Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Buttonwillow, CA

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California regulators are planning to stop thousands of farmers from taking water out of the state’s major rivers and streams because of a worsening drought.

The Sacramento Bee reported that the State Water Resources Control Board will vote on the “emergency curtailment” order Aug. 3. If approved, it would take effect about two weeks later. There would be exceptions for drinking water and other needs.

The order shows the effect the drought is having on California’s water supply, said Eileen Sobeck, the board’s executive director. Sobeck told the newspaper that there “is just not enough to meet all of the legitimate demands.”

“We don’t take this action lightly; we know that it’s going to impose hardships on folks,” she said.

The western United States is in the midst of an historic drought that is emptying reservoirs and contributing to massive wildfires.

Extreme conditions like these are often from a combination of unusual random, short-term and natural weather patterns heightened by long-term, human-caused climate change. Scientists have long warned that the weather will get wilder as the world warms. Climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years. Special calculations are needed to determine how much global warming is to blame, if at all, for a single extreme weather event.

During the previous drought in the mid 2010s, state officials imposed restrictions on farmers, but stopped short of issuing a blanket order like this.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked everyone to voluntarily cut their water use by 15%. He has issued an emergency drought proclamation that covers 50 of the state’s 58 counties, or about 42% of the state’s population. California’s population centers — including Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco — are not included.

Farmers’ water allocations this year have already been dramatically reduced. This new order will further weaken their ability to produce this year, said Karen Ross, secretary of of the state Department of Food and Agriculture. But she said the move is “absolutely necessary.”

There might be a Taste of India restaurant in every state in the union.

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However, there’s only one variation of the restaurant in the middle of California, right between San Francisco and Los Angeles. It’s equally noteworthy for its highway marketing, which lassoed me off Interstate 5 on a recent road trip to Southern California.

Taste of India in Buttonwillow — population 1,339 — has always drawn my eyeballs to its red pavilion-style roof and simple advertising. Words of encouragement — “try our vegan food” — appear on the rooftop in white lettering.

The restaurant’s branding distinguishes itself from the roadside town, otherwise awash in generic logos for motels and gas companies. Approaching Buttonwillow, I-5 rises from an overpass to offer drivers a full view of the Central Valley village below. Taste of India is the first landmark that northbound drivers see when passing by this outpost west of Bakersfield. And, in each direction, it provides a milepost for the long drive ahead.

After years of passing by, I had to pull off the highway and finally try this classic roadside oddity.

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The restaurant’s owners told me they recognized that their straightforward marketing ploy was a success after taking over in 2008. They have continued to capitalize on their proximity to the highway, in addition to beginning to branch out across the Central Valley. A second Taste of India recently opened in Lost Hills about 20 miles away.

“When someone is hungry, they start to look for food — then they see the sign. The sign adds a lot,” said Malkit Sogy, a co-owner of the restaurant. He and his business partner, Pritpal, purchased Taste of India in 2008 after Pritpal, who owns a nearby gas station, ate at the restaurant and immediately saw an opportunity.

Sogy said the entire business deal occurred across a single day; they ate, handed over a check and received the keys.

There was already “Taste of India” in yellow letters on the roof when the two men purchased the restaurant, but they soon responded to customer demand. “A lot of people asked for vegan food, so we put it on the roof,” Sogy said. A new set of white letters soon appeared.

In 2016, they renovated the restaurant by removing its carpet and painting the ceiling black — a small design choice that helps cool off customers after they escape the outside heat. Madhu Yellaprada has worked as a server ever since the change of ownership and said the restaurant sees a significant boost whenever there’s heavier traffic on I-5, often on weekends or holidays.

Big rig truckers, who almost always order takeout, are loyal customers, Yellaprada said. To specifically cater to this clientele, Taste of India stocks a mini market of goods, including chai, portable gas stoves, Shakkar molasses powder and imported liquors from India.

The Washington Post reported earlier this year that Punjabi truckers are dominating the Indian trucking industry, making up nearly 20% of the U.S. trucking industry.

Akin to a roadside restaurant found across Pakistan and India called a dhaba, Taste of India provides a familiar cuisine and welcoming pit stop for Punjabi truckers hauling up the main California corridor. The restaurant is also a change of pace from the common road-trip fast food nosh and a chance for me to stretch my legs and dart from the desert humidity.

I heard a variation of the homely Westminster Chimes play upon entering the front door. Inside, the walls are painted yellow and burgundy, a stark contrast to that jet-black canopy. Ceiling fans hummed in motion against soft, rhythmic Sikh hymns playing via YouTube.

Yellaprada sprang from the counter to welcome me to a table within the cafeteria-style dining room and then pointed out the popular food items. “Everybody likes the butter chicken,” he said, noting the nonvegan side of the menu. “We only keep things that people want to eat.”

I ordered the butter chicken, garlic naan and a dish off the now-famous vegan menu: mushroom matar in a curry sauce. The menu’s pricing was heavily redacted and updated due to inflation — a handwritten note at the bottom said the restaurant can change prices without notice — but $11 for a hearty bowl of Indian food is still a steal from a San Franciscan perspective.

Taste of India in Buttonwillow, Calif., off Interstate 5, serves a variety of dishes, including butter chicken and shahi paneer, top left, and aloo gobi, top right. (Images via Yelp users Vishal S., Lindsay B., Jaron L., Kiersten Y.)

Dabbing some bites with mint chutney and scooping the rest with naan, I topped off my meal with a refreshingly creamy mango lassi, feeling satisfied and comforted by the indoor oasis. I contemplated the unintended side effect of saucier foods battling my bowels for the miles to come, but thankfully, the rest of the road trip went smoothly. Taste of India passed all my tests.

Sogy mentioned that the restaurant’s biggest challenge is retaining a chef and employees. Like in other kitchens, there’s a lot of turnover, but the restaurant continues to employ eight people in Buttonwillow and three in Lost Hills. To help mediate their staffing issue, the restaurateurs, who both live in Bakersfield, purchased a home in Buttonwillow just for their staff and provided them with a car. Sogy hopes this will retain workers in the Central Valley outpost.

On my way out the door, Yellaprada insisted on offering a cup of chai for the road. The sultry climate didn’t keep me from sipping on the spices as I blew past a sign for Los Angeles, just 120 miles away.

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Silas Valentino is SFGATE's Travel Editor. He was born in Bakersfield and raised in Marin County. He covered the New York City music scene for The Village Voice before returning west to report for the Point Reyes Light. Recently, he contributed to the launch of a monthly lifestyle magazine called PUNCH that focuses on the Peninsula. Outside of reading, writing and storytelling, Silas values his family (including eight nieces and nephews) and exploring the state. He lives with his girlfriend above a wine shop in Cole Valley. Email: silas.valentino@sfgate.com

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(KERO) — Buttonwillow Union School District’s motto is “one town, one school, one community,” but the challenges their unduplicated students have faced during this pandemic are unique.

“It’s been hard for some parts because you’re not getting the same learning being online than being in school,” said Luz Ventura, a student at the Buttonwillow Union School District.

Luz Ventura is an 8th grader in the district. She’s also an English learner with parents who don’t speak English. Among Buttonwillow Union School District’s population of 350 students across preschool through 8th grade, 94.5% are unduplicated students. These are students who are English learners, receive free or reduced-priced meals or foster youth, as defined by the California Department of Education.

These populations have been heavily impacted in their learning throughout the pandemic.

Now, Ventura is back on campus.

“I’m grateful to be back in class,” Ventura said. “Being able to talk to my teachers and other students even though we’re six feet apart, I’m able to communicate with them and my teachers if I need help.”

Since the end of October, Buttonwillow Union School District, Superintendent Stuart Packrard said, has resumed in-person instruction.

Since January, 55% of their Preschool through eighth grade have been back on campus, following a six-week break from in-person during the holidays.

“It’s really the small districts that have been able to get back on campus, and it’s really because everyone knows everybody,” Packard said. “I’m not going to claim I know anything about opening a large district, but this is an example of how it can be done.”

How it’s been done: Safety measures like social distancing, sanitization, PPE, optional weekly testing, and now vaccinations.

Packard said there have been two cases on campus one in January and in February, and zero transmissions on campus.

Catering to kids from lower-income families, they’ve received PPE from their family resource center and organizations like United Way.

“I believe we have PPE that’s going to get us through 2030 but that’s okay!” Packard said.

45% of BUSD parents have chosen to keep their kids at home.

Marisol Alvarez is one of four appointed virtual instruction teachers at the district. She’s been using different methods to make sure her 5th and 6th grade students keep up with their studies virtually.

“Acceleration time, which is for students to receive extra support. If they need extra help with reading, which most of our students are EL, and that’s the struggle,” Alvarez said. “We provide that for them. We also have extra small group instruction for them as well.”

Quarterly the district checks in with parents to see if they want to learn in-person or not.

Packard has projected that by the end of March 80% to 85% of their staff will be vaccinated.

Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The following track days, riding schools, and racing events are scheduled by organizations based in the United States and Canada during February 2023.

Motorcycle track days, riding schools, and races are posted under the Event Calendar tab on the home page of this website, or you can access the Event Calendar for February 2023 directly by clicking HERE.

Once on the Event Calendar page, you can search for the event you are looking for by its date.

When you click on the event you want to attend you should find a link to the website and/or email address of the host organization, a link to the website of the host venue, the physical address of the host venue, a Google map to the host venue, and buttons to add the event and its information to your calendar application.

To have your motorcycle racing or riding event added to the Event Calendar on this website and published in the print edition of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine, submit your calendar and contact information via the contact page on this website or by clicking HERE.

2/3 JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

2/4 SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA

2/4 Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows CA

2/4-5 Pacific Track Time Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA

2/4-5 PanAmerican Superbike Series, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL

2/4-5 SoCal Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

2/4-6 Jennings GP Track Days, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL

2/4-6 JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

2/5 Brake Free Track Time Track Days, Arizona Motorsports Park, Litchfield Park, A

2/5 Superbike Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA

2/9-10 TrackDaz Track Days, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA

2/10 2 Wheels Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

2/11 SFLminiGP (South Florida MiniGP) Rider Development Days (Minis), Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, FL

2/11 SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA

2/11-12 Cornerspin School: Roadracing In The Dirt (Dirt Track School), Cornerspin Facility, Spencer, NC

2/11-12 CRA (California Roadrace Association) Series, Buttonwillow Raceway Park (Config 13 CW), Buttonwillow, CA

2/11-12 Inde Motorsports Ranch (IMR) Riders Club Track Days, Inde Motorsports Ranch, Willcox, AZ

2/11-12 South Florida MiniGP Series (Mini Racing), Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, FL

2/11-13 Jennings GP Track Days, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL

2/16 AHRMA Track Days, Roebling Road Raceway, Bloomingdale, GA

2/16-19 (Bridgestone) AHRMA American Historic Racing Series (Vintage), Roebling Road Raceway, Bloomingdale, GA

2/17 AHRMA Academy of Roadracing & Ed Bargy Advanced Track Riding Technique Workshop, Roebling Road Raceway, Bloomingdale, GA

2/18 2WTD Mini Racing (Mini Racing), Apex Racing Center, Perris, CA

2/18 Southeast Mini Moto Series (Mini Racing), Lamar County Speedway, Barnesville, GA

2/18-19 American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), City of Industry, CA

2/18-19 California Superbike School, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV

2/18-19 RideSmart Motorcycle School, MSR Houston, Angleton, TX

2/19 Superbike Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA

2/19-20 JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

2/19-20 Let’s Ride Track Days, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA

2/19-20 SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA

2/20-21 Yamaha Champions Riding School, Inde Motorsports Ranch, Willcox, AZ

2/20-26 Colin Edwards’ Texas Tornado Boot Camp (Dirt Track School), Montgomery, TX

2/22-23 JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

2/22-23 Racers Edge Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

2/24 Apex Assassins Track Days Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

2/24 RideSmart Motorcycle School, MSR Houston, Angleton, TX

2/24 Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, Munford, AL

2/24-26 MRA Series, MSR Houston, Angleton, TX

2/25-26 Cornerspin School: Roadracing In The Dirt (Dirt Track School), Cornerspin Facility, Spencer, NC

2/25-26 CVMA 2022-2023 Winter Series, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA

2/25-26 WERA Sportsman Series Mid-Central/Southeast Regions, Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, Munford, AL

2/25-27 Jennings GP Track Days, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL

2/26 Superbike Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA

I can see my future: It’s dry, thirsty and bleak. On our farm, we live with drought daily, working with limited groundwater and learning to adjust and adapt, or to fail and abandon our fields. Water will determine a farmer’s survival.

I farm organically outside Fresno, part of one of the world’s richest and most productive agricultural oases, providing, of course, that we have water. Typically, we make use of two sources of the liquid gold: annual rainfall and snowmelt captured from the Sierra, and also the pool of groundwater lying beneath our land. Both are threatened by a lack of rain and snow, exacerbated by the slow depleting and over-pumping of our aquifers.

Many farmers shifted to drip irrigation, which limits water usage and keeps plants alive but intensifies irrigation’s depletion of soil biology. We fell into the trap of believing technology and innovation would rescue us from water scarcity. Today, a reality check greets each season: We can’t make more water or control the forces of nature.

A severe two-year drought is drying out the West and Southwest from Washington to California, Montana to Texas. Agriculture feels the impact with crops withering and production limited. We have begun fallowing some of our fields, pulling out vines and trees and leaving empty land that my father and grandfather cultivated. They would cringe to witness what must be done.

Every fallowed field means a declining rural economy and an uncertain future. The reach of the drought will be felt in grocery stores across the country with higher prices. Cheap food may no longer be the driving force in agriculture. Everyone will pay the price of a lack of water.

Climate change can’t be denied. Megadroughts lasting decades may be on the horizon.

A larger issue looms: Who rightfully owns water and how should a natural resource be controlled and allocated?

Already farmers in California must plan for sustainable groundwater use and limit our pumping so that our aquifers maintain a steady water supply. How do cities and the environment fit into our water future? The answer is not solely economic or political: We must re-envision water as something scarce and sacred and shared by all.

On our farm, we grow perennial crops — organic peaches, nectarines, apricots and grapes for raisins. We have 100-year-old vines and 60-year-old peach trees that have witnessed massive swings in climate — dwelling on one season or year is short-term thinking. COVID-19 underlines another lesson for this old farmer: Things are often out of our control. How we respond will determine what happens next.

I think of generations on the land, and what story I’m leaving behind for my daughter, Nikiko, who is partnering on the farm along with her brother, Korio. They will inherit climate change, prolonged droughts and whatever comes of the decisions we make now.

At the heart of our farm lies a Japanese aesthetic captured in the meaning of wabi-sabi: Life is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. The drought exposes the inconsistency of nature and how the “perfect” peach must reflect the imperfect weather we all experience.

Despite our thirsty future, there’s a note of hope for me — I believe our farm is still incomplete. I inherited all I have from my parents and grandparents; my children will take over this incomplete farming story and add their own chapters.

I’m reminded of the feeling early in a farm year. When I work the fields in spring, something is plowed into me. With these inconsistent yet regular droughts, something more is now plowed into our family farm.

David Mas Masumoto is a farmer in Del Rey and the author of many books, including “Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm.” © 2021 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.