209 Business Journal - February 2022 by 209 Multimedia Publications

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FEBRUARY 2022

VOLUME 7 ■ ISSUE 2

IN PROFILE

Pizzeria Halt is giving Modesto a healthy and plant-based option when it comes to pizza.

PAGE 3

NEWS

River Island has changed the housing model and now looks to revitalize commercial industry.

PAGE 8

REDUCING WATER USE

Almonds require 1/3 less water to grow than in 2002; effort underway to cut water another 20% by 2025 BY DENNIS WYATT

209 Business Journal

lmonds — like everything else we eat — require water to grow. During the last drought almonds became the target of ire from those who believe agriculture wantonly wastes water with almonds being the No. 1 culprit given almond orchards account for 8 percent of California’s irrigated water. Almonds constitute the largest acreage in the state and as such they are a highly visible target compared to a number of other crops planted in lesser numbers of acres that are ranked lower in food value per gallon of water used. California is the leading world producer— and exporter — of almonds. Almonds ranked as the No.2 crop in dollar value behind dairy ($7.47 billion) in 2020 coming in at $5.62 billion out of a statewide farm production valued at $49.1 billion. Grapes were

third at $4.48 billion. Almonds are the state’s leading farm export in 2020. The 2 billion tons of almonds exported made their way to more than 100 countries with India leading the way at 362 million pounds. India is the first country outside of the United States to consume more than 300 million pounds of almonds a year. Almonds are highly valued in other lands — and in the United States — for being a healthy and nutrient dense food source. That includes high levels of protein and vitamins as well as antioxidants. Two studies conducted during the last California drought that ended in 2018 tried to put water use of various crops in context. Research by the Journal of Ecological Indicators in 2017 was the subject of a published report by the Food Revolution Network on 43 crops grown in California. Almonds came in 43rd out of the 43 crops examined in terms of con-

suming the most water to grow. That use of water was offset by studies that showed the nutritional value of the food created — in this case almonds — was the third highest among the 43 crops. Heavy water users that ranked near almonds such as pistachios, walnuts, and cashews were also among the crops with the highest nutrient value. Those crops that were also high in nutrients like the almond but lower in water use were spinach, raspberries, broccoli, artichokes, and kiwi fruit. Another study by Earth Sciences notes the water it took to grow typical crops. The list started with 13.8 gallons to grow an orange. It then dropped down to 5.9 gallons for a head of broccoli, 4.9 gallons for a walnut, 3.3 gallons for a tomato, 1.1 gallon for an almond, 0.75 gallons for a pistachio, and 0.4 gallons for a strawberry. Research by the University of

California verified water use to grow an almond is a third less today than it was in the 1990s. Water use for all irrigated crops have dropped during the time frame but none as substantial as that needed to grow nuts including almonds. The Almond Board of California — an umbrella group for almond growers — is committed to reducing the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by 20 percent by the end of 2025. So far California — one of only five places on earth with a Mediterranean climate suited to grow almonds as well as being the top producer by far — has 82 percent of its almond orchards employing efficient micro-irrigation methods. That’s the reason behind the 33 percent reduction in water use. The Almond Board has funded 239 water research projects so far. SEE WATER, PAGE 10

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

FEBRUARY 2022

IN PROFILE

Boutique with a twist settling into Turlock’s downtown core BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal

Since opening her second location in Turlock’s downtown core last summer, A Twist of Elegance Boutique owner Miyako Cooper has received a warm welcome. “So many people have come in asking how long I’ve been here, and then they’ll come back and bring their friends with them. I’ve met so many people since I opened this new location and it’s just been the best,” Cooper said. “I’ve really been enjoying it here and women have been giving me some incredible feedback. They say it’s cool and comfortable.” From the floral arrangements cascading down from the ceiling to cozy — but chic — seating arrangements for shoppers who may need to take a break, customers hit the nail on the head when it comes to describing A Twist of Elegance Boutique. With more space, Cooper’s artistic vision has come to life inside of her stunning second location. Her original location on Lander Avenue opened in 2019, and now

A Twist of Elegance Boutique Location: 125 S. Center St. in downtown Turlock Hours: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday Contact information: 209-620-8522

Turlockers can experience twice the elegance at either shop. “I’ve had people stop by who were from Australia, from New York. They’ve told me it reminds them of somewhere they would go in the Bay Area or a big city,” Cooper said. “There’s room to move around and the customers have really voiced that, to them, it feels elegant.” A Twist of Elegance Boutique offers gowns and dresses for special occasions like weddings and prom, as well as formal wear for children and toddlers. Many dresses are vintage, with Cooper

ANGELINA MARTIN/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

Since opening last summer, A Twist of Elegance Boutique on Center Street has wowed customers with its stylish décor.

taking the time to handpick items she knows customers will love. Cooper also sells lightly used and consignment clothing in the boutique, with an entire back room filled with pre-loved coats, dresses, shirts and more for shoppers to choose from. In addition to clothing, the boutique also sells seasonal and

timeless home decor (which Cooper says tends to fly off the shelves) and gifts like bath and body goods. Cooper has also held women’s inspirational meetings in the space, which she intends to pick back up once the current COVID surge has died down. “I say that I do a little bit of everything,” Cooper laughed.

A Twist of Elegance Boutique has yet to host its grand opening, she added, because of the pandemic. But a soft opening near the end of 2021 allowed her to see just how welcoming the downtown core can be. “I’ve always wanted to be downtown,” Cooper said. “So far, it’s amazing.”

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

IN PROFILE

Stop for unique pizza at Pizzeria Halt BY VIRGINIA STILL 209 Business Journal

With a vision of creating a healthy alternative for pizza, Sambit Duttaroy and his wife Dr. Priti Modi established Pizzeria Halt in Modesto. After only a couple years and all the challenges of COVID they have survived and will be opening their first franchisee in New Jersey. The idea originated in 2018 when the couple first met and they realized that there were not very many healthy alternatives out there for people with special food needs. Since pizza is very popular and universal they decided to open a pizzeria offering their guests a healthy alternative hence the name Pizzeria Halt meaning stop or healthy alternative. Dr. Modi is an Internal Medicine Doctor and she has had her own practice for 27 years. When she attended a conference she was inspired by a Kaiser Dietician that mentioned that there are not enough options locally for cancer patients that need a plantbased diet. This made it important for them not only to open this type of restaurant in Modesto but

establish a chain or franchise under the banner of Pizzeria Halt to offer these options everywhere. With Sambit being lactose intolerant and Priti a vegetarian it made total sense to create a plantbased gourmet pizzeria. Priti explained that it was very difficult in the beginning to create a 100 percent plant-based pizza. However, with Sambit’s experience cooking plant-based foods and his determination, they created several unique options that can be found at Pizzeria Halt. Not only are they plantbased with no animal products but they are nut

and dairy free and have gluten free options without any cross contamination. The staff and others have taste tested and approved many of their options and since opening in January 2020 they have quite a few customer favorites like the Chipotle Chicken pizza, Pepperoni Pizza, BBQ Chicken Pizza, the Hardy Boy, the Cowboy Pizza, and the Keto Hummus Pizza. “You will get the most unique pizza here and they are healthy,” said Priti. “You will not see these flavors anywhere else. The sauce on top is made fresh here. It is a garlic aioli sauce that is a homemade

You will get the most unique pizza here and they are healthy.

recipe that gives it zest and it looks good too.” Their signature pizza is the Chipotle Chicken Pizza that has a crust that is made fresh in house with

creamy chipotle sauce, plant-based cheese, and plant-based chicken that is topped with fresh Pico de Gallo, creamy chipotle drizzle, garlic aioli drizzle, and chopped cilantro. The Pepperoni Pizza has homemade marinara sauce, plant-based cheese and plant-based pepperoni. If you want to try house made BBQ sauce with freshly made crust, plantbased cheese, red onion, pineapple, and plantbased chicken the BBQ Chicken Pizza would be the choice for you. They also have Garlic Knots, Cinni-Bites, Hummus Bread Sticks, and Cheesy Pesto Bread Sticks with a homemade Pesto sauce that is nut free. Dr. Modi has had a plantbased diet since birth and with her family history of diabetes, hypertension and other things, having healthy food alternatives is extremely important to her. Through her practice she has also seen several people that are lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, nut, and food allergies and other dietary restrictions.

They are delighted to bring a healthy alternative to Modesto that has great flavor and several options for anyone with dietary restrictions of any kind. “He wanted to share his kitchen to allow others to enjoy it,” said Dr. Modi. “We assure you that you will not find such unique pizzas anywhere else. So, we say it is Pizzeria Halt. You must Halt/stop here to try our healthy, delicious plant-based pizzas, which are so unique.” They received the Small Business of the Year award in 2020 from the Modesto Chamber of Commerce for their innovation in pizza and a Green Certificate for their Eco Friendly practices and use of plant-based products. Their first franchisee in New Jersey had a soft opening and plan on having a Grand Opening on Valentine’s Day. They are open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and are closed on Sundays. Pizzeria Halt is located at 3440 McHenry Ave Ste D-10 in Modesto in the Marshall’s Shopping Center.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

FEBRUARY 2022

IN PROFILE

TIME MACHINES

Stockton arcade takes guests back to younger days BY PAWAN NAIDU 209 Business Journal

After more than 20 years living in San Francisco and serving his community as a member of the San Francisco Police Department, Mike Hutton decided to move to Stockton for the more affordable cost of living. After he got here, he decided to share his childhood passion with everyone and opened the Stockton Coin Operated Amusement Game Arcade just two months ago. Growing up he was a big fan of coin-operated games, but had to shelve playing so much after he joined the police force. “I wanted to get into the business a lot sooner, but you can’t really do anything else when you’re in the force,” said Hutton. “After I retired, I finally had the opportunity to get back to playing and I want to share it with other people.” While most people think of arcade games as being for children, most of Hutton’s demographic falls into the 20 years to 40 years old age range. “People want to come

I wanted to get into the business a lot sooner, but you can’t really do anything else when you’re in the force. here and play the games they did as kids,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting there to be a lot of older people like me that still wanted to play games. It’s really neat because they bring their kids as well, and get to relive their childhood with them.” The arcade has a mix of newer and older machines and Hutton plans on bringing in more. He gets most of the machines from Craigslist and has used Ebay before as well. His favorite is the Millipede game, which

he calls “a great stress release.” There also are classics like Mr. and Ms. Pac Man, and one of the most popular is the Jurassic World pinball game. “I took out the snack bar to make more room for games,” said Hutton. “There’s a lot more games to get and now I could fit in a lot more games.” The snack bar was a large part of the arcade when it first opened but Hutton thought giving people a better selection of games

would better utilize the space. He still sells snacks and refreshments that are kept in a smaller section of the arcade. The arcade is one of a kind in Stockton and it gives people another activity to participate in locally. “Moving here, I realized there aren’t a whole lot of things to do in Stockton,” said Hutton. “Hopefully opening up a place like this will give people something to do and take their kids.” Being open only for a few

months means Hutton is still attracting a customer base for the arcade. He hopes as the months go by and word gets out, more people will visit him and he will be able to expand with more games. The arcade is open daily from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at 802 E. Weber Ave. Hutton can be reached at (415) 585-7777 for more information. There is no fee for entry and all the machines take only a few quarters to play.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

IN PROFILE

Tip Top Farms celebrates grand opening BY ANGELINA MARTIN 209 Business Journal

Gustine’s first cannabis dispensary opened its doors to the public on Jan. 22, with both local and visiting customers lining up down the block in anticipation of the city’s first legal weed sale. Nearly 300 people made their way through the new business during the dispensary’s grand opening, with many traveling from surrounding cities like Merced, Atwater and even Modesto. Plenty of Gustine residents stopped by too, marking the end of a long wait, which first began several years ago. The City Council approved the cannabis microbusiness, which will grow and sell cannabis products on site, back in September 2019. The 1,000-square foot retail location was origiPHOTO CONTRIBUTED nally meant to open last Tip Top Farms, Gustine’s first dispensary, celebrated a ribbon cutting with city officials on Jan. 19 and its grand opening on Jan. 22. February, but the death of co-founder and partner revenues to the city in the that the journey to get anced,” he said. “I came Charles Lambert as well neighborhood of $500,000 there was well worth it — into this very afraid of the as other pandemic-related for the first full year, and in- and it’s only just begun. naysayers, but it’s been so hurdles pushed back the creasing in time to around “It’s really becoming fun.” launch. $700,000. prominent, especially here Tip Top Farms is located Today, Charles’ son Other benefits to the City in the Valley. There are a lot at 377 4th St. in Gustine. Brannan Lambert along include the creation of new of people who are convertThe dispensary is open with Robert Villalobos, jobs, Becerra said, though ing their mentality…There Andy Sanchez and Clarissa every day from 9 a.m. to 9 the business owners know are still issues with taxes, Becerra serve as partners p.m. Customers must be 21 they may not be accepted but we feel like it will get on the project, bringing by everyone. to a point where it’s bal- or older. a wealth of retail knowl“There are a lot of benedge to the industry. The efits to it, and I look at it dispensary prides itself from more of the more hoon low prices, as well as a listic side. So for someone knowledgeable staff that that has no idea and comes know the ins and outs of into like a taboo convermedicinal and recreational sation, I would definitely cannabis. show them the medical “We’ve received a lot side and all of the wonderof positive feedback, and ful aspects that help you,” we were really scared she said. about that since we’re the Despite some who may first one,” Sanchez said. not agree with recreational two years ago, the City of ment which City Manager cannabis, the demand on “There’s been nothing but Gustine and Tip Top Farms Doug Dunford then re- opening day for the dislove and respect.” Upon its approval over entered into an agree- ported would bring initial pensary showed Sanchez

We’ve received a lot of positive feedback, and we were really scared about that since we’re the first one. There’s been nothing but love and respect.

Featuring news, views and trends in the changing world of agri-business and West Side farmers that contribute so much to our economy.

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Wednesday, March 16th

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

FEBRUARY 2022

NEWS

New truck sales, service in the works BY JEFF BENZIGER 209 Business Journal

Heavy equipment is fast at work to build a new trucking center in Keyes, just east of Highway 99.

Both grading and construction permits have been issued by Stanislaus County to build a 39,715-square-foot building at 4618 Nunes Road for the Keyes Truck Center, a dealership of semi-trucks that also services them. Keyes Truck Center is presently operating in the industrial area of Ceres on Rockefeller Drive. Originally the 17-acre site between Nunes and Keyes roads and between Highway 99 and N. Golden State Boulevard, was rezoned from A-2-10 to P-D 55 in 2006 to allow for a proposed 50,000-square-foot Cherokee Plaza with a beauty college, restaurants and retail businesses but never developed. In 2015 Belkorp Ag LLC received approval to build a new John Deere dealership on the northern part of the site but later abandoned plans. The site was then acquired for the new Keyes Truck Center. The project, however, was downsized from Belkorp’s 57,000 square foot building. Another development to the south is expect-

JEFF BENZIGER/209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

Construction activity is occurring in Keyes on a new truck center. As work on the Keyes Truck Center moves along, another trucking company project is being planned just to the south.

ed. According to Angela Freitas of the Stanislaus County Planning and Community Development Department, an application has been filed by Sanghera Investments to develop the 5.23-acre site south of the Keyes Truck Center site to serve as a truck terminal that facilitates the fueling, parking, loading and unloading for company owned trucks and its drivers on a 5.23-acre parcel. The application is undergoing environmental re-

view and has yet to make its way to the county Planning Commission. The Sanghera request is for a rezoning from P-D 302 (Planned Development) and A-2-10 (General Agriculture) to a new P-D zone allows for H-1 (Highway Frontage) uses. It had to be completed before the company works on acquiring the site. The site would be primarily accessed from N. Golden State Boulevard. The Sanghera project will consist of four build-

ings, consisting of a: • 6,500-square-feet, two-story office, shop and driver amenities building; • Shop to be utilized for light truck maintenance, and for driver rest, shower and laundry facilities; • 6,000-square-feet administrative building for truck dispatching, reception, security office, conference room, and an employee restroom and breakroom; • 3,900-square-feet truck dock building and

a 94-square-feet security guard kiosk. The project proposes to contract with various agriculture producers and grocery stores for the transfer and delivery of goods throughout California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. There will be paved areas around the buildings and in the parking lot, but the remainder of the site, including the truck parking area, will be a gravel lot. The project proposes 13 employees during

a maximum shift and three employees during a minimum shift. Drivers reporting to the site arrive on an as-needed basis for refueling, or for the loading and offloading of product. However, no product will be stored onsite. Approximately five to seven drivers will be on site on any given day. It is estimated that there will be a maximum of 10 trucks and 10 trailers parked at the facility at any given time, however, the site will accommodate the parking of up to 60 trucks, which will be offsite making deliveries the majority of the time. The office and shop is proposed to operate weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. However, trucks will have access to the facility all the time. Besides the parking spaces for 60 trucks, the facility will have parking spaces for 51 drivers and 16 office employees. A reciprocal access agreement is proposed between the adjoining parcels to utilize a shared access. Included in the application are plans for a 74-space parking lot and a one-acre drainage basin south of the proposed building.

San Joaquin is 6th best county for investments BY DENNIS WYATT 209 Business Journal

San Joaquin County’s economic growth — judged by incoming investments — is the sixth strongest among California’s 58 counties. Financial technology firm Smart Asset analyzed growth domestic product, the number of new businesses established as well as new construction permits issued per 1,000 homes to determine the top 10 counties in California. Adjusted for inflation,

investments added $593 million to San Joaquin County’s gross domestic product. It is a direct result of a 6.7 percent growth in new businesses over the past three years as well as significant overall growth in housing and business park constriction. If reflects the fact in 2020 San Joaquin County had two cities in the over 30,000 population category — Tracy and Manteca — that tied for the third largest residential gain in California. Both cities grew 3.1 percent.

The state Department of Finance data had Manteca gaining 2,519 residents and Tracy 2,740 residents. Lathrop in 2020 was the fastest growing city of any size in the state with a population gain of 6.3 percent thanks to 1,697 new residents. Ripon was the sixth fastest growing city of any size in California with a population gain of 3.0 percent thanks to 480 new residents to reach 16,292. Housing growth alone doesn’t reflect a strong economy.

For that there needs to be strong gains in new businesses being established. That trend was noted by Manteca Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Joann Beattie last month. The chamber has seen a surge in membership due to business start-ups. Some are brick and mortar but many are home based as the pandemic accelerated the trend of people in the workforce opting to strike out on their own or else augment

income. The Smart Asset analysis catches the trends that are not as obvious as the huge rush by companies to site e-commerce centers as well as hybrid distribution centers for brick and mortar stores plus online sales. A number of the nation’s largest industrial developers of structures used for distribution centers and business parks are building square footage in Tracy, Lathrop, Manteca, and Stockton. The firms include Pro-

Logis, Panattoni Development Co., Catellus, CenterPoint, and KPRS that consistently rank in the Top 20 of industrial developers. They specialize in constructing various sizes of distribution centers — some in excess of 1 million square feet — they lease to concerns such as Amazon, Penske, Wayfair and others. Often the buildings are sold to investment concerns such as insurance companies for their portfolios.

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

OPINION

Vol. 7 No. 2 ■ February 2022 PUBLISHER Hank Vander Veen

EDITOR Sabra Stafford

NEWSROOM

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

Jeff Benziger Dale Butler Jason Campbell Kristina Hacker Teresa Hammond Angelina Martin Pawan Naidu Virginia Still Dennis Wyatt

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Harold L. George

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

—Socrates

Sharon Hoffman

SALES & MARKETING Chris Castro Beth Flanagan Karen Olsen Corey Rogers Melody Wann Charles Webber

DIGITAL Frankie Tovar Rich Matheson

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: sstafford@209magazine.com 209businessjournal.com The Oakdale Leader USPS No 178-680 Is published weekly by 209 Multimedia, 122 S. Third Ave. Oakdale, Ca 95361 ©Copyright 2022. 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.

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Valley Link: The little engine that could BY VERONICA VARGAS, PAUL AKINJO AND BERNICE KING-TINGLE

The classic children’s book, The Little Engine That Could, tells the story of a scrappy blue engine that courageously steps forward to save the day – pulling a stranded train over a steep mountain – motivated by anguish it sees in the eyes of its passengers. It’s a story that illustrates how empathy, determination, and sheer grit can help to defy insurmountable odds. It is perhaps not much unlike the story of Valley Link. Like the story in the book, there’s a steep mountain and a there’s a train – a train that can someday save the day for more than 100,000 anguished commuters who commute daily through the Altamont Pass/I-580 Corridor in their cars. Most spend an average of 90 minutes each way as they travel from affordable housing in San Joaquin County to prevailing wage jobs throughout the Bay Area and the majority of these jobs are in the construction, manufacturing, health care and social assistance employment sectors –

where remote work will never be an option. They need and deserve this project and the improved quality of life it will bring – and with empathy and sheer grit, the Valley Link governing Board is determined to give it to them. We now have a once in a generation opportunity to make Valley Link a reality with funds from the newly passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. To be eligible for these highly competitive funds, a combined NEPA Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for an Initial Operating Segment (IOS) will soon be initiated. This proposed IOS will extend the Valley Link project from the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station to the Mountain House Station and include the planned Operating Maintenance Facility (OMF) in Tracy. In addition, the EIS/SEIR will evaluate a new design element aimed at reducing travel time through the Altamont Pass as well as an alternate Mountain House Station site with a track extension to the OMF. Caltrans

and the SJCOG are currently evaluating a potential transitway in the I-205 median as part of its I-205 Managed Lanes project, however, consideration of an alignment beyond a Mountain House IOS is not within the scope of this current EIS. A future EIS, however, may need to include this potential I-205 transitway as a feasible alternative but no work is advancing on this segment at this time. The hallmark of the Valley Link project – in fact a mandate of the agency’s enabling legislation – is to be responsive to the communities it will someday serve. To that end, no decisions have or ever will be made without providing project stakeholders and the public with every opportunity possible to provide input that will be meaningfully received. The project’s Public Participation Plan outlines this commitment and it is posted on the Valley Link website. The website also serves as an accurate and current source of factual information about the project. We urge everyone to join us as we work to bring congestion

relief to thousands of commuters in the Altamont Pass/I-580 Corridor and improve the quality of life in our communities. For more information go to: www/valleylinkrail.com

About the Authors

Veronica Vargas is currently Chair of the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority, a position she has held since January 2021. She also currently serves as Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Tracy and has served on the Tracy City Council since 2014. Paul Akinjo is a Board Member of the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority, a position he has held the position since 2018. He has also served as Councilmember of the City of Lathrop since 2014. Bernice King-Tingle is a Board Member of the Board of Directors of the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority. King-Tingle serves as a Director of Mountain House Community Services Board of Directors, a position she has held since 2008.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

FEBRUARY 2022

NEWS

Amerine Systems recognized by Reinke with dealer award STAFF REPORTS 209 Business Journal

IMAGE CONTRIBUTED

An artistic depiction of what the front of the future River Islands High School breaking ground this year will look like upon completion.

RIVER ISLANDS GAME CHANGER A different approach to community commercial centers BY DENNIS WYATT 209 Business Journal

River Islands has changed the Northern San Joaquin Valley housing market. Now it is taking aim at a major makeover in the approach to commercial areas. River Islands has surpassed 3,000 home sales since the first contract was signed in 2017. The number includes 540 home sold in 2021. So far, more than 2,500 homes are occupied generating more than 8,200 residents on a reclaimed Delta island that a decade ago had just one household. And with approval — and the means — to build 15,001 housing units that would bring River Islands build-out population to the cusp of 50,000 people the planned community will not end up being a cookie cutter replica of development of the past 40 plus years in much of the Central Valley or even the Bay Area for that matter. It has all to do with an element of the planned community’s design that was envisioned long before today’s paradigm shift in the approach to shopping that started with the Amazon Effect and accelerated with the advent of the pandemic. Cambay Group, in designing the planned community more than 20 years ago, eschewed big box, medium box and small box retail as well as traditional strip centers. They also entered into a binding land use that prohibits truck-intense firms from locating in the planned employment center. “Big box retail wants to locate on freeways,” noted River Islands President Susan Dell’Osso. She has pointed out River Islands is close enough

to such traditional consumer draws located nearby across the San Joaquin River in the northern part of Lathrop, Manteca, and Tracy to serve residents. River Islands is deliberately targeting what might be called “recreational shopping” and those ventures that feed off such a concept. There are three town centers being pursued on the edges of River Islands. And while River Islands is working to snag smaller specialty grocery stores — think the genre of the store O’Brien’s has in Modesto on Dale Road – the goal is to populate the town centers with the types of stores and venues one would walk to after dining in a restaurant. And to make that happen, Cambay is clustering its planned 5,000 apartment units in the three town centers. That includes one town center on the edge of the employment center that will be designed as a transit village surrounding the Valley Link station. Valley Link rail service is targeting a 2028 startup to connect River Islands at Lathrop along with Tracy and Livermore to the BART station in Pleasanton/Dublin. The consumer base for the town centers are being augmented by the deliberate placement of recreation complexes. The main town center where the new Lathrop Police Department station is being built near the split of the Old River from the main San Joaquin River channel is also where the football field is being built that will be used by River Island High which is breaking ground this year. The high school campus will be more than a half

mile away. The football field will go next to the Islanders baseball park — that is among the largest in the region in terms of seating — as well as the lighted soccer complex. The idea is to create synergy between recreational pursuits and the town center. “There are already a number of out-of-town teams that play at River Islands,” Dell’Osso said. The recreation complexes are within easy walking distance of where restaurants and shops are planned. And when the River Islands High teams play football games — or soccer for they matter — fans could easily walk to nearby restaurants after the game. The more community centric football stadium is also expected to encourage its use for more community events such as car shows and festivals. The fact Cambay Group has decided to design, build, and retain ownership of all apartment complexes dovetails into its plans to create and foster vibrant town centers. Assuming the apartment numbers are split evenly between the three town centers they will provide a built-in immediate consumer base of between 3,000 and 3,500 people per town center in walking distance. That is on top of other River Islands residents within walking and bicycling range or a short driving distance. The ability of recreational sports and similar activities to lure people from off the island to the town centers completes repackage. That can’t be emphasized enough given that once the planned community is completed there

Reinke Manufacturing, a global leader in irrigation systems and technology, has recognized Amerine Systems in Oakdale with a Silver award in recognition of their success in the past year. “We are proud to honor the team at Amerine Systems with this award,” said Chris Roth, Reinke president. “They’ve dedicated themselves to supporting the growers in their area. We appreciate those efforts as Reinke continues to develop and implement irrigation equipment and technology designed to increase agriculture production.” Reinke dealerships from across the United States and Canada come together annually for the company’s sales convention to recognize select Reinke dealers for their hard work and commitment to serve growers. The Reinke Pride awards are determined as part of an incentive program that distinguishes suwill be an uninterrupted 18-mile trail looping River Islands that is accessible for anyone. Given the views it will offer of the rivers, wildlife areas, and even that of the community with its numerous manmade lakes it will likely be a magnet for walkers, runners, and bicyclists from throughout the area who could often end up patronizing restaurants and stores.

IMAGE CONTRIBUTED

An artistic depiction of what the front of the future River Islands High School breaking ground this year will look like upon completion.

perior achievement levels according to an evaluation based on a dealership’s exterior and interior housekeeping and maintenance, indoor and outdoor displays, safety, retail environment, merchandising, professionalism, promotions, event participation and market share. With hundreds of dealers in more than 40 countries, Reinke Manufacturing is the world’s largest privately held manufacturer of center pivot and lateral move irrigation systems. Family owned since 1954

and headquartered in Deshler, Nebraska, Reinke develops products and technology designed to increase agriculture production while providing labor savings and environmental efficiencies. Reinke is a continued leader in industry advancements as the first to incorporate GPS, satellite-based communications, and touchscreen panel capabilities into mechanized irrigation system management. For more information on Reinke or to locate a dealership, visit Reinke.com.

Working in River Island favor is Cambay’s commitment to constantly looking at things to see if they can be made better. One of many examples was a decision made to invest more money so that the trail looping the island would never require the need for users to contend with cross traffic. The issues of traffic versus recreational use popped up

as the first bridge — Bradshaw Crossing — was being built. The development team noted that it would mean four lanes of traffic ultimately would hinderusers of the trail. The decision was made to add bridges for the trail. Those bridges also do double duty as entrance features for the community.

keeping businesses connected™

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209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

NEWS

TAX TIME CLIFF ENNICO CREATORS SYNDICATE

As Mark Twain once observed, the only two things you can count on in life are death and taxes. The good news: If your small business was clobbered by the COVID pandemic and government shutdowns, you shouldn’t have to pay a lot in taxes for 2021. The bad news: Sometimes our income tax laws work in crazy ways. I’m indebted to my good friend John D’Aquila, a certified public accountant and head of D’Aquila and Company LLP in Jacksonville, Florida (www.daquilallp.com), for sharing some of his year-end tax tips with me and allowing me to share them with you.

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT

As COVID has continued to impact businesses, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 at the end of December 2020, and the American Rescue Plan Act this March. A major highlight of ARPA is a provision allowing businesses to fully deduct expenses paid with the proceeds of a forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loan, effectively overriding earlier guidance. The ARPA followed up by extending and modifying certain refundable payroll tax credits for both businesses and self-employed individuals, which are discussed in depth below. As a result of this latter change, the IRS has revised Form 941-X to allow businesses to correct COVID-related employment tax credits reported on Form 941 earlier in the year. Reviewing your payroll tax returns to ensure that your business took full advantage of these credits,

and filing any amended returns that may be necessary, “should be one of your top year-end tax planning priorities,” according to D’Aquila.

SECTION 179 EXPENSING AND DEPRECIATION DEDUCTIONS

Depending on what the income of your business looks like for 2021, there are two go-to deductions that generally take priority when trying to reduce income for tax purposes: the Section 179 deduction, where your business can elect to deduct the entire cost of certain property acquired and placed in service during the year, and the bonus depreciation deduction, where 100% of the cost of business property may be expensed. Under the Section 179 expensing option, your business can immediately expense the cost of up to $1,050,000 of “Section 179” property placed in service in 2021. This amount is reduced dollar for dollar (but not below zero) by the amount by which the cost of the Section 179 property placed in service during the year exceeds $2,620,000. The bonus depreciation rules apply unless the business specifically elects out of those rules. Electing out might be preferable when a business expects a tax loss for the year and the bonus depreciation would just increase that loss, or where it might be advantageous to push depreciation deductions into future years. For example, where the owner of a pass-thru entity to whom these deductions would flow expects to be in a higher tax bracket in future years, such deductions might be of more use in those future years. If applying both the Section 179 deduction and the bonus depreciation deduction to an asset, the Section 179 deduction applies first. If you are in the market for a vehicle, the purchase of a sport utility vehicle weighing more than 6,000

pounds can trigger a bigger deduction than if a smaller vehicle is purchased. This is because vehicles that weigh 6,000 pounds or less are considered listed property, and the related firstyear deduction is limited to $18,200 for cars, trucks and vans acquired and placed in service in 2021. For vehicles weighing more than 6,000 pounds, however, up to $26,200 of the cost of the vehicle can be immediately expensed. If you leased a passenger automobile in 2021 with a value of more than $51,000, the deduction available for that lease expense is reduced. In such cases, the lessee must include in gross income an amount determined by a formula the IRS issues each year.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT BUILDING DEDUCTION

If your business made any energy-efficient improvements to a building during 2021, such as installing property that is part of 1) an interior lighting system, 2) heating, cooling, ventilation and hot water systems or 3) the building envelope, an energy-efficient building deduction, which was made permanent in the CAA, may be available. The rules are pretty complicated, though, so talk to your accountant or tax professional about this.

MANIPULATING DEDUCTIONS AND INCOME

When it comes to yearend tax planning, two rules never change: You should try to 1) accelerate as many deductions as possible to December 2021 and 2) postpone as much income as possible to January 2022. If you know you will owe someone money early next year, ask them to submit their invoices now so you can mail payment before year-end. Better yet, if it’s a scheduled monthly payment, ask if it’s possible to pay the entire year in advance; they may even give you a discount for doing that. Wait until Jan. 1 to

mail out your invoices, unless a client (having read this column) asks you to send it now, in which case you probably should do that in the interest of good customer service.

she can reap a tax deduction for funds contributed to the HSA. Because there is no use-it-or-lose-it policy, the funds can grow tax free and be used in retirement.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

PAYROLL TAX CREDITS

The employment landscape has changed significantly since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Many businesses are facing worker shortages and are reevaluating what it will take to get employees in the door. If your business is not already doing so, it may reap substantial tax benefits, as well as nontax benefits, by offering a retirement plan and/or other fringe benefits to employees. Businesses that offer such benefits have a better chance of attracting and retaining talented workers, which, in turn, reduces the costs of searching for and training new employees. Contributions made to retirement plans on behalf of employees are deductible, and your business may be eligible for a tax credit for setting up a qualified plan. In addition, as a business owner you, and your spouse, can take advantage of a retirement plan yourselves. By adding your spouse as an employee and paying a salary up to the maximum amount that can be deferred into a retirement plan, you could realize significant tax savings. Because health insurance is a much-sought-after employee benefit, you might consider setting up a high deductible health plan paired with a health savings account. The benefits to your business would include savings on health insurance premiums that would otherwise be paid to traditional health insurance companies and having employee wage contributions to the plan not being counted as wages. Thus, neither your business nor the employee would be subject to FICA taxes on the payroll contributions. As for the employee, he or

Refundable payroll tax credits are available for businesses with under 500 employers that offered paid sick or family leave through Sept. 30, 2021 (i.e., qualified leave wages) to employees who took leave due to COVID-19. The payroll tax credits are also available to self-employed individuals, who will recoup these credits by filing Form 1040 or Form 7202, “Credits for Sick Leave and Family Leave for Certain Self-Employed Individuals.”

EMPLOYEE RETENTION TAX CREDIT

Your business may be eligible for an employee retention tax credit if your business either 1) had their operations fully or partially suspended under government orders in 2021 or 2) experienced a decline in gross receipts for a quarter in 2021 of 20% or more compared to the same quarter in 2019 (i.e., a “significant decline in gross receipts”). However, if the business did not exist as of the beginning of the same calendar quarter in calendar year 2019, then the same calendar quarter in 2020 is used. The ERTC generally equals 70% of the first $10,000 in wages, including certain health plan expenses, per employee in each quarter of 2021. For the third and fourth quarters of 2021, the credit amount is increased to $50,000 per quarter if the business is a “recovery startup business.” A recovery startup business is any business that 1) began carrying on any trade or business after Feb. 15, 2020, 2) for which the average annual gross receipts for the three-tax year period ending with the tax year that precedes such quarter does not exceed

$1,000,000 and 3) with respect to such quarter, the operation of the trade or business is not subject to a government-ordered suspension or a significant decline in gross receipts. It’s worth noting that the infrastructure bill passed by the Senate would terminate the ERTC as of Sept. 30, 2021. That provision does not affect a recovery startup business, and its unknown whether this provision will survive in a final bill.

QUALIFIED BUSINESS INCOME DEDUCTION

If you are conducting your business as a sole proprietorship, a partner in a partnership, a member in an LLC taxed as a partnership or as a shareholder in an S corporation, the qualified business income deduction under Code Section 199A can significantly help reduce taxable income. The QBI deduction allows eligible taxpayers to deduct up to 20% of their QBI, plus 20% of qualified real estate investment trust dividends and qualified publicly traded partnership income. A W-2 wage limitation amount may apply to limit the amount of the deduction if your taxable income that exceeds a specific threshold amount. For any tax year beginning in 2021, the threshold amount is $329,800 for married filing joint returns, $164,925 for married filing separately and $164,900 for all other returns.

IMPACT OF FUTURE TAX LEGISLATION

Who knows? Presently, Congress is engaged in negotiations on a huge tax and spending bill that will likely result in significant tax changes affecting businesses, beginning next year. As events unfold, this column will try, as always, to stay on top of them. Best wishes to all my readers for a happy, safe and successful 2022!

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

FEBRUARY 2022

NEWS

You might want to keep your business remote One of the most likely ramifications of the pandemic are that some current companies are going to maintain remote operations and new companies are going to operate remotely as well. Advances in technology have allowed us to forgo the typical, expensive, brick-and-mortar office in exchange for a virtual office you manage from the comfort of your own home. The benefits of running a remote company are endless. Not only are you saving money on rent and utilities, but you’re getting rid of the dreaded daily commute for your employees and you can hire employees from around the world, which lets you choose the best talent for your company. But you can’t just log on to your computer, send a couple of emails to your remote hires and expect for business to be smooth sailing from there. There are several aspects you have to consider when building a remote company that you never had to think about while running a traditional office. So how do you create a remote company that runs like clockwork?

1. USE THE RIGHT TOOLS

PHOTO BY GEORGE MILTON FROM PEXELS

WATER

FROM PAGE 1 The projects focus on how much, when and where water should be used on almond trees. New remote sensing technology can quantify how much water almond need in real time. They function as Fitbits for trees. As such they are able to tell growers precisely when they need to irrigate to optimize tree yields, maximize tree health and

minimize water use. As such it also reduces costs given water — whether it is obtained from an irrigation district or pumped form the ground using expensive PG&E electricity — has a major negative impact on a farm’s bottom line. On the flip side, there are now concerns that the shift from flood irrigation and even sprinkler irrigation to precise drip irrigation may have a significant impact on the ability to recharge aquifers that other farms, rural residents, and even cities depend on.

Your employees are going to require access to all the important files they need to complete their tasks efficiently and in a remote setting,

It is why there are studies being done to see whether deliberately flooding orchards with excess storm runoff during the rainy season can effectively replenish groundwater without hurting the health of trees or negatively impacting yields. Where the water is placed in proximity to roots is also part of the equation of reducing water use. The drive to reduce water consumption for every almond grown is part of an overall sustainability effort that in the long haul also

PAWAN NAIDU 209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

they’ll need to access those files from their laptops or home computers. There are several software tools you’ll need to implement to have a successful remote company. Some great ones, like Trello, include remote conferencing software that allows you to hold company meetings, perform webinars or conduct remote interviews. Project management tools let you assign specific tasks with due dates for individual workers and create workspaces for different teams where you can assign group projects. Your remote workers will be able to easily see what they need to get done in an organized way. Another important tool you will want is a password manager that encrypts and stores your passwords online. If you use shared logins at your company, this tool generates secure passwords that will be automatically entered into login fields when your employee needs access.

2. DETERMINE YOUR COMMUNICATION PLAN One of the biggest factors you’ll be missing from a traditional office setting is the ability to

helps reduce grower costs. Other efforts include orchard recycling where entire trees at the end of their productive lives are grounded up and incorporated into the soil, sugar and antioxidant extraction from almond shells for use in nutraceutical bars and dietary supplements, and shells being added to postconsumer recycled plastics for strength, heat stability and color. Research also focuses on food values of almonds. An eight-week study of 73 college students at the

talk in-person to employees. That’s why you need to put a communication plan in place. It’s inconvenient to Zoom someone to ask a simple question and email doesn’t quite do the trick either, which is where messaging tools, like Slack, come in. These tools offer a seamless way for your company to stay organized and communicate with each other wherever they are in the world.

3. FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO CONNECT Creating connections with employees and a culture for your remote company can be difficult without face-toface interaction, but it’s not impossible. Make the vision for the company very clear, and post it in an easily accessible place where remote workers can access it and be reminded of what bonds them together. You can also run polls or hold fun, interactive challenges for your remote workers to participate in, like a non-competitive fitness challenge they can track in a shared document. And if you have the means, getting everyone together once in a while for a get together allows strong bonds to form between all of your remote staff.

4. SET CLEAR GOALS Setting firm goals for

University of California at Merced demonstrates that incorporating almond snacks into the daily diets of those that tend to skip breakfasts resulted in a smaller decline in good cholesterol levels and resulted in lower insulin resistance. The consumption of almonds was compared with eating crackers. Of the 16 primary California counties that grow almonds San Joaquin County ranks sixth behind Fresno in the No. 1 spot followed by Kern, Stanislaus, Madera, and Merced.

each of your remote employees helps everyone stay on track. Determine what your expectations are for each role, when deadlines should be met, weekly to-do lists and how you expect everyone to perform. One great way to quantify your goals is to use Google Analytics goal feature to track your online performance. This can increase company productivity and reduce the chances of team members falling behind in meeting their personal and company goals. Be as detailed as possible with your expectations and goals, and post them where they can be easily accessed by any member of your team. Although there are bound to be some hiccups and disruptions along the way, having set clear expectations keeps everyone accountable. In the past, running an entire company from your home seemed impossible, but it’s quite the opposite today. There is so much new technology that allows you to create your own remote empire with only a little money to start and without ever having to sacrifice any aspect of your business. Follow these tips for building a successful remote company, and your business is bound to work like a well-oiled machine

Stanislaus had 217,646 acres planted in almonds in 2020 that produced a crop valued at $3.476 billion. San Joaquin had 104,400 acres planted to produce $649 million with of almonds. There are 7,600 almond farms in California with 90 percent of them family owned. Many are owned by third and fourth generation farmers. Almost 70 percent of California’s almond farms consist of 100 acres or less.

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

ACCOLADES

PROMOTIONS, APPOINTMENTS, HONORS, ETC. Doctors Hospital of Manteca nurse retiring after nearly 35 years of service

A longtime registered nurse at Doctors Hospital of Manteca is retiring after nearly 35 years at the hospital. Deborah Raddatz started working at Doctors Hospital of Manteca in September 1987 and will retire at the end of February. Deborah has been a Labor & Delivery nurse for more than 20 years, but she has worn many hats at the hospital including working in supervision and education roles. Raddatz says when she and her husband moved to the area, they had only planned Deborah Raddatz to stay for a couple years. But they fell in love with the community and decided to stay long-term. “When my children were growing up, I wanted them to appreciate all cultures, and this was the perfect place to do that,” Raddatz said. Raddatz, who has delivered hundreds of babies, says she will miss the “sisterhood” of the women she works with the most. “Because this is a community hospital, this is like my second family,” Deborah said. In retirement, Raddatz is looking forward to tackling her to-do list, spending time with friends and family, relaxing and no alarm clocks. “I have been so blessed to have had the opportunity to work my entire 23 years at Doctors Hospital of Manteca with Deborah Raddatz,” said Kerry Washington, Shift Manager, Perinatal Services. “She has been a preceptor, mentor and friend who is more like family to me. The rapport and relationships that she develops on a daily basis is incomparable to any. She provides the most nurturing care to her patients that I have ever seen. I will forever miss her making sure that our department is always beautifully decorated according to the season or holiday. What will stand out in my heart the most about Deborah is her passion and commitment for teaching and assisting new mothers about breastfeeding in her role as a Lactation Consultant. I will never forget the time that Deb cried tears of joy when she was able to change the mind of a desperate and discouraged new mom that was ready to quit breastfeeding her baby because she was struggling so much. We will miss Deborah so much but are so happy to celebrate this new chapter of her life.”

Emanuel Medical Center names Preston Clark Chief Strategy Officer Emanuel Medical Center has appointed Preston Clark as its new Chief Strategy Officer, effective Feb. 1. As Chief Strategy Officer, Preston will focus on the growth and development of Emanuel Medical Center’s network of services to ensure the hospital is meeting the needs of the community and providing convenient access to high-quality care close to home. “Preston will be a wonderful addition to our executive team here at Emanuel. He brings with him excellent experience in healthcare strategy,” said Murali N. Naidu, M.D., CEO of Emanuel Medical Center.

“Preston is dedicated to enhancing and expanding the services we provide for the residents of Turlock and surrounding communities.” Preston joins Emanuel from our sister hospital in Manteca, Doctors Hospital of Manteca, where he has served as Chief Strategy Officer since 2019. He was instrumental in identifying gaps in care for South San Joaquin County and developing service lines in collaboration with physician, nursing and administrative leaders. Preston has been with Tenet Healthcare since 2015. Prior to his role in Manteca, he served as the Director of Strategy at The Hospitals of Providence Memorial Campus in El Paso, Texas. Before his strategy role, he served as Director of Regional Outreach and Administrative Resident for The Hospitals of Providence. Preston earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Management and Youth Leadership with a Minor in Business Management from Brigham Young University in Preston Clark Provo, Utah. He earned his Master of Science degree in Healthcare Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Preston is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Merced County Fair hires Livestock Superintendent

The Merced County Fair has hired Dawn Stornetta as the new Livestock Superintendent. Stornetta has a longstanding history in agriculture growing up on a fifth generation farm in Sebastopol, where her family raised sheep and cattle. She showed 4-H and FFA and went on to compete nationally on a livestock judging team. She began her career as a high school ag teacher and now manages livestock shows throughout the Western United States. “We are so excited to welcome Dawn Stornetta to our Merced County Fair Livestock team,” said Teresa Burrola, CEO of the Merced County Fair. “Her passion for agriculture is evident in every aspect of Dawn Stornetta her life, and we know she will bring that passion, coupled with her experience to our fair, making our show and sales run even smoother, and helping our livestock kids succeed.” Growing up in Sebastopol on her family’s farm, agriculture was always at the center of her life. She grew up showing sheep and cattle in 4-H and FFA at the Sonoma County Fair, then went on to join the Santa Rosa Jr. College livestock judging team who competed nationally under the direction of Jim Porter, then later transferred to California State University, Fresno where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education and continued with her livestock judging under John Cordeiro. It was at Fresno State that Stornetta began to get involved in management of livestock shows and she has continued ever since; even as she taught at El Molino

High School, Chowchilla High School and Santa Rosa High School. Stornetta will always call California home, but in 2017 the devastating California wildfires destroyed her property in Santa Rosa and her family made the decision to relocate to Leitchfield, Kentucky. That’s when she retired from teaching and began to focus one hundred percent of her time on managing livestock shows. Some of the shows she currently oversees are Kern County Fair, Napa Valley Expo, Pacific Coast Livestock Shows, Holiday Classic Livestock Show and now, the Merced County Fair. “I am thrilled to be working with the Merced County Fair and I am eager to work with all the wonderful exhibitors, leaders and advisors in the area,” said Stornetta. “While at Fresno State, I completed my student teaching at LeGrand High School and was able to see first hand the incredible agriculture programs in the area and I can’t wait to work with each of them once again. Showing livestock truly teaches these kids lifelong skills that will mold them forever – and I am honored to be a small part of this experience, making the livestock show and sales run as smoothly as possible, creating a great experience for all.” When Stornetta is not on the road traveling for work, she is at home in Kentucky attending shows and raising sheep with her daughter. Her daughter earned Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb at the 2020 Kentucky State Fair her first year showing. Her love for agriculture not only spills into work but into time spent with family.

Valley Link Executive Director Michael Tree ready to pass the baton

Michael Tree, Executive Director of the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority, has announced that he will be passing the agency’s leadership baton to Deputy Executive Director/Program Manager Kevin Sheridan at the end of February 2022. His leadership on the Valley Link project spans nearly five years, three at the helm as the agency’s first Executive Director when it was established in January of 2019 and two years prior to that on initiatives which led to the agency’s formation. “Michael recognizes the very urgent need for this project and has been its tireless advocate since even before day one,” said Authority Board Chair Veronica Vargas. “He has been instrumental in establishing the Authority and bringing it to a point where it is now equipped to meet its mission to deliver the Valley Link rail project. I also give him credit for identiMichael Tree fying a successor who can move the project into its next phase and get construction underway,” she continued. As Executive Director of the Rail Authority, Tree’s efforts included overseeing the completion of the legislatively mandated Project Feasibility Report, which identified project features including alignment, stations and the system’s operating characteristics. During his tenure, the project also cleared critical milestones with completion of the project Environmental

Impact Report and preliminary engineering. He also worked doggedly to assemble more than half of funding needed to advance an initial segment of the project. Said Authority Vice-Chair Melissa Hernandez, “I am so grateful for Michael’s leadership on our project and amazed that he was able to accomplish so much, while also holding a dual role of Executive Director for the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority. He has been highly successful in both roles. Handling either alone in itself would be no small feat. We certainly owe him a great debt of gratitude.” “It’s been quite a ride,” said Tree as he addressed the Board following discussions regarding his announcement. “I have a passion for this project and will continue to be its biggest advocate as it moves forward. I am very proud of all that we have accomplished so far.”

Community Hospice Foundation announces appointments to Board of Directors Community Hospice Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness to support the patients and families of Community Hospice, announces the appointment of two community leaders to its Board of Directors. Joining the Community Hospice Foundation Board for an initial three-year term is Steven Pinedo of Pinedo Financial Services and Mitchell Kudler of Audi Modesto. Steven Pinedo has been helping people improve their financial needs for twentyone years. He specializes in growing budgetary foundations for investors looking to build financial security. His passion is to share his resources with people who want to transform their money problems into money matters. Steven is originally from Turlock and has his professional office in Modesto. Mitchell Kudler has a passion for helping those in the community. With a comprehensive background of more than 35 years in the automotive industry, Kudler Steven Pinedo serves as the General Manager for Audi Modesto. Kudler has spent the past three years in Modesto learning and collaborating with the community building partnerMitchell Kudler ships with many businesses and assisting charities like Community Hospice with Golf Tournaments and special events. “We are thrilled to have Steven and Mitchell join our Community Hospice Foundation and our outstanding board of volunteer leaders to lend their expertise in moving us forward,” said Francine Foley, Community Hospice Foundation Executive Director. “We are thankful they have chosen Community Hospice Foundation as their non-profit to share their time and talents.”

209 BUSINESS JOURNAL

WATER

AIR

WILDLIFE

SOIL + SEDIMENTS

A successful partnership tomorrow depends on what we do today. WELCOME TO THE PORT OF TOMORROW. As the fourth busiest Port in the state, we want to keep busy connecting with you, our community. To do that, we conduct public boat tours so residents can learn about the Port’s past, present, and future. We visit classrooms so students can learn about everything from our wildlife programs to our shipping activities. We participate in the Rotary Read-In program to help broaden childhood literacy. And we hold coastal clean-up days so interested locals can help us keep our shores pristine, for our i children and theirs.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

SUSTAINABILITY

FEBRUARY 2022