Bitwise continuing to spread its wings in downtown Fresno. Latest venture is colorful, too

Bitwise continuing to spread its wings in downtown Fresno. Latest venture is colorful, too

Artist lofts project to begin construction in Stockton

The MediCo Dental building in Downtown Stockton is the site for the new Medici Artist Lofts.

A groundbreaking for a new artist-inspired project will be held May 31 in Stockton.

The Medici Artist Lofts, a mixed-income apartment building with commercial space, will break-ground this week at was once the MediCo Dental building.

“We are excited to expand on the success of our Cal Weber 40 project, providing much needed housing in San Joaquin County—specifically to those who want to live in Downtown Stockton,” said Chris Flaherty, chairman and CEO of 3 Leaf Holdings, a partner in the project along with the Housing Authority of the County of San Joaquin and DFA Development.

The project, expected to be completed by fall of 2019, is geared toward artists, offering space for receptions, galleries and 34 residential units.

“The Housing Authority is excited to be a part of the revitalization of Downtown Stockton,” said Peter Ragsdale, executive director of the Housing Authority. “Medici Artist Lofts will be transformative in its adaptive, mixed-use rehabilitation of the iconic Medical/Dental Building. This project will change the conversation around what is possible when partnerships are struck to help solve the affordable housing crisis in California.”

Six of the units will be offered at market rate, and 28 will offered at “affordable rent subject to income limitations,” according to the Housing Authority.

Similar projects in cities like Fresno have found success in bringing more residents to dwell in downtown regions undergoing revitalization efforts.

The groundbreaking will take place at 7:30 a.m. on May 31 in the lobby of the MediCo Dental building. Business leaders and community members are encouraged to attend the event.

https://cvbj.biz/2018/05/29/artist-lofts-project-to-begin-construction-in-stockton/

Stifel opens Modesto branch

Stifel Financial Corporation has opened another Central Valley location in Modesto.

The location, at 1539 McHenry Ave., Ste. A, is the 39th Stifel office in California. It will be run by the team of Dane and Randy Anderson.Between them, the Andersons have more than 71 years of investment experience. They previously worked with Wells Fargo Advisors, handling upwards of $200 million in client assets.

The environment at Stifel appeals to the team due to the flexibility the company gives its advisors.

“Stifel is an entrepreneurial environment where advisors can run their business the way they think is best for them and their clients,” said Dane Anderson. “Thanks to Stifel’s advisor- and client-centric culture, I feel our clients will truly benefit in our transition to Stifel.”Many advisors in the investment industry have worked together in past roles, especially at places such as A.G. Edwards.

“I am thrilled to reunited with Dane and Randy after having worked with them for years at A.G. Edwards,” said John Lee, who is now the Western Region director for Stifel. “I maintain that this is a relationship business built on trust, and to have these trusted advisors join Stifel where they can be the center of the relationship with their clients and not worry about corporate interference is exciting for them, and we are excited to have them.”

 

 

Stifel was founded in 1890 by Benjamin Altheimer and Edward Rawlings as a general securities business. They brought Herman Charles Stifel onboard seven years later as their treasurer. Henry J. Nicolaus joined the company in 1910, along with his son Louis. In 1923, it was renamed Stifel, Nicolaus Investment Company.

https://cvbj.biz/2018/05/15/stifel-opens-modesto-branch/

Fresno’s Fulton Street named one of America’s top main streets

Fulton Street was named one of 10 semifinalists on Monday.

From art to architecture you will find a little something different along Fresno’s Fulton Street.

The longtime pedestrian mall re-opened to vehicular traffic last October. On Monday the street was recognized in America’s main street contest.

“As an organization, we feel awesome to be in this running because it really is prime time for Fulton Street and Fulton District with the reopening of Fulton street six or seven months ago,” said Chilingerian.

The goal of the national contest is to help promote the importance and strong economic benefits of main streets and the small businesses that help them thrive

Fulton Street was named one of 10 semifinalists on Monday.

There are currently 18 vacant storefronts on Fulton.

Many have sat empty for years and are in need of renovation to be brought up to code.

Officials hope this type of national attention will catch the eye of potential business owners.

“We’re already seeing some businesses come in and open but something like this would bring even more foot traffic and even more potential businesses so I think national attention like this is really exciting for us,” said Jenna Chilingerian.

The winning main street will receive $25,000 in cash and prizes to help revitalize their street.

“We’re always looking for opportunities for more faade improvements tenant improvements like so those are the things we’re looking at right now,” said Chilingerian.

The winner will be announced June 4.

http://abc30.com/community-events/fresnos-fulton-street-named-one-of-americas-top-main-streets-/3532558/

Businesses Can Help California Schools Train Students for ‘New Collar’ Jobs

 

 

By Jennifer Ryan Crozier and Loren Kaye

Jennifer Ryan Crozier is president of the IBM Foundation. Loren Kaye is president of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education, a think tank affiliated with CalChamber.

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018

The key to California’s long-term economic growth can be found in the classroom.

Job growth in California has been robust since the last recession. But recently that growth has slowed because of the lack of employable workers. The projected shortage of skilled workers in the state through 2030 is more than a million graduates with bachelor’s degrees as well as hundreds of thousands of workers with two-year associate’s degrees and certificates. Only 39 percent of the state’s workers are trained to the “middle-skill” level, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.

Filling that talent pipeline will be a challenge unless we can better prepare students for 21st century jobs.

A promising public-private partnership is taking shape in the Legislature that focuses on high school and college completion, along with meaningful workplace experiences. State Sen. Anthony Portantino is sponsoring legislation to create the California State Pathways in Technology. If successful, this legislation would provide state funding for a proven educational program already delivering results in 90 schools in seven states.

P-Tech schools would address the educational achievement challenge in California through an innovative model for grades nine through 14 that encompasses high school, college and industry. In addition to their high school diplomas, P-Tech students earn a two-year associates degree at no cost and develop the workplace skills necessary for employment in the 21st century “new collar” workforce.

This is critical, given that the U.S. economy will create 16 million “new collar” jobs by 2024, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. These positions require some post-secondary education and mid-level technology skills, though not necessarily a four-year college degree. Among all states, California has experienced some of the largest increases in the number of good, well-paying jobs that don’t require four-year degrees.

According to the just-released report card from the National Center for Education Statistics, the math skills of California’s eighth-grade students lag those in 33 other states, and just 10 to 15 percent of our African American and Latino students are proficient in math, significantly trailing their white and Asian American peers.

How can we close these widening gaps that perpetuate cycles of poverty and weaken economic competitiveness?

A number of California schools have cracked the code to improving high school completion by integrating rigorous academics, career-technical education classes and work-based learning opportunities. This “linked learning” approach has successfully delivered career- and college-ready graduates, in part by incorporating local businesses to support education programs.

But that’s not all.

After completing the first full six years of the model last spring, the inaugural cohort of students at P-Tech in Brooklyn, N.Y., had a graduation rate four times the national community college graduation rate and five times the rate for low-income students. Many of these graduates have gone on to complete their bachelor’s degrees, while others have joined the new-collar workforce at IBM, which designed — and continues to steward — the model.

The P-Tech network now includes schools in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island and Texas, with the number of schools expected to reach more than 120 by the fall. There are now more than 450 companies involved, providing mentoring, site visits, paid internships and “first in line” job interviews upon graduation — a powerful motivator for students.

Importantly, whether urban, suburban or rural, P-Tech schools work within existing state budgets and offer open admissions without pretesting. P-Tech schools don’t require or receive special resources. All partnerships benefit from IBM’s “playbook,” which helps ensure each school has the information to implement the model successfully.

The goal is to get students to a degree that has weight in the 21st century economy. Providing the P-Tech pathway, along with programs such as Linked Learning, will offer California’s students a new, debt-free pathway to ensuring their career success, and our state’s long-term economic growth.

California announces ‘record number’ of active apprentices

Tire distribution facility to open in Fresno

By Central Valley Business Times

May15, 2018

  • It’s the 8th for SoCal-based Tire’s Warehouse •

“The location will increase our delivery and will-call efficiencies throughout Central California” Corona-based Tire’s Warehouse Inc. says it is opening its eighth distribution facility in Fresno.

The 122,000 square foot facility, to open in July, will bridge the gap between TWI’s Southern and Northern California branches. It will be the 8th warehouse for TWI, three of which have opened within the last three years, and brings their total distribution center square footage to over 700,000.

The new Fresno distribution center will service the Central Valley – TWI’s largest geographical service region to date.

“The new facility in Fresno will build upon the customer focused service Tire’s Warehouse has established for nearly 50 years,” says Dan King, TWI president.

“The location will increase our delivery and will-call efficiencies throughout Central California, providing our customers improved access to our portfolio of brands and the support they need to be successful.“

http://files.constantcontact.com/2cb20f61601/59d3f7c7-0350-482d-a540-ba62c2432bcc.pdf

Kern County named wind turbine capital of the world

  • BY STEVEN MAYER

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Kern has more wind turbines — 4,581 — than any other county in the nation.

The USGS has created a database that mapped all 57,636 of the nation’s wind machines, Energy Digital reported. Not only does the Golden Empire have more turbines, the USGS says it has the highest turbine density in the world.

 That’s a lot of juice.

According to the survey, Kern has a total wind power capacity of 4 gigawatts, and more turbines than the entire northeast region of the United States.

To put this in perspective, there are a billion watts in one gigawatt. That’s a lot of light bulbs. Now multiply by four.

 That’s enough to power between 1.2 million and 2.9 million homes, depending on the vagaries of seasonal demand. Obviously, most of that power is being exported outside of Kern.

Riverside County ranked second with 2,373 turbines, while Alameda County ranked third with 1,430 turbines. Nolan County in Texas ranked fourth with 1,374 turbines.

The USGS generated the database in partnership with the Department of Energy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the American Wind Energy Association.

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/kern-county-named-wind-capital-of-the-world/article_f4e22e40-5a34-11e8-a6a2-e7db220d3d8b.html?utm_source=bakersfield.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fheadlines%2F%3F-dc%3D1526641220&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline

Amgen tour launches from Stockton

The Stockton Arena was abuzz with activity on May 17, as cycling enthusiasts and local businesses alike gathered to attend the start of stage 5 of the 2018 Amgen Tour of California, a 109.7-mile journey from Stockton to Elk Grove.

The course is relatively flat with only one major change of elevation, allowing the sprinters among the contestants to shine. “This is a tailor-made sprint stage for the sprinters, and they have been raring to go,” noted announcer Brian Stover.

The Amgen Tour of California is an annual business boon to host cities throughout the Central Valley. Tourism revenue is bolstered by cycling fans following the tour throughout the state. In addition, each stop along the way is an opportunity for local businesses to have booths at the event. This is the second time Stockton has hosted the start of the event, the last time being in 2007.  Modesto and Lodi have also been frequented by the Amgen Tour of California in recent years.

Nonprofit booths made a strong showing at this year’s Stockton start to stage 5.

“One of the things I’ve encouraged the staff to do is to be involved in events like this, bring out some of the food we have … so they can see we’re actually providing healthy, nutritious, good food to those who really need it,” said Rick Brewer, CEO of the Emergency Food Bank. “Sometimes people will come by and throw a dollar in our [donation] box too, so we’ll get a couple donations.”

Amgen tour launches from Stockton

Fresno annexes additional land west of highway 99

The city of Fresno continues to grow west.

The city council today approved annexing a new housing tract west of Highway 99.

Thie nearly 160-acre parcel is expected to be the site of more than two hundred homes. The site is bordered by Shaw, Gettysburg, Bryan, and Hayes.

The project was approved more than ten years ago, but the recession delayed development. The developer, Dennis Gaab is now ready and wants the county land annexed into the city. He told the council, “Insofar as we are aware, there’s no opposition to the annexation.”

There is a building boom going on west of Highway 99. The area is becoming is becoming more desirable, but one big problem is getting here.

“It’s awful, it’s awful.” That’s how longtime area resident Sharon Brown describes the traffic getting across the highway on Shaw or Ashlan. “In the morning, going over you have to time it just right, or it might take ten times just to get through the light.”

Getting across Highway 99 is a problem City Councilmember Steve Brandau is aware of. He told his fellow council members, “At some point, our city is going to have to get very serious about Shaw and 99 and Ashlan and 99.”

Putting in overpasses will cost tens of millions of dollars, and the city is working with Caltrans, trying to figure out where to get the money. Councilmember Paul Caprioglio said Fresno appeared to be putting “the cart before the horse” in dealing with traffic, police and fire protection.

City Manager Wilma Quan Shecter said those issues were being discussed.

City staff has given the project the green light, and despite expressing concerns, the city councilmembers approved the annexation. Council President Esmerelda Soria said, “This is a great housing project because it’s going to bring more housing units to our community.”

The developer says the 216 homes will have average prices of around $400,000.