$5.1 MILLION TO FUND AG HEALTH AND SAFETY CENTER AT UC DAVIS

University of California, Davis
November 14, 2006

$5.1 MILLION TO FUND AG HEALTH AND SAFETY CENTER AT UC DAVIS

The University of California, Davis', Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety has received $5.1 million from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to continue the center's research and education efforts for the next five years.

Founded in 1990, it is one of nine agricultural health and safety centers established by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve health and safety for the nation's farmers, farmworkers and consumers.

"This renewal of funding represents not only financial support, but also a vote of confidence in the center's established record in addressing the agricultural health and safety challenges of California and the Western United States," said Marc Schenker, director of the UC Davis center.

"As the nation's leading agricultural state, California, alone, is home to a broad spectrum of agricultural enterprises ranging from family farms to large corporate operations, which employ family members, farmworkers and laborers from a variety of countries and cultures," Schenker noted. "Addressing the health and safety needs of this very large, multifaceted industry is no small task."

The new federal grant enables the center to continue its wide-ranging research and education projects and to investigate new areas of concern. In addition to conducting research and developing educational programs related to disease- and injury-prevention, the center works to develop effective collaborations among colleges and universities, government agencies, industry and community groups.

Current research highlights include projects focused on airborne particles, the health and safety of farmworkers and their families, and respiratory health of dairy workers:

* Airborne particles -- Dry farming techniques used in California's Central Valley result in high levels of airborne particles produced by a variety of farming activities including field preparation, stubble burning and harvesting. Kent Pinkerton, a UC Davis professor of veterinary medicine, and director of the Center for Health and the Environment, is working with colleagues to study the health effects associated with airborne agricultural particles by performing animal inhalation studies at agricultural sites. He also is conducting a study in the community of Parlier near Fresno, Calif., to examine the acute health effects of airborne particles. Ninety-seven percent of Parlier's residents are Hispanic, and almost all are connected to agriculture.
* Farmworker health -- In a second study, known as the MICASA (Mexican Immigration to California: Agricultural Safety and
Acculturation) project, researchers are investigating how to best prevent occupational diseases and injuries among hired farmworkers and their families. The research team will conduct interviews with approximately 400 Hispanic farmworker families who live in the Central Valley community of Mendota, Calif. They also will develop and implement educational programs to serve these residents. In collaboration with the UC San Francisco School of Dentistry, this project will also provide oral health exams for women and children in the study group. Led by Marc Schenker and field coordinator Kathleen O'Connor, the study will focus on occupational risk factors and health behaviors, evaluate the respiratory function of hired farm workers, and examine factors that increase the risk of certain health problems in Latino children.
* Dairy worker health -- Large dairies housing more than 2,000 cows have been rapidly increasing in number in the Central Valley. On most California dairies, the cows live in open-sided free stalls or corrals. They stand on dried manure, or their excrement is flushed away to a holding pond. The workers on the dairies may breathe many different particles in the air, including particles from mineral soils, pulverized manure, airborne feed and fragments of bacteria.
This study, led by Frank Mitloehner, a Cooperative Extension air quality specialist from UC Davis' animal science department, will be the first California health investigation to look specifically at current dairy practices and determine the amounts of material dairy workers are exposed to over the course of a work shift. Approximately 20 large dairies in Tulare and Merced counties -- the two San Joaquin Valley counties with the most dairies -- will be monitored

More information about these research projects and other activities of the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety is available online at .

Media contact(s):
* Sandy Freeland, Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety,
(530) 752-4050, slfreeland@ucdavis.edu
* Pat Bailey, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu


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WEST VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT CROSSES LATEST HURDLE

University of California, Davis
November 16, 2006

WEST VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT CROSSES LATEST HURDLE

The University of California Board of Regents today gave the go-ahead for the first phase of UC Davis' West Village -- a combination of faculty, staff and student housing, and schools and commercial development to be built just west of the main campus.

On the last day of a three-day regents meeting at UCLA, the full board ratified Tuesday's vote by the Grounds and Buildings Committee in favor of the West Village implementation plan and environmental findings, and Wednesday's vote by the Finance Committee in favor of the business terms of ground leases to be forged between the university and a private developer.

As now planned, the 120-acre Phase 1 includes 312 single-family homes and town homes for faculty and staff, apartment housing for up to 1,980 students, and a village square surrounded by ground-floor commercial space with housing above.

Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, who presented the project to the regents, said: "We will now be better able to provide the opportunity for our faculty, staff and students to live adjacent to where they study and work, and to participate more fully in the range of campus life that makes Davis unique.

"West Village, with its innovative and environmentally sensitive features, will be a model university neighborhood," Vanderhoef added.

The entire West Village project encompasses 208 acres, all in agricultural use now. Come next summer, the university hopes to see builders putting in utilities and roads on the site that is west of Highway 113 and between Hutchison Drive on the south and Russell Boulevard on the north.

The plan for West Village comprises two phases resulting in a combined maximum 475 housing units for faculty and staff, and student housing for 3,000. Many of the faculty and staff homes will come with small cottages, like at the 32-unit Aggie Village next to campus.
Officials say cottages like these increase population density and provide more student housing options.

After completion of the final phase, planners estimate that West Village will be home to about 4,350 people -- including 500 faculty and staff members and their families, plus students. The plan calls for bike trails within the community, as well as bike trail connections to the campus, and frequent UNITRANS bus service.

The West Village plan also specifies 45,000 square feet of commercial space, a branch campus of the Los Rios Community College District (60,000 square feet) and a magnet high school for the Davis Joint Unified High School District (15,000 square feet). The plan also includes a site for what university officials say will be a child care facility or a preschool within the faculty-staff housing area.

The faculty-staff housing component is a key reason for the project, with university officials saying West Village will be key to recruiting and retaining top talent and making them part of the university community.

West Village will make this possible by adding to the Davis housing stock, and selling those homes at more affordable prices. The university's Office of Resource Management and Planning estimates that the homes will be priced about 30 percent below market price for similar homes in Davis.

UC Davis' development partner is the West Village Community Partnership, a joint venture of Urban Villages-Davis, of Denver, and Carmel Partners of San Francisco. The partnership has not yet decided on the builders.

At this week's regents meeting, UC Davis officials presented an 11-minute video that outlined the housing crunch in Davis, made the case for West Village and laid out the project's design.

In the video, Pat Turner, former interim dean of the College of Letters and Science, said "the single biggest deterrent in attracting high-caliber faculty is the cost of housing."

Staff is not immune, either. Police Chief Annette Spicuzza described "sticker shock" when she started looking, unsuccessfully, for a home in Davis. She ended up buying in Sacramento.

Also on Thursday, the Board of Regents acted on two other UC Davis
projects:

* King Hall (School of Law) renovation and expansion -- The regents approved the design and a declaration stating that environmental impacts will not be significant or can be mitigated. The project calls for the addition of 18,800 gross square feet and the renovation of about 14,300 gross square feet, at a cost of $21.8 million.

UC Davis law professor John Oakley, chairman of the systemwide Academic Senate, told the Grounds and Buildings Committee: "This expansion is sorely needed."

* Stockton Boulevard Research Center -- The regents approved the preliminary plans, working drawings and construction of Phase 2 of this project at the medical center in Sacramento. This project calls for the remodeling of about 27,800 gross square feet for a stem call lab, at a cost of $22.3 million.


Media contact(s):
* Mitchel Benson, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9844, mdbenson@ucdavis.edu


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County Economic Summit Planned

County Economic Summit Planned
By Erin Pursell/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com


A first collaborative approach to economic development in Solano County is in the works.

Called the Solano Economic Summit, the event will bring together a variety of county and city leaders and members of the business community.

"We hope to discuss an economic vision and direction for the county and identify potential niche markets that maybe we could promote more than we are," said Jim Fiack, a senior management analyst with the Solano County Administrator's Office. "We're trying to coordinate strategies between cities."

Officials hope to establish countywide goals by the end of the day-long event - to be held in early 2007 - that will be incorporated into the county's strategic plan.

"There are seven unique cities and they all bring something to the table," said Solano County Supervisor John Vasquez, noting that the county lacks the kind of economic development plan that many of its individual cities already have in place. "We want to be able to articulate a Solano County story."

The county has hired a facilitator to oversee everything from the organization of the event to a summary report of its accomplishments.

In preparing for the event, the firm acting as facilitator will identify and provide five relevant case studies to illustrate how economic development can be coordinated at a county or regional level without creating a separate bureaucracy.

The firm will also prepare PowerPoint presentations to be used as back- ground and serve as a foundation for discussion.

While the symposium is still weeks away, the county has established an advisory committee to help identify speakers and define objectives, issues and the structure for the event.

"We're looking at everything from housing to heavy industry and what Solano wants to do in those kinds of areas," Vasquez said. "We're looking to increase jobs so more people can work and live here."

Participants in the symposium will also consider how the county can help each of its cities, and how all jurisdictions can work together more closely to develop the local economy.

"The bigger question is if the cities want our help, and if so, what that would be," Vasquez said.

Erin Pursell can be reached at county@thereporter.com.

Solano Competing for Big Transportation Dollars

Solano Competing for Big Transportation Dollars
By Barry Eberling

FAIRFIELD - It's almost like the instant-winner lottery game - only Solano County could win a key interstates 80 and 680 renovation phase and a wider Highway 12 through Jameson Canyon.

But, as with the state lottery, the competition is stiff.

California voters on Nov. 7 passed Proposition 1-B, the $20 billion transportation bond. The California Transportation Commission in March 2007 could award up to $4.5 billion for projects that improve traffic flow.

Bay Area counties must submit their entries to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission by Friday for screening. MTC in January 2007 will decide which submittals move on to the state for consideration.

Like other counties, Solano County hopes to hit the jackpot.

A $200 million to $250 million phase of the I-80/I-680 interchange tops the list being submitted by the Solano Transportation Authority. The interchange is the region's worst traffic bottleneck and can back up for miles during rush hour.

The design for the interchange renovations isn't finished. But, whatever option is chosen, a new connection between the two freeways is needed.

"It's not the full interchange, but it's the next major phase," STA Executive Director Daryl Halls said Tuesday.

Next on the STA list is $100 million to $110 million for Interstate 80 carpool lanes from the Carquinez Bridge through Vallejo to Highway 37.

Then comes widening two-lane Highway 12 through Jameson Canyon. This is a major link between Napa and Solano counties and is used by thousands of commuters each day. At times, traffic slows to a crawl.

Both the STA and the Napa County Transportation Planning Agency are submitting the Highway 12 request. There are three options, said John Ponte of the Napa agency.

One is to build a four-lane expressway starting in 2011 for a cost of $190 million. The expressway would have a median barrier and would modify some of the existing curves and dips. The estimate includes expected inflation between now and construction.

Another option is to build a four-lane expressway, but keep the curves and dips on the existing road and eliminate the median barrier. These extras could be added at a later date. The cost is $133 million.

The third option is to build only one extra lane going either eastbound or westbound. The full, four-lane expressway would be built later, as more money became available. The cost for this option is $107 million.

Local transportation officials will decide which option to pursue, Ponte said. For now, all options will go to MTC.

Finally, the STA is asking that the eastbound I-80 truck scale near Cordelia be moved a short distance and renovated at a cost of about $110 million. This would improve traffic flow on the freeway.

But dozens of California counties have traffic nightmares they hope can be eased by the bond money. Other potential Bay Area projects include adding another bore to the Caldecott tunnel and improving thoroughfares such as Interstate 101 in Marin and Sonoma counties, Interstate 580 in Alameda County and the Doyle Drive approach to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

"Every county has a list that's larger than what we can get from Sacramento," MTC spokesman Randy Rentschler said Tuesday.

Halls agreed the region has many good projects in competition.

"We think Interstate 80 and Jameson are right up there," Halls said.

Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

Local projects competing for state transportation bond money:

- Interstates 80 and 680 interchange phase that improves the connection between the two freeways.

- Interstate 80 carpool lanes from Carquinez Bridge through Vallejo to Highway 37.

- Highway 12 widening in Jameson Canyon, creating a four-lane expressway.

- Eastbound I-80 truck scale renovation and relocation near Cordelia.

City OKs Marina Project Accord

City OKs Marina Project Accord
Shorter Buildings, Wetland Park Part of Long-Delayed Deal
By Chris G. Denina, Times-Herald staff writer

As early as March, residents will get the chance to give their two cents on design standards for a controversial waterfront project.

That's because the Vallejo City Council on Tuesday approved a settlement deal putting to rest a lawsuit a grassroots group filed nearly a year ago against the plan.

After nine years trying to get the project off the ground, developer Joe Callahan of Callahan DeSilva Vallejo LLC said he is glad to see the issue resolved. He said the settlement is "good for everybody, and I think will work for everybody."

The agreement between the city, its Redevelopment Agency, the developer and the Vallejo Waterfront Coalition - the latter which sued to stop the project - requires public input through workshops and a review board.

Under the settlement, buildings will be shorter than previously planned, said Senior Community Development Analyst Bonnie Robinson Lipscomb. For instance, retail buildings along Mare Island Way will be limited to 45 feet instead of 65, she said.

"So it's a pretty dramatic change," Robinson Lipscomb said.

The deal also requires the developer to pay for a 4-acre wetland park and the use of water-conservation equipment in new developments.

"This is a much superior waterfront project ..." said coalition co-chairperson Marti Brown, noting the parties met numerous times to reach the deal.

One issue not addressed in the settlement was the replacement of recently stolen plaques honoring American war veterans from the waterfront's Marina Vista Memorial Park. Staff said the issue would be discussed in March, but Mayor Tony Intintoli Jr. said he had concerns about waiting until then. The bronze plaques were discovered shortly before Veterans' Day observances at the waterfront.

"The veterans' memorial needs to be restored," Intintoli said.

Intintoli asked Councilmember Stephanie Gomes to comment on the settlement, since she was a founding member of the coalition before she was elected last year. Gomes, who resigned before taking office last year, said it was unfortunate the coalition had to sue to get changes made to the waterfront plans.

"The public needs to be involved early and often," Gomes said.

E-mail Chris G. Denina at cdenina@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6835.

A Jewel for Cordelia

A Jewel for Cordelia
New Library is Nearly Ready
By Kimberly K. Fu/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com



The new Fairfield Cordelia Library on Business Center Drive. (Brad Zweerink/The Reporter)

A much-anticipated treasure is emerging in Cordelia, with its final debut slated for early December.

Officials say they can barely contain their excitement as the multimillion-dollar project continues to take shape, fulfilling all their hopes for residents in Cordelia and beyond.

"It really feels like a gift," emphasized Terry Jacobsen, supervising librarian for the Fairfield Civic Library, of the up-and-coming Fairfield Cordelia Library on Business Center Drive.

Ground was broken on the two-story building, which will house city offices on the second floor, in late Sept. 2005. The near-17,000 square foot facility will serve an estimated 15,000 area residents and accommodate estimated growth through 2020.

The library was funded in part by state grant money and the city of Fairfield, leaving a $250,000 need for an Opening Day Collection. That collection was explained as a 47,000 book, CD, DVD and other media collection to welcome excited readers on Dec. 14, billed as the institution's official Opening Day. An additional $250,000 from the Solano County Library Foundation has been earmarked for more materials, officials said.

Located behind the Solano County Office of Education, the building is a jewel both inside and out. Architectural features include tall glass windows that reach for the sky and welcoming arches throughout. An elegant staircase connects the ground-floor library to the well-turned city offices upstairs and views of a retaining pond encircled by a flower-flanked walking path are visible both upstairs and down.

A visit this week showed that the project is progressing nicely. Geometric-print carpeting has been laid and two-toned wood bookshelves with a modern feel are steadily being constructed. Books, all fresh and new and untouched, are carefully being placed on shelves.

Soon to come will be magazines, newspapers, DVDs, videos, and CDs.

The makings of each designated section - adult, teen, child - are coming together, each with their own shelving for fiction and nonfiction, magazines and movies.

There's even a section for Spanish speakers, complete with all genre of reading and audiovisual materials for all ages. And don't forget the large-print material area for anyone with special visual needs.

Computers are stacked in the computer training center, where community classes will be held and students from the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, a partner with the library along with the city, can continue their studies.

More computers await placement throughout the library, with software such as Internet access to match specified needs.

Need a quiet place to study with pals or classmates? Try a trio of study rooms, one of which will be designated for literacy and new readers groups.

The library truly holds something for everyone, Jacobsen said, and is aimed at everyone from individuals to families, avid readers and those new to the enjoyable pastime.

"It's really, really a lovely building. They thought of everything," she said. "I think they spent five years dreaming this."

Contributions to the "Book by book: Lets Build our Library" are still being accepted.

To donate, or volunteer at the library, call 421-8075 or go to www.solanolibraryfoundation.org.

Kimberly K. Fu can be reached at cops@thereporter.com.

Sutter, NorthBay, Kaiser to Revamp Fairfield Facilities

Sutter, NorthBay, Kaiser to Revamp Fairfield Facilities
By Ines Bebea

FAIRFIELD - A facelift has come to the health care industry in Fairfield as Sutter Hospital, NorthBay Healthcare and Kaiser Permanente are all expanding or building new facilities.

Sutter Regional Medical Foundation broke ground Tuesday on the site of a 69,250-square-foot medical building in Busch Corporate Park, next to the Sutter Fairfield Medical Campus that now includes the diagnostic imaging center and ambulatory surgery center. The $20 million building, with 60 offices for physicians and foundation staff, is scheduled to open in November 2007.

"The purpose of this project is to expand and upgrade our services in Solano County," said Edward LaFaso, senior director for strategic planning, business development and marketing for the foundation. "The location and design of the facility were designed with the patient in mind to give them better care."

The foundation will leave its 1234 Empire St. location as soon as the new building is completed. Workers will have wireless connections and be able to track patient files, records and visits electronically.

"The technological upgrade will move us into the 21st century," said Carolyn Appenzeller, chief operating officer. "We want to be the employer of choice for employees and attract the best doctors to our facilities."

About 30,000 patients from the Fairfield-Suisun City area use Sutter. The electronic infrastructure of the new location will be an important feature, added John S. Ray, foundation chief executive officer.

NorthBay Healthcare is next in line to unveil its new project. Construction of the $17 million NorthBay Office Center in Green Valley Corporate Park will begin in early January 2007 and end by early January 2008.

"The new office is NorthBay's way of showing its appreciation to Fairfield and how we have grown alongside the population," said Elnora Cameron, president of NorthBay Health Advantage, a subsidiary of NorthBay Healthcare System.

"We expect that with the new facility closer to our hospital it will make it more attractive to specialists and new physicians joining our staff. But most importantly this will stop Fairfield residents from leaving Solano County to get specialized care."

NorthBay's future plans also include a 12,000-square-foot second primary care clinic to serve west Fairfield.

Kaiser Permanente also plans to expand in Green Valley Corporate Park but that's not scheduled for five years.

Reach Ines Bebea at ibebea@dailyrepublic.net or 427-6934.

Suisun to Negotiate for Entertainment Boat

Suisun to Negotiate for Entertainment Boat
By Barry Eberling

SUISUN CITY - Suisun City may finally see its entertainment ship come in.

The City Council on Tuesday voted to negotiate with Sacramento Steam Navigation Inc. to run an entertainment boat, an enterprise the city has long coveted. The boat is to be docked initially at the city marina visitors dock and give tours of the region's waterways.

"I think you'll see this vessel filling up with passengers all summer," said Capt. Daniel Thiemann of Sacramento Steam Navigation.

Suisun City officials want an entertainment boat that attracts people to the city, people who also spend money at local shops.

"I would like to see you be very successful, because your success is our success," City Councilman Sam Derting told Thiemann.

The city and Sacramento Steam Navigation Inc. are to negotiate for up to 60 days.

Suisun City already has a taste of what might come. Sacramento Steam Navigation brought its 45-foot-long California Sunset boat to the marina for the city's Fourth of July celebration and offered rides. The boat, which holds 98 passengers, is still there on a trial basis.

"It's probably is, in my opinion, the most viable attraction in Suisun City at this time," Thiemann said.

The Rancho Cordova-based company proposes to run regularly scheduled tours, special charter group tours, school trips, theme events and trips with live music. And that could be just for starters.

At some point, the company could build a new boat to become a floating card room. This boat would hold 300 people. The venture would target high-stakes players and would need polish and amenities, city building official Daniel Kasperson said. If successful, it could generate several hundred-thousand dollars annually for the city, he said.

But the City Council balked at giving Sacramento Steam Navigation the right to negotiate for a card gaming boat at a latter date. Mayor Jim Spering said that would handcuff future councils. Council members agreed that's another issue for another day.

City Councilwoman Jane Day said that when the city considers a card gaming boat, it should seek every offer.

"I really think there's a wealth of money there," Day said.

City Councilman Pete Sanchez - set to become mayor next month - said he will not support an entertainment boat with card gambling.

Suisun City residents in 1995 approved riverboat card gambling by the razor-thin margin of five votes. But the city failed to attract a gambling boat.

Majestic Ventures of Texas also proposed bringing an entertainment boat to Suisun City. It offered to build a new paddle boat and charter it for wedding receptions and other occasions.

But Majestic Ventures wanted to charge the city a flat monthly fee and let the city market and sell tickets. The city could then keep the profits above the monthly fee or suffer the losses if revenues fell short.

Sacramento Steam Navigation proposes to pay the city a minimum fee or a percentage of the gross. The city would have no financial risk.

After weighing the two offers, city staff recommended and the council went with Sacramento Steam Navigation.

Now Suisun City and Sacramento Steam Navigation will try to hammer out the details of the fee. Other issues include whether the company at some point would build a new dock and how the city might help with advertising and marketing.

Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

Stem Cell Loans Advance

Stem Cell Loans Advance
State Panel Approves Funds for Research Institute, as Legal Challenge Continues.
By Jim Wasserman - Bee Staff Writer

California's $3 billion stem cell research program marked a key advance Monday when a state committee cleared the way for $195 million in funding despite legal challenges that continue to block the funds authorized by voters in 2004.

The action by the committee that oversees state stem cell funding allows a $150 million state loan and another $45 million loan backed by California foundations and investors to quickly fund the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

The money is expected to reach the institute in early December, and much of it may be awarded within months to research scientists. The temporary funding marks a substantial first leap for a program said to be the nation's front edge of embryonic stem cell research.

"It makes the California program the largest program in the U.S., bigger than any state, bigger than the nation, and in fact, bigger than any other nation," said Robert N. Klein, CIRM's chair and a leading force behind the 2004 ballot drive known as Proposition 71.

Klein said the new funding "allows us opportunities to have a full spectrum of research grants, comprehensive grants and seed money grants."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger authorized the $150 million loan last July, characterizing it as a boost for the state's biotechnology industry. In a statement Monday, he said, "Today's action keeps California on the forefront as a national leader in stem cell research."

The state loan and the other backed by investors including the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and David and Lucile Packard Foundation will be repaid from the sale of bonds after the stem cell institute wins a final court victory, said Anne Sheehan, chief deputy director for policy of the California Department of Finance.

If the program does not survive a legal challenge, the funding -- formally known as bond anticipation notes -- will not be repaid, she said.

Opponents of the state's stem cell research program said they may sue to block the temporary funding.

"We may have an announcement for dealing with this further," said David Llewellyn, a Citrus Heights attorney for the California Family Bioethics Council.

The council and two other tax groups say CIRM lacks adequate state supervision and is rife with conflicts of interest favoring biotechnology companies.

The bioethics council opposes embryonic stem cell research, maintaining that stem cell advancements already are possible with umbilical cords and adult stem cells.

"I think it's disturbing that people who are so rancorous against the plaintiffs who want the court to review the legality of Proposition 71 are themselves willing to circumvent the law," Llewellyn said Monday.

In April, an Alameda Superior Court judge rejected Llewellyn's arguments and upheld the stem cell program.

Llewellyn has appealed and expects to submit final written arguments next week. Both sides plan to take their arguments to the state Supreme Court if necessary.

So far the stem cell institute, which aims to steer $300 million a year to research, has awarded only $12.1 million to train 170 aspiring state researchers.

But it is expected to award at least $104 million early next year, CIRM officials said Monday.

Many scientists believe embryonic stem cell breakthroughs will eventually regenerate human organs and tissue with nonspecialized cells that can be assigned particular functions.

But cures and potential therapies for conditions such as cancer, Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injuries may be 20 years or more away -- or may never materialize, experts say.


Where research stands

GOAL: The stem cell institute aims to steer $300 million a year to research.

TO DATE: $12.1 million awarded to train 170 aspiring state researchers.

EARLY NEXT YEAR: It is expected to award at least $104 million.

Buyers Market Strengthens on Fewer Home Sales

Buyers Market Strengthens on Fewer Home Sales
By Ines Bebea

FAIRFIELD - Dana Stever's house has been on the market for 45 days and given the 2.9 percent drop in home sales in Solano County for October, she might be in for the long haul as more sellers join the market.

According to a California October Home Sale Report released by DataQuick, 605 homes were sold in Solano County in October, down from 936 homes a year ago. That's a decrease of 35.4 percent in sales, creating great conditions for buyers.

"The way the market is right now, it's a buyer's market because there is so much competition," said Stever. "The sale of your property is going to be affected by how desperate you are to sell and your reasons for selling."

According to Stever, the last appraisal she received for her house was around $425,000 - during the height of the housing boom last year. She is selling the house for $380,000 after making upgrades of $40,000.

"Given the current state of the market, some buyers are waiting to see if the market crashes and prices plummet," said Stever. "But the Federal Reserve is not going to lower interest rates any more and this is the time to buy."

Sales of homes are declining all over California, with total sales for last month at 42,750 - a decrease of 21.7 percent from October 2005. The report also disclosed that the median price for a home last month was $467,000, up 0.2 percent from September and up 2.9 percent from a year ago.

"While the inventory is larger than we are used to, homes are selling," said Bob Dorsett, a real estate broker with Gateway Realty in Fairfield. "Those that are selling are those that are in good condition, good locations, priced right and aggressively marketed. The homes that do not have all four of these conditions working for them will likely stay in the already large inventory for a while."

Dorsett said there are 539 homes for sale in Fairfield and 216 in Suisun City.

The housing market in Solano County is also divided by sales of existing homes and newly built homes.

"In Benicia we saw a 4.6 percent increase in sales of newly built homes," said Jay Selvey, a real estate agent with Prudential California Realty in Benicia. "On the other hand, we saw a 10 to 12 percent drop in old homes. But with the market experiencing such a growth in inventory, this is a great time for first-time buyers and investors."

While real estate agents and brokers see the market has a win-win situation for buyers, others are not as optimistic.

"The market right now is actually correcting itself," said Darryl L. Carter, chief appraiser with Carter's Real Estate Appraisal, LLC in Fairfield. "The market was overpriced and overvalued."

According to Carter, the economy of the Bay Area is the last to pick up and the last to slow down, and as such he sees the real estate market going down further for another two to three years.

"I don't think we have hit bottom yet," said Carter. "In my segment of the market, I've seen a 70 percent decrease in appraisals."

But while he may be pessimistic about the market, he is confident that Fairfield will survive.

Stever is also optimistic regarding her house selling within 120 days and has no problem taking it off the market and waiting if the right buyer doesn't appear.

"I already had an offer for $320,000," she said. "But I am not in a rush to sell, given that this house is not my primary residence. Besides, if I go down on my price it brings down the asking prices for the rest of the neighborhood."

Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.

SALES DOWN, PRICE STABLE

Change in sales and median price for homes for the third quarter of 2005 and 2006:

2005 2006 Difference

Number of sales

Fairfield 403 255 -36 percent

Suisun City 173 95 -45 percent

Median price

Fairfield $497,000 $495,000 -0.3 percent

Suisun City $435,000 $432,000 -0.5 percent

Source: Multiple List Service

Campus in Vallejo Shaping Up Well

Campus in Vallejo Shaping Up Well
Construction of SCC Satellite Site on Schedule
By Sarah Rohrs, Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald



Lester Young, program manager for the construction of the Solano Community College's Vallejo...

The Solano Community College Vallejo satellite campus won't open for another year, but its building is taking shape on a hill overlooking Columbus Parkway.

Construction of the new 40,000-square-foot Vallejo Center is about a third complete, said program manager Lester Young with Kitchell Corporation.

"We're right on budget and right on schedule," Vallejo college board trustee Pam Keith said. "We're doing fine. We're not having to cut back on anything."

To open in early 2008, the Vallejo satellite campus will be five times larger than the current local extension, located one floor below the JFK Library on Santa Clara Street.

Rain will not stop construction, Young said. Contractors are installing dry wall and wrapping the outside of the building with weather-proof material. Once the building is contained, crews can continue working through the entire winter season.

Funds from Measure G, a 2002 voter-approved bond, are paying for the satellite campus.

The Vallejo Center consists of two separate buildings housing 15 classrooms, a large lecture hall, computer lab, learning lab, multi-use room, fine arts facilities, faculty office space, and other programs to meet general educational requirements.

Construction crews are scrambling over the grounds of the 10-acre parcel on Columbus Parkway where the school is being built.

Inside the new walls, hallways flanked with classrooms are starting to take form. The lecture hall and multi-purpose room are filled with piles of shiny heating and air-conditioning units that will soon be installed.

Ralph Larson & Sons were selected as the main contractor on the project after submitting a $13.1 million bid, about $1 million more than the original construction estimates.

As the new campus is built, many locals are recalling the college's 1945 start in Vallejo. First named Vallejo Junior College, the main campus relocated to Fairfield in 1971.

Keith said she expects the new campus to become a community asset with its outdoor amphitheater, lecture hall, areas for art shows, and spots for people to take walks.

"There's going to be many amenities, which will be great for Vallejo," she said.

E-mail Sarah Rohrs at srohrs@thnews-net.com or call 553-6832.

Helpful Herceptin

Helpful Herceptin
FDA OKs Drug's Expanded Role
By Staff & AP Reports



Work continues on the $600 million expansion at Genentech's Vacaville manufacturing facility. (Courtesy photo)

The breast cancer drug Herceptin - one of the drugs manufactured at Genentech's Vacaville facility - received expanded federal approval Thursday to include treatment of some women after they have undergone surgery.

In two clinical trials, women given the drug along with chemotherapy had fewer relapses in the three years after surgery - either to remove a lump or the whole breast - than those just given standard chemotherapy, the Food and Drug Administration said in announcing the additional approval.

Frank Jackson, vice president and general manager of Vacaville product operations, has told The Reporter that the positive results and growth of products such as Herceptin, "is driving demand for additional manufacturing capacity from Genentech, and Vacaville's role is to be a significant supplier for these extra runs." The Vacaville plant is currently undergoing an expansion that will greatly increase its manufacturing capacity.

Herceptin is only for the estimated 20 percent of patients whose breast tumors churn out too much of a protein known as HER-2. About 50,000 women in the United States and 250,000 worldwide are diagnosed with this type, called HER-2 positive, each year.

In 1998, the FDA approved Herceptin to treat breast cancer after it had spread to other parts of the body. Thursday's approval expands its use to women with cancer in the breast or lymph nodes that has been surgically removed, the FDA said.

The most serious side effect of Herceptin is heart failure. Only patients with HER-2 positive tumors, and who do have heart failure or a weak heart, should be given the drug, also known as trastuzumab.

From Vacant to Vibrant

From Vacant to Vibrant
Northeast Vacaville Awash With Development
By Amanda Janis/Business Editor
TheReporter.Com



Eileen Mosley/The Reporter

Slowly but surely, commercial development is taking shape in northeastern Vacaville. As the area gears up to serve thousands of households in the nearby North Village communities, the intersection of Orange Drive and Leisure Town Road is undergoing dramatic changes.

Not only has the adjacent freeway overpass been widened and revamped, but a series of retail establishments are taking shape, with one - a QuikStop convenience mart, gas station and car wash - already open for business.

Perhaps most visible, however, as it will abut Interstate-80, is the shopping center being built by Hearn Construction on the site of the former Hick'ry Pit restaurant.

The 14,000 square foot Leisure Town Plaza will consist of three buildings, housing "upscale food and retail" establishments. Property owner and developer Jayne Ham didn't return requests for comment regarding specific tenants, though she has noted the complex is slated for completion in February 2007.

Construction crews are also hammering away daily across the street at the former Beacon gas station on Leisure Town Road. Once completed, the site will boast a new Unocal 76 gas station, car wash and McDonald's fast food restaurant.

And, should all go as planned, the vacant lot in front of the Extended Stay America hotel will become an 11,500 square foot retail center. Already a sign on the lot proclaims the imminent arrival of a Subway sandwich shop and a Starbucks, which the site's broker, Chuck Krouse, notes will be a drive-through location for the Seattle-based coffee chain.

At present, however, the city's planning department hasn't received any applications for the parcel, said Senior Planner Peyman Behvand.

"Sometimes, for vacant commercial properties, some signs will go up saying a retail development will come here, but at this point there's no official application," he said.

Approval of a drive-through food outlet may take a bit more time to be approved, he explained, because it's considered a conditional use. Nonetheless, Behvand expects to see an application soon, which means the myriad workers and residents in northern Vacaville may soon have a slightly shorter drive for the nearest non-fat caramel macchiato.

Amanda Janis can be reached at business@thereporter.com.

Tanner Named City Manager

Tanner Named City Manager
New City Hall chief starts job Jan. 8



Joseph Tanner is the new city manager of Vallejo. (J.L. Sousa/Times-Herald)

It's official. Vallejo's new City Hall chief is Pacifica City Manager Joseph Tanner.

A little more than a year after ousting its last manager, and after months of searching, the Vallejo City Council on Thursday unanimously named Tanner to fill the city's top job. He starts work Jan. 8, under a three-year contract at a base annual salary of $216,000.

The appointment comes the same week Vallejo officials reached a tentative deal with the firefighters' union to help the cash-strapped city cut costs.

That should leave one less challenge for the 59-year-old Pleasant Hill resident, who has a reputation for helping struggling cities improve their finances.

Still, challenges remain, Tanner told the Times-Herald in an interview at City Hall shortly after his contract was approved.

"It's got huge potential," Tanner said of the city. "Vallejo is going to be one day the centerpiece of Solano County."

The trek to Vallejo shouldn't be new for Tanner, who said he's taken his kids to Marine World. Before he starts work in January, Tanner said he plans to visit Vallejo to take a closer look around, but won't start looking for a house until next year.

After months of keeping tight-lipped about the selection saga, Mayor Tony Intintoli Jr. said he's glad to have Tanner on board because of the new city manager's financial background.

"The city's going to fare well," Intintoli said.

Tanner said he hasn't decided which will be his last day in Pacifica, where he was hired as interim city manager in 2003, before taking that job full time more than a year later for $170,000 annually.

During negotiations with Vallejo, Tanner reportedly told his bosses on the Pacifica council he was holding out for more money, a Pacifica official said.

Tanner got his wish. Not counting perks and benefits, Tanner will make $216,000 a year in Vallejo. That's $18,000 more than former City Manager Roger Kemp's contract.

Kemp resigned in January after he was placed on administrative leave over what some critics saw was an inability to reopen a controversial firefighters' union contract.

Kemp's ouster doesn't seem to bother Tanner.

"I don't think it matters," said Tanner, who's only worked with five-member councils in his management career. When he starts the Vallejo job, he'll be dealing with seven bosses.

Like Kemp, who Tanner said he met 25 years ago when they were both California city managers, Tanner also was ousted from his city manager job. He resigned in 2001 from Pleasant Hill after being placed on administrative leave over a development deal.

Ironically, Tanner was asked by Pleasant Hill officials to ride in the city's July 4 parade next year. On Wednesday, he was given the city's mayor's award and presented a plaque by Pleasant Hill Mayor Terri Williamson, who was on the council when Tanner was ousted.

Williamson said she'd have Tanner back today if she could. The development deal behind his ouster was a misunderstanding, she said in a phone interview.

In 14 years at Pleasant Hill, Tanner built a new city hall, a new downtown and an $18 million surplus, Williamson said.

"I'd have him in a New York minute," Williamson said. But, she added, "I know Vallejo needs him and I know he'll do wonderful work for Vallejo."

Tanner said his No. 1 strength is finance, then development, then building management teams.

His management team will be a bit smaller when he starts in January. Vallejo's public information officer is leaving for a similar job in Vacaville. And Vallejo once had an assistant city manager, but she was offered a buyout last year so the position could remain empty for at least two years to cut costs.

It's too early to decide whether to make staffing changes, Tanner said. It's also too soon to say how he'll try to boost Vallejo's finances.

"I do not have the magic answers sitting here today," Tanner said.

Tanner had little opportunity to show his economic development skills in Pacifica, where a no-growth group has sued over developments, a Pacifica official said.

In Vallejo, Tanner will help oversee development projects including the downtown, waterfront and Mare island renewals.

He said his experience bringing cash-poor cities back into the black should be helpful in Vallejo.

"My entire career, I've gone to cities that are broke," Tanner said. But, he added, "There's no set way of doing things."

Tanner described himself as a student of the stock market, and said whatever happens on Wall Street usually happens in cities six months later.

"As the market goes, so does the city," Tanner said. "The market is in definite upswing."

Meanwhile, interim City Manager John Thompson is on a month-to-month contract and is expected to stay on until Tanner starts the job.

E-mail Chris G. Denina at cdenina@th-newsnet.com or call 553-6835.

UC DAVIS WEST VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT CROSSES LATEST HURDLE

niversity of California, Davis
November 16, 2006

WEST VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT CROSSES LATEST HURDLE

The University of California Board of Regents today gave the go-ahead for the first phase of UC Davis' West Village -- a combination of faculty, staff and student housing, and schools and commercial development to be built just west of the main campus.

On the last day of a three-day regents meeting at UCLA, the full board ratified Tuesday's vote by the Grounds and Buildings Committee in favor of the West Village implementation plan and environmental findings, and Wednesday's vote by the Finance Committee in favor of the business terms of ground leases to be forged between the university and a private developer.

As now planned, the 120-acre Phase 1 includes 312 single-family homes and town homes for faculty and staff, apartment housing for up to 1,980 students, and a village square surrounded by ground-floor commercial space with housing above.

Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, who presented the project to the regents, said: "We will now be better able to provide the opportunity for our faculty, staff and students to live adjacent to where they study and work, and to participate more fully in the range of campus life that makes Davis unique.

"West Village, with its innovative and environmentally sensitive features, will be a model university neighborhood," Vanderhoef added.

The entire West Village project encompasses 208 acres, all in agricultural use now. Come next summer, the university hopes to see builders putting in utilities and roads on the site that is west of Highway 113 and between Hutchison Drive on the south and Russell Boulevard on the north.

The plan for West Village comprises two phases resulting in a combined maximum 475 housing units for faculty and staff, and student housing for 3,000. Many of the faculty and staff homes will come with small cottages, like at the 32-unit Aggie Village next to campus.
Officials say cottages like these increase population density and provide more student housing options.

After completion of the final phase, planners estimate that West Village will be home to about 4,350 people -- including 500 faculty and staff members and their families, plus students. The plan calls for bike trails within the community, as well as bike trail connections to the campus, and frequent UNITRANS bus service.

The West Village plan also specifies 45,000 square feet of commercial space, a branch campus of the Los Rios Community College District (60,000 square feet) and a magnet high school for the Davis Joint Unified High School District (15,000 square feet). The plan also includes a site for what university officials say will be a child care facility or a preschool within the faculty-staff housing area.

The faculty-staff housing component is a key reason for the project, with university officials saying West Village will be key to recruiting and retaining top talent and making them part of the university community.

West Village will make this possible by adding to the Davis housing stock, and selling those homes at more affordable prices. The university's Office of Resource Management and Planning estimates that the homes will be priced about 30 percent below market price for similar homes in Davis.

UC Davis' development partner is the West Village Community Partnership, a joint venture of Urban Villages-Davis, of Denver, and Carmel Partners of San Francisco. The partnership has not yet decided on the builders.

At this week's regents meeting, UC Davis officials presented an 11-minute video that outlined the housing crunch in Davis, made the case for West Village and laid out the project's design.

In the video, Pat Turner, former interim dean of the College of Letters and Science, said "the single biggest deterrent in attracting high-caliber faculty is the cost of housing."

Staff is not immune, either. Police Chief Annette Spicuzza described "sticker shock" when she started looking, unsuccessfully, for a home in Davis. She ended up buying in Sacramento.

Also on Thursday, the Board of Regents acted on two other UC Davis
projects:

* King Hall (School of Law) renovation and expansion -- The regents approved the design and a declaration stating that environmental impacts will not be significant or can be mitigated. The project calls for the addition of 18,800 gross square feet and the renovation of about 14,300 gross square feet, at a cost of $21.8 million.

UC Davis law professor John Oakley, chairman of the systemwide Academic Senate, told the Grounds and Buildings Committee: "This expansion is sorely needed."

* Stockton Boulevard Research Center -- The regents approved the preliminary plans, working drawings and construction of Phase 2 of this project at the medical center in Sacramento. This project calls for the remodeling of about 27,800 gross square feet for a stem call lab, at a cost of $22.3 million.


Media contact(s):
* Mitchel Benson, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9844, mdbenson@ucdavis.edu


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Genentech breast-cancer drug gets FDA OK - Sacramento Business Journal:

Genentech breast-cancer drug gets FDA OK - Sacramento Business Journal:: "Business News - Local News
Genentech breast-cancer drug gets FDA OK
Sacramento Business Journal - 9:04 AM PST Friday

Shares of Genentech Inc. rose 77 cents Friday, a day after the Food and Drug Administration approved its Herceptin drug as part of a breast-cancer regimen.

South San Francisco-based Genentech (NYSE: DNA), which is a major employer in Vacaville, said late Thursday the drug was OK'd for women with early-stage breast cancer who have had surgery, with or without radiation therapy.

The treatment is designed to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence or the occurrence of metastatic disease.

The FDA approval was based on data from an interim joint analysis of more than 3,500 patients enrolled in two third-phase clinical trials., which showed that the addition of Herceptin to standard adjuvant therapy significantly reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence, Genentech said.

In midday trading, shares were at $81.49 after closing the day before at $80.72."

Regents approve UC Davis' West Village project - Sacramento Business Journal:

Sacramento Business Journal - November 17, 2006
http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2006/11/13/daily63.html

Business News - Local News
Regents approve UC Davis' West Village project
Sacramento Business Journal - 11:29 AM PST Friday

The University of California Board of Regents approved the first phase of UC Davis' West Village, a 120-acre commercial and residential development just west of the main campus.

The first phase of the high-profile development will include commercial space; a branch campus of the Los Rios Community College District; a magnet high school for the Davis Joint Unified High School District; and faculty, staff and student housing.

The first phase will have 312 single-family homes and townhomes for faculty and staff, and apartments for almost 2,000 students. Ground-floor commercial space is also part of the first phase.

"We will now be better able to provide the opportunity for our faculty, staff and students to live adjacent to where they study and work, and to participate more fully in the range of campus life that makes Davis unique," said UC Davis chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, who presented the project to the regents. "

The West Village project covers 208 acres overall, all of the land is currently in agricultural production. Construction on the project could start this summer.

The two-phase development -- just west of Highway 113, between Hutchison Drive on the south and Russell Boulevard on the north -- will feature 475 housing units for faculty and staff, and student housing for 3,000. Many of the faculty housing will come with small cottages, similar to the 32-unit Aggie Village next to campus. About 45,000 square feet of commercial space is planed for the project.

Community leaders and university officials say West Village will help attract -- and keep -- faculty and staff, who are often priced out of the Davis housing market. "The single biggest deterrent in attracting high-caliber faculty is the cost of housing," Pat Turner, former interim dean of the College of Letter and Science at UC Davis, said in an 11-minute video that detailed the project to the regents.

West Village home prices are expected to be about 30 percent lower than comparable homes in Davis, according to the university's Office of Resource Management and Planning.

The university's development partners in the project are Urban Villages-Davis of Denver and Carmel Partners of San Francisco. A general contractor has not been chosen.

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Valley unemployment rate down to 4.2% - Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal:

Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal - November 17, 2006
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2006/11/13/daily82.html

Business News - Local News
Business Pulse Survey:
If the 49ers build a stadium in Santa Clara, should Silicon Valley try to host the Olympics in 2020?
Valley unemployment rate down to 4.2%
Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal - 11:29 AM PST Friday

The Silicon Valley's unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent in October, down from last month's 4.5 percent and the year-ago's 5.2 percent, according to a report released Friday.

The latest figures from California's Employment Development Department show that the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metropolitan area was level with the state October unemployment rate of 4.2 percent, and slightly higher than the nation's 4.1 percent rate during the same period.

In San Benito County there were 23,500 people employed out of a work force of 24,600, for an unemployment rate of 4.8 percent. That compares to last year's 6.1 percent and last month's 4.7 percent.

In Santa Cruz County there were 138,400 employed out of a work force of 144,300, for an unemployment rate of 4.1. Last year's unemployment rate was 5 percent, and in September it was 4.3 percent.

In Monterey County there were 197,800 employed out of 207,100, for an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent. Last year's rate was 5.1 percent; September's was 4.7 percent.

Other findings in the statewide report:

* Government gained 2,700 jobs over the month, as local public schools (up 2,500 jobs) and state government education (up 200 jobs) experienced seasonal growth. Meanwhile, private educational services in colleges, universities and professional schools added 2,200 jobs seasonally.
* Trade, transportation and utilities gained 400 jobs, primarily in retail trade.
* Information gained 300 jobs over the month, reflecting additions in publishing industries, telecommunications firms and Internet service providers, each up by 100 jobs.
* Leisure and hospitality posted a smaller-than-usual seasonal net loss of 300 jobs, primarily in arts, entertainment and recreation.


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Home Prices Stabilize, but Sales Slump

Home Prices Stabilize, but Sales Slump
By Amanda Janis/Business Editor

Solano County home sales continued to slow in October, while prices remained relatively steady, according to statistics released Wednesday by a real estate information firm.

Sales dropped 35.4 percent compared to October 2005, reported DataQuick Information Systems. However, that decline is a slight improvement from the 43.2 percent year-over decline experienced in September.

October home prices, meanwhile, declined 2.9 percent compared to last October, bringing the median Solano County home price to $462,000.

"I can tell you that Vacaville (prices are) down about $5,000 from where (they were) a year ago, which is roughly around 1 percent. And (prices in) Fairfield (are) actually exactly the same," said Bob Dorsett, broker/owner of Gateway Realty. "The story to be told, quite frankly, is that inventory is large so units of sales are significantly down but prices are holding really, really well."

Local Realtor Darla Stever, of Jim Stever Realty, agreed. "Sales are down but prices are stable," she said, adding that current conditions should be considered normal.

"The past three to four years, we've seen mass appreciation because people hadn't been putting their homes on the market," Stever explained. "Now, there's more properties to choose from. I don't think there's a bubble that's going to burst. I think we've just stabilized."

Solano's real estate market has seen the steepest decline in the Bay Area, whose nine counties averaged a 24.1 percent year-over sales decline in October, as did the Northern California region.

Despite the sales downturn, Dorsett said, "The sky is not falling at all, by any stretch of the imagination."

Council Backs Grants For Aid To Downtown

Council Backs Grants For Aid To Downtown
By Jennifer Gentile/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com

Armed with nine meetings of public comment and the Vacaville City Council's support, a city department will apply soon for grant funds for downtown improvements.

The city council gave its blessing Tuesday to the Housing and Redevelopment Agency, which will go after a Transportation for Livable Communities facilities grant offered by the Solano Transportation Authority. When the next funding cycle happens in the spring, the agency plans to have an application prepared identifying a potential project downtown.

In January of 2005, the agency received $25,000 in grant funding through the TLC program to plan and gather public input. Since that time, staff has gathered comments and ideas at nine public meetings, with an estimated 150 people participating.

Housing and Redevelopment Director Cynthia Johnston said during these meetings, staff shared ideas that would complement "what we already have," as well as a planned multi-story, mixed-use development around Opportunity Hill. Plans for the development include a ground floor mostly for restaurants and retail and an upper floor for offices and residences.

Some themes emerged in gathering public input, including the idea that a successful downtown should have a mix of uses to stay vital. There was also consensus that a good downtown has a critical mass and that the local downtown does not feel finished

Parking was another theme, with participants agreeing on the importance of the correct number of spaces in the right locations.

An extension of the CreekWalk to Dobbins Street was mentioned as a possible project, according to a department staff report. The presentation also identifies a site at the corner of Davis and Catherine streets that could be suitable for a parking structure.

"People seemed very excited," Johnston said. "They were interested in making sure it reflected our community." She said at this point, the department has not determined the amount of grant funding it will request.

Mayor Len Augustine, who is also the STA chair, said projects have a better chance of being funded if they are ready to move forward and matching local funds are available. While a proposal is still in the idea phase, he said a Vacaville project would fulfill the purpose of the grant and "certainly be competitive."

"To me, it would be a kick-start for doing a project that would bring new life to the downtown area," he said.

Johnston said she also feels good about the chances, as "STA has been very supportive of what we've done so far."

The director added that the agency continues to welcome and encourage public comment. The department can be contacted by phone at 449-5660 or by e-mail at dhr@cityofvacaville.com.

Jennifer Gentile can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.

Big Business Deals Head to Vacaville

Big Business Deals Head to Vacaville
Health care, workers' comp and biotech companies could swell the job ranks by 3,500 when the dust settles
By George Avalos
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Vacaville is evolving into a significant job hub, with an insurance giant, health care titan, and biotech dynamo planning relocations or expansions in the Solano County city.

State Compensation Insurance Fund confirmed Thursday it will move hundreds of workers to a Vacaville land site the workers' comp carrier has bought near the intersection of highways 80 and 505.

Separately, State Fund has begun to occupy a three-building campus that it bought from Cisco Systems in Pleasanton. About 900 State Fund workers will occupy that site on Owens Drive in Hacienda Business Park, said James Zelinski, a State Fund spokesman.

Most of the employees who will wind up at these new job sites are moving from San Francisco.

All told, decisions by State Fund, Kaiser Permanente and Genentech Corp. to move to that triangle could mean 3,500 new jobs for Vacaville, according to Mike Palombo, the city's economic development manager.

"A number of projects will be going on at the same time here," Palombo said. "This means a lot of jobs for Vacaville."

The employees will work in a triangle bounded by Interstate 80, Interstate 505 and Vaca Valley Parkway:

• State Fund is adding 1,200 employees at a 32-acre site it has purchased in Vacaville. Construction of buildings should begin in 2007 and the first employees could move there in 2008. A city official said it's possible up to 2,000 State Fund workers could move to the site.

• Kaiser Permanente is building a full-fledged medical center in that location, a city official said. The health care provider's plans include a 150-bed hospital and a big medical office complex, said Palombo. About 1,500 Kaiser jobs are expected there, Palombo estimated. The hospital is expected to be opened in 2009.

• Genentech Corp. is planning a new phase of its biomedical manufacturing plant. About 750 Genentech workers are there now and 1,500 in all are expected to be employed at the location when the project is complete in 2009 or 2010, Palombo said.

State Fund's expansions in Pleasanton and Vacaville will mean fewer employees in San Francisco for the workers' comp carrier, although State Fund will retain its headquarters in the City by the Bay, said James Zelinski, a State Fund spokesman.

Plus, some Fairfield employees will also shift to Vacaville and some Oakland workers to Pleasanton.

The insurer has about 1,800 San Francisco workers at present. After the offices are fully staffed in Pleasanton and Vacaville, State Fund is expected to have 900 employees in San Francisco.

"The types of jobs in Vacaville will include information technology, call center, claims adjusting and claims processing," Zelinski said. "In Pleasanton, we will have underwriting, auditing, claims adjusting, bill paying and some legal positions."

Vacaville dangled financial incentives to land State Fund, California's largest workers' comp provider. Through a system of credits for development fees, the incentives the city is providing to State Fund amount to $350,000 a year for five years for the first phase of the project. Future construction phases could trigger additional annual credits, Palombo said.

State Fund eventually will build 430,000 square feet of prime office space in Vacaville, including 264,000 in the first phase. Sandy Person, vice president of the Solano County Economic Development Corp., said the State Fund project would be the largest nonmedical office park in Vacaville. Person said she believes State Fund will help broaden the city's economic mix.

What's more, additional jobs could head into the vicinity. Vacaville has 165 acres that remain vacant in that triangle.

"All communities want diversity in their economic base," Person said. "Vacaville had been thought to be too far up the I-80 Corridor to be a major location for offices. State Fund will give Vacaville more credibility as an office center."

George Avalos covers the economy, jobs, financial markets, insurance and banks. You can reach him at 925-977-8477 or gavalos@cctimes.com.

East Bay home sales down more than 20% - East Bay Business Times:

East Bay home sales down more than 20% - East Bay Business Times:: "East Bay home sales down more than 20%
East Bay Business Times - 2:21 PM PST Wednesday

Home sales in Alameda and Contra Costa counties declined by more than 20 percent last month compared with October 2005, according to new figures from DataQuick Information Systems.

Sales in the overall Bay Area held steady at a five-year low in October and prices remained flat.

In Alameda County, 1,586 new and resale homes were sold in October, down from 2,187 a year ago, a change of 27.5 percent. Contra Costa County registered 1,658 home sales last month, down 21.2 percent from 2,104 in October 2005.

The nine-county Bay Area showed 7,979 houses and condos sold last month, up 0.9 percent from 7,907 in September and down 24.1 percent from 10,508 a year ago.

The median price paid for a Bay Area home was $614,000 last month, up 0.5 percent from September's $611,000 and unchanged from October 2005. Earlier this year, the median hovered around $630,000 before rising to a $644,000 peak in June.

The median home price in Alameda County was $578,000, down 1.2 percent from $571,000 in October 2005. Contra Costa County's median price last month was $544,000, a drop of 5.4 percent from the October 2005 median $575,000.

The typical mon"

UC Davis agricultural center gets funding renewal - Sacramento Business Journal:

UC Davis agricultural center gets funding renewal - Sacramento Business Journal:: "UC Davis agricultural center gets funding renewal
Sacramento Business Journal - 9:07 AM PST Wednesday

The Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety at the University of California Davis received a $5.1 million grant to continue its work for the next five years.

The center, which was created by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducts research and provides educational programs to improve the health and safety of farmers. The new grant will allow the center to work to develop collaborations among universities, government agencies, industry and community groups.

Marc Schenker, director of the center, called the renewal of funding a vote of confidence in the center's work.

'As the national's leading agricultural state, California, alone, is home to a broad spectrum of agricultural enterprises ...,' he said. 'Addressing the health and safety needs of this very large, multifaceted industry is no small task.'

The center's current research projects center on airborne particles, farm worker health and safety and the respiratory health of dairy workers."

Home sales, prices continue to fall - Sacramento Business Journal:

Home sales, prices continue to fall
Sacramento Business Journal - 4:33 PM PST Wednesday
by Michael Shaw
Staff writer

Home sales in the Sacramento area continued to fall in October according to a report from real estate tracking company Trendgraphix, which monitors the resale housing market.

In Sacramento, El Dorado, Yolo and Placer counties, sales of pre-owned homes fell from a total of 1,705 in September to 1,549 in October, a drop of about 9.1 percent. The median sales price also continued on a downward slide in each county, most dramatically in Yolo County, where it fell from $450,000 in September to $416,000 in October.

But the inventory of unsold homes also continued to drop significantly for all four counties from its peak in July, perhaps as sellers remove homes from the market during the winter. There are about 1,600 fewer homes on the market than during the summer. Industry experts say a continued falling inventory would eventually boost sales.

"Many sellers still have poor market intelligence and believe their home is worth more than the current market can bear," said Michael Lyon, president of Trendgraphix, said in news release accompanying the sales data. "Others are unable to sell for less because they are over-encumbered with loans."

Lyon suggested new home builders might be snaring buyers because of deep discounts and incentives owners of existing homes aren't offering.

Travis Credit Union's Van Ouwerkerk named credit union exec of the year - East Bay Business Times:

Travis Credit Union's Van Ouwerkerk named credit union exec of the year - East Bay Business Times:: "Travis Credit Union's Van Ouwerkerk named credit union exec of the year
East Bay Business Times - 2:31 PM PST Thursday

Patsy Van Ouwerkerk, president and CEO of Travis Credit Union, was named 2006 Executive of the Year by the Credit Union Executives Society.

Madison, Wis.-based CUES, an independent professional development association designed exclusively for credit union executives, originated in 1962 as a professional development division of The Credit Union National Association, a trade group. The 2006 award was presented Nov. 13.

Van Ouwerkerk has been with Vacaville-based Travis since 2002. Under her tenure the credit union has expanded into five new communities and opened five new branches. Van Ouwerkerk is one of only 10 women in the U.S. to run a credit union with than $1 billion in assets.

She was also named to the 2006 Women of Distinction list by the East Bay Business Times."

Women make up less than 10 percent of California executives - Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal:

Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal - November 16, 2006
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2006/11/13/daily70.html

Business News - Local News
Business Pulse Survey:
If the 49ers build a stadium in Santa Clara, should Silicon Valley try to host the Olympics in 2020?
Women make up less than 10 percent of California executives
Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal - 1:47 PM PST Thursday
by Shana Lynch
Sacramento Business Journal

High-ranking women in California companies are still hard to find, according to a University of California, Davis, study released Thursday. In the state's 400 largest publicly traded businesses, women fill only one out of every 10 top decision-making position.

The study used Standard & Poor's data to determine California's largest companies by net revenue for July 2005 through June 2006. Top executives were determined by each company's annual report and their filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

From this information, the study found women hold 10.2 percent of board seats and executive officer positions, which is the same percentage reported last year. And of the 400 companies, 125 of them, or 31 percent, have no female board member or executive officer.

In the full breakdown, women held 349 executive positions out of a total 2,979 and 287 board seats out of a total 3,245.

On a brighter note, the study identified 25 companies with women in more than 25 percent of the director and executive officer roles. Two-thirds of these companies are located in Northern California.

Other findings:

* The largest companies by revenue had three times the percentage of women on company boards
* The retail and financial sectors offered higher numbers of female directors and executives; telecommunications had the lowest number of female directors, and electronics had the lowest number of female executives
* More than 48 percent of companies had no female executives
* Only 11 companies had female CEOs

To see the study and find data by county, visit www.gsm.ucdavis.edu/census.

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BIRDS LANDING, SOLANO COUNTY / New windmills near delta fuel state's global warming fight

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BIRDS LANDING, SOLANO COUNTY
New windmills near delta fuel state's global warming fight
- David R. Baker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, November 16, 2006

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California's latest source of clean energy started spinning slowly in the wind above the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta last spring.

One hundred white windmills, their blades stretching 122 feet, line the hilltops west of Rio Vista. Installed over the last year, they can generate up to 150 megawatts of electricity, enough to light 112,500 homes.

The Shiloh Wind Power Plant, which was unveiled to reporters and utility executives Wednesday, represents a new generation of technology for wind power. Each of its turbines can generate the same amount of electricity as 15 older windmills, some of which still dot the same grassy hills.

Shiloh also embodies California's mounting efforts to curb global warming.

It is one of the first wind farms to begin operations since California began ordering the state's utilities to use more renewable energy in 2002. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. buys half of Shiloh's electricity. The rest goes to Palo Alto's municipal utility and the Modesto Irrigation District.

"It's exactly the type of project that's going to be helping California meet its global warming pollution-reduction goals," said Audrey Chang, staff scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "This is what clean energy looks like."

The project also demonstrates some of wind power's limitations.

It is spread across 6,800 acres, vastly more than a traditional power plant would require. At roughly $220 million, it also cost more to build than a plant burning natural gas or coal.

But as Shiloh's developers note, its fuel is free, avoiding the wild swings in price that have afflicted natural gas. The turbines pump no carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide or sulfur dioxide into the air. And the land still belongs to property owners who will continue using it to grow hay and graze sheep.

"Over the years with wind power, I think it's gotten to the point where you can have your cake and eat it too," said Barrett Stambler, vice president of PPM Energy. Based in Portland, Ore., the company owns, or has under construction, wind-power projects capable of producing 2,000 megawatts of electricity.

Shiloh's towers overlook the Sacramento River as it flows west from Rio Vista and widens into Suisun Bay. PPM chose the spot because of the strong westerly winds that typically blow in from the bay. For Wednesday's unveiling, however, only a faint breeze moved a few windmills.

Their size dwarfs earlier windmills, some of which have occupied the hills since the late 1980s. Most of the new towers stand 262 feet tall, with three long blades that turn to face the wind. They spin 11 to 20 times per minute, slower than older models. Supporters hope the reduction in speed will make the blades easier for birds to avoid, since the number of birds killed by existing wind farms has become a sore point among many environmentalists.

The towers are designed to last 20 to 30 years. PPM started pursuing the project three years ago, with construction taking about 8 months. The farm started generating power this spring.

Wind farms, of course, aren't new to the Bay Area, as anyone driving through the Altamont Pass can attest. Ty Daul, PPM's regional managing director for the western United States, said the region may have room for more -- if residents and local governments permit them. He estimates the region could get 500 to 1,000 megawatts more. A midsize, natural-gas power plant generates about 500 megawatts.

Daul said the company would like to build more in Bay Area, but any sites would need thorough study to make sure the winds were strong and consistent enough to warrant construction.

"We would want a good year of on-site data before we'd build," he said.

E-mail David R. Baker at dbaker@sfchronicle.com.

Page B - 2
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/11/16/BAGGKMDO2R1.DTL
©2006 San Francisco Chronicle

New Electricity is Blowing in Solano's Winds

New Electricity is Blowing in Solano's Winds
By Janis Mara/Oakland Tribune
TheReporter.Com



A group gathers Wednesday at the dedication of the Shiloh Power Plant's wind turbines erected just outside of Rio Vista. (D. Ross Cameron/The Oakland Tribune)

The whirling blades of 100 giant wind turbines sent a jolt of electricity into California's power grid Wednesday as a group gathered in Rio Vista to dedicate the Shiloh Wind Power Plant.

Portland, Ore.-based PPM Energy's plant, which has been coming online gradually during the last year, is the first renewable project in the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. service area since the state's 2002 adoption of the Renewable Portfolio Standard, PG&E officials said.

The plant will help California meet the recently updated goal of getting 20 percent of its power from renewable sources such as wind energy and solar power by 2010. And it will help keep lights burning, water flowing and businesses transacting in the Bay Area and across the state, PG&E said.

Representatives of PPM Energy, PG&E, City of Palo Alto Utilities, Modesto Irrigation District, the press - and a few sheep and horses - were on hand at the Rio Vista wind farm Wednesday for the dedication.

The 30-story high turbines aren't your Don Quixote run-of-the-windmills. Combined, they can generate 150 megawatts of power at full capacity, enough juice to provide electrical power to more than 100,000 PG&E residential customers, according to Jon Tremayne of PG&E.

The event follows the passage of some of the most sweeping legislation in the country mandating new energy resources and limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Among other things, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in late September signed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which put mandatory caps in place reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Cal-ifornia by 25 percent by 2020.

The Shiloh plant will help the state stay within those limits on greenhouse gas emissions. "The plant will help offset 380 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year," said Blaine Sundwall of PPM Energy, which is part of U.K.-based Scottish Power.

California led the nation in installed wind energy for 25 years, but Texas recently claimed that distinction.

"This helps put us back on track" to recapturing No. 1 status, said Allen Short, general manger of the Modesto Irrigation District.

California has four main wind resource areas: Altamont Pass; Tehachapi Pass; San Gorgonio Pass; and this new, rapidly growing wind resources area near Rio Vista in Solano County, according to Case van Dam, a professor at the University of California, Davis. Juno Beach, Fla.-based FPL Energy also has wind turbines at the Rio Vista site.

There have been concerns over birds getting killed by the blades of the turbines in Altamont Pass. Sundwall said PPM Energy has addressed this problem with technology.

"Our towers are tubular, not latticed," Sundwall said. "Birds nest in the latticed towers and we theorize that makes them more likely to get hit by the blades as they fly in and out." He said the speed of the revolutions at this plant has been slowed to 11 to 20 revolutions per minute on the theory that the birds can see the blades better.

Wind energy plants use turbines to generate electricity. Such plants generate no emissions, unlike fossil fuel power plants. Coal-fired plants emit tons of pollutants and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and mercury.

Though wind energy is better for the environment, it is more expensive. It costs about 6.2 or 6.3 cents per kilowatt hour, compared with current nuclear energy sources or coal, which each run around 2 or 3 cents a kilowatt hour, experts say.

City Council OKs Wal-Mart Impact Study

City Council OKs Wal-Mart Impact Study
By Daily Republic staff

VALLEJO - The Vallejo City Council on Tuesday narrowly gave Wal-Mart the OK to start environmental studies for its proposed waterfront store.

The council split 4-3 on the issue, which was opposed by many residents at the meeting.

Wal-Mart wants to build a nearly 400,000-square-foot store in the White Slough area, despite a 1995 agreement that limits stores in the area to less than half that size. It has asked that those rules be changed to permit the store.

The decision came as the retailer pursues plans to build supercenter stores in both Fairfield and Suisun City.

The company has appealed a Nov. 1 vote by the Fairfield Planning Commission rejecting the store, proposed for the Mission Village Shopping Center. The issue will go before the Fairfield City Council Dec. 5.

Dixon Downs Gets Final OK From Council

Dixon Downs Gets Final OK From Council
By Julie Kay/Staff Writer

The Dixon City Council gave a second and final approval to the proposed Dixon Downs horse racetrack development at its Tuesday night meeting.

A signature-gathering effort continues, meanwhile, to bring the issue before voters through a referendum.

In a 3-1 vote, the Council again approved the two ordinances which underpin the racetrack's creation. The first allows the rezoning of the 260-acre Dixon Downs site in the city's Northeast Quadrant; the second authorizes the agreement between the city and Magna Entertainment Corp., the company proposing the project. Councilman Steve Alexander dissented. Councilman Gil Vega was absent from the meeting.

The Council approved the ordinances for the first time at a meeting on Oct. 24. By law, all ordinances get two readings and must be approved both times to take effect. Once an ordinance has been approved twice, the public still has 30 days to collect enough signatures to force a referendum on the issue.

Dixon Citizens for Quality Growth, a group which has opposed the racetrack, has spearheaded an effort to collect signatures necessary for a referendum. The group will need to collect 700 signatures on each of four petitions relating to various aspects of the project the council has approved.

Before Tuesday's vote, Dixon Citizens for Quality Growth member Gail Preston made a last-ditch request that the council reverse its earlier decision and vote against the project.

"I ask you, why get involved with a losing company like Magna?" he said, asserting that the corporation has a record of financial mismanagement. "We hope you'll step back...and not adopt these ordinances."

The motion passed, with Alexander dissenting as he did in the first vote.

In other business, the council approved proposed adjustments to the City and Municipal Codes in order to regulate any adult-oriented businesses which may move to Dixon. The new rules specify that adult-oriented businesses must be at least 1,000 feet away from places including churches, residentially zoned land, schools, and public parks. They must locate within the city's Heavy Industrial District Zone, secure necessary permits, and ensure employees are properly licensed on a yearly basis.

Mayor Mary Anne Courville explained that the council's approval did not constitute an authorization of such businesses in Dixon. The city cannot prevent adult-oriented businesses from locating in Dixon, she said. It can, however, be proactive in making restrictions on how those businesses operate.

Julie Kay can be reached at schools@thereporter.com.

Tenants Fill Up Nut Tree Spaces

Tenants Fill Up Nut Tree Spaces
By Reporter Staff

The Nut Tree continues to secure retail tenants as construction nears completion. Its two retail components, Nut Tree Village and Market Pavilion, are, respectively, 82 percent- and 80 percent leased, according to co-developer Westrust.
The Village is anchored by seven big box stores, and will also house Famous Footwear, Citibank, T-Mobile, Top Coat Nails & Spa and Justice Just For Girls, as well as Panera Bread, Amici's East Coast Pizzeria, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, Peet's Coffee & Tea, and Jamba Juice. Once fully leased, the Village will have 75-plus tenants.

Market Pavilion's confirmed tenants include Jelly Belly, Mariani Packing Company, Stonehouse Olive Oil, The Fruit Tree, Potter Family Farms, Villa Corona, Made in California and Fentons Creamery. The open-air pavilion is scheduled to celebrate its grand opening in April 2007.

The project is a joint venture between Snell&Co., Westrust, and Rockwood Capital.

Suisun Hopes to Start on Hotel Before Summer

Suisun Hopes to Start on Hotel Before Summer
By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - A proposal to put a 102-room hotel next to the waterfront got a warm reception Tuesday from the Suisun City Council, which liked seeing a 10-year-old goal finally move closer to reality.

"We need to move quickly forward and bring this to fruition," Mayor Jim Spering said of the proposal put forward by Basin Street Properties of Petaluma.

The biggest hurdle was finding a way to settle concerns from Doyle Wiseman without endangering the project. Wiseman owns One Harbor Center, next door to the site.

Wiseman voiced concerns about hotel guests parking in his parking lot, which is just across from the hotel's entrance. He also didn't want to see recreation vehicles parked near his building, according to Spering.

Spering voiced hope that such concerns will be ironed out by the time Basin Street submits its formal application to build early next year.

Basin Street is a 30-year-old commercial property owner and developer with projects located throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada.

The proposal calls for building a limited-service hotel next to Driftwood Drive. It would target business travelers and executive teams that are looking for a place to hold small meetings.

Getting a hotel here was a critical part of the city's agreement with Main Street West Partners, its master developer for Old Town. The agreement stated that before Main Street West could develop one of the other parcels for high-end housing, it needed to get a hotel.

If built, the hotel is expected to generate $320,000 a year in transient occupancy taxes and $10,000 in property taxes, according to Redevelopment Agency Director Al da Silva.

The hotel would also create 25 full-time jobs and generate more customers for the downtown area's restaurants, since it won't have a restaurant of its own.

"This is a critical opportunity to help diversify our revenue base," planner Jason Garben said, calling the hotel "a piece of the puzzle that will help us achieve that goal."

Mayor-elect Pete Sanchez asked why Basin Street wanted to see approvals for the project move as quickly as possible in order to be able to break ground this summer.

Garben replied waiting any longer could increase the financial risk for Basin Street.

"Another 9-11 could happen and the hotel market could drop off the face of the earth," Garben said.

Councilmember Mike Segala voiced support for the proposal, adding he wanted to see the architecture reflect water-related style as much as possible because of Suisun City's harbor nearby.

"It is critical that we put in a water element," Segala said.

This is the second hotel proposal for that area that has landed in front of the City Council.

In 2000, a group called Suisun Hotel Partners Ltd. proposed building a $7 million, three-story, 100-room Quality Inn & Suites hotel on the vacant lot off Driftwood Drive and Civic Center Boulevard.

An increase in construction costs and troubles with construction unions doomed that project, which finally fell apart in 2002.

Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.