Morning Glory, Inc. starts letter writing campaign
Morning Glory, Inc. and its supporters are hoping a letter writing campaign will help inundate state officials and assist the dairy with obtaining waivers to provide milk and eggs to the local prisons.
In an attempt to garner public support, Morning Glory, Inc. is hosting a letter writing campaign meeting set for 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 at the Lassen Senior Services building, located at 1700 Sunkist Dr.
Postcards are also available at the Susanville Supermarket IGA checkout stands if interested supporters want to write a letter but can’t make it to the meeting.
“We have to try every avenue,” said Supervisor David Teeter of the process of getting CALPIA and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to allow the waivers.
At the meeting, former High Desert State Prison warden Bill Merkle will be answering questions, along with Morning Glory staff. There will also be pre-addressed post cards, which secretary Kimber Humphries hopes can be filled out by children. Community residents are also encouraged to write letters.
“We just want them to support Morning Glory anyway they can,” said Humphries.
For the past few months, Morning Gory Dairy has been working to ensure they can still do business with the California Correctional Center and High Desert State Prison, as they have for the past 55 years through a good neighbor policy.
In order for the prisons to receive milk from the local dairy, both CCC and HDSP have to obtain waivers from the California Prison Industry Authority.
Now, CALPIA has denied CCC’s waiver application, which ended Jan. 31, and allegedly canceled HDSP’s waiver, which was initially good through the end of the year, according to Teeter. Now, HDSP will receive product from Morning Glory, Inc. until April.
Should the dairy lose the business from the prisons, it could also lose its volume pricing, which leads to higher prices for Susanville shoppers and higher milk costs for Susanville’s schools. The dairy could also be driven to layoffs and a potential closure.
“It’s the entire community that’ll be effected by it,” said Humphries. She also added Morning Glory, Inc. is just two years shy of being 100 years in business.
Should the letter writing campaign be ineffective, Humphries said they’ll do something more.
“If we need to go bigger, we’ll go from here,” she said.
For more information, call Morning Glory Dairy at 257-3515.
Contact information for some government leaders are as follows:
Gavin Newsom, Governor, c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173, Sacramento, CA 95814. Phone (916) 445-2841. FAX (916) 558-3160. Email: [email protected].
Brian Dahle, District 1 Assemblyman, State Capital, Sacramento, CA 95814. Phone (916) 319-2001. Email: [email protected].
Ralph Diaz, Acting Secretary for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 1515 S. St., Sacramento, CA 95811. Phone (916) 324-7308. Email: [email protected].
Charles (Chuck) Pattillo, general manager, California Prison Industries Authority, CALPIA, 560 East Natoma Street, Folsom, CA 95630. Phone: (916) 358-2650. Email: [email protected].
