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The News in Brief

Horizon changes flights

SANTA ROSA – Horizon Air will end an evening flight to Seattle earlier than expected at the same time it has moved its Las Vegas departure to a more convenient hour.

Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport Manager Jon Stout said ending the second Seattle flight later this month is the result of “fleet changes” and high fuel costs. The second daily flight to Seattle began April 6 and was scheduled to run during peak travel season until Oct. 26.

The second change also taking effect Aug. 25 will move the departure time for the daily flight to Las Vegas from 7:35 p.m. currently to 12:10 p.m., landing at 3:50 p.m.

Napa leaves tax off ballot

NAPA – Napa County supervisors voted unanimously to leave the ballot measure to increase sales tax one-half cent for road repairs off the ballot in November.

Supervisor Bill Dodd said that with the conversation about the governor’s one-cent proposed sales tax, local races, the presidential election and the struggling economy, the board did not feel it was fair to put it on the ballot.

The Napa Valley Transportation Authority had been working on the measure for more than a year.

“It was unanimous that this was the right plan, but it was unanimous that it was not the right time,” he said.

“This will be back. We need to take stock in the state budget and go from there.”

SDAT arrives in Windsor

WINDSOR – Windsor will be hosting a six-member team of experts from across the U.S. that will help the town plan for sustainable development in coming decades.

The American Institute of Architects’ Center for Communities by Design selected Windsor as one of 10 urban areas nationwide to be evaluated by a Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT).

The team is set to meet with city officials as well as business and community groups and tour the Old Redwood Highway corridor that will be the focus of the visit today through Wednesday.

The town wants input on sustainability issues such as energy and water resources as well as in-fill development, advice that will help the town update the circulation element of the town general plan, according to the town’s application for the team visit. The town is calling the effort “Old Red’s Going Green.”

The SDAT will be making a presentation on its initial findings Wednesday, Aug. 13, at 6 p.m. in the Windsor High School auditorium, located at 8695 Windsor Rd.

For details on the Windsor SDAT effort, visit www.northcoastarchitecture

center.org/windsor.php, or call the town Planning Department at 707-838-1021.

Vineyard Bank ordered to comply with directives

SAN RAFAEL – Vineyard National Bancorp, headquartered in Corona in Southern California with a branch in San Rafael, has been ordered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to comply with strict new operational directives to make “organizational, financial, operational and compliance procedural changes to strengthen Vineyard.”

Under the order, the bank must put together a compliance committee to “monitor and coordinate compliance with the consent order, identify experienced and competent individuals to serve on a permanent full-time basis as chief executive officer and chief credit officer, maintain capital ratios above the statutory minimums, develop and implement a three-year capital program.”

Vineyard has assets of $2.4 billion. Observers said most of Vineyard’s problem assets are related to real estate lending in Southern California.

According to spokesman Jim Lucas, “The bank has more than $300 million in liquidity from cash on hand and other sources and additional funds through inter-creditor agreements, which gives the bank additional funds to serve depositors.”

As of press time, votes were being counted for the board elections, which took place last week.

Biagi gets hybrid trucks

NAPA – Biagi Bros. Transportation & Warehousing and its Vin Lux joint venture with Jackson Wine Estates are acquiring diesel-electric hybrid box trucks and big-rig trucks that are designed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 60 percent and idling by as much as 80 percent.

The company already has received Model 330 and 335 hybrid medium-duty trucks from Peterbilt Motors Co. of Louisville, Ky., for the Vin Lux subsidiary, which delivers small quantities of wine to trade accounts. Biagi also has ordered six of Peterbilt’s Model 386 hybrid big-rig tractors.

Peterbilt of Northern California, located in Cotati, has organized a public showing of the new hybrid trucks at 9 a.m. Aug. 12 at the Silverado Resort in Napa.