Valley's poor die younger, report finds

Fresno Bee Article
By Barbara Anderson
 May 26, 2010

When it comes to health and length of life, it matters where you live in the San Joaquin Valley.

That was the conclusion of a report issued Wednesday in Fresno. Researchers with the Central Valley Health Policy Institute found that depending on where people live, they can have fewer productive years of life on average.

And it's worse in the Valley than in California as a whole, the researchers said.

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/05/26/1948107/valleys-poor-die-younger.html#ixzz0r2gVKbR7

Great Valley Chapter of American Leadership Forum Graduates Inaugural Class

Modesto, CA (May 20, 2010)— The Great Valley Chapter of the American Leadership Forum will graduate its inaugural class at 3 p.m., Friday, May 21, at the Great Valley Center.

“I think the new American Leadership Forum is a difference maker for the northern San Joaquin Valley,” said Great Valley Center President David Hosley. “A network of regional leaders who know how to build consensus on solutions to tough issues facing this region can accelerate positive change in a big way. These pioneers in the first class are a great foundation on which to build.”

Recognizing that the dynamic of leadership is changing in our rapidly growing and diversifying region, the Great Valley Center took the bold step in 2009 to be a catalyst for the development of regional leadership capacity by inaugurating the Great Valley Chapter of the American Leadership Forum.

The American Leadership Forum (ALF) is a non-profit organization, national in scope, dedicated to joining and strengthening established leaders in order to serve the public good. It enhances leadership by building on the strengths of diversity and by promoting collaborative problem-solving within and among communities. The Great Valley chapter serves San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties and joins 14 chapters across the country.

Fresno State President is 2010 Sequoia Award Recipient

Modesto, CA (May 7, 2010)— For his years of sustained effort to uplift the Valley through education and leadership, Dr. John D. Welty, President of California State University, Fresno, was awarded the 10th annual Sequoia, Giant of the Valley Award today at the Great Valley Center’s annual conference, Valley Up: Ideas, Innovation, and Inspiration, in Modesto.

The award recognizes Dr. Welty’s long-standing role as a pivotal leader actively involved in addressing issues in Central California and engaging himself and California State University, Fresno, with the entire region.

“Compared to 19 years ago, there’s greater commitment of leadership in the Valley today to collaborate and work together,” Dr. Welty said after accepting the award. “While we still face incredible issues, there’s evidence we’re coming together to address those issues.”

The Sequoia Award is given annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to increasing understanding of the Central Valley, improving the well-being of the region, or enhancing Valley residents’ quality of life. It is not designed to focus on a single act; rather it is intended to recognize efforts made over time.

Great Valley Center Releases New Urban Forestry Guide for San Joaquin Valley Communities

Modesto, CA (May 6, 2010) – The Great Valley Center today released a new urban forestry guidebook for San Joaquin Valley communities during its annual conference, Valley Up: Ideas, Innovation and Inspiration, at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto. “Urban. Forest. Tree” provides practical information on how to establish or improve a community tree program, including key principles and strategies for care and maintenance of trees and possible sources of funding for tree programs.

Click here to view the online version of the book.

Just as streets, sidewalks, sewers, public buildings and recreational facilities are part of a community’s infrastructure, so are publicly owned trees. Trees have myriad community benefits when properly selected, planted in the right locations and appropriately cared for and maintained.

“We hope that anyone who cares about the quality of life in their community will get excited about how trees can make a difference and then do something about it,” said Amy Moffat, director of research at the Great Valley Center.

New Book Tackles Central Valley Challenges

Modesto, CA (May 7, 2010) – California’s Central Valley is undergoing immense
change. A dramatically expanding population is encroaching on some of the world’s
richest farmland, putting increased strain on water, clean air, roadways, and health.
What must the Valley do to create a livable, perhaps even abundant future?

Answers to this question are addressed in the Great Valley Center’s latest book, “2020: Visions for the Central Valley,” released today at the organization’s annual conference, Valley Up: Ideas, Innovation and Inspiration, at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto.

"2020: Visions for the Central Valley" is available through bookstores, major book distributors including Ingram, Baker and Taylor, and other distribution centers, or by visiting the Heyday website at www.heydaybooks.com.

San Joaquin Valley growth woes intrigue scholars elsewhere

Modesto Bee
Sunday, May 16, 2010
By Garth Stapley

(Photo © Copyright 2010 Bart Ah You)

Fascinating growth issues around Modesto are capturing the fancy of scholars in places such as Illinois, New York and even Paris.

Interest in rampant sprawl before the recession has evolved into morbid curiosity at the valley's subsequent foreclosure scourge. Other nonvalley academics are drawn by misery and lack of representation in poor neighborhoods resulting from past land-use decisions.

"The valley is a great laboratory," said David Hosley, president of the Great Valley Center based in Modesto. "Because the Central Valley is so large and is growing so quickly, we are a great place to study what works and what doesn't when it comes to development."

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