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Contact Californian columnist Lois Henry at 661-395-7373 or [email protected]. Boswell Company and Sandridge Partners. A battle between one of Kings County's largest farming outfits and a water district over the trenching of a massive underground water pipeline grew hotter on Friday. Court: California Court of Appeals Fifth Appellate District on appeal from the Superior Court, Tulare County. A judge found this past March that the initiative was flawed because Vidovich used his own project description instead of the neutral description by the Cupertino city attorney. In a profile of Vidovich written by Lois Henry then of The Bakersfield Californian now writing exclusively for her own service, SJVWater the farmer-lawyer-real estate magnate made no bones about where local misgivings began. We partner with exceptional agriculture and food companies to guide them through rapid yet sustainable growth, to become clear industry leaders. Previously, Michael was an investment professional at RJI Capital, a boutique private equity and Sandridge has since installed coffer dams in the canal to dry a section in anticipation of cutting through the banks, but otherwise construction has stopped. Industry: Peanut farm. Sandridge Partners, L.P. pays an average salary of $434,342 and salaries range from a low of $376,893 to a high of $499,973. His operation is extensive and very smart.. The dispute. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. He isnt farming dirt, Arax wrote. Theres a reason Matt Hurley wears so many hats, his critics say. Photos released earlier this year showed some of the worst subsidence is in Tulare County. In fact, his detractors call him the single greatest threat to Central Valley farming ever to come down the pike. Under SGMA, groundwater agencies filed plans with DWR explaining how they would replenish aquifers bringing them into balance by 2040. For the portions that can be tracked through state and other water district records, the water is mostly flowing south to Kern County, much of it from Kings County's two largest and most powerful farming operations J.G. It was kind of a crutch in case I flunked, he said. So far, the 48-inch pipeline has been trenched and laid out for more than 10 miles from north of Lemoore to near the community of Stratford on private land with no public notice or oversight. Local For 30 years, Erik participated in the farming of the 09 parcel, and now he manages the . Then there was the nail in the coffin for folks like Pace and Mitchell when Vidovich appeared in a National Geographic film called Water and Power: A California Heist, which ran in mid-March and again on June 25. Sunridge Partners provides patient capital, deep industry expertise and a hands-on approach to achieving outsized returns for all stakeholders. nina hart gary cause of death; bts madison square garden sold out; grace for purpose narrator; power outage in monticello. As the processing and sales branch of the organization, SunnyGem almonds are sorted, processed and sold to the wholesale ingredient industry. All rights reserved. The 5th District Court of Appeal in Fresno has overturned a $73.4 million verdict against McCarthy Family Farms and Bay Area developer John Vidovich and Sandridge Partners involving a land and water sale in Kings County. The director of the Department of Water Resources, Karla Nemeth, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Vulnerable domestic wells will be focus of $10 million farmland retirement grant in Madera County, Desert groundwater agency to pay $8,500 per acre foot for valley water rights, State rejects six San Joaquin Valley groundwater plans, which could bring enforcement action, Farm town residents block water rate hike but are still stuck with a massive water debt, State will pay some valley farmers not to farm in attempt to save groundwater. Long and Sandridge were fired by the department Jan. 30. Consent Order - May 2021; Site Projects Links. margaret keane synchrony net worth. As for making a major water grab in the Central Valley, Page said Vidovich has nothing on the Wonderful or JG Boswell companies, both of which have far larger land holdings than Vidovich. Water. I dont believe we should be sending water to LA, he said. A native of Sunnyvale, Vidovich was the son of a Bay Area real estate scion. Typically, irrigation pipelines taking water from one portion of a farmers land to another dont require permitting. He paid em three times what anyone else wouldve for their land and now theyre all gettin water because of his policies, Page said. Page met Vidovich in 2005 when Page was farming 400 acres out near Wasco. But Boswell has leveled its own complaints against Vidovich. You may find additional information on the Cleanup Sites and Hazardous Waste Permitted Facilities in the EnviroStor database. Formerly Triple H Processing, SunnyGem was purchased in 2006 by Sandridge Partners to support the processing and sales of the almonds grown in their fields. Her work appears on Sundays and Wednesdays; the views expressed are her own. Both locations are operated by a management team that has combined over 200 years of experience in sales, farming, processing, and customer service. Most recently, Muriel started and successfully built her own hospitality business. Has the San Joaquin Valley reached its Chinatown moment? The latest blow in an ongoing water war between two Kings County agricultural titans may put control of the entire region's groundwater into state hands.. Boswell has steadfastly declined to answer questions from SJV Water about the pumping and water storage. He bought his first Kings County property in a foreclosure in 1994 and eventually amassed 102,000 acres in Kings - as well as nearly 40,000 acres in Kern County, 10,000 in Tulare County and 1,700 in Fresno County, according to . The red depicts land that has sunk 20 to 24 inches. Sunridge Partners (UK), LLP acts as the investment advisor for the Sunridge funds that invest in agribusinesses globally. One of Angiolas main well fields is actually inside the Pixley Irrigation District boundaries where water managers were concerned by the amount of water leaving their district. Vidovich used the $73 million in 2010 to buy nearly 75 percent of the land in the Angiola Water District. The J.G. Hes serious about taking water out of this valley, Pace said. In exchange, the state would get banking rights in Semitropic, said General Manager Jason Gianquinto. Though the project is billed as flood control, the agreement also allows Vidovich to move groundwater. gold coast shark attack video; giant schnauzer service dog for sale Hugues holds a BEng in Applied Maths from the Universite Catholique de Louvain, an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of London, a PhD in Operations Research from the Centre for Operations Research and Econometrics (UCL) / Columbia University and attended INSEADs General Management Program. Lukas works across all aspects of the firm from business development to portfolio company operations. I did sell water out of Kings County to an urban user and people didnt like it, Vidovich said. Angiola also doesnt own any water. The dispute involves land and water rights for Quay Valley, proposed to house 150,000 residents in a sustainable and environmentally responsible community but needing a reliable source of water. Angiola has become a critical element of Vidovichs water moves, transferring water across the Valley for additional sales, so much so that it put him and the district in hot water. But the appellate court still found Vidovich liable and he could still have to pay out a major amount. AllBiz Business Profile Search Professional Contact Details. 21-06 (Sandridge Partners, L.P) Zoning: General Agricultural- 20 District (AG-20) General Plan Designation: General Agriculture - 20 Acre. Heres why, Driver accused of killing Hoover teen back in Fresno jail. The almonds sold under the SunnyGem label are part of a seasonal pool of growers and are distributed worldwide. Pace gave a nod to Vidovich on that count. LOIS HENRY: Is John Vidovich planning to sell off the valley's lifeblood? Or is he just the newest water baron on the block? Two years ago, after a three-month civil trial in Kings County, the jury ruled against McCarthy Farms, saying it breached the contract. Find out what works well at Sandridge Partners from the people who know best. We had a consultation with DWR and they stated there is a likelihood that this will cause the plan to have an incomplete status and initiate state intervention, said Deanna Jackson, general manager of Southwest Kings GSA. Sandridge, recognized for our ability to adapt to retailer and consumer demands calling for fresher food products, invests in two High Pressure Processing (HPP) lines, the first goes into production in 2010 and the second in 2013. Not a chance. Ken Cook, president of Environmental Working Group, which opposes the subsidies, drew a contrast between the $1,064,134 payment to Sandridge Partners and the $600 economic stimulus payments now . They are suing Angiola for what they say was Hurleys illegal takeover of the tiny Atwell Island Water District. Vidovich, through the Southwest Kings GSA and by numerous other means, has made several complaints to state officials about Boswells use of groundwater, alleging that Boswell has been moving or selling off its surface water from the State Water Project and Kings River, creating an over reliance on groundwater for the companys local crops. Justia Opinion Summary. And he served two terms on the Santa Clara County Planning Commission, appointed once in 1990 and he again in 2010, igniting controversy among activists concerned about sprawl. 11 Jun 2022. He ran, unsuccessfully for city council in his hometown of Los Altos Hills in 2006. Carol has been working with the Sunridge team since 2014. Sandridge Partners, L.P. Case Number: F073106. That means they could still be ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages. We also hold ourselves responsible for delivering innovative and . The construction of the pipeline forced the irrigation districts hand, launching a lawsuit to halt Angiolas water exports at one point to the tune of 30,000 acre-feet annually. While at Sunridge Partners, Philipp was also the interim CEO for one of its portfolio businesses. A Kings County judge later reduced the punitive damages to $3 million. A Boswell excavator stands guard on the Tulare Lake Canal bank earlier this year to prevent a pipeline from being trenched beneath the ditch . 5th District Court of Appeal in Fresno has overturned. by Jesse Vad and Lois Henry, SJV Water. The project would consist of a small reservoir, more like short-term storage cells, along the California Aqueduct just north of Kettleman City where floodwater off the south fork of the Kings River would be captured. Nearly 30 percent of the town's working-age residents work in the farming industry, and more than 30 percent of residents live in poverty. Under his leadership, Buena Vista has installed a pipeline system to reduce reliance on canals, which lose a lot of water to seepage and the district has become extremely active in buying up land for water banking. Russell Georgeson of Fresno, an attorney representing Kings County Ventures, said he would seek a rehearing and also submit an appeal of the appellate court ruling to the California Supreme Court. When asked if he applies the skills he learned in his military intelligence training to his life today, he answers that we all use the things we learn through life. The Kings River flows under Highway 99 on Saturday. Gianquinto and Vidovich have repeatedly said that it would be nearly impossible for an individual to use state facilities to create a private water market using any water, let alone groundwater. Vidovich has been buying land in the Central Valley for more than 20 years. The sale meant Kings County farmers and water users lost out on the ability to buy utilize Vidovichs portion of water, all while keeping it local. Indeed, as president of the board, Vidovich has a great deal of influence in directing much of the water districts business. Both men saw Hurleys involvement in numerous local districts including Angiola, Deer Creek Storm Water District, Green Valley Water District and the Tri-County Water Authority, a newly formed GSA, as more Vidovich control. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. More recently, he filed a voter initiative in 2016 to allow a 48-foot-tall hotel after the Cupertino City Council shot down a De Anza proposal for building a 105-foot-tall hotel in the western Santa Clara Valley town. In a court case over a large pipeline Vidovich is building from the Lemoore area and running for more than 10 miles to the southwest, Boswells attorney has asked what water would be moved in the line? And like other of the regions water barons present and past Resnick and Boswell Vidovichs last name is a sort of shorthand in coffee shop chatter from Delano to Easton. Boswell-Vidovich water war blows up over groundwater. Numbers havent been set in stone just yet, but its looking like the Kings/Tulare farming areas will settle somewhere near allowing 1.5 acre feet of water to be pumped per acre. But when the Kings does flood, as it's doing now, millions of acre feet rush north to join up with the San Joaquin River and empty into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Central California . The GSAs are supposed to set pumping limits to stop overdraft. It was a permanent water loss for Kings County and put Vidovich under a lingering cloud of suspicion among area farmers and water managers. That was the last straw for Pixley, which sued in 2013. The proposed project will total approximately 135 acres and will include approximately 72,000 . Philipp began his career at Goldman Sachs, where he advised public and private companies in European real estate, lodging and gaming sectors on strategic and financial matters. They point to three new pump stations along Angiolas main canal just north of the county line that have the ability to move 100,000 acre feet a year into pipes that head south and west. Compare pay for popular roles and read about the team's work-life balance. Alex Tavlian is the Executive Editor of The San Joaquin Valley Sun and Executive Director of Valley Future Foundation. Vidovich isn't the only pumper in that area, his supporters note. The idea of capturing Kings River floodwaters isnt new. All right reserved. His law license is inactive, according to the California State Bar Association website. California had passed a law intended to stop the rising of new towns in the middle of nowhere. Understanding water, water rights and the often complex structures of water districts has become a Vidovich hallmark. We are at the forefront of investing in and operating food and agricultural companies in a way that is truly sustainable, or ideally even regenerative. The pumping, he contends, has exacerbated the areas already significant subsidence, land sinking, and is a tremendous waste of water as much evaporates before it can be used. But thats the way it is. SunnyGem is the one-stop-shop for your almond needs, packing and shipping California varieties worldwide. Farmer Jack Mitchell walks out of the Atwell Island Water District board room. And whats the end game of moving that water? The Kings River Water Association, where Boswell is a major rights holder, is suing Tulare Lake Reclamation District 761, controlled by Vidovich, for shipping its Kings River water to the Dudley Ridge Water District in western Kings County. Vidovich says his quote was clipped and sewn back together to make it sound bad. Hurley, who also serves as general manager of Green Valley, said that basin, which is separate from the Tulare Lake basin, is actually in balance. Except when you plug John Vidovichs name into the equation. Vidovich continues to run De Anza and in a surprisingly hands-on manner. The organization, Sandridge Partners, also donated 24 laptop computers to the school's 8th-grade class. All right reserved. Its a $500 million project, of which Semitropic is hoping to get $250 million from Proposition 1 funding. Our farming company, Sandridge Partners, farms thousands of acres of almonds each year in the central region of California providing an ever-increasing supply of almonds. And its that groundwater part of Semitropics agreement with Vidovich that is raising hackles along with eyebrows. (Vidovich said he didnt think Sandridge had hit 100,000 acres, total, yet.). Hugues Marchand is an investment professional with more than 15 years of principal investing experience, primarily in the infrastructure sector across Europe, North America and Africa. . The SDGs where we. Sandridge has said in court filings it intends to include a smaller sleeve within its larger pipeline to potentially take sewage water from Stratford PUD. The land and water sale to Kings County Ventures and GROW Land and Water LLC was to benefit Quay Valley, a proposed planned community in Kings County along Interstate 5. He was in military intelligence and had a top secret clearance that involved gathering data and evaluating products they made, he said. We listen to our customers, understand their needs and are never satisfied until they are. Our team includes leading industry operators and executives as well as a seasoned board of advisors from across the food and agriculture industry. The SDGs where we believe Sunridge can have the greatest impact are: We are a proud signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment, the leading global proponent for incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles in investment activities. Semitropic Water Storage District, in northwestern Kern, has raised a lot of eyebrows with its ambitious, some say audacious, Tulare Lake Storage and Floodwater Protection Project. He certainly looks the part in his well-worn jeans and checkered shirts. EWG's Farm Subsidy Database put the issue on the map and is driving reform. Which is where July 22s vote at the Southwest Kings GSA comes into play. At this point, he said, he uses about 30 percent of his land for farming and 70 percent for water. Page had been a longtime board member of the Semitropic Water District and Vidovich wanted that kind of expertise. Long: -119.5648242: NAICS 1: 111992: Peanut Farming : NAICS 2: SIC 1: 01390201: Peanut farm: SIC 2: Number of Family Members: 2: Date of Report: 2018-09-06: NAICS Codes NAICS Code Search NAICS Code . If their fears come true, the Los Angeles water grab in Owens Valley would pale in comparison. strategic advisory firm. On 08/24/2020 GERARDO filed a Personal Injury - Other Personal Injury lawsuit against SANDRIDGE PARTNERS, L P. This case was filed in Kern County Superior Courts, Metropolitan Branch located in Kern, California. Two year ago, in another South Valley water case involving Sandridge, a Tulare County judge told Sandridge to stop pumping groundwater that was being piped 25 miles to an almond orchard in Kings County. Today, the highest bidder may grow crops in the region. SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. But the letter continued to intrigue Chrissakis. Mad Duck Brewpub Lands at New Copper River Marketplace, Local First Responders Meet the Challenge Brought by Epic Snowfall, Fresno Pro Bodybuilder Looks to Remain Dominant at Weekend Championship Event, State Rejects Six Valley Groundwater Plans, but Westlands Is Approved, Water Experts Explain What Large Snowpack Means for the Valley, Californias Landmark Assault Weapon Ban May Be Overturned Again, Ernest Hemingway Winery in Paso Robles Shuttered Over Missing License, PG&Es Avila Beach Nuclear Plant Gets OK to Keep Running for Now, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein Hospitalized. Just ten percent of America's largest and richest farms collect almost three-fourths of federal farm subsidies; cash payments that often harm the environment. Lois Henry is the CEO and editor of SJV Water, a nonprofit, independent online news publication dedicated to covering water issues in the San Joaquin Valley. If they pass a law saying I cant sell it, then I cant sell it. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Mainly clear. SANDRIDGE PARTNERS, L.P. et al., Defendants, Cross-complainants and Appellants. The drive-thru event, the first Sandridge Partners has done, helped a total of 25 families, including about 70 children. John Vidovich flies in from Northern California to the Wasco airport to give a tour of some of his farmland in the area. The fight between the Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by the J.G. Yes, locals have a bad taste in their mouths from Vidovichs water moves, I was told by several people, many of whom said they were too afraid of retaliation to use their names. Current estimates show that the unit has a sales volume of $3,026,000 and staff of approximately 17 people. Boswell Company, Hansen Ranches, the Vander Eyk Dairies and many others. From our farming company, growing partners, and all of our employees we pay attention to every detail of our almonds, from the orchards to the finished product. He said Sandridge is controlled by developer John Vidovich of Los Altos Hills . Along with paying a quarter-million for recharging the aquifer, with the terms including a restriction on pumping of up to 36,000 acre-feet annually, or 130,000 acre-feet within a five-year consecutive period and a separate restriction that the district, nor its members, move water outside of Tulare and Kings counties. manometer is used to measure high pressure; belize medical associates san pedro; Their licenses were suspended by the board Feb. 3, after members watched a 19-minute video taken at the beating location. At the time, I was heavy with state water but the state water had low allocations and I had no other water source over there (Dudley Ridge land in western Kings County).. Though his father passed 13 years ago, the son a graduate of Santa Clara School of Law and inactive lawyer continues to manage the real estate firm with holdings in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Salt Lake City, and San Diegos North County. Accueil; Solution; Tarif; PRO; Mon compte; France; Accueil; Solution; Tarif; PRO; Mon compte Longtime friend and associate Ted Page defended Vidovichs operations. But this is just one of several ongoing Boswell-Vidovich skirmishes. And while Resnick and Vidovich have been at odds in the past over San Joaquin Valley water feuds especially centering on the appearance that Resnick was overly-familiar in his utilization of the Kern Water Bank the feud is long gone. Vidovich freely admits that most of his land is for water rights. Uneasy about a slowly-marching plan to siphon Valley water for Southern California, farmers and some water managers are worrying about the growing shadow of one of the regions largest land owners. The jury said they owed $73.4 million in compensatory damages reportedly the largest award in Kings County history and $55.2 million in punitive damages. Latest With Sandridge cattle harvesting just 120 cattle a day, Central Valley Meat plans to do a two-phase expansion of its beef processing plant that already processes about 1,500 head of cattle a day . Known organization owner is John Vidovich. Related Story: Clash Between Water Titans Heats up Over Kings County Pipeline. (The project has been revived on a smaller scale in a different location.). And, importantly, Angiola promised not to take the groundwater outside of Tulare or Kings counties or allow any of its landowners to do so. Kings Co. town denies massive Sandridge water pipeline will move wastewater "The legal battle between Kings County's largest farming and water giant and a local water district surrounding the construction of a massive, underground water pipeline has taken another twist. sandridge partners farming presupposition vs presumption. The giant J.G. In 2009, it sold thousands of acre-feet of State Water Project contract water to the Mojave Water Agency for about $73.5 million. Site development by. Stephen Vidovich died in 2007, at the age of 81, driving a tractor near one of his remaining vineyards. Nationwide, 2,411 businesses in the "Tree Nut Farming" industry received a total of $180.4M in PPP loans.