Category: Central Valley

The Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) predicted last Spring that this Fall’s chinook salmon run on the Sacramento would be expected to yield 455,800 adult salmon coming back up the river to spawn. Although it is too early to tell if that will be accurate, Department of Fish & Game scientist Mike Brown is optimistic. ”It looks like we will have at least double the number coming up the river over last year.”
Brown looks at the “effort” exerted by anglers to catch  the prized as one measure that DFG watch. The river is crawling with fishermen. “It sure is looking like a strong run” although we will have to wait through October and early November to get a final reading.

Best since 2005
This week the PFMC said almost 300,000 salmon have been caught off the coast this 2012 season by both sport and commercial fishermen   through August 31. On the commercial side. they estimate about 173,000 chinook landings compared to 67,675 in 2011 and just 15,088 in 2010.The two previous seasons were canceled due to low population and fear of a virtual collapse of the fishery. Some predicted an extinction putting the blame on water pumps that sent Sacramento river water south.
Overall the PFMC has predicted the ocean abundance at at 2.5 million salmon  in 2012 including 880,000 from the Sacramento  – the largest  forecast since 2005.
The rebound in the numbers of the iconic fish now has many disparate viewpoints patting themselves on the back, hailing their favored factors although scientists say ocean conditions are the biggest factor says Brown.”These fish populations are cyclical” although no doubt adequate river water releases, good management and restoration of fish habitat all play a part. Unlike some banner years it was a low rainfall year this past winter.Farmers are thankful. For once, it’s not the fishermen and environmentalists pointing at ag as the reason for low fish returns.
Likely most importantly – a strongly negative PDO (climate factor) for all of 20011 and all of 2012 has helped sustain growing salmon in the ocean with cold temps, strong upwelling and adequate food.
Fisherman this season have had high praise  (“they are jumping right into the boat”,says one headline). Roger Thomas, president of the Golden Gate Fishermen’s Association, a group that includes roughly 50 Bay Area charter boats told one media outlet “We had sensational fishing the latter part of June, all of July and into August,” said Thomas, captain of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito. His customers have been averaging about one fish a person per trip.

If there is good news off the California coast,not so in Alaska this summer.
Acting U.S. Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank this month declared a commercial fishery failure on Alaska’s Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers and in the Cook Inlet due to low Chinook salmon returns during the 2012 fishing season and previous years.
The disaster declaration makes it possible for Congress to appropriate money toward alleviating the financial hardship to fishermen caused by the fishery disaster. If money is appropriated, NOAA will work closely with Congress and the state of Alaska to develop plans to assist coastal communities.
“Some Cook Inlet salmon fisheries have experienced revenue losses of up to 90 percent of their historical average during the 2012 season, seriously hurting local economies that are dependent on fishing,” said Acting Secretary Blank.

Sacramento, CA — In a major step forward for California High-Speed Rail, the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a Record of Decision that approved the alignment from Merced to Fresno, allowing construction to begin next year. The Merced to Fresno section is the first of several key project sections that make up the back bone of a high-speed rail system that will ultimately connect millions of Central Valley residents to San Francisco and Los Angeles in less than 2 hours.
“Today is a significant move forward for California’s high-speed rail system,” said Dan Richard, Chair of the Authority’s Board of Directors. “Governor Brown’s leadership brought major improvements to the plans, management and delivery of high-speed rail and has in large part made this day possible. The Authority is committed to a close partnership with the public in the building of high-speed rail. Currently we are gathering public comment on our environmental documents for the Fresno to Bakersfield section and we look forward to again delivering an alignment that is the best for the communities along the route as well as for all Californians.”
Approved by California voters, high-speed rail has the strong bi-partisan support of the Mayors of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and Fresno as well as major business, labor and environmental leaders. California High-Speed Rail is a statewide rail modernization plan which not only delivers high-speed rail but also invests billions of dollars in improvements to local and regional rail lines. These investments in local rail projects will improve connectivity across the state for rail systems that provide over 950 million trips per year.
“No economy can grow faster than its transportation network can carry it,” Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo said. “The Record of Decision clears the way for California to begin construction on the first segment of its high-speed rail project. Over the next several years, this project will put thousands of Californians to work and provide the state with the transportation capacity and connectivity needed for long-term economic expansion.”
“The Federal Railroad Administration’s action is both an historic step forward for the high-speed rail project and great news for local businesses and workers,” Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin said. “The start of the Fresno to Merced segment will provide a much-needed economic boost for our area through the high-paying construction jobs that will be created. Over the long term, building high-speed rail is essential to creating jobs in the San Joaquin Valley and connecting us economically to the state’s other population centers.”
“I applaud the Federal Railroad Administration on this bold, courageous, historic decision that will propel America forward,” said Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea. “Not only will it provide an incredible new form of transportation but it will also put our residents back to work, this is the game changer we have all been waiting for.”
“With the Federal Record of Decision, we are now poised to move forward and break ground next year,” said Jeff Morales, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. “This is now a statewide rail modernization plan which will not only deliver high-speed rail but also will invest billions of dollars of improvements to local and regional rail systems around the state immediately. These improvements will provide countless benefits to commuters and travelers in the near-term, while paving the way for high-speed rail in the future.”
The FRA approved the “Hybrid Alternative” which was selected by the Authority’s Board of Directors in December. The Board’s decision came following extensive outreach and robust public comment. The Board carefully considered the public’s input choosing an alternative that maximized the public benefits while minimizing impacts.
The “Hybrid Alternative:”
 Minimizes the need to acquire property.
 Requires the shortest length of elevated track.
 Is the least expensive to build.
 Entails the fewest potential noise impacts.
 Minimizes the impacts on parks and other public space.
To access the FRA’s Record of Decision:
http://www.fra.dot.gov/rpd/freight/fp_California_HST_%20Merced_to_Fresno.shtml

Sequoia Energy Services (SES), a local energy efficiency company, has launched a new solar energy division.
Sequoia Energy Services provides energy efficient upgrades and solar energy services for residential and commercial customers.  They perform a comprehensive energy assessment and design a customized energy plan based on the needs of your home or business.  Services available include air conditioning, energy efficient windows, duct tightening, air leak sealing, solar energy systems, and more.
A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Wednesday, September 19, at 10:00 am and an open house will follow.  All guests who provide their name to Sequoia Energy Services will be eligible for $500 off the purchase of a solar energy system.
“We are very excited to launch our new solar energy division,” said Steve Earl, President/CEO of Sequoia Energy Services.  “What sets us apart is our comprehensive approach to energy efficiency.  We will evaluate your home or business and then recommend upgrades and solar based specifically on your needs.”
Sequoia Energy Services is a for-profit subsidiary of Community Services Employment Training (CSET), Tulare County’s Community Action Agency.  For more information, call (559) 636-6453 or visit www.MyEnergyUpgrades.com.
Plans for 28 Unit Pixley Village: The Corporation for Better Housing plans to build a 28 unit single family housing complex in Pixley called Pixley Village. The Corporation is applying to USDA for partial financing of the project that will sit on 7.3 acres in midtown.
Shannon Village Market, a $5 million retail complex on Riggin at Mooney in North Visalia will open February 1 2013 says owner Eric Shannon. The retail center will have a sit-down Mexican restaurant, a convenience store, car wash and Valero gas station totaling 8500sf.The center would service the additional traffic using Riggin as a major roadway on the city’s north side now that Rigging will connect to Hwy 99 at Betty Drive on a 4 lane expressway.”We have more people using Riggin with the sports park,the new elementary school and the connection with the industrial park.” says Shannon.
Chuck E Cheese in Visalia is getting a 2500sf addition as well as a remodel to the tune of approximately $740,000.
Farmersville will get a Roundabout at 198 offramp according to a plan filed with TCAG this month.The highway project would be funded under a federal grant program which will save local Measure R monies.
Family Healthcare Network will open a new clinic at Terra Bella elementary school  in early 2013 say FHCN’s CEO Harry Foster. The move is made possible with the relocation of the modular clinic building from Goshen says Foster. now that the new permanent Goshen clinic is opening October 26.The new Goshen clinic is similar in layout to the new FHCN clinic in Woodlake and features 18 exam rooms and 9 dental rooms.
Tulare will get a new Tulare Community Health Clinic located on the southeast corner of Bardsley and Morrison.The 4200sf medical facility would the non profit group’s second location in Tulare.The clinic sees more than 90,000 visitors a year – up from 18.000 when they opened in 1998.

Farm Credit West is pleased to announce they will host a Ground Break Ceremony for the new regional office facility to be constructed in Tulare at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 20.  The ceremony will be conducted at the building site-the Northeast corner of Cartmill Avenue and M Street, Tulare.

During the ceremony, Farm Credit West CEO Mark Littlefield, City of Tulare Vice Mayor Skip Barwick and City Manager Don Dorman will make a few comments and then man the gold plated shovels to officially begin the construction phase of this 22,500 square foot building.

The building is scheduled for completion on or around September 1, 2013 will house approximately 50 Farm Credit West employees currently working in the Visalia and Tulare offices, as well as administrative staff currently working in Visalia.  In addition, the building will serve as a regional training and meeting center for Farm Credit West.

Farm Credit West is a lending institution of the Farm Credit System.  Other Farm Credit West offices in addition to Tulare and Visalia are located in Carpenteria, Dinuba, Hanford, Bakersfield, Templeton, Ventura, Woodland, Yuba City and the corporate headquarters are in Roseville, California.  The Farm Credit System is a nationwide network of borrower-owned lending institutions and specialized service organizations created by Congress in 1916.  The System provides loans, leases, and related services to farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, agribusinesses and agricultural and rural utility cooperatives nationwide.

A General Growth-owned mall in Bakersfield – Valley Plaza Mall – will be getting an Apple Store this fall but don’t look for one soon in Visalia. That is the assessment of Visalia Mall general manager Richard Feder who says an Apple site team also came through town recently to look at the Visalia Mall owned by General Growth as well, but said Visalia was not yet ready for a store. We’re too close to the larger metro areas (Fresno-Bakersfield) that will now both have Apple Stores.Too bad for Visalia and the mall as one of these popular outlets can boost mall traffic by 12%.

Feder says business is way up at the Visalia Mall from the past few years.”We’re back to pre-recession sales numbers.”The mall now sports a Forever 21 store and a new Yogurtland store is opening.The big news this week is that G by Guess will open in a 4500sf space across from Lens Crafter with clothing for young men and women. Although there is concern on Wall Street over the future of JC Penny, Feder says new marketing is in place with the remodeling of the Visalia store into distinct sections and featuring more brands.

A tastier California navel orange will hit the market this season, thanks to seven years of
consumer research that has resulted in the all‐new California StandardTM. The California StandardTM is the new standard by which all California navels will be measured, in an effort to ensure a better navel orange eating experience and better sales  results. Previously, California navels were required to meet a ratio measurement, which the industry has now shown to be an ineffective predictor of eating quality.

The new California StandardTM instead measures the balance between brix (sweetness) and acidity, which is a superior indicator of sweetness and taste. Through field testing, it is anticipated that The California StandardTM will significantly improve eating quality and sales, without impacting availability.
“We realized that we needed to strengthen our position in the marketplace and pay as much attention to the inside of the fruit as we have to the outside,” noted Joel Nelsen, president of California Citrus Mutual. “We, as an industry, took it upon ourselves to do the research, and find a solution that will benefit the grower and the consumer. The  California StandardTM is that solution.” The California StandardTM is the result of consumer research conducted by California Citrus Mutual, the California Citrus Research Board, the University of California and USDA/Agricultural Research Service. The taste studies concluded that Brix minus Acid is a better predictor of flavor than the previous sugar‐to‐acid ratios. The new Standard was recommended by the California Citrus Mutual, supported by the citrus industry and ultimately adopted into regulation by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
For California Citrus Mutual board chairman Tom Wollenman, The California StandardTM means that “consumers will receive a product early in the season that has a higher level of flavor acceptability. A better indicator of good flavor is the essence of the Standard.”
Consumer‐based research documented several key points that led to the  development and adoption of The California StandardTM.
• Competition in the produce aisle has increased and fresh orange consumption has dropped
• Early season navels tend to have low customer satisfaction • A positive eating experience would cause 65% of consumers to eat more navelsTM
• The California Standard replaces 35% of less‐tasty fruit with fruit that meets onsumer expectations
• The California StandardTM exhibits a 90%+ accuracy in determining purchase intent. “With The California StandardTM we can deliver good fruit at the first delivery, to shorten he repurchase cycle and improve sales,” Nelsen concluded. “It’s all about better fruit at the right time.”

Cheese Plant Expected To Announce Decision

An international cheese company is expected to announce a decision of where they will build a new 220 job cheese plant with two of the finalists said to be in the Central Valley and a location in Eastern New Mexico also in the running. The company’s consultants who first surfaced here in March have told local officials the two nearby locations are the City of Sanger and the City of Tulare.”We’ve heard we are one of the finalists” confirms Sanger economic development manager Dan Spears. Locals have been told the unnamed manufacturer would make a decision after September 1. While the cost of milk in California may be less than in New Mexico,attractive to a processor – the cost of doing business here is higher. We still have but  the advantage of the largest milk supply, a cluster of supply firms and proximity to export markets. Tulare County is the US’s number one dairy county.New Mexico’s drought conditions have been worse this past year than California but the state’s fast growing dairy industry enjoys a shipping advantage to send product to the East Coast.

Expansion of Enterprise Zone Awaits State OK

Tulare County has applied to the state early in August to expand the designated state Enterprise Zone about 10% or 5,084 acres (4,457.80 industrial, 626.28 commercial) and includes properties in the Cities of Exeter, Lindsay, Porterville, Tulare, Visalia and the unincorporated communities/areas of Cutler, Dinuba (area), Earlimart, North Delano, Exeter (area), Farmersville (area), Goshen, Pixley, Tipton, Richgrove, Terra Bella, Traver and Tulare (area) says Tulare County EDC chief Paul Saldana.
“The EDC, as the Enterprise Zone Administrator, coordinated the expansion application with all of the incorporated cities and the County, which are all required to approve the expansion and all have.”
State officials say they typically turn around an application in about 30 days meaning a decision should be coming soon.
Tulare County economic development official Mike Washam says several ag-related companies have advised him they want to expand or build new if the designation on the additional lands comes through.The zone offers tax breaks to companies who plan to add equipment and/or employees.The current zone was only just approved January 1.

Shippers To Comment on Rail Sale /Work On Exeter Rail To Start

Rail firm Genesee & Wyoming Inc’s deal to buy rival RailAmerica Inc for $1.39 billion would create the biggest short-line railroad operator in the United States. Now local shippers as well as local government wants to comment to a federal board who has to approve the merger to try to leverage better service and lower costs here. A three-county group who use the San Joaquin Valley Railroad line in the Valley,owned by RailAmerica,huddled in Tulare this week with a Washington attorney to go over their strategy.TCAG rail committee member Tom Sparks who attended the meeting,says both the shippers and public entities will offer their comments .”Hopefully,the new company can grow the business rather than just add fees that reduce the use of the rail line” says Sparks.

In related news, Sparks says work to repair the aging Exeter to Dinuba rail segment on the SJVRR line should start in October funded by public monies designated through the Valley Air District to help clean the air.The $1.5 million in repairs to the track would speed up freight traffic from 3 mph in some spots to 15mph with a 5-year plan in place to upgrade further to accommodate 40 mph speeds. The idea is to reduce truck traffic pollution.

Almond & Pistachio Sales Stay Strong,Walnuts Lag

Continued strong export demand for California nut crops this year.Year to date almond sales through July are up nearly 14% while pistachio shipments have jumped 25%.But walnut shipments are down around 11% year to date as a result of a smaller crop.

Porterville Packing House Adds Solar

Magnolia Citrus packing house has added about 3 &1/2 acres of solar panels next to their packing house near Porterville this summer.” Construction should be complete by September 15” says general manager Nick Arcure. The nearly $1 million project will offset 93% of their current electricity load, says Arcure. ”With a 28% increase in our power bill last year from SCE, we thought it was time to do this.”

Visalia Lays Off Economic Development Staffer/Gets New Job

Reflecting what is happening at municipalities across the state as a result of the loss of redevelopment,Ricard Noguera has left the employ of the City of Visalia as of August 13. Noguera headed up the city’s effort to recruit new retail and industrial business to Visalia and had been with the city for five years. Calls are now directed to city assistant city manager Mike Olmos. Good news for Noguera however – he has been hired to run the city of Tacoma Washington’s community and economic development department in the past few weeks.

Extreme heat gradually subsided in the West says the latest USDA crop report Aug 29 noting the Midwest finally got some drought busting rain too late for most summer crops. But closer to home  Lancaster, CA, recorded 23 consecutive days (July 29 – August 20) of triple-digit heat, eclipsing the mark originally set from July 11-31, 2009. Lancaster also set a record with 20 days of 100-degree heat in August (previously, 19 days in 2001). Elsewhere in California, Fresno narrowly missed breaking a record for consecutive triple-digit days. Fresno’s streak of 100-degree readings lasted 19 days, from August 6-24, tied for third all time.

Tulare County still hopes to convince the California High Speed Rail Authority to run the bullet train to the east of Hanford aligning with Hwy 198 near 7th Ave instead of to the west of Hanford around Ave 13 – a six mile difference.That would make any roundtrip from Hwy 99 some 12 miles further,not good for ticket sales from the most populated part of the region – east of 99.One calculation is that Kings County is likely to sue CHSRA whichever choice they make although the Authority has not fully committed to a station in Kings County.

Nesting Swainson’s hawks with chicks on the construction route of Hwy 198 Expressway between Hanford and Visalia delayed construction of the big project for a number of weeks costing an extra $1.5 million says a Cal Trans communication to the Kings County Association Of Governments.The delay triggered a clause to pay the contractor in the event of such a delay.The paving where the nest was has now resumed as the baby birds developed, and all construction work is expected to be complete in November.KCOG director Terri King says federal and state funds paid for the delay.

Southern California Edison officials are making the rounds in local city halls and county board rooms to get the word out that installation of new smart meter technology in Central Valley homes and businesses is near.

SCE regional manager Brian Thoburn is meeting with the Kings County Board of Supervisors and the city councils of Exeter, Farmersville and Woodlake among others to go over the program with installation starting in October to begin connecting around 200,000 meters in the Valley.

Already some 4.6 million smart meters have been installed in Southern California.

“What we are talking about is customer empowerment” says Thoburn who works out of the Tulare SCE office.”The new meters will give you access to information to help you manage your electricity usage and save money.”

For many people this will mean added convenience instead of waiting a month to see your bill, you can go online and see how much electricity you used yesterday.” This allows people to better budget as well.

“We think these meters will be more convenient  adding increased reliability to their service and even offering remote on and off services.

Industrywide, statistics show power users hooked to smart meter are better able to conserve, says Thoburn a key goal of both the utilities and the State of California. In the event of a power outage the meters will help Edison to more quickly respond.

Smart meters are not only the standard in the electricity business but in water service and soon natural gas expects Thoburn.

Regarding SCE’s experience in Southern California where installations of  the meters has been going on since 2009 “customers seem to have few issues with it.”

Thoburn emphasizes that customers will have a choice to” opt out” of the Edison Smart/Connect meter at a small monthly charge.

Thobrun concludes that  the new meters will help customers monitor and manage their energy use online and if they want,get information via in home internet displays or even cell phones.

Installation of the meters should go smoothly with little disruption expects SCE with the work done by  contractor Corix Utilities  in yellow vests identifying themselves at your home or business.

Kings Canyon Entrance Station To Open:

Kings Canyon National Park’s new entrance station at Big Stump on Highway 180 will open in the next few days.- targeting September 1.The new  check-in station was  was made necessary because of fear that a large Giant Sequoia nearby would fall near the site of the former station. The station services more than 600,000 visitors a year.The new station,in the works since 2004 is located 2.5 miles east of the former station.

Talking Trash: County To Raise Tipping Fees,Close Refuse Facilities & Mandate In-County Disposal.

Facing a $5.1 million budget shortfall the Tulare County Board Of Supervisors are poised to take various measures to raise revenue and cut costs. The actions include raising the tipping fee from $31 a ton to $34.

Further, they plan to close trash transfer stations in rural areas in  Earlimart, Balance Rock, Badger, and Kennedy Meadows Transfer Stations, effective October 1, 2012. Also they will authorize a reduction in days of operation for the Teapot Dome Landfill to Thursdays (7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) through Saturdays (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), effective October 1, 2012.

In addition the county wants to require Licensed Refuse Haulers to deliver waste material collected within their Service Area, excluding recyclables or residuals, to a County operated Solid Waste Facility, effective October 1, 2012 instead of allowing the option to take trash out of county.

Avenal landfill a favored location according to a county report that says Avenal landfill receives 520,000 tons annually compared to 270,00 tons delivered to the Tulare County landfills.

The report says the county is losing revenue in part because 141,000 tons of solid waste is being diverted to landfills outside the county.Most of that to Avenal.

Despite the fact that the Avenal dump has a posted price of $40 a ton contract prices are much lower says Tulare Public Works Director Lew Nelson.”They may be as low as $7” he has heard. Nelson says the city hauls their own trash to the county landfill and will have to bear the higher expense of raising the tipping fee almost 10%.

Some of Visalia’s trash apparently goes to Avenal too,something the county would like to change.”When you add the cost of diesel and hauling the trash across to the other side of the Valley, Avenal’s disposal fee has to be lots cheaper than Tulare county.”says Nelson.

The county estimates that about 43,000 tons of solid waste is being diverted to out-of-county landfills by county licensed haulers and if all was recovered it would generate an addition $1.3 million to the county. The county says they have the power to order such “flow control” and that other counties also make such a requirement.

Avenal disposal is owned by the city of Avenal and operated by Waste Connections based inTexas. The company recently relocated its corporate office from California.

Along with raising revenue and other cuts, the remainder of the county deficit has been covered by measures staff put in place in the past few months, which included eliminating seven full time vacant positions, postponing equipment purchases, and reducing service contracts. Those measures saved $800,000.

Tulare County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau said the operating
deficit to the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund can be attributed to dated
landfill fees, a reduction in material received, low interest rates, and
a reduction in reserves that earn interest.

“Enterprise funds are used for services provided to the public
through user charges, which should cover 100 percent of the cost through no subsidy from the County,” Rousseau said. “Staff has made cuts, but it wasn’t enough. The proposed recommendations should help significantly reduce the deficit. We will need to monitor the impacts of these changes to the Solid Waste Fund to determine if additional changes are necessary.”

The Solid Waste Enterprise Fund has been operating at an average
deficit of $4 million for several years. Solid Waste Enterprise Fund
reserves, typically used for landfill expansion and equipment purchases, had been used to cover the deficit.

Visalia Selects Great Lakes Airline in Completion

The Visalia City Council has agreed with the recommendation of a city committee favoring an application from Great Lakes Airline to continue to serve the city’s airport with regular flights under the federal Essential Air Service program.Great Lakes proposal was picked over SeaPort Airlines of Portland, Ore. says airport administrator  Administrator Mario Cifuentez and the recommendation forwarded to FAA earlier this month.Now the FAA will make the final  determination  says Cifuentez and a new contract period will begin October 1. The city hopes to get more flights to LAX daily.