Podcasts about Central Valley

Senator Groves calls into the show and tells her story and what led her to come be the 16th State Senate District representative, encompassing the souther Central Valley and parts of the Hight Desert. Senator Groves also gives her opinion on last Tuesday elections including local and national. This and so much more!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MJ's guest today is the Owner and Winemaker of Morét Brealynn Wines, Morét Brealynn. A boutique winery in Sonoma County with a focus on Pinot Noir and supporting animal shelters. In this episode, MJ and Moret discuss growing up in the Central Valley. Work-life in the non-profit sector. Animal rescue and Catceanera's. Tina Fey, Pete Buttigieg, and making world-class Pinot Noir along the California Coast. A huge thank you to Morét Brealynn! Follow her on IG at @moretbrealynnwinesCheck out her website: https://moretbrealynnwines.com/This episode's in studio wines:2021 Morét Brealynn Russian River Valley Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2021 Morét Brealynn Lakeview Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir_____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophers, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Don't forget to subscribe and be sure to give The Black Wine Guy Experience a five-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show sign up at Blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

California has a history of competitive races in the Central Valley and Southern California, especially this year with higher voter turnout and redrawn districts. This Blue state is speckled with red and holds the longest serving GOP congressman in California. Which races in California are neck and neck? Phil Matier reports.

In today's episode of the “Helping Families Be Happy” podcast, host Christopher Robbins, Co-founder of Familius Publishing (A Husband, Father, Author, Fisherman, Backpacker, and Aspirational Musician based in the Central Valley of California) talks with guest Dr. Ben Bernstein (A veteran Psychologist, Educator, Keynote Speaker, Author, and a Performance Coach for Academy Award, Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winners. His client lists include CEOs, Dentists, Athletes, Attorneys, Physicians, Business Executives, Opera Singers, and Actors). You can reach Dr. Bernstein at his website -- https://www.drbyourbest.com/.  Today Dr. Bernstein talks about the ways to improve our mental health.  Episode Highlights 01:40 – Dr. Bernstein is the Founder and Artistic Director of the ‘Singer's Gym', a nonprofit training workshop for professional singers that have vitality, spontaneity, and connection in their work.  04:00 - Dr. Bernstein says that he is deeply a person of prayer and a man of religious practice, but you don't have to have a religion to have a spirit, because everyone has a spirit.  05:40 - There's a reason that all the sages and saints for 1000s of years have been talking about the breath because it's a real vital connection from vitality. 08:00 - A very healthy thing to do for your mental health is to appreciate somebody in your life daily. Appreciating means expressing gratitude to someone in your life and then expressing gratitude to them. 10:00 - Dr. Ben heard a philosopher on the radio say once, “We're built to be givers, not takers”. 12:00 - You wouldn't even be here today if it was purely negative. There always is a positive side, we were not created thinking we are a loser. 14:00 – Christopher summarizes what all Dr. Bernstein spoke about during the episode. 16:25 - Dr. Ben says that we do have different kinds of mental conditions that are diagnosable, however, in his practice, and in his life he has dealt with so many of these, even in the most difficult circumstances through love.  Three Key Points Mental health is one part of our overall health, however, Dr. Bernstein uses three-legged stool which is body, mind, and spirit. When we talk about mental health, we seem to be focusing only on the mind but we are also a body and a spirit. When all three legs are equally strong, our mental health becomes equally strong too. Mental health also depends upon our physical, and spiritual health. Dr. Bernstein says that wherever we construe spirit, he views it as a motivating force. So, Dr. Ben speaks a little bit about the health of each of the three facts. The most important is to help your mind through your body is to get connected through your body to the world. Dr. Bernstein mentions that he has a radical view about the definition of mental health which is that mental disturbance unless it's a genetic or a brain disorder, it's always a disturbance of some kind of love. We're meant as human beings to give to each other to prove our love to give. When we pull away from that, we're often in a state of fear or anger. As a result, we cut ourselves off from the connection that we all have and we all need from each other. It's all about positive connection, the more connected your body is, and the more connected you are to others, to nature, or the more you appreciate people, the more mental health you will have. Tweetable Quotes “The thing you missed is that 3 of those books were published by Familius.” - Dr. Ben Bernstein “October is a Mental Health Awareness Month.” - Christopher Robbins “When you hold your breath, the message that your brain is getting is that you're dying.” - Dr. Ben Bernstein “Ground yourself right now, grounding means feeling the chair support, you feeling the floor support, we really get out of touch.” - Dr. Ben Bernstein “The spirit connection in the spirit has two parts to it.” - Dr. Ben Bernstein “Appreciation we know from lots of research has a lot to do with mental health, so that's one thing I would recommend.” - Dr. Ben Bernstein “Looking at your thoughts about yourself is really super important.” - Dr. Ben Bernstein “I think we're all here to serve one another.” - Dr. Ben Bernstein Resources Mentioned Helping Families be Happy Podcast  Apple Dr. Ben Bernstein Website Instagram LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Podcast Editing

Benina Montez, of Burroughs Family Farms, is a badass FOURTH generation farmer in the Central Valley of California. She has been farming alongside her family and made the shift to regenerative organic certification for their almonds, walnuts, and olives. They also produce pastured chickens and lamb through silvopasture.  It's really cool to hear from someone like Benina who has experienced the journey from not only something conventional to something regenerative, but also what it means to BE a fourth generation farmer and how you have to continuously move the bar to remain a relevant family farm. Benina is super awesome, honest, and has a lot to offer people who are curious about how it can all be done regeneratively in tree systems with silvopasture. Folks who make the show possible... RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels. Tilth Soil amazing compost-based living potting soils and soil blends. Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Certified Naturally Grown grassroots, peer-to-peer, holistic certification. and You, our listeners. Help us keep our work free for everyone by supporting our work on Patreon or check out No-Till Growers and pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook and join the conversation at our new and improved growers forum.

My guest Brent Eastman is the owner and CEO of BEI, Brent Eastman Insurance Services, the largest employee benefit brokerage firms in the Central Coast area. BEI currently manages over $26 million in annual employee benefit program expenditures.  My conversation with Brent highlights the power of human relationships in sales and growth. We talk about building communities, increasing access to the best possible care and bringing back empathy in healthcare.  Also learn what the Latin word,  labor omnia vincit" means  and why is it  relevant . Brent Eastman Insurance Services website - https://brenteastman.com/This episode is sponsored by UnitedAg,  one of the largest association health plans to offer healthcare to the agriculture industry of California and Arizona.  Kirti Mutatkar, President and CEO of UnitedAg. Reach me kmutatkar@unitedag.org, www.linkedin.com/in/kirtimutatkarUnitedAg's website - www.unitedag.org

In several of California's most competitive races, Latino voters could be decisive, which isn't so surprising. But more than half of Latino voters who were recently polled say no campaign has asked for their vote. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED The Central Valley has been synonymous with conservative, small-government politics for a long time. But there's a new state Assembly district in the Central Valley and the two candidates vying for the seat are both women, Democrats and people of color. Reporter: Ariel Gans, CalMatters      

On this week's MyAgLife in Citrus episode, we hear about an upcoming Central Valley-area spray field day for citrus growers. More info here. Additionally, Kylie Harlan reports on research out of Florida that discovered a new sweetening agent in citrus fruits.   Supporting the People who Support Agriculture Thank you to our sponsors who make it possible to get you your daily news. Please feel free to visit their websites. The California Walnut Board - https://walnuts.org/ PhycoTerra® - https://phycoterra.com/ Verdesian - https://vlsci.com/ Polymer Ag - https://www.polymerag.com/ BeeHero - https://www.beehero.io/

his weekend is the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St. George UT. Lucy Charles-Barkley, Taylor Knibb, Flora Duffy, Holly Lawrence and the other professional women race Friday, October 28th. On Saturday, Gustav Iden, Kristian Blummenfelt, Sam Long, Rudy Von Berg, Matt Hansen and the other male pros face off. Show Sponsor: UCAN Generation UCAN has a full line of nutrition products to fuel your sport. UCAN uses SuperStarch instead of simple sugars and stimulants to fuel athletes. UCAN keeps blood sugar steady compared to the energy spikes and crashes of sugar-based products. UCAN also has hydration products focused on giving you the sodium you need when hydrating, including several clean and light flavors. Steady energy equals sustained performance and a faster finish line! Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly! Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co In Today's Show • Feature ○ 70.3 World Championship St George October 28 and 29 • Endurance News ○ Ironman California October 23 • What's new in the 303 ○ Adams County's “Love Your Trails” Making Bike Paths More Colorful ○ Transitioning Back To Training After Injury • Video of the Week ○ St George Pro Press Conference Feature: 70.3 World Champs Preview PRE-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE Twelve of the best athletes in the world convened in the Electric Theater to talk strategy and thoughts leading into the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. On the women's side, Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR), Taylor Knibb (USA), Flora Duffy (BMU), Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR), Paula Findlay (CAN), and Holly Lawrence (GBR) took to the stage. Speaking on the water at the ROKA swim course at Sand Hollow Reservoir, Paula Findlay remarked on how favorable she found the conditions during her practice swim: “The water is really beautiful, I think the transition from water to air will be the hardest part but once you are in the water it is actually really nice so maybe they can extend the swim, make it longer.” In reflecting on her victory from the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission and excitement for this year's race, defending IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Lucy Charles-Barclay said, “Coming back to St. George and walking around the town I kind of got the memories from last year so if I can do anything close to last year's performance then I will be over the moon.” The women are set to race this Friday, October 28 with live coverage on Outside Watch. On the men's side, Gustav Iden (NOR), Sam Long (USA), Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), Miki Taagholt (DNK), Frederic Funk (DEU), and Eric Lagerstrom (USA) talked shop ahead of their race, which will take place on Saturday, October 29 with live coverage also on Outside Watch. IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship: Pro Women start list and bib numbers - Elite News - TRI247 BIB FIRST LAST COUNTRY F1 Lucy Charles-Barclay GBR F2 Taylor Knibb USA F4 Emma Pallant-Browne GBR F6 Jackie Hering USA F7 Holly Lawrence GBR F8 Nikki Bartlett GBR F9 Anne Reischmann GER F10 Flora Duffy BER F14 Paula Findlay CAN IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship: Pro Men start list and bib numbers - Elite News - TRI247 BIB FIRST LAST COUNTRY M1 Gustav Iden NOR M2 Sam Long USA M4 Miki Taagholt DEN M5 Jackson Laundry CAN M6 Ben Kanute USA M7 Eric Lagerstrom USA M8 Magnus Ditlev DEN M10 Filipe Azevedo POR M11 Kristian Blummenfelt NOR M15 Rudy Von Berg USA M16 Matthew Hanson USA News Sponsor Buddy Insurance: Buddy Insurance gives you peace of mind to enjoy your training and racing to the fullest. Buddy's mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle. Get on-demand accident insurance just in case the unexpected happens. Buddy ensures you have cash for bills fast. Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account. There's no commitment or charge to create one. Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day. Check it out! Endurance News: IRONMAN California By Gary -October 25, 2022 California's capital city, Sacramento, played host to the debut of the Kaiser Permanente IRONMAN California triathlon, part of the VinFast IRONMAN US Series, on Sunday, October 23, 2022. Julien Boulain from Paris, France (M35-39 age group) took the overall victory with the fastest time of the day in 08:45:58. In the women's age group race, Riis Rametta of Park City, Utah (F35-39 age group) claimed victory in the female age-group race, finishing with a time of 9:33:50. “We couldn't have asked for a better day of IRONMAN racing here in the Central Valley,” said Tim Brosious, Regional Director for The IRONMAN Group. “We have been waiting a long time to see Kaiser Permanente IRONMAN California triathlon come to fruition here into the area. The community has come out in true Sacramento fashion to support the athletes and show exactly why this community is already becoming one of the best on the IRONMAN circuit.” IRONMAN California saw more than 2,800 athletes from 62 countries, regions and territories, and all 50 US states start the race. Competitors ranged in age from 18-78 years old. The event led athletes along a downriver 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile flat and fast bike ride through the local area's farm and wine country and a 26.2-mile run throughout the Sacramento Valley for total of 140.6 miles. The event offered 55 age group qualifying slots to the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship taking place in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i next October. Kaiser Permanente IRONMAN California will return to Sacramento, CA, on October 23, 2023. What's New in the 303: Adams County's “Love Your Trails” Making Bike Paths More Colorful By Bill Plock October 25, 2022– Riding on bike paths these days has become more colorful and interesting thanks to several initiatives over the years to include murals on the trails and overpasses. Recently Adams County finished such an initiative with the final mural being painted by Sofi Ramirez. We ran into her finishing the final piece just east of Sheridan on the Clear Creek Bike Path and had this short conversation with her. She is part of a group of fifteen artists commissioned by Adams County. She uses a cement stain, not paint, to create her art. The stain penetrates the concrete pores better she said and will last longer and not be as slick when it's wet. Says Sofi on her website, “I believe in the ability art has to transform spaces, guide emotions, and start conversations. I deeply value my public art practice, because it provides me with the largest and most inclusive platform for my work. I hope my art can be a catalyst for a deeper understanding and celebration of diversity. While also peering into human nature in a way that opens a window into constructive self-reflection for myself and my viewers.” Adams County has launched two campaigns to bridge the gap between public art, the outdoors, and wellness – while also bringing access to and highlighting the expanding parks, open space, and trail system available to the public. Love Your Trails is a ground mural series dedicated to the natural beauty of the county. Artists who have participated in the program have embraced the challenges of working outdoors and finding new ways to draw in audiences. Murals run 18 miles from the Fishing is Fun Pond in Riverdale Regional Park in Brighton along the South Platte River Trail and the Clear Creek Trail all the way to Sheridan Blvd. “Parks are democratic spaces – they are free to all, reflect the demographic diversity of our county, and are places for social and cultural interaction,” said Adams County Commissioner Lynn Baca, chair. Participation in cultural activities connects people to each other and to their community institutions, providing pathways to other forms of participation. Thus, arts and culture can create opportunities for expression, community dialogue, and shared cultural experiences. “Physical environments connect to mental and emotional well-being in more ways than one,” said Baca. “The spaces where we live and play form the context for our lives.” TRANSITIONING BACK TO TRAINING AFTER INJURY By John Hansen | Oct. 14, 2022, 5:07 p.m. (ET) An athlete holds their knee and shin as if they are experiencing leg pain.Injuries are a common and negative aspect of triathlon training and racing. They can sideline you for weeks, sometimes months. With proper recovery protocols, however, you can transition back to full training and racing. There are several considerations when returning to training in order to prevent injury relapse and make your transition back to normal training productive: • Avoid dramatic changes in volume and intensity. • Allow the injury to heal completely. • Stay consistent with training, avoiding long, 2-3+ week breaks. • Engage in an all-body dynamic stretching routine prior to every strength and/or high intensity workout. • Follow a slow warm up of at least 5-10 minutes prior to any swim, bike or run workout. • Engage in yoga or an all-body static stretching and rolling, stick and/or myofascial release routine after every workout. • Engage in an all-body strengthening routine 3+ times a week. • Avoid lifestyle situations that may re-aggravate a recent injury – examples: aggressively participating in sports that your body is not conditioned to support, sitting or standing for prolonged periods, walking or climbing stairs in excess, lifting heavy or awkward objects, etc. • Videotaping - videotaping can help you make form or technique changes once you return to full training and you don't feel any lingering effects of the injury that might alter your form. Videotaping your technique, especially while swimming or running, may uncover form flaws that may have contributed to the injury. This is valuable information for recovery and injury prevention. • Beyond these general return-to-training measures, there are specific elements to consider if an injury occurs in the key phases of training: base, build and competition. Please note: these elements are dependent on how severe the injury was. More severe injuries require longer recovery periods and a more conservative approach. It also assumes that you have medical clearance and/or are finishing physical therapy but will follow at-home therapy recommendations, allowing you to return to training. Base Phase If the injury occurs in the base phase, you stand the best chance of returning to normal training and having minimal effect on your season. Most injuries in this phase are mild to moderate and are caused by training volume, not intensity, so the severity is lessened. Key considerations when returning to training in this phase include: Alter training surfaces and terrain – ease back into training by running on softer surfaces and limit the amount of hill training (run and bike) early in this phase. Gradually reduce but don't eliminate softer surface running and slowly increase the amount of hill training. Rebuild volume modestly – since each situation is unique, there is no specific protocol to follow, but use a 40-20 rule as a conservative guide. Start out with a training volume that is 40% of the volume you were at prior to the injury and add 20% of the new volume every 1-2 weeks. For minor injuries, this may be too conservative, and for more severe injuries, it may be too aggressive, but it can be a good starting point. In addition, since volume is the focus during this phase, reducing intensity may not be necessary. Walk-run protocols – for more severe running-specific injuries, consider a more conservative approach given the impactful nature of running. Start with 2-3 minutes of running and 1-2 minutes of walking and limit the workout to 15-20 minutes. Each week, add 1 minute of running and reduce the walk by 30 seconds. Keep at least 30 seconds of walk for every run segment. Once you reach 10 minutes of running per 30 seconds of walking, you should be able to run the entire workout. Trainer workouts – using a trainer for bike workouts adds stability and may be necessary to avoid the unpredictability of riding outdoors, especially after a severe and/or upper body injury. Strength training – general strength and/or dry land swim training can be a good transition back to training. Note: if strength training was the root cause of the injury, avoid or minimize those exercises that led to the initial injury until completely symptom-free. You may need to follow other recovery elements such as managing volume and intensity. Equipment adjustments – Make the following equipment adjustments as early as possible in this phase to allow your body to adjust to the change(s): Bike fit – Having a well-fit bike has several positive implications related to most joints in the body including wrists, neck, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. It also affects your lower back, hamstrings, calves and Achilles. The fit may address the injury itself such as moving the cleats on your shoe and/or raising/lowering the seat if you had a knee injury. Use a professional bike fitter for this option. Running orthotics – if orthotics are recommended to you, get these as early as possible. You must adjust to your new running biomechanics before increasing training volume and intensity. Continue to see a PT for follow up and progression checks – I often recommend having periodic appointments with your PT to ensure you are maintaining proper rehabilitation protocols, especially if returning from a chronic injury. A physical therapist helps a patient use a foam roller on his calf. Build Phase If your injury occurs in the build phase and is either mild or moderate, you should be able to return to normal training with minimal effect on your racing season. If the injury is more severe, it may affect early-season races. Some considerations regarding your racing schedule may need to be made. Key considerations when returning to training in this phase include the following: Strength Training – heavier lifting and/or plyometric workouts, which put a lot of strain on your body, are often a part of this phase. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may need to return to lifting by using lighter weights and more reps. Moderately rebuild volume and intensity – many factors affect how aggressively you return to normal training including the severity of the injury, the length of this phase, when races are scheduled, and more. Follow the same 40-20 guide mentioned earlier if a conservative approach makes sense and the injury is more severe. Sometimes, a more aggressive approach may be required, but build volume to at least 75% of normal before adding lower levels of intensity. Equipment adjustments – Make the following equipment adjustments as early as possible in this phase to allow your body to adjust to the change(s): Bike seat position – height and forward/back – only minor adjustments based on the bike fit in the base phase. Consult with your bike fitter prior to making any adjustments. Running shoe wear and tear – due to training volume, running shoes may need to be replaced. A good rule of thumb for shoe replacement: if the shoe has 300-400 miles of use. Reduce the use of swim paddles/buoys – due to the overall volume and/or transition to higher intensity, reduce the use of paddles, even if they are used sparingly. Competition Phase If the injury occurs in the competition phase, you should be able to return to normal training. However, it will likely have a pronounced effect on your racing season depending on several factors, including the severity of the injury and how long of a race season you have scheduled. Key considerations when returning to training in this phase include the following: Re-adjust racing schedule – it may be necessary to find races later in the season that allow you to rebuild fitness in order to meet your desired racing goals. Moderately rebuild volume and intensity – like the build phase, many factors affect how aggressively you return to normal training, including the severity of the injury, the length of this phase, when races are scheduled during this phase, and more. Follow the same principles outlined in the build phase unless a more aggressive approach can be tolerated. Don't get so aggressive that you reinjure yourself – there's often a thin line between getting reinjured and resuming normal training. Day-to-day adjustments may need to be made. This is a very vulnerable stage for reinjury due the sense of urgency races create. Equipment adjustments - equipment adjustments are only advised in extreme circumstances at this point of the season. If they must be made, they should be very minor and following the advice of your bike fitter. A productive return to training is possible when you follow a well-thought-out transition plan that is progressive in nature, not too aggressive, and incorporates the proper elements mentioned above. DON'T GET SO AGGRESSIVE THAT YOU REINJURE YOURSELF – THERE'S OFTEN A THIN LINE BETWEEN GETTING REINJURED AND RESUMING NORMAL TRAINING. One final thought: the most vulnerable time for reinjury is when you feel normal as you return to training. Feeling normal in the early phases of recovery can be misleading since your volume and intensity are typically reduced dramatically. You may be anxious to resume normal training, but your body is often not ready. It's important as an athlete to be aware of your body and be able to read what it's telling you with respect to your transition back to training. Video of the week: 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Pre-Race Press Conference Closing: Thanks again for listening in this week. Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it! Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

Dan Payne, Central Valley Veterans, joins the show to discuss midterm election recommendations. Police arrested a suspect in the burglary of Democratic Arizona Governor candidate Kate Hobb's campaign headquarters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FOOTBALL FRIDAY. Do the Steelers have a chance on Sunday in Philly? The Eagles are 10.5-point favorites, but there is a chance TJ Watt makes his return from the pec injury that has kept him out since week one. Donny and Chris don't think the return of Watt makes enough of a difference to pull the upset. Poni oddly has some hope.  Eagles insider Zach Berman from The Athletic joined the show. Zach talked about two recent draft picks (Landon Dickerson and Jordan Davis) that Steelers fans were loving going into the draft. He said Dickerson has been solid on the offensive line, but Davis has mainly just been a first and second down player so far. Zach talked about what is working for Jalen Hurts this year that has him among the MVP candidates. Zach said if he was a Steelers defensive coach, he would focus on the Eagles run game before anything else, which features Hurts and Miles Sanders. Zach talked about what made Kenny Pickett a Philly sports fan and how it's sort of a homecoming for the rookie QB Sunday afternoon. Zach thinks the Eagles defense features edge rushers that can get after the QB, including new addition Robert Quinn among others. He highlighted the cornerback play the Eagles have exhibited through the first six games.  The are people allegedly scalping tickets for tonight's high school game between Aliquippa and Central Valley. 

Our guest today is Carol J. Ornelas the CEO of Visionary Home Builders, a non-profit developer in Stockton, California.Ms. Ornelas shares her organization's emergence from a small group of farm workers in 1983--whose sole purpose was to improve the living environment for farm workers in public housing--to its current status as a prominent leader in the development and renovation of housing in the Central Valley region. Visionary Home Builders has developed and renovated more than 1,500 homes housing over 5,000 family members. The organization has built and supported Head Start Schools, a Charter School, a Health Clinic, Social Services, Parent Education Programs, and Resident Councils.Carol Ornelas' lifetime commitment to providing healthy housing for the larger community of Stockton, California is a testament to the power of one committed individual working with others to make the world a better place. HealthCare UnTold honors and celebrates Carol J. Ornelas, CEO of Visionary Home Builders, as a pioneering leader and community champion.#visionaryhomebuilders#housingishealth#carolornelas#healthcareuntold

Let's welcome Danielle Fischer of Magnolia Yarden to the Paint Talks Podcast! She provides botanical products and services that help individuals cultivate a botanical lifestyle from the garden to the kitchen. Magnolia's Yarden grows over fifty varieties of edible flowers for the HOME or PROFESSIONAL chef, baker, bartender, or mixologist. Danielle grows in a small space, a large yard transformed into a garden (yarden), using natural and sustainable methods to nurture the environment while they produce healthy flowers.  In addition to a new baby boy this year, she's launched a second business, the Flower Market. The Flower Market is a vendor-style event featuring flower growers in Central Valley, California. It provides an efficient way to distribute specialty flowers that are grown throughout the Central Valley and serves as a one-stop-shop to source locally grown flowers, and meet the growers! Magnoliasyarden.com Facebook Instagram Youtube  

UC Berkeley doctor says take that sick day. An 8-year-old will climb the face of Yosemite's El Capitan. Early voting numbers are breaking records across the country. A valley native is pursuing a theme park in the Central Valley.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke discusses the recent history of sudden autumn walnut frost events in California's Central Valley, how to prevent damage ahead of the next sudden frost, and how to rehabilitate damaged orchards. Recorded Zoom webinar: Practical Canker Management in Almond and Prune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4JwrMGKros&t=3s Articles referenced in the podcast: Six steps to prepare for the next sudden autumn frost: sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/horticulture-walnuts/prepare-for-next-sudden-autumn-freeze/ Spring frost: sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/horticulture-walnuts/preparing-for-extreme-events-spring-frost Recovery from freeze damage: sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/horticulture-walnuts/2020-freeze-recovery Upcoming Field meetings:Introduction to Orchard Irrigation Management in three locationsMadera: Monday, November 7, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PMBakersfield: Monday, November 14, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PMModesto: Wednesday, November 16, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PMAlso on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM there is a Best Management Practices for Soil Health meeting at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier, California. If you will be attending the West Coast Nut: California Walnut Conference in Yuba City on January 4th and 5th – I will be talking about walnut freeze on Wednesday, January 4 at 9:30 AM.

Janet joins Ray to discuss the high risk of Parvo here in the Central Valley. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency carried out a nationwide sting operation that arrested 175 illegal aliens, all with multiple drunk driving convictions and some who killed Americans. U.S. State Department officials defended themselves Sunday after awarding Ecuador a grant of over $20,000 for a cultural center to host drag shows for LGBTQ communities in the South American country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The High-Speed Rail Authority authorized $35.3 million for site planning and design of Central Valley stations.  Should Fresno continue moving ahead with HSR?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kids say the library is a safe place to do homework, read and have fun. City leaders say the building would be better for a police station.

The 50th Almond Conference will host over 3,500 attendees and 270 exhibitors this December in Sacramento. Jim Jasper, Ladd Hackler, Bob Curtis and Rebecca Bailey have each attended the annual event several times throughout the years. They share some of their experiences in this episode as we hear how far the event has come in the last half-decade.   “It's the super bowl of the almond industry. Once a guy does go, you're probably gonna see him the next year too because he did learn something. But you just gotta break that ice and get him to go once.” - Jim Jasper   In Today's episode: ●     Meet industry leaders Jim Jasper, Ladd Hackler and Bob Curtis, who have found great value in attending the yearly meeting ●     Explore the evolution of The Almond Conference, the benefits it offers growers and the relationships it facilitates ●     Discover the activities, events and opportunities participants will have access to   Register now to attend The Almond Conference at http://www.almonds.com/conference (www.almonds.com/conference).      The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you byhttps://www.almonds.com/ ( the Almond Board of California). This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.     ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.  

Dean Rogers is one of the owners of Home Helpers Group. Home Helpers Group is a real estate solutions and investment firm that specializes in helping homeowners get rid of burdensome houses fast. With the ability to directly purchase homes and make cash offers, they can create an extremely fast, and hassle-free transaction. Dean is passionate about solving problems, creating solutions for homeowners needing to sell, and improving the community in the Central Valley. Dean played football at Redwood High School in Visalia and went on to play in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers and seemed to have a long career ahead of him but was starting to feel the effects of concussions so he had to hang up the cleats. Now he loves to play basketball and stay fit working out, going to the beach, and chasing his kids together with his wife with their growing family. What you'll learn about in this episode: How Dean's journey took him from the NFL to building a real estate empire Why Dean's introduction into the corporate world motivated him to strive for the lifestyle he was seeking The lessons Dean learned from encountering major setbacks early in his real estate career Dean's timeline for creating a real estate business with consistent deals to pay dividends and open up new opportunities How Dean and his team are able to assist homeowners with various real estate solutions The advice Dean has for others starting out in real estate, which comes from his experiences in marketing strategies, wholesaling, fixing, and flipping How to connect with Dean's coaching program, and how listeners can receive Dean's free gift Resources: Sign up for a Free Mentor Panning Session: https://www.ronlegrand.com/mentoring-application/?cid=TMP Free Training: www.Thementorpodcast.com/terms Get Ron's $599 Wholesaling course for FREE when you join his Gold Club for ONLY $59 a month! – https://thementorpodcast.com/GC135

Top Stories- Tens of thousands of dollars worth of decorations went up in smoke at the Party City store in Rosedale last night- A planned debate between the two candidates running for the Central Valley's hotly contested 16th Senate district seat turned into a discussion with just one candidate, after democrat Melissa Hurtado pulled out in the eleventh hour- Closing arguments are set to begin in the murder trial for Wendy Howard

Building Strong Dynamics with Joe Marroquin A serial entrepreneur, investor, and creator, Joe Marroquin always loved business and helping others, even at an early age. Growing up in a single-parent household in the Central Valley of California, Joe didn't have friends, or even family, who were entrepreneurs he admired. However, he had two younger siblings for whom he needed to lead the way. “Being the oldest, you learn to lead the way. It played a significant role in how I would go into business. Taking charge allowed me to learn leadership.” In the late 1990s, he began his entrepreneurial journey. By the time the 2000s came around, Joe was approached to be an integral part of two leading lighting companies in the automotive industry - an industry for which he had a great passion for. From there, things only developed stronger as Joe started to build a portfolio with investments in Real Estate, Technology, Oil, Service, and one of his all-time passions, Food & Beverage, where he made his own investment company, JM Dynamics Enterprises. Now with over 25 years of Entrepreneur and various industry experience, Joe spends his time still investing in start-ups and small businesses in the automotive and real estate. Food & beverage industries while also using his experience and leadership skills to coach and mentor young entrepreneurs and start-ups on building a solid and sustainable business structure that will grow even in the shakiest of times. Listen in as Joe and I discuss his early upbringing, his challenges, and how he turned it all around to find a path of Fearless Happyness.

Keith Stump is the executive director of a nonprofit organization, Able Inc., that serves mostly persons with learning and development disabilities. Keith really began his career of service as an intern in Cambodia where he saw first-hand the challenges faced by disenfranchised persons who happen to have disabilities.   Eventually, Keith arrived at Able Inc. where he is helping the agency take clients out of more limited work environments and working to help them learn jobs around communities in Central California. The positive philosophy around disabilities shown by Mr. Stump is all the more remarkable since he does not have a disability but certainly has learned that all of us, no matter our differences, have gifts worth our time to enhance and bring into the world. Through Keith's involvement, Able Inc., as it went through a recent rebranding process, found and now uses accessiBe to help make its website more inclusive.   Keith has a number of stories he shares to help us all discover how Able Inc. is working to help make our world a better place for all of us. I am certain you will enjoy your time listening to Keith Stump's interview. I would appreciate you giving this episode a 5 rating after you listen to it. Thanks in advance.   About the Guest: Keith Stump has been volunteering and working in the nonprofit sector for the last twenty years. He received his MA in Intercultural Studies from Columbia International University where he did a deep dive into cross-cultural studies, world religions, and non-profit management and leadership. He is the Executive Director of Able Inc., which is an organization that offers life skills, job training and ultimately employment opportunities to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Able Inc. has recently rebranded and is preparing to move into a newly renovated building in Visalia, CA. Before Able, Keith worked in Fresno on behalf of homeless individuals and families as the Chief Development Officer for the Fresno Mission. Before settling in California, Keith also worked with Bethany Global where he managed fundraising for family preservation programs in Haiti and Ethiopia among other countries. While living in Michigan, Keith worked with Samaritas where he advocated on behalf of global families, refugees, and local foster youth by creating a program for the recruitment of foster and adoptive parents that was eventually implemented statewide. Keith's career has always been focused on advocacy and building awareness around the organizations he has been fortunate enough to represent and serve. Keith and his family moved to the Central Valley four years ago, and so far, they love being so close to so much of California's natural beauty.   Social Media Links for Keith: Keith Stump - Executive Director - Able Industries | LinkedIn www.ableinc.org https://www.facebook.com/ableincvisalia/ https://www.instagram.com/ableinc_/     About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes* Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson  01:20 Hi, everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Glad you're with us wherever you happen to be today. We get to interview Keith Stump Keith is a person I met through a colleague at accessibe our nonprofit manager, Sheldon Lewis, Sheldon, who we also interviewed here on unstoppable mindset. Keith has been involved in the disabilities world for over 20 years, and specifically, mostly involved in developmental disabilities and so on. And we'll get to all that, because I'm anxious to hear what he's doing and how he got there, and, and all the things that he's accomplished. And I'm sure that it will be inspiring to all of us. But Keith, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Keith Stump  02:01 Thank you very happy to be here.   Michael Hingson  02:03 So tell us a little bit about you kind of how you got started and all the early stuff? Sure. Well,   Keith Stump  02:10 again, thank you for asking, and thank you for the opportunity. So I knew right out of college, quite honestly that I wanted to be involved in the nonprofit world, initially, that started on the global front. My background, really, up until fairly recently has been working in countries all over the world on behalf of refugees, immigrants, and many families, families that had children or caregivers, parents that had developmental disabilities. And so it has been very exciting to see that also translate here now that I'm working in the US. Again, I've always just had a passion for serving people and happy to continue doing that. So here   Michael Hingson  02:53 you are now in in the Central Valley in California. And that'll be an interesting story to hear how you how you got there. But how did you start out in terms of dealing with the global world and how you got involved in serving at that level? And then how did that translate into coming kind of more into a little bit more localized environment? Sure.   Keith Stump  03:15 So it all started with an internship in Cambodia. And I will say that I at that point really did not want to go to Asia, I had nothing against Asia, of course, but I thought that I would be working in a number of other countries continents, and I had the opportunity to go, I just decided, let's do this, let's see where it goes and what I can learn and, and that really opened my eyes, I will say first and foremost to the needs that were needs that were greater than just those that I was seeing here in the US. And certainly there are needs here as well. But when I started to see and at that time were in Cambodia, a lot of it had to do with human trafficking, there was a lot of trafficking happening with young girls, even young boys. And I noticed as I began to learn more and more that often people were children were put into trafficking situations because obviously their families could not support them or could not support the family unit as a whole. And so they felt they had no choice but to put somebody put a child into trafficking, which was truly tragic. The thing that I learned through that is that are really developed a passion through that for serving families. I learned that if we can serve the family unit as a whole, we'll be able to keep children out of these really tragic situations if we can provide them a means to support themselves and certainly children to be educated. We're, you know, we're basically on the way to fighting against human trafficking. And also what happened with that is I noticed that a lot of the families that were most desperate, were families that had children with disabilities, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and that really started I guess I should say my work In terms of focusing specifically on Family Preservation and working with families that had children with special needs,   Michael Hingson  05:08 so So who did you do this internship with? How did that come about? Oh,   Keith Stump  05:13 that was during my undergrad. And that was with Bethany global, which was out of Minneapolis. So I, I did the internship, I was in Cambodia for about a year I went with a couple other students, which was mostly a lot of fun once in a while, I had some drama, but it was a good time. And the great thing about it is I also met my wife during this internship, we lived in the same apartment complex. And so I worked with her aunt, at a local orphanage again, at that time, it was on behalf of some trafficking victims. And so one night, her aunt invited me over for dinner, and we got to know each other, and 15 years later, we're still married, we've been together for 17 years. So the global experience for lack of a better word has not only become something that I'm personally very invested, or I should say, professionally, very invested in. But personally, we get to go back to Cambodia a lot and visit her family. And it's been it's been good, I have a real passion for serving people around the world. And again, I'm very grateful that I've been able to do that locally here as well.   Michael Hingson  06:18 It's interesting that you say that a lot of the families that seem to be the most desperate are families that have persons with disabilities in them was that desperation also, in part because of trafficking or what   Keith Stump  06:34 it was because they they didn't, you know, often they didn't know what to do with those children. I know that sounds really awful. But that's that's the reality. And, you know, Cambodia was just sort of the tip of the iceberg as I as I finished school and really stepped into global work. Here in the US initially, after the internship, I worked on behalf of refugees and undocumented immigrants, but that took me all over as well. And then eventually, I moved into working with a family preservation program, spent a lot of time in Haiti and Ethiopia specifically as well as Cambodia, of course. And at that point, I really focus specifically on again, families that had children with special needs, and they just didn't have the resources, there were still a lot of taboos around folks that had disabilities. Specifically in Ethiopia, I'll be honest with you, a lot of it had to a lot of the taboos rose around a person's religious beliefs, they felt that if not everyone, certainly, but many people feel that if there is a disability in the family, especially with a child, the parents probably did something wrong. And so fighting against those stigmas, again, in any country can always be a challenge. And what happens with that, then is if the family feels that they did something wrong, they are unfortunately, sometimes very quick to push that child into a very desperate situation, right. So if the child can be traffic, they may do that. Simply again, to earn a little bit of extra money, which is, of course, truly tragic. I always remind folks that it's easy to beat these parents up. But then when you see what they're dealing with, and often, many of them are in extreme poverty and have seven or eight other kids. As tragic as it is, you can start to see how how that really desperate road has taken.   Michael Hingson  08:24 And unfortunately, the child with the disability is the Well, I was gonna say the loser, but everyone loses in that kind of situation, because we don't realize the gifts that maybe that child with a disability really brings to the world or could bring to the world if given the opportunity. Absolutely, yes. And so then we have that challenge. And it happens worldwide. It happens all over and it and happens in this country, sometimes in a more subtle way. But it happens in this country as well that kids with disabilities, kids who are different are just not treated the same. They're not given the same opportunities. And there's a lot of disservice that somehow we need to address as well. Yes, yeah, absolutely. So you came back from that, and then what? Well, so keep   Keith Stump  09:19 in mind that was that was over a period of oh, about 15 years. And so we eventually landed here in the Central Valley, where I am now in Visalia, California. My wife also has family here. And so I have young children and we decided it's time to settle down. We were both traveling a lot specifically me. And I have had the opportunity now to be with Able Inc. Able is an organization that works specifically here in Tulare County and Visalia on behalf of individuals who have developmental disabilities specifically, and so we teach life skills, independent living money management, and then we also do job training and job plays. smell. And so it has been really amazing to be able to do this close to home as much as I love global work, I was certainly at a place in my life where my kids needed to see me more, I wanted to see them more. And being able to do essentially the same work. Like you said, some of the challenges are different. But it's, the challenges are still very real. There's plenty of taboos here to deal with as well. But being able to do it locally, and in my own community, my wife and I recently just bought a house, and we're really plugged in here. And looking to get more plugged in. That has been exciting because I've actually never had that opportunity. As much as I worked globally or on behalf of a state or, you know, nationally, on some level, I was always, I was always in a different place, right. So I would go in, I would see the same people for a couple of weeks, and then I would have to fly out. And now that I get to do this in my community and spend time with amazing individuals on a daily basis. It's been it's been a lot of fun. It's been very exciting as well,   Michael Hingson  10:56 how long is able been around as an organization.   Keith Stump  11:00 Able has been around since 62. And so we are getting ready this year, in fact, to celebrate our 66   Michael Hingson  11:07 years. And what is able stand for?   Keith Stump  11:10 Well, quite honestly, Able stands for for. And I'm gonna explain it this way because we recently rebranded and one of the coolest things with the rebrand is we use the word we used to be able industries incorporated. Now we just go by Able. And during the rebrand process, we ended up coming up with a new logo and all of that, but the word Able really came to the forefront. And our during that process, our designer came up with Able period, they put a period at the word eight after the word Able. And that was something that our board really grasp onto was this idea we are able period we are able there's finality there enough said we are able to be part of the community just like everybody else, and in many cases contribute sometimes more than everybody else. So it simply means Able, it simply means that we are about being in a community and we are here to be recognized. And we are able just like everybody else. So it's not an acronym it is able. Yeah, yeah, that's which is literally which Yeah, which is as good as it gets, right? Yes, yes.   Michael Hingson  12:13 So what exactly does Able do?   Keith Stump  12:16 There's essentially three programs that we have right now. And we essentially offer these programs to folks wherever they may be. So the first step in our program is again, life skills, independent living skills, money management, how to cook, that's more of a classroom setting. So that would be our first step. The second step is actual job training. And I know that many organizations like Able , sort of our industry as a whole has a reputation for sheltered workshops. Able does not have a sheltered workshop, when I say job training, we're not, we don't have people in a shop that are assembling pieces for production and kind of doing the same thing all day, we're actually out in the community. So we are very integrated. We have big contracts with our city parks with Best Buy a huge distribution center, we do a lot with craft, we've got a lot of local businesses and nonprofits that we partner with. And they, they give us opportunity to do on the site, job training, paid training. And then once a individual is ready once they've gone through that program. And our goal is to help them learn a job for about two years. And it's as you know, it's not just about learning the job, some individuals learn that job very quickly, I mean, much quicker than certainly I could if I was in their shoes, but there's some additional social skills that really need to be learned soft skills sometimes are the biggest challenge. So once someone completes the job training, they are eventually placed in a actual job. So community or I'm sorry, competitive, integrated employment, we do have a lot of acronyms. CCIE is where essentially somebody finishes the program, they're placed in a full time job. And we continue to provide case match case management, we provide additional insight, sometimes we have found and I'm sure you know this, but our community loves hiring our people. But there's some there's sometimes a little bit scared to do it. And that's okay. There's sometimes a little bit worried about how to manage somebody that may have a bad day that doesn't have all the soft skills. We've worked to train them in that but we all we all have off days. And so the case manager really is a mediator between the individual that is with us and the employer. And so we have very long standing relationships with employers in our community a and w is a great example. There's a gentleman here that owns four different franchises, and he has employed our folks for over 15 years now. One of one of our staff actually our one of our folks actually stayed with him for 10 years. And so everybody loved her everybody, you know would show up at a NW and they actually they absolutely love what we do because as you know, folks, in many cases that have have what we call developmental disabilities are some of the nicest people you're ever going to meet. And so once once they're plugged into a job, they're also very committed to it. So retention is good as well. So we have a lot to give back to our community. And that has been key as well as, as a nonprofit being able to say, we're not just asking, it's very easy to always want to be on the receiving end of things. But to say, actually, we have something to give back. And by the way, if you are a business who wants to employ our folks, you're going to, you're going to learn far more from them than then you will teach. And I feel that way personally, as well.   Michael Hingson  15:35 And the people who get hired, gets the same wages as everyone else, they get a competitive wage and so on. Of course, yes. Yeah. And I asked that because you mentioned sheltered workshops. And I don't know whether everyone in our listening audience is familiar with what sheltered workshops were in our and so on, can you maybe describe that a little bit?   Keith Stump  15:58 Yeah, and enable did have a sheltered workshop, pretty much every organization or in this industry, I think at one point they were they were very common, especially back in the 60s, when Able started, there was unfortunately, a lot of taboo and around stigma around people that had developmental disabilities. And there was this idea that these folks are not going to find jobs in the real world, for lack of a better word, they're going to struggle to be integrated. And so let's create a safe space for them where they can can work and often be paid Yes, less than minimum wage, they're paid by piece rate, or that's traditionally what happened, where they can work and be paid based on what they're producing. But unfortunately, many of those places ended up being It wasn't intentional. In many cases, I really think that people started out with the right intentions, it was a very different time. And again, Abel, Abel had a sheltered workshop as well. And I respect what had happened there. I had seen it. Part of what I did recently was what our team did recently was to move on. beyond that. So I think intentions were right, I certainly feel that way with APR. But unfortunately, in some cases, there was abuse. And you had folks that were, you know, essentially doing the same thing every day. And they were being paid less than minimum wage, they were being paid based on what they're being paid piece rate, which basically means they were being paid based on their productivity or what the organization or the state deemed productivity. The the crazy thing about that is, in recently, Trevor and Trevor Noah actually did a story on this when sheltered workshops were really brought to light in the last year, and the laws have changed. But none of us are 100%. productive, right? It's not, it's not reasonable to expect that every single day we go to work, we're going to be able to give 100% some days, we may get 5060, some days 120. But it really was a very, it was very unfair to the individuals who worked in those in those sheltered workshops, because as you can imagine, they're being held to a standard that really not everyone else is and it's not fair to look at a human being just based on what we consider productivity. And so I am very glad that the industry as a whole has moved beyond that. And although there's some challenges with that, I am, I have, you know, certainly enable has as well readily embrace those challenges. So it's it's fairly recent, it's fairly recent. And, again, it's exciting to see folks move beyond that, because I'll be transparent. I feel personally, I'm newer to ABL, but I feel personally that it should have happened quite a while ago, and that the industry as a whole should have should have moved beyond that a long time ago, and maybe it maybe it shouldn't have been, again, different time different place. I'm not going to comment on how it worked in the past. But certainly, it's one of those deals now that we know better, we can do better,   Michael Hingson  18:55 right? Well, the, of course, part of the issue was sheltered workshops. And I'm familiar with them as well from the blindness standpoint, because sometimes departments of rehabilitation and other forces would shunt blind people into sheltered workshops and other people with other so called disabilities, because the feeling was that we could not be productive. And the whole point of the workshop is that it began with the Javis Wagner eau de Act back in 1938, when the whole concept of workers rights and employment and work weeks, and so on, and minimum wage, and so on, were all created. And the idea was that the workshop was supposed to be a training place where people who might not have the same opportunities as others, and I think it was intended to be something with the with with the right attitude and the right intentions, but the intent was that the workshops would be a place where people could go to get trained, and then they would go out into the, to the workplace. But unfortunately, a number of the workshop people decided to take it further and there was also a minimum wage. As I recall, if you were put into a workshop, initially, you would get three quarters of the wage that others would get in competitive employment. And the whole idea was, it was a training facility. Yeah, but then workshop, people evolved it to lower the minimum wage to the point where eventually it got to be that there was no minimum. And, and people were being paid blind people, for example, 22 cents an hour to make brooms. And as you pointed out, there was the whole issue of the productivity, the peace, productivity rate, and they had some very bad standards for how they determined how competitive a person could be. So it was a very unfortunate thing. And it is something where most of the country is recognizing the value that Able did, of getting away from the workshop and going out into the regular community, because people can be competitively employed.   Keith Stump  21:11 And it's great for the community. I mean, again, I will tell you that I'm just gonna say it. But this idea and this stigma that was there in the past that we have to keep people safe, that we almost have to keep them locked away from the general population is truly tragic, because now that we're and we have been out and about for 20 years now. But now that we also have the site of our employment training, where we're out in the community and integrated, it is super exciting to see and to be part of something where folks could say, Hey, I recognize you from when you were in the parks, or you were at BestBuy or what have you, and, and again, our community really loves people and loves the people that we serve. So it truly would be tragic to keep them in a warehouse all day. I don't know how else to say that not only for their own sake, but because they have so much to give back.   Michael Hingson  22:00 Well, and I think in general, you will well, people would find that these people are brighter than you think. And they know absolutely. They know when they're being shunted away. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I was on the board of the Fort Worth Lighthouse for the Blind for nine years and just rotated off earlier this year. But the lighthouse for a while, had a sheltered shop. And not while I was on the board that had long gone away, I think back in 2004, was when the workshop was eliminated, because they discovered, rightly so that, in reality, people can work competitively. It's all about setting the stage. It's all about proper training. And I know of other agencies and so on that have gone the same way. Because the reality is, everyone has gifts, and what we need to do is to match the gifts to the job.   Keith Stump  23:00 Yes, absolutely. Now there are many, there are many things that I see our our folks do. And this is true for staff. This is true for trainees, I mean, we hire our trainees as well. And there are things that they're much better at than I am. So we learn together. Everybody has different skills. Now your job at Able is I'm the executive director. And so it's slowly being at the top, isn't it? It can be Yeah, it can be we have a phenomenal management team. But we are going through a lot of changes in organization, not only as our industry changing, which for me is exciting, because I'm not necessarily you know, the domestic industry is very different than the global I don't I have to be careful with that word industry. But the service that we provide is very different here than what I was able to do globally. So there's it's very exciting to have more resources. On the flip side, there's far more red tape. So so that has been that has been interesting. It's been a learning experience. But it's been very good. And again, our management team is very good. Very, very grateful for each of them. And we're in the process of moving as well. We rebranded a year ago. So Able is looking quite different. And our programs have changed a lot. And we have to move we have a new building, just in the last year. So   Michael Hingson  24:21 well tell us about the move. That's a that's an interesting thing. i You had mentioned it before. So why Why move what's what's happening?   Keith Stump  24:29 Yeah, so a couple things. So first of all, we want all of our campuses to be together. We have two campuses right now, our life skills program is on one campus, and then our other programs are here at the campus where I am. And so we want everybody to be together. We really want again, the whole program as a whole to be integrated as well. The other thing is that Able, the building that we're currently in did have a sheltered workshop. So obviously we don't need that anymore. And And then the third thing is with COVID. Like everybody else we found that we can do far more remotely. And actually, most of our jobs, obviously, the job. And I will say all of the jobs, actually all of our job training programs and the jobs that we actually provide to folks that we help place them into, unless we hire them personally, they're all off site. They're all remote, right? Because we're actually out in the community. So we don't need the space that we once did. The largest part of what we do is our Community Employment Services, crew, and they're hardly here, which is a good thing, because that means they're out working in the community. So so we didn't need the space. We we downsized to some extent, but because we, we are now consolidating both campuses into one, we're still in a good size building. It's about 37,000 square feet. But we didn't need the space that we did, we learned that we can be more efficient by being out there. And now moving forward, we can all we can all be together, we're still in the community, we only moved about a mile and a half north. And it's been exciting. We're renovating a brand new building. So good times.   Michael Hingson  26:05 So the the whole idea of being out in the community, of course, does a lot to educate people. Do you have some stories of just some great successes that you've had and how people who aren't normally associated with disabilities suddenly discovered that maybe things aren't as bad as they think?   Keith Stump  26:28 Yeah, I think so in terms of the community, and just building awareness. It happens almost every day, I will say that we are very lucky, very lucky. We recently hired a coordinator of public public relations and fundraising. His name is James and he and I are out in the community on a regular basis. And I will tell you that first and foremost, there's still a lot of stigma, stigma not around our folks, but around ABL and whether or not we are Are we one of those organizations that had a sheltered workshop. Just recently, actually, somebody said to both of us on the same day, two different individuals, oh, Able, you guys are the ones that lock people in the warehouses, and they can work and make money all day like, well, we're not locking anybody anywhere. We never did. But yes, there was that in the past. And so probably the biggest thing that I get to do again, on a daily basis alongside James is build awareness and tell stories about what's actually happening today. And then we get to take folks out in the community and introduce them to our, our people. And so I think practically a great example of that is we recently partnered with our local minor league baseball team in Visalia rawhide. And they have six interns, or they did during the season, the season ended a couple days ago, but they had six interns, that were part of Able, and for the most part, it went phenomenally well, they are looking to bring them on for future events, and then certainly hire them. And so that has that has been something really exciting to see is, is not just to partner with sort of our usuals, we really, really value those individuals that we've worked with those partners that we've had for years, but to be able to go out to community and to be part of what rawhides is doing not just as interns, not just as staff, because again, rawhides will hire our folks. But to also go out there and we had a we had a night that was just for ABL it was called free to be me night, we set up our booths, and we give things away every single Friday night home game. And so that's a practical example of not only a business embracing our people and interning them hiring them, but then also saying we love what Abel does, let's bring you went to the larger community and talk about what you're doing on a weekly basis. And there's two interns specifically that that work there they're six total, but two of them are really a delight. They're all awesome. So I want to I want to be careful about that. But these are the two the brothers and sister. They are a lot of fun. And I tell you, you see them walk around the park and do their job. And it's just exciting. It's also fun. I'm at the booth off, and we haven't able booth setup. They're kind of its standard now. And it's awesome. It's great having them come by and talk to folks and obviously our individuals, the people that have been through our program or or are in our program. They're the best representatives of of what we do. There are challenges, obviously, is to be expected, right? I think of the relationship we have with Best Buy a huge distribution center here. We've worked with them for years. And there are times that, you know, there's things that we need to we need to work out we need to improve, we need to help folks understand what it means to work a second or third shift. But these are all practical skills that we get to teach one individual Her name is Marley. She's been with our program for a very long time. And she's been at Best Buy I believe for over 10 years now and she is somebody who takes her job extremely seriously but is one of the most fun people you're ever going to meet. So there's certainly success stories and there's certainly stories of challenge The parks right now have been very difficult, because Visalia really has a challenge right now with transient folks. And so what does it mean for us to clean our local parks, when we also have an issue with, you know, engaging with folks that may be homeless or what have you. And unfortunately, that's not always safe. So that's something that we've really had to embrace is able and say, should we still be doing this, we've worked very closely with the city parks with the city of Visalia to, to make sure that people are safe. And it is a balancing act, because we want individuals to be out there in the real world, we want them to be seen. Our parks crews are probably easily the most recognizable because all of our trucks are branded, and people see them out there every day. And so again, we have really focused on just putting our people out there like everybody else, not of course, in an exploitive way, but saying, These are jobs that we can fulfill. And again, I'm very excited about the fact that we've been able to do that. I mean, honestly, our Community Employment Services crew is is really rising above and beyond, it's very exciting to see them build relationships, and not just with businesses, but local nonprofits. So we, we partner with Happy Trails, which is a organization here locally that does therapeutic riding, horse horseback riding, they've given so much to us over the years, we've given a lot to them, we essentially have the same clients. The source LGBT resource center is another organization that we work very closely with. There's a lot of crossover with the people they serve and the people we serve. And so building awareness around our people in the Partnerships has been really exciting. It's been very exciting to see Visalia or Tulare County as a whole really embrace us.   Michael Hingson  31:47 So what job does Marly do at BestBuy? She does a   Keith Stump  31:51 number of different jobs. But right now she is basically, she's still she drives a tug, I believe. And she's collecting cardboard and various various items like that and recycling them. But they rotate. Sometimes they're stalking sometimes they're driving the tug, sometimes they're cleaning. Sometimes I know in the past, we've had people on the line as well. So Best Buy is it's a distribution center. So there actually is an amazing place. Actually, that's where you go and you see these huge TVs and iPads. And so this is this is like Santa's workshop.   Michael Hingson  32:27 Yeah. boxes and boxes and boxes of all of that stuff, too. Yes, yes. And so that's the center. That's a distribution center then sends things to the local stores.   Keith Stump  32:37 Yeah, they cover the entire west coast. Yeah, they've been a great partner.   Michael Hingson  32:41 And so the the folks that work at the rawhides, what do they do?   Keith Stump  32:46 So they basically help. They help with some maintenance, they help with facilities, they help with cleanup, they also help with sales and that sort of thing as well. They've been out on the field they've they've helped to they don't maintain the landscape or anything like that. It's a pretty specialized deal, as I'm sure you know, but they've certainly been been out there helping with events, pre and post event type deals. So a lot of it is facilities.   Michael Hingson  33:13 Yeah. And do you think that they require, once they're on the job and trained, do you think they require a lot more supervision and a lot more work to maintain than the average worker? No, no,   Keith Stump  33:27 not at all. Unless, unless somebody again, and we all have a bad day. But if somebody, there's additional challenges, right? I mean, it's no secret if somebody has autism or something like that. And we certainly serve a number of clients that do and they wouldn't mind me saying this. Sometimes you just, there's some additional soft skills there that you need some additional help. The employer needs to understand that, you know, it's okay, take a break, step back. And then and then get back to it. But no, they definitely don't need additional help, in my opinion. I mean, I will say, and again, I love Able, we have an amazing crew. But like any organization, there's there's drama, and there's things you have to deal with on a daily basis. And I very strongly believe that it is consistent whether someone has a disability or not.   Michael Hingson  34:13 And that's the reason I asked the question, because the reality is once training takes place, and training may be a little different for some people as opposed to others, whether it's disabilities, we've been trying to train politicians for years, and that doesn't seem to be working. So there's another branch that you should start to recover politicians but but the reality is that that training is different for different people. And the best training processes are the ones that can accommodate whatever anyone needs. But the fact is that once a skill is learned, once a job is learned, people can go do it. And so we need to get rid of this whole fear of what disabilities are viewed as being thing in the world by most people as opposed to what they really are. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And it's up. And it's so unfortunate that we have such a hard time making that happen. And I was gonna ask you, but I think I think you've kind of explained it. The the differences between here and in doing this in other countries. From an attitudinal standpoint, do you think that it's much different here overall? Or do we still really face the same fears? And are we making much more progress here than elsewhere?   Keith Stump  35:36 That is a really good question. I think, I think there is less stigma, but it is almost more subtle here. You've already kind of said that almost in a passive aggressive way. Where it's, oh, yeah, we love we love those people. But no, no, they can't do that, can they? Right. Whereas in the other places I've worked, it might be more direct, somebody might actually not be passive aggressive, they may not be so subtle, however. And that's that is worse. I mean, I'm just going to be transparent. I have found that those stigmas, people will outright come and say you, you can't work here, because you have this disability, you won't, you won't find anybody here in the US say that, mostly for legal reasons. Although they certainly will let you know. And I'm talking locally, I'm sure this doesn't happen. But I have never run into that here where someone will outright say you can't be here because of these reasons. But they will will very subtly let you know, this is the reason that we can't accept folks. And so there's pros and cons to that sometimes it's easier dealing with folks that are just they're not gonna be passive aggressive, they're not subtle, they'll just tell you what you think. And that means that you can have that open dialogue, you can have a conversation, you can educate them. And I do think that globally, what I have found is that folks are much more open to being educated, they're open to the conversations. Whereas here, you can have the conversation. And you know how this goes, everybody kind of nods their heads, and you didn't get through? Yeah, you didn't get through and the person acts nice, they act, you know, they're very, they're passive aggressive, and, Oh, we love those people. You're not We love those people. But those people, again, we can't help you right now. Whereas globally, I have found that again, this the stigma may be worse the things they say out of their mouth, eight, maybe even worse, but there's sometimes more openness to, to backup. And when you when you challenge those individuals, they say, oh, geez, you're right, I was wrong. Whereas sometimes it's harder here to get people to admit they're wrong. There's a little bit more pride around that. So you know, there's, there's some things are easier, for sure. And there are more resources here. But some things are more challenging, because I think there's more pride. I don't know how else to say that. I think people are a little bit more. They don't want to admit that they have they have they they hold the stereotype or that they have these ideas. Whereas sometimes it's it's easier to get folks to admit that they're wrong in other places,   Michael Hingson  38:04 and there's also the profit aspect of it where people say, well, it's just going to impact our profits. And we're so tied into that, that we miss so many things. So you said something earlier that I thought was absolutely irrelevant, which is that when a lot of persons with disabilities get hired in various places, the odds are we're going to be on we usually are a lot more loyal. And we're going to stay there. Because we even though it may not be articulated as such, we know how hard it was to get that job in the first place.   Keith Stump  38:41 Yeah, yeah, that's true. Absolutely. I think there's also I don't know if at least with our, the individuals we serve, the loyalty is not just about how hard it was to get the job. You're absolutely right about that. But there's also a real love for that place for their community. I think, from what I have seen, and again, I'm just speaking from personal experience. Now. There's, I think sometimes folks that have disabilities develop developmental disabilities, in my case, maybe they value community more, maybe they want to feel plugged in more than some of the other individuals we serve. I know it is very easy, especially in our culture to have a I'm a I'm a solo guy, right? It's you want to be independent, you want to do your own thing. And, and obviously, sometimes that can be to the detriment of folks of myself of us. And so I do find that the folks we serve, really they want to be plugged in more they want that community and that does play into how long they choose to stay at a space a place if if the job is going well. There's really no no reason for them to leave. They're not interested in that.   Michael Hingson  39:49 That all gets back to the proper training the proper fit and understanding and some potential employees may not be able to RTK like that or understand it. But you know whether you have a disability or not, that could still be the case. And so we all can use assistance and help from others. And there's a lot of value in community. And I think we miss it way too often, oh, I can do that. I don't need any help. And, and sometimes we don't need help. And the other side of that is that people need to recognize that they shouldn't just assume that we need help those people don't need help. It's always or should be okay to ask, but don't assume. Yes, yeah. Good point. And we we encounter that a lot. Well, what is the whole world of working in the nonprofit sector and so on, done for you personally, it's obviously had to have a lot of personal effect on you, and family, and so on.   Keith Stump  40:50 Yeah, it's taught me a lot. It's allowed me to learn so much about people that I, I love them, far more than I think, over the process of time. It really puts me in a space where I love people, I really care about people. And the more that I learn about people, whether it's the folks that I serve now or globally, whether it's, you know, internationally, local, doesn't matter, people are people. That's the number one thing that I've learned is, there's really not that much of a difference between somebody in Ethiopia versus here in California, there's not much of a difference between somebody that has a disability for somebody that apparently doesn't, although I will say I, you know, I'm actually I'm very transparent parent, to be honest with you about some of my own struggles, mental health, as I like many of us, you know, I feel that that is a certainly as a disability just as much as physical or developmental and so we all have something to struggle with, I certainly have my struggles. I know that our clients do our staff to the people I've worked with around the world doesn't really matter. At the end of the day, we're all human, we all have our struggles. And I love what you often say about folks that I'm going to butcher the language you use, but folks that can see in there, they're basically limited by sight, right? Correct me on how you you word that. But I've listened to quite a number of your podcast and presentations. And I love that because it is very true. We each we each have something to deal with. We each have pros and cons, and we're all human, there really is no difference on many levels. And so I guess what I've learned through the Global work and through all the nonprofit work is that I get to see that every single day, there really should not be any such thing as stigma, because or we should all just admit we all have our own stigmas. We all have our own taboos, right. And so yeah, it's given me a real love of people want to continue to serve, it can be exhausting. I mean, it can be, as you know, I mean, mentally, you really do have to create space so that when needed, you have your personal time, and then you're at work. And that can be tough. When you're dealing with people, it can be tough with any job, but it can be I do personally take all of this very seriously, I know that we're dealing with people's lives. And in many cases, with the global work, I actually have been in settings where it was life or death. If you don't mind, I'm gonna share a quick story of this and how, how it impacts my work today. So when I was in Ethiopia, I worked with a family preservation program. And there was a child there in America, who had pretty severe autism and his mother, he was with a single mother. And that was really, she was really the only real relationship in his life, we worked hard to try to create other relationships and other spaces for him. But his mother tragically passed away, we did not know she didn't let us know that she had HIV. And she passed away. And all of a sudden, we were left with a child who had pretty severe developmental disabilities and really did not have any other relationships. And although we were able to, in many cases, help families provide and support their children with disabilities, it was still a real challenge in Ethiopia to move a child with disabilities into a foster or adoptive home. That is that is a real challenge. And so we were tragically not able to find a home for Bereket. And he went into an orphanage it was it was we hope to temporary, but he refused to eat. He did not have any other relationships in his life besides us. Obviously, he lost his mother completely unexpectedly. And he passed away within 30 days. And that was still to this day. So you know, still one of the toughest situations I've ever had was to have somebody die essentially on my watch. We weren't able to provide him with with the needs that he he really had to have met. And so that continues to impact me when I think about the resources we have here when I think about how important it is to build awareness and move past stigma to move past these taboos, because in his case, it is very tragic. But he was not able to get the help because we weren't able to find somebody to care for him because those stigmas existed. And like I said, there's things that are better globally. And there's things that are more challenging globally. And that was something that I have to say, if it would have been here in the US, we would have had the resources, I think, to certainly keep him alive and find him a temporary solution. And so when I'm here locally, or I'm not working in those life and death situations anymore, I have to constantly remind my staff sometimes that when we have a really tough day, it's not life and death, we are dealing with people's life. That's true. But because we have resources, and because we have a community that really supports us, I know that we would not have a Berikut situation here in Visalia. Now, that may happen in other places in the US, but we do have a very supportive community. And so that is, again, obviously something that has had a huge impact. And that happened. Several times several cases, it's very difficult finding help for folks. And so   Keith Stump  46:18 that really gave me continues to give me a passion to advocate for folks. And also, I think it's so important that here locally here in the US, we don't take for granted the resources that we have, we don't take for granted the progress that we have made. Right. And although like I said, there's things that are sometimes easier in other countries, there's also there's also challenges. And here we have the ability, we have resources, and we can help. Fortunately, we live in a community, we live in a state at least that is supportive, and there's a long ways to go. But being reminded of that, you know, to me, I feel very lucky that I am in a place that I know that would not happen again. Other things may happen, people may fall through the cracks, or maybe, maybe we can't find somebody a job, but I am grateful that we can at least temporarily keep them safe and provide for their life needs. And, of course, COVID COVID made that scary, because as I'm sure you know, we did lose people. And, you know, it's kind of put back into that place. Again, I got out of the global work for about five years and went Oh, wow, you know, I'm here at Able, and we lost, we lost five people initially, that that did get COVID and passed away. And so it's always, you know, it's just there's a real sense of brevity, I guess. And life is so short. And it's a privilege to be able to help people in a little time that we have   Michael Hingson  47:40 to you sometimes have challenges dealing with the families of persons with disabilities in terms of getting them to let go and let people grow and expand a little bit.   Keith Stump  47:52 Yeah, and this is true. I mean, certainly here locally in Tulare, but it's true globally as well. Yeah, it's I want to be careful how much I say about that, because our families and caregivers are really phenomenal human beings. But yes, it is a probably one of our greatest challenges. And certainly I'm not going to talk specifics around that. But no, there are. There's there is an idea. And some of this is generational. Some of it is just maybe how an individual grew up in the community. But again, I often hear folks refer to our clients as kids. Let's see what we can do for those kids. You know, many of them are, are older than me or have retired, they're in their 60s 70s. And even if they're in their 20s, they're not kids, they're adults. And so that is an issue. And often the people that refer to them that way are their parents or caregivers. And there is, as you already know, and as you've alluded to there, there is a challenge sometimes to help those individuals understand that if we're truly going to be integrated. We need people to be out in the community and that actually the community is safe again, that's not something that people sometimes have the luxury of in other countries it can go either way and this story I just shared with bear cat it wasn't a safe community. And part that's why actually his mom felt she couldn't reveal that she had HIV and get help in the first place. But here in Tulare County, we do live in a safe community and helping folks understand that it is okay to be out there and actually it's it's it's better for everybody not just the person that has the disability but maybe even more so for our community as a whole. Well, there   Michael Hingson  49:29 there are a lot of challenges and unfortunately families oftentimes shelter their loved ones. We I've seen it a lot with blind with blind people or in people who are losing their eyesight and the rest of the family doesn't really want to deal with it. They they just don't recognize that it isn't the end of the world. As I like to say people talk about the road Less Traveled you know all having a any kind of a disability and you're right, I've referred to people with eyesight is light dependent, which is really the whole issue that you rely on light in order to function. But all of us traveled down different lanes in the same road or on the same road. And there's nothing wrong with that. And we, we really do need to recognize that it's not the end of the world, just because someone acquires a difference that they didn't have, we need to train them, we need to make sure they get the training, and that the people around them get the appropriate training, a lot of times attitudinally, but we need to get that training in order to be able to allow people to grow and continue to thrive and be in the world. Absolutely. And it makes sense to, you know, to do that. So it is a it is a challenge. And it's something that we all have to deal with. Yes. So I can't resist Of course, how did you come to discover accessibe   Keith Stump  50:59 I came to. So we were basically looking for we with the rebrand, we did redid our website, and I wanted to find something that would make it of course, accessible, but not just accessible, but the most accessible possible. And so when I just started doing some searching, and excessively popped up, and that's how I personally found it, and then obviously, through through connecting from there, and it's been I will tell you, it's been really awesome, because not only have our clients in our community benefited from just being able to go to our website, but also I've been able to share excessively with within our coalition's with with our other nonprofit and business partners, and they've started to plug into that as well. And so I have to be honest, every time I show off accessibe, people, they want to give APR credit. So I keep reminding them like oh, this is a free service we've received. But it's so cool that folks, you know, our community at least just feels like it's, you know, mind blowing, and it kind of is on one side, I feel like that's a little bit sad, because I think these resources should have been the norm much longer than that. But I'm happy at least locally to be able to kind of lead the charge on that. And, again, it's it's been very, very good for us and very fun to show off.   Michael Hingson  52:24 Well. The interesting thing about SSP and technologies in general, when when people talk about and I hear it, well you have to use this sensor to to tell light, I don't have to do that. Or you have to have these special tools to make websites accessible. And I don't. The problem is that the reality is, as we talked about a minute ago, yeah, you do have to use tools, and you have to have the light bulb in order to get light at night or we all have different tools that we use, we just don't think about it. And the biggest problem I think, for us, from a technological standpoint, us who happened to have so called disabilities, let's say blind people. But others as well, is that although the technology got developed a lot quicker for people with eyesight, or for people who walk or for people who don't have Dilip Velop, mental disabilities, the reality is we're evolving the technology that allows us to have a lot of the same access that everyone else has. And if attitudes had been different, perhaps that technology would have been developed right alongside of, of the technologies that were developed for so called persons without disabilities. But that's not the way it worked out. It doesn't make us less, it does, in part, create an indictment on the people who weren't inclusive right from the outset. Absolutely. And so that's something that we of course, have to deal with.   Keith Stump  54:00 Yeah, very, but I agree. But so far, it's been very exciting for us. And it was, it was perfect timing because of the new website and the rebrand. So it's been good. I'm very grateful. Thank you.   Michael Hingson  54:14 Well, and, you know, it's an exciting time from a standpoint of technology and everything else, because inroads are being made. I think the biggest challenges that anyone with a disability faces are still attitudes, the technologies are becoming more and more available, and other things are becoming more available, but it still boils down to ultimately attitude that has to be addressed in order to make sure that we all truly get the same opportunities. Yeah, yeah, very much agree. And you're making a big difference in that just by virtue of what you're doing, which is really pretty cool. And it's exciting to see the various things that You know that ABL is doing and that you're doing personally? What what kinds of things are coming up for you and Able, what, what's the future gonna hold?   Keith Stump  55:09 Well, we are near end of year. So of course, for any nonprofit, we are really pushing for our typical, you know, our giving campaigns or donations with the move, we're doing a VIP sort of invite only open house December 2, and then once we finally finish everything, then we'll do a big open house in the spring so that the move really is a really big deal. So trying to get past that. It's both exciting and certainly daunting. But that's what's coming up in the next six months in terms of our programs, we've actually worked with our local regional center to really four reformat almost all of our programs at this point so that they are more person centered so that we can spend more time with our clients one on one, getting the funding for around that has been a challenge. I mean, that's probably been the better part of eight months trying to finalize what our new programs are going to look like. And we are we're very excited, I think with the passing of SB 639, which is the minimum wage law, we very much embrace that. And as you've already asked folks that are placed in employment, of course, get that we're looking to move all of our training we do. So our training programs, which are temporarily temporary, temporary, sorry, our are still almost like an internship. So we're looking to offer minimum wage and those programs as well. So there's a lot of changes that are coming for, certainly for any nonprofit, I mean, it's always a balancing act, my desire and our desire is to provide the best service possible. And then also looking at how you do that when you don't have a lot of money. And thankfully, the state recently passed some bills that have helped with that. But it's a challenge. I mean, I'm not it never really ends, because there's so many people that need to be served. And there's only amount of limited resources again, we're lucky, we're lucky that we live in a state that has resources, I've certainly worked without them. But it's challenging. So but it's exciting. It's there's so much change right now that I personally love change. And I sort of I accept chaos, I like it. And part of that is maybe I'll to global travel and all that. And that can be very challenging, obviously for some staff, some enjoy it. But being able to lean into that and say changes exciting. Let's let's go there, I'm also kind of unlucky and lucky. And I gave Able credit. Because when I was hired, you know, my background is in nonprofit work in the nonprofit world as a whole. So I have a lot of experience in development and leadership. But working here domestically, on behalf of individuals that have developmental disabilities, there's a new for me. So there's advantages to that, because I get to go into these places. I have a lot of coalition meetings and such where it's like, well, we can't do that. That's the way it's, you know, it's always been done this way. And I'm like, why? I don't know the difference. This seems much better to me, let's do that. So I have that advantage where I've not really stuck on a certain way of doing things, which, in the midst of a time that has really been full of change. That's obviously a positive on the flip side. You know, I certainly have a lot to learn about program and policy because even though I'm good at dealing with people, those the red tape side of things did not exist, to the extent that it does here when I was working globally. So it's an exciting time. For me, for me personally, it's very exciting. I hope my staff can say the same, because so much has changed. But most of them have been very good about embracing it. And and I think we all recognize that good things are to come. But there's certainly some challenges ahead as well.   Michael Hingson  58:46 Yeah, but we can cope. And we can help. We all have broad shoulders. You mentioned the regional centers, my wife was the chair of the board of the Orange County Regional Center for a while. So we're very familiar with, with that program and the whole case management process that they bring in the fact that through them, a lot of funding is available. And you're right, California is a state that has so many resources and is willing to, for the most part share them which is really pretty cool. Absolutely. Well, I want to thank you for being here. You've been here for a whole hour and it's been a lot of fun. And I I've learned a lot and always get inspired when I get to hear stories sometimes even when the sad ones are, are told they're still stories that help teach us and so I hope that that everyone listening is has enjoyed it and we certainly appreciate you taking the time to be here because you've obviously got lots to do but we really appreciate you coming and being a part of this today.   Keith Stump  59:46 Yeah, no, thank you so much. I love it. I'm always glad to do these sorts of things. And I if you don't mind, I'm gonna tell you one more story I love Sure. And this is this is a this is a light one. So we love stories. So one of the reasons I love work In here at Able, and I will say with the folks that we work with is that when I literally the first week that I started, obviously, folks were a little bit shy, right? I'm a new executive director, and I very much have an open door policy. And I kept trying to remind folks of that, but it took, you know, a good six months for them to take me seriously. But the very first week, a gentleman that works for us by the name of David, who had gone through our programs, and he's been here for a long time, he literally walks into my office when everybody else has been shy. And again, this is somebody that has been through our program. And you know, certainly we've, we've served and we've now hired, he walks in, he doesn't he doesn't tell me his name. He doesn't ask me what my name is. I'm not even sure he knows who I am. And he just walks in, he says, Hey, hav

Top stories-There are just 22 days until the midterm elections... and there's a lot at stake, specifically, control of congress.-This morning -- former vice president Mike Pence will be in the Central Valley to campaign for republican David Valadao.-the woman accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend could be called to testify in her own trial.

https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/highlights-from-the-comments-on-the-3b1 Original post: Why Is The Central Valley So Bad?   1: Several Valley residents commented with their perspectives. Some were pretty grim. For example, 21st Century Salonniere (writes The 21st Century Salon) writes: It is horrible. It's been horrible since at least 1996 when I got trapped here by my spouse's job. We were going to stay two years tops and go back East. (Long boring story about what went wrong.) The only things you could say for it back then were “Well, the produce is good” and “Houses are affordable, sort of.” Now the house prices in our neighborhood have doubled in the 4 years since we bought this home, and there's no way we could now, if we moved here today, ever buy a home in this hellhole. Who on earth is coming here and why? > “the problem is more that everyone in the Central Valley wants to leave.” Yes. Every interesting or smart critical thinker I've ever met here, everyone who gives even the slightest shit about museums and theatre and music and culture (with the exception of a few people who were born and raised here, so “it's home”) has been desperate to leave. I've met a lot of nice people here over the years. They become close friends and they always leave the state. I'm counting down till I can leave too. […]  

Authorities in Stockton continue to search for a serial killer. Though no motive is known, 7 shootings have been linked by ballistic evidence in the Central Valley city. 5 of the 7 victims were Latino men. The California Report talks with Luis Magaña of Lucha Migrante about how the murders have affected the community. After local news and weather, Felton Pruitt chats with Yonder Mountain String Band's Ben Kaufmann. 

An EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Valerie Saucedo/coordinator of the Central Valley Veterans Day Parade - centralvalleycdp.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Battle of the High School Marching Bands! Y'D Awake features a Friday Night Lights matchup each week, and YOU get to vote for your favorite team! Then we highlight the marching band by playing the winning team's fight song! The winner of the week 6 matchup of Ambridge vs. Central Valley was the Central Valley Warriors! 

On this weeks episode we celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day by talking about the Yokut tribe which inhabited the Central Valley before European colonization. We inform you about the serial killer that has been stalking Stockton, CA. We support our local music scene by blasting MC Wicks latest project "Vivid Visions." We talk Bulldog football as they have a home game vs. San Jose State on Saturday October 15th. Also we support our Central Valley Fuego as they finish their season on the road vs. Union Omaha also this Saturday. Make sure to support all your local businesses, artists, and podcasts. Have a blazin' week! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theblazepodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theblazepodcast/support

In today's episode of the “Helping Families Be Happy” podcast, host Christopher Robins, Co-founder of Familius publishing, husband, father of nine, author, fisherman, backpacker, and aspirational musician based in the Central Valley of California talks with guest Ashley Marie Mireles, the Director of Sales and Marketing at Familius Publishing, working to help families be happy through the books she writes, and sells. They are discussing Hispanic Heritage Month.   Episode Highlights 01:56 – Christopher enquires about Hispanic Heritage Month and why it exists. 03:32 – Ashley says, it is called Hispanic Heritage Month, but it is 30 days from September 15 to October 15. 05:56 – The goal is to make the language more inclusive. So, in these spaces, they will use an ‘e' instead of an ‘o' or an ‘a' when they want to be more inclusive, says Ashley. 07:41 – Ashley gives a couple of examples of those of Hispanic descent who have contributed to the nation. 09:10 – With this theme, they are aiming to be focused on the people who have made a difference in the US community and are going to make a difference in the future from Hispanic backgrounds, mentions Ashley. 11:22 - If you are somebody who is a part of the Hispanic Heritage just learn about your own family or your ancestors, states Ashley. 13:30 – Ashley mentions her book “Proud to be Latino”. 15:03 - Appropriation happens when one is characterizing a culture or using things that are sacred to the culture as an aesthetic rather than appreciating it for what it is, says Ashley. 16:50 – Ashley recommends some Familius titles that can help us celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Three Key Points Ashely shares that Hispanic Heritage Month is started as a national week observance. So, it was then Hispanic Heritage Week, which was started by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. There was a lot of talk in Congress about making this a month-long celebration, and it was officially turned into a month-long celebration in 1988 under the Reagan administration. It goes from September 15 to October 15, it is originally with a weekly observance that started on the 15th which is national Independence Day to a lot of Latin American countries. The goal was to celebrate the Hispanic Heritage in the US and all the contributions that people from Hispanic culture have made to our country. So, now it is a month-long celebration and they pick a theme every year, there are a lot of different celebrations that the national government will put together as well as other organizations. Ashely says, this year's theme is Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation. The theme this year also aims to teach people how to be more inclusive with each other, not just within the community, but also outside of it. It focuses on the melting pot aspect of the United States and shows how people of Hispanic Descent have made important contributions to the US. Ashley highlights that the biggest thing to remember when you are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month or any of these Heritage-themed months is to do your research to find out the history and the intention behind it and ensure that you are celebrating not appropriating.   Tweetable Quotes “It's called Hispanic Heritage Month because they are focused on celebrating folks from Spanish-speaking Heritage.” - Ashley Marie Mireles “If you're not somebody who is of Hispanic Heritage, learn about it.” - Ashley Marie Mireles “If you're not of Hispanic descent, it's easy to assume that somebody of Hispanic culture is going to be exactly like somebody else.” - Ashley Marie Mireles “It's important for people to remember and not just kind of paint everyone with the same brush.” - Ashley Marie Mireles “Appreciation goes into knowing what you're truly celebrating.” - Ashley Marie Mireles “Remember that there's somebody from Cuba is going to have a very different culture and practices than somebody who is from Mexico.” - Ashley Marie Mireles Resources Mentioned Helping Families be Happy Podcast  Apple Ashley Marie Mireles: Instagram LinkedIn FamilySearch.org Podcast Editing

In this episode I am joined by Jose Cruz. Jose has another podcast that's located right here in the Central Valley called Still Here Podcast. In this episode Jose and I catch up, talk about why he started his podcast, where he's taking it, and just bro out with some great conversation. My musical performance this week is a performance by a very talented dude named Brian Cade where he performs 2 songs. 

Unit Administrator Robin Iszler shares information regarding breast cancer in North Dakota and Stutsman County. Central Valley works to raise awareness about the importance of screenings and work with Women's Way to remove barriers to needed care.

Dan Payne, Valerie Salcedo and Bryan Doody of the Central Valley Veterans Day Parade join us with all of the details on this year's festivities. Fresno Co. is looking for paid election workers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Payne, Valerie Salcedo and Bryan Doody of the Central Valley Veterans Day Parade join us with all of the details on this year's festivities. Fresno Co. is looking for paid election workers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Visit our sponsor: https://www.sound.ag/ Seal the Seasons: https://sealtheseasons.com/ The Business of Food Newsletter: https://jenniferbarney.substack.com/ Today's episode features Alex Piasecki, co-founder and COO of Seal the Seasons, a retail consumer brand of packaged frozen fruit and vegetables. Seal The Seasons is aptly named as its mission is to bring locally grown produce to your grocery store 12 months a year. They do this by sourcing high quality fruit and vegetable varieties from local growers and leveraging grower hubs for processing, packaging and distribution within the local region. It's a different model than the bigger frozen companies where some of the competition is sourcing from outside the US. The business idea started at the Farmers Market in North Carolina where as a college student Alex's partner and Seal the Seasons founder Patrick Mateer, was working for a non-profit that donated unsold produce to the local community. When there would be excess produce either because of a rainstorm or by not selling out, the vendors would be stuck with all this produce so the idea of freezing for distribution year around came about. So, these college students got together to form a business case, and won an entrepreneurship award at UNC and then launched the business in 2016. Since then a lot has happened. Today, Seal the Seasons operates in 6 regional markets across the country and offers a way for local growers to diversify their customer base. We get into what types of produce Seal the Seasons sources, what they look for in grower-partners they work with, and the goal behind the operation which is to rebuild connections among American consumers and the growers that feed them. This story was put together by my guest co-host for today's episode, Jennifer Barney. Jennifer is back after she first co-hosted with me for the episode we did in August where she featured Teffola. To refresh your memory, Jennifer is a consumer-packaged goods (CPG) expert. She lives in the Central Valley of California and got her start in the food industry 16 years ago when she founded the almond butter brand Barney Butter. She successfully grew the brand to nationwide retail distribution and then sold the company. After exiting Barney Butter, Jennifer has since become an advisor and consultant to startups and ag leaders who want to get closer to the consumer with their own brands and innovations. She writes an email newsletter that I recommend called The Business of Food where she shares food industry knowledge including business modeling, growth tips, and what to focus on at the early stages of business. You can subscribe to that for free at jenniferbarney.substack.com.

Dozens of homes and more than 150 businesses may be displaced if the state goes ahead with plans to build two segment's of the high speed rail project in the Bay Area. Officials approved initial plans for the segments one of which would run from the Central Valley to San Jose and a second continuing to San Francisco earlier this year. Fore more, KCBS Radio Anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with Insider Phil Matier.

Trending Topics at 5 o'clock. Playing with podcast numbers. Netflix Dahmer documentary and serial killer ties to the Central Valley. Lizzo plays Madison's 200-year-old crystal flute.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wrapping up the last episode in September is none other than Dean Rogers of the Home Helpers Group. Dean is an ex-San Diego Chargers tight-end/running back and has spent his years after exiting the NFL building one of the Central Valley's most well-known investment companies. Back in Season 2 Episode 5, we hosted Dean virtually on the podcast to talk about the best income-generating activities to skyrocket your business. On today's episode, we are especially excited to host him in-person in the studio to focus on all things investing, wholesaling, and networking. Dean also shares how the Home Helpers Group thrives on helping other investors, new or experienced, disposition their deals through their Friends with Benefits Program. To connect with Dean and the rest of the Home Helpers Group, or to take advantage of their Friends with Benefits program, you can find them on Instagram @homehelpersgroup

Daniel Bays is a sixth-generation California farmer who also happens to be a former California State FFA Officer. In today's episode, Bays shares about his farming operation, how the FFA has impacted his career and life, and why decades after wearing the blue jacket himself, he's still passionately supporting the organization. We'll also hear from Katie Otto of the California FFA Foundation and Rebecca Bailey at the Almond Board of California (ABC) about how the almond industry is supporting tomorrow's leaders. “The regulations that we deal with on a daily basis, that voting base needs to have an appreciation and understanding for what it takes to get food on the table. I think programs like FFA are one of our best opportunities to help with that educational process.” - Daniel Bays Bays is one of many in the almond industry whose lives have been positively impacted by the California FFA Association. Once known as the Future Farmers of America, the youth leadership organization is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of high school students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Through ABC and the Almond Leadership Program, the almond industry is the largest source of annual donations to California FFA academic scholarships. In Today's episode: Meet Daniel Bays, sixth generation farmer from Patterson, California. Explore Daniel's journey from growing up on a farm to running an operation Discover the value participating in the FFA provided him, both expected and unexpected Celebrate the support the almond industry is able to provide to the California FFA Foundation To donate an item for the silent auction at The Almond Conference 2022 (TAC) that supports the FFA, fill out the form here. The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

The latest on California's Reparations Task Force. Valley Vision hosts its inaugural Livability Summit at Sac State. Central Valley native Aaron Judge with the NY Yankees inches closer to breaking a Major League homerun record.  California's reparations task force

In today's episode of the “Helping Families Be Happy” podcast, host Christopher Robins, Co-founder of Familius Publishing (A Husband, Father, Author, Fisherman, Backpacker, and Aspirational Musician based in the Central Valley of California) talks with guest John Schlimm, Harvard Trained Educator, Artist, Advocates, International Award-Winning Author about what would Gen Z do, and what we can learn from this magnificent and inspiring Generation?   Episode Highlights 01:17 – Christopher introduces John and shares about his work toward Gen Z. John is an author of Children's Picture Book (The Star jumped over the moon) and the upcoming (What Would Gen Z Do?) 03:00 – Christopher enquires from John about who is it that defines or decides that certain years become a certain type of generation, and what that even means. 05:05 – John discusses the stereotypes about Gen Z. 07:22 – John reveals that what he has learned from Gen Z is to always be the first one to initiate conversation. Oftentimes we as Non-Gen Z adults have to take that first step and ask the first question, initiate that conversation. 09:40 – John recognizes how open and courageous Gen Z was, unlike any other generation to be sharing their mental health challenges and struggles. 11:50 – Although Gen Zs are open and courageous and tell us anything we want to know about their mental health or their thoughts on it. But as a generation, they do have the highest suicide rate in history, states John. 13:09 - There's a lot more learning and understanding that we need to address, states Christopher. 15:10 – John shares that Gen Z has taught him about gaming and gamers, this stereotype that they have had since the PacMan days of the lazy kid sitting in a dark basement maybe someone even in their 20s and 30s sitting in mom and dad's basement just playing video games all day letting their brain and life waste away is not accurate. 17:18 – Christopher says, there's so much to embrace about new generations and their innovation.  19:17 – John has started encouraging Gen Zs to put a section on their resumes, if they're active gamers, especially if they are in competition and are winning competitions. 21: 40 – John encourages Non-Gen Z adults to ask Gen Zs about their tattoos. 23:00 – What needs to happen with education, discusses John. 27:10 - If we don't deliver then as educators, Gen Zers are already turning to YouTube and other sources to teach themselves, mentions John. 29:00 – One of the funniest parts about Gen Z and certainly something unexpected was when they started telling him how much they love the 1980s culture of movies, music, fashion, etc. 30:28 - It is nice of a stereotype as it is because they're looking at us through the lens of the music, movies, big hair, fashion, and the neon, says John. 33:49 – Christopher asks John that every chapter in his book ends with two questions, one for the reader to ask themselves and one for the reader to ask Gen Zers. He asks, why it was important to him to do that for every chapter. 35:15 - This book in many ways is for parents, teachers, employers, and people who are working with this wonderful generation on an everyday basis, says Christopher. 37:00 – John gives an example of an activity that is helpful for us to engage in with Gen Z and Y. Three Key Points John says his number one piece of advice when it comes to Gen Z is if we want to know something, just ask them. One of the ad-raps that Gen Z give is that they seem so quiet and introspect or introverted and that's when they come off as being maybe a little bit aloof or rude in social settings. So, what he has learned after talking to 1000s of Gen Zers now across the country is that it's not that they don't have anything to say, but again, and again, they tell him that many of them have social anxiety. John says - the more skill-based we can make every facet of education, it's better. Especially for Gen Z as they want to learn skills. So, the traditional model of lecture, homework, test, and repeat, just doesn't cut it for them anymore. That's not to say that we have to do away with that model completely. There is still a place where lecturers are needed. Homework for sure is needed but if we as academic culture, and academic society, those of us who are in the academic world can take a look at every class we teach, and transition as much of it as possible to be in a skill-based model that's going to better serve our students and give them what they need. John explains the reason for having two questions in every chapter of his book. He wanted this to be interactive on different levels, not only as a way for the reader to get to know Gen Zers better, but he also in that process wanted the reader to get to know themselves a little better and to check in with themselves and ask themselves the questions about how do I perceive my mental health? So, it became a great opportunity with those two questions at the end of each chapter for the reader to check in with themselves about the topic at hand, but also then to ask Gen Zers because again, he's all about facilitating better communication between Gen Zers, and the rest of the world. So, he thought that those two questions allowed that to happen and gave some guidance and even sort of permission to the reader to engage in a better line of communication with themselves and with Gen Z.   Tweetable Quotes “The age range of Gen Z years is 10 to 25.” – John Schlimm “Mental health part of Gen Z is what initially drew me to these young people.” - John Schlimm “They've pulled me more into the realm of mental health advocacy.” - John Schlimm “I went to the source rather than trying to make up answers in my head or rely on stereotypes.” - John Schlimm “But for Generation Z, first of all, gaming has become a bona fide sport.” - John Schlimm “The US military are now actively recruiting gamers to come work for them.” - John Schlimm “One of the things I learned early on from Gen Z as well as they are taking the art of the attack to a whole new level of sentiment and storytelling.” - John Schlimm “As an artist and a storyteller, I'm fascinated by tattoos.” - John Schlimm “It's all about at the end of the day having fun and connection.” - John Schlimm Resources Mentioned Helping Families be Happy Podcast Apple John Schlimm: Website Podcast Editing  

California's Central Valley is approximately 65% Hispanic, but the Valley's physician population doesn't reflect that. How do we help bridge that gap?  Dr. Michael Galvez shares his story of becoming a physician, and joins Dr. Jolie Limon and  Dr. Nicole Webb to discuss why diversity, equity and inclusion is so important in medicine.   

https://www.playinschool.com/crain

On today's show we have a very special guest, El Tecolote founder Juan Honzales. It was such a pleasure talking to the legend himself and fun to learn more about his life growing up in the Central Valley, his very early start in journalism, and what it takes to create a newspaper that has fifty plus years of experience when it comes to informing our community.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom tore into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday, calling him a "bully," and said he is more worried about Fox News host Tucker Carlson than former President Donald Trump. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills related to undocumented residents last week that includes approval of state identification for migrants in the state. GAR Bennett challenged the Central Valley on Friday to give hope to families and children struggling with hunger. They responded to the challenge with overwhelming support. The ninth annual Feeding Families Fund Drive raised over $656,000 to help fuel Central California Food Bank'scomprehensive feeding programs. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged that Russian soldiers who surrender will be treated in a “civilized manner,” comments made just hours after ​President Vladimir Putin signed a decree ramping up penalties for Russians who desert or refuse commands to fight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the eighth episode of the 2022 Election Season - David Cushman, President of the Central Valley Impact Republicans joins the show to talk elections spanning California's Central Valley and the impact they will have the 2022 mid-terms. In the "The Grunt's Perspective" segment this week Josh has some questions regarding the robbery of two firearms at a California Congresswoman's home, and as always, your questions answered in the 3-Pointer segment.

https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/why-is-the-central-valley-so-bad I. Here's a topographic map of California (source): You might notice it has a big valley in the center. This is called “The Central Valley”. Sometimes it also gets called the San Joaquin Valley in the south, or the the Sacramento Valley in the north. The Central Valley is mostly farms - a little piece of the Midwest in the middle of California. If the Midwest is flyover country, the Central Valley is drive-through country, with most Californians experiencing it only on their way between LA and SF. Most, myself included, drive through as fast as possible. With a few provisional exceptions - Sacramento, Davis, some areas further north - the Central Valley is terrible. It's not just the temperatures, which can reach 110°F (43°C) in the summer. Or the air pollution, which by all accounts is at crisis level. Or the smell, which I assume is fertilizer or cattle-related. It's the cities and people and the whole situation. A short drive through is enough to notice poverty, decay, and homeless camps worse even than the rest of California.

On this episode of They Walk Among America… Chowchilla was a rural town in Madera County, California. In 1976 the population of the farming community was around 5,000, spread across sprawling acres of land. Most of those living in Chowchilla had been born and raised there, in the Central Valley. The isolated countryside didn't provide much for kids to do during the summer months, so many enrolled in summer school. Dairyland Elementary had been assigned as the location for classes in the summer of 76 and over 125 children signed up to attend. 26 of those pupils would become victims of one of the most notorious mass kidnappings in US history…*** LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED *** ‘They Walk Among America' is a Law & Crime podcast network production.This episode was hosted by Nina Innsted.Researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane.Editing and scoring by Kory Hilpmann. Script editing, additional writing and production direction by Rosanna and Benjamin Fitton.MUSIC: Shadow Passage by Cody MartinConstant Surveillance by JCarThe Search by CJ-0Pushing Limits by Sweet SammyNocturne by ElisionMemoir by Lincoln DavisAdditional musical compositions by Kory Hilpmann.For more information, visit https://lawandcrime.com/podcasts/ or https://theywalkamonguspodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Erin and Cleadus Shelton of EVC Homes are the definition of a rags to riches success story. Back in Season 2 Episode 3, they shared how they went from poverty and homelessness to becoming one of the most prominent and successful real estate investors in the Central Valley. On today's episode, we wanted to bring Erin and Cleadus back on the podcast to share two of their most recent million dollar flips in one of the most historic and prestigious neighborhoods in Fresno, CA: 4190 N Van Ness Blvd, Fresno, CA 93704 621 E Santa Ana Ave, Fresno, CA 93704 EVC Homes is well known for their top of the line, jaw-dropping, quality work in the Central Valley. With a quick Google search of these two properties, you will find just how beautiful they turned out. To check out all of EVC's current and previous projects, including the two million-dollar flips they discussed today, you can find them them on social media @evchomes

Most Californians are feeling the effects of the drought.. But in big areas of the state, where people rely on groundwater, the pain of this drought is especially severe. Wells are going dry and there's intense competition to find more water that's underground. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Federal and Los Angeles County health officials have confirmed the first death of a person with monkeypox in California. The L.A. County resident was severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized with the virus.