By Jennifer New Location • Tourism 0 Comments

New Hampton by Hilton Opens Near Yosemite National Park

Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite welcomed its first guests on Thursday, May 19. The property is among a complement of three hotels owned and operated by OTO Development, part of The Johnson Group, near Yosemite National Park.The hotels — this Hampton by Hilton, a Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott and a Holiday Inn Express & Suites — are adjacent to each other along CA-41, just 13 short miles from Yosemite’s south gate.Noteworthy for its easy proximity to Yosemite National Park, Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite is an hour closer to the 1,169-square-mile natural attraction than any other Hilton property. It combines convenient access with the consistent service, accommodations and amenities guests have come to expect from the Hilton brand.“People are drawn to all the many natural wonders of Yosemite National Park,” says Corry Oakes, CEO of OTO Development. “They want to be surprised and delighted by the outside world, but they don’t want any surprises inside their hotel. That’s the value Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite brings to the market: a reliable, best-in-class experience every time, backed by the 100% Hampton Guarantee.”

Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite comprises 111 guest rooms intuitively designed for both function and comfort. On-site amenities include an indoor pool, a well-equipped fitness room, a 24/7 market and a guest laundry facility. For business travelers, there’s a business center and boardroom. A hot, complimentary breakfast is served every morning.“We are pleased to offer three popular brand options to the 4.5 million people who come to Yosemite every year,” Oakes says. “Visitors can make the most of the park’s activities and attractions, such as two wild and scenic rivers, waterfalls, granite cliffs and ancient giant sequoias, then relax back at their favorite, familiar hotel.”

The leadership team at Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite includes Stephanie Casillas and Richard Garwood, Assistant General Managers; Steve Tarn, Regional Director of Operations; Jennifer Mooradian, Director of Operation Support; Carla Tenenbaum, Regional Director of Sales; Lauren Hartman, Area Director of Sales; and Maygen Brown, Complex Sales Manager.OTO Development purchased Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite from a family of independent hoteliers while the property was still under construction. OTO previously acquired Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Oakhurst Yosemite and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oakhurst-Yosemite Park Area, which are next door to the new Hampton by Hilton. The seller was represented by Stanley Wang of Marcus & Millichap.

Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite is located at 40740 CA-41 in Oakhurst, California.

https://sierranewsonline.com/new-hampton-by-hilton-opens-near-yosemite-national-park/

By Jennifer Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Aemetis Completes 20 Miles of Biogas Pipeline and Receives Merced County Approval for Final Stage of Main Pipeline Construction

Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX), a renewable natural gas and renewable fuels company focused on below zero carbon intensity products, today announced the completion of 20 miles of biogas pipeline and approval for construction of the remaining biogas pipeline in Merced County, California.  Construction of the 39-mile main biogas pipeline is on schedule for completion in Q4 2022. “Issuance of the Phase Two Pipeline permit and construction of the main pipeline in Merced County is a very significant milestone for the Aemetis Biogas RNG project,” said Andy Foster, President of Aemetis Biogas, Inc. “California and Merced County recognize that the adoption of dairy biogas as a negative carbon intensity fuel to replace diesel in heavy trucks and buses is essential if we are to make strides to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. Aemetis continues to rapidly deploy the infrastructure necessary to connect our network of dairy digesters and increase the production of carbon negative dairy renewable natural gas.”

This project milestone allows the installation of biogas pipeline in Merced County for construction of a pipeline for a total of 39 miles from the Aemetis ethanol plant in Keyes, California to dairies in Stanislaus County and Merced counties. The pressurized pipeline conveys conditioned, pressurized biogas from dairies to the Company’s centralized gas cleanup facility and the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) interconnection system to inject renewable natural gas (RNG) into the gas utility pipeline. At the Keyes plant, the biogas is upgraded to negative carbon intensity RNG for use as a transportation fuel in cars, trucks, and buses. The RNG is either delivered into the PG&E utility pipeline located onsite at the Aemetis ethanol plant, dispensed to trucks at fueling stations across California or at the RNG fueling station being built at the Aemetis plant.

Previously, Aemetis announced that it received approval for the biogas pipeline from the Merced County Board of Supervisors for the Phase Two pipeline, as well as an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the entire pipeline project, the key approval necessary to meet the permitting requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) prior to pipeline construction. The CEQA approval confirms that mitigation measures in the biogas project will avoid or mitigate any impacts on the environment. The Company completed the permitting for 20 miles of biogas pipeline in Stanislaus County in August 2021 to connect dairies to the Aemetis biogas cleanup facility at the ethanol facility. The initial four-mile Phase 1 pipeline project was completed and commissioned in the third quarter of 2020 in conjunction with the completion of the Company’s first two dairy digesters, and the 20 miles of Stanislaus County pipeline has now been completed.  Additional pipeline will be added to connect digesters to the main biogas pipeline.

Once complete, the Aemetis biogas digesters and clean-up facility will produce more than 1.65 million MMBtu of RNG each year. Aemetis received a negative -426 Carbon Intensity pathway for biogas from the company’s first two dairy digesters, which is currently being utilized as process energy at the ethanol facility. When built, the system will eliminate emissions from approximately 1 million cars per year and eliminate about 5 million metric tonnes of CO2 per year. The pipeline project and the $12 million biogas cleanup facility are funded in part by a $4.2 million grant from the California Energy Commission.

 

About Aemetis

Aemetis has a mission to transform renewable energy with below zero carbon intensity transportation fuels. Aemetis has launched the Carbon Zero production process to decarbonize the transportation sector using today’s infrastructure. Aemetis Carbon Zero products include zero carbon fuels that can “drop in” to be used in airplane, truck, and ship fleets. Aemetis low-carbon fuels have substantially reduced carbon intensity compared to standard petroleum fossil-based fuels across their lifecycle.

Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Aemetis is a renewable natural gas, renewable fuel and biochemicals company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of innovative technologies that replace petroleum-based products and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Founded in 2006, Aemetis has completed Phase 1 and is expanding a California biogas digester network and pipeline system to convert dairy waste gas into Renewable Natural Gas. Aemetis owns and operates a 65 million gallon per year ethanol production facility in California’s Central Valley near Modesto that supplies about 80 dairies with animal feed. Aemetis also owns and operates a 50 million gallon per year production facility on the East Coast of India producing high quality distilled biodiesel and refined glycerin for customers in India and Europe.  Aemetis is developing the Carbon Zero sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel fuel biorefineries in California to utilize distillers corn oil and other renewable oils to produce low carbon intensity renewable jet and diesel fuel using cellulosic hydrogen from waste orchard and forest wood, while pre-extracting cellulosic sugars from the waste wood to be processed into high value cellulosic ethanol at the Keyes plant. Aemetis holds a portfolio of patents and exclusive technology licenses to produce renewable fuels and biochemicals.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions or beliefs about future events or other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements relating to the development and construction of the biogas pipeline, biogas digesters, our compliance with governmental programs, and our ability to access markets and funding to execute our business plan.  Words or phrases such as “anticipates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “showing signs,” “targets,” “view,” “will likely result,” “will continue” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions and predictions and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties.  Actual results or events could differ materially from those set forth or implied by such forward-looking statements and related assumptions due to certain factors, including, without limitation, competition in the ethanol, biodiesel and other industries in which we operate, commodity market risks including those that may result from current weather conditions, financial market risks, customer adoption, counter-party risks, risks associated with changes to federal policy or regulation, and other risks detailed in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in our subsequent filings with the SEC.  We are not obligated, and do not intend, to update any of these forward-looking statements at any time unless an update is required by applicable securities laws.

https://www.aemetis.com/aemetis-completes-20-miles-of-biogas-pipeline-and-receives-merced-county-approval-for-final-stage-of-main-pipeline-construction/

By Jennifer New Developments 0 Comments

MGA RESEARCH ANNOUNCES WEST COAST EXPANSION

MGA is excited to announce our West Coast geographic expansion with a new test facility in Hughson, California! Localization has been a core principle of MGA starting approximately 30 years ago, with the purchase of our Wisconsin proving grounds and test facility in the Detroit region. These facilities focused on serving the Midwest based automotive industry. As time went on, the localized demand from our customers continued to grow as they pushed into the Southeastern US and Mexican markets. As a result, MGA established facilities in Texas, Virginia, South Carolina, and Alabama. The emergence and success of many automotive startups and established aerospace customers in the Western United States, has created a demand for local testing services, and MGA is responding. 

As the ninth location in North America, our California facility will serve as a strong addition to existing automotive, space, and aircraft testing capabilities we offer. The location is approximately 100 miles east of San Jose and San Francisco. Sitting on 9 acres with expansion capabilities, this 80,000 sq ft facility will bring unparalleled testing capability under one roof to the West Coast. Capabilities will be added in a phased approach starting in the Summer of 2022. We are bringing these capabilities online based on customer feedback and needs for that region – currently that plan calls for 3 phases: 

Phase 1 – Summer 2022  

FMVSS 200-Level Component Safety, Environmental and Lifecycle, Durability, and Pyroshock 

Phase 2 – Early 2023 

Accelerator Sled testing, Component Safety Expansion, Vibration, and Durability Expansion 

Phase 3 – 2023 

Indoor Full Vehicle Crash Track, Battery and Electronics lab, Materials

Testing Since late 2021, we have hired local CA associates who have been training at multiple MGA facilities to learn our processes and enhance their skillsets. In addition to local hires, several key MGA associates are moving out to California to work full time and bring the same quality of service provided at all our facilities. MGA will continue to grow and expand this facility as time goes on to best serve our growing customer base. With all our planning, state of the art equipment, and experienced staff, we look forward to supporting our west coast customers achieve their goals.

https://mgaresearch.com/news/mga-research-announces-west-coast-expansion/

By Jennifer Manufacturing • New Developments 0 Comments

Pacific Steel awards main contract for $350M California rebar mill

Pacific Steel Group anticipates an early-2025 start for a 380,000 ton/year rebar mill in Mojave, Calif., integrating the facility with its fabrication and installation businesses. The company has awarded a contract to Pennsylvania-based Danieli Corp. to build an advanced MIDA Hybrid micro mill, potentially powered by adjacent solar arrays. With four North American rebar mill installations since 2009, the MIDA milling technology yields production efficiencies through “endless” casting and rolling and lowers energy consumption by eliminating the need for the second heating phase typical of steel bar production.

The Mojave facility will help lower carbon dioxide emissions through world class productivity metrics, reduced transportation requirements for Southwest region concrete contractors, and the use of green energy, Pacific Steel affirms. “We are excited about partnering with Danieli to build one of the cleanest, safest and most efficient steel mills in the world,” adds Chairman Eric Benson.

https://concreteproducts.com/index.php/2022/04/11/pacific-steel-awards-main-contract-for-350m-california-rebar-mill/

By Jennifer New Developments 0 Comments

Kern Economic Development hopes to increase retention

The Kern Economic Development Foundation is launching a new talent retention initiative, which will link the region’s businesses with students throughout Kern County. This year’s students will be recent graduates of the regional occupational center with disciplines ranging from culinary arts to robotics. Still KEDF is calling on local business owners in Kern to partner with them. “The project is only as good as the job listing we have. So, we have the flow of students right now but we need to work to tell the employers about this talent pool that’s available to step in the job since day one,” said Richard Chapman, Executive Director of the Kern Economic Development Foundation.

The Kern Economic Development Foundation’s goal is to link the region’s businesses with KHSD students through the Kern Intern Connection Executive Director of the Kern Economic Development Foundation. Richard Chapman is hoping not only increase retention of workers in Kern but to gain employers from a variety of disciplines. “The key for us is these internships. The students are going to have to be involved in what that company does, we want to make sure this experience is based on, if you’re a manufacturer, that you’re working in the facility, that you are not just filing papers.”

Chapman said these students already have hours of training but what they need is the opportunity to gain soft skills like showing up to work on time and working with a team. “We know that workforce development, the quality and availability, is by far the number one challenge. I mean, think about it, in our county we have a labor participation of 60% so that means 40% of people that are able to work for various reasons are not looking for a job.” He said this is where the Kern intern connection comes in. “It helps students connect the dots. They learn the skills in the classrooms and the labs but then they get to go out in a real world setting and it really turns the light on for them,” said Brian Miller, Principal of the Kern High Regional Occupational Programs.

Miller said he’s seen students start out not knowing what they want to do at all to finding an internship to getting a job and coming back to teach the next generation of students. “I am a true believer, that this is a very important part of education I see a lot of kids every year that just connect the dot.”Chapman said they are accepting applications from employers on a rolling basis.

https://www.turnto23.com/money/kern-economic-development-hopes-to-increase-retention?msclkid=71ebfca8d08911ec94c1a96c5b18e72c

By Jennifer Energy 0 Comments

chevron launches carbon capture and storage project in san joaquin valley

Chevron U.S.A. Inc., through its Chevron New Energies division, announced it is launching a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project aimed at reducing the carbon intensity of its operations in San Joaquin Valley, California. Chevron aims to reduce its carbon intensity – the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted per unit of energy produced – by installing CO2 post-combustion capture equipment, capturing the CO2 and then safely storing it thousands of feet underground. This CCS initiative would begin at Chevron’s Kern River Eastridge cogeneration plant in Kern County, California. “At Chevron, we believe the future of energy is lower carbon. Reducing the carbon intensity of the energy people rely on day-in and day-out is well-aligned with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement,” said Chris Powers, vice president of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) for Chevron New Energies. “We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate and progress this CCS initiative in San Joaquin Valley, a region where we have lived and worked for over a century.”

Chevron has applied to obtain a Conditional Use Permit with the Planning and Natural Resources Department of Kern County and will continue to work with appropriate regulators throughout the process. In addition to the Eastridge cogeneration project, Chevron is currently evaluating and deploying multiple carbon capture technology demonstrations to mature more efficient and cost-effective capture solutions, potentially enabling future projects, not only for Chevron, but for other industries. “As Chevron advances to a lower carbon future, we’re identifying ways to advance our operations as well, so we can continue to provide local jobs, support the local economy, and generate local government revenue that supports critical community services,” said Molly Laegeler, vice president, San Joaquin Valley (SJV), Chevron. “We are excited about this Chevron New Energies project and fostering continued collaboration with local regulators throughout this process, not only to position the region to benefit from these lower carbon solutions, but that we continue to protect people and the environment. We believe this project has the potential to benefit the region on many levels and that Kern County is an ideal location for carbon capture and storage.”

An August 2020 report by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory that highlighted opportunities for California to become carbon neutral noted, “there are various options for geologic storage sites in the state, but we have identified the most promising first candidates in San Joaquin County and in Kern County,” due to the regions’ geologic and subsurface characteristics, as well as the existing oil and natural gas production.1 Chevron is also actively exploring additional opportunities to lower the carbon intensity of its SJV operations, including the blending of hydrogen with natural gas in combustion, and the potential use of other emerging lower carbon technologies, such as geothermal.

Project Support:
Kern Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Richard Chapman: “We have a long history of working with Chevron and have appreciated their significant involvement in our community and the role they have played in Kern County. We are excited to see their commitment to lowering the carbon footprint of their local operations and look forward to seeing the innovation and technology they plan to deploy. These efforts aim to ensure job security and workforce development opportunities and maintain the quality of life we enjoy here.”

State Building & Construction Trades Council of California President Andrew Meredith: “Energy transition efforts such as this project have the potential to create a significant number of good-paying jobs. There are also a number of skills in oil and gas jobs that are transferable to new energies, especially CCUS. We appreciate Chevron’s continued commitment to California and our workers.”

CA State Sen. Anna Caballero: “As we enter our hottest time of the year, we need to be sure we have enough energy to prevent brownouts and blackouts. This project is designed to serve a dual purpose: ensure we have electricity when we need it and help provide climate action for our Central Valley and California.”

https://www.chevron.com/newsroom/2022/q2/chevron-launches-carbon-capture-and-storage-project-in-san-joaquin-valley

By Jennifer New Developments 0 Comments

Big rental complexes in Visalia, Central Valley mean big money for investors

Local residents have had epic battles at public meetings to stifle the development of apartment and rental homes in the last few years but they may not be able to hold them off much longer. The price of multifamily housing has dramatically increased since new construction slowed to a crawl before the pandemic, which snuffed out what was left. High-end rental complexes have caught the attention of Southern California investors looking to turn big profits on a tight housing market. On April 19, The Mogharebi Group (TMG) brokered the sale of ReNew, a 128-unit development in Visalia from FPA Multifamily to a Santa Barbara-based private investment firm for $30.65 million.

There are 1,055 multifamily properties of 50 units or more, a total of 123,000 rental units, scattered among 70 cities between Bakersfield and Sacramento, according to commercial real estate database Yardi Matrix. “The Central Valley has long been thought of as strictly an agricultural area, but that is only one part of its economic story,” said TMG Executive Vice President Otto Ozen. “Government and healthcare are large and growing economic drivers, which combined with the region’s lower cost of living has resulted in an in-migration of people from higher-cost coastal cities. Yet new construction has not kept up with demand.  The strong regional economy and steady population growth combined with the high barriers to entry, has not been lost on investors,” Ozen added.

Built in 2008, ReNew Visalia is a two-story, 128-unit apartment community located at 3315  Lovers Lane. The property comprises 16 residential buildings totaling 119,608 rentable square feet. The complex is situated on a 6.76-acre site, for a comfortable density of 18.9 units per acre. The apartment homes feature spacious one-, two-, and three-bedroom floor plans with an average size of 934 square feet, respectively. The property boasts a swimming pool, recreation room with wet-bar, laundry facilities, clubhouse, spa, and reserved parking. “Not only did we help the seller find ReNew a few years ago, but after 24 months, we were able to sell it for 50% higher price, which is indicative of growing investor interest for properties in the Central Valley,” Ozen concluded. TMG also brokered the sale of a 240-unit apartment complex in Bakersfield for $22 million, a 109-unit complex in Tulare for $15.66 million and a 237-unit complex in Visalia for $42.5 million in 2020 alone.

In the last two years, 445 multifamily properties in the Central Valley have traded hands, 10% of those transactions brokered by TMG. Over that span, the average sales price per unit increased  21% from $111,275 to $135,444.  The greatest increases could be found in 4- and 5-star properties which increased 28% from $228,465 to $292,412. And there are plenty more in the permitting pipeline. Apartment permits in Visalia were up 30% in the first two months of 2022 alone. Permits in Tulare are estimated to skyrocket as they are often priced lower than similar sized homes in Visalia, and the same can be said of apartment complexes as well. Since its founding in 2015, TMG, one of the leading multifamily brokers in the State of California, according to real estate research and advisory firm Green Street, has been involved in the sale of more than 6,500 units in the Central Valley with sales exceeding $800 million.

https://thesungazette.com/article/news/2022/04/26/big-rental-complexes-in-visalia-central-valley-mean-big-money-for-investors/

By Jennifer New Location 0 Comments

Ono Hawaiian BBQ says Aloha in Visalia

One of America’s fastest growing restaurant chains will celebrate its 100th location with the opening of its newest store in Visalia. Say “Aloha” to Ono Hawaiian BBQ. The Hawaiian-inspired fast-casual restaurant will celebrate the milestone at the grand opening of its Visalia store, 708 S. Mooney Blvd., all-day long on Friday, April 22. There will be an in-store luau for their customers to enjoy a taste of the Islands, including Hawaiian dancers showcasing and celebrating authentic Hawaiian culture and spirit. There will be deals and giveaways, including a buy one get one free offering both in-store and online. Ono Hawaiian BBQ will also be giving away 100th Store Memorabilia pins and scratchers at all locations while supplies last.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be opening our 100th Ono BBQ location and celebrating this milestone,” said Joshua Liang, Chief Executive Officer. “This achievement would not be possible without our loyal customers who’ve shown their love for our food and brand.” “Ono” means “delicious” in Hawaiian, and the restaurant has maintained its reputation for nearly two decades as the Hawaiian fast casual staple since being founded in 2002. The menu includes everything from mini meals to family-style servings. Every Ono Hawaiian BBQ dish is created with fresh ingredients using authentic Hawaiian recipes, and made-to-order in each restaurant. “Island Favorites” include chicken Katsu, Kalua pork, white fish, crispy shrimp and grilled spam and eggs.

The restaurant’s popularity continues to grow throughout California and Hawaii. The restaurant was recently ranked sixth in a Top 10 list of the fastest growing chains compiled last year by Technomic, a food service industry research firm. The ranking reported the Hawaiian barbecue restaurants had 2020 sales totalling $146 million. Ono opened its 98th location in Delano, Calif. In November.

https://thesungazette.com/article/news/2022/04/20/hawaiian-bbq-says-aloha-in-visalia/

By Jennifer Education • Hi-Tech 0 Comments

Bitwise Industries opens in downtown Merced, offering ‘life-changing opportunities in tech’

Bitwise Industries, a Central Valley technology company geared toward giving low-income residents an opportunity to get a tech-based education, opened the doors of its downtown Merced business hub this week. Bitwise Industries, which was founded in 2013 in Fresno, offers workspace for its members and leases out office suites. It also offers workforce training classes and tech consulting for local businesses. The new business hub is located at 1635 M St., on the corner of M Street and Main Street. “Bitwise Industries goes into underestimated communities and we build tech ecosystems using our three-pronged approach, which includes real estate — having a place and space — it also includes workforce training programs and tech consulting services,” said Norma Cardona, who is the vice president of Bitwise Industries in Merced.

The 6,500-square-foot office houses a co-working space that features tables and desks available for members. It’s designed for budding entrepreneurs and startup companies like a solo Realtor, online marketer or micro business owner. “People can come in, they’ll have a desk, they’ll have a chair, they’ll also have access to 20 free black and white copies and access to a conference room,” Cardona said. Memberships cost $40 per month with a student rate at $25 per month. The working space is set up for 40 members, but is currently being limited to about 20 to 25 members due to COVID-19 protocols. The working space is always open.

There are three office suites that are all currently leased out. There are two classrooms that hold 25 to 40 people. There are also three Bitwise suites, a conference room and a phone booth for private conversations. Bitwise Industries offers workforce training in Merced. Along with the office space, Bitwise also offers workforce training. “We offer life-changing opportunities in tech careers,” Cardona said. “We do that by offering evening classes or, as we call it, pre-apprenticeship classes that are stepping stones into a one year, full-time paid apprenticeship program, where we pay people to learn careers in tech.” The pre-apprenticeship classes are two nights per week and last six weeks. The classes offered include website for beginners, mobile website for beginners and JavaScript for beginners.

Students from these classes have the opportunity to earn one-year, paid internships with Bitwise Industries. The classes are designed to give people from marginalized communities — which includes people who formerly were incarcerated, formerly homeless, women, people from working-class families, the LGBTQ+ community and people of color — the opportunity to learn skills that could lead to tech jobs. Right now the classes are only offered remotely due to the pandemic. For more information on the workforce training, visit the Bitwise Industries website. Bitwise Industries also offers tech consulting for area businesses, including smaller restaurants that lacked websites and nonprofits that struggled to attract donors, according to Bitwise vice president Katherine Verducci. “Our tech consulting really helps up-level all the businesses that are in the area,” Verducci said.

Bitwise aims to create tech economy in Merced. Bitwise has opened hubs in places like Fresno and Bakersfield. Merced has similar characteristics and became a desired destination for the company. “We saw that there was high unemployment or underemployment, we saw that there was a high poverty rate,” Cardona said. “Actually one of the great things that we saw was UC Merced and the investment into downtown. So all those things are things we considered and we said, ‘we want to go into Merced.'” “We want to create that tech economy that is going to ignite transformations throughout the community,” Cardona added. “So people who are left out of opportunities, people who are surviving, people who are underemployed can really take advantage of these opportunities and get into a place of really thriving.”

Originally officials were eyeing an opening date in early 2021, but the pandemic delayed the opening. Cardona says Bitwise is thrilled to finally open its doors in downtown Merced. “We are so excited that we have this here now,” Cardona said. “A lot of people have been talking about it, a lot of people have heard about it, but it’s not until you see it in person, it’s not until you’re here that you’re really able to capture it and feel what Bitwise is all about.”

https://app.meltwater.com/newsletters/analytics/view/5e8624bb4a32930012f3b64d/newsletter/61c4b6b1c1abab0013267cc9/distribution/62910ec742b67f00137a68d7/document/MERCED0020220527ei5r00002

By Jennifer Education • Workforce 0 Comments

Rail Academy will train Valley youth for well-paying jobs on passenger, freight lines

Christian Sharma hopes to be among the first graduates of the Rail Academy of Central California, ready to work on a freight or passenger line. “I would mainly like to get behind the wheel of a locomotive,” the 18-year-old said at a May 25 open house in Stockton. “And help to maintain it, checking to see that it’s up to date.” The program will launch with about 70 students in August. They will take classes at a community college and get hands-on learning at the Stockton maintenance facility for the Altamont Corridor Express. The Rail Academy will provide up to two years of low-cost instruction for jobs starting at as much as $95,000 a year, the organizers said.

The alumni could help ACE and Amtrak carry out plans to grow well beyond their current passenger services. Or they could join a freight workforce that moves an already enormous volume of goods on the tracks. “In order for our expansion to be successful, we need the bodies to operate the trains, and to serve our public,” said Tamika Smith, director of rail services for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission. That agency oversees ACE, which mainly serves commuters to Silicon Valley with four round trips each weekday. Amtrak has five round trips every day between Bakersfield and Oakland and a sixth branching north to Sacramento. AA Rail Academy 01.JPGPeople gathered at the Altamont Corridor Express maintenance facility for an open house to announce the creation of the Rail Academy of Central California in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The program will launch in August, with classroom training at a community college and hands-on work at the ACE maintenance facility.
Stanislaus students, others welcome. The educational partners are based in San Joaquin and Sacramento counties, but students from Stanislaus and beyond are welcome, Smith said.

The academy will begin with classes at Sacramento City College that prepare students to be engineers, conductors and passenger service agents. The planners hope at some point to add degrees in train and track maintenance at San Joaquin Delta College. The ACE facility hosted the open house and will be a key part of the academy going forward. It is about a mile and a half north of a station serving both ACE and Amtrak. The staff mainly services the commuter trains but is also preparing a new fleet of Amtrak coaches. The 157,000-square-foot site has several tracks for locomotives and passenger coaches, along with pits for working on their undersides. Two training rooms can hold up to 60 students.

Students will pay community college fees but can apply for financial aid. The academy aims to reach underrepresented communities and students not headed toward bachelor’s degrees, Smith said. It also will help the freight and passenger partners replace employees lost to retirement, she said. AA Rail Academy 05.JPGPeople gathered at the Altamont Corridor Express maintenance facility for an open house to announce the creation of the Rail Academy of Central California in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The program will launch in August, with classroom training at a community college and hands-on work at the ACE maintenance facility.

Head start for high-schoolers. The academy will have a program introducing high school students to rail careers through an agreement with the Stockton Unified School District. They will tour the maintenance facility and talk with rail workers. Sharma came to the open house on the evening before his graduation from Edison High School. He said he already enjoyed researching rail history from the steam era on and hopes to be part of the future workforce. That history is one of the community college courses, including the decline of passenger rail after World War II. Other classes will instruct students on safe and efficient operation of today’s trains. An entire course is devoted to the air brakes that can bring a mile-long freight train to a standstill.

The academy partners include Herzog Transit Services, which runs ACE under contract and is based in St. Joseph, Missouri. Another is the Union Pacific Railroad, based in Omaha and carrying freight across much of the United States. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is not involved in the academy but is hiring, too, in the Central Valley and elsewhere. AA Rail Academy 04.JPGPeople gathered at the Altamont Corridor Express maintenance facility for an open house to announce the creation of the Rail Academy of Central California in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The program will launch in August, with classroom training at a community college and hands-on work at the ACE maintenance facility.

Expanding toward high-speed rail. ACE and Amtrak are expanding with $900.5 million from state fuel taxes. Amtrak plans to add two trips on its northern branch by 2024, sharing stations with ACE in Lodi, Elk Grove and four Sacramento locations. ACE also will have a southern extension by 2024, with downtown stations in Manteca, Ripon, Modesto and Ceres. Service to Turlock, Livingston and Merced will follow in a few years. Future funding could bring hourly service at up to 130 mph, using tracks separate from freight trains and possibly a tunnel through the Altamont Pass. Valley residents would connect much more easily than they do now with BART and other systems.

The diesel locomotives would give way to renewable electricity under long-range plans for countering climate change. ACE and Amtrak also could connect in Merced with the first segment of California’s high-speed rail system. It would run at up to 220 mph to Bakersfield as soon as 2029 under current plans. The project continues to draw criticism due to cost overruns, construction delays and the high price of tunneling to Southern California and the Bay Area. The commission that oversees ACE is already negotiating to run the first leg of high-speed rail. It is chaired by Christina Fugazi, the vice mayor of Stockton. She also is vice principal at Edison High and invited some of the local students to the open house. “If we want to do more trains per day, we need more conductors, we need more engineers, we need more people to clean the trains, maintain the trains,” Fugazi said.

AA Rail Academy 02.JPGTechnicians Sebastian Eth, left, and Nick Fortune, right, demonstrate some of the work that is done at the Altamont Corridor Express maintenance facility during an open house to announce the creation of the Rail Academy of Central California in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The program will launch in August, with classroom training at a community college and hands-on work at the ACE maintenance facility. AA Rail Academy 03.JPGAltamont Corridor Express maintenance facility in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. AA Rail Academy 06.jpgChristina Fugazi, chair of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission board, speaks to guests, with Edison High senior Christian Sharma, right, during an open house to announce the creation of the Rail Academy of Central California in Stockton, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The program will launch in August, with classroom training at a community college and hands-on work at the ACE maintenance facility.

 

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