Denham bill looks to hire vets

A new law, championed by U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Atwater) through the House of Representatives, will aim to put thousands of unemployed veterans back to work. The VOW to Hire Heroes act, a bipartisan, bicameral measure signed into law by President Barack Obama this week, will offer additional training, transition assistance, and tax credits to veterans. "With thousands of troops returning home before the end of the year and hundreds of thousands ...

California Dairy Campaign, Farmers Union attempt to ring the bell on the Dairy Security Act

The Turlock-based California Farmers Union and the California Dairy Campaign have come out against the Dairy Security Act of 2011 (H.R. 3062). CDC President Joe Augusto and CFU President Joaquin Contente have been urging lawmakers to oppose the Dairy Security Act. The Dairy Security Act was brought forward by Collin Peterson (D-MN), and Mike Simpson, (R-Idaho) under the belief that the DSA would reduce dairy subsidies by $131 over 10 years. Supporters of ...

City ends year under budget; employees reap benefits

Last year didn't just go well for the City of Turlock – it blew away even the most optimistic projections. Though Turlock had planned to operate at a $2.2 million deficit in 2010-2011, the City of Turlock instead came in under budget, actually adding $50,000 to its reserves. Traditionally, the City of Turlock "lives within its means," City Manager Roy Wasden said, under-spending the budget by between $300,000 and $500,000. But a ...

Library still vital part of community, report finds

In a time of Kindles, the Internet, and high-speed, always-on communications, is the quiet, quaint, nearly century-old Stanislaus County Library system still relevant? "The answer is yes. It certainly is," said Stanislaus County Librarian Vanessa Czopek, during Tuesday's annual library report. "More residents than ever are utilizing the library's core services." The 69 percent of Stanislaus County residents holding library cards checked out 2.2 million items last year –those coming from the ...

Denair fire could lose big in Turlock’s General Plan

For nearly 70 years, the Denair Fire Department has protected the swath of rural, agricultural land which lies between Turlock and Denair. But, as the years have gone by, Turlock has grown eastward toward its nearest neighbor, steadily shrinking the department's turf – and its tax base, said Denair Fire Department Chief Glen Doerksen. "They've slowly just kept encroaching closer, going east to Denair, taking our land," Doerksen said. At one ...

City Council approves ag preservation map

In hopes of preserving agricultural land – and Turlock's ability to grow – the Turlock City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a map which would limit Turlock's size and shape through the year 2050. The move comes as part of a countywide effort, known as the Agricultural Preservation Plan 2050, driven by the Stanislaus County Mayors' Group. By having each city approve a growth envelope, all land outside those boundaries could be preserved ...

Council approves homeless day center

Out with the youth, in with the homeless. Turlock's Youth Center will become the city's first homeless day center, following a 4-1 council decision Tuesday night. "The council's been talking about it for two to three years," said Councilmember Forrest White. "It's time to get off our you-know-what's and do something." The center, to be operated by local non-profit Turlock Gospel Mission, will be open seven days a week year-round, from ...

Council, Planning Commission split on city’s growth plan

The Turlock City Council unanimously agreed to move forward with the city's ongoing general plan update – a document which will guide the city's growth for 20 years – even as citizens and planning commissioners continued to voice lingering concerns about where Turlock will grow. Tuesday's move will release the draft plan, beginning the lengthy environmental review process. Only after that process is completed and impacts of the plan are fully assessed will ...

County employees agree to pay cut

Seven of 12 Stanislaus County labor unions will take 6 percent pay reduction, after labor groups voluntarily returned to the negotiating table to help the county make ends meet in tough economic times. The agreement, due to take effect July 1, 2012, will replace an expiring agreement which saw employees agree to an effective 5 percent pay cut. "We greatly appreciate you working with us during these trying times," said Stanislaus County ...

Mayors say ag plan still in works

A plan to preserve agricultural land in the county, driven by the Stanislaus County Mayors' Group, isn't intended to be a unilateral matter – and isn't anywhere near finished, say the county's mayors. That comes as news to planning commissions and city councils across the county, many of which responded with shock when a map of planned city growth boundaries was released last month with the Mayors' Group asking ...

Homeless day center planned for youth center

A day-time resource and assistance center for Turlock's homeless may soon open its doors at the city-owned Turlock Youth Center, located at 1030 East Ave.

County to hire 41 workers to fill social services needs

If there's any hire Stanislaus County would rather not make, it's this one. The embattled county will hire 41 new employees in the Community Services Agency to address surging demand for social services, supervisors decided Tuesday as part of a quarterly budget review. "It is becoming a harsh reality in Stanislaus County that the day-to-day life of many citizens is becoming more and more challenged by the poor economy at this time," ...

Nino named new Stanislaus County CEO

A national search to locate Stanislaus County's new chief executive officer found the best candidate was close to home. Monica Nino, currently the county assistant executive officer, will assume the role of Stanislaus County CEO effective Jan. 1, 2012. "We are extremely pleased with the results of this process and the selection of Ms. Monica Nino," said Dick Monteith, Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors chairman. "Ms. Nino has the experience, skills and ...

City prioritizes goals in newly passed Strategic Plan

With a few final tweaks, the Turlock City Council on Tuesday accepted the 2011-2013 City of Turlock Strategic Plan - a document intended to guide all Turlock policy through 2013.

Cost of stamps set to increase

The price to send a letter will rise by one cent, effective Jan. 22, 2012. A First-Class Forever stamp will cost 45 cents. The stamps currently cost 44 cents – a price they have held since their introduction in May 2009. The United States Postal Service said the price increase is necessary to address the ongoing financial crisis. "The overall average price increase is small and is needed to help address ...

Retiring city employees honored by Council

During Tuesday evening's City Council meeting, a handful of city employees were honored for their years of service and dedication as they prepare for retirement. Fire Captain Larry Chalupnik served the Turlock Fire Department for nearly 28 years, having started working toward a career in the fire service as a volunteer firefighter with TFD in December 1983. In 1985, Chalupnik started as a full-time firefighter with the City of Turlock, being active in ...

Centennial Park to get new name, dog park

After several months of discussion, the Turlock City Council voted to approve the construction of a new dog park at Turlock's Centennial Park, following a generous donation of $35,000 by the Swanson Family and Pet Extreme. The dog park won't be the only change to the park, however. As per the family's request, the City-owned facility will be renamed to the "Swanson-Centennial Park," a decision that not all city officials supported. In ...

Council votes to extend freeze on food truck permits

New food truck vendors will not be welcomed to Turlock any time soon, following the City Council's decision on Tuesday to extend a temporary freeze on issuing new mobile food facility permits. At their last meeting of the year, the City Council voted unanimously to extend the halt on the issuance of mobile food facility permits for a period of 10 months and 15 days. In November, the City issued a 45-day moratorium ...

Council to tackle food vendor zoning

Tuesday evening marks the last City Council meeting for 2013, with the council taking on a full agenda.

Keyes biorefinery plant against Olsen ethanol bill

Over the past several months, Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen (R-Modesto) has been adamantly calling for a reduction in corn-based ethanol requirements contained in the Renewable Fuel Standard – the federal program regulating the minimum volume of renewable fuel that must be contained in transportation fuel sold in the United States. Although Olsen claims that the standards are nearly impossible to achieve while negatively affecting dairies in California, others view the standards included in the ...

Food truck future in downtown looks dismal

Food trucks may not be included in the future of Turlock's downtown, following Thursday's Planning Commission meeting where the general consensus was not in favor of the mobile facilities. During Thursday's meeting, the Planning Commission and City staff held a public workshop on whether or not food trucks should be allowed in the downtown core district, running primarily along Main Street from Palm to Lander. The purpose of the meeting, said planning ...

High Speed Rail faces more setbacks

TID makes progress with Don Pedro Project

The Turlock Irrigation District continues to make significant progress with the Don Pedro Project - a relicensing process that has been moving forward since 2011. Last Tuesday, TID and the Modesto Irrigation District worked together to file their Draft License Application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. According to TID, the DLA provides an opportunity for public review and comment on the application before the two districts file the Final License Application in ...

Economic development task force reviews City’s accomplishments

Sometimes you cannot know where you are going until you know where you have been. This was the mantra of the Mayor's Economic Development Task Force on Tuesday, as the group reviewed the City's accomplishments over the past 10 years to discuss how Turlock might continue moving forward. Noting the economic development plan of 2003, members of the task force highlighted some significant changes that have occurred in Turlock in the span ...

City seeks community input on food trucks