Appliance Repair in Patterson, CA

Many Canadians are having to alter or sacrifice some of their living and eating habits as rising food costs nip at their wallets.

Last week, Statistics Canada reported that Canadians paid 9.7 per cent more for food in April 2022 than a year prior, while average hourly wages rose by about 3.3 per cent year-over-year.

Basic foods like fresh fruit have jumped by 10 per cent, while pasta prices have spiked by nearly 20 per cent.

Statistics Canada places the blame on the Russian invasion of Ukraine mingled with rising fuel costs.

Cecilia Rands, a 32-year-old mother in Regina, was unsurprised when told about the year-over-year change in food costs. She said she had seen a "stark" change on sticker prices.

"It's definitely affected the choices I'm making at the grocery store," she said.

"At the end of the day, the bills are what they are and I can't [always afford] the things that I wish I could."

She looks to no-name brands, or communicating with siblings about sales and good pricing in the city. She joked about having to do math equations to decide if driving to different stores for cheaper foods is worth the gas.

LISTEN | CBC's Dayne Patterson breaks down the effect rising food costs are having on Saskatchewan people

Have you noticed your grocery bill taking a bigger bite out of your paycheque? You're not the only one. The CBC's Dayne Patterson took a closer look at the effect of high food costs on people's choices - and how they're coping.

Rands said the price of inflation has been taxing. It has reached the point that she will eat lighter when her kids are in the custody of her ex-husband, and will only bring out the larger, heartier meals when they're back at her house.

"I'll have some frozen vegetables and toast and peanut butter for supper, or like some ramen, and I find different ways to feed myself without having to cook a full meal … when I'm on my own," she said.

"Those are the concessions I make to be able to provide better food for my kids when they're with me."

Sometimes that means getting the "take home today" foods that have slashed prices and nearing expiring dates, she said.

It's a complex game made more so for those with dietary restrictions, like Crystal Nieviadomy's seven-year-old daughter with Type 1 diabetes.

Nieviadomy is careful about packing her daughter snacks. She finds snacks high in carbohydrates are more cost-friendly than others, but require her to take extra doses of insulin. It's a balancing act.

Nieviadomy posted to a Facebook group called Regina Moms, asking what others have done to manage their budgets amid soaring food prices.

"I know that we're not the only family that are having these hard conversations every week, coming home from getting groceries on Sunday just thinking, 'Oh my goodness I spent $100 more than I planned to and now what does that mean for the other things that we had planned to do this week?'" she said.

She said the responses showed she was right. Everyone's wallets are lighter leaving the store.

"Pretty well across the board, everything is going up," said Tim Shultz, co-owner of Regina grocery store Local and Fresh.

"In some cases local products are maybe more expensive than a similar product that you can get that was made outside of the country. I think that is impacting us in a slightly different way."

His shop advertises 100 per cent Canadian product, with produce coming from Saskatchewan farms.

Leisle said he saves money on things like shipping costs, but that farming is also getting more expensive, causing his in-store prices to grow.

"Customers do have less to spend and they're starting to make decisions on what [they're] willing to spend on," he said.

The Regina Food Bank said it was sending out about 900 kilograms more food daily in March than it had in January 2022.

LISTEN | Regina Food Bank CEO talks about increased demand alongside soaring food prices

At Regina Education and Action on Child Hunger, or REACH, workers have seen the number of people requesting the family box program — a food box bought at wholesale price and sold at cost to people living on social assistance — cut in half. Even at the reduced prices, the boxes are too much for some.

Matt Leisle, executive director of REACH, said between rising food costs and the widely criticized Saskatchewan Income Support program introduced to replace two, older programs, people are falling deeper into food insecurity.

"For people [who] are on social assistance, they're just feeling the crunch of not having the dollars and not [getting] the help they previously received under the old program," said Leisle.

Fending off high food costs

Some people are finding innovative or subtle ways to sidestep food pricing.

Matt Thompson said has an outdoor garden at his Regina home in the summer — but is hindered by Saskatchewan winters.

This past winter season he built a hydroponics farm using PVC piping and help from a local store.

He started with lettuce, then added tomatoes, cucumbers and most recently is getting ready for peppers.

"In January, I would walk downstairs and snip lettuce for a salad … I think I've also saved quite a bit of money," he said. "It's a closed system so I don't add more water than regular … it's fairly cheap to operate."

As a meat-lover, Thompson said he relies on market wisdom from his dad, who often knows the best price and place to go for different cuts of meat.

"If I could grow that at home, I definitely would," he laughed.

WATCH | Thompson shows off his in-house hydroponics setup:

Others, like Raiza Ocampo, a mother of three in Regina and known on social media as YQR Couponbae, rely on classic methods: coupons and sales.

She uses phone apps for digital flyers, like Flipp and Reebee, to find the cheapest price and price match at stores.

Ocampo also suggests watching prices on some of your go-to items, taking note of what the cheapest price is, then buying in bulk when you see it reach that low mark.

"I would work on tackling whatever your big expenses are in a grocery store," Ocampo said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dayne Patterson is a reporter for CBC News in Saskatchewan and is based in Saskatoon. He has a master's degree in journalism with an interest in data reporting and Indigenous affairs. Reach him at dayne.patterson@cbc.ca.

With files from CBC's Janani Whitfield

The Patterson Joint Unified School District will host three information sessions over the next month to explain how four residential development projects could affect its schools for years.

Two projects are in progress, and two more are pending city approval, according to Assistant Superintendent Jeff Menge. Combined, the plans would generate 8,756 homes and more than 5,800 students, nearly doubling the district’s current enrollment, Menge said in a presentation to the school board in early February. The district’s schools are already at capacity, he said.

“I want to be transparent and let the board know there’s a lot of issues,” Menge said in the meeting.

The anticipated influx of students matters for all Patterson residents because of potential tax hikes needed to build new schools, district leaders say. If the developments outpace preparations for more school space, the district’s existing facilities could become overcrowded and students could be forced into year-round schedules, Menge said.

Menge and Superintendent Phil Alfano are leading growth planning workshops to be candid about the process of building schools in California, which is highly regulated and costly, Alfano said. They want residents to be aware of how local public education, and their community at large, could change.

The sessions are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. before school board meetings on March 7, March 21 and April 4. People can watch in person at the district’s professional development center and online through WebEx. A webinar link is included in the agendas.

The first workshop will provide a historical overview of residential development in Patterson and its impact on schools. The second will explain how school construction is funded, and the third will go over the costs of building schools in California, according to Alfano.

What’s happening in Patterson influences economic development not just for the city’s nearly 24,000 residents, but for the rest of Stanislaus County, Alfano said.

Patterson sits close to the I-5 corridor, which means it’s a prime spot for attracting new jobs, Alfano said. Home buyers and businesses alike evaluate the quality of local education when considering whether to move to Patterson, he said.

Enrollment in Patterson schools rose just 2% from the 2010-11 school year to 2020-21, according to data provided by the district. About 6,200 students currently attend the district’s nine schools. Of those, about three-quarters qualify for free or reduced price meals.

The projects the city already has approved are Villages of Patterson and Baldwin Ranch North. When Baldwin Ranch North was approved in January, district leaders had not yet reached an agreement with the developer, according to previous Bee reporting.

The nearest elementary school, Apricot Valley, already has issues with traffic congestion due to narrow surrounding streets, Alfano said. Adding more students to the already full school would make this worse, he said.

Two projects pending city approval are called Baldwin Ranch South and Zacharias, Menge said.

In Alfano’s statement to the school board in early February, he pointed out that about 70% of the district’s students come from families living in poverty.

“We owe it to them to make sure their children are provided the same quality education and school facilities as children in more affluent communities,” the superintendent wrote. “This is a public trust we hold sacred, and it is the very foundation of our beliefs as Americans.”

This story was originally published March 4, 2022 11:21 AM.

Published: 12/15/2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:

Phil Pitchford

Public Information Officer

951-826-5975

Patterson Park to Undergo Major Upgrade with Funds from State Grant

Money for the park in the city’s Eastside neighborhood was included in recent round of state grants

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Major improvements are coming to Patterson Park in the city’s Eastside neighborhood as the result of a recent $7.15 million grant from California State Parks.

The grant will help pay for a new jogging/walking loop, two soccer fields, a full basketball court, six fitness nodes, a splash pad, a community plaza, a restroom/storage building, two playgrounds with shade, public art, a formal promenade, a decorative block wall, a perimeter fence, a pathway with lighting, a community plaza, and a fruit tree grove. The parking lot also will be renovated.

“Enhancing the quality of life for our residents is a priority and these upgrades will create an incredible environment for residents who are interested in getting some exercise in one of our parks,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. “Many thanks to State Parks for awarding these funds to our community.”

Competition was intense for funding through the “Outdoors for All” initiative. About $2.42 billion in requests were received for 468 proposed projects across the state. The final round of funding included $548.3 million in grants for 112 projects, including 50 new parks and 62 expansions or renovations.

The grants, awarded through the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program, represent the single-largest investment in state history in expanding access to parks in underserved communities. The program was designed to fund parks in every region of California.

“Patterson Park is a beloved open space that is frequently used by residents of the surrounding neighborhood. It is rewarding that we will be able to dramatically improve the community’s experience there,” said City Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, who represents the area. “All our residents deserve a chance to go outside and immerse in a nurturing quality park with a healthy environment.”

More information about the grants can be found at www.parks.ca.gov/spp.

For the latest information and resources regarding COVID-19 -- www.RiversideCA.gov/COVID-19

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The Patterson City Council has approved a housing and commercial project more than a year after Stanislaus County officials warned that allowing the development would trigger a $20 million fine.

Voting 4-1 Tuesday, the council approved the Baldwin Ranch North Project development agreement, which the city amended to reflect negotiations with the county.

But Patterson Joint Unified School District leaders say the developer has yet to resolve concerns that were raised around the time the council passed a first reading in November 2020. The developer plans to build 451 single-family homes and a commercial area for stores and offices between Sperry Avenue, Baldwin Road and the Delta Mendota Canal, per city staff reports.

County officials previously opposed the development near Interstate 5 because it violated an agreement designed to promote industrial growth. At issue was the West Patterson Business Park Development Cooperation Agreement the city and county have signed multiple versions of since 1997, according to a Board of Supervisors report.

Last month, the board unanimously approved amendments to the cooperation agreement, which now includes Baldwin Ranch provisions. Instead of owing the county about $22.75 million for breaking the agreement, the new contract says Patterson must collect about $2.73 million from the developer and pay it to the county. The county agreed to use the payment to cover its share of the Interstate 5 and Sperry Avenue interchange improvements.

Stanislaus County Chief Executive Officer Jody Hayes said the county is pleased to have amended the cooperation agreement.

“Patterson has experienced significant growth over the life of our original agreement, and this amendment respects the city’s desire to align the original project area with other planned uses while also acknowledging the basic financial components of our original agreement,” Hayes said in an email Thursday.

In the past 20 years, companies including Amazon, Restoration Hardware and Grainger have built distribution centers in west Patterson. The Baldwin project includes 98.5 acres of medium-density housing near Interstate 5, which violated the previous agreement designating 814 acres for industrial and commercial development.

Councilwoman Shivaugn Alves cast the sole vote against approving the Baldwin project after asking if the Patterson Joint Unified School District supported the housing plans. Alves and Mayor Dennis McCord work for the district.

Unlike Stanislaus County, the school district has not reached agreement on the Baldwin development, Assistant Superintendent Jeff Menge said during the meeting Tuesday.

“We don’t want to get in the way of the city’s agreement,” Menge said. “But just to be clear, the district will continue negotiations with the developer to address the issue: the fact that there is no school site in the plan, nor is there other means to address the nearly 500 homes that will be pushed into an already overcrowded school.”

The developer does not plan to build a school for the new housing development, Superintendent Philip Alfano said in a phone interview Friday. Apricot Valley Elementary School already has traffic issues, so adding students from 451 new houses would worsen the situation, Alfano said.

“(We’re not) in a position to say you can’t build homes,” Alfano said. “But we are in the position to say you can’t build homes that overcrowd our schools and you need to pay your fair share of developer fees.”

The agreement approved Tuesday says the Baldwin Ranch Development LLC must pay a school impact fee, but lists the amount as to be determined.

A sustainable building company finishing its “MegaFactory” in Patterson has started hiring.

Palo Alto-based S²A Modular announced plans for its new manufacturing plant in Patterson earlier this year. Construction got started over the summer and now the company has begun its initial hiring phase, which consists of about 40 jobs.

The company ultimately plans to hire some 250 people to staff the facility, including construction, sales, engineering and architecture jobs. Workers at the factory will build high-tech and luxury single-family homes, apartment complexes and hotels.

The factory of more than 100,000 square feet is expected to open in the first quarter of 2022, representatives said in a news release.

The first round of hiring seeks workers for its factory construction team, who will get the S²A MegaFactory ready for production. This includes electricians, plumbers, drywallers and other construction trade workers. Other open positions include managers and about 30 production assistants with backgrounds in modular production lines and construction.

The positions are all full time, and prior off-site construction experience is encouraged. Starting salary for production assistants range from $24 to $30 per hour for production associates and up to $140,000 annually for management positions.

For more information about available positions and to apply, visit www.s2amodular.com/careers.

S²A Modular was founded in 2018 and manufactures smart, sustainable residential and commercial buildings. Builds include solar panels, battery storage and energy management systems, which allow them to be self-sustaining apart from utility company power grids and gas lines.

All of the buildings are custom made, and construction work is done in the factory instead of at the actual building site.

This is the region’s second major off-site construction company to build large-scale plants in Stanislaus County. In 2019, Ripon-based off-site wood framing company Entekra announced plans for its Modesto plant. The 200,000-square-foot factory is on East Whitmore Avenue along the city’s southern border.

S²A Modular’s new plant moves into a Patterson business park close to Interstate 5. An analysis by Opportunity Stanislaus reported the company’s move into the county could boost the regional economy by $85 million. Other major corporations with distribution centers in Patterson include Amazon, Restoration Hardware and Grainger.

This story was originally published December 3, 2021 10:23 AM.