Times-Herald staff report
Posted: 05/05/2010 01:03:59 AM PDT
With improvements to downtown Vallejo a common goal, a second summit will be held tonight to review progress and talk about new efforts, organizers said.
The summit starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Empress Theater, 330 Virginia St.
"It's an opportunity for individuals and groups interested in creating change in the downtown to report to each other on what they have achieved," organizer and downtown business owner Janet Sylvain said.
The summit is sponsored by the Central Core Restoration Corporation. Sylvain is the board's chairwoman.
The first summit was in February, drawing dozens to the theater to talk how to draw more people downtown, and to make both immediate and long-term improvements.
Tonight, representatives from a number of groups and individuals will give reports on progress since the first summit.
Those include the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation, Chamber of Commerce, Empress Theater, Convention & Visitors Bureau, Waterfront Alliance, Waterfront Artists, and the city of Vallejo.
Efforts include recent waterfront clean-up, attempts to crack down on code enforcement violators, a new branding name for the city, and work in surrounding residential neighborhoods to improve conditions, Sylvain said.
Meanwhile, city officials will report on new infrastructure improvements downtown, including new trees and sidewalks on Virginia Street, a new bus transfer station and renovations to the Ferry Building.
Upcoming events to draw more people to the area and to the waterfront also will be discussed.
A follow-up summit to keep momentum going will take place July 21, Sylvain said.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Supervisors shrink Solano's structural deficit, but pace is slow
By Melissa Murphy / The Reporter, Vacaville
Posted: 05/05/2010 01:04:45 AM PDT
Solano County's structural deficit is shrinking, but more cuts have to be made for the coming fiscal year's budget to be balanced.
During the third quarter budget review for fiscal year 2009-10 on Tuesday, the Solano County Board of Supervisors was told the structural deficit is $5.47 million, down from $8.38 million in the midyear review. Budget revisions in September showed an $18.88 million structural deficit.
Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the third quarter review.
Solano County Administrator Mike Johnson explained that although he's happy to report the significant drop in the structural deficit, the gap between funds and expenditures could increase to $16.2 million next year.
"There has been significant improvements," he said and added that revenues continue to decline, and although expenses are declining, it's not fast enough.
By the end of this fiscal year, officials project the county will have $52 million in its reserves and $40 million in fund balance.
During better economic times, part of the fund balance would be saved in the reserves.
It is projected that in fiscal year 2010-11, the county will not only draw $6 million from its reserves, but $10 million from the fund balance.
By fiscal year 2011-12, the county is looking at a $21 million use of the fund balance, Johnson said.
The revenue in 2010-11 will continue to decline, including an 8 percent reduction in property taxes and a loss in interest earnings as the county depletes its cash reserves.
Meanwhile, expenses will increase in cost of living adjustments for existing contract obligations and projected impact of Health and Social Services' caseload.
Going forward, to fill the structural deficit gap, the county is exploring opportunities for consolidation, looking at automation to create efficiencies, examining another round of early retirement incentives and establishing a two-tier retirement system.
Meanwhile, Johnson said there are other options including rescinding Employer Paid Member Contribution to retirements by 6 percent for all employees, which would save $4 million, reducing the employee work week to 37.5 hours to save $3 million or furlough for 12 days to save another $3 million.
Johnson said there may be future layoffs.
Posted: 05/05/2010 01:04:45 AM PDT
Solano County's structural deficit is shrinking, but more cuts have to be made for the coming fiscal year's budget to be balanced.
During the third quarter budget review for fiscal year 2009-10 on Tuesday, the Solano County Board of Supervisors was told the structural deficit is $5.47 million, down from $8.38 million in the midyear review. Budget revisions in September showed an $18.88 million structural deficit.
Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the third quarter review.
Solano County Administrator Mike Johnson explained that although he's happy to report the significant drop in the structural deficit, the gap between funds and expenditures could increase to $16.2 million next year.
"There has been significant improvements," he said and added that revenues continue to decline, and although expenses are declining, it's not fast enough.
By the end of this fiscal year, officials project the county will have $52 million in its reserves and $40 million in fund balance.
During better economic times, part of the fund balance would be saved in the reserves.
It is projected that in fiscal year 2010-11, the county will not only draw $6 million from its reserves, but $10 million from the fund balance.
By fiscal year 2011-12, the county is looking at a $21 million use of the fund balance, Johnson said.
The revenue in 2010-11 will continue to decline, including an 8 percent reduction in property taxes and a loss in interest earnings as the county depletes its cash reserves.
Meanwhile, expenses will increase in cost of living adjustments for existing contract obligations and projected impact of Health and Social Services' caseload.
Going forward, to fill the structural deficit gap, the county is exploring opportunities for consolidation, looking at automation to create efficiencies, examining another round of early retirement incentives and establishing a two-tier retirement system.
Meanwhile, Johnson said there are other options including rescinding Employer Paid Member Contribution to retirements by 6 percent for all employees, which would save $4 million, reducing the employee work week to 37.5 hours to save $3 million or furlough for 12 days to save another $3 million.
Johnson said there may be future layoffs.
Benicia prepares for flow of cash from Valero deal
By Tony Burchyns / Times-Herald
Posted: 05/05/2010 01:05:58 AM PDT
BENICIA -- The City Council late Tuesday praised a citizens group, Valero and city officials before approving an agreement that will steer millions of dollars toward community projects during the next five years.
More than a year in the making, the agreement updates a 2008 settlement between the Good Neighbor Steering Committee and Valero to resolve a dispute over the refinery's environmental impacts. The original deal required Valero to pay for $14 million worth of environmental projects, with the bulk reserved for water conservation efforts.
The amended agreement, however, clarifies the use of the funds and the timing of desired projects in the city and the Benicia Unified School District, both of which are beneficiaries of the funds.
"It's nice being mayor ... to see something like this come to completion," Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson said before the unanimous vote.
Patterson, who was once a member of the Good Neighbor Steering Committee before she was an elected official, thanked the group's members for countless hours of unpaid work in the city's interest.
"It's been a pleasure," Patterson added. "The conclusion is greatly appreciated."
Among other things, the deal will allow the city to finance the completion of a LEED-certified community center project at the old Mills Elementary School site, which the city is leasing from the school district. City officials Tuesday night said the project will go out to bid later this month and construction could be finished as soon as June 2011.
As for Valero, it gained the ability to use up to $3 million for a proposed water-conservation project at its Benicia plant. It is anticipated that the full project would save 40 million gallons of water a year by recycling condensation within the refinery's plumbing.
The agreement requires Valero to meet certain conditions to use the funds, which otherwise could go toward future unspecified community projects. Among other things, Valero must complete the project on time and demonstrate that it meets conservation targets.
"I'm glad we've come to agreement," Valero refinery spokesman Chris Howe told the council. "I am looking forward to it."
Dana Dean, spokeswoman for the Good Neighbor Steering Committee, said the agreement will provide funds for many environmental projects that will "ripple" through time.
Dean, also a Benicia school board member, added that the proposed Green Academy at Benicia High School wouldn't be funded without the agreement.
"Thirty years from now the money we are spending on it will still be in effect," Dean told the council.
The agreement ensures that Valero will provide $2 million per year for five years to the city.
The refinery has also agreed to make available up to $1 million to preserve undeveloped
hillsides.
Funds will also be provided for school district properties and programs, including a horticulture program at Liberty High School and a health lunch program at Benicia High.
Contact staff writer Tony Burchyns at tburchyns@timesheraldonline.com or (707) 553-6831.
Why It Matters:
Benicia and its school district will receive $14 million for projects that city officials say would be otherwise undoable in this economy.
Posted: 05/05/2010 01:05:58 AM PDT
BENICIA -- The City Council late Tuesday praised a citizens group, Valero and city officials before approving an agreement that will steer millions of dollars toward community projects during the next five years.
More than a year in the making, the agreement updates a 2008 settlement between the Good Neighbor Steering Committee and Valero to resolve a dispute over the refinery's environmental impacts. The original deal required Valero to pay for $14 million worth of environmental projects, with the bulk reserved for water conservation efforts.
The amended agreement, however, clarifies the use of the funds and the timing of desired projects in the city and the Benicia Unified School District, both of which are beneficiaries of the funds.
"It's nice being mayor ... to see something like this come to completion," Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson said before the unanimous vote.
Patterson, who was once a member of the Good Neighbor Steering Committee before she was an elected official, thanked the group's members for countless hours of unpaid work in the city's interest.
"It's been a pleasure," Patterson added. "The conclusion is greatly appreciated."
Among other things, the deal will allow the city to finance the completion of a LEED-certified community center project at the old Mills Elementary School site, which the city is leasing from the school district. City officials Tuesday night said the project will go out to bid later this month and construction could be finished as soon as June 2011.
As for Valero, it gained the ability to use up to $3 million for a proposed water-conservation project at its Benicia plant. It is anticipated that the full project would save 40 million gallons of water a year by recycling condensation within the refinery's plumbing.
The agreement requires Valero to meet certain conditions to use the funds, which otherwise could go toward future unspecified community projects. Among other things, Valero must complete the project on time and demonstrate that it meets conservation targets.
"I'm glad we've come to agreement," Valero refinery spokesman Chris Howe told the council. "I am looking forward to it."
Dana Dean, spokeswoman for the Good Neighbor Steering Committee, said the agreement will provide funds for many environmental projects that will "ripple" through time.
Dean, also a Benicia school board member, added that the proposed Green Academy at Benicia High School wouldn't be funded without the agreement.
"Thirty years from now the money we are spending on it will still be in effect," Dean told the council.
The agreement ensures that Valero will provide $2 million per year for five years to the city.
The refinery has also agreed to make available up to $1 million to preserve undeveloped
hillsides.
Funds will also be provided for school district properties and programs, including a horticulture program at Liberty High School and a health lunch program at Benicia High.
Contact staff writer Tony Burchyns at tburchyns@timesheraldonline.com or (707) 553-6831.
Why It Matters:
Benicia and its school district will receive $14 million for projects that city officials say would be otherwise undoable in this economy.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Solano Community College-Vallejo Center's growth prompts more funding
Solano Community College-Vallejo Center's growth prompts more funding
Posted: 05/04/2010 01:48:54 AM PDT
More than 1,000 full-time students taking classes at the Vallejo Center means the satellite campus will get $1 million more each year for staffing and other services, officials said Monday.
Solano Community College received word the Community College Chancellor's Office Board of Governors had officially designated the satellite campus on Columbus Parkway as a "center," President Jowel Laguerre said.
This means the school is eligible for the state funding boost.
"We're officially recognized as a center and with that comes extra resources to facilitate our needs here," Vallejo Center Director Jerry Kea said.
Since the Vallejo Center opened in 2007, the facility has been called a "center," but has lacked official state designation as such, Laguerre said.
The additional $1 million will go toward making the Vallejo Center a self-contained facility where students can find services they need and not make trips to the Fairfield campus for help in financial aid and other issues, Kea said.
"We want students to receive, to the greatest degree possible, a range of services, from financial aid, admission and registration support and that type of thing," Kea said.
Proceeds also will likely be spent on custodial services in an effort to help keep the satellite campus maintained and repaired, Kea said.
Vallejo board member Rosemary Thurston said funding will also go toward bolstering the Vallejo Center's educational programs and to collaborate with surrounding universities.
Thurston's late husband Bill Thurston, a long-time Solano College board member, was instrumental in helping to pass the bonds necessary to finance construction of the Vallejo satellite campus.
The ultimate goal is for students attending the Vallejo Center to have access to all the classes and other programs they need in order to obtain bachelor degrees, Thurston said.
School officials are excited about the additional funding, and the center's success, Thurston said.
When the Solano College Vallejo campus was still inside the John F. Kennedy Library, about 250 full-time students took classes there, Kea said.
Last year, the equivalent of nearly 1,300 full-time students were attending, he added.
Contact staff writer Sarah Rohrs at srohrs@timesheraldonline.com or (707) 553-6832.
UC Davis Graduate Programs Rank High
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April 29, 2010Graduate programs rank highBy Clifton B. Parker UC Davis received high honors in the newest U.S. News & World Report rankings of graduate and professional schools. Highlights include:• School of Law — 28th out of nearly 200 accredited schools. It is also the youngest law school in the report’s top 30 rankings. • Biological sciences — 20th overall among 233 schools. • School of Medicine — 20th for primary care and 47th in research among 97 and 92 schools ranked, respectively, and 126 schools surveyed. • Graduate School of Management — the full-time MBA program placed 42nd and the part-time program was 35th out of 99 schools rated and 433 schools surveyed. • School of Education — 66th out of 179 schools ranked and 279 schools surveyed. Beyond schools and colleges, other UC Davis programs ranked among the top 30 nationwide include: • Engineering — 32nd overall out of 198 schools surveyed and ranked; biological and agricultural (5); environmental and environmental health (14); civil (16); biomedical and bioengineering (23); aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical (24); materials (26); and chemical (30). • Biological sciences — ecology and evolutionary biology (3). • Earth sciences — 17th overall. • Mathematics — topology (13). • Physics — 26th overall. Each year, U.S. News & World Report ranks programs in business, education, engineering, law and medicine as professional programs. These ratings are based on two types of data: expert opinions about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students. Rankings of other grad programs are done every three years — they are based on reputational surveys of program chairs and grad studies directors. Universities also receive annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report. While this year’s ratings have not been released, UC Davis last year placed 11th among public universities, and 42nd among all universities. Each increase was a gain on the prior year. On the NetUC Davis Graduate StudiesU.S. News & World Report Rankings Return to the previous page | ||
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Solano firms use wellness programs to boost bottom lines, morale employee morale, stamina
By Richard Bammer/ RBammer@TheReporter.com
Posted: 05/02/2010 01:03:08 AM PDT
Benefits of company-sponsored wellness programs -- walks, runs, weight-loss regimens, blood pressure screening clinics, for example -- may be obvious, but they are becoming increasingly popular among Solano County business leaders because of still-rising costs for health-care premiums.
Study after study indicate that wellness programs are worth every corporate dollar spent. The returns -- improved health-care cost management, increased employee productivity, decreased rates of illness and injuries, reduced employee absenteeism -- translate into savings, which make CEOs and stockholders happy.
But wellness programs, according to a Providence General Medical Center study, also mean plenty of benefits for employees, among them lower levels of stress, increased self-esteem, stamina and morale, improved physical fitness and the potential for weight reduction, which can stave off medical problems such as diabetes and hypertension, which have reached epidemic proportions in the United States.
"For us, it makes good business sense, in addition to being the right thing to do," said Ken McCollum, vice president of human resources at NorthBay Healthcare, which owns and manages two hospitals in Solano County and employs nearly 1,900.
"Certainly, there's the benefit of supporting employee needs in this area, and, from a morale standpoint, it communicates to employees that you care about them," he added. "You can make resources available to them at no cost or low cost."
And it can be as easy as a mouse click. He cited company intranet services that allow NorthBay employees to take a health-risk appraisal by logging in at work or at home, day or night, allowing them to not only review their health risks but also to develop diet and exercise plans and establish fitness and health goals.
"We are in the process of adding elements as we go along," said McCollum, 64, who placed second in his age category at the company's Run For Good 5k fundraiser April 17 in Fairfield. He said the online activities complement "on-site elements," such as walking trails at the NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield and VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville.
NorthBay's director of public relations, Diane Barney, said the company has recently ramped up its employee wellness program, which began two years ago. Concerned about employee health, the company in January launched a major employee fitness challenge, Get Lean With Green, based on Fairfield physician Kenneth Forsythe's "Green Light Program," five steps toward achieving better health. Nearly 500 employees signed up, she noted.
The program's emphasis is not so much on weight loss as it is on getting in better shape, Barney said in a press release.
And there are incentives. Points are awarded, based on participation, so even physically fit employees can take part. Prizes are handed out along the way, with drawings in June for substantial prizes.
Additionally, 45 NorthBay employees have chosen to support the American Diabetes Association by signing up for today's Tour de Cure bicycle race, a fundraiser for the association, in Napa. Two of the riders have diabetes, Barney noted.
Sandy Durrance, a registered nurse at NorthBay and administrator of the Get Lean With Green wellness challenge, said, "Being healthy is such a big thing right now. In terms of helping employees, statistics and studies show that, when people are more fit, they are more productive and, mentally, they feel better."
NorthBay, she noted, "really wanted to find a program to really launch wellness." The company has carried out a smoking-cessation program and made worksites smoke free, but, Durrance explained, "We wanted to take it to the next level," inviting employees to make a choice to get more fit.
Forsythe, who works at Fairfield Primary Care, said wellness programs within companies large and small have gained popularity in the West for the past 20 years, but "they are becoming really important right now."
"We have an aging population," he said, noting that, with age, medical problems begin to surface among people. Pandemics of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension -- "These are all connected with being overweight," which wellness programs can mitigate, he added.
Gradually, it has dawned on business leaders that investing in wellness "enhances and protects the workers they have," noted Forsythe.
Saying his patients repeatedly tell him one thing -- "Doc, I just want to be healthy" -- Forsythe said, "They want to do something about their health. They need simple, sensible guidelines and they exist in the Green Light Program."
Durrance said Forsythe is at the forefront of new generation of physicians unafraid of candor with their overweight patients. They tell them "they need to do something about it," she said.
Participation in corporate wellness programs is voluntary, of course, but, McCollum said, "We try hard to listen to our employees and try not to coerce them into things that they'd rather not do."
All of NorthBay's employee wellness activities coincide with National Employee Health and Fitness Day, May 19. Created by the National Association for Health and Fitness in 1989, the day raises awareness of the role worksite health promotion programs play in making a business healthier and more productive.
At the Jelly Belly Candy Co. in Fairfield, company spokeswoman Tami Holt said the company pays a portion of its employees' gym fees and encourages workers to share fitness tips and recipes. "We try to keep it fun," she said.
As you might expect, Travis Air Force Base has long had an employee wellness program in effect, in part because of the needs of the military service. "The military has a huge focus on fitness and wellness," said Mary Nelson, a civilian employee and retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who oversees the base's wellness program. "The priority is to make sure the airmen (a term that includes men and women) are fit to fight -- that's the first priority."
Regulations require that all active-duty personnel take an annual fitness test (soon to be twice-yearly) that includes sit-ups, push-ups and completion of a 1.5-mile run.
But base officials also seek to enhance airmen's health in other ways, too, said Nelson. She cited a tobacco-cessation program and gait analysis, that is, how a person walks or runs.
"We also look at body fat analysis," obesity prevention, metabolism analysis and, from time to time, host blood pressure screening clinics and computer-based motivational programs, she said.
"We're helping them to take better care of themselves, to prevent trips to the hospital," said Nelson. McCollum called corporate wellness and fitness programs "a thing of the future," adding, "A lot of employers are using some type of wellness initiative at their worksites. It's been proven: When an employee is leading a more healthy lifestyle and eating the right food, they feel better and they're more productive -- not just at work but in their personal lives as well."
Posted: 05/02/2010 01:03:08 AM PDT
Benefits of company-sponsored wellness programs -- walks, runs, weight-loss regimens, blood pressure screening clinics, for example -- may be obvious, but they are becoming increasingly popular among Solano County business leaders because of still-rising costs for health-care premiums.
Study after study indicate that wellness programs are worth every corporate dollar spent. The returns -- improved health-care cost management, increased employee productivity, decreased rates of illness and injuries, reduced employee absenteeism -- translate into savings, which make CEOs and stockholders happy.
But wellness programs, according to a Providence General Medical Center study, also mean plenty of benefits for employees, among them lower levels of stress, increased self-esteem, stamina and morale, improved physical fitness and the potential for weight reduction, which can stave off medical problems such as diabetes and hypertension, which have reached epidemic proportions in the United States.
"For us, it makes good business sense, in addition to being the right thing to do," said Ken McCollum, vice president of human resources at NorthBay Healthcare, which owns and manages two hospitals in Solano County and employs nearly 1,900.
"Certainly, there's the benefit of supporting employee needs in this area, and, from a morale standpoint, it communicates to employees that you care about them," he added. "You can make resources available to them at no cost or low cost."
And it can be as easy as a mouse click. He cited company intranet services that allow NorthBay employees to take a health-risk appraisal by logging in at work or at home, day or night, allowing them to not only review their health risks but also to develop diet and exercise plans and establish fitness and health goals.
"We are in the process of adding elements as we go along," said McCollum, 64, who placed second in his age category at the company's Run For Good 5k fundraiser April 17 in Fairfield. He said the online activities complement "on-site elements," such as walking trails at the NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield and VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville.
NorthBay's director of public relations, Diane Barney, said the company has recently ramped up its employee wellness program, which began two years ago. Concerned about employee health, the company in January launched a major employee fitness challenge, Get Lean With Green, based on Fairfield physician Kenneth Forsythe's "Green Light Program," five steps toward achieving better health. Nearly 500 employees signed up, she noted.
The program's emphasis is not so much on weight loss as it is on getting in better shape, Barney said in a press release.
And there are incentives. Points are awarded, based on participation, so even physically fit employees can take part. Prizes are handed out along the way, with drawings in June for substantial prizes.
Additionally, 45 NorthBay employees have chosen to support the American Diabetes Association by signing up for today's Tour de Cure bicycle race, a fundraiser for the association, in Napa. Two of the riders have diabetes, Barney noted.
Sandy Durrance, a registered nurse at NorthBay and administrator of the Get Lean With Green wellness challenge, said, "Being healthy is such a big thing right now. In terms of helping employees, statistics and studies show that, when people are more fit, they are more productive and, mentally, they feel better."
NorthBay, she noted, "really wanted to find a program to really launch wellness." The company has carried out a smoking-cessation program and made worksites smoke free, but, Durrance explained, "We wanted to take it to the next level," inviting employees to make a choice to get more fit.
Forsythe, who works at Fairfield Primary Care, said wellness programs within companies large and small have gained popularity in the West for the past 20 years, but "they are becoming really important right now."
"We have an aging population," he said, noting that, with age, medical problems begin to surface among people. Pandemics of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension -- "These are all connected with being overweight," which wellness programs can mitigate, he added.
Gradually, it has dawned on business leaders that investing in wellness "enhances and protects the workers they have," noted Forsythe.
Saying his patients repeatedly tell him one thing -- "Doc, I just want to be healthy" -- Forsythe said, "They want to do something about their health. They need simple, sensible guidelines and they exist in the Green Light Program."
Durrance said Forsythe is at the forefront of new generation of physicians unafraid of candor with their overweight patients. They tell them "they need to do something about it," she said.
Participation in corporate wellness programs is voluntary, of course, but, McCollum said, "We try hard to listen to our employees and try not to coerce them into things that they'd rather not do."
All of NorthBay's employee wellness activities coincide with National Employee Health and Fitness Day, May 19. Created by the National Association for Health and Fitness in 1989, the day raises awareness of the role worksite health promotion programs play in making a business healthier and more productive.
At the Jelly Belly Candy Co. in Fairfield, company spokeswoman Tami Holt said the company pays a portion of its employees' gym fees and encourages workers to share fitness tips and recipes. "We try to keep it fun," she said.
As you might expect, Travis Air Force Base has long had an employee wellness program in effect, in part because of the needs of the military service. "The military has a huge focus on fitness and wellness," said Mary Nelson, a civilian employee and retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who oversees the base's wellness program. "The priority is to make sure the airmen (a term that includes men and women) are fit to fight -- that's the first priority."
Regulations require that all active-duty personnel take an annual fitness test (soon to be twice-yearly) that includes sit-ups, push-ups and completion of a 1.5-mile run.
But base officials also seek to enhance airmen's health in other ways, too, said Nelson. She cited a tobacco-cessation program and gait analysis, that is, how a person walks or runs.
"We also look at body fat analysis," obesity prevention, metabolism analysis and, from time to time, host blood pressure screening clinics and computer-based motivational programs, she said.
"We're helping them to take better care of themselves, to prevent trips to the hospital," said Nelson. McCollum called corporate wellness and fitness programs "a thing of the future," adding, "A lot of employers are using some type of wellness initiative at their worksites. It's been proven: When an employee is leading a more healthy lifestyle and eating the right food, they feel better and they're more productive -- not just at work but in their personal lives as well."
Emerging from bankruptcy, Six Flags Corp. looks ahead
Times-Herald staff report
Posted: 05/04/2010 01:48:52 AM PDT
Even as its parent company emerges from bankruptcy, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom's summer season begins daily operations this month. This year's season starts May 28 and runs through Aug. 22.
In anticipation of the birth of two dolphin calves this year, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has designated 2010 the Year of the Dolphin, with a dolphin swim program and dolphin experiences, park spokeswoman Nancy Chan said. Along with the debut of several new shows, guests also will find new food vendors throughout the park, she said.
This announcement comes after Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (formerly Six Flags, Inc.), completed a yearlong restructuring, Chan said. Emerging from Chapter 11 with its debt reduced by about $1.7 billion, the company also is backed by $725 million in equity committed by new shareholders, she said.
"This reorganization constitutes the final step in the repositioning of Six Flags globally," Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Park President Eric Gilbert said. "While the day-to-day operations of our park were never impacted, it's very exciting to envision a future that will allow us to rapidly grow and expand the array of services and entertainment for every single guest." Investing in park infrastructure will remain a top priority, he said.
"For Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, that means continuing to improve and upgrade all elements of the park and planning for new rides, attractions and special events over the next several years, including, of course, our highly-anticipated 50th anniversary season in 2011."
Discovery Kingdom has recruited more than 1,400 employees for the 2010 season and the park's special Season Pass price of $49.99 has been extended until May 31, according to the announcement.
The firm plans to apply to list the new common stock of Six Flags Entertainment on the New York Stock Exchange, it notes.
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is a New York-based publicly-traded corporation with 19 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Posted: 05/04/2010 01:48:52 AM PDT
Even as its parent company emerges from bankruptcy, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom's summer season begins daily operations this month. This year's season starts May 28 and runs through Aug. 22.
In anticipation of the birth of two dolphin calves this year, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has designated 2010 the Year of the Dolphin, with a dolphin swim program and dolphin experiences, park spokeswoman Nancy Chan said. Along with the debut of several new shows, guests also will find new food vendors throughout the park, she said.
This announcement comes after Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (formerly Six Flags, Inc.), completed a yearlong restructuring, Chan said. Emerging from Chapter 11 with its debt reduced by about $1.7 billion, the company also is backed by $725 million in equity committed by new shareholders, she said.
"This reorganization constitutes the final step in the repositioning of Six Flags globally," Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Park President Eric Gilbert said. "While the day-to-day operations of our park were never impacted, it's very exciting to envision a future that will allow us to rapidly grow and expand the array of services and entertainment for every single guest." Investing in park infrastructure will remain a top priority, he said.
"For Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, that means continuing to improve and upgrade all elements of the park and planning for new rides, attractions and special events over the next several years, including, of course, our highly-anticipated 50th anniversary season in 2011."
Discovery Kingdom has recruited more than 1,400 employees for the 2010 season and the park's special Season Pass price of $49.99 has been extended until May 31, according to the announcement.
The firm plans to apply to list the new common stock of Six Flags Entertainment on the New York Stock Exchange, it notes.
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is a New York-based publicly-traded corporation with 19 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
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