Santa Barbara News-Press: October 03, 2022

Avocado Fest’s second day draws thousands

Heather Giacone of Food Liaison wins top prize in AvoFest Best Guacamole contest

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The overall winner of the 2022 AvoFest Best Guacamole contest is the executive pastry chef of the Food Liaison restaurant in Carpinteria.

Heather Giacone, of Carpinteria, won top prize for her “excellent” guacamole in the competition that drew 13 entries, said Avocado Festival organizer

Kim Gutierrez. “I did try it, and it was excellent,” Ms. Gutierrez said. Ms. Giacone’s recipe will be posted online at AvoFest.com.

Among the criteria judged were an entry’s taste and texture, she said. Some entries from “purists” consisted of the standard avocado, tomatoes, onions and garlic, some augmented by lemon or lime juice. Other entries were more spicy, she said.

The competition was hosted by Rebecca Brand and Arthur Von Wiesenberger, who “had the crowd roaring” as the scores were tallied, Ms. Gutierrez said.

The contest’s celebrity judges were Carpinteria City Councilwoman Natalia Alarcon, Fred Brander of the Brander Vineyard, Mac Brown of the Wiggy Ranch, 2020 Carpinterian of the Year Beth Cox, Carpinteria City Manager David Durflinger, Little

Dom’s owner Warner Ebbink, 2021 Carpinterian of the Year Clyde Freeman, Corktree Cellars owner André Jackson, KEYT reporter Tracy Lehr, KJEE General Manager Steve Meade, The Food Liaison executive chef and owner Nirasha Rodriguez and Battalion Chief Noah Tunney of the Carpinteria/Summerland Fire Department. Day Two of the 36th Annual

Judges sample the 14 entries in the AvoFest Best Guacamole contest during the Carpinteria Avocado Festival on Sunday.

At left, co-hosts of the guacamole contest Rebecca Brand and Arthur Von Wiesenberger speak during the judging period of the guacamole contest. The guacamole entry in the foreground won Guadalupe Santana first place in the presentation category. Above, Ms. Giacone reacts to being named the overall winner.

Above, Heather Giacone celebrates after being named the overall winner of the guacamole contest. In addition to winning first place in the taste category, Ms. Giacone’s guacamole was award second place in the presentation category. Below, the judges were each served their 14 samples on a single plate.

‘It was three days of peace, love and guacamole’

Continued from Page A1

Avocado Festival, held in downtown Carpinteria, drew tens of thousands of visitors Sunday, just like it did the day before.

“It was three days of peace, love and guacamole,” she said. “We had great crowds and great music, and everyone was happy to be out there sharing with each other.”

In addition to offering the largest free musical festival in California - 75 musical performances on three stages spread over Friday, Saturday and Sunday - the festival featured a ferris wheel and food booths providing festival-goers with guacamole, taquitos, guacamole brownies, avocado egg rolls, tritip sandwiches and all things avocado, including avocado ice cream.

The 2022 Avocado Festival returned in person for the first time since 2019. While a virtual version of the festival was hosted in 2020 and 2021, this was the first in-person festival since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival was created in 1986 by community leaders Rob Godfrey, Connie Korbel, Debbie Murphy, Fran Puccinelli, Bob Ealee and John Franklin,

the result of a brainstorming meeting to create an ongoing weekend event that would benefit the fundraising efforts of local

nonprofit groups. They turned to the avocado, which made sense since Santa Barbara County is the third

largest avocado producer in North America.

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KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

The Beatles tribute band “Sgt. Pepper” plays hits from the English rock band in front of a lively audience at the Carpinteria Avocado Festival on Sunday.

Linden Avenue saw substantial foot traffic during the festival.

Avocado projects by Carpinteria Middle School students are displayed.

Intertribal Powwow

California workers to see increased paid family leave benefits under new law

By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – On the final day to sign bills passed during the legislative session, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law Friday that will increase the share of wages employers must pay lower-income workers who take paid family leave.

Signed into law by Gov. Newsom Friday, Senate Bill 951 will increase the amount of the employee’s wages an employer must pay to lower-income workers who take time off to care for a sick family member or bond with a child within a year after their birth.

Starting Jan. 1, 2025, the new law will increase the wage replacement rate to 90% for workers making less than $57,000, and all other workers would receive 70%, according to the bill’s author, Sen. María Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles. The current rate is 60-70% depending on income.

“Twenty years ago, California paved the way in establishing the first paid family leave program in the nation,” Sen. Durazo said in a statement Friday. “Today, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting our lower-income

workers and making sure Paid Family Leave and State Disability Insurance are accessible to them when they need it most.”

The bill was backed by a broad coalition of women’s associations and labor unions, who said the measure was critical to ensure lowincome workers can access the benefits that they pay for.

The state’s Paid Family Leave program is funded by California workers through a State Disability Insurance payroll tax deduction, which is a 1.1% contribution per paycheck.

Workers are eligible for Paid Family Leave if they are a part-time or full-time public or private sector employee who contributed to the State Disability Insurance program in the last 18 months, according to the Employment Development Department.

A report released this year by the EDD estimated that the Paid Family Leave Program provides 14.4 million workers with benefits, down from 18.8 million in 2019 due to the pandemic.

Supporters of SB 951 argued that the previous wage replacement rate was too low for workers to afford to take the leave.

“Until now, workers in low-paid jobs haven’t

had meaningful choices when it comes to caring for newborns; we go back to work before our babies or our bodies are ready because there is no alternative that works when our families need food and shelter,” said Maria Bernal, a Sacramento-area fast food worker and participant in the Fight for $15. “This new law gives me hope that working moms like me can spend this important time together without sacrificing diapers, formula and other things babies need to thrive.”

Eleven states, including California, offer paid family leave, all of which are funded by employee-paid payroll taxes, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Despite California being the first state to enact a Paid Family Leave program, its benefits “fall short of those offered by most other similar state programs,” according to an analysis from the California Budget & Policy Center.

In a statement Friday, Gov. Newsom called the bill signing “an important step to ensure more low-wage workers, many of them women and people of color, can access the time off they’ve earned while still providing for their family.”

Abbott, O’Rourke spar over border security at debate

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) –

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic challenger

Robert “Beto” O’Rourke sparred over border security efforts during their first and only debate Friday night.

Border security was cited by moderators as the number one issue to residents of Edinburgh, the border town in which the debate was held. Its residents say they are tired of the crime and influx of people and drugs burdening their community.

The first question asked was: “What would you do to alleviate the financial burden on border communities?”

Gov. Abbott responded by saying he would continue the efforts of Operation Lone Star, the border initiative he launched in 2021 just a few months after President Joe Biden took office, when illegal border crossings began to surge.

Mr. O’Rourke said the operation “was a total failure” but didn’t offer any specific solutions.

The Texas legislature has allocated $4 billion to fund Operation Lone Star, which since last March has resulted in state law enforcement officials apprehending more than 308,700 foreign nationals who entered the country illegally, making more than 20,200 criminal arrests, including more than 17,900 on felony charges, and confiscating enough fentanyl to kill everyone in the United States.

“Operation Lone Star continues

to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border,” Gov. Abbott has argued prior to Friday’s debate. “Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Biden’s open border policies.”

When asked how much more the state should spend to protect Texans, Gov. Abbott said, “Zero if we had a president enforcing immigration laws.”

Mr. O’Rourke said Operation Lone Star is “political theater,” and Texas taxpayers “shouldn’t spend any more money on it.”

He said he supports a “safe, legal, orderly way to allow people to enter the country,” and that he would “work with local leaders to make sure we alleviate the burden” on them.

A video clip was played of Mr. O’Rourke saying at a recent campaign event that the Texas National Guard members were sent to the border “to be a solution in search of a problem,” implying there was no border crisis. Moderators reminded Mr. O’Rourke that he told The Houston Chronicle he would put National Guard troops on the border, leading the moderator to again ask him what his position was.

“So far, four guard members have lost their lives while serving during Operation Lone Star,” Mr O’Rourke said, and the operation was “a complete failure for the state.”

Roughly 10,000 guardsmen and

women have been called up to participate in OLS.

When asked about busing people released by the Biden administration into Texas who entered the U.S. illegally, Gov. Abbott said the strategy began after he met with local officials who asked for help. Their communities were overrun by the amount of people pouring in; busing them out provided much needed relief to local communities, he said.

In response to a video clip played of New York City Mayor Eric Adams claiming Gov. Abbott refused to coordinate with him on transporting people to New York, Gov. Abbott said, “Mayor Adams has never called my office. What he’s saying is flat out false.”

He added that Mr. O’Rourke “continues to flip flop on every single issue, including the border, no matter the issue he keeps changing his position.”

Mr. O’Rourke said busing people north “is a political stunt.” He said he grew up on the border in El Paso, adding that “El Paso is one of the safest cities in America.”

According to Crimegrade.org, El Paso has a D- overall crime grade; a violent crime grade of a D+; property crime grade is a D-; and other crime a D-.

According to El Paso Police Department data released this summer, auto thefts are up 48%, assaults are up 15%, burglaries (home, vehicle, building) are down 34%, while murders and robberies remain steady, the El Paso Times reported.

El Paso, federal officials have

increasingly warned, is a major human trafficking and kidnapping destination of cartel operatives coming across the southern border.

With the amount of foreign nationals unlawfully being released into El Paso by the Biden administration, its Democratic mayor and city council chose to bus “more people out of the city than the state is,” Gov. Abbott said.

Roughly 900 people a day are being released by the Biden administration in El Paso, according to news reports last month. Jorge Rodriguez of El Paso’s Office of Emergency Management said in August, the city’s shelters couldn’t handle the influx of people. Charter buses were contracted to move people out, El Paso Deputy City Manager Mario D’Agostino told local news outlets at the time, “to help a strained system.”

In the last week of August, El Paso’s shelters took in 2,235 people who’d been released into the city by the Biden administration. In August, roughly 8,400 people released into El Paso went elsewhere into the U.S., according to city data.

In the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Sector that includes El Paso, agents have reported encountering roughly 1,500 people a day, excluding gotaways – a term used by border patrol to describe those who evade capture of law enforcement.

Mr. O’Rourke said El Paso’s bussing more people out than Texas was an “apples to oranges” comparison, but wouldn’t elaborate further.

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A man wearing his traditional Native American dress strolls through the open market during the Chumash Intertribal Powwow in Santa Ynez on Sunday.

Turkey time

A flock of turkeys explore a hill next to Alisal Road in Solvang on Sunday. These birds were part of a larger group of more than

turkeys that were wandering on both sides of the road.

PAGELife

Inspired by Jane Austen

The Jane Austen era recently served as the inspiration when Girls Inc. of Carpinteria hosted “An Evening in Bloom: Bloomington.”

The fundraiser featured a gourmet dinner catered by The Food Liaison, a hosted bar, and silent and live auctions. And, of course, attendees — including the Girls Inc. staff — showed up in Jane Austen-era clothing.

In addition, the Sept. 24 event honored Carpinteria resident Kevin Baird, a Girls Inc. board member, for his dedication to local girls through his many years of support of the organization.

“Kevin’s dedication to our organization and local girls over the years is something we are truly grateful for. We are thrilled to honor him at this year’s gala,” Jamie Collins, executive director of Girls Inc. Carpinteria, said in a news release.

A Carpinteria resident for 32 years, Mr. Baird has been actively involved with many other local and regional organizations including the United Cerebral Palsy Association, Mentor Match, Carpinteria Education Foundation, Klein Bottle Youth Programs, Rotary International, Boy Scouts of America, Carpinteria Little League and the Boys & Girls Club of Carpinteria.

“This year’s Jane Austen era event also pays homage to one of the most famous and beloved writers in English literature, who inspired countless women and truly embodied the words ‘strong, smart, and bold,’ ” Ms. Collins added.

— Dave Mason

Girls Inc. honors Kevin Baird and salutes the spirit of being ‘strong, smart and bold’

Honoree Kevin Baird attends the event in style.

AJA FORNER PHOTOS

The Girls Inc. of Carpinteria staff wears Jane Austen-era clothing at “An Evening in Bloom: Bloomington.”

Girls Inc. board member Katie Convoy enjoys a casino game.

As shown in this black-and-white photo, the outdoor Bloomington event transported attendees to another era in the outdoor setting at Girls Inc. More photos will appear in Tuesday’s News-Press.

Real or fake? Here’s how to tell with Galle glass

SinceI wrote an article about “Real or Fake Galle” glass in 2018, I have been getting questions from all over the world.

A reader sent me this image from Santa Barbara. So in this column, I update the latest on “Real or Fake Galle” glass. If you love a fake, and are not paying authentic prices, go ahead! Some of the fakes are older themselves (1990 Taiwan) and kind of nice.

If you love Galle furniture glass or ceramics, go to France to the Musee de l ’Ecole de Nancy.

Failing that, here’s the skinny. The average price paid for an original Galle vase is $500-$2,000 with some going for much more.

Fakes lately are made in China and Romania. Paying a high price will not guarantee authenticity. A good dealer will have a catalog of shapes, and an online service (vases@galleartglass.com) can help for free.

The world of art and design has loved Galle art glass for 150 years, because Emile Galle (1846-1904) was the first to produce glass as art. When we say “art glass,” it is because of him.

He was a polymath, brought up in his father’s art and ceramics factory. He studied botany and Islamic design.

His creations have been valued highly because he was at the forefront of the new look — art nouveau — in France, which featured organic shapes; flora and fauna, insects, and graceful scenic views.

Young, he established his own art glass factory in Nancy (a center for glass — think of Daum Nancy Glass) and made glass for the Paris Exposition in 1878, for which he earned the Grand Prix. The value of pieces designed for shows are valued higher than the factory (industrial) vessels.

Unlike other art glass, the provenance (who owned the piece before) is not as valuecreating as why a vessel was made.

If Emile designed a piece for a show himself, that is the value-enhancer. The bad news was that he died young at 58 years, and after that, his wife took over production, signing his name with a star.

After her, the son in law, not born a Galle, produced Galle glass, and signed as his fatherin-law. His role in the concern was from 1904 to 1914, because the factory closed during World War I, opening again only after 1919, closing again in 1936. This is a formative period in the history because the so- in-law mechanized the production.

How? Well, his artists blew the glass shapes (mostly vases and lamps) into a mold, then layered the glass with two or three layers of other colored glass. The basic color was clear

UCSB hosts singer-songwriter Carla Morrison

Latin Grammy-winning pop star Carla Morrison is set to make her Santa Barbara debut Oct. 27 at UCSB Campbell Hall.

The singer-songwriter sold out major venues in Peru, Chile, Argentina and Mexico, as well as Los Angeles’ 5,900seat Greek Theater before traveling to Santa Barbara for a more intimate Campbell Hall performance. She will perform songs from her 2021 release “El

Renacimiento,” which has been called her “most personal album yet.”

The UCSB Arts & Lectures concert is set for 8 p.m.

Tickets range from $35 to $55 for the general public and $15 for UCSB students with ID.

To purchase, go to www. artsandlectures.ucsb edu or call 805-893-3535.

— Matt Smolensky

glass, overlaid with varying degrees of green. Then it was “acid etched.”

The term is cameo glass. Three or two-fold encased glass layers were subjected to a burin ( a sharp pointer) that would etch a design layer by layer. Then the vessel was sunk into a hydrofluoric bath. The longer it stayed in the bath, the deeper the design would “bite.”

If the vessel had a dark overlay of two tones, say, of brown, by gradations in time of the acid bath, you could pul out the vase when it had a shadow of a brown, and so on. Shine a light, and you will see a faint hue of what laid before. The depth of color shines in light.

The factors in the valuation of original Galle glass are condition (you can’t disguise a crack) and the degree of “the artist’s hand” in the creation of the piece. Emile Galle and his talented designers often created custom works, as differentiated from the factory works, which by the 1920s were being bought by the general public.

A feature of the art nouveau movement was that pieces that were unobtainable by the general public were commissioned for the rich. Another major factor in value is the location of the design. If it is Lake Como and has architectural elements, it is worth a bunch. If the vase has flowers, what flowers were they? Galle was a botanist, so certain flowers and fauna are more valued.

Here are clues that it’s a fake:

• Newer reproductions will be signed with a raised signature.

• Look at the rim and feet. The rim should be rounded and polished, not rough and ground flat.

• Look at the base. The base should not be too smooth or too flat. (The piece should look like it’s blown glass.)

Vases@galleartglass.com will evaluate for free and will also accept text messages at 763360-3608.

Dr. Elizabeth Stewart’s “Ask the Gold Digger” column appears Mondays in the News-Press.

Written after her father’s COVID-19 diagnosis, Dr. Stewart’s book “My Darlin’ Quarantine: Intimate Connections Created in Chaos” is a humorous collection of five “what-if” short stories that end in personal triumphs over present-day constrictions. It’s available at Chaucer’s in Santa Barbara.

Stearns Wharf celebration to include Mystic Whaler

The merchants of Stearns Wharf will hold a 150th Anniversary celebration for the iconic Santa Barbara structure on Oct. 8.

The tall ship Mystic Whaler will be making an appearance at the event, sailing by the wharf at 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and noon while firing a series of ship-gun salutes.

The festivities will also include a full day of events, including activities for all ages, free music performances, fireworks and a formal event featuring elected officials and city leaders.

Stearns Wharf was built by John Peck Stearns in 1872. Before its construction, Santa Barbara was an isolated community surrounded by mountains and unreachable by roads or railroads. With the wharf’s construction, large-scale commerce and trade came to the city, putting Santa Barbara on the map and introducing the city to the rest of the world.

The wharf later served as a

vital conduit for a growing fishing fleet and was the birthplace of commercial diving. The structure has withstood storms, fires and even a water spout while continuing to serve as a focal point of the Santa Barbara community.

The Mystic Whaler, designed by V.B. Crockett and built in 1967 in Tarpon Springs, Fla., is a recreation of a 19th-century twomasted cargo schooner. After a 1995 overhaul, the ship operated on the East Coast for 26 years, conducting educational programs and charters in Long Island Sound and the Chesapeake Bay before embarking a three-month journey to California in October 2021.

Donated to educational nonprofit Central Coast Ocean Adventures in January 2022, the ship is Coast Guard-certified to carry up to 50 passengers on day sails and 30 passengers on overnight voyages.

— Matt Smolensky

Off to the next class

COURTESY PHOTO

Carla Morrison

COURTESY PHOTO

The Mystic Whaler will fire off gun salutes when it stops in Santa Barbara for the 150th celebration of Stearns Wharf.

KENNETH

UCSB students ride their bicycles through the roundabout near Storke Tower.

COURTESY PHOTO

Columnist Elizabeth Stewart discusses what makes Galle glass pieces authentic.

Diversions

Thought for Today

“The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love.”

HOROSCOPE

By Horoscope.com Monday,

Aries: Quietly step into the background if things aren’t going the way you’d like, Aries. Don’t try to stick your nose into someone else’s business, even if you think you know the right way to proceed. People probably have strong opinions, and they won’t be swayed in any direction.

Taurus: You may have gotten yourself tangled up in a deep mental drama over a series of recent incidents, Taurus. Your mind may be working overtime in order to solve the riddles. It’s quite possible that the reality of the situation is that you’re simply making a big deal over nothing.

Gemini: You may feel as if your smile is unwelcome today, Gemini. It may seem to you like there’s some sort of gloom and doom to people’s attitudes that makes them unwilling to accept any sort of good news. Don’t let this stop you from maintaining your own cheerful state. It’s important that you not probe too deeply into the reasons behind other people’s behavior now.

Cancer: Keep careful track of things today, Cancer, for you will find that the smallest detail will make the biggest difference. Don’t hesitate to go with your hunches when something simply doesn’t sound right. Stay focused and try not to get caught off guard when emotional issues come out of nowhere and disturb your thoughts.

Leo: You may feel as if your hands are tied today and you’re faced with absolutely no options, Leo. Don’t despair over a situation that seems insurmountable. Think of yourself as a terrific magician who can burst out of the strongest chains.

Virgo: This is a good time to take a stand on an issue that you may have been vacillating about lately, Virgo. People will lose confidence in you if you can’t seem to make up your mind. What they don’t realize is that you’ve been working overtime to process all the information.

Now it’s time to express orally what you’ve discovered mentally.

Libra: Today is one of those days in which you will be bursting at the seams to share big news

with your friends, Libra. Perhaps you just received an important package or piece of information and you can’t wait to spread the news. Be careful about who might be lurking around, however, because there could be others listening in.

Scorpio: Your reluctance to speak could get you in trouble today, Scorpio. You may hesitate to share what you know for fear of what others might think. You should realize that you’re using this as an excuse to hide what’s really just selfishness. Share your knowledge with others and you will be amazed at the knowledge that comes back to you in return.

Sagittarius: There may be a great tension between you and someone older today, Sagittarius. Perhaps there’s someone who’s adopting a sort of “parent knows best” personality that’s starting to annoy you. Take a breather. Realize that this person isn’t being critical or judgmental but just giving you advice.

Capricorn: There’s apt to be a comfortable feeling about today that should make you feel quite secure and nurtured, Capricorn. Perhaps you’re feeling protected by a strong force, maybe an internal one, that’s reminding you that as long as you stay within the lines, everything will be fine.

Aquarius: You could feel like a rat in a maze today, Aquarius. Walls and long, narrow corridors take you around corners and through doorways, yet there’s no indication that you’re going in the right direction. Instead of wandering aimlessly, stop and ask for help. You might not have noticed that if you look up, there are knowledgeable beings there who are willing to give you advice based on their lofty perspective.

Pisces: Don’t get so stuck in your ways today that you insist on having the one true answer without really considering the options. You must be aware of a lot before you commit yourself one way or another. The people around you are apt to get annoyed with your narrow-mindedness, for this is how you will be viewed unless you stop and take a considered look at the whole picture.

DAILY BRIDGE

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

SUDOKU

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday-Saturday and on the crossword solutions page in Sunday’s Life section.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

CODEWORD PUZZLE

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language.

Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance.

All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid.

Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

Studies: Better data needed to research claims of teacher shortages

By BRETT ROWLAND THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – New research on the demand for teachers highlights the lack of information about teacher shortages at all levels of government.

A working paper from Brown University found that “teacher shortages are still poorly understood, and it remains unclear whether there is a shortfall of teachers on the national scale or if shortages are localized – a key component of the current debate around teacher shortages.”

The authors – Tuan Nguyen and Chanh Lam from Kansas State University and Paul Bruno from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – gathered information on shortages from across the country. After reviewing information from all 50 states, the authors estimated the extent of the shortage.

“Some back-of-the-envelope math implies teaching vacancies amount to 1.67% of positions nationwide and about 5.16% of positions are held by underqualified teachers,” according to the working paper.

The report found 11 states “with clear vacancy.” Those states were Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Utah. It further found 26 states plus Washington D.C. “with less clear vacancy” and 13 states “with unknown vacancy.”

However, the authors emphasized the extent of teacher shortages remains unclear.

“While we present what we believe is the most comprehensive nationwide evidence to date about the scope of teacher shortages, perhaps the most important takeaway from our analyses is how limited the data are,” they wrote. “ ... In sum, what our data cannot tell us about

teacher shortages is in many ways more important than what they can tell us.”

The authors recommend more robust reporting at all levels to provide more information about the scope of supply and demand issues, which they note “are known to vary substantially, even for different positions in the same school.”

“Even though there are many policy and news reports of teacher shortages, these often focus on specific districts or states, and as of yet, there has not been a concerted and systematic effort to examine what teacher shortages look like nationally. This both hampers research into the teacher shortages and complicates potential policy efforts to addressing them, for instance by making it difficult to know whether and how to encourage prospective teachers to complete teacher preparation programs and take jobs in schools experiencing shortages,” the authors wrote.

The paper also gave attention to other problems with data regarding potential shortages including inconsistencies in the ways teacher vacancies were defined.

“Some parties (e.g., economists) might use the term ‘shortage’ to refer to a situation where the number of applicant teachers is insufficient to fill available positions, while others (e.g., school administrators) might use ‘shortage’ to refer to situations where they wish there were more or better applicants,” the authors wrote.

The authors recommend state policymakers make school-level data on teacher qualifications available, require districts to include in public-facing report cards detailed information on staff shortages and qualifications at the school level and that districts or other statewide authorities maintain and make accessible data on job postings and unfilled teaching positions. The authors further recommend those numbers be put in

context with the size of the school system or vacancy rate per 10,000 students.

“The apparent severity of teacher shortages can vary considerably depending on whether numbers are expressed as raw counts or relative to the size of the school system,” they wrote in the working paper.

The concerns in the national study were echoed by another research organization looking at teacher shortages in Michigan. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan reported in 2019 and again in 2022 that a lack of data confounded efforts to research a teacher shortage in that state.

“Early warnings of teacher shortages in some districts and subject areas may portend a broader trend that will affect schools across the state, but statewide analysis of the issue is made more difficult by a lack of relevant data about Michigan’s existing, former and wouldbe teaching professionals,” the Citizens Research Council reported in 2019.

“Understanding and addressing the real and potential shortages is hampered by the lack of clear data about the teaching workforce. Michigan has not prioritized studying this labor market and the shortage issue, so analysis is somewhat stymied by a shortage of available, timely and relevant information.”

The nonprofit research organization said the issues had not been resolved in 2022.

“In terms of bad news (or the not-sogood news), the State of Michigan is making these new investments without a clear and full understanding of the nature and scope of the different staffing challenges faced by local districts,” the Citizens Research Council wrote in August 2022. “This is due, in large part, to the fact that the state has not invested in the data and information systems necessary to quantify the genuine extent of the problem(s) being addressed.”

Newsom vetoes solitary confinement restriction in jails, prisons

By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – A bill that would have placed limits on the use of solitary confinement in California jails, prisons and detention facilities was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday night, representing the defeat of a measure that advocates said would restrict a “torturous” practice.

In a veto message, the governor wrote that he supported limits on solitary confinement but feared the bill would impact the safety of prison staff and inmates.

“Segregated confinement is ripe for reform in the United States – and the same holds true in California,” Gov. Newsom wrote in a veto message. “AB 2632, however, establishes standards that are overly broad and exclusions that could risk the safety of both the staff and incarcerated population within these facilities.”

Gov. Newsom noted that he is directing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to create regulations

to limit segregated confinement except in “limited situations.” Advocates of the bill, however, believe a legislative fix remains the right path forward.

“The lack of serious engagement by the governor with legislators on this issue, and his unilateral decision to pursue regulatory changes in prisons and ignore jails and private detention facilities is disappointing,” Hamid Yazdan Panah, advocacy director with Immigrant Defense Advocates, said in a statement to The Center Square. “CDCR in particular has been cited for failing to implement court ordered changes with respect to solitary confinement, so we have little faith in the regulatory process and believe a comprehensive legislative solution is necessary to end torture in our state.”

If AB 2632 was signed into law, it would have prohibited a prison from holding an inmate in solitary confinement for more than 15 consecutive days and no more than 45 days within a 180-day period. The bill would also prohibit prisons from “involuntarily” placing anyone in solitary confinement who is under

26 or over 59, has a mental or physical disability, is pregnant, recently suffered a miscarriage, recently terminated a pregnancy or is in the first eight weeks of postpartum.

Advocates pointed to organizations like the United Nations and the World Health Organization, who have acknowledged the harmful and potentially fatal implications of solitary confinement. The United Nations ratified the Nelson Mandela Rules in 2015, declaring that prolonged and indefinite solitary confinement should be prohibited.

The bill faced pushback from the California State Sheriff’s Association, who argued that the Board of State and Community Corrections is “best situated” to make situations about “best practices” at prisons and detention facilities.

A fiscal analysis estimated the bill would cost hundreds of millions of dollars annually to implement the requirements, which included the need to hire additional staff and expand exercise yards.

Three more counties want Texas to declare invasion at southern border; total at 32

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Three more counties are the latest to express support for Texas declaring an invasion at the southern border, bringing the total to 32.

The judge and county commissioners of Ector County, in the Permian Basin, signed a Declaration of Local State of Disaster on Sept. 27 stating the “health, safety, and welfare of Ector County residents are under an imminent threat of disaster from the unprecedented levels of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling coming across the U.S. border from Mexico.”

The declaration states that the “sophisticated human smuggling and drug trafficking organizations that facilitate these criminal acts are spearheaded by violent international drug cartels who have operational control over our unsecured U.S./Mexico border.” The crisis at the border “is not acceptable, and has resulted in a security threat and humanitarian disaster with overwhelming consequences to the residents of Ector County and Texans,” they argue.

Ector County Commissioner Mike Gardner told The Center Square that even in Odessa, Texas, residents are seeing “busloads of illegal aliens coming through every day.” The county’s law enforcement and judicial system “is already up against the wall and shorthanded,” he said, with not enough staff to handle the crime stemming from the border. “We have enough issues in our county without the burden of this coming through. We need help from the state to fight the amount of drugs and people coming through.”

The declaration only lasts for seven days and will continue for a longer period if the commissioners renew it.

Lavaca County Judge Mark Myers signed a declaration of local disaster that remains in effect “until terminated by the County Judge.”

It states the “the health, safety, and welfare of Lavaca County residents is under an imminent threat of disaster from the unprecedented levels of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling coming across the U.S. border from Mexico.”

Judge Myers cites recent CBP data that shows that more than 5 million people have been apprehended or evaded apprehension at the southern border since January 2021, including dozens on the terrorist watch list.

“The unprecedented amount of human trafficking, combined with the smuggling of fentanyl and other opioids infiltrating our border,” being “spearheaded by violent international drug cartels” has created “a security threat and humanitarian disaster with overwhelming consequences to the residents of Lavaca County and Texas,” necessitating him declaring a disaster, he said.

His declaration states these and other factors “constitute among other things an invasion of Lavaca County,” as the

term used in Article 4, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution and Article 4, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution.

Judge Myers also requested the governor of Texas “declare the existence of an invasion on its border with Mexico and take necessary actions to preserve and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Texas.”

Citing clauses of the U.S. Constitution and Texas Constitution, he called on the governor to “immediately prevent and/or remove all persons invading the sovereignty of Texas and that of the United States.”

Hamilton County Judge Mark Tynes signed a resolution “calling for additional measures to secure the border, stop the invasion at the border and protect our communities.” He also cited Article 4, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution and Article 4, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution granting the governor authority to secure the Texas border from cartels who are acting as “paramilitary, narco-terrorist organizations that profit from trafficking people and drugs into the United States.”

The resolution also states that Hamilton County Commissioner’s Court “recognizes our southern border is under invasion,” and “recognizes and affirms the sovereignty and unilateral authority explicitly reserved to the states, respectively, under Article 1, Section 10 of the United States Constitution and Article IV, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution to defend themselves against invasion, which has been exacerbated by the Federal Government’s failure in meeting its constitutional obligation to ‘insure domestic tranquility,’ ‘provide for the common defense,’ ‘execute the laws,’ and ‘protect each state against invasion.’”

Hamilton County expressed support for Texas’ border security efforts through Operation Lone Star and “expanded operation authorities” and “requests Governor Abbott to take the necessary steps as allowed” under aforementioned U.S. and Texas constitutions.

So far, judges and commissioners who’ve signed resolutions in support of Texas declaring an invasion represent the counties of Atascosa, Burnet, Chambers, Clay, Ector, Edwards, Ellis, Goliad, Hamilton, Hardin, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Johnson, Kinney, Lavaca, Liberty, Live Oak, Madison, Montague, Orange, Parker, Presidio, Terrell, Throckmorton, Tyler, Van Zandt, Wharton, Wichita, Wilson, and Wise.

While the judges of Jeff Davis and Rockwall counties expressed support for declaring an invasion, their county commissioners didn’t sign resolutions. Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin is the only mayor in Texas or the U.S. to declare an invasion.

A majority of Americans recently polled say the U.S. is being invaded at the southern border. They did so as the number of illegal foreign nationals being apprehended or evading capture at the southern border since January 2021 total more than the individual populations of 25 states.

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