Valley Futures Forum: Valley Blueprint Implementation

Valley Blueprint Implementation
with John Wright

October 15, 2009
5:00 - 6:45 pm

Great Valley Center
201 Needham St.
Modesto, CA

Fee for the Forum: $10 (payable at the door)
For more information e-mail nuplanner@gmail.com

About the upcoming program:
Blueprints are being developed around the state by Metropolitan Planning Organizations to plan for the population growth that is anticipated in California over the next 40+ years. Blueprints are regional in scope and integrate land use, transportation and resource planning. Blueprint planning is a comprehensive undertaking that requires innovation, collaborative planning, thinking on a macro scale and a willingness to follow through to implementation.

The preferred scenario for the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Process has been chosen, but what are the next steps to implementing this plan? Join retired City of Clovis Planning Director John Wright as he provides a progress report on the implementation of the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint.

Mr. Wright has actively served on many regional committees dealing with land use, transportation, farmland preservation and air quality and has helped organize interactive settings for agency directors and valley professional planners. He is leading the San Joaquin Valley Planner’s Workgroup within the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Planning Process, and served on the Blueprint Regional Advisory Committee. He currently assists the Fresno Council of Governments in the implementation of the Valley Blueprint, including the relationship between AB 32, SB 375, and City and County General plans.

About the Valley Futures Forum (VFF):
The VFF is a dynamic conversation on development issues in the San Joaquin Valley. The forum takes place at 5:00pm on the third Thursday of each month, from January through November.

The VFF is presented by:
American Planning Association, Central Section; Building Industry Association of Central California; Congress for the New Urbanism, NorCal Chapter; Great Valley Center; Local Government Commission; Modesto Chamber of Commerce.

→ Download a flyer here

→ Visit the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint website at www.valleyblueprint.org

The Future of Cotton Farm Tour 2009

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Tour will travel through Merced and Fresno counties, starting in Los Banos

Description: Get a behind-the-scenes look at how California cotton growers are tackling the
recession, drought and other challenges and reshaping the future of this important commodity during Cotton Tour 2009 on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Sponsored by the Davis-based Sustainable Cotton Project, the daylong tour offers a close-up look at the trends and practices in conventional cotton cultivation, SCP’s Cleaner Cotton® program and organic production in Merced and Fresno counties. The tour begins in the morning in Los Banos and then heads into the cotton fields, where participants can inspect the crop before harvest, and meet with farmers before visiting a cotton gin.

→ Additional Information Sustainable Cotton Project

→ Watch the sustainable cotton video

Sacramento Valley Forum Keynote on Daily Show

Check out Sacramento Valley Forum keynote speaker Robert Glennon on the Daily Show. Glennon's new book Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What To Do About It examines how Americans mistakenly use water as an infinite resource and how America must make hard choices in order to deal with the current water crisis.

We are looking forward to hearing Glennon speak on October 28th in Chico. More info here: www.greatvalley.org/svforum.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Robert Glennon
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

American Leadership Forum, Great Valley Chapter

Take a look at some pictures from this year's inaugural class of the American Leadership Forum (ALF), Great Valley Chapter.

→ Learn more about the ALF Great Valley Chapter here

→ Learn more about the national ALF office here

Great Valley Center September Media Advisory

The Great Valley Center's September 2009 media advisory is now available. This monthly resource for members of the media and others in the community features information on what's happening with the Great Valley Center and throughout the Central Valley during the month.

September's advisory includes briefs on:

* Regional story ideas
* GVC and regional events during the month
* Ongoing GVC projects
* Reports, Publications, and Resources Available

→Download the September 2009 Media Advisory

Sustainable Communities and the Valley

Join us for September's Valley Futures Forum:

Sustainable Communities and the Valley
with Susan Handy of UC Davis

September 17, 2009
5:00 - 6:45 pm

Great Valley Center
201 Needham St.
Modesto, CA

Fee for the Forum: $10 (payable at the door)
For more information e-mail nuplanner@gmail.com

About the upcoming program:
UC Davis' Sustainable Transportation Center director Susan Handy is one of the authors of "Achieving Sustainability in California's Central Valley," a recent UC Davis report that identifies paths for cities to attain their sustainability goals. Dr. Handy will explore what motivates cities to pursue best practices in sustainability, and the barriers that exist to adopting them.

About the Valley Futures Forum (VFF):
The VFF is a dynamic conversation on development issues in the San Joaquin Valley. The forum takes place at 5:00pm on the third Thursday of each month, from January through November.

The VFF is presented by:
American Planning Association, Central Section; Building Industry Association of Central California; Congress for the New Urbanism, NorCal Chapter; Great Valley Center; Local Government Commission; Modesto Chamber of Commerce.

→ Download a flyer here

→ Download UC Davis' Achieving Sustainability in California's Central Valley report here

San Joaquin Valley Photography Contest: Prize Money Available!

Attention Photographers!

$500 - Theme Show Contest - $500

The San Joaquin Valley Project: Year I

The Photographers’ Gallery is pleased to announce a special event.

Our next scheduled theme show, The San Joaquin Valley Project just got more interesting. $500 in prize money was recently donated to insure that we get the best pictures possible which depict and celebrate our Valley. We will be looking for images that portray the full range of life in our little corner of the world, for example: the people (e.g., culture, events), the places (e.g., landscapes, cityscapes), the things (e.g., architecture, machinery), the flora (e.g., farming, nature), and the fauna (e.g., wildlife, domestic animals).

Prize Money: The prize money will be awarded in the following manner:

1^st Place: $175

2^nd Place” $100

3^rd Place: $ 50

Honorable Mentions (7) $25

Entry Requirements: Because of the shortened time available to announce this contest, the event will be conducted as per our usual theme show requirements, which include, by date:

September 7: Submission of jpgs (online to galleryguru@yahoo.com) or on a CD brought to The Photographers’ Gallery. You may submit up to 10 images. These images will then be juried by judges of the contest. You will be notified as to which ones have been chosen to hang in the show.

September 11 & 12: Accepted images will be received at the gallery. (10 am to 5 pm Friday, and 11 am to 2pm Saturday). All entries must be framed and ready to hang with a wire hanger. No saw-tooth or hook hangers will be accepted.

September 16: Judging of entries.

September 17: Reception for artists and awarding of prizes. (6:00-9:00 pm)

All Photographs must have been taken in one of the following counties: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, or Tulare.

Hanging Fee (entry fee for accepted work) $10 per image.

The Photographers’ Gallery, 13 & J Streets, Modesto, CA 95354

www.modestophotographersgallery.com galleryguru@yahoo.com

209 402-6092