A publication of the Turlock Chamber of Commerce
winter 2014
New Year, New Chair
MedicAlert CEO brings business expertise to Chamber
issue 17
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The SMITh chevroleT cadIllac TeaM
Contents W.A.C.E. Award Winning Publication of the Turlock Chamber of Commerce
7 New Board Chair Andrew Wigglesworth 8 Sdlg Comes To Town 9 2013 Elections Recap 10 Local Real Estate Market Update 11 City Council Voting Record 12 Dr. Mike Romeo Reflects On Year As Chair/
115 S. Golden State Blvd. Turlock, CA 95380 209-632-2221 Fax 209- 632-5289 Hours: Mon. - Fri. • 10am - 4pm
New Members
13 Economic Trends Breakfast 14 Community Faces Water Crisis 15 Holiday Retail Sales Joyful 16 Tgm Cleans Up Downtown 17 Alliance Welcomes New Ceo 18 Mixers/ Ribbon Cuttings 19 Emc Cardiac Operating Suites 21 Quantitive Easing 22 Common Core Standards
President / CEO
Sharon Silva
sharonsilva@turlockchamber.com director communications/ development
Tasha Van Santen Ext. 104 tasha@turlockchamber.com
Administrative Assistant
Sharon Berry Ext. 100 sharonberry@turlockchamber.com
membership / cvb assistant
Kassi Fortado Ext. 101 kassi@turlockchamber.com
Turlock Convention and Visitors Bureau director Desa Cammack 115 S. Golden State Blvd. 209-632-2221 Ext. 104 desa@visitturlock.org
Published by The Turlock Journal 138 S. Center St., Turlock, CA 95380 209-634-9141
business news
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of the board president & CEO chamber
SHaron Silva
president & CEO
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hen looking back on the year 2013, it is hard to believe the challenges that our country had — starting with a budget shut down. Fortunately, before the year ended, we did see the two sides of the legislature come together with a two-year operations budget. There were also changes locally. Stanislaus County had a change in leadership starting with the CEO of the county moving to Stockton, and the CEO of the Alliance Workforce moving to another state. California State University, Stanislaus announced that Dr. Joseph Sheley, the Interim President, would be the permanent president of the university. The City of Turlock made progress with having economic development as one of its priorities; and Turlock Chamber of Commerce was recognized for the fifth year with the CalChamber’s Presidents Award. This year, I read a book called “The Coming Jobs War” by Jim Clifton, chairman of Gallup. The information this book brings to light is the importance of business and government leaders focusing on job creation, which is the fate of our nation. According to Gallup, we do not have enough full time jobs. Gallup says almost all new jobs are created by new businesses, small and medium-sized organizations, but at this time it is moving too slow. We need to step-up job creation starting at the local level. Instead of local leaders looking to Washington for stimulus packages and money to solve the problems, we need to develop programs for entrepreneurs and enterprise energy. According to Gallup, it is not the
business news
elected leaders, but the city leaders, CEOs, university, hospital, and foundation presidents, who will create the energy to develop and bring job creation in their cities. It is the mentors of these organizations who help encourage, guide, train and advise the small business entrepreneur. The Chamber has set four major goals for 2014: Economic Development, Political Action, (having a voice in political matters that effect Business, from elected officials to measures and ballots), continued Education and Membership Development. The Turlock Chamber has been fortunate to have outstanding leadership with the Board and Chairs over the past years, and this year was no exception. Chairman Dr. Mike Romeo was always there for support or whatever was needed by the Chamber staff. It is an honor to work with a Board of Directors who have vision and commitment for economic development and to the businesses of Turlock. I look forward to working with the 2014 Board of Directors and Board Chair Andrew Wigglesworth, CEO of MedicAlert. It is a privilege to work with a team who wants to insure that the Chamber of Commerce becomes better at providing services to assist Turlock businesses and to work with our partners, the City of Turlock, the university and the Alliance Workforce. I thank our partners, sponsors, members, and staff for their continued support and hard work in making the Turlock Chamber of Commerce the number one business resource for our community. The board has made a commitment to continue our growth and development in 2014.
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2014 chamber board of directors
Jeff Segars chair elect Foster Farms
Andrew wigglesworth Chair MedicAlert Foundation
diana bettencourt Oak Valley Community Bank
Fred brenda Valley Tool & Manufacturing
Steven padilla Sunopta
Lazar Piro Piro Trading International
mike rose B&B Fluid Power
susan quigley Rabobank
Ashour badal CSU Stanislaus
Mike Lynch Mike Lynch Consulting
Kyle kirkes Kirkes Electric
Dean Doerksen Central Ag Products
James Brenda JKB Energy
Mike Allen Allen Mortuary
Steve GEmperle Treasurer Gamperle Enteprises
Mike romeo past chair Romeo Medical Clinic
Marty Jakosa Ex-Officio Member Foster Farms
linda nowak CSU Stanislaus
paul porter Winton-Ireland, Strom & Green
2014 turlock chamber of commerce staff
Sharon Silva President/CEO IOM, Institute for Organization Management, University of Arizona, Bachelor Arts Organizational Communication
tasha van santen director communications/ development Bachelor Science Business CSU Stanislaus
Sharon berry administrative assistant Bachelor Science Education Science Pacific University
2014 chamber champions
kassi fortado membership/ cvb assistant Merced College
upcoming events Mixer - Carnegie Arts Center January 15 Best of Turlock January 24 Mixer - Pet Avenue February 19 Annual Membership Breakfast February 26 Ag Scholarship Luncheon March 10 Mixer - Brenda Athletic Clubs March 19 Golf Tournament March 28
Allen Mortuary Emanuel Medical Center Garton Tractor, Inc. Gemperle Enterprises JKB Energy / Living Kirkes Electric MedicAlert Foundation Tower Health and Wellness Turlock Journal Turlock Scavenger Company / Turlock Recycling Winton-Ireland, Strom & Green Oak Valley Community Bank business news
Desa cammack director turlock convention and visitors bureau Wester Association of Chamber Executives Graduate
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N e w C h a m b e r B oa r d C h a i r
Andrew Wigglesworth
BY CARA HALLAM
MedicAlert CEO brings 20 years of international business experience
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ith over 20 years of experience in the healthcare field in the nonprofit, for-profit and public sectors, Andrew Wigglesworth, president and CEO of the MedicAlert Foundation, has been appointed as Chairman of the Turlock Chamber of Commerce. Having lived in Turlock for the past three and a half years, Wigglesworth brings a dedication to economic development and prosperity to the community. For the past three years, he has served on the board of the Turlock Chamber of Commerce and hopes to continue bringing a wealth of experience as he begins his term as Chair in 2014. “The Chamber has made a lot of progress in a whole bunch of different fronts,” said Wigglesworth. “2014 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for both Turlock and the Chamber as we will have city-wide elections with major issues related to water, a road tax — a whole series of public policy issues that the Chamber will be involved in while directly impacting the economic health and vitality of our region.” Under the guidance of Chamber President and CEO Sharon Silva, Wigglesworth says that he remains confident that the Chamber will continue to make strides in helping the Turlock community prosper. “We’re fortunate that Sharon Silva is our CEO, and for 15 years now she has done an outstanding job with the Chamber,” said Wigglesworth. “I’m very confident that the Chamber will continue to play an important role as we look forward to these important issues.” While continually seeking the best opportunities for the Turlock area,
Wigglesworth believes that the community has proven to be one of the Valley’s primary locations. “I hope that Turlock will continue to be what I see as the place to live in the Central Valley,” said Wigglesworth. “Turlock is the place to live and work in the Central Valley, and our leaders in this community have made this a wonderful place to be. We’ve got all kinds of assets and things going for it. By far, Turlock has had the right mix of the resources of a nice sized city, yet continues to hold that wonderful small town feel. Land use and zoning issues have been handled much better than in many other places, and all in all I think we are a great community.” Currently serving as CEO and President, Wigglesworth says that he is proud to be associated with the MedicAlert Foundation — a non-profit, member based organization dedicated to the well being of others. “Unlike many other organizations, MedicAlert is one where we are privileged to go to work every day with the mission to help save people’s lives,” said Wigglesworth. “That is something that I get jazzed up about every day, and I am proud to be associated with MedicAlert.” When asked about the Turlock downtown revitalization, Wigglesworth said that while he agrees there has been significant improvements made to the area, he believes there is still more challenges facing the downtown. “I think the City, the Chamber and the Turlock Downtown Property Owners Association need to continue to work to build upon the revitalization,” said Wigbusiness news
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glesworth. “It’s a very nice downtown, yet we need to do more to bring unique, interesting shops and economic activity while continuing to work to make it a very appealing destination area.” Additionally, Wigglesworth hopes to put an emphasis on California State University, Stanislaus while working alongside CSU Stanislaus President Joseph Sheley to make a stronger connection between the local university and the City. “I hope that we will do more to basically bring the college and city together,” said Wigglesworth. “We could bring them together in a synergistic way to make Turlock more of an effective college town. There are a lot of things that can be done on that front to help create some mutually beneficial partnerships that will end up benefitting our whole community.” About Wigglesworth: Prior to joining MedicAlert, Wigglesworth served as a partner at TRG Healthcare, LLC. where he worked with hospitals, health systems, and other healthcare organizations on issues related to strategic planning, governance, policy development, financial solutions, crisis communications, government relations, operational improvement and new business development. Furthermore, Wigglesworth served for 12 years as the CEO of the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council, representing more than 150 hospitals and health systems in the tri-state greater Philadelphia area. He also helped create and led the Health Care Improvement Foundation as one of the top five large scale collaboratives in the nation.
SDLG comes to town Chinese construction machinery company opens in Turlock
Representatives from Shangdong Lingong Construction Machinery Co., in China and Volvo Construction Equipment and Services traveled to Turlock for the grand opening in October of SDLG, their first branch in North America.
BY CARA HALLAM
CARA HALLAM / The Journal
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ne of China’s top construction equipment producers has opened their first North American branch in Turlock. The company, Shangdong Lingong Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. — more commonly known as SDLG — has long been the largest exporter of construction equipment within China since its founding in 1972. In a continued effort to expand their product globally, the company has partnered with Volvo Construction Equipment and Services to open seven dual outlets in North America. As a leading Chinese brand of construction machinery, SDLG specializes in wheel loaders, excavators, compactors and backhoe loaders. The company has entered the North American market by launching two models of wheel loaders, the LG938L — a loader with a rated load of 3 tons, and the LG959 — a loader with a rated load of 5 tons. In late October, representatives from the company visited Turlock from China, joining together with Volvo Group representatives and Turlock city officials for the official ribbon cutting ceremony of the new outlet. “This is the first dual store in North America — a real milestone for us,” said Alan Quinn, director of SDLG North America. “This is a reliable, sound machine that will be a great product for the agricultural industry here. It is great for local farmers who want an affordable price.” According to SDLG, the entry into North America is the latest phase of the company’s ambitious international expansion business news
program. The company has also recently been introduced into other areas of the global market, including Latin America, Russia, the Middle East and much of Asia. With the first SDLG North American store opening in Turlock, Mayor John Lazar expressed gratitude. “This is a great moment for the City of Turlock,” said Lazar. “We are tickled that this is the first store for North America, and it is a great honor to have you here.” Turlock Chamber of Commerce President Sharon Silva said that the Chamber is looking forward to developing a long-term relationship with the company. “This is an exciting time,” said Silva. “Having them here in Turlock is such a wonderful thing for our community, and we’re looking forward to a long, long relationship. It is through business that we are successful, and we will work hard to make you successful. Welcome not only to Turlock, but to the United States.” Representatives from both the Volvo Group and SDLG said that it had been a positive experience working with Turlock. “It couldn’t have been a better fit,” said Mike Matthews, president of Volvo Construction Equipment and Services. “Our experience with Turlock has been nothing but fantastic…This is the beginning of something special.” The dual outlet located at 1275 Venture Lane features SDLG products and a Volvo Construction Equipment and Services branch, providing retail sales, long-term rentals, large rentals and various parts and services. 8
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Elections Recap New faces on school board; incumbents prevail in TID race
6, candidates Jennifer Carter and Joe Lewis campaigned for the seat left vacant by former trustee Josh Bernard, who did not seek re-election. After the votes had been counted, CartBY CARA HALLAM er came out victorious. lthough it was not a presidential As a retired public utility director, Martin had apelection year, many Stanislaus plied to fill the seat left vacant mid-term by Grady County residents took to the Welch, who resigned from his position in early July. polls this November to vote on While the Board of Trustees opted to appoint Turmatters affecting the lock Education Foundation President Barlocal community directly. ney Gordon to fill Welch’s position, it did With two seats open for the Stanislaus not keep Martin from running in the NoCounty Board of Education in Areas 2 vember election. Having lived in Turlock and 5, the race came close as four hopefor the past three years, Martin is marful candidates took on the campaign trail. ried to Stanislaus County Fair CEO Christ Following Election Day, Turlock resiBorovansky and has said that her top prident Alice Pollard was voted in to serve ority is implementing Common Core Stanas a governing board member for Area dards in the District. Bob Vizzolini 2, while Bob Vizzolini of Newman was Carter, who serves as a human resources elected to serve for Area 5. director for the Merced Irrigation Pollard, who has served on the TurDistrict, grew up in Turlock comlock Planning Commission since 2011, pleting her education at TUSD recently retired from the Turlock Unified elementary schools and Turlock School District after serving 28 years in High School. Carter also received numerous positions, including as a govher bachelor’s degree in Turlock, ernment and economics teacher, secondhaving attended California State ary assistant principal, and principal of University, Stanislaus. During the Turlock Adult School. her campaign, Carter stressed Deborah Martin Alice Pollard As a businessman and retired educathe importance of implementing tor, Vizzolini has spent time Common Core Standards and with students as a business improving graduation rates and teacher and administrator test scores within the District. at Orestimba High School Aside from education, the in Newman and Patterson Nov. 5 election also brought a High School prior to taking heated race for the Turlock Irria position with the Stangation District as the seats of inislaus County Office of Educumbents Ron Macedo and Joe cation overseeing charter Alamo were up for re-election. Joe Alamo schools. Jennifer Carter While both Macedo and Alamo Ron Macedo Turlock Unified School were challenged by opponents District also had two seats available during the Darrel Monroe and Daniel Agundez, respectively, November election, with two new faces join- the incumbents were re-elected to keep their seats ing the Board of Trustees. For Area 2, Deborah for another four years. In late November, Macedo J. Martin took the seat of Tami Muniz, who was was appointed as President of the District while seeking re-election as her term expired. In Area Alamo was appointed Vice President. business news
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Turlock Real Estate Market Beginning to Stabilize BY JIM THEIS
PMZ Real Estate
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s the book closes on 2013, it appears that the market is becoming more balanced. From January to May the average price per square foot rose 30.3% and in the past six months values have actually declined 2.8% from the May peak of $142 per square foot. As price increases accelerated, buyers began to delay purchases, which is reflected in the available number of listings increasing from the April low of 50 available homes (0.9 months supply) to the current 103 (2.3 months supply). The most significant change has been the reduction in the numbers of distressed properties. In 2012, 63.0% of all properties sold were
either short sales or bank owned as compared to 31.7% this year and it appears that this downward trend will continue into 2014. The California Association of Realtors recently released its 2014 California Housing Market Forecast. CAR is forecasting 2014 sales to be up 3.2% with median home price increasing 6.0% to $432,800, following a projected 28% increase in 2014. The numbers of distressed sales are expected to continue to decline to 20% from 33% in 2014. The average 30-year fixed mortgage interest rates will rise to 5.3% next year, but will still remain at historically low levels. “The wildcards for 2014 include federal, fiscal, monetary and housing policies — such as the mortgage interest deduction and mortgage finance reform — as well as housing supply and the actions of
the Federal Reserve, which will ensure a higher rate environment,” according to the CAR forecast. Finally, a bit of good news for California families who have lost their home in a short sale in 2014 — they are not subject to state income tax liability on the debt forgiveness of “phantom income” they never received in a short sale. The IRS recognized that the debt written off in a short sale does not constitute recourse debt under California law, and thus does not create so-called “cancellation of debt” income to the underwater home seller for federal income tax. Now with the California Franchise Tax Board clarification, California homeowners that completed short sales in 2014 are assured that they are not subject to both federal and state income tax liability for debt written off by lenders. If you are in this situation, be sure to check with your legal or tax professional for specifics on your individual circumstances. Best wishes for a prosperous New Year!
Turlock Average Home Prices Per Square Foot 150
142
108
105
102
10/12
11/12
100
109
112
12/12
1/13
119
125
136
141
141
6/13
7/13
8/13
146
140
138
10/13
11/13
121
50
0
9/12
2/13
3/13
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9/13
Council votes for groundwater moratorium support, water rates study cara hallam
forrest white
steven nascimento
council agenda item
john lazar
Meeting
bill dehart
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n the final quarter of 2013, water was brought before the Turlock City Council on two occasions — in the form of a letter to the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors in support of a moratorium on new agricultural production wells, and in regards to increasing water rates for city users. The council also appointed members to the new Mayor’s Economic Development Task Force.
amy bublak
BY
1.
8/27/2013 One-year building lease agreement between City of Turlock Y y y y y and Turlock Gospel Mission
2.
9/10/2013 Council appoints members to the Mayor’s Economic Development Task Force
Y y y y y
3.
10/22/2013 City Manager to write a letter to Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors requesting a moratorium on new agricultural production wells (
Y y y y y
4.
11/12/13
Y y y y y
5.
11/12/13 Moratorium prohibiting permits for mobile food facilities in downtown
Y y y y y
6.
11/12/13 Pavement Management Program Update )
Y y y y y
7.
12/10/13 Agreement with outside labor negotiator
N y y y y
8.
12/10/13 Renaming Centennial Park to “Centennial-Swanson Park”
Y y y y y
9.
12/10/13 Formalizing a City/County Liaison Committee
N y y y y
10.
12/10/13
Y y y y y
Capital Facilities Fees Program amended )
Consideration of increasing water rate
City Council Voting Record Item Explanation 1. One- year building lease agreement between City of Turlock and Turlock Gospel Mission — Turlock Gospel Mission representative Chris Kiriakou spoke in favor of the agreement while providing the Council with information regarding the organization’s steps toward the construction of their new homeless shelter facility set for 2014. Council discussed neighborhood concerns, loitering concerns, and requested updates from TGM every six months. The agreement was originally set for two years, however, Councilmember Bublak motioned for a one-year lease agreement for the Cityowned area and building located at 1030 East Avenue (the Turlock Youth Center).
The motion carried unanimously. 2. Council appoints members to the Mayor’s Economic Development Task Force — City Council appointed 25 local community members to serve on the Mayor’s Economic Task Force, including: Sharon Silva as Chair, Mike Brem as ViceChair, Rich Borba, Michael Camara, Jeff Chapman, Matthew Davoodian, Jaskaran Dhesi, Eric Gonsalves, Julio Hallack, Benjamin Hector, Jennifer Helzer, Diana Lynn Kaysen, Yates McCallum, Richard Mowery, Jessie Orosco, Gil Perez, Jim Reape, Ram Saini, Jim Shade, Jan Tucker, Anokeen Varani, Chris Borovanski, Kris Klair, Lawrence Smith, and Ed Yonan. 3. City Manager to write a letter to business news
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Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors requesting a moratorium on new agricultural production wells – City of Turlock requests the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors to halt any new agricultural production wells while a stakeholder group is formed to consider developing groundwater pumping regulations as groundwater continues to be a diminishing resource. Over time, a significant “cone of depression” has developed east of Turlock where water levels have dropped approximately 100 feet in the past 40 years. Nitrate contamination is also increasing in northeast Turlock, with the quality of groundwater worsening. In continued on PAGE 23
New Members
Mike Romeo reflects on his year as Chamber Chairman BY CARA HALLAM
aving served as the Chairman of the Turlock Chamber of Commerce for the past year, Dr. Mike Romeo of Romeo Medical Clinic, hopes to see the Chamber continue a strong emphasis on health-related issues affecting the community. Although Dr. Romeo has been involved with the Chamber of Commerce for the past 13 years, he began his time serving on the board nearly five years ago. In 2013, Dr. Romeo was appointed as Chairman of the Chamber, bringing his expertise as a physician to help bring attention to health. “This past year we accomplished a lot,” said Dr. Romeo. “We brought healthcare to the forefront of our discussions, creating a wellness program called Healthy Turlock that would bring wellness programs on site to local businesses.” The program, which is expected to unroll in 2014, helps teach employees to live a healthy lifestyle while making the best medical and healthcare options. With MedicalAlert CEO and President Andrew Wigglesworth taking over as Chairman for 2014, Dr. Romeo says the transition is expected to go smoothly. “We’ve been working alongside MedicAlert with the Healthy Turlock program, so it is a perfect transition to have Andrew Wigglesworth serving as Chairman,” said Dr. Romeo. After moving to Turlock with his wife Diane and their children, Dr. Romeo established Romeo Medical Clinic where he has fulfilled his desire to run a medical practice that is dedicated to quality patient care, while working alongside his family. His brother, Dr. Joe Romeo, is the local head and neck surgeon while his sister, Dr. Lisa Romeo, works part-time at the practice. “I really believe that Turlock is a hidden gem in the Central Valley,” said Dr. Romeo. “There are great people here with a great foundation. We have wonderful leadership, with a council and mayor who have done a great job leading our City. We have Sharon Silva, who has done an amazing job with the Chamber of Commerce. Turlock just has layers of awesome.” With the success of landing the new Blue Diamond facility in 2012, Dr. Romeo says that he hopes to see more economic development in Turlock’s near future. “I hope to see more business development,” said Dr. Romeo. “Blue Diamond was great, and so I’d like to see more jobs come to Turlock and boost the local economy.” While Dr. Romeo will not serve as Chair in 2014, he hopes to continue serving the board while offering his expertise to help benefit the Turlock community. “I’m proud to serve on the Chamber board,” said Dr. Romeo. “It is a great service board for a wonderful community.”
business news
Ag Link, Inc Bay Area Coating Consultant Services, Inc. CTC American Express Digs Direct Security & Sounds, Inc. Gallery Finesse Liberty Private Security, Inc. Pageo Lavender Farm Richardson Allstate Insurance Company Seniors Helping Seniors Taste of Life Deli and Cafe Turlock Smiles Dentistry and Orthodontics UPS Store Volvo Construction Equipment & Services Wardens Office Products CTR
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economic trends breakfast
Chamber holds Photo contributed Greenlaw “Fritz” Grupe, Jr., of The Grupe Company, was the keynote speaker at the Chamber’s economic trends breakfast.
Recovery on its way; skilled workforce needed BY CARA HALLAM
lion square feet of office, commercial and storage space. The company is currently buying foreclosed, single-family homes and retrofitting homes to help make them more energy efficient. Addressing topics such as housing, the United States GDP, unemployment rates, water policy, the growing middle class, and education, Grupe shared with the audience how he pern the first ever Economic Trends Breakfast, the Turlock ceives the local economy and the Central Valley as continuing Chamber of Commerce joined together with business lead- to improve. ers and local officials to address the state of the regional “There’s a growing middle class in the world,” said Grupe. economy and issues affecting local businesses. “Right now, there are 1.8 billion people in the world considered “Turlock is having a renaissance,” said Turlock Mayor John middle class. Now, of course the ‘middle class’ varies from reLazar at the October event. “We’ve been able to recover a little gion to region. But when people leave the poverty level and into differently than neighboring cities to the north and the south. I the middle class, they start eating better foods than they did know I always say this, but Turlock really continues to be a gem before. And that bodes really well for the Central Valley. Not in the Central Valley.” many other places in the world can produce what we can proCounty Supervisor Vito Chiesa, who serves District 2 on the duce here. If that trend continues, and there are 5 billion middle Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, class people in the world by 2030, can said that despite the previous downfall you imagine what that is going to mean of the national economy, he believes for the Central Valley? It’s going to be things are beginning to turn around for phenomenal. I think we’re in for some the better. great times ahead.” While a main topic throughout the Much like Chiesa, Grupe also stressed event remained how to bring new busithe importance of having a skilled worknesses to the area, Chiesa stressed the force for job growth. Noting that 1 in 4 — Turlock Mayor John Lazar. importance of ensuring the region has a public school students in the nation will quality, trained workforce to attract new drop out before finishing high school, industries. Grupe adamantly pushed the value of “We have to make sure that we have a trained workforce,” education and its effects on business and the local economy. said Chiesa. “We need to make sure that our folks are ready for Grupe continues to work alongside his wife, educators and the jobs that are available for them — that is important for gov- local community members to help improve literacy rates and ernment. We have a literacy program, as simple as that sounds, school readiness for young students, and has helped reduce in our library system where we’re teaching people the basics of the dropout rate in his community in San Joaquin County by reading and writing. That is important because not all people are going to be college graduates, but they still need to be pro- 70 percent. “Just because you’re not an elected official, doesn’t mean you ductive in the workforce.” can’t help out,” said Grupe. “We can all help out. We have to deal The keynote speaker for the inaugural event, Greenlaw with the failure to educate our workforce.” “Fritz” Grupe, Jr., brought a wealth of knowledge to the table In addition to being a previous president of the Urban as his company, The Grupe Company, has created 50 com- Land Institute, Grupe is the chairman and founder of the munities in six states over the past 45 years. San Joaquin County Business Council, the Golden Gate and During this time, the company has spearheaded development Northern California Chapters of the Young Presidents’ Orgawith over 50,000 for sale and rental housing units, 10,000 lots for nization, the Stockton Chamber of Commerce, the Stockton other builders in master-planned communities, and over two mil- Board of Realtors and the Builders Hall of Fame.
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‘Turlock is having a renaissance.’
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Drip,
A14_CHAMBER
Drip,
Drip R
BY MICHAEL LYNCH
esidents of Turlock have made exceptional progress in conserving water. Since the introduction of watering days and the use of water meters, Turlock residents have lowered their use of this resource. Unfortunately, however, the conservation, and the increased water costs undertaken by Turlock residents, does little to address the water crises facing our community. Turlock’s water comes from the Turlock groundwater sub basin consisting of most of the land between the Tuolumne River on the north, the San Joaquin on the west, the Merced river on the south and the Sierra Nevada’s to the east. This is the aquifer that supplies Turlock, the cities of Ceres, Hughson, and urban communities like Keyes, south Modesto, Denair and smaller domestic uses along with agricultural users with in TID, the Eastside water district and other agricultural users who are not in any irrigation district. And that’s the problem. Turlock city residents, and the residents of ALL the urban areas within the Turlock groundwater basin, account for just 10% of all the water that is pumped out of the basin. But the pumping is increasing at an alarming rate, and the water in the aquifer is declining precipitously. Turlock residents also receive none of the surface water made available by TID and Don Pedro, even though a substantial portion of the cost of that irrigation service is born by Turlock and
other urban area power users. Residents of the city of Modesto also provide revenue to offset the cost of irrigation services through MID, but MID makes surface water available for Modesto city use at the same low irrigator rates. Stanislaus County has established a groundwater advisory committee to develop a sustainability plan for the Turlock groundwater basin. Only the county has the authority to stop approval of even more pump permits, but some county leaders insist that even imposing a moratorium, which would stop the bleeding until we get a better handle on the issue, would not be prudent or fair. Unfortunately, the number of permits requested is growing daily. The demand on the groundwater is fueled not just by drought, but by the massive conversion of range land to heavy water uses like orchards. People are rushing to get permits for groundwater pumping in the hopes that any regulatory action taken by the county will be too late to apply to their particular case. Unfortunately, this delay in taking action only adds to the difficulty, and cost, of any eventual solution. Turlock’s conservation efforts are not nearly enough to stop the dangerous decrease in the aquifer water level. Other jurisdictions must act. Most importantly, the Turlock Irrigation District and the cities within the district must conclude the 25-year negotiation process and make Tuolumne River surface water available for our use as MID does for Modesto.
Turlock’s conservation efforts are not nearly enough to stop the dangerous decrease in the aquifer water level.
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‘Twas a good season for holiday shopping CARA HALLAM / The Journal The Silk Garden owner Terry Newcomb compared the 2013 holiday shopping season with pre-recession year sales.
BY CARA HALLAM
A
s the holidays near each season, business owners five or six. Both Black Friday and Small Business Satboth of mom-and-pop shops and million dollar urday were huge days for us. We had a line wrapped companies begin preparing for the rush of shoppers around the corner of the sidewalk outside on Black looking to cross off their Christmas lists. Friday with people just waiting to get in to shop. We According to national statistics and many local busithought we’d be hurting this year, but things have been ness owners, this most recent holiday season was one to be really great this season.” proud of. Even though the average U.S. shopper spent 3.9 per“It was really a fabulous season, I’m just over-the-top hapcent less on Black Friday than in 2012, the number of py,” said The Silk Garden owner Terry Newcomb. “We had shoppers at stores and online rose 1.4 percent to 141 happy customers and product flying out the door. The last million for a total spending of $57.4 billion, according three years have been excellent, with this year being the best. to a survey of more than 4,400 people by Prosper InI would say that our sales were on-par with, if not better, sights and Analytics. than prior 2008 levels, when things turned bad for retail.” According to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales saw a 3.9 percent increase in 2013. On Thanksgiving Day, approximately 45 million Americans took to their favorite stores for holiday shopping, up 10 million from the year prior. Although the average American shopper spent $407 over Thanksgiving weekend in 2013, nearly half — 49.9 percent — of holiday shoppers indicated in mid-December that they would complete the remainder of their shopping onNon-medical in-home services line — the highest percentage over the past 11 years, accordfor friendly Seniorsseniors by Seniors. ing to Prosper Insights and Analytics. We provide dependable, to help with services “It comes as no surprise that Americans are eager to shop like light We provide dependable, friendly seniorsshopping to help withpersonal services care, housekeeping, transportation, online in the coming weeks as busy schedules and a shift in like light housekeeping, transportation, shopping personal care, companionship and more. the calendar have made the convenience offered by retailcompanionship and more. ® LikeLike getting fromyour your friends ers’ mobile apps and websites even more attractive this year,” gettinga alittle little help help from friends . . said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay just weeks beContact 1-000-000-0000 Contactus ustoday. today. 1-000-000-0000 fore Christmas. “Recognizing the importance of providing ©2010 Each officeisisindependently independently owned andand operated. ©2010 Each office owned operated. stellar customer experiences for their shoppers, retailers will All trademarks registeredtrademarks trademarks ofofCorporate Mutual Resources Inc. All trademarks are are registered Corporate Mutual Resources Inc. ® use every opportunity to promote their products through We provide dependable, friendly seniors to help with services all their channels at very competitive prices, including exlike light housekeeping, transportation, shopping personal care, clusive shipping offers and in-store events.” ©2010 Each office is and independently While millions of Americans turned to shopping oncompanionship more. owned and opera line for their holiday gift needs, local brick-and-mortar All trademarks are registered trademarks of Corporate Mutual Re stores still reported an increase©2010 in customers this past Like getting littleoperated. help from your friends®. Each office is independently ownedaand holiday season. trademarks “The increase has justAll been crazy this are year,registered ” said Mariatrademarks of Corporate Mutual Resources Inc. Nash of Envy Fine Clothing. “In the past we only needed ©2010 Each office is independently owned and operated. two employees to run the store, but now we’ve been up to
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winter 2014
Turlock Gospel Mission
Cleans Up, Downtown That Is!
I
BY CHRIS KIRIAKOU
f you are in downtown Turlock and you see a three or four person crew in yellow or orange vests, it could be a Turlock Gospel Mission volunteer crew working on cleaning up the trash from the downtown area. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning volunteer supervisor Roger Dooley organizes and transports a crew made up of TGM guests to the downtown area to help clean up trash and other debris. Dooley started volunteering at the Turlock Gospel Mission’s East Avenue day center about three months ago. A suggestion came in to start a community outreach project involving giving back to Turlock by helping clean up the downtown area. Dooley took on the task and organized a three to five person crew to cover Main Street from Palm to Lander, including the alleys. Several guests quickly volunteered to be on the crew. That started the community outreach, and from that point on Dooley has been supervising the three times a week cleanup. Guests are participating in the program for many reasons. One that stands out is their need to demonstrate that they care for the community. Many comment that they receive a sense of accomplishment and feel good about performing the service. A small lunch card at Jack in the Box is provided to each of the volunteers for their effort. Dooley said he appreciates the opportunity for fellowship with the guests and to help make Turlock a better place. “Interacting with TGM’s guests has been a real blessing to me and it has been a good experience,” he said. TGM’s vision is to provide opportunities to combine spiritual, personal and community resources to enable them to become productive members of society. The Turlock Gospel Mission receives no grants from local, state or federal agencies and is solely supported by the volunteers and donations from our community. Donations to TGM can be made online at www.turlockgospelmission.org or by mail or in person at the Turlock Gospel Mission, located at 1030 East Ave., P.O. Box 1231. For more information call TGM at 656-1033.
Turlock Gospel Mission volunteer crews have been working to clean up Turlock’s downtown area. Photo contributed
business news
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winter 2014
Alliance T names new CEO
BY CARA HALLAM
he Stanislaus Economic Development and Workforce Alliance has named David L. White as the new CEO for the regional business development organization. Following a nationwide search, the Alliance Board of Directors voted to officially welcome White to Stanislaus County. “One of the reasons we really liked Dave for this position was due to the incredible level of collaboration and communication we noticed at the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance,” said Jeff Grover, chairman of the Board of Directors. “Seeing how the Business Alliance has created a cluster of industry strategy and engaged volunteers from those industries into the day to day business of economic development was one of the main reasons we wanted to hire Dave.” With over 25 years of experience in economic development, White is excited to start his new position as
CEO with the Stanislaus Alliance. “Perception does not equal reality. I have visited several communities in the County so far, and I have been very impressed with what this area has to offer,” said White. “There is a sense of an All-American, down to earth feel here.” Since 2006, White has served as the Chief Business Development Officer for the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance. Although White has been recently serving in Colorado, his background comes from California, as he worked for the City of Riverside/Smart Riverside, offering his expertise in marketing and business attraction. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Brigham Young University and a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Pittsburg, White has a vast amount of knowledge in areas affecting the Stanislaus region. He is also a husband and father of five children.
Jaime Suarez Account Manager
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business news
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winter 2014
M
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Geiger’s Fine Jewelry November 19
G Turlock Memorial Park October 15
Turlock Golf and Country Club December 5
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r i b b o n
c u t t i n g s
Liberty Private Security November 6
Seniors Helping Seniors November 21
Volvo Construction Equipment and Services, October 24
Volvo Rents November 6
business news
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T
New state-of-the-art cardiac operating suites
come to Emanuel Medical Center
Submitted by Emanuel Medical Center
W
ith two new state-of-the-art cardiac operating suites soon to open, Emanuel Medical Center has fulfilled a journey began in 2010 to bring comprehensive cardiac care to Turlock. The latest additions to the cardiac facilities at Emanuel are a dedicated cardiac operating suite with the latest lighting, sterilization and patient-monitoring equipment, and a hybrid suite that combines a cauterization and interventional lab and operating room. The latter is one of only a handful of similar hybrid operating suites in the region. The hybrid suite provides new treatment options for patients and doubles the hospital’s ability to treat emergency cardiac cases. The price tag for building and equipping the new operating suites topped $7.1 million. “Cancer care and cardiovascular services were for decades the two biggest unmet medical needs in Turlock, and I’m very proud to say that Emanuel Medical Center now has top-quality programs in both,” said Emanuel President and CEO John Sigsbury. “These new cardiac operating suites give patients in our community access to the very best technology available, and life-saving treatments right here in Turlock.” In early January, the suites were dedicated as the Justin Ferrari Cardiovascular Operating Suites in memory of Turlock native Justin Ferrari. Ferrari, a tireless advocate for the environment, was raised in Turlock. He played water polo at Turlock High School before beginning his career as a software engineer in Seattle. His parents, John and Jeani Ferrari of Turlock, were major donors to the campaign that helped make the new operating suites possible.
Emanuel launched cardiac care in the spring of 2010 with the opening of its Cardiac Cath and Interventional Lab, a high-tech imaging and treatment facility where doctors perform complex catheterization procedures through a patient’s arteries to diagnose and treat heart conditions and other maladies. The technological heart of the cath lab is a large C-shaped fluoroscope that uses advanced imaging technology to allow doctors to see X-ray movies inside their patients and a multi-axis tilting table to help them guide the catheters that open blocked arteries, install stents in narrow arteries and perform a variety of other interventional procedures. The opening of the Cardiac Cath and Interventional Lab enabled Emanuel to become a heart-attack receiving center and accredited chest pain center, treating emergency patients with heart attack symptoms within minutes of their arrival in the emergency room. Also, in 2011, Emanuel renovated one of its existing operating rooms, adding the special medical gasses and equipment necessary to convert it to a cardiac operating room. The first openheart surgery in Turlock happened that spring, and surgeons have performed dozens of heart bypass operations and valve repairs since then. But there was still a need for more. “We’ve been planning the hybrid operating suite from the beginning because we knew that once you have one cath lab, you need a second,” Sigsbury said. “This community is big enough that we know we can’t count on heart attacks happening one at a time. You need a second option that doesn’t require diverting ambulances to other cities.” Diversion is necessary whenever the cath lab is occupied for time-consuming or complex procedures. According to Randy Jenks, Emanuel’s director of cardiovascular services, Emanuel goes on diversion an average of 19 times a month, but with the new hybrid operating suite the need to divert will be drastically decreased. “We also need the hybrid operating suite to be able to schedule a full slate of outpatient procedures and still have the Cardiac Cath and Interventional Lab available for inpatients,” Jenks said. “The biggest benefit to the new suite is treating high-risk patients.” continued on next page business news
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Best of Both Because the hybrid suite is a fully equipped cardiac operating room, albeit one with the fluoroscope and tilting table of a cath and interventional lab, it’s fully sterile and has anesthesia available. For patients with aortic aneurysms – weak spots in the main artery leaving the heart — treatment in an operating room is critical. “Those cases require surgical access to begin with, rather than just going through the artery in the groin,” Jenks said. “And if the aneurysm ruptures, it requires immediate surgical intervention.” The hybrid operating suite will also be a blessing for patients having spinal compression fractures treated with vertebroplasty – a procedure that injects bone cement into a patient’s damaged spinal disks. Because it’s a rather painful procedure, patients can now have it done under anesthesia in the hybrid operating suite. The Latest Medical Technology
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with the very latest in medical technology – right down to the floor itself, explained Ron Evangelista, Emanuel’s director of perioperative services. “The floors are poured-in-place,” he said. “There are no seams, so it’s more sterile and longer lasting.” Display monitors and other equipment is suspended from the ceilings on fully adjustable arms thatHome make it easy to posiEquity Line of Credit tion everything to the surgical team’s liking, and easy to keep Revolving Line of Credit the floor sterile.
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winter 2014
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(or How Does Quantitative Easing Work?) BY CHRIS KIRIAKOU
R
ecently the press and business leaders have been discussing the Federal Reserve’s use of “Quantitative Easing (QE)” to stimulate the economy. Ignoring whether or not QE actually stimulates the economy, just how is it supposed to work? Investopedia defines QE as: An unconventional monetary policy in which a central bank purchases government securities or other securities from the market in order to lower interest rates and increase the money supply. Quantitative easing increases the money supply by flooding financial institutions with capital in an effort to promote increased lending and liquidity. What is the Federal Reserve? First off this is a very simplified summary of how the Federal Reserve is structured and operates. The Federal Reserve was created in 1913 for the purpose of studying and implementing monetary policy. It is headed by a seven person, President appointed Board of Governors. There are 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks that perform the bulk of the operating requirements and are located in major Cities. They are referred to as the “banker’s bank” and ours is located in San Francisco. All national banks like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase and Citi Group and some state chartered local banks (like Oak Valley Community Bank) are members of the Federal Reserve and are regulated by them.
Elect. Credit
Electronic Printing Press
Federal Reserve Board of Governors
Federal Reserve Member Bank “The Banker’s Bank” and Regulator
Purchase of Treausuries & MBS
Low %
Local Bank Reduced Reserves
Cash/ Credit
Low %
Reserves
Low % Loans
Ok, so where does the money for loans to banks, credit, purchasing Treasuries and MBSs come from? The Federal Reserve, in a sense creates it through its regulation and by electronically adding credit to its bank account. Although the Fed does not print bank notes, this is how the Federal Reserve is commonly said to be printing money. So is it working? It depends on what you’re looking at. If you’re focused on the stock market with the market averages at or near all time highs you would say that it is. If you’re unemployed with the October National unemployment rate at 7.2% and California unemployment rate at 8.7% (Bureau of Labor Statistics) you might feel otherwise. If you’re looking at the amount of assets held by the Federal Reserve at $3.7 trillion with $1.4 Trillion in MBSs (Dec 12, 2013 Federal Reserve Statistical Release) you might recall the 2008 financial crisis stemming from toxic MBSs. If you’re looking at the amount of US debt at $17.2 trillion (Dec 15, 2013 US Debt Clock) and growing you might wonder who is holding all this debt and who is going to pay for it. One thing for sure it isn’t the good old days and only time will tell if “printing money” makes a difference in our economy.
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How does QE work? When the Board of Governors decides that they need to stimulate the economy they can do it by various means. The three that are used today have to do with interest rates, bank reserves — money that is held by the banks in the event of a major financial event — and through the purchase of US Government Treasury Bills and Mortgage Backed Securities. Mortgage Backed Securities are investments, somewhat similar to stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Their value is secured, or backed, by the value of an underlying bundle of mortgages. (http://useconomy.about.com) The Federal Reserve can make money available to member banks at low interest rates as part of their regular banking activities through the Federal Funds Rate. QE comes in the form of reducing the reserve cash level required of member banks by issuing them credit and thereby causing the bank to make freed up cash available for loans. Secondly, they can purchase US Treasuries, which the banks hold, and they can purchase MBSs also held by the banks, again freeing up more cash at the bank making more money available to loan. business news
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What Do You ay We Print ome Money, It Might Help!
New Common Core education standards
will help future business leaders BY CARA HALLAM
W
ith the Turlock Unified School District joining many schools across the nation in adopting the Common Core Standards, many parents, teachers and school administrators have high hopes that the new curriculum will lead to more effective business leaders in the future. Providing a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, the Common Core Standards were designed to be relevant to the real world — reflecting the knowledge and skills that students need for success in college and future careers. “The intent of the new Common Core State Standards is to prepare all students to be college and career ready upon graduating from high school,” said Dana Trevethan, assistant superintendent of educational services at TUSD. “TUSD’s transition to Common Core has been looked upon favorably because in essence, it will allow teachers to collaboratively develop rich, authentic lessons aligned to standards that are scaffold throughout the grade levels — recognizing that lessons are no longer ‘sprints’, aligned to pacing calendars, but rather ‘marathons’ designed to build stamina in students’ learning, discovery and application.” According to Trevethan, the skills and knowledge that students should acquire within their K-12 education include college and work expectations; clear, understandable, and consistent standards for each grade level; rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills; and building upon strengths and lessons of current state standards, which are informed by other top performing countries so that all students are prepared to succeed in the global economy as all the standards are evidence and research based. As the school district begins its implementation of the Common Core Standards, the District is looking to create partnerships with local businesses to help build career skills for Turlock students. “TUSD will continue to build new partnerships with local business, as well as foster those that currently exist, in an effort to provide extended venues and opportunities for students to apply skills they are developing within their core
and elective coursework,” said Trevethan. “The majority of current Career and Technical Education courses that fall under the Regional Occupational Program maintain advisory boards that create opportunities for TUSD students to engage in real-world application within a variety of businesses and industries in and surrounding Turlock.” According to the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers, teachers, parents and community leaders from across the nation were utilized in helping create the Common Core State Standards and the goals for each grade level to help allow teachers to be better equipped in knowing exactly what they need to help students learn and establish individualized benchmarks for them. “The new standards are significantly more rigorous and spiral academic skills and expectations from the time students begin their education in kindergarten until they graduate from high school,” said TUSD Superintendent Dr. Sonny Da Marto. “Student mastery of the Common Core Standards will include the demonstration of knowledge, skill development and practical application and problem-solving, both independently and collaboratively with their peers.” You work hard. We make it easier. Warden’s gives you unparalleled selection, incredible personal service and staff expertise that helps you work, all in a local source you trust.
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winter 2014
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Unlike previous state standards — which were unique to each state in the nation — the Common Core State Standards enable collaboration between states on a range of tools and policies — helping ensure that students receive a quality education while meeting their individualized benchmarks whether they move to a different school or state. Each state throughout the nation have the option to voluntarily adopt the Common Core State Standards, which focus on the development and implementation of common comprehensive assessment systems to measure student performance annually while replacing existing state testing systems. “Like California, TUSD immediately recognized that Common Core would increase expectations and rigor for
all students in Turlock as did the other 45 states that jumped on board,” said Trevethan. “These new standards are more clear and concise and ensure all stakeholders have a ‘common’ understanding of the expectations of students in reading, writing, speaking and listening, language and mathematics. As stated in TUSD’s Strategic Plan, ‘Greater expectations yield greater results,’ and we predict increased achievement and performance of our stands and we prepare them to compete nationally.”
“The new standards are significantly more rigorous and spiral academic skills and expectations from the time students begin their education in kindergarten until they graduate from high school.” City Council Voting Record Item Explanation
Continued fROM PAGE 11
late October, the County Board of Supervisors opted to set new groundwater pumping regulations, prohibiting the mining and exportation of groundwater with few exceptions. 4. Capital Facilities Fees Program amended — The City’s Capital Facilities Fees Program, which had not been updated since 1996, was amended to help provide funding for capital improvements that are required to implement the new General Plan adopted in 2012. The updated development impact fees, collected citywide to help mitigate impacts of the City’s growth, is one of the primary sources for transportation funding. Other uses include general government facilities, general plan implementation studies and facilities and equipment for both police and fire services. 5. Moratorium prohibiting permits for mobile food facilities in downtown — Following a request from the Turlock Downtown Property Owners Association, who do not wish to have food trucks in the downtown core on Main Street, the City issued a moratorium halting the issuance of mobile food facility permits for the downtown district until the City can properly amend the current city regulations on such permits in the area. The City is expected to make the final amendments, banning food trucks in the downtown core, by Spring 2014. 6. Pavement Management Program Update — After a citywide pavement study was conducted by the Stanislaus County Council of Governments — the county’s regional transportation planning agency — the City Council found that Turlock’s roads are “atrisk” and deemed “second-worst in the county.” With the study giving Turlock’s roadways a rating of 67 out of 100, members of StanCOG and the Council shared that a half-cent sales tax could help the City’s road conditions drastically in the future. 7. Agreement with Outside Labor Negotiator — With one vote of opposition from Councilmember Amy Bublak, the City opted to enter an agreement with outside labor negotiator Dave business news
Young to reach contract agreements with employee groups, including the Turlock Fire Fighters Association, the Turlock Management Association Public Safety, the Turlock City Employees Association the Turlock Confidential Employees, the Turlock Management Employees and the Turlock Associated Police Officers. Due to current economic conditions, all employees have participated in budget reductions by giving concessions on salaries and benefits in the past fiscal years. Using an outside negotiator for Fiscal Year 2014/15, according to the City, will allow negotiations to continue to proceed more expeditiously and with minimal disruption between City Management and employee groups. 8. Renaming Centennial Park to “Centennial-Swanson Park” — After receiving a generous donation of $35,000 from the Swanson family, owners of Pet Extreme and several other Turlock businesses, the City agreed to accept the donation to build a dog park at Centennial Park while renaming the City-owned facility to “Centennial-Swanson Park” to commemorate the family’s contributions to the City. 9. Formalizing a City/County Liaison Committee — Comprised of two members of the City Council — Mayor John Lazar and Councilmember Forrest White — the newly formed City/County Liaison Committee will meet regularly with two members of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, City Manager Roy Wasden and Stanislaus County CEO Stan Risen to focus on infrastructure needs, streets and roadways, water and sewer issues, economic development and other issues affecting both Turlock and the County. 10. Consideration of Increasing Water Rates — Although an official decision has not been made by the Council yet, Council votes to hold a hearing date on March 25, 2014 to consider increasing City water rates that is said to include six rate increases over the span of five fiscal years. 23
winter 2014