The August Voice 2011

8/6/2019 The August Voice 2011

1/11

The

OUR MISSION:Improve the local economic base through active advocacy and programs to assist our members.

On the Web:www.ffsc-chamber.com

FAIRFIELD-SUISUN CITYCHAMBER OF COMMERCE

August 2011

pRESIDENTS CLUBAnheuser-Busch

DIRECTORS CLUBCopart

Hilton Garden InnLewis Planned CommunitiesMV TransportationSolano Garbage CompanySutter Health (SRMF/

SSMC)

CHAIRMANS CLUB DIAMOND CLUBB & L PropertiesEmerson West Coast

Engineering, TheBryan-Braker Funeral Home

Credit Bureau AssociatesDaily RepublicFirst Northern BankFord Lincoln FaireldGaw Van MalePacic Gas & ElectricPRIDE IndustriesRexam Beverage Can Co.

pREMIER CLUBCostco of FaireldGoodrich UPCOQuality Inn & SuitesKaiser Permanente

Potrero Hills Landll

Raleys Super StoresSmartnow.comSolano Athletic ClubsWal-Mart

WestAmerica Bank

:Create opportunities to buildbusiness relationships

Special MemberBlender willshowcase services

Anything you ever wanted toknow about the Faireld-SuisunChamber o Commerce, itsmembers, various committees,services or benets, can beanswered just by attending theChambers Open House, to beheld on Monday, Aug. 15, at1111 Webster St., Faireld.

The Open House runs rom4 to 7 p.m., Chamber Boardmembers and Ambassadors will

be on hand to meet, greet andanswer questions. As many as15 vendors, representing anarray o Chamber members,

wil l also serve ood and bever-ages, and oer samples o theirgoods and services.

For more inormation,contact the Chamber at425-4625.

Back-2-WorkHire a worker or on the job

training now. For employerswho are willing to hire andprovide on-the -job training oremployees, the WorkorceInvestment Board (WIB) oSolano County oers a wagereimbursement during the timethat a new hire is being trained.

The rate o the wage reimburse-ment is based on the number oemployees.

I you are interested, call863-3540 and speak withLorraine Fernandez, BusinessServices Coordinator.

By Thomas J. DonohuePresident and CEO,

U.S. Chamber o Commerce

Theres a saying, I youcant beat em, join em.Some business oppo-nents have turned that

phrase on its head i they cantwin the war o ideas with businessin the political arena, then theyseek to exclude business voicerom the national debate alto-

gether. Examples

abound.Recently, the

ederal govern-ment issued twonew rules thatcontinue a

pattern o silencing the businesscommunity. On June 20, theDepartment o Labor proposed anew disclosure rule that wouldcomplicate and hamstring theability o employers to presenttheir views on unionization toemployees. The rule wouldimplement a burdensome processor businesses to disclose who iscounseling them on labor matters.Its apparently designed to encour-age employers to bite their tongues

and let arguments or unionizationgo unanswered and unchallenged.The next day, the National Labor

Relations Board (NLRB) piled onwith its proposal to shorten the

SeeSilence,Page6

silence em?

If youcant

em,

m

beat


2/11

Board o Directors2010 - 2011

CHAIR

Barry YoungSolano Athletic Clubs

CHAIRMAN ELECT

Sue Vaccaro

Solano Garbage/Republic Services

VICE CHAIR/TREASURER

David WelchDavid L. Welch, CPA

VICE CHAIR

T. Burt McNaughtonDaily Republic

VICE CHAIR

Anthony Russo B&L Properties

VICE CHAIR

Steve Lessler The Lessler Group

IMMEDIATE pAST CHAIR

Kevin JohnsonHilton Garden Inn

DIRECTORS

Andy AndersonTravis Credit Union

Ken BrockBrock Law Group, APC

Kevin FingerAnheuser-Busch

Jim ImmerLewis Planned Communities

Ron MarletteMission Solano

Don McDonaldRE/MAX Gold Elite

Bridgit StrachanNorthBay Healthcare

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Harry priceCity of Faireld Mayor

pete SanchezCity of Suisun City Major

Dr. Jowel LaguerreSolano CC, President

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Charles McCullarChief Ambassador

Chuck WoodChair, Business Issues

Darrin BerardiChair, Education

Steve LesslerChair, Membership

Mike CortezChair, Technology

Dale BaumlerChair, TRAFC

CHAMBER STAFF

Leslie FayPresident & CEO

Melissa ManryAdministrative Assistant

Debi TaveyCommunity Relations Director

The Voiceis published monthly by theFaireld-Suisun City Chamber

of Commerce1111 Webster Str eetFaireld, CA 94533707.425.4625707.425.0826 / [email protected]

Printing by: Daily Republic

For advertising call: 425-4646

THE VOICE The ofcial newsletter of the Faireld-Suisun City Chamber of Commerce

2 August 2011 www.sc-chamber.com

CITATION CLUBAmos & Andrews, Inc.AT&TBall CorporationCache Creek Casino

ResortCharles B. Wood IICreegan & DAngelo

EngineersEmeritus at Rancho

Solano

enXcoFaireld Tourism

AssociationGateway Health AllianceGillespies Abbey

CarpetIHOP of FaireldMeyer CorporationParadise Valley Estates

Taco Bell

Umpqua BankVideo Pro ProductionsWells Fargo BankWesteld SolanoYin McDonalds

pAST CHAIRS CIRCLEEdLippstreau76-77

RaySchoch94-95

BenHuber98-99

KathyParsons01-02

INSIDETHISISSUE

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

3 Q & A with theMcCullarsBy Barry Young

News on North TexasStreet

4 Business News

5 Calendar 6 Education Grants Help

Keep Students Moving

Lets Talk Tomato!

Chamber Events

7Caliornia CandyFestival is the SweetestEvent This Fall

Did You Know . . .By Debi Tavey

8Redevelopment Issuesand How They Aect

FairfeldBy Sean Quinn

Play to Play or Fold?By Suzanne Bragdon

9New Members

Ready, set, go . . .

The Chamber is ready to ulll all o yourneeds and opportunities. The new scal

year began on July 1, and our schedules andcalendars are packed just or you!

Watch or Lunch and Learn, the monthlyseminar on social media; seminars on importantinsurance topics that will aect you and yourbusiness; and partnership legislation inormativeseminars combined with the County Chambers andhosted by the Faireld-Suisun Chamber, called1Voice Solano!

We are emailing all o you the ALERT each weekrom the Caliornia Chamber that will help to keep

you inormed about job killer bills and specic billsthat may aect the ability o you to do business. Toomany businesses are leaving the area and we have tobe proactive in preventing this rom happening toour Chamber businesses. Working in numbers canonly make us more powerul when it comes to beingheard in Sacramento!

Be prepared or a call rom an Ambassador . . .they are all on a mission to contact members who we

havent seen or heard rom in a while. What a greatway to get to know the Ambassadors o Goodwill andin turn nd out how we can help you be moreinvolved and connected.

Please try to get to know your committee chairsthis year! Thanks to the Committee Chairman orcommitting to another year o dedication to making

your Chamber the best! Thank you to all the

Chairmen Charles McCullar, Ambassadors; ChuckWood III, Business Issues Committee; Steve Lessler,Membership Committee; T. Burt McNaughton, GolCommittee; Don McDonald and Mike Cortez, SocialMedia and Technology, Sherry McKillop, LeadershipToday; and Darelyn Pazdel and Patsy VanOu-

werkerk, Major Employers Group. They are allworking very hard to make sure we communicate toyou our program dates and activities.

Twice a month you should be getting an E-Voicerom us and E-green sheets are sent out the rst o

the month and kept on the link to our website . . . andFacebook or a month. FYI Facebook is up andgoing too!

Debi and Melissa are working very hard to answeryour questions and bring in new members. I youhave any concerns or thoughts, please let us know . . .

we are always here or you, our most importantclients.

F R O M T H E D E S K O F

President/CEOLeslie Fay

:Website numbers, referralsfor June 2011

Unique visitors: 2,385

Total visitors: 7,586

Total page hits: 57,520

Member referrals: 92


3/11

The absolute best way topromote your business, inany economy, is getting

out there the old-ashioned wayand meeting people. One o thebiggest dilemmas is guring out

where to go. Problem solved!As a member o the Faireld-

Suisun Chamber o Commerce,you have unlimited access toChamber breakasts, business

lunches, ater hour mixers,ribbon cuttings, and manymore un-lled networkingevents that wil l help you

jump-start your business. Andthere is no better couple toexpound on this concept thanCharles and Dionne McCullar,owners o Front 2 Back Designs.I hope their story helps inspire

you into believing how gettinginvolved with the Chamber canbe an asset to your business.

Barry: Where did the two oyou meet? How did Front 2 BackDesigns come into existence?

Charles:Dionne and I met inSan Francisco where were bothrom. Ater getting married, weboth went to work or the SanFrancisco Police Department.

While working at the SFPD, Iran a non-prot or kids in

which I was continually havingto buy T-Shirts or all the kids.Dionne had just retired rom theSFPD and was looking orsomething to do, so we gured

we could be our own bestcustomers by going into theT-Shirt business or ourselvesand $20,000 later we were theowners o Front 2 Back Designs.

Barry: Where and when didyou open Front 2 Back Designs?

Dionne: Since we werealready living in Faireld, we

opened our business right herein Faireld in 2002. Charles

joined in ull-time in 2007 aterhe retired rom the SFPD.

Barry: Did you immediatelyjoin the Chamber in 2002 whenyou opened Front 2 BackDesigns, and i so, why?

Dionne: Yes. We werelooking at a way to network withother businesses and to get ourbusiness name out there. Webelieved the Chamber was thebusiness voice o the commu-nity and it would spread ourname and help people nd us.

Barry:Do you eel theChamber worked or you when

you rst joined?Charles:Not at rst. Even

though we went to some mixers,we never really got involvedenough or it to help much. It

was when we joined a Chambercommittee, like the Ambassa-dors committee, that we noticedan improvement. For instance,Dionnes rst year on the

Ambassadors committee, shewas named Ambassador o theYear. She really becamerecognized and I was kind o

jealous. I then also joined theAmbassadors committee a

couple o years ago and am nowthe Chie Ambassador. Weknow so many more businessesand people than ever beore.

Barry: So how did gettingmore involved with theChamber help your business?

Charles:It helped ourbusiness because the moreChamber members know who

you are, the more reerrals you

get. When you go to mixers orribbon-cuttings, those busi-nesses that see you coming tosupport their business will wantto go and support your busi-ness. For instance, the lastribbon-cutting I went to, I got a

job out o it.Barry: What tip would you

give to getting more involvedwith the Chamber?

Dionne: Join one o theChamber committees. Call theChamber to learn more aboutthe committees to see whichone interests you most. When I

joined the Ambassadorscommittee, all I set out to do

was to represent the Chamberat ribbon-cuttings, sunrisemixers, and to be a goodwillambassador. Being named the

Ambassador o the Year was not

something I set out to do, but itwas an honor receiving theaward, including all the greatriends and business contacts

weve made.We thank you, Charles and

Dionne, or your time and eortspent helping at Chamberactivities. We are so glad that

you eel your involvement hasbeen a win-win situation or

your business and a good

example or other businesses tolearn rom.

The ofcial newsletter of the Faireld-Suisun City Chamber of Commerce THE VOICE

www.sc-chamber.com August 2011 3

Barry YoungChairman o the Board

:Opportunities to build business relationships

Q&A with the McCullarsNews on North Texas StreetBy Catherine Grimard

With so many new developments recently completed or

beginning, the ace o North Texas Street is constantlychanging. Have you visited the new Super Walmart

yet? How about one o our abulous new restaurants? At the verynorth end o the street is Bangkok Paradise Thai Cuisine in theHillside Terrace shopping center. Bangkok Paradise has incredi-bly resh tasty vegetables. A couple o my avorite dishes includetheir sweet potato ries and their uniquely delicious take on the

Asian Chicken salad. They also have impeccable service andvery reasonable lunch specials.

Projects currently in progress include a Chase Bank that willoccupy the space that previously housed the Hollywood Videostore in the Oakmont Plaza. Also underway is the major develop-

ment o a Lowes Home Improvement store on the ar north endo the District where North Texas Street intersects ManualCampos Parkway. I am told that hiring or this new Loweslocation will begin in the next ew months.

Just completed is the brand new state-o-the-art AmPmstation, conveniently located right next to the reeway entranceat the intersection o North Texas Street and Manual CamposParkway. Owners Joe and Sunny Basra would like to invite you toattend a celebratory Grand Opening weekend on Aug. 5-7, toinclude a North Texas Street Business Association networkingevent on August 5. For more inormation please go to

www.ntsba.org.Mark your calendars or upcoming North Texas Street

Business Association events on Aug. 20 and 21, in partnershipwith the Faireld Main Street Associations Tomato Festival.Sponsored by the Basras AmPm Stations, the NTSBA will bepresenting a Concert on the Green as the perect way or youand your amily or riends to soak up a summer evening out-doors. This concert will eature the hugely popular Time Banditsand will be located on the beautiul County lawn area whereTexas and Jeerson streets intersect. On Aug. 21, swing by the

SeeStreet,Page5

JOIN THE CHAMBER: VISIT WWW.FFSC-CHAMBER.COM


4/11

Seasonal eventpromotionpartnership

Costco-Faireld Wholesale ispartnering with the Faireld-Suisun Chamber o Commerceto help Chamber members.

Costco wants to help uspromote our Chamber memberrestaurants. They will showcasetheir promotion opportunitiesat the Chamber oce on

Aug. 16, rom 3 to 4 p.m., at1111 Webster St.

The buying sta and man-agement will talk about dier-ent ways to showcase andpromote the Chamber member

restaurants during the holidayseason!I you are a member o the

Chamber and a restaurant whohas been in business or at leastve years and have largerevenue, please plan to attendthis inormational meeting.

Buy Local rom ChamberMembers we will help youpromote your business andincrease your revenue.

Just another way o Voicingthe POWER o the Chamber!

Pate appointednew CEO o MVTransportation, Inc.

Carter Pate has beenappointed Chie ExecutiveOcer o MV Transportation,

eective Aug. 15. In addition,Mr. Pate will serve as CEO o al lMVs subsidiaries and willbecome a member o thecompanys Board o Directors.

Based in Faireld, MVTransportation, Inc. is the

largest private provider oparatransit services and thelargest privately-owned trans-portation contracting rm inthe United States. The companyemploys more than13,000 transit proessionals andoperates more than 190 para-

transit, xed-route, shuttle andMedicaid contracts in 27 states,the District o Columbia, andBritish Columbia.

Pate comes to MV Transpor-tation rom PricewaterhouseC-oopers, where he was the Globaland U.S. Managing Partner orthe Capital Projects andInrastructure practice. He isalso the co-leader o PwCsGlobal Government practice.

Prior to these roles, Pate builtPwCs U.S. GovernmentServices practice, and in thiscapacity rom 2004 to 2008, hedelivered rom inception acompounded annual growthrate o 34 percent, whichcontinues today. Pate joinedPwC as a Direct Admit Partnerin 1996, specializing in publiccompany restructurings. Inaddition, he has served as theinternational nancial advisorto many Fortune 500 compa-nies, including Kevco, Inc.,Dimon International, Inc.,South Arica Breweries, andKmart.

The MV Board is extremelypleased our two-year search ora new CEO has resulted in theselection o Mr. Pate as thecompanys new leader, said Jon

Monson, Chairman o theBoard o MV Transportation,

who also served in the role asMVs Chie Executive rom1999-2008.

Pate has more than 33 yearso consulting, management and

executive leadership experience

spanning the ull spectrum o

business operations and

nance in a variety o indus-

tries. He is an acknowledged

leader in transormationalchange, nancial and opera-

tional controls, workorce

optimization, systems integra-

tion, and primary and second-

ary nancing.

I am proud to be joining the

more than 13,000 team

members o MV Transporta-

tion, Pate said. MV is an

acknowledged leader in passen-

ger transportation in the U.S.

with a clear commitment to its

people and a history o quality,

saety and strong customer

service. I intend to build on this

strong oundation and legacy to

continue serving our existing

customers, as well as expand

into new markets to accelerate

our growth.

Boost for childrensliteracy in Solano

Two major literacy programsor children received a big boost

rom local businesses who areunderwriting some o theeorts o Solano County LibraryFoundation. Solano Kids Read,

was in danger o elimination.Solano Kids Read is a programthat helps students in every cityo Solano County to improvereading skills while engagingteachers, librarians, adults athome, and the community in

the process. But, thanks togenerous donors, local publiclibraries were able to provide

youngsters in more than30 schools this year with booksand activities aimed at increas-ing literacy and reducingbullying. Reach Out and Read,

where books are read and thengiven to youngsters visitingtheir primary care physician, is

closer to its goal o touching8,000 amilies this year. SyarIndustries topped the list odonors to the Library Founda-tion with a $10,500 grant or

Solano Kids Read. NorthBayHealthcare and the William andPatricia Martindale Foundationeach added $10,000 to supportthe literacy eorts o Reach Outand Read. Kaiser Permanente

joined with a $7,500 contribu-tion or Solano Kids Read andFirst 5 Solano added another$7,000 or Reach Out and Read.Meanwhile, Vallejo Mayor OsbyDavis, who conducts a undrais-ing gol tournament each yearto benet local charities, setaside $5,000 rom this yearsevent or Reach Out and Read.

These two programs are thecenterpiece o our childrensliteracy campaign, notedDilenna Harris, executivedirector o Solano County



SeeNews,Page10

Business NewsTell us about your accomplishments, promotions and items o

interest regarding your business. E-mail a press release to theChamber at: [email protected] or ax it to 707-425-0826.


5/11

August

2TUE I

AMBASSADORCOMMITTEEMEETING8 to 9 a.m.

Courtyard by Marriott, 1350 HolidayLane, Faireld

August

8MON

I

TRAFCEXECUTIVEMEETING9 to 10 a.m.

Faireld-Suisun Chamber ofCommerce, 1111 Webster Street

August

10WED I

BUSINESSISSUESCOMMITTEEMEETING

Noon to 1 p.m.


August

15MON

ITRAVIS

REGIONALARMED FORCESCOMMITTEEMEETING

Noon to 1:15 p.m.

Delta Breeze Club, Travis AFB

CHAMBERSMEMBER BLENDER4 to 7 p.m.


August

18THU I

MEMBERSHIPCOMMITTEEMEETING9:30 to 10:30 a.m.


August

23TUE

I

BOARD OFDIRECTORSMEETING9 to 10:15 a.m.


August

31WED I

CHAMBERSSUNRISE MIXER8 to 9 a.m.

Oil Can Henrys, 896 E.Travis Blvd, Faireld

Sept

5MON

I

LABOR DAYChamber ofces closed.

Sept

6TUE I

AMBASSADORCOMMITTEEMEETING8 to 9 a.m.

Courtyard by Marr iott, 1350 HolidayLane, Faireld

Sept

12MON I

TRAFC EXECU-TIVE MEETING9 to 10 a.m.

Faireld-Suisun Chamberof Commerce, 1111 Webster Street

CHAMBERS BUSINESSAND SOCIAL HOURMIXER-JOINT WITH THEVACAVILLE CHAMBER5:30 to 7 p.m.Hosted by AAA Northern California,Nevada, and Utah and 95.3 KUIC,555 Mason St., Ste. 245, Vacaville

Sept

14WED I

BUSINESSISSUESCOMMITTEEMEETING

Noon to 1 p.m.


Sept

15THU I

MEMBERSHIPCOMMITTEEMEETING9:30 to 10:30 a.m.


SUISUN CITY BUSINESSGROUP MEETINGNoon to 1:30 p.m.

Suisun City Council Chambers,701 Civic Center Blvd.

Sept

19MON I

TRAVISREGIONAL

ARMED FORCESCOMMITTEEMEETING

Noon to 1:15 p.m.

Delta Breeze Club, Travis AFB

Sept

24SAT I

CALIFORNIACANDY FESTIVALJelly Belly Candy Co.,One Jelly Belly Lane,Faireld

Sept

27TUE I

BOARD OFDIRECTORSMEETING9 to 10:15 a.m.


Sept

28WED I

CHAMBERSSUNRISE MIXER8 to 9 a.m.

Sams Club, 1500 HelenPower Rd., Vacaville



CALENDARAugust and September

PLEASE VISIT WWW.FFSC-CHAMBER.COMFOR UPCOMING RIBBON CUTTINGS

AND GRAND OPENINGS

Serving Local Business Since 1947 For Account Receivable Solutions

CREDIT REPORTSCOLLECTIONS

707-429-3211800-564-6440

www.cbacredit.com

460 UNION AVENUE #C FAIRFIELD, CA 94533

Tenant Reports

Collection Solutions

Legal Division

Business Reports

Credit Reports

Bad CheckCollections

EmploymentReports

Credit Reports

for Consumers

Annual North Texas Street Car

Show at the Tomato Festival. Doyou have a muscle machine inyour garage at home? Find a CarShow registration orm at

www.ntsba.org. For moreinormation about how you or

your organization

can volunteer, sponsor, or

participate in these events,please call our oce at421-9085.

Thank you or investing inour community by shopping atlocal businesses on North TexasStreet!

Street, from page 3


6/11

THE VOICE The ofcial newsletter o the Fairfeld-Suisun City Chamber o Commerce

6 August 2011 www.ffsc-chamber.comThe ofcial newsletter o the Fairfeld-Suisun City Chamber o Commerce THE VOICE

August 2011 7

RibbonCuttings

Shear MadnessMain Street, Suisun City

Eco Delight700 Main St. #110Suisun City

Education grants help keepstudents moving, healthyBy Andrea E. GarciaDirector o Communications, SolanoCommunity Foundation

As the state continues to decreaseschool district budgets, Faireld andSuisun teachers are becoming morecreative in their curriculum.

Shari Salomon, a kindergartenteacher at B. Gale Wilson, wanted toincrease physical tness in her class-room since district cuts resulted in the

elimination o P.E.I want students to improve their

physical tness as it would increase theirmotor skills, movement concepts, andimprove their health and perormance,Salomon said.

To make this happen, Salomonimplemented a project, unded bySolano Community FoundationsEducation Plus! Mini-Grant Program,during the 2010-2011 school yearentitled, Lets Get Moving. Its a projectthat not only improves tness, butsimultaneously increases academics.

They learn to read through activitymats, play organized games, andincrease gross motor skills whilelearning to jump rope, she said.

Solano County has a higher rate o

overweight children and youth, ages5 up to 20 years old, than the state oCaliornia, based on a study by theChildren and Weight Coalition o SolanoCounty. This increases to over 38 percentwho are either overweight or at risk obeing overweight.

SCF is helping to make a dierence inthis number despite the challenges. Forthe past 10 years, the Foundation hasbeen awarding Education Plus! Mini-

Grants, a program dedicated to provid-ing school projects that directly supportwhat students are learning in school.

Since its inception, the Foundationhas awarded626 grants totaling $274,117. Theseprojects include the areas o arts andculture, health and wellness, media andtechnology, math and science, andreading and literacy. These projects,however, could not have been possiblewithout the support o our localcommunity.

Although the economic downall hashad a great eect on all, Ed Plus! returnsor the 2011-2012 school year. Applica-tions open on Sept. 6. I you would like tohelp support projects, contact SCF at399-3846 or visit www.solanoc.org.

Did you know?By Debi TaveyCommunity Relations Director

In last months The Voice, my article wasabout spreading good news, which isexactly this columns intent. I hope you

enjoy the reading and nd some good andnew inormation to spread around town!

Did you know Tom Hanks has recently endorsed the

Jimmy Doolittle Air and Space Museum atTravis Air Force Base? Tom Hanks is anAcademy Award winner and is well-known or his perormance in many great

movies, such as Saving Private Ryan,Castaway, and Forrest Gump, to namea ew. I you would like more inormationon this project, please visit their website atwww.jimmydoolittlemuseum.net.

After three attempts to become anocial member o the Social MediaWorld, the Faireld-Suisun Chamber oCommerce has ocially joined Facebook!Please Like the Faireld-SuisunChamber o Commerce at Facebook.com/aireldsuisunchamberocommerce.

Fairelds Police Department Busi-ness Crime Watch Division wants yourbusiness to be sae. Ocer Je Connorwill visit your place o business to ensurethat all saety precautions are met.Contact Ocer Connor at 249-0362 to setyour sae business appointment.

On Aug. 15 from 4 to 7 p.m., theFaireld-Suisun Chamber will hold theirAnnual Member Blender/Open House.

This is an opportunity or our members toshowcase their business and network, asthe Chamber opens its doors to citydignitaries and all Chamber members.Booths are $75; space is limited. ContactDebi Tavey,[email protected] to reserve yourboothtoday!

Every Saturday rom now until Oct. 1,Green Valleys agricultural green thumbsand artisans will sell their products rom 9a.m. to 1 p.m. as part o Market DaysTotally Local. Find them on Green ValleyRoad (past Eastridge Road, past MasonRoad on the let-hand side in the big eld).

This is a monthly column, so pleasesend your good news to [email protected].

By Margaret ManzoExecutive Director, Fairfeld Main Street Association

Time sure does fy. Can you believe we will becelebrating the 20th Annual Faireld Tomato

Festival on Aug. 20 and 21? In commemorationo this milestone, we have added some greatnew attractions.

New this yearis a ticketed oodand wine pairingeaturing tastingsrom localrestaurants,wineries and

breweries. A Taste o Faireld will be hosted at thebeautiul Solano County Events Center (the oldCounty Library) on Saturday, Aug. 20 rom 11 a.m. to5 p.m. The $15 ticket includes tastings, a commemo-rative glass, and a rafe ticket or one case o Suisun

Valley wine.Another new addition is the Wizard o Oz Family

Film Event on Sunday, Aug. 21. Youll have an oppor-tunity to see the lm on the big screen at the FaireldCenter or Creative Arts. The Missouri Street Theaterwill host a costume contest, photo ops, karaoke,sing-a-longs, and more! The$5 admission tickets will be very limited, so staytuned or more details.

I adding two great new events to the TomatoFestival isnt enough, we have another really abuloussurprise or our visitors. Just one dollar will buy you achance to Crack the Code and you could win$50,000 in cash or a brand new Ford Mustang! Visitthe Ford Faireld booth during the estival and give ita shot. You may be driving home in style!

Were also partnering with our riends at the NorthTexas Street Business Association, who will host a reeconcert on Saturday, Aug. 20 rom 5 to 9 p.m., eaturingthe Time Bandits. NTSBA will also host a ree car show

on Sunday, Aug. 21 rom 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both eventswill take place at the County Lawn Annex. This

partnership is a great example o how our Associationsare working together to support local businesses andshare resources.

Other exciting additions include a salsa recipecook-o, cooking demos, expanded beer and winegardens, more childrens amusements, a remensmuster, and more. O course we will hold onto ourcherished traditions such as delicious ree samples oTenbrink Farms Tomatoes in Tomato Alley, great livemusic, tomato eating contest, and un childrensactivities.

Our 20th Annual Tomato Festival will continue tobe lled with amily un and, as always, provide awonderul community experience. Keep an eye outor our commemorative tabloid, which will highlightsome o the history o years past and share someabulous old photos.

California Candy Festival isthe sweetest event this fall

Whats not to like about candy, un, and und-raising or localschools? The Caliornia Candy Festival is that and more! Tickets go onsale Aug. 1 or what should prove to be the sweetest event o the year.There will be tasty treat vendors showcasing candy, chocolate, cup-cakes, and desserts, joined by award-winning ood trucks and celebrityches. Also, great live music with Latin rock band, Malo, Sugar Rush,and 16-year-old country music sensation, McKenna Faith. The KidsFun Zone includes un or kids o all ages.

This inaugural event will take place at the Jelly Belly Visitors Centerand the Lots o Fun in Faireld, Caliornia. On Sept. 24, rom noon to 7p.m., the Caliornia Candy Festival is expected

to attract more than 10,000 candy lovers with15 acres o candy-themed experiences.

Tickets are $10 or general admissionand $5 or active and retired militarypersonnel. Admission is ree orchildren under 12. There is also aspecial VIP package or$25 that includes special parking,tours and admission to the Wine andChocolate Pairing Experience.

The Caliornia Candy Festival is aundraiser or the Faireld and SuisunPublic Education Foundation. Pro-ceeds rom the estival will be used tound grants to improve studentacademic achievement in theFaireld, Suisun, and Travis AFBarea. www.caliorniacandyestival.com.

tomato!Lets

talk

NorthBayHealthcares27thAnnualGol&TennisClassic,heldJuly 11atGreen ValleyCountryClub,wasa sell-outevent.TheNorthBayGuildslargestundraisingeortnettedabout$45,000,and representsthefrstoa fve-yearcommitmentthe Guildhasmadetoraiseunds ortheexpansionoVacaValleyHospital inVacaville. Enjoyingthedaywere,lettoright,LeeFreemanoFreemanFamily& CosmeticDentistry,andlocalattorneyChrisSweeney.

PolicechieTibbittandcaptainKevincorrella

period or union elections. Thiswould leave employers little timeto express their views andcommunicate to workers thepros and cons o unionization.Employees should have the rightto join or leave unions under airrules. Neither business nor laborshould ear a ull airing o theissues surrounding potentialunionization. NLRBs mission isto airly apply careully balancedand time-honored rules on unionelections, not choose sides or tiltthe playing eld.

Heres another example.Beore the 2010 elections, leaderso the congressional majority atthat time attempted to ram

through the DISCLOSE Act, withthe express intention o alteringthe elections in their avor byeectively preventing politicalparticipation by the businesscommunity. In the wake o thatlegislative deeat, the WhiteHouse is now weighing anexecutive order that wouldrequire businesses and theirocers to disclose politicalspending as a precondition tosecuring ederal contracts. Threeguesses who will be awardedcontracts. And who wouldnt thisexecutive order touch? Unionbosses.

The nation is debating some othe most consequential issues o

our time. As Americas jobcreators, businesses must have avoice in the debate. They must beallowed to engage in the politicaland government contractingprocesses without being subjectto litmus tests or earing retribu-tion. And they must expect airand open union organizing rules.

Ultimately, policies that seekto shut up businesses andabridge their First Amendmentrights are un-American, uncon-stitutional, and unt or a reesociety. These policies under-mine the very democracy theyclaim to protect. There is noroom or them in America today.

Silence, rom page 1


7/11

Pay to play or fold? Only in California

S

uisun City (along with400-plus agencies

across the state) hasbeen kicked in the gut with thestate Legislatures passage, andGovernor Browns signature o

AB 1X 26 and AB 1X 27. Theinamous bills that rsteliminate redevelopment, andthen say, just kidding i youvoluntarily agree to pay us$1.7 billion in the rst year and$400 million annually,thereater.

What does this mean orSuisun City i we choose toplay?

A payment of $4.5 millionto the state due January 2012.

An ongoing annualpayment o $1.05 million orthe scal year beginning July 1,2012.

All on top of payments

weve already paid to the statetotalling $6.9 million over justthe last two years.

And, a reduction inassessed values o more than40 percent since the beginningo the oreclosure crisis, whichdrives RDA unding.

To add to the pain, theState has taken $93 billion rom

agencies statewide since theearly 1990s remember ERAF?

The Educational RevenueAugmentation Fund?

The cost/benet analysis opay to play or old isunderway. Looking at it roman ongoing basis, it looks likeSuisun City will lose moremoneyi we old and dissolveour agency than i we pay toplay.

In either case, the loss inrevenue to Suisun City is in the

realm o $1 mill ion or just over10 percent o our GeneralOperating Costs.

Programmatically, what arewe losing, just to come up withthe $4.5 million ransompayment?

$1.2 million for rst-timehomebuyer program

Redevelopment issues andhow they aect Fairfeld

In January 2011, the Governorintroduced a state budgetthat proposed eliminating

redevelopment. Immediately,Faireld launched a proactiveeducation campaign to demon-strate the many ways in whichour community has benettedrom redevelopment. At thesame time, we sent letters out toelected representatives indicat-ing the benets o redevelop-ment and our opposition to theGovernors budget. We were

joined by many representativeso the business community andresidents. Despite our eortsand many o you in the businesscommunity to oppose theGovernors budget, on June 29,the Governor signed AB 26,

which eliminates redevelop-ment and AB 27, which enables

redevelopment agencies tocontinue to operate i citiesagree to ongoing payments.Eliminating redevelopment orpaying a large ongoing amounto unds to stay in business is adicult choice.

I redevelopment is elimi-nated under AB 26, then a vitaltool that has created jobs,spurred new businesses,invested in public inrastruc-

ture, and created aordablehousing will be gone. Redevel-opment is responsible or anumber o projects that havebenetted the city and county,including the construction oHighway 12, Westeld mall,Providence Walk, Green ValleyCorporate Park, as well ashelping numerous smallbusinesses.

In order to preserve redevel-

opment, the City must agree toegregious payments includingan estimated payment o$11.2 million in Fiscal Year

2011/12 and approximately$2.6 million every year therea-ter. I the City were to agree tothese payments, it would haveto substantially scale back itseconomic development andhousing eorts. Projects thathave been planned over thenext 10 years, including invest-

ing in inrastructure in thevicinity o Cordelia and Chad-bourne roads to spur industrialdevelopment and investmentsin the PACE neighborhood, as

well as business assistance, mayhave to be cut or scaled back.

The City is still in the earlystages o evaluating the impactso AB 26 and 27 on the City. Ourgoal is to present recommenda-tions to the City Council in

August 2011. Also, the League oCaliornia Cities and theCaliornia Redevelopment

Association, on behal o theCity and Redevelopment

Agency, are planning to le alawsuit any day now. Both othese organizations believe that

AB 26 and 27 are unconstitu-tional, as do we. The City oFaireld appreciates thesupport o the business com-

munity and urges you tocontinue to contact our staterepresentatives expressing yourpoint o view.



Sean QuinnFairfeld City Manager

Suzanne BragdonSuisun City Manager

SeeBragdon,Page11


8/11

NEWMEMBERSJune 2011

Freedom EquityInsurance Marketing/Red Financial &InsuranceEmily Dumdumaya690 E. Tabor Ave., Ste. BFaireld, CA 94533Phone: 707-631-5681Insurance

Irongate Security

Daniel Kim333 Sunset Ave., #160Suisun City, Ca 94585Phone: 314-330-8303Security

Ofce Depot BSDAllan Stout211 Soscol Ave.Napa, CA 95834Phone: 707-258-0280Retail

Specialty Sales ClassicsKen Mattson300 Chadbourne Rd.Faireld, CA 94533Phone: 707-422-9990Automotive

Sylvan Learning CenterJohn Espino5089 Business Center Dr. #102Faireld, CA 94534Phone: 707-864-1800

Education

Valley Communications& ConsultingStephen Valverde

Vacaville, CA 95687Phone: 707-812-6941Telecommunications

MEMBER

REINVESTMENTSJune 2011

Arco AM/PM MarketBaumler, Dale

Child Haven, Inc.Copart, Inc.Eagle Eye EngravingEpsilon Financial Group, Inc.J.C. Nelson Supply Co.

La Mariposa Care &Rehabilitation CenterSlakey Brothers, Inc.Solano County LibraryFoundation

Solano Napa CommuterInormation

Solano windshield RepairSunset Cellars LLCTeam SuperstoresUS BankWaddell & Reed

Wooden Valley Winery

110%CLUBJune 2011

Arco AM/PM MarketBaumler, DaleCopart, Inc.Epsilon Financial Group, Inc.J.C. Nelson Supply Co.La Mariposa Care &

Rehabilitation CenterTeam SuperstoresUS Bank



MEMBERSHIP ANNIVERSARIESAugust 2011

MEMBER # OF YEARS

Goodrich Since 1965 46Kappel & Kappel Inc. Realtors Since 1977 34

Old Republic Title Company Since 1977 34

Travis Credit Union-Vacaville Since 1977 34

Raleys #372/332 Since 1978 33

Westeld Solano Mall Since 1979 32

SCI Consulting Group Since 1985 26

Zoom Imaging Solutions, Inc. Since 1990 21

Costco o Faireld Since 1992 19

Manpower, Inc. Since 1993 18

Valley Yellow Pages Since 1993 18

Reporter, The Since 1995 16

Solano EDC Since 1995 16

In-N-Out Burger Since 1998 13

Favaro, Lavezzo, Gill, Caretti& Heppell Since 1998 13

Carls Jr-Faireld Since 2002 9

MEMBER # OF YEARS

Masonic Lodge SuisunNo. #55 Since 2002 9

Lewis Planned Communities Since 2003 8

Visiting Angels Since 2004 7

U.S. Army-Faireld RS Since 2004 7

Suisun City Business Group Since 2004 7

Solano Storage Center Since 2004 7

We The People Since 2004 7

Controlled InormationSystems Since 2005 6

North Texas Street BusinessAssociation Since 2005 6

International House oPancakes Since 2006 5

Valero Benicia Renery Since 2006 5

Best Buy Since 2006 5

M2 Mail Since 2006 5

The Chamber recognizes long-time members (fve years or more) and we thank them or their years o support.

JOIN THE CHAMBER: CALL 425.4625

OR VISIT WWW.FFSC-CHAMBER.COM

Senior Living Specializing In:

Independent Living

Assisted Living

Memory Care 3350 Cherry Hills Court Fairfield, CA 94534

www.Emeritus.com Community License #486801162

Our Family is Committed to Yours.Our Family is Committed to Yours.

707.425.3588

MOVE IN SPECIAL CALL TODAY

EMERITUSAT RANCHO SOLANOEMERITUSAT RANCHO SOLANO


9/11

Library Foundation. Weappreciate the vision andoresight o our donors. Theyrecognize a business commu-nity that invests in early literacy

wil l reap the benet o aneducated workorce down theline. While the Solano KidsRead program is now ullyunded or this year, whether wecan continue it next springremains a question mark,Harris added. These contribu-tions are a major boost to ReachOut and Read, but we are stil l a

ways rom raising what we needto connect with every amily

with young children who visittheir amily physicians.

For more inormation aboutthe literacy program, or theoundation, visit solanolibraryoundation.org or call 421-8075.

Community

program enjoyssignifcant growth

Thanks to local support, TheLeaven is Solano Countysastest growing communityprogram. This success isrefected in the improvedacademic perormance o ourstudents and in the requestThe Leaven received to open ath center in Rialto.

This center, the rst in TheLeavens Southern Caliorniadivision, wil l be located at QuailRidge Apartments, located inSan Bernardino County (east oLos Angeles County). TheLeaven received an invitation toopen this center rom theproperty owner, Oracle Com-munities Corporation, whichalso own the Phoenix Drive

property in Faireld where TheLeaven opened its third centerin August 2010.

Joshua Ortega, a seasonedyouth worker and graduate oAzusa Pacic University, will bethe site director at Quail Ridge.

This acility will be the largest todate or The Leaven, allowingup to 60 children to attend the

ater-school tutoring program.The Leavens Rialto centerwil l be opening in early Septem-ber 2011. Our ourth center inFaireld, located on GrandeCircle, will open in mid-August.

The Leaven is grateul or agenerous donation rom theOracle Communities Corpora-tion or the Phoenix Drivetutoring center. Donations toThe Leaven are tax deductible

to the extent allowed by law,and will be used or theprogram in Northern Caliorniaunless specically designatedor the Southern Caliorniadivision.

Rotary donationhelps NICU moms

New mothers whose prema-ture or critically ill inants arebeing cared or in NorthBayMedical Centers NewbornIntensive Care Unit are alreadyconcerned about their babysuture, but now they have oneless thing to worry about.Thanks to a donation o veMedela brand breast pumps bythe Rotary Club o Cordelia,these new moms can continueto eed their babies even thoughthe moms have been dis-charged to home.

NorthBay Medical CentersNICU cares or as many as300 premature and critically illinants each year, according toDeb Thorson, director o

Womens and ChildrensServices or NorthBay Health-care. The long-term health

benets o having a mother beable to eed her baby breast milkare tremendous, she notes.

These types o hospital-grade pumps are the ideal onesto ensure a mother will be ableto maintain her milk supply so

that the baby can receive themost optimal eeding, notesCindy Stade, R.N., lactationconsultant. They do notcompare to the store-boughtpumps. Some o our moms allthrough the cracks and are notable to get a pump eitherthrough insurance or nancialdiculties. Having a baby inthe NICU can be very stressuland this is one less stress she

will have to worry about, whichin turn can decrease milksupply.

The Rotary Club o Cordeliahas been a long-time supportero NorthBays Pediatric pro-grams, according to ColleenKnight, executive assistant withNorthBay Healthcare Founda-tion and president o the club.During the past 20 years, thelocal group has donated morethan $200,000, and this years$8,500 donation toward thepurchase o these breast pumps

is important because it helpsthe new moms to nurse theirbabies, giving them a good start.The ability to help createhealthy amilies is a universalcause and one that Rotarysupports, says Nancy Garver,Rotary Club o Cordelia pastpresident, so this donation is agood t or our organization.

A portion o the unds or the

pumps was raised during theRotary Club o Cordelias annualSpring Extravaganza event. Theremaining unds were obtainedthrough a Rotary InternationalDistrict grant, which waspursued by Candy Pierce, pastDistrict 5160 Rotary Governorand member o the NorthBayHealthcare Foundation Boardo Directors. Because Medelaoered special pricing on the

pumps, the group was able topurchase ve instead o our.

The Rotary Club o Cordeliasund-raising eorts wererecently recognized at a RotaryDistrict Conerence, when thelocal aliate was awarded an

Excellence in Service Awardor its contributions in commu-nity service to NorthBay

Healthcare. Rotary Club oCordelia was singled out amongthe districts 70 clubs, Knightnoted.

For more inormation aboutthe Rotary Club o Cordelia,contact Knight at 646-3131.

Chamber memberstapped as amily-

riendly workplacesFirst 5 Solano recently

named several local rms asbeing amily-riendly work-places. The awards werepresented during a SolanoEconomic Development Corp.breakast held June 29 at theFaireld Hilton Garden Inn.

Among the nominees wereFaireld-Suisun City Chamber

o Commerce members North-Bay Healthcare, Panera Bread-Faireld, First Northern Bankand Travis Credit Union.

The Family-FriendlyBusiness Awards program wasdeveloped by the Solano

Alliance o Business or Chil-dren, which comprise Chambero Commerce and Solano EDCmembers rom across the

county, which advises First 5Solano on ways to increaseawareness and support or earlychildhood investments in thebusiness community.

Diane Urbano, HumanResources services manager,nominated NorthBay or theaward. NorthBay is like a bigamily, wrote Diane in hernomination. We have manyemployees who have workedhere 20 years or more anddozens o employees who havechildren and relatives who work

at NorthBay.She also noted that NorthBay

hosts many amily-riendlyevents, such as NorthBay Day atthe River Cats and Oakland Asbaseball games, snow trips,bicycling events, ice skatingtrips and other activities. Theorganization also has a largenumber o on-call and part-time jobs or people who needfexibility, such as new parents

or employees taking care otheir adult parents, and thatnumerous benets and pro-grams such as back-up care andon-site employee conciergeservice are available to maketheir lives just a litt le easier.

Policies and practices suchas these are the backbone o ahealthy and vibrant businessclimate, said Sandy Person,



News, from page 4


10/11

who also serves as Solano EDCPresident. We join First 5Solano in congratulating these

local leaders who understandthat their protability riseswhen employees have reliablechild care and other support tomeet both amily and workresponsibilities.

Leadership TodayProgram holdsgraduation, awardsceremony

The Faireld-Suisun Cham-bers Leadership Today programrecently held graduationceremonies or the class o2010-11 and awards werepresented.

Sandy Durrance, NorthBayHealthcares clinical managero Occupational Health and

Pain Management, received thespecial Excellence in Leader-ship Award, identiying heramong the top students in theclass.

According to Sherry McK-illop, director o LeadershipToday, the honor goes to theprogram participant whoconsistently demonstrates theve practices o exemplary

leadership: inspiring a sharedvision, challenging the process,modeling the way, enabling

others to act, and encouragingthe heart.She added, Sandy stood

alone, while the rest o theprogram participants dividedinto two other teams to presentother project ideas. By the timethe process was over, Sandy hadinspired the entire team toadopt her suggestion or aproject to support The Leaven.

The local ater-school

tutoring program or at-risk kidsreceived nearly $20,000 rom aundraiser that Sandy orga-nized The Great Solano Race.

Local businesses sponsoreddrivers to compete in go-kartraces at Driven Raceway, anindoor race track near Solano

Westeld Mall at 1560 GatewayBlvd. Sandy guided the entireproject along with the help o

16 Leadership Participants.Applications or the 2011-12

Leadership Today program,which begins in September, arenow being accepted. Detailedinormation about the program,deadlines and sponsorshipopportunities are available atthe chambers website at www.sc-chamber.com or by call ingSherry McKillop at 227-7070.



News, from page 10 Bragdon, from page 8

ANNIE VOGELPOHL

Annie Vogelpohl Real Estate

Annie VogelpohlBroker CRS, LTG, RRC

Office: (707) 399-6959

Cellular: (707) 373-6949

[email protected]

www.annievogelpohl.net

1261 Travis Blvd., Ste #270Fairfield, CA 94533

For the answers to yourreal estate questions call

Annie today!

$100,000 for our neighbor-hood reinvestment program

Residual cash-assets ofroughly $3.2 million.

Ironically, most o thiswould be lost to the state i theagency were eliminated. Gogure.

Final question: What is theimpact on City services oanother 10 percent hit to ourresources on top o the30 percent reductions wevealready made over the pastthree or so years?

This one is not so easilyanswered. It ultimately willcome down to a prioritizationo services and service levels bythe City Council. For example:

Whether or not we haveredevelopment as an economicdevelopment nancing tool, do

we still need some level o aneconomic developmentprogram to guide our long-

term nancial health?Think o the development o

our 30-acre site at Highway 12and Marina Boulevard. Ordevelopment within the

Waterront District. Or in ourspheres o infuence. That takesdevelopment, planning andbuilding sta to make happen.

Likewise, do we want to be acommunity that deals withblight and nuisance com-plaints, which is currentlyunded throughredevelopment?

What about special events?In the past three years, weve

trimmed our expenditures byreducing sta by 10 percent, byexpanding the number o hatsthat people wear and bycross-training.

We will continue to look atthese approaches, as well as theharder decisions o reducingservice level standards (think

urloughs) to ongoing person-

nel related costs to eliminating

services.

Again, whether redevelop-ment stays or goes as a result o

the states decision to balance

its budget using local revenues,

Suisun City and other cities in

Caliornia are looking at a

signicant hit to day-to-day

operations and services.

The longer term intangible

costs are so much greater. Its

our newound inability to help

new businesses come to townor existing businesses to grow.

Think Harbor Square. Cast

Iron Grill and Bar. Dimitris

Lounge by the Bay. Subway.

Social Security Administra-

tion. Eco-Delight. Hampton

Inn & Suites on the Waterront.

Just to mention a ew. Only

in Caliornia.


11/11

12 August 2011 The ofcial newsletter of the Faireld-Suisun City Chamber of Commerce THE VOICE

NCUAYour savings are federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.Everyone who lives, works or attends school in our 12-county area is eligible to join. Business accounts subject to credit approval. Certain membership requirements may apply.

Business Services - Preferred SBA Lender

Rayanne Berry (707) 469-1964

www.traviscu.org/businesspro.aspx

Fairfield

2570 North Texas St.

Green Valley Branch

5075 Business Center Dr.

Gateway Branch

1340 Gateway Blvd.

Suisun Branch

131 Sunset Ave, #A-1

We can serviceyour business, too!

I have my personal and business accountswith Travis Credit Union. You should too!

Ted Kovarik, owner

Solano Windshield Repair

TCU member since 1993

Need to grow your business?TCU is a Preferred SBA Lender.

Documents

The August Voice 2011