10 Questions With Charles Eason
By Ines Bebea
Title: Director
Company: Solano College Small Business Development Center
Address: 360 Campus Lane, Suite 102
Phone: 864-3382
Web site: www.solanosbdc.org
1. What are the biggest challenges you face in your position?
Having to continually seek funding to keep the Small Business Development Center program alive and get the word out about what we do. Many people say they wish they had heard of us when they were first getting started in business.
2. How do you overcome these obstacles?
By developing strong relationships with all the cities, county and economic development partners and private sector supporters so that we can leverage the federal and state dollars. For the challenge of making people aware of our programs, we have to rely on publicity and networking since we do not have a marketing budget.
3. What role do you have in the future of the economy?
Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, both locally and nationally. They account for over 97 percent of the businesses here in Solano County, and nationwide create two-thirds of all jobs. I see my role as helping to nurture new businesses and helping existing businesses grow and prosper.
4. What areas are suffering?
Downtowns have been struggling. It has been particularly difficult for the independent businesses to survive and thrive. Unless you are a destination business, it is difficult to rely on foot traffic. It comes down to creating a critical mass to attract the foot traffic downtown.
5. If you had the power to directly influence the economy, what would you do?
I would focus on creating an economy based on bringing in dollars from outside the region. Many of our residents commute outside the county for work. It would be great to provide more opportunities for them to work in Solano County so that they can spend more time with their families and be more involved in the community.
6. What is your long-term plan?
I would like us to build an economy based on innovation that creates fast growing "gazelle" companies. I'm planning on pursuing some federal funding through the Partnerships for Innovation from the National Science Foundation to bring together education, government, and private-sector resources around such an effort.
7. What's the last book you read?
"Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren.
8. What do you do to relax?
Sit in our hot tub thinking about business ideas.
9.What's the last movie you saw?
If you don't count the 3D IMAX Dinosaur movie I saw recently, it would be the motivational documentary called "The Secret."
10. What is your biggest accomplishment?
Becoming a respected member of the community, and a person that people say is someone you should talk to if you have entrepreneurial dreams.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Complicated Growth Issues Face Solano
Complicated Growth Issues Face Solano
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - Middle Green Valley has long been a battleground in the Solano County growth wars - and the county is looking for a permanent truce.
Some say the county should allow homes in this rural area between Fairfield subdivisions and the custom homes of upper Green Valley. Others say the county should preserve open space and rich farming soils.
Solano County will tackle middle Green Valley and other thorny rural growth and land use issues during the next three months with a blitz of meetings.
Green Valley, Suisun Valley, Collinsville and old town Cordelia will each have their own series of workshops. The county is crafting General Plan revisions to govern land use in these areas for the coming 20 years.
Solano County hopes to work with the community and find options that most people can accept, county planning consultant Harry Englebright said.
Middle Green Valley
Reaching a consensus over middle Green Valley has long been an elusive goal.
Bill Maher owns 148 acres there adjacent to Fairfield city limits. He is among five property owners who want a total of 619 acres rezoned to rural residential, allowing homes on lots of 2.5 acres to 10 acres.
"I'm losing a lot of money," Maher said. "I've tried five or six different crops . . . 148 acres, you can't make money on that now, especially if you can't sell the grapes."
He needs his mini-storage business in Vallejo to support the farming venture, he said.
But Green Valley resident Jerry Gerald can't see building homes on prime Green Valley farm soils. He is working on the issue for the Green Valley Landowners Association, a group that seeks to preserve the area's rural character.
"When you drive down Green Valley Road, it's beautiful, it's gorgeous with the fields and vineyards," he said. "I think most people would be opposed to having most of that destroyed by putting up houses."
He acknowledged farmers need help, but said the answer is changing regulations that hinder such things as produce stands and bed-and-breakfasts.
Fairfield during the early 1990s looked at annexing some 800 acres in middle Green Valley and developing it with 1,000 homes and a golf course, leading to a growth battle. The city has since jettisoned the area from its growth boundaries.
Now Solano County will try to bring the various parties together again and finally resolve the fate of middle Green Valley.
Suisun Valley
Suisun Valley stands at the crossroads between farming and development.
The 10,000-acre valley west of Fairfield has vineyards, orchards, wineries and farms. It has small, commercial centers at Rockville Corners and Mankas Corners. It has some of the richest soils in Solano County and the state.
But the valley is near Interstate 80, leading to development pressures. Some farmers there say making money has grown difficult because of such factors as global competition and state and county regulations. More and more, land lies fallow.
Derrick Lum farms Bartlett pears, garbanzo beans, apricots and other crops there. He suggested the county stress finding ways for farmers to make money, as opposed to simply keeping the valley off-limits to development.
"That will keep the land preserved in agriculture," Lum said.
Lum wants the workshops to tackle various regulations he thinks hinder farm profits. For example, in some situations, farmers can have a small walnut hulling plant and hull their own walnuts, but not those from neighbors, he said.
"We're working through situations like that," Lum said.
Another issue is regulations that farmers say hinder such money-making opportunities as fruit stands and bed-and-breakfasts. These enterprises could fit in with efforts to make Suisun Valley a regional tourist draw, with farmers selling products directly to customers.
Collinsville
The Collinsville area in remote eastern Solano County near the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers has long been targeted for big things that never happen.
A property owner in the 1860s promised a city bigger than San Francisco. In the 1960s, National Steel Co. and Dow Chemical Co. wanted to build plants there. PG&E talked of building an atomic power plant.
Solano County for several decades has targeted the area for a deep water port and related industries. Supervisor Mike Reagan has talked about a toll road someday passing through to link Solano County with Contra Costa County on the other side of the water.
Now San Francisco-based One Vision Park has its eye on 2,700 acres there. It envisions such things as alternative energy ventures and perhaps a California state university campus.
But Collinsville remains a hamlet with a few dozen homes. Much of the surrounding area is cow pastures, with Suisun Marsh to the west and the rolling Montezuma Hills to the north.
Tule West has a home in the area and spends part of the year there. Her roots there go deep, back to a grandfather she described as an "ardent conservationist." Her first name is derived from the tules in the marsh.
She'd be happy if the Collinsville area remains remote and rural, a haven for wildlife, ranching and small towns, rather than big business.
"It's such a beautiful spot," West said. "I don't think the focus is on conservation and preserving the area. It seems to be on development."
The workshops will help decide which dreams for Collinsville the county pursues.
Cordelia
Unincorporated Cordelia is a pioneer Solano County town that is now almost surrounded by the homes and offices of Fairfield, with Suisun Marsh to the east.
Most of the town's businesses got destroyed in a 1939 fire. But dozens of historic homes remain, ranging from simple box-styles to ornate Victorians with gables and cornices. Remaining also is the old Studer building that now houses the Thompson's Corner bar.
Some residents have expressed concern about preserving the town's historic flavor. Issues include making certain new construction fits in with what's there.
The Workshops
People with varying viewpoints are invited to the workshops, which are being done under the auspices of the county's General Plan Update Citizens Advisory Committee. Each workshop is run by a subcommittee of the larger group.
Participants at the workshop will look at various alternate land-use proposals for each area, Englebright said. They'll try to agree on a preferred alternative.
Regardless, the various alternatives will eventually go to the full General Plan Citizens Advisory Committee.
The committee is to make recommendations to the county Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Supervisors want to vote on a revised General Plan in summer 2008.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
County General Plan Workshops
--Middle Green Valley workshops will start at 7 p.m. at Solano Community College, room 1625, 4000 Suisun Valley Road. They will be held on May 22, June 12, June 26, July 17, July 31 and Aug. 14.
--Suisun Valley workshops will start at 7 p.m. at Solano Community College, room 1625. They will be held on May 29, June 19, July 10, July 24 and Aug. 7.
--Collinsville workshops will start at 7 p.m. at the Rio Vista library, 44 South Second St. They will be held on May 24, June 14, July 5 and July 26.
--Cordelia workshops will start at 7 p.m. at the Cordelia Fire Hall, 2155 Cordelia Road. They will be held on June 7, June 28 and July 12.
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - Middle Green Valley has long been a battleground in the Solano County growth wars - and the county is looking for a permanent truce.
Some say the county should allow homes in this rural area between Fairfield subdivisions and the custom homes of upper Green Valley. Others say the county should preserve open space and rich farming soils.
Solano County will tackle middle Green Valley and other thorny rural growth and land use issues during the next three months with a blitz of meetings.
Green Valley, Suisun Valley, Collinsville and old town Cordelia will each have their own series of workshops. The county is crafting General Plan revisions to govern land use in these areas for the coming 20 years.
Solano County hopes to work with the community and find options that most people can accept, county planning consultant Harry Englebright said.
Middle Green Valley
Reaching a consensus over middle Green Valley has long been an elusive goal.
Bill Maher owns 148 acres there adjacent to Fairfield city limits. He is among five property owners who want a total of 619 acres rezoned to rural residential, allowing homes on lots of 2.5 acres to 10 acres.
"I'm losing a lot of money," Maher said. "I've tried five or six different crops . . . 148 acres, you can't make money on that now, especially if you can't sell the grapes."
He needs his mini-storage business in Vallejo to support the farming venture, he said.
But Green Valley resident Jerry Gerald can't see building homes on prime Green Valley farm soils. He is working on the issue for the Green Valley Landowners Association, a group that seeks to preserve the area's rural character.
"When you drive down Green Valley Road, it's beautiful, it's gorgeous with the fields and vineyards," he said. "I think most people would be opposed to having most of that destroyed by putting up houses."
He acknowledged farmers need help, but said the answer is changing regulations that hinder such things as produce stands and bed-and-breakfasts.
Fairfield during the early 1990s looked at annexing some 800 acres in middle Green Valley and developing it with 1,000 homes and a golf course, leading to a growth battle. The city has since jettisoned the area from its growth boundaries.
Now Solano County will try to bring the various parties together again and finally resolve the fate of middle Green Valley.
Suisun Valley
Suisun Valley stands at the crossroads between farming and development.
The 10,000-acre valley west of Fairfield has vineyards, orchards, wineries and farms. It has small, commercial centers at Rockville Corners and Mankas Corners. It has some of the richest soils in Solano County and the state.
But the valley is near Interstate 80, leading to development pressures. Some farmers there say making money has grown difficult because of such factors as global competition and state and county regulations. More and more, land lies fallow.
Derrick Lum farms Bartlett pears, garbanzo beans, apricots and other crops there. He suggested the county stress finding ways for farmers to make money, as opposed to simply keeping the valley off-limits to development.
"That will keep the land preserved in agriculture," Lum said.
Lum wants the workshops to tackle various regulations he thinks hinder farm profits. For example, in some situations, farmers can have a small walnut hulling plant and hull their own walnuts, but not those from neighbors, he said.
"We're working through situations like that," Lum said.
Another issue is regulations that farmers say hinder such money-making opportunities as fruit stands and bed-and-breakfasts. These enterprises could fit in with efforts to make Suisun Valley a regional tourist draw, with farmers selling products directly to customers.
Collinsville
The Collinsville area in remote eastern Solano County near the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers has long been targeted for big things that never happen.
A property owner in the 1860s promised a city bigger than San Francisco. In the 1960s, National Steel Co. and Dow Chemical Co. wanted to build plants there. PG&E talked of building an atomic power plant.
Solano County for several decades has targeted the area for a deep water port and related industries. Supervisor Mike Reagan has talked about a toll road someday passing through to link Solano County with Contra Costa County on the other side of the water.
Now San Francisco-based One Vision Park has its eye on 2,700 acres there. It envisions such things as alternative energy ventures and perhaps a California state university campus.
But Collinsville remains a hamlet with a few dozen homes. Much of the surrounding area is cow pastures, with Suisun Marsh to the west and the rolling Montezuma Hills to the north.
Tule West has a home in the area and spends part of the year there. Her roots there go deep, back to a grandfather she described as an "ardent conservationist." Her first name is derived from the tules in the marsh.
She'd be happy if the Collinsville area remains remote and rural, a haven for wildlife, ranching and small towns, rather than big business.
"It's such a beautiful spot," West said. "I don't think the focus is on conservation and preserving the area. It seems to be on development."
The workshops will help decide which dreams for Collinsville the county pursues.
Cordelia
Unincorporated Cordelia is a pioneer Solano County town that is now almost surrounded by the homes and offices of Fairfield, with Suisun Marsh to the east.
Most of the town's businesses got destroyed in a 1939 fire. But dozens of historic homes remain, ranging from simple box-styles to ornate Victorians with gables and cornices. Remaining also is the old Studer building that now houses the Thompson's Corner bar.
Some residents have expressed concern about preserving the town's historic flavor. Issues include making certain new construction fits in with what's there.
The Workshops
People with varying viewpoints are invited to the workshops, which are being done under the auspices of the county's General Plan Update Citizens Advisory Committee. Each workshop is run by a subcommittee of the larger group.
Participants at the workshop will look at various alternate land-use proposals for each area, Englebright said. They'll try to agree on a preferred alternative.
Regardless, the various alternatives will eventually go to the full General Plan Citizens Advisory Committee.
The committee is to make recommendations to the county Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Supervisors want to vote on a revised General Plan in summer 2008.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
County General Plan Workshops
--Middle Green Valley workshops will start at 7 p.m. at Solano Community College, room 1625, 4000 Suisun Valley Road. They will be held on May 22, June 12, June 26, July 17, July 31 and Aug. 14.
--Suisun Valley workshops will start at 7 p.m. at Solano Community College, room 1625. They will be held on May 29, June 19, July 10, July 24 and Aug. 7.
--Collinsville workshops will start at 7 p.m. at the Rio Vista library, 44 South Second St. They will be held on May 24, June 14, July 5 and July 26.
--Cordelia workshops will start at 7 p.m. at the Cordelia Fire Hall, 2155 Cordelia Road. They will be held on June 7, June 28 and July 12.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
$50,000-per-year GREAT grants stimulate and support promising UC Davis young researchers
University of California, Davis
May 18, 2007
GRADUATE TRAINING GRANTS AIM TO SPEED BIOTECH INNOVATIONS
In an effort to stimulate advancements in biotechnology and support promising young researchers from many fields of study, the University of California Systemwide Biotechnology Research and Education Program has awarded more than a half million dollars in 11 new training grants to graduate students and their faculty mentors at UC Davis and five other UC campuses.
The $50,000-per-year Graduate Research and Education in Adaptive bioTechnology (GREAT) training grants are among the highest individual awards given for graduate education and training anywhere in the nation. They will fund biotechnology-related research into such areas as biomedical engineering, human therapeutics, neuroscience, stem-cell culture and biomolecular engineering. These research projects incorporate cross-disciplinary training that spans all fields of science, engineering, medicine and agriculture.
"This training-grant program is designed to provide the catalyst for rapid technological advancements in areas such as nanotechnology and biological materials modeling by providing a research environment that nurtures diverse fields of study," said Martina McGloughlin, director of the UC Davis-based UC Biotechnology Research and Education Program. "The student-faculty teams selected to receive the grants were chosen on the basis of their demonstrated ability to understand and solve problems that cross over diverse disciplines."
At UC Davis, grants were awarded to:
* Chemical engineering student Ileri Nazar, who works in the development of si-nanopores for external control of transport of biomolecules under the sponsorship of Professor Peter Stroeve; and
* Chemical engineering student Michael Plesha, who is developing a plant-based expression system for the efficient production of human therapeutics with Professor Karen McDonald.
The other training grants were awarded to:
UC Berkeley
* Biophysics student Viviana Risca, who is working on actin network mechanics from the bottom up with optical tweezers-based studies of actin filament structures under the direction of Professor Daniel Fletcher;
* Neuroscience student Lavi Secundo, who is developing neuroprosthesis control via cortical modulation of upper-limb muscle activity in the laboratory of Professor Jose Carmena;
UCLA
* Psychology student Kate Wassum, who uses an implantable MEA biosensor for measuring brain neurotransmitter release in animal models of addictive behavior under the direction of Professor Nigel Maidment;
* Computer science student Nils Homer, who is finding analysis methods for cost-effective genomewide SNP association studies with Professor Stanley Nelson;
UC San Diego
* Bioengineering student David Brafman, who is researching arrayed cellular microenvironments for identifying the optimum conditions for proliferating and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells in Professor Shu Chien's laboratory;
UC San Francisco
* Chemical biology student Emily Crawford, who is developing a novel technology for global analysis of apoptotic caspase targets under sponsorship of Professor James Wells;
* Biophysics student Elizabeth Hesper Rego, who is researching ultra-high resolution light microscopy using nonlinear structured illumination with Professor Mats Gustafsson;
UC Santa Barbara
* Biomolecular engineering student Scott Wasko, who is exploring mimicry of whelk egg capsule biopolymers in the laboratory of Professor John Herbert Waite; and
* Biomolecular engineering student Lukmaan Bawazar, who is researching the interface of materials science and engineering focusing on directed laboratory evolution of bio-mineralization systems with Professor Daniel Morse.
The GREAT program, developed four years ago, supports the training of the brightest young University of California graduate students in theoretical and experimental research, students who are working at the nexus of the life sciences and the physical, chemical, engineering, mathematical and computational sciences. Nine UC campuses have now been awarded one or more of these prestigious systemwide grants.
Notable accomplishments of the program include those of Adam Seipel, formerly at UC Santa Cruz, who secured an appointment as a tenure-track assistant professor at Cornell immediately out of graduate school. He made headlines in August 2006 as a member of the group that characterized a gene in the neocortex that has changed rapidly during human evolution. This finding brings scientists a step closer toward understanding what sets humans apart from their closest cousins. Seipel noted that it had been very difficult to obtain support as a returning graduate student, and the GREAT program made it possible for him to undertake a novel project and complete graduate school in record time.
Another milestone was achieved in November 2006 when the HYPERCEST biosensor was invented by GREAT student Tom Lowery in the laboratory of UC Berkeley Professor David Wemmer. This biosensor, which includes xenon as the signal source in a specially designed molecular cage, dramatically increases the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) and will have extensive clinical application.
Five months later, in April 2007, a paper by Roy Wollman, who worked in Professor Jonathan Scholey's lab at UC Davis, was published in the journal Science. The paper reported Wollman's findings from his work using a full genome RNAi screen to demonstrate the unexpected complexity of cell division, which involves some 200 genes (150 previously unknown). This research provides insight into potential targets for cancer therapeutics.
Media contact(s):
* Martina Newell-McGloughlin, UC Biotechnology Research and Education Program, (530) 752-9843, mmmcgloughlin@ucdavis.edu
* Pat Bailey, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu
May 18, 2007
GRADUATE TRAINING GRANTS AIM TO SPEED BIOTECH INNOVATIONS
In an effort to stimulate advancements in biotechnology and support promising young researchers from many fields of study, the University of California Systemwide Biotechnology Research and Education Program has awarded more than a half million dollars in 11 new training grants to graduate students and their faculty mentors at UC Davis and five other UC campuses.
The $50,000-per-year Graduate Research and Education in Adaptive bioTechnology (GREAT) training grants are among the highest individual awards given for graduate education and training anywhere in the nation. They will fund biotechnology-related research into such areas as biomedical engineering, human therapeutics, neuroscience, stem-cell culture and biomolecular engineering. These research projects incorporate cross-disciplinary training that spans all fields of science, engineering, medicine and agriculture.
"This training-grant program is designed to provide the catalyst for rapid technological advancements in areas such as nanotechnology and biological materials modeling by providing a research environment that nurtures diverse fields of study," said Martina McGloughlin, director of the UC Davis-based UC Biotechnology Research and Education Program. "The student-faculty teams selected to receive the grants were chosen on the basis of their demonstrated ability to understand and solve problems that cross over diverse disciplines."
At UC Davis, grants were awarded to:
* Chemical engineering student Ileri Nazar, who works in the development of si-nanopores for external control of transport of biomolecules under the sponsorship of Professor Peter Stroeve; and
* Chemical engineering student Michael Plesha, who is developing a plant-based expression system for the efficient production of human therapeutics with Professor Karen McDonald.
The other training grants were awarded to:
UC Berkeley
* Biophysics student Viviana Risca, who is working on actin network mechanics from the bottom up with optical tweezers-based studies of actin filament structures under the direction of Professor Daniel Fletcher;
* Neuroscience student Lavi Secundo, who is developing neuroprosthesis control via cortical modulation of upper-limb muscle activity in the laboratory of Professor Jose Carmena;
UCLA
* Psychology student Kate Wassum, who uses an implantable MEA biosensor for measuring brain neurotransmitter release in animal models of addictive behavior under the direction of Professor Nigel Maidment;
* Computer science student Nils Homer, who is finding analysis methods for cost-effective genomewide SNP association studies with Professor Stanley Nelson;
UC San Diego
* Bioengineering student David Brafman, who is researching arrayed cellular microenvironments for identifying the optimum conditions for proliferating and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells in Professor Shu Chien's laboratory;
UC San Francisco
* Chemical biology student Emily Crawford, who is developing a novel technology for global analysis of apoptotic caspase targets under sponsorship of Professor James Wells;
* Biophysics student Elizabeth Hesper Rego, who is researching ultra-high resolution light microscopy using nonlinear structured illumination with Professor Mats Gustafsson;
UC Santa Barbara
* Biomolecular engineering student Scott Wasko, who is exploring mimicry of whelk egg capsule biopolymers in the laboratory of Professor John Herbert Waite; and
* Biomolecular engineering student Lukmaan Bawazar, who is researching the interface of materials science and engineering focusing on directed laboratory evolution of bio-mineralization systems with Professor Daniel Morse.
The GREAT program, developed four years ago, supports the training of the brightest young University of California graduate students in theoretical and experimental research, students who are working at the nexus of the life sciences and the physical, chemical, engineering, mathematical and computational sciences. Nine UC campuses have now been awarded one or more of these prestigious systemwide grants.
Notable accomplishments of the program include those of Adam Seipel, formerly at UC Santa Cruz, who secured an appointment as a tenure-track assistant professor at Cornell immediately out of graduate school. He made headlines in August 2006 as a member of the group that characterized a gene in the neocortex that has changed rapidly during human evolution. This finding brings scientists a step closer toward understanding what sets humans apart from their closest cousins. Seipel noted that it had been very difficult to obtain support as a returning graduate student, and the GREAT program made it possible for him to undertake a novel project and complete graduate school in record time.
Another milestone was achieved in November 2006 when the HYPERCEST biosensor was invented by GREAT student Tom Lowery in the laboratory of UC Berkeley Professor David Wemmer. This biosensor, which includes xenon as the signal source in a specially designed molecular cage, dramatically increases the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) and will have extensive clinical application.
Five months later, in April 2007, a paper by Roy Wollman, who worked in Professor Jonathan Scholey's lab at UC Davis, was published in the journal Science. The paper reported Wollman's findings from his work using a full genome RNAi screen to demonstrate the unexpected complexity of cell division, which involves some 200 genes (150 previously unknown). This research provides insight into potential targets for cancer therapeutics.
Media contact(s):
* Martina Newell-McGloughlin, UC Biotechnology Research and Education Program, (530) 752-9843, mmmcgloughlin@ucdavis.edu
* Pat Bailey, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu
Friday, May 18, 2007
San Jose area ranks tops for nanotech
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/05/14/daily85.html?t=printable
Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - May 18, 2007
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/05/14/daily85.html
San Jose area ranks tops for nanotech (Note UC Davis located partially within Solano County has contracted research in nanotech)
Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - 9:52 AM PDT Friday, May 18, 2007
San Jose tops the nation in nanotechnology, according to a study released Thursday.
The Washington, D.C.-based Project on Emerging Technologies said three of the top nano metro centers are in California -- San Jose with 55 entities doing nanotech, San Francisco with 20 and Oakland with 16.
The other two top nano metro centers were in Massachusetts: Boston (33) and two counties north of that city -- Middlesex and Essex -- with 23.
The top four nanotechnology states identified by the study are California, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas.
The study said nanotechnology companies are working in three main sectors: materials, medicine and health, and tools and instruments.
In addition, 138 universities and government laboratories were identified working on some aspect of nanotechnology.
In all, the study said, 47 of 50 states and the District of Columbia contain at least one company, university, government laboratory, or organization working in nanotechnology.
In 2006, according to Lux Research, governments, corporations and venture capitalists worldwide spent $12.4 billion on nanotechnology research and development -- up almost 30 percent from 2005.
By 2014, Lux estimates $2.6 trillion in manufactured goods will incorporate nanotechnology -- or about 15 percent of total global output.
"Nanotechnology is usually seen as a worldwide or national enterprise, with the U.S. government alone investing $6.8 billion in nanotech R&D over the last decade. But what some describe as 'The Next Industrial Revolution,' is actually taking place at a local and state level," said Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies Director David Rejeski.
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies was established in April 2005 as a partnership between the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Pew Charitable Trusts.
The full report is available at www.nanotechproject.org/123 .
Contact the Editor Need Assistance? More Latest News
Subscribe or renew online
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.
Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - May 18, 2007
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/05/14/daily85.html
San Jose area ranks tops for nanotech (Note UC Davis located partially within Solano County has contracted research in nanotech)
Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - 9:52 AM PDT Friday, May 18, 2007
San Jose tops the nation in nanotechnology, according to a study released Thursday.
The Washington, D.C.-based Project on Emerging Technologies said three of the top nano metro centers are in California -- San Jose with 55 entities doing nanotech, San Francisco with 20 and Oakland with 16.
The other two top nano metro centers were in Massachusetts: Boston (33) and two counties north of that city -- Middlesex and Essex -- with 23.
The top four nanotechnology states identified by the study are California, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas.
The study said nanotechnology companies are working in three main sectors: materials, medicine and health, and tools and instruments.
In addition, 138 universities and government laboratories were identified working on some aspect of nanotechnology.
In all, the study said, 47 of 50 states and the District of Columbia contain at least one company, university, government laboratory, or organization working in nanotechnology.
In 2006, according to Lux Research, governments, corporations and venture capitalists worldwide spent $12.4 billion on nanotechnology research and development -- up almost 30 percent from 2005.
By 2014, Lux estimates $2.6 trillion in manufactured goods will incorporate nanotechnology -- or about 15 percent of total global output.
"Nanotechnology is usually seen as a worldwide or national enterprise, with the U.S. government alone investing $6.8 billion in nanotech R&D over the last decade. But what some describe as 'The Next Industrial Revolution,' is actually taking place at a local and state level," said Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies Director David Rejeski.
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies was established in April 2005 as a partnership between the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Pew Charitable Trusts.
The full report is available at www.nanotechproject.org/123 .
Contact the Editor Need Assistance? More Latest News
Subscribe or renew online
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.
Suisun City Plans To Dredge Up Harbor
Suisun City Plans To Dredge Up Harbor
By Ian Thompson
SUISUN CITY - Suisun City is gearing up to dredge its harbor next year and is pulling together a funding mechanism to pay for the effort.
The last time the city deepened part of the marina - the area around the boat launch ramp and fuel dock and Whispering Bay - was four years ago.
Usually, it is about eight to 10 years between dredgings but heavy rains and storms during the past three years have caused more silt than normal to build up in the harbor..
"We are planning to concentrate on the Marina area," Recreation and Community Services Department head Mick Jessop said. "We don't believe Whispering Bay needs a lot of dredging, but we are going to do soundings there."
"We want to stretch our dollars where we can," Jessop said.
The depth soundings will determine how much area needs to be dredged and how much the whole project will cost.
The areas most in need of dredging are in front of the public boat launch ramp, around the fuel dock and just south of the Solano Yacht Club.
"It is difficult to get bigger boats in there," Jessop said of the boat launch ramp.
Part of the preparations involve gathering funds from two assessment districts and seeking out a third funding source, possibly grants.
Another part is preparing Pierce Island just south of the city to accept the spoils, a cost-saving benefit that few other cities can boast.
There is also the need to acquire necessary state and federal permits, hiring a consultant to define the scope of the project and working out the best time to dredge so the damage to the area's fish population is kept to a minimum.
If things go as planned, Jessop expects to see the work done in the late summer and early fall of 2008.
The city is also trying to get the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge a few areas along the Suisun Slough outside of the city limits that include a couple of areas on the way to Hunters Cut.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.
By Ian Thompson
SUISUN CITY - Suisun City is gearing up to dredge its harbor next year and is pulling together a funding mechanism to pay for the effort.
The last time the city deepened part of the marina - the area around the boat launch ramp and fuel dock and Whispering Bay - was four years ago.
Usually, it is about eight to 10 years between dredgings but heavy rains and storms during the past three years have caused more silt than normal to build up in the harbor..
"We are planning to concentrate on the Marina area," Recreation and Community Services Department head Mick Jessop said. "We don't believe Whispering Bay needs a lot of dredging, but we are going to do soundings there."
"We want to stretch our dollars where we can," Jessop said.
The depth soundings will determine how much area needs to be dredged and how much the whole project will cost.
The areas most in need of dredging are in front of the public boat launch ramp, around the fuel dock and just south of the Solano Yacht Club.
"It is difficult to get bigger boats in there," Jessop said of the boat launch ramp.
Part of the preparations involve gathering funds from two assessment districts and seeking out a third funding source, possibly grants.
Another part is preparing Pierce Island just south of the city to accept the spoils, a cost-saving benefit that few other cities can boast.
There is also the need to acquire necessary state and federal permits, hiring a consultant to define the scope of the project and working out the best time to dredge so the damage to the area's fish population is kept to a minimum.
If things go as planned, Jessop expects to see the work done in the late summer and early fall of 2008.
The city is also trying to get the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge a few areas along the Suisun Slough outside of the city limits that include a couple of areas on the way to Hunters Cut.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Vacaville Revives VIP Day, A Development Sales Pitch
Vacaville Revives VIP Day, A Development Sales Pitch
By Jennifer Gentile/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
The Nut Tree Family Park was the backdrop Wednesday for the triumphant return of a very important local event, which drew more than 200 VIPs - top developers, real estate executives and other professionals from throughout the region.
Vacaville once again showcased its assets during the first VIP Day in a decade. Professionals from Sacramento to the Bay Area were invited to mingle with their peers and local leaders while learning about growth and development opportunities in the city.
Mayor Len Augustine extended the official welcome and said he is proud of Vacaville's economic vitality. He explained that one of the city's goals is to support business.
"If I start talking about Vacaville, I could go on all day," Augustine said. "So many things are happening, it's hard to explain everything."
Event chair Patsy Van Ouwerkerk said the theme of the day was "get connected to success," referring to the networking opportunities the occasion provided. VIP Day drew a variety of business representatives, from familiar names to visitors whose only prior contact with Vacaville was blowing by on the freeway.
Alan Wulff of local business Wulff Electric, said, "I commend the city of Vacaville for providing this kind of environment. This is an opportunity to promote our services to local businesses and to potential new businesses coming into the Vacaville area."
Lori Coleman, project manager with Nut Tree developer Snell and Company, exclaimed, "we're tremendously excited that we've had such a positive turnout. Many people don't know the Nut Tree has returned, and this gives us a chance to show off our asset."
A bus tour that followed breakfast hit all local points of interest, traveling through the city's commercial and industrial areas. Along the way, guides pointed out the sites of projects like the Genentech expansion, Opportunity Hill, Kaiser Hospital and State Compensation Insurance Fund, as well as established assets like Town Square, the Factory Stores and Lagoon Valley.
Tour guide and Economic Development Director Mike Palombo explained the significance of the sites, like the 7 million visitors that the factory stores draw to the city each year and the more than 400,000 square feet of office space the State Fund site will add to Vacaville. Along the way, he shared details about vacant land and commercial and industrial space available to businesses.
A. Marie Young, a member of the Solano Community College Governing Board, said the tour was her first venture into the interior of the city. Before Wednesday, she said she was not aware how many businesses were in the area and how much growth had occurred.
"After the tour, I see that Vacaville, if you've got a business, is the place to come," Young said. "Vacaville has the kind of businesses you can't find in other cities in Solano County."
The day ended with a luncheon, which featured guest speaker Luis Belmonte of Seven Hills Properties. Belmonte told the assembly that there were only three periods when "the world acted as a single economic unit." These were the height of the Roman and British empires and the present.
"The absolute cutting edge of the economic universe is right here," he said, referring to the Bay Area region. However, he added, "this is a precarious mountain top we're on."
Speaking to the importance of the biotechnology industry, Belmonte said, "(biotech) has the potential to change the way we live" and suggested its role in solving the health care crisis. Touching on the issue of global warming and alternative energy, he mentioned that the country imports 14 million barrels of oil per day.
"We are not going to achieve energy independence," he said, but added that the country could diversify its energy sources.
The speaker also decried the "regulatory gridlock" that obstructs construction of affordable housing and stressed the need to advocate for free trade "all day, every day."
"This perch is in no way, shape or form guaranteed," he said. "We're going to have to take some action."
Jennifer Gentile can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
By Jennifer Gentile/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
The Nut Tree Family Park was the backdrop Wednesday for the triumphant return of a very important local event, which drew more than 200 VIPs - top developers, real estate executives and other professionals from throughout the region.
Vacaville once again showcased its assets during the first VIP Day in a decade. Professionals from Sacramento to the Bay Area were invited to mingle with their peers and local leaders while learning about growth and development opportunities in the city.
Mayor Len Augustine extended the official welcome and said he is proud of Vacaville's economic vitality. He explained that one of the city's goals is to support business.
"If I start talking about Vacaville, I could go on all day," Augustine said. "So many things are happening, it's hard to explain everything."
Event chair Patsy Van Ouwerkerk said the theme of the day was "get connected to success," referring to the networking opportunities the occasion provided. VIP Day drew a variety of business representatives, from familiar names to visitors whose only prior contact with Vacaville was blowing by on the freeway.
Alan Wulff of local business Wulff Electric, said, "I commend the city of Vacaville for providing this kind of environment. This is an opportunity to promote our services to local businesses and to potential new businesses coming into the Vacaville area."
Lori Coleman, project manager with Nut Tree developer Snell and Company, exclaimed, "we're tremendously excited that we've had such a positive turnout. Many people don't know the Nut Tree has returned, and this gives us a chance to show off our asset."
A bus tour that followed breakfast hit all local points of interest, traveling through the city's commercial and industrial areas. Along the way, guides pointed out the sites of projects like the Genentech expansion, Opportunity Hill, Kaiser Hospital and State Compensation Insurance Fund, as well as established assets like Town Square, the Factory Stores and Lagoon Valley.
Tour guide and Economic Development Director Mike Palombo explained the significance of the sites, like the 7 million visitors that the factory stores draw to the city each year and the more than 400,000 square feet of office space the State Fund site will add to Vacaville. Along the way, he shared details about vacant land and commercial and industrial space available to businesses.
A. Marie Young, a member of the Solano Community College Governing Board, said the tour was her first venture into the interior of the city. Before Wednesday, she said she was not aware how many businesses were in the area and how much growth had occurred.
"After the tour, I see that Vacaville, if you've got a business, is the place to come," Young said. "Vacaville has the kind of businesses you can't find in other cities in Solano County."
The day ended with a luncheon, which featured guest speaker Luis Belmonte of Seven Hills Properties. Belmonte told the assembly that there were only three periods when "the world acted as a single economic unit." These were the height of the Roman and British empires and the present.
"The absolute cutting edge of the economic universe is right here," he said, referring to the Bay Area region. However, he added, "this is a precarious mountain top we're on."
Speaking to the importance of the biotechnology industry, Belmonte said, "(biotech) has the potential to change the way we live" and suggested its role in solving the health care crisis. Touching on the issue of global warming and alternative energy, he mentioned that the country imports 14 million barrels of oil per day.
"We are not going to achieve energy independence," he said, but added that the country could diversify its energy sources.
The speaker also decried the "regulatory gridlock" that obstructs construction of affordable housing and stressed the need to advocate for free trade "all day, every day."
"This perch is in no way, shape or form guaranteed," he said. "We're going to have to take some action."
Jennifer Gentile can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
Vacaville: 'Great Hub For Businesses'
Vacaville: 'Great Hub For Businesses'
By Ines Bebea
Local and regional businessmen and women and political figures listen to a guide speak about various business opportunities during a bus tour of Vacaville Wednesday morning as part of VIP Day. (Photo by Chris Jordan)
VACAVILLE - Business advocates and elected officials laid out the red carpet to prospective businesses and real estate developers Wednesday during the first VIP Day in Vacaville in 10 years.
The tour of current construction projects and available prime real estate was a collaborative effort by the city of Vacaville, Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, and Solano Economic Development Corp. The participants - about 200 - learned of the key elements the city can offer prospective and current businesses: land, ready infrastructure, and highly skilled workers.
"As a business that has been here for a long time, and gotten an opportunity to grow, Vacaville is a great hub for businesses," said Patsy Van Ouwerkerk, president and chief executive officer of Travis Credit Union. "As a board member of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, our goal is to create a business friendly environment, and as the city grows, businesses grow."
Vacaville is currently experiencing an economic boom, with expansion projects by top employers such as Genentech and Kaiser Permanente.
"There was a time when we were in the peripheral view of the Bay Area, as people drove by on their way to Sacramento or San Francisco," Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine said. "Our future is brighter now, because we are in the middle of the megalopolis that is San Francisco and Sacramento. Our economic vitality is helping old and new businesses succeed in Vacaville."
Sandy Person, vice president of Solano EDC, attributed the economic power of Vacaville to its location along Interstate 80, and the example that the existing employers set for prospective industries.
"If you take a look at the companies that are already here, you see why Vacaville works," Person said. "Fentons Creamery, Alza, a division of Johnson & Johnson, and the State Compensation Insurance Fund. They are in an environment that is ripe for their futures and their expansion."
Person was unsure if the rest of the six cities in Solano County are working on plans to have their own VIP Day, but said such an event would certainly help them showcase their businesses opportunities.
The VIP Day's theme was to connect businesses and professionals to the area, and for William Brizendine it had the expected effect.
"I know nothing about Vacaville outside of the fact that I drive by it on my way to the city," said Brizendine, director of CB Richard Ellis Melody in San Francisco. "Now, I know of all the opportunities the city has to offer."
As the keynote speaker, Luis Belmonte, a former vice president with AMB, an industrial and commercial developing firm in San Francisco, put into perspective the economic role that Vacaville can play in the global economy.
"A telling sign of any economy is to follow where the money is going," Belmonte said. "If the money is coming in, you are in the right place, and the Bay Area is in the economic forefront of the U.S. with its multitude of venture capitalist companies."
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
By Ines Bebea
Local and regional businessmen and women and political figures listen to a guide speak about various business opportunities during a bus tour of Vacaville Wednesday morning as part of VIP Day. (Photo by Chris Jordan)
VACAVILLE - Business advocates and elected officials laid out the red carpet to prospective businesses and real estate developers Wednesday during the first VIP Day in Vacaville in 10 years.
The tour of current construction projects and available prime real estate was a collaborative effort by the city of Vacaville, Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, and Solano Economic Development Corp. The participants - about 200 - learned of the key elements the city can offer prospective and current businesses: land, ready infrastructure, and highly skilled workers.
"As a business that has been here for a long time, and gotten an opportunity to grow, Vacaville is a great hub for businesses," said Patsy Van Ouwerkerk, president and chief executive officer of Travis Credit Union. "As a board member of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, our goal is to create a business friendly environment, and as the city grows, businesses grow."
Vacaville is currently experiencing an economic boom, with expansion projects by top employers such as Genentech and Kaiser Permanente.
"There was a time when we were in the peripheral view of the Bay Area, as people drove by on their way to Sacramento or San Francisco," Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine said. "Our future is brighter now, because we are in the middle of the megalopolis that is San Francisco and Sacramento. Our economic vitality is helping old and new businesses succeed in Vacaville."
Sandy Person, vice president of Solano EDC, attributed the economic power of Vacaville to its location along Interstate 80, and the example that the existing employers set for prospective industries.
"If you take a look at the companies that are already here, you see why Vacaville works," Person said. "Fentons Creamery, Alza, a division of Johnson & Johnson, and the State Compensation Insurance Fund. They are in an environment that is ripe for their futures and their expansion."
Person was unsure if the rest of the six cities in Solano County are working on plans to have their own VIP Day, but said such an event would certainly help them showcase their businesses opportunities.
The VIP Day's theme was to connect businesses and professionals to the area, and for William Brizendine it had the expected effect.
"I know nothing about Vacaville outside of the fact that I drive by it on my way to the city," said Brizendine, director of CB Richard Ellis Melody in San Francisco. "Now, I know of all the opportunities the city has to offer."
As the keynote speaker, Luis Belmonte, a former vice president with AMB, an industrial and commercial developing firm in San Francisco, put into perspective the economic role that Vacaville can play in the global economy.
"A telling sign of any economy is to follow where the money is going," Belmonte said. "If the money is coming in, you are in the right place, and the Bay Area is in the economic forefront of the U.S. with its multitude of venture capitalist companies."
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Counties, Caltrans agree to co-manage Highway 12 project
Counties, Caltrans agree to co-manage Highway 12 project
By DAN JUDGE/Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
Article Launched:05/12/2007 08:08:58 AM PDT
Solano and Napa counties have signed an agreement with Caltrans designed to keep the Highway 12 road-widening project rolling.
The three agencies have agreed to co-manage the project, which would make improvements to the dangerous stretch of highway known as Jameson Canyon Road. The section stretches from Highway 29 in Napa County to Interstate 80 in Solano County.
The new pact would allow the counties to move forward on the project if Caltrans gets bogged down in its numerous other projects in the region, Napa County Transportation Planning Agency board member Bill Dodd said Friday.
It also gives both counties more influence over any changes over the course of the work, he said.
"We believe having more local control will allow us to bring the project in on time and on budget," Dodd said.
Caltrans has estimated the cost of widening Jameson Canyon Road from two to four lanes at $139 million.
The California Transportation Commission recently awarded $74 million of that sum to the project from traffic congestion relief bonds approved by the voters last November.
NCTPA Executive Director Jim Leddy said the amount the state granted was less than requested because the voters of both counties turned down sales tax measures designed to ease traffic congestion.
State commission members said allotting more money would be unfair to those communities that have approved such self-help fees.
"We were penalized for not having a local sales tax but we're going to make it work," Leddy said. "It won't be everything we need right now but it will be a good first step in solving the congestion on Jameson Canyon."
He added that the new agreement will give the counties the ability to push the project along to its estimated completion date in 2013.
"If there are any problems, it gives us a powerful position in this process instead of being reliant on Caltrans." he said. "It puts Napa County in the driver's seat with Solano County as a partner."
E-mail Dan Judge at UBDJudge@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6831.
By DAN JUDGE/Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
Article Launched:05/12/2007 08:08:58 AM PDT
Solano and Napa counties have signed an agreement with Caltrans designed to keep the Highway 12 road-widening project rolling.
The three agencies have agreed to co-manage the project, which would make improvements to the dangerous stretch of highway known as Jameson Canyon Road. The section stretches from Highway 29 in Napa County to Interstate 80 in Solano County.
The new pact would allow the counties to move forward on the project if Caltrans gets bogged down in its numerous other projects in the region, Napa County Transportation Planning Agency board member Bill Dodd said Friday.
It also gives both counties more influence over any changes over the course of the work, he said.
"We believe having more local control will allow us to bring the project in on time and on budget," Dodd said.
Caltrans has estimated the cost of widening Jameson Canyon Road from two to four lanes at $139 million.
The California Transportation Commission recently awarded $74 million of that sum to the project from traffic congestion relief bonds approved by the voters last November.
NCTPA Executive Director Jim Leddy said the amount the state granted was less than requested because the voters of both counties turned down sales tax measures designed to ease traffic congestion.
State commission members said allotting more money would be unfair to those communities that have approved such self-help fees.
"We were penalized for not having a local sales tax but we're going to make it work," Leddy said. "It won't be everything we need right now but it will be a good first step in solving the congestion on Jameson Canyon."
He added that the new agreement will give the counties the ability to push the project along to its estimated completion date in 2013.
"If there are any problems, it gives us a powerful position in this process instead of being reliant on Caltrans." he said. "It puts Napa County in the driver's seat with Solano County as a partner."
E-mail Dan Judge at UBDJudge@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6831.
Bay Area execs see job growth
Bay Area execs see job growth
Chronicle Staff
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Bay Area executives plan to add jobs at a slightly slower pace in the next six months, but hiring should still be brisk, according to the latest survey of regional business confidence.
About 41 percent of 510 business leaders in the nine Bay Area counties interviewed in April said they will boost payrolls in the next six months, according to the Bay Area Council's quarterly survey. That's down from the 44 percent of respondents who said they planned to hire in the previous survey conducted in January.
to read the rest of the article check out the San Francisco Chronicle
Chronicle Staff
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Bay Area executives plan to add jobs at a slightly slower pace in the next six months, but hiring should still be brisk, according to the latest survey of regional business confidence.
About 41 percent of 510 business leaders in the nine Bay Area counties interviewed in April said they will boost payrolls in the next six months, according to the Bay Area Council's quarterly survey. That's down from the 44 percent of respondents who said they planned to hire in the previous survey conducted in January.
to read the rest of the article check out the San Francisco Chronicle
Mercedes-Benz To Set Up Shop In Auto Mall
Mercedes-Benz To Set Up Shop In Auto Mall
By Ines Bebea
FAIRFIELD - Luxury car dealer Mercedes-Benz plans to open a dealership in the Fairfield Auto Mall. The dealership will be owned and operated by Paul Halata, the retired president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz, U.S.A.
The dealership is expected to open in 2008. Its 4.4-acre parcel will front Interstate 80 and be near the Highway 12 intersection.
"We are excited to bring Mercedes-Benz to Fairfield and anticipate a great future and much success with the Mercedes-Benz brand," Halata said Monday.
Halata and his son, Mark, plan to build a state-of-the-art dealership that includes a two-story glass building and parking on the roof.
Mayor Harry Price said the new dealership adds to an already strong auto segment in Fairfield.
"The visibility and the concentration of so many new and used car choices in Fairfield works very well for dealers," he said. "The tax revenue dealerships generate certainly help create a strong economic base for Fairfield."
According to the city's Economic Development Division, new car sales generated $2.9 million in taxes 2006. That figure is projected to increase to $4 million in 2008, encompassing 22 percent of the city's total sales tax income.
In addition to the Mercedes-Benz dealership, Simon Buniak, president of Golden State Mitsubishi and Suzuki, plans to move his Saturn dealership in Cordelia to the Auto Mall. The two moves will bring the total number of car dealerships on the 31-acre Auto Mall to 16.
"Fairfield is a good community for our new dealership because of its geographic location between two major cities -San Francisco and Sacramento," said Buniak.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
By Ines Bebea
FAIRFIELD - Luxury car dealer Mercedes-Benz plans to open a dealership in the Fairfield Auto Mall. The dealership will be owned and operated by Paul Halata, the retired president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz, U.S.A.
The dealership is expected to open in 2008. Its 4.4-acre parcel will front Interstate 80 and be near the Highway 12 intersection.
"We are excited to bring Mercedes-Benz to Fairfield and anticipate a great future and much success with the Mercedes-Benz brand," Halata said Monday.
Halata and his son, Mark, plan to build a state-of-the-art dealership that includes a two-story glass building and parking on the roof.
Mayor Harry Price said the new dealership adds to an already strong auto segment in Fairfield.
"The visibility and the concentration of so many new and used car choices in Fairfield works very well for dealers," he said. "The tax revenue dealerships generate certainly help create a strong economic base for Fairfield."
According to the city's Economic Development Division, new car sales generated $2.9 million in taxes 2006. That figure is projected to increase to $4 million in 2008, encompassing 22 percent of the city's total sales tax income.
In addition to the Mercedes-Benz dealership, Simon Buniak, president of Golden State Mitsubishi and Suzuki, plans to move his Saturn dealership in Cordelia to the Auto Mall. The two moves will bring the total number of car dealerships on the 31-acre Auto Mall to 16.
"Fairfield is a good community for our new dealership because of its geographic location between two major cities -San Francisco and Sacramento," said Buniak.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
Whales Wend Their Way To Rio Vista
Whales Wend Their Way To Rio Vista
By Audrey Wong
A Sacramento Sheriff's boat follows a whale in the Sacramento River on Monday in an attempt to herd it back out to sea. (Mike McCoy/Daily Republic)
RIO VISTA - One of two humpback whales swimming off the shores of the Sacramento River has something wrapped around its mouth and back, the Solano County Sheriff's Office said Monday night.
The whale, which appears to have a calf with it, is still able to swim, much to the delight of onlookers who gathered Monday on the shores of the river near Rio Vista.
Today, a crew from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration is scheduled to begin efforts to free the whales, said Paula Toynbee, a spokeswoman for the Solano County Sheriff's Office
Witnesses reported spotting two whales Sunday evening near Sandy Beach close to Rio Vista, Toynbee said. However spectators reported seeing as many as four whales, while some say it is a mother and two calves.
On Monday morning, residents saw whales swimming by the Real McCoy Ferry to Ryer Island. The Solano County Sheriff's Marine Patrol rushed out to steer the behemoths toward the San Francisco Bay. Crews from the United States Coast Guard also helped in the attempt to steer the whales back toward the Pacific.
Daniel McTaggart of Rio Vista wondered why the whales ventured so far upstream.
"How can whales that large get into a small body of water and not feel out place?" he asked.
Whale watchers on Ryer Island speculated how fresh water would affect the skin and eyes of the whales. The same worries were voiced 20 years ago when a humpback whale that came to be known as Humphrey meandered into the same area and stayed for about a month.
Boat crews Monday scrambled back and forth on the river to keep the whales from traveling farther north toward Sacramento. The whales stayed north of the ferry and kept trying to swim further north.
Boats raced after the whales as they headed upstream. They furiously circled around to shepherd the aquatic animals south. But sometimes the whales eluded officials and surfaced farther north of Ryer Island, blowing mist out of their spouts.
"It's like the boats and whales are playing tag," said Neesa Paycer-Mosher, 6, of Southland Park in Sacramento.
Neesa's mother Janiece Paycer-Mosher brought the girl and her brother, Paycer Mensik, 10, to see the whales.
Paycer said the whales were "basically staying in the same area . . they seem to be bouncing back and forth."
The Sacramento woman learned of the whale sighting on television and rushed to Ryer Island at 1 p.m. to watch. Then she picked her children up from school and took them whale watching. They saw two of the whales roll their great backs out of the water.
Several other spectators said they learned of the whales' visit on the news and drove to Ryer Island to see them. Motorists parked their vehicles on the narrow two-lane levy roads and stared at the water. Passengers perched on top of cars and fixed their cameras on the river.
A long line of vehicles clogged the road. As the whales coasted north and south, spectators revved up their vehicles to follow them. Some motorists made 3-point turns on the levy roads and stopped on parts of the road that didn't have much of a shoulder. Spectators scurried on the road and around vehicles to get a better view of the action.
The whale watchers gasped once when they saw a smaller set of flippers break the surface only to realize the flippers were those of a sea lion.
The Coast Guard halted ferry service when the whales ventured too close to the path of the ferry, said Tawfik Marmoush, ferry deck officer. Marmoush said he saw a mother and two calves, but because the smaller whale was surfacing so much he could've mistaken it for two animals. He estimated the mother is 40 feet long while her calf is 15 feet long.
"The mom is very quiet," Marmoush said.
The baby was more rambunctious but stayed away from the ferry. The mother whale approached within 5 feet of the ferry and swam alongside it, Marmoush said.
One local resident compared the whale duo to Humphrey who swam in the same north-south pattern until officials clanged submerged metal pipes to herd Humphrey back to sea.
Reach Audrey Wong at 427-6951 or awong@dailyrepublic.net.
By Audrey Wong
A Sacramento Sheriff's boat follows a whale in the Sacramento River on Monday in an attempt to herd it back out to sea. (Mike McCoy/Daily Republic)
RIO VISTA - One of two humpback whales swimming off the shores of the Sacramento River has something wrapped around its mouth and back, the Solano County Sheriff's Office said Monday night.
The whale, which appears to have a calf with it, is still able to swim, much to the delight of onlookers who gathered Monday on the shores of the river near Rio Vista.
Today, a crew from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration is scheduled to begin efforts to free the whales, said Paula Toynbee, a spokeswoman for the Solano County Sheriff's Office
Witnesses reported spotting two whales Sunday evening near Sandy Beach close to Rio Vista, Toynbee said. However spectators reported seeing as many as four whales, while some say it is a mother and two calves.
On Monday morning, residents saw whales swimming by the Real McCoy Ferry to Ryer Island. The Solano County Sheriff's Marine Patrol rushed out to steer the behemoths toward the San Francisco Bay. Crews from the United States Coast Guard also helped in the attempt to steer the whales back toward the Pacific.
Daniel McTaggart of Rio Vista wondered why the whales ventured so far upstream.
"How can whales that large get into a small body of water and not feel out place?" he asked.
Whale watchers on Ryer Island speculated how fresh water would affect the skin and eyes of the whales. The same worries were voiced 20 years ago when a humpback whale that came to be known as Humphrey meandered into the same area and stayed for about a month.
Boat crews Monday scrambled back and forth on the river to keep the whales from traveling farther north toward Sacramento. The whales stayed north of the ferry and kept trying to swim further north.
Boats raced after the whales as they headed upstream. They furiously circled around to shepherd the aquatic animals south. But sometimes the whales eluded officials and surfaced farther north of Ryer Island, blowing mist out of their spouts.
"It's like the boats and whales are playing tag," said Neesa Paycer-Mosher, 6, of Southland Park in Sacramento.
Neesa's mother Janiece Paycer-Mosher brought the girl and her brother, Paycer Mensik, 10, to see the whales.
Paycer said the whales were "basically staying in the same area . . they seem to be bouncing back and forth."
The Sacramento woman learned of the whale sighting on television and rushed to Ryer Island at 1 p.m. to watch. Then she picked her children up from school and took them whale watching. They saw two of the whales roll their great backs out of the water.
Several other spectators said they learned of the whales' visit on the news and drove to Ryer Island to see them. Motorists parked their vehicles on the narrow two-lane levy roads and stared at the water. Passengers perched on top of cars and fixed their cameras on the river.
A long line of vehicles clogged the road. As the whales coasted north and south, spectators revved up their vehicles to follow them. Some motorists made 3-point turns on the levy roads and stopped on parts of the road that didn't have much of a shoulder. Spectators scurried on the road and around vehicles to get a better view of the action.
The whale watchers gasped once when they saw a smaller set of flippers break the surface only to realize the flippers were those of a sea lion.
The Coast Guard halted ferry service when the whales ventured too close to the path of the ferry, said Tawfik Marmoush, ferry deck officer. Marmoush said he saw a mother and two calves, but because the smaller whale was surfacing so much he could've mistaken it for two animals. He estimated the mother is 40 feet long while her calf is 15 feet long.
"The mom is very quiet," Marmoush said.
The baby was more rambunctious but stayed away from the ferry. The mother whale approached within 5 feet of the ferry and swam alongside it, Marmoush said.
One local resident compared the whale duo to Humphrey who swam in the same north-south pattern until officials clanged submerged metal pipes to herd Humphrey back to sea.
Reach Audrey Wong at 427-6951 or awong@dailyrepublic.net.
Monday, May 14, 2007
City to Roll Red Carpet For Investors
City to Roll Red Carpet For Investors
By Jennifer Gentile/Staff Writer
Dozens of developers and real estate professionals will see the best the city has to offer Wednesday, when the tradition of the Vacaville VIP day resumes after a long hiatus.
May 16 marks the first VIP Day in the city in about a decade. The red carpet will be rolled out for approximately 225 professionals from Sacramento to the Bay Area.
VIP Day stood for Vacaville Industrial Parks Day, thus the double entendre, according to Sandy Person of the Solano Economic Development Corporation, who has been involved with the event from the start. Person described it as "an innovative way to invite top-level brokers, developers and real estate executives to see the wonderful opportunities Vacaville has to offer."
She added, "It has had real success in its run."
The event is a cooperative effort comprising the city and the Chamber of Commerce, the Solano EDC and a number of private businesses. A steering committee has put the event together.
Explaining why a VIP Day had not happened for so long, Person said the steering group has spent its time and resources over the past several years creating www.locationvacaville.com, an online property database used by real estate brokers charged with finding new homes for companies and industries.
"We wanted to be part of the online culture," she said, adding, "I don't think the group decided it wouldn't do (VIP Day). It decided we needed to take a break."
City Economic Development Manager Mike Palombo said, "The people who organized were a little fatigued by it. The return (on investment) for the time and energy put into it just dwindled."
In 2007, Palombo said, "There is something to show" in Vacaville. What might have been works in progress as recently as a year or two ago have become community assets.
"A lot of things have changed in Vacaville in 10 years," Palombo said. "There is a lot of curiosity in the real estate world about what has been done and what is left to do."
After 10 years, Person said, "Vacaville has such a great story to tell." She referred to "magnificent growth and economic development" that includes but is not limited to the Genentech expansion, the new Nut Tree, Kaiser and the State Fund project.
A bus tour will take guests past these hot spots and others, starting at the Market Pavilion in the Nut Tree Development and proceeding to downtown sites like the police station and town square, as well as the Vaca Valley Business Park, the Lagoon Valley area, the factory stores and various areas of growth and expansion.
Palombo said, "the focus is on commercial and industrial property," adding, "The tour will go through all of the industrial parks and major retail areas."
Committee Chair Patsy Van Ouwerkerk said the tour should last around an hour and a half. After a gourmet luncheon, guests will hear from real estate developer Luis Belmonte of Seven Hills Properties in San Francisco. His firm develops neighborhood retail centers and multi-family residential properties.
Approximately 3,000 invitations were sent out, and the last RSVP date was May 10. Registration begins Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. and is followed by a continental breakfast and a welcome address from Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine.
Literature for the event encourages visitors to "follow the leaders," and see for themselves why companies like Genentech, Johnson and Johnson, Mariani and State Fund have located in Vacaville.
"The purpose is to better acquaint them and get them connected," Person said, "and show them that Vacaville is a great place to do business."
Jennifer Gentile can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
By Jennifer Gentile/Staff Writer
Dozens of developers and real estate professionals will see the best the city has to offer Wednesday, when the tradition of the Vacaville VIP day resumes after a long hiatus.
May 16 marks the first VIP Day in the city in about a decade. The red carpet will be rolled out for approximately 225 professionals from Sacramento to the Bay Area.
VIP Day stood for Vacaville Industrial Parks Day, thus the double entendre, according to Sandy Person of the Solano Economic Development Corporation, who has been involved with the event from the start. Person described it as "an innovative way to invite top-level brokers, developers and real estate executives to see the wonderful opportunities Vacaville has to offer."
She added, "It has had real success in its run."
The event is a cooperative effort comprising the city and the Chamber of Commerce, the Solano EDC and a number of private businesses. A steering committee has put the event together.
Explaining why a VIP Day had not happened for so long, Person said the steering group has spent its time and resources over the past several years creating www.locationvacaville.com, an online property database used by real estate brokers charged with finding new homes for companies and industries.
"We wanted to be part of the online culture," she said, adding, "I don't think the group decided it wouldn't do (VIP Day). It decided we needed to take a break."
City Economic Development Manager Mike Palombo said, "The people who organized were a little fatigued by it. The return (on investment) for the time and energy put into it just dwindled."
In 2007, Palombo said, "There is something to show" in Vacaville. What might have been works in progress as recently as a year or two ago have become community assets.
"A lot of things have changed in Vacaville in 10 years," Palombo said. "There is a lot of curiosity in the real estate world about what has been done and what is left to do."
After 10 years, Person said, "Vacaville has such a great story to tell." She referred to "magnificent growth and economic development" that includes but is not limited to the Genentech expansion, the new Nut Tree, Kaiser and the State Fund project.
A bus tour will take guests past these hot spots and others, starting at the Market Pavilion in the Nut Tree Development and proceeding to downtown sites like the police station and town square, as well as the Vaca Valley Business Park, the Lagoon Valley area, the factory stores and various areas of growth and expansion.
Palombo said, "the focus is on commercial and industrial property," adding, "The tour will go through all of the industrial parks and major retail areas."
Committee Chair Patsy Van Ouwerkerk said the tour should last around an hour and a half. After a gourmet luncheon, guests will hear from real estate developer Luis Belmonte of Seven Hills Properties in San Francisco. His firm develops neighborhood retail centers and multi-family residential properties.
Approximately 3,000 invitations were sent out, and the last RSVP date was May 10. Registration begins Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. and is followed by a continental breakfast and a welcome address from Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine.
Literature for the event encourages visitors to "follow the leaders," and see for themselves why companies like Genentech, Johnson and Johnson, Mariani and State Fund have located in Vacaville.
"The purpose is to better acquaint them and get them connected," Person said, "and show them that Vacaville is a great place to do business."
Jennifer Gentile can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
Farmer Teams Up With Raley's to Sell Home-Grown Oilive Oil
Farmer Teams Up With Raley's to Sell Home-Grown Oilive Oil
By Ines Bebea
John Fadhl, owner of Jovia Farms in Dixon, recently began selling his Jovia Groves Olive Oil at local RaleyÕs supermarkets. (Photo by Christine Baker)
DIXON - Starting a business requires a lot of perseverance and more than a pinch of luck.
But in his short tenure as a farmer, luck, networking and timing has landed John Fadhl' s Jovia Groves Olive Oil on the shelves of six Raley's supermarkets in Solano County this month.
While Spain, Tunisia and Italy are the top producers of olive oil in the world, California olive oil production has more than doubled during the past three years. California farmers produced 400,000 gallons of olive oil in 2002-03, according to "California and World Olive Oil Trends," a 2004 report from the University of California, Davis.
Fadhl's business venture from his Jovia farms is a small but growing segment of California olive oil producers in the U.S., who are competing with the $1 billion annual imports of olive oil from Europe.
"What Jovia Farms has accomplished is a great example of value added crops," said Larry Clement, director emeritus of the University of California Cooperative Extension. "By producing the olive oil from his own olives, he has a bigger role in the profits of the crop and the final product. As the agricultural market continues to change, it forces farmers to become more involved in order to survive."
The economic impact isn't only enjoyed by the farmer, but the county as a whole, Clement added. As the product goes from the field, to processing plant, to retail store and finally reaches the consumer, it is all money that stays in the state.
"By the time the product reaches the consumer, it is part of a $1.5 billion industry," Clement said. "The agricultural impact of Solano County is on par with Travis Air Force Base. While not every crop has value added potential, like grapes for wine and olives for olive oil, they do create jobs and net worth to the county."
When Jon and Sylvia Fadhl bought their 43 acres of land in Dixon in 2001, farming was not on the top of the list. The one thing they knew for sure is that they wanted a lot of open space, and as luck would have it, their land was ideal for growing olives. The Fadhls did research online, attended seminars, took a tasting course at Santa Rosa Junior College, and were in contact with the University of California Cooperative extensions in Yolo and Solano counties.
"While I was researching online, I found a nursery that offered a field trip to watch how the trees were cared for and how the harvest was done," said Fadhl. "At that field trip, by luck a couple of UC advisors were there, so I got to pick their brains during the entire day."
Armed with the knowledge of what their chosen crop could do, the Fadhls began planting the farm in 2003, and have added 2,000 trees per year, to its current total of 9,000 trees. The couple, some hired laborers, and college students from California State University, Sacramento, helped plant the crop but the couple alone does the pruning and upkeep.
"My wife commutes to San Francisco every day, and I commute to San Jose," he said. "We did our work once we got home until the sun went down, and after that I took care of the paperwork for the farm."
Fadhl attributed a lot of his success to the advice and guidance he received from the UC Cooperative Extension advisers, and in particular Mario Moratorio, a small farms adviser.
"What was interesting about Jon was that he not only wanted to own the land, but he wanted to farm it," Moratorio said. "He had never owned land before, but he did a lot of research into what would be the right crop for him. He faced many challenges, because the olive oil market is very hard to get into. He not only had to grow the olives, he had to process them and sell them."
During the last few years, olive farm acreage has increased, growing to 120 acres in Solano County, Moratorio added.
"Many farmers are realizing that in order to stay competitive, they have to find new markets for their products," Moratorio said. "Many farmers are happy just to be the suppliers, but if you can be involved in the processing, marketing and retail of the value of your crop, you keep a larger part of the profits as it moves from the field to the consumers."
Fadhl's second chance meeting with luck allowed him to do just that. While attending a workshop sponsored by the Cooperative Extension on the agricultural and natural resources in Yolo and Solano counties, he met a representative from Raley's. Their interaction developed into a partnership, that came into fruition on May 4, when the Jovia Groves Olive Oil began selling their 500 mml bottle for $12.99 in the stores.
"We are excited about this new partnership with Jovia Groves Olive Oil," said Amy Johnston, a Raley's spokeswoman. "It serves as another example of the many ways we aim to support local businesses and provide our customers with locally produced products."
For Jon Fadhl, the fruits of his labor are beyond his wildest dreams, and he is very aware of his place in the fight to keep agriculture sustainable.
"This is an opportunity to keep open space and agriculture," Fadhl said. "If you grow local and shop local, it covers all the bases."
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
Olive Oil Fast Facts
-- California has about 35,000 acres of table olives
-- California produced 350,000 gallons of olive oil in 2003
-- U.S. consumption of olive oil doubled in the past eight years
-- The U.S. imports 60 million gallons of olive oil
Source: 2004 California and World Olive Oil Trends Presentation, University of California, Davis
By Ines Bebea
John Fadhl, owner of Jovia Farms in Dixon, recently began selling his Jovia Groves Olive Oil at local RaleyÕs supermarkets. (Photo by Christine Baker)
DIXON - Starting a business requires a lot of perseverance and more than a pinch of luck.
But in his short tenure as a farmer, luck, networking and timing has landed John Fadhl' s Jovia Groves Olive Oil on the shelves of six Raley's supermarkets in Solano County this month.
While Spain, Tunisia and Italy are the top producers of olive oil in the world, California olive oil production has more than doubled during the past three years. California farmers produced 400,000 gallons of olive oil in 2002-03, according to "California and World Olive Oil Trends," a 2004 report from the University of California, Davis.
Fadhl's business venture from his Jovia farms is a small but growing segment of California olive oil producers in the U.S., who are competing with the $1 billion annual imports of olive oil from Europe.
"What Jovia Farms has accomplished is a great example of value added crops," said Larry Clement, director emeritus of the University of California Cooperative Extension. "By producing the olive oil from his own olives, he has a bigger role in the profits of the crop and the final product. As the agricultural market continues to change, it forces farmers to become more involved in order to survive."
The economic impact isn't only enjoyed by the farmer, but the county as a whole, Clement added. As the product goes from the field, to processing plant, to retail store and finally reaches the consumer, it is all money that stays in the state.
"By the time the product reaches the consumer, it is part of a $1.5 billion industry," Clement said. "The agricultural impact of Solano County is on par with Travis Air Force Base. While not every crop has value added potential, like grapes for wine and olives for olive oil, they do create jobs and net worth to the county."
When Jon and Sylvia Fadhl bought their 43 acres of land in Dixon in 2001, farming was not on the top of the list. The one thing they knew for sure is that they wanted a lot of open space, and as luck would have it, their land was ideal for growing olives. The Fadhls did research online, attended seminars, took a tasting course at Santa Rosa Junior College, and were in contact with the University of California Cooperative extensions in Yolo and Solano counties.
"While I was researching online, I found a nursery that offered a field trip to watch how the trees were cared for and how the harvest was done," said Fadhl. "At that field trip, by luck a couple of UC advisors were there, so I got to pick their brains during the entire day."
Armed with the knowledge of what their chosen crop could do, the Fadhls began planting the farm in 2003, and have added 2,000 trees per year, to its current total of 9,000 trees. The couple, some hired laborers, and college students from California State University, Sacramento, helped plant the crop but the couple alone does the pruning and upkeep.
"My wife commutes to San Francisco every day, and I commute to San Jose," he said. "We did our work once we got home until the sun went down, and after that I took care of the paperwork for the farm."
Fadhl attributed a lot of his success to the advice and guidance he received from the UC Cooperative Extension advisers, and in particular Mario Moratorio, a small farms adviser.
"What was interesting about Jon was that he not only wanted to own the land, but he wanted to farm it," Moratorio said. "He had never owned land before, but he did a lot of research into what would be the right crop for him. He faced many challenges, because the olive oil market is very hard to get into. He not only had to grow the olives, he had to process them and sell them."
During the last few years, olive farm acreage has increased, growing to 120 acres in Solano County, Moratorio added.
"Many farmers are realizing that in order to stay competitive, they have to find new markets for their products," Moratorio said. "Many farmers are happy just to be the suppliers, but if you can be involved in the processing, marketing and retail of the value of your crop, you keep a larger part of the profits as it moves from the field to the consumers."
Fadhl's second chance meeting with luck allowed him to do just that. While attending a workshop sponsored by the Cooperative Extension on the agricultural and natural resources in Yolo and Solano counties, he met a representative from Raley's. Their interaction developed into a partnership, that came into fruition on May 4, when the Jovia Groves Olive Oil began selling their 500 mml bottle for $12.99 in the stores.
"We are excited about this new partnership with Jovia Groves Olive Oil," said Amy Johnston, a Raley's spokeswoman. "It serves as another example of the many ways we aim to support local businesses and provide our customers with locally produced products."
For Jon Fadhl, the fruits of his labor are beyond his wildest dreams, and he is very aware of his place in the fight to keep agriculture sustainable.
"This is an opportunity to keep open space and agriculture," Fadhl said. "If you grow local and shop local, it covers all the bases."
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
Olive Oil Fast Facts
-- California has about 35,000 acres of table olives
-- California produced 350,000 gallons of olive oil in 2003
-- U.S. consumption of olive oil doubled in the past eight years
-- The U.S. imports 60 million gallons of olive oil
Source: 2004 California and World Olive Oil Trends Presentation, University of California, Davis
Report Shows Employment Up in Solano
Report Shows Employment Up in Solano
By Ines Bebea
FAIRFIELD - The unemployment rate in Solano County decreased from 5 percent in February to 4.7 percent in March.
According to a report of the Vallejo-Fairfield Metropolitan statistical area by the Labor Market Information Division, the unemployment rate was below the year-ago estimate of 5.2 percent.
From February to March of this year, 1,700 new jobs were created, bringing the total number of jobs to 133,700. That is an increase of 3,300 jobs over the same period last year, when March totals were 130,400.
The biggest surge in employment was in the leisure and hospitality industries, where 600 jobs were added in March. That was followed by 200 government jobs; 200 jobs in construction; 200 jobs in farms and 100 jobs in manufacturing, educational services, trade, transportation and utility.
Anheuser-Busch improves sales in first quarter
ST. LOUIS - In its sales and earnings report for the first quarter of 2007, Anheuser-Busch Cos., net sales increased by 2.7 percent and earnings per share increased to 4.7 percent.
Anheuser-Busch, which has a Budweiser plant in Fairfield, made the report available during its annual shareholders meeting in Orlando, Fla.
U.S. beer shipments to wholesalers increased 0.5 percent for the first quarter of 2007, with acquired and import brands contributing 1.2 points to overall growth. In February, Anheuser-Busch became the exclusive importer of select InBev European brands.
The company's U.S. beer market share for the first quarter of 2007 decreased to 50.2 percent. In 2006, the market share during the first quarter was 50.9 percent. International volume, consisting of Anheuser-Busch brands produced overseas by company owned breweries, plus exports from U.S breweries, increased 8.7 percent and sold primarily in China and Canada.
State Fair seeks California's oldest farms
SACRAMENTO - The California State Fair has began its annual search for farms, ranches, and companies that have been in California for 100 years or more. Nominees will be inducted into the California Agricultural Heritage Club, during a recognition ceremony and brunch in August, during the State Fair.
The deadline for entry is June 8, 2007, and it is open to any ag-related business or affiliates, including farms, ranches, equipment dealers, accountants, trade or marketing organizations, universities/colleges, irrigation districts, and others.
Last year, the Vassar Ranch in Dixon and the University of California, Berkeley, College of Natural Resources were inducted into the California Agricultural Heritage Club.
New directors for California Exposition
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Gil Albiani and Cornelius Gallagher to the California Exposition and State Fair board of directors.
They will serve for four years.
The board of directors serves as the policymaking body for the California Exposition and State fair. It's responsibilities include year-around and management and operation of all the facilities of Cal Expo and the State Fair. Marilyn Hendrickson of Vacaville is a one of the 10 members currently serving on the board.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
By Ines Bebea
FAIRFIELD - The unemployment rate in Solano County decreased from 5 percent in February to 4.7 percent in March.
According to a report of the Vallejo-Fairfield Metropolitan statistical area by the Labor Market Information Division, the unemployment rate was below the year-ago estimate of 5.2 percent.
From February to March of this year, 1,700 new jobs were created, bringing the total number of jobs to 133,700. That is an increase of 3,300 jobs over the same period last year, when March totals were 130,400.
The biggest surge in employment was in the leisure and hospitality industries, where 600 jobs were added in March. That was followed by 200 government jobs; 200 jobs in construction; 200 jobs in farms and 100 jobs in manufacturing, educational services, trade, transportation and utility.
Anheuser-Busch improves sales in first quarter
ST. LOUIS - In its sales and earnings report for the first quarter of 2007, Anheuser-Busch Cos., net sales increased by 2.7 percent and earnings per share increased to 4.7 percent.
Anheuser-Busch, which has a Budweiser plant in Fairfield, made the report available during its annual shareholders meeting in Orlando, Fla.
U.S. beer shipments to wholesalers increased 0.5 percent for the first quarter of 2007, with acquired and import brands contributing 1.2 points to overall growth. In February, Anheuser-Busch became the exclusive importer of select InBev European brands.
The company's U.S. beer market share for the first quarter of 2007 decreased to 50.2 percent. In 2006, the market share during the first quarter was 50.9 percent. International volume, consisting of Anheuser-Busch brands produced overseas by company owned breweries, plus exports from U.S breweries, increased 8.7 percent and sold primarily in China and Canada.
State Fair seeks California's oldest farms
SACRAMENTO - The California State Fair has began its annual search for farms, ranches, and companies that have been in California for 100 years or more. Nominees will be inducted into the California Agricultural Heritage Club, during a recognition ceremony and brunch in August, during the State Fair.
The deadline for entry is June 8, 2007, and it is open to any ag-related business or affiliates, including farms, ranches, equipment dealers, accountants, trade or marketing organizations, universities/colleges, irrigation districts, and others.
Last year, the Vassar Ranch in Dixon and the University of California, Berkeley, College of Natural Resources were inducted into the California Agricultural Heritage Club.
New directors for California Exposition
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Gil Albiani and Cornelius Gallagher to the California Exposition and State Fair board of directors.
They will serve for four years.
The board of directors serves as the policymaking body for the California Exposition and State fair. It's responsibilities include year-around and management and operation of all the facilities of Cal Expo and the State Fair. Marilyn Hendrickson of Vacaville is a one of the 10 members currently serving on the board.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
Affordable and Green
Affordable and Green
Suisun Apartments To Be Completed By Next Year
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Artist Clay Perry's rendering shows what developers envision the new Cottonwood Creek apartment complex will look like when complete. (Courtesy image)
By next May, Solano County's first "green" affordable housing apartment complex will be ready for tenants to move in, a project spokesman said this week. Ground was broken in March for Cottonwood Creek Apartments, which eventually will include 94 units, said project manager Jon Yolles of San Francisco-based Bridge Housing Corp. Bridge is a nonprofit affordable housing developer with about 80 projects, though not necessarily "green" ones, under its belt statewide.
At least four Bridge projects have been in Vallejo, Yolles said. The company renovated Vallejo's Marina Towers, the Marina Towers Annex, the Redwood Shores senior complex and The Charles condominium conversion in downtown Vallejo.
The new apartments - with one-, two- and three-bedroom options - will be rented to households earning annual incomes ranging from $22,600 to $37,700, depending on family size. Rents will range from $386 to $887 monthly, depending on apartment size, Yolles said.
Former Suisun Mayor Jim Spering, a county supervisor, said he was impressed that Bridge "isn't skimping on the amenities."
"This will be a place to help people with a hand up, and a place they will be proud of and maintain," he predicted.
The $27.5 million Cottonwood Creek project will be the county's first affordable housing complex with common areas - like the community room, multipurpose room, basketball court and swimming pool - that are solar-powered, using a 65-kilowatt photovoltaic system, Yolles said.
Also, he said, "each unit has energy-saving features to lower costs."
The complex also boasts high-efficiency water systems, Energy Star appliances, a bio-retention basin to treat storm water runoff, recycled-content play area surfaces and a pedestrian-friendly design, according to a company statement.
Bridge wants to be a good global citizen, Yolles said. "We're trying to not just be a leader in the affordable housing sector, but in the sustainable energy sector, as well," he said. "And we want to do the right thing."
Doing the right thing can also pay, he added. "The state rebates and tax credits allow the system to pay for itself in about 11 years," Yolles said.
Cottonwood Creek is at 202 Railroad Ave. For more information, call 237-5311.
Suisun Apartments To Be Completed By Next Year
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Artist Clay Perry's rendering shows what developers envision the new Cottonwood Creek apartment complex will look like when complete. (Courtesy image)
By next May, Solano County's first "green" affordable housing apartment complex will be ready for tenants to move in, a project spokesman said this week. Ground was broken in March for Cottonwood Creek Apartments, which eventually will include 94 units, said project manager Jon Yolles of San Francisco-based Bridge Housing Corp. Bridge is a nonprofit affordable housing developer with about 80 projects, though not necessarily "green" ones, under its belt statewide.
At least four Bridge projects have been in Vallejo, Yolles said. The company renovated Vallejo's Marina Towers, the Marina Towers Annex, the Redwood Shores senior complex and The Charles condominium conversion in downtown Vallejo.
The new apartments - with one-, two- and three-bedroom options - will be rented to households earning annual incomes ranging from $22,600 to $37,700, depending on family size. Rents will range from $386 to $887 monthly, depending on apartment size, Yolles said.
Former Suisun Mayor Jim Spering, a county supervisor, said he was impressed that Bridge "isn't skimping on the amenities."
"This will be a place to help people with a hand up, and a place they will be proud of and maintain," he predicted.
The $27.5 million Cottonwood Creek project will be the county's first affordable housing complex with common areas - like the community room, multipurpose room, basketball court and swimming pool - that are solar-powered, using a 65-kilowatt photovoltaic system, Yolles said.
Also, he said, "each unit has energy-saving features to lower costs."
The complex also boasts high-efficiency water systems, Energy Star appliances, a bio-retention basin to treat storm water runoff, recycled-content play area surfaces and a pedestrian-friendly design, according to a company statement.
Bridge wants to be a good global citizen, Yolles said. "We're trying to not just be a leader in the affordable housing sector, but in the sustainable energy sector, as well," he said. "And we want to do the right thing."
Doing the right thing can also pay, he added. "The state rebates and tax credits allow the system to pay for itself in about 11 years," Yolles said.
Cottonwood Creek is at 202 Railroad Ave. For more information, call 237-5311.
Oil's Future
Oil's Future
Refinery Owners Upgrading For More Reliability, Profits
By George Avalos/Contra Costa Times
TheReporter.Com
The Valero Refinery in Benicia shown here in a 2003 file photo, will soon have a scrubber installed to allow it to process heavier oil, officials said. (Reporter file/Brad Zweerink)
Several oil giants have plunked down a collective billion-dollar bet on East Bay and Solano County refinery upgrades they believe will help consumers, bolster fuel supplies, increase reliability - and harvest profits.
Although each project differs in scope and details, the upgrades pursue at least two prizes. Some refineries will gain more capabilities to process "heavy" crude oils and crude laced with sulfur. The plants also will become more reliable.
Drivers could benefit as well.
Oil company representatives say if the refineries gain more flexibility in the type of oil they can handle, and the factories can operate with less down time and fewer malfunctions, supplies of gasoline on the West Coast could become more predictable.
This could also mean more of California's crude oil, which is primarily of the heavy variety, could be refined for use in the state.
During the coming few years, the revamps may create thousands of jobs in the East Bay and Solano County. The jobs should pay well, said Greg Feere, executive officer of the Contra Costa County Building and Construction Trades Council.
"It's going to be a huge economic boom," Feere said.
There's a financial upside if refineries run more days and can produce gasoline from heavy and sour crude. The plants will likely create more profits for their owners.
The oil industry's efforts have irked environmental groups and some residents. Activists have fired multiple shots at a huge refinery upgrade in Rodeo being planned by ConocoPhillips. They say they fear air pollution and noise and want the refinery converted to a green factory.
ConocoPhillips expects to be able to increase refinery production by 1 million gallons a day through the project, said Mark Hughes, a ConocoPhillips spokesman. The expansion effort would allow production to jump 30 percent. Contra Costa County planners approved the project 5-0. Environmental groups may appeal the decision to the county supervisors.
The sharp increases in gas prices in California argue for projects that increase the reliability of fuel supplies, oil industry officials say.
"Over time there is a bigger gap between the supply of California clean motor fuels and the demand for that same product," Hughes said. "This project presents an opportunity to satisfy a portion of the gap between supply and demand."
The energy firms also are responding to a shift in oil markets. The type of oil that refiners covet most is what's called light sweet crude, a product with a relatively low sulfur content. Light crude is also easier to process since a refinery furnace has to separate fewer molecules to make pricey end products such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel.
Unfortunately, light crude, industry watchers say, is getting tougher to find. And this type of oil is also frequently extracted in less politically stable regions such as the Middle East.
That's where heavy, sour grades of crude oil increasingly come into play. These kinds of crude are more readily found. But the refining process is more involved since the heavy crude oil is more dense than its light cousin. The refinery has to separate out more molecules, as well as remove the sulfur in the oil, to produce the same grade of gasoline.
In Benicia, Valero Energy Corp. plans to install a scrubber that will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from the refinery, said Chris Howe, a spokesman for the Solano County plant. Valero also is preparing other upgrades.
"It will allow us to process heavier and more sulfurous crudes," Howe said. The refinery will also be able to increase slightly the volume of oil it processes.
The Golden Eagle Refinery near Martinez is in the middle of a project costing $400 million to $500 million to modify the facility's coker, said Mike Marcy, a spokesman for plant owner Tesoro Corp. The new facility will replace an outmoded coker complex. A coker is used to process a black powdery residue left behind by the refinery process.
The upgrade at Golden Eagle would remove several hundred tons of emissions, improve the refinery's reliability and create longer periods between maintenance, Marcy said.
Even before Tesoro launched this upgrade, Golden Eagle was already configured to handle heavy and sour crude oil. Roughly a century ago, independent oil executives built the plant to handle the thick crudes from the San Joaquin Valley, Marcy said.
The new coker will need maintenance every five years. The existing coker must be serviced every two to three years, said Alan Savage, Golden Eagle's environmental health and safety manager.
"If refineries are having difficulties, that cuts into gasoline supply," Savage said. "The fewer difficulties you have, the more opportunities you have to supply the market."
San Ramon-based Chevron Corp. plans an upgrade of its Richmond refinery. The project is undergoing final corporate review, said Stephanie Price, a Chevron spokeswoman.
"We are planning to implement a crude slates upgrade project," Price said. "That will increase the flexibility of the refinery to process a broader slate of crude oils."
The costs of these current upgrades are huge:
• Tesoro's revamp at Golden Eagle has a price tag of $400 million to $500 million.
• ConcocoPhillips expects its project will cost "hundreds of millions" of dollars.
• Valero's upgrade in Benicia is expected to cost $400 million to $500 million.
• Chevron did not provide a cost figure for its project.
No wide-ranging expansion is planned at the Shell Martinez Refinery, said spokesman Steve Lesher. Yet even in this case, Shell in the 1990s revamped the plant to handle heavy crude.
"The Martinez refinery was designed around processing heavy crude," Lesher said. "The majority of our crude comes from the Central Valley."
Refinery operators are poised to harvest big-time dividends from plants that can process heavy crude.
Spot prices for heavy crude in early May were about $45 a barrel in North America, the Heavy Oil Info online site reports. That's anywhere from $23 to $27 less than the prices for light crude.
The conversions mean operators can produce gasoline at today's prices, but use a raw material, heavy crude, that costs 35 percent less than light crude. And that means more profits.
"A refinery can benefit from the differential between the heavy and light crude prices," Valero's Howe said. "You can pay less for your feed stock but still get the same price for gasoline."
Some community leaders fear the revamps will degrade their neighborhoods.
Still, estimates are that the Chevron project could employ 1,100 to 1,200 for up to five years, based on an agreement between union leaders and Chevron. Chevron spokeswoman Price put the number at "more than 300" during a two-year stretch.
ConocoPhillips expects to hire 700 for its upgrade, which will also lead to 27 permanent positions at the refinery. Valero said it plans to hire 150 to 300 people in Benicia. Tesoro estimated that 400 people work on the coker project.
"It's really a positive development and these jobs will last for the next several years," Feere said. "And all the new money from paying these people will go back into the community."
Refinery Owners Upgrading For More Reliability, Profits
By George Avalos/Contra Costa Times
TheReporter.Com
The Valero Refinery in Benicia shown here in a 2003 file photo, will soon have a scrubber installed to allow it to process heavier oil, officials said. (Reporter file/Brad Zweerink)
Several oil giants have plunked down a collective billion-dollar bet on East Bay and Solano County refinery upgrades they believe will help consumers, bolster fuel supplies, increase reliability - and harvest profits.
Although each project differs in scope and details, the upgrades pursue at least two prizes. Some refineries will gain more capabilities to process "heavy" crude oils and crude laced with sulfur. The plants also will become more reliable.
Drivers could benefit as well.
Oil company representatives say if the refineries gain more flexibility in the type of oil they can handle, and the factories can operate with less down time and fewer malfunctions, supplies of gasoline on the West Coast could become more predictable.
This could also mean more of California's crude oil, which is primarily of the heavy variety, could be refined for use in the state.
During the coming few years, the revamps may create thousands of jobs in the East Bay and Solano County. The jobs should pay well, said Greg Feere, executive officer of the Contra Costa County Building and Construction Trades Council.
"It's going to be a huge economic boom," Feere said.
There's a financial upside if refineries run more days and can produce gasoline from heavy and sour crude. The plants will likely create more profits for their owners.
The oil industry's efforts have irked environmental groups and some residents. Activists have fired multiple shots at a huge refinery upgrade in Rodeo being planned by ConocoPhillips. They say they fear air pollution and noise and want the refinery converted to a green factory.
ConocoPhillips expects to be able to increase refinery production by 1 million gallons a day through the project, said Mark Hughes, a ConocoPhillips spokesman. The expansion effort would allow production to jump 30 percent. Contra Costa County planners approved the project 5-0. Environmental groups may appeal the decision to the county supervisors.
The sharp increases in gas prices in California argue for projects that increase the reliability of fuel supplies, oil industry officials say.
"Over time there is a bigger gap between the supply of California clean motor fuels and the demand for that same product," Hughes said. "This project presents an opportunity to satisfy a portion of the gap between supply and demand."
The energy firms also are responding to a shift in oil markets. The type of oil that refiners covet most is what's called light sweet crude, a product with a relatively low sulfur content. Light crude is also easier to process since a refinery furnace has to separate fewer molecules to make pricey end products such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel.
Unfortunately, light crude, industry watchers say, is getting tougher to find. And this type of oil is also frequently extracted in less politically stable regions such as the Middle East.
That's where heavy, sour grades of crude oil increasingly come into play. These kinds of crude are more readily found. But the refining process is more involved since the heavy crude oil is more dense than its light cousin. The refinery has to separate out more molecules, as well as remove the sulfur in the oil, to produce the same grade of gasoline.
In Benicia, Valero Energy Corp. plans to install a scrubber that will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from the refinery, said Chris Howe, a spokesman for the Solano County plant. Valero also is preparing other upgrades.
"It will allow us to process heavier and more sulfurous crudes," Howe said. The refinery will also be able to increase slightly the volume of oil it processes.
The Golden Eagle Refinery near Martinez is in the middle of a project costing $400 million to $500 million to modify the facility's coker, said Mike Marcy, a spokesman for plant owner Tesoro Corp. The new facility will replace an outmoded coker complex. A coker is used to process a black powdery residue left behind by the refinery process.
The upgrade at Golden Eagle would remove several hundred tons of emissions, improve the refinery's reliability and create longer periods between maintenance, Marcy said.
Even before Tesoro launched this upgrade, Golden Eagle was already configured to handle heavy and sour crude oil. Roughly a century ago, independent oil executives built the plant to handle the thick crudes from the San Joaquin Valley, Marcy said.
The new coker will need maintenance every five years. The existing coker must be serviced every two to three years, said Alan Savage, Golden Eagle's environmental health and safety manager.
"If refineries are having difficulties, that cuts into gasoline supply," Savage said. "The fewer difficulties you have, the more opportunities you have to supply the market."
San Ramon-based Chevron Corp. plans an upgrade of its Richmond refinery. The project is undergoing final corporate review, said Stephanie Price, a Chevron spokeswoman.
"We are planning to implement a crude slates upgrade project," Price said. "That will increase the flexibility of the refinery to process a broader slate of crude oils."
The costs of these current upgrades are huge:
• Tesoro's revamp at Golden Eagle has a price tag of $400 million to $500 million.
• ConcocoPhillips expects its project will cost "hundreds of millions" of dollars.
• Valero's upgrade in Benicia is expected to cost $400 million to $500 million.
• Chevron did not provide a cost figure for its project.
No wide-ranging expansion is planned at the Shell Martinez Refinery, said spokesman Steve Lesher. Yet even in this case, Shell in the 1990s revamped the plant to handle heavy crude.
"The Martinez refinery was designed around processing heavy crude," Lesher said. "The majority of our crude comes from the Central Valley."
Refinery operators are poised to harvest big-time dividends from plants that can process heavy crude.
Spot prices for heavy crude in early May were about $45 a barrel in North America, the Heavy Oil Info online site reports. That's anywhere from $23 to $27 less than the prices for light crude.
The conversions mean operators can produce gasoline at today's prices, but use a raw material, heavy crude, that costs 35 percent less than light crude. And that means more profits.
"A refinery can benefit from the differential between the heavy and light crude prices," Valero's Howe said. "You can pay less for your feed stock but still get the same price for gasoline."
Some community leaders fear the revamps will degrade their neighborhoods.
Still, estimates are that the Chevron project could employ 1,100 to 1,200 for up to five years, based on an agreement between union leaders and Chevron. Chevron spokeswoman Price put the number at "more than 300" during a two-year stretch.
ConocoPhillips expects to hire 700 for its upgrade, which will also lead to 27 permanent positions at the refinery. Valero said it plans to hire 150 to 300 people in Benicia. Tesoro estimated that 400 people work on the coker project.
"It's really a positive development and these jobs will last for the next several years," Feere said. "And all the new money from paying these people will go back into the community."
Refinery owners upgrading for more reliability, profits in East Bay and Solano County
Future of oil
Refinery owners upgrading for more reliability, profits
By George Avalos
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched:05/10/2007 03:03:39 AM PDT
Several oil giants have plunked down a collective billion-dollar bet on East Bay refinery upgrades they believe will help consumers, bolster fuel supplies, increase reliability -- and harvest profits.
Although each project differs in scope and details, the upgrades pursue at least two prizes. Some refineries will gain more capabilities to process "heavy" crude oils and crude laced with sulfur. The plants also will become more reliable.
Drivers could benefit as well.
Oil company representatives say if the refineries gain more flexibility in the type of oil they can handle, and the factories can operate with less down time and fewer malfunctions, supplies of gasoline on the West Coast could become more predictable.
This could also mean more of California's crude oil, which is primarily of the heavy variety, could be refined for use in the state.
During the coming few years, the revamps may create thousands of jobs in the East Bay and Solano County. The jobs should pay well, said Greg Feere, executive officer of the Contra Costa County Building and Construction Trades Council.
"It's going to be a huge economic boom," Feere said.
There's a financial upside if refineries run more days and can produce gasoline from heavy and sour crude. The plants will likely create more profits for their owners.
The oil industry's efforts have irked environmental groups and some residents. Activists have fired multiple shots at a huge refinery upgrade in Rodeo being planned by ConocoPhillips. They say they fear air pollution and noise and want the refinery converted to a green factory.
ConocoPhillips expects to be able to increase refinery production by 1 million gallons a day through the project, said Mark Hughes, a ConocoPhillips spokesman. The expansion effort would allow production to jump 30 percent. Contra Costa County planners approved the project 5-0. Environmental groups may appeal the decision to the county supervisors.
The sharp increases in gas prices in California argue for projects that increase the reliability of fuel supplies, oil industry officials say.
"Over time there is a bigger gap between the supply of California clean motor fuels and the demand for that same product," Hughes said. "This project presents an opportunity to satisfy a portion of the gap between supply and demand."
The energy firms also are responding to a shift in oil markets. The type of oil that refiners covet most is what's called light sweet crude, a product with a relatively low sulfur content. Light crude is also easier to process since a refinery furnace has to separate fewer molecules to make pricey end products such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel.
Unfortunately, light crude, industry watchers say, is getting tougher to find. And this type of oil is also frequently extracted in less politically stable regions such as the Middle East.
That's where heavy, sour grades of crude oil increasingly come into play. These kinds of crude are more readily found. But the refining process is more involved since the heavy crude oil is more dense than its light cousin. The refinery has to separate out more molecules, as well as remove the sulfur in the oil, to produce the same grade of gasoline.
In Benicia, Valero Energy Corp. plans to install a scrubber that will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from the refinery, said Chris Howe, a spokesman for the Solano County plant. Valero also is preparing other upgrades.
"It will allow us to process heavier and more sulfurous crudes," Howe said. The refinery will also be able to increase slightly the volume of oil it processes.
The Golden Eagle Refinery near Martinez is in the middle of a project costing $400 million to $500 million to modify the facility's coker, said Mike Marcy, a spokesman for plant owner Tesoro Corp. The new facility will replace an outmoded coker complex. A coker is used to process a black powdery residue left behind by the refinery process.
The upgrade at Golden Eagle would remove several hundred tons of emissions, improve the refinery's reliability and create longer periods between maintenance, Marcy said.
Even before Tesoro launched this upgrade, Golden Eagle was already configured to handle heavy and sour crude oil. Roughly a century ago, independent oil executives built the plant to handle the thick crudes from the San Joaquin Valley, Marcy said.
The new coker will need maintenance every five years. The existing coker must be serviced every two to three years, said Alan Savage, Golden Eagle's environmental health and safety manager.
"If refineries are having difficulties, that cuts into gasoline supply," Savage said. "The fewer difficulties you have, the more opportunities you have to supply the market."
San Ramon-based Chevron Corp. plans an upgrade of its Richmond refinery. The project is undergoing final corporate review, said Stephanie Price, a Chevron spokeswoman.
"We are planning to implement a crude slates upgrade project," Price said. "That will increase the flexibility of the refinery to process a broader slate of crude oils."
No wide-ranging expansion is planned at the Shell Martinez Refinery, said spokesman Steve Lesher. Yet even in this case, Shell in the 1990s revamped the plant to handle heavy crude.
"The Martinez refinery was designed around processing heavy crude," Lesher said. "The majority of our crude comes from the Central Valley."
The costs of these current upgrades are huge:
Tesoro's revamp at Golden Eagle has a price tag of $400 million to $500 million.
ConcocoPhillips expects its project will cost "hundreds of millions" of dollars.
Valero's upgrade in Benicia is expected to cost $400 million to $500 million.
Chevron did not provide a cost figure for its project.
Yet refinery operators are poised to harvest big-time dividends from plants that can process heavy crude.
Spot prices for heavy crude in early May were about $45 a barrel in North America, the Heavy Oil Info online site reports. That's anywhere from $23 to $27 less than the prices for light crude.
The conversions mean operators can produce gasoline at today's prices, but use a raw material, heavy crude, that costs 35 percent less than light crude. And that means more profits.
"A refinery can benefit from the differential between the heavy and light crude prices," Valero's Howe said. "You can pay less for your feed stock but still get the same price for gasoline."
Some community leaders fear the revamps will degrade their neighborhoods. Those concerns have surfaced in Rodeo, which adjoins ConocoPhillips' refinery.
"The community raised concerns that the project would increase air pollution," said Jim Gray, chairman of the Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council. Noise is also a worry.
Environmentalists argue ConcocoPhillips should convert its refinery to a green factory rather than undertake the upgrade. Green businesses are the future and fossil fuels are a resource that can only dwindle, said Carla Perez, Northern California program director with Citizens for a Better Environment.
"Expansion of a plant that depends on an energy source that is going to be used up is really bad for the long-term future of that community, socially and economically," Perez said. "Green clean production of fuel and energy is up and coming."
Perez did not specify what kind of fuel source would replace crude oil in Rodeo.
Rodeo and Crockett could be left out of that green boom should the refinery upgrade.
"ConocoPhillips should install equipment and infrastructure that would make it possible to convert the refinery to a facility that would produce energy in line with green and sustainable protocols," Perez said.
Asked if such conversions might imperil thousands of East Bay refinery jobs, Perez pointed to proposals from the Just Transition Alliance, a coalition of community and environmental groups.
"Workers in the fossil fuel industries will lose jobs from any policy that lowers carbon emissions," according to a position paper on the alliance's Web site. "To soften the blow for the most affected workers, compensation and training must be provided."
Feere estimated that the Chevron project could employ 1,100 to 1,200 for up to five years, based on an agreement between union leaders and Chevron that was reached Tuesday night. Chevron spokeswoman Price put the number at "more than 300" during a two-year stretch.
ConocoPhillips expects to hire 700 for its upgrade, which will also lead to 27 permanent positions at the refinery. Valero said it plans to hire 150 to 300 people in Benicia. Tesoro estimated that 400 people work on the coker project.
"It's really a positive development and these jobs will last for the next several years," Feere said. "And all the new money from paying these people will go back into the community."
Refinery outages continue to haunt gasoline supplies in the United States. The problems are especially acute in California, whose drivers must consistently endure some of the nation's highest prices at the pump.
An August 2006 California Energy Commission report said price spikes last year were due to a slew of refinery outages. And in March, five California refineries, including Chevron's Richmond plant, were suffering outages.
Oil industry executives insist that the various refinery upgrades are poised to produce plenty of benefits for the East Bay. Savage points to the Tesoro coker project as an example of that.
"We get to win environmentally, we get to create jobs, building trades jobs, and we have a coker that is more reliable," Savage said. "We can have a steadier supply of fuel to the marketplace."
George Avalos covers the job market, insurance, banks and petroleum. Reach him at 925-977-8477 or gavalos@cctimes.com.
Refinery owners upgrading for more reliability, profits
By George Avalos
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched:05/10/2007 03:03:39 AM PDT
Several oil giants have plunked down a collective billion-dollar bet on East Bay refinery upgrades they believe will help consumers, bolster fuel supplies, increase reliability -- and harvest profits.
Although each project differs in scope and details, the upgrades pursue at least two prizes. Some refineries will gain more capabilities to process "heavy" crude oils and crude laced with sulfur. The plants also will become more reliable.
Drivers could benefit as well.
Oil company representatives say if the refineries gain more flexibility in the type of oil they can handle, and the factories can operate with less down time and fewer malfunctions, supplies of gasoline on the West Coast could become more predictable.
This could also mean more of California's crude oil, which is primarily of the heavy variety, could be refined for use in the state.
During the coming few years, the revamps may create thousands of jobs in the East Bay and Solano County. The jobs should pay well, said Greg Feere, executive officer of the Contra Costa County Building and Construction Trades Council.
"It's going to be a huge economic boom," Feere said.
There's a financial upside if refineries run more days and can produce gasoline from heavy and sour crude. The plants will likely create more profits for their owners.
The oil industry's efforts have irked environmental groups and some residents. Activists have fired multiple shots at a huge refinery upgrade in Rodeo being planned by ConocoPhillips. They say they fear air pollution and noise and want the refinery converted to a green factory.
ConocoPhillips expects to be able to increase refinery production by 1 million gallons a day through the project, said Mark Hughes, a ConocoPhillips spokesman. The expansion effort would allow production to jump 30 percent. Contra Costa County planners approved the project 5-0. Environmental groups may appeal the decision to the county supervisors.
The sharp increases in gas prices in California argue for projects that increase the reliability of fuel supplies, oil industry officials say.
"Over time there is a bigger gap between the supply of California clean motor fuels and the demand for that same product," Hughes said. "This project presents an opportunity to satisfy a portion of the gap between supply and demand."
The energy firms also are responding to a shift in oil markets. The type of oil that refiners covet most is what's called light sweet crude, a product with a relatively low sulfur content. Light crude is also easier to process since a refinery furnace has to separate fewer molecules to make pricey end products such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel.
Unfortunately, light crude, industry watchers say, is getting tougher to find. And this type of oil is also frequently extracted in less politically stable regions such as the Middle East.
That's where heavy, sour grades of crude oil increasingly come into play. These kinds of crude are more readily found. But the refining process is more involved since the heavy crude oil is more dense than its light cousin. The refinery has to separate out more molecules, as well as remove the sulfur in the oil, to produce the same grade of gasoline.
In Benicia, Valero Energy Corp. plans to install a scrubber that will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from the refinery, said Chris Howe, a spokesman for the Solano County plant. Valero also is preparing other upgrades.
"It will allow us to process heavier and more sulfurous crudes," Howe said. The refinery will also be able to increase slightly the volume of oil it processes.
The Golden Eagle Refinery near Martinez is in the middle of a project costing $400 million to $500 million to modify the facility's coker, said Mike Marcy, a spokesman for plant owner Tesoro Corp. The new facility will replace an outmoded coker complex. A coker is used to process a black powdery residue left behind by the refinery process.
The upgrade at Golden Eagle would remove several hundred tons of emissions, improve the refinery's reliability and create longer periods between maintenance, Marcy said.
Even before Tesoro launched this upgrade, Golden Eagle was already configured to handle heavy and sour crude oil. Roughly a century ago, independent oil executives built the plant to handle the thick crudes from the San Joaquin Valley, Marcy said.
The new coker will need maintenance every five years. The existing coker must be serviced every two to three years, said Alan Savage, Golden Eagle's environmental health and safety manager.
"If refineries are having difficulties, that cuts into gasoline supply," Savage said. "The fewer difficulties you have, the more opportunities you have to supply the market."
San Ramon-based Chevron Corp. plans an upgrade of its Richmond refinery. The project is undergoing final corporate review, said Stephanie Price, a Chevron spokeswoman.
"We are planning to implement a crude slates upgrade project," Price said. "That will increase the flexibility of the refinery to process a broader slate of crude oils."
No wide-ranging expansion is planned at the Shell Martinez Refinery, said spokesman Steve Lesher. Yet even in this case, Shell in the 1990s revamped the plant to handle heavy crude.
"The Martinez refinery was designed around processing heavy crude," Lesher said. "The majority of our crude comes from the Central Valley."
The costs of these current upgrades are huge:
Tesoro's revamp at Golden Eagle has a price tag of $400 million to $500 million.
ConcocoPhillips expects its project will cost "hundreds of millions" of dollars.
Valero's upgrade in Benicia is expected to cost $400 million to $500 million.
Chevron did not provide a cost figure for its project.
Yet refinery operators are poised to harvest big-time dividends from plants that can process heavy crude.
Spot prices for heavy crude in early May were about $45 a barrel in North America, the Heavy Oil Info online site reports. That's anywhere from $23 to $27 less than the prices for light crude.
The conversions mean operators can produce gasoline at today's prices, but use a raw material, heavy crude, that costs 35 percent less than light crude. And that means more profits.
"A refinery can benefit from the differential between the heavy and light crude prices," Valero's Howe said. "You can pay less for your feed stock but still get the same price for gasoline."
Some community leaders fear the revamps will degrade their neighborhoods. Those concerns have surfaced in Rodeo, which adjoins ConocoPhillips' refinery.
"The community raised concerns that the project would increase air pollution," said Jim Gray, chairman of the Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council. Noise is also a worry.
Environmentalists argue ConcocoPhillips should convert its refinery to a green factory rather than undertake the upgrade. Green businesses are the future and fossil fuels are a resource that can only dwindle, said Carla Perez, Northern California program director with Citizens for a Better Environment.
"Expansion of a plant that depends on an energy source that is going to be used up is really bad for the long-term future of that community, socially and economically," Perez said. "Green clean production of fuel and energy is up and coming."
Perez did not specify what kind of fuel source would replace crude oil in Rodeo.
Rodeo and Crockett could be left out of that green boom should the refinery upgrade.
"ConocoPhillips should install equipment and infrastructure that would make it possible to convert the refinery to a facility that would produce energy in line with green and sustainable protocols," Perez said.
Asked if such conversions might imperil thousands of East Bay refinery jobs, Perez pointed to proposals from the Just Transition Alliance, a coalition of community and environmental groups.
"Workers in the fossil fuel industries will lose jobs from any policy that lowers carbon emissions," according to a position paper on the alliance's Web site. "To soften the blow for the most affected workers, compensation and training must be provided."
Feere estimated that the Chevron project could employ 1,100 to 1,200 for up to five years, based on an agreement between union leaders and Chevron that was reached Tuesday night. Chevron spokeswoman Price put the number at "more than 300" during a two-year stretch.
ConocoPhillips expects to hire 700 for its upgrade, which will also lead to 27 permanent positions at the refinery. Valero said it plans to hire 150 to 300 people in Benicia. Tesoro estimated that 400 people work on the coker project.
"It's really a positive development and these jobs will last for the next several years," Feere said. "And all the new money from paying these people will go back into the community."
Refinery outages continue to haunt gasoline supplies in the United States. The problems are especially acute in California, whose drivers must consistently endure some of the nation's highest prices at the pump.
An August 2006 California Energy Commission report said price spikes last year were due to a slew of refinery outages. And in March, five California refineries, including Chevron's Richmond plant, were suffering outages.
Oil industry executives insist that the various refinery upgrades are poised to produce plenty of benefits for the East Bay. Savage points to the Tesoro coker project as an example of that.
"We get to win environmentally, we get to create jobs, building trades jobs, and we have a coker that is more reliable," Savage said. "We can have a steadier supply of fuel to the marketplace."
George Avalos covers the job market, insurance, banks and petroleum. Reach him at 925-977-8477 or gavalos@cctimes.com.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Aviators Told of Nut Tree's Coming Phase
Aviators Told of Nut Tree's Coming Phase
By Danny Bernardini/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
Local aviators got a look Thursday night at future developments around the Nut Tree Airport.
In a joint workshop with the Solano Airport Land Use Commission and the Nut Tree Airport Advisory Committee, a proposal for phase II of the Nut Tree Village was shown off.
Fred Buderi, Vacaville city planner, and Brad LaRue, of Snell and Co., were on hand to show the two groups, who were in a rare meeting together, a concept of the next construction to take place on the Nut Tree property.
"We are happy to get together and meet each other," the commission chair, John Foster, told the group. "This is a great opportunity to have everyone included."
Both sides promptly had questions as Buderi and LaRue began their presentation in regard to the 10 acres of condominiums, apartments and office buildings that are penciled in near the Nut Tree Airport runway.
The residences would form an L-shape wrapping from west of Best Buy, northward, and then east toward the amusement park. The proposed office buildings would be adjacent to the residences, with a parking lot as a buffer to the airstrip.
One of the biggest issues the group had was encroachment. Foster first brought up the issue of a possibility that the new construction may interfere with instrument approaches by aircraft. Instrument approaches assist pilots in guiding planes during bad weather or darkness.
Foster told the developers this issue is important to remember while discussing how tall and close the buildings can be built, warning they could interfere with those landings. The idea of an area for emergency landing was also stressed.
ALUC board member John Potter was curious if there were to be any access to the businesses and amusement park as the project grew. Buderi said although in the past there was access directly from the airport, anything other than paths to and from the property weren't a likely option.
Noise issues were also a concern as the residences would be directly between the airport and Interstate 80.
"It would be a great place for a home for the deaf," Dave Aronson, with the Solano Pilots Association, said.
The groups asked to see more detailed plans in the future.
"It's like you are looking at a small picture of the big puzzle," Foster said.
Danny Bernardini can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
By Danny Bernardini/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
Local aviators got a look Thursday night at future developments around the Nut Tree Airport.
In a joint workshop with the Solano Airport Land Use Commission and the Nut Tree Airport Advisory Committee, a proposal for phase II of the Nut Tree Village was shown off.
Fred Buderi, Vacaville city planner, and Brad LaRue, of Snell and Co., were on hand to show the two groups, who were in a rare meeting together, a concept of the next construction to take place on the Nut Tree property.
"We are happy to get together and meet each other," the commission chair, John Foster, told the group. "This is a great opportunity to have everyone included."
Both sides promptly had questions as Buderi and LaRue began their presentation in regard to the 10 acres of condominiums, apartments and office buildings that are penciled in near the Nut Tree Airport runway.
The residences would form an L-shape wrapping from west of Best Buy, northward, and then east toward the amusement park. The proposed office buildings would be adjacent to the residences, with a parking lot as a buffer to the airstrip.
One of the biggest issues the group had was encroachment. Foster first brought up the issue of a possibility that the new construction may interfere with instrument approaches by aircraft. Instrument approaches assist pilots in guiding planes during bad weather or darkness.
Foster told the developers this issue is important to remember while discussing how tall and close the buildings can be built, warning they could interfere with those landings. The idea of an area for emergency landing was also stressed.
ALUC board member John Potter was curious if there were to be any access to the businesses and amusement park as the project grew. Buderi said although in the past there was access directly from the airport, anything other than paths to and from the property weren't a likely option.
Noise issues were also a concern as the residences would be directly between the airport and Interstate 80.
"It would be a great place for a home for the deaf," Dave Aronson, with the Solano Pilots Association, said.
The groups asked to see more detailed plans in the future.
"It's like you are looking at a small picture of the big puzzle," Foster said.
Danny Bernardini can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
Vacaville On Display For Visiting VIPs
Vacaville On Display For Visiting VIPs
By Ines Bebea
VACAVILLE - The City of Vacaville and the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce will host a bus tour on Wednesday, to showcase the commercial and retail opportunities the city has to offer to potential businesses.
Participants of the VIP Day, will get an opportunity to learn about the current developments in Vacaville such as the expansion project for Genentech and the Kaiser Hospital, as well as what opportunities may be available to them.
The theme for the event is Get Connected, and it will serve as a forum to bring together brokers and developers with officials and local businesses.
"The city tour will allow our guests first hand views of Vacaville," said Mike Palombo, economic development manager for the City of Vacaville. "It's a great way to get your questions answered and get connected to a community who is eager to do business with you."
Luis Belmonte, a retired executive from AMB, a global developing and industrial real estate owning firm based in San Francisco, will serve as the keynote speaker during the lunch. Belmonte is a renowned real estate expert, who will discuss trends and the future outlook of the industry.
The networking sessions and the luncheon will be held at the Nut Tree Family Park n Vacaville. The event is expected to attract over 200 people including city officials and business leaders.
Cost is $40 per person, for more information call the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce at 448-6424.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
At a glance
Who: City of Vacaville and the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce
What: VIP Day to showcase Vacaville
When: May 16
Where: Nut Tree Park
Cost: $40 per person
Info: Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, 448-6424
By Ines Bebea
VACAVILLE - The City of Vacaville and the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce will host a bus tour on Wednesday, to showcase the commercial and retail opportunities the city has to offer to potential businesses.
Participants of the VIP Day, will get an opportunity to learn about the current developments in Vacaville such as the expansion project for Genentech and the Kaiser Hospital, as well as what opportunities may be available to them.
The theme for the event is Get Connected, and it will serve as a forum to bring together brokers and developers with officials and local businesses.
"The city tour will allow our guests first hand views of Vacaville," said Mike Palombo, economic development manager for the City of Vacaville. "It's a great way to get your questions answered and get connected to a community who is eager to do business with you."
Luis Belmonte, a retired executive from AMB, a global developing and industrial real estate owning firm based in San Francisco, will serve as the keynote speaker during the lunch. Belmonte is a renowned real estate expert, who will discuss trends and the future outlook of the industry.
The networking sessions and the luncheon will be held at the Nut Tree Family Park n Vacaville. The event is expected to attract over 200 people including city officials and business leaders.
Cost is $40 per person, for more information call the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce at 448-6424.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
At a glance
Who: City of Vacaville and the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce
What: VIP Day to showcase Vacaville
When: May 16
Where: Nut Tree Park
Cost: $40 per person
Info: Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, 448-6424
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Travis Funding Part of Defense Appropriation
Travis Funding Part of Defense Appropriation
By Danny Bernardini/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
Funds for a squadron facility at Travis Air Force Base are included in the National Defense Authorization Act which moves to the House floor next week, according to Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Solano.
The act, which includes $10.8 million for a Global Support Squadron Facility, was approved Wednesday by the House Armed Services Committee, Tauscher said. Also included are funds for the production of 10 new C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft.
Kevin Lawlor, Tauscher's director of communications, said it is much too early to determine how many of the new complement of C-17s could end up at Travis. The base already had been allocated 13 of the aircraft, 10 of which have arrived.
The new facility at Travis would involve 130 personnel and would be used to speed up training an deployment of troops for both battle and humanitarian efforts overseas, according to Tauscher's office.
The building would be the first Global Support Squadron Facility on the West Coast
"Travis is a vital installation, and I am proud that this reshaping reflects that by delivering crucial funds that allow the men and women of the base to complete their missions more effectively," Tauscher said in a press release. She called the base the "backbone of our community, the gateway to the West for our military, and a critical hub for military airlift and strategic transport."
In regard to the prospect of additional C-17s, Lawlor said, "This is a good sign that the military and Congress want to produce more. It looks like we are going to continue."
Lawlor said that the impact of bases closing throughout the world and the growing reliance on strategic airlift have made Travis a major factor. He also said Travis would likely benefit from the production of the new aircraft. Plus, the new planes aren't a hard sell.
"C-17s are the Cadillac for strategic airlifts," he said. "When people hear how vital they are (in strategic airlift), they realize how important they are."
Danny Bernardini can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
By Danny Bernardini/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
Funds for a squadron facility at Travis Air Force Base are included in the National Defense Authorization Act which moves to the House floor next week, according to Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Solano.
The act, which includes $10.8 million for a Global Support Squadron Facility, was approved Wednesday by the House Armed Services Committee, Tauscher said. Also included are funds for the production of 10 new C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft.
Kevin Lawlor, Tauscher's director of communications, said it is much too early to determine how many of the new complement of C-17s could end up at Travis. The base already had been allocated 13 of the aircraft, 10 of which have arrived.
The new facility at Travis would involve 130 personnel and would be used to speed up training an deployment of troops for both battle and humanitarian efforts overseas, according to Tauscher's office.
The building would be the first Global Support Squadron Facility on the West Coast
"Travis is a vital installation, and I am proud that this reshaping reflects that by delivering crucial funds that allow the men and women of the base to complete their missions more effectively," Tauscher said in a press release. She called the base the "backbone of our community, the gateway to the West for our military, and a critical hub for military airlift and strategic transport."
In regard to the prospect of additional C-17s, Lawlor said, "This is a good sign that the military and Congress want to produce more. It looks like we are going to continue."
Lawlor said that the impact of bases closing throughout the world and the growing reliance on strategic airlift have made Travis a major factor. He also said Travis would likely benefit from the production of the new aircraft. Plus, the new planes aren't a hard sell.
"C-17s are the Cadillac for strategic airlifts," he said. "When people hear how vital they are (in strategic airlift), they realize how important they are."
Danny Bernardini can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Fentons to Open Ice Cream Parlor at Nut Tree Park
Fentons to Open Ice Cream Parlor at Nut Tree Park
By Ines Bebea
VACAVILLE - Fentons Creamery & Restaurant, an old fashioned ice cream parlor, is coming to Vacaville.
The Oakland-based family-owned restaurant, which has been serving homemade ice cream, sauces and sandwiches to Bay Area residents since 1894, is opening its second restaurant at the Nut Tree Park tomorrow.
The new location at the Nut Tree Market Pavilion will have its signature 1930s ice cream parlor decor featuring retro booths, marble-topped counters and tables and will serve its famous half crab sandwich and banana specials from its menu.
As part of the Fentons' eating experience, customers will be able to watch how the ice cream is made, as well as take tours of the ice making process.
The Vacaville store is the first location outside of Oakland for the restaurant and the Nut Tree Park was a big factor in the decision, owner Scott Whidden said.
"We chose Vacaville because I've always been enchanted with Nut Tree Park," Whidden said. "The new development at Nut Tree Park gives us an opportunity to work with the community they served, and we are also a very family- and community-oriented business."
Customers who aren't familiar with Fentons' Creamery and Restaurant can look forward to freshly made food and desserts, and the type of family service that is lacking in some chain restaurants, he added.
"Eating at Fentons is a flash back to old times, when going to the local restaurant felt like home, where friends, couples and families went to eat because they knew they will be taken care of," Whidden said.
The restaurant will have a grand opening May 24. Managers are still looking for qualified applicants to fill positions. The restaurant holds an open house at 10 a.m. every Saturday for interested applicants and tour seekers.
"We are looking forward to being a part of the community," he said. "Being active in the community is a big part of doing business. We have been around for so long, that we've dealt with generations of families. Our community involvement is another avenue for us to take care of people."
Community involvement includes work with Vacaville's Fire Department, Girls Inc. and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Future plans include choosing a charity each month to donate time and money to, as well as asking the community what charities matter to them and how the company should be involved.
"When it comes to charities we don't just write checks," Whidden said. "We actively look of how we can help them, how they serve people and see it is meaningful to us."
For information about employment opportunities, you can visit them online at www.fentonscreamery.com.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
By Ines Bebea
VACAVILLE - Fentons Creamery & Restaurant, an old fashioned ice cream parlor, is coming to Vacaville.
The Oakland-based family-owned restaurant, which has been serving homemade ice cream, sauces and sandwiches to Bay Area residents since 1894, is opening its second restaurant at the Nut Tree Park tomorrow.
The new location at the Nut Tree Market Pavilion will have its signature 1930s ice cream parlor decor featuring retro booths, marble-topped counters and tables and will serve its famous half crab sandwich and banana specials from its menu.
As part of the Fentons' eating experience, customers will be able to watch how the ice cream is made, as well as take tours of the ice making process.
The Vacaville store is the first location outside of Oakland for the restaurant and the Nut Tree Park was a big factor in the decision, owner Scott Whidden said.
"We chose Vacaville because I've always been enchanted with Nut Tree Park," Whidden said. "The new development at Nut Tree Park gives us an opportunity to work with the community they served, and we are also a very family- and community-oriented business."
Customers who aren't familiar with Fentons' Creamery and Restaurant can look forward to freshly made food and desserts, and the type of family service that is lacking in some chain restaurants, he added.
"Eating at Fentons is a flash back to old times, when going to the local restaurant felt like home, where friends, couples and families went to eat because they knew they will be taken care of," Whidden said.
The restaurant will have a grand opening May 24. Managers are still looking for qualified applicants to fill positions. The restaurant holds an open house at 10 a.m. every Saturday for interested applicants and tour seekers.
"We are looking forward to being a part of the community," he said. "Being active in the community is a big part of doing business. We have been around for so long, that we've dealt with generations of families. Our community involvement is another avenue for us to take care of people."
Community involvement includes work with Vacaville's Fire Department, Girls Inc. and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Future plans include choosing a charity each month to donate time and money to, as well as asking the community what charities matter to them and how the company should be involved.
"When it comes to charities we don't just write checks," Whidden said. "We actively look of how we can help them, how they serve people and see it is meaningful to us."
For information about employment opportunities, you can visit them online at www.fentonscreamery.com.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Touro Moves Quickly on M.I. Village
Touro Moves Quickly on M.I. Village
By J.M. BROWN/Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
In the world of large-scale developments, patience is a virtue. After decades of planning, ground has yet to be broken on waterfront and downtown revitalization projects.
But when a developer is motivated and well-monied, things tend to move a bit quicker.
Such is the case with Touro University's ambitious scheme for the north end of Mare Island, a ragged chunk of waterfront land that needs a major infrastructure overhaul before the school can build its Oz-like "university village."
The 191-acre site would in-clude biotech firms, classrooms, a conference center, retail outlets, coffee shops and housing for students and faculty.
"This is moving at a very fast pace," said Susan McCue, Vallejo's economic development manager. "We're making good progress on all fronts."
Four months after the city entered into talks with Touro, the City Council will get an update Tuesday on the financing and design plans. The special study session will begin at 6:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers at 555 Santa Clara St.
Jim Mitchell, a former Vallejo Main Street director who recently became Touro's spokesman, said it has secured financing for the entire project, which could cost up to $500 million.
Design and infrastructure plans are still in the works, but Touro and its builder will offer updated pictures Tuesday about what they want to build on the land bordered by Azuar Drive, the Mare Island Strait, G Street and Highway 37.
City officials have met weekly with Touro officials, who have submitted plans for demolishing current buildings, establishing infrastructure, and developing future land use. Touro has also agreed to cover costs related to the Navy's clean-up of contaminated property.
It's too early, officials say, to know whether all the issues will be settled by a July deadline, after which the city manager can extend talks. The council will eventually decide whether to award Touro the project.
Councilman Tom Bartee said he supports the plans because biotech businesses want the kind of affordable employee housing and room to expand offered by Mare Island.
But, Bartee said he is concerned whether Touro will seek nonprofit status, a concern repeatedly raised by the island's master developer, home builder Lennar Mare Island LLC.
Bartee said he wants to "ensure that we end up with a good percentage of development out there that will provide additional tax base to the city."
Mitchell said Touro has no current plans to see non-profit status.
E-mail J.M. Brown at jmbrown@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6834.
If you go:
What: Vallejo City Council, special study session on Touro University's plans for North Mare Island
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Council Chambers, 555 Santa Clara St.
By J.M. BROWN/Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
In the world of large-scale developments, patience is a virtue. After decades of planning, ground has yet to be broken on waterfront and downtown revitalization projects.
But when a developer is motivated and well-monied, things tend to move a bit quicker.
Such is the case with Touro University's ambitious scheme for the north end of Mare Island, a ragged chunk of waterfront land that needs a major infrastructure overhaul before the school can build its Oz-like "university village."
The 191-acre site would in-clude biotech firms, classrooms, a conference center, retail outlets, coffee shops and housing for students and faculty.
"This is moving at a very fast pace," said Susan McCue, Vallejo's economic development manager. "We're making good progress on all fronts."
Four months after the city entered into talks with Touro, the City Council will get an update Tuesday on the financing and design plans. The special study session will begin at 6:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers at 555 Santa Clara St.
Jim Mitchell, a former Vallejo Main Street director who recently became Touro's spokesman, said it has secured financing for the entire project, which could cost up to $500 million.
Design and infrastructure plans are still in the works, but Touro and its builder will offer updated pictures Tuesday about what they want to build on the land bordered by Azuar Drive, the Mare Island Strait, G Street and Highway 37.
City officials have met weekly with Touro officials, who have submitted plans for demolishing current buildings, establishing infrastructure, and developing future land use. Touro has also agreed to cover costs related to the Navy's clean-up of contaminated property.
It's too early, officials say, to know whether all the issues will be settled by a July deadline, after which the city manager can extend talks. The council will eventually decide whether to award Touro the project.
Councilman Tom Bartee said he supports the plans because biotech businesses want the kind of affordable employee housing and room to expand offered by Mare Island.
But, Bartee said he is concerned whether Touro will seek nonprofit status, a concern repeatedly raised by the island's master developer, home builder Lennar Mare Island LLC.
Bartee said he wants to "ensure that we end up with a good percentage of development out there that will provide additional tax base to the city."
Mitchell said Touro has no current plans to see non-profit status.
E-mail J.M. Brown at jmbrown@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6834.
If you go:
What: Vallejo City Council, special study session on Touro University's plans for North Mare Island
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Council Chambers, 555 Santa Clara St.
City to Seek Aid For Clean Fleet's Sustainance
City to Seek Aid For Clean Fleet's Sustainance
Panel Wants City To Seek Funding For Program That Promotes Fuel-Efficient Vehicles.
By Jennifer Gentile/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
Vacaville's Alternative Fuel Vehicle program is among the most successful in the state and the nation, and the Vacaville City Council will consider Tuesday a staff request to seek funding to continue it.
The program began in 1998, with a presentation, a city staff report says "on the status of electric vehicles and their support for reducing vehicle emissions for not only the city's fleet, but also making it easier for residents to participate."
The next year, the city procured $300,000 in federal air quality funding to apply toward the lease cost on electric vehicles.
Based on the program's initial success, an additional $600,000 came to the city in 2000. The same year, Public Works acquired another $300,000 to launch the Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle Incentive Program, which allows residents to receive a financial incentive toward purchase of a Honda Civic GX.
Through this funding and other sources, "The city has been able to replace nine aging fleet vehicles with dedicated CNG vehicles," according to the staff report.
Residents from Vacaville and the surrounding area understand the benefits, too, the report states, with 72 now driving CNG vehicles through the incentive programs. Another 15 are on a growing waiting list to participate as soon as more funding becomes available.
"Staff will be requesting additional funding to continue this viable program with the Solano Transportation Authority.' Staff has asked council to support this request, allowing the program to continue.
The council will consider another resolution, which concerns applying for a share of state Transportation Development Act Funds. Local transit operations are funded with this money, according to a staff report, which are generated though local sales and fuel taxes.
The City Council must pass a resolution to "claim our allocation of operating, capital and streets and roads funds," the report continues, "totaling approximately $2.8 million."
In other business, the council may approve the Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan for fiscal year 2007-08. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires the plan, according to a staff report, for the city to continue receiving funding.
The proposed allocations in the plan, according to the report, "reflect the city's long-term commitment to improve/expand affordable housing, to acquire/improve public facilities and to provide public services in low-income neighborhoods."
Jennifer Gentile can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
Panel Wants City To Seek Funding For Program That Promotes Fuel-Efficient Vehicles.
By Jennifer Gentile/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
Vacaville's Alternative Fuel Vehicle program is among the most successful in the state and the nation, and the Vacaville City Council will consider Tuesday a staff request to seek funding to continue it.
The program began in 1998, with a presentation, a city staff report says "on the status of electric vehicles and their support for reducing vehicle emissions for not only the city's fleet, but also making it easier for residents to participate."
The next year, the city procured $300,000 in federal air quality funding to apply toward the lease cost on electric vehicles.
Based on the program's initial success, an additional $600,000 came to the city in 2000. The same year, Public Works acquired another $300,000 to launch the Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle Incentive Program, which allows residents to receive a financial incentive toward purchase of a Honda Civic GX.
Through this funding and other sources, "The city has been able to replace nine aging fleet vehicles with dedicated CNG vehicles," according to the staff report.
Residents from Vacaville and the surrounding area understand the benefits, too, the report states, with 72 now driving CNG vehicles through the incentive programs. Another 15 are on a growing waiting list to participate as soon as more funding becomes available.
"Staff will be requesting additional funding to continue this viable program with the Solano Transportation Authority.' Staff has asked council to support this request, allowing the program to continue.
The council will consider another resolution, which concerns applying for a share of state Transportation Development Act Funds. Local transit operations are funded with this money, according to a staff report, which are generated though local sales and fuel taxes.
The City Council must pass a resolution to "claim our allocation of operating, capital and streets and roads funds," the report continues, "totaling approximately $2.8 million."
In other business, the council may approve the Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan for fiscal year 2007-08. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires the plan, according to a staff report, for the city to continue receiving funding.
The proposed allocations in the plan, according to the report, "reflect the city's long-term commitment to improve/expand affordable housing, to acquire/improve public facilities and to provide public services in low-income neighborhoods."
Jennifer Gentile can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Supervisors OK Homeless Shelter Donation of $1M
Supervisors OK Homeless Shelter Donation of $1M
By DANNY BERNARDINI/The Reporter, Vacaville
Vallejo Times Herald
It was all applause and handshakes after the Solano County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to donate $1 million to help build a homeless shelter.
The board voted to spend the money from the county's General Fund toward Mission Solano's $8 million rehabilitation center in Fairfield.
Bridge to Life Center is to be located on a 3.5-acre site on Cordelia Road, across the street from the Solano County Health and Social Services building on Beck Avenue, according to Director of Health and Social Services Patrick Duterte.
The donation brings the total near the $8 million being sought. Mission Solano already had collected nearly $6.5 million from private donations, local corporations and through a promise from Home Aid.
Duterte told the board that when he first arrived in Solano County the homeless situation was bad.
"It was a very scary situation from what I observed," he told the board. "We were behind the curve, this will put us ahead of the curve."
Showing up to support the decision were those from Mission Solano as well as Fairfield Mayor Harry Price. The city of Fairfield has kicked in $900,000 as well. Price thanked the board for helping the homeless, who would not be casting votes in elections.
Board members Barbara Kondylis and Jim Spering applauded the shelter and both pointed to the money it would save throughout the county.
"It's a problem that's not going away," Spering said. "If we aren't proactive, you are looking at a larger investment."
The Bridge to Life would offer 158 beds to be used by homeless men, women and children. It will include a day-care center, men's transitional living quarters, a dining hall, education facilities, playing fields and a 200-seat chapel/multipurpose facility.
Residents would be eligible to stay for up to 18 months while finding somewhere more permanent to live.
By DANNY BERNARDINI/The Reporter, Vacaville
Vallejo Times Herald
It was all applause and handshakes after the Solano County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to donate $1 million to help build a homeless shelter.
The board voted to spend the money from the county's General Fund toward Mission Solano's $8 million rehabilitation center in Fairfield.
Bridge to Life Center is to be located on a 3.5-acre site on Cordelia Road, across the street from the Solano County Health and Social Services building on Beck Avenue, according to Director of Health and Social Services Patrick Duterte.
The donation brings the total near the $8 million being sought. Mission Solano already had collected nearly $6.5 million from private donations, local corporations and through a promise from Home Aid.
Duterte told the board that when he first arrived in Solano County the homeless situation was bad.
"It was a very scary situation from what I observed," he told the board. "We were behind the curve, this will put us ahead of the curve."
Showing up to support the decision were those from Mission Solano as well as Fairfield Mayor Harry Price. The city of Fairfield has kicked in $900,000 as well. Price thanked the board for helping the homeless, who would not be casting votes in elections.
Board members Barbara Kondylis and Jim Spering applauded the shelter and both pointed to the money it would save throughout the county.
"It's a problem that's not going away," Spering said. "If we aren't proactive, you are looking at a larger investment."
The Bridge to Life would offer 158 beds to be used by homeless men, women and children. It will include a day-care center, men's transitional living quarters, a dining hall, education facilities, playing fields and a 200-seat chapel/multipurpose facility.
Residents would be eligible to stay for up to 18 months while finding somewhere more permanent to live.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Developer Touts Wine-Country Living at Affordable Price
Developer Touts Wine-Country Living at Affordable Price
By Ines Bebea
FAIRFIELD - How do you spice up interest in a slow moving real estate market? By transporting prospective buyers to Spain's southern region of Andalucia, giving them a taste of wine country living from a local winery and fine cuisine during an open house.
At least that's what the Standard Pacific Homes developers will do with Ledgewood Creek Winery of Suisun Valley this Saturday.
"We are taking this approach because a lot of people outside of the area still don't know what Rancho Solano has to offer," said Amy Maley, director of marketing for Standard Pacific Homes. "It has a great quality of life, proximity to award-winning local wineries and the benefits of living in Fairfield."
The Andalucia community encompasses two neighborhoods called Marbella and Sevilla. When completed, it will have 217 homes. They have already sold 95 homes and have six available in both neighborhoods. This is not the company's first community in Fairfield. They've also built: Oak Crest at Rancho Solano, Oak Hills Classics, Oak Hills Estates and Sanctuary Valley.
Maley is confident the opportunity to enjoy the lifestyle of wine country living at an affordable price will attract buyers who want to invest in a home, while acknowledging the slow moving housing market.
According to DataQuick News, a company that monitors real estate activity nationwide, sales of homes in Solano County have declined by 36.4 percent, compared to the same period last year. In March 2006, there were 829 homes sold in the county, while only 527 homes were sold in March this year.
"Rancho Solano offers the kind of lifestyle and life that you would find in Napa, but without the prices," Maley said.
It also has wine. Ledgewood Creek wines have been recognized by the Orange County Fair Wine Competition, the California State Fair Wine Competition, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the Riverside International Wine Competition, just to name a few.
"We got involved in their promotion because you can see our winery from the houses they are building," said Rick Wehman, general manager of the Ledgewood Creek Winery. "Normally we wouldn't get involved in something like this, but we are in the same valley and I think this will bring new people to the vineyard."
The goal of the collaboration is to let people know about the quality wines being produced in Suisun Valley, and to get their name out more, Wehman added.
"We still get people who come to our tasting room, and are shocked about how good the wines are," Wehman said. "Many don't expect the quality from this area, and as they drive to their homes they can't miss us."
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
At a glance
What: Taste of Rancho Solano
Who: Ledgewood Creek Winery and Standard Pacific
Where: Andalucia Development, German St. in Rancho Solano
When: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday May 5th. Open to the public
For more information: www.ledgewoodcreek.com
www.visitandaluciatoday.com
By Ines Bebea
FAIRFIELD - How do you spice up interest in a slow moving real estate market? By transporting prospective buyers to Spain's southern region of Andalucia, giving them a taste of wine country living from a local winery and fine cuisine during an open house.
At least that's what the Standard Pacific Homes developers will do with Ledgewood Creek Winery of Suisun Valley this Saturday.
"We are taking this approach because a lot of people outside of the area still don't know what Rancho Solano has to offer," said Amy Maley, director of marketing for Standard Pacific Homes. "It has a great quality of life, proximity to award-winning local wineries and the benefits of living in Fairfield."
The Andalucia community encompasses two neighborhoods called Marbella and Sevilla. When completed, it will have 217 homes. They have already sold 95 homes and have six available in both neighborhoods. This is not the company's first community in Fairfield. They've also built: Oak Crest at Rancho Solano, Oak Hills Classics, Oak Hills Estates and Sanctuary Valley.
Maley is confident the opportunity to enjoy the lifestyle of wine country living at an affordable price will attract buyers who want to invest in a home, while acknowledging the slow moving housing market.
According to DataQuick News, a company that monitors real estate activity nationwide, sales of homes in Solano County have declined by 36.4 percent, compared to the same period last year. In March 2006, there were 829 homes sold in the county, while only 527 homes were sold in March this year.
"Rancho Solano offers the kind of lifestyle and life that you would find in Napa, but without the prices," Maley said.
It also has wine. Ledgewood Creek wines have been recognized by the Orange County Fair Wine Competition, the California State Fair Wine Competition, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the Riverside International Wine Competition, just to name a few.
"We got involved in their promotion because you can see our winery from the houses they are building," said Rick Wehman, general manager of the Ledgewood Creek Winery. "Normally we wouldn't get involved in something like this, but we are in the same valley and I think this will bring new people to the vineyard."
The goal of the collaboration is to let people know about the quality wines being produced in Suisun Valley, and to get their name out more, Wehman added.
"We still get people who come to our tasting room, and are shocked about how good the wines are," Wehman said. "Many don't expect the quality from this area, and as they drive to their homes they can't miss us."
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
At a glance
What: Taste of Rancho Solano
Who: Ledgewood Creek Winery and Standard Pacific
Where: Andalucia Development, German St. in Rancho Solano
When: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday May 5th. Open to the public
For more information: www.ledgewoodcreek.com
www.visitandaluciatoday.com
County to Contribute $1M to Mission Solano
County to Contribute $1M to Mission Solano
By Daily Republic staff
FAIRFIELD - Solano County will contribute $1 million to Mission Solano for the construction of the Bridge to Life Center, a homeless shelter and counseling center, the Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday.
The 3.5 acre site is scheduled to be constructed on Beck Avenue, just south of the Health and Social Services building, and will expand homeless facilities and programs in the Fairfield-Suisun area. It is intended to complement Health and Social Service assistance to the homeless.
The contribution will offset the estimated $8 million cost for the project. Mission Solano has already raised 81 percent of the construction cost, with contributions from the city of Fairfield, Jelly Belly and Valero Refining.
In addition, up to 50 percent of the construction cost has been granted by Home Aid, a nonprofit organization formed by the construction industry.
The Bridge to Life will include 158 beds for homeless men, women and children as well as a daycare center, men's transitional living quarters, a dining hall, education facilities, playing fields and a 200-seat chapel.
Residents will get on-site counseling and be able to stay up to 18 months. The center will also offer drop-in counseling services to the homeless. It is scheduled to be completed by fall 2008.
By Daily Republic staff
FAIRFIELD - Solano County will contribute $1 million to Mission Solano for the construction of the Bridge to Life Center, a homeless shelter and counseling center, the Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday.
The 3.5 acre site is scheduled to be constructed on Beck Avenue, just south of the Health and Social Services building, and will expand homeless facilities and programs in the Fairfield-Suisun area. It is intended to complement Health and Social Service assistance to the homeless.
The contribution will offset the estimated $8 million cost for the project. Mission Solano has already raised 81 percent of the construction cost, with contributions from the city of Fairfield, Jelly Belly and Valero Refining.
In addition, up to 50 percent of the construction cost has been granted by Home Aid, a nonprofit organization formed by the construction industry.
The Bridge to Life will include 158 beds for homeless men, women and children as well as a daycare center, men's transitional living quarters, a dining hall, education facilities, playing fields and a 200-seat chapel.
Residents will get on-site counseling and be able to stay up to 18 months. The center will also offer drop-in counseling services to the homeless. It is scheduled to be completed by fall 2008.
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