision to donate land to West Hills College and the future of agriculture in the Valley. During our interview, he remarked that housing is “the final crop� and I immediately wrote it down on my arm because I didn’t have paper with me. We ate lunch after the interview and I got to drive a tractor! That’s right, a huge green John Deere tractor! After I decided that my first major purchase in life will be a tractor (rather than a home or car), we returned to the Comfort Inn in Hanford and I took a nap.

After the break, the class met and we discussed our Independent Projects at the Veterans’ Building in Downtown Hanford. My IP is to establish Students for the Central Valley. Visit www.studentsforthecentralvalley.org for more information. It was a beautiful afternoon: the colors, the air, the people roaming through downtown were appealing and somewhat intoxicating. Then, we barked, meowed and hooted about what it means to be a citizen of the Central Valley. The barks, meows and hoots were great! ;-) But even greater was the intense, in-depth conversation we had: we talked about agriculture, water, land use, globalization, politics and history. The conversation served to sparked discussion later in the night.

For dinner, we went to the Hanford Chinese Kitchen and I do believe it is one of the best Chinese food places I have been to. I had a great roundtable conversation and fortune cookies always revealed something interesting about the world and the future. You got to love fortune cookies!

Instead of bowling, we got to together in a hotel room and talked for hours about the current and future state of global affairs with a local perspective. Sitting there, I imagined this is exactly the type of conversations that need to happen across the state, the nation and the world. Topics were explored to a depth that is seldom reached alone. I need to engage in such discussions more often.

After the big get-together, I spoke with a few of my IDEAL Fellows about education, the impact of No Child Left Behind and the need for more professional teachers. The night ended late.

Sunday morning, we were doing the Electric Slide, Hokey Pokey, and Macarena at the UC Extension, Kings County Cooperative. There we met with Steve Froberg of Ashwood Construction, Inc. He is incredibly smart and humble. To conclude the seminar, we conducted a Land Use simulation where we got in small groups, were assigned and played out particular roles. The simulation highlighted what’s going on the in the real world with regards to the negotiations about the future of the Central Valley.

At noon, the seminar was complete and I was back in Merced around 2pm. After returning to Merced, I realized that I lost my jump drive! If someone find it and reads this post, then please comment.

Like I mentioned before, I am near information overload. It’s great. I need to just sit, relax, digest the information and figure out what my next steps are with regards to utilizing the information I have learned.

Feb

24

Day 1 and 2: Merced, Reedley, Huron, Hanford

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Agriculture, Land Use and Water are the topics for the 2nd IDEAL seminar this weekend.

It started yesterday; however, last night the Edgewater Inn in Reedley did not have broadband internet access so I couldn’t access the internet. Tonight is a different story. I am at the Comfort Inn in Hanford and the internet connection couldn’t be better. It is super fast!

Thursday was somewhat hectic. The night before I took a nap at 9pm and woke up at 10pm to organize myself for the seminar. Also, I need to write and turn in my essay for History 150. I woke up at 7am on Thursday and finished the paper around 11:30am. Then, I walked up the Chancellor’s Office and turn in my UC Student Regent application. At about 12:30pm I headed to downtown Merced and met with my interview team. We interviewed Steve Madison, Executive Officer of the Merced County Building Industry Association, and James (Jim) Marshall, City Manager of Merced. Both interviews went extremely well and I learned so much. In particular, I learned that I need to arm myself with the facts and about just how fulfilling public service is.

After the interviews, the entire IDEAL class met on campus at UC Merced. We met in Kolligian Library Room 460. I selected the room because it affords an awesome few of the area south of the campus, facing the quad and Science and Engineering Building. Everyone talked about their interviews and how they went. Moreover, we learned about the “top 5� growth and development issues of the Valley. To think in the next few decades, the entire region, and in particular the area south of the campus, will transform into something completely different is astonishing.

That night, we ate at the El Rincon de America restaurant in Reedley. Before the main course arrived, I ate a lot of chips and drank a lot of soda. So, when my cocido (beef stew) finally arrived, I couldn’t eat it all.

As I mentioned before, we stayed in the Edgewater Inn. Nice place but no high-speed internet access. Nonetheless, the next morning we went to the Reedley Opera House. It is a nice, intimate building; very snug. There we played the Newly Wed game, learned about Farm Labor Contractors and spoke with Holly King, Director of Agricultural Programs at the Great Valley Center.

After, we headed down the road and few of us got lost on our way to B&C Packing to meet Blake Carlson, a small/medium size farmer. At the packing plant, we got to interview Blake and tour the packing plant. It was awesome; but the place wasn’t in action so the machinery was not moving and peaches, plums and nectarines were not being packed. I was amazing at the apparent complexity of the packing operation. Cool stuff. Before we left, I learned about the “web of life� and realized that even though we (humans) cause a lot of problems, we can also fix them and we will.

Next we headed to Huron to meet with Stuart Woolf of Harris/Woolf Almonds, a large, corporate farmer. After asking him questions, we tour the massive facility. This place was huge and I mean huge! Giant wooden boxes filled with almonds, mountains of almond shells and large machines. I was taken by the sheer size and scope of the operation.

From Huron to Hanford, we checked into the Comfort Inn and went to eat the Purple Potato. I ate shrimp and steak and it was excellent.

I cannot blog all that I have learned about the last two days. I am simply amazed. The Central Valley is much more complex that I first thought. I am being exposed to different aspects of the region. Talking with a housing developer, city manager, “small� and “corporate� farmer and listening to their responses to questions, I know that I am just scratching the surface.

Earlier this afternoon, I was in the middle of the Central Valley and it was an incredible, although hazy, sight and I thought to myself that I have never driven on this highway before, but I will drive again on it some day.

Also, next time I need my camera because I need to take pictures of all these places! ;-)

Jan

15

Day 3 and 4: Public Speaking 101, A Lesson on Life, and Wrap Up

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I did not have an opportunity to blog yesterday because I was Star Bucks, chatting with some IDEAL peers.

On Thursday, I was totally psyched about my “IDEAL Contribution: Public Speaking 101.” As always, when I speak in front of a group I get nervous; however, when it is time to shine, it is time to shine. ;-)

Based on the comments I received from the staff and my fellow IDEAL Fellows, it was a great presentation. As I expressed at the end of the presentation, I hope I was able to effectively describe and stress the power of public speaking and share what I knowledge I have on the subject. Linked below, in Microsoft Word format, is the outline of my presentation.

Returning to Thursday night, we learned about the “Valley Futures Project.� The project brings to life the ideas about the future and what we, as citizens concerned about the future, can do to move the valley towards a better future. For more information on this interesting subject, visit http://www.greatvalley.org/valley_futures/.

Later that night, I had the chance to converse with some of my peers about politics, leadership, religion, our independent projects, and relationships. I learned a lot. I was like a sponge, absorbing all that was said. I have a voracious appetite to learn, to know more about people and the world and last night was quite fulfilling.

On Friday, we wrapped up our first seminar with some individual and collective reflection on our experience. As the light from the sun shined through the great arched windows of the Community Room, the warmth of the sun was accentuated by the warmth of the people inside the room. It’s an experience I won’t forget. I look forward to next month in Hanford. :-)

Attachment: GVC – IDEAL 2006 – Josh Franco – Seminar 1 – Assignment 1 – Confidential Contribution – Public Speaking 101.doc

Jan

13

Day 2: The Fireside Chat

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Wow, today (Day 2 of the IDEAL Program) was just absolutely amazing!

It is late and I need some rest so I’ll make this quick. I want to remark and share with you my Fireside chat experience.

The Fireside Chat was awesome! Words cannot describe how I feel about it. It was one of the most enlightening, inspiring experiences in my life. As one fellow remarked, “I will never forget it.”

Having the opportunity to sit around and listen to others who are in a process of self-discovery and personal transformation truly leads to a combination of energy: synergy, it’s called and it has encouraged me even more to go out into the world and make a difference.

I learned tonight that is crucial for people to gather, sit around and talk, exchange information and share their life experiences because doing so only improves us as human beings. Try it some time. :-D

Jan

12

Tipping Point, Wow

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Tonight, I am sitting here in a Modesto hotel room, blogging from my old laptop, and thinking about my first day in the Great Valley Center (GVC)’s Institute for the Development of Emerging Area Leaders (IDEAL) program.

People and the Economy, the first of four seminars, is from Thursday, January 12th to Sunday, January 15th.

Reflecting on my first day, I have learned an incredible amount and I only expect to learn more in the next three days and throughout my time in the program.

Earlier tonight, the 2006 IDEAL Fellows, got to meet, greet and chat with IDEAL Alumni and GVC Staff. Moreover, Carol Whiteside, President of the GVC, spoke to all of us about the Central Valley. Her entire speech was very informative, very motivating and it momentarily left me absent of questions.

“The Central Valley is at the tipping point,” remarked Whiteside. Referring to the fact that the future of the Central Valley is going to be determined, to a considerable degree, on the decisions made now and in the near future. Her comment will not be lost on me and I after listening to hear speak, I said to myself “Wow.” Now, I am even more committed to learning about the Central Valley and seeing what I can do to help.

I am so energized! I can barely sleep even though I went to sleep late last night. ;-)

Dec

10

CPSJV: My Public Comment

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The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley (CPSJV) Board of Directors met at UC Merced on Friday, December 9, 2005. The meeting started at about 9:30am, lunch time was from 12:10pm to 1:00pm, the meeting restarted at 1:15pm and ended around 4:15pm.

During the Public Comment, I said something closely resembling the following statement at 3:45pm. I received a great response and got connected with Mark Keppler of The Maddy Institute at CSU Fresno to develop and implement a plan to get more students involved in the Partnership.

Good afternoon Members of the Board and Members of the Public,

My name is Josh Franco and I am student here at UC Merced. I’d like to take a moment to share with you how I feel about this Partnership and the future of the San Joaquin Valley.

I want to begin by thanking everyone for their hard work and dedication. I’ve never personally observed such a massive, comprehensive effort to make change.

When I look across this room, I see a lot of movers and shakers, well, at least I did [first of many jokes refering to the fact that a lot of people left the meeting]. In any case, people are excited about change and ready to make it.

As Carol Whiteside (of the Great Valley Center) remarked, this Partnership is “pulling people together.� And I believe it must do more to pull more people together.

Greater public awareness and participation is critical to the success of this Partnership. As exhibited today, we can see people who care and people who want to get involved.

The involvement of people, and in particular younger people, in the policy making process is critical for the successful implementation of the initiatives being established here and throughout the state.

What I am asking for is something more valuable than your money and that is your time.

I ask you today to take the time to encourage younger people to get involved because we will be most impacted by the issues being discussed and decisions being made today.

Specifically, it would be beneficial for the Partnership to develop a plan that advocates, integrates and increases the participation of younger people in the Partnership by informing, educating and encouraging their attendance at workgroup meetings and board meetings.

Mayor Alan Autry said earlier today, what seems like ages ago, “Get the people, get the plan, get the money and get it done.� This Partnership needs to do a better job getting the people.

You can be rest assured that the students of UC Merced and this region are ready, willing and able to make a difference and we need your help.

Help us by mentoring: sharing your stories, knowledge and experiences with us. By doing so, you will help increase our understanding of the problems facing the San Joaquin Valley and inevitably, we will be better able to develop and implement solutions.

By better educating the future, the future will be better able to continue the work of this Partnership. Don’t let all the hard work of this Partnership get lost in a generational gap. The gap must be bridged by the people who are here today with the people who are going to be here tomorrow.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak and share with you how I feel about this Partnership.

I learned so much about the Central Valley within those 6 hours and the previous day.

On Thursday, I attended the Higher Education and Workforce Development Workgroup (held in the Chancellor’s Conference Room) with at least 50, upwards to 100, other people. After a brief introduction, the larger group split into smaller focus groups and I joined the Access and Attainment – Baccalaureate Education one.

During both meetings, I used a school laptop to take notes and research points of interest. Also, I utilized the “tablet” feature to read the comment I typed. I told myself something to the effect, “This is a first.” ;-)

I have just scratched the surface of the Central Valley. How far does the rabbit hole go?

Nov

15

Off Roading!

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Today, after HIST 100, Mike, Joshua and I jumped into Mike’s Jeep and headed down Highway 59 to find an off-roading place somewhere in Stanislaus County.

After driving for about 40 minutes, we finally found the place.

I believe it is at the intersection of Grange/Old Grange Road and keep in mind there are no stoplights, blinking walking man or curbs at this intersection. This place is out in the middle of nowhere and I mean nowhere: rolling hills, trees, some farm houses here and there and, of course, cows.

You got to love the cows.

Off-roading is exhilarating! We drove up and down a few steep inclines not knowing what was on the other side. As we headed up and over hills, we’d pop our heads over the hood of the Jeep to see if we had somewhere to go: sometimes, a full retreat was called for, and other times, we just went for it.

All in all, it was a great to experience what the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas had to offer. I look forward to going back again. Next time, I need a motorcycle. ;-)

Oct

29

Blue Dog Bash Tonight!

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I am so excited because tonight is Congressman Dennis Cardoza’s 1st Annual Blue Dog Bash! The event is going to be at the Merced Boys & Girls Club at 6:00pm.

We (the Congressman’s staff) were setting up last night, this morning and I am certain people are still working right now.

Below are some pictures BEFORE the event:

Before I Leave from UC Merced, Fog

A Lot of Tables and Chairs

Huge USA Flag

Sign and Sponsors, From Far Away

I will post DURING and AFTER pictures later tonight/tomorrow morning! ;-)

PS: Huge thanks to Tavia and Adam for helping last night! Before we left, I almost thought Adam wasn’t going to return after he said “I’ll be back in 5 minutes.”

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