Business News 23 Summer 2015

PARAMOUNT COURT CELEBRATES WWII VETS

THE SPIRIT OF ‘45

A PUBLICATION OF THE TURLOCK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SUMMER 2015 ISSUE 23

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29632_1

10 Community Fireworks return to CSUS

11 President’s Circle Award12 Workforce

Demand for ag majors13 Water

State water board restrictions14 Scoreboars

Legislative voting records16 Economy

Turlock economy growing17 Valley Business Forecast19 Legal

ADA Lawsuit forum20 Development

Dust Bowl expansion21 Events

First Annual Bacon Week New Chamber members

22 Business Turlock’s New Vision Pharmacy The Udder Place

23 Tri County Flooring25 Real Estate

Sidewalks and real estate26 Ribbon Cuttings27 Mixers28 Chamber

Chamber Ambassadors29 Members for 5 to 10 years30 Health

Heat-related illness

CONTENTSW.A.C.E. AWARD WINNING PUBLICATION OF THE TURLOCK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Cover Spirit of ‘45

115 S. Golden State Blvd.

Turlock, CA 95380

209-632-2221

Fax 209- 632-5289

Hours: Mon. - Fri. • 10am - 4pm

PRESIDENT / CEO

Sharon Silva

[email protected]

OPERATIONS AND

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Amanda Theis

[email protected]

Published & designed by The Turlock Journal

138 S. Center St., Turlock, CA 95380

209-634-9141

COVER PHOTO BY CANDY PADILLA

ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON DR. SCOTT COLQUHOUN IS ONE OF THE MANY SPECIALISTS

WHO PRACTICE AT THE TOWER HEALTH & WELLNESS.

4BUSINESS NEWS SUMMER 2015

9

Over the past sixteen and half years I have had the honor of serving as the President/CEO of the Turlock Chamber, eight years as the direc-tor of the Downtown Association and the PBID, with three of those years serving as the CEO of all four organizations, which included the Convention and Visitors Bureau. I had the privilege of being a part of this wonder-ful community during a period of growth and through hard times when there was financial restraints for our city, state and nation.

Having the privilege to work with outstanding leadership over the years is what made Turlock a community that was looked at all over the state of California as a star. The first six months of 2015 has brought a lot of changes, not only for the Chamber but our commu-nity at large, but some things remain constant — like the Chamber’s dedication to serving its members by putting them first. The mis-sion of the Chamber is to promote a positive business environment in the greater Turlock area, by being the voice of business, staying on top legislative issues, and helping our members keep up with ever-changing human resources laws.

Over the past several years the Turlock Chamber of Commerce has received many recognitions for its efforts to achieve our mission. This year was no exception. Seventeen Chambers across the state received the President’s Circle Award. We were one of eight to have received the award all seven years it has been presented. The award is given to Chambers that excel in business advocacy and with helping members comply with employment laws. I am thankful for

everyone who helps make this Chamber the success that it is, espe-cially our Board of Directors, and our partners over the years.

Partnering with Emanuel Medical Center to inform small busi-ness owners of the impending changes in line with the Affordable Care Act, as well working with our legislators in hosting a forum to help our members learn what they can do to prevent frivolous Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits, are just two ways the Chamber has worked to help our members this year.

The Chamber’s sole focus has always been in advocacy for our members. This year the Chamber made a big decision after learning that our new city leadership was going to request a 90-day notice to cancel our contract to operate the Convention and Visitors Bureau. After many weeks of conversation and consideration, the Chamber realized that moving out of the partnership and contract with the City would allow the Chamber to dedicate more time and resources to build a closer relationship with our members and aid in economic development initiatives.

I am also looking forward to watching the skies of Turlock once again light up on the Fourth of July, thanks to a partnership with California State University, Stanislaus. Together, we will bring the cherished holiday event back to the Turlock campus this year. I want to thank the City as well for its partnership in sponsorship and contribution for the event.

I am not sure what the next six months will bring, but as of June 30, I will be retiring as the President/CEO of the Chamber. At the request of the Board, I will be staying on in the executive role, as the CEO, to ensure a smooth transition of power to a new leader. The Chamber of Commerce will remain a passionate advocate for our members and a resource for the business community in education, legislative advocacy and economic development.

Thank you for the opportunity to give service for the past 20 years to this GREAT community.

Sharon Silva, IOM, ACE

President/CEO

PRESIDENT & CEO

SHARON SILVAPRESIDENT & CEO

CHAMBER

209magazine.comWatch.5BUSINESS NEWS SUMMER 2015

Watch.209magazine.com


2015

2015

CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TURLOCK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STAFF

Allen MortuaryEmanuel Medical Center

Garton Tractor, Inc.Gemperle Enterprises

JKB Energy / LivingKirkes Electric

MedicAlert FoundationTower Health and Wellness

Turlock JournalTurlock Scavenger Company / Turlock Recycling

Winton-Ireland, Strom & GreenOak Valley Community Bank

2015 CHAMBER CHAMPIONS EVENTSUPCOMING4th of July Fireworks at CSU Stanislaus

July 4

Mixer - Thorsen’s Plumbing Heat & AirJuly 21

Eggs and Issues Breakfast August 5

Mixer - Smith Chevrolet CadillacAugust 18

Mixer - Prodigal Sons & DaughtersSeptember 15

SHARON SILVAPRESIDENT/CEO

IOM, Institute for Organization Management, University of Arizona, Bachelor Arts

Organizational Communication

AMANDA THEISOPERATIONS AND

GOVERMENT RELATIONS

BA Government Sacramento State

KYLE KIRKESCHAIR

Kirkes Electric

STEVE GEMPERLETREASURER

Gemperle Enteprises

MIKE ROMEORomeo Medical Clinic

JAMES BRENDAJKB Energy

EILEEN HAMILTONHamilton Farms

GUILLERMO RAMIREZ Las Casuelas

Memo’s Cocina

ANOKEEN VARANIDental Spa

LAZAR PIROPiro Trading International

JERRY POWELLPMZ Realtor

JOHN LAZAR.Former Mayor of Turlock

Century 21 Realtor

ROBERT RODARTEUS Bank

ASHOUR BADALCSU Stanislaus

MIKE LYNCHMike Lynch Consulting

SAM DAVIDAssyrian American

Civic Club

PAUL PORTERWinton-Ireland, Strom & Green


Ta k i ng t he p o s i t i on of Operations and Government Relations coordinator at the

Turlock Chamber of Commerce is a homecoming for Amanda Theis.

The Turlock-raised Theis attended Sacred Heart School, Turlock High and two years at California State University, Stanislaus, before mov-ing to the State Capital to finish her Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Gov-ernment at Sacramento State.

Theis’ interest in government landed her a position as a Senate Fellow for Senator Bob Dutton, before becoming a Legislative/Com-munications Aide for Assemblyman Jim Patterson. While working with Assemblyman Patterson, Theis managed the legislator’s 2013-14 Legislative Package, which included

11 pieces of legislation.More recently Theis served as a

Communications Consultant for the Assembly Republican Caucus, where she drafted speeches, press releases, media advisories and let-ters for 28 Assembly members. She also developed and executed com-munication strategies and social media plans in order to increase awareness of state-related issues.

Theis said she took the posi-tion at the Chamber of Commerce because it allows her to “combine her government experience with the business side of things and get more involved in the Turlock community.”

“I am looking forward to getting more involved in the business com-munity,” said Theis. ◆

MeetAmanda TheisSTAFF

Paramount Court Senior Living will be feting the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in patriotic fashion

with the Spirit of ‘45 event.This will mark the third year the facil-

ity has held the memorial celebration, but this will be the first time it will be open to the public at large. Since it is also the 70th anniversary, the celebration is going to be especially festive.

“We’re going to be going big for this one,” said Cheryl Fantazia Gerhardt, the market-ing director of Paramount Court and one of the organizers of the exhibit.

On Aug. 14, 1945, the news broke that Japan had surrendered and the war was at an end. In cities and towns across the country there were spontaneous celebra-tions, including the now iconic image of the kiss in Times Square. The Spirit of ’45 is a national movement aimed at rekindling that feeling of pride. The celebration remembers and recognizes the service men and women who served their country in WWII. It also honors all the men and women who helped serve the war effort from the home front.

“They deserve this recognition,” Gerhardt said. “For so long many of them did not talk about their experiences, but now they get such joy out of educating the youth.”

The Turlock event will be held from 10

a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 15 at Paramount Court at 3791 Crowell Road. The festivities at Paramount Court will include recognition of area WWII veterans from local dignitar-ies, including Turlock Mayor Gary Soiseth. There will also be a bevy of military vehicles on display and a keynote presentation from U.S. Navy Command Master Chief Charles Blanks, a motivational speaker and the brother of Billie Blanks, the Tae-Bo fitness guru.

The celebration also will include music from students at California State University, Stanislaus, activities for children, veteran and military organizations on site, a raffle and a lunch.

“We’re hoping to have a lot of community involvement and show the veterans how much we appreciate their service,” Gerhardt said.

The event is being sponsored in part by ER Vine, the Alzheimer's and Dementia Support Center, Dr. Robert Johns, Turlock VFW, Bristol Hospice and Whitehurst, Nor-ton, and Dias Funeral Service. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Paramount Court is also taking reg-istrations for area veterans interested in participating.

For more information contact Cheryl at 664-9500. ◆

“We’re hoping to have a lot of community involvement and show the veterans how much we appreciate their service.”

—Cheryl Fantazia Gerhardt

Paramount Courtcelebrates

the Spirit of '45BY SABRA STAFFORD


COVER

California State University,

Stanislaus will once again host

a Fourth of July fireworks

celebration.

“It’s great to bring the

event back to campus,

where it started

decades ago.”

—Sharon Silva

If there is one thing that tough economic times cannot stop, it is tradition.

After a five year hiatus, the awe-inspiring Fourth of July fireworks show will once again be welcomed at California State University, Stan-islaus—thanks to a collaborative partnership between the Turlock Chamber of Commerce and the university.

“We’re really excited to part-ner with the university because it’s such a wonderful venue,” said Sharon Silva, president and CEO of the Chamber. “It’s great to bring the event back to campus, where it started decades ago.”

CSU Stanislaus President Joseph F. Sheley is not only excited to welcome back the longstanding fireworks show to campus, but to continue building an enduring rela-tionship between the university and its community.

“We’re very happy to be partner-

ing with the Chamber to bring this tradition back to campus,” She-ley said. “We’ll be celebrating our nation’s history while at the same time providing the community a great place to have fun. In the past we’ve referred to ourselves as a hid-den gem. With this event and others like it, I think you can get rid of ‘hidden.’ In still challenging budget times, we are committed to show-ing the community that this is their university.”

After running the celebration for 24 years, the university announced back in 2009 that it would no longer be able to host the annual fireworks show, which cost an approximate $50,000 to produce, due to lack of funding and sponsors.

Upon hearing news of the fire-works’ discontinuation, Si lva stepped in to continue doing the annual show at a different venue—the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds.

“I felt that it was something that

had been a tradition in Turlock for many years,” said Silva. “So when the university originally made the deci-sion to no longer continue doing the fireworks, I wanted to make sure that the fireworks continued.”

Although the f ireworks are moving back to their original venue at the university this year, Silva still emanates gratitude for the fairgrounds, which made sure the tradition continued in difficult economic times.

“We are just so grateful for the fairgrounds and how they worked with us to make sure the fireworks continued in our community,” said Silva. “If they hadn’t stepped for-ward, we would not have been able to have a fireworks show in Turlock for the last five years.”

The Fourth of July celebration will kick off at 7 p.m. at CSU Stanislaus. The event will be free of charge and the university will provide parking at no cost. ◆

BY ALYSSON AREDAS


COMMUNITYPH

OTO

CO

NTR

IBU

TED

Th e C a l i f o r n i a C h a m b e r o f Commerce rec-

ognizes the efforts of outstanding local cham-bers every year with the President's Circle Award. The Turlock Chamber of Commerce was one of 28 chambers to receive the prestigious award this year and one of eight to have received the award all seven years it has been presented.

The award recognizes chambers for excellence in business advocacy by

publishing voting records of their state legislators on key business issues, generating letters to state elected officials on issues of interest to members and helping their members comply with California employment laws.

"The Turlock Cham-ber is very excited about the accomplishment of receiving this award, " said Turlock Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sharon Silva.

"We are a voice for the business community,

through working with our legislators and being a part of a statewide business coalition," she continued.

H e l p i n g b u s i -ness es nav igate t he ever-changing laws and regulations regarding human resources is also something the Turlock Chamber takes pride in doing right.

"We help our members stay current with new labor laws, like the new paid sick leave law tak-ing effect July 1 and offer

them tools to be compli-ant," said Silva.

The President's Circle Award isn't the only award the Chamber has received this year. In February, the Turlock Chamber was recognized by the Western Asso-c iat ion of C hamb er Executives with an hon-orable mention for its 90-minute video com-municating the value of the chamber. ◆

earnsstatewide recognition

for seventh consecutive yearBY KRISTINA HACKER


CSU Stanislaus Agricultural Studies graduates are relieved to know that they will more than likely have a job right after graduation, thanks to a recent report by the USDA stating the number of high-skilled job openings in agriculture related fields throughout the nation outnumber the amount of new graduates by 22,500 annually.

Graduating from college can be a scary concept for most students, especially for those who do not have a job lined up

once they receive their diplomas. However, a recent report from the United

States Department of Agriculture is sure to take a load off the shoulders of 21 students who gradu-ated from California State University, Stanislaus’ Agricultural Studies Department in May.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new report showing tremendous demand for recent college graduates with a degree in agri-cultural programs with an estimated 57,900 high-skilled job openings annually in the food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and environment fields in the United States.

According to an employment outlook report released by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Purdue University, there is an average of 35,400 new U.S. graduates with a bachelor's degree or higher in agriculture related fields, 22,500 short of the jobs available annually.

"There is incredible opportunity for highly-skilled jobs in agriculture," said Vilsack. "Those receiving degrees in agricultural fields can expect to have ample career opportunities. Not only will those who study agriculture be likely to get well-paying jobs upon graduation, they will also have the satisfaction of working in a field that addresses some of the world's most pressing challenges. These jobs will only become more important as we continue to develop solutions to feed more than 9 billion people by 2050."

The report projects almost half of the job opportunities will be in management and busi-ness. Another 27 percent will be in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics areas. Jobs in food and biomaterials produc-

tion will make up 15 percent, and 12 percent of the open-ings will be in education, communication, and govern-mental services. The report also shows that women make up more than half of the food, agriculture, renew-able natural resources, and environment higher educa-tion graduates in the United States.

According to Agricultural Studies Department Rolland Starn Endowed Chair Olu-warotimi Odeh, this report, although it reflects national numbers, is also applicable to the local region.

“There is an increasing

number of ag-related job openings in the area, how-ever, a majority of these openings require technical skills and versatility because of the increasing use of technology in the food and agricultural industry and the global scope of the industry,” said Odeh.

“Agriculture today is changing and becoming more complex and data driven. It is quite different from the traditional, local-ized ‘farming’ that existed decades ago,” continued Odeh. “Hence, CSU Stan-islaus has a big role to play in filling the openings.” ◆

BY ALYSSON AREDAS


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TRIBUTED

/ The Journal

The days of sitting down at a restaurant and immediately being served a glass of water

may be a thing of the past as the State Water Resources Control Board has instituted emergency conservation regulations restricting such luxuries in light of California’s worsening drought conditions.

On the heels of Governor Jerry Brown’s Executive Order issued on April 1 mandating a 25 percent reduction in potable urban water use statewide, the SWRCB released water use restrictions targeted at bringing the Governor's order to fruition in May. These regulations identify how much water communities in California must conserve based on their average resi-dential water use.

Turlock’s per capita water consump-tion is at an all time low as the City is pumping the same volume of ground-water as it did 20 years ago, despite an increase in population by 20,000 residents said Director of Municipal Services Michael Cooke to the Turlock City Council in April. However, it is not conservative enough as a statewide comparison shows Turlock as one of the more than 100 towns that needs to conserve 35 percent, the highest

amount required. Other nearby towns with the same reduction rate include Merced, Modesto and Riverbank.

“Turlock’s residents and businesses have done an excellent job of conserving water over the past seven years but it’s imperative that we do more,” said Cooke in April. “However, these are desperate times and require desperate measures.”

Some of these "desperate measures" instituted by the SWRCB for businesses include not only asking restaurant cus-tomers if they want water, but also requiring hotels and motels to offer their guests the option of not having their linens and towels laundered daily. Commercial, industrial and institutional properties that use groundwater must also make some concessions as they are mandated to reduce their water by 25 percent or restrict outdoor irrigation to no more than two days a week. While no reporting is required of these properties, they must maintain documentation of their efforts.

"We have to face the reality that this drought may continue and prepare as if that's the case," stated SWRCB Chair Feli-cia Marcus in a release in May. "If it rains and snows next winter, we celebrate. If the drought continues, we’ll be glad we took difficult but prudent action today." ◆

The State Water Resources Control Board has instituted emergency conservation regulations including mandating that restaurants ask customers first before pouring them a glass of water.

BY ELIZABETH ARAKELIAN


WATER

SCORECARDS

TURLOCK CITY COUNCIL VOTING RECORD

MEETING COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM GARY

SOI

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AMY B

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BILL D

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1. 3/10/15 AUTHORIZED THE SHERIFF TO APPLY FOR THE ADULT MENTALLY ILL OFFENDER CRIME REDUCTION (MIOCR) GRANT.

2. 3/31/15 APPROVED THE REGIONAL SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL PLAN MOU WITH THE CITIES OF CERES, HUGHSON, NEWMAN, OAKDALE, PATTERSON, RIVERBANK, TURLOCK, AND WATERFORD; AUTHORIZED THE CHAIRMAN TO SIGN THE MOU.

3. 4/12/15 ACCEPTED THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S MID-YEAR FINANCIAL REPORT FOR FY 2014-2015.RECOMMENDED IN THE 2014- 2015 MID-YEAR FINANCIAL REPORT.

4. 4/19/15 DETERMINED THAT THE ORDINANCE AMENDING PROVISIONS OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM (CHAPTER 14.12) TO STRENGTHEN WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES RELATED TO LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION AND OUTDOOR WATER USE, IS CATEGORICALLY EXEMPT FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE CEQA.

Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y Y Y Y

Y NO VOTE Y Y Y

Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y Y Y Y

Y Y Y Y Y

1. 03/10/2015 APPOINTING THE PARKS, ARTS & RECREATION COMMISSION TO ADMINISTER THE 2015 COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM FORMERLY ADMINISTERED BY THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU, WITH FINAL APPROVAL BY THE CITY COUNCIL.

2. 4/14/2015 APPROVING AN AMNESTY PROGRAM FOR CARGO CONTAINER PERMITS THAT WOULD DELAY THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROVISIONS IN THE UPDATED TURLOCK MUNICIPAL CODE FOR A PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS.

3. 4/14/2015 PROHIBITING THE ISSUANCE OF A MOBILE FOOD FACILITY PERMIT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY LOCATED IN CERTAIN DOWNTOWN OVERLAY DISTRICTS.

4 4/28/2015 DETERMINING NO CHANGE IN THE 200 BED CAP ON EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS IN THE SB2 EMERGENCY SHELTER OVERLAY DISTRICT IS REQUIRED.

5. 4/28/2015 APPROVING A LONG-TERM AGREEMENT WITH STANISLAUS COUNTY FOR THE REGIONAL SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL PLAN.

STAN. CO. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS VOTING RECORD

MEETING DIST

RICT

1

WILL

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VITO

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1. The Operating Budget at the Mid-Year point is $1,128,113,684, funded with $1,048,237,195 in estimated revenue (which includes $36,657,035 in STAN CO. BOARD VOTING RECORD EXPLANATION

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24


STATE BUDGET N N1. AB93: COMMITTEE ON BUDGET

1. AB 647: BENEFICIAL USE: STORING OF WATER UNDERGROUND

2. AB 243 MEDICAL MARIJUANA CULTIVATION

3. AB 590: GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION FUND

4. AB 1461: VOTER REGISTRATION

5. AB 953: LAW ENFORCEMENT: RACIAL PROFILING

STATE ASSEMBLYASSEMBLYWOMAN OLSEN

1. SB 277: PUBLIC HEALTH: VACCINATIONS

2. SB 3: MININUM WAGE: ADJUSTMENT

3. SB128: END OF LIFE OPTION ACT

4. SB 350: CLEAN ENERGY AND POLLUTION REDUCTION ACT OF 2015

5. SB 178: PRIVACY: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS: SEARCH WARRANT

NO VOTING

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STATE LEGISLATURE VOTING RECORD

FEDERAL VOTING RECORD

STATE SENATE

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1. H.R. 2: MEDICARE ACCESS AND CHIP REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2015

2. H.R. 1191: IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT REVIEW ACT OF 2015

3. H.R. 644: AMERICA GIVES MORE ACT OF 2015

4. H.R. 2048: USA FREEDOM ACT OF 2015

5. SB 852 2014-2015 BUDGET

Y Y Y

Y Y NO VOTE

Y Y Y

Y Y Y

Y N N

CONG

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SENATOR BERRYHILL

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCONGRESSMAN JEFF DENHAMAGENDA ITEM

Y (CO-AUTHOR)

Y

Y (CO-AUTHOR)

N

N

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 STATE LEGISLATURE VOTING RECORD EXPLANATION

STATE VOTING RECORD EXPLANATION1. This bill would eliminate the exemption from existing specified immunization requirements based upon personal beliefs, but would allow exemption from

future immunization requirements deemed appropriate by the State Department of Public Health for either medical reasons or personal beliefs.CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

FEDERAL VOTING RECORD EXPLANATION CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

A $117.5 billion budget plan that includes increased spending for kindergarten through community col-lege programs, more money for public colleges and universities, and the creation of new social programs.

STATE BUDGET EXPLANATION

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The fourth quarter sales tax numbers are in and one thing

is clear: money is being spent in Turlock.

"Our local sales tax growth is a combination of not only increased sales, but also increasing the number of local retailers,” explained Assistant to the City Manager for Housing and Economic Develop-ment Maryn Pitt. “We have seen the downtown fill up with boutique retailing and unique dining and areas such as Monte Vista Crossings have added and expanded some of their retailers. All of these com-ponents add up to stronger retail sales and sales tax growth.”

Recent openings include Table 26 which opened its doors at the former Sweet River Bar and Grill location on Geer Road in March and interior design firm and boutique Dez-ingz which opened on Main Street in downtown Turlock in May. A host of other new businesses include Oak Barrel Ice and Creamery on Golden State Avenue and West Main Street additions like Planet Fitness and Dollar Tree. The success of new businesses has also helped

invigorate other areas of Turlock, like the down-town.

"It is new money in addition to a resurgence in things like our down-town core," explained Pitt of the town’s positive num-bers. "Our occupancies are under five percent down-town, so we have a strong retail component even in the downtown, and then the last piece is real estate sales continue to grow and we see a greater number of transactions."

Unemployment num-bers are another good indicator of the town’s sta-tus and while the Central Valley's unemployment is comparatively higher than the state average, Turlock is performing better than the Stanislaus County overall.

"As of February 2015, Tu r l o ck ' s u ne mpl oy-ment rate was 9.6 percent compared to the rest of Stanislaus County at 10.7 percent," said Pitt. "While the Central Valley is still tracking higher than the state average of 6.7 percent, our recovery can be attrib-uted to getting people back to work either in one of our new industrial employers or in the expanding retail segment here." ◆


Home • Auto • Health • Farm • Business

600 E. Main Street • Suite 200 • TurlockPH 209.634.9031 • LIC# 0649647

WWW.WESTERNVALLEY.COM

Teamwork makes the difference

47267_1

ENCLOSED IS MY GIFT TO UNITED SAMARITANS FOUNDATION

Name

Address

City, State, Zip

Enclosed is my gift of S

Your Gift is Tax Deductible 220 S. Broadway, Turlock, CA 95380

Help Fight HungerCall (209) 668-4853 or visit our website

at www.unitedsamaritans.org

ECONOMY

Tw i c e a y e a r Cal i fornia State U n i v e r s i t y ,

Stanislaus produces a San Joaquin Valley Business Forecast, the results of which were released this month. While the num-bers are not significantly different than they were six months ago, there is one factor looming over the report: the drought.

California's ongoing historic drought, which has prompted mandatory conservation measures statewide and an executive order from the governor, has taken a toll on the agriculture sector. Some farmers have been forced to let fields fallow and nego-tiations over water storage are taking place at both the local and state levels. Employment in agriculture related industries, such as manufacturing, have also remained stagnant states the report.

However, according to CSUS Foster Farms Endowed Professor of Business Economics and report contributor Gokce Soydemir, the overal l numbers are better than he predicted. This is due in part to other non-farm related industries' growth which has mitigated the drought's influence on the regional economy overall.

"There is no doubt that this is an agricultural area. You want to have a strong agricultural base, but you also want to diversify your industries so that when an external shock hits you're resilient to that," explained Soydemir.

A shock constitutes any-thing that could negatively influence supply, such as a hurricane that could affect the construction or hous-ing industries in certain areas of the country, or the drought in California.

Industries that have mit-igated the influence of this shock have been the leisure, hospitality and construc-tion industries, which are the fastest growing in the San Joaquin Valley. As far as local development, the continual southward expansion of Monte Vista Crossings in Turlock has helped. Soydemir stated that recent growth in the construction industry is incremental and balanced which is ideal, compared to the exponential growth that created an unsustain-able bubble prior to the recession.

One other surprising area of growth? The infor-mation industry.

"For the first time since the recession, information employment began post-ing two to three percent

annual growth, signifi-cantly above the negative 10 year benchmark rate, and is projected to grow even further, thus ending its categorization as a suf-fering sector in the Valley," states the report.

This industry's growth could be attributed to the computerization of health records, the influence of the Affordable Care Act, as well as an increase in gov-ernment employment said Soydemir.

Looking forward, retail trade employment will likely continue to help mitigate the impact on farm-related areas as pro-jections indicate a 2.8 percent average yearly growth in 2016 and 2017.

Whi le these indus-tries' growth have helped offset the overall strain the drought has pre-dominantly posed on the agriculture and manufac-turing industries, indirect ripple effects could eventu-ally take shape in non-farm related areas. This is some-thing the contributors will keep an eye on said Soy-demir, who noted that the delayed influence of the drought in these areas is itself indicative of a strong regional economy

"It shows how resilient the Valley economy is," said Soydemir. ◆


Business forecast strong,

despite negative impact of drought

Looking forward, retail trade

employment will likely continue to help mitigate the impact on farm-related areas as

projections indicate a 2.8 percent average

yearly growth in 2016 and 2017.


W

FEB 1

MATT DAVIS MBA, CPCU, AAI

VICE PRESIDENT/ BROKER

,

presented by

nice

GDI Insurance Agency, Inc.

hat inspired the founding of

GDI Insurance Agency, Inc.?

My father, Grant Davis,

founded the company. He started out

selling life insurance door-to-door in

the Bay Area before moving to Turlock

in the early ‘80s. He became a junior

partner in a firm that was sold to a

large organization. It was made clear

that he wasn’t going to move up past

a certain level of management, as he

didn’t have a college degree. So he

started GDI Insurance Agency in 1989,

we became independent in 1999, and we

incorporated in 2000. Now, arguably,

we’re as successful as that other entity.

What has made GDI Insurance

Agency, Inc successful?

We enjoy the competitive nature of our

business. Everybody needs insurance,

but there’s a lot of competition, and 9

times out of 10 another agency needs to

lose a customer for you to gain one. We

enjoy competitive areas; in the early/mid

2000s we were one of the larger regional

agents and brokers for residential home

development. We go against some of the

largest brokerages in the nation or the

world on a lot of accounts.

To compete, our employees have to be

subject matter experts in their fields. We

have to employ people who are hungry,

and aggressive, and want to work. We

want employees who want to succeed on

merit, not time served.

What is the greatest challenge GDI

Insurance Agency, Inc. has faced, and

how did you overcome it?

The commoditization of insurance has

led consumers to focus on price. But I

don’t know one customer that’s worried

about saving 20 or 40 bucks a year when

they have a big claim – they care about

getting their house fixed. I always tell

people to look at the car they’re driving.

It’s probably not the cheapest car on the

market, but it has features that make it

right for them.

Also, in the last two or three years,

staffing has been a challenge. It is hard

to find people in insurance who are

aggressive in learning. If they don’t have

a basic enjoyment of our industry and

what we do, it’s hard to keep updated on

new products, regulations, and how they

impact clients.

What do you enjoy about doing

business locally?

I like meeting people, helping them,

and then getting to see them outside

of work. 50 percent or more of what

we do is fairly basic; there are a lot of

complex principles but the day-to-day

is straightforward. When we get to meet

people and help them overcome challenges,

that’s where I get a lot of satisfaction.

What does the future hold for GDI

Insurance Agency, Inc.?

We recently acquired 12 other entities in

less than 18 months. We actually had to

stop to retool. The momentum is like a

freight train; it’s so hard to slow it down.

Our biggest opportunity is finding good,

reliable, personnel. We’re a relationship-

type business, and without good people

we’re not going to grow. We’ve got great

clients, and we want to continue servicing

them at our current standard – or better.

18

CIVIL JUSTICE EXPERT HIGHLIGHTS

CHAMBER’S ADA COMPLIANCE FORUM


In the spirit of protecting small businesses in Turlock the Turlock Chamber of Commerce hosted the president of the Civil Justice

Association of California in February to speak spe-cifically about one issue plaguing businesses across

the state: noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

A rash of frivolous lawsuits that stung Valley business owners with hefty fines and even caused some busi-nesses to close their doors in recent months started a local conversation on what exactly it takes to become compliant.

The predatory nature of the lawsuits is exactly what prompted CEO and President of the Chamber Sharon Silva to open up the town hall breakfast to the public.

The abuse has even prompted local legislators to introduce legislation aimed at preventing predatory law-suits at the state and federal level.

“We are very, very lucky in our dis-trict, community, and region because

our legislators are really at work to get this legislation done correctly and as a Chamber we are supportive of that,” said Silva.

While attending the town hall and asking the right questions of local legislators is beneficial to small business owners, Stone had more direct advice for the attendees: become compliant.

After highlighting nuance violations such as the height of door thresholds and number of signs in a handicapped parking lot space, she said that the “very technical and specific and non-intuitive” nature of the infringements is reason to turn to the profes-sionals. Stone urged small business owners to hire a certified access specialist as a preventative measure. Otherwise, the cost of violations and the additional attorney fees can be significant.

“Unlike fire code or building code violations there is no one in the government whose job it is to tell you if you are compliant. The burden is on you,” she said. ◆

Bob Rucker of Congressman Jeff Denham’s (R –Turlock)

office, Turlock Chamber CEO and President Sharon

Silva, local realtor Jim Theis, President of the Civil Justice

Association of California Kimberly Stone, and

Senator Tom Berry hill (R – Twain Harte) congregate at the Chamber event held in February aimed at helping

small businesses equip themselves to combat

predatory ADA lawsuits.

CIVIL JUSTICE EXPERT HIGHLIGHTS

CHAMBER’S ADA COMPLIANCE FORUM

LEGAL

“We are very, very lucky in our district,

community, and region because our legislators

are really at work to get this

legislation done correctly and as

a Chamber we are supportive

of that.” —Sharon Silva


Founder and co-owner Brett Tate, Karen Tate, Camy Honoré, and co-owner Brett Honoré participate in the

official groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new Dust Bowl Brewing Company facility in April.

Connie Tate, the sister-in-law of founder Brett Tate and the person who is credited with conceiving

of the company’s name, pulls some beer alongside her husband Mick Tate at the Dust Bowl

groundbreaking ceremony in April

My favorite thing to say is that we haven’t even produced our best beer yet.

The empty dirt lot at the intersection of Fulkerth Avenue and Dianne Drive in

Turlock will not be empty for long as Dust Bowl Brewing Company has officially begun construction on the brewery’s new site.

A downtown Turlock hotspot for years, the taproom and eatery portion of Dust Bowl Brewing Company is just one segment of the brewery’s operation. The new facility at Fulkerth and Dianne will house the company’s brew-ing, bottling, storage, shipping and business operations which will be open 24 hours a day.

However, the project is not all work and no play.

There will also be a tasting room, or retail visitor center, with a large patio area and the company intends to allow self-guided tours of the brewing process.

“There will be a lot of big win-dows so you can see the whole brewing process. We’ll have light fare and food,” said co-owner Brett Honoré. “There will be a lot of room to have fun.”

The owners, their friends, family and various stakeholders gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the beer company’s expansion in early April.

“It’s going to be a place to gather socially. I think you will find any-thing that you want. Families, couples, friends, it will be for everybody,” added co-owner Brett

Tate at the groundbreaking.Founded in 2009, Dust Bowl has

been brewing beer at a 3,000 square foot facility in Turlock’s Industrial Park that allows the company to produce roughly 4,000 barrels of beer annually. With the expansion, the company projects that 17,000 barrels of beer a year will fulfill the initial capacity with sales projected to reach 10,000 barrels in the first year. Currently Dust Bowl is sell-ing the maximum amount of beer it can – 5,400 barrels annually – at its present facility on Spengler Way in Turlock.

“Right now we only have three brews that are bottled year round available and we’ll take that up to about 15 to 18 in the first year,” said head brewmaster Don Oliver.

The company plans to extend its portfolio to produce six year round six-pack brews, four sea-sonal four-pack brews, four seasonal 22 ounce bombers, as well as packaged specialty releases.

“My favorite thing to say is that we haven’t even produced our best beer yet,” said Tate.

The company, which presently employs 50 employees, anticipates adding 15 to 25 new positions in the management, production and sales areas of operations and positions will be posted on www.dustbowlbrewing.com.

The new Dust Bowl “west” loca-tion is slated for completion in December. ◆


—Brett Tate


DEVELOPMENT

Bacon took center stage for four days in May, with downtown restaurants fea-

turing the pork bellies in specialty dishes while also raising money for local charities.

Bacon-inspired dishes included “Bacon on a Stick” appetizers at Dust Bowl, and pork belly and waf-fles topped with a Dust Bowl Scotch Ale maple reduction at 10 East. Bis-tro 234 chef Leroy Walker offered Bacon Week visitors a crispy maple bacon appetizer topped with fig jam, apricot brandy pork belly entree, and vanilla maple bacon ice cream.

“From my perspective, I was surprised from the word of mouth advertising in the community. Obviously everyone was excited about bacon, and I had multiple people commit on how great it was that the downtown restau-rants were able to team up and

work together to create a down-town-only event. I think they were all excited at the possibility that maybe Turlock could put together a bigger and much grander version of what was put together. It's hard to say if we were busier because of the event but it just felt like there was a busier vibe in the restaurant because of the Bacon Week event,” said Bistro Chef Leroy Walker.

Over $1,600 was raised through the sale of bacon week T-shirts with the proceeds going to the Friends of Turlock Animal Shelter, Jessica’s House, Turlock Gospel Mission and Turlock Alzheimer's Support Group. 10 East raised over $1,000 alone for the Animal Shelter.

The Downtown Association still has Bacon Week T -shirts available which can be purchased for $20 in the downtown office located at 202 W. Main St. ◆


800-44-Mocsewww.Mocse.org

EVENTS

Memo’s Cocina & Tequila Bar

Turlock Feed and Livestock Supply

Raymond James

Turlock’s New Vision Pharmacy

EMC Health, Inc

Turlock Walnut Company

Planet Fitness

Senator Tom Berryhill

Lander Auto Service

Buffalo Wild Wings

Kat Country

Lola Bistro & Express

NEW MEMBERS

Red Brick Bar & Grill head chef Armando Fulgencio drizzles a sweet Hawaiian glaze on top of bacon wrapped shrimp in preparation for Downtown Turlock Bacon Week.

The nightlife in down-town Turlock is now a little bit country

with the addition of the Udder Place.

In a humorous play on words, the Udder Place opened its doors in the former Vintage Lounge location on West Main Street in January. After originally considering opening up a wine bar at the downtown space, owners Jerry Powell and Shayne Heine decided to tap into the agricultural environment of Turlock and the Valley to offer residents a unique twist on the country bar: west-ern but tasteful.

“We wanted to create a warm, safe environment for people to come and have fun,” said Powell.

The duo kept it local

when furnishing the space with Heine pro-v iding cow hides to accent the walls and table tops which are actu-ally converted barrels. Sew Creative on Lander Avenue framed the cow hides that hang on the walls and the interior was painted by local com-pany Crown Painting, which also stained the bar with a new, glossy finish. Turlock company Mann Electric installed the crafty lighting fixtures and “All of the wood used came from a church in San Francisco that was built in 1906,” said Pow-ell who sourced it from a company in North Fork.

The Udder Place is located at 110 W. Main St. and is open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. ◆

Turlock natives and pharmacists Eddie Isaac and John Piro said Turlock’s New Vision Pharmacy, or TNV, is a community pharmacy

for locals. Near to several schools as well as places like Sutter Gould Medical Foundation, the pharmacy is a convenient location for individuals to swing by between running errands or picking up their kids from school said Isaac.

“Basically, it is Eddie and my’s vision of what a pharmacy should be,” explained Piro of the store’s title. “It is your home town pharmacy where we

know our customers names and schedules and we can accommodate them. That is what we are going for.”

Other than filling prescriptions, TNV also has a range of drugstore products for sale from arm braces and bandages to snacks.TNV Pharmacy is also unique from other local independent pharmacies as it will be open seven days a week.

Turlock’s New Vision Pharmacy is located at 2016 W. Monte Vista Ave. and is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. ◆

TNV: A HOME-TOWN PHARMACY



Before officially donning their white jackets, pharmacists and owners John Piro and Eddie Isaac spend time in

Turlock’s Vision Pharmacy.

Owner Jerry Powell, middle, enjoys a drink with Ron Anderson, left, and Joe Peterson of Crown Painting. Crown Painting painted the interior of the space and stained the bar with a glossy finish.


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Just one trip to Tri County Flooring America in Turlock is more than enough to make any customer wonder why they ever considered

anybody else for their flooring needs. “We are a full service flooring store, so if

you can put it on the floor, we can do it,” said general manager Mario Herrera. “We handle every aspect of the project from sale to install.”

Herrera reported that it was due to the success of the flooring store’s Atwater location over the last ten years that finally prompted owners in September to expand the business to Turlock.

“We are new to Turlock, but definitely not new to flooring,” said Herrera.

While customers can rest assured know-ing that they will find the standard variety of carpet, hardwood, laminate, tile, and vinyl flooring options, they will also be pleasantly surprised to find out that the store also carries a number of exclusive and unique options, including COREtec Plus Engineered Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring and Tigressá.

“COREtec is a waterproof laminate, and anybody who’s had laminate knows you can’t wet mop it or spill water on it,” said Herrera. “This eases all of those worries—you can wet mop it, your dishwasher can blow up on it, and it will actually make it through.”

Another exclusive waterproof option is Tigressá H2O carpets, which have a waterproof backing, making them kid- and pet-friendly. Herrera also noted that the carpets were dura-ble and could easily be steam cleaned.

Once a customer purchases flooring from Tri County, the company provides installation as well, a rare amenity according to Herrera.

“You go into other stores and you’ll buy the product and then they’ll hand you some-body’s card and say call this person for the install,” said Herrera. “We don’t do that.”

“Any installer we send out to your house is going to be top of the industry, so we know we’re going to do the job right the first time,” continued Herrera.

Tri County Flooring America is located at 1630 Fulkerth Road. The store is open from 9

a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat-urday, and is closed on Sunday. For more information, visit tri-countyflooringamericaturlock.com. ◆PH

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General manager Mario Herrera stands next to Tigressá H2O carpets, which are waterproof and durable flooring options exclusive to Tri County Flooring America.

BY ALYSSON AREDAS


StanislausCounty SheriffKeeping the Peace since

Take a stand and help make a difference in

your community. JOIN our team today!1854 /

Chaplain Program | Dive Team | Explorers | Correctional Emergency Response Team | K9 Unit | Mounted UnitDeputy Sheriff | Honor Guard | STARS Citizen Volunteers | Air Support Unit | Bomb Squad | SWAT

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revenue from the General Fund to non-General Fund departments) and $79,876,489 in fund balance and one-time funding sources. The use of fund balance includes $16,154,499 of prior year appropriations and $12,345,632 of net county cost carryover savings. The balance is funded with one-time funding sources. The Mid-Year Financial Report includes an overall appropriation increase to the Operating Budget, for all funds, of $9,892,079. The report further recommends $10,283,928 in increased departmental revenue, resulting in a decreased use of fund balance/retained earnings by $391,849. In the General Fund, discretionary revenue estimates are recommended to be increased by $1,897,225. The report includes a recommendation of $3,936,195 to be transferred from Appropriations for Contingencies of which $2 million is dedicated to Public Safety Restoration, $700,000 is identified to sup-port increased costs in Indigent Defense, primarily due to an increase in the complexity of cases that have gone to trial, and the remainder, approximately $1.2 million is recommended to support increased costs in departmental operations such as salary and benefit increases due to negotiated labor agreements and retirement cash outs.

1. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare sustainable growth rate and strengthen Medicare access by improving physician payments and making other improvements, to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes.

2. A bill to provide for congressional review and oversight of agree-ments relating to Iran’s nuclear program, and for other purposes.

3. This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to reinstate and make permanent the tax deduction for charitable contributions of food by any trade or business, regardless of whether the contributions are made by a C corporation. The food must be apparently whole-some food as defined by the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act.

4. A bill to reform the authorities of the Federal Government to require the production of certain business records, conduct electronic surveillance, use pen registers and trap and trace devices, and use other forms of information gathering for foreign intelligence, coun-terterrorism, and criminal purposes, and for other purposes.

2. This bill would increase the minimum wage, on and after Jan. 1, 2016, to not less than $11 per hour, and on and after July 1, 2017, to not less than $13 per hour.

3. This bill would authorize an adult who meets certain qualifications, and who has been deter-mined by his or her attending physician to be suffering from a terminal disease, as defined, to make a request for a drug prescribed pursuant to these provisions for the purpose of ending his or her life. The bill would establish the procedures for mak-ing these requests.

4. This bill would additionally express the intent of the Legislature for the purposes of the Renewables Portfolio Standard program that the amount of electricity generated per year from eli-gible renewable energy resources be increased to an amount equal to at least 50 percent by Dec. 31, 2030, and would require the Public Utilities Com-mission, by Jan. 1, 2017, to establish the quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources be procured by each retail seller for specified compliance periods sufficient to ensure that the procurement of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources achieves 50 percent of retail sales by Dec. 31, 2030.

5. This bill would prohibit a government entity from compelling the production of or access to electronic communication information or electronic device information, as defined, without a search warrant or wiretap order, except for emergency situations, as defined.

STATE VOTING RECORD EXPLANATION STATE ASSEMBLY

1. This bill would declare that the storing of water underground constitutes a beneficial use of water if the diverted water is used while it is in underground stor-age for specified purposes.

2. This bill would generally require all persons who cultivate marijuana for medical purposes, except those cultivating for personal use, as specified, to obtain a permit to cultivate marijuana from the county, city, city and county, or from a state agency to be designated by the Governor if the county, city, or city and county chooses not to be the responsible entity for these purposes. The bill would allow the county, city, city and county, or state agency to charge a fee in an amount sufficient to cover the reasonable cost of issuing the permits and carrying out the program. The bill would prohibit marijuana from being cultivated within 100 feet of an occu-pied legal residential home or school if grown outdoors, or within 100 feet of a school if grown at a residence.

3. This bill would provide that moneys in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, upon appropriation, may be made available for expenditure by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission for the purposes of main-taining the current level of biomass power generation in the state and revitalizing currently idle facilities in strategically located regions. The bill would establish requirements for an applicant to receive available funding for a facility’s eligible electrical generation.

4. This bill would require the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the California New Motor Voter Program for the purpose of increasing opportunities for voter registration by any person who is qualified to be a voter.

5. This bill, which would be known as the Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015, would, among other changes, revise the definition of racial profiling to instead refer to racial or identity profiling, would make a conforming change to the prohibition against law enforcement officers engaging in that practice, and would make the prohibition specifically applicable to probation and parole officers. The bill would also require a law enforcement officer who is the subject of a complaint of racial or identity profiling that is sustained to participate in training to correct racial and identity profiling at least every 6 months for 2 years, starting from the date a com-plaint is found to have been sustained.

STATE BUDGET


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

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FEDERAL VOTING RECORD EXPLANATION

Your town. Your news. Your paper.

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In recent City budget meetings, the issue of sidewalk and street tree maintenance became a

topic of discussion. Current City ordinance specifies that property owners are responsible for main-taining frontage improvements in a safe condition, including side-walks, street trees, curbs, gutters, driveway approaches, or other works adjacent to the property. The ordinance further states that the sidewalk area will remain in a condition that is not dangerous to property or to persons using the sidewalk in a reasonable manner and “If, as a result of the failure of any property owner to maintain the sidewalk area in such a non-dangerous condition as required, any person suffers injury or dam-age to person or property, the property owner shall be liable to such person for the resulting dam-ages or injury.”

Under present procedures, once it has been brought to the atten-tion to the City that a potential unsafe sidewalk condition exists, the property owner will receive a written notice advising that it is the property owner’s responsi-bility to repair the sidewalk and root prune the tree (if applicable) within ten (10) days. Since side-walks and parkways are located within the public right of way easements, any repairs will require an Encroachment Permit from the City of Turlock. The City Manager or his designee may extend the repair period up to 90 days for suf-ficient cause.

If the requested repairs are not completed by the property owner, the work may be done by City Staff

and full charges for the cost of labor and materials involved in the repair will be billed to the property owner and shall become a lien on the property. Similar procedures are in place to deal with unsafe conditions created by dead or diseased trees.

It has been suggested by sev-eral City Council Members, that a “point of sale” requirement be adopted which would require property owners to have a City Inspector do an on-site inspec-tion and certify that sidewalks and street trees are in safe condi-tion before the sale and transfer ownership to a buyer could occur. If deficiencies were identified, repairs or replacement of side-walks/street trees would have to be completed and re-inspected prior to close of escrow.

The “point of sale” concept may seem like an easy solution, but anyone that has bought or sold a home, has experienced the stress in dealing with all of the factors associated with this time-sensitive transaction. “Point of Sale” is not the best answer to maintaining safe sidewalks for the following reasons:

1. Adds complications to a time sensitive process – additional steps will create delays and more stress to both the home seller and buyer.

2. Requiring additional inspec-tions, repairs, and re-inspection during the narrow window pro-vided in most purchase contracts could lead to delays and additional costs to all involved in the process.

3. City lacks the staff ing required to perform the inspec-tions in a timely manner.

4. Not every home that is offered

for sale actually closes – buyer or seller making the repairs may not recover the cost or have the ability to pay for the completed work.

5. There are instances that a seller has limited or negative equity (short sales) and any addi-tional expenses will prevent the sale from closing.

6. The sellers of bank-owned properties (REO) typically will not pay for any repairs and end up transferring the costs of required repairs to the buyer.

7. Not every home that has an unsafe sidewalk/tree condition is for sale.

8. Inefficient – based on current sales rate, it would take approxi-mately 20 years to turn over the bulk of the housing supply in Turlock.

9. Unfair – To place the burden of safe sidewalks/trees of the whole community on homebuyers and sellers is inequitable. Why should only a segment of the population be required to shoulder the bur-den for something that impacts the whole community?

The Mayor has announced that he will be establishing an ad hoc subcommittee and appointing two (2) members of the Council to serve on the committee to address sidewalk repairs and tree issues. I would encourage residents to engage in the process and become a participant in finding a common-sense solution that is fair to all of the residents of Turlock. A safe community is a better community. — Jim Theis, CA Broker License 01290827 ◆

BY JIM THEIS


REAL ESTATE

R I B B O N C U T T I N G S


“Where Turlock Gets Engaged!”

340 E. Main St., Turlock (209) 668-GOLDFind us on Facebook

STEELE INSURANCE AGENCYJUNE 5

SENATOR TOM BERRYHILL’S OAKDALE DISTRICT OFFICE JUNE 11

BEEHIVE BEAUTY SALON APRIL 6

CYCLEFIT MAY 14

TURLOCK NEW VISION PHARMACYMAY 8

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Supporting valley agriculture for over 125 years

333 E. Canal Dr. Turlock, CA 95380 | (209) 883-8300 | www.tid.org

State Farm insurance agent Brad Humble has only been a Chamber Ambassador for

six months. During that time, however, he has taken every opportunity to foster a better rela-tionship between the Chamber of Commerce and its members and in doing so earned the honor of being named Ambassador of the Quarter.

"Insurance is a new occupation for me and I'm new to working in Turlock. Being an Ambassador is a great way to get out and meet people and at the same time pro-mote the Chamber of Commerce," he said.

Throughout his visits to dif-ferent businesses around town, Humble said the one thing that remained consistent was a real "positive vibe."

"The people I met were all pas-sionate about what they do and the product or service they represent, whether they work in a home and garden store or a boutique," said Humble. "Even though the town has grown, they comment about the small town feel. They all like to go to work every day.

"They make you feel welcomed in the community."

Humble said he enjoys meet-ing with members of the business

community and hearing what challenges they may face. He also makes sure they know all the ben-efits and services available to them by being a member of the Cham-ber of Commerce.

He also takes time to promote the Chamber to nonmembers he comes across in his work day or home life.

"I think what's nice about the Chamber of Commerce is that as an employer or an employee, there's always something going on, whether it's a mixer or ribbon cut-ting or other event. It's an outlet for networking with one another," Humble said. ◆

BY KRISTINA HACKER

JoyBiddle Creative Alternatives

Anokeen VaraniDental Spa

Robert RodarteUS Bank

Janet LopezUmpqua Bank

Cheryl GerhardtParamount Court

Mary MathewsiHeart Radio

DanielPerezMo-Cal Office Solutions

Jilbert GevargiziSteele Insurance Agency

Kathy HobbyStanislaus Office of Education

Bella YouriEdward Jones

Brad HumbleState Farm

JimLibertoGold Star Referral Club


2015 CHAMBER AMBASSADORS

CHAMBER


The Turlock Chamber of Commerce would like to recognize businesses that have been members for 5-10 years!

We thank you for your continued support!Henry’s Restaurant

Holiday Inn Express

Yonan’s Floral

Stanislaus Business Alliance

US Bank

Turlock Memorial Park

Blakemore Center for

Hearing & Balance

Staley’s Club

Tower Pharmacy

Turlock Imaging Services

Creation Lab, The

Concrete by Hallack

The Flowery

Glitz Fine Clothing

Alfred Matthews Inc.

Collision Center

Brenda Athletic Clubs

Turlock Downtown P.O.A.

Balswick Quick Smog

Modesto Nuts Professional

Baseball

Mundo’s Latin Grill

Pet Extreme, Inc.

Chiesa Ranch

Metro PCS

Tower Physical Therapy, Inc

Children’s Crisis Center

Turlock

Elegant Events 2000 &

Ribbons

Event Extravagant Group

Prodigal Sons & Daughters

Tower Ear Nose & Throat

Exit Realty Consultants

Community Hospice Inc.

Mocal Office Solutions

H2o Pro Swimming Pool

Service

William H Behrens CPA

Paul’s Paint Co.

Dental Spa - Antoine Varani,

DDS

Active 20/30 Turlock #68

Rex Klein Insurance Services

Alhambra-Sierra Springs

Water

Community Continuum

College

Les Schwab Tire Center

Sizzler Restaurant

Warden’s

Mocse Credit Union

Comfort Suites

Cool Hand Luke’s

Steakhouse/Saloon

Joseph O. Calderon

Wire Guys Alarm

Delta Blood Bank

Storage Auction Experts

Evergreen Packing, Inc.

CSU Stanislaus- College of

Business Admin.

Paul’s Glass Co.

Sushi Garden II

Better Business Bureau

Curtis Insurance Agency

State Farm Insurance - Dee

and Pam Hernandez

Stewart Schulze

Photographic Artist

Gallo Center for the Arts

American Association of

University Women

TLC Educational Facility

JenJil Packaging, Inc.

Creative Alternatives

Turlock Living Magazine

Ash Pirayou - Rutan & Tucker,

LLP

Chili’s Grill & Bar

ServiceMaster CLEAN

Varco Pruden Buildings, Inc.

Candlewood Suites

Fairfield Inn & Suites by

Marriott

Paramount Court Senior

Living

Rabobank - Turlock

Toscana’s

Mike Lynch Consulting

Las Casuelas Restaurants, Inc.

JKB Energy

BloodSource

B&B Manufacturer and B&B

Fluid Power

J. D. Almond Farms, Inc.

Clean ‘N’ Go Carpet Cleaning

& Janitorial Services

Turlock Family Network

Pine Creek Nutrition Service,

Inc.

Tri Counties Bank

Anderson’s Tow

Day’s Inn

Old Republic Title Company

Covenant Care at Home and

Hospice

Latif’s Restaurant

The Vieira Company

Pet Avenue

Kevin Wright Productions

Cal-Green Recycling

Gold Star Referral Clubs

Dr. Douglas H. Decker

Dr. Craig A. Loudenslager

Dr. Duc H. Nguyen

Wingstop

BNI Business Builders

Valley Tool & Mfg

Apollo Pool Service

Milestone Association

Management

Muller Berry Farms

Summer is here in the Central Valley and that means hot days are upon us. As individuals and employers, we need to be aware of the signs of heat-related ill-

nesses to protect ourselves and our workers.Our Chief of Staff, Dr. Kulmeet Dang, who also is the

Medical Director of our Emergency Department, offers this important information for summer safety:

For most people, there are warning signs that the heat is beginning to affect you. The first sign can be muscle cramps in the stomach, arms or legs, and you may notice swelling in your feet, legs and ankles. Another early warn-ing sign can be dizziness or feeling faint. People taking certain medications including beta-blockers can be more prone to heat-related dizziness. If you notice these early signs of heat illnesses, here are some steps you can take:

• Stop any physical activity and move to a cooler, shady area.

• Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid drinks containing alcohol or caffeine.

• Put your legs up if you notice swelling or feel dizzy. If these measures don’t work, contact your doctor.Heat exhaustion is the second stage of heat illness. This

means that your body can’t keep itself cool. Symptoms may include thirst, dizziness, weakness, lack of coordination, nausea and profuse sweating. Your body temperature will be normal, but your skin will feel cold and clammy. If you start feeling the signs of heat exhaustion, follow the steps listed above. If you don’t start feeling better soon, you should seek emergency medical care.

The final stage is heat stroke, which requires immediate emergency care. This is a life-threatening illness where your body can’t regulate its temperature by sweating. If this occurs, your temperature rises so high that brain damage or death may occur. During heat stroke, your internal temperature may reach 106 degree within 10 to 15 minutes. The warning signs of heat stroke include:

• Body temperature of 103 or more• Skin that is red, hot and dry• Lack of sweating• Throbbing headache• Dizziness• Nausea• Mental confusion• UnconsciousnessHeat stroke is a life-threatening emergency. If you encounter

someone with these symptoms, call 911 for emergency assis-tance and start trying to cool the person until help arrives.

As with most illnesses, prevention is the best medicine. Smart steps like scheduling shifts to minimize outdoor work in the hottest part of the day and providing plenty of cold water and shade can keep heat-related illness at bay.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention offers excellent informa-tion on heat-related employee safety, including downloadable resources to share with your employees. You can access this free information here https://www.osha.gov/Osh-Doc/data_Hurricane_Facts/heat_stress.pdf.

Here’s to a safe summer! ◆

BY SUE MICHELETTICEO, Emanuel Medical Center


Breathe.We’ve got you covered.

880 E. Tuolumne Road, Turlock | emanuelmedicalcenter.org/cancer

For physician referral, call (209) 250-5350.

We understand a diagnosis of lung cancer can be scary. We also

understand that having a caring, compassionate team of oncologists

like those found at Emanuel Cancer Center can be a real comfort

to those battling the disease. Offering comprehensive individualized

care close to home, Emanuel is fully staffed with a team of doctors

and nurses highly-skilled in the treatment of lung cancer. And it’s

this expertise, coupled with the close, comfortable setting offered by

Emanuel, that will help you and your family breathe more easily.

HEALTH

Breathe.We’ve got you covered.

880 E. Tuolumne Road, Turlock | emanuelmedicalcenter.org/cancer

For physician referral, call (209) 250-5350.

We understand a diagnosis of lung cancer can be scary. We also

understand that having a caring, compassionate team of oncologists

like those found at Emanuel Cancer Center can be a real comfort

to those battling the disease. Offering comprehensive individualized

care close to home, Emanuel is fully staffed with a team of doctors

and nurses highly-skilled in the treatment of lung cancer. And it’s

this expertise, coupled with the close, comfortable setting offered by

Emanuel, that will help you and your family breathe more easily.

1801 Colorado Ave. • Turlock, CA • (209) 216-3400

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Business News 23 Summer 2015

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