The San Joaquin Valley Connect is a daily publication of the Great Valley Center's Energy Program and is designed to keep you informed about what's happening in your region. You have been subscribed because of your interest in regional happenings and energy efficiency in the San Joaquin Valley. If you do not wish to receive this daily newsletter click here to manage your subscription.

World Oil envisions upscale development; traffic concerns a hurdle
World Oil wants to bring upscale shops and boutiques with charming facades, cafes and movie theaters to northwest Bakersfield. The massive development, dubbed Bakersfield Commons, would occupy 255 acres along Brimhall Road, with some big-box retail east of Coffee Road. But first, World Oil and the city of Bakersfield need to figure out how to handle traffic.
Bakersfield Californian article

7th Standard, Coffee commercial center project draws talk - Environment, loss of farmland considered
Global warming and loss of farmland topped the list of concerns about a commercial development at Thursday's Bakersfield Planning Commission meeting. Bidart Bros.' Saco Ranch Commercial Center would bring about 3.2 million square feet of retail and industrial space on 301 acres along the southwest and southeast corners of 7th Standard and Coffee roads. Assembly Bill 32 requires the state's greenhouse gas emissions be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020. Nipp, a mathematician, said the project would only increase those levels, not decrease them as the study claims.
Bakersfield Californian article

High-speed rail project moving along
Could bullet trains be flying through Hanford or Visalia or somewhere in between? Where could a South Valley high-speed rail station be located? How will high-speed trains benefit Valley residents? These are some of the many questions to be answered at upcoming public scoping meetings scheduled to take place throughout the Valley this week.
Hanford Sentinel article

Planning Commission needs members
The Selma Planning Commission is having a tough time finding people to fill commissioner spots. One spot is vacant, another could be vacant soon and two commissioners terms end in June -- a potential for four empty spots on a seven-member board. The one vacant position on the commission has been empty since August 2008. Terms on the planning commission generally last four years. The six remaining members include Joseph Tiger, who was arrested in January on two counts of grand theft and embezzlement by an officer of state or political subdivision while on duty.
Selma Enterprise article

Conditions deteriorating in west Valley towns
Drought, unemployment take a toll on many small communities. During this third year of drought, farmers on the west side are fallowing hundreds of thousands of acres and hiring fewer than half the workers they did two years ago. They blame the dry weather and federal environmental laws - meant to protect endangered species of fish - that have severely restricted how much water can flow into the west side. With the prospect of more water shortages in the future, many farmers are shifting toward less water-dependent crops that don't require as many workers. That could prove devastating to hundreds, if not thousands, of families in west-side towns who have always depended on agriculture jobs..
Fresno Bee article

UC Merced expansion gets initial approval
The University of California's governing board has approved major expansion plans for its Merced campus that will allow the university to develop a green, state-of-the-art research center. The UC Board of Regents authorized the Long-Range Development Plan and environmental review at its meeting Thursday in Riverside.
Fresno Bee article

Proposed gravel mine northwest of Snelling appealed
A proposed gravel mine near the Tuolumne River near La Grange and northwest of Snelling has drawn opposition from a handful of area residents concerned about water contamination and safety issues.
Merced Sun-Star article

Central Valley gets mixed water message
There was good news Friday for many federal water customers in the San Joaquin Valley -- but not for west-side farmers. Summer delivery predictions increased for thousands of east-Valley farmers, the city of Fresno and small cities on the Valley's west side.
Fresno Bee article

Modesto Irrigation District sending water into canals
Water started flowing Monday in Modesto Irrigation District canals and will be available to growers late in the week, spokeswoman Melissa Williams said. The water, released from Don Pedro Reservoir on the Tuolumne River, takes three to four days to get to the end of the canals.
Modesto Bee article

Delta officials to state legislators: Remember us
Officials from five Delta counties asked legislators Monday to remember the people who live and work in the estuary as lawmakers embark on what is expected to be a crucial year for the Delta. The five-county coalition, which formed in 2008, called for the Delta to be recognized as a place and not merely as a water supply or an ecosystem.
Stockton Record article

Two long-term water projects for eastern San Joaquin County continue to progress
While money trickles in a little at a time, local water officials continue to work on two major projects designed to bring more water to San Joaquin County, increase the height of the water table and keep salt from intruding from San Francisco Bay into the local groundwater.
Lodi News-Sentinel article

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