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- IBM team to begin revitalization mission in Fresno
- Fresno's Jeffrey Scott Agency acquires Tricycle
- Fed office achieves Fresno's first LEED platinum
- Community Medical Centers joins health care alliance
- Adventist Hanford to receive national surgery awards
- Federal cuts to impact local Section 8 housing
- Visalia Time-Delta owner up 53 pct in Q1
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FTB Print & Mail
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- Published on 04/26/2013 - 11:19 am
- Written by Clay Moffitt
Since founding FTB Print & Mail in 1992, James Clark has learned to adapt and excel as technology advances and the industry adjusts.
The business originally started out as Fresno Trade Bindery. However with the technological advances over the past 20 years, the company elected to expand services and began offering direct mail in 2000.
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| Wed, May 1st, 2013 The Blue Tech Valley Water Conference |
| Tue, May 21st, 2013 Taking Your Business Global |
| Tue, May 21st, 2013 Get the Grant Workshop |
| Tue, May 21st, 2013 Workers’ Rights Clinic |
| Wed, May 1st, 2013 The Blue Tech Valley Water Conference |
| Wed, May 22nd, 2013 State Labor Law and Payroll Tax Seminar |
| Wed, May 1st, 2013 The Blue Tech Valley Water Conference |
| Thu, May 23rd, 2013 State of the City |
| Wed, May 1st, 2013 The Blue Tech Valley Water Conference |
| Wed, May 1st, 2013 The Blue Tech Valley Water Conference |
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Latest Local News
Written on 05/21/2013, 4:31 pm by
Governor Jerry Brown appointed Visalia attorney Antonio Reyes as the newest judge for the Tulare County Superior Court.
Written on 05/21/2013, 3:32 pm by
April looked better for Valley lodges as occupancy rates and revenues continued climbing toward a promising summer.
According to a monthly lodging report by Smith Travel Research, the average occupancy rate in the Fresno area stood at 58.2 percent in the month. That's up from 56.1 percent in March and 54.7 percent in April 2012.
At $83.71, the average daily rate in the area was an improvement from $79.91 the prior month and $82.49 a year ago.
With a supply of 317,250 rooms in the month, Fresno area lodges reported combined revenues of nearly $15.46 million compared to $14.7 million the month before and $14.24 the year before.
Tulare/Visalia area lodges saw the average occupancy rate inch up to 62.5 percent in April from 55.8 percent in March and 57.8 percent a year ago.
The area's average daily rate stood at $79.50 in the month, up from $75.82 the prior month and $78.34 last year.
With a supply of 161,040 rooms, lodges in the area reported revenues of $8 million in April compared to $7.42 in March and $7.29 million in April 2012.
Statewide, the average occupancy rate stood at 71.4 percent in the month, up from 70.4 percent the month before and 68.4 percent a year ago. The average daily rate picked up to $129.28 over $124.62 in March and $119.54 last year.
With a combined supply of just more than 15 million rooms, lodges in the state reported revenues of $1.39 billion in March compared to $1.36 billion the prior month and $1.22 billion a year ago.
Written on 05/21/2013, 1:24 pm by
Joseph Randall Medcalf, 56, formerly an investment manager in Fresno, was sentenced by United States District Judge Anthony Ishii to 6 ½ years in prison, and pay $6.6 million in fines for a scheme to defraud investors, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Medcalf carried out a scheme to defraud investors from at least May 2002 through October 2007 by offering investment “opportunities” in entities that he controlled, such as All Valley Holdings LLC, CenCal Value Investments LLC, and other ventures. Medcalf failed to register these investments with the Securities and Exchange Commission or other governmental entities.
Medcalf convinced some investors to move their investments from secure IRAs and other legitimate investments to him. In some cases, Medcalf’s investments were nonexistent; in other cases, they were failing and worthless. Medcalf frequently did not even invest the funds, but either paid other investors “returns” on their investments or spent it for his own personal use.
Medcalf marketed the investment opportunities as safe investments for a set time period, usually with a guaranteed interest rate. He stated that the principal and interest would be returned at the end of the term.
In some cases, Medcalf executed promissory notes and subscription agreements that stated the investment’s time period and guaranteed rate of return.
In order to lull investors into believing that the investments were secure, Medcalf sent out financial statements showing substantial returns. Medcalf also encouraged his investors to rollover their investments for another term so he could avoid paying out on the investments and to forestall the investors’ discovery of the fraud scheme. Medcalf also filed a bankruptcy petition in which he fraudulently failed to disclose his connection with All Valley Holdings and CenCal Value Investments, in an effort to avoid disclosure of his scheme to defraud.
Medcalf was ordered to pay restitution of more than $3.3 million to victims of his fraud scheme and was also ordered to forfeit an equivalent amount to the United States. Medcalf has been in custody since December 2011 when the FBI arrested him at the Atlanta airport as he flew back into the United States from overseas.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk Sherriff and Christopher Baker prosecuted Medcalf.
Written on 05/21/2013, 10:56 am by
Canadian firm Nutri Ag Limited plans to open an inorganic fertilizer manufacturing operation in the community of Biola west of Fresno, creating 10 new jobs.
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors today approved a rezoning of the property, which is on the east side of Biola Avenue between I and H streets.
Scott Ettner, representing Nutri Ag Limited, told the board the facility represents a relocation of the manufacturing operation to Fresno County. He said the site is currently a dilapidated building.
"Only birds and hobos are in there now," he said.
In wake of the recent Texas fertilizer blast, city staff reassured the board that the materials at the facility are not flammable or explosive. Ettner said a water-based plant nutrient will be manufactured at the site and sold through a contract to growers affiliated with Boise, Idaho-based agribusiness firm Simplot.
Written on 05/20/2013, 2:03 pm by
Central Valley Community Bancorp’s acquisition of Visalia Community Bank has been approved by regulators, it was announced Monday.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, California Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Reserve Bank each signed off on the transaction, which should be complete on June 30.
“We are proud of our 33-year history of solid financial performance which is demonstrated by the approval from all required regulatory agencies to complete the acquisition of Visalia Community Bank,” said Daniel J. Doyle, president and CEO of Central Valley Community Bancorp, in a release.
With the acquisition, Central Valley Community Bancorp, parent company of Central Valley Community Bank will add three offices in Visalia and one in Exeter to go with its 17 existing full-service offices.
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Written on 05/20/2013, 2:01 pm by
(AP) — Federal investigators probing the hantavirus outbreak blamed for three deaths at Yosemite National Park recommended on Monday that design changes to tent cabins and other privately run lodging first be reviewed by National Park Service officials.
The report released by the Interior Department's Office of Inspector General found that park officials responded to last summer's outbreak appropriately and within department policy.
"When the outbreak was identified, NPS mobilized to contain and remediate the outbreak and to prevent further outbreaks," Mary Kendall, a deputy inspector general, wrote in a letter attached to the report.
Still, the report found that current policy did not require park officials to approve design changes made to the "Signature tent cabins" by concessionaire Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, which had added rafters and wall studs to the structures.
Investigators determined that deer mice, which can carry the illness, nested inside the double walls of the new tents in Yosemite's family-friendly Curry Village.
At least eight of the nine tourists who fell ill stayed in the tent cabins.
Because the changes to the cabins were considered routine maintenance, current park service policy did not require prior approval, the report found.
Lisa Cesaro, a Delaware North spokeswoman, did not return a call seeking comment.
The report also recommended that the park service begin cyclical pest monitoring and inspections of all public accommodations.
While there is a current pest monitoring program at Yosemite, Delaware North was responsible for Curry Village, which was not considered at high risk for hantavirus.
Prior to the outbreak, Delaware only responded to pests in the cabins when visitors or housekeeping staff complained, the report said.
Written on 05/20/2013, 1:53 pm by
Valley high school entrepreneur students will hold their breath during a banquet on May 21 in Fresno to see who will advance to the national stage of a competition awarding seed money to those with the best business idea.
More than 1,000 students from 18 Central Valley high schools have spent the last several months developing their business ideas with help from the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) program offered by Fresno State's Lyles Center for Innovation.
Now, only the top five will advance to the final round of the NFTE Regional Business Plan Competition, dubbed "Dream It! Start It! Own It!" for their chance at public notoriety and money to launch their business dreams.
The winning students, who will be announced during a banquet on May 21 from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Sunnyside Country Club in Clovis, will get the opportunity to pitch their business idea in New York City in October at the NFTE National Young Entrepreneurship Challenge.
The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a business expo in which the top three students from each school site showcases their business.
Besides celebrating the students involved, Steve Banevedes, a teacher at Carter G. Woodson Public Charter School in Fresno will be given the NFTE 2012-2013 Teacher of the Year award and Tyler Hansen, founder of Central Valley Paintball in Reedley and NFTE graduate, will be recognized as NFTE Student of the Year.
Attendees will also hear an address by Villami Tuivai, a success consultant, professional speaker and former football coach at UC Davis and Boise State.
More information about the event or NFTE can be found by contacting Casey Lamonski at clamonski@csufresno.edu or (559) 917-7971.
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Written on 05/20/2013, 12:05 pm by
After sitting idle for several summers, four neighborhood learner pools will be reopened in Fresno thanks to a $60,000-grant from Kaiser Permanente.
The pools, closed over the past four summers due to budget cuts, will now reopen with the grant to nonprofit organization Fresno United Neighborhoods, which will operate the facilities for the City of Fresno.
Starting June 17, the pools will open daily from 1 to 5 p.m. as part of the "Splash into a Safe and Healthy Summer" program until the season ends Aug. 18.
In addition to providing a place for around 25,000 children to exercise and cool off, the pools will also give more than 500 children free swim lessons.
The neighborhood pools are located at:
• Fink-White Neighborhood Center, 535 S. Trinity St., accessibly by FAX route 28, 34 and 38.• Einstein Neighborhood Park Pool, 3566 E. Dakota Ave., accessible by FAX route 30.• Quigley Neighborhood Park Pool, 808 W. Dakota Ave., accessible by FAX route 45.• Romain Neighborhood Park Pool, 745 N. First St., accessible by FAX route 33 and 34.
All pools feature a shaded area, benches and an on-site play area for toddlers while all but Fink White also include a barbeque pit.
Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin will be joined by representatives with Kaiser Permanente Fresno at the Fink White Neighborhood Center at 10:30 a.m. on May 21 as she announces the renewed support for the Splash into a Healthy Summer program.
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Written on 05/17/2013, 3:37 pm by
Chris Thornberg, founding partner at Beacon Economics LLC in Los Angeles, sees an improving economy and plenty of opportunities for business entrepreneurs in Tulare County in the years to come.
Thornberg provided an economic forecast at the 2013 Sequoia Valley Economic Summit held Friday in Tulare.
Speaking on the topic, “A Budding Revovery,” Thornberg cited an improving housing market and continued growth in farm exports as primary reasons for the optimism.
“Ag exports are going through the roof,” he said.
He warned, however, that if the U.S. Congress fight efforts to expand the debt ceiling this October, the country and Tulare County could be thrown back into recession.
“Things are actually getting better,” Thornberg began. “In the fourth quarter, the U.S. economy began to accelerate. Real estate is starting its full recovery.”
Also California’s Proposition 30, which created a sales and income tax increase, will help boost the state’s economy substantially, Thornberg said. “The state is no longer a drag on the economy,” he said.
Also, a greater amount of state funds going to education is good news to Visalia, Thornberg said.
Still, Thornberg sees some problems in bringing buyers back to the home buying market. “A lot of folks don’t have acceptable credit,” he said. In addition, government officials overseeing the real estate market are not making it easy for banks to provide mortgages to potential buyers, he said.
Thornberg said he is also discouraged by both the debt ceiling fight and sequestration in Washington D.C. “If the debt ceiling does not rise, it could get really, really ugly,” he said. “This is a fight between tea-partiers and rational human beings.”
Meanwhile personal consumption is up, Thornberg said. “Consumers are helping to push the economy forward.”
Also the service industry is doing exceptionally well, he said.
Thornberg added that California is doing much better despite what naysayers are saying about taxes and unfriendly business conditions hurting industries here. “The reality is that California is the sixth fastest growing economy in the nation,” he said. Thornberg added that California is number 16 in the nation in terms of tax rates charged to businesses.
He said the biggest tax state is Alaska where a hefty oil tax is charged.
In addition, Visalia has the ninth fastest job growth in the state.
“Taxes are not the problem,” Thornberg said. “We are overspending. We have got to start to save more.”
“And we have got to export more and import less,” he said.
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