City Council preview

BMX Bike Park has raised the money, now its time for building The City Council is expected to accept donations for the community BMX Bike Park. Volunteers have achieved their goal of raising $10,000 and staff is now ready to begin the development of the BMX Bike Park. The total donations collected is $10,470. Donations in the amount of $2,115 will be accepted at Tuesday's meeting from various donors to help support the Bike ...

Valley Blueprint Process forges ahead despite economic setbacks

The San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Process held a public forum last week to discuss the challenges of implementation of the preferred scenario (B+) and how it got selected for the Valley.

$16.3 million to go to California specialty crops

California has long led the nation when it comes to specialty crop agriculture. Now the state is first on the United States Department of Agriculture's list to receive Specialty Crop Block Grant funding.

Lazar gathers with county mayors to discuss economy, tourism

Turlock Mayor John Lazar was one of four county mayors to attend the first annual State of the Region luncheon hosted by the Modesto Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 14.

Council accepts COPS grant; four new officers to be hired

Turlock City Council members voted to accept grant funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services on Tuesday for the reinstatement of four sworn officers in the Turlock Police Department. The three year grant stipulates that the officers must be retained for a fourth year at the expense of the City of Turlock.

Congress says yes to dairy aid

The U.S. Congress moved an emergency spending bill through on Tuesday to provide $350 million in aid for the nation's struggling dairy producers.

Council approves all projects for RDA plan

The Turlock City Council sidestepped the issue of predetermining what projects should receive Redevelopment funding over the next five years on Tuesday evening. Rather than picking and choosing from a list of wished-for projects and those currently funded in the RDA budget, the council agreed to include all proposed projects into their 2010-2014 RDA Implementation Plan, and sort out the funding later.

Council to discuss redevelopment in special meeting

The Turlock City Council will convene a special meeting on Tuesday to discuss the next five years of programs and projects to be funded by the Turlock Redevelopment Agency.

$698 thousand to stay in city coffers

In 2008 the State of California revealed a plan to balance its budget by taking funds from local Redevelopment Agencies - just as they proposed in 2009 - but the state won't see one cent of those proposed 2008 takings.

Former homeless shelter leased to new tenants

The former site of Turlock's Emergency Cold Weather Homeless Shelter, a city-owned warehouse at 400 B St., has finally found new tenants.

Carnegie lease vote continued

The motion to accept a lease agreement with the nonprofit Carnegie Arts Center Foundation to run the Carnegie Arts Center was neither approved or denied by the City Council Tuesday night.

Council: Yes to prayer

The Turlock City Council opened their meeting Tuesday evening with an invocation - before the gavel struck to formally begin the proceedings.

County to revisit farmland mitigation

The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors isn't finished fighting new residential development on agricultural-zoned land.

Our own town hall meeting

The nation-wide controversy over health care reform came to the Valley Friday afternoon when U.S. Rep. George Radanovich held his own town hall meeting in Oakdale. While there were no violent confrontations that led to arrests - as has happened in St. Louis, Mo. - booing and heckling were common during the question and answer time.

County budget coffers fuller than expected

More money will be in Stanislaus County's 2009-2010 final budget than had been initially expected, but fewer workers will be employed by the county this year.

Declining funding means hazy future for city housing plan

After several successful years for Turlock Housing Program Services, the department now finds itself facing rapidly declining funding. State support is dropping, federal stimulus funds are drying up, and the elimination of redevelopment agencies has cut millions more in dedicated low-income housing funding. "It creates some limitations about what we can do," said Maryn Pitt, Turlock Housing Program Services manager. "As I've mentioned before council, this is the year of the perfect storm ...

Local control of Amtrak San Joaquin better for customers, says Galgiani

Regional governments could soon manage Amtrak's San Joaquin Corridor, if a new bill passes the state legislature. The bill, authored by Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton), would transfer administrative control of the Amtrak line from CalTrans to a coalition of local governments. Those locals would better understand how to run the train, the bill posits, leading to improved service for customers. "Local and regional government and transportation agency officials from Bakersfield to Sacramento ...

Farmers beat back child labor legislation

State Parks increases fees; Local rec areas’ future still uncertain

The fate of Turlock's area State Parks remains uncertain, but the cost to attend the surviving State Parks will increase. Effective May 1, vehicle day use annual passes will increase from $125 to $195. Golden Poppy vehicle day use passes – not valid at high-demand or locally operated parks – will rise from $90 to $125. Boat use passes will climb from $75 to $100. And limited use Golden Bear passes, for senior ...

Lights could go out for some Denair residents

Three Denair neighborhoods face a decision in the coming weeks - pay a new assessment, or see streetlights shut off. Those three areas, containing 33.5 acres, 126 parcels, and 13 streetlights, are inadvertently receiving free streetlighting, the county says, when they should have been included in a large Denair lighting assessment district. The Denair Highway Lighting District, like other such county districts, assesses parcels for their share of the costs to provide ...

Arts Commission gets second chance

A smaller, leaner Turlock City Arts Commission will live on, in spite of a city staff suggestion that the Turlock City Council eliminate the longstanding commission on Tuesday. "I think disbanding would be a terrible thing," said Councilmember Amy Bublak. "I was a part of it. I don't want to see it gone." The previously 25-member commission will be trimmed to just seven members, with two alternates. The smaller size should help ...

Council to decide fate of city arts commission

The future of the Turlock City Arts Commission is up for debate Tuesday, as the Turlock City Council is expected to consider disbanding the long-standing commission.

City begins budget process

Budget season officially kicked off for the City of Turlock on Tuesday, when the City Council accepted parts of the Non-General Fund budget.

New taxes needed to maintain roads, says city

The City of Turlock may ask citizens to support new taxes on the November ballot, dedicated to repairing the city's dilapidated roadways. The potential initiative arose at a special Turlock City Council workshop on Tuesday, where council discussed the massive costs to mend and maintain the city's streets. "We are currently not investing enough money in our road network to maintain or improve our streets," said City Engineer Mike Pitcock. Turlock ...

Council to hold roadways workshop

Turlock's much-maligned roadways will be the focus of a special, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday Turlock City Council workshop. The workshop will detail the city's existing pavement management system, the condition of Turlock's roadways, and costs to provide improvements. The discussion is then expected to proceed to potential funding sources, ranging from gas tax dollars – often withheld by the state – to grant funds and alternative funding options. During their regularly scheduled, 7 ...

Congress comes to the Valley

Four local veterans gave one more sacrifice to their country on Thursday, as they testified before a field hearing of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Health. The Congressional hearing was held at the Modesto American Legion Hall - home division of acting subcommittee chair Jeff Denham. The focus of the hearing was the Veterans Health Administration and the role of Vet centers. "Last October, I once again returned to ...

Planning approves 24-hour grocery for old Mervyn’s site

The old Mervyn's building, located at 2840 Geer Rd., could soon be home to a 24-hour discount food and beverage grocery store, rumored to be Walmart Neighborhood Market. The Turlock City Planning Commission on Thursday approved repurposing the approximately 61,000-square-foot building, which has sat vacant since Mervyn's chainwide bankruptcy in 2009. The commission action clears the way for development of the building as a grocery store, and allows any grocery tenant to move ...

Bill looks to make illicit student-teacher relationships felony offenses

A local assemblywoman has introduced new legislation to make inappropriate student-teacher relationships a felony – with the help of a Modesto mother whose high school-age daughter is now living with her 41-year-old former teacher. Jordan Powers, an Enoch High School senior, has been dating former business teacher James Hooker since shortly after turning 18, in January. Hooker has since quit his teaching job and left his wife and children to move into an ...

City joins solar initiative

A new regional solar initiative, joined by the City of Turlock Tuesday evening, may ease regulatory barriers to the installation of rooftop solar systems – and, possibly, create local jobs. The Southwest Solar Transformation Initiative, a public-private partnership funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, looks to streamline and standardize permitting, zoning, metering, and connection processes, while improving financing options for residential and commercial rooftop solar systems. "President Obama has made clear ...

City Council set to approve $14 million pipeline project

The City of Turlock's long-awaited Harding Drain Bypass, a $14 million pipeline project which will allow Turlock to discharge treated wastewater directly to the San Joaquin River, is set to move forward on Tuesday's City Council agenda.