LOS ANGELES, CA - The city of angels is trying something a little different to conserve water, and it involves about 96 million plastic balls.
Shade balls, which are about four inches around each and help to keep water from evaporating in the Southern California heat, now float along all 175 acres of the Los Angeles Reservoir, according to an ABC report.
“By reducing evaporation, these shade balls will conserve 300 million gallons of water each year,” Mayor Eric Garcetti told ABC station KABC. “Instead of just evaporating into the sky, that’s 300 million gallons to fight this drought.”
To see the environmentally-friendly dumping, watch the video below.
Each ball cost the city 36 cents, coming out to about $34.5 million. Significantly less than the city’s initially estimated $300 million to cover the water source, or to divide it into two by separating it with a dam, according to what officials told ABC.
“This is a blend of how engineering really meets common sense,” Marcie Edwards, general manager at LADWP, said, according to the report. “We saved a lot of money, we did all the right things.”
#shadeballs. Drink up #LosAngeles. pic.twitter.com/XxLm8zgN1Y
— Stuart Reynolds (@stuz5000) August 12, 2015The last 20,000 of the 96 million shade balls rolled into the reservoir Monday, according to the report, on Mayor Garcetti’s announcement of “shade balls away!” They can be removed and recycled when they expire in about ten years, simply and inexpensively guarding the reservoir’s 3.3 billion gallons of water.
MILWAUKEE, WI - Shares for Roundy’s Inc. have jumped over 4 percent in after-hours trading following its better-than-expected Q2 2015 financial report.
"During the second quarter of 2015, we exceeded our net sales and same-store sales targets and we achieved our EBITDA target for the quarter," said Bob Mariano, Chairman, President and CEO of Roundy's. "We remain committed to achieving sustainable top-line growth by strengthening our brands in Wisconsin and expanding our growth banner, Mariano's, in Illinois. Our Mariano's banner celebrated its five-year anniversary with the opening of our 32nd Mariano's store in June.”
Net sales from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2015 were $998.3 million, an increase of $55.4 million, or 5.9%, from $942.9 million for the second quarter of 2014. According to Benzinga Financial News, however, analysts were expecting a loss of $0.04 per share on revenue of $984.4 million.
Other highlights from Roundy’s report include:
- Net loss from continuing operations was $1.4 million, or $0.03 diluted net loss per common share, compared to net loss from continuing operations of $5.0 million, or $0.10 diluted net loss per common share
- Adjusted net loss from continuing operations2 was $1.1 million, or $0.02 adjusted diluted net loss per common share, compared to adjusted net loss from continuing operations of $1.2 million, or $0.03 adjusted diluted net loss per common share
- Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations was $30.1 million compared to $28.2 million
As of 4:10 PM PST, Roundy’s shares climbed over 4.5 percent to $2.94 in the after-hours trading session.
MONTVALE, NJ - A&P has issued layoff notices for employees in all its 297 stores, and has requested that the bankruptcy court set two key union provisions aside for what appears to be a smoother sale of its remaining locations.
According to a Lohud report, officials stated in court documents yesterday that A&P requested the bankruptcy court the unions provision for bumping rights and full severance pay due to not being able to reach an agreement with labor groups.
While the two parties have reportedly reached agreements on most matters, these two continue to be an issue. John Niccolai, head of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 464A with an office in Tarrytown, told Lohub that the union agreed to concessions it valued at $625 million for A&P's first bankruptcy in 2012 in exchange for reassurances that it would honor union provisions going forward. Now, he stated in the report, union leaders have pledged to fight for all of the provisions in their collective bargaining agreements as union members circulate a petition opposing A&P's request to be presented to the bankruptcy court judge.
"It's a question of who's going to take the hit," Niccollai told Lohub. "Why should the working people take the hit?"
The first provision the chain wants to exclude, bumping, would eliminate senior employee’s ability to take the place of a less senior worker at a store that will continue to operate if their store is set to close.
"The threat of such bumping would likely drive down the price of bids, as potential purchasers would not know with any certainty what they would be buying or whom they would employ," A&P said, according to the report, saying that to lose the current bids the chain has from Acme, Stop & Shop and Key Foods would be "a certain deathblow to the hopes of an orderly Chapter 11 liquidation." The reason the chain worries it would lose those bids is that they did not include union provisions like bumping rights and assumption of pension plans.
As we previously reported, the chain is seeking to close 25 stores quickly, selling what is left. A&P said that if it lost the three bids it has currently, it estimates a potential $213 million loss. Lohub also reported that the company stated in court documents that other would-be buyers would be dissuaded from putting in a bid.
Which brings us to the next key point that is a concern for A&P but a provision for the workers; the timing and amount of severance pay for its employees.
Lohub reports that A&P said severance pay also is crucial because it estimates costs will be as high as $54 million — and as high as $90 million if the 118 stores with bids also are affected. So the chain has proposed 25 percent of the severance the report says employees are entitled, with a maximum cap of $10 million for all workers. This would be made on a “timely basis,” with the rest of the severance being paid later depending on what is left after stores being sold and what A&P creditors are due to settle the bankruptcy case.
AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you up to date on this story as it develops.
FISHERS, NY - Susan McAleavey Sarlund, daughter of New York apple industry icon John McAleavey, will succeed her father as Northeast Account Manager for the New York Apple Association (NYAA).
Most recently, McAleavey Sarlund served as NYAA’s Retail Account Associate for metro New York and the tri-state area, working with her father.
John McAleavey, Jr., McAleavey Sarlund’s brother, will continue to assist the retail account team, according to a press release.
McAleavey Sarlund said she was grateful and excited about the opportunity to follow in her father’s footsteps.
“John, Sr., was all about building and fostering relationships,” said McAleavey Sarlund. “John Jr. and I look forward to continuing the relationships he forged, and to serving the needs of the retail trade and the apple growers of the great state of New York.”
NYAA President Jim Allen took the time to congratulate McAleavey Sarlund on her new position.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Susie and John, Jr., for a number of years,” said Allen. “Both often attended meetings and trade shows with their dad, and have had plenty of experience in the trade. We are looking forward to this next generation’s ideas and energy.”
McAleavey Sarlund also serves as Executive Director of the Eastern Produce Council, having previously assisted her father in that position, and formerly held various sales and marketing positions with companies such as Nabisco and Hilton Hotels, and in the investment industry. McAleavey, Jr., also held positions with the Eastern Produce Council and Nabisco, as well as T. Marzetti Co and the New Jersey Nets.
COLIMA, MEXICO - Officials from Mexico’s Colima state have confirmed that their most active volcano has been erupting ash over the area for the last several days.
#VolcánDeColima 9:55 Hrs exhalación contenido moderado de ceniza 3000 mts de altura, sigue recomendaciones. pic.twitter.com/fAyWkci2LD
— Luis Felipe Puente (@LUISFELIPE_P) August 8, 2015In just the past 24 hours, Colima Volcano has emitted five exhalations of ash reaching as high as over 1.5 miles in the air, according to Mexican news source Informador. This is on top of several other eruptions occurring every day since this past weekend.
"The rains are coming into the volcanic system and are producing more gas than we have been seeing," researcher Mauricio Gonzalez from the University of Colima’s Volcano Observatory told Televisa News. “There’s a possibility, that there are more exhalations if there is more rain in the volcano.”
#VolcánDeColima con moderado contenido de ceniza a las 08:53 horas 2,000 mts. en dirección oeste-suroeste. pic.twitter.com/Q2OesFcNcX
— Luis Felipe Puente (@LUISFELIPE_P) August 11, 2015Local areas including the city of La Becerrera in the municipality of Comala have been put on alert for future volcanic activity by area officials. Televisa reports that officials have also warned that the immense amount of ash accumulated on the slopes of the volcano could mix with recent rainfall to create what researchers refer to as a “lahar," or the potentially dangerous mixture of volcanic material and rushing water.
Gonzalez continued, "With the amount of ash that is deposited in the canyons of the volcano there should be extreme precaution because they can produce mudflows or lahars in any of the canyons around the volcano."
Luis Felipe Puente, National Coordinator of Civil Protection of the Ministry of the Interior, has issued an alert for all residents within a radius of 7.5 miles around the volcano.
As of yet, no injuries have been reported and damages to agriculture have not been reported.
SALINAS, CA - Naturipe Farms is calling for industry innovators and creative geniuses all over to develop the next generation in automated blueberry harvesting technology.
With $250,000 in incentives up for grabs and demand for blueberries at a record high, Naturipe has issued a challenge to seek new solutions and improvements to automated blueberry harvesting.
“The majority of the blueberries are picked by hand at the peak of maturity and flavor. However, the berries don’t ripen at the same time so we return to the same bush several times during the harvest season, which is both costly and a labor intensive process,” explained Robert Verloop, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Naturipe.
Thus began the search for an automated harvesting system that can be used in blueberry fields and deliver high quality fresh blueberries to supermarkets and restaurants.
Worldwide technology transfer consultancy yet2 is managing the challenge and submissions for Naturipe Farms, according to a press release.
The winners of the challenge will have an opportunity to establish a strategic partnership with Naturipe and to deliver the next generation in automated blueberry harvesting technologies worldwide.
“There has been tremendous growth and interest in agricultural technology, robotics, and sensory equipment to improve harvesting efficiencies, to manage costs, and to reduce food waste,” Verloop continued. “We hope the ‘Naturipe Blue Challenge’ will help solve some of our on-the-farm challenges.”
The following proposed operating specifications include: size/color sensing for detecting fruit maturity, careful handling to avoid any damage to the fruit, ability to directly fill field trays/baskets, 24/7 harvesting capability, average production of 500 Kg/day, mobility capabilities on uneven ground or dusty conditions, and fabrication costs per unit <$500,000 USD.
The initial proposal submission deadline is September 30, 2015. All proposals submitted by this date ensure that they will receive thorough feedback from yet2 by October 16, 2015 to be incorporated into the final proposal submission. The final proposal submission deadline is on October 30, 2015. Semifinalists will be selected on December 16, 2015.
For more information on Naturipe’s challenge, click here.
VENTURA, CA - Freska has announced a new addition to its sales team, Hector Soltero. Soltero will now be Freska’s Avocado Sales Manager and tasked with further developing the company’s growing portfolio of regional and national accounts.
“I am excited to start a new challenge within Freska Produce and look forward to working with the team to further develop their already extensive products and customer base,” Soltero commented. “I am fortunate to be joining such a respected company that prides itself on top quality and service.”
Soltero brings a wealth of experience within the industry to Freska, having spent the last eight years with a national, Los Angeles-area produce company where he was responsible for representing the avocado category and was instrumental in acquiring numerous accounts.
At Freska, Soltero will continue the company’s success in providing mangos year round, according to a press release. Freska is now adding avocados on a year-round basis to many of the top retailers in USA, Europe, New Zealand, Japan and Australia.
Jesus “Chuy” Loza, Managing Member, added, “Hector’s wealth of experience and industry knowledge has already made him a key addition to the Freska Team. We view his hiring as a sign of our commitment to being a leader in our industry.”
Loza continued by saying Freska’s innovations and the increasing demand from its customers is what led the company to look for an addition to its sales team, and Soltero was a great fit with the existing sales staff who could provide innovation, motivation and exceptional service.
EAST COAST - A frontal weather system is slowly making its way down the East Coast into the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern states, and it has not been passing quietly.
"The storms are moving, just not very fast and that will raise the risk of flash flooding,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bernie Rayno stated in a report.
According to Accuweather, strong to severe isolated thunderstorms, gusty winds, and heavy rain passed from the northern Appalachians to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts yesterday.
While Lansing, Michigan, parts of Wayne County, and New York, received between 2 to 5 inches of rain Monday afternoon and evening, Accuweather reports that the following locations could still see a couple more rounds of thunderstorms and rain:
- Burlington, Vermont
- Boston, Massachusetts
- New York City, New York
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Washington, D.C.
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Savannah, Georgia
- Pensacola, Florida
- Mobile, Alabama
- New Orleans, Louisiana
In New Jersey the severe weather knocked down utility poles, causing more than 5,000 people to lose power, according to a South Brunswick Patch report. The report also listed that downed poles, wires, and flooding caused numerous accidents and traffic delays.
Yesterday’s late afternoon and early evening downpours were the strongest as far as concerns for flash flooding, rates of rainfall, wind power and lightning, though Accuweather did report that the Eastern to Southern range will likely remain wet through tomorrow, August 13th.
Right now the forecast is a surge of warm temperatures and humidity to follow the storms’ push of cooler, less humid air making its way through the Eastern states. The lower Great Lakes may still see colder air and showers through the rest of the midweek, while sunshine should return to most areas by the weekend.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Is there anything as enjoyable as drinking a cold beer with your Mexican food on a hot summer’s day? Well, now there is, with Angel City Brewery’s Avocado Ale, brewed with real, locally sourced avocados.
While Avocado Ale originally made its debut back in 2012, Angel City Brewery just whipped up another batch for last weekend’s 3rd annual Avocado Festival in Los Angeles, CA. The beer, inspired by guacamole, turned out to be a hit, and it's been making an annual comeback ever since.
For this year’s batch of Avocado Ale, the company released the following stats:
- Approximately 37 pounds of avocados were used
- It took 4 of its employees 3 hours just to prep the avocados and cilantro.
- Avocado Ale is brewed with garlic, lime juice, red pepper, and honey.
- Avocado Ale isn’t green. It’s a light, kolsch style beer with a slight haze.
Kegs of this year’s batch were first tapped at the Avocado Festival, where $1 from every Avocado Ale purchase went to Food Forward, a local non-profit whose mission is to rescue fresh, local produce that would otherwise go to waste, and provide it to people in need, while inspiring others to do the same.
Green Earth Produce, who sold fresh avocados and distributed fresh guacamole at the Avocado Festival, also donated all its proceeds to Food Forward. Gahl Crane, Managing Director at Green Earth Produce, commented, "Angel City Brewery is committed to making delicious beer while also helping the local community. We were glad to get the opportunity to be a part of this event and give back to the community. Food waste and hunger are two social issues that everyone in the fresh produce industry should be concerned with."
The Avocado Ale will also be available at Angel City Brewery’s Public House for a limited time. So fly down to Los Angles, pick up some nachos and dive into a nice cold pint of Avocado Ale while supplies last.
ISSAQUAH, WA - Two years ago, we reported on Costco’s plans to debut its first warehouse in France. Now that dream may soon become a reality, according to the Seattle Times.
The Seattle Times reports that Costco’s first French warehouse will possibly open next spring in a Parisian suburb known as Villebon-sur-Yvette. Regulators previously approved a 120,000 square foot warehouse in the area in May 2014, but opposition from rivals had pushed the estimated opening date from late 2015 to spring 2016.
As we previously reported in 2013, Costco hoped to open 15 stores in France within a decade, with up to 6 in the Paris region. Other areas of interest included Bordeaux, Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon, and Nice.
In 2013, Gary Swindells, President of Costco France, stated that he foresees 5 to 6 stores in five years, then 10 to 15 in ten years, and around 25 in twenty years. Whether those plans are still in motion will remain to be seen.
Jim Murphy, Costco’s head of international operations, told the Seattle Times that the company would wait “until we have something firm to discuss” before discussing any details regarding its French operations.
How Costco will fare in a market where there’s not quite any other retailer like it will be interesting to see. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to follow Costco’s plans for France.