February 18, 2018
Special Section
2018
V ATION INNO EVOLVE
ADAPT
INNOVATE CHANGE
IMPROVE
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Clickety clack, don't jump back Port of Stockton moving ahead building rails, positioning itself for a good year By Jordan Guinn Special to The Record
The Port of Stockton continues to play a prominent role as Union Pacific rebuilds rail lines across the West. Every few months the Pacific Spike, a specially built cargo ship carrying massive bundles of steel rail, arrives in Stockton from Japan. A couple of welds later and the rails are ready for placement across the western United States. “The project represents an $18 million investment by Union Pacific railroad on 38 acres of land,”Port Director Richard Aschieris said. “There’s a 90,000-squarefoot rail storage structure with an overhead crane and an 18,000-square-foot welding and inspection building.” This is where port workers weld the segments of rail together. Three steel rails are joined in two spots, and when complete the metal stretches for about a quarter of a mile. Traditionally, rail production starts with 18, 80-foot steel segments. Seventeen welds creates a single piece that’s 1,440 feet long. “That’s what creates the ‘clickety clack’ sound you know when traveling by railroad,” Aschieris said. Union Pacific’s Stockton plant starts with three, 480-foot steel segments and makes ribbon rail with only two welds. The Port of Stockton has hosted the project since 2014. No other port in the country is receiving this type of cargo and delivering from ship to rail. The steel is produced and handled at the Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. facility at Yawata Works in Japan. But the Union Pacific project is only part of the flurry of activity at the port. “2017 saw us bring in 268 ships,” Aschieris said. “It’s the most we’ve ever had. We beat previous record by 36 ships.” All told, 4.7 million tons of imports moved through the Port of Stockton in 2017. Products brought into the port include cement, coal, sulfur, corn, fertilizer, foodgrade oil, molasses and bags of rice. “The port is healthy and thriving, and in a real good position to create jobs and economic opportunity for Stockton and greater San Joaquin county,” Aschieris said. There’s also a glimmer of hope on the horizon for the Marine Highway. The container-on-barge service that navigated the San Joaquin River between the ports of Stockton and Oakland ended in September 2014, but Aschieris said the state is looking at ways to revive the program. “We’re working with the California Department of Transportation to see if they
want to subsidize it to get it going,” he said. “We’re too small an organization to take all the losses in the startup phase. But (the Marine Highway) did work and it was functional. We learned a few things and learned how to do it more efficiently.” The Port of Stockton celebrated its 85th anniversary Feb. 2 with a gala at the Haggin Museum. The Stockton Symphony Association also helped celebrate the milestone recently when it unearthed and played the “Port of Stockton March” a short composition dedicated to the city landmark. Aschieris said he expects 2018 to be another successful year for the port. The early indicators and interview with tenants has Aschieris thinking the Port of Stockton will enjoy one of its best years to date. “It’s too early to tell if it’s going to be a record-setting year, but it will be a good one,” he said. “It should be in the top 10 years.” He points to the completion of infrastructure projects as reasons for optimism. Last year Caltrans and the San Joaquin Council of Governments extended the Crosstown Freeway to Navy Drive, and Navy Drive is being widened from two to four lanes. A bridge connecting Navy Drive to Rough and Ready Island is about a third complete. The goal is to remove trucks from the Boggs Tract neighborhood, he said. “We’re helping improve the quality of life there,” Aschieris said. Stockton’s issues with municipal finances and crime are well-documented, but Aschieris said private enterprise has invested in the Port of Stockton, even during the city’s bleakest times. “Stockton has had a lot of bad publicity, but while that’s going on, the private sector has invested more than $2.3 billion in private sector projects at the port,” he said. “There’s a lot of investment in our community. It’s exciting.”
Workers use grinders to smooth the weld between 480-foot-long sections of rail at the Union Pacific rail welding facility on the Port of Stockton’s Rough and Ready Island. The sections are put together to together to make quarter-mile long ribbons of rail for UP rail renovation and expansion projects throughout the West and Midwest. [CLIFFORD OTO/ RECORD FILE 2015]
Quarter-mile long ribbons of rail are loaded on train cars at the Union Pacific rail welding facility on the Port of Stockton’s Rough and Ready Island. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE 2105]
Workers prepare to unload 440-foot-long lengths of rail from the custom-built cargo ship Pacific Spike at the Port of Stockton. [CALIXTRO ROMIAS/ RECORD FILE 2014]
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More SJ schools embracing technology By Nicholas Filipas Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON — Parent-teacher conferences at John McCandless STEM Charter School are not quite as traditional as in public schools. While parents file into their child’s classroom and sit in chairs three sizes too small, they pick up dark-colored Chromebook laptops stacked on the table and log in. In Kaci McCoy’s third-grade classroom, a chat room is projected on a large television screen. Parents who wish to ask questions on everything from test scores to field trip reminders can do so anonymously. Later on, McCoy’s class website that she designed herself appears, allowing parents access to see what their child is working on. In the class webpage are student blogs where McCoy has her 25 students post reflections on their how their writing has grown. Classmates were asked to check each other’s blogs to leave comments, which acts as online collaboration, McCoy said. “What I found useful, as a parent, looking at other teacher’s websites to upcoming years on what I can expect,” she said to the dozens of parents attending the meeting, here called “Academic Parent-Teacher Teams.” “We really try to hit 21st century skills (collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity) here at McCandless.” The Lincoln Unified charter first opened its doors three years ago, initially serving Grades K-3. What used to be an old, dormant, hollowed-out church on the 1700 block of Porter Way was converted into a thriving school. Now, the charter boasts two campuses serving grades K-7 with plans are in place to expand to eighth grade beginning in 2019. An average school day for the more than 400 students lasts from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Students receive a core curriculum of language arts, writing and math during the first half of the day. They then shift gears to Project Based Learning based on science and/or social studies standards. The last hour of the day is what the school calls the “Genius Hour,” where STEM electives, such as introduction to robotics, solar powered cars and coding, are offered. Total, students here receive 27½ hours a week of instructional time, nearly two hours more than in traditional Lincoln Unified schools, with an additional four hours a week of STEM-focused classes after the school day. Embracing technology is being felt district-wide. Lincoln Unified officials announced at the start of the school year the addition of 1,600 new Chromebook
Isaac Arredondo, 8, left, and Isaiah Leal, 9, help kindergarten Rylan Bryant, 5, work on code at John McCandless STEM Charter school in Stockton. [CALIXTRO ROMIAS/RECORD FILE 2015]
“What I found useful, as a parent, looking at other teacher’s websites to upcoming years on what I can expect,” Kaci McCoy’s
electronic devices and 150 staff computers. Lincoln Unified has a 1:1 device ratio to students in second through 10th grade and Superintendent Tom Uslan has said that ratio will be district wide to include 11th and 12th grade in the next few years. Over at Lincoln High School, visitors are are required to provide their driver’s license to be scanned, with certain information placed into a database. Emergency messages can be electronically sent districtwide in a matter of seconds through email, text and robocalls. Jessica Wagner has been teaching
kindergarten at McCandless STEM since its inception. They, too, she said, use technology to lay the foundation of how to research online. Parents are positive to the fact that their child begins using a computer — to some extent — to build basic computer skills, typing, knowing where the letters are to drag-and-drop methods. Said Wagner: “I think we’re experiencing changes in what we have available to us … most jobs are going to be using a computer. We’re a school of choice, so parents know of what they’re getting into and that’s a draw for both them and their kids.” Contact reporter Nicholas Filipas at (209) 546-8257 or nfilipas@recordnet. com. Follow him on recordnet.com/filipasblog or on Twitter @nicholasfilipas.
John McCandless STEM Charter School 5th grade teacher Justine Sares checks her computer in her class at the school in Stockton. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE 2016]
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The flocculation basin at the Stockton Municipal Water District’s Delta water treatment plant in Stockton. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE]
Looking for the good in water news Several SJ projects stand as innovation examples By Alex Breitler Record Staff Writer
Sometimes it seems that nothing changes in the water world: We endure droughts and then floods, we fight over the Delta, and like reckless spenders we pump too much water from our underground “savings account.” But behind the scenes, sometimes, a trickle of progress is made. San Joaquin County is no exception. Near Lodi, farmers have partnered with their longtime rivals to see if Mokelumne River water can be collaboratively shared. In the south county, farmers are growing more crops with less water thanks to advances in technology. And Stockton’s six-year-old Delta water treatment plant off Eight Mile Road, the most expensive public works project in city history, operates almost like a water recycling project. There are other stories like these across California, where water isn’t always for fighting over. Take the Lodi farmers. For years, they have drawn too heavily from the underground aquifer, which is falling at a rate of about 1 foot per year. That decline makes water more expensive to pump to the surface. And with the future of the Sierra snowpack in question due to climate change, it’s important to maintain a healthy supply of groundwater. So the farmers made a deal with the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which exports much of the Mokelumne River to the Bay Area. East Bay MUD agreed, as a kind of experiment, to give up a small amount of river water to the farmers who will use it on their orchards. That effectively transfers the water below ground, since the river water is used instead of groundwater. In exchange, East Bay MUD will be able — under certain conditions — to take about half of that water back and pipe it to its 1.2
Water runs off of the flocculation basin to the membrane building at the Stockton Municipal Water District’s Delta water treatment plant in. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE]
million customers. In theory, both parties win: San Joaquin’s aquifer gets a boost, and East Bay MUD gets a place to park some of its water and save it, perhaps, for times of need. The experiment, which could begin as soon as this summer, will help demonstrate whether a more substantial water-sharing plan can be devised in the future. After all, there is enough room below our feet to store another Folsom Lake’s worth of additional water. All we have to do is get it there. “They (East Bay MUD) have the potential to bring both money and water to our area to help with our own water management issues here, and we want to take baby steps to do something like that,” said Jennifer
Spaletta, an attorney who represents the Lodi-area farmers. Twenty-five miles to the south, the South San Joaquin Irrigation District took a portion of its gravity-fed water distribution system and pressurized it instead. Now farmers across more than 3,800 acres can go online to schedule water deliveries based on weather forecasts, evaporation rates and other factors. The end result, the district says, is that the farmers increased their crop yields by 30 percent while also reducing their water use by 30 percent. That’s an important achievement for them, at a time when state officials are considering requiring farmers to leave more
water in the rivers for struggling fish species, while also tightening the screws on groundwater use. “It took a lot of studying, time and district resources, but we felt it was worth taking a chance if we could develop a system that would prove successful and could be duplicated by other irrigation districts across the country,” the district’s former general manager, Jeff Shields, said after the project won a major engineering award. Not to be forgotten is Stockton itself. Its $220 million Delta drinking water plant allows the city to drink from its own backyard for the first time, from a source that cities as far south as San Diego have been tapping for decades. But the Stockton plant, which opened in 2012, is unusual in how it operates. Officials are allowed to divert only as much water from the San Joaquin River as the city puts back into the river in the form of treated wastewater. The locations of the discharge and the takeout are miles apart. So we’re not literally drinking our own treated wastewater. But the arrangement is a kind of de facto water recycling project: The city takes a certain amount of water from the river, uses it, treats it, releases it back into the river, then diverts the same amount again. And the cycle repeats. California faces real water challenges. Lawsuits are flying over the proposed Delta tunnels. And concern is rising that we may be headed into another drought amid this dry winter. But it’s not all gloom and doom. You just have to look harder to find the good stuff. Contact reporter Alex Breitler at (209) 546-8295 or abreitler@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/breitlerblog and on Twitter @alexbreitler.
Assistant Director Bob Granberg explains how the membrane filters work at the Stockton Municipal Water District’s new Delta water treatment plant. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE]
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Pacific water polo coach James Graham explains how he uses data to improve his players’ performances. [ROGER PHILLIPS/THE RECORD]
Teams thrive by crunching the numbers
Univeristy of the Pacific men’s water polo coach James Graham shouts instructions to his team during a game. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE 2013]
By Roger Phillips Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON — In the spring of 2012, a friend suggested to James Graham that he read “Moneyball,” a book that chronicles how the low-budget Oakland A’s used all sorts of data to level the playing field against their wealthier opponents. Graham was in the offseason after a mediocre 13-12 season in his fifth year coaching University of the Pacific’s men’s water polo team. And the following year, he also was to become coach of the women’s team, which had finished its season with a dismal 11-18 record. Here’s where “Moneyball” comes in. After finishing the book, Graham decided he would begin using data to improve the performance of Pacific’s water polo teams. In the years since, the men’s team has compiled a 100-35 record. The women went 83-69 from 2013-17, and this year’s Tigers got off to another fast start. “Our goal as a program is to be the most innovative water polo program in the world,” 40-year-old Graham said recently. “We’re trying to use data to inform all the decisions in every aspect of the program. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to always use everything the data says, but we’re using it to make better decisions. It’s like having an extra person in the room arguing with you.” Graham pointed to several graphs. One showed opposing players’ “shooting DNA,” as Graham put it — an opponent’s tendencies “based on the location they’re at in the pool and what tactic they’re using.”
Pacific’s Kyra Christmas prepares to take a shot during a practice at UOP’s Chris Kjeldsen Pool. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE 2017]
Brinnley Barthels, a 21-year-old senior on the women’s team, said that when she arrived at Pacific following high school, she had no idea water polo analytics even existed. “James threw all this information at us,” Barthels said. “It was honestly kind of comparable to another class. … I like it. It makes a lot of sense when we’re training knowing the details. It helps us learn what we need to do against our opponents.” It’s fitting that analytics and innovations are popular in Stockton sports. After all, Billy Beane, the architect of “Moneyball,” is the executive vice president of the A’s. And Oakland’s Single-A farm team, the Stockton Ports, is the training ground for the A’s of the future. Right next door to Stockton Ballpark is Stockton Arena, home of the Stockton Heat of the American Hockey League. The Heat, the top minor-league affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, also use analytics to improve how the team performs on the ice. “At our level, we don’t get super technical with some of the equational statistics that take a little more manpower,” Heat assistant coach Cail MacLean said. “We tend to focus a lot on (scoring) chances, the amount of chances for and against that are generated in all situations.” MacLean said the Heat additionally provides players with individualized “development plans” sent to Stockton by the Calgary Flames. The development plans hone in on specific areas where each skater has room for improvement on the road to the NHL. “On a purely kind of systematic level, (the Flames) want to know these players
Stockton Heat coach Ryan Huska leads a practice at the first day of training camp for the 2016-17 season. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE 2016]
have the know-how and have been trained in the way they’re approaching the game,” MacLean said. “Calgary has visions for players in their system and (how) they want them to turn out.” Back at Pacific, Graham said analytics have helped him get through to some of his more stubborn players on the men’s team. “Young men think they know a lot,” Graham said. “It’s very difficult sometimes
to get them to realize that you might know more. But it’s really hard to argue with math. It creates a common language that everyone can buy into, and they have a very hard time disproving it.” Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or rphillips@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/rphillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.
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Stockton moving cautiously on recreational cannabis By Roger Phillips Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON — By the time Port City Alternative opened its doors on New Year’s Day, a line of customers had formed outside the medical cannabis dispensary on Fremont Street beneath Interstate 5. But these weren’t the regular clients of one of Stockton’s two legally operating medical cannabis businesses. These were would-be customers hoping to be among the first to legally purchase adult recreational cannabis, the commercial sale of which became lawful the moment 2017 gave way to 2018. “There was confusion,” Mike Carlson, Port City’s proprietor, recalled recently. “Everyone heard it was starting Jan. 1. We’re (still) getting followers on our Facebook page asking what’s going on. The biggest question is, ‘Where can I go?’ We point them to Sacramento.” And so it shall remain, at least until deep into 2018, if not longer. Though the commercial sale of recreational marijuana in California became legal at the start of the year, San Joaquin County’s cities and the county itself have yet to pass the regulations that would permit such commerce locally. That includes Stockton, where officials say they are gathering information to present to the City Council in the upcoming months. Community Development Director David Kwong said much needs to be considered before any decisions are made as to how to proceed. A big part of the process, Kwong said, will be to apprise the council of how other cities that already have regulations in place are operating. “We’re going to try to select some cities and bring some examples for how it’s working,” Kwong said. Additionally, Kwong said, Stockton will study information on already-approved ordinances from jurisdictions around the state that are being collected by the League
of California Cities. One thing appears certain: The commercial, regulated sale of recreational cannabis will be a revenue goldmine for the Golden State. The Legislative Analyst’s Office has estimated that state and local governments eventually could collect additional revenues ranging from the high hundreds of millions of dollars to more than $1 billion annually. What could a sliver of that $1 billion mean for Stockton? Kwong said it will depend on what lines of legal recreational commerce the council ultimately approves — if any. In addition to the potential for dispensaries and cultivators, decision-makers also will have to decide whether to allow manufacturing and product-testing businesses in Stockton. “Part of it is making sure they’re regulated appropriately, from zoning to enforcement and compliance, as well as the revenue compliance, too,” Kwong said. “It’s not just one particular policy issue we’re looking at. This is not just zoning. It’s a whole spectrum of regulations.” For the past two years, Stockton attorney Zach Drivon has focused his attention on California’s evolving adult-use regulations. Drivon said legal recreational-use commerce will have the effect of “displacing the black market” that currently exists. He also compared the easing of marijuana laws to the end of Prohibition more than 80 years ago. “I think we can look at the negative impact that Prohibition had in this country with respect to crime organizations that were empowered by taking advantage of dealing with alcohol as an underground illegal (business),” Drivon said. “That ultimately failed.” Drivon said once regulations are in place, there will be new revenue to aid the disadvantaged and children. The expunging of criminal records for individuals who, in the past, violated
Port City Alternative employee Saul Cumplido stands next to the display case bearing many of the medical cannabis products sold at the business located on West Fremont Street. [CALIXTRO ROMIAS/ THE RECORD]
Port City Alternative employee Lily Soth with Purple Punch medicinal cannabis in the business located on West Fremont Street. [CALIXTRO ROMIAS/THE RECORD]
no-longer-in-effect marijuana laws is already taking place. “We have the opportunity as a community to establish an industry and a market infrastructure that is central to Stockton and the Central Valley that could really improve the quality of life for residents,” Drivon said. “That is by participating in
this market that is now being transitioned into this industry. The revenue potential is profound.” Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or rphillips@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet. com/rphillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.
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Phillip Zimmerman, at the time a communications supervisor for the Stockton Police Department, monitors ShotSpotter at the dispatch center. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE 2013]
The Stockton Police Department demonstrated its new drones late last year. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE 2017]
Police using array of new technologies to fight crime By Roger Phillips Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON — Three years ago, the Stockton Police Department began in earnest its ultimately successful effort to put body cameras on each of its officers on a force that now numbers about 450. Chief Eric Jones said at the time that the body cameras would provide evidence that could help determine whether officers were innocent or guilty if accused of misconduct by a member of the community. “We are taking police trust and accountability very seriously,” Jones said in 2015 when asked about the department’s embrace of body cameras technology. “It benefits the public and it benefits police officers. It’s very important to have this trust and accountability in policing.” Jones recently discussed the various new technologies and analytics his police force already uses or is preparing to implement. Here’s a look: • ShotSpotter: The department has used the gunshot detection system in an undisclosed two-square-mile area of Stockton for more than four years. Jones said it has been valuable. “It’s helped us have a better response to gunshots,” Jones said. “We actually found
that when we rolled out the system in the neighborhood, incidents were reduced.” Jones said ShotSpotter’s costliness is the only think keeping him from using it in more Stockton neighborhoods. • Drones: Jones said the “unmanned aerial system” was put into use for the first time last month. The devices can be used to search for suspects, and their infrared cameras can reveal people even if they are hiding. The drone pilot on the ground can watch a live feed of the device’s video, and drones’ output can be used as evidence in court and for police training. • Automated license plate readers: The department is field testing several of these devices. Jones said officers receive automatic alerts if a stolen vehicle is ahead of them. • Biometrics and facial recognition software:
Jones said he is intrigued but not quite ready to take the plunge. “It’s an interesting, really an exploding area of technology,” Jones said. “We’re not using it. There will be privacy issues. I do look forward to following how facial-recognition is used.” • “Project Forebode.” Using powerful software and human analysts, “forecast-based deployment” is meant to predict where gun
violence is likely to occur next. Jones said his department is studying “forecast-based deployment” as part of a pilot project. According to Jones, the forecasts have been found to be 80 percent accurate, creating the possibility gun violence can be stopped before it occurs. • Being rolled out now: The department is eager to see how well its newest toy — called “SPOT” — will work out. SPOT, paid for with donations, stands for “Stockton Police Observation Truck,” an armored vehicle police can park in hotspot neighborhoods. The truck can produce 360-degree video 24 hours a day, Jones said. It is armored, Jones added, in order to protect it if it is parked in a neighborhood for an extended period. “This is eyes on the ground,” Jones said. Jones said the guidelines for using various new technologies are evolving, including when and if body camera video can be shown publicly. “It’s an evolving thing, an ongoing challenge,” Jones said. “It’s a piece of evidence. I think there was a misconception people would have 24/7 access to footage. There’s a certain way video can and will be released … if there’s a ‘compelling community interest’ but not a ‘compelling community
Stockton Police Lt. Grant Bedford gives a demonstration of new body cameras. [CALIXTRO ROMIAS/RECORD FILE 2015]
curiousity.’ “Technology is outstripping the creation of guidelines. Technology sometimes outpaces policy. We have to make sure we have the best policies in place before we roll (new tools) out.” Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or rphillips@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/rphillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.
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Lodi wine industry looks to keep growing By Roger Phillips Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON — A recent Google search for “Lodi vs. Napa” yielded about 255,000 results, and if you pored over every one of them while consuming your favorite varietal, you would go through more cases of wine than you probably ever could imagine. “I love visiting the Napa Valley,” a blogger at Wine Country Getaways wrote in 2016. But, the writer added, “The Napa Valley is also expensive, teeming with tourists, and unfortunately, a place where many wine snobs like to congregate.” Then the writer turned to Lodi. “If you are looking for a change-of-pace in wine country, you need to go to Lodi,” the blog continued. “Lodi wine country is quiet and peaceful, with plenty of good wine and cheer for the wine country traveler.” Some in the Lodi wine industry make it a point to downplay the comparisons with Napa. But the Lodi vintners seem plenty content to let their product speak for itself. “We try not to make those comparisons as we look at our region and its evolution,” said Stuart Spencer, the winemaker at St. Amant Winery and the program manager for the Lodi Winegrape Commission. “We try to focus on what makes Lodi distinct as a wine and grape-growing area. We try to be ourselves and not try to be like other areas.”
Vintners and growers say Lodi’s greatest strength is the wide range of grapes available in its vineyards Bruce Fry, chairman of the Winegrape Commission, said about 100 varieties of grapes can be found in Lodi. Napa Valley Vintners, a trade association, reports that roughly 35 varieties are grown in that winemaking region. That said, Napa maintains a comfortable lead over Lodi in its crop value, a record-breaking $737.3 million in 2016. Lodi’s crop value for the same period was $490.4 million, a shade below the one-half-billion dollar values Lodi recorded in consecutive fiscal years from 2013-15. Twenty-five years ago, Lodi’s crop value was almost five times smaller than it is today. The growth of Lodi’s wine industry has coincided with its winemakers’ decision to get serious about marketing. “If you are looking for a change-of-pace in wine country, you need to go to Lodi,” the blog continued. “Lodi wine country is quiet and peaceful, with plenty of good wine and cheer for the wine country traveler.” The Lodi Winegrape Association was established in 1991 with only six member wineries, and as recently as 2004 there were only 22 participating wineries. But by last year, the figure had increased to 80, and Spencer says there is plenty of room for additional growth. “We’ve got more than
Grape grower Bruce Fry is the chairman of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. [RECORD FILE/MICHAEL MCCOLLUM 2015]
two times if not triple the acres (compared to Napa),” Spencer said. “But on the winemaking side we have a fraction the number of wineries. “There’s a lot of opportunity in our artisan wine community to continue to start wine labels and create wines that speak of Lodi. For those things to happen … tourism is a huge component of that.” Human capital also will be vital. Said Spencer: “We're going to need more smart young people who want to live in our community and be a part of that growth.” Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or rphillips@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet. com/rphillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.
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Brick-and-mortar stores must evolve By Roger Phillips Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON — Outdoors enthusiasts were saddened late last year when Stockton’s REI announced it would be closing early in 2018. New parents had similar regrets last month when Stockton’s Babies R Us branch announced its impending closure, part of the struggling Toys R Us chain’s effort to find firmer economic footing. These days, the most-cited reason for a brand-name brick-and-mortar store’s demise is the ever-expanding ability of consumers to purchase similar goods online from the comfort of their home. “Brick-and-mortar retail is under pressure around the country,” said Jeff Michael, director of the Center for Business and Policy Research at University of the Pacific. “You’re seeing waves of brick-and-mortar store closures around the country. Brick-and-mortar retail has suffered as sales migrate to online.” Lisa Hodgson, a Stocktonbased senior vice president for Colliers International, said there are many reasons in addition to the internet why some long-established name-brand national retail businesses are struggling. “One reason some are closing is kind of the natural progression of business,” Hodgson said. “There’s a period of time when your goods are desirable to the public, but over time you have competition; or you may not have updated your business model to keep up with customer trends; or there might be competition coming to the market with a hot new approach to a particular good.” Stockton’s Babies R Us is being closed by Toys R Us only a few months after the parent company filed for bankruptcy. REI has yet to provide an
in-depth reason for its decision to end its 10-year run in Stockton. The Seattle-based company reported record revenue in 2016, with more than $2.5 billion in sales. It had 147 stores that year, a slight increase from the previous year. Hodgson said struggling national retailers need to learn from those brick-andmortar businesses that still are performing well. “The internet phenomenon … has significantly and permanently changed the way retail sales approaches the customer,” Hodgson said. She cited Macy’s and Kohl’s as two businesses that have successful expanded online while also maintaining their storefront presence. She said one successful approach for large retailers is to charge for shipping on orders sent to a customer’s home, but to offer free shipping if the same customer chooses to pick up their purchase at the store. When a shopper picks up an online order at the store, it provides an additional opportunity for the retailer. “Often, an online shopper buys more when they pick up their purchase at the store,” Hodgson said. “You’re seeing more of the brick-andmortar stores having a hybrid internet presence.” “You’re seeing waves of brick-and-mortar store closures around the country. Brick-and-mortar retail has suffered as sales migrate to online.” Lisa Hodgson
Hodgson said new retail in a city usually comes at a time when there’s lots of new construction taking place. She said more new retail businesses will be likely to consider opening Stockton locations if construction picks up. Hodgson’s employer, Colliers International, is an international commercial real-estate company and one
Stockton’s REI store closed its doors for the last time on Feb. 1. [MICHAEL MCCOLLUM/RECORD FILE 2008]
of its jobs moving forward will be to fill the vacancy at north Stockton’s Park West Place that is being by the Babies R Us vacancy. “It is a big hole to fill but, fortunately, we have interest in it right now from a handful of retailers,” Hodgson said. “Hopefully, we can backfill it fairly quickly. But there are no guarantees until you have a signed lease.’’ She predicted that Stone Creek Village also will ultimately find a replacement to fill the much-lamented void created by REI. “It’s a very vibrant corridor,” Hodgson said, referring to its Pacific Avenue location. “It’s a beautiful project. I think they will succeed.” Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or rphillips@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet. com/rphillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.
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Zinfandel grapes on Davis Road in Lodi. [CRAIG SANDERS/RECORD FILE 2014]
TA S T I N G S Find a wine for every taste at some of the region's tasting rooms. Hours vary as well as the cost for tastings. Abundance Vineyards 1150 W. Turner Road, Lodi (209) 334-0274 abundancevineyards.com Tasting: Daily 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards 22353 N. Trethaway Road, Acampo Whitewinewinery.com Tasting: Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (Closed December-March; reopens March 16) Barsetti Vineyards 400 4th St., Ste. 150, Galt (209) 744-6062 Barsettivineyards.com Tasting: Thursday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Berghold Vineyards 17343 N. Cherry Road, Lodi (209) 333-9291 Bergholdvineyards.com Tasting: Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Bokisch Vineyards 18921 N. Atkins Road, Lodi (209) 334-4338 Bokischvineyards.com Tasting: Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. CellarDoor By Michael David Winery 21 N. School St., Lodi (209) 339-4394 Lodicellardoor.com Tasting: Wednesday and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, noon- 7p.m. Featuring: Michael David Winery, Van Ruiten Family Winery Clements Ridge 23225 E. Highway 88, Clements (209) 759-3850 Clementsridge.com Tasting: Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Consumnes River Farm 28305 N. Thornton Road, Thornton (209) 334-5544 Consumnesriverfarm.com Tasting: Thursday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. d’Art Wines 13299 N. Curry Ave., Lodi (209) 334-9946 Dartwines.com Tasting: Daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Dancing Coyote Wines 3125 E. Orange St., Lodi (209) 339-9780 Dancingcoyotewines.com Tasting: Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Dancing Fox Winery, Brewery & Restaurant 203 S. School St., Lodi (209) 366-2634 Dancingfoxwinery.com
Omega Cellars 13731 N. Highway 88, Lodi (209) 367-1910 Omega-cellars.com Tasting: Thursday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m.
Tasting: Tuesday-Friday, noon-4 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Delicato Family Vineyards 12001 S. Highway 99, Manteca (209) 824-3500 Dfvtastingroom.com Tasting: Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Paskett Winery 11070 E. Woodbridge Road, Acampo (209) 200-1959 Paskettwinery.com Tasting: Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Drava Wines 1378 E. Turner Road, Ste. D, Lodi (209) 400-5009 Dravawines.com Tasting: Thursday-Monday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Durst Winery & Estate 10173 Acampo Road, Acampo (209) 601-1413 Durstwinery.com Tasting: Thursday-Monday, noon-5 p.m. E2 Family Winery 9009 Highway 12, Lodi (209) 993-2334 E2familywinery.com Tasting: By appt. only Estate Crush 2 W. Lockeford St., Lodi (209) 368-7595 Estatecrush.com Tasting: Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Fields Family Winery 3803 E. Woodbridge Road, Lodi (209) 327-6306 Fieldsfamilywines.com Tasting: Thursday-Monday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. GoodMills Family Winery 17266 Hillside Drive, Lodi (209) 727-0728 Goodmillswinery.com Tasting: Friday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Grace Vineyards 28001 N. Nichols Road, Galt (916) 826-8288 Gracevineyards.com Tasting: By appt. only Grady Family Vineyards Gradyvineyards.net Tasting at Woodbridge Uncorked Hanford Ranch 13200 Lodi Road, Galt (916) 812-5399 Hanfordranch.com Tasting: By appt. only Harmony Wynelands 9291 E. Harney Lane, Lodi (209) 369-4184 Harmonywynelands.com Tasting: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 12:30 p.m.-5 p.m.
A vineyard on Armstrong Road near Micke Grove Road. [CLIFFORD
Peirano Estate Vineyards 21831 N. Highway 99, Acampo (209) 369-9463 Peirano.com Tasting: Thursday-Monday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
OTO/RECORD FILE 2009]
Heritageoakwinery.com Tasting: Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Housley’s Century Oak Winery 22211 N. Lower Sacramento Road, Acampo (209) 334-3482 Centuryoakwinery.com Tasting: Saturday-Sunday, noon-4 p.m. Jeremy Wine Co. 6 W. Pine St., Lodi (209) 367-3773 Jeremywineco.com Tasting: Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Jessie’s Grove Estate Winery 1973 W. Turner Road, Lodi (209) 368-0880 Jessiesgrovewinery.com Tasting: Daily, noon-5 p.m. Klinker Brick Winery 15887 N. Alpine Road, Lodi (209) 333-1845, ext. 105 Klinkerbrickwinery.com Tasting: Daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. LangeTwins Winery & Vineyards 1525 E. Jahant Road, Acampo (209) 334-9780 Langetwins.com Tasting: Daily, noon-5 p.m. Lodi Vintners 3750 E. Woodbridge Road, Acampo (209) 368-2019 Lodivintners.com Tasting: Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Lone Grape Winery 12470 Locke Road, Lockeford (209) 269-3701 Lonegrape.com Tasting: Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Harney Lane Winery 9010 E. Harney Lane, Lodi (209) 812-5399 Harnelylane.com Tasting: Daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Lucas Winery 18196 N. Davis Road, Lodi (209) 368-2006 Lucaswinery.com Tasting: Wednesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Heritage Oak Winery 10112 E. Woodbridge Road, Acampo (209) 986-2763
LVVR Sparkling Cellars 12470 Locke Road, Lockeford (209) 727-6062 Lvvrsparkling.com
Tasting: Friday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m.; Sunday by appt. m2 Wines 2900 E. Peltier Road, Acampo (209) 339-1071 m2wines.com Tasting: Thursday-Monday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Macchia 7099 E. Peltier Road, Acampo (209) 333-2600 Macchiawines.com Tasting: Thursday-Monday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Maley Brothers Tasting located at Woodbridge Uncorked Woodbridgeuncorked.com McCay Cellars 100 S. Sacramento St., Lodi (209) 368-9463 Mccaycellars.com Tasting: Monday-Thursday, noon-5 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. McConnell Estates 10686 W. Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove (916) 685-5368 Mcconnellestates. Com Tasting: Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mettler Family Vineyards 7889 E. Harney Lane, Lodi (209) 369-3045 Mettlerwine.com Tasting: Thursday-Monday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Michael David Winery 4580 W. Highway 12, Lodi (209) 368-7384 Michaeldavidwinery.com Tasting: Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oak Farm Vineyards 23627 N. DeVries Road, Lodi (209) 365-6565 Oakfarmvineyards.com Tasting: Daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oak Ridge Winery 6100 E. Highway 12 (Victor Road), Lodi (209) 365-4769 Oakridgewinery.com Tasting: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Peltier Winery 22150 N. Kennefick Road, Acampo (209) 367-4882 Peltierwinery.com Tasting: Daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Pondl Winery 665 W. Turner Road, Lodi (209) 367-4882 Pondlwine.com Tasting: Summer: Friday-Sunday, noon-6 p.m.; winter: FridaySunday, noon-5 p.m. PRIE Winery 15622 N. Alpine Road, Lodi (925) 784-6197 Priewinery.com Tasting: Friday, 1-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Riaza Wines 20 E. Elm St., Lodi (209) 625-1103 Riazawines.com Tasting: Friday and Sunday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Ripken Vineyards & Winery 2472 Sargent Road, Lodi (209) 367-9463 Ripken.com Tasting: Friday-Sunday, noon-4 p.m. Scotto’s Wine & Cider 14 S. School St., Lodi (209) 224-8590 Scottoswineandcider.com Tasting: Saturday-Thursday, noon-6 p.m.; Friday, noon-9 p.m. (music 6-8:30 p.m.) Sorelle Winery 9599 N. Highway 88, Stockton (209) 931-4350 Sorellewinery.com Tasting: Monday-Thursday, noon-5 p.m.; Friday, noon-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Spenker Winery 17303 N. DeVries Road, Lodi (209) 367-0467 Spenkerwinery.com Tasting: Saturday-Sunday, noon-4 p.m. St. Amant Winery 1 Winemaster Way, Lodi (209) 367-0646 Stamantwine.com Tasting: Thursday-Sunday, noon-4 p.m.
St. Jorge Winery 22769 N. Bender Road, Acampo (209) 365-0202 Stjorgewinery.com Tasting: Friday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Stama Winery 17521 N. Davis Road, Lodi (209) 727-3314 Stamawinery.com Tasting: Daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Stonum Vineyards &Winery 16388 N. Alpine Road, Lodi (209) 224-8130 Stonumvineyards.com Tasting: Thursday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Toasted Toad Cellars 21 E. Elm St., Lodi (209) 400-4040 Toastedtoadcellars.com Tasting: Friday, Saturday and Monday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Twisted Barrel Winery 112 W. Pine St., Lodi (209) 334-2554 Twistedbarrel.net Tasting: Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Upstream Wines by Watts Winery 17036 Locust Tree Road, Lodi (209) 570-3857 or (209) 368-2974 Upstreamwines.com Tasting: Saturday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Van Ruiten Family Winery 340 W. Highway 12, Lodi (209) 334-5722 Vrwinery.com Tasting: Daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Viaggio Estate & Winery 100 E. Taddei Road, Acampo (209) 333-0431 Viaggiowinery.com Tasting: Saturday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Weibel Family Vineyards & Winery 13 N. School St., Lodi (209) 370-6013 Weibel.com Tasting: Sunday-Tuesday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wednesday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wine Social 7 N. School St., Lodi (209) 224-5740 Lodiwinesocial.com Tasting: Wednesday-Thursday, 2 p.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 2 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi 5950 E. Woodbridge Road, Acampo (209) 365-8139 Woodbridgewines.com Tasting: Daily, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tours: Daily, 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
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SJ making advances in health care access By Joe Goldeen Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON — When it comes to the health of our family and ourselves, we all want the best — the best medicine, the finest doctors and the latest in medical technology. Of course, that’s a tall order made even more difficult by living in a county such as San Joaquin with limited access to health care and a historic shortage of health professionals. On many fronts, however, that is changing. Here are three examples: Take 196-bed San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, one of the few remaining publicly owned and operated hospitals in California. With its Level III trauma center emerging out of closure to fully functioning status just 13 months ago, prospects for the 161-year-old institution have only been rising. One of the key components in the area of technology is the acquisition a few months ago of a four-armed robot that provides the surgical staff with the ability to perform minimally invasive operations across a wide range of surgical procedures in the areas of gynecology, urology, thoracic, cardiac and general surgery. Called the da Vinci Xi Surgical System, it enables the surgeon to perform precise procedures when operating on a patient’s abdomen or chest. The hospital spent approximately $2 million on the da Vinci, plus up to another $1 million on accessories. “The da Vinci robotic surgery system is a much-needed component of our surgical education program. Our general surgery residents are here to prepare themselves to eradicate surgical sufferings globally. Our curriculum requires the most up-to-date surgical equipment, practices, science and technology,” said Dr. Dinesh Vyas, the new director of the hospital’s long-established surgery residency program. “Our goal is to prepare our surgical residents to perform their surgical expertise on a world stage.” With the surgeon sitting at a console in the corner of the operating room several feet away from the patient, he has a better view than if he were standing right over the patient’s chest. That’s because he’s staring into a robotically controlled 3D-HD vision system that provides a 10-times magnification of the area of the body he’s working on. Using precise wristed instruments that allow for 360-degree movement, the surgeon is in 100 percent control of the robot’s movements at all times. If he or she lifts his head from the vision system, for example, everything stops. The tiny instruments at the end of the robot arms working inside the patient’s body often would be impossible for a surgeon to operate with their actual hands. And the minimally invasive nature of the surgery itself is much less stressful on the patient, improving the probability of a successful outcome and leading to significantly shorter recovery times. At Kaiser Permanente Manteca Medical Center, patients who arrive with stroke symptoms have a better chance of reducing their risk of paralysis and death due to a new protocol that combines the use of modern technology with integrated care. It works like this: Once a “stroke alert” is called on the overhead speakers, the stroke team will roll a high-tech telestroke video cart next to the patient. Within a few moments, a neurologist with specialty training in stroke care will join the emergency room physicians via high-definition video and work together with them to diagnose the patient. The neurologist, who may be at another Kaiser hospital, can control the highresolution camera and interact with the patient and providers. Having a neurologist as part of the care team is critical during the onset of a stroke because he or she can start placing orders for treatment and lifesaving medication. Because of the new protocol, patients can receive Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA), the clot busting medication, much faster than if an on-call neurologist were to be called by phone. The faster a patient receives the intravenous medication, the better the chances for functional outcomes because blood is more quickly restored to the brain. “This is an amazing testament to our integrated care, because I’m able to talk with the neurologist specializing in stroke care on the tele-radiology screen and together give the patients the best care in this critical time of need,” said Amanda Perez, chief of emergency medicine at Kaiser Permanente medical centers in Manteca and Modesto. “It’s like having them in the room standing right next to you.” At the county’s largest hospital — St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton — a new Graduate Medical Education program will launch July 1 with the first class of physician residents specializing in emergency medicine and family medicine. Over the next five years, St. Joseph’s plans to increase the residency opportunities to include obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine and other specialties, growing the program to approximately 80 residents in training with the hope that many will remain in the area to practice. The residents are physicians who have completed medical school and are continuing their clinical education in a medical specialty. With a shortage of residency positions in California, physicians typically leave the area to obtain a residency, decreasing the likelihood that they will return to the area to practice. Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or jgoldeen@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/goldeenblog and on Twitter @JoeGoldeen.
San Joaquin General Hospital’s Dr. Dinesh Vyas with one of four arms used on the da Vinci Xi Surgical System. [CALIXTRO ROMIAS/THE RECORD]
San Joaquin General Hospital’s Dr. Dinesh Vyas with part of surgical staff, Santina Wheeler, scrub tech, left, and Debbie Cocola, director of operative services with the da Vinci Xi Surgical System. [CALIXTRO ROMIAS/THE RECORD]
San Joaquin General Hospital’s Dr. Dinesh Vyas sits in a remote station for the da Vinci Xi Surgical System, which provides surgical staff minimally invasive robotic surgery that can be used in wide range of surgical procedures. [CALIXTRO ROMIAS/THE RECORD]
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| Sunday, February 18, 2018
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There is some life in the development of affordable housing in Stockton. Construction workers worked recently on a 51-unit project at the northwest corner of Oak and Hunter streets. [CALIXTRO ROMIAS/RECORD FILE 2018]
Housing market remains challenging at all price levels By Roger Phillips Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON — The best advice for those entering Stockton’s red-hot home-buying market also is simple advice. Act fast if you see a property on the market that strikes your fancy. Otherwise, the next time you check, there’s a good chance someone will have beaten you to it. Unfortunately, the same goes for the large portion of Stockton residents who need affordable housing. The cupboard is bare, and there seems little reason to be hopeful that it’s going to be restocked anytime soon. “I’m not optimistic,” said Fred Sheil, the administrator of STAND Affordable Housing in south Stockton. “Prices for individual single-family homes just keep going up. As a matter of fact, prices are past where a working-class family can buy a house.” Not everything is the same in Stockton as it was during the last housing boom, which ultimately gave way to the Great Recession. Perhaps most importantly, sprawl is out and infill is in. Stockton at the moment is crafting a new General Plan for long-range growth through 2040 that is expected to promote housing development downtown and in older, existing neighborhoods, particularly on the south and east sides. City data show a significant and growing demand for subsidized, affordable housing and for multifamily units. Stockton has set a goal of adding 4,400 new housing units in the greater downtown area by 2035. But that's 17 years from now. What are prospective buyers and renters — as well as those who needed affordable housing, like, yesterday — to do in the near-term? The options are likely to remain limited, said Jeff Michael, director of the Center for Business
and Policy Research at University of the Pacific. Concerning the rental market, Michael said, “Building of all types continues to lag behind population growth. It’s still not where it needs to be to meet demand, so we’ll continue to see rising pressure on rents.” As for homebuilding and the sizzling singlefamily home market, Michael said he expects Stockton to remain a seller's market, for the time being, because of low inventory and the dearth of new construction. Michael Blower, a realtor for 16 years who also has served as a member of the City Council, said there is a lack of housing inventory at every price level. “Part of that is tied to the fact we haven’t had a whole lot of homes built in Stockton,” Blower said. “In the past, a person would see Brookside and before that Quail Lakes, and they would want to get a new home built. There hasn’t been that development for a long time.” Blower said there is no quick answer or magic potion. “I think it’s all about the numbers, whether building makes sense economically for developers,” Blower said. “As we’ve seen home prices increase, we’re getting closer. But we’re still not at the level we were at in 2006. Stockton took the biggest hit of almost any city in the nation (during the subprime mortgage crisis). We have had a deeper hole to dig ourselves out of. “Once prices reach a certain level, development will pencil out. It will make sense financially for builders to build, which I think will be good for everybody. In addition to more housing in Stockton, it will provide more employment.” Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or rphillips@recordnet. com. Follow him at recordnet.com/rphillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.
Stockton’s will need many more scenes like this recent groundbreaking ceremony at the Sierra Vista housing project if the city is to meet the demand for affordable housing. [CLIFFORD OTO/RECORD FILE 2018]
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| Sunday, February 18, 2018
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Sweepers work at a walnut orchard along French Camp Road. [CRAIG SANDERS/RECORD FILE 2014]
For some farmers, it’s adapt or die Labor problems force mechanization of some SJ ag jobs
By Alex Breitler Record Staff Writer
Don’t be surprised if you see more machines — and fewer laborers — in San Joaquin County vineyards in the years to come. “We have to mechanize if we want to keep our industry,” grape grower Brad Goehring said. For a variety of reasons, farmers of certain labor-intensive crops say they’re having more difficulty finding workers to maintain and harvest those crops. And that’s a problem in a county where agriculture still is king, worth $2.3 billion in 2016. In the Lodi wine country, Goehring said, hundreds of machines now are used to blow the leaves off grapevines, each machine replacing a crew of 30 people for a period of six weeks. The routine maintenance is about one-third cheaper with the machine. Some growers are experimenting with equipment that uses either a chemical spray or a small rubber “finger” to remove unwanted growths from the trunk of each vine. And some older Zinfandel vineyards that do not have trellises and cannot be mechanically harvested have been pulled out altogether because the labor market is tight and hired hands are more expensive. The labor issue is “what has kept me up at night the past few years,” Goehring said. “It’s a very big deal.” It’s also very complicated. For starters, growers say that California’s new minimum wage and impending farm worker overtime mandate make it more expensive to hire workers. But they also, apparently, are drawing from a smaller pool to begin with. Immigration from Mexico has slumped. In 2015, the Pew Research Center reported that more Mexicans were leaving the United States than coming here. More specifically, while 1 million Mexicans and their families left the U.S. to return to Mexico from 2009 through 2014, only 870,000 Mexicans came here during that same time period. The Great Recession might have made the U.S. less attractive to potential migrants, Pew researchers found. Stricter enforcement of U.S. immigration laws also may have been a deterrent. Meanwhile, those who are immigrating to the U.S. may be finding opportunities outside of farm labor, thanks to the low unemployment rate, said Jeff Michael, an economist at University of the Pacific. That tightens up the labor market even more. The shift away from relatively low-maintenance field crops such as corn and wheat toward more lucrative permanent crops like vines and orchards also may be a factor. That shift has led to an expansion of agricultural productivity, but also has boosted the need for laborers in some areas. Indeed, the overall number of farm jobs has been growing in San Joaquin County and across the region over the past couple of decades. But not enough to keep up with growing demand. The problem isn’t limited to grapes. Growers of the Delta’s famed asparagus are struggling to compete with farms in Mexico and South America, which can grow the crop at a lower cost due to looser regulations that allow for cheaper labor.
Farm workers harvest the annual asparagus crop in the San Joaquin Delta. [RECORD FILE]
Farmers associated with the Kings Crown packing shed in the south Delta used to have about 4,000 acres in production. Now they’re down to about 400 acres. In the county as a whole, asparagus has declined from about 24,000 acres in the late 1990s to a little more than 1,000 acres today. “We’re looking ahead, hopefully, for a strong asparagus season, but there are a lot of what-ifs,” grower Bob Ferguson said. “Every one of those could really topple the whole thing.” Last year, asparagus growers experimented with a mechanical harvester from the Pacific Northwest. The machine was equipped with sensors that would allow it to harvest only those asparagus stalks that were ready — stalks that were about nineinches long. But the sensors didn’t always work, Ferguson said. Sometimes stalks that were ripe for picking were left untouched. And so the asparagus will be picked by hand again this spring. And as a result, you’ll probably pay more for it than you will for imported asparagus at the grocery store. “We’re going to try to get a product out there,” Ferguson said. “But it’s going to be at a price that’s going to keep us in the game.” Some crops already have been successfully mechanized, such as almonds and walnuts, where great shaking machines cause nuts to rain down from the trees. In the old days, farm workers had to climb up into walnut trees and whack their limbs with giant mallets in order to jar the nuts
The cost of labor for handpicked asparagus can cause higher prices. [RECORD FILE]
loose. But other crops may be in jeopardy if they fail to adapt, said Goehring, the grape grower. “What’s at risk is California’s diversity,” he said. “Right now we have over 400 commodities. But California is really at risk of becoming more of a monoculture.”
Contact reporter Alex Breitler at (209) 546-8295 or abreitler@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/breitlerblog and on Twitter @alexbreitler.
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Shadows are cast by the sun shining through bare trees as students walk across the quad at San Joaquin Delta College. [CLIFFORD OTO/THE RECORD]
Delta College using latest digital trends to attract students By Nicholas Filipas Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON — Shelly Valenton has spent 17 years working in marketing, a constantly evolving industry. Since becoming director of marketing, communications and outreach at San Joaquin Delta College two years ago, it’s up to Valenton and her staff to attract a vast age group interested in secondary education. Years before the dominating presence of the internet, Delta College relied heavily on getting its image and services through television, radio and print ads. While those mediums still are being used, Valenton has Delta College keeping up with the latest trends: intensified digital marketing with a large social media following, advertisements on streaming radio services and something called geo-fencing. What in the world is that? Imagine yourself on your home computer or laptop and shopping for shoes on a brand website, Valenton explains. When you’re done browsing, you open another website and notice along the corners that ads for the very shoes you were just looking at are right there. “Clearly somebody is following your digital footprint,” Valenton said. “There’s technology behind it that really sounds so complicated, but everyone is doing it.” Same thing is happening when prospective students browse Delta College’s website and later on keep seeing ads for classes and services available. It keeps the user constantly thinking about it. Valenton said she understands it can be difficult to grasp. In other words, it acts as customizable messaging to select an audience looking at demographics of adult education. “It’s really cool, and also very creepy,” she said. “It’s perfect for
higher education because we don’t have millions of funds to spend on advertising but we know who we’re trying to target.” With more people wanting information right at their fingertips, Valenton said the challenge has been simply meeting demand, along with finding new ways to reach a wider audience. “Data is so powerful,” she said, “you have to be tactical about it.” Upgrading the college’s website is just one solution (a big update is coming). It’s becoming a more common sight for prospective students to simply log on and view what colleges and universities have to offer right from the comfort of home. “That’s your first impression of Delta: if it doesn’t speak your language, you lose some of them (and) they don’t even step on your campus,”Valenton said. “That’s their first experience they have before they come in and they know about you … there’s just so much to think about and that’s the challenge, but also the opportunity.” Delta College already has reaped in success such as being ranked the No. 6 community college in California by schools.com, a website whose writers and researchers examine issues such as career outlook, adult education, financial planning and more. The site ranked Delta College high partly because of Delta’s online course offerings, saying that “no other school on our list had a greater rate of distance education enrollment.” The site also praised Delta’s flexibility on campus, saying that programs offer students the chance to “cash in” their life experience for college credit, and that students have the option of pursuing degree paths that take place entirely at night and on the weekend. Go down along Pacific Avenue
and innovation is taking a different form for students who are interested in pursuing creative coursework in subjects such as graphic design, visual arts and engineering. Called Media X, the University of the Pacific program is in its infancy and allows students to choose from a variety of curricular paths, allowing them to “develop more nuanced concentrations” in digital art and design, animation and visual effects, computer programming, sound engineering, film, television, trans-media storytelling, social media and marketing, digital humanities and creative entrepreneurship. Kevin Pontuti, a professor and chair of Media X, said while enrollment still is small, it’s an important major to offer. “It’s really about preparing students for the future of storytelling across multiple platforms through technology,” he said. No one really knows what’s next in the world of technology, but it’s necessary, Pontuti said, that students develop strong critical thinking skills. An example of the type of innovation being utilized in the program, he said, is virtual reality, a market that is developing to become a multiple billion-dollar industry in the next five to 10 years. “(We’re) looking at that to built (students) up with a close proximity to San Francisco, there’s an opportunity to go into those areas and also here in Stockton,” Pontuti said. “We’re working with marketing and design studios in town to get involved and looked into how Pacific can be involved in economic development.” Contact reporter Nicholas Filipas at (209) 546-8257 or nfilipas@recordnet.com. Follow him on recordnet. com/filipasblog or on Twitter @ nicholasfilipas.
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Document your belongings now through. Rochman’s family decided to leave when Most people don’t anticthe hurricane reached ipate a disaster wreaking Category 4. The day havoc on their home, and before, the family went property owners rarely file through the house room home insurance claims. by room taking photos to That doesn’t mean you update their home invenshouldn’t be prepared with tory. Then next morning, a home inventory. they grabbed their evacuWhile something like 6 ation kits, home insurance percent of homeowners policy and receipt files and will file a home insurwere out the door. ance claim in a given Televisions, entertainyear, having an existing ment equipment, furniture record of your belongings and appliances are obviis incredibly beneficial ous, but will you remember when disaster strikes, said grandmother’s china Michael Barry, spokespacked away in the back man for the Insurance of a closet, the bowls you Information Institute. received as a wedding gift, “Recouping your losses and all the stuff stored will be much in the attic or “Recouping easier if you have garage? your losses will documented Creating a be much easier home invenyour possessions. if you have People underestitory may seem mate the amount documented daunting, but the your of property they process is pretty possessions. own,” Barry said. easy, Rochman People A detailed invensaid. Her first underestimate tory of items tip: Recruit help the amount of destroyed or damby assigning property they aged is necessary rooms to family own.” for an insurance members. claim. Proper More tips from Michael Barry documentation means the Insurance Institute for a quicker and smoother Business & Home Safety: claims process, Barry said. • Use technology: Create “It’s always easier to do a photo record of your it while the sun is shinbelongings. Capture ing rather than in an important individual items emergency,” said Julie as well as entire rooms Rochman, president and and closets, and be sure to chief executive officer of open drawers and cabinets. the Insurance Institute for Label your photos and Business & Home Safety. include where you bought “It’s overwhelming to the item, plus the make or think about everything you model. Store your home own,” said Rochman, who inventory on a disc, flash had to evacuate her “welldrive or in the cloud and built” Tampa, Florida, update it yearly. Mobile home last year when apps, like Know Your Hurricane Irma swept Stuff, can help you create By Melissa Erickson More Content Now
and store a room-by-room record of your belongings. • Count clothing by category: For example, “5 pairs of jeans, 3 pairs of sneakers …” Make note of any items that are especially valuable. • Don’t forget: Belongings kept in a self-storage facility are covered, too. Don’t forget items in the garage, attic or crawlspace. • Keep proof of value: Receipts are more compelling evidence of loss than photos or descriptions, Rochman said. Add sales receipts, purchase contracts and appraisals with your list. • Know your coverage: It may be the most boring 10 minutes of your day, but take the time to read your insurance policy at least once a year. Be sure it’s up to date, too. Add significant new purchases and save receipts while the details are fresh in your mind. Update your coverage when you renovate and add floater policies for high-end items like jewelry, artwork, musical instruments or collectibles. Understand the difference between replacement (that provides a higher reimbursement) and actual cost coverage (that depreciates). • Save a copy: Keep these documents in a safe deposit box or at a friend’s or relative’s home. Make at least one backup copy of your inventory document and store it separately. An easy way to make digital backup copies of your paper list is to take pictures of it on your smartphone.
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Sunday, February 18, 2018 |
All things
Easter...
Decor, Dresses, Floral, Gifts
& Brunch
#LincolnCenterShops LincolnCenterShops.com
Don’t forget the
bunny
McCaulou’s Department Store
MARCH
24-25
&
30-31 12pm-4pm
#LincolnCenterShops LincolnCenterShops.com
S23
S24
| Sunday, February 18, 2018
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