Made in Solano -- Local Wines, Candy, Pottery Make Shoppers' Spirits Bright
By Joe Giovannetti | Daily Republic | December 08, 2007 16:43
FAIRFIELD - Holiday shopping is not for the faint of heart.
Some people dread it. Treat it like a harried trip to the grocery store to stock up on canned goods for the apocalypse. Get in, get what you need and get out. The sooner it's done the better.
Other shoppers revel in the holiday season. It's a time to slow down and reflect on the past year. It's an opportunity to show loved ones how important they are to you, even if you don't always tell them. Holiday shopping and the season itself is something to be savored.
But whether you're the type of person to sing 'Deck the Halls' or mumble 'Bah humbug,' you still have to purchase gifts and there's almost certainly at least one person on your list who's impossible to shop for.
Try thinking outside the box and keep Solano County in mind. There are unique, great holiday gifts right in your own back yard. Here's a guide on the best Solano County has to offer.
Bella Terra
A do-it-yourself pottery shop, Bella Terra, allows you to personalize your holiday gift. Choose from items such as coffee mugs, plates and bowls and decorate it for a special someone. Items range in price from $5 to $50. There is a studio fee of $5 for children and $7 for adults.
'Just getting the gift certificate to provide a gift to everyone you know is so quick,' owner Stephanie Bellamy said. 'When you take the time, a couple hours, and you're thinking about that person that's great.
'And I give you a hug when you're done, you can't get hugs from people at Target.'
Where: 318 B Main St., Vacaville
Open: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; open until 9 p.m., Thursday; Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday
Info: 448-5050
Guittard Chocolate Company
Guittard Chocolate has been a California staple sweet for more than 100 years. With the company's move to a Fairfield warehouse covering more than 280,000-square-feet this year, that delicious chocolate is coming right from Solano County.
Guittard has a number of products, but perhaps its most popular is the Single Origin Chocolate, a unique tasting bar where the cacao and sugar content are held constant. The taste differences are attributed to the cacao.
Various Guittard Chocolate items can be purchased at local retailers Safeway, Raley's, Nugget Market and Food for Less. Products are also available on the company's Website from the company's Website, http://www.guittard.com/
GV Cellars Winery
GV Cellars Winery is offering deals on splits of its 2004 vintage estate series wine. The estate series is the first wine of the vintage the winery bottles.
Splits (a 375 ml bottle) of the cabernet, merlot blanc, nerlot rose and merlot run from $5 to $13.
The winery is also offering gift baskets from $35 and up.
Where: 635 Mason Road, Fairfield
Open: 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays; weekends by appointment
Info: 864-2089
Web site: http://www.gvcellars.com
The Jelly Belly Factory
If you're looking for holiday candy, Fairfield's famous landmark goes beyond just the jelly bean. Jelly Belly offers chocolate-covered maltballs and almonds as well as Jingle Bell Jells and Sour Gummi Santas.
The standard treat is still, of course, the jelly beans. There are 10- and 40-flavor gift boxes for $4.99 and $14.99
Where: 1 Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield
Open: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily
Info: 428-2800
Web site: http://www.jellybelly.com
Jovia Groves Olive Oil
Jovia Groves offers the perfect holiday gift for the Think Green-conscious gourmet.
'We are offering a super high-end olive oil at a great competitive price and part of this is also supporting sustainable agriculture, which is important to the county,' Jovia Groves co-owner Jon Fadhl said.
Jovia Groves' Arbequina olive oil won Best of Show at the Yolo County Fair and the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival.
'It tends to be more subtle and softer in flavor,' Fadhl said of the Spanish Arbequina. 'The Italian flavors that tend to be more herbish and a little overpowering for the American palate.'
Products are available at Raley's supermarkets in Solano, The Vegetable Patch (2820 Rockville Road, Fairfield) and Made in California (1681 E. Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville). A 500 ml bottle costs around $15.
Ledgewood Creek Winery
Ledgewood Creek Winery allows customers to create their own gift baskets with bottles of Solano County wine.
'It's the perfect time of year for food and wine,' Ledgewood Creek general manager Rick Wehman said. 'Depending on what you're serving we have cabernets and chardonnays that taste great.'
The gift baskets range in price from $35 to $125.
Where: 4589 Abernathy Road, Fairfield
Open: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily
Info: 426-4424
Web site: http://www.ledgewoodcreek.com
Mankas Potters at The Clay Station
Looking to support local art and get a holiday gift? Mankas Potters features pieces made by 10 local artists.
'If you buy something from us, it's from a craftsperson, which seems to be a dying art,' Mankas Potters manager Joni Anderson said. 'We're trying to have a resurgence of that for products made by hand.'
Mankas Potters offers items such as wall hangings, prints and jewelry as well as functional art such as pots and platters.
Some items can be had for $5. Others cost as much as $200.
Where: 2595 Mankas Corner Road, Suisun Valley
Open: Noon to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday
Info: 422-4942
Mariani's Fruit Stand
Mariani's offers dry fruit with a taste of the Mediterranean, but grown in California.
'There are lots of parties and family gatherings and dried fruits look great, they display great and they taste great,' Mariani's director of business development Patti Sousa said. 'The fruits are sweet and moist and it's nice to have that along with the heavier foods that come with the holidays.'
Mariani's has more than 50 varieties of dried fruit. They can be purchased individually or in gift baskets. A 10-ounce basket costs $9.99. A 3-pound basket costs $19.99.
Where: Mariani's at the Nut Tree; 1681 E. Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville
Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily
Info: 455-7899
Web site: http://marianifruit.com
Rock Art by Art Buckner
Art Buckner's been making his Rock Art for 40 years, but recently just started making them for profit.
Buckner gathers rock slabs from rock and mineral shows and transform them into wearable art. His belt buckles and bolo ties are a great gift for the cowboy in your family and can be had for around $20.
'It's a unique gift,' Buckner said. 'There are very few people doing it anymore. It's really a dying art.'
Products available at Made in California, 1681 E. Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville.
Sepay Groves Olive Garden
Sepay Groves emphasizes freshness in their product that you might not find in the grocery store.
'We take pride in our product,' co-owner Peggy Quartemonte said. 'It's important to purchase something fresh as opposed to 2-year-old oil you'll get in some other places.'
Sepay Groves sells a variety of products including olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, stuffed olives, spreads and mustard.
Where: 370 Chadbourne Road, Fairfield
Open: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday; Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday
Info: 434-8222
Web site: http://www.sepayoliveoil.com
Wooden Valley Winery
'We specialize in finding the perfect wine for anyone,' tasting room manager Kerri Cooper said. 'We have a wide variety of different types of wine. For the holidays it's chardonnay, merlot and, specifically, we have a gold medal-winning cabernet.'
Wooden Valley Winery wines are an affordable holiday gift. Wines are as inexpensive as $8 and top out at $14. Wooden Valley's port is $24.
'Honestly, any one of our wines is a great gift,' Cooper said. 'And if you're looking for something local, you've taken the time to see what is out there and you're giving a little bit of yourself in that gift.'
Where: 4756 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield
Open: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday
Info: 864-0730
Web site: www.woodenvalley.com
Reach Joe Giovannetti at 427-6935 or jgio@dailyrepublic.net.
Monday, December 10, 2007
New Fire Station In The Works For East Vacaville
New Fire Station In The Works For East Vacaville
By Ian Thompson | DAILY REPUBLIC | December 07, 2007 15:05
VACAVILLE - The city's east side will be a step closer to getting a new fire station if the City Council approves a deal Tuesday to buy land on the south side of Orange Drive east of Leisure Town Road.
The city wants to put a station there to provide better coverage of areas that include the growing Vaca Valley Business Park, the Solano Community College center and homes in North Village.
This is part of a 2003 fire department report that recommended moving a fire station on Eubanks Court west of its current location and building the new station.
The 1.5 acres the city wants to buy is owned by the Yarbrough Trust and is worth $622,643, according to a memo to the City Council from Economic Development Manager Michael Palumbo. The trust is donating, as a charitable contribution, $311,322 of that amount to the city.
The trust wants to take the rest of that price as credit against future city benefit district charges assessed against other trust properties in the area.
Just when the fire station would be built has not been determined yet, Palumbo wrote.
In other business, the council is being asked to uphold a Vacaville Planning Commission decision against allowing the owner of the Alamo Plaza Shopping Center to build a 78-foot-high tower there.
The tower is part of a proposal the center's owners put forward in November to redesign the shopping center and parking lot, and build a two-story, 24,000-square-foot office building.
Planning commissioners liked the idea of renovating the shopping center but didn't like the height of the proposed tower.
Commissioners also listened to concerns voiced by neighbors about being disturbed by delivery trucks arriving too early in the morning at the plaza and imposed restrictions on delivery hours.
The City Council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Vacaville City Council chamber at 650 Merchant St.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.
By Ian Thompson | DAILY REPUBLIC | December 07, 2007 15:05
VACAVILLE - The city's east side will be a step closer to getting a new fire station if the City Council approves a deal Tuesday to buy land on the south side of Orange Drive east of Leisure Town Road.
The city wants to put a station there to provide better coverage of areas that include the growing Vaca Valley Business Park, the Solano Community College center and homes in North Village.
This is part of a 2003 fire department report that recommended moving a fire station on Eubanks Court west of its current location and building the new station.
The 1.5 acres the city wants to buy is owned by the Yarbrough Trust and is worth $622,643, according to a memo to the City Council from Economic Development Manager Michael Palumbo. The trust is donating, as a charitable contribution, $311,322 of that amount to the city.
The trust wants to take the rest of that price as credit against future city benefit district charges assessed against other trust properties in the area.
Just when the fire station would be built has not been determined yet, Palumbo wrote.
In other business, the council is being asked to uphold a Vacaville Planning Commission decision against allowing the owner of the Alamo Plaza Shopping Center to build a 78-foot-high tower there.
The tower is part of a proposal the center's owners put forward in November to redesign the shopping center and parking lot, and build a two-story, 24,000-square-foot office building.
Planning commissioners liked the idea of renovating the shopping center but didn't like the height of the proposed tower.
Commissioners also listened to concerns voiced by neighbors about being disturbed by delivery trucks arriving too early in the morning at the plaza and imposed restrictions on delivery hours.
The City Council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Vacaville City Council chamber at 650 Merchant St.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.
Copart CEO to Ring in Success
Copart CEO to Ring in Success
By Ines Bebea | Daily Republic | December 07, 2007 17:15
FAIRFIELD - Willis J. Johnson, founder and CEO of Fairfield-based Copart Inc., has plenty of reasons to smile these days.
Johnson will travel Sunday to New York, where he will ring the opening bell at NASDAQ MarketSite on Tuesday. The company's stock (NASDAQ:CPRT) rose $2.38 per share Wednesday to close at $41.69. The stock closed Friday at $41.03.
'It is an honor to be picked to ring the opening bell at NASDAQ,' Johnson said in a statement. 'It is also a tribute to all the hard work Copart employees have done over the years to make Copart a success.'
His company also reported revenue and net income increases in the first quarter of the 2007-08 fiscal year. Revenue jumped to $184 million, an increase of 39.2 percent over the same period last year. Net income rose $37.6 million, an increase of 23.9 percent.
Included in Copart's results for the three-month period ending Oct. 31 were the company's acquisitions in the United Kingdom. Copart purchased Universal Salvage, plc and Century Salvage Sales Limited. Copart's U.K. operations generated $43.8 million in revenue in the first quarter.
Copart sells damaged vehicles through Internet auctions to licensed dismantlers, rebuilders, used car dealers and exporters. The company operates 136 facilities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company celebrated its 25th anniversary in August.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
By Ines Bebea | Daily Republic | December 07, 2007 17:15
FAIRFIELD - Willis J. Johnson, founder and CEO of Fairfield-based Copart Inc., has plenty of reasons to smile these days.
Johnson will travel Sunday to New York, where he will ring the opening bell at NASDAQ MarketSite on Tuesday. The company's stock (NASDAQ:CPRT) rose $2.38 per share Wednesday to close at $41.69. The stock closed Friday at $41.03.
'It is an honor to be picked to ring the opening bell at NASDAQ,' Johnson said in a statement. 'It is also a tribute to all the hard work Copart employees have done over the years to make Copart a success.'
His company also reported revenue and net income increases in the first quarter of the 2007-08 fiscal year. Revenue jumped to $184 million, an increase of 39.2 percent over the same period last year. Net income rose $37.6 million, an increase of 23.9 percent.
Included in Copart's results for the three-month period ending Oct. 31 were the company's acquisitions in the United Kingdom. Copart purchased Universal Salvage, plc and Century Salvage Sales Limited. Copart's U.K. operations generated $43.8 million in revenue in the first quarter.
Copart sells damaged vehicles through Internet auctions to licensed dismantlers, rebuilders, used car dealers and exporters. The company operates 136 facilities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company celebrated its 25th anniversary in August.
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
Solano County Government And Business Advocates To Host Economic Summit
Solano County Government And Business Advocates To Host Economic Summit
By Ines Bebea | Daily Republic | December 08, 2007 15:52
FAIRFIELD - Elected officials and business representatives will gather Thursday for Solano Economic Summit 3 at Hilton Garden Inn. The summit will highlight the growth of the county's economy in 2007 and feature a discussion about the newly formed Solano Business Council.
The keynote presentation will focus on agriculture and the future of local farming.
The summit is a collaborative effort by Solano County, Solano Transportation Authority, UC Davis, Solano Economic Development Corp., and the City and County Coordinating Council. The cost is $25. To register, call the Solano EDC at 864-1855.
By Ines Bebea | Daily Republic | December 08, 2007 15:52
FAIRFIELD - Elected officials and business representatives will gather Thursday for Solano Economic Summit 3 at Hilton Garden Inn. The summit will highlight the growth of the county's economy in 2007 and feature a discussion about the newly formed Solano Business Council.
The keynote presentation will focus on agriculture and the future of local farming.
The summit is a collaborative effort by Solano County, Solano Transportation Authority, UC Davis, Solano Economic Development Corp., and the City and County Coordinating Council. The cost is $25. To register, call the Solano EDC at 864-1855.
Friday, December 07, 2007
UC DAVIS BREAKS GROUND ON 'GREEN' MBA BUILDING, REGIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER
University of California, Davis
December 7, 2007
UC DAVIS BREAKS GROUND ON 'GREEN' MBA BUILDING, REGIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER
[Editor's note: Architect renderings available on request.]
Wielding golden shovels, prominent business leaders joined MBA students, faculty and alumni today to break ground on a $34.5 million Graduate School of Management building and conference center complex at UC Davis. The energy-efficient, environmentally responsible project will help boost the profile of the nationally ranked management school and serve as an important new venue for business and academic conferences when it opens in fall 2009. It will also help anchor the campus' emerging "front door" near Interstate 80.
The UC Davis Graduate School of Management building will be called Maurice J. Gallagher Jr. Hall, in honor of the Las Vegas airline executive who in October pledged $10 million to support the project and establish an endowment for the school. The adjoining conference center will include a restaurant and meeting facilities. The complex will also include a hotel, to be constructed separately.
The structures will be located across from the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, adjacent to the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center, near the School of Law to the north and the soon-to-be-completed Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science to the west, and alongside a planned UC Davis Museum of Art.
"The Graduate School of Management is already recognized as one of the best business schools in the country. With the completion of this world-class facility, we will become even more attractive to top students and faculty," said Nicole Woolsey Biggart, the school's dean. "At the same time, the complex and its neighbors will serve as an important hub for the region's business and public policy interests, opening up tremendously exciting new opportunities to connect our MBA candidates to the entrepreneurs and community leaders who help drive the nation's sixth largest economy."
The new management school building, conference center and hotel will all be visible from I-80. With its easy-in, easy-out access from the freeway, the complex "will be a great regional asset and provide an attractive venue for the business community to get together on the university campus," said Barbara Hayes, executive director of the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization. "The new facility will also solidify the presence and reputation of the already renowned UC Davis Graduate School of Management."
The nationally ranked UC Davis Graduate School of Management provides management education to more than 100 full-time MBA students on the Davis campus, as well as 184 students enrolled in the Sacramento Working Professional MBA Program in downtown Sacramento and 165 in the San Francisco Bay Area Working Professional MBA Program in San Ramon.
"The Graduate School of Management already is ranked among the best MBA programs in the country," Gallagher said in announcing his gift in October. "But to move into the elite tier, you have to have a world-class facility. I think the location, benefits and design of this new building, combined with the leadership of the faculty, will enable the school to jump up to that higher level over the next 10 to
15 years."
Gallagher Hall, at 40,000 square feet and three stories tall, will more than double the management school's current space on the UC Davis campus. The school today occupies about 15,500 square feet in a two-story building on the campus's northeastern edge.
The school's new stone, glass and stucco building will feature technologically advanced classrooms designed for interactive learning; expanded space for extracurricular activities; an upgraded and centralized student affairs and career services center for students to develop skills to advance their careers; and an outdoor garden and courtyard for informal gatherings and special events.
The adjoining 42,000-square-foot, two-story conference building will include a 7,500-square-foot restaurant, 14,000-square-foot conference center and ballroom. The second floor will offer 20,000 square feet of space for various university administrative units.
The Sacramento office of Sundt Cos. Inc. will serve as general contractor. Sasaki Associates Inc. of San Francisco is the architect.
Campus planners expect that both Gallagher Hall and the conference center will meet the Gold standard of Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design, or LEED, certification, which would make them among the "greenest" buildings in the University of California system.
Today, only four buildings in the ten-campus UC system have earned Gold-level or higher LEED certification, reflecting energy and water efficiency, sustainable siting and use of recycled, local and environmentally sustainable construction materials. (Those four include UC Davis' Tahoe Environmental Research Center at Incline Village, Nev., which has earned the highest-possible Platinum rating.)
The third element of the Davis campus's new Graduate School of Management complex, a 75-room hotel, will be built separately in partnership with University Hospitality Group, a private Davis-based hotelier.
Joining the Gallaghers, Biggart and Hayes at today's groundbreaking celebration were UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, Frank Washington, immediate past chair of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Moonshot Communications, and more than 200 other invited university officials, business leaders and management school faculty, students and alumni.
Since it was established in 1981, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management has climbed rapidly in stature and recognition. For the past 12 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has rated it among the top 50 public and private MBA programs in the nation; it ranked 20th among public institutions and 46th overall in the latest survey. The school also places at the top of other rankings: This year the Financial Times rated it No. 1 in the world in the field of organizational behavior, while corporate recruiters surveyed by The Wall Street Journal rated it sixth nationally for preparing graduates for technology, Internet and telecommunications careers.
The school has also established a strong "green" reputation. The Aspen Institute this year rated the school among the top 30 worldwide for integrating issues of social and environmental stewardship into curricula and research. Through the UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship, based at the school, MBA students collaborate with science and engineering students and faculty, along with experienced entrepreneurs, investors and corporate leaders, to envision a better world and make it a reality. The affiliated UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center focuses on the development and transfer of green technology into the marketplace, while the Center for Investor Welfare and Corporate Responsibility teaches students to manage socially responsible index funds. For the past two years, the school's student-run Net Impact chapter, dedicated to creating a network of business leaders who use the power of business to create a positive net social, environmental and economic impact, has been recognized as one of the national organization's most active chapters.
"Gallagher Hall will be a source of pride and inspiration, and a center for faculty, staff, students and alums to gather, for generations to come," said MBA student Daniel MacDonald, co-president of Davis Net Impact. "It's particularly fitting that the facility is being built to such high standards of energy efficiency and sustainability, as the UC Davis Graduate School of Management community, on the whole, is strongly committed to issues of environmental and social responsibility."
The University of California Regents in May approved the $34.5 million project, with $31.5 million in campus financing and $3 million to come from gifts.
Up to half of the $10 million pledge from Gallagher and his wife, Marcia, will be used for enhancements, improvements, equipment and ongoing operational expenses that will supplement university financing for the new management school building. The balance of the gift will establish the Gallagher Fund endowment to provide for the highest priorities of the school, including faculty and student support and program expansion.
The gift is the largest from an alumnus to the university. Gallagher, the majority owner, president and CEO of the Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company, earned his undergraduate degree in history from UC Davis in 1971 and later received an MBA from what is now UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business.
Areas of the new management building will be named for other generous donors. They include:
* A large tiered lecture hall to be named in honor of Ali Abbaszadeh, as a gift from his son, Reza Abbaszadeh, CEO of the Sacramento-based Premier Access Insurance Company.
* Several offices, classrooms and other instructional spaces to be named for faculty and advisers of the school, including former dean Robert Smiley and his wife, JoAnn Cannon; Richard and Joy Dorf; Jerome J. Suran; Robert and Helga Medearis; Paul and Eva Griffin; Robert and Sandra Lorber; and Roger Akers and his wife, Carol Waterman.
* A central common hearth to be named for the Biggart family, as a gift from the school's current dean, Nicole, and her husband, James.
* Offices, conference rooms, a student lounge and other spaces to be named for UC Davis alumni, including Michael and Renee Child; Gordon Hunt Jr.; Gary and Beth Brooks; and the Greg Chabrier family.
Media contact(s):
* Tim Akin, Graduate School of Management, (530) 752-7862, tmakin@ucdavis.edu
* Claudia Morain, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9841, cmmorain@ucdavis.edu
December 7, 2007
UC DAVIS BREAKS GROUND ON 'GREEN' MBA BUILDING, REGIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER
[Editor's note: Architect renderings available on request.]
Wielding golden shovels, prominent business leaders joined MBA students, faculty and alumni today to break ground on a $34.5 million Graduate School of Management building and conference center complex at UC Davis. The energy-efficient, environmentally responsible project will help boost the profile of the nationally ranked management school and serve as an important new venue for business and academic conferences when it opens in fall 2009. It will also help anchor the campus' emerging "front door" near Interstate 80.
The UC Davis Graduate School of Management building will be called Maurice J. Gallagher Jr. Hall, in honor of the Las Vegas airline executive who in October pledged $10 million to support the project and establish an endowment for the school. The adjoining conference center will include a restaurant and meeting facilities. The complex will also include a hotel, to be constructed separately.
The structures will be located across from the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, adjacent to the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center, near the School of Law to the north and the soon-to-be-completed Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science to the west, and alongside a planned UC Davis Museum of Art.
"The Graduate School of Management is already recognized as one of the best business schools in the country. With the completion of this world-class facility, we will become even more attractive to top students and faculty," said Nicole Woolsey Biggart, the school's dean. "At the same time, the complex and its neighbors will serve as an important hub for the region's business and public policy interests, opening up tremendously exciting new opportunities to connect our MBA candidates to the entrepreneurs and community leaders who help drive the nation's sixth largest economy."
The new management school building, conference center and hotel will all be visible from I-80. With its easy-in, easy-out access from the freeway, the complex "will be a great regional asset and provide an attractive venue for the business community to get together on the university campus," said Barbara Hayes, executive director of the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization. "The new facility will also solidify the presence and reputation of the already renowned UC Davis Graduate School of Management."
The nationally ranked UC Davis Graduate School of Management provides management education to more than 100 full-time MBA students on the Davis campus, as well as 184 students enrolled in the Sacramento Working Professional MBA Program in downtown Sacramento and 165 in the San Francisco Bay Area Working Professional MBA Program in San Ramon.
"The Graduate School of Management already is ranked among the best MBA programs in the country," Gallagher said in announcing his gift in October. "But to move into the elite tier, you have to have a world-class facility. I think the location, benefits and design of this new building, combined with the leadership of the faculty, will enable the school to jump up to that higher level over the next 10 to
15 years."
Gallagher Hall, at 40,000 square feet and three stories tall, will more than double the management school's current space on the UC Davis campus. The school today occupies about 15,500 square feet in a two-story building on the campus's northeastern edge.
The school's new stone, glass and stucco building will feature technologically advanced classrooms designed for interactive learning; expanded space for extracurricular activities; an upgraded and centralized student affairs and career services center for students to develop skills to advance their careers; and an outdoor garden and courtyard for informal gatherings and special events.
The adjoining 42,000-square-foot, two-story conference building will include a 7,500-square-foot restaurant, 14,000-square-foot conference center and ballroom. The second floor will offer 20,000 square feet of space for various university administrative units.
The Sacramento office of Sundt Cos. Inc. will serve as general contractor. Sasaki Associates Inc. of San Francisco is the architect.
Campus planners expect that both Gallagher Hall and the conference center will meet the Gold standard of Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design, or LEED, certification, which would make them among the "greenest" buildings in the University of California system.
Today, only four buildings in the ten-campus UC system have earned Gold-level or higher LEED certification, reflecting energy and water efficiency, sustainable siting and use of recycled, local and environmentally sustainable construction materials. (Those four include UC Davis' Tahoe Environmental Research Center at Incline Village, Nev., which has earned the highest-possible Platinum rating.)
The third element of the Davis campus's new Graduate School of Management complex, a 75-room hotel, will be built separately in partnership with University Hospitality Group, a private Davis-based hotelier.
Joining the Gallaghers, Biggart and Hayes at today's groundbreaking celebration were UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, Frank Washington, immediate past chair of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Moonshot Communications, and more than 200 other invited university officials, business leaders and management school faculty, students and alumni.
Since it was established in 1981, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management has climbed rapidly in stature and recognition. For the past 12 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has rated it among the top 50 public and private MBA programs in the nation; it ranked 20th among public institutions and 46th overall in the latest survey. The school also places at the top of other rankings: This year the Financial Times rated it No. 1 in the world in the field of organizational behavior, while corporate recruiters surveyed by The Wall Street Journal rated it sixth nationally for preparing graduates for technology, Internet and telecommunications careers.
The school has also established a strong "green" reputation. The Aspen Institute this year rated the school among the top 30 worldwide for integrating issues of social and environmental stewardship into curricula and research. Through the UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship, based at the school, MBA students collaborate with science and engineering students and faculty, along with experienced entrepreneurs, investors and corporate leaders, to envision a better world and make it a reality. The affiliated UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center focuses on the development and transfer of green technology into the marketplace, while the Center for Investor Welfare and Corporate Responsibility teaches students to manage socially responsible index funds. For the past two years, the school's student-run Net Impact chapter, dedicated to creating a network of business leaders who use the power of business to create a positive net social, environmental and economic impact, has been recognized as one of the national organization's most active chapters.
"Gallagher Hall will be a source of pride and inspiration, and a center for faculty, staff, students and alums to gather, for generations to come," said MBA student Daniel MacDonald, co-president of Davis Net Impact. "It's particularly fitting that the facility is being built to such high standards of energy efficiency and sustainability, as the UC Davis Graduate School of Management community, on the whole, is strongly committed to issues of environmental and social responsibility."
The University of California Regents in May approved the $34.5 million project, with $31.5 million in campus financing and $3 million to come from gifts.
Up to half of the $10 million pledge from Gallagher and his wife, Marcia, will be used for enhancements, improvements, equipment and ongoing operational expenses that will supplement university financing for the new management school building. The balance of the gift will establish the Gallagher Fund endowment to provide for the highest priorities of the school, including faculty and student support and program expansion.
The gift is the largest from an alumnus to the university. Gallagher, the majority owner, president and CEO of the Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company, earned his undergraduate degree in history from UC Davis in 1971 and later received an MBA from what is now UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business.
Areas of the new management building will be named for other generous donors. They include:
* A large tiered lecture hall to be named in honor of Ali Abbaszadeh, as a gift from his son, Reza Abbaszadeh, CEO of the Sacramento-based Premier Access Insurance Company.
* Several offices, classrooms and other instructional spaces to be named for faculty and advisers of the school, including former dean Robert Smiley and his wife, JoAnn Cannon; Richard and Joy Dorf; Jerome J. Suran; Robert and Helga Medearis; Paul and Eva Griffin; Robert and Sandra Lorber; and Roger Akers and his wife, Carol Waterman.
* A central common hearth to be named for the Biggart family, as a gift from the school's current dean, Nicole, and her husband, James.
* Offices, conference rooms, a student lounge and other spaces to be named for UC Davis alumni, including Michael and Renee Child; Gordon Hunt Jr.; Gary and Beth Brooks; and the Greg Chabrier family.
Media contact(s):
* Tim Akin, Graduate School of Management, (530) 752-7862, tmakin@ucdavis.edu
* Claudia Morain, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9841, cmmorain@ucdavis.edu
In the mid-1990’s, Genentech began to work with Solano Community College, located in Vacaville, California, to design a biotechnology certificate prog
Testimony by Monica Poindexter
Before the House Science Committee
Subcommittee on Research and Science Education
June 19, 2007
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the Subcommittee for inviting me to testify before you today. My name is Monica Poindexter and I am the Associate Director for Corporate Diversity at Genentech, Inc. One of my responsibilities at Genentech has been to coordinate our efforts with local community colleges to develop programs to train students to work in the biotechnology industry.
Genentech, which is based in South San Francisco, California, is considered the founder of the biotechnology industry. Genentech was founded 31 years ago with the goal of developing a new generation of therapeutics created from genetically engineered copies of naturally occurring molecules important in human health and disease. Within a few short years, Genentech scientists proved it was possible to make medicines by splicing genes into fast-growing bacteria that produced therapeutic proteins.
Today, Genentech continues to use genetic engineering techniques and advanced technologies to develop medicines that address significant unmet needs. Genentech is among the world's leading biotechnology companies, with 14 products on the market for serious or life-threatening medical conditions, over 50 projects in the pipeline and more than 10,000 employees.
The key to our success has been our commitment to hire the most qualified workers available and provide an environment for them to succeed. Our goal is to recruit and retain people who are the best at what they do—people who are motivated to achieve results, have high standards of quality and integrity, possess a flexible, entrepreneurial spirit, are committed to improving human health, and want to develop to their full potential.
A particular focus of our hiring in recent years has been in the area of product manufacturing. When the Food and Drug Administration approves a new drug we face the task of quickly scaling up a technical workforce capable of manufacturing the product to the precise standards of the FDA. Traditionally we have sought to hire these employees from 4-year college institutions, but increasingly we have seen the benefit of working with local community colleges to develop graduates of 2-year programs who have the skills necessary to succeed in our industry.
Our experience with 2-year colleges has proven they can be an important source for highly-motivated, well-trained technical workers. Often these students have some workplace experience before they enroll in a community college. Their motivation for attending school is to develop the skills they need to qualify for the types of jobs we offer. And the community college setting is ideally suited to teach these students how to work in a highly regulated technical environment like the biotechnology industry.
In the mid-1990’s, Genentech began to work with Solano Community College, located in Vacaville, California, to design a biotechnology certificate program to provide technical education to students interested in careers in biotechnology. At the time, we had just committed to build the largest biotech manufacturing facility for the large-scale production of pharmaceutical proteins in the world. We knew we were going to need to hire hundreds of qualified individuals to operate our new facility.
The program began when a professor on sabbatical from Solano Community College spent 6 months working full-time at Genentech to gain an understanding of our manufacturing processes. He then spent part of the next 6 months working with more than 60 Genentech employees to design a bio-manufacturing curriculum to train students to work at Genentech and other biotechnology manufacturing facilities in the area.
At the time, no school in the country was providing bio-manufacturing training so the development of this program was the creation of a new academic discipline. The program teaches students the basics of chemistry and biology through a combination of lectures and laboratory work. In addition to the science of biotechnology, students learn about the regulatory environment in which we work. They learn about the structure and authority of the Food and Drug Administration, this history of key FDA laws, and how those laws led to the development of good manufacturing processes.
One of the best aspects of this program is that students experience what it is really like to work in a bio-manufacturing facility. Working in a laboratory environment, students must wear protective gowns, work in teams, batch records, and perform other tasks just as they would in a real manufacturing setting. They even participate in an exercise in which they keep the lab running around the clock for four straight days by working in shifts. Much of their work is done with equipment donated by Genentech.
By the end of this program, students know whether they have the interest and the skills to seek a career in biotech manufacturing. Roughly 60 of the 250 students who have completed the program at Solano Community College have been hired by Genentech and many others are now employed by other biotech companies in the area.
The success of this program led to the creation of a similar effort at Miri Costa Community College in Oceanside, California, where we have another manufacturing facility. The curriculum has also been replicated at other community colleges across the country.
In 2002 we began a similar effort with a community college near our headquarters in San Mateo County, California. This program was inspired in part by the tragedy of September 11, 2001. The airline industry struggled following 9/11 and many of the United Airlines mechanics at San Francisco Airport were forced to seek new employment. We recognized that the mechanics possessed skills that with some training could be transferable to the biotechnology industry.
We partnered with the Center for Workforce Development at Skyline Community College, the San Mateo County Workforce Investment Board, and the San Mateo County Labor Council to develop curriculum for a bio-manufacturing certificate program.
The program was designed to prepare students who possess transferable skills from other occupations for entry-level positions in the biotech industry. Course instruction includes basic skills in biology, bio-manufacturing, chemistry, and an introduction to biotechnology careers. The course was designed through a joint effort by Skyline College, San Mateo Workforce and Development, and Genentech.
The bio-manufacturing career pathway has 5 key phases leading to employment at wages of $35,000 per year and above:
1. The program begins with an outreach and assessment effort to introduce industry opportunities to the students, gauge the student’s level of interest, screen for basic English and math skills, and determine the candidates ability to succeed in the program.
2. Phase 2 is a three-month bridge program to introduce students to the industry, provide intensive training in English, math and computer skills, and offer needed counseling and support.
3. Next is a three-month college credited course providing needed skills training including an introduction to applied chemistry and biology, applied math, and lab skills.
4. Program graduates then have the opportunity to interview for a 90-day paid try-out employment period at wages of $12-$15 per hour.
5. Finally, participants are assisted in finding full time employment.
In addition to providing training to the students, the program provides
opportunities for continuing education for the faculty. The Faculty Rotation Program allows professors to gain an industry understanding of the core Product Operations functions that are critical to the manufacturing of Genentech products. It also provides them the opportunity to update their skills, curriculum and teaching styles to meet the real-time demands of industry in the classroom.
The faculty program takes place over a six to eight month period and involves five rotation assignments within our Products Operations organization, including fermentation, recovery, lab services, media prep and filling. The rotations provide hands on experience and interaction with team members and management.
Following the success of the program at Skyline Community College, we worked with another local school, Ohlone Community College in Fremont, California, to design a similar program. That program has been in operation since 2004.
Since creation of the bio-manufacturing certificate program at Skyline College, and the addition of the program at Ohlone College, 350 students have successfully completed the program and received a certificate. More than 90 percent of the students applied for internships at Genentech and 121 were hired as interns. In addition, 6 graduates were directly hired as full-time employees at Genentech and 46 of the interns have been converted to full-time employees.
Through the programs in which we are involved, we are able to help shape the curriculum to ensure that graduates have the skills we value in an employee. These programs not only set students on a successful career path but they allow companies like ours to increase the base of qualified workers from which we can hire.
The education of these students does not end when they are hired at Genentech. As with all employees of our company, we provide opportunities for these workers to grow their skills and develop their careers. Each year during our annual manufacturing shut-down we encourage our workers to take courses to refresh their technical skills and build their professional development. We also offer cross-training opportunities, where manufacturing employees do rotations in different jobs to become more well-rounded and gain greater understanding of entire manufacturing process.
Biotechnology is a high-growth, high-wage industry that provides opportunity for people to build good, long-lasting careers. It is a dynamic industry that is constantly in need of workers trained in specific technical skills. Our experience has shown that community colleges can be an important pipeline for the development of those workers.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. I look forward to answering any questions you may have.
Before the House Science Committee
Subcommittee on Research and Science Education
June 19, 2007
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the Subcommittee for inviting me to testify before you today. My name is Monica Poindexter and I am the Associate Director for Corporate Diversity at Genentech, Inc. One of my responsibilities at Genentech has been to coordinate our efforts with local community colleges to develop programs to train students to work in the biotechnology industry.
Genentech, which is based in South San Francisco, California, is considered the founder of the biotechnology industry. Genentech was founded 31 years ago with the goal of developing a new generation of therapeutics created from genetically engineered copies of naturally occurring molecules important in human health and disease. Within a few short years, Genentech scientists proved it was possible to make medicines by splicing genes into fast-growing bacteria that produced therapeutic proteins.
Today, Genentech continues to use genetic engineering techniques and advanced technologies to develop medicines that address significant unmet needs. Genentech is among the world's leading biotechnology companies, with 14 products on the market for serious or life-threatening medical conditions, over 50 projects in the pipeline and more than 10,000 employees.
The key to our success has been our commitment to hire the most qualified workers available and provide an environment for them to succeed. Our goal is to recruit and retain people who are the best at what they do—people who are motivated to achieve results, have high standards of quality and integrity, possess a flexible, entrepreneurial spirit, are committed to improving human health, and want to develop to their full potential.
A particular focus of our hiring in recent years has been in the area of product manufacturing. When the Food and Drug Administration approves a new drug we face the task of quickly scaling up a technical workforce capable of manufacturing the product to the precise standards of the FDA. Traditionally we have sought to hire these employees from 4-year college institutions, but increasingly we have seen the benefit of working with local community colleges to develop graduates of 2-year programs who have the skills necessary to succeed in our industry.
Our experience with 2-year colleges has proven they can be an important source for highly-motivated, well-trained technical workers. Often these students have some workplace experience before they enroll in a community college. Their motivation for attending school is to develop the skills they need to qualify for the types of jobs we offer. And the community college setting is ideally suited to teach these students how to work in a highly regulated technical environment like the biotechnology industry.
In the mid-1990’s, Genentech began to work with Solano Community College, located in Vacaville, California, to design a biotechnology certificate program to provide technical education to students interested in careers in biotechnology. At the time, we had just committed to build the largest biotech manufacturing facility for the large-scale production of pharmaceutical proteins in the world. We knew we were going to need to hire hundreds of qualified individuals to operate our new facility.
The program began when a professor on sabbatical from Solano Community College spent 6 months working full-time at Genentech to gain an understanding of our manufacturing processes. He then spent part of the next 6 months working with more than 60 Genentech employees to design a bio-manufacturing curriculum to train students to work at Genentech and other biotechnology manufacturing facilities in the area.
At the time, no school in the country was providing bio-manufacturing training so the development of this program was the creation of a new academic discipline. The program teaches students the basics of chemistry and biology through a combination of lectures and laboratory work. In addition to the science of biotechnology, students learn about the regulatory environment in which we work. They learn about the structure and authority of the Food and Drug Administration, this history of key FDA laws, and how those laws led to the development of good manufacturing processes.
One of the best aspects of this program is that students experience what it is really like to work in a bio-manufacturing facility. Working in a laboratory environment, students must wear protective gowns, work in teams, batch records, and perform other tasks just as they would in a real manufacturing setting. They even participate in an exercise in which they keep the lab running around the clock for four straight days by working in shifts. Much of their work is done with equipment donated by Genentech.
By the end of this program, students know whether they have the interest and the skills to seek a career in biotech manufacturing. Roughly 60 of the 250 students who have completed the program at Solano Community College have been hired by Genentech and many others are now employed by other biotech companies in the area.
The success of this program led to the creation of a similar effort at Miri Costa Community College in Oceanside, California, where we have another manufacturing facility. The curriculum has also been replicated at other community colleges across the country.
In 2002 we began a similar effort with a community college near our headquarters in San Mateo County, California. This program was inspired in part by the tragedy of September 11, 2001. The airline industry struggled following 9/11 and many of the United Airlines mechanics at San Francisco Airport were forced to seek new employment. We recognized that the mechanics possessed skills that with some training could be transferable to the biotechnology industry.
We partnered with the Center for Workforce Development at Skyline Community College, the San Mateo County Workforce Investment Board, and the San Mateo County Labor Council to develop curriculum for a bio-manufacturing certificate program.
The program was designed to prepare students who possess transferable skills from other occupations for entry-level positions in the biotech industry. Course instruction includes basic skills in biology, bio-manufacturing, chemistry, and an introduction to biotechnology careers. The course was designed through a joint effort by Skyline College, San Mateo Workforce and Development, and Genentech.
The bio-manufacturing career pathway has 5 key phases leading to employment at wages of $35,000 per year and above:
1. The program begins with an outreach and assessment effort to introduce industry opportunities to the students, gauge the student’s level of interest, screen for basic English and math skills, and determine the candidates ability to succeed in the program.
2. Phase 2 is a three-month bridge program to introduce students to the industry, provide intensive training in English, math and computer skills, and offer needed counseling and support.
3. Next is a three-month college credited course providing needed skills training including an introduction to applied chemistry and biology, applied math, and lab skills.
4. Program graduates then have the opportunity to interview for a 90-day paid try-out employment period at wages of $12-$15 per hour.
5. Finally, participants are assisted in finding full time employment.
In addition to providing training to the students, the program provides
opportunities for continuing education for the faculty. The Faculty Rotation Program allows professors to gain an industry understanding of the core Product Operations functions that are critical to the manufacturing of Genentech products. It also provides them the opportunity to update their skills, curriculum and teaching styles to meet the real-time demands of industry in the classroom.
The faculty program takes place over a six to eight month period and involves five rotation assignments within our Products Operations organization, including fermentation, recovery, lab services, media prep and filling. The rotations provide hands on experience and interaction with team members and management.
Following the success of the program at Skyline Community College, we worked with another local school, Ohlone Community College in Fremont, California, to design a similar program. That program has been in operation since 2004.
Since creation of the bio-manufacturing certificate program at Skyline College, and the addition of the program at Ohlone College, 350 students have successfully completed the program and received a certificate. More than 90 percent of the students applied for internships at Genentech and 121 were hired as interns. In addition, 6 graduates were directly hired as full-time employees at Genentech and 46 of the interns have been converted to full-time employees.
Through the programs in which we are involved, we are able to help shape the curriculum to ensure that graduates have the skills we value in an employee. These programs not only set students on a successful career path but they allow companies like ours to increase the base of qualified workers from which we can hire.
The education of these students does not end when they are hired at Genentech. As with all employees of our company, we provide opportunities for these workers to grow their skills and develop their careers. Each year during our annual manufacturing shut-down we encourage our workers to take courses to refresh their technical skills and build their professional development. We also offer cross-training opportunities, where manufacturing employees do rotations in different jobs to become more well-rounded and gain greater understanding of entire manufacturing process.
Biotechnology is a high-growth, high-wage industry that provides opportunity for people to build good, long-lasting careers. It is a dynamic industry that is constantly in need of workers trained in specific technical skills. Our experience has shown that community colleges can be an important pipeline for the development of those workers.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. I look forward to answering any questions you may have.
I WANT YOU FOR BIOTECH
The San Francisco Chronicle, March 14th, 2005
I WANT YOU FOR BIOTECH
Industry is in need of mid-level workers
To help with training, firms shower teachers with funding, supplies
By Bernadette Tansey, Chronicle Staff Writer
Ellyn Daugherty had a plum assignment teaching gifted high school science students. But in 1994 she gave that up to create a pioneering biotechnology program aimed at drawing "the middle 50 percent'' of kids into the high-tech field.
Daugherty belongs to a growing Bay Area network that is trying to lure thousands of ordinary people -- including children -- into a life they might never have dreamed of trying.
She's part of a benign conspiracy of educators, government officials and company executives who are getting the word out: Biotech wants you, whether you knew it or not.
The industry that began as the far-out brainchild of small cliques of brilliant Ph.D.s in the 1970s is now a mainstream business, with plenty of room for people who developed an interest in science late, or even reluctantly.
"Not only does the industry need those middle 50 percent, but those kids need something to get excited about," said Daugherty, now on leave from her job at San Mateo High School to write a textbook.
Biotech companies back her claim -- they're showering teachers at Bay Area schools and community colleges with used equipment, supplies, funding and technical aid to help train the mid-level workforce they need as they grow.
As an increasing number of experimental biotech drugs turn into marketed products, biotech firms must attract trained manufacturing operators, quality control specialists, record keepers, supervisors and other workers.
"As the industry matures, we're seeing more and more opportunities," said Frank Stephenson, who coordinates with school programs for Applied Biosystems of Foster City.
to read the rest of the article check out the San Francisco Chronicle
E-mail Bernadette Tansey at btansey@sfchronicle.com.
I WANT YOU FOR BIOTECH
Industry is in need of mid-level workers
To help with training, firms shower teachers with funding, supplies
By Bernadette Tansey, Chronicle Staff Writer
Ellyn Daugherty had a plum assignment teaching gifted high school science students. But in 1994 she gave that up to create a pioneering biotechnology program aimed at drawing "the middle 50 percent'' of kids into the high-tech field.
Daugherty belongs to a growing Bay Area network that is trying to lure thousands of ordinary people -- including children -- into a life they might never have dreamed of trying.
She's part of a benign conspiracy of educators, government officials and company executives who are getting the word out: Biotech wants you, whether you knew it or not.
The industry that began as the far-out brainchild of small cliques of brilliant Ph.D.s in the 1970s is now a mainstream business, with plenty of room for people who developed an interest in science late, or even reluctantly.
"Not only does the industry need those middle 50 percent, but those kids need something to get excited about," said Daugherty, now on leave from her job at San Mateo High School to write a textbook.
Biotech companies back her claim -- they're showering teachers at Bay Area schools and community colleges with used equipment, supplies, funding and technical aid to help train the mid-level workforce they need as they grow.
As an increasing number of experimental biotech drugs turn into marketed products, biotech firms must attract trained manufacturing operators, quality control specialists, record keepers, supervisors and other workers.
"As the industry matures, we're seeing more and more opportunities," said Frank Stephenson, who coordinates with school programs for Applied Biosystems of Foster City.
to read the rest of the article check out the San Francisco Chronicle
E-mail Bernadette Tansey at btansey@sfchronicle.com.
Solano College Doubles Enrollment for Biotech Manufacturing Technician Certificate Program
Solano College Doubles Enrollment for Biotech Manufacturing Technician Certificate Program
July 27, 2005
Solano College is doubling its enrollment opportunities for its Biotech Manufacturing Technician Certificate due to demand for the program. This certificate consists of four biotechnology courses, a basic chemistry course, and pre-requisite courses and can often be completed in two semesters. When completed, the student will have been introduced to the practices and techniques associated with the industry.
“Genentech, Chiron and Alza are in need of well-trained employees. We worked with them to develop the courses for this certificate and have increased our enrollment to help meet their needs. Students in our biotech programs are hot commodities and easily find jobs,” stated Dave Redfield, PhD, Dean of Math/Science.
The first course, Principles of Biotechnology, is open to anyone. It will be taught on the Fairfield campus 11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays starting August 22nd or in Vacaville on Thursday evenings from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. starting August 25th. Registration is online, by telephone (707-864-1006), or in person. For more information, contact David Redfield, PhD, at 707-864-7110.
July 27, 2005
Solano College is doubling its enrollment opportunities for its Biotech Manufacturing Technician Certificate due to demand for the program. This certificate consists of four biotechnology courses, a basic chemistry course, and pre-requisite courses and can often be completed in two semesters. When completed, the student will have been introduced to the practices and techniques associated with the industry.
“Genentech, Chiron and Alza are in need of well-trained employees. We worked with them to develop the courses for this certificate and have increased our enrollment to help meet their needs. Students in our biotech programs are hot commodities and easily find jobs,” stated Dave Redfield, PhD, Dean of Math/Science.
The first course, Principles of Biotechnology, is open to anyone. It will be taught on the Fairfield campus 11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays starting August 22nd or in Vacaville on Thursday evenings from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. starting August 25th. Registration is online, by telephone (707-864-1006), or in person. For more information, contact David Redfield, PhD, at 707-864-7110.
Solano Community College's Amazing biotech lab & students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amazing biotech lab, student
By Doug Ford
Article Launched: 11/24/2007 07:29:26 AM PST
Last week, I visited the Solano Community College Biotechnology Laboratory, as did other members of BioTech System, "a consortium of Solano, Yolo and Sacramento counties for training, education and mentoring." We went to the class where students learn the same process Genentech uses to produce medicines to treat cancer and other diseases. The students start a "batch" one day and staff the lab in 12-hour shifts until the process is completed, about three days later. They use miniature versions of the huge processing equipment that is the core of the Genentech facility in Vacaville.
The lab exercise is the final part of the course in which students demonstrate that they have learned enough to perform the highly exacting work required at Genentech and other pharmaceutical firms. This was the fourth time that I had visited the lab in 25 years. Each time, the facility has been substantially improved since my previous visit.
In the early years after Jim DeKloe started SCC's biotechnology program, it was not often that recent high school graduates enrolled in it. In fact, in the early days, many of the students had already earned bachelor's degrees, and some even had master's and doctoral degrees in fields that had not prepared them for good jobs. They had returned to the community college to learn a skill that would prepare them for a job with an adequate salary.
Through the great efforts of quite a number of people at SCC, other community colleges, many high schools, the Solano County Office of Education, the University of California, Davis, and several businesses that participate in BioTech System, that picture is changing. Now four Solano County high schools have programs that allow students to earn up to a year of college credit toward an associate's degree or a certificate in biotechnology manufacturing before they graduate.
I was greatly impressed by one young student I met in the lab. Harjot Sandhu's parents came to the Bay Area from Punjab, India. He was born in Fremont and grew up in Vallejo. After working in a post office for more than 10 years, his mother decided to attend Napa Valley College in the evenings to become a nurse. Because she suffers from multiple sclerosis and has difficulty writing, Harjot went with her to biology class to take notes while he was a sophomore at Hogan High School. When it came time for the first exam, the instructor suggested that he take it, too. After he passed it with a very good grade, the instructor helped him enroll in the course. He was on his way as a college student.
Harjot had been frustrated in high school because he was not allowed to enroll in advanced placement courses because of his age. Then someone told him that he could qualify as a high school graduate if he could pass the GED test. He checked it out, passed the test and then enrolled at Solano Community College at age 16. He has been there 31 2 years; completing everything he missed in high school plus a full college load. He also has earned the Biotech Certificate.
Because of his high performance at SCC, he was able to get an internship at the University of California, Berkeley, last summer. After he returned to SCC this fall, he was elected president of the Associated Students of Solano College. Having completed most of his requirements for graduation, he has taken several individual study courses in areas he is interested in.
Harjot didn't know about the SCC biotech program until after he had been on campus for a year and a half. When he did find out about it, he signed up because he wanted to be able to help people such as his mother, who had been misdiagnosed for several years before finding out that she had MS. He has applied to UC Berkeley, where he plans to study medicine in hopes of becoming a public health officer. He likes the biotech program so much that he very actively recruits others to get into it.
The author is retired from the U.S. Air Force, lives in Dixon and serves on the Solano County Board of Education.
Amazing biotech lab, student
By Doug Ford
Article Launched: 11/24/2007 07:29:26 AM PST
Last week, I visited the Solano Community College Biotechnology Laboratory, as did other members of BioTech System, "a consortium of Solano, Yolo and Sacramento counties for training, education and mentoring." We went to the class where students learn the same process Genentech uses to produce medicines to treat cancer and other diseases. The students start a "batch" one day and staff the lab in 12-hour shifts until the process is completed, about three days later. They use miniature versions of the huge processing equipment that is the core of the Genentech facility in Vacaville.
The lab exercise is the final part of the course in which students demonstrate that they have learned enough to perform the highly exacting work required at Genentech and other pharmaceutical firms. This was the fourth time that I had visited the lab in 25 years. Each time, the facility has been substantially improved since my previous visit.
In the early years after Jim DeKloe started SCC's biotechnology program, it was not often that recent high school graduates enrolled in it. In fact, in the early days, many of the students had already earned bachelor's degrees, and some even had master's and doctoral degrees in fields that had not prepared them for good jobs. They had returned to the community college to learn a skill that would prepare them for a job with an adequate salary.
Through the great efforts of quite a number of people at SCC, other community colleges, many high schools, the Solano County Office of Education, the University of California, Davis, and several businesses that participate in BioTech System, that picture is changing. Now four Solano County high schools have programs that allow students to earn up to a year of college credit toward an associate's degree or a certificate in biotechnology manufacturing before they graduate.
I was greatly impressed by one young student I met in the lab. Harjot Sandhu's parents came to the Bay Area from Punjab, India. He was born in Fremont and grew up in Vallejo. After working in a post office for more than 10 years, his mother decided to attend Napa Valley College in the evenings to become a nurse. Because she suffers from multiple sclerosis and has difficulty writing, Harjot went with her to biology class to take notes while he was a sophomore at Hogan High School. When it came time for the first exam, the instructor suggested that he take it, too. After he passed it with a very good grade, the instructor helped him enroll in the course. He was on his way as a college student.
Harjot had been frustrated in high school because he was not allowed to enroll in advanced placement courses because of his age. Then someone told him that he could qualify as a high school graduate if he could pass the GED test. He checked it out, passed the test and then enrolled at Solano Community College at age 16. He has been there 31 2 years; completing everything he missed in high school plus a full college load. He also has earned the Biotech Certificate.
Because of his high performance at SCC, he was able to get an internship at the University of California, Berkeley, last summer. After he returned to SCC this fall, he was elected president of the Associated Students of Solano College. Having completed most of his requirements for graduation, he has taken several individual study courses in areas he is interested in.
Harjot didn't know about the SCC biotech program until after he had been on campus for a year and a half. When he did find out about it, he signed up because he wanted to be able to help people such as his mother, who had been misdiagnosed for several years before finding out that she had MS. He has applied to UC Berkeley, where he plans to study medicine in hopes of becoming a public health officer. He likes the biotech program so much that he very actively recruits others to get into it.
The author is retired from the U.S. Air Force, lives in Dixon and serves on the Solano County Board of Education.
Vacaville Considers Deal For Power Plant
Vacaville Considers Deal For Power Plant
By Ian Thompson | DAILY REPUBLIC | December 06, 2007 14:14
VACAVILLE - Vacaville may get a power plant in four years that is designed to provide electricity during periods of high demand.
The city is considering giving Maryland-based Competitive Power Ventures a three-year option to lease 25 acres next to the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant, Vacaville Public Works Director Dale Pfeiffer said.
Competitive Power Ventures wants to build a natural gas-powered electrical plant similar to but larger than four power plants that are located in Fairfield and Suisun City. These plants are called peaker plants because they operate only during periods of high electrical demand.
The Vacaville City Council is expected to vote on whether to give Competitive Power Ventures that option at its meeting Tuesday night.
Competitive Power Ventures needs the option in order to be ready with a proposal when PG&E issues a request for proposals early in 2008 to a build a plant in this area.
If the plant is built, Vacaville could get as much as $1.7 million in revenue in lease payments, property taxes and selling treated wastewater to the plant that will be used to cool its generators, Vacaville finance head Ken Campo said.
The income will offset the costs of running the Easterly wastewater treatment plant.
'It will help the city government, and it will help the ratepayer,' Pfeiffer said.
If Competitive Power Venture gets the nod from PG&E and approvals from state agencies, construction could begin in 2010 with the plant coming on line in 2012.
Vacaville will be the third community in Solano County to build peaker power plants if this happens.
Fairfield has one natural gas-powered, 48-megawatt power plant on Cordelia Road, not far from the Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District's water treatment plant. Suisun City has the Lambie, Creed and Goose Haven power plants, all capable of generating as much as 47 megawatts.
All these plants were built in 2003 by Calpine Corp. under contract with the state to prevent rolling blackouts that occurred in 2000 and 2001.
In August, DG Power International of Walnut Creek approached the Fairfield City Council to build a larger gas-powered plant capable of generating between 200 and 500 megawatts. DG Power is presently working with Fairfield city staff and applying to PG&E for approvals.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.
By Ian Thompson | DAILY REPUBLIC | December 06, 2007 14:14
VACAVILLE - Vacaville may get a power plant in four years that is designed to provide electricity during periods of high demand.
The city is considering giving Maryland-based Competitive Power Ventures a three-year option to lease 25 acres next to the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant, Vacaville Public Works Director Dale Pfeiffer said.
Competitive Power Ventures wants to build a natural gas-powered electrical plant similar to but larger than four power plants that are located in Fairfield and Suisun City. These plants are called peaker plants because they operate only during periods of high electrical demand.
The Vacaville City Council is expected to vote on whether to give Competitive Power Ventures that option at its meeting Tuesday night.
Competitive Power Ventures needs the option in order to be ready with a proposal when PG&E issues a request for proposals early in 2008 to a build a plant in this area.
If the plant is built, Vacaville could get as much as $1.7 million in revenue in lease payments, property taxes and selling treated wastewater to the plant that will be used to cool its generators, Vacaville finance head Ken Campo said.
The income will offset the costs of running the Easterly wastewater treatment plant.
'It will help the city government, and it will help the ratepayer,' Pfeiffer said.
If Competitive Power Venture gets the nod from PG&E and approvals from state agencies, construction could begin in 2010 with the plant coming on line in 2012.
Vacaville will be the third community in Solano County to build peaker power plants if this happens.
Fairfield has one natural gas-powered, 48-megawatt power plant on Cordelia Road, not far from the Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District's water treatment plant. Suisun City has the Lambie, Creed and Goose Haven power plants, all capable of generating as much as 47 megawatts.
All these plants were built in 2003 by Calpine Corp. under contract with the state to prevent rolling blackouts that occurred in 2000 and 2001.
In August, DG Power International of Walnut Creek approached the Fairfield City Council to build a larger gas-powered plant capable of generating between 200 and 500 megawatts. DG Power is presently working with Fairfield city staff and applying to PG&E for approvals.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Businesses Honored for Showing Spirit of Solano
Businesses Honored for Showing Spirit of Solano
By Ines Bebea | Daily Republic | December 06, 2007 11:36
FAIRFIELD - The annual Spirit of Solano Awards luncheon was buzzing with the selfless community contributions made by each of the honorees.
More than 400 guests, including representatives from all levels of government in Solano County along with business advocates and business owners in the seven cities, filled the Delta Breeze Club at Travis Air Force Base. The 12th annual awards celebration was sponsored by Westamerica Bank and hosted by David Payne, chairman, president and CEO of Westamerica Bancorp.
The Daily Republic newspaper, a McNaughton family-owned daily publication since 1960, was chosen to receive the award by the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce. The nine honorees were selected by their respective chambers of commerce as businesses that best exemplified the Spirit of Solano through community involvement.
The Daily Republic was recognized for a long list of community participation such as its support of the Solano Community Symphony, the NorthBay Hospice, the Artys awards and the Heather House shelter, and its sponsorship of the Solano Library's Foundation Authors Luncheon.
'Our community involvement is part of what private, independently owned newspapers do,' said Bill James, publisher of the Daily Republic. 'We don't answer to stockholders or a corporate board. Our responsibility is to the people that own the local businesses and to the people that run them. We have a stake in what happens here.'
This is the second time the Daily Republic has received the Spirit of Solano Award. It is the first time in the history of the awards that a past honoree was honored again.
'The culture of community involvement is something that comes from the top of our leadership lead by our CEO, Foy McNaughton, and it is passed down to our employees,' James said. 'We encourage our employees to improve the overall quality of life and health of the community.'
Earlier in the year, the Daily Republic received the Business of the Year award from the Fairfield Suisun-Chamber of Commerce during the chamber's annual luncheon. Local business advocates praised the Daily Republic for its continued involvement in the community, news coverage and its long-term investment.
Michael Ammann, president and CEO of the Solano Economic Development Corp., remarked on the newspaper's history and its contributions.
'We recognize their contributions because it comes from the heart, ' Ammann said. 'Besides their everyday responsibilities as a business, they take time out to truly be involved in the community, and that's something to commend all of the honorees for.'
Payne summed up the honorees as businesses that quietly perform work that benefits the entire community.
'What all these businesses represent is the best of the community and that they do it while they run their business,' Payne said. 'The Daily Republic has been a paper of great tradition, an active member of the Fairfield community and a quality publication in our county.'
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
2007 Spirit of Solano honorees:
Benicia Chamber of Commerce: John and Maria Teresa Matthews, owners of Baskin-Robbins
Dixon Chamber of Commerce: Bill Birdsong of the Embroidery Shop of Dixon, Inc.
Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce: the Daily Republic
Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce: Jeff Holder of Old Republic Title
Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce: Jim McPherson and Ira Witcraft of McPherson Crane & Rigging
Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce: Lennis, P. Francis of LPL Financial Services
Solano Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Carlos Trevino of MLS Mortgage Co.
Vacaville Chamber of Commerce: Kevin English, Ron Waslohn, Steve Spencer and Scott Sheldon, founders of Premier Commercial Real Estate
Vallejo Chamber of Commerce, Verna Mustico of Mustico Realty
By Ines Bebea | Daily Republic | December 06, 2007 11:36
FAIRFIELD - The annual Spirit of Solano Awards luncheon was buzzing with the selfless community contributions made by each of the honorees.
More than 400 guests, including representatives from all levels of government in Solano County along with business advocates and business owners in the seven cities, filled the Delta Breeze Club at Travis Air Force Base. The 12th annual awards celebration was sponsored by Westamerica Bank and hosted by David Payne, chairman, president and CEO of Westamerica Bancorp.
The Daily Republic newspaper, a McNaughton family-owned daily publication since 1960, was chosen to receive the award by the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce. The nine honorees were selected by their respective chambers of commerce as businesses that best exemplified the Spirit of Solano through community involvement.
The Daily Republic was recognized for a long list of community participation such as its support of the Solano Community Symphony, the NorthBay Hospice, the Artys awards and the Heather House shelter, and its sponsorship of the Solano Library's Foundation Authors Luncheon.
'Our community involvement is part of what private, independently owned newspapers do,' said Bill James, publisher of the Daily Republic. 'We don't answer to stockholders or a corporate board. Our responsibility is to the people that own the local businesses and to the people that run them. We have a stake in what happens here.'
This is the second time the Daily Republic has received the Spirit of Solano Award. It is the first time in the history of the awards that a past honoree was honored again.
'The culture of community involvement is something that comes from the top of our leadership lead by our CEO, Foy McNaughton, and it is passed down to our employees,' James said. 'We encourage our employees to improve the overall quality of life and health of the community.'
Earlier in the year, the Daily Republic received the Business of the Year award from the Fairfield Suisun-Chamber of Commerce during the chamber's annual luncheon. Local business advocates praised the Daily Republic for its continued involvement in the community, news coverage and its long-term investment.
Michael Ammann, president and CEO of the Solano Economic Development Corp., remarked on the newspaper's history and its contributions.
'We recognize their contributions because it comes from the heart, ' Ammann said. 'Besides their everyday responsibilities as a business, they take time out to truly be involved in the community, and that's something to commend all of the honorees for.'
Payne summed up the honorees as businesses that quietly perform work that benefits the entire community.
'What all these businesses represent is the best of the community and that they do it while they run their business,' Payne said. 'The Daily Republic has been a paper of great tradition, an active member of the Fairfield community and a quality publication in our county.'
Reach Ines Bebea at 427-6934 or ibebea@dailyrepublic.net.
2007 Spirit of Solano honorees:
Benicia Chamber of Commerce: John and Maria Teresa Matthews, owners of Baskin-Robbins
Dixon Chamber of Commerce: Bill Birdsong of the Embroidery Shop of Dixon, Inc.
Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce: the Daily Republic
Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce: Jeff Holder of Old Republic Title
Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce: Jim McPherson and Ira Witcraft of McPherson Crane & Rigging
Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce: Lennis, P. Francis of LPL Financial Services
Solano Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Carlos Trevino of MLS Mortgage Co.
Vacaville Chamber of Commerce: Kevin English, Ron Waslohn, Steve Spencer and Scott Sheldon, founders of Premier Commercial Real Estate
Vallejo Chamber of Commerce, Verna Mustico of Mustico Realty
Solar System Pays Off for ALZA Plant in Vacaville
Solar system pays off for ALZA plant in Vacaville
By Barry Eberling | DAILY REPUBLIC | December 05, 2007 16:39
People walk through a 6.5 acre, 1 megawatt solar panel field built by ALZA Corporation in Vacaville Wednesday afternoon. Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Pacific Power Management presented ALZA with a $2,999,313 rebate incentive Wednesday. Photo by Brad ZweerinkVACAVILLE
Sunlight means electricity for the ALZA Corp., enough to meet one third of the peak summer needs at its Vacaville plant, an equivalent to the power demands from 200 homes.
The pharmaceutical company's new solar array has rows and rows of black photovoltaic panels spread across 6.5 acres, some 5,740 panels in all. This is one of the largest privately owned commercial arrays in California.
'It's very impressive to look out and see a one-megawatt solar field,' said Dan Pellissier, who represented the Schwarzenegger administration on Wednesday at a celebration for ALZA's achievement.
The celebration took place inside a fancy tent near the solar array. Chandeliers hanging from the ceiling provided light. Flower arrangements abounded. A buffet included such items as anticucho de filete and wild mushroom phyllo pursettes.
PG&E officials came to the site to present the company with a $2.9 million rebate for the $9 million project. ALZA expects to save $300,000 annually in energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.4 million pounds annually.
'We realize these initiatives are not only good for the environment and the community as a whole, but also make good business sense,' said Henry Esparza of the ALZA Corp.
Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine said the city is not really known as an environmental area. But, he said, the city not only has the ALZA solar array, but such things as the solar-powered homes at the Ventana subdivision, park-and-ride lots and a city program promoting compressed natural gas cars for residents.
'We're very proud of our environmental record,' Augustine said.
Novato-based SPG Solar Inc. built the solar array project.
ALZA has other alternative energy ventures. Its Mountain View plant is largely powered by methane gas from a closed city dump. The company has its headquarters in Mountain View and is owned by Johnson & Johnson.
This is just the latest solar energy effort in Solano County. In March, PG&E gave the Meyer Corp. in Fairfield a $1.4 million rebate for the cookware company's $4 million rooftop solar panel system.
PG&E has given $12.5 million self-generation rebates to Solano County ventures since 2002 and plans to award another $12.5 million for future ventures, said Clay Schmidt of PG&E.
Local governments are also trying solar energy. Examples include the Solano County health and social services buildings in Fairfield, the Solano County Government Center in Fairfield and the city hall, police station and city-owned pump station in Vallejo.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646, Ext. 232, or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
By Barry Eberling | DAILY REPUBLIC | December 05, 2007 16:39
People walk through a 6.5 acre, 1 megawatt solar panel field built by ALZA Corporation in Vacaville Wednesday afternoon. Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Pacific Power Management presented ALZA with a $2,999,313 rebate incentive Wednesday. Photo by Brad ZweerinkVACAVILLE
Sunlight means electricity for the ALZA Corp., enough to meet one third of the peak summer needs at its Vacaville plant, an equivalent to the power demands from 200 homes.
The pharmaceutical company's new solar array has rows and rows of black photovoltaic panels spread across 6.5 acres, some 5,740 panels in all. This is one of the largest privately owned commercial arrays in California.
'It's very impressive to look out and see a one-megawatt solar field,' said Dan Pellissier, who represented the Schwarzenegger administration on Wednesday at a celebration for ALZA's achievement.
The celebration took place inside a fancy tent near the solar array. Chandeliers hanging from the ceiling provided light. Flower arrangements abounded. A buffet included such items as anticucho de filete and wild mushroom phyllo pursettes.
PG&E officials came to the site to present the company with a $2.9 million rebate for the $9 million project. ALZA expects to save $300,000 annually in energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.4 million pounds annually.
'We realize these initiatives are not only good for the environment and the community as a whole, but also make good business sense,' said Henry Esparza of the ALZA Corp.
Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine said the city is not really known as an environmental area. But, he said, the city not only has the ALZA solar array, but such things as the solar-powered homes at the Ventana subdivision, park-and-ride lots and a city program promoting compressed natural gas cars for residents.
'We're very proud of our environmental record,' Augustine said.
Novato-based SPG Solar Inc. built the solar array project.
ALZA has other alternative energy ventures. Its Mountain View plant is largely powered by methane gas from a closed city dump. The company has its headquarters in Mountain View and is owned by Johnson & Johnson.
This is just the latest solar energy effort in Solano County. In March, PG&E gave the Meyer Corp. in Fairfield a $1.4 million rebate for the cookware company's $4 million rooftop solar panel system.
PG&E has given $12.5 million self-generation rebates to Solano County ventures since 2002 and plans to award another $12.5 million for future ventures, said Clay Schmidt of PG&E.
Local governments are also trying solar energy. Examples include the Solano County health and social services buildings in Fairfield, the Solano County Government Center in Fairfield and the city hall, police station and city-owned pump station in Vallejo.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646, Ext. 232, or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
$4.25 MILLION GIFT FOR MACHINE TOOL RESEARCH @ UC Davis
University of California, Davis
December 5, 2007
$4.25 MILLION GIFT FOR MACHINE TOOL RESEARCH
The Mori Seiki Company, one of the world's largest manufacturers of machine tools, will donate $4.25 million during the next five years to support UC Davis Professor Kazuo Yamazaki's research in the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering.
The gift will support Yamazaki's work on machine tools controlled by computers. But while Yamazaki's laboratory is developing sophisticated, applied technology, his real goal is to develop human resources, he said.
"The aim of our lab is to develop top-notch engineers, not just academics, and we must work closely with industry to do that,"
Yamazaki said. Industry needs students who have experience in all areas of machine tool technology, from mechanics to software design, and who understand how these machines are used in practice, he said.
The College of Engineering "is grateful for this remarkable gift,"
said Enrique Lavernia, dean of the college. "This generous support underscores not only the excellence of the research being done in our college, but also its relevance to real-world problems. Mori Seiki and the college share a commitment to improving society through engineering research."
Adam Hansel, president of DTL Corp. of West Sacramento, Calif., a subsidiary of Mori Seiki, agreed. "As a responsible global corporation, Mori Seiki realizes that it is our duty to diligently improve not only ourselves, but the world around us by continuously supporting manufacturing activities in society," Hansel said. "This is the fundamental reason Mori Seiki chooses to sponsor forward-looking programs such as Dr. Yamazaki's research at UC Davis."
Based in Nara, Japan, Mori Seiki opened DTL Corp. in West Sacramento in 2000, and recently broke ground on a new facility for DTL in Davis. The company employs a number of UC Davis alumni, including Hansel, who graduated from UC Davis in 2000 with a master's degree in mechanical engineering.
The company began supporting Yamazaki's work in the mid-1990s and in
2002 became the principal sponsor of his laboratory with a donation of $3 million over five years. At the time, it was the largest cash gift received by the College of Engineering. The new, unconditional gift will support Yamazaki's work for another five years.
The funds will cover research expenses and support graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the laboratory. The ties to the company also benefit the students, through visits, exchanges and collaborations, providing an industrial environment that complements basic research.
"The students get a more direct understanding and are more motivated, and they see that the skills they are learning are in demand,"
Yamazaki said.
Supporting such fundamental research enables the company to secure a supply of enthusiastic and well-trained engineers, benefiting not just Mori Seiki but manufacturing industry as a whole, Hansel said.
The money will support a new phase of Yamazaki's research, called ASCENTi-CNC (computer numerical control). "ASCENTi" refers to the idea of continuous improvement, or ascent, in machine speed, Yamazaki said.
Just as movies and TV shows are a mix of real and computer-generated images, modern machine tools today combine real and virtual objects, Yamazaki said. The computer controlling the machine contains a "model" of the object that it is cutting out. Numerous pieces of software work together to manipulate the model and control the machine. But as these intelligent systems grow, the speed at which the computer runs the software can become limiting.
Yamazaki's new plan is to replace software with dedicated, application-specific microcircuits that can execute the same processes, but much faster. A key question is understanding which components would bring the greatest gains in speed and efficiency, he said.
Media contact(s):
* Andy Fell, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-4533, ahfell@ucdavis.edu
December 5, 2007
$4.25 MILLION GIFT FOR MACHINE TOOL RESEARCH
The Mori Seiki Company, one of the world's largest manufacturers of machine tools, will donate $4.25 million during the next five years to support UC Davis Professor Kazuo Yamazaki's research in the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering.
The gift will support Yamazaki's work on machine tools controlled by computers. But while Yamazaki's laboratory is developing sophisticated, applied technology, his real goal is to develop human resources, he said.
"The aim of our lab is to develop top-notch engineers, not just academics, and we must work closely with industry to do that,"
Yamazaki said. Industry needs students who have experience in all areas of machine tool technology, from mechanics to software design, and who understand how these machines are used in practice, he said.
The College of Engineering "is grateful for this remarkable gift,"
said Enrique Lavernia, dean of the college. "This generous support underscores not only the excellence of the research being done in our college, but also its relevance to real-world problems. Mori Seiki and the college share a commitment to improving society through engineering research."
Adam Hansel, president of DTL Corp. of West Sacramento, Calif., a subsidiary of Mori Seiki, agreed. "As a responsible global corporation, Mori Seiki realizes that it is our duty to diligently improve not only ourselves, but the world around us by continuously supporting manufacturing activities in society," Hansel said. "This is the fundamental reason Mori Seiki chooses to sponsor forward-looking programs such as Dr. Yamazaki's research at UC Davis."
Based in Nara, Japan, Mori Seiki opened DTL Corp. in West Sacramento in 2000, and recently broke ground on a new facility for DTL in Davis. The company employs a number of UC Davis alumni, including Hansel, who graduated from UC Davis in 2000 with a master's degree in mechanical engineering.
The company began supporting Yamazaki's work in the mid-1990s and in
2002 became the principal sponsor of his laboratory with a donation of $3 million over five years. At the time, it was the largest cash gift received by the College of Engineering. The new, unconditional gift will support Yamazaki's work for another five years.
The funds will cover research expenses and support graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the laboratory. The ties to the company also benefit the students, through visits, exchanges and collaborations, providing an industrial environment that complements basic research.
"The students get a more direct understanding and are more motivated, and they see that the skills they are learning are in demand,"
Yamazaki said.
Supporting such fundamental research enables the company to secure a supply of enthusiastic and well-trained engineers, benefiting not just Mori Seiki but manufacturing industry as a whole, Hansel said.
The money will support a new phase of Yamazaki's research, called ASCENTi-CNC (computer numerical control). "ASCENTi" refers to the idea of continuous improvement, or ascent, in machine speed, Yamazaki said.
Just as movies and TV shows are a mix of real and computer-generated images, modern machine tools today combine real and virtual objects, Yamazaki said. The computer controlling the machine contains a "model" of the object that it is cutting out. Numerous pieces of software work together to manipulate the model and control the machine. But as these intelligent systems grow, the speed at which the computer runs the software can become limiting.
Yamazaki's new plan is to replace software with dedicated, application-specific microcircuits that can execute the same processes, but much faster. A key question is understanding which components would bring the greatest gains in speed and efficiency, he said.
Media contact(s):
* Andy Fell, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-4533, ahfell@ucdavis.edu
Classy Designation Goes To Nine Local Teachers
Classy Designation Goes To Nine Local Teachers
By Reporter Staff
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has issued national board certification to nine teachers in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School district this year - more than any other district in Solano, Napa, or Contra Costa counties.
In fact, with respect to the number of new National Board Certified Teachers in a Northern California school district, the Fairfield-Suisun district is second only to San Francisco Unified School District, with 19, according to Kay Garcia, regional outreach director with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Statewide, Fairfield-Suisun is sixth in the number of new board certified teachers.
Local teachers to have achieved the certification this year include Nicole Mcnelis, who earned certification as a generalist/middle childhood specialist; Nancy Martinez, for literacy reading-language; Shaunti Buttram-Gonzalez, literacy with Cleo Gordon School; Julia Hunt, literacy with Suisun Elementary; Jessica Conover, science/early adolescence with Grange Middle School; Denise Brown, mathematics/ early adolescence with Grange Middle School; Teresa Liashenko, exceptional needs specialist/early childhood through young adult with Suisun Elementary; Joshua Patton, English language arts/early adolescence with Nelda Mundy School; and Delicia Saclolo, generalist/early childhood with B. Gayle Wilson School.
More than 60,000 of some of the most effective teachers in the country have demonstrated that they meet the highest teaching standards by becoming National Board certified, officials with the board said.
"Like board-certified doctors and accountants, teachers who achieve National Board Certification have met rigorous criteria through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review," said the board's President and CEO Joseph A. Aguerrebere. "Research demonstrates that National Board Certified Teachers consistently outperform their peers in knowledge of subject matter and ability to create challenging and engaging lessons."
National Board Certification is a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize and reward great teachers-and make them better. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each state, certified teachers have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices.
Certification is achieved through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete. Overall, the first-year achievement rate is about 40 percent, culminating in an achievement rate of approximately 65 percent by the end of the third year.
As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Additionally, teachers are assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental organization.
For more information, visit www.nbpts.org.
By Reporter Staff
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has issued national board certification to nine teachers in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School district this year - more than any other district in Solano, Napa, or Contra Costa counties.
In fact, with respect to the number of new National Board Certified Teachers in a Northern California school district, the Fairfield-Suisun district is second only to San Francisco Unified School District, with 19, according to Kay Garcia, regional outreach director with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Statewide, Fairfield-Suisun is sixth in the number of new board certified teachers.
Local teachers to have achieved the certification this year include Nicole Mcnelis, who earned certification as a generalist/middle childhood specialist; Nancy Martinez, for literacy reading-language; Shaunti Buttram-Gonzalez, literacy with Cleo Gordon School; Julia Hunt, literacy with Suisun Elementary; Jessica Conover, science/early adolescence with Grange Middle School; Denise Brown, mathematics/ early adolescence with Grange Middle School; Teresa Liashenko, exceptional needs specialist/early childhood through young adult with Suisun Elementary; Joshua Patton, English language arts/early adolescence with Nelda Mundy School; and Delicia Saclolo, generalist/early childhood with B. Gayle Wilson School.
More than 60,000 of some of the most effective teachers in the country have demonstrated that they meet the highest teaching standards by becoming National Board certified, officials with the board said.
"Like board-certified doctors and accountants, teachers who achieve National Board Certification have met rigorous criteria through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review," said the board's President and CEO Joseph A. Aguerrebere. "Research demonstrates that National Board Certified Teachers consistently outperform their peers in knowledge of subject matter and ability to create challenging and engaging lessons."
National Board Certification is a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize and reward great teachers-and make them better. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each state, certified teachers have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices.
Certification is achieved through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete. Overall, the first-year achievement rate is about 40 percent, culminating in an achievement rate of approximately 65 percent by the end of the third year.
As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Additionally, teachers are assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental organization.
For more information, visit www.nbpts.org.
Airport Plan May Take Off
Airport Plan May Take Off
By Danny Bernardini/Staff Writer
After nearly five years of lobbying efforts toward a Nut Tree Airport Master Plan, officials said Tuesday they may be close to securing the federal funding necessary for such a plan to take off.
Nut Tree Airport Manager Andy Swanson said although nothing is official, he has been told by the Federal Aviation Administration that funding for the master plan likely will be allocated.
"It's not in writing. Until we get the offer, it's not a done deal," Swanson said. "We're very much in need of the master plan. It's very important to identify and update the needs of the future at a county, city and community level."
The airport was discussed Tuesday at the Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting where federal lobbyist Susan Lent gave a report to the board.
Lent identified the airport as having several benefits including its location in the Bay Area and the opportunity for affluent clientele to land jets there. The Nut Tree Airport has been identified as the number one priority for lobbyists of transportation issues and they will explore expansion and land acquisition.
Supervisor Jim Spering agreed the airport can be better utilized in the future and said the board should be involved in the planning.
"What really are the goals for that airport," Spering asked? "(The lobbying) is going to open up many opportunities. I would hate to squander that. The sooner we do this, the sooner it will put our airport ahead of others."
Supervisor John Vasquez agreed and said the board and staff should come up with a vision statement for the airport.
"We haven't sat down and said 'here's our plan,' ' Vasquez said.
Swanson said the master plan likely would cost around $300,000 and would include elements such as a design study, development of a work plan, a business plan and an attempt to identify current and future use. He said having the supervisors' backing is a big deal.
"It was a very exciting day as an airport manager to hear the support and vision of the board," Swanson said. "It's something that is appreciated, when your board sees the important role of the airport."
Danny Bernardini can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
By Danny Bernardini/Staff Writer
After nearly five years of lobbying efforts toward a Nut Tree Airport Master Plan, officials said Tuesday they may be close to securing the federal funding necessary for such a plan to take off.
Nut Tree Airport Manager Andy Swanson said although nothing is official, he has been told by the Federal Aviation Administration that funding for the master plan likely will be allocated.
"It's not in writing. Until we get the offer, it's not a done deal," Swanson said. "We're very much in need of the master plan. It's very important to identify and update the needs of the future at a county, city and community level."
The airport was discussed Tuesday at the Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting where federal lobbyist Susan Lent gave a report to the board.
Lent identified the airport as having several benefits including its location in the Bay Area and the opportunity for affluent clientele to land jets there. The Nut Tree Airport has been identified as the number one priority for lobbyists of transportation issues and they will explore expansion and land acquisition.
Supervisor Jim Spering agreed the airport can be better utilized in the future and said the board should be involved in the planning.
"What really are the goals for that airport," Spering asked? "(The lobbying) is going to open up many opportunities. I would hate to squander that. The sooner we do this, the sooner it will put our airport ahead of others."
Supervisor John Vasquez agreed and said the board and staff should come up with a vision statement for the airport.
"We haven't sat down and said 'here's our plan,' ' Vasquez said.
Swanson said the master plan likely would cost around $300,000 and would include elements such as a design study, development of a work plan, a business plan and an attempt to identify current and future use. He said having the supervisors' backing is a big deal.
"It was a very exciting day as an airport manager to hear the support and vision of the board," Swanson said. "It's something that is appreciated, when your board sees the important role of the airport."
Danny Bernardini can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
East Bay Mayors, UC Chancellor Unite For 'Green Wave'
East Bay Mayors, UC Chancellor Unite For 'Green Wave'
Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
East Bay leaders, hoping to capitalize on the energy research emerging from UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley lab, vowed Monday to create a regional environmental hub that would mirror the success of Silicon Valley.
The mayors of Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and Emeryville, along with UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory director Steven Chu, announced an agreement to promote the East Bay as the nucleus of a "green wave" of research and manufacturing.
"The Silicon Valley of the green economy is going to be here in the East Bay," Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said at Monday's event, held at a solar power equipment factory in Richmond. "We're putting our cities' chauvinism aside and working together. We're stronger when we unite."
The East Bay is already home to many environmental firms and factories, many of which began as spin-offs from UC Berkeley and Lawrence Lab. But as the companies grow, they've tended to relocate to the South Bay, where lab space, technological support and high-tech employees are more plentiful, or to places with more vacant land.
The East Bay Green Corridor Partnership would create a variety of incentives for green businesses to stay put. Among the proposals: a job-training program for the less-skilled members of the workforce, such as a certification program at local community colleges in solar installation or biotechnology lab work.
Green business executives in the East Bay said they are thrilled with the move.
"For us, we see great opportunities in the East Bay because it's so close to the university and lab," said Ilan Gur, corporate development director of Seeo, a Berkeley startup that is studying ways to increase energy storage. "A lot of people don't want to commute to the South Bay, but the South Bay has a very well-established infrastructure to help young businesses," he said. "We'd like to create something similar here."
Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said the plan would be a boon to their cities because it could provide training and entry-level jobs, possibly reducing crime in the process. Oakland and Richmond also have ample space and industrial zones for companies that want to expand.
"This is a magnificent opportunity for us to simultaneously address the issues of pollution and poverty," Dellums said. "This kind of economic development can help a generation of people who've been left behind."
to read the rest of the article check out the San Francisco Chronicle
E-mail Carolyn Jones at carolynjones@sfchronicle.com.
Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
East Bay leaders, hoping to capitalize on the energy research emerging from UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley lab, vowed Monday to create a regional environmental hub that would mirror the success of Silicon Valley.
The mayors of Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and Emeryville, along with UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory director Steven Chu, announced an agreement to promote the East Bay as the nucleus of a "green wave" of research and manufacturing.
"The Silicon Valley of the green economy is going to be here in the East Bay," Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said at Monday's event, held at a solar power equipment factory in Richmond. "We're putting our cities' chauvinism aside and working together. We're stronger when we unite."
The East Bay is already home to many environmental firms and factories, many of which began as spin-offs from UC Berkeley and Lawrence Lab. But as the companies grow, they've tended to relocate to the South Bay, where lab space, technological support and high-tech employees are more plentiful, or to places with more vacant land.
The East Bay Green Corridor Partnership would create a variety of incentives for green businesses to stay put. Among the proposals: a job-training program for the less-skilled members of the workforce, such as a certification program at local community colleges in solar installation or biotechnology lab work.
Green business executives in the East Bay said they are thrilled with the move.
"For us, we see great opportunities in the East Bay because it's so close to the university and lab," said Ilan Gur, corporate development director of Seeo, a Berkeley startup that is studying ways to increase energy storage. "A lot of people don't want to commute to the South Bay, but the South Bay has a very well-established infrastructure to help young businesses," he said. "We'd like to create something similar here."
Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said the plan would be a boon to their cities because it could provide training and entry-level jobs, possibly reducing crime in the process. Oakland and Richmond also have ample space and industrial zones for companies that want to expand.
"This is a magnificent opportunity for us to simultaneously address the issues of pollution and poverty," Dellums said. "This kind of economic development can help a generation of people who've been left behind."
to read the rest of the article check out the San Francisco Chronicle
E-mail Carolyn Jones at carolynjones@sfchronicle.com.
Bay Area Advocacy Groups Merge
Bay Area Advocacy Groups Merge
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN/Times-Herald staff writer
Article Launched: 12/04/2007 08:29:06 AM PST
Two organizations are merging to create what may be the strongest advocacy and research group in Bay Area history.
The Bay Area Council and the Bay Area Economic Forum recently acted to combine, according to a council press release. Both groups voted to join forces last month, said Council spokesman George Broder.
A regional voice for business since 1945, the council has suggested solutions to many of the region's thorniest challenges in areas of transportation, housing, water, education, infrastructure, environment and global competitiveness, Broder said. The merger will strengthen both groups, he added.
"This will enhance both organizations' capacity to assess and analyze livability and other issues, and help us be even stronger advocates for change," he said.
The newly created Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the forum's successor, will be a chartered program of the council, according to the press release. It will operate as a public-private education and policy research body, the statement notes.
The new institute will be responsible for economic policy research and analysis under the auspices of a public-private board of trustees appointed by the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Bay Area Council.
The board will include elected officials, business people and Bay Area higher education, labor and community leaders, according to the statement.
• E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN/Times-Herald staff writer
Article Launched: 12/04/2007 08:29:06 AM PST
Two organizations are merging to create what may be the strongest advocacy and research group in Bay Area history.
The Bay Area Council and the Bay Area Economic Forum recently acted to combine, according to a council press release. Both groups voted to join forces last month, said Council spokesman George Broder.
A regional voice for business since 1945, the council has suggested solutions to many of the region's thorniest challenges in areas of transportation, housing, water, education, infrastructure, environment and global competitiveness, Broder said. The merger will strengthen both groups, he added.
"This will enhance both organizations' capacity to assess and analyze livability and other issues, and help us be even stronger advocates for change," he said.
The newly created Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the forum's successor, will be a chartered program of the council, according to the press release. It will operate as a public-private education and policy research body, the statement notes.
The new institute will be responsible for economic policy research and analysis under the auspices of a public-private board of trustees appointed by the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Bay Area Council.
The board will include elected officials, business people and Bay Area higher education, labor and community leaders, according to the statement.
• E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
New Test Set On Genentech Cancer Drug
New Test Set On Genentech Cancer Drug
By Matthew Perrone/AP Business Writer
Article Launched: 12/04/2007 06:06:26 AM PST
WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration will ask outside experts Wednesday whether Genentech's Avastin should be approved to treat breast cancer, despite mixed results in company studies.
After reviewing the San Francisco-based company's data, FDA said Monday patients on Avastin and chemotherapy had slower cancer progression, but did not survive longer overall than patients using chemotherapy alone.
Shares of Genentech Inc. fell $2.75, or 3.6 percent, Monday to close at $73.50.
Genentech, which has a manufacturing facility in Vacaville, has asked FDA to approve Avastin alongside the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel for patients with advanced breast cancer who have not already taken other cancer drugs. Avastin is currently approved for patients with certain types of colon and lung cancer. It was the company's second best-selling product last year with revenue of $1.7 billion.
FDA will ask a panel of cancer experts Wednesday if Genentech's data warrant approval for the drug in the U.S, despite the fact patients did not have longer survival times overall. The agency is not required to follow the guidance of its panels, though it often does.
FDA noted in documents posted online that a second Genentech study of Avastin in patients who had already taken two chemotherapy drugs showed no major benefits in overall survival or in slowing cancer progression. The panel Wednesday is expected to weigh in on the importance of these results as well as side effects seen with Avastin, including heart attack, hypertension and blood clots.
Stanford Group Co. analyst Gregory Frykman lowered his odds Monday for a positive panel vote to 40 percent from 65 percent "based on conservative posturing by the agency." Frykman said the outcome of Wednesday's meeting will likely depend on whether safety concerns raised by FDA scientists overshadow the effectiveness of Genentech's data.
By Matthew Perrone/AP Business Writer
Article Launched: 12/04/2007 06:06:26 AM PST
WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration will ask outside experts Wednesday whether Genentech's Avastin should be approved to treat breast cancer, despite mixed results in company studies.
After reviewing the San Francisco-based company's data, FDA said Monday patients on Avastin and chemotherapy had slower cancer progression, but did not survive longer overall than patients using chemotherapy alone.
Shares of Genentech Inc. fell $2.75, or 3.6 percent, Monday to close at $73.50.
Genentech, which has a manufacturing facility in Vacaville, has asked FDA to approve Avastin alongside the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel for patients with advanced breast cancer who have not already taken other cancer drugs. Avastin is currently approved for patients with certain types of colon and lung cancer. It was the company's second best-selling product last year with revenue of $1.7 billion.
FDA will ask a panel of cancer experts Wednesday if Genentech's data warrant approval for the drug in the U.S, despite the fact patients did not have longer survival times overall. The agency is not required to follow the guidance of its panels, though it often does.
FDA noted in documents posted online that a second Genentech study of Avastin in patients who had already taken two chemotherapy drugs showed no major benefits in overall survival or in slowing cancer progression. The panel Wednesday is expected to weigh in on the importance of these results as well as side effects seen with Avastin, including heart attack, hypertension and blood clots.
Stanford Group Co. analyst Gregory Frykman lowered his odds Monday for a positive panel vote to 40 percent from 65 percent "based on conservative posturing by the agency." Frykman said the outcome of Wednesday's meeting will likely depend on whether safety concerns raised by FDA scientists overshadow the effectiveness of Genentech's data.
Solano residential real estate remains a great long-term investment
Solano remains a great long-term investment
Article Launched: 10/20/2007 07:12:01 AM PDT
I'm no financial planner, but if you're looking for a rapid profit, Google stock seems to be performing well. Local real estate isn't for you.
But if you want long-term gains, now is an excellent time to buy a residential investment property in Solano County.
Solano County still has a huge surplus of listings. Some sellers have been waiting for months to get out of their local properties. A serious buyer with a smart realtor can negotiate an excellent deal today. Sensible offers are being accepted all over the county right now.
However, more buyers from the Bay Area could be hitting our local market in 2008. According to DataQuick, San Francisco's median sales price reached $810,000 in August 2007. Alameda County's median reached $625,000 in August, up from $600,000 in August 2006.
In August, Solano County's median sales price was $416,000 - down 9.27 percent from the August 2006 median of $458,000. $416,000 is more than reasonable to Bay Area residents now renting starter homes that would cost $600,000 to purchase.
Historically, buyers from the 415 and 510 area codes have no problem moving to Solano County and commuting to jobs in their old neighborhoods. Interested in buying a local condo and renting it out? Make
Advertisement
an offer soon, before a Bay Area family happily beats you to the punch.
Also consider location - one of the most basic components of real estate valuation. Dixon residents are still minutes from U.C. Davis. It's safe to presume that three or four of its 30,000 students could rent your investment property in Dixon and cover its mortgage.
Fairfield and Vallejo residents are still minutes away from Napa Valley, the center of American viticulture. San Francisco is still home to Fortune 500 companies, and remains the epicenter of the Information Age - and you can still get their comfortably from the Vallejo Ferry Terminal.
Vacaville is still home to Genentech, a global biotech powerhouse. Need I remind anyone about the economic powerhouse that is Travis Air Force Base and the thousands of people employed there?
Our location is incredible. So while home values may be down now, they'll come back. We're surrounded by astounding places that people want to live near.
Am I suggesting that the days of flipping properties will make a comeback soon? Not at all.
All I know is prices are low, demand will be on the rise again soon, and our location is great. If you're looking to buy a property that will make you money down the road, look down the street.
We're a blue chip county, my friends.
Annie Vogelpohl is past president of the Solano County chapter of the Women's Council of Realtors. She has been a licensed real estate broker since 1984. Contact her at annievogelpohl@msn.com.
Article Launched: 10/20/2007 07:12:01 AM PDT
I'm no financial planner, but if you're looking for a rapid profit, Google stock seems to be performing well. Local real estate isn't for you.
But if you want long-term gains, now is an excellent time to buy a residential investment property in Solano County.
Solano County still has a huge surplus of listings. Some sellers have been waiting for months to get out of their local properties. A serious buyer with a smart realtor can negotiate an excellent deal today. Sensible offers are being accepted all over the county right now.
However, more buyers from the Bay Area could be hitting our local market in 2008. According to DataQuick, San Francisco's median sales price reached $810,000 in August 2007. Alameda County's median reached $625,000 in August, up from $600,000 in August 2006.
In August, Solano County's median sales price was $416,000 - down 9.27 percent from the August 2006 median of $458,000. $416,000 is more than reasonable to Bay Area residents now renting starter homes that would cost $600,000 to purchase.
Historically, buyers from the 415 and 510 area codes have no problem moving to Solano County and commuting to jobs in their old neighborhoods. Interested in buying a local condo and renting it out? Make
Advertisement
an offer soon, before a Bay Area family happily beats you to the punch.
Also consider location - one of the most basic components of real estate valuation. Dixon residents are still minutes from U.C. Davis. It's safe to presume that three or four of its 30,000 students could rent your investment property in Dixon and cover its mortgage.
Fairfield and Vallejo residents are still minutes away from Napa Valley, the center of American viticulture. San Francisco is still home to Fortune 500 companies, and remains the epicenter of the Information Age - and you can still get their comfortably from the Vallejo Ferry Terminal.
Vacaville is still home to Genentech, a global biotech powerhouse. Need I remind anyone about the economic powerhouse that is Travis Air Force Base and the thousands of people employed there?
Our location is incredible. So while home values may be down now, they'll come back. We're surrounded by astounding places that people want to live near.
Am I suggesting that the days of flipping properties will make a comeback soon? Not at all.
All I know is prices are low, demand will be on the rise again soon, and our location is great. If you're looking to buy a property that will make you money down the road, look down the street.
We're a blue chip county, my friends.
Annie Vogelpohl is past president of the Solano County chapter of the Women's Council of Realtors. She has been a licensed real estate broker since 1984. Contact her at annievogelpohl@msn.com.
Sutter Opens New Medical Building
Sutter Opens New Medical Building
By Barry Eberling | DAILY REPUBLIC | December 03, 2007 22:05
FAIRFIELD - A third building at the Sutter Fairfield Medical Campus in the Busch Corporate Center is open and ready for patients.
The three-story, 69,000-square-foot building at 2720 Low Court debuted Monday, a Sutter press release said. It replaces the medical center on Empire Street near downtown Fairfield.
Sutter Regional Medical Foundation bought 11 acres for the project in 2005 and broke ground on the $20 million building a year ago. The building includes 60 offices for physicians and staff, with family practices on the first floor; pediatrics, internal medicine, oncology, rheumatology and cardiology on the second floor; and administrative offices on the third floor.
'Patients will enjoy the upscale feel and spaciousness, as well as the natural light in the waiting area,' said Carolyn Appenzeller, the foundation's chief operating officer, in a press release.
The new building will provide more room for patient care, the release stated. For example, cardiology will have another treadmill room and more equipment.
It is also near two existing buildings on the campus. One building houses the advanced diagnostic imaging center and ambulatory surgery center. The other houses the after-hours care clinic, surgical specialty offices and offices for obstetrics/gynecology, ophthalmology/optometry and urology. A covered walkway links the buildings.
'Community residents now have access to a full range of state-of-the-art health care services in one location,' the press release said.
About 30,000 Fairfield-Suisun area patients use Sutter.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646, Ext. 232, or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
By Barry Eberling | DAILY REPUBLIC | December 03, 2007 22:05
FAIRFIELD - A third building at the Sutter Fairfield Medical Campus in the Busch Corporate Center is open and ready for patients.
The three-story, 69,000-square-foot building at 2720 Low Court debuted Monday, a Sutter press release said. It replaces the medical center on Empire Street near downtown Fairfield.
Sutter Regional Medical Foundation bought 11 acres for the project in 2005 and broke ground on the $20 million building a year ago. The building includes 60 offices for physicians and staff, with family practices on the first floor; pediatrics, internal medicine, oncology, rheumatology and cardiology on the second floor; and administrative offices on the third floor.
'Patients will enjoy the upscale feel and spaciousness, as well as the natural light in the waiting area,' said Carolyn Appenzeller, the foundation's chief operating officer, in a press release.
The new building will provide more room for patient care, the release stated. For example, cardiology will have another treadmill room and more equipment.
It is also near two existing buildings on the campus. One building houses the advanced diagnostic imaging center and ambulatory surgery center. The other houses the after-hours care clinic, surgical specialty offices and offices for obstetrics/gynecology, ophthalmology/optometry and urology. A covered walkway links the buildings.
'Community residents now have access to a full range of state-of-the-art health care services in one location,' the press release said.
About 30,000 Fairfield-Suisun area patients use Sutter.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646, Ext. 232, or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Monday, December 03, 2007
UC Davis Entomology unit gets top national ranking
Entomology unit gets top national ranking
Article Launched: 12/02/2007 07:34:16 AM PST
The Department of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, is ranked No. 1 in the country, in rankings just released by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
"This was for our remarkable performances in faculty scholarly productivity, scientific citations per faculty, percentage of faculty with a journal publication, number of journal publications per faculty, and grantsmanship, among other factors," said Walter Leal, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology.
Last year the Chronicle ranked the UC Davis Department of Entomology as No. 8 in the country. "We're back at the top where we belong," Leal said.
The Chronicle of Higher Education is considered the top news and job-information source for college and university faculty members, administrators and students.
The 2007 index compiles overall institutional rankings on 375 universities that offer the Ph.D. degree. Faculty members can be judged on as many as five factors, depending on the most important variables in the given discipline: books published; journal publications; citations of journal articles; federal-grant dollars awarded; and honors and awards.
UC Davis scored 1.87 in the faculty scholarly productivity index, outdistancing the 1.44 index of the University of Wisconsin, the runner-up.
UC Davis scored a perfect 100 percent for percentage of faculty with a journal publication. Other top categories included journal publications per faculty, an average of 12.39; and percentage of faculty with a journal publication cited by another work, 94 percent. Citations of journal articles per faculty averaged 70.28.
The average amount of grant funding per faculty member for the past fiscal year totaled $412,251. Thirty-three percent of the faculty received a new grant. Eleven percent of the faculty received an award, according to the data collected.
The Entomology Department is the home of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, which houses more than seven million specimens. It is also involved with projects at the Jepson Prairie Reserve in Vacaville, the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, the UC Davis Superfund Basic Research and Training and the statewide UC Mosquito Research Program.
Grant data were collected from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and from three programs in the Department of Energy.
For awards and honors, data were collected from the Web sites of 357 organizations that grant awards and honors and they are matched to names and programs.
The department traces its beginnings back to 1907 when a UC Berkeley professor lectured on whiteflies at a farmers' short course in Davis. UC Davis launched its two-year entomology program in 1913, leading to degrees offered in 1923-24.
Areas of emphasis include biological control, economic entomology, pollination biology, insect chemical ecology, insect olfaction, insect demography, insect physiology, insect toxicology, integrated pest management, ecology and evolution, forensic entomology, medical entomology (human and animal health) and systematics.
Headquartered in Briggs Hall, the department enjoys a fusion of teaching faculty, Cooperative Extension specialists, professional researchers, international scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, and academic and staff support. The department's work on fundamental and applied problems has led to ground-breaking scientific discoveries, integrated pest management approaches in California's agricultural and urban environments, management of insect-vectored human diseases and a global impact that stretches from UC Davis to Africa and South America and beyond, Leal said.
The Entomology Department is the home of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, which houses more than seven million specimens; including the Jepson Prairie Reserve in Vacaville, the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, the UC Davis Superfund Basic Research and Training and the statewide UC Mosquito Research Program.
Department faculty housed at the UC Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier, conduct research involving insect-plant interactions, economy entomology, and mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus and malaria. In addition, related research spans a variety of UC ecological preserves and biological field stations, including the Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve in the Vaca Mountains; Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, in Northern California's foothills; Sagehen Creek Field Station, near Truckee; Jepson Prairie Reserve in Vacaville; Bodega Marine Reserve; Hopland Field State near Ukiah; Wolfskill Experiment Orchard in Winters; UC South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine; and the Blodgett Experimental Forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Graduate students in the entomology program, or housed in entomology, conduct research in insect demography, medical entomology, insect systematics, biological control, integrated pest management, insect biochemistry, insect ecology, insect pathology, biology and evolution of insects, aquatic ecology, insect physiology, environmental toxicology, apiculture, horticultural entomology, and insect vectors of plant pathogens.
Many of the UC Davis Department of Entomology alumni now chair entomology departments at other universities or hold higher administrative posts; head professional scientific organizations; or lead teams advancing scientific studies. Fifty-five alumni hold university faculty positions.
Article Launched: 12/02/2007 07:34:16 AM PST
The Department of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, is ranked No. 1 in the country, in rankings just released by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
"This was for our remarkable performances in faculty scholarly productivity, scientific citations per faculty, percentage of faculty with a journal publication, number of journal publications per faculty, and grantsmanship, among other factors," said Walter Leal, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology.
Last year the Chronicle ranked the UC Davis Department of Entomology as No. 8 in the country. "We're back at the top where we belong," Leal said.
The Chronicle of Higher Education is considered the top news and job-information source for college and university faculty members, administrators and students.
The 2007 index compiles overall institutional rankings on 375 universities that offer the Ph.D. degree. Faculty members can be judged on as many as five factors, depending on the most important variables in the given discipline: books published; journal publications; citations of journal articles; federal-grant dollars awarded; and honors and awards.
UC Davis scored 1.87 in the faculty scholarly productivity index, outdistancing the 1.44 index of the University of Wisconsin, the runner-up.
UC Davis scored a perfect 100 percent for percentage of faculty with a journal publication. Other top categories included journal publications per faculty, an average of 12.39; and percentage of faculty with a journal publication cited by another work, 94 percent. Citations of journal articles per faculty averaged 70.28.
The average amount of grant funding per faculty member for the past fiscal year totaled $412,251. Thirty-three percent of the faculty received a new grant. Eleven percent of the faculty received an award, according to the data collected.
The Entomology Department is the home of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, which houses more than seven million specimens. It is also involved with projects at the Jepson Prairie Reserve in Vacaville, the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, the UC Davis Superfund Basic Research and Training and the statewide UC Mosquito Research Program.
Grant data were collected from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and from three programs in the Department of Energy.
For awards and honors, data were collected from the Web sites of 357 organizations that grant awards and honors and they are matched to names and programs.
The department traces its beginnings back to 1907 when a UC Berkeley professor lectured on whiteflies at a farmers' short course in Davis. UC Davis launched its two-year entomology program in 1913, leading to degrees offered in 1923-24.
Areas of emphasis include biological control, economic entomology, pollination biology, insect chemical ecology, insect olfaction, insect demography, insect physiology, insect toxicology, integrated pest management, ecology and evolution, forensic entomology, medical entomology (human and animal health) and systematics.
Headquartered in Briggs Hall, the department enjoys a fusion of teaching faculty, Cooperative Extension specialists, professional researchers, international scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, and academic and staff support. The department's work on fundamental and applied problems has led to ground-breaking scientific discoveries, integrated pest management approaches in California's agricultural and urban environments, management of insect-vectored human diseases and a global impact that stretches from UC Davis to Africa and South America and beyond, Leal said.
The Entomology Department is the home of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, which houses more than seven million specimens; including the Jepson Prairie Reserve in Vacaville, the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, the UC Davis Superfund Basic Research and Training and the statewide UC Mosquito Research Program.
Department faculty housed at the UC Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier, conduct research involving insect-plant interactions, economy entomology, and mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus and malaria. In addition, related research spans a variety of UC ecological preserves and biological field stations, including the Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve in the Vaca Mountains; Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, in Northern California's foothills; Sagehen Creek Field Station, near Truckee; Jepson Prairie Reserve in Vacaville; Bodega Marine Reserve; Hopland Field State near Ukiah; Wolfskill Experiment Orchard in Winters; UC South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine; and the Blodgett Experimental Forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Graduate students in the entomology program, or housed in entomology, conduct research in insect demography, medical entomology, insect systematics, biological control, integrated pest management, insect biochemistry, insect ecology, insect pathology, biology and evolution of insects, aquatic ecology, insect physiology, environmental toxicology, apiculture, horticultural entomology, and insect vectors of plant pathogens.
Many of the UC Davis Department of Entomology alumni now chair entomology departments at other universities or hold higher administrative posts; head professional scientific organizations; or lead teams advancing scientific studies. Fifty-five alumni hold university faculty positions.
Summit Scheduled
Summit Scheduled
The third annual Solano Economic Summit will be held from 7:30-11:30 a.m. Dec. 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2200 Gateway Court in Fairfield.
The event will feature presentations on the county's economic development milestones, and a keynote addresses on the Solano County Agriculture Futures Study and its assessment on the future of local farming.
Cost for the summit is $25. For more information, call 864-1855.
The third annual Solano Economic Summit will be held from 7:30-11:30 a.m. Dec. 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2200 Gateway Court in Fairfield.
The event will feature presentations on the county's economic development milestones, and a keynote addresses on the Solano County Agriculture Futures Study and its assessment on the future of local farming.
Cost for the summit is $25. For more information, call 864-1855.
Table of Contents
- Real Estate Roundup (October 2007)
- Energy Efficient Solano
CBRE (http://www.cbre.com/)
• 907 Cotting Lane, Suite C, Vacaville – 10,368 sf purchase by Martin’s Metal
• Building 112 Mare Island, Vallejo – 13,200 sf lease by Arcmatic
• Building 141/155 Mare Island, Vallejo – 12,900 sf lease renewal by Miam
• Building 457 Mare Island, Vallejo – 5,000 sf lease renewal to F&M Fabricators
• Building 153 Mare Island, Vallejo – 8,200 sf lease renewal to Timothy Rose
• Quarters L Mare Island, Vallejo – 7,800 sf lease renewal to AFLAC
• Building 98/507 Mare Island, Vallejo – 42,000 sf lease renewal to Latham Truss
Keegan & Coppin (http://www.keegancoppin.com/)
• 2543 Cordelia Road, Fairfield – 29.5 acre land purchase by Solano County
Ways to save energy and money highlighted
Next Solano EDC breakfast meeting
Solano County business has taken major steps to conserve energy and cut costs. While the media is abuzz with talk about energy conservation, many of our local businesses have already initiated programs that are benefiting all in the County.
On Nov. 29, EDC has invited four companies to share their ideas and projects at the Solano Economic Development corporation breakfast, 7:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield.
Michael Ammann, president of EDC, said the event will give “…a lot of ideas and positive proof that our local corporations are not just talking about energy, but doing something to become more energy efficient.”
Members of the panel discussion will be: Kevin Finger, Anheuser Bush; Monty Stephens, Westfield Solano Mall; John Ketcherside, PG &E; and a representative from Alza Corporation.
Each of the organizations is slashing their energy costs with simple applications. Budweiser will show how the little things add up to big savings. Alza will explain its solar energy system that saves on high electric bills. Westfield Solano has embarked on an ongoing system that is reducing energy costs at extremely high rates. PG&E will share ways that companies can work with the utility to create energy savings projects.
To make reservations to attend, contact Solano EDC at 864-1855. This event is sponsored by Wulff Electric, IBEW Local Union 180, and Arcadis.
The monthly breakfast meetings are underwritten by EDC Chairman Circle Members: Potrero Hills Landfill, Touro University, Solano Garbage Company, Reporter and Times-Herald.
Business obstacles—state officials and unprepared workforce
Solano County business leaders gathered at October’s Solano EDC breakfast meeting to discuss the challenges and obstacles facing large and small business.
Guest speaker Dominic DiMare, former vice president of government relations with the California Chamber of Commerce cited state legislation and the lack of a well prepared labor force as key challenges facing the private sector.
Seven county chambers of commerce joined EDC bring the topic before local business leaders.
DiMare defined 10 bills last year that were introduced in the legislator as “job killers,” and pointed out that the governor vetoed these bills. He also said the current health care debate will result in the issue being put on the ballot in November next year.
Keep your membership active for 2008
Now is the time to renew your membership with Solano EDC. It’s an investment that gives you a voice in Solano County’s economic development.
2008 will be both a year of challenges and opportunities. You can help protect your organization’s future by maintaining your membership.
For information, contact Pat at (707) 864-1855.
Did you know?
Northern California has more than 900 life science companies, with more than 90,000 employees. That’s the largest cluster of biotech firms in the nation. And, Solano County is a leader in the field with some of U.S. major corporations calling the area “home.”
Life Sciences is expected to be a driving force in California’s economy in the coming years, and this area of growth will also trigger growth in Solano County’s other key economic sectors: Food, manufacturing and energy.
“In some way, all of our key growth sectors are interrelated,” Mike Ammann, EDC president said. “Focusing on the tremendous opportunities for new business in the biotech industry just makes good economic sense. It certainly doesn’t mean EDC is not working in all areas, just simply means we are focusing on the ‘big prize’ which is expanded life science facilities.
“We already are seeing more Bay Area and Sacramento residents commute into Solano County. That’s a big turn around and a tremendous sign of our strides to make our cities more than bedroom communities,” he said.
The Solano Economic Development Corporation’s mission is to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life of Solano County communities through the attraction, growth and retention of business and industry.
Solano EDC Team
Mike Ammann, President (mike@solanoedc.org)
Sandy Person, Vice President (sandy@solanoedc.org)
Pat Uhrich, Office Manager (pat@solanoedc.org)
Andy Turba, Special Projects (andy@solanoedc.org)
Solano Economic Development Corporation
360 Campus Lane, Suite 102, Fairfield, CA 94534
Phone: (707) 864-1855 Fax: (707) 864-6621
Website: http://www.solanoedc.org/
- Real Estate Roundup (October 2007)
- Energy Efficient Solano
- Business Obstacles
- Membership Renewal time
- Did you know?
Real Estate Roundup
(October 2007)
Colliers International (http://www.colliersparrish.com/)
• Allison Parkway, Vacaville – 5 acres land sale to PG&E
• 125 Grobic Court, Fairfield – 10,578 sf lease by Ponder Environmental Services, Inc.
• 360 Campus Lane, Fairfield – 66,551 sf lease expansion by Partnership HealthPlan
• 563 Industrial Way, Benicia – 161,754 sf lease renewal by Santa Clara Warehouses, Inc.
- Membership Renewal time
- Did you know?
Real Estate Roundup
(October 2007)
Colliers International (http://www.colliersparrish.com/)
• Allison Parkway, Vacaville – 5 acres land sale to PG&E
• 125 Grobic Court, Fairfield – 10,578 sf lease by Ponder Environmental Services, Inc.
• 360 Campus Lane, Fairfield – 66,551 sf lease expansion by Partnership HealthPlan
• 563 Industrial Way, Benicia – 161,754 sf lease renewal by Santa Clara Warehouses, Inc.
CBRE (http://www.cbre.com/)
• 907 Cotting Lane, Suite C, Vacaville – 10,368 sf purchase by Martin’s Metal
• Building 112 Mare Island, Vallejo – 13,200 sf lease by Arcmatic
• Building 141/155 Mare Island, Vallejo – 12,900 sf lease renewal by Miam
• Building 457 Mare Island, Vallejo – 5,000 sf lease renewal to F&M Fabricators
• Building 153 Mare Island, Vallejo – 8,200 sf lease renewal to Timothy Rose
• Quarters L Mare Island, Vallejo – 7,800 sf lease renewal to AFLAC
• Building 98/507 Mare Island, Vallejo – 42,000 sf lease renewal to Latham Truss
Cushman & Wakefield (http://www.cushmanwakefield.com/)
• 2449 South Watney, Fairfield - 59,843 sf building purchase by Lowenberg Corporate
• 2449 South Watney, Fairfield - 59,843 sf building purchase by Lowenberg Corporate
Grubb & Ellis (http://www.grubb-ellis.com/)
• 1111 Western Street, Fairfield – 5,000 sf lease by Zabala Ranches
• 1111 Western Street, Fairfield – 5,000 sf lease by Zabala Ranches
Keegan & Coppin (http://www.keegancoppin.com/)
• 2543 Cordelia Road, Fairfield – 29.5 acre land purchase by Solano County
Ways to save energy and money highlighted
Next Solano EDC breakfast meeting
Solano County business has taken major steps to conserve energy and cut costs. While the media is abuzz with talk about energy conservation, many of our local businesses have already initiated programs that are benefiting all in the County.
On Nov. 29, EDC has invited four companies to share their ideas and projects at the Solano Economic Development corporation breakfast, 7:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield.
Michael Ammann, president of EDC, said the event will give “…a lot of ideas and positive proof that our local corporations are not just talking about energy, but doing something to become more energy efficient.”
Members of the panel discussion will be: Kevin Finger, Anheuser Bush; Monty Stephens, Westfield Solano Mall; John Ketcherside, PG &E; and a representative from Alza Corporation.
Each of the organizations is slashing their energy costs with simple applications. Budweiser will show how the little things add up to big savings. Alza will explain its solar energy system that saves on high electric bills. Westfield Solano has embarked on an ongoing system that is reducing energy costs at extremely high rates. PG&E will share ways that companies can work with the utility to create energy savings projects.
To make reservations to attend, contact Solano EDC at 864-1855. This event is sponsored by Wulff Electric, IBEW Local Union 180, and Arcadis.
The monthly breakfast meetings are underwritten by EDC Chairman Circle Members: Potrero Hills Landfill, Touro University, Solano Garbage Company, Reporter and Times-Herald.
Business obstacles—state officials and unprepared workforce
Solano County business leaders gathered at October’s Solano EDC breakfast meeting to discuss the challenges and obstacles facing large and small business.Guest speaker Dominic DiMare, former vice president of government relations with the California Chamber of Commerce cited state legislation and the lack of a well prepared labor force as key challenges facing the private sector.
Seven county chambers of commerce joined EDC bring the topic before local business leaders.
DiMare defined 10 bills last year that were introduced in the legislator as “job killers,” and pointed out that the governor vetoed these bills. He also said the current health care debate will result in the issue being put on the ballot in November next year.
Keep your membership active for 2008
Now is the time to renew your membership with Solano EDC. It’s an investment that gives you a voice in Solano County’s economic development.
2008 will be both a year of challenges and opportunities. You can help protect your organization’s future by maintaining your membership.
For information, contact Pat at (707) 864-1855.
Did you know?
Northern California has more than 900 life science companies, with more than 90,000 employees. That’s the largest cluster of biotech firms in the nation. And, Solano County is a leader in the field with some of U.S. major corporations calling the area “home.”Life Sciences is expected to be a driving force in California’s economy in the coming years, and this area of growth will also trigger growth in Solano County’s other key economic sectors: Food, manufacturing and energy.
“In some way, all of our key growth sectors are interrelated,” Mike Ammann, EDC president said. “Focusing on the tremendous opportunities for new business in the biotech industry just makes good economic sense. It certainly doesn’t mean EDC is not working in all areas, just simply means we are focusing on the ‘big prize’ which is expanded life science facilities.
“We already are seeing more Bay Area and Sacramento residents commute into Solano County. That’s a big turn around and a tremendous sign of our strides to make our cities more than bedroom communities,” he said.
The Solano Economic Development Corporation’s mission is to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life of Solano County communities through the attraction, growth and retention of business and industry.
Solano EDC Team
Mike Ammann, President (mike@solanoedc.org)
Sandy Person, Vice President (sandy@solanoedc.org)
Pat Uhrich, Office Manager (pat@solanoedc.org)
Andy Turba, Special Projects (andy@solanoedc.org)
Solano Economic Development Corporation
360 Campus Lane, Suite 102, Fairfield, CA 94534
Phone: (707) 864-1855 Fax: (707) 864-6621
Website: http://www.solanoedc.org/
Tesco Makes A Move To Enter Region With Food Shop In Fairfield
Tesco Makes A Move To Enter Region With Food Shop In Fairfield
By Jon Ortiz - jortiz@sacbee.com
The rumors are true. British grocery giant Tesco PLC is coming to Northern California.
Tesco has already made waves with the small-format Fresh & Easy stores it debuted in Southern California and Las Vegas last month. Now the company has applied for a liquor license for a store in Fairfield.
That signals Northern California's tumultuous grocery industry is in for more shake-ups with what will likely be dozens of nonunion Fresh & Easy stores reaching for shoppers who buy food at traditional supermarkets and big box stores.
"I can confirm that we're looking at a number of locations in Sacramento," said Brendan Wonnacott, a spokesman for the chain. "But there's nothing firm to announce. We're still in the early stages."
Until now Tesco has kept mum about its plans outside of Southern California, where it is spending $2 billion to pepper cities with more than 120 Fresh & Easy stores supplied by a mammoth manufacturing plant and distribution center in Riverside. The company has already opened 15 stores. Another 35 will open by February. No date has been announced for the Fairfield store.
The Southern California stores debuted to curious and excited throngs of shoppers, according to various news accounts. Meanwhile, organized labor has denounced Tesco for refusing to pledge certain wage levels and health benefits.
Tesco's response: Unionization is out of our hands.
"Look, we offer full benefits, a $10-an-hour starting wage and a quarterly bonus," Wonnacott said. "As far as outside representation, it's up to the employees. It's their right."
People familiar with the chain say the stores' size – 10,000 square feet, slightly smaller than a Trader Joe's – and emphasis on fresh goods and ready-to-eat meals aim squarely at consumers who feel inconvenienced by shopping at big box stores or are bored by the fare often found at traditional grocery retailers.
About half of a Fresh & Easy's inventory is privately labeled and contains no artificial colors or flavors, no added trans fats and "preservatives only when absolutely necessary," according to Tesco.
The stores offer national brands, but not the variety found in traditional grocery stores.
"Fresh & Easy is unlike anything that the supermarkets or Wal-Mart are doing," said Camille Schuster, president of Global Collaborations, an Escondido retail consulting firm. "They're going to shake things up."
TNS Retail Forward, a consulting group based in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday published a study suggesting that Fresh & Easy "potentially represents a significant threat to the U.S. food retailing industry." By 2011, the report predicts, the stores could reach $4 billion in U.S. sales and $10 billion by 2015, placing the chain among the top 10 grocery retailers in the country.
Tesco also is marketing Fresh & Easy as a socially conscious chain with a solar-powered distribution center and trucks outfitted with environmentally friendly refrigeration systems. The company says it plans truck routes around traffic patterns and neighborhood routines to minimize their impact on local communities.
And Tesco has pledged to enter so-called "food deserts" in Southern California, including underserved neighborhoods in south Los Angeles where reasonably priced fresh food has been scarce since riots waylaid businesses there in 1992.
The company is looking for similar opportunities in Sacramento, Wannacott said.
Still, community groups have questioned Tesco's commitments. A recent study found less than 10 percent of prospective Fresh & Easy locations, for example, are in high-poverty areas. Most are near existing grocery stores, the researchers found.
"We stand by our commitment to serve underserved neighborhoods," Wannacott said, noting that Fresh & Easy is opening next year in Compton, which lost millions of dollars 15 years ago to looting and arson. "It makes sense to put stores in neighborhoods that want them. But it takes time to get these things done."
By Jon Ortiz - jortiz@sacbee.com
The rumors are true. British grocery giant Tesco PLC is coming to Northern California.
Tesco has already made waves with the small-format Fresh & Easy stores it debuted in Southern California and Las Vegas last month. Now the company has applied for a liquor license for a store in Fairfield.
That signals Northern California's tumultuous grocery industry is in for more shake-ups with what will likely be dozens of nonunion Fresh & Easy stores reaching for shoppers who buy food at traditional supermarkets and big box stores.
"I can confirm that we're looking at a number of locations in Sacramento," said Brendan Wonnacott, a spokesman for the chain. "But there's nothing firm to announce. We're still in the early stages."
Until now Tesco has kept mum about its plans outside of Southern California, where it is spending $2 billion to pepper cities with more than 120 Fresh & Easy stores supplied by a mammoth manufacturing plant and distribution center in Riverside. The company has already opened 15 stores. Another 35 will open by February. No date has been announced for the Fairfield store.
The Southern California stores debuted to curious and excited throngs of shoppers, according to various news accounts. Meanwhile, organized labor has denounced Tesco for refusing to pledge certain wage levels and health benefits.
Tesco's response: Unionization is out of our hands.
"Look, we offer full benefits, a $10-an-hour starting wage and a quarterly bonus," Wonnacott said. "As far as outside representation, it's up to the employees. It's their right."
People familiar with the chain say the stores' size – 10,000 square feet, slightly smaller than a Trader Joe's – and emphasis on fresh goods and ready-to-eat meals aim squarely at consumers who feel inconvenienced by shopping at big box stores or are bored by the fare often found at traditional grocery retailers.
About half of a Fresh & Easy's inventory is privately labeled and contains no artificial colors or flavors, no added trans fats and "preservatives only when absolutely necessary," according to Tesco.
The stores offer national brands, but not the variety found in traditional grocery stores.
"Fresh & Easy is unlike anything that the supermarkets or Wal-Mart are doing," said Camille Schuster, president of Global Collaborations, an Escondido retail consulting firm. "They're going to shake things up."
TNS Retail Forward, a consulting group based in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday published a study suggesting that Fresh & Easy "potentially represents a significant threat to the U.S. food retailing industry." By 2011, the report predicts, the stores could reach $4 billion in U.S. sales and $10 billion by 2015, placing the chain among the top 10 grocery retailers in the country.
Tesco also is marketing Fresh & Easy as a socially conscious chain with a solar-powered distribution center and trucks outfitted with environmentally friendly refrigeration systems. The company says it plans truck routes around traffic patterns and neighborhood routines to minimize their impact on local communities.
And Tesco has pledged to enter so-called "food deserts" in Southern California, including underserved neighborhoods in south Los Angeles where reasonably priced fresh food has been scarce since riots waylaid businesses there in 1992.
The company is looking for similar opportunities in Sacramento, Wannacott said.
Still, community groups have questioned Tesco's commitments. A recent study found less than 10 percent of prospective Fresh & Easy locations, for example, are in high-poverty areas. Most are near existing grocery stores, the researchers found.
"We stand by our commitment to serve underserved neighborhoods," Wannacott said, noting that Fresh & Easy is opening next year in Compton, which lost millions of dollars 15 years ago to looting and arson. "It makes sense to put stores in neighborhoods that want them. But it takes time to get these things done."
Touro University To Offer Better Housing Assistance
Touro University To Offer Better Housing Assistance
By Tony Burchyns/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Touro University is trying to make it easier to hire professors and lure students to its Vallejo campus by offering better housing assistance, a campus spokesman said.
The university, located on Mare Island, has announced a contract with Vallejo-based Mustico Realty to provide a full slate of relocation tools. These include local business guides, moving services available, local school information and other community materials.
The company also plans to help professors and students who choose to use the service to find housing through a network of local real estate professionals.
"It's a recruiting tool," said Jim Mitchell, spokesman for the campus, which has about 1,000 students in various medical fields. "When we are asking someone to move to California, which is one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country, we are also providing them with someone with years of experience to help them out."
Mustico Realty has been in business for nearly 30 years, according to owner Verna Mustico.
Mitchell said Touro's Vallejo campus, which opened in 1999, has never before facilitated comprehensive relocation services for new teachers and students. However, like many colleges, the school provides a housing office to help students find apartments.
Mustico's services will be aimed mostly at the school's new employees as the campus grows, Mustico said.
Campus officials are planning an expansion in a few years, when a 191-acre section of Mare Island is developed for a new cancer center.
For now, the campus expects 200 to 300 new students to arrive by June 2008, Mitchell said. The influx will not change the school's enrollment figures much, he added, because a number of students are also expected to leave for internships and residencies.
By Tony Burchyns/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Touro University is trying to make it easier to hire professors and lure students to its Vallejo campus by offering better housing assistance, a campus spokesman said.
The university, located on Mare Island, has announced a contract with Vallejo-based Mustico Realty to provide a full slate of relocation tools. These include local business guides, moving services available, local school information and other community materials.
The company also plans to help professors and students who choose to use the service to find housing through a network of local real estate professionals.
"It's a recruiting tool," said Jim Mitchell, spokesman for the campus, which has about 1,000 students in various medical fields. "When we are asking someone to move to California, which is one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country, we are also providing them with someone with years of experience to help them out."
Mustico Realty has been in business for nearly 30 years, according to owner Verna Mustico.
Mitchell said Touro's Vallejo campus, which opened in 1999, has never before facilitated comprehensive relocation services for new teachers and students. However, like many colleges, the school provides a housing office to help students find apartments.
Mustico's services will be aimed mostly at the school's new employees as the campus grows, Mustico said.
Campus officials are planning an expansion in a few years, when a 191-acre section of Mare Island is developed for a new cancer center.
For now, the campus expects 200 to 300 new students to arrive by June 2008, Mitchell said. The influx will not change the school's enrollment figures much, he added, because a number of students are also expected to leave for internships and residencies.
Vacaville Charter School Offers Video, Animation Courses
Vacaville Charter School Offers Video, Animation Courses
By Nika Megino | Daily Republic | December 02, 2007 23:19
FAIRFIELD - This is Wayne Hardy's last year of high school, and he has never been to a homecoming event. He has never enjoyed lunch in a cafeteria. But he has no regrets.
'We're offered a lot more opportunities here,' Hardy said.
Hardy is one of 425 students who attends Buckingham Charter Magnet School, a college preparatory high school located in a business plaza on Bella Vista Road in Vacaville. The campus may lack facilities, but the students call the schools' programs 'worthwhile.'
The biggest hit at Buckingham Charter is its Visual Media Arts Department. Inside the school's walls are a recording studio, a video studio and a lab filled with the latest Macintosh computers.
This year, the school has teamed with the Vacaville Unified School District and the Solano County Office of Education to provide two new courses: Video Editing and 3-D Animation. The classes are a part of the county's Regional Occupational Program and are open to all Solano County high school students.
Buckingham Charter Principal Bob Hampton said these new courses along with other courses such as sound engineering, video production and film production are 'cutting edge' for Solano County.
Teacher Jared Austin, who teaches both Video Editing and 3-D Animation, said the students will benefit from the new courses. 'They'll be a step ahead,' Austin said.
Students are awed by the software and equipment made available to them.
'It's top of the line. I never really dealt with stuff like this,' said Ryan Walker, who transferred from Alabama last year.
'We can edit and do everything all the professionals can do,' Hardy said.
The courses provide students with career opportunities because they can learn skills that other high schools do not offer, Hampton said. 'These are the kind of skill sets the future is really going to embark on,' Hampton said. 'We're a media-driven society.'
That is the very reason senior Denny Kelly transferred to Buckingham Charter after attending Vacaville High School for three years.
Kelly, an aspiring video director, said he left Vacaville High which is fully equipped with the standard high school facilities because he was interested in the video courses at Buckingham Charter.
'Most of that stuff didn't matter anyway,' Kelly said of Vacaville High's offerings.
The choices of courses was not the only attraction for Kelly. Buckingham Charter also offers a class schedule that is different from traditional high schools. Students attend three two-hour classes Mondays through Thursdays and three one-hour classes on Fridays.
Having two-hour classes allows teachers to go deep into a subject and gives them time to ensure all students are retaining the information, Kelly said. Because the student body is small, Kelly said the teachers are more attentive to the students and the teaching-learning process.
'It's closer of a community,' Kelly said.
'The teachers know you on a name basis,' Hardy said. 'They want to get to know you as a person.'
Reach Nika Megino at 427-6953 or nmegino@dailyrepublic.net.
By Nika Megino | Daily Republic | December 02, 2007 23:19
FAIRFIELD - This is Wayne Hardy's last year of high school, and he has never been to a homecoming event. He has never enjoyed lunch in a cafeteria. But he has no regrets.
'We're offered a lot more opportunities here,' Hardy said.
Hardy is one of 425 students who attends Buckingham Charter Magnet School, a college preparatory high school located in a business plaza on Bella Vista Road in Vacaville. The campus may lack facilities, but the students call the schools' programs 'worthwhile.'
The biggest hit at Buckingham Charter is its Visual Media Arts Department. Inside the school's walls are a recording studio, a video studio and a lab filled with the latest Macintosh computers.
This year, the school has teamed with the Vacaville Unified School District and the Solano County Office of Education to provide two new courses: Video Editing and 3-D Animation. The classes are a part of the county's Regional Occupational Program and are open to all Solano County high school students.
Buckingham Charter Principal Bob Hampton said these new courses along with other courses such as sound engineering, video production and film production are 'cutting edge' for Solano County.
Teacher Jared Austin, who teaches both Video Editing and 3-D Animation, said the students will benefit from the new courses. 'They'll be a step ahead,' Austin said.
Students are awed by the software and equipment made available to them.
'It's top of the line. I never really dealt with stuff like this,' said Ryan Walker, who transferred from Alabama last year.
'We can edit and do everything all the professionals can do,' Hardy said.
The courses provide students with career opportunities because they can learn skills that other high schools do not offer, Hampton said. 'These are the kind of skill sets the future is really going to embark on,' Hampton said. 'We're a media-driven society.'
That is the very reason senior Denny Kelly transferred to Buckingham Charter after attending Vacaville High School for three years.
Kelly, an aspiring video director, said he left Vacaville High which is fully equipped with the standard high school facilities because he was interested in the video courses at Buckingham Charter.
'Most of that stuff didn't matter anyway,' Kelly said of Vacaville High's offerings.
The choices of courses was not the only attraction for Kelly. Buckingham Charter also offers a class schedule that is different from traditional high schools. Students attend three two-hour classes Mondays through Thursdays and three one-hour classes on Fridays.
Having two-hour classes allows teachers to go deep into a subject and gives them time to ensure all students are retaining the information, Kelly said. Because the student body is small, Kelly said the teachers are more attentive to the students and the teaching-learning process.
'It's closer of a community,' Kelly said.
'The teachers know you on a name basis,' Hardy said. 'They want to get to know you as a person.'
Reach Nika Megino at 427-6953 or nmegino@dailyrepublic.net.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Jobless rate stable in East Bay
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Jobless rate stable in East Bay
East Bay Business Times
Unemployment rates in the East Bay remained stable last month but are still above where they were a year ago, state labor statistics show.
The jobless rate in the Oakland-Fremont-Hayward metropolitan division, which includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties, was 4.9 percent in October, according to the state Employment Development Department Labor Market Information Division. That compares to 4 percent in October 2006, as well as 4.4 percent nationally and 5.4 percent statewide for last month. Both Alameda and Contra Costa counties had 4.9 percent jobless rates for October.
In the Vallejo-Fairfield metropolitan statistical area, which includes Solano County, the jobless rate remained at 5.3 percent in October compared with 4.3 percent a year earlier.
The Oakland metro area added 3,900 jobs from September to October for a total of 1,064,300, the month labor-market report found. Government, education and health services showed increases, while leisure and hospitality, financial activities, arts, entertainment and recreation lost jobs.
Year over year, employment rose by 8,400 jobs from 1,055,900 in October 2006. Construction had the largest 12-month change of any major industry in the Oakland metro area, cutting 7,200 jobs, according to the report. Public schools led the 16th consecutive month of year-over job gains with 5,000 added, while the educational and health services sector grew by 4,400 positions. Industry employment in the East Bay added 8,400 jobs or 0.8 percent.
Solano County added 700 jobs from September to October for a total 136,800, the report said. Month-to-month comparisons found construction, manufacturing, farm jobs and educational and health services lost jobs, while government, trade, transportation and utilities and professional and business services showed gains.
Year to year, employment in Solano County was up by 2,800 jobs to 136,800 compared to 134,000 in October 2006. The area's construction industry had lost 700 jobs, and financial activities 900, compared with a year earlier. Trade, transportation and utilities gained 2,600 jobs year to year and leisure and hospitality 1,300 jobs.
Jobless rate stable in East Bay
East Bay Business Times
Unemployment rates in the East Bay remained stable last month but are still above where they were a year ago, state labor statistics show.
The jobless rate in the Oakland-Fremont-Hayward metropolitan division, which includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties, was 4.9 percent in October, according to the state Employment Development Department Labor Market Information Division. That compares to 4 percent in October 2006, as well as 4.4 percent nationally and 5.4 percent statewide for last month. Both Alameda and Contra Costa counties had 4.9 percent jobless rates for October.
In the Vallejo-Fairfield metropolitan statistical area, which includes Solano County, the jobless rate remained at 5.3 percent in October compared with 4.3 percent a year earlier.
The Oakland metro area added 3,900 jobs from September to October for a total of 1,064,300, the month labor-market report found. Government, education and health services showed increases, while leisure and hospitality, financial activities, arts, entertainment and recreation lost jobs.
Year over year, employment rose by 8,400 jobs from 1,055,900 in October 2006. Construction had the largest 12-month change of any major industry in the Oakland metro area, cutting 7,200 jobs, according to the report. Public schools led the 16th consecutive month of year-over job gains with 5,000 added, while the educational and health services sector grew by 4,400 positions. Industry employment in the East Bay added 8,400 jobs or 0.8 percent.
Solano County added 700 jobs from September to October for a total 136,800, the report said. Month-to-month comparisons found construction, manufacturing, farm jobs and educational and health services lost jobs, while government, trade, transportation and utilities and professional and business services showed gains.
Year to year, employment in Solano County was up by 2,800 jobs to 136,800 compared to 134,000 in October 2006. The area's construction industry had lost 700 jobs, and financial activities 900, compared with a year earlier. Trade, transportation and utilities gained 2,600 jobs year to year and leisure and hospitality 1,300 jobs.
Building plans at prison sites topic of Vacaville forum
Building plans at prison sites topic of forum
By Danny Bernardini/Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/29/2007 06:09:09 AM PST
Proposed construction of two buildings at Vacaville's two state prison sites will be discussed Friday at a special public forum.
Before starting work on environmental studies and documents for the two buildings, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation wants to hear residents' concerns and questions.
Friday's meeting, set for 1 p.m. in the Vacaville City Council Chamber, 650 Merchant St., will focus on issues citizens and public agencies would like considered before environmental impact reports begin on the projects proposed to be built within the boundaries of California State Prison, Solano, and the California Medical Facility in Vacaville.
Construction would include a 64-bed intermediate care facility at CMF and a 100-bed administrative segregation unit at CSP Solano. The intermediate care facility, a 50,962-square-foot building, would be built in an abandoned orchard on the northwest corner of CMF property.
The segregation unit would be a 27,550-square-foot building constructed within CSP Solano's existing secure perimeter.
The construction proposal comes while the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation tries to deal with bed shortages in prisons statewide. Because of overcrowding, facilities are becoming difficult to administer and are unable to offer sufficient medical attention, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Currently, both prisons face overcrowding and CSP Solano is housing prisoners in alternate locations, such as gymnasiums and day rooms. The proposed intermediate care facility at CMF would include two small outdoor recreation yards and two group yards totaling 8,400 square feet. To allow for this, the fence line around CMF will need to be extended 11 acres.
The care facility fence line would include two additional guard towers, each 34 feet tall, and a vehicle gate along the north or south fence line.
For the proposed building at CSP Solano, no extension of fencing would be needed, but an evaluation of the project's water and wastewater impacts would be necessary.
Some of the potential impacts of the construction include the following:
• Agriculture resources - The issue will be looked at because the proposal calls for construction in an orchard.
• Visual resources, light and glare - Site lighting may cause impacts.
• Biological resources - Because the facility uses an electric fence, the issue of animals being injured must be evaluated.
• Noise - Any construction noise will be examined.
• Traffic - A traffic study will be conducted.
Danny Bernardini can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
By Danny Bernardini/Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/29/2007 06:09:09 AM PST
Proposed construction of two buildings at Vacaville's two state prison sites will be discussed Friday at a special public forum.
Before starting work on environmental studies and documents for the two buildings, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation wants to hear residents' concerns and questions.
Friday's meeting, set for 1 p.m. in the Vacaville City Council Chamber, 650 Merchant St., will focus on issues citizens and public agencies would like considered before environmental impact reports begin on the projects proposed to be built within the boundaries of California State Prison, Solano, and the California Medical Facility in Vacaville.
Construction would include a 64-bed intermediate care facility at CMF and a 100-bed administrative segregation unit at CSP Solano. The intermediate care facility, a 50,962-square-foot building, would be built in an abandoned orchard on the northwest corner of CMF property.
The segregation unit would be a 27,550-square-foot building constructed within CSP Solano's existing secure perimeter.
The construction proposal comes while the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation tries to deal with bed shortages in prisons statewide. Because of overcrowding, facilities are becoming difficult to administer and are unable to offer sufficient medical attention, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Currently, both prisons face overcrowding and CSP Solano is housing prisoners in alternate locations, such as gymnasiums and day rooms. The proposed intermediate care facility at CMF would include two small outdoor recreation yards and two group yards totaling 8,400 square feet. To allow for this, the fence line around CMF will need to be extended 11 acres.
The care facility fence line would include two additional guard towers, each 34 feet tall, and a vehicle gate along the north or south fence line.
For the proposed building at CSP Solano, no extension of fencing would be needed, but an evaluation of the project's water and wastewater impacts would be necessary.
Some of the potential impacts of the construction include the following:
• Agriculture resources - The issue will be looked at because the proposal calls for construction in an orchard.
• Visual resources, light and glare - Site lighting may cause impacts.
• Biological resources - Because the facility uses an electric fence, the issue of animals being injured must be evaluated.
• Noise - Any construction noise will be examined.
• Traffic - A traffic study will be conducted.
Danny Bernardini can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
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