Britley Pabst (center) mixes a vial while taking part in a lab experiment with classmates Max Josephson (left) and Dustin Miranda. (Joel Rosenbaum/The Reporter)
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Exploring new frontiers
Vaca High offers biotech course
By David Henson/Staff Writer
Lately it seems all economic roads in Vacaville lead to the entrances of big biotech companies like Genentech. Those roads, civic leaders hope, will be lined with green, if not gold. Similarly, city leaders cheer with unabashed enthusiasm biotech companies who expand their economic influence in Vacaville, hoping the city will become a hub for an industry boom.
Even Vacaville High School is doing its part to tap the market through its new biotechnology vocational program and perhaps give companies one more reason - an educated, enthusiastic young work force - to call Vacaville home.
After the program was delayed somewhat by modernization
projects at Vacaville High, some 30 students are finally decoding the up-and-coming world of biotechnology, delving into DNA and genetic manipulation.
"My goal is that by the time my students get out of here, they can work in any biotech lab," said Yen Verhoeven, the program's petite, but animated instructor.
During a lab this week, Ver-hoeven guided students through an experiment in genetic engineering. Through a process called "heat-shocking," students forced E. coli bacteria cells to incorporate bioluminescent DNA from jellyfish.
If the novice lab technicians were successful, their samples would glow in the dark.
"This is the very start of the genetically-modified products we use every day," Verhoeven said.
The in-class lab assignment was a scaled-down version of genetic-modification experiments students observed last week at the University of California, Davis. From those types of experiments come disease-resistant vegetables and other enhanced products.
When Verhoeven's students finish the class, she said, they will have learned not only the basic techniques needed to work in biotech labs, but also the theories behind them.
That experience puts them ahead of many seeking to break into the competitive and potentially lucrative job market.
"A lot of these students have skills a college undergrad doesn't have," said Verhoeven, who worked in a biotech lab for three years before becoming a teacher. "A lot of the techniques they are learning are things I did in the field every day."
Students like Nathan Golwitzer, 17, said he hoped the class will translate into a biotech job after graduation.
"Genentech is right there. It's convenient and something interesting,"
Golwitzer, a senior, said.
Other students had not made up their mind about post-secondary careers or education, but were equally enthusiastic about the biotechnology class.
"We do a lot of labs and it's more hands-on," said senior Jacob Smith, 17, when asked why he enjoyed the class. "We learn more about medicine and how to make it."
The program is part of the Solano County Office of Education's regional occupation program and includes the potential for students to earn internships. In addition, it operates off a $50,000 grant from Genentech and is in its second year.
However, the biotech program was hampered during the 2003-04 school year by ongoing modernization projects at Vacaville High. Instead of hands-on labs, students were forced to watch computer simulations.
Now, students conduct labs three or four days a week, research college-level journal articles and develop their skills as would-be lab techs.
"By the time they get out of here, they will have plenty of stuff to put on their resumes," Verhoeven said.
David Henson can be reached at schools@thereporter.com.
By David Henson/Staff Writer
Lately it seems all economic roads in Vacaville lead to the entrances of big biotech companies like Genentech. Those roads, civic leaders hope, will be lined with green, if not gold. Similarly, city leaders cheer with unabashed enthusiasm biotech companies who expand their economic influence in Vacaville, hoping the city will become a hub for an industry boom.
Even Vacaville High School is doing its part to tap the market through its new biotechnology vocational program and perhaps give companies one more reason - an educated, enthusiastic young work force - to call Vacaville home.
After the program was delayed somewhat by modernization
projects at Vacaville High, some 30 students are finally decoding the up-and-coming world of biotechnology, delving into DNA and genetic manipulation.
"My goal is that by the time my students get out of here, they can work in any biotech lab," said Yen Verhoeven, the program's petite, but animated instructor.
During a lab this week, Ver-hoeven guided students through an experiment in genetic engineering. Through a process called "heat-shocking," students forced E. coli bacteria cells to incorporate bioluminescent DNA from jellyfish.
If the novice lab technicians were successful, their samples would glow in the dark.
"This is the very start of the genetically-modified products we use every day," Verhoeven said.
The in-class lab assignment was a scaled-down version of genetic-modification experiments students observed last week at the University of California, Davis. From those types of experiments come disease-resistant vegetables and other enhanced products.
When Verhoeven's students finish the class, she said, they will have learned not only the basic techniques needed to work in biotech labs, but also the theories behind them.
That experience puts them ahead of many seeking to break into the competitive and potentially lucrative job market.
"A lot of these students have skills a college undergrad doesn't have," said Verhoeven, who worked in a biotech lab for three years before becoming a teacher. "A lot of the techniques they are learning are things I did in the field every day."
Students like Nathan Golwitzer, 17, said he hoped the class will translate into a biotech job after graduation.
"Genentech is right there. It's convenient and something interesting,"
Golwitzer, a senior, said.
Other students had not made up their mind about post-secondary careers or education, but were equally enthusiastic about the biotechnology class.
"We do a lot of labs and it's more hands-on," said senior Jacob Smith, 17, when asked why he enjoyed the class. "We learn more about medicine and how to make it."
The program is part of the Solano County Office of Education's regional occupation program and includes the potential for students to earn internships. In addition, it operates off a $50,000 grant from Genentech and is in its second year.
However, the biotech program was hampered during the 2003-04 school year by ongoing modernization projects at Vacaville High. Instead of hands-on labs, students were forced to watch computer simulations.
Now, students conduct labs three or four days a week, research college-level journal articles and develop their skills as would-be lab techs.
"By the time they get out of here, they will have plenty of stuff to put on their resumes," Verhoeven said.
David Henson can be reached at schools@thereporter.com.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Jelly Belly chairman going on Japan trip with governor
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN, Times-Herald staff writer
Jelly Belly's chairman is among dozens of California cabinet secretaries, business executives, state agriculture leaders and tourism officials accompanying Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to Japan this week to promote the state and its products.
Herman Rowland said he's not sure how he got on the list of delegates, but plans to take full advantage of the opportunity.
"We've supported the governor when he was first talking about running," Rowland said. "I've been to some events and somehow I got on a list.
"We are a California manufacturer and it was an opportunity for us to support California," he added.
Rowland said he plans to promote Jelly Belly jelly beans in particular and California in general on the trip.
"We're taking along some little packets of jelly beans that say invest, buy and visit California', in English and in traditional Japanese lettering, that we'll hand out at the different functions as a California product and as a thank you."
Schwarzenegger's focus is a little broader.
"I'm going to Japan to market and sell California, as I said I would. On the trip, I will promote California products, California-grown produce and tourism," Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement. "One of the important things is to go out and to sell California, because we have so much to offer, and to let Japan and the rest of the world know that we are open for business and that this is a new California. We are going to promote California as pro-business, pro-environment and pro-workers."
Delegation members will encourage Japanese consumers and businesses to buy California grown produce and products, visit California as tourists and bring more jobs to the state, the statement said.
Rowland said he's looking forward to what will be his third trip to Japan.
"This is a great mission for the governor," Rowland said. "He reaches out to people - he touches people. I've seen him in action. And I'm sure this will help promote California and the state's tourism."
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Jelly Belly's chairman is among dozens of California cabinet secretaries, business executives, state agriculture leaders and tourism officials accompanying Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to Japan this week to promote the state and its products.
Herman Rowland said he's not sure how he got on the list of delegates, but plans to take full advantage of the opportunity.
"We've supported the governor when he was first talking about running," Rowland said. "I've been to some events and somehow I got on a list.
"We are a California manufacturer and it was an opportunity for us to support California," he added.
Rowland said he plans to promote Jelly Belly jelly beans in particular and California in general on the trip.
"We're taking along some little packets of jelly beans that say invest, buy and visit California', in English and in traditional Japanese lettering, that we'll hand out at the different functions as a California product and as a thank you."
Schwarzenegger's focus is a little broader.
"I'm going to Japan to market and sell California, as I said I would. On the trip, I will promote California products, California-grown produce and tourism," Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement. "One of the important things is to go out and to sell California, because we have so much to offer, and to let Japan and the rest of the world know that we are open for business and that this is a new California. We are going to promote California as pro-business, pro-environment and pro-workers."
Delegation members will encourage Japanese consumers and businesses to buy California grown produce and products, visit California as tourists and bring more jobs to the state, the statement said.
Rowland said he's looking forward to what will be his third trip to Japan.
"This is a great mission for the governor," Rowland said. "He reaches out to people - he touches people. I've seen him in action. And I'm sure this will help promote California and the state's tourism."
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Monday, November 08, 2004
Travis well positioned for expanded missions
by Bud Ross - Daily Republic
People often ask how Travis Air Force Base will likely fare in the current round of Base Realignment and Closure Commission deliberations.
There are criteria changes in this round of BRAC that place added emphasis on the ability of bases to support "joint" (Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force) war fighting, training and readiness. This is driven by the transformation of our Armed Forces toward jointness and rapid response.
Military value and flexibility will drive the decision during this process..
While no one can say for certain how Travis will be affected by the BRAC, there are several positive factors in the base's favor:
Infrastructure improvements: Deteriorating and difficult-to-maintain buildings have been replaced by newer, energy efficient ones.
A modern control tower and radar approach control facility have been built along with new aircraft operations and maintenance facilities. The underground petroleum refueling system is being upgraded. Modern on-base housing has been built and older substandard houses razed. More than one million square feet of obsolete temporary buildings have been removed, enabling siting and construction for new missions.
New Missions: The newest airlifter, the C-17, will soon call Travis home. Important Navy and Army units are located here and there is the possibility of a Coast Guard presence.
Unimpeded Operations: Air space and training routes are unencumbered. A portion of the land east of the base, formerly known as the Wilcox Ranch, was purchased by the county and Fairfield from the Nature Conservatory through negotiations. The land will continue to be used for agriculture until such time as needed for base expansion.
Land-use restrictions around the base are in place to ensure there is no incompatible development to jeopardize operations. Moreover, there is adequate expansion capability in the "Travis Reserve" to accommodate additional base housing and administrative/logistics facilities, if needed.
With the Bay Area's recent improvement in air quality, there should be little difficulty getting additional air emission credits for new missions.
Strategic Location: Travis remains at the center of inter-modal transportation hubs like the ports of Oakland and Stockton, has ready access to Interstate 80, is near major intercontinental rail heads and is near international passenger and cargo airfields in San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento. It can quickly support the movement of West Coast military and homeland defense units including National Guard and Reserve.
Homeland Security: After 911, the base became the platform for fighter aircraft protecting the skies over the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and the Silicon Valley. State and federal relief efforts for Northern California such as earthquake or man-made disaster will likely focus on Travis. Its emergency response capability is well known. Unlike many California hospitals, David Grant Medical Facility was built to withstand earthquakes.
Additional Missions Capacity: Travis is well-suited to accommodate additional DOD and DHS missions which are natural fits. Rapid mobility capability makes Travis a perfect location to house fast-response teams like FEMA, and Army and Air Force Guard and Reserve units.
There are also great opportunities to combine Defense Logistic Agency operations closer to the where the "rubber meets the ramp". Ample munitions storage areas formerly used to support Fort Ord can readily accommodate combat-arms units.
Community Support: Commander after commander say that community support for Travis is unsurpassed. The TRAFC, comprised of civic leaders, Solano County chambers of commerce, elected officials at city, county, state and federal level, meets monthly to exchange information. TRAFC also hosts a number of events for Travis military personnel throughout the year.
Members of TRAFC have gone to Washington, D.C. to champion new military construction and new missions for the base. Members of Congress have been well-positioned and very supportive in keeping Travis well-financed. Members of TRAFC and other community groups have worked successfully to make affordable off-base rental housing available to Travis personnel. They have also gone to bat for more equitable housing allowances.
Travis is truly a gem in our National Defense System. However, the decision of which bases remain open is ultimately political. One can never be certain the decisions will be driven by "facts" so much as by the "factions" within the process.
That is why TRAFC, Solano County, all the cities within the county, Solano Community College and the Solano Economic Development Corporation have joined forces in an organization called the Travis Community Consortium. This group funds lobbying efforts to keep Travis viable.
Both groups will work hard with our Congressional representatives to ensure Travis remains essential and relevant in our nation's defense. Together we will get those new missions and evolve beyond what was yesterday's mode of operations.
Bud Ross is chairman of the Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee.
People often ask how Travis Air Force Base will likely fare in the current round of Base Realignment and Closure Commission deliberations.
There are criteria changes in this round of BRAC that place added emphasis on the ability of bases to support "joint" (Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force) war fighting, training and readiness. This is driven by the transformation of our Armed Forces toward jointness and rapid response.
Military value and flexibility will drive the decision during this process..
While no one can say for certain how Travis will be affected by the BRAC, there are several positive factors in the base's favor:
Infrastructure improvements: Deteriorating and difficult-to-maintain buildings have been replaced by newer, energy efficient ones.
A modern control tower and radar approach control facility have been built along with new aircraft operations and maintenance facilities. The underground petroleum refueling system is being upgraded. Modern on-base housing has been built and older substandard houses razed. More than one million square feet of obsolete temporary buildings have been removed, enabling siting and construction for new missions.
New Missions: The newest airlifter, the C-17, will soon call Travis home. Important Navy and Army units are located here and there is the possibility of a Coast Guard presence.
Unimpeded Operations: Air space and training routes are unencumbered. A portion of the land east of the base, formerly known as the Wilcox Ranch, was purchased by the county and Fairfield from the Nature Conservatory through negotiations. The land will continue to be used for agriculture until such time as needed for base expansion.
Land-use restrictions around the base are in place to ensure there is no incompatible development to jeopardize operations. Moreover, there is adequate expansion capability in the "Travis Reserve" to accommodate additional base housing and administrative/logistics facilities, if needed.
With the Bay Area's recent improvement in air quality, there should be little difficulty getting additional air emission credits for new missions.
Strategic Location: Travis remains at the center of inter-modal transportation hubs like the ports of Oakland and Stockton, has ready access to Interstate 80, is near major intercontinental rail heads and is near international passenger and cargo airfields in San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento. It can quickly support the movement of West Coast military and homeland defense units including National Guard and Reserve.
Homeland Security: After 911, the base became the platform for fighter aircraft protecting the skies over the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and the Silicon Valley. State and federal relief efforts for Northern California such as earthquake or man-made disaster will likely focus on Travis. Its emergency response capability is well known. Unlike many California hospitals, David Grant Medical Facility was built to withstand earthquakes.
Additional Missions Capacity: Travis is well-suited to accommodate additional DOD and DHS missions which are natural fits. Rapid mobility capability makes Travis a perfect location to house fast-response teams like FEMA, and Army and Air Force Guard and Reserve units.
There are also great opportunities to combine Defense Logistic Agency operations closer to the where the "rubber meets the ramp". Ample munitions storage areas formerly used to support Fort Ord can readily accommodate combat-arms units.
Community Support: Commander after commander say that community support for Travis is unsurpassed. The TRAFC, comprised of civic leaders, Solano County chambers of commerce, elected officials at city, county, state and federal level, meets monthly to exchange information. TRAFC also hosts a number of events for Travis military personnel throughout the year.
Members of TRAFC have gone to Washington, D.C. to champion new military construction and new missions for the base. Members of Congress have been well-positioned and very supportive in keeping Travis well-financed. Members of TRAFC and other community groups have worked successfully to make affordable off-base rental housing available to Travis personnel. They have also gone to bat for more equitable housing allowances.
Travis is truly a gem in our National Defense System. However, the decision of which bases remain open is ultimately political. One can never be certain the decisions will be driven by "facts" so much as by the "factions" within the process.
That is why TRAFC, Solano County, all the cities within the county, Solano Community College and the Solano Economic Development Corporation have joined forces in an organization called the Travis Community Consortium. This group funds lobbying efforts to keep Travis viable.
Both groups will work hard with our Congressional representatives to ensure Travis remains essential and relevant in our nation's defense. Together we will get those new missions and evolve beyond what was yesterday's mode of operations.
Bud Ross is chairman of the Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
State Farm building opens for business
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN, Times-Herald staff writer
State Farm Insurance officially opens its Vallejo Operations Center on Monday, following the first phase of a two-phase move, a company spokeswoman said.
Marie Parks of Benicia, a State Farm claims manager for 23 years, said the first phase of the move takes place Friday and the second phase will begin next Friday and be completed Monday, Nov. 15.
"People are moving in from three locations," Parks said. "We're doing the move in two phases to ensure uninterrupted customer service."
Located on the waterfront at 400 Mare Island Way near Capitol Street, the new center will initially employ about 200 people, a number that's expected to rise in the future, according to an official statement.
Several State Farm employees like Parks, who have been commuting from Vallejo, Benicia and other nearby towns, have been transferred to the new facility, and other locals have been hired to replace those who chose not to move or commute, Parks said. Several have moved to Vallejo and nearby cities, Parks said, adding that "between transferees and new hires, at least 50 employees have been hired, and even more support staff has been hired."
"The hiring process began about a year ago," Parks said. "In California, State Farm consolidated quite a few of our offices to become more efficient. The primary object is to keep insurance premiums down for our customers. Vallejo's office is the last element in a reorganization plan."
Last month, State Farm held a Safety Fair at the new center, which included a car seat clinic with visits by California Highway Patrol and Vallejo Fire Department members.
As the largest insurer of cars and homes in the United States, State Farm has 25 operations centers in 13 zones with staffs that underwrite insurance policies, process claims and oversee the company's business in their areas. The company has more than 79,000 employees and 16,000 agents and their employees throughout the United States and parts of Canada, according to an official statement.
Work on the Capitol Street extension next to the State Farm building is also nearly completed. The remaining work, including landscaping, installation of street lights and a traffic signal is expected to be completed by January. The newly resurfaced ferry parking lot adjacent to State Farm has been striped and is open for public use.
"We're very much looking forward to being in Vallejo," Parks said. "In the 23 years I've been with the company, I've commuted all over, for the past 18 years, from Benicia. For the past seven years, I commuted to Rohnert Park. The community, the city and the Chamber of Commerce have been very welcoming and we're looking forward to being part of the business community in Vallejo."
-- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
State Farm Insurance officially opens its Vallejo Operations Center on Monday, following the first phase of a two-phase move, a company spokeswoman said.
Marie Parks of Benicia, a State Farm claims manager for 23 years, said the first phase of the move takes place Friday and the second phase will begin next Friday and be completed Monday, Nov. 15.
"People are moving in from three locations," Parks said. "We're doing the move in two phases to ensure uninterrupted customer service."
Located on the waterfront at 400 Mare Island Way near Capitol Street, the new center will initially employ about 200 people, a number that's expected to rise in the future, according to an official statement.
Several State Farm employees like Parks, who have been commuting from Vallejo, Benicia and other nearby towns, have been transferred to the new facility, and other locals have been hired to replace those who chose not to move or commute, Parks said. Several have moved to Vallejo and nearby cities, Parks said, adding that "between transferees and new hires, at least 50 employees have been hired, and even more support staff has been hired."
"The hiring process began about a year ago," Parks said. "In California, State Farm consolidated quite a few of our offices to become more efficient. The primary object is to keep insurance premiums down for our customers. Vallejo's office is the last element in a reorganization plan."
Last month, State Farm held a Safety Fair at the new center, which included a car seat clinic with visits by California Highway Patrol and Vallejo Fire Department members.
As the largest insurer of cars and homes in the United States, State Farm has 25 operations centers in 13 zones with staffs that underwrite insurance policies, process claims and oversee the company's business in their areas. The company has more than 79,000 employees and 16,000 agents and their employees throughout the United States and parts of Canada, according to an official statement.
Work on the Capitol Street extension next to the State Farm building is also nearly completed. The remaining work, including landscaping, installation of street lights and a traffic signal is expected to be completed by January. The newly resurfaced ferry parking lot adjacent to State Farm has been striped and is open for public use.
"We're very much looking forward to being in Vallejo," Parks said. "In the 23 years I've been with the company, I've commuted all over, for the past 18 years, from Benicia. For the past seven years, I commuted to Rohnert Park. The community, the city and the Chamber of Commerce have been very welcoming and we're looking forward to being part of the business community in Vallejo."
-- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Ladies and gentlemen, start your shovels
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN, Times-Herald staff writer
Arctic-like temperatures Thursday morning failed to chill the enthusiasm of those attending a groundbreaking ceremony for Vallejo's Sutter Solano Medical Center's new Cancer Center and Medical Office Building.
The three-story, 58,000-square-foot facility is going up at a projected cost of $24 million. It is expected to be completed by September 2005.
"We waited three years for this as we expanded our cancer program and reached out to the community and this is very exciting," said Sutter Solano spokeswoman Janice Hoss. The new building is being billed as the only comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer treatment center in Vallejo and its immediate vicinity.
"Focus groups and surveys showed people here don't want to have to leave the area for treatment," Hoss said.
Everything about the center - from the services offered to the building's design - will be geared to addressing "the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients," according to an official Sutter statement. Craig Mulford of the Sacramento and Colorado-based architectural firm of Boulder Associates who designed the center, said he had all those elements in mind as he and others worked out the building's details.
"It's located on a corner, and had to be a very prominent building to announced entry (into the medical complex)," Mulford said. "We needed to enhance landscaping to help create a sense of a special place where healing can begin."
The center's ground floor will offer radiation, medical oncology, chemotherapy suites, a resource center and library, support services, clinical trials, complimentary medicine, cancer support groups and other cancer services. "Healing environmental elements" like waterfalls, gardens and massage therapy, will be incorporated into the facility, the statement says. A fireplace in the library will add a touch of warmth, Hoss said. Medical offices will occupy the two upper floors, and there will be 243 dedicated parking spaces, as well.
An estimated 100 local dignitaries and others crowded the white tent set up in the parking lot near the center's construction site Thursday where, warmed by a free-standing pole heater, they listened to a series of speakers, and enjoyed the music of "Healing Muses."
Vallejo Mayor Tony Intintoli, Jr. expressed his gratitude to the Sutter organization for selecting Vallejo as the site for the new center. Pointing to the "huge need" for such a facility in the area, Intintoli said, "we are blessed in this community with wonderful medical facilities. This is a glorious day."
Cancer Center Building Committee member Dale Welsh echoed that sentiment, calling the groundbreaking "a banner day - a day of celebration and profound appreciation that cancer patients and their families who struggle bravely won't have to leave the community to get treatment."
Having cancer treatment available nearby is the biggest issue for cancer survivor Rev. Carolyn Dyson, whose daughter's breast cancer diagnosis came only four months after her own.
"I remember having to commute to our chemotherapy and radiation treatments," Dyson said. "I remember holding my left breast so my stitches wouldn't pop and looking for a place to sit and wait for my daughter to finish her treatment, and there was no place. I had to lay in the back seat of my car to rest and wait.
"I'm envisioning a place where patients' spiritual and emotional needs, as well as their medical ones, will be addressed," Dyson added. "This project is a godsend for patients and their families."
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at: RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Arctic-like temperatures Thursday morning failed to chill the enthusiasm of those attending a groundbreaking ceremony for Vallejo's Sutter Solano Medical Center's new Cancer Center and Medical Office Building.
The three-story, 58,000-square-foot facility is going up at a projected cost of $24 million. It is expected to be completed by September 2005.
"We waited three years for this as we expanded our cancer program and reached out to the community and this is very exciting," said Sutter Solano spokeswoman Janice Hoss. The new building is being billed as the only comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer treatment center in Vallejo and its immediate vicinity.
"Focus groups and surveys showed people here don't want to have to leave the area for treatment," Hoss said.
Everything about the center - from the services offered to the building's design - will be geared to addressing "the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients," according to an official Sutter statement. Craig Mulford of the Sacramento and Colorado-based architectural firm of Boulder Associates who designed the center, said he had all those elements in mind as he and others worked out the building's details.
"It's located on a corner, and had to be a very prominent building to announced entry (into the medical complex)," Mulford said. "We needed to enhance landscaping to help create a sense of a special place where healing can begin."
The center's ground floor will offer radiation, medical oncology, chemotherapy suites, a resource center and library, support services, clinical trials, complimentary medicine, cancer support groups and other cancer services. "Healing environmental elements" like waterfalls, gardens and massage therapy, will be incorporated into the facility, the statement says. A fireplace in the library will add a touch of warmth, Hoss said. Medical offices will occupy the two upper floors, and there will be 243 dedicated parking spaces, as well.
An estimated 100 local dignitaries and others crowded the white tent set up in the parking lot near the center's construction site Thursday where, warmed by a free-standing pole heater, they listened to a series of speakers, and enjoyed the music of "Healing Muses."
Vallejo Mayor Tony Intintoli, Jr. expressed his gratitude to the Sutter organization for selecting Vallejo as the site for the new center. Pointing to the "huge need" for such a facility in the area, Intintoli said, "we are blessed in this community with wonderful medical facilities. This is a glorious day."
Cancer Center Building Committee member Dale Welsh echoed that sentiment, calling the groundbreaking "a banner day - a day of celebration and profound appreciation that cancer patients and their families who struggle bravely won't have to leave the community to get treatment."
Having cancer treatment available nearby is the biggest issue for cancer survivor Rev. Carolyn Dyson, whose daughter's breast cancer diagnosis came only four months after her own.
"I remember having to commute to our chemotherapy and radiation treatments," Dyson said. "I remember holding my left breast so my stitches wouldn't pop and looking for a place to sit and wait for my daughter to finish her treatment, and there was no place. I had to lay in the back seat of my car to rest and wait.
"I'm envisioning a place where patients' spiritual and emotional needs, as well as their medical ones, will be addressed," Dyson added. "This project is a godsend for patients and their families."
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at: RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Chamber of Commerce chooses CEO
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD - After a four-month executive search, the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce chose an Arizona candidate as its next chief executive officer.
David Sommer, of Prescott, Ariz., will succeed interim CEO Bud Ross in December. Ross had filled in for Mark Essman, who left the chamber's top spot in June for a position with the Marin County Visitors and Convention Center.
Prior to working for the Prescott Chamber of Commerce, where he spent the past eight years, Sommer served as chamber manager for the city of Whitefish, Mont., and as executive director of the chamber in Spearfish, S.D.
Sommer was chosen for his proven leadership ability and for his knack for recruiting new chamber members, said Mac McManigal, one of seven chamber executive board members who unanimously chose Sommer over 14 other candidates.
"We chose him for a number of reasons," McManigal said of Sommer. "First, the Prescott chamber was in very good shape financially.
"Second, he was very much involved with membership recruitment."
While in Prescott, Sommer helped grow the chamber's business membership from 600 to more than 1,100. Plus, all of the other chambers he's worked for have consistently exceeded membership totals compared to the national average, according to a statement by the Fairfield-Suisun chamber.
"He's exactly what we need to carry out the work of the chamber," McManigal said. "His leadership should help us to continue to grow."
During the past five years, McManigal watched the chamber's membership increase from 500 to about 750. But he said there's more potential for growth.
Sommer, who first set foot in Fairfield when he arrived for the interview, said it appears to be a "progressive" community. It has all the elements he was looking for, he said.
"I was impressed with the industrial parks in Fairfield and the Suisun waterfront," he said. "From what I saw, it looked like a challenge and a really good fit for me."
To quench the chamber's thirst for greater membership, Sommer plans to help "brand" the chamber through marketing and other promotions. While chambers typically spend loads of time promoting their members, they often overlook the importance of increasing their own visibility, he said.
"You have to show the value of belonging to the chamber," he said.
But Sommer, who holds degrees from the University of Montana and Montana State University, was quick to point out that he will need a solid support staff to achieve all of the board's goals.
"It starts with a good staff, a forward-looking board and solid membership," he said. "Those are the most critical elements of a chamber's success."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
FAIRFIELD - After a four-month executive search, the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce chose an Arizona candidate as its next chief executive officer.
David Sommer, of Prescott, Ariz., will succeed interim CEO Bud Ross in December. Ross had filled in for Mark Essman, who left the chamber's top spot in June for a position with the Marin County Visitors and Convention Center.
Prior to working for the Prescott Chamber of Commerce, where he spent the past eight years, Sommer served as chamber manager for the city of Whitefish, Mont., and as executive director of the chamber in Spearfish, S.D.
Sommer was chosen for his proven leadership ability and for his knack for recruiting new chamber members, said Mac McManigal, one of seven chamber executive board members who unanimously chose Sommer over 14 other candidates.
"We chose him for a number of reasons," McManigal said of Sommer. "First, the Prescott chamber was in very good shape financially.
"Second, he was very much involved with membership recruitment."
While in Prescott, Sommer helped grow the chamber's business membership from 600 to more than 1,100. Plus, all of the other chambers he's worked for have consistently exceeded membership totals compared to the national average, according to a statement by the Fairfield-Suisun chamber.
"He's exactly what we need to carry out the work of the chamber," McManigal said. "His leadership should help us to continue to grow."
During the past five years, McManigal watched the chamber's membership increase from 500 to about 750. But he said there's more potential for growth.
Sommer, who first set foot in Fairfield when he arrived for the interview, said it appears to be a "progressive" community. It has all the elements he was looking for, he said.
"I was impressed with the industrial parks in Fairfield and the Suisun waterfront," he said. "From what I saw, it looked like a challenge and a really good fit for me."
To quench the chamber's thirst for greater membership, Sommer plans to help "brand" the chamber through marketing and other promotions. While chambers typically spend loads of time promoting their members, they often overlook the importance of increasing their own visibility, he said.
"You have to show the value of belonging to the chamber," he said.
But Sommer, who holds degrees from the University of Montana and Montana State University, was quick to point out that he will need a solid support staff to achieve all of the board's goals.
"It starts with a good staff, a forward-looking board and solid membership," he said. "Those are the most critical elements of a chamber's success."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Sun Microsystems, Inc. Selects University of California, Davis for Center Of Excellence in Public Health and Safety Informatics
Press Release Source: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. Selects University of California, Davis as Sun Center Of Excellence in Public Health and Safety Informatics
Monday November 1, 5:44 pm ET
First Sun Center of Excellence in University of California System
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Recognizing University of California, Davis, for its contribution to health and safety research and technology, Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW - News) announced its selection of this University as a Center of Excellence (COE) in Public Health and Safety. The COE utilizes Sun's grid computing environment to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of computing resources and enable collaboration among four key research centers to advance experiments and programs.
Sun unveiled the new Center of Excellence during UC Davis' Annual Corporate Sponsor Day for the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), of which Sun is a founding member. Sun recognized UC Davis' contribution to science and research and highlighted its commitment to the COE in order to help educational institutions share ideas and resources to advance research and technologies in the areas of public health and safety.
UC Davis has established a reputation as a premier research university in areas including computational science and engineering, physics, chemistry, and bioinformatics, and they turned to Sun to help continue its advancement as a leading research institution. The Sun solution at UC Davis consists of 57 SunFire(TM) V20z servers based on the AMD Opteron processor, and an annual subscription to Sun's Education Software Portfolio. This software portfolio includes software products including Sun(TM) Grid Engine Enterprise Edition and the Sun Java(TM) Enterprise System. UC Davis is deploying Sun's grid computing solutions, based on the Sun Grid Infrastructure Reference Architecture, to gain more compute power, better utilize its current compute resources, simplify manageability, and improve collaboration among its researchers.
"UC Davis is making amazing contributions to education and research," said Enrique Lavernia, dean of the UC Davis engineering department. "Our selection as a Sun COE will serve as a model to the industry for best practices in the area of technology and research in public health and safety."
"The Sun solution allows UC Davis and its research colleagues to run applications on remote servers, sharing memory subsystems and externalizing graphic cards regardless of the physical location of their systems. They are enabled to maximize the availability and utilization of the computing environment through this approach," said Kim Jones, vice president of global education and research at Sun. "The Sun Center makes it transparent to the user where the computer resides, so it really helps budget-conscious institutions leverage an affordable and versatile computing infrastructure -- something that is key to keeping universities on the cutting edge of research and development."
"We are building a premier public health and safety research program, and that requires an expanded network of technology and resources. Sun's grid environment is allowing UC Davis to put that network in place," Dean Lavernia added.
One of the key users of the Sun Center of Excellence at UC Davis is the Computational Science and Engineering Center. The focus of this Center is to use computer computation to better understand complex systems by using inter-disciplinary science and engineering. UC Davis is now able to run applications much faster and also run new numeric intensive applications. Another project underway at the Center of Computational Science and Engineering is QuakeSim. The NASA-sponsored initiative is developing computer models to forecast earthquakes with accuracy similar to that of current forecasts for hurricane paths.
Sun's Center of Excellence program includes more than 75 centers worldwide in the areas of high performance computing, computational biology, digital libraries and e-learning.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com .
NOTE: Sun, Sun Microsystems, Java, SunFire the Sun logo and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
For More Information Contact
Kristen Hyland
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
650-786-3007
kristen.hyland@sun.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. Selects University of California, Davis as Sun Center Of Excellence in Public Health and Safety Informatics
Monday November 1, 5:44 pm ET
First Sun Center of Excellence in University of California System
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Recognizing University of California, Davis, for its contribution to health and safety research and technology, Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW - News) announced its selection of this University as a Center of Excellence (COE) in Public Health and Safety. The COE utilizes Sun's grid computing environment to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of computing resources and enable collaboration among four key research centers to advance experiments and programs.
Sun unveiled the new Center of Excellence during UC Davis' Annual Corporate Sponsor Day for the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), of which Sun is a founding member. Sun recognized UC Davis' contribution to science and research and highlighted its commitment to the COE in order to help educational institutions share ideas and resources to advance research and technologies in the areas of public health and safety.
UC Davis has established a reputation as a premier research university in areas including computational science and engineering, physics, chemistry, and bioinformatics, and they turned to Sun to help continue its advancement as a leading research institution. The Sun solution at UC Davis consists of 57 SunFire(TM) V20z servers based on the AMD Opteron processor, and an annual subscription to Sun's Education Software Portfolio. This software portfolio includes software products including Sun(TM) Grid Engine Enterprise Edition and the Sun Java(TM) Enterprise System. UC Davis is deploying Sun's grid computing solutions, based on the Sun Grid Infrastructure Reference Architecture, to gain more compute power, better utilize its current compute resources, simplify manageability, and improve collaboration among its researchers.
"UC Davis is making amazing contributions to education and research," said Enrique Lavernia, dean of the UC Davis engineering department. "Our selection as a Sun COE will serve as a model to the industry for best practices in the area of technology and research in public health and safety."
"The Sun solution allows UC Davis and its research colleagues to run applications on remote servers, sharing memory subsystems and externalizing graphic cards regardless of the physical location of their systems. They are enabled to maximize the availability and utilization of the computing environment through this approach," said Kim Jones, vice president of global education and research at Sun. "The Sun Center makes it transparent to the user where the computer resides, so it really helps budget-conscious institutions leverage an affordable and versatile computing infrastructure -- something that is key to keeping universities on the cutting edge of research and development."
"We are building a premier public health and safety research program, and that requires an expanded network of technology and resources. Sun's grid environment is allowing UC Davis to put that network in place," Dean Lavernia added.
One of the key users of the Sun Center of Excellence at UC Davis is the Computational Science and Engineering Center. The focus of this Center is to use computer computation to better understand complex systems by using inter-disciplinary science and engineering. UC Davis is now able to run applications much faster and also run new numeric intensive applications. Another project underway at the Center of Computational Science and Engineering is QuakeSim. The NASA-sponsored initiative is developing computer models to forecast earthquakes with accuracy similar to that of current forecasts for hurricane paths.
Sun's Center of Excellence program includes more than 75 centers worldwide in the areas of high performance computing, computational biology, digital libraries and e-learning.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com .
NOTE: Sun, Sun Microsystems, Java, SunFire the Sun logo and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
For More Information Contact
Kristen Hyland
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
650-786-3007
kristen.hyland@sun.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Monday, November 01, 2004
UC DAVIS RESEARCH AWARDS TOP $420 MILLION
University of California, Davis
October 29, 2004
UC DAVIS RESEARCH AWARDS TOP $420 MILLION
UC Davis researchers received $420.7 million in extramural funding in 2003-04. The figure represents a slight decrease over the previous year's record total of $426.3 million. The decline reflects a reduction in state funding of $24.8 million, but was offset by increases in federal and business funding of $14 million and $11.7 million respectively.
"It is good news that our federal and business funding continue to increase. State funding is a particularly large component of our campus research portfolio, and this has made us vulnerable to cutbacks in state spending. Hopefully, California's economic recovery will restore some of our cuts, and we remain optimistic about high-profile major research initiatives that are under way, several of which have been submitted for support," said Vice Chancellor for Research Barry Klein.
Federal and state agencies remain the primary sponsors of research, accounting for over 71 percent of funds received. However, non-state and non-federal sources contributed a record $121 million.
The federal government provided 1,095 research awards, with almost half of that number, 448 awards totaling $140.2 million, from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The National Science Foundation provided the next largest source of federal funds, awarding $45 million in 290 grants. Other federal agencies providing funding include the U.S. departments of:
Agriculture ($18.2 million), Energy ($13.7 million), Defense ($10 million), State ($3.5 million), Education ($3.2 million), and Interior ($3.2 million).
The School of Medicine, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the School of Veterinary Medicine were the top three funding recipients.
The strengths of campus research programs are also evident in the latest National Science Foundation rankings for research and development expenditures, where UC Davis placed 14th overall in total R&D expenditures for fiscal year 2002-03, moving up one place from the previous year. Individual areas where the campus ranked exceptionally well in R&D expenditures include: first in agriculture; third in non-federal funding expenditures; seventh in biological sciences; 13th in life sciences, including medicine, agriculture and biological sciences.
Media contact(s):
* Andy Fell, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-4533, ahfell@ucdavis.edu
------------------------------------------------
Our full UC Davis directory of media services and 24-hour contact information is available at <http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/services>.
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Need information from campus news archives? The UC Davis News Service database contains past (and current) UC Davis news stories dating to 1991. Go to <http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/>.
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<http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/>
<http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/services/expert_sources.lasso>
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UC Davis News Service
One Shields Avenue
Davis, California 95616-8687
newsservice@ucdavis.edu
Phone: (530) 752-1930; Fax: (530) 752-4068
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Sunday, October 31, 2004
A city on the grow
Dixon enjoys dynamic business development
By Barbara Smith/Business Writer
Cold Stone Creamery. Payless Shoe Source. Supercuts. Game Stop. Subway.
Those are just a few of the new businesses coming to Dixon.
New business in Dixon - big or small - is either under construction, wending its way through city approvals or being considered carefully by developers. The tiny city to the north is becoming one of the hottest commerce spots in Solano County.
Marshall Drack, the city's economic development director said compared to the size of the community, the level of activity is remarkable.
"We're enjoying a broad diversity of economic growth in retail, commercial, restaurant, office, industrial, as well as residential," Drack said.
The lure? Dixon has excellent Interstate 80 exposure, Drack said.
"Now everybody knows we're here," he said. "So, although we're a town of 18,000, ... we've got 150,000 cars a day going by that see us (and are) part of our community for a few minutes."
Visible from the I-80 is Wal-Mart, which opened in 2003 in Dixon's 643-acre Northeast Quadrant, specifically planned years ago as an employment center with a business park, industrial and commercial areas. The land around the retail giant is cluttered with signs from real estate brokers anxious to sell land that has not already been snapped up.
Jim Jeary, division manager for Sacramento-based Panattoni Development, said Wal-Mart is one of the main reasons retail businesses are scoping Dixon.
The ice cream and sandwich shops, hair salon, shoe store, game center and more near Wal-Mart will encompass 13,000 to 15,000 square feet of retail, Jeary said. And he understands the broker has the space fully leased, and hasn't even begun construction.
"He's got a significant number of tenants already lined up," Jeary said.
Just down the road from Wal-Mart, Panattoni and Wickland Oil Co. are in contract to sell about 4 of 12.5 acres both firms own on the southeast corner of North First Street and Vaughn Road to Tractor Supply Co., which would be a 50,000 square-foot facility. The firm has 300 locations in the Midwest. But there are a lot of approvals in the entitlement process, and the contract is contingent upon those approvals, he said.
"If the deal with Tractor Supply goes, we will probably build about a 12,000 to 13,000 square-foot retail strip center at that same corner," Jeary said. "And then we're talking other prospects as well.
Jeary said Dixon's residential base is also part of what attracts retail interests to the city. And as those business developments move forward, that also attracts retail, he said.
According to Drack, some recent business development projects in Dixon include:
• a 28,000-square-foot
office building and another 28,000 square-foot industrial building Vaughn Road;
• a 13,350-square-foot commercial building in the approval process on Market Lane;
• 34,901 square feet of commercial buildings on North Lincoln Street;
• a 5,600-square-foot building under construction on North First Street;
• 5,525 square feet of retail commercial buildings on North Lincoln at Russell Lane; and
• 5,000 square feet of commercial and 8,000 square feet of retail buildings on East Dorset Drive.
That's a tremendous change from what the city has seen in the past 15 years, Jeary said, noting there have been some significant office deals consummated.
Panattoni built the still fairly new Vacaville-based Dependable Heating & Air Conditioning facility on North First Street. Two businesses - KBI Construction and ISEC - have leased office space in the facility, about 10,000 square feet each.
"Those are big leases for the city of Dixon," Jeary said. "That's a 25,000 square-foot office and production facility, so those are three great deals that Dixon has landed in the last year and one half."
The city is also marketing Dixon with a new glossy brochure that boasts the city is business friendly, its strategic location between Sacramento and San Francisco, close proximity to the University of California, Davis and more.
Major employers in Dixon include Wal-Mart, 400 jobs; Campbell's Soup Supply Co., 350 jobs; Kragen Distribution Center, 270 jobs; Gymboree Corp. U.S. Distribution Center, 200 jobs; First Northern Bank, 160 jobs; Superior Meat Packing, 160 jobs; and Cardinal Health, 300 jobs.
Drack said the new businesses continue to provide Dixon with healthy sales tax revenue. Sales tax revenue comes from the retail concerns, whereas property tax dollars come from the equipment in the large buildings, some of which can contain millions of dollars worth of equipment, Drack said.
Jeary said it's hard to say what's on the 2005 horizon, but he's optimistic.
"I think we're excited about what's happening in Dixon and all the recent activity. I think there's going to be more of that."
Panattoni also owns about 28 acres of industrial land on Fitzgerald Drive, However, the industrial market has been slow, he said.
"I think we could call it a secondary or tertiary market because of its distance from the main market of metropolitan Sacramento," he said. "It's far enough away that a lot of users won't look at it. It's a little too far out of their search area."
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
By Barbara Smith/Business Writer
Cold Stone Creamery. Payless Shoe Source. Supercuts. Game Stop. Subway.
Those are just a few of the new businesses coming to Dixon.
New business in Dixon - big or small - is either under construction, wending its way through city approvals or being considered carefully by developers. The tiny city to the north is becoming one of the hottest commerce spots in Solano County.
Marshall Drack, the city's economic development director said compared to the size of the community, the level of activity is remarkable.
"We're enjoying a broad diversity of economic growth in retail, commercial, restaurant, office, industrial, as well as residential," Drack said.
The lure? Dixon has excellent Interstate 80 exposure, Drack said.
"Now everybody knows we're here," he said. "So, although we're a town of 18,000, ... we've got 150,000 cars a day going by that see us (and are) part of our community for a few minutes."
Visible from the I-80 is Wal-Mart, which opened in 2003 in Dixon's 643-acre Northeast Quadrant, specifically planned years ago as an employment center with a business park, industrial and commercial areas. The land around the retail giant is cluttered with signs from real estate brokers anxious to sell land that has not already been snapped up.
Jim Jeary, division manager for Sacramento-based Panattoni Development, said Wal-Mart is one of the main reasons retail businesses are scoping Dixon.
The ice cream and sandwich shops, hair salon, shoe store, game center and more near Wal-Mart will encompass 13,000 to 15,000 square feet of retail, Jeary said. And he understands the broker has the space fully leased, and hasn't even begun construction.
"He's got a significant number of tenants already lined up," Jeary said.
Just down the road from Wal-Mart, Panattoni and Wickland Oil Co. are in contract to sell about 4 of 12.5 acres both firms own on the southeast corner of North First Street and Vaughn Road to Tractor Supply Co., which would be a 50,000 square-foot facility. The firm has 300 locations in the Midwest. But there are a lot of approvals in the entitlement process, and the contract is contingent upon those approvals, he said.
"If the deal with Tractor Supply goes, we will probably build about a 12,000 to 13,000 square-foot retail strip center at that same corner," Jeary said. "And then we're talking other prospects as well.
Jeary said Dixon's residential base is also part of what attracts retail interests to the city. And as those business developments move forward, that also attracts retail, he said.
According to Drack, some recent business development projects in Dixon include:
• a 28,000-square-foot
office building and another 28,000 square-foot industrial building Vaughn Road;
• a 13,350-square-foot commercial building in the approval process on Market Lane;
• 34,901 square feet of commercial buildings on North Lincoln Street;
• a 5,600-square-foot building under construction on North First Street;
• 5,525 square feet of retail commercial buildings on North Lincoln at Russell Lane; and
• 5,000 square feet of commercial and 8,000 square feet of retail buildings on East Dorset Drive.
That's a tremendous change from what the city has seen in the past 15 years, Jeary said, noting there have been some significant office deals consummated.
Panattoni built the still fairly new Vacaville-based Dependable Heating & Air Conditioning facility on North First Street. Two businesses - KBI Construction and ISEC - have leased office space in the facility, about 10,000 square feet each.
"Those are big leases for the city of Dixon," Jeary said. "That's a 25,000 square-foot office and production facility, so those are three great deals that Dixon has landed in the last year and one half."
The city is also marketing Dixon with a new glossy brochure that boasts the city is business friendly, its strategic location between Sacramento and San Francisco, close proximity to the University of California, Davis and more.
Major employers in Dixon include Wal-Mart, 400 jobs; Campbell's Soup Supply Co., 350 jobs; Kragen Distribution Center, 270 jobs; Gymboree Corp. U.S. Distribution Center, 200 jobs; First Northern Bank, 160 jobs; Superior Meat Packing, 160 jobs; and Cardinal Health, 300 jobs.
Drack said the new businesses continue to provide Dixon with healthy sales tax revenue. Sales tax revenue comes from the retail concerns, whereas property tax dollars come from the equipment in the large buildings, some of which can contain millions of dollars worth of equipment, Drack said.
Jeary said it's hard to say what's on the 2005 horizon, but he's optimistic.
"I think we're excited about what's happening in Dixon and all the recent activity. I think there's going to be more of that."
Panattoni also owns about 28 acres of industrial land on Fitzgerald Drive, However, the industrial market has been slow, he said.
"I think we could call it a secondary or tertiary market because of its distance from the main market of metropolitan Sacramento," he said. "It's far enough away that a lot of users won't look at it. It's a little too far out of their search area."
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Groundbreaking ceremony for new SCC campus
The Solano County Community College District will hold a groundbreaking ceremony 4 p.m. Wednesday to dedicate the site for the new Vallejo Center, on Columbus Parkway east of Ascot Parkway.
The new branch will be built on a 100-acre site and will not open for about two years. The facility will be paid for by Measure G, a $124.5 million bond voters passed in 2002. The Vallejo Center will be 4.5 times bigger than the current Vallejo campus, located within the JFK Library complex, and will offer more courses.
College President Paulette Perfumo, members of the governing board, elected officials, community members and Rosemary Thurston, wife of the late School Board Trustee Bill Thurston, will be on hand during the groundbreaking ceremony.
The first phase of the campus includes 33,000-useable square feet of classrooms, science, computer and learning laboratories, an art classroom, auditorium, and multi-use room serving physical education, dance and theater programs. Parking and outdoor spaces will also be provided.
The total cost of the Vallejo Center is estimated to be $11.6 million. The administration buildings will be named after former trustee Thurston, who died in July. He was instrumental in the passage of Measure G.
The new branch will be built on a 100-acre site and will not open for about two years. The facility will be paid for by Measure G, a $124.5 million bond voters passed in 2002. The Vallejo Center will be 4.5 times bigger than the current Vallejo campus, located within the JFK Library complex, and will offer more courses.
College President Paulette Perfumo, members of the governing board, elected officials, community members and Rosemary Thurston, wife of the late School Board Trustee Bill Thurston, will be on hand during the groundbreaking ceremony.
The first phase of the campus includes 33,000-useable square feet of classrooms, science, computer and learning laboratories, an art classroom, auditorium, and multi-use room serving physical education, dance and theater programs. Parking and outdoor spaces will also be provided.
The total cost of the Vallejo Center is estimated to be $11.6 million. The administration buildings will be named after former trustee Thurston, who died in July. He was instrumental in the passage of Measure G.
Chamber survey finds Vallejo business outlook improving
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN, Times-Herald staff writer
The results of the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce's most recent member satisfaction survey are in, and things are looking up for the chamber and, by extension, the city's business community, a chamber official said.
"Chamber growth is usually a good indicator of growth and expansion of the local business community, and the Vallejo chamber gained more than 120 new members so far this year," said chamber chief Rick Wells. "During the same period last year, we'd only gained 65 new members."
Chamber members were asked about what challenges their businesses face, what the chamber should be focusing on and a variety of other questions.
"We learned that the largest challenges for professionals involve profitability and growth," Wells said. "Exposure and local, state and federal regulations are the other major challenges our members face."
Wells said some of the answers in the category "other challenges," include the city's physical appearance and reputation, and the city's approach to economic development, both of which need improvement, some members said.
The biggest challenges facing Vallejo business owners are the city's perceived lack of focus and a lack of friendliness to businesses, members said.
Leo Sumner of The Tiberon Group, a construction industry consulting firm located on Mare Island, participated in the survey.
"I've lived in Vallejo since 1978, and I've seen the struggle with the base closure and everything. I think generally things are improving, coming back slowly but surely, and the chamber is working very hard to make that happen," Sumner said.
The Vallejo chamber conducts a member satisfaction survey quarterly "to ensure the chamber is continuing to address the needs of our membership," Wells said. About 22 percent of the chamber's 743 members participated.
In comparing the most resent findings to earlier surveys, Wells said many members are slightly less concerned this year with taxes and employee issues like workers' compensation insurance. And 93 percent of the recent survey's respondents said the chamber was relevant to their businesses compared to 89 percent when the last survey was done in April. Also, 93 percent of this survey's respondents found the chamber's staff accessible and responsive, compared to 88 percent in April.
The survey's results indicate the chamber is "on the right track," Wells said, adding that chamber officials will use the survey's results to help them determine next year's business strategies during a planning conference scheduled for next month.
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
The results of the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce's most recent member satisfaction survey are in, and things are looking up for the chamber and, by extension, the city's business community, a chamber official said.
"Chamber growth is usually a good indicator of growth and expansion of the local business community, and the Vallejo chamber gained more than 120 new members so far this year," said chamber chief Rick Wells. "During the same period last year, we'd only gained 65 new members."
Chamber members were asked about what challenges their businesses face, what the chamber should be focusing on and a variety of other questions.
"We learned that the largest challenges for professionals involve profitability and growth," Wells said. "Exposure and local, state and federal regulations are the other major challenges our members face."
Wells said some of the answers in the category "other challenges," include the city's physical appearance and reputation, and the city's approach to economic development, both of which need improvement, some members said.
The biggest challenges facing Vallejo business owners are the city's perceived lack of focus and a lack of friendliness to businesses, members said.
Leo Sumner of The Tiberon Group, a construction industry consulting firm located on Mare Island, participated in the survey.
"I've lived in Vallejo since 1978, and I've seen the struggle with the base closure and everything. I think generally things are improving, coming back slowly but surely, and the chamber is working very hard to make that happen," Sumner said.
The Vallejo chamber conducts a member satisfaction survey quarterly "to ensure the chamber is continuing to address the needs of our membership," Wells said. About 22 percent of the chamber's 743 members participated.
In comparing the most resent findings to earlier surveys, Wells said many members are slightly less concerned this year with taxes and employee issues like workers' compensation insurance. And 93 percent of the recent survey's respondents said the chamber was relevant to their businesses compared to 89 percent when the last survey was done in April. Also, 93 percent of this survey's respondents found the chamber's staff accessible and responsive, compared to 88 percent in April.
The survey's results indicate the chamber is "on the right track," Wells said, adding that chamber officials will use the survey's results to help them determine next year's business strategies during a planning conference scheduled for next month.
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Friday, October 22, 2004
MV Transportation on the fast track
FAIRFIELD -- Inc. Magazine has named MV Transportation of Fairfield as one of America's fastest-growing private companies.
MV Transportation, which specializes in passenger transportation contracting and operates buses in 98 locations in 22 states, was ranked No. 393 in the magazine's 24th annual 500 ranking.
"We are absolutely thrilled to be recognized for our tremendous growth and to be in the company of such successful businesses from across the country," said Jon Monson, CEO of MV Transportation, in a press release. He added that MV thrives in part because most of its competitors are foreign companies.
The Inc. 500 ranks privately held companies according to averaged year-over-year sales growth during the past four years. MV Transportation had four-year sales growth of 375 percent. It was also among the top 10 largest companies on the list.
Inc. Magazine's issue featuring MV Transportation will hit newsstands on Tuesday.
MV Transportation, which specializes in passenger transportation contracting and operates buses in 98 locations in 22 states, was ranked No. 393 in the magazine's 24th annual 500 ranking.
"We are absolutely thrilled to be recognized for our tremendous growth and to be in the company of such successful businesses from across the country," said Jon Monson, CEO of MV Transportation, in a press release. He added that MV thrives in part because most of its competitors are foreign companies.
The Inc. 500 ranks privately held companies according to averaged year-over-year sales growth during the past four years. MV Transportation had four-year sales growth of 375 percent. It was also among the top 10 largest companies on the list.
Inc. Magazine's issue featuring MV Transportation will hit newsstands on Tuesday.
Gateway to open new office
By Marla J. Pugh
FAIRFIELD -- Gateway Realty will open its second new office of the year in Fairfield next month.
The office, located at 3700 Hilborn Road next to the Northern Solano County Association of Realtors, is part of a year-long expansion plan for the county's largest real estate firm. It opened another office in Green Valley earlier this year, and plans to open another new office on Mason Street in Vacaville by the end of the year.
The company closed its long-standing Holiday Lane branch office in Fairfield in July as part of the plan. Overall, the company will grow from three offices in Solano County to five.
The full-service branch on Hilborn Road at Freedom Plaza in Rolling Hills will include 13 agents. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for 3 to 7 p.m. Nov. 5. People can RSVP to attend by calling 422-4511.
FAIRFIELD -- Gateway Realty will open its second new office of the year in Fairfield next month.
The office, located at 3700 Hilborn Road next to the Northern Solano County Association of Realtors, is part of a year-long expansion plan for the county's largest real estate firm. It opened another office in Green Valley earlier this year, and plans to open another new office on Mason Street in Vacaville by the end of the year.
The company closed its long-standing Holiday Lane branch office in Fairfield in July as part of the plan. Overall, the company will grow from three offices in Solano County to five.
The full-service branch on Hilborn Road at Freedom Plaza in Rolling Hills will include 13 agents. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for 3 to 7 p.m. Nov. 5. People can RSVP to attend by calling 422-4511.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Efficiency boosts Copart earnings
October 19, 2004
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Copart's annual revenue topped $400 million for the first time in the auto salvager's 22-year history.
Sales and income were up and operating costs went down, the Fairfield-based company announced Friday in its annual report for fiscal 2004. Much of the growth can be attributed to an online auto auction system adopted in December, Copart said.
By using computer technology called Virtual Bidding Second Generation, Copart was able to widen its market base and generate healthier profits on vehicle sales. All of Copart's auctions now take place using VB2, which allows buyers from all over the world to access Copart auctions.
Prior to the unveiling of VB2 in December, buyers of salvage vehicles had to go to one of Copart's auto lots to bid.
"It (VB2) has improved the efficiency of our operations," Copart said in its annual statement. "We believe the implementation of VB2 across our salvage operations has increased the pool of available buyers for each sale and the added competition has increased the amount buyers are willing to pay for salvage from us."
Sales of vehicles to buyers outside the state where the vehicle is located accounted for 41 percent of total vehicles sold in fiscal 2004. Twenty-four percent of salvage vehicles were sold to out of state buyers and 17 percent were sold to buyers out of country.
Copart's year-end financial figures echoed the company's success with VB2.
Revenues were $400.8 million, an increase of approximately $53.4 million, or 15 percent, compared to $347.4 million in fiscal 2003. Copart said the increase was due primarily to increased salvage vehicle volume, new service revenue and higher fees resulting from increased auction proceeds per vehicle.
Net income rose to $79.2 million from $57.2 million the year before. Income represented 19.8 percent of revenues, up from 16.5 percent a year ago.
Copart acquired six vehicle storage and auction facilities during the past year, bringing the total number of Copart properties in the U.S. and Canada to 107. The new facilities generated $1.4 million in new revenue, the company said.
Operating expenses for the year dropped slightly to $68.9 million. It was down from $73.9 million in 2003.
Copart's performance landed it at No. 76 on Forbes' list of the 200 best small companies in 2004. The list was released Monday.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Copart's annual revenue topped $400 million for the first time in the auto salvager's 22-year history.
Sales and income were up and operating costs went down, the Fairfield-based company announced Friday in its annual report for fiscal 2004. Much of the growth can be attributed to an online auto auction system adopted in December, Copart said.
By using computer technology called Virtual Bidding Second Generation, Copart was able to widen its market base and generate healthier profits on vehicle sales. All of Copart's auctions now take place using VB2, which allows buyers from all over the world to access Copart auctions.
Prior to the unveiling of VB2 in December, buyers of salvage vehicles had to go to one of Copart's auto lots to bid.
"It (VB2) has improved the efficiency of our operations," Copart said in its annual statement. "We believe the implementation of VB2 across our salvage operations has increased the pool of available buyers for each sale and the added competition has increased the amount buyers are willing to pay for salvage from us."
Sales of vehicles to buyers outside the state where the vehicle is located accounted for 41 percent of total vehicles sold in fiscal 2004. Twenty-four percent of salvage vehicles were sold to out of state buyers and 17 percent were sold to buyers out of country.
Copart's year-end financial figures echoed the company's success with VB2.
Revenues were $400.8 million, an increase of approximately $53.4 million, or 15 percent, compared to $347.4 million in fiscal 2003. Copart said the increase was due primarily to increased salvage vehicle volume, new service revenue and higher fees resulting from increased auction proceeds per vehicle.
Net income rose to $79.2 million from $57.2 million the year before. Income represented 19.8 percent of revenues, up from 16.5 percent a year ago.
Copart acquired six vehicle storage and auction facilities during the past year, bringing the total number of Copart properties in the U.S. and Canada to 107. The new facilities generated $1.4 million in new revenue, the company said.
Operating expenses for the year dropped slightly to $68.9 million. It was down from $73.9 million in 2003.
Copart's performance landed it at No. 76 on Forbes' list of the 200 best small companies in 2004. The list was released Monday.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net
Friday, October 15, 2004
New staff help with Fairfield's growth
October 15, 2004
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Three months into his first stint as an economic development specialist, David White, a 30-year-old former real estate consultant, is most impressed with how busy he's been.
Mark Kaiser's situation is much different. After 15 years in the economic development field, Kaiser, 51, knows a thing or two about working in government. He's even got some background in Fairfield, an asset he's drawn upon since taking a position with the city on July 26, the same day White joined up.
Both Kaiser and White help businesses thrive and new ones start up. It's one of the main functions of their jobs as Fairfield economic development project managers.
The two new bodies will free up other economic developers to spend more time on the details of other projects, said Sean Quinn, director of Fairfield Planning and Development. While his staff has grown, Quinn pointed out his department had to cut staff positions a few years ago and hadn't made it up until now.
"I just don't want people to think we're adding a bunch of staff," Quinn said.
White can't believe how busy everyone is around him, he said.
"I'm just continually impressed with everything that's going on in Fairfield right now," White said. "It took me by storm. I was expecting more of a honeymoon period."
Instead, White was given reins to one of the most controversial projects the city has undertaken - turning Allan Witt Park into a living community of homes, apartments and offices.
He's also in charge of the City Center Redevelopment Project Area, which includes the downtown shopping district and surrounding residential zones.
Kaiser, a native of Austin, Texas, specializes in affordable housing projects and working with small businesses to secure expansion or start-up loans. He had worked in the city's Quality Neighborhoods Program before taking a job in West Sacramento three years ago.
"I'm here to serve the harder-to-serve portions of our housing market, like first-time home buyers," Kaiser said. "I'm constantly surprised by how expensive it is to create affordable housing."
Kaiser, who lives in Davis, said Fairfield has become a nicer place since he last worked for the city three years ago.
"I've noticed that the good things that were here are still here," he said.
White, who grew up in Southern California and later moved to El Cerrito, said he's always wanted to be a part of the economic development machine.
"This is my first foray into the public sector," White said. "I felt the city was very aggressive and entrepreneurial. It seems like the right blend."
While both men come from very different places, they do share a few similarities. The most distinguishable shared quality is their passion for progress.
White might have said it best: "I'm just excited to get some good redevelopment projects done."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Three months into his first stint as an economic development specialist, David White, a 30-year-old former real estate consultant, is most impressed with how busy he's been.
Mark Kaiser's situation is much different. After 15 years in the economic development field, Kaiser, 51, knows a thing or two about working in government. He's even got some background in Fairfield, an asset he's drawn upon since taking a position with the city on July 26, the same day White joined up.
Both Kaiser and White help businesses thrive and new ones start up. It's one of the main functions of their jobs as Fairfield economic development project managers.
The two new bodies will free up other economic developers to spend more time on the details of other projects, said Sean Quinn, director of Fairfield Planning and Development. While his staff has grown, Quinn pointed out his department had to cut staff positions a few years ago and hadn't made it up until now.
"I just don't want people to think we're adding a bunch of staff," Quinn said.
White can't believe how busy everyone is around him, he said.
"I'm just continually impressed with everything that's going on in Fairfield right now," White said. "It took me by storm. I was expecting more of a honeymoon period."
Instead, White was given reins to one of the most controversial projects the city has undertaken - turning Allan Witt Park into a living community of homes, apartments and offices.
He's also in charge of the City Center Redevelopment Project Area, which includes the downtown shopping district and surrounding residential zones.
Kaiser, a native of Austin, Texas, specializes in affordable housing projects and working with small businesses to secure expansion or start-up loans. He had worked in the city's Quality Neighborhoods Program before taking a job in West Sacramento three years ago.
"I'm here to serve the harder-to-serve portions of our housing market, like first-time home buyers," Kaiser said. "I'm constantly surprised by how expensive it is to create affordable housing."
Kaiser, who lives in Davis, said Fairfield has become a nicer place since he last worked for the city three years ago.
"I've noticed that the good things that were here are still here," he said.
White, who grew up in Southern California and later moved to El Cerrito, said he's always wanted to be a part of the economic development machine.
"This is my first foray into the public sector," White said. "I felt the city was very aggressive and entrepreneurial. It seems like the right blend."
While both men come from very different places, they do share a few similarities. The most distinguishable shared quality is their passion for progress.
White might have said it best: "I'm just excited to get some good redevelopment projects done."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Dixon boom puts city on the map, forum told
By Barbara Smith/Business Writer
Dixon's economic gains are putting the city on the map of the region, according to experts at an economic development forum held Thursday.
"Dixon: 2004 and Beyond" was the theme of the breakfast forum that drew a full house at the Dixon Senior Multi-Use Center, where a panel reported on land development and the burgeoning retail market.
Jim Jeary, division manager of Panatoni Development reported that while industrial and office use have been slow, retail is flourishing, crediting Wal-Mart as a regional draw that has changed the dynamics of doing business in Dixon.
"When Wal-Mart comes to town, people kind of want to be near Wal-Mart," Jeary said.
Jeary reported a number of new business coming to town, including Tractor Supply Co., a firm with 300 locations in the Midwest. Panatoni is building a 50,000 square foot facility on North First Street and Vaughn Road to house the business.
Also in the works is a 12,000 square-foot building for mixed retail; a 10,000 square-foot building for a health club; a Wendy's under construction across from Wal-Mart; a "dollar" bargain store; an optometrist, barber shop, car wash and veterinarian.
A mattress retailer and furniture retailer plan to move into a 5,000 square-foot building on North Lincoln Street, and other businesses are "circling," Jeary said.
Jeary said Dixon has a lot of inventory, good freeway access and lower land prices.
"And I think the quality of life we recognize will attract employers to Dixon," he said.
Real estate veteran and broker Gary Archer of Archer & Ficklin reported on the progress of the 561-acre national cemetery in rural Dixon, a $6 million sale to the Department of Veterans Affairs that Archer worked on for four years before it closed escrow in July.
Seismic work has been completed, and construction should begin in 2006, Archer said. The government believes the cemetery will be built out by 2030, he said.
"It will ultimately inter approximately 60,000 veterans and their spouses," he said. "On a personal level, we are fortunate to have that kind of facility come to Dixon. ..."
Archer also reported on major land developments, including the huge southwest housing development and land for the new high school in southeast Dixon.
Real estate broker Marianne MacDonald gave an overview of the housing market, noting the seller's market, complete with bidding wars, is over because the market has settled down.
However, in 2003 the average sales price of a Dixon house was $215,000, compared to $382,000 this year. She said buyers are coming from Dixon, or are returning to Dixon.
"People want to stay here," she said. "The vast majority of people are right here in Dixon."
She also reported on city financing programs that help first-time homebuyers, and the Oct. 22 groundbreaking of an affordable housing project in the Valley Glen subdivision. Also on the horizon is an 81-unit senior housing complex and, pending approval, a 172-unit apartment community for both seniors and families.
Margorie Dickinson, assistant vice chancellor for government and community relations at the University of California, Davis, reported on the university's long-range development plans and partnering with Dixon.
Dickinson considers the soon-to-be developed $3.7-million, 300-acre Dixon-Davis Greenbelt a "legacy" that will be modeled after the Vaca-Dixon Greenbelt.
Mike Ammann, president of Solano Economic Development Corp. discussed Solano EDC's regional and national outreach efforts to attract businesses to Solano County, as well as to Dixon.
Ammann said Solano EDC is doing well in the Sacramento area, and trying to work well with the Bay Area.
"We've got to start getting a national presence," Ammann said. "People just don't know where we are. They know a lot about us, but they do not know Solano County and all the benefits they have to offer a business."
However, Solano EDC's "Team Solano" concept is under way. As an example, Cardinal Medical was recruited to Dixon at the Biotech 2004 convention in San Francisco in June. Marshall Drack, the city's economic development director, attended the convention with Team Solano.
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Dixon's economic gains are putting the city on the map of the region, according to experts at an economic development forum held Thursday.
"Dixon: 2004 and Beyond" was the theme of the breakfast forum that drew a full house at the Dixon Senior Multi-Use Center, where a panel reported on land development and the burgeoning retail market.
Jim Jeary, division manager of Panatoni Development reported that while industrial and office use have been slow, retail is flourishing, crediting Wal-Mart as a regional draw that has changed the dynamics of doing business in Dixon.
"When Wal-Mart comes to town, people kind of want to be near Wal-Mart," Jeary said.
Jeary reported a number of new business coming to town, including Tractor Supply Co., a firm with 300 locations in the Midwest. Panatoni is building a 50,000 square foot facility on North First Street and Vaughn Road to house the business.
Also in the works is a 12,000 square-foot building for mixed retail; a 10,000 square-foot building for a health club; a Wendy's under construction across from Wal-Mart; a "dollar" bargain store; an optometrist, barber shop, car wash and veterinarian.
A mattress retailer and furniture retailer plan to move into a 5,000 square-foot building on North Lincoln Street, and other businesses are "circling," Jeary said.
Jeary said Dixon has a lot of inventory, good freeway access and lower land prices.
"And I think the quality of life we recognize will attract employers to Dixon," he said.
Real estate veteran and broker Gary Archer of Archer & Ficklin reported on the progress of the 561-acre national cemetery in rural Dixon, a $6 million sale to the Department of Veterans Affairs that Archer worked on for four years before it closed escrow in July.
Seismic work has been completed, and construction should begin in 2006, Archer said. The government believes the cemetery will be built out by 2030, he said.
"It will ultimately inter approximately 60,000 veterans and their spouses," he said. "On a personal level, we are fortunate to have that kind of facility come to Dixon. ..."
Archer also reported on major land developments, including the huge southwest housing development and land for the new high school in southeast Dixon.
Real estate broker Marianne MacDonald gave an overview of the housing market, noting the seller's market, complete with bidding wars, is over because the market has settled down.
However, in 2003 the average sales price of a Dixon house was $215,000, compared to $382,000 this year. She said buyers are coming from Dixon, or are returning to Dixon.
"People want to stay here," she said. "The vast majority of people are right here in Dixon."
She also reported on city financing programs that help first-time homebuyers, and the Oct. 22 groundbreaking of an affordable housing project in the Valley Glen subdivision. Also on the horizon is an 81-unit senior housing complex and, pending approval, a 172-unit apartment community for both seniors and families.
Margorie Dickinson, assistant vice chancellor for government and community relations at the University of California, Davis, reported on the university's long-range development plans and partnering with Dixon.
Dickinson considers the soon-to-be developed $3.7-million, 300-acre Dixon-Davis Greenbelt a "legacy" that will be modeled after the Vaca-Dixon Greenbelt.
Mike Ammann, president of Solano Economic Development Corp. discussed Solano EDC's regional and national outreach efforts to attract businesses to Solano County, as well as to Dixon.
Ammann said Solano EDC is doing well in the Sacramento area, and trying to work well with the Bay Area.
"We've got to start getting a national presence," Ammann said. "People just don't know where we are. They know a lot about us, but they do not know Solano County and all the benefits they have to offer a business."
However, Solano EDC's "Team Solano" concept is under way. As an example, Cardinal Medical was recruited to Dixon at the Biotech 2004 convention in San Francisco in June. Marshall Drack, the city's economic development director, attended the convention with Team Solano.
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
City center look' for fairgrounds?
By CHRIS G. DENINA, Times-Herald staff writer
Within years, the Solano County Fairgrounds could become a downtown-styled attraction, complete with a main street lined with shops and restaurants - and possibly even a Ferris wheel.
That vision is a change of plans for the Mills Corp., whose earlier concepts for redeveloping the home of the annual two-week fair into a year-round attraction included clustering shops and fair attractions amid parking on the 152-acre site.
Solano County's Board of Supervisors and Fair Association on Tuesday agreed to give the Arlington, Va.-based company six months more to study its new idea of creating a town center. The company's original deadline to submit a more detailed proposal was Friday.
"This is something that's really out of the box," Mills development consultant Brian Clark said.
Mills now has until next April 15 to submit project plans for its so-called The Fair at Solano project along Interstate 80 near Highway 37. The developer will use the time to study such issues as traffic and the effects of the rainy season on the site, plus to gather more feedback from residents, Clark said.
The company opted to revise its project after hearing from people at community meetings, he said.
"They've told us they don't want to see a closed mall that looks like just another mall," Clark said.
Mills' plans unveiled this summer include a sports and recreation area, hotel and conference center, arena, exhibition halls and a recreational vehicle park.
Fair officials still want to raze the fairgrounds' golf course and racetrack, though plans call for a satellite site for betting on horse races.
Under Tuesday's deal with the county, Mills must pay the fair association $10,000 a month to cover project expenses, in addition to an earlier $100,000 deposit.
"I think it's well worth the time and effort," said Solano County Supervisor Barbara Kondylis, District 1-Vallejo. "We want something that's first-class."
For some downtown businesses, the project may create more competition.
Linda Brown, who owns a Marin Street store, said she'd like to learn more about the project and its impacts.
"I don't want to compete against a big chain, but I'm not scared of it, either," Brown said.
Janet Sylvain, who owns a Georgia Street shop, also said she needs more information as a downtown stake-holder. "We're concerned about our efforts downtown to rebuild the heart of Vallejo," Sylvain said.
At Westfield Shoppingtown Solano, a mall in Fairfield, there are fears that a new Vallejo shopping facility may take away business. The mall's attorneys submitted a letter criticizing Mills, saying the developer needs to do a better job providing information to the public.
Meanwhile, Hank Howard of Vallejo said he welcomes the project. "I'm glad they're coming here," Howard said. "I think it's a big movement for this area."
While Mills works on redeveloping the area, the fair association is focusing on its annual tradition, General Manager Joseph Barkett said. "We have every intention of putting on a bigger and better fair each year and in improving our year round events," Barkett said.
- E-mail Chris G. Denina at cdenina@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6835.-
Within years, the Solano County Fairgrounds could become a downtown-styled attraction, complete with a main street lined with shops and restaurants - and possibly even a Ferris wheel.
That vision is a change of plans for the Mills Corp., whose earlier concepts for redeveloping the home of the annual two-week fair into a year-round attraction included clustering shops and fair attractions amid parking on the 152-acre site.
Solano County's Board of Supervisors and Fair Association on Tuesday agreed to give the Arlington, Va.-based company six months more to study its new idea of creating a town center. The company's original deadline to submit a more detailed proposal was Friday.
"This is something that's really out of the box," Mills development consultant Brian Clark said.
Mills now has until next April 15 to submit project plans for its so-called The Fair at Solano project along Interstate 80 near Highway 37. The developer will use the time to study such issues as traffic and the effects of the rainy season on the site, plus to gather more feedback from residents, Clark said.
The company opted to revise its project after hearing from people at community meetings, he said.
"They've told us they don't want to see a closed mall that looks like just another mall," Clark said.
Mills' plans unveiled this summer include a sports and recreation area, hotel and conference center, arena, exhibition halls and a recreational vehicle park.
Fair officials still want to raze the fairgrounds' golf course and racetrack, though plans call for a satellite site for betting on horse races.
Under Tuesday's deal with the county, Mills must pay the fair association $10,000 a month to cover project expenses, in addition to an earlier $100,000 deposit.
"I think it's well worth the time and effort," said Solano County Supervisor Barbara Kondylis, District 1-Vallejo. "We want something that's first-class."
For some downtown businesses, the project may create more competition.
Linda Brown, who owns a Marin Street store, said she'd like to learn more about the project and its impacts.
"I don't want to compete against a big chain, but I'm not scared of it, either," Brown said.
Janet Sylvain, who owns a Georgia Street shop, also said she needs more information as a downtown stake-holder. "We're concerned about our efforts downtown to rebuild the heart of Vallejo," Sylvain said.
At Westfield Shoppingtown Solano, a mall in Fairfield, there are fears that a new Vallejo shopping facility may take away business. The mall's attorneys submitted a letter criticizing Mills, saying the developer needs to do a better job providing information to the public.
Meanwhile, Hank Howard of Vallejo said he welcomes the project. "I'm glad they're coming here," Howard said. "I think it's a big movement for this area."
While Mills works on redeveloping the area, the fair association is focusing on its annual tradition, General Manager Joseph Barkett said. "We have every intention of putting on a bigger and better fair each year and in improving our year round events," Barkett said.
- E-mail Chris G. Denina at cdenina@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6835.-
School district OKs land swap
By Audrey Wong
FAIRFIELD -- Travis school board members gave official approval Tuesday to a property exchange with a developer so the district would have land for future schools in Vacaville.
The district will swap two properties, amounting to nearly 11 acres, near Foxboro Elementary School and Nut Tree Road for 30 acres owned by Meritage Homes of California Inc. The Meritage property is off Nut Tree Road between Youngsdale Drive and Foxboro Parkway.
By securing the land, the district won't have to shell out potentially millions of dollars when it needs to build a new elementary school and a middle school. The Meritage property would cost much more when it's developed, district officials said. The district is down 70 students this year, but developers are buildings homes in Vacaville, which may draw more families with school-age children.
Board member Harry Axhelm said the district is paying less per acre for the Meritage property than in a normal purchasing transaction.
"This is a tremendous bargain today," he said.
The deal calls for the district to pay Meritage $1.2 million plus the two properties. But the district is exploring waiving about $1.2 million in fees that Meritage would have to pay the school district for buildings homes on the land. If that happens, it wouldn't have to pay the developer any money.
If the district must pay Meritage, then it will use funds designated solely for facilities and not general fund money. Board member Ed Sanderson was concerned about what would happen if there was a depression and the developer didn't build homes on the property. With no construction the developer wouldn't have fees and the district would have to pay the whole $1.2 million.
The district has garnered enough from Mello Roos property taxes to cover that amount, said Bill Taylor, assistant superintendent of business and fiscal resources.
Reach Audrey Wong at 427-6951 or awong@dailyrepublic.net.
FAIRFIELD -- Travis school board members gave official approval Tuesday to a property exchange with a developer so the district would have land for future schools in Vacaville.
The district will swap two properties, amounting to nearly 11 acres, near Foxboro Elementary School and Nut Tree Road for 30 acres owned by Meritage Homes of California Inc. The Meritage property is off Nut Tree Road between Youngsdale Drive and Foxboro Parkway.
By securing the land, the district won't have to shell out potentially millions of dollars when it needs to build a new elementary school and a middle school. The Meritage property would cost much more when it's developed, district officials said. The district is down 70 students this year, but developers are buildings homes in Vacaville, which may draw more families with school-age children.
Board member Harry Axhelm said the district is paying less per acre for the Meritage property than in a normal purchasing transaction.
"This is a tremendous bargain today," he said.
The deal calls for the district to pay Meritage $1.2 million plus the two properties. But the district is exploring waiving about $1.2 million in fees that Meritage would have to pay the school district for buildings homes on the land. If that happens, it wouldn't have to pay the developer any money.
If the district must pay Meritage, then it will use funds designated solely for facilities and not general fund money. Board member Ed Sanderson was concerned about what would happen if there was a depression and the developer didn't build homes on the property. With no construction the developer wouldn't have fees and the district would have to pay the whole $1.2 million.
The district has garnered enough from Mello Roos property taxes to cover that amount, said Bill Taylor, assistant superintendent of business and fiscal resources.
Reach Audrey Wong at 427-6951 or awong@dailyrepublic.net.
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