Welcome to the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
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Ten Northern California Latino Entrepreneurs will be honored
At the 15th Annual Hispanic Business Salute

SAN JOSÉ, CA – January 26, 2010 - Telemundo/KSTS-TV48 and eighteen Northern California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce from the Greater Bay Area Counties, in association with the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce-Northern Region, have selected ten honorees to be recognized during the 15th Annual Hispanic Business Salute on Friday, March 26, 2010 at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco.

Every year, Telemundo/KSTS-TV 48 and its sponsors recognize outstanding Bay Area Latino entrepreneurs at the Annual Business Salute. The gala event focuses on Hispanic owned businesses and their contributions to the Latino community by presenting a series of television vignettes that feature each honoree’s life experiences and their successes.

The 2010 winners will be honored at the dinner and dance awards gala on March 26th at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. These are the 2010 Hispanic Business Salute honorees:

Each year, during the Hispanic Business Salute, Telemundo 48 and its sponsors present scholarships to outstanding college bound Latino students. To date, more than $350,000 in scholarships has been granted.

For more information and media interviews, please contact Maritza Medina at 408.944.4897.

Want to find out what's happening at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom?
It's all right here.

If you know when you're coming, use the calendar to see what we've got scheduled for you. If you're interested in a particular type of event, use the simple tools below to find it fast. Roll over a date to view park hours. Click here to look for events.

In these tough economic times, business owners are looking for every chance to take advantage of cash saving programs. Several opportunities are offered through Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Demand Response (DR) programs, which allow businesses to receive cash incentives for curtailing energy use during times of high demand, to help the utility overcome temporary constraints in the electricity supply.

PG&E’s Technology Incentives (TI) program, which allows customers to save money by using enabling technologies, recently started accepting applications in January of 2010.

One of the new TI enhancements for 2010 is the DR New Construction. It offers demand response incentives to building owners and provides free design assistance for designing and installing demand response capabilities into new construction projects.

Equipment and controls that qualify for incentives under the TI program include wired and wireless controls (for lighting, HVAC, motors, pumps, fans, air compressors, process equipment, audio/video, etc.); energy management software; repairs/upgrades/ reprogramming of existing controls and energy management systems; thermostats, plug strips, occupancy sensors, and other devices capable of receiving curtailment signals; and appliances and vending machines capable or receiving curtailment signals.

PG&E’s demand response programs are designed to be both fiscally and environmentally responsible ways to respond to occasional and temporary peak demand periods. Find out how your business can benefit and help make a difference in the state's energy well being, please go to www.pge.com/demandresponse, or contact the Business Customer Service Center at 1-800-468-4743.

Cal Maritime Academy - Report of The Committee on Unity and Diversity

December 7, 2009

1. The Council for Unity and Diversity

B. Definition of Unity and Diversity at The California Maritime Academy

The concepts of unity and diversity encompass acceptance and respect.

It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing those individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, socio-economic status, physical or mental disabilities, marital status, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.
It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment.
It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.
It is about recognizing that to survive and thrive as a world-class Maritime Academy, we must agree that each of us is mutually connected to the other. Thus, it is in our best interest to embrace diversity, develop cultural competencies, increase leadership capacities, and create inclusive spaces as a means of fully utilizing all human resource potential.

B. The charge to the Council for Unity and Diversity

The Council for Unity and Diversity’s major goals are to (1) Serve as an advisory group to the President and the Vice Presidents on issues of diversity at CMA and (2) Assure compliance with state and federal equal opportunity regulations.

In order to accomplish these two major goals, the Council will:

Recommend appropriate policies which the CMA community should aspire to, ensuring a diverse and accepting CMA community.
Identify potential initiatives that will advance our diversity goals and report annually to the President and the Vice Presidents on progress in achieving measurably greater diversity in institutional composition and the richness of the educational environment.
Identify programs that embrace diversity and acceptance to ensure our students are prepared to be effective leaders in a global society.
Identify the barriers to achieving greater diversity at CMA and provide recommendations on how we can overcome those barriers.
Identify those programs that can have the greatest positive impact on campus diversity and recommend how our resources might best be utilized and coordinated to achieve the campus diversity goals.
Provide a forum for the discussion of diversity-related issues and ideas and promote a campus dialogue centered on diversity periodically convening town hall meetings, establishing a web page, distributing minutes from meetings, and other means as appropriate.
Review annual reports and other data regarding the state of students, faculty and staff diversity and efforts to improve diversity at CMA.
Continuously solicit views from the CMA community on all aspects of diversity.
Provide opportunities to engage the community at large in CMA’s efforts to ensure CMA continues to foster a diverse and accepting campus community.
Examine specific concerns advanced by minority advocates.
Assess how the CMA Principles of Community (see “D.” below) and related campus regulations and policies are being applied and make recommendations on how to improve the communication of the Principles to the faculty, staff, and students.
Ensure that CMA maintains a viable educational opportunity program, keeping in mind that economically disadvantaged students historically come from diverse and underrepresented communities.

C. Council for Unity and Diversity Membership

Any member of the CMA campus community is eligible for membership in the Council for Unity and Diversity. Generally, members will serve two years based on rolling memberships. Students will serve for one year terms, but may be reappointed for a one year additional term. Voting privileges shall be granted to all members.
The President, in consultation with the Vice Presidents and the Captain, shall appoint two members. The President shall appoint all other nominations.
The Academic Senate shall appoint a faculty representative.
Two students shall serve on the Council for Unity and Diversity. One shall be appointed by the Corps of Cadets and one shall be appointed by the ASCMA.
One union member shall be nominated to represent the four active CMA bargaining units, that is, CFA, CSUEU, APC and IUOE.
A Vallejo community leader shall be nominated by the Public Information Officer.
There will be two ex-officio, non-voting members -- The Human Resources Director (who also serves as the Affirmative Action Officer) and the Commandant of Cadets. Either of these ex-officio members may vote on issues in the case of a tie vote.

D. Principles Of Community at The California Maritime Academy

The California Maritime Academy is committed to promoting an environment that supports every member of our community in an atmosphere of mutual respect, fairness, cooperation, professionalism and leadership. CMA expects that every campus member will practice the following Principles of Community:

We reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination. We take individual and collective responsibility for helping to eliminate bias and discrimination and through leadership increase our own understanding of these issues through education, training, and interaction with others.
We affirm each individual’s right to dignity and strive to maintain a climate of justice marked by mutual respect for each other.
We are a community comprised of individuals with multiple cultures, lifestyles and beliefs. We celebrate this diversity for the breadth of ideas and perspectives it brings.
We applaud all efforts to foster and enhance the quality of campus life.
We affirm the right to freedom of expression at CMA. We promote open expression of our individuality and our diversity within the bounds of courtesy, sensitivity, confidentiality and respect.
We believe that active participation and leadership in addressing the most pressing issues facing our local and global communities are central to our educational mission.
We affirm the right of each person to express thoughts and opinions freely. We encourage open expression within a climate of civility, sensitivity, confidentiality and mutual respect.
We embrace open and equitable access to opportunities for learning and development as our obligation and goal.
We acknowledge that our society carries historical and divisive biases, and we promote awareness of these biases through education and constructive strategies for resolving conflict.
We celebrate the spirit of diversity in pursuit of academic excellence.
We are committed to the highest standards of civility and decency toward all. We are committed to promoting and supporting a community where all people can work and learn together in an atmosphere free of bias or demeaning treatment.

The California Maritime Academy strives to implement its goal of being the finest Maritime Academy in the country through:

Diversity: We embrace diversity in all its forms, and we strive for a community that fosters an open, inclusive and productive environment in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Openness: We believe that the exchange of ideas requires mutual respect and consideration of our differences.
Justice: We are committed to due process, respect for individual dignity and equitable access to resources, recognition and rewards.
Celebration: We celebrate the heritage, achievements and diversity of the community and the contributions of our members.
Ethics: We conduct ourselves with integrity in our dealings with and on behalf of the University. We are accountable as individuals and as members of this community for our ethical conduct and for compliance with applicable laws and University policies and directives.

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For Immediate Release Contact: Katie Eyerly or Linda Clark
January 22, 2009 925-935-5610 / 925-274-989

7 Flags Car Wash in Vallejo Earns 3rd Green Certification from Solano County

Vallejo, CA ----- 7 Flags Car Wash announced today that their full service location in Vallejo has been certified as a green business by the County of Solano, making it the third such designation for the Vallejo-based car wash chain. The certification was complete on January 14, 2010.

On August 28, 2009, the company’s Vacaville location was certified green, and on June 10 2009, 7 Flags Car Wash and Express Lube in Fairfield became the first certified green business in Fairfield, and the fourth business to be certified under the county’s green business certification program.

Said President and CEO of 7 Flags Car Wash, Jack Anthony, “This is a proud day for the entire company as we achieve our goal of becoming green certified company-wide. Moving forward, we will continue our stewardship of green business practices, staying current with standards and adopting new ways to conserve resources and prevent pollution in the communities we serve.”

To be eligible for certification, businesses must demonstrate conservation of energy and water as well as document steps taken to recycle and reduce waste. A team of county inspectors works with the businesses to meet specific standards and earn the “green business certification”.

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Hiddenbrooke Golf Club Honored with 2010 Bride's Choice Awards

VALLEJO, CALIF., Jan. 26, 2010 – Hiddenbrooke Golf Club, an Arnold Palmer Signature golf course located just 45 minutes from San Francisco, has been selected to receive the WeddingWire 2010 Bride’s Choice Award™ for its wedding venue. The annual Bride’s Choice Award recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from more than 500,000 newlyweds.

Hiddenbrooke Golf Club is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes more than 100,000 wedding professionals across the U.S. and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

”We are happy to be among the very best wedding reception sites within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings,” said Hiddenbrooke Golf Club General Manager Eric Thompson. “We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards. “

“It’s a great honor to be the only wedding reception site in Solano and Napa Counties to be recognized,” said Thompson.

Operated by Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports since 2006, Hiddenbrooke Golf Club is conveniently located off I-80 in Vallejo, Calif. The Arnold Palmer Signature golf course opened to the public in 1995 and showcases dramatic elevation changes and dynamic water features. Multiple sets of tees enable golfers of all skill levels to enjoy the par-72 layout. From 2000-2002, the tournament-tested venue hosted the Samsung World Championship, a prestigious LPGA event that featured the top 20 female golfers from around the world. Hiddenbrooke also features banquet facilities for wedding receptions and other social and corporate events.

About KemperSports
Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSportsTM operates golf facilities as well as athletic clubs, lodging venues and major sporting events, including nationally ranked courses and tournament venues such as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Dorado Beach Resort & Club, The Glen Club, Harding Park, Desert Willow Golf Resort and Chambers Bay, host of the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open. Affiliate KemperSports Marketing & Communications, a sports marketing, events and public relations agency, has produced and managed major national and international events, including the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational college basketball tournament. For more information, visit www.kempersports.com.

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PG&E Bill assistance services and energy saving programs
Helping small businessesmanage their energy costs

In today’s economic climate, small businesses need creative solutions to keep costs in line while remaining focused on serving their customers. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) offers several programs and services to help small businesses make bill payments more manageable, save energy and money, and be good environmental stewards.

More info

Property manager, prospective renter foil apparent scam

By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/

Krystle Murphy, owner of Krystle Property Management, unlocks one of her rental properties that someone else is attempting to rent out, advertising online. The tip-off, Jennifer Casey said, was when her e-mailed application to rent the Vallejo property was approved within 20 minutes of sending it.

"He never asked for a Social Security number, or bank account numbers, but he did ask for references. But that's not enough time to check anything, so I knew it was a scam then," said Casey, a divorced mother of four living in Vallejo.

An ad on Craigslist offered the Vallejo house for $800 per month, plus a $200 deposit. It appeared directly above another ad, for the same property, for significantly more.

And that's how Krystle Murphy of Vallejo's Krystle Property Management, Inc. said she discovered what appears to be a case of fraud. She still doesn't know if anyone's fallen for it, she said.

"Two people saw this ad on Craigslist for a property for rent in Vallejo, and it was right next to our listing for the same property," said Murphy, who said her firm was hired by the home's San Francisco owner to manage it and rent it out. "They filled out the application and were approved, but were asked to send money by Western Union, and thought that was suspicious and reported it to us."

The owner did not return several messages.

It's a variation on a theme, experts say -- the theme being how to take advantage of the current foreclosure crisis and steal as much money as possible without getting caught. The suspects are often from Nigeria, Laura Upland of the Solano County District Attorney's Office said.

"It's happening all over the country, but it's a significant problem in Vallejo," Upland said.

The scammers nearly always list foreclosed homes that have been vacant for a while, Upland and D.A. real estate fraud investigator Sonny Ash said.

"There are variations, but they post properties for rent and hope they bring in some money before they get popped," Upland said.

"We know of one case where some people bought a foreclosed home and as they were moving in, people were driving and stopping by and when they asked, were told the house was listed for rent on Craigslist," Ash said.

The enormous scope of the foreclosure crisis has made it nearly impossible for mortgage holders like banks to monitor abandoned properties closely enough, contributing to the success of these scams, Ash and Upland said.

In the recent Vallejo case, the scammer tried calling Casey from a Nigerian phone number when she refused to send money by Western Union, she said. "He even said we don't have to send the whole $1,000, but only $200 as a deposit, and then he'd send the key," she said.

A call to the Nigerian phone number was answered by someone who said he was Louis Hernandes, the owner of the Vallejo house, who was in Africa on a religious mission.

The religious angle is also typical, Ash and Upland said.

An e-mail response to an inquiry about the ad elicits a response full of errors that begins, "May the Peace of the Lord be Upon you and, Thanks for your interest in our my property and sorry for the late response.(sic)"

A Google check of that phrase brings up many identical rental scams -- complete with identical grammatical and spelling errors -- that differ only in the "owner's" name and the rental's address. The fraudulent listings are all over the country.

When asked, the man who identified himself as Hernandes refused to describe the Vallejo house, offering to e-mail a photo instead. He hung up when asked to describe where in California Vallejo is located.

Murphy said the photo listed in the fraudulent ad was lifted from their legitimate ad and even includes a shot of the Krystle Management employee's car on the day she took the picture.

Not all property scammers are overseas, Ash and Upland said. Some appear to be local or at least have a local accomplice, they said.

"These crooks are really brazen, especially in Vallejo," Ash said. "They keep an eye on the place to make sure it's empty long enough. They change the locks, print up a rental agreement and just rent the place out. It happens everywhere. In Fairfield also, it's a huge problem. It's a monumental problem and it's going to get worse if the federal government doesn't step in to help California."

Contact staff writer Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at (707) 553-6824 or rzrihen@timesheraldonline.com.

Vallejo Employees Meet Commute Challenge

Twenty-four employees from Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo were recognized by Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis and Vallejo Chamber of Commerce Interim President and CEO Anita Hawkes as part of the 2009 Solano Commute Challenge.

Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo earned the title of “Commute Champion Workplace.” Kaiser Vallejo was the leading employer in the city of Vallejo as calculated by the number of employees using alternative transportation methods to commute to work from August to October. Mayor Davis, a member of the STA Board, thanked Dr. Steve Stricker, Kaiser Permanente Physician-in-Chief, and Joseph Eisenbrandt, Kaiser’s On-Site Commute Challenge Coordinator, for their efforts. Baljinder Manger was recognized as Most Outstanding Commuter for using a commute alternative for 60 workdays.

The 3rd Annual Solano Commute Challenge was sponsored by the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) and coordinated by Solano Napa Commuter Information (SNCI) in partnership with large employers and chambers of commerce throughout Solano County. The Commute Challenge is a targeted outreach campaign for major Solano County employers to encourage employees to use transit, carpool, vanpool, bike, or walk to work at least 30 workdays from August through October
Forty-Three (43) major employers totaling 600+ employees participated in the Challenge in Solano County. More than 360 employees across the County earned the title of Commute Champion, up more than 20% from 2008’s total of 300.

Information on SNCI’s programs and services can be obtained by calling 1-800-53-KMUTE.

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Vallejo Veterans Memorial Building Council Ware Memorial Restoration Fund

Mare Island Historic Park Foundation and Vallejo Veterans Memorial Building Council have partnered to replace ceremonial plaques commemorating Vallejo’s Veterans at the Vallejo Waterfront site. The plaques provide a visible symbol to all citizens of the honor and reverence in which we hold these men and women.

Thieves removed the original plaques from the Vallejo Waterfront Memorial in 2006. Replacement of the original plaques with granite engraved commemorative plaques will reduce the likelihood of future desecration. 265 Vallejo Veterans from WWII to the Iraq Conflict are commemorated- some are Congressional Medal of Honor recipients - all were citizens of Vallejo whose dedication and valor are held in the highest esteem.

The sponsoring organizations are:
American Legion Post 104                         Mare Island Navy Yard Post 550
American Legion Post 603                         Disabled American Veterans-Chapter 21
Filipino American Retired United States     Armed Forces Association;
Fleet Reserve Association-Branch 8          Mare Island Historic Park Foundation
USSVI-Mare Island Chapter                       Veterans of Foreign War Post 1123.

‘Plaque Fund Donations’ may be made to the following locations:
Mare Island Historic Park Foundation              Vallejo Veterans Memorial Bldg Council
328 Seawind Drive                                           420 Admiral Callaghan Lane
Vallejo, CA 94591                                           Vallejo, CA 94591
www.mareislandhpf.org

Vallejo Veterans Memorial Building Council federal tax identification number is 02-0769412; this organization is a 501-c-19 tax-exempt organization, IRS Section 170 (b) (2), and carries State of California Charitable Trust ID No. 133938.

Partnership in CA gives health care to everyone

VALLEJO, Calif. (AP) -- Dozens of patients file through Sutter Solano Medical Center's emergency room every day in this recession-wracked Northern California city, often without insurance, cash or legal immigration status. They all get health care, no questions asked.

Medical providers in Vallejo teamed up to establish the program, generating community opposition because illegal immigrants were among those who benefited from services funded in part with county money. This led to a civil grand jury investigation, and a Board of Supervisors vote.

The partnership survived, but the skirmish was a reminder of how touchy the issue of health care for illegal immigrants remains for many Americans, whether in towns like Vallejo or in Washington, D.C., where legislators are skirting the matter as they work to overhaul the nation's health system.

The program also serves as an example of how a community has found a way to confront the reality that undocumented immigrants will not be covered by health care reforms.

Illegal immigrants make up about one-third of the approximately 24 million people under age 65 who would remain uninsured even under the health reform bills being debated in Congress. With limited exceptions, they do not qualify for federal health programs, and the bills being debated would not change that.

The program in Vallejo, a city of 120,000 northeast of San Francisco, was born from the need to alleviate pressure on overcrowded emergency rooms - and balance hospital budgets.

Vallejo was hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, filing for bankruptcy in May 2008. Rising unemployment deprived many residents of job-based health insurance.

The number of people showing up at Sutter Solano's emergency room was going up year after year, along with the percentage of those not facing true emergencies. Like other hospitals, it is legally bound to help anyone who shows up, regardless of ability to pay.

The economic downturn made it worse. Over the last two years, the percentage of non-emergency patients in Sutter Solano's emergency department went up 51 percent. Caring for uninsured, non-emergency patients has cost the hospital $1.8 million this year.

Under the partnership, true emergencies are seen at the hospital. Other patients are sent to a clinic where they get long-term care and follow-up visits, all on a sliding fee scale.

Providers say the partnership is saving money, largely because it's better for the hospital to have people get preventive care at the clinic than constantly showing up at the emergency room. Patients say it works.

Sergio Santana recently lost his job as a unionized painter, and the health insurance that went with it. When a cut on his foot got infected, he turned to Sutter Solano's emergency department three times - a total cost of $1,600.

Then he realized that he could get a follow-up visit at the clinic under the program. That cost him $21.40.

"When I went to the hospital, I wasn't thinking about cost, I was just worried about my foot," said Santana, who is a citizen. "Here, though, they're doing a good job, and I'm paying what I paid when I had insurance."

The bill being debated in the Senate would bar illegal immigrants from getting government subsidies, and from using their own money to buy coverage offered by private companies in an insurance exchange.

The House-approved bill would forbid them from getting government subsidies, but would allow them to use their own money to buy coverage. It would also require them to carry insurance, but many illegal immigrants will likely not be able to afford it, said Shana Alex Lavarreda, a senior researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles' Center for Health Policy Research.

"It's just a given. They're going to remain out of this reform," said Judy Solomon, a senior fellow with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

That usually means going to the emergency room for care.

Nationally, emergency room visits jumped 32 percent from 1996 to 2006 - the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the 119.2 million patients who showed up in 2006, more than 85 percent were not classified as urgent or as an emergency.

Proponents of reducing immigration believe providing health care to illegal immigrants, whether at the federal or local level, creates an incentive for them to come. It's also unfair to ask Americans to subsidize their care, said Yeh Ling-Ling, executive director of the Oakland-based group Alliance for a Sustainable USA.

"Many American citizens have filed for bankruptcy because of their medical bills, and others are struggling to pay their tax bills," said Yeh. "How can we ask them to pay for health care for illegal immigrants?"

To Vallejo hospital officials, investing in a program that helped them reduce unnecessary visits to the emergency room made sense.

Sutter Solano and Kaiser Permanente Medical Center committed $300,000 each over three years to jump-start the clinic, called La Clinica de la Raza, North Vallejo. The county contributed $250,000 up front, and promised $256,500 more over three years.

One year after its inauguration, La Clinica is seeing about 800 patients a month. One-third are referrals from hospital emergency rooms.

Even with the clinic nearby, Sutter Solano saw 6,000 more emergency room visits this year than projected.

"It frightens me to think what would have happened had La Clinica not been there," said CEO Terry Glubka.

County officials said that regardless of what happens in Washington, they're keeping the program.

"For the health of the community, you can't exclude some populations," said Patrick Duterte, the county's director of Health and Social Services. "You're going to pay for it in the long run."

Like the hospitals, the clinic doesn't ask about immigration status. It's not their business, said Monique Sims, the clinic's director.

"As far as their health is concerned, immigration status is not a factor," she said. "We're just trying to meet a need here - an unmet need."