Gas Stations for Sale in California

More Gas Stations for Sale in California

Posted May 06, 2009 at 00:26 AM

ronlargent

Gas Stations for Sale in California...

Our network has just expanded, and we now have stations available for sale from Bakersfield in the Central Valley up to the Oregon border. We have just added a very profitable station in Orland and a good store and gas operation in Red Bluff.

In addition, we will be listing three stations in the San Francisco Bay area....all doing very well.

We also have added two financial "guru's" for additional resources when it comes to financing. Even though SBA will no longer loan on just the business, and is continuing to loan on the land....we have money resources for the right buyer.

Consider being in business for yourself with a money making gas station and convenience store.

www.ronlargent.com

ronlargent@yahoo.com

redding Real Estate and Financial Conditions

Market Outlook

05/04/2009

Positive economic data is helping push stocks higher this morning. Bonds have not suffered to badly as a result and are fairly close to where they closed on Friday. Construction spending rose in March as more industrial and government projects got underway. We can expect this metric to continue to rise as government infrastructure projects that were part of the most recent stimulus bill get going.

Pending Home Sales also far exceeded expectations causing more speculation that the 4 year housing decline may be coming to an end.

Price Trend: Neutral

Price Volatility: Moderate

Rates for Conforming 30 Year Fixed are 4.375% - 5.00%, FHA 30 Year Conforming is running 4.50% - 5.25% and USDA 30 Year Fixed is running 4.625% - 5.75%. Make it a great week!

Redding Real Estate and Trader Joe's

Redding Real Estate and Trader Joe's

Posted May 05, 2009 at 23:16 PM

ronlargent

Redding Real Estate Just Went Up in Value.....because Trader Joe's is now in Redding, CA

OK...so this might be a stretch, but in a conversation earlier today, it actually came up...for the Opening of Trader Joe's in Redding last Friday was definetly a shot in the arm for the business environment.

A huge crowd turned out at 9 AM on a cloudy and cold day...but it was a warm welcome for all. With the typical leis for all that entered, as well as delicious "sample" waffles, what more could us TJ cult members want.

Just today as I dropped in to pick up some salad, cereals, and my favorite triple ginger cookies, I thought how nice it is to do my daily shopping here at TJ's without the long drive to Chico or Sacramento.

So, yes, real estate in Redding is now more valuable, for TJ's is within a short drive from all of Redding and Shasta County.

www.ronlargent.com

ronlargent@yahoo.com

Lake College in Redding, CA

Lake College...A good job...Thanks,

Posted April 04, 2009 at 10:23 AM

ronlargent

Lake College in Redding has done a great job helping many....thanks for being part of our community...and here is to hope the new Technology Institute can carry on as Lake has...

Denver firm takes over Redding's troubled Lake College

By Scott Mobley (Contact)
Saturday, April 4, 2009

A Denver-based firm has taken over Lake College, the private vocational school whose financial troubles and possible sale have been rumored since early January.

The college closed Friday and promptly reopened as the Institute of Technology. Students arrived on the Redcliff Drive campus Friday morning to find a large banner announcing the school's new name covering the Lake College logo on the white, two-story building.

Lake College students were told Friday they will be able to complete their certificate programs at the Institute of Technology through a "teach out" program under an agreement approved by the federal Department of Education and the national Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT).

The Institute of Technology has its headquarters campus in Clovis with branches in Modesto and Roseville. The school seeks federal permission to open a branch in Redding at the former Lake College campus.

Jim Haga, CEO of Brightstar Education Group, the firm that owns the Institute of Technology, said there are "big plans" to expand program offerings in Redding once branch approval is granted.

Brightstar will first swap out all of Lake College's computers for new machines. Soon, crews will start remodeling the Redcliff Drive building to create 5,000 square feet more of classroom space inside, said Haga, a former Kaplan Higher Education executive.

The firm intends to hire more instructors and staff as it boosts enrollment from the current 140 students to about 250 students over the next year, he said.

Brightstar hopes eventually to add associate degree programs in criminal justice, accounting and human resources at its Redding branch. The firm also plans technician certificates in pharmacy and heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC).

The Institute of Technology has gotten state Board of Vocational Nursing permission to offer a licensed vocational nursing program at the Redding location, once the branch is approved, Haga said. Brightstar would pay for students to take their nursing boards, he said.

Richard Schofield, who was vice president at Lake College and will continue in a similar capacity at the Institute of Technology, called the Brightstar takeover a "step in the right direction."

"For a long time we had limited resources," Schofield said. "This will allow us to offer a much higher quality of education."

Lake College students are relieved they're going to be able to finish the programs they started, said Kathi Daily, student services adviser. She described the change in the college as "exactly what Redding needs."

Nursing student Rick Ortega said he initially had questions about the teach-out agreement forms students received Friday. Students have been asked to sign and return these forms within 10 days.

Ortega said he was suspicious after a long silence from campus administrators about what was happening with the college. Instructors had gone weeks without pay during the transition and no adequate explanation was given, Ortega noted.

But Ortega said he's confident the teach-out agreement with the Institute of Technology is legitimate after further conversations Friday with administrators, who were finally free to talk openly since the federal Department of Education had approved the takeover.

"It looks like maybe things really worked out," Ortega said. "Hopefully it will turn out to be a big success. I feel extremely good about it, but I'm still really upset the transparency wasn't there, especially since no sale went through."

Haga confirmed Brightstar never actually bought Lake College, although the firm tried to strike a deal with owners Jim Koenig and Gary Armitage.

Koenig, a Redding real estate investor, and Armitage, a former Santa Rosa-based financial planner, are named in multiple lawsuits claiming investor fraud. The two men also face possible indictment by the state Attorney General's Office for an alleged Ponzi scheme involving $250 million and some 2,000 mostly elderly investors.

The Redcliff Drive building was headquarters for Koenig's firm, Asset Real Estate Investment Co. (AREI), until it moved in late 2006 to a new building less than a mile away on Hemsted Drive.

Koenig owned the Red- cliff building until February, when it transferred to Lakeside Mortgage Fund LLC through a trustees deed foreclosure, according to Shasta County Assessor records.

Lakeside has been another Koenig-related corporation, and Koenig at one point earlier this decade briefly took over the firm. But Koenig has no current control of the Redcliff Drive building, Haga said.

Brightstar will lease the building from Lakeside and remodel it with that firm's permission, he said. There are no plans for Brightstar to own its Redding campus.

Brightstar made the first overture to Koenig and Armitage to buy the Lake College business, which was struggling financially. The Institute of Technology had three central valley campuses and a fourth made sense from an operations standpoint, Haga said.

Haga declined to comment on his negotiations with Koenig and Armitage or describe the deal with the federal government in detail.

"Lake closed and we partnered with the U.S. Department of Education to conduct a teach-out of their students at our expense," Haga said in an e-mail.

The Institute of Technology will keep "the majority" of Lake College instructors through the teach-out period, he said.

Lake had laid off at least three employees in a restructuring before the takeover. Those employees could apply to work at the Institute of Technology, Haga said.

But any outstanding payment obligations of Lake to its employees stay with Lake College, he said.

"Whatever happened, happened in the past," Haga said. "Lake College is closed."

Jennifer Bare, a Clinical Medical Assisting and Medical Office Administration and Billing instructor, has filed a wage claim against Lake College with the state Department of Industrial Relations for $4,137.86 in back pay owed since early January, records show.

Bare was the only Lake College employee to file a wage claim as of Thursday, said Erika Monterroza, public information officer with the state Department of Industrial Relations.

Martha West, a University of California at Davis law professor, said the Institute of Technology teach-out agreement with the federal government sounds like it's designed to protect tuition-paying students but not necessarily school employees.

"These people are just left high and dry," West said of instructors. "They have to get in line with the other creditors."

Brightstar Education Group, founded in 2004, plans to expand in California and other states with a $50 million capital investment from parent company Arlington Capital Partners, a private equity firm, according to the firm's Web site.

The three Institute of Technology campuses are ACCSCT-accredited and offer medical, business, technical, culinary and other vocational programs.

Lake College was also ACCSCT-accredited.

Reporter Scott Mobley can be reached at 225-8220 or at smobley@redding.com.

This was in the Record Searchlight today....thanks, Scott.

www.ronlargent.com

www.ronlargent@kw.com

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers

Posted April 04, 2009 at 09:37 AM

ronlargent

This just came to me from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA.org)....and is worth reading if you are concerned about taxes and what is happening in California....

As a Spending Limit, Prop. 1A Does Not Cut It

March 30, 2009 Jon Coupal and Michael Reagan

Speaking before a meeting of over a thousand members of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association in 1992, former President Ronald Reagan told the audience, "We tax reformers bear our scars proudly." The recipient of the Howard Jarvis Lifetime Tax Fighter award was referring to his own effort to control spending, Proposition 1, which was rejected by voters in 1973.

Among the key elements of the Reagan limit was that spending from "proceeds of taxes" would have been limited to the then current percentage of state personal income, less .01 percent annually for 7 years and would then stabilize at that level. "I think taxpayers are fed up with big government continually digging into their pockets for more and more," Governor Reagan said at the time.

After Proposition 1 was defeated at the polls, pundits speculated that the result was due to its "complexity." And of course it didn't help that the California Teachers Association and public employee unions dug deep into their wallets to assure the defeat of a measure that would retard the growth of government.

But five years later, Sacramento's continued emphasis on spending rather than the burden this was placing on struggling taxpayers,
resulted in the overwhelming passage of Proposition 13, with enthusiastic support from Ronald Reagan -- he voiced radio spots supporting the measure -- and, one year later in 1979, the Gann Spending limit.

The Gann measure, known as the "Spirit of 13" initiative, limited government spending to the percentage change in inflation and population growth or the change in per capita personal income, whichever was lower. That the Gann limit was substantive was proven in 1987 when taxpayers received a rebate check after revenues surpassed the spending cap.

However, the success of the Gann limit proved to be its undoing. In 1990, transportation interests placed Proposition 111 on the ballot,
a gas tax increase that was accompanied by extravagant promises that it would end freeway congestion. But Prop. 111 was just one more bait and switch scheme. Because the new tax revenues would be so substantial that they would run afoul of the Gann limit, backers of
the new tax buried in the measure a reconfiguration of the way the limit was calculated. Unknown to many at the time, passage of the 111 transportation "panacea" made the Gann limit nothing more than an archaic curiosity.

Without enforced spending discipline, the state ran up a $38 billion deficit under Gov. Gray Davis, and now another $42 billion under Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Now we are being told by those who created these astounding deficits -- the governor and the majority of the Legislature -- that we must
approve their version of a "spending limit," Proposition 1A on the May 19 special election ballot, to compel them to behave responsibly. One is reminded of the serial murderer who leaves a message for police saying, "Stop me before I kill again!" While they admit that they have no control over their spending impulses the solution they offer would actually allow continued increases in spending without any connection to the taxpayer's ability to provide revenue.

Proposition 1A ties spending to income, income which can be increased under the measure through new taxes. The State Constitution already requires a balanced budget, so the only effect would be a reiterate the same requirement, one that is already being ignored with impunity. It is ironic to note that many of the same entities, who objected to Ronald Reagan's firm spending cap in 1973, including the California Teachers Association, are now backing Proposition 1A. This is a clear indication that the 1A spending limit is a phony.

So just why are the governor and most legislators pushing so hard for Proposition 1A and its ineffectual spending cap? Well, in addition to allowing them to claim that they are dealing with the spending issue, it includes a very real $16 billion tax increase. The tax increases approved in February, which will begin appropriately on April 1, are scheduled to sunset in two years. If Proposition 1A passes, the taxes will remain in effect for an additional two years, costing Californians another $16 billion according to the non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office.

Gov. Schwarzenegger, we know spending limits and your Proposition 1A is no spending limit. Proposition 1A is just another grab for the taxpayer's wallet.

Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Michael Reagan is a political consultant and eldest son of our 40th President, Ronald Reagan.

www.ronlargent.com

ronlargent@kw.com

Fix 5 or What?

Fix 5...or Call It What You Want?

Posted April 03, 2009 at 23:29 PM

ronlargent

Fix 5 or What? Our Choice.

I seldom question Silas Lyon’s editorials, but this time I do. It has to do with his editorial on a recent Sunday concerning the issue surrounding the upcoming political decision to “Fix 5” (Interstate 5), or as it is now called, SCRIP (Shasta County Regional Improvement Program). The column did not fully explain the full impact of this proposed “fee” on the average citizen of our area. I appreciate the point that we should prepare now for future traffic; that our area will continue to grow; and that I5 will continue, as now, to be the major transportation artery through Redding and Shasta County. Where I differ greatly with the Regional Transportation Agency, headed up by a CALTRANS employee, which is the major government agency behind this proposal, is that this is an “unfair tax”, call it what you want. Technically, this “Fix 5” fee, which is what this project was initially called until it became too politically sensitive, could be called an “impact fee”, but in reality it is a charge, or tax, that will be passed on to every property owner in the County, whether you live in Redding, Anderson, Burney, or the unincorporated areas of the County. We will all be taxed, if you will, even rental apartment dwellers, to help “Fix 5”.

The “unfair aspect” of this tax has a number of arguments: (1) I5 is not used only by Shasta County residents. In fact, depending on which study you read, as much as 65% of both north and southbound I5 traffic comes from outside our county. Just look at the trucks, from Wal-Mart to UPS to JB Hunt that travel from Sacramento and the Bay Area into Oregon and other points north and east; (2) The tax will be imposed on all new homes and new commercial buildings disproportionally. Homes will have one fee, depending on what area they are in, and a commercial building will a have a different fee schedule, depending on the nature of the business. Restaurant property, for example, will be taxed differently than office buildings. This “tax” is not equally fair to all property owners; (3) The tax is not imposed equally on users. A resident that lives in West Redding that works downtown that uses Highway 44 to get to the Mall may not even use I5 during a normal week. Yet a resident that lives in Cottonwood and works in Redding uses I5 daily. Both will be taxed the same. The only tax that is equally imposed on the use of all roads is the gas tax, and this tax is currently in place. And, (4) the gas tax can be used to “Fix 5”. Gas taxes were imposed for various purposes at the state and national level, including the maintenance of the Interstate road system, and for 50 plus years the tax has worked, through good and bad economic times, and it will continue to work, If you drive, you pay. If you use public transportation, it pays and you pay in the cost of the ticket. All users of our transportation systems are treated fairly, whether you like the cost of riding BART or not. We pay enough in gas taxes now, but this is still fairer than the proposed “Fix 5 Tax”. There are already fees in place to pay our fair share of highway maintenance. We do not need more taxes. End of story.

In summary, there are still many, many unanswered questions that need to be asked by our elected officials and Council persons. On April 28, 2009, at 4 PM, at the Redding City Hall Chambers, this tax will be challenged, If you want to be heard to help regulate new and increased “taxes”, here is your chance. See you there.

Ron Largent

www.ronlargent.com

ronlargent@kw.com

Fix 5 or What?

Fix 5...or Call It What You Want?

Posted April 03, 2009 at 23:29 PM

ronlargent

Fix 5 or What? Our Choice.

I seldom question Silas Lyon’s editorials, but this time I do. It has to do with his editorial on a recent Sunday concerning the issue surrounding the upcoming political decision to “Fix 5” (Interstate 5), or as it is now called, SCRIP (Shasta County Regional Improvement Program). The column did not fully explain the full impact of this proposed “fee” on the average citizen of our area. I appreciate the point that we should prepare now for future traffic; that our area will continue to grow; and that I5 will continue, as now, to be the major transportation artery through Redding and Shasta County. Where I differ greatly with the Regional Transportation Agency, headed up by a CALTRANS employee, which is the major government agency behind this proposal, is that this is an “unfair tax”, call it what you want. Technically, this “Fix 5” fee, which is what this project was initially called until it became too politically sensitive, could be called an “impact fee”, but in reality it is a charge, or tax, that will be passed on to every property owner in the County, whether you live in Redding, Anderson, Burney, or the unincorporated areas of the County. We will all be taxed, if you will, even rental apartment dwellers, to help “Fix 5”.

The “unfair aspect” of this tax has a number of arguments: (1) I5 is not used only by Shasta County residents. In fact, depending on which study you read, as much as 65% of both north and southbound I5 traffic comes from outside our county. Just look at the trucks, from Wal-Mart to UPS to JB Hunt that travel from Sacramento and the Bay Area into Oregon and other points north and east; (2) The tax will be imposed on all new homes and new commercial buildings disproportionally. Homes will have one fee, depending on what area they are in, and a commercial building will a have a different fee schedule, depending on the nature of the business. Restaurant property, for example, will be taxed differently than office buildings. This “tax” is not equally fair to all property owners; (3) The tax is not imposed equally on users. A resident that lives in West Redding that works downtown that uses Highway 44 to get to the Mall may not even use I5 during a normal week. Yet a resident that lives in Cottonwood and works in Redding uses I5 daily. Both will be taxed the same. The only tax that is equally imposed on the use of all roads is the gas tax, and this tax is currently in place. And, (4) the gas tax can be used to “Fix 5”. Gas taxes were imposed for various purposes at the state and national level, including the maintenance of the Interstate road system, and for 50 plus years the tax has worked, through good and bad economic times, and it will continue to work, If you drive, you pay. If you use public transportation, it pays and you pay in the cost of the ticket. All users of our transportation systems are treated fairly, whether you like the cost of riding BART or not. We pay enough in gas taxes now, but this is still fairer than the proposed “Fix 5 Tax”. There are already fees in place to pay our fair share of highway maintenance. We do not need more taxes. End of story.

In summary, there are still many, many unanswered questions that need to be asked by our elected officials and Council persons. On April 28, 2009, at 4 PM, at the Redding City Hall Chambers, this tax will be challenged, If you want to be heard to help regulate new and increased “taxes”, here is your chance. See you there.

Ron Largent

www.ronlargent.com

ronlargent@kw.com

Turtle Bay in Redding, CA...the Place to Be.

Turtle Bay in Redding, CA ... A Place to See

Posted April 03, 2009 at 22:04 PM

ronlargent

Calling all Artists!

Join us for: Ceramics class with Rosie Orwig Saturday, April 11 & 25 10 a.m. - Noon Enjoy learning about various ceramic artists while creating a ceramic creation using the coil or slab method. Rosie will guide you through the various techniques of texture, design and clay etching during the first class and glazing will take place during the second. Completed pieces will be available for pick up at the Visitor Center (April 30 - May 3). For Age 9-adult. $40 Members $55 Non-members JSS classroom in Visitor Center For reservations or more information call 242-3108

Foothill High School in Redding area going to Nationals

How About Foothill High School..Wow!

Posted March 20, 2009 at 09:08 AM

ronlargent

Our own Foothill High School in Palo Cedro is off to the Nationals...this was in the local paper, the Record Searchlight today...read on, please...

Science bowl competitors work on team chemistry

By Rob Rogers (Contact)
Friday, March 20, 2009

PALO CEDRO - The Foothill High School students traveling to Washington, D.C., for the National Science Bowl have one goal.

"Do better than Chico did last year," said senior Nick Rossow.

The same Foothill team competing this year lost in regional competition to the Chico High School team last year. The Foothill students watched Chico's progress at the nationals last year, where they finished second to last, the Foothill team said.

They all hope to do better than that when they compete at the nation's capital next month.

Foothill beat 10 schools and 24 teams to win the Regional Science Bowl in Redding on March 7 and will travel next to Washington, D.C., on April 30 to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl.

They'll compete against 66 other teams; the top 16 finishers will win $1,000 each, to be given to their high schools' science departments.

Foothill's win at regionals was hard fought.

"We answered ... roughly 125 questions," said Zane Silver, a senior.

The competition is set up like a game show. Two teams sit across from each other at a table and are given questions by a moderator. Questions cover everything from physics to chemistry to trigonometry. Team members quickly work out the solution, and the first to ring the buzzer with the correct answer wins the round.

Looking back, the members of the team admitted they may have gone into the competition a little overconfident.

"We went in totally unprepared last year and came out third," Rossow said. "We went into this year pretty cocky."

"Maybe a little too cocky," said teammate Nick Cerami, a senior.

They lost one of their first rounds during the morning competition but still had a good enough record to advance to the afternoon playoffs. There, they narrowly beat the Chico High School team in the semifinals - a match that went into triple overtime.

Then they moved on to face Shasta High for the championship.

"That team had already lost one round in playoffs and had to beat us twice to win the title," said Matt Fowler, the team's coach and a science teacher at Foothill.

As the finals began, Shasta High won the first round, making it anyone's game.

"The final round was a nail-biter, with our team winning the title by just one question," Fowler said.

The five team members, Rossow, Cerami, Silver, Brett Hodge and Coulter Knapp - the team's lone junior - plan to continue studying science after high school, each hoping to make a career of it. Most of them hope to become engineers.

"I think everyone here plans on pursuing science of some kind," Silver said.

Rob Rogers can be reached at 225-8217 or at rrogers@redding.com.

Traffic Cameras--Good or Bad?

Redding Traffic Cameras

Posted March 20, 2009 at 00:27 AM

ronlargent

Grand jury:says....

Redding should add more red lightcameras...

.a good reason to live in Redding, CA

By Ryan Sabalow
Originally published 11:59 a.m., March 19, 2009
Updated 11:59 a.m., March 19, 2009

Redding's traffic cameras

• Cypress Avenue and Churn Creek Road

• Cypress Avenue and Bechelli Lane

• Lake Boulevard and Market Street

• Pine and Tehama streets

• Shasta and Market street

In spite of national reports casting doubt about the effectiveness of red-light cameras, the Shasta County Grand Jury recommends that the city of Redding add them to intersections “at every opportunity.”

In its latest report released today, the grand jury touted the use of the cameras as a “phenomenal law enforcement tool” that reduced collisions by 48 percent in the first half of 2008 at the intersections at which they were installed.

Wrecks citywide were down by 21 percent over the same period, the jurors wrote.

“Redding Police Department traffic experts postulate that a primary cause of the dramatic improvements of traffic safety is the presence of red light cameras,” the jurors wrote.

In spite of concerns to the contrary, there’s also been no evidence the cameras increased rear-end collisions at camera-equipped intersections, the jurors wrote.

But the jurors also noted that the cameras didn’t seem to reduce collisions citywide during 2007, the camera’s first year of operation.

The jury also found that costs to taxpayers are negligible, but the cameras so far have generated no revenue for the city.

Taxpayers pay less than $30,000 each year to pay for part-time officers who review the cameras’ videos and photos, shot when a motorist triggers the camera’s in-ground motion sensors.

The $325 fine generated each time a motorist is caught running a light pays for the rest of the program.

In 2007 and 2008, all of the $116,000 the city collected in fines went to Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Redflex Traffic Systems, the company that operates and installs the cameras, the jury found.

Under the city’s contract with Redflex, the company will pay Redflex up to $200,516 in fees before the city can collect any cash.

In recent months, the cameras have drawn national attention as studies have cast doubt on the cameras’ effectiveness while the companies that operate them rake in cash.

Although national studies show fewer T-bone crashes at lights with cameras and fewer drivers running red lights, the number of rear-end crashes increased.

Meanwhile, companies like Redflex expect increased revenue for years to come, while cities around the nation install them them to bolster their revenue streams.

Redflex alone saw after-tax profits of $10.6 million in fiscal year 2008, up from $7.3 million the year before.

Aaron Quinn, spokesman for the Wisconsin-based National Motorists Association, said that there are cheaper safety alternatives to red-light cameras, including lengthening yellow-light times.

“We say, the red-light camera wouldn’t have stopped anyone from getting hit,” Quinn told The Associated Press. “Once (a city) sees one city getting it miles away, and that first city makes a bunch of money, they want to do it, too. It’s like a virus.”

Reporter Ryan Sabalow can be reached at 225-8344 or rsabalow@redding.com...the Redding Record Searchlight

Trader Joe's in Redding -- Finally

Trader Joe's to Redding-Finally!

Posted March 10, 2009 at 01:15 AM

ronlargent

I had the occassion to drive by the new Trader Joe's on Hilltop early Monday....and there they were...lined up for job apps. So finally it looks as if the famous TJ's will be in Redding. If you haven't shopped at TJ's, and you like unusual foods and a great variety, you will love the place. These stores are just fun to go into...if only for an energy bar. In Redding, we are going to be very fortunate to have both TJ's and Orchard Nutrition, which is also a great store, and is locally owned. Here is what David Benda of the Record Searchlight said about the "job opportunities"

Updated: Early morning throng converges on Trader Joe's for applications

By David Benda (Contact)
Originally published 03:51 p.m., March 9, 2009
Updated 03:51 p.m., March 9, 2009

Photo by Andreas Fuhrmann / Record Searchlight

Jon Newland, 17, of Redding, fills out an application at Trader Joe's in Redding on Monday morning. People started arriving at 5 a.m., roughly four hours before the store was to hand out applications.

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Hoping to land a job at the new Trader Joe’s in Redding, job-seekers started arriving at 5 a.m. today — four hours before the specialty grocer was scheduled to start handing out applications.

By 8 a.m., dozens were lined up in front of the Browning Street store, which will open May 1, and the parking lot in the Kohl’s center was starting to fill up.

“I want to have a job that is more of a future,” said 22-year-old Redding resident Jared King, as he sat in his car in the chilly pre-dawn air.

King, who works for a care home in the area, was filling out an application as he spoke. He said he got the application during a recent visit to the Trader Joe’s in Chico.

Company spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said approximately 1,200 applications had been handed out as of 3 p.m. today. People can pick up applications through Friday. Trader Joe's expects to have everybody hired by the end of this month, Mochizuki said.

Gaylynn Robinson, 51, has been out of work since March of last year, when she quit her accounting job in Oregon to move to Shasta County. Robinson said she and her husband returned to Shasta County to be closer to family.

Despite her qualifications, Robinson said it’s been difficult landing work, adding that she’s either over-qualified or under-qualified. Robinson’s unemployment will run out in May.

“Maybe I can get an accounting job or even a cashier,” said Robinson, who lives in Anderson.

Although getting a job at Trader Joe’s isn’t a first-come, first-served prospect, most in line today said they got up early to show the company they have the initiative.

“Maybe they will hire the guy who was here at 5 a.m., as opposed to the guy who got here at noon,” Daniel Peyton, 22, said.

Peyton works part-time at Round Table Pizza in Redding.

“That’s why I’m here. I’m getting less than 10 hours a week,” the Redding resident said of his pizza job. “My goal is to have a job with more hours than I’m getting.”

Word that the niche grocer would be taking applications has been circulating for weeks. Many job-seekers came to the Redding store last Monday, only be told Trader Joe’s wouldn’t start taking applications until today.

Finally TJ's is here!

Thanks for reading...... www.ronlargent.com ronlargent@kw.com

dale Gonyea in Redding, CA on Tuesday

At the age of five, Dale Gonyea got up very early one morning and, without a single lesson, spontaneously began playing the piano. His parents were astonished because they did not have a piano. They decided he needed therapy or music lessons. Therapy was expensive. They bought a piano and a career was born.

At ten, Dale saw the movie West Side Story and was furious he hadn't written it. He is a University of Michigan music graduate who now uses the piano as the springboard for his unique humor. It has brought him worldwide acclaim. Named "Classic Comedian of the Year" by a Manhattan radio station, Gonyea is also an Emmy winner, a Clio nominee, and his song-spoof, "I Need Your Help, Barry Manilow" was Grammy-nominated for Comedy Record of the Year. His song, "Has Anybody Seen My Heart?" was featured in the HBO Movie The Girl Gets Moe starring Tony Danza.

He has also written numerous songs for Disney, including the Sport Goofy anthem, "You Can Always Be Number One" and the Genie's song, "Nothing in the World Quite like a Friend" for The Return of Jafar, the sequel to Aladdin. Aside from national jingles, his songs have been performed by Rosie O'Donnell, Kaye Ballard, Ray Stevens, among others and his Cher parody was featured in the hit show Catskills on Broadway.

The Los Angeles Times proclaimed him "heir to the piano-comedy throne" during the run of his solo theater piece, A Twelve O'clock Guy in a Nine O'clock Town. During his subsequent theater piece, An American in Pasadena, thousands were inspired to pull up stakes and move to Pasadena.

Television appearances include Evening at the Improv, HBO Young Comedians, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, Paramount Comedy Theater, and as a special musical reporter on Entertainment Tonight.

Among the highlights of his career, he spent an amazing year living in England, performing and writing for a satirical British television show entitled, "etc".

He shared the bill with Dick Shawn at the Pasadena Playhouse and has opened for Crystal Gayle, Glen Campbell, and Andy Williams among others. Recently, he has been touring the U.S. with Broadway on Ice starring Dorothy Hamill. Live appearances have ranged from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas to Trump Castle in Atlantic City to Town Hall in Manhattan.

In his spare time, he ponders life's weightier issues, such as "What makes the sky blue?" "Where does infinity end?" and "What did Ernest Hemingway?"

Foreclosures in Redding, CA

Quail Ridge Subdivision…..1414 Setter, off of Spaniel, off of Whistling, off of Churn Creek opposite Little Country Church. 4 BR, 2 Bath, 1500 sq ft, great cul-de-sac lot with huge backyard,,,,,$186,000…sold 18 months ago in the high $200’s. OPEN SATURDAY 11-2 pm

Quail Ridge Subdivison….737 Mallard, off of Grouse, off of Browning, near Winco Store…3BR 2 Bath, 1375 sq ft, built in 1994..offered at $184,000. See me at Setter and I can get you into Mallard.

Woodhaven area off of Victor south of Hartnell. 1685 Canter Ct. 4 BR. 2 Bath, 1722 Sq Ft. Great cul-de-sac lot…sold 2 years ago for $344,000….now at $225,000. Victor south from Hartnell to Vega, west to Canterbury, south to Canter, right turn to the home. OPEN SATURDAY 2-4 pm….SUNDAY 1-3 pm.

Cottonwood..almost 10 acres, 3 BR, 2 Bath, 1250 sq ft on 9.7 acres….perfect for livestock on rolling hills. Unbelievable at $174,900. SHOWN BY APPROINTMENT, but vacant, so call me to see it or drive by. Gas Point west 8 miles to left on Shane to 3403 Shane Lane.

Just REDUCED to $110,000 in Enterprise....3/2 1000 sq ft...Bank REPO.

www.ronlargent.com ronlargent@kw.com

Hooray for Redding CA Police

This was in the Record Searchlight paper today...and too good to miss. See www.redding.com for news..

Robbery suspect quickly caught

By Dylan Darling (Contact)
Saturday, January 31, 2009

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North Valley Bank robbery

Police officers detain a bank robbery suspect this afternoon along Interstate 5 while witnesses identify him. View gallery »

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A bank robbery suspect apparently took a wrong turn and then got caught in traffic before being caught by police Friday afternoon near a freeway interchange.

Police identified the man as Robert Todd Bruce, 48, of Reno, who was booked into Shasta County jail on suspicion of armed robbery.

A second person in the getaway car, Joseph Anthony Tagliamonti, 46, of Phoenix, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and four counts of forgery, Redding police Sgt. Dean Stainberg said.

The robbery occurred just before 2:30 p.m. at the North Valley Bank branch on East Cypress Avenue in Redding. The suspects' car was spotted going west on East Cypress Avenue by a Redding police investigator and officers stopped the car within about 10 minutes of the robbery.

All northbound lanes of Interstate 5 were blocked temporarily when the suspects' car was stopped near Highway 44.

Duane Langshaw, who was riding his motorbike on Wall Street, was a witness to the getaway. He saw a man sprinting from the bank with a blue bag wearing an auburn wig and a green hat.

"He came running with a hat and a wig on," Langshaw said.

He said the man got into a green car with Nevada plates parked on Wall Street and sped away, but, surprisingly, turned east onto East Cypress Avenue - away from the freeway.

The lone gunman who held up the bank was described as about 6 feet tall, 160 pounds, with shaggy dark hair, dark glasses and a hat.

"He approached a teller, displayed a handgun and demanded money," said Sgt. Koby Heston of the Redding Police Department.

Heston said the teller handed over an undisclosed amount of cash and the robber escaped eastbound on East Cypress Avenue in a green car.

But he must have changed direction. Minutes later, the police investigator spotted him near the freeway entrance.

Police arrested the suspect and a passenger in the car after patrol cars pulled them over. The suspect did not resist arrest, and witnesses from the bank were brought to identify the man on the freeway.

"We recovered the handgun and the money," Heston said.

Police later said the firearm was a pellet gun. They also found the suspect's disguise and a demand note.

Sande Blalock, North Valley Bank's marketing director, said she didn't have any details on the robbery but said the bank's employees responded as they were trained to do.

The branch was closed Friday afternoon while police conducted their investigation, she said. Blalock expected the branch to reopen today.

Reporter Dylan

We have moved, and we are having a Party.

Click here to download a PDF invitation to our grand opening January 22, 2009!

About Redding...the best kept secret

About Redding

Redding California is nestled at the end of the Sacramento Valley. This hidden California jewel offers immense recreation, living and business opportunities. Located within the city limits is the famous Sundial Bridge , Turtle Bay Museum and the newly renovated Cascade Theatre. Redding is bisected by the world class fly fishing Sacramento River and is close to hiking, camping and boating at Lassen National Park, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and the renowned Shasta Lake Redding is the regional center of Northern California for health and legal services, retail shopping and employment. Located at I-5 and highways 299 and 44, Redding is the hub for all of Shasta County and the gateway to the Trinity Alps and Cascade Recreation areas. Nearby Shasta Lake provides fishing, boating, camping and houseboat rental opportunities.

There are two major hospitals in Redding, Mercy Medical Center and Shasta Regional Medical Center. There are also 15 convalescent hospitals, 32 assisted living facilities and a veteran's outpatient clinic. Redding is also home to a large medical community of Physicians, Dentists and walk-in clinics.

Redding has great schools. There are three major high schools, six middle schools, 46 elementary schools, 4 charter schools, and 30 private schools in Redding. Redding also has five colleges and universities: National University, a four year, private university, Shasta College, a public community college, CSU Chico at Shasta College University Center, Simpson University, a four-year Christian college, Shasta Bible College and Graduate School, a four-year Christian college.

There are many great community events held in Redding each year, Kool April Nites, The Redding Rodeo and famous Asphalt Cowboy's Pancake Breakfast, The Rodeo Parade, The Trade Club's Lighted Christmas Parade and summer favorite Marketfest. The Exchange Club's Air Show is held bi-annually.

Plan your trip to the Redding area in advance with the help of our Redding Area Accommodations Directory. This comprehensive directory includes links and listings to local Bed and Breakfast Inns, motels and hotels. Looking for a great restaurant while you are in Redding? Visit our complete list of restaurants.

See hundreds of Redding, California, and surrounding area Businesses Online, conveniently organized by category and easy to use, helping you to find virtually every business online in the greater Redding CA area and throughout Northern California.