Chico PD holds its first town hall Homelessness, de-escalation and diversity discussed

photo by Leslie Layton
Chief Billy Aldridge at Chico PD’s first town hall.

by Leslie Layton
posted May 2

In the first of two town halls to be held this year, Chico police addressed topics that emerged from the recent Community Survey as concerns, including homelessness and the department’s use of de-escalation techniques.

The May 1 town hall followed the recent release of results from the department’s Community Survey that received 797 responses from Chico-area residents. Most of the respondents were over 50 years old and a disproportionate number white. Almost 60 percent said the unhoused community was a major concern. read more

Chico PD works to improve image, community relations Police reform advocates call for policy changes

photo by Karen Laslo
Chicoans at a protest several years ago.

by Natalie Hanson
posted April 29

The Chico Police Department, after facing years of scrutiny over transparency and accountability concerns, has launched an effort to improve its community image.

Chico PD’s administration has within the last six months jump-started several efforts to improve its public image, announcing today the results of its Community Survey, which can be found here.

Chief Billy Aldridge, who assumed leadership in December 2022, has re-organized the department’s Police Community Advisory Board (PCAB) that the City says is “working to enhance communication and transparency.” The board’s formation follows years of pressure from community members who want improvement in the public’s ability to air concerns and grievances. read more

Connecting farmworkers to healthcare in California’s rural north Glenn & Butte counties included in effort

As a “promotora” for Ampla Health, Maria Soto is at the forefront of expanding Medi-Cal access across Glenn, Butte and other rural Northern California counties.

by Peter Schurmann, EMS
posted April 11

Leer en español aqui

HAMILTON CITY – It’s late February and the road to Hamilton City about 10 miles west of Chico is lined with blooming almond trees, their pink blossoms blanketing the fields for miles around. A single clinic stands in the center of town.

Inside the clinic we meet Maria Soto, whose work as a promotora is an essential piece in California’s ambitious plan to deliver healthcare to all residents regardless of immigration status.

“I identify very much with the community,” says Soto, 57. “I worked in the fields, harvesting and sorting nuts here. So, I love it. It gives me a lot of satisfaction when someone says, ‘Thank you for helping me.’ This for me is invaluable.” read more

University Farm director brings global perspective Orellana's priorities: water, technology, community engagement

photo by Ken Smith
Ricardo Orellana brings a global perspective to his role as the Chico State University farm director.

by Ken Smith
posted April 5

Ricardo Orellana grew up against the backdrop of a 12-year civil war in his native El Salvador, but his childhood memories are thankfully dominated by more peaceful recollections — namely, of working with the cows at his grandmother’s farm outside the small town of Usulutá.

“It wasn’t a large farm, just five or six acres with about 25 milking cows and a few other animals,” Orellana said during a recent interview. “She also grew cassavas, tomatoes, beans and corn. It was very rural, and how I fell in love with agriculture.” read more

A detour to the Cesar Chavez monument At the southern tip of Highway 99

photo by Lindajoy Fenley
The gravesites of Cesar and Helen Chavez.

Editor’s note: ChicoSol is reviving its Highway 99 series that was popular some 10 years ago to mark this year’s Cesar Chavez Day. State Route 99 cuts through California’s Central Valley, where union organizing had a tremendous impact.

by Lindajoy Fenley
posted March 27

The final resting place of Cesar Chavez, who led strikes to improve the lot of underpaid and disrespected farmworkers nationwide more than 50 years ago, has the peaceful moniker Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz.

It has been headquarters of Chavez’s United Farm Workers union (UFW) since 1972 and a National Monument where the labor leader’s March 31 birthday has been celebrated annually since 2010. A warning sign that entry to the area is “impassable during high water” serves as a metaphor that the struggle for farmworker rights still faces challenges. Indeed, the bucolic spot tucked into the hills 30 miles east of Highway 99, a few miles before it merges into Interstate 5, is not immune from the controversy that marked Chavez’s life. read more

Chico residents again plea for a ceasefire resolution Some students say they're facing harassment

photo by Natalie Hanson
Yahmo Aqhba: “[The war is] affecting people, killing people we know and love.”

by Natalie Hanson
posted March 21

A group of Chico residents again have called on city leaders — in a third effort — to pass a ceasefire resolution that would show support for the Palestinian community amid Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

At the meeting earlier this week (March 19), activist Rain Scher stepped to the podium to present a revised ceasefire resolution to the City Council. Scher, a member of Chico Jews in Solidarity with Palestine, pointed out that the new resolution calls for declaring that all human life is “precious.” Scher told ChicoSol that the resolution “explicity names both the Palestinian and Israeli casualties.” read more