California

Lagoon Valley is the Northern California’s first “conservation community” in Vacaville, developers say

Published

18 hours ago

October 10, 2025

Lagoon Valley is the Northern California’s first “conservation community” in Vacaville, developers say

Roughly halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento sits a new housing community that developers call the first “conservation community” in Northern California.

The Lagoon Valley development in Vacaville is opening in phases, with homes up for sale now in multiple neighborhoods, promising a host of new amenities along the way.

About 150 homes have been built, but the development is approved for just over 1,000. Construction will continue over the next five years.

Curt Johansen, director of development in California for Seattle-based Triad Development, says his vision was to build a first-of-its-kind community in Solano County. The project is about 20 years in the making.

“Over 30 years ago, the city of Vacaville approved a project here that was, I would call it, unsustainable. It didn’t actually take into consideration the sensitivities of this beautiful valley and all of the nature that’s going on here,” Johansen said.

The land was once slated for office space and a massive strip mall. That proposal was met with pushback and even petitions from the community to shut it down.

“It was going to be a 7-million-square-foot office complex, basically. We were contacted by the city and they requested we take a look at it, see if we could do something better,” Johansen said.

Johansen said their mission is to protect the environmental treasure that many Solano County neighbors have fought to preserve for decades.

“We decided to take 85% of the land and forever protect it in open space and recreation, and then that means the built environment is very small. People know that all this open space that surrounds them is going to be there forever,” Johansen said.

The idea of a conservation community is that you prioritize first where you will not build, putting the integrity of the land and the surrounding natural environment first.

Lagoon Valley has preserved more than 1,300 acres of wild open land and also created a new wildlife wetland preserve.

Johansen called it a different and unconventional approach.

“Conventional development says, let’s put houses wherever we can because that’s going to make the most money. This is much more of a triple-bottom-line concept, where we have to balance the environmental sensitivities, the social needs, as well as the housing needs. The idea is to start with areas that just should never be built up. That’s what we did. Then eventually, the 15% left became where the neighborhoods would go,” Johansen said.

Johansen says there are only about 40 conservation communities nationwide. He traveled to study what made them special, and also went to Northern Europe for influence on sustainable, walkable living.

A huge focus for ‘conservation living’ starts with climate resiliency, protecting against fire and flood.

“The community is designed to have buffers designed for flood protection in that we have 156 acre-feet of storage included throughout the Valley for water that comes out of all the watersheds around us. And what that does is it helps hold the water, slowly let it out, because historically, the city has had a lot of flooding problems downstream from here. It’s a huge watershed area, and so we’re managing all of that storm drainage on site and slowly letting it out to protect downstream owners. On wildfires, we’ve set this up so that the perimeter is very defensible. It’s not your usual 100-foot type perimeter. We do 600-700 feet of irrigated areas to protect against wildfires,” Johansen said.

Another part of the model is resource conservation. Every home is equipped with solar panels.

“The homes are built to exceed California standards for energy conservation. That’s really important,” said Johansen. “We went the extra step, and we actually required them to dual pipe all the homes to reclaim greywater. So all of the homes have the ability to actually irrigate their entire yards with greywater reclaimed from their own showers the day before.”

So, where does the water come from?

“We have our own water system here. We actually get the potable supply from the city, but we built our own 2.7 million-gallon storage reservoir just for Lagoon Valley,” Johansen said.

With homes for sale and new neighbors already moving in, on tap next are the places to play and recreate in what is designed to be a walkable, bike-friendly community.

“We didn’t want this to be just a sort of a bedroom community, even with all its beauty and the wildlife habitat. We wanted it to actually be a place where people had things they needed here,” Johansen said.

Next to be built are new public and private parks and an 18-hole championship golf course.

They are also constructing a town center that will be home to local shops and restaurants, along with an organic farm for neighbors to grow their own produce.

In the event center, which broke ground last month, developers are building sports courts, pools, a fitness center and meeting spaces.

Johansen, when asked if a large development like this slaps Bay Area urban sprawl on a small town, says he does not want to make Solano County something it is not.

“There’s no doubt about it. Solano is a Bay Area county. It may be the farthest out, but what I like about it is the north end of the Bay Area, Solano, Napa and Sonoma, they all still have a lot of agriculture, and that’s hard to find,” Johansen said. “Preserving open space and agriculture is so important. There’s a mindset in the north end of the Bay Area about that and so we felt like our conservation mentality fits nicely,” Johansen said.

Their priority is to preserve the region’s agricultural integrity while solving a big problem.

“We need more housing. We have a housing crisis. We know that right, there’s no reason why more and more communities can’t be done to scale so that they’re big enough to provide some housing, but at the same time, they’re preserving that whole ethic of what the region is about,” Johansen said.

In the new community, the price points range from affordable housing to a higher-end gated community.

Homes are on sale now.

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California

Día de los Muertos events in Southern California

Published

1 day ago

October 9, 2025

Press Room

Día de los Muertos events in Southern California

Here’s a list of 2025 Día de los Muertos events around Southern California. Share your Día de los Muertos celebrations with #abc7eyewitness!

Día de los Muertos Family Day
October 8, 12 p.m.
La Plaza de Cultura y Artes
501 N Main St., Los Angeles
The dead come to life at LA Plaza! Watch performances that pay homage to the dead through music and dance.
díadelosmuertosfamilyday.com

Panteón Fest x Pipiripau
October 11, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Heritage Square
715 South A Street, Oxnard
Celebrate our second annual Day of the Dead festival with a lineup of activities, including a desfilada procession, Aztec dance, musical performances, a theatrical play, and more!
panteonfestpipiripau.com

Downtown Día de los Muertos
Oct. 25 – Nov. 2
200 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles
Join at Gloria Molina Grand Park, which transforms into a space of remembrance, healing, and celebration with altars, art, music, and community gatherings.
downtowndíadelosmuertos.com

Día de los Muertos Festival
October 25 – Nov. 2
Olvera Street
A nine-day festival, with a nightly procession, community altars on display, and entertainment.
díadelosmuertosfestival.com

Día De Los Muertos at the Pier
Santa Monica Pier
November 1-2
Santa Monica Pier pays tribute to the cultural tradition of Día de los Muertos – Day of the Dead- with a two-day public art installation taking place from November 1st through November 2nd, 2025. The sixth annual Santa Monica Pier’s Día de los Muertos Celebration honors people, places, and ideas that are important to Santa Monican’s through free, family-friendly programming.
díadelosmuertoscelebration.com

Día y Noche de los Muertos
Nov. 1, three time slots: 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m ., and 9:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles
This all-day and night event will feature a children’s plaza, altars, art exhibitions, Aztecs, folk dances, performers, arts, and food!
díaynochedelosmuertos.com

Downey Dia de los Muertos Festival
Oct. 29
11111 Brookshire Ave, Downey
Now in its 10th year, Downey Dia de los Muertos features live music, ballet folklorico, Aztec dancers, car altar displays, papel picado, calaveras, face painting, food trucks, and more. No tickets required.
downeydíadelosmuertos.com

Día De Muertos Family Festival
Nov. 1, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Catalina Museum
26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia
Families and friends of all ages are invited to experience the colorful Mexican tradition celebrating life and death while honoring family members and friends who are no longer with us. Event features: Kids art project, local food vendors, tequila tasting, live music and performances, and the 2025 Barbie Signature Collection Dia de Muertos doll raffle.
catalinamuseum.org

Los Muertos 5k
Nov. 1
Historic Olvera Street
Downtown Los Angeles
Run and celebrate on the Day of the Dead. Tour historic Olvera Street and enjoy music along the course, beautiful finisher medals, and a post-race Dia de los Muertos celebration.
losmuertos5k.com

Riverside Day Of The Dead
Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., through Sunday, Nov. 2, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Downtown Riverside
Market St. between University Ave. & 14th St.
Celebrate the 20-year anniversary in Riverside with art, altars, food, performers, lucha libre, and more!
riversidedayofthedead.com

Viva la Vida Santa Ana
Nov. 2, from 2 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Bowers Museum
2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706
Enjoy live performances, art making, face painting, and complimentary treats at the Bowers Museum.
mexicandayofthedeadbowersmuseum.com

If you know about a great local Día de los Muertos event, share it with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using #abc7eyewitness!

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California

Millennial Democrat Ian Calderon announces bid for California governor

Published

2 weeks ago

September 23, 2025

Press Room

Millennial Democrat Ian Calderon announces bid for California governor

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<p>By Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters
<p>This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.
<p>Former state lawmaker Ian Calderon is joining the crowded 2026 race for California governor, he announced Tuesday. <div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"><!-- Composite Start --> 
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<p>The Whittier Democrat is framing his candidacy as one from a “new generation of leadership.” He was 27 when he became the first millennial to be elected to the state Assembly in 2012. 
<p>But he was no newcomer even then — Calderon comes from a line of politicians from southeast Los Angeles County. His father, Charles Calderon, started the dynasty when he was elected to the Assembly in 1982. Two of his uncles also served in the Legislature — and federal prison for corruption. 
<p>Ian Calderon left the Assembly, where he was majority leader, in 2020 to focus on his young family and his stepmother Lisa Calderon now holds his seat. But he’s been biding his time for a return.
<p>In a campaign video that heavily features his wife and children, he said since leaving office he’s been “living in the real world, watching everyday life get harder for families like mine.” He highlighted the high costs of gas, child care and housing, taking particular aim at investment firms buying up properties. 
<p>“The people running our government? They’re trying to use yesterday’s ideas to solve today’s problems and it isn’t working,” he said. <div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"><!-- Composite Start --> 
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<p>He joins a crowd of Democrats jockeying in a wide-open race for the governorship, including: state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Controller Betty Yee, former state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, former Rep. Katie Porter, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. 
<p>Republicans Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, and commentator Steve Hilton also are running.
<p>Polling in August showed Porter was the frontrunner after former Vice President Kamala Harris decided not to run.
<p>This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
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California

2 bills meant to speed up California Delta Tunnel project die without vote

Published

4 weeks ago

September 14, 2025

Press Room

2 bills meant to speed up California Delta Tunnel project die without vote

John Ramos

Updated on: September 14, 2025 / 6:30 PM PDT
/ CBS San Francisco

Last Tuesday, the California Legislature cast a vote on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s controversial water tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta by not voting at all.

A couple of bills meant to speed up the process were allowed to die in committee before reaching the state Assembly. Opponents of the project consider it a victory in a fight to protect the water of the delta and the towns that live along its banks.

The delta town of Isleton sits frozen in time, a relic from its “Old West” past. It may be a little quiet these days, but it’s no ghost town — yet. It all depends on the river that runs alongside the town.

“Well, the history of Isleton is really deep in the river,” said Iva Walton. “Isleton used to be the main stop on the steamboat between Sacramento and San Francisco. So, it has a long history of depending on the traffic on the river.”

Walton owns the Mei Wah Beer Room, a former Chinese saloon and brothel in the 1800s. The whole town relies on people visiting the delta, and the proposal to bury a giant tunnel to siphon off billions of gallons of water farther up the Sacramento River to send to Southern California cities and Central Valley farms has drawn the ire of many people living along the delta.

“I think, in general, people are aware that it would be bad for the environment, for the property, the land, and the tourism that comes out here, if the tunnels were to drain a lot of the water from here,” Walton said. “It just seems ridiculous to take from something that is a fragile environment. There has to be other options.”

Still, Newsom has made it his key climate resilience initiative. In his May budget revision, he included a pair of bills that would make things go faster by exempting it from CEQA, simplifying permitting, allowing the state to acquire land, authorizing bonds to pay for the project, and limiting future legal challenges to the tunnel.

His office released a statement saying: “For too long, attempts to modernize our critical water infrastructure have stalled in endless red tape, burdened with unnecessary delay. We’re done with barriers — our state needs to complete this project as soon as possible, so that we can better store and manage water to prepare for a hotter, drier future. Let’s get this built.”

“Barriers are put in its way,” said Jon Rosenfield. “Those barriers being the state’s laws that everyone else needs to comply with. But the governor seems determined to try to circumvent those laws to get his tunnel built.”

Rosenfield is science director for SF Baykeeper, one of the groups opposing the tunnel for the damage they think it would inflict on already faltering fish populations downstream in the delta. But he thinks it is the project’s whopping price tag that caused legislators to let the bills die without a vote.

“I think it means there’s not a lot of support for the Delta Conveyance Project,” Rosenfield said. “I think the majority party, which is the governor’s own party in the legislature, is rightfully concerned about the cost of living. And taking on another $60-100 billion project that doesn’t really address our problems, that would still require more money to address, is not a winning proposition at this time, or ever.”

It’s also not a winning proposition in Isleton, where protecting the river is considered vital.

“It’s an amazing place and I would hate to see it go away,” said Walton.

If approved, the tunnel would run 45 miles from the Sacramento River to an existing reservoir near Livermore, before heading south via the California Aqueduct. Construction probably couldn’t begin until 2029 and would take at least 15 years to complete.

First, the project will have to undergo the normal regulatory process, at least for now.

Newsom said he would like to see the tunnel fully entitled by the time he leaves the governor’s seat. There are major political forces at work and no one seems to think this will be the end of it.

John Ramos

John Ramos accidentally launched a lifelong career in journalism when he began drawing editorial cartoons and writing smart-alecky satire pieces for the Bakersfield High School newspaper.

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