Are you a private sector business or non-profit agency in Yuba County and planning to hire new employees before the end of 2011? Twenty hand-picked participants at the Yuba County One-Stop Center are eager and ready to go to work for your busines in a program that reimburses your payroll up to $4/hour per employee for a six-month period with a minimum 32-hour per week job. To take advantage of this limited-time program, call the One-Stop at 530.749.6868 or 749.4973.

"Subsidized Employment" is a CalWORKS program in which employers use their own systems to teach participating employees new skills necessary for successful permanent employment within their companies.

Subsidized Employment greatly reduces the cost of hiring and training workers through direct reimbursement to employers of 50 percent of a participant's total wages for the six-month duration of the program period.

Benefits of the Subsidized Employment Program to the employer include:

• Referrals of pre-screened and assessed applicants
• Interview candidates and make the hiring decision
• Determine job-performance standards
• Assistance with the upfront paperwork by CalWORKS representative
• The right to terminate a participant
• A 50-percent timely reimbursement of the employee's wages during the six-month program period
• Prompt monthly payments with a minimum of paperwork

 Learn more about services provided by the Yuba County One-Stop Center or visit the One-Stop Center at 1114 Yuba Street in Marysville.

With 800 new patients being referred to the Cancer Center at 618 5th Street in Marysville each year, a $19.4 million expansion is moving forward to increase exam room space by 75 percent and transfusion treatment capacity over 70 percent. The cost for the 16,461 square-foot expansion is being shared by healthcare partners Fremont-Rideout and U.C. Davis Health Systems, and is scheduled for completion in fall 2012.

The planned improvements include remodeling the pharmacy, building new reception and patient waiting areas and additional support office space. State of the art cancer-fighting technology will be implemented, including a new Positron Emission Tomography (PET CT) scanning unit, and another linear accelerator. After the expansion project, the total treatment space increases to 25 transfusion bays and 14 exam rooms.

Read more about regional Fremont-Rideout healthcare expansion activities here. 

Dinah's on D Street Books & More

A chamber of commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony for Marysville's newest bookstore occurred for "Dinah's on D Street Books & More" September 24, 2011. The family-owned bookstore operated by Steven and Dinah Parks first opened its doors in August 2011 and features about 20,000 new and used book titles.

Steven and Dinah Parks

In addition to providing a convenient walk-in location in historic downtown, the book outlet will also cater to Internet sales. The new retail store accepts used books for in-store credit, and also carries greeting cards and displays local artwork.

Visit "Dinah's on D Street" at 320 D Street, join their Dinah's Facebook page or "shop local" by browsing hard to find, out of print, and rare books on their Dinah's on D Street website.

Baby Buddies Birthing Center

Baby Buddies Birthing Center officially opened its doors under Harmony Healthcare services in Linda July 11, 2011 and was ready for expectant mothers in September. This unique clinic provides the in-home feel without the hospital stay for giving birth. Harmony Health founder Rachel Farrell describes the birthing environment as "very different, but a whole new experience." She believes up to 20 women per month will be birthing their babies at the new center within a year.

You can visit Baby Buddies Birthing Center at 1908 North Beale Road in Linda, or call 530.743.6888. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekends.

The center received its financial jumpstart from First Five Yuba, a local non-profit organization dedicated to childhood development ages 0 - 5. Follow Harmony Health on their Facebook page or learn more about "Baby Buddies Birthing Center" here.

Casino Project Leaps Government Hurdle

Tribe Gets Green Light from Indian Affairs in D.C.

A Native American gaming proposal for Yuba County's Sports & Entertainment Zone nine years in the making cleared a federal hurdle September 1, 2011. Larry Echo Hawk, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, issued a ruling that the gaming project was in the best interest of the Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians and that it was not found to be detrimental to the surrounding community.

The project was proposed in 2002 to be located within the Sports & Entertainment Zone, currently anchored by outdoor entertainment venue Sleep Train Amphitheatre. Over the years, tribal representatives in Oroville, California, have entered into Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with Yuba County and the City of Marysville. The agreements, valued at $83 million over 20 years and $4.8 million over 15 years respectively, are designed to address a number of public safety and government services. The federal government's analysis estimated net gaming revenues of $46.2 million by the tribe in the seventh year of operation.

In the past, the project has promoted an eight-story hotel with 170 rooms and 1,700 gaming machines within a casino located on 40 acres. The proposed site is on Forty Mile Road between highways 65 and 70. Federal appeal now moves the approval process to the state level, where concurrence by the state governor and a gaming compact with the State of California must occur for the project to break ground.

You can review the Environmental Impact Statement for Enterprise Rancheria here.

Shoei Food Receives Statewide Recognition

A number of agricultural businesses throughout the state were honored by a GrowCalifornia luncheon at UC Davis July 22, 2011, including Olivehurst-based Shoei Foods. Shoei Managing Director Don Soetaert received the recognition on behalf of the company in the category of "Innovation in Technology Commercialization." The award ceremony presented California resolutions signed by Karen Ross, Secretary of Food and Agriculture, and Manuel Perez, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy.

Don Soetaert, Shoei Foods, accepts award from Karen Ross, Toni Symonds and Duffy Segale

Shoei Food was voted a "game changer" for pioneering a UC Davis invention that applies radio wave power to nuts and dried fruits for disinfection and disinfestation, a process which requires no chemicals, steam or radiation. This innovative technology kills pathogens including e-coli, salmonella and listeria, and simultaneosly fumigates the food products by rotating molecules between positive and negative elecrodes 27 million times per second. Three machines are being assembled for plants in Yuba County and China.

After transferring dried plum processing activities to Yuba City's Sunsweet facility in 2008, Shoei Foods has since transformed itself into a significant walnut processing and packaging business. Shoei has recently been presented with the only British Retail Consortium (BRC) global certification  for food safety in the walnut industry, considered the "gold" standard for international food audits. Shoei's local headquarters are located at 1900 Feather River Boulevard.

A plan for Olivehurst improvements moved forward in a well-attended community workshop led by the Yuba County Planning Department, a consulting team, and Supervisor Mary Jane Griego August 18, 2011. While previous efforts in the 1990's to establish a redevelopment project area and in 2005 to create a Community Action Plan have focused primarily on Olivehurst Avenue, the newest effort will consider activities at the Yuba County Airport and throughout the entire unincorporated town. The 18-month revitalization plan process will position Olivehurst for pursuing improvement grants and additional funding sources.

Local residents and businesses were asked to prioritize projects that will revitalize the community including needed infrastructure work, new sidewalks and bike lanes, and addressing vacant and blighted properties. A revitalization plan should be completed and presented to the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission by the end of 2011.

"You need to be able to embrace a vision before it can become a reality," said Supervisor Griego. "This is the first step in an exciting process." Learn more about Olivehurst's revitalization efforts here. 

The Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition winners were announced a few weeks ago. Four hundred producers from 23 countries submitted over 600 olive oils that were examined and tested by an international panel of judges.

Two olive oil labels from the Yuba County foothills, Apollo Olive Oil Mistral and Sierra Oils, were awarded Gold medals. In addition, Apollo's gold series Barouni and Coratina oils received Silver medals. 

One hundred and twenty American producers, nearly all from California, submitted 235 olive oils, including both E
extra virgin oils and olive oils flavored with lemon, garlic, and herbs. The flavored oils are judged by the quality of the flavorings, whereas the extra virgin oils are judged by the quality of the olive oil itself.  Gold, Silver and Bronze medals are rated respectively for outstanding oils, very good oils, and acceptable oils without defect. 

 
 Buy the best, or learn more about these award-winning olive oils here. 

Although California and national foreclosure rates are on the rise based on recent collection activities by the banking industry and mortgage companies, the foreclosure market continues to improve in Yuba County, according to online foreclosure tracker www.foreclosureradar.com.

Compared to a year earlier, the number of notices of default dropped by 19.6 percent in Yuba County, while notices of sale dropped by 18.4 percent. Foreclosure cancellations also were greatly reduced compared to a year earlier by 52.2 percent in Yuba County suggesting there were fewer loan modifications or short sales.

See all of Yuba County's foreclosure statistics here.

Tsi-Akim Maidu Tribes Annual Indigenous Peoples Days will take place at Sycamore Ranch in Yuba County Friday, October 7 through Monday, Otober 10. The 12th annual Native American convocation and spiritual retreat will attract a number of participating tribes throughout the

Photo by Hank Meals

Midwest and features traditional ceremonies and rites, including "calling back the Salmon." The public is invited to attend and learn more about the cultural history and background of the state's first residents. Sycamore Ranch is located at 5390 State Highway 20 in Browns Valley. Look here for more information about Indigenous Peoples Days, held in Yuba County for the first time.

This fall the Sleep Train Amphitheatre is wrapping up its 12th season with Blink 182 performing October 2 and the Uproar Festival occurring October 13. Journey brings guests Foreigner and Night Ranger to the venue October 14, and Chris Brown performs October 23. Locate Sleep Train Amphitheatre's calendar and ticket information here.

North Yuba Harvest Festival took place at the Alcouffe Community Center in Oregon House September 17. Here are some pictures from the event. Find out more about Yuba County foothill events here or search a calendar for current cultural events, festivals, and activities.