Salida MAC Newsletter - August 2014

LIKE “Salida MAC” on Facebook and follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/SalidaMAC
and sign up to receive our newsletter via e-mail. ~ Katherine Borges, Editor

Public Comments - Wood Colony resident, Lina Alldredge shared an invitation to attend the first annual Wood Colony Faire which will be held at Hart-Ransom School 3930 Shoemake on Saturday, August 16, 2014 from 10 am to 6 pm. The Faire will have a marketplace, crafts, live music, a petting zoo, covered wagon rides, dairy tours, 1903 milkhouse tour, heirloom tomato tasting and much more! See Wood Colony Faire flyer for more details. 

County resident, Terry Withrow invited anyone who would like to support the "Stamp Out Sprawl - Modesto" ballot initiative to a fundraiser dinner to be held at his home on Saturday, August 23, 2014 at 6 pm. Please call him (209) 525-8050 for more info.

Stanislaus County Supervisor District 3 Report - Supervisor Terry Withrow reported that the county is in negotiations with labor unions for pay raises for county workers. He also shared about the work and progress of the water committee and invited residents to attend the meetings.

Deputy Braley presented John Martin
 with his "Take Back Salida" plaque for
graffiti removal.
(Photo courtesy of Salida Ca News)

Sheriff Department - Deputy Jason Braley shared that three people were arrested in Salida for tagging and vandalism. Salida has experienced no homicides, one rape, and three robberies in the past six months. Property crimes has decreased by 7.5% but burglary is up 13%. Petty theft/larcenies are down 11%. An attendee asked what is being done about the drag racers and Deputy Braley responded that some extra patrol requests (between calls) have been put out to the graveyard shifts. If you witness a crime in progress, call 911. Please report any thefts and suspicious activity to the Sheriff's Non-emergency number at (209) 552-2468. 

Stanislaus County Department of Public Works - Andrew Malizia provided the following Public Works updates for projects in and around Salida: 

A traffic analysis at Ladd and Tully Roads did not warrant an all way stop but did warrant a traffic signal. While the county applies for funding to install the traffic signal, an all-way stop will be installed.
A request was received for widening Broadway Ave near the tracks where the traffic merges. They are looking into it and are working on a sidewalk project with the railroad. Even though its been slow moving the project through, there are plans to widen it there. Some possible solutions are removing the vertical parking lanes and/or making it a right turn only onto Elm.

Received some complaints about truck parking on Elm and public works is working on getting some new signs up along Elm and Broadway. 

Request to install a double no-passing striping on Tully Road near the canal bridge from St. Francis to Ladd Road. The new striping was completed last week. Another request received via a Salida MAC meeting was the amount of traffic from the school farm on Ladd Road. Public Works will work with the school to insure that the students are safe.

Working on request to install "No trespassing - county ordinance" signs on Salida's ponding basins.

Update on the Kiernan and Pelandale interchange construction - the Pelandale northbound on and off ramps are going to be closed for three weeks, starting in the beginning of August, either August 4 or August 11. The detour will be down to Kiernan and Sisk. The first stage of bridge work on Kiernan should be completed by the end of September.

Public Works is working on a speed bumps/humps ordinance to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. Some key elements of the new policy is that the county will have to approve which roads they go on, there needs to be a minimum number to be effective (i.e.: a grouping of three spaced out 300-400 feet apart and the road needs to be able to accomodate that. The community would need to pay for the installation and the removal if they want them removed afterwards. Emergency vehicles would also have a say in locations that they could be approved in.

Salida Fire Department - Board member Jerry DeBoer announced that a workshop will be held in August (date TBA) regarding Salida getting its fire department back. He also asked for volunteers to help with their annual chicken BBQ which will be held on August 23. Please contact Dale Skiles if you can help.

Salida Postmaster - Starting in August, Postmaster John Cabral announced that recycling bins will be placed in the lobby of the post office to recycle the newspaper and AdVos mailers. Two new mail carriers have been hired, Ben and Debbie, so please have patience if your mail is misdelivered and report any misdeliveries to (209) 545-0620. Postmaster Cabral, who is the webmaster for Salida Civic's website received notice this week that the Salida Town & Country Festival has been cancelled. They plan to be back in 2015 & need volunteers to help. To volunteer, please contact: info@salidacivic.org

California Highway Patrol - Officer A.J. Palazuelos reported that there were only four traffic collisions during the prior month, two were property damage collisions, one was injury and one was a DUI collision. The DUI collision occurred at Kiernan and Neva. The CHP is planning to target the street racing problem in various communities and will start in Salida first.

Nick W. Blom Salida Regional Salida Library - Library Branch Manager, Diane Bartlett shared that while the summer reading program is winding down, there are still many other fun activities at the Salida Library: For children: July 29 - Legos, August 5 - Shark Week (shark/sea life stories and crafts), August 12 - Back to School with Pete the Cat (make pencil cases), August 19 - Dinner and a Movie - "Finding Nemo" and August 26 - Grossology - disgusting books and crafts. Wiggle Worms & Pre-School StoryTime begin again August 6/7.

Teen Anime Day - August 16 from 12 - 4 pm which includes costumes, movie, crafts, etc.

Adult Programs - Zumba on Mondays at 6 pm, August 9 - couponing at 4 pm, August 12 - Book Club at 10 am, and the library has basic computer classes on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month at 10:30 am. Registration required. 

The Friends of the Salida Library needs helpers to set up for their booksale on October 23 and during their Halloween Book sale on October 25. For more information, call (209) 543-7353

Water Conservationist
Juan Teneya

Special Presentation - Water Conservationist Juan Teneya opened with some drought related events that occurred in 2014. On January 17, 2014, Governor Brown requested all Californias to voluntarily reduce water use by an average of 20%. May 1, 2014 saw a decreased allocation of MID deliveries to the City of Modesto from an average of 30 MGD to 17 MGD due to lower than average rainfall and snowpack during the last two hydrological cycles. The reduction will continue until April 30, 2015. The State Water Resource Control Board approved an emergency regulation on July 15, 2014 to ensure water agencies, their customers, and state residents increase water conservation in urban settings or face fines or other enforcements.

 Mr. Teneya shared that the City of Modesto (which owns Salida's water system) is under Stage 1 water (drought) restrictions. All residents using outdoor water will follow the year round watering schedule:

 - Outdoor watering must be kept on your property – AVOID WATER RUNOFF
 - Outdoor water use is prohibited between noon and 7 pm daily
 - Odd-numbered addresses ending in 1,3,5,7 or 9 water on Wed, Fri, & Sun
 - Even numbered addresses ending in 2,4,6,8,or 0 water on Tues, Thurs, & Sat
 - NO OUTDOOR WATER USE ON MONDAYS
 - Car washing is subject to above with use of positive shut-off nozzle
 - Hosing concrete areas, building exteriors, etc. may be done with city permit
 - Water leaks, once identified, must be repaired within 24 hours
 - Restaurants are encouraged to serve water only upon request

Additionally, the City of Modesto is collaborating with Stanislaus County Parks Department in adjusting their sprinkler systems to minimize run-off, to comply with "no watering on Mondays" and making repairs as needed. No water permits will be issued effective August 1, 2014. The City of Modesto has one full-time service person helping by educating and enforcing water regulations in Salida. Since June, they have made 257 direct contacts in Salida. Positive nozzles and rain gauges are available for FREE from the City of Modesto's Water Department. For more tips and rebates, and to report water waste, call (209) 342-2246

Announcements - Residents are invited to a National Night Out Potluck & Bar-b-que at Segesta Park off of Finney & Pirrone on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 from 6 to 9 pm. Bring your favorite potluck dish and chairs.

Update on the installation of Cold Plasma units at Diamond Pet Foods in Ripon: the units are in service but they are still waiting on approval from the Air Pollution District. 

Salida MAC has its own website! Visit: http://salidamac.weebly.com/

Next Salida MAC Meeting:

Tuesday, August 26, 2014 at 7 pm @ Salida Library Community Room

4835 Sisk Rd. - Salida

Presentation: Stanislaus County Community Development Block Grants - Fiscal Year 
           13/14 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER)
by Kristin Doud

Salida MAC Newsletter - July 2014

LIKE “Salida MAC” on Facebook and follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/SalidaMAC
and sign up to receive our newsletter via e-mail. ~ Katherine Borges, Editor

Sheriff Department - Deputy Vince Hooper took notes regarding residents' concerns and will try to get the issues resolved. He talked to residents on Trailwood regarding crime in the area and shared that there has been an increase of copper wire thefts. If anything looks suspicious report it to the sheriff department immediately, call the Sheriff's Non-emergency number at (209) 552-2468. Deputy Hooper said to call 911 if we see tagging in progress.

Salida Fire Department - Board member Mark Brubaker stated Modesto Regional Fire Authority (MRFA) will dissolve July 1st and Salida will be getting their fire department back. They entered into a six month service agreement with Modesto Regional Fire Authority for service. He asked residents to get dry grass and weeds cleared to reduce fire hazards.

California Highway Patrol - Officer Chuck Leon reported a drop in activity from the previous month. 7 vehicle accidents and 2 DUI accidents. He has been writing a lot of tickets lately for expired registration. He addressed residents' concerns regarding street racing and will try to work that area more. He is still working on the bike helmet letter to give to kids who aren't wearing helmets. Salida Union School District has the bike helmets. 

Salida Postmaster - Postmaster John Paul Cabral stated first class mail revenue has dropped 8% but package revenue has increased. During the food drive, the USPS collected 72.5 million pounds of food that was distributed to local food banks and shelters. The Salida post office collected over 500 pounds of food. There are open employment jobs available at the post office and he hopes to have the jobs filled soon. Postmaster Cabral reminded residents of the new hours of the Salida Post Office: Monday - Friday 10am - 4:30pm, closed on Saturday & Sunday.

Salida Chamber of Commerce - The Salida Chamber of Commerce will be having a one year anniversary mixer at Solid Networks on July 11th at 6:30pm. 

Nick W. Blom Salida Regional Salida Library - Library Branch Manager, Diane Bartlett shared that there is an all ages reading group this summer with chances to win prizes. They also have audio podcasts narrated by Emerson Drake available. There are many activities available including: Zumba, couponing, movie nights, etc. Python Ron will be at the library July 5th at 4pm and there will be an adult craft on July 19th.

STARS Volunteer Rodney Caetano presenting on starting a
Neighborhood Watch.

Special Presentation - STARS volunteer Rodney Caetano spoke about forming a Neighborhood Watch group. First step is to talk to neighbors and set up a time and date for everyone to meet. Then, call STARS at (209) 652-0356 with the information and they will come to the meeting and discuss how to set up neighborhood watch. National Night Out is August 6th. If we see crimes in progress, get as much information as possible (vehicle make, model, license plate, description of suspects, height, race, weight, clothing) and call 911 but do not confront the suspects. 

WIN A TRIP! - Enter our Neighborhood Watch Contest! 
Set up a new neighborhood watch group or hold a meeting for your current group between January 1, 2014 and July 31, 2014, you'll be entered to win a 3 days and 2 nights trip to your choice of one of 20 locations which include Disneyland, Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, etc. courtesy of MainStreetChamber. (Airfare and travel expense to and from is not included. Room tax fees apply, see certificate for additional requirements.) Contest open to Salida residents establishing Salida neighborhood watch groups only. One person entry per group. Salida MAC council members not eligible to win. Contact Deputy Vern Blagg to establish a neighborhood watch group: (209) 652-0356 and to be entered in the contest, send an e-mail with the date of your neighborhood watch meeting to salidamac@gmail.com 

Salida Annexation Update - LAFCO submitted comments to Modesto regarding their environmental impact report. The comments are good for Salida and Wood Colony. LAFCO wants to have a boundary between Modesto and Salida. If anyone is interested in reading LAFCO's comments go to: salidaannex.blogspot.com

Announcements - A new Salida MAC sign was installed on the exterior of the library.

Next Salida MAC Meeting:

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 7 pm @ Salida Library Community Room

4835 Sisk Rd. - Salida
Presentation: Water Conservation
by Juan Tejeda
City of Modesto Water Conservationist

Salida MAC Newsletter - June 2014

LIKE “Salida MAC” on Facebook and follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/SalidaMAC
and sign up to receive our newsletter via e-mail. ~ Katherine Borges, Editor
Video of the May Salida MAC meeting provided by Salida MAC Vice-Chairman, Brad Johnson:
Part 1 https://vimeo.com/96778991 
Part 2 https://vimeo.com/96779660 
Part 3 https://vimeo.com/97825961 
Part 4 https://vimeo.com/97826742 

WIN A TRIP! - Enter our Neighborhood Watch Contest! 
Set up a new neighborhood watch group or hold a meeting for your current group between January 1, 2014 and July 31, 2014, you'll be entered to win a 3 days and 2 nights trip to your choice of one of 20 locations which include Disneyland, Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, etc. courtesy of MainStreetChamber. (Airfare and travel expense to and from is not included. Room tax fees apply, see certificate for additional requirements.) Contest open to Salida residents establishing Salida neighborhood watch groups only. One person entry per group. Salida MAC council members not eligible to win. Contact Deputy Vern Blagg to establish a neighborhood watch group: (209) 652-0356 and to be entered in the contest, send an e-mail with the date of your neighborhood watch meeting to salidamac@gmail.com 

This contest is sponsored by Salida MAC's “Take Back Salida” program, which was launched in January 2014 to combat crime, graffiti, and blight in our community.  If you spot graffiti in our community or would like to request your own graffiti removal kit, please contact: takebacksalida@gmail.com 

Salida Fire District Report - Chief Dale Skiles provided a brief status update on the dissolution of the Modesto Regional Fire Authority (MRFA).  The Salida Fire Protection Board will hold a workshop, likely in August, to invite residents to participate in the direction and future of the Salida Fire Department.
Chief Skiles also shared the process for reporting tall, dry grass to be cleaned up due to it being a fire hazard. Call such weed abatement hazards into: MRFA Fire Prevention (209) 571-5553.

Officer Leon sharing the monthly CHP report at Salida MAC.
(Photo courtesy of: Salida Ca News)

CHP Report - Officer Chuck Leon shared stats that Salida has had 13 traffic collisions which is rather high for this time. Three were minor injuries and there were three hit and runs. Two DUI arrests and one auto theft arrest on Dakota near Murphy Rd. Officer Leon additionally mentioned that he is still patrolling Wallasey Way for speeding, and in other areas where they've received complaints as well, i.e. Fattoria, Whitestone, Pirrone, etc. Officer Leon is still following up with his captain for approval in aiding with the helmet distribution to area schools implemented by Craig Coker. 

Salida Postmaster Report - Postmaster John Paul Cabral gave an update that 13,000 post offices (like Salida's) have reduced their hours as opposed to closing branches. The Senate passed 1486 but its currently stalled in the House of Representatives due to the election. Postmaster Cabral also shared that he's been notifying people that bills are going to pass soon for no more house delivery; everyone, including businesses will have community mailboxes.  He reported that another mailbox had been broken into on Port Alice and Liverno. If residents have home security cameras, please aim one or more of your cameras at the mailbox, that's how the Postmaster has been able to successfully catch mailbox theives in the past. Salida Post Office has two part-time carrier (as needed basis) job openings @ $16.62 per hour. Apply at usps.com 

Salida Sanitary Report - Salida Sanitary Board member Brad Johnson reported that the sanitary district is still paying off some loans on some new pumps and brochures from the Sanitary District are on the back table. 

Salida Chamber of Commerce Report - Jessica Gonzalez, boardmember of the Salida Chamber of Commerce recapped the chamber's successful kick-off party will be held at the Post Restaurant on Friday, April 25. On May 18th, the Salida Chamber voted to partner with Love Salida to offer graffiti abatement to Salida businesses at no charge. The first business to benefit from this program is Ocampo Tires which had a tag removed on the side of its building, and another one was removed from the roll up door. To join the Salida Chamber, which has very affordable membership rates, visit: http://salidacachamber.com/membership/

Nick W. Blom Salida Regional Library Report - Library Branch Manager Diane Bartlett explained that the outside book drop has been broken and apologized for any inconvenience it may have caused. Books can be returned inside or at any of the other twelve libraries while the book drop is being repaired. The Summer reading program has started with something for all ages, the young ones can be read to or if they read for seven days they'll get a prize. Thanks to Friends of the Salida Library, they are eligible for weekly books in the library's weekly book drawing, along with two bicycles which will be given away at the end of the summer. Ages 9-12 can enter a drawing for prizes if they read every day for at least 1/2 hour.  Teens are required to read one hour per day and fill a bingo card to enter the drawing for prizes provided by Boomers and other businesses. Tablets will be given away by the Friends of the Salida Library as one of the prizes for teens and the 9-12 age group as well.  Book Club is held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 10 am, the couponing class is held on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 4 pm. Cupcake decorating will be held on June 14th. Regular events calendar: Zumba - Mondays at 6 pm in the community room. Storytimes will resume June 11 and 12. Extreme science magic will be held June 17 at 4 pm and Make Your Own Flubber 4 pm on June 24. Family Dinner & Movie Night - "The Absent-Minded Professor" on June 17 at 6 pm. Lego Days - June 10 at 4 pm. Ms. Bartlett also announced that a new head librarian has been hired, Diane McDonald.

Special Presentation - Salida Crime Update by Sheriff Adam Christianson - Sheriff Adam Christianson opened by thanking the community for becoming involved in graffiti clean-up for Love Salida, Take

LtoR, back row: Duane Spyksma, Don Schneider, Nanette Spyksma,
Sheriff Adam Christianson, Carlen Jupe, Karen Gorne, and Katherine
Borges. LtoR, front row: Amanda Sorenson, Jessica
Gonzalez, Debby Schneider, Dr. Paul Sessa, and Jared Swanson.
(Photo courtesy of: Salida Ca News)

Back Salida and Neighborhood Watch. He recognized and presented the Sheriff's Award for Excellence in Service to: Debby Schneider, Don Schneider, Duane Spyksma, Nanette Spyksma, Jessica Gonzalez, Karen Gorne, Amanda Sorenson, Jared Swanson, and Carlen Jupe.

Sheriff Christianson shared how the department has had a lot of cuts due to the recession but that's turning around now and the department is hiring again. He reiterated that the sheriff's department will work to restore the staffing levels that they were forced to cut during the economic chaos. He added that it was cost-effective to close the substation on Broadway and he's planning to open the new substation at the Salida Library. The Sheriff's office will provide Salida MAC with crime stats upon request, and the #1 stat reported is "alarm calls", particularly "false alarm calls". For crime prevention, Sheriff Christianson recommended not leaving anything unsecured and participating in Neighborhood Watch. He stated that property and mail theft crimes are fueled by drug addiction. Take the extra step to observe and report. He asked people to take pictures with their cell phones and report suspicious activity. Report suspicious people, vehicles, license plates, taggers to the Sheriff's Non-emergency number (209) 552-2468 or if you witness a crime in progress, call 911. He also praised the CHP for their help in Salida and with traffic related issues and the 911 Emergency Call Center. Sheriff Christianson also recommended subscribing to nixel.com for crime alerts and the department will soon be participant in crimemapping.com  Sheriff Christianson introduced Captain Jim Gordon who is in charge of patrol operations. Capt. Gordon welcomed residents to contact him via Salida MAC.

Salida Annexation Update - The deadline to submit comments for the City of Modesto's General Plan Update and draft EIR (Environmental Impact Report) is May 30, 2014. 

Supervisor District 3 Report - Supervisor Terry Withrow commended Sheriff Christianson and Chief Skiles for the fine job they're doing and dealing with budgeting constraints. Supervisor Withrow reported on the Water Advisory Committee which is working on a groundwater action plan. He invited the public to attend the meeting to be held on May 28, 2014 at 9 am at the Kirk Lindsey Center across from the Brendan Theater. (Modesto Bee article on the water meeting)

Announcements - Correction to an announcement made at the March Salida MAC meeting – Diamond Pet Foods in Ripon is currently installing the cold plasma filtration system to alleviate the odors coming from the plant, but its not operational yet. Received an update today that they expect it to be operational within the next few weeks so for those who live across the river or downwind from the plant, let us know if you notice a difference.

Salida MAC Secretery Ana San Nicholas tendered her resignation at the meeting. If you would like to apply to be appointed to Salida MAC council, contact Supervisor Terry Withrow for an application. Applicants must be a registered voter and live in Salida.

Next Salida MAC Meeting:

Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at 7 pm @ Salida Library Community Room

4835 Sisk Rd. - Salida
Presentation: Neighborhood Watch
by Deputy Vern Blagg

Salida MAC Newsletter - May 2014

LIKE “Salida MAC” on Facebook and follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/SalidaMAC
and sign up to receive our newsletter via e-mail. ~ Katherine Borges, Editor

Public Works Director
Matt Machado

"Take Back Salida" Program -  The 'Take Back Salida' program launched by Salida MAC in January has been widely successful in combating graffiti. Thanks to Supervisor Terry Withrow and Stanislaus County Department of Public Works Director, Matt Machado for graffiti abatement supplies and support!

Salida Fire District Report - Jerry DeBoer, Chairman of the Salida Fire District relayed a message from Chief Dale Skiles that if residents or their neighbors have any tall grass around their fences or houses to report it to Station 14 as its a fire hazard and we're in extremely dry conditions due to the drought. 

Stanislaus County Sheriff Report - Deputy Jason Braley reported that there were a couple of new leads on the home invasion robbery. There's been a significant increase in suspicious persons calls in Salida. Deputy Braley attributed this to wider distribution of the Sheriff's Non-Emergency Dispatch number (209) 552-2468. 

Salida Sanitary Report - Salida Sanitary Board member Brad Johnson reported that the sanitary district purchased new computers and made a payment on the solar dryer.

Salida Postmaster Report - Nanette Spyksma presented the report on behalf of Postmaster, John Paul Cabral. She reported that three mailboxes had been broken into and replaced and then two more were broken in the previous night - one on Sun Glen and one on Pirrone.

Nick W. Blom Salida Regional Library Report - Library Branch Manager, Diane Bartlett shared that the library Zumba is held on Monday nights at 6 pm in the Community Room, Tuesdays are "Family Days" at the Salida Library at either 4 or 6 pm. Join us on May 20 at 6 pm for Family Dinner and Movie Night, the featured film is Disney's "Frozen".  Children can come in their pajamas. Bring a picnic dinner and a blanket to sit on. The library will provide a beverage and popcorn. Storytimes are Wednesdays for ages under 3 at 10 am and 11 am. Storytime for pre-schoolers ages 3-5 are held on Thursdays at 10 am.

Salida Chamber of Commerce Report - Gary Finch, Vice-President of the Salida Chamber of Commerce shared that the Salida Chamber sponsored a freeway clean-up and graffiti abatement for Love Salida with volunteers from Centerpoint Baptist Church. The chamber also provided over 70 hot dog lunches at Salida Park for Love Salida volunteers. The chamber's kick-off party will be held at the Post Restaurant on Friday, April 25 at 6 pm with lots of prizes. 

Stanislaus County Department of Public Works - Director Matt Machado reported that public works averages about 100 miles of road resurfacing a year. But considering we have 1,500 miles of roads which means that they only get around to resurfacing the roads about once every seven years. There is an average of 2,000 accidents and 30 fatalities per year. 2.5 million miles driven on county roads every day. This year Public Works is projected to replace 120 miles of roadways.

Director Machado shared maps of areas that are scheduled to be chip-sealed in Wood Colony and slurry-sealed in Salida this summer.

Below is a recap of the concerns shared at Salida MAC, with responses / solutions to each by Matt Machado. The item (in red) is still being worked on. 

1. Concern - Failed trenches in ROW, Possible Solution discussed at the MAC - require CDF backfill and 3 year warranty - Our plan is to first verify some locations / complaints to determine if there are trench failures.  If so, then we will pursue the contractor who did the work to make repairs.  If unsuccessful then we will look at our standards to make them more stringent.  Can members of the MAC or the public provide specific locations where they believe there are trench failures? 

2. Commercial property owner, adjacent Vizcaya - contact info shared with Vizcaya residents 

3. Concern - at Ladd / Tully all way stop warrant, accident history – 
Our traffic division is updating their data and will be producing a warrant analysis.  This documentation should be complete within the next couple of weeks. 

4. Concern - Tully, south of Ladd at the canal crossing / vertical curve sight distance. 
Our traffic has furthered reviewed and deemed there is no down side to making this a no passing zone.  A double yellow center line will be painted 1000’ before the canal crossing and 1000’ after the canal crossing. 

5. Apparently the worst roads in Salida are off Zinfandel, such as Westwood, Parks, Edgewood, Driftwood. 
A field review was completed in the area around Zinfandel Avenue, an AR Cape would be the best solution at this point in time.  The pavement is pretty cracked up, but has limited base failures.  It's just old.  The rubber chip would do well in holding it together and the slurry would help make the riding surface acceptable for residential use.  This project scope will be looked at the next time we plan to conduct a resurfacing project in Salida, tentatively planned for 2015. 

6. On Murphy near Green Knoll Rd apparently there is a patch that county crews have placed, yet apparently it is in bad shape. 
This location was repaired (twice at least) and staff spoke to the person regarding his complaint. That section of Murphy has been settling for several years. All of the low spots are in line with the sewer trunk, so it appears the sewer line may be causing the problem.  We made need to discuss with the Sewer District regarding some leaking sewer pipe joints. 

7. On Kiernan west of the tracks there is a large pothole. 
This was patched with hydro-patch, due to the cold weather at the time it appears. It has settled some since then so has been touched it up. The work is complete. 

8. Old Paint from HHW for use of graffiti removal -  Keimi called and coordinated with John Martin. 

9. On the corner of Pirrone and Hammett the inside corner is rutted out, cars are tracking dirt and gravel. Will possibly fill with AC.  Apparently the paved corner is a sharp curve / corner - There is a drop off, even though it appears to be pretty wide so we will pave it out with the patch truck.

10. Large pothole on Commons near Harding (MAC member drives to Turlock each day) - Patched 

11.  Status of new signs for Salida and Wood Colony – 

The traffic division and sign division have been swamped with work, roadway safety has taken priority over these signs.  We hope to have them installed within the next couple of weeks. (Sign installation completed on May 15, 2014) Read Ken Carlson's article about the signs in the Modesto Bee, "Wood Colony, Salida welcome signs added"

Salida Annexation Update - At the Modesto City Council voted and approved a comprehensive general plan and EIR update on April 8, 2014. For further information, please see the May 21st EIR meeting info below.

Announcements
May 21, 2014 at 5:30 pm - The City of Modesto is holding a presentation of their draft EIR (Environmental Impact Report) for their city's general plan update. The reason that you are being notified of this is because they are still including Salida in their general plan. 

May 21, 2014 at 7 pm - Salida residents are invited to the Salida Fire Protection District Board meeting for an update and information on the coming changes to Salida's fire service as a result of the dissolution of Modesto Regional Fire Authority (MRFA).

Summer 2014 - Streets in Salida on the east side of 99 will be resurfaced with slurry-seal this summer. Check this link to see if your street is included. Streets in Salida on the west side of 99 are currently being assessed for slurry and possible chip-seal in the Zinfandel-Westwood area for 2015. Since many Salida residents travel through Wood Colony to commute, be aware that several streets in Wood Colony have also been scheduled to receive chip-seal resurfacing this summer.

Next Salida MAC Meeting:

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 at 7 pm @ Salida Library Community Room

4835 Sisk Rd. - Salida
Presentation: Salida Crime Update
by Sheriff Adam Christianson

Salida MAC Newsletter - April 2014

LIKE “Salida MAC” on Facebook and follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/SalidaMAC
and sign up to receive our newsletter via e-mail. ~ Katherine Borges, Editor

Salida Fire District Report - Chief Dale Skiles reminded everyone that fire season is quickly approaching and to keep an eye out for fire hazards.

CHP Report - CHP Officer Chuck Leon reported that there were three DUI collisions, one felony DUI arrest for marijuana, and one auto-theft arrest. He responded to a complaint about street-racing. Officer Leon spotted a pickup truck speeding along Ciccarelli Road and doing circles in the dirt while people took pictures. The driver was pulled over and was arrested for reckless driving.

Every time Officer Leon is in Salida, he makes it a point to make at least one pass and back on Wallasey Way. He dressed in plain clothes and sat with a radar gun on Wallasey. He did cite one person for going 37 in a 25 mph zone on Wallasey.

Salida business owner, Craig Coker, brought in a box of bike helmets to sponsor a helmet program at Salida Union School District. Officer Leon offered assistance with this program.

Salida Postmaster Report - Salida Postmaster, John Cabral reported that three more community mailboxes have been broken into: on Sisk between Wessex and Wallasey, Trowbridge. and one on Salida Blvd. Postmaster Cabral said several of the boxes have graffiti on them and he has supplies to remove the graffiti, just come and see him. 

Postmaster Cabral gave an update on Senate Bill 1486, its still in the senate and should go through the House quickly. The chief vice-president of the postal service testified before congress that without postal legislation, the USPS is in dire straits. Postmaster Cabral met with Congressman Jeff Denham who expressed his support for the USPS. He gave a brief summary of the local mail routes being consolidated and downsized. He recommended visiting savethepostoffice.com for additional info on changing hours, closures, etc.  Postmaster Cabral shared his article featuring Salida in "Save Our Rural Post Offices" on page 9 of the National League of Postmasters California Branch.

Salida Chamber of Commerce Report - Gary Finch, Vice-President of the Salida Chamber of Commerce shared that the chamber would be participating in LoveSalida on April 5 with a Highway 99 cleanup at Hammett. The Salida Chamber will be sponsoring the hot dog lunch after the project for the participants at Salida Park on Broadway. The chamber's kick-off party will be held at The Post Restaurant & Bar on Friday, April 25 at 6 pm. For more information and to reserve your free ticket, click here. 

Nick W. Blom Salida Regional Library Report - Library Branch Manager, Diane Bartlett shared that the library is collecting snuggle blankets for animals awaiting new homes. Crochet, knit, quilt, sew or tie blankets in the following sizes 14"x14" for cats and small animals, 24"x24" for cats and small to medium dogs, 36"x36" for medium to large dogs. These are guidelines, they don't need to be exact. Materials should be washable, such as cotton or acrylic. Leftover scraps of yarn or fabric are fine. Yarn ends should be double-knotted and woven in well to prevent unraveling. Make them thick for comfort and warmth, but do not use battling. For pattern suggestions: www.snugglesproject.org  Bring completed blankets in during library open hours. Deadline: April 30, 2014 Questions? Call Cindy @ the Waterford Library (209) 874-2191 Donations may be dropped off at the Salida Library.

Zumba has started on Monday evenings and is held either in the Community Room or the Storytime Room. April is Poetry Month and and the library will have a "Poet Tree". You can write your poem on there, either one you've written or one that you like and the library will hang all the poems on the tree. The Book Club for Adults meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. 

Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros ~ Day of the Child, Day of the Book, Día for short, is a nationwide celebration of children, families and reading will be held Saturday, April 26 at Salida Library @ 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Features a Bilingual Story Time, world music, crafts, Friends of the Salida Library will be giving away free books and more! 

Stanislaus County Planning Department Report - Javier Camarena gave a presentation on his department and projects they are working on. There are grant funds available for low and moderate income families for home improvements. Current projects they are working on are: Empire storm drains, Parklawn sewer infrastructure, and Airport sewer infrastructure. Plans get updated every year and have to be approved by the county board of supervisors. Salida received a storm drain grant about eight years ago. The neighborhood stabilization program is starting to wind down.
For more information on Stanislaus County's Block Grant Annual Action Plan.

Salida Annexation Update - At the Modesto City Council meeting on March 11, 2014, Modesto City Councilman John Gunderson made a motion to put Salida back on the agenda for a vote, the motion was seconded but went nowhere, so Salida is still within Modesto's General Plan. Wood Colony was put on the agenda and voted upon at the March 25, 2014 council meeting. The council voted to remove the "ag" section of Wood Colony from Modesto's General Plan Update, but north of Beckwith and the area south of Woodland are still in the plan. The city council will be voting on a comprehensive general plan update on April 8, 2014.

Next Salida MAC Meeting:

Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at 7 pm @ Salida Library Community Room

4835 Sisk Rd. - Salida
Presentation: Public Works Update by
Stanislaus Public Works Director,
Matt Machado