Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007 Contact: Joe Feller, Vallejoans for
Responsible Growth (415) 902-3395
ATTN: WEEKEND News Desk
Wal-Mart ‘mess' near White Slough part of neighborhood cleanup
program Saturday, according to community group
VALLEJO – A community group here said it will spend this Saturday
helping clean up "Wal-Marts' mess" near the protected White Slough
as part of a general Coastal Cleanup Day in the area.
Volunteers with Vallejoans for Responsible Growth, which opposes
Wal-Mart's plan to build at the protected White Slough, will spend
Saturday from 9 a.m. to Noon, after meeting at the parking lot
behind the Value Center on Redwood, cleaning up after Wal-Mart.
"Vallejoans take great pride in their city and are participating
in this cleanup. Wal-Mart has shown a real disregard for our town
with its lack of maintenance of its property here. We don't like
work on Saturday to clean up Wal-Mart's mess, but it just shows
Wal-Mart's lack of regard for our city," said Joe Feller of VFRG.
VFRG opposes the Wal-Mart plan to build a Supercenter on the
ecologically sensitive White Slough area, which would be subjected
to heavy traffic, air pollution, lights and noise generated by
massive commercial development such as Wal-Mart.
White Slough is critical feeding and resting habitat for more
than one million shorebirds and more than 250,000 ducks and geese as
well as countless resident species, including many endangered or
threatened species.
Wal-Mart is circumventing the Vallejo planning process so it can
build a 400,000 square foot Superstore at White Slough – even though
a 1995 joint agreement between the city, county and the Bay
Conservation and Development Commission severely restricts any
building to a size more than three times smaller than what Wal-Mart
wants. -30-
NEWS ADVISORY
Quartz Hill Cares
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007 Contact: Loretta Berry 661-943-7650
www.quartzhillcares.info
ATTN: Thursday Daybook/News
Desk
Wal-Mart project across street from high school target of early
morning rally, picket Thursday; Residents concerned about sales of
guns, alcohol, tobacco
QUARTZ HILL – Citizens here opposed to commercial "super centers"
– including a Wal-Mart – proposed to be built within feet of the
Quartz Hill High School will hold an rally and picket here THURSDAY,
from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. at the intersection of Avenue L and 60th St.
West.
The purpose of the rally is to "inform teachers and parents at
Quartz Hill High School about the plans for developing the area
around the school and to show our strong opposition to the
development," said Loretta Berry of Quartz Hill Cares.
"Parents and teachers should be very concerned about a store that
can sell guns, tobacco and alcohol located directly right across the
street from children," charged Berry, who added that the projects
will also increase traffic congestion.
The land, originally not zoned commercial but annexed by
Lancaster so all the tax revenue would go to the City of Lancaster
and leave the Quartz Hill community only the blight and traffic
congestion, explained Berry.
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007 Contact: Gregg Davidson
925/323-5646 Phil Tucker 707/479-6000
ATTN: NEWS DESK
Wal-Mart dealt another blow to Bay Area expansion; Development
company withdraws application to build Wal-Mart big box store in
North Concord
CONCORD – Wal-Mart suffered a major setback in its Bay Area
expansion plans here Tuesday night when the Winton-Jones Development
Company officially withdrew its application to build a Wal-Mart big
box discount store in North Concord.
Concord residents applauded the decision to end the long-running
Wal-Mart controversy, signaled by a 3-2 Concord City Council vote in
March to reject the project's Environmental Impact Report for
significant inadequacies in the areas of traffic, public safety,
urban decay, water control, energy and parking. Certification of the
vote was delayed until Tuesday for procedural reasons.
"While No More on 4 is pleased with the outcome, the fight is
still ongoing. Wal-Mart can come back tomorrow and propose another
ill-conceived store. I doubt it will be the last we hear of Wal-Mart
trying to build a store in North Concord," said Gregg Davidson,
chairman of No More on 4, a community group opposing the Wal-Mart
project.
No More on 4, which repeatedly noted the various ways in which
the current EIR failed to mitigate the impacts of a Wal-Mart big box
discount store, believed it clearly made the case that a Wal-Mart
would be bad for North Concord.
"The quality of life impacts we feel in North Concord need to be
considered first, and these kinds of big box discount stores do not
have a track record of serving communities well. We are pleased that
the Jones Family had the courage to end this controversy by
withdrawing the current Wal-Mart project from consideration,"
Davidson added.
It's been a rough year for Wal-Mart – only three Wal-Mart
Supercenters have been approved in the Bay Area in the last four
years. The City of Hercules is using eminent domain to stop Wal-Mart
from building there, Oakland, Alameda County, Livermore and Martinez
have big box ordinances and Antioch rejected a Wal-Mart expansion
earlier this year.
Wal-Mart facing
big tests in East Bay cities Tuesday re: future of planned
Superstores; Fate of air base, disputed project in doubt
September 10, 2007
URGENT NEWS ADVISORY Monday,
September 10, 2007 Contact: Cres Vellucci, media coordinator,
Cal/Healthy Communities, 916/996-9170
CONCORD/SUISUN – Wal-Mart's plans to build two more Supercenters
in the East Bay will face multiple tests here Tuesday – one in
Fairfield, where a proposed Suisun Wal-Mart threatens an air base,
and the other in Concord, where the death of one city counselor has
thrown a decision to deny Wal-Mart construction into political
limbo.
In Fairfield, the Solano County Supervisors will hear comments
from citizen groups (news briefing at 9:30 a.m. at County Government
Building, 675 Texas St.) who say a proposed Suisun Wal-Mart's
proximity to Travis Air Force Base, the county's biggest employer ($
1 billion a year / 14,000 jobs), could result in the closing of the
base.
According to letters from the chair of the Airport Land Use
Commission, and a Travis Base Commander, the Wal-Mart store violates
the Travis Airport Land Use Plan, and would "encroach" on the base
because it would place too many people in the runway path in an area
where aircraft parts have fallen. This violation could lead to the
base closure.
In Concord, the City Council members Laura Hoffmeister, Helen
Allen and Michael Chavez voted March 6 to kill a Wal-Mart project.
In line with common City practices, the Council would have simply
certified the 3-2 vote that the EIR holds significant inadequacies
in the areas of traffic, water control plans, energy, parking,
public safety and urban decay.
However, finalization of the vote was delayed and councilperson
Chavez died unexpectedly, throwing into doubt the status of the vote
and project. Opponents say the project has been defeated and will
comment to media outside chambers (6 p.m. at City Complex
Library/City Council Chambers, 1950 Parkside Drive)
It's been a rough year for Wal-Mart – a Hercules parcel was
seized by the city, another store in American Canyon is padlocked by
order of the court, and Oakland, Livermore and Martinez have bans on
big boxes like Wal-Mart SuperCenters. Antioch rejected a Wal-Mart
expansion earlier this year.
Citizen groups
to confront Solano Supervisors over threat to the closure of Travis
AFB by proposed Suisun Wal-Mart store
September 10, 2007
URGENT NEWS ADVISORY Monday,
September 10, 2007 Contact: Cres Vellucci, media coordinator,
Cal/Healthy Communities, 916/996-9170
FAIRFIELD – The threat to the future of Travis Air Force Base by
the proposed Wal-Mart Superstore in Suisun will be the topic of a
news conference here Tuesday shortly before the issue will be heard
at the Solano County Board of Supervisors' meeting.
The news briefing will begin at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the County
Government Building, 675 Texas St. Citizen groups will make comments
to the board later.
Community groups have charged the Suisun Wal-Mart, to be located
off Highway 12, threatens the life of Travis AFB, the county's
biggest employer ($ 1 billion a year / 14,000 jobs)..
According to letters from the chair of the Airport Land Use
Commission, and a Travis Base Commander, the Wal-Mart store violates
the Travis Airport Land Use Plan, and would "encroach" on the base
because it would place too many people in the runway path in an area
where aircraft parts have fallen. This violation could lead to the
base closure.
The proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter is sited at Highway 12 and
Walters Road, within "Zone C" of the Travis plan, which states that
no more than 300 people per acre be allowed. The Wal-Mart
Supercenter would draw 10,000 or more people a day, according to
Suisun Alliance and Suisun Citizens League.
Residents also point out that the Wal-Mart would be built along a
deadly part of Highway 12, known as "Blood Alley," which has had
nearly 800 collisions with 492 injuries and 18 deaths in four years.
Nine people have died in Highway 12 car accidents in the past 18
months.
Concord City
Council decision set Tuesday to finally certify rejection of
Wal-Mart project; However, death of council member causes concern
September 10, 2007
NEWS ADVISORY - FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, Sept. 10, 2007 Contact: Gregg Davidson, No
More on 4, 925-323-5646
CONCORD – The recent death of Concord City Counselor Michael
Chavez, and how it may affect a vote taken in March to kill a plan
to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter at Jones Ranch will be the focus on
a City Council meeting here Tuesday (6 p.m. at City Complex
Library/City Council Chambers, 1950 Parkside Drive)
City Council members Laura Hoffmeister, Helen Allen and Chavez
voted March 6 to kill a Wal-Mart project. In line with common City
practices, the Council would have simply certified the 3-2 vote that
the EIR holds significant inadequacies in the areas of traffic,
water control plans, energy, parking, public safety and urban decay.
However, finalization of the vote was delayed and Chavez died
unexpectedly. Community group No More on 4 said the delay was
unnecessary, and suggested the developer may have a "scheme" in
place to try to influence the City Council to reverse it previous
vote.
"We would hope that the Council would honor the wishes of Mr.
Chavez, who opposed the Wal-Mart project. The Council already voted
to not certify the EIR on March 6," according to a statement issued
by opponents of the project.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Thursday, July 19, 2007 -
Contact: Phil Tucker 707/479-6000 or 916/996-9170 -
www.calhcn.org [Top]
Small business expert travels to SF Bay Area cities to provide
strategies to small businesses to fight large corporate chains, ‘big
box' stores
Corporate chains and "big box" stores are destroying America's
independent businesses – but there is a strategy for fighting back,
according to the co-founder of the American Independent Business
Alliance (AMIBA) who is making a tour of San Francisco Bay Area
cities – including those in Vallejo, Alameda, Dublin, Concord and
Novato – next week (July 23-27).
Jeff Milchen, whose forums provide strategies to help local
businesses thrive against larger chain stores, co-founded
Montana-based AMIBA to help small businesses and communities
recognize the benefits of supporting local, independent businesses
over large corporate chains and "Big Box" stores.
The presentations are free, and open to the public. They are
sponsored by the California Healthy Communities Network, a project
of the non-profit Tides Center.
A nationally-known author and leading voice for America's
community-based businesses, Milchen will suggest strategies to
support local entrepreneurs – including an innovative model dozens
of communities across the country have now implemented to strengthen
hometown businesses and prevent displacement by chains that
undermine independent businesses.
"Jeff Milchen does more than make a compelling case against big
box retailers. He outlines a step-by-step strategy for reviving
locally-owned businesses and wrestling your community back from
corporate goliaths," said Stacy Mitchell, author of "Big Box
Swindle" and "Hometown Advantage."
The forum schedule includes:
Monday, July 23 – VALLEJO 6:30-8:30 p.m., Vallejo Public
Library (555 Santa Clara St.)
Tuesday, July 24 – ALAMEDA 7-9 p.m., Home of Truth (1300
Grand St.)
Wednesday, July 25 – CONCORD 6:30-9 p.m., Heald College Conf.
Ctr (5130 Commercial Circle).
Thursday, July 26 – NOVATO 6:30-8:30 p.m. School District
Board Room (1015 7th St.).
For more information, or reservations: Call Phil Tucker
707/479-6000 or see www.calhcn.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday,
June 11, 2007 Contact: Cres Vellucci, communications director Cal/HCN,
916/996-9170
[Top]
Residents call Wal-Mart a ‘pirate,' claim
proposed Supercenter may lead to more traffic, deaths along ‘blood
alley' section of Highway 12
SUISUN – Residents here rallied against a proposed
Wal-Mart Supercenter Saturday, charging the retail giant is more of
a "pirate" than a savior – and predicted the Wal-Mart store could
lead to more deaths on an already deadly stretch of Highway 12,
known as "Solano County's version of blood alley."
"We had multiple fatalities in March alone along Highway 12. That
shows how bad that stretch of highway is around here. If you bring
in 37,000 extra cars on that same highway a week, according to
projections, you're going to have more accidents," said Dwight Acey
of Suisun Citizens League, sponsor of the rally.
"We don't need Wal-Mart coming in here like a pirate, raping this
town and taking all the money out of here, leaving us for dead," he
added.
A draft environmental impact report is due before the end of June
for the Wal-Mart Supercenter project to be built at the intersection
of Hwy 12, Walters Road and Peterson Road. Major sections of Quail
Glen and Lawler Ranch neighborhoods would be as close as 300 feet
from the store, which will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the
year.
Many speakers focused on frightening Solano Transportation
Authority statistics which reveal there have been nearly 800
collisions in four years along the stretch of Highway 12 near where
the Wal-Mart is proposed, with 492 injuries and 18 deaths. Nine
people have died in Highway 12 car accidents in the last 18 months.
The statistics also show that the accident rate gets worse year
after year.
"I have seen a number of these accidents, including one that was
quite graphic," said Phil Tucker, project director of California
Healthy Communities Network, who drives the road frequently. He also
informed residents that a recent study that indicates for every job
Wal-Mart creates, about 1.4 jobs are lost in the community.
Opponents note Wal-Mart is overbuilding in the area, with a
Supercenter set in Fairfield less than three miles away, another in
American Canyon and one proposed in Vallejo. "They're hitting this
whole area, Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, Davis. They want
a Wal-Mart every four miles," said Mary Magill, a Gray Panther
activist who opposes the Wal-Mart.
Organizers, including sponsor Suisun Citizens League, and the
Suisun Alliance, noted that the Wal-Mart Supercenter will result in
increased crime, environmental damage and hurt local businesses.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 25, 2007 Contact: Gregg Davidson, No More on 4,
925-323-5646
ATTN: ASSIGNMENT DESK
[Top]
Citizen group ‘disappointed and confused' by City Council
decision to delay certification of its vote to reject EIR for
Wal-Mart/Jones Ranch project
CONCORD – A community group today said it was "disappointed and
confused" that the Concord City Council Tuesday night delayed a
final vote confirming the rejection of an environmental impact
report – seven weeks after officially voting to reject the EIR – for
the Wal-Mart/Lowe's-anchored Jones Ranch project.
The Council Tuesday night voted 5-0 to hold off certifying its
vote until Sept. 11, although No More on 4, a Concord citizen group,
said the delay was unnecessary, and suggested the developer may have
a "scheme" in place to try to influence the City Council to reverse
it previous vote.
"We are disappointed and confused. The Council already voted to
not certify the EIR on March 6, and the meeting last night was only
a means to formally state why it voted that way. Either Jones
Development is buying time to revise its project proposal or is
attempting to cloud the eyes of the Council to gain its approval,"
according to a statement issued by the No More on 4 community group.
Council members Laura Hoffmeister, Helen Allen and Michael Chavez
voted March 6 to declare the Jones Ranch EIR inadequate. In line
with common City practices, the Council would have simply certified
the 3-2 vote that the EIR holds significant inadequacies in the
areas of traffic, water control plans, energy, parking, public
safety and urban decay.
No More on 4 charged that the Council's action Tuesday night does
not change the fact that the majority of the Council already voted
down the EIR. The Jones Ranch developer should not be able to come
back with the same project regardless of how much more time is
given, said No More on 4 in its statement.
It's been a rough year for Wal-Mart – a Hercules parcel was
seized by the city, another store in American Canyon is padlocked by
order of the court, and Oakland, Livermore and Martinez have bans on
big boxes like Wal-Mart SuperCenters. Antioch rejected a Wal-Mart
expansion earlier this year.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 Contact: Greg Davidson, No More on 4,
925-323-5646
ATTN: ASSIGNMENT DESK
[Top]
Vote to kill Wal-Mart/Jones Ranch project finally expected to be
certified by Council Tuesday; Local group wary of developer ‘scheme'
CONCORD – Nearly two months after the Concord City Council voted
to reject an environmental impact report as inadequate and stop the
proposed Wal-Mart/Lowe's-anchored Jones Ranch project, the Council –
finally – is poised to formalize that decision Tuesday night at a
6:30 p.m. meeting at City Council Chambers here.
However, a citizen's group in Concord said the developer may have
a "scheme" in place to influence the City Council to go back on its
vote, and word at Tuesday's meeting.
"We are proud that the Council stood up for our residents and
quality of life instead of giving in to a well-connected developer,"
said Gregg Davidson, Concord resident and member of No More On 4.
"We have confidence the Council will do the right thing for our
community at tonight's meeting and put their decision into stone."
At the March meeting, Council members Laura Hoffmeister, Helen
Allen, and Michael Chavez voted that the Jones Ranch EIR was
inadequate. In line with common City practices, the Council must
certify their vote, confirming its 3-2 vote that the EIR holds
significant inadequacies in the areas of traffic, water control
plans, energy, parking, public safety and urban decay.
Davidson called the decision by Hoffmeister, Allen and Chavez
"courageous."
Although Tuesday's vote is normally a formality, No More on 4 has
learned project proponents, Winton Jones Development, has requested
a delay. Davidson and supporters of No More on 4 contend the delay
is another way the developer can "work behind closed doors to get
its project approved, with all of the flaws still there."
"We are confident the Council will represent community
interests," said Davidson. But he did question if the Council in the
past has made a decision and then taken nearly two months to certify
it, as it has in this case. He also wondered if the Jones family is
receiving special treatment.
It was yet another setback for Wal-Mart, who in more than a year
of trying, has failed to open or expand a Bay Area store – a
Hercules parcel was seized by the city, another store in American
Canyon is padlocked by order of the court, Oakland, Livermore and
Martinez have bans on big boxes like Wal-Mart SuperCenters, and
Antioch rejected a Wal-Mart expansion earlier this year.
SAN JOSE, Ca.
[Top]
– California Healthy Communities Network (CHCN), in
conjunction with a host of influential labor and social justice
organizations, launched the "Mercados Campaign" here April 20 in an
effort to preserve the human and civil rights of unrepresented
Latino workers in small and medium sized grocery stores in
California.
At a major news conference at United Food and Commercial Workers
Local 5, covered by more than a dozen major newspaper, radio and
television outlets from Northern California, speakers condemned the
wholesale abuse of Latino workers in hundreds – possibly thousands –
of small and medium size grocery stores throughout California.
Investigators charged Latino workers are abused, sexually
harassed, not paid for overtime, or even the minimum wage – and
sometimes not paid at all – at grocery stores known as "Mercados,"
which operate in immigrant communities.
Among those participating in the campaign are the League of
United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), California Healthy Communities
Network (CalHCN), Instituto Laboral de la Raza, Proyecto de
Ciudadanía de Salinas; and United Food & Commercial Workers Local 5.
"The California Healthy Communities Network responded to the
complaints heard from our network member groups about the treatment
of workers. We answered the call because although we support small
businesses, we do not support sweatshop operations," said Phil
Tucker, project director for CalHCN.
His comments were echoed by other speakers, including project
manager Gerardo Dominguez, who called the treatment of workers
"outrageous and brutal abuse." He cited instances where female
workers were sexually harassed, others fired for complaining about
their treatment, and still other workers who toiled for months
without getting paid. Employers, he said, claimed the workers didn't
want to be paid because "they like to work."
Mercado workers are often not given food or rest breaks, or paid
the minimum wage or overtime. Dominguez said the problem affects
"thousands of workers" in a hundreds of small grocery stores in the
San Francisco Bay Area alone.
He said the "Mercados Project" has, so far, helped some workers
recover $50,000 in monies owed them, and other claims for more than
$200,000 are pending.
"Our goal is to educate the workers as to their rights, and the
employers about what their responsibilities are...we are avoiding
legal action for now in the hope that employers will act in good
faith," Dominguez said.
"This is a very important campaign. We are making a permanent
commitment to the rights of every worker," said Mexican Consul
General Bruno Figueroa, who attended the news conference.
And, Assemblymember Joe Coto, D-San Jose, noted that the
27-member Latino Legislative Caucus, of which he is chair, "fully
supports this campaign," and urged that Latino and other businesses
abide by the "code of conduct" for mercados stores.
"I will be very actively involved (in this project) to preserve
the rights of all California workers," said the assemblymember.
Angel G. Luevano, state director of California League of United
Latin American Citizens (LULAC), one of the oldest and largest
groups representing Latinos, said he was "acutely aware of the
violations to workers, including those where they work for 14 hours
and are not paid at all. This has to end. This is not just an
immigrant rights, but a civil rights issue."
"We are putting our resources in this campaign. We prosecute 600
wage and claim cases a year already," said Sarah M. Shaker,
executive director of Instituto Laboral De LA Raza. Dan Rush,
secretary-treasurer of the Instituto, said some Latino workers get
the most dangerous jobs, and when they're hurt on the job, "they are
just dumped off a truck at the hospital."
Other speakers, included Argentina Davila-Luevano, Deputy State
Director for Women for the LULAC Women's Commission, who urged
Latino workers to "speak out," and Tony Alexander, political
director of UFCW Local 5, who said his union would do all that it
can to support the "Mercados Campaign.
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