The Ghosts of Mexico in Merced

My Grandfather's Disappearance Inspired My Film About the Dark Side of Immigration

I live in a forgotten region. Most Californians, if they know the Central Valley exists, forget it when they think of the state as a whole. Those that have been there often simply drive through it on their way to Yosemite. Very few actually visit this region. Perhaps the simple reason is that it offers up a direct contrast to the mythical California of sunlit beaches and sophisticated cities. The Valley has high levels of poverty, crime, and unemployment. Stretching for 450 miles, from Bakersfield to Redding, it is one …

By Rodrigo Reyes | October 19, 2016

I’ll Take You To The ER, the Women’s Shelter, or the Grocery Store. I’ll Even Deliver Your Baby.

For Central Valley Rural Communities, Ride Sharing Is More Informal and More Vital, Too

By Lisa Margonelli | October 19, 2016

Carmen Lopez lives in Huron, a town of over 6,000 people in California’s Central Valley surrounded by fields full of vegetables. There is a small health clinic in Huron, but …

The California City Where Ideals Are Punched in the Face by Reality

My Hometown, Where the Bay Area and the Central Valley Collide, Gave Us the Mexican Mafia, Rock ’n’ Roll’s Worst Day, and a Troubled Version of the Suburban Dream

By Jason Sexton | February 10, 2016

You might know Tracy, California, if you’ve traveled along Interstates 5 and 580, and had to decide if you want to head towards the Bay Area or Sacramento. What we …

The Forgotten Middle Child of California

My Small Town in the Central Valley Needs a lot of Help, but Doesn't Get Any Attention

By Gregorio Gomez | October 14, 2015

As mayor of Farmersville, I’ve had to do a lot of thinking recently about what qualities make a community truly healthy.

Farmersville, population 10,500, is right outside Visalia. Farmersville’s problems …

Central Valley Kids, Meet Beethoven

In a Rural California County, We're Bringing the Symphony to a New Generation of Musicians

by Bruce Kiesling | February 4, 2015

One May evening last year, I found myself driving on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in South Los Angeles, away from Exposition Park towards the neighborhood of West Adams. My …

‘Visalia Times-Delta’ Editor James Ward

To Be a Fly on Orson Welles’ Wall

February 3, 2015

James Ward is an editor at the Visalia Times-Delta in California’s Central Valley, where he oversees sports, lifestyles, and arts & entertainment coverage. Before moderating a panel on the role …

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