Valley Voice
Group hopes for Valley university for 2030
Hanford pays consultant $96k for parks plan MARK PRATTER
DAVE ADALIAN
Special to the Voice
dave@ourvalleyvoice.com
JM Williams has a vision for the future of education in the South Valley, and he’s hoping the community will put its support behind it and the aptly-named organization he’s founded--The Vision 4 The Valley. “We want to bring a four-year university to Tulare County by 2030,” Williams said. The effort is in its earliest stages, and the goal appears lofty, but already Williams has what seems to be a solid organizational plan. He and the other founding officers of the newly formed nonprofit intend to gather as much capital as they can, then put that money toward “anything we can do to write grants to right the wrongs in Tulare County.” Brain Drain Ultimately, however, the aim of The Vision 4 The Valley (TV4TV) is to stop what Williams sees as an ongoing exodus of the South Valley’s best and brightest students. “What I’d like to make sure is that Tulare County has anything someone who lives here needs. If they don’t have to leave, wouldn’t that be preferable,” he said. “We want to make it so we can have a choice.” Williams came to a realization that the area had little to offer to keep its native sons and daughters in the area after living in Texas for five years then being obliged to return. “I didn’t want to come back,” he
UNIVERSITY continued on 6 »
Volume XXXIX No. 2 17 January, 2019 ourvalleyvoice.com
An immigrant at a bus station in McAllen shows her ankle monitor. Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune
Migrant numbers falling, for now
MARTIN VELASCO-RAMOS martin@ourvalleyvoice.com
A Special Report to the Valley Voice by Martin Velsaco-Ramos In the wake of the government shutdown and Donald Trump’s demands for a wall to address the “migrant crisis” threatening the U.S. border, I traveled to the border city of El Paso, Texas on New Year’s Eve to witness this crisis first hand. The recent surge of migrants crossing the U.S. border has fallen, according to Ruben Garcia, the director of a migrant shelter in El Paso. He explained in a press conference on January 9 that the drop in migrants crossing is a pattern they’ve seen before and not a response to anything in particular. If the pattern holds true, then there should be another increase in the number of crossings within
the coming months, but the numbers should continue to decrease for now, said Garcia. Conversely, on January 10, Trump broadcasted a more dire narrative from another border city along the Rio Grande, at the Border Patrol Station in McAllen, Texas, where a round table with Trump was held. In the foreground weapons, drugs, and bags of cash seized by border patrol were on display. A woman spoke of her son’s murder at the hands of an illegal. The message was clear: Illegals are coming. And they are drug dealers and killers. During Christmas week news surfaced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was unexpectedly releasing hundreds of migrants at El Paso Greyhound stations and airports. Numbers toMIGRANTS continued on 11 »
Editors Note: The writer of this article has been involved in the efforts to save the 18 acres west of Hidden Valley Park for future park expansion Pros Consulting was hired at a cost of nearly $96,000 to update Hanford’s park master plan. Michael Svetz, lead consultant on the project, told members of the Hanford Parks and Recreation Commission that the firm will identify where Hanford needs future park acreage and pledged to engage diverse members of the community in developing the document. Pros Consulting Inc., based in Indianapolis, has done master plans for cities such as Fresno, West Sacramento, San Clemente and Hayward, said Svetz. In addition, the firm ETC will conduct a statistically valid survey of Hanford residents to determine preferences on future parks needs. But several city residents, who have repeatedly lobbied for better and expanded parks at city council meetings, were not included in initial discussions. Svetz said his role was to give city staff a schedule for public comment periods and it was the staff’s role to identify focus groups within the community. In a January 4 interview, Hanford Parks Director Craig Miller emphasized that the city is “not trying to exclude anybody.” There will be more public participation, he said.
Public Not Given Notice
Svetz said the first round of focus groups on the master plan were con-
HANFORD continued on 12 »
Valero, Townsend sworn in as new Tulare County supervisors JOHN DILLON
john@ourvalleyvoice.com
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors swore in two new members on January 8, Eddie Valero for District 4 and Dennis Townsend for District 5. After taking their oath of office each new supervisor addressed the room. Townsend spoke on his experience on the road to the election. “When I started campaigning about a year and a half ago now, people would ask, ‘What does it feel like?’ and I said, ‘surreal.’ I feel like today is the culmination of that,” he said. During the campaign, Townsend cited his mother, campaign manager, but most of all, his wife Cece, as positive influences and sources of support. Townsend will represent the Porterville, Springville, and Terra Bella communities and replaced Supervisor Mike Ennis, who retired. As an Orosi native, Valero garnered a lot of support from the communities within the district. “My hometown believed in me before I believed in myself.” Valero returned to his hometown
Left: Dennis Townsend takes his oath of office. Right: Eddie Valero takes his oath of office.
from an Ivy League education and a potential university teaching career to help Tulare County. Since his return, he was elected to the Orosi School Board and found himself as president of the board for two years. Valero also began the Young Men’s Initiative which helps develop young men from single or divorced families in the Cutler-Orosi area into leaders. “I realized that service for others is better than service for self,” said Valero. As a supervisor, he wants to fo-
cus on water, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. Valero takes over Supervisor Steve Worthley’s seat. Worthley also retired. His district represents the communities of Dinuba, Cutler, Orosi, and Goshen. Valero beat Kuldip Thusu, then Vice Mayor of Dinuba, in a surprise victory in the June primary. The new supervisors took their spot upon the dais with fellow Supervisors Kuyler Crocker, Pete Vander Poel, and Amy Shuklian. In other business, Supervisor
Crocker was elected chair of the board and Supervisor Vander Poel was elected vice chair. The board then congratulated Tim Ward, Mike Boudreaux, and Tim Hire on their respective election victories for District Attorney, Sheriff, and Superintendent of Schools. Supervisor Shuklian acknowledged the Christmas Day fire in downtown Visalia and said the Workforce Investment Board is working with the displaced employees to find
SUPES continued on 11 »
17 January, 2019 Valley Voice
2
FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESK
Say Hello to Alice
It seems our esteemed leader might be poised to declare a national emergency along our southern border because it lacks a continuous wall. But that’s not where the crisis looms. Our national emergency is within the Oval Office. The president, undeniably, owns our current government shutdown, the longest in our nation’s history. “…I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down,” Trump said on camera in the Oval Office. “I’m not going to blame you for it...I will take the mantle of shutting it down. And I’m going to shut it down for border security.” Of course, now he blames the Democrats for not acquiescing to his vanity campaign promise. Maybe it’s Mexico’s fault for refusing to pay for it. Maybe it’s our own electorate’s fault for recognizing a wall for what it truly would be--an ineffective multi-billion dollar boondoggle. It’s my understanding that most illegal drugs, for instance, arrive via legal ports of entry. Or under already walled sections of the border. Maybe the partial government shutdown chaos (BuzzFeed News: “’I like chaos. It really is good,’” Trump said during the annual Gridiron press dinner in Washington in March of last year, according to a White House pool reporter’s transcript.”) serves as a distraction from our dear leader’s mounting legal woes. What’s certain is that 800 thousand-plus furloughed workers, many living paycheck to paycheck, won’t be getting paid. They’ll be living paycheck to no check. What rabbit hole have we run down when--in the name of security in any form--members of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Coast Guard are required work without a paycheck? Picture the quality of their work while all these vital people are unnecessarily stressed because they are unable to pay their credit card bills. Their mortgages. Rent. Utilities. Insurance. Food. These all add up while their bottom line does not. CNN, in fact, reported on January 13 that on the third of this month a traveler carrying a firearm boarded a flight from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and flew to Tokyo Narita International Airport. “TSA has determined standard procedures were not followed and a passenger did in fact pass through a standard screening TSA checkpoint with a firearm at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on the morning of January 3.” What are all these stressed workers supposed to do? In a recently rescinded five-page tip sheet titled “Managing Your Finances During a Furlough” the Coast Guard offered its employees some pointers: “turn your hobby into income; become a mystery shopper at grocery stores; hold a garage sale; babysit.” The last option, according to the Coast Guard, would be to declare bankruptcy. Then there’s this gem from US Office of Personnel Management for government employees to use as a guide when working with their landlords: “I would like to discuss with you the possibility of trading my services to perform maintenance (e.g. painting, carpentry work) in exchange for partial rent payments.” Seriously? I’m a landlord myself, and I can tell you from experience the notion of bartering for rent money is a deep rabbit hole. We currently have a very good tenant who has been in arrears, off and on, since last April. His current balance is nearly $6500. Now, I know he’ll eventually pay it--but in the meantime, even without a mortgage on that building, it’s murder to our personal economy. Now think of the 800 thousand-plus furloughed workers. It doesn’t just come down to their personal economies. In their wake are many thousands more who need, in turn, to be paid. Republicans are supposed to be the fiscally responsible party, right? How Republican--or responsible--does any of this nonsense sound to you? Joseph Oldenbourg
Valley Voice
The Valley Voice is your newspaper, published by The Valley Voice, LLC.
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Valley Voice 17 January, 2019
POLITICAL FIX Are Campaigns Starting to Feel Like Houseguests Who Have Stayed too Long?
I hope you have enjoyed your four-week break from the 2018 election because Campaign 2020 has just begun. The Iowa Poll released in December gives a glimpse of who voters are considering for possible challengers to President Trump. Former Vice President Joe Biden came in first with 32%, followed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with 19%, Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke with 11%, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts with 8% and 5% for California Sen. Kamala Harris. Up to 30 Democrats are expected to run for president. It’s not just the presidential primary that has invaded our respite from election politics. I am also talking about our local elections. Last year Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill changing California’s primary from the first Tuesday in June to March 3. Given the fact that early voting starts February 3, anyone in Kings or Tulare County running for local office needs to start their campaign soon. Like now. But before we get into local elections let’s start with why the date was changed in the first place. California is now part of Super Tuesday along with eight other states. Candidates who do not do well in the February primaries or on Super Tuesday usually drop out of the race. That means presidential candidates will actually have to campaign in California rather than treat us like their personal ATM. In every other election California was irrelevant because our primary was the second to last in the nation and by June everyone had dropped out of the race – except the eventual nominees. If you think about it, it’s pretty ridiculous that the fifth largest economy in the world, the largest block of electoral votes, the richest political donors, and the most diverse state in the nation, had no say on who should run for President of the United States. Candidates used to just drop by for our money, now they need our vote. I don’t know if that is a good or a bad thing. But it’s a thing. Back in the day, primaries were not the major engine to nominate a candidate for president. That happened at the conventions. It’s hard to believe now, but in my grandmother’s generation primaries were little more than beauty contests. Candidates didn’t even have to show
up to win. In 1952 General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s supporters tried to convince him to run for president. But he was a reluctant candidate, so a group of voters in New Hampshire put his name on the Republican Primary ballot. According to Elaine Kamarck’s 2016 blog, “Without ever stepping a foot in the state, Ike won the primary with 50% of the vote— beating the party favorite, Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio, by 12 points. And the rest was history.” Primaries weren’t even the big brouhaha in the 1970’s that cable news has now made them with their nearly 24/7 coverage, computerized election maps, and over analysis of the numbers. Now that primaries are important, so is the sequence in which they occur. In a sequential contest, the results of one primary affect the next primary and so on, to the point that all states that hold their primaries after March became irrelevant. New Hampshire has held the first-in-the-nation primary since 1920, making that small, rural, homogenous state carry more weight than all the voters in California. Iowa actually has the first primary before New Hampshire. But they technically hold a “caucus” and no one knows exactly what that is. In fact, Iowa struggles with the concept themselves because in 2016 the state couldn’t even figure out who won. The state of New Hampshire plays a huge role in my Doe family history. There is Doe’s Island, Doe’s Marsh, Doe’s Neck and Doe Garrison. So New Hampshire must be pretty important, right? Well--no, but New Hampshirites think so. They passed a law in 1948 to ensure that their primary would always be first. The law does not tell the other states to stay away from their primary, but is more ingenuous. “The presidential primary election shall be held …….. on a Tuesday selected by the secretary of state which is 7 days or more immediately preceding the date on which any other state shall hold a similar election, whichever is earlier, of each year when a president of the United States is to be elected or the year previous…” Pretty clever, but there were consequences. I remember in 2007 Michigan was tired of being ignored like California and scheduled their primary for January 15 so they could be first. So New Hampshire rescheduled theirs for January 8. Not to be outdone, Iowa changed theirs to seven days before that on January 3. Happy New Year Iowa. Now go trudge through the snow and
3 a column by CATHERINE DOE — catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com go caucus. The New York Times reported, “This year, the primary calendar has been nothing short of a mess.” In the end New Hampshire and Iowa prevailed and Michigan was told to get back in line. But for 2020 the joke is on New Hampshire and Iowa, law or no law. When you take early voting into account, California’s primary actually overlaps both of their primaries, making our state the first in the nation. Given that, no candidate would want to drop out of the race until California has tallied its votes. But the real joke may be on us. If California’s early voting starts February 3, that means Campaign 2020 will share billing with Christmas 2019. So get used to seeing your favorite candidate’s mug right next to Santa’s. “It’s going to be crazy,” said Justin Turner, Assembly member Devon Mathis’ Chief of Staff. “Now instead of focusing on good legislation and working with the district we have an election to think about.” He said his office was against the bill that changed the primary dates. “It’s a distraction,” said Mr. Mathis according to Mr. Turner. Mr. Turner also said the date change would be more of a help for the Democrats than the Republicans. Democrats control the state, he said, and there are several California Democrats looking to run for president. “I think the possibility of Kamala Harris running played a role in California changing the date,” said Turner. As for other local races, Evette Bakke handles about 20 clients’ campaign finances and needs to file paperwork regularly so she has been aware of the date change since last year. She just met with Tulare County Supervisor Kuyler Crocker last week to strategize. She doesn’t anticipate he will face any serious challengers because Mr. Crocker has done a good job as supervisor. “What would a challenger base their campaign on?” She said. She said the Tulare County Registrar of Voters is also on top of the date change adjusting their filing, registering, and voting dates to approximately three months ahead. Tulare County Supervisor Amy Shuklian already has fundraisers scheduled. Tulare County Supervisor Pete Vander Poel will also be up for election but his campaign war chest usually dissuades any challengers, even under the best of circumstances. Tulare Mayor Jose Sigala said the primary date change does not affect city council races. Tu-
lare Council members Carlton Jones and Greg Nunley and himself will be up for re election in 2020. But no matter what California does, city council races are always decided in November. When asked if he was planning on running for Assembly District 26 again Mr. Sigala said, “At this point I have no comment.” Other offices that will face a primary election are Congress Members TJ Cox and Devin Nunes. Mr. Sigala did agree the date change will be extremely difficult on challengers for federal, state and supervisor offices. Not only will it be an uphill battle for them in terms of name recognition but many incumbents have a fundraising machine that’s hard to match. I do have one request for all challengers, incumbents, and their campaign managers, please refer to the definitive Valley Voice Holiday Events calendar before scheduling campaign events. My daughter and I enjoy going to the home tours and holiday boutiques and I don’t want to be choosing between a candidates’ forum and a Christmas tree Auction. I’ll let you guess which one will win.
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17 January, 2019 Valley Voice
4
AGRICULTURE
State regulation would broaden wetlands rules CHING LEE
California Farm Bureau Federation
Saying that it will continue to protect environmentally sensitive waterways such as wetlands in California, even if federal protections on waters of the U.S. are limited, the State Water Resources Control Board has unveiled a final draft on how it plans to regulate dredge-and-fill activities in the state. The draft, released last week, provides a definition of what the state considers a wetland. It also lays out permitting procedures for discharges of dredged or fill material to waters of the state. The previous draft was released in 2017. The water board said it tentatively plans to consider adopting the procedures Feb. 5 in Sacramento. There will be a public workshop on the proposal Jan. 22, also in Sacramento. Though the state has been developing its own wetlands policy since 2004, this final rule comes several weeks after the Trump administration proposed a new Clean Water Rule it said is intended to help landowners distinguish more easily what is or isn’t a “water of the United States.” That new federal rule would replace a 2015 WOTUS rule by the Obama administration that farm groups say would have given the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers extensive authority to regulate routine farming activities.
If adopted, the state’s final rule would expand the permitting jurisdiction of regional water boards and impose additional regulatory requirements on certain farming activities and operations. The state water board said its draft procedures “will protect all waters of the state at a time when the current federal Administration is proposing to dramatically reduce the scope of federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction.” California Farm Bureau Federation Senior Counsel Kari Fisher said farm groups have many of the same concerns with this version as with the state’s previous draft, saying the current proposal goes “beyond regulating discharges to wetland waters of the state that fall outside the protection of the federal Clean Water Act.” “This would regulate all waters of the state, including all waters of the U.S. already protected under the Clean Water Act and non-wetland waters of the state already protected under the California Department of Fish and Wildlife lake and streambed alteration program,” she said. Specifically, the state defines an area as a wetland if it meets three criteria: wetland hydrology, wetland soils and wetland plants, if the land is vegetated. An area could be considered a wetland if the upper soil surface is saturated by groundwater or shallow surface water, either continuously or intermittently. By the state’s definition, it is also a wetland if the satura-
tion lasts long enough for there to be no oxygen in the upper soil surface. Whereas the federal definition of a wetland requires a prevalence of wetland vegetation under normal circumstances, the state definition says an area may be a wetland even if it does not support vegetation, adding that vegetated and unvegetated wetlands will be regulated in the same manner under state rules. Fisher said the state’s “overbroad” procedures would set new regulatory requirements that would affect farming activities across the state—from agricultural drainage projects to smaller projects on the field necessary for operation and crop production. “Farmers and ranchers would now have to comply with a bevy of new and costly water-quality regulations in addition to current regulations such as those within irrigated lands regulatory programs,” she said. The state water board said its draft rule is based “in large part on the scientific documentation and conclusions supporting the existing” Army Corps three-pronged definition of a wetland. To account for arid parts of the state, the water board extends its definition to unvegetated wetlands such as mudflats and playas. “Waters of the state are, by definition, broader than waters of the U.S.,” the water board said. “These draft procedures do not change that.” But Fisher said the draft procedures would create unnecessary con-
President tells farmers to expect a bright future DAVE KRANZ
California Farm Bureau Federation
Promising farmers “the greatest harvest is yet to come,” President Trump said his actions on regulatory reform, tax policy, trade and immigration would bring both short-term and long-term benefits. For a second straight year, Trump came to the American Farm Bureau Federation convention, speaking Monday to the organization’s 100th annual gathering in New Orleans, and said the future for American farmers “is bigger, better, greater, bolder and brighter than ever before.” The president said his administration’s actions to reduce regulations and reduce taxes have had immediate benefits for rural America, and reassured farmers that the administration’s trade policies would lead to more-open markets for U.S. farm products. He spent the bulk of his 55-minute speech addressing the issue that led to a partial federal-government shutdown: immigration policy and the need for a wall or barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border. Citing a “tremendous humanitarian crisis on the border,” Trump reiterated his call for a border barrier,
saying illegal immigration “impacts all Americans.” At the same time, he said, “I want people to come into our country, but they have to come in legally. They have to come in through a process.” Trump said he recognized that farmers and ranchers depend on a largely immigrant workforce. “You need people to help you with the farms; I’m going to make that easier for them to come in and to work the farms,” he said, adding that people entering the U.S. for farm jobs “are going to help our country.” The president said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is doing “everything in its power” to help through the government shutdown, and said many people affected by the shutdown have encouraged the administration to continue to press for border-barrier funding. Trump said the administration is fighting for farmers and ranchers “on every front,” and described actions he said have helped agriculture and rural regions. He pointed to tax-cut legislation enacted last year that has benefited farmers, including “virtually eliminating” the federal estate tax.
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The president said his administration has led “the most sweeping regulatory reform at any time in history,” noting that USDA alone rolled back almost $400 million in regulatory costs last year, and is projected to more-thandouble those savings this year. “We’re saving farmers and ranchers from one of the most ridiculous regulations ever imposed on anybody in our nation, the waters of the United States rule,” the president said, referring to a 2015 Obama administration rule criticized by farm groups and other organizations for granting federal agencies greater authority over land and water. Last month, the administration unveiled a new Clean Water Rule, meant to replace the 2015 WOTUS rule, that it said would help landowners distinguish more clearly what is and what isn’t a water of the U.S. “We are going to keep federal regulators out of your stock tanks, your drainage ditches, your puddles and your ponds,” Trump said. “We’re going to get government off your backs so you can earn a living and support your families, doing what you love.” The president said the newly signed 2018 Farm Bill “delivers for our farmers on a wide range of priorities,” singling out changes to crop insurance and loan programs, plus a commitment to improve broadband service in rural areas. On trade, Trump said the administration is “replacing one-sided, unfair trade deals.” The ongoing trade dispute between China and the U.S. has hurt exports of American farm products to China, but Trump said negotiations have brought progress toward improving trade. He
flict by proposing a new wetland definition that differs from the definition used by the Army Corps since 1977. “This would result in features being classified as a wetland by the water board but as a non-wetland waters by the Corps, leading to conflicting alternatives-analysis determinations and mitigation requirements,” she added. The state water board excludes from regulation any artificially created, temporary features less than an acre in size, such as tire ruts or other transient depressions caused by human activity—including crop irrigation and stock watering—though it will continue to regulate seasonal wetlands and small vernal pools that may be outside of federal jurisdiction. The final draft spells out what information and analysis need to be submitted when applying for a permit to conduct dredging and filling activities. It also specifies when an alternatives analysis needs to be conducted and sets a minimum mitigation ratio for any permanent impacts to waters of the state resulting from dredgeand-fill activities. The public workshop on the final draft will be held Jan. 22, 9:30 a.m., at the CalEPA Headquarters Building, 1001 I St., Sacramento. The public meeting to consider adoption of the final draft will be held Feb. 5, 9:30 a.m., at the same location. (Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@ cfbf.com.)
said the administration has taken “the toughest-ever actions to confront China’s unfair trade practices” that have hurt U.S. farmers and ranchers. “We want a fair deal for American farmers, removing China’s arbitrary demands on agricultural imports, safeguarding our intellectual property and providing fair market access to all American producers,” Trump said. He also discussed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, negotiated to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, calling it “a landmark deal” that would increase U.S. farm exports. “We urge Congress to support American agriculture, stand up for American workers, and hopefully they will approve the USMCA quite quickly,” the president said. Trump said the administration is working to “reverse the damage of decades of unfair trade,” and noted that it has provided up to $12 billion in relief for farmers affected by retaliatory tariffs. “No one understands better than our great farmers that the tough choices we make today reap rewards for centuries to come,” he said. California Farm Bureau Federation President Jamie Johansson, who attended the speech, said the president’s appearance underlined the importance he places on rural America. “For him to speak to AFBF two years in a row shows that he recognizes how farmers, ranchers and rural Americans contribute to our nation’s overall prosperity and security,” Johansson said. “Farmers want a cooperative working relationship with their government on every level, and this administration has certainly made that a priority.”
Valley Voice 17 January, 2019
5
AGRICULTURE
January storms benefit Sierra snowpack KEVIN HECTEMAN
California Farm Bureau Federation
Although Mother Nature blew the storm door off its hinges in parts of California last weekend, the state continues to run below average for rain and snow so far this winter. The Jan. 5-6 precipitation, combined with the prospect of additional storms during the week, added to a snowpack that stood at only twothirds of average levels statewide last week, when the state Department of Water Resources conducted its first manual snow survey of the new year. By Monday, the snowpack had risen to 84 percent of average, according to DWR sensors—79 percent in the northern Sierra Nevada, 87 percent in the central Sierra and 86 percent in the southern part of the mountain range. A year earlier, the statewide snowpack registered only 27 percent of average. “The last few years have shown how variable California’s climate truly is,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said, adding that the state’s significant weather variability “means we can go from historic drought to record rainfall, with nothing in between.” California Farm Bureau Federation Director of Water Resources Danny Merkley said that variability underlines the need for additional water storage. “We’ve heard many experts talk about the long-term changes in our weather patterns in recent years, and we’ve seen it come to fruition with a
reduced Sierra snowpack during the majority of recent winters,” Merkley said. “The Sierra snowpack is our largest natural reservoir. Shouldn’t we increase our water storage and thin the straws—overgrown forests in the Sierra—to improve our water security for human and environmental needs to offset the reduction in our largest natural reservoir?” The Jan. 5-6 storm brought strong winds and rainfall that in some cases broke records, including in Sacramento, which saw 1.26 inches of rain Sunday. The old record for Jan. 6 was 1.14 inches, set in 1993. Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, reported strong winds during the weekend littered roads with downed trees and branches. Because most fields are out of production for the winter, no damage to farms had been reported, Groot added. “It will take some time to clean up from this one, but we welcome all the rain we got,” he said. Cold nights in the Central Valley and on the coast last week prompted citrus growers to run wind machines and additional irrigation to protect their crops. Overnight temperatures in the days after New Year’s dropped to 27 to 29 degrees, with Ventura County seeing 24 to 25 degrees, according to California Citrus Mutual. Navel varieties can tolerate temperatures as low as 27 degrees, CCM said, while lemons can put up with 30 degrees and mandarins are vulnerable to freeze damage at 32 degrees or
John King, left, a water resource engineer with the California Department of Water Resources, and Michael Anderson, DWR climatologist, conduct a snow survey at Phillips Station in El Dorado County. Storms in the days following the manual snow survey boosted the overall Sierra Nevada snowpack to more than 80 percent of average. Ken James, DWR
below. So far, the crops have weathered the cold temperatures well, the organization said. Below-freezing temperatures were recorded last week in San Diego County as well, but no damage has yet been reported, said Eric Larson, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau. It was a typical firstfrost-of-winter pattern, and many of the colder temperatures were reported in nonagricultural areas, he added. Beyond this week, it’s a tossup as to what the rest of winter might look like. The Climate Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sees an equal chance of average, above aver-
age or below average precipitation for most of the state during the first three months of 2019. Northern California north of Sacramento is projected to run below average, while far southeastern California—eastern San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial counties—is predicted to see above-average precipitation. More storm activity was predicted for the middle of the week and the following weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento, with snow levels around 5,000 to 6,000 feet. (Kevin Hecteman is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. He may be reached at khecteman@cfbf.com.)
Commentary: California farmers must rely on diversity, resiliency MATT CLARK
California Farm Bureau Federation
U.S. farm income contracted somewhat in 2018, according to the most recent United States Department of Agriculture update, released Nov. 30. The report indicated that net cash income in 2018 declined 10 percent from the previous year to about $93.4 billion, the lowest net cash income since 2009. Strikingly, net cash income has declined 38 percent from the recent peak in 2012, when many in the agricultural industry experienced a protracted period of exceptional profit margins. Only one other time period, the mid-1970s, has sustained a similar decline. The decline in farm income from the previous year was a result of both a decline in gross cash receipts and an increase in production expenses. For example, gross cash receipts for agriculture fell less than 1 percent from the previous year. Direct farm expenses, such as labor, feed, fertilizer and chemicals, increased more than 2 percent. Other farm expenses also increased slightly, adding to the profit-margin squeeze. However, due to strong balance sheets built during the run-up in farm income, the aggregate U.S. farm sector remains in adequate financial shape— though tighter than previous years, by several measures. First, solvency measures such as debt-to-asset and debt-to-equity ratios, while seeing a modest recent rise, remain well below levels observed in the
last farm crisis. For instance, though above the historic lows of the early 2010s, debt-to-equity remains below levels observed from 1962 through 2003, a 41year period. Second, liquidity measures have tightened but also remain above the water line. The USDA essentially reports that the aggregate current ratio remains in positive territory, though down significantly from the peak years. The decline in liquidity likely also explains the slight uptick in debt levels; the USDA has estimated an aggregate debt load increase of less than 2 percent from a year ago. Finally, delinquency rates for non-real estate farm loans also remain historically low. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, the delinquency rate for agricultural loans held at commercial banks currently sits around 2 percent, up slightly from the valley observed in 2012 though still below recent averages. In California, the largest contributor to the nation’s cash farm receipts, the outlook is somewhat mixed and depends heavily on region and industry. Areas impacted by fires are understandably expected to experience a step back in farm income. Drought has also been a factor in several key production areas, with 2018 showing no signs of improvement. In fact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that from January to December, California’s acres showing signs of
drought increased 48 percent. In areas unaffected by fire and drought, gross cash receipts expectations vary by specific industry but in general look to be stable or slightly down from the previous year. As an example, USDA estimates gross cash receipts for the dairy industry to be down 9 percent from the previous year but estimates poultry receipts to be 7 percent higher. After several years of strong production, gross receipts for tree fruit and nuts are expected to be slightly lower. Likewise, vegetable gross receipts are expected to be down slightly, though consumption remains stable. Similar to the broader farm economy, production expenses for California also increased, with the cost of labor of particular concern. In Napa and Sonoma counties, key winegrape production areas, unemployment in 2018 has hovered near 2.5 percent, at historic lows. In other large agriculture-centric counties such as Fresno, Madera, Merced and Stanislaus counties, the labor market also SALES, SERVICE, RENTAL AG EQUIPMENT & TRUCK REPAIR
tightened. For example, in October the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated unemployment in Fresno County was 6.3 percent, down from 2016 and 2017 levels of 9.0 and 7.2 percent, respectively. Overall, California agricultural producers faced multiple challenges from fires, drought, trade issues, labor concerns, water rights issues, heightened supply and more in 2018. Piecing these parts together, final 2018 profit margins will likely be tighter than the previous year. However, California farmers and ranchers have proved to be resilient over the years, in part due to the state’s very diverse commodity base. This diversity is expected to continue helping California overcome many of the recent challenges and keep it at the top of the agricultural-receipts list for all U.S. states. (Matt Clark is a senior industry analyst for American AgCredit in Santa Rosa. Republished with permission of the North Bay Business Journal.)
Equipment Co. (559) 685-5000 Rental Co. (559) 685-5028 311 E. Kern Ave. Tulare www.linderequipment.com
17 January, 2019 Valley Voice
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Suit alleges Tulare City Hall conspiracies DAVE ADALIAN
dave@ourvalleyvoice.com
An alleged plot by two Tulare councilmen to fire employees at city hall is the latest revelation in the ongoing wrongful dismissal case brought by the city’s former chief of police. Also detailed are circumstances leading to the chief’s firing.
House Cleaning
As the date for mediation in the case approached, Michael Lampe, attorney for former Tulare Chief of Police Wes Hensley, made public evidence he says shows councilmen Carlton Jones and Greg Nunley conspired to “clean house” at City Hall with the help of the city’s former manager, Joe Carlini. Lampe’s evidence also appears to show Hensley was fired because he was investigating alleged credit card fraud by Jones at Carlini’s request. According to pleadings filed by Lampe: “Chief Hensley was fired because a corrupt politician (Jones), in concert with a weak city manager (Carlini) and a conflicted city attorney, were bent on sidelining an investigation--initiated by the city manager--into the former mayor’s improper use of a city credit card.” Jones’s fellow council members removed him from the mayoral position in May. Jones remains on the city council.
Among the Chosen
The mediation, which will be overseen by retired Tulare County Superior Court Judge Howard Broadman, began January 10. The outcome is currently not known. Among the evidence Lampe intended to present was a memo from Traci Myers, the city’s deputy director for the Community and Economic Development Department, purportedly recording a warning from Jones. Myers and the department’s director, Josh McDonnell, were to be “saved” when supposed planned firings at City Hall took place. During a deposition of Myers, Lampe had her read the memo into the record. “Carlton Jones advised me to keep quiet. Joe (Carlini) is going to be ‘cleaning house,’ and he doesn’t want me to be one,” Myers read from her memo of November 8, 2017. “He said he and Nunley talked about who they want to ‘save.’ Nunley said Josh McDonnell. Carlton Jones said me.”
Puppet Government
According to policy at Tulare City Hall, only the city manager has the ability to hire and fire city department heads, with the exception of the city attorney. Myers said she found it out of the ordinary Jones and Nunley were, in Lampe’s words, “poking their nose into the city manager’s
business.” According to Lampe, Myers wasn’t the only member of staff at city hall who found the relationship between Carlini, Jones and Nunley unusual. The apparent pressure Jones and Nunley were exerting over Carlini’s personnel decisions became the basis of office rumors at city hall, according to testimony of Deputy City Clerk Roxanne Yoder. For months after the suspension of Hensley, Yoder said, some of the staff believed “that Carlton (Jones) was out of control, and basically that Mr. Carlini was his puppet.” Yoder also testified that Jones had developed a reputation among staff as a bully. According to court documents, four restraining orders have been issued against Jones, all of which are related to domestic violence. Jones was also restrained by the former interim city manager during a confrontation with a citizen during a city council meeting on September 19, 2017.
Already Gone
By the time Jones called with his warning on November 8, 2017, suspensions at city hall had already begun. On September 27, 2017, Hensley was placed on paid administrative leave. That was followed by the suspensions of TPD command staff members Capt. Fred Ynclan and Lt. Jerod Boatman on November 6, 2017, two days before
Jones allegedly called Myers. According to information provided by Lampe, Hensley was removed from his job because of an investigation into Jones’s improper use of a city-provided credit card that was initiated by Carlini. Once Hensley had been removed, Lampe alleges, Jones threatened to “take down the command staff” at TPD. Jones also leaked confidential information about Hensley’s suspension, starting with comments made during a local radio talk show on November 6, 2017, the same day Ynclan and Boatman were placed on leave. Jones also obtained part of the report resulting from the investigation into Hensley’s firing, then shared it with several members of the public, as well as posting a portion of it on social media in December of last year.
Dinner at Cattlemens
In mid-September of 2017, Jones checked out a city-owned credit card for his use while representing Tulare at a League of California Cities conference that ended on September 15, 2017. Then, on the night of September 16, 2017, Jones took his wife and daughter to dinner at Cattlemens Restaurant in Selma, where he met with two other people. Jones then used the city’s credit card to pay a bill of $144.
TULARE continued on 13 »
C-SPAN to feature Visalia on Cities Tours series STAFF REPORTS C-SPAN will be featuring Visalia over the weekend of February 2-3 for their ‘Book TV’ and ‘American History TV’ series. C-SPAN and their crew showed up on January 7 to tour the town, interview locals and film historic and non-fiction literary sites . While in Visalia, C-SPAN crews interviewed Tulare County
Museum curator Amy King about the county’s history and then visited Mooney Grove Park, the Tulare County Museum and of course Downtown Visalia. Suzanne Bianco, Tourism Marketing Director for Visit Visalia said, “We are really excited for this opportunity to showcase Visalia on a national stage as part of the ‘Cities Tours’ programming.”
UNIVERSITY
new campus and donate it to whomever they can convince to bring a university to Tulare County. “The concrete plan is No. 1 buy the land,” Williams said. “We have located a parcel. It’s 350 acres toward Terra Bella near Lake Success.” The parcel’s price tag is some $2 million.
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said. “For me that was the biggest thing, having to realize the Valley wasn’t good for people because everyone left and didn’t come back.” South Valley University While TV4TV’s officers intend the organization to support all sort of good works as it “rights the wrongs”--including issues such as homelessness and animal rights--all of those efforts will ultimately be attempts to bring awareness to the group’s main goal of getting a fouryear college built in Tulare County. “It’s going to create more awareness about what the organization is doing,” Williams said. Williams said the group would prefer the University of California build a new campus here, but they are also willing to court the California State University or a private school. And, they have a plan to incentivize those groups into action: They intend to buy enough land for a
C-SPAN’s Cities Tour takes their Book TV and American History TV on the road. On the first and third weekend of each month, the cable network features the literary life and history of a selected city. Their team takes specially outfitted Local Content Vehicles (LCVs) into each city, visiting various literary and historic sites as they interview local historians, authors, and civ-
ic leaders. Take a look at their series for February • January 19-20, 2019 Independence, Missouri, MO • February 2-3, 2019 Visalia, California, CA • February 16-17, 2019 Springfield, Illinois, IL
thing like this.” TV4TV doesn’t intend to approach the UC Regents with their idea until they’ve raised at least 25% of the cost of purchasing the land. When they do present their concept, it won’t be the first time a donation of land has led to the construction of a new UC campus. “They did it Proven with Merced and Technique they did it with JM Williams. Courtesy photo After securing Irvine as well,” the land for the Williams said. new campus, TV4TV intends to devel- “They did it twice, why wouldn’t they op the land, making sure it has cor- do it here?” rect zoning, adequate roads and similar issues. Much of that second step Off the Ground will require the cooperation of the While the goals are big, the orgaTulare County Board of Supervisors. nization behind them is still small, “Thankfully, they seem recep- with 10 officers and a growing group tive,” Williams said. “I see no rea- of supporters. Making that group of son any Tulare County supervisor supporters larger and getting their wouldn’t be on board with some- message out is TV4TV’s current focus.
“We’re really just working on outreach. I attend about five events a week,” Williams said. “We’re working on trying to get our name out there.” Besides the support of some members of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, TV4TV also has the blessing of State Assemblyman Devon Mathis. “Devon Mathis is a supporter, he’s one of our oldest,” Williams said. “He’s kind of steered us in the right direction.” While the support of local leaders and officials is critical, so too is the support of citizens, Williams said. “Right now, we’d really like the public to come to our meetings. We don’t want this to be a project where we start getting large grants, this takes off, and we start acting unilaterally,” Williams said. “We want the public to say, ‘You should do this one, not that one.’ At this stage, I’d rather have more minds than more money.” To find out more about The Vision 4 The Valley, follow them at Facebook.com/TV4TVInc.
17 January, 2019
VALLEYSCENE
ourvalleyvoice.com
Prevent falls and manage pain with free workshops STAFF REPORTS Registration is open for an eightweek workshop that will help people prevent falls, one of the main causes of hospitalizations, and a six-week workshop that will help people with chronic pain learn how to better manage their health. These free Empowerment for Better Living workshops are being offered throughout 2019 by Kaweah Delta’s Community Outreach Department in Visalia, Dinuba and Lindsay. To register for a program, call 559-624-5615 or visit www.kaweahdelta.org/livebetter.
Falls Prevention Workshop
Each year, 2.8 million older people are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries. It’s important to know that falling is not a normal part of aging. Simple changes to one’s home, management of when and how they take medications, plus increased exercise to improve strength and balance can reduce a person’s risk. Anyone who is concerned about falling or has a loved one whose balance has them concerned can enroll in this workshop. Attendees will learn to view falls as controllable, set goals for increased activity, make changes to reduce fall risks at home and exercise to increase strength and balance. Class size is typically around eight to 12 participants and each session lasts two hours. The Matter of Balance workshops
will take place on the following dates and times at the Kaweah Delta Chronic Disease Management Center, 325 S. Willis St. Visalia: • February 5-March 26, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (every Tuesday for eight weeks) • September 24-November 12 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (every Tuesday for eight weeks) Additionally, Kaweah Delta will offer the following workshops in Dinuba and Lindsay: • Matter of Balance workshop from February 6-March 27 from 2-4 p.m. (every Wednesday for eight weeks) at Dinuba Senior Center, 437 N. Eaton Ave., Dinuba. • Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls Prevention from January 21-April 10 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. (every Monday and Wednesday), at Palm Terrace Apartments, 700 W. Hermosa, Lindsay.
Chronic Pain SelfManagement Workshop
This workshop was developed by Dr. Kate Lorig at Stanford University and is now being offered at Kaweah Delta’s Chronic Disease Management Center. This program was designed for people who have a primary or secondary diagnosis of chronic pain. Pain is defined as being chronic or long term if it lasts for longer than three to six months or beyond the normal healing time of an injury.
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Rotary to roast Simpson STAFF REPORTS Get ready for a night filled with laughs as the Downtown Rotary Club hosts its inaugural roast featuring Stan Simpson as the hot seat guest. The roast will take place on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Visalia Convention Center starting with cocktails at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and roast at 7 p.m. Friends, family, and colleagues of Simpson can expect an evening full of good fun, for a great cause. Guests will also enjoy dancing to music by Run4Cover. The fundraiser proceeds will help support the many good causes of Rotary, including the Ruth Wood Hospice House, crime prevention, and scholarships for Visalia graduates. Dinner and roast tickets are $100 each and sponsorship opportunities are available. “I was honored when the Downtown Rotary foundation asked me to be the guest for their inaugural roast. This roast will add a fun element to the event, and benefit many deserving community organizations,” Simpson says. Simpson is a fourth generation Visalian and a graduate of Redwood High School. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in insurance and real estate in 1963 from San Jose State University and began his insurance career with Buckman-Mitchell, Inc., in 1964, working for his grandfather C.T. Buckman, who
Michelin White as Little Edie. Courtesy photo
Grey Gardens opens at Ice House on February 1 NANCY HOLLEY Grey Gardens is a musical that depicts the lives of real people. The show was inspired by a 1970s documentary with the same name describing the existence of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, Edith. The two women, an aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, were known as Big and Little Edie. At the time of the documentary, the women were living in a mansion known as Grey Gardens, which had fallen into disrepair and had become inhabited by numerous cats and sometimes raccoons. The officials of East Hampton, Long Island determined that the building was not fit for human habitation. In the 1940s, Grey Gardens was a center for aristocratic gatherings.
Gardens continued on 10 »
West Hills Lemoore hosting Wine and Wellness event STAFF REPORTS
founded the agency. Within the community, Simpson and his wife, Wendy, have supported many good causes. He was president of the Visalia Rotary Club, president of the Visalia Economic Development Corporation, and chairman of the Tulare County Office of Education Foundation. He owned the Visalia Oaks baseball team in the 1980s. Simpson has also been awarded many titles for his accomplishments, such as Man of the Year by the Visalia Chamber of Commerce in 1995, and he was awarded the Ramsden-Sullivan award in recognition of his outstanding service to the insurance industry and the community. For tickets or additional information contact Paul Hurley, paulhurley@ gmail.com, or call 740-3677.
By the 1970s, insufficient funds and an inability to face reality had taken their toll. “Trash has piled up, and there is no money for heating or food,” notes Debra Hansen who portrays Big Edie in Act 2. Act 1 is an attempt by the composer, lyricist, and playwright to recreate the grandeur and family prominence of the ladies in the 1940s. The actions are fictional, but their relevance to the lives of these women when they were a part of America’s elite is real. Every wish was their command. Little Edie is played by Lindsay Tweed in Act 1, “I love the show. Modern musicals are good at blending humor and real life.” Tweed describes the music as deep and difficult, “it is beautiful, heart breaking, and very challenging from a singer’s view.”
West Hills College Lemoore will host a Wine and Wellness gala on February 7 to benefit WHCL’s associate degree in nursing Foundation and the Nursing Student HELP fund. Tickets are now on sale for the event, which will feature wine and food and will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Golden Eagle Arena. “This year’s wine and wellness event will reflect on the nursing program’s success since the program’s beginning.” said Kathryn DeFede, RN MSN, and Director of Health Careers and Nursing at West Hills College Lemoore. “The WHCL nursing program has graduated very successful Registered Nurses who have gone on to do exceptional work within our community, give back to our program and in many instances returned to our program to teach. We will be recognizing the work and support our alumni have provided our program and the direct relationship to the program’s continued success with this year’s theme, ‘We Love our Alumni’” The evening will feature Central California wines and food. The program’s nursing students themselves will also be attending the event in full force. Tickets are being sold at a cost of
$45 per person and can be purchased by calling the WHCL Health Careers Office at (559) 925-3490 and from any nursing student. They can also be purchased online at http://tiny.cc/nursingtickets Sponsorships are also available at the following tiers:
$1,000 Sponsor
Wine and Wellness event tickets for 20 guests, plus Event Recognition, Social Media Recognition and Certificate of Appreciation.
$500 Sponsor
Wine and Wellness event tickets for 10 guests, plus Event Recognition, Social Media Recognition and Certificate of Appreciation.
$250 Sponsor
Wine and Wellness event tickets for 5 guests, plus Event Recognition and Certificate of Appreciation
$100 Sponsor
Wine and Wellness tickets for 2 guests, plus Event Recognition and Certificate of Appreciation Donations are also being accepted. To donate or become a sponsor, call 559-925-3490.
17 January, 2019 Valley Voice
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West Hills Chancellor delivers district’s 86th State of the District Address STAFF REPORTS West Hills Community College District Chancellor Dr. Stuart Van Horn welcomed the new Spring 2019 semester—which began Jan. 11—with his annual State of the District address. The address marked the beginning of the 86th spring semester at West Hills and featured a discussion of district goals moving forward and the celebration of the past year’s accomplishments. “Our students dream of a better future and we are privileged to do our part in providing educational access that results in social and upward mobility for so many of them,” said Van Horn. “We ended the fall semester well positioned to meet or exceed our goals. We plan to continue our relentless efforts this semester.” This past semester, a dozen new programs were added throughout the West Hills Community College District, two new sports teams en-
tered competitive play at West Hills College Lemoore, and West Hills recorded the highest primary term headcount in its history, with 8,455 students districtwide. West Hills also saw transitions, growing to over 800 employees and bidding farewell to some longtime employees while also welcoming new ones. Van Horn acknowledged the retirement of long-time Deputy Chancellor Ken Stoppenbrink, who has served the district for 23 years, and welcomed new Deputy Chancellor Dr. Richard Storti. “Ken has shown grit and toughness,” Van Horn said. “He’s shown patience. He leaves his division in good hands.” Van Horn also highlighted the recent creation of registrar positions on each campus and the dramatic growth in online enrollment across the district. Now, 4,966 students take at least one online course, a growth of 1,300 students
from the previous fall. He also highlighted new tools implemented in the Fall 2018 semester, including better usage of data tools and a full time equivalent faculty dashboard and classroom space utilization tool. Open Educational Resources— essentially free digital textbooks and resources WHCCD is offering to students— and credit for prior learning initiatives—a WHCCD initiative aimed at giving academic credit for learning on the job and life experience— were also discussed. In the past year, WHCCD has greatly expanded programs targeting “non-traditional”, diverse populations of learners. “Educating students from a wider array of backgrounds, many of us have realized, requires being attentive to life experiences students have had before they enrolled,” Van Horn said. Van Horn also addressed recent state funding changes, including
a new focus on educational attainment and rural communities. Part of the new state focus and WHCCD’s continued focus is on addressing challenges students face outside the classroom, including lack of internet access, equity issues and hunger. Van Horn addressed the many programs at WHCCD that address these issues and more. “It would be fair to think, at least initially like a lot of people, that what happens outside the classroom isn’t our mission,” Van Horn said. “The community is supposed to solve those problems. But, we’re the community’s college. We have to see our mission in addressing these issues, even if it means gluing the resources in the community together in a coherent program.” Van Horn gave a glimpse of the future, including the completion of a new District Office building in Coalinga in 2019 and a new North District Center building in Firebaugh in 2020.
Tulare Hospital Foundation hosting Love to Wear Red “Heart Spectacular” STAFF REPORTS The trustees and friends of the Tulare Hospital Foundation are happy to celebrate the Love to Wear Red “Heart Spectacular” during heart disease awareness month that kicks off in February. The annual event will be held Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, at the Heri-
tage Complex in Tulare, California. The event opens with an expo of those in the health and wellness industries, local businesses, and a shopping boutique at 4:30 pm. The main event begins at 6 p.m. with a Heart Ambassador Tribute to seven individuals of our area who are currently battling heart
disease or have conquered and will be sharing their story in this video. “We are very excited about this year’s event which will now include men,” says Jan Smith, executive director of the Foundation. “After last year’s event, we were approached about how the Foundation could reach out to the male population as well, so the event has become a combined affair. While cardiology services are not yet available at Tulare Regional Medical Center, we are happy to bring educational forums on heart disease, strokes, cardiovascular diseases, and healthier lifestyle choices to the community. “We are all looking forward to having a cardiology program at our hospital soon, and this event will help support that effort.” Dinner, a fashion show, and a keynote speaker, cardiology specialist and surgeon Dr. Brijesh Bhambi from Adventist Health Bakersfield, are just a few highlights of the evening’s schedule. The Wear Red campaign started
years ago with the American Heart Association and has grown into a nationwide effort aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of heart disease, and ways to prevent it. This event has been compared to the annual “Go Red” celebrations that take place in Fresno and Kern counties. It has been reported that heart disease kills more individuals than all cancers combined and statistics show that 80 percent of all heart diseases can be prevented by diet and exercise, stress reduction and making healthier choices. Tickets are $50 per person and are available at the Tulare Hospital Foundation, 906 N. Cherry St. Tulare, and at the Hospital Gift Shop at 869 N. Cherry St. from 10 a.m to 2 p.m., or from any Hospital Foundation Trustee. For more information regarding sponsorship opportunities, volunteering, to participate as an exhibitor or vendor please contact the Tulare Hospital Foundation office, 685-3438.
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Valley Voice 17 January, 2019
Calendar
January 19–20: Exeter Gem and Rock Show Veterans Memorial Building, 324 N. Kaweah Ave. Gems, jewelry, rocks, fossils, beads and more, including demonstrations in faceting, beading and polishing. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.Free. For more information, email Laura Manser at ldriggs5@ gmail.com. January 19 and January 21: Rose Pruning Demonstration Winter is the best time to prune roses! The UC Master Gardeners of Tulare/Kings Counties will demonstrate best practices in rose care and pruning. Bring your pruners. Tulare County Courthouse corner of Mooney and Burrel Ave. 11:00 to 2:00 and Ralph Moore Rose Garden W. Main and Hall St. January 21 site is Old Grangeville Church 14060 Hackett St., Grangeville 11:00 to 2:00. Info - 684-3343. January 20 :A Bridal Odyssey Bridal Show and Expo, Wyndham Hotel, 9000 W. Airport Dr. in Visalia from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $10 admission, info, go to abridalodyssey.com. January 23:The African Children’s Choir Visalia Nazarene Church, 3333 W. Caldwell Ave. in Visalia, 7:00pm. The choir is a nonprofit humanitarian and relief organization dedicated to helping Africa’s most vulnerable children. No tickets. Donations appreciated. January 25: Tulare Chamber Annual Awards Announces The 135th Annual Banquet at the International Agri-Center, Heritage Complex. The evening begins at 6 pm with a social hour, followed by dinner and then the program. Advance reservations for the Banquet are required, Tickets $75. Please call 686-1547 or visit www.tularechamber.org January 25: Comedy Blast with comedian Ken Davis and ventriloquist David Pendleton. Visalia First, on Akers and Caldwell. A night of side-splitting hilarity for the whole family, 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $25–$30 at hnconline.org. January 25: Family Night at Visalia Adventure Park, On Hwy 198 and Akers St., 9 - 12:30 a.m. $18 wristband gets you unlimited go karts, bumper boats, mini golf, batting cages, and laser tag. Karaoke mic. Info, visit adventurepark.com/family-fun. January 26: Tulare-Kings Writers Visalia Public Library, 200 W Oak Ave, 10;00am, contact Marilyn Meredith aka F.M. Meredith http://fictionforyou.com/ Blog: https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/ January 30th through February 22: Kirk Cruz Exhibition and Opening Reception Opening Reception at the Arts Visalia Visual Art Center 214 E. Oak Ave is First Friday, February 1st from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Gallery Hours: Noon-5:30 p.m., Wednesdays-Saturdays. Kirk Cruz Sharpie in Light art-
9 work depicts his interest and bold process in color theory and the way light plays a role in art, using Sharpie markers. Info, Janelle Howard, Gallery Director. 559-739-0905, artsvisalia@sbcglobal.net February 1: Felipe Esparza Comedy Show with special guest Rodrigo Torres Presented by Prairie Entertainment, Doors open at 7pm, show at 8pm. Visalia Fox Theatre 300 W. Main St. Tickets: $20-$49 at foxvisalia.org or 559.625.1369 February 2: Arts Consortium presents 1st Saturday in Three Rivers Start at Three Rivers Historical Museum for a map of venues 42268 Sierra Hwy, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Art studios, restaurants and merchants open their doors. Info, 1stsaturdaytr.com or 561-3463. February 2: To Wear Red Heart Spectacular Heart Spectacular Event for Women and Men at the Heritage Complex. Sponsored by the Tulare Hospital Foundation, 4:30: Expo, 6:00 Main event, fashion show, and keynote speaker. Red attire preferred. Tickets $50 sold at Foundation office, 906 N Cherry St and Tulare Hospital gift shop 869 N Cherry St. February 2: Hanford Rotary Crab Feed Rotary Club of Hanford’s Annual Crab Feed, 6:00 PM - midnight Civic Auditorium, Contact Information, Larry Ayers, (559) 584-2751,layers@mgreencpas. com, Tickets are $85 -Open bar February 12-14: 52nd Annual World Ag Expo International Agri-Center Tuesday, Wednesday 9 - 5 p.m. Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission $15; children 6 and under, free. Info, visit www.worldagexpo.com. February. 16: Visalia Annual Chinese New Year Party Sponsored by Center for Integrated Medicine & Asian Cultural Society 12:00- 4 pm, 816 W. Oak Ave(Conyer & Oak) Wear something Red! Chopsticks Picking-Up Bean Contest, Wishing Trees Philosophy, History Box of Confucius, Lion Dance (children) Chinese Calendar Tricky Trade Auction, Origami Paper Folding, Tea Sampling, Food Vendors, info 625-4246. Visit: www.allholisticmed.org February 19:Empty Bowls Dinner Event Visalia Rescue Mission Community Center 741 N. Santa Fe, Visalia, at 6:00PM. Empty Bowls is an international project to fight hunger and raise awareness about the issues of hunger and food insecurity. Guests choose a bowl for their meal and keep it as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. Catered by The Vintage Press. All proceeds go to Visalia Rescue Mission. February 22: Family Night at Visalia Adventure Park 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. $18 wristband unlimited access to go karts, bumper boats, mini golf, batting cages, and laser tag. Karaoke mic, Hwy 198 and Akers St., Info, visit ad-
venturepark.com/family-fun. On February 28: Fabulous Fifties & Swinging Sixties Trivia Night Fundraiser. Sponsored by Small Town Cruisers Car Club of Tualre County. Proceed go to support one of the three K-9 agencies in Tulare County. Last Thursday of each month from 6:00 to 8 p.m. at A&W on Mooney Blvd in Visalia 2611 S. Mooney Blvd. The trivia night will be presented by former DJs, “Bobby B & the Big T” and feature 5 rounds of trivia from the 50’s and 60’s, oldies music, a special meal combo, free giveaways, and a special award for the evening’s trivia winner. The cost to enter the event is $5 per individual, or $10 for each person opting to be on a team. March 2: Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament Fundraiser The Small Town Cruizers Car Club of Tulare County will be hosting a benefit for our local law enforcement canine heroes. This exciting and fun-filled fundraiser will be at 21511 Road 76, in Tulare, registration starting at 5:00 p.m. and the dealing of cards beginning at 6:00 p.m. Plenty of raffle prizes, food and more!” Tues-Wed: 3PM-7PM; Thu-Sat: 11AM-2PM Tulare Public Library, Veterans Resource Center, Referral services to all veterans and their families. Saturday 10:00 – Tuesday through Thursday: Homework Help Tulare Public Library Homework Help 4:00 - 7:00pm, grades K-12th in our Learning Center, Every other Wednesday: Knitting Club Tulare Public Library 5:30pm; September 26th in the Olympic Room. All ages welcome! To register for book clubs or computer classes call 559-685-4503 or stop by the research and information desk. Every Tuesday/Friday: Visalia Duplicate Bridge Club 12pm Tuesdays, 7pm Fridays - $6 on Tuesdays, including lunch. $7 on Fridays. At First Christian Church, 1023 N. Chinowth St. http://www.acbldistrict22.com/548/ Mondays: National Alliance on Mental Illness, 5:45pm Education Meeting: 7pm Support Group St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Visalia, 120 N. Hall, Corner of Center and Hall. For more information call: (559) 627-1306 Mondays: Bridge Club, 9:30am2pm 210 W Center Street Visalia. Admission is free. For additional information call: Joan Dinwiddie, (559) 732-0855 Mondays: Knitters, 10am12:30pm 210 W Center Street Visalia. Everyone is welcome. Mondays: Monday Karaoke at Barmageddon, 9pm-1am Karaoke Jockey Miss Sammi will be hosting from 9pm - 1am. No Cover. Tuesdays: Barmageddon Trivia Thunderdome, 9pm-1am
Challenge your friends to the ultimate trivia throwdown. Earn some bragging rights in categories ranging from Saturday morning cartoons, classic video games, and pop culture films. Free sign ups at 9:30pm. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7am Healing Hearts Walks Walk a 1 mile loop on the paved roads inside the Visalia Cemetery, Free coffee. Meet at the Veterans’ Memorial Wall. For more information call 734-6181. 2nd Tuesday, Monthly: Yappy Hour, 5-9pm Well-mannered, leashed pets are welcome at the Planing Mill Artisan Pizzeria, 514 East Main Street, Suite A, in Visalia. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the Valley Oak SPCA. (559) 651-1111. Wednesdays: Barmageddon Game Night Come blow off some steam at our game night. Happy hour from 6-8pm. 1st Thursday, Monthly: Veterans Support Group, 5:30-7pm Free support group for global war on terrorism & post 9-11 (Veterans Only) at the Tulare Public Library, 475 North M Street in Tulare. Facilitated by: Dr. Lance Zimmerman, PhD of Veterans Counseling Clinic. 1st and 3rd Thursdays, Monthly: Central Valley Tea Party Meetings, 6pm 819 West Visalia Rd, Farmersville. 3rd Thursday, Monthly: Gathering At the Oval, 12:30-1pm Lifting up the needs and concerns of Visalia through individual prayer and meditation at Oval Park, 808 North Court Street in Visalia. (559) 967-4065. 3rd Thursday, Monthly: Board Game Night, 6-7:45pm Ages 10+ at the Visalia Library, 200 West Oak Street. Sign-ups are not required.(559) 713-2703. 3rd Thursday, Monthly: Ladies’ Night, 6-10pm At the Clay Cafe in Visalia, 1018 E. Mineral King Ave. $10 studio fee with ceramic purchase. Includes complimentary margarita, dinner and dessert. Door prizes too! Reservations required: (559) 733-2022. Fridays: Women’s Morning Bible Study, 9am-Noon 210 W Center Street Visalia.Information call: (559) 739-9010 1st Saturday, Monthly: AGLOW, Visalia Speaker Meeting at Christian Faith Fellowship Freedom Hall, 506 N. Court Street, Visalia. Live music and finger food. Saturdays: Cup of Jazz, 10amNoon At Cafe 210, Visalia. Free. Richard Garoogian. (559) 730-0910. Every Tuesday at 10 am Weekly Toddler Storytime Visalia Library, 10:00am Ideal for parents with babies and toddlers, ages 0-2, you and your little ones can enjoy stories, songs, bounces and plenty of play time. Free. For more information (559) 713-2700.
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Tulare chamber announces man, woman, youth, businesses of year STAFF REPORTS Each year the Tulare Chamber of Commerce presents an award to a small business, large business, man, woman, male youth, and female youth who exemplify outstanding community spirit and service. This year the Chamber will also recognize a non-profit for their service. The Board of Directors of the Chamber is pleased to announce the 2018 award recipients to be honored at the 135th Annual Banquet this month. Those being recognized for their countless contributions to the community and local economy are: • Small Business of the Year, Craig Smith & Associates • Large Business of the Year, Rosa Brothers Milk Company • Man of the Year, Kevin
Northcraft • Woman of the Year, Shea Gowin • Male Youth of the Year, Anthony Moreno • Female Youth of the Year, Magaly Mercado • Non-Profit of the Year, Grandma’s House. The Chamber is also pleased to announce that Susan Henard of River Valley Church will be recognized as the 2018 Ambassador of the Year for her dedication and service to the Chamber. The 135th Annual Banquet will be on Friday, January 25th, at the International Agri-Center, Heritage Complex. The evening begins at 6 pm with a social hour, followed by dinner and then the program. In addition to
honoring the award recipients, the Tulare Chamber of Commerce will install the incoming Board of Directors, celebrate its accomplishments for the year, and provide information on the organization’s vision and program of work for 2019. Chamber CEO Donnette Silva Carter commented, “We are excited to provide the occasion to celebrate the businesses and individuals who make Tulare a great place to live, work and play. They contribute to the well-being of the community and to its economic health. We invite all of Tulare to join us in this evening of networking and celebration. This truly is an event to commend those who choose to be part of the fabric of Tulare.” Advance reservations for the Banquet are required and are $65
per person when purchased by January 15th and $75 after. Marketing opportunities are available for members who wish to promote their organizations by serving as table decorators and/or event sponsors. Please call 686-1547 or visit www. tularechamber.org for more information on the Tulare Chamber Annual Awards & Installation Banquet. This event is presented by the Tulare Chamber of Commerce with community sponsorship from title sponsors AltSys Solar Inc., Altura Centers for Health, Anderson Bear & Associates, City of Tulare, Family HealthCare Network, International Agri-Center, J.D. Heiskell & Co., Land O’Lakes, Saputo and Tulare Regional Medical Center managed by Adventist Health.
California Storm basketball coming to Central California STAFF REPORTS We are incredibly excited to announce that Cal Storm is coming to the central region of California! Cal Storm was founded in 1997, and national prominence soon followed. Since 1998, Cal Storm has been one of just 32 elite Nike sponsored club basketball programs in the United States. Cal Storm won the 2014 Girls EYBL National Championship. This year, Cal Storm represented the Western Regionals at the Jr. NBA World Championship at DisneyWorld, with games shown live on FOX television. Cal Storm appeals to female athletes who have a strong desire to develop and improve their basketball skills.
Cal Storm prepares young athletes to compete at their highest level, which helps them properly transition to collegiate and professional levels. Cal Storm possesses a player development program that is unmatched, with proven national results. To date, 452 Cal Storm athletes have received college scholarships. California Storm is one of the most respected and recognizable organizations in the nation. In 2009, California Storm became the first girls’ basketball club in history to be affiliated with a professional athlete. The Storm’s most elite travel team became Team Taurasi, sponsored by 4X Olympic Gold
Medalist and WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi. California Storm coaches and directors are well respected by college coaches, having developed relationships with coaches from virtually every major NCAA Division I college in the nation. With 452 players having received college scholarships, rest assured that Storm coaches understand the roadmap known as the college recruitment process. Cal Storm maintains the highest standards of integrity for each of its staff members. All Storm coaches are experienced, knowledgeable professionals, who have proven ability to teach and develop young athletes.
Cal Storm will hold team specific tryouts starting in February of 2019, at various gymnasiums throughout San Luis Obispo and Fresno County. All athletes are invited to tryout. Thereafter, weekly practices and skills clinics will be held in the following age divisions: 10U, 11U, 13U, 14U, and High School. Teams will consist of female athletes from the following counties: San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Kern, Kings, Fresno, and Santa Barbara. For more information, please visit www.calstormbasketball.com and follow us on social media: Instagram; @calstormcentral Facebook; @calstormcentral
Kirk Cruz exhibition and opening reception at Arts Visalia STAFF REPORTS In February 2019, Arts Visalia’s gallery will be filled with the work of Kirk Cruz. His Sharpie in Light artwork depicts his interest and bold process in color theory and the way light plays a role in art, using Sharpie markers. His interest in color theory led him to only using the colored markers, even to depict black in his artwork. Kirk Cruz was born in Fresno and has studied painting and drawing for over 25 years. His inspiration
comes from his father, Gilbert Cruz, who encouraged him to continue the pursuit of the arts in his youth. He has studied oil, acrylic, pastels and pencil, which have helped him in his color ink technique, most have described as comparison to an oil painting. Cruz calls his technique “Freedom Drawing because the technique depends greatly on letting go and trusting ones intuition. Which means re-understanding what Art is and who oneself is.”
Kirk Cruz’s exhibition will be displayed January 30th through February 22nd, with an opening reception on First Friday, February 1st, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The exhibition is sponsored in part by Jack & Charlie’s, the Vintage Press Restaurante, and the Southern Pacific Depot Restaurant. Pieology and Arts Visalia are partnering to provide Pizza for a Purpose. When you visit Pieology at Gateway Plaza, 3733 Mooney Blvd. in Visalia, with the official Pieology
fundraiser flyer, found at Arts Visalia and online www.artsvisalia.org, on Tuesday, February 5th from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 20% of proceeds will be donated to Arts Visalia. Save the date on your calendar and don’t forget to support Arts Visalia! Arts Visalia’s Young Imaginations Gallery will display the artworks of the 5-17 year old participants of our children’s classes year-round. Please stop in and take a look if you haven’t yet seen what they create each month.
Gardens
voices and delivery styles. The idiosyncrasies must come through.” White, a Porterville native, is very excited to be a part of the show. “It is becoming one of my favorite musicals. The fact that the characters are real people gives it an extra layer of interest.” When discussing the music, White added, “Vocally it can be very demanding with difficult harmonies.” Supporting the women on whom the show focuses are Rob Hansen as
Major Bouvier, Big Edie’s father, and Jeremy Salas as George Gould Strong and Norman Vincent Peale. Co-Directors Auggie Hernandez and Jennifer Toledo emphasize that the family dynamics occurring between these women over their lives will resonate with audience members. Rob Hansen identified two specific aspects of those dynamics: “How each member has to navigate through change and the tragedy of unfulfilled expectations.”
Grey Gardens runs for three weekends at the Ice House Theatre at Race and Santa Fe in Visalia. Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. on 2/1, 2/2, 2/8, 2/9, 2/15, and 2/16, and matinees are at 2:00 p.m. on 2/3, 2/10, and 2/17. To purchase tickets go to the Visalia Players’ website at www.visaliaplayers.org, their Facebook page “Visalia Community Players”, or call 734-3900.
continued from 7 One of the musical’s unusual aspects is that one actor, Michelin White, is Big Edie in Act 1 and Little Edie in Act2. Thus, White and Hansen are both Big Edie; White and Tweed are both Little Edie. The goal for the actors is to make the transition between acts seamless. Hansen explained, “We are working on
Workshops continued from 7
Examples of chronic pain conditions are: neck, shoulder, back pain, fibromyalgia, whiplash injuries, strain injury, pelvic pain, post-surgical pains that lasts longer that six months, diabetic neuropaths, persistent headaches, etc.
This is a six-week, 2.6 hour workshop series facilitated by two trained leaders in small groups of 10-12 participants. Participants receive the Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain book and the Moving Easy exercise CD. The Chronic Pain Self-Management Program workshops will take place on the following dates and times at the Kaweah Delta Chronic Disease Management Center, 325 S. Willis St. Visalia:
•
April 3-May 8 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (every Wednesday for six weeks) • October 3-November 7 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (every Thursday for six weeks) Kaweah Delta is a publicly-owned community healthcare organization that provides comprehensive health services to the greater Visalia region and Tulare County.
With over 5,000 dedicated medical professionals and employees, Kaweah Delta is committed to meeting the community’s health needs through state-of-the-art medicine, high-quality preventive services and specialized health centers and clinics. For more information, visit www.kaweahdelta.org.
Valley Voice 17 January, 2019
MIGRANTS continued from 1
taled nearly 3,000 a week. But when I arrived December 31 at the El Paso airport there were hardly any migrants to be found. ICE agents stood next to TSA at the security checkpoints, while a separate line along one of the walls contained a handful of migrants patiently awaiting their turn to be processed. At the Greyhound station, the migrant presence was larger, but nothing like the chaos described in the news. About half of the ticketed passengers were migrants, many of them families with small children. When approached, they were hesitant to speak of their journey. A migrant mother of four nervously pointed at her foot where a bulky monitor was clamped to her ankle. “I can’t talk to anyone,” she said. The migrant releases, coupled with the ankle monitors, have been a response to growing concerns regarding holding cell capacity and conditions in migrant detainment centers. Two migrant children have died while in ICE custody, Jakelin Caal, age 7, on December 8, and Felipe Gomez Alonzo, age 8, on December 24, likely caused in part by holding cells ill-suited for families. “What that does is,” Garcia said, “it creates pressure on the part of CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) and on ICE to try and release these families for whom they have no detention space.” According to ICE officials, the ankle monitors allow them to free up space in detainment centers and make it more likely for the released migrant to show up to their court dates with immigration judges. However, there have been reports of migrants complaining of rashes, burns, and even electrocution caused by the monitors. Some migrants claim the ankle monitors make it difficult to find work, something that wasn’t an issue for Kevin and his son in their home country. Kevin is from Honduras, so is his teenage son, Ilario. They traveled together across three different countries in a caravan of around 200 people. After nearly a month of battling thirst and hunger, their dangerous journey came to an end at a U.S.port of entry where they turned themselves in to border patrol. Two days later, they were released, their case pending until their next immigration court date. When and where that would take place is unclear because the government shutdown has caused federal judges and staff to be laid off until further notice. Kevin, who was awaiting a flight to New Jersey at the El Paso airport at the time, explained that work
SUPES
continued from 1 them work. The board also recognized that Visalia is being highlighted on C-SPAN the weekend of February 2-3. According to Suzanne Bianco,
11 in Honduras was not difficult to find. In fact, according the Central Intelligence Agency, Honduras is not far behind the United States in employment. So if work is so abundant in Kevin’s country, why flee? To give his son an education, but more importantly, to save him from the maras. “They’re gangs that recruit young boys,” the father said. “They make them do bad things like kill and sell drugs. Lots of violence.” Academics, like Dr. Howard Campbell of the University of El Paso, believe the gang violence in countries like Honduras have roots in the United States. One of the largest and more powerful gangs in Central America, The 18th Street Gang or Calles 18, was born in the streets of Los Angeles by recruiting migrant youth. “You have the deportation of a lot of gangsters that were Guatemalan descent and El Salvadoran descent and so on, going back to the home countries of their parents. And then you have the expansion of the maras and Calles 18 and the explosion of these horrible criminal gangs that started in L.A., essentially in the United States, that brought that gang culture into Central America and created havoc.” The notorious MS 13 are a rival gang to the 18th street gang. The recent deportations of MS 13 members has sent Central American countries into a vicious gang war and forced local governments into a frenzy. The most striking feature of these gangs is that the average age ranges between 16-19. As large as these gangs are, the majority of their members are young and unorganized. Their drug trade is petty at a local level and non-existent at the international level. But there’s no mistaking the violence. Between the government, law enforcement, and the rival gangs, death tolls have risen. Families are forced to leave their homes. According to the Council of Foreign Relations, in recent years over 100,000 asylum seekers fled the Northern Triangle in Central America, which consists of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Asylum seekers said extortion, forced gang recruitment, and poverty were reasons for feeling. Dr. Campbell has written extensively on border issues and drug trafficking, authoring and editing six academic volumes including a book called the The Drug War Zone: Frontline Dispatches from the Streets of El Paso and Juárez. One of his areas of expertise is in Latin American Studies. He claims the poverty and corruption in Central America is a result of U.S. “political domination” and “resource exploitation.”
Tourism Marketing Director, “They will be touring town, interviewing locals and filming historic and non-fiction literary sites for their ‘Book TV’ and ‘American History TV’ series. We are really excited for this opportunity to showcase Visalia on a national stage as part of the ‘Cities Tours’ programming.”
“If you take a long view of history, the United States has a huge responsibility for this migration from Central America...United Fruit Company was an American company that owned much of Guatemala and part of Honduras and El Salvador and treated Central America basically as a banana plantation, (1950’s) a place to make a lot of money growing tropical crops and exploiting local labor.” Politically, the United States also had a heavy hand in elections during the “red scare” by backing right-wing governments during the 1980’s in Central America, resulting in oligarchies controlling most of the wealth in these countries. Consequently, Central America has become a historically poor place. Mexico has pledged billions of dollars towards developing its southern states and aiding Central America in hopes of discouraging further migrations north. The U.S. made a similar pledge in December, a commitment unlikely to manifest while the U.S. government remains shut down over the morality
of funding a southern border wall. When asked what he thought about the “migrant crisis,” Dr. Campbell believes it’s been blown out of proportion, stating that Mexicans and Latin American’s are not to be feared. The scale of migrants crossing the border are nowhere near the numbers seen in Europe. Furthermore, large-scale immigration border cities like El Paso are considered some of the safest cities in the nation. With word of another caravan forming and the government at a standstill, it seems local organizations like Garcia’s shelter will be forced to take on the incoming burden. He believes last month’s surge demonstrates the city’s ability to harbor families and seems confident in assisting the next wave of migrants. “I think that it has been demonstrated that it is possible to receive families. It is possible to put them in proceedings. It is possible to schedule them for their date in court, so they can go before immigration judges.”
UTILITY BILL CHANGES ARE COMING! LOCAL SERVICE, LOCAL STAFF Effective January 1, 2019, your utility bill (for trash, sewer, groundwater and storm drain services) will come directly from the City of Visalia and payments will be made to the City. This change will allow for enhanced customer service delivered by City of Visalia staff members.
Please note these important aspects of the change: 1 Your utility bill account number and the mailing
address for your payment will change.
2 If you pay your utility bill through your bank’s bill
pay, you will need to change your account number and the payment mailing address after Jan. 1, 2019.
3 If you pay your utility bill through automated
payment (ACH), you will need to sign up again with the City of Visalia after Jan. 1, 2019.
4 In-person payments will continue to be accepted at:
707 W. ACEQUIA
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thank you for your understanding as we make this important transition to local service and local staff.
Please contact the City of Visalia Utility Billing Center at 713-4499 if you have any questions, or visit www.visalia.city/utilitybilling.
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Asm. Mathis re-appointed Vice-Chair of Agriculture Committee STAFF REPORTS Last week, Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) was re-appointed as Vice Chair of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, a post he has held since 2016. Mathis was also named to the Assembly Committees on the Budget, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, Governmental Organization, Natural Resources, Rules and Veterans Affairs. “It’s an honor to continue serving the people of the Central Valley as a leader on the Agriculture Committee,” said Mathis. “These committee assignments put me in a strong position to advocate for balance between the need for clean air and water with the challenges facing farm-
Hanford
continued from 1 sulted December 17 and December 18. He said the parks master plan will be developed through a collaborative planning process engaging the community all the way through the process. But the Parks and Recreation Commission Special meeting was held December 18 at noon, a time when most people can’t get off of work. Concerned residents also said there is a lack of backup materials available on the city’s website. Parks and Recreation Commissioner Patricia Lewis said she didn’t see any notice of this meeting in the Hanford Sentinel. A large group of people can’t come out to a public meeting, she said. People are busy, she said. They are working. Alvin Dias, parks manager, said five to six people who regularly came to city council meetings were contacted
ers, workers, taxpayers and families.” Below is a breakdown of the jurisdiction for Assembly member Mathis’s Committees for 2019: Committee on Agriculture: Primary jurisdiction includes agriculture, agricultural chemicals, agricultural commodities and commissions, Department of Food and Agriculture, expositions and fairs, food labeling, labeling of agricultural commodities, livestock and poultry, marketing law, milk and milk products, pest management, and veterinary issues relative to agriculture. Committee on Budget – Subcommittee 1: Primary jurisdiction is directing budgetary funding for any and all
programs surrounding health and human services. Committee on Governmental Organization: Primary jurisdictions include alcohol, Indian gaming, horseracing, gambling, tobacco, public records, open meetings laws, state holidays, outdoor advertising and emergency services/natural disasters (this can be shared with the Housing and Community Development Committee and Local Government Committee). Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials: Primary jurisdictions are toxic substances and hazardous materials, hazardous waste regulation, drinking water regulation,
and pesticides. Committee on Natural Resources: Primary jurisdiction includes air quality, climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energy, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), coastal protection, forestry, land conservation, oil spills, solid waste and recycling. Committee on Rules: Primary jurisdictions are proposed amendments to the rules, and other matters relating to the business of the Legislature. Committee on Veterans Affairs: Primary jurisdictions are Cal-Vet loan program, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Guard, State military, and Veterans.
about the meeting where Svetz gave a more than hour-long presentation. Svetz said 30-40 members of the public were consulted. But Bob Ramos, a community activist, and this article’s author, who regularly attended council meetings on park issues, were not consulted. Prior to the noon Hanford Parks and Recreation meeting at city hall, there was a meeting in the conference room in the city manager’s office. This author and Ramos did not receive notice of this meeting. Asked about this, Dias said there wasn’t enough space in the conference room and the consultant would meet with other residents on January 15. “I hope,” this author said, “this isn’t going to be a replay of the farce that was the public input process for the (Hanford) General Plan Update.”
strongly opposed selling Hidden Valley Park, their city councils have put the issue on the agenda approximately 10 times in the last 15 years. Residents have made clear that they want the city to save the 18 acres west of Hidden Valley Park at 11th and Cortner for future park expansion. On several occasions the city councils have moved to sell the acreage only to pull back at the last minute due to public opposition. The latest effort occurred when the city updated its Hanford General Plan in 2017. During 2017-18 discussions of the General Plan Update and the zoning change of the 18 acres west of Hidden Valley Park, Darlene Matta, Hanford Community Development Director, said that the city was not underserved in park space. Based on the city’s staff estimation of park acreage, the council rezoned the property from public facilities to low density residential in spring of 2017, which means it could be sold at any time. City Manager Darrel Pyle has stated in numerous city council meetings that the sale could bring in an excess of a $1 million to city coffers and be used for other purposes such as a recreation center. In response, Friends of Hidden Valley Park collected more than 2,700 signatures in July 2017 requesting that the council return the zoning on the 18 acres to public facilities, or have the matter put on the ballot for the voters to decide. The city rejected the petition as legally invalid. Ramos said the 18 acres need to be returned to the previous zoning, which is public facilities. “We can’t buy that park (the 18 acres),” said Ramos. “It would cost millions.” The land needs to be kept for future park acreage, said Ramos. Residents on streets adjacent to the park have been repeatedly polled by citizens interested in Hidden Valley’s expansion and the residents have said overwhelmingly that they want the land to be developed into a park and not a housing development. “The city is underserved in parks,” said resident Mike Quinn, objecting to the city counting schoolyards as park space. “No one moves (here) on account of the books (being) well-balanced,” he said. “(They) move here because they like the way the city looks.”
facilities. He questioned the city staff’s ability to put into effect any master plan the city develops. In developing the new master plan, Svetz cited data from the Environmental Systems Research Institute that presumed there will be more demands for parks and recreation as the city grows from 57,000 to 64,000 by 2033. He referred to the city’s bad air pollution but very little indoor recreation space to remedy the issue. Questions, he said, are what would a new recreation center be? Would people use it? How close are people to parks and recreation in Hanford? How do people learn about parks and recreation in Hanford? It is important, he said, to make sure people have the amenities they want and will use. As part of the $95,895 cost, the firm of ETC will conduct a statistically valid survey of Hanford residents to determine their parks and recreation needs. “The survey work is not a public process,” said Svetz. It’s an opportunity for the city staff, the consultant and people who work with the parks and recreation department to develop questions, he said. Half to three-quarters of the survey contains common elements with other parks surveys conducted throughout the United States. The questions will be statistically valid, Svetz said. “ETC does this work all over the country, it’s one of the leaders in the industry.” The survey will be conducted during January and February. There will be “no public say,” Svetz said “on (the) final format of the questions.”
Background
Although Hanford residents have
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Will the New Plan be Implemented?
Pros Consulting said the city needs to ask: where it is today, where it is going and how does the city get there? Many of the recommendations in Hanford’s 2009 Parks Master Plan were never followed. For instance, on page 22 it stated the parcel west of Hidden Valley Park should be developed into an active or passive park or sold to fund other
Moving Forward
Other issues to be considered in the Hanford Parks and Recreation Master Plan are capital improvements, financing, operations and maintenance money and how much money would it take to replace a park that was developed into housing. The timeline for further work, Svetz said, involves a January 15 city council work session, a parks and facility inventory in February, a determination on the level of parks and recreation services, and a program assessment. Miller said he expected the master plan to be done by August or September. Among those involved in the planning process, said Svetz, will be community groups, school districts, various youth organizations, service groups and citizens. Svetz said he recognized that the proposed Hidden Valley Park expansion was a “hot button issue” in the community but the resolution of it was just one element in the parks master plan. “Land use principles— design guidelines—govern whether the park is built,” he said. The reason it has not been developed, he said, is not just money. “Our role,” Svetz said, “is to get to the bottom of this.”
Valley Voice 17 January, 2019
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State Senate Republicans announce leadership transition STAFF REPORTS Today, California State Senate Republicans unanimously elected Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) to succeed Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) as the next Senate Republican Leader. Leader Bates will continue to work with Leader-elect Grove as an engaged member of the Senate Republican Caucus for a smooth transition and will continue to stay on in a leadership post with the Caucus. “I congratulate Senator Shannon Grove on her election to become the next Senate Republican Leader,” said Leader Bates. “Shannon is an experienced legislator and I have no doubt she will be an effective messenger and leader for our Caucus.” “I am humbled by the support of my Senate Republican colleagues and value the trust they have in me to lead
TULARE
continued from 6 Jones’ guests would later be revealed as Tulare Police Union president James Kelly and former TPD officer Pat O’Donohoe. When confronted, Jones would eventually refuse to tell Carlini the second person he had dined with was O’Donohoe.
Fraud Accusation
But even before Jones refused to reveal O’Donohoe had attended the meeting, trouble had arisen regarding Jones’ use of the city credit card away from the conference for which it had been intended. The city’s finance director, Darlene Thompson, refused to sign off on Jones’ bill from Cattlemens because the card use was unauthorized. The issue was then turned over to Carlini, who allegedly became agitated after Jones refused to name his second dinner companion, according to testimony from City Clerk Yoder. “And then he (Carlini) got a little indignant, and he had the copy of the receipt with him,” Yoder testified, “and he talks very fast and kind of muddled, and then he walked out of the office.” A few moments later, Yoder testified, Carlini had her call Hensley, who Carlini then visited at his office in the police station. Several witnesses have said Carlini then accused Jones of credit card fraud.
Visit to the Chief’s Office
According to testimony by Hensley’s personal assistant Chontelle Adney, Carlini arrived at the police department within five minutes of learning Hensley was available to discuss Jones’ receipt from Cattlemens Restaurant. On the receipt, Jones had listed O’Donohoe as “plus one.” Adney later made a note of Carlini’s comments regarding Jones’ use of the city credit card. “I (Carlini) asked Carlton (Jones) who is the plus one on the receipt, and he basically tells me to go fuck myself that it was a meeting regarding potential personnel issues at the police department,” Adney’s note says of Carlini’s discussion with the former chief. “Wes, this is total bullshit
the Republican Caucus,” said Leader-elect Grove. “Senator Bates has been a wonderful leader and I look forward to her counsel as we begin the leadership transition. “Our state is the fifth largest economy in the world, yet it holds the title of having the highest poverty rate in the nation. For the sake of the millions of forgotten Californians, our Caucus will work to navigate government with pragmatism and compassion and negotiate with fearlessness.” Leader Bates succeeded Senator Jean Fuller in April 2017, as the second woman in the history of the state Senate to serve in the top leadership post of a party caucus - Democrat or Republican. She represents South Orange and North San Diego counties in the Senate. She grew up in Long Beach and began her professional career as a Los Angeles County social worker.
She was the driving force behind Laguna Niguel’s campaign for cityhood and became its first mayor upon the city’s incorporation in 1989. She served four terms as mayor. Voters elected her to the California State Assembly in 1998, the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2006, and the California State Senate in 2014. Elected to the Assembly in 2010, Senator Shannon Grove was the first female veteran to serve in the California Legislature and will be the third woman to lead the Senate Republican Caucus. She served in the Assembly from 2010 to 2016 where she earned a reputation as an effective leader and strong advocate for her constituents. Sworn into the Senate in December 2018, she brings insight as a female business owner, community advocate, and Army veteran. Grove, who represents all of Tulare and Kern counties,
now. I have the f*cking Mayor (Jones) committing fraud with the city credit card. What is next?” Three other witnesses also described hearing Carlini’s accusations of fraud against Jones, including Yoder, Thompson and Interim Chief of Police Matt Machado. “I can’t say the exact words, but to the extent, ‘Is the mayor committing fraud?’ or ‘...my mayor committing credit card fraud?’ It was to that extent,” Machado testified. “I don’t know the exact words, but I specifically remember ‘the mayor’ or ‘my mayor’ and ‘fraud’ or ‘credit card fraud.’ The ‘mayor’ and the ‘fraud’ portion is what stuck in my head as I heard the statement.”
sulted with then City Attorney Heather Phillips. According to a separate lawsuit filed on behalf of the city against Phillips and her firm--Goyette and Associates-- Phillips advised Carlini to place Hensley on suspension. In the same suit, Phillips is also accused of advising Carlini to fire Hensley on March 20, 2018. Just a week earlier, however, Phillips appeared ready to settle the wrongful dismissal case. In an email eight days before Hensley was fired-March 12, 2018--Phillips emailed Lampe “to discuss terms of a possible retirement package.” Phillips was also eager to have Hensley “sign off” on that settlement agreement before the outside investigator’s report was filed. According to a second email by Phillips sent March 19, 2018, the day before Hensley was fired, she was concerned the parties would be able to “honestly say no adverse findings were made.” Lampe alleges Phillips and Carlini were already aware the investigation into Hensley would find no cause to fire him. Carlini would later testify he had fired Hensley only after speaking to the outside investigator; however, John McGinness, former Sacramento County Sheriff, who acted as the city’s investigator, testified he did not speak to Carlini until after Hensley was fired.
The Investigation
According to Lampe, Carlini was concerned about fraud on Jones’ part due to previous problems with Jones’ use of the city credit card. It was this worry that prompted Carlini to order Hensley to retrieve surveillance video from Cattlemens Restaurant and reveal O’Donohoe’s identity. TPD officers took possession of the security video on Friday, September 22, 2017. Just two days later--Sunday, September 24, 2017--Jones was on the phone to Carlini to complain about the investigation. Carlini did not inform Jones he had asked for the video. That Wednesday, September 27, 2017, Carlini placed Hensley on leave, citing an incident of misconduct on Friday, September 22, 2017, the day the video was retrieved. In his sworn testimony, Carlini made it clear there was no other alleged misconduct on Hensley’s part other than his investigation of Jones’ credit card use. “That was the only reason,” Carlini tesified. In a move that Lampe describes as “incriminating,” Jones repaid the $144 he charged to the city’s credit card on October 25, 2017. The repayment came only after the alleged misuse of the card became public knowledge.
Legal Advice
When Carlini placed Hensley on paid administrative leave, he was not acting on his judgment alone. Before moving to oust Hensley, Carlini con-
and portions of San Bernardino County, will serve as Senate Republican Leader starting March 1st.
In fact, McGinness’s findings appear to exonerate Hensley. “I was surprised Mr. Carlini had taken this action (firing Hensley), as I had previously advised the City Attorney, Heather Phillips, that based upon my investigation firing Chief Hensley for cause would be indefensible,” McGinness wrote in a sworn affidavit. Carlini fired Hensley without cause as an at-will employee. Carlini was then fired the same day by the city council.
The ‘Bro Hug’
Shortly after Hensley was sent his notice of termination on March 20, 2017, Myers again felt the need to record the aftermath in a memo. In her sworn deposition, Myers testified Jones and Carlini met in her office at about 3:30pm on the day Hensley was fired. According to Myers, the two hugged then had a brief, very quiet exchange of words. “Mayor in my office. Joe Carlini comes down,” the memo reads. “Mayor steps into doorway (right outside), gives Joe Carlini ‘bro hug,’ whispers something such as, ‘It’s done.’ Mayor says something like ... ‘Okay, we’ll talk later.’” Less than an hour later, Lampe received the notice of Hensley’s termination.
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17 January, 2019 Valley Voice
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Sierra View recognized for excellence in patient safety, childbirth STAFF REPORTS Sierra View Medical Center’s (SMC) safety efforts pay off in a nationally recognized scoring system. This system tracks how safe patients are from hospital errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. The Leapfrog Group, who tracks more than 2,600 hospitals across the country, gave Sierra View Medical Center a B Hospital Safety Grade, an improvement from receiving a C at the end of 2017. Achieving a B Safety Grade reflects a steady path of improvement in providing a vibrant and healthier environment for the community. The Safety Grade rates hospitals on overall medical care including everything from how well hospitals prevent infection and promote hand washing, the performance of the healthcare team, and procedures in place to prevent errors. “While SVMC is excited to receive a B rating, we are always striving for the A, and beyond, as it’s our top priority
to provide high quality care to each and every patient,” said Administrative Director of Care and Quality, Melissa Fuentes LCSW, CCM, CPHQ. “In the past year, we’ve concentrated efforts around patient safety by educating our entire staff about the importance of evaluating their work environment, processes, and procedures. This pro-active stance ensures we are not only providing safe care, but doing so efficiently and being good stewards of our resources.” Areas where the hospital performed above average includes patient care, which has been a focus for the hospital, especially upon receiving a consistent C in 2016. SVMC specifically performed exceptionally well in effective leadership to prevent errors, having enough qualified nurses, and ensuring specialty trained doctors care for ICU patients. Sierra View Medical Center performed high in several other areas including practices to prevent errors.
Diving deeper into the data, the hospital showed exceptional rating in safe medication administration, hand washing, communication about medications and discharge, and staff working together to prevent errors. To keep the upward trend in safety, the hospital’s focused priorities are reducing hospital acquired conditions, increasing the population’s health, improving clinical outcomes, and increasing patient satisfaction. Of the nine hospitals within 50 miles of SVMC, a total of four B grades and two A grades were given to hospitals in Bakersfield, Hanford, and Porterville. The remaining three hospitals received C grades or lower. In addition to the excellent nationally recognized Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, SVMC also earned the Smart Care California 2018 Achievement Award for meeting or exceeding the healthy people 2020 goal for low-risk, first-birth cesarean deliveries. Madera Community Hospital, Community Re-
gional Medical Center in Fresno and Sierra View Medical Center in Porterville were recognized in 2018 by achieving the federal goal of reducing births via cesarean section. SVMC had a cesarean section rate of 23.9 percent or lower for low-risk, first birth deliveries. Even for low risk pregnancies, there are significant variations in rates of C-sections in California hospitals even in low risk pregnancies ranging from less than 15 percent to more than 70 percent. According to the Business Journal “California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) stated that the C-section Honor Roll used 2017 hospital discharge and birth certificate data from 240 California hospitals that offer maternity services. A total of 122 hospitals made the list this year compared to 2017. Community Regional had the further distinction of this being their third consecutive recognition.”
Office of Traffic Safety partners with Friday Night Live STAFF REPORTS The California Friday Night Live Partnership (CFNLP) announced this morning their 2018-19 grant award of $400,000 to support Friday Night Live (FNL) chapters across the state to tackle the issues of underage drinking and traffic safety at the local level. The CFNLP is an organization of the Tulare County Office of Education (TCOE) that provides state-wide service and support to 50 California counties to assist in successful implementation of Friday Night Live programming. “We are proud to support the California Friday Night Live Partnership as they work to provide opportunities for leadership, skill development, community engagement, and meaningful relationship building for the young people of California,” says Tim Hire, the recently inaugurated superintendent of schools for the Tulare County Office of Education. Equipped with the skills and capacity necessary to make real change, and supported by caring adults, FNL youth across California will lead yearlong, multi-faceted, comprehensive campaigns to reduce underage drinking and promote traffic safety in their local communities. FNL youth engaged in this project will assess the communities in which they live to determine which issue they will address and how they will address it. The grant is awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Underage Drinking Facts: A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2010 reveals that the estimated national economic cost of excessive drinking was $249 billion, an average of $2.05 per drink consumed, with the Government footing part of the bill at a cool $100.7 billion. California attributes the largest amount, costing our country over $35 billion, with an average cost per drink of $2.44. Of the total $249 billion, underage drinking specifically accounts for nearly 10% of those costs, coming in at $24.3 billion. Furthermore, the CDC estimates that, on average, alcohol is a factor in the deaths of 4,358 young people under age 21 each year, 1,580 of those lives lost in motor vehicle crashes. Not only does underage drinking cost money and lives, but current scientific research shows that alcohol consumption before the
age of 21 is detrimental to the development of the adolescent brain, causing young drinkers to make irresponsible decisions, encounter memory lapses and process information more slowly. Factors that contribute to a young person’s decision to drink alcohol include family, peer and school influences and norms, alcohol advertising and social media exposure to drinking behaviors, as well as youth’s ability to access alcohol within their environments. FNL Combats Underage Drinking: Friday Night Live youth work to combat this by implementing various evidence-based, environmental prevention strategies proven to help reduce underage drinking and related costs by changing the environments that make youth alcohol use seem normal and appealing. Grant activities will range from alcohol merchant education campaigns and social host ordinances that reduce young people’s access to alcohol, to positive norms campaigns that attempt to change society’s attitudes and understanding of underage drinking, and Lee Law projects that aim to reduce the amount of youth’s exposure to alcohol advertising in their own neighborhoods. Projects are enhanced with additional activities like Casey’s Pledge, a pledge to abstain from drinking alcohol before age 21 or riding in a car with an impaired driver; Not on My Watch, a customizable multi-media underage drinking prevention campaign; and In One Instant, a video awareness assembly program. While these efforts specifically aim to prevent underage drinking, we know that reducing the number of underage drinkers will directly affect and reduce the number of alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes involving minors. Traffic Safety Facts: Traffic safety issues encompass a wide variety of problems that can occur on roadways and involve a range of populations in different ways, including young drivers, senior drivers, pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists. One of the most at-risk populations behind the wheel is young, inexperienced drivers. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one in four crash fatalities involve someone 16 to 24 years old, nearly twice as high as other age groups. In fact, motor vehicle crashes remain the number one killer of young people ages 15-24 in America, more than drug and alcohol use com-
bined. A young driver is already at an elevated risk for crashing based on their inexperience on the road; other factors exponentially increase this risk including distractions caused by phones, radios, passengers and more, speeding, not wearing seat belt restraints, drug-and-alcohol-impaired driving, and drowsy driving. According to NHTSA, research has found that dialing a phone number while driving increases your teen’s risk of crashing by six times, and texting while driving increases the risk by 23 times. Furthermore, another study analyzed by NHTSA, revealed that teen drivers were 2.5 times more likely to engage in one or more potentially risky behaviors when driving with one teenage peer, compared to when driving alone. According to the same study, the likelihood of teen drivers engaging in one or more risky behaviors when traveling with multiple passengers increased to three times compared to when driving alone. In fact, research shows that the risk of a fatal crash goes up in direct relation to the number of teenagers in the car. FNL Combats Dangerous Driving: As a requirement of the grant, FNL members across the state came together for one hour on October 16, 2018 to survey the streets that surround their schools, specifically looking for instances of distracted driving. With a total of 11,352 distractions observed state-wide, in one-hour an average of 139 distracted drivers drove past California schools that morning. This observational study, known as Roadwatch, is an eye-opener for the young people that participate. Nadine Shami, a student from Monson-Sultana School in Tulare County, said, “I learned that distracted driving is very dangerous. The simplest things like eating, drinking, reaching for something and checking your phone, can cause a crash.” Another student from Downtown College Prep El Primero High School reported, “A lot of people were distracted. That really worries me because I always walk around this area,” referring to the intersection of Monterey Street and East Alma Avenue in San Jose. By the end of the study, youth that participate in Roadwatch are nothing short of fired-up, empowered and eager to change the safety climate of the roads surrounding their schools. “The [FNL members] share the data they gathered and educate their
peers and family members to make safer decisions. They are making a positive difference in the community,” said Cindy Ting, Chapter Advisor for Magnolia High School FNL in Orange County. The assessment is a mere starting point for FNL chapters. In 2011, empowered by their research and armed with their Roadwatch data, students of Magnolia High School successfully obtained funding for the city to install a crosswalk and traffic light near their school in an effort to increase safety for drivers and pedestrians alike. To continue the fight against dangerous driving, FNL chapters that receive OTS funds and choose to focus on traffic safety issues, will develop a strategic awareness plan for tackling the issues. Project elements often include school and community educational efforts, the development of school policies to support and encourage traffic safety, working with cities to expand safety measures, and working with local businesses to employ additional regulation around driving practices. The CFNLP has partnered with OTS to implement underage drinking reduction and traffic safety promotion projects for over 30 years, and thanks to this partnership, FNL youth have created some of the most impactful campaigns and have made significant community changes throughout the state. Local policies have been put into place, cross-walks, sidewalks and traffic lights have been installed, and parents everywhere have pledged to not provide alcohol access to minors. Alcohol merchants have made store policy changes to help reduce alcohol access and exposure to youth, alcohol advertising has been replaced with positive, informational messages, and young people have been empowered by the positive impacts they have proven to have on their communities. “This isn’t just about giving young people permission to change their communities,” says Lynne Goodwin, CFNLP Program Director, “but about giving them the skills, knowledge, support and opportunities that they need to make real, lasting impact around issues that are important to them.” Friday Night Live builds partnerships for positive and healthy youth development which engage youth as active leaders and resources in their community. For more information about the Friday Night Live, visit fridaynightlive.org.
Valley Voice 17 January, 2019
15
VOICES & OPINIONS
Sequoia Gateway is an environmental plus FRED RUIZ AND BILL TRAVIS Sequoia Gateway, the project proposed for the southeast corner of Caldwell Avenue and Highway 99, has been blessed by the Tulare County Planning Commission and approved by the Tulare County Board of Supervisors. Many were singing the praises of the proposed tenants in the project, including new hotels, restaurants and, of course, the Valley Children’s Pediatric Medical Clinic. Much of the support from the key decision-making bodies is a reflection of the fact that this this project has been in reviewed, revised, analyzed and scrutinized for almost a decade, and it includes a wealth of environmentally progressive features. Sequoia Gateway is actually going to contribute to a healthier environment in a number of ways: • The commercial/retail use of
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the land is projected to use less than one quarter of the groundwater now used by the project site – going from 95 acre feet of water per year versus 386 acre feet of water for agricultural use This reduction in use will free up groundwater resources for other ag uses The project will offer a variety of environmentally friendly features, including electric charging stations; low water use landscaping; capture or elimination of wasteful water run-off; bus stops and bike paths; and it will be the first commercial project to use recycled water for landscape irrigation. The project will also include mandatory solar photovoltaic panels on the project’s larg-
er buildings, and dozens of other features recommended (but not required) by the local air pollution control district. Because of the wealth of environmentally friendly features, the Tulare County Farm Bureau, which exists to protect ag land and the interests of the farming community that is key to our economy, did not oppose the project. The County’s General Plan has allowed for a project like this for nearly a decade and the entire County will benefit from the generation of new revenue. Whether you live in the unincorporated areas of Tulare County or an incorporated city, the shortage of County funds impacts us all. The jails, the court system, the roads, the county bridges and water delivery systems … they’re all funded through the County.
At buildout, Sequoia Gateway is estimated to also provide $17.6 million per year to some of our most critical local agencies, including $200,500 per year to COS, $1.2 million per year to Visalia Unified School District, $1.75 million per year to Measure R for road improvements and $8.1 million to other local agencies. Sequoia Gateway won’t solve the ongoing financial challenges. Even after the completion of the Sequoia Gateway project, the County’s share of countywide sales taxes would only increase to 18.2 percent to support the County’s 30.3 percent share of the population – but it’s a step in the right direction. We care about the families, farms and future of Tulare County and we look forward to the positive impact of Sequoia Gateway. (Fred Ruiz and Bill Travis are owners of the Sequoia Gateway property.)
vadorean street gang which is notorious for its murderousness. Sure, it exists, although it was really an LA street gang which went back to Salvador. But Trump’s wish list expanded the so-called threat to include thousands of innocent refugees from murderous Central American governments. And notice one of his favorite tactics. He will use the words ‘bad’ or ‘good’ without giving any reason to believe his opinion. So how many of these putative outlaws actually get in? I’ve heard no numbers. Certainly you read the headlines about undocumented criminals. In actuality that’s a very small number. Another way of upping the threat level is by creating a sense of siege. Trump has done this in two ways. First was to send thousands of American military personnel to the border. Man, that invasion might come any day now. I sure hope our tanks, bazookas and drones are ready for those kids. And notice, many of those troops
were sent home. I guess Trump really doesn’t want to machine gun kids with diapers. We’ve also seen a lot of headlines about thousands of Central American refugees swarming to the border. These people are obviously a great danger! They are armed with what-pitchforks and rocks? I am a naturally suspicious sort, and I have been wondering just what set these people in motion. Certainly the regimes at home are pretty miserable. But those people had to have encouragement, both via financial support and propaganda, to undertake the dangerous journey across Mexico. I really wonder where the money came from. In intelligence circles this kind of event is called a false-flag operation. In short, you have to see that Trump has built a huge house of cards. The bases of his arguments consist of half truths and outright lies. One can only hope the great wind of reason can blow them away.
If the USA was attacked by a foreign country with a chemical weapon that caused the effects of cannabis we would drop the bomb on them.... however, when we unknowingly do it to ourselves it is only politically correctness, unintended consequences and suicidal. Nationwide legalization of recreational Marijuana is not in our best interests, either individually or collectively. Labeling, education, and leadership are needed. The current roulette
will have an exponential increase in costs in lives and money. This is a national security issue. All our brains are different. Different people respond differently to cannabis and alcohol. Ask. There is an interesting ominous parallel between the 15% of the population that are born allergic to alcohol and the 1% of the population that have schizophrenia may be allergic to cannabis. See the attached reports. The book to read is: “No one Cares About Crazy People” by Ron Powers.
The wall and alternative reality STEVE PENDLETON Donald Trump is very good at one aspect of his Presidency-constructing a world of alternate reality. By this I mean he has taken events-sometimes with a grain of truth to them, and has twisted them to fit his agenda of xenophobia and rampant America Firstism. In order to believe his litany of lies, you have to accept his world view from the very beginning. Where does it start? With the wall of course. I well remember the shock I felt when I heard his words-we need to build a Great Wall on our southern border, and we’ll make the Mexicans pay for it. Remember that ridiculous promise, and how the base ate it up like raw meat? The whole premise of a wall flies against everything the United States supposedly stands for. It is obviously racist in intent. After all, has Trump ever once proposed a wall on the Canadian border (one which terrorists,
druggies or Guatemalans can literally walk across at any one of hundreds of miles of empty land)? Or how about the fact that undocumented immigrants from China outnumber those from Mexico and south-has Trump ever suggested that we need a border along the California sea coast? Trump completely ignores the history of walls-in that they are spectacularly unsuccessful in stopping people or armies. As one Hispanic leader pointed out, a wall won’t stop Mexicans. After all, they are already experts at tunneling. And who can forget the Great Wall of China. It took hundreds of years, thousands of lives and an uncountable amount of taxation to build. The Mongols laughed at it on their way to conquer Cathay. And the Germans against the Maginot Line? They simply went around it. In order to bolster the base, you need to broaden the threat. Trump is very good at threats. A few months ago he decried the presence of the Sal-
Marijuana: more dangerous than you think ROY J KENDALL The problem is complicated and as Americans we want simple answers. Cannabis is especially complicated and there are lots of unanswered questions. How is it that part of cannabis is good and safe and part of it is dangerous and deadly? And “Why do not all people respond the same to cannabis?” The answer to the question of: “Is there a coming cannabis crisis?” and “what will it mean for the USA, you,
and me, and our grandchildren?” is easily reduced to one statement: “The leaders of the world today and tomorrow do not poison their children’s brains before or after they are born.” Does anyone know about the DNA Downstream Effect of cannabis? Or care? And maybe 1/3 of USA high school students have used cannabis. Please read and forward the above three peer review articles to the author Alex Berenson and thank you for printing his Review article January 5-6, 2019.
Your comments from ourvalleyvoice.com
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Unless your ancestors were here to greet the Pilgrims you too are an established anchor baby. What is criminal is your lack of knowledge so why not try educating yourself. Turn off Fox News and wash the red out of your neck…both seems to be clouding your brains.
— senior citizen on Migrant Numbers Falling, For Now
who is this anchor baby? there is 20 million criminal illegal residents here, probably 10 million in California alone.
— send them back , all of them on Migrant Numbers Falling
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Valley Voice
17 January, 2019
Tulare County Medical Society honors retired VMC physician STAFF REPORTS George Skaff, MD, was recently presented with the George Tiss Memorial Award in recognition of his service to the community and service to medicine. Dr. Skaff, a pediatrician with Visalia Medical Clinic for more than 40 years, was nominated by Prem Kamboj, MD, in recognition of Dr. Skaff’s outstanding service to the physicians and youth of the community. He was presented with the award at the Tulare County Medical Society’s annual holiday celebration. The award is presented each year in honor of the late Dr. Tiss, who set the example of selfless devotion to the well-being of all people in the community, and donated services to the indigent and to charitable groups for over 40 years. “The physicians and staff of VMC
are so pleased to see Dr. Skaff honored and recognized for his work,” noted Rick Strid, executive director of Visalia Medical Clinic, an affiliate of Kaweah Delta Medical Foundation. “His expertise and his kind, caring demeanor helped calm many a nervous mom and dad. He was also known for his willingness to support new pediatricians. We were honored to have had him as a part of the VMC family for so many years.” Visalia Medical Clinic, an affiliate of the Kaweah Delta Medical Foundation, offers the expertise of more than 60 providers. VMC also offers a lab, imaging including CT and MRI, a Sleep Disorders Center, and a Physical Therapy Department all in one location at 5400 W. Hillsdale, Visalia. Extended care hours are available through the QuickCare and Sequoia Prompt Care walk-in clinics. For information, call 739-2000 or visit www.vmchealth.com.
George Skaff, MD, with his son Chris Skaff, MD, left, and wife Judy Skaff. Courtesy photo
Kaweah Delta names director of development STAFF REPORTS Kaweah Delta has a new Director of Development who will oversee fundraising programs to help Kaweah Delta provide the highest level of care to the community. After an extensive national search, Liz Wynn, who has served the community as Executive Director of the Visalia Emergency Aid Council since 2014, has been selected to serve in this Kaweah Delta leadership position. “I’m really excited to make a positive impact on the health care of our community and I know I am going to be able to continue making a positive impact,” she said. Wynn has a degree in Business Management from Fresno Pacific University. She serves the community as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Visalia and as a Board Member of
the Rotary Club of Visalia. She is also a volunteer on Kaweah Delta’s Community Relations Community Advisory Committee. “Volunteering on Kaweah Delta’s Community Relations Community Advisory Committee really opened my eyes to what a great organization Kaweah Delta is and how impactful it is on our community and our economy, which most people don’t realize,” she said. “I’ve learned that Kaweah Delta is committed to the community and on all levels, that’s a daunting challenge. I can honestly say that Kaweah Delta is doing everything it can to rise to the challenge of providing the highest level of care to everybody.” Wynn is responsible for directing and overseeing all fundraising through the Kaweah Delta Hospital
Foundation, which was created in 1979 to help Kaweah Delta achieve excellence in patient care through fundraising from the hospital family and the community. Since that time the nonprofit 501(c) (3) Foundation, with its appointed board of directors, has raised $59 million in support of Kaweah Delta. The Foundation raises funds through personal solicitation, grants, special events, direct mail, and social media appeals as well as through future, planned gifts such as bequests. In 2018 alone, nearly 50 percent of Kaweah Delta employees gave more than $500,000 back to Kaweah Delta through the Foundation’s payroll deduction donation program. While the move from VEAC to Kaweah Delta was not an easy one for Wynn, she said the time was right.
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“It was important to make sure that [VEAC] was set up for success and it is. Today, the organization is much stronger,” she said. “It has a new food pantry, which is completely debt free, and it is established in the community as a legitimate and thoughtfully-run organization.” Kaweah Delta is a publicly-owned community healthcare organization that provides comprehensive health services to the greater Visalia region and Tulare County. With over 5,000 dedicated medical professionals and employees, Kaweah Delta is committed to meeting the community’s health needs through state-ofthe-art medicine, high-quality preventive services and specialized health centers and clinics. For more information, visit www.kaweahdelta.org.
Tickets $50.00
FEBRUARY 2, 2019
Red Attire Preferred 4:30 pm - Expo 6:00 pm - Main Event Fashion Show Keynote Speaker
HERITAGE COMPLEX - TULARE
Heart Spectacular event for Women and Men ! EVENT SPONSORSHIPS
EXHIBITORS (No Charge) VENDORS ($50/Booth) LIMITED BOOTHS AVAILABLE
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Foundation Office 906 N. Cherry St. - Tulare Tulare Hospital Gift Shop 869 N. Cherry St. - Tulare