United Kingdom-based Tesco PLC was scheduled to open the doors of its first six U.S. stores, located in the Los Angeles area and flying the "Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market" store banner.

Tesco was slated to begin operations Nov. 8 in those six stores, followed by openings later in the month and before the first of the year in both Arizona and Nevada. By early next year, the chain is expected to open about 50 convenience-style hybrids in the Southern California, Phoenix and Las Vegas areas.

"Florida Tomato Growers Exchange members united since last spring against penny-per-pound deals, and they reaffirmed it at our annual meeting in the fall," said Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the organization. "We are currently starting our season and we do not want there to be any misunderstanding in this issue. We want it known that we continue our firm conviction."

Sweetbay Supermarket, the Florida-based supermarket company of Delhaize Group, recently announced the appointment of Paul Sabattus as vice president of marketing. He will be responsible for brand management and positioning, consumer outreach and strategic marketing initiatives.

Mr. Sabattus has more than 30 years of experience in all functions of retail sales and marketing in the supermarket industry.

Valentino Filice, a Gilroy, CA-native and farmer whose cooking skills helped established the Gilroy Garlic Festival as the pre-eminent garlic festival in the world, died Sunday, Nov. 4 after succumbing to pancreatic cancer. He was 80.

Mr. Filice had been recruited in 1978 by festival co-founders Don Christopher of Gilroy-based Christopher Ranch and the late Rudy Melone to organize the festival's primary food concession. Mr. Filice directed that concession -- called Gourmet Alley -- and had a hand in festival operations until his death.

Water Court Judge Roger Klein issued a decision Oct. 19 accepting a water augmentation plan submitted by the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District. More than a year ago, 215 of 400 wells located in the South Platte Basin from Commerce City to Fort Morgan were prohibited from pumping water to irrigate crops. The Central Colorado Water Conservancy District provided a plan which showed that these producers would return water to the river.

Hardly a day passes without a major network or newspaper reporting on the severe drought occurring in the southeastern United States. The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services is concerned that viewers and readers -- those in the produce industry included -- might be getting the impression that Florida will not have crops to feed the nation.