Rural residents get connected
AT&T to give free computers to 'Pixley Connect' graduates
Rural residents in Tulare County have spent the last five months gaining computer skills and will graduate May 16 with a free computer thanks to the AT&T Foundation’s Pixley Connect program, being implemented by the Great Valley Center.
"Learning to use the computer means being able to see the world outside of Pixley and bring that world to my children," said Clementina Ramirez, a Pixley Connect participant and business owner.
The $600,000, three-year program is a unique technology training initiative designed to give advanced technology access to residents in an underserved area – a major goal of the Partnership’s Advanced Communications Services and Information Technology Work Group.
The program’s goal is to help Pixley residents and businesses improve their quality of life. Pixley Conntect provides computer literacy training for children and their parents, which supports the creation of community-based economic development through online business support and marketing opportunities, and improves access to community support services.
"AT&T understands the impact access to technology can have on lives, and we want to ensure our communities are equipped with the information and tools needed to succeed," said Eric Johnson, executive director of external affairs for AT&T. "Pixley Connect is a model for bringing together all the needed technology elements – hardware, training, and high-speed broadband connections – to help benefit people in rural areas."
The first Pixley Connect graduates will be honored at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, at the Pixley Memorial Building, located at 718 N. Park Avenue in Pixley. For more information, contact Sandra Orozco at the Great Valley Center, 559.522.5103.
"Computers and technology are the future; my children are the future," said Teresa Garcia, a Pixley Connect participant. "I want to learn to use the computer so my children can have a better future."
Board supports legislation to achieve goals of Partnership
At its May 4 board meeting, the Partnership board voted to support three assembly bills that advance the work of the Partnership: AB 1455 – Air Quality Enterprise Zones, AB 1223 – Net Energy Metering, and AB 1129 – Rural Regional Affordable Housing Trusts.
In addition, the Board voted to ratify its support of AB 575 that requires the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to consider the following when evaluating projects or measures for funding: a) the reduction of public health risks achieved; b) the cost-effectiveness and technological feasibility; c) long-term benefits; and d) the availability of matching funds.
AB 1455 – Air Quality Enterprise Zones
The bill would authorize the establishment of the California Air Quality Zone Program (Air Quality Zone) to provide incentives for owners of mobile and stationary sources of air pollution to invest in air pollution control equipment that produces surplus emission reductions. It also would provide incentives for owners of stationary sources of air pollution to invest in the production and utilization of renewable energy technologies.
AB 1223 – Net Energy Metering
The bill would encourage the use of renewable energy on farms that use solar or wind to offset their own electricity needs. Farmers would be able to aggregate their multiple energy accounts and apply excess renewable energy credits to their total usage, providing a positive return on investment. This legislation would create parity with existing laws incentivizing the use of biogas on farms.
"About 80 percent of energy used on farms is used to pump water," said Assemblymember Juan Arambula (D-Fresno). "This bill would help make solar more economically viable for farmers."
AB 1129 - Rural Regional Affordable Housing Trusts
The bill would give state support to form and develop the San Joaquin Valley Regional Housing Trust to increase affordable housing in the Valley.
The housing trust funds would be used to encourage higher density, smart growth, or new urbanism projects that link jobs, transportation, and housing to ensure Valley growth preserves agricultural lands and promotes clean energy, air quality, and economic expansion.
"Many of our communities are falling behind in providing affordable housing," said Assemblymember Juan Arambula. "This bill helps to implement a powerful idea of the Partnership to create the San Joaquin Valley Regional Housing Trust."
The funds could be used for various incentives including acquiring and banking land, providing incentives to private developers, leveraging government programs and private loans, and front-end master planning.
"What needs to change is our imagination when it comes to affordable housing," said Rollie Smith of the Federal Interagency Task Force. "Our smaller communities would benefit from this organization."
Work under way to increase nurses in the Valley
The San Joaquin Valley Nursing Education Consortium is turning a $500,000 grant into action by focusing its efforts on adding 250 registered nursing graduates in the Valley by the year 2008.
The work of the consortium is directly related to the goals of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. The consortium is positioned to make significant progress toward achieving the Partnership’s Health and Human Services goal of developing a comprehensive education and training system to meet the health care worker shortage in the region.
"Our work has definitely begun and there is excitement and energy as we move toward reaching our goal," said Pilar De La Cruz-Reyes, executive director of the San Joaquin Valley Nursing Education Consortium. "The Valley has a demonstrated history of collaboration, and I am confident that we can deliver."
Four objectives are targeted to achieve an increase in RN graduates in the Valley:
- Increase student support services to improve retention by 6% and improve NCLEX passing scores by 10%
- Increase number of faculty by creating a centralized resource that Valley nursing programs can share
- Create a computerized clinical placement system to increase the number of sites available to students and faculty
- Enhance use of distance learning to increase access to RN education programs in underserved areas.
Led by a steering committee of representatives of academia, business, and the service industry, the consortium has made progress on several fronts, including identifying best practices for increasing NCLEX scores and a new graduate program that helps support nurses during transition from student to registered nurse. In addition, a faculty teaching course for RNs has been developed in partnership with California State University, Fresno, as well as an exploration of design options for a distance learning nursing education program.
The consortium is a collaborative effort of the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California, California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, Regional Jobs Initiative, California Institute for Nursing and Healthcare and hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, nursing leadership councils, local workforce investment agencies, community colleges, and universities.
Committee members for the four objectives are being sought from both academia and service. For more information, contact Pilar De La Cruz, executive director of the San Joaquin Valley Nursing Education Consortium, at preyes@hospitalcouncil.net or 559.650.5693.
Center to 'seed' college-going culture in the Valley
The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) received a $200,000 seed grant from the Partnership to increase the rate of Valley students that go to college, especially those from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.
The average number of young people in the San Joaquin Valley enrolled in college falls well below the state average.
"Our aim is to reach out to students who are academically capable, yet traditionally lack access to college-going information," said Cheri Cruz, executive director of the CVHEC. "This includes students who are the first in their families to attend college, come from low-income families or those who come from historically underserved populations."
The seed grant will be used to open a pilot center in Fresno, scheduled to open this summer. The goal is to increase the college-going rate of Valley students by five percent by the year 2010. The center, to be open during the evenings and weekends, will offer admissions counseling, computer access to Web-based college information, college application assistance, financial aid information, career guidance, and aptitude testing.
For more information, contact Cheri Cruz at ccruz@csufresno.edu.
Meet the Board:
Watson perfect leader to 'broadcast' Partnership message
KGET TV-17 in July 2002 named its downtown studio building after him. California Broadcasters Association named him 2002 Broadcaster of the Year. He is Raymond A. Watson, Kern County Supervisor of the Fourth District, appointed in Feb. 2007 by Governor Schwarzenegger to serve on the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Board of Directors.
"The Partnership has fostered unprecedented cooperation among the counties within the Valley," Watson said. "My hope for the Partnership is that we will make significant improvements in the quality of life for our residents."
Ray’s bachelor’s degree in accounting from USC led him to places like Time Life and McGraw-Hill broadcasting companies, both in San Diego. He has been vice president, general manager and president of television stations in Denver, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Fresno and finally Bakersfield.
"The Valley is the heart of California; it reflects the pioneer spirit, work ethic and values of our nation," Watson said. "When I drive through the Valley and see the hundreds of thousands of acres in agricultural and energy production, I am proud of the fact that we are a major player in the world economy – not just because we have many acres in production, but because we employ the latest technologies to achieve the most efficient production in the world."
His 25 years as a contributing member of the Kern County community includes serving as president of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, as chairman of Employers Training Resource Private Industry Council of Kern, Inyo and Mono Counties and on the President’s Advisory Committee for California State University, Bakersfield. He was awarded the John Brock Award for Community Leader of the Year by CSUB Small Business and Public Administration.
"To a great extent, there is much yet to be filled in on the canvas that represents the picture of the Valley," Watson said. "We have a wonderful opportunity through the Partnership to create a model to be envied, and I am proud to be a part of the process."
In the Spotlight:
Juan Arambula
Assemblyman Juan Arambula (D-Fresno) is championing a number of bills in the state legislature specific to the goals and objectives of the Partnership this legislative session. Whether it is Prop. 1B air quality mitigation funding, rural regional affordable housing trusts, or school district improvement legislation, Arambula is working hard on a variety of issues to meet the needs of Valley citizens. He has already had a number of successes in moving his bills through committee and drawing co-authors.
Arambula is serving his second term representing California’s 31st Assembly District. He chairs the Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy, the Budget Subcommittee on State Administration, and serves on the Higher Education Committee and Committee on Revenue and Taxation. The Partnership has taken the position to support a number of Arambula’s bills to date, including: AB 575 (Air Quality Incentive Funding - Prop 1B), AB 1403 (San Joaquin Valley District Improvement Pilot Program), AB 1129 (Rural Regional Affordable Housing Trusts), AB 1223 (Account Aggregation for Agricultural Net Metering), and 1455 (Air Quality Enterprise Zones).
'Dual path' supported by Air Quality Work Group
in cleaning up Valley air
Pete Weber, Partnership board member and Air Quality Work Group chair, submitted an opinion-editorial to The Fresno Bee to make the case that a "dual path" approach is the best to clean up the Valley’s air. The opinion-editorial was published on May 8 and may be accessed online at http://www.sjvpartnership.org/announcements/05082007fresnobee.html
UC Merced students organize to make difference in the Valley
The Students for the Central Valley (SCV) at UC Merced had its kickoff meeting last month to discuss air quality, transportation, and the future of the Valley, as well as how students can get involved in the Partnership and with public policy issues facing the Valley.
"The Partnership has been really receptive to getting students involved," said Josh Franco, UC Merced student body president and founder of SCV. "We hope to engage, empower, and enlighten students about the Central Valley and encourage students to commit to a life of public service."
SCV is a student-led organization with a mission to create and sustain a network of Central Valley students, inform students about the significant public policy issues facing the region, and provide students with opportunities to get involved and make a difference in their community and throughout the region.
"My hope for the Valley is that we emerge as a model region, balancing the best of rural and urban life," Franco said.
For more information, contact Josh Franco at jfranco@ucmerced.edu or visit the SCV Web site at www.studentsforthecentralvalley.org.
Partnership Consortia Board seats available
Partnership board member Sunne Wright McPeak reported at the May 4 board meeting that pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order, there are 12 regional consortia board seats available on the board. The regional consortia board seats are designed to engage institutions or organizations critical to the implementation of the 10-year Strategic Action Proposal.
A "regional consortium of existing organizations" is defined as a network of senior leaders from existing public, non-profit and/or for-profit organizations with similar missions and represents the eight-county region.
In addition to fulfilling the regular duties of a Partnership board member, the regional consortia board members also will assume responsibility for (1) serving as a liaison between the Work Group Consultants/Work Groups and the members of its consortia, (2) ensuring engagement among the consortia members in the work of the Partnership, and (3) providing verbal and/or written updates on the consortia’s efforts.
For more information, please visit http://www.sjvpartnership.org/docs/RegionalConsortiaPolicyProcess.
Dates to know
May 15
Water Work Group
10 a.m.
Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District
2975 N. Farmersville Blvd., Farmersville
Contact: Jim Tischer, jtischer@csufresno.edu
May 21
Air Quality Work Group
10 a.m. to noon
Council of Fresno County Governments
2035 Tulare St., #201, Fresno
Contact: Mark Keppler, mkeppler@csufresno.edu
May 23
Federal Interagency Task Force and Partnership meeting
12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Central Valley Business Incubator's Launching Pad (new location)
1630 E. Shaw Ave., Ste. 163
Contact: Rollie Smith, rollie.smith@hud.gov
May 23
Higher Education and Workforce Development Work Group
1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Alliance Free Enterprise Center
1020 10th St., Ste. 102, Modesto
Contact: Manjit Atwal, manjitm@csufresno.edu