STANISLAUS CONNECTIONS

Working For Peace, Justice, and A Sustainable Environment

Online Edition: June 2001     Vol. XII, No. X

A Modesto Peace/Life Center Publication

CONTENTS

Register Now for Peace Camp!

Is there a better way to conduct elections here?
Diablo Grande: still far from a done deal
Faces of Stanislaus 2001
“Mom, What can I do this Summer?”

AIDS in Africa: A GENERATION AT RISK
Big Pharma and the global response to HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS: General Assembly to hold special June session.

NORMAN SOLOMON -(Media Beat)

Peace Community

PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Peace Camp 2001
Peace Camp speakers address energy crisis, national missile defense
Join the Center action!
The Peace/Life Center needs your help!
Reflections on Cesar Chavez Day
The deadly effects of sanctions on Iraq

Peace and Justice Links

Living Lightly:

mudpiest.jpg (3553 bytes) Mud Pies and Purple Onions

The Energy Crisis: new hydroelectric dams are not the solution
Bush administration’s First Nuclear Budget puts us all at risk

Living Lightly Links

Out and About

Girl Scouts start fund drive for CCC
Juneteenth 2001: a three-day event
Heartland Conference and Fair returns to Turlock
“Mom, What can I do this Summer?”

COMMUNITY CALENDAR --CURRENT & COMING EVENTS

Masthead and Back Issues

Is there a better way to conduct elections here?

By MYRTLE OSNER

Karen Mathews, County Clerk-Recorder of Stanislaus County spoke recently to the Modesto League of Women Voters about concerns spawned by the November 2000 elections.

Mathews addressed access of all citizens to the right to vote, and what needs to be done to bring voting systems up to date. Mathews assured us that the punch card system Stanislaus County uses is excellent for those who get to the polls. The machines punch cleanly – no chads – and are easy to use. The biggest county problem, as news reports indicate, is with absentee ballots.

We are being inundated with absentee ballots whose number is growing exponentially, according to Mathews. All absentee ballot signatures must be verified by hand and eye, which delays final results. There is simply not enough staff for the time it takes. She believes, however, that the margin of error is very small in Stanislaus County.

Matthews suggests the county invest in a system that could read absentee ballots electronically thereby eliminating punch card absentee ballots, the source many errors in other places. (Remember hanging, dimpled, and pregnant chads? Chads are incomplete punches on hand-punched ballots.)

Reading ballots by computer would require our county to buy at least 100 new computers at $5000 each. Absentee ballots would be marked with pen or pencil and read by scanning by the clerk’s office. This upgrade would affect only absentee ballots. With enough staff and computers, the processing of absentee ballots could be streamlined.

Ms. Mathews believes the state should provide the money if it wants massive system upgrading which, if implemented on the state level, is estimated to cost at least $350 million (money not presently budgeted).

New voting systems cannot be rented, but must be purchased, and the experience of Riverside County gives pause to the idea of making a change all at once. Going to all-computerized voting machines had unexpected problems there at a unanticipated cost $1 million/ year just for the maintenance. Computerized voting machines must be stored in a controlled temperature building with electric outlets. This is a big expense, especially with the rising cost of energy.

The biggest problem in the next election will be the new legislative requirement that shortens the registration deadline from 29 to 15 days before election. The Stanislaus County staff cannot possibly get everyone into its database in 15 days. It also does not have the computer capability to do so. The legislature provided zero dollars to do this. While some might think we should be able to have instant voting status for all citizens, how can this be done and at the same time, maintain security and minimize fraud?

In the last election, many people who came to the polls found their names were not on the precinct list. These people could vote “challenged” ballots, if they insisted they were registered (you would have to ask, and the poll workers had to have been instructed to allow this). These voters had to show two forms of I.D. before they could vote. These ballots are then placed in a special container and checked at the office, in much the same way that absentee ballots have to be checked. Again, there is not enough staff and computers to accomplish this.

Mathews does not favor on-line voting, expressing a fear of “hacking.”

She strongly supports “Smart Voter”, the California online site sponsored by the League of Women Voters (it is not available everywhere, as it requires counties and Leagues to work cooperatively). Voters can get ballot information by logging on to www.smartvoter.org,  before the election. This non-partisan, fair-listing invites all candidates to post their information. Voters can also find their polling places by typing in their addresses. Smartvoter is partially funded by our own Elections Department and partly by the League of Women Voters Education Fund.

Many people have questioned why the voting rolls have so many names listed who are not here any more. Mathews suggested that we can lobby the legislature to change the system. Presently, the office cannot remove a voter from the rolls until a family member notifies the elections office that a person has died. California has permanent voter registration so you stay on forever unless you re-register. People who move don’t know that their ballot cannot be forwarded, and the League office gets many calls about this during every election season. She believes that it would help if we could remove voters who have not voted in two previous national elections. Reports of what percentage of the voters actually vote are skewed by the numbers of people still listed who should be dropped.

Matthews points to another desperately needed change — the need to pay election workers more money. Now workers get $4.69 per hour for (at least) a 16 hour day and only one session of training. Poll workers and polling places alike are getting scarcer. Polling places get only $20 a day.

Finally, Mathews strongly supports the election of the County Clerk-Recorder. She believes independence is in the public interest.

 ACTION: Access the Smartvoter site about a month before each election by going to www.smartvoter.org. Visit The League of Women Voters’ website call their local office, 209-524-1698. All men and women citizens are eligible to join the League.

Diablo Grande: still far from a done deal

By STEVE BURKE

The stories on the Diablo Grande project in the Modesto Bee do not present a thorough and balanced picture. This article is written to provide that.

A brief history: Diablo Grande is a proposed new town and resort covering 29,500 acres on the eastern slope of the Diablo Range in western Stanislaus County. The area takes in three watersheds and has historically been grazing land and largely undisturbed natural habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species, including many of special status.

In 1990 a group of developers and financial interests applied for approvals for the project with Stanislaus County, hoping to build 5,000 homes, 6 golf courses, commercial facilities, a hotel and winery, and various amenities. Review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was undertaken, with the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors (Board) as the approving entity. An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was done.

The Board approved the EIR and related entitlements in 1993. The EIR was flawed, largely because it did not include review of a long term water supply for the project, and a lawsuit was filed. The case was denied by local Superior Court but upheld by the Fifth District Appellate Court in Fresno which said that water supply indeed must be reviewed.

“Supplemental” EIR (SEIR) focused on water supply; specifically six potential sources. This was approved in 1998, along with other entitlements, by the Board of Supervisors. It was also flawed and another suit was filed by Protect Our Water (POW) and myself. The Farm Bureau, local and state, and certain individuals filed a separate suit. The two suits were consolidated (processed at the same time by the courts), and a local superior court judge upheld them both. His decision was that:

The judge also allowed “mini-projects”, or aspects of the whole, to be approved before the entire project. Unit 1 of Phase 1 was quickly approved by the Board with the caveat that construction could not begin until DG had acquired all necessary approvals for the Berrenda-Mesa (B-M) supply. The time then was December 1999.

While DG worked on such approvals, they also appealed the Superior Court decision to the Appellate Court. We cross appealed the portion stating B-M was feasible.

Several events have occurred since then. First, Diablo Grand abandoned the B-M supply because they could not get approval from the Department of Water Resources. They then developed a convoluted scheme involving the Pioneer Water Bank Project, also within Kern, to exchange some of its water using the California Aqueduct as the delivery means in an arrangement known as “wheeling”. The contract signed for this arrangement allowed them to build a turnout from the canal.

The Fifth District Appellate Court in Fresno court issued its decision on May 4, 2001 which received incomplete coverage in the Bee, and it is very involved, not simply a “win or lose” proclamation. What it said relative to the decision of the Superior Court was:

An important related event that has taken place since the SEIR’s first approval is the decision by the Third District Appellate Court in Sacramento to void what is known as the Monterey Agreements (including its EIR), a profound re-working (in fact a special interest manipulation) of the entire State Water Project plan. The Agreements were the basis of many substantive water deals made with SWP water involving the Kern County Water Agency since 1995, including B-M and Pioneer, both of which had based their environmental review on EIR for the Agreements. The undoing of the Agreements has far-reaching effects extending to Diablo Grande, as will become apparent in the coming months

What escapades are next? What’s going on with this project? It is definitely not what the Bee or the developers would have one believe (the same disparity of the entire 10-year history). The salient points are:

There are additional permits not yet acquired and other lawsuits not settled. This project continues to be far from the “done deal” it continually claims to be. A substantial process is yet to come, one completely open to the public. Watch for the re-circulation of the SEIR and the reworking of the Unit 1 component (as it must now shift its water supply). Announcements will be made as time allows in this paper, in the Valley Habitat, and in the Modesto Bee.

ACTION: Contact Steve Burke via email or phone, 523-1391

Faces of Stanislaus 2001

By DAN ONORATO

In front of each camera flash, smiling family members will stand proudly around their family photo. Its image will be of their relatives, their history, their culture. Whether Scandinavian, Assyrian, Mexican, Irish, Southeast Asian, African-American, or whatever - the Faces of Stanislaus 2001 exhibition will highlight people of all backgrounds together, because all have contributed to this county’s history and cultural heritage.

You can be part of this wonderful panorama of who we are. Help fill in the chronicle of our area’s history, heritage, and cultures.

Faces of Stanislaus 2001 invites everyone in the county to submit a photo from their family collection into one of twelve categories: Men, Women, Children, Families, At Work, Historical Significance, Compelling Story, Early Days (in the county), Uniforms, Origins, Occasion, and Period/Traditional Dress.

Approximately 300 photos will be selected to be framed and matted for the free, public exhibition that will take place in the County Schools Office of Education building on 11th Street in downtown Modesto from October 5 through November 2. The deadline to submit your photo is June 29.

This project began when Modesto Junior College was selected in October 2000 as one of thirty community colleges in the country to participate in a national project called FACES of AMERICA. Promoted by the Community College Humanities Association with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, FACES of AMERICA aims to help people connect their family history to the nation’s history through photographs. In its effort to serve the community and promote multicultural understanding, MJC engaged other organizations in the project. The Modesto Bee is the major partner. Others include the McHenry Museum, the Stanislaus County Office of Education, and this year’s International Family Festival.

For us in the Peace/Life Center community, this project is an opportunity to share not only our own family history but also photos from the Center’s history of involvement in our community. Photos capturing highlights in our over 30 years working for peace, justice, and a sustainable environment should definitely be part of our county’s collective history.

When you submit your photo, please include a written explanation. Information on submitting and on the photo categories, along with the submission form, are available at all Stanislaus County branch libraries, the McHenry Museum, The Modesto Bee, and outside the Literature and Language Arts Office at MJC (Founders Hall 275 A). You can also download the information and forms from the project’s Web sites: gomjc.org/faces and www.modbee.com

Have you started thinking about the photo you’d like to submit? Look for it now. Submit it soon to: The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 3928, Modesto, CA 95352. Remember the deadline: June 29.

ACTION: Spread the word about this project to a group you’re a part of (church, ethnic, cultural, social organization). Questions? Call Dan Onorato, 526-5436.

“Mom, What can I do this Summer?”

By MYRTLE OSNER

How many times do you hear that whine in the summer?

Actually, there are lots of things to do, although not all of them are free. Going to the parks in Modesto is free, and there is a wealth of activities planned by the Modesto City Neighborhoods and Recreation Department. Check out your parks in other cities and see what they have if you are reading this somewhere else. A number of parks have pools, although the traditional toddler wading pools are a thing of the past. Playgrounds abound, although the equipment is changing due to injury lawsuits or the fear of them by government agencies. No more slides, no more merry-go-rounds, no more teeter totters, no more swings. What’s left of what I used to do when I was a girl?

Here’s a list of some community organizations offering summer fare:

Great Valley Museum of Natural History: A membership organization; entrance to the exhibits is free for members. Charges for all activities are less for members but are also open to non-members (pre-registration and payment is required in advance for classes and trips.) The Museum is at the corner of College and Stoddard Ave., Modesto. For information and to register for classes call (209) 575-6196 or email crawford@yosemite.cc.ca.us. Normal museum hours: 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday thru Saturday during the summer, closed in August.

The Museum is unique in the valley in that its exhibits and trips are all about the natural history of this part of California. This summer’s exhibit is “Images of the High Sierra”, photography by Jerry Dodrill who used to work for famed outdoor photographer Galen Rowell. This exhibit will show thru Sept. 21. (Closed in August).

Classes for children are divided by age. For Young Children: ages 4 to 6, (grade K-2), Meet from 10 to 11 am at Emanuel Lutheran Church, across the street from the Museum.

Tues., June 26: “Cities of Ants,” repeated Tues. Aug 7 (ant villages).
Thurs., June 28: “Cool Science,” repeated Thurs. Aug. 9 (think ice cubes).
Tues., July 3 and Thurs. July 5: a two- day class, “It’s a Small World After All.”
Tues., July 10 and Thurs. July 12, a two--day class, “Spinning and Weaving.”
Tues., July 17: “California Critters” (our unique animals, see and touch).
Thurs., July 19: “The Incredible Egg.”
Tues., July 24 : “Fossils are Fantastic.”
Thurs., July 26: “Be a Friend to Trees.”
Tues., July 31: “Bird Nests and Hanging Mobiles.”
Thurs., Aug. 2: “Mother Opossum and Her Babies.”

Classes for Elementary children. Your child should have completed second grade to sign up for these classes, held on Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 to l2 noon in the Museum Annex. Children should attend all three days of the series.

Tues—Thurs., June 26-28: Microscopic World Series.
Tues.—Thurs., July 10-12: Nature Arts Series (arts and crafts with natural materials).
Tues—Thurs., July 17-19: Liquid Exploration Series.
Tues.—Thurs., July 24-26: Puppet Series (making puppets and stories to act out).
Tues.—Thurs., July 31-Aug. 2: Dry Ice Series. This class will be so cool, it’s hot!
Tues—Thurs., Aug., 7-9: Secret Formula Series. Learn what’s in stuff you all use.

Two adult programs are in conjunction with MAPS: Modesto Area Partners in Science (MJC Science, Math, and Engineering and the Museum): 

July 16, 8 am to 4 pm: Walk with Jim Mori “In Search of Sierra Butterflies.” Payment must be received prior to trip.

July 27 to Aug. 11: Baja Bound: Trip to Bahia de Los Angeles and the Sea of Cortez with Guy Van Cleve, MJC Biology Instructor. Payment must be received by June 30.

Other excellent opportunities for children are provided the YMCA, present in Modesto since the early twentieth century. The Y has Day Camps, Field Trips, Soccer Camp, Children’s Theatre Conservatory, Golf Camp, but it is most famous for its Sierra summer camp at Camp Jack Hazard near the Dardanelles. A testimonial from my grandson’s experience: Andy first went to camp in grade school, returning every year. In high school he became an assistant counselor and then a counselor, and one year became the camp maintenance manager. Along the way he learned many skills and made many friends.

It’s impossible to describe all of what goes on at camp; suffice it to say that a summer camp away from home is an experience every child should have. Scholarships are available for those unable to pay the full fee.

The YMCA also has a Teen Center at its McHenry Ave. site (corner of Floyd). Full use of the facilities comes with a membership. The Y has two pools, one therapeutic and one a lap pool. It is embarking on an expansion plan which will greatly improve its community services. And, of course, the Y has lots of programs for adults  For information call 578-9662.

Summer Camps: the Muir Trail Girl Scout Council has its own summer camping program, unique to Girl Scouts. Many are “day camps” which are held by the neighborhood associations. While the Muir Trail Council does not own its own summer camps, girls can sign up to go to the weekly camp in the mountains with other councils.

Unique to this area is the co-educational day camp co-sponsored by Ceres Heifer Project Education Center and Muir Trail Girl Scouts. This was pioneered by the Scouts so that children could learn about the ways Heifer Project helps children around the world. The Ceres site has an African hut, duck pond, garden, and many animals to learn from. A need was also seen for city children to learn more about the area’s agriculture. Call 537-8996 for information.

One final piece of advice: don’t forget the library! This is the place in my life where I fell in love with books. Take your child often; go to the story hours; let your children discover the world through books.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT ARTICLES TO CONNECTIONS.

Tenth of each month. Submit peace, justice and environmentally friendly event notices to P.O. Box 134, Modesto, CA, 95353, or call 522-4967 or 575-4299, or email to costello@ainet.com. Free listings subject to space, availability and editing.

04/25/04