The Future of Small Town California part VI: Mt. Maidu Country

Aired on The California Report Magazine on July 29, 2011 (with a photo slideshow).

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201107291630/c

For this story in the series I headed up the Feather River to the mountains of Plumas and Lassen Counties. This story starts before towns we see on a map today even existed; before Greenville or Taylorsville, this land was filled with the villages of native Mt. Maidu people. But Gold Rush prospectors, developers and government agencies honed in on their land. Their population declined, and so did their access to the land for traditional practices. Now Mt. Maidu are now working to regain formal stewardship of their homeland.

With a reporter's notebook:

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201107291630/cx

Station-Indie "Do-si-do"

Published in the Association of Independents in Radio AIRblast, July 2011.

http://www.airmedia.org/PageInfo.php?PageID=669

I couldn't be doing my small town series if it weren't for the relationship I have with KQED's The California Report, and they wouldn't have reporting in some of the state's far-flung places without this series.

California Song: John Doe's "The Golden State"

Aired on The California Report on May 27, 2011.

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201105271630/d

The Future of Small Town California Part V: Calipatria

Aired on The California Report on May 20, 2011

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201105201630/b

Calipatria is a town in California's southeast corner: Imperial County. Many of the town's residents rejoiced in April when Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a requirement that by 2020, the state get over 30 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. They hope the region's natural resources will lead this hard-hit county into economic recovery.

With a reporter's notebook:

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201105201630/bx

The Future of Small Town California Part IV: Avenal

Aired on The California Report evening magazine on March 18, 2011.

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201103181630/d

With a reporter's notebook:

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201103181630/dx

In 1929, oil was discovered in the Kettleman Hills -- and the nearby town of Avenal was born. But by the 1960s, the oil business dried up, and Avenal struggled to find a new economy and identity. They found one, but in an industry most towns had previously shunned: a prison.

The Future of Small Town California Part III: Garberville

Aired on KQED public radio's The California Report on Friday, January 7, 2011.

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201101071630/c

The Humboldt County town of Garberville is a thriving center of California's marijuana industry. For the past few decades, pot growing has gradually replaced logging and ranching as the economic engine there. We visit Garberville to learn more about the changing identity of a town underwritten by pot. Co-reported with Kym Kemp.

Big Wave with Jenny and Johnny

Aired on The California Report magazine on Friday December 3, 2010.

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201012031630/d

Um, I got to sit on the tour bus with Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley) and Jonathan Rice (both smart, sweet, approachable) and talk to them about their song "Big Wave."  And then Jonathan talked about the interview on stage that night.  And then I got paid for it.  Lucky, lucky me.