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COMPANY NEWS

Link to March 2009.pdf

Newsletter / March 2009

The Future of California
and High-Speed Rail
By Jim Stavis

The whining about who got what in the $767-billion economic stimulus package is well underway, but there are no complaints from high-speed rail advocates. They walked away with $8 billion. That is an unprecedented amount considering the crumbs Amtrak has collected during the past 20 years, and rail boosters are predicting the money will lead to rail investment projects in every region of the country. In this newsletter, we focus on California—the land of excessive budget deficits and abundant optimism. The allocation of money makes good on President Obama’s campaign promise to show rail a little love—something that Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood echoed when he said, “I think President Obama would like to be known as the high-speed rail president and I think he can be.”

The biggest project projected for California is an 800-mile bullet train that would ultimately link San Francisco with Los Angeles in as early as 2020. The rail system would start in Sacramento and stretch all the way to San Diego. The trains would use the same wheel of rail technology currently found in France, Spain, Korea and China and reach speeds of more than 200 mph. Can you imagine riding a train from L.A. to the Bay Area in less time than you would have to wait to get through airport security? Governor Schwarzenegger, one of the initiative’s biggest proponents, argues that high-speed rail will not only solve California’s infamous gridlock, but it will also provide the Golden State with a huge economic competitive advantage. In the steel industry, we applaud the move. Bring it on…

PARAGON STEEL'S MID CITY EXPORAIL CONTRACT

While bureaucrats debate the merits of a high-speed rail line, there is already a rail line being built in our own backyard and Paragon Steel is proud to be a part of it. The Mid City Expo line is in its final stage of design and construction has begun. It is scheduled to be up and running in 2010. When the Expo line opens, it will join the Metro Rail/ Fixed Guideway network of 87.6 miles of route service in L.A. County. The Expo line will be the first Metro Rail line to connect Downtown Los Angeles with the Westside ending in Culver City. The ultimate plan is to build a “subway to the sea” and bring the line all the way to Santa Monica.

So what is Paragon Steel’s role in this? We have been contracted to build the transit stations along the rail line. Architects have been putting the final touches on the design of these stations so that they are both functional and aesthetic to the eye. The concept’s goal is to establish a multi-modal transit corridor that combines a light rail transit system, a bikeway, streets and pedestrian linkage in a safe and cohesive parkway setting. We are excited to be a part of this project that will hopefully alter the commuting landscape in Los Angeles.

MIKE SOTTOSANTI RETIRES

Since this newsletter has been dedicated to transportation, it is only fitting that we mention the retirement of our first tractor-trailer driver, Mike Sottosanti. Known as “Big Mike, the ladies’ delight” (he created that name), Mike will be fondly remembered by us all at Paragon Steel. He worked for us for more than 20 years and he embodied the enthusiasm, spirit and dedication of all our employees. Once you met Mike, you could never forget him. In his early days, he would often call into radio stations with a “joke of the day” that would be broadcast over the L.A. airwaves. He was also known to carry a few dozen donuts around as a way to get off-loaded quicker at customers. He is a special person that we will always remember.

“AND SPEAKING OF RAILROADS”

“It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of the part the railroad has played in making this nation what it is today. Perhaps it would be within bounds to say that without railroads to bind the states into one homogeneous whole, the nation never could have attained its present size and importance.”
—Charles Frederick Carter