Important Information on Mandatory Employment Posters 

By Federal and State law, it is mandatory to have the most up to date employment notice poster on display in the workplace regardless if you have one employee or a thousand. If these posters are not placed on display in the workplace, fines may be made applicable to the employer.

The Vallejo Chamber of Commerce is not offering the 2012 California and Federal Employment Notice Posters for sale, but they can be purchased through www.calchamber.com in either English or Spanish text.

Also, it is important to note, there are major changes underway and the 2012 POSTERS ARE CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE at CalChamber. Please look for more information on the 2012 California and Federal Employment Notice Posters, by visiting:
http://www.calchamber.com/Headlines/Pages/01042012-NLRAPosterRequirementDelayedUntilApril30.aspx 

(Vallejo, CA) Internationally-known scholar and author Dr. Roger Schank will be presenting at Touro University California, 1310 Club Drive, Lander Hall Auditorium, Mare Island, Vallejo, on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 5:30pm. He will be discussing the future of education. This event is FREE and open to the public. Dr. Schank has been described as "one of the world's leading visionaries in artificial intelligence, learning theory, cognitive science, and the building of virtual learning environments." He believes "there are only two things wrong with our education system: 1. What we teach; 2. How we teach it." Dr. Schank does not shy away from provocative ideas. In a recent posting, he presented President Obama with ten ideas for how to change education:

1. Shut down high schools

2. Stop preparing students for college

3. Stop insisting everyone go to college

4. Re-focus colleges away from academics

5. Eliminate all testing

6. Get big business out of education

7. Make learning fun again

8. Let children choose what they want to learn about

9. Help children find mentors who will help them learn what they want to learn

10. Build online experiences that engage students and that teach thinking skills

Dr. Schank was awarded a Ph.D. in linguistics at the University of Texas in Austin. He founded the renowned Institute for the Learning Sciences at Northwestern University in 1989 where he is John P. Evans Professor Emeritus in Computer Science, Education and Psychology. Currently, he is working with La Salle Barcelona on their new Institute for Learning Sciences through the Business Engineering School. He is the author of many books and has just published Teaching Minds: How Cognitive Science Can Save Our Schools. Dr. Schank will support the Graduate School of Education's goal to provide innovative and relevant educational experiences to the university and the community. A question and answer session will follow the presentation. All members of the educational community are welcome to attend. Arrive early, limited parking Go to tu.edu/gsoe for additional information. Contact gsoe@tu.edu with questions. Dr. Schank's website is: rogerschank.com

February 22-24, 2012, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

675 Texas Street 6th Floor Conference Room

Fairfield, California 94533

Registration Fee: $199 - January 2-30, 2012, $249 thereafter.

*An 18 Hour commitment to The Solano County Bar Association Mediation Program is required.

Class size is limited to 20 and is available on a first-come, first-served basis  

This interactive professional training meets the standard required by the California Dispute Resolution Program Act (DRPA). The goal of the act is to provide dispute resolution services to county residents to assist in resolving disputes and function as an alternative to more formal court proceedings.

Instruction includes;

- 10 Hours of classroom training - lecture and discussion

- 15 Hours of practical training - observing and participating in simulated disputes, actual disputes and intake procedures

Completion of this training will enable you to participate in the Solano County Bar Association's Alternative Dispute Resolution Program where you will have the opportunity to mediate a wide variety of disputes in the community and the Solano County Superior Court small claims program. Through this program mediators gain valuable experience, enhance their mediation and communication skills, and provide a valuable service to their community.

This core conflict resolution training is required for those wishing to become a volunteer SCBA Mediator and is designed for professional and lay people alike. Anyone who deals with conflict, either in the workplace or the home, will benefit from this training.

To register, contact:

Julie Hilt at 707-422-5087

email scba@solanobar.org

*A generous grant allows us to offer this program at this low price. If you would like to take the training but are unable to meet the volunteer requirement, please call for alternative pricing.

PG&E Launches Winter Gas Savings Progress Tracker to Enhance Annual Money-saving Program for Customers!

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) recently launched a new online tool to enhance its 2011-2012 Winter Gas Savings program. The PG&E Winter Gas Savings Progress Tracker app is the first Facebook-enabled, web-based tracking tool to help customers measure their progress toward meeting their energy saving goals.

The annual PG&E Winter Gas Savings program gives eligible residential and business customers an automatic bill credit of up to 20 percent when they reduce their natural gas usage in December 2011 and January 2012 compared to the previous three winters, adjusted for weather. During the 2011 program, some 2.7 million customers earned bill credits totaling $70 million.

The Progress Tracker app lets customers who have gas SmartMeters™ graphically compare their current estimated average daily usage to their three-year daily average, so they can see if they are on track to earn full or partial bill credits. Through Facebook, customers can conveniently view their savings performance and write posts about it on their Wall. The app is available at www.pge.com/wintergassavings and www.facebook.com/pacificgasandelectric.

According to the utility, this new Progress Tracker app will let customers see how their conservation efforts are creating extra savings opportunities this winter. By making the tracker available within Facebook, the company is bringing personal energy consumption data to customers in a friendly environment, helping to make energy management a part of everyday life.

For screenshots of the application on PG&E's web site and on Facebook, see www.flickr.com/photos/26715412@N03/6456282205/in/photostream and www.flickr.com/photos/26715412@N03/6456291055/in/photostream.

Customers can take simple steps to reduce their gas consumption this winter:

• Lower the thermostat to 68 degrees during the daytime (health permitting)
• Set the water heater to 120 degrees or the "normal" setting
• Wash clothes in cold water instead of hot
• Open blinds and drapes on sunny days
• Microwave small amounts of food instead of heating them up in the oven

The Local's Choice Awards!