Valley Voice Issue 134 (7 February, 2019)

Valley Voice

Hearing over Benzeevi cash hits second week

St. Paul’s warming center open every night

TONY MALDONADO

MARTIN VELASCO-RAMOS

tony@ourvalleyvoice.com

martin@ourvalleyvoice.com

Temperature restrictions at St. Paul’s Warming Center were lifted last month and the center is now open every night.

The decision came after the warming center staff expressed that restricting the shelter to operate on nights below 35 degrees would create confusion among the homeless community who typically don’t have access to thermometers. The uncertainty would also make it hard for the center to schedule security and paid staff.

The warming center at Visalia’s Episcopal Church has been operating nightly for over a month, serving nearly 100 homeless on their busiest nights. There have been a few minor complaints from the area. But overall, the shelter has received a better reception than its first attempt in the winter of 2017.

Even some of the most outspoken members of the public who initially rallied against the warming center have recognized the improvements.

Dr. Wayne Wundrum is a local business owner in the area who had issues with homeless on his property in the past. He filed an appeal last year when the warming center announced its re-opening. However, after a month since the warming center’s most recent debut, Wundrum is happy to report the he has not experienced any serious issues.

“I’m happy so far that the church is following through with monitoring of the exterior of the church. As far

Volume XXXIX No. 3 7 February, 2019 ourvalleyvoice.com

Campbell Moreland Ditch running through Yaudnchi Ecological Reserve. Courtesy/Bobby Kamansky/ Kamansky Ecological Consulting

Who closed Yaudanchi Ecological Reserve?

CATHERINE DOE

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com

In a bucolic little corner on the south eastern edge of Porterville exists a piece of Tule River floodplain that has never felt the till of a plow or the heard the hammering of a nail.

The place is the Yaudanchi Ecological Reserve (YER.) The reserve is an outdoor classroom for the Porterville public school system and a recreational area for the community.

The 164 acres got their official designation as an ecological reserve in 1975 and was named in honor of a branch of the Yokut tribe that lived in Northern Tulare County.

The state owns the land and the reserve was well managed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife to the satisfaction of all.

So why was Yaudanchi closed?

WARMING CENTER continued on 11 »

Gates were locked and signs removed

Laurie Schwaller, a founding member of Friends of the Yaudanchi, was the first to notice there was something amiss. While responding to a Monache High School student’s request to use the reserve for research, Schwaller noticed that the YER had been removed from the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (DFW) list of ecological reserves.

The mysterious knot began to unravel when she discovered that the Porterville Development Center (PDC,) a state hospital for the disabled, closed the reserve in October of 2017. The state has owned the property since 1945 and built the PDC on the southern end, leaving the northern section that would become the YER untouched.

YAUDANCHI continued on 11 »

It’s been a walk down memory lane over the past two weeks in a hearing meant to decide the status of Dr. Benny Benzeevi’s seized assets.

Those two weeks have been for the Tulare County District Attorney’s office to make their case to keep Benzeevi’s assets -- Benzeevi’s attorneys have not yet had their days to make an opposing case.

Through two separate warrants, the Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA) CEO had $937,000 and various personal items including phones, tablets, laptops, and business documents seized by the district attorney’s office.

Benzeevi, whose company previously managed Tulare Regional Medical Center (TRMC), is fighting to have his seized cash returned. Hon. John P. Bianco is presiding over the case; Bianco also authorized the warrants.

Benzeevi’s attorneys argue that holding the cash is denying him the ability to pay for legal counsel and that the district attorney is holding onto his property, but still hasn’t filed any charges against him. His house was searched in April 2018, and his funds were seized in August 2018.

The seized funds allegedly came from a transaction in which Benzeevi and HCCA’s CFO, Alan Germany, worked with Celtic Commercial Finance to sell TRMC equipment for $3m under a leaseback arrangement.

The $3m was wired to Tulare Asset Management, a company owned by Benzeevi, and the lion’s share of those

BENZEEVI continued on 12 »

City of Lemoore moves for Kaweah Delta affiliates with restraining order against council nation’s top cardio clinic ic’s second affiliate in the state, joining DAVE ADALIAN member Holly Blair Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City. dave@ourvalleyvoice.com CATHERINE DOE

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com

A hearing was held at Kings County Superior Court Thursday, January 31, to consider granting the City of Lemoore a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against City Council Member Holly Blair.

The TRO and Preliminary Injunction were requested by Lemoore City Manager Nathan Olson, Police Chief Darrell Smith, and Assistant Police Chief Margarita Ochoa to prevent Blair from making any future critical comments concerning them or the city.

Blair and her lawyer, Marguerite Melo of the Law Offices of Melo and Sarsfield, contend that an attempt to silence Blair is a violation of her First Amendment rights.

Kings County Superior Court Judge Kathy Ciuffini denied the TRO without prejudice, meaning she could revisit the order at a later date if the dispute is not resolved.

At the end of the hearing both

sides agreed not to say disparaging remarks about each other, and to not discuss the litigation with the media or on social media, until after mediation, potentially scheduled within two weeks.

City of Lemoore Breaks Court Agreement within Minutes

Nine minutes after the hearing, the lawyer for the City of Lemoore, Lee Burdick, sent a press release to Lemoore Administrative Assistant, Marisa Avalos, to post on the city’s website discussing details of the case. Avalos, unaware of the agreed upon gag order, posted the press release on the city’s Facebook page around 10:40am on Thursday. The hearing ended around 10:25.

In the release it says, “The City of Lemoore held a special (closed session) meeting on Tuesday January 29, 2019. At the meeting, the City Council reported out of closed session that they authorized the initiation of litigation in the

BLAIR continued on 16 »

Heart patients at Kaweah Delta will now have access to resources from the “world-renowned” Cleveland Clinic thanks to a partnership between Kaweah Delta’s cardio clinic and the nation’s top-ranked heart treatment program, CEO Gary Herbst announced at a press conference Friday, January 25.

Cardio Program Gets New Name

“Going forward we will be the Kaweah Delta Cleveland Clinic Cardiovascular Program,” Herbst said. “The Cleveland Clinic’s Heart and Valve Institute has been recognized as No. 1 in the United States for cardiology and heart surgery for 24 years in a row, as recognized by US News and World Report.”

The partnership makes Kaweah Delta the 16th hospital to gain proprietary access to Cleveland Clinic’s treatment protocols and educational opportunities through its affiliate program. Kaweah Delta is Cleveland Clin-

“Having our name right next to theirs means an incredible amount to us,” Herbst said of working with Cleveland Clinic.

He emphasized the two hospitals are sharing information and resources, but are not merging and will maintain independent staffs.

“As an affiliate, Kaweah Delta and Cleveland Clinic will remain independent,” Herbst said. “We’re not becoming part of the Cleveland Clinic, nor are they becoming part of Kaweah Delta.”

Two-Year-Plus Effort

Work on creating the cross-country partnership with the Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic began more than two years ago, Herbst said, and represents an attempt to bring better cardiovascular practices and equipment to Visalia and the South Valley.

“With this affiliation comes an incredible amount of expertise and education and training and talent,” he said. “All of these new resources

CARDIO continued on 14 »

7 February, 2019 Valley Voice

2

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESK

A Slow-mo lobotomy

Sometimes, things come together. Sometimes the stars align serendipitously, and sometimes the alignment is by process.

For the past 11 years we have been awash in serendipity. True, we’ve lost a son--and people can’t be replaced--but everything else we’ve lost has, spookily, been restored. Quickly, and without effort. When the house we were in before mostly burned down, the house we’re in now was ready within two days.

Money has come when we’ve lost money.

When the economy tanked in 2008 we, as commercial landlords, became fully tenanted for the first time.

I could continue, but nobody can truly explain serendipity. It’s more than just good luck--it verges on the miraculous.

Process, of course, is the complete opposite.

A trial is process at its most exacting; a conclusion is usually reached, but only after a painstaking ordeal.

We’re currently covering a marathon evidentiary hearing to determine if money seized by the district attorney is contraband. It’s a slow-motion lobotomy. My soul has fled.

I expect the machinations of government are similar. I mean, imagine the depth and complexity of the Mueller investigation. Picture the political jujitsu in Congress.

There’s a lobotomized body for you--the Senate of the United States. Can someone sufficiently explain the rationale behind lifting the sanctions against Russian oligarch Oleg Daripaska?

In the House that notion was trounced. Even our own Devin Nunes--remember him?--voted against the move.

And now that Alice--or should I say Nancy Pelosi?--has forced the president from his shutdown rabbit hole, if only until the 15th of this month, it’s time to sharpen the scalpels again.

I don’t think we’ll see an encore of the shutdown. It failed the first time and was, generally, a bad business. I do think it flaked off that portion of the president’s base who were not for the wall at any cost. Like a shutdown. Talk about a lobotomy.

But neither will he get a wall.

The president will either allude to its already having been built or he’ll engineer his terminology to match a broad interpretation.

Joseph Oldenbourg

Valley Voice

The Valley Voice is your newspaper, published by The Valley Voice, LLC.

The Voice strives for accuracy in reporting.

Commentary or corrections regarding errors of fact in our printed, online, or social media content can be sent to the email and mailing address listed below.

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Use your voice: send letters, concerns, or corrections to editor@ourvalleyvoice.com PO Box 44064, Lemon Cove, CA 93244

Publisher/Editor:

Joseph Oldenbourg

joseph@ourvalleyvoice.com — 559-731-8687

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Reporters: John Dillon

john@ourvalleyvoice.com

Dave Adalian

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

Martin Velasco-Ramos martin@ourvalleyvoice.com

Production/Website: Tony Maldonado

tony@ourvalleyvoice.com — 559-799-4100

Valley Voice 7 February, 2019

POLITICAL FIX Silence of the Damned

In late spring of 2018 Lemoore’s City Manager, Andi Welsh, was fired.

That made Lemoore Police Chief Darryl Smith the interim city manager.

Being the interim city manager meant he would be on the committee to hire a new city manager.

Lemoore ended up hiring Nathan Olson, and just by coincidence, Mr. Olson’s son was allegedly engaged to Mr. Smith’s daughter.

This may or may not be true, and may or may not be relevant, but it raised some red flags for City Council Member Holly Blair concerning conflict of interest.

To add a few more hues of red to those flags, the former city manager was the golden child in 2017. Ms. Welsh was given a raise in April, her severance pay was increased in November, and the city council was quoted as saying, “Welsh has exceeded our expectations.”

Yet, in January of 2018 Ms. Welsh was put on administrative leave. That was followed by her “stepping down” on May 9 with a tidy sum of $152,900 in her pocket.

And her severance was to only be paid if she was fired.

Hmmmm. This might sound familiar to our Tulare readers.

There are actually other “coincidences” that involve City Hall but I do not have room to explain them here.

Wanting answers, Ms. Blair first inquired internally if there was a conflict of interest between Mr. Olson and Mr. Smith. Not getting much response, she decided to read a statement from the dais asking first, if the two men were potential in-laws and second, if that would constitute favoritism in the hiring process.

She was not asking out of curiosity or to be nosy. She was asking on behalf of her constituents, because that’s what she was elected to do.

What Ms. Blair got in response was a blistering diatribe from Police Chief Smith saying she was out of line and that if he lived in her district he would recall her.

Since her inquiry about Mr. Olson and Mr. Smith, Ms. Blair claims she has been harassed by the Lemoore Police Department and has publicly requested an investigation on behalf of her complaints, and the complaints she has received from her constituents about the police.

But instead of initiating an investigation of the police department, the city began an investigation on her.

In August Ms. Blair was censured.

In September a recall effort started and then failed.

In January the City of Lemoore filed for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against Ms. Blair to shut her up.

Is it just a coincidence that she is the first Latina to ever serve on the Lemoore City Council and the city has gone to the extraordinary effort to file a TRO? Perhaps not, but that is not the point.

The point is, Lemoore cannot tell a city council member to shut up.

Elected officials have the right to express themselves just like any other citizen in the United States.

It’s called the First Amendment.

The restraining order was filed specifically to force Ms. Blair to stop complaining publicly about the police department and city staff. The City of Lemoore’s reasoning behind the TRO is that Ms. Blair’s negative comments are putting the lives of the police and city staff at risk and creating an environment that will make it hard for the city

to recruit quality applicants.

Mr. Olson and Mr. Smith feel that as an “agent of their employer” Ms. Blair must voice all criticisms concerning personnel in closed session or direct them to the City Manager, Mr. Olson.

But Ms. Blair is not an employee of the City of Lemoore. She is an elected official and cannot be removed from office by the city, nor can she be silenced by the city. She was not elected to defend city staff. She was elected to represent the residents.

In Ms. Blair’s case, the city was not suing over her allegedly defamatory statements made in public and on social media. The city was suing to ask the court for Prior Restraint. Prior Restraint would prohibit Ms. Blair from saying anything negative about the city in the future.

In other words it would prohibit her speech before the speech happens, kind of like the plot in Tom Cruises’ Minority Report.

While an individual can be sued for slander and libel, Prior Restraint is mostly unconstitutional and would be granted only under the direst of circumstances, such as a threat to the United States National defense or our national security.

Even though Mr. Olson and Mr. Smith are probably really mad that Ms. Blair said mean things about them, that doesn’t constitute a national emergency.

The verdict is still out whether Ms. Blair is crazy and spouting out baseless lies as her critics claim.

But the verdict is in that Ms. Blair has a right to do it. And for that we should all be grateful.

Because when cities gain the right to silence their residents, and then their city council members, the next to be silenced will be the Press. And I am not very good at being quiet.

Lien on Me

Someone put a bug in my ear about the Dinuba City Council so I toddled off to the Tulare County Treasury Tax Collector’s office to punch in some names.

Their public computers have a trove of information such as deeds, changes in deeds, distribution of estates, law suits, and most interestingly tax liens.

I learned a couple things while perusing their files.

First, that Tulare City Council Member Carlton Jones actually has two domestic abuse arrests, not just one. When inventorying his impressive list of lawsuits for previous columns I missed this incident because it happened in Fresno County. The domestic abuse case popped up in Tulare County because the alleged victim filed a court order to collect child support payments.

The second fact I learned was that newly elected Dinuba Vice Mayor, Armando Longoria, has seven tax liens on the books.

Spanning from 11/16/2010 to 9/28/2015 most of Mr. Longoria’s tax liens seem to be unpaid business taxes on Moores Martial Arts in Clovis.

Clovis is a funny coincidence for a Dinuba elected official. Maybe he could take Mayor Kuldip Thusu out to coffee after work.

When I called Mr. Longoria about his almost ten years of unpaid business taxes he said he wasn’t aware he had them. He also informed me that he had closed the business.

I spoke to the counter person at the Collector’s office and she said that their office goes above and beyond to notify people of their tax bill, even if they have moved.

3 a column by CATHERINE DOE — catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com And Mr. Longoria has lived in the same house for over 15 years.

To be fair, I typed in everyone’s name on the city council to see if tax liens were trending in Dinuba, but all I found were council members’ deeds.

So, lots of people have liens, but should they be stewards of our tax dollars?

Mr. Longoria’s financial woes have not dimmed his passion for civil service. He has run for Dinuba City Council every four years for ten years. He lost in 2006, 2010, and 2014, but after taking some good advice he won in District 3 last November. Two of his losses were to former city council member Scott Harness, who ultimately was the one who helped him win.

“Scott said I have to go out and talk to people. So I talked to everyone on my list that lived in the district and then had two weeks to spare,” Mr. Longoria said. “It was hard because I couldn’t start until after 5:00 because no one would be home.”

In previous elections he tried to do everything himself, putting up signs and leaving door hangers, “but I couldn’t get my message across,” After losing by a large margin in the previous races, Mr. Longoria won in No-

vember by 22 points against Sal Medina, who has also run for the same seat several elections in a row.

“This time was different. This time I became a team player,” Mr. Harness and other supporters also encouraged Mr. Longoria to get some leadership training and learn how to use a computer, which he did.

But he still is unfamiliar with the concept of the Brown Act. Considering his lack of experience, I was pretty surprised when Mr. Longoria said that during the reorganization of Dinuba’s City Council he immediately threw his hat in the ring for mayor.

“I nominated myself right away. Everyone wants to be mayor,” he said.

When I asked how he landed the position of vice mayor he said, “I was pretty surprised Emilio (Morales) nominated me.”

As for the Brown Act, Mr. Longoria is excited about attending workshops in different parts of the state that train council members on the rules and procedures needed to do the job.

As for his tax liens?

Mr. Longoria thinks they were all cleared up when he and his wife re-organized their finances during bankruptcy.

Get ready for a night filled with laughs as The Rotary Club of Visalia hosts its inaugural roast featuring Stan Simpson as the Hot Seat guest!

Don’t miss out on a night full of good food and great company. Whether you’re a friend, family or a colleague of Stan’s, here’s a chance to take a poke – so grab a skewer and get ready for jokes!

Stanley S. Simpson

Saturday, Feb. 23 Cocktails at 6 p.m. • Dinner and roast at 7 p.m.

Visalia Convention Center Cost: $100 per person

Enjoy music & dancing by Run4Cover Proceeds of this fundraiser will help Rotary award scholarships, in tribute to the late Dr. H. Doug Lovik, longtime educator and Stan’s mentor, and support community organizations.

TICKETS: visaliarotaryclub.com INFORMATION: paul.hurley@visaliarotaryclub.com #rotaryofvisalia

7 February, 2019 Valley Voice

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Sundale Foundation provides unique after-school program JOHN DILLON

john@ourvalleyvoice.com

Students in south-eastern Tulare often struggle with academics, but one group of concerned parents are working tirelessly to change that.

The Sundale Foundation owns two homes in the East Tulare Villas, a low-income neighborhood just outside of Tulare. They opened the V-Center in 2010 and added the second home four years later. The Foundation uses these homes to provide after school programs for kids in this community.

“In these county offshoot islands, the communities kind of struggle,” said Seth Brown, Sundale Foundation Vice President. “When we started, you could sit in front of the door and watch a drug deal happen,” said Brown about the early days of the V-Center.

The Sundale Foundation Board saw that some students couldn’t stay on campus for their after school programs, so they decided to bring the program to them.

“It’s been a great chance to see where I grew up and to change the opportunities for these kids,” said Brown.

Though separate from Sundale Elementary School, the Foundation runs an after school programs for the Sundale students alongside a preschool.

The V-Center often enlists Sundale alumni and forges partnerships with local businesses to keep operations running smoothly.

“Every time we turn around we get more ideas and help,” said Wil Cushing, a Foundation Board member. After successfully establishing and managing the after school and preschool

programs, the board is turning its attention more to the V-Center by offering extracurricular initiatives and adult classes.

“If we get the kids in here, they’re going to learn the social skills they need,” said Cushing about extra-curriculars. One of the classes the V-Center offers to parents is a technological literacy course held in Spanish.

Eloisa Valejo has been present in the community from the beginning and hopes to continue to see both children and parents come through the Center. “I never had anything,” said Valejo about her upbringing. “There was no safe haven, and I’ve always wanted to start up a home.”

Valejo spends much of her free time at the V-Center. She was the first one to open her home to the Foundation at the beginning of their project.

“It’s grown tremendously. The first priority is homework and the parents like that,” said Valejo with a chuckle.

She helps run the summer programs as well. Often, the kids are able to go on field trips during the summer to swimming pools, movie theaters, museums, and even take college tours.

Recently though, Valejo has been enlisting the help of parents. “I wanted [parents] to have their own identity and they’ve taken off with it,” said Valejo. Parents have started to help more and more with meals, tutoring, and watching kids with a favorite event of theirs being Taco Tuesdays.

“It’s something they know how to do and they can feel confident doing it,” said Valejo.

Despite being in a lower-income neighborhood with high crime, the

Parents and other volunteers help give kids unique after school experiences. John Dillon/Valley Voice

V-Center has had no issue with gangs or theft. “We’ve heard people say ‘I wish this was here when I was a kid.

Maybe I wouldn’t have been involved in gangs,’” said Terri Rufert, Sundale Foundation President.

The Foundation received praise from Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux for its work in the East Tulare Villa. “The V-Center program is exactly the kind of neighborhood-based outreach needed in our rural communities to keep kids safe and give them the tools they need to succeed,” said Boudreaux.

Rufert says she’s happy with the progress made by the V-Center.

“Basically the Foundation owns the houses, but the community runs the Center,” said Rufert. “All the programs we offer at the V-Center, everything’s free.”

The Foundation has plans to expand the work it’s doing as well.

“We’re looking to offer more with enrichment with dance or sports or whatever it is, but it takes money and volunteers,” said Rufert.

The Board often calls on alumni to help with anything from volunteering to house maintenance. Rufert recalled an alumnus donating their time to help fix the air conditioning during the summer. “To watch alumni come back and help out is just amazing,” said Rufert.

She says the end goal for the V-Center is to course-correct the kids’ trajectory.

“Now, kids are dreaming and speaking about what to do after high school because of the enrichment classes which is a big and very welcome change,” said Rufert.

2019 Women’s March draws hundreds DAVE ADALIAN

Women seeking equality and the men who support them gathered by the hundreds Saturday, January 19, in Visalia’s Oval Park before taking to the streets for the 2019 Women’s March.

and its particular set of obstacles.

“There’s been a rift in the national movement, so we’re really prioritizing local issues,” she said. “Some of those issues, they include racism, disability rights, and other issues that are impacting woman locally.”

Change is Needed

Unity for Tulare County

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

For Melissa Ledbury of Three Rivers, the reason she joined the march is the same reason women have been protesting for 50 years and more.

“Because something needs to change, a lot of things,” she said. “I watched a documentary recently about feminism in the ‘60s and ‘70s. It feels like they were fighting (for) the same things we’re fighting for now.

Didn’t we already get this stuff? It’s, like, why do we still have to be here?

It’s never-ending.”

Ledbury’s friend Mari Luna was more succinct in her reasoning for attending the third annual march.

“Because we’re women,” she said.

Focus on Local Issues

Erin Garner-Ford, executive director of ACT for Women and Girls, which has organized the last two marches, said the objective of the rally was to focus attention on Tulare County and the barriers women--and men--face here.

“We’re really organizing this to highlight local issues women are facing and the community is facing,” she said.

Some unrest has crept into feminism on the national level, Garner-Ford said, so the local group is keeping its focus on the South Valley

While the national women’s movement may be suffering from temporary disquiet, which speakers at the march blamed on those who oppose feminist causes, the emphasis in Tulare County was on unity.

“Our communities are strongest when our identities are recognized, accepted and celebrated,” longtime local activist Graciela Martinez told those assembled before the march began. “We march in solidarity with millions of women and men, marching across the country, and those who are not able to attend who are organizing with each other to push back against policies and actions that attack our femininity.”

ACT, which hosts educational sessions for those interested in becoming directly involved at its offices and at local high schools, hopes to facilitate that unity.

“We run programming for the community, and it’s like a weekly meeting,” said Garner-Ford. “People get together and they learn all about social movements, intersectional feminism, reproductive justice.”

Committees formed of participants then plan events and participate in voter engagement.

“We’re really looking for the community to come out and get involved,”

Garner-Ford said. “Voting is really important to us because we really want to shift the narrative. We really want people who are most impacted by what’s going on in our nation to be able to vote and get out there and try to make some type of change.”

Value Voting

For ACT, because of their nonprofit status, the attempt to get more people to vote has to be nonpartisan. Instead, they stay focused on situations causing problems for Tulare County residents now.

“Because we can’t be affiliated with a political party, we’re really focused on issues,” Garner-Ford said. “We’re really concerned about LGBTQ-plus issues, about reproductive health access issues, and so voting is a mechanism that we can (use to) make change, and we’re hoping that by people getting out to vote, that they’re going to be voting with their values.”

For Sara Marquez, a self-described “proud, disabled woman of color,” the Women’s March was an opportunity for her to shed light on the plight of the area’s disabled residents through sharing her own story. Marquez says she faces physical barriers to her movement that are the result of bad policy, and action in solidarity is a clear path to change. The north Visalia street where she and her family have lived for years is an example of the institutionalized shortcomings of our area.

“It’s still a place I cannot travel efficiently,” Marquez said. “I use a wheelchair to get to work. I cannot travel down the sidewalks with a power pole in the middle of the sidewalk or safe-

ly cross the street without a ramp at the corners.”

Voting Is Key

As the final speaker before the march took to the streets of downtown Visalia, former Tulare County Supervisor Loli Moheno called the crowd to take action by going to the polls.

Casting ballots, she said, was the best way to address all the various issues facing those assembled.

“One of the reasons I wanted to talk right now is because it’s all about voting,” Moheno said. “You can hear all day long about our women’s rights, but if you don’t vote, we will forever be here. We need to vote, guys.”

Failure of Tulare County residents to speak up for themselves by voting has set back the causes those who gathered for the March hold dear, Moheno continued. She cited the recent congressional election as an example.

“We lost again to Trump’s puppet, Devin Nunes. We lost by 4%, very little, and why?” Moheno asked the crowd.

“Because we did not have enough voters out there. And, we do have them, ladies and gentlemen. We have those votes.”

Moheno said of the more than 19,000 eligible Latino voters ages 19 to 35, only 4% voted in the midterm congressional election. She called on those who do vote to find those who don’t, to encourage them to participate politically.

“Latinos, we could have defeated Devin Nunes ourselves,” she said.

“You guys know other voters. So, your assignment in 2019 is to identify those voters.”

Valley Voice 7 February, 2019

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AGRICULTURE

2019 World Ag Expo starts Tuesday, February 12 STAFF REPORTS The International Agri-Center is set to hold the 52nd World Ag Expo February 12-14. The largest annual agricultural exposition of its kind, World Ag Expo boasts more than 1,500 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space.

In 2018, 106,700 people came from 49 states and 63 countries to attend the 51st World Ag Expo.

On Tuesday morning February 12, Opening Ceremonies will kick off the show with special guest speaker, American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. A variety of seminars will be offered, including dairy, water, international trade, government

regulation and women in agriculture.

These seminars are presented by professionals in the industry and provide attendees with valuable information to improve their operations.

New this year will be a free, oneday conference aimed at young women interested in a career in agriculture. Grow by FarmHer, is being held on the West Coast for the first time and requires pre-registration at http:// bit.ly/GrowAtWAE19. Other special events include the Capitol Ministries dinner on Tuesday night, the Wednesday morning Prayer Breakfast and the California Ag Leadership breakfast on Thursday morning.

The Top-10 New Products Competition, sponsored by Bank of America, is back with products offering im-

proved technology for the field and increased efficiencies. From a one-ofa-kind heavy-duty electric fork lift, to an affordable dairy genomic test, to a wireless irrigation valve control system, the Top-10 New Products has something to offer every type of farming operation.

“World Ag Expo® continues to provide the best platform for buyers and sellers to meet, greet, and grow the Ag industry,” says Jerry Sinift, International Agri-Center’s CEO. “Our theme this year is ‘Harvesting Technology,’ and there is plenty of time, money and resource saving technology to find at this show. We’re impressed every year with the new innovations our exhibitors bring to World Ag Expo.”

Attendees can look forward to new

features this year, including daily livestock dog demonstrations in the new Demonstration Pavilion, Ride & Drive areas on the East and West ends of the grounds, and a wide variety of new seminars that cover everything from Cannabis to automation in the ag industry. Attendees will also be able to enjoy an additional 20 acres of parking to the East of the International Agri-Center grounds. With the move of on-site RV camping to the South parking lot, space to the East of the grounds has been converted to day parking.

For a full schedule of events, visit http://bit.ly/WAE19Schedule. For more information about the show or to purchase tickets for 2019 World Ag Expo® visit www.WorldAgExpo.org.

Tulare County Supes appoint Tucker as new ag commissioner STAFF REPORTS Today the Tulare County Board of Supervisors announced their appointment of Tom Tucker as the Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner/ Sealer of Weights and Measures effective March 30, 2019. Tucker will fill the position held by Marilyn Wright, who is set to retire after serving as the County Ag Commissioner/Sealer since 2010.

“Tom brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the County Ag Commissioner/Sealer position,” stated Board Chairman Kuyler Crocker.

“We are pleased to have someone with his qualifications to serve and represent our County’s vibrant agriculture industry.”

Tucker graduated from Califor-

nia State University, Fresno with a degree in Agricultural Sciences.

He then worked as a Qualified Applicator and Pest Control Advisor in private business.

Tucker came to the County in 2008 as an Ag & Standards Inspector for the Weights and Measures Division. He was appointed to the position of Assistant Ag Commissioner/Sealer in 2013, the second highest ranked position in the department.

“I am confident Tom will do a great job as the County’s Ag Commissioner/Sealer,” stated Marilyn Wright, who currently serves in the position. “We congratulate Tom on his appointment and are confident that he will serve our agricultural community and the public with dedication and the highest level of professional

competency.”

The position of the Agricultural

Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures is appointed to a four year term by the Board of Supervisors. In the County of Tulare, both roles are held by one person. In his new role, Tucker will oversee the department’s operations in providing regulatory services and programs in coordination with state and federal agencies.

As the County Ag Commissioner/Sealer, Tucker’s base salary will be $136,535.

“I appreciate the Board’s faith in me and pledge to do my very best for the County and our agricultural community,” stated Tucker during his official appointment at today’s Board meeting. “I’d also like to thank Marilyn for her service to the County and for providing me with her guidance and mentorship over the years.”

Farm Bureau sues to block flows plan for lower San Joaquin River CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION A plan for lower San Joaquin River flows misrepresents and underestimates the harm it would cause to agricultural resources in the Central Valley, according to the California Farm Bureau Federation, which filed suit today to block the plan.

Adopted last December by the State Water Resources Control Board, the plan would redirect 30 to 50 percent of “unimpaired flows” in three San Joaquin River tributaries—the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers—in the name of increasing fish populations in the rivers. The flows plan would sharply reduce the amount of water available to irrigate crops in regions served by the rivers.

In its lawsuit, filed in Sacramento County Superior Court, Farm Bureau said the flows plan would have “far-reaching environmental impacts to the agricultural landscape in the Central Valley,” and that those impacts SALES, SERVICE, RENTAL AG EQUIPMENT & TRUCK REPAIR

had been “insufficiently analyzed, insufficiently avoided and insufficiently mitigated” in the board’s final plan.

“The water board brushed off warnings about the significant damage its plan would cause to agricultural resources in the Central Valley, labeling it ‘unavoidable,’” CFBF President Jamie Johansson said. “But that damage can be avoided, by following a different approach that would be better for fish and people alike.”

The Farm Bureau lawsuit says the water board failed to consider reasonable alternatives to its flows-dominated approach, including non-flow measures such as predator control, food supply and habitat projects for protected fish, and said it ignored “overwhelming evidence” that ocean conditions, predation and lack of habitat—rather than river flows—have been chief contributors to reducing fish populations.

The water board’s analysis of impacts on agricultural resources “is

inadequate in several respects,” Farm Bureau said. The lawsuit says the board plan fails to appropriately analyze its impact on surface water supplies and, in turn, how cutting surface water would affect attempts to improve groundwater under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act—all of which would cause direct, indirect and cumulative effects on agricultural resources.

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Sierra View Foundation donates $100k for oncology tech enhancements STAFF REPORTS Presented to the Sierra View Medical Center (SVMC) Board of Directors during their first monthly meeting of the year, the Sierra View Foundation (SVF) donated a $100,000 check for a 4D CT (computerized tomography) Simulator benefitting Sierra View Medical Center’s Roger S. Good Cancer Treatment Center.

On behalf of the Sierra View Foundation, Debbie Landers, Foundation Chair presented the check to Sierra View Medical Center’s Hospital Board

and Roger S. Good Cancer Treatment Center staff. “This year’s donation is a result of proceeds from the 2018 Sierra View Foundation Gala and Annual Golf Tournament,” Landers said during the board meeting. “We have been making huge strides in our fundraising efforts and in building upon our relationship between the hospital and the community; I believe it’s important for us to fulfill our mission and keep making the same progress this year.”

Both the Hospital Board and Sierra View Foundation is exceptionally pleased with the generous support

from the community members and thrilled to have contributed in purchasing the 4D CT simulator that will enhance the technology of oncology services for patients.

In alignment with one of the hospital’s 2019 goals, the Sierra View Foundation has set its sights on raising funds for an advanced and more sophisticated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner. The MRI machine will help progress the SVMC imaging services and have a direct impact in patient care.

The Foundation’s first event of the

year where all proceeds will be earmarked for the MRI Scanner is Sierra View Foundation’s 15th Annual Sierra View Golf Classic, happening Friday, April 5, 2019. With a 10 a.m. shotgun start, there will be much fun to be had at River Island Country Club, where the SVF hopes to use this opportunity to also build upon lasting relationships and help promote a positive image of Sierra View Medical Center. For more information about the Sierra View Foundation or upcoming events, visit sierra-view.com/Foundation or contact (559) 791-3922.

Visalia Medical Clinic Chief Executive Officer to retire STAFF REPORTS After 25 years as the Chief Executive Officer of Visalia Medical Clinic, Richard (Rick) Strid is retiring and beginning a new career in teaching.

Strid has overseen significant growth in the multi-disciplinary clinic, which now offers over 60 providers as well as on site imaging, lab, physical therapy and a sleep lab. Under Strid’s leadership, the clinic was named Large

Business of the Year by the Visalia Chamber of Commerce in 2014.

He has also been very involved in the community, having served as a member of the board of the Visalia Chamber of Commerce, Wish Upon a Star and Grace Community Church. He is involved in the Rotary Club of Visalia and is a graduate of Leadership Visalia.

Strid and his wife, Kim, plan to stay in the community, watching their five granddaughters grow, and he has

accepted a teaching position in the Health Care Administration department of Fresno Pacific University.

“VMC has been privileged to have Rick at the helm for the past 25 years, guiding the organization through huge changes in health care,” noted Ralph Kingsford, president of VMC. “He has certainly earned his retirement and the board, physicians and staff are grateful for his leadership. He will be missed.”

Visalia Medical Clinic, an affiliate of the Kaweah Delta Medical Foundation, offers the expertise of more than 60 providers.

The Quick Care and Sequoia Prompt Care walk-in clinics are open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For information, call 739-2000 or visit www.vmchealth.com.

Construction begins on new parking lots to increase Kaweah Delta parking STAFF REPORTS Kaweah Delta is beginning construction this week on two new parking lots that by April will add nearly 80 patient and visitor parking spots to the Medical Center’s downtown Visalia campus.

Two buildings, both once used as

fast food restaurants, will be demolished in order to increase patient and visitor parking near the Medical Center in downtown Visalia. The restaurants were purchased by Kaweah Delta in 2012 and 2013.

“As we work hard to modernize, expand and improve facilities, our parking spaces are at a premium. This

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is just one of the solutions that will help patients and visitors find parking closer to our Medical Center,” said Gary Herbst, Chief Executive Officer of Kaweah Delta.

Construction on the parking lots will take place along Acequia Avenue from West to Floral streets. One parking lot (on the corner of Acequia and West) will be for physicians, while the lot closest to the Medical Center (at the corner of Acequia and Floral) will be a 27-space patient and visitor lot.

With the completion of the physician lot at Acequia and West, 26 additional patient and visitor parking spots will open up just west of the Medical Center’s Acequia Wing.

Additionally in April, construction on the fifth and sixth floors of the Acequia Wing is expected to be complete, opening up the remaining 30 patient and visitor parking spots in the lot west of the Medical Center’s Acequia Wing. Currently those spots are in use

by construction equipment as Kaweah Delta increases the medical center’s inpatient bed capacity with the addition of a 24-bed intermediate critical care unit on the fifth floor. The sixth floor will provide the community with a new 23-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that will offer patients private rooms. The fifth and sixth floors were left unfinished when the Acequia Wing was completed in 2009, to provide for the flexibility of future expansion.

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.

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7 February, 2019

VALLEYSCENE

ourvalleyvoice.com

Symphony plays ‘Copland to Jazz’ at Visalia Fox

and become the first Latina to serve as president of a California college.

The Sequoia Also featured is Symphony will David Alvarado, the play a variety of orchestra’s prinAmericana music cipal clarinetist, from “Copland to who will perform Jazz” on Saturday, the “Clarinet ConFeb. 9 at the Visalia certo” by Bolcom.

Fox Theatre.

American West In honor of music by William the 120th anniverGrant Still and Midsary of Gershwin’s western music by birth, the orchesDaugherty comtra will play faplete the program. mous songs from The concert “Porgy and Bess.” begins at 7:30 p.m.

“Lincoln Portrait” Kiesling will disby Copland is narcuss the pieces at rated with excerpts a pre-concert talk from Abraham Lin- David Alvarado. Courtesy photo at 6:45 p.m. coln’s great docTickets are uments. Doing the readings is Judith available at the symphony office, 559 Valles, who went from the barrio of San 732-8600, or at www.sequoiasymphonBernardino to complete a doctorate

DONNA OROZCO

Students in The Amazing Shake Competition are tested on their abilities to make socially appropriate statements in a variety of impromptu situations, including a wedding reception. Courtesy photo

The Amazing Shake Competition piloted at two schools STAFF REPORTS Every two minutes, contestants in The Amazing Shake Competition entered a new room in the Redwood Conference Center to be presented with a speaking challenge.

In Conference Room E, a nicely dressed young woman with a clipboard greeted each new contestant explaining that she was the wedding planner.

“Our maid of honor had a little too much milkshake to drink and she’s not feeling well,” she said. “I need you to make a wedding toast to the bride and groom,” she added, handing the contestant a glass of milk and motioning them to approach the happy couple.

Sitting 10 feet away at a table deco-

rated with china, flowers, and a candle sat the bride and groom in full wedding attire.

Contestants had two minutes to make an appropriate toast before rotating to another room with another scenario. The challenge, known as the Gauntlet, was comprised of seven more industry and real-life scenarios, including making a disgruntled customer happy, conducting a job interview, attending your own birthday party and receiving a gift from strangers, giving an inspirational locker room speech, and conducting a red carpet interview.

The Gauntlet was one of four segments in The Amazing Shake

Shake continued on 8 »

Visalia SpringFest opens at convention center February 8 STAFF REPORTS The public is invited to the 26th annual Visalia Springfest – South Valley’s largest Home Show - at the Visalia Convention Center on, February 8th, 9th and 10th.

“This year we wanted to acknowledge the South Valley accessibility to one of nature’s wonders – the Sequoia!” reports Show Manager, Steve Tarter. To that end, Chris Schultz, local builder and owner of Premier West Construction agreed to partner with Luis Nursery’s Manager, Larry Espinosa, and landscape designer, Melanie Mackenzie – and construct a large indoor landscape feature with a rustic, woodsy theme, replete with fishing pools, and possibly even a canoe.

UC Master Gardeners returns to the Springfest Garden Center hosting a variety of floral societies and garden clubs. This year sustainable urban farming is showcased and Master Gardeners will demonstrate container, square foot, and gutter gardening – all options to grow vegetables year round in minimal space. Quaker Oaks Farm joins the show to discuss way to start organic vegetables from seed; and how to develop a backyard pollinator habitat.

For homeowners considering a Spring remodel, they can set appointments with local companies like Bath Planet of the Central Valley or Cabinet

Connection, debuting at Springfest.

Rob LaDue, home remodeling expert and owner of Rusti’k Works, returns with a display of stylish home furnishings staged against a backdrop of rustic walls and door - all constructed from pallets and other recyclables.

And there’s even a “Paint and Painter Giveaway” with labor provided by James Daniels, Professional Painter, and Benjamin Moore paint provided

by PremierWest Paints.

For a new look to the living room or office, show visitors can see attractive specialty blinds at Blinds Etc., custom-built home and office furniture

by Supreme Construction, and a wide variety of beautiful lighting options

by Interstate Lighting & Electric. And Springfest welcomes The Bone Store back to the showroom floor as they exhibit USA-made lift chairs and mobility scooters.

Technology savvy millenniums will find new smart home devices, competitive internet and entertainment packages from companies including Elite Satellite Services (AT&T/DIRECTV), Comcast and Vivint (Western America).

This year’s Springfest Marketplace has great ideas for Valentine’s Day including: chocolates, handcrafted garden shirts, Valentine tea collections, trendy jewelry, one-of-a-kind wooden

Springfest continued on 8 »

Love Your Parks Day to be declared February 25 STAFF REPORTS This is a day set aside to show your support of the public parks and spaces in our City. Participating businesses will round up your purchases on this day and/or make a donation to the Foundation to support our mission of improving public spaces and recreational programs.

Visalia’s first park, North Park, was established on February 25, 1875. This park is now known as Lincoln Oval Park! The City Council of the City of Visalia has made a declaration naming February 25 as Love Your Parks Day. To kick off the celebration, there will be

a short ceremony at Lincoln Oval Park at 10:00 AM on February 25. The public is invited to attend! Come out and support YOUR parks in YOUR city! As a consumer, you can do your part by shopping at and patronizing participating businesses! A list of participating businesses will be available on our website, www.supportvisaliaparks. com but you will also recognize them by the sticker they will proudly display in their window!

Businesses who wish to participate can find all the information on our website or may call or email Carol Hoppert Hays at 559.553.5129 and foundation4visaliaparks@gmail.com.

Visalia Host Lions presents roaring 20’s fundraiser STAFF REPORTS There’s no prohibition against a dazzling good time, to benefit local causes via Visalia Host Lions Club!

The Visalia Host Lions will deliver a night of entertainment and fun as the club presents its second annual murder mystery event on Saturday, March 30, at the Visalia Convention Center.

The evening will combine great food and a “who done it” murder mystery set in the glory days of the 1920s… where flapper dresses, Tommy guns, and the mafia collide in a history-making clash of cultures.

Guests are encouraged to dress in their best 1920s attire. The fundraiser proceeds will help support the many

good causes of Visalia Host Lions Club, including Visalia Emergency Aid, Lions Eye Foundation, Tulare County Special Olympics, and more.

Tickets are $75 per person. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. followed by a three-course dinner at 7 p.m.

Guests will have the option to purchase door prize tickets and be entered to win silent auction items, including gift baskets and the grand prize of the Lions Liquor Stash featuring 101 bottles of wine.

Tickets are available to purchase online at the Visalia Host Lions website, www.visaliahostlions.org.

For additional information, contact Lauri Aguilar, laguilar@thelockwoodagency.net or call (559) 936-5712.

7 February, 2019 Valley Voice

8

Arts Visalia to feature Kirk Cruz, Pizza for a Purpose Mighty Oak nering to provide Pizza for STAFF REPORTS a Purpose. When you visit Chorus offering In February 2019, Arts Visalia’s gal- Pieology at Gateway Plaza, lery will be filled with the work of Kirk 3733 Mooney Blvd. in VisaCruz. His Sharpie in Light artwork de- lia, with the official Pieolo“Singing picts his interest and bold process in gy fundraiser flyer, found color theory and the way light plays a at Arts Visalia and online Valentines” role in art, using Sharpie markers. His www.artsvisalia.org, on 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 part-

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 yearround. Please stop in and take a look if you haven’t yet seen what they create each month.

In March 2019, Arts Visalia will display an ex- “New world balloon” by Kirk Cruz. regardless of past experiences. hibition entitled Art is Arts Visalia’s adult and children’s Healing. The art of this exhibition foart classes for spring are underway at cuses on artists’ experiences with trauArts Visalia. matic physical injuries and emotional For more information and class stresses that contribute art as a healing descriptions, please go to artsvisalia. mechanism. Since March is Traumatic org, call us at (559) 739-0905, or visit Brain Injury Awareness month, we are us at the gallery at 214 E. Oak Ave., Visahoping to enlighten the public on how lia, CA 93291. art can impact people in a positive way,

STAFF REPORTS

Shake

dents participated in Industry Interviews with six industry partners. The school’s 40 top-scoring students advanced to the Gauntlet challenge.

Following the Gauntlet, each school sent its top 20 students to compete in teams of four in a Shark Tankstyle presentation on the development of an innovative new middle school before the secretary of education.

The final portion of the competition was a presidential-style debate with the top two students from each school competing.

Sundale Union and Central Valley Christian partnered with the Tulare County Office of Education College and Career Program to bring additional industry partners to the competition.

“To watch these middle school students perform at such a high level was rewarding to both the school staff and the industry partners that participat-

these young people.”

For more information on The Amazing Shake Competition, call Joy Soares at (559) 733-6101.

continued from 7 Competition, which was piloted this year in Tulare County by middle school students at Sundale Union School and Central Valley Christian School.

The Amazing Shake is a national competition that places an emphasis on teaching students manners, discipline, respect, and professional conduct.

Students learn the nuances of professional human interaction as they are taught skills such as how to give a proper handshake, how to “work a room,” how to give a successful interview, and how to remain composed under pressure. The focus of The Amazing Shake is to develop employability and life skills in students.

Prior to the Gauntlet, all stu-

Springfest continued from 7

succulent planters, and holiday and team-themed runners. And the Visalia Mall will be incentivizing shoppers with a chance to win a $500 gift card shopping spree; and with mall discounts coupons from their retail stores.

Kids are invited to a planting activity in the Garden Center, hosted by The Home Depot.

In addition, clothing, books, and toys – including Valentine bears – will be on sale. And show visitors have a chance to win an outdoor Kids Playhouse, constructed (from a kit) by volunteers at Habitat For Humanity of Tulare/Kings Counties.

The annual Treasure Hunt entry forms will be located at inside show entrances.

Completed forms must include

a stamp from all designated “enter to win” (red star) locations in order to qualify for a chance to win one of these merchant-provided prizes: Outdoor Kids Playhouse, Patio Table, Troy Bilt Mulch & Bag Push Mower, Profession Paint/Painter Package, 2-Night Staff at Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa in Pismo Beach, a $500 credit at Coulter’s Flooring America, a $500 shopping spree at Visalia Mall, a 49” Flat Screen TV, and more.

SHOW HOURS: • Friday from 11am to 6pm, • Saturday, 10am to 7pm • Sunday 10am to 5pm.

Tickets are sold at the door, cash only.

• General Admission is $8 • Seniors/Military is $6 • Children under 12 are free.

Show information and discount coupons are available at VisaliaHomeShows.com.

ed,” said Joy Soares, College and Career director. “The complexity of the events and the challenges posed was a much needed skill-building opportunity for

The non-profit Mighty Oak Chorus is offering a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day “Singing Valentine” surprise gift for your sweetheart.. treasured friend.. favorite teacher.. a great customer ..office employees.. or anyone who would benefit from a personalized ‘I Love You’ picker-upper!

Give your special person the sound of love.. a “Singing Valentine” by a quartet from the Mighty Oak Chorus.

The four will serenade your valentine at home, at work, at school, or anywhere else you choose in the Visalia area, on Valentine’s Day, Thursday, February 14th!

Each serenade will include two love songs, a long-stemmed red rose, and a small heart-shaped box of chocolates.. all for only $40. Make your reservation now!

Call Dee Baughman at: (559) 2805715.. or call Lee Smith at: (559) 7334211.. or email Bud Case at: luthercase@yahoo.com!

Valley Voice 7 February, 2019

Calendar

February 7 & 21: University Preparatory High School Information Nights University Preparatory High School (UPHS) will hold two Information Nights for students interested in attending the school. 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at COS Yokut Building, Room 9. RSVP by calling the UPHS Parent Liaison Araceli Alcala (559) 730-2529 or emailing ataracelia@uphsconnect.org.UPHS enrollment packet is available online at tcoe.org/uphs.

Feb 8, 9, & 10: 26th Annual Visalia Home and Patio Springfest Visalia Convention Center, 303 E Acequia Ave. Friday: 11a.m.–6p.m.

Saturday: 10a.m.–7p.m.

Sunday: 10a.m.–5p.m. Contact Person: Steve Tarter, Show Manager Showcase Events 800.700.7469 or VisaliaHomeShows. com February 8: Visalia Senior Center Galentines Brunch Back by popular demand! Galentines brunch is the best way to celebrate friendship with your gal pals 50 years + at the Visalia Senior Center – Activity Room, 9:30 – 11 a.m. Sweet treats, a delicious brunch and great friends. A threecourse brunch, cute gifts and all things fancy will make this Galentines another great one for the books! Cost $15 February 9: Sequoia Symphony plays ‘Copland to Jazz’ Visalia Fox Theater In honor of the 120th anniversary of Gershwin’s birth, the orchestra will play famous songs from “Porgy and Bess.” “Lincoln Portrait” by Copland.

Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Kiesling will discuss the pieces at a pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m.Tickets at the symphony office, 559 732-8600, or at www. sequoiasymphonyorchestra.com.

February 9: Big Sycamore Trail Field Trip US Army Corp of Engineers Headquarters 29330 State Hwy 190, Porterville, 8:15am Big Sycamore Trail is an easy to moderate tree lined walking path that has had over 140 bird species.

Bring binoculars, hat, sunscreen, food, snacks and water. 1st meeting place at 7:00 am with 7:15 am departure: McDonald’s parking lot at Mary’s Vineyard 1401 E Noble Visalia. 2nd Meeting place at 8:15 am: Big Sycamore Trail.

Take the west turnoff below Success Dam to Lake Success USACE Headquarters, wait in the parking lot below the headquarters, by the trail sign. Contact tulareaudubon@yahoo.com February 11:Meet the Mayor Visalia Mayor Bob Link will hold office hours at City Hall West, located at 707 West Acequia.

Meetings are conducted in 15-minute increments and allow citizens one on one time with Mayor Link.

Walk-ins are welcome from 5 to 5:45 p.m., appointments times start at 5:45 p.m. Questions or appointments contact Kathy Rouse (559) 713-4355 or email bob.link@visalia.city leave a message at (559) 713-4400, extension 2313.

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.

9 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 adventurepark.com/ family-fun.

February 23rd. Visalia Fire Department is hosting a Community Pancake Breakfast 2019 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Visalia Fire Department and we’re celebrating.The Visalia Fire Department is hosting a Community Pancake Breakfast that is open to the public, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Station 51, located at 309 S. Johnson Street. All ages are welcome, enjoy breakfast and meet the men and women of Visalia Fire.Contact Doug McBee, Visalia Fire Chief at (559) 713-4220 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 1: 34th Annual Tulare & Kings Counties Teacher Recruitment Fair The California Center on Teaching Careers is host the fair from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. in Building C of the International Agri-Center, Tulare. Pre-register online at edjoin.org/Home/JobPosting/1126774 by Wednesday, February 27 to receive admission at 4:00 p.m.

Interested candidates who have not pre-registered will not be admitted into the Fair until 4:30 p.m. Information, Marvin Lopez at (559) 624-1035, or marvinl@tcoe.org.

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 funfilled fundraiser will be at 21511 Road 76, in Tulare, registration starting at 5:00 p.m. and the dealing of cards be-

ginning at 6:00 p.m. Plenty of raffle prizes, food and more!”

March 2:Gadabout Meeting 10:00 AM Visalia Senior Center 310 N. Locust March 8: Video entries for the 2019 Slick Rock Student Film Festival due Middle and high school students living in Kern, Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera, Merced or Mariposa counties may enter videos in a total of 18 categories. Visit tcoe.org/SlickRock for information. Awards ceremony at the Visalia Fox Theater on May 10.

March 16: Visalia Breakfast Lions present the 8th Annual Irish Fest Rawhide Ballpark from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, following the St. Patrick’s Day Parade along Main St. Downtown Visalia. Music by Borrowed Time, sampling of craft beers, also assorted wines. Attendees must be 21 and over with all net proceeds benefiting local charities.Tickets on sale now for $40.00 per person or at the door for $50.00. Contact Terry Culotta 909-0091 http://visaliabreakfastlions.org/contact/ March 16: Fred Davis Dinner Hosts Controller Betty Yee The public is invited to meet Betty Yee at the Third Annual Fred Davis Dinner at the Lamp Liter Inn in Visalia.Tickets available online at secure.actblue. com/donate/freddavis2019,or at the Tulare County Democratic office, 1320 WE. Walnut in Visalia, or Sherry (559) 901-5994.

March 23rd & 24: Visalia Senior Games 2019 The City of Visalia Parks & Recreation Department proudly invites you to participate in the 2019 Visalia Senior Games. Don’t miss this Olympic-style competition for adults ages 50 and better! Registration open at www.visaliaseniorgames.com March 29: College and Career EXPO A collaborative effort of Tulare and Kings County Offices of Education, College of the Sequoias, Tulare Joint Union High School District and Visalia Unified School District, held at College of the Sequoias, EXPO includes 26 competitions for local Tulare-Kings high school students. Students compete with their peers for cash prizes and are judged by faculty, staff and industry experts for their proficiency. For registration information, visit tkexpo.org.

April 6: Soroptimist International of Tulare 6th Annual Tea Sweet Treats, Tea Sandwiches,.Fresh Fruit, 11 30 am to 1 30pm. Tulare Community Church 1820 Gem St Tulare.

Fashion Show..Raffle All proceeds go to benefit Lite House Rescue Mission and Genesis House.Tickets $25.00 contact 559 731 5693.

Tues-Wed: 3PM-7PM; Thu-Sat: 11AM2PM 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, Thursday and Friday: Visalia Duplicate Bridge Club 12 noon Tuesdays, 7pm Thursday, and 12 noon Fridays - $6 on Tuesdays and

Friday and $7 on Fridays. Includes lunch. At First Christian Church, 1023 N. Chinowth St. Info Elaine Smith 559 734-4780 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, 9:30am-2pm 210 W Center Street Visalia. Admission is free. For additional information call: Joan Dinwiddie, (559) 732-0855 Mondays: Knitters, 10am-12:30pm 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 7346181.

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.

7 February, 2019 Valley Voice

10

Look at That Face! - An Exhibit of Portraiture STAFF REPORTS The Exeter Courthouse Gallery is pleased to exhibit the exquisite portraiture of three renowned Valley artists, LaVone Sterling, Ellen Milinich and Lynn Hock Napoli. Each of these women are well respected in the art communities throughout the valley and beyond.

LaVone Sterling is an internationally published, award winning artist who lives with her husband in Visalia, CA. LaVone comes from many generations of artists, painters and musicians. Her first art teacher was her aunt, Eunice Sargent. They lived in the San Francisco Bay area and spent weekends at art galleries and museums and painting in the park. Early on LaVone admired the work of John Singer Sargent and the way he captured light in his portraits and landscapes. It is this phenomenon of light and its dramatic affect that fueled LaVone’s artistic passion toward painting with oil and pastel. LaVone considers capturing the illusion of light a magical retreat into the painting, giving it life and a peacefulness. LaVone is currently represented by A Sense Of Place Art Gallery in Fresno, CA Her website is: www.lavonesterlingfineart.com Ellen comes from a self-taught background learning from her artis-

tic family, books and magazines. Her father, an art teacher, often said her talent came naturally because she was “born with it!”. She too has been featured in many publications and magazines and has shown her work in many competitions and galleries. A nurse by profession, Ellen finds time to work on commissions by working from photographs. This gives her the freedom to pick up a pencil or charcoal and work as she has the time. She looks for good lighting with shadows, an interesting pose with good resolution in the photos to achieve the quality work she achieves. Most of her work goes to the proud owners that contacted her for the commission. Ellen’s work can be seen on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ellenscharcoalportraits/ Lynn is a portrait and figure painter who comes from a family of artists.

Honored to have her grandmother, Betty McGinnis, spend time training her in fine art and the late Lorraine Walter as a mentor who shared her skills and knowledge with Lynn. This has led Lynn on the path to becoming an accomplished portrait artist. Working in both oils & pastels, Lynn works in the traditional Romantic Style.

Inspired by the Old Master’s, Lynn’s portraits reveals the beauty of her subject’s spirit; a true expression of

who that person is comes through in each portrait. Lynn is currently represented by Studio 74 in Fresno and has her work in the Fresno Art Museum’s newly opened gift store. Lynn and her husband are raisin growers near Fowler where Lynn has her studio in a renovated 1890 wood barn. Visit Lynn’s website at: http://napoliportraits.com We are honored to have the work of these talented women grace the gallery walls. Please join us for their Open-

ing Reception on Sunday February 9, 2019, 2:00 - 4:00 pm. We will be serving light appetizers and refreshments.

The show runs from February 1 through March 31, 2019 during gallery hours, Saturdays and Sundays 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

The Exeter Courthouse Gallery is located at 125 South “B” Street, Exeter. For more information please call (559) 592-5900.

Peña Planetarium offers February & March shows STAFF REPORTS The Sam B. Peña Planetarium, operated by the Tulare County Office of Education, is offering four evening public shows on select Friday evenings

in February and March.

February 8, 6:00 & 7:00 p.m. – Secret of the Cardboard Rocket Climb aboard a magical cardboard rocket with two young adventurers

and experience a breathtaking, upclose look at each of our Solar System’s planets with guidance from their astronomy book. Discover the secret to making this seemingly impossible

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in Dementia Care Presented by David Troxel, MPH

Tuesday February 26 6:00–7:30 p.m.

Join us for a FREE presentation by noted author David Troxel, MPH

We are pleased to welcome David Troxel, MPH author of six notable books, including his newest, A Dignified Life: The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care – Guide for Care Partners.

David is recognized as a leading expert on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. For this presentation, David will share the latest trends shaping the way we think about Alzheimer’s.

Refreshments will be served.

For more information and to reserve your seat, please call (559) 735-0828 today!

Prestige Assisted Living at Visalia 3120 W Caldwell Ave. Visalia, CA 93277 License #: 547200844

trip to the edges of the universe and back, and gain a new sense of wonder about space along the way!

March 1, 6:00 & 7:00 p.m. – Dawn of the Space Age From the launch of the first artificial satellite Sputnik to the magnificent lunar landings and privately-operated space flights, you’ll be captivated by this most accurate historic reconstruction of Man’s first steps into space.

March 15, 6:00 & 7:00 p.m. – Saturn: Jewel of the Heavens Once a planet of great mystery, now we know more than ever before about its amazing system of rings, moons and storms thanks to modern robotic space pioneers. From its bizarre moons with mysterious features to the millions of icy particles that compose the enigmatic rings, this is a three-dimensional tour of the Saturnian system.

March 29, 6:00 & 7:00 p.m. – Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope While looking through the astronomer’s telescope, the planetarium audience explores the Galilean Moons, Saturn’s rings, and the spiral structure of galaxies, learning about the discoveries of Galileo, Huygens, Newton, Hubble and many others.

This program traces the history of the telescope from Galileo’s modifications to a child’s spyglass - using two small pieces of glass - to the launch of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the future of astronomy.

The Planetarium & Science Center is located at 11535 Avenue 264 in Visalia, on the southwest corner of Mooney Boulevard and Avenue 264. Tickets are available at the Planetarium office only after 5:00 p.m. on the day of the shows. Tickets are $4 for adults and $3 for children 11 and under. Children must be accompanied by an adult. No late seating is offered once the planetarium doors close. For information, call (559) 737-6334.

Valley Voice 7 February, 2019

YAUDANCHI continued from 1

When Schwaller asked Theresa Billeci, assistant to the Executive Director of PDC, why the reserve was closed she was told “because of a pipeline.”

Schwaller then discovered that Vandalia Water District (VWD) decided to replace the earthen ditch that runs the length of YER with a metal pipe.

The pipeline was to be 42” and 2,602 feet long and would almost completely block the reserve’s access to water.

The reason for piping the ditch was that farmers were losing too much irrigation water to seepage.

According to a statement given to the Porterville Recorder by Steve Drumright, the general manager for Vandalia Water District, “Our desire was to put a pipeline in because it is the old Tule River bottom and it is pure sand and through that 2,660 feet, we’d lose about 13 percent of the overall ditch flow….”

In 1860 the Campbell Moreland Ditch Company dug that ditch and for 159 years the water running through it sustained a Tule River wetlands and natural wildlife habitat that became the lifeblood of the Yaudanchi Ecological Reserve.

The Campbell Moreland Ditch, which is run by VWD, runs from the Tule River to sinking basins and farms south of Porterville.

Once the construction of a pipeline and loss of water seemed inevitable PDC closed the reserve. As a result, the Department of Fish and Wildlife withdrew from their agreement to manage YER, removing all signs, discontinuing all maintenance, and locked up the parking lot.

Friends of the Yaudanchi take action

Learning of the public hearing about building the pipeline with only days to spare, the Friends of Yaudanchi quickly organized a response and presented it to the directors of the VWD and Campbell Moreland Ditch Company.

WARMING CENTER continued from 1

as I can see, they are adhering to the conditions. And I haven’t had any issues, aside from some trash. I’m happy with the results of the conditions and especially with the security.”

Last December, concerned community members filed into City Hall to share concerns and personal grievances related to the warming center.

Many of the complaints were about sanitation, trespassing, and loitering, but some of the more serious complaints stemmed from acts of crime that community members claimed came at the hands of homeless who stayed at the shelter. One local resident shared a heartbreaking story of his neighbor who was allegedly gunned down by a homeless man.

Needless to say, the church listened. Mistakes brewed wisdom, and a new set of conditions were designed at the city hall meeting to prevent anymore grievances from the community. Additional hours of security were added and the church was held liable

11 VWD’s goal was to build the pipeline and avoid the cumbersome and expensive process of doing a complete Environmental Impact Review (EIR). Their Initial Study, completed by 4 Creeks Inc., concluded that the project would not make a major environmental impact, thus an EIR would not be necessary.

But a public hearing is required to give the community an opportunity to respond to the Initial Study before any project on public lands can go forward.

During the public hearing VWD was told that the project would make a major environmental impact and thus they were required to do an EIR. The Sierra Club, Audubon Society, Wildplaces, and the California Native Plant Society claimed that the pipeline would cause irreversible harm.

“The destruction caused by the removal of water from a riparian and upland habitat and the species that depend on that habitat is irrevocable,” Richard Garcia representing the Sierra Club wrote.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife said it “cannot support the(Vandalia Water) District’s support of the project.”

The DFW said the pipeline will, “constitute the project-related loss of wetlands and the Site, the loss of riparian habitat and function, and the potential loss of the mature VELB (Valley Elderberry Long Horned Beetle) occupied blue elderberry bush…

Absent sufficient flow from the Ditch, the Department has determined that wetland and riparian habitat values on the YER cannot be mitigated sufficiently to be less than significant and that wildlife that depends on these resource values will be severely compromised and impacted.”

In addition, YER was used by the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) to mitigate habitat lost during their project’s construction. CALTRANS used the YER to plant elderberry bushes to replace those they destroyed. The elderberry bushes are the main habitat for the endangered long horned beetle.

The VWD was possibly faced with mitigating the CALTRANS mitigation if they pursued the pipeline.

VWD’s own report said there would be a major environmental impact.

The Initial Study’s biological report commissioned by VWD said, “The Project would essentially remove the majority of the hydrology for the Ditch. However, drainage does occur from adjacent sites. Thus, piping the Ditch would not remove the hydrology entirely. The Ditch would remain open and the pipeline would be sited away from the Ditch and associated wetland and other sensitive habitat.

Drumright told the Porterville Recorder in July of 2018, “At our last regular Vandalia Board Meeting, we just decided that we would put the project on hold due to the opposition from the environmental community,” He still maintained that the project would have no environmental impact on the reserve.

Now that the water supply for the reserve had been saved, the Friends of the Yuadanchi wanted to get the recreational area back open to the public, but it hasn’t been a smooth ride.

“In July, we began contacting PDC again, requesting to meet with decision-makers to discuss re-opening and properly managing YER again, now that the pipeline was off the table,” said Schwaller.

It took six months, but on January 4 of this year the Friends of the Yaudanchi secured a meeting with Norm Kramer, of the Director of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS,) PDC’s parent company out of Sacramento.

Attending the meeting were the executives from DDS and PDC, the groups that opposed the pipeline at the VWD Public Hearing, representatives from the Tule River Tribe Council and Porterville Unified School District.

Kramer made clear at their meeting that “he can’t imagine anyone

On January 28 PDC unlocked the gates and let the Friends of the Yaudanuchi and members of the Tule River Tribe take a tour of the reserve.

Though the recreation areas were all grown over and the pond was empty the group was hopeful that it wouldn’t take much funding to bring it back to what it was.

The goal of the group is the removal of invasive plants, refill the pond, maintain the trails, repair the gazebo, restore the signage, open the parking lot and bring back the porta-potties.

From discussion during the tour with Frank Chandler, Chief of Plant Operations for PDC, YER is going to set up tour dates in the spring and possibly create a special use permit between PDC and YER for access to the reserve.

During the meeting with Kramer on January 4 Schwaller asked, “Would DDS/PDC consider turning the YER land over to another agency?”

She reported that Kramer said, “We would be glad to turn it over. Let’s make a deal locally.”

For more information how you can help save the Yaudanchi Ecological Reserve contact: Richard J. Garcia richardjgarcia@comcast. net To learn more visit Tulare County Treasures at http://www.tularecountytreasures.org/yaudanchi-ecological-reserve.html

for any trash or sanitation issues in the immediate block surrounding the warming center.

It seems the changes paid off.

Mary from Peter Perkins’ Flowers, a manager from another local business in the area, also stated that things have been a lot better this year.

She expressed her surprise at the lack of homeless she has seen in the area and assumed the warming center must be receiving lower numbers.

But after speaking with the staff at the warming center, it turns out the numbers are just as high. Reverend Suzy Ward, the woman behind the church’s mass-sheltering operation, explained that despite a recent $30,000 grant from the state intended to pay security and staff, more volunteers and donations are still needed to make sure things run smoothly.

“Things like coffee, hot chocolate, creamer and sugar, those are things that constantly run out...But the biggest thing is just continuing to bring volunteers.”

The lack of manpower was most apparent during a busy night at the warming center, when an intoxicated

individual began to buttheads with another homeless man. The altercation escalated, threatening to reach the point of physical violence. And with no security in sight, it seemed nothing was going to prevent it from happening. Fortunately, Ward put herself between the two men and somehow managed to diffuse the situation.

The drunken individual left on peaceful terms and order was restored.

But where was security throughout all of this?

We later discovered that the security guard on duty was making routine rounds around the warming center when the altercation occurred. It was evidence that one security guard may not be enough to patrol the grounds and keep an eye on the activity within the warming center, an issue that was brought up during the city hall meeting last year.

Ward’s current budget can barely cover the salary of one security officer. And with money already from the state and the county earmarked, Ward will have to search for other resources like funding from the Rotary Club.

In the meantime, the warming center and the surrounding community will have to suffer the occasional hit caused by insufficient security.

Hits like a busted car window and stolen laundry detergent reported by Cecilia Presley, 22, who lives directly in front of the warming center. It’s unclear whether or not the incident was caused by a homeless individual, but she claims nothing like this happened until the shelter arrived.

It’s worth mentioning that Presley believes what the church has done for the homeless is amazing. But recent events have made her wary of the community around the warming center and have put her on edge after dark.

But for every misstep suffered, there seem to be a dozen lives being saved: mothers, couples, youth, even puppies find their way into Ward’s little church. But with two months left of operation, only time will tell if the good will outshine the bad this time around.

For questions about donations call Christy Bergen: (559) 356-9526 or Suzy Ward (559) 967-4065.

Pipeline not worth the hassle

in DDS wanting to do anything with that land.” According to Schwaller he said “We (DDS/PDC) don’t do land. We do patients” “We would love to see the land used as it has been, but can’t give resources from PDC to do it.”

Kramer emphasized that the Friends of the Yaudanchi would have to do the maintenance, ensure the safety of the public, get their own insurance, and indemnify the state of any liability.

“Put forth a viable option to take PDC off the hook. Make it something good for the community to use,” Schwaller said was Kramer’s suggestion.

Going Forward

7 February, 2019 Valley Voice

12

Hanford takes first steps to sell the Bastille

City council cancels town hall concerning purchase of 6th Street building for homeless services CATHERINE DOE

catherine@ourvalleyvoice.com

Hanford City Council voted January 15 to declare the Bastille and the land surrounding the historic building as surplus. The vote was 5-0.

Declaring a property as surplus is the first step in selling it. Barrelhouse Brewing expressed interest in buying the building last October.

As usual it was standing room only, but most attendees seemed to be at the council meeting to listen rather than participate. Though most of the buzz was generated over the possible new brewery, most speakers wanted to talk about the proposed homeless service center on 6th Street.

Out of the seven people who spoke during public comment about the location of the service center, all seven were against the proposal.

But first on the agenda was a discussion of declaring the Bastille as surplus.

Dianne Sharp, former city council woman, said during public comment that when she posted the Bastille proposal on her facebook page the “comments went viral, at least for me.”

She said she got 75 comments, 98% of which were positive in terms of selling. Though there were concerns about preserving the exterior, most people were excited about the prospect of Barrelhouse coming to Hanford.

Michelle Brown, Director of Main Street Hanford, was gung-ho about any move towards improvement and commercial use of the Bastille, whether it be Barrelhouse, a steak house, or another brewery. Brown posted pictures from a recent visit to the Bastille that garnered 1500 views and 230 comments that revealed the community’s intense interest n the building.

Nate Odam said it would be great

BENZEEVI continued from 1

funds were eventually transferred to Benzeevi’s personal account.

Elliot Peters, an attorney heading Benzeevi’s defense team, has argued that the transaction was allowed under the contracts between HCCA and the district, still in place at the time of the transfer. The money was owed to HCCA, he claimed, and the district board’s vote allowing HCCA to seek loans meant that HCCA’s actions

to have another venue for Hanford’s local talent that the Barrelhouse could provide.

Hanford purchased the Bastille for one dollar from Kings County in 2014.

The city council has since had many discussions on how to pay for the necessary renovations needed before leasing it.

Aware of the costs, Barrelhouse has showed an interest in doing the necessary repairs and opening a business. The brewery is a family friendly hot spot that offers a local venue for all ages and has locations in Visalia and San Luis Obispo.

Because the Bastille needs $1 million or more worth of seismic upgrades, electrical work, and general repairs, the city is willing to sell the building to Barrelhouse or another qualified developer for one dollar.

Mayor Sue Sorensen wanted to make sure that the city did its due diligence in protecting the building’s historic value.

Community Development Director Darlene Matta said that the Bastille is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks and that a new owner is restricted on what they can do to the exterior of the building.

Barrelhouse has to wait a few months before the Bastille will be available. Now that it has been declared surplus, notice is given to all public agencies that have first right of refusal to buy it. If no agency shows interest, the Hanford Planning Commission weighs in on if selling the building is consistent with the General Plan.

If the planning commission agrees the zoning is consistent with the General Plan, the city can offer to sell the building to Barrelhouse Brewing.

Homeless Service Center

Rescheduling a proposed town

were perfectly legal.

Parts of that argument hearkened back to the debate over whether Senovia Gutierrez was considered a member of the Tulare Local Healthcare District board when she was sworn in. He described the series of meetings before Gutierrez was officially “recognized” by the board as “purported meetings.”

Regardless of contracts or board votes, the transaction was illegal under conflict of interest laws, representatives for the district attorney’s office have said in legal filings

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hall on buying 421 E. Sixth St 6th to use as a homeless service center was next on the agenda.

The town hall, originally scheduled for November, was canceled to allow the new city council to take up the discussion.

Because of an organized effort by downtown business owners, and a general lack of community support for the location, the city council decided to permanently cancel the town hall meeting.

The concern about the location was that without shelters or housing, the center would attract homeless without having anywhere to send them. Two speakers said the downtown was at a precipice and that the service center could be the final nail in the coffin for the district.

A board member on the historic China Alley District said that the influx of homeless has been “horrible” in the last month with one person breaking into the museum.

“That’s Kings County history being destroyed,” he said.

Hanford Police Chief Parker Sever suggested the money proposed to buy the homeless service center instead be used to buy the Hanford Armory on 11th street. It is currently owned by the state of California and is up for sale.

The Police Activities League (PAL) is currently housed in the building and Severs said fits their needs perfectly.

All five council members supported buying the armory with Vice Mayor John Draxler wanting reassurance that the city was not going to end up with an empty building.

Severs said that the estimated price of the building is $400,000 and that the state has expressed a desire for the city to buy it. There is currently about one million dollars available in the Community Development Block Grant that could be used to buy the Ar-

mory building according to Matta.

Severs said this doesn’t mean we forget about the homeless. He said that the new governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has made a new budget that provides funds for homeless for which Hanford would qualify.

Sorensen also agreed with Severs suggestion of buying the Armory Building but wanted to remind the attendees that finding a location for a homeless service center was something the city had been working on for a long time.

“It was not the blind leading the blind,” she said.

The city paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a consultant to address the homeless issues in 2014. In the report it specifically said the city first needed a service center for the homeless as a first step in dealing with the problem and that the center should be located near or in downtown.

Sorensen said that the city had looked at numerous locations and each one “had their stumbling blocks.”

When the city was considering buying the 6th street location it was well thought out.

Sorensen held up the report and said that it’s been five years out and the city still doesn’t have any services for the homeless. “This is where we need to start then we can work on getting the other services,” she said.

She reminded the audience that if the center did not work they could close it the next day but, “the city will never know if the service center will make it or not if we don’t try.”

At the end of the council’s discussion the vote was 5-0 to reallocate the funds for the service center to buy the Hanford Armory. It was then decided to discuss the homeless service center at the city’s annual goals setting workshop the first week of February.

and in court.

The district attorney’s office has, so far, called multiple current and former members of the Tulare Local Healthcare District board to testify in the proceeding.

rectly to the healthcare district until the last minute when Delbert Bryant, then the district’s controller, asked for the funds to be sent to Tulare Asset Management.

Even with that last-minute instruction, though, officials with the company didn’t look into it further -- they simply believed the account belonged to the hospital. At the time the money was sent, Tulare Asset Management was registered at Benzeevi’s home address; the company’s business address was eventually

Celtic Testimony, Flow of Funds

Michael Purcell and Dane Zupon, both with Celtic Commercial Finance, took the stand on January 29..

They said HCCA officials never told them the loan wasn’t going di-

e

Th

BENZEEVI continued on 13 »

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Valley Voice 7 February, 2019

BENZEEVI continued from 12

changed to the hospital’s.

Had they known the account didn’t belong to the hospital, it could have raised suspicions, Purcell, Celtic’s vice president of finance, said.

Under cross-examination, Peters told Purcell that the board’s vote to allow HCCA to seek loans meant it had the legal authority to act on behalf of the district -- even to fully execute the loan and eventually repay itself the amounts it was owed.

The resolution specifically mentions a potential sale-leaseback, which HCCA eventually undertook with Celtic.

Trevor Holly, deputy district attorney, objected, stating that while the resolution allowed HCCA to seek out a loan on behalf of the hospital, and the contract allowed it to “sweep” money from the hospital’s bank account, neither document allowed HCCA to deposit the loan proceeds into an account owned by HCCA or Benzeevi.

Zupon, Celtic’s senior vice president for Syndication and Credit, told the court that HCCA officials never stated the leaseback was to repay themselves -- instead, they said it was to replenish the district’s cash reserves.

Court Documents Reveal Negotiations, Cash Flow

An investigative report filed by the district attorney’s office revealed the back-and-forth between HCCA and Celtic officials as the loan was negotiated, and as the funds from it were spent.

The report, dated December 19, 2018, was prepared by the California Attorney General’s office, and details the flow of funds from the Tulare Asset Management account into other accounts, including Benzeevi’s account, which he shares with his wife.

Multiple pages show the expenditures of the Tulare Asset Management, HCCA, and Benzeevi bank accounts.

The report also shows the emails between HCCA and Celtic, as well as inside Celtic, as the leaseback was negotiated.

“We do not plan to use the funds for acquisitions or for future sites.

The anticipated new funding will go toward replenishing cash reserves due to the $26.4 MM expenditures outlined above. We also may use a portion of the proceeds to retire the existing revenue bonds, which currently total $13.6 MM,” Germany wrote to a Celtic official in one email on August 4, 2017.

The documents also show that HCCA officials were seeking up to $10m at the time they negotiated the leaseback deal, and an additional $12m loan for equipment.

The investigation is still ongoing, according to the report.

Wilbourn Clarifies Resignation Date

Linda Wilbourn, a former district board member, resigned on August 23, 2017. That resignation was well-publicized by printed notices at the Evolutions Gym, where the board’s meetings were normally held.

Email were sent out by Bruce Greene, then the attorney for both HCCA and the District, that stated Wilbourn had resigned effective August 23 at 12:00pm.

That would have meant that even if Gutierrez were not a “real” board member -- at the time, Greene, HCCA, and Wilbourn did not consider her one -- simply having Northcraft and Mike Jamaica, another board member, present would have secured a quorum.

At some point, that fact became apparent, and Greene sent an email shortly after his first stating that Wilbourn “just advised” him her resignation was meant for August 24 at 8am.

Wilbourn testified that never occured -- she meant her resignation to be effective before the August 23 meeting.

Documents filed by the District Attorney’s office provide more insight into the “revision” of the resignation date.

“Linda Wilb[o]urn stated in a recorded interview that she had resigned from the TRMC Board on 08/23/17 effective 12:00 p.m. and that she had not requested to move the time of her resignation forward to the 24 and she had no reason to do so,” the document reads. “After that last court date, Mrs. Wilburn was interviewed by a private investigator who told her that he was working for Dr. Benzeevi’s legal team.

“He showed her a text to Bruce Greene from her phone dated 3:56 08/23/17 that stated that she wished to move her resignation date from 08/23/17 12:00 p.m. to 08/24/17 8:00 a.m,” it continues. “Mrs. Wilburn granted [Tulare County District Attorney Bureau of Investigations] investigators permission to retrieve the text from her phone and the texts were logged into evidence. Mrs. Wilburn stated that she does not remember sending the text. Investigation into this matter continues.”

Northcraft, Jamaica Testify

Kevin Northcraft, president of the Tulare Local Healthcare District board, began testimony January 28, and continued into most of the next day.

Under questioning by Holly, Northcraft said that at one of his first meetings, he had requested, and never received, in-depth financial information on the hospital. It “became clear at some point that they did not intend” to provide the information, he told the court.

He told Holly that he was never informed of multiple “requests for funds,” notices from HCCA that it had gone unpaid for operating expenses, or the subsequent promissory notes that HCCA’s CEO unilaterally signed, obligating the Tulare district to repay HCCA for those amounts.

He first became aware of the fact that HCCA had loaned the hospital money when Benzeevi made an off-the-cuff remark in a June 2017 board meeting.

“If the district is unable to fund things, we have the right but not the obligation to provide the funding, and HCCA has done that,” Benzeevi said at the meeting.

That was his “first inkling that something may be up,” he said.

Under cross-examination by Peters, Northcraft stated he was aware the hospital was losing cash; Germany told him that the cash drop was due to issues with the hospital’s electronic medical record system, he said.

Peters’ questioning largely centered around HCCA’s contract at the hospital, Northcraft’s alleged bias against HCCA and its contracts, and Northcraft’s participation in vari-

ous board decisions including votes against HCCA’s loan proposals.

While Jamaica was asked to report to court for the first days of the trial, he was never called -- instead sitting in the hallway. He was finally called to testify on Feburary 5.

Jamaica said that he, too, had asked for financial documents, including a 30/60/90 day report on aging accounts payable. He had asked a month later, but still never received the documents, nor an explanation as to why he had not received them.

On cross-examination, Peters asked Jamaica how he came to the board. He told the court that Ray Fonseca had asked him if he was interested in joining the board, and eventually became his campaign manager; along the way, he met with members of Citizens for Hospital Accountability.

With that entry-point, Peters asked if his campaign had been financially supported by doctors who “had a financial interest in how the hospital was run,” following up by asking if Dr. Prem Kamboj had been a financial supporter.

Holly objected to the line of questioning; Peters defended it, stating that it would explain the opposition to HCCA’s management of the hospital, and that it showed the Citizens’ group “recruited” others who “support[ed] their agenda” to run for the board.

Peters’ questions, and statements, were reminiscent of prior statements made by HCCA and its representatives that critics of HCCA’s management, and governmental action taken against the hospital, were ultimately caused by “disgruntled doctors.”

One state inspection finding the hospital had a single “operating room on-call team” to cover “emergent surgeries and Caesarian-section deliveries” between 5PM and 7AM was characterized by HCCA’s public relations team as “the latest episode of the vicious attempts by a few disgruntled doctors set to vilify and destroy Tulare’s hospital.”

After another state report, HCCA’s public relations team stated that “...frivolous and unwarranted complaints are nothing more than an inappropriate pressure tactic being used by the CMA and the old medical staff to force the Hospital out of business, or to force it to capitulate to the personal economic interests of the disgruntled physicians.”

Bianco did not find that the pointed questions were relevant, but allowed a wider question asking of Jamaica had received support from doctors who did business with Tulare Regional Medical Center to stand.

Jamaica had, he said.

The Contract, And Board, Allowed It -- Right?

With dwindling cash and the continued need to make payroll, HCCA had the right under its contracts with the district to unilaterally loan the district money, and the right under the contract to repay itself for any amounts due to it, Peters said.

The contract, and a limited Power of Attorney signed by former board member Sherrie Bell in 2014, gave the company the right to sign the promissory notes on behalf of the district, he added.

The district’s board voted in June 2017 to allow HCCA to seek out loans on its behalf. The loan was allowed

13

for “payment of operating expenses [...], repayment of debt,” or “other Hospital purposes,” according to the board’s resolution.

Gutierrez, Northcraft, and Jamaica, all Tulare Local Healthcare District board members, voted to rescind that resolution in late July 2017.

Peters and HCCA don’t recognize that meeting, though, or any held before she was officially recognized by the Board in September 2017, calling a series of meetings held by the three between July and September to be “purported” board meetings.

Though Gutierrez was sworn in to the Tulare Local Healthcare District board before that vote took place, former board members Linda Wilbourn and Richard Torrez, with backing from HCCA and the board’s then attorney Bruce Greene, stated that Gutierrez wasn’t a member until the board declared her one -- which finally happened at the September meeting.

A series of events, including Wilbourn’s resignation, delayed Gutierrez’ official recognition by the board.

Neither Torrez nor Wilbourn attended any meetings the three organized, and Torrez would later resign from the board.

The Vast, Tulare County Conspiracy

At multiple times during his cross-examination of Northcraft, Peters hinted at the idea of a conspiracy between officials in Tulare County and those opposed to HCCA’s management of the hospital.

In one question, Peters asked Northcraft if he interacted with the district attorney’s office or Tulare County Superior Court judges during his tenure as the Tulare City Manager.

He also asked whether the Citizens for Hospital Accountability group, opposed to HCCA, had ever held a fundraiser at Pat Hillman’s house -- Hillman is the mother to Hon. Bret Hillman, a Tulare County Superior Court judge.

Peters changed his line of questioning after Bianco asked if he was alleging any bias on behalf of the court, but came back to the idea of a conspiracy later in his questioning, when he claimed that the Citizens group “enlisted” the district attorney’s office, which sought, unsuccessfully, a court order to force the Tulare Local Healthcare District’s board to recognize Gutierrez as a member.

Holly would later state that Benzeevi and HCCA were, in fact, the ones with a conspiracy.

“All of the [loan] documents were signed by Germany and Benzeevi,” he said. “They knew where the money was going: into an account controlled by Dr. Benzeevi. It’s clearly a conspiracy.”

Learn More

Dig deeper into the case with the Voice’s special page for court documents, available at https://www. ourvalleyvoice.com/benzeevi-hcca-warrant-docket/. The page will be updated with available legal filings as the case continues.

Hearings are currently scheduled to continue through this Friday, beginning at 8:30am in Courtroom 13 of the Tulare County Superior Court in Visalia. As of press time, the dates of additional hearings have not been set.

14

Chief Hensley returns to work in Tulare DAVE ADALIAN

dave@ourvalleyvoice.com

Tulare Police Chief Wes Hensley is back on the job after a 16-month absence.

The return to the position he was fired from comes following mediation on Friday, January 10, before retired Tulare County Superior Court Judge Howard Broadman. Hensley will receive a $275,000 payment and has been given a three-year employment contract.

End of an ‘Ordeal’

Hensley’s reinstatement was announced following a closed session of the Tulare City Council on Tuesday night, January 15.

“I feel like a weights kind of been lifted off me,” Hensley said. “It was a long struggle, 16 months. It feels good.”

Mike Lampe, the Visalia-based attorney who represented Hensley in his wrongful dismissal case against the city, concurred.

“The Chief and I are both pleased his long ordeal has ended,” he said.

Hensley was placed on administra-

CARDIO

continued from 1 actually benefit our community by helping to further elevate the care patients receive here locally, as well as our continued pursuit of driving down the cost of care.”

During the last two years, Kaweah Delta’s cardiovascular surgery program has been rated one of the 50 best in the nation by Healthgrades, and as one of the 100 best in cardiac care. That

tive paid administrative leave in September of 2017 and fired six months later in March. Two other Tulare Police Department command staff members–Capt. Fred Ynclan and Lt. Jarod Boatman–were also suspended and later returned to their positions.

Grateful for Support

Hensley said he is eager to get back in uniform and intends to return to work by month’s end in order to participate in upcoming policy meetings. The reinstatement to his position is immediate.

A message of gratitude appeared on Hensley’s Facebook page following his rehiring.

“Tonight was the end of a long and emotionally charged journey,” Hensley’s message reads. “It is difficult to put into words how much the support of friends, family, colleagues, officers and support staff helped me during this ordeal.”

He reiterated that message, and put special emphasis on the actions of his closest supporters.

“I just really want to thank my

was a major factor in attracting Cleveland Clinic’s interest.

“Cleveland Clinic wanted to do this because we wanted to work with a top health care provider who also had the same dedication to quality that we had, as well dedication to change,” said Dr. Suma Thomas, Cleveland Clinic’s vice chair of strategic operations.

Educational Opportunities

While Herbst was also focused on the cost savings the partnership will

friends and family whose support never wavered,” Hensley said. “In law enforcement you get used to criticism.

You grow a thick skin, but it’s hardest on the ones who love you.”

‘Folks in Tulare’

Hensley also said he was buoyed by the high level of citizen support he received during his personal crisis.

“I want to acknowledge the people of Tulare. Every time an article came out was I would get inundated with phone calls,” he said. “A lot of people didn’t know me but knew how I operate. They stood by me even not knowing all the facts.”

The people of the city he serves, he said, truly earned his admiration.

“Folks in Tulare are just amazing,” Hensley said.

In exchange for their support, Hensley says he made as much of the information surrounding his case available as he possibly could.

“I said I was going to make sure the public knew what was going on, and I think I kept up my end of the bargain,” he said.

mean for Kaweah Delta, Dr. Jeffrey Rich, Cleveland Clinic’s chairman of strategic operations, highlighted the sharing of his program’s “intellectual property,” including their treatment protocols and “clinical care pathways.”

“It’s important to realize that there are many educational opportunities for the team here, not just the physicians, but the nursing staff and others, to come to the Cleveland Clinic to learn and to see how we do things there,” Rich said. “And, we will also be coming here to help educate you along

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Back by Month’s End

The plan is to be back in uniform at his desk by January 31, in time to participate in upcoming planning and policy sessions. The first step is coming out of official retirement.

“I go to the CalPERS office first thing in the morning so I can submit my request to reinstate and then go forward from there,” Hensley said.

Hensley’s first task upon return will be getting everyone at the TPD on the same page.

“For the department, we need to recognize there are issues we have to work on,” he said. “When I get back I’ll issue a statement so we (TPD employees) all know where we are.”

He plans to have a one-on-one meeting with each of his employees as he settles back into the job. And, there are promotions that need attention, a job he’ll pass to Capt. Matt Machado.

“He’s going to make that set of promotions for me, because that’s the only fair thing to do,” Hensley said.

the way. Giving you the protocols and the care pathways is not enough. We have to help you implement those.”

Dr. Harry Lively, a cardiologist of 30 years experience and Kaweah Delta’s chief of staff, says the partnership will mean better, less costly local treatment for heart and vascular patients in the South Valley.

“For Kaweah Delta, I think it’s a huge step forward in terms of the care that we can deliver,” he said. “Now we have access to a lot of the programs, the protocols, the physicians for our patients, our high-risk patients, unusual patients that we may see that normally we have to transfer out. We may be able to take care of those patients locally, prevent the expense of having to leave town to get the quality of care they should receive at any facility.”

‘Culture of Change’

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PORTERVILLE COLLEGE

Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Rich said it was Kaweah Delta’s willingness to embrace change that made the Visalia hospital a prime candidate for affiliation.

“It (Kaweah Delta) had a very strong reputation in cardiac care. We, in our affiliate program, like to find and develop relationships with quality centers that have like-mindedness in terms of improving quality and a culture of change,” Rich said. “Cardiac care is very complex and it changes all the time, and you also have to change your institutional focus. So you may need changes in the administration, you may need changes in the staffing or in the way the operating rooms are run, but certainly changes in accepting performance measures, adopting the performance measures and doing well with them to improve the care of patients.”

Kaweah Delta’s Dr. Lively’s willingness to adopt new ways is part of the institution’s drive to be the best.

“It’s an ongoing effort. It’s not easy to achieve, but it’s harder to maintain.

So, sometimes climbing the mountain is a lot easier than staying on top of it,” Lively said. “That’s our goal, it’s to continue to stay on top and to continue to step forward and not rest on our laurels. I think this affiliation with the Cleveland Clinic will help us achieve that.”

Valley Voice 7 February, 2019

15

VOICES & OPINIONS

Correction to Sequoia Gateway opinion piece An opinion piece printed recently suggested that the Tulare County Farm Bureau chose not to oppose the Sequoia Gateway due to the project’s planned environmentally friendly elements.

This is not an accurate characterization.

The Farm Bureau took a neutral position on the project but does not support the development of any prime farmland.

The Farm Bureau worked closely with the developers and provided valuable advice on the project. The property owners regret the misstatement.

The project is committed to mitigating its impact on the loss of prime

farm land, and remains committed to creating a quality project that meets the needs of residents, visitors and families.

For information on the project, visit www.sequoiagateway.com.

be someone else’s neighbor.

Facing poverty can be deeply disturbing, as it is a reminder of how imperfect the world is. We escape this reality by shoving the homeless along.

They escape, sometimes, by turning to drugs. But, if we helped make their reality a little less painful, then they might re-find purpose in their lives, get the help they need, and rejoin society as productive members. And if not, we still should help, for “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) Speaking as a medical doctor, I can tell you that many of the homeless are dealing with the dual struggles of addiction and mental illness (though not all of them). My own research finds

that social networking, gathering in kindness and camaraderie, is one way of dealing with the isolation that can come with this struggle. It also helps fend off depression and dementia.

Even we middle class people can suffer this sense of isolation and individualism. So, we aren’t just helping the homeless when we volunteer, but we help ourselves. Connect to others.

Susie and the Warming Center do. Their ministry is working with the underserved of Visalia, the downtrodden in need of help. We must support those that help the less fortunate in Visalia. If you can, give your time. You may find that you gain just as much benefit from it as the ones you help.

The warming center on Hall Street MYLENE RUCKER, MD There is a bond that is formed in adversity. People coming together for basic survival, for holding on to humanity. I have seen this camaraderie when visiting the Warming Center on Hall Street. The Warming Center is a homeless shelter that serves over 50 homeless here in Visalia every night by offering them a warm, safe place to sleep. Sue Ward, a retired teacher, has been running the shelter at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church with help from volunteers from another church nearby.

When I visited last Thursday night, I saw people helping each other, sharing space, standing in line and following rules. And in the morning, I again saw people being kind and courteous

when preparing to leave. And I don’t mean just that the volunteers were courteous and kind to the homeless, I mean that the homeless, in their adversity, were kind and courteous to the volunteers and to each other.

I know that there has been controversy concerning the shelter; that people say they don’t deserve our help; that someone else helping the homeless is fine, so long as I don’t have to see them; that the old “not in my backyard” forces are at work. One wants to live in a comfortable bubble. But we in Visalia are strong and brave enough to face that reality without losing our humanity, kindness, and grace. That we can, as Jesus commanded, love our neighbor, instead of calling the police to get our neighbor moving along to

Sequoia Gateway project “will open the door for development” of farmland KARL SCHOETTLER Recently your newspaper ran an opinion piece by proponents of the Sequoia Gateway project (a major commercial development proposed in an agricultural area near Highway 99 and Caldwell Avenue) touting the environmental benefits of the project.

Unfortunately, few of these “benefits” stand up to scrutiny. The article states that the project will result in a reduction of water use by virtue of converting farmland to urban development.

Using this argument then why don’t we pave over the entire valley with urban uses?!?

Water use across the Valley would be reduced greatly! Also, if we are going down that road, such a reduction

in water use could still be achieved on farmland much closer (or even inside) the existing Visalia city limits.

The article also praises “benefits” such as electric charging stations, solar panels, low water landscaping, bus stops and bike paths, but these could be provided with any project, and bus stops and bike paths would be much more effective if the project was located in town, not out in the countryside miles away from where people live!

The article mentions all the property and sales tax revenues that will flow into local government coffers.

Again, these would happen if the project were located inside the city and would probably be much more effective there, since police, fire and other providers wouldn’t have to drive so far out to respond to emergen-

cies and other service demands like trash pickup.

Despite all these supposed “environmental benefits”, the Environmental Impact Report states the project has the potential for numerous significant environmental impacts, including impacts on farmland, air pollution, endangered species, cultural resources, climate change, hazards, water quality, land use, noise and traffic! Many of these impacts would not occur, or would be lessened greatly were the project built inside Visalia city limits.

Make no mistake, another result of this project is that it will open the door for development on hundreds of acres of farmland between Visalia and the Caldwell/99 site.

All of these property owners will line up expecting similar treatment

from the County or City of Visalia: “Why can’t I development my land?!?

You let them do it!”

I fear this project marks the first major instance of the County getting into the urban development “game”.

With adoption of the recent County General Plan, the County has opened the door to urban development in locations that would have been intended for agriculture or open space in the past.

This is a major change from the past where official County policy directed urban development to the cities and unincorporated towns.

Tulare County was once a recognized leader in cutting edge planning to protect farmland, but this is apparently no longer the case.

This is discrimination, pure and simple! If a society is indeed judged by is treatment of its weakest members, then many businesses sure don’t measure up!

I am sick of hearing the weak excuses like “security reasons”. When my bank where I have had accounts

for 30 years told me that, I took it as a personal affront! Can I not be trusted not to steal their toilet paper? I am transferring my accounts to a bank which considers my needs as a human being well as my money!

Seniors, stand up for your dignity!

“Seniors, stand up for your dignity!”

HAROLD WARNER I am 86 years old, and sometimes have a bathroom emergency while out in the community. I was told ths morning by my local thrift shop, my credit union, and my bank that they had no “public restroom”. They will

“ “

take my money, but tell me to “go fish” if I have a serious emergency! I do not want to hear, “...but you can use the laundromat down the block .” You can bet that if the President walked in and asked the same question, but was not even a client or having a real emergency, he’d get a “ Sure bet!”

Your comments from ourvalleyvoice.com “Only Happy Speech will be allowed.” Actually, this rule seems to go for all local government meetings where the public is grudgingly invited to comment. They do not want anything but adulation even when they fail to represent their constituents.

— Dave M on Lemoore Files for Restraining Order

“ ”

Just look at old newspaper articles where the transparent Northcraft was constantly quoted in making sure HHCA was kicked out. As time passed and he was woken, he and the board stopped being transparent and began to do exactly what HHCA requested. The new board not only filed for bankruptcy, they also gave away the hospital to Adventist something they said they would not do to the city of Tulare. Now they are getting g ready to unload hospital assets such as Evolutions which was what Northcraft was so outraged and is also what started all this mess.

— J on Benzeevi hearing delayed until Monday

“ ”

Hospital board members probably cannot be sued as a group but perhaps they can be sued individually. It should be something to look into. In my opinion Sherrie Bell signing such a momentous contract with HCCA without even reading it was a profound dereliction of the duties that she took an oath to do and should be sued based on all the aftermath that incurred and her blatant participation in the downfall of TRMC. Start with Bell and then go after Kumar, Wilbourn, Gadke and Torrez all individually. Their willful actions aided and abetted Benzeevi’s bleeding TRMC dry for his own financial gains.

— Just Me on Benzeevi trial continues, with hearing dates set

” ”

You get what you settle for, Tulare. Poor management messing with your local govt, your PD, and your hospital.

Maybe we should send outsiders in to straighten you out. It’s clear you can’t manage on your own without supervision

— hoipolloi on Suit Reveals Tulare City Hall Conspiracy

16

7 February, 2019

Registration open for FFA Field Day at WHCC Farm of the Future

Valley Voice

West Hills College Coalinga’s Farm of the Future will host a Future Farmers of America (FFA) field day on Mar. 2nd, featuring four different competitions, with registration ongoing until Feb. 26.

The field day will include competition in the agricultural welding, agricultural mechanics, land judging

and farm power career development events. Field days allow FFA members to prepare for the upcoming state finals for these contests.

The event is expected to draw over 100 students from schools across the state and is the seventh FFA contest hosted by the Farm of the Future.

Dr. Timothy Ellsworth, Farm of the Future instructor and field day orga-

nizer, said the field day is a great opportunity for high school students to visit campus, meet our faculty and learn about the Farm of the Future’s educational offerings.

The action will start at 6:30 a.m. and culminate with an awards ceremony for winning teams and individuals.

Buckles will be awarded to first place individuals and ribbons to 1st through

5th place teams. A sweep-stakes trophy will also be awarded.

Registration is available online at http://calaged.csuchico.edu/registration/Reg1_EnterAccessCode.asp?FieldDayID=651 For more information about the contest, contact Tim Ellsworth at 559-997-5339 or timothyellsworth@ whccd.edu.

BLAIR

and that they were now looking at options on how to proceed.

form of a complaint and Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against Holly Andrade Blair. The city has filed legal documents and initiated the case of City of Lemoore v Holly Andrade Blair, Case No. 19C-0043 in the Kings County Superior Court. As an update to the community, this case does not change Council Member Blair’s status as a Council Member including her ability to attend Council meetings.”

Avalos said the purpose of the Facebook post was not to reveal details about the litigation, but to inform Lemoore residents that Blair was still allowed to attend meetings.

According to the California Secretary of State website, a sitting council member can only be removed if they permanently leave their jurisdiction, are convicted of a felony, or are recalled.

The City of Lemoore cannot prevent a city council member from attending meetings because they have initiated legal proceedings against them.

Melo could not comment on the case because of the court agreement not to discuss litigation. John Sarsfield did confirm that Lemoore’s Facebook post was in violation of the agreement

Lawyers for both sides started the hearing by meeting in Judge Ciuffini’s chambers at 8:30am to confer. During this time Blair gave a statement to the Voice.

“I’m an elected city council member. I was elected to address concerns of the community rather than address the concerns of the city staff. The city council and police chief would rather attempt to stop my first amendment rights of free speech than accept any criticism of their job performance.

This doesn’t just have to do with my complaints but my constituents’ complaints about the Lemoore Police Chief.”

Blair was censured August 7 of last year by her fellow city council members for, among other things, disclosing confidential information and engaging in conduct unbecoming of a council member. She was also the subject of a recall effort last summer that failed to gather the necessary number of signatures.

Blair said that she is the first Latina to be elected to Lemoore’s City Council and that it’s not a coincidence she is the first person ever to be censured in

Lemoore. “They had to create a process first to give me a censure because one didn’t exist,” she said.

Blair was elected to the Lemoore City Council in 2016.

In Olson’s declaration to the court he states, “My greatest concern is that once her statements are made publicly, or continue to be made publicly, the harm cannot be reversed. Her unsupported public criticism undermines the community’s confidence in its police force, which serves to undermine public safety in general.”

“I understand that as a public law enforcement professional, I am open to criticism all of the time,” said Smith in his declaration. “But when the critic is an agent of my employer, I have due process rights under the law as to how those complaints must be handled to avoid undue harm to my reputation, my ability to do my job and my career.”

Melo stated to Judge Ciuffini that her client had agreed not to make any negative comments by name or identifying features about the city staff or management. Melo continued that in the event Blair does have a complaint she will direct them to Lemoore Mayor Eddie Neal instead of City Manager Olson. Neal will then decide if her complaints need to be dealt with internally or brought to open session of the city council.

Burdick said that the city agrees that the city council, department managers, city staff and Sheriff Department will not speak unfavorably of Blair. She acknowledged that Blair had promised to bring all complaints to the mayor, who had the option to discuss them in closed session rather than publicly.

The judge then articulated what was agreed upon in conference and said she is not making a court order but that both sides had made a “moral commitment” to the court not discuss the litigation or speak negatively about each other in an effort to resolve the dispute amicably.

A status hearing was scheduled for February 7 and the judge ordered that both sides get mediation done within 30 days.

STAFF REPORTS

continued from 1

The Hearing

A Moral Commitment

After the lawyers and Judge finished conferring, the lawyers for both sides, Blair, and Ochoa went into conference.

After meeting for approximately 30 minutes they had reached an agreement and each lawyer presented their side to the judge.