209 Business Journal April 2018

k e e p i n g

BUSINESS JOURNAL

b u s i n e s s e s

c o n n e c t e d ™

APRIL 2018

VOLUME 3 ■ ISSUE 4

IN PROFILE

CUP HALF FULL

Ripon bakery offering up treats of the hot and cold variety

PAGE 3

NEWS

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BAKER OF CALTRANS

The Soroptimist International of Ceres paid tribute to some of the women making a difference in the community.

PAGE 8

Caltrans crews started removing snow on Highway 108 on Monday above Strawberry.

Critical snowpack at 52% of normal

BY DENNIS WYATT 209 Business Journal

Even with the recent Pineapple Express that blew in through the 209 region, the snowpack is barely over half full, which means Central Valley residents will have to rely on water from other sources.

The Department of Water Resources’ most crucial snow measurement of the year was taken on April 1, which marks the official end of California’s rainy season for water delivery planning purposes.

It showed the state’s snowpack at 52 percent of normal.

“A good March, but certainly not a great March,” noted state snow-survey chief Frank Gehrke on April 1 after measuring 32.1 inches at Phillips Station in El Dorado County at an elevation of 6,873 feet. “Despite recent storms, today’s snow survey shows that we’re still playing catch-up when it comes to our statewide water supplies. While today’s snow survey determined that the water content is much higher than February, the state will remain well below average for the year.”

That means much of California will be relying on water saved in reservoirs from the near-record 2016-2017 winter that ended the state’s 25 percent conservation order for cities that was in place for four years.

California’s exceptionally high precipitation last winter and spring resulted in above-average

storage in 154 reservoirs tracked by the Department. DWR estimates total storage in these reservoirs at the end of March was 28.2 million acre-feet, or 107 percent of the 26.4 MAF average for this time of year.

The 52 percent of average snowpack — while significantly better than on March 1 — indicates the state may be slipping back into drought conditions. The United States Department of Agriculture Drought Monitor shows 42 percent of California is currently in drought conditions. That’s down from 48 percent in mid-March before a series of storms hit the state.

“These snowpack results – while better than they were a few weeks ago – still underscore the need for widespread careful and wise use of our water supplies,” said California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth. “The only thing predictable about California’s climate is that it’s unpredictable. We need to make our water system more resilient so we’re prepared for the extreme fluctuations in our water system, especially in the face of climate change.”

In addition to the manual surveys conducted at Phillips, DWR also logs electronic readings from 103 stations scattered throughout the Sierra. Electronic measurements indicate the SWE of the northern Sierra snowpack is 11.8 inches, 43 percent of the multidecade average for April 1. The

central and southern Sierra readings are 17.6 inches (60 percent of average) and 12.9 inches (50 percent of average) respectively.

Statewide, the snowpack’s SWE is 14.6 inches, or 52 percent of the April 2 average.

The South San Joaquin Irrigation District that supplies water to Manteca, Lathrop and Tracy as well as irrigation water to farms around Manteca, Ripon, and Escalon expects to be able to make full deliveries based on snowpack on the Stanislaus River watershed.

That said, SSJID General Manager Peter Rietkerk has repeatedly advised urban and farm customers to use water wisely as there is no assurance that next the 20182019 water year will receive adequate snowpack meaning a carryover supply of water is a prudent move to protect against earnest drought conditions returning in

the coming 18 months. Manteca had gone five years in drought conditions before last year’s above normal winter snowfall.

“Potentially, we’re living off our savings from last year so we have to be very prudent in our water use,” Gehrke said.

The snow station near Sonora Pass at 8,870 feet on the upper reaches of the Stanislaus River watershed had 60 inches of snow on April 1, with a water content of 19.7 inches. That is a big improvement over March 1 when the snow was at a quarter of normal with 26 inches of snow and 7.7 inches of water content.

The Central Sierra — the watershed critical to Northern San Joaquin Valley farms and cities — is rated as abnormally dry by the USDA Drought Monitor while San Joaquin County is considered

SEE SNOW, PAGE 10

CURRENT SNOW PACK Location Elevation

Snow Depth

Water % of Long-Term Content Average

Phillips Station - April 2, 2018

6,800’ 32.1” 12.4”

49%

Tamarack Flat - April 2, 2018

6,500’ 38.8” 16.7”

60%

209 209BUSINESS BUSINESS JOURNAL JOURNAL

2

APRIL 2018

OPINION

With the new

Vol. 3 No. 4 ■ April 2018 PUBLISHER Hank Vander Veen

day comes new

GENERAL MANAGER Drew Savage

strength and

MANAGING EDITOR Sabra Stafford

NEWSROOM

new thoughts.

Jeff Benziger Jason Campbell Dennis D. Cruz Kristina Hacker Teresa Hammond Marg Jackson Glenn Khal Angelina Martin Candy Padilla Vince Rembulat Virginia Still Dennis Wyatt

­— Eleanor Roosevelt

ART DIRECTOR Harold L. George

DESIGN Sharon Hoffman

ADVERTISING DIRECTORS Chuck Higgs

SALES & MARKETING

To advertise in 209 Business Journal, call Manteca • 209.249.3500 Oakdale • 209.847.3021 Turlock • 209.634.9141 209 Business Journal is published monthly 122 S. Third Ave • Oakdale, CA 95361 Information: dsavage@209businessjournal.com 209businessjournal.com The Oakdale Leader USPS No 178-680 Is published weekly by Morris Newspaper Corporation, 122 S. Third Ave. Oakdale, CA 95361 ©Copyright 2018. 209 Business Journal All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher of 209 Business Journal is strictly prohibited. The opinions expressed in 209 Business Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of 209 Business Journal management or owner.

209 Business Journal assumes no responsibility and makes no recommendation for claims made by advertisers and shall not be liable for any damages incurred.

209MAG A Z I N E.CO M

3 easy things the IRS should do to help small businesses CLIFF ENNICO CREATORS SYNDICATE

With tax time once again upon us, it is time to give some thought to the agency we all love to hate this time of year: the Internal Revenue Service.

While nobody likes paying taxes and anyone who’s been through an IRS audit probably doesn’t have warm and fuzzy feelings toward the agency and its personnel, I do have more than a little sympathy for the rank-and-file people at the IRS I deal with on my clients’ behalf who have to administer a complex tax code with insufficient funds and personnel.

Simply put, it has to be frustrating to work for the IRS these days.

Unable to fulfill their mandate, IRS employees are often compelled to engage in triage - enforcing some regulations casually (if at all) and sometimes ignoring IRS forms they receive because they simply lack the human power necessary to process them.

As with most situations in which processing paper forms becomes cumbersome and inefficient, technology can come to the rescue. A small investment in software can save tons of money and frustration with some of the IRS’ more basic functions.

Here are three situations that are causing considerable frustration among my smallbusiness clients right now, along with recommendations for simple and inexpensive fixes that will save the IRS time and money.

Changing a Company Name. When a company is first organized, it picks a name and is assigned a federal tax ID number, or EIN. If it changes from one organizational type to anSEE ENNICO, PAGE 3

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

3

IN PROFILE

Dale’s Guitar settling in at new location

Ripon bakery offers fresh treats, homemade ice cream

BY GLENN KAHL 209 Business Journal

The Smallcakes Bakery is enjoying success in Ripon next to the Save Mart supermarket on Colony Road just north of Highway 99 with its offering of dailymade specialized cupcakes and homemade ice cream selections.

Maijil and Charlie Bru-

net had a soft opening last month with customers flocking into their front door and selling out every day but one. That one day they took what leftovers they had down to the police and fire departments and to Bethany Home.

“We bake fresh every morning,” Brunet said, “baking all 14 of our sig-

nature selections among a total of 300 varieties of cupcakes. We do make our own ice cream and don’t bring anything into the shop. And, we customize our special orders, according to the need.”

A kitchen staff of six pastry chefs are early risers in the cupcake shop before SEE BAKERY, PAGE 10

ANGELINA MARTIN/THE JOURNAL

Dale’s Guitar and Music Lessons has moved into a new, spacious location on Geer Road, allowing the store to replace its stacks of instruments with neat, organized displays.

Dale’s Guitar

BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal

Dale’s Guitar and Music Lessons has called Turlock home for over a decade, but a fresh start for the business in a new location is proving to be a success for owner Dale Falkenberg just one month in.

The music store had previously sat on East Olive Avenue in the same building which formerly housed Jura’s Pizza Parlor, but renovations on the building forced Dale’s Guitar to move. Falkenberg was given 45 days to move his business and ultimately settled on the spacious location that the store is in now, right next to Angelini’s Italian Restaurant on Geer Road.

The move from the small, cramped quarters on East Olive Avenue into the store’s large new 4,500 square-foot space has been beneficial for business, Falkenberg said.

“We probably needed to move, and the nudge that I got was probably the best thing that could’ve happened,” he said. “Over there we were kind of sad and lonely in our little location, but it’s such a happy place over here.”

While Falkenberg was sad to leave his business’ first home – he and his children built it “from the ground up,” he said – the shop’s new location provides not just more space, but better parking and an environment filled with other busy businesses, which Falkenberg has missed since Jura’s moved from North Golden State Boulevard.

Foot traffic from neighboring stores has increased

Name of business: Dale’s Guitar and Music Lessons Type of business: Music store

ENNICO

Location:

FROM PAGE 2

2253 Geer Rd., Turlock Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Monday through Saturday; noon to 7 p.m. Sunday Contact information: 209-667-1646 Specialty: Instrument lessons sales for the store since the move – something Falkenberg didn’t expect.

“We expected business to take a huge dive maybe for the first six months until everyone found us again, but that just hasn’t happened,” Falkenberg said. “Sales are great, doing good or maybe even better than when we were at our first location.”

There’s room for every instrument at Dale’s Guitar now, which is a big deal given the circumstances at the store’s old location. Stacks upon stacks of music books, guitars,

GLENN KAHL/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

Smallcakes Bakery owners Maijil and Charlie Brunet.

violins and other musical instruments were created to make up for the lack of space, and customers often were unable to find what they were looking for.

Now, neat rows of inventory on display by type and brand combine to create a small-scale warehouse atmosphere, where customers can spend all day looking at different varieties and styles of their favorite instruments.

“We’re selling more because we have more space and people can actually see what we have to offer,” Falkenberg said.

other — for example, a limited liability company (LLC) converting into a corporation — it must change its EIN at that time.

But what if the company just changes its name without changing its organizational type?

Believe it or not, the IRS doesn’t have a form for that.

It has forms for individuals who are changing their names (Form SS-5) and for companies that are changing their address (Form 8822-B), but there is no form for changing a company name. What you have to do is write a letter to the IRS service center to which the company files its tax returns and hope it changes the name on the IRS electronic records.

Good luck with that, especially if you’re trying to borrow money from a bank (or refinance an existing line of credit) and the bank can’t take action because your company name doesn’t match the name associated with your EIN. How hard would it be for the IRS to amend Form 8822-B to allow for company name changes or, even better, add this as an option to the electronic Form SS-4 application form (www.irs.gov/ businesses/small-business-

es-self-employed/apply-foran-employer-identificationnumber-ein-online)?

Obtaining Tax ID Numbers (EINs) Online for Multiple Entities. Using the IRS online registration form, you can obtain EINs for multiple entities (up to four a day) as long as the responsible party of each (the founder or owner) has a different EIN or Social Security number each time.

But if you get an EIN for a company and want that company to become the responsible party for a second company (for example, a parent corporation that then forms a subsidiary), you cannot obtain an EIN for the second company online.

The IRS software melts down and tells you to call an office in Lower Slobbovia, fax a paper Form SS-4 to that office and go over every line item in the paper form on the phone with an extremely overworked and bored IRS employee. Repeat the process for each other company in the daisy chain of companies you want to set up.

In 2018, we shouldn’t have to be doing that. A simple software fix should allow you to set up multiple LLCs and corporations without any human intervention, perhaps with a CAPTCHA-type confirmation that proves you are not a robot trying to obtain multiple EINs for illegal purposes.

Automating the 501(c) (3) Application Process for Small Charities. If you want to form a small nonprofit organization (less than $50,000 per year in gross receipts), the IRS has a simple form (Form 1023EZ) you can use to obtain tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The form is relatively easy to fill out and doesn’t require the detailed cash-flow projections of the form required for larger charities (Form 1023).

The problem with Form 1023EZ is that you still have to file the darn thing manually and wait up to six months for the IRS to make their determination that your organization qualifies for 501(c)(3) status. The IRS should seriously consider converting Form 1023EZ into an electronic questionand-answer form the same way it has with the annual report form for small charities (Form 990-N).

Don’t get me wrong.

I’m not suggesting the IRS should hand out “get out of paying taxes” exemptions like candy on Halloween.

But digitizing Form 1023EZ would speed up the review process (acceptance or rejection could easily be determined in a day or two) and enable startup nonprofits to receive tax-deductible donations and fulfill their missions more quickly.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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APRIL 2018

IN PROFILE

Chit, chat, cinnamon rolls, pizza & more

BY VINCE REMBULAT 209 Business Journal

Earlier this year, Tiffany Saucedo opened Chit Chat Café and Bakery in the Orchard Supply Hardware shopping center in Manteca.

It was an idea borne out of her not-too-long-ago days of doing private tea parties – she was the owner of Tiffany’s Royal Tea Party – that, much to her surprise, quickly found a clientele.

Thanks to social media and word of mouth, Chit Chat had become a hidden gem.

Don B. on Yelp went so far as to call the business at 273 W. Louise Ave. as a great “hole in the wall” in his review posted shortly after the January opening.

“The selection of pastries is a great variety,” he said, referencing the scones, bagels, and banana bread, to name a few.

But it’s the cinnamon rolls that’s been all the

rave.

“Our pizzas and cinnamon rolls are No. 1,” said Saucedo of the two top sellers thus far.

Chit Chat makes personal-sized pizzas, offering an all-meat, Margherita, vegetable, pepperoni, cheese, and barbecue chicken while cooked up in an imported Italian stone oven.

Coffee is a big part of Chit Chat. The quaint setting here is the ideal for folks to sit back, relax, and chit chat; hence the name, according to Saucedo.

“I was also known to chit chat a lot in school,” she jokingly added.

The decor has plenty of personal touches. For example, the wood panels behind the Chit Chat counter were that of the old Saucedo family backyard fence but with some special treatment.

Tiffany’s father did plenty of the interior work including building the benches.

Her mother, Patty Benbrook, works in the kitchen as does daughter Dominque, who is the barista, and Adrian Jr., who helps make crepes on Saturdays, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

He and Adrian Sr., Tiffany’s husband, whip up savory and sweet crepes on that one day of the week.

Chit Chat has been a family endeavor and about seven years in the making.

“Her heart is still in doing tea parties,” said Tiffany’s mother Patty.

Saucedo does have plans to do just that again, using her business as the setting while teaching proper etiquette of the tea scene.

Back to the food scene, Chit Chat currently makes one sandwich, a chicken breast sandwich served up with a roasted Ortega chili and pepper jack cheese, and on bakery-fresh ciabatta bread.

There’s also one salad.

But this one could be had

VINCE REMBULAT/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

From left, Patty Benbrook, Adrian Saucedo Jr., and Tiffany Saucedo, owner of the Chit Chat Cafe and Bakery in Manteca, enjoy some family time on Monday.

with chicken and a choice of blueberry or raspberry balsamic vinaigrette dressing from Manteca’s own Olive Oil Pantry.

“We’re still a work in

progress,” Saucedo said.

Her hope is to make Chit Chat a comfortable place for people to relax and just talk sans cell phones and other hi-tech devices.

Advanced Skin Care Settles Into New Surroundings

You work hard.

Let Ambeck make the homebuying process easy.

BY MARG JACKSON 209 Business Journal

Moving her business a couple of blocks, Advanced Skin Care owner Joan Sneed is now located at 1930 Main St., Escalon.

It wasn’t a far distance, having previously shared a space at 1710 Main, but she felt the time was right to strike out on her own.

Now, she and Nails by Beth are in the new location and Sneed said she is happy with the move.

“I love it,” Sneed said. “I didn’t think I had the energy to do it, but I did.”

Her shop is in a former CPA office on Main Street and sharing the location with the nail business has been good, she added.

“I’ve been in business in Escalon for 10 years,” Sneed explained, and previously shared space with Basics Salon.

She was in business for 15 years before that in Modesto and said it’s amazing that she has already been in the Escalon

culture

“Our No. 1 goal is for people to feel better when they leave here,” said Saucedo.

For more information, call 239-5724.

We’re gonna get you home.

MARG JACKSON/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

Joan Sneed is right at home in her new location, at 1930 Main in Escalon, where she operates her Advanced Skin Care business.

downtown area for a decade.

“I can’t believe it,” she said, adding that she has a very loyal clientele and loves helping people look and feel their best.

Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and some Saturdays, Sneed said she is always busy.

She attended Adrian’s Beauty College and also did specialized training in such diverse locations as Beverly Hills and Monterey as well as studying with a

well-known doctor in San Diego.

Her clients include many from San Joaquin County as well as the communities of Hughson, Riverbank, Oakdale, Madera and more.

She is getting set up for a new microblading service and does facials, waxing, microdermabrasion, hydrafacials and more.

“I love the fact that I can change the skin, make it beautiful,” she said.

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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AGRICULTURE

Stan State receives funding to help hungry students

BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal

Over a quarter of students at Stanislaus State suffer from food insecurity, and new grant funding awarded to the university hopes to combat that problem.

The university recently received a $105,000 grant from the California State University Chancellor’s Office as part of the CSUwide effort to eliminate hunger on California’s college campuses. As part of Senate Bill 85, the CSU was able to distribute more than $2 million across its 23 universities with awards ranging from $40,000 to $155,000.

Senate Bill 85 – signed into law in June 2017 – allocated $7.5 million in support of Hunger-Free College Campuses. The state’s investment provided the CSU, University of California and California Community College systems each a one-time $2.5 million allocation to expand the fight against student hunger.

“When students’ basic needs are not addressed it can have an impact on their holistic well-being and academic growth,” said Denise Bevly, the CSU’s director of Student Wellness and Basic Needs Initiative. “That is why all CSU campuses have taken a number of actions to support students who are struggling with food or housing insecurity. This additional funding will

enable our campuses to better support students by expanding services such as meal-sharing programs, CalFresh enrollment and emergency grants.”

When CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White visited Stanislaus State in 2016, he highlighted the need for resources meant to help students struggling to purchase food. While there are many resources for students who are in need of financial aid, mental health support or even recreational activities, White at the time stated that providing support for hungry students was at the top of his priorities.

“We are missing one arrow in our quiver of student support,” White said in 2016. “If their tummies are empty, how can a student sit in a class that’s academically rigorous and be worried about where they’re going to eat rather than focusing on the lesson?”

At the time of his visit, about 24 percent of students throughout the CSU system reported having food insecurity. According to the latest survey conducted by Stanislaus State in order to demonstrate its need for the recentlyawarded grant funding, 26 percent of current Stanislaus State students reported downsizing meals or skipping them entirely because they lacked the money to purchase food.

Additionally, 21 percent indicated they routinely

ANGELINA MARTIN/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

Stanislaus State recently receive grant funding to help combat student food insecurity, some of which will be used to relocate and improve the campus food pantry where hungry students can find relief free of charge.

miss meals entirely because of financial issues.

There is currently a food pantry at Stanislaus State meant to help combat the issue of food insecurity.

Resident Advisors living in the school’s dormitories, where the pantry is located, said that many of their students utilize available food, toiletries and other necessities available through the school because they either have no transportation to go and purchase affordable food, or cannot afford to purchase food at all.

According to Jill Tiemann-Gonzalez in Stan State Student Affairs, who worked on the grant proposal, the funding will be used to establish a new location for the campus food pantry, which will be in the Student Services Building and will have new shelving as well as a refrigerator and freezer. Thanks to the ongoing support of several campus organizations, notably the California Faculty Association, Stan State has continued to maintain the student food pantry.

Funds also may be used

to support student-based training in food-related health issues – notably, how to assist needy students in applying for California’s CalFresh program, a subsidy that allows the purchase of most foods at markets and food stores.

As part of this funding, Stan State received $25,000 to develop innovative programs to combat food and home insecurity issues. One of the CSUwide events already being planned is participation in November’s National Hunger and Homeless

Awareness Week. Stan State would use this week to support a set of activities focused on awareness, education and fundraising to battle the problem.

In addition, there are plans to bring in experts and educators to talk with students about how to handle financial issues, and there will be opportunities to partner with regional organizations, such as Turlock’s United Samaritans Foundation, to provide similar education and support efforts in the region.

Nominees sought for conservation award STAFF REPORTS 209 Business Journal

Sand County Foundation, the California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation are accepting applications for the $10,000 California Leopold Conservation Award. The award publicly honors California farmers, ranchers, foresters and other private landowners who demonstrate outstanding stewardship and management of the state’s natural resources.

“It is an honor to be a recipient of the Leopold Conservation Award and to be

affiliated amongst the other alumni who share a passion for conservation and are committed to sustainable practices in agriculture,” said Jack Thomson of C. Jeff Thomson, International, the award’s 2017 recipient.

“I strongly encourage those who care deeply about conservation and agriculture to apply for this award.”

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award inspires other landowners and provides a public forum where farmers and ranchers

are recognized as conservation leaders. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage, which he called “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.”

“Landowners learn best from one another, looking across fence lines, attending field days, and sharing stories of land stewards who have managed to achieve both conservation and profitability,” said Sand County Foundation President Kevin

McAleese. “The Leopold Conservation Award has much to contribute to this kind of peer learning.”

“Aldo Leopold was a pioneer in the concept of the ‘land ethic,’ a concept that resonates within California’s agricultural community,” said California Farm Bureau Federation President Jaime Johansson. “The daily practice of this ethic is demonstrated not only in the diversity of landscapes where our farms and ranches operate, but also in the diversity of crops that drive America’s most successful farm econ-

dance

omy. The California Farm Bureau Federation is proud to partner with Sand County Foundation in awarding the Leopold Conservation Award to a California farm or ranch whose land ethic has developed creative and replicable ideas concerning the stewardship of the natural resources on its land while providing a sustainable economic stimulus that feeds our nation.”

Nominations must be postmarked by July 13 and mailed to California Leopold Conservation Award c/o Sustainable Conservation,

98 Battery Street, Suite 302, San Francisco, CA 94111.

The award will be presented in December in San Diego.

The California Leopold Conservation Award is possible thanks to generous contributions from many organizations, including Farm Credit West, American AgCredit, The Harvey L. & Maud S. Sorensen Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and Leopold Conservation Award Alumni.

For application information, visit leopoldconservationaward.org.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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APRIL 2018

GOVERNMENT

Candidate forums scheduled for April

BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal

The League of Women Voters of Stanislaus County believes that democracy is not a spectator sport.

To promote voter involvement in the upcoming June primary elections, the organization is hosting a series of candidate forums this month that will give community members the chance to both meet and question candidates running for office.

“The League of Women Voters knows how important it is for every citizen who can to vote, and that is the bedrock of our democracy,” LWVSC public relations director Arlene Ison said. “We want as many people to become knowledgeable about the candidates so they can vote intelligently.”

There will be a total of five forums throughout April that will feature candidates for District Attorney and County Sheriff-Coroner, Country Supervisors for Districts 3 and 4, County Superintendent of Schools and U.S. Congressional Representative for District 10. The forums allow voters the opportunity to hear candidate statements and responses to questions from the audience about issues in the community.

Ison said that so far, every candidate for each race has confirmed that they will attend their forum, save for one. Congressman Jeff Denham has neither accepted nor declined his invitation to the LWVSC’s two Congressional candidate forums.

The forums will kick off with candidates for District Attorney and County Sheriff-Coroner taking

Jeff Dirkse

Juan Alanis

the stage from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. April 10 at the Modesto Junior College East Campus, Forum 110.

Three candidates are taking on incumbent District Attorney Birgit Fladager are: Criminal defense attorneys Patrick Kolasinski and Steven O’Connor and prosecutor John R. Mayne.

O’Connor most recently served as the defense attorney for Ceres murderer Mark Mesiti, and Kolasinski was trounced in his election bid for Yosemite Community College District board in 2016.

The race for County Sheriff-Coroner is down to two after Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Letras opted to end his candidacy in early March.

Jeff Dirkse, a lieutenant with the Sheriff’s Department, and Sgt. Juan Alanis, a 23-year veteran of the department.

Dirkse has earned the endorsement of departing Sheriff Adam Christianson, and in addition to serving as Patterson’s police chief has been a STING detective, a rural crimes detective, a patrol sergeant and an internal affairs sergeant. He also supervised the Explorers for several years and developed an intern program to bring high school graduates into the department at age 18.

Alanis has spent 23 years with the Sheriff’s Department and served as Patrol Watch Commander, acting Police Chief in Waterford and Hughson, a patrol sergeant, Hughson Contract City Supervisor and the

Three candidates have tossed their hats into the ring to replace current Superintendent Tom Changnon, who is not seeking reelection. Gratton School District Superintendent Shannon Sanford, Waterford Unified School District Superintendent Don Davis and Stanislaus County Office of Education Assistant Superintendent Scott Kuykendall are running.

Kuykendall began his 23year career in education as a Spanish and English teacher at Gustine High School, and after teaching for five years moved

the county on his experience with these initiatives, and this year, Waterford High School was awarded the prestigious California Gold Ribbon Award by the California Department of Education as a result of those efforts.

A resident of Turlock, Sanford is a 28-year education veteran and spent 16 years as a teacher in the classroom and the past 12 years as GSD Superintendent.

The final two forums are due to be the most contentious, taking place between the candidates running to represent the

“The League of Women Voters knows how important it is for every citizen who can to vote, and that is the bedrock of our democracy. We want as many people to become knowledgeable about the candidates so they can vote intelligently.”

LWVSC public relations ­—director Arlene Ison Supervisor of the Special Vehicle Operations Unit.

He worked in the patrol division, as a courthouse bailiff, member of SWAT and SWAT support, a Crimes Against Children detective assigned to the Family Justice Center, a School Resource Officer and was the Deputy Sheriff’s Association Vice President.

Candidates for the County Superintendent of Schools will face off from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 17 at the County Schools Building, 110 H Street in Modesto.

into administration. Since then, he has served as principal at Johansen High School and as the director of secondary education for Modesto City Schools. He also oversaw career technical education programs in the district, including FFA. Davis, who has served as WUSD Superintendent since 2009, also hopes to focus on STEM education in addition to promoting early literacy and developing model instructional programs, if elected. He has spoken at a number of education conferences internationally and across

state’s 10th Congressional District in what’s sure to be a tight race. On April 18, a forum will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the City County Chambers in Modesto, and another is scheduled from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at the Bianchi Center in Oakdale, 110 South 2nd Ave. Though the competition has already seen five candidates withdraw from the race, there are still eight hoping to become the district’s U.S. Representative – six Democrats and two Republicans. Incumbent Denham is being challenged by fellow Republi-

can Ted Howze as well as Democrats Mike Barkley, Michael Eggman, Josh Harder, Virginia Madueno, Dotty Nygard and Sue Zwahlen.

While Denham has neither confirmed nor denied his invitation to both candidate forums this year, according to Ison, the Congressman did not attend any forums during his 2016 campaign.

While Turlockers can’t vote for either race, on April 11, candidates hoping to become County Supervisors for Districts 3 and 4 will answer voter questions from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the City/ County Chambers, 1010 Tenth Street in Modesto.

District 3 Supervisor Terry Withrow is being challenged by businesswoman Katherine Borges and Modesto Vice Mayor Tony Madrigal. Four candidates have emerged in a quest to fill the District 4 seat being vacated by Dick Monteith. Candidates are State Senator and Ceres native Tom Berryhill, who is being forced out of office because of term limits; Modesto attorney Frank Damrell; Royal Summit packing company owner Bret De St. Jeor; and businesswoman and former Modesto City Councilwoman Janice E. Keating.

Midterm elections typically have a lower voter turnout than elections during a Presidential campaign, Ison added, so it’s the LWVSC’s hope that the community makes it out to both this month’s candidate forums as well as the polls in June.

“We want people to come to these events and make smart votes, not emotional votes,” she said.

Galgiani wants to go after $8.5B in unpaid state taxes

BY DENNIS WYATT 209 Business Journal

State Sen. Cathleen Galgiani wants to bankroll more government services without raising taxes.

How she plans to do that is by supporting efforts to permanently establish the Tax Recovery and Criminal Enforcement Task Force as part of the state Department of Justice.

Since being established the task force has identi-

fied $46 million in state taxes not paid to the state on $210 million from the underground economy.

“It is estimated that the state loses $8.5 billion in corporate, personal and sales and use taxes each year as the result of the underground economy,” Galgiani said. “Needless to say, these are significant uncollected taxes that are desperately needed to fund basic gov-

ernment services —an amount relatively equivalent to the state’s rainy day fund. Not only does the task force go after uncollected taxes, they also investigate labor law violations, and protect law abiding business owners who are put at a competitive disadvantage.

The Trace task force has been operating as a pilot program and has already recovered millions of dol-

lars in lost tax revenue for the state.”

The legislation that gets its first hearing Wednesday before the Governance and Finance Committee would expand the current program to all major metropolitan regions of the state including offices in Fresno, San Diego, Sacramento, Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

Participating agencies include the Department of

Justice, the Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the Franchised Tax Board, and the Employment Development Department.

“Here in California, home to the world’s sixth-largest economy, every worker who powers this economic engine deserves rights at work, every upstanding business owner deserves a fair market, and every taxpay-

er deserves to see their hard-earned money used to fund vital services,” said Attorney General Becerra in a news release. “If you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to get ahead. This legislation would provide the resources needed to enforce the law and protect the pocketbook of every hard working Californian.”

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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NEWS

11 years later, Supercenter building plans submitted Chamber seeks nominations for ag honors

BY JEFF BENZIGER 209 Business Journal

Building plans and an application for a building permit for the Walmart Supercenter were received by city officials March 29 — nearly 11 years after the project was originally proposed.

Tom Westbrook, the city of Ceres’ Community Development Director, was elated at the news but lamented the lost opportunities for businesses that were primed to come with the Mitchell Ranch Shopping Center project when proposed in 2007.

“I’m glad the project’s here and I know there’s great stuff on the horizon for the city at that intersection for a number of different property owners in providing goods and services for our community,” said Westbrook. “I just wished it would have happened sooner.

“Obviously I’m a little bit disappointed in the fact because it didn’t get built right of way there was another commercial activity that would have happened shortly thereafter and Service and Mitchell could look very different today had they constructed in 2012 or 2013.”

That delay was the result of legal challenges lodged against the Walmart-owned project by a group calling themselves “Citizens for Ceres.” The Ceres City Council approved the center in 2011 but the opposition group, led by Sherri Jacobson and attorney Bret Jolley, dragged a slow fight through the environmental process and the Stanislaus County Superior Court.

The plans go next to the Stanislaus County Building Department which the city uses to provide building permit and plan check

Sponsors also sought for luncheon STAFF REPORT 209 Business Journal

IMAGE CONTRIBUTED

Building plans for the Ceres Walmart Supercenter were submitted March 29 for plan checks. It took 11 years for the application to take place following years of legal opposition.

services. The process could take one to two months with the Walmart Corporation having up to two years to begin construction.

Westbrook, however, believes grading could begin by summer or fall.

“The anticipation is once they get the building permit that it will probably be anywhere from nine to 12 months’ worth of construction,” said Westbrook.

Only the Supercenter structure itself is currently proposed. It consists of 185,682 square feet. The city expects the remainder of the center to develop as companies express interest in leases.

Last month the city gladly accepted the on-site and off-site improvement plans for the center at the northwest corner of Service and Mitchell roads. Westbrook said the engineer of the project had to coordinate with the city’s future plans with the Service-Mitchell Interchange. One consideration was allowing enough room for a widened Service Road at the project to accommodate two left turn lanes from northbound Mitchell Road onto westbound Service Road.

City Engineer Daryl Jor-

dan said the project will include transition lanes to turn in and out of the project along the eastern and southern sides. A new traffic signal light will be installed midblock on Mitchell Road between Don Pedro and Service roads, he said, allowing entry into the center.

Once the new store is completed and occupied, Walmart will be obligated to market a new use for the existing store building at Hatch and Mitchell roads.

“We’re hoping they’ll just come in with, hey, here’s the tenant and somebody that’s going to occupy that entire building,” said Westbrook.

Westbrook remembers that a Walmart project in Clovis was delayed 11 years by a legal protest similar to the one that came in Ceres and thinking “that’s a really long time.”

Owners of adjacent empty parcels have been anxiously awaiting the development of Mitchell Ranch since it would be a magnet for development of their properties.

“We know that the folks that own the Ceres Southern Gateway Center, which is just to the south (of Service Road), were waiting to

see those graders out there moving dirt around,” said Westbrook.

The Gateway Center project was approved years ago with a restaurant and a Hampton Inn & Suites but did not develop. He feels Walmart’s development could spur on the Gateway Center. In 2008 Ralph Ogden & Associate received city approval to build a commercial center consisting of a 162-room, threestory Hampton Inn & Suites and a tentative parcel map to split 16 acres into nine parcels for six buildings totaling 25,955 square feet for a proposed restaurant, retail space and gas mart. The project went into the skids upon the heels of the recession. Westbrook said he’s not certain if the original Ogden project will become a reality.

Westbrook also said that the owners of 10 acres on the east side of Mitchell Road near Rhode Road have been watching for Walmart to become a reality.

“Now I’ll be able to tell them I have the building permits so that’s pretty exciting.”

The Ceres Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for Man, Woman and Business of the Year for its 33rd Annual Agribusiness Awards Luncheon, set for Thursday, May 17, at Diamond Bar Arena. Nominations are also sought to recognize an ag industry leader with the Grant Lucas Memorial Award.

Each year, this event raises money to fund high school scholarships for students with aspirations of upper education in the agriculture industry. A Chamber scholarship subcommittee reviews applications and selects high school recipients based on grades and contributions to ag-related activities in and after school. Scholarship recipients each receive a $500 agriculture scholarship from the Chamber.

The winners of the scholarships and community awards are announced during the luncheon.

This year’s event keynote address on ag-related crimes will be given by Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department Rural Crimes Detective Adam Basmajian.

“The Chamber is again grateful to Shane and Kim Parson, owners of Diamond Bar Arena, for once again hosting this annual event,” said Chamber President Juan Romo. “By doing so allows the Chamber to keep costs down and

helps in raising more money for future scholarships.”

The students are recognized for their work in all areas of agricultural studies, some including their help in maintaining the 6.5-acre Ceres Agriculture Center offered by the Ceres Unified School District. Students working at the Ag Center are in charge of planting, tending and harvesting row crops, fruits and vegetables for the district’s child nutrition school lunch program.

The annual luncheon serves as the main fundraiser for the Chamber’s ag-related scholarships given to Ceres High School and Central Valley High School students each year.

Tickets for the event are $20 and may be purchased in the Chamber office; on the Chamber’s website CeresChamber.com; or by phone at 537-2601. Full table rates are also available.

Tickets will not be sold at the door.

Numerous contributions are made to bring this event to fruition, including meat and beans donated

by Diamond Bar Arena, barbecue prepared by the Ceres Lions Club, water by the Varni Brothers Corporation, décor by Addy’s Boutique and salad by the ag students of Ceres.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available and information may be found on the Chamber’s website at www.CeresChamber. com. For more information call the Chamber at 537-2601.

Open house to give first look at new service center

BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal

Residents of Turlock no longer have to drive out of town in order to apply for assistance programs or brush up on job skills thanks to the city’s brand new South County Service Center, which is officially open for business.

The South County Service Center is a multi-agency facility and home to the Community Services Agency and Workforce Development. At the new location, 1310 West Main St., residents can apply for assistance programs that include Medi-Cal, Cal-

WORKS and CalFresh, and also receive job training and access to computer labs.

“Access and convenience for customers is important to us,” CSA Director Kathryn Harwell said. “The southside of the county is growing and we want to provide the best service possible.”

CSA occupies the majority of the building that includes office space for more than 100 employees, customer interview rooms and conference rooms. New CSA staff will also use the building as a training center where they will learn how to administer new programs. Prior to the

new building construction, CSA had been housed at 101 Lander Ave. in Turlock, which the agency quickly outgrew.

At the former Lander Avenue location, Alliance Worknet offered limited services for those looking to become employed, but the two-story design of the old building did not allow for a one-stop career resource center to operate. Alliance Worknet’s new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act now requires the one-stop centers to be established again, and the new Workforce Development services are an

integral part of the South County Service Center.

From July 2015 to June 2016, approximately 550 individuals with Turlock zip codes made visits to other one-stop career resource centers in Modesto, Patterson and Oakdale, showing the needed service demand of Turlock residents and supporting the decision to open another site in Turlock.

“This one-stop center with both departments provides much-needed services to the Turlock community,” said Doris Foster, Alliance Worknet director. “(The new location) is ideal for our cus-

tomers in that it has close proximity to bus routes and accessible parking for staff and customers.”

At the center, the public will have access to the internet to conduct job search activities and access CalJOBS, where they can post resumes and search for employment opportunities.

Computers, fax machines and copiers may be used for job search activities as well, and the public will also have access to typing tests and other occupational testing, resume preparation tools, recruitment announcements, workshop registra-

tion and labor market information.

The South County Service Center will also be home to other county and community partners. They include Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Learning Quest (Stanislaus Literacy Centers), Aspiranet and Haven Women’s Center.

An open house for the community is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at the service center, 1310 W. Main St. The public will be able to tour the facility during the open house, and agency staff will be on hand to answer questions.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

8

APRIL 2018

NEWS

Lowering 99 under Main Women of distinction feted Part of project to switch to ramp meters through Manteca and Ripon

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Northbound Highway 99 under Ripon’s Main Street crossing is being lowered as part of an effort to address traffic congestion and safety on the freeway corridor from Modesto to Manteca.

BY DENNIS WYATT 209 Business Journal

Northbound on- and offramps for Main Street in Ripon will be closed for three months starting in May as part of a $24.5 million project to improve freight mobility, traffic flow and enhance safety along the Highway 99 corridor through Manteca, Ripon, and Modesto.

The closure will allow Caltrans to lower northbound Highway 99 under the Main Street overcrossing in Ripon to improve freight mobility and to increase overhead clearance for commercial truck traffic.

It is part of an overall endeavor that — when completed in January of 2019 — will bring ramp metering to on-ramps during heavy traffic times on Highway 99 through Manteca and Ripon as well as parts of Stockton and Modesto. It is being funded through Senate Bill 1 that raised the gas tax to address road maintenance and traffic operational issues on the state’s freeway and highway system.

In recent years traffic has slowed to a crawl during the morning and afternoon commuters on Highway 99 between the 120 Bypass and Modesto. At the same time traffic volume has been increasing north of the 120 Bypass into Stockton due to increases in truck movements as well as vehicles in general.

Ramp meters have already been installed at Lathrop Road and Austin Road in Manteca as well as on French Camp Road and interchanges in Stockton as far north as the Crosstown Freeway during previous road improvement projects.

Six additional interchanges along the Highway 99 corridor will have on-ramp meters installed. They are: Yosemite Avenue to northbound and southbound High-

way 99.

Jack Tone Road to northbound and southbound Highway 99.

Milgeo Avenue and Colony Road in Ripon to northbound Highway 99.

Main Street in Ripon to northbound and southbound Highway 99.

Hammett Road in Modesto to northbound and southbound Highway 99.

Pelandale Avenue in Modesto to northbound Highway 99.

The project also includes the installation of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) elements such as changeable message signs, closed circuit televisions and fiber-optics, and traffic management and weather information systems.

They will all contribute toward easing congestion and improving safety and efficiency for motorists New landscaping will be installed along with an improved drainage system.

Work will occur during both the night and during the day.

There could be delays of up to 15 minutes. Caltrans indicated no two consecutive ramps will be closed at the same time.

The established detour to reach northbound Highway 99 from Main Street is to take the Frontage Road north, turn right on Acacia Avenue, turn left on Milgeo Avenue and then take the northbound onramp at Milgeo Avenue.

Ramp meters are typically a basic traffic signal with red and green lights tied to a controller that regulates the flow of traffic entering freeways based on current conditions.

Such systems have proven to be successful in decreasing traffic congestion and increasing safety by breaking up platoons of cars for more efficient operations via vehicle spacing

BY JEFF BENZIGER 209 Business Journal

The Soroptimist International of Ceres recognized a number of women recently who make the Ceres community a better place during its annual Women of Distinction Awards ceremony.

The service club held its event at the Ceres Unified School District Board Room.

Michaela Morales and Maria Rosas were recognized as winners of the club’s “Live Your Dream: Education & Training Awards” program. The award is given annually to a woman who is the head of their household and its primary financial supporter while pursuing their education. It comes with a financial award.

Morales was abandoned by her parents when she was two and raised by her grandparents. She struggled with depression and anxiety through high school.

At age 20 she became a mom while attending college. Michaela was a single mom and failed to earn her associate degree. She has now returned to school to become a sociologist or a teacher who works with special education or emotionally disturbed students.

“I don’t want anybody to fall through the cracks or feel like they’re not loved or cared for or they’re just tossed to the side because maybe they’re acting out because deep down they need somebody to encourage them as well,” she said.

Morales got hurt five years ago and went on workers’ compensation and went through three surgeries. She decided to go back to Stanislaus State with her brothers helping financially.

Maria Rosas, another single mother, works for the Ceres School District’s Adult Education Department and is overcoming barriers in her life. Because of her heavy work schedule with two jobs she has only been able to take online courses. She plans to spend her award on books to finish up her junior college courses.

She told the group that she was comfortable in survival mode but finally got motivated to go back to school. Maria plans to

JEFF BENZIGER/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

Denise Wickham presents honors to “Live Your Dream: Education & Training Awards” recipient Michaela Morales.

go onto California State University, Stanislaus on her way to becoming a school counselor.

Local Business Partner awards were presented to Kathy Casey of Casey Moving Systems in Ceres and Sally Lara, owner of Alfonso’s Mexican Bar & Grill in downtown Ceres.

Soroptimist Denise Wickham said she didn’t know of anyone who serves others more than Casey. She joined SI when she moved to Ceres 28 years ago.

Lara was not present.

The club also recognized Lisa Mantarro Moore for recently being named one of Stanislaus County Commission for Women’s “Outstanding Women.”

Moore has a dedicated career of serving the public in a variety of capacities.

Professionally, she served as Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Congressional Representative Dennis Cardoza and is currently the District Director for State Representative Adam Gray.

Mantarro-Moore has had her own public service career as a Ceres City Council Member and Vice Mayor.

She also is leading the Clinton Whitmore Mansion Foundation, helping to oversee the maintenance and operation of one of Ceres’ most historic homes.

Liz Harrelson, owner of Modesto’s Do Good Distillery, was the guest speaker at the event. She told of prevailing after the 2017 death of her husband Jim and keeping the family business going.

Also honored by the club was Becki Barton Nicholes who in January was named by the Ceres Chamber of Commerce as its Citizen of the Year.

Nicholes opened Becki’s Munchkinland Day Care 35 years ago with sister Cindy.

Becki served as a volunteer firefighter in 1985 and met future husband Bryan Nicholes. She worked her way up to captain as she became certified as a Firefighter 1 Swift Water Rescue and Heavy Rescue. She worked on numerous wildland strike teams.

Becki earned her Emergency Medical EMT certificate.

After the birth of son Colby, Becki resigned but continued to serve the community. She was a charter member of the Venture Club of Ceres and has belonged to the Soroptimist International of Ceres for over 19 years and served as its president in 2004-05.

Nicholes is a past recipient of the Soroptimist of the Year award, due to her time as cochair of the Fundraising Committee, chair of the Women of Distinction event, and participating in other activities to improve the lives women and girls.

She was appointed to the Proposition 10 Board for the county and served as chairman of the campaigns of numerous City Council and mayoral candidates.

For six and a half years Becki was a Girl Scout leader in Ceres, coached Ceres Youth Soccer and played Ceres Adult Soccer for seven years. She

also served on the Chamber’s board. Through her church involvement, she and husband Bryan organized the first two “Love Ceres” events.

She served on the Ceres Street Faire Committee, managing the children’s activities.

In 2012, Becki and Bryan were named the Chamber’s “Volunteers of the Year.”

She is often seen at community events taking photos of participants.

The club also paid tribute to life members Sophie Pallios and Ruth Strange who were not present. The two were members when the charter was established on Sept. 8, 1972. Both Pallios and Strange continue to support club activities and projects.

The club also recognized Carli Gomes for serving as president of the Ceres High “S” Club, which operates under the Soroptimist umbrella.

Honored as “Life Members” of the Soroptimist International of Ceres were JoAnn Haglund and Fran Welsh.

Also recognized were longtime club members Donna Strickler, who has served 35 years; Pat Cousins and Bonnie White-Silveria who have been members for 29 years; Carol Perry, 28 years; Dolores Machado and Arlene Vilas, both in the club for 27 years; and Isabel McKay, 25 years.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

9

NEWS

Boys & Girls PG&E proposes to reduce expected customer honor Youth of Year rate increases through federal tax savings STAFF REPORTS 209 Business Journal

VINCE REMBULAT/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Manteca / Lathrop top honors went to the following: front row (from left), Junior Leadership Award winners’ Elliana Jasso (Manteca), Andrea Lemus (Lathrop), and Paul Cruz (Lathrop); Youth of the Year awards went to Taylor Caldwell (Lathrop) and Jocelyn Gutierrez (Manteca).

BY VINCE REMBULAT 209 Business Journal

Taylor Caldwell and Jocelyn Gutierrez were recognized as the leaders among leaders at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manteca / Lathrop’s Youth of the Year Celebration recently at Chez Shari.

They earned the club’s top honor at their respective sites.

Caldwell, who is an eighth-grade student at Lathrop Elementary School, has been a member of the Lathrop Boys & Girls Club for the past four years.

“I was surprised when they told me I was Youth of the Year,” she said.

Ditto that for Gutierrez upon learning that she was named Youth of the Year at the Manteca site.

The sophomore at Sierra High and a club member for the past six years was also recognized for her willingness to help out her fellow members.

“I like to see others succeed,” Gutierrez said. “It makes me happy.”

Paul Cruz, Andrea Lemus and Ellianna Jasso were the Junior Leadership Award winners.

Cruz and Lemus earned that honor at the Lathrop site while Jasso, who also claimed the Torch Club Leadership Award, was the Manteca recipient.

Other award winners included: Lathrop – Carter Acoba-Pascua, Athlete of the Year; Alexander Fierros, Academic Excellence; Elliot Mobley, Social Recreation Member of the Year; Elijah Mobley, Torch Club Leadership; Brandon Martinez, Sportsmanship Member of the Year.

Manteca – Jacob Camara, Athlete of the Year; Bella Martinelli, Academic Excellence; Olivia Godsoe, Junior Social Recreation Member of the Year; Roxanna Cruz, Martial Artist of the Year; Jesse Bledsoe-Conway, the Kathy Aartman Artist of the Year; Jackson Wright, Teen Leadership Award; Kailee Lencioni, Dreamer Keystone Club Leader of the Year.

The annual event at the Manteca Park Golf Course facility also featured club Vice President Krista DeBrie welcoming those in attendance, Cruz doing a martial arts demonstration, and Trayana Davis, Andrea Lemus, Brandon Martinez, and Elliot and Elijah Mobley performing a dance routine on behalf of the Lathrop site.

Manteca Mayor Steve DeBrum, in addition, provided the invocation while Director of Operations Mark McCool served as the emcee for the event.

May 1 - May 31

Pacific Gas and Electric Company filed several ratemaking requests with the California Public Utilities Commission at the end of March.

PG&E is taking action to pass along approximately $450 million in annual tax savings to its customers.

As a first step, today PG&E made three separate filings requesting to pass along approximately $325 million per year in federal tax savings from the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for 2018 and 2019. PG&E has proposed to the CPUC that the benefits of the federal tax savings be used to offset expected rate increases.

The company also filed its 2018 Catastrophic Events Memorandum Account application requesting cost recovery of $183 million for safely restoring power for fire and storm declared emergencies from the middle of 2016 through early 2017. The 2018 CEMA filing also includes recorded costs of $405 million for

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aged or destroyed nearly 17,000 pieces of the PG&E electric system including poles, wires, transformers and more. The filing is unrelated to the October 2017 Northern California wildfires.

In the past five years, weather impacting PG&E’s service area has been record-setting and extreme.

The effects of climate change and weather-driven events on the company’s electric and gas infrastructure have been more significant and costly to repair.

PG&E’s enhanced vegetation management work to prune or remove dead or dying trees began in 2014.

At that time, the CPUC directed PG&E to take measures to reduce fire risk due to the declared drought emergency and allowed the company to request cost recovery outside of the General Rate Case where the company recovers the costs of its routine vegetation management work.

Even though the drought emergency ended last year,

the declaration directed the state to continue activities to manage the lingering drought impacts. PG&E continues its vegetation work to comply with the declaration and the state Tree Mortality Emergency.

PG&E expects to work collaboratively with the CPUC to determine the timing and the best way to pass the tax savings along to its customers given the impact on customer rates from the 2018 CEMA application and other factors. PG&E has historically worked closely with the Commission to stabilize rates and bills by using unexpected cost reductions like the federal tax savings to offset expected cost increases.

As a next step in passing along the additional tax savings to customers, PG&E expects to reflect additional federal tax savings of approximately $125 million from other rate cases, including a pending Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proceeding.

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work to prune, cut back or remove dead or dying trees in 2016 and 2017 resulting from years of drought conditions and associated bark beetle infestation, as well as a forecast of $555 million for additional tree mortality and fire mitigation work anticipated in 2018 and 2019.

“We’ve committed to making sure that the changes to the federal tax law benefit our customers. PG&E has proposed that the savings from the federal tax law changes be used to offset currently approved or anticipated rate increases to stabilize customers’ rates and bills,” said Robert Kenney, PG&E vice president of Regulatory Affairs.

The catastrophic events filing includes wildfires in three counties in 2016, and a series of strong storms throughout the service area from December 2016 to February 2017. In all, atmospheric river and extreme wind storms caused power outages impacting more than 2.5 million PG&E customers and dam-

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

10

APRIL 2018

NEWS

SNOW

FROM PAGE 1 to be in normal status due to rainfall while neighboring Stanislaus County to the south is rated as abnormally dry.

Since the governor’s emergency drought declaration was lifted, Californians are using almost as much water as before the previous drought. That has prompted the state to ramp up its messages to be thrifty with water.

The Tuolumne River watershed received just 0.24 inches of rain in December, compared to the historical average of 5.95 inches, and in February received 0.86, compared to the historical average of 5.99.

Despite the 21.57 inches of

BAKERY

FROM PAGE 3

dawn every morning.

He noted that his wife Maijil came to the U.S. in 2008 from her native Philippines. She also works as a neonatal registered nurse at a Modesto hospital caring from preemies.

Charlie said the “reason for this place is our two

PHOTO COURTESY OF DWR

DWR Director Karla Nemeth assists Frank Gehrke with the April 2018 snow survey

rain accumulated in the watershed since October being just 76.3 percent of the historical average, the March rainfall has helped improve that number. Prior to March, the watershed had received just 12.3 inches or rain, or

50.1 percent of the historical average.

The Modesto Irrigation District is expecting to give area growers an allotment of 42 inches of water, while the Turlock Irrigation District will be giving 48 inches.

boys.”

They are parents to 8-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Taylor who was born with downs syndrome who works with his brother behind the counter folding gift boxes and meeting with the adult customers.

He added that education and work ethic are very important to both of them and their boys are learning those traits through their times at

the bakery.

Little Charlie has planted his own garden at home since he was four and the neighbors up and down the street have gotten his cherry tomatoes delivered to them on a regular basis, he added.

Charlie attends Colony Oak School and Taylor will be joining him at that campus next year.

Charlie Senior is retired from the U.S. Army.

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

11

ACCOLADES

PROMOTIONS, APPOINTMENTS, HONORS, ETC. Governor Appoints Junn to California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board

Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. appointed Ellen Junn, President of California State University, Stanislaus, to the board of directors of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley.

Ellen Junn The advocacy group was founded in June 2005 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger with the mission of addressing the unique challenges facing the Valley while promoting the importance of the eight-county region to California’s prosperity.

Junn has been president at California State University, Stanislaus since 2016. She was provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Dominguez Hills from 2014 to 2016 and at San Jose State University from 2012 to 2013.

Prior to service as provost, she was associate provost at California State University, Fresno from 2008 to 2011. Junn served in several positions at California State University, Fullerton from 1991 to 2008, including associate dean, associate and full professor, director of the Office of Educational Equity and Faculty Mentor Program and administrative fellow in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. She was an assistant professor at California State University, San Bernardino from 1989 to 1991, where she was a full-time lecturer from 1986 to 1989.

Junn is a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, Stanislaus Community Foundation’s Cradle to Career Leadership Team, ITHAKA Higher Education Insights, California Association for the Education of Young Children and the Association for Psychological Science.

Junn earned Doctor of Philosophy and Masters of Arts degrees in cognitive and developmental psychology from Princeton University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation.

New CEO named for In-Shape

In-Shape Health Clubs announced in March Francesca Schuler has been named CEO, replacing Rich Nelsen who is stepping away.

Schuler, who was most recently COO of In-Shape, Francesca Schuler is known throughout the organization for her inspiring, people-first approach to leadership and ability to drive growth and cultural transformation. She’s dedicated to creating diverse workplaces and promoting from within.

“Francesca is a visionary, but importantly, with over 25 years of experience in marketing and operations, she has the tools to turn that vision into reality. We believe Francesca’s experience, perseverance and passion for In-Shape is the perfect combination to lead the team to achieve our longterm goals,” said Jeff Jones and Scott Earthy of Fremont Private Holdings.

Finally, as part of this transition, Jeff Jones from Fremont Private Holdings will be join-

ing In-Shape’s board as Executive Chairman working directly with the leadership team.

“It’s an exciting time to lead the team at In-Shape as we continue to focus on innovation. We are launching new programming in group fitness, a partnership with TRX to develop new personal and team training and we are in the final stages of implementing a new CRM system,” said Ms Schuler.

She continued, “We spent the last two years transforming the brand and culture, how we sell memberships, and putting programs in place to grow our member engagement. All of this is helping us reach our goal and deliver on our mission – to create places of belonging to motivate our communities to stay healthy, fit, and happy.”

Prior to joining In-Shape, Ms. Schuler was the CMO of BevMo!, a specialty beverage retailer based on the West Coast. She joined BevMo! from Treasury Wine Estates Americas where she was CMO, managing a wine portfolio of over 50 brands. Throughout her career, she also held executive positions at Method Products, Inc, The Gap, and was a partner at Marakon Associates.

Ms. Schuler has an M.B.A. from Wharton and a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Brown University.

MJC honors four students at Disability Services End-of-theYear Celebration Modesto Junior College honored four outstanding students during the 2018 Disability Services End-of-the-Year Celebration. The event was held April 6 in the Mary Stuart Rogers Student Learning Center located on the West Campus, 2201 Blue Gum Avenue, Modesto.

During the 30th annual ceremony, the following students are receiving awards: David Perry - Most Persistent Award, Shantel Johnson - Most Resilient Award, Silvia Prado - Most Motivational Award and Siegfried Dominic Guentensperger - High Achiever Award. The awards recognize these students’ dedication and hard work.

Turlock facility recognized by nursing association The American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination selected Turlock Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as the Best Practice of the Year Award winner.

AANAC recognizes Turlock Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (TNRC) for its implementation of the SMART (Safety, Medication Management, Assessment of Home Needs and Support, Rehospitalization Prevention, and Teach Back) Stay System. This best practice program addresses the continuum of care for residents starting from acute hospital discharge, transitioning to skilled care at TNRC, and continuing home with necessary home health services. The program occurs in different phases involving all disciplines, residents, and families.

Since implementing this program, Turlock has reduced acute hospital readmissions, reducing costs for the residents and families.

For almost two decades, AANAC has recognized those who demonstrate leadership and professionalism in long-term care.

Awards are presented every year at the association’s annual conference.

Carnegie Director joins museum board

The Carnegie Arts Center is proud to announce that Director Lisa McDermott has recently been elected to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the CaliforLisa McDermott nia Association of Museums (CAM).

At the CAM annual conference, held this past February in Palm Springs, McDermott joined the board which consists of 23 museum professionals from throughout the state.

“I’m excited to be representing institutions like our Carnegie Arts Center as part of this dynamic Board,” says McDermott.

“Often the small museums in places like the Central Valley get overlooked, but CAM supports museums large and small across our diverse state. Being part of this team is an affirmation of the value of museums in every community.”

McDermott, who has been involved in many aspects of the museum field for over 30 years, has been appointed to serve on two of the association’s committees, Government Relations (focusing on advocacy and legislation that affects museums) and Multicultural & Emerging Professionals (which oversees scholarship funds and professional development efforts to support those new to the field and to help diversity the museum workforce).

McDermott was raised in Turlock, CA, and earned her BA in Art History from UC Berkeley. She worked as curatorial intern for the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service and at Hearst Castle before completing her MA in History at Boston University. Between 1987 -2001 she worked in collections management and curatorial roles at the Rose Art Museum (Brandeis University), the Davis Museum (Wellesley College), and the San Jose Museum of Art before returning to her hometown. She served as the City of Turlock’s Arts Facilitator from 2001 to 2009, providing administrative and curatorial support to the Turlock City Arts Commission, managing the operations of the original Carnegie Arts Center. McDermott coordinated plans for the restoration and expansion of the Carnegie following a devastating fire in 2005 and assisted in the transfer of responsibility for the center’s operations from the City to the non-profit Carnegie Arts Center Foundation. She served as the Foundation’s Assistant Director, managing day to day operations and educational programs, beginning in 2010 and was named Director in 2014. McDermott has also taught Art Appreciation at Boston University and Modesto Junior College, and a course in Museum Studies at Tufts University.

Merced fair appointments

Vicky Banaga, 60, of Le Grand, has been reappointed to the 35th District Agricultural Association, Merced County Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2015. Banaga has been chief business official at the Le Grand Union Elementary School District since 1977. She is a member of the Le Grand Beautification Committee.

This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation.

Banaga is a Democrat.

Kimber Rogina, 57, of Merced, has been reappointed to the 35th District Agricultur-

al Association, Merced County Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2015. Rogina has been a real estate agent at Century 21 Salvadori Realty since 2008 and co-owner at Rogina Inc. since 1985.

She is a member of California Women for Agriculture and the Merced County Farm Bureau. Rogina is a California Agricultural Leadership Program alumnus. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Rogina is a Republican.

New director for Modesto Gospel Mission The Modesto Gospel Mission is proud to announce the promotion of Jason Conway to Executive Director after an extensive search by its Board of Directors. ConJason Conway way has served as the Mission’s Interim Executive Director since July 31, 2017.

During this time Conway did an outstanding job and exceeded the Board of Directors’ expectations. Conway formally assumed this role in early March. Conway became homeless in 2007 and came to the Mission and joined its 18-month New Life Program. After graduation, he was hired by the Mission and has worked there ever since. The Mission is celebrating 70 years of transforming lives in Modesto, and Conway is resolute in his desire to serve the homeless and the greater community.

Crocodiles celebrates milestone Guy Phillips, manager of Crocodiles Nightclub in Modesto, announced that the Phillips family is celebrating their 40th year of providing dancing and entertainment to Northern California.

During the past 40 years, the music format and the name has changed to cater to a particular clientele. The club opened originally on March 28, 1978 as The Sports Page Discotheque and featured disco music which was the rage at the time.

It is extremely unusual for a nightclub to survive 40 years. The Phillips family feels extremely fortunate to have been able to serve the Northern California market for all those years and thanks their hundreds of thousands of customers who have made it possible.

The club has been named Crocodiles for the past 25 years and offers what Phillips describes as “the best recorded dance music from the past 60 years”.

“Our disc jockey plays a big assortment of music, from oldies, rock, disco, dance, country and slow love songs. Because we play such a big variety of good dance music, we attract an older crowd that ranges from 30 to 70. We love our clientele,” Phillips said.

“We have always been one of the largest nightclubs in the valley and have always attracted dance aficionados from throughout Northern California,” Phillips said. “We conservatively estimate that the club has now attracted well over 3 million customers in our 40 years in business. We are now seeing the second generation. We have customers that their mother’s and father’s met at the club.”

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APRIL 2018

Comedian helping wine novices through podcast STAFF REPORTS 209 Business Journal

Do your palms sweat at the sight of a lengthy wine list? Do you pick wine at random because you don’t know the difference between a Chardonnay or Cabernet? E. & J. Gallo Winery, one of the world’s largest wineries, announces the launch of a new podcast series called “The Wine Down by Wine Dialogues,” hosted by comedian and self-proclaimed

wine novice, Ben Schwartz.

The seven-episode season is a crash course in wine education that breaks down the world of wine for people who love it but don’t know the first thing about it.

“Wine is a wonderfully complex and diverse beverage, and that can be intimidating for a casual wine drinker,” said Suzanne Denevan-Brown, Publisher of Wine Dialogues by E. & J. Gallo Win-

ery. “However, you don’t have to be a wine expert to enjoy wine or even talk about it. With ‘The Wine Down,’ we wanted to create something that would show people you can have as much fun talking about wine as drinking it.”

Each episode, Schwartz sits down with a wine expert and a guest comedian to talk, taste and break down all things wine. Each week, Schwartz and his guests pick the brains of

different winemakers to discuss impressive topics like the effects of barrelaging or the implications of terroir and climate. They also had a little fun along the way, including learning what wine pairs best with waffles and creating a harvest call. “The Wine Down by Wine Dialogues” explores all the questions you’ve had, didn’t even know you have, or may be afraid to ask.

“Taping this podcast was

a blast. It was just me and my buddies sitting around, having wine and silly conversations, but also learning something along the way,” said Schwartz. “I’ve always loved wine, but now I can sound like I know a little something about it.”

The series premiere titled, “Can I Ask You a Question, Sweet Winemaker?” is available now with new episodes released each Wednesday. To listen to “The Wine Down by

Wine Dialogues,” subscribe or download wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

“The Wine Down by Wine Dialogues” is the first original wine podcast created in association with William Hill Estate Winery, created and produced by IMG Original Content. Endeavor Global Marketing, the cultural marketing agency within the Endeavor network, represented Wine Dialogues on the project.

HELPING VALLEY BUSINESS GROW

Deep Roots ~ Strong Branches

866.844.7500 • www.ovcb.com Oak Valley’s Dianna Bettencourt, Turlock Branch Manager, 209.633.2867 with Monte Vista Optometry Doctors: Trevor Irish, O.D., Jasmeet Mann, O.D., Cassandra Abram, O.D., and Melanie Chiesa, O.D.

Oakdale • Sonora • Modesto • Turlock • Patterson Escalon • Ripon • Stockton • Manteca • Tracy

“At Monte Vista Optometry, we strive to be active in our community. When choosing a bank, it was important to us to find one that shared our spirit of quality and service. We appreciate the personalized service we receive at Oak Valley and we respect the proactive role they play strengthening our part of the Central Valley.”

- Dr. Trevor Irish, Monte Vista Optometry

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