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Alameda’s Fire Department has received a Recovery Act Grant to hire 6 firefighters as part of the Department Of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Program. “On July 19, the federal government awarded the Alameda Fire Department $1.7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to hire firefighters. The department plans to use the money to hire six firefighters for a two-year period. The money is coming from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. ‘In light of the current economic constraints on the city, the Alameda Fire Department is pleased to receive this grant which will allow us to continue high quality service and relieve some of the economic burden on the city of Alameda,’ stated Fire Chief Dave Kapler. In addition to paying for the new firefighters, the grant should also help the city save money currently paid in overtime. AFD will hire firefighters from the city's reduction-in-force list and the California Fire Foundation's displaced firefighter list, made up of firefighters laid-off from other fire departments.” [Alameda Sun, 7/30/10]

Lpath, a San Diego-Based pharmaceutical corporation, has received a Recovery Act funded grant from the National Eye Institute to support its phase II clinical trials into new treatments for Exudative AMD. “Lpath, Inc. was awarded a $3.0 million grant by the National Eye Institute's BRDG-SPAN Program to support Phase II clinical development of Lpath's iSONEP(TM) in treating exudative (or wet) AMD and possibly other ocular disorders… Lpath's ImmuneY2(TM) drug-discovery engine has the unique ability to generate therapeutic antibodies that bind to and inhibit bioactive lipids that contribute to diseases like wet AMD. The NEI's BRDG-SPAN Program was created to provide grants of up to $3 million to accelerate the transition from the development to commercialization of innovative technologies that improve human health, advance the mission of NIH, and create significant economic stimulus.” [Market Watch, 7/30/10]

Yolo County is celebrating the completion of a Recovery Act funded Solar Panel Project at its County Correctional Facility. “In a brief ceremony that took place nearly six weeks ahead of schedule, members of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors ‘flipped the switch’ on a state-of-the-art solar power system located behind the Monroe Detention Center. ‘This new solar project is yet another step Yolo County has taken as a local government in recent years to reduce its carbon footprint,’ said board Chairwoman Helen Thomson. … With its new solar array, Yolo County's justice center will be generating 80 percent of its own energy needs, completely zeroing out the PG&E meters for the Monroe Detention Center, the Leinberger Memorial Center and the adjacent juvenile detention facility. As an added benefit, the system combines SunPower's ‘305 module,’ which is billed as being the most efficient solar panel on the market, with their ‘ground tracker’ system, allowing the panels to follow the sun's motion throughout the day. With the addition of the tracking system, the solar array is capable of capturing 25 percent more sunlight that traditional fixed panels. …. In order to finance the project, Yolo County relied upon various clean energy bonds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as well as a 15-tear, 1 percent interest loan from the California Energy Commission. As a result of the funding procured, Yolo County incurred no out-of-pocket expenses throughout the project.” [Woodland Daily Democrat, 7/28/10]

Fairfield is benefiting from Recovery Act Bonds that will allow Frank-Lin Distillers to set up a state-of-the-art facility in the city generating jobs and making the company more competitive. “ “The city of Fairfield worked through the California Enterprise Development Authority (CEDA) to issue a $22 million tax-exempt Recovery Zone Facility Bond. Proceeds of this bond were used to finance the construction of a $34 million, 288,000-square foot building on 15 acres in the Tolenas Industrial Park. Frank-Lin was the first completed Recovery Zone Facility Bond project in California to go through the state reallocation process. The Recovery Zone Facility Bonds are made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law by President Obama in February 2009 in response to the economic crisis. Fairfield was allocated $1.4 million in Recovery Zone Facility Bonds… A brand new commercial facility is brought to Fairfield; creating jobs and helping to improve the operations of an important California business… Additional tax-exempt bonds in the amount of approximately $2 million have been issued through the Statewide Community Infrastructure Program (SCIP) to finance impact fees and public improvements.” [PR Newswire, 7/27/10]

Terra-Gen Power broke ground on what will be the world’s largest wind power center thanks in part to a combination of private funding and public funds made possible by the Recovery Act. “Backed by energy investment group ArcLight Capital, Terra-Gen hopes that the complex – using turbines from Denmark's Vestas and General Electric Co – will supply electricity to 1.1 million people starting 2011 and create more than 3,000 jobs. The project, for which Terra-Gen has secured $1.6 billion in financing, underscores how wind energy is gaining traction as a viable power alternative. The company said last year it had secured a 1,550 megawatt power purchase agreement with Southern California Edison, supplier to much of the nation's most populous state. Wind power had been one of the fastest growing sources of power generation before the financial crisis, which squeezed funding. But the U.S. Treasury Department helped bankroll some 150 renewable energy projects with a portion of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, doling out at least $1.5 billion in grants for wind initiatives.” [Reuters News Service, 7/27/10]

Santa Clara County Social Services is utilizing Federal Recovery Act money to fund its summer nutrition program that will continue to feed over 4,000 low-income students. “The County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency is leveraging federal stimulus funding by implementing a Summer Nutrition program that will feed over 4,000 low-income children this summer, when schools are closed and feeding sites are limited. Concerned about the limited number of summer feeding sites in the County, the Safety Net Committee, chaired by the County Social Services Agency and Second Harvest Food Bank, invited the community to join the County-sponsored and newly formed Safety Net Summer Nutrition Collaborative. Together, interested members designed an innovative program that combines healthy nutritional meals with a wide variety of camp and educational programs. The County estimates that it will spend over $5,346,000 in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF Emergency Contingency Funds, provided through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to subsidize the Summer Nutrition Program… The YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Mexican Heritage Corporation, First 5 Santa Clara County, City of San Jose's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, and Revolution Foods, have teamed up to staff over 40 feeding sites throughout the county for the 8-10 week program, which ends on August 20. Eligible low-income children, ages 0-18, will be able to participate in the camps, receive a healthy breakfast, lunch, and two snacks every day.” [Public CEO News, 7/27/10]

Construction set to begin on a Recovery Act funded infrastructure project in Orange County is expected to create 5,000 jobs. “Construction gets under way soon on one of the largest construction projects in Orange County in recent years. The $328-million West County Connectors project will directly connect car-pool lanes on the 405, 605, and the 22 freeway. The project crosses the cities of Garden Grove, Westminster, Seal Beach, Los Alamitos and the community of Rossmoor. Although construction starts in August, lane closures are not scheduled until the end of the year. Several officials offered comments at a ground-breaking ceremony last month. ‘Today is about jobs...high paying jobs created as a result of this public investment,’ said Will Kempton, chief executive officer of the Orange County Transportation Authority. OCTA spokesman Joel Zlotnik said the project is expected to create more than 5,000 jobs. ‘It's a big day for this region,’ said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez. ‘This project in fact does represent everything that president Obama envisioned when he signed off on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act... a lot of what we're looking for is to create jobs.’ The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is contributing $50 million to the project.” [Orange County Register, 7/26/10]

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell announced that over 1,000 local educational agencies will be receiving Recovery Act Funded Enhancing Education Through Technology grants to upgrade existing high-tech infrastructure in classrooms across the state. “State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced Friday that the California Department of Education is awarding $34 million in federal Enhancing Education Through Technology funding to 1,062 local educational agencies in the state.… These funds will help schools integrate technology into their classrooms and train teachers to use these tools more effectively to enhance their students' learning experience.’ CDE was awarded $71 million in EETT funding by the U.S. Department of Education last August. The funds are part of the federal stimulus funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will be disbursed in two ways. EETT is designed to improve student achievement through the use of instructional technologies in elementary and secondary schools. The goal is to help all students become technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade.” [The Woodland Daily Democrat, 7/18/10]

UC San Diego has received a Recovery Act funded grant from the Department Of Commerce to allow researchers to study new techniques for building seismically-sound structures and methods as to how to safeguard existing buildings. “As earthquake preparedness continues to be at the forefront of research and conversations around the globe, engineers at UC San Diego have received a boost in funding to help protect buildings and people from potential seismic disasters. Benson Shing, a structural engineering professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, will use a nearly $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to study and test performance-based seismic design methods and tools for reinforced masonry shear-wall structures.… Earlier this year, the NSIT awarded a total of $34.12 million in grants for measurement science and engineering research. The NIST Measurement Science and Engineering Research Grants Program, made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will fund 27 projects at higher-education, commercial, and nonprofit organizations in 18 states.” [The Cutting Edge, 7/16/10]

LAX is receiving Recovery Act funding to install full body imaging scanners, augmenting airport security and decreasing time spent in TSA security lines. “Federal and city officials are expected to announce Tuesday that 24 full-body imaging scanners manufactured by Torrance-based Rapiscan Systems Inc. will be spread across all nine terminals at LAX. The move is part of the Department of Homeland Security's plan to roll out 450 body scanning devices at 11 airport across the country by the end of this year, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. ‘These 24 new machines can only give us added comfort to our sense of security at LAX,’ said Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes the nation's third-busiest airport… Rapiscan's Secure 1000 scanners, known as ‘backscatter machines,’ bounce low-level X-rays off airline passengers to peek underneath clothes as a secondary security screening measure… .‘The Secure 1000 is one of the most proven technologies available to help detect serious non-metallic threats concealed on a person's body, thereby reducing the risk of a catastrophic terrorist attack,’ a Rapiscan spokeswoman said in a written statement.” [The Daily Breeze, 7/19/10]

50 local children in Humboldt County have been able to participate in summer mentoring and advising programs thanks to a grant from the Recovery Act to the North Coast Big Brothers and Sisters Organization. “Summer for approximately 50 local children is a little brighter this year, thanks to funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Almost $50,000 in federal stimulus funds secured by the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services will fund mentoring activities and programs offered through North Coast Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Some low-income kids will receive financial assistance to attend educational camps. Others will be able to participate in mentored recreational activities their families would not otherwise be able to afford. Additional family support services, including parenting skills classes, will also be funded. ‘These activities are about something more than giving children and youth something fun to do this summer,’ said DHHS Director Phillip R. Crandall. ‘They also teach social skills, increase self-esteem and strengthen families that don’t have a lot of supports.’ North Coast Big Brothers and Sisters is an affiliate of the 105-year-old national mentoring organization that serves some 300,000 children and youth nationwide each year.” [Redwood Times, 7/21/10]

Long Beach area youth have benefited from Recovery Act funding of summer jobs, which have already put approximately 1,000 young people to work with 325 area employers. “Long Beach. Merchants and business owners needing some summer help can still take advantage of the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network's Summer Youth Employment Training Program. The network has funding to fill an additional 400 positions this summer. The Summer Youth Employment program is made possible through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds and provides salaries and workers' comp for 1,500 eligible youth living in the Network's service areas of Lomita, Long Beach, Signal Hill and Torrance. The youth can work approximately 180 hours during the summer months. Through the program, 325 area employers are already receiving no cost assistance from approximately 1,000 youths.” [Long Beach Press-Telegraph, 7/22/10]

Governor Schwarzenegger praised Calera Corporation of Los Gatos for its recently awarded Recovery Act funded grant to transform co2 into livestock feed and building materials. “Calera Corporation is developing a process that directly mineralizes CO2 in flue gas to carbonates that can be converted into useful construction materials. An existing CO2 absorption facility for the project is operational at Moss Landing, Calif., for capture and mineralization. The project team will complete the detailed design, construction, and operation of a building material production system that at smaller scales has produced carbonate-containing aggregates suitable as construction fill or partial feedstock for use at cement production facilities … Governor Schwarzenegger created the California Recovery Task Force to track the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding coming into the state; work with President Barack Obama's administration; help cities, counties, non-profits, and others access the available funding; ensure that the funding funneled through the state is spent efficiently and effectively; and maintain a Web site (www.recovery.ca.gov) that is frequently and thoroughly updated for Californians to be able to track the stimulus dollars.” [Pine Tree Net, 7/22/10]

A Recovery Act Grant to Santa Barbara County’s Summer Youth Employment Program has put 350 young people to work this summer, giving them solid work experience and helping local business get through the tough economy. “Backed by a $1.9 million federal stimulus grant, Santa Barbara County’s Summer Youth Employment Program has put 350 young adults to work countywide at nonprofits, government agencies and local businesses. The program, which began in May and runs through September, employs about 75 young adults at some 30 work sites in the Lompoc area, according to AlRay Grossi, the program’s Lompoc area representative. Young adults, ages 14 to 24, are earning $8 per hour for up to 40 hours under the terms of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. About 75 percent of them are working full-time, Grossi said. The young people work as custodians, office help, in restaurants, gardening, parks cleanup and maintenance. Some work at preschools, supervising youth activities, arts and crafts, math and spelling… ‘Our youth in the community are doing something positive. They are learning job skills, but more importantly, they are learning life skills,’ Grossi said. ‘I think that’s what the community gets out of it.’” [Lompoc Record, 7/22/10]

Recovery Act Stimulus-Funded Public Housing Renovations Have Led To Over 80 Construction Hires In San Bernardino County. “Public housing officials have hired about 80 construction workers to transform the hundreds of apartments near Medical Center Drive into a more welcoming environment. …. The Housing Authority of San Bernardino County is spending roughly $10 million for exterior renovations and energy-efficiency upgrades throughout the 296 apartment units of the agency's Medical Center complex. Housing officials have pooled financing from various sources, including about $3.4 million authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Housing Authority spokeswoman Ana Gamiz said. ‘Most of our efforts actually, are to increase the curb appeal. Not just for residents but the broader neighborhood,’ said Gus Joslin, deputy executive director of the Housing Authority's real estate development office. ‘They're very much institutional and always have been, and we're trying to make it look more like a neighborhood,’ Joslin continued. The Medical Center apartments, known in the neighborhood as simply ‘The Projects,’ date back to the Truman Era. The first tenants moved in circa 1951 to buildings that still reflect that ‘institutional’ aesthetic that Joslin described… The project also includes new paint, windows, security screens, water and sewer laterals, improved air-cooling systems and new roofing.” [Contra Costa Times, 6/28/10]

Secretary Salazar Announced A Recovery Act Stimulus-Funded Wildlife Restoration Project That Aims To Alleviate The Stress That Has Been Placed On California’s Salmon Population. “Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $6,839,497.50 contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 for Phase 1B of the Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project to construct a tailrace connector and penstock bypass at the Inskip Powerhouse, part of Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Battle Creek Hydroelectric Project. The contract includes building a small bypass at Coleman Diversion Dam on the South Fork of Battle Creek. The project is in Shasta and Tehama counties near Manton, Calif. The restoration project will restore Chinook salmon and steelhead habitat along 48 miles of Battle Creek and its tributaries while maintaining continued production of hydroelectric power. Habitat restoration and enhancement will enable safe passage, growth and recovery of Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, and Central Valley steelhead. All of the fish are listed as threatened or endangered. Construction is expected to begin in September.’ We look forward to the implementation of this phase of the major restoration effort,’ said Secretary Salazar. ‘The project demonstrates that through cooperation, federal and state agencies, private industry and nonprofit organizations can restore fish species, while allowing continued production of renewable energy.’ The Battle Creek Restoration Project is a cooperative effort among the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish and Game, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, The Nature Conservancy, Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy, and other agencies…Under ARRA, Interior is making an investment in conserving America's timeless treasures – our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage – while helping American families and their communities prosper again.” [Yuba Net, 6/29/10]

San Diego State University Announced That It Has Received A New Record Amount Of Funding For Research Because Of The Recovery Act, Creating New Jobs And Providing Resources To Innovate The Economy. “With help from Congress, San Diego State University grabbed a record $150 million for research in the past year, getting money to study matters as diverse as the mercurial nature of earthquakes to the evolution of cancer. SDSU will report today that the university broke its previous record by more than $10 million, partly by obtaining millions of dollars in competitive grants funded by the federal stimulus package. American universities were given at least $10 billion for research through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act approved by Congress, says the Chronicle of Higher Education. Tom Scott, SDSU's vice president for research, said last month that, ‘We still would have raised more than $130 million without the stimulus, and we’ve been deepening our partnership with UC San Diego, which has been vital to our growth.’ SDSU decided years ago to focus heavily on research as well as teaching, making it the only California State University campus to do so on a large and consistent scale. Most CSU schools pull in less than $10 million for research each year. …” [Sign On San Diego, 6/30/10]

The San Bernardino County Workforce Program And CleanEdison Have Announced That They Will Be Launching A New Free Green Jobs Program For Dislocated Workers With Funding From The Recovery Act. “The San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board and CleanEdison will launch a free, green job-training program for dislocated workers. Using grant money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, this program is designed to stimulate the regional economy and upgrade workers' job skills to facilitate their reentry into the workforce. ‘This program will provide crucial training to traditionally under-served community members, as well as retrain incumbent workers seeking to upgrade their skills,’ said Sandy Harmsen, Director of Workforce Development in San Bernardino County. ‘This initiative will help develop a skilled green workforce and provide career advancement and job security to workers, while helping to meet demand in the growing energy efficiency sector.’ Scheduled to begin in mid-July, students who complete the training will become BPI Certified Building Analysts, qualified to perform energy audits to determine how much energy a home is wasting without proper insulation or duct sealing. Energy audits can help homeowners save as much as 30-40 percent on their monthly utility bills by utilizing the proper retrofits. The combination of classroom practicum and hands-on field training will enable training participants to quickly transition into the expanding green job market. CleanEdison offers state-of-the-art classes in a variety of green job disciplines, from Energy Audit Training to LEED Exam Prep. …” [Market Wire, 6/30/10]

Los Angeles, Fresno and San Diego Have Been Approved To Receive Recovery Act Stimulus-Funded Energy Modernization Grants That Aim To Increase Efficiency And Conservation In Single And Multi-Family Homes. “The California Energy Commission yesterday approved nearly $12.9 million in three separate awards to improve residential energy use with efficiency upgrades and increase green workforce training opportunities. Funding for the projects comes from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). The energy efficiency programs from the County of Los Angeles ($8 million), City of Fresno ($1.9 million) and County of San Diego ($3 million) are being funded from Recovery Act Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grants to implement comprehensive single and multi-family energy retrofit programs. These local governments are also partnering with various community colleges, local economic development programs and building industry organizations to bring job training opportunities and clean jobs to the three regions. ‘We are pleased that local governments are eager to use Recovery Act funds to help their residents save money on energy costs,’ said Rick Rice, Director of the California Recovery Task Force. ‘These innovative and comprehensive retrofit programs will allow California to continue its global leadership in energy efficiency efforts and provide a much-needed boost to our economy.’ The combined programs expect to provide energy upgrades to 10,800 single family homes and 2,000 multi-family buildings. Estimated annual energy savings are anticipated to exceed 20,000 mega-watt hours of electricity, or approximately enough to power 2,300 homes for a year, and more than 16,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. The three programs are also focusing on creating or retaining more than 2,000 jobs while providing aggressive training programs to help expand California’s new clean energy workforce. Combined, the three programs leverage nearly $200 million in private and public funding. The California Energy Commission received $49.6 million in Recovery Act funds for direct Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grants for small cities and counties.” [Imperial Valley News, 7/1/10]

California-Based Occam Received Recovery Act Stimulus Contract To Supply Broadband Access To Rural Parts of Kansas, Creating Over 350 New Jobs. “In one of the biggest stimulus grants to filter down to a tri-county business, Goleta-based Occam Networks will supply equipment for a $101 million project to bring broadband access to rural Western Kansas. Occam will provide networking equipment to Kansas-based Rural Telephone’s Nex-Tech, which will connect 23,000 households and businesses across 4,600 square miles. ‘In terms of fiber to the home, this is the largest project to our knowledge in round one [of the stimulus],’ said Juan Vela, director of solutions marketing and strategy for Occam…In March, federal officials unveiled the National Broadband Plan, a roadmap for wiring some of the remotest parts of the country…Vela said it was fitting that Occam’s first broadband stimulus contract came from Rural Telephone, because it’s worked with the company for nearly a decade…The $101 million project will create jobs both in Santa Barbara and Kansas. Vela said it could create engineering and support positions at Occam. Rural Telephone will take on 17 full-time employees to run the upgraded services and expects to create 350 to 400 contracting jobs.” [Pacific Coast Business Times, 6/21/10]

The Products Of A California-Based Fiber Optics Corporation, Glimmerglass, Will Now Be Included In Approved Recovery Act Internet Equipment, Allowing The Company To Be Included In The Extension Of Internet Technology To Rural America. “Glimmerglass Networks, the leading supplier of intelligent optical layer management solutions, today announced that its product family of Intelligent Optical Systems has passed the ‘Buy American Requirement’ set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is included in the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) List of Materials. The Glimmerglass Intelligent Optical Systems 100, 500, and 600 gained RUS acceptance and are included in the RUS List of Materials. The products are now acceptable for use in telecommunications systems of RUS borrowers and can be deployed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). ‘As a US-based company with all of our solutions manufactured in America, we are pleased to be readily available via the RUS listing to assist telecommunication service providers serve rural community broadband requirements with our advanced optical layer management solutions,’ said Robert Lundy, CEO of Glimmerglass Networks. ‘With a growing majority of the world's Internet, data, voice and video traffic flowing over fiber optic networks, there is a significant opportunity across our rural landscape to ensure American communities are not left behind. Glimmerglass intelligent optical systems enable telecommunications service providers to remotely create, monitor and reconfigure optical paths in milliseconds, dramatically reducing their operating expenses, accelerating deployment of new services, and improving system reliability.’ The USDA's Rural Utilities Service provides programs to finance rural America's telecommunications infrastructure. The Broadband Loan program provides loans to fund the costs of constructing, improving and acquiring facilities to provide broadband service to eligible rural communities. The Community Connect Grant program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide broadband in unserved areas to provide public safety services and foster economic growth. The American Recover and Reinvestment Act appropriated $2.5 billion to RUS to extend broadband networks to unserved and underserved communities nationwide.” [Market Watch, 6/23/10]

Recovery Act Investment Into Affordable Housing Is Expected To Generate 155 Permanent Jobs And Over 389 Construction Jobs Statewide, While Offering Senior Citizens And Economically Disadvantaged Residents New Homes. “Federal, state and local agencies, and the American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will contribute to funding over $112.4 million in development costs for the construction of eight communities, which, according to the National Association of Home Builders, will lead to the creation of 155 permanent new jobs and over 389 full-time construction jobs. Cities will benefit from these developments through much needed revenue from fees and permits, while local businesses are expected to grow from the purchase of building materials and the significant spending power of the new residents. The eight projects, built by AMCAL Multi-Housing, Inc., span Los Angeles, Orange, Fresno and Kern counties. They include: Andalucia, a 75-unit family community in Los Angeles Mosaic, a 56-unit mixed-use community in Los Angeles Montecito, a 98-unit senior community in Panorama City Mirandela, a 34-unit senior community in Rancho Palos Verdes Royale, a 36-unit family community in Westminster Santa Fe, a 56-unit mixed use community in Bakersfield Cordova, an 81-unit family community in Selma Summer Hill, a 50-unit family community in Fresno Over $84.9 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits was awarded to AMCAL to build these communities. Funding was provided by Bank of America, Chase, Boston Capital, California Bank & Trust, California Community Reinvestment Corp., Citibank, Enterprise Community Investment, Hudson Housing Capital, U.S. Bank and Union Bank of California. Additional funding from federal ARRA stimulus, State of California Proposition 1C Infill Infrastructure Grant, County of Fresno, Los Angeles Housing Department, Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency (RDA), City of Rancho Palos Verdes RDA, City of Westminster RDA, City of Bakersfield RDA, City of Selma RDA, and City of Fresno RDA allowed AMCAL and its non-profit partners to build these communities.” [PR Newswire, 6/23/10]

Governor Schwarzenegger Announced That California Will Be Receiving An Infusion Of Recovery Act Funding To Turnaround Underperforming Schools. “… As part of the Race to the Top initiative, Governor Schwarzenegger in January 2010 signed historic education reform to help change the culture of education in California by empowering parents, embracing accountability and transforming the state’s lowest-achieving schools. This bold action plan requires schools identified as persistently lowest-achieving to implement one of the four turnaround strategies. The more than $416 million in SIG funding approved today will be made available to support these schools in implementing the turnaround strategies to help ensure every student has equal access to quality education and success.” [Tribune Weekly Chronicle, 6/24/10]

The City Of Corning Has Received A Recovery Act Stimulus Grant To Build A Modern Well, Improving Both Access To And Quality Of Local Water. “The city of Corning will be receiving a share of the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in the form of a $613,000 loan from the US Department of Agriculture. The money, issues through USDA's Rural Development Water and Environmental Program, will be used to drill a new water well at Estil Clark Park. ‘The problems facing Corning today are common to many rural towns throughout the state and nation,’ said USDA Rural Development State Director Glenda Humiston in a release. The loan, which Humiston announced Wednesday, is a reflection of the Obama Administrations efforts to rebuild the nation's infrastructure and shows the USDA's commitment to ensuring that communities have safe drinking water, the release said. … The new 400-foot-deep well replaces three others removed from service and ensures the city can meet requirements of peak use and supply enough water for the community. Funds will be used to install a pump, about 1,400 feet of pipeline and a 480-square-foot well house.” [Red Bluff Daily News, 6/24/10]

Recovery Act Stimulus Money Used To Upgrade Central Coast Roads. “Caltrans announced Wednesday that work has begun on a highway project that will resurface 11 miles of the 101 in San Luis Obispo County. The 41.2 million dollar project is being funded mostly by stimulus money from the President's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. ( 37.2 million stimulus money, with the remainder being funded by the state ). The section being repaved runs from Santa Margarita to Atascadero. There will also be work done to widen bridges and resurface on and off ramps in that same stretch. Caltrans District 5 Director Rich Krumholz said, ‘This is a great project for the local economy. It's bringing a lot of jobs to the city of Atascadero, the County of San Luis Obispo, and the Central Coast....And that's a big part of the stimulus program, jobs creation.’” [Ksby.com, 5/19/10]

Central Valley Highways Get Major Investment From Federal Recovery Act Stimulus. “The California Transportation Commission allocated $83 million to the Central Valley on Thursday to help fund road improvements. The money given to the Valley was a part of $668 million allocated to 79 transportation projects statewide. Funds for the projects came from Proposition 1B and from state and federal transportation accounts, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Valley's funds from Proposition 1B will help widen Highway 99 from four lanes to six in and near Kingsburg in Fresno and Tulare counties. The project will also build four new bridges, modify 14 bridges, restore 40 lane-miles of pavement and construct 5,000 linear feet of soundwalls.” [Fresno Bee, 5/20/10]

Recovery Act Funding Allows California Road Improvements Strengthen State And Create Jobs. “The California Transportation Commission on Thursday allocated $668 million to 79 projects across the state, including $92 million to resurface 84 miles of Interstate 5 between Florin Road and the Sacramento-San Joaquin County line. The $668 million allocation included $152 million for nine projects from Proposition 1B, a $19.9 billion transportation bond approved by voters in 2006. The remaining $516 million came from assorted state and federal transportation funding, including $2.9 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act….” [Sacramento Business Journal, 5/20/10]

Recovery Act Funds Go To Increase Broadband Accessibility In Economically Disadvantages Areas. “A nonprofit organization overseen by employees of Google Inc., Intel Corp. and other technology firms has won the right to distribute more than $7 million in federal stimulus funding aimed at expanding Internet access in California, and is now seeking millions more. The California Emerging Technology Fund is applying for more than $12 million in additional stimulus funds to increase broadband access--giving a Google employee a hand in a noble pursuit that also dovetails with the company's broader mission, and influence over a quasipublic entity doling out government grants. The CETF was created in 2005 by the state's Public Utilities Commission, as a condition of its approval of the mergers between AT&T Inc. and SBC Communications, and between Verizon Communications Inc. and MCI. AT&T and Verizon are together providing $60 million over five years to fund the entity's mission of expanding broadband…” [Total Telecom, 5/24/10]

Local Government In California Uses Recovery Act Stimulus Funds To Green Government Buildings and Facilities. “Close to $500,000 in federal stimulus dollars for energy-efficiency projects could be headed to the Coachella Valley — as soon as the Riverside County Board of Supervisors votes to accept them. The federal dollars are part of about $6.6 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds the board is expected to approve at its meeting on Tuesday in Riverside… Besides promoting energy-efficiency, the federal funds are also intended to boost local economies, county officials said. ‘These funds are being put to good use and will create local jobs for our communities,’ said Tom Freeman, spokesman for the county Economic Development Agency.” [The Desert Sun, 5/24/10]

California Fishermen Receive Boon With Federal Recovery Act Investment Into Fish Passage Project. “The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region has awarded a $67 million contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for Phase II of the Red Bluff Fish Passage Improvement Project, the agency reported. With this latest ARRA award, Reclamation is initiating the final construction phase of the project. The $67 million award was issued to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure of Fairfield, Calif., for constructing a 1,118-foot-long fish screen, building a pumping station, installing nine pumps and motors and building an electrical switchyard. Construction of the project is expected to begin in summer 2010, with completion anticipated in 2012. Once completed, the facility will provide for improved fish passage through the existing Red Bluff Diversion Dam. The new diversion facility will be located on the Sacramento River about a mile upstream of the dam and two miles southeast of Red Bluff, Calif. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor broke ground at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam in March 2010 to begin the Fish Passage Improvement Project under previously announced ARRA funding. The project will be completed in multi-phases by Reclamation, the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority, and the State of California. The total Project cost is estimated at $230 million and is being paid for partially by the $109 million in ARRA money.” [HydroWorld.com, 5/24/10]

President Visits Solyndra In Silicon Valley. Plant Will Create 1000 Green-tech Jobs When Completed And Is Currently Providing 3000 Construction Jobs. “President Barack Obama marked Fremont as a capital of the burgeoning clean-energy industry — a sector that won't lead to the kind of environmental disaster that's wreaking havoc in the Gulf of Mexico — while taking an economic stimulus victory lap Wednesday. Obama toured Solyndra Inc., a solar-panel company that last year received a $535 million loan guarantee through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to build a huge manufacturing plant down the road from its existing facility. It was in that incomplete plant — which eventually will employ about 1,000 and whose construction has provided work to about 3,000 — that he spoke to a few hundred employees, construction workers and local dignitaries. The plant shows that the promise of new energy isn't science fiction but ‘is happening right now. The future is here,’ Obama said. The president's visit seems to be part of a full-court press on the economic recovery. Elsewhere Wednesday, Democrats were touting a new analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office showing that the Recovery Act in 2010's first quarter has raised the nation's gross domestic product, lowered the unemployment rate, and increased the number of people employed by more than 1.2 million. …” [San Jose Mercury News, 5/27/10]

Recovery Act Stimulus Funds Provide Weatherization Capabilities In Riverside, Allowing Residents To Take Advantage Of Both Energy Efficiency Gains And Energy Conservation Education. “In February of 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 with the goals of increasing economic activity, creating new job opportunities, and developing greater levels of accountability and transparency in government spending. As a result, ARRA has helped to stimulate growth within the U.S. and has helped to improve the lives of many Americans, including citizens within Riverside County. On Wednesday, May 19th, the Community Action Partnership of Riverside County (CAP Riverside) conducted weatherization demonstrations for two residential properties along Hillside Avenue. Under the Recovery Act, CAP Riverside has received funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which weatherizes the homes of qualified Riverside residents at no charge. Low-income families can apply for and qualify to weatherize their home or apartment through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which aims to makes residences more energy efficient to permanently reduce energy bills. …” [Black Voice News, 5/27/10]

Report On High Speed Rail Indicates That The Project, Utilizing A Combination Of Federal Recovery Act And State Funds, Could Create 600,000 Jobs Construction Jobs And 450,000 Permanent Jobs Upon Completion. “…. The bullet-train system would send passenger rail cars speeding at up to 220 mph between Southern and Northern California, with a key stop in downtown Bakersfield. Proponents say the project will create more than 600,000 new construction-related jobs while the system is being built over several years, and as many as 450,000 permanent jobs statewide at build-out. Once it's completed, if it's completed, travel time between Bakersfield and Los Angeles would be 54 minutes; Bakersfield to Sacramento would take one hour and 29 minutes -- and thousands of vehicles that might otherwise be polluting the air would still be parked in driveways. We asked members of The Californian's Sounding Board about Howle's contentions regarding the ‘vague’ and ‘optimistic’ plan to pay for the 800-mile rail system. Do people believe the high-speed rail system will become a reality for California? Will it be supported by riders and be a boom to the economy? Do the big-picture benefits, including temporary and permanent jobs, cleaner air and ease of travel, override the auditor's concerns? The responses: It will be great boon to our fading economy and a great convenience to all Californians as long as the high-speed rail authority can guarantee two things: One, that ticket costs are low enough to entice our car culture to leave freedom behind for the constrictions of the rail; and two, that the rail lines themselves are readily accessible to all parts of California. …” [Bakersfield.com, 5/27/10]

President Obama Visited Solyndra Plant, Where Recovery Act Stimulus Projects Will Create 3000 Construction Jobs And 1000 Jobs For Plant Workers. “… Obama toured Solyndra Inc., a solar-panel company that last year received a $535 million loan guarantee through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to build a huge manufacturing plant down the road from its existing facility. It was in that incomplete plant — which eventually will employ about 1,000 and whose construction has provided work to about 3,000 — that he spoke to a few hundred employees, construction workers and local dignitaries. The plant shows that the promise of new energy isn't science fiction but ‘is happening right now. The future is here,’ Obama said. The president's visit seems to be part of a full-court press on the economic recovery. Elsewhere Wednesday, Democrats were touting a new analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office showing that the Recovery Act in 2010's first quarter has raised the nation's gross domestic product, lowered the unemployment rate, and increased the number of people employed by more than 1.2 million. …” [Mercury News, 5/27/10]

Recovery Act Stimulus Investment At The University Of California Led To The Discovery Of Molecules That Strengthen The Effectiveness Of Vaccines. “Scientists at the University of California - Berkeley have found that molecular pumps in Listeria bacteria that expel antibiotics, which make the bug harder to kill with standard drugs, also expel small signaling molecules that stimulate a strong immune response in cells that they infect. The discovery was reported in the May 28 issues of the journal Science and was funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. This finding of a new and highly immunogenic molecule being pumped out of bacteria, PhysOrg.com reports, suggests the possibility that vaccines using live or disabled bacteria to activate the immune system may be improved. As a result of the new finding, vaccine-grade bacteria may be engineered to increase their production of the signaling molecule or the number of pumps. ‘We think this could translate directly into better vaccines,’ Daniel Portnoy, a UC - Berkeley professor of molecular and cell biology and of public health and associate faculty director of the campus's Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases, told PhysOrg.com. ‘We can certainly get Listeria bacteria to make more of this molecule; we already have a mutant that does that.’” [Vaccine News Daily, 6/1/10]

Recovery Act Stimulus Funds Used To Upgrade Firefighting Capabilities In Preparation For Fire Season. “The county Fire Department will use a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to outfit and equip a new fire engine at Station 121 in Yucca Valley. The money will pay for hose, base equipment, personal protective equipment, breathing apparatus, extrication equipment, an Advanced Life Support heart monitor and a thermal imaging camera. …. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said rural communities in 32 states will benefit from the grants and loans, provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Two of the engines in Yucca Valley are more than 20 years old and their age can make it difficult for firefighters to work efficiently, according to County Fire. The new engine is being purchased using Yucca Valley Redevelopment Authority money. ‘It’s imperative for the safety of our citizens that the equipment used to respond to fires in their communities is contemporary and not deteriorated or outdated,’ said San Bernardino County Fire Chief Pat A. Dennen.” [High Desert Star, 6/1/10]

Rural Tulare County Will Receive Recovery Act Grants To Renovate Their Local Boys And Girls Club And Develop A Community Health Clinic. “USDA Rural Development State Director Glenda Humiston today announced that two Tulare County projects will be among 11 total projects in California, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A $200,000 grant will be used to renovate the Ivanhoe Boys & Girls Club, while a $50,000 grant to Tulare Local Health Care District will help develop a fixed health clinic site in Woodville. Other projects throughout the statewill benefit libraries, police and fire departments, a food bank and other community facilities throughout rural California.” [The Business Journal, 6/2/10]

A Central Valley Wildlife Visitor Center Is Being Built With Recovery Act Stimulus Funds; Local Officials Expect The Flock Of Visitors To The New Center Will Benefit The Local Economy. “Construction has started on a new administrative headquarters and visitor center for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s San Luis National Wildlife Refuge complex in Merced County. The project is being funded with $7.2 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. ‘Although much work remains to improve our economy, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, this is another significant step in the right direction,’ says Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced. ‘The San Joaquin Valley… is in more need of help than any other region in the country.’ In addition to the Tule Elk herd, approximately 30 migratory bird species use the refuge habitat…Once completed, the new facility will be approximately 16,000 square feet and located on the southwest end of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge…It is among the largest Fish and Wildlife Service projects being funded by the Recovery Act. Los Banos city officials say an expected increase in visitors from the new center will also benefit the local economy. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Division of Economics, each visitor to the refuge from outside the region will spend an average of $62 locally and generate about $11 in tax revenue.” [Central Valley Business Times, 6/2/10]

Senator Boxer Tours Caldecott Tunnel Expansion, A Program Funded By The Recovery Act That Will Decongest Bay Area Traffic Woes And That Will Create 4,000 to 4,500 New Construction Jobs Over The Life Of the Project. “Senator Barbara Boxer called a Bay Area stimulus project ‘perfect’ while trumpeting her work in job creation and transportation during a campaign stop at the Caldecott Tunnel in Orinda Thursday. Boxer surveyed the site of the $420 million ‘fourth bore’ project, which will add a fourth entry point to relieve traffic around the often-congested tunnel connecting Alameda and Contra Costa counties via State Route 24. The construction project received $197.5 million in federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act… The construction is already showing the results of a combined federal and private investment in infrastructure improvement and job creation, according to Boxer, a three-term senator who is up for re-election this year. The construction will create between 4,000 and 4,500 jobs, she said ‘This is the perfect project,’ said Boxer… Boxer emphasized the link between transportation—’A great country has to have great infrastructure’—and job creation—’We all know how important job creation is in California.’ Bringing thousands of new jobs and an improved commute simultaneously, the Caldecott Tunnel project ‘will make life better for Bay Area families,’ she said… The Department of Labor reported that 1,400 jobs were added in construction last month, Boxer said. More than 1 million jobs have been created or preserved nationwide, she said, and more than 100,000 in California. That's stimulus money at work, she said. …” [The Bay Citizen, 6/3/10]

Central Valley Counties Have Been Awarded Recovery Act Stimulus Funds To Train Over 200 Individuals In Hybrid Technology, Developing The Local Labor Pool, Capabilities Of First Responders, And Infusing Federal Resources Into the Local Economy. “This past month the North Central Counties Consortium (NCCC) was notified that it was one of five agencies awarded a grant to provide innovative employment and training services funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funding totaling $770,876 will be subcontracted to the NCCC One-Stops in Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Sutter and Yuba counties and to the Yuba Community College District (YCCD). ‘NCCC is excited to serve as the catalyst to bring more federal resources to our region which will help stimulate the local economy, grow our workforce and provide the North Central Valley another opportunity to continue to be a leader in the alternative energy industry,’ said Francene Kennedy, executive director of the NCCC. The funding will focus on training and job placement for low-income, unemployed, dislocated workers or under-skilled adults ages 18 and older who face challenges in regaining employment. The projects funded under this grant will play a major role in the recovery and expansion of the local Yuba-Sutter economy and that of the greater North Central Valley Region of California. Specifically, the Yuba College – NCCC Regional Automotive Technician and Hybrid Technology Project grant of $498,000 is in the alternative energy/fuels industry, and will help prepare and train individuals for the demand industry of automotive hybrid technicians. This collaborative effort has a twofold purpose: 1) to increase the region’s labor pool of qualified automotive technicians who will possess at least two ASE certifications along with knowledge of hybrid technologies and 2) to provide 1st responder Hybrid Electric Vehicle Safety Training for incumbent workers …” [Lake County News, 6/3/10]

Governor Schwarzenegger And Secretary Solis Announce Recovery Act Funds To Offset Closure of NUMNI Plant In Fremont California, Which Will Retrain Displaced Workers. “Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today applauded that more than $19 million in Regional Federal National Emergency Grant (NEG) funds will be directed toward assisting more than 31,000 total workers from six counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Solano and Stanislaus) who have been affected by to the plant shutdown. ‘Thanks to this much-needed Recovery Act funding, we can provide emergency assistance to those impacted by the NUMMI factory closure,’ said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. ‘I thank Secretary Solis for expediting the application and the Department of Labor for granting the funds, which will help displaced workers transition to new opportunities.’ …. This grant will leverage Wagner-Peyser, TAA and local Workforce Investment Area resources to provide a variety of purposes: outreach, recruiting, testing, assessment, transferable skills analysis, resume writing, job search workshops, job clubs, basic/remedial education, individual employment plans, career counseling, job placement, on-the-job training, classroom training, occupational or vocational skills training, marketing, in-depth supportive services, stress counseling, post placement follow-up, and other services as deemed necessary.” [Imperial Valley News, 6/7/10]

California will use over $120 million from the Recovery Act to fund local school districts. “In continuing his commitment to protect education, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today directed the California Recovery Task Force to allocate more than $120 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funding to local school districts from the federal State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF). The 682 local education agencies that will receive funding have spent at least seventy-five percent of their original Recovery Act SFSF allocation and are in need of continued funds for both direct program support and teacher salaries. … In January 2010, the Governor submitted the state's application for the final 10 percent of the SFSF -$490 million in federal funding for California's schools and universities. Governor Schwarzenegger created the California Recovery Task Force to track the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding coming into the state; work with President Barack Obama's administration; help cities, counties, non-profits, and others access the available funding; ensure that the funding funneled through the state is spent efficiently and effectively; and maintain a Web site (www.recovery.ca.gov) that is frequently and thoroughly updated for Californians to be able to track the stimulus dollars.” [Imperial Valley News, 5/6/10]

The Department of Energy awarded $25 million in Recovery Act funds to Pacific Gas & Electric for the development of compressed air storage. “The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Pacific Gas & Electric Co. a $25 million stimulus grant to develop compressed air storage for electricity. The grant award was reported in the federal government's latest stimulus data, which shows approximately $1.4 billion in awards to 716 Bay Area businesses and agencies since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act started pumping some $787 billion in federal money into the economy in early 2009 to wrest it from recession… Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s compressed air storage plans are increasingly important as intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar connect to the electric grid, producing power regardless of when its needed. Electricity is used to compress air when the power is produced and then released to turn turbines and create electricity when the power is needed. PG&E has said its compressed air storage project should be able to store electricity for up to 10 hours and be the equivalent of a 300 megawatt power plant — which could power about 90,000 average homes.” [San Francisco Business Times, 5/6/10]

California State University San Marcos received Recovery Act funding for a program to train residents in health information technology. “California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Extended Learning was recently given a $50,000 grant award to support the development of a new Certificate in Health Information Technology (HIT). … Set to launch in January (Spring 2011) and with the goal of producing program graduates who can provide leadership in the evolution of HIT in San Diego County, CSUSM Extended Learning’s HIT Certificate program will differ slightly from other HIT programs in that it will provide students a balance of technology and management skills. Program curricula will focus on developing an understanding of healthcare, IT domain knowledge, and an ability to manage organizational and cultural changes… Specializing in IT, Management Science, Management, Marketing, and Finance, the faculty will be joined in the development process by members from several major local hospitals and private healthcare organizations. These healthcare industry leaders will also help to provide resources for internships and job placement for program participants. … Traditional lectures, online components, industry guest speakers, HIT vendor presentations, lab sessions, and short-term internships are just some of the learning methods that will be combined to create a unique experience.” [CSUSM Press Release, 5/6/10]

200 low-income students will receive job training through the ‘bridges to success’ program that is funded by $500,000 from the Recovery Act. “A $500,000 grant will allow 200 low-income West Contra Costa students to get employment training over the summer and academic help in the next school year. The ‘Bridges to Success’ grant comes from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds through the state's Employment Development Department. It is being matched with another $500,000 from local sources — $400,000 from the city of Richmond and Contra Costa County, and $100,000 from Chevron. The funding is focused on low-income kids who are at risk for dropping out of school. It will allow students to take classes such as resume writing, workshop training and management. They also will get academic assessment related to jobs in the health, science and environmental professions, as well as green construction.” [Contra Costa Times, 5/3/10]

Sacramento State University will use Recovery Act funding to research Sacramento’s smart grid system to reduce energy consumption. “Sacramento State will receive $2 million a year from the California Energy Commission for research into Sacramento’s Smart Grid system, which seeks to reduce energy consumption in the region, said Emir Macari, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Macari said it is unknown yet how long the annual funds will last. The funds, which were agreed upon on April 21, are in addition to the $905,348 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to develop a new training program for Sacramento’s Smart Grid system. Macari said Sac State received the funds because it is the only university in the state that offers power engineering as a discipline and master’s program. Sac State also houses the only Smart Grid Center in California… SMUD will install many of the ‘smart meters’ across Sacramento to facilitate the use of the Smart Grid technology. The Smart Grid would work in people’s homes to show them which appliances are best to run at what times, and how much energy they are using. This would allow consumers to know the best time to turn on their appliances to be more energy efficient and to reduce their bills. When consumers know how much energy they are using and at what times to use their appliances, they will reduce their overall energy consumption, Macari said.” [The State Hornet, 4/28/10]

Community health clinics retained workers and expanded coverage to area residents thanks to at least $3.1 million from the Recovery Act. “It’s been a rough few years for community health clinics, as state budget cuts have sliced grants and reimbursement dollars for poor, uninsured patients. But they’ve gotten some big-time federal help in the form of stimulus funds. At least $3.1 million of American Recovery and Investment Act funds has gone to clinics in Redding, Round Mountain, Shingletown and Mad River. The money’s been spent to keep caregivers on staff, add programs and for building expansions and make repairs. To hear the clinics’ CEOs tell it, the funds were all that kept them from laying off workers and cutting back treatment to patients. ‘This was huge,’ said Cathy Larsen, executive director of Southern Trinity Health Services. ‘What it did was not only allow us to keep workers working, it allowed to add another dental chair, which allowed us to actually serve more patients.’ Aside from employee costs, the $415,095 that Mad River clinic received went to revamp the old U.S. Forest Service barracks that housed its dental clinic, and a new energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning system was installed. The funds also went to buy and install the clinic’s first electronic medical records system, Larsen said…” [The Record Searchlight, 4/27/10]

The Recovery Act will provide funding for upgrades to Folsom Dam’s spillways and gates to reduce the risk of damage from earthquakes. “Kiewet Pacific Co., a Concord company, won a $16.6 million contract to make seismic upgrades to Folsom Dam’s spillways and gates. The award, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, was announced Wednesday by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. The stimulus money will go to improving the dam gates and piers, installing pier anchors and bracing, replacing gate arms and other earthquake safety improvements. ‘These Recovery funds will accelerate the improvements necessary to reduce the risk and protect the people of Sacramento and vicinity in the event of an earthquake or other dangers to their safety,’ Salazar said in a news release. ‘The funds are a good example of the president’s program to jumpstart the economy while addressing safety, environmental and other challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century.” [Sacramento Business Journal, 4/21/10]

Tehama County Sherriff’s Department will use Recovery Act funds to pay for overtime, equipment, training, and drug enforcement agency vehicles. “The Tehama County Sheriff's Office will receive $371,404 from three sources to help in the effort to fight drug-related crime. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved three requests from Sheriff Clay Parker for his department to receive state and federal funds. The largest of the three procurements is for $286,232 from the California Emergency Management Agency Anti-Drug Abuse Enforcement Team Recovery Act Program, according to the Sheriff's Department. Those funds will be used by the Tehama Interagency Drug Enforcement agency from 2010 to 2012 for overtime, equipment, training and vehicles, for the five different law enforcement departments that compose the team, said Parker… Main efforts of the agency is to reduce the supply of illegal narcotics, and arrest those responsible for narcotic sales and distribution in the county, said Parker.” [Corning Observer, 4/20/10]

Recovery Act funds to California universities will improve earthquake monitoring networks to track changes in earthquake-prone regions. “The U.S. Geological Survey has awarded $2.7 million in cooperative agreements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to the University of California, Berkeley; Central Washington University; University of California, San Diego; and UNAVCO, Inc., to improve networks that detect minute changes in the earth’s crust caused by faulting in earthquake-prone regions. Monitoring these small changes (undetectable except through the methods of advanced geodesy) is an integral part of assessing the likely rate of large earthquakes. For optimal performance in real time, many existing monitoring stations need modern sensors and improved communication systems. Funds provided through six cooperative agreements will improve monitoring capabilities by replacing obsolete sensors that may be more than 10 years old and by upgrading communications so that real-time data streams are more reliable or possible for the first time. These funds will create or preserve jobs relating to contract work and equipment manufacturing.” [USGS Press Release, 4/20/10]

Recovery Act funds will help ready Lake Mendocino campsites, monitor salmon in the Russian River watershed, and replace aging leach fields. “About $13 million in stimulus money awarded to Lake Mendocino is expected to total $11.75 million by the time seven new contracts are awarded, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stated. Due to rules for the use of Stimulus or Recovery Act money, the Corps has until September to get additional projects out to bid at Lake Mendocino… Included in a recent round of projects to receive stimulus money from the Army Corps is the University of California, Davis the Army Corps announced recently. UC Davis receives $466,170 to monitor steelhead and coho salmon, juvenile survival and adult patterns in the Russian River watershed, the Army Corps stated. North Star Construction and Engineering out of Yuba City receives $435,000 to replace aging leach fields that serve comfort stations' at Lake Mendocino's Bushay campground. The Belmont-based MIE Inc., receives about $3.45 million to ready Lake Mendocino campsites for 12 comfort stations and the connections that will be needed for them, the Army Corps stated.” [The Ukiah Daily Journal, 4/20/10]

The Recovery Act will fund a portion of the installation costs of one of the largest solar arrays in California. “The Tehama County Planning Commission Thursday morning unanimously approved what may be the largest array of solar panels in the state. Producing between 15 and 20 megawatts, the project would be larger than any completed project in California, officials said. Larger projects have been planned elsewhere in the state, but none have reached development. In the case of the Solar Panel, Inc. project, work could begin as early as this year or 2011, Senior Project Manager Frances Knight told the commission. At its peak, the project could employ as many as 150 people, but the finished station would be mostly unmanned. The panels, standing about 10 feet high, would continually rotate to pick up the sun's rays. Operating with about 17 percent efficiency, they would route their energy through a nearby transformer and to Pacific Gas and Electric… The project owes its existence in part to the stimulus bill, as American Reinvestment and Recovery Act bonds will pay for part of the project's installation, Knight said.” [Red Bluff Daily News, 4/19/10]

Construction has begun an a Recovery Act-funded park-and-ride facility in Napa County that will have an 81 car capacity. “A park-and-ride lot funded primarily with federal economic stimulus dollars broke ground Wednesday morning on Solano Avenue, just north of Redwood Road. Transportation officials have been thinking about placing a park-and-ride lot at this high-visibility location for a quarter century, but it took federal money to make it happen, Napa City Councilman Jim Krider, chair of the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency, said… Because it borders Highway 29 and multiple VINE bus routes, the site should be convenient for people who want to park their cars and take transit, Reno Navarette, manager of the VINE system, said… Approximately 50 workers in various construction trades will draw a paycheck during construction, which should wrap up by mid-summer, NCTPA reported. The park-and-ride lot will have capacity for 81 cars, 10 motorcycles and five buses, with future space for a Napa Valley Wine Train platform and an electric vehicle charging station if they are needed. Cyclists will have access to racks and lockers.” [Napa Valley Register, 4/15/10]

San Diego County received a $16.1 million Recovery Act grant to fight youth obesity by promoting healthy lifestyles. “Two years from now, San Diego County will have more farmer's markets, community and school gardens and workplace policies that promote healthy lifestyles. There also will be more before- and after-school activity programs to combat youth obesity, and land use and transportation initiatives that promote physical activity and nutrition. Those are among the key milestones county officials say will be accomplished under a $16.1 million stimulus grant accepted by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday… The money comes from a $650 million pot set aside by the Obama administration to promote prevention and wellness strategies to reduce obesity, diabetes and other chronic illnesses… About 10 people will be employed by the county to administer the grant and another 56 through its partnering agencies, which include the San Diego Association of Governments, the county Office of Education, UC San Diego, San Diego State University and Community Health Improvement Partners. To help increase the number of adults and kids meeting physical activity guidelines and engaging in heart-healthy eating habits, the grant includes money for a large-scale media campaign.” [North County Times, 4/13/10]

The Recovery Act will fund the installation of 1,360 solar panels on Alcatraz Island, generating 40 to 60 percent of the facility’s electricity. “The former federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island will once again play a role in removing harmful elements from the community after plans emerged for a solar energy system that will reduce carbon emissions from ‘the Rock.’ Approximately 1,360 solar panels are being installed on the main prison building and ancillary structures to replace two aging diesel generators that power facility operations on the island, according to the National Park Service, which operates Alcatraz. … The National Park Service received $754 million in stimulus funding for investments in critical infrastructure and facilities, energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. Almost $260 million of the park service’s ARRA funding was directed to projects throughout California… The renewable energy installation will generate an estimated 285 kilowatts of electricity — 40 percent to 60 percent of the electricity for Alcatraz, which attracts about 1 million visitors every year. The existing generators produce significant carbon emissions and particulate matter and are inefficient and expensive to operate, with annual diesel and maintenance costs of about $700,000, officials say.” [Correctional News, 4/12/10]

President Obama highlighted tax cuts made available through the Recovery Act that increased the average tax return by 10%. “President Barack Obama used his weekly radio and internet address Saturday to remind Americans that about one-third of last year’s mammoth stimulus bill was made up of tax cuts — and those cuts are having an impact just in time for tax day, April 15. ‘So far, Americans who have filed their taxes have discovered that the average refund is up nearly 10 percent this year — to an all-time high of about $3,000,’ Obama said. ‘This is due in large part to the Recovery Act.’ Obama said his tax cuts have already provided ‘more than $160 billion in relief for families and businesses, and nearly $100 billion of that directly into the pockets of working Americans.’ Obama singled out the Making Work Pay tax cut, which typically involves a maximum of $400 for working individuals and $800 for working married couples, the American Opportunity Credit of up to $2,500 for college tuition, and the first time home buyer credit of $8,000.” [Politico, 4/10/10]

The Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute received a $9.7 million Recovery Act grant to build a Chronic Disease Clinical Research Center. “With a goal of creating jobs and enhancing chronic disease studies, the federal government is awarding a $9.7 million grant of stimulus funds to the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) for the construction of a new Chronic Disease Clinical Research Center on its campus, David I. Meyer, PhD, the institute's president and CEO, announced today. Construction of the new research center is expected to create up to 190 new jobs and a new environment for LA BioMed's research into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory ailments, cardiac disease and HIV/AIDS. … The grant comes from the National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources and is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or the stimulus program. It requires rapid deployment of shovel-ready projects to ensure the grant creates jobs and stimulates the economy.” [Medical News, 4/9/10]

Senator Boxer and Congressman Sherman toured a company that benefitted from Recovery Act funding. “Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman Brad Sherman toured Spectrolab Inc. in Sylmar to discuss with employees and executives how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is helping the company develop next-generation solar cell technology. Spectrolab received $2.9 million in ARRA funding for the development of next-generation solar cells, which are expected to be more efficient than current space solar cells, and will enable new generations of high powered satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Spectrolab, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-efficiency multifunction space solar cells… ‘I consider it an honor to represent the hard-working men and women of Spectrolab. Their work is important to maintaining America’s standing as a global leader in science and innovation. The technology they are developing has the potential to positively impact our lives,’ said Congressman Sherman. ‘This facility is a great example of how the Recovery Act’s investments in science and education are beneficial to our community and nation’.” [American Chronicle, 4/9/10]

Goodwill Industries and Ventura County tackle unemployment by investing Recovery Act funds in programs that pair the unemployed with employers. “Goodwill Industries and Ventura County are using federal stimulus funds to put local residents back to work. In January, Oxnard-based Goodwill was granted $2.46 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to subsidize internships for about 500 people already enrolled in either CalWORKS or the Workforce Investment Act, two government-sponsored jobs programs. Now Goodwill is scouring the county in search of employers interested in fresh hires. ‘Candidates have diverse backgrounds and a mixture of work experience and training, so we’re looking for a variety of positions and trades throughout Ventura County,’ said Jenny McGuire, employment counselor for the nonprofit. … Once a business sends in a completed request form describing an open position, Goodwill provides the resumes of qualified applicants and sets up interviews. If the company decides to hire any of those candidates, Goodwill pays their salary for the first three months… Chris Case, service and parts manager for two Toyota dealerships in Simi Valley and Oxnard, has hired nine workers through Goodwill since late February. ‘Hopefully, we find several long-term great employees,’ he said.” [Camarillo Acorn, 4/8/10]

Local Initiative Health Authority received a Recovery Act grant to develop a Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center. “…Local Initiative Health Authority, a Los Angeles non-profit was awarded more than $15.6 million in Recovery Act funds. These funds will assist in developing a Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center. The investment will help grow the emerging health information technology industry, which is expected to support tens of thousands of jobs nationwide for nurses, pharmacy technicians, information technology technicians and trainers… Local Initiative Health Authority for Los Angeles County operates L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest public health plan in the nation. It is now one of 60 non-profit organizations chosen to establish Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers across the United States… Within two years, the centers nationally will provide 100,000 primary care providers and hospitals with the opportunity to utilize a local resource for technical assistance, guidance and information on best practices. Regional Extension Centers are designed to address unique community requirements and to support and accelerate provider efforts to become meaningful users of electronic health records.” [Bakersfield News, 4/8/10]

Recovery Act loans were awarded to two companies in Merced County which will allow them to save 85 jobs and add 10 additional positions. “More than $2 million in federal economic recovery loans are going to two companies in Merced County. The funding is expected to save 85 jobs and add 10 additional positions. Golden By-Products Inc. will receive $1.5 million and Ag Link Inc. will receive $650,500. … ‘Clearly our community has been hardest hit by the recession,’ says Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced. ‘Few regions are in more need of this funding than the San Joaquin Valley. Every step we take to keep workers on the job and stabilize the economy is a step in the right direction.’ … They will be guaranteed by the USDA Rural Development Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans program using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. Golden By-Products is a tire recycling business that hauls, sorts and shreds used scrap tires into ‘rubber mulch’ that is typically seen on playgrounds, providing a safe alternative to wooden bark or gravel. Ag Link is an affiliate company that provides service to Golden By-Products in handling inventory control, order processing and shipping logistics. The company also makes rubber mats used to cushion livestock stalls and provide sanitary non-toxic bedding material for dairies.” [Central Valley Business Times, 4/7/10]

San Jose Housing Department is using Recovery Act funds to buy, renovate, and find suitable families to purchase foreclosed homes. “There is a silver lining to the dark cloud of foreclosure. Now, federal stimulus money can help people buy a home they can afford. One qualified buyer will receive a recently fixed up home for $397,000. The City Council Monday is approving a funding agreement with the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County to spend $25 million in federal stimulus money. The funding, from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will be used to buy and fix up approximately 250 abandoned and foreclosed homes. Kevin Zwick, the executive director of the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County will be the lead agency for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program or NSP2… The city will target buying foreclosed properties in the four hardest hit zip codes at a price at least one percent below market value… ‘We're looking at putting families in the home who can afford to stay there and afford to maintain the home,’ says James Stagi from the San Jose Housing Department. The program not only gets qualified people into affordable homes, but the mayor says it cleans up blighted neighborhoods and generates jobs in the hard hit construction industry.” [ABC7, 4/6/10]

The Recovery Act will create 71 jobs in Riverside County by funding nearly two-dozen projects to enhance the energy efficiency of county facilities. “Nearly two-dozen projects to enhance energy efficiency at Riverside County facilities will be funded with federal stimulus dollars, it was announced today. The U.S. Department of Energy has approved $6.5 million in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funds for the county to install renewable energy systems in a number of older buildings, according to county Economic Development Agency spokesman Tom Freeman. He said the federal taxpayer dollars will pay for 22 projects authorized by the Board of Supervisors. ‘The county projects saving some $400,000 per year in energy cost reductions, as well as helping the county meet state environmental regulations,’ Freeman said. ‘Some $1.2 million in savings to the county general fund are generated by the grant funding.’ He said the stimulus funds are expected to create 71 full-time jobs locally.” [Valley News, 4/5/10]

$1.5 million in Recovery Act fundsrenovated the Long Beach storm drain system to alleviate severe flooding in Arlington. “The City of Long Beach is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday to celebrate the grand opening of a new storm drain system that will alleviate flooding in the Arlington neighborhood, which has experienced severe flooding at least seven times during the past 20 years… ‘Seeing this much-needed project go from the wish list to reality shows me that my vote was the right vote for our families, our neighborhoods and the economy,’ Congresswoman Laura Richardson said. ‘Through its construction and completion, this project will benefit our community in many ways, including helping to protect the families of the Arlington neighborhood from flooding and the damage it leaves behind, both for individual property owners and for the local environment; providing local jobs, which is especially important with state and local unemployment at the highest rates in decades; and updating vital local infrastructure, which improves the value and health of the neighborhoods and boosts the local economy.’ The $1.5 million storm drain project was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment (Stimulus) Act …. The project was completed just before the heavy rains that hit Long Beach in January and February of this year, thus preventing flood damage to the homes in this area.” [Everything Long Beach, 4/1/10]

Recovery Act funds build an air traffic control tower at Palm Springs airport, improving safety by allowing controllers to see the runway’s end. “In two years, the air traffic controllers at the Palm Springs International Airport will finally be able to see the end of the runway. Built in a gulch in 1967, the existing six-story tower isn't tall enough. On Wednesday, Rep. Mary Bono Mack announced that $13.9 million in federal stimulus money has been approved, enough to begin construction soon on a higher tower, a ‘shovel-ready project.’ For the last 43 years, controllers have stood 49 feet above the runway. The new tower, to be built on 1.2 acres next to the existing one, will raise them to 127 feet above the tarmac… Safe landings and departures are critical to the Coachella Valley's gateway to the world. The Palm Springs International Airport is served by 10 airlines that connect to hundreds of cities worldwide. Every year, it welcomes visitors from more than 500 cities around the world. About 1.5 million passengers fly in and out of the airport annually… The $21 million tower is projected to generate about 150 jobs. Groundbreaking is planned for May and construction is expected to be completed in May 2012.” [The Desert Sun, 4/1/10]

The Boys and Girls Club of South Coast used Recovery Act funding to add part-time and full-time jobs and maintain mentoring programs. “For Matt Clark, the $42,500 in federal stimulus money the Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area recently received meant he could quit working two jobs. It also meant the San Clemente-based club – which has seen its membership swell but funding drop during the recession – wouldn't have to cut programming. The club used the money to add one part-time job, retain another and turn one part-time position into a full-time slot. Sixteen Boys & Girls Clubs in Orange County received about $780,000 collectively through the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act adopted last year. Clubs across the country saw funding drop recently because of a dip in corporate and private donations, said Perry Cooper, a representative of the national Boys & Girls Club. But the clubs have seen an increase in attendance during the recession because they offer cheaper after-school programs than most, club leaders said. Also, some parents have had to take on extra jobs, leaving them less available to care for their children, leaders said… The Boys & Girls Clubs' stimulus money came with two objectives: to create or retain jobs and maintain mentoring programs.” [Orange County Register, 4/1/10]

Recovery Act funds job training, recruitment, orientation, work readiness training, and placement assistance in workforce development centers. “Caltrans today announced that the state has been awarded $2.7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) job training grants for eight California workforce development centers. ... The grants, from the Federal Highway Administration’s ‘On the Job Training/Supportive Services’ program, will fund pre-apprenticeships and training centers in California for women, minorities, veterans, and disadvantaged individuals pursuing careers in the highway construction industry… The California Disabled Veteran Business Alliance in Sacramento received $367,483 to provide education and training for veterans seeking skilled highway construction jobs. The Center for Training and Careers … participating in the ‘Foundation Builders-Working Together to Build a Better Foundation’ program received a total of $796,415. These funds will provide outreach, recruitment, orientation, work readiness training, supportive services and placement assistance. The Century Community Training Program in Los Angeles received $290,000, which will provide construction industry skills training … to increase participation by women, minorities and disadvantaged individuals in highway construction.” [The Pine Tree, 3/30/10]

Santa Maria’s roads will have fewer bumps and potholes once Recovery Act-funded construction projects are completed. “Federal stimulus money is funding several roadway paving projects in Santa Maria. Construction is slated to begin on Monday on College Drive between Boone Street and Stowell Road. During the four week project, drivers can expect to experience delays due to alternating lane closures. Following the completion of work on College Drive, crews are also expected to begin work on Miller Street, Enos Drive, Cook Street and Western Avenue.” [KEYT, 3/29/10]

The Recovery Act provides $1.7 million to upgrade Hogan Lake facilities by filling potholes, adding shade to campsites, and installing 70 solar panels. “Campers who come to New Hogan Lake this summer will find much smoother roads and more shade at their camp sites, thanks to $1.7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. But it is some less-visible stimulus dollar spending that will be saving taxpayers money for decades to come: 70 solar electric panels on the roof of New Hogan's Army Corps of Engineers office are reducing the electricity bill there by 41 percent. ‘Not only are (the panels) generating power, but in the summer they are also shading the roof,’ said Phil Holcomb, the operations manager for the Army Corps of Engineers responsible for Hogan and other Sacramento region sites. That shade means further savings on air conditioning, he said… Hogan dam uses water to generate electricity, but an agency handles the distribution of that power to the larger grid. The Army Corps has to buy its electricity off the grid. When the solar panels yield more power than the office can use, the surplus will feed the grid, earning credits that further reduce the site's electricity bill… ‘In my 33 years with the federal government, I've never seen this great an opportunity to improve our infrastructure,’ Holcomb said.” [The Record, 3/29/10]

Red Bluff Diversion Dam’s fish passage project will use Recovery Act funding to improve water delivery to croplands and fish passage conditions. “During the groundbreaking ceremony of a fish-friendly, project that also will serve farming interests, local and state authorities joked about who were the real farmers and who knew how to shovel dirt, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. … The project … will essentially replace the function of the dam. Construction of the new screened pumping plant will improve fish passage conditions while ensuring continued water deliveries to 150,000 acres of high-value cropland served by the Tehama-Colusa and Corning canals, according to the Tehama Colusa CanalAuthority, which operates and maintains the delivery system. Features of the project will include construction of a flat-plate fish screen, an intake channel, a pumping plant with the capacity of 2,500 cubic feet per second, and access bridge and discharge conduit to divert water from the Sacramento River into the Tehama-Colusa and Corning canals. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said the project is the largest of President Obama’s stimulus projects and was awarded $109.8 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Stimulus funding through Reclamation for Project Construction. He said the fish passage project will create approximately 1,200 jobs…” [Colusa County Sun-Herald, 3/25/10]

A $584,000 Recovery Act grant will help Federspiel Controls cut energy usage at a dozen of California’s data centers. “Federspiel Controls won a $584,000 stimulus grant to cut data center energy usage at 12 State of California data centers. El Cerrito-based Federspiel Controls makes enterprise energy management systems. The systems use closed-loop feedback to monitor and control output of data center air systems. The systems will be installed over the next 9 months, said spokesman Christopher Kryzan. Federspiel, founded in 2004, has fewer than 50 employees. It’s working with California’s Department of General Services to install the systems. The grant was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.” [San Francisco Business Journal, 3/25/10]

Recovery Act helps Allan Hancock College and Santa Barbara County Workforce Investment Board provide job training to unemployed residents. “Allan Hancock College is teaming up with the Santa Barbara County Workforce Investment Board to help the unemployed. County residents, who are out of a job are getting a helping hand, with free classes to help them gain some new skills in high demand occupations. Thanks to the recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, stimulus money is funding these classes which offer education in computer, medical, dental and green job training.” [KEYT, 3/24/10]

Recovery Act funding helps San Diego County’s Human Services Agency establish a food distribution center to increase access to healthy foods. “A food distribution center will be established by the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency with $16.1 million in stimulus funds, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Tuesday. The center will link food demand to supply and increase access to healthy foods, especially in high-need areas, Schwarzenegger said. Funding for the center is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative, a comprehensive prevention and wellness initiative funded under the Recovery Act.” [10 News, 3/24/10]

A $110 million fish passage improvement initiative at the Red Bluff diversion dam is the Interior Department’s largest Recovery Act project. “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar were among those who spoke Tuesday at a groundbreaking for the $230 million Fish Passage Improvement Project at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam… The bureau and Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority are partners in the endeavor, described by Salazar's office as ‘part of the largest Department of Interior economic stimulus project in the nation.’ Some $110 million in funding comes from President Barack Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. ‘This project represents almost 40 years of efforts by entities to find a balanced solution that improves fish passage and sustains the reliability of agricultural water deliveries,’ said bureau Commissioner Michael Connor, also a speaker at the event.” [Redding Record Searchlight, 3/24/10]

Los Angeles County received $32.1 million in Recovery Act funding to promote physical activity and educate the public about obesity prevention. “The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has received $32.1 million to promote physical activity and educate the public about obesity problems and to reduce tobacco use. Long Beach's Department of Health and Human Services - the Health Department - should receive over a two-year period, about $1 million of the new federal stimulus funding, Ron Arias, director of the agency, said Tuesday. The revenue awards are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative, a comprehensive prevention and wellness effort funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009… The Health Department will utilize the funds for two programs: Project CLEAR (Community Leadership Education Action and Renewal); and a Physical Activity/Obesity Prevention Project that will advocate healthy food and beverage choices through the promotion of healthier food policies, as well as to promote bike friendly business districts.” [The Press Telegram, 3/23/10]

Nevada County Board of Supervisors awarded Recovery Act funding to build a hotel and restaurant to stimulate local business and create new jobs. “The Hotel Avery development is ready to break ground this year, thanks to Tuesday's $5 million blessing from the Nevada County Board of Supervisors. The board unanimously approved $5 million in low-interest federal stimulus loans from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help start work on the 45-room hotel and restaurant combo planned for the corner of Bridge and South River streets… David Tirman of JMA Ventures, owner of the project, said the hotel will create more than 100 construction jobs and up to 30 hotel and restaurant jobs. Truckee Vice Mayor Richard Anderson said it will not only create new jobs, but stimulate business in the downtown area and help connect the Hilltop area to downtown.” [Sierra Sun, 3/23/10]

Yolo County received Recovery Act funds to build a solar power system at the sherriff’s department that could save up to $8.8 million over 25 years. “Yolo County could be looking at $8.8 million in energy savings over the next 25 years, thanks to the construction of a 1-megawatt solar power system that has been approved by the Board of Supervisors. The system, which will be designed and built by the San Jose-based energy company SunPower, is to be installed at the Yolo County Justice Center … In order to finance the costs associated with the installation, which will be upwards of $7 million, the county drew upon clean renewable energy bonds and energy conservation bonds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, as well as received a 15-year loan from the California Energy Commission totaling $2.5 million… In addition to the monetary savings associated with the project, the county also expects to see a large decline in its emission level once the solar power system is in place. According to formulas provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the county can expect to decrease its carbon dioxide output by 2.2 million pounds a year, a number that would be equivalent to removing 5,700 automobiles from California's roadways during the course of the project's 30-year lifespan” [The Daily Democrat, 3/22/10]

Merced will use $1.2 million in Recovery Act funding to resurface it’s frequently travelled and rundown roads. “The $787 billion federal stimulus package passed in 2009 and meant to bolster the faltering economy has finally come to the streets of Merced. Literally. The orange construction signs lining 16th Street are the first step in a months-long project that will begin today to resurface much of the thoroughfare as it runs through town. Road work signs will be a common sight on some Merced streets as federal stimulus money will be used to resurface the busy roads. The $1.2 million project is just one among a handful of stimulus projects in Merced funded through the federal stimulus package, also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. ‘If we did not receive these funds, we wouldn't be doing this project,’ said Daniel Ainslie, with the city's redevelopment agency… A second stimulus funded road project worth $1.2 million will begin later this year.” [Merced Sun Star, 3/23/10]

Calaveras County will see road improvements, construction of a bike trail, and highway resurfacing thanks to Recovery Act funding. “More than $1.37 million in federal stimulus funds will go to six road improvement projects and a bike trail in Calaveras County. The projects are among $3.8 billion worth of projects approved for California in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the federal stimulus package… Road improvement projects approved for funding in Calaveras County include repaving and rehabilitating… Also approved is $83,768 for 275 feet of bicycle and pedestrian lanes in West Point along Highway 26, on both sides of the cross walk in front of West Point Elementary School. Almost $3.7 million will go to two road-improvement projects and a trail project in Tuolumne County. Twelve and-a-half miles of highway J-59 will be rebuilt and upgraded between the Stanislaus-Tuolumne County Line to 200 feet short of Highway 120/108 at a cost of $2.1 million. Highway 49 will be resurfaced from .2 miles south of Pesce Way to the Calaveras County line at a cost of $1.2 million. A trail also will be built along the Sugar Pine Railroad between East Avenue and Gurney Station Road for pedestrians and bicycles at a cost of $249,514.” [The Union Democrat, 3/22/10]

$191,000 from the Recovery Act will fund the clean-up of abandoned mobile homes at Lake Berryessa. “Federal Recovery Act funds will help remove dozens of abandoned mobile homes at Lake Berryessa as part of a restoration project. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has been working for several years to restore an area of lakeshore previously leased to a resort concessionaire. The bureau did not renew the lease in order to restore the land and create more short-term recreational opportunities. Unfortunately, dozens of mobile homes were abandoned by their owners. The $191,000 federal stimulus contract, announced last week, was awarded to Custom Builders of Twain Harte to demolish or haul away mobile homes, trailers and other structures, including decks and sheds, on about 90 former dwelling sites. Bureau spokesman Pete Lucero said the work will begin ‘imminently.’” [Sacramento Bee, 3/22/10]

Manteca will undertake the ‘most ambitious landscaping project in city history’ with $1.4 million from the Recovery Act. “Manteca – working in tandem with Caltrans and the San Joaquin County Council of Governments – is about to undertake the most expensive and ambitious landscaping project in city history. Some $1.4 million in American Recovery Act money will transform up to 50 acres at two interchanges – the 120 Bypass and Highway 99 as well as Highway 99 at Yosemite Avenue – from barren weed infested areas into ones drenched in color and foliage. The biggest change will take place at the 120 Bypass with Highway 99 where upwards of 130,000 vehicles pass through daily making it the heaviest traveled pavement in Manteca. It is there that up to 1,700 trees – primarily native species – will be planted. The Yosemite Avenue and Highway 99 interchange landscaping will be more ornamental in nature. It will include a monument entry sign to Manteca on the island in the middle of Yosemite Avenue on the west side of the freeway. Caltrans’s design perimeters call for minimizing the use of water at the 120 Bypass/Highway 99 interchange. The trees will be irrigated intensely for about three years to get them established.” [Manteca Bulletin, 3/22/10]

A major portion of Gladstone Street in Irwindale will be resurfaced using $500,000 from the Recovery Act. “Stimulus dollars fund Irwindale street resurfacing. The city's public works department this week began resurfacing Gladstone Street in a project funded primarily with federal stimulus dollars. The city will reconstruct and resurface Gladstone from Irwindale Avenue to Vincent Avenue over the next three to four months, according to Loretta Corpis of the Public Works Department. ‘It was very much in need. It has a lot of potholes,’ Corpis said. The street will remain open to traffic during construction, but one lane in each direction will be closed. The project will cost approximately $600,000, with $500,000 coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), also known as the stimulus.” [San Gabriel Valley Tribune, 3/21/10]

Portersville received $1.3 million in Recovery Act funding to bring their buses up to California’s energy efficiency standards. “With help from federal stimulus dollars, the city’s fleet of public buses is close to becoming entirely energy efficient. Awarded a $1.3 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant, the city has ordered three new buses that will run on alternative fuel and are expected to arrive in October. The buses will operate with relatively cheap and clean-burning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), bringing the number of such buses to nine, surpassing state air quality standards... Included in the standards is a requirement that by Dec. 31 the city meet an 80 percent reduction in particulate matters and nitrogen oxide emissions. But with nine of the seven buses necessary to complete the city’s transit system’s nine routes now set to run on CNG, the city will be 100 percent compliant by that time. It is these types of projects that Ted Smalley, the executive director of the Tulare County Association of Governments, said that city and county representatives were able to use as lobbying leverage during their recent trip to Washington D.C... Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Tulare County was allocated $23 million, including $5 million for transit projects.” [Recorder Online, 3/18/10]

Nine US Army Corps of Engineers’ offices will install solar electricity systems to provide 41% of each building’s power with Recovery Act funds. “Solar electricity systems are being installed at nine U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District park and dam operation offices in California, part of a Corps-wide effort to improve the environmental sustainability of its projects. The systems, paid for with funds provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), are expected to provide 41 percent of each office’s electricity needs on average, said Sacramento District Northern Area Operations Manager Phil Holcomb. The solar panels at New Hogan Lake will not only reduce energy consumption, Holcomb said, but also greenhouse gases – by more than 28,000 pounds annually, the same as planting six acres of trees. District wide, the panels will cut carbon emissions by 156,000 pounds annually. The solar panels are just one of a series of measures Sacramento District park offices have taken to reduce energy consumption, he said. The $1.26 million contract to provide and install all of the solar systems was awarded in September to Women’s Empowerment Partnership Inc. of Bell Gardens, Calif., an 8(a) designated contractor.” [Online Broadcasting Systems News, 3/17/10]

Energy Secretary highlighted the impact of the Recovery Act on a San Francisco biofuel startup that opened a refinery with its $21.8 million grant. “Eager to show that stimulus funds are helping small businesses, federal officials on Wednesday highlighted two Bay Area green-tech companies to prove their point. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu pointed to Solazyme, an advanced biofuel startup in South San Francisco, and Silver Spring Networks, a smart-grid company in Redwood City, to illustrate how last year's stimulus package has generated jobs and helped the clean-energy industry… Solazyme won a $21.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy last year to open a pilot biorefinery in Pennsylvania. The company, which has about 80 employees, estimates that opening the biorefinery will create 88 direct jobs and 250 indirect jobs… According to a report issued Wednesday by the Department of Energy, small businesses have received 33 percent of the energy-related stimulus grants, loan guarantees and other incentives awarded so far. Those incentives are worth a total of $5.4 billion, which is equal to 10 percent of the stimulus money awarded by the Energy Department to date.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 3/18/10]

Recovery Act funding will improve protection of lands at risk of flooding, restore wildlife habitats and increase opportunities for recreation. “The Cosumnes River in the Central Valley will be reconnected with its historic floodplain, improving wildlife habitat in a biologically rich region, using $2.2 million in federal stimulus money, according to the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Nature Conservancy of California… The project is expected to improve protection for agricultural and urban lands continually threatened by flooding. In addition, the project will offer local job opportunities in order to complete the restoration work. … Once restoration is complete, the project will connect to and result in additional habitat for the Cosumnes River Preserve, now encompassing more than 46,000 acres in Sacramento County. The project will offer the public more opportunities for recreation, such as fishing, hiking, bird-watching and wildlife viewing… The project includes studying whether ‘cluster planting’ techniques -- planting vegetation in denser groups instead of the traditional row planting -- promotes greater plant diversity. The partners also will study carbon uptake and groundwater recharge results.” [Central Valley Business Times, 3/15/10]

Manteca will relieve its deficit and install energy efficient induction lamps n 4,800 street lights with $685,830 in Recovery Act funding. “Manteca will lighten the general fund deficit next year by at least $150,000 thanks to $685,830 in federal stimulus recovery funds. The money will be used to reduce energy costs by placing high-efficiency induction lamps in Manteca’s 4,800 street lights. … The savings will allow the city to reduce its projected $3.8 million deficit for the fiscal year starting July 1. Manteca has been allocated $586,200 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It is part of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program designed to assist public agencies in implementing strategies to reduce fossil fuel emissions, reduce total energy use, and improve energy efficiency. An additional $99,630 is coming from the Community Development Grant Recovery money that is also part of the stimulus package but is aimed specifically at low-income neighborhoods. … Energy costs will be reduced by retrofitting all of the city’s existing street lights with high-efficiency LED lamps. And to keep costs in line and to maximize the number of street lights that can be replaced, the city will use its own equipment and crews to do the job.” [Manteca Bulletin, 3/14/10]

$1.3 million from the Recovery Act will fund improvements to two roads in Santa Ynez Valley. “Approximately $1.3 million of economic stimulus funds have been designated for shoulder safety improvements on two roads in the Santa Ynez Valley, officials from the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department announced. New safety roadway shoulders will be added on Refugio Road between Samantha Drive and Roblar Avenue, and on Roblar Avenue between Refugio Road and Grand Avenue. This project will create an 11-foot wide travel lane and a new 5-foot wide shoulder on Refugio Road and Roblar Avenue, officials said. The work is scheduled to begin March 15, and is expected to be completed by the end of June… ‘The county is grateful that a portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds have been directed towards important enhancements to our transportation infrastructure including the construction of safety shoulders in the rural Santa Ynez Valley, and I am looking forward to celebrating the completion of this important safety project,’ said 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr.” [Santa Ynez Valley News, 3/11/10]

Solar Power Inc. received a $25.7 million Recovery Act grant for construction of a solar panel factory that will employ 100 workers. “A Roseville company announced that it has received $25.7 million in federal economic stimulus assistance to build a solar panel factory and a 10-megawatt electricity-generating plant powered by the sun. The move by Solar Power Inc. is particularly significant because it will bring up to 100 factory jobs to the local area. Although Sacramento has had some success in growing green companies, it has struggled somewhat to create manufacturing jobs… ‘Expanding our manufacturing base to California will significantly enhance our ability to meet growing demand,’ said Steve Kircher, Solar Power's chairman and chief executive… Solar energy is one area where Sacramento is making some inroads; it gives companies easy access to an enormous market in a sunny climate. At least three overseas solar companies have established U.S. headquarters in the Sacramento area. One company, South Korea's Millinet Solar, said last month that it will build a solar panel factory at McClellan Park. The plant will eventually employ 150 workers.” [The Sacramento Bee, 3/10/10]

Pinnacles National Monument will replace the flood prone visitors center with a LEED certified facility using $13 million from the Recovery Act. “The Pinnacles National Monument is slated to receive $13 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the National Park Service announced Tuesday. The money will fund two projects — the first to demolish and relocate the flood-prone maintenance and visitor facilities on the west side, and the second will demolish and replace two trailers and a tent cabin. In addition to job creation and improving park facilities, officials said, the project will be entirely off-grid. A photovoltaic system utilizing both roof-mounted and ground-rack mounted arrays will be integrated at the maintenance structure. The visitor center will employ passive and active solar components for heating and lighting. The project will also encourage the selection of sustainably grown, harvested, produced and transported products and materials. Both projects are registered with U.S. Green Building Council for LEED certification and will meet or exceed the LEED Silver rating.” [The Californian, 3/10/10]

$22 million in Recovery Act funding will install new traffic signals, fire hydrants, and fiber optic infrastructure at the Port of Los Angeles. “A $22 million federal stimulus grant project is underway at the Port of Los Angeles this week, which will result in improvements along a 1.3-mile stretch of Harry Bridges Boulevard in Wilmington, Calif. … Although the project will widen Harry Bridges Boulevard, the street will remain a two-lane highway in each direction with the capacity to increase to three lanes in each direction to accommodate future traffic demand. The project is the first grant awarded to the Port of Los Angeles through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009… The venture will include improvements along Harry Bridges Boulevard from Lakme Avenue to Figueroa Street. It will involve grading, utility relocations, construction of concrete walks, gutters, driveways, traffic signals, fire hydrants, street lighting storm drainage, signage, landscaping, irrigation and fiber optic infrastructure. Construction is expected to be completed in January 2012.” [Trucking Info, 3/10/10]

A Recovery Act project at the San Francisco airport project is employing 300 workers. “U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier got a firsthand look yesterday at where millions in federal stimulus money is being spent in her district by visiting a massive construction project at San Francisco International Airport, an energy technology company in South San Francisco and a group of nonprofit leaders in San Mateo who have all benefited from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009… Recovery Act funds have also gone toward keeping teachers employed in Daly City, research at the University of California San Francisco, job training in the county and maintaining jobs at SamTrans and Caltrain… Speier, county Supervisor Mark Church and the Workforce Investment Program recently sponsored a jobs bootcamp that was paid for with stimulus money… SFO received a total of $29.9 million in ARRA money for projects including $14.5 million for a new runway and $15.4 million for a checked screening project at the airport’s new Terminal 2 that will eventually host Virgin America and American Airlines when completed. About 300 construction jobs were made possible by stimulus money at the airport, said John Martin, airport director.” [The Daily Journal, 3/9/10]

Recovery Act funding will allow Silicon Valley public transportation to replace outdated diesel buses with energy efficient upgrades. “Nearly $17 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants have been awarded to the Silicon Valley public-transportation systems. Two of the three grants will fund hybrid buses for Santa Clara County's Valley Transportation Authority and San Mateo County's Samtrans system. The third grant will fund new Caltrain railroad bridges in San Mateo County. Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) said investment in transit is a great use of stimulus money because the work creates jobs in construction and transit operations. Other benefits are fewer automobile commutes by residents and less traffic, with less consumption of energy, Eshoo said in an announcement of the grants. The VTA will purchase 20 40-foot-long hybrid buses under a $12,251,784 grant. Samtrans will purchase two 40-foot replacement buses and two 35-foot replacement buses under a $2,045,371 grant. Caltrain will fund the San Mateo County Railroad Bridge Replacement Project under a $2,684,596 grant.” [Palo Alto Online, 3/9/10]

A road renovation project funded by the Recovery Act will fill potholes, improve lighting, and decrease congestion. “As caravans of big rigs rumbled past, construction began Monday on $22 million worth of road improvements along a 1.3- mile, pockmarked stretch of Harry Bridges Boulevard in Wilmington. The project, set for completion in January 2012, is expected to ease congestion along the north end of the Port of Los Angeles while also improving truck access to the TraPac container terminal, which is undergoing a separate $1.5 billion expansion. … Trees, sidewalks, streetlights and a center median will be in place after construction is completed in two years. Harry Bridges will remain two lanes in each direction, but port officials said the new road could be expanded to three lanes each way, depending on future traffic demands…. ‘By this time next year this Wilmington buffer will be complete and these road improvements we're doing today ... will make it safer and easier for the community to enjoy this new open space,’ said Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who represents the Harbor Area… The entire project is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the largest single federal stimulus grant awarded to so-called shovel-ready projects in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, port officials said.” [Press Telegram, 3/8/10]

Santa Maria used its Recovery Act funding to repair levees, build a new transit station, and upgrade curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. “Several kinds of green have come to Santa Maria. One is the stimulus money from the federal government for various public projects. Another is the county energy efficiency program. And a third is the number of green buildings already constructed or planned for the near future. The stimulus money comes from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which provides funds to local governments for public works projects, thus the investment part. Santa Maria has been the beneficiary of over $14 million for street paving, upgrades of curbs, gutters and sidewalks, vans and buses for our transit system and the new transit center, and some funds for the new northwest fire station. On top of all that, the levee repairs have been allocated $40.2 million. These projects are not only creating jobs for local contractors, but the money is being used to build long-lasting infrastructure we will be able to use for many years.” [Santa Maria Times, 3/5/10]

Construction will begin on the rehabilitation of two senior-occupied buildings thanks to $11.1 million from the Recovery Act. “The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation will close financing and start construction this week on the $21 million rehabilitation of two senior-occupied buildings at 165 Turk St. and 249 Eddy St. The projects, which are a block from each other in the Tenderloin neighborhood, will be San Francisco’s first construction project built with ARRA (‘American Reinvestment and Recovery Act’ or stimulus) funds. The projects received $11.1 million in stimulus money. Both buildings house a 100 percent Section 8 low-income senior population. TNDC purchased the properties in 2007 because the buildings’ Section 8 contracts were set to expire in 2010 and the previous private owner expressed an interest in selling the buildings to a private investor who wanted to convert them to market rate housing. The potential conversion to market-rate rents would have displaced the senior resident population. ‘Had these properties converted to market-rate housing, most of the seniors living in those buildings would have had nowhere else to go,’ said Don Falk, TNDC’s executive director.” [San Francisco Business Journal, 3/4/10]

Recovery Act funding saved a Novato police officer’s job days before the city council would have voted to cut the position. “Just days before cutbacks in the Novato Police Department were to be debated by the Novato City Council, the department received some welcome news that an officer position will be funded by a federal stimulus grant in a round-about way. Novato police Capt. Jim Berg told the council Tuesday that the Marin County Sheriff's Coordination of Probation Enforcement team, to which the department contributes personnel on a rotating basis, has received a grant from the Anti-Drug Abuse Enforcement Team's Recovery Act Program worth $125,000 a year for the next two years. A schools resource officer position was among Novato's proposed budget cuts for the 2010-11 fiscal year, and the council was to vote on it by the end of March. That cut was to save the city $125,000 annually. Now that the grant has come through, no cut will be necessary for at least two years for that officer position. The resource officer is being moved to a patrol beat, as originally planned, as another patrol officer joins the county's probation enforcement squad.” [Contra Costa Times, 3/3/10]

$400,000 from Recovery Act allowed MiraCosta College to hire an instructor to teach a course on hybrid car maintenance. “Today, the back wall of the Automotive Technology garage at MiraCosta College in Oceanside is lined with gas-powered engines. Soon those old internal-combustion bangers will get a quiet new electric companion. The community college, with the help of a $400,000 federal stimulus grant, has ordered an electric motor, an array of insulated tools and special safety gloves to prepare for its new hybrid vehicle technician program. … MiraCosta is the only community college in San Diego County to offer a course focused on the ins and outs of maintaining and repairing hybrid passenger vehicles like the Prius, the best-selling gas-electric vehicle in America… Because the course is paid for with a grant from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, priority is given to automotive workers who have been laid off or are ‘under employed,’ meaning they work less than full time… The first class starts April 10 and will have fewer than 20 students. But MiraCosta's grant requires the college to train at least 120 students by mid 2011, so there will be subsequent sessions each following semester.” [North County Times, 3/2/10]

A Recovery Act funded job training program at Palomar College helps San Diego entrepreneur open his own business. “Michael Cohen, 35, transferred to San Diego nearly ten years ago while working with Merrill Lynch. Just a few years later, Michael was laid off and working in food service. He also wanted to start his own business, and with an interest in energy efficiency, Michael enrolled with the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE)… During a CCSE forum, Palomar College presented on their free Home Energy Rating System training program offered to eligible candidates with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding. Michael signed on without hesitation. This opportunity, made possible through funding from the San Diego Workforce Partnership, has changed his life. With a strong emphasis on business development, the program helped Michael and two colleagues start up their own business called Icarus. Icarus is a certified home energy rating company specializing in green energy technologies used to provide comfort, health, safety, and cost savings in people’s homes. Michael and his partners have personally paid for all start-up costs and in two weeks will receive a small business loan for future expenses.” [San Diego News Network, 3/2/10]

Jobs program subsidized by the Recovery Act gives businesses more flexibility in hiring new workers. “Shasta County is looking to use $7.8 million in federal Emergency Contingency Funds to create 200 local jobs for needy families. As of Monday afternoon, 18 companies had requested contracts from Shasta FACES for a total of 95 jobs. The program, part of the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), provides federally subsidized employment through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Lewis said she's been looking for work since her son was 6 months old and hasn't been able to find anything despite experience in retail, customer service, grocery stores and medical offices… Ron Martin of Upper Crust Pizza in Redding was the first business owner to get an approved contract through the county for the subsidized employees. Martin hired one employee in February and said the Shasta FACES program has helped defray training costs, which can be burdensome when the employee doesn't stay. ‘It does give you an opportunity to give people a chance,’ he said… Though the funding ends in September, Martin said he would like to keep the employee he hired longer than that and would consider hiring more employees through the program.” [Record Searchlight, 3/2/10]

Arcata will use Recovery Act funds to landscape, add sidewalks and bicycle lanes, and art zones to an area that will become a ‘Gateway’ to the city. “ Council members walked down Samoa Boulevard from F Street to J Street to try and visualize how the previously industrial area will be transformed into a ‘gateway’ for the city through the beautification project, said Deputy Director of Public Works Morgan Kessler. The project aims to make the area safer and more accessible for pedestrians, cyclists and visitors, while also reflecting the rest of Arcata. The plan includes adding landscaping, sidewalks, way-finding signs, bicycle lanes, and art zones to the area.… As the area is now, ‘sidewalks are dangerously narrow, broken, and non-ADA-compliant,’ there are no bike lanes and minimal shoulders, vehicles speed through the area and the corridor ‘aesthetically reflects’ its industrial past, Kessler said. The proposed changes would help mitigate these issues and would also improve the road's drainage problems and repair the medians. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will fund a majority of the project with $1.3 million. The remainder will be paid for through redevelopment funds.” [The Times-Standard, 3/2/10]

Lake Sonoma/Warm Spring Dam Fish Hatchery to install a new water filtration system and generator with $343,500 in Recovery Act funding. “A San Francisco small business has been awarded a $343,500 federal stimulus contract to improve the Lake Sonoma/Warm Springs Dam fish hatchery. The San Francisco District of the Army Corps of Engineers awarded the contract to Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction, Inc., on Thursday as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to the agency. The project will include installing a water filtration system and replacing the hatchery's generator. Work is scheduled to start March 15 and run through mid-July. Lake Sonoma and the Warm Springs Dam are federal property located near Geyserville in unincorporated Somona County.” [San Francisco Examiner, 3/1/10]

An infusion of $500 million in Recovery Act funds into Small Business Administration leads to an increase in loans for Napa County businesses. “As the nation’s banks remain wary of lending money to small businesses, a stimulus program is channeling money to more than 23,000 businesses nationwide, including nearly a dozen in Napa County. The Small Business Administration received $500 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds to lower fees and increase the guarantees banks receive on loans made through the SBA. In Napa County, 11 businesses either saved money or scored loans they couldn’t have landed on their own because of the stimulus award… Stamler said the $500 million award has significantly increased small business loans, which are made to businesses that promise to invest some of their own money in the projects being financed. The SBA’s primary lending program has backed 37 percent more loans during its latest quarter than it did in the same quarter in 2008. ‘Because the SBA was able to raise the guarantee, the bank is more willing to take on the loan,’ Stamler said.” [Napa Valley Register, 2/28/10]

National Science Foundation awards a Recovery Act grant to manufacturer of crystals used as a light source in cell phones and other devices. “Stimulus money is helping a high-tech company in Anderson grow… Shasta Crystals was awarded a $150,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop and manufacture nonlinear optical crystals as a light source application in devices such as cell phones. … The light source would be used to project an image from a cell phone onto a screen… Shasta Crystals asked for Herger's help to secure the grant. The Chico Republican's staff ended up writing letters of support, and Shasta Crystals received the first $100,000 in June. The company got the remaining $50,000 in December. Cruikshank noted the first $100,000 that Shasta Crystals received was federal stimulus money - part of $9 billion in research grants the National Science Foundation awarded in 2009. About $3 billion of that came from stimulus funds.” [The Record Searchlight, 2/26/10]

Recovery Act will fund heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades at the Sonoma Valley Hospital. “The California Energy Commission Wednesday approved a $1,966,762 low-cost loan for energy upgrades at the Sonoma Valley Hospital. The loan, together with a $174,628 rebate from PG&E, will enable the hospital to implement its planned $2.1 million energy improvement project that will save a projected $175,000 in annual energy costs. These savings, created by the improvements made possible by the loan, will pay for the loan… He said nearly 80 percent of the funds would be used to transform the hospital's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system into an energy-efficient system that takes optimum advantage of fluctuations in energy availability and pricing, to create monetary savings and to reduce greenhouse emissions. Lighting upgrades, both inside and outside the facility, will be among the hospital's most cost-effective energy improvements… Double-paned tinted windows will replace older, single pane windows in some parts of the hospital. Nearly 10 percent of the CEC funding will contribute to renovating the hospital's IT.” [Sonoma News, 2/25/10]

$1.5 million in Recovery Act funding will help restore a water system that affects 250 people in Yreka. “It was just over a year ago that President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The initial idea for the stimulus plan was to create jobs and help kick start the economy. Locally, Siskiyou County Rolling Hills Mutual Water Company a Non-Profit, Inc. and Siskiyou Training and Employment program have benefited from ARRA funds. The water company received just under $1.5 million to re-do the water system that has 95 connections affecting about 250 people located on the southeast side of Fairlane Road in Yreka. However, $344,000 of that is a long-term low interest loan. ‘I’ve been trying to get grant money since 1982 when I took over,’ said company water master Bob Phares… But the timing was right to get the ARRA funds and they were ready to go. Work began in early January and DeMers said the lack of winter has worked to their advantage. The work was originally scheduled to take 180 days, and the project is right on track, DeMers said.” [Mount Shasta Area Newspapers, 2/25/10]

Humboldt County will use Recovery Act funds to assist small businesses in hiring workers by paying 80% of their wagesRecovery Act. “Small businesses and jobless parents in Humboldt County are about to get a hand up in this foundering economy. The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved a pair of contracts Tuesday with local employment agencies, allowing them to use up to $2 million in federal subsidies through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to place low-income parents in jobs with local businesses. Under the program, 80 percent of the employment costs -- including wages, benefits, supervision, training and payroll taxes -- would be covered by the stimulus funds, with local employers paying the remaining 20 percent… More than 240 ARRA subsidized positions within the county have been approved… ‘The primary objective is to provide an immediate source of income for unemployed and low-income parents,’ she said. ‘But ARRA funding also enables employers to hire employees they might otherwise be unable to afford…’” [Times Standard, 2/24/10]

Recovery Act funds local community college program that allows San Diego residents to study streamlining health care technology . “… Mai heard about the Healthcare Information Technology program at the University of California San Diego. This 11-week program is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) through the San Diego Workforce Partnership. The course educated Mai on current healthcare issues, healthcare technology, project management and medical terminology. Due to UCSD’s training program, Mai has advanced considerably as a Database Analyst with Vista Community Clinic. The clinic recently received $11.5 million in ARRA funds towards a $20 million expansion project. Construction will add 24,000 square feet of space, expanding pediatrics, prenatal and family medicine, allowing service to an additional 12,200 patients each year.” [San Diego Workforce Partnership, 2/23/10]

Recovery Act allows Santa Barbara county to examine green industries and determine how to help them grow and retain a strong workforce. “A $250,000 grant will allow Santa Barbara County and its neighbors to fund a study of emerging ‘green’ industries to determine how regional workforce investment boards can help unemployed workers secure and keep jobs in those new markets. Funded through the federal economic stimulus plan and a state assembly bill, the grant will be directed into research via the Santa Barbara Workforce Investment Board, which is partnering with similar groups in San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties… The grant will be used to commission a study by San Diego-based firm BW Research into green, clean and energy-efficient industries…. The information will help the workforce investment board determine how to help businesses in those industries grow, find qualified workers to fill job openings, and help unemployed workers gain the skills needed to take those jobs.” [The Daily Sound, 2/23/10]

Santa Barbara receives $1.9 million from the Recovery Act to replace diesel buses with 9 new buses fueled by natural gas. “City officials are planning to spruce up the Big Blue Bus fleet with nine new 40-foot buses that run on compressed natural gas. The new buses would replace 13-year-old coaches City Hall says are more costly to maintain and run on dirtier diesel fuel. The planned purchases will cost $5.16 million, with the funds for three of the nine buses — about $1.9 million — coming from a federal grant received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the stimulus bill. The new buses are expected to arrive in October, along with other new additions to the fleet. At that point City Hall said more than 65 percent of the BBB fleet will run on natural gas or hybrid technology.” [Santa Monica Daily Press, 2/23/10]

A Recovery Act Small Business Administration loan funds construction of a new restaurant in WhittierRecovery Act. “When Sandra Hahn and her partners couldn't get a loan for their new Uptown restaurant, Amber Blu Taste, they went to the federal government for help. And the Small Business Administration came through, guaranteeing a $1.667 million loan through a Newport Beach bank for the new restaurant, at 6554 Greenleaf Ave. It was part of the federal government's stimulus program.… ‘If I hadn't gotten this loan, we wouldn't be talking about Amber Blu,’ said Hahn, 49, of Whittier.… Jeff Collier, director of community development for Whittier, said it's great news for Uptown that Hahn obtained the loan. ‘It's another opportunity to see more investment and more space become active,’ Collier said.” [Whittier Daily News, 2/22/10]

San Jose State University Research Foundation received a $5 million Recovery Act grant to fund biotechnology research. “A federal biotechnology stimulus grant of $5 million has been awarded to the San Jose State University Research Foundation. University officials, who announced the grant Monday, said it was the largest of nine similar grants of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds awarded in California. The grant will benefit the university’s clinical laboratory scientist training program, which is launching a new initiative called the California Statewide Biotechnology Clinical Laboratory Consortium Project. It’s designed to identify, recruit and educate up to 200 students for jobs as medical laboratory technicians, clinical laboratory specialists, clinical genetic molecular biologists and cytogeneticists. Hourly wages in those positions currently range from $22 to $45 per hour… Sue Gayrard, a biological sciences instructor at San Jose State, said in a statement the project will provide ‘crucial support to the clinical laboratory and biotechnology industry at a time when a shortage of licensed scientists and technicians continues to challenge us.” [Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, 2/22/10]

$1.8 Million in Recovery Act funding is ‘A Godsend,’ helping districts retain teachers and expand programs for special needs children. “Nearly $300 million has poured into five Sacramento-area districts since President Barack Obama authorized $100 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for the nation's schools last year… A Bee analysis finds that most local districts used their federal stimulus money to pay for keeping teachers and basic programs… Understandably, the federal stimulus money was a godsend to the districts. Elk Grove Unified – the area's largest district – used $26 million of its $39.5 million in stimulus funds to save the jobs of teachers, counselors, library technicians, vice principals and administrative assistants… Before the new programs began this year, 332 of the district's students with autism, mental retardation or emotional problems had to be sent to non-public schools as far away as El Dorado County, said district officials. The new programs have brought 72 of those students back into the district.” [Sacramento Bee, 2/22/10]

Recovery Act fills funding gap on major rail project that will employ over 3,500 Californians. “More than 3,500 jobs could be headed to the Inland Empire after an infusion of federal stimulus dollars that will help pay for a critical railroad project here. Local transportation officials say $34 million in American Recovery Act money announced this week should cover the final funding gap for the $198 million railroad grade separation. ‘Certainty, major infrastructure projects like this are the quickest way to ensure an influx of jobs into the economy and that will certainly be an outcome of this allocation,’ said Deborah Barmack, executive director of San Bernardino Associated Governments, or Sanbag, the county's transportation agency. Around 100 trains a day pass through the Colton Crossing, where BNSF Railway tracks intersect Union Pacific Railroad tracks, Barmack said. For decades, one set of trains has had to come to a full stop to allow other trains to pass, she said… A federal formula estimates that for every million dollars spent on a major transportation project, 18 jobs are created, Barmack said. Based on the early estimate of the project's cost, that's about 3,564 jobs.” [San Bernardino Sun, 2/19/10]

Salud Clinic celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Recovery Act in newly expanded facility made possible with aid from the Act. “Celebrating Salud Para la Gente's expanded clinic made possible by federal stimulus money, Rep. Sam Farr came to Watsonville Wednesday to see what a $900,000 grant had created. The Carmel Democrat spoke at an event commemorating the one-year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act outside the renovated Clinica del Valle del Pajaro building at Watsonville Community Hospital. The clinic, part of Salud – a full-service community health care nonprofit that means ‘Health for the People’ – received federal money to expand its facilities and to create jobs. The Recovery Act allocated $787 billion nationally to public works spending and tax cuts… The 170-member organization used the funds to create 9,000 square feet of new space that will house pediatrics, general medical practices, dental and vision facilities and more. Additionally, the organization plans to hire two new physicians and it anticipates being able to serve more than 1,300 new patients through March 2011. It currently employs 16 physicians, 10 dentists and one optometrist, among others… Lindsey Connor of Connor Plumbing Inc. in Watsonville, said last year ‘was a very frightening time for the construction industry. I was extremely grateful to be involved in this project. It provided much-needed employment and stability.’” [Santa Cruz Sentinel, 2/18/10]

Recovery Act funds $6.4 million straightening of dangerous stretch of Highway 44. “A dangerous stretch of road will get a long-planned straightening starting next month thanks to $6.4 million in federal stimulus funds. On the one-year anniversary of the signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the California Department of Transportation announced Wednesday it awarded a $7.7 million contract to J.F. Shea Construction Inc. of Redding for an 11-month project on Highway 44…’ [The location] was chosen because it was a safety improvement project,’ Caltrans District 2 Director John Bulinski said. ‘At this location, we have an accident rate that is higher than statewide averages - it's about 5.5 times higher.’ Bulinski said there were 25 wrecks on the stretch of road between March 2002 and February 2007. Michael Mayor, a Caltrans spokesman, said a two-mile stretch of winding road will be straightened…The road will also have wider shoulders and an extended truck-climbing lane.” [Redding Record Searchlight, 2/17/10]

$2 million Recovery Act grant allows Early Head Start Program to serve 112 low income women, families. “Out with state funding, in with the federal stimulus. After seeing state funding slashed for early intervention programs, Pediatric Therapy Network in Torrance won a $2 million federal grant to start a new Early Head Start program that will serve 112 low-income pregnant women and children up to age 3. The program will mark the nonprofit's first foray into mainstream education, and will be one of the city's first Early Head Start programs to educate mothers and toddlers before they start kindergarten… The agency operates several programs, but specializes in therapy for children who have developmental disabilities such as autism and cerebral palsy. They work with about 1,200 children each week, most of them referred from 13 school districts in the South Bay area. With the new grant funding, the agency will add more than two dozen workers to its current staff of 120, including teachers, social workers and consultants. The two-year grant will also save the jobs of therapists who would have been let go from the organization's early intervention program funded through the state's regional centers.” [The Daily Breeze, 2/15/10]

$4.95 million Recovery Act grant allows San Diego University, local companies to provide education, job training, placement services to regional workers. “San Diego State University, BIOCOM, San Diego Workforce Partnership, and the Southern California Biotechnology Center at Miramar College today announced the award of a three-year, $4.95 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor aimed at assisting the economic growth of the San Diego region's life sciences industry. The Biotechnology Readiness, Immersion, Certification and Degrees for Gainful Employment (BRIDGE) project will provide education, training, and placement services to more than 1,000 veterans, incumbent workers and dislocated and unemployed workers within the San Diego region. The BRIDGE project is a partnership linking training and higher education with employment opportunities that address the regional and state-wide workforce needs of the life sciences industry… The grant is part of more than $225 million in federal stimulus funding awarded by the Department of Labor to create jobs in health care and high growth industries under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.” [PR Newswire, 2/15/10]

Arcadia Biosciences received Recovery Act grant to research cause and mitigation of allergies related to Celiac Disease. “Agricultural technology company Arcadia Biosciences Inc. has received a two-year $855,500 federal stimulus grant to help fund the development of wheat varieties with reduced celiac disease-causing proteins. Davis-based Arcadia was awarded the Small Business Technology Transfer grant, in partnership with Washington State University, by the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act… Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that results from a toxic reaction to certain proteins found in specific grains, including wheat. It causes damage to the small intestine and inhibits proper food absorption.” [Sacramento Business Journal, 2/15/10]

Santa Cruz county plans for Recovery Act funded solar loan program, create as many as 2,000 jobs. “What's likely to become the nation's largest solar loan program is in line for $16.5 million of stimulus funds, setting the stage for potentially hundreds of millions of dollars for small energy projects across California, including Santa Cruz County. The grant, announced Thursday by the California Energy Commission, will fund the administration of a 14-county financing district where homeowners and businesses can pay for solar and other energy efficiency improvements through an assessment on their property taxes... Administrators say the program will go a long way toward curbing greenhouse gas emissions and staving off global warming as well as generate as many as 2,000 jobs in the emerging green economy… The financing will be available for a range of work from solar panel installation to upgrading heating, water systems and windows and doors, many of these projects expected to pay for themselves through energy savings. In Santa Cruz County, where residents of all four cities and the unincorporated areas will be able to participate, local advocates say the loans will lure as much as $60 million in construction work and hundreds of new jobs.” [Mercury News, 2/11/10]

A 52-unit apartment complex for low-income seniors will be built with the aid of Recovery Act funds. “American Recovery & Reinvestment Act money is been married with Manteca Redevelopment Agency fund and US Bank financing to build a 52-unit apartment complex designed for low-income seniors. Magnolia Court being developed by Affirmed Housing Group is one of the first projects in California to receive the ARRA funds. The federal stimulus money is in lieu of Afford Housing being able to secure tax credits from the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee… Magnolia Court will consist of a two-story building with an elevator. There are 36 one-bedrooms, nine two-bedrooms, and seven studio units planned. There will be a centrally located commons building, an on-site manager and maintenance staff, and recreation center for residents.” [Manteca Bulletin, 2/7/10]

Highway landscaping project underway thanks to funding from Recovery Act. “The long-awaited Highway 99 landscaping at the twin Highway 120 interchanges is finally in the pipeline. Work is expected to start within a month on the irrigation portion of the improvements for the Highway 99/Yosemite Avenue (Highway 120) interchange with bids being solicited for the actual landscaping at the same time. Bids are also being readied for landscaping at the Highway 99/Highway 120 Bypass were up to 1,700 trees and shrubs – primarily native species – are expected to be planted. It is all being made possible through some $1.4 million in American Recovery Act money that is part of the federal government’s $700 billion stimulus grants.” [Manteca Bulletin, 2/6/10]

Low to moderate income housing project will replace WWII era public housing in the fresno area with the help of Recovery Act funding. “Stimulus dollars are helping to fund a new low to moderate income community in Central Fresno. Parc Grove Commons broke ground Wednesday near Fresno State and Clinton Avenue. The $37 million affordable housing community was partially funded through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and is expected to generate nearly 250 jobs, while housing 215 families. ‘The Parc Grove Commons project removes deteriorated World War II era public housing and provides much needed quality housing to serve low- to moderate-income families. The Redevelopment Agency is pleased to have had the opportunity to contribute to this important development,’ said Marlene Murphey, Executive Director of the City of Fresno Redevelopment Agency. Those behind the project hope it will help to bring a ’new wave of revitalization’ to the neighborhood.” [KMPH, 2/3/10]

San Francisco announces Recovery Act funding for energy efficient upgrades throughout the city, an initiative that will save money and put many back to work. “Energy efficiency may not have the glamour of solar power or wind power, but it’s also a critical and immediate solution to cutting pollution. Today, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced $19.2 million in funding for energy efficiency programs through the San Francisco Energy Watch program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In the announcement, Newsom highlighted the creation of new local jobs through the programs and outlined the total energy and financial savings from the San Francisco’s energy efficiency work on city buildings during the last 6 years… From the $7.7 million San Francisco was awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for energy efficiency programs that conserve energy in municipal buildings (including health centers, county jail buildings, and cultural centers), $3.1 million will now be used to conduct energy efficiency upgrades to an array of facilities in the city (including the Ella Hill Hutch Center and Southeast Health Center). These upgrades will result in nearly $3 million dollars in savings each year… The recent expansion of the city’s energy efficiency programs have been aided by JobsNow employees that have been trained to introduce the Energy Watch program to San Francisco businesses. JobsNow is a stimulus-funded jobs program created by the City to put unemployed citizens to work. The program has already put nearly 1,700 San Franciscans back to work.” [Clean Technica, 2/4/10]

18 community organizations received Recovery Act funding to provide asset building development, food network expansion, and youth training and employment. “Patricia L. Nickols, CEO of Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (‘CAPSBC’) announced a countywide partnership to provide services to the public under the auspices of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Community Services Block Grant (‘ARRA CSBG.’) Eighteen organizations are operating 21 projects in the program areas of asset building and development, food network expansion and youth training and employment. Partners include a mix of community and faith-based organizations, training centers, and a local university. ‘CAPSBC received a total of $4.2 million in ARRA CSBG funds,’ said Nickols. ‘$1.2 million was awarded on a competitive basis to delegate agencies to serve low-income households while creating or retaining jobs in the community.” [Black Voice News, 2/4/10]

72 area children will gain access to early health screenings thanks to Recovery Act funding. “An increased number of local children under 5 years old will have access to early health screenings and educational enrichment opportunities as a result of over $2 million in federal stimulus funds, officials recently announced. New opportunities to work with families in San Mateo, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and at Redwood High School will be created as a result of various grants given to local agencies. Head Start programs, which support families and young children with help in health and academics, will be expanded locally with the Early Head Start stimulus grants through the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The funding is one-time, but local education officials are happy to have the opportunity for training and to help families while the money lasts. Family Service Agency of San Mateo County received $1.9 million, which will serve up to 72 children between the ages of 6 weeks to 3 years old… Seventeen full- and part-time employees — including teachers, a disability and mental health services manager, a health and nutrition services manager, a clerical worker and driver — will be hired. About 52 children will be served at one of the nonprofit’s development centers while 20 will be reached via home-based visit programs.” [San Mateo Daily Journal, 2/3/10]

Pell Grant funding from the Recovery Act aids California students. “Under President Obama’s proposed $3.8 trillion federal budget, unveiled yesterday, California students would benefit from a $3.9 billion increase in the state’s Pell Grant funding. The increase in student aid constitutes an extension of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus program enacted last February. Obama’s other provisions in the budget attempt to address the $1.267 trillion projected deficit for 2011 — down from $1.556 trillion last year — as well as job losses and a crumbling housing market… In addition to extra funding for education reform, Obama called for Congress and individual states to allocate more money to Medicaid, infrastructure projects, science and technology research, defense and homeland security and U.S. veterans. Moreover, $300 billion in tax breaks over the next 10 years were proposed for individuals, families and businesses.” [Daily Nexus, 2/2/10]

Recovery Act funding will go to building a community dental clinic that will provide residents with easier access to dental care. “Solano County received word in December that the federal Health Resources and Services Administration was awarding the county federal stimulus dollars under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to build the six-chair, 3,000-square-foot clinic as part of the two-story, 25,000-square-foot William J. Carroll Government Center being built on Monte Vista Avenue in Vacaville. The $2.2 million for the dental clinic comes out of $1.5 billion made available by the Recovery Act to support health centers nationwide, to expand their capacity and to provide primary and preventive health services to medically underserved populations. The county anticipates breaking ground on the project this December and opening the clinic in 2012.” [Vacaville Reporter, 1/29/10]

President Obama announced a high-speed rail initiative as part of the federal stimulus bill; program will fund improvements existing rail corridors as well. “President Obama is taking his job-creation message from the State of the Union address on the road Thursday as he travels to Florida to announce the awarding of $8 billion in high-speed rail projects designed to improve or create service in 13 major corridors across the country. The projects, which span from coast to coast, include startup money to help build trains in California and Florida. For months, states have been engaged in a bidding war over the money, which comes from the economic stimulus plan approved a year ago… Most of the money will go to improving existing rail service… The administration on Thursday announced that it would award $2.25 billion to help California make a small down payment on its ambitious $45 billion plan to build trains that can go 220 miles an hour… Another $1.25 billion will go to build 84 miles of track from Tampa to Orlando that would allow trains to travel at up to 168 miles per hour… The Florida stretch, which the administration says it expects to be completed by 2014, would have the advantage of showing people what could be achieved quickly.” [New York Times, 1/28/10]

Recovery Act-funded high-speed rail project will create 34,000 construction jobs and 450,000 permanent jobs when complete. “California’s high-speed rail project is getting more than $2.2 billion in money from the federal stimulus program. Another $99 million is being set aside for intercity rail projects statewide, including more than $29 million to improve Capitol Corridor trains that connect the San Jose and Sacramento areas… Federal officials made the announcement of stimulus funding largesse Jan. 28 at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. The Obama administration has committed $8 billion from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to high-speed rail projects nationwide… In a statement from the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the stimulus funds were described as ‘vital to the continuation of California’s high-speed rail project.’ It also touted its economic development impact. High-speed rail is predicted to generate 160,000 construction-related jobs, including about 34,000 along the San Jose-to-San Francisco segment, and 450,000 permanent jobs after completion.” [Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, 1/28/10]

City of Monterey will replace lighting along many city streets with funds provided by the Recovery Act. “City gets $1.5M loan for lights. Monterey has received a $1.5 million loan to improve lighting throughout the city. The loan was granted by the California Energy Commission and paid for by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal stimulus. The loan principal and its 1 percent interest is expected to be repaid in 15 years with money that will be saved by improved energy efficiency. Lighting improvements will be made along city streets, the Coastal Trail and in the Lighthouse Avenue tunnel.” [Monterey County Herald, 1/28/10]

Recovery Act funds go toward creating jobs in Northern California with projects in construction, forest health, and maintenance of park facilities. “The U.S. Forest Service's Vallejo-based Pacific Southwest Region has received more than $185 million in stimulus money to help create jobs in Northern California, the agency said. The agency got $185.2 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund projects involving hazardous fuels reduction, forest health, construction and maintenance of facilities, roads and trails, abandoned mines and wood-to-energy projects, an agency spokesman said. John Heil said the projects will likely create at least hundreds of Northern California jobs, though exact numbers are so far unknown.” [Contra Costa Times, 1/26/10]

Recovery Act funding provides free employment advice for California job-seekers. “The Golden Sierra Workforce Investment Board has teamed up with the California Employers Association to use $220,000 in federal stimulus funds to provide free employment advice and support to area businesses and job seekers. The partners have launched a human relations hotline and a series of business assistance workshops for employers in Placer, El Dorado and Alpine counties. They also offer a free networking forum for unemployed professionals in Placer County. The hotline gives employers unlimited free access to human resource consultants during regular business hours. The service provides information about employment and labor law, and will help businesses solve issues related to employee recruitment, retention, safety and discipline. In addition to the free hotline, 12 business workshops will be offered to all employers in the three counties to help them comply with labor laws.” [Sacramento Business Journal, 1/25/10]

Construction begins on forth bore of Caldecott Tunnel, a Recovery Act project that will create more than 5,000 jobs. “Federal, state and local officials gathered in Orinda Friday to celebrate the beginning of construction on the fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Creek, joined members of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the state Legislature, Caltrans, and local transportation agencies at the groundbreaking ceremony for the project that will add a fourth bore to the tunnel connecting Oakland and Contra Costa County via state Highway 24. The four-year project, which costs $420 million, will alleviate traffic congestion in the area and is expected to create jobs for more than 5,000 construction workers. John Porcari, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, said the money ‘is being invested in more than just a tunnel.’ The project represents "investing in jobs, here and now today, when we need them,’ Porcari said. ‘We're investing in an easier, safer, and less congested trip for the 160,000 daily commuters when this project is finished, and by reducing congestion here in the East Bay, we're investing in a greener environment.’ Nearly half the project is being funded by money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The $197.5 million in federal stimulus money is an example of how ‘the federal government was there when we needed it,’ Garamendi said.” [Pleasanton Weekly, 1/25/10]

Oroville will receive Recovery Act funding to assist small businesses with development marketing, revenue projections, and accounting documents. “Oroville was one of two applicants in California to receive a grant from a $4 million pot of federal stimulus funding for business development projects in rural areas. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday the 44 recipients of grants nationwide to create jobs. The money is part of the Department of Agriculture's funding though the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help businesses… The city will use the $60,000 grant to help small businesses develop marketing plans, revenue projections and accounting documents, said Rick Farley, Enterprise Zone and Business Assistance Coordinator for the city. ‘Mainly, it's to help them with their Quick Books,’ Farley said. Often when small businesses come in to apply for loans, the city has to refer them to an accountant to prepare the needed documents, Farley said. Large businesses have controllers and accountants to prepare financial statements, but small business owners are often more focused on their products or services and don't know how to prepare income statements or balance sheets, Farley said.” [Chico Enterprise-Record, 1/23/10]

The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District will use Recovery Act funds to expand sierra continuation high school’s infant-toddler center. “In an effort to help local mothers, school district trustees unanimously approved a stimulus grant this month to provide more childcare for parents who are income eligible, graduating students, or for district employees. The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District will use the $1.152 million, to expand Sierra Continuation High School's infant-toddler center or STEPP program (Sierra Teen Education & Parenting Program). The expansion will add 12 new openings for infants and toddlers at the STEPP day care center, three new child development positions and another portable for STEPP facilities. The additional staffing and enrollment are expected to last 18 months if no additional federal funding is redirected for its support. Placer Community Action Council's KidZKount group, donated the money to the district from a grant they received from the Obama administration's American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, a stimulus grant meant to boost the economy through community development.” [Sierra Sun, 1/21/10]

Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians received Recovery Act funding for road renovation and widening. “The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has gotten $1.8 million in federal stimulus money to improve Bob Hope Drive. Nancy Conrad, a spokeswoman for the tribe, said Wednesday the road work involves widening, moving power lines and realigning some of the land on the undeveloped or west side of Bob Hope Drive... Federal officials made the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds available to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to fund projects nationwide under the Indian Reservation Roads program. The funds are designed to help tribes improve roads on reservation lands… ‘We are grateful to be able to bring some assistance to the city of Rancho Mirage, and as a result, help support new construction jobs in the valley.’ Rancho Mirage Mayor Gordon Moller said the city has been working closely with the tribe since it learned of the potential to use federal stimulus money for the project. The city was instrumental in preparing the project's plan specifications, and will be the project construction managers to see it through to completion… The funding, hitting more than $1.8 million, will be added to another $726,000 of investment by the tribe.” [The Desert Sun, 1/21/10]

New Recovery Act Grant will train 525 people for medical jobs. “An economic stimulus grant of nearly $1 million will help train 525 people in medical jobs, Tulare County officials said… Job-training awards totaling $10.7 million went to 13 counties in California, including Tulare County. ‘What a great surprise for Tulare County, I think,’ county Supervisor Steve Worthley said. ‘I think it's badly needed if a county with just 1 percent of the population of the state qualified for nearly 10 percent of the funds.’ The $999,931 for the county will pay for medical-training programs at adult schools in Tulare, Visalia, Dinuba and Porterville, as well as at Porterville College. The programs will be free to students, said Adam Peck, executive director of the Tulare County Workforce Investment Board. His agency applied for the grant in November… State officials said they hope the funds will help get more than 2,100 people off unemployment rosters. Peck said those undergoing the training have good prospects for landing jobs because employment in medical fields in Tulare County has held up better than elsewhere.” [Tulare Advance-Register, 1/21/10]

Fresno and Tulare counties received Recovery Act money as part of the state’s effort to train 2,100 people for jobs in a variety of high-demand industries. “About $2 million in federal stimulus money is heading to Fresno and Tulare counties to help train people for in-demand occupations. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's California Recovery Task Force announced Wednesday that the Fresno Career Development Institute will receive $1 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, while Tulare County is getting $999,931. The two agencies are among 13 that will share just under $11 million aimed at training about 2,100 people statewide for work in such fields as network administration, systems engineering, alternative fuel mechanics, paramedics, pharmacy assistants, home health aides, warehouse specialists and logistics clerks.” [Fresno Bee, 1/20/10]

Berkeley Laboratory using Recovery Act to create positions to support research on cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and radioactive decontamination. “Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been awarded $12.8 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research into cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, radioactive decontamination and a variety of other health conditions. The grants bring Berkeley Lab’s total Recovery Act funding to more than $240 million in areas covering energy, computing and general science, as well as infrastructure projects. The NIH grants will go to 14 individual research projects ranging from disease investigation to the development of tools for medical researchers. ‘The Recovery Act grants from NIH have allowed us to create quite a few new positions for scientists, technicians, research associates and postdoctoral fellows, as well as retain some jobs,’ said Joe Gray, Associate Laboratory Director for Life Sciences. ‘We’re helping to train the nation’s next generation of scientists while also doing important research in critical areas of human health that we may not have been able to do without these funds.’ ” [Berkeley National Laboratory Press Release, 1/19/10]

Recovery Act funding granted to five Silicon Valley high-efficiency lighting projects. “The Department of Energy announced more than $37 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support high-efficiency solid-state lighting projects, and recipients include five Silicon Valley companies. In the area of core technology research, Cambrios Technologies Corp. of Sunnyvale will share $4 million with two other companies. In the product development field, Philips Lumileds Lighting Co LLC of San Jose will share $10.3 million with five other companies. In the U.S. manufacturing category, Applied Materials Inc. of Santa Clara, Philips Lumileds of San Jose and Ultratech Inc. of San Jose will share $23.5 million with five other companies. Solid-state lighting, which uses light-emitting diodes and organic light-emitting diodes instead of incandescent bulbs, has the potential to be 10 times more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent lighting, the Department of Energy said.” [Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, 1/20/10]

Small business lending in Los Angeles rises “sharply” thanks to Recovery Act. “Small-business lending picked up sharply during the last three months of 2009, as measured by loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the agency reported Friday. Lenders distributed twice the amount of money in SBA-backed loans nationwide last quarter compared with the same period in 2008, the agency said. ‘We are very pleased and very encouraged to see banks slowly come back into the fold and start lending again,’ said Alberto G. Alvarado, the Los Angeles SBA district director…. Alvarado credited the boost in small-business lending to the Obama administration's stimulus bill, signed in February, as well as moves by the SBA to cut fees businesses must pay for loans and to encourage banks to start lending again.” [LA Times, 1/15/10]

Monterey Ranger District uses Recovery Act funds for six trail positions for local hiking trail projects. “The Monterey Ranger District will be using federal economic stimulus funds to fill six temporary trail positions for local trail projects. The positions will be filled as needed throughout the 2010 field season, which runs from Feb. 1 to Sept. 30. Each position will be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for up to six months.” [The Californian, 1/19/10]

California Cities receive HUD’s Recovery Act funding to combat foreclosures and provide relief to Californian families. “The city of Indio has received more than $8 million in federal stimulus dollars to help renovate foreclosed homes… ‘The foreclosure crisis has not only hurt families, but has also depressed local economies, affected our state's budget and led to the deterioration of many neighborhoods,’ said Governor Schwarzenegger. ‘This money will help provide prompt relief and assistance to individuals, families and communities while also helping create jobs throughout California.’ The $8,130,000 is coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD)… The money can be used to acquire land and property, demolish or rehabilitate abandoned properties, and/or offer downpayment and closing cost assistance to low-to-middle-income homebuyers.” [KPSP, 1/14/10]

Los Angeles received Recovery Act funding to improve broadband connections and access to the internet. “The Obama administration on Wednesday released $7.5 million in federal stimulus funds to give more Los Angeles residents free broadband access to the Internet. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said the investment is intended to upgrade and expand 188 computer centers throughout the city; give residents better access to job search engines, online educational and training courses and other Web-based information. ‘This critical investment will expand computer and Internet service access to Los Angeles residents most in need, helping to make them full participants in today's 21st century information economy,’ Locke said during a news conference at the South Los Angeles WorkSource Center.” [Los Angeles Daily News, 1/14/10]

Recovery Act credit of up to $2,500 per student for post-secondary education could benefit CSU families. “A new education credit could benefit families with children in the California State University's system. For the tax years 2009 and 2010, there is a new post-secondary education credit called the American Opportunity Tax Credit. The tax credit created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or stimulus plan, of 2009 is a modified version of the Hope Credit, which has existed since 1997. The tax credit may have several benefits for CSU students or their parents. The maximum amount of the credit is $2,500 per student, an increase from previous years. The credit can be claimed for the first four years of post-secondary education, doubling the previous duration of the Hope Credit.” [Monterey County Herald, 1/14/10]

$3.3 million of Recovery Act funds go to highway widening in Sacramento. “State funds are headed to Sutter County to widen a section of Highway 99 to Sacramento. The California Transportation Commission on Wednesday allotted $65.1 million for the widening, which would continue the gradual enlargement of 99 from two to four lanes to keep up with growing commuter traffic. Part of the funding will cover the cost of a parallel span to an existing bridge over the Feather River, about 20 miles south of Yuba City… $3.3 million comes from last year's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.” [Appeal Democrat, 1/14/10]

Solar panel manufacturer Amonix announced it will create 436 jobs thanks to Recovery Act. “Solar panel manufacturer Amonix… will create a total of 436 clean energy manufacturing jobs in Nevada and Arizona based on its award of $9.5 million in stimulus funding as part of the federal Recovery Act’s Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit. The company was granted $5.9 million for manufacturing work in Nevada, and $3.6 million for work in Arizona. Amonix, headquartered in Seal Beach, California, designs and manufactures concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems that require less water, use land better, and produce more energy per acre than any other solar technology. The stimulus funding will be used to expand permanent manufacturing operations in Nevada and Arizona. The company will begin construction of its new manufacturing facility in Nevada by the end of 2010. When completed in the first half of 2011, that facility will create 269 new jobs for the state. The Arizona facility, which will create 167 new jobs, is pegged for a 2011 construction start, with completion scheduled by the end of that year.” [Business Wire, 1/14/10]

Recovery Act funds will be used to repair levees on the Santa Maria River. “Representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Los Angeles office will explain the $40 million project, which is intended to strengthen 6.2 miles of the existing south levee to fix deficiencies and reduce risk to life and property…Repairs to the faulty structure are needed to ensure that a rain-swollen Santa Maria River does not flood nearby urban areas and farm land in the Santa Maria Valley…In April 2009, $40.2 million money from President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was committed to the corps to fully fund the levee repairs…Officials have estimated that 325 jobs will be directly created from the levee project and 565 more will be created in industries supplying or supporting the construction, performing operations and maintenance activities, and selling goods and services to the workers and their families.” [Santa Maria Times, 1/13/10]

Recovery Act funds will enable the I-215 widening project to continue without interruption. “The $700 million widening of the I-215 Freeway would have been interrupted - perhaps for years - if not for the arrival of federal stimulus money, local transportation officials said Tuesday. The four-phase project to widen 7.5 miles of freeway from the I-10 interchange to University Parkway likely would have stopped about halfway, after phase two, if not for $128 million in federal money made available to help combat the recession. Instead, construction of the fourth and final phase of the project got underway this week. ‘At this point, it could have stopped at Rialto (Avenue) if not for the stimulus,’ said Rose Melgoza, spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation. Caltrans and Sanbag share oversight of the project, which has been in the works for about 20 years... After a lengthy planning period, construction began in February 2007 with building of the 5th Street bridge. The entire widening is expected to be completed in mid-2013. In the end, the project actually benefitted from the recession. In addition to gaining stimulus money, the widening was originally estimated to cost about $800 million. But the sour economy depressed prices for construction materials and labor, paring the cost by $100 million.” [Contra Costa Times, 1/12/10]

Oxnard is set to receive Recovery Act funds to increase energy efficiency, reduce energy use, and create green jobs. “The city of Oxnard will get almost $1.7 million in federal money to increase energy efficiency, reduce energy use and create green jobs. The money comes from Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds, part of the massive stimulus bill passed last year, according to Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara. The grants are administered by the U.S. Department of Energy and designed to stimulate the green economy by increasing spending on energy efficiency and the use of renewable power from sources such as wind and solar. ‘Oxnard has energy-efficiency and conservation initiatives lined up and ready to go,’ Capps said in a prepared statement. ‘This funding will help get many of them off the ground, creating jobs and helping address another of our nation’s most pressing needs — reducing our dangerous dependence on dirty and expensive fossil fuels.’” [Ventura County Star, 1/12/10]

Hermosa Beach has received nearly $1.3 million in Recovery Act funding from the EPA and State Water Resources Control Board. “The City of Hermosa Beach has received nearly $1.3 million in federal Recovery Act (economic stimulus) funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and State Water Resources Control Board. The funding from EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund supports improved stormwater management through a ‘Greenstreet’ retrofit of Pier Avenue. The infiltration and storm-drain elements that this project introduces are uniquely different from traditional stormwater management systems. In Southern California, urban stormwater runoff is the #1 cause of pollution in coastal waters. Stormwater runoff is made worse by the density of impervious surfaces in urban areas like roads, buildings and parking lots. ‘The City of Hermosa Beach should be commended for applying innovative low impact development tools to address urban runoff and protect beach users,’ said John Kemmerer, associate Water Division director for EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. ‘Retrofit projects like this are particularly challenging. This is an example of how cities can address stormwater pollution in a sustainable manner and at the same time create beautiful public spaces for their residents.” [BYM Marine Environment News, 1/11/10]

Chico received Recovery Act funds for pruning trees in Bidwell Park; project will employ four local workers. “The city of Chico was recently awarded $100,000 in federal stimulus dollars to help prune trees in Bidwell Park, with work on the project already under way. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding was finalized in December, Chico Urban Forest Manager Denice Britton said, and tree pruning began Monday. With the city facing budget cuts over recent years, Britton said all city departments have been forced to trim expenses, with the pruning of Bidwell Park trees on the list of cuts this year. However, after receiving a notice that federal stimulus money was available for ‘shovel-ready’ projects, Britton applied for the ARRA money and was successful in obtaining the funding… Crews with Fallen Leaf Tree Service of Sacramento will be removing dead branches and thinning limbs on the trees, reducing the weight of the branches and decreasing the potential for broken limbs. A condition of the grant funding requires that workers from Butte County be hired to work on the project. Britton said Fallen Leaf Tree Service has employed four local workers. She said the project will run approximately one year, with the tree workers working for a period of time each month to trim back the trees.” [Chico Enterprise Record, 1/8/10]

Recovery Act paid for a project to ease traffic congestion in Placer, Sacramento, and El Dorado counties. “Located under the pavement, the sensors provide real-time information for Caltrans at their traffic center in Rancho Cordova. Media traffic reporters use the information over the air or on the Web to help guide drivers during the busiest parts of the day. And motorists can find the information at the Caltrans Web site. A total of $1.2 million in President Barack Obama’s Recovery Act funding was used to install a total of 18 electronic sensors and under-pavement loop detectors on Highway 65, Highway 99, Interstate 80 and Interstate 5 at key locations in Placer, Sacramento and El Dorado counties. The work was recently completed by a Sacramento general contractor within budget and is part of $2.1 billion California is receiving for Recovery Act projects… A Caltrans statement said that the sensor projects and others around the state are being completed sooner than expected. ‘Thanks to this Recover Act funding project, commuters in Northern California will be able to plan their routes better to reduce their travel time,’ said Caltrans Director Randy Iwasaki.” [Roseville Press Tribune, 1/6/10]

Los Angeles County will use Recovery Act funds to train workers in green jobs skills. “Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced $100 million in green jobs training grants Wednesday, and California grant recipients will get more than $16.5 million of the money. The grants, authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, are designed to support training programs that help dislocated workers and others find jobs in expanding green industries and related occupations. ‘Finally, people are concentrating on creating jobs,’ said Cynthia Kurtz, president and CEO of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership. ‘They are realizing that training is a critical piece of that, so we are delighted overall.’ H-CAP Inc, a national union/employer coalition for health care training, is set to receive more than $4.6 million of the money - $723,000 of which will be spent in Los Angeles County. ‘We're going to be working with the Los Angeles County public health system and with Kaiser Permanente to train environmental service workers,’ said Laura Chenven, H-CAP's national coordinator. ‘Housekeepers in hospitals could be the watchdogs on energy, water and waste.’ The plan, she said, is to provide more training for the employees. ‘We want to create a new type of environmental service worker – and they will be training other workers as they come in to do this green work. We're working to make these jobs more attractive,’ Chenven said. The pay won't initially be any higher, but the new skills they acquire will be transferable to other green kinds of jobs, she said.” [Whittier Daily News, 1/6/10]

Recovery Act will pay for ironworkers’ training on wind turbine technology. “Another $1.9 million piece of the grant money is earmarked for the National Ironworkers and Employers Apprenticeship Training and Journeyman Upgrading Fund. That money will be spread among California, Illinois, New York, Texas and Utah. The money will provide training to ironworkers who work on wind turbine projects that generate renewable energy. The technology for wind-power systems is constantly changing and the work is often dangerous, as workers labor to put awkward pieces of equipment in place during high-wind situations and other inclement weather. ‘Prior to the recession, the work was incredible because construction was booming,’ said Paul Martinez, who coordinates training activities for Ironworkers Local 433 and Local 416 in La Palma. ‘But the bottom fell out last year, and now with cuts in the state budget... it's really affected us.’ Still, Martinez said there's plenty of work to come, despite the economic downturn. ‘Right now, there are 100 windmills that scheduled to go up in the Lancaster/Palmdale area,’ he said. ‘We're just waiting for the permitting. And in Palm Springs there's a huge number that are supposed to go in.’” [Whittier Daily News, 1/6/10]

Recovery Act paid for a project to ease traffic congestion in Placer, Sacramento, and El Dorado Counties. “Located under the pavement, the sensors provide real-time information for Caltrans at their traffic center in Rancho Cordova. Media traffic reporters use the information over the air or on the Web to help guide drivers during the busiest parts of the day. And motorists can find the information at the Caltrans Web site. A total of $1.2 million in President Barack Obama’s Recovery Act funding was used to install a total of 18 electronic sensors and under-pavement loop detectors on Highway 65, Highway 99, Interstate 80 and Interstate 5 at key locations in Placer, Sacramento and El Dorado counties. The work was recently completed by a Sacramento general contractor within budget and is part of $2.1 billion California is receiving for Recovery Act projects. Mark Dinger, Caltrans spokesman, said the new sensors will help drivers to gauge when and where to make their morning and evening commutes, as well as trips through the Sacramento-Placer-El Dorado region during the day and night... For Caltrans, the information received at Rancho Cordova can be used to deploy units quicker to hot spots and – over the long term – to gather numbers for planning transportation projects in the future, he said. The information is also used on electronic signs to give drivers a better indication of how many minutes it will take to arrive at a destination, Dinger said... ” [Roseville Press Tribune, 1/6/10]

Los Angeles County will use Recovery Act funds to train workers in green jobs skills. “Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced $100 million in green jobs training grants Wednesday, and California grant recipients will get more than $16.5 million of the money. The grants, authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, are designed to support training programs that help dislocated workers and others find jobs in expanding green industries and related occupations… H-CAP Inc, a national union/employer coalition for health care training, is set to receive more than $4.6 million of the money - $723,000 of which will be spent in Los Angeles County. ‘We're going to be working with the Los Angeles County public health system and with Kaiser Permanente to train environmental service workers,’ said Laura Chenven, H-CAP's national coordinator. ‘Housekeepers in hospitals could be the watchdogs on energy, water and waste.’ The plan, she said, is to provide more training for the employees. ‘We want to create a new type of environmental service worker - and they will be training other workers as they come in to do this green work. We're working to make these jobs more attractive,’ Chenven said. The pay won't initially be any higher, but the new skills they acquire will be transferable to other green kinds of jobs, she said.” [Whittier Daily News, 1/6/10]

More than $1 billion from Recovery Act is “flowing freely” into the Bay Area, flooding university research coffers, boosting transportation projects, improving infrastructure, and more. “ In Oakland, $50,000 is going to a nonprofit best known for its fiery performance art. In Napa County, $54 million is going to protect the tracks on which a train hauls tourists through vineyards as they sip chardonnay.… In Sonoma County, $272,578 is going to provide housing assistance to two tribes that reap millions a year from lucrative gambling casinos, including one in Contra Costa County… In Berkeley, $499,384 is going for field studies of what kind of booze young people pound down in bars and other hot spots.… More than $1 billion from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is flowing freely into the Bay Area, flooding university research coffers and boosting transportation projects such as the long-awaited Caldecott Tunnel expansion and the BART-Oakland Airport people mover, funding high-tech baggage screening equipment at San Francisco International Airport and improvements to Caltrain in San Mateo County.” [Contra Costa Times, 1/3/09]

Recovery Act funding goes to Bay Area jobs program that is “almost too good to be true.” “Many are wondering what has happened to all the federal stimulus money, but ABC7 has found some of it has gone to job creation. Bay Area counties are racing to help both employers and people looking for work take advantage of some of that cash. The money is part of a jobs program that seems almost too good to be true. Jairo Hernandez and Michelle Singletary work at Laundry Locker -- a dry cleaning and laundry business in San Francisco. Their employer is a private, for-profit business, but their salaries are paid by the federal government. ‘I'm working every day for 40 hours a week. I get my paychecks on time. I'm able to support my daughter without no help, no problem,’ says Singletary… It works like this: The federal stimulus bill set aside $5 billion to subsidize jobs for needy families. California gets $1.8 billion of that to dole out to counties which can use the money to get unemployed people into jobs. San Francisco was one of the first to get the program off and running. ‘We've been averaging about 100 job placements a week,’ says Rhorer. The program is targeted at people who are either unemployed or part-time workers with a low income, and you must be a parent, with a child under 18 years old. ‘I have four children, so it's definitely imperative that I have a job right now,’ says Tasha Spencer. Spencer is a single mother now working as a public service aid for San Francisco's Human Services Department. Her salary is paid by the Jobs Now program. ‘It's a lifesaver. I would not be working if I did not have this job,’ says Spencer. The extra workers are a big help to local governments strapped for cash, but the place officials hope the program will grow most is in the private sector.” [ABC 7, 12/31/09]

Recovery Act funds improve highways in Placer, Sacramento, and El Dorado Counties. “Federal stimulus funds for traffic sensors are aiding Placer County commuters on Highway 65. Located under the pavement, the sensors provide real-time information for Caltrans at their traffic center in Rancho Cordova. Media traffic reporters use the information over the air or on the Web to help guide drivers during the busiest parts of the day... A total of $1.2 million in President Barack Obama’s Recovery Act funding was used to install a total of 18 electronic sensors and under-pavement loop detectors on Highway 65, Highway 99, Interstate 80 and Interstate 5 at key locations in Placer, Sacramento and El Dorado counties. The work was recently completed by a Sacramento general contractor within budget and is part of $2.1 billion California is receiving for Recovery Act projects. Mark Dinger, Caltrans spokesman, said the new sensors will help drivers to gauge when and where to make their morning and evening commutes, as well as trips through the Sacramento-Placer-El Dorado region during the day and night.” [Roseville Journal, 1/2/10]

Two Recovery Act-funded road projects near Maryville have been completed. “Federal stimulus dollars paved the way for completion of a major construction project on Highway 99. Caltrans announced completion Wednesday of the $12.9 million project to repave 10 miles of Highway 99, from just south of Riego Road to north of Catlett Road. The project improved the smoothness and safety for the 37,000 vehicles that drive the highway each day, said Caltrans spokesman Mark Dinger… Another Recovery Act project recently completed in the Mid-Valley was a resurfacing project on 3.2 miles of Highway 20 east of Marysville that 10,700 drivers use every day. The $950,000 project, funded totally by the Recovery Act, was finished in October… It also improves safety during rainy weather because it prevents water from pooling on the road surface, Dinger said.” [Appeal Democrat, 12/30/09]

California used Recovery Act funds for installation of traffic congestion prevention system, which has now been completed. “Thanks to stimulus funds Sacramento area drivers will now be able to make better-informed travel decisions. Tuesday, Caltrans announced the completion new traffic monitoring systems installations at select locations on four Northern California highways. The project was financed entirely by President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009... The $1.2 million project installed 18 electronic sensors and under-pavement loop detectors on Interstate 5 and Interstate 80 and State Routes 65 and 99 at key locations in Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties. Prime contractor M&M Electric of Sacramento completed this project on time and within budget. These traffic-monitoring systems provide real-time traffic volume data, which can be used by motorists to make informed travel decisions.” [Daily Democrat, 12/30/09]

Simi Valley uses Recovery Act money to obtain new bus shelters. “All Simi bus shelters in Simi Valley will be replaced with new upgraded ones with the help of federal stimulus funds. The Simi Valley City Council approved this month the replacement of the city’s 27 bus shelters as well as adding five new ones and replacing 188 bus stop signs throughout the city. Concrete benches will also be replaced with new decorative steel benches on Tapo Street and Los Angeles Avenue, as part of the city’s revitalization efforts on those streets. About $484,000 will be needed for the project, and the City Council in June agreed to take those funds from $3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money it received for transit projects. More than 400,000 passengers use the transit system in Simi Valley each year, and the bus shelters in the city are more than 15 years old, obsolete and deteriorating, said Samantha Argabrite, the city’s community service specialist… The 27 replacement shelters and the five new ones will be 4-foot-by-10-foot pre-fabricated aluminum shelters, and will have new decorative benches, solar-paneled lighting, punched steel rear walls, and solar-powered advertising panels on each side.” [VC Star, 12/27/09]

The Fresno City Council approved a plan to use Recovery Act money for workers to help staff parks departments’ facilities that were facing budget cuts. “With help from federal and county officials, the Fresno City Council on Thursday rescued neighborhood centers that were on the budget chopping block... Council members unanimously approved a plan under which Fresno County would provide federal stimulus money for 73 workers to help staff Parks Department facilities that were facing budget cuts. Mayor Ashley Swearengin last month unveiled a plan to close a $28 million general-fund budget gap that included closing four neighborhood centers. Operating hours at seven other centers were to be drastically reduced, essentially putting them out of commission… The projected cost is about $860,000 -- most of it coming from federal stimulus money. Cooper said the new workers could be screened, trained and on the job by late January. He said they will help in areas such as computer lab, arts and crafts, and leadership training.” [Fresno Bee, 12/17/09]

Using Recovery Act funds, Glenn County plans to put more than 50 local welfare recipients back to work; 30 jobs will be created in the public sector and an additional 25 will be created for private businesses. “Using about $1 million in federal ‘stimulus’ money, Glenn County plans to put more than 50 local welfare recipients back to work beginning next week. The county's Human Resource Agency will use the $1,035,000 not only to fund the subsidized work program, but also to purchase clothing for welfare children, either for school or for potential job interviews depending on their age, according to Scott Gruendl, the county's health services director... About 30 jobs will be created in the public sector and an additional 25 will be created for private businesses, Gruendl said. The potential jobs range from construction to clerical work… The funding would be used only to create new jobs and not replace old ones, which was a brief sticking point on Tuesday for Supervisor John Viegas. ‘It's particularly good for private sector businesses that probably need to hire a person, but can't afford to right now,’ Gruendl said. A few people will begin work around Christmas, but Gruendl said the ‘vast majority’ of the positions would be filled after the New Year.” [Orlando Press Register, 12/15/09]

Redwood City based Silver Spring Networks has received Recovery Act funds to expand to nearly 600 employees. “Silver Spring Networks raised $100 million more in venture capital, bringing its total to $267 million. The Redwood City smart grid technology company took just 30 days to raise and close the oversubscribed funding round. Silver Spring is hiring rapidly. The company has about 425 employees and its CEO Scott Lang has said the company will employ close to 600 in 2010. Silver Spring’s utility customers have so far been awarded more than $809 million in federal stimulus money toward smart grid projects totaling $1.5 billion... The $100 million in new financing will help the company more quickly develop new smart grid applications and expand its global footprint, Jenson said.” [San Francisco Business Times, 12/15/09]

Recovery Act funds will opens up 28 jobs at A Santa Cruz Head Start. “Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center plans a job fair Saturday to fill 28 jobs with Head Start and Early Head Start funded by a $2 million federal stimulus grant… The funding will add 130 slots for Early Head Start for kids to age 3, a major jump from the 40 currently available, and 44 slots for Head Start for kids 3-5 compared to 420 now. Existing program sites are in Watsonville and Santa Cruz. ‘This is the first expansion of Head Start in over 10 years,’ said Cynthia Wells, Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center's director of child and family development programs... She expects current employees may apply for some of the new positions. The timetable calls for hiring to be completed by mid-January with child care open to families starting in February. The expansion adds jobs in Aptos, where the Elena Baskin Child Care Center will reopen at Cabrillo College after being shuttered due to state budget cuts, and in Watsonville, Mid-County and San Lorenzo Valley. In San Lorenzo Valley, the funding will bring 10 Head Start slots for preschoolers and 20 Early Head Start slots for kids up to age 3, taking advantage of the San Lorenzo Valley Children's Center in Ben Lomond as well as home-based child-care programs.” [Santa Cruz Sentinel, 12/15/09]

Recovery Act-funded jobs program will help low-income residents in Butte County obtain federally subsidized public and private jobs. “Butte County is going to secure a piece of a $1.8 billion federal jobs program. Cathi Grams, Butte County director of the Department of Employment and Social Services, aims to place the poor and individuals who are currently on some form of welfare, as well as those who have exhausted their eligibility for those programs, in federally subsidized public and private jobs… While participants can work in both the private and government sector, they are all technically employees of the Private Industry Council… The funding for the program comes from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Stimulus Funds and covers 80 percent of the costs. The 20 percent the county picks up is covered by ‘in-kind’ services, said Grams… There are about 250 job slots to be filled, and, according to Grams, the average employee will make something in the area of $10 an hour. The goal is to provide the employee with experiences and job skills that will make it easier for the individual to find work in the future. Also, it is hoped at least some of the workers will find permanent jobs with their temporary employers.” [The Enterprise Record, 12/13/09]

Central Valley Health Centers that serve needy populations – from seasonal farm workers, recent Southeast Asian immigrants, and the homeless – receive Recovery Act assistance. “The Obama administration Wednesday injected $9.5 million into the Golden Valley Health Centers so the Merced-based medical system can build a clinic. The money will fund a 27,000-square-foot structure planned for south Merced. Adjacent to several existing Golden Valley facilities on 11 acres, the new clinic will include geriatric care, specialty services and a training center... The grants announced Wednesday are for 85 community health centers. Outside of Merced, the only other Central Valley organization to receive funding was Clinica Sierra Vista, a Bakersfield-based agency that operates clinics in Fresno. Clinica received $4 million and will use about $1.2 million to finish a dental center at Elm Community Health Center in Fresno, said Clinica's chief executive Stephen Schilling. An additional $1.4 million will pay to remodel the Elm center, a process that will include making space for a pharmacy, Schilling said. Golden Valley and the other grant recipients all serve needy populations. For Golden Valley's existing 25 clinics, that population includes seasonal farmworkers, Southeast Asian immigrants and the homeless. The 85 grants distributed Wednesday, ranging from a high of $12 million to a low of $790,000, were selected from among some 600 applicants.” [Fresno Bee, 12/10/09]

Altadena Head Start will use Recovery Act funding to hire 29 new teachers and fund the enrollment of 114 more children and pregnant women into its programs. “Federal stimulus dollars will mean more spaces for children in a local Head Start program and new jobs, officials said. The $1.6 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will allow the Center for Community and Family Services in Altadena to enroll 114 more children and pregnant women in its Head Start, Early Head Start, and pre- and post-natal programs, said Wassy Tesfa, its Head Start administrator. It also will pay for 29 new teachers, in-home educators and consultants, allowing the center to expand its services beyond the 60 children and women it now assists, she said…. The center offers full-day educational classes for infants and toddlers. It sends out home educators, who weekly visit parents to educate them about early childhood development. And it provides health-education services to expectant mothers, from pregnancy through post-delivery… With the new injection of stimulus funding, a third facility, Mother's Club Learning Center, will begin offering classes, officials said. Such classes have been shown to greatly improve a child's learning in the later school years, said Judy Cashell, the center's child development administrator.” [Pasadena Star-News, 11/29/09]

SBA loans see dramatic spike thanks to Recovery Act incentives. “The stimulus dollars set aside to fund small business lending incentives ran out on Nov. 23. That capped a week-long rush leading up to the deadline that resulted in more than $1 billion in Small Business Administration loans being approved, government officials said. That was more than the monthly volume for the first six months of the fiscal year. The rush was triggered by two provisions that were attractive to lenders and borrowers. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act in February boosted the maximum guarantee on SBA loans to 90 percent from 75 percent, while reducing or eliminating fees charged to borrowers… SBA incentives brought results: Roxann Burns, SBA manager at Heritage Bank of Commerce, said of all the different tools offered by the SBA, the incentives were the most effective. Burns is worried that if the incentives sunset, the borrowers will go the way of the guarantees and fees waivers. She’s not alone. ‘We feel very strongly that these incentives had a huge impact on the increase in loan volume for us as well as the industry,’ said Tom Burke, senior vice president in Wells Fargo & Co.’s SBA lending division. Burke said loan volume was up about 3 percent year-over-year as a result of the stimulus incentives, the Wachovia merger and the fact that other SBA lenders either retreated from the market or cut back significantly.” [San Jose Business Journal, 11/27/09]

Recovery Act-funded jobs training program will serve 5,000 students at Los Rios colleges. “Inside a classroom at Folsom Lake College this week, students were learning medical terminology – and hoping to turn around their fortunes… All of them are benefitting from the federal stimulus act, which has sent $10 million into Los Rios Community Colleges for job training programs as part of the federal government's mission to help Americans work their way out of the deepest recession since the Great Depression. ‘It's going to let us train people for the technical jobs of the 21st century, especially in energy-related and health-related fields,’ said vice chancellor Sandy Kirschenmann. ‘These are training programs we would not be able to fund if it were not for the (stimulus) funds.’ Los Rios has used the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money to develop eight new job training programs that will serve roughly 5,000 students over the next two years. Students at American River College are learning to become health care interpreters, translating what doctors say for non-English-speaking patients. Students at Cosumnes River College are learning to weatherize homes and test them for ways to save energy. And students at Folsom Lake College are training to become phlebotomists, the technicians who draw blood in medical settings… The new programs offer very specific training but not a college degree, although Kirschenmann said they could become for-credit programs next year. Some of the programs were developed in conjunction with the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency. All are designed to get students into the work force – fast.” [The Sacramento Bee, 11/27/09]

Groundbreaking ceremony will take place for a Recovery Act-funded park project in Palm Springs. “A Dec. 7 groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for a $1.8 million Palm Springs park funded by federal stimulus funds. The park will be located at the entryway to Palm Springs on the northwest corner of Gene Autry Trail and Vista Chino. ‘In such a tough economy, federal dollars for a new park at the gateway to Palm Springs is a huge deal for our city,’ Mayor Steve Pougnet said. ‘Not only will construction of the new park create new jobs here in the Coachella Valley, it will also be a wonderful addition to the neighborhood while providing a stunning visual for visitors as they enter Palm Springs,’ he added. The funds will pay for the park's construction, bocce ball courts and median and parkway landscaping on Gene Autry Trail between Vista Chino and Via Escuela… Palm Springs has been awarded $8.4 million in federal stimulus funds, and the city has applications pending for an additional $6 million, Blaisdell said.” [The Desert Sun, 11/26/09]

Placer County uses Recovery Act money to aid small businesses. “Placer County is requesting applications from businesses interested in obtaining low-interest, tax-exempt financing through a federal economic-stimulus program. The county has been allocated $6.8 million from the Recovery Zone Facility Bond Program, which was created through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. Placer County’s allocation will be used to provide financing to one or two businesses located in the county.” [Rocklin & Roseville Today, 11/25/09]

Recovery Act energy grants to California will “help modernize the state’s electricity infrastructure to make delivery methods more efficient,” as well as save energy costs for consumers and create jobs. “Two Southern California utilities were awarded more than $125 million in stimulus funds from the Department of Energy today to demonstrate “smart” electric grid systems and test energy storage projects. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power received $60,280,000 and Southern California Edison Co. received $40,134,700 to test out and collect data on smart grid programs. SoCal Edison was also given $24,978,264 for its Tehachapi Wind Energy Storage Project, using an 8-megawatt lithium ion battery technology… Several Northern California projects in Alameda, Berkeley, Fremont and San Francisco also picked up energy storage grants, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said in a statement today. In all, California systems were awarded nearly $175 million, part of the $620 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act given to 32 projects across the country dealing with large-scale energy storage, smart meters, electricity distribution issues and a range of technologies… The projects could create thousands of jobs, including for manufacturing workers, engineers, electricians, equipment installers, IT system designers, cyber-security specialists and analysts, Chu said.” [Los Angeles Times, 11/24/09]

Recovery Act funds will allow California State University-Long Beach to retain some employees and avoid cutting some course offerings. “An infusion of one-time federal stimulus money is allowing Cal State Long Beach to retain some employees and avoid cutting some course offerings in the spring semester, university officials said. The California State University system received $25 million in stimulus funds, $1.85 million of which will go to CSULB…. The funds will spare about 200 course sections from elimination, said CSULB vice provost David Dowell.” [Press-Telegram, 11/23/09]

Recovery Act funds will be used to construct a roundabout in Santa Cruz, to replace unwarranted stop sign, improving traffic safety. “This stop sign at the intersection of Second Street and Pacific Avenue is commonly violated because its ‘unwarranted,’ said Chris Schneiter, civic engineer for the city. ‘Motorists won't fully stop if there is very low cross-traffic,’ he said. ‘The stop was installed at the insistence of businesses wanting to facilitate the ability for motorists to make a left on to Pacific so that they can circulate back to the wharf and Boardwalk.’ The city has plans to reinvent that intersection by installing a roundabout and removing the stop sign, Schneiter said… The interior of the roundabouts will have public art related to an ocean life theme and some landscaping. It will be paid for with stimulus funds.” [Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/23/09]

At UC Berkeley, Recovery Act has been used for an additional 40 doctoral students and has supported 130 projects that are underway. “President Barack Obama's stimulus package is already stimulating innovation and jobs at the University of California, Berkeley, with more than 130 projects underway. The work is being funded by nearly $65 million in new money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)…’ These extra research funds are a big plus for the campus, enhancing its research agenda and allowing us to hire additional students, post-doctoral fellows and technicians,’ said Mark Schlissel, professor of molecular and cell biology and dean of the biological sciences in UC Berkeley's College of Letters and Science… The stimulus funding ranges from a small supplement to support UC Berkeley students this past summer on a project involving diabetes in the Chinese American community, to two-year, multimillion dollar campus projects on leukemia, improved vaccines and basic mathematics. At the School of Public Health, Patricia Buffler, for example, received a two-year, $2.3 million ARRA grant from NIH that will accelerate her 14-year study of the causes of childhood leukemia. In addition, a five-year, $5 million grant from the NSF to the Graduate Division will fund graduate fellowships for an additional 40 doctoral students across the campus.” [UC Berkley Press Release, 11/19/09]

Gilroy Unified School District saved dozens of jobs thanks to Recovery Act funding. “Gilroy Unified School District received $4.6 million in unrestricted funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law in February to create new jobs and invest in long-term economic growth. The district received an additional $1.8 million from the federal government to be put toward one-time expenses, such as staff development, for programs to educate socioeconomically disadvantaged, special education and preschool-aged children…. In 2008, district administrators sidestepped significant cuts using the stimulus funds and by handing out pink slips and scaling back programs, she said. With about 90 percent of its general fund budget going toward salaries and benefits, the stimulus funds saved dozens of jobs this school year.” [The Gilroy Dispatch, 11/19/09]

In rural Nevada City, city police will hire two new police officers with Recovery Act funding and fill one vacant administrative assistant post. “The Nevada City Police Department is already collecting applications for new jobs created with its half million-dollar stimulus grant. Stimulus money will help bring two officers to the force, which consists of 10 full-time officers, two community service officers and one cadet. The department is also filling a vacant administrative assistant post… ‘It would be nice to see more police walking the streets,’ said Bo Wolfson, co-owner of the Maiden Lane store on Broad Street. Like other business owners in the area, she pointed to Calanan Park as an occasional problem area. With a few hundred calls per month, Nevada City represents a small percentage of the emergency calls routed through the Nevada County Sheriff's office, which provides dispatch services for the city… Adding officers is about increasing visible patrol time, especially in the historic district, said Nevada City Police Chief Lou Trovato... ‘New officers will also help with routine traffic stops… The money was awarded as part of the federal Recovery Act. Nevada City won the two-year competitive grant as part of $125 million awarded to rural law enforcement agencies across the country.” [The Union, 11/19/09]

Using Recovery Act funding, a Santa Rosa-based nonprofit is converting a former school to a green jobs training center; another organization will train tribe members in Ukiah for jobs in the waste-to-energy industry. “Two agencies in Sonoma and Mendocino counties are getting nearly $186,000 in federal grants for green job training, the U.S. Department of Labor said Wednesday. Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County received $85,910 for training solar power installers and energy efficiency auditors. The Santa Rosa-based nonprofit is converting the former Lewis School to a green jobs training center. California Indian Manpower Consortium, which has an office in Ukiah, is getting $100,000 to train tribe members for jobs in the waste-to-energy industry. The grants are part of $55 million in economic stimulus money authorized by this year’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The green building grants targeted American Indians, women, at-risk youth and farm workers, according to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.” [Press-Democrat, 11/18/09]

The San Antonio Youth Centers, a nonprofit agency that works to improve the lives of urban youth living in poverty, will receive a Recovery Act funded ‘green’ jobs training grant. “San Antonio Youth Centers will receive $100,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor to provide training to young people interested in finding jobs in green industries and related occupations. The local grant is part of a national distribution of about $55 million in green job grants, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In all, the Recovery Act is furnishing a total of $500 million for green-job training grants to promote economic growth… San Antonio Youth Centers is a nonprofit agency that works to improve the lives of urban youth living in poverty and in danger of dropping out of school.” [San Antonio Business Journal, 11/18/09]

Recovery Act will help the state’s Water Resources Control Board fund 112 projects, including wastewater treatment plant construction, upgrade and sewer infrastructure improvements, and wastewater recycling and energy efficiency. “In record time, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) has completed awarding its full allotment of $270.5 million in federal stimulus funds for clean water projects that protect public health and the environment, and create jobs for Californians. The projects include wastewater treatment plant construction, upgrade and sewer infrastructure improvements, as well as ‘green projects’ such as wastewater recycling and energy efficiency, and low impact development.… Projects awarded funding cross California, from Del Norte County in the north to San Diego County in the south and from the Pacific shore to the Nevada state line… Approximately $180 million has been provided as grants to disadvantaged communities for public wastewater projects and urban storm water/non-point source pollution projects. Sixty million dollars has been provided in 0 percent loans for green wastewater recycling or energy efficiency projects.” [State Water Resources Control Board, 11/17/09]

Parents and caregivers enrolled in the Calworks welfare to work program will be among those receiving 10-week Recovery Act-funded jobs. “Federal stimulus money is available to employers in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties to put people to work for up to 10 weeks. ‘We want to move fast to get people employed,’ said John Collins of Goodwill's Shoreline Workforce Development Services, which operates in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties… Goodwill, which serves as the employer of record, will screen people for eligibility, then employers use their regular hiring process. Collins said interested employers include Santa Cruz City Schools, which laid off custodians and maintenance workers, the Soquel school district, which has office work to be done, and Second Harvest Food Bank. Others include Bill Tysseling of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce and Ron Slack, publisher of GoodTimes Weekly… For CalWORKS participants, this could mean an opportunity to increase job skills and gain work experience, and potentially lead to unsubsidized employment, said Claudine Wildman, employment and benefit services division director at the county's human services department. While the employer is not required to keep the worker once the federal money runs out, the hope is that the economic recovery will be in full swing by then.” [Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/17/09]

Recovery Act will allow the branch of the Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center to reach out to 170 more families and create 28 jobs in the county. “A $2 million federal stimulus grant awarded to Child and Family Development Programs this month will allow the branch of the Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center to reach out to 170 more families and create 28 jobs in the county. Early Head Start and Head Start programs serve 451 low-income children in Watsonville and Santa Cruz. The grant money will add 130 new spots for the Early Head Start program and 44 for Head Start beginning February… Through child development programs serving children from birth through age 5, the program aims to ensure young children are healthy and ready for school. The programs also provide families with parent education, health and dental screenings, social services, nutrition and developmental assessments and teen parent education. About 800 children in the county are served through all six programs… The proposed expansion will affect Live Oak, Aptos, San Lorenzo Valley and Watsonville. Expanded sites will include a teen parent program in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, an infant/toddler center in Watsonville, an Early Head Start program at the Baskin Child Care Center at Cabrillo College, and the Live Oak Family Resource Center among other community partners.” [Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/15/09]

In San Diego, Recovery Act funded a photography education program and supported the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park; each used the money to save an artist's job that would have been cut. “The $787 billion stimulus package signed into law by President Barack Obama in February set aside $50 million nationwide for the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA sent some of the money to state and regional arts agencies for distribution. The agency also gave $30 million in direct grants to museums, theaters, symphonies and other cultural institutions to avoid layoffs of critical personnel or to restore eliminated jobs. San Francisco nabbed 37 grants totaling $1.4 million; Los Angeles scored 15 grants totaling $1.05 million. San Diego was awarded two grants totaling $75,000 — the same amount as Fresno. The Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park received $50,000, and AjA Project, a photography education program in City Heights, was granted $25,000. Each used the money to save an artist's job that would have been cut… Meanwhile, with its $25,000 stimulus grant, the AjA Project was able to retain creative director Shinpei Takeda. He's putting together an exhibit featuring stories by immigrant and refugee youths at the NTC Promenade in Point Loma's Liberty Station. The exhibit is expected to open Dec. 10.” [San Diego Union Tribune, 11/16/09]

USC School of Social Work has received Recovery Act funding to study how and why child abuse and neglect increases the risk for substance abuse in adolescents. “USC School of Social Work professor Penelope Trickett has been awarded $1.4 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to study how and why child abuse and neglect increases the risk for substance abuse in adolescents. The two-year stimulus grant, funded through the National Institute of Drug Abuse, was awarded to Trickett, the David Lawrence Stein/Violet Goldberg Sachs Professor of Mental Health. She and her team will look at the risk and resilience mechanisms underlying the relationship between child maltreatment and adolescent substance abuse. The goal is for the research to help mental health professionals create more effective intervention and prevention efforts that target the most at-risk children, Trickett added.” [USC News, 11/16/09]

Recovery Act-funded flood protection project is creating 700 jobs and protected thousands of local residents from flooding. “San Jose, Calif., is using $18 Million in Recovery Act funds to rebuild a flood control structure that will protect homes and businesses from the threat of disaster, as well as stimulate the local economy by adding as many as 700 jobs. Watch this Recovery Act success story video. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, in partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Water District, is re-designing a concrete canal to mimic a natural water way as a result of Recovery Act funding. Flooding in the Lower Silver Creek area has been a major problem over the past five decades. Once completed, 3,800 homes and businesses along the creek will be protected from a 100-year flood event. It is estimated that damages from a large flooding event at this location could have cost as much as $37 million. Another benefit of this project will be reducing the flood insurance premiums for thousands of homeowners along the creek corridor. This will also free up money that is currently going to pay insurance premiums to help stimulate the local economy. The final phases of this project offer many benefits, including: Flood protection of homes and businesses for 16,000 direct beneficiaries; Flood protection of businesses, highways and infrastructure used by 250,000 people; Protection and enhancement of 3.4 acres of urban wetland habitat; Economic stimulus including several hundred construction-related jobs; Water quality improvements as stream bank erosion diminishes; and Parks and foot bridges that connect neighborhoods and the creek.” [USDA, 11/13/09]

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory received $7 million in Recovery Act funds for four projects to study enhanced geothermal energy studies. “Federal stimulus funds have been awarded to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to study and advance enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technology. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is a US Department of Energy national laboratory, reported that it received $7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for four projects that seek to advance EGS technology, which involves enhancing or engineering a fracture network deep in the earth. EGS technology makes it possible to get heat from deep inside the earth in cases where conventional geothermal technologies – which generally must be near active volcanic centers or have very high temperature gradients – don't work, the laboratory reported. Considered a clean and green technology that has the added benefit of being available around the clock and at any time of year, increased focus is being placed on geothermal production nationwide. The Department of Energy reported that geothermal energy currently provides less than 1 percent of total U.S. electricity and 8 percent of renewable electricity generation. The agency believes EGS could increase geothermal production 40-fold – increasing production to provide 10 percent of the United States' electricity needs. The $7 million award for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is part of a $400 million investment that the Department of Energy has made in geothermal energy thanks to the Recovery Act.” [Lake County News, 11/15/09]

Society for the Blind was awarded Recovery Act funds for its program that provides training to seniors experiencing vision loss; will allow the organization to hire four to eight new workers. “Society for the Blind has been awarded $499,701 in federal stimulus dollars for a program that provides intensive training to seniors experiencing vision loss. With the money, the local service agency that serves Northern California will be able to reinstate its Senior Impact Program that it discontinued three years ago because of lack of funding, a news release said. The program provides a week of intensive training in a residential setting for seniors experiencing vision loss… Society for the Blind also will be able to hire between four and eight full- or part-time new workers to staff the program. .” [Sacramento Business Journal, 11/12/09]

Los Angeles will use Recovery Act funds for worker-training programs, which will include offering vocational training for 1,000 workers. “Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Tuesday that the city is making $10.3 million in federal stimulus money available for worker-training programs. … Of the $10.3 million, $4 million will be used for vocational training for 1,000 workers and $6.3 million will be available to train an estimated 2,000 people for high-wage jobs in healthcare, construction, transportation and other sectors. Villaraigosa said the city has received $43.7 million in job-training funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act so far, and between $300 million and $400 million in overall stimulus money.” [LA Times, 11/10/09]

Klickitat County Wind Farm Project has received Recovery Act funding to supply power to California municipalities, generating enough power for more than 250,000 California homes per year. “A wind farm project near Goldendale in Klickitat County has received $19.4 million in federal stimulus funds, with the developer expecting a total of more than $170 million in federal grants to help pay for the $1 billion project. Cannon Power Group of San Diego, which is building the 400-megawatt wind power plant with Windy Point Partners II LLC, said the funds are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money targeting renewable energy projects. When completed, the wind power project will supply power to California municipalities, generating enough power for more than 250,000 California homes per year… Cannon officials called the Klickitat County project a ‘win-win’ for the local community. ‘This project brought more than 300 construction jobs and additional permanent positions. New roads also help area farmers and ranchers, and wind turbine leases generate income and a much needed financial cushion for many area families,’ said Gary Hardke, Cannon’s president and managing director, in a statement.” [Puget Sound Business Journal, 11/10/09]

With Recovery Act Rural Law Enforcement Grant the Fortuna Police Department was able to hire two officers and allow promote two existing officers. “Two new officers and two grants have increased the Fortuna Police Department's forces with the hope of making the department more efficient. Officers Brian Taylor and Justin Primofiore were hired to the FPD this week, putting the department at full staff for the first time since July, said Police Chief Kris Kitna. Two more officers will be hired through a federal grant program, and the FPD has also received a traffic safety grant within the last week to help combat driving under the influence. One of the new officers is filling an opening within the FPD, but the other is an additional position that was budgeted earlier this year, Kitna said. The FPD now has 16 sworn officers… Lt. Bill Dobberstein said he hopes the new officers will help to more evenly distribute caseloads, since individual officers are each currently handling a high number of cases… Kitna anticipates the FPD will hire two new officers by Jan. 1 to allow the appointment of two existing officers as investigators.” [Times-Standard, 11/4/09]

The Recovery Act has funded 139 jobs in Monterey County. “About $113 million of federal stimulus money has created or saved more than 139 Monterey County jobs, according to newly released data. The money largely replaces school funding cut at the state level, but also went to social services, transportation and housing assistance… ‘It is putting people to work,’ said Monterey-Salinas Transit Deputy Director Hunter Harvath. The agency saved or created 84 jobs with a stimulus grant, more than any other county agency… With state cuts, the agency would have had to lay off 30 drivers to cover the payments… The agency also created nine new bus lines to the Presidio of Monterey and hired drivers for those routes. State officials also funneled some stimulus dollars into other agencies that faced losses in Sacramento's budget negotiations. For example, the Rape Crisis Center of Monterey County used about $44,600 in stimulus dollars to cover a two-month gap while the budget talks delayed the release of state funds, said Clare Mounteer, the center's executive director. ” [The Californian, 11/3/09]

Recovery Act “provides a lifeline” to Ryman Arts, a Los Angeles group that offers free fine arts classes to 300 area teens annually; the funding will also help save the job of its administrative coordinator. “Ryman Arts, a two-decade-old Los Angeles group that offers free fine arts classes to area teens, received $26,000 in federal stimulus money. The group’s using the money to help pay the salary of its full-time administrative coordinator, a position held by 28-year-old Tiffany Galindo… Officials at the L.A. County Arts Commission, which handed out about $250,000 in job-saving stimulus grants, say that in its application Ryman made a strong case that it needed a lifeline. Executive director Diane Bringham says the group’s already struggling without its director of development, whose job it was to look for grants. ” [Southern California Public Radio, 11/2/09]

Recovery Act funding has helped UC Berkeley and UCSF form a cancer research center to explore the physical principles that govern the origin and behavior of cancer cells. “Scientists at UC Berkeley and UCSF have formed a research center to explore the physical principles that govern the origin and behavior of cancer cells, and how they multiply in humans. With a five-year, $15.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, the UC researchers have formed the Physical Sciences-Oncology Center where they will seek to understand the mysterious ways that cancer - its onset and responses to radiation and chemotherapy - are subject to the laws of physics… Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UCSF's Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center also will be included… The first year of grants for the 12 centers will total $22.7 million, coming from stimulus funds under the National Recovery Act, according to a spokesman for the NCI. The national total is expected to exceed $250 million over five years.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 10/29/09]

Significant job gains show the impact the Recovery Act has had on economy in California. “States have reported using stimulus money to create or save more than 388,000 jobs so far this year, buttressing the Obama administration's claim that the $787 billion plan has had a significant impact on the economy. The administration plans Friday to release reports from all 50 states, providing the broadest accounting yet of the stimulus plan's impact. The states' reports suggest the biggest impact has been at schools. Twenty-three states that have reported school job numbers said more than 156,000 jobs had been created or saved. Carol Bingham, director of fiscal policy for the California Department of Education, estimated the stimulus saved about 20,000 teaching positions.” [USA Today, 10/27/09]

The Bay Area will benefit significantly from Department of Energy’s Recovery Act -E funds for transformational energy research projects. “The Bay Area claimed a sizable share of the $151 million in federal funding for transformational energy research projects announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Energy, with five organizations receiving a collective $15.1 million. Stanford University alone will get nearly $5 million. This is the first round of projects funded through the recently formed Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, which was allotted $400 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act… Recipients: Stanford University; building efficiency: Sensors, software, and controls to track and improve energy use patterns. Could lead to substantial reductions in building energy use by changing human behavior through timely information and usable controls… PAX Streamline Inc., Georgia Tech Research Institute; $3 million; San Rafael; wind power: ‘Blown Wing’ technology for wind turbines. Creates a virtual airfoil by jetting compressed air along a wing. Can be dynamically adjusted to maximize power under a wide range of wind conditions” [San Francisco Chronicle, 10/26/09]

Recovery Act funding will be used to help seal mine openings at Joshua Tree National Park; in addition to creating jobs. “Park officials estimate that about 300 mines were staked during the late 1800s and into the 1900s. To protect visitors from being injured while inspecting these workings, park crews have been working over the years to seal off the mines… Funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, park crews will close eight mines, while contractors will be used to close another 14. According to park officials, ‘the mine sites comprise 40 total openings of horizontal adits and vertical shafts... Mines will be closed using techniques developed at Joshua Tree that ensure public safety but protect the mines’ wildlife and historic values. Hazardous chemicals and other unsafe materials will be removed and properly disposed. Special gates will cover mine openings to prevent human access but allow use by bats, desert tortoises, and other native wildlife… In addition to creating jobs, this project improves the safety of visitors at Joshua Tree National Park and enhances the value of these mines sites for wildlife,” said Joshua Tree Superintendent Curt Sauer.” [National Parks Traveler, 10/27/09]

Sacramento County’s Recovery Act-funded job opportunity program helps low-income workers and those in the state's CalWORKS welfare-to-work program find jobs at local businesses. “The $4 million Job Opportunity Program, led by the county's Department of Human Assistance using federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, targets low-income workers and those in the state's CalWORKs welfare-to-work program… Employees in the program work for up to six months with the goal of being hired permanently; meanwhile, participants build up work experience, earn cash and increase their chances of finding other employment. ” [Sacramento Bee, 10/27/09]

Tulare County will repair 40 Head Start buildings, hire 8 new employees, and give 650 employees “cost of living raises,” thanks to Recovery Act funding. ““Tulare County government agencies alone have applied for more than $114 million in stimulus funds, and so far they have received about $20.3 million, including about $850,000 to repave alleyways in Richgrove. The Tulare County Office of Education is scheduled to receive $1.12 million for its Head Start day care and preschool programs. About 33 percent will be used to provide cost-of-living raises for Head Start's 650 employees here, said Ray Chavez, who oversees Head Start in Tulare County. Although run by the Office of Education, Head Start programs, for children of low-income families, mostly are funded with federal dollars, Chavez said... The stimulus money will allow Head Start to provide temporary raises of 5 percent for its preschool teachers and 1.84 percent for teaching aides and other workers... The rest of the stimulus dollars will go primarily for paying for repairs and renovations at some of the 40 Head Start sites in the county, hiring eight new employees, and providing staff training and development programs, which includes providing tuition assistance to teachers and aides earning college degrees.” [Visalia Times-Delta, 10/24/09]

Recovery Act funding will help Fresno State restore 200 class sections and retain about 50 more lecturers. “Fresno State will stave off $1.4 million in class and job cuts this spring with the help of federal stimulus money, officials said Thursday. Fresno State President John Welty said the money will allow the campus to restore roughly 200 class sections and retain about 50 more lecturers – non-tenured faculty members who often work on a year-to-year basis. That heads off about a third of the cuts planned for the spring semester… The California State University system received $77.5 million in one-time stimulus money to help meet its payroll… Because of the stimulus money, CSU can shift $25 million previously budgeted in other areas to its 23 campuses to restore class sections and student support services. Systemwide, CSU campuses will add as many as 4,000 course sections and retain up to 800 lecturers. Universities around the country similarly have used stimulus money to save jobs and ease budget cuts.” [The Fresno Bee, 10/22/09]

25 Coachella Valley businesses benefit from $19 million in Recovery Act SBA loans for renovation, new construction and the purchase of equipment, fixtures and inventory. “More than $19 million in loans have been awarded to 25 Coachella Valley businesses, including 11 in Palm Desert, through the federal government's economic recovery program… The businesses received loans — either through the Small Business Administration or Department of Agriculture — ranging from $12,500 to $6.2 million. The money flowing into the valley is providing locals with working capital to purchase or expand businesses; funds are being used for renovation, new construction and the purchase of equipment, fixtures and inventory. Bobi and Dave Ohlman of Palm Desert were able to buy their business, Jensen's Carpet, Tile & Upholstery Cleaning, with an SBA loan offered through the Recovery Act program… ‘Traditional financing was not an option, as banks require business history for these types of loans,’ Bobi Ohlman said. They decided to go the SBA route and applied for a loan through Sunrise Community Bank. The couple was approved for a $175,000 SBA 7(a) loan — known as a working capital loan… Last month, they applied for an SBA microloan to buy new cleaning equipment and add employees.” [The Desert Sun, 10/18/09]

Recovery Act saved approximately 6,000 education jobs in Los Angeles alone. “Some 250,000 education jobs have been saved or created by the economic stimulus package, according to a White House report released Monday. ‘There is a lot more work to be done, but we applaud those districts that have successfully used stimulus funding to stave off catastrophic layoffs and invest in critical reforms,’ Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement. Of the $97.4 billion in education funding included in the stimulus bill, $67.6 billion has been spent. According to the report, more than 6,000 education jobs in Los Angeles were saved by stimulus funds” [Los Angeles Times, 10/20/09]

Recovery Act investment increases small business loan approvals, assists hundreds of businesses in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. “Hundreds of businesses in Riverside and San Bernardino counties received small business loans backed by stimulus money, most doled out by the Small Business Administration... The money that poured into the Small Business Administration's loan program allowed Nancy Lazrovich, 23, to open her hair salon in Perris in southwestern Riverside County with $25,000 for construction and equipment. A recent beauty school graduate, Lazrovich tried thrice to get a small business loan from the government. It wasn't until earlier this year when stimulus money flowed that she got her wish… It might not be the road building and solar energy projects that gained attention from the stimulus, but the salon and many other local businesses are reporting they are adding jobs -- albeit slowly -- or keeping workers they feared were destined for the unemployment line… Before the stimulus plan passed, there were an average of 34 small business loans issued in Riverside County worth $9.3 million on a weekly basis, and 25 loans worth $8.6 million in San Bernardino County. With the fee-less stimulus loans, the number in Riverside County jumped to 173 weekly loans worth $58.9 million on average. In San Bernardino County there have been 153 loans worth $63.8 million in an average week…. Integrated Wealth Management bought and built its downtown Palm Springs office with a $1.25 million stimulus loan. Since July, the firm has hired eight employees for its investment firm… [said] Jim Casey, president and CEO of Integrated Wealth Management” [The Press-Enterprise, 10/20/09]

The Recovery Act has created or saved over 62,000 jobs including 8,356 in the University of California system and 26,156 in the California state system. “According to [the White House], Recovery Act spending in the area of education has saved or created 250,000 jobs nation-wide. According to preliminary data reported to the federal government by Governor Schwarzenegger’s California Recovery Task Force, 24.8 percent or 62,204 of these education jobs were saved or created in California… On October 10, 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger’s California Recovery Task Force announced that preliminary first quarter reports show Recovery Act funds managed by state government entities have cumulatively saved or created over 100,000 jobs in California through September 30, 2009… Within this report, the following education-related agencies in California self-reported the following: The California Department of Education (Local Education Agencies): 27,692 jobs saved or created through Recovery Act spending through September 20, 2009. California State University: 26,156 jobs saved or created through Recovery Act spending through September 30, 2009. University of California: 8,356 jobs saved or created through Recovery Act spending through September 30, 2009.” [California Recovery Site, 10/19/09]

Recovery Act funding will help fund a highway project, which will reduce the risk of an earthquake damaging a key Bay Area commercial corridor. “Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and others at a ‘commencement celebration’ to announce construction on the Doyle Drive Replacement Project. The project will greatly reduce the risk of an earthquake severing a key commercial corridor for the Bay Area. ‘This project has been talked about since the 1950s, and Recovery Funds are finally making it happen,’ said Administrator Mendez. ‘Secretary LaHood and I agree this means safety improvements for the Golden Gate Bridge's 91,000 daily drivers and an economic boost for the Bay Area.’ The project - one of the largest in the nation - will replace the 73-year-old Doyle Drive, located on the southwest side of the Golden Gate Bridge, and make structural and seismic improvements to the neighboring Presidio Trust in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area... Earthquakes or structural failure to the existing roadway would force the closure of one of Twelve different funding sources, spanning federal, state, regional and local governments, will finance the billion-dollar project, including $100 million in Recovery Act funding... This project is starting a year earlier than originally planned due to Recovery Act funding.” [News Blaze Press Release, 10/18/09]

Recovery Act funds allocated to the CalWORKs program could create up to 2,000 new jobs in Contra Costa County. “If the anticipated millions of dollars in federal money comes through next month, Contra Costa County will give as many as 2,000 entry-level workers a chance to earn money while developing skills. The program, to be funded with as much as $7.6 million in stimulus money, is an extension of the CalWORKs program that helps people move from welfare to work. ‘We're very excited about the opportunity to help people become competitive in the labor market,’ Therrien said. ‘We're emphasizing work experience, specific job skills, and teaching good work habits.’ The employers must be willing to train the workers, who would be paid $8.50 per hour for 30 hours a week from the federal money to perform clerical, janitorial, customer service and other duties. The workers would also be eligible for child care and transportation subsidies while employed. The goal is to find about 1,000 employers who will hire one to three applicants each.” [Contra Costa Times, 10/18/09]

California's Clean Energy Workforce Training Program will use Recovery Act funding to train unemployed residents for green jobs. “College of the Desert and Riverside County's Workforce Development Division are working together to use federal stimulus dollars to turn unemployed valley residents into skilled, green-energy workers. The county's EDA Workforce Development Division contracted with the school to provide job skills training, using about $1.15 million in stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. College of the Desert, which recently received an $800,000 grant for California's Clean Energy Workforce Training Program, is using about half of the contracted dollars to provide courses in wind turbine technician training, said Larry McLaughlin, director of COD's Advanced Transportation Technology and Energy Center. The rest will fund a variety of training programs such as job skills or refresher courses. ‘These classes are funded entirely through this project’ and will be free to eligible workforce development participants, McLaughlin said.” [The Desert Sun, 10/14/09]

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory plans to use Recovery Act funding for cloud computing research. “Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will split $32 million in government stimulus research funding with Argonne National Laboratory for studies of cloud computing. Cloud computing means dividing up computer power between many shared devices, giving users ‘on demand’ access. The idea is to increase the size of shared departmental computer resources to reap economies of scale. Argonne lab, in Illinois, and LBL’s National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center will ‘install similar mid-range computing hardware, but will offer different computing environments’ for comparison. A fast, 100-gigabit-per-second network will link LBL, on the hill above the University of California’s Berkeley campus, with Argonne National Laboratory.” [San Francisco Business Times, 10/14/09]

In California, Recovery Act funds have helped California's teachers and schools the most, having saved 62,000 jobs. “Public schoolteachers are expected to be the big winners when states around the United States reveal for the first time how many jobs were created or saved during the first months of President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan… More than $90 million is scheduled to come into Monterey County. According to an Associated Press analysis of some preliminary state data, teachers appear to have benefited most from early spending. That's because the stimulus sent billions of dollars to help stabilize state budgets, sparing what officials said were tens of thousands of teacher layoffs. In California, the stimulus was credited with saving or creating 62,000 jobs in public schools and state universities.” [The Californian, 10/13/09]

The Recovery Act has saved or created 100,000 jobs in California, 62,000 of which are in education programs. “More than 100,000 jobs have been saved or created in California from the $5.3 billion in federal stimulus money state agencies have spent so far, according to a preliminary report released Saturday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration. The report from the California Recovery Task Force was based on nearly 6,000 reports it submitted to the federal government on behalf of state agencies and their grantees detailing their job creation through Sept. 30… They indicate that more than 62,000 of the jobs saved or created to date have been in education programs, including 34,000 jobs in the University of California and California State University systems and 28,000 jobs that fall under Department of Education programs such as public school teachers and special education workers. Together they reported spending more than $5 billion.... The White House has projected the stimulus plan will create or save 3.5 million jobs over the next two years, 90 percent of them in the private sector. Of that, 396,000 are expected to be created or saved in California… Among the other agency reports were: The California Employment Development Department, which administers unemployment insurance and job training programs, reported spending $98 million and creating 22,517 jobs. The state Department of Transportation reported saving or creating 913 jobs and spending $27 million. California's Volunteer agency reported saving 568 jobs, mostly in the federal AmeriCorps program, by spending $47,000. Saturday's figures do not include tax breaks, unemployment benefits and other funding that is going directly to local governments or nonprofits…. Federal funding has also been credited with reducing the size of the state's deficit, particularly through increased reimbursements in California's Medicaid program and school funding.” [San Jose Mercury News, 10/10/09]

Recovery Act will provide funding for numerous non-profit organizations in the Los Angeles area. “The Latino Theater Company in the Historic Core neighborhood of Downtown and the Friends of the Chinese American Museum at the El Pueblo Historical Monument north of the Civic Center are among a handful of non-profit organizations that have been awarded portions of a recent grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The federal funds will reach local non-profit organizations through the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. The NEA provided a total of $420,084 to be divided between the county and city entities, which plan to distribute the money to a total of 16 recipients as part of the federal government’s $700 billion economic stimulus program… [O]fficials said that the funds are expected to help pay the salaries of 21 administrative staffers whose jobs could have been lost due to the economic slowdown, which has crimped fundraising and other revenue sources for many non-profits.” [Los Angeles Garment and Citizen, 10/9/09; republished 10/15/09]

Recovery Act funds will give a significant boost to the statewide Home Weatherization Program. “ The county money was expected; it's part of a $4.2 million contract approved by the county Board of Supervisors in June. The money is being used to expand the county's existing weatherization program, which is designed to reduce the heating and cooling costs for low-income families by improving the energy efficiency of their homes, including such improvements as attic insulation. Ceiling fans improve air circulation to more efficiently heat or cool a home. On average, weatherization cuts annual heating bills by 32 percent, according to the announcement.” [Stockton Record, 10/8/09]

Recovery Act funding will help a Newark contract research organization develop a pediatric imaging system that could greatly reduce the radiation dose for children undergoing heart procedures. “Triple Ring Technologies Inc. won a $1 million NIH stimulus grant to develop an X-ray imaging system that could greatly reduce the radiation dose for children undergoing heart procedures. Triple Ring said the system could cut the radiation dose in children undergoing cardiac procedures by 75 percent. ‘Radiation dose in pediatric cardiac interventions is a serious concern, because children exposed to radiation have a far greater likelihood than adults to develop cancer in their lifetime,’ said Tobias Funk, a physicist at Triple Ring and the principal investigator on the grant.” [San Francisco Business Times, 10/7/09]

Ventura County will use Recovery Act grants to hire 20 workers and train 526 people; job placement services will be improved. “The county of Ventura will use federal stimulus money to hire 20 workers and greatly expand its job training and placement services, officials say. The county’s Workforce Investment Board was recently awarded $7.67 million in stimulus funds to spend over the next two years, according to a report that will be formally presented to the county Board of Supervisors at its meeting today. The Workforce Investment Board allocated $1.75 million of the money to groups that placed 630 young people in summer jobs and internships. The remainder of the grant will be used for adult job training and placement. To run the new program, the county will establish 20 new full-time positions. The grant funding should help the county enroll 526 new people in job training and placement programs, up from the current total of 263, according to officials.” [Ventura County Star, 10/5/09]

California will use $2.3 million in Recovery Act funds for research on broadband adoption. “California has been awarded $2.3 million in federal stimulus money to collect information on broadband service availability in the state and create an interactive Web-based map showing available services and providers by address. The program, which is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and requires a 20 percent match from state governments, aims to increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning. In California, $1.8 million will go to the California Public Utilities Commission to collect and verify the availability, speed and location of broadband across the state on a semi-annual basis between 2009 and 2011, with initial data coming available in November. The CPUC will get a further $500,000 for the cost of broadband planning activities in California over four years. For that work, the state agency is partnering with California State University, Chico Research Foundation ...” [Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, 10/6/09]

Recovery Act funding will help finance Humboldt County’s TANF Emergency Contingency Fund and create 51 jobs in Health and Human Services. “As federal stimulus dollars begin to trickle into Humboldt County, the county Department of Health and Human Services plans to use its $4.7 million share to fill long-time vacancies and offer 51 temporary full-time jobs. The funds are part of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Contingency Fund, financed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act… Department of Health and Human Services Director Phillip Crandall is recommending the creation of 45 “vocational trainee/assistant” positions, five full-time social worker positions and six mental health case manager positions, according to the staff report… The federal stimulus funds are also earmarked to hire contractors for employee placement and monitoring, and provide miscellaneous services for clients, including everything from emergency food to assistance moving.” [Times-Standard, 10/5/09]

Hartnell College will use $600,000 in Recovery Act funding to train up to 5,600 students in green construction. “Hartnell College, in a partnership with the Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties Workforce Investment Board and Cabrillo College, received a $999,862 grant Friday to enroll Salinas residents in the green building and clean energy pre-apprenticeship training program. Hartnell College will keep about $600,000 of that, said Mike Thomas, director of the college's Center for Sustainable Design and Construction. During the six-month program, 60 students will spend 300 hours in a Hartnell classroom and earn 15 to 18 college credits. Courses include green site management, introduction to green construction and others… Then students will spend another 300 hours in a paid internship program working for construction companies in the Salinas Valley, Thomas said. ‘This program is about making the shift for the next generation of American builders,’ he said. ‘Under this first phase of the program, anticipated to train 5,600, workers will be prepared for hands-on jobs ranging from installing solar panels and maintaining electric vehicles to computer programming and researching fuel cell technologies.” [The Salinas Californian, 10/6/09]

Recovery Act funding will help finance projects to reduce diesel emissions, protecting public health and the environment across Southern California. “U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Oct. 1 announced $26.5 million in funding for diesel emission reduction projects in Southern California under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This infusion of money will help the region finance projects to reduce diesel emissions, protecting public health and the environment across the region... Through partnerships with the California Air Resources Board, CalTrans, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles, these clean diesel projects will create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health and the environment… Grant funding to the ports will include engine upgrades for more than 140 pieces of equipment, such as harbor craft and cargo handling equipment. The Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles are responsible for nearly 40 percent of containerized foods that flow in and out of the United States each year.” [Environmental Protection Online, 10/6/09]

Central Valley cities set to use more than $1 million in Recovery Act for clean energy projects. “Lodi and Manteca will receive a total of more than $1 million to help pay for clean energy projects, with the money coming out of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the stimulus package, says U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton. Lodi will receive $586,200 for 10 projects that are expected to reduce electricity use in the city by more than 2 million kilowatt hours annually, and reduce fuel consumption. Examples of these projects include installation of high-efficiency lights, rebates for energy efficiency home improvements, and educational outreach programs. ‘This saves money for both the consumers and the city, and it reduces greenhouse gas emissions,’ says Lodi Mayor Larry Hansen.” [Central Valley Business Times, 10/5/09]

$15 million in Recovery Act funds will be used to fund two new transportation projects in San Jose, creating up to 170 jobs . “The city of San Jose is taking advantage of tough economic times by using $15 million of federal stimulus money to create jobs and begin two transportation projects. Because of funds received from the Recovery Act, the city has estimated 160 to 170 jobs will be created with the start of these projects. Senior Executive Analyst Allen Fong claimed the first of the two projects will begin in two months and will work to resurface nearly 16 miles of arterial streets in San Jose. The first project, Tier 1, will work to resurface 11 of the worst arterial roads. A Transportation Department representative confirmed the second project; Tier 2 will resurface an additional six to nine miles of city streets...” [Public CEO, 10/2/09]

Port authorities will use Recovery Act funding to spur continued replacement and retrofitting of soot-spewing diesel equipment. Port authorities received $6 million in federal stimulus money Thursday to spur continued replacement and retrofitting of soot-spewing diesel equipment blamed for contributing to some 5,000 premature deaths annually in communities surrounding San Pedro Bay. The money will help clean up about 140 cranes, yard tractors, forklifts and tugboats based in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, which air quality regulators list as the region's largest fixed source of health-damaging air pollution.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Director Lisa Jackson: “These residents and workers bear the brunt of diesel pollution leading to 5,000 premature deaths in Southern California alone.” [Press-Telegram, 10/1/09]

Recovery Act grants will support green port policies, repower diesel trains, fund exhaust filters on construction equipment, and retrofit diesel school buses . “Other monies announced Thursday will help repower diesel trains serving Southland railyards, fund exhaust filters on construction equipment owned by Caltrans and retrofit diesel school buses used in and around the Los Angeles basin... Attendees pointed out the success of a local entrepreneur who founded a heavy-duty electric truck factory in Harbor Gateway, Balqon Corp., which produces all-electric trucks hauling containers to and from local marine terminals. The company's 30 or so green-and-white rigs emit no pollutants and have a range of about 40 miles per charge - ideal for the short hauls most truckers make between waterfront marine terminals and railyards located about five miles inland… [EPA Administrator Lisa] Jackson said the grants will help slash some 26 tons of diesel particulate matter, 453 tons of nitrogen oxides and 920 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from local skies annually.” [Press-Telegram, 10/1/09]

UC Santa Cruz will use Recovery Act funding to research 20 types of cancer and create jobs for engineers and a cancer genome specialist. “A cancer research center at UC Santa Cruz has landed $5.6 million in federal stimulus money, one of the more than 12,000 grants totalling $5 billion that President Barack Obama announced Wednesday to create jobs in medical research. The cancer center is home to a mega computer lab that peers into the genetic blueprint of tumor cells to pinpoint deadly mutations… The Cancer Genome Data Analysis Center will use the stimulus money to hire more engineers and a cancer genome specialist. ‘We are about to see a quantum leap in our understanding of cancer,’ said National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, M.D. in a White House statement today. ‘We're at the forefront, and the current administration is very aggressive in pursuing this,’ said Haussler. ‘Now is the time.’ Haussler wants to expand his cancer center to study more than 20 types of cancer, including ovarian cancer and glioblastoma, the brain cancer that afflicted Sen. Ted Kennedy.” [Contra Costa Times, 9/30/09]

Recovery Act creates 13 construction jobs in San Carlos. “Workers began installing new curb ramps and repainting crosswalks throughout San Carlos this week as part of a project funded by the federal stimulus act. The $295,000 pedestrian improvement project, which is being entirely paid for by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, includes the installation of 119 ramps on city street corners to help people with disabilities get around... The project will create 13 construction jobs, according to city officials. The federal government awarded San Carlos $559,000 for the project, but the cheapest construction bid was significantly lower. The city plans to use the rest of the money to resurface Crestview Drive between Edmonds Drive and Melendy Drive starting next spring.” [Mercury News, 9/30/09]

Recovery Act funds will help the Solano Transportation Authority buy four new buses for senior and disabled riders. “Some $300,000 in federal stimulus money will help buy four new buses, including one in Vallejo, to transport senior and disabled riders, according to the Solano Transportation Authority... In Solano County, the cities of Dixon and Rio Vista also learned they will get the federal funds designed to promote public transportation in rural areas. Grants will go to 141 projects represented by 77 transit agencies statewide. The $300,000 will go to replace three 18-passenger paratransit vehicles in Dixon, and one similar bus in Vallejo, STA executive director Daryl Halls said. As part of the Vallejo Transit fleet, the 22-foot paratransit bus takes elderly and handicapped riders from Vallejo to the Solano Community College campus in Fairfield, Halls said… Statewide, the federal funds will help rural transit agencies build new bus station terminals, improve bus fare collection systems, upgrade safety and surveillance security equipment, renovate buses and purchase new vehicles, according to the state.” [Vallejo Times-Herald, 9/30/09]

A Recovery Act-funded California road project will create 450-600 jobs each year for four years. “With a federal stimulus grant of $128 million, the San Bernardino project is the country's fourth-largest stimulus investment in a road project. Without the stimulus money, the Interstate 215 project would have been another victim of California's budget crisis... The federal stimulus money will be put toward widening seven miles of I-215, a heavily used cargo and commuter corridor running through the city of San Bernardino. The project is expected to directly employ 450 to 600 workers on the construction site each year for four years, and pump hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy… The stimulus investment could translate into about $380 million in economic activity for the region as construction workers spend on equipment, supplies and personal expenses like food and clothing, said Mr. Husing, the economist.” [Wall Street Journal, 9/29/09]

A $56 million Recovery Act allocation will fund a number of San Jose projects, such as creating wireless police records to repaving streets to upgrading the city water recycling program and creating summer jobs. “San Jose congressional delegates joined local officials Monday afternoon to announce that more than $56 million in approved federal stimulus funds will be directed toward projects in the city. The shovel-ready projects that garnered federal money include repaving streets, projects at Mineta San Jose International Airport, storm drain improvements, upgrades to the city water recycling program and assorted energy-efficiency programs. The San Jose Police Department's records system received $1.3 million in its quest to go paperless, and roughly $16 million will assist with homeless prevention services, subsidizing summer jobs for at-risk youth, and programs for laid-off job-seekers. With San Jose's unemployment rate hovering near 13 percent, and Santa Clara County's at about 12 percent, lawmakers who spoke today emphasized that this money's potential to put jobless residents back to work. ” [KTVU, 9/28/09]

UCSB will use Recovery Act funds to support ongoing research on campus and create local jobs. “Researchers in a wide array of fields at UC Santa Barbara have received a $36 million boost through the federal economic stimulus package that university officials hope will support the local economy, fuel innovation and train the next generation of scientists… Praising federal leaders for continuing to back higher education, UCSB Chancellor Henry Yang said the funding will build upon the ongoing research on campus, leading to more patents, more local companies, more local jobs and more tax revenues... The grants are spread across a broad spectrum of academic topics at the university, from engineering and computer science to geography, psychology and neuroscience.” [The Daily Sound, 9/28/09]

316 California youths benefit from Recovery Act-funded summer jobs program including some who were permanently hired. “Butte County teens and young adults were among those to benefit from stimulus dollars through the summer jobs program. More than 300 individuals from 16 to 24 found summer jobs, according to youth case work manager Bob Lackey. The teens were generally disadvantaged or disabled. The program was able to pinpoint 240 jobs throughout the county, but 316 individuals participated. Some could not work the entire summer, so the same job could be held by more than one person. Of the youth who found jobs, nine ended up going to college and four have full-time jobs, although their employers do get public dollars to help pay them, Lackey said. Lackey said the majority of youths here had never held a job before. In addition to work-related experiences, they worked in places they might not frequent — the fairgrounds, foot trails, parks. ‘That kind of exposure could help them in decided a career later on.” [The Enterprise Record, 9/27/09]

Modesto School District uses $14 million in Recovery Act and state funds to save teachers’ jobs. “Red ink remains on the books, but Modesto City Schools officials say their financial outlook is better than they expected when they adopted their budget. They're closing out their 2008-09 budget with $12 million in cash on hand, $19 million more than they expected as recently as June, when they had anticipated a $7 million deficit. A boost from federal stimulus money and a more generous infusion of state cash than the district expected bolstered the bottom line... Despite the hiring freeze, the district expects to spend $9.1 million more than it takes in this year, a deficit that partly reflects the district's accounting for $14 million in federal stimulus money it received in June. ‘(The stimulus money) did its job — it was meant to save jobs in 2009-10,’ Snelling said….” [The Modesto Bee, 9/25/09]

Flood of Recovery Act funding will speed up installation of water meters, cut rate payers’ costs, and create jobs in Sacramento. “The Sacramento region has landed $49.2 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for the installation of water meters. Woodland is leading the way on water-meter installation thanks to $14.8 million in stimulus money. All of the city’s 15,000 customers will be on a metered system by 2011, 14 years ahead of schedule…. The region was awarded almost 30 percent of the $150 million. Sacramento got the biggest piece, or $20 million, half of which is a grant and half a loan. Woodland’s $14.8 million also is split into a grant and a 2.5 percent, 20-year loan. ‘Not only is this going to create jobs, but in the long term it will hold water rates down by $4 to $5 a month per user (in Woodland),’ Baxter said. So far, six contractors have been awarded nine projects” [Sacramento Business Journal, 9/25/09]

The $129 million Recovery Act allocation helps fund a four-year construction project in San Bernardino “Skanska USA, leading a joint venture, has secured the contract to rebuild and widen I-215 in San Bernardino, California. Skanska’s share of the contract amount totals $92 million. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is contributing $129 million to the project. The total contract amount for the joint venture in which Skanska is involved is $154 million. Skanska holds a 60-percent share in the venture, and local construction company, Steve P. Rados Inc., holds 40 percent. The assignment involves two phases, spanning 1.4 miles, which will be widened by two lanes. ” [Construction Equipment, 9/24/09]

The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division received $400,000 in Recovery Act fund in order to pay the salaries of two staff members and to fund equipment upgrades. “Newly acquired federal stimulus money will help the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office investigations division maintain its operations while the rest of the department is experiencing budget cutbacks. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, whose district includes the North Coast, announced the Sheriff’s Office will receive $400,000 to help pay the salaries of two staff members and provide funds for equipment upgrades. The $417,228 is coming through the federal Recovery Act Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement to Combat Crime and Drugs Program. ‘The sheriff’s department in Del Norte has been struggling to maintain staff levels while facing tough budget cuts,’ Thompson said in the statement… To help alleviate a county budget shortfall that at one time was estimated at more than $1 million, the Board of Supervisors required each department to cut spending by 10 percent. For the Sheriff’s Office that meant reducing the Del Norte County Jail’s average population from 140 inmates to 105, and eliminating three positions within the department. ” [The Daily Triplicate, 9/23/09]

School district is able to rehire 79 teachers and support staff due to Recovery Act allocation. “Nearly all of the Lucia Mar Unified School District personnel who received layoff notices in May have been hired back, thanks to federal stimulus funds. The Board of Education rehired 79 of the 90 employees who received pink slips May 13… The board decided to use federal stimulus money to rehire the teachers and support staff in an effort to reduce class sizes and provide classroom support in its 11 elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools. The district also supported its Opportunity Program, which provides smaller class sizes for fourth- to eighth-grade students who need extra instruction, by adding instructor time and a support position. The district also is providing an additional $100, 000 to its Teacher On Special Assignment (TOSA) program. The program focuses on supporting English learners in language arts and mathematics…” [Santa Maria Times, 9/23/09]

The City of Eureka will receive Recovery Act funds to help with the completion of the city’s long-planned fisherman’s terminal building. “The city of Eureka just netted a big catch, and one that it's spent years reeling in. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has announced that the city will receive $2.4 million in stimulus funds through a Economic Development Administration grant to help with the completion of the city's long-planned Fisherman's Terminal Building, the last of 11 city-approved projects aimed at turning a dilapidated waterfront into a thriving fishing port… After more than 15 years of planning, it now appears the city has cleared the final hurdle in securing the funding necessary to erect the $3.2 million terminal building. Fishermen's Marketing Association President Aaron Newman said the new facility will be a great marketing tool for the industry, but will provide an immediate infrastructure improvement… But, the funding would not have been available without the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.” [The Times Standard, 9/23/09]

Several Santa Cruz County organizations received several million in Recovery Act funds to help keep people off the street and get them into stable housing. “The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $4 million to county organizations to keep people off the streets and get them into stable housing. Families in Transition of Santa Cruz County received $1.6 million, while the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc. and the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency each received $1.2 million… The local organizations will give short-term rent assistance, in the form of checks written directly to the landlord, to families or individuals who can't pay rent and risk eviction because of emergencies such as sudden illnesses, job loss or the departure of a partner or roommate, said Christine Johnson-Lyons, executive director of the Watsonville-based Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County. The organizations also will help get newly homeless people into permanent housing quickly and will help get people in volatile living situations into more stable home environments, Johnson-Lyons said.” [San Jose Mercury News, 9/22/09]

Recovery Act-funded “Jobs Now Program” will help boost workforce in the Bay Area by creating up to 1,000 jobs. “At least 90 public and private businesses in San Francisco are boosting their workforces with stimulus funds. San Francisco's Jobs Now Program reimburses employers for 100% of new employees’ [sic] salaries. San Francisco's Internet Archive has hired 40 new workers under the Jobs Now program. It's hoping to hire between 100 and 200 more. Noelle Simmons, a Policy Director at San Francisco's Human Services Agency said she expects the Jobs Now program will create about 1,000 jobs. ‘Here's an opportunity for people who are unemployed to make themselves more attractive to employers, by being able to say 'hey, the Jobs Now program will cover 100% of my wages if you hire me,’ Simmons said.” [CBS 5, 9/18/09]

Recovery Act-funded infrastructure project set to invigorate the local Altona community with new jobs. “After months of waiting and hoping, Altona town council were thrilled to discover they would receive stimulus infrastructure funding from the federal and provincial governments to help them pave 14th Ave. N.E. The combined federal and provincial contribution of close to $960,000 will help the town make intersection improvements and pave 14th Ave. from Hwy. 30 to the newly built 2nd St. N.W… ‘We understand the importance of investing in roads, bridges and other infrastructure to ensure Manitoba communities remain competitive and prosperous,’ he said. Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Hoeppner agreed. ‘Our government is making smart investments that will inject additional capital into our economy and keep people working during these tough economic times while improving Manitoba’s infrastructure,’ she said. ‘This investment in Altona’s infrastructure will contribute to the quality of life, assist industry and commerce in the local community, and help boost our regional economy now and for years to come.” [Red River Valley Echo, 9/17/09]

UC Irvine will use Recovery Act grants for various programs, from establishing undergraduate research to studying breast cancer, the effects of traffic pollution and prenatal stress. “Research efforts in breast cancer, the effects of traffic pollution and prenatal stress are some of the recipients of nearly $24 million in federal stimulus grants given to UC Irvine to date… Four faculty members of the school’s math and computer science programs will use the funds to develop a new undergraduate education and research program at UCI, which they will call UCicamp, or the UCI Interdisciplinary Computational and Applied Mathematics Program…The National Institutes of Health granted $317,475 to study how certain anti-progesterone compounds may prevent or delay the growth of breast tumors… The school’s Women & Children’s Health & Well-Being Project will use $350,000 to research the link between infant and child thinking and behavior with prenatal levels of stress hormones like cortisol..” [The Daily Pilot, 09/17/09]

Monterey County Probation Department will use Recovery Act funds to create a center to reduce re-incarceration rates, help low-level offenders obtain jobs, and reduce crime. “More than $1.4 million in federal stimulus money will help low-level criminal offenders get jobs and advice in Monterey County, officials announced Tuesday. The money will be used to implement the Monterey County Day Reporting Center, a place to give employment help and behavior lessons to adults who have violated their probation or parole, said Marcia Parsons, assistant chief at the county Probation Department. Officials said the center will help increase the effectiveness of probation officers, reduce probation and parole violations and reduce crime rates. ‘We hope this will increase public safety and decrease re-incarceration rates,’ Parsons said.” [The Californian, 9/16/09]

Woodland will use $14.8 million in American Recovery Act funding for city’s Water Meter Installation Project, easing burden on ratepayers. “Woodland will begin the second phase of installing water meters throughout the city this fall. With around $14.8 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 stimulus money, the City Council awarded a two-year contract for $12.3 million to Teichert Construction for water meter installation to the city's 10,000 remaining water connections, according to Doug Baxter, the city's engineering division manager. ‘The ARRA funds couldn't have come at a better time for rate payers, considering the city is also in the planning stages of a major surface water supply project, the funding of which will create the need to increase rates,’ Baxter stated.” [Daily Democrat, 9/16/09]

Recovery Act-funded highway project to help create 2,000 jobs each year for the next four years. “The 215 Freeway widening project- a job that officials are calling the first highway project in America to get more than $100 million in federal stimulus funding - is just about ready to start. ‘This project will get Californians back to work in one of the nation's hardest hit areas,’ said Victor Mendez, chief of the Federal Highway Administration... Freeway work is also being financed with state and local dollars - the third phase is expected to cost about $424 million. Mendez predicted Monday that the millions being directed to the 215 would create the equivalent of 2,000 jobs in each of the next four years. [Contra Costa Times, 9/14/09]

Berkeley Lab receives $1.8 million in Recovery Act funding to help federal agencies improve energy efficiency. “Advanced energy-efficient technologies in lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), and control systems are heading for the buildings, laboratories and data centers of several federal agencies. With $1.8 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, experts at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will provide the technical expertise to help federal energy managers perform these projects and monitor their performance’ said Arun Majumdar, Director of Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD).” [Berkeley Lab Newsletter, 9/13/09]

Recovery Act funding will create hundreds of jobs by helping expand the marketplace for innovative solar electric panels, powering 24,000 homes a year. “Vice President Joe Biden, appearing via satellite from Washington D.C., today announced the Department of Energy has finalized a $535 million loan guarantee for Solyndra, Inc., which manufactures innovative cylindrical solar photovoltaic panels that provide clean, renewable energy. The funding will finance construction of the first phase of the company's new manufacturing facility. Annual production of solar panels from the first phase is expected to provide energy equivalent to powering 24,000 homes a year or over half a million homes over the project's lifetime. Hundreds more will install Solyndra's solar panels on rooftops around the country…The project will introduce into large-scale commercial operation a new and highly innovative process for manufacturing a breakthrough design for photovoltaic panels.” [Media Newswire, 09/10/09]

A Recovery Act-funded highway widening project in Tahoe is expected to create about 450 jobs. “About $25 million in federal stimulus money will go to a Highway 89 project at Lake Tahoe. Plans call for the highway's shoulders to be widened between Luther Pass and U.S. 50, and for erosion control measures to improve water quality in the Tahoe basin. Caltrans spokeswoman Rochelle Jenkins says the 18-month project is expected to create about 450 jobs.” [Associated Press, 9/5/09]

The number of jobs created or saved by the Recovery Act increased by more than 50 percent from June to July. “The number of jobs created or saved by infrastructure projects funded by the U.S. economic stimulus plan increased by more than 50 percent in July from June, according to a report on Wednesday. By the end of July, 77,470 jobs had been ‘created or sustained’ by water, highway and public transportation projects, compared to slightly less than 50,000 jobs at the end of June, said the report from a House of Representatives committee. A single state, Illinois, accounted for nearly a fifth of the total by creating or sustaining 15,388 jobs, according to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee… California, which was given a large share of the infrastructure funds included in the $787 billion stimulus plan, tallied 10,146 jobs. There have been 5,953 jobs created or sustained in Texas, which also received a significant portion of the transportation earmarks.” [Reuters, 9/2/09]

Governor Schwarzenegger announced the creation of a new clean energy workforce training program, which will be partially funded by Recovery Act money; the program is expected to train 20,000 workers for green jobs. “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came to Los Angeles on Monday to announce a new $75-million ‘clean energy workforce training program,’ which he said would help train more than 20,000 workers for green-sector jobs. The program is intended to train young workers and the unemployed to become solar installers, green-building designers and weatherization installers. The state received $20 million for the job-training effort from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The rest will come from the California Energy Commission, as well as community groups and educational institutions.” [Los Angeles Times, 9/1/09]

Ross Elementary district will receive a school construction bond tax credit as part of the Recovery Act that could save Ross taxpayers $5.4 million in interest. “Ross School has won the federal stimulus fund lottery. School officials learned Friday they would receive a $2.85 million school construction bond tax credit as part of the federal stimulus bill - a credit Superintendent Tammy Murphy believes will save Ross taxpayers $5.4 million in interest. ‘We were so fortunate. It's just a wonderful story,’ Murphy said. ‘This would have been a 25-year term for our bond. Now we'll be able to pay it off in 15 years at zero to little interest. It's just great.’ The federal stimulus bill, officially known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, includes a provision that allows tax credits on $22 billion of qualified school construction bonds nationwide. The tax credits are expected to equal the amount of interest school districts pay on debt, which typically equals half the cost of the bond… District officials estimate that without the tax credit, Ross property owners would be paying $17.78 per $100,000 of assessed property value toward the district's bonds every year for the next 25 years. Thanks to the credit, taxpayers will pay that rate for the next 15 years, and then about $8 per $100,000 for eight years after that.” [Marin Independent Journal, 8/31/09]

A second round of Recovery Act funding for Native American tribes to reduce domestic violence will enable the Big Valley Band to provide assistance to domestic violence victims. “After Department of Justice officials concluded the first of three working sessions on tribal law enforcement issues Aug. 26, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that more than $5.6 million in Recovery Act funds was awarded to nine tribal governments in five states by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The awards were made to tribal governments in California, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana and Oklahoma. The tribal governments that received the grants included the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, based at Big Valley Rancheria in Lakeport, which received $446,700. The grant will provide community resource and referral information services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and provide emergency food and clothing to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, or offer referrals to service providers. The funds awarded to Big Valley also will be used to provide domestic violence counseling services… These tribal awards are in addition to the more than $8.9 million in Recovery Act funds that were awarded earlier this week to 10 tribal governments.” [Lake County News, 8/31/09]

Thanks to Recovery Act funding, San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board is serving about twice as many residents seeking jobs. “The San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board, a public-private board that utilizes federal funding to help San Bernardino County residents prepare for and find jobs… With the benefit of the federal stimulus package this year, the San Bernardino County WIB has $30 million, about double its usual funding, and is anxious to invest it in its most important local resource - its residents. ‘We're here to extend a hand, we're here to help,’ Harmsen said. ‘(The WIB) can help you to be ready for those jobs in the demand industry sectors so that when the economy turns around you'll be ready for employment. We are providing what's needed for success, we're providing hope.’ The Rancho Cucamonga WIB office contains many facets of service including a resource room with about 50 computers with Internet access, fax machine, career library and knowledgeable staff members, several who are bilingual in Spanish. There is also a station to accommodate those with disabilities… There are also more than 40 advisers on site meeting with clients working on career paths. About 200 job seekers are at the center each day, said Tony Gomez, the manager of the Rancho Cucamonga center. ‘That's about double from last year at this time,’ Gomez said. ‘This past January and February we served about 8,000 a month.’” [Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 8/30/09]

Butte County resource conservation district will use Recovery Act funding to eradicate invasive weeds that threaten plants and fish in sensitive wildlife areas. “Invasive weeds are causing big-time problems for resource managers throughout the Sacramento Valley, and the state, nation and globe. Several weeds are on the hit list for wildlife managers… Adding to this growing list is red sesbania… The Resource Conservation District applied and received a grant for $50,000 over two years from the California Department of Food and Agriculture and from federal stimulus funding. The money will be spent to remove mature plants along the Feather River. Vertolli explained that stumps will be treated with herbicide, and overseen by the Department of Fish and Game, to protect sensitive areas… The grant funding will purchase a quad and trailer for use on the weed projects. Also, a spray tank with a boom will be bought.” [The Chico Enterprise-Record, 8/31/09]

Recovery Act-funded youth employment programs in Ventura County are expected to help 660 young people get jobs. “Anthony Gaber thought he’d have to enter the military after high school to learn job skills. But before graduating from Simi Valley’s Royal High School in June, the 18-year-old learned about a summer youth employment program offered through Moorpark College and PathPoint, a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit that offers employment, residential and support services to more than 2,300 people a year. The services are offered to those with disabilities or disadvantages in five counties, including Ventura. The program, funded by federal stimulus money, aims to give youth work experience and job skills while they earn money. The employers benefit from the extra hands and from their contribution to the youth’s development. After Gaber attended a free job-readiness workshop at the college, he began working Aug. 3 at a Telair International warehouse in Simi Valley… Gaber’s employment at Telair was made possible by an $805,000 grant PathPoint received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In all, PathPoint and its six partnering agencies, including Moorpark College and the Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo, plan to train and have jobs for 260 disadvantaged youths ages 14 to 24 in Ventura County. A nonprofit youth club in Oxnard that received a similar grant will serve youths in Oxnard and Port Hueneme. Marielle DeFazio, PathPoint’s director for the Simi Valley office, said both programs are expected to help 660 disadvantaged youths in Ventura County get jobs. The program runs through Sept. 30.” [Camarillo Acorn, 8/28/09]

Faculty members at the University Of California at Davis have received 88 Recovery Act-funded research grants; the supported projects will support adjunct professors, research administrators, technicians, and research associates. “Faculty members at the University of California Davis have received nearly $32.6 million in stimulus funds for research so far, and more grants are expected, the university said Thursday. Through Monday, almost $32.6 million has been handed over to UC Davis through 88 different research grants. The ‘steady stream of grants from federal stimulus funds is providing a much-needed cushion for research programs campus wide’ during tough financial times.” Vice chancellor for research Barry Klein: “At a time when we are very hard-pressed, this stimulus funding will allow us to build up an infrastructure that will serve us well for many years. And that is precisely the purpose of these awards: to get things under way quickly that will have a long-term positive impact on the stability of the workforce on campus… Adjunct professors are supported through grant funds, as are research administrators, technicians and staff research associates. And these grants will also create jobs by enabling us to hire graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to participate in the research.” [Sacramento business Journal, 8/27/09]

Santa Ana unified school district using Recovery Act funds to rehire 80 teachers laid off at end of last school year. “Santa Ana Unified plans to rescind the layoffs of about 80 teachers for the upcoming school year, district officials said today… The district originally planned to increase classes sizes in grades one through three to 30 from 20 students as part of an effort to cut the district's budget following state cuts to education. A total of 240 teachers were laid off at the end of last school year. District spokeswoman Angela Burrell said officials are contacting the 80 teachers to determine if they will be able to return. Some teachers may have already found other jobs elsewhere and may not accept the district's offer, she said… Santa Ana Unified will pay for the additional teachers out of a combination of $5.7 million in stimulus and state funds recently made available to the district to decrease class sizes.” [Orange County Register (CA), 8/26/09]

Recovery Act Money will be used to create 85 jobs to remove toxic waste at Blue Ledge Mine. “If you have any thoughts on the challenging task of cleaning up the long inactive Blue Ledge Mine high in the Applegate River drainage just south of the California state line, the U.S. Forest Service wants to hear from you. A 30-day public comment period began Wednesday to gather public mood on the agency's recommended removal plan of the toxic wastes left by the copper mine operation was announced Wednesday by Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest officials. The $8.5 million project, funded by federal stimulus money to increase local employment, is expected to create up to 85 jobs, most of which will be contracted out through private firms.” [Mail Tribune (OR), 8/27/09]

Federal government approves hundreds of Recovery Act projects in Sacramento region. “The federal government has approved more than $600 million in stimulus projects and programs so far in the Sacramento region, with more money still to come, according to a Bee analysis of multiple government sources. Most of the projects are limited efforts with budgets under $1 million. A few, though, are huge, multi-million dollar jobs… The Bee has created an unofficial list of hundreds of projects, all of them viewable at www.sacbee.com/stimulus.” [Sacramento Bee, 8/27/09]

Recovery Act money awarded to improve safety of Folsom Dam. “Folsom Dam safety improvements – $22.3 million: Built in 1955, Folsom Dam created Folsom Lake, one of the region's premier recreation spots. The dam is mostly for flood control, but also provides water for domestic and agricultural use… Officials have long planned to modify the dam's spillway gates to make them less susceptible to earthquakes. The stimulus money will go toward making that happen quickly.” [Sacramento Bee, 8/27/09]

Recovery Act money awarded for Sacramento Railyard project expected to jumpstart development at edge of downtown Sacramento. “Development at the Sacramento railyard – $20 million: Probably the highest profile local stimulus project, Sacramento's railyard has long sat fallow on the edge of downtown. City planners hope a large, planned infill project at the railyard will be a shot in the arm for the region, and the stimulus money is a key component of their plans. The $20 million would help move some train tracks a few hundred feet north, making room for a transit center behind a depot, and allowing Fifth and Sixth streets to extend on bridges into the railyard, all of which could jumpstart development.” [Sacramento Bee, 8/27/09]

Recovery Act money used to rubberize paving along Highway 99 from Sacramento County Line to state highway; project already underway and creating jobs. “Highway 70/99 rehab near the Sacramento/Sutter county line – $18.3 million: North of Sacramento, Highway 99 has been getting a lot more traffic, largely because so many commuters flocked to Marysville and Plumas Lake in search of less-expensive housing. But large swaths of the road are in poor shape. This project will apply rubberized paving to 10 miles of Highway 99 from the Sacramento County line to State Highway 70. Of the five projects mentioned here, it is the only one that is actively under way and creating jobs. The project is supposed to be completed by November.” [Sacramento Bee, 8/27/09]

Recovery Act money awarded to build new wastewater treatment plant in Sutter County; project will support 45 local construction jobs and forestall large rate increase. “Live Oak wastewater treatment plant – $16 million: It's easy to make a case that the small Sutter County town of Live Oak desperately needed stimulus funds. Its unemployment rate stands at 30 percent – almost three times the state average. State regulators told the town years ago that its wastewater treatment plant wasn't up to snuff, and the plant has been operating under a cease-and-desist order since 2005, said Jim Goodwin, Live Oak's city manager. The stimulus money – a $10 million grant and a $6 million low-interest loan – will build a new plant, support 45 local construction jobs and forestall a large rate increase, Goodwin said. Construction will start soon. ‘The only way to meet the state's requirements was to completely rebuild the plant,’ Goodwin said. ‘We've been struggling on how we could do that at a rate our customers could afford.’” [Sacramento Bee, 8/27/09]

Recovery Act money awarded to improve American River levees. “American River levee improvements – $14 million: The Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency is concerned that water from the American River could flow under some levees and pool up on the other side, causing flooding. This project, an extension of construction undertaken a decade ago, will let SAFCA work on that problem and fix ‘gaps along county roads and sewer lines that our initial construction couldn't do,’ said Pete Ghelfi, SAFCA director of engineering. Work will be done at multiple points in the region along the river, Ghelfi added.” [Sacramento Bee, 8/27/09]

California State University system using Recovery Act funds to cover financial aid as fees increase. “Faculty and staff furloughs, a 32 percent student fee increase, enrollment cuts and class reductions are all in place as the California State University system tries to grapple with its most significant budget woes in its history… To fill the ‘unprecedented’ budget shortfall it faced as a result of the state budget cuts, CSU has taken measures that include furlough days for nearly all of its 47,000 employees, a 32 percent increase to the student fee, planned enrollment cuts that include the closure of spring enrollment, and system-wide budget reductions, Vice President for Academic Affairs Ephraim Smith said… The total fee increase is an accumulation of multiple increases that have been passed by the CSU Board of Trustees since May… A third of the increase will be funneled to financial aid. ‘This set aside, as well as increases in financial aid included in the federal stimulus package, is expected to fully cover the fee increase for 187,000 of CSU’s 450,000 total students,’ Gordon stated.” [The Daily Titan, 8/24/09]

The Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes received Recovery Act funds to build new homes; the project is expected to employ between 11 and 17 people. “Of the 15 tribes in the country to receive coveted housing stimulus funds, two of them call the North Coast home. The Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes have both been approved for $1.17 million to develop housing for tribal members, enough to provide new homes for 13 households. While both have been approved – the only two California tribes to receive the hard-sought assistance – the Hoopa Valley Tribe is actually the first in the nation to sign the contract and begin implementation. The agreement was signed Wednesday. Because the Hoopa Tribe has a modular home construction facility that – although currently not in operation – can be fired up quickly, they easily met one of the federal government's most important criteria for stimulus funds – readiness. Their 13 homes are ‘shovel-ready,’ said Robert Eben, Pacific regional housing officer for the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Constructing the two- and three-bedroom homes will also put people to work, Eben said. An estimated 11 to 17 employees will get hired on at the modular plant to get the homes built and ultimately out to the recipients, said Eben.” [Times-Standard, 8/21/09]

Recovery Act-funded contracts to install lighting on airport runways allowed New Bedford Panoramex to keep fifteen employees that were going to be laid off. “Steven Ozuna had 15 pink slips ready to distribute to his employees. Like many small companies, his engineering firm was struggling to land new business, and Ozuna needed to cut costs. Then, in May, Ozuna was tapped by the Federal Aviation Administration to complete a stimulus project – a deal that has kept his company's staff intact… Ozuna signed a contract on May 15 for $2.56 million to install RLMS at nine airports. A month later he signed a second contract for another airport that brought the total up to $2.85 million. The company started work right away to complete the two-year deal… In addition to letting him keep his valuable employees, Ozuna is optimistic that the stimulus contract will lead to more opportunities.” [CNNMoney.com, 8/21/09]

Recovery Act funds will help boost water conservation and storage efforts throughout California. “About $27 million in federal grants will help boost water conservation and storage efforts throughout California as the state grinds through its third year of drought. The release of the funds announced by Interior Sec. Ken Salazar Thursday include more than $15 million for projects in the San Joaquin Valley, where irrigation shortages have forced farmers to layoff workers and leave hundreds of thousands of acres unplanted. The grant funding will cover a portion of the costs of projects designed by tribes and irrigation districts to meet critical water needs, lower dependence on federal water supplies and store water underground. Water managers in the Sacramento area also will get $5 million to install water meters.” [Associated Press, 8/20/09]

Recovery Act-funded Sacramento water conservation project is expected to create 40 jobs. “An aggressive effort to conserve water with the installation of water meters got a $5 million boost Thursday. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated funding through the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, greatly helping a $15.3 million effort to install 3,750 water meters in the region by 2011… The 15-month project is expected to create about 40 jobs to install the meters.” Representative Matsui: “Among talks of saving the Delta, one of the best ways we can help conserve water is with proper metering and water management. This funding will directly help local communities conserve California’s most precious resource. The water saved through new meters will help provide more water to California’s Delta and create jobs here in Sacramento.” [Sacramento Business Journal, 8/20/09]

Anaheim RMA land construction won Recovery Act-funded contract to build children’s center. “RMA Land Construction Inc., Anaheim, Calif., won a $7,960,241 federal contract modification from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque, N.M., for the construction and design of a Child Development Center under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Place of performance will be in Clovis, N.M.” [Targeted News Service, 8/18/09]

Fort Ord reuse authority in Marina will receive Recovery Act funds to improve infrastructure at former Fort Ord. “The U.S. Department of Commerce announced Monday a $6.4 million grant to the Fort Ord Reuse Authority in Marina to finance infrastructure improvements at the former Fort Ord. The grant was awarded by the Economic Development Administration and was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law in February.” Commerce Secretary Locke: “The Obama Administration is committed to creating jobs, encouraging innovation and improving our nation's economic competitiveness. The Recovery Act has worked to stabilize economic conditions and help those harmed by the economic crisis. This grant will support planned commercial and industrial developments that will attract the private investment needed to continue reuse projects and create new jobs for the region.” [Californian, 8/18/09]

Campo Band of Kumeyaay Indians will receive Recovery Act money to improve drinking water infrastructure. “The Campo Band of Kumeyaay Indians of San Diego County will receive $753,100 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for improving their drinking water infrastructure, federal officials said July 8. Citing data that indicates 10 percent of tribal homes don’t have safe drinking water or waste water disposal facilities compared to 0.6 percent for non-Native homes in the U.S., some $90 million is being dispersed to 150 projects in Indian communities under the ARRA.” [Indian Country Today, 8/18/09]

Battery company will spend Recovery Act-funded grant to test recharging stations in several states. “The largest of the $2.4 billion in DOE grants went to manufacturers in Indiana and Michigan. Also among the projects, Phoenix-based Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. will install 12,500 recharging stations in five test markets in Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.” [WVNS Channel 28 News, 8/16/09]

Long Beach Airport will make ramp and taxiway improvements thanks to $4 million in Recovery Act funding. “‘We’re very pleased and excited that the grant funding has been released,’ said Christine Edwards, Operations Bureau Manager, during a phone interview this afternoon. ‘It will provide sorely needed jobs for the community and will begin the job of rebuilding our ramp with concrete that will last us the next 50 years or so.’ Edwards also explained that the funding will make its way through City officials and should be finalized and ready to spend sometime next week. She also explained that an additional $3 million is set to be granted to the airport in a grant based on the number of passengers that have used the airport in the past year. This brings the airport's total grant receivings to more than $7.4 million, the exact amount they hoped to get to improve the ramp and taxilane. The ramp job itself will cost about $6 million and create close to 120 jobs, but Edwards also said that the taxilane project will cost about $900k and produce several dozen more jobs.” [Long Beach Post, 8/13/09]

New JOBS NOW! effort will seek to find employment for over 1,000 San Franciscans. “The mayor's office announced a new initiative Wednesday that aims to put at least 1,000 San Franciscans back to work using federal stimulus funds. The initiative, called JOBS NOW!, matches employers with unemployed city residents who meet certain qualifications, said Mayor Gavin Newsom, who dubbed it ‘the most significant jobs program ever in San Francisco.’ To qualify, candidates must live in San Francisco, have at least one child, and earn less than twice the federal poverty level, he said. Applicants will be screened and matched with potential employers for interviews. The city will then use $25 million in federal stimulus funds to subsidize successful candidates' salaries until September 2010, or whenever stimulus funds run out, Newsom said. ‘It sounds almost too good to be true,’ Newsom told dozens of reporters, city workers and job-seekers at the One Stop Employment Center on Mission Street, where several JOBS NOW! openings are posted on the wall. ‘But it does the one thing the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act should be doing, and that's creating jobs.’ More than 200 formerly unemployed San Franciscans have already been matched with employers and are now working full-time through the initiative, Newsom said. That includes Tracey Gutierres, a mother of four teenagers who was laid off from her retail job at Mervyn's last year and is now working as a book-scanner for a non-profit company in the Presidio. ‘The biggest difference - it's taken off a lot of stress,’ said Gutierres, who lives in San Francisco's Excelsior neighborhood.” [KPIX – CBS, 8/13/09]

Recovery Act allotment to Monterey-Salinas transit balanced the agency’s budget, prevented job losses, and decreased the cost of transportation to consumers. “At its Monday meeting, Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) board of directors agreed to pay it forward. This June MST received $7.6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment (AARA) funds. Usually referred to as stimulus funds, the money allowed MST to adopt a balanced budget without service cuts, fare increases or job loss. And now, the savings realized by using a portion of the stimulus funds to pay off a long term debt on new buses will be passed along directly to MST passengers. Beginning Sept. 5, MST cash fares will be temporarily reduced a quarter from $2.50 to $2.25 and 15 cents from $1.25 to $1.10 for discounted passengers (65 years or older, individuals with disabilities, Medicare Card holders, or children 46’ tall to 18 years old) until Memorial Day weekend. RIDES cash fares will also be temporarily reduced a quarter per zone from $3.00 to $2.75. No other passes or fare media is eligible for the discount. The average savings for a person commuting weekdays to and from work or school from this promotion amounts to almost $100 each. That savings allows MST passengers to keep more of their income for daily necessities like food, medicine and other purchases. Recent studies show that every dollar spent at a local, independent business has a ‘multiplier effect’ of an additional 68 cents, as these funds are spent by business owners, their employees and suppliers as they make subsequent purchases for goods and services in the local economy. Based on staff estimates, the $320,000 that passengers would ultimately save on fares during the promotion and spent on other items could have a total local economic impact of as much as $538,000.” [Salinas Californian, 8/12/09]

Recovery Act funding enabled the summer youth employment program to employ 20 young people as Baldwin Park City Hall interns. “Local teens and young adults started their first day at City Hall working under the Summer Youth Employment Program on Monday. Unemployment in Baldwin Park is about 14 percent, according to state figures. Patricia Araujo, 19, was one of the 20 new interns eager to get started right away at Baldwin Park City Hall. ‘This is my first job and I'm excited to have a good work experience and be able to work in an office,’ Araujo said. Araujo attends the Baldwin Park Adult School where she first heard about the program.” [Pasadena Star-News, 8/10/09]

Recovery Act Funds allocated to three airports for secure baggage processing. “Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced approximately $42 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for the construction of new inline baggage handling systems at Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Honolulu International Airport (HNL) and Kahului Airport (OGG)-projects designed to streamline passenger check-in and improve explosives detection capabilities. ‘Recovery Act projects are utilizing the latest science and technology to secure our country while creating jobs locally . These new inline explosives detection systems will strengthen airport security and streamline the baggage screening process,’ said Secretary Napolitano. ‘Using Recovery Act dollars for these important security enhancements in Hawaii and California will infuse funds directly into the local economies and create more jobs for Americans.’ Sacramento International Airport will receive $11 million in ARRA funding while Honolulu International Airport and Kahului Airport will receive $24 and $7 million in Recovery Act funds, respectively, for explosive detection systems.” [Press Release – Dept. of Homeland Security, 8/10/09]

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority will use Recovery Act funds to buy 70 hybrid buses, modernizing transit, reducing carbon emissions, and creating jobs. “The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority board of directors voted unanimously this week to authorize the purchase of 70 environmentally friendly hybrid buses with federal stimulus funding. The 40-foot diesel hybrid buses will be provided by Gillig LLC, a transit bus manufacturing company based in Hayward, according to VTA officials… ‘The federal stimulus funding is benefiting the Bay Area several ways,’ VTA General Manager Michael T. Burns said in a statement. ‘First Santa Clara County residents reap the environmental benefits from these buses. Secondly, the local economy benefits because VTA will be purchasing these buses from a bus manufacturer located in Hayward,’ Burns said. Gillig LLC President Dennis Howard said that 35 jobs are being created and sustained by the bus purchase contract, which will support 1,272 suppliers, vendors, and other indirect support jobs.” [KPIX – CBS, 8/9/09]

Roughly 1,200 teenagers found jobs as Long Beach youth employment placement organizations saw resources increase four-fold with Recovery Act infusions. “Federal stimulus dollars have put about 1,200 local teens to work in professional fields this summer in and around Long Beach amid one of the toughest job markets in memory. The youth job program run through the city experienced a nearly 400 percent increase in paid employment this summer thanks to some $2.7 million in special federal funding. For 17-year-olds Chris Martinez and Phyreoun Chea, the influx of cash offered an opportunity to earn some money and learn new skills working about 25 hours a week at the Port of Long Beach, where they're receiving a crash course on police work at the port's security division. ‘There's a lot of ex-military people working with us, showing us how security is handled at the port, taking us to meetings, explaining reports and technology and taking us into the field,’ said Chea, a Poly High student who plans to join the Army after graduation in June. ” [Long Beach Press Telegram, 8/9/09]

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Stanford Linear Accelerator Center received Recovery Act funds for research and inventory. “The U.S. Department of Energy announced a new round of federal stimulus funding this week for scientific research, including boosts for two Bay Area research facilities. The $327 million of designated funds include $37.8 million for Berkeley's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and $21.8 million for the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) in Menlo Park, according to Energy Secretary Steven Chu.” Secretary Chu: “These initiatives will help create new jobs while allowing the U.S. to maintain its scientific leadership and competitiveness. The projects provide vital funding and new tools for research aimed at strengthening America's energy security and tackling some of science's toughest challenges.” [KPIX – CBS, 8/9/09]

Large Recovery Act grant disbursed to Sacramento International Airport for more advanced baggage system. “Homeland Security officials announced today they are awarding Sacramento International Airport $11 million for a baggage handling system at the airport's planned new central terminal. The funding is part of the federal economic stimulus program. The baggage system will include explosive-detection devices, federal officials said. ‘It's another step in making Sacramento airport a state-of-the-art facility, which, in turn, bolsters our efforts to create jobs in our city,’ said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who met recently with federal Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The airport is in construction on a $1 billion expansion, which will include a four-story central terminal. The federal funds are expected to pay 90 percent of the cost of the new terminal's baggage conveyance system.” [Modesto Bee, 8/7/09]

San Mateo County’s domestic violence agency received a half-million dollar Recovery Act grant. “CORA, the county’s cash-strapped domestic violence agency, received a half-million dollar federal grant this week, only days after cutting its staff and services under the weight of state budget cuts. The $500,000 infusion is part of $2.9 million in federal recovery funds awarded to six California transitional housing programs by the Office on Violence Against Women Recovery Act Transitional Housing Program… The shaky economy makes the grants even more necessary, according to the Department of Justice.” Attorney General Holder: “The most vulnerable in our society too often bear the greatest burden in times of economic hardship which is why dedicating these funds to help survivors and their families get back on their feet is a concrete example of the Recovery Act at work.” [San Mateo Daily Journal, 8/7/09]

California received Recovery Act funds aimed at improving technology in the classroom. “California has received $71.6 million more in federal stimulus funds aimed at improving technology in the classroom, state officials announced today. The funding will support the state's Enhancing Education Through Technology Program, which provides grants to school districts for computers, software, equipment and training to help students become technologically literate. ‘Teachers who effectively use technology to enhance learning are needed to help prepare students for success in the hypercompetitive global economy,’ said state Superintendent O'Connell in a written statement. ‘I appreciate President Barack Obama's and Education Secretary Arne Duncan's support for education technology and thank the U.S. Department of Education for granting California this award. This will certainly help improve the educational experience for California students during these economically challenging times.’” [Orange County Register, 8/6/09]

CA schools will use Recovery Act funding to backfill “severe budget cuts,” pay for vocational training. “[T]he U.S. Department of Education´s decision to accelerate payments to states receiving federal education recovery funds will make a huge difference for cash-strapped California schools… The Department of Education also released requirements for approximately $12.6 billion in Phase 2 State Fiscal Stabilization Funds and $4 billion in Race to the Top competitive grants… ‘The race to the top is on in the Golden State with this great news for California schools,’ said Romero (D-East Los Angeles). ‘It allows for greater flexibility in the short term as schools work through severe budget cuts, while maintaining an ongoing commitment to major education reform. I will continue to work with my fellow legislators to ensure that there are no barriers preventing California schools from receiving these much-needed federal funds.’” [California Chronicle, 8/6/09]

Central Coast Energy Services will use Recovery Act funds to hire 90 workers, weatherize thousands of families’ homes. “A big increase in stimulus funding for the Central Coast Energy Services will go toward helping thousands of low-income families in the Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito and south Santa Clara counties weatherize their homes and save money on power expenses. The organization expects to receive $4 million over the next two years from the Department of Energy's weatherization assistance program as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the CCES announced this week… With the anticipated increase in funding, the CCES is providing jobs for more than 90 people in a door-to-door outreach campaign, outreach supervisors, weatherization crew and office employees.” [Santa Cruz Sentinel, 8/6/09]

Long Beach will use Recovery Act funds to train workers to decontaminate brownfields. “Long Beach's Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network is one of four agencies to receive nearly $2 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to provide job training to survey and clean up contaminated sites or ‘brownfields’… ‘Through this Recovery Act funding, EPA and our community partners will provide training and environmental career opportunities to California residents,’ Laura Yoshii, the EPA's acting regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest, said in a statement. ‘These grants will help ensure that a trained work force is ready to clean up contaminated sites and revitalize them for productive reuse in our communities.’” [Long Beach Press-Telegram, 8/5/09]

Long Beach and 15 other cities will use stimulus funds to install trash filters to prevent water contamination. “Long Beach, Downey, Paramount, Signal Hill, Compton and South Gate and 10 other cities will benefit from a $10 million federal grant that will help them curb thousands of tons of trash from streaming into the Los Angeles River. The LA Gateway Region Integrated Regional Water Management Authority announced Wednesday that it will use the $10 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds to design and install about 4,000 trash-capturing devices in 16 cities where trash flows into the river through their storm drains. ‘The vast majority of the trash that ends up on our beaches is generated by the upstream cities, and these funds will make a huge difference in stopping trash before it even enters the Los Angeles River,’ Mayor Bob Foster said in a statement. ‘This is a great step in the right direction.’” [Long Beach Press-Telegram, 8/5/09]

San Bernardino will use Recovery Act funds to provide 2,000 unemployed locals with skills for jobs in transportation, the green sector, and healthcare. “San Bernardino County officials have approved $3.2 million in federal stimulus money to fund job training programs that will help some 2,000 of the county's idled workers, according to a statement. The county's Workforce Investment Board voted to approve the plan Tuesday night. The next step will be to enter into contracts with schools, hospitals and other sites that will train people for some of the largest employment sectors in Inland Southern California -- or at least the sectors that did much of the hiring before the recession. The county will focus on training people in health care, transportation and logistics, aviation, manufacturing and green industries… The result is expected to produce new professionals, from nurses to welders, in the next year or so.” [Riverside Press-Enterprise, 8/5/09]

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory acquired Recovery Act funding for development of renewable energy. “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will receive $40.3 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support research in biofuels, fusion energy and the nation’s power grid and to ensure scientists have state-of-the-art equipment for their investigations. This new funding is in addition to the $115.8 million allocated to Berkeley Lab in March by the DOE Office of Science, which received a total of $1.6 billion in ARRA funding from Congress. Most of those funds were allocated to the 10 National Laboratories the Office oversees.” Energy Secretary Chu: “These new initiatives will help the U.S. maintain its scientific leadership and economic competitiveness while creating new jobs. The projects provide vital funding and new tools for research aimed at strengthening America’s energy security and tackling some of science’s toughest challenges.” [Press Release – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 8/5/09]

Stanford University School of Medicine used Recovery Act allocation to save or create 34 research jobs and created 22 jobs for young people. “The Stanford University School of Medicine is using $18 million of federal stimulus funding to create or retain ‘at least’ 34 new or threatened research jobs, school officials said Tuesday. In addition, the medical school has created 22 summer positions for high school and college students using $200,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. Stanford officials said the bigger pot of augmented research funding, made available through the National Institutes of Health using ARRA funds, has been used to help support research on the roots of pain, eye disease, cancer, tissue engineering and transplantation, among other areas.” [San Francisco Business Times, 8/4/09]

The Riverside County Workforce Development Board used Recovery Act funds to employ 200 young people. “Maria Fermin used about two-thirds of her first paycheck from her first job – about $128 – to give her mother money for food and gas. It's not because the 14-year old's family is hard up, but because she wants to pay them back for their generosity, Maria said Wednesday at Fairmount Park. ‘They spoil me,’ she said. Maria is among the almost 200 Riverside youths ages 14 to 24 that are working this summer thanks to about $600,000 in stimulus funds received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The funds came through a grant from the Riverside County Economic Development Agency and the Riverside County Workforce Development Board.” [Riverside Press-Enterprise, 8/1/09]

ABC Construction began a Recovery Act-funded airport taxiway project in San Diego, supplying companies with jobs during downturn. “Angling to get the most bang for the federal buck, President Barack Obama wants much of the government's economic stimulus money poured into shovel-ready projects. Mario Montes has his shovel and he is ready. ‘This is good,’ Montes said. ‘This is going to help.’ The Spring Valley laborer will be among the first to feel the direct impact of at least $1.77 billion in federal stimulus funds heading to San Diego County. Today, Montes and other employees of ABC Construction in Logan Heights will begin a three-week job overhauling taxiways at Gillespie Field in El Cajon. The $1.4 million project is one of the first local initiatives started under the stimulus plan.” [San Diego Union Tribune, 7/27/09]

Roughly 1,800 young people in San Bernardino County obtained jobs and internships by means of Recovery Act allocation. “By the end of the summer, Gino Saltalamacchia will have earned more than $2,000 thanks to one of his favorite relatives - Uncle Sam. Gino, a senior at Ontario High School, along with about 1,800 other San Bernardino County young adults will be paid for internships at local businesses. Funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, part of what is commonly referred to as the stimulus package. Gino is interning at John Elway's Crown Toyota in Ontario as a service technician making $9 an hour. He and 16 of his classmates received the opportunity through The Career Institute, an organization specializing in career education and life planning. ‘It gives us the feeling of being real mechanics,’ said Gino, who is saving money for his own car. ‘I've gotten experience that I would have never learned from a textbook.’” [Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 7/26/09]

Several Recovery Act-funded projects are under way in Kern County, from bridge replacement endeavors to massive expansion of Delano water system to accommodate 80,000 to improving Edwards Air Force Base. “By the end of this summer, work will begin on a $13 million replacement of the Chester Avenue bridge over Garces Circle. When it's done, a $33 million wastewater treatment plant expansion will allow Delano to accommodate more than 80,000 people. And about $39 million in road building, light repairing and energy conservation projects will improve the safety and quality of life at Edwards Air Force Base. Those are some of the ways federal stimulus funds are being spent in Kern County. As of last Wednesday, Kern has been awarded more than $200 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, according to the state… While trying to generate support for the legislation, the Obama administration predicted the 22nd Congressional District -- which includes most of Bakersfield -- stood to see 8,400 created or retained jobs. [Bakersfield Californian, 7/25/09]

Recovery Act-funded projects and programs in San Diego are projected to create 19,200 jobs; projects include bus lane broadening and gang suppression initiatives. “At least $1.77 billion in federal stimulus money is headed to projects and programs in San Diego County, from the trolley in San Ysidro to bus lanes in Oceanside to gang suppression in Lemon Grove. Projects include small purchases, such as a $9,649 wood chipper for Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, and major undertakings, such as a $563 million hospital at Camp Pendleton. The San Diego Union-Tribune built a database to track the spending, including project costs, construction schedules, contract awards and jobs created… About 60 projects have been assigned start dates, including 15 to start by August, 30 later in the year and a dozen next year. Only a few planners have given estimates of the jobs created by their project, and those jobs total 9,215. Using a government formula, the money invested in San Diego County might be expected to create 19,200 jobs.” [San Diego Union Tribune, 7/26/09]

In Marin County, 4 law enforcement organizations were bolstered by Recovery Act funding for program curriculum and equipment. “Four law enforcement agencies in Marin County have been awarded more than $250,000 in federal stimulus money for programs and equipment. The money was distributed under the $1.98 billion Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, part of the $4 billion approved for law enforcement agencies under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Nearly $69 million was allocated to public safety agencies in California, including the Marin County Sheriff's Office, the San Rafael Police Department, the Novato Police Department and the San Anselmo Police Department. San Rafael police will use a $109,105 grant to restore the San Rafael Citizen Police Academy, which introduces city residents and businesspeople to the workings of the police department.” [Marin Independent Journal, 7/25/09]

The Indio Win Center employed 220 young people for the summer with Recovery Act funds. “An Indio Win Center summer work program funded by economic stimulus money is helping local teens get hired for jobs. There are 220 youth, mostly from Indio, ranging from ages 14 to 24 involved in the Indio Win Center’s Summer Work Experience Program, said Angie Barajas, SWEP program coordinator from the Indio Win Center. Some of the youth will be hired at the work sites they are now working for, like Max Lopez, 19, of Coachella, whose work experience site is Marshalls store of La Quinta. The College of the Desert student said he was very excited when he found out that he would be hired to work for Marshalls after his program ends in a week and a half. ‘I am the only one making money for my family, but my father is on medical leave,’ he said on Friday. ‘I am helping them out.’ The Indio Win Center has year-long work experience programs, Barajas said. In May, the Indio Win Center received $440,000 from the Riverside County Economic Development Agency through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the SWEP Program.” [Desert Sun, 7/25/09]

The long-planned Manteca Transit Center will finally be built thanks to Recovery Act money. “Manteca’s long-stalled transit center planned for Moffat Boulevard at South Main Street is moving forward thanks to an infusion of federal stimulus funds. The city has received the first half of $1.3 million the Manteca Transit system was allocated as part of the federal Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. The money received so far will go toward environmental and engineering studies for the transit station ($380,000); a marketing plan that includes rebranding, signage, and brochures ($40,000); the purchase of an additional fixed route bus ($100,000); and funds for the operations lease of the next Manteca Transit facility ($130,000).” [Manteca Bulletin, 7/25/09]

Recovery Act funds will allow the Chico Unified School District to save about 40 teaching and staff positions. “The Chico Unified School District will use a portion of its federal stimulus dollars to retain the equivalent of 40 full-time positions. The district planned on using $4.4 million of about $8.5 million in stimulus to reduce further budget cuts. On Wednesday, the board approved a plan to direct the money to eight programs, and retain about 40 teaching and staff positions. Another portion of the remaining stimulus may be used to create 13 teaching specialist positions and could lead to the rehiring of some previously laid-off teachers. Board President Jann Reed said the stimulus spending will help a wide array of students, including top-performing pupils and those who need additional help.” [Contra Costa Times, 7/24/09]

Petaluma will use Recovery Act funds to pave two roads. “The city will pave two stretches of roads with funding from the federal recovery program, and may have enough left over for a third project. The City Council on Monday agreed to spend $665,000 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for paving sections of Ely Road and Sunnyslope Avenue. The city received $1.1 million in stimulus funding for the road projects, but bids from contractors came in far below original estimates. The city is currently exploring whether the remaining $440,000 could be used for another project.” [Petaluma Argus-Courier, 7/23/09]

The Santa Clara Valley Water District will use Recovery Act funds to continue to develop its recycled water program. “About $4.3 million granted to the Santa Clara Valley Water District will be used to continue to develop short-term and long-term aspects of its South County Recycled Water Master Plan. Specifically, the funds will help pay for about five miles of pipelines emanating from the South County Wastewater treatment facility in south Gilroy. With the county entering its fourth consecutive year of a drought, expanding the capacity and reliability of the wastewater and recycled water system will save critical resources and preserve drinking water, according to water district officials and staff. Furthermore, it could save money for farms, golf courses and large-scale landscaping operators who use substantial volumes of water for irrigation.” [Morgan Hill Times, 7/23/09]

Over 170 young people benefited from jobs in California Conservation Corps thanks to Recovery Act dollars. “Five California Conservation Corps crews are busy doing work in San Luis Obispo in the first summer of a two-year program coordinated with Cuesta College. The American Recovery Reinvestment Act — the federal economic stimulus package — is funneling nearly $855,000 into the program, aimed at giving job skills and confidence to as many as 170 youngsters who have neither now. The participants, ranging from 16 to 22 years old, are from low-income families — and some are homeless or from dysfunctional families. The young workers, mostly from Paso Robles, Atascadero, San Luis Obispo, Nipomo and Oceano, can earn up to $2,550 through the summer if they work every day, 40 hours a week, according to Bill Nolan, who is coordinating the training programs for the corps.” [San Luis Obispo Tribune, 7/23/09]

Santa Clara County will undertake a pavement project using Recovery Act funds; the first county road project funded by Recovery Act. “Santa Clara County will start the construction of the Montague Pavement Project, phase three, this month. This is the first county road project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The construction of the $3 million project will start at the end of July and be complete by the end of September.” Congressman Honda: “I'm heartened to see the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helping people in our community. This federal investment is needed to improve our local roads, maintain good-paying jobs, and relieve some of the financial burden on local governments during budget shortfalls. With this project, the Recovery Act is doing what it was intended to do: promote commerce, jobs, and economic recovery.” [Milipitas Post, 7/22/09]

The Central Valley region has seen variety of Recovery Act awards, spurring transportation efforts and affordable housing construction, and creating thousands of summer jobs. “The federal government's stimulus package is coming to the Valley -- and there is something for everyone. From tax relief to retraining. From new solar panels on schools to refurbished airport taxiways. From traffic signals to freeway extensions. From new apartment complexes to renovated houses. The money is starting to flow -- and is finding a home in the Valley… Some federal money already is being put to work in the Valley. For example, the Fresno County Workforce Investment Board got $18 million in stimulus money, said Pam Lassetter, assistant director. The board is using most of it to help put 3,000 students in summer jobs, provide vocational training to former Elkhorn Correctional Facility youths and to teach adults who lost their jobs new skills in health care and other expanding industries.” [Fresno Bee, 7/22/09]

The San Diego school system budgeted Recovery Act money for retrofitting its bus fleet to reduce pollution; jobs will be created and children’s lungs will be protected. “San Diego Unified has become among the first school districts in the nation using federal stimulus money to retrofit school buses with a pollution control device. The Obama administration devoted $88 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to cleaning up diesel engines nationwide, with a focus on school buses. ‘San Diego officials, in particular, wasted no time in parlaying this money into real, on-the-ground projects that are providing jobs and protecting children's lungs at the same time,’ Mary D. Nichols, chair of the state Air Resources Board, said in a statement.” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/22/09]

Recovery Act grant sourced to Hydrogen Energy International for power plant that converts coal and waste petroleum into cleaner gas. “A proposed power plant in Southern California that would turn coal and waste petroleum into cleaner-burning gas has garnered support from the state and stimulus funds from the federal government. Hydrogen Energy International LLC – a partnership of BP Alternative Energy and Australian miner Rio Tinto Hydrogen – is proposing the plant for Kern County near Bakersfield. The 250-megawatt facility is designed to filter out 90 percent of its carbon dioxide for permanent underground storage in an adjacent oil field… The plant was recently awarded a $308 million grant from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.” Energy Secretary Chu: ”These new technologies will not only help fight climate change, they will also create new jobs and position the United States as a leader in carbon capture and storage technologies for many years.” [New York Times, 7/20/09]

Recovery Act funds applied to blackout-avoidance research by Zenergy in San Francisco. “Zenergy Power Inc. got more than $8 million from the Department of Energy to design, test and demonstrate technology that temporarily absorbs power to avoid blackouts. South San Francisco-based Zenergy’s fault current limiter has been described as a ‘surge protector for the electric grid.’… The DOE award will help Zenergy build a larger fault current limiter capable of absorbing more power that can be installed at an electric transmission station. ‘Our fault current limiter is a device that protects the breakers and transformers,’ said Zenergy CEO Woody Gibson. ‘It absorbs like a big sponge and just soaks up that power.’ The Department of Energy money is part of a $57 million program in the Recovery and Reinvestment act dedicated to advance the smart grid. The Department of Energy said Monday it had assigned $47 million of that so far. A Westborough, Mass.-based competitor, American Superconductor, got $7.6 million for a fault current limiter that uses a different type of technology.” [San Francisco Business Times, 7/20/09]

Recovery Act funds will pay for new hire in Sheriff’s Department and equipment to alleviate DNA processing backlog. “A backlog of DNA samples at the Sheriff’s Office that could help solve crimes will finally get looked at due to extra help being hired, paid for with federal stimulus funds. A $108,000 grant will help pay for an additional person at the San Mateo crime lab to run tests on some of the 80 cases that need DNA, or forensic biology — any bodily fluid recovered at a crime scene — examined, according to Jim Granucci, the lab’s director… The lab is among dozens of departments and programs in San Mateo County that have received or are expected to receive an estimated $32 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, approved in February.” [San Francisco Examiner, 7/19/09]

Recovery Act dollars expanded funding for Orange County workforce agencies, supplying young people with their first employment experience. “Sarah Isaacs expects the first paycheck of her life on July 20… Isaacs, an incoming 11th-grader at Nova Academy in Santa Ana, started a summer job this month at the Women's Health Care Center at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange. She is one of about 2,000 Orange County teens and young adults receiving summer jobs through the $787 billion federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ‘stimulus.’ The stimulus includes about $1.2 billion for youth employment and training, 16 percent of which is allotted to California. Congress asked most of that money to be used for summer jobs. Orange County is receiving about $6.6 million, which represents a major boost for youth summer job programs. In recent years, the programs either didn't exist or relied on private funding, according to local workforce officials.” [Orange County Register, 7/19/09]

Receipt of Recovery Act neighborhood funds anticipated to create roughly 40 jobs. “Vallejo is getting more than $300,000 in federal neighborhood recovery funds, Rep. George Miller's, D-Martinez, office announced Thursday. The bulk of Vallejo's money will go toward finishing an ongoing project in the 100 block of Benson Avenue in the Vallejo Heights section of town, Senior Community Development Analyst Guy Ricca said. The rest will go toward street paving this fall in the Country Club Crest neighborhood, he added. ‘We'll be creating jobs with these projects,’ Ricca said. City staff estimates the Benson Street project will create 30 full-time construction jobs for up to six weeks. The Crest job will create nine full-time jobs for about a week, they estimate.” [Vallejo Times-Herald, 7/17/09]

Buck Institute receives Recovery Act-funded grant for age research for the study of neuron behavior in the brains of elderly stroke victims. “The Buck Institute for Age Research in Novato has been awarded $970,000 from the National Institutes of Health as part of the $787 billion federal stimulus package approved earlier this year by Congress. The grant, which spans two years, will fund research in the lab of Associate Research Professor KunLi Jin. The work will focus on the function of newborn neurons in aged brains following stroke. [Marin Independent-Journal, 7/16/09]

Sausalito ferry dock project will go forward using Recovery Act funds; the construction work is expected to employ about 100 people. “The Sausalito ferry dock will undergo a $4 million revamp next year that should help alleviate boarding problems brought on by tourists on bikes. Most of the money for the work – $3.2 million – was handed out by Congress this week as part of federal stimulus funding… The money for the work comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation's discretionary grant program, with funding via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Construction of the dock will employ about 100 workers. The balance of the project cost, $800,000, will come from bridge district funds. In 2008, 566,000 passengers rode the Sausalito ferry.” [Contra Costa Times, 7/15/09]

Four Pasadena arts organizations received Recovery Act-funded grants. “The Armory Center for the Arts, Art Center College of Design, the Pasadena Playhouse and the Pasadena Arts Council have received news that they will receive stimulus funds through major grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. The funding is provided to support the preservation of jobs threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn…” [Pasadena Star-News, 7/15/09]

Recovery Act funds were dedicated to green job corps in San Mateo County, providing young people with marketable skills in clean energy-related jobs. “A San Mateo County social services agency will receive more than $936,000 in federal funds to launch a regional site for the state's Green Job Corps benefiting local at-risk youth. As part of the program, the youth, aged 16 to 24 years old, will engage in greening activities that include assisting seniors with home weatherization, conducting energy audits at community centers, as well as community education and the restoration of public lands.” [KPIX – CBS, 7/15/09]

Butte and Glenn County School Districts obtained energy-efficient and higher quality kitchen equipment financed by Recovery Act. “Federally-funded extra freezer space, clean ovens, and an energy efficient dishwasher that actually removes gunk will help Butte and Glenn county school districts feed students. Oroville Elementary School District will buy five energy-efficient ovens that will improve food quality and safety, said district manager Ruthie Allen. Chico Unified School District will repair a condemned walk-in freezer, buy a delivery van and get an industrial pizza oven and dough machine with the stimulus money it has been allotted, said Tanya Harter, interim director of nutrition services. ‘It's gonna be great for the students, the community and the economy.’” [Oroville Mercury-Register, 7/13/09]

Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County acquired Recovery Act grant to employ 1,000 young people for the summer. “Stimulus money creates summer jobs for over 1000 Contra Costa youths… Several Martinez businesses are currently taking advantage of the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County’s (WDBCCC) summer youth employment program. Funded through the Obama Administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the program allows each youth a salary of $8.25 an hour for about 120 hours over the next two months… During June, over 200 county residents aged 14 to 24 completed basic job skills training and were placed in paid positions this week.” [Martinez News-Gazette, 7/12/09]

Recovery Act money will fund 4,000 jobs for youths in Riverside and San Bernardino. “More than 4,000 Inland youths are getting jobs this summer thanks to an influx of more than $10 million in federal dollars from President Barack Obama's stimulus plan. In tough economic times, those in the younger generation are among the hardest hit by spiking unemployment rates. Adults with more experience are taking lesser-paying jobs that traditionally go to those just entering the workforce. The current recession is no exception – and it has hit Riverside and San Bernardino counties as hard as anywhere in the country. [The Press-Enterprise, 7/11/09]

Recovery Act funds will be used to retrofit diesel-fuelled school buses with systems that will reduce toxic fume emission. “The Obama administration has awarded $1.56 million to help clean up 125 dirty diesel school buses in San Diego County… Under the program, the district will replace 12 buses and retrofit the rest. Work is scheduled to be completed by September 2010. The local grant was part of a $25 million statewide disbursement announced yesterday and financed by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The economic stimulus money is largely targeted toward retaining and creating jobs.” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/9/09]

Millions in Recovery Act funds allocated to Central Valley to reduce air pollution, including school bus particulate filters to protect children’s health. “Federal stimulus funding of $6 million has been allocated to the Central Valley for air-pollution-control measures, the regional air district announced Wednesday… ‘We've worked hard to apply for this funding,’ said Samir Sheikkh, director of emissions control for the Fresno-based San Joaquin Unified Air Pollution Control District. ‘It's great to finally receive some of it.’ Sheikkh said $4 million of the just-allocated money will go toward installation of 190 diesel-particulate filters on school buses built in or after 2001.” [Visalia Times-Delta, 7/9/09]

Two Sacramento arts organizations received Recovery Act grants to fund projects and activities that preserve jobs in the nonprofit sector. “The Crocker Art Museum and the Sacramento Philharmonic are two of 631 nonprofit arts organizations awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of President Barack Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009… The grants, announced Tuesday, are intended to fund arts projects and activities that preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector imperiled by the recent economic downturn. The $50,000 allows the Crocker to regain one of two positions it lost recently – a gallery facilitator.” [Sacramento Bee, 7/9/09]

Recovery Act funds will revive 31 affordable housing projects across the state. “Treasurer Bill Lockyer today announced the distribution of more than $310 million in federal stimulus money to revive 31 ‘shovel-ready’ affordable housing projects throughout the state, and create more than 5,000 jobs and 2,015 rental units for low-income families and individuals.” [YubaNet, 7/8/09]

The Bakersfield Airport will use Recovery Act funds to repave a taxiway, upgrade the electrical system, and purchase new LED runway lights. “A new construction project is taking flight at Meadows Field, thanks to an influx of funds from the federal government… ‘This is one of the first stimulus projects under construction in the county. We're super excited about it putting residents in Kern County back to work,’ said Deputy Airports Director Matt Maas. Airport officials expect the project to be completed in the fall.” [KGET – NBC, 7/8/09]

Children’s Musical Theater San Jose received Recovery Act grant to preserve jobs threatened by declines in philanthropic support. “Children’s Musical Theater San Jose said it was given a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The money is earmarked ‘to support the preservation of jobs that are threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn,’ CMTSJ said, adding that it is the only San Jose performing arts group to receive NEA’s jobs preservation funding.” [San Jose Business Journal, 7/8/09]

$32,000 in Recovery Act funds will allow San Joaquin’s emergency food and shelter program to continue providing food. “San Joaquin County's Emergency Food and Shelter Program has received $32,101 in federal stimulus funds to buy food for families in need when charitable donations have fallen short. The grant will allow the county's Human Services Agency to purchase wholesale food products to be distributed to eight community centers and then to the public in need.” [Stockton Record, 7/8/09]

$928,364 in Recovery Act funds designated for housing programs for Native Americans and the disabled in Sacramento. The Sacramento County Housing Authority will receive funding under the Designated Housing Fund, to provide housing for disabled families. Buena Vista Rancheria, home to the Me-Wuk Indian Tribe, will receive funding through the Indian Housing Block Grant Program to provide decent, safe and affordable housing for lower-income Native Americans. Congresswoman Matsui: “I have heard from many Sacramento families throughout the past year. Most of whom are burdened during this volatile economic time. I am happy to announce these additional grant awards, which will provide for those most affected during this period. With unemployment rates continuing to rise, this funding could not have come at a more crucial time.” [Press Release – U.S. Representative Doris Matsui, 7/7/09]

Two Long Beach arts organizations use Recovery Act funds to retain jobs. Long Beach Opera and the Khmer Arts Academy will each receive $50,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Grants will be awarded through the National Endowment for the Arts.” Rep. Laura Richardson: “We know that when children are participating in the arts, they have more balance and are more likely to succeed academically. Therefore, it is important to help these outstanding organizations preserve jobs during these tough economic times so that they can continue to engage our youth and play a positive role in their academic and social maturity.” [Long Beach Press-Telegram, 7/7/09]

$3.95 million in Recovery Act resources granted to Elkhorn Slough Wetlands for underwater dam, preventing loss over 500 acres in next 50 years. “The eroding tidal wetlands of Elkhorn Slough will get the structural support it needs, thanks to financial support from the federal government. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration issued a $3.95 million grant to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation on Tuesday to build an underwater dam for erosion control in the 750-acre wetland… The construction of the dam will provide about 130 jobs and reduce tidal currents that erode embankments.” [Monterey County Herald, 7/6/09]

Millions in Recovery Act funds appropriated for Rancho California Water District pipeline construction, creating 283 jobs while increasing regional water reserves. “The Rancho California Water District is getting $6.2 million in federal stimulus money for a pipeline that will allow the Temecula-based district to boost its water reserves… The project will create 283 jobs over the next several years, according to Rancho Water. The project is scheduled to go out to bid in October, with construction starting in January.” [Riverside Press-Enterprise, 7/6/09]

$1.1 million in Recovery Act funds announced for repaving Bush Street Segment. “The $1.1 million awarded to The City to repave Bush Street east of Presidio Avenue took total funding pledged to overhaul San Francisco’s streets under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to $13.5 million, according to Department of Public Works figures. Bush Street repaving efforts are scheduled to begin by December, Transportation Finance Analyst Simone Jacques told The City’s Capital Planning Committee Monday. Roads previously scheduled to be repaved using federal stimulus funds include long stretches of Turk Street, Jones Street and Divisadero Street and parts of Laguna Honda Boulevard and Seventh Avenue.” [San Francisco Examiner, 7/6/09]

Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board acquired $9 Million in Recovery Act funding for transportation projects. “The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which oversees Caltrain service in San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Francisco counties, will receive a $9 million grant for track, bridge, signal and bicycle improvements… The San Mateo County Transit District will receive a $7 million grant to purchase buses and for preventive maintenance.” Rep. Eshoo: “These grants will help keep our trains and buses running safely and on time, while creating new jobs and investing in our regional economy.” [Menlo Park Almanac, 7/5/09]

$400,000 in Recovery Act funding to provide job training and education for gang-susceptible young people in San Joaquin County. “The San Joaquin County Office of Education has been awarded a $400,000 grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help provide job training and education to 14- through 24-year-olds who are considered at-risk to join gangs or are trying to leave gangs. Job-related training will be in fields such as solar-panel construction, building-material recycling and hazardous waste handling. Some programs also will offer paid work experience and job placement.” [Stockton Record, 7/5/09]

Ventura County allocated $500,000 in Recovery Act funds for cafeteria equipment. “State officials announced Wednesday that school districts throughout California will share more than $12.8 million for food service equipment, part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. The one-time equipment grants will help districts and other agencies replace outdated and inefficient food preparation tools to boost the amount and quality of meals offered to students, state officials said. Statewide, 242 school food authorities received grants in 48 counties, state officials said. Nine districts received grants in Ventura County, for a total of about $500,000.” [Ventura County Star, 7/3/09]

$312,217 in Recovery Act funds targeted to buy school cafeteria equipment in Salinas area. “Six school districts in Monterey County received a total of $312,217 in federal stimulus money Wednesday for cafeteria equipment. The Equipment Assistance Grants are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The one-time money can be used to buy new kitchen and cafeteria equipment… Districts receiving grants also include Monterey Peninsula Unified ($105,336), Salinas City Elementary ($44,907), Soledad Unified ($42,590), King City Union ($24,310) and Gonzales Unified ($22,960).” [Salinas Californian, 7/2/09]

Over $4 million in Recovery Act resources applied to 9 organizations assisting nearly 600 construction workers with job retraining, crime reduction, and more. California Recovery Task Force Director Cynthia Bryant: “We are working around the clock to bring Recovery Act funding into the California economy quickly and responsibly. Used for their federally designated purpose, these grants will further stimulate local economies by redirecting residential construction workers into growth industries and providing job training for local at-risk youth.” [Press Release – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, 7/1/09]

Recovery Act-enabled hydrogen energy California project will Supply 1,500 jobs and bring clean energy to 150,000 homes. “When built, HECA will bring clean power to over 150,000 homes in the local community, create new jobs and avoid the emissions of more than two million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year… Hydrogen Energy International estimates that the project will create up to 1,500 construction jobs and up to 100 permanent green collar jobs.” [Press Release – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, 7/1/09]

Green Job Corps acquired $1 million from Recovery Act to foster green energy development and create jobs in long beach, train 125 at-risk youths. “The Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Board, one of 11 regional programs receiving money, will get $935,797 of federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Long Beach-based Green Job Corps partners will match the federal funds with resources, resulting in almost $2 million in green job training and community service opportunities in the area, city officials said.” Long Beach Mayor: “I'm delighted to see these Recovery Act funds awarded to Long Beach and our regional partners. These funds will help provide important training to our youth in the emerging green jobs economy.” [Long Beach Press-Telegram, 7/1/09]

National Accelerator Laboratory hiring 60-100 new employees with $68.3 million in Recovery Act resources; had been forced to make layoffs in 2008. “The funding is allowing the multi-program laboratory to launch new projects – and hire new employees… SLAC is offering a range of jobs: engineers, scientists, software developers, financial analysts, project control professionals and administrators. The variety of job openings at SLAC, a laboratory operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, marks a major shift from the company's rounds of layoffs in January 2008. Fifteen percent of the lab, or approximately 125 SLAC employees, received pink slips at that time. ‘I had to announce the largest layoff in the history of the lab,’ SLAC Director Persis Drell said. ‘This year I had the joy of announcing increases in SLAC science budgets as well as millions in new funding from the Recovery Act.’” [Palo Alto Online, 7/1/09]

Over $109 million in Recovery Act funding has been directed to health care centers for the disadvantaged across California, compensating for rise in uninsured. “More than $109 million in grants will be doled out to health centers for low-income people in California and $10 million more will be devoted to training poor and at-risk youth for green-energy jobs as part of the latest round of federal stimulus funding announced Monday. The funds, provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed in February by President Obama, offered a bright spot at a time of mostly bad news about a poor economy and deep state budget cuts… ‘Obama recognizes clinics are seeing this overwhelming increase in the uninsured because people are losing their jobs in this economy,’ said Chris Patterson, spokesman for the California Primary Care Association, which represents about 800 health centers statewide.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 6/30/09]

$3.1 million from Recovery Act applied to purchase of 9 new buses for enhancement of Fairfield public transit system. “Fairfield will receive $3.1 million to buy nine buses. California is expected to receive nearly $2.6 billion from the Recovery Act for highways and local streets and $1 billion for transit projects. Competitive programs within the Recovery Act could also provide approximately $300 million in additional funding in this area. Additionally, California expects to be very competitive in securing a portion of $8 billion Recovery Act funding set aside federally for high-speed and intercity rail.” [Vacaville Reporter, 6/30/09]

San Marcos area Head Start and Early Head Start furthered by $270,497 in Recovery Act funds. Head Start Director: “The money ‘will go a long way in providing resources for maintaining a high quality program. With the rising cost of fuel, food and services, we have experienced a tighter budget and have had to lay off staff in the past two years. These dollars have provided us with an increase in pay for our very deserving staff, funds to maintain quality including building repairs, supplies and equipment, and professional development for our education staff and family service workers. With the addition of these funds, we are no longer looking at staff reductions but rather the maintenance of a high quality program for the 461 children and families that we serve.” [San Marcos Mercury, 6/29/09]

UC Davis professors have created jobs through a flurry of laboratory activity using Recovery Act allotments. “The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Barack Obama in February included $21.5 billion for scientific endeavors and $33 million to create paid research positions this summer and next for students and science teachers. The goal is to fuel the economy with new jobs while supporting innovations in alternative energy and new medical cures… Sacramento State professor Katherine McReynolds is using her stimulus funds to create summer research jobs for two college students and a high school student… Wenbin Deng, the professor who oversees the lab on Stockton Boulevard, said he sought the $100,000 stimulus grant to give students and teachers a look at the work of professional scientists. [Modesto Bee, 6/29/09]

$26 million from Recovery Act directed to AC Transit for paratransit and bus maintenance. “The money is part of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act approved earlier this year. It will be used for preventive maintenance to AC Transit's 643 buses and facilities over a five-month period. The money will also fund paratransit service for about 81,000 passengers. Paratransit serves those with disabilities or health conditions that prevent them from using other buses or BART trains.” [San Jose Mercury News, 6/25/09]

$26,000 Recovery Act grant to California Polytechnic State University will sponsor student research. “The National Institutes of Health will make more than $26,000 available for a successful research program at the California Polytechnic State University… The total allocation of $26,543 will allow Cal Poly to hire one high school student and one college undergraduate to conduct original research at Cal Poly this summer and next summer.” [Times Press Recorder, 6/25/09]

Monterey-Salinas Transit received $7.6 million in Recovery Act funds Friday. “‘The funds couldn’t have come at a better time for MST,” said MST General Manager/CEO Carl Sedoryk. ‘It’s allowed us to adopt a balanced budget without service cuts, fare increases or job loss.’ MST is far exceeding requirements to spend 50 percent of the funds within six months. Seventy-five percent of the funds were spent immediately completing the purchase of 40 new buses made in California and six trolleys made in the USA. ARRA funds have also helped preserve coach operator and mechanic jobs from being lost. “This is money that would have had to come from other areas.” [TheCalifornian.com, 6/17/09]

$40 Million in Recovery Act funds go to Santa Maria Levee, creating 1,000 jobs and prohibiting future floods. “Not only will this funding ensure the safety of the citizens of the Santa Maria area, but the project will be a boon to the local economy, creating 1,000 jobs, and saving Santa Marians from having to purchase costly flood insurance… Our economy still has a long way to go, but this package has helped blunt the most negative impact of the economic downturn, and jump-started the recovery process.” [Santa Maria Times, 6/13/09]

Recovery Act monies finance solar panels for Yuba City Senior Center, creating jobs and improving energy efficiency. “The city secured almost $150,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for projects that emphasize job creation, increased energy efficiency and further economic investment. City officials decided that installation of solar photovoltaic panels on the senior center's roof would meet those objectives. [Marysville Appeal-Democrat, 6/14/09]

Recovery Act funding en route to San Diego State University professors for research on cancer and lung allergies. “Two San Diego State University science professors have been awarded a combined $1.5 million in federal stimulus money for research that could lead to treatments for cancer and lung allergies. The stimulus awards, among the first granted to the California State University system, come from the National Institutes of Health, which recently received about $10 billion in stimulus money.” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/13/09]

“We’re encouraged to see the promises of president Obama paying off sooner rather than later for the Coachella Valley.” “As President Obama promised Monday to ramp up spending from the $787 billion stimulus fund, the city of Palm Springs and Coachella Valley and Mission Springs water districts received word of $3.1 million available to them. The funds will be dedicated to building a new park and providing clean drinking water to communities on wells that now don't meet safety standards.” [The Desert Sun, Editorial, 6/10/09]

The San Diego Workforce Partnership will put 3,000 young people to work thanks to a nearly $24 million infusion from the Recovery Act. The Partnership says it’s poised to make some dent in the area’s unemployment. [San Diego Business Journal, 6/9/09]

Oceanside School District plans to use Recovery Act to rehire 28 laid off teachers. [KFMB-TV CBS News Channel 8, 6/8/09]

Battery Producer Imara seeks Recovery Act funds to start manufacturing larger batteries for electric vehicles in the U.S. “The Recovery Act money would accelerate plans to build that manufacturing capacity here… company hopes we have green careers and not just green jobs.’” [EDN Electronics Design Strategy News, 6/8/09]

Recovery Act monies provided for repaving of Green Valley and Diablo Roads, markedly increasing efficiency of local transportation and creating jobs. Approximately 13,000 vehicles travel on these streets each day. The project also will upgrade sidewalks, curb ramps and traffic signals on Green Valley Road used by school children.” [Danville Weekly News, 6/7/09]

Recovery Act funds will be used to resurface three roads in Menlo Park. [San Jose Mercury News, 6/4/09]

Recovery Act funding expected to create 180 jobs in Riverside County. Federal funds will support youth work experience training and affordable housing projects. [Temecula Valley News, 6/2/09]

Lake Elsinore School District employees will not be required to take three unpaid furlough days next year thanks to Recovery Act money. [North County Times, 6/2/09]

Hire-A-Youth Program allows for 100 students to enter San Diego State University and gain field-pertinent job experience. The program is a result of the Recovery Act. [Daily Aztec, 6/1/09]

Esperanza is receiving a Recovery Act grant of $875,000 to help identify and clean up lead and other health hazards in 225 homes. [Environmental News Services, 5/15/09]

Recovery Act funds will repair exigent Santa Maria River Levee. Project will improve safety for tens of thousands and create hundreds of jobs. [City of Santa Maria, 5/28/09]

EPA awarded $440 million in Recovery Act money to California to fund water projects around the state. “This money has been a wonderful infusion of cash for the state of California, especially for disadvantaged communities in the state.” [Associated Press, 5/21/09]

Banning and Beaumont school districts will offset anticipated losses with Recovery Act funds. [Record Gazette, 5/21/09]

Ventura County will receive more than $300,000 in Recovery Act funds for emergency food and shelter programs. [Ventura County Star, 5/21/09]

Recovery Act funds will pay for emergency food and shelter in Ventura County. [Ventura County Star, 5/20/09]

Recovery Act funds will pay for 200 jobs for young people in Yuba County. [The Appeal-Democrat, 5/20/09]

The Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians will receive Recovery Act funds to replace aging water and sewer facilities. The funding helps projects that local companies must bid for. [The Desert Sun, 5/19/09]

City of Turlock allocated $1.8 million in Recovery Act funds to encourage economic recovery and address foreclosed homes. According to the Turlock Housing Division, the Community Development Block Grant funding could help to draft business plans, conduct Web development, offer job training, or to help construct new infrastructure, possibly with an emphasis on renewable energy. [Turlock Journal, 5/19/09]

California motorcycle dealership sales starting to increase. Dealerships hoping to grow sales by advertising Recovery Act tax break. [Associated Press, 5/17/09]

California is the first state in the nation to apply for Recovery Act’s state energy program. The Energy Commission estimates that retrofitting California's aged and inefficient residential and non-residential structures could save the state's consumers 2.7 billion Btu annually and create over 2,100 jobs. [Environmental Protection, 5/18/09]

First construction project in California has begun and is 40 percent under the original cost estimate. Savings from this project have been directed to advance other highway projects.” [Environmental Protection, 5/18/09]

University of California, Irvine, among four universities across the country that will use Recovery Act funds to fund global health studies. “The money, made possible by the Recovery Act, will preserve and create U.S. jobs in the timely and competitive arena of global health research.” [NIH News, 5/12/09]

Recovery Act will allow long-awaited construction to begin on the most congested freeway in the nation. The freeway work is expected to create about 18,000 jobs.” [LA Times, 5/9/09]

About 2,500 Riverside County teenagers and young adults will have summer jobs, thanks to nearly $2.9 million in federal stimulus funds. [Desert Sun Wire Service, 5/8/09]

Recovery Act money will go towards seismic repairs, energy-efficient heating, electrical systems, and other work on a federal office building in San Francisco’s U.N. Plaza. [San Francisco Chronicle, 5/10/09]

Sec. LaHood said California and Florida are on the fast-track for high-speed rail funding. [UPI, 5/9/09]

Garfield Elementary School will likely spend Recovery Act funds to retain reading teacher. Hayward will retain teachers for another year; San Francisco will train teachers. [San Francisco Chronicle, 5/6/09]

The Recovery Act: Success Stories in the States

California