This week on Valley Edition we talk about the problem of pet overpopulation in the Valley, and learn what groups are doing to help spay and neuter more cats and dogs. We'll also learn more about the future of Fresno County's public library system which will be placing an extension of the sales tax known as Measure B before voters on the November ballot.
Valley Edition for February 14, 2012
Segment 1: Pet overpopulation
Communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley have a major animal overpopulation problem. Thousands of unwanted dogs and cats are euthanized each year in Bakersfield and Fresno. Some activists say that local animal control offices aren’t doing enough to reduce the kill rate. And just this month, California Governor Jerry Brown has floated a proposal to repeal a state law that required animal shelters to wait six days instead of three days, before stray animals are euthanized. On this segment of Valley Edition, we talk about the animal overpopulation problem and possible solutions, with Beth Caffrey from the Central California SPCA and Maggie Kalar from Kern County Animal Control.
Segment 2: Libraries
In 1998 Fresno County voters approved Measure B, a sales tax increase of one eight of one percent to fund enhanced library services in the county. Last month, Governor Jerry Brown released his new budget with no state funding for libraries for the second year in a row. That makes Measure B, which is up for renewal by voters this fall, even more important. We talk with Karen Bosch Cobb, former County Librarian and member of the pro-Measure B group Citizens for Libraries and Literacy, and Laurel Prysiazny, current Fresno County Librarian about the future of public library services in the Valley.
Segment 3: PARRC aims to enable access to research
The Participatory Action Research Resource Center is an innovative new partnership that aims to empower San Joaquin Valley residents skills in using research to improve their lives. The partnership, which focuses on issues like environmental justice, is a program a collaboration between professors from UC Merced, UC Davis, and the San Joaquin Valley Latino Environmental Advancement Project (Valley LEAP). Rey Leon, director of Valley LEAP and Jonathan London, professor at UC Davis join us to talk about this new project which launched in Fresno on Tuesday.
